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Finally, it was little Ah Yin who broke the silence. She seemed completely oblivious to the strange atmosphere and ran happily to Xuan Ming, looking up. "You're finally back! I thought you were out looking for a girl again and didn't plan to come back!"
Xuan Ming lowered his head and his eyes fell on little A Yin. His icy eyes seemed to melt for a moment. He raised his hand and rubbed her hair very naturally.
"I told you I'd be back."
This subtle movement and response was like a signal, allowing the stagnant air to start flowing again.
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath, suppressed the strange feeling in her heart, and smiled: "Brother Xuan Ming, long time no see, are you... okay?"
Xuan Ming's gaze swept across their faces one by one, taking in all their changes, but he made no further comment. He simply nodded, "Not bad. It seems you haven't wasted these three years."
Gu Yuena slowly stepped forward and asked, "What's the situation?"
Xuan Ming was silent for a moment. "It's a little troublesome, but it's not a big deal. We can't stay here for long. Next, I want to take you to a place."
Gu Yuena was slightly startled, "Where are we going?"
"Sea God Island." Xuan Ming said.
It is undeniable that Sea God, the god of the sea, has no prejudice against the soul beast clan, and under the current circumstances, there is no need to hide anything.
In fact, he never felt that there was anything to be shy about.
Since he did not die in the City of Slaughter, it means that Shura God will not attack him for the time being. Otherwise, the dragon souls of the two first-generation dragon kings are so clearly on his body, it is impossible for Shura to not make any move at all.
"When?" Gu Yuena asked.
"As soon as possible." Xuan Ming said.
"Time is a bit tight, let's go to Sea God Island first to check the situation."
Gu Yuena nodded slightly and said, "Let them prepare first. Let's go back to the Xingdou Great Forest first. That bug..."
Xuan Ming was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head: "No, let's go to Sea God Island first."
Gu Yuena was slightly stunned, "Why?"
"Let's take a look at the situation first." Xuan Ming said.
"There's no rush for this."
Gu Yuena was silent for a moment, then nodded, "I'll listen to you."
"Sea God Island...are we going there too?" Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu slowly walked over.
After the founding of the Wuhun Empire, Gu Yuena brought them both here, saying it was for special training and to protect their safety.
Now that the Wuhun Empire is expanding rapidly, their families have been forced into the war. They also know very well that they can stay out of it because of Xuan Ming.
Xuan Ming looked at Shui Bing'er and the other two, then at Gu Yuena, "You..."
"Since you don't want to give up, I will help you maintain it as much as possible." Gu Yuena said.
Xuan Ming was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Let's go together. I'm afraid she's got her eyes on you too."
...
Everyone turned around to pack their luggage, and soon only Xuan Ming and Gu Yuena were left in the valley.
The mist from the spring water flowed slowly between the two of them, and the atmosphere was a little quiet for a moment.
Xuan Ming raised his hand, and a faint light flashed in his palm. The strange spear, which was dark red in color and seemed to be made of solidified blood, quietly emerged.
It hovered quietly above his palm, without emitting any soul power fluctuations, but it exuded a heart-pounding aura of ferocity and death, as if countless dead souls were wailing silently within the spear.
"Take a look at this." Xuan Ming handed the Blood Spear to Gu Yuena, his voice calm, "After leaving the Slaughter City, its condition has become somewhat... peculiar."
Gu Yuena's silver-purple eyes fell on the blood spear, and her eyes condensed slightly.
She stretched out her slender fingers, with an extremely faint nine-colored halo lingering around her fingertips, and gently touched the dark red spear.
Buzz——
The blood spear trembled extremely slightly and made an almost inaudible hum, as if it felt both close to the nine-colored halo and had a hint of instinctive awe.
Gu Yuena closed her eyes, and a trace of extremely pure Dragon God's original power, which far exceeded the level of soul power, flowed along her fingertips and carefully probed into the interior of the blood spear.
After a moment, she slowly opened her eyes, with a hint of surprise and solemnity in them.
"It... has touched the limit of the mortal world." Gu Yuena's voice was filled with a hint of disbelief.
"The accumulation of the City of Slaughter, coupled with the transformation of your own power, has allowed it to begin its transition to the divine level ahead of time. Its inherent materials and the inherent laws of slaughter are sufficient to support its transformation into a true divine weapon."
Xuan Ming listened quietly, without much surprise on his face.
"But," Gu Yuena changed the subject, her tone becoming serious, "it lacks the most crucial thing—divinity. Without the infusion of divinity, it will never be able to complete its final transformation and will only be stuck in this awkward situation, with only power but no soul."
She looked at Xuan Ming and said, "Theoretically, the fastest way is for you to obtain divine power yourself and then temper and nurture it day and night, guiding it to generate spirituality and condense divine patterns. With your current foundation, once you become a god, this process will be very fast."
"However," she frowned slightly, "this method... is very unsafe. I can sense that its inner will is extremely chaotic and incomplete, a pseudo-soul forcibly blended from countless fragments of slaughter."
"Once you inject divine power into it, this false soul will likely lose control and run wild under the stimulation of divine power, turning against its master at the critical moment of your godhood. With your current spiritual realm, you may not be able to completely suppress a nascent divine artifact soul filled with murderous desire."
Xuan Ming frowned slightly.
This is indeed a hidden danger. The accumulation of the City of Slaughter is too huge and complex. The foundation of the Blood Spear is built on endless death, and its core "soul" itself is synonymous with chaos and violence.
Not to mention, the Blood Spear has been thinking about devouring him since its birth and has never given up.
