I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the latest and advanced chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Link: Patreon.com/AVRKingsTL
—------------------—
"Ashura," the God of Kindness said gently, looking at the God of Ashura, "Perhaps your original intention needs to be adjusted. He did not choose the shortcut you had planned."
The Shura God was silent for a moment. His cold gaze swept across the figure in the mirror struggling between destruction and rebirth. He slowly spoke, "Stubborn and unyielding."
His voice was still icy cold, but the several God Kings who knew him well could hear a rare hint of helplessness in his cold tone.
Yes, there is nothing I can do.
Xuan Ming's choice completely disrupted his plans.
Sea God didn't want to give up Xuan Ming's inheritance of the position of Sea God, and Shura was also unwilling. He had observed Xuan Ming more. If he really wanted to get rid of this kid, he would have done it in the City of Slaughter.
He only needed a wisp of divine consciousness to wake up Tang Chen and let that guy directly deal with Xuan Ming, or even the matter of the Silver Dragon King and the dragon clan. At most, he could set it as the ninth test for Tang Chen.
After completing the eighth test, Tang Chen, who possesses the body of Shura and the Shura Demon Sword, is enough to wipe out any hidden dangers on Douluo Star, and he only needs one command.
But he didn't.
Because in his eyes, Xuan Ming is far more qualified than Tang Chen to inherit his Shura God position.
"Sea God." Asura God turned his gaze to the somewhat guilty Sea God. "Find a way to hint to him. Tell him that the power of the Silver Dragon King can solve this problem. There's no need to risk your life like this."
Upon hearing this, Sea God, the god of the sea, smiled bitterly. "Shura, it's not that I won't help... but if I hint at it now, it's probably too late, and it might even have the opposite effect."
Several God Kings looked at him.
Sea God spread his hands and said helplessly, "You can see this kid is very stubborn. Now he's on the path of tempering, and he's seeing tangible results and hope. Now I tell him to stop practicing and ask his girlfriend to help him cheat and it will be easy. With his temper, do you think he'll listen?"
"Not only will he not listen, but he might see it as an insult to him, a denial of his efforts and choices. His rebellious nature will explode, and he will only become more crazy."
"This kid pursues absolute control over his own power. What he hates most is this kind of uncontrolled external interference, even if it's with good intentions."
Sea God sighed. "Although this path is dangerous, it is indeed the one he has fought his way through. It is the path that suits him best. Now he can only continue on his own."
The temple fell into silence.
Several God Kings once again turned their gazes to the light mirror.
In the mirror, Xuan Ming was still struggling, tempering himself, and fighting against the hellish pressure. Every time his body collapsed and reshaped, it was accompanied by heart-pounding cruelty and determination.
The Shura God looked at this scene, and in the end, he just snorted coldly and said nothing more.
He knew that Sea God was right.
This young man named Xuan Ming has used his madness and determination to forcibly turn the focus of the test from Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena back to... himself.
This assessment has completely become the ultimate test of his personal will, potential and ability.
Whether he will succeed or not, no one knows.
But at least, he won the respect of all the gods, including Shura God.
...
Three days and three nights later.
Above the Nine Heavens Profound Steps, the golden frenzy that seemed to be substantial suddenly fluctuated violently.
A figure covered in blood, almost unrecognizable as a human, was suddenly ejected from the room and fell downwards like a kite with a broken string.
The soul power fluctuations around him that had been forcibly raised to the Titled Douluo level had completely dissipated. His breath was extremely weak, and his body was covered with spider-web-like cracks, like porcelain that would shatter at the slightest touch.
It was Xuan Ming.
He eventually exhausted all his strength and could no longer maintain the terrifying height of level 888, and was forcibly expelled by the light of the sea god.
A luxurious red figure appeared silently in the air, and a soft and vast aura supported his falling body.
Bo Saixi looked at the young man in his arms who was almost completely crushed, but was still stubbornly maintaining a glimmer of life under the nourishment of the powerful vitality of the Blue Silver Emperor's soul bone. In his deep eyes that had seen the vicissitudes of life, an extremely complex glimmer flashed, with shock, confusion, and a hint of indescribable... moving.
She carefully brought him back to the foot of Sea God Mountain, on the white sand beach.
"Xuan Ming!"
"How's he?!"
Ning Rongrong, Hu Liena, Zhu Zhuqing and others who had been waiting anxiously gathered around immediately. Seeing Xuan Ming's miserable appearance, they all turned pale, their eyes filled with worry and heartache.
"He's exhausted, physically and mentally, on the verge of collapse." Sea God Douluo's voice remained ethereal, yet tinged with a hint of solemnity. "Fortunately, he has a powerful life source within him, supporting him. He's safe, but he'll need time to recover."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but their mood was still heavy.
Shui Bing'er looked around and suddenly frowned and asked, "By the way, where's Gu Yuena? Wasn't her assessment to assist Xuan Ming? Xuan Ming is so injured, where is she?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene suddenly became quiet.
Everyone then realized that they had not seen Gu Yuena since Xuan Ming started climbing the Nine Heavens Profound Steps.
Bo Saixi was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "She left Sea God Island on the night she passed the Divine Test."
"What?!"
