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*****
Watching Ma Hongjun walk inside, Oscar hesitated for a brief moment before muttering to himself, "After Third Brother becomes a God, he will probably wipe out the Douluo Empire, right? When that time comes, I'll plead with him for Rongrong's sake and save the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Rongrong will definitely fall in love with me then!!"
With that thought in mind, Oscar quickly followed Ma Hongjun's figure and hurried toward the Sea God Temple.
As Liu Erlong watched the trio of Tang San enter the grand halls of the Sea God Temple, a profound trace of longing flashed deep within her pupils.
She thought of her precious goddaughter, Xiao Wu. For some unknown reason, ever since Xiao Wu and Tang San had ventured to the Douluo Continent, she had never returned.
And regarding this exact matter, both Tang San and the Sea God Douluo kept their mouths firmly shut. As a mere Spirit Douluo, she had absolutely no right to speak up or demand answers on Sea God Island. Furthermore, she could even vividly spot a chilling trace of suppressed anger and deep resentment hidden within Tang San's eyes whenever the topic loomed.
Liu Erlong voiced her lingering doubt, "Can Little San really become a God??"
Yu Xiaogang declared, his spirit high and full of supreme arrogance, "Just look at exactly who raised and trained him! Little San is the ultimate, crowning masterpiece of the former 'Number One Grandmaster of Theoretical Knowledge on the Douluo Continent'!!!"
Hearing Yu Xiaogang shamelessly bragging yet again, Flender—who was standing to the side, covertly admiring Liu Erlong's beautiful curves and long legs—thought to himself: Once Little San actually becomes a god, it will be considered a miracle of filial piety if he doesn't immediately hack you to pieces!
Upon entering the solemn Sea God Temple, Tang San and the other two immediately saw Bo Saixi kneeling devoutly before the towering statue of the Sea God, her hands firmly clasped together in prayer.
Seeing this scene, Tang San's heart couldn't help but beat violently as angry, boiling blood rushed straight to his head.
He glared at the appearance of the "Sea God Statue," secretly and firmly resolving in his heart that once he successfully became a God, he would absolutely tear this wretched statue down!! He would erect a magnificent statue of himself instead; one Sea God was more than enough.
Poseidon, you simply do not deserve Great-grandmother's worship!!
But Tang San only allowed these tumultuous waves of anger to rise strictly within his own heart. He made no actual physical movements right now, as he fully understood the supreme, unshakable position the Sea God held in his great-grandmother's heart.
She would absolutely never allow him to openly blaspheme the Sea God.
Just as Ma Hongjun and Oscar were curiously and excitedly looking around at the wondrous, mystical sights inside the Sea God Temple, Bo Saixi finally spoke up.
"Little San, you're finally here," Bo Saixi said softly.
"Yes, Great-grandmother, I am here." A fleeting trace of profound guilt flashed through Tang San's eyes as he looked at Bo Saixi, his hand instinctively brushing against the hilt of the Asura Demon Sword resting at his waist.
If Great-grandmother knew that this demonic sword at my waist was forged by refining Great-grandfather's very essence, then...
Tang San quickly and ruthlessly extinguished the terrifying thought from his mind, his gaze gradually hardening and becoming incredibly resolute.
"Great-grandmother, I am fully and completely prepared to inherit the Sea God's Divine Seat!!"
"As long as I successfully inherit the position of the Sea God, then Great-grandmother's vengeance, my father's vengeance, the Clear Sky Clan's vengeance!! The burning hatred of having my mother stolen!! The agonizing hatred of having my wife stolen!! I will brutally return it all to Ye Lan ten thousand times over!!!"
Hearing Tang San's venomous, blood-soaked oath, Ma Hongjun and Oscar's expressions changed drastically, pale with shock.
Only now did they finally understand the terrifying truth of why Xiao Wu had mysteriously disappeared after heading to the Douluo Continent. It turned out that Ye Lan had actually killed Tang San at the time, and Xiao Wu had run off with Ye Lan!
After Tang San finished speaking, his sharp senses immediately picked up on the strange, stiff reactions of Ma Hongjun and Oscar.
