Zhu Ziyang suddenly opened his eyes, and a divine light burst forth from them. His face was filled with peace.
He slowly stood up, his body a bit stiff from maintaining one posture for so long. After about three or four minutes, the feeling of his joints being rusted gradually faded away.
"Hah!" He exhaled a turbid breath, relaxing completely. A glint of divine light flashed in his eyes as he murmured, "This Source Golden Pill is truly overbearing!"
As he spoke, he stretched out his hands, clenched his fists, and felt the surging power within his body. A look of excitement immediately appeared on his face, and the other shore flower mark on his brow continuously flickered.
The next second, he vanished from the Tian Yuan Pavilion, entering the God of Death's God Position inheritance grounds.
Zhu Ziyang appeared on the ninetieth step of the Path to Godhood, his gaze fixed on the last two god-locking pillars on either side of the steps.
The text on the god-locking pillars changed, actually disappearing completely.
He was stunned and was about to ask a question when a familiar voice reached his ears, "Congratulations, you have completed all content of the God of Death's Ninth Trial. Now, you may ascend to the hundredth step and enter the God of Death Hall. I will be waiting for you there."
This voice was Xiao Bai's, but compared to its previous emotionless tone, this time, her voice contained a hint of melancholy, a hint of relief, and a hint of liberation.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ziyang did not hesitate and immediately started walking towards the hundredth step.
Yes, at this moment, he had met the requirements of the God of Death's Ninth Trial. A single Source Golden Pill had directly boosted his cultivation from Level 97 to Level 99, with some surplus remaining, accumulated within his body, awaiting its next release.
According to Zhu Ziyang's personal experience, the energy contained in one Source Golden Pill was enough to allow a Level 95 Titled Douluo to directly advance to a Level 99 Titled Douluo. This was an incredibly terrifying feat.
If handled properly, the eight Source Golden Pills in his possession could create at least eight Limit Douluo!
His heart was filled with many ideas for distributing the Source Golden Pills, but the most important thing at hand was to reach the top of the Path to Godhood, enter the God of Death Hall, and obtain the true inheritance of the God of Death.
Ten steps was not a distance worth elaborating on for Zhu Ziyang, but he walked very slowly, each step incredibly steady, as if reminiscing about past experiences.
From the moment he began the God of Death's First Trial until now, six or seven years had passed.
For ordinary people, six or seven years might only allow them to advance one or two major realms, but he had completed a heaven-shaking transformation from a mortal to a god. Although he was not yet a true god, he was very close!
Soon, Zhu Ziyang stood at the end of the Path to Godhood, facing the magnificent God of Death Hall, with the Path to Godhood, filled with the passage of time, stretching behind him.
He had reached the end of the mortal path, and one more step forward was the beginning of the divine path.
He looked back with a hint of nostalgia at the Path to Godhood. The last two god-locking pillars standing on either side of the Path to Godhood shot up from the ground and, with a 'whoosh,' flew before him.
He reached out his hand, and the two god-locking pillars shrunk into two embroidery needles, falling into his hand.
Zhu Ziyang smiled slightly, placed the last two god-locking pillars with the previous sixteen, then turned around, his eyes fixed on the palace gate before him.
The gate of the God of Death Hall was very ordinary. Its only distinguishing feature was probably its color: it was white, made of a wood-like material, covered in peculiar textures, and looked very simple.
He took a step forward, placed his hand on the gate, and gently pushed. The gate opened with a creak.
Zhu Ziyang stepped into the God of Death Hall, his expression immediately turning somewhat astonished, because the interior of the God of Death Hall was very simple.
In a vast, empty space, only one person, clad in a white robe, stood in the center of the hall.
The white-robed figure had his back to Zhu Ziyang, so his face was unseen. He exuded the ordinary aura of a common person.
If he weren't in the God of Death Hall, he would surely have been overlooked by Zhu Ziyang.
However, Zhu Ziyang was quite certain of his identity, so Zhu Ziyang subconsciously walked towards him, calling out, "Xiao Bai?"
