"And as for those who took advantage of this chaos for power struggles, it's time for a purge!"
The Holy Spirit Cult's plan had gone so smoothly partly because of those with interests in the Sea God Corps. If they hadn't intervened in the Yuanen clan affair for their own power, the Federation wouldn't have been misled and only realized the problem now.
Before, there'd been no opportunity for a purge. But now that these people had shown themselves, the Council Chairman wasn't about to let the chance slip.
The Chairman's words were laced with killing intent.
Yu Guanzhi had no intention of objecting. He simply nodded in agreement.
After finishing this matter, the two fell silent for a moment. Yu Guanzhi spoke first: "The Holy Spirit Cult's capture of Ye Hui is definitely aimed at the Demon Plane. They're actively preparing for war—it's coming soon."
The Council Chairman nodded slightly, looking out at Mingdu's bustling cityscape. He turned back to Yu Guanzhi. "We can't just wait passively either. Once this is resolved, have the Sea God Corps launch a probing attack—target: Xingluo!"
God-Imprint Throne, Eternal Domain.
Huo Yuhao arrived once again, looking with interest at the figure before him.
The man had thick, curly brown hair. He wore armor that seemed carved from emerald, glittering with dazzling multicolored light.
Though not tall, he was extremely robust—broad-shouldered and broad-chested, with a full beard, a red, bulbous nose, and brown eyes matching his hair. In his left hand he held a giant ax, in his right a massive hammer—both weapons terrifyingly large. Just standing there, he exuded an invisible pressure.
King Easton was the last of the Eternal Domain's three artifact spirits, and the weakest in pure combat strength among them.
In Long Haochen's trial, his assigned role hadn't been purely about combat—it had also involved wisdom and human nature.
The general scenario was that the God-Imprint Throne gave misleading prompts, directing Long Haochen to help King Easton's enemies, thereby testing his judgment and decision-making when faced with conflicting information. In the end, Long Haochen didn't blindly follow the prompts but made the right choice based on his own observation and conscience, passing the trial.
Honestly, Huo Yuhao was quite curious about what kind of trial this one would give.
The tactics used on Long Haochen wouldn't work on him. Whether someone was lying, good or evil—before an old hand like him, even if he couldn't see through them at a glance, they wouldn't be so easily fooled. Moreover, he already knew the God-Imprint Throne would pull this "misleading" trick—he was mentally prepared.
More importantly, he had no particular obsession with the God-Imprint Throne.
Long Haochen had needed its power to fight against the demons, solidify his position, become a God-Imprint Knight, and boost the human federation's morale. Huo Yuhao was relatively indifferent.
The God-Imprint Throne wasn't his only trump card. He'd never placed all his hopes on it.
This mindset meant that when facing tests of character and wisdom, he could at least remain clear-headed, not losing himself in pursuit of the Throne's power.
The Eternal Lord knew him well enough to understand his mindset. So how would they arrange this final trial?
Just as Huo Yuhao was pondering, King Easton spoke.
"Honored successor, before the third trial begins, I'd like to ask you a question."
Huo Yuhao made an inviting gesture.
King Easton didn't delay. "I've learned from the Eternal Lord that you know of the God-Imprint Throne's previous master, Long Haochen—a very upright and kind knight. I was quite close to him. I want to know, compared to him, do you think you're suitable to inherit the Throne's power?"
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow.
A sharp question—comparing himself directly to a predecessor acknowledged by the Eternal Lord. No matter how he answered, it felt off.
And considering the Eternal Lord, the question became even more complex.
Still, though he hadn't read it, he'd heard that after the second part of the God-Imprint Throne story came out, Long Haochen had also become rather abstract, his reputation suffering.
Was this really the right question to ask?
With that thought, Huo Yuhao didn't take that angle. He considered for a moment, then looked up with a smile. "King Easton, since you were close to Senior Long Haochen, you must know what his answer would have been to this question, right?"
King Easton paused, then smiled wryly. "Strictly speaking, he was the first master of the God-Imprint Throne. Before he was the Creator God. Their identities and achievements are incomparable."
"Yes, incomparable." Huo Yuhao's expression didn't change as he said casually, "I also feel we're incomparable. On the Holy Demon Continent, he was the most suitable successor at that time. On the Douluo Continent, I am the most suitable successor at this time. That's enough."
King Easton frowned—not from surprise, but because of this answer...
"You're somewhat disappointed in this answer. You think it's too ordinary?" Huo Yuhao smiled.
"Indeed, it feels somewhat ordinary."
