"Never mind. I'll set this aside for now and test it when the time is right."
Huo Yuhao shook his head and looked at the Spirit Transmission Tower in his hand, where law patterns occasionally flickered across its surface.
The reason the Spirit Transmission Tower's amplification was so powerful was primarily because its foundation was a Level 12 or higher soul tool. Strictly speaking, the Spirit Transmission Tower was currently stronger than him, which was why it could amplify his power to such an extent.
This was also one reason he said that as a soul tool, the Spirit Transmission Tower was already complete.
However, just as the enhancement effect of Four-Word Battle Armor differed between a Title Douluo and a quasi-divine, whether the Spirit Transmission Tower could stably enhance him as his strength grew would depend on its own growth potential.
Right now it was stronger than him. But when he reached the divine level, first-class deity, or even higher, if this tower could still keep pace with him—that was the true meaning of a Lifebound Soul Tool.
And on this point, Huo Yuhao was quite confident.
Aside from the fact that the "Spirit Transmission Tower" was a Lifebound Soul Tool that would grow alongside him, growth itself was one of the core concepts in his design.
The Source Core could evolve. The law imprints could deepen. The faith power could accumulate. The tower's materials could transform.
Every aspect of this tower's design allowed ample room for growth.
The future held great promise.
"Next, it's time to let the Spirit Transmission Tower gradually undergo its transformations."
Huo Yuhao thought to himself.
He had prepared four methods of transformation for the "Spirit Transmission Tower."
First, tempering with plane thunder tribulation—using the Limit-Breaking Thunder Tribulation to perform a form of Heaven Forging on the divine artifact.
Second, nurturing with plane power.
Third, slow nurturing with faith power.
Earlier, he had only used a portion of the faith power from the Spirit Transmission Tower headquarters as material for the divine artifact. He could continue to draw on faith power for gradual nurturing.
Fourth, the Godhood Tribulation!
Yes, Huo Yuhao wanted to use the Godhood Tribulation to temper both himself and the "Spirit Transmission Tower."
And if he successfully triggered the Godhood Tribulation, it would most likely be the strongest—the Universal Tribulation!
Elemental Tribulation, Heaven-Earth Tribulation, and Universal Tribulation were classifications of Godhood Tribulations from Soul Land IV, all manifesting as thunder tribulations. Emperor Tian's External Avatar Tribulation was somewhat special, differing from these—similar to a heart demon.
Elemental Tribulation, Heaven-Earth Tribulation, and Universal Tribulation, similar to thunder tribulations in most xianxia novels, descended based on the cultivator's potential and foundation.
Among them, the Elemental Tribulation was the Four-Element Thunder Tribulation. According to Soul Land IV, experiencing even a single bolt meant the cultivator had the potential to become a second-class deity in the mortal world. The Heaven-Earth Tribulation was the Seven-Colored Thunder Tribulation, indicating potential to become a super-divine level being.
The Universal Tribulation didn't have a clearly corresponding potential level, but there were two examples in Soul Land IV—Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxiu—whose experiences could serve as reference for determining the potential and foundation required to trigger the Universal Tribulation.
Lan Xuanyu inherited the Dragon God's bloodline, encountered countless opportunities, possessed mastery over seven elements, and had comprehended both Destruction and Creation powers. His Godhood Tribulation consisted of nine bolts of Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Destruction Universal Tribulation, and he ultimately inherited the Dragon God's divine seat, becoming a supreme God King.
Bai Xiuxiu's case was more special. Her foundation and potential at the time shouldn't have reached the level of triggering a Universal Tribulation, let alone surviving it on her own. Yet she somehow drew a single bolt.
But considering another factor, it wasn't hard to understand—Bai Xiuxiu carried the Abyss Saint Lord's divine consciousness within her.
Her foundation and potential when becoming a deity were indeed insufficient to trigger a Universal Tribulation, but she carried the divine consciousness of a super-divine level being. Both the reason the Universal Tribulation came and how she survived could be explained by this.
So, if he could trigger the Godhood Tribulation, Huo Yuhao felt the probability of encountering the Universal Tribulation was fairly high.
After all, he was certainly stronger than Bai Xiuxiu's situation. Even compared to Lan Xuanyu, his state when becoming a deity couldn't be weaker.
Moreover, the current Douluo Continent lacked the ability to manifest a proper Godhood Tribulation—only tribulation-like punishments similar to it. But the Universal Tribulation might be another matter.
And the terror of the Universal Tribulation had already been demonstrated by Lan Xuanyu. This young Dragon God had only endured four bolts of the Universal Tribulation on his own before nearly perishing.
