[Domain Effect: Suppresses the opponent with the power of destruction, reducing all their attributes and recovery abilities by 20%.]
A cold, violent power filled with the meaning of annihilation surged from the dark purple mark between Zichuan's brows. It quickly flowed through his entire body before finally sinking into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, where it transformed into a complex, obscure dark purple rune.
With a mere thought, he could sense that, if he wished, he could unleash a force field several meters around himself, one brimming with the aura of withering and destruction.
Destruction Domain!
Zichuan tied up his pants and looked down at the ant nest, now a complete mess and flooded with water. Quite a few ants were still struggling futilely in the soggy mud.
After some thought, he crouched down, stretched out his hand, and carefully began digging through the dirt beside the ant nest.
He widened and cleared the entrance that had been washed apart by the water, gently moved the ants half-buried in mud to dry ground, and picked up scattered grass seeds and crumbs, piling them near the entrance.
His movements were hardly gentle, even somewhat clumsy, but he was earnest.
Soon, the notification sounded again.
[Life God Trial, First Trial (Modified): Save ten lifeforms]
[Current Progress: 153/10]
[Status: Completed]
[Evaluation: Exceeded requirements (Lifeforms saved: 153)]
[Reward Settlement: Affinity with the God of Life increased by 10%. Current total affinity: 10%]
[Reward Granted: God-given Domain—Life Domain has been imprinted upon the core of the soul.]
[Domain Effect: Once activated, the area around the user will be filled with life energy, increasing all allied attributes and recovery abilities by 20%!]
A warm, vigorous power brimming with vitality poured out from the emerald-green mark. It settled beside the dark purple rune in his Sea of Consciousness, the two reflecting each other's glow.
Life Domain. He had obtained two great domains so easily!
Zichuan stopped what he was doing and stared at the ant nest that he had ravaged, then "saved," leaving it even more battered than before. He remained silent for a full ten seconds.
Then his shoulders began to shake.
At first, it was just a faint tremor, followed by uncontrollable shudders.
"Pfft... Hehe... Hahaha... Hahahahahaha!!!"
"Defeat ten lifeforms... save ten lifeforms..."
"I took a piss... dug around in the dirt..."
"Destruction Domain... Life Domain..."
"Hahahaha! Godly Trials! God King Nine Trials! Twin godhoods! Hahahaha!"
There was no helping it. This was really impossible to hold in.
In his mind, the God of Destruction's voice rang out leisurely, full of satisfaction.
"How was that? I told you, all those tedious formalities can be skipped whenever possible. Efficiency comes first."
"See? It was completed, wasn't it? You received the rewards, and your affinity increased. It saved time and effort."
Zichuan barely managed to stop laughing. Wiping away the tears he had laughed out, he panted and asked, "Senior Destruction... isn't this going a little too far...?"
He wanted to say it was ridiculous, but he could not find the right words for the moment.
"Going too far?" The God of Destruction snorted. "This god's inheritance is this god's to decide! Rules? Regulations? Those are only meant to restrain the weak!"
"Remember this: from now on, every resource on Douluo Continent that catches your eye belongs to you! Your spirit rings, your Spirit Bones, your opportunities, your fortunes! This god will arrange them all properly for you!"
"Doesn't Tang San enjoy arranging other people's lives? Doesn't he enjoy tying those favored by fate to the Tang family's war chariot?"
The God of Destruction's voice suddenly turned sharp, carrying an almost obsessive arrogance.
"Then this god would like to see..."
"Whether Tang the God King's schemes run deeper, or this God of Destruction feeds you harder!"
Zichuan's laughter gradually faded. He sat on the ground and looked at his open hands. The dark purple Mark of Destruction on his left palm and the emerald Mark of Life on his right were still faintly warm.
The God of Destruction's voice sounded in his mind again, this time with the solemnity of someone giving final instructions.
"Kid, let the matter of the Godly Trials rest for now. You have already begun the dual trials of destruction and life. From now on, every time you break through a major realm, the following trials will naturally be triggered."
"But remember this," he paused, and a rare trace of weakness entered his tone,
"This god is ultimately only a remnant thought now, with very little power remaining. Altering the trial rules for you today was already a strain. On the road ahead, what this god can do for you... will be limited."
Zichuan's mouth twitched, and he nearly failed to hold it in.
Limited?
Your "limited" help turned the first trial of the God King Nine Trials from "defeat ten soul masters of the same rank" directly into "take a piss and flood an ant nest"?
