This young man repeatedly charged into desperate situations, creating miracles and carving out a path out of the impossible. His tenacity, madness, determination, and deep-seated pride far exceeded her understanding and touched her long-dormant heart.
But only for a moment, a hint of sadness flashed in Bo Saixi's eyes, and the tremor subsided. She held Xuan Ming and slowly landed back on the ground.
Ning Rongrong, Hu Liena, and the others immediately surrounded him. Seeing Xuan Ming's more miserable state than ever before, they all turned pale and had tears in their eyes, but dared not make a sound, for fear of disturbing Bo Saixi's treatment.
Bo Saixi ignored everyone else, focusing all her attention on Xuan Ming. Vast Soul Power poured into him, carefully repairing his battered body. The Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, replenished by this energy, began to function again.
This time, Xuan Ming was unconscious for five days and five nights.
With Bo Saixi's help, nurtured by the self-regulating Ice and Fire Divine Crown, and slowly revived by the incredible Life of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone and the energy of the Dragon Bone, Xuan Ming's shattered body was finally pulled back from the brink of death once again.
His eyelashes trembled slightly as he struggled to open his eyes.
What came into view was Bo Saixi's face, so close yet so beautiful, tinged with an undeniable weariness.
A very subtle hint of surprise flashed in Xuan Ming's icy blue eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
He struggled to sit up, but Bo Saixi gently pressed him down.
"Don't move," her voice was ethereal, yet gentler, "Your body still needs to be steadyed."
Xuan Ming paused for a moment, then did as instructed and remained still.
He could clearly feel the terrible state of his body. Every time he pushed to his limit before, at the last moment before his Soul Power was completely exhausted and he was about to be thrown back, the Ice Dragon King would always leave a thin layer of protective energy for him in advance, barely resisting the most ferocious backlash from the Blood Spear at that moment.
But this time, in order to help him forcibly fuse with the Sea God's Heart, the power of the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King's dragon Soul Power was over-consumed, and they have fallen into a deep slumber. The energy of the dragon bones is also almost exhausted.
He was caught completely off guard, and directly faced the Blood Spear's long-suppressed, even more ferocious and violent counterattack after his Soul Power was instantly depleted!
Although the final repulsive impact of the Sea God's Light wasn't the strongest due to the presence of the Ice and Fire Divine Crown, the Blood Spear's frenzied backlash, originating from his soul's instincts, nearly tore his core consciousness apart.
Bo Saixi's vast yet gentle Soul Power was firmly protecting his heart and Spiritual Origin, resisting the impact of the remaining malevolent energy of the Blood Spear, and guiding the Life of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone to slowly repair the wounds.
Xuan Ming looked up at Bo Saixi and said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you."
Bo Saixi shook her head slightly, her gaze falling on the now drastically altered Ice and Fire Divine Crown on his forehead, her expression complex. "Was it worth it?"
So close! Just a hair's breadth away!
If the fusion had been completed even a fraction slower, Xuan Ming would have faced the full force of the Sea God's Light and the backlash from the Blood Spear. The former would have shattered his body, while the latter could have truly killed him!
"It's always been like this, there's no question of whether it's worth it or not," Xuan Ming said calmly.
Bo Saixi was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
Looking into his calm, unwavering eyes and listening to his seemingly casual yet Qian Jun words, the subtle ripples that had just subsided in her heart began to swell uncontrollably once more, even more clearly than before.
This has always been how it's been...
Behind this statement lies unimaginable cruelty and hardship.
She remained silent for a moment, then slowly withdrew her gaze, saying nothing more. However, the Soul Power she continued to channel seemed to have become gentler.
After a long while, with Bo Saixi's help, Xuan Ming's condition finally stabilized. He slowly closed his eyes again and began to actively guide the remaining power within his body, cooperating with the external assistance to carry out a deeper level of healing and recovery.
Bo Saixi slowly walked out of the room, looking at the girls not far away who were being stimulated by Xuan Ming and frantically trying to break through to the Nine Heavens Mysterious Steps, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"It's so good to be young..."
The sea breeze carries the soft murmur of distant waves, yet it cannot dispel the silent solemnity and... that subtle, complex, and indescribable stirring within this place.
After another day and night of deep meditation, and with the continuous nourishment of Bo Saixi's Soul Power and the powerful Life repairing the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, Xuan Ming's nearly shattered body miraculously recovered once again.
