The familiar figure was none other than Tang Chen, who should have died long ago.
Earlier, the Asura Demonic Sword had actively protected its master by forcibly infusing him with energy. Although it allowed Tang Chen to painfully linger on for five years on the surface, in reality, those five years were merely the maximum and final limit. How long he could actually live depended entirely on how long Tang Chen's will could endure. Even if he persisted for five years, once the energy dissipated after that period, he would still die completely.
Shen Hanyu's estimate at the time had been roughly two and a half years. Yet now, after so much time had passed, Tang Chen remained completely unharmed. His vitality had even grown somewhat stronger, whereas Bo Saixi…
Thinking of this, Shen Hanyu felt somewhat astonished. He had, after all, associated it with something. His gaze gradually became complicated, carrying a trace of pity.
"It's hard to imagine that, to extend his life, you were actually willing to use your heart's blood as a guide to forcibly infuse your own origin into him. This is a true act of defying the heavens. Once used, you are destined to be gradually rejected by the plane, and in the end, even your traces will be slowly erased…"
"And this process will be painful beyond your imagination…"
Shen Hanyu said these words to Bo Saixi, but they seemed more like they were meant for Tang Chen, or perhaps his own murmured thoughts…
Bo Saixi wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, then smiled as she gently brushed away the tears from the corner of Tang Chen's eyes. Her tone was soft as she said:
"Once upon a time… we were all the epitome of an era. We symbolized that era, we accomplished that era, and we ourselves were that era…"
"Everything should have been fine, but later on, the sharp blade of emotion pierced through everything. The rift with Qian Daoliu, the so-called game of becoming gods—ultimately… it all turned into a sharp thorn viciously stabbed into the bones and blood of the three of us. Even though we desperately tried to block it, it still caused our hearts to slowly die…"
"This is the pain brought by fate. I hate emotion. If it didn't exist, perhaps none of us would have been forever trapped in time. Perhaps we all should have fought for the future we held onto, to strive for that slim hope. Perhaps everything would have had meaning…"
"I hate myself. Why didn't I make everything clear? Or, in all these years, if I hadn't waited but had gone to search instead, would everything have been different…"
By the end, Tang Chen was already sobbing uncontrollably. It was hard to imagine that a person of his generation and strength would regret his youthful obsessions to such an extent.
Shen Hanyu looked at the two of them, who still appeared young on the outside but exuded a heavy aura of twilight. He sighed and then said:
"Choice is a matter of an instant, but the consequences must be borne for a lifetime. I greatly admire the feelings between the two of you. At the very least, they have not deteriorated or rotted with the passage of time, nor have they slowly faded away. If there is a next life, I hope you will live in a peaceful era, not a chaotic one…"
Tang Chen helped Bo Saixi to her feet. Then, for some reason, his face suddenly turned pale. He had to hold onto a nearby stone pillar to barely keep from collapsing.
Shen Hanyu waved his hand, sending two streams of gentle divine power into the bodies of the two, temporarily suppressing the various injuries and ailments within them. The effect would last for three days.
The Tang Chen, who had regained some of his divine bearing, looked at Shen Hanyu, his eyes filled with complex emotions. After a long while, he spoke in a low voice:
"Thank you…"
Shen Hanyu chuckled lightly and then said:
"No need to thank me. You may have sensed it, you should hate me. Or rather, from the very beginning, we have been mortal enemies. There is nothing more to say…"
Tang Chen's expression stiffened slightly, then returned to calm, though it seemed as if he was exerting great effort to endure. Finally, he spoke in a low voice:
"I roughly understand the character of my descendants. I had thought there would be such a day. I, Tang Chen, have never claimed to be a gentleman, but I have always been an upright person who repays kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity…"
"You killed the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King in the Slaughter City and restored my sanity and clarity. Although your original intention was to kill me as well, it was precisely because of this that I was able to have these few years of brief detachment from the secular world and its pain, spending the happiest years of my life with Bo Saixi…"
"Forget it. I no longer owe the Heaven Dou Sect. It was I who once elevated the Heaven Dou Sect and the Heaven Dou Hammer to a level that did not originally belong to them. It was I who brought glory to the Heaven Dou Sect and gave it supreme honor. I have no shame before my ancestors or the sect. Even if I go to hell after death, I can say with a clear conscience that Tang Chen has absolutely not let down the sect or anyone in the sect…"
"The only person I have wronged in this life is Bo Saixi. To be able to stay with her in the final period of time and leave traces belonging to the two of us in this world, I am already content…"
"Just consider this… the last time in my life that I am selfish for myself…"
After speaking, Tang Chen seemed to have lost all his strength. The spirit in his eyes had dimmed by more than half…
The deep blue soul power protective barrier behind them slowly disappeared, revealing the scene below. Shen Hanyu could not help but be fiercely startled, a trace of shock appearing in his eyes.
