Chapter 524.
However, Wang Feng didn't respond directly. Instead, he said calmly,
"I'll absorb the soul ring later. Let me finish the remaining part of the first test first."
Bo Saixi didn't object. The god-bestowed soul ring wasn't going anywhere.
"By the way," she said thoughtfully, "since you've already completely tamed these three sea soul beasts, I'll go ahead and release the Sea God's Locks on them. You can then lead them back beneath Sea God Mountain."
After all, releasing such powerful and aggressive beasts into the open sea could bring catastrophe. Even if tamed for now, their nature was wild—without constant control, they would eventually revert.
It takes time and constant presence to truly tame such creatures. And clearly, Wang Feng wouldn't be dragging around three massive beasts that were each over eighty meters long. No spatial tool could hold soul beasts of that size.
So Bo Saixi suggested placing them beneath Sea God Mountain where they could slowly be reconditioned—perhaps even trained to rival the Devil Great White Sharks.
Taming beasts of this caliber could be an incredible asset.
But Wang Feng shook his head.
"No need. I've already severed the Sea God's Locks."
Bo Saixi froze.
"You… severed them off?"
She closed her eyes and focused, trying to sense the aura of the Sea God's Locks on the three beasts—and was stunned.
They were gone.
The Sea God's Locks weren't just any ordinary shackles—they were imbued with a trace of the Sea God's divine power. Cutting them was supposed to be impossible for any mortal.
If it were that easy, these soul beasts would have escaped long ago.
Bo Saixi had assumed that particular objective was an impossible challenge, just an unreachable test set by the Sea God.
But now, she realized, 'If this man could tame these three beasts—maybe nothing was impossible.'
"How did you even manage that…?" she whispered.
Only she had ever been capable of unlocking the Sea God's Locks. But they had truly been severed.
Still, Bo Saixi didn't question further. It was, after all, part of his divine trial.
"Forget it," she said softly. "Go ahead and begin climbing the Sea God's Light. I'll hold onto your god-bestowed soul ring until you need them. Now that the locks are gone—what do you plan to do with the three soul beasts?"
She looked at him inquisitively.–
Just then, the three giant sea beasts roared obediently, responding before Wang Feng could.
"I'm taking them with me," Wang Feng said.
The reason was simple.
He had noticed that the Winged Blizzard crocodile—unexpectedly—was female and of an extremely rare species. It just so happened to be the type certain introverted folks might favor.
He remembered the old bastard Winged Blizzard Crocodile in the extreme north—his first soul beast companion. The tactician and self-declared "love expert" among his subordinates. He'd once asked Wang Feng to find him a mate.
So now—why not fulfill that promise?
As for the massive whale shark—it was a great match in size and strength. A powerful ally for the future.
And the Blood Colored Flood Dragon? That one seemed… a bit too dumb.
Still, for all these reasons, Wang Feng decided to take all three.
If he brought them to the Extreme North, old croco would be happier—there was even a Sea in Extreme Ice region. While not perfect, it would still suit them well. Plus, they could always be summoned to battle if needed.
Especially the Blood Colored Flood Dragon. If it grew to the 100,000-year level, not only would the horns on its head develop fully, but it would also gain the ability to fly—making it a true sea-air hybrid predator, it might even elevate its bloodline to true dragon.
"Alright then," Bo Saixi chuckled. "But it won't be easy to carry three soul beasts of this size with you."
Wang Feng said nothing. With the Cloud World Flag in his possession, and his current level of mental power, not to mention the ability of the Armored Black Flying Sword—he could easily handle three, or even more.
Turning to the beasts, he said simply, "Stay here for now. I'll take you with me soon."
With a thought, the Armored Black Flying Sword appeared beneath his feet. He gave them a few commands.
Thanks to the Cloud World Flag, now bonded with the blood of the three beasts, he could communicate with them over long distances through the misty clouds it summoned.
The beasts roared in response and obediently sank beneath the surface of the sea once more.
Bo Saixi, impressed, led Wang Feng toward the staircase of Sea God's Light.
Not far from them, Tang San and the others watched in stunned silence.
Ma Hongjun's muttered accusations of cheating, and Ning Rongrong's shocked rants—all had long lost their weight.
"He's about to start the remaining part of his first test…" Bai Chenxiang murmured with a frown. "This White Pontiff Wang Wu… he's really something else. Third Brother, hard to believe he used to be your rival?"
Tang San gave a wry smile.
Yes. When he had heard the news of Wang Wu's apparent death, he had felt relieved. Tremendously so.
To face such a person as a rival, the pressure was overwhelming.
There was something strange about Wang Wu—a feeling that anything he set his mind to, he could accomplish. That kind of unstoppable force…
It reminded Tang San of someone else.
Brother Feng.
Yes—if anyone could be considered a worthy rival to Wang Wu, it would only be Feng'ge.
As Bo Saixi brought Wang Feng to the foot of the glowing jade steps, Ning Rongrong sighed like a deflated balloon.
"You think… how many steps can he reach?"
Just then, Oscar spoke up. "Well, with Senior Bo Saixi personally overseeing it, I doubt he'll try to interfere with us. But with his strength, how far can he go up the Sea God's Light? And Senior Bo Saixi gave him a god-bestowed soul ring, right?"
Oscar's eyes narrowed. "That means his soul power level must have risen too… Could it be he had reached level ninety?"
The rest of the group snapped out of their daze at Oscar's words, and immediately began to speculate—trying to understand what they had just witnessed and what was still to come.
Bo Saixi's presence wasn't simply because of the three sea soul beasts.
Everyone stood silently, struggling to piece together the full reason.
"…If I had to guess conservatively," Shen Lingqi said thoughtfully, "he should be able to reach at least the 400th step. He was able to defeat Senior Sword Douluo before. That alone suggests he's at least at the level of a Titled Douluo. Each step of the Sea God's Light doesn't just test soul power level—it measures overall strength."
Her words seemed to open the floodgates.
"I'd say… four hundred and forty-four steps," Ma Hongjun guessed with a grin.
"I think he can go up to four hundred and sixty," Dai Mubai added, glancing up at the towering, mist-shrouded staircase.
"I estimate four hundred and eighty," Bai Chenxiang said after some consideration.
"I'll say four hundred seventy-seven," Oscar chimed in.
"I'll go with five hundred," Ning Rongrong huffed.
Everyone turned to her in surprise.
"Rongrong?" Ma Hongjun blinked. "Weren't you just calling him your enemy and saying that he cheated? Why such a high estimate?"
Ning Rongrong gave a mischievous smile.
"Five hundred and five."
"…?" Everyone.
"I say five hundred and ten," Tang San said calmly.
The group paused again, surprised Tang San would give such a high number. But they also knew he had his reasons.
"…Then I'll say five hundred and twenty," Zhu Zhuqing said quietly after a long pause.
At that moment, everyone's attention shifted to the base of the mountain.
Pope Wang Wu had just stepped onto the first step.
The Sea God's Light spanned 1,001 steps, wrapped in faint golden radiance that obscured their full view. The staircase wound around the mountain, spiraling up. From below, when Wang Feng looked up, he could see Tang San and the others—tiny silhouettes above like distant black dots.
As Wang Feng placed his foot on the first step, he instantly understood the nature of the Sea God's Light.
It was like being submerged in seawater—but the pressure came from all directions. And it was far more intense.
This pressure created resistance against every step, rapidly draining soul power. But even within the first few steps, Wang Feng could tell—the pressure increased by roughly 10% with each new level.
It was a steady climb in difficulty, unlike the deep sea, which posed dangers of its own. The Sea God's Light, though less fatal, was methodically oppressive.
"Let's see where my limit lies first," he murmured.
Wang Feng didn't ascend quickly. His pace was consistent—even slow. In fact, it was slower than when Tang San and his group first began their own trials.
But it was intentional.
He was thinking—calculating.
He needed to determine his own limit first, then absorb the god-bestowed soul ring. From there, he would find a way to help Tang San and the others speed up their own climb—without revealing his identity.
That would be the real challenge.
After observing their progress, he estimated that Tang San's group hadn't even reached halfway through in the past five months.
Even if they could finish in one year, it would take far too long.
His goal was clear—compress that timeline drastically. Help them clear the Sea God's Light within three months. Ideally, two.
With the right approach, it wasn't impossible. He had already cut the time in half for Hu Liena's team.
Tang San and his companions, with their slightly superior potential, should be able to achieve even more.
As he mulled over the details, Wang Feng began to formulate a strategy.
But for now—he needed to measure his upper limit.
Bo Saixi stood silently nearby, watching with keen interest.
She, too, wanted to see how far this Wang Wu could go.
