Sizzle sizzle sizzle--!
The dark red and malevolent energy clashed violently with the power of the three fused domains, resulting in their annihilation!
Xuan Ming's body became the most brutal battlefield!
Externally, the Sea God's Light, powerful enough to crush even Titled Douluo, was relentlessly destroying his physical body.
Inside, the frenzied backlash from the evil thoughts of the Blood Spear was assaulting his soul.
He himself mobilized all the power at his disposal—the false Level 90 Soul Power, the energy of the dragon bone, the Life force of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, and the three fusion domains—to fight against enemies both inside and outside, and frantically guide the Sea God's Light to temper the essence of the Blood Spear!
Bo Saixi stood not far away, watching the figure who was covered in blood in the golden frenzy, whose bones were making a teeth-grinding sound, yet who was still suppressing the fierce spear and frantically tempering himself. In his eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, there was an unprecedented shock and... a trace of indescribable emotion.
This young man is simply... insane!
But strangely enough, in this madman, she seemed to see something... a possibility that even gods might tremble over...
"..."
In the Divine Realm, within a magnificent temple.
Within the mirror of light, Xuan Ming's extremely tragic yet insanely resolute cultivation scene was clearly presented to the five God King.
The atmosphere inside the temple became somewhat somber.
"This kid... he's a complete madman." The God of Evil's usual playful smile vanished, replaced by a look of surprise and seriousness in his eyes. "Doesn't he know that his methods, if not handled carefully, could result in utter annihilation?"
The Goddess of Life's exquisite face was filled with pity and worry. She gently shook her head. "This is too reckless... His body is on the verge of collapse, held together only by his willpower and the essence of the Blue Silver Emperor. In this state, he could completely disintegrate at any moment."
The God of Destruction, surrounded by purple lightning, remained silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "But it cannot be denied that this method... is effective. Under extreme pressure, the chaotic will within that ferocious spear is being rapidly consumed and purified. Although the process is brutal, if he can withstand it, the gains will be enormous."
The Godess of Kindness's gentle gaze held a hint of complexity. "He chose the most difficult, and also the most thorough, path. Not for shortcuts, but for... absolute control. He was unwilling to place his hopes on others, even if that person was the Silver Dragon King, whose fate was intertwined with his own."
At this point, the gazes of the several God King all turned to the Asura God.
The Asura God remained expressionless, but a subtle, almost imperceptible fluctuation flickered deep within his cold, blood-red eyes.
The First Trial he set [ Reshape the Will, Absolute Control] was not actually intended for Xuan Ming to complete this nearly impossible task alone.
Just as the God of Evil had guessed, the true purpose of the Asura God was to test the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena!
To test whether she was willing to pay a huge price for Xuan Ming —to use the power of her Creation Godhead nature, which originated from the Dragon God and, although fallen from the God Realm, still possessed the potential to become God King, to help Xuan Ming purify the filth and resentment in the Blood Spear and reshape its core will.
This is the simplest and safest way to resolve the potential backlash from the Blood Spear.
The Asura God wanted to see if the Silver Dragon King was truly willing to go to such lengths for this human.
This concerns her future stance and choices, as well as the ultimate outcome of the problems left behind by the Dragon God.
He never expected that Xuan Ming would not consider using the Silver Dragon King's power at all, but instead chose the most brutal, difficult, and dangerous path!
Chapter 315 Departure Without Saying Goodbye
" Asura," the Godess of Kindness looked at the Asura God, his gentle voice ringing out, "Perhaps you need to adjust your initial intentions. He did not choose the shortcut you had planned."
The Asura God remained silent for a moment, his icy gaze sweeping over the figure struggling between Destruction and rebirth in the mirror of light, before slowly speaking, "Stubborn to the end."
His voice remained cold, but the few God King who knew him well could detect a rare hint of... helplessness in that icy tone.
Yes, there's nothing we can do about it.
Xuan Ming's choice completely disrupted his plans.
Poseidon did not want to give up the position of the Sea God inherited from Xuan Ming, and neither did Asura. He had observed Xuan Ming more closely, and if he really wanted to get rid of this kid, he would have done so back in the Slaughter City.
With just a wisp of his divine thought, he could awaken Tang Chen and let that guy directly resolve the matters concerning Xuan Ming, and even the Silver Dragon King and the Dragon Clan. He could simply set Tang Chen as the Ninth Trial.
