Alternative Godhood, Alternative Dao?

Because of his obsession with researching Mechas, Mu Ye had failed to break through to Super Douluo—a lifelong regret. Yet that didn't mean he was willing to abandon his Mecha research; on the contrary, he had always wanted to find someone to inherit his mantle. Now, he had found that person—and the most perfect successor at that! Huo Yuhao was one of the finest candidates to inherit the Body Sect's secret techniques, as well as one of the best candidates for Mecha research. Given that the boy was already Rank 4 in two secondary professions at age ten, all of Mu Ye's research into surpassing God-rank Mechas could be passed on to him. Combine the two, and in the entire Federation, not a second person like him could be found! Moreover, Huo Yuhao wouldn't suffer the same regret he had. While his cultivation speed far exceeded that of his peers, his secondary profession progress outpaced everyone else just as vastly. He could become a quasi-god, become a Four-Word Battle Armor Master, and still study Mechas without being held back in his cultivation speed. He had thought he would never find such a person in this lifetime, yet here he was! It was a match made in heaven; his ideals would be realized through Huo Yuhao! In the Sea of Spirit, Tianmeng watched Mu Ye roaring with laughter and commented wryly, "Yuhao played another one." First his talent, then the bloodline vortex, followed by a promise, and finally his peerless secondary profession abilities. As Huo Yuhao revealed each piece of information step by step, Mu Ye's excitement had mounted until he was completely roped in, swept up in the thrill to make the decision to take Huo Yuhao in. The Tianmeng Iceworm strongly suspected that some of these things, like the bloodline vortex, had been prepared by Huo Yuhao specifically for Mu Ye... Who knew if Mu Ye would regret it once he cooled down? Judging by how overjoyed he was, probably not. "Ah, whatever. Why overthink it?" Tianmeng chuckled at the thought of what they could gain from the Body Sect. "Hehe, god-making... Yuhao ended up walking this path after all. And this time his objective is clear, with a very high chance of success." The cultivation of two lifetimes united, soul power cultivation rivaling a True God! Spiritual power in the Divine Origin Realm! A True God body! To possess any one of them was enough to make someone a peerless figure among quasi-gods. What if he obtained all three? A True God in the mortal realm? Or an alternative godhood? With Tianmeng's realm, he couldn't judge what kind of state that would be, but without question, possessing the complete power of a divinity while still in a mortal body was a terrifying state. Once he truly ascended to godhood, he would surely see an explosive leap forward. Of course, that assumed Huo Yuhao could accomplish all of it... But as long as he grew step by step, the only thing he lacked was a divine body. "Speaking of which, if Yuhao unites his two lifetimes of cultivation and his soul power rivals a True God, what state will he end up in, Elder Yi?" Tianmeng couldn't resist his curiosity and asked Electrolux, the most learned among them. Electrolux pondered for a moment before speaking. "Soul power cultivation rivaling a True God, coupled with Divine Origin Realm spiritual power and a god-rank body resonating with it, should spur his soul power to undergo a metamorphosis and transform into divine power." "Divine power?" Tianmeng and Ice Empress both blinked in surprise. "Indeed, divine power," Electrolux nodded. "The power of a divinity is divine power. Divine power recovers far faster than your soul power, and it can simulate a minor world within a certain range, with oneself as the ruler. It is a mighty power that surpasses domains, something attainable only through divine power." "I see." Tianmeng and Ice Empress grew contemplative, gaining a deeper understanding of the realms beyond Rank 100. After giving his explanation, Elder Yi looked out at Huo Yuhao. They all understood Yuhao's plan. Rank 100 upon achieving godhood was a threshold. The more one accumulated prior to reaching that stage, the more ferociously it would erupt afterward. If he could break through and achieve godhood under the suppression of the Plane Master—a second-class god—solely through his accumulated foundation without relying on the Divine Throne, Yuhao might very well grow into a first-class god in a short span of time. When that time came, scheming against the Abyss and exploring the path to Godking with the divine position granted by the Divine Throne would both be viable options to pursue. Of course, that was the most ideal scenario. Breaking through the Plane Master's suppression entirely on his own and becoming a