Immediately afterwards, a terrifying energy surge that sent chills down one's spine erupted from his head!
"What... what are you going to do?!" Bo Saixi instantly realized what he was about to do, her face turned pale, and she took a step forward, her vast Soul Power surging, trying to stop him.
However, Xuan Ming's Divine Consciousness, which had already reached the Divine Origin Realm, acted like an invisible barrier, firmly locking her in place. No matter how she urged her Soul Power, or even drew upon the power of the Sea God Hall, she could not budge it in the slightest! She could only watch helplessly, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and confusion.
Xuan Ming ignored her struggles; his entire focus was on the peeling process.
Peel away the Sea God's Heart was fused into the skull!
This is an unimaginable pain, as if one's head is being forcibly torn in two, and the divine object that has become intimately connected with one's bones and soul is being forcibly ripped out!
Xuan Ming's face instantly turned ashen, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, but his icy blue eyes remained terrifyingly calm, without even the slightest tremor.
He was already used to pain. He had experienced soul-tearing before, so peeling off a piece of his skull was just another form of torture in comparison.
Moreover, his Divine Power has already been transformed into Divine Consciousness. Although losing the Sea God's Heart will severely damage his vital energy, his foundation will not be shaken.
The soul-nourishing resources he brought back from the Sun Moon Continent, originating from the Evil Emperor's treasures, were enough to allow him to recover quickly.
As for the missing part of the Sea God's Heart, the external Evil Eye brought by the Sacrifice the Evil Emperor can be perfectly integrated to fill the gap!
At this moment, the vast Sea God's Light within the Sea God Hall seemed to be drawn in, converging like a golden tide, enveloping Xuan Ming's head, and resonating with the struggling Sea God's Heart, both aiding and intensifying the pain of separation.
The entire process appeared incredibly cruel and slow.
Bo Saixi was bound by an invisible Divine Consciousness and could only watch helplessly as Xuan Ming's body convulsed slightly from extreme pain. He watched as the skin and bones on his forehead seemed to become transparent in the golden light, and a deep blue crystal, like the core of an ocean, was vaguely visible being "drawn" out of his skull Sisi by little, bringing with it wisps of crimson blood and dazzling golden divine energy.
Her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it difficult to breathe. She couldn't understand why he had to resort to such a cruel method!
Time slipped away slowly in the agonizing wait, from the dead of night until the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon.
As the first rays of dawn were about to pierce the sea, accompanied by a barely audible sound that seemed to come from the depths of the soul, the azure Sea God's Heart finally detached completely from Xuan Ming's skull, hovering above his palm, radiating a gentle yet vast ocean aura.
Xuan Ming swayed, his face turning almost transparently pale, but he remained standing steadily. The golden trident mark on his forehead dimmed considerably, as if it might vanish at any moment. He didn't look at the Sea God's Heart in his palm, but instead gently pushed it away.
The Sea God's Heart transformed into a stream of azure light and merged into the Sea God Trident, which stood quietly to the side!
Buzz--!
A joyful and majestic hum resounded throughout the entire Sea God Hall! The complete aura of the divine artifact erupted, and dazzling golden-blue divine light soared into the sky, as if the sleeping sea god had been completely awakened! On the halberd, ancient divine runes lit up one by one, radiating an unparalleled majesty that was more powerful and complete than ever before!
Xuan Ming's thoughts stirred slightly, and he made a final communication with the Sea God Trident. The complete divine artifact seemed to understand his will; its divine light subsided, its hum calmed, and then it slowly rose and hovered in front of Bo Saixi.
Bo Saixi instinctively reached out and grasped the halberd shaft.
The weight she held was no longer the heavy, unshakeable 108,000 jin, but a just-right weight, as if connected to her blood and mind, weighing only 108 jin like an ordinary weapon! She could even clearly feel the vast divine Divine Power contained within it, and... its open acceptance of her!
Having obtained the Sea God Trident of the Sea God's Heart, it willingly serves Xuan Ming's will! This means that she truly possesses the qualifications to strive for the Sea God Godhood!
