Author's Note:
Apologies for the delay! I've been busy with exams and fixing errors in previous chapters. Thanks for your patience and support!
Two days had passed since exploring the coastal city. As the sun set on the horizon, Enlil and Qian Renxue returned to their hotel. A refreshing, gentle breeze carried the sound of ocean waves, calming their nerves. They sat together on the room's balcony, where the sky met the sea in a distant horizon, resembling a masterpiece painted with the colors of the sunset.
"That was an amazing experience. I can't remember the last time I felt so free, wandering like that," Renxue said with a gentle smile as she sipped her hot tea. "I didn't expect to enjoy my time with you this much, Enlil."
"I'm glad you did. I noticed you had been pushing yourself," Enlil replied, his gaze fixed on the shimmering sea under the fading sunlight.
"But you still haven't answered my question," Renxue asked curiously. "What's this place you mentioned earlier?"
"It's a hidden location known only to a few Spirit Masters. I think it's time you knew about it. It's Poseidon Island, where we'll face the Sea God's test. The island offers an ideal environment for training, especially during the test. It's a rare opportunity, even for someone like you."
Renxue raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "It sounds interesting, but you might not know that the Spirit Hall and Poseidon Island are in constant conflict. We attempted to occupy the island a few years ago and suffered significant losses. Even if we ignore that, I'm currently in the Angelic Inheritance Trial. How can I take the Sea God's test as well?"
"Enlil recalled the conflict between the Spirit Hall and Poseidon Island, but he chose to ignore it, considering it wouldn't be a major issue at the moment.
Renxue smiled confidently. "Alright, if you're sure, I won't let you down. Let's prepare to leave tomorrow."
The next morning, they left the hotel together and headed to the port, where a small private ship awaited them. Enlil steered the ship toward the mysterious island, and the journey was peaceful, interrupted only by the occasional sound of waves crashing against the boat.
After about two weeks, they finally arrived at the island. Renxue stepped off the boat, observing the surroundings. "I feel a familiar spiritual power here, similar to the one in the Angel Hall."
"That's the Sea God's power," Enlil explained.
"Well then, let's not waste time. Let's start right away!" Renxue said excitedly, feeling the divine energy.
"Follow me," Enlil replied, secretly astonished by how quickly she changed her mind.
They walked toward Bo Saixi's residence, encountering a few guards along the way. The guards attempted to stop them, but upon recognizing Enlil, they allowed them to pass.
"Be cautious. The person we're meeting here is as powerful as your grandfather and is considered one of his friends," Enlil warned Renxue.
Renxue was shocked to hear this, unaware that someone as powerful as her grandfather resided here. But Enlil, ignoring her surprise, urged her to keep moving.
When they finally arrived, a voice echoed from ahead.
"You've finally returned? Do you know you've wasted two months?"
Hearing the voice, Enlil recognized it as Bo Saixi's. He replied calmly, "No problem. I'm confident I'll succeed."
Renxue, ignoring Enlil's words, asked aloud with concern, "What do you mean by saying he wasted two months?"
Bo Saixi changed the subject after noticing the resemblance between them. "You're Qian Daoliu's granddaughter, aren't you?"
"Yes, my name is Qian Renxue. How did you know I'm his granddaughter?" she asked, puzzled, before glancing at Enlil, who was turning his head away, feigning ignorance.
"Don't blame him. He didn't tell me directly. I deduced it from your resemblance to your grandfather. I was born in the Spirit Hall, and your grandfather is an acquaintance of mine. He also mentioned that his granddaughter's friend would be visiting, using his name as protection," Bo Saixi said with a smile.
Renxue felt a bit irritated but decided to hold back so she wouldn't give the woman before her the satisfaction of seeing her annoyed.
"Alright, enough with the side conversations, High Priestess. I'm here to test Qian Renxue, to see if she's eligible for the Sea God's trial."
"Oh, this is exciting! The Angelic Successor taking the Sea God's test. But I'll consider it normal after what happened with you," Bo Saixi said, sensing the divine energy around Renxue. She was surprised that there was no energy around Enlil, and without divine perception, she would have thought he wasn't a god's inheritor.
As everyone watched, a white light appeared on Renxue's forehead, shifting from white and purple to black. The divine energy seemed to reject Renxue as a successor, similar to what had happened to Tang San.
Bo Saixi noticed there was no clash of divine powers and commented, "Interesting. It seems there was no divine power conflict." She looked at Enlil with great interest.
Enlil felt a chill from her gaze and hoped Renxue would finish her trial quickly so they could leave."
After a few minutes, Renxue finally woke up. Enlil quickly pulled her away, bidding farewell to Bo Saixi, and they left the place hurriedly, leaving Renxue confused.
"Enlil, my first trial is to climb steps under the Sea God's light. What about you?" she asked as they reached a resting spot.
"Same as yours. We got the same trial level, so all the trials should be similar. But be mindful, you have one year for each trial, and you must complete the test within that time," Enlil said, relieved that she forgot he had used her grandfather's name.
"Hmm, wait. Didn't you say you started the trial already?" she asked suddenly.
"Yes, what's wrong?" Enlil asked nervously.
"You idiot! What do you mean, what's wrong? You only have one year, and you've already wasted over two months! You only have ten months left!" she said worriedly, concerned about the difficulty of divine tests.
"Don't worry, I'm confident I'll succeed," Enlil replied confidently.
"Damn your confidence! It's a divine test! Do you think your talent will save you from this? Come on, let's head straight to the trial," Renxue urged, knowing how hard divine trials were.
"Fine, I was going anyway," Enlil said as they began walking.
On the way, Enlil asked, "What do you think about taking a tour of the city? It's your first time in such a city, and this is a rare opportunity."
"Did you forget we just toured the coastal city recently? I'm not doing anything else until you finish your first trial at least," Renxue replied.
"If I finish my first trial, will you grant me a request?" Enlil asked suddenly.
"Hmm, what do you want?" Renxue asked curiously.
"It's a secret," Enlil said.
She replied, "Alright, but you have to succeed at least three months before the trial deadline. If you fail, you'll owe me a request instead."
"An eye for an eye. No problem," Enlil thought that seven months would be challenging, but if he trained every day, he might be able to succeed.
"Deal. No backing out," Renxue said with a smile, hoping this challenge would help Enlil succeed without any issues. She knew how hard the divine trial would be for someone with his talent or even hers. Even if he succeeded, she didn't expect him to pass the challenge in just seven months.
"What do you think I am? A proud Uchiha would never lie," Enlil said proudly.
"Can you tell me who these Uchiha are that you keep talking about? I've never heard of them, and there are no records of them in the Spirit Hall. Yet you speak as if they're famous and well-known," Renxue said, a bit annoyed as she recalled how he often boasted about his eyes, saying they were Uchiha's and superior to her Angelic Spirit.
Suddenly, Renxue noticed that Enlil had stopped walking, his gaze cast downward.
She realized what she had said and guessed that she might have touched a sensitive subject, perhaps about his clan being destroyed. When she turned back to console him, she saw him lift his head with an inexplicable look in his eyes as he walked toward her.
"What's wrong? If what I said upset you, I'm sorry," Renxue said apologetically.
"I'm not upset, but there's something I'll tell you after the bet is over, whether I win or lose," Enlil said seriously.
Renxue didn't know what to say, so she stayed silent and continued walking beside him toward the place where they would take the Sea God's trial.