When Li Zhexian and his companions set foot upon this scenic island, the entire island fell into an eerie silence.
Bo Saixi stood at the very front of the crowd.
Behind her were the six Sacred Pillar Guardians.
Further back, from the harbor stretching all the way to the mountain foothills, every Spirit Master and resident of Sea God Island stood in silent formation.
One vacant gaze after another fixed itself upon the white-robed youth.
The Sea God had been defeated.
Their faith had collapsed.
Yet paradoxically…
this same youth had slain Sea God Island's mortal nemesis—the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
Such merit and grace left the islanders at a loss for words.
"Honored guest…"
After a long silence,
Bo Saixi slowly bowed and said:
"The Sea God has issued a divine decree."
"He congratulates Lord Sword Wine on ascending to godhood."
"And commands me to lead you and your companions to the land of inheritance."
—This was, of course, a lie.
The Sea God, still recuperating from his injuries, would never have spoken such words.
Having governed Sea God Island for decades, Bo Saixi had long mastered the art of improvisation.
In her view,
it sounded far better for the Sea God to have lost to a newly ascended god than to a mortal.
Li Zhexian did not expose the ruse.
Led by Bo Saixi, the group passed through layers upon layers of coral palaces, finally stopping before a secret realm.
The view suddenly opened up…
A deep pool lay quietly within.
Its surface churned violently like a raging sea.
At the center of the pool stood a sky-reaching stone pillar carved with intricate patterns, dense divine aura radiating from its surface.
"This is the Sacred Pillar of Sea God Island,"
Bo Saixi said.
"The Sea God bestowed it with supreme divine power. It can assess a Spirit Master's aptitude and bestow the corresponding trial."
She paused, then continued:
"The trials are divided into five level, from lowest to highest: white, yellow, purple, black, and red."
"The higher the level, the greater the talent—but higher-level trials also come with greater danger."
"Those who pass the trials will likewise receive generous rewards from the Sea God."
Before the land of inheritance,
the air seemed to freeze.
Everyone could clearly hear their own breathing.
Li Zhexian smiled and asked:
"Well then, what do you all think?"
Yu Tianheng stepped forward first, clenching his fists, eyes blazing.
"Since you've paved such a fortune for us, Zhexian, we can't disappoint you!"
"Even if it's a mountain of blades or a sea of fire, I, Yu Tianheng, will not retreat a single step!"
The black silk covering Feng Buyu's eyes fluttered in the wind.
"A brother of Lord Sword Wine naturally can't be mediocre!"
Zhu Zhuqing, Dugu Yan, and the other girls said nothing,
but the resolve surging in their clear eyes spoke louder than words.
Especially Zhu Zhuqing…
"I will become a god."
"I will catch up to Zhexian."
Looking at these cherished companions,
a smile rose at the corner of Li Zhexian's lips.
Just as Yu Tianheng had said, the road ahead had already been paved—but they still had to take the steps themselves.
Fortunately,
his friends were all top-tier prodigies of the continent.
Even following the original course of events,
the Shrek Seven Monsters—without immortal herbs—would not necessarily surpass them in talent.
"Immortal herbs, hm…"
Li Zhexian's smile deepened.
With a flick of his sleeve,
streams of radiant light appeared as immortal herbs suspended in midair.
In an instant, the area around the pool was enveloped in dense spiritual mist, dreamlike and ethereal, resembling a fairyland.
"These are…?"
Bo Saixi and the six Sacred Pillar Guardians stared in shock.
Most of them had never even heard of such herbs; merely sensing the spiritual resonance they emitted made it clear they were anything but ordinary.
The seven looked at the smiling youth in white, their emotions complex.
To bestow so many treasures of heaven and earth upon others…
Such breadth of mind and bearing—
even those who harbored misgivings could not help but feel admiration.
"Why are you all standing there in a daze?" Seeing everyone frozen in place, Li Zhexian chuckled softly. "Choose what suits you—there's a share for everyone."