He slowly glanced back over his shoulder. A sinister, chilling light flashed fiercely in his dark pupils as he threatened, "I sincerely hope that you two understand exactly what should be said, and what should never be said!!"
"Third Brother!! Please don't worry, Ao the Second and I didn't clearly hear a single word of what you just said!!" Ma Hongjun hurriedly guaranteed, swallowing hard.
"Right, right, right!! Fatty is absolutely right!!!" Oscar nodded his head vigorously, sweating profusely.
When Tang San finally turned his head back around to look at Bo Saixi, he finally noticed the deep, unmistakable sorrow swimming in her eyes.
"Great-grandmother? What's wrong?" Tang San asked with genuine concern.
Bo Saixi gently wiped away the stray tears at the corners of her eyes with her fingertips and smiled warmly. "It's nothing, Little San!!"
"Great-grandmother is just so incredibly relieved that you have been able to grow up so quickly, to the point where you are actually fully capable of becoming the future Sea God!!"
"Great-grandmother is so, so proud of you!!!"
"Little San, if a time comes when everything seems completely impossible and utterly beyond your power, run!! Flee as far away as you possibly can!!"
"Ye Lan... I simply cannot see through him at all."
Tang San immediately threw himself into Bo Saixi's warm embrace and said confidently, "Great-grandmother, please put your heart completely at ease!!"
"As long as I officially become the Sea God, then absolutely all of our problems will be easily and permanently solved!!!"
"I want you, Great-grandmother, to live a blissful, eternally happy life in the God Realm in the future!! Once we are in the God Realm, I promise I will take perfect care of you!!"
Bo Saixi did not understand the underlying, desperate implications of Tang San's words. She merely felt that Tang San was being incredibly filial. Profoundly reluctant to part with him, she tenderly stroked Tang San's head, taking one final, nostalgic look around the sacred Sea God Temple.
A poignant hint of reluctance surfaced at the corners of Bo Saixi's mouth. She gently released Tang San from her embrace and asked solemnly, "Tang San, are you truly, completely ready?"
Tang San said with burning excitement, "Yes, I am completely ready."
Bo Saixi's voice suddenly grew incredibly stern and strict. "The Sea God is the supreme deity who controls all living creatures within the vast ocean. As the singular inheritor of the Sea God, you will have to spare absolutely no effort to protect your people. Tang San, are you truly capable of doing this?"
Tang San answered without a single shred of hesitation, "I am."
Bo Saixi asked again, "The Sea God is the absolute spokesperson for the light, the absolute ruler of the seas. Can you ensure that pure goodness will forever remain in your heart, and that you will eternally use the Sea God's power strictly in the name of justice?"
Tang San once again affirmed with absolute certainty, "I will definitely bring the righteous justice of the Sea God to the human realm."
Bo Saixi declared, "The Sea God possesses the absolute power to govern and dominate everything within the ocean. As the inheritor of the Sea God, as the new generation's Sea God, you must always remember never to disgrace the majestic dignity of the Sea God. You must scatter the divine light of the Sea God across every single corner of the ocean, using your divine power to aid your people and permanently preventing any foreign enemies from invading."
"Yes, I will absolutely accomplish this."
Bo Saixi pointed her golden scepter forward, pressing the diamond-shaped golden gem right at the tip directly against the Sea God Trident brand glowing upon Tang San's forehead. "The eternal glory of the Sea God shall continue on through you."
A terrifying surge of scorching hot energy suddenly injected itself straight from the diamond gem into Tang San's mind. Tang San felt as if his very soul had violently exploded in an instant. The ancient, unfathomably rich voice that had appeared so many times before echoed out once again at this moment, filled with a surging, impassioned emotion: "The Sea God's Nine Trials, the Ninth Trial, the Sea God's Inheritance, begins."
Radiant light erupted fiercely from Tang San. Bo Saixi raised her scepter high into the air, and a brilliant bolt of golden light shot out, striking directly at the dead center of the temple's vaulted ceiling.
Instantly, an intensely blinding golden light lit up from Bo Saixi floating in the air and from the massive golden hexagram array forming beneath Tang San's feet.
