: Such a person is worthy to be the successor of the Sea God.

Spirit world

The gilded divine light swept across the layers of clouds, illuminating this supreme divine realm with clarity and majesty.

The Sea God sat regally on his throne in the Sea God Temple, his body shimmering with pale blue divine light, silently watching the figure on the Sea God Island in the lower realm who had just finished his assessment.

The scene of Fang Yuan detonating the bomb to break the deadlock was witnessed by Poseidon.

He leaned forward slightly, examining the bomb with a hint of amusement in his voice: "It looks like fireworks from a mortal celebration, but its explosive power and destructive force are far greater than that of fireworks."

"It's rare to see someone with mortal power reach this level."

The sea god couldn't help but recall some past events.

The Douluo Continent also has its own local technology tree. Ten thousand years ago, a once-powerful Soul Guidance Empire rose on the continent.

Those mortals of that time, relying on their own wisdom, embarked on a completely different path—forging soul tools with metal, mechanisms, and energy cores, and using wisdom and madness to build up power that could shake soul masters and even challenge the gods.

Those mortals were arrogant, intelligent, and possessed a startling creativity.

They disrespect heaven and earth, and do not look up to the gods. They only have greed and exploration for power in their eyes. They even dare to include the power of the gods in their research, and attempt to blaspheme the gods with mortal bodies and kill the gods with mortal tools.

Such actions naturally angered the divine realm.

Enraged by the gods, the glorious Soul Guidance Empire was wiped off the continent overnight, and countless intricate Soul Guidance blueprints, core technologies, and manufacturing workshops were destroyed.

Ten thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye. That crazy history has long been buried by dust. The Douluo Continent has regressed to the medieval period, extremely backward, and no one dares to study soul tools anymore.

However, the Sea God himself left behind a few soul tools on Sea God Island for protection and inheritance—for example, the Seven Sacred Pillars that support the majesty and trials of Sea God Island are the product of the combination of the peak techniques and divine power of the Soul Guidance Empire back then.

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As his thoughts returned, the Sea God gazed at the figure in the lower realm, his tone growing increasingly somber, "I hope this little fellow won't misuse this thing called a bomb."

He has lived for tens of thousands of years, accumulating faith step by step to reach the top of the first-level god position, and even spreading faith to the soul beast race that is hostile to humans. His wisdom and vision are definitely not low.

With just one glance, he saw through the "danger" of the bomb.

This thing requires no soul power or martial spirit; any ordinary person can learn how to make it, and any ordinary person can create it. It can even be mass-produced.

However, its power is enough to kill most ordinary soul masters, and can even threaten soul emperors and soul saints.

What does this mean?

This means that the unchanging order of "respecting soul power and valuing soul masters" in the Douluo Continent for ten thousand years will be completely overturned.

For a long time, ordinary people have been subservient to Soul Masters, either as commoners or slaves, and have been suppressed by status and strength.

But once bombs become widespread, ordinary people will also have the power to kill Soul Masters. The long-suppressed resentment and ambition will erupt, and the social classes, power, and rules of the entire continent will undergo a major reshuffle.

"If things really escalate, it could get quite troublesome."

The sea god sighed softly, feigning complaint, his tone full of distress, yet his majestic face showed no worry, but rather a barely perceptible smile and expectation.

He is a first-order deity, the god who rules the ocean.

The troubles in the lower realm were nothing to him.

Even if Fang Yuan only sets up a few bombs, and even if he really overturns the continent's格局 (geju, a term referring to the overall situation or structure of the continent), the Sea God is more than capable of easily covering all the consequences.

He was even somewhat delighted.

Such a person is worthy to be his successor as the god of the sea.

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On the other side of the divine realm, the Temple of Life was teeming with life, its atmosphere gentle and peaceful.

The goddess of life stands quietly among the drooping branches of the ancient tree of life, her emerald green dress billowing like spring water, radiating an aura of life so gentle it is almost ethereal.

She also watched the entire process of Fang Yuan completing the four divine tests.

The gaze of the god of life remained fixed on Fang Yuan from beginning to end.

She could clearly see the boy's calmness, ruthlessness, and determination in the face of adversity, and the indifference deep in his eyes.

She doesn't like this style.

In her divine understanding, life should be cherished, and even against an enemy, such cruelty should not be tolerated.

Even though she harbored dislike and repulsion, she had to admit—

This child's talent is truly astonishing.

The God of Life sighed softly, his voice gentle yet tinged with genuine regret: "Such extraordinary talent, yet such a cold and hard heart... If only you could be a little kinder."

That way, I can pass on the divine position to him with peace of mind.

