Divine Examination Rewards

The moment the resounding voice faded, space distorted around Lin Chuan, forming a vortex.

The vortex was slow and gentle, causing the solid space to liquefy and be absorbed into his body as purple-black energy.

Lin Chuan's consciousness drifted back to the scene before the Nine Asura Trials began.

Yet, he himself felt a profound, mysterious energy surging into his limbs and bones.

A faint, metallic clanging of swords echoed within him, accompanied by waves of killing intent that grew increasingly intense.

The sword's aura of solemn slaughter was sharp and unstoppable.

Lin Chuan immediately sat cross-legged, beginning to refine and comprehend this Killing Sword Intent.

The power of slaughter and the Killing Sword Intent complemented each other; as he meditated, the two merged, and the surging, terrifying power of slaughter instantly became pure and razor-sharp.

He could clearly feel his strength improving.

Once Lin Chuan fully grasped the Killing Sword Intent, the power of slaughter surrounding him became imbued with the sharpness and solemnity of a blade.

At the same time, as the purple-black energy flowed into his body, the Spirit Rings beneath his feet emerged of their own accord.

His original configuration of yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, red shifted to purple, purple, purple, black, black, black, red.

The age of his first and second Spirit Rings had both increased to two thousand years, his third to seven thousand years, and his fourth to over twenty thousand years.

The others had also increased by a few thousand years, making Lin Chuan's level 78 spirit power even more profound.

Though it might still take some time to break through to level 79, it would not be long now.

This reward was not merely an increase in Spirit Ring age; more importantly, Lin Chuan seemed to have a clearer perception of the world around him.

This was the reward for the "new" Asura God trial: an affinity for the comprehension of laws.

The new godhood born from Giratina devouring the Sea God Inheritance remained unchanged in its nine-trial structure.

The godhood and its rewards had been eroded and then transformed.

The originally promised affinity for Asura power had been converted into a sliver of comprehension regarding the Asura Law.

Accepting a standard Asura Inheritance meant walking along a pre-built, rigid path, unable to escape or deviate from the route laid out by predecessors, regardless of whether it was right or wrong.

While one would be shielded from the elements outside, one was confined to walking only the path carved by those who came before.

Reflecting on the situation, Lin Chuan asked Giratina in his heart:

"If eroding the Asura Inheritance turns the reward into comprehension of the Asura Law, can other inheritances be eroded as well?"

Giratina replied arrogantly:

"Naturally. We are eroding the inheritance, not accepting it."

"After the erosion, you can treat these inheritances as if you are entering a secret realm to receive a baptism."

Hearing this explanation, Lin Chuan immediately thought of another godhood inheritance: the Sea God Inheritance.

The most direct way to confirm this was to obtain the Heaven Dou Empire's national treasure, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.

The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was essentially the manifestation of the Heart of the Sea God; if the recipient were identified and claimed by it upon contact, it would mean they had been chosen as the Sea God.

That was not something he needed to worry about right now, but there were ways to obtain it.

His relationship with Qian Renxue was not bad; it was not impossible to negotiate for it.

While Lin Chuan was lost in thought, the second trial of the Nine Asura Trials appeared before him.

Nether Blood Sea, Ten Thousand Soul Tempering:

Fall into the sea of extreme evil blood, where billions of vengeful spirits entangle and devour the soul. One must use their own spirit power as a guide to refine the resentment of the spirits while maintaining one's original intent to avoid being backlashed. This tests the resilience of spirit power and the ability to control evil.

Failure effect:

Being backlashed by vengeful spirits, with all meridians blocked by malevolent energy, one will suffer a bone-chilling pain for a hundred days before the backlash dissipates.

It was another trial of mental fortitude, designed to ensure one could hold onto their original intent amidst various deceptions and hatreds without being disturbed by external factors.

However, a new failure effect had been added—it was not fatal, but it was enough to cause significant suffering for a while.

Judging by the previous situation, the first trial likely had a failure backlash as well.

It might have been the experience of real, agonizing death, just less severe.

From the content alone, it was clear that the difficulty of this second trial was much higher than the first.

After a moment of thought, Lin Chuan exited the trial, not intending to complete the second stage just yet.

Half a month later.

It was a beautiful morning, with sunlight spilling into the courtyard. The Blue Silver Grass in the cracks of the bricks swayed in the wind, its will unyielding.

Lin Chuan sat cross-legged on a lounge chair, his palms facing the sky, as the surrounding natural energy was being devoured and refined by him at a rapid pace.

Although he had the help of an Immortal Herb, the amount of spirit power required for a Spirit Saint to break through was immense, many times greater than that of a Spirit King.

In the original story, Tang San and the others gained seven or eight levels as Spirit Ancestors, but at the Spirit Saint level, they would likely struggle to gain even two.

The breakthrough would still take some time, so when he sensed someone approaching the house, Lin Chuan stopped his cultivation.

The old, weathered wooden door was pushed open from the outside, emitting a long, creaking groan.

The face of the person pushing the door appeared through the gap.

The young girl had long, narrow fox eyes that tilted upward at the corners as if she were secretly smiling. Her thin lips were a delicate pink, the corners of her mouth slightly pursed, and her gaze held a mix of excitement, curiosity, and inquiry, with a subtle, hesitant quality to it.

Her light golden hair was lustrous and layered, with a portion pulled up, giving her an air that was both capable and youthful.

Her overall demeanor was cold yet tinged with a hint of bewilderment, like an adorable fox cautiously exploring an unfamiliar place in search of something.

After a few months of absence, the short hair from his memory had actually grown long.

It added a touch of wifely maturity to her naturally alluring and bewitching temperament.

At the same time, the girl spotted Lin Chuan reclining on the lounge chair, looking even more striking than she remembered.

Finally seeing the person she admired, she could not hide the joy on her face; she pushed the courtyard gate wide open, rushed into the yard, and threw herself at him.

"You stinky Lin Chuan, you've been staying here this whole time without coming back to see me! Do you not miss me at all?"

Though she complained, she didn't look the least bit unhappy; feeling the aura before her, she felt wonderful inside.

Lin Chuan looked helplessly at Hu Liena, who was speaking in a muffled voice against his chest, and poked her flushed cheek with a slender finger, asking in confusion:

"Why are you here? Did Ling Yuan bring you?"

Hearing this, Hu Liena pinched Lin Chuan's waist hard, saying indignantly:

"Don't change the subject! Who gave you permission to ruin the mood?"

"Instead of asking questions like that, you should care more about me. Besides, Sister Ling Yuan will be here in a moment, along with my brother and Yan, and... Zhu Zhuqing!"

At the mention of Zhu Zhuqing, Hu Liena's eyes grew even angrier. She clenched her pink fists and glared at Lin Chuan with a threatening look, demanding:

"Do you have something going on with that Zhu Zhuqing!"

She looked truly adorable like this; even when angry, those captivating fox eyes always carried a hint of allure, while her personality remained full of youthful spirit.

"Nothing at all."

Lin Chuan's expression was indifferent; his conduct was upright and his conscience clear.

Hu Liena, however, did not believe him, her eyes full of suspicion:

"It's a romantic debt you've incurred outside anyway. If I run into her again, you're finished!"

"Did you hear me!"