"Haha." Hearing Zhu Ziyang's call, the white-robed figure let out a hearty laugh, then turned around and said, "It's been a long time since I've heard that name! Little fellow, hello. I am the God of Death. I already know everything about you, Zhu Ziyang, from Xiao Bai's memories."
"You're not Xiao Bai?" Zhu Ziyang's expression was astonished as he looked at the white-robed figure in surprise.
The white-robed figure's appearance was now fully revealed to him; it was a face that could not inspire malice, though not particularly handsome, it was very comforting.
However, Zhu Ziyang was still more concerned about the white-robed figure's words.
"I am Xiao Bai, but not the Xiao Bai you know," the white-robed figure said with a smile. "That Xiao Bai is a wisp of my divine consciousness. He is me, but I am not him."
"Ah, this!" Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but open his mouth, unsure how to respond to the white-robed figure's words.
"Haha," the white-robed figure laughed at Zhu Ziyang's reaction, then said with a serious expression, "I am the God of Death. You may call me God King, or you may call me God of Death. Of course, if you wish, calling me Xiao Bai is also acceptable."
"Well, I'll still call you Xiao Bai then," Zhu Ziyang's mouth twitched slightly.
He always felt that this God King's personality was a bit erratic, but since the other party had already explicitly stated that he could call him Xiao Bai, there was no need for him to humble himself and call him'Sir'.
The other party would probably be happy to treat him as an equal.
"Of course you can!" Xiao Bai said with a cheerful laugh. "Then I'll call you Ziyang. Ziyang, if you have anything you want to ask, just ask. I will definitely tell you everything I know."
"Uh!" Zhu Ziyang fell into thought, then spoke, "When do we begin the God Position inheritance?"
"Are you in a hurry?" Xiao Bai's face immediately darkened upon hearing Zhu Ziyang's words.
"Not really in a hurry," Zhu Ziyang's heart sank at the sight, and he secretly thought, 'Could something go wrong at this final juncture?'
"Then can't you just chat with me?" Xiao Bai's dark expression immediately turned into a fawning smile upon hearing this. He said, "I haven't had anyone to talk to for hundreds of thousands of years! It's so lonely!"
"Uh!" Zhu Ziyang's expression turned astonished again.
He became increasingly convinced that this God of Death's demeanor was different from his own, but a rather absurd thought still arose in his mind.
He looked at Xiao Bai with a strange gaze and asked, "Um, could the God Position examiner, Xiao Bai, have been specially separated by you to keep you company?"
"That's right," Xiao Bai said with a helpless expression. "But, we are essentially the same person. I know everything he says, and he knows everything I say. It's really boring. But luckily, you appeared.
So, do you have anything you want to know? I know all the secrets of the God Realm, you know!"
As Xiao Bai spoke, a proud little expression appeared on his face, completely unlike what a god should look like.
Instead, he resembled a busybody who wanted to share everything, leaving Zhu Ziyang speechless for a moment.
"Well, let me think," Zhu Ziyang showed a thoughtful expression.
"No rush, no rush," Xiao Bai said with an expectant look. "Anyway, inheriting a God Position is not something that can be completed in a short time.
You definitely need to handle your worldly affairs before you can wholeheartedly accept the God of Death Position.
During this process, you can consult me with any questions anytime, anywhere. As long as I know it, I will definitely tell you.
However, as a reward, please also talk to me more when you have free time. How about that, isn't it very considerate?!"
"Mm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded, and was about to speak, but was stopped by Xiao Bai.
"Alright, it's enough that you understand what I mean," Xiao Bai said. "Now, you should return to the Douluo Continent first. I feel like you might have something to attend to."
Zhu Ziyang was stunned, and then found himself sent out of the God Position inheritance grounds, back into the Tian Yuan Pavilion.
While feeling a bit down, he carefully checked the time, and then he understood the meaning of Xiao Bai's words.
He had actually cultivated for a whole year! Before his seclusion, he was not yet twenty-one; after coming out, he was almost twenty-two. Phew, as expected, cultivation knows no time.
The thought of having missed an entire year, and the thought of receiving all sorts of messages and matters once he stepped out, made Zhu Ziyang feel a headache coming on. A real headache!