If Fang Yuan could hear these words now, and possessed enough strength to contend with a god—

He would not hesitate to give this high and mighty God of Life a solid, resounding thrashing.

Kind?

Should we be kind when facing an enemy?

Faced with a test that threatens to kill you and an enemy that wants to devour you, you still have to decide whether to use cruel or gentle methods.

When killing enemies, shouldn't we always look at the result?

Being soft-hearted and leaving someone a way out is not kindness, it's foolishness.

Being kind to your enemies is being cruel to yourself.

If he can't unleash his full potential, he might be the one who dies.

By then, who will care whether he is kind or not?

Who would spare his life just because he is "kind"?

This god of life has probably been sitting on this comfortable throne in the divine realm for too long.

Isn't this a classic case of "Why don't they eat meat porridge?"

Kind?

That's a luxury only the strong who survive have the right to talk about.

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Having the experience of absorbing the 100,000-year soul ring of the Demon Orca King, Fang Yuan was already quite familiar with this kind of massive soul ring energy.

This time, the divinely bestowed soul ring descended, and the intensity of the test gradually increased, making it much safer than hunting wild 100,000-year-old soul beasts.

He focused his mind and guarded his heart, his two great martial souls, the Light Phoenix and the Radiant Phoenix, resonating within his body. He gradually crushed, refined, and absorbed the vast, ocean-like energy of the divinely bestowed soul ring into his limbs, bones, meridians, and dantian.

next moment--

A 100,000-year-old soul ring, its entire body as red as blood and its aura so solid it was almost viscous, slowly rose from beneath his feet, hovering around him and rotating gently.

The red light cast shadows on Fang Yuan's face.

The moment the spirit ring entered his body, a surge of immense spirit power exploded within him.

Having absorbed two 100,000-year soul rings in succession, plus a 100,000-year soul bone from the Demonic Orca King, three top-tier opportunities erupted at the same time. Coupled with the divine power baptism of the divine test itself, Fang Yuan's soul power level soared all the way.

Soul power level continuously increases

Level 80.

Level 81.

Level 82...

He advanced like a whirlwind, gaining six levels in a row, and finally stopped steadily at level 85, the Soul Douluo!

Fang Yuan clenched his fist, and could clearly feel the power within his body almost overflowing.

He was only five levels away from becoming a level 90 Title Douluo.

This is one of the most terrifying advantages of having twin martial souls.

The first martial soul upgrades normally, while the second martial soul can absorb high-age and high-grade soul rings in the later stages.

Once all nine soul rings of the second martial soul are complete for 100,000 years, the total amount of soul power that is fed back is enough to save a soul master from decades of arduous cultivation.

Many Soul Masters are stuck at a bottleneck for their entire lives, while Soul Masters with dual Martial Souls can forcibly break through their limits by absorbing high-limit Soul Rings.

Just like Tang San in the original novel.

After leaving Poseidon Island, he was overwhelmed with affairs, including reviving Xiao Wu, fighting one battle after another, and traveling around. He had very little time to truly focus on cultivation.

However, his cultivation level continued to rise rapidly, quickly catching up with Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong, who had begun inheriting divine positions much earlier, and he eventually became a god.

One of their major advantages is the massive soul power reward from the Sea God's Trial, as well as the terrifying feedback from the second martial soul ring.

Now, Fang Yuan has taken this path to an even more extreme level.

He felt the surging soul power within his body, and a smile flickered in his eyes.

At this rate, he'll become a god!

He was confident that he could break through level 100 and ascend to godhood before he turned twenty.

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After absorbing the divinely bestowed soul ring, the crimson soul rings around his body slowly receded back into his body. Fang Yuan stood quietly on the shore of Seagod Island, feeling the power within him surging to the point of near-out-of-control.

With a level 85 Soul Douluo, two Martial Souls, two 100,000-year Soul Rings, and a 100,000-year Soul Bone, plus the physical and soul enhancements constantly granted by the Divine Trial... his current combat power far surpasses that of his peers, making him capable of directly confronting a Title Douluo.

But he didn't relax for a second.

He knew very well that the nine trials of the Sea God were increasingly dangerous.

The fourth trial was merely to slay the Demon Orca King, but the fifth trial, which followed, would be a direct challenge to the guardians of the Seven Sacred Pillars!

The rules are extremely strict. The timer starts from the challenge of the first Saint Pillar Douluo. Within 36 hours, all seven people must be defeated in a row to pass.

The seven titled Douluo have each been based on Seagod Island for hundreds of years and have rich combat experience.

However, the assessment restricts the seven guardians of the sacred pillars from using their power, limiting their strength, so Fang Yuan is not without a chance of winning.

Fang Yuan planned to practice real combat.

However, Fang Yuan soon encountered a thorny problem—there was no suitable sparring partner.

