Ancient Ruins, Nine Trials of Chaos

Upon hearing this, Xu Mochen felt more than just shock; he was plunged into deep contemplation. Not only had the ancestors of the Sun Moon Empire once served under the Dragon God, but they had actually been exiled by him! Viewed in this light, it seemed the imperial family of the Sun Moon Empire likely possessed divine bloodlines.

It was no wonder the imperial family had maintained an unbroken lineage for ten thousand generations! No matter how the eras of the Sun Moon Continent shifted, the ruling status of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family remained as steady as Mount Tai. The mere phrase "descendants of the gods" was enough to make any outsiders coveting the throne tread with caution.

Beside him, the gaze Xu Yuanding fixed upon Xu Mochen grew even more fervent. "Your Highness, our ancestor was a Dragon King known as the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King. Because of this, what we descendants have inherited—beyond the Blazing Sun and Silver Moon Martial Souls—is a rare variant known as the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul."

"While it appears similar to our ancestor's, its grade is actually less than one-tenth of the original. Even so, the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon remains the most powerful martial soul in the Sun Moon Empire today. Within the imperial family, there is an unwritten ancestral rule: every successive Emperor of the Sun Moon Empire must be chosen from those who possess the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul."

"The late Emperor's martial soul was, naturally, the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon. But you are different. Your martial soul appears to be of a higher grade than the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon, and its aura is far beyond what that soul could ever compare to. Therefore, my cousin and I suspect that your martial soul is likely the ancestor's true form: the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon!"

Although Xu Mochen was quite startled by this information, he did not jump to conclusions. Instead, he asked a crucial question: "I wonder if you and my grand-uncle have a way to verify this? After all, my martial soul only bears a slight resemblance to the ancestor's form as recorded in the ancestral archives; one cannot easily make such a claim."

"That is not an issue; we know of a place where it can be confirmed." Upon hearing this, Kong Dehan smiled slightly. "When our ancestor left the Sun Moon Continent, he left behind a secret realm underground, which contains the inheritance he bequeathed. The realm is divided into an inner and outer layer; the outer layer can be opened by anyone possessing a martial soul with the bloodline of the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon."

"However, only one who truly possesses the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King martial soul—just like the ancestor—can open the inner layer and obtain the true treasures left within. The outer layer contains a vast collection of knowledge on the Divine Realm and the mortal world, including literature, history, mathematics, soul masters, soul beasts, medicinal herbs, and spirit tools, all accumulated by the ancestor during his travels. The founding emperor of the Sun Moon Empire, the first possessor of the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul, used the knowledge found there to sweep across the four seas and establish the Sun Moon Empire as it stands today."

"But every successor of the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon, including your father, has exhausted every means possible without ever finding a way to open the inner layer. If you can open it, that alone would be sufficient proof of your martial soul." Having said this, Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding stared intently at Xu Mochen, awaiting his reply.

Xu Mochen did not shirk the responsibility. "If that is the case, then I agree. But may I ask, where exactly is this secret realm?" Upon hearing this, Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding exchanged a glance, and their subsequent words stunned Xu Mochen once more: "It is directly beneath the Emperor's bedchamber!"

Two hours later, inside the secret realm beneath the bedchamber:

As they walked inward, guided by the flickering light from rows of candles on the walls, Xu Mochen solemnly observed the ancient, mottled stone architecture and the Sun Moon archaic scripts and carvings etched into the stone slabs. Beneath his calm expression lay a turbulent heart: every one of these ancient rock walls recorded figures and knowledge of profound wisdom.

One could imagine what kind of wise and visionary existence the ancestor of the Sun Moon imperial family must have been. It was precisely by relying on the vast, ocean-like knowledge passed down through these stone slabs that his descendants were able to create an immortal legacy. But as time passed and the wheels of history rolled forward, he would now attempt to tread into areas where no previous ancestors of the Sun Moon Empire had ever stepped. Perhaps, he too could create an immortal legacy within the Sun Moon Empire.

Compared to the waves rising in Xu Mochen's heart, Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding were far more composed, as this was not their first time entering the realm. Without a word, they led Xu Mochen to a door engraved with complex inscriptions and stone carvings. On either side of the door were stone reliefs of a blazing sun and a silver moon, and above the door was a majestic, baring-fanged dragon—this, surely, must be the ancestor's true form.

"Your Highness, please place your hand on the protruding semi-circular stone in the center of the door and channel your soul power to see what happens." Xu Yuanding's clear voice pulled Xu Mochen back to reality. Xu Mochen took a deep breath, slowly placed his right hand on the protruding stone, and instantly manifested his martial soul!

A high-pitched dragon roar suddenly erupted from Xu Mochen's throat. His entire body was instantly covered in dark purple dragon scales, and a terrifying aura surged wildly from within him. As he blinked and opened his eyes again, his originally black pupils were now filled with alternating colors of black, white, and purple! It was as if they were as deep and endless as the cosmos, encompassing all things in heaven and earth!

