Only the Douluo 2 era was real. The goal of Su Ming's cultivation in the Douluo 1 and Douluo 3 eras was to establish a stable connection with this real node.
The Douluo 1 Su Ming already had a direction; he needed to extend the illusory history to connect with the Douluo 2 node.
Although Su Ming did not yet know the specifics of how to overlay the illusory history onto the real one to achieve the effect of "practicing falseness until it becomes real," he at least had a direction.
In contrast, the Douluo 3 Su Ming had been without any leads until now.
But now, with Su Ming's sudden comprehension, he also had an idea, one even more developed than the plan to connect with the Douluo 1 Su Ming.
"The current me, influencing the illusory me a few years from now, thereby creating a series of illusory futures. These illusory futures extend into the future and are then captured by the Douluo 3 me."
This way, perhaps the entire node from Douluo 2 to Douluo 3 would fall completely under Su Ming's control.
Wouldn't that establish a connection?
Regarding connecting with the Douluo 1 Su Ming, Su Ming hadn't known what to do about his Douluo 2 self, but now he had a method for his Douluo 3 self to "fish" for it.
"It seems it still relies on the spirit domain. The connection with Douluo 1 will also depend on the spirit domain."
While attempting to influence the future, Su Ming was also contemplating his own path forward.
"Intervening in the timeline isn't necessarily useless for me. For example, I could use it to review past details I hadn't noticed before."
He could choose not to exert influence, but he could use it to investigate methods.
For instance, Su Ming could now borrow his future self's spirit domain and expand it to a one-year range at the Douluo 2 node.
One year into the future, and one year into the past.
He could review all of history from one year ago up to the present!
Of course, rashly modifying the history of this one-year period could lead to unforeseen consequences, so Su Ming didn't want to try for now.
He didn't plan to use this ability in this way in reality.
"This should be used in Douluo 1."
How should one excavate further back into the illusory history of Douluo 1?
The illusory history had a starting point; there was nothing before it.
But what if he excavated further back into the real history ahead?
If he altered the real history, causing the river to expel another segment of illusory history that dovetailed with the existing illusory history, wouldn't that be equivalent to pushing the illusory history further back into a more ancient era?
"I'm really too clever. It's not too late to start this plan now."
Push it back!
His goal was nothing else but purely to obtain information—for example, on how to become a god!
"I want to watch the Sea God attain godhood!"
Su Ming took a deep breath.
He was inevitably going to create his own God Seat; this was true for all three selves across the three eras in the Trinity. Therefore, he needed a reference point to feel confident.
Right now, it seemed he had the God of Destruction's support, but if he truly wanted to become a god under Destruction's auspices, he would first have to be locked into the God Realm's system.
Su Ming could borrow the God of Destruction's influence, but he could not completely tie himself to the Douluo God Realm's ship.
Therefore, he had to find his own way to accumulate experience in condensing a God Seat.
Not only did he want to observe the process of the first-generation Sea God's apotheosis before the Douluo 1 node, he also wanted to observe Yun Ming's process of condensing his half-godhood as much as possible.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed.
A black streak of light tore across the sky as Di Tian appeared in the valley where Su Ming and Du Busi were.
His hair was black, his eyes gold, exuding authority without any need for anger.
He stared at Du Busi, whose spirit power aura was fully erupted and on the verge of testing his Gold-level Second Awakening in actual combat, then looked towards Su Ming, the source of the Auspicious Beast's aura.
At this moment, Di Tian was puzzled.
Why did a Spirit Master carry the aura of an Auspicious Beast?
Could it be that he was a hundred-thousand-year Spirit Beast in human form?
An Auspicious Beast from another Spirit Beast settlement that had taken human form?
No, he was a pure human.
As the Beast God, Di Tian had his own methods for distinguishing between Spirit Beasts and Spirit Masters. He could clearly sense that Su Ming's aura contained not a single trace of what a Spirit Beast should have.
"Human Spirit Master, why do you carry the aura of an Auspicious Beast?" Di Tian asked directly.
The only answer in his heart at this moment was that Su Ming had killed an Auspicious Beast from another settlement and obtained its Spirit Ring—it must have even been a sacrifice, granting him everything the beast had, to achieve this effect.