If Emperor Tian hadn't sacrificed his life to block a bolt, along with the Dragon God's legacy, Lan Xuanyu—the most absurd protagonist in the Douluo series—would have been directly struck dead by the Universal Tribulation.
Even after surviving, Lan Xuanyu was forced to spend some time as a woman—a testament to the Universal Tribulation's power.
Using such a tribulation as training, not just for the "Spirit Transmission Tower" but for himself, Huo Yuhao would also be risking his life.
But the Nine-Colored Heaven-Earth Destruction Universal Tribulation, while a calamity, was also a tremendous opportunity—a chance to connect more deeply with the Origin of the Universe.
With backup plans in place, Huo Yuhao wanted to try.
"But thinking about this is still too early. After incorporating the faith power, the Spirit Transmission Tower has already begun its transformation. Even the Divine Alloy is evolving toward a higher level imperceptibly. I'll strike while the iron is hot and first temper the Spirit Transmission Tower with the Limit-Breaking Thunder Tribulation."
So, over the following dozens of days, thunder once again echoed outside Mingdu.
"Mingdu... it's been a long time since I've been here."
Rong Lingji walked along the streets, observing the capital of the Douluo Federation, buying anything that caught his interest.
Having lived in seclusion on the Douluo Continent for two thousand years, he admittedly wasn't attuned to some things, but he was actually quite adapted to life here.
Still, he hadn't forgotten why he'd come.
"It's about time to get down to business."
He looked up at the distant Spirit Transmission Tower soaring into the clouds, his gaze focusing.
A moment later, Rong Lingji's figure appeared at the Spirit Transmission Tower's entrance.
He stepped inside and approached the reception desk.
"Sir, how may I help you?" the receptionist asked.
Rong Lingji said, "I'd like to see your... Huo, the Spirit Transmission Envoy. Is he here?"
The receptionist paused, looked him up and down, took out a soul tool light screen, and prepared to take notes.
"Lord Huo Yuhao? He's currently in cultivation and not available to meet visitors. You may leave your name, and I'll relay your visit to him."
She had seen many people wanting to see Huo Yuhao lately and was quite accustomed to handling such requests.
Hearing that Huo Yuhao was in cultivation, Rong Lingji frowned slightly. Just as he was about to ask further, a loud rumble came from the distant sky.
"Thunder tribulation?" Rong Lingji looked toward the tower's exterior with some surprise. His spiritual power rapidly extended outward, quickly crossing Mingdu to the distant mountains, where he noticed something off. "A divine-level thunder tribulation? And... Huo Yuhao's aura?!"
Beyond the city, tribulation clouds churned, and a seven-colored heavenly bolt descended, carrying destructive power. At the center of that thunderbolt, Huo Yuhao's figure flickered in and out of sight, surrounded by a gray-gold nine-tier pagoda.
As the tribulation struck, Huo Yuhao absorbed only a portion while the tower itself was tempered by the thunder. Far from shattering, it grew increasingly solid, its aura climbing steadily.
"Using a seven-colored thunder tribulation to forge a weapon? And forging himself at the same time?"
Rong Lingji clicked his tongue. "That's insane."
Still, facing such a spectacle, his expression remained relatively calm.
As a deity, he'd seen thunder tribulations before—it was just Huo Yuhao's behavior that surprised him.
But the next moment, his expression completely froze.
Perhaps because his spiritual probe had been too conspicuous, Huo Yuhao in the distance suddenly turned his head, his gaze sweeping coldly across dozens of li of void.
And that tower emitted an aura that made Rong Lingji's hair stand on end.
At the same time, several divine consciousnesses from within Mingdu swiftly locked onto him, icy cold.
Fortunately, it was only for an instant. The divine consciousnesses and Huo Yuhao's gaze withdrew, but Rong Lingji was still drenched in cold sweat.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but the cold sweat on his back wouldn't stop.
In that moment, he had truly smelled death.
Just as he was composing himself, a voice sounded behind him.
"Since Lord Rong Lingji has come, please come up and talk. Yuhao will be here shortly."
Rong Lingji paused and turned to see Snow Empress regarding him calmly.
"Then I'll gladly accept."
Steeling himself, Rong Lingji followed Snow Empress to the second-floor reception room of the Spirit Transmission Tower.
The reception room was modest, simply and elegantly arranged. Rong Lingji had just taken his seat when he looked up to see Huo Yuhao already seated across from him, having returned through spatial power.
The man who had just been undergoing tribulation outside the city now sat with neatly arranged clothes and a steady aura, not a trace of scorch marks remaining—as if that earth-shattering thunder had nothing to do with him.
