I thought he would be very surprised.
"Actually, I guessed some of it. With means that reach the heavens, who else could you be but the gods from the inheritances?"
Bai Guyue replied.
"Good guess." The Goddess of Life raised an eyebrow and smiled proudly. "Standing before you are two of the Divine Realm's Five Great God Kings: the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction."
Bai Guyue was a little surprised, but he soon smiled and said, "Greetings, Senior Life, Senior Destruction."
The Goddess of Life waved her hand. "No need for formalities."
The God of Destruction looked at the Goddess of Life as though she had taken ill. "Stop fooling around. We still have important business."
"Tch~"
"It's not often I get a chance to show off, and you won't even let me. Little Zi, there really isn't any love left between us."
The Goddess of Life rolled her eyes and ignored him.
The God of Destruction paid her no mind. There were more important matters at hand.
"Since you've been in Spirit Hall, you must have heard a few things about the gods. I summoned you here to bestow a god upon you and make you a god."
The God of Destruction had observed Bai Guyue for some time and found him quite good in every respect.
"Me?"
Bai Guyue was somewhat surprised.
"That's right, you. Are you willing?" the God of Destruction asked.
"I am," Bai Guyue answered without hesitation.
He had only just asked whether a god would be bestowed upon him, and one had come right on its heels. His words really did have power.
"Good. I'll now open the Nine Trials of Destruction for you."
The God of Destruction disliked beating around the bush and would naturally get everything done as quickly as possible.
He stepped forward, raised a finger, and touched Bai Guyue's forehead.
In an instant, purple-black markings appeared on Bai Guyue's forehead, flickering in and out of sight, utterly mysterious and unfathomable.
Only after the completed mark entered Bai Guyue's body did it vanish from sight.
[First Trial of Destruction: Complete this Self-Created Soul Skill. Time limit: half a year.]
A prompt describing the First Trial sounded in his mind.
A Self-Created Soul Skill?
I've never actually dealt with one of those. Is half a year enough time for a Self-Created Soul Skill?
Thinking of this, Bai Guyue really wasn't entirely confident. Creating a Soul Skill wasn't as easy as killing someone.
Killing a few fallen ones, for example, was something he could easily handle.
In any case, it was a God Trial. How could it be easy? He just didn't know whether the half-year deadline would be enough.
When the God Trial was bestowed, a faint fluctuation also emerged from Bai Guyue's actual body in the outside world.
The fluctuation appeared for only an instant before the God of Destruction suppressed it.
Bibi Dong, who was also a god, sensed the fluctuation, but it vanished before she had time to get a good feel for it.
Could he have stumbled upon some fortuitous encounter?
Bibi Dong stared at Bai Guyue, full of doubt.
Could he come into contact with a God Trial while absorbing a Soul Ring?
I've hardly ever encountered a situation like this. Besides, the Rakshasa God came to me in person and bestowed my God Trial.
Just to open the God Trial, I had to devour Qian Xunji. If Tang Hao hadn't appeared, I wouldn't have been nearly so lucky.
Otherwise, if Qian Xunji recovered, she might still have been only the Holy Maiden, unable to marry Bai Guyue.
If, supposing it really happened, Bai Guyue passed the God Trial, then there would be no need to use the second strategy.
That was the idea the Rakshasa God had previously given her: turn Bai Guyue into her divine attendant, so that he could enjoy eternal life with her.
At the time, she had not taken up the Rakshasa God's idea. In truth, she believed that passing a God Trial would be easy for a genius like Bai Guyue.
She hadn't expected there to be a chance of it while absorbing a Soul Ring.
It seemed she needed to wait for Bai Guyue to finish absorbing it.
For the first time, she experienced what it felt like for every second to drag on like a year.
Meanwhile, in a small space beneath the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest.
A pair of golden eyes slowly opened. "The God of Destruction's aura?"
He was puzzled. Why would such an aura appear in the Star Dou Great Forest? He set off to investigate.
The scene shifted back to the small space.
After bestowing the God Trial, the God of Destruction said:
"You should already know about the First Trial. While completing the subsequent God Trials, you will obtain permission to use my Super Divine Artifact, the Destruction Scepter."
As for the Super Divine Artifact, the Destruction Scepter, Bai Guyue's current strength as a Soul Emperor was nowhere near enough to wield it. Even using a little of its power might drain all the Soul Power stored in his body.
"I understand."
Bai Guyue nodded in reply.
With the God Trial secured, all he had to do next was go with the current and complete the tasks one after another.
"Young one, you have no other permissions, so I cannot bestow a God Trial upon you. But I can still use my origin power to awaken a Second Martial Soul for you."
The Goddess of Life walked over, having also decided to give him a little welcoming gift.
"A Second Martial Soul?"
Bai Guyue was somewhat overwhelmed by the favor.
A Second Martial Soul created with a God King's origin power would, as one could imagine, be considerably stronger than even a god-level Martial Soul.
"Of course. Destruction and I are partners, so to speak. He gave you a God Trial. Though I can't give you one, I can still give you a Martial Soul."
The Goddess of Life spoke with a smile.
Husband and wife were one, after all. She couldn't favor one over the other, could she?
With my healing ability, creating a god-level Martial Soul would be as easy as turning over my hand.
I wonder what type of Martial Soul would be best.
A Tool Martial Soul, a Beast Martial Soul, or perhaps a Plant Martial Soul?
"Since you're creating a Martial Soul, I'll join you."
The God of Destruction joined in.
"You too?" The Goddess of Life was a little surprised. "Little Zi, aren't you being biased?"
"He's my inheritor. What's wrong with being a little biased?"
The God of Destruction had sound reasons. He was clearly his inheritor; if he wasn't biased toward him, was he supposed to let someone else be biased toward him instead?
Wild joy surged through Bai Guyue's heart, almost too much to contain.
Two God Kings were joining forces to forge a Second Martial Soul for him with their origin power. Such an opportunity would be hard to come by in ten thousand years on the Douluo Continent.
Moreover, in the present era, there were only three types: Tool Martial Souls, Beast Martial Souls, and Plant Martial Souls.
Body Martial Souls would only rise to prominence ten thousand years later. It seemed the two God Kings had no concept of them either.
"What type of Martial Soul do you want?"
The Goddess of Life asked.
As for the type of Martial Soul, the Goddess of Life wanted to ask the young man and see whether he had any ideas.
"A Tool Martial Soul."
"My own Martial Soul is also a Tool Martial Soul-a sword!"
Bai Guyue answered. One Martial Soul would control a sword, while the other would wield one.
The two swords would complement each other perfectly, each bringing out the best in the other.
"Then we'll do as you wish."
The God of Destruction nodded and directed the power of his own body into his palm, forming a purple-black ball of energy.
The God of Life did the same, and a green ball of energy appeared in her palm.
"Our two powers will condense a Second Martial Soul for you. What form it takes will depend on your own fortune."
The God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life simultaneously sent the energy balls in their hands into Bai Guyue's body.
The two utterly different powers began to merge, then filled Bai Guyue's entire body.