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All the God Kings' gazes ultimately focused on the Asura God.
The air in the Divine Hall seemed to solidify, with only the circulating images in the light mirror reflecting everything in the lower realm.
This rigorous trial, orchestrated by the Asura God, now received a response from the two examinees in an almost frenzied manner.
Xuan Ming splitting his soul to trigger a heavenly tribulation, Gu Yuena retrieving the Dragon Clan's supreme treasure—every step they took seemed to be questioning the rules set by the God Realm with their lives.
The Asura God stared intently at the light mirror, watching the faintly glowing yet supreme nine-colored crystal in Gu Yuena's palm, and then looked at Xuan Ming, whose aura had completely transformed and who had undergone an astonishing metamorphosis.
He was silent for a long time.
On his cold face, various complex emotions flashed—shock, scrutiny, and even a hint of… a stirring that even he himself hadn't noticed.
The original intention of the trial he set was to force Gu Yuena to act, to test her attitude and bottom line.
But he never expected Gu Yuena's "action" to be so resolute, so… reckless!
This had completely exceeded the scope of a "test."
This was clearly… a desperate gamble!
"What a pair of lunatics."
"…"
The scene fell into an even more eerie silence.
Although Hu Liena and the others didn't know what was before them, seeing Bo Saixi's horrified expression and the faint nine-colored light in Gu Yuena's palm that made their souls tremble, they vaguely realized that Gu Yuena's disappearance was not, as they had imagined… a desertion.
Xuan Ming was silent for a moment, looking at Gu Yuena, who was struggling against her fatigue and weakness, and slowly spoke, "Is it worth it?"
He hadn't expected Gu Yuena to go to such lengths, even taking out the Dragon God's Heart. With this, the Dragon Clan had completely lost all retreat.
Gu Yuena met his gaze, and a faint, yet stubborn, curve appeared on her pale face: "You said that one must walk their own path. The path I chose, there's nothing to question if it's worth it or not."
Xuan Ming was slightly taken aback by her words, then shook his head with a wry smile, saying no more.
Some choices, once made, no longer require questioning their worth; one can only move forward.
He reached out his hand, and gentle spirit power circulated in his palm, lightly pressing it on Gu Yuena's smooth forehead, slowly transferring the pure energy from the Dragon Bone, which had just recovered a little, into her almost depleted body.
"Go rest first."
Gu Yuena did not resist. Feeling the nourishment of that gentle power, her tense mind slightly relaxed, and a strong sense of fatigue surged over her like a tide, causing her body to sway slightly.
Xuan Ming steadied her.
Bo Saixi watched this scene, looking at the faint but terrifying nine-colored light in Xuan Ming's hand, and then at the unfathomably deep aura of Gu Yuena. The endless doubt and shock in her heart finally turned into a silent sigh.
The secrets hidden and the burdens carried by these two young people were probably far beyond her imagination.
What kind of beings did the Sea God's trial attract…?
…The next day, at the foot of Sea God Mountain.
Xuan Ming stood quietly on the pristine white beach, his gaze fixed on the winding white jade stairway that ascended straight into the clouds.
Above the stairway, the golden Sea God's Light remained vast and majestic.
His gaze fell upon the figures struggling to climb the stairway.
Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Xiao Wu, Dugu Yan, Ye Leng Leng, A Rou… they were still undergoing their respective "Crossing the Sea God's Light" trials.
Three months had already passed, but their progress was astonishingly fast!
Perhaps it was due to the intense stimulation brought by Xuan Ming's repeated reckless, life-threatening, and limit-challenging actions, or perhaps it was the motivational effect of supporting each other and striving together in that high-pressure environment. These inherently top-tier young women erupted with resilience and growth far exceeding their own potential!
Even Ning Rongrong and Ye Leng Leng, who were pure support system and relatively weaker in physique, had now steadily climbed to a height exceeding sixty steps!
They were drenched in sweat, their spirit power fluctuating violently, but their eyes were exceptionally firm, and every step they took was incredibly steady.
A Rou, the most powerful among them, a Ten Thousand Year Spirit Beast in human form with profound foundations, after acquiring her seventh god-bestowed spirit ring and greatly increasing her strength, was even more outstanding, having already fiercely broken through the terrifying height of the hundredth step!
Closely following her was Hu Liena. The immense boost from her Nine-tailed Sky Fox Spirit possession, coupled with her Slaughter God Domain, had allowed her to reach the ninetieth step!
After that, Dugu Yan's Bi Lin Snake Emperor Poison mist swirled, Xiao Wu's soft skills combined with her Paragon Golden Body, and Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Civet moved like lightning. All three had also reached heights above the eightieth step!
This terrifying collective progress deeply shocked the Seven Pillar Guardians, who had been closely observing them!
Sea Horse Douluo, Sea Dragon Douluo, and the others exchanged glances, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"This… it's barely been three months!" Sea Horse Douluo's voice was dry. "At this rate, they might… not even need a year to complete all the trials!"
