Zhang Yuexuan knelt before the jade stele inscribed with the four characters Silvermoon Goddess. Her beautiful eyes closed, her expression solemn, she silently recited the words Xu Jianwei had taught her.
The three beside her each had their own thoughts. Xu Jianwei's eyes brimmed with tense anticipation. Jiang NanNan was mostly curious. As for Zhu Ziyang, all his attention was fixed on the towering goddess statue, for he had clearly noticed something strange: as Zhang Yuexuan began her prayer, a faint golden radiance flickered from the statue's surface.
This is the power of faith!
The sudden voice in his mind startled him. It was Xiaobai, his divine trial examiner.
"You can see what I'm experiencing?" Zhu Ziyang asked in surprise.
"No," Xiaobai denied. "I only sensed a surge of faith power—coming from your Higanbana mark."
Zhu Ziyang instinctively touched his forehead, where the mark faintly burned. Doubt flickered in his heart. "The Higanbana mark can sense the power of faith?"
"Not exactly," Xiaobai replied flatly. "But it can sense the presence of other gods' inheritors—or sites of inheritance."
Zhu Ziyang's heart jolted. "So you're saying this Moon Worship Hall is in fact the inheritance ground of some god? And that so-called Moon Trial… is actually that god's divine test?"
"Correct," Xiaobai said. "The faith power here is extremely dense—dense enough to manifest a false idol. That means this god has already fallen. If not, they would never have allowed such accumulated faith to stagnate. Look—here comes the light of divine inheritance. I think I know who this god is."
As Xiaobai spoke, the colossal statue responded. Blinding light burst forth, and in its hands appeared a sphere of primordial radiance. The orb released white light that descended onto Zhang Yuexuan.
At once, her whole body was bathed in brilliance. The light quickly shifted—white to yellow, yellow to violet, violet to black…
Xu Jianwei, who had been trembling with fists clenched, exhaled in relief as joy welled up in her eyes. But then the glow changed once more—black turned to crimson.
The instant scarlet light filled the hall, everything was dyed blood-red. Xu Jianwei fell to her knees, her aged body bowing low before Zhang Yuexuan in fervent worship. She was bowing both to Yuexuan and through her, to the god beyond.
Bathed in red light, Zhang Yuexuan looked holy, like a child of divinity.
"A Red-level trial?" Zhu Ziyang murmured in awe. "Does that mean she's gained a god's inheritance?"
"That depends on how many trials she receives," Xiaobai answered coolly. "In general, a full inheritance requires nine."
Zhu Ziyang nodded slightly. Just then, the red glow shifted from Zhang Yuexuan's body to the jade stele, which absorbed it whole. The hall fell silent. Then, in the next heartbeat, a scarlet beam shot forth, stopping just before her and solidifying into a red screen.
Then another. And another.
One after another, eight red screens appeared before Zhang Yuexuan.
"Red-level Eight Trials!" Xu Jianwei and Zhu Ziyang breathed in unison.
The eight screens hovered for a moment, then merged into Zhang Yuexuan's brow. A silver osmanthus mark blossomed at the center of her forehead, lending her an ethereal beauty.
"Silvermoon above, bless the rebirth of the Moon Vein!" Xu Jianwei cried, tears streaming as she embraced Zhang Yuexuan.
Yuexuan, dazed, shut her eyes and let the tide of revelation wash through her.
"So… which god left this inheritance?" Zhu Ziyang asked Xiaobai inwardly.
"The Goddess of Taiyin," Xiaobai replied. "A High God who perished in the same catastrophe as the God of Death. Judging by the utter absence of divine consciousness, she fell completely—only the god seat remains. But she was fortunate. This sea of faith was enough to preserve her inheritance until now."
"Taiyin Goddess?" Zhu Ziyang was surprised. "Shouldn't it be the Moon God?"
"Hmph." Xiaobai's tone dripped with scorn. "The moon of the God Realm is a star. Not even the Death God dares claim dominion over it. How could the Goddess of Taiyin, merely a High God, dare call herself the Moon God?
"She wielded lunar power drawn from the moon, which led mortals to mistake her for the Moon God. But in truth, no such deity exists in the God Realm."
"What a revelation…" Zhu Ziyang whispered, his eyes widening. "But you just said—the moon is a star? What kind of existence is a star?"
"That touches on the essence of the universe," Xiaobai said bluntly. "It's not something you can grasp yet. When you've completed the Six Trials of the Death God, I'll begin to teach you. For now, I've said too much already."
And with that, he vanished, leaving Zhu Ziyang both frustrated and burning with questions.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yuexuan had finished sorting through the revelations of her inheritance. Her face glowed with awe. "I never imagined such wonders existed in this world!"
"Xuanxuan, Red-level Eight Trials!" Xu Jianwei gripped her hands, overwhelmed. "Even the Yin Clan's founding ancestor and the Silvermoon Empress herself only received Red-level Seven Trials. The Empress reached Rank 99 with that alone! With Eight, your future achievements will surpass hers without doubt. Truly, the Silvermoon blesses us!"
"I hope so." Zhang Yuexuan smiled softly, the osmanthus mark shimmering with an otherworldly charm.
"Yuexuan-jie, the flower on your forehead is so beautiful!" Jiang NanNan exclaimed in admiration.
"This mark will vanish once I finish the trials. It's nothing worth fussing over," Zhang Yuexuan replied with a laugh, brushing her brow. Then she turned to her companion. "NanNan, you should try as well. If you gain a trial too, we can complete them together!"
"Of course!" Jiang NanNan agreed happily.
Xu Jianwei, however, warned, "Child, unless you carry the bloodline of the Moon, the Silvermoon won't respond."
"No problem. My martial soul is the Taiyin Jade Rabbit," Jiang NanNan said with confidence.
"The Taiyin Jade Rabbit!" Xu Jianwei gasped, stunned. The power of Shrek Academy never ceased to amaze her.
"Well then, NanNan, go ahead," Zhang Yuexuan urged with a smile. "With your talent, you may receive an even higher trial than mine!"
"Hehe, then I won't hold back!" Jiang NanNan giggled, then knelt before the jade stele, closing her eyes and silently invoking the moon.
Zhu Ziyang watched tensely, hope burning in his eyes. He wanted her to gain the Taiyin Goddess's inheritance—for only then could she walk with him forever. Even if she reached Rank 99 as an Ultimate Douluo, her lifespan would be no more than five centuries. But if she gained divinity…
He clenched his fists, making a vow. Even if NanNan failed here, he would one day find her a god seat.
That was his promise.
A man's promise.
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