Jiang Nannan, kneeling in devout prayer, quickly received a response from the statue of the Goddess of Moonlight. The same white radiance that had descended upon Zhang Lexuan enveloped her as well. Then, just like before, the white light transformed — first into yellow, then purple, and finally into black.
Xu Jianwei opened her mouth slightly, dazed. "Heavens... Could this be another red-level trial?"
As if confirming her words, the black glow rapidly shifted again, turning into a vibrant red. Seeing the red light, Zhang Lexuan couldn't help but smile, feeling genuinely happy for Jiang Nannan. Xu Jianwei's expression went blank; her thoughts were a complete mess. As for Zhu Ziyang, he silently offered a prayer in his heart.
Just then, the red glow around Jiang Nannan underwent another change. Brilliant golden light pierced through the red, instantly flooding the entire hall with a sacred radiance. The dazzling brilliance made everyone instinctively blink.
"What... what is this gold?" Xu Jianwei was baffled. Her family's legacy had never mentioned the existence of a golden trial level.
Zhang Lexuan's mouth also fell open in astonishment. Though she didn't understand exactly what the golden light signified, she instinctively knew that a gold-level trial was rarer and more difficult than even her own red-level eight trials.
A smile bloomed on Zhu Ziyang's face. The moment that golden glow appeared, Xiao Bai reemerged in his mind and spoke with a hint of surprise: "It really happened... a golden divine trial!"
"You mean this golden trial light... it's the light of a god's trial?" Zhu Ziyang asked.
"Yes," Xiao Bai replied. "This girl has received the divine trial of the Goddess of Moonlight. Therefore, her trial should be called the Moonlight Nine Trials. If she completes them all, she will inherit the godhood and become the new Goddess of Moonlight."
"Excellent!" Zhu Ziyang was overwhelmed with joy and satisfaction.
The golden light quickly dispersed, transforming into nine golden screens of light that flew into Jiang Nannan's forehead, leaving behind a silver crescent moon imprint. The mark shimmered a few times before quietly vanishing beneath her fair skin.
When Jiang Nannan opened her eyes, they were filled with confusion. She, too, was aware of what had just happened, so she appeared dazed. "Elder Xu, what's the deal with the gold-level trial?"
"I have no idea," Xu Jianwei replied with a helpless shake of her head, her expression just as bewildered. "In all the history of the Yin clan and Moon's Shrine, no gold-level trial has ever appeared. Red-level seven was the highest before. As for yours... perhaps it's because you're not of the Yin clan or the Moon bloodline?"
She tried to rationalize it, but even she couldn't convince herself.
"Alright then," Zhang Lexuan stepped forward. "Whether it's gold or red, you've received the trial — and it's the Nine Trials, no less. That just proves your talent is even greater than mine."
"Heehee, true!" Jiang Nannan laughed and wrapped her arm around Lexuan's. "No matter what this gold-level trial means, we'll figure it out once I finish it. Sister Lexuan, quick — do I also have an osmanthus blossom on my forehead?"
Zhang Lexuan studied Jiang Nannan's smooth forehead and shook her head regretfully. "Nope."
"Aw... why not! I really liked that osmanthus mark..." Jiang Nannan sighed, but she quickly got distracted. "By the way, Sister Lexuan, what's your first trial? Maybe we have the same one!"
Hearing their exchange, Zhu Ziyang realized that Jiang Nannan didn't know the true nature of her divine trial.
"That's a failure on the part of the divine trial overseer," Xiao Bai explained. "Any divine inheritance requires the candidate's consent. If the candidate refuses, the inheritance cannot proceed. It's the job of the overseer to explain the origin and duties of the divine role before administering the trials."
"However, since the Goddess of Moonlight is truly gone — wiped out entirely — it's no surprise the girl received no information. Even the current shrine priestess doesn't know the true name of the god she worships. It's understandable."
"Will this affect Nannan inheriting the godhood?" Zhu Ziyang asked with concern.
"No. You're a divine candidate yourself — you should understand the concept of divine affinity. Once a candidate's affinity exceeds fifty percent, they automatically receive all relevant knowledge of the divine position. There's no such thing as becoming a god and not knowing what you're a god of."
"That makes sense," Zhu Ziyang said, enlightened. "So, can I tell Nannan she's received a god's inheritance?"
"Yes," Xiao Bai confirmed. "Divine candidates can sense each other. Only those who are also divine candidates can perceive the divine sigils on others."
"Understood." Zhu Ziyang nodded, already having made up his mind.
Meanwhile, Jiang Nannan and Zhang Lexuan were still discussing their trials.
"My first trial is called Moon's Tidal Pull. The requirement is to undergo tidal body-tempering for six hours a day, every day, for one month," Zhang Lexuan explained. A red screen of light floated in front of her, golden runes flickering across its surface.
"What?! Mine is eight hours a day!" Jiang Nannan cried out. In front of her floated a golden light screen, covered in silver characters.
"Maybe... that's the difference between gold and red trials," Zhang Lexuan mused. "The harder the test, the greater the blessing, right?"
"Exactly," Xu Jianwei chimed in. "My first of the purple five trials was also Moon's Tidal Pull, but I only had to endure three hours a day. Your trials are harder, yes, but your blessings will be better too."
"No — I have to find out what this golden trial is all about. Wait here, I'm going to check the ancestral records!"
She rushed out of Moon's Shrine in a hurry.
"Well then..." Jiang Nannan watched her go and sighed. "Eight hours of tidal body-tempering every day... I can do it! But say, Sister Lexuan, do you know how this tempering actually works?"
"No idea," Zhang Lexuan admitted, shaking her head. "We'll have to ask Great-Aunt later. She's done it before."
"Right. Hopefully, it's not too hard."
"Nannan, this is a trial you must endure," Zhu Ziyang approached with a smile. "Only then can you live up to receiving the Moonlight Nine Trials."
"Huh? Big brother, what do you mean? Moonlight Nine Trials?" Jiang Nannan blinked in confusion, then noticed something. "Hey! Why do you have a flower mark on your forehead? It looks like a... spider lily?"
"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile. "You and Sister Lexuan both received the so-called 'Moonlight Trial', but neither of you know what it actually is, do you?"
"You know?" Zhang Lexuan asked, curiosity and thoughtfulness on her face. "Then tell us. Also, you don't have a mark on your forehead... Nannan, are you seeing things?"
"No, I'm not! It's really there! It's in the same spot as Sister Lexuan's osmanthus blossom!" Jiang Nannan insisted.
"Alright, alright. Nannan isn't mistaken. I really do have a mark — a spider lily. That's because, like you two, I've received a special trial," Zhu Ziyang said as he gently ruffled Jiang Nannan's hair.
"Really?!" Both girls stared at him in surprise and curiosity. "When did that happen? How come we didn't know?"
"I'll tell you about mine another time," Zhu Ziyang chuckled. "Right now, let me explain what these so-called Moonlight Trials really are."
(End of Chapter)
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