King Easton didn't deny it. "But even knowing this might be part of the test, you didn't dwell on the question, didn't embellish, and gave your answer directly. This shows that while your answer isn't polished, it's genuine. I can even see that you have little attachment to the Throne."
"That's a rare mindset, uncommon among previous successors."
He paused, then said, "Now, let the final trial begin—defeat me within fifteen minutes!"
"???" Huo Yuhao looked at King Easton with a face full of question marks.
Was this right? Wasn't this side supposed to issue a series of tasks testing character, wisdom, and judgment?
Why had it suddenly become a combat trial?
And why was a combat trial conducted by the least combat-oriented artifact spirit? It felt incongruous.
Of course, Huo Yuhao wouldn't say that—being blunt would hurt. He chose a different wording.
"The first two trials were combat trials. Does the third have to repeat that?"
Hearing Huo Yuhao's question, King Easton's rugged face showed a knowing smile.
"For someone with your experience, ordinary character tests are useless. You have no attachment to the Throne—what could I use to mislead you, to test your judgment? What could I use to test your conscience? Many fail the character test simply because their pursuit of the Throne clouds their judgment. You clearly won't fall for that. So it's better to switch to a combat trial."
"And don't think this will be easy. The version of me you'll face will be stronger than the Eternal Angel and the Holy Sacred Dragon."
As he spoke, he raised his giant ax and intoned, "Eternal Lord, grant me your supreme power."
The sky turned white. A pressure instantly bore down on Huo Yuhao, and King Easton's aura began to climb rapidly.
Huo Yuhao sensed his opponent's power and raised an eyebrow.
Drawing on the Eternal Domain to boost his strength?
It seemed to have reached the divine level.
King Easton's face showed a near-pious fervor, along with a barely detectable excitement.
For so many years, the Eternal Angel and Holy Sacred Dragon had handled combat trials, while he'd been stuck playing the role of a seemingly ignorant trial NPC. Finally, he could rise with the Eternal Domain's support.
He was now God-King Easton!
"Successor, be careful—the me now is not the one you were chatting with moments ago."
Before the words faded, King Easton vanished from his spot.
Huo Yuhao's expression shifted. He instantly activated Ice Empress True Body, summoning the Tian Fen Shen Chu to block the ax strike from the front.
BOOM!
In that instant, Huo Yuhao didn't feel a "collision"—he felt a mountain crashing down on him.
Where the ax and divine weapon met, a visible shockwave exploded outward in a ring. Wherever it passed, the Eternal Domain's ground was torn up like paper. Rocks and dust were hurled into the air, then pulverized by the blast.
Huo Yuhao was driven back dozens of meters, his feet carving two deep trenches in the ground.
"That was just a probe. Successor, show me your full strength—otherwise..."
King Easton's voice came from within the emerald flames, calm and composed. He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
Huo Yuhao steadied himself, looked down at the wounds on his hands where skin had split, felt King Easton's power, and looked up at his opponent.
Then he smiled.
"That doesn't seem so hard?"
Though it was divine level, it was merely at the breakthrough level—just Level 100. He could fight this.
Hearing this, King Easton's voice cut off.
Facing a deity and being required to defeat them within fifteen minutes—and he thought it wasn't hard?
Listen to yourself—was that human speech?
"Drawing on the Eternal Lord's power for the trial is, strictly speaking, the Eternal Lord personally participating, isn't it?"
Huo Yuhao looked up at the sky, then turned his gaze back to King Easton. This time, he held nothing back. He activated Reincarnation True Body instantly, and the "Spirit Transmission Tower" appeared beside him.
"Let me see what you've got."
As he spoke, the Spirit Transmission Tower suddenly merged into his chest, and an astonishing aura began to build.
After entering Reincarnation True Body, his aura, already infinitely approaching the divine level, climbed further—crossing that threshold entirely!
The Spirit Transmission Tower had two methods of amplification.
First, it could enhance the power of attacks, pursuing the upper limit. This put less strain on Huo Yuhao himself but more on the Spirit Transmission Tower.
Second, it could enhance his spirit power intensity through the tower, which he then applied himself. This put more strain on his body but was more flexible and sustainable than the first method.
Clearly, Huo Yuhao chose the latter this time.
The moment the Spirit Transmission Tower merged into his chest, he felt a surge of power flowing from its core, spreading through his meridians to every part of his body. This wasn't an external infusion—the tower had somehow "sublimated" his own spirit power. The quantity hadn't increased much, but the quality had undergone an earth-shattering change, its intensity reaching the level of Level 100 and beyond.