Now it didn't continue to devour him like before, not because it didn't want to eat, but because it was full.
But once the transformation is completed and reaches the god level, Blood Spear may want to eat again.
"Then, what's the safe method?" Xuan Ming asked.
Gu Yuena was silent for a moment, as if weighing her words, before finally speaking slowly, "Give it a new, stable, and absolutely loyal core will."
"The simplest and most effective method... is to sacrifice a hundred thousand year old soul beast."
Xuan Ming was slightly stunned.
Gu Yuena continued, "When a hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast survives a heavenly tribulation, a faint yet pure seed of divinity will grow within its soul essence. This divinity is the recognition of its long life by the laws of heaven and earth, and it is the key to its advancement to a higher level."
"Have a hundred thousand year old soul beast sacrificed to you. Its soul, power, and that most precious seed of divinity will be unreservedly integrated into this blood spear. Using that divinity as a guide, and the soul beast's complete soul and will as its core, reshape the blood spear's weapon spirit."
Her tone became extremely serious. "Furthermore, the soul beast sacrificed must have extremely special and profound feelings for you. Only then, after the sacrifice, can it transform its attachment, protection, and even love for you into absolute control over the Blood Spear and absolute loyalty to you. Only then will the weapon spirit born from this will be in tune with your thoughts, commanding you as easily as an arm, and never retaliate."
"The will bestowed upon you by the attached spirit ring is sufficient... to ensure safety."
The valley fell into silence.
The sound of the spring water is particularly clear.
Xuan Ming looked at the dark red blood spear in his hand with extremely deep eyes.
The sacrifice of a hundred thousand year old soul beast...
A complete soul with the seed of divinity, and an emotion deep enough to distort the rules of sacrifice...
This condition is so harsh.
This is not only about finding a powerful sacrifice, but also about finding a soul that is willing to give everything for him, including life and eternity.
Gu Yuena looked at him quietly without saying another word.
She knew what the proposal meant, and also knew the emotions and costs involved.
But this is the safest way she knows, and it is also the way that can best guarantee Xuan Ming's future safety.
A divine weapon that is completely loyal to him and in tune with his soul is crucial to his future path.
...
Wuhun City, Pope's Palace.
A solemn and oppressive atmosphere enveloped this core hall of power.
Xuan Ming told Bibi Dong about his next plan and expressed his intention to take Hu Liena with him.
"But her Killing God Domain is still unstable." Bibi Dong said.
"With me and Gu Yuena here, nothing will happen." Xuan Ming said.
Bibi Dong was silent for a moment.
Taking Hu Liena with her... away from Wuhun City, the center of the power vortex, and away from the all-out war that is about to break out, is a kind of protection for her.
Especially at the moment when Qian Renxue's divine test was progressing at an alarming rate, Hu Liena would be more likely to become a target if she stayed in Wuhun City.
However, Sea God Island has an old grudge with the Spirit Hall.
"Look at this."
Xuan Ming, who saw that Bibi Dong was worried, directly took out the Vast Sea Universe Cover that had recognized its master.
"What's wrong?" Bibi Dong asked puzzledly.
Xuan Ming narrowed his eyes slightly and released the killing god domain towards the vast sea of universe.
The stimulated Vast Sea Universe Cover suddenly emitted a burst of blue light, covering the entire side hall.
Bibi Dong's eyes narrowed and she became alert instantly.
Divine mind scan?
"Don't be nervous, heir of the Rakshasa God."
A gentle yet majestic voice, as if coming from the endless deep sea, resounded directly in Bibi Dong and Xuan Ming's minds.
The sound was not transmitted through the air, but acted directly on the soul, carrying with it a vast, ancient, and all-encompassing aura.
Bibi Dong's pupils suddenly contracted, and the purple-black Rakshasa power around her instinctively surged, protecting her. She looked vigilantly at the vast sea and universe shield in Xuan Ming's hand, which was emitting azure light.
"It's just a thought. There's no need to be so defensive." The gentle voice sounded again, with a hint of a smile. "But you, the successor of Rakshasa, your state... is very interesting."
Bibi Dong's expression changed slightly, but she didn't say anything.
Xuan Ming looked at the Vast Sea Universe Cover calmly and asked directly, "You are the Sea God. Do you know why her Rakshasa Divine Test has stalled?"
"Young man, you are very direct. However, there is a price to pay for prying into the secrets of another god's inheritance." The sea god paused, as if sensing something.
"Rakshasa's divine power is filled with malice, hatred, and destruction. Her legacy is inherently extreme and dangerous."
"The stagnation... there are many reasons. Perhaps the heir's character and the divine position have irreconcilably conflicted, or perhaps there's been some change in the Rakshasa's own divine consciousness..."
Bibi Dong frowned tightly. She had guessed these possibilities before, but she couldn't be sure.
"Which one exactly?" Xuan Ming asked.
The Sea God's divine consciousness was silent for a moment, and the azure light rippled slightly: "Hehe, the answer lies in the depths of the sea.
Young man, when you officially embark on my assessment and demonstrate your qualifications and sincerity under the light of Sea God, I will naturally tell you more.
Now...is not the time yet."
Xuan Ming narrowed his eyes slightly: "I will go to Sea God Island."
"Very good." The Sea God's divine consciousness seemed quite satisfied. "I look forward to your arrival. As for this Rakshasa's successor... perhaps her problem can also be found in the vast ocean. Some clues."
As the words fell, the azure divine light on the vast sea and universe quickly converged, and the vast pressure and divine consciousness also dissipated without a trace, as if they had never appeared.
Silence returned to the side hall.