Having completed the Eighth Trial, Tang Chen, now possessing the Asura Body, along with the Asura Demon Sword, is more than capable of eliminating any hidden dangers on Douluo Star, and all he needs to do is issue a single command.
But he didn't.
In his eyes, Xuan Ming was far more qualified than Tang Chen to inherit his Asura God Position.
" Poseidon," the Asura God's gaze shifted to the somewhat guilty Sea God beside him, "You need to find a way to subtly hint to him. Tell him that the Silver Dragon King's power can solve this problem, there's no need for such... reckless actions."
Upon hearing this, Sea God Poseidon, gave a wry smile, " Asura, it's not that I don't want to help... but hinting now is probably too late, and might even have the opposite effect."
Several God King looked at him.
Poseidon shrugged and said helplessly, "You've all seen it, this kid's incredibly stubborn. He's already on the path of tempering, and he's seeing tangible results and hope. If I were to tell him to stop training now, that his girlfriend could easily help him out, do you think he'd listen to me, given his personality?"
"Not only will he not listen, but he might also see it as an insult, Negation of his efforts and choices. His rebellious nature will erupt, and he will only become more insane."
"This kid seeks absolute control over his own power, and what he hates most is the intervention of uncontrollable external forces, even if those forces are well-intentioned."
Poseidon sighed, "This path, though dangerous, is one he forged himself, the most suitable path for him. Now he has to walk it alone."
Silence fell over the temple.
The God King once again turned their gaze to the mirror of light.
In the mirror, Xuan Ming continued to struggle, temper, and resist under that hellish pressure. Each collapse and reconstruction of his body was accompanied by a heart-stopping tragedy and unwavering determination.
The Asura God watched this scene, and in the end, he only gave a cold snort and said nothing more.
He knew that Poseidon was right.
This young man named Xuan Ming, through his madness and determination, has forcibly shifted the focus of the test from the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena back to... himself.
This assessment has completely transformed into the ultimate test of his personal will, potential, and magnanimity.
Whether he will succeed is anyone's guess.
But at least, he earned the respect of all the God King, including the Asura God.
Three days and three nights later.
Above the Nine Heavens Mysterious Steps, the golden torrent, which seemed almost tangible, suddenly experienced a violent fluctuation.
A figure covered in blood, almost unrecognizable, was suddenly thrown out of the middle and fell downwards like a kite with a broken string.
The Soul Power fluctuations that had been forcibly raised to the level of Titled Douluo around him had completely dissipated, his aura was extremely weak, and his body was covered with spider web-like cracks, like porcelain that would shatter at the slightest touch.
It was Xuan Ming.
He eventually exhausted all his strength and could no longer maintain that terrifying height of 888 levels, and was forcibly expelled by the Sea God's Light.
A magnificent red figure appeared silently in mid-air, its gentle yet vast aura supporting his falling body.
Looking at the young man in her arms, who was almost completely crushed but stubbornly maintained a sliver of life under the nourishment of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone's boundless Life, Bo Saixi's deep eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, flashed with an extremely complex light—shock, confusion, and an indescribable... moved feeling.
She carefully led him back to the foot of Sea God Mountain, to that pristine white sand beach.
" Xuan Ming!"
"How is he?!"
Ning Rongrong, Hu Liena, Zhu Zhuqing and the others who had been anxiously waiting immediately surrounded him. When they saw Xuan Ming's miserable state, they all turned pale and their eyes were filled with worry and heartache.
"His strength is exhausted, his body and mind are severely overdrawn, and he's on the verge of collapse." Bo Saixi's voice remained ethereal, yet tinged with a hint of gravity. "Fortunately, he has a powerful Life force supporting him, so his life is not in danger, but he needs time to recover."
Everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief, but their mood remained heavy.
Shui Bing'er looked around, then suddenly frowned and asked, "By the way, where's Gu Yuena? Wasn't her assessment supposed to be assisting Xuan Ming? Xuan Ming is so badly injured, where did she go?"
The room fell silent immediately upon hearing this.
Only then did everyone realize that they had not seen Gu Yuena since Xuan Ming began climbing the Nine Heavens Mysterious Steps.
Bo Saixi was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "She left Sea God Island on the very night she passed the God's Trial."
