[Su Ming truly lived up to his status as the heir chosen by Lord Sea God.]
[After only a brief test, he had seen through the true purpose of the Sea God's Light.]
[That was right. The Sea God's Light was both a trial and a cultivation method beneficial to Soul Masters.]
[The immense pressure Soul Masters faced from the Sea God's Light could squeeze their Soul Power out of them at a greatly accelerated rate.]
[Under this pressure, as long as a Soul Master could withstand it, they could cultivate in that environment and achieve twice the results with half the effort.]
[Moreover, as they continued to resist the pressure, their physical strength would steadily increase.]
[For that very reason, Soul Masters who discovered this secret during the trial would often slow their progress toward completing it.]
[After all, once they passed, the pressure produced by the Sea God's Light would disappear, and it would no longer stand between them and the Sea God Hall.]
[Thus, this First Trial was not meant to make things difficult for those taking it, but to give those who discovered its secret a chance to strengthen themselves.]
[Only by improving as much as possible and making the most of the benefits the Sea God's Light offered could they face the later trials in better condition.]
Did I start a fake Godly Examination?
Watching the Heavenly Screen, Bibi Dong sat in the Pope's Palace, somewhat bewildered and uncertain.
She was even a little envious.
They were both heirs undergoing Godly Examinations, so why were her trials not only difficult, but their rewards pitifully meager?
By contrast, the Sea God's Godly Examination offered rewards for passing its trials, and the trials themselves were a kind of reward.
It was simply outrageous.
Could it be because the Rakshasa God is the god of evil thoughts? Bibi Dong had a theory.
Though she felt some regret, she also knew she had been given no choice back then.
[As I continued observing Su Ming's actions, he suddenly stopped what he was doing and looked in a certain direction.]
[My heart leaped, for the direction he was looking in was precisely where I was hiding.]
[Was it a coincidence?]
[The thought had barely surfaced before I dismissed it.]
[For Su Ming spoke up, asking me, the high priestess, to show myself and meet him.]
[What a terrifying young man! His perception was so astonishing that he could even detect a Peerless Douluo like me with ease.]
[Seeing this, I stopped observing from the shadows and showed myself, appearing before Su Ming.]
[Looking at Su Ming, I applauded and said with an admiring look, "You truly are the heir chosen by Lord Sea God. You only just encountered the Sea God's Light, yet I suppose you've already noticed its secret."]
[Though phrased as a question, my tone was one of certainty.]
[Su Ming answered directly, saying that he had indeed seen through it.]
[He then said, neither humbly nor arrogantly, that he believed he could certainly complete Lord Sea God's trials.]
[Of course, I was delighted to see him so confident.]
[After we talked for a while longer, he asked me to have someone provide him with food and drinking water.]
[For the next year, he intended to stay here and cultivate without wasting a single moment.]
[Seeing how determined he was to make every second count, I was surprised at first, but that soon turned to satisfaction.]
[This was the diligence befitting Lord Sea God's heir.]
"Lord Sea God's judgment was right after all," Bo Saixi said with immense satisfaction as she watched.
Bo Saixi did not fear death. Enabling Lord Sea God's heir to begin the Ninth Trial was both her mission and her honor.
[Then I told Su Ming the other reason I had been watching him in secret.]
[On Sea God Island, everyone undertaking a Black Level or higher examination bestowed by Lord Sea God had one chance to obtain a God-bestowed Soul Ring upon reaching a cultivation bottleneck for the first time.]
[There was no need to hunt Soul Beasts. A God-bestowed Soul Ring would grant its absorber the Soul Skill they needed most, and its age would be the maximum they could withstand.]
[Everyone had only one chance.]
[I told Su Ming this to give him a warning and make an exception for him.]
[Su Ming was still too young. If he used the God-bestowed Soul Ring too early, he would lose out greatly, and it would be detrimental to his later trials.]
Bibi Dong sat on the papal throne, tapping her fingers lightly against the armrest, her expression shifting.
"A God-bestowed Soul Ring... The Sea God is so generous." A trace of suppressed jealousy colored her voice. "Anyone undertaking a Black Level or higher examination gets a chance to push their Soul Ring's age beyond their own limits..."
"And there's even a dedicated high priestess to answer the heir's questions and offer some help..."
She lowered her head and looked at the scarlet Rakshasa Demon Scythe mark on her palm, her gaze complex.
The Rakshasa God had never granted her such a gift.
Every step she had taken had been paved with blood and pain.
"The Sea God's Nine Trials, Su Ming! Heh, what a lucky boy."
Bibi Dong closed her eyes, a steely note in her voice. "But luck cannot decide the final outcome."
Shrek Academy, teachers' office.
Yu Xiaogang stared at the Heavenly Screen in astonishment. "In other words, as long as the person absorbing a God-bestowed Soul Ring can withstand it, the Soul Ring they obtain could be ten thousand years old, a hundred thousand years old, or even a million years old, something that's never appeared before?!"
"Perhaps this is the almighty power of a god." Yu Xiaogang suddenly felt somewhat relieved.
Indeed, only a god could have performed such a miracle.
Then Yu Xiaogang's gaze grew resolute. "It seems I must put taking Xiao En to Sea God Island on the agenda."
Even if the journey was dangerous, it would all be worth it for a God-bestowed Soul Ring.
As long as Xiao En's talent could earn him a Black Level or higher examination, he could obtain a God-bestowed Soul Ring.
A God-bestowed Soul Ring could produce the Soul Skill best suited to the Soul Master himself. It would be a tremendous help to the cultivation plan master and disciple had originally drawn up!
Perhaps a God-bestowed Soul Ring was the key to transforming Mu En's external Martial Soul, Xiao Sheng, into a dragon!
Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, council hall.
Ning Fengzhi watched the Heavenly Screen, a shrewd yet gentle light flickering in his eyes.
"A God-bestowed Soul Ring... Those undertaking a Black Level or higher examination can obtain one when they reach a bottleneck." He nodded slightly. "It seems that although the Sea God's examinations are perilous, the opportunities they offer are greater than ever before."
"I hope Uncle Gu's journey to Sea God Island goes smoothly." For now, all Ning Fengzhi could do was pray.
"Indeed. Once we establish a partnership, with the talents of Juechen, Xiao He, and that girl Rongrong, none of them should have much difficulty earning a Black Level or higher examination," Sword Douluo Chen Xin agreed from beside him.