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Three days passed in a flash, and the group finally returned to Sea God Island without further incident. It seemed Xiao Bai was deeply concerned about another ambush from the Deep Sea Demon Whale King; throughout the return journey, she urged the Great White Spirit Sharks to push themselves to their absolute limit.
After all, while the Deep Sea Demon Whale King might not have been a match for Davis and his companions in a direct confrontation, there was no guaranteeing it wouldn't call upon reinforcements. As the ruler of the Great White Spirit Shark clan, Xiao Bai was acutely aware that numerous 100,000-year soul beasts lurked within these vast, boundless reaches of the ocean—many of whom shared the bloodline of the Deep Sea Demon Whale clan.
Upon their arrival at Sea God Island, Davis and Xiao Bai immediately informed Bo Saixi of their encounter with the Demon Whale King. Hearing the news, Bo Saixi felt a lingering wave of dread wash over her. She looked toward Anna with profound concern; had anything happened to the girl, resulting in the failure of the Sea God's succession, Bo Saixi felt she would have been utterly unworthy of the Great Sea God's trust.
Only after confirming that Anna was truly unharmed did Bo Saixi finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"I never imagined such a thing would occur. It is a pity I cannot leave the island, otherwise..."
Bo Saixi's voice trailed off, her words heavy with unspoken longing. She yearned to leave this isolated sanctuary. Though Sea God Island was vast, to her, it felt more like a gilded cage. She wished to step beyond this lonely isle and see the true world! Had she the freedom to leave, she could have not only protected Anna but perhaps even sought out her long-lost beloved in secret.
While Bo Saixi was lost in these bittersweet fantasies, Davis broke her reverie by detailing the requirements of the fifth trial of the Sea God.
Bo Saixi listened intently but offered little comment. Instead, she summoned the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardian Douluos of Sea God Island. She commanded them to cooperate with Anna for her fifth trial, strictly forbidding them from showing any leniency just because she was the successor to the Sea God. They were to face her with their genuine, undiluted strength.
Faced with the daunting fifth trial, Davis did not rush Anna into the challenge immediately. Instead, he planned a period of focused cultivation. He wanted her to adapt to her new soul rings and soul bone abilities, ensuring she was fully prepared before challenging the Seven Sacred Pillars. His goal was for her to clear the trial in a single, decisive attempt.
Just like that, a year passed by in the blink of an eye. In the second month following their return to Sea God Island, Davis led Anna and the others to challenge the seven Sacred Pillar Douluos. The result was never in doubt; they cleared the trials effortlessly on their first try.
Compared to Davis's own overwhelming power, the strength of the seven Sacred Pillar Douluos was notably insufficient. If it weren't for the need to temper Anna's combat experience, Davis could have swept through all seven guardians single-handedly.
With the fifth trial concluded with ease, the group spent the subsequent ten months systematically completing the sixth and seventh trials of the Sea God.
The sixth trial required them to endure the duration of a single incense stick against Bo Saixi herself. It seemed the Sea God, cognizant of their exceptional prowess, had intentionally ramped up the difficulty. Nevertheless, they managed to pass the ordeal successfully.
The seventh trial was the true test: pulling out the divine tool, the Sea God Trident. This required Anna to possess an arm strength of 108,000 jin—nearly 110,000 jin! Davis had anticipated this requirement the moment she obtained the Spirit Wood Essence Left Arm Bone. Throughout the year, he had Anna absorb vast quantities of plant essences to temper and refine her physical constitution.
By now, Anna's single-arm strength had reached 80,000 jin. With the combined power of both arms, lifting the 108,000-jin Sea God Trident was well within her capabilities. After successfully drawing the weapon, Anna spent additional time comprehending the Sea God's Divine Skill: The Thirteen Golden Halberd Techniques, causing her combat power to skyrocket.
Even though Anna's soul power sat only at Rank 86, the addition of the Sea God Trident allowed her to trade blows with Davis for several rounds. In fact, should she employ the Thirteen Golden Halberd Techniques, she might even force Davis to utilize his Martial Soul Fusion Skill just to hold his ground. Such was the terrifying might of a divine artifact and its accompanying god-level skills.
Though Anna was not yet a Titled Douluo, her actual combat strength had long since surpassed ordinary Titled Douluos, placing her just beneath the level of a Super Douluo.
As for her soul ring configuration, the completion of the seventh trial brought a massive boost to the age of her rings. Her current setup consisted of six black rings and two red ones. Her seventh ring, which had originally been at the 90,000-year level, finally broke through the 100,000-year threshold following the trial's rewards.
It wasn't just Anna who flourished; over the past year, the cultivation of Davis and the rest of the group had also seen significant leaps.
First and foremost, Davis's soul power broke through to the peak of Rank 96, and he was now on the verge of reaching Rank 97. The years on his soul rings had also increased drastically, resulting in a configuration of six black, two red, and one orange-gold ring. His first six rings had all evolved into 10,000-year black rings. There were even faint red ripples appearing on his sixth ring, indicating it was incredibly close to the 100,000-year mark.
Alongside Davis, the sisters Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing made remarkable progress. Zhu Zhuyun's cultivation reached Rank 88, with a soul ring configuration of seven black and one red. She was still under thirty years old. While her talent might not see her become a Titled Douluo before the age of thirty, it was a certainty that she would reach that peak in her lifetime. Davis had absolute confidence in his wife's potential.
As for Zhu Zhuqing, her soul power had long since surpassed Rank 80. Having completed her Black Level Six Trials, she received a God-Bestowed Soul Ring as a reward. This was a 100,000-year soul ring that granted her the soul skill: Netherworld Self-Sacrifice Strike. This skill involved completely abandoning all defense in exchange for a massive surge in attack power and speed.
Although the ring provided only a single skill, the activation of the Netherworld Self-Sacrifice Strike boosted Zhu Zhuqing's speed dozens of times over, reaching a terrifying Mach 10. Moving like a bolt of lightning, she was now so fast that even Davis struggled to track her movements. By Davis's estimation, the power of this eighth soul skill was no less than that of a 150,000-year soul beast's skill. Zhu Zhuqing had no complaints about the ring only having one skill; on the contrary, she was extremely satisfied with its specialized lethality. After absorbing the God-Bestowed ring, her soul power reached the peak of Rank 82.
Finally, there was Tang Yuehua. After completing her Black Level Five Trials and undergoing a year of rigorous cultivation, her soul power had reached Rank 74—a feat she previously wouldn't have dared to dream of. Despite her advanced age for starting cultivation, her current talent gave her a genuine hope of reaching the Spirit Douluo or even Titled Douluo level.
Shortly after Anna completed the seventh trial, she received the details of the eighth trial of the Sea God. It required her to raise her cultivation to Rank 90 within five years, obtain her ninth soul ring, and become a true Titled Douluo. Furthermore, she was tasked with the execution of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
"Becoming a Titled Douluo... while difficult, if I utilize the immortal herbs and the heaven-and-earth essence of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, I am confident I can break through Rank 90 within five years!"
Anna clenched her small fists, feeling the weight of the pressure. Although she was already a Rank 86 Control System Spirit Douluo and had five years to work with, jumping to Rank 90 was still a monumental challenge.
In the Douluo Continent, countless Spirit Douluos spend their entire lives stuck at the peak of their rank, unable to progress even an inch. Many reach the pinnacle of Rank 89, only a hair's breadth away from Rank 90, yet that tiny distance remains as immovable as a mountain. To cross it is to extend one's lifespan to three hundred years; to fail is to eventually return to the earth as dust, regardless of one's status or past glory.
(End of Chapter)