"So this is it?" Qing Tan was visibly taken aback by Elder Tianling's explanation. From her perspective, the environment, while harsh, didn't seem insurmountable. With their Sovereign-level strength, surviving in this place for a whole year wouldn't be a problem—let alone fifteen days. And yet, this was supposedly a hundred times harder than the first trial?
"You probably won't think that way in a little while," Tianling said with a cold snort.
The moment her words fell, the previously calm sea below suddenly surged violently. Then, with a deafening roar, a colossal wave—towering tens of thousands of feet—exploded from the ocean and slammed heavily against Xiao Yan and Qing Tan.
The crashing waves carried not only overwhelming force but also a bone-chilling cold toxin that even Xiao Yan found hard to resist. The first wave nearly sent both of them tumbling from their stone pillars. Before they could fully stabilize themselves, another, even fiercer wave came barreling toward them.
Under the pressure of ten thousandfold gravity, the sea's impact was truly terrifying. The cold toxin carried by the water seeped into their bodies with frightening speed, causing numbness in their limbs. Xiao Yan instinctively wanted to summon his Emperor Flame to dispel the cold, but Tianling's voice drifted into his ears.
"I know you possess exceptionally pure fire-type spiritual energy. However, believe me—this cold will be beneficial to your bodies."
She hadn't explicitly banned him from using fire to resist, but she understood that Xiao Yan sought ultimate strength. All she needed to do was lay out the benefit, and he would choose the harder path on his own. As expected, after hearing her, Xiao Yan didn't use his flame. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the stone pillar, focusing fully on the searing chill lashing his body with each wave.
As the two gritted their teeth and endured the relentless bombardment, Xiao Yan's soul force suddenly picked up on something strange deep beneath the ocean. His eyes opened, and he immediately looked downward.
The next moment, the sea split apart with a thunderous crash as a monstrous water serpent—at least a thousand feet long—shot out of the waves and let out a silent roar toward Xiao Yan.
The serpent, condensed entirely from seawater, was grotesque in appearance and radiated an aura that wasn't the least bit inferior to a sixth-grade Sovereign. Its gaping maw opened wide, spewing countless ice spikes like a torrential storm.
"Fivefold Firewheel Seal!"
Seeing the barrage coming, Xiao Yan swiftly summoned a five-colored flame disk to shield himself. However, the firewheel shattered on contact with the ice spikes. Helpless, he unleashed a few more Heaven-rank battle techniques to deflect the remaining attack.
Qing Tan faced a serpent as well, though hers was notably weaker—around the level of a second-grade Sovereign. Still, even that put her in a chaotic struggle. Tianling had clearly taken their respective strengths into account when distributing the challenges.
"These are strange creatures born from the fusion of the sea's waters and spiritual energy," Tianling explained gently as she watched the two repel the serpents. "They're called Icebone Serpents. While not truly living beings, their intelligence is quite developed. Over the next fifteen days, they'll attack you frequently."
Only then did Qing Tan begin to understand why this second trial was deemed a hundred times more difficult than the first. Even maintaining their balance on the stone pillars amidst the ocean's wrath was already a struggle. Now, they also had to fend off beasts of equal strength? If they slipped up even slightly, forget lasting fifteen days—they might not last one.
To make things worse, the spiritual energy in this place was tainted and unusable. That meant they couldn't replenish their strength mid-battle, turning every encounter into a war of attrition. The longer they remained, the worse things would get—and unlike others, they had to stay five extra days.
"Oh, one more thing I forgot to mention." Tianling's casual tone made Xiao Yan and Qing Tan feel a bit uneasy. "These Icebone Serpents grow stronger with each passing day. What might be a first-grade Sovereign today will become peak first-grade tomorrow, and second-grade the day after. If you don't deal with them quickly, they'll become far more dangerous."
Just as their expressions turned grave, Tianling continued, "Also, if you choose to kill them, their numbers will double every two days."
At that, even Xiao Yan's expression darkened. And it wasn't over.
"By the fifteenth day," Tianling said calmly, "you must ensure that you don't fall into the ocean—and that every last Icebone Serpent around you is destroyed."
Xiao Yan and Qing Tan both gave bitter smiles. They'd thought the earlier tests were already brutal. Who would've guessed this was only the beginning? The serpents' escalating strength was problem enough. But doubling their numbers every two days? That bordered on catastrophic.
By their final day, they could be facing over a hundred serpents attacking simultaneously. And Tianling's condition wasn't just survival—it was complete extermination. Even Xiao Yan felt a chill down his spine at that prospect. With his current abilities, he'd likely have to reveal his hidden twin clones just to make it through. As for Qing Tan… things would be even worse.
Compared to the other members of the Nine Nether Enforcement Team, they were at a major disadvantage—neither of them possessed any high-level divine arts. If these serpents could use divine techniques or beast forms, Qing Tan might not be able to defeat even one, let alone hundreds.
"That said," Tianling continued with a smirk, "these serpents also hold benefits. If you kill them, their core energies will flow into your body. That energy is extremely pure—comparable to thousands of drops of Sovereign Spirit Liquid—and even has the power to temper bones and purify meridians."
She then turned to Qing Tan. "Since you cultivate ice-type spiritual energy, absorbing their essence will give you even greater benefits. As for you, Xiao Yan… your fire element clashes with theirs, so the results may be weaker. To compensate, I'll reward you with additional Sovereign Spirit Liquid once the trial ends—assuming you survive."
"I will," Xiao Yan replied with a calm smile.
He wasn't discouraged in the slightest. In fact, thanks to the Ice Spirit Ancestral Symbol within him, his spiritual energy already contained ice attributes. Not only would absorbing this serpent energy not conflict with his cultivation—it might actually amplify it, just as it would for Qing Tan.
(End of Chapter)
---
This Fanfiction Has Been Completed on Patreon, There is 2 Chapters Ahead of Release for Free Members on my Patreon.
Support me if you like this Fanfiction.
Patreon,com/Fallen_Archangel_
(Remove comma for dot.)
Leave a 5 star Review and a Power Stone.