Star Luo Empire.
Duke's Mansion of the Palsack Province.
A group of dukes dressed in luxurious robes seemed to be holding a meeting.
Among them were some of the most well-known leaders of the old nobility in the Star Luo Empire—Salokei, Duke Robinel who held significant military power, and Lingwen, the head of the Spirit Bird Sect, the most powerful hidden clan in terms of overall strength within the empire.
"Everyone, don't you think we're going a bit too far with this?"
Robinel looked displeased.
Currently, on the surface, Xu Jiawei was the one shouldering the Star Luo Empire's banner. He had to bear the burden of a decaying nation and fend off external invasions—it was already bad enough.
If more pressure was placed on him, what if that kid broke down?
He had previously advised the others not to push for a forced abdication. After all, the person they were dealing with was still an emperor. If he simply threw down his responsibilities, could they really carry the whole weight of Star Luo themselves?
That was a situation no one wanted to see.
"Hmph, Duke Pal—are you afraid?" Salokei sneered, glancing at him with disdain, his bloated belly sticking out.
Nobles were known for being lazy and gluttonous, most lacking real power, living off the achievements of their ancestors. That was the common stereotype—and frankly, it wasn't entirely wrong. After all, why else would it be called a "stereotype"?
Salokei's small eyes narrowed with greed. "Not a single gold coin less for me. If you can make up the shortfall, then sure, I wouldn't bother Xu Jiawei anymore."
"You—!" Robinel widened his eyes in anger.
"Alright, alright, let's not hurt our friendship over this," Lingwen said with a chuckle, stroking his snow-white beard.
"Duke, most of the Worship Hall's worshippers are either dead or gravely injured, and the Star Luo Empire's reserves have already been plundered. Xu Jiawei had previously come to us asking for spiritual medicine to help with treatment—that alone shows just how bankrupt the national treasury is. We refused his request, which also means the injured worshippers will likely not recover anytime soon. And even if they do, they'll never return to their former peak."
"Think about it, gentlemen—who will be the true masters of the empire in the future?" Lingwen chuckled again.
"We will! It's us!" Salokei grinned.
"Xu Jiawei is nothing more than a puppet emperor. You must realize, if we unite, we have three Titled Douluos among us, and our overall power isn't weak either. His loss is our gain," Lingwen continued to smile.
"…" Robinel took a deep breath.
These fools are not to be consulted on important matters.
Did they really think Xu Jiawei was weak? That he could be manipulated at will?
If he were truly so weak, would they have been suppressed so thoroughly by him over the past few years?
Before the Battle of Mingdu, the Worship Hall was still at full strength.
Would they have dared to say a word against him then?
Calling him a loyal minister might be going too far, but if these foolish allies stirred up too much trouble, he too would be dragged into the mess! All he wanted was a peaceful and stable Star Luo—not one that was falling apart!
"Duke, don't be angry now," Lingwen continued to coax. "Sit down, have a drink, let's celebrate a little..."
"Hmph!"
Robinel's face darkened, and he crushed the wine cup handed to him by Lingwen.
"Go ahead, stir things up! When Star Luo falls, and no one has anything to eat, you lot will be overjoyed, won't you!"
He turned and left, leaving the two men looking at each other in silence.
"So you've finally decided to accept the inheritance?"
Destruction was so excited he nearly cried.
"Yeah."
Xu Cheng nodded slightly.
Taking the divine test was currently the fastest way to advance—no doubt about it.
Now, with Gu Yuena sharing her cultivation with him and absorbing the profound ice jade marrow he had won from the Shrek auction, his strength was skyrocketing.
He had already reached level 68—soul sage level was likely only a month away…
"Not bad, not bad." Destruction looked over Xu Cheng, nodding more and more with satisfaction.
"So what's the content of the Destruction God's test?" Xu Cheng got straight to the point.
"The test content?" Destruction paused.
"You don't... not know, do you?" Xu Cheng's mouth twitched.
"That's not it," Destruction said awkwardly. "Aside from a few divine positions, like the Angel and Rakshasa Gods, whose tests are fixed, most divine inheritances don't have set trials. They mostly depend on the god's preferences. If the candidate is promising enough, sometimes you can even skip the test and pass the inheritance directly…"
"That's how the current Shura God inherited his position."
"But your strength is too weak. On your plane, you'd be called a Soul Sage, but you're still a long way from the top of the world. So for now, just treat the test as a way to enhance your power. Once you reach level 99, I'll pass the divine position to you directly," Destruction said with a smile.
Xu Cheng: "…"
Isn't this a bit too casual?
"Are all divine tests like this?"
"Definitely not. Most people are ground nearly to death during their divine trials. Even those capable of becoming gods rarely have such an easy time," Destruction shrugged.
"But with your talent, I don't think there's any need for a trial. If you like, you can wander around the Destruction Palace, walk the Destruction Staircase, collect some Destruction Followers, get used to the power of Destruction… When the time comes, I'll pass it to you. Just don't let it feel too abrupt."
"Alright, I'm off. Stay in touch!"
Destruction seemed eager to report the good news to Life and disappeared without a trace.
Leaving Xu Cheng holding the Destruction Staff, feeling dazed.
"He left… just like that?"
He looked at the staff in his hand.
But… with Destruction's arrival, some restrictions had been lifted. His control over the Destruction Staff had clearly deepened.
Buzz!
With a single thought—
The space around him shattered and reassembled, plunging into darkness.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already in a grand purple-golden hall.
"So this is the Destruction Palace? The place where the divine test was once held?" Xu Cheng looked around, his eyes flashing with excitement.
He could feel it—as if he were the master of this palace. He could enter any room at will and freely access all the test content.
"Try the first challenge?" Xu Cheng licked his lips.
The first trial of the Destruction God's test had similarities to other divine trials.
The Destruction Staircase, totaling 333 steps.
Training upon it could temper the body and drain one's soul power, thereby increasing strength.
Looking at the seemingly endless stairway ahead—
Below, violent Destruction energy surged like waves, the thick, deep purple fog almost tangible.
"Hoo…"
Xu Cheng took a deep breath.
And stepped onto the staircase.
Buzz!
A wave of invisible energy rippled from beneath his feet, pressing down upon him from all sides.
"Spicy!"(meaning "intense" or "stimulating")
Xu Cheng's pupils shrank slightly, then he took another step forward.
His pace quickened.
Fifth step…
Tenth…
Fiftieth…
He finally stopped at the 253rd step, sweat dripping from his forehead, his whole body soaked.
"This is the limit, huh."
Xu Cheng looked at the few steps remaining ahead and took a deep breath, sitting down cross-legged.
As his soul power drained, the deep purple mist (Destruction energy) surged into his body, washing over his meridians and bones in waves—replacing his ordinary soul power with the power of Destruction…
"This speed…"
A glint of joy flashed through Xu Cheng's eyes.
In less than half a month, he'd likely break through to level 70!
Unbelievable!
And his control over Destruction energy had also become smoother and more instinctive.
That, perhaps, was the greatest reward of all.
(End of Chapter)