"What?!"
"They left?!"
"She's gone?! She ran away when Xuan Ming needed her most?!"
Ning Rongrong, Huo Wu, Hu Liena, and the others were instantly in an uproar, their faces filled with disbelief, anger, and confusion!
They couldn't understand! Gu Yuena's trial was clearly to assist Xuan Ming; their fates were intertwined, they were destined to live and die together! Why did she disappear without a trace, even leaving without saying goodbye, while Xuan Ming underwent such a dangerous test?!
"How could she do this!" Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened with anger, and her voice trembled with tears.
"I thought she..." Dugu Yan gritted her teeth, but couldn't bring herself to say the rest.
Even the usually aloof Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling showed obvious dissatisfaction and confusion in their eyes.
Looking at the indignant and emotional girls, Bo Saixi offered no further explanation. She simply settled the unconscious Xuan Ming carefully and quietly left.
Another three days and three nights passed.
Under the nurturing of the Ice and Fire Dragon Origin Head Crown, the slow recovery of the dragon bone energy, and the powerful Life repairing the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, Xuan Ming finally awoke from his deep coma.
He opened his eyes, his icy blue pupils revealing a hint of weariness that was hard to conceal, but more than that, a bottomless calm.
He immediately sensed the Blood Spear within his body.
After three days and three nights of hellish tempering, the aura of the Blood Spear did indeed undergo a subtle change.
The overwhelming ferocity seemed to have had some of its edges smoothed out, and the chaotic, roaring pseudo-soul within the spear seemed to have quieted down a bit. Although it was still violent, it did show some signs of being "purified".
However... it's too slow.
At this rate, let alone three months, even thirty years might not be enough to truly " Reshape the Will."
He needs more pressure! He needs to activate the Sea God's Light more efficiently!
He needs to... ascend to even higher levels of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Steps!
Level 900? Or even... Level 1000?
But that requires even greater power to support it. If the power of the dragon bone were to be unleashed at full force, it might allow him to possess a false Soul Power comparable to Level 99 Peerless Douluo for a short period of time. However, given his current physical and mental state, it would be impossible for him to control that level of power. Forcing it would only result in his instant self-collapse.
Moreover, he vaguely sensed that this test of " Reshape the Will " itself seemed to have some... simpler solution.
The rules of the God's Trial did not completely block external forces, especially... the power from Gu Yuena.
He roughly guessed the deeper purpose behind setting up this test—to force the Silver Dragon King to take action and test her attitude.
However, unless he had no other choice, he did not have the habit of relying on others.
Gu Yuena...
Xuan Ming raised his head and gazed at the bright night sky.
I hope everything goes well for her.
For the next month, Xuan Ming was caught in a frenzied cycle.
Recovery, climbing, tempering, exhaustion, rebound, near death, recovery again...
He precisely chose a step between seven hundred and eight hundred, guiding the Sea God's Light to frantically polish the Blood Spear. His body constantly teetered on the brink of collapse, relying on the energy of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone and the Dragon Bone to forcibly repair itself.
The cycle repeats itself endlessly, bordering on self-torture.
Ning Rongrong and the others went from shock and anger to silence and repression, eventually turning into numbness and awe. They could only desperately complete their assessments so as not to become a burden.
Even the gods of the Divine Realm remained unusually silent.
Xuan Ming's tragic and resolute actions exceeded their expectations.
One month and ten days later, Xuan Ming awoke again.
Less than fifty days remain. Although the Blood Spear has undergone a slight purification, the progress is far from sufficient.
He sat silently on the beach, his hands outstretched, the Blood Spear hovering quietly. The spear remained ferocious, but the mad will deep within it revealed a trace of fatigue and "emptiness," as if stubborn dirt had been polished away to reveal a tiny "clean" area.
"External tempering is too inefficient... Refining from the outside in makes it difficult to reach the core..."
An even crazier, more dangerous idea took shape in his mind.
Since working from the outside in is too slow...
Why not...
From the inside out?
His gaze returned to the Nine Heavens Mysterious Steps, but no longer with the resolute determination to climb, but with a kind of... profound light that seemed to want to completely devour and merge it into himself.
He needs a stronger Sea God's Light, not to suppress it, but... to draw it into his body and directly attack the core of the Blood Spear from within!