A mixture of immense surprise and profound confusion gripped Bo Saixi's heart. She abruptly looked up at Xuan Ming, her voice trembling, "Why?! Why did you go to such lengths?! What... what is our relationship that warrants this?!"
Xuan Ming looked at Bo Saixi, who was radiant and even more beautiful because the artifact had recognized her as its master, and remained silent for a moment before finally saying the truth that he should have said long ago.
I killed Tang Chen.
Five simple words left Bo Saixi speechless.
Xuan Ming's tone remained calm. "When I first returned to Sea God Island, I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn't see me."
"After that, you took the initiative to contact me, and the things you said were... inexplicable." He recalled Bo Saixi's subtle probing and struggles, and shook his head slightly.
"In the end, I am grateful to you for taking care of me on Sea God Island for so long, whether out of duty or something else."
He looked at Bo Saixi with honesty, "But I turned around and killed Tang Chen, without even giving you a chance to see him again and explain things. In the end, I'm the one who wronged you in this matter."
He pointed to the Sea God Trident Poseidon, which now seemed to fit Bo Saixi perfectly. " The Sea God's Heart is less a gift and more... my apology."
He paused, looking into Bo Saixi's eyes, which were filled with shock, pain, confusion, and complex emotions, and continued, "I know you are a very Kindness person. Having obtained the Sea God's Heart, you have the opportunity to advance further, perhaps even become a god. You might hate me, and you might seek revenge in the future."
"But at least..." His voice lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible relief, "Now that you have power and a future, you shouldn't make things difficult for Hu Liena and the others anymore."
"That's enough for me."
Having said that, he no longer looked at Bo Saixi's reaction, and dragging his exhausted body, which was severely damaged in both soul and body, he turned around and walked out of the Sea God Hall.
The rising sun had just fully emerged from the sea, its golden rays bathing the plaza outside the palace and illuminating his pale, lonely figure as he slowly disappeared below the steps.
Bo Saixi stood there, stunned, holding the Sea God Trident of Poseidon that seemed tailor-made for her. The warmth and power emanating from the artifact felt so real, but Xuan Ming's calm yet resolute words as he left left her feeling utterly lost.
She finally understood the reason behind Xuan Ming's almost self-harming behavior.
It was not admiration, nor a gift.
It's compensation, it's a separation, and it's also... an arrangement to pave the way for her future.
But how she wished Xuan Ming could keep this a secret, so that she could pretend she knew nothing.
But now that Xuan Ming has brought this up, how is she supposed to face him?
Chapter 401 Acceptance? Suppression? Destruction?
In the Divine Realm, within a magnificent temple.
The light mirror clearly reflected the entire process of Xuan Ming separating the Sea God's Heart, integrating it into the trident and handing it to Bo Saixi, as well as his final "apology" remarks.
An eerie, deathly silence fell over the temple.
Sea God Poseidon's expression froze completely, his mouth slightly open, his eyes fixed, as if he had seen something utterly incomprehensible.
He originally only wanted to use the Fourth Trial as an excuse to give Bo Saixi and Xuan Ming a push, hoping to create a beautiful romance and also resolve his own high priest's lifelong marriage and future issues... But he never expected that Xuan Ming would act completely unpredictably!
He actually used such a self-destructive method to peel away the Sea God's Heart?!
It was even given out as an "apology gift"?!
Just because he killed Tang Chen, he feels guilty?!
"Wait, wait..." Poseidon's voice trembled slightly as he pointed at the mirror of light and looked at the other God King, "This kid... is he out of his mind?! I gave him the Sea God Nine Trials, was this how he played around?!"
The playful smile on the face of the God of Evil vanished completely, replaced by a look of seriousness and... utter exasperation. He rubbed his temples, feeling that things had completely veered off course.
"He's gone too far..." the God of Evil muttered. "This kid... he's completely immune to emotional blackmail. He has his own set of logic and code of conduct that's almost obsessive."
