Divine Deity's Approval

"How could this be?" Xie Yue's body trembled, and he tightened his grip on the Moon Blade in his hand.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not like other monsters." The little girl suddenly burst into tears again. She collapsed to the ground, a stark contrast to her calm and indifferent demeanor just moments ago.

Xie Yue was momentarily unsure of the situation and felt a sense of helplessness.

"There's a monster living inside me. If I don't leave the temple soon, she'll completely replace me," the little girl said, covering her eyes, her voice hoarse. "Big brother, please save me, I don't want to die!"

"Is this what people call split personality?" Xie Yue's heart skipped a beat. He asked, "How can I get you out of the temple?"

"I don't know." The little girl shook her head, her tone suddenly changing. "You still want to take me out? If you delay any longer, the sun will truly come out, and then you'll be trapped here forever, never to leave for all eternity!"

"This..." Cold sweat beaded on Xie Yue's forehead. It was a shame Xie Yue wasn't Jiang Mian. If Jiang Mian were here, he'd have slapped her across the face and said, "What kind of status do you have to act like this?"

"She's lying to you. She's the monster in the temple, and she knows how to leave," the little girl's personality switched back and forth, making it impossible for Xie Yue to discern the truth.

"If you believe me, leave quickly. I've already turned into a monster, and I don't want to drag others down," the little girl smiled terrifyingly, her mouth stretching almost to the back of her head. "That guy wants to turn you into a monster too, that's why he's using delaying tactics."

"I can't tell," Xie Yue wiped the sweat from his forehead and couldn't help but ask, "Which one of you is real?"

"That depends on how you judge," the little girl chuckled. "Perhaps everything is real, or perhaps everything is fake."

As the saying goes, when false is taken as true, true becomes false; when true is taken as false, false becomes true. Truth and falsehood are intertwined, and it all depends on how one distinguishes them.

Xie Yue's thoughts were in disarray. He was extremely anxious at the moment and found it impossible to calm down and think.

"Brother!"

Hu Liena's voice suddenly echoed from outside the main hall. Xie Yue looked up to see Hu Liena with her hands behind her back, her eyes filled with worry. "Brother, are you abandoning Nana?"

"Nana!" Xie Yue's heart was touched. He stood up and was about to run out of the hall.

"Brother, are you going to leave me here?"

"Aren't you going to run? Do you really want to turn into a monster?"

Collapse often happens in an instant. Xie Yue was not a person without conscience; on the contrary, he had a strong sense of justice. It was precisely this sense of justice that put him in a dilemma.

If there were a way to save this little girl, but he didn't act, causing her to turn into a monster, Xie Yue would definitely be uneasy.

But the exit was right in front of him, and Nana and the others were waiting outside. If he didn't act soon, after the sun came out, he would truly be trapped in the temple forever, with no possibility of seeing Nana and his mentors and friends again.

"Calm down, calm down." Xie Yue took a deep breath and asked, "Little sister, tell me quickly how to save you. If I can help you, I will do my best to take you out. But if you cannot provide a viable solution, I will definitely leave by myself. I cannot throw my life away here."

"Is this your answer?" The little girl's expression suddenly brightened. She smiled, "I didn't misjudge you after all."

"Who are you?" Xie Yue was confused.

The little girl's body began to slowly merge into the darkness until she disappeared without a trace, leaving only her voice echoing in the empty hall.

"Even if we are in extreme darkness, our hearts must yearn for light. Only then will we not truly be lost in the endless abyss."

"Little friend, I acknowledge you. Please maintain this pure heart of yours."

"Who are you?" Xie Yue asked loudly.

"It doesn't matter who I am. Leave. Come back here to find me when you reach level seventy."

As the voice faded, the world suddenly changed. The temple vanished into thin air, and even the sky, which had been on the verge of dawn, was instantly erased and disappeared.

The world returned to darkness.

Xie Yue used his Mind's Eye to sense the changes in his surroundings. He found nothing but endless darkness and no other living creatures.

He took a step, and the world instantly became clear.

"Xie Yue is out." Jiang Mian was quick to hug Xie Yue as he stumbled out of the rift. Xie Yue's eyes were closed, but he could still accurately say Jiang Mian's name.

A tear rolled down Xie Yue's cheek. His eyes seemed unable to open...

"Xie Yue, what happened?" Jiang Mian reached out, intending to force Xie Yue's eyelids open.