Beneath the soul power protective barrier was a delicate and exquisite baby crib. Lying in the baby crib was an infant sleeping soundly.
The infant appeared to be only a few months old, with delicate and adorable features. Even in its sleep, its two small hands could not stop grasping randomly, seemingly very active.
At the center of the infant's forehead was a faint blue-and-red dual-colored mark, very similar to the ones on the foreheads of Bo Saixi and the other two.
On the infant's body, Shen Hanyu clearly sensed the auras and bloodlines of Bo Saixi and the other two. The result was obvious; this infant was actually the bloodline continuation born from the two supreme Douluo while they were already on the verge of death…
Bo Saixi stepped forward and gently stroked the infant's little face. The smile on her face was incomparably bright. Even Tang Chen could not help but regain a trace of vitality. In front of their shared child, the two of them seemed unable to feel the terrifying pressure and suffocating sensation weighing upon them, only filled with boundless joy and happiness.
Shen Hanyu took a deep breath, then turned and left the Sea God Temple. Looking at the incomparably beautiful scenery in the distance, for a moment, he actually wanted to lament that fate was unfair…
But soon, reason regained the upper hand. Shen Hanyu's eyes returned to calm, and he said softly:
"Her birth was a mistake. Have you two ever thought about the pain she will have to endure in the future after you both die? It will not be any less than what you have endured…"
Tang Chen gave a bitter smile and then said:
"This is the final wish of Bo Saixi and me. No matter whether this child will hate us in the future, we hope she can live a carefree life, carrying our beliefs and hopes. If possible, I hope you can look after her a little, or perhaps, do not let her know everything and allow her to live a carefree life…"
Shen Hanyu looked at the clouds in the distance that were constantly changing shape and suddenly spoke:
"Is it worth it?"
Tang Chen was slightly stunned, then chuckled lightly and said with carefree ease:
"Life and death are but a dream. Dying early or late is the same; it cannot change the facts. We can only enjoy the present."
Shen Hanyu slightly turned his body, then patted Tang Chen on the shoulder and said softly:
"Enjoy your final time together. I hope that even after death, you will not regret it…"
Tang Chen looked at Bo Saixi, who was holding the infant not far behind him. He closed his eyes for a moment, then nodded. The family of three, accompanied by the setting sun, slowly disappeared from Shen Hanyu's sight…
…
Accompanied by a buzzing sound from the distant Seahorse Sacred Pillar, Shen Hanyu was slightly startled. He no longer lingered and took a step forward, his figure instantly disappearing from in front of the Sea God Temple…
As soon as he landed, Shen Hanyu saw Shui Yue'er slowly descending. On her small, exquisite, and delicate face, a black six-pointed star had now appeared.
Clearly, what Shui Yue'er had obtained was the greatest difficulty assessment, second only to the top seven tests, the black-level six tests.
Shen Hanyu actually did not influence the assessments of Sea God Island. Some fragmented memories had already become blurred under the interference of trivial matters over the years, but that was no longer important. Those memories could no longer play any role now. Everything now needed to be seized by themselves.
Under Shen Hanyu's gaze, Seahorse Douluo inexplicably felt immense pressure. Fine beads of sweat had even appeared on his forehead at some point, and his entire person looked somewhat tense.
One young girl after another stepped forward confidently to undergo the test. The results were mostly within Shen Hanyu's expectations. He did not know if it was because they had become "related parties," but a large portion of them had assessment difficulties far exceeding Shen Hanyu's expectations. Yet seeing the excited and unyielding little expressions on their faces, Shen Hanyu shrugged his shoulders and suddenly felt that it was no big deal.
More than ten minutes later, only You Mengchu and the others had yet to be tested. You Mengchu took two steps forward and then asked somewhat embarrassedly:
"Excuse me, may I ask if soul masters at the Title Douluo level and above can obtain this assessment…"
Seahorse Douluo was slightly startled, then examined You Mengchu with shock in his eyes.
