Huge welcome and thank you to our new Patron: Amber Harris!
I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: AFKing to Become a God
------------------------------------------------------
Xu Yuan's consciousness sank deep into the dream space that he hadn't contacted in a long time, reaching out to the nine Dragon Kings.
"Nine predecessors, are you certain that all God Kings belong to a specific divine realm?"
The Light Dragon King's expression was extremely serious as he firmly replied, "I can affirm this. In truth, God Kings exist at a level that should not be possible. The emergence of divine realms was a path discovered by a group of immensely powerful beings who were extremely close to becoming God Kings and had reached the pinnacle of cultivation."
To break through to God King status, one must create a divine realm. By using the divine realm to condense the God King's divine throne, one could then ascend to the God King realm.
Only a divine realm could give rise to a God King.
In fact, it could even be said that the God King realm itself was a creation of the divine realm.
Xu Yuan took a deep breath.
At this moment, he vaguely understood the key to breaking through to God King.
The divine realm was only the most superficial aspect. In reality, creating a divine realm was simply about condensing one's origin and organizing one's timeline.
"But even if a divine realm is created, it cannot serve as the vessel for a God King to condense their own origin. Therefore, the divine realm must have another purpose—one that helps powerful individuals organize their timelines and condense their origins."
Xu Yuan pondered deeply and came up with a possibility.
"A divine realm can fix a segment of space-time."
A divine realm was an extraordinarily unique existence, existing at an extremely high dimension—transcending material dimensions and situated within a supremely elevated plane. Its flow of time was also highly abnormal.
Flow of time!
"That's right. One day in the divine realm equals a year in the outside world, and vice versa. So if the divine realm reflects the passage of time within a fixed space, even a hundred years would only amount to a hundred days in the divine realm."
Even if a being close to God King level had an exceptionally long lifespan, how many days would that translate to within the divine realm's timeline?
Ten thousand years would become ten thousand days, which is roughly thirty years.
For an ordinary life form to cultivate to near-God King level, even if it took a hundred thousand years, in the divine realm, it would only be three hundred years.
Such a difference in multiples could significantly aid in condensing one's origin.
Xu Yuan even suspected that during the creation of a divine realm, when spacetime was chaotic, the disparity in the flow of time might reach tens of thousands of times?
Could ten thousand years equal just ten years?
Of course, Xu Yuan didn't know the exact details of creating a divine realm—it was all speculation.
But he felt that his reasoning was already quite logical and close to the truth.
What he lacked was merely the specifics of implementation.
"This applies only to the Primordial God Kings who created divine realms. New generations of God Kings born within those realms can achieve everything in an even shorter time because of the realm's characteristics. A single divine position of a Level 1 God is enough to rapidly elevate an ordinary life form to just below God King level. Then, with the help of the divine realm, they can condense their origin."
Xu Yuan thought of Tang San.
Tang San not only inherited the position of the Asura God but likely found it much easier to condense his origin. With this advantage in cultivation, he aggressively seized ocean faith and even devoured the ocean faith and fortune of the dragon plane outside Douluo territory, elevating the Sea God position to God King level.
"Could the existence of a divine realm imprison an entire spacetime, making it convenient for new powerhouses to condense their origins?"
Xu Yuan considered this possibility.
To be honest, the very existence of a divine realm was astonishing. Deities with divine positions possessed eternal life.
However, ordinary gods in the universe still had limited lifespans. True God-level beings of normal races could live for around three thousand years, while Super-God-level beings lived between five to seven thousand years. Of course, most who reached Super-God level were special cases and had various methods to extend their lifespans—some even reaching ten thousand years.
Beings capable of reaching Super-God level in the universe were already extraordinary. They could dominate a galaxy, traverse the universe with their physical bodies, and even possess the power to resist the gravitational pull of stars.
At the 1st Class God level, even tens of thousands of years of lifespan became just a number. Most 1st Class Gods sought to become rulers of a plane, extending their lifespans by assuming the role of a Plane Lord. This also allowed them to stabilize their state while searching for ways to condense their origins.
For example, the Abyssal Sage King was a Plane Lord. As long as the Abyss wasn't destroyed, he wouldn't die.
Even the emperors of each layer within the Abyss could be considered alternative Plane Lords, possessing immortality.