"Time power?" Rong Lingji seemed to recognize something, which made Huo Yuhao raise an eyebrow.
"To discern that from just a trace of residual aura—you have sharp eyes, sir."
"Compared to your methods, mine are nothing. I truly underestimated you before."
Rong Lingji's expression turned serious. "Are you truly a nameless deity from the Divine Realm? That divine artifact, without any immortal energy nourishment, already possesses such power—it's not something an ordinary deity could forge. Don't tell me you didn't forge it."
The auras were similar—clearly that tower was Huo Yuhao's work.
Huo Yuhao smiled. "Have you thought of something, sir?"
Rong Lingji: "I think either you were lying before, or you were playing word games and I didn't grasp your meaning."
Last time, Huo Yuhao had told him he wasn't a named deity of the Divine Realm. He had believed it, naturally assuming the other was a reincarnated ordinary divine official or weak deity.
But after today's experience, if he still thought that, he'd be a fool.
"I've seen quite a few divine artifacts. The one you forged has limitless potential—at the very least, it will grow into a top-tier divine artifact. For someone who hasn't yet become a deity to forge such a divine artifact, you must have been a first-class deity before reincarnation."
Even though he'd only caught a glimpse, Rong Lingji's father had used top-tier divine artifacts as kitchen knives. He was well-versed in such matters and had his own judgment on a divine artifact's potential—one look told him a great deal.
That tower, in his view, was even more extraordinary than the Ghost Carving Divine Blade before it became a super-divine artifact. But becoming a super-divine artifact ultimately depended on fate, so he was being conservative.
Yet forging a top-tier divine artifact wasn't something just anyone could do. Especially since Huo Yuhao hadn't even become a deity yet—of course Rong Lingji would doubt his identity.
To accomplish such a feat, he must have been at least a first-class deity before reincarnation, right?
Huo Yuhao remained silent, simply watching Rong Lingji, observing what he was imagining.
Seeing no answer, Rong Lingji continued, "I won't say I know all of the Divine Realm's first-class deities well, but I've met them and know their personalities and traits. None correspond to you. But seeing your time power today reminded me of something."
"There was a first-class deity in the Divine Realm who vanished at some unknown point. Though records of this deity exist, no one had seen him for a long time. I don't know his appearance or temperament either."
Rong Lingji's gaze turned to Huo Yuhao.
"If you're talking about nameless and formless, wouldn't that count? The Divine Realm's first-class deity—the Time God!"
Huo Yuhao glanced at Snow Empress beside him. They exchanged a look and remained silent.
"..."
Silence was the Douluo of the day.
"Uh... did I guess wrong?" Rong Lingji frowned. "That's not right—that's your most likely identity."
"You definitely don't recognize me, sir. There's no need to keep probing."
Huo Yuhao coughed lightly. "In any case, you now have sufficient trust in our abilities and have made up your mind, right?"
"Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."
Rong Lingji sighed and nodded slightly.
"I can join you directly. I just wonder what arrangements and treatment you'll give me."
"The treatment certainly won't disappoint you, sir."
Huo Yuhao smiled. "But I imagine you don't care much about ordinary things. So how about this—the opportunity to return to your homeland and to help your adopted daughter become a deity?"
Rong Lingji's gaze sharpened. "The current Douluo Continent can't accomplish that, unless..."
The Douluo Continent's elevation, allowing godhood, or a way to reach other planes in the universe!
Realizing this, Rong Lingji seemed to connect some dots and thought to himself: At present, the Federation does seem to have the opportunity to accomplish both.
With this, Rong Lingji relaxed into the sofa, but his tone grew somewhat grave. "If that's the case, then I'm willing to join. Hopefully, it won't cost me my life."
"You're being too serious, sir."
Seeing Rong Lingji willing to join, Huo Yuhao was in good spirits and seized the moment to ask, "By the way, last time you seemed to hold back regarding your adopted daughter's background. Now that we're in this together, can you tell us? The War Temple has been eager for battle lately—especially against Douling."
Recently, thanks to the selection, the Federation's vitality had gradually recovered, and voices within calling for war were growing louder.
Among them, the War Temple, eager to wash away its previous negative image, was the most active in pushing for conflict. The newly appointed War Temple Temple Master, Rong Tianling, also supported this stance, with her sights set directly on the Douling Empire.
It seemed that becoming War Temple Temple Master was primarily for this purpose.
Hearing this, Rong Lingji narrowed his eyes.
"There's no harm in telling you. Tianling is from the Douling Continent!"
***
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