Seahorse Douluo soared into the sky and landed in front of the Sacred Pillar in an instant. "Land Soul Masters, please cross the Sea in the Sea and come to the Seahorse Sacred Pillar for the test."
With a wave of his sleeve, the already turbulent waves became even more perilous. Ten-meter-high waves continuously crashed against the shore, producing thunderous roars, yet not a single drop of water spilled over.
Li Xun's eyes remained calm as he observed this scene, and even Zhu Zhuqing and the others appeared unfazed.
Seeing the composed demeanor of these four children, the seven Sacred Pillars frowned in unison. Was this expression suggesting that their trial was nothing special?
Li Xun didn't bother to ingratiate himself with the Titled Experts of Seagod Island. "Zhu Zhuqing, you take Sister Yan, and I'll take Rongrong."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded, placing her left hand on Dugu Yan's waist. Two yellow, two purple, and one black Spirit Rings appeared beneath her feet, while a sharp sword materialized in her right hand. Their figures vanished abruptly, breaking through the barrier of the sea in an instant and landing on the triangular platform.
This happened so quickly that even the sea beasts lying in wait in the Sea in the Sea couldn't react in time. They stared at the water's surface, waiting for the challengers.
However, as Titled Experts, those present naturally had their own methods. Although Zhu Zhuqing's skill was peculiar, it was still a short-distance teleportation, and during the pause, her figure inevitably became visible for a moment.
Seahorse Douluo's eyes filled with admiration. "An excellent skill. As your strength increases, this skill of yours will become even more refined, with fewer flaws. What's even more remarkable is that you've already reached the five-ring level at such a young age."
Zhu Zhuqing smiled and nodded but didn't respond, instead turning her gaze to Li Xun.
"Let's go," Li Xun said, pulling Ning Rongrong, who obediently walked over, into his arms. The two of them vanished from their spot and reappeared over a hundred meters away from the shore.
Standing on the surface of the sea, before the underwater sea beasts could attack, their bodies disappeared again. In just a few moves, they arrived at the triangular platform.
The seven Sacred Pillars narrowed their eyes at this sight.
Although Li Xun's movement speed wasn't as fast as the girl who had carried someone earlier, the distance he covered was greater. Moreover, he hadn't used a Soul Skill, which meant this ability wasn't derived from a Spirit Ring. They also didn't detect any fluctuations from a Soul Bone, which made it all the more intriguing. What's more, he could walk on the waves.
A strange light flickered in Seahorse Douluo's eyes, but now wasn't the time to investigate further, as the High Priest was watching from the side. "Since you've passed the Sea in the Sea, you are qualified to undergo the trial of the Sea God. Step forward, one at a time."
Li Xun glanced at the peculiar Sacred Pillar, his eyes flashing. "Sister Yan will go first, followed by Zhu Zhuqing, then Rongrong."
Dugu Yan gracefully stepped forward at his words.
Seahorse Douluo nodded, then assumed a devout posture, slowly raising his hands in a prayer-like gesture, though his palms remained half a foot apart.
A faint blue aura began to emanate from between Seahorse Douluo's hands, growing stronger and stronger, resembling another Vast Sea Cosmos Cover.
When the light had accumulated to a certain level, it suddenly burst forth, illuminating the Sea in the Sea in a brilliant azure. The Seahorse Sacred Pillar began to glow, its blue patterns shimmering brightly, and in the blink of an eye, the light gathered at the top of the pillar.
Seahorse Douluo pointed at Dugu Yan, and a pale blue light pillar descended from the sky, enveloping her completely. However, Dugu Yan, standing in the center of the light pillar, felt no discomfort whatsoever.
As the light pillar locked onto Dugu Yan, the Sacred Pillar began to change. Its original blue color instantly turned white, then quickly shifted to yellow, followed by purple, and finally slowed down when it reached black.
Seahorse Douluo and the other six Sacred Pillars were momentarily stunned, while Poseidon remained unfazed.
The black patterns climbed steadily, stopping only when they reached one-third of the pillar. But it was just a brief pause before they continued to ascend, eventually dyeing the entire Sacred Pillar black.
Six black beams of light shot out from the Sacred Pillar, transforming into six square light screens in front of Dugu Yan. Each screen flickered with golden characters, with the first screen's characters being the most dazzling, while the other five screens' characters remained dim.
The light screens then disappeared, forming a dark hexagram that imprinted itself on Dugu Yan's forehead.
"Black-level Six Trials... I only had four trials back then. Is this girl's talent really that exceptional?" Seahorse Douluo felt a pang of bitterness in his heart.
The other six Sacred Pillars weren't faring much better. Some of them even glanced furtively at Seahorse Douluo, as he was the only one among them who had undergone the Black-level Six Trials.
Seahorse Douluo's mouth twitched slightly.
The Sea God's trials were not only a test of one's talent but also a calculation of the test-taker's potential future limits. White, yellow, purple, black, and red—each trial color signified the level one could potentially reach in the future.
And his Black-level Six Trials, with his current level being a 95th-level Super Douluo, was a talent that hadn't appeared on Seagod Island for many years.
Seahorse Douluo cleared his throat lightly. "Your talent is remarkable, but I must remind you that once you accept the Sea God's trials, you must begin immediately. The time limit for Black-level trials for land Soul Masters is one year."
"Only after completing one trial can you proceed to the next. If you exceed this time limit or try to evade it, the mark on your forehead will explode, erasing the one who failed to complete the trials. This is the harshness of the Sea God's trials. There is only success; failure is not an option."
"Given that you were personally brought here by the High Priest, I can tell you that with your current Soul Power level of over 50, there is almost no possibility of passing the Black-level Six Trials. It can be said to be a certain death."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan's face turned pale. She glanced at Li Xun, and seeing his calm demeanor, her anxious heart immediately settled. "Thank you for the warning, but I believe I'll be fine."
"Isn't it a bit late to say this now? Why didn't you inform us before we came up here? And is it the same for the Soul Masters on your island?" Ning Rongrong's expression also turned unpleasant. She had never heard of such important details being revealed only at the end.
"Ahem, since you were brought here by the High Priest, I didn't think much of it."
Seahorse Douluo awkwardly explained, "It's the same for the Soul Masters on Seagod Island. The risks are no less than those for land Soul Masters. Residents of Seagod Island must undergo trials at the age of eighteen. My Black-level Four Trials were also fraught with danger, and many Soul Masters didn't even pass the Purple-level trials and perished."
Li Xun patted Ning Rongrong's shoulder, signaling that everything was fine, then nodded to Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing immediately understood and stepped forward, standing before Seahorse Douluo.
Li Xun was naturally aware of the Sea God's trials and wasn't worried about whether he could pass them. However, after Seahorse Douluo's explanation, he began to wonder if the Sea God resembled an evil deity.
Seagod Island forbade its residents from leaving the island, demanding unwavering devotion to the Sea God. Every resident, upon turning eighteen, had to undergo a trial—success meant survival, while failure meant death. It sounded like some kind of cult.
Moreover, how strong could an eighteen-year-old possibly be? If someone were to receive the Black Trial without any assistance, wouldn't the mortality rate be terrifyingly high?
Li Xun's eyes flickered with these thoughts.
"Zhu Zhuqing, go ahead."
(End of Chapter)