pertwk Chapter 17 The First Test of the Two Gods: Killing and Saving!
Chapter 17 The First Test of the Two Gods: Killing and Saving!
But as Dai Tu listened, a crack seemed to appear in the frozen corner of his heart.
A touch of warmth seeped in quietly through the crack.
"Senior brother, senior sister..." Dai Tu took a deep breath, raised his head, looked at the two of them, and said earnestly, word by word, "Thank you."
This time, there was finally a hint of warmth in his voice.
Although it was still faint, and fleeting, at least it was no longer that deathly coldness.
Long Aotian laughed heartily and patted Dai Tu's shoulder hard, so hard that Dai Tu almost spilled his tea.
"That's right! We're family, no need for thanks!"
He paused, his smile fading, and said seriously, "Dai Tu, you're level 27 now, right? When you reach the level 30 bottleneck and need to hunt for a spirit ring, remember to call me. I'll go with you and guarantee to find you the most suitable thousand-year spirit ring. If we're lucky, we might even find a ten-thousand-year one."
Dai Tu nodded: "Okay, I'll have to trouble you then, senior brother."
"No trouble at all." Long Aotian waved his hand, then, remembering something, added...
"By the way, feel free to ask me any questions about cultivation. Although our martial souls are different, there are many similarities in the cultivation of our physical martial souls. Especially the improvement of physical fitness, the circulation of soul power, the tempering of mental power... I can give you some advice on these basic things."
Vina spoke up, her voice gentle: "Junior brother, you've just arrived. Is there anything you need? Soul tools, pills, herbs, money... If you need anything, just tell me. I am, after all, a princess, so I have some of these things in reserve."
As Dai Tu looked at the two of them, at the genuine sincerity in their eyes, the warmth in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
He was silent for a few seconds, then called out softly:
"Thanks!"
The sound was soft, but clear.
Long Aotian and Vina both laughed.
It was a smile of "finally being recognized," a smile of "the whole family is finally together."
"Alright, I won't disturb your cultivation any longer." Long Aotian stood up, patted the water stains off his bottom, and said, "Vina and I still need to report our mission to our teacher. You can continue. If you need anything, feel free to contact us."
Vina also stood up and pushed the remaining snacks in front of Dai Tu: "These snacks are for you, eat them slowly. Remember, if you need anything, be sure to tell me."
Dai Tu nodded and watched the two turn and leave.
Long Aotian walked to the edge of the woods, suddenly turned around, and grinned at Dai Tu:
"Junior brother, keep it up. Get stronger sooner so you can take revenge sooner. When the time comes, your senior brother will go with you. Together, we'll tear down the White Tiger Duke's mansion."
After saying that, he turned around and disappeared into the woods with Vina.
Dai Tu stood there, staring in the direction the two had disappeared, without moving for a long time.
Sunlight filtered through the mist, casting dappled shadows on him. The roar of the waterfall echoed in his ears, and the steam lingered around his nose. The pastries in his hands were still warm, and the aroma of tea lingered on his lips.
Everything felt real.
But Dai Tu felt that something was not real.
just perfect.
It was as beautiful as a dream.
He was afraid, afraid that he would wake up and find himself still in the ruins of Konoha Village, with Arlene's cold body beside him and the villagers' unseeing eyes.
"It's not a dream..." Dai Tu muttered to himself, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms, the pain bringing him back to his senses.
He sat down again, cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began his cultivation.
This time, he was not just circulating his soul power.
His consciousness sank into the space between his brows.
沉入
Among those two side-by-side marks.
The imprint of life is like a warm ocean. Emerald green light flows within the imprint, containing a powerful life force, as if it can nurture all things and heal all wounds.
When Dai Tu's consciousness approaches, one can feel a gentle, inclusive power, like a mother's embrace, like the spring sunshine.
The Mark of Destruction was like a cold, deep well. Deep purple light surged within it, containing an extreme will to destroy, as if capable of tearing everything apart and erasing existence. As Dai Tu's consciousness drew near, it could sense a violent, domineering power, like a drawn sword, like a winter's storm.
The two marks were originally distinct, each occupying half of the forehead and not interfering with each other.
But now, Dai Tu "sees" them merging.
It is not a physical fusion, but a deeper, rule-based interweaving.
The emerald green light of life and the deep purple light of destruction interpenetrate and entwine at the edge of the mark, like two vines of different colors twisted together, yet retaining their own characteristics.
At the heart of that interwoven fabric, Dai Tu "saw" two lines of text.
It was written in divine script; he couldn't understand the characters, but he could directly comprehend their meaning.
The First Test of Life - Healing: Heal ten Soul Masters with a Soul Power level of 25 or higher. Time Limit: Six months.
First Trial of Destruction: Slaughter of Sins: Kill ten "Fallen Ones" with a Soul Power level of 25 or higher. Time Limit: Six months.
Dai Tu's consciousness froze at that moment.
Treating ten people?
Ten people were killed?
He both killed and saved lives?
What kind of assessment is this?
Moreover, "the Fallen"... according to the information conveyed to him by the Mark of Destruction, refers to those Soul Masters who have committed unforgivable crimes, such as evil Soul Masters, villains who indiscriminately kill innocent people, and... certain depraved nobles.
Dai Tu remained silent for a long time.
Then, he suddenly understood.
Life and destruction are two sides of the same coin. Healing and killing, creation and destruction are two sides of the same coin.
The fact that the gods asked him to do both things at the same time was perhaps telling him that true balance is not about leaning towards one side, but about finding that delicate boundary between the two.
"Six months..." Dai Tu opened his eyes and looked at the distant sky.
Time wasn't tight, but it wasn't ample either.
Healing ten Soul Masters of level 25 or higher is not difficult. The Tree of Life Martial Soul has a built-in healing effect, and the healing effect is extremely strong. As long as suitable targets are found, it is easy to complete.
The difficulty lies in killing ten "Fallen Ones".
Where is he supposed to find ten heinous soul masters with soul power above level 25? And he has to kill them with his own hands?
Dai Tu frowned and began to think.
Tiandou City is the capital, and its security is relatively good, with few blatant villains. But the underworld... places like the deathmatch arena might hold clues.
There's also the Mercenary Guild, a mixed bag of people, where you might be able to glean some information.
"Let's finish the healing assessment first," Dai Tu decided. "The kill assessment... I need an opportunity."
He stood up, patted the water off his clothes, and turned to walk towards the sect.
Their footsteps were firm and powerful.
At the same time, in the Star Luo Empire, at the White Tiger Duke's Mansion.
Zhu Yue sat in the study, holding a cup of tea in her hands, but the tea had gone cold, and she didn't drink a drop.
She wore a magnificent dark red palace gown, her hair adorned with gold and jade hairpins, and her face was covered in exquisite makeup. Yet, no amount of powder could conceal the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, and no amount of lipstick could hide her pale complexion.