After passing through several streets in Sea Horse City, the Shrek Five Monsters were led by the Sea Horse Douluo to the Sea Horse Holy Pillar.
However, as land-based soul masters, before undergoing their trials, they needed to cross the Circular Sea and reach the square in front of the Holy Pillar to qualify for the trial.
"I'll go first," Dai Mubai stepped forward.
The Circular Sea only contained century-level soul beasts, but he was a Soul Emperor—his strength far surpassed that of century-level beasts.
Crossing the Circular Sea posed its greatest challenge in the water itself. For those who weren't good swimmers, they could only hold their breath and push through.
With Dai Mubai's abilities, though there were some difficulties along the way, the outcome was ultimately without major incident.
Next were Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin, brothers who were lightning-attribute soul masters.
By releasing weak electrical currents through their martial souls, they paralyzed all the soul beasts in the Circular Sea and crossed with ease.
The hardest part was for Tai Long. As a power-type soul master, his dense muscles caused him to sink immediately upon entering the water.
After choking on seawater multiple times, Tai Long relied on his Soul King-level strength to persevere through sheer willpower.
In the process, he swallowed quite a bit of seawater and vomited repeatedly before reaching the square in front of the Holy Pillar.
As for Tang San, possessing a flight soul bone skill, he effortlessly reached the Holy Pillar without breaking a sweat.
The Sea Horse Douluo was quite satisfied with their abilities. "To possess the strength of a Soul King to Soul Sage at your age means you must be geniuses from various powerful factions."
Shifting his tone, he added, "However, your talents still need to be acknowledged by the Sea God."
"I recall you mentioning that the Spirit Hall once persecuted your families. Your purpose in coming to Sea God Island is to grow stronger so you can one day seek revenge against the Spirit Hall."
Tang San clasped his hands together and said earnestly, "The Spirit Hall killed my mother and destroyed my home. If I don't avenge this, I would be unworthy of being called a son!"
The Sea Horse Douluo didn't care about their feud with the Spirit Hall. Walking up to the Holy Pillar, he asked, "Obtaining a higher-level trial will bring you immense opportunities in the future, but remember, the higher the trial, the greater the risk. Some of you may very well die during the trial."
"Having said that, if you're determined, step forward to the Sea Horse Holy Pillar and accept the trial of the Sea God."
The Shrek Five Monsters exchanged glances.
Danger was never something they cared about—they only wanted to grow stronger and return to exact their revenge.
"Young Master San, I'll go first. If anything happens, you can prepare accordingly."
With that, Tai Long stepped forward.
Tang San reminded him, "Tai Long, maintain reverence for the Sea God!"
Tai Long nodded, stepped forward, and placed his hand on the Holy Pillar under the Sea Horse Douluo's instruction.
Immediately, the Holy Pillar emitted a white light, which quickly turned yellow and finally settled on purple.
The purple energy passed through the Holy Pillar and left a trial mark on Tai Long's forehead.
"Purple-level three trials. You're quite lucky—purple-level trials carry no danger and are relatively easy. Upon completion, you will officially become a member of Sea God Island," the Sea Horse Douluo announced.
A honest and simple smile appeared on Tai Long's face as he returned to the group.
"Congratulations," Tang San and the others laughed.
The lack of life-threatening danger in the purple-level trial meant the rewards wouldn't be particularly great.
Tang San clenched his fists. He had to obtain a higher-level trial—even if it meant risking his life, he would give it his all to complete it.
"My turn," Dai Mubai stepped forward.
Placing his hand on the Holy Pillar, the trial content followed shortly after.
The Sea Horse Douluo shook his head helplessly. "You've received the Black-level five-trial. Trials above the Black-level carry the risk of death. Moreover, since you're land-based soul masters, your trial period is extremely short."
The Sea Horse Douluo himself had undergone the Black-level four-trial, but as a sea-based soul master, his first trial lasted ten years.
Even then, he barely passed the first trial in the eighth year.
Dai Mubai receiving the Black-level five-trial proved that his talent surpassed the Sea Horse Douluo's, but the time limit for the first trial was too short. It was likely that Dai Mubai wouldn't be able to complete it.
"Regardless, at least my talent has been acknowledged by the Sea God. No matter how difficult the trial content is, I'll do my best to complete it," Dai Mubai said solemnly.
The Sea Horse Douluo shrugged and wished him luck. "I hope your trial content is a little simpler."
Next, Yu Tianheng and Yu Tianxin successively underwent their trials.
Their trials were the same as Dai Mubai's—Black-level five-trials.
This caused the Sea Horse Douluo some mental strain.
Every year, countless residents of Sea Horse City came to undergo trials. In previous decades, Black-level trials were rare, yet today they were appearing in clusters.