These immortal herbs were a gift from the Silver Dragon King.
He had originally intended to refuse them.
After all, his sword dao and cultivation were already flawless and complete.
Immortal herbs were of no further use to him.
But when he thought of his friends, he accepted them instead.
"Zhexian…" Yu Tianheng and the others felt a warm current surge through their hearts.
Someone as sentimental as Feng Buyu even found his eyes turning red.
Amid the teasing laughter, as they looked at the smiling youth in white,
the same thought surfaced in everyone's mind:
"Meeting Zhexian in this life is our greatest fortune."
...
By the poolside—
The young men and women sat cross-legged with eyes closed.
The immortal herbs they had just consumed transformed into surging medicinal power within them, while various Martial Soul phenomena intertwined across the sky.
Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Spirit Cat flickered between illusion and reality, its leaps seeming to slip into space itself.
Dugu Yan's Jade Phosphor Serpent Emperor grew a jade horn upon its brow; Yu Tianheng's Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon flowed with golden radiance; Feng Buyu seized nine traces of wind from the currents.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu's ice and fire interwove, blooming together as twin flowers.
A crown condensed above the Ice Phoenix's head, while the Fire Shadow Martial Soul fully transformed into the same form as Huo Wu herself.
When Li Zhexian saw the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in Ning Rongrong's hands—
He nodded slightly.
He had given Ning Rongrong the Beautiful Silk Tulip, as a way to repay the kindness of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's protection.
And at that moment—
A wondrous flower covering a thousand-meter radius bloomed above Ye Lingling's head.
The Nine-Hearted Begonia transformed into twelve jade-white petals, its healing radiance in no way inferior to the divine light of the Nine-Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
"Lingling." Li Zhexian looked at the girl whose cheeks were flushed with excitement.
"Has the curse of your Ye family been lifted?"
Ye Lingling's smile faded. After closing her eyes and sensing carefully, she bit her lip lightly and shook her head.
"The Nine-Heart Begonia has evolved, but the withering intent deep within the bloodline… is still there."
"Oh?"
Li Zhexian's swordlike brows knit together.
The immortal herb he had given Ye Lingling was Moonlight Condensation Dew Ganoderma—
even more precious than the Beautiful Silk Tulip.
He had thought it would resolve the Nine-Heart Begonia family's destiny.
Unexpectedly, even such an immortal herb proved ineffective.
"Cursed by heaven… by heaven…"
Li Zhexian raised his head to the sky, his gaze deepening.
"Could this involve grudges among the gods?"
He already carried countless karmic threads upon himself.
What harm would there be in adding one more?
Facing Ye Lingling, whose eyes were reddened,
Li Zhexian smiled and made a promise:
"When I ascend to the Divine Realm, I will find an answer for your Ye family."
...
At the same time,
the God Realm conference was drawing to a close.
Just as the gods, each with their own thoughts, rose from their seats and prepared to tear open space and return to their divine domains—
the light screen suspended at the center suddenly brightened, clearly revealing a scene.
The white-robed youth stood with his head raised to the heavens,
as if piercing the screen and meeting the gazes of the gods from afar.
His calm voice rang clearly throughout the hall:
—"When I ascend to the Divine Realm, I will find an answer for your Ye family."
The gods fell silent.
Then,
one by one, their gazes turned toward a woman seated among the second-class gods.
Her beauty was peerless, clad in a divine robe woven of myriad flowers—yet at this moment, her expression was cold.
As her emotions stirred,
the countless blossoms surrounding her withered and fell in an instant.
She was the Goddess of Flowers,
the one who governed the rise and fall of all flowers in the world.
Countless ages ago…
she had commanded all flowers to bloom simultaneously on the winter solstice to celebrate her divine birth.
The Nine-Heart Begonia, however, had delayed in order to save a mortal.
Thus,
the goddess cast a curse.
For the Nine-Heart Begonia to bloom, it must use its own blood as sacrifice—
a curse to endure through endless generations, never to cease.