Kong Xuan smiled, and just as he was about to say something, he heard Meng Hongchen's anxious voice. "Xuan, are you alright?"
At the very moment that the Ruyi Golden Cudgel ruthlessly shattered the illusory image of the Ice God within his Sea of Consciousness, the Ice and Snow Temple outside seemed to lose its most crucial support and began to shake violently!
The Ice God Spear that stood atop the icy throne previously radiated magnificent divine power, its icy blue divine light flowing endlessly.
But at this moment, the light on it dimmed instantly, and the aura of majesty that once made one's heart tremble receded like the tide, its power greatly diminished.
Such a change was naturally related to Kong Xuan, and the three of them immediately became serious.
Kong Xuan slowly opened her eyes, meeting Meng Hongchen's gaze filled with anxiety and concern.
He forced a reassuring smile and said as calmly as possible, "Don't worry, it's nothing."
However, beneath his calm exterior, his inner world was far from that.
He wondered if that domineering strike in his Sea of Consciousness had completely annihilated the remnant soul of the Ice God.
If this were to affect the Godhood Inheritance that Meng Hongchen had already accepted, that would be disastrous!
With this trepidation, he reached out again and grasped the Ice God Spear that stood atop the throne, now dimmed in its brilliance.
Completely different from the previous two times!
The moment his palm touched the cold shaft of the Ice God Spear, he was not forcibly pulled into the Sea of Consciousness as before.
Moreover, he could feel that the Ice God Spear was trembling slightly in his hand!
It seemed as if this divine weapon was terrified of him.
However, upon detecting that the Ice God's aura was still present, albeit somewhat Weakening, Kong Xuan breathed a sigh of relief.
He released his grip, his gaze sweeping over Meng Hongchen. Snow Empress and Gu Yuena's expressions were somewhat strange at that moment.
Clearly, they knew Kong Xuan's identity as the "Otherworldly God King " and thought he was the one "bullying the weak."
While that might be true, Kong Xuan genuinely had no such intentions.
"Ahem," Kong Xuan coughed lightly, then looked at Meng Hongchen and Snow Empress, steer the conversation toward the main topic. "By the way, what is the first part of your Divine Examination?"
The unexpected turn of events had caught both of them off guard, leaving them no time to fully grasp the situation.
Upon hearing Kong Xuan's question, they then focused their attention on the Ice God Mark within their Sea of Consciousness.
A moment later, Meng Hongchen opened her eyes first and said, "My First Trial is ' Temper the Heart on the Ice Plain,' which requires enduring the wind and snow of the Far North core region for three days on the summit of an ancient ice mountain outside the temple, without the aid of any Soul Skill or Soul Tool, relying solely on my physical body and willpower."
As soon as she finished speaking, the Snow Empress opened her eyes, a rare look of astonishment appearing on her usually cold face. She continued, "My First Trial is ' Purge the Frozen Region,' which requires me to kill ten Far North Soul Beast with over ten thousand years of cultivation all by myself within a single day."
Upon hearing this, even Gu Yuena glanced at him slightly.
The atmosphere instantly became somewhat... quiet and eerie.
Meng Hongchen's test sounds arduous, but for her, who possesses the Ultimate Ice Martial Soul, enduring the wind and snow in the core of the Far North is more like a tempering and affinity for the Martial Soul Origin. Although there are risks, they are by no means fatal.
And the Snow Empress's test... to kill ten ten-thousand -Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?
For this former Lord of the Far North, whose strength was comparable to that of Limit Douluo, this was simply child's play!
At her peak, this was nothing more than a blink of an eye.
Even though she has transformed into human form and her strength has not fully recovered, this test is far too easy for her, who has already cultivated to the level of Soul Douluo.
The way Gu Yuena and Snow Empress were looking at Kong Xuan at that moment clearly meant that the Divine Examination was ridiculously easy. Could it be that Kong Xuan had just "threatened" the remnant soul of the Ice God, causing the test to become an easy mode?!
Kong Xuan felt extremely uncomfortable being stared at by the two of them.
"Well... perhaps... the Ice God thought you were exceptionally talented, so he deliberately lowered the difficulty as encouragement?"
Kong Xuan tried to find a reasonable explanation, but even he himself didn't believe what he said.
Gu Yuena, standing to the side, curled her lips into a playful smile and casually added, "Hmm, it seems this Ice God is still quite 'pragmatic'."
Kong Xuan: "..."
The next day, as dawn broke, the cold winds of the Far North remained biting.
Kong Xuan and Gu Yuena stood side by side on the icy plain, bidding farewell to Meng Hongchen and Snow Empress.
"Once this matter is settled, Na'er and I need to return to Mingdu as soon as possible."
Kong Xuan's tone was gentle yet carried an unyielding resolve. " The Spirit Pagoda is in its infancy, and everything needs to be done. There are many core matters that only I can personally oversee at present, so I really cannot stay here for long."
He did not choose to stay and accompany Meng Hongchen to complete the Divine Examination, not because he was unwilling, but because he had no choice.
Kong Xuan is currently the only person on the entire Douluo Continent who has mastered magic. This unique knowledge from another world is the core competitive advantage and secret of the Spirit Pagoda in its early stages, and cannot be entrusted to others.
As for Meng Hongchen's safety, although he was concerned, he was not too worried.
Although the Divine Examination are becoming increasingly dangerous and difficult, judging from the first Divine Examination, the Ice God's next test will not be too difficult.
Although Snow Empress's strength had not returned to its peak due to her transformation, her experience and familiarity with this land were the best guarantee.
With her here, she's far more useful than Kong Xuan.
"Go ahead and don't worry."
Meng Hongchen, being intelligent and perceptive, naturally understood Kong Xuan's predicament.
She smiled, her smile especially bright against the backdrop of the snow, "I will focus on completing the assessment and improving my strength as soon as possible. With Sister Snow Empress here, everything will be alright."
Snow Empress nodded slightly, her cool gaze fixed on Kong Xuan promised, "I will protect her."
There's no need for further sentimentality; the decision has been made, so there's no need to drag things out.
"Take care of yourself."
"You too."
After a brief farewell, Kong Xuan and Gu Yuena simultaneously activated their Soul Power, their figures transforming into two streaks of light, one gold and one silver, breaking through the swirling snow and speeding towards the southern horizon, quickly disappearing above the vast snow line.
Meng Hongchen and Snow Empress watched them leave until the light and shadow completely disappeared before they turned their gaze away.
Just as Kong Xuan and Gu Yuena embarked on their journey back to the Sun Moon Empire, the Sun Moon Empire's Worship Hall, far away in Mingdu, welcomed an unexpected guest of extremely high status.
The Yangguang outside the hall was intense, but it couldn't dispel the somber atmosphere that followed.
The faint sound of wheels rolling over the smooth ground could be heard, growing louder as it approached.
Under the strict protection of the royal guards, Crown Princess Ju Zi personally pushed a wheelchair slowly through the magnificent and solemn gates of the Worship Hall.
The person sitting in the wheelchair was none other than the Crown Prince, Xu Tianran.
His face was still somewhat sickly pale, and his once sharp, eagle-like eyes had lost their edge, replaced by a faint smile.
Since he keenly realized that the Worship Hall was not supporting him, he had not set foot here in person for a long time.
His visit today was not Shi Xing, but rather carried a purpose that was of great importance to him.