"Fate."
Su Ming's opening words were full of a swindler's tone.
"Fate guided me to the Star Dou Great Forest."
Di Tian laughed in anger.
This mystical, mumbling Spirit Master, did he take Di Tian for a fool?
"And after coming here?"
"To absorb the Auspicious Beast's Spirit Ring."
Su Ming very naturally stated his goal.
After he spoke, he also felt the terrifying pressure of Di Tian's spirit power.
Du Busi's pupils contracted.
So this is Di Tian?
"If I don't fully erupt my Gold-level Second Awakening, I can't even match him in terms of pure spirit power!"
Thinking this, Du Busi directly used a set of ordinary Soul Refined metal as fuel to erupt his Gold-level Second Awakening, positioning himself between Di Tian and Su Ming.
"Do you have a death wish?" Di Tian's voice was icy cold.
Daring to set his sights on the Auspicious Beast? This Spirit Master did not want to live.
"You should have sensed it too. I also possess the power of an Auspicious Beast. It's just that the overlay effect between our powers isn't very pronounced. But what if they were to fuse?"
Di Tian laughed in anger again.
"You truly have nerves of steel. In my opinion, a Spirit Master like you has at most three hundred years of lifespan. It would be better for you to hand your power over to the Auspicious Beast."
As he spoke, he directly extended his right hand.
His right hand transformed into a pitch-black dragon claw. As it reached out, a crack appeared in space itself, reaching past Du Busi to grab Su Ming's true body.
In the next instant, Su Ming disappeared and reappeared elsewhere.
In his hand, the powers of Destruction and Life intertwined.
"Di Tian, are you sure you want to attack me?"
Di Tian stared at the two forces intertwined in Su Ming's hand, his pupils contracting sharply.
Simultaneously, he felt a power lock onto him.
This is...
Divine Sense!
A deity was watching this place.
He had locked onto him!
Di Tian stared fixedly at Su Ming, not saying a word.
This Su Ming... had a deity backing him!
No wonder he was so arrogant, daring to come directly to the Star Dou Great Forest to find him and bluntly state his desire for the Auspicious Beast as his Spirit Ring.
"Cooperation benefits us both, and lifespan isn't calculated the way you think. If I become a god, it won't be just a three-hundred-year lifespan," Su Ming said, remaining vigilant against another attack from Di Tian while continuing, "The most critical point is what I mentioned before: the overlay of the Auspicious Beast's effects. The Fierce Beasts could take the opportunity to collectively undergo their tribulations once more."
Su Ming's words caused Di Tian to fall silent.
The Fierce Beasts collectively undergoing their tribulations once?
Undergo what tribulation?
The tribulation of being targeted as a Spirit Ring by a future god like you?
Currently, the cultivation ages of the Fierce Beasts weren't maintained arbitrarily.
Di Tian's 820,000 years wasn't because he could only reach 820,000 years, but because there was no need to continue increasing it recklessly. With the Dragon God's Claw in his possession, even if his cultivation reached 990,000 years, his strength would remain largely the same.
The Ten Thousand Demons King at 530,000 years and the Red King at 300,000 years couldn't approach their next heavenly tribulation again in a short time, nor would they take that risk.
There were, however, two who could quickly reach the threshold of their next heavenly tribulation: one was the Bear Lord, the other was Bi Ji.
Among the Fierce Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Bear Lord's strength was second only to Di Tian's, but his cultivation was only 470,000 years. His foundation was terrifyingly profound; one could believe he could forcibly elevate himself directly to 600,000 years, and the key point was, he would absolutely be able to pass the tribulation.
Since his cultivation was stuck at 470,000 years, didn't he have his reasons for keeping it there?
He definitely wouldn't undergo a tribulation just because of the overlay effect of the Auspicious Beast's ability that Su Ming mentioned.
As for Bi Ji, her cultivation had reached 580,000 years, and she truly wasn't confident in passing her sixth heavenly tribulation. But would she become a target for Su Ming?
Di Tian stared at the two intertwined forces in Su Ming's hand, feeling that the tribulation Bi Ji might face wouldn't necessarily be a heavenly one.
***
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