Time flowed swiftly. In the blink of an eye, several more years passed.
Ever since the Sea God broke through the boundary with the faith of the ocean and ascended to godhood, Sea God Island had been enveloped in divine power. The fierce and unpredictable ocean spared the island its wrath—it remained forever serene and warm, as if spring lingered all year round.
But today, the island was met with an unprecedented storm. The skies darkened, thick clouds churned as if the heavens were collapsing. Torrential rain poured relentlessly, and gusting winds stirred towering waves that slammed the shores with deafening force. Enormous whirlpools emerged in the seas beyond, as if a force in the deep sought to swallow the world whole.
Within the Sea God Temple, a woman in a crimson priestess robe stood holding a staff, watching from afar as Ah Zi sat atop the high platform, undergoing the final trial of the Sea God. The seven sacred pillars stood in silent formation around her, faintly forming a protective ring.
Bo Saixi had sacrificed her life to unlock the Sea God's ninth trial, her soul cast into the embrace of the divine. The robed woman now overseeing the temple was her successor—Shui Bing'er, the new high priestess of Sea God Island.
She had once begun the red-level seven trials and completed them with success. After Bo Saixi's sacrifice, she donned the priestess robes, took up the Sea God's staff, and assumed the mantle of high priestess.
Of the seven black-robed Sacred Pillars, the Sea Dragon Pillar no longer served the Sea God. It had entered the Dragon God Realm within Yu Tianming's body, and with the Sea Dragon, became one of the first inhabitants of that realm. Both possessing dragon bloodlines, they thrived effortlessly in the world Yu Tianming had shaped.
Shui Bing'er's younger sister, Shui Yue'er, once a black-level fifth trial taker, had become the new Sea Dragon Pillar, inheriting the position.
Ah Zi's ninth trial differed from Tang San's of the past. Perhaps it was because the Sea God now hesitated before Yu Tianming's rise to god-kinghood, or maybe it was because Ah Zi's spirit was more compatible with the Sea God's divine seat. But within half an hour, she opened her eyes.
Instantly, the turbulent sea calmed, and the raging storm over the island slowly subsided.
With a gentle lift of her palm, the Sea God's Trident flew into Ah Zi's grasp. This colossal golden weapon spanned over three meters, with its central blade alone measuring more than two-thirds a meter. Once the Sea God Poseidon's own weapon, it had become the core of divine inheritance.
When Tang San ascended to godhood, he had abandoned his Blue Silver Grass and Clear Sky Hammer in favor of the Sea God's Trident and the Shura God Sword. But Ah Zi chose another path—perhaps influenced by Yu Tianming, she transformed the weapon into liquid, coiling it into two deep blue claw-shields along her arms, adapting it to her own fighting style.
At the same time in the depths of Star Dou Forest, Ah Zhu began her trial for the Fire God.
This had once been a prosperous Flaming Sun Iron mine, but after its upper veins were exhausted, both blacksmiths and Soul Masters had long withdrawn. Though it was meant to reopen in tens of thousands of years to supply Tang Wulin with materials for soul tools, it was now engulfed in searing flames.
This subterranean cave stretched several kilometers beneath the earth, where oxygen was scarce and combustion shouldn't have occurred. Yet flames burned fiercely throughout, defying nature's laws. Their scorching heat radiated throughout the Star Dou Forest.
In the heart of the unmined vein, within a massive underground cavern, Ah Zhu sat upon a red platform forged from Flaming Sun Iron. In the surrounding flames flickered soul beasts and fire-elementals. The flames could easily slay a Soul Saint, yet the fire spirits remained untouched—this fire bore the essence of the Fire God's divine power, irresistibly attracting them.
The Fire God, the elemental opposite of the Sea God, was a first-tier fire attribute god. In the original story, Ma Hongjun failed the Fire God's trial and inherited the lower-tier Phoenix God position instead. Since secondary gods lacked the power to bring loved ones to the God Realm, Bai Chenxiang died in the mortal world. Afterward, Ma Hongjun, grief-stricken, turned somber.
Though Ah Zhu's talent was not on par with Ma Hongjun's, she had received tremendous resources as Yu Tianming's attendant. With diligent cultivation over decades, she became a Title Douluo and caught the Fire God's attention. Now, she had reached the ninth trial.
As the trial progressed, the heat surged. The rocky walls around Ah Zhu began to melt, forming molten rivers beneath her. The fire-elementals had long since fled from the searing heat.
At the same moment Ah Zi achieved godhood, Ah Zhu opened her eyes. The flames in the entire mine disappeared at once.
The relentless heat had turned the mine into a cavern the size of Slaughter City. The glowing iron ores lit the space in a crimson glow.
Sensing the change, several giant fire-elementals returned, spiraling and leaping in celebration of the Fire God's birth.
They were leaders of their kind, each with tens of thousands of years of cultivation. Now infused with divine power, they stood on the cusp of becoming hundred-thousand-year soul beasts—ready to rise as titans like the Titan Giant Ape.
Ah Zhu smiled faintly, sending out a few threads of red light from her fingers, which entered their bodies.
Then, she turned into a streak of light, pierced through a thousand meters of earth, and soared toward the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect.
—
In a secluded courtyard behind the Blue Lightning Tyrant Sect, Yu Tianming was surrounded by Qian Renxue and Dugu Yan—now god-kings—as well as the first-tier gods Ah Zi and Ah Zhu. They all looked toward the youngest, Ning Rongrong.
