The Final Trial: Facing God Rank

"As for those who take advantage of this opportunity to fish in troubled waters and only know how to fight for power and profit, let's clean them up too!"

The fact that the Holy Spirit Cult's plan went so smoothly was largely due to the efforts of those stakeholders in the Sea God Legion. If they hadn't intervened in the matter against the Yuanen Clan for their own power struggles, they wouldn't have been misled and only now realized the problem.

It was one thing if there wasn't a chance to purge them before, but now that these people have come forward, the Federation Speaker isn't going to let this opportunity slip by.

The Federation Speaker's words were filled with menace.

Yu Guanzhi didn't object at all; he simply nodded in agreement.

After discussing this matter, the two remained silent for a moment before Yu Guanzhi finally spoke first, "The Holy Spirit Cult's target for taking Yehui away is definitely the Demon Plane. They are actively preparing for war; war is imminent."

The Federation Speaker nodded slightly, glanced at the bustling Mingdu scenery outside the window, then turned back to Yu Guanzhi, "We can't just wait passively. After dealing with this matter, let the Sea God Legion launch a probing attack, target— Star Luo Empire!"

The Throne of Seal, the Eternal Domain.

Huo Yuhao returned to this place and looked at the person in front of him with some interest.

The man had thick, short, curly brown hair and wore armor that looked like it was carved from jade and shimmered with dazzling light.

Though not tall, he was extremely robust, with broad shoulders and a wide chest, a full beard, a red, bulbous nose, and brown eyes and hair. He held a giant axe in his left hand and a giant hammer in his right; the two weapons were terrifyingly large, and just standing there, they exuded an Formless sense of oppression.

King Easton is the last of the three artifact spirits of the Eternal Domain, and also the weakest in terms of sheer strength among them.

In Long Haochen's assessment, his part did not simply test martial prowess, but also involved intelligence and humanity to some extent.

The general plot is that the Throne of Seal gives Long Haochen incorrect clues, leading him to help King Easton's enemy, thus testing his judgment and decision-making ability when faced with conflicting information. Ultimately, Long Haochen does not blindly follow the clues but makes the correct choice based on his own observations and conscience, passing the test.

To be honest, Huo Yuhao was quite curious about what kind of test this person would give.

The tricks used against Long Haochen were useless against him. Whether someone was lying or good or evil, an old hand like him could not be seen through at a glance, but he would not be so easily fooled. Moreover, he knew in advance that the Throne of Seal would use this kind of "misleading" trick, and he was prepared.

More importantly, he had no obsession with the Throne of Seal.

Long Haochen still needs the power of the Throne of Seal to fight against the demons, consolidate his position, and become Divine Seal Knight to boost the morale of the human Federation, but he really doesn't care much.

The Throne of Seal was not his only trump card, nor did he ever place all his hopes on it.

This mindset allows him to face so-called tests of character and wisdom with ease, if not with complete mastery, at least to remain clear-headed and not lose himself to the power of the Throne of Seal.

The Lord of Eternity knows quite a bit about him and must be aware of his mindset. So, how should this final challenge be arranged?

Just as Huo Yuhao was pondering, King Easton spoke.

"Respected successor, before the third assessment begins, I would like to ask you a question."

Huo Yuhao gestured for them to proceed.

King Easton didn't mince words and asked directly, "I learned from the Lord of Eternity that you know Long Haochen, the former owner of the Throne of Seal. He was a very upright Kindness knight, and I had a good relationship with him. I'd like to know, compared to him, do you think you are more suitable to inherit the power of the throne?"

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow.

That's a really pointed question. It directly compares me to my ex who was acknowledged by the Lord of Eternity. It just doesn't feel right.

The issue becomes even more complicated when considering the Lord of Eternity.

However, although he hadn't seen it, he had heard that after the release of the second part of The Throne of Seal, Long Haochen became more abstract, and his reputation suffered.

Is it really appropriate for you to ask that question?

Thinking it over, Huo Yuhao didn't intend to make a fuss from that angle. After a moment's thought, he looked up and smiled, "King Easton, you and Senior Long Haochen have a close relationship, so you must know what his answer would be if faced with this question, right?"

King Easton was taken aback, then smiled wryly, "Strictly speaking, he was the first master of the Throne of Seal. Before him was the Creation God. The two are simply incomparable in terms of status and achievements."

"Yes, there's no comparison." Huo Yuhao said casually, his expression unchanged. "I also think there's no comparison between him and me. On the Holy Demon Continent, he was the most suitable successor at the time; on the Douluo Continent, I am the most suitable successor at this moment. That's enough."

Upon hearing this, King Easton frowned, not out of surprise, but because of the answer—

"You're a little disappointed with this answer. You think it's too ordinary?" Huo Yuhao smiled.

"Yes, it does feel somewhat ordinary."

