Douluo: Subversion Begins with the Arrival of the Traveler

Chapter 269 The Divine Mansion's Plan

"Nothing is more exhilarating than trampling those so-called geniuses underfoot. I can give you the power you desire."
"As long as you have ambition, all living beings on the Douluo Continent will grovel at your feet..."

"enough!"

The physical pain pulled Huo Wu back to reality from the crystal ball's constant allure. She raised her left hand...
Due to the excessive use of the crystal ball's power, her once fair and smooth hands now showed signs of withering and wrinkling, as if they had been drained of their life force.

"With this power, I will die too..." she murmured.

Before defeating the Heavenly Battle Team, all she could think about was gaining the power to crush them.

After successfully achieving her goal in the last competition, she belatedly realized that using a power that was not her own to win the competition had also caused her body to suffer severe backlash.

This backlash made her begin to calm down, but at the same time, she became somewhat afraid.

"Death? Are you afraid of death?"

A voice came from inside the crystal ball. It didn't seem surprised by Huo Wu's current state. Instead, it asked a question following her words.

Seemingly sensing Huo Wu's regret, lightning arcs flickered on the crystal ball, and it spoke again.
"Compared to them, you are a loser who deserves to be trampled underfoot. The honor and power you yearn for will all leave you."

"While they stand on the stage looking down on everyone, you're only fit to howl like a pitiful stray dog ​​in an inconspicuous corner..."

"All of this is due to your incompetence!"

"Without power, you are nothing..."

"No...I don't want this to happen..."

Upon hearing this, Huo Wu, whose eyes had been somewhat dazed, shook her head frantically.

She seemed to be thinking about the scene described in the crystal ball.

She gripped the crystal ball tightly; she couldn't accept failure more than death!
Yes! Without this power, how could one possibly stand out in the Soul Master Competition?

How can we trample those despicable faces under our feet?

"No! I'm better than them! I absolutely won't lose!"

Huo Wu seems to have entered a state of madness once again.

"Power is everything... Give me power... Give me the power to crush them!"

Her bloodshot eyes stared at the withered hands holding the crystal ball.

"One more time... no! Five times at most!" she estimated through clenched teeth.

"I must win the Soul Master Competition!"

"I must prove myself!"

Huo Wu's current state clearly aligned with the wishes of the voice within the crystal ball; its demonic whispers echoed in Huo Wu's ears.

"Very good, that's it..."

"The power you desire, I have plenty of..."

As the crystal ball finished speaking, arcs of lightning spread from the crystal ball to Huo Wu's wrist, then surged wildly down her arm and throughout her entire body.

Clearly, this wasn't the first time this had happened. Huo Wu's face became extremely distorted, and she clenched her teeth tightly to prevent herself from making a sound.

…………

Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous corner of the street, Paimon kept swallowing his saliva as he looked at the roast chicken stall across the street, which was emitting a delicious aroma.

"Traveler, I want..."

"No, you don't want to."

A passerby nearly bumped into Paimon, but Kong managed to pull the food-craved glutton back from his slumber in time.

"what?"

The pedestrian seemed to feel a gust of wind blowing past him. He looked around and thought it was just his imagination, so he didn't think much of it.

"What?! I really want to!"

After Paimon finished speaking, he angrily crossed his arms, his little cheeks puffed out, as if he had two eggs stuffed in his mouth.

"The situation is special right now, just bear with it and it will pass." "How much longer do I have to bear it...?"

Hearing Kong's explanation, Paimon was unwilling, but he knew that now was not the time to throw a tantrum.

She is known for her steadiness when it comes to important matters.

Just like back in Teyvat, whenever the traveler encountered a major problem, she never let him down.

Even when the traveler is being attacked by demons or gods, she always reaches out her little hand to help at crucial moments.

Although it was useless, the spirit was commendable!

"I still don't know what they're trying to do. It's strange. I'll have to wait and see..."

Kong looked up at a hotel not far away, which was where the Blazing Academy team was resting.

Just now, he sensed an unusual power fluctuation emanating from the area, which he figured was probably that girl named Huo Wu causing trouble again.

"Oh dear, the gods here are so weak. If you ask me, why don't we just find their locations and beat them up one by one..."

Hearing Paimon, who had always opposed violence, actually encouraging him to beat someone up, Sora turned his head to look at her.
"...Are you going to go beat them up?"

"Tch~ It's not like we haven't beaten them up before..."

"Just you wait until I find a way to grow bigger again, I'll definitely let them taste what it means to be beaten up like a Teyvat, the cutest character in Douluo Continent! Hmph..."

Paimon tilted his little face up, looking like he was a master of cake making.

"Don't underestimate them. I always felt that things weren't as simple as they seemed."

Kong shook his head slightly, ignoring the nonsensical nicknames Paimon had given him.

In the fragmented memories, the gods of this plane seemed to be constantly searching for someone to inherit their divine position on the continent in pursuit of greater power.

But each divine position is unique.

If the divine position is given to an heir, where will they go?

Where did their subsequent source of strength come from?

If Tang San's elimination was part of a scheme they had orchestrated from the beginning, then are they truly only trying to help the Blazing Fire Team win the Soul Master Tournament?
That's it?
Could there be some hidden reason behind the Soul Master Competition that I don't know about in my memory?
So much so that they stopped acting altogether and instead competed for the championship by giving the Blazing Fire team the power of Fire Dance...

"Paimon, what's the point of them competing for the Soul Master Tournament championship?"

"Hey?"

Faced with Kong's inexplicable words, Paimon was first taken aback, then he rubbed his chin, his eyes darting around, and excitedly said:
"I know!"

"what?"

Seeing Paimon's confident answer, Sora couldn't help but turn to look at her.

"Oh, think about it, what's the point of the competition? Of course, it's to win the championship!"

"And what's the point of winning the championship? Of course, it's to get the prize and everyone's recognition!"

"If I participated in the competition, the whole audience would cheer for me, and I'd even get a prize. That feeling would be amazing, hehe~"

As Paimon spoke, he seemed to see himself standing on the stage, with everyone below cheering wildly for him, and his little face flushed with excitement.

"But if it were me, I'd suggest changing the prize to lots of delicious food; that would definitely be even better..."

"Gaining recognition..."

Kong ignored the imagined Paimon and instead pondered her words in his mind.

Yes!

Win prizes and recognition!
As deities of this world, the prizes of the Soul Master Competition clearly did not tempt them.

And if you agree...

Whose approval do they want? People's approval?
Or is it... its approval?!

(End of this chapter)