The golden light shone brilliantly, completely and densely enveloping the bodies of Tang San and Bo Saixi within its overwhelming radiance. At this exact moment, the golden beam that had initially shot from the scepter violently scattered, transforming into a total of thirteen pillars of golden light that descended from the heavens. Outside the boundary of the hexagram array, they solidified to form thirteen clusters of blazing golden flames.
A massive, overwhelming golden phantom gradually emerged from behind Bo Saixi. Tang San couldn't possibly be more familiar with this majestic figure; it was none other than the Sea God himself!
"The Divine Gate is about to open, the Sea God's deity is about to be formally inherited. Oh, candidate of the Sea God! Please bravely step through the gate that the Sea God has opened for you. Use your absolute power, your heart, your soul, and absolutely everything you have to accept the final, ultimate trial of the Sea God."
Bo Saixi's voice suddenly soared to an incomparably high pitch, her entire emotional state seeming to reach an unprecedented, fanatical peak. The sacred scepter in her hand shattered with a deafening bang, and violently shattering alongside it were the nine brilliant spirit rings that had surrounded her body, which had previously enveloped both her and Tang San.
The very instant those nine spirit rings completely shattered, Tang San felt a massive, terrifying distortion occur in the surrounding space. Absolutely everything around him became entirely unreal and profoundly illusory. His body was completely immobilized, locked firmly in place by a vast, boundless surge of terrifyingly massive energy that far exceeded his wildest imagination.
Right at this moment, hot tears flowed freely from Bo Saixi's eyes once again. She looked deeply at Tang San and said, "Little San, without Great-grandmother here to take care of you, I hope you can continue walking down your future path with unwavering determination!! Becoming a God is not the absolute end!!!"
Tang San's pupils shrank violently, not comprehending the true meaning behind Bo Saixi's final, desperate words at all.
What does she mean by 'without Great-grandmother here to take care of you'?
In the very next second, Bo Saixi, along with the shattered fragments of the scepter in her hands, completely and utterly disintegrated into glowing dust. Those scattered fragments of her very soul instantly ignited into the terrifying Fire of the Soul, gently and slowly lifting Tang San up high into the air.
"No!!!! Great-grandmother!!!!" Tang San's entire body began to violently twist and contort against his restraints, a steady stream of bloody tears pouring relentlessly from his eyes.
He simply couldn't fathom that the Great-grandmother who had so firmly reinforced his unyielding belief in becoming a God was actually going to pay the ultimate price of her own life just so he could ascend!!!
If the horrific price of his ascension to Godhood was his Great-grandmother's life, then why was he even trying to become a God in the first place?
The core, foundational beliefs in Tang San's heart came crashing down completely. That Great-grandmother who had taught him day and night without rest just so that he could grow.
That Great-grandmother who had unhesitatingly bestowed all the God-Bestowed Spirit Rings upon him simply to accelerate his growth.
That Great-grandmother who had bitterly and desperately pleaded with Ye Lan for the sake of his life, even going so far as to completely abandon the supreme dignity of the highest-ranking entity on the Douluo Continent to kneel and literally lick Ye Lan's shoes.
This Great-grandmother who had tirelessly nurtured him without ever asking for a single thing in return had just sacrificed herself right before his very eyes.
Tang San wailed in absolute, soul-tearing agony, yet he was completely powerless to stop Bo Saixi's soul from continuing its violent burn.
As that intense Soul Fire safely supported Tang San in its center, Bo Saixi's lingering soul murmured softly within the void, "Is it still not enough?"
"Little San, you must stay strong and carry on."
Having solidified her absolute, unbreakable resolve, Bo Saixi allowed the very last remaining fragments of her soul to burn away completely into nothingness.
Tang San was completely unaware of this final whisper; he was merely drowning entirely in his immense, suffocating agony, howling like a madman.
After a very, very long time, he roared ferociously at the heavens, "Great-grandmother, once I successfully become a God, I swear I will absolutely resurrect you!!!!"
In the very next second, utilizing the immense power of the flames fueled by Bo Saixi's final soul fragments, Tang San successfully forced open the massive Golden Gate. Lying just beyond that glowing portal was the ultimate, final test of the Sea God's Nine Trials.