"Left?!"
"She's gone?! When Xuan Ming needed her the most, she ran away alone?!"
Ning Rongrong, Huo Wu, Hu Liena and the others were instantly furious, their faces filled with incredible anger and confusion!
They couldn't understand it! Gu Yuena's assessment was clearly to assist Xuan Ming. Their fates were linked, life and death together! Why, when Xuan Ming was undergoing such a dangerous test, did she disappear, even leaving without saying goodbye?!
"How could she do this!" Ning Rongrong was so angry that her eyes turned red and her voice was filled with tears.
"I thought she..." Dugu Yan gritted her teeth, but couldn't say the rest.
Even Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling, who were known for their cold personalities, showed obvious dissatisfaction and confusion in their eyes.
Bo Saixi looked at the indignant and emotional girls, without further explanation, he just carefully placed the unconscious Xuan Ming and left quietly.
Another three days and three nights passed.
With the nourishment of the Ice and Fire Dragon Crown, the slow recovery of dragon bone energy, and the powerful vitality repair of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, Xuan Ming finally woke up from a deep coma.
He opened his eyes, and there was a hint of hard-to-conceal fatigue in his ice-blue eyes, but more than that, there was a bottomless calmness.
He immediately sensed the blood spear in his body.
After three days and three nights of hellish tempering, the aura of the Blood Spear did undergo a subtle change.
The monstrous ferocious aura seemed to have lost some of its edges, and the chaotically roaring false soul within the spear seemed to have calmed down a bit. Although it was still violent, it did show some signs of being "purified".
However... it's too slow.
At this rate, let alone three months, even thirty years may not be enough to truly "reshape the will."
He needed stronger pressure! He needed to more efficiently activate the Light of the Sea God!
He needs to... step onto a higher level of the Nine Heavens Profound Steps!
Level 900? Or even... Level 1,000?
But that would require even greater strength to support it. If the power of the dragon bone were to be fully unleashed, perhaps he could briefly possess the false soul power of a 99th-level peerless Douluo, but given his current physical and mental state, it was impossible for him to control that level of power. Forcing it would only result in an instant self-collapse.
Moreover, he vaguely felt that there seemed to be some... simpler solution to this "reshaping will" test itself.
The rules of the divine test did not completely block external forces, especially... the power from Gu Yuena.
He roughly guessed the deeper purpose of setting up this test - to force the Silver Dragon King to take action and test her attitude.
However, he has no habit of relying on others unless he has no choice.
Gu Yuena...
Xuan Ming raised his head and looked at the bright night sky.
I hope everything goes well for her.
...
For the next month, Xuan Ming fell into a crazy cycle.
Recover, climb, temper, exhaust, rebound, near death, and recover again...
He precisely selected the steps between 700 and 800, directing the Sea God's Light to furiously polish the Blood Spear. His body constantly teetered on the brink of collapse, relying on the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone and Dragon Bone energy to forcibly repair itself.
It repeats over and over again, almost like self-abuse.
Ning Rongrong and the others went from being shocked and angry to being silent and depressed, and finally to being numb and shocked. They could only try their best to complete their assessments and not become a burden.
The gods in the divine realm were also rarely silent.
Xuan Ming's cruelty and determination exceeded their expectations.
One month and ten days later, Xuan Ming woke up again.
Less than fifty days remained. Although the Blood Spear had been slightly purified, the progress was far from sufficient.
He sat silently on the beach, hands outstretched, the blood spear hovering quietly. The spear remained ferocious, but the mad will within revealed a hint of fatigue and a "blank," like stubborn dirt being polished away, revealing a tiny "clean" area.
"External force tempering is too inefficient... From the outside in, it's difficult to reach the core..."
A crazier and more dangerous idea took shape in his mind.
Since going from the outside in is too slow...
Why not...
From the inside out?
His gaze once again turned towards the Nine Heavens Profound Steps, but it was no longer filled with the determination to climb. Instead, it was filled with a kind of... deep light that seemed to want to completely devour it and integrate it into itself.
He needed a stronger light of the Sea God, not to oppress him, but... to lead it into his body and directly attack the core of the Blood Spear from the inside!
But the risks involved... will be ten or a hundred times greater than before!
Directly channeling that destructive Sea God Light into one's body? If one wasn't careful, it wouldn't just be a serious injury, but... complete annihilation from the inside out! Total annihilation!
Thinking of this, Xuan Ming summoned the Vast Sea Universe Cover.
Heart of Sea God.
Xuan Ming stared at the Vast Ocean Universe Cover floating in his palm. The azure triangle emitted a soft and deep light, as if it contained the will and power of the entire ocean.
An extremely dangerous, yet extremely tempting thought swirled in his mind.
If I forcefully merge this Heart of the Sea God with myself, can I activate the true Light of the Sea God at a deeper level?
Is it possible to channel that boundless purifying power into the body more efficiently and directly, to completely flush it out from within and disintegrate the blood spear's ferocious core formed by endless killing and resentment?
Just as he was lost in thought, the sound of light footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
Xiao Wu walked over slowly and stopped in front of him.
Those pink eyes no longer had the liveliness and agility of the past, but were filled with an unprecedented seriousness and determination.