The Sea God and the Angel God both had sacred offerings, with high priests and devoted followers in the mortal realm. Naturally, their God-given soul rings could be said to have been condensed from the power of faith.
But what about those deities who never established a place of inheritance in the world below? Even if they did, it was so well-hidden that no one truly believed in them. So where did their God-given rings come from?
Take the Asura God, for example. His inheritance was tied to the City of Slaughter—a place where fallen soul masters were condemned, not revered. Clearly, no one there placed their faith in him.
As for the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life, they belonged to the very origin of the divine realm itself.
From all this, Xiao Tian had drawn a bold conclusion: God-given soul rings were not solely condensed from belief, but ultimately from divine power itself.
If gods could condense divine rings on their own, then why couldn't soul masters condense soul rings for themselves?
The thought struck him like lightning. A massive conspiracy seemed to stretch across the ages—something designed to ensure that the grudge between soul masters and soul beasts could never be reconciled.
The abilities he had created so far—the rules, the contracts—were only measures to treat the symptoms, not the root cause. In the short term, yes, the soul master–soul beast conflict could be eased. But what if, one day, someone malicious took hold of those laws? With no one trustworthy to oversee things, soul masters might turn to slaughtering hordes of soul beasts again… all to harvest soul bones.
And Xiao Tian couldn't remain in the Douluo world forever. Whether to grow stronger or to explore new places, once his power reached a level high enough, he was bound to journey into other realms.
Hearing him speak of gods unsettled Xiao Wu for a moment. But soon her eyes grew firm with resolve. "Brother, no matter what you decide, I'll always support you!"
Xiao Tian's gaze softened. He reached out and gently rubbed her head. "Alright. Thinking too far ahead is useless with the strength we have now. What we need most is to keep growing stronger. Come on, let's go find Zhu Qing—she's probably noticed that you weren't in the dormitory."
A faint flush touched Xiao Wu's cheeks. "It's fine… she doesn't know I was here with you last night, anyway."
Xiao Tian coughed lightly. This was still the boys' dormitory—it wouldn't look good for Xiao Wu to walk out openly by his side.
"Xiao Wu, let's go. I'll get you out." He summoned his martial spirit.
Soaring on his sword, Xiao Wu wrapped her arms around his waist, face glowing with delight as the wind rushed past her. Riding those "clouds" was exhilarating. She made a promise to herself right then: she'd set time aside to practice flying the sword properly.
She didn't care if she could slice through enemies with it. As long as she could soar under the heavens—just the two of them—that was more than enough. Flying with a sword was just too cool.
On their way to the training chamber where Zhu Zhuqing practiced, Xiao Wu suddenly asked, "Brother, have you thought about building a sect? Because let me be clear—I'm claiming the position of deputy sect leader!"
Xiao Tian laughed. "Of course we'll start a sect one day. But first, we need to pick the right location. It should be on a mountain, steep and full of natural defenses—a safe, secure haven for disciples.
Second, we'll recruit a good foundation of people, including some with real perception and comprehension. Those who pass the test can learn the way of sword control. Besides, I've already got an old monster in mind… he'll definitely join when the time comes. He can serve as a guest elder to start things off.
And lastly—the most important point—we'll need blacksmiths. Preferably masters from the Blacksmith Association. Since our sect will focus on the sword path, both the quality and quantity of our blades are crucial."
Xiao Wu tilted her head curiously. "And what are you going to call this sect?"
Xiao Tian thought for a moment. Then he smiled and spoke with conviction: "The Shushan Sword Sect."
Xiao Wu whispered it to herself over and over again: "Shushan Sword Sect… Shushan Sword Sect…" The name felt like distant mountains, serene and unshakable.
"It really has a feeling to it. I like it. I'll fully support you!"
By then, they had already arrived at the training chamber, where Zhu Zhuqing waited.
Fortunately, soul masters weren't ordinary people. Xiao Wu's aches from last night's strenuous session had faded quickly. Zhu Zhuqing didn't notice a thing as Xiao Tian said, "Zhu Qing, Xiao Wu, you two practice here. I'll go find the old monster."
At that moment, in Lanba Academy—
At the front gate, a burly giant of a man loomed, his voice thundering: "Which one of you is Tang San? Come out here! You dare beat my son—I won't let this slide!"
Beside him stood a younger man, his features seventy percent identical. This was Tai Long, a student of Lanba Academy.
"Dad!" Tai Long's face was crimson with embarrassment. "How am I supposed to live this down? I only complained to you a little… was it really that serious?"
By now, more and more students had gathered—all eager spectators. Among them was Oscar, who immediately ran off to fetch Tang San. The situation was bad.
Two months ago, under the Grandmaster's arrangement, their academy team had begun sparring matches to build cohesion. Tai Long had faced Tang San — unlike in the original story, this time, it wasn't over Xiao Wu, but a normal training duel.
Back then, Tang San's spirit power had just broken through to rank 33. Tai Long already stood at rank 35… and had still lost.
Oscar hadn't thought Tai Long would drag his father into this. And judging by the man's aggressive tone, things weren't going to end peacefully.
Taino—the towering man—ignored his son's protests. "You've got some nerve saying that. Our clan is the Power Clan! You lose, you fight again until you win. And you—two levels higher than him, yet beaten? If your grandfather heard this, he'd have had your hide!"
Tai Long scratched his head, helpless. His father's stubbornness was immovable. This time, he'd really had it. All this fuss… just because he had vented a single complaint?
Soon, Oscar arrived with Tang San, while asking Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun to quickly fetch Zhao Wuji and Flender.
Tang San's gaze drifted first to Tai Long before locking onto Taino. He had a rough idea of what happened, but he hadn't expected this much trouble.
"Senior," Tang San said calmly, "Tailong and I sparred in good faith. Do you truly mean to pick a fight with me over this?"
Taino burst into booming laughter. "Boy, venting my son's anger is secondary. What really interests me is this: how does a martial spirit like Blue Silver Grass defeat my son's gorilla spirit? My son's a Power Clan heir—strength and defense are his pride.
And yet, with nothing but Blue Silver Grass, you actually defeated him. That, my boy, is worth my curiosity!"
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