I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: Seven Kill Shock the World
----------------------
After absorbing the ninth soul ring and soul bone, Yang Xiong not only received his trial reward but also learned the content of the seventh trial of the Asura Nine Trials.
"Yang Xiong, the seventh trial of the Asura Nine Trials—'A mortal challenges a god. Defeat a Level 100 being with a mortal body within one year. Failure results in annihilation.'"
When Yang Xiong first saw the content of this trial, he couldn't help but internally scoff. Did the Asura God think so highly of him to send him to challenge a god? The only true god in this world was Qian Renxue, who was about to ascend.
It wasn't until Yang Xiong's third battle with Qian Renxue that he began to truly understand the vast gap between gods and mortals.
Without using his soul bone armor, Yang Xiong had no chance against Qian Renxue at all. Divine power seemed inherently far more potent than soul power, and there was even a subtle suppression effect.
However, Yang Xiong didn't hesitate. He quickly summoned all nine soul bones on his body. After absorbing the ninth soul ring, all of his soul bones had turned crimson red, forming a complete suit of armor when combined.
His three external soul bones were particularly striking. His right hand glowed an icy blue, his left hand a fiery red, while his external soul bone, the Black Tortoise Armor, took on an ancient gray hue, protecting his entire torso like a suit of plate armor.
Qian Renxue sneered: "You've got quite a few tricks up your sleeve, but in front of a god, these little schemes of yours are nothing but jokes."
Yang Xiong roared furiously: "Qian Renxue, you're only relying on your ancestors' legacy! My soul bone armor is no less impressive than your Heavenly Angel Set!"
With that, Yang Xiong transformed into a streak of crimson light, charging directly toward Qian Renxue with overwhelming force. The air itself seemed to tear apart under the pressure.
Qian Renxue lightly raised her palm, delivering what appeared to be an ordinary strike. Yet, even this simple blow contained infinite divine power, causing the heavens and earth to tremble.
But Yang Xiong unleashed his full strength as well. His right claw collided with Qian Renxue's palm. This time, neither side gained the upper hand, and both were forced back several meters.
Qian Renxue was astonished—and infuriated. This was the first time she had been forced to retreat after ascending to godhood, and it was at the hands of Yang Xiong, the man she despised most, the one who had defeated her twice before.
"Not bad," she muttered. "I never expected someone with a mere mortal body to reach such strength. It seems I won't find this fight entirely boring after all!"
Yang Xiong and Qian Renxue moved with incredible speed, colliding countless times in midair. Despite their numerous exchanges, neither side managed to gain a significant advantage.
Qian Renxue relied on the extreme speed granted by her Six-Winged Angel martial soul. Even the sharpest eyes of top-tier soul masters struggled to track her movements.
As for Yang Xiong, he flew atop his sword, matching Qian Renxue's speed without falling behind.
The battle between Yang Xiong and Qian Renxue in the sky was incredibly intense. Even their simplest exchanges carried far more destructive power than the collision of ninth-soul skills from Title Douluo.
Yang Xiong knew that if this fight continued indefinitely, he would inevitably lose.
Especially here in the sky, under the blazing sunlight, Qian Renxue's divine power seemed limitless. Her power contained not only extreme light attributes but also terrifying solar flames capable of reducing enemies to ashes in an instant.
Although Yang Xiong wore a full set of hundred-thousand-year soul bone armor, it still couldn't fully withstand Qian Renxue's attacks when facing a true god.
Fortunately, the two soul cores within Yang Xiong—the Power Soul Core and the Five Elements Soul Core—were spinning rapidly, greedily absorbing energy from the surrounding air to sustain his soul power consumption.
In that moment, Yang Xiong's eyes turned blood-red, and his entire body radiated a crimson glow. The massive blood-red figure behind him wielded a colossal sword, slashing directly at Qian Renxue. This was the second technique of the Asura God: Asura Annihilation.
But Qian Renxue sneered: "Yang Xiong, you're regressing. I lost to that move last time, but do you really think I'd fall for the same trick twice?"
The enormous six-winged angel behind Qian Renxue manifested, its golden hands blocking Yang Xiong's full-force strike. Its wings enveloped her protectively.
This was Qian Renxue's ninth soul skill, Archangel's Protection. Now that she had reached Level 100, this ability's defensive power had multiplied exponentially, rendering any attack futile.
The golden giant clashed with the crimson sword. Yang Xiong felt an overwhelming backlash course through his body, as if it might shatter entirely. Without his full set of soul bone armor, this backlash alone could have killed a Level 98 Title Douluo.
At this moment, Yang Xiong began to understand why Sword Douluo's father had been unable to withstand nine consecutive strikes from Qian Daoliu. This was the fundamental difference between soul power and martial souls—and the vast gap between each level of soul power beyond Level 98.
But instead of fear, Yang Xiong's eyes burned with excitement. His entire body surged with adrenaline, as if every fiber of his being had been ignited.
