The Divine Realm was wreathed in clouds and mist.
Inside the towering Asura God Temple, the Asura God, clad in dark crimson divine armor, idly stroked his chin.
At that moment, the God of Destruction's attention was entirely fixed on the Goddess of Life. He had no time to guard against his "old rival" peeping at the lower realm.
Thus, the Asura God secretly activated the screen for observing events in the lower realm.
His blood-red eyes, which seemed capable of piercing through myriad worlds, narrowed slightly. His gaze penetrated the endless void and quietly turned toward the Douluo Continent below.
"Hmm? This boy's Soul Power has grown so quickly?"
Watching Lu Xuan cultivate cross-legged on the screen, the Asura God's eyes flashed with barely concealed astonishment, which soon became deep appreciation.
"Good, very good. Reaching Soul King in a year! He may still be young, but he can take his time with the divine trial!"
The Asura God nodded in satisfaction.
The Divine Seed mark he had left when Lu Xuan awakened his Martial Soul.
It had only given Lu Xuan an insignificant little reminder, yet the terrifying talent this boy displayed had far exceeded his expectations.
There was no time to lose!
The Asura God abruptly rose, transformed into a blood-red streak that tore through the sea of stars, and headed straight for the vibrant Life God Temple.
He had to discuss their next steps with the Goddess of Life immediately.
Back when Lu Xuan awakened his Martial Soul, he had drawn the attention of both him and Life, which had led to a misunderstanding on Destruction's part. After the three cleared up that misunderstanding.
They had reached an agreement to cooperate-once Lu Xuan's strength met the requirements, they would jointly grant him divine trials.
Not only that, they also planned to find a suitable successor for the God of Destruction along the way.
Preferably an exceptionally gifted girl, so they could pair her directly with Lu Xuan.
After all, life and destruction both sustained and restrained each other, and possessed an extremely rare and powerful joint divine skill in the Divine Realm!
If that divine skill, powerful enough to awe the universe, were lost with a change of successors.
Then the strength of the life and destruction faction would be greatly diminished.
Inside the Life God Temple, ancient trees towered into the sky, and flowers bloomed like brocade.
"This child's current strength and disposition are indeed sufficient for us to grant him divine trials."
The Goddess of Life closed her eyes and carefully sensed Lu Xuan's condition through the faint connection with the Divine Seed.
When she opened her eyes again, her gentle, waterlike gaze was filled with gratification.
"Then it's happily settled! I'll head back and prepare to bestow my divine trial. You should hurry and get started too!"
Decisive and swift, the Asura God tossed out those words before rushing away like a blood-red gale.
Watching his impatient retreating figure, the Goddess of Life gave a helpless little chuckle.
Then her hands formed an ancient, sacred seal before her chest, and she began communicating with the emerald Divine Seed rooted deep within Lu Xuan's body.
Douluo Continent, the Worship Hall in Spirit City.
Lu Xuan, who had been concentrating with his eyes closed, immersed in circulating his Soul Power, suddenly felt a warm pulse between his brows.
The next instant, the surrounding air seemed to be sucked away, and an irresistible, gentle force abruptly pulled his consciousness into an unknown dimension.
When Lu Xuan opened his eyes again, he found himself in a boundless emerald space.
It was filled with an aura of life so dense it had almost become liquid.
With every breath, countless streams of pure life energy seemed to cleanse his limbs and every bone in his body.
Directly ahead of him stood a woman in an emerald gown.
A gentle, sacred halo enveloped her, making her features impossible to distinguish.
Yet merely by standing there, she radiated a great maternal presence that embraced all things and nurtured all living beings.
"Where... am I?"
Lu Xuan looked around, his face full of bewilderment.
"Child."
A gentle, ethereal voice, seemingly capable of soothing every wound in the world, drifted through the space.
The woman raised her hand slightly, a hint of appraisal in her voice. "Let me ask you a question. In your eyes, what is the meaning of life's birth?"
