Chapter 201: Golden Awakening
When the six massive pillars of Deep Sea Heavy Silver appeared, Bo Saixi spoke.
"This is where you will undertake your fourth trial. I will remain here to oversee it. If anyone cannot endure, you may call for help. As for you, candidate for the Sea God's Nine Trials, you must withstand twelve hours each day. At the beginning, you may reduce the time, but starting now, you must average twelve hours per day over the next 365 days. Failure to do so will result in a failed trial."
With that, Bo Saixi's body glowed blue, enveloping the six in a soft light before lifting them to the silver pillars. They hadn't even reacted before finding themselves atop the flat surfaces of the pillars. Five rings clasped their limbs and waists, securing them in place.
With a wave of Bo Saixi's hand, massive waves crashed down upon them, each one seeming to hold boundless power. Although the waves only hit their physical bodies, it felt as though the impact reached through to their muscles, bones, and even their souls.
The waves were relentless, coming one after another. Pain spread from their skin to their bones, even into their very spirits. Within hours, all but Yang Potian had depleted their spirit power, their bodies wracked with exhaustion, collapsing into unconsciousness.
In this first session of tidal training, even Yang Potian could only hold out for twelve hours. The longest among the others, Yang Tianyue, managed just five hours. Yang Ping'an, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling barely lasted two hours, while Niu Meng held out a little longer, almost reaching three.
This tidal training proved to be the most grueling trial yet, far more taxing than the previous three trials combined. For the next year, this would be their daily routine, testing their endurance to the limits.
By the second month, each of them had started adapting to the brutal conditions. Yang Tianyue could now withstand the waves for around eight hours, Niu Meng for five, and the others managed about four. Although they still fell short of the required endurance, each saw encouraging progress in their physical strength, giving them hope of ultimately completing the trial.
Yang Potian's progress, however, was startling. By the second month, he was already able to endure tidal training for up to thirteen hours a day, sometimes even a bit more. Bo Saixi herself was amazed at his resilience.
By the fifth month, Yang Tianyue was managing twelve hours, Niu Meng eight, and Yang Ping'an and Ye Lingling seven, with Dugu Yan reaching six hours. Though they met the trial's requirement, they continued training to make up for lost time, aiming to maintain and exceed the average target.
Yang Potian himself had extended his training to sixteen hours per day and continued to push himself further.
When the tenth month arrived, Yang Tianyue was enduring fourteen hours, catching up on time lost in the initial months. Niu Meng, specializing in defense, consistently held out for eight hours, with the others around seven. Ye Lingling had managed to increase her endurance to eight hours, possibly thanks to the dual effects of the Yearning Heartbroken Red and her hundred-thousand-year spirit bone.
For the final two months, Yang Potian initiated his ultimate plan.
From that day, he stopped taking food, instead summoning his Body Spirit, transforming into a silver figure, resisting the waves purely with his physical body. Close inspection would reveal a trace of gold within the silver—a change following his absorption of the eighth spirit ring, indicating a hint of metal affinity within his body.
As the others continued their training, Yang Potian, now transformed into a metallic silver figure, stood unmoved on the silver pillar.
On the first day, he felt only mild fatigue.
By the second day, the exhaustion deepened but remained manageable.
By the tenth day, his spiritual power and spirit power were completely depleted, his body slipping into a trance-like state under the relentless waves.
On the twentieth day, his entire body was on the brink of collapse, barely held together by sheer willpower.
By the thirtieth day, Yang Potian hovered between life and death, his consciousness teetering on the edge. But just at that critical moment, under the anxious gazes of the others, his body underwent a profound transformation. His skin shed its silver hue, turning a radiant gold, while his spiritual power elevated to a new realm, seemingly connecting him to the heavens.
Yang Potian had finally ascended to the rank of Title Douluo, achieving a "Golden Awakening" of his Body Spirit. His spiritual power reached the standard of a Limit Douluo, symbolizing a complete evolution.
As described in the original records, the Body Sect could experience a second awakening after a thousand years by using intense underwater pressure to push their abilities to the limit. However, training within the Abyss of Furious Waves, empowered by divine energy, was infinitely more effective.
When Bo Saixi retrieved Yang Potian from the silver pillar, he was unconscious. Ye Lingling, disregarding her own fatigue, poured her spirit power into healing him, her face streaked with tears.
Bo Saixi observed with admiration. "He has succeeded; he's merely unconscious. Once he awakens, his strength will have increased substantially."
Yang Potian remained unconscious for three days, and upon waking, he felt that he had undergone yet another transformation. The world around him seemed to fall within his grasp.
In the final month, he abstained from tidal training, instead spending his time meditating by the shore of the Abyss of Furious Waves, attuning himself to the rhythm of the sea and the profound changes in his state.
The year of tidal training flew by, and each member completed the trial successfully.
After a year of grueling training, Yang Potian reached rank 90, achieving the Golden Awakening of his Body Spirit, and his spiritual power had advanced to the level of a Limit Douluo—a tremendous leap in power.