Though his soul power was vastly inferior to a god's, this realization only fueled his determination. It showed him the path forward and gave him a clear goal to strive for.
Yang Xiong's blood boiled, filling him with indomitable willpower. This fighting spirit spread throughout his body and even permeated his very soul.
"Life goes on, and so does the fight. I, Yang Xiong, with my mortal body, will face a true god today!"
Multiple soul rings around Yang Xiong flashed brightly—his third soul skill, Tyrant Dragon's Fury; his fourth soul skill, Dragon Elephant Steel Body; and his seventh soul skill, Asura True Body.
When these three enhancement skills activated simultaneously, Yang Xiong's height, originally under two meters, instantly exceeded three meters. His muscles bulged, exuding an overwhelmingly ferocious aura, like a savage beast.
Now, Yang Xiong disregarded any semblance of technique. His movements became wildly aggressive as he charged at Qian Renxue with everything he had.
But Qian Renxue merely sneered, clenching her fist as infinite golden divine power surged into it. Her speed had increased manifold compared to the start of the battle—this was her first soul skill, Angel Assault.
When Yang Xiong struck Qian Renxue's fist again, he encountered an unimaginable force. Once more, he was pushed back dozens of meters, while Qian Renxue retreated only slightly.
Qian Renxue's expression was filled with disdain: "I was just playing with you earlier. Did you really think that was my full strength? I wanted to test how strong you, a mere Level 98 Title Douluo, could become and whether you could truly shake me, a god."
"Now that I'm done playing, it's time to show you my true power. Let me show you what true despair looks like."
Qian Renxue's seventh soul ring flashed, and her body erupted with boundless light. The six wings of her Six-Winged Angel flared like writhing flames, and her entire being resembled a golden sun, seemingly capable of destroying heaven and earth.
Yang Xiong understood—this was Qian Renxue's seventh soul skill, Martial Soul True Body. After breaking through to Level 100, this ability had grown infinitely stronger. After all, her seventh soul ring was now at the hundred-thousand-year level, and there was a qualitative difference between ten-thousand-year and hundred-thousand-year soul skills.
Yang Xiong gritted his teeth. If three enhancement skills weren't enough, then he'd add another.
For most soul masters, enhancement skills were incredibly useful, but they rarely absorbed too many. At most, they used two.
While enhancement skills could temporarily boost a soul master's combat abilities, they also placed immense strain on the body.
Yang Xiong was already using three high-grade enhancement skills, surpassing his body's limits.
But Yang Xiong refused to surrender. His ninth soul ring flashed, and his body underwent a transformation. The external soul bones of his ice and fire dragon claws grew longer, transforming his hands completely into dragon-like claws. His entire body was covered in azure dragon scales.
This was Yang Xiong's Fourth Soul Skill of his ninth soul ring, Furious Dragon Transformation, a million-year enhancement skill obtained from the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. Using this skill, his strength and defense reached their peak, making him resemble a demonic dragon. It was similar to the dragon transformation of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.
Even Qian Renxue, who had remained calm and composed, now grew serious. Yang Xiong was using a million-year enhancement skill, and he had stacked four such skills simultaneously. His strength seemed to have reached its zenith, almost crossing into the realm of Level 100.
After activating Furious Dragon Transformation, Yang Xiong's Asura Domain grew even stronger. Even the Angel Domain struggled to suppress his domain.
Yang Xiong became utterly ferocious, his dragon claws relentlessly attacking Qian Renxue. Each strike seemed capable of splitting the heavens and shattering the earth.
However, Qian Renxue was still a god-level powerhouse. Though she faced some pressure, she remained relatively unruffled.
The two clashed countless times in the air, exchanging blows and striking each other repeatedly.
Unfortunately, both possessed terrifying recovery abilities. Their wounds healed at astonishing speeds.
Cracks began to appear in Yang Xiong's soul bone armor, and even his skin and bones suffered severe damage. But with his dual soul cores spinning rapidly, his body quickly regenerated.
As for Qian Renxue, though Yang Xiong's claws drew several drops of golden blood, the wounds healed almost instantly. For a god, such injuries were trivial.
If anyone had been paying close attention, they would have noticed that while Yang Xiong's blood was still a dark red, it now faintly shimmered with a golden hue.
Yang Xiong and Qian Renxue fought so fiercely that the sky itself seemed on the verge of collapsing.
When they finally separated once more, blood trickled from the corner of Yang Xiong's mouth. Qian Renxue, by comparison, appeared relatively unscathed.
Even with the use of four enhancement skills, the gap between Level 98 and Level 100 remained insurmountable.
---
T/N: Wanted to put 'Mundane Vs. The Divine' but that would've changed it a bit too much. Been watching too much clickbait recently lol
For Patrons, don't forget to vote for which story gets 4 Chapters/Day for next week! Checkout the community Chats for the link or use the tag 'Weekly Vote' to get to the post!
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)