Douluo: Rise as the Immortal

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At this moment, glory belonged to Shrek Academy. At this moment, glory belonged to Tang Wulin and his companions.

They had won!

Gu Yue’s body trembled, her condition visibly poor as she silently withdrew from the scene. Soon after, Wu Zhangkong received her leave request through soul communication.

"Teacher Wu, I still have tasks to complete at the Spirit Pagoda and need to take a few days off to act alone. I won’t be attending tonight’s victory banquet."

Before Wu Zhangkong could respond, Gu Yue ended the call.

Di Tian waited at the stadium exit, awaiting Gu Yue’s orders.

"Gather all the Beast Gods in Star Luo City within three days. Tang San has already made his move against me. The time for a final decision has come—this concerns the future of soul beasts. Ensure everyone arrives promptly."

"Yes!"

---

Somewhere in Star Luo City.

Three days had passed. Na’er had returned, bringing with her the Dragon God’s Core. With its power, Gu Yue confirmed the existence of the mental imprint left in her consciousness—but she was powerless to remove it.

"I underestimated Tang San. To think even a single imprint could tamper with my Sea of Consciousness... Damn it!" Gu Yue seethed with anger, yet there was nothing she could do.

It went without saying that if she had previously risked losing control to devour the Golden Dragon King’s bloodline, her chances of becoming the new Dragon God had been fifty percent. Now, those odds had dropped to zero.

She suspected that if she tried to harm Tang Wulin, the imprint would activate. Worse, the process of devouring him might backfire—instead of her becoming the Dragon God, Tang Wulin could end up consuming her, allowing him to ascend instead.

Seated at the head of the gathering, Gu Yue and Na’er presided over the assembled Beast Gods, all of whom knelt in reverence.

"Your Majesty, everyone is here," Di Tian announced.

"Good. Then let me make this clear—the decision I am about to announce concerns the future of soul beasts. The situation has already unfolded, and we are the ones left at a disadvantage."

Gu Yue glanced at Na’er, and after a silent exchange, Na’er took over.

"Bai Xu remains on that nameless mountain peak in the northwest of Star Luo, waiting for the other ’Bai Xu’ he spoke of. That area has indeed shown anomalies recently, as if some inexplicable force suppresses everything within it. From what I gathered, the Bai Xu who is about to appear is incredibly powerful—far beyond anything we can imagine. That’s all the information I have."

Gu Yue continued, "Three days ago, the safeguard Tang San left within Tang Wulin activated. I underestimated the Godking of twenty thousand years ago. He tampered with my Sea of Consciousness. While it’s not a major hindrance, this imprint is undoubtedly meant to prevent me from harming Tang Wulin or devouring the Golden Dragon King’s bloodline to become the Dragon God. Given the circumstances, there’s no point hiding it anymore."

"WHAT?!"

The Beast Gods were stunned. The Godking’s methods could even affect the Silver Dragon King?

"Your Majesty... this... Tang San actually harmed you?" one Beast God stammered in disbelief.

"Yes. In my current state, I am no match for Tang San. At my peak, I could easily remove this imprint. But the problem now is... we don’t have time."

Gu Yue’s voice was grave. "If I had devoured the Golden Dragon King before, I would have had a fifty percent chance of becoming the new Dragon God. But now, if I attempt it, the one who ascends will likely be Tang Wulin. That is Tang San’s safeguard. And it also means... our only path forward has been cut off."

"Your Majesty, are you saying we must now choose between Bai Xu and Tang Wulin?" Bi Ji grasped the implication and stepped forward.

"How could we? How could we ever choose a human?!" Xiong Jun roared in protest.

The others remained silent, their expressions dark. Tang San’s move had effectively shattered their hopes.

Gu Yue, however, seemed unshaken, as if she had anticipated this. Calmly, she said, "When Bai Xu first formed an alliance with us, all of you except Bi Ji and Zi Ji were present. Have any of you pondered his words since then?"

Xiong Jun froze—he hadn’t paid much attention.

Di Tian, too, was at a loss. Bai Xu had only shared two key pieces of information: one about the Plane’s Will, Tang Hao, and the other about Tang San’s son, Tang Wulin. Had he said anything else?

