Saeko stood within the glowing protective barrier, gazing at the terrifying faces of the Soul-Eater Ants that pressed against its surface. But instead of fear, her eyes flickered with excitement. She raised her gleaming sword high, pouring violent battle aura into the blade until it shone with a dazzling blue light.
With one powerful slash, a wave of sword energy swept forward. In the blink of an eye, it sliced four or five Soul-Eater Ants clean in half. Blood sprayed across the ground, and wherever it touched, thick smoke hissed up—deep pits corroded into the earth. Clearly, even the ants' blood possessed terrifying corrosive power. Without Goku's barrier protecting them, the consequences would've been catastrophic.
"Heh, looks like Saeko's got plenty of fight in her! We can't fall behind either!" Rika smiled, then charged forward without hesitation. She swung her sword fiercely, sending a powerful energy slash tearing through the air, cutting down three more Soul-Eater Ants crawling through a breach in the swarm. In a flash, she jumped into the horde. Though she was immediately surrounded, the barrier shielded her from harm. Her sword danced like lightning, felling the Soul-Eater Ants one after another.
The other girls, still harboring fear toward the grotesque swarm, hesitated for only a moment. But all of them were determined to prove themselves in front of Goku. They gritted their teeth, suppressed their fear, and charged into the tide of ants. Many kept their eyes shut, swinging wildly.
Thanks to the protective barrier and the sheer number of ants, even their clumsy strikes hit true. Ant after ant was cut down by their blades. Gradually, their fear gave way to hatred. Fueled by revulsion, they attacked with growing ferocity—each swing of the sword cleanly cleaving a Soul-Eater Ant in two.
---
The girls' sudden aggression seemed to provoke the Soul-Eater Ants even more—as if their pride had been trampled. Even knowing they couldn't penetrate the barrier surrounding the girls, the ants surged forward in relentless waves. Their famed corrosive acid and razor-sharp mandibles were utterly ineffective against Goku's barrier.
Watching the battle from the side, Cai Lin's eyes glimmered with a murderous chill. Her face betrayed a barely restrained desire to leap into the swarm herself and slaughter every last Soul-Eater Ant in sight—to avenge her fallen clansmen. But she held back out of respect for Goku's authority. After all, these creatures were being used as a trial for the girls. It wasn't her place to interfere. So she clenched her fists and forcibly suppressed the surging bloodlust in her heart.
Goku saw right through her inner turmoil and chuckled. "If killing a few ants will help you vent your anger, then go ahead. Just don't wipe them all out."
As he spoke, he casually waved his hand, and a rift appeared in the previously sealed barrier, forming a new opening. Cai Lin didn't hesitate. Her hatred for the Soul-Eater Ants ran deep—to the bone. If she didn't unleash it with her own hands, the rage would never subside.
"Your Majesty! Count me in!" Yue Mei called out as she saw Cai Lin step through the barrier. Having received Goku's permission, she immediately followed. As a member of the Snake-People Tribe, she too harbored deep hatred toward the Soul-Eater Ants. Their tribe had suffered massive losses—nearly wiped out!
These Soul-Eater Ants, once terrifying enough to make the entire continent tremble, had now become nothing more than training dummies for a group of young women. If word got out, who could possibly believe it?
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. The girls had been locked in near-constant battle with the Soul-Eater Ants. When exhausted, they returned to the palace to rest. Once recovered, they returned to the fray against the endless swarm.
These once-feared creatures had been reduced to sparring partners for Goku's girls. Trapped inside a massive energy dome that Goku himself had erected, they couldn't escape. Day after day, they mindlessly attacked the shining palace in the center. And when hunger struck, they devoured the corpses of their fallen comrades.
As their numbers dwindled, the girls grew stronger. Their combat experience surged. In the latter days of the battles, many of them could dart through the swarms with such finesse that the ants couldn't even touch them—only to be cut down from a distance by swift, precise sword strikes.
