The Eight Trials of Goodness

After the secret was shared, the atmosphere in the room lightened considerably.

Xiao Xiao's stomach gave an ill-timed growl, causing her to scratch her head in embarrassment.

Hearing this, Ji Jing chuckled. He had just heard Xiao Xiao calling out that she was hungry outside the door, so he took the initiative to speak:

"As it happens, I'm a bit hungry too. Since we're waiting anyway, I'll make you all a late-night snack."

"Class monitor, you can cook?"

Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up instantly, shimmering with anticipation.

"Oh, right! I heard Huo Yuhao say before that your culinary skills are absolutely divine, far better than his! I've never had the chance to taste them myself!"

"Then you're in for a treat tonight."

Ji Jing smiled, and with a thought, various kitchen utensils and ingredients appeared out of thin air in the suite's small kitchen.

Considering it was late and greasy food was ill-advised, Ji Jing decided to make them a bowl of heart-warming, stomach-soothing noodle soup.

His movements were fluid and practiced as he took out a piece of Dragon Tendon Beast Meat that contained vast life energy and looked like jade, slicing it into thin strips with a swift blade.

He then brought out a few crisp, emerald-green Ice Marrow Cabbage, which emitted a faint, refreshing fragrance.

The noodles were made from special flour infused with starlight, appearing translucent and crystalline.

Even during the preparation stage, the overflowing spiritual energy left Xiao Xiao, who was watching from the side, dumbfounded, her mouth nearly watering.

Soon, Ji Jing brought the broth to a boil, added the noodles, blanched the vegetables, and bowl after bowl of steaming noodle soup was ready.

The broth was clear, the noodles were chewy, and the meat slices and greens garnished the dish, releasing an appetizing aroma that made one's index finger twitch with desire.

"Come, try this."

Ji Jing took out several iridescent cups and a simple Best Wine Cup in the Village.

He poured half a cup of amber liquid for everyone, and a crisp, mellow wine fragrance instantly permeated the entire room.

Ji Jing introduced it:

"This is Hundred Flower Calming Wine. Drinking it helps to calm the mind and focus, which is of great benefit to your meditation and cultivation tonight."

Xiao Xiao was completely stunned.

The ingredients clearly weren't ordinary!

She had never smelled a wine fragrance that could compare to this!

She carefully picked up the noodle soup and took a sip of the broth first; an indescribable warm current surged through her entire body, as if every cell were cheering with joy.

Unable to hold back any longer, she immediately began to feast.

After a few mouthfuls of noodles, Xiao Xiao felt that the hidden injuries left over from her previous cultivation seemed to have eased significantly.

She set down the bowl, her face flushed—partly from excitement and partly from the steam—and said to Ji Jing with utmost solemnity:

"Class monitor! From today on, I will follow you through fire and water! I am your most fearless fighter among the Shrek Seven Devils!"

Hearing this grand declaration, Wang Dong, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but burst into a laugh, playfully pinching Xiao Xiao's cheek:

"You? If you want to be a fighter, beat me first."

Ji Jing smiled mysteriously and said to Xiao Xiao:

"Alright, then I shall wait and see."

With that, he served another bowl of noodles and placed it on a tray along with a cup of the calming wine, handing it to Xiao Xiao:

"Take this back to Jiang Nannan; she should be hungry too."

"Mission guaranteed!"

Xiao Xiao stood at attention and saluted, took the tray, and turned to leave, feeling completely satisfied.

The room was finally left with only Ji Jing and Wang Dong.

Soon, the two finished their late-night snack.

Wang Dong took the initiative to skillfully clear the bowls and chopsticks.

Afterward, the two sat cross-legged facing each other with a tacit understanding, their palms pressed together.

Closing their eyes, their soul power flowed slowly between their palms, forming a perfect cycle as they entered meditation together.

Deep in the night, Ji Jing and Wang Dong's soul power merged during meditation, their cultivation efficiency far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Deep within his own Sea of Consciousness, he whispered softly:

"Mother."

Far away in the unreachable God Realm, Lie Yan sat upon the throne of the divine palace, surrounded by soft white divine light.

Seeming to sense something, she slowly opened her eyes.

A gentle smile bloomed on her beautiful face; she already knew her son's heart.

With a slight movement of her mind, a wisp of her divine consciousness descended silently onto the Douluo Continent, precisely entering another room in the Star Luo Grand Hotel and merging into the mind of Xiao Xiao, who was currently in meditation.

Xiao Xiao was concentrating on absorbing the strange energy brought by the Soul-Calming Wine, guiding her soul power to circulate through her meridians.

Ever since she became capable of simultaneously controlling the Three-Life Soul-Suppressing Cauldron and the Nine-Phoenix Flute, her Twin Martial Souls, she had been able to clearly perceive and look inward at her own Sea of Consciousness.

However, the very next moment, she suddenly discovered herself being pulled by an irresistible, gentle force, her consciousness instantly sinking into her Sea of Consciousness.

Yet, the scene before her eyes filled her with unprecedented shock and horror.

Was this... still her Sea of Consciousness?

The once-calm spiritual world was now surging with waves, and endless white light filled every inch of space, as if it were the first ray of holy light at dawn—warm and divine.

In the center of the Sea of Consciousness, a white humanoid silhouette, appearing to be a thousand meters tall, stood silently. Its form was hazy and indistinct.

But that vast, benevolent, and purely good aura made it impossible for Xiao Xiao to harbor any thoughts of resistance; she only wished to prostrate herself in worship.

"Child."

A gentle yet solemn voice rang out.

The white humanoid silhouette spoke:

"I am one of the five God Kings of the God Realm, the God of Goodness."

"The... the God of Goodness?!"

Xiao Xiao was completely stunned. She could never have dreamed that a legendary, ethereal deity would descend into her own Sea of Consciousness!

Lie Yan's divine sense continued:

"I see pure qualities and extraordinary potential in you. I am willing to grant you an opportunity—an opportunity to touch the realm of the gods."

"I shall bestow trials upon you. If you can pass all the trials through your own will and effort, you will have the chance to enter the God Realm in the future and inherit the godhood of a certain deity."

"But if you fail, or give up halfway, you need not worry; you will merely lose this opportunity and live out the rest of your life as normal."

This was a choice capable of changing one's destiny.

But for any soul master, becoming a god was the ultimate dream.

Xiao Xiao barely hesitated; she bowed in her Sea of Consciousness and answered resolutely:

"I am willing! Respected God of Goodness, I am willing to accept your trials!"

"Very well."

There was approval in Lie Yan's voice.

In the original story, Xiao Xiao's talent was already extremely high, with both of her Twin Martial Souls being top-tier; her potential was far better than that of Tang Ya.

It was only because her daily training was not among the most diligent, and her development path was not clear enough, that her later performance failed to fully realize her talent.

And in Ji Jing's future plans, Xiao Xiao was naturally among those to be cultivated.

It was precisely because Lie Yan saw this potential, and was willing to provide a higher platform for her son's companion, that she directly granted her a complete set of divine trials—

The Eight Trials of Goodness.