Three days later, on Sea God Island at Shrek Academy.
A young man and a young woman stood before the Sea God Pavilion. While pouring their hearts out to each other, they also seemed unable to suppress their sorrowful emotions.
"I don't even know how many years it will be before you return!?" The girl sobbed, her tone full of reluctance.
The youth embraced the girl, his long deep-blue hair radiating a gem-like luster under the sunlight. Yet, within his elegant smile was an equal reluctance to part with her.
"Then I won't go, and I'll stay with you, alright?"
"Nonsense!" Even though she knew the youth was joking to comfort her, the girl still mercilessly punched his chest. Though one didn't know how much force she used, it at least sounded quite heavy.
"Bei Bei, don't say that, not even as a joke. That place is the land of the Sea God's Divine Trial where our ancestor Tang San and the others emerged from. As long as you can pass the trial bestowed by Ancestor Tang San, your strength will definitely surge, and you might even become a god."
Brilliant starlight flashed in the girl's eyes. "Maybe by then, our Tang Sect could produce another deity."
"Alright, my Teacher Xiao Ya." The youth gazed at Xiao Ya dotingly. "Then I'll work hard."
This young man and woman were precisely Tang Ya and Bei Bei.
Over the years, with the help of Shrek Academy and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the Tang Sect had more or less been reestablished. But truth be told, it was still only a small sect.
However, although the sect was small, it no longer rigidly adhered to the old rules and had undergone great changes compared to the past. Aside from accepting soul tools, Chen Junting's past influence was also subtly affecting the Tang Sect. How should one put it... it could only be said that Tang San was no longer a fanatically worshipped saint in the hearts of the current Tang Sect and Tang Ya.
Of course, the respect he was due was still not lacking.
"Exactly." Bei Bei's words made a wave of sweetness well up in Tang Ya's heart.
"And I'm simply reluctant to let you go. After all, the records from ten thousand years ago noted that even the first generation of the Shrek Seven Devils took a full five years to return from Sea God Island after participating in the Sea God's Divine Trial. If it's you all, who knows how long it will take. By then, I'll have become a Wangfu Stone (a wife waiting for her husband)."
"You're looking down on me. But..." Bei Bei blinked, a smile on his lips. "How long can this Wangfu Stone wait for me?"
Tang Ya leaned against Bei Bei's chest, speaking softly. "Since I said I'd be a Wangfu Stone, naturally I'll wait until the seas run dry and the rocks crumble."
But right as the two were sharing an intimate moment, "Yo, yo, yo—" Someone came to spoil the mood.
The sudden voice made the two separate quickly. Of course, this so-called separation merely meant they were no longer leaning against each other.
When the two looked in the direction the voice came from, they saw Ma Xiaotao looking at Bei Bei and Tang Ya with a teasing gaze. By her side was a bald, burly man in black, looking honest and somewhat embarrassed, yet hard to ignore.
This person was none other than He Caitou.
Clearly, he, Ma Xiaotao, and Bei Bei were the candidates chosen by Shrek Academy to participate in the Divine Trial at the Sea God Family. After all, aside from being loyal to the academy and intending to stay, it was also about the factions they belonged to within the academy.
Ma Xiaotao—Martial Soul Department faction;
He Caitou—Soul Tool Department faction.
As for Bei Bei... as the primary candidate for the Pavilion Master, he was naturally neutral.
This way, a balance was struck among the three candidates. Even if the three returned from the trial, it wouldn't cause Shrek Academy's resources to tilt toward one side, leading to unbalanced future development.
As luck would have it, just as Shrek Academy's three candidates gathered, the seven candidates selected by the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect also arrived before the Sea God Pavilion, led by Chen Junting and Ning Tian.
Acquaintances meeting naturally meant warm enthusiasm. After greeting each other, the group began to chat. It wasn't until they noticed the team consisted of ten people, and then subtracting Wang Dong'er...
"Huh?" Tang Ya let out a soft gasp. "Nine people from your sect are going?"
Bei Bei glanced over and quickly made a judgment. He looked at Chen Junting with slight surprise. "You and Xiao Tian aren't going?"
"Not going." He smiled and shook his head, but didn't state the reason.
Although Bei Bei was puzzled, he didn't press the issue. Even Tang Ya, whose brain wasn't the fastest, was grabbed by her external brain—Bei Bei—who stopped her from asking further.
Right at this moment, "Is everyone here?"
At the entrance of the Sea God Pavilion, the Sea God Douluo Chen Juntao had taken the lead, even half a step ahead of Xuan Zi, while the Sea Dragon Douluo and the other senior elders of the Sea God Pavilion followed closely behind.
