Yang Xiong and his group of eight arrived at Seahorse City to rest, all feeling astonished by the content of their respective trials.
As Yang Xiong had anticipated, all Black-Level Four Trials required ascending 98 steps of the Sea God's Light, while the Black-Level Six Trials required 118 steps. Ning Rongrong and Shui Bing'er, with their Red-Level Seven Trials, were tasked with reaching 136 steps.
The only difference was Yang Xiong himself. Before him now appeared a daunting challenge: traverse double the intensity of the Sea God's Light, climbing an astonishing 666 steps, with the option to withdraw midway within a one-year time limit.
In the original storyline, Tang San's Sea God Nine Trials only required ascending 333 steps. Why was Yang Xiong now tasked with 666 steps? Moreover, as the steps grew higher, the difficulty and pain would increase exponentially.
Ning Rongrong, however, appeared ecstatic: "Little Bear, my trial requires me to ascend 136 steps—more than anyone else. Doesn't this mean my talent surpasses everyone else's?"
The other girls giggled and playfully teased Ning Rongrong upon hearing her boast, seemingly delighted.
On the other hand, the boys felt somewhat resentful. Apart from Yang Xiong, none of the male members had received a Red-Level Trial, leaving them feeling inferior.
Yang Xiong pinched Ning Rongrong's cheek affectionately: "Rongrong, the Sea God Island trials aren't that simple. My own trial is to climb 666 steps, so it seems these trials will be far more difficult than we imagined."
"Don't forget, our trials are ten times harder than those of sea soul masters. Even the Seahorse Douluo took ten years to complete his trials. Ours might be infinitely more challenging and perilous."
Hearing this, everyone fell into deep thought. When the Seahorse Douluo first saw the content of their trials, his expression was filled with pity, as if these weren't trials but punishments handed down by the Sea God.
Even Ning Rongrong fell silent. As an auxiliary-type soul master, her physical condition was weaker than that of battle-type soul masters, making independent participation in the trials even more difficult.
At this moment, Yang Xiong's demeanor turned unusually serious: "I warned you all before we came here—the trials on the Sea God Island are extremely perilous and extraordinarily difficult. From today onward, everyone must give 200% focus and dedicate themselves entirely to cultivation without the slightest bit of slack."
"I brought you all here, and I intend to bring you back safely. I hope that when we return, we'll still be eight people, with no injuries or losses."
Everyone nodded solemnly. From this moment on, the true training—and the real suffering—would begin.
After resting for just one hour, Yang Xiong sought out one of the administrators of the Sea God Island to begin the first trial.
Upon entering Seahorse City, the Seahorse Douluo had specially arranged for a Purple-Robed Administrator to handle all matters related to Yang Xiong's group, including their daily needs and other requirements.
The Purple-Robed Administrator looked puzzled: "You've traveled such a long way. Are you really going to head straight to the forbidden zone already? Won't you rest for a few more days?"
From the administrator's tone, it seemed he felt some pity for them while also showing immense reverence for the forbidden zone.
Yang Xiong replied: "Thank you, but we'd like to see the content of the trial first."
The administrator quickly responded: "Very well, I'll take you there now. However, I advise you not to be too fixated on success. Life and death are fated—sometimes it's better to let go."
Hearing this, everyone exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. The administrator's tone and attitude seemed to treat them like people on the verge of death.
Under the guidance of the Purple-Robed Administrator, Yang Xiong's group traveled rapidly for a full 200 kilometers before arriving at a special location.
When they reached the forbidden zone, they saw a towering island surrounded entirely by seawater. At its peak stood a structure resembling white jade, radiating golden light that sparkled brilliantly, exuding both purity and solemnity.
The only path leading to the island's summit was a staircase that stretched toward the heavens. On the staircase, several people were cultivating—it was Tang San's group.
Ning Rongrong, confused, asked: "Elder, is this the forbidden zone of the Sea God Island?"
The Purple-Robed Administrator nodded: "This is the forbidden zone of the Sea God Island, where the Sea God's Temple is located. It is the true heart of the Sea God Island, also known as the Island Within an Island."
"The staircase leading up the island is your first trial—traversing the Sea God's Light. There are a total of 1,001 steps. Only those undergoing Black-Level or Red-Level trials are qualified to climb them. If anyone attempts to ascend without permission, they will be blocked by the Sea God's Light."
Looking at the staircase, it resembled jade under the glow of strange light, shimmering like a rainbow or a ladder to the heavens.
Yang Xiong stared intently at the highest point of the Sea God Island, where the legendary deity resided—a place representing the pinnacle of soul master cultivation, the ultimate goal he had always pursued.
The administrator continued: "Everyone, don't push yourselves too hard during the trial. If you feel any issues, you can retreat immediately. The Sea God's Light won't harm you. Among all your trials, the Sea God's Light should be relatively safe."
"By the way, there are others on the staircase. They're land-based soul masters who arrived three months ago and are now training with all their might. Their outcomes remain uncertain."
Indeed, there were seven people on the staircase—it was Tang San's group.
Sensing the arrival of Yang Xiong's eight-person group, the six who had been diligently training woke up.
Xiao Wu, in particular, hopped down the stairs excitedly and embraced Ning Rongrong tightly.
"Rongrong, you're finally here! I've missed you so much!"
Ning Rongrong gently stroked Xiao Wu's rabbit ears: "Xiao Wu, it's only been a few months, but why do you look so much thinner?"
Xiao Wu sighed helplessly: "It's all because of the Sea God Island trials. We've been training hard lately, and these trials are incredibly difficult."
"By the way, Rongrong, what's the content of your trial? Mine is the Black-Level Six Trial, the most difficult among us."
Ning Rongrong smiled: "Xiao Wu, mine might be slightly higher than yours—I'm undergoing the Red-Level Seven Trial."
