Influence on the Mind
Even if she really wanted to do something, she was powerless to do so.
Should she take the initiative and leave Sea God Island? Her strength would be greatly diminished, and she might even suffer a defeat and death like Tang Chen.
Hold firm and wait for change? Who can guarantee that once the Spirit Hall Empire has truly secured its continent, built a powerful ocean-going fleet, and even cultivated more top-tier experts, it won't turn its attention to this "treasure" island overseas, which possesses divine inheritance?
Bo Saixi, who was always strong and confident, felt a deep sense of powerlessness that she hadn't experienced in a long time.
She turned around and stepped into the solemn and majestic Sea God Temple with slightly heavy steps. She slowly knelt down before the huge statue of the Sea God, closed her eyes, and transformed all her worries, confusion, and difficult choices into the most devout prayer, which she then sent to the gods in the darkness.
"Great Lord Sea God... Faced with such a situation, how should your loyal servant conduct himself? What will become of Sea God Island?"
The statues were silent, save for the sound of waves crashing against the shore outside the temple, repeating again and again, as if telling of unchanging eternity, or perhaps foreshadowing a future fraught with undercurrents.
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Unfortunately, the vision of the gods and the anxieties of mortals are not on the same level.
Poseidon, the Sea God, was not truly concerned about the conflicts on the continent, the rise of the Spirit Hall Empire, or even the future safety of Sea God Island.
The life and death of mortals and the rise and fall of dynasties are but fleeting ripples in the long life of gods.
He responded to Bo Saixi's prayers with a clear and cold oracle: maintain the original plan and guide Doria through the Sea God's Nine Trials.
It even explicitly states that, if necessary, the Sacred Pillar Guardian can be dispatched to the mainland to reclaim the key to the inheritance— the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
The will of the gods concerns only their own inheritance and plans. Bo Saixi's worries and struggles are perhaps just insignificant noises in the process of fulfilling Sea God mission.
Bo Saixi's own life was merely a key in his legacy, embellishing his greatness as Sea God Inheritance.
Bo Saixi's exquisite face remained devout, and she bowed deeply, saying, "I will obey the divine decree."
However, deep within her lowered eyes, the last glimmer of hope that the Sea God would give different instructions was completely extinguished. She accepted the order and withdrew, her back still elegant, yet seemingly bearing an immense weight.
The next day, Doria, who was not yet of age to undergo the usual divine test, was exceptionally taken to the Sea God Mountain to receive the Sea God's Light.
When the towering golden pillar of light suddenly blazed up, its brilliance and majesty far surpassing any previous test, it was none other than the legendary top-level nine trials. Bo Saixi stood quietly beside the Sacred Pillar, watching Doria bathed in divine light, somewhat bewildered yet excited. The last bit of hope in his heart vanished completely.
I've given up.
She knew perfectly well what the top nine exams meant—not just unparalleled glory and potential, but also that this child before her would one day rise to godhood, stepping over her corpse.
This dazzling beginning, its end point, may have been predetermined long ago.
The Sea Maiden Douluo, who was standing to the side, was initially overjoyed, feeling genuinely proud that her adopted daughter had received such supreme recognition and testing from the Lord Sea God. However, as the Sacred Pillar Guardian, she soon realized the deeper meaning hidden behind this test, and the smile on her face instantly froze. Subconsciously, with a hint of fear and reluctance, she looked up at the High Priest Bo Saixi beside her.
However, the people of Sea God Island and the other disciples below, unaware of the profound destiny behind these nine supreme trials, were oblivious. They only witnessed a divine miracle, the birth of yet another prodigy, erupting in deafening cheers and congratulations. The entire Sea God Island was immersed in a festive and exhilarating atmosphere.
Bo Saixi stood high above, taking in all the joy and undercurrents below. She took a deep breath, her face regaining its usual elegance and majesty, revealing no trace of inner turmoil. She stepped forward, her voice calm and solemn, clearly echoing throughout Sea God Mountain:
"Doria, by the grace of the Lord Sea God, you are granted the highest nine trials. This is both an unparalleled honor and an unyielding responsibility. From this day forward, you must guard your mind, bravely face the challenges, and not slacken your efforts..."
As was customary, she recounted the content of the assessment and offered words of encouragement, as if everything were no different from that of the geniuses who had undergone advanced assessments throughout history. Only she herself knew that beneath this calm announcement lay a heart that had resigned itself to its fate and was saddened by this predetermined destiny.
The divine decree has been issued, and the succession has been decided. All she can do is fulfill her duties as High Priestess in this torrent of fate, until... the final outcome arrives.
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The Spirit Hall, now renamed the power center of the Spirit Hall Empire, presents an atmosphere completely different from what outsiders imagine.
Qian Daoliu no longer had the strength to control Qian Xunji, that "rebellious son" whose actions were becoming increasingly unpredictable and whose methods were increasingly cruel.
His entire being was devoted to his granddaughter, Qian Renxue.
After the end of the continental war, Qian Renxue resigned from her military post and devoted herself wholeheartedly to the Angel God Trial.
