Regarding the God Trials, there were a few records in the secret archives of the Sea God Pavilion, and Yun Ming understood some of it.
Normal God Nine Trials meant completing the assessments to achieve godhood. But what kind of situation was this second set of Nine Trials issued by the Angel God to Ya Li? Completing it meant becoming a Seraph? And what was a Seraph, anyway? Was it also a god position?
Hearing her lover's question, Ya Li pulled herself slightly out of her negative emotions, looked up at Yun Ming, and explained.
"There isn't much information attached to the God Trial, and I'm not entirely clear on it either."
"The overview of the God Trial only states that upon completion, one can become the Second Successor to the Angel God position."
Yun Ming pondered for a moment and said.
"Second Successor... does that mean if Qian Renxue inherits the god position, your God Trial will be no different from a standard Top-tier Assessment?"
Ya Li shook her head and said quite directly.
"I don't know."
Yun Ming's brows furrowed slightly. He pressed his forehead against Ya Li's and released his Spiritual Power at the Divine Origin Realm, attempting to probe the mystery of the Seraph's Mark on her forehead. Yun Ming felt a sense of worry in his heart regarding Ya Li accepting an unknown God Trial.
Ya Li did not resist Yun Ming, but his Spiritual Power was blocked by the mark and could not advance an inch. The Angel God was a legitimate First-Class God, and the things He left behind were not something the current Yun Ming could break through.
Seeing her lover's worried expression, Ya Li said gently.
"Alright, don't worry."
"This God Trial is an assessment left by the Angel God for His descendants, and the Angel God is a legitimate True God; He wouldn't scheme against us mere mortals, would He? The assessment shouldn't have any problems."
After trying a few more times and still failing to break through the God Trial mark, Yun Ming gave up helplessly. He looked at Ya Li and said.
"For now, we can only take it one step at a time."
"Be careful when you undergo the trials later. If it brings you any negative effects or if there are any issues, remember to write and tell me. I will definitely find a solution."
In truth, Yun Ming's worries were valid. After all, gods were, simply put, just powerful people. Although they wielded power far greater than mortals, they were equally controlled by the seven emotions and six desires. Some gods had broken the rules just for their own selfish desires.
However, there was indeed no problem with Ya Li's situation. As a righteous god who took it upon Himself to slay evil and eliminate wickedness, the Angel God had not dug any pits in the God Trial left for His descendants. Aside from the uncertainty regarding inheriting the Angel God position, Ya Li's Seraph Nine Trials were essentially no different from a standard god inheritance. As for why such an assessment could exist when there was already a legitimate successor, it had to do with the situation in the God Realm.
The gods in the God Realm could enjoy eternal life, but in another sense, it was also like being trapped in a prison. Even if their status was high and the scenery of the God Realm was fantastical and beautiful, one would eventually grow weary after millions of years. To escape this situation, leave the God Realm, and regain their freedom, they had to find a successor to take over their god position.
Originally, such people were extremely rare; after all, anyone capable of bearing the Power of the Gods was an absolute prodigy among men. But since many gods wanted to run away, they initially sparked many disputes in the God Realm to compete for successors. Later, the God Realm Committee established a rule to reduce such trouble: each god could only choose one successor, and once that person was selected by a god, no other god was allowed to intervene, even if they took a liking to them later.
When the rule was first introduced, it was effective. The gods of the God Realm selected people within the rules, and indeed, no more malicious competition occurred. But good times didn't last long, until a certain God King also wanted to run away and began to find a workaround.
That's right, it was that man, Shura. The rule he set for Slaughter City was: clear the Hell Road, and you get the Slaughter God's Domain.
Did he choose a successor, you ask? He just gave away a domain; how could that count as choosing a successor? But if you say he didn't, every recipient of the Slaughter God's Domain could be subjected to a God Trial by Shura. Plus, since the Shura God was in charge of judging the gods, not every god was like Rakshasa or the Sea God; ordinary gods simply didn't have the guts to touch someone he had chosen. Those who acted too late could only blame their own bad luck.
This made some powerful gods unhappy, so they also began to circumvent the rules, following the principle of "there is a policy from above, and a countermeasure from below." The Angel God's Seraph Nine Trials were His method.
With one successor already chosen, if a second suitable candidate was discovered, He would directly issue the Seraph Nine Trials—a trial with the same high requirements as the Angel Nine Trials, but lacking the Godhood Affinity reward, thus counting only as a Top-tier Assessment. This way, if anything happened to the first successor, the second could immediately upgrade their God Trial and seamlessly take over.
Did He break the rules? No! It was just a Top-tier Assessment; which god hadn't issued one before? Godhood Guardians (people like Qian Daoliu) were all cultivated through Top-tier Assessments.
Moreover, even if the second successor failed to inherit the god position after completing the trial, the tempering and other rewards from a main god's trial meant they would not lack for other gods to actively seek them out in the future to bestow a god position.
In short, this was a win-win inheritance. The Angel God gained insurance, and the trial-taker gained tempering and a future; it was quite conscientious. Unlike the Shura God's side, where if you obtained the Slaughter God's Domain, it was fine if you had powerful main gods like the Sea God or Rakshasa to pull you up, but if you didn't, and you couldn't bear the Shura god position, you were left to see if fate would grant you a chance to become a god on your own.
Yun Ming continued to instruct her.
"Even if there are no problems, you must write to me regularly, and I will write to you as well."
"."
Ya Li looked at Yun Ming, who was meticulous and accounted for everything, and felt exceptionally warm inside. As expected, he was the best! Even when faced with hidden dangers left by a god, he would not shy away. The more she thought about it, the more Ya Li felt that four or five years was such a long time. They hadn't even parted yet, and she was already starting to miss him.
"Also."
Seeing that Yun Ming hadn't finished, Ya Li couldn't help herself and kissed him.
Yun Ming felt Ya Li's fiery emotions, and being passively silenced, he could only close his eyes and respond gently.
Everything around them went quiet, as if time had stopped. His scent, her softness—they were immersed in love and warmth, unable to extricate themselves.
For a long time, until Ya Li's breathing became somewhat rapid, the two finally separated.
Ya Li felt Yun Ming's hand climbing toward the peaks, and her already flushed face became even more shy. This guy, he was like this every time; he would start pushing his luck the moment she let her guard down. Fortunately, she didn't hate it.
Perhaps due to her healing talent, despite looking slim, Ya Li actually had a bit of meat on her bones. She was soft to hold, so Yun Ming especially loved holding her; even if they didn't do anything, it was very comfortable.
Ya Li was left feeling weak all over, hanging on Yun Ming like a little kitten, breathing heavily. At the same time, she felt the change in Yun Ming's body.
After all, holding a beautiful, charming woman in his arms—his beloved, no less—it would be abnormal if Yun Ming had no reaction at all.
Thinking about the long time they would be apart, Ya Li made a decision. She pressed against Yun Ming and whispered in his ear.
"It's okay."
Previously, she hadn't agreed because she considered that they were both still young. Now that they had grown up, the timing was just right.
Hearing this, Yun Ming looked down at her and found her eyes filled with tenderness. No longer suppressing his instincts, he carried Ya Li into the bedroom.
(The following text is omitted for unknown length)
In broad daylight, day and night, it was hard on Ya Li... well, I don't know if it was hard; perhaps she was enjoying it.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader