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Given his innate talent and foundation, let alone inheriting the position of the Sea God—a Tier 1 deity—he would have more than enough potential to inherit the position of a God King!
But the Sea God, Poseidon, didn't dare!
This human was simply a walking embodiment of forbidden anomalies!
Poseidon had no doubt that if he were to actually bestow the Nine Trials of the Sea God upon this monster...
...the moment he ascended to godhood, the entire Sea God's Temple would likely face disaster!
"Too much trouble to mess with. I'll leave the headache of dealing with a monster like this to the likes of the Asura God or the God of Destruction—those lunatics."
"I'll just give him the Top-Tier Seven Trials to build some goodwill and send him on his way."
Poseidon wiped away a cold sweat, quickly severed the connection to the mortal realm, and pretended nothing had happened.
......
The atmosphere beneath the Sacred Seahorse Pillar gradually calmed down after the initial shock and subsequent bewilderment.
Bo Saixi cast a deep, searching look at the unfathomable young man before her; a hint of curiosity flickered in eyes that seemed to have witnessed the vicissitudes of the ages.
She took a slight step forward and asked:
"Young man, since Lord Sea God has issued his decree, what is the content of your first trial?"
Luo Nan touched the warm seven-pointed star mark on his forehead, and a message naturally surfaced in his mind.
With a calm expression, he answered nonchalantly:
"Traversing... the Sea God's Light."
"The prompt says I need to go to the forbidden zone of Sea God Island and climb up one hundred and thirty-six steps."
Upon hearing the number "one hundred and thirty-six steps," a look of momentary abstraction flashed in Bo Saixi's eyes. She nodded slightly:
"One hundred and thirty-six steps... indeed the standard for the top-tier 'Seven Trials'."
"Back when I underwent the trials set by Lord Sea God, the first trial also required traversing these one hundred and thirty-six steps."
At this, Bo Saixi turned around and lightly tapped the golden scepter in her hand against the air:
"Follow me; I will take you to the forbidden grounds."
"The 'Light of the Sea God' is the most sacred power bestowed upon this island by Lord Sea God, and it serves as the most direct baptism for those of you undergoing the trials."
Guided by Bo Saixi, Luo Nan followed her through the dense, ring-shaped forest at the heart of Sea God Island.
Before long, a towering peak came into Luo Nan's view.
The mountain was not exceptionally high, yet it radiated a sacred aura that compelled one to bow in reverence.
The peak was entirely enveloped in a faint golden barrier, and directly before it...
A broad staircase of white jade wound its way upward like a giant dragon, leading straight to the magnificent Sea God Temple at the summit.
"This is the forbidden ground of Sea God Island: Sea God Mountain."
Bo Saixi stopped and pointed out the staircase ahead—which shimmered with a golden halo—to Luo Nan.
"You need only ascend from here. That golden radiance is the Light of the Sea God."
"As you climb higher, the resistance it exerts will grow increasingly immense."
"This is not merely a test of your spirit power; it is a trial that pushes your physical body and willpower to their absolute limits."
"Go on, then. Let me see how long it takes you to complete this first trial."
In Bo Saixi's view, ascending those one hundred and thirty-six steps was by no means an easy feat.
Back in her day, she had expended tremendous effort—enduring countless attempts and agonizing struggles—before finally managing to cross that threshold at the last possible moment.
Luo Nan looked up at the staircase leading to the summit, sensing the sacred and heavy pressure permeating the air, and gave a slight nod.
"One hundred and thirty-six steps, is it..."
Luo Nan muttered to himself. Then, without any warm-up, without releasing his Martial Soul, and without even deliberately channeling his spirit power, he simply clasped his hands behind his back. With a calm expression, he lifted his foot and stepped onto the first step.
*Hum—*
The moment Luo Nan's foot landed on the white jade step, the surrounding golden light seemed to be stimulated, instantly rippling outward in concentric circles.
An immense, invisible pressure—tangible and heavy—bore down on Luo Nan from all directions.
It felt as though he had suddenly plunged into the deep ocean, enduring terrifying water pressure.
Yet, in the face of pressure strong enough to instantly shatter the bones and snap the tendons of an ordinary Spirit Master, Luo Nan's body did not sway in the slightest.
He gauged the resistance, a look of mild disdain curling the corners of his mouth.
"Is that it?"
To Luo Nan, this resistance was practically non-existent.
After all, his true cultivation level was that of a peak Super Douluo at rank ninety-seven!
His physical constitution had long since surpassed the limits of humanity, proving far more formidable than even the most powerful hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beasts.
The pressure from the initial stages of the Sea God's Light didn't even amount to a tickle for him.
Under the slightly surprised gaze of Bo Saixi, Luo Nan began to move.
Unlike other candidates, who had to pause after every step to gasp for breath and channel their spirit power to resist the pressure, he moved effortlessly.
He walked as if he were strolling through his own back garden—his pace light, steady, and composed. The 1st step, the 5th step, the 10th step...
Luo Nan climbed at an incredibly fast pace; eventually, he felt that taking it step-by-step was simply too slow.
He decided to simply take three steps at a time, breaking into a run up the Sea God's Light staircase!
*Thud, thud, thud...*
The crisp sound of his footsteps echoed across the silent Sea God Mountain.
Watching Luo Nan's retreating figure—moving as casually as if strolling through a garden, and even accelerating as he sprinted upward—Poseidon's lips twitched involuntarily.
She shook her head helplessly, her eyes filled with a mix of wry amusement and astonishment.
"This little monster..." Bo Saixi sighed inwardly.
Although Luo Nan had not yet released his Martial Soul, how could Bo Saixi's keen eyes fail to see the truth?
As a Peerless Douluo at Rank 99, she could already gauge his strength from his effortless, relaxed demeanor.
"Such terrifying physical strength, such a vast yet restrained aura... This young man's power is, at the very least, on the level of a Super Douluo!"
"He might even be far more formidable than an ordinary Super Douluo!"
Bo Saixi was secretly astounded. This first trial set by Lord Sea God might serve as a rigorous test for even the most gifted young Spirit Masters.
But for the monster before her—whose strength had already reached the pinnacle of the continent—it posed absolutely no difficulty; it was merely a formality.
Sure enough, in the brief moment Bo Saixi's thoughts were racing, Luo Nan had already smashed through the milestone of the 100th step with unstoppable momentum.
The 110th step, the 120th step, the 130th step...
The higher he climbed, the more intense the golden radiance of the Sea God's Light became, and the repulsive resistance surged exponentially.
Yet, Luo Nan's pace never faltered in the slightest.
He didn't break a single drop of sweat, and his breathing remained as steady as ever.
......