The other girls quickly gathered together, chatting animatedly. Even Huo Wu and Shui Bing'er joined the lively conversation. Even Dugu Yan, who was usually aloof, became part of the group.
Yang Xiong nodded at the boys: "Tang San, Mubai, Tianheng, it's been a long time. It seems the Sea God Island has trained you all well—you look much stronger."
Tang San chuckled: "The trials here are far more difficult than we imagined. Lately, Dai Lao Da and Tianheng have been worried. Thankfully, you've arrived."
Dai Mubai and Yu Tianheng visibly relaxed, their tense expressions easing slightly.
After communicating with everyone, Yang Xiong understood the current situation. Indeed, the trials were quite challenging, especially for Zhu Zhuqing, whose soul power level was the lowest—it seemed unlikely she could pass.
Yu Tianheng looked conflicted as he spoke to Yang Xiong: "Yang Xiong, I heard that the Body Sect you founded is based in the Thunder Valley?"
Yang Xiong nodded: "My apologies, Tianheng. For now, the Thunder Valley is ownerless territory. If your Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan rises in the future, we can discuss ownership of the valley then."
Yu Tianheng replied: "I'm not unreasonable. With my uncle's and my strength, we can't hold the Thunder Valley. But in the future, I will definitely challenge you."
Dai Mubai sighed deeply: "Yang Xiong, thank you for your warning back then. Otherwise, our journey to the Sea God Island would have been far more dangerous."
Following this, Dai Mubai, Tang San, Yang Xiong, Oscar, and others shared their experiences traveling to the Sea God Island. Even Yang Xiong couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
Especially when everyone learned that Yang Xiong's first trial required climbing 666 steps, they all expressed sympathy for him.
After the conversation ended, Tang San's group of six prepared to return to the staircase for further training. Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong and the others' expressions turned serious—they were beginning to grasp the true difficulty of the trials.
Feng Xiaotian, ever eager to prove himself, stepped forward: "Let me go first. I want to see just how difficult this dreaded Sea God's Light truly is."
True to his word, Feng Xiaotian transformed into his massive Stormwind Doubleheaded Wolf and charged toward the staircase of the Sea God's Light.
As soon as he stepped onto the staircase, Feng Xiaotian felt a force resisting his progress. As he climbed higher, the resistance grew stronger.
With a roar, Feng Xiaotian activated his second soul skill: Dual Wolf Possession. A phantom wolf head emerged beside his own, significantly boosting his vitality and attributes.
However, despite exhausting every method, the pressure increased relentlessly as he ascended.
In the end, Feng Xiaotian reached only the 55th step, his soul power completely depleted, and all his enhancement skills used up. Reluctantly, he retreated from the Sea God's Light.
Seeing Feng Xiaotian's condition, everyone finally understood the difficulty of these trials—it was far harder than they had imagined, especially for Ning Rongrong, who was an auxiliary-type soul master.
However, Yang Xiong was unexpectedly impressed by Feng Xiaotian's performance. Not only was his physical prowess formidable, but his combat ability and talent were the strongest among everyone present.
Sure enough, as each person attempted the Sea God's Light staircase, even with their best efforts, no one achieved particularly impressive results.
Qin Shuang performed similarly to Feng Xiaotian, reaching the 55th step.
Qin Shuang possessed the top-tier Strength-Type martial soul, the Power Golden Bear, and had received a powerful torso soul bone from Yang Xiong. In terms of physical strength and power, he was among the strongest Soul Emperors.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu, on the other hand, struggled. Both were top-tier Soul Kings but lacked high-quality soul bones. Shui Bing'er reached the 44th step, while Huo Wu only made it to the 43rd.
Surprisingly, Oscar excelled, reaching the 61st step—a result that left everyone stunned. During the process, Oscar consumed multiple sausages, including Super Recovery Sausage, Limit-Breaking Emerald Green Sausage, and Mirror Sausage, maximizing their effects.
Most importantly, Oscar possessed the most soul bones among the group. He currently had three: the Mirror Demon Beast Head Soul Bone, the 70,000-Year White-Eyed Demon Tiger King Right Arm Soul Bone, and the 100,000-Year Thousand-Pound Ant Emperor Torso Soul Bone. In terms of quantity, he ranked second only to Yang Xiong.
Particularly, the 100,000-Year Thousand-Pound Ant Emperor Torso Soul Bone enhanced physical strength beyond anyone's imagination.
Yang Wei, Yang Xiong's older brother, also reached the 60th step. Though his martial soul was the Iron Sword, his sharp sword qi and robust physique, combined with three soul bones, made him exceptionally strong. He had also taken a few sausages from Oscar beforehand.
Even Ning Rongrong reached the 60th step. She possessed three top-tier soul bones, including Ghost Douluo's right leg soul bone and the 100,000-Year Thousand-Pound Ant Emperor Torso Soul Bone.
Most impressively, when Ning Rongrong first revealed her Eight Spider Lances, it resembled eight enormous spider spears piercing the ground, supporting her body as she climbed upward.
Everyone stared at Ning Rongrong's Eight Spider Lances , their eyes filled with astonishment and envy.
Even Xiao Wu couldn't help but express admiration: "Rongrong, your external soul bone looks incredible. When did you acquire it?"
Ning Rongrong smiled: "I obtained it during my third soul skill. Back then, Little Bear somehow captured a Human-Faced Demon Spider with a cultivation period far exceeding that of my third soul ring. Absorbing it was excruciating."
Hearing this, everyone's expressions shifted unpredictably. They hadn't expected Yang Xiong to find such a thing for his girlfriend. Judging by the cultivation period, it must have been around the time they first joined the Tian Dou Imperial Academy.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)