Unlike the icy blue marks of Snow Empress and the others, Su Yu's spear-shaped imprint carried an indescribable sense of nobility.
"Hmph!"
A cold snort echoed in Su Yu's mind, expressing the displeasure of its owner.
Su Yu naturally knew who the voice belonged to, but he didn't take it to heart.
His gaze flickered slightly as he stood up.
"The Nine Trials of the Ice God."
Mu Wu looked at the icy blue imprint on Su Yu's forehead, his eyes filled with deep joy.
Tens of thousands of years, over a hundred generations of guardians had waited, and finally, today, their wait bore fruit.
As long as Su Yu completed the nine trials and ascended to the position of Ice God, their duty as guardians would be fulfilled at last.
By then, they would truly be free of their responsibility.
This was the collective hope of countless generations over tens of thousands of years.
"The Nine Trials of the Ice God... is it truly a divine assessment?"
Snow Empress gazed at Su Yu's unique icy blue and golden imprint and murmured.
Although all trials bestowed by the Ice God could be considered divine assessments, there was no doubt that only Su Yu's trials were the most orthodox divine trials.
That kind of sacred and noble aura was something they could not compare to.
The difference between the Guardian's Eight Trials and the Nine Trials of the Ice God seemed like just one step, but the meaning was entirely different.
"Snow Empress is right. The Nine Trials of the Ice God are the most legitimate divine assessments—the trials we have waited countless years for."
"As long as the Young Master completes the nine trials, he will become the new Ice God."
Mu Wu's eyes burned with excitement, his expression filled with fervor.
Snow Empress looked at Su Yu, her beautiful eyes shimmering.
To become a god…
It felt so close.
The handsome young man before her—his bold words back then—seemed to be coming true.
He had once said he would become a god sooner or later, and now, the Nine Trials of the Ice God had arrived.
There was no doubt that he had not been boasting in the slightest.
Inside the spiritual sea, the Ice Empress and Skydream were already in a frenzy.
They had bet everything on Su Yu, all for the sake of creating a god.
All for the chance to hitch a ride with Su Yu and achieve immortality.
Now, that wish was about to come true.
The emergence of the Nine Trials of the Ice God nearly brought tears to the eyes of the two soul beasts.
Who could understand their feelings?
They had placed their bet and hit the jackpot with an SSR.
It had only been a few years, yet Su Yu had already come this far.
They did not doubt that Su Yu would pass the nine trials and become a god.
And once he ascended, they too would rise to the divine realm and attain immortality.
Excitement, ecstasy—
The two great soul beasts were so overjoyed they nearly jumped up in celebration.
Nearby, the Ice Bear King Xiaobai scratched his head dumbly, his face full of delight.
It felt that Snow Empress had truly not deceived him—this was a huge win.
Following Su Yu meant achieving immortality!
Even Electrolux had a smile on his face. Su Yu had once promised that when he had the power, he would help revive him.
Now, it seemed like that hope was becoming a reality.
—
In the outside world, Su Yu touched the spear-shaped imprint on his forehead and shook his head slightly.
This Ice God… truly had an overbearing personality.
No wonder—she was the master of ice, after all. Cold and extreme, just like ice itself.
"Su Yu, will you be okay after cursing at the Ice God like that earlier?"
Snow Empress suddenly recalled something and whispered.
Su Yu's words earlier had shocked her—he had been way too bold, actually telling the Ice God to get lost.
If she were the Ice God, she would be upset too.
After all, that was a god. To offend her like that… was it going to be fine?
"The Young Master will surely be fine. The real concern is whether the Ice God will hold a grudge."
"After all, no matter what, the Ice God is still a woman."
Mu Wu's expression turned strange.
Boom!
Suddenly, the Ice God's statue lit up, and the long spear within it shot out without warning, striking Mu Wu directly on the head.
Despite Mu Wu's formidable defense, a large bump formed on his forehead instantly.
Mu Wu cried out in pain, quickly covering his head with his hands.
The spear hovered around Mu Wu in a circle, as if issuing a warning.
Only after making its round did it leisurely return to its original position.
Su Yu's expression turned somewhat strange.
How strong did one's sense of vengeance have to be to descend divine power just to smack someone?
The Ice God's dignity was in shambles.
"She's petty, huh…"
Su Yu sighed softly.
—
—
"Still cursing!"
"He's still cursing!"
"He dares to keep cursing!"