Though this strained his body, given his current Golden Body level achieved through the Body Sect's secret methods, the impact was manageable.
King Easton's expression stiffened slightly.
He sensed the change in Huo Yuhao's aura. If before Huo Yuhao was just a mortal infinitely approaching the divine level, now the person standing before him had fundamentally crossed that threshold—undeniably divine.
And his condition seemed more perfect than King Easton's own.
After all, Huo Yuhao was stronger to begin with. After a sudden elevation to the divine level, his control over power would naturally be better too.
But King Easton was experienced, and quickly suppressed his shock.
"So it seems we're on equal footing again. But even if you've temporarily entered the divine level, that only puts you on par with me. Defeating me within fifteen minutes won't be so easy."
"On par?" Huo Yuhao repeated the words softly, a slight smile curving his lips. "You misunderstand."
He took a step forward.
Spatial power rippled, and he was before King Easton. King Easton's pupils contracted, his ax and hammer swinging down simultaneously.
At the same time, his emerald life domain unfolded, manifesting countless plant forms in the air that surged toward Huo Yuhao.
Huo Yuhao's form flickered, evading the two massive weapons. Then he smoothly expanded his Reincarnation Domain, and the energy composing those plants was devoured in an instant.
"How?!"
King Easton was startled, his gaze toward Huo Yuhao's domain shifting.
He hadn't expected Huo Yuhao's domain to naturally counter his, just like Long Haochen's.
Looks like he'd have to rely on raw strength.
But just then, he found his form freezing.
It was Huo Yuhao's spatial freeze!
Though King Easton quickly broke free, it left an opening, and he couldn't escape Huo Yuhao's pursuit.
A massive palm wreathed in crimson-gold flame expanded rapidly before his eyes.
The flame was clearly no ordinary fire—its temperature had surpassed mortal limits, even distorting the space around it with a sharp hiss.
King Easton's pupils contracted.
He instinctively raised his ax to block, the blade before him, emerald divine power fully activated, forming an energy shield on its surface.
BOOM!
The crimson-gold palm was slammed into the ax face.
King Easton felt an overwhelming force surge through the blade.
But the flame was even more terrifying.
Golden tongues of fire licked at the emerald shield on the axe, producing a sizzling sound like red-hot iron plunged into cold water. The shield was visibly thinned, cracked, and collapsed.
King Easton gritted his teeth, his feet carving deep furrows in the ground as he was pushed back dozens of meters.
Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, an extreme cold swept over him, freezing him solid.
Emperor's Sword—Ice Extreme Unrivaled!
After extreme heat came extreme cold. Huo Yuhao didn't pause, pressing his advantage.
Destruction Light, Elemental Divine Thunder—a barrage of attacks, with no concern for exhausting his spirit power.
The Source Core within the Spirit Transmission Tower continuously supplies power. With an energy core comparable to a God-Slaying Soul Tool Cannon Shell, he wasn't worried about running out of steam.
King Easton found himself hard-pressed to defend. It felt like their roles had reversed.
Huo Yuhao was the examiner, and he was the examinee—his goal was simply to survive fifteen minutes under the other's onslaught.
He was the challenged party!
What kind of reverse logic was this?
In the distance, the Eternal Angel and Holy Sacred Dragon had arrived at some point, watching the scene.
The former couldn't help raising an eyebrow. "Though both elevated themselves to the divine level through other means, King Easton's foundation clearly can't compare to the Master's. He has limited options at the divine level—far inferior. King Easton's defeat is only a matter of time, and at this intensity, he won't come out of this unscathed."
The Holy Sacred Dragon chuckled. "He has only himself to blame. The trial is essentially about gaining the recognition of the three artifact spirits. The Eternal Lord had already approved. He could have taken it easy, just acting as a quest-giver as before."
"But his memories of Master Long Haochen drove him to raise the final trial's difficulty to the level Master Long Haochen faced against you. Now he's stuck between a rock and a hard place."
Contrary to Huo Yuhao's assumption, this trial was less about the Eternal Lord's intervention and more about King Easton's own initiative.
Back then, Long Haochen's final trial had been to withstand the Eternal Domain-enhanced Eternal Angel for fifteen minutes. Long Haochen had not only endured but won in that time—though he'd used the Sun-Moon Divine Snail Shield's day-night alternation, which gave it super-divine artifact power, a win was a win.
King Easton felt the second Throne holder's final trial shouldn't be less difficult than what Long Haochen had faced. Hence this arrangement.
Unfortunately, this time—though the successor lacked a super-divine artifact—his performance was even more absurd.
***
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