Chapter 35: Return to the Mainland

“Beast, you cannot escape!”

Ling Xiao stared at the beast before him. His true body and nine soul clones moved in unison, each unleashing different divine powers toward the beast.

A celestial finger spanning tens of thousands of miles, flames, thunder, and fierce winds.

Spatial turbulence generated by shattered space, tremendous soul power crashing into the beast’s mind.

Three massive divine spirit shadows simultaneously struck out with palms, carrying boundless destructive force.

At the sight of this overwhelming assault, the beast was momentarily stunned into inaction.

Powerful!

A power so overwhelming it plunged the beast into despair!

In its dazed state, the devastating attack landed, and the destructive force instantly annihilated the beast’s body and soul.

Ling Xiao watched as the beast vanished entirely, withdrawing his Devouring Heavens and recalling the nine souls.

At that moment, the system’s voice rang out.

“Ding! Congratulations, Master, you have completed the fifth trial of the God of Space. Reward: Divine Power, Void Shatter • Exile of the Void!”

“Ding! Congratulations, Master, you have completed the fifth trial of the God of Time. Reward: Divine Power, Time Break • Temporal Torrent!”

“Haha! The God of Time and the God of Space have both completed five trials. The Devouring God trials are fully completed, and the Holy Spirit God trials have completed six. It won’t be long before all are finished!”

Listening to the system’s voice, Ling Xiao laughed excitedly, his gaze dark and filled with cruelty and savagery.

“Master has changed so much, but indeed, Master is still just a child over nine years old. Killing for more than half a year has truly affected his personality greatly,” the system murmured.

Half a year of continuous slaughter—more than a hundred thousand lives taken. Even the strongest would struggle with such a burden, let alone a child.

“It seems Master should rest well for a while!”

“System, what’s the next divine trial?” Ling Xiao asked, eager to grow stronger, but the system did not agree.

“Master, you have slaughtered too much recently. It’s time to rest,” the system said, releasing a soothing soul power to calm Ling Xiao’s violent thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao’s expression gradually softened. Reflecting on the half-year of killing, his mind felt somewhat dazed.

During this time, he seemed like a different person—immersed daily in slaughter, all for the divine trials and to gain more power over the laws of time. He had slain over a hundred thousand lives, ranging from early God Lords to the peak, even killing those at the God Sovereign level.

“Seems like I should rest. This half year has been exhausting,” Ling Xiao said after a pause, the blood tint in his eyes fading, and a hint of weariness appearing on his face.

Glancing around the world one last time, a spatial gate suddenly appeared behind him, leading to an unknown vast realm.

Stepping into this realm, the intense divine power relaxed Ling Xiao’s body, and his fatigue became more apparent.

At that moment, a vast manor appeared in the system world, covering at least one hundred thousand kilometers.

Before the manor stood a breathtaking figure dressed in white.

“Who are you?” Ling Xiao asked, puzzled by the figure and the manor behind her.

“Master!” The stunning woman bowed deeply.

“You’re the system?! And you’re a woman?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Ling Xiao was surprised; he hadn’t expected the system to be female!

“Master, I am the system. In truth, I have no gender or fixed appearance. I take this form merely to make you more comfortable,” the system said, her voice gentle and soft.

“I see. Do you have a name? Or are you just called ‘System’?”

“I have no name. You could say ‘Rise of the Heavens System’ is my name.”

“Strange name!” Ling Xiao remarked.

“If you find the name odd, Master, you may give me one,” the system offered.

“Name?!” Ling Xiao’s eyes lit up as he pondered.

“You are so mysterious and dressed in white—how about ‘Lan Xue’?” Ling Xiao suggested.

“Lan Xue! Thank you, Master, for the name!” she replied with a smile.

“No problem! Is this the system space?” Ling Xiao asked, recalling that when his soul power previously entered the system space, it was very different from now.

“Yes, Master. This is a world created within the system space. You can enter anytime you wish to rest,” Lan Xue explained.

“How convenient!” Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow.

He knew that with his strength, he would not be confined to Douluo Continent. The Divine Realm was merely a stepping stone; the vast universe was his true goal.

“Yes, Master. In this world, you can do anything you desire,” Lan Xue said.

“Then I’ll bathe first and then sleep—though this time, the sleep will likely be long,” Ling Xiao said, entering the manor with Lan Xue.

After bathing, Ling Xiao entered a luxurious room large enough to hold hundreds.

“I haven’t slept in over half a year. I wonder how long this sleep will last,” he murmured, lying on the bed and slowly closing his eyes.

---

As Ling Xiao fell into deep sleep, Lan Xue knelt beside him, cradling his head in her hands, emanating a faint glow.

“Though Master has entered slumber, the violent bloodlust in his mind has not diminished; it can only gradually be alleviated and evolved,” she whispered.

...

Time passed, and six months went by.

In the system world, Lan Xue remained in her original posture, her eyes shining with golden light as she gazed at Ling Xiao.

