The Sea God pondered for a moment, a trace of solemnity in his voice. "I can permit you to undertake my divine trials, but there are conditions. First, if you complete four trials, you may obtain the Sea God's Light without undergoing all nine. After all, I already have someone in mind for the inheritance of the nine trials."
He paused, then declared proudly, enunciating every word, "That boy's name is Tang San."
Cheng Ran (Qian Renxue) remained expressionless. "Oh."
"But do you know what state Tang San is in now? You severed his chance to obtain Immortal Herbs and seized his self-created cultivation technique. That child now cultivates without any proper method, studying under a mediocre man... I have observed his fortune. It is already plunging a thousand miles in a single torrent. How is he any different from rotten wood?"
Displeasure colored the Sea God's voice. "Hmph. The promising seedling I chose has nearly been turned into a cripple by you."
Cheng Ran (Qian Renxue) maintained the same expression, thirty percent sincere and seventy percent humblebragging. "Lord Sea God, you exaggerate. I was helping temper his resolve. I'm sharing the burden of educating him with you.
"Look how hard he works now. That's what they call finding courage after knowing shame.
"Taking a step back, if he really had the ability, could I have plucked his opportunities away?
"Setting aside the fact that those opportunities were destined for me, is Tang San entirely blameless?
"Besides, if your chosen seedling fades into obscurity just like that, he isn't qualified to inherit the Sea God Godhood anyway."
The Sea God kept feeling that something was not quite right with Qian Renxue's logic. "Little angel, you're quite good at comforting gods. Don't do it again."
He did not dwell on it,