"The rabbit meat hasn't spoiled after all."
Ye Hao was relieved. After all these years, the Soft Bone Rabbit meat remained perfectly preserved, allowing him to enjoy a feast.
That evening, he arranged a full rabbit banquet.
The rabbit head was made into spicy rabbit head, the body braised in soy sauce, the legs grilled, and even the smaller parts were utilized—nothing was wasted.
"Older rabbits really do taste better."
Xiao Hong ate voraciously, his mouth glistening with oil as he chewed nonstop.
In the end, Ye Hao and his companions enjoyed a sumptuous rabbit meal.
After consuming the rabbit meat, Ye Hao's soul power suddenly surged, reaching rank 85.
"Rabbit meat really is something special."
Ye Hao smiled faintly, then stood up and walked toward the Death God's Temple.
"My earlier assumption wasn't wrong—the Death God's Heart is indeed a crucial component of the Death God's Scythe. To pull out the scythe, the Death God's Heart must merge with it. Only then can I complete the seventh trial."
After eating and drinking his fill, Ye Hao didn't neglect his training. With the effects of the rabbit meat still active in his system, he began digesting its energy.
Time passed in a flash—one and a half months slipped by unnoticed...
Bo Saixi had been away from Sea God Island for forty-five days.
On the island, after the death of Sea Horse Douluo, only six of the seven Sacred Pillar Douluos remained.
On this day, the six Titled Douluos gathered at the foot of Sea God Mountain, their expressions grave and uneasy.
Bo Saixi, the Sea God Douluo and High Priestess of Sea God Island, had been missing for forty-five days. They had searched every corner of the ocean, but there was no trace of her.
It was like searching for a needle in a vast ocean—finding one person was simply too difficult.
"Do you think... the High Priestess might already be..." Sea Witch Douluo sighed, speaking cautiously.
"Impossible!" Sea Spear Douluo roared. "The High Priestess is invincible in this world. There's no way anything happened to her!"
"But we've scoured every inch of the sea these past days and still found no sign of her," Sea Star Douluo said with a deep sigh.
"This..."
The group exchanged uneasy glances, their moods sinking.
Bo Saixi's fate remained unknown. Though Sea God Island still appeared prosperous on the surface, it was only because Sea Dragon Douluo had warned the others—no one was to breathe a word of the High Priestess's disappearance.
With Bo Saixi gone, Sea Dragon Douluo became their pillar of strength.
Every day Bo Saixi failed to return, the crisis on Sea God Island deepened.
And then there was Tang San, the Sea God's heir, still lurking on the island.
"Everyone, stay calm. I believe the High Priestess will return safely. For now, with Sea Horse gone, we must each focus on our duties and maintain order until she comes back," Sea Dragon Douluo reassured them.
With a sigh, Sea Dragon Douluo led the five other Titled Douluos to the shore. Gazing at the boundless ocean, they placed their hands over their hearts and murmured in unison:
"May the Sea God protect us!"
"May the High Priestess return safely!"
Suddenly, a familiar figure on the horizon caught their attention.
"Is that...?"
"The High Priestess has returned!" Sea Dragon Douluo exclaimed, overjoyed.
"Praise the Sea God! The High Priestess is safe!"
Everyone rejoiced. Bo Saixi's safe return filled them with immense relief.
But then they noticed something shocking—the High Priestess had brought back a man.
And he was dead.
"Tang Chen!"
They rushed forward to look. They recognized him instantly.
The legendary battle between Bo Saixi, Tang Chen, and Qian Daoliu had left a deep impression on all six of them.
"High Priestess, you've finally returned," Sea Dragon Douluo said respectfully, cupping his hands. The others followed suit, their expressions solemn.
"Yes." Bo Saixi nodded indifferently. "Sea Dragon, arrange for a crystal coffin."
Sea Dragon Douluo paused briefly before glancing at Tang Chen's corpse in Bo Saixi's arms. Understanding dawned on him.
"At once."
With that, he dispatched someone to make the preparations.
"How far has Tang San progressed in his trial?" Bo Saixi asked coldly.
"Reporting to the High Priestess, Tang San has currently reached the 95th step. He has completed less than a third of the required trial," Sea Demon Douluo replied.