You Mengchu's aura was restrained all over her body. In the earlier probe, he had once thought the other party was merely a Soul Douluo. But now, upon careful examination, her aura was far from that of a mere Soul Douluo. Its depth and vastness made Seahorse Douluo feel that even Sea Dragon Douluo, the strongest among his colleagues, was inferior to her…
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Seahorse hesitated for a moment before saying softly:
"This friend, please step forward a few paces…"
You Mengchu gave Seahorse Douluo a light smile and then stepped forward a few paces.
Accompanied by the gradual changes in the magic patterns on the Seahorse Sacred Pillar, the white, yellow, and purple colors were quickly skipped. It then directly transformed into ink-black darkness.
Seahorse Douluo's expression nearly failed to hold. In the course of a single day, his emotions had risen and fallen like a roller coaster. Such a group of geniuses and the terrifying assessments they obtained made even an old senior like him feel ashamed for a moment. This young woman, who did not look particularly old, had even more terrifying talent. And the two young ladies behind her, who had not yet been tested, made Seahorse Douluo break out in a cold sweat…
In Seahorse Douluo's increasingly dazed gaze, a trace of extremely vivid red gradually appeared within the black on the sacred pillar. Then, a strong red light suddenly rose around the entire Seahorse Sacred Pillar. Under the envelopment of the red light, the gazes of nearly the entire Sea God Island were drawn over. In the distance, Bo Saixi was suddenly startled, and a trace of a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth, only to vanish in an instant…
"It's actually… actually the top-level eight tests…"
Seahorse Douluo's voice trembled slightly as he looked at You Mengchu with disbelief.
You Mengchu herself was also somewhat dazed. She then touched the unique pattern on her forehead and asked softly:
"What are these top-level eight tests…"
Seahorse Douluo's body shook. He then slightly bowed and said:
"Miss, the top-level eight tests are currently the highest-level assessment that can appear on Sea God Island. The last time someone obtained the top-level eight tests was the Great Enshrinement…"
You Mengchu was silent for a moment, then smiled gently and said:
"It sounds extremely good. Top-level eight tests, huh? Not bad…"
Seahorse Douluo's mouth twitched. He then forcibly suppressed the strangeness in his heart and asked softly:
"May I know Miss's name…"
You Mengchu waved her hand, a smile appearing on her face as she said:
"I am not some miss. My name is You Mengchu. My martial soul is the Imperial Feather Hunting Falcon, Title Imperial Feather, ninety-sixth-level power attack system Super Douluo, and I am also the vice dean of Skywater Academy…"
Seahorse Douluo fell silent once more. After a long while, his eyes somewhat complex as he examined the group, he continued:
"The top-level seven tests and top-level eight tests are both the highest-level assessments. Once passed, one can become the next Sea God High Priestess, receiving the favor of Lord Sea God and the entire ocean, reaching the pinnacle of the current era…"
"In other words…"
Shen Hanyu chuckled lightly and interrupted Seahorse Douluo's words.
"She will not be content to stop at Title Douluo. Rest assured, this is only the beginning. The top-level eight tests are not a shackle, merely a means to become stronger. There is no need to mind it…"
These words were unclear whether they were spoken to You Mengchu or to Seahorse Douluo, but both sides understood Shen Hanyu's meaning and said nothing more.
As You Mengchu stepped back, Shen Hanyu looked at Shui Bing'er and Shen Liuyu beside him. He smiled and patted their heads, saying:
"Go on. Just treat it as a simple training session…"
The two looked at Shen Hanyu and nodded seriously. They then exchanged a glance. Shen Liuyu blinked and said with a smile:
"Sister-in-law, I'll go first then. After all, in the picture books, the protagonist always appears last, hehe…"
With that, Shen Liuyu took the lead and stepped forward, arriving in front of the Seahorse Sacred Pillar.
Seahorse Douluo took a deep breath and then slowly activated the soul power within his body.
White, yellow, and purple colors flashed past in an instant, then directly turned into black. The black, in the blink of an eye, was continuously dyed with vivid red. A red light pillar soared into the sky, even carrying strands of golden color. But at the final moment, it strangely stopped. In the end, it only left a red-and-gold mark on Shen Liuyu's forehead, incomparably exquisite and radiant…
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Here are the chapters for today (づ￣3￣)づ╭～
"Don't forget there are chapters available on Patreon."
"From Douluo to Godhood by Defy 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo: Far North Invincibledo 30 Advance chapters."
"Douluo Peerless: Living as an Evil Soul Master the novel is already finished on Patreon."
"Douluo Dalu 2:Peerless Tang Sect Dawn of Sun and Moon 40 Advance chapters."
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