Yang Xiong stared intently at the colossal crimson hammer before him. The hammer seemed to emanate the same primal force as the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning, and it appeared to subtly resist his Asura Demon Sword.
Clearly, this Thunder God's Hammer was a transcendent divine artifact, originating from the divine realm, and likely the weapon of the former divine enforcer, the Thunder God.
If the Asura Demon Sword was the embodiment of pure slaughter, imbued with endless killing intent, then the Thunder God's Hammer represented pure lightning and destructive power—capable of shattering all worldly rules. The entire Douluo world might not be able to withstand such overwhelming destruction.
The Thunder Qilin continued: "This is my legacy artifact, symbolizing the rules and order of the world. If you can master this Thunder God's Hammer, you will become the inheritor of my Thunder God seat."
Yang Xiong quickly asked: "Elder, this divine artifact is of immense importance. Are there any prerequisites? Or do I need to fulfill some task for you?"
The Thunder Qilin sighed helplessly: "I have been fallen for countless years, reduced to a mere wisp of a residual soul lingering in this world. Even now, I am merely clinging to life by a thread."
"I cannot bear to see the order of the Douluo world and the divine realm collapse. Thus, I seek an inheritor to uphold the divine realm's order and stabilize this world. You are the first person in all these years to reach me, and the only one whose attributes resonate with mine."
Yang Xiong's expression shifted slightly: "Elder, the outside world has changed. The divine realm is now dominated by the five Great God Kings, and the soul beast race has fallen. The five God Kings have established a new order; they would never tolerate me inheriting the Thunder God's seat."
"Moreover, I am already the inheritor of the Asura God. I have progressed to the eighth trial of the Asura Nine Tests, and I am but one step away from godhood. If I accept your inheritance, will the Asura God still pass on his divine seat to me?"
The Thunder Qilin snorted coldly: "The five God Kings are nothing but a band of rebels. My strength far surpasses theirs. If you inherit my divine seat, you will wield complete judgment power, and no one in the world will be able to stand against you."
"Besides, though I don't know how you managed to make the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning your martial soul, you now possess two martial souls. Your primary martial soul can continue inheriting the Asura God's seat, while your second martial soul can inherit my Thunder God's seat. By then, you will become unimaginably powerful—perhaps even beyond the five God Kings."
Yang Xiong thought for a moment before speaking: "Elder, can a mortal truly inherit two divine seats, especially those of two supreme gods?"
The Thunder Qilin replied: "Others may not be capable, but I am. In my prime, I was a Supreme God King—even the Dragon God respected me. These later generations are nothing compared to me."
A hint of joy appeared on Yang Xiong's face: "Thank you, Elder, for granting me this opportunity. I will become the strongest god in the world."
The Thunder Qilin's face revealed a trace of satisfaction: "I knew I hadn't misjudged you. You dared to defy the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning and challenge the forces governing the Douluo world. I will forge you into the strongest god in the world, renowned throughout the divine realm, and make you the true ruler of the gods."
Yang Xiong asked: "Elder, what should I do now? Do I need to undergo another set of nine trials?"
The Thunder Qilin shook his head: "My divine power is insufficient now. Though the artifact remains, my body has long been destroyed, making it impossible to bestow the inheritance through the nine trials. No one in the Douluo world could possibly bear my legacy."
"However, you are an exception. Your physical condition has broken through limits multiple times, essentially reaching the level of a god. Moreover, your Heavenly Tribulation Lightning aligns perfectly with my Thunder God essence. No further trials are necessary."
"As long as you can lift my Thunder God's Hammer and fully master this transcendent divine artifact, you will become my inheritor and assume my divine seat."
"Of course, if you choose to withdraw now, I can send you away. However, you must not reveal my existence, and your Heavenly Tribulation Lightning will be stripped from you. After all, the rules of this world are under my control—I will not allow anyone other than the Thunder God to wield the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning."
Yang Xiong's expression shifted slightly. It was clear that he had no choice now. If he refused the Thunder God's Hammer, he wouldn't leave this place unscathed. Gods were immensely proud beings, and in their eyes, Yang Xiong was but an insignificant ant. They wouldn't expend vast amounts of divine power just to protect him.
Moreover, he was currently within the thunder pool of the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning, completely cut off from the world's energy. Escape was impossible.
Yang Xiong bowed slightly: "Thank you, Master. I will live up to your expectations and become the next Thunder God."
