Chapter 77: The Asura God, Divine Bestowed Soul Ring

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As Li Luochen prepared to re-enter the City of Slaughter, far away from the Douluo Continent… 

In the divine realm, within the council chambers of the gods, stood the Temple of the Asura God. 

"Hmm? Fifteen years old, level fifty-nine cultivation, a super weapon-type spirit? And this weapon spirit even bears traces of the Dragon God's essence? Intriguing. Oh, he absorbed so many rare medicinal herbs? 

His staff techniques are exceptional—bold and expansive. His mental fortitude is commendable, and his willpower is strong. He seems to favor caution. Oh? He also possesses a Spirit Fusion Technique? Fascinating. Since Tang Chen's failure, I've kept an eye on the Hao Tian Sect. The only one worth noting was Tang Hao, but he fell into decline. 

I endured immense pressure from the other god-kings to bring someone from another plane to replace the destined child and inherit my legacy. Now it seems unnecessary. Tang San has decent talent, but alas, his character is flawed—he's unclean in his methods. 

Moreover, he's overly emotional and impulsive. As the Asura God and the enforcer of divine law, I detest such traits. This Li Luochen seems acceptable—at the very least, his mindset isn't as poor as Tang San's. Let him try. 

If even he fails, then no one else can become my successor. This Li Luochen's potential far surpasses Tang Chen's. Though he lacks Tang San's twin spirits, as a weapon master, his mastery of weapons will undoubtedly surpass Tang San's. 

Tang San? Hmm… Still being taught by that useless control-system instructor? I am the strongest attacker in the divine realm—not some measly controller! I much prefer Li Luochen's bold, crushing attacks that shatter his enemies' bodies. If he fails, I'll give Tang San another chance. 

A few days won't make a difference anyway. But that stubborn Tang Chen is still stuck in my divine trial—a destined failure. Let Li Luochen handle him. A single divine trial candidate cannot receive multiple trials—it's the rule of divine inheritance. 

Though I cast a wide net, I can only grant one divine trial at a time. Unfortunately, Tang Chen is blocking the way. To obtain the trial, Li Luochen must first eliminate Tang Chen. But to prevent others from scheming, I'll mark him with my seal first. 

Hmm, this makes him mine. It seems he's nearing level sixty. Let me bestow a divine soul ring upon him, so he knows he's been chosen by the gods. Let Tang Chen deliver it." 

The man speaking was none other than the Asura God. Tall and imposing, his presence exuded an icy aura condensed from pure killing intent. His body was wrapped in dark crimson runes, with dim red light swirling around him. He wore armor adorned with dark crimson patterns and possessed blood-red eyes. 

At this moment, he flicked his finger, leaving a faint red mark on Li Luochen's forehead in the mortal realm. It vanished quickly, and Li Luochen felt nothing. 

Meanwhile, in the City of Slaughter… 

The King of Slaughter suddenly received a divine command. A red-gold sphere appeared in his hand, instructed by the gods to be delivered to Li Luochen. 

The King of Slaughter dared not delay. Originally a hundred-thousand-year-old Blood Red Nine-Headed Bat King, he had been parasitically inhabiting Tang Chen during his divine trial under the orders of a god. Now, the Asura God himself had reached out to him—how could he not feel fear? 

Fortunately, the item was meant for Li Luochen, indicating that Li Luochen was now the chosen successor of the God of Destruction. Tang Chen had been abandoned, and it seemed that defeating Tang Chen would initiate the divine trial. Besides, Tang Chen's body was already deteriorating—he had long considered replacing it. 

At this moment, the King of Slaughter sensed Li Luochen re-entering the City of Slaughter. Puzzled, he decided it was the perfect opportunity to deliver the item. 

Li Luochen had just stepped back into the City of Slaughter when he was intercepted by the King of Slaughter. 

"Esteemed chosen one of the gods, this is a gift entrusted to me by a great deity. Please accept it with care." 

The King of Slaughter's obsequious flattery shocked Li Luochen. Hadn't they parted ways less than a day ago? Why the sudden change? Chosen one of the gods? Could it be…? 

Li Luochen eyed the red-gold sphere in the King of Slaughter's hand, forming a suspicion. Taking it, he asked, "What is this?" 

"Esteemed chosen one, this is a divine-bestowed soul ring, granted by the gods themselves. The user need not hunt soul beasts; through this divine ring, they will receive the soul skill they most need, along with a soul ring of the highest possible rank they can endure." 

The King of Slaughter's words confirmed Li Luochen's suspicions. He had been chosen by a deity. Given his extraordinary talent, it was inevitable. There were two deities associated with the City of Slaughter—the Rakshasa Goddess and the Asura God. 

It couldn't be the Rakshasa Goddess—she had Bibi Dong. Moreover, she was notoriously stingy, giving Bibi Dong nothing but misery, driving her increasingly mad. Such a divine position wasn't something Li Luochen desired. 

It had to be the Asura God—the enforcer of divine law and the strongest attacker in the divine realm. His weapon-type spirit aligned well with the Asura God's essence. Furthermore, obtaining the God of Slaughter Domain already marked him as one of the Asura God's inheritors. Being favored by him made perfect sense. 

This meant Tang San had lost his greatest backing. He was merely the destined child now—and even a destined child couldn't surpass a god-king. His destiny itself was bestowed by the Asura God. Tang San's growth was deeply intertwined with the Asura God. 

The Asura God likely wanted to escape quickly, dumping all responsibilities onto Tang San before leaving with Poseidon to explore other worlds. 

But Tang San's later ascension to godhood was utterly absurd. He constantly interfered in mortal affairs as a god, using his daughter to seduce the destined child, stealing the fortune of the soul beast race, and seizing control of the Douluo Continent's plane. 

He turned his parents into the plane's masters and life cores, transforming the continent into his private property. 

Most outrageous of all was placing a chastity lock on his daughter to manipulate Huo Yuhao, threatening Juzi with her son to force her retreat? Using a mother's child to threaten her? Hmph, is this something a god should do? Is this something any sane person would do? Truly outrageous. 

He stole the inheritance of the Tang Sect, then came to the Douluo Continent to establish his own Tang Sect. Hmm, this wasn't too problematic, though it was somewhat distasteful. After all, the Tang Sect hadn't treated him well, so his actions weren't entirely unjustified. 

But monopolizing Dugu Bo's Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well and releasing toxic miasma to render the Sunset Forest barren? Greedy indeed. Then again, I might do the same. In this regard, I'm no different from Tang San. But now, as Dugu Bo's grandson-in-law, inheriting his things shouldn't be an issue. 

Never mind. Either way, Tang San will eventually become my enemy. His soul rings require the Azure Sky Bison, the Titan Giant Ape, and Xiao Wu, the hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit, for his seventh soul ring. 

Xiao Wu's soul bone—teleportation and invincible golden body—are excellent survival tools. 

Li Luochen had long coveted such free soul rings and bones. No matter how beautiful Xiao Wu might be, she was nothing more than a skeleton in disguise. He had no intention of living with a rabbit—his Little Dragon Maiden, Dugu Yan, was more than enough. With her, he needed nothing else. 

Sooner or later, dealing with Xiao Wu would lead to confrontation. No problem—my enemies are in the open while I remain hidden. I can weaken him beforehand, offering him apparent benefits and opportunities that secretly undermine his foundation. Hehehe. 

How to dismantle Tang San's foundation? Simple. Under the guise of a senior, I'll gift him a few ten-thousand-year soul bones—two or three thousand years old. They'll seem useful to him now, but the results… hehe, you get the idea. Turning all his hundred-thousand-year soul bones into mere two or three thousand-year ones? Hehehe.

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