Only by Becoming a God Could She Live Up to the Celestial Master's Astounding Betrothal Gifts

On the third day of wearing the Tribulation-Avoiding Garment, Hu Liena had finally gotten used to the warmth.

It wasn't warmth on the surface of her skin—it was in her bones.

It spread from her spine to her limbs, unceasing, twenty-four hours a day. Even while she slept, it seeped outward.

The Cultivation Room's door had been shut for a full day and night.

Seated cross-legged on the cushion, Hu Liena let her five fox tails fan out behind her, their tips glowing with a faint silver-white light.

Most of the garment's golden sheen had faded. Usually, it looked no different from an ordinary ceremonial robe. Only the Three-Legged Golden Toad on its lapel occasionally rolled over, reminding people that it was no common treasure.

The spiritual energy was changing.

Not the spiritual energy that had originally filled the Cultivation Room—there hadn't been enough of that for a long time.

The Golden Toad pattern on the Tribulation-Avoiding Garment breathed. With each breath, it drew in spiritual energy from the outside.

Through the cracks in the Cultivation Room's walls, through gaps in the window lattice, through the finger-wide space beneath the door, spiritual energy was pulled inside. It gathered into streams of white qi visible to the naked eye and surged toward Hu Liena.

The spiritual energy in the entire Cultivation Room had reached an utterly unbelievable density.

The air felt heavy.

One breath was enough to flood all her internal organs.

Soul Power coursed through Hu Liena's meridians, accelerating.

It was at least twenty percent faster than yesterday.

The bloodline opened by the Primordial Spirit Bead, the spiritual meridians widened by the Star River Map, and the worldly spiritual energy gathered by the Tribulation-Avoiding Garment—three layers of enhancement stacked together. Her cultivation speed could no longer be described as "fast."

Level 88.

Only a day had passed since she broke through to Level 87.

One level a day.

If word of that got out, Soul Masters across the entire continent would be scared into heart attacks.

"Hiss—"

A gasp came from the doorway.

Ye Lingling was crouched by the threshold, holding a bowl of ginseng soup. Half her head poked out from behind the doorframe, her almond-shaped eyes wide as saucers.

This wasn't her first visit.

Every two hours, she brought over a bowl of soup and left it by the door, usually slipping away quietly after setting it down.

But this time—

She didn't leave.

The spiritual energy in the Cultivation Room had grown so dense that it was spilling out through the crack beneath the door.

White streams of qi slipped through the gap and brushed over her ankles, cool and carrying a faint sweetness.

Ye Lingling set the ginseng soup on the ground, then leaned against the doorframe to watch.

The spiritual energy around Hu Liena was no longer "flowing." It was "spinning."

Circling around her in ring after ring, faster and faster, denser and denser, until it finally condensed into a translucent cocoon of spiritual energy that enveloped her.

Light gleamed across the cocoon.

Golden—the auspicious energy of the Tribulation-Avoiding Garment.

Silver-white—the starlight power of the Star River Map.

Pale pink—the lustre of the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's Martial Soul Origin.

The three colors intertwined across the surface of the cocoon, flowing together so beautifully that it looked less like cultivation and more like brocade being woven.

Ye Lingling watched for a full quarter of an hour.

Only when the cocoon slowed, its light fading layer by layer to reveal the figure seated within, did she look away.

Hu Liena slowly opened her eyes.

A trace of golden light lingered in her fox pupils. Two breaths later, it finally faded away.

She looked down at her hands.

Soul Power flowed over her fingertips. It was thicker than yesterday, and its color was deeper too—from pale gold to pure gold.

Level 88.

Only two levels from Level 90. Seven levels from the Super Douluo realm at Level 95. As for becoming a god...

Hu Liena's fingers curled, then relaxed.

A rustle came from the doorway. Ye Lingling carried the ginseng soup inside, making no effort to tiptoe. She walked in openly.

"You're awake?"

Hu Liena gave a quiet "Mm."

Ye Lingling handed over the soup, then found a spot against the wall and leaned back, folding her arms over her chest.

She studied Hu Liena for a moment.

"Your Soul Power fluctuations..."

Ye Lingling tilted her head, sensing them carefully for three breaths.

"Level 88?"

Hu Liena took the bowl and blew on the steam without replying.