To further aid their training, Goku even summoned the ancient Soul-Eater nest from his dimensional ring and planted it right in the heart of the ruined castle. With the help of the Little Sprite, who had taken the form of an emperor-rank pill, the girls could meditate and recover inside the nest after battle. The dense medicinal aura and abundant spiritual energy helped them recover and cultivate at an astonishing rate.
With the aid of these two legendary treasures—the ancient Soul-Eater nest and an emperor-grade elixir—the girls' strength advanced at a terrifying pace. In just a day or two, some were able to break through to a whole new star level. Even Cai Lin, queen of the Snake-People Tribe, was stunned. She had never seen cultivation speed like this before. Compared to these girls, the so-called geniuses of the continent were nothing but trash. In less than half a month, they had gone from mere Dou Practitioners to the rank of Senior Dou Practitioners!
---
This place was an extraordinary hall filled with starlight, shrouded in colorful mist. A mysterious and dreamlike glow lingered in the air. At the center of the hall sat a breathtaking woman, completely enveloped in hazy, iridescent mist. She sat quietly before a jade statue that radiated faint, hypnotic waves, enough to stir the soul and daze the mind.
The woman had her eyes closed. Her breathing was weak, her life force faint—so feeble it seemed as though she might fade at any moment.
"Is it... really going to fail?" In another hall, a woman with an ethereal, celestial beauty watched a glowing screen in front of her. Her eyes showed a hint of disappointment. She sighed softly, the sound echoing through the chamber.
"Master... she's going to fail? How... how is that possible?" Beside her, a lovely young girl covered her mouth in shock. Her eyes were filled with disbelief.
These two were Ling Xin and Nalan Yanran—and the figure inside the screen was none other than Yun Yun, currently undergoing the final trial of the legacy inheritance.
"She's held on this long… and now, just when she's about to succeed…" Ling Xin sighed again, shaking her head. "Forget it. No point waiting any longer. If something goes wrong, I won't be able to explain it to Lord Goku."
She turned to Nalan Yanran. "Wait here. I'll be back shortly."
With that, space rippled around her, and she vanished from the hall.
"Master…" Nalan Yanran stared at the image of Yun Yun, her heart filled with sorrow. This was a Dou God's legacy—was she really going to lose it at the final step?
Ling Xin reappeared within the illusion-filled ceremonial hall. She looked toward Yun Yun's near-lifeless body and sighed again. "What a shame… she was so close…"
Shaking her head, she formed a complex hand seal. Mysterious energy waves surged from her fingers as she reached out slowly toward the jade statue. She was about to collapse the illusionary trial realm and retrieve Yun Yun from the endless cycle of hallucinations.
But just as her fingertips approached the statue, a faint ripple of life energy stirred—barely noticeable, but real.
"Hmm?" Ling Xin paused, eyes widening. Her gaze locked onto Yun Yun.
From Yun Yun's brow, a delicate lotus-shaped mark quietly emerged, radiating a faint vitality. Slowly but steadily, her fading aura began to strengthen. Within seconds, that once-fragile life force surged—brimming with energy. A terrifying pressure, so powerful it shook the soul, burst from her slim frame and filled the chamber. It was as if an emperor was slowly awakening.
"She... she succeeded!" Ling Xin stared at the lotus mark blooming on Yun Yun's forehead, a mixture of joy and relief washing over her. The emergence of the Spirit Mark meant that Yun Yun had passed the trial and was now eligible to inherit the Dou God's legacy.
"The Spirit Mark has appeared… now it's time for the true inheritance to begin." Ling Xin's expression turned complex—relieved, but also faintly sorrowful. The end of the trial also meant her own mission was complete. Her time in this world was coming to an end.
"I've stayed in this world long enough. Even though I've grown attached… it's time to go. Yanran, goodbye. Please pass my farewell to Lord Goku…"
____
T/N:
Hello everyone! My Patreon is just $3 — a perfect opportunity to access 35+ advanced chapters and support the translation.
You'll also get access to firsthand girls' pics as a bonus!
🔗 patreon.com/user?u=79514336
Or simply search Translator-Sama on Patreon