"Hmm." Xuan Ming nodded. "Or rather, from the very beginning, I wasn't very concerned about this so-called Sea God Nine Trials."
His voice was calm, yet carried a detached indifference born of profound understanding. "Rather than saying I'm undergoing a test, it's more accurate to say I've simply given myself a direction to strive for, a reason to become stronger. But now, this Fourth Trial..."
He frowned slightly. "It's boring. Because it was impossible to complete from the start."
"Impossible?" Ice Empress couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
" Qian Renxue." Xuan Ming uttered a name, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty, "I can handle everyone else, whether it's Bo Saixi or any of you. But Qian Renxue... I can't."
He didn't explain why there was no way, but both Snow Empress and Ice Empress could sense the helplessness and... a hint of indescribable complexity in his words.
"Therefore," Xuan Ming concluded, "I never expected to pass this test. I'm already prepared to break through to the God Realm; as for the result, let it be."
He raised his hand, and a flash of light appeared in his palm, revealing two crystals that radiated extreme coldness yet contained immense Life energy.
The crystal was like the purest ice-blue diamond, with a galaxy seemingly flowing inside. Its mere appearance caused the temperature of the entire ice house to plummet, and even the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress felt their own ice and snow power resonate and tremble.
" Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow?!" The Ice Empress exclaimed in shock, his azure eyes filled with disbelief. For the first time, a clear emotion appeared on the Snow Empress's eternally unchanging icy face.
For ice-attribute Soul Beast, the Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow is a supreme treasure. Not only can it greatly enhance their cultivation, but more importantly, the extreme ice-attribute energy and Life essence it contains are enough to help them resist or even resolve the terrifying Heavenly Tribulation! With these, their chances of surviving the next Heavenly Tribulation will greatly increase, meaning they will have Life of tens of thousands of years, or even longer!
"I found these in the Far North this afternoon," Xuan Ming said calmly. "With my Divine Consciousness at the Divine Origin Realm and my control over ice and snow, finding them wasn't too difficult. These things should be enough to help you survive the next Heavenly Tribulation."
He pushed the two clumps of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow toward the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress.
Snow Empress didn't immediately take it. She raised her icy blue eyes, staring intently at Xuan Ming, her voice filled with unprecedented confusion. "Why?"
Ice Empress was equally puzzled. "We... don't seem to have been of any help to you."
Their relationship with Xuan Ming was more of a cooperative one based on the perspectives of Gu Yuena and the Soul Beast Clan, and even initially tinged with scrutiny and hostility.
Why would Xuan Ming go to such lengths for them? This goes far beyond the scope of mere cooperation.
Xuan Ming looked at them calmly. "Just consider it a small favor as a friend."
Friends? Snow Empress and Ice Empress were shocked. The word, spoken by Xuan Ming, carried an indescribable weight.
"Moreover," Xuan Ming paused, his voice lowering, "If something happens to Gu Yuena and me in the future, the Soul Beast Clan might have no choice but to rely on you."
Snow Empress frowned even more deeply, finally asking the question that had been weighing on her mind for so long, "I don't understand, Xuan Ming. Why do you take on so much responsibility? What does the responsibility of the so-called Soul Beast Clan have to do with you?"
Her tone carried a hint of confusion, even a touch of accusation. "Just as the top echelons of humanity don't care much about the lives of the lower classes, we powerful Soul Beast are equally indifferent to the lives of the weaker Soul Beast. Perhaps this sounds a bit heartless, but the so-called righteousness of the Soul Beast Clan is, for us, merely a choice within our capabilities. If faced with a choice between the righteousness of the Soul Beast Clan and my own path to godhood, I would choose the latter without hesitation."
Although Ice Empress didn't speak, their eyes conveyed the same meaning.
They have lived for too long and have become accustomed to the law of the jungle. The so-called righteousness of the tribe sometimes seems pale and powerless in the face of their long Life and the strength of the individual.