"Since everyone has become gods, I'll begin the final trial of the Nine-Colored Goddess," said Ning Rongrong softly, nodding to Yu Tianming as she sat on a meditation cushion, closing her eyes, bathed in nine-colored light.
The Nine-Colored Goddess was the god Ning Rongrong inherited in the original story. Though it was a secondary god like Dai Mubai's and Ma Hongjun's, as a rare support deity, she could enable a primary combat god to exceed their limits. Her standing in the God Realm was like Ning Fengzhi's within the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—essential and unique.
Having absorbed Qiluo Tulip and Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid—both capable of creating gods—and with their complementary yin-yang nature, her potential had long since surpassed imagination.
Though the position she inherited was a secondary god's, Ning Rongrong's potential ensured she would not remain there for long.
The ascension of the Nine-Colored Goddess caused barely a ripple. It was a calm, radiant process. In less than the time it took to burn half an incense stick, the nine-colored light solidified into a shimmering divine robe upon her.
Ning Rongrong slowly stood and turned her back to the others. The Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda emerged in her hand, radiating a powerful aura with countless buffs layered atop herself.
With a sigh, she mimicked a powerful battle Soul Master she once admired and said, "At the peak of the immortal path, who shall stand above? One glimpse of the Nine Treasures, and all Dao fades. This goddess has ascended—there will never be another support Soul Master like me…"
Yu Tianming patted her head with a smile and turned to greet Yu Tianxin and Yu Tianheng, along with Yu Yuanzhen and Yu Luomian.
His cousins, Tianxin and Tianheng, had absorbed the Nine-Rank Dragon Ganoderma, Earth Dragon Gourd, and Crystal Dragon Blood Ginseng. With the addition of thunder-type dragon soul bones gifted by Yu Tianming, they had advanced rapidly. Though they hadn't endured trials like Slaughter City or Sea God Island, they had safely reached Title Douluo status.
Yu Yuanzhen, with the aid of the Hunyuan Immortal Grass, had reached the same level as Tang Chen—Rank 99 Limit Douluo. Yu Luomian, who had absorbed the Nine-Rank Purple Ganoderma, had reached Super Douluo, but no further.
Facing his kin, Yu Tianming paused a moment and said, "Tianxin, Tianheng, your talent is outstanding. Soon, gods will offer you divine trials. I believe you'll ascend by your own strength."
"Of course. With our talent, we'll pass with ease." The two shared a glance. They knew Yu Tianming and the others were preparing to ascend. Their martial souls had already evolved into god-class spirits like Six-Winged Angels, and they no longer feared divine trials.
Yu Tianming nodded, turning to Yu Yuanzhen. "Grandfather, are you sure you want to break through the 100-level barrier on your own?"
"Hahaha! I've roamed the world all my life—I don't want to rely on juniors to enter the God Realm. Let me try. This wall is high, but I want to challenge it…"
"Then Second Grandfather, please remain here with Grandfather for now," said Yu Tianming gently to Yu Luomian. "If someday you grow weary of the mortal world, I'll come fetch you."
Yu Luomian stroked his beard and laughed, "That works well. With me here, your grandfather won't get bored. Our sect is huge, and thousands of clansmen keep us busy. Even if I want to ascend, I must put things in order first."
—
In the blink of an eye, several centuries passed since Yu Tianming and the others ascended.
During this time, Tang San and Xiao Wu had lived quietly in the Blue Silver Forest. With only Soul Saint cultivation and no divine lifespan, they passed away early. They had grown up together, endured countless hardships, and finally spent their lives side by side. Though Ma Hongjun had entered the picture and roles had shifted, in the end, they remained together.
In these years, with the martial hierarchy reformed under the Spirit Hall and commerce flourishing through the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, commoners no longer bore the burden of taxation. The masses turned their attention away from survival and toward knowledge and innovation.
A new age dawned. Soul tool technology—once dormant—flourished once more. The continent entered an era of unprecedented prosperity.
One day in the heart of the Star Dou Forest, Di Tian awoke the sleeping Silver Dragon King.
"My lady, I bring important news."
"Oh? What happened that you'd wake me during my slumber?"
"My lady, something miraculous has occurred. Today, soul beasts that perished no longer dropped soul rings or bones. I also felt the divine shackles placed on soul beasts vanish. If given time, I can ascend to godhood as a beast. Thinking you'd benefit, I came to report."
"Is this true?" Silver Dragon King closed her eyes to sense the world. When she opened them again, joy lit her gaze. "Di Tian, the world has changed. The gods' shackles on us soul beasts are gone… The Dragon God has returned."
Long ago, the Dragon God had gone mad, sealing all his hatred and negative emotions into his body. With his last trace of sanity, he allowed the Shura God to cleave him apart. The Silver Dragon King was the embodiment of his benevolence. The Golden Dragon King, the malice, was sealed in the God Realm.
After the great war, gods perished, laws shattered, and soul rings came into existence—giving humans power and turning soul beasts into stepping stones.
Now, gazing skyward, the Silver Dragon King murmured in her heart, 'Yu Tianming… is that you? I didn't expect you to ascend so quickly. So you've broken the chains and returned as the Dragon God. Soon, I too shall return to the God Realm. We'll meet again.'
After a pause, she softly asked, "Di Tian, without soul rings, how will humans now strengthen their martial souls?"
"My lady, the Spirit Empire has just issued a new cultivation system. Humans will no longer need to hunt soul beasts to advance. Instead, like hundred-thousand-year beasts reforging their forms, they'll condense their own soul skills based on their martial spirits."
"Humans living in peace… soul beasts roaming free… Is this the world shaped by the new Dragon God?"
(End of Chapter)
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