After Tang San completely entered the Golden Gate, Ma Hongjun and Oscar outside finally let out a long, shuddering breath of relief.
They never would have imagined in their wildest dreams that the terrifying price for Tang San to become a God was the actual life of the invincible Sea God Douluo herself.
The boundless, suffocating aura of pure slaughter that Tang San had just emitted during his violent mental breakdown had thoroughly terrified and deterred the two of them on the spot.
But right at this very moment, something entirely unexpected happened to Ma Hongjun and Oscar: they realized they could actually witness the entire process of Tang San participating in the Sea God's Ninth Trial!
Through the vivid, high-definition scenes materializing upon the surface of the Golden Gate, they could clearly watch the entire process of Tang San breaking through every single obstacle.
Because the Sea God had prematurely departed for the God Realm, the current iteration of the Sea God's Ninth Trial directly bypassed any preamble and immediately initiated the Trial of the Seven Emotions.
In the very first stage, Tang San was subjected to unimaginable, horrific torture. Every single spirit bone deeply embedded within his body was violently and forcibly torn out straight from his raw flesh and blood.
Having just endured the profound, crushing psychological agony of Bo Saixi's death, Tang San faced this excruciating physical torment by simply clenching his teeth together with all his might, forcefully enduring the agonizing pain of having his bones literally ripped from his body.
After a long, torturous period, the Sky Blue Bull Python bone, the Pit Demon Spider bone, the Blue Silver Grass bone, and the Eight Spider Lances were all forcibly and bloodily extracted from Tang San's physical form.
This horrific level of pain caused Tang San to thrash and roll wildly all over the floor in agony. It was only after a very long time that a completely sweat-drenched Tang San finally managed to gradually recover from the mind-numbing pain.
The second stage: The Trial of Anger.
Originally, Tang San had been incredibly delighted to witness his beloved Eight Spider Lances metamorphose into the glorious Eight Wings of the Sea God.
But immediately following that, the bizarre transformation of his "Sky Blue Bull Python Right Arm Bone" left Tang San simultaneously shocked and furious. He stared in absolute disbelief at the Golden Mushroom Monster standing directly in the center of the circular platform. That damn mushroom monster looked terrifyingly similar to Oscar's "Flying Mushroom Sausage"!
Just as Tang San was reeling in profound shock, wondering why on earth his precious spirit bone had morphed into a Golden Mushroom Monster, the top of the Golden Mushroom Monster split open and violently sprayed out a thick stream of golden liquid.
That foul liquid seemed completely locked onto Tang San. No matter how frantically Tang San tried to dodge and evade, it was utterly useless.
The golden fluid struck Tang San in an instant. Tang San's skin immediately broke out in heavy goosebumps; he found this strange golden liquid completely and utterly repulsive.
He glared furiously at the Golden Mushroom Monster, absolute rage burning wildly within him. At this exact moment, he wanted nothing more than to grind that wretched mushroom monster into fine dust and scatter its ashes to the wind.
Outside the gate, Ma Hongjun and Oscar were watching Tang San's extremely embarrassing predicament and laughing so hard that their stomachs actually cramped in pain.
Ma Hongjun burst into loud, uproarious laughter, "Ao the Second, surely that golden mushroom isn't your 'Flying Mushroom Sausage,' right? Your skin definitely isn't golden either!!!"
"Hahahahahahahaha!!!!" Oscar laughed just as loudly in response.
The enraged Tang San launched into a frantic, crazed assault against the "Golden Mushroom Monster." This time, without the helpful warnings of the "Sky Blue Bull Python," the sheer number of Golden Mushroom Monsters only continued to multiply and rapidly increase.
The endless torrents of sprayed golden liquid thoroughly and completely submerged Tang San.
After an incredibly long time, and after Tang San had unknowingly swallowed an ungodly amount of that vile golden fluid, he finally snapped back to reality and realized that this was explicitly a test of his Anger.
It was only then, as Tang San forcibly clamped down on his raging fury and reigned in his chaotic emotions, that those wretched "Golden Mushroom Monsters" finally began to disappear one after another.