Snow Empress continued, her voice carrying a hint of confusion she herself was unaware of. "To put it bluntly, I don't really care about the lives of those unfamiliar Soul Beast. Even Di Tian and the others are the same. They keep talking about the great cause of the Soul Beast Clan, but what they really care about are only the powerful Soul Beast. The weak Soul Beast are worthless in their eyes."
The righteousness of the Soul Beast Clan... I often don't understand what this so-called righteousness is. It seems that all Soul Beast are born with this responsibility, and are born to sacrifice everything for it.
She looked at Xuan Ming, her icy blue eyes filled with inquiry. "I've cultivated for hundreds of thousands of years, always alone in this Bingbing, snowy wilderness. I have no interest in so-called righteousness. I've wanted to ask you for a long time, Xuan Ming, why did you go to this point? What does the future of the Soul Beast Clan have to do with you, a human?"
Faced with Snow Empress's series of soul-searching questions, Xuan Ming remained silent for a long time.
Only the faint humming sound emanating from the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow remained inside the ice house.
Finally, he raised his head, his icy blue eyes showing no anger at being offended, only a bottomless calm.
"It's alright," he said, his voice clear and firm. "I don't mind."
This answer stunned Snow Empress and Ice Empress once again.
"I don't care about the lofty ideals of the Soul Beast Clan," Xuan Ming said slowly. "I don't have such a thing."
"I'm just keeping my promise."
" The Ice Dragon King desires the revival of the Dragon Clan, and I am working towards it."
" Gu Yuena wants to change the future of the Soul Beast Clan, to prevent them from being slaughtered by the ever-increasing number of human Soul Master. I will help her."
He paused, looked at the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, his gaze almost cruelly honest:
"What I care about has never been any grand cause. I'm not that noble."
"I am a very selfish person."
"Everything I did was simply to fulfill a promise I made to someone I care about, nothing more."
After he finished speaking, a long silence fell over the igloo.
As the Snow Empress and Ice Empress looked at the human youth before them, and saw the undisguised "selfishness" in his eyes, a storm raged in their hearts.
I see.
There was no lofty righteousness, no sense of responsibility for the world.
Only the purest, and also the most profound... promise.
This "selfishness" shocked them far more than any grand declaration of righteousness.
Chapter 399 Awkward and Stubborn
Xuan Ming gently placed the two pieces of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow and the Storage Soul Tool on the ice table in front of them.
"So, don't feel that I've sacrificed a lot or carried any burden. I'm just a very selfish person, doing what I want to do and fulfilling my own promises. Giving these things to you is my own choice, and it has nothing to do with you or any so-called responsibility."
Having said that, he said no more, turned and left the igloo, his figure disappearing into the night.
Ice Empress looked at the two clumps of Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice Marrow radiating an alluring light on the table, then at the silent Snow Empress, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
The Snow Empress reached out, her fingertips gently touching the icy, Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow, feeling the immense energy within. Her icy blue eyes held complex and unfathomable emotions.
She had always thought that Xuan Ming was bound by the greater good of Gu Yuena and the Soul Beast Clan, forced to shoulder a heavy responsibility. But now she realized that he was more clear-headed and more... stubborn than anyone else.
He doesn't care about the world, he only cares about the people he approves of.
This almost obsessive "selfishness" touched Snow Empress in a strange way.
She seemed to understand a little.
After leaving the igloos of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, Xuan Ming did not return to the castle, but instead turned to another corner of the island.
There, the air was thick with Life. It was a temporary dwelling that Bi Ji and Zi JI had set up, modeled after the environment of the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest, with lush vegetation and babbling streams.
He walked to the edge of the vibrant woodland, and before he could speak, Bi Ji's gentle voice came. "Come in, Xuan Ming."
Xuan Ming stepped inside and saw Bi Ji sitting on an ancient tree that emitted a soft green light, her body radiating a comforting Life force.
