The Goal Is Godhood

"Take a master?!"

Xu Huxiao looked at his smiling, pot-bellied father, then at Grandpa Sword beside him, whose radiant smile bloomed like a chrysanthemum.

He was a little baffled. What was this supposed to be? Why did it feel like they were trying to trick a child?

Chen Xin patiently coaxed him, his gaze kindly.

"That's right, take a master! Huxiao, Grandpa Sword has the cultivation of a level ninety-six Peak Douluo. In all the world, only a handful can withstand my Seven Kill Sword."

"Well? Would you like to learn the sword from Grandpa and become my disciple?"

Xu Bayan chimed in from the side. "Exactly. Your Grandpa Sword is incredibly powerful. He is known as the Titled Douluo with the strongest offensive power on the continent. Didn't you start training because you wanted to become stronger? With your Grandpa Sword teaching you, you'll definitely become the most powerful Soul Master on the continent someday. And besides..."

Before he could finish, Xu Huxiao had already given his answer.

"I don't want to."

"What?!"

Upon hearing that, both Xu Bayan and Chen Xin froze, unable to react for a moment.

Xu Huxiao looked at them with clear black eyes and sincerely repeated himself.

"I don't want to become Grandpa Sword's disciple."

"You brat! You're being so blunt. Are you asking for a beating? Hurry up and say, 'I do'!"

"Uncle Sword, don't mind him. Huxiao can be as stubborn as an ox sometimes. I'll straighten him out."

Xu Bayan immediately snapped off a strip of mottled bamboo from the side and held it threateningly in his hand.

"Brat, I'll ask you one more time. Are you taking a master or not, huh?!"

Faced with this childish trick, Xu Huxiao was speechless and felt deeply embarrassed.

He had not refused to take a master on a whim. He already had someone in mind, after all. His goal was not merely to become stronger or become a powerful Soul Master.

He had only ever had one goal.

To cultivate to the strongest point and ascend to godhood!

As for the paths to godhood, based on what he knew from his previous life, there were two methods on Douluo Continent: gathering faith or inheriting a Godhood.

The former was exceedingly difficult to achieve. Most people could only take the path of inheriting a Godhood.

As far as he knew, there were currently clues to five Godhoods.

They were the Asura God, Sea God, Rakshasa God, Angel God, and God of Food.

Among them, the God of Food required one's Martial Soul to be food-type and one to reach the rank of a level ninety Title before attracting the God of Food's inheritance. His Martial Soul was not food-type, so that could be ruled out.

The Angel God's inheritance was controlled by Qian Daoliu, the grand consecrator of Spirit Hall, and it required one to possess an Angel Martial Soul. Ruled out.

The Rakshasa God's inheritance secret realm was in Bibi Dong's hands. She had likely already begun the inheritance trials, so that was ruled out as well.

That left only the Asura God and the Sea God.

Both Godhoods were currently without owners and could be sought.

To pass the Sea God's inheritance trials, he needed to obtain the Heaven Dou Empire's national treasure—the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, also known as the Sea God's Heart.

The Heaven Dou Empire had always been at odds with Spirit Hall. As the son of a Spirit Hall elder, it would likely be difficult for him to seize the treasure through legitimate means.

Still, it was worth trying.

The clues to the Asura God's inheritance, on the other hand, lay in Slaughter City.

To clear Slaughter City, one first had to become a Slaughter God and obtain Divine Slaughter's Domain. Then, through cultivation, one had to elevate and evolve Divine Slaughter's Domain to the level of the Asura Domain, transform it into Asura God Power, draw the Asura God's attention, and only then gain the qualifications for the inheritance trials.

Divine Slaughter's Domain was the Asura God's first test. Only those who passed that first test had a chance of inheriting the Asura God's divine position.

Thus,

he could prepare for the Asura God and Sea God Godhoods at the same time.

However, Slaughter City also concealed Tang Chen, a level ninety-nine Extreme Douluo who had already fallen into madness. Without the recommendation of a current Slaughter God, rashly entering Slaughter City would likely mean facing him.

If that happened, let alone obtaining Divine Slaughter's Domain, even surviving would be a question.

Therefore,

he needed a Slaughter God to vouch for him and send him into Slaughter City before he could smoothly obtain Divine Slaughter's Domain.

There were only two Slaughter Gods in the world at present: Bibi Dong and Tang Hao.

He was in Spirit Hall, and his father was a Spirit Hall elder who had once intercepted Tang Hao, so Tang Hao was impossible.

That left only Bibi Dong. He would become Bibi Dong's disciple, display his talent, and earn the qualifications to enter Slaughter City for its trials.

That was the general outline of his plan.

Although Sword Douluo was also very powerful, the person he wanted to take as his master was Bibi Dong. Then he would remain in Spirit Hall to develop and look for an opportunity to seize the Heaven Dou Empire's national treasure, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.

So naturally, he had refused directly.

As for

his father's demands...

Ever since Xu Huxiao had awakened a month ago and learned that Xu Bayan had stripped away his Soul Bone without hesitation to save him, then risked lasting aftereffects by forcibly erupting during the Martial Soul Celebration and killing two people in succession,

Xu Huxiao had recognized this father of his from the bottom of his heart.

In the future, once his cultivation was sufficiently advanced, he would definitely restore his father's severed leg and return him to the peak of a Title!

That was achievable.

The key lay in the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone's Soul Bone skill: 'Wildfires cannot burn it all; spring winds blow and it grows anew'!

