"Boss, how did you do that?" Ma Hongjun asked curiously.
"Nothing much, just a simple bug exploit. Illusion Water Thunder is different from other soul power amplification support skills—it directly raises the target's level. So in the past, it could help soul masters at the threshold break through, and now it's the same. Your ninth trial requires you to reach level 99, and now you have, so the assessment passed," Tianlin said matter-of-factly.
But to Ma Hongjun's ears, this was like a bolt from the blue. Bugging a god trial was something rarely seen in ten thousand years—his boss's abilities had reached a heaven-defying level.
"However, Hongjun, don't get cocky. You haven't really reached level 99. Once I withdraw the support, you'll drop back to level 93. Even if I don't actively withdraw it, it won't last long. So now, immediately accept the Fire God inheritance and make it a done deal. Then, even without my amplification, the Fire God position won't leave you," Tianlin warned.
"Got it, Boss." Ma Hongjun didn't hesitate. He took out a Star Shifting Talisman—they had marked the Fire God inheritance site when they left.
Infusing soul power into the talisman, Ma Hongjun's figure vanished, leaving Seven Treasure Mountain.
Afterward, Tianlin found Huan Yin and used the same method to help her inherit her divine position. Her third-level god inheritance was much faster, so she should become a god even sooner than Ma Hongjun.
After completing everything, Tianlin returned to the Slaughter City, the Asura God inheritance site, and began the Asura God inheritance.
"He seems to want to upgrade a god-king level divine position. What great ambition. Asura, are you sure your inheritor can succeed? If he fails, all his years of effort will be in vain, and you'll have to find a new inheritor," the God of Destruction said to the Asura God.
"I have faith in Tianlin. Destruction, haven't you always wanted to expand the Divine Realm? Then wait for Tianlin to ascend. His power can definitely fulfill your wish," the Asura God said confidently.
"Hmph, no need!" The God of Destruction snorted coldly. "The inheritor on the Rakshasa side has also started inheriting the divine position, and she's doing it simply without upgrading. She'll definitely be more efficient than your inheritor. Once she brings that evil thing up here, we'll use the Original Sin Array to devour it. Then I can become the Supreme God-King myself—why borrow your inheritor's power?"
Watching the smug Destruction, the Asura God still felt uneasy. Destruction's obsession with the Divine Realm was too deep. Such a mindset, if it couldn't lead the Divine Realm further, would inevitably destroy it—extremely radical.
Unfortunately, the current Asura couldn't stop the Divine Realm Committee's joint decision. He only hoped Tianlin could become a god sooner and use his power to turn the tide.
…
In another place, above a deep, pitch-black sea surface, a figure in a emerald green dress was constantly churning the seas.
It was Ning Rongrong. Under Xiao Bai's guidance, she had arrived at the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's domain and issued a challenge to it.
Ning Rongrong had now reached level 95, fully mastered the first three forms of the Golden Thirteen Halberds, and could freely use the Sea God's Light.
No matter how strong the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was, it hadn't escaped its soul beast body to become a divine beast; it was still a sea soul beast. The Sea God's Light could greatly suppress its strength—otherwise, the original story's Tang San would never have been its match.
Moreover, unlike the original Tang San, Ning Rongrong's Sea God Heart wasn't shattered. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's original demigod-level strength would be suppressed to between level 98 and 99, stronger than Golden Crocodile Douluo but slightly weaker than a true Limit Douluo. This gave Ning Rongrong a huge chance of victory.
Additionally, Ning Rongrong had an advantage that neither Bibi Dong nor Tianlin had: she discovered her twin martial souls could be shared, thanks to what was originally her most unassuming Purple Crystal Spirit Cat right leg bone.
This skill was like Oscar's skull bone, creating a clone. But Oscar's clone was strictly a mirror—whatever skill the main body used, the clone would use, at 80% power, and it wouldn't disappear unless time ran out or it was dispersed.
Ning Rongrong's clone had the drawback of only being able to use one skill, disappearing when its soul power was exhausted. But the advantage was that the skill could differ from the main body's. Originally, this skill didn't seem powerful, but on a twin martial soul master like Ning Rongrong with one combat and one support soul, the effect was completely different.
Ning Rongrong's ninth soul skill, named Nine Treasure Invincible Divine Light, was similar to her eighth soul skill—a defensive skill. But the eighth only protected herself and could only immunize attacks below ninth soul skills, while this ninth could protect others, immunizing any attacks below god-level, ten times a day, without consuming the user's soul power.
In other words, when Ning Rongrong's clone used this skill, there was no soul power consumption issue—it could make the supported target invincible ten times a day.
"Golden Thirteen Halberds, Millennia of Emptiness!" Ning Rongrong prepared her clone in advance, then used the Sea God Trident to stir the ocean. Countless golden light spots burst from the sea surface.
An enormous body surfaced along with it. The blue crystal-like body looked extremely terrifying in this pitch-black sea domain, with a single eye coldly staring at Ning Rongrong.
This was the ocean overlord, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. Xiao Bai, seeing this guy from afar, didn't dare approach. After all, this monster even dared to offend the Sea God, let alone her, a mere Sea God mount.
"Sea God's inheritor, what? Like that Sea God, are you here to punish evil and promote good, planning to eliminate me?" the Deep Sea Demon Whale King mocked.
"Punish evil and promote good?" Ning Rongrong smiled and shook her head. "Of course not. Though both the Sea God and the people of Sea God Island say you're the most evil in the ocean, Brother Sword said that your conflict with the Sea God is just the law of the jungle in the sea. You lost, so you're still a sea soul beast; he won, so he's the Sea God."
"I'm here only because I need to get stronger, need the Ice Sky Snow Woman's ninth soul ring, and need to pass the Sea God trial—just like how you devour other lives in the sea to grow stronger. It has nothing to do with good or evil."
Hearing this, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King laughed loudly. "Haha, well said! What a great mindset. You're quite different from that hypocritical Sea God before. You're right—it's all killing to grow stronger, so no need for all that flashy, self-righteous nonsense. Little girl, come on. Kill me, and you'll be the new Sea God. But if I kill you, I'll fully devour the Sea God power in your body and seize the Sea God position."