When he stood up again and walked towards the towering staircase, Ning Rongrong and the others looked at him with expressions that were beyond description.
Worry, admiration, and even a touch of numbness.
They couldn't say anything, they couldn't do anything, they could only watch.
Xuan Ming once again pushed himself to his current limit. The familiar, terrifying pressure, enough to crush fine steel, surged from all directions, squeezing his body and stagnating the flow of his Soul Power.
The pressure has not lessened in the slightest.
However, when Xuan Ming tried to circulate his Soul Power and guide the golden energy to wash over the restless Blood Spear within his body, the situation changed dramatically.
Buzz--!
The Ice and Fire Divine Crown on his forehead glowed slightly, with red, blue, and gold light flowing around it. The originally violent and untamed Sea God's Light seemed to encounter a power of the same origin when it came into contact with the subtle aura emanating from the Ice and Fire Divine Crown, which was fused with the essence of the Sea God's Heart, and its resistance was greatly reduced.
More importantly, Xuan Ming could clearly sense that an unprecedented and extremely faint "connection" seemed to have been established between himself and the Sea God's Light.
It is no longer simply a matter of being oppressed and rejected, but rather a clearer perception of the vast purifying power contained within, and even the ability to guide Sisi pure energy within to more precisely and efficiently flush towards the core of the Blood Spear.
laugh--!
The moment that carefully guided, incredibly condensed golden purifying energy touched the Blood Spear, the spear trembled violently and emitted a sharp buzzing sound!
The chaotic, roaring pseudo-soul inside seemed to be scalded by a red-hot iron, emitting even more shrill and frenzied howls. But in contrast, the ferocious aura that had gathered countless killings and resentments was rapidly melted and purified, like ice and snow meeting the sun!
Efficiency far surpasses anything seen before!
If the previous external pressure and tempering with the Sea God's Light was like polishing a piece of hard, stubborn iron with rough sandpaper, it was laborious and slow.
Now, it's like having a precise carving knife, capable of delivering the power of purification directly into the most vulnerable and chaotic nodes within the stubborn iron, disintegrating it from the inside!
The progress is several times faster!
Xuan Ming no longer hesitated, and fully activated his Soul Power, carefully maintaining the resonance with the Ice and Fire Divine Crown, precisely guiding wisps of Sisi Sea God's Light to continuously cleanse and purify the Blood Spear.
Time ticked by, second by second.
Xuan Ming was immersed in this highly efficient purification process. He could feel the resistance of the Blood Spear weakening, and the chaotic core of its will was being purified and weakened Sisi.
but...
A day later, when Xuan Ming was exhausted again and forced to withdraw from the Sea God's Light, he carefully sensed the state of the Blood Spear, his brows furrowed tightly.
At this rate, to completely purify and reshape the chaotic will of the Blood Spear, and achieve true "absolute control"...
It will take at least three years!
He, however, only had one month left.
Time is still far from enough.
The enormous gap, like an insurmountable chasm, looms before us.
One month, compared to three years.
This is a despairing proportion.
Xuan Ming sat silently on the beach, recovering his Soul Power. His icy blue eyes gazed at the towering staircase, his deep gaze showing no discouragement or surrender, only cold calculation and... an even more resolute madness.
Conventional methods have reached their limit.
He needs... faster! more ruthless! more extreme methods!
Even if... there's no chance of survival.
In the Divine Realm, within a magnificent temple.
Within the mirror of light, Xuan Ming's tightly furrowed brows were clearly reflected as he carefully sensed the state of the Blood Spear after withdrawing from the Sea God's Light, along with the fleeting, cold, calculating solemnity between his brows.
The atmosphere inside the temple became somewhat subtle.
"..."
The God of Evil abandoned his usual playful smile, lightly tapping his fingers on the armrest of his throne, breaking the silence. "I say... everyone, shouldn't we reassess the difficulty of this First Trial?"
His gaze swept over the other God King, finally settling on the cold profile of the Asura God.
"This kid has already proven himself, in his own way, to be a piece of cake, and a piece of cake that's harder than anyone could have imagined." The God of Evil's tone carried a rare hint of seriousness.
"He found a way to utilize the Sea God's Light, and even forcibly borrowed a portion of the power from the Sea God's Heart, increasing the purification efficiency several times over. This has far exceeded our initial expectations."
