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Gu Yuena watched the shifting expressions on his face, which eventually settled into a look that clearly said, "I must have misunderstood," and knew he still hadn't grasped the situation.
She shook her head, stopped explaining, and simply patted his shoulder, her tone carrying a hint of resigned pity: "Forget it, just let nature take its course. Perhaps... when Bo Saixi comes to look for you, you might finally catch on a little?"
Bo Saixi? What does this have to do with Bo Saixi?
Xuan Ming became even more confused.
He looked out the window and began seriously contemplating whether his cultivation speed was too fast, causing some sort of cognitive disconnect from the outside World.
But given the clearly deliberately difficult fourth trial and the dangerous situation where the God Realm could turn hostile at any moment, wasn't his line of thinking the most rational?
Meanwhile, inside the Sea God Temple.
Bo Saixi, who had decided to "take the initiative" for once, was facing a water mirror, repeatedly practicing her phrasing and expressions.
Her stunningly beautiful face held a maiden-like nervousness and blush, and her sea-blue eyes flashed with determined yet shy light.
She gently stroked the necklace on her chest that emitted faint Sea God power, recalling Xuan Ming's figure repeatedly challenging his limits on Sea God Island, remembering the occasional maturity he displayed that was inconsistent with his age, and the moments when he would slightly stiffen when she approached him... She had previously thought it was respect, but now, perhaps that wasn't entirely the case?
"For the Sea God inheritance, and for myself..." Bo Saixi murmured, encouraging herself, "I can't wait any longer."
She took a deep breath, imagining how tomorrow she would set aside nearly a century of reserve and the dignity of her position as Great Priestess, and actively approach the young man who made her heartstrings tremble... She would never have guessed that the "initiative" she had meticulously prepared and bravely undertaken was about to confront an indestructible "stubborn stone," reinforced by "crisis awareness" and "cultivation mindset."
The next day, the morning light was faint, and the sea surface shimmered with golden ripples.
Xuan Ming sat alone on a black reef by the shore, his aura calm and focused. Since he couldn't temporarily sort out the complicated interpersonal relationships, he chose to dedicate his energy to the most fundamental aspect: power control.
The ring of slaughter, the ring of evil, and the Ring of Destruction. These three special spirit rings, originating from God King-level existences, brought him revolutionary improvements.
They were not merely spirit rings; they also contained faint fragments of the laws corresponding to their respective God Positions, which, though weak, pointed him toward the direction of his future path.
However, apart from the ring of slaughter, which he acquired earliest and deeply integrated with the Blood Spear, he mostly relied on his powerful spirit power and will to forcibly manipulate the powers of the ring of evil and the Ring of Destruction, far from achieving the level of seamless integration and mastery.
It was like a child wielding a heavy hammer—the power was immense, but the subtle intricacies could not be utilized.
"Inheriting a God Position..." Xuan Ming muttered internally, then shook his head.
He had fundamentally rejected this path. The God Realm's ambiguous attitude, the strict and "difficult" trials, and relying on the bestowal of others did not align with his personality.
Therefore, the only remaining path was to forcefully break through Level 100 and create his own God Position!
But this was by no means easy.
Gu Yuena had solemnly warned him that due to the ancient Dragon God Rebellion, the God Realm star system they were in had suffered severe damage, resulting in the destruction of numerous subordinate planes and significant damage to the God Realm itself.
This meant that the "God energy" that could be generated in this star system was limited.
God energy was the basic raw material for constructing a God Position, generated by the laws of the universe, and its quantity was closely related to the territory covered by the God Realm and the prosperity of Life.
Although the power of the Five God Kings in the current God Realm might be more profound than during the Dragon God era after long years, the underlying reserve of God energy likely had not fully recovered, possibly becoming even scarcer, or even completely depleted.
And the risks of leaving this relatively familiar star system to search the unknown deep space for sufficient God energy were immeasurable.
Gu Yuena had explicitly stated that even during the peak of the Dragon race, few chose this path.
The vast sea of stars outside the God Realm hid too many unpredictable dangers: temporal and spatial turbulence, ancient ruins, and even other unknown powerful existences... The road ahead was long and filled with thorns.
Xuan Ming was immersed in contemplating his future path, his brow tightly furrowed.
Just then, a faint yet familiar sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts.