"Too slow." Bo Saixi shook her head. She no longer wished to see Tang San.
Ever since returning from the Douluo Continent, Bo Saixi seemed like a different person—colder, her eyes devoid of warmth, carrying a faint but terrifying killing intent.
The six Titled Douluos shuddered, not daring to breathe too loudly.
"All of you, disperse," Bo Saixi said with a wave of her hand.
"High Priestess, may I ask if you succeeded in killing the one who murdered Sea Horse?" Sea Demon Douluo ventured.
"..."
After a long silence...
"He's dead."
With that, Bo Saixi lifted Tang Chen's body and vanished in a streak of light, heading straight for the Sea God Temple atop the mountain.
Not long after Bo Saixi left, Tang San approached from a distance.
Seeing all six Titled Douluos gathered, Tang San was momentarily puzzled.
"What's going on today? Why are all six of them together?"
A month and a half earlier, on the day after Sea Horse Douluo's death, Tang San had learned the news.
His first reaction had been relief.
Relief that he had been climbing the Sea God's Light that night and hadn't returned to Sea Horse City's main residence.
Otherwise, the death toll might have included him.
Tang San cherished his life. Until he killed Ye Hao and destroyed Spirit Hall, he had no intention of dying.
The Sea God's Nine Trials were his only hope for revenge.
Ignoring the six Titled Douluos—in his mind, his status even surpassed Bo Saixi's as the Sea God's heir—Tang San walked past them with a sidelong glance.
This arrogance made Sea Dragon Douluo and the others frown. Tang San had grown too full of himself.
Arriving at the foot of Sea God Mountain, Tang San stretched briefly. But the moment he stepped onto the first stair of the Sea God's Light, his expression changed drastically.
Killing intent! Such overwhelming killing intent!
Tang San froze, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his back already drenched.
This terrifying killing intent shook him to the core—far stronger than anything he'd encountered in the Slaughter City.
Unbeknownst to him...
At this very moment, after placing Tang Chen's body in the coffin, Bo Saixi had stepped out to the mountain's edge.
Standing on the stairs, her eyes icy, she stared down at Tang San with unwavering focus.
After learning of Tang San's true nature, her disgust for him had only grown. She longed to expel him from Sea God Island—sometimes even feeling an inexplicable urge to kill him.
Alas, as the Sea God's chosen heir bearing the Nine Trials, Bo Saixi had no right to kill Tang San.
She couldn't, but that didn't mean others couldn't.
"The sooner Tang San leaves Sea God Island, the better," Bo Saixi thought.
But the rules were clear—until Tang San completed the first seven trials, he couldn't depart. Not even Bo Saixi, as High Priestess, could break this decree.
"Ye Hao promised that once Tang San is dead, he would never invade Sea God Island again. But at this rate, it's impossible. Tang San's progress is too slow. I must accelerate his trials."
Bo Saixi resolved to speed up Tang San's progress.
In other words, once Tang San left the island, he would never return.
Because on the Douluo Continent, Ye Hao was waiting—eyes locked on his prey.
Leave the island, and death would follow.
The Sea God's Light—the first of the Nine Trials. Bo Saixi had experienced it herself and knew its difficulty well.
"Let me give you a... push."
Bo Saixi decided to interfere, hastening Tang San's trial progress.
The sooner Tang San left, the safer Sea God Island would be.
This ticking time bomb needed to be gone as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, at Spirit Hall...
Half a month had passed since Bo Saixi's departure.
With the City of Slaughter spared, Ye Hao had thrown himself back into cultivation.
He noticed that after reaching the Soul Douluo level, his soul power had stagnated, showing no signs of breakthrough.
"I'm still young. No need to rush."
Ye Hao comforted himself, gazing at the towering Death God's Scythe before him. His eyes hardened with resolve—he had to pull it out.
Only then would the seventh trial be complete.
"These past few days, the resonance between the Death God's Heart and the scythe has grown stronger. Just as I predicted—the Death God's Heart is as crucial to the artifact as the Sea God's Heart was."
The Death God's Heart hovered midair, pulsing in harmony with the scythe, their connection growing more profound by the moment.