Zi JI leaned lazily against a tree trunk, her dragon eyes gleaming faintly in the night, carrying a hint of wildness and inquiry.
"What do you need us for?" Zi JI spoke first, her tone not as barbed as Ice Empress's, but still straightforward.
Xuan Ming looked at them, and compared to his absolute calmness when facing the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, there was a hint of complexity in his eyes.
As Gu Yuena said, he was a person who lacked love in his heart, and Bi Ji's gentle and inclusive aura, like a source of Life, made him subconsciously want to get close to her, and even become addicted to her.
During the days when Di Tian relentlessly trained him at the Lake of Life, Bi Ji's healing not only repaired his body but also soothed his tense spirit.
"I've come to see you all." Xuan Ming's voice was slightly gentler than before. "And let's talk about... what happened between us."
Bi Ji looked at him tenderly, remaining silent and waiting for him to continue. Zi JI raised an eyebrow, signaling him to go on.
"As for you," Xuan Ming paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "My feelings are rather complicated."
His frankness caused a hint of surprise to flash in Bi Ji's eyes, Zi JI also sat up slightly.
"I was very happy during my time at the Lake of Life." Xuan Ming's gaze seemed somewhat distant, recalling that period when, although his body was constantly in extreme pain, his mind was rarely at ease. "Even though I was crippled and lying on the ground by Di Tian most of the time, that simple atmosphere... I was really relaxed. I didn't need to think too much, and I didn't have to worry about anything."
That was one of the few times he could temporarily set aside all his burdens and exist simply as a "cultivator." Bi Ji's silent protection and healing, and Zi JI's occasional playful concern, became rare warm spots in that gray memory.
"I know Gu Yuena told you some things." Xuan Ming looked at Bi Ji, his eyes clear. "I also admit that, faced with your gentleness, I do... have an urge to get closer."
Bi Ji's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gently lowered her eyes.
"However," Xuan Ming's tone became firm again, "I know very well that I don't have that opportunity right now."
"There are always trade-offs to be made." He said to himself, and also to them, "I made a promise to the Ice Dragon King first, and naturally I will do my best to fulfill that promise. This is my choice, and the path I must take."
He looked at Bi Ji and Zi JI, his eyes honest yet tinged with apology. "If in the future... there really is a chance, I might not hide my greed. But now, I cannot."
He couldn't allow himself to be distracted by any emotions that might divert his attention, especially after he had clearly defined his direction and goals.
"I know that too," Xuan Ming's voice lowered slightly, "In the grand scheme of your long Life, I, a human friend whom you've only known for a few fleeting years, am but a brief passerby, a minor episode."
Soul Beast have lifespans measured in tens of thousands of years, and even if a person becomes a god, their life is still short in the initial stages.
"You have a long time ahead of you, and you will encounter many more in the future..." He tried to say something, but was interrupted by Zi JI.
"Hey, kid." Zi JI crossed her arms, a hint of displeasure in her dragon eyes. "Do you think we're the kind of people who are fickle? Or do you think hundreds of thousands of years is too long, and we can't stand the loneliness?"
Xuan Ming was slightly taken aback.
Bi Ji also raised her head, looking at him gently yet firmly. " Xuan Ming, the length of one's life is not the same as the depth of one's emotions. For us, in hundreds of thousands of years, very few can truly enter our hearts. That time at the Lake of Life may have been a brief moment of relaxation for you, but for us, it was a rare moment that stirred up waves in our long Life."
Her voice, like a spring breeze caressing a lake, carried a comforting power. "We understand your choice and respect your promise. You don't need to feel sorry for it, nor do you need to feel the need to give us any explanation."
Zi JI snorted and retorted, "Exactly. Don't think too highly of yourself. We've lived for hundreds of thousands of years, what haven't we seen? Do you need to worry about whether we'll be bored in the future?"
Even so, the concern in her eyes was not concealed.
