Chapter 178: The Inheritance Begins
Seeing Neptune's expression of sudden realization, the Sea God smiled slightly and said, "There is no such thing as an effort made in vain. Do you think I was unaware of Bo Saixi's sacrifice? What I can do is grant her soul the power of eternal existence. And soul immortality is something only gods can achieve. Though her body did not reach the divine realm, in death, she will be equivalent to a god. Do you still believe her sacrifice was in vain?"
"It wasn't entirely in vain," Neptune nodded but immediately added, "However, I don't think this is what she truly wanted. If she had a choice, I believe the High Priestess would have preferred to stay in the human world, spending eternity with the one she loved, rather than going to the God Realm to live alone forever."
"Living alone…"
The Sea God's gaze flickered with a momentary daze before he unexpectedly nodded in agreement. "You're right. Compared to the human world, life in the God Realm is dull and monotonous. Loneliness is the most terrifying thing. Back when I was in the mortal world, I spent my entire life conquering the seas. But once I ascended to the God Realm, I felt nothing but regret I was all alone. Furthermore, I had to abide by countless rules, unable to leave the God Realm at will. Staying in this place feels like imprisonment."
"That is why I decided to pass on my godhood."
"This divine position has long become a shackle to me, preventing my freedom. Only by passing on my godhood can I break free from the God Realm and explore the unknown universe," the Sea God admitted.
"Now that you know the truth about becoming a god, do you still wish to inherit this divine position?" He asked one final time. "You still have the chance to regret your decision."
"I don't have a choice," Neptune replied helplessly. "We don't know when that catastrophic meteorite will strike, so I must become a god as soon as possible to prepare. Besides, inheriting a divine position isn't a bad thing. Even if I didn't inherit the Sea God's title, I would eventually create my own godhood. Whether I inherit the Sea God's position or forge my own, the result is the same. Worst case, I'll do the same as you in the future find a successor and pass the godhood to them."
"Good. Very good."
The Sea God nodded approvingly, smiling as he said, "I have waited so long for someone like you. You have not disappointed me you are far more exceptional than I had imagined. Now that I have found such a worthy successor, I can finally leave in peace."
"Listen carefully. Your inheritance consists of six stages, each involving different trials and pain. Remember, no matter what suffering you endure, you must hold firm to your will. Only by keeping your conviction unshaken can you truly become the new Sea God!"
"I understand," Neptune replied solemnly.
"Good. No more useless talk."
"The inheritance begins now."
As he spoke, the Sea God's eyes suddenly shone like two blazing suns. Neptune felt as though his very soul was being pulled into them, and his surroundings turned unreal. Golden mist rose all around, accompanied by countless golden bubbles. As space distorted violently, he found himself losing awareness.
With a brilliant flash, a massive golden sphere of light emerged from the Sea God's chest. Instantly, dazzling radiance erupted, shaking the entire Sea God's Temple violently, as though it was purging all impurity.
Buzz!
Neptune, lost in the golden radiance, vanished in an explosion of light. The Sea God's Temple, engulfed in divine energy, gradually returned to normal as the glow faded.
When the phenomenon subsided, the Sea God let out a long breath and wiped his forehead despite having no real sweat then murmured to himself while gazing at the place where Neptune had disappeared. "At last, a worthy successor. Kid, you'd better not let me down."
…
It felt as though a massive golden vortex was surrounding him. Everywhere Neptune looked, there was nothing but gold.
Then, suddenly, the sensation of confusion disappeared, and the vortex of golden light vanished. He realized he was now standing on a circular platform.
The platform was golden, radiating a gentle warmth beneath his feet. Surrounding it was an endless ocean but to his astonishment, the seawater was entirely gold, and even the sky shimmered in golden hues, creating an ethereal sight.
Neptune surveyed his surroundings. He was certain this peculiar space was specifically designed for the Sea God's inheritance.
Suspended in the air above the circular platform were six smaller circular platforms, each about two meters in diameter, arranged symmetrically around the central platform where he stood.
Six platforms?
The Sea God had mentioned that the inheritance process involved six trials. It seemed clear that these six platforms were connected to those trials.
As Neptune pondered, golden waves surged from beneath him, flooding toward his body and rendering him completely immobile.
At that moment, he found himself unable to move at all except for his eyes. Even the circulation of his soul power became sluggish.
Suddenly, without warning, an intense burning sensation erupted from his left arm. In the next moment, a sharp, excruciating pain tore through him, causing his vision to go black momentarily.
Damn it!
It felt as though someone was slicing through his skin, cutting through his muscles, and forcibly extracting his bones without anesthesia! The sheer agony was unimaginable.
Fortunately, a soft golden light emerged, emanating from the Sea God's Trident in his hand. Under its glow, the searing pain gradually diminished though still excruciating, it at least became bearable, preventing him from passing out from sheer agony.
At the same time, one of the six smaller platforms detached from its place and floated a meter in front of him.
The platform was adorned with intricate golden wave like patterns. However, in his current state, Neptune had no time to appreciate its beauty his left arm was in the middle of being forcibly stripped of its soul bone.
A beam of golden light shot from his left arm and landed upon the floating platform. Suspended about fifty centimeters above it was a glowing, black colored left arm bone.
It was a ten thousand year soul bone, one of the innate enhancements he had gained from merging with his persona. Since his original god level persona had been downgraded, this was merely a mid tier ten thousand year soul bone, rather than a hundred thousand year one.
At that moment, Neptune suddenly found that he had regained control over his body. Simultaneously, a voice echoed in his mind:
"The restraints will be lifted. If you attempt to interfere with the extraction of your soul bones, the trial will be forcibly terminated. The most severe consequence of failure is obliteration. You must remain within two meters of the platform's center and may not alter the primary body part undergoing extraction. Otherwise, the inheritance will be considered abandoned."
"So these six trials are just about removing soul bones?"
"Somehow, I doubt it's that simple. If enduring pain were all it took, this would be way too easy."
Neptune couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than just physical suffering.
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