Xie Yue smiled and knocked away Jiang Mian's hand. He now possessed the Mind's Eye, so even without his eyes, nothing was affected. He finally understood why the little girl had covered his eyes.

"He has been recognized by a divine miracle," the Nether Empress said, looking at Xie Yue, who had lost his eyes. "As the saying goes, a blessing in disguise."

"Are you saying losing his eyes is a good thing?" Jiang Mian asked, confused. "Xie Yue, how do you feel?"

"I feel great." Xie Yue finally understood what it meant to be in darkness but have a heart toward light. The ups and downs of the world, the complexities of the human heart – out of sight, out of mind.

As long as he kept his heart oriented towards light, what was there to fear in darkness?

After losing his eyes, Xie Yue's other senses were significantly enhanced, not to mention his Mind's Eye. This was definitely a situation where the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.

"Brother." Hu Liena looked at Xie Yue lying in Jiang Mian's arms, and tears instantly welled up. She fell before Xie Yue, sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm fine." Xie Yue gently wiped away Hu Liena's tears. He pulled her into his arms and whispered, "Nana, don't be sad, okay? Brother will be sad."

Zhu Zhuqing frowned. She was unsure whether to be happy or sad. In her understanding, although Xie Yue had lost his eyes, he had been recognized by a deity. If Zhu Zhuqing were in such a situation, she would have undoubtedly sacrificed her eyes without hesitation.

Jiang Mian stood up and walked over to Zhu Zhuqing. He hugged her without saying a word.

Zhu Zhuqing leaned against Jiang Mian's chest. The Nether Empress's lips curved slightly upward. She suddenly leaned against Yan and said with a smile, "Little puppy, are you still going to run?"

"Di Tian has given me orders, and I must protect Jiang Mian." Yan finally took the initiative. He emulated Jiang Mian and pulled the Nether Empress into his embrace. "Why don't you leave with me?"

"Little puppy, are you expecting me to throw myself at you?" The Nether Empress laughed heartily. She playfully teased Yan's hair with her finger, looking alluring. "Don't think that just because I love you, you can do whatever you want."

Yan remained silent, holding the Nether Empress tighter. The Nether Empress and Yan were pressed close together, especially their proud bosoms, which were almost flattened into hills.

Bear Lord and Yan exchanged a glance and smiled at each other.

"Alright, no more joking," Nether Empress broke free from Crimson King's embrace. She looked at Xie Yue and said calmly, "Little one, the dark energy on you is very potent. It seems we have quite a connection."

"Senior," Xie Yue stood up, cupped his fists, and said respectfully, "Thank you for bestowing this incredible opportunity upon me. I am deeply grateful."

"No need for pleasantries," Nether Empress chuckled. "Perhaps you'll need my help again in the future. You're not weak, and you've already broken through level fifty, haven't you?"

"That's correct," Xie Yue nodded. "After staying in there for a while, my Soul Power seems to have reached level fifty-three."

In reality, Xie Yue's Soul Power had been boosted to level fifty-three immediately after absorbing the Ten Thousand Year Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear's torso bone. The time spent in the dark rift had only served to further stabilize it.

"That fast?" Yan's mouth twitched. He quickly felt a sharp gaze from the side.

"As expected of my disciple," Bear Lord gave a thumbs-up, praising him without reservation. "A hero emerges from youth."

Nether Empress smiled faintly. "We are figures of the past. It's not fitting for us to compete with you."

"Alright, Xie Yue, hurry up and find a suitable Soul Ring. We need to prepare to return to Spirit Hall," Jiang Mian instructed, looking at Xie Yue who seemed unharmed. "We've already delayed for too long, the Pope must be wondering where we are."

"Understood." Xie Yue's eyes were sightless, but his demeanor was even more striking than before. The original Xie Yue was like a refined, elegant noble; now, he was like a frail scholar that evoked pity, making one's heart ache with tenderness.

Jiang Mian rested his chin, marveling. Though this kid wasn't as handsome as himself, his current aura was something he couldn't match.

"Xie Yue, you should wrap your eyes with a veil," Jiang Mian's lips curved into a slight smirk as he teased, "That will surely make many young ladies like you."

"Get lost, get lost," Xie Yue playfully swatted Jiang Mian's hand. Hu Liena, imagining the scene, couldn't help but smile knowingly. Her brother was quite charming, after all.

"Your Moon Blade, it's of the dark attribute, isn't it?" Nether Empress said. "Follow me. I once banished a dark attribute Spirit Beast that was causing trouble here. I happened to catch it and sealed it in some ruins."

