Quest Maker of Soul Land

A pair of pale, smooth feet adorned by blood-red glimmering anklets soon come to a stop in front of a large mirror.

He views himself silently. By every description but two, he remains a god. The two things he missed, at the moment, however are simply essential in the definition of being a god.

Divine Weapon.

God Tablet.

His slender fingers touch the right side of his face as he recalls the ugly scar that marked him. He still recalls the owner of that scar. That devilish tiger that could even contend with a titled douluo without being a 100000-year-old beast... an evil creature. What truly made him... a little peeved was something else. His God Tablet, he would recover. His enemies, he would vanquish.

No. It was something else that hovered over his mind and burdened his heart.

It's supposed to be something important... but if it is really important, why would he forget it?

'It's something to do with my scar...' Xunji muses while staring at his reflection in the mirror. He's all healed up but he still feels the emptiness in his being after being robbed of his god tablet and divine weapon. On the day of his ascension, no less. What should have been a time of fulfillment instead left him incomplete. Broken.

But after all these thoughts, Xunji once again looked at the right side of his face. Deep within him, his divine instincts felt that something core to him... more important than the God Tablet, and his divine weapon was missing. But still, after knowing so, Xunji could not realize what it was. The thought kept him awake at night and left him distracted from his tasks.

Sighing softly, he pries himself out of this puzzle and speaks up even before the individual on the other side could knock, "Come in."

The door to his rather plain room was open. Unlike what one may think, his room was not decorated with furniture built out of precious minerals and materials. Instead, the room was painted in a pale red color and aside from this mirror, one could only see a mat lying in the corner.

In fact, when not in his rather contentious armored divine form that made him look more of a divine stripper than a god, Xunji adorned his usual gold and white robes while the new scepter that came with the title of the Supreme Pontiff was no longer commissioned given the fact that the previous one was plundered by Bibi Dong alongside their treasury before she left. Then again, he was no pontiff but the ruler of the continent... except for one tiny portion known as the King's Lair.

The Titled Douluo who entered wore impressive golden armor. His short blonde hair is swept back, his thin, puckered lips would even make a woman envy him, and his gaze held a level of insane infatuation.

"My Divine Lord," he bows deeply to Xunji as his tone is purposely sweet. It's by a long shot... but can't blame a man for trying, right?

"What is it, Elder Yue Guan," Xunji questions and turns around to face him. Still keeping his head low, Yue Guan, better known as Chrysanthemum Douluo, speaks in utter reverence, "We have compiled the preliminary reports from all the talent centers in the continent..."

"Go on," Xunji demands calmly, "What reason can there be for you to hold anything back from me?"

Yue Guan's heart shudders as his gaze grows ever so slightly touched, "Divine Lord... it's only been a few weeks. I am sure that these results are biased and not filled with true talents. Rich and strong surely find their way to manipulate things even at a lower level."

"It's only a preliminary result. There are more to come. Even if there is only one true gem in all the candidates... it's a success. There is only one other inheritance known, after all."

Walking past Gue Yuan, Xunji remarks, "Good work. You and Elder Ghost need to prepare other Douluos. The Elder Hall is long dissolved and each elder has a chance to get stronger. Under my rule, true hardworking talents will have the opportunity to succeed regardless of their standing."

"Yes, Divine Lord!"

Xunji disappeared into a bloody mist and appeared on top of the Heaven Dou Empire's Castle. His gaze shifted toward the central most location of the continent and focused on the King's Lair. But the defense of this location... and the origin of it still made his heart cower in fright. More than that, he looked at two 'empty' spots. The Giant Forest and the central location of the Sunset Forest...

"Your enemies have several means. Ironic given your enemies have antagonized several more and made acquaintances with the wrong bunch."

Xunji turns back and looks at the source of the voice.

"You are?" He calmly observes the phantom-like image of a strapping, redheaded youth in flaming red robes and owning a pair of pure blue eyes.

"A True God," the phantom replies, "Not of this world, but another. However, heaven encompasses us all the same. I bring you gifts... to compensate for your losses."

Xunji stares at the avatar for some time before his domain spread out.

The entire empire watched in fear as the sky turned red while menacing red lightning flickered around Xunji. A heavy suppression instantly made all the Titled Douluos of the continent kneel.

Meanwhile, the phantom nods, "Your reach has spread wider than the moment you just turned into a god."

"You observed my tribulation?" Xunji narrows his eyes.

"And more. I wasn't alone, of course... this planet has a few individuals of interest, and might I add, has the greatest concentration of 'interesting' beings. I'm a God Officer, like you. I'm sure you gained the information of the hierarchy of the divine realm, right?"

Seeing Xunji still retain his silence, the being shrugs, "As for your gift—"

"Leave," Xunji tears away his gaze and silently watches over the continent once again.

"You need allies after you failed your most recent tribulation. A god cannot remain in the lower realm for more than a hundred years after his ascension... and without your god tablet, you cannot leave. You need our help... or in hundred years, you will die. As the youngest god, no less."