Xuan Ming looked at them, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded. "I understand."
He made no further promises, nor did he explain his "selfishness." Some understandings need no words.
He raised his hand, and two beams of light appeared. One was an extremely dense crystal of Life energy, radiating an aura that was of the same origin as Bi Ji's but even purer; the other was a dark purple, scale-like crystal containing pure devouring energy, subtly echoing Zi JI's attributes.
"These might be helpful for your future cultivation." He pushed the two items towards Bi Ji and Zi JI respectively, "It's a small token of my appreciation."
Bi Ji felt the vast and comforting energy within the Life crystal, a flicker of emotion crossing her eyes. Zi JI grasped the dark purple crystal, her dragon eyes glowing slightly; she could feel the power within drawing upon her bloodline.
"I found this on the Sun Moon Continent," Xuan Ming said.
"We've known each other for so long, and I've never given you any gifts, and I've always been troubling you..."
"Thanks."
Xuan Ming looked at them and finally said, "I cannot make any promises or guarantees right now. The road ahead is unknown. All I can do is try my best to become stronger and survive. As for the future... I don't know either."
After saying this, he nodded slightly to them, turned and left the vibrant woodland.
Bi Ji and Zi JI watched his departing figure, speechless for Jiujiu.
"What a... awkward and stubborn little fellow." Zi JI finally sighed, but her tone carried a hint of barely perceptible gentleness.
Bi Ji gently grasped the Life crystal, feeling the warm energy within, and smiled tenderly, "But it's real, isn't it?"
It was precisely because of his authenticity, his "selfishness," and his stubbornness that these old folks, who had lived for countless years, were irresistibly drawn to him and willing to invest an unusual amount of attention and emotion in him.
Chapter 400 Stripping the Sea God's Heart
Leaving Bi Ji and Zi JI's residence, Xuan Ming did not rest for a moment. His figure transformed into a stream of light and shot straight towards the magnificent and solemn Sea God Hall atop Sea God Mountain.
The Sea God Hall was still bathed in a soft yet majestic golden light in the night, its doors tightly shut, as if isolating it from everything inside and outside.
Xuan Ming landed in front of the palace gate without knocking or announcing himself. He raised his hand, placed his palm on the heavy gate, and his Divine Consciousness silently seeped in like mercury spilling onto the ground.
"High Priest, it is I." His voice traveled directly through Divine Consciousness to the ears of the figure sitting quietly in the hall.
Inside the hall, Bo Saixi, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, trembled slightly. Her sea-blue eyes snapped open, a complex and unfathomable emotion flashing across them. She hadn't expected Xuan Ming to come knocking on her door at this time, in this way.
The palace doors slid open silently.
Xuan Ming stepped in, his gaze calmly landing on the elegant and noble red figure in front of him.
"I apologize for disturbing you so late at night," Xuan Ming said, his tone unreadable. "I came to thank you for taking care of me on Sea God Island these past few years."
Bo Saixi's fingers tightened slightly as she looked at Xuan Ming, her heart filled with mixed emotions, yet she didn't know how to respond to this seemingly polite expression of gratitude.
Xuan Ming didn't wait for her response and continued, "Also, there's something that should be returned to its rightful owner."
He raised his hand, and with a flash of light, the golden Sea God Trident, with its ancient and majestic design, appeared in his hand. The heavy trident fell to the ground with a dull thud, demonstrating its astonishing weight.
Bo Saixi's gaze fell on the Sea God Trident, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. She didn't understand Xuan Ming's intention in taking out this divine weapon at this moment.
However, the next moment, Xuan Ming's actions caused her pupils to shrink sharply, and she almost cried out in shock!
Without any warning, Xuan Ming suddenly raised his right hand and pressed it against the top of his head. The golden trident mark on the center of his forehead, representing his qualification for the Sea God Nine Trials, suddenly burst out with dazzling light, resonating wildly with the Sea God's Light within the Sea God Hall!