In the divine realm, within a grand ice-blue palace, a graceful figure in an ice-blue gown stomped her lotus-like foot in anger.
She was an extremely beautiful woman—youthful yet possessing the mature allure of an older woman.
Her long, snow-white hair cascaded down, and between her brows was an icy blue and golden spear-shaped imprint, radiating divine energy.
She had a tall, slender figure, long and elegant legs, and skin as pure as jade, flawless as if sculpted from snow.
Her beauty was unparalleled, completely natural, and without imperfection.
The only flaw was her expression—it was far too cold, like an eternal glacier, exuding an air of indifference that kept people at a distance.
She was like a winter plum blossom, lofty and proud—like a snow lotus atop an icy peak, pure and elegant, untouched by the mortal world.
Anyone who saw her could not help but exclaim: what a peerless celestial maiden.
But at this moment, this celestial maiden seemed to be losing her composure.
Her silver teeth clenched, and her gaze burned with fury as she stared down at the scene below.
The dignified Ice Goddess was actually… spying on someone.
And then—
She saw that man suddenly said get lost.
She finally lost it.
An immense divine pressure erupted from her body, surging into the sky and drawing the attention of numerous gods.
—
In a towering purple palace filled with an aura of destruction, a tall purple figure opened his eyes.
"What's wrong with the Ice God? Who provoked her?"
"Who has the guts to offend her? Doesn't everyone know she has a notoriously bad temper?"
A strange look flickered across his face as he shook his head lightly.
—
In a towering white palace, a woman in a white dress slowly lifted her head.
Her expression was gentle, her beauty breathtaking, exuding an aura of purity and kindness.
"The Ice God?"
The white-robed woman murmured, her beautiful eyes full of curiosity.
"She has always been aloof and has few friends in the divine realm. She rarely leaves her temple. Who could have upset her?"
Beside her, a black-clothed youth smirked with interest.
His aura was the complete opposite of hers—pure, unadulterated evil, enough to make others shudder.
"I don't know. Should we go take a look, Ji Dong?"
The white-robed woman looked at the black-clothed youth.
"Whatever you say."
He smiled.
She gently took his hand and revealed a dazzling smile.
—
Outside the Sea God's Palace—
The Goddess of Life, who was tending to an injured Tang San, suddenly paused a hint of confusion flashing across her beautiful face.
"Why did the Ice God suddenly burst out with such a powerful aura? What happened?"
The Goddess of Life couldn't help but murmur.
Tang San opened his eyes and righteously said, "The Ice God's aura has fully erupted. Something might be wrong. Goddess, we must go and check it out."
"But Sea God, your injuries haven't fully healed yet," the Goddess of Life hesitated.
"For the safety of the Divine Realm and the well-being of every deity, I have no choice but to take responsibility," Tang San declared righteously, though he had other thoughts in mind.
Currently, the Divine Realm was divided into three main factions: one led by him, the Sea God faction, another led by the God of Destruction, and the last being the neutral camp that remained uninvolved.
Although he controlled the core of the Divine Realm, the God of Destruction still held the dominant position.
The God of Destruction was an old and powerful God King with extensive influence, which put enormous pressure on him at times.
The neutral camp also had many strong individuals, including Ji Dong and Lie Yan, a couple temporarily holding the position of God Kings, as well as the God of Emotions. Each of them possessed extraordinary strength.
The Ice God was also part of the neutral camp and was no weaker than those three.
Though the Ice God was at the level of a Primary God, they were an exceptionally powerful and experienced one.
With an ultra-divine artifact in their possession, their strength was formidable enough to directly challenge a God King.
If such a powerful being could be recruited into his faction, he would be much more confident in dealing with the God of Destruction.
In the past, he had never found an opportunity to build a relationship, as the Ice God was difficult to approach.
But this time, he felt it might be a golden opportunity.
Tang San always believed that only he could properly govern the Divine Realm. The God of Destruction was too dangerous and had to be suppressed.
And the Ice God was undoubtedly a force worth recruiting.
"The Sea God is truly righteous," the Goddess of Life said with admiration as she listened to Tang San's words.
No wonder the two previous God Kings had chosen Tang San—it was indeed a wise decision.
"You overpraise me, Goddess of Life. There is no time to lose; let's hurry over and see," Tang San said.
The Goddess of Life nodded slightly, waved her sleeve, and, taking Ning Rongrong and Xiao Wu with her, sped off.