Although this skill could not revive the dead or regrow bones from flesh, it was enough to perfectly reconnect severed limbs.

As long as he obtained the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone and reclaimed the left leg Soul Bone his father had stripped away from Bibi Dong, there would be no problem at all.

Still, even between a loving father and filial son, a beating was hard to avoid.

Looking at the bamboo strip in his father's hand, Xu Huxiao immediately felt a faint ache in his backside. After countless "lessons," he had confirmed one thing.

That was: his arm could not twist against his thigh right now. That bamboo strip was no joke...

Before Xu Bayan's large hand could reach him, inspiration struck Xu Huxiao. He immediately said in an admiring tone,

"Grandpa Sword, your cultivation reaches the heavens. You are my idol. I would be more than willing to receive your guidance, but I have my reasons for saying I don't want to take a master. It definitely wasn't a moment of rashness."

When Chen Xin had first heard Xu Huxiao directly reject him, he had felt a little hurt. But after receiving that flattering speech, he was greatly pleased and instantly revived at full health.

He stopped Xu Bayan and asked curiously, "Oh? Then what reason do you have? Tell me."

Xu Huxiao had long been prepared.

"Grandpa Sword, look. You are the elder Huxiao respects most. Even if I do not become your disciple, if I come to ask you about cultivation problems, would you really turn Huxiao away?"

"Uh, of course not. Grandpa sees you as family. If you have any questions, Grandpa will naturally tell you everything he knows. Why would I ever turn you away?"

"Exactly. Think about it: if I become your disciple, Grandpa Sword, then I can only receive your guidance."

"But if I don't become your disciple, I can take another master as well. With Grandpa Sword's guidance added in, I would effectively have two masters teaching me."

"Besides, there is a saying: 'A teacher for a day, a father for life.' If I become Grandpa Sword's disciple, wouldn't that put you in the same generation as my father?"

"By that logic, if I don't become your disciple, I gain an extra teacher while still calling you my dearest Grandpa Sword."

"But if I become your disciple, etiquette dictates that I must call you Teacher. Not only would that feel distant, you would also drop into the same generation as my father."

After hearing that logic, both Chen Xin and Xu Bayan fell silent.

Uh—

It actually seemed to make some sense...

But Xu Bayan was the first to recover, angrily saying, "What do you mean by 'drop into the same generation as my father'? Why do I hear a hint of disdain in your words, brat?"

Xu Huxiao said nothing and merely moved closer to his Grandpa Sword.

Chen Xin came to his senses as well and laughed heartily.

"Isn't Grandpa one generation above Father? What, Xiao Yan, do you have an objection?"

Xu Bayan dared not speak his anger aloud and curled his lips. "What objection could I possibly have? Hmph."

The more Chen Xin looked at this little child, the more he liked him. Not only was he exceptionally talented, but his mouth was sweet as well. Stroking his snow-white beard, he said,

"Good! Little Huxiao's reasoning is sound. Then don't take a master if you don't want to. You can ask Grandpa anything you need, and Grandpa Sword will definitely teach you without holding anything back."

"Thank you, Grandpa Sword~"

Very good. He had cleared the hurdle of taking a master and did not have to suffer a bamboo-strip beating. It seemed recognizing the situation and adapting accordingly was very important.

Speaking of guidance, Xu Huxiao suddenly remembered the "force" and domain that Grandpa Sword had mentioned to him.

He understood domains.

In the world of Soul Masters, there were bloodline innate domains, Martial Soul innate domains, divine inheritance domains, and Soul Skill domains obtained from one's ninth Soul Skill.

Those were basically the only four ways to obtain a domain.

As for "force," he did not understand it. Grandpa Sword had said it was an advanced application of a domain, and only those who had obtained a domain and broken through to level ninety-six had a chance to comprehend it.

Comprehending "force" was extremely difficult, and it had many wondrous uses. Once "force" was cultivated to a certain extent, it could not only greatly enhance one's attacks, but even merge with celestial phenomena and use the force of heaven to attack.

That was getting a little fantastical.

Furthermore, Grandpa Sword had said that he carried fluctuations of "force." Xu Huxiao thought it over, and the only thing he possessed that could be related to "force" was his Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, which had reached the Essence Intent Realm.

Could it be that the Martial Dao Essence Realm from his previous life was called "force" on Douluo Continent?

That would be incredible...

He had been born into a martial arts family. Although he had only been a high school student, he had been immersed in martial arts from childhood and knew Martial Dao Intent very well.

In Blue Star's martial arts realms from his previous life, the Essence Intent Realm was merely the initial stage of Martial Dao Intent. Beyond it were the two major realms of Qi Intent Realm and Divine Intent Realm.

Although the latter two realms only had abstract descriptions regarding cultivation, no one on Blue Star had successfully cultivated them under its conditions. Even martial artists who reached the Essence Intent Realm were exceedingly rare.

But this was Douluo Continent now. There were Gods here, along with all sorts of strange Soul Skills.

More importantly, he possessed a set of Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms that had already been cultivated to the Essence Intent Realm!

In other words, if he continued cultivating the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms according to Blue Star's cultivation methods and realm descriptions, he might be able to cultivate them to the Divine Intent Realm!

That was the limit of the "force" Grandpa Sword had described—the point where one merged with celestial phenomena and summoned the force of heaven.

And since "force" was interconnected with domains, it was very likely that through cultivating "force," he could cultivate a domain of his own without relying on a Martial Soul, bloodline, Soul Skill, or inheritance!

That was true heaven-sent fortune!