Satisfied, the Thunder Qilin nodded. The space filled with flashes of lightning, and the immense presence of the Thunder Qilin gradually faded.
The scene shifted once again. The crimson lightning began to dissipate, revealing a massive skeleton stretching over a kilometer in length, exuding boundless pressure. Clenched in the largest skeleton's jaws was the colossal hammer—the very Thunder God's Hammer Yang Xiong had seen earlier.
Judging by its aura, this skeleton rivaled the remains of the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King found in the Yin Yang Well. In some ways, it was even more formidable.
Even with Yang Xiong's current strength, the pressure from the Thunder Qilin's skeleton felt overwhelming, as if his entire body might be crushed. Before this colossal skeleton, he felt like an insignificant ant.
The Thunder Qilin in life must have been extraordinarily powerful—a god-king-level being. Its sheer presence alone rivaled the Asura God, and the terrifying Thunder God's Hammer seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth.
Yang Xiong gripped the Asura Demon Sword and took steady steps toward the massive skeleton. The crimson lightning surrounding the skeleton seemed drawn to him, emitting a deafening roar. It exerted an intense repelling force while simultaneously exerting an irresistible allure.
Even when Yang Xiong summoned the Heavenly Tribulation Lightning, the clash between the two forces turned the entire space blood-red.
Yang Xiong was well aware that, with his current strength, he stood no chance of reaching the Thunder God's Hammer. To truly approach it, he would need to break through to rank ninety-nine.
…
In a peculiar void, two figures flickered into existence, both resembling thunder. One glowed crimson, the other azure—none other than the Thunder Qilin and the Thunder Hell Prison Vine in human form.
The Thunder Hell Prison Vine looked puzzled: "Master, though Yang Xiong's strength is formidable, he hasn't yet ascended to godhood. Can his body withstand the pressure of your transcendent divine artifact? Can he even lift your divine artifact?"
The Thunder Qilin no longer appeared as majestic as before; his face darkened slightly: "Yang Xiong relentlessly pursues ultimate strength, and his Heavenly Tribulation Lightning resonates perfectly with my essence—it shares the same origin. Lifting the Thunder God's Hammer is only a matter of time."
"However, I have wielded this Thunder God's Hammer for hundreds of thousands of years. It is my lifebound transcendent artifact, not easily mastered. Not even ordinary gods can withstand its destructive power—it can reduce even divine souls to ashes. This is the true strength of a divine enforcer. In some ways, it surpasses even Yang Xiong's Asura Demon Sword."
Lei Tian hesitantly asked: "But won't Yang Xiong be in great danger? If something goes wrong, he might not be able to inherit your Thunder God seat."
The Thunder Qilin snorted coldly: "The Thunder God? I fell tens of thousands of years ago, leaving behind only this wisp of a residual soul. All of this is the Dragon God's doing. Without him, I wouldn't have ended up like this, nor would the soul beast race. The Dragon God owes me—and the soul beasts—this debt."
Lei Tian's face revealed a trace of terror, as if he had uncovered some great and terrible secret. He looked deeply conflicted.
The Thunder Qilin chuckled: "Don't be so afraid. You carry my bloodline—I nurtured you with it. Otherwise, how could you have reached your current state? You would have been destroyed by the heavens long ago."
"Compared to me, you should harbor greater resentment toward the rules of this world. Remember, the Dragon God once said that rules and order are not immutable—they are meant to be broken. If old rules aren't shattered, new order cannot emerge."
"The Dragon God tasked me with overseeing rules and order, yet he himself was the greatest violator of them. Do you think he reached such heights or became the ruler of the divine realm by following the rules?"
The lightning seemed to grow cautious: "Master, what makes Yang Xiong so special? Why do you value him so highly?"
The Thunder Qilin replied: "For a god, breaking the divine realm's rules is exceedingly difficult—even for me, who once governed them. But Yang Xiong is different. He repeatedly breaks the limits of his own body, effectively challenging the rules of the Douluo world itself."
"Moreover, the Dragon God pursued ultimate strength, as did I. And Yang Xiong possesses a nascent power of creation. Though it is still weak now, once he truly breaks through to rank one hundred, he might shatter all worldly constraints and achieve unprecedented strength. This is why the Asura God values him so highly."
"Unfortunately, even the Asura God, meticulous as he is, overlooked me. I was once stronger than him, even beginning to touch the legendary realm—a level far beyond the ordinary God King that the Asura God has become."
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