Gu Yue sighed. "His words indeed held hints of the future. If I’m not mistaken, if not for his need for resources, he would never have interacted with us or involved himself in these affairs. Following the original course, I might have ended up falling for Tang Wulin."

!!!!

The Beast Gods were stunned once more, their minds short-circuiting at the revelation.

"Don’t look so shocked. Whether by coincidence or the Godking’s design, if Bai Xu hadn’t appeared, marrying Tang Wulin might have been the best solution for the soul beasts’ survival—at least on the surface, you wouldn’t have been treated like livestock, stripped of dignity. And I might have benefited too, possibly even gaining a Godking’s position in the end. Except I would no longer be the Silver Dragon, but a human."

Gu Yue voiced her speculation. After spending time with Bai Xu, she had carefully analyzed his words and pieced together the likely outcome.

"Your Majesty, we would rather fight to the death than watch the soul beasts perish! With all of us gathered here, let’s just kill Tang Wulin now!" Di Tian urgently declared, as if fearing Gu Yue might actually go through with her hypothetical scenario.

Gu Yue didn’t respond immediately. With a hint of self-mockery and irony, she said, "After all these years, I’ve come to realize something: the Dragon God wasn’t waiting for me. Though I was born from the Dragon God, I’ve also been bound by him my entire life. I once heard a saying: ’A man must know his limitations.’ It’s a good phrase. Unfortunately, I only just understood it... because we don’t have any. Whether it’s Bai Xu or Tang Wulin, both have powerful backers. Your backer is me, but I lack true wisdom."

"How laughable. To be praised as the inheritor of the Dragon God’s wisdom, yet outmaneuvered by humans at every turn. What a joke. And you still think you can just kill Tang Wulin? Do you really believe Tang San only left one safeguard? Or that Tang Hao would stand by and watch his grandson be killed? Even if I hadn’t been marked, even if I disregarded everything and killed both Bai Xu and Tang Wulin to revive the soul beasts, we would still face the returning Divine Realm—multiple Godkings and countless deities. The soul beasts would still have no future."

Her words held undeniable truth. If Gu Yue had succeeded, the soul beasts would eventually face the Great Divine Circle, with its twelve Godkings.

After this series of revelations, the Beast Gods were left speechless. Their grand plan had been nothing more than child’s play. Ninety percent of soul masters? They wouldn’t survive a single punch from a third-tier god.

In the end, strength was all that mattered.

Na’er suddenly interjected with a shocking statement:

"Actually... Bai Xu isn’t human. His ability to cultivate soul power is only due to the Plane’s Spirit residing within him, allowing him to adapt to Douluo’s rules. At one point when I was with him, he forcibly expelled the Plane’s Spirit from his body. I sensed that he didn’t possess any soul power at all—his entire being was suffused with the Five Elements and another, indescribable law. That aura wasn’t human, wasn’t soul beast, and wasn’t divine. Perhaps it’s what he calls ’immortality.’"

Di Tian trembled as he clasped his fists. "Your Majesty, are you suggesting we pledge ourselves to Bai Xu?"

He understood Gu Yue’s fondness for Bai Xu. Her intentions were now clear.

"You could say that. But more accurately, I mean deepening our cooperation—assisting him more while he’s still weak, ensuring he owes us greater debts of karma. Not just providing resources."

Gu Yue elaborated, "Di Tian, you don’t understand him. And don’t think my feelings for him are clouding my judgment. No matter how powerful he becomes, he isn’t a soul beast. He won’t prioritize our interests."

"Do you really think he values us so highly now?"

"Once future karmic debts are repaid, whether it’s you, me, the soul beasts, or even humans—anyone standing in his way will die. He isn’t human, nor is he from Douluo. He has no reason to care about this world’s fate. That said, he isn’t heartless either. As long as we don’t betray him, he won’t betray us. That’s enough. Though it pains me to admit it, this is the reality. In our current desperate straits, we have no choice but to rely on others. Alternatively, you could pledge yourselves to Tang Wulin. He, too, wouldn’t make things difficult for you. If he emerges victorious in his eventual clash with Bai Xu, you might ascend alongside him, like the Skygreen Bull Python and the Titan Great Ape."