Xuan Ming looked up, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
The person who arrived was Bo Saixi. But today, she was completely different from usual.
She was not wearing the luxurious red priestess robe that symbolized her status and authority; instead, she had changed into a sweeping blue-and-gold gown.
The hem of the dress was as soft as a wave, outlining her mature and graceful figure.
She possessed less of the solemn dignity of the Great Priestess and more of a woman's softness and gentleness.
Sunlight spilled upon her, and her sea-blue hair seemed to flow with radiance, making her look much softer, even carrying a hint of... imperceptible nervousness?
"Great Priestess?" Xuan Ming stood up, looking at her unusual attire with some confusion. "Is something the matter?"
Bo Saixi stopped not far in front of him, the sea breeze ruffling her skirt and hair.
She looked at Xuan Ming's ice-blue eyes, which were still clear but showed traces of deep thought, and her heart began to beat uncontrollably faster.
She secretly took a deep breath, trying hard to make her voice sound calm and natural:
"It's nothing important. I just saw you cultivating here, so I came over to take a look."
She turned slightly, gazing at the vast, boundless ocean, her tone carrying a vague sense of melancholy, "Having guarded this ocean and Sea God Island for nearly a century, many times I felt like the reef by this shore—seemingly solid, yet only able to remain in place forever, watching the tides rise and fall, the sun and moon set."
Her gaze returned to Xuan Ming. Complex glimmers stirred in her sea-blue eyes, and her voice softened slightly: "Until your appearance... Xuan Ming, you are like an unpredictable gale, an all-consuming giant wave that has intruded upon this seemingly unchanging sea area."
She paused, her cheeks slightly flushed, but she mustered her courage and continued in a subtle and suggestive tone: "You allowed me to see different possibilities and feel... a long-lost stirring. Perhaps this ocean... also needs a master who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with it, rather than one who is forever confined to a corner?"
After Bo Saixi finished speaking, she felt her cheeks were astonishingly hot.
She lowered her eyes, not daring to look at Xuan Ming, her heart pounding wildly as she awaited his response.
She had spoken clearly enough, hadn't she? Could he... understand?
Xuan Ming listened to Bo Saixi's words, looked at her unusual attire and flushed cheeks, and combined with her "literary" and suggestive language, he certainly felt that today's Bo Saixi was very different.
He thought seriously for a moment, connecting the meanings in her words—"unpredictable gale," "all-consuming giant wave," "shoulder-to-shoulder rather than confined"... A moment later, Xuan Ming suddenly realized, looking earnestly at Bo Saixi, his tone carrying understanding and a hint of relief at finding a "kindred spirit":
"I understand, Great Priestess. You also feel that being confined to Sea God Island has restricted your development and future, is that right?"
"?" Bo Saixi was slightly stunned and looked up at him.
Xuan Ming continued his interpretation based on his own mindset: "You want to break the status quo, seek a breakthrough, and even... are willing to leave this star system with me to explore the wider World, searching for greater power and more possibilities? Just like you said, moving forward shoulder-to-shoulder?"
The more he spoke, the more reasonable it seemed. It appeared Bo Saixi had also realized the limitations of this region and wanted to break free from the constraints! This conveniently aligned with his plans!
"If that is the case," Xuan Ming looked at Bo Saixi with burning eyes, issuing what he considered his most sincere invitation, "when I am ready to forcefully assault the Divine Realm and leave this star system, if you are willing, I can take you with me. Although the World outside is dangerous, the opportunities are equally immense. With your aptitude and strength, you might very well be able to condense your own Sea God God Position or find a more suitable path outside!"
Bo Saixi: "..."
She looked at Xuan Ming's earnest expression of "I understand you; let's achieve great things together," and listened to his invitation that had completely veered into the direction of interstellar exploration, causing her entire body to freeze.
The blush on her face quickly faded, replaced by a deep sense of powerlessness and... the urge to smash the Scepter she held in her hand at him.
She opened her mouth, only to find that all her shyness, all her anticipation, and all her carefully prepared hints, when met with Xuan Ming's clear, transparent, and single-minded gaze of a cultivation fanatic and explorer, turned into an incredibly stifled sigh stuck in her throat.
Gu Yuena... you were right... this stone... it's more than just a stubborn stone... it's practically... extraterrestrial meteorite iron!