As Xu Mochen channeled his soul power, the entire hall began to tremble violently. The deafening roar, the intense shaking, and the fine dust and stone particles falling from the ceiling gave the impression that the secret realm was on the verge of collapse!

"This is..." Kong Dehan and Xu Yuanding were instantly shocked. Before they could recover, the stone door before them opened to both sides with a thunderous rumble. Then, to their astonishment, Xu Mochen's figure was "whooshed" inside. Before either of them could react, the stone doors slammed shut with a boom, and the entire hall returned to its initial silence.

"Cousin, we..." Xu Yuanding began, but Kong Dehan shook his head with a wry smile. "Let it be. The ancestor's methods are beyond our imagination. Judging by this, His Highness's martial soul is undoubtedly the ancestor's true form. The ancestor surely would not harm him. I have a premonition that His Highness may truly obtain some incredible fortune this time. We need only wait here at the door for him to emerge."

Meanwhile, inside the inner secret realm:

When Xu Mochen opened his eyes again, he found himself in a vast, boundless starry sky that stretched endlessly in every direction. "Where am I?" His eyes were filled with vigilance, and he began to circulate his soul power rapidly.

Just as Xu Mochen was filled with suspicion, a weathered and resonant voice echoed from all directions: "Little one, do not be afraid. This is merely a legacy realm I left behind. Being able to come here proves that you are the successor I have chosen."

A figure wreathed in dark purple light gradually became clear before Xu Mochen. As the light dissipated, a massive dark purple dragon appeared. The dragon radiated a chaotic aura of black and white, and the depth and arrogance contained within its black, white, and purple eyes seemed to drain the very color from the space around them.

A pair of silver-purple dragon claws emitted a sharp, chilling light, as if they could easily tear through anything. As the dark purple scales on its body rippled, a pair of massive dragon wings slowly unfurled. The dragon looked down upon all living things like a king descending.

"Junior Xu Mochen pays respects to the ancestor." Xu Mochen was shocked, having already guessed the dragon's identity: who else could it be but the ancestor of the Sun Moon imperial family, the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King! Without hesitation, he knelt in the air on both knees.

Although he was not the original owner of this body, this was the ancestor of the person whose body he now occupied. Since he had taken over this vessel, he naturally had to fulfill the duties of its identity. Moreover, his life was currently in the hands of this dragon; both logically and emotionally, he had to show the utmost respect to this "convenient" ancestor.

"Not bad, not bad. Although you are only six years old, to be able to guess my identity and remain so calm and respectful shows that your temperament is excellent. If you add the fact that you have inherited the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King martial soul, which is the manifestation of my true form, you are destined for greatness in the future." The Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King nodded slightly, clearly satisfied with Xu Mochen's performance.

Then, the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King said in a calm tone: "I know you still have many questions, and I will answer what I can."

Xu Mochen pondered for a moment before asking: "I would like to know where this is? Why are you here, ancestor? And what is the purpose of this inner secret realm?"

To this, the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King did not hide anything: "The space you are currently in is a small world I carved out with my own power. In truth, I am not the original body, but merely a wisp of its soul. The reason I created this small world was to wait for my successor to appear."

"Only one who possesses the true Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King martial soul can open it and accept the trials I have set. You will undergo nine trials; only after you successfully pass them will I impart all my skills and knowledge to you."

A god's trial! Xu Mochen knew exactly what this meant. In the Douluo Dalu novels, this was one of the ways to become a god on the entire continent. Tang San, Bibi Dong, and Qian Renxue had all achieved godhood and surpassed all others by completing the Nine Trials of a God!

He just hadn't expected that he would be so lucky as to actually encounter a god's trial! Barely suppressing the shock in his heart, Xu Mochen continued to ask: "If my martial soul is truly a powerful one manifested from your true form, why do I always feel as if it is being suppressed by something? I cannot even clearly perceive my own soul power."

The Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King understood his confusion and explained slowly: "Perhaps you have already noticed that your martial soul seems to be bound by something, and your innate soul power fluctuates wildly, making it impossible for even specialized spirit tools to accurately determine your specific soul power level."

"You need not worry about this. These seals were set by me intentionally for my descendants. Anyone who inherits the true Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King martial soul will be affected by them. In fact, my purpose in doing this is to protect you. If I did not set these seals, once you fully awakened the Purple Imperial Chaos Dragon King martial soul, not only would your six-year-old body likely be unable to withstand its terrifying energy and aura, but even if you could barely endure it, the commotion caused by its awakening would be absolutely catastrophic."

"I assume you felt it when you awakened your martial soul; even with my seals, the commotion was not small. If the disturbance had been any greater, it would very likely have alerted the Divine Realm! Back then, I had already anticipated that even if I could briefly escape the pursuit of the Divine Realm, they would never give up on tracking me down."

"Once the gods of the Divine Realm noticed your martial soul, they would likely link it to my existence and take unfavorable actions before you could grow up, either to obtain what they need from you or simply to use you to threaten me and force me to reveal myself."