Douluo Dalu: I have a Soul Beast Clone

"At just over six, not quite seven years old, I've already reached level 22 soul power," Li Chang'an muttered to himself as he gazed into the mirror at his almost fully grown appearance. "In this respect alone, I'm comparable to Qian Renxue, who had innate level 20 soul power."

"The ability of the soul beast avatar to feed back power and boost my soul power truly feels like cheating." He looked at his reflection, his pitch-black eyes gleaming with intense confidence, swelling to an unprecedented level.

"For me, accumulating soul power isn't a problem at all. If I put my mind to it, reaching level 99 by my twenties is entirely achievable."

"Unfortunately, that's likely where I'll hit a ceiling. To break through level 100 and become a god, it's not just about soul power accumulation. I need to inherit a god position to reach level 100 and ascend to godhood."

"In the original story, Sea God Poseidon fought across the seas, gathering faith for over a thousand years before finally condensing a god position and becoming the Sea God!"

"If I want to follow in his footsteps, the biggest hurdle is time. Even assuming I had the time, I wouldn't have a place to spread faith."

"The faith of the mainland is dominated by the Angel God of the Spirit Hall, while the seas are under the domain of the Sea God. Competing with these two ancient gods for faith is simply impossible."

Li Chang'an's eyes flickered as countless thoughts surged through his mind.

"Therefore, my only way to godhood is to gain the recognition of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud and inherit the Sea God's position! There is no other way."

"But to earn the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud's recognition, I'm afraid my current physique isn't sufficient—I wouldn't be able to bear the Vast Sea's power. I might end up like those who tried before, meeting a grim fate of self-destruction."

"In the original story, Tang San could withstand the infusion of the Vast Sea's power mainly because he consumed two immortal herbs, tempering his body through the Yin-Yang Chaotic Ice and Fire Well, and forging the foundation for godhood. Additionally, he possessed a hundred-thousand-year soul bone!"

"The most critical element should be the immortal herbs! The hundred-thousand-year soul bone was just icing on the cake. Having it was undoubtedly beneficial, but without it, it wouldn't have made much difference. Moreover, thanks to the feedback from my soul beast avatar, my physical strength will far surpass that of soul masters of the same level over time."

"Thus, the key to my rise lies in the immortal herbs!"

"Without the immortal herbs and the tempering of the Yin-Yang Chaotic Ice and Fire Well, I may never gain the recognition of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Worse yet, I could face self-destruction from being unable to withstand the infusion of the Vast Sea's power."

"Additionally, to be on the safe side, it would be best to acquire and integrate a hundred-thousand-year soul bone to ensure my success."

"Therefore, my ninth soul ring must be from a hundred-thousand-year soul beast! Settling for a mere ten-thousand-year soul beast is out of the question."

"Once I become a titled Douluo, I'll try to gain the recognition of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud."

"However, hundred-thousand-year soul beasts are not only rare but also incredibly difficult to kill. Should I go after that rabbit?" Li Chang'an thought of Xiao Wu, and he felt no moral dilemma about hunting her for a soul ring. After all, in this world, soul masters hunting soul beasts was the natural order. If anyone was to blame, it was the gods who established these rules.

"No, I can't act now. Tang Hao is watching over her, making it difficult to get close. The bigger problem is that Tang San has the backing of the Asura God. If I provoke him, I could easily end up as a stepping stone for his growth."

"Without a cheat-like ability, it's best to avoid messing with someone who has powerful backers. For now, I need to keep a low profile, stay under the radar, and only make a move after I inherit the Sea God's position and gain some measure of self-preservation."

"Although I dislike Tang San for his actions in the novel, in reality, we have no personal grievances. There's no point in picking a fight with him and bringing unnecessary trouble on myself."

"Caution is key in all things!"

"My current priority is to grow quietly, keep a low profile, and increase my strength as quickly as possible!"

With that thought, Li Chang'an turned his gaze to the window, staring at the azure sky, and silently mused, "So, Dugu Yan, when will you enroll?"

During this time, he had secretly checked the school roster and learned that there was no student named Dugu Yan at the academy yet. However, Yu Tianheng was already enrolled.

Thus, he deduced that Dugu Yan must still be attending a primary or intermediate academy elsewhere, and she hadn't met Yu Tianheng yet. That meant they weren't in a relationship, making it the perfect time for him to swoop in.

Thinking of this, Li Chang'an couldn't help but be thankful that absorbing soul rings accelerated his physical growth. Now, he looked like a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth. With his mature mentality, no one would suspect he was actually only six years old.

If he still looked like a normal six-year-old, how could he hope to woo anyone? A girl would only see him as a child, and there would be no chance to compete with Yu Tianheng.

…

Time passed quietly as Li Chang'an waited expectantly.

In the blink of an eye, another half year had gone by.

Li Chang'an turned seven years old.

Over these past months, he had cultivated diligently, using the feedback from his soul beast avatar to increase his soul power, which now reached level 26. This was after deliberately slowing down his absorption of feedback to refine his soul power further. Otherwise, his level would have been even higher.

At such a young age, possessing this level of soul power was shocking. Because of this, the three school board members had taken great care to keep his true level a secret, fearing that some individuals might attempt to assassinate him out of jealousy for his unparalleled talent.

An unripe genius was merely a potential threat, not a strong adversary. Many in the world of soul masters would not hesitate to kill a budding genius. The three board members' efforts were meant to protect him.

As a result, aside from the three board members and a few high-ranking officials such as the Emperor of Heaven Dou, no one knew that his soul power had reached level 26. Most assumed he was still hovering around level 10, as the record for the fastest advancement to level 20 among those with innate full soul power was eight years old.

A seven-year-old at level 26 was simply too shocking, too monstrous. Were it not for the fact that Li Chang'an was closely monitored by them and that he was the Emperor's son-in-law, even they might have considered eliminating him. Such overwhelming talent was simply too terrifying.

No one doubted that Li Chang'an would one day become a titled Douluo. Some even speculated that he might reach the pinnacle of soul master cultivation—a Limit Douluo!

A Limit Douluo was one who crowned the world—the apex of the soul master world!

At this point in time, a Limit Douluo referred to a level 99 extreme Douluo!

They were practically demi-gods.

If Li Chang'an could one day become an extreme Douluo, it was believed that he could ensure the Heaven Dou Empire's stability for centuries to come.

After reaching titled Douluo, a soul master's lifespan would increase significantly, with each level beyond 90 further extending their life.

According to the original story, a Limit Douluo could theoretically live for over a thousand years.

However, this lifespan was only theoretical. In reality, living that long required becoming a titled Douluo at a very young age.

The life extension gained from becoming a titled Douluo was better described as a deceleration of aging rather than an outright increase in lifespan.

In other words, it slowed down the aging process rather than adding years to one's life.

Because of this, if one became a titled Douluo in their seventies or eighties, when they were already nearing the end of their life, the deceleration of aging wouldn't add much time.

Only those who became titled Douluo in their thirties or forties, when they were still in their prime, could significantly extend their lifespan.

Yet, how many people in this world could become titled Douluo at such a young age?

This also explained why, despite the claim that titled Douluo could live for 300 years, few ever reached that age in the original story.

Simply put, there were too few individuals capable of reaching titled Douluo status at a young age.

(End of Chapter)