I've recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Name: 'Pokémon But Stardew Valley'
----------------------
Divine Realm
Within the majestic Sea God's Divine Hall, Tang San's brows knotted abruptly as he focused on changes in the lower realm. A soft exclamation escaped his lips: "What's happening?"
An indescribable sense of dissonance swept through him—as if something vital had been stolen while he channeled his attention into manipulating the Qiankun Love Valley.
His divine consciousness unfurled like an invisible spiderweb, meticulously retracing and examining every detail of what had transpired.
Moments later, his pupils contracted sharply. Disbelief flooded his face.
"Impossible! The Love Goddess divine position—reclaimed by the Divine Realm and temporarily under my stewardship—how could it vanish?! Its connection to the Qiankun Love Valley… is severed!"
It was through this temporary stewardship that he'd so smoothly harnessed the valley's power—sacrificing a thread of divine consciousness as guidance and surveillance.
Now, with the divine position inexplicably gone, his connection to the lower realm grew unstable. That invested thread of consciousness, deprived of its anchor, drifted like a rootless weed. Under the backlash of cosmic laws, it would likely be lost forever.
"Who?!" Rage and shock nearly made Tang San roar aloud, but he forced the words down.
He recalled the Divine Realm's fragile balance—especially the ever-watchful Destruction God King, who opposed his philosophies. If this incident escalated and the Destruction God King discovered his unauthorized use of a reclaimed divine position to interfere below… the consequences would be catastrophic.
He suppressed his seething fury, chest heaving violently. His eyes darkened until they seemed to drip with shadow; knuckles whitened as his fists clenched.
"Whoever you are… ruining my grand design… has already earned death's embrace. This debt," Tang San vowed silently, "this god-king remembers."
***
Lower Realm, near Shrek Academy
Gu La materialized with Xiao Xiao and Ye Guyi beside him.
"We're… out already?" Xiao Xiao blinked, disoriented by the familiar surroundings. "The Qiankun Love Valley trial… is it over?"
Gu La's expression remained impassive. "Mm. Perhaps our performance was impressive enough to pass directly."
Ye Guyi felt the lingering warmth on her waist where Gu La's arm had rested. Seeing his calm demeanor now, suspicion blossomed—but wisely, she kept silent.
Xiao Xiao's attention, however, snapped elsewhere.
Watching Ye Guyi step away from Gu La's embrace, and hearing his vague reply, days of pent-up grievance, bitterness, and anxiety erupted.
She yanked her hand from Gu La's grasp, stumbling back a step. Tears welled in her eyes, but she held his gaze stubbornly, voice trembling:
"What happened inside was an emergency! But now—explain clearly! Between us two… who do you choose?"
The question tore from her like a physical wound. Her heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand, throbbing with pain, yet she stood firm, awaiting an answer.
Ye Guyi, seeing this, gently disentangled herself. Her expression cooled, reclaiming her usual poise. "Gu La, I thank you for your help. But with evil soul masters still at large and the continent unrested, I have no heart for romance—let alone marriage. I won't disturb you further. Farewell."
She turned to leave.
Gu La moved swiftly, arms sweeping out to pull both girls tightly against him. No matter how they struggled or pummeled his chest, he held fast.
Lowering his head, he murmured in their ears—a tone brooking no argument: "Choose? Children make choices. I want you both. Wait for me—I won't let go."
"You! What do you take us for? Your possessions?" Ye Guyi flushed with shame and anger, straining against his hold.
"Gu La! You womanizing cad! You rotten man! I shouldn't have agreed to you at the Sea God's Fate!" Tears streamed down Xiao Xiao's face as she fought to push him away.
Gu La let them vent, arms unyielding.
Only when their struggles weakened and voices faded did he spirit them back to Shrek Academy.
***
The next three days tested Gu La's "persuasion" skills. He employed relentless persistence, demonstrative "sincerity," and certain indescribable means.
In the end, Xiao Xiao and Ye Guyi seemed to tacitly accept this unorthodox arrangement. Though their words might still sting, their attitudes softened.
On the third day, Gu La stretched his sore waist with a weary sigh, gaze fixed on the horizon. "If I don't leave now, I'll miss the next grand spectacle."
He stepped forward. Space rippled—and his figure vanished from the Douluo Continent, returning to the Legend of the Dragon King timeline.
***
Legend of the Dragon King Timeline
Gu La appeared in a desolate wilderness.
Activating his soul device communicator, he confirmed the date and news after network connection. The cataclysmic Shrek Academy explosion hadn't occurred yet. He nodded inwardly.
"Perfect timing."
After brief consideration, he sought a remote valley to digest the vast Love Goddess divine power stolen from the Qiankun Love Valley.
Seated in meditation, Gu La's eyes swirled with time sigils. "Time distortion—accelerate!"
Around him, time's flow quickened a thousandfold.
The pure Love Goddess divine energy—normally requiring years to absorb and refine—was devoured and refined at astonishing speed within this accelerated current, fusing into his soul power foundation and bloodline.
In a blink of external time, Gu La experienced what felt like decades of cultivation.
Buzzz—!
A powerful soul power wave erupted from him. The bottleneck shattered—Level 80! He had ascended to Soul Douluo!
Simultaneously, the Groudon' martial soul and the Life Ancient Tree martial soul within his spiritual sea awakened again, granting new soul skill insights. But Gu La had no time to examine them.