She was already exceptionally talented and had a solid foundation. After experiencing the baptism of war, her will became even more resilient. The progress of the divine examination was astonishingly fast, and she had already reached the Eighth Trial!
As the Angel God Trial progresses, the Angel Set Soul Bone, symbolizing the Angel Godhood, will soon be completely absorbed and fused by Qian Renxue.
The boost from the divine-level Soul Bone set, coupled with the huge reward for completing the divine test, caused her Soul Power to soar like a rocket, breaking through to the Soul Douluo realm!
This made Qian Daoliu both gratified and nervous. He had to focus all his energy on protecting Qian Renxue and ensuring that she successfully completed the final assessment. This was his mission as the Great Enshrined, and also his expectation as her grandfather.
Not only Qian Renxue, but other top geniuses under the Spirit Hall Empire, such as Xiang Yu, Arthur, and Dongfang Jing, also gained the favor of the gods and began their respective godhood assessments, entering a state of seclusion or trial, fading out of the empire's daily affairs.
After a fierce and turbulent war of unification, the entire Douluo Continent fell into an eerie tranquility and peace.
The efficient ruling machine of the Spirit Hall Empire was running smoothly, social order was rapidly restored and developed, and Soul Guidance Technology was quietly changing life. Occasionally, some remnants of the previous dynasty or insignificant Fallen Soul Master would jump out, but they were quickly suppressed by the Spirit Hall Branch or garrisons in various places with thunderous means, like pebbles thrown into a lake, not causing much of a ripple.
However, the tranquility of this continent had nothing to do with Tang San, who was in the Blue Silver Forest. His situation was not pleasant at all; on the contrary, he was sliding into deeper despair.
He infiltrated this Soul Beast Forest, where Blue Silver Grass was the dominant plant. However, the poison from the Spirit Hall within him did not lessen due to the change in environment. While the Rakshasa Divine Power nourished his strength, it also continuously eroded his mind, tempting him towards deeper depravity.
Worse still, he discovered that he seemed to be targeted. Not by humans, but by the forest itself. The seemingly delicate Blue Silver Grass seemed to possess some kind of collective consciousness, showing a natural rejection and... hostility towards him, a being who possessed God of Evil divine power and whose Martial Soul essence was of the same origin as theirs yet twisted.
He felt like a defiled intruder into a sacred place, each step he took under the watchful eyes of countless silent observers.
Tang San, whose Martial Soul in his previous life was the Blue Silver Emperor, had never encountered such a situation before.
He has always been revered and worshipped by the Blue Silver Grass. Under the Blue Silver Domain, even though he is a human-beast hybrid, the Blue Silver Grass will still unconditionally contribute their energy to protect him because of their bloodline.
The Blue Silver King, sensing the drastically changed appearance of the former master's son, did not intend to appear before him, until Tang San began his "cultivation".
Chapter 262 Mental Influence
Tang San called out to the Blue Silver King several times in his heart, but it was like throwing a stone into the sea, receiving no response. He couldn't help but feel annoyed.
However, he quickly suppressed his emotions, carefully sensed his surroundings, and confirmed that he did not sense any suppressive aura from a higher-ranking Blue Silver Emperor bloodline.
"Good!" Tang San felt a little relieved, and even a twisted sense of joy welled up inside him. Without the Blue Silver Emperor's interference, his plan would proceed much more smoothly.
He even hoped that the Blue Silver Emperor, whose whereabouts were unknown, had also chosen the path of transforming into human form and cultivating anew. In that case, he would have a chance to find and kill it in the future, completely eliminating this potential threat, and perhaps even plundering its origin!
With that in mind, Tang San no longer hesitated.
A ruthless glint flashed in his eyes, and his Soul Power fluctuated violently along with the Rakshasa Divine Power!
"Pfft!"
Eight Spider Lances burst forth from his back like tentacles of death, carrying a dense aura of malevolence, and plunged violently into the ground beneath his feet! At the same time, he released the mutated Dark Blue Silver Grass, which was filled with an eerie and God of Evil aura!
As soon as these jet-black vines touched the ground, they took root and spread wildly as if they had come to life!
Like blood-sucking worms that have been thirsty for countless years, wherever they went, the pure life force contained in the ordinary Blue Silver Grass that emitted a soft silver halo was forcibly extracted and devoured like a flood bursting its banks! The silver grass leaves withered, withered, and turned to ashes at a speed visible to the naked eye!
The once vibrant and shimmering sea of Blue Silver Grass was instantly eroded, leaving behind an ever-expanding, lifeless, and pitch-black patch!
Far away in another part of the forest, the Blue Silver King, who was maintaining a spiritual connection with the entire Blue Silver Grass network, suddenly trembled!
It clearly sensed that the points of light representing the lives of its people were rapidly extinguishing one by one! A sense of mission from its king fueled its instinctive anger, causing its ancient and peaceful spiritual body to fluctuate violently!
A semi-transparent figure, formed from pure spiritual power, instantly appeared in the sky above the land ravaged by Tang San.
The Blue Silver King's usually calm and unchanging face was now filled with a human-like disbelief and fury!