He swept his gaze over the ten candidates. Although his surface was calm, a stormy sea had already been stirred up in his heart. On Shrek Academy's side, the three selected were all outstanding individuals, only inferior to the heir designated by Lord Sea God, truly enviable.
And the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's side was even more exaggerated! Counting the nine who were going to participate in the Divine Trial, nearly half of them—half! The talent of this half was in no way inferior to the Young Master's; they could even be called "geniuses among geniuses."
Truly a formidable, strongest sect on land! Clearly, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had become their "consensus."
One had to know, no one had told the Sea God Douluo this. Clearly, this explained everything to a certain extent.
After this, the Sea God Douluo Chen Juntao also withdrew his gaze. Confirming that the personnel were correct, he didn't say any more nonsense.
"Since everyone is here, prepare to depart."
After speaking, Chen Juntao looked at the Sea Dragon Douluo. "I'll leave the tracking of the Demon Empress to you."
"Yes."
Subsequently, after letting everyone bid farewell to the others, Chen Juntao scooped up the eleven people and transformed into a streak of light, flying into the distance.
Seeing this, Chen Junting and Ning Tian didn't linger any longer either. Thus, after bidding farewell to the Shrek crowd, they decided to return to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. However, they were returning this time to report back, as well as to "take their leave."
Because next, Chen Junting was going to take Ning Tian down another path. And he had already informed Ning Tian about this matter.
"So you're taking me to inherit the God of Love's divine throne!?" Ning Tian was first taken aback, but quickly regained her calm.
"That's right."
Chen Junting nodded slightly. "Do you still remember what Senior Di Tian said to us back then? I think the timing is just right now."
"This..." Hearing this, Ning Tian showed slight hesitation. "What if it doesn't work out?"
"Let's just try and see if you can get formal recognition."
Chen Junting's words made Ning Tian fall silent. But at the same time, it also aroused her fighting spirit.
"Trying it is, then. But where is the location?"
Chen Junting didn't rush to answer, but gave a reminder instead.
"Think about it, where have you seen records of the God of Love?"
Records of the God of Love?
The next second, Ning Tian's eyes lit up, clearly understanding.
"Are you saying His inheritance is in the Qiankun Wenqing Valley!?"
...
Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect.
Ning Bowen held a cup of fragrant tea in his hand but hadn't taken a single sip, letting the cold wind blow over it and cool it down. It wasn't until he sensed someone behind him that he turned around, looking at Chen Junting and Ning Tian who had arrived side by side.
Seeing the two, his originally tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.
"You two, you've really given me a big problem."
He cursed with a laugh, putting down the tea in his hand while picking up the teapot to pour tea, signaling for the two to sit. "Little Gu, Little Feng, and the other seven are all future mainstays of the sect, yet you two arranged for all of them to go to the Sea God Family for the Divine Trial. Although it's a great opportunity, if an accident happens, the loss to the sect will be massive. The next generation of experts might even face a direct break in lineage."
Although Ning Bowen's words were a bit exaggerated, they genuinely expressed his inner worries. However, even with these lingering concerns, when this great opportunity presented itself, he swallowed it without hesitation, fully displaying the firmness and decisiveness of a Sect Master.
But the reason he could make such a resolute decision despite his worries was mostly due to Chen Junting and Ning Tian themselves.
Putting down the teapot and seeing that the two hadn't sat down, Ning Bowen felt slightly surprised but not entirely bewildered. Instead, he handed the two poured cups of tea to Chen Junting and Ning Tian, while saying, "It's a good thing you two aren't going, otherwise I absolutely wouldn't have agreed. After all, as long as the sect has you two in the future, plus us old folks holding on for a while longer, even if they meet with an accident, the sect won't decline too drastically."
Hearing this, Chen Junting and Ning Tian took the teacups together, then looked at each other. However, this little action didn't catch Ning Bowen's attention; instead, he asked them a question.
"Since you've returned to the sect, you should find something to do. Do you want to take over the sect's affairs? Or prioritize breaking through your cultivation? Of course, my recommendation is the latter."
At this point, Ning Bowen finally made eye contact with the two. "What do you two think?"
What do we think? We think neither of these fits us.
Hearing this, Chen Junting and Ning Tian thought to themselves simultaneously.
It was just that his previous words had undoubtedly put them on the spot, while also vaguely indicating that Ning Bowen didn't agree with the two of them going out.