On the other side of the world, Ye Lan, who was also casually observing the events behind the "Golden Gate" through his "Void Obsession," witnessed Tang San's highly embarrassing predicament as well. He frowned slightly in deep disgust and muttered, "Truly repulsive. As expected, a garbage god will always seek out a garbage successor to inherit his position."
After Tang San successfully cleared the second trial, he suddenly discovered that he had been transported directly to the skies above the "Clear Sky Clan."
His pupils shrank violently. He watched in absolute, paralyzed shock as Ye Lan summoned hundreds of meters of devastating Blue Silver Grass to completely level the Clear Sky Clan straight to the ground.
Back when that catastrophic event had originally occurred, he had been far away on Sea God Island and had never actually witnessed the full, horrific process of the "Clear Sky Clan" being eradicated by Ye Lan.
But now, courtesy of the "Sea God's Ninth Trial," he was being forced to watch the entire agonizing process of the "Clear Sky Clan's" complete and total annihilation at Ye Lan's hands.
He already understood the cruel core mechanics of the "Sea God's Ninth Trial." He absolutely could not step in to save the "Clear Sky Clan," otherwise, he would merely be forced to endure the agonizing pain of watching the "Clear Sky Clan" be slaughtered by Ye Lan over and over again in an endless loop.
He watched in unbearable, suffocating agony as the "Clear Sky Clan" was brutally destroyed, the solemn vow he had sworn on that fateful day echoing loudly in his mind.
"I, Tang San, swear this oath here and now!!!"
"Once I successfully become a God, every single member of the Clear Sky Clan shall enjoy boundless glory!!"
"Once I successfully become a God, I will absolutely obliterate the Spirit Hall!!!"
"Once I successfully become a God, I will absolutely destroy the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire, and lead the Clear Sky Clan to completely unify the entire Douluo Continent!!"
How incredibly ironic those grand oaths were now. Every single person in the Clear Sky Clan was completely dead.
The Spirit Hall had successfully unified the Douluo Continent, formally established the Douluo Empire, and officially become the undisputed state religion of the Douluo Empire.
Enduring this endless, agonizing torment and suffering, Tang San threw his head back and roared furiously, "Ye Lan!! The very moment I finally become a God!! I swear I will completely and utterly destroy absolutely everything you hold dear!!!!"
A long while later, after Tang San's chaotic emotions had gradually stabilized and completely calmed down, the third trial was finally considered passed.
Outside the massive Golden Gate, Oscar and Ma Hongjun exchanged deeply alarmed, pale glances.
A cold bead of sweat rolled down Ma Hongjun's forehead as he stammered, "Ao the Second, isn't Ye Lan's absolute strength just a bit too terrifying?"
"Before this, I had only heard rumors that Ye Lan had single-handedly destroyed the Clear Sky Clan, and I honestly just assumed that he must have had the powerful Titled Douluo Elders from the Spirit Hall backing him up and heavily assisting him."
"But I absolutely never imagined that Ye Lan would actually rely entirely on a mere Spirit Emperor's cultivation base to completely level the entire Clear Sky Clan, along with that entire massive mountain range, straight to the ground!!!"
Oscar's body trembled slightly, his voice laced with profound unease as he said, "Fatty, even if Third Brother truly becomes a God... can he actually defeat Ye Lan? Why do I suddenly have a very bad feeling about this?"
"I don't know... if I had known it was going to be like this, I would have just honestly stayed on the Douluo Continent to eat, drink, and wait for death. Why did I ever think it was a good idea to come to Sea God Island?" Ma Hongjun said helplessly.
"You absolutely shouldn't speak nonsense like that! If Third Brother happens to hear you..." Oscar quickly raised a finger to his lips, making a frantic 'shush' motion at Ma Hongjun.
"Look quickly!! Hurry and look!! Isn't that Xiao Wu??!" Ma Hongjun suddenly gasped, staring in profound shock at the live feed being transmitted back through the Golden Gate. The startling contents of the scene instantly captured his complete curiosity.
Oscar quickly followed Ma Hongjun's line of sight and peered closely at the Golden Gate.
At this exact moment, Tang San was watching scenes of the Douluo Continent from exactly eight years ago, viewing the events unfold exactly like an outside spectator.
(End of this chapter)