Within her gaze, the killing desire in Ling Xiao’s mind had faded.

“Master should awaken now.”

As soon as Lan Xue finished, Ling Xiao opened his eyes.

Unlike before, filled with savagery and murderous intent, Ling Xiao’s gaze was now pure and peaceful.

Upon opening his eyes, he immediately saw Lan Xue’s face.

“Master!”

“Lan Xue, how long have I been asleep?”

“Master has slept for six months!”

“So that means I am already ten years old!”

Sitting up, Ling Xiao stretched luxuriously, feeling completely refreshed—his body and spirit fully restored.

“By the way, can I start the other divine trials now?” Ling Xiao asked Lan Xue.

“Master, you just woke up. Shouldn’t you rest a bit longer?”

“No need. I’ve rested for six months; it’s time to get out and move. I haven’t grown stronger at all during this time,” Ling Xiao said, sensing he was still at mid-God Ancestor level and shaking his head.

Ling Xiao left the manor, stepping through the spatial gate back to Shichen Continent.

“Ding! Task released: Sixth trial of the God of Time. Comprehend secret art: Temporal Stasis!” Lan Xue’s voice sounded.

“No killing this time, just comprehension of the time law. It should be easier here on Shichen Continent,” Ling Xiao said, scanning the surroundings and moving to a desolate area.

This place was utterly barren, devoid of even plants, because time and space here were chaotic—wind, thunder, and fire laws were in disarray. The weak would die instantly upon entering.

But Ling Xiao possessed the Devouring Suit, which could absorb these law energies, aiding his comprehension of the universe’s ten minor laws.

His body was now completely covered in black armor, his face featureless—a seemingly still yet restless black hole. Mysterious law lines traced the armor, with black hole patterns emitting infinite devouring power.

“This is where I’ll comprehend the law—no life will disturb me here.” Ling Xiao found an empty spot, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and focused on catching the time law lines flowing through space.

Another six months passed. Time law lines appeared around Ling Xiao.

Next moment, time stopped within tens of thousands of miles—hurricanes, thunder, and flames all froze.

“Ding! Congratulations, Master, mission complete. Reward: Time Suit.”

As Lan Xue’s voice faded, Ling Xiao opened his eyes.

“The Time Suit allows me to traverse the river of time without suffering backlash. Each part of the suit flows at different temporal speeds, enabling distorted attacks. A fine reward indeed.”

Ling Xiao smiled and stood up. His figure vanished instantly, and the hurricanes, thunder, and flames resumed. The area returned to a desolate land.

Afterward, Ling Xiao chose not to continue the divine trials but to truly explore this world. He discovered it was even larger than he imagined—each domain was one hundred thousand kilometers wide.

This world had ten such domains, each ruled by a lord.

The domain he had inhabited belonged to a lord of weak strength, resulting in a poor environment with tens of thousands of kilometers of wasteland.

After several months, Ling Xiao had explored forty percent of this world’s domains and gained much from his travels.

“Alright, time to return. Though traveling has broadened my horizons, home is still best,” Ling Xiao said.

The spatial gate beside him opened, and with a step, he returned to Douluo Continent.

...

In the Divine Realm, at the God Council meeting, the Goddess of Life suddenly trembled uncontrollably. Cold sweat dripped from her smooth forehead as she clenched her jade-like hands into fists, her lips slightly parted, fear filling her eyes.

The God of Destruction first noticed her abnormality and quickly grasped her hand, asking, “A-Lu, what’s wrong?”

This caught the attention of other first-rank gods. The God of Asura asked sternly, “Life, what is happening?”

“I... I don’t know. Just now, I felt like some terrifying existence was watching me. In that instant, it felt as though I died once!” the pale-faced Goddess of Life said, still shaken.

“What?”

The God of Destruction immediately spread his soul power, searching near the God Council.

The God of Asura frowned and joined in the search, but found nothing suspicious within a hundred miles.

“Life, are you sure you didn’t imagine it? Even using all my soul power, I found no anomalies,” the God of Asura said, his eyes scanning the first-rank gods fiercely.

None dared to meet his gaze; none among them possessed such power.

“Could it be... that one?” the Sea God suddenly spoke.

At his words, all present gods stiffened.

They all understood who the Sea God referred to. Though reluctant to mention it, none else possessed such power—not even the Dragon God in his lifetime.

“What do we do? It seems that one has truly set their sights on us. Are we doomed?” the Fire God trembled, fear in his eyes.

“Don’t speak so despairingly. That one may not come to the Divine Realm so soon. But we must consider our next steps. One day in the Divine Realm equals one year in the mortal world!” the Sea God said loudly—this was their greatest fear.

His words plunged the God Council back into a heavy silence. This crisis was the greatest since the Divine Realm's inception, surpassing even the Beast God Cataclysm.

Yet none could find a way to resist.

