The two sudden divine voices left Zhu Ziyang overwhelmed. He curled up beside the staircase, trembling uncontrollably.
Fortunately, aside from those two divine shouts, nothing else occurred. After hesitating for a few minutes and confirming no further anomalies, Zhu Ziyang slowly stood up. His eyes were filled with unease as he looked up toward the vague divine hall above. A trace of doubt appeared on his face.
But the mysterious divine voice from earlier seemed completely unconcerned with the interruption. It resumed the message that had been cut off, allowing Zhu Ziyang to finally learn the identity of the god who had chosen him.
"Welcome to the Hall of Death, chosen one. You are about to begin the divine inheritance trial of the God of Death. Once you complete the trial, you will be qualified to inherit the position of the God of Death. Before the trial begins, you may ask three questions."
The God of Death!
Zhu Ziyang's mind trembled. He had never imagined that the one who chose him would be the God of Death. He had always believed he would be favored by the God of Light or the God of Ice. But to be chosen by the God of Death… could that voice from earlier be right in calling this god an Evil God?
The thought made him laugh. If being called the God of Death made one an evil god, then as someone with a death attribute, didn't that make him an evil soul master? Hah—an evil soul master inheriting the Evil God's position… how fitting.
"You said I can ask three questions? Will you answer all of them?" Zhu Ziyang shook his head to dispel the absurd thoughts and looked up at the divine hall, speaking seriously.
"I will answer only what I know, or what I am permitted to tell you," replied the mysterious voice.
"I see..." Zhu Ziyang thought for a moment before asking, "Alright then, my first question: are you the God of Death?"
"No," the mysterious voice replied firmly. "I am merely a divine thought left behind to oversee the trial. You may call me the Examiner—or Xiao Bai."
"Xiao Bai?" Zhu Ziyang was stunned. That name was unexpectedly... amusing. He smiled wryly and continued, "So you're not the God of Death? Then where is the God of Death? Isn't the trial supposed to be led by the god themself?"
"Is that your second question?" Xiao Bai asked.
"Er..." Zhu Ziyang was caught off guard by how particular this Xiao Bai was. Helplessly, he said, "If you say so, then yes."
"The God of Death has already fallen. I am a divine thought left behind within the God of Death's position," Xiao Bai answered. "Perhaps when you enter the Hall of Death, you might catch a glimpse of his residual spirit."
"I see," Zhu Ziyang nodded in understanding, then asked, "Alright, third question: is the God of Death really an Evil God?"
"Heh, there is no such thing as good or evil when it comes to gods," Xiao Bai replied, his voice tinged with sarcasm. "The divine source of a god may embody justice or darkness, but the gods themselves are neither good nor evil. There are only pure gods and fallen gods. Fallen gods will never appear under the starlit sky—at least not during the era of balance."
"Fallen gods?" Another unfamiliar term puzzled Zhu Ziyang. "What kind of beings are they? How are they different from so-called evil gods?"
"That I don't know either. I'm just a divine thought, after all," Xiao Bai replied. "Alright, that's your three questions. The trial will now begin!"
"Wait, one last question—this one is really important!" Zhu Ziyang quickly interjected. "What kind of existence was the God of Death?"
"You..." Xiao Bai sounded speechless, then replied with a sigh, "All I can tell you is this—the God of Death was a primordial god born at the beginning of the world, one who governed the laws of death and was one of the sovereigns of this starry sky. The rest… only the true successor of the God of Death has the right to know."
"I understand." Zhu Ziyang had formed a basic idea of what the God of Death was. Though he didn't fully grasp terms like 'primordial god' or 'starry sky', there was someone who did—Electrolux. He could ask him later.
"Shall we begin the trial now?" Xiao Bai asked.
"Yes." Zhu Ziyang nodded, straightening up naturally. His expression grew serious, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
Boom. Boom.
As soon as Zhu Ziyang agreed, thunderous sounds echoed from the divine hall above. Radiant divine light exploded, and a beam of grey light shot down, enveloping Zhu Ziyang. He immediately felt a wave of warmth and comfort throughout his body.
"The trial of the God of Death is now initiated. Examinee: Zhu Ziyang." Xiao Bai's voice resounded again, now dignified and solemn.
Zhu Ziyang's soul quivered, and an obscure, ancient memory poured into his mind. He was forced to close his eyes and accept the torrent of memories. A grey-white flower of the underworld bloomed upon his forehead—the symbol of the chosen one.
After a long while, Zhu Ziyang reopened his eyes. The scene before him had changed again. The staircase ahead now revealed ten steps, and the fog around the two stone pillars flanking the tenth step had lifted, revealing their carvings and inscriptions.
Before he could examine the stone pillars in detail, Xiao Bai's voice echoed once more.
"The trial of the God of Death consists of nine levels. Each level completed will increase your affinity with the divine position and unlock the next stage. Only by completing all nine trials and reaching one hundred percent affinity can you inherit the position."
"Zhu Ziyang, the first trial is now unlocked. Until you complete it, you cannot re-enter the inheritance realm. Once the trial is complete, you may use the flower mark on your forehead to return. You now have half an hour to study the contents of the first trial."
Zhu Ziyang took a breath to calm himself, then looked at the stairs and pillars. He instinctively stepped forward onto the first step.
The moment his feet touched it, the flower mark on his forehead glowed faintly. Xiao Bai's voice followed:
"This staircase is called the Path to Divinity. It has one hundred steps. For every one percent increase in divine affinity, one step will light up. Only once all steps are illuminated may you enter the divine hall and inherit the position."
Zhu Ziyang now understood. He climbed the staircase to the tenth step. But at that point, his feet could no longer move. The eleventh step remained shrouded in mist. On the two pillars at the tenth step, a line of text was now clearly visible:
"Divine Affinity: 10%
Trial of Death I: The God of Death has been forgotten for ages, and mortals no longer show reverence. As the successor, you must take on the burden of restoring his divine might.
Trial Requirement: Kill one being who dares to falsely claim the name of the God of Death.
Target Requirement: The target's strength must not be below six soul rings. Time Limit: Five years.
Reward: Unknown."
Reading the words, Zhu Ziyang finally understood the trial's contents. As he pondered its difficulty, Xiao Bai added:
"These are the Nether God Pillars—also known as the Locking Pillars. Only by completing the corresponding trial can you remove the chains on each pillar and unlock the divine position."
"I understand." Zhu Ziyang nodded, a clear look of determination on his face.
"Good. Since you've grasped the first trial's requirements, it's time to leave," Xiao Bai said. "And let me give you a piece of advice—protect your life. It wasn't easy to find someone with such a high compatibility for the inheritance. I'd hate to lose you so quickly."
"Heh, don't worry. Even without your warning, I'd protect myself!" Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "I treasure my life quite a bit."
With that, he was ejected from the divine inheritance realm. Passing through layers of intangible fog, his soul returned to his body.
The moment his soul settled back into his body, Zhu Ziyang opened his eyes. A faint smile lingered on his face from the surreal journey—when suddenly, Electrolux's voice rang in his ear.
"Ziyang, what just happened? Why did your soul suddenly disappear? You were like an empty shell!"
Seeing Electrolux's face filled with concern and confusion, Zhu Ziyang gave a warm smile.
"Teacher, don't worry—it's a good thing."
(End of Chapter)
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