Chapter 281: The Seventh Trial Completed

Chapter 281: Chapter 281: The Seventh Trial Completed

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Meanwhile, at the Hall of Reverence.

Qian Daoliu sat in his room with his eyes closed. His face bore the deep traces of the passage of time. Although he remained a Level 99 Peerless Douluo, his aura was significantly weaker than it had been just a few years prior.

The Ninth Trial of the Angel God’s Inheritance required his self-sacrifice to be unlocked.

He had already made his preparations.

However, before that moment arrived, there remained one matter he could not let go of.

Qian Daoliu stepped out of the Hall of Reverence and found Jiang Bai in the rear garden.

"You were looking for me?" Jiang Bai asked, seated on a stone bench.

Qian Daoliu gazed at him.

Those aged eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions.

"Jiang Bai, my time is running out."

Jiang Bai remained silent.

Qian Daoliu continued, "Xue’er has already completed eight of the Angel God’s Trials; only the ninth remains. That final trial requires my self-sacrifice to be initiated."

"I am ready."

Jiang Bai looked at him but offered no words.

Qian Daoliu took a deep breath.

"Jiang Bai, I know I was in the wrong. I allowed her—and by extension, you—to suffer so greatly. I know that such things can never truly be atoned for. Yet, I still hope... that you might grant me one final wish before I depart."

Jiang Bai frowned slightly. "What wish?"

Qian Daoliu looked at him, his eyes filled with earnest pleading. "I wish to see the birth of my great-grandchild."

Jiang Bai was stunned into silence.

Qian Daoliu continued, "Neither you nor Xue’er are getting any younger. I hope you both will make an effort to bring a new life into this world as soon as possible."

Jiang Bai felt somewhat speechless.

Regarding such matters, he had always preferred to let nature take its course.

Moreover, as both his and Qian Renxue’s cultivation levels continued to rise, the difficulty of conceiving a child had indeed increased significantly.

"I’ll leave it to fate. We’ll do our best."

"Good. That is good."

Having spoken, Qian Daoliu turned and returned to the Hall of Reverence.

...

During this same period, Jiang Li’er had also been cultivating diligently.

Ever since she received the Inheritance of the God of Destruction, she seemed like a completely different person. No longer as playful as she once was, she now devoted herself entirely to cultivation, day in and day out.

More than a month later...

Jiang Li’er sat cross-legged beside a clear spring in the courtyard, her eyes closed. Golden light radiated outward from her body, illuminating the entire courtyard as brightly as if it were broad daylight. Her soul power surged wildly within her body.

"Boom—!!!"

A golden pillar of light erupted from within her, shooting straight toward the heavens!

Rank 96!

She had broken through!

At that very moment, a majestic voice resounded within her mind: "Congratulations on completing the first trial of the Nine Trials of Destruction. Reward: Affinity with the Divinity of Destruction increased by 10%; the cultivation age of all soul rings increased by 10,000 years."

Jiang Li’er opened her eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.

She raised her hand, and nine soul rings slowly ascended around her.

Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black, Red, Red, Red!

Six black rings and three red ones!

Gazing at her soul rings, Jiang Li’er’s eyes were brimming with excitement.

"Hehe, I’ve grown stronger, too!"

...

Two months later.

Jiang Bai, accompanied by Jiang Li’er, Shui Bing’er, and Ye Lingling, once again embarked on the journey to Sea God Island.

Passing through the spatial tunnel, they arrived at Sea God Island in no time.

Ye Lingling’s "Top-Tier Eight Trials" had been superseded, leaving Shui Bing’er to undertake her divine trials alone.

Shui Bing’er’s fourth trial was the "Battle Against the Apex Demon Whale."

She was tasked with assisting the clan of Demon Soul Great White Sharks in slaying the Demon Whale King—the leader of the Demon Whale clan.

It was a 100,000-year-old Demon Whale King, the undisputed overlord of the seas.

Yet, she felt no fear.

She possessed three 100,000-year soul rings, the Ice Phoenix Martial Soul, and the Vast Sea Universe Cover.

Moreover, she had the assistance of the Demon Soul Great White Sharks.

She would win!

She would win—and win big!

...

A few days later.

Sea God Island—The Courtyard.

Jiang Bai stood in the open space at the center of the courtyard, his eyes closed. He had been standing there for a long time—so long, in fact, that the sun had risen in the east and gradually climbed higher into the sky.

Sunlight bathed his figure, casting a short shadow at his feet.

Bi Ji sat upon a stone bench at the edge of the courtyard, resting her cheek in her hand as she gazed at him in silence.

Today, she wore a long gown of emerald green; its hem trailed along the ground, fluttering gently in the morning breeze. Her long, jade-green hair cascaded down her back, with a few stray wisps falling across her forehead, making her gentle face appear even softer.