Unperturbed, Xunji replies calmly, "Do you think I persevered to become a god... do you think I betrayed any and everyone to work under someone else's wishes? Return to your site of inheritance. Wait. You'll be discovered like every other inheritance. Hundred years... are enough..."

"Enough?" The phantom frowns, "Enough for what?"

Turning to look at the phantom with a smile that would freeze anyone's blood, Xunji chuckles hauntingly, "I will lead the age of gods. A life of complacency... is not what I desire. If I am destined to die in 100 years, let it be by the hand of another ambitious god than this dull world. Life finds a way and I suppose... with many, many gods... I will be motivated enough to find more means to better myself—"

"You will overload the divine realm—"

Before the phantom could scream, it entirely disappeared under the effects of a blood-red haze while Xunji watch over the empire.

"How disappointing must my life be to take part in someone else's petty schemes after forming my own immortal qi? 100 years..." His smile grows mirthful, "100 years of being a god. I wish others could understand the opportunity of it... no, someone else does, too. I hope... even if an enemy, she does not grow to be a disappointment. Looting our coffers was a nice touch."

His divine intent spread out the next second, "Prepare the initial team to enter the Ocean. It can hide from my gaze due to its nature but it scours the ocean not far from us and keeps on growing stronger. It is a devil no less than the Renegade Beast God!"

---

A white-haired youth sat on the edge of a pool with a fishing rod in his hand. The sky of this world... was amber. And clouds seemed to be formed out of vaporized red blood. Grass on which the youth stood looked dry and rustic and the wind could not be drier.

Sensing someone else's presence, the youth mutters softly, his features still hidden by his velvety ash-white hair.

"When I slaughtered Rakshasa and drove out the Bringers of Pain... the otherwordly Magus brought by Evil Sage, I never expected things to take such an interesting turn."

"By interesting you mean so out of control?" The newcomer grunts in annoyance and soon sit next to the white-haired youth. This being boasted long blue hair, a muscular tattooed physique, and a thick blue beard.

In comparison, the youth was quite slim and rather gentle-looking.

"As a god, Poseidon, do you believe in Karma?"

"As in attribute?" Poseidon questions.

"As in causality," he whispers.

Poseidon grows silent and then hums, "We have four dangerous beings on the loose in Douluo Continent and now the fifth one, the Descendant of that Dastardly Goddess of Angel wants to overload the Divine Realm. I should have killed her when I had the chance..."

Still calmly 'fishing', the white-haired youth remarks, "You weren't there in the age of war. When the Evil Sage used their own son to disrupt the balance between the Supreme Dragon... and cause him to go insane, everyone expected this of her. She was always an indifferent one... but... not to her son she wasn't. She loved him dearly."

"The Dragon Prince, huh..." Poseidon chuckles, "A being prophecized by the Supreme Dragon himself to either be the next creator or destroyer? It's a pity he died."

"It's not," the white-haired youth reminds in a quiet tone, "Dragon Prince was born human with the blood of the dragon. He had nothing. No elements loved him like the other dragon kings... yet, he became a grandmaster in almost every law that he could find. He became Great-Grandmaster in all the basic five elements. And he was on the rise to achieve supreme understanding in one of them... he is a being both the Supreme Dragon and Evil Sage envied and loved. That is why Supreme Dragon went insane... when he killed his beloved. And why Evil Sage receded from the war... into another experiment."

Poseidon frowns and interrupts, "Asura... that damn kid has your divine weapon and he plundered another god's divine weapon and a tablet! YOUR divine weapon is of extreme importance. We all advised you against sending it into the mortal world based on your foresight!"

Asura hums calmly.

"Holding my weapon means nothing. The one destined for it would claim it sooner or later for I am no longer destined for it. A being of Slaughter likes me knows when it's time to give up my sword the best."

"So, what? That's it? You're giving up on that kid? He defied you just as he defied the heavens by holding the attribute of equality!"

"All gods are defiers," Asura mumbles, "And defying me only means he disagrees with my notions. I've slaughtered for less... but I have given up my sword still. It does not matter... nothing matters..."

Poseidon scoffs and leaves soon while Asura still watches over the pond while fishing quietly, "Only one person ever had a bloodlust as dreadful as mine. He who was born without it but gained it nonetheless... no law loves him... but he loves understanding them... Evil Sage... you're cruel to your enemies, your beloved, your offspring, and yourself..."

His ruby pupils glimmer with a flash of complicated emotions as he continues, "Sage, Blood, and even Devil are not as dangerous... as the remaining two... monsters of the past who hide and wait for an opportunity to return..."

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Alternate Title: Plot Thickens

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A/N: Here I go again falling for Xunji. Then again, it's my damn fault for giving him such a rich backstory and conflict and nature. Anyway, if any of you want to recap the past of the cultivation world that introduced the Evil Sage as the Warlock and how she created spirit masters, you can read chapters 272-273~!

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