The surroundings grew increasingly bright, while both sides of the narrow road were filled with rolling dark-red magma.
Scorching heat rushed toward her. Even she could feel the intense temperature.
But only slightly.
No major trouble appeared on the remaining journey afterward.
Until the darkness ahead completely faded, revealing a curtain of soft white light.
"We've reached the exit!"
Joy rose within Zhu Zhuqing's heart.
Just as she prepared to step into the light curtain, an icy voice suddenly rang within her mind—
[Successfully passed the Asura God First Trial. Reward: 5% Asura God Affinity, 1 level of soul power!]
The instant the voice fell, a streak of blood-red light descended from the sky.
That pure killing intent completely enveloped and transformed the girl as the power bestowed by the god descended upon her!
Soon, the blood-red light gradually faded.
Aside from her complexion appearing slightly rosier and her aura growing somewhat stronger, the girl seemed no different from before.
"Asura God Affinity? What's the use of that?"
Zhu Zhuqing paused, confusion appearing on her face.
"Could it be preparation for inheriting the god position later, allowing me to better accept Asura God's power?"
"That's right, exactly!"
Bai Lu's voice promptly sounded, answering her doubts.
"And haven't you noticed? After your affinity increased, hasn't your control over killing intent become smoother and more natural?"
"Eh?! It really has improved!"
Zhu Zhuqing focused her senses for a moment, and surprise instantly flashed through her eyes.
She could clearly feel that her newly awakened and still unfamiliar Death God Domain had become far more compatible with her now.
Controlling it felt smooth and effortless, completely lacking the earlier awkwardness.
Compared to that, the reward of one level of soul power seemed rather ordinary.
It merely raised her stagnant soul power from rank 72 to rank 73 after being stuck for an entire year.
At that moment, the icy voice sounded once more within her mind—
[Asura God Second Trial: Completely purge Hell Road without using the power of soul rings or soul bones!]
"So simple?"
That was Zhu Zhuqing's first reaction.
After all, she had already traversed Hell Road once before and no longer feared the unknown.
Aside from the Ten-Headed Fierce Yang Serpent and the Dark Gold Bat King, nothing especially powerful had appeared along the way.
Purging it should not be difficult.
"Simple, yet not simple."
Bai Lu shook his head instead, his tone becoming serious.
"Don't underestimate this trial."
"How so?"
Zhu Zhuqing's heart tightened as she hurriedly asked.
"The key to purging Hell Road isn't slaughter but locating every hidden evil creature."
Bai Lu patiently explained, "Being unable to use soul rings or soul bones means you must rely on the Death God Domain to precisely sense the locations of all living creatures within Hell Road."
"That demands a very high level of proficiency with the Death God Domain."
After pausing briefly, he added, "More importantly, Hell Road's terrain is extremely complex."
"If a soul beast hides deep within some inaccessible place, such as inside a rock crevice hundreds of meters away, what would you do?"
"This..."
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the rolling dark-red magma nearby and immediately frowned.
Was this trial basically forcing her to jump into magma?
The magma's temperature reached several hundred degrees. Ordinary soul masters would struggle just approaching it, much less entering it to search for evil creatures.
She might not fear high temperatures, but that did not mean she wanted to move around in this bloody magma.
"Big tiger, can you kill them from long range?"
"I can use soul impact, so naturally I can help you remotely kill those hidden evil creatures, but that definitely isn't what the Asura God wants to see."
Bai Lu's tone carried a trace of helplessness.
"Clearly, the one he wants to temper is you, not me."
"These trials hold no tempering value for me whatsoever."
"It's fine! I can do it!"
Zhu Zhuqing took a deep breath, suppressing the discomfort in her heart as determination filled her eyes.
"Isn't it just entering magma to search for evil creatures? I can handle it!"
After speaking, she turned around and charged without hesitation back toward the depths of Hell Road.
Slaughter! Slaughter! Still slaughter!
When she first entered, she had been cautious every step of the way, constantly vigilant against ambushes.
Now, on her return journey, she rushed forward with her domain fully unleashed, afraid only that the evil creatures would hide.
Along the way, her movements were clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Relying on her agile movement techniques and powerful physical strength, she continuously traversed Hell Road.
Her proficiency with the Death God Domain also rapidly improved amid the endless slaughter.
In merely two days, after repeatedly traversing Hell Road back and forth, she completely eradicated every visible evil creature.
But she knew clearly that the real challenge had only just begun.
"Looks like I have no choice but to take this step!"
Standing at the edge of the magma and gazing at the rolling dark-red liquid, determination flashed through Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
She took a deep breath, overcoming her disgust and wariness toward the magma before resolutely stepping inside.
Scorching heat burst forth. The several-hundred-degree temperature completely incinerated her clothing in only an instant.
Revealing a flawless body as pure as lotus roots, with skin pale and immaculate.
Although the temperature was high, it posed almost no threat to Zhu Zhuqing after her Ice and Fire Body Tempering.
She operated her domain at full power, carefully sensing her surroundings while searching for every hidden evil creature.
Whether blood bats, venomous spiders, or tiny soul beasts hidden within rock cracks—
Every single one was killed by her without exception.
Unknowingly, the days gradually passed.
One week later, after Zhu Zhuqing successfully killed the final evil creature hidden within a magma crevice, the icy voice once again rang within her mind—
[Successfully passed the Asura God Second Trial. Reward: 5% Asura God Affinity, 2 levels of soul power.]
"This reward..."
Zhu Zhuqing froze, rendered speechless by the reward itself.
Five percent affinity, plus two levels of soul power.
The reward truly was "more generous" than the first trial's reward. There really was progress!
Next time, would it reward three levels instead?
The instant that thought arose, icy blood-red light enveloped her once again.
She could clearly feel her soul power rising again.
From rank 73, it directly soared to rank 75.
Additionally, the extra 5% affinity made her control and perception of the Death God Domain even more precise.
"Don't think too much. Greed knows no bounds."
Bai Lu chuckled as he poured cold water on her excitement, though his tone carried affection.
"The true key to divine trial rewards lies in affinity. Soul power is merely the most worthless reward!"
"It's normal for the first few of the nine divine trials to be easy. The real challenge lies in the later trials. Those are the true difficulties."
As if confirming Bai Lu's thoughts—
The moment his words fell, the icy voice once again echoed throughout the girl's mind.
Though perhaps it was merely Bai Lu's imagination, this time the tone of the voice seemed noticeably heavier and more solemn.
[Asura God Third Trial...]
—
End of Chapter