Time passed swiftly, and three years had flown by in the blink of an eye.
Unknowingly, Chen Xiaoming had accompanied Tang San and the others on Sea God Island for three full years. During this time, they had been wholly absorbed in the Sea God's trials. Though they had endured immense hardship, their strength had advanced at a remarkable pace.
Now, each of them had reached the threshold of the Soul Douluo realm.
As for Chen Xiaoming, he had spent these years cultivating diligently at the base of Sea God Mountain. Mastering the foundational power of his bloodline had taken him a total of nine years, but he had finally grasped it completely.
In his mind, he had also begun to comprehend aspects of the Grand Dao of Space.
Yet, none of this was what truly caught Chen Xiaoming's attention. What truly excited him was the appearance of a new function on his system panel.
There had been no level-up notification, no additional attachments—just as he reached enlightenment, the system panel in his mind had suddenly projected itself before him.
A stream of light flashed, and on the familiar attribute panel, a new function appeared.
Host: Chen Xiaoming
[...]
Boundary Break: 10 billion
Experience Points: 139.6 billion
Below the inventory section, a new function—Boundary Break—had appeared, requiring a staggering ten billion experience points to activate. Just from its name, Chen Xiaoming had a strong suspicion—it likely referred to the ability to traverse into other worlds.
His heart raced with excitement.
Still, after some thought, he decided to wait. Tang San and the others were close to becoming gods, and he wasn't in a hurry to leave. After all, he still wanted to test his strength against them.
"Tang San, I'm waiting for you. Don't let me down."
Floating in midair, silver light flickered in Chen Xiaoming's eyes as he gazed through endless space toward Tang San, who was battling Sea God Bo Saixi.
Having passed the first five trials, Tang San had now reached the Sea God's Sixth Trial—challenging Bo Saixi in combat.
Chen Xiaoming did not interfere.
Everyone had their own path to walk, and Bo Saixi had already chosen hers.
Closing his eyes slightly, Chen Xiaoming withdrew his gaze. Instead, he focused on further refining his comprehension of the Grand Dao of Space, aiming to solidify his understanding during this period.
...
One month later.
"Hah... we're finally heading back."
With the remaining trials completed, Dai Mubai and the others were now free to leave Sea God Island. As for Tang San and Chen Xiaoming, the Sea God's divine test did not bind them, allowing them to come and go as they pleased.
Thus, the group prepared to return to the mainland for a time before coming back for their final trial.
Aboard the returning sea vessel, their spirits were high.
Three years—within that time, their progress had been nothing short of terrifying. Every single one of them had surpassed Rank 80, reaching the realm of Soul Douluo.
Becoming Soul Douluo in their twenties—this was enough to shock the entire continent.
Leaning casually against the ship's railing, Chen Xiaoming gazed out at the vast sea, a faint smile on his lips. In his eyes was a trace of distant contemplation.
"Teacher Chen."
A crisp voice called out from behind.
Pulled from his thoughts, he turned to see Tang San approaching.
"Little San, what's on your mind?"
Chen Xiaoming chuckled lightly.
Tang San hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty in his expression. He seemed to struggle with his words but, after a long pause, finally asked the question that had long been on his mind.
"Teacher Chen, why are you so certain that I will become the Sea God?"
This question had puzzled him for years.
After all, the five-year challenge had been proposed first, and only later had he received the Sea God's Nine Trials.
It was as if, from the very beginning, Chen Xiaoming had been absolutely certain of his ascension to godhood—as if everything had been orchestrated by him.
Especially now that he had completed seven of the nine trials, Tang San could no longer suppress his curiosity.
He trusted Chen Xiaoming, but this matter felt like a thorn lodged in his heart. If he didn't get an answer, he feared it might become a mental block that could lead to failure in his remaining trials.
Seeing Tang San's serious expression, Chen Xiaoming was momentarily stunned, then chuckled softly.
So, this cautious kid finally asked.
"Come."
With a wave of his right hand, a silver radiance enveloped them both.
Tang San instantly felt as though he had been transported to another dimension—his senses could no longer perceive anything beyond the immediate space.
"Don't worry. This is my domain. It isolates all divine senses—even a God King cannot eavesdrop."
Chen Xiaoming spoke casually.
As his comprehension of the Grand Dao of Space deepened, so did the power of his domain.
Although he had yet to ascend to godhood and lacked divine power, his bloodline and spatial mastery ensured that not even a God King could infiltrate his domain undetected.
"God King?"
A new term.
Tang San's eyes flashed with intrigue.
Chen Xiaoming's understanding of gods was too profound—almost as if he knew far more than he should.
"Hmm, gods have ranks," Chen Xiaoming explained thoughtfully. "At the lowest level, there are ordinary God Officers. Above them are 3rd Class Gods, then 2nd Class Gods, followed by 1st Class Gods, and at the very top—the God Kings."
He paused, then added, "Oh, by the way, your Sea God is a 1st Class God."
More unfamiliar terms.
Tang San processed the information carefully.
Yet, these rankings weren't his primary concern—he could learn about them once he inherited the Sea God's position.
What mattered now was Chen Xiaoming.
Tang San had a gut feeling—if he didn't ask now, he might never get another chance.
"Heh... Tang San, Tang San. You're as sharp as ever."
Seeing that he hadn't fooled him, Chen Xiaoming let out a soft laugh.
With a flick of his fingers, countless droplets of water rose from the sea, gathering in his palm.
"Little San, what do you think the Douluo Continent truly is?"
The question caught Tang San off guard.
The Douluo Continent? There were no records of such things in books...
Before he could answer, Chen Xiaoming continued.
"In truth, whether it's the Douluo Continent or any other world, to me, they are no different from a single drop of water."
"A flower holds a world; a leaf contains a universe."
"This, to me, is the infinite multiverse."
"In these countless worlds, every era produces someone blessed by the heavens—someone who, no matter the odds, always finds a way forward, overcoming every crisis, rising step by step to the peak."
"And you, Tang San—you are one of them. That is why I am certain you will become a god."
He patted Tang San's shoulder and smiled at his dumbfounded expression.
Everything he had said was the truth—every single word.
Leaving Tang San to process his thoughts, Chen Xiaoming turned to walk away.
Just as he was about to disappear from sight, Tang San snapped back to reality.
"Then, Teacher Chen... what is your peak?"
Chen Xiaoming's footsteps paused for a brief moment.
"My peak?"
Muttering to himself, he then chuckled softly and took another step forward, his figure vanishing into the distance.
Only his carefree voice remained, drifting across the sea breeze.
"The heavens are vast... I wish to see them all."
-------
Want to read ahead of schedule?
Join here for advance chapters: patreon.com / igotneonlight