Gu Yue bid Chen Ye farewell and set out alone on a new journey. The sea breeze brushed her cheeks, bringing a trace of salty dampness, yet it could not dispel the gravity between her brows.
The moment she left Senluo Island, a vast, icy voice rang out within her Sea of Consciousness.
"Nine Destruction Trials. Fifth Trial, commence."
Gu Yue stopped, a sharp glint flashing through her silver eyes. The God of Destruction's divine trials were utterly unlike the Goddess of Life's gentle ones, filled instead with deadly severity and ruthless resolve.
"Trial objective: cleanse the Netherworld Valley."
"Location: Douluo Continent, Netherworld Valley."
"Targets: eliminate the Evil Soul Masters corrupted by both the Abyssal Will and their own desires."
Gu Yue frowned slightly. She had heard of the Netherworld Valley, one of the most notorious gathering places for Evil Soul Masters on the Douluo Continent. What puzzled her, however, was why eliminating Evil Soul Masters would become part of a divine trial.
As though seeing through her confusion, the icy voice continued its explanation:
"Ordinary Evil Soul Masters merely practice evil arts and possess warped dispositions. But the Evil Soul Masters in the Netherworld Valley have been eroded by the will of the Abyss Plane."
"Their desires have been amplified without limit, their reason utterly devoured, turning them into puppets of the Abyssal Will."
"They are no longer mere Evil Soul Masters, but the vanguard of the Abyss's invasion of the Douluo Continent."
"If left unchecked, they will become a cancer threatening the entire plane."
"Destruction is not simply slaughter."
"Destruction serves rebirth. It clears away the rot that obstructs the world's balance."
"Your task is to use the Power of Destruction to purify this polluted land."
As Gu Yue listened, the confusion in her eyes gradually gave way