Douluo: I achieve godhood through System

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Wang Li wasn't in a hurry to absorb the immortal herbs. The ones he wanted to absorb were the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and the Infernal Delicate Apricot. These were not so much immortal herbs as they were poisonous plants, as they carried terrifying ice and fire toxins.

In the original story, Tang San, while at the Soul Elder level, nearly perished when trying to absorb them, surviving only due to the protagonist's aura.

Wang Li, being only a Great Soul Master, could afford to delay absorbing these herbs. There was no need to take risks if he didn't have to.

Moreover, now that he was already in the Eyes of Ice and Fire, the herbs were right under his nose, so there was no need to worry about them vanishing into thin air.

For now, his focus was on cultivating his soul power and gaining experience. And as he'd mentioned earlier, he did indeed want to experience the feeling of being on the brink of death.

He planned to have Dugu Bo severely injure him, pushing his potential to greater heights. Previously, he had relied on his "Vitality" attribute and "Toughness" passive skill to train by running into trees.

It had been effective, but it wasn't enough. Running into trees could hurt him, but it couldn't truly injure him severely.

What he wanted was a more comprehensive improvement. This way, when he absorbed his next soul ring—or even the one after—he could surpass the usual age requirements for absorption.

Only higher-quality, older soul beasts would provide more life essence. His panel could increase the age limit for soul rings and boost soul skill power, but to absorb more life essence and evolve his martial soul again, he currently had only one option: absorbing a soul ring.

Not long after, Dugu Bo led Wang Li to a more open area in the valley. Wang Li, standing face-to-face with Dugu Bo, immediately felt the immense pressure of facing a Titled Douluo.

Just standing there, Dugu Bo exuded an overwhelming presence that made Wang Li feel powerless. His heartbeat quickened, and his breathing grew heavy as an intense pressure from all sides pressed down on him.

Dugu Bo, however, was wearing a pleased expression. Raising his hand, his robe moved without wind. Without summoning his martial soul or using a soul skill, he simply concentrated his terrifying soul power in his palm.

He had long wanted to teach Wang Li a lesson, and seeing Wang Li tense up like he was facing a grave enemy only made Dugu Bo feel amused as he spoke:

"You brat, since you want to experience pressure, I'll let you feel the pressure of a Titled Douluo!"

With a flash, Wang Li suddenly saw Dugu Bo in front of him. A palm descended with terrifying soul power, crashing into his chest with violent force.

Bang!

The pain was excruciating as Wang Li was sent flying, soaring fourteen or fifteen meters before slamming to the ground. He felt as if his entire body had been shattered.

The pain was so intense that he opened his mouth, but no sound came out. The pressure—he could feel the unimaginable weight of it.

Despite this, he still managed to stand up, grinning through the pain and saying:

"Senior, this is still not enough! I'm not at the brink of death yet!"

Dugu Bo furrowed his brows. Though he had held back somewhat, Wang Li was still able to stand. This was beyond his expectations.

After a brief hesitation, Dugu Bo raised his hand again and, in a heavy tone, said:

"Brat, gather all your soul power to resist. Otherwise, this palm will take most of your life!"

Blood trickled from Wang Li's mouth, and though he was in a pitiful state, his eyes were still bright as he activated his soul power, channeling it throughout his body:

"Senior, please go ahead!"

Dugu Bo moved with even more ferocity this time. The force of his strike was even greater than before. Wang Li felt paralyzed, as if soul power from every direction was closing in on him.

Bang!

Wang Li crashed to the ground once again. His vision blurred, and the intense pain reached its limit, making him wish he could just pass out. But he gritted his teeth and held on.

Through the pain, he managed to break into a wide grin.

Dugu Bo, growing increasingly anxious and concerned that he might truly harm the boy, knelt beside Wang Li and asked:

"Wang Li, are you alright?"

Wang Li's lips trembled as he endured the pain, responding:

"Senior, I'm fine. It's just that a lot of my bones are broken, and some of my organs have shifted. It really feels like I'm about to die."

"This injury will probably take three to five days to recover from, but my martial soul and soul power are still very active. They're healing my body as we speak."

Upon hearing that Wang Li could still speak clearly, Dugu Bo felt relieved. However, he was also deeply shocked. What kind of peculiar mutated martial soul was this, one that could only unleash its maximum potential when the user was on the brink of death?

At this moment, Wang Li was extremely happy, even excited. The two attacks from Dugu Bo had granted him over three thousand experience points, more than he had gained in half a year in the Great Soul Arena.

Moreover, in this near-death state, at the edge of life and death, he could truly feel the unyielding vitality of the Blue Silver Grass. This was the source of his "Vitality" attribute and his "Toughness" passive skill.

Now, this indomitable life force was surging through his entire body, healing him, strengthening his physique, and enhancing his potential.

As a result, in just one day, Wang Li was able to move around freely. In three days, he was nearly fully recovered. By the seventh day, he was bouncing around energetically once more.

He then sought out Dugu Bo again, only to be thoroughly beaten once more, eventually collapsing half-dead on the ground, waiting to recover.

Seeing how resilient Wang Li was, Dugu Bo began to increase the intensity of his strikes. Each time, he left a little leeway, never truly intending to kill him.

More than twenty days passed. One day, Dugu Bo warned Wang Li:

"Brat, I'm going to pick up Yan Yan for the break. When you're in front of her, remember what's appropriate to say and what's not. Got it?"

Wang Li immediately nodded:

"I understand, I understand! Senior, go ahead. I miss Yan Yan Jie too!"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo shot Wang Li a fierce glare, but in the end, he shook his head in resignation, and with a blur of motion, disappeared from sight.

After Dugu Bo left, Wang Li stretched lazily. Thinking back on the extreme growth over the past twenty days, he couldn't help but smile.

His physical improvements were nothing short of terrifying. At this rate, by the time he reached level 30, the soul rings he could absorb wouldn't be limited to a mere 1,700 years. He could likely accept soul rings up to 3,000 years old, and even challenge ones up to 5,000 years.

The key, however, was the experience. He could gain over 10,000 experience points in just one month. In a year, that would total 100,000 experience points. By the time he left Dugu Bo's tutelage, he would have the strength to protect himself.

After some time, Dugu Bo returned, bringing Dugu Yan with him. The twenty or so days apart hadn't weakened their bond. Instead, it had deepened their longing for one another.

Dugu Yan jogged up to Wang Li, ruffling his hair as she scolded:

"Your hair has gotten long, and you haven't even combed it. And… Xiao Li, has Grandpa been abusing you every day? Your clothes are all torn!"

Wang Li glanced at Dugu Bo, who was glaring at him threateningly. He smiled and explained:

"It's nothing, senior has been giving me guidance. These clothes got like this during training. I didn't have spare clothes to change into!"

Dugu Yan seemed skeptical, but she quickly took Wang Li's hand, saying:

"Come on, let's go to Tiandou City. We'll get your hair done and buy new clothes. Boys shouldn't be so untidy!"

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Wang Li's life became increasingly routine: training, recovery, more training, and... dates.

Ten months later, Wang Li awoke from his training, a broad grin spreading across his face:

"Not bad, level 30!"

As for absorbing the immortal herbs, he decided to put it off for now. If the protagonist absorbs the herbs, Dugu Yan would definitely want to try as well. He planned to let her try the Yearning Heartbroken Red, which was likely the highest quality of them all. He would spend another two or three years developing their relationship, and by then, Wang Li would be grown up, and their bond would naturally fall into place. Also, the Bilin Snake was evolving—should he give it a new name?

(End of chapter)