"Farewell, Deep Sea Demon Whale King," Mu Chen said solemnly, bowing slightly toward the massive corpse.
Behind him, Xiao Wu, Yu Si Nuo, Hu Liena, and Zi Zhenzhu also bowed in respect, mirroring his actions.
"Xiao Wu, Liena, Pearl, what levels has your soul power reached now?" Mu Chen asked as he turned to his companions.
"I'm at Level 89 now!" Xiao Wu exclaimed with excitement. Just one more breakthrough, and she would become a titled Douluo.
"I'm at Level 72," Hu Liena said, her tone tinged with pride and joy.
"And I'm at Level 75," Zi Zhenzhu chimed in, excitement written all over her face. "I only need one more soul ring to become a Soul Sage!"
Mu Chen smiled as he observed their progress. The absorption of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's soul power had significantly boosted everyone's cultivation.
"And you, Brother?" Xiao Wu asked, curious.
"I'm at Level 99," Mu Chen replied calmly.
"Level 99? An Ultimate Douluo?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened momentarily before her expression relaxed into one of understanding. Mu Chen had already been at Level 98 before this. With the massive amount of energy they had absorbed, it made perfect sense for him to reach the peak of mortal cultivation.
"Alright," Mu Chen said, turning toward the enormous corpse. "Let's distribute the remains of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King."
Yu Si Nuo and Xiao Bai perked up, their expressions tensing slightly.
"Si Nuo, you are my mount. Xiao Bai, you are the guardian beast of Sea God Island. You two will divide the body equally. Any objections?" Mu Chen asked, his tone firm but fair.
"You are my master. Whatever you say, I will obey," Yu Si Nuo said immediately.
"Anything?" Mu Chen asked, raising a brow with a mischievous smile.
Yu Si Nuo hesitated, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes as she realized the double meaning behind his words.
"I—I mean in terms of responsibilities!" she stammered.
"Relax, Si Nuo. I won't force you," Mu Chen said, chuckling before shifting his gaze to Xiao Bai. "And you, Xiao Bai?"
"I… I'm not just any random sea soul beast!" Xiao Bai said defensively, flustered by the suggestion.
Mu Chen laughed. "I wasn't implying that! I was simply asking if you're alright with splitting the body with Si Nuo."
Realizing her misunderstanding, Xiao Bai relaxed and nodded. "If you're offering me a share, I won't refuse!"
Mu Chen grinned. "Good. Then let's get started."
He summoned the Chaos Sword and, with a burst of energy, began dissecting the massive corpse of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. The sound of the sword slicing through the flesh reverberated across the sea.
Inside the skull, Mu Chen unearthed a brilliant, purple-golden orb the size of a melon. The energy emanating from it was so dense that even non-soul beasts could feel its incredible power.
"What is that?" Xiao Wu asked, wide-eyed.
"It's called a Golden Core," Xiao Bai explained. "Any sea soul beast that surpasses 100,000 years will form one in their brain."
"That's not entirely accurate," Mu Chen interjected. "Its proper name is a God Core."
"A God Core?" Xiao Bai asked, her eyes lighting up with curiosity. "Does that mean it's related to becoming a god?"
"Exactly," Mu Chen said. "For a soul beast to ascend to godhood, it must possess a God Core. With this core, a beast could once freely ascend to the Divine Realm. However, since the path has been blocked, even those with God Cores remain trapped in this world."
"Those despicable human gods!" Xiao Bai hissed, her anger flaring.
Mu Chen carefully stowed the God Core away in his spatial ring. Then, after taking the scales and skeleton for his own use, he stepped back.
"The rest is yours," he said, waving his hand toward Xiao Bai and Yu Si Nuo.
"Thank you!" Xiao Bai said gratefully.
"Thank you, Master," Yu Si Nuo echoed, her voice filled with emotion.
Without wasting time, the two soul beasts began devouring the remains of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. Xiao Bai's teeth tore through flesh and bone with savage efficiency, while Yu Si Nuo used her claws to strip chunks of meat away.
Watching the two feast, Mu Chen couldn't help but ask, "Xiao Bai, you were just mourning the Demon Whale King earlier. How can you eat him so easily now?"
Xiao Bai paused for a moment, then answered with a faint smile, "In the ocean, we sea soul beasts are united against the humans, but amongst ourselves, it's survival of the fittest. We respect each other, but we also constantly seek to devour one another. You could say… we live by the law of love and war."
Mu Chen nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose that's not too different from humans. We band together against external threats but fight amongst ourselves over resources and power."
As Xiao Bai and Yu Si Nuo continued their feast, Mu Chen's mind wandered to the ninth trial.
The system had already informed him of the details.
Chaos God's Ninth Trial:
Resurrect Xiao Wu's mother.
Resolve the enmity between Xiao Wu and Spirit Hall.
Mu Chen clenched his fists, his gaze turning toward the horizon.
The ninth trial wasn't just a test of strength—it was a challenge of will, intelligence, and diplomacy. Resurrecting Xiao Wu's mother would involve delving into forbidden techniques, while resolving her enmity with Spirit Hall would require navigating the complex web of politics and vendettas that had defined their world for decades.
"This will be the hardest trial yet," Mu Chen thought, his heart heavy.
But he had no intention of backing down.
Xiao Wu, Spirit Hall, and the future of the soul beast race—all of it depended on his success.
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