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In the Divine Realm, within the Sea God Palace—
The Sea God's eyes flew open, the fear in their depths not yet faded.
"Impossible! That man's power… wasn't it temporary?"
He and several other gods had arrived at that conclusion after jointly reviewing the events in the mortal realm. As beings of the God Realm, they could not alter what had already transpired, but they could observe the past. After some discussion, they had suspected that Lan Minghua used an unconventional method to gain immense power for a short time. This theory also explained the faint sense of unnaturalness he and the Angel God had felt from Lan Minghua during their descent.
But now, upon seeing him again, that unnatural aura was gone.
In its place was only Lan Minghua's overwhelming, undisguised strength.
The Sea God was dumbfounded. No matter how he mulled it over, he couldn't make sense of it.
Suddenly, he remembered Lan Minghua's mount was Ditian—and a terrifying thought flashed through his mind.
"Could he be the Dragon God, reincarnated?!"
The Dragon God—a name that made the entire Divine Realm tremble. A being so powerful it had taken the combined might of the Five Great God Kings and the Will of the Universe to barely achieve victory. Even the Sea God himself had not been qualified to participate in the siege against the Dragon God.
And Ditian was an extremely proud being. Even though he could not ascend to godhood, he had never once bowed his head to them. The dragon clan was arrogant to the core; they would rather break than bend. Ditian was the epitome of this pride.
For such a being to willingly serve as a mount… the Sea God could think of only one entity capable of commanding that level of submission: the Dragon God himself.
"It can't be… Is that man truly the Dragon God, cultivating anew in human form?"
The Sea God's brows knitted together. The probability should have been infinitesimally small. Why? Because the Asura God had been the one to deliver the final blow. He had personally ended the Dragon God. The Asura God was not only one of the Five God Kings but also the deity of slaughter and judgment. A strike from his sword could shatter a godhead itself.
Logically, the Dragon God should not have been able to survive.
The Sea God's pupils suddenly shrank as a new thought struck him.
"No… something is very, very wrong. Why have Ditian and the other great beasts been hiding in the Star Dou Forest all this time? Are they… protecting something?"
Though he looked down on the soul beast races for their inability to become gods, he could not afford to ignore them. If any of them achieved godhood, their power would leap to a whole new level. If not for the rules of the Divine Realm, the gods would have descended to slaughter Ditian and the others long ago. And for those powerful beasts to stand guard over something, it had to be of the utmost importance to their race.
The Sea God's eyes lit up as his conviction hardened.
"That's it. That man is most likely the reincarnation of the Dragon God. How else could a mere mortal possess power comparable to a god?"
He felt a thrill of discovery, as if he had seen through Lan Minghua's true identity. This would also explain Lan Minghua's deep-seated hostility towards the gods.
The Sea God quickly composed himself, realizing the grave implications. If mishandled, this could endanger the entire Divine Realm.
"This is not a matter I can handle alone. I must tell Asura—no, I must inform all Five God Kings! Only they can deal with the Dragon God!"
He stood, but then paused, remembering something. He waved a hand in the direction of Seagod Island. Only after doing so did he depart to find the Asura God, his mind at ease.
At the same time, on Seagod Island, Bo Saixi received the Sea God's divine edict.
"Lower the difficulty of the trials? Lord Seagod, why would you issue such a command?"
Bo Saixi, High Priestess of Seagod Island, was baffled. The sacred inheritance trials… were they something that could be treated so casually? She was the Sea God's agent in the mortal realm—or, less charitably, his puppet. She had no choice but to obey his orders completely.
With a silent gaze, Bo Saixi looked toward Tang San, who was currently undergoing the trials, and discreetly lowered the difficulty.
Meanwhile, on his way back to the Heavenly Dragon Gang, Lan Minghua glanced toward Seagod Island and sneered.
"Tch. So he's really opening a back door for him. It doesn't matter. My disciple won't lose to Tang San."
Soon, Ditian brought him back to the Heavenly Dragon Headquarters. The dragon's massive form nearly sent the guards, Jianglong and Fuhu, into a panic, thinking they were under attack by a soul beast.
Oscar and the others heard the commotion and rushed outside.
The moment they saw Ditian, their eyes went wide and their jaws nearly hit the floor.
"H-Holy hell! Is that a black dragon?! Master actually got a black dragon as a mount?"
Unlike Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er, Oscar and the others could more clearly sense Ditian's extraordinary power. Dark Devilgod Tigers, Titan Giant Apes, Sky Blue Bull Pythons—none of them were worthy of even polishing this dragon's claws.
Lan Minghua grinned at their stunned expressions. He leaped down from Ditian's head and landed before them.
"Well? Isn't your master's mount the coolest thing you've ever seen?"
Oscar nodded furiously like a chicken pecking at grain, then immediately slid forward to hug Lan Minghua's leg. "Master, it's beyond cool! Uh, can I… can I try riding him?"
Lan Minghua glanced down at him playfully. "If you can get on, be my guest. I'm not stopping you. However…"
Before he could finish, Oscar shot forward and leaped into the air, ready to experience the thrill of riding a dragon.
But Lan Minghua's voice followed him. "…Whether he is willing is another story."
At those words, Oscar froze in midair, suspended as if by an invisible force.
A colossal, golden, vertical pupil materialized half a meter in front of him, its gaze piercing straight into his soul.
Oscar stiffly turned his head, his face a mask of terror as he shot a pleading look at Lan Minghua.
Lan Minghua, however, acted as if he saw nothing and walked over to Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er.
"Master!" they greeted him respectfully.
Lan Minghua nodded, then patted his robes and produced two manuals, handing one to each of them.
"Here, these are for you. Wind God Legs for you, Xiaotian. And Heavenfrost Fist for you, Bing'er."
"This is…" They hesitated, not daring to accept.
Lan Minghua pushed the books into their hands. "Why are you hesitating? Everyone gets one. In fact, some of you already have more than one."
Only then did they accept the manuals.
Suddenly, Lan Minghua's expression turned serious, and his entire aura shifted.
Oscar yelped, scrambled back, and snapped to attention. The others quickly followed his lead, forming a neat line.
Lan Minghua nodded in satisfaction. "From now on," he said softly, "I will train you personally to help you grow stronger, fast. Because the rivals I have in mind for you are, at this very moment, growing stronger at an incredible rate."
Oscar raised his hand. "Master, who is my rival?"
"Tang San."
"Tang San?" Oscar blinked, confused. "He's just a Spirit Elder. How is he worthy of being my rival?"
Feng Xiaotian and the others were equally puzzled. Tang San was only a Spirit Elder. Even with his hidden weapons, he was no match for them. Any one of the soul tools they possessed was superior, and Tang San had no advantages—especially against Oscar, whose abilities were a direct counter to such projectiles.
Lan Minghua shot them a stern glare. "Never underestimate anyone. Only the weak are arrogant enough to do so. What would you say if I told you that the Tang San you look down on is currently undergoing the Seagod's trials and that his strength is increasing by the day?"
"What?! The Seagod's trials?!"
(End of Chapter)