Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 315 Leaving without saying goodbye
……

"Shura," the God of Kindness looked at the God of Shura and said in a gentle voice, "Your original intention may need to be adjusted. He did not choose the shortcut you had set out for."

The Asura God remained silent for a moment, his cold gaze sweeping over the figure struggling between destruction and rebirth in the mirror of light, before slowly speaking: "Stubborn and unyielding."

His voice remained cold, but the few god-kings who knew him well could detect a rare hint of...helplessness in that icy tone.

Yes, there's nothing we can do about it.

Xuanming's choice completely disrupted his plans.

Poseidon did not want to give up the position of the Sea God inherited from Xuanming, and neither did Shura. He had observed Xuanming more closely. If he really wanted to get rid of this kid, he would have done so back in the City of Slaughter.

With just a wisp of his divine thought, he could awaken Tang Chen and let that guy directly resolve the matters concerning Xuanming, and even the Silver Dragon King and the Dragon Clan. He could simply set Tang Chen as the ninth test.

Having completed the eighth trial, Tang Chen, now possessing the body of an Asura, along with the Asura Demon Sword, is more than capable of eliminating any hidden dangers on Douluo Star, and he only needs to issue one command.

But he didn't.

In his eyes, Xuanming was far more qualified than Tang Chen to inherit his Asura Godhood.

“Poseidon.” The Asura God’s gaze shifted to the somewhat guilty Sea God beside him. “You need to find a way to give him a hint. Tell him that the Silver Dragon King’s power can solve this problem, and there’s no need to… risk his life.”

Upon hearing this, Poseidon, the god of the sea, immediately gave a wry smile: "Shura, it's not that I don't want to help... but hinting now is probably too late, and might even have the opposite effect."

Several god-kings looked at him.

Poseidon shrugged and said helplessly, "You've all seen it, this kid is incredibly stubborn. He's already on the path of tempering, and he's seeing tangible results and hope. If I were to tell him to stop training and have his girlfriend give him a cheat code so he can easily get it done, do you think he'd listen to me, given his personality?"

"Not only will he not listen, but he may also see it as an insult to him, a denial of his efforts and choices. His rebellious nature will erupt, and he will only become more insane."

"This kid pursues absolute control over his own power, and what he hates most is the intervention of uncontrollable external forces, even if those external forces are well-intentioned."

Poseidon sighed: "This path, though dangerous, is one he forged himself, the most suitable path for him. Now he has to walk it on his own."

Silence fell over the temple.

The gods once again turned their gaze to the mirror of light.

In the mirror, Xuanming continued to struggle, temper, and resist under that hellish pressure. Each collapse and reconstruction of his body was accompanied by a heart-stopping tragedy and unwavering determination.

The Asura God watched this scene, and in the end, he only gave a cold snort and said nothing more.

He knew that Poseidon was right.

This young man named Xuanming, through his madness and determination, has forcibly shifted the focus of the test from the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena back to... himself.

This assessment has completely transformed into the ultimate test of his personal will, potential, and magnanimity.

Whether he can succeed is anyone's guess.

But at least, he earned the respect of all the god-kings, including the god of asura.

……

Three days and three nights later.

Above the Nine Heavens Mystic Steps, the golden torrent, which seemed to be in tangible form, suddenly fluctuated violently.

A blood-soaked, almost unrecognizable figure was suddenly flung out of the center and plummeted downwards like a kite with a broken string.

The soul power fluctuations that had been forcibly raised to the level of a Title Douluo around him had completely dissipated, his aura was extremely weak, and his body was covered with spider web-like cracks, like a piece of porcelain that would shatter at the slightest touch.

It was Xuanming.

He eventually exhausted all his strength and could no longer maintain that terrifying height of 888 levels, and was forcibly expelled by the light of the sea god.

A magnificent red figure appeared silently in mid-air, its gentle yet vast aura supporting his falling body.

Looking at the young man in her arms, who was almost completely crushed but stubbornly maintained a sliver of life under the nourishment of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone's boundless life force, Poseidon's deep eyes, which had seen the vicissitudes of life, flashed with an extremely complex light, containing shock, confusion, and an indescribable...moved feeling.

She carefully led him back to the foot of Poseidon Mountain, to that pristine white sand beach.

"Xuan Ming!"

"How is he?!"

Ning Rongrong, Hu Liena, Zhu Zhuqing and others who had been anxiously waiting immediately surrounded him. When they saw Xuan Ming's miserable state, they all turned pale and their eyes were filled with worry and heartache.

“His strength is exhausted, his body and mind are severely overdrawn, and he is on the verge of collapse.” Poseidon’s voice was still ethereal, but with a hint of solemnity. “Fortunately, he has a powerful life source supporting him, so his life is not in danger, but he needs time to recover.”

Everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief, but their mood remained heavy.

Shui Bing'er looked around and suddenly frowned, asking, "By the way, where's Gu Yuena? Wasn't her assessment supposed to be assisting Xuan Ming? Xuan Ming is so badly injured, where did she go?"

As soon as these words came out, the scene suddenly became quiet.

Only then did everyone realize that they had not seen Gu Yuena since Xuanming began climbing the Nine Heavens Mystic Steps.

Poseidon was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "She left Poseidon Island on the very night she received the divine test."

"what?!"

"They left?!"

"She's gone?! She ran away when Xuanming needed her most?!"