Could it be that the Sea God favored land-based soul masters?
"It's my turn," Tang San took a deep breath and stepped forward.
The moment his hand touched the Holy Pillar, the skies above Sea Horse City suddenly shifted. A golden pillar of light shot into the sky.
However, this phenomenon didn't last long. The golden pillar quickly faded and transformed into a red glow, settling into Tang San's brow.
"Red-level nine trials... this..."
The Sea Horse Douluo furrowed his brows.
The Red-level trial had a maximum of eight trials—why did nine appear? And what exactly was the earlier phenomenon?
Before he could think further, a voice rang out across the square. "Ouya, attend to your duties. The Sea God has conveyed a message to me."
"Yes, Grand Elder," the Sea Horse Douluo replied and departed.
Tang San looked up at the figure in the air, thinking, "Is this the Sea God Douluo, Bo Saixi?"
Bo Saixi slowly descended to the ground and approached Tang San, saying, "Your trial should have been the Sea God's Nine Trials, but due to the absence of a crucial artifact, your trial has degraded to the Red-level nine trials."
Tang San was confused and bowed to ask, "Senior, what's the difference between the two?"
The Sea God's Nine Trials were essentially the inheritance of the Sea God. Completing the nine trials would allow one to inherit the position of the Sea God.
As for the Red-level nine trials, even after completion, one couldn't inherit the position of the Sea God or become the high priest of Sea God Island.
The Red-level nine trials were like being a crown prince—whether one could inherit the position of the Sea God depended on external factors.
Upon hearing this, Tang San felt a pang of regret. But what exactly was the artifact Bo Saixi mentioned?
Bo Saixi didn't elaborate but instead said, "The subsequent trial content will explain it. You'll understand when the time comes. For now, focus on completing the first trial."
After finishing the official matters, Bo Saixi asked about personal affairs.
She hadn't planned to meet Tang San just yet, but since she was here, it was convenient to inquire.
In response to her questions, Tang San explained earnestly, "My great-grandfather disappeared from the continent many years ago. My uncle sent people to search for him multiple times but found no trace."
"When the Hao Tian Sect was destroyed, my great-grandfather didn't appear either. Perhaps..."
There were only two possibilities: either Tang Chen had already perished, or he was trapped in an isolated place, unable to access outside information or leave.
Bo Saixi felt slightly disappointed, gave a few instructions, and then vanished on the spot.
"From the looks of it, Senior Tang Chen's relationship with Senior Bo Saixi runs deep. But where exactly did Tang Chen go?" Dai Mubai couldn't help but blurt out.
Tang San shook his head. "I don't know either. However, the Sea God's trials must be completed through our own strength—we can't rely on external forces."
"Let's go. Everyone head to the trial location and assess the difficulty of the trials first."
---
Douluo Continent, Spirit Hall City
Bibi Dong had repeatedly wanted to rename the Spirit Hall as the Spirit Empire and invade the entire continent.
But her plans were repeatedly rejected by Qian Daoliu.
At this point, the situation on the continent was vastly different from the original timeline.
The success of the coup in Tian Dou Palace allowed the Spirit Hall to completely control the imperial family of the Tian Dou Empire.
Bibi Dong's plans simply wouldn't work. The Spirit Hall couldn't make a move against the Tian Dou Empire without causing severe internal conflict.
Moreover, the war between the Tian Dou and Star Luo Empires on the border was intensifying. The Soul Douluo-level experts from both sides had already clashed head-on.
If the Spirit Hall intervened now, it would be tantamount to igniting a full-scale war.
In Qian Daoliu's view, the Tian Dou Empire was already under the Spirit Hall's control, letting them continue to restrain the Star Luo Empire.
By the time Qian Renxue ascended to godhood, the main forces of the Star Luo Empire would have been significantly weakened. At that point, cooperating with the Tian Dou Empire to counterattack the Star Luo Empire and unify the continent would be effortless.
If they could reap the benefits without lifting a finger, why bother stepping in personally?
Bibi Dong was unwilling to accept this, but she was in the critical phase of fusing divine power and couldn't confront Qian Daoliu directly.
Thus, although the continent's situation appeared to be rife with conflict on the surface, the risk of a full-scale war was effectively nipped in the bud in the short term.
---
On the Sea
After more than half a year of navigation, the Manta Ray had been traveling in the same direction, crossing vast stretches of ocean without sighting any land.
Onboard, dissatisfaction among the crew gradually spread.
Some even believed that the sea was endless, with no opposite shore, and that the idea of land was merely a fabrication by Ning Tianchen and his group.
Thanks to Chen Haobai's efforts in addressing their concerns, these sailors didn't incite a mutiny.
