Before the words had even faded, Zichuan felt a sudden scorching heat on his forehead!
It was not the heat of seared flesh, but a tremor from the depths of his soul, as though some kind of shackle had been struck and connected.
He instinctively raised a hand to touch the space between his brows, his fingertips brushing against two marks that were slowly emerging.
One was a deep, dark purple, as though it could swallow all light and hope. It resembled a shattered star, destruction aura flowing from its edges.
The other was a gentle emerald green brimming with vitality, shaped like unfurling leaf veins and trickling streams.
The Mark of Destruction and the Mark of Life!
The two marks glimmered faintly between his brows. They remained separate, yet subtly formed a delicate balance and resonance.
At the same time, two cold, imposing, unquestionable messages were engraved directly into the depths of his consciousness:
[Destruction God Trial activated] [Godly Trial content: Nine Trials of Destruction] [Current: First Trial] [Trial content: Defeat ten Soul Masters with the same Soul Power Level as yourself] [Time limit: Six months] ... [Life God Trial activated] [Godly Trial content: Nine Trials of Life] [Current: First Trial] [Trial content: Heal ten Soul Masters with the same Soul Power Level as yourself] [Time limit: Six months]
Zichuan: "..."
He blinked, processing the extra information in his mind.
Nine Trials of Destruction, Nine Trials of Life. The inheritance of two godhoods.
It... it sounded pretty impressive.
Defeat ten Soul Masters of the same level? Heal ten Soul Masters of the same level? And finish it all within half a year?
He lowered his head to look at his skinny arms and legs, then sensed the vast yet immature Soul Power within him, which had only just reached level ten.
Well, with his Innate Full Soul Power and twin top-tier martial souls, reaching the teens in half a year should not be difficult.
By then, he could find a Soul Master Academy, or follow the people from the Body Sect and spar with, or heal, Soul Masters of the same level...
It did not seem completely impossible.
Zichuan even felt a little excited. That was more like it! Transmigration, cheats, Godly Trials, hard work, a comeback... the standard progression!
As he happily planned out his inspirational script of "earning godhood through effort," the God of Destruction's voice rang out in his mind again, carrying obvious impatience and deep dissatisfaction.
"Half a year? Defeat ten? Heal ten?" It was as if he had seen something deeply offensive, his tone full of disdain. "Troublesome! Far too troublesome!"
"You still have to find Soul Masters of the same level? In this godforsaken backwater, where are you supposed to find them? By the time you do, it'll be too late!"
"How could my inheritance be bound by all these rules and regulations!"
Zichuan: "...?"
No, wait. Wasn't the content of this Godly Trial set by you, sir? Why were you insulting your own rules?
Before he could figure it out, an indescribable, obscure ripple that seemed to transcend the laws of the world spread from the depths of his Sea of Consciousness.
The ripple was incredibly faint, yet it carried an overbearing force that brooked no question, like it was rewriting the world's underlying code.
Then, the two pieces of Godly Trial information that had just been branded into Zichuan's mind began to distort and blur. It was as if an invisible hand had wiped them away, then rewritten them in a messier, more casual script:
[Destruction God Trial, First Trial (Revised)] [Trial content: Defeat ten living beings] [Time limit: None] [Trial reward: Destruction Domain!] ... [Life God Trial, First Trial (Revised)] [Trial content: Save ten living beings] [Time limit: None] [Life Domain!]
Zichuan: "..."
His mouth hung open as he stared at the two new "trial questions" in his mind, which were so simple they were practically crude and so lenient they might as well have had no requirements at all. He could not recover for a long while.
Defeat... ten... living beings?
Save... ten... living beings?
How the hell was this any different from "go take ten breaths of air"?!
"Now that sounds more reasonable." The God of Destruction's voice rang out, carrying the casual air of someone saying, "I've approved it."
"Although only this remnant thought of mine remains now, and less than one percent of my divine power is left, I can still make minor changes to the underlying rules of my own Godly Trial."
"And I can use Life's authority too..."
He paused, apparently feeling that was not enough, then added:
"Oh, I raised the rewards too. I'm giving you the Domains early. They'll be yours sooner or later anyway, so it makes no difference whether you get them early or late."
Zichuan held his forehead.
He felt a little dizzy.
No, he knew the old man was in a hurry to get revenge. He knew he wanted to chase him down and spoon-feed him. But this... was this not a bit too direct? He was practically shoving the bowl into his mouth, pinching his nose, and force-feeding him!
"What?" The God of Destruction seemed to sense his complicated feelings and snorted. "Think it's too easy? Kid, don't be fooled by those stories mortals make up. What nonsense about enduring countless hardships and facing death without regret to earn the recognition of godhood... bullshit!"
"The inheritance of godhood is, at its core, the handover of power and transfer of authority! As long as the inheritor is talented enough, compatible with the attribute, and not too crooked in character, everything else is just going through the motions!"
"I find you very pleasing! The Hearts of Destruction and Life are incomparably harmonious within you, and as for your character... while you're a little slick, you have the makings of someone decisive in killing. That is enough!"
"As for those trials?" The God of Destruction sneered. "They're for weeding out mediocrities! You are the child of Life and me, the inheritor destined to receive our legacy. Do you need that sort of thing to prove yourself?"
"What a waste of time!"
Zichuan was speechless.
What the God of Destruction said seemed to make perfect sense, but the more he thought about it, the more wrong it felt.
This was no longer merely using cheats. This was like opening the game's admin console for him, then thoughtfully asking, "Young master, does this setting work for you? If not, we can tweak it again."
"Enough standing around." The God of Destruction urged. "Hurry up and clear the first trial so you can get the Domain first. It's a good thing. For fighting and running away later... ahem, for traveling the continent later, you'll need it."
Zichuan silently rose to his feet and patted the dirt off his backside.
He looked around. The villagers of Disabled Village were still gathered in the distance, pointing and whispering, too afraid to come closer.
The children hid behind the adults, peeking at him with curiosity and fear. Wang Long-Arm had long since vanished, probably racing toward the Body Sect with all his might.
In the distance stood bare mountains. Nearby was a pitted dirt road. The wind carried the smell of dust and livestock.
Defeat ten living beings. Save ten living beings.
His gaze wandered before finally settling beneath the crooked-necked tree he had leaned against moments earlier.
Near the roots was an inconspicuous little mound of earth. Several tiny holes surrounded it. A few black ants were currently crawling in and out with great diligence, carrying grass seed fragments larger than their own bodies.
Zichuan's gaze froze.
He slowly walked over, crouched down, and carefully examined the anthill.
Then he stood up and untied his belt.
"What are you doing?" The God of Destruction was stunned.
"Completing the Godly Trial."
Zichuan's answer was brief and direct, his tone perfectly calm.
The next moment, a clear stream of water accurately drenched the entrance to the anthill.
"Psssh..."
Fine splashing sounds rang out. The orderly line of ants instantly descended into chaos. Several worker ants near the entrance were washed in every direction, while more ants poured out of the nest in panic, only to tumble and struggle beneath the impact of the "water flow."
He even adjusted the angle to ensure a wider area was covered.
Ten seconds later.
[Destruction God Trial, First Trial (Revised): Defeat ten living beings] [Current progress: 187/10] [Status: Completed] [Evaluation: Exceeded requirements (living beings defeated: 187)] [Reward settlement: Affinity with the God of Destruction increased by 10%. Current total affinity: 10%] [Reward granted: God-given Domain, Destruction Domain.]
Before you continue