In the Divine Realm, the Asura God sensed that his Asura Demon Sword had found a new master and was overjoyed. "To have gained the Asura Sword's recognition in a single attempt—truly worthy of being my successor."
…
Tianlin's gaze swept over the Asura Demon Sword as he felt its boundless divine power. "What a terrifying weapon. I feel that if I used this sword, my combat strength would far surpass what I had with the Demon Sword—only, it doesn't grant any soul skills."
"Xiao Tian, that's because your Demon Sword is still only in the martial soul state, constrained by your own cultivation. In fact, I can feel its potential surpasses even the Asura Demon Sword. Once you become a god and elevate the Demon Sword into a super artifact, you'll understand," Skydream said.
Tianlin smiled. "I know—no rush. And an ordinary super artifact won't satisfy me. I've got Fallen-Dragon God Iron and a Nine-Luminary Spirit. As long as I retrieve the Demon-Suppressing Sword, I can rebuild the Divine-Demon Sword. Forging it requires a sacrificial offering with sufficient cultivation. That offering can be an immortal-grade item or something steeped in heavy baleful qi. I'd been fretting about that, but now there's a way. I'll ask Lord Asura God for help. Anyway, once he passes the god seat to me, his karmic ties to the Asura Demon Sword will be fully severed. A new Asura God should have a new artifact. He probably won't mind. If he does, I'll think of another way."
"You… you want to sacrifice the Asura Sword?" Skydream was utterly shocked. Using a super artifact as a sacrificial offering—what kind of madman does that? Most wouldn't even dare to think it.
…
Somewhere in the Divine Realm, the Asura God suddenly shivered. His Asura Demon Sword had just found a promising new master, a cause for celebration—so why did he feel so uneasy?
…
Tianlin put away the Asura Demon Sword, and the card for his eighth Asura Trial appeared.
[Asura God's Eighth Trial: raise level to 99. Time limit: five years!]
Tianlin's guess had been right. Because his Asura God assessment has no grand priest to guide him, he has to reach level 99 like Bibi Dong did, rather than ascend in one step like the Sea God or Angel God inheritances.
If the Rakshasa God had a guide, Bibi Dong might already have become a god.
Sword-riding back to Sea God Island, Tianlin found that the Asura God's divine power had not yet fully dissipated. The sky remained shrouded in blood-red clouds, leaving everyone on the island anxious and fearful.
At that moment, a shaft of golden light pierced the sky, shattering the blood clouds. The radiance lasted a full ten seconds before subsiding. The blood clouds in midair were completely transmuted into golden cloudbanks by the light. The golden mass slowly reshaped in the sky into a human figure—vague, illusory—clad in golden armor, deep blue hair draped over the shoulders, the armor covering nearly every part of his body. Most striking of all, the silhouette clutched a golden trident that seemed capable of splitting heaven and earth.
The seven Sacred Pillar guardian Douluos standing before the Sea God Hall gazed up, then fell to their knees, devout eyes blazing with fervor as they worshiped the phantom overhead.
The same scene unfolded wherever people were on Sea God Island. The islanders, seeing the sky's omen, came out without hesitation, knelt in the open, and prostrated toward the colossal apparition.
This was the Sea God's might.
Seeing the light, Tianlin smiled faintly. It seemed his Rongrong had succeeded.
Ever since he began inheriting the Holy Emperor's seat, he had sensed the existence of the Holy Empress god seat. Once Ning Rongrong fully inherited the Sea God, she should meet the standard to inherit the Holy Empress as well.
…
Inside the Sea God Hall, Ning Rongrong was covered in blood, her garments soaked red. To pull out the Sea God's Trident, she had spent everything; her strength was far inferior to Tang San's in the original story, so the pulling was much harder.
By the time she finally drew out the trident, her meridians were severed and her life hung by a thread.
Tianlin had anticipated this. To become a god, some trials must be endured.
Of course, as Ning Rongrong's husband, he wouldn't just stand by. At the critical moment, ripples of sword qi suddenly shimmered over Ning Rongrong—not to attack, but to heal her body.
This was the Demon Sword's eighth soul skill: Extreme Curse Returns Yin and Yang.
Using his Future Sight, Tianlin had foreseen this scene and, leveraging Future Sight's second function, pre-set Extreme Curse Returns Yin and Yang on Ning Rongrong to trigger when she was on the brink of death after drawing the trident.
Its domineering healing power pulls one back so long as they haven't truly died.
Before the naked eye, her wounds began to knit. Ning Rongrong soon woke.
"Rongrong, thank goodness—you scared me to death just now!" Zhu Zhuqing grabbed her in a hug. She was the only one accompanying Ning Rongrong for the trial today; everyone else waited outside the great hall. At that moment, Zhuqing had been so anxious she didn't know who to beg for help.
"Zhuqing, don't worry, I'm fine. Sword Brother saved me again," Ning Rongrong said with a reassuring smile.
"Congratulations. You've drawn the Sea God's Trident. From this moment on, you have truly gained Lord Sea God's recognition," Bo Saixi walked over. Compared to a few days ago, she looked much more haggard.
Tang Chen had passed away. Sea Ghost Douluo ultimately couldn't save him; the Bat King's poison was too overbearing, far beyond Sea Ghost Douluo's ability to purge.
But in his final moments, they met again—their wish fulfilled. Now, Bo Saixi held death in her heart. She only hoped Ning Rongrong would reach the ninth trial soon so she could go and accompany Tang Chen.
This accompaniment was not merely dying together, but true companionship: Bo Saixi had cremated Tang Chen according to his last wish, but she used the Sea God's Light to preserve his soul. As in the original, after Bo Saixi offers herself in sacrifice, her soul will be preserved too.
Then the two will go together to the world where gods go after death, never to part.
"Senior, thank you for your care these days. Rongrong is deeply grateful," Ning Rongrong said.
"It's nothing. Thanks to your husband, Tang Chen escaped the fate of being a puppet and came to see me one last time. I should be thanking you. I've already introduced the trident's powers to you—use it well. Now check your eighth trial. I sense some evil thing is rising in this world; the time left for you and your husband is not much," Bo Saixi urged.
"Yes!" Ning Rongrong summoned her divine test card and read the contents of the eighth trial.
[Sea God's Eighth Trial: break through level 90 and reach nine rings. Time limit: five years!]
Indeed, the assessment of a first-tier god is far simpler than that of a God King. Tianlin has to reach level 99, while Ning Rongrong only needs level 90.