"These people boarded the ship for money, so they're not afraid of death. But the process of waiting for death is what drives people to despair," Chen Haobai explained to Ning Tianchen with a bitter smile.
Ning Tianchen naturally understood this principle.
To alleviate the crew's boredom, he had introduced poker cards and mahjong from his previous life to provide entertainment during the voyage.
"The sea will soon enter storm season. If we can't find a port within two months, we'll be in serious trouble."
Ning Tianchen thought for a moment and said, "Let's speed up. If there's no land, we'll find a large island. In the days before the storm arrives, we'll work hard to build a port for the Manta Ray to dock."
Chen Haobai nodded and returned to the bridge.
As the captain, charting nautical maps was an essential task.
He had meticulously recorded all the unknown seas they had traversed on the map. This would help them avoid getting lost on the return journey.
That night, as Ning Tianchen and the others were cultivating their soul power in the cabin, a burnt smell wafted through the air.
Although the bottom of the Manta Ray was reinforced with steel plates, most of the ship's structure was made of wood. If it caught fire, the ship would soon sink.
Ning Tianchen didn't dare to take any chances. He and Feng Xiaotian rushed out of the cabin, while Chen Huayu and the others, upon smelling the burnt odor, quickly followed.
"Where's the fire?" Oscar asked anxiously.
Meanwhile, the crew, under Chen Haobai's instructions, began thoroughly inspecting every corner of the ship.
The second mate approached Ning Tianchen and the others. "Honored guests, please move to the deck. If there really is a fire, thick smoke will soon spread to every part of the cabin, and at that point, we'll have no choice but to abandon the ship."
Abandoning the ship in unknown waters was akin to stepping halfway into the gates of hell.
The lifeboats on the Manta Ray could accommodate everyone, but where would they go afterward?
If they had a choice, they wouldn't abandon the ship easily.
On the deck, Ning Tianchen frowned. "How could the ship catch fire for no reason?"
The wooden materials on the Manta Ray had all undergone fireproof treatment. Ordinary flames couldn't possibly ignite the planks.
Unless someone poured oil on the wood and continuously added flammable materials.
But that wasn't realistic either—everyone on the ship kept an eye on each other, so anyone attempting arson would be quickly discovered.
Feng Xiaotian analyzed, "Could someone have boarded the Manta Ray under the cover of darkness and set the ship on fire?"
If someone truly had, it would mean they weren't far from land—or there was a large island nearby with many inhabitants.
Ning Tianchen didn't rush to draw conclusions.
His spiritual power quickly spread out, carefully searching the ship for the source of the fire and any suspicious individuals.
After a thorough search, he said tensely, "No, there's no fire on the ship, and no suspicious person has boarded. But..."
In his perception, the sailors who had gone to investigate the source of the fire in the lower cabins now looked fierce, pushing and shoving each other, which quickly escalated into a brawl.
On the Manta Ray, all the crew members were part of a shared fate. Fighting among themselves would only lead to mutual destruction.
Such behavior was highly abnormal.
Ning Tianchen didn't dare to let his guard down. His gaze quickly shifted to the waters beneath the Manta Ray.
"What strong spiritual fluctuations!"
Previously, his spiritual power had only covered the ship and hadn't detected the situation outside.
But as his spiritual power probed deeper into the sea, a powerful mental attack suddenly struck him.
Fortunately, Ning Tianchen's strength was sufficient to withstand and neutralize the attack.
"Call Captain Chen here—we're in big trouble."
Feng Xiaotian said, "I'm the fastest. I'll go bring him!"
In just a few breaths, Feng Xiaotian dragged the dazed Chen Haobai onto the deck.
"Killing God Domain!"
The domain, centered on Ning Tianchen's body, enveloped the ship.
The power of the domain successfully blocked the external mental interference. As Chen Haobai regained his senses, he quickly moved to the railing and looked out at the sea.
"It's jellyfish—a swarm of jellyfish!"
The seawater was deep and dark, making it impossible to see what was inside.
Chen Haobai's certainty meant he must have encountered similar tactics before.
"Damn it! We've entered the waters where jellyfish gather. Their abilities are affecting the people on the ship—they've already marked us as prey."
The sea was calm and windless at night. Without wind to propel it, the Manta Ray lost its source of power and couldn't accelerate out of the area.
At this point, the only option was to send people down to the bottom of the ship to manually row the oars.
However, the lower decks were closest to the jellyfish swarm, and anyone going down would surely be subjected to a mental attack.
Amid the chaos, one glowing pink jellyfish after another rose from beneath the surface.
Such a breathtaking sight was rare in a lifetime, but clearly, no one was in the mood to admire it.
"Pink Dream Jellyfish—this is bad." Chen Haobai seemed to lose all strength, his body slumping as he collapsed to the ground.
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