A comparison of the two Douluo, starting with Dragon God Douluo Yu Xiaogang.

Xu Aoxin stared at the towering staircase before her, finding it hard to believe that it was formed naturally.

[But it wasn't formed naturally; it must have been built by a group of level nine powerhouses, as if they were performing manual labor.]

She found both of them utterly absurd.

Just then, Yu Xiaogang said, half-jokingly.

["Perhaps there are even more plausible guesses"]

Upon hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, both Xu Aoxin and Chen Ming turned their gazes to him.

"What other plausible guesses are there?"

Xu Aoxin asked.

"You keep saying that it would take a large group of level nine experts to accomplish something like this, but why couldn't it have been someone even stronger than level nine experts who caused all of this?"

"They can't possibly want a huge group of them, can they?"

Yu Xiaogang said with a smile.

"A level ten powerhouse who only exists in legends and fantasies?"

Xu Aoxin frowned.

It wasn't that she thought Yu Xiaogang's words were unreasonable, but rather that level ten experts were merely a figment of people's imaginations on the Sun Moon Continent.

There is no explicit record of a tenth level existing above the ninth level.

[Especially since Xu Aoxin was a princess of the Sun Moon Empire, she had specifically asked her father, who was about to reach the peak of level nine, about this.]

What was Father's answer back then?

Xu Aoxin thought for a moment, realizing that he had only asked that question out of interest back then.

"There has never been a level ten powerhouse in the history of the Sun and Moon Continent; people consider it just a legend."

"But since Ao Xin is so curious, let's wait until she reaches level nine and explore it herself."

Recalling his father's words, it seems his father didn't explicitly deny the existence of Level 10.

"Could it be that level ten powerhouses really exist?"

Xu Aoxin looked at the Azure Cloud Road ahead with a puzzled expression.

"...But how is that possible? Let's not even talk about whether there are any level ten experts. Even if there are, what kind of existence is a level ten expert? Even level nine experts are unwilling to come and repair the stairs. You want a level ten expert, who is stronger than level nine, to come?"

Chen Ming once again refuted Yu Xiaogang's statement.

And the reasons he gave were quite sufficient.

How could someone stronger than level nine be willing to do something that even level nine wouldn't do?

However compelling his reasons may be, the hesitation in his words revealed his wavering.

"...Never mind, let's hurry up and try climbing the Azure Cloud Road."

Yu Xiaogang paused for a moment, then chose to skip the topic.

He really wanted to say that level ten, after level nine, was on a completely different level from the levels before.

What might be considered menial labor for a level nine expert could be accomplished with a wave of the hand for a level ten expert.

Of course, this "wave of the hand" is also part of Yu Xiaogang's imagination. The ability to move mountains and fill seas with a flick of the wrist is Yu Xiaogang's imagination of those god-level powerhouses. As for whether they can actually do it, Yu Xiaogang doesn't know yet.

But at least Yu Xiaogang firmly believes that this staircase was created by the god atop Qingyun Peak.

Yu Xiaogang chose to end the conversation, and Xu Aoxin and Chen Ming did not continue discussing it.

However, a seed of doubt was planted in their hearts.

Perhaps?

And so, after another series of twists and turns, the group finally arrived at the starting point of the Azure Cloud Road at Azure Cloud Peak.

At the very beginning of Qingyun Road, a huge stone tablet stands, inscribed with the six large characters "Qingyun Peak, Qingyun Road".

The origin of this stone tablet is unknown; it was probably left behind by someone who went into the mountains many years ago.

"Out of respect, we retained the name they gave this place."

Chen Ming said, his tone clearly carrying a hint of surprise and uncertainty.

[In the past, everyone suspected that this stone tablet was named by the people who once ventured into the mountains.]

Chen Ming had always firmly believed this.

But now, Yu Xiaogang has given him a new conjecture.

If Qingyun Road was indeed built by humans, then could this stone tablet have been erected by those who built it?

[This conjecture seems more plausible than the previous belief held by the people of Silvermoon City that it was made by some person who ventured into the mountains.]

"Alright, now it's time for the climbing part. I wonder how far I can go."

Yu Xiaogang looked at the stairs in front of him and a smile appeared on his lips.

It's been almost a year since I left Poseidon Island.

[During that year, except for the time he spent at sea, Yu Xiaogang lived a relatively carefree life.]

[After all, they are hunting down a fallen soul master, so a bit of chaos is understandable.]

Even so, over the course of a year, my level rose from 77 to 79.

[Just one step away from reaching level 80 and becoming a Soul Master.]

Then, I arrived at this place, which resembled the light of the sea god.

That's perfect. I can use this Azure Cloud Path to help myself break through to level 80.

"Qingyun Road, what a great location, what a great name, and my level is just right too."

"With so many good things gathered together, it would be a real shame not to take this opportunity to break through to level 80."

Thinking this, Yu Xiaogang's face lit up with eagerness.

Gu Rong, standing to the side, looked at Yu Xiaogang without showing any surprise.

[After all, he knew Yu Xiaogang's true situation very well, so he could guess what Yu Xiaogang was thinking at this moment.]

"He's almost a Soul Douluo already? Time flies! It feels like just yesterday I met Xiao Gang, he was only a Soul Emperor, and now, in just over two years, he's already a Soul Douluo!"

"It's truly unbelievable that someone like this only had level one innate soul power when their martial soul awakened."

[The ancient banyan tree sighed with emotion.]

He personally witnessed Yu Xiaogang's efforts over the past few years.

Whether it was the training on Seagod Island, the travels on the Sun and Moon Continent, or the arduous journeys during ocean voyages.

He saw all of this.

Therefore, he clearly understands that Yu Xiaogang's current achievements are well-deserved.

He also understood the underlying meaning behind Yu Yuanzhen's boasting about his son every time they met.

[If I had a son like Yu Xiaogang, I'd be bragging about him all the time!]

"But speaking of which, how do we deal with Xiao Gang's eighth spirit ring?"

The ancient banyan tree frowned.

Yu Xiaogang's sixth and seventh spirit rings are both 100,000-year spirit rings, and they are also divinely bestowed spirit rings.

[The time limits of 128,000 years and 280,000 years respectively have already reached Yu Xiaogang's limit.]

[Now that he's reached his eighth spirit ring, Yu Xiaogang's plan is to freely choose any spirit ring under 500,000 years old.]

Ideally, the age should be between 500,000 and 600,000 years.

The problem is, where would he find soul beasts of that caliber to choose from?

Even if they did, where would they get the strength to hunt soul beasts of that level?

"This is the first time I've even known that soul beasts can live for hundreds of thousands of years, or even two hundred thousand or three hundred thousand years."

"It's so frustrating to compare yourself to others. I don't even have a 100,000-year spirit ring, while their eighth spirit ring is already approaching 500,000 years."

[The ancient banyan tree sighed.]

To be honest, being around Yu Xiaogang really makes you feel inferior.