King Easton did not deny it, "But you knew this might be part of a test, yet you didn't dwell on it too much, embellishing it, and gave a direct answer. This shows that while your answer wasn't elegant, it was genuine. I can even see from it that you don't have much of an obsession with the throne."

"This is a rare mindset, seldom seen among examinees throughout history."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "Now let's begin the final trial—defeat me within fifteen minutes!"

"???" Huo Yuhao looked at King Easton with a face full of question marks.

Is that right? Shouldn't you be issuing a series of tasks to test humanity, wisdom, and judgment?

Why did it suddenly turn into a combat skills test?

Furthermore, it's quite incongruous to have the martial arts assessment conducted by a spirit who is least skilled in martial arts.

Of course, Huo Yuhao wouldn't say it that way; being blunt would be hurtful. He chose to phrase it differently.

"The first two rounds were both tests of physical strength. Will the third round be the same?"

Upon hearing Huo Yuhao's question, a meaningful smile appeared on King Easton's rugged face.

"With your experience, ordinary tests of character are ineffective. You have no obsession with the throne, so what can I use to mislead you, test your judgment, or test your conscience? Many people fail the test of character simply because the pursuit of the throne blinds their minds, and you clearly don't fall for that. Rather than that, we'd be better off with a test of physical strength."

"And don't think this is easy. The one you're facing will be stronger than the Eternal Angel and the Holy Dragon."

As he spoke, he raised his giant axe high and murmured, "Lord of Eternity, grant me your supreme power."

The sky instantly turned a hazy white, and a powerful pressure pressed down on Huo Yuhao. King Easton's aura also began to rise rapidly.

Huo Yuhao sensed the other person's presence and raised an eyebrow.

Did they increase their strength by utilizing the Eternal Domain?

It seems to have reached a God Rank level.

King Easton's face revealed a hint of almost devout fanaticism, along with a barely perceptible excitement.

For years, the tests of martial prowess have always been conducted by Holy Dragon and Eternal Angel, leaving him to helplessly play the role of an NPC who seems to know nothing. This time, however, he can finally rise to prominence with the support of the Eternal Domain.

He is now God, King Easton!

"Examiner, watch out—I'm not the same person I was just chatting with you about a moment ago."

Before he could finish speaking, King Easton vanished from the spot.

Huo Yuhao's expression shifted slightly, and he instantly activated his Ice Empress Avatar, with the Heavenly Burning Divine Pestle appearing in his hand to block the giant axe slash coming from the front.

"Boom--!"

In that instant, Huo Yuhao felt not an "impact," but a mountain crashing down on him.

Where the giant axe and the divine pestle collided, a visible shockwave exploded outwards, sweeping outwards in a ring in all directions. Wherever the shockwave passed, the ground of the Eternal Domain was torn apart as if it were made of paper, and rubble and dust were swept into the air, only to be crushed into dust by the shockwave in the next instant.

Huo Yuhao was so shaken that he slid backward dozens of meters, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground.

"That was just a test. Examiner, show me your full strength, or else—"

King Easton's voice emanated from the emerald-green flames, carrying a sense of composure. He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was already clear.

Huo Yuhao steadied himself, looked down at the gaping wound on his hand, felt the power of King Easton, and then looked up at the other party.

Then he laughed.

"It doesn't seem too difficult?"

Although it's at the God Rank, it's only at the level of just breaking through to Level 100 —it can fight.

Upon hearing this, King Easton abruptly stopped speaking.

They actually think that facing a god and being required to defeat him within fifteen minutes is easy?

Listen to this, is this even human language?

"Using the power of the Lord of Eternity for a test, strictly speaking, it's practically the Lord of Eternity himself intervening—"

Huo Yuhao looked up at the sky, then turned his gaze back to King Easton. This time, he didn't hold back. He instantly activated his Reincarnation Avatar, and the "Spirit Pagoda" appeared beside him.

"Let me see what you've got."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Spirit Pagoda suddenly merged into Huo Yuhao's chest, and an astonishing aura began to brew.

After entering his Reincarnation Avatar, his aura, which was infinitely close to that of God Rank, surged once again, completely surpassing that level!

There are two ways to increase your strength in the Spirit Pagoda.

The first method is to increase the power of the released attack and pursue its upper limit. This method does not put a heavy burden on Huo Yuhao himself, but it puts a heavy burden on the Spirit Pagoda.

The second method involves enhancing Soul Power power through Spirit Pagoda and then using it personally. This places a greater burden on the body, but it is more flexible and can be maintained for a longer period compared to the first method.

Clearly, Huo Yuhao chose the latter this time.

The moment the Spirit Pagoda merged into his chest, he clearly felt a surge of immense power emanating from his core, spreading along his meridians to his limbs and bones. It wasn't an infusion of external power, but rather the Spirit Pagoda had "sublimated" his own Soul Power in some way—the quantity hadn't increased much, but the quality had undergone a complete transformation, with its strength directly reaching a level above Level 100!