Wasn't that definition of "limited" a little too broad?
Just as Zichuan was about to ask something else, a sharp rush of wind suddenly came from the distance.
The sound was extremely far away at first, but it was incredibly fast. Within a few breaths, it had reached the village entrance. Immediately afterward came Wang Long-Arm's excited, distorted howl, nearly cracking his voice.
"Sect Master! He's right ahead! That child! Dual Heart Martial Soul! Innate Full Soul Power! It's absolutely true, Sect Master!"
Zichuan dusted himself off and stood, looking toward the sound.
Two figures swept into the village square, one after the other, like two wisps of green smoke.
The one in front was Wang Long-Arm, practically rolling and scrambling forward, his arms flailing like windmills. His face was covered in dust and sweat, yet his eyes shone frighteningly bright. Pointing toward Zichuan, his lips trembled so badly that he could barely speak.
And the man following behind him...
Zichuan's gaze narrowed slightly.
He was an exceptionally tall and brawny middle-aged man, appearing to be around forty or fifty. Yet his short hair was an eerie dark green, every strand standing upright like a steel needle.
He wore a simple dark gray martial outfit stretched taut by his muscles. He strode with the gait of a dragon and tiger, carrying a savage, domineering aura.
Most striking were his eyes, sharp as an eagle's. They were fixed on Zichuan, blazing so intensely that they seemed ready to burn two holes through him.
Just standing there, he radiated an invisible pressure. The surrounding villagers instinctively backed away, while the children hid behind the adults in fright, scarcely daring to breathe.
"S-Sect Master! It's him! Zichuan!" Wang Long-Arm rushed over, panting heavily. His face was filled with barely restrained ecstasy and the desire to claim credit.
The green-haired man ignored him. In a few strides, he reached Zichuan's side and lowered his head. His hawk-like eyes swept over Zichuan, lingering especially on his short hair, which had not fully recovered and still bore traces of red and green, as well as the Godly Trial marks not yet fully faded from his palms.
"Good! Good! Good!"
He said "good" three times in a row, his voice booming like a bell and making everyone's ears buzz. Then he threw back his head and laughed heartily, his laughter full of exhilaration and triumphant satisfaction.
"Hahaha! Dual Heart Martial Soul! Innate Full Soul Power! Heaven favors my Body Sect! My Body Sect is destined to rise!"
After laughing his fill, he abruptly stopped and looked down at Zichuan again, his gaze like lightning. "Kid, this old man is Du Busi, the current Sect Master of the Body Sect!"
Du Busi.
Zichuan silently repeated the name. So it really was him—the boss of the Body Sect, a Rank 98 Super Douluo whose martial soul was one of the most powerful Body Martial Souls: the body itself.
He was domineering and fiercely protective of his own. His actions were neither wholly righteous nor wholly evil, making him a ruthless figure even Shrek Academy had to fear.
"This junior, Zichuan, greets Senior Du." Zichuan gave a respectful bow. His manners were impeccable, but his back remained straight.
"Zichuan? A fine name!"
Du Busi waved a large hand. His fan-sized palm nearly landed on Zichuan's shoulder before stopping in midair, as though he feared his strength might damage this precious treasure.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. His smile was domineering and direct.
"From today onward, this old man will be your teacher!"
It was not a question or a discussion. It was a direct declaration, carrying an unquestionable, matter-of-fact dominance.
In his eyes, anyone with a Body Martial Soul—especially a top-tier one—was born to belong to the Body Sect! Not to mention this unprecedented Dual Heart Martial Soul.
This was an unparalleled genius tailor-made for the Body Sect! No, a monster!
Before Zichuan could speak, the God of Destruction's voice sounded in his mind first, carrying a somewhat lofty assessment.
"Du Busi? An interesting name. Rank 98, martial soul is the body... Hm, among humans of this level, he is passable. His aura is solid, and his foundation is fairly stable, but his path is a little wild and lacks systematic refinement. As someone to guide you in the early stages, he barely qualifies."
Zichuan: "..."
A Rank 98 Super Douluo, a being at the pinnacle of combat power on the continent, was merely "passable" and "barely qualified" in this old man's eyes?
But on second thought, it made sense. This was once a God King who wielded the authority of destruction in the God Realm. Though he had fallen on hard times, his perspective remained.
In his eyes, even a Rank 98 might not amount to much. Perhaps not even a Rank 99 Limit Douluo would be worthy of notice.
Before you continue