He gazed at Xuan Ming's pale yet resolute back reflected in the mirror, his tone tinged with disbelief. "He'd rather endure the pain of being stripped of his divine possession, settling his so-called 'debt' in this almost 'even' way, than follow the script we set for ' Severing Romantic Ties '... Poseidon, your Fourth Trial was practically dancing on his minefield!"
The Goddess of Life looked at him with pity. "That child... he's suffered too much. He's too cruel to himself."
The Godess of Kindness sighed softly, "He quantified all his emotions and responsibilities into 'debts' that could be repaid... Isn't this a kind of ultimate loneliness and self-protection?"
The Asura God, who had been silent all along, slowly turned his head, his cold, blood-red eyes like the sharpest knives, fixed firmly on Poseidon.
Although he didn't speak, the murderous intent and questioning in his eyes almost materialized:
Look what you've done!
'He's not afraid of life-or-death trials. Ascending the Heavenly Staircase, battling powerful enemies, reshaping his Martial Soul —he risks his life for every challenge. Why do you have to add this emotional drama?'
'Now look what's happened! We've forced him to the point where he has to 'pay his debt' by stripping away the Sea God's Heart!'
'His Divine Power has already broken through the Divine Origin Realm, and with the assistance of the Silver Dragon King and the Dragon God's Heart, his success rate in forcibly breaking through to the God Realm is already quite high! If he really becomes disheartened, or feels that he has repaid his debt and no longer wants to play this ' God's Trial ' game with us, and directly runs off to desperately try to break through to the God Realm...'
What's the point of all this effort we put into observing, testing, and guiding?!
'Just to force out an uncontrollable, potentially Divine Realm, maverick god?!'
Poseidon felt his scalp tingle and was almost sweating profusely under the gaze of the Asura God.
He understood what the Asura God meant; Xuan Ming's current state was like a bomb about to be detonated.
They originally intended to control his growth pace and temperament through a relatively "gentle" God's Trial, but now, Poseidon's "shenanigans" may very well force Xuan Ming to jump out of the game and start his own way!
A new god who breaks through on his own, is not bound by the Divine Realm's inheritance system, and still harbors resentment towards their "testing" is definitely a huge variable that the Divine Realm does not want to see!
"I... I didn't know he would do this..." Poseidon tried to explain, but his voice lacked confidence.
He originally thought that at most Xuan Ming would refuse Bo Saixi, or the two of them would have some kind of struggle, but he never expected that this guy's way of solving the problem would be so simple, brutal, and ruthless!
The God of Evil sighed, glancing in the direction where Xuan Ming had disappeared in the mirror of light, his expression complex. "It's no use talking about this now. The key question is, what to do next? This kid has stripped away the Sea God's Heart; he probably considers the Fourth Trial a failure. What will he do next? Will he really try to break through to the God Realm directly?"
The atmosphere inside the temple grew even more somber.
They realized that they might have underestimated Xuan Ming's resolute heart and his self-contained, obsessive logic from the very beginning.
If we want to continue to "control" his growth trajectory, we probably need to change our approach. Poseidon's Fourth Trial was undoubtedly a disaster; not only did it fail to achieve its purpose, it may have even had the opposite effect.
The Asura God withdrew his murderous gaze and looked back at the Mirror of Light, his icy voice echoing throughout the temple:
Prepare for the worst.
"If he really chooses to force his way through... we must make a decision before he succeeds."
Is it acceptance, suppression, or... Destruction?
This potential threat, which they themselves had "forced" into existence, had already become a thorn in the side for several God King.
" Gu Yuena," said the Godess of Kindness.
"Now we can only let Gu Yuena try to persuade them."
The Ice Dragon King has already Sacrifice, leaving only a trace of his dragon soul imprint, which is no different from being truly dead. In this world, the only one who can still persuade Xuan Ming on this matter is Gu Yuena!
"I'll try to communicate with her," sighed the Goddess of Life.
I hope she'll listen to a few words from me.
Sea God Island, deep within the Ice Crystal Castle.
Xuan Ming fell into a deep sleep again, his face pale and his breath weak, but fortunately Gu Yuena's Power of Creation and the Dragon God Origin stabilized his injuries, and the damage to his soul was slowly recovering under the nourishment of the resources left by the Evil Emperor.
