Chapter 931: Making It One's Own |
...
The facts proved that the Fire God's Divine Trial was even more perverse than anticipated.
It had absolutely nothing to do with the simplicity Hades had imagined.
They not only had to push the massive stone up the mountain but also endure increasingly higher temperatures.
It was fine at the beginning.
By the time they reached the mountainside, even Hades, this God of Death, couldn't stand the heat.
"Aren't you the God of Death? Does the God of Death fear high temperatures?"
Chen Huaian floated above Li Qingran's head, glanced at the panting, sweat-drenched Hades, and his face was full of mockery.
"Do you know why my disguise is seamless?" Hades rolled his eyes, "It's precisely because after disguising myself as him, even my divine power was sealed. The current me is no different from a Peak Battle Master.
But then, my disguise would be completely meaningless."
So that's how it was.
Chen Huaian let out an "Oh."
Wasn't that just the same trick used by the great powers in the Cangyun Realm to lure... ahem, to test juniors, by pretending to be weak and hiding their strength? Why did it sound so sophisticated coming from Hades' mouth?
"Then if no one ever kills you, wouldn't you fall from being a god to just a Battle Master?"
"I can commit suicide!"
"..."
Chen Huaian couldn't help but feel a bit of sympathy for Tang Er.
Dying once wasn't enough; he was destined to die again because of the God of Death in the future.
"Master, how can you two still have the mood to chat? I'm about to die from the heat, wuwuwu..."
Hearing this, Chen Huaian lowered his head, his gaze falling on his little disciple. His deep eyes couldn't help but brighten.
He saw that Li Qingran's originally exquisitely beautiful face was now flushed like a ripe peach from the steaming heat of the volcano crater, a rosy and tempting red.
A few strands of her black hair, completely soaked with sweat, clung to her fair, slender swan-like neck.
As she pushed the stone, beads of sweat slid down her delicate collarbone and disappeared into the depths of her collar.
Her originally ethereal and pristine white robe was now thoroughly soaked with fragrant sweat, damp and clinging tightly to her skin like a second layer, perfectly outlining her slender waist that seemed graspable in one hand, her full, perky curves, and her perfectly rounded, long legs.
The fabric on her arms, soaked with sweat, had become semi-transparent.
Her fair, rosy skin, as delicate and smooth as mutton-fat jade, flickered faintly in the firelight, becoming even more alluring.
Although everyone in this Divine Mountain was busy with their own tasks, separated by at least a hundred meters, and the vision was blurry in the scorching heat.
But such a delectable sight, how could it be allowed to fall into the eyes of others?
"Jiejie~" Chen Huaian chuckled darkly, his fingertips twitching slightly.
Whoosh—!
A Concealment Array instantly descended, tightly shrouding Li Qingran's fiery figure.
Under this array, aside from him, others looking over would only see a blurry, indistinct white shadow.
Hades was utterly dumbfounded, staring at Chen Huaian's hand in shock, "You... how did you do that?
Wasn't your Battle Power sealed? How can you still use power?"
The others participating in the Divine Trial also showed expressions of disbelief.
Just moments ago, the girl still had a blurry human silhouette.
Now her aura was completely shielded; only a white shadow and a rolling giant stone could be seen.
This clearly indicated some method had been used.
And under the protection of that method, wouldn't this girl feel the high temperature?
Or perhaps pushing the ten-thousand-ton boulder was effortless for her?
How come this girl can still command her Battle Soul and use Battle Techniques? Could it be the Fire God gave her a backdoor pass?
Imbalance rose in the eyes of the crowd, and suspicion immediately sprouted in their hearts.
Meanwhile, Li Qingran, who sensed the fluctuation of Spiritual Energy around her, nearly blacked out.
Gritting her silver teeth as she desperately pushed the rolling stone, she raised her large, watery eyes and pouted pitifully, coquettishly addressing Chen Huaian above her head:
"Master~ Since you can secretly set up an array, why not make a cooling one for your disciple?
This damn mountain is really too hot, I feel like I'm about to be roasted...
If that's not possible, you could at least secretly make this stone a little bit lighter..."
Chen Huaian looked down from his high vantage point, admiring the sweat-drenched, seductively alluring curves of his little disciple's body.
Especially her chest, which was heaving slightly from the exertion, its undulating rhythm appearing even more breathtaking under the clinging, damp robe. It actually stirred a faint, restless resonance within the dormant supreme power in his body.
He cleared his throat, forcefully suppressing the improper thoughts in his heart, put on a stern face, and refused with utmost seriousness, "Nonsense. This is a Divine Trial, the necessary path to temper your body and will.
If your Master solves every problem for you, what meaning would this trial have?
One must endure hardship to rise above others. If you can't even bear this bit of heat, how will you prove your path to immortality in the future?
Endure it!"
"Hmph, stinky Master..."
Li Qingran pouted her rosy little lips discontentedly and let out a soft hum, but obediently didn't continue to beg.
She knew her Master was right and understood that this environment pushing her to her limits was indeed full of benefits.
Since she couldn't change the environment, she would change herself.
Li Qingran took a deep breath of the scorching air and silently recited in her heart, "A calm heart brings natural coolness."
She slowly closed her eyes, emptied her mind, no longer using her tense body to rigidly resist the pervasive, searing heat. Instead, she tried to spread her perception, to feel the blazing heat of this Divine Mountain, to touch the violent fire elements in the air.
Chen Huaian watched this scene and nodded silently.
One could only say she truly deserved to be the Cangyun Realm's top-ranked genius.
Li Qingran herself possessed extremely high comprehension, and after his massive investment of resources, her talent had been pushed to the limit.
In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, her sweat-soaked body underwent a profound and mysterious change.
It was as if she had completely merged with this fiery world; her mutton-fat jade-like skin seemed to open countless tiny breathing pores.
She no longer rejected the high temperature; instead, she began, like a sponge absorbing water, to greedily absorb and circulate the scorching aura containing the Fire God's divinity around her.
Soon, a wondrous scene occurred.
The Fire God's divinity, which was originally enough to instantly vaporize mortals, after being filtered and absorbed by Li Qingran's body, transformed into a faint layer of crimson flowing light.
This flowing light slowly spread outward from her as the center, finally forming a circle of what seemed like a solid flame shield.
Under the cover of this divine shield, the lethal high temperature outside could no longer harm her in the slightest.
Instead, it transformed into an endless source of coolness and strength, pushing that enormous rolling stone steadily forward along the steep mountain path.
"Impressive." Hades, sensing the Fire God's divinity converging towards Li Qingran's location, couldn't help but show a look of surprise, "Sir, your wife actually found the trick to the Fire God's first trial so quickly. Even without your help, she should be able to pass the Fire God's first trial."
After speaking, he also began to gather the Fire God's divinity around himself to form a shield.
As a God of Death, he basically understood the patterns of Divine Trials.
He just didn't want to offer unsolicited advice to Li Qingran and Chen Huaian, as passing the Divine Trial only brought benefits, no drawbacks.
If the trick wasn't comprehended by oneself, something would always be missing.
Hades still didn't know that Li Qingran wasn't just utilizing the Fire God's divinity but directly absorbing it.
Otherwise, his face would probably turn pale with fright.
However, soon, he wouldn't be so relaxed.
Because as Li Qingran pushed the rolling stone forward faster and faster, her speed of absorbing the Fire God's divinity also accelerated rapidly.
So rapid that the temperature in this part of the Divine Mountain actually began to drop slightly.
And when he tried to utilize the Fire God's divinity, he found there wasn't quite enough to go around!
...