first-class god solely through the foundation of the Douluo Plane were neither easy feats. After all, even the Plane Master here was merely a second-class god, and resources were far from abundant. Yuhao's plan could only make the most of what limited resources were available... At that thought, Elder Yi couldn't help recalling Huo Yuhao's tongue-in-cheek remarks when discussing the plan: "Alternative Dao attainment—alternative godhood. Trampling the heavenly heart, standing above myriad daos—soaring above the plane to prove the Dao by sheer strength. Honestly, the more I plan this, the more I feel like some restricted zone supreme who lived out a second life... and the kind aiming to become a Heavenly Emperor, no less." Well, Electrolux hadn't understood what Huo Yuhao was talking about. Yet some of the concepts felt rather fitting. Perhaps achieving alternative godhood with all three powers reaching the god rank could indeed be called attaining the Dao through alternative means? ... When Zhen Hua and the others returned from the Ascending Heaven Platform, what greeted them was Mu Ye, who had taken Huo Yuhao as his disciple and, still swept up in excitement, was roaring with laughter. What was with Mu Ye today? Zhen Hua knitted his brows. Even after taking in a "Little Divine Craftsman," he hadn't been this ecstatic. Why was Mu Ye laughing with such unbridled joy? While Zhen Hua was privately bewildered, Gu Yuena walked over to Huo Yuhao and held out a soul tool optical screen in front of him. "Yuhao, while I was watching earlier, I recorded the Heavenly Refinement." The soul tool optical screen was playing the scene of Zhen Hua conducting the Heavenly Refinement. Huo Yuhao glanced at it. It was clear that in the video, in order to show off before his new disciple, Zhen Hua had pushed his skills to their utmost. One hammer strike, Fusion Forged! One hammer strike, Thousand Refined! One hammer strike, Spirit Refined! One hammer strike, Soul Refined! However, once it came to Heavenly Refinement, Zhen Hua was no longer so at ease. As soon as the Elemental Lightning Tribulation formed, he had looked somewhat disheveled. A Divine Craftsman was still not a god, after all... The lightning had to be endured, and the pain had to be tasted! And for some reason, after watching the video, the part that left the deepest impression on Huo Yuhao was the scene where Zhen Hua was struck by lightning; the other highlights didn't leave much of a mark at all. Perhaps human beings simply remembered the embarrassing moments far better... Shaking his head inwardly, Huo Yuhao watched the Heavenly Refinement process and asked, "How was the harvest?" "Mm." Gu Yuena dipped her chin with a faint smile. "I've gained some understanding of Heavenly Refinement." With her mastery over the worldly elements and laws, just watching it once was enough to grasp something of Heavenly Refinement. Nearby, Zhen Hua had just exchanged a couple of words with Mu Ye. Hearing that he had taken Huo Yuhao as a disciple, Zhen Hua turned with surprise toward them—only to discover that Gu Yuena had captured the exclusive, iconic scene of him getting blasted by lightning and was playing it on a loop for Huo Yuhao. "..." Zhen Hua's expression froze instantly, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. He suddenly realized that his newly accepted disciple wasn't quite the sweet, heartwarming little angel he'd imagined... "Ahem. Delete that video in a bit, and don't go uploading it to the soul tool network," Zhen Hua warned, clearing his throat as he recovered his senses. "Oh, all right," Gu Yuena answered obediently, briskly deleting the video. He was her teacher; one had to respect one's master. "Yuhao, this is Eternal Jade Silver." At that moment, Snow Empress stepped forward and handed a piece of Heavenly Refined metal to Huo Yuhao, sending via voice transmission, "I know you have your own plans, but take it for now. Even if you don't craft Battle Armor with it, you can use it for Soul Tools." "Mm, thank you, Teacher." In front of outsiders, Huo Yuhao naturally addressed Snow Empress as Teacher. After chatting for a while longer, Snow Empress led everyone to take their leave. Instruction was not something to rush. Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena were unprecedented eccentrics of genius; Mu Ye and Zhen Hua needed time to make plans and preparations. "Strange. Why didn't Bear Lord come to harass me today?" Watching Huo Yuhao and the others depart the Forging Master Association, Zhen Hua only then realized that one person... or rather, beast, hadn't shown up today. Usually whenever he performed a Heavenly Refinement, that fellow would rush over to watch nearby, unable to be stopped no matter what. What was up with him today?