Ning Rongrong, Huo Wu, Hu Liena, and the others were instantly in an uproar, their faces filled with disbelief, anger, and confusion! They couldn't understand! Gu Yuena's trial was clearly to assist Xuan Ming, their fates intertwined, sharing life and death! Why, when Xuan Ming was undergoing such a dangerous test, did she disappear without a trace, even leaving without saying goodbye?!
"How could she do this!" Ning Rongrong's eyes reddened with anger, and her voice trembled with tears.

"I thought she..." Dugu Yan gritted her teeth, but couldn't bring herself to say the rest.

Even the usually aloof Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling showed obvious dissatisfaction and confusion in their eyes.

Looking at the indignant and emotional girls, Poseidon offered no further explanation. She simply settled the unconscious Xuanming carefully and then quietly left.

Another three days and three nights passed.

Under the nurturing of the Ice and Fire Dragon Crown, the slow recovery of the dragon bone energy, and the powerful life force repair of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone, Xuanming finally awoke from his deep coma.

He opened his eyes, his icy blue pupils revealing a hint of weariness that was hard to conceal, but more than that, a bottomless calm.

He immediately sensed the blood spear within his body.

After three days and three nights of hellish tempering, the aura of the Blood Spear did indeed undergo a subtle change.

The overwhelming ferocity seemed to have had some of its edges smoothed out, and the chaotic, roaring pseudo-souls within the spear seemed to have quieted down a bit. Although still violent, they did show some signs of being "purified."

However... it's too slow.

At this rate, let alone three months, even thirty years might not be enough to truly "reshape the will".

He needs more pressure! He needs to activate the light of Poseidon more efficiently!
He needs to... ascend to a higher level of the Nine Heavens Mystic Steps!
Level 900? Or even... level 1000?

But that requires even greater power to support it. If the power of the dragon bone were to be unleashed at full force, it might allow him to possess a false soul power comparable to a level 99 Peerless Douluo for a short period of time. However, given his current physical and mental state, it would be impossible for him to control that level of power. Forcing it would only result in his instant self-collapse.

Moreover, he vaguely sensed that there seemed to be a simpler solution to this "reshaping will" test.

The rules of the Divine Trial did not completely block external forces, especially... the power from Gu Yuena.

He roughly guessed the deeper purpose behind setting up this test—to force the Silver Dragon King to take action and test her attitude.

However, unless he had no other choice, he did not have the habit of relying on others.

Gu Yuena...

Xuanming raised his head and gazed at the bright night sky.

I hope everything goes well for her.

……

For the next month, Xuanming was caught in a frenzied cycle.

Recovery, climbing, tempering, exhaustion, rebound, near death, recovery again...

He precisely chose steps between seven hundred and eight hundred, guiding the light of the sea god to relentlessly polish the blood spear. His body constantly teetered on the brink of collapse, forcibly repairing itself by relying on the energy of the Blue Silver Emperor Soul Bone and the Dragon Bone.

The cycle repeats itself endlessly, bordering on self-torture.

Ning Rongrong and the others went from shock and anger to silence and repression, and finally to numbness and shock. They could only desperately complete their assessments so as not to become a burden.

Even the gods of the divine realm were unusually silent.

Xuanming's tragic and resolute actions exceeded their expectations.

One month and ten days later, Xuanming awoke again.

Less than fifty days remain. Although the Blood Spear has undergone a slight purification, the progress is far from sufficient.

He sat silently on the beach, his hands outstretched, the blood-red spear hovering quietly. The spear remained ferocious, but the mad will deep within it revealed a trace of fatigue and "emptiness," as if stubborn dirt had been worn away to reveal a tiny "clean" area.

"External tempering is too inefficient... Refining from the outside in makes it difficult to reach the core..."

An even crazier, more dangerous idea took shape in his mind.

Since working from the outside in is too slow...

Why not...

From the inside out?

His gaze fell upon the Nine Heavens Mystic Steps once more, but no longer with the resolute determination to climb, but with a kind of... a deep, dark light that seemed to want to completely devour and merge it into himself.

He needs a stronger Poseidon's Light, not to suppress it, but to... draw it into his body and directly attack the core of the Blood Spear from within!
But the risks involved will be ten times, a hundred times, greater than before!
Directly drawing that destructive light of the sea god into the body? A slight misstep, and it wouldn't just be a severe injury and a reversal, but... utter annihilation from the inside out! Soul scattered!

Thinking of this, Xuanming summoned the Vast Ocean Universe Cover.

Heart of the Sea God.

Xuanming gazed at the Vast Ocean Universe Cover suspended in his palm. The azure triangular object emitted a soft yet profound light, as if it contained the will and power of the entire ocean.

An extremely dangerous yet incredibly tempting idea swirled in his mind.

If one forcibly merges this Heart of the Sea God with oneself, will it be possible to draw upon the true light of the Sea God at a deeper level?

Is it possible to more efficiently and directly channel that vast and boundless purifying power into the body, thoroughly flushing out and disintegrating the ferocious core of the Blood Spear, which is formed from endless slaughter and resentment?
Just as he was deep in thought, a soft footstep interrupted his thoughts.

Xiao Wu slowly walked over and stopped in front of him.

Those pink eyes no longer held their usual playfulness and liveliness, but instead carried an unprecedented seriousness and determination.

(End of this chapter)