Withdrawing his consciousness from the dream space, Xu Yuan recorded his findings.
This time, his insights were profound, surpassing what he could currently verify.
In fact, today's realizations could be combined with many other things he knew, such as Xu Zhi's research results.
Under the guidance of a mysterious God King, Xu Zhi had learned of the existence of a Plane Lord on Douluo Star. He studied the abilities of evil soul masters, interacted with laws, researched projects related to gods, and left his findings to Xu Yuan in the form of a mysterious diagram.
Xu Yuan had once found a direction to decipher the diagram but never managed to find the answer.
Even in the letters Xu Yuan found from Xu Zhi, there was only a brief mention without providing concrete methods for analysis. Xu Zhi merely told Xu Yuan to confirm that he had obtained these results.
"The diagram lacked spirituality, so I copied it meticulously, infusing my essence, energy, and spirit into it. Though I noticed no effects and couldn't decipher anything, I continued maintaining the copy. Unknowingly, it activated the diagram's effects, though I don't know why."
Now, Xu Yuan understood.
The transformations within the diagram weren't simple changes—they were recording something.
Leaving a trace of consciousness in the dream space to continue studying, Xu Yuan secluded himself in the Sea God Pavilion to organize his thoughts.
---
Time passed.
In the blink of an eye, three months had gone by since Ya Li began sensing her changes.
During these three months, Xu Yuan delved into the diagram left by Xu Zhi and finally achieved some results.
"This diagram is indeed similar to what I imagined—it records my state and documents my past."
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered.
His gaze reflected disbelief.
He couldn't fathom how his father had managed to research this.
After all, if this single diagram recorded the past in a way that benefited future ascension to God King level...
Of course, even having the qualifications to break through to God King level was already a slim hope.
But when someone confident in their qualifications obtained such a diagram...
"Nine diagrams in total—eight auxiliary ones surrounding the central one, which records my past." Xu Yuan's eyes flickered.
He roughly understood the purpose of these diagrams. The eight diagrams surrounded the central point, invoking laws to record a person's past in the form of laws.
Because of this recording method, Xu Yuan speculated that it could help organize timelines.
"The consciousness in that valley must have been a God King. But if it was a God King, why did it warn my father? And why did it choose to plan?"
There was no mention of this God King in the original storyline.
"Was it my appearance that made him see a different future?"
A different future...
Did God Kings possess the ability to traverse past and future?
Xu Yuan didn't believe it.
Even though he had defined the status of God Kings very highly, he believed that a God King had merely condensed all their origins, channeling all their power to resist something. As for the future, they could only vaguely glimpse it—not freely manipulate timelines.
But such an ability would still be sufficient for God Kings to make plans.
The God King that Xu Zhi encountered saw something different in Xu Zhi's son, Xu Yuan.
"My father studied the abilities of evil soul masters, directly interacting with laws and using the power of evil soul masters to evolve these diagrams. Then, relying on the eight diagrams, he assisted in the evolution of the ninth diagram."
Xu Yuan didn't know or imagine the details of the development process involved.
In such a short time, Xu Zhi may have broken through too many barriers.
"Willpower—in my father's perspective, willpower is the essence closest to a life form's origin."
Perhaps this was the manifestation of the true soul force Xu Yuan had heard of in his previous life.
Thus, Xu Zhi chose willpower.
Even these diagrams required willpower to guide them, and what they recorded were changes in willpower.
"Regardless, from now on, I'd best keep these nine diagrams active, continuously recording my past to facilitate my future breakthrough."
After three months, Ya Li finally became accustomed to her new state.
"Xiao Yuan, thank you for waiting."
"Teacher's wife, we're about to begin."
"Alright."
This time, Feng Wuyu didn't observe.
He was still in seclusion, carefully studying more advanced Heaven-Forging techniques.
Xu Yuan's path was incomprehensible to him. For now, he didn't consider advancing toward Divine Forging but instead focused on improving his forging skills.
At the same time, he was cultivating, striving to perfect his martial soul, hoping to one day break through to the divine level.
If he could break through, he would still have a chance to walk Xu Yuan's path of Divine Forging.
If he couldn't break through and lacked a more efficient way to sense laws, he would never achieve Divine Forging.
Still on Sea God Island.
This time, Xu Yuan set up the forging platform again.
