Dragon God Trial? Harem?

Inside the modern white villa within the sea of consciousness, the air was permeated with a faint scent of sea salt. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, nine-colored divine light intertwined to form a magnificent backdrop.

Ao Linxi lay lazily on the leather sofa, her long legs crossed, idly playing with a crystal-clear fruit condensed from spiritual power. She looked up at Gu Tian, who was standing before her, still struggling to steady his breathing, and a meaningful smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Little Tian, can you feel it?" She took a bite of the fruit, her voice sweet and clear. "The total amount of soul power within you has now broken through that boundary mortals dream of, officially reaching the twentieth level."

"Twentieth level?" Gu Tian jerked his head up, his eyes filled with disbelief. "Sister Linxi, are you saying I skipped the ten-level threshold and jumped straight to the realm of a Soul Grand Master? But as far as I know, isn't the upper limit for soul power at awakening only ten levels?"

"That is true in general, but since your martial soul was bestowed by me, and I am a deity of the God Realm, it is only natural that you would receive an additional ten levels of soul power." Ao Linxi stood up, walking barefoot across the smooth marble floor, each step possessing an elegant rhythm.

Gu Tian seemed to recall something, his eyes lighting up instantly. "A divine gift? So, the martial souls of Martial Soul Hall are also divine gifts, passed down from the Angel God? No wonder Qian Renxue also had an innate soul power of twenty."

"Angel God? That six-winged angel?" Ao Linxi looked somewhat surprised; she had not expected Gu Tian to know of other deities. "Indeed, the Angel God was once a first-tier deity. However, to my knowledge, he was severely wounded by me during the war in the God Realm, and I heard he perished not long after."

"No wonder!" Gu Tian clapped his hands, suddenly realizing why Tang San, that child of destiny, was frequently aided by Poseidon when initiating his Sea God Trial, while Qian Renxue received nothing—it was because the true Angel God had already fallen!

Although Ao Linxi did not fully understand, she did not dwell on it and continued, "As I taught you before, for a human soul master to cultivate, they must have a catalyst to absorb the essence of heaven and earth. This catalyst is innate soul power. Innate soul power can be accumulated through postnatal training; in the six years before the martial soul awakens, one can continuously absorb the essence of heaven and earth through specific techniques."

"The higher the innate soul power, the more essence of heaven and earth one can attract during cultivation. Before the formation of a Soul Core, the cultivation speed of those with high innate soul power absolutely crushes those with low innate soul power."

Gu Tian nodded, resting his chin on his right hand, and said, "I know, Sister Linxi."

"However, there is another advantage to a divinely bestowed martial soul: it breaks the traditional restrictions on hunting soul rings. Even if you haven't hunted a soul ring, you can continue to increase your soul power level."

Hearing the words "soul ring," Gu Tian's eyes lit up instantly. As a transmigrator, he knew what a soul ring meant. It was a leap in strength and the source of new soul skills.

"Does that mean we should go hunt soul beasts now?" Gu Tian waved his fist with some excitement. "The Star Dou Great Forest? I can't wait to test this twentieth-level soul power."

However, Ao Linxi slowly shook her head, extending a slender finger and waving it in front of Gu Tian.

"Little Tian, you must remember that you have inherited the position of the Dragon God. Going to hunt distant relatives of the dragon race or ordinary soul beasts to obtain soul rings is not only a desecration of your martial soul but will also limit your future growth. Your soul rings must be obtained through a special method—the Dragon God Trial."

"The Dragon God Trial?" Gu Tian was stunned. "What is that?"

"It is an assessment tailored for you by the origin of the universe. The content of the divine trial usually evolves based on the deepest, most longed-for wish the candidate has held over these past six years." Ao Linxi's expression turned serious, and she waved her hand, causing a golden light screen to descend from the sky of the sea of consciousness.

"I haven't seen a divine trial initiated in a long time, or rather, you are my first successor. But logically speaking, the Dragon God's trials usually involve challenging some forbidden land or undergoing painful trials to temper the physical body. After all, you have been training crazily for these six years; your inner desire should be something like 'becoming stronger' or 'fighting'."

Ao Linxi took a deep breath and, with a solemn expression, cast several divine runes into the light screen.

"Come, let This Seat see what the ultimate power trial your heart desires most truly is."

The golden light screen trembled violently, and lines of nine-colored characters slowly emerged in the void. Ao Linxi held her head high, mentally prepared to welcome a high-difficulty combat mission.

However, once the text on the light screen became completely clear, the entire sea of consciousness fell into a deathly silence.

[Dragon God's First Trial: Subdue a harem. Requirement: Form a bond with a female character and gain her sincere heart.]

"..."

"..."

Silence spoke louder than words. Hearing the content of this trial, Gu Tian's face turned red to the roots of his ears.

Ao Linxi's expression froze. Her gentle eyes slowly widened, her lips parted slightly, and the fruit in her hand slipped to the ground with a dull thud.

"Subdue... a harem?"

She turned her head stiffly to look at Gu Tian, who was awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

"Little Tian, is this... your deepest, most intense... wish from these past six years?"

