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Early the next morning, after bidding farewell to Tang Yuehua, Chu Chengzhou delivered the battle armor and Holy Sword to Qian Renxue.
He'd originally planned to depart for the Sea God Island that very day—after all, he hadn't seen his other four "sisters" in half a year, and he missed them dearly.
Unfortunately, plans never survive contact with reality.
When Qian Renxue learned he was leaving on a journey with no fixed return date, she was furious.
At dawn, the shameless Qian Renxue dragged Chu Chengzhou straight into the imperial bedchamber.
By the time Chu Chengzhou—pale-faced and trembling—staggered out of the palace, it was already the following day.
"FMD… I should've never gone soft back then!"
Rubbing his aching lower back, Chu Chengzhou silently cursed.
Three months ago, after Qian Renxue—utterly defeated and tearfully pleading—begged him again and again, he'd finally relented and taught her the three ultimate techniques tied to Essence, Soul Power, and Spirit: Indestructible Golden Body, Nine Breaths Qi Absorption, and Eternal Moment.
As a Level 99 Limit Douluo, Chu Chengzhou had originally dominated her in every aspect.
But once Qian Renxue began mastering Indestructible Golden Body—even just partially—their physical gap narrowed significantly.
Add to that the natural advantage women possess in certain matters… plus the fact that Chu Chengzhou had just spent an entire night locked in passionate combat with Yuehua and was already drained…
And so, after a full day and night of relentless "battle," the two once again reached mutual annihilation.
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By evening, his complexion fully restored to healthy vitality, Chu Chengzhou arrived at the Sea God Island.
At the foot of Sea God Mountain, he dismissed his Light Holy Dragon spirit, Xiao Guang, and gazed up the sacred staircase. There, bathed in the radiant pressure of the Sea God's Light, his four girls trained in silent focus. He couldn't help but nod in deep satisfaction.
He saw clearly: Xiao Wu stood highest—on the 364th step. Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Hu Liena were all at the 149th step, training side by side.
Honestly, the one-year time limit for the "Traverse the Sea God's Light" trial had only passed seven months—and they'd all long since surpassed its requirements.
They simply hadn't completed it yet because the cultivation environment here was too perfect. Their soul power surged like rockets—how could they bear to leave?
When he'd last departed the island, Xiao Wu had been Level 77 Soul Saint; Zhu Zhuqing followed at Level 73; Ning Rongrong and Hu Liena were both six-ring Soul Emperors—Levels 67 and 69, respectively.
Now, after half a year of training, their auras revealed:
Xiao Wu had soared to Level 86 Soul Douluo, while Zhu Zhuqing, Hu Liena, and Ning Rongrong had all broken through to Level 80—quasi-Soul Douluos.
Of course, such explosive growth wasn't just thanks to the Sea God's Light. Their innate talent was already exceptional, and paired with Nine Breaths Qi Absorption—a meditation method far superior to conventional techniques—their progress was inevitable.
"Hmm… seems I might not even need to forge Soul-Refined Battle Armor after all?"
Chu Chengzhou mused inwardly.
The "Traverse the Sea God's Light" trial required no combat—armor wouldn't help. And with Xiao Wu already at Level 86, by the time she completed the first divine trial in five months, she'd undoubtedly have surpassed Level 90.
As for the other three: though currently at Level 80, Zhu Zhuqing and Hu Liena almost certainly had more accumulated soul power than their level suggested—they simply lacked their eighth soul ring to manifest it.
After all, when he'd left, Ning Rongrong trailed Hu Liena by two levels and Zhu Zhuqing by six. Even accounting for Zhu Zhuqing's hundred-thousand-year seventh soul ring, a three-level gap remained.
If Ning Rongrong was now Level 80, the other two had to be even higher.
And even starting from Level 80, five more months under the Sea God's Light—plus the soul power boost from replacing and refining a full set of six hundred-thousand-year soul bones, and the surge from acquiring their eighth soul rings—would easily push them past Level 90: quasi-Title Douluos.
By the time they actually needed battle armor for combat, they'd all surely be nine-ring Title Douluos.
And for Title Douluos, Soul-Refined armor was obsolete—you needed Heaven-Refined.
"Speaking of which… Xiao Wu still needs a ninth soul ring, and Rongrong, Zhuqing, and Liena each need two more. Poseidon's a godly tycoon—if they perform well, he'll surely grant them Divine Bestowed Soul Rings, right?"
Chu Chengzhou glanced up at the Sea God Temple atop the mountain, silently grumbling.
On this island, any candidate with Black-level trial status or higher received a Divine Bestowed Soul Ring unconditionally whenever their soul power first crossed a full-decade threshold (e.g., Level 70, 80, etc.) and required a new ring to advance.
If every Black-level candidate got one freely, then to Bo Saidong (Poseidon), these rings were clearly trivial.
And since the trials' ultimate purpose was to cultivate talent and groom a Sea God successor, a man as fabulously wealthy as Poseidon wouldn't be stingy—especially with outstanding performers.
Seeing his girls deeply immersed in training, Chu Chengzhou didn't disturb them. He simply waited quietly at the mountain's base.
As if by coincidence, half an hour later, a surge of soul power erupted from Xiao Wu on the 364th step—her aura instantly spiked.
Level 87 Soul Douluo.
"Hehe~ Leveled up again!"
Feeling her power swell, Xiao Wu grinned inwardly, then opened her eyes and glanced at the sky.
"Hmm… still early—wait—?? Chu! You're here!"
Spotting the familiar figure at the mountain's foot, her face lit up with joy. She immediately relaxed her resistance against the Sea God's Light pressure.
WHOOSH!
In an instant, she was violently flung off the stairs like a cannonball, propelled by the released pressure.
Chu Chengzhou blurred through the air and caught her mid-flight.
"Xiao Wu, you shouldn't—mmph?!"
Before he could scold her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fiercely—no words, just passion.
A few minutes later, while they were still locked in the kiss, Chu Chengzhou suddenly felt a sharp pain on his lip. The next moment, Xiao Wu shoved him away.
"Admit it!" she glared, pointing an accusing finger. "You've been away so long—you've been flirting with other girls again, haven't you?!"
Chu Chengzhou: "…."
…You actually figured that out?
"No, no! Xiao Wu, don't accuse me falsely! I haven't been flirting with anyone else!"
He waved his hands frantically in denial.
…Well, it was true—he hadn't recently picked up new girls.
But he'd already been "involved" with Angel Sister and Yuehua Elder Sister long ago.
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