"The meaning of life's birth?" Lu Xuan froze on the spot.
He was a swordsman. Every day, he thought about how to cleave someone in two and how to kill opponents above his level.
What was with this sudden ultimate philosophical interrogation? This question was completely outside the syllabus!
Could she switch to a question about swordsmanship or Soul Beasts' weaknesses?
Lu Xuan frantically scoured his mind for all the lofty principles he had read in his previous life and this one, but in the end, he abandoned those insincere flourishes.
He lifted his head, looked straight at that sacred figure, and candidly shook his head. "I don't know."
There was no lengthy discourse, no pretense of profundity, only the most genuine bewilderment.
Hearing this answer, the emerald figure did not grow angry. Instead, she gave a soft chuckle:
"Very good. Honesty is the first step toward facing your true heart. Then, on the journey ahead, use your eyes and your soul to seek the truth of life."
The instant her words fell, the entire emerald space shook violently!
"Life Nine Trials, begin!"
"What?! The life nine trials? My god, they're here already?"
Lu Xuan rubbed his hands vigorously in excitement, his eyes shining.
So even naughty children got candy!
Mom, you lied to me!
[Life nine trials, first trial: climb the life god tree! Time limit: 10 years!]
Accompanying the majestic, sacred proclamation, the void before Lu Xuan shattered with a crash.
An emerald-gold divine tree, so enormous that words could not describe it, rose from the ground!
Its roots seemed anchored at the far end of the universe, while its luxuriant branches and leaves thrust into the clouds. Every leaf glimmered with dazzling light of life, as brilliant as the stars.
That vast, boundless pressure of life made Lu Xuan feel an irresistible urge to prostrate himself in worship.
The emerald figure quietly withdrew to one side, watching Lu Xuan in silence and waiting for him to act.
However, just as Lu Xuan was about to examine the awe-inspiring life god tree carefully, a sudden change erupted!
The ceiling of the once-peaceful emerald space was forcibly ripped apart by a dazzling blood-red ray!
A terrifying aura of slaughter, like mountains of corpses and seas of blood, poured down like a waterfall, standing against the aura of life as its equal.
Immediately afterward, an icy, domineering voice filled with endless killing intent thundered in Lu Xuan's mind:
"Asura Nine Trials, begin!"
[Asura nine trials, first trial: cross Hell Road! Time limit: 5 years!]
"Holy shit?!" Lu Xuan nearly jumped in shock.
"Why's there another one? And the Asura nine trials at that! I don't even know which way Slaughter City's gates face!"
Lu Xuan was utterly thrown into disarray.
Normally, shouldn't a Soul Master first endure countless hardships in Slaughter City, emerge from Hell Road, and obtain the Slaughter Domain.
Only then would the Asura God take notice and bestow a divine trial?
I was just meditating peacefully in the Worship Hall. How did this Asura god trial land right on my head like a forced sale?
However, after that brief shock, Lu Xuan quickly calmed down, his mind racing.
The time limit for Life's first trial was ten years, while Asura's first trial allowed five.
Clearly, the Asura God was forcing him to complete the trial of Hell Road first.
With his current strength and trump cards, as long as he prepared thoroughly, emerging from Hell Road was a test he was almost one hundred percent certain to pass.
Having figured this out, Lu Xuan took a deep breath, turned toward the quiet emerald figure beside him, and scratched his head somewhat awkwardly as he asked:
"Um... can I leave here for now? I still have some unfinished business outside."
"Of course." The Goddess of Life's gentle voice sounded again, without the slightest displeasure at being neglected.
"You may enter this space at any time through the emerald seed in your consciousness. Throughout your divine trials, the doors to this space will always remain open to you."
"Thank you!"
Lu Xuan willed it.
The world of interwoven emerald and blood-red before him receded like the tide. The next second, he abruptly opened his eyes and returned to that familiar room in the Worship Hall.
Before you continue