"If he loses, you’ll face Bai Xu’s retribution."

"In this life, I don’t love Tang Wulin. There’s only one person I love."

"Don’t worry, and don’t blame yourselves. It’s my own inadequacy that led us here. But this is the best solution I can devise. While it won’t restore the soul beasts to their ancient glory, it at least ensures we won’t be confined to the Star Dou Fortress, on the brink of extinction. Soul beasts and humans could stand as equals. If any of you have a better plan, I’ll gladly step down as your leader. I’ll live as an ordinary human."

The room fell into prolonged silence. The soul beasts’ original reliance had been Gu Yue becoming the Dragon God. Even with the risk of madness, she would have attempted it. But Tang San’s intervention had severed their last hope, forcing Gu Yue to make this decision.

The current situation boiled down to this:

- If they believed in Bai Xu, they would stand on his side.

- If they believed in Tang Wulin, Tang San, and Tang Hao, they would side with the Divine Realm.

The soul beasts had long lost their autonomy.

It was a cruel truth. Yet even now, no one could make a decision—or perhaps they still hadn’t fully grasped it.

---

Some time earlier.

During her time with Bai Xu, Na’er had once asked him a question:

"Bai Xu, back when you were unconscious, an immense power expelled the Plane’s Spirit for a brief moment. In that instant, I could sense that you... aren’t human, are you?"

Bai Xu had been surprised but didn’t deny it. "No, I’m not from Douluo."

"Then if you succeed in the future, what will you do with this world?"

"I’ll return it to the Plane’s Spirit, repaying my karmic debt, and then leave."

Recalling this, Na’er stood. "I’ve shared all I know about Bai Xu. It’s time for me to return."

With that, she spread her dragon wings and departed.

---

Present Day.

Bai Xu wasn’t cultivating. Instead, he stood atop the mountain peak, gazing at the sky. He could sense the other’s imminent arrival.

Na’er glanced into the distance. Due to the suppressive field, Gu Yue could only approach on foot, unable to use soul power. Thus, she arrived later than expected.

Bai Xu sensed her too and walked to the cabin’s entrance to greet her.

He smiled. "It seems you’re quite curious about my origins."

Gu Yue met his gaze. "Naturally. How could I not be intrigued by someone as enigmatic as you? Will you indulge me?"

Bai Xu reached out and took her hand. "True. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have sent Na’er to monitor me."

Gu Yue bit her lip, guilt weighing on her. Softly, she said, "I wronged you... I don’t deserve to stand by your side. If you refuse me, I’ll leave immediately and never trouble you again."

"Make it up to me later. These past days, as the resonance grew stronger, I’ve learned a few things. I’m glad I chose to intervene in your fate—otherwise, I don’t know what would’ve become of me."

"But today’s matter isn’t for me to decide. It’s up to the other ’me.’"

Whoosh!

As his words faded, a spatial rift tore open before Bai Xu. He had arrived.

A hoarse voice echoed: "You may enter."

Bai Xu released Gu Yue’s hand, giving her a reassuring smile before stepping through without hesitation.

The dark void shifted into pure whiteness. There were no riddles, no games—Bai Xu came face-to-face with his other self.

The surroundings morphed at will, eventually settling into Bai Xu’s childhood home on Earth. The other ’Bai Xu’ was pouring tea, seated where his father used to sit.

"Sit. Today, I’ll give you an explanation," the other Bai Xu said calmly.

"Alright." Bai Xu accepted the tea and took a sip.

"Then let me start with my story—the beginning of it all. In college, I was chosen by that manual. But I didn’t transmigrate. I stayed on Earth and cultivated. From youth to middle age to old age, the Five Elements within my organs prolonged my lifespan, preventing me from dying of old age. I buried all my family and friends, and by the time I turned 120, I finally achieved Meridian Awakening, completing the first stage of the Five Elements Body."

"It granted me the ability to traverse the cosmos."

"At a hundred years old, with all loved ones gone, I had no regrets. Driven by the pursuit of the Dao, I ventured into the universe, beginning my true cultivation journey. Back then, I thought advanced civilizations might exist beyond Earth. So I drifted through space for ten thousand years. In all that time, I encountered no other lifeforms. But as I absorbed the chaotic energies of the cosmos, I reached the third layer of the Divine Ban, and my physique evolved into the Chaos Body."