Of course, the so-called not letting them go out didn't mean confining them to the sect, but rather not letting them go to dangerous places related to deities where their lives might be at risk, like the Sea God Family.
But as luck would have it, their destination was exactly this kind of place. How were the two supposed to open their mouths now?
The silence of the two clearly made Ning Bowen sense that something was wrong. A hint of suspicion flashed through his shrewd eyes.
"You two are hiding something from me."
His words were not hesitant, but certain.
Ning Tian turned her gaze to Chen Junting, her eyes shimmering, clearly signaling him to speak. Seeing the situation, Chen Junting's eyes fluctuated. After hesitating for a moment, he said:
"Uncle Ning, actually, Xiao Tian and I came back to say goodbye. Because we also have to leave for a while to cultivate in a place with pressure, and we probably won't be back for a few years."
Ning Bowen was clearly taken aback upon hearing this. "Where are you going to cultivate? The ocean too?"
Chen Junting shook his head. Although he had hidden this matter from everyone, including Gu Tianchen and Wu Feng, there was naturally no need to hide it from Ning Bowen. "That place is also the inheritance ground of a deity. You know of the Qiankun Wenqing Valley, right."
"What?" Ning Bowen was greatly shocked, actually exclaiming out loud. "The place you're going to is actually the Qiankun Wenqing Valley?"
How could he not know about the Qiankun Wenqing Valley? One had to know, he had also seen the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and the things Tang San had left behind there, so he was naturally fully aware.
And after his initial shock, he regained his calm. "The god related to the Qiankun Wenqing Valley is the God of Love..."
Suddenly, Ning Bowen's eyes brightened sharply. His gaze swept across the two of them, finally resting on Ning Tian. Then, without the slightest hesitation, he said with exceptional resolve: "Go! Leave everything about the sect to us!"
The sudden change made Chen Junting and Ning Tian feel surprised, looking at Ning Bowen with slight confusion. However, seeing Ning Bowen's fervent gaze toward Ning Tian, Chen Junting roughly guessed that Ning Bowen had realized something, and Ning Tian seemed to feel the same. Still, out of surprise in her heart, she couldn't help but ask:
"Father, you agree?"
"Sigh—" Ning Bowen let out a long sigh. "How could I not agree?"
He gave the two a reproachful look. "You're going with the intention of having Xiao Tian inherit the God of Love's divine throne, right?"
In Ning Bowen's view, as for the location of the Qiankun Wenqing Valley, even Tang San as the Sea God didn't know where it was. So how could these two kids of his family know about it?
Of course, taking ten thousand steps back, perhaps they stumbled upon it by accident. But the Qiankun Wenqing Valley, as the foremost of the Three Great Treasure Basins, and the place transformed by the fall of the God of Love back then, was bound to be exceptionally dangerous. If they were simply going to seek cultivation opportunities, why not take two of the ten spots for the Sea God's Divine Trial and head overseas?
Since it wasn't purely for cultivation opportunities, what the two were seeking must be a great opportunity. Recalling the two ancestors Ning Rongrong and Oscar from ten thousand years ago, as well as the rest of the Shrek Devils and Bai Chenxiang of the Speed Sect following Tang San to Sea God Island, and ultimately Tang San obtaining the Sea God's inheritance and succeeding to the Sea God's divine throne...
The answer was ready to come out. And as for the so-called God of Love, which of the two fit the bill?
It couldn't possibly be this kid Junting. As a smart man, Ning Bowen could naturally figure this out.
"Uncle Ning! You're the man!" Towards this guess, Chen Junting somewhat abruptly gave a thumbs up, yet none of the three present found it strange.
And Ning Tian, after setting her tea on the table, grabbed Ning Bowen's arm. "Dad, you're so smart!"
Ning Bowen's tone was slightly doting. "Are you just realizing that?"
But then, a bitter smile tinged his tone.
"Although I know your purpose, I also know the dangers of embarking on the path to a divine throne. Even if the records of our ancestors Ning Rongrong and Oscar are only fragments, the peril within can naturally be imagined. But still... that is a divine throne, after all."
Yes, that was a divine throne after all.
No one denied this sentiment. Including Chen Junting. Because ever since he set foot on this path, his greatest goal was a divine throne! The only difference lay in creating it himself or inheriting one, nothing more!
"I won't say too much." Ning Bowen hugged Ning Tian, then patted Chen Junting's shoulder. "Go, I support you. Just before you leave, Xiao Tian, don't forget to visit your mother. Little Chen, you should also go see your master and mother-in-law. Who knows how many years it will be before we meet again?"
"Alright." × 2
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