He paused, his voice lowering slightly. "But the problem is, the starting point of this mission is inherently impossible. Three months to purify a ferocious weapon that has devoured the accumulated essence of the Slaughter City a thousand years? Even if the efficiency is multiplied several times, turning what was completely impossible into a theoretically slim hope, that hope... is still almost nonexistent."
Time is the greatest insurmountable barrier.
Xuan Ming wasn't powerless to solve the problem; it was just that the restrictions they imposed were too harsh.
This matter was never something Xuan Ming could resolve from the beginning. The Asura was testing wasn't Xuan Ming, but Gu Yuena!
Chapter 318 The Will of the Blood Spear
The Goddess of Life spoke softly, her voice tinged with deep compassion. "He has done enough, even... too much. The pain and risks he has endured have far exceeded the true meaning of the assessment itself. Continuing will only be meaningless torture and exhaustion. His will needs no further proof; his potential has already been revealed. Perhaps... it's time to adjust the rules and give him a real chance of survival?"
The Godess of Kindness cast his gentle gaze upon the Asura God. Though he did not speak, the meaning in his eyes was self-evident.
The God of Destruction, surrounded by purple lightning, remained silent for a moment before saying in a deep voice, "Rules are not inviolable. His performance deserves an exception."
The gazes of all the God King ultimately focused on the Asura God.
He set up this assessment, and the final decision-making power also rested with him.
"Impossible."
The Asura God remained expressionless, his blood-red eyes fixed on Xuan Ming, who was meditating cross-legged in the mirror of light, and his icy voice slowly rang out.
"This First Trial not only examines his problem-solving abilities, but also his choices, mentality, and limits in dire situations."
"Time is of the essence, and that's part of the challenge. If we lower the difficulty just because it seems impossible, what's the point of the challenge?"
"He could have chosen to seek the Silver Dragon King's help; that was a shortcut, and the way out we offered him. But he refused, choosing the most difficult path. Having made that choice, he must bear the consequences."
"Now that he's in dire straits, you're thinking of relaxing the conditions?"
"We might go easy on him, but will reality give him leeway just because he's incompetent?"
"He didn't need to get involved in this. If he had simply cut ties with the Dragon Clan and avoided the mess left by the Dragon God, his future would have been smooth sailing. But what did he choose?"
"Not to mention..."
His gaze swept over the gods present. "Lowering the difficulty? It means Negation all his efforts and choices so far, it means admitting that our initial judgment was wrong, it means that the path he took was futile from the very beginning."
He won't accept such charity. His pride won't allow it.
"But..." the God of Evil wanted to argue.
The Asura God interrupted him directly, "No buts. Either he finds a way to break the deadlock that we never expected in this last month and creates a true miracle, or he accepts defeat and bears the consequences together with the Silver Dragon King."
" The Dragon God's mess is far more troublesome than this. If he's stuck here, why should we believe he's capable of resolving that matter?"
"Since he's chosen this path, it's either success or death!"
"..."
Inside the temple, an even deeper silence fell once more.
The God of Evil paused for a moment, then a strange smile slowly crept onto his lips, and he said nothing more.
The Goddess of Life sighed softly, her worry undiminished, but she offered no further advice.
The Godess of Kindness nodded slightly.
The purple lightning surrounding the God of Destruction subsided.
They all understood what the Asura God meant.
Xuan Ming has won the respect and admiration of all the God King, including Asura, through his madness and ruthlessness.
They will not interfere, will not lower the difficulty, and will not give any form of leniency.
They chose to... bear witness.
To witness him, one must either unleash his full potential at the limit, crossing that seemingly insurmountable chasm.
Or, in the midst of ultimate brilliance, Destruction will ensue.
This is the greatest respect we can show to the path he has chosen.
Time flew by in the tense and oppressive atmosphere, and soon it was the last day.
An invisible dark cloud seemed to hang over Sea God Island, making it hard to breathe.
Ning Rongrong, Hu Liena, and the others had already stopped their respective assessments. They gathered on the beach, their eyes fixed on the towering staircase, filled with anxiety and helplessness.
Bo Saixi was no longer just a passive observer. After Xuan Ming merged with the Sea God's Heart and displayed that near-miraculous potential, she chose to intervene.