That one, a mere child then, wielded the power of a Killing God King. Four days had passed since, equating to over four years in the mortal realm. His strength must have reached unimaginable heights.

“More than four years have passed in the mortal world; his power may have reached an incomprehensible level. If we do not make the right decision soon, the Divine Realm will perish!” a god sighed.

“Yes! The Divine Realm is already showing signs of collapse. Many gods have fallen into madness; a few have broken down completely. If not for the suppression by several first-rank gods, three or four more might have died!” the God of Wrath said angrily, his former aura gone, replaced by a worried expression.

“Sigh.”

The God of Asura slumped in his chair, exhausted.

All eyes turned to him, the strongest God King in the Divine Realm, now responsible for the decision.

A decision that could nail them all to the pillar of shame.

But they had no choice. If it were just him, he would fight to the death, for even death in battle was honorable.

Yet now, the fate of the Divine Realm lay in his hands. One command could lead to two completely different outcomes.

“Go! The Divine Realm must not perish!”

After a long silence, the God of Asura declared the final decision.

The gods fell silent—this was both the result they most wished for and feared.

After the announcement, first-rank gods left one by one. The Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction left together, no words exchanged.

In the end, only the God of Asura remained, sitting alone, his face desolate, lost in thought for a long time.

After the council’s decision was made public, the Divine Realm was thrown into turmoil. All gods found the outcome unbelievable yet inevitable.

In their hearts, they quietly breathed a sigh of relief—avoiding enmity with that one was the best result.

---

In the mortal realm, at Star Dou Lake, a figure in white sat cross-legged on a giant rock, eyes closed. His long black hair flowed to his waist, a white mask edged with gold covering most of his face.

Beside a small wooden house stood a tall girl in a pink dress with two rabbit-ear ornaments on her head, and a mature woman in pale cyan clothes quietly watching him.

In the lake’s center, a massive bull’s head emerged above the water. On a nearby clearing, a rock-like ape sat obediently.

“Mom, when will brother wake up? It’s been thirteen days! I barely got a break to come back,” Xiao Wu said, resting her chin on her hands, pouting.

“I don’t know. He only said he needed to train deeply for a while but didn’t specify how long,” Rabbit Soft replied, gently stroking Xiao Wu’s head.

“What do we do? The academy break is short, and so much time was spent traveling. I finally thought I’d see brother, but he’s just training!” Xiao Wu said, her rabbit ears drooping, looking dejected.

Ling Xiao’s soul entered the system space, tidying up his gains.

Host:

Name: Ling Xiao

Age: Ten years old

Soul Weapon: Demonic Blood Eye Sword, Primordial Flame

Realm: Peak God Ancestor (Stellar Body not yet activated)

Divine Titles: Giant God, God of Life, God of Death, God of Judgment, God of Devouring, God of Space (5/9), Holy Spirit God (8/9), God of Time (6/9)

Divine Powers: Celestial Finger, God of Life’s Apparition, Judgment Heavenly Eye, Judgment Flame, Blood Devour, Soul Devour, Spirit Devour, Devouring Heavens, Wind and Thunder Domain, God of Death’s Apparition, God of Judgment’s Apparition, God of Devouring’s Apparition, Spatial Lockdown, Spatial Strangulation, Spatial Traversal, Void Shatter • Exile of the Void, Soul Capture, Soul Sea, Soul Fracture, Nine Souls, Ancient God Eye, Galaxy Soul, Holy Spirit Apparition, Emperor Soul Palace, Fleeting Bloom, Shichen, Time Stasis, Time Break • Temporal Torrent, Time Divine Suit

Inventory: Low-grade Life Water, Mid-grade Life Water, Soul Weapon Advancement Energy, High-grade Life Water, Life Elixir, Life Suit, Ancient Life Tree, Life Divine Realm, Death’s Tome, Undead War God, Corpse Emperor’s Servants, Death Armor, Death Suit, Reaper’s Eye, Death Divine Realm, Judgment Wings, Mechanical Evil Tiger, Killing Angel Suit, Severance Divine Sword, Judgment Divine Realm, Devouring Beast God, Devouring Suit, Devouring Pearl, Devouring Divine Realm, Spatial Beast God

Ling Xiao asked Lan Xue, “Lan Xue, it seems my strength has hit a bottleneck. What should I do? Should I not stay on Douluo Continent anymore?”

“Master need not worry. Soon, you will venture to other, even stronger worlds where you can continue to grow. Moreover, the divine title trials require elements from other worlds,” Lan Xue said.

“That’s good. But Lan Xue, what did you mean when you said the Divine Realm still has use?”

“Master, the Divine Realm still holds some useful things. The Divine Realm’s core is a Star Spirit, though it is still weak and lacks intelligence, controlled by weaker beings. But it has potential for evolution and might be useful someday,” Lan Xue explained.

“Star Spirit? What is that?” Ling Xiao’s curiosity was piqued by this new term.