He couldn't exactly explain that as a transmigrator who had read countless Douluo fanfictions, his greatest regret from his previous life was that the blockhead Tang San had delayed so many beautiful girls, or that those tragic endings left him feeling unsettled.

Although he had been training his body for these six years, what he thought about most in his head was indeed how to build a grand harem in this world and give every girl a home.

Well, that was it; what was wrong with a child's thoughts anyway!

"Ahem... Sister Linxi, this... I didn't expect it to be so perceptive." Gu Tian coughed awkwardly, his eyes darting around, not daring to look at Ao Linxi.

Ao Linxi covered her smooth forehead and fell back onto the sofa, feeling somewhat powerless. She had originally expected a heroic script about charging into the Dragon Valley or slaying demons, but it turned out to be this... this lecherous trial?

"I originally thought my successor would be an overlord with the world in his heart; I didn't expect him to be a little lecher." Ao Linxi rolled her eyes at Gu Tian, but there was little anger in her tone, only a hint of helpless indulgence. "However... thinking about it, this is much easier than having you challenge divine beasts right now. Subduing hearts is also a form of exercising authority. Since this is your divine trial, I can only let you be."

Seeing that Ao Linxi was not angry, Gu Tian breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled, "Sister Linxi, don't worry, I will definitely work hard to complete the divine trial."

"Alright, alright, get out of here." Ao Linxi waved her hand, sounding a bit annoyed. "It's almost dawn, and the martial soul awakening ceremony in your village is about to start. Remember, you must restrain your aura; if someone sees your martial soul, it will be a big problem."

A flash of golden light.

Gu Tian's consciousness instantly detached from the cozy villa, and he opened his eyes wide.

Outside.

The morning light pierced through the thick purple mist, spilling obliquely into the simple hut. The nine-colored phenomenon triggered by the awakening last night had completely dissipated, but Gu Tian could feel that his body was filled with explosive power.

This power was like a dragon lurking in the abyss, ready to break out at any moment.

He jumped off the bed, his movements as light as a feather. He looked down at his hands; the sensation from the sea of consciousness seemed to linger on his fingertips. With twentieth-level soul power, even without a soul ring, the feeling of fullness made him feel like he could shatter the large blue stone at the village entrance with one punch.

"Tian'er, are you up?"

Lin Ping's gentle voice came from outside the door, followed by the creaking sound of the door being pushed open.

Gu Hai and Lin Ping walked in. Their eyes were slightly red, clearly having been too excited to sleep all night. Although Gu Hai still looked like the honest mason he always was, his eyes shone with a luster never seen before.

"I'm up, Mom." Gu Tian smiled.

"Eat breakfast quickly. After you eat, we'll go to the village chief's place." Lin Ping walked over and carefully helped Gu Tian straighten his collar, her fingers trembling slightly. "All the six-year-old children in the village are to gather there today. The deacon from Martial Soul Hall arrived yesterday afternoon. I heard he's a Soul Grand Master, specifically here to help children in remote places like ours awaken."

Gu Hai nodded from the side and patted Gu Tian on the shoulder, his voice deep and steady: "Don't be nervous. Believe in yourself; Dad knows you can do it."

After breakfast, Gu Tian walked out of the house accompanied by his parents.

The morning in Ancient Dragon Village was still thick with purple mist. This fog blanketed the fields and hills, obscuring vision beyond ten meters.

Ancient Dragon Village was neither large nor small, consisting of two main roads with the villagers' houses built along them. In the very center of the village was a small square where villagers usually gathered for meetings or to dance.

By now, quite a few people had already gathered in the small square. The farmers and their wives, who usually spent their days struggling for survival in the mountains, had all put on their cleanest clothes today. A dozen or so six-year-old children stood in the center; some were jumping around with excitement, while others nervously tugged at their parents' sleeves.

Gu Tian stood in the crowd, listening to the chatter of the children around him, but his thoughts had drifted far away.

Conquer a harem... who should be the first target?

"Xiao Tian, what are you daydreaming about?" Lin Ping gently nudged him.

Gu Tian snapped back to reality. Not far ahead, the village chief's short figure had appeared. Standing beside the chief was a young man dressed in the standard white uniform of the Martial Soul Hall.

The young man had a well-proportioned build and a silver badge on his chest. His expression carried a hint of arrogance, yet as he looked at this strange village shrouded in purple mist, his eyes involuntarily betrayed a trace of wariness.

"Everyone, quiet!" the village chief shouted. "This is the esteemed disciple of Master Ma Xiunuo, who has traveled all the way from the Fasinuo Province of the Heaven Dou Empire. Today, he will preside over your Martial Soul awakening!"

Gu Tian watched the deacon quietly, his heart devoid of any ripples. He knew that this cursed land had been silent for hundreds of years, and today, it would finally welcome its true dragon.

He asked softly in his sea of consciousness: "Sister Ao Linxi, are you ready?"

"Hmph, I'll just watch your performance, little harem king."

Ao Linxi's teasing voice echoed in his mind, causing the corner of Gu Tian's mouth to twitch involuntarily.

The awakening ceremony officially began.