More thrilling: reaching Level 80 meant he could now forge his ninth avatar!
"At last." Gu La's rare excitement surfaced. "In Slaughter City, I used Rakshasa and Asura's residual divine power to create Du An, who commands death. This time, I've obtained the complete, vast Love Goddess divine power—what will this avatar become?"
Setting aside curiosity—even neglecting his new soul skills—Gu La began forming the ninth avatar in the valley.
Precautionary barriers concealed his presence.
"Thousand Visions of the Forest Avatar soul skill—activate!"
At his command, soul and spiritual power flowed along abstruse paths.
A strange seed—symbolizing "connection," "fate," and "the other shore"—emerged from the Forest Sea Demiplane. It drifted slowly into the compressed, purified pink Love Goddess divine energy.
The moment the seed met energy, brilliant light erupted.
Gu La began drawing power from the divine energy while invoking time power to warp reality and possibility—forging a timeline and existential foundation for the avatar's birth.
But then—Gu La frowned.
A gentle yet resilient residual will, tied to the divine energy's core, resisted his shaping. It sought to steer the avatar toward a predetermined path.
"The Love Goddess's lingering consciousness? Still meddling?"
Gu La snorted coldly. With a thought, power from his Groudon avatar in another timeline descended across dimensions.
Simultaneously, his own aura surged. The seventh soul ring blazed. Though Celebi wasn't the optimal martial soul, his Three-Word Battle Armor and profound foundation manifested True Body might, forcibly suppressing that residual will.
"A dead god dares to defy a living deity? Perish!"
Beneath Gu La's combined might, the Love Goddess's lingering will flickered like a dying candle—and vanished.
Pure divine energy surrendered, fully absorbed and merged.
The pink light intensified, forming a massive cocoon. As it split open, a young woman emerged.
She bore long hair—gradient pink like dawn, deepening to crimson at the tips. Her beauty was peerless, as if all the world's splendor had been concentrated in her. Every inch of skin, every glance radiated heart-stirring charm—a masterpiece of creation.
Gu La studied her flawless face, then frowned slightly. "Why another female?"
The avatar parted her lips, releasing a laugh like celestial music. The barren valley suddenly bloomed with phantom flowers at her feet.
Her eyes sparkled mischievously. "Master dislikes it? I can become male. But 'Love Goddess'—doesn't a feminine form suit the divine office better?"
She revealed her martial soul: a crystalline heart formed from countless emotional lights, floating in her palm. It radiated warmth, allure, healing, and enchantment—complex yet harmonious.
"This is my martial soul, my core and essence—the Love Goddess's Heart."
She explained, "It's both a top-tier Self-Same martial soul and the embryonic super-divine weapon the Love Goddess condensed before her fall—all hidden deep within the divine position's core. You accidentally awakened and brought it forth."
Gu La's expression turned peculiar. An unexpected bonus. "So you're the Love Goddess's successor?"
The avatar pondered, then nodded and shook her head. "More accurately—I'm a newborn entity born from the Love Goddess's divine origin, residual will, and the 'existence' you bestowed through your power."
"You may see me as the Love Goddess's reincarnation in one possible timeline. I need no divine trials. At Level 100, I'll naturally inherit the divine position through the 'Love Goddess's Heart' and ascend to godhood. Because in essence… I am the Love Goddess."
Gu La nodded in satisfaction. Sensing the unbroken absolute control established through the Avatar Outside the Forest skill and Celebi's Senluò Wànxiàng, and confirming the "Love Goddess's Heart" was fully under his command, he asked: "Well then. Do you have a name?"
"Call me Alice," the young woman smiled. "It was the Love Goddess's true name. It suits me."
"Your choice." Gu La acquiesced. "Your current level?"
"Level 77, Soul Saint."
Alice raised her hand. Seven soul rings ascended beneath her feet—all radiating sacred, profound crimson light!
"These are origin rings formed from Love Goddess divine power and divine skills. As I level up, their power will gradually unlock, eventually reaching million-year divine rings. I don't need to hunt soul beasts or spirit fusions."
She tilted her head, as if recalling something. "Though… it feels a pity. A Love Goddess should have lovely pets, don't you think?"
"Perhaps… later, I can research Huo Yuhao's spirit soul contract method. Modify it to bond with beautiful, powerful little creatures?"
Gu La waved dismissively. "Do as you wish."
He considered Alice's placement.
Unlike Du An and other avatars, she required no external resources to grow—self-sufficient, with immense potential.
"In that case, stay with me for now. Soon, a 'spectacle' will unfold here—we'll witness it together: Shrek Academy's great explosion."
Alice's smile deepened. A spark of interest lit her eyes. "Sounds delightful."
"But I have no Battle Armor yet," she added playfully. "I might not be much help then."
Gu La's face darkened. "Speak normally when addressing me. As for Battle Armor—you have complete mastery of all four auxiliary professions. You'll design your armor. Our eight quasi-Divine Craftsmen, Rank 9 Mecha Designers, Rank 9 Mecha Makers, and Rank 9 Repairers will collaborate. We'll forge your Three-Word Battle Armor within a week."
"No problem, Master," Alice agreed cheerfully.
------------------------------------------------------
Join my Patreon to read an exclusive novel – 'Douluo: Rebuilding Hao Tian Sect'
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)