"Monsters… truly a group of monsters…" Sea Goddess Douluo covered her small mouth, her sky-blue eyes filled with astonishment. "The stimulation brought by Xuan Ming has simply driven these children to madness…"
Bo Saixi stood silently at the side, watching the young women on the stairway who were gritting their teeth and constantly pushing their limits. A complex sense of relief appeared on her exquisite face.
The potential and temperament of these children truly exceeded her expectations.
Xuan Ming's existence was like a whetstone, honing them to become even sharper in the most brutal way.
Xuan Ming stood quietly to the side, watching everyone's efforts.
His second trial had yet to appear, and ever since the first trial was completed, the Sea God's Light seemed to have lost its suppressive effect on him. Even if he stepped onto the stairway, he felt no pressure whatsoever.
He had tried to unleash his Slaughter Domain and Colorless Domain in superposition, applying pressure to himself for tempering, but the effect was far inferior to the pure, vast, and boundless divine pressure of the Sea God's Light.
That kind of oppressive force, capable of pushing him to his limits and even beyond, was the best way for him to quickly consolidate and enhance his strength, but unfortunately, it could no longer be utilized.
God Realm, inside the Divine Hall.
The light mirror clearly showed Xuan Ming's seemingly calm state, which in reality contained a hint of "helplessness" and "craving for pressure."
The God of Evil looked at Xuan Ming's "restless" demeanor and couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth, complaining to the other God Kings: "This kid… does he misunderstand the word 'rest'? He just crawled out of that trial that almost killed him, and his Spirit Bone hasn't even been properly nurtured, yet he's already impatient? Can't he just settle down for a bit?"
The Goddess of Life also shook her head somewhat helplessly: "His heart… has long been accustomed to moving forward under heavy pressure. Suddenly losing that pressure, it will instead make him feel uneasy."
The God of Goodness smiled gently: "Perhaps, this is precisely why he can continuously break through his limits."
The Asura God expressionlessly watched Xuan Ming's "bored" and even somewhat "unsatisfied" appearance in the light mirror, his cold eyes flickering slightly.
He had originally intended to let Xuan Ming rest for a period to thoroughly consolidate the gains from the first trial, especially the evolving Slaughter spirit ring and the soul-level damage which needed time to heal.
But now it seemed… this kid simply couldn't stay idle.
The God of Evil rubbed his chin, a mischievous glint flashing in his eyes: "Since he's so eager, so desirous of pressure… then why don't we grant his wish?"
He turned to the Asura God and smiled: "Asura, for the content of the second trial, how about 'Crossing the Sea God's Light and Ascending the nine heavens profound steps'? Simple and direct, it perfectly tests the results of his first trial. However…"
He paused, his smile becoming somewhat playful: "We need to add some restrictions. Once he steps into the Sea God's Light, the residual power of the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King, including the energy of the Dragon Bones sealed within his body, must not be used at all. He can only rely on his pure strength to climb. How about it?"
This suggestion caused the eyes of several God Kings to flicker.
Ascending the nine heavens profound steps was no simple climb. The higher one went, the geometrically increasing pressure, with one thousand and one steps, could be called a chasm.
Sealing off external forces like the Dragon Bones and Dragon Souls meant Xuan Ming would lose one of his greatest energy reserves and trump cards, instantly skyrocketing the difficulty!
The Asura God pondered for a moment, a sharp glint flashing in his blood-red eyes: "Alright. Since he seeks the extreme, then let us give him the extreme."
An invisible divine thought fluctuation, transcending planes, descended upon Sea God Island.
Xuan Ming, who was gazing at the stairway, stopped in his tracks as the golden trident mark on his forehead suddenly heated up, and the detailed information of the second trial instantly flooded his mind:
[Seagod Nine Trials Second Trial: Cross the Sea God's Light, Ascend the nine heavens profound steps.]
[Additional Restriction: During the trial, it is forbidden to use the power of the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King's remnant souls, as well as the sealed Dragon Bone energy. Only one's own spirit power, Spirit, Domain, and Spirit Bone abilities may be used.]
[Time Limit: Six months.]
"Hmm?"
Turning around, Xuan Ming, who was about to go find Bo Saixi to ask if she could spar with him, stopped.
Ascend the nine heavens profound steps?
Was this really not a joke?
Over the past three months, he had chatted with Bo Saixi about the nine heavens profound steps while on the eight hundred-plus steps.
Although the nine heavens profound steps nominally had one thousand and one steps, in reality, only the first one hundred and eight steps were generally used for testing, and only on rare occasions would more be used.
In the tens of thousands of years of Sea God Island's history, the highest trial condition for the nine heavens profound steps was only the two hundred and twenty-eighth step, which Bo Saixi had attempted.
As for the steps beyond that, Bo Saixi had said that they were not meant for people to climb.
Bo Saixi had frankly stated that even with her current cultivation as a level ninety-nine super Douluo and a demigod, in a state where the Sea God's Light was fully activated, to ascend the nine heavens profound steps, she would need to exert all her strength, even exhaust her mind and Spirit, and be utterly fatigued!
If a demigod was still like this… he, though greatly increased in strength, was only an eighty-level seven-ring Spirit Douluo. Could he, within six months, and without the aid of external Dragon Bone power, complete an ascent that even a demigod needed to go all out for?