Simultaneously, he received his trial reward in his mind: "Red-Level Trial: Fourth Stage. Successfully assisted the Sea God candidate through the fourth trial. Reward: All spirit rings extended by 5,000 years."
Yang Tianyue's spirit power rose to rank 86, advancing three ranks in a single year. She received an additional reward of five percent Sea God affinity, bringing her total to thirty percent.
The others each gained one rank in spirit power as a reward, with Ye Lingling receiving an additional 500 years for her spirit rings. Niu Meng, whose training time had far exceeded the requirement, gained an extra 1,000 years for each of his spirit rings.
Yang Ping'an and Ye Lingling reached rank 80, while Niu Meng and Dugu Yan achieved rank 79. With suitable spirit rings, Yang Ping'an and Ye Lingling were expected to gain several additional levels.
With all his trials complete, Niu Meng received an additional rank in spirit power and, to everyone's surprise, a bestowed spirit ring—an unexpected reward that elevated his power to rank 80, making him ready to absorb the bestowed spirit ring at any time.
After enduring a full year of grueling training, the group planned to take a break before facing the Fifth Trial. This rest period would also give Yang Potian time to prepare for the absorption of his final bestowed spirit ring, an important step, as this ring would determine the ultimate power level of his Soul-Breaking Spear. Yang Potian intended to rest for a month before proceeding with the absorption, treating it as a crucial step toward maximizing his weapon's future potential.
During this break, the team returned to Sea Horse City, enjoying a rare period of relaxation that starkly contrasted with their intense trials. They dressed casually, transformed into avid shoppers, and strolled through the city's bustling markets. The three girls, dressed to the nines, indulged in a "see-it, buy-it" spree, with Yang Potian paying for everything, much to his amusement and mild frustration.
Surprisingly, despite the relaxed atmosphere, their spirit power continued to grow, seemingly even faster than before. This sudden increase was likely due to the beneficial effects of alternating between high-intensity training and periods of rest.
Yang Potian used this time to reconnect with Ye Lingling, rekindling their bond. It was one of the rare moments of warmth and peace they had experienced in the three years since coming to Sea God Island.
Following the tidal body refinement trial, the group learned the details of the next phase of their training. Yang Tianyue's fifth trial was particularly challenging: "Sea God's Nine Trials, Fifth Trial: Challenge the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians. From the moment you begin the first challenge, you must defeat all seven Sacred Pillar Guardians within 36 hours to pass."
Yang Potian's fifth trial was surprisingly simple: "Red-Level Trial, Fifth Phase: Assist the Sea God Candidate in Completing Her Trial." Confused, Yang Potian realized that, in this case, his role was little more than that of a spectator.
For Yang Ping'an and Dugu Yan, their trial involved each of them challenging and defeating a single Title Douluo. Meanwhile, Ye Lingling's trial was to support the others; her trial would only be complete once both Yang Ping'an and Dugu Yan passed their trials.
It seemed that, at least for Yang Tianyue's fifth, sixth, and perhaps seventh trials, Yang Potian would have little to do, as his participation would have made those challenges much easier. The realization left him feeling like he was simply riding along on their trials.
After a month of rest, they returned to training mode. Yang Potian and Niu Meng optimized their physical conditions in preparation to absorb their bestowed spirit rings.
Bo Saixi personally delivered the rings, and Yang Potian felt a surge of determination as the bestowed spirit ring's energy enveloped him, signaling the beginning of his final test.
Under the powerful energy of the ring, his spirit rings underwent a rapid transformation, from white to black in the blink of an eye, then quickly to red. Yet Yang Potian knew that only upon reaching the ten-thousand-year mark would the true test of the bestowed spirit ring absorption begin.
As the pressure around him increased, Yang Potian remained steadfast, his body taking on a golden hue as he continued to absorb the ring. Over the course of an entire month, Yang Potian focused on drawing in the bestowed energy. When he finally emerged from his absorption, a fifth red spirit ring, bearing five golden patterns, circled him—indicating a fifty-thousand-year ring and marking the pinnacle of spirit ring power.
The moment Yang Potian rose, the surrounding ground began to fracture as though cut into countless pieces, collapsing all around him, leaving only a pillar under his feet. This newfound power brought him near laughter as he realized he had not only obtained the spirit ring but had simultaneously awakened two new domains: the Soul-Breaking Domain and the Gravity Domain.
The Soul-Breaking Domain, infused with his metallic qi, carried an intense tearing effect. Anyone within its reach would feel their spirit power ripped apart. The Gravity Domain, formed from his many years of absorbing power-type spirit rings, exerted a suppressive weight on enemies, slowing their movement and reducing the circulation of their spirit power.
Yang Potian's spirit power level had risen to an astonishing rank 93. More importantly, his Soul-Breaking Spear had reached the Extreme Gold state. Now weighing an incredible 32,000 pounds, the spear exemplified a perfect blend of power and metal affinity, transforming it into a weapon worthy of divine status.
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