"Senior, you overpraise me."
Li Zhexian bowed with neither arrogance nor submission.
Qian Daoliu spoke slowly:
"With talent like yours, you should already have caught the attention of some god and be undertaking a God Trial."
Li Zhexian's expression remained calm.
"I have not undergone any god trial, Senior."
"Oh?"
Qian Daoliu turned around, revealing a handsome middle-aged face.
His eyes were like deep pools, as if molten gold flowed within.
"With such astonishing talent, it is impossible no god has taken notice."
Li Zhexian pondered briefly.
In front of Qian Daoliu, he felt no need for excessive modesty.
Honesty would suffice.
"There is indeed a God who has aided me more than once.
For that existence, I am sincerely grateful.
"Besides…"
"The Asura God once sought to make me accept the Asura God Trial."
"But I refused."
For the first time, visible shock stirred across Qian Daoliu's face.
Bewilderment, disbelief—
Emotions he rarely showed flickered for an instant.
"You… rejected a God Trial?"
He, who once battled the peak experts of the world alongside Tang Chen and Bo Saixi, earning the titles of Invincible in the Sky, on Land, and in the Sea—
He had spent a lifetime regretting that he was guarded by the Angel God, yet not chosen as its inheritor.
Tang Chen disappeared for decades in pursuit of a godhood, life and death unknown.
They had chased after godhood their entire lives…
But the youth before him had refused it.
This "Invincible in the Sky" elder could not comprehend.
Li Zhexian sat cross-legged before him, sword laid across his knees.
"To become the Asura God, one must sever emotion and desire…
And I would have to abandon the sword in my hand."
"In that case, I would rather give up the Asura Godhood."
Qian Daoliu's brows tightened.
"Gods are supreme."
"Having rejected one God Trial, you will never receive a second chance."
"You have cut off your own path to godhood."
—
Meanwhile—In the Divine Realm
In a temple of shifting light and shadow—
Ji Dong gently pushed a swing on which Lie Yan sat leisurely.
Before them, clouds condensed into a glowing screen, showing Li Zhexian and Qian Daoliu seated opposite each other.
Hearing the boy speak the words "I am grateful," even the stern-faced Ji Dong revealed a trace of satisfaction.
"The more I watch, the more I appreciate this kid."
"What a pity…"
"He doesn't align with my Evil God position."
Lie Yan, in a flowing white dress, let gentle divine power ripple around her.
"To say he doesn't align—might be a bit early."
"This boy's sword and heart both lean toward 'purity.' That 'pure' sword intent of his… it actually aligns somewhat with my Kindness God position."
"Hmm?"
Ji Dong raised a brow.
Lie Yan smiled softly:
"And from what he said… it seems the Asura God may have already let him go?"
Ji Dong laughed.
"Let him go?"
"That guy wants nothing more than to explore the Great Universe."
"After finally meeting a successor that satisfies him this much, how could he let go?"
"Lie Yan, believe it or not—Asura God is watching right now."
As he spoke, his gaze fell again on the young man within the light screen.
"Gods may be supreme."
"But before such dazzling talent…
even gods are willing to overlook the rules."
—
At that moment—Inside a temple floating above a sea of blood
The Asura God lounged against his divine throne, propping his chin with one hand as he watched the same scene.
He murmured coldly:
"Mere divine servants… daring to speculate about a god's intentions. How ignorant."
As the words fell—
Blood-red thunder split the heavens, and waves surged violently across the endless sea of blood.
—
Back in the mortal world—
Qian Daoliu's tone returned to calm:
"I had believed you and Xue'er might become gods together."
"But now, it seems…"
"Your chances of becoming a god are near zero."
"After some decades, you will turn to dust. I do not wish to see Xue'er, with her boundless divine lifespan, grieve endlessly over you."
Hearing Qian Daoliu's words,
Li Zhexian felt neither sorrow, nor panic, nor anger—he simply replied calmly:
"If becoming a god is required for me to stay with Xue'er, then I will become a god."
"If the Divine Realm has no god position for me, then I will carve out a divine path of my own."
His posture was upright—of the twelve segments of his Heavenly Sword Bones, eight already flowed with Sword Intent, resonating with his immaculate glazed body.
To inherit another's godhood?
Then what of the QinglianSword Song he had forged through countless hardships?
What of the immaculate body he had cultivated?
If he tainted himself with another's divinity, would that still be his path?
Li Zhexian did not know how god trials truly worked—
But he did have the Twelve Heavenly Sword Bones.
Once he cultivated all Twelve Sword Intents and connected his sword bones straight to the spiritual sea, achieving the Great Perfection of the Myriad Forms Sword Dao…
He was confident he could walk a path straight to the heavens.
"Creating your own godhood…"
Qian Daoliu studied the youth in white before him. The boy's expression was calm—neither stirred by ambition nor stubbornly defiant.
He spoke as if stating a simple fact—composed and natural.
"It is good for young people to have pride."
"But even passing a God Trial is harder than ascending the sky."
"To create one's own godhood…"
"Even with talent like yours, it is fated to waste many years…"
Li Zhexian was about to reply when his expression shifted slightly, and he chose not to continue.
Qian Daoliu also fell silent.
Light, quick footsteps approached—Qian Renxue came hurrying in with two jade canisters of tea.
She prepared tea at the side and glanced toward Qian Daoliu. "Grandfather…"
"I did not make things difficult for him." Qian Daoliu said helplessly:
Qian Renxue looked to Li Zhexian. Seeing him give a small, reassuring nod, she finally relaxed a little.
They drank a cup of tea.
The atmosphere remained far from warm.
Li Zhexian then used an excuse to take his leave.
Qian Renxue personally escorted him down the divine mountain, not even seeing a single worship elder along the way.
With things like this…
How could she not understand?
Her grandfather must have said something unpleasant to Li Zhexian.
"Zhexian…"
Qian Renxue bit her lip lightly, saddened:
"You don't need to take my grandfather's words to heart."
"It's me who likes you—not him."
"I know."
Li Zhexian placed his arm around her slender waist. Her cool, pure fragrance brushed past his nose as he spoke softly but with absolute certainty:
"No matter what happens…"
"No one can stop you and me from being together."
"Not even the gods."
Qian Renxue trembled, nodding vigorously.
Li Zhexian suddenly felt dampness on his chest. Lifting her face gently, he saw tears streaming down her cheeks.
"You… should go see Zhuqing now."
Qian Renxue hastily wiped her tears, apologetic:
"I still need to remain in the temple to cultivate."
"Zhexian, give Zhuqing my regards."
"Once I complete the Seventh Angel Trial and break through to Titled Douluo, I'll come find you."
...
After parting with Qian Renxue—
Li Zhexian regrouped with Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others in Spirit City.
The group immediately set out back to Heaven Dou.
"Bibi Dong declaring herself Empress is no small matter—
the Upper Three Sects must stand united!"
"And the Clear Sky Sect's stance remains unclear.
They even left before the Selection was finished!"
"We'll discuss this fully once we return!"
As they spoke, a few glanced at the youth drinking alone with his head tilted to the sky.
"Zhexian—will you return with us?"
"No."
Li Zhexian wiped the wine from his lips and gazed into the sea of clouds before him.
Across the vast misty expanse—
A single wisp of purple cloud drifted gently.
For a moment—
He seemed to see the girl who once dressed him in purple robes, looking down with a soft smile, quietly asking him, 'Does it look good?'
Longing was like wine—the more he drank, the stronger it grew.
"I will head to Star Dou first. After that, I'll return to Heaven Dou."