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...In the God Realm, inside the Magnificent Divine Palace.
The Light Mirror clearly reflected the entire process of Xuan Ming stripping away the Sea God's Heart, integrating it into the trident, handing it to Bo Saixi, and finally, his "apology gift" speech.
A strange silence fell within the divine palace.
Sea God Poseidon's expression completely froze; his mouth was slightly open, and his eyes were wide, as if he had witnessed something utterly incomprehensible.
He had originally just wanted to use the name of the Fourth Test to give Bo Saixi and Xuan Ming a push, ideally resulting in a beautiful story, and simultaneously solving his High Priestess's lifelong affair and future prospects... But he never expected that Xuan Ming would completely ignore convention!
He actually used a method close to self-mutilation to strip away the Sea God's Heart?!
And he damn well gave it away as an "apology gift"?!
Just because he felt indebted for killing Tang Chen?!
"Wait, wait..." Poseidon's voice was distorted. He pointed at the Light Mirror and looked at the other God Kings, "Is this kid... is there something wrong with his head?! Did I give him the Seagod Nine Trials to play around like this?!"
The playful smile on the God of Evil's face completely vanished, replaced by a hint of solemnity and... exasperation. He rubbed his brow, feeling that the development of events had completely derailed from the preset track.
"It went off the rails..." the God of Evil muttered. "This kid... he doesn't fall for emotional blackmail. He has his own set of extremely paranoid logic and behavioral guidelines."
He looked at Xuan Ming's pale yet resolute back in the Light Mirror, his tone filled with disbelief: "He would rather endure the pain of stripping away a Divine Item and use this method of 'clearing the slate' to settle the so-called 'debt,' than follow the 'end of a romantic entanglement' script we set up... Poseidon, your Fourth Test was practically dancing on his landmines!"
The Goddess of Life's eyes were filled with distress: "That child... he suffers too much. He is too harsh on himself."
The God of Kindness sighed softly: "He quantified all his emotions and responsibilities into 'debts' that could be repaid... In what way is this not a form of extreme loneliness and self-protection."
And the always silent Asura God slowly turned his head at this moment, his pair of cold, blood-red eyes fixed firmly on Poseidon like the sharpest knives.
Although he didn't speak, the killing intent and questioning contained in his gaze almost solidified into substance:
'Look at the mess you made!'
'He isn't afraid of Life-and-death trials, climbing the Heaven Rank, fighting powerful enemies, or reshaping his Spirit. Which trial did he not risk his Life to pass? Why did you insist on staging this emotional drama!'
'Now look! You forced him to the point of stripping away the Sea God's Heart just to "repay the debt"!'
'His mental force has already achieved a Breakthrough to the Divine Origin Realm, and with the aid of the Silver Dragon King and the heart of the dragon god, the success rate of forcefully charging the God Realm is already quite high! If he truly becomes disheartened, or feels the debt is repaid and refuses to play this "God Test" game with us anymore, running off to desperately charge the God Realm directly...'
'What was the point of all our efforts in observation, testing, and guidance?!'
'Just to force out an uncontrollable, Rogue God who might harbor resentment toward the God Realm?!'
Poseidon felt his scalp tingle under the Asura God's stare; cold sweat was about to break out.
He knew what the Asura God meant: Xuan Ming's current state was like a bomb about to have its fuse lit.
They had originally wanted to control his growth rhythm and Heart-Nature through relatively "gentle" God Tests, but now, Poseidon's "reckless maneuver" might directly force Xuan Ming to jump off the chessboard and start his own venture!
A New God who achieves Breakthrough independently, is not bound by the God Realm Legacy System, and harbors resistance towards their "testing" process, is absolutely a huge variable that the God Realm does not wish to see!
"I... I didn't know he would do this..." Poseidon tried to defend himself, but his voice lacked conviction.
He had originally thought that at most Xuan Ming would reject Bo Saixi, or the two would argue a bit, but he never expected this fellow's way of solving problems to be so simple, crude, and severe!