Five light metals were placed, and his forging hammer moved with blinding speed.
Ding ding ding ding ding!
Simultaneously forging five light metals, Xu Yuan quickly awakened their spirituality. Five beams of spiritual light, each a zhang tall, shot into the sky.
Xu Yuan stacked the five metals together, and with a heavy strike of his hammer, the five pieces were instantly blended.
Permeating forces coursed through the interior of the metal.
In just three strikes, the five metals seemed to have become a single alloy.
Of course, it was only superficially unified; the interior still needed careful refinement.
Xu Yuan continued striking.
These five metals, besides their light attributes, also matched the properties of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, which Xu Yuan treated as the five elements. Under his harmonization, they fused perfectly.
Though not the five elements themselves, they could be seen as embodying the five elements.
All things under heaven and earth fell within the five elements.
This was the Dao of the Five Elements.
Boom!
Spiritual Forging.
A dense aura of spirituality filled Sea God Island.
Light elements gathered.
The ancient golden tree swayed, helping Xu Yuan gather light elements.
Elemental forces converged into his forging hammer, and with a thunderous strike, Xu Yuan's hammer fell.
Light elements rushed into the Sacred Light Source Crystal, a resonance sounded, and sacred patterns began to naturally form.
Xu Yuan continued swinging his hammer.
Each strike further refined the sacred patterns.
Finally, after dozens of strikes, light erupted, and thunder shook the skies.
"Teacher's wife!"
At Xu Yuan's call, Ya Li reacted and retrieved the ten Heaven-Forged Sacred Light Source Crystals Xu Yuan had given her earlier.
The ten Heaven-Forged crystals resonated with the metal before Xu Yuan, circling around the Sacred Light Source Crystal.
Lightning tribulation descended from the sky, striking the central Sacred Light Source Crystal, while the surrounding ten absorbed the scattered lightning energy, constantly shifting forms, seemingly eager to solidify.
However, Xu Yuan's seal wasn't easy to break.
Once the tribulation was over, the central Sacred Light Source Crystal achieved Heaven-Forging. Seeing the opportune moment, Ya Li summoned her three-word battle armor and absorbed all eleven Sacred Light Source Crystals.
Her blood essence rapidly drained, and her face visibly paled.
This was the process of bonding.
A tiny angel emerged from her brow—it was Xiao Ling. With a wave of her small hand, she released a miniature Sacred Five-Element Domain.
"Goodness, this Sacred Five-Element Domain has somewhat inherited my devouring ability."
Xu Yuan was secretly astonished.
He hadn't known that the domain Xiao Ling evolved could inherit his devouring ability.
With the enhancement of sacred attributes, the devouring power of the five-element forces within Xiao Ling's domain was even stronger. As Ya Li sacrificed her blood essence, the eleven Sacred Light Source Crystals were rapidly digested.
At the same time, Xiao Ling seemed to devour the eleven crystals.
No—she fused them.
The twelve Sacred Light Source Crystals merged into one, with Xiao Ling at the center. The other eleven transformed into the shape of Ya Li's three-word battle armor, encasing Xiao Ling.
"In the future, battle armor won't be complete with eleven pieces at the four-word level. Instead, twelve-metal constructs will be the most comprehensive."
At this moment, battle armor had advanced further.
Of course, Ya Li had only completed the bonding process. She still needed to guide the spirituality within this set of armor and engrave the core formations unique to four-word battle armor to truly complete it.
However, even now, this four-word battle armor had inherited the spirituality of her previous armor and integrated with her three-word battle armor. The already refined core formations of her three-word battle armor were now functioning.
Even without engraving the core formations of a four-word battle armor, this set of armor's power rivaled any current four-word battle armor.
"Teacher's wife's task is complete. As for Na'er, I'll meet her first before finding Gu Yue."
Xu Yuan entered the Demon Gate.
Demon Plane.
Shrek City.
"Na'er?" Lan Mu Zi spread his hands helplessly. "I contacted her three months ago. She's still in Hell, and our connection has been intermittent, as if she's preoccupied with something important."
"Hell?" Xu Yuan frowned.
(T/N: This 'Hell' refers to the place that's suppressed by the Demons, not the new small plane that Yun Ming is the Plane Lord of.)
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead Guaranteed: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)