Nine Trials of Destruction

Hearing Shen Lian's question, Xu Tianxiang rubbed the dragon scale with his aged hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force, then continued:

"Back then, our ancestor moved the family here and used the Imperial Palace's authority to erect a barrier. Every brick and stone in this palace is sealed with ancient runes."

Xu Tianxiang's voice seemed to come from the depths of ancient time as he continued speaking to Shen Lian:

"Lian, you must understand that the road to godhood has never been smooth. When the first two ancestors stepped into the light screen, agonized screams erupted from their bodies. In the end, they turned into specks of starlight and vanished into the void. Lian, are you afraid?"

Shen Lian's Adam's apple bobbed, but he still stood tall and said to Xu Tianxiang:

"Grandfather, I'm not afraid."

A blazing fire burned in Shen Lian's eyes, a determination far beyond his years.

The instant Xu Tianxiang set the dragon scale into the groove, the entire palace shook violently.

The roar of turning gears rose from beneath the floor tiles, as though a giant beast that had slept for a thousand years was awakening.

The ground split open in web-like cracks. Dark blue light seeped out and gradually gathered into a staircase leading underground.

A damp, frigid chill rushed toward them. Shen Lian sharply noticed eerie green flames flickering within the skulls embedded along both sides of the stairs.

"These are all people who failed while attempting to enter the Inheritance Land."

Xu Tianxiang's voice echoed through the hollow tunnel, stirring wave after wave of echoes, before he continued:

"Every hundred years, one flame in the skulls goes out, signifying that the power of the Divine Seat's inheritance is fading."

At the end of the passage, the light screen flowed like liquid mercury. Its surface shimmered with rainbow hues, yet it faintly exuded a murderous aura.

Then Xu Tianxiang said to Shen Lian:

"Lian, this is the place. Use your Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul, then try to pass through the light screen. As long as you can enter it, you'll have a chance to obtain the inheritance."

Shen Lian took a deep breath. The Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Martial Soul possessed him in an instant. Dark purple scales covered his body, enormous dragon wings unfurled from his back, and a terrifying pressure filled the air.

The moment his fingertips touched the light screen, the entire space suddenly froze.

Xu Tianxiang's eyes widened. The light screen twisted like a living thing as countless golden runes burst from Shen Lian's fingertips, resonating with the patterns on the screen.

Boom!

With a deafening explosion, the light screen was torn open by a crack. Shen Lian's figure gradually became transparent within the radiance until he vanished completely.

The old man dropped to his knees, trembling as murky tears spilled from his eyes.

"Ancestors above, the Xu Family has waited for hundreds of years. At last, this day has come!"

Xu Tianxiang stared at the empty light screen, as though he could see his ancestor Xu Zhantian standing amid the clouds and nodding at him in gratification.

At that moment, the ground across the entire Imperial Palace trembled slightly. A colossal purple dragon silhouette emerged in the sky, announcing to the world the beginning of a new era.

Xu Tianxiang leaned against the stone wall before the light screen, his clouded eyes fixed without blinking upon that shifting rainbow radiance.

Trembling, he took an ancient pocket watch from his robes. The Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon totem carved upon its cover had long since faded, but it still radiated majesty.

"Ancestors, protect him. Lian must return safely."

Xu Tianxiang muttered to himself, his voice echoing through the empty tunnel and making the cobwebs on the walls tremble.

Elsewhere, the instant Shen Lian stepped into the Inheritance Land, an icy chill shot up his spine and into his skull.

When his vision cleared, the sight before him made him draw a sharp breath.

An altar suspended in the void was built from pitch-black Basalt. Its surface was covered in golden patterns that twisted like veins, with dark blue arcs of lightning occasionally jumping between them.

Behind the altar stood a staircase that stretched beyond sight toward the vault above. Eternal azure flames burned on either side, illuminating the surroundings like an inferno.

Shen Lian's gaze finally settled on the top of the stairs.

There lay a colossal creature over a hundred zhang long. Its dark purple scales gleamed with a cold metallic luster, each one as large as a millstone.

The giant beast slept deeply, every breath raising howling gales that stirred the tiny motes of starlight floating through the air.

"So it really is the million-year Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon Grandfather mentioned."

Shen Lian clenched his fists, his heart pounding like a drum.

The pressure radiating from the Purple Imperial Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon was a hundred times more terrifying than he had imagined.

Suppressing the shock in his heart, Shen Lian walked toward the center of the altar.

The ground groaned beneath his feet as if unable to bear the weight. The golden patterns seemed to come alive, climbing upward from the soles of his boots.

The instant his palm pressed against the altar's stone pillar, the icy touch carried a faint tremor, as though a sleeping beast were hidden within it.

Buzz—

A piercing hum erupted without warning, and purple light burst from the surface of the stone pillar like an erupting volcano.

The glare forced Shen Lian to close his eyes. He only felt a vast power surge up his arm and crash straight into his Consciousness Sea.

In a daze, he seemed to see countless planets exploding throughout the universe and feel the cycle of all things, from birth to destruction.

"Congratulations. You have obtained the Nine Trials of Destruction."

A majestic voice exploded within Shen Lian's Consciousness Sea, carrying endless age and immensity, then continued:

"Pass the nine trials, and you shall inherit the God of Destruction's Divine Seat, wielding dominion over the birth and death of the universe."

At the same time, a burning pain flared between Shen Lian's brows.

A Purple Flame Mark slowly appeared. The patterns of its flames writhed like living creatures, casting an eerie yet captivating glow over his face.

He raised his hand to touch the mark. The sensation at his fingertips was both real and illusory, as though the mark had always existed in the depths of his soul.

Meanwhile, at the center of the God Realm, Lake of Eternity rippled with dazzling light. The Star Core sleeping at its bottom pulsed with a gentle glow, making the Glazed Palaces floating nearby appear dreamlike.

The God of Destruction reclined against a throne forged from obsidian. His deep purple hair cascaded down like a waterfall as his fingers absentmindedly played with a dark golden divine rune. Suddenly, his entire body shuddered, and a startled gleam flashed through his eyes.

"Little Purple?"

The Goddess of Life paused what she was doing. Her emerald skirt swept across the starlight scattered over the ground, while the Vines entwined in her hair bloomed with pale golden flowers. Then she continued speaking to the God of Destruction:

"Why is your face so pale?"

She lifted her jade-like hand, gathering a trace of life force as she sought to examine him.

The God of Destruction abruptly rose to his feet. The lava pool beneath his throne churned and boiled, crimson magma splashing onto the vault overhead and solidifying into shattered dragon shapes.

"Douluo Planet's Inheritance Land... someone has triggered the Nine Trials of Destruction!"

His voice trembled uncontrollably. The divine rune spun madly in his palm, while a massive phantom of world-ending destruction appeared behind him.

The Goddess of Life's jade-green eyes widened suddenly, and the life force in her hand transformed into fireflies that filled the sky.

"Really?! Has a successor suited to your Divine Seat finally appeared?"

She took a step forward. The leaf-vein patterns upon her skirt glimmered faintly as she continued:

"If the inheritance succeeds, you'll be able to free yourself from the Divine Seat's restraints."