The Divine Realm, Forest of Life.
"Hm?"
A woman sitting in a pavilion sensed something and gave a puzzled hum.
She wore a water-green dress that brimmed with the aura of life. A faint smile always rested on her beautiful, captivating face, which was veiled by a subtle golden glow.
That vibrant breath of life was truly unforgettable, and it made people feel especially close to her.
The woman was the Goddess of Life, one of the Five Great God Kings of the Divine Realm.
The Goddess of Life had sensed a trace of the origin of life, which was what puzzled her.
As she examined where that trace of the origin of life had come from, the Goddess of Life saw Xu Yuan.
"This child is so adorable. I wish he were a child of mine and Xiao Zi's," the Goddess of Life murmured to herself as she watched Xu Yuan.
The Xiao Zi she spoke of was none other than the God of Destruction, one of the Five Great God Kings of the Divine Realm.
The two of them had tried many times to have a child, but not once had they succeeded. It troubled them immensely.
So when she saw Xu Yuan, the Goddess of Life couldn't help sighing.
Another reason was that Xu Yuan's appearance was exactly to the Goddess of Life's taste.
The Goddess of Life examined Xu Yuan and murmured to herself, "Interesting. This child's First Martial Soul has actually just barely reached the divine level."
The Goddess of Life would never believe that no one was pulling strings behind the scenes.
She vaguely sensed that whoever was behind this had a massive scheme.
Still, she would keep an eye on Xu Yuan. If he met her standards, she would bestow a God Trial upon him.
The Goddess of Life sighed. "What a pity. If only there were a child suited to Xiao Zi's godhood."
She knew full well that finding two people suited to their godhoods at the same time was practically impossible.
After living in the Divine Realm for so long, she and Xiao Zi wanted to leave the Divine Realm, have a child, and explore the entire universe.
Thinking of the unreliable God of Evil and God of Goodness, the Goddess of Life smiled.
She knew that the two of them were secretly searching for someone suitable to manage their godhoods in their stead.
To be precise, she, Asura God, and Xiao Zi all knew.
They had been friends and colleagues for so many years, so they turned a blind eye—unless the two of them went too far.
The Goddess of Life thought for a moment. "Right, I remember Asura chose someone in this world for a God Trial some time ago. I can ask Asura to keep an eye on that child for me."
With that, she flew out of the pavilion and headed for the God Realm Hub.
The Goddess of Life swept across the sky above the Forest of Life. Her water-green hem brushed over swathes of plants, and every bud in her wake burst into bloom, releasing a heart-cleansing fragrance.
She moved at incredible speed, leaving behind a faint trail of green light.
The God Realm Hub floated in the central region of the Divine Realm. It was made of countless jade stones threaded with the flowing patterns of laws. From afar, it looked like a colossal crystal embedded in the firmament.
At that moment, inside the central hall, a figure clad in dark red armor stood before a screen of light. The dark red demonic patterns carved into the armor gleamed with a chilling light. It was Asura God.
"Asura." The Goddess of Life's gentle voice rang through the hall.
Asura God turned around, his armor grinding with a dull sound. His keen eyes settled on the Goddess of Life, and his tone held a rare hint of warmth. "Is something the matter?"
"How is the child you chose in Douluo Continent doing?" The Goddess of Life went to his side and glanced at the screen of light. "Today, I sensed a trace of the origin of life from a child in the same world, named Xu Yuan."
Asura God's brow lifted slightly. "Xu Yuan? That's an unfamiliar name. The one I chose... let's not talk about him."
He paused, then tapped the screen with a fingertip, bringing up an image of Douluo Continent. "Is this the Xu Yuan you mean?"
The screen showed Xu Yuan in the Blue Silver Forest.
The Goddess of Life watched the image, her smile growing warmer. "That's him. This child's Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul has already touched the threshold of the divine level, and he also possesses a trace of the origin of life. His compatibility with my godhood is extremely high."
"A divine-level Martial Soul?" Asura God's gaze sharpened. "An ordinary Soul Master could never possess such a Martial Soul at this age. Someone must be interfering behind the scenes."
He knew everyone on Douluo Continent who possessed a divine-level Martial Soul.
There was the Angel Clan of Angel God, and Bo Saixi of Sea God Island. Aside from them, there were no other divine-level Martial Souls.
Ordinary people couldn't awaken a divine-level Martial Soul. Only a god could bestow one. Even a mutation couldn't reach the divine level.
Only some extraordinary opportunity could make it possible.
The Goddess of Life nodded gently. "That's exactly why he's worth watching. That trace of the origin of life is unbelievably pure, yet it carries a hint of something that doesn't belong to this world. It's as if... it's been deliberately tampered with."
She looked at Asura God. "You have many informants in Douluo Continent. Keep an eye on this child's growth for me. If his character proves worthy, perhaps he can inherit my God Trial."
Asura God stared at the image of Xu Yuan interacting with the Blue Silver Grass. When the boy's fingertips brushed the blades, the Blue Silver Grass in that area glowed far more brilliantly than the rest, faintly revealing its reverence for and command over life.
He was silent for a moment. The demonic patterns on his dark red armor shimmered. "All right. But you should know that forcibly interfering with the growth of life in the lower realm carries no small risk."
"I understand." The Goddess of Life's gaze softened. "I won't interfere directly. I'll leave it to his own fate. If he and I are truly destined, the God Trial will descend at the right moment."
The Goddess of Life paused, looking at Xu Yuan's sky-blue hair on the screen. "Besides, the aura of life around this child is so pure. If he can grow up, that may well be a blessing for Douluo Continent."
Asura God said no more. He swept a finger across the screen, imprinting Xu Yuan's name and related information on the monitoring list for Douluo Continent, and raising his priority to the highest.
A small favor like this didn't go against his principles. It would earn him a favor from the Goddess of Life.
Only after finishing did Asura God look at the Goddess of Life. "Does your... know about this?"
"Xiao Zi?" The Goddess of Life smiled. "He's never been one to get involved in these matters. As long as the order of the Divine Realm isn't affected, he'll probably just grunt and let it go."
At the mention of the God of Destruction, tenderness nearly overflowed from her eyes.
"But if this child happens to be compatible with both our godhoods, perhaps..."
She left the words unfinished and shook her head.
Compatible with both the godhoods of life and destruction?
That was pure fantasy. The two laws were inherently at odds. To accommodate even one was already defying heaven, let alone bearing both at once.
Asura God smiled. "It's possible. The child's Second Martial Soul is the Clear Sky Hammer. If that little fellow's Clear Sky Hammer can reach the divine level too, perhaps he could create Dual Godhood."
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