Tang San also flickered and disappeared from where he stood.
...
Inside the icy-blue divine palace.
The breathtakingly beautiful Ice God gritted her teeth in anger, her delicate brows furrowed.
"That damn bastard! How dare he insult me? How dare he curse me!"
"He even dared to flip me off! What's wrong with me hitting him? Doesn't he deserve it?"
"I am the mighty Ice God! Do I not have my dignity?"
"Saying I'm petty? Well, guess what? Today, I will be petty! What of it?"
"Hmph! If he dares to insult me, he better be ready to pay the price!"
The Ice God's chest heaved violently with rage, creating a rather spectacular sight.
"Offending me and thinking he can get away with it? No way. I'm making his trial even harder!"
With a cold snort, the Ice God increased the difficulty of the Nine Trials by an entire level.
He needed to suffer a bit!
After making her adjustments, the Ice God revealed a satisfied smile and was just about to say something when several powerful auras suddenly appeared outside the palace.
She was startled, and with a wave of her jade-like hand, she quickly dismissed the light screen.
At that moment, several figures appeared inside her divine palace.
Seeing them, the Ice God's expression immediately darkened.
Uninvited and trespassing directly into her palace—how bold of them!
"Goddess of Life, Sea God, what are you here for?"
Her voice was icy, and her gaze was indifferent.
She disliked both the Goddess of Life and the Sea God, Tang San.
The Goddess of Life was too kind—so much so that she was naive.
She was beautiful, yes, but lacked the basic ability to judge character.
The Ice God, being strong-willed, disliked such saintly figures.
As for Sea God, there was even less to say. She despised this guy who looked dignified on the surface but was anything but.
Acting all righteous as if he represented justice—what nonsense.
She had no idea what the previous God Kings were thinking when they chose this guy to manage the core of the Divine Realm. Were they blind?
"Ice God, we sensed your aura leaking out. Did something happen?" the Goddess of Life asked.
The Ice God shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Goddess Life, but I have work to do. Please, both of you, leave."
Tang San took a step forward and solemnly said, "Ice God, we are all colleagues. If you encounter any difficulties, you can tell us. We will help you."
"Even if I must go through fire and water, I will do so without hesitation!"
The Ice God frowned in annoyance. "I don't need you to go through fire and water. Do you have any other business?"
"If not, then get lost. I'm busy."
Tang San's expression stiffened—he hadn't expected the Ice God to be so blunt.
Xiao Wu couldn't stand it anymore and stepped forward. "Hey! How can you talk like that? Third Brother is worried about you! How can you be so ungrateful?"
The Ice God scoffed. "And who do you think you are? Do you have the right to interrupt me?"
"You don't even have a divine position, and yet you dare speak to me?"
"Is this the level of upbringing in the Sea God's household?"
"You!"
Xiao Wu was fuming and almost lunged at the Ice God for a fight.
Tang San stopped her, his expression growing cold.
Insulting my Xiao Wu? The Ice God had just signed her death warrant.
He had originally wanted to recruit her, but at that moment, he gave up entirely.
No one was allowed to insult his Xiao Wu.
His face darkened as he said, "Ice God, since you are so opposed to this, I won't force you."
"But the Divine Realm has its own rules, and I hope you will abide by them and not interfere with the lower realms."
Hearing this, the Ice God's eyes turned cold.
So, this bastard had seen something.
But since she was only ensuring the trial for her successor, she was well within the rules—there was nothing to fear.
She replied with a frosty expression, "Sea God, you should keep that advice for yourself."
"If anyone has interfered with the lower realms, it's you. You even sent your daughter down there. And now, you have the nerve to lecture me?"
"Oh, and one more thing—stay away from my successor. He is not someone you can touch."
"With that unremarkable daughter of yours, you think she's worthy of my successor?"
"Ice God, you are going too far! I have always acted with honor and never crossed the line."
"Since taking charge of the Divine Realm's core, I have worked diligently and responsibly, never daring to slack off!"
"Your words are a baseless accusation against me!"
"As for Wutong and Su Yu, that is their fate. I have never broken any rules."
Tang San spoke righteously and firmly.
His self-righteous attitude made the Ice God even angrier.
She sneered, "Oh, sure, you're the most righteous person ever. Righteous enough to secretly send your daughter down to the lower realms, along with two caretakers, no less."