"Almost there... Just a bit more, and I can attempt to draw the scythe."
Ye Hao closed his eyes, sinking back into meditation.
Time flowed like water—three months passed in a blink.
On Sea God Island...
Tang San panted heavily as he stepped onto the 212th stair. It felt surreal.
Somehow, after enduring that overwhelming killing intent three months ago, his progress had skyrocketed. Some days, his steps felt weightless, allowing him to climb dozens of stairs without breaking a sweat.
"At this rate, I'll complete the first trial soon. Three hundred thirty-three stairs—that's my goal."
Tang San grinned inwardly. With two-thirds of the trial done, the remaining third seemed trivial.
He remained oblivious that this was all Bo Saixi's doing—her way of hastening his departure.
Tang San didn't know Bo Saixi had uncovered his darkest secrets. That day's killing intent had radiated from her.
He also discovered that cultivating under the Sea God's Light multiplied his progress. Beyond the 200th stair, the pressure had transformed entirely.
Sitting cross-legged, Tang San began meditating...
"Still too slow."
Inside the Sea God Temple, Bo Saixi watched through a massive water screen, shaking her head in disappointment.
At this pace, Tang San would remain on Sea God Island for four or five more years.
"Tang Chen... How could your bloodline produce such a disgrace?"
Bo Saixi sighed, alone with her grief.
Now, she was truly isolated.
In truth, she envied Qian Daoliu.
Spirit Hall had become an empire, and the Angel Clan had successors. Though the Angel's Nine Trials had descended, Qian Daoliu showed no fear of the final sacrifice.
This only deepened Bo Saixi's envy.
Before, if Tang San completed all trials, she would have refused to sacrifice herself.
But now, with Tang Chen gone, Bo Saixi had lost her purpose—even the meaning of life itself.
"Perhaps... as Ye Hao said, life must move forward."
"Tang San is about to reach rank 70. I must grant him a God-Bestowed Soul Ring."
Bo Saixi rose slowly, sensing Tang San's breakthrough. With a step, she vanished.
On the 200th stair of the Sea God's Light...
"Rank 70 at last!"
Tang San nearly danced with joy, unaware his beloved rabbit had long since been digested by his enemy.
"Just you wait, Ye Hao. I'll make you pay."
He clenched his fists. Lately, an inexplicable dread had haunted him—as if something terrible had happened.
But isolated on Sea God Island, Tang San knew little of events on the Douluo Continent. He had no idea his rabbit had been eaten.
If he knew, his face would contort in rage, howling about "Ye Hao's unforgivable sins."
"I must obtain my seventh soul ring quickly. With my Martial Sou True Body, completing the first trial will be effortless."
Having decided, Tang San leapt down from the Sea God's Light, preparing to leave when—
"Tang San."
A cold, familiar voice stopped him.
"Senior Bo Saixi?"
Tang San stiffened. Why would she appear now?
This was only her second appearance since he received the Nine Trials.
"Does she... want to kill me?"
The realization stunned him. As a Slaughter God of the Slaughter City, with the Slaughter God's Domain, he was hypersensitive to killing intent.
And Bo Saixi's was unmistakable.
"What's going on?" Tang San wondered.
"Tang San, you've reached rank 70," Bo Saixi said tonelessly.
"Yes." Tang San didn't dare act rashly.
"Senior, I plan to leave the island to hunt for my seventh soul ring."
The seventh soul skill was crucial. Tang San intended to personally slay an "evil" soul beast.
"No need for such trouble."
Bo Saixi extended her right hand.
A brilliant golden sphere materialized above her palm, pulsating with sacred energy.
"Senior, this is...?"
Tang San's blood surged. This was no ordinary object—perhaps not even of this world.
"A God-Bestowed Soul Ring."
"God-Bestowed... Soul Ring?"
This was Tang San's first time hearing the term, especially regarding soul rings.
"Bo Saixi came specifically for my seventh ring. This God-Bestowed Soul Ring must be the key. Let's see what it does."
"As for why she wants me dead... No matter. Once I become a god, I'll crush all who defy me."
"Senior, may I ask what a God-Bestowed Soul Ring is?"