Take, for example, Yun Ming and the Ghost Emperor—though both are quasi-gods, the former can beat the latter as easily as disciplining a child.
Even within the quasi-god level, there is still room for advancement.
For instance, Yun Ming, Chen Xinjie, and the Spirit Emperor all elevated their spiritual power from the Spirit Domain level to the Divine Origin level.
Also, consider the Body Sect's flawless golden body, the god-tier physique of the Abyssal Plane's fourth-layer ruler the Demon Emperor, and the divine beast-like bodies of Di Tian and the Demon Empress.
Or the god-level energy of the Abyssal Plane's third-layer ruler the Fiery Emperor; Yun Ming's semi-god status; Guan Yue's spear that fuses with energy; the Seagod Helmet with direct combat power enhancement; and Di Tian's own divine technique—the Dragon God Claw.
These are all ways to advance further within the quasi-god realm.
Having reached the Dragon God level, Di Tian is like a quasi-god among god-kings.
To move beyond that would be unimaginably difficult.
The only viable method Di Tian could conceive was the divine skill Three Realms Judgment Sword.
More specifically, the five supreme artifacts that power the skill, and the five primordial forces they represent.
These five forces originate from the creator of the Douluo Divine Realm—someone above even the god-kings—a Creator God.
This Creator God split his power into five, which later became the five god-kings of Douluo.
Kindness and Evil gave birth to thought and emotion, laying the sky of the Divine Realm.
Life and Destruction created all things within it, forming the earth of the Divine Realm.
At the center, Shura maintained order between heaven and earth.
Because the Douluo Divine Realm was created in the universe from nothing by a being above god-kings, rather than ascending from a lower plane, it inherently possesses the potential to evolve into a Divine Star.
The previous will of the Destruction God King, Zi, was to expand the Divine Realm into a Divine Star, making it even stronger.
The Three Realms Judgment Sword, derived from the Creator God, naturally possesses the ability to help Di Tian push beyond the Dragon God level.
Having received Di Tian's affirmation, Gu Yuena fell into brief silence.
With the Three Realms Judgment Sword to power her post-Dragon God advancement, she truly would stand a chance against the twelve god-kings.
Using the Shura Sword as the core, fusing the other four supreme artifacts, and tempering it with the essence of the five god-kings to forge the divine skill—it was indeed feasible.
Both Di Tian and Gu Yuena instinctively avoided contemplating the idea of the five god-kings reuniting to revive the Creator God.
Because if the Creator God had even the slightest chance of returning, then during the great war of the Divine Realm back then, it wouldn't have been the Three Realms Judgment Sword that killed the Dragon God—it would've been the Creator God himself.
Remember, just merging the forces of creation cost the lives of the Destruction and Life God Kings.
"Shura Sword as the main... aided by the Destruction Staff, Life Tree, Judgment Scales, and Heart of Kindness…"
As she muttered, Gu Yuena suddenly noticed a glaring flaw in Di Tian's grand plan.
"The Destruction Staff and Life Tree followed the reincarnated Destruction and Life God Kings. Through Tang San's divine sense drawing power from the Douluo Divine Realm, you can obtain the inheritance seeds for those positions and seek them out."
"But the Evil and Kindness God Kings are still in the Douluo Divine Realm. How are you going to obtain the Judgment Scales and Heart of Kindness?"
"The Evil and Kindness God Kings are neither fools nor weaklings."
"At such a critical time—competing with the six Divine Realms for control of the future Divine Circle—there's no way they'd hand over their supreme artifacts to Tang San, let alone waste immense resources to send them back to the Douluo Plane."
To this, Di Tian let out a rare laugh.
"The Evil and Kindness God Kings you remember are no longer in the Douluo Divine Realm."
"Otherwise, why would Tang San be able to seize control of the Divine Realm? Why would he be able to freely siphon blood from the Douluo Divine Realm?"
Before Gu Yuena could ask, "Why aren't they there? Where did they go?"—Di Tian spoke first, his tone oddly wistful:
"Like you… the Evil and Kindness God Kings fell in love."
"So, they passed their godhood to Ji Dong and Lie Yan. The two god-kings then took their supreme artifacts—the Judgment Scales and Heart of Kindness—and went down to the lower plane, the birthplace of Ji Dong and Lie Yan, to pursue their romance."
Gu Yuena: "…"
She opened her mouth, but it felt like a fishbone was stuck in her throat—she couldn't utter a single word.
Gu Yuena said nothing, but that didn't mean Di Tian would let her off.
He had gone through so much to bring her here, wasted so much breath on her.
He had explained the situation in the Douluo Divine Realm, exposed his own counterstrategy—
All for one reason: to force Gu Yuena to make a choice, and thus prevent Di Tian from losing everything to a misstep.
"So? Will you go see your former little lover, Tang Wulin?"
"This is still a high-risk plan, walking a tightrope."
"Even if I obtain the five supreme artifacts and forge the Three Realms Judgment Sword capable of unleashing divine techniques, and even if I face the twelve god-kings and the central core of the fused Seven Divine Realms' Divine Circle in a bloody battle…"
"Who's stronger? Who wins? Who dies?"
"No one can give a definitive answer—not even me."
"I even have this ominous feeling... that when that decisive battle comes, I'll die."
Hearing this, Gu Yuena's body trembled.
She suddenly lowered her head, her brows furrowed, gazing at Di Tian.
"You seem awfully eager for me to go find Tang Wulin."
"Do you want me to be a spy, to prevent you from losing everything?"
"What is it? You're so confident that I'll definitely inherit the God of Life position? You think that after inheriting it, I'll betray Tang Wulin for your sake?"
Faced with Gu Yuena's somewhat mocking interrogation, Di Tian didn't reply.
He only said coldly, "Make your choice."
Once the words dropped, silence returned.
Time passed in cold stillness—Gu Yuena made no decision.
This meant Di Tian's Plan A—using her as an undercover agent—had failed.
A successful infiltrator capable of fooling a god-king couldn't have hesitation.
Like Er Ming had once done—he had to willingly "sell himself" to make the plan work.
Looking at Gu Yuena now—her feelings for Tang Wulin were no longer the pure, reckless kind; her hatred for soul beasts wasn't absolute; and she wasn't firmly committed to helping either side.
Her whole mental and spiritual state was like a misfit—neither this nor that.
She could never put Tang San's mind at ease. He wouldn't trust her. Given his character, he'd rather choose a less capable inheritor.
A lesser heir... would likely require more blood drawn from the Divine Realm over the next year.
But to Di Tian, such a person wouldn't be as easy to control as Gu Yuena.
Having verified all this, Di Tian decisively abandoned Plan A.
He initiated Plan B, to cover himself.
The invisible nine-colored collar suddenly materialized around Gu Yuena's graceful, swan-like neck under Di Tian's control.
(End of Chapter)