It saw the human enveloped in black Spider Spear and God of Evil Blue Silver Grass, and witnessed the massacre and plunder he was carrying out against his own people, a slaughter comparable to that of demons!
"Stop!!"
A storm-like roar exploded on the spiritual level. The Blue Silver King's massive spiritual body waved its arm, and in an instant, countless thick, silver-glowing Blue Silver Grass vines surged wildly from the earth and trees in all directions like angry pythons, carrying boundless life energy and awe-inspiring rage, sweeping towards Tang San and strangling him!
It wanted to stop this corrupt kin (in its perception, Tang San still possessed the Blue Silver Grass bloodline), and even more so, it wanted to seek justice for those people who had been ruthlessly devoured!
Tang San looked at the silver vines raining down from the sky, but instead of fear, his eyes revealed a ferocious glint. He activated his Eight Spider Lances and Dark Blue Silver Grass, preparing to withstand the attack head-on!
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Tang San dared to venture into the Blue Silver Forest alone, naturally prepared to confront the Blue Silver King. He believed he had considered everything thoroughly: having possessed the Blue Silver Emperor Bloodline and Martial Soul in his previous life, he knew all too well the advantages and disadvantages of the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul and its evolved form—it was tenacious and resilient, but generally lacked offensive power, and most Blue Silver Grass members were of low intelligence, living in a daze, and rarely showed any resistance even when slaughtered.
His real threats, in theory, are only the Blue Silver King and the Blue Silver Emperor, whose whereabouts are unknown.
Therefore, when the silver vines attacked, he did not panic. Instead, he controlled the ferocious Eight Spider Lances to meet them head-on, fiercely severing or piercing the vines, intending to tear them apart and absorb them with the sharpness and devouring properties of the Eight Spider Lances.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
The Eight Spider Lances easily pierced the silver vines.
However, how vast and perceptive was the Blue Silver King's mental power? It immediately sensed that its life force was being frantically devoured and absorbed by those eight strange Spider Spear along the pierced vines!
"Hmph! As expected, he is a heretic!" The last trace of hesitation in the Blue Silver King's heart caused by the lingering aura on Tang San that was of the same origin as the former Blue Silver Emperor disappeared.
It no longer held back because of its past relationship with the "former master," and its true killing move was unleashed in an instant!
"Boom--!"
More and more, seemingly endless Blue Silver Grass, surged wildly from every inch of the ground beneath Tang San's feet. It was no longer a simple Entanglement, but a silver wave with life, threatening to completely engulf him!
Seeing that the situation was not good, Tang San exerted force with his feet and tried to use the Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track to retreat quickly.
But at that moment, another unexpected event occurred! The vines that should have withered after being pierced by the Eight Spider Lances actually survived under the Blue Silver King's powerful life force and exquisite control. They even wrapped themselves tightly around the eight Spider Spear like the toughest ropes!
It even wrapped around Tang San himself along the Eight Spider Lances.
"What?!" Tang San was shocked and desperately swung his Eight Spider Lances to break free, while simultaneously urging the Dark Blue Silver Grass to Entanglement around and try to devour the restraints.
But the suppression of the Blue Silver King's bloodline was now clearly evident!
Faced with the orthodox king, revered by all Blue Silver Grass, Tang San's mutated, God of Evil- aura-filled Dark Blue Silver Grass's devouring ability became negligible, unable to shake those silver vines in the slightest.
At this moment, an endless expanse of Blue Silver Grass surged in from all directions, like a silver ocean. How could eight mere Spider Spear, no matter how sharp, possibly destroy this inexhaustible tide of grass?
No matter how exquisite Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, under such an all-round, all-encompassing attack, he lost all room to dodge and maneuver.
He ultimately underestimated the terrifying power that the Blue Silver King could unleash in his own territory, relying on the entire Blue Silver Grass clan, and overestimated the actual enhancement that the Rakshasa God would provide to him, who currently only possessed the cultivation level of Soul King.
"Ugh--!"
Countless resilient Blue Silver Grass vines instantly broke through Tang San's defenses, like countless fine silver needles, and pierced deep into his body!
They break through skin, tear through muscle, and even Entanglement around bones, and they keep growing and spreading inward!
The excruciating pain nearly made Tang San faint; he felt as if he were being torn apart and disintegrated from the inside by the Blue Silver Grass!
Seeing that the Dark Blue Silver Grass's abilities were completely suppressed, Tang San's eyes flashed with madness and determination at this critical moment.
He endured the excruciating pain and roared, "Clear Sky Hammer!"
A massive, hammer-shaped Martial Soul, entirely black and Entanglement in dark red, God of Evil patterns, suddenly appeared in his hand, exuding a heavy, domineering yet eerie aura mixed with Rakshasa evil energy!
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The dark red Rakshasa runes on the Clear Sky Hammer flickered wildly, mixed with the God of Evil power that Tang San poured out. With a roar, he swung the giant hammer fiercely, smashing it with the power to shatter mountains and split rocks, and smashed it all around!
"Boom--!"
The violent force instantly cleared a considerable vacuum zone from the approaching wave of Blue Silver Grass, with silver grass clippings and broken vines flying everywhere.