Gu Yuena sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Xuan Ming's sleeping profile, her silver-purple eyes filled with heartache and a hint of helpless anger.
This stubborn mule! Once he's made up his mind, not even ten dragons could pull him back! Even though there are better solutions, he insists on choosing the most painful and extreme one.
Just as she was feeling troubled, the golden ring mark between her brows, which represented a faint connection with the Divine Realm, suddenly began to flicker slightly, and a gentle yet Life divine thought attempted to establish a connection with her.
Gu Yuena frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then lowered her guard.
" The Goddess of Life?" Her divine thought was transmitted to her.
"It is I, Silver Dragon King." The Goddess of Life's gentle voice resounded directly in her consciousness, carrying a hint of barely perceptible urgency. "To make a long story short, everything you did on Douluo Star, especially Xuan Ming's actions just now, has been witnessed by the Divine Realm."
Gu Yuena wasn't too surprised; it was normal for the Divine Realm to look down on the mortal realm.
The Goddess of Life continued, "This Sea God Nine Trials are not solely the will of Poseidon, but are jointly presided over by the five of us, the God King."
Upon hearing this, Gu Yuena's mind was slightly shaken.
The combined attention of five God King? That carries a completely different weight.
"Our purpose is not to make things difficult, but to observe and test," the Goddess of Life said candidly. "The problems left behind by the Dragon God have always been a thorn in the side of the Divine Realm. We want to see if Xuan Ming, this variable, truly possesses the ability and temperament to resolve this hidden danger. If he can prove himself, the Divine Realm will not only not hinder him, but will also do its utmost to help him. A new, powerful being, who may even reach the level of Supreme God King, would also be a blessing for the Divine Realm."
Gu Yuena remained silent, quickly processing this information.
She understood these five God King: the Asura God, who governed order and valued stability above all else, was bound to be wary and even hostile towards the Dragon Clan and her; the God of Destruction cared about the Divine Realm itself and would not allow any potential threats.
Evil and Kindness are difficult to fathom, but without the special existence of Xuan Ming, they would most likely side with Asura.
The only one who might truly have a shred of pity for the Soul Beast Clan and the Dragon Clan, and offer them a glimmer of hope, is the Goddess of Life, who represents Life and creation.
Her words are quite credible.
Chapter 402 A Choice You Won't Regret
"However, the current situation..." The Goddess of Life's tone became solemn, " Xuan Ming has stripped the Sea God's Heart, and his intention is clear. If he believes he has failed the Fourth Trial, becomes disheartened, abandons the path of trials, and instead forcibly attempts to break through to the God Realm... then the nature of the situation will be completely different."
Gu Yuena's heart tightened; the situation she feared most had indeed been discovered by the Divine Realm.
"A breakthrough on one's own, breaking away from the Divine Realm's inheritance system, and harboring resentment towards the Divine Realm..." The Goddess of Life's voice carried a hint of warning, "Such a new god is a huge variable that the Divine Realm absolutely does not want to see. At that time, for the sake of the Divine Realm's peace and order, no matter how much we previously thought highly of Xuan Ming, the final choice... will probably only be one."
Gu Yuena understood what that "choice" meant—to Destruction Xuan Ming before he succeeded!
She took a deep breath and responded with her divine sense, "I understand your concerns. But the Fourth Trial is now at a stalemate. If you suddenly announce that the test has been passed, given Xuan Ming's personality, he will not only not be grateful, but will feel fooled and insulted."
She knew Xuan Ming too well; he could accept any hardship and danger, which was the price he had to pay for choosing his path.
But he could not accept charity or childish, ever-changing policies, for those were tramples on his will and efforts.
"We know," the Goddess of Life sighed, "So we didn't directly interfere with the assessment. Contacting you is our hope that you can guide him and resolve this impasse. Silver Dragon King, you are currently the person he trusts most, and the only one who can persuade him. We must get him back on track with the assessment; at the very least... we can't let him go down that most extreme path."