Titled Douluo

[Neither of you quite knew what to make of it.]

[Dugu Bo had never had a clue how to manage an organization, let alone handle a problem this complicated.]

[But as you spoke with him, you noticed something strained in his voice. When you asked, he told you that Dugu Yan had gotten together with Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.]

[Dugu Bo had tried to talk Dugu Yan out of it time and again over the years, but she seemed utterly obsessed and would not listen.]

[You suspected the underlying code of the Douluo Universe had kicked in. You did not feel much about it, though. Your mind was on your work, so you casually told Dugu Bo to let things take their course. There was no need to push Dugu Yan. You were nearly six years older than she was, so you were hardly a suitable match anyway.]

[Dugu Bo sighed at your words. He genuinely liked you; you were just the sort of person he approved of. But Dugu Yan was his granddaughter, and in the end, the matter faded away amid his sighs.]

[From that day on, however, Dugu Bo's attitude toward Dugu Yan shifted subtly. Nothing seemed different in their daily interactions, yet she felt as though her grandfather was deliberately distancing himself from her.]

[Dugu Yan did not understand it and could not be bothered to dwell on it. She poured her heart into her romance with Yu Tianheng.]

[It might have seemed unreasonable, but Dugu Yan had grown up almost like a pampered princess. A bold, uninhibited man like Yu Tianheng, whose domineering air came through in every punch, stirred her heart more.]

[Besides, you spent years away after that and all but lost touch with Dugu Yan. No one was really at fault, and you were all still family, but the limits of that bond had become clear.]

[In the sixteenth year of the Simulation, you were expanding the West Wind Church into the Star Luo Empire when Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, summoned you.]

[You and Qian Renxue talked at length that day and nearly reached the point of fighting to the death. In the end, she made concessions, and you stayed out of her idiotic Nation-Stealing Plan.]

[Behind the scenes, Qian Renxue and Spirit Hall began supporting the West Wind Church. Meanwhile, the two Titled Douluo protecting her were left limping.]

[You returned to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Apart from a few unpicked Immortal Herbs, only Ah Yin remained there. She had overheard your earlier conversation with Dugu Bo, and over the years, she had grown used to the quiet life here.]

["...You must be heartbroken, aren't you? From what you and His Excellency Poison Douluo said, you and his granddaughter were childhood sweethearts." Ah Yin's cultivation was approaching thirty thousand years. She took human form and stood beside you as she asked.]

[You glanced at her, then gave a cold laugh. "What does it have to do with me? Heartbroken? Only fools feel that way. Ah Yin, you don't understand humans. You could be sold off and still help the seller count the money. I'll tell you a secret: your son is already dead. Someone else occupies his body. Think carefully. After three days and nights of fighting, how could an infant have survived the shockwaves of a battle between several Titled Douluo?" You said a great deal, perhaps to vent your feelings, or perhaps because you wanted to see an ugly expression on Ah Yin's face.]

[Your words silenced Ah Yin. She did not know how to answer. For years, she had avoided thinking about what had happened back then, but now that you had brought it up again, the memories returned unbidden.]

[Had someone else said this to Ah Yin, she probably would not have reacted. But you were special. You were different. Your mysterious nature was closer to that of a spirit born of heaven and earth, like the Heavenly Snow Woman of the Far North.]

[You exerted an inexplicable pressure on Ah Yin. It came not from bloodline, but from a higher order of life. Before you, she stood as an inferior before a superior, and lying to you was difficult.]

[At last, Ah Yin could no longer bear the pain of following that thought. Her human form faded, and her consciousness returned to her true body.]

[You watched calmly as a ninth Soul Ring slowly formed beneath your feet.]

[A Titled Douluo at twenty-two was a rare miracle across the entire continent. What was more, you had started your cultivation over once. Beginning at Level 20, you had reached Level 90 in just a few years. Without that fresh start, you could have become a Titled Douluo even earlier.]

[In the seventeenth year of the Simulation, your strength had reached the pinnacle of Douluo Continent. You alone could suppress every rebellion and dissenter within the West Wind Church. You gave Dugu Bo a nominal elder position, allowing him to formally retire as grand elder.]

[While handling the West Wind Church's affairs, large and small, you felt the steady flow of faith converging on you. Faith was a peculiar thing to you. Something about it felt strange, though you could not say what.]

[You had no time to ponder that for now. Spirit Hall was still trying to suppress you. As the West Wind Church had grown over the years, it had gained enough strength to deal Spirit Hall a serious blow.]

[Bibi Dong was pleased to see it happen, but she wanted to drag the entire world down with her. Destroying Spirit Hall alone would not satisfy her.]

[You met Bibi Dong. Though she had received no rewards from her divine trials, her cultivation had advanced quickly. By your estimate, she had reached the level of a Limit Douluo. Her remaining trials likely involved filling out her Soul Rings and obtaining Soul Bones.]

[You and Bibi Dong clashed in a battle that erupted above Spirit Hall. Once you turned into wind, none of her attacks could affect you—not even Eternal Creation, a Soul Skill that dealt true damage.]

[You had no physical body. Eternal Creation could only take effect when it struck a tangible target. Against a being without a physical body, it could not even tickle you.]

[Bibi Dong was furious. She could not understand why she could not hurt you in the slightest while you could wound her at will.]

[Her dress was slashed open, and wounds of all sizes appeared across her body.]

[You felt you could kill Bibi Dong, but there was no need. You had a bolder plan: when she threatened the balance of power across the continent, you would step forward, reap the faith of the people, and become a god in one stroke.]

[Besides, Spirit Hall still needed to exist. Destroying it now would not be a rational choice. The greater the prize, the costlier the gamble; risk and reward went hand in hand.]