"Why didn't you just kill it?" Xie Yue asked, surprised.

"As fellow dark attribute Spirit Beasts, I didn't want to lose a companion of my kind," Nether Empress chuckled. "However, since you, little one, have been recognized by a Deity, the Spirit Beast that becomes your Soul Ring will undoubtedly have a boundless future. I suppose I've helped it find a good path."

Nether Empress changed the subject, "Not just it. When you truly begin participating in the Deity trials, I can also become your Soul Ring."

"This!" Xie Yue was greatly shocked. This senior was no weaker than Crimson King. If he could truly take her as his Soul Ring, Xie Yue couldn't imagine how much his improvement would be.

Of course, this was merely the limited perspective of this young man. According to Nether Empress's words, when Xie Yue became a true Deity, would he still care about mere Soul Ring attributes?

Jiang Mian saw through it but didn't say anything, smiling. "Xie Yue, then you should quickly follow Senior Nether Empress to capture that Spirit Beast. We'll wait for you here."

"Understood." Xie Yue nodded. Nether Empress waved her hand, pulling Xie Yue towards the deeper parts of Divine Eagle Canyon.

"Xie Yue has been having one incredible encounter after another lately," Bear Lord marveled. "Soon, even I, his master, will feel inadequate compared to him."

Jiang Mian chuckled, "A teacher does not need to be superior to his disciple."

"You've got a smooth way with words, you cultured young man," Bear Lord teased.

Crimson King looked at Yan, who was hiding beside Bear Lord, feeling utterly frustrated yet helpless. He sighed and said weakly, "Yan, when will you ever reach a point where I can say I'm inferior to you?"

"Crimson King, let me speak up for Yan," Jiang Mian blinked. "Look how generous Bear Lord is with his disciple, even willing to give him a Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. You can't be stingy, can you?"

"When this kid breaks through to Soul King, I'll give you a Soul Bone too, alright?" Crimson King said irritably. "Even if its grade isn't as good as Bear Lord's, it won't be far off."

"Thank you, Master," Yan's eyes lit up. He dropped to his knees with a thud, thanking Crimson King.

Bear Lord curled his lip. "You're a dog yourself, and you're training your disciple to be one too."

"Bear, are you looking for a fight?" Crimson King, already in a foul mood, became even more enraged. He pointed at Bear Lord's nose and roared, "What business is it of yours how I manage my disciple?"

Bear Lord was unfazed. "You manage heaven and earth, but you also prevent others from speaking?"

"Want to find a place to fight?" Crimson King said.

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Bear Lord rolled up his sleeves, looking ready for action.

"Alright, alright, you two can't even exchange two words without resorting to fighting. What are you doing?" Jiang Mian quickly intervened as a peacemaker, "Your disciples are watching. Be more mature."

"Hmph!"

"Senior, is this cave where the dark attribute Spirit Beast is?" Xie Yue was led by Nether Empress to a very hidden cave entrance.

The cave opening was very narrow, and its height appeared to be just enough for Xie Yue to stoop to barely enter.

"Indeed," Nether Empress nodded. "It's a twenty-three-thousand-year-old Dark Soul Snake. It loves to devour and torment Spirit Beasts, so you'd best be careful."

"Twenty-three thousand years, that's a tough bone to crack," Xie Yue slowly entered the cave. The entrance was narrow, but inside, it opened up dramatically.

The entire cave was at least ten meters high, a stark contrast to the less than half-meter height of the entrance.

"What a huge cave," Xie Yue moved through the cave without hindrance, sensing its size. He couldn't help but exclaim, "It's at least as large as the performance grounds in front of Spirit Hall."

"Where is that Spirit Beast?" Xie Yue leaned against the wall, slowly searching for any sign of the creature.

Dark Soul Snakes were masters of stealth, lurking in the darkness until their prey drew near, then ambushing and devouring them.

Furthermore, these Spirit Beasts were notoriously cruel, taking pleasure in torturing other creatures. Places where such Spirit Beasts appeared were usually devoid of any other Spirit Beasts for dozens of miles around.

Of course, there were exceptions; instances of them being killed by more powerful Spirit Beasts were not uncommon.

It was precisely because of this snake's nature that they were gradually walking towards extinction.

Xie Yue quietly used his Mind's Eye to sense his surroundings. He moved slowly, touching the wall, and in a daze, he seemed to have touched something cool and sticky