On Poseidon Island, besides the Seven Sacred Pillar Douluo, only the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan can spar with him.

Xiao Bai was initially pulled over by him and played a few matches.

Fang Yuan's fighting style was inherently cunning and treacherous, with a great talent for long-range attrition, kiting, and utilizing terrain. In addition, the Demon Orca King was the natural enemy of the Demon Soul Great White Shark, and its soul ring and soul bone skills were naturally restrained. After several battles, Xiao Bai was extremely frustrated and annoyed, and refused to practice with him anymore.

"Your moves are so dirty! And they counter me! I'm not fighting anymore!"

Little White left a sentence and disappeared into the sea, never to resurface again.

Left with no other choice, Fang Yuan had to find the Seahorse Douluo stationed there and state his needs frankly.

"Seahorse Douluo, I am about to face the Seven Sacred Pillars. I lack real combat experience and hope to spar with you or other Sacred Pillar Douluos."

Upon hearing this, Seahorse Douluo readily agreed.

"What's so difficult about that! Fang Yuan, you are the inheritor of the Nine Trials of the Sea God, a person of esteemed status. Not to mention sparring, it would be only right for this old man to personally accompany you in special training."

In his view, the only ones on the entire Poseidon Island who were qualified and capable of guiding the surrounding area in actual combat were the seven Holy Pillar Guardians.

He was preparing to immediately get into a fighting stance and test his skills against Fang Yuan.

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But at this very moment...

A vast and boundless aura, seemingly merging with the entire ocean, silently enveloped the entire area.

There was no oppressive aura, no murderous intent, yet the surroundings fell silent instantly.

Seahorse Douluo froze, his expression instantly turning serious. He immediately turned around, bowed deeply, and spoke with utmost respect: "High Priest!"

Fang Yuan also glanced sideways.

The newcomer wore a bright red dress, her figure was tall and slender, her skin was as white as snow, her long hair was like a waterfall in the deep sea, and her eyes and brows carried a kind of indifference and divinity that looked down on the world.

It was none other than the High Priestess of Seagod Island, one of the three Limit Douluo in the world, an existence infinitely close to a god—Poseidon.

She had been standing not far away at some point, clearly having overheard the entire conversation.

Before Seahorse Douluo could speak again, Poseidon's gaze gently fell on Fang Yuan, and she spoke calmly, her tone composed yet carrying an undeniable resolve:

"The fifth test requires taking down seven sacred pillars in a row, which is extremely difficult."

"I will personally guide him in practical combat."

Upon hearing this, Seahorse Douluo was stunned.

"High Priest, this is impossible! How could we trouble you with such a trivial matter? One of us is sufficient!"

He almost instinctively spoke up to stop him.

Who is Poseidon?

That is the spiritual pillar of Poseidon Island, the guardian of Poseidon Island, who usually remains in seclusion.

Now he's actually going to personally step in and be a sparring partner for a young man?

This is too shocking.

Poseidon simply shook her head slightly, her gaze still fixed on Fang Yuan, her eyes deep and unfathomable.

"He is burdened with the nine trials of the Sea God. The sooner he completes the trials, the more advantageous it will be for the Sea God. As the Sea God's most devout believer, it is my duty to clear the obstacles in his path."

This statement sounds grand and its logic is impeccable.

The successor of the Sea God's nine trials is worthy of the High Priest's personal cultivation.

But Seahorse Douluo lowered his head, a strange feeling inexplicably rising in his heart.

For some reason, he always felt...

The high priest is acting strangely today.

That gaze wasn't like looking at an ordinary heir, but rather like looking at a...

A unique treasure that must not be lost.

Fang Yuan's heart stirred slightly, but his face remained calm. He stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said in a calm and polite tone, "In that case, thank you for your guidance, High Priest."

He knows better than anyone else.

To have a Limit Douluo like Poseidon personally spar with you is an incredible stroke of luck.

As for what she's really thinking...

We'll talk about that later.

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"Bang—!!"

A deafening explosion rang out, and Fang Yuan was thrown into the air by the raging waves, only to be swallowed whole by the churning, deep blue seawater.

Above the sea, Poseidon's robes fluttered without wind, and a majestic and vast phantom of a sea god's martial spirit, its entire body shimmering with gold and azure, slowly emerged behind her. Divine light shone everywhere, and its oppressive aura permeated the entire sea area, even causing the waves to bow before this divine power.

Although Fang Yuan fell into the sea in a sorry state, he only experienced a surge of energy and did not suffer any real harm.

On the shore, Xiao Wu clenched her fists, her fingertips turning slightly white, her eyes filled with worry. The difference in strength between the two sides was too great.