"One day, I stumbled upon a dimensional rift."

"Stepping through, I arrived at a realm between universes, teeming with powerful beings. The strongest among them were at the peak of the fourth layer of the Divine Ban. They saw through my identity. An otherworldly demon like me wasn’t welcome. Nearly every faction hunted me, seeking to exploit my connection to invade other universes."

"The result? As you can see, I reached the fifth layer and slaughtered them all. Then I began exploring other universes. At the fifth layer, I was invincible. To seek the path to the sixth, I pressed onward—and eventually found a way."

"And succeeded."

"But upon reaching the sixth layer, transcending the universe itself, I was lost. As the manual said, the road ahead was unclear. I couldn’t advance further. For the first time, even my resolve wavered. I considered passing the manual to another. But I rejected the idea. Instead, I used my innate divine ability as a foundation to create the present ’Heaven of Self-Transcendence’—a realm beyond cause, effect, time, and space, existing outside all universes, devoid of laws, of everything. I erased all traces of my past existence to test my theory."

"Rather than pinning hopes on another, I’d leave it to myself. Even the same person could forge different paths. Using my innate ability, I intervened in the past, sending a handwritten copy of the manual. I embedded certain techniques within it, ensuring that the moment my past self picked it up, he’d be transported to another universe—one I’d visited. My theory proved correct. Altering the past should’ve invoked severe backlash, even death. Yet here I remained, untouched by karma within the Heaven of Self-Transcendence. And I intercepted another possibility—another Bai Xu."

"Though that Bai Xu fell in battle before reaching the fifth layer, I saw hope."

"After the second Bai Xu’s death, I repeated the cycle until one emerged who showed me a glimpse of the seventh layer. I seized his future and used it to break through."

"At the seventh layer, my body shattered, my soul fissured—but I’d reached that realm. Words can’t describe it. No longer did I need the Heaven of Self-Transcendence to evade backlash. Instead, I could coexist with other versions of myself, each in their own universe."

"Thus, I discovered the birth of parallel universes. I transcended all existence, even the Great Beyond, becoming something... else."

"Every time I altered the past, a new parallel universe with a Bai Xu was born."

"So I intensified my efforts. Each version of me lived a different life, representing a different possibility. I am you, and you are me."

"And I need these possibilities. But this path has an end. The final step is the ’Convergence of Ten Thousand Selves’—countless versions of me merging into one. The Primordial Beginning. The Ultimate End. I don’t know what lies beyond, but that is the limit of this road. That’s why you’re here. I’m not explaining this to you alone, nor am I fond of riddles. I won’t wait until the finale to reveal the truth."

"The manual you found carried a trace of my power, which is why it brought you here—to this parallel universe born of my intervention. I’ve met every Bai Xu and told them the same. But as I grew stronger, that sliver of power began influencing you excessively. Your mindset, hardened like mine after ten thousand years, stifled your potential, drawing you closer to my path. That wasn’t my intention. This wisp of consciousness is here to undo that influence, to explain the truth, and to offer you a choice."

"Do you understand?"

The sheer volume of information was overwhelming, but Bai Xu wasn’t entirely surprised. The other him had no interest in interfering with his life, only letting him walk his own path.

And the manual only recorded up to the fourth layer—just as he’d said, he wanted Bai Xu to explore his own possibilities.

"A choice?" Bai Xu asked.

"If you choose to continue, this wisp will vanish. If you choose to return, I can send you back to before you transmigrated, to live an ordinary life."

"..."

"Don’t overthink it. Many Bai Xus chose to return. The key is your decision. We all have infinite possibilities—this is just one."

"One more thing: the challenges ahead won’t be easy. This universe has a will of its own. A soul transmigration is one thing—at least those must follow its rules. But you’re different. You’re not a soul master, and you’ll never become a Godking. It won’t tolerate your existence beyond its control."

Bai Xu’s eyes widened. "Then the law the Plane’s Spirit wanted me to comprehend—"

"Was left by me."