Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked at the Star Hall, where strange phenomena were appearing one after another, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. He had originally been certain that Ju Hua was the reincarnation of a True God Dao Ancestor. Otherwise, how could Ju Hua have advanced so quickly?
But after hearing what the person beside him had to say, he found himself wavering.
Yellow-Haired Great Bear clearly remembered asking Ju Hua several times whether he had recalled any memories from his past life. Ju Hua had always said no!
Having watched Ju Hua grow step by step, Yellow-Haired Great Bear believed he understood him quite well. Unless absolutely necessary, Ju Hua would hardly ever lie!
At the time, he had simply assumed that Ju Hua's previous life had been extraordinary, and that it wasn't yet time for him to recover his memories. But he was only a spirit of an artifact. Though he was well-informed, in some respects he couldn't compare to a true cultivator.
What's more, the person beside him was a genuine Celestial God, and one of the very best.
Yellow-Haired Great Bear pondered for a long while. Then the Red-Haired Figure's expression suddenly changed.
"What's wrong?" Yellow-Haired Great Bear immediately asked.
"."
The Red-Haired Figure didn't answer right away. After observing carefully for a while longer, he finally said, "Remarkable. He actually fused two Daos, and fused them so perfectly!"
"This is Dao fusion?" Yellow-Haired Great Bear's face showed a hint of doubt.
"It is indeed Dao fusion," the Red-Haired Figure said slowly. "In theory, different Daos can be fused, especially those that are closely connected!"
Before Yellow-Haired Great Bear could say anything, the Red-Haired Figure continued, "After cultivating for countless years, I mastered the Dao of Snow, the Dao of Time, the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, and several other Daos. I even fused the Dao of Snow with the Dao of Time. That's why I'm the strongest in battle among all the Celestial Gods of the Star-Plucking Lineage!"
"..."
Yellow-Haired Great Bear said nothing. That was common knowledge.
After thinking for a moment, Yellow-Haired Great Bear asked, "I know about Dao fusion, but look at Ju Hua—he's comprehending two Daos at the same time. You fused the Dao of Snow with the Dao of Time, but how come I never knew you could comprehend two Great Daos simultaneously?"
"That's precisely what makes him so remarkable. He fused the two Daos perfectly, so that the fused parts are indistinguishable from each other. Naturally, he can comprehend them both at once!" The Red-Haired Figure continued:
"Unfortunately, my fusion of the Dao of Snow and the Dao of Time isn't that perfect. Despite countless years of effort, I still haven't managed to complete it! But in my view, my Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and the Dao of Time have a chance of fusing perfectly. Unfortunately, I've only got the barest inkling of how to do it, and I'm still nowhere near a perfect fusion!"
"It's that difficult?"
Yellow-Haired Great Bear looked at the distant Star Hall, where strange phenomena kept appearing, and for a moment he didn't know what to say. Judging by Ju Hua, fusing two Daos didn't seem to be much of a struggle for him.
"It depends on fate!" said the Red-Haired Figure.
"Mm!"
Yellow-Haired Great Bear nodded.
"From the looks of it, he has a very good chance of surviving the Celestial God Tribulation and becoming a Celestial God. Da Xiong, what do you intend to do?" the Red-Haired Figure asked.
"Ju Hua didn't inherit the master's divine ability. Now that he's already a Primordial Spirit Fiendgod, it's impossible for him to learn it," Yellow-Haired Great Bear said, shaking his head.
"If Ju Hua becomes a Celestial God, he can only be the master's nominal disciple!"
"What a pity!" The Red-Haired Figure sighed.
"It's not as if there's no chance. If Ju Hua can reach the master's level, then he'll truly be the Palace Master of the Star-Plucking Mansion," Yellow-Haired Great Bear said.
"The God King of those days was among the very best of the True God Dao Ancestors," the Red-Haired Figure said, shaking his head. Reaching that level would take more than talent. It would take fate, too!
How difficult was it to become a True God Dao Ancestor?
"."
Yellow-Haired Great Bear said nothing. Although Ju Hua's performance was astonishing, unless he truly was the reincarnation of a True God Dao Ancestor, his chances of reaching that level were still slim!
And if he really was the reincarnation of a True God Dao Ancestor, then another problem would arise! The Star-Plucking Lineage had plenty of enemies in ancient times!
"Da Xiong, don't worry too much. We can deal with these matters once he becomes a Celestial God," the Red-Haired Figure said, as if he knew what Yellow-Haired Great Bear was thinking.
"I know!"
Yellow-Haired Great Bear nodded.
"Da Xiong, there's something I'd like you to arrange for me." The Red-Haired Figure explained what he had in mind.
"."
After pondering for a moment, Yellow-Haired Great Bear slowly nodded.
This was the longest Ju Hua had ever stayed in the Star Hall. It wasn't until three months later that he emerged, his face alight with joy.
Until he entered the Star Hall, he hadn't realized just how deep his accumulated foundations were. Though only thirty years had passed, it felt as if he had lived through thirty thousand.
During the war, Ju Hua had absorbed a great deal of Soul Essence. Since he absorbed only a little at a time, he hadn't really felt his talent improving with each absorption.
But drop by drop, it had added up. His talent had definitely grown stronger again!
With his deep foundations and astonishing talent, Ju Hua had gained an incredible amount from this visit to the Star Hall. The Dao of the Sword and the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, which he had only begun to fuse, had suddenly reached the Dao Domain Realm of fusion.
The two Daos had now been completely fused for nearly half their length!
As Ju Hua was thinking, Yellow-Haired Great Bear suddenly appeared in front of him.
"How much did you gain this time?" Yellow-Haired Great Bear asked.
"A great deal!" Ju Hua said with a smile.
"Want to test your strength?" Yellow-Haired Great Bear asked.
"Test my strength?"
A hint of confusion appeared on Ju Hua's face. He asked, "Senior, do you mean the War God Hall? But I haven't become a Void-Return Fiendgod yet. I don't even have the chance to challenge it!"
"Even if you did, I wouldn't recommend trying. To pass the ninth level of the War God Hall, you'd need at least the strength of a peak Celestial Immortal. Your realm may be high, but your foundation of power is too weak. You're still far from a peak Celestial Immortal!" Yellow-Haired Great Bear continued:
"Still, I can let you try the ninth level of the War God Hall ahead of time, just to see how difficult it is. What do you think?"
"Really?"
Hearing Yellow-Haired Great Bear's words, Ju Hua's eyes brightened slightly.
P.S. A clarification: in the original, Sanshou Daoist's adopted son, Yuanguang Celestial God, said that he was already a Void-Return Fiendgod when he was born. So although he wanted to learn it, he couldn't get started with the Star-Plucking Hand. According to the original setting, this divine ability could only be learned when one was still weak. Sanshou Daoist created it himself, so he may have been an exception.
Also, the original never clearly stated whether one had to inherit the Star-Plucking Hand to become the master of the Star-Plucking Mansion. I'm guessing that one did. Otherwise, even if someone survived the tribulation and became a Celestial God, what advantage would they have over the seven Celestial Gods already in the Star-Plucking Mansion? Why would they become its master?
Besides, the Treasure Hall's rules for choosing treasures are quite clear: after surviving the tribulation and becoming a Celestial God, one may choose any Pure Yang Magic Treasure. If becoming a Celestial God through the tribulation meant becoming the Palace Master, what would be the point of choosing a treasure? So, not everyone who survives the tribulation and becomes a Celestial God can become the Palace Master. The prerequisite must be learning the Star-Plucking Hand divine ability.