Chapter 153: The Trial of the God of Emotions

"But… is the Divine Realm really that bad?" Huo Yuqing hesitated before asking.

"Hmm…" Rong Nianbing let out a bitter smile. "How should I put this? The Divine Realm is actually great, really great. After all, it is the Divine Realm—the ultimate destination for those who have cultivated to the peak across all one hundred and eight worlds, having comprehended the grand laws of the universe. No matter what, it's not a terrible place. The scenery is beautiful, resources are abundant, and the heavenly energy is incredibly dense…"

"But?"

"It's boring. The Divine Realm… is practically stagnant and unchanging. The realm itself is vast, but the lifespans of deities are nearly infinite. Over time, there are fewer and fewer new things to experience. Even the succession and rotation of divine positions have slowed down significantly, making it difficult to meet new friends." Rong Nianbing sighed. "Years ago, I was happy to have a stable place to spend my eternity with my loved ones. But now that my children have grown up… I have to admit, I find the Divine Realm suffocatingly dull."

He spread his hands. "Before I became a god, I was never the type to stay still. This kind of stagnation is unbearable for me—I crave adventure."

"Then why don't you leave?" Huo Yuqing asked in confusion. Surely the Divine Realm wasn't a one-way street?

"Because the position of the God of Emotions is quite important, and I need to find a successor before I can leave. The divine positions are part of the structure of the Divine Realm. If a primary god were to simply abandon their position, leaving it vacant, it could have unpredictable consequences for the Divine Realm itself."

"So you need someone to inherit your position and stay behind in the Divine Realm?"

"Exactly." Rong Nianbing nodded solemnly. "That's precisely why I came to you. Are you willing to inherit the position of the God of Emotions?"

So this was the opportunity the Auspicious Beast had mentioned—her path to godhood.

But Huo Yuqing couldn't understand why this opportunity had come… so early.

Or had the Auspicious Beast known all along…?

"I am willing," Huo Yuqing stated firmly.

Even though she felt like achieving godhood at her current level of cultivation seemed far-fetched, she had already made a promise, hadn't she? And once she made a promise, she had to fulfill it. She wouldn't allow herself to hesitate or waver—no matter what, she would see it through.

"But… what do I have to do?"

"The inheritance of a divine position requires trials," Rong Nianbing explained. "You possess extraordinary talent. As long as you continue to grow and pass the trials, you will be able to inherit the position. Since the standard divine inheritance consists of nine trials, I'll set the first seven as mastering the seven fundamental emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, fear, love, hatred, and desire. It won't be too difficult. You've already begun to grasp anger, haven't you? And sorrow…"

He sighed, reaching out to touch the dark blue sphere of light, but the moment he did, his expression twisted in pain.

"What's wrong?" Huo Yuqing asked, puzzled.

"It's nothing…" Rong Nianbing forced out a few words through gritted teeth, but internally, he was cursing up a storm.

Who the hell was trying to steal his disciple?! That sorrowful emotion clearly wasn't something Huo Yuqing had generated on her own—it had been left behind by someone else, someone who had achieved an incredibly profound understanding of emotional power.

As much as Rong Nianbing didn't want to admit it, whoever had left behind this sorrow likely had an even greater mastery of emotional power than he did.

Had another deity who wielded emotional power already discovered this hidden gem of a disciple before he had?

That was stepping on his turf!

He could more or less guess why that person had left behind this sorrowful emotion. When Huo Yuqing needed to comprehend sorrow in the future, she could directly use this energy to gain understanding, rather than having to personally experience extreme grief.

The one who had left this emotion behind—whether god or mortal—must have wielded unfathomable control over emotional power. Even if Huo Yuqing absorbed the sorrow directly, it wouldn't negatively affect her in any way.

In other words, this mysterious benefactor wanted to ensure that she could grow strong while still living a happy life, free from suffering.

It was an act of kindness—but that didn't stop Rong Nianbing from feeling incredibly wary of whoever had tried to snatch away his disciple.

And from the sheer depth of this sorrow… just how many times had this person lost their loved ones?!

"Uh… let's leave sorrow for last," Rong Nianbing muttered vaguely.

"According to the rules of the Divine Realm, inheriting a divine position requires passing nine trials. I can't think of what the last two should be just yet, so we'll decide when the time comes."

"Will I still be able to contact you in the future?" Huo Yuqing asked.

"Deities cannot directly interfere with the mortal world. What you're seeing right now isn't my true body—it's just a sliver of my divine consciousness," Rong Nianbing explained. "I don't actually have an inheritance site in the Douluo Continent, so I had to borrow someone else's domain. That means directly contacting me won't be as easy as it is for those gods who have inheritance sites and priests."

"I will leave this sliver of my divine consciousness within your sea of consciousness. It will transform into a seed of divinity, recording your progress in the trials. Once you complete the first seven trials, I will be able to sense it. As your cultivation reaches certain thresholds, it will gradually influence your spirit, bestowing you with divine essence. It will also aid you in comprehending emotional power."

Huo Yuqing nodded.

"Additionally, this divine consciousness acts as a mark. Ordinary people won't sense it, but other deities will recognize you as my successor. If anyone wants to make trouble for you—or worse, try to steal my disciple—they'll have to think twice about making an enemy out of me," Rong Nianbing growled through clenched teeth.

Then, as if trying to sound less possessive, he quickly added, "I know that Douluo Continent once had someone with dual divine positions—Tang San. But possessing two divine positions isn't necessarily a good thing. Even though you have twin martial souls, the position of the God of Emotions is the one that suits you best."

He coughed lightly before flashing a grin. "Anyway, the flow of time is different between realms. One day in the Divine Realm equals one year in the mortal world. So, I really hope you can complete the trials within two months and come rescue me from my miserable fate."

"Uh… I'll do my best."

"Good." He nodded in satisfaction. Then, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, he added, "By the way, did you know? Ice and fire actually complement each other really well. Good luck."

With that, he transformed into golden light and vanished—leaving behind…

A cookbook?

"Wow, I have to say, this guy is really persistent," Tianmeng Ice Silkworm muttered as he peeked out again. "But still… I can't believe a divine inheritance has already appeared. It's honestly unimaginable. I mean, I've said it before, but let me say it again—Auspicious Beast is freaking amazing."

"Yeah…" Huo Yuqing murmured, stretching out her hand and gently pressing it against the blue sphere that represented sorrow.

The soft blue light gently repelled her fingertips.

She thought of her mother's pale face. Her mother's final words. The powerless feeling of being unable to do anything… and maybe even something more.

In that moment, tears silently streamed down the young girl's face.

Yes, now was not yet the time.

(End of Chapter)