"You were still Level 87 yesterday."

Ye Lingling counted on her fingers.

"Level 86 the day before, Level 85 the day before that... What kind of speed is this?"

She moved two steps away from the wall, crouched in front of Hu Liena, and looked up at her.

"Miss Hu Liena, at this rate, you've probably surpassed most Titled Douluo on the continent, haven't you?"

Holding the bowl, Hu Liena took a sip of the ginseng soup.

It was hot. The bitterness of the ginseng melted across the root of her tongue, followed by a lingering sweetness.

She lowered the bowl and slowly shook her head.

"I'm still far from it."

Ye Lingling froze.

"Teacher once said—"

Hu Liena set the bowl beside her knee.

"Beyond Titled Douluo are Limit Douluo. Only beyond Limit Douluo lies true godhood."

She glanced down at the Golden Toad on her lapel.

Its back rose and fell slowly, each breath bringing a steady warmth.

Level 88.

Three months ago, this was a height she wouldn't even have dared to dream of.

Three months ago, she had been stuck at Level 69. She'd been there for two whole years, unable even to touch the threshold of Soul Douluo.

Now she was Level 88.

But—

"Only by becoming a true god can I be worthy of..."

The rest of the sentence caught in her throat.

"...these betrothal gifts he gave me."

The last few words came out almost inaudibly, their final syllable dissolving into the steam from the ginseng soup.

The Cultivation Room fell silent for two breaths.

Then Ye Lingling smiled.

It wasn't a loud laugh. First the corners of her lips lifted, then her grin widened a little, showing half a row of white teeth.

The smile spread all the way to her ears, turning both earlobes pink.

"You really have accepted the Celestial Master in your heart."

Hu Liena's hand stiffened around the bowl.

The soup rippled twice, almost spilling over.

She lowered her head.

Her face was burning. The heat spread from her cheekbones all the way down to the base of her neck.

Her fox ears sprang out from her hair, glowing pink, and twitched twice in the steam from the soup.

She didn't deny it.

Not a single word.

The corner of her mouth lifted.

Barely. So faintly that she might not even have noticed.

But Ye Lingling was crouched right in front of her and saw it clearly—the curve tugged up at the left corner of Hu Liena's mouth, rose a tiny bit, then was pressed back down as she bit her lower lip.

It couldn't be pressed down.

The light in her eyes had already given her away.

Ye Lingling's smile grew wider.

She shifted from a crouch to a seated position, crossing her legs opposite Hu Liena. She rested both hands on her knees and studied the blushing Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall with earnest attention.

She had first met Hu Liena a month ago, in the Pope Palace.

Back then, Hu Liena had stood twenty paces away, cold from head to toe, radiating an air that warned people to keep their distance.

Her fox pupils had been sharp, her chin slightly raised, and she had worn the Holy Maiden's dignity to perfection.

She was the sort of person even Pope Bibi Dong had to stand up to properly show respect.

And now?

Head lowered, face red, a smile she couldn't suppress hidden at the corner of her mouth, her pink fox ears twitching in the warm steam.

Using a bowl of ginseng soup to hide her face.

Hu Liena seemed to notice Ye Lingling watching her. Her eyelids lifted, then quickly lowered again.

"What are you looking at?"

"Your smile."

Ye Lingling wasn't afraid of her in the least. Her voice was light and carefree.

"You look especially pretty when you smile."

Hu Liena's face turned even redder.

"...Did you come all this way just to say that?"

"I came to bring you ginseng soup."

Ye Lingling pointed at the bowl.

"You've already drunk half of it. It's not doing much to hide your face anymore."

Hu Liena glanced down.

There really was only half a bowl of soup left.

She moved the bowl away from her face and set it beside the cushion.

Her bangs fell forward, hiding most of her face, but they couldn't conceal her ears. The two fox ears still stuck out between her strands, bright pink and completely uncooperative.

Ye Lingling didn't tease her any further.

They sat in silence for a few breaths.

Faint footsteps and the clink of weapons came from outside the Cultivation Room—the Spirit Hall patrols were changing shifts.

A bell tolled in the distance, low and prolonged. It was the Pope Palace's timekeeping bell.

Ye Lingling spoke.

This time, there was no trace of a smile in her voice.

"If the Celestial Master knew you felt this way, he would be very happy."