BANG!
With a heavy thud, Tang Chen fell to the ground, splattering thick blood across the stone.
Lin Mu looked down at the scene and shook his head helplessly. The man's body was already on the verge of total collapse, and with his mind now pushed past its breaking point by the recent shock, he was essentially finished.
Even so, Lin Mu reached down and helped Tang Chen back up. The man originally still had half a month left; if he were to suddenly drop dead now, Bo Saixi would likely find a way to lay the blame at Lin Mu's feet.
Speak of the devil.
A crimson figure descended from the sky, it was Bo Saixi. She had just finished escorting Tang San and the others to the Tide Body Refining area and explaining the rules of the trial.
'Lin Mu? What is he doing here?'
Seeing the familiar figure, Bo Saixi's brow furrowed. Before she could process the thought, she noticed the dying state of Tang Chen and panicked. In an instant, she was at his side, glare fixed on Lin Mu.
"What happened? Did you do this to him?"
In the past, Lin Mu had frequently pressured Tang Chen into sparring sessions. While she hadn't stopped them at the time, hoping the activity might help Tang Chen last a bit longer, she still harbored a deep resentment.
In her mind, if it weren't for those duels with Lin Mu, Tang Chen might have lived another year or two. She conveniently ignored the fact that Tang Chen would never have survived even this long without Lin Mu's constant intervention.
"What does this have to do with me? This was his own choice. Don't go trying to pin the blame on others," Lin Mu replied coldly. Even if Bo Saixi was acting out of concern for Tang Chen, her accusations didn't move him.
No one enjoys being treated like a scapegoat. Though Bo Saixi was the High Priestess of Sea God Island, she held no real authority over him.
Bo Saixi's expression darkened. She hadn't expected Lin Mu to be so blunt, showing zero regard for her status as High Priestess.
"He's in your hands now. Whether you keep him or bury him is up to you."
With that, Lin Mu pushed Tang Chen toward her and vanished into thin air. Holding the lifeless Tang Chen, Bo Saixi whispered softly, "Wait for me. Once the Nine Trials of the Sea God are complete, I will come to be with you."
Time flew by, and a year passed in the blink of an eye.
During this year, Lin Mu didn't stay on Sea God Island exclusively. He spent much of his time in the Heaven Dou Empire, making occasional trips back to the island and several journeys to the Sun Moon Continent.
One reason for his travels was to gather soul tool technology from the Sun Moon Continent for the benefit of the Wuji Sect. Another was to prepare for becoming a god through faith, though that had become more of a backup plan.
With his collection of several soul spirit entities, his five elements had all evolved into their ultimate attributes. He believed it was entirely possible to attempt to seize control over the elemental laws directly.
Becoming a god through faith had its limits and couldn't compare to the power of a God King. Lin Mu, possessing five sets of elemental armor, was the perfect candidate to become the master of elements, especially since the Dragon God, who once held those laws, had perished.
The only concern was that this world might contain elements beyond the five cores, so success wasn't guaranteed. He had to prepare for every outcome.
Beyond his own cultivation, Lin Mu assisted Tang San in hunting the Evil Spirit Orca King for a soul rings. Combined with his previous gains, Tang San now possessed four 100,000-year soul rings. This included his fifth soul rings, which came from his Blue Silver Emperor bloodline and evolved as his power grew.
Once Tang San's soul power stabilized, Lin Mu helped him fuse with the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King wife's million-year soul bone.
While slightly inferior to Lin Mu's own torso soul bone, it was still a top-tier piece that would see even more enhancement after Tang San achieved godhood. The fusion was a success, pushing Tang San to Level 90.
Because they had killed the Evil Spirit Orca King early, the requirements for the fourth trial changed, restricting soul rings skills and preventing the Demon Spirit Great White Shark clan from assisting. However, this proved to be little more than a minor hurdle for Tang San and his team.
At the same time, Qian Renxue was facing the fifth trial of the Angel God. Her task was to defeat a worshiper. While it sounded simple, the difficulty far exceeded her previous trials.
Even the weakest of the worshipers, the Seventh Worship, possessed Level 96 soul power and the Coiling Dragon Staff, a top-tier weapon martial soul with attack power on par with much higher-ranked worshipers.
Before starting the trials, Qian Renxue's soul power had already reached Level 83, largely thanks to Lin Mu's pills. Between her intensive training and the rewards from her first four trials, she had surged to Level 93.
"Young Master, are you certain you want to choose me as your opponent?" Thousand Jun Douluo asked once more.
He believed she would have a better chance against his younger brother, the Falling Devil Douluo, who was more prone to making mistakes due to his temper.
But Qian Renxue nodded firmly. Years ago, when Lin Mu was only a Soul Douluo, he had already defeated the Falling Devil Douluo and injured several other Titled Douluos.
If she chose the same opponent, even a victory would feel hollow. To truly catch up with Lin Mu, or at least stay within his shadow, she needed to defeat the more composed Thousand Jun Douluo.
"Young Master, you really should..."
Seeing Thousand Jun Douluo hesitate, Qian Daoliu interrupted him. "Qian Jun, since Xue'er has made her choice, do not hold back."
In his opinion, Thousand Jun Douluo and Fallen Devil Douluo were close in strength, so the choice didn't matter much.
Furthermore, Thousand Jun Douluo was steady and measured; there was no risk of him accidentally hurting her. If she failed now, she could always try again.
"As you wish."
With the Grand Worship's word, Thousand Jun Douluo accepted. Just then, a figure blurred into the room, moving so quickly that even Qian Daoliu couldn't react in time.
By the time they prepared to defend, they realized the intruder was Lin Mu.
"Lin Mu? What are you doing here?"
Qian Renxue rubbed her eyes, barely believing her own sight. For the past two years, despite her focus on the trials, her longing for him hadn't faded.
But Lin Mu was always elusive; he never showed up unless he had a specific reason, let alone traveling this far just to visit.
"I've just returned from the Sea God Island and figured I'd see how your trials were going," Lin Mu said frankly.
Qian Renxue rolled her eyes; the man hadn't changed at all. Then, she noticed a strange mark on his forehead, a complex symbol made of three overlapping patterns. It radiated the distinct fluctuations of three different divine powers.