His trial was the strangest she had ever seen. Yet, he had completed the first two parts, proving that his strength was more than enough.
Still, the pressure of the Sea God's Light was unforgiving. Reaching even the 100th floor was a major achievement.
The final steps? Nearly impossible.
Tang San and the others watched in silence.
Wang Wu wasn't moving fast. In fact, he seemed deliberately slow.
"Why is he climbing so slowly?" Bai Chenxiang asked, puzzled. "With his power, shouldn't he already be at our level?"
Normally, anyone as strong as him—if climbing from the first step—would try to reach their limit quickly, conserving soul power for the higher, more demanding levels.
Shen Lingqi guessed. "Maybe he has no soul power left?"
But then she shook his head. "No… his aura is calm and steady. His spiritual energy doesn't feel depleted."
They couldn't explain it—but clearly, White Pontiff Wang Wu was climbing with purpose.
And very soon, they would learn just how high that purpose could carry him.
Everyone looked puzzled.
"I think he's bluffing," Ning Rongrong huffed.
"Could it be that the Sea God's Light applies different levels of pressure based on a person's strength? But if that were true, wouldn't our progress be more consistent?"
At that moment, Tang San's expression shifted. He seemed to realize something and spoke slowly:
"I think he's using this method to train himself. By moving slowly, he can better sense his limit. The slower he goes, the more accurately he can determine it."
The others turned to him in confusion.
Tang San elaborated, "The slower you move, the more you feel the pressure. The faster your soul power drains, and the sooner you reach your physical limit. When we ascend quickly, the pressure doesn't feel as intense—it's almost like passive cultivation in class."
Understanding began to dawn on them.
Dai Mubai immediately tried it. His personal limit was around the 80th floor, but he typically trained on the 50th floor. That was a sustainable spot where the pressure was manageable enough for training. If he tried to cultivate at the 80th floor, the strain would be too great.
Starting from the 50th step, Dai Mubai imitated Wang Wu's slow pace. He stepped onto the 51st floor slowly, almost as if moving in slow motion. It took over thirty seconds to make the step, and by the time he did, sweat poured down his face.
"…This is insane," Dai Mubai muttered in disbelief. "I just used up one-tenth of my soul power in one step. Normally, I'd pass this step in a second and barely use one percent."
Tang San's eyes gleamed with understanding.
It was like doing a push-up, one done quickly was easy—but doing one slowly with controlled movement, stretching it out over a minute, became far more exhausting.
Wang Feng –had applied this principle in the deep sea—moving steadily and deliberately to both adapt and push his limits. If he had rushed to the 4,500-meter mark, his body wouldn't have strengthened the same way.
"We should try this," Tang San suggested. "Let's choose ten levels and slowly ascend them one by one until we hit our limits. This isn't about speed—going slow is actually better."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Wang Wu had reached the 30th step, maintaining his steady, methodical pace.
He continued to feel the intensity of the Sea God's Light, noting how much soul power he consumed at each level.
"Once I pass the 100th step, I bet the changes will be even greater," Wang Feng thought. "If each step increases pressure by 10%, then the difference between the 100th and the 1,000th step must be enormous. I suspect there's a qualitative leap somewhere in there."
Before long, he had ascended to where Tang San and the others were training.
The steps were wide enough to accommodate more than a dozen people, so the group watched as Wang Wu approached, each with different thoughts in their minds.
Of them all, Ning Rongrong was feeling the most emotional.
She glared at Wang Feng as he approached the 50th step and then locked eyes with her.
"What are you looking at?" she snapped. "Climb already!"
Wang Feng gave her a cool look.
"This is your five-month limit?"
He stood tall on the steps, his voice calm. "This pace is far too slow. I doubt any of you will finish the first test. You all are too weak. You may as well retreat—to the base of the mountain."
Ning Rongrong's eyebrows twitched in anger. She opened her mouth to argue but Wang Feng was already moving on, continuing his ascent without looking back.
"That bastard," she growled, her face turning red. "Looking down on us? Just wait!"
"Alright," Wang Feng's voice drifted back, almost lazily, "I'll wait for you—on the one thousand and first step."
Ning Rongrong froze, speechless.
"The name 'White Pontiff' suits him well," Ma Hongjun said with a sly grin. "What an arrogant guy. I guess it's time to unleash the full power of my Evil Fire Phoenix—dammit!"
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