Her eyes held a blend of anticipation and curiosity.

Jiang Bai had said that he had made a breakthrough once again.

A breakthrough regarding the Power of Creation.

She did not know what insights he would gain this time, but she trusted him implicitly.

Jiang Bai slowly raised his hands to chest level, palms facing one another, as if cradling an invisible ball of energy. His posture remained upright and centered, his feet planted firmly—like an ancient tree with its roots sunk deep into the earth.

Then, he began to circulate his Soul Power.

A golden radiance began to emerge from his palms.

The light was faint—like the very first ray of sunlight at dawn—soft and warm. It swirled gently within his palms, resembling a small, meandering stream.

Then, he began to trace circles.

His hands moved slowly along the trajectory of the "Taiji Cloud Hands" technique—his right hand leading, his left hand following.

As he moved, the golden threads of light grew increasingly dense, evolving from mere lines into an intricate pattern that began to entwine his entire body. The pattern was profound and mysterious, as if it embodied the ultimate truths of the universe.

His movements gradually accelerated, and their amplitude expanded from small to sweeping. His waist turned slightly, driving the motion of his arms, while his feet shifted lightly, allowing him to glide slowly across the open ground. Each step was planted with absolute stability, as if he had become one with the earth itself.

The golden threads of light multiplied, growing ever denser.

They coiled around his arms, around his torso, and around his entire being.

These threads of light were neither Soul Power nor Mental Power; they were the Power of Creation.

The power to bring life into existence—to create something from nothing.

Bi Ji’s eyes widened in astonishment.

She could sense it: that power was coalescing; it was taking shape.

It was not healing; it was not restoration. It was true, pure creation.

The ground beneath Jiang Bai’s feet began to undergo a transformation.

A massive, golden Yin-Yang symbol—depicting the twin fish—began to emerge from the earth beneath him.

The symbol rotated slowly, the heads and tails of the Yin and Yang fish interlocking perfectly, radiating a soft yet sacred glow. Golden soul power radiated outward from Jiang Bai, spreading in ripples—circle after circle—like waves rippling across water.

The very next instant!

A pillar of golden light erupted from within Jiang Bai’s body, shooting straight toward the heavens!

The pillar of light pierced the clouds, illuminating the entire courtyard as brightly as if it were broad daylight!

Within that pillar of light, a spectral image of a dragon was beginning to take shape.

The dragon’s body coiled and ascended; its scales were composed of shimmering particles of light, each one glinting with a golden radiance. Its head was held high, its whiskers fluttering, exuding an aura of majesty and sanctity.

Bi Ji sprang to her feet, her eyes wide with shock.

Was that... a dragon?

The pillar of light gradually began to recede.

The spectral dragon image grew increasingly solid, increasingly distinct. Golden scales, a slender serpentine body, a majestic head, and—most striking of all—a pair of golden dragon eyes; it lowered its head to gaze down at Jiang Bai, its eyes filled with affectionate warmth.

Jiang Bai opened his eyes, his gaze resolute.

He thrust his right hand forward, and a surge of golden soul power poured forth.

At that very moment, the spectral dragon image solidified completely, transforming into a colossal platinum-gold dragon that burst forth from the pillar of light!

It circled above the courtyard—its body coiling and weaving, its tail swaying—and let out a dragon roar that shook the very heavens!

"Aooo—!"

The roar was mighty and vast, echoing across the entirety of Sea God Island.

Shui Bing’er, who was currently cultivating upon Sea God Mountain, looked up at the platinum-gold dragon soaring through the sky, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Where did that dragon come from? Could it belong to Jiang Bai?

It must be... After all, Jiang Bai has plenty of dragons at his disposal!

Bo Saixi, who was offering prayers within the Sea God Hall, opened her eyes; having sensed this sudden surge of energy, she frowned slightly.

However, the moment she realized that Jiang Bai was the one responsible, she dismissed the matter entirely.

The platinum-gold dragon circled in the air a few times before slowly descending.

It landed directly in front of Jiang Bai, lowered its massive head, and affectionately nuzzled against his cheek.

Its golden eyes were filled with a profound sense of reliance and closeness—much like those of a newborn child. Jiang Bai reached out his hand, gently stroking the dragon’s head.

He could feel its body temperature—warm, real, and vibrantly alive.

This was no illusion, no ethereal projection formed by condensed soul power; it was a genuine, living being.

From nothingness, he had created a dragon.

His heart swelled with a profound sense of accomplishment.

At that very moment, a long-unheard, ethereal voice resounded within his mind: "Dragon God’s Trial: The Seventh Trial—Completed. Reward: 10% increase in Divine Seat Affinity; 50,000-year increase to the age of all Soul Rings."

"Additional Reward: The Divinity of Creation."