Although it puts a strain on his body, given the Golden Body level he has achieved with his current Body Secret Art, the impact is not significant.

King Easton's expression froze slightly.

He sensed the change in that aura. If Huo Yuhao was just a mortal who was infinitely close to God Rank just now, then the person standing in front of him had already crossed that threshold in essence and was undoubtedly God Rank.

And it seems even more perfect than his situation.

After all, in terms of strength, Huo Yuhao is obviously stronger. After suddenly advancing to the God Rank, Huo Yuhao naturally has better control over his power.

However, King Easton was a man of great experience and quickly suppressed his shock.

"It seems we're back to square one. But even if you temporarily reach God Rank, you're still only on equal footing with me. Defeating me within fifteen minutes won't be so easy."

"On equal footing?" Huo Yuhao repeated those four words softly, a slight smile playing on his lips. "You've misunderstood."

He took a step forward.

The Power of Space surged, already upon King Easton. King Easton's pupils contracted, and he simultaneously swung down his giant axe and hammer.

At the same time, he unleashed his emerald green Life Domain, which instantly transformed into countless plant forms in the air and rushed towards Huo Yuhao.

Huo Yuhao flashed away, skillfully dodging the two enormous weapons. Then, he unleashed his Reincarnation Domain Reincarnation Domain, instantly devouring the energy that constituted the plants.

"How could this be?!"

King Easton was slightly taken aback, and his gaze towards Huo Yuhao's domain changed.

Unexpectedly, Huo Yuhao's domain, like Long Haochen's, naturally restrained him.

It seems the only option left is to rely on sheer strength.

As he was thinking this, he found himself suddenly frozen in place.

It's Huo Yuhao's Spatial Solidification!

Although King Easton quickly escaped, he also revealed a weakness and was unable to escape Huo Yuhao's pursuit.

A gigantic hand, glowing with crimson-gold flames, rapidly enlarged before his eyes.

The flames were clearly no ordinary flames; their temperature had transcended the realm of the mundane, scorching and distorting even the space around them, emitting a piercing hiss.

King Easton's pupils constricted sharply.

He instinctively raised his giant axe to block, holding the axe blade horizontally in front of him, and unleashed his full emerald green Divine Power, forming an energy shield on the axe blade.

"Boom--!"

The giant, crimson-gold hand slammed firmly onto the axe.

King Easton felt an overwhelming force coming from the axe.

But what was even more terrifying was the flames.

Golden flames licked the emerald shield on the axe's surface, hissing as they struck, like red-hot iron thrown into cold water. The shield thinned, cracked, and collapsed at a visible speed.

King Easton gritted his teeth, his feet carving two deep furrows in the ground, and he was pushed backward for dozens of meters.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, an Ultimate cold gust of air swept by and froze him.

Emperor Sword, Ice Ultimate Supremacy!

Extreme heat is followed by extreme cold, but Huo Yuhao did not stop for a moment and pressed his advantage.

With a variety of methods such as the Light of Destruction and Elemental Divine Lightning, he was not worried at all about his insufficient Soul Power.

The Source Core core inside the Spirit Pagoda continuously provides power. With this energy core, comparable to God Slaying Soul Cannon Shell, he is not worried about running out of power.

King Easton was caught off guard and felt as if their roles had been reversed.

Huo Yuhao was the examiner, and he was the one being tested. His goal was to last a quarter of an hour against the other party.

He is the one who has arrived!

What kind of rebellion is this?

In the distance, the Eternal Angel and the Holy Dragon had arrived at this place at some unknown time, and watched this scene together.

The former couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Although both King Easton and Master Easton reached God Rank through other means, King Easton's foundation is clearly inferior. At God Rank, the methods he can use are limited, far inferior to Master's. King Easton's defeat is only a matter of time, and with this intensity of battle, he probably won't fare well in the end."

The Holy Dragon chuckled, "He can only blame himself. The assessment was essentially about getting the three artifact spirits to accept their new master, and the Lord of Eternity has already tacitly agreed. He could have easily gone easy on us and just acted as a task issuer as before."

As a result of his memories of Long Haochen, he wanted to increase the difficulty of the final challenge to the level he faced when Lord Long Haochen confronted you. Now he's in a bind.

Contrary to Huo Yuhao's expectations, this assessment, though said to be the one involving the Lord of Eternity, was actually more a test of King Easton's initiative.

Back then, in the final challenge, Long Haochen faced the Eternal Angel, empowered by the Eternal Domain. He was required to hold out for a quarter of an hour, and he won within that time. Although he relied on Long Haochen Sun and Long Haochen Sun Moon Divine Snail Shield's power, comparable to Super Divine Tool, during the alternation of the Sun Moon Empire, he still won.

King Easton felt that the final challenge for the second throne holder couldn't be any easier than the one Long Haochen faced, which led to this whole situation.

Unfortunately, while this one doesn't yet possess Super Divine Tool, its performance is even more outrageous.