The God of Evil sighed, looking toward the direction where Xuan Ming disappeared in the Light Mirror, his eyes complex: "Talking about this is useless now. The key is, what do we do next? This kid stripped away the Sea God's Heart, and the Fourth Test is probably considered a failure in his mind. What will he do next? Will he really charge the God Realm directly?"
The atmosphere inside the divine palace grew even heavier.
They realized that perhaps they had underestimated Xuan Ming's inner resolve and his self-contained, obsessive logic from the start.
If they wanted to continue "controlling" his growth trajectory, they would likely need a change in strategy. And Poseidon's Fourth Test had undoubtedly failed, not only missing its objective but possibly having the opposite effect.
The Asura God withdrew his murderous gaze, looked back at the Light Mirror, and his cold voice echoed in the divine palace:
"Be prepared to deal with the worst-case scenario."
"If he really chooses to Forcefully Break Through... we must make a decision before he succeeds."
Will it be acceptance, suppression, or... destruction?
This potential threat, which they had personally "forced" into existence, already made the God Kings feel that the situation was tricky.
"Gu Yuena," the God of Kindness said.
"Now we can only let Gu Yuena persuade him."
The Ice Dragon King has already sacrificed himself, leaving only a trace of Dragon Soul Imprint, which is essentially the same as being truly dead. In this World, the only person who can still persuade Xuan Ming regarding this matter is Gu Yuena!
"I will communicate with her," the Goddess of Life sighed.
"I hope she will listen to what I have to say."
...Sea God Island, deep within the Ice Crystal Castle.
Xuan Ming fell into a deep sleep again, his face pale and his aura weak. Fortunately, Gu Yuena's Power of Creation and the Dragon God's Origin stabilized his injuries, and the depletion of his Soul was slowly recovering under the nourishment of resources left by the Evil Emperor.
Gu Yuena sat by the bed, looking at Xuan Ming's sleeping profile, her silver-purple eyes interwoven with heartache and a trace of helpless frustration.
This Stubborn Mule! When he makes up his mind, ten Dragons couldn't pull him back! He clearly had a better solution, yet he chose the most painful and extreme one.
Just as she felt frustrated, the Golden Circular Mark between her brows, which represented her faint connection to the God Realm, suddenly flickered slightly. A gentle Divine Thought filled with the aura of Life attempted to establish a connection with her.
Gu Yuena slightly frowned, pondered for a moment, and then lowered her Mental Defenses.
"Goddess of Life?" Her Divine Thought transmitted the question.
"It is me, Silver Dragon King." The Goddess of Life's gentle voice sounded directly in her Consciousness, carrying a hint of imperceptible urgency. "To make a long story short, everything you have done on Douluo Star, especially Xuan Ming's recent actions, has been seen by the God Realm."
Gu Yuena felt no great surprise; it was normal for the God Realm to overlook the Lower Realm.
The Goddess of Life continued: "This Seagod Nine Trials was not the intention of Poseidon alone, but was jointly overseen by the Five God Kings."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuena's heart trembled slightly.
Joint attention from Five God Kings? The significance was entirely different.
"Our purpose is not to make things difficult, but for observation and testing." The Goddess of Life's voice was candid. "The problem left behind by the Dragon God has always been a persistent worry for the God Realm. We want to see if Xuan Ming, this variable, truly possesses the ability and Heart-Nature to solve this Hidden Danger. If he can truly prove himself, the God Realm will not only refrain from obstructing him but will wholeheartedly assist him. A new, powerful existence, one that might even reach the level of a Supreme God King, would also be a blessing for the God Realm."
Gu Yuena remained silent, rapidly processing the information.
She understood these Five God Kings: the Asura God controls Order and prioritizes stability, so he must be wary or even hostile toward the Dragon Clan and her. The God of Destruction cares about the God Realm itself and will not allow any potential threats.
The intentions of Evil and Kindness are hard to fathom, but without the unique existence of Xuan Ming, they would likely side with Asura.
The only one who might truly still hold a trace of compassion for the Spirit Beast Clan and the Dragon Clan, and offer a glimmer of hope, is indeed the Goddess of Life, who represents Life and Creation.
Her words had a higher degree of credibility.