Chapter 526.
Shortly afterward, Ning Rongrong activated the head soul bone's ability to link the spirits of the nine team members. Though they were scattered across different steps, this allowed them to communicate telepathically.
"Just one round of cultivation and it feels like we gained several days' worth of progress," Oscar said first, his voice filled with awe. "Was that sudden energy surge caused by Senior Bo Saixi? It only lasted one night, but Sea God Mountain's energy concentration was insane."
"Yeah… why didn't she do this before?" Ma Hongjun asked, scratching his head.
"But wow! The effect was unreal. Just one night and half a day of cultivation feels like we got two or even three days' worth of results. I actually feel like I can break through to the next level right now."
"Hehe… whatever the reason, it's good for us," Ning Rongrong said with a light smile. "Instead of overthinking it, I'd rather use the opportunity to climb more steps. Hopefully, it happens again tonight."
"Could it be related to the White Pontiff?" Shen Lingqi suddenly asked. "After he climbed to the 700th floor yesterday, he basically disappeared from our view. But didn't you all feel it? That huge flow of energy—it was rushing upward."
"It wasn't just enhancing the entire Sea God Island's energy… it was being drawn toward something. Maybe something up there is absorbing it and accelerating its cultivation. And we just happened to get caught in the overflow."
Her words made everyone pause in shock.
Now that she mentioned it, the energy last night had been surging upward.
That meant something at the top was actively pulling in that energy.
And other than the Sea God Temple, only Wang Wu was up there.
There was no way this was coincidence. Ever since Wang Wu arrived to scale the Sea God's Light, this strange phenomenon occurred—something none of them had ever encountered before.
The conclusion was obvious.
"…Could it be that he was cultivating?"
The thought alone made everyone's throats dry. If that terrifying surge of energy had been caused by just his meditation, and they had only benefited from a tiny sliver of it…
That was terrifying.
They were over 800 steps beneath him!
In truth, it was Wang Feng who had deliberately used his spiritual power to manipulate the energy density, ensuring it spread across the entire mountain. Of course, they had no idea.
"This is unreal..." Ma Hongjun shook his head in disbelief. "Just meditating and he can change the flow of natural energy like that? Even Senior Bo Saixi doesn't have that kind of power, does she?"
It was simply beyond imagination.
They had no understanding of how inhuman Wang Feng's body was—or how his spiritual power had become so vast and materialized, like a surging river.
"Then... are we just basking in his light?" Ning Rongrong asked, pursing her lips. "Is he really that generous?"
"Definitely not," Shen Lingqi said seriously. "But I don't think it's intentional. A flow of energy that massive can't be controlled by humans. It's just a byproduct of his cultivation. That's how strong he is."
Tang San listened quietly as everyone speculated. He frowned.
'Is it really uncontrollable?' he wondered. If he could control something like this would he really be that kind?
Only Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, quietly observing.
"Brother," Xiao Wu suddenly whispered beside him, her spirit temporarily awakened, "I don't think it's that simple."
Tang San turned to her. "What do you mean, Xiao Wu? Did you sense something?"
Xiao Wu opened her mouth to reply—but before she could speak…
"Hmph, that bastard is here again!" Ning Rongrong's voice cut through the conversation.
She pointed toward the base of the mountain.
Everyone looked down—and sure enough, Wang Feng was slowly descending the steps from the Sea God Mountain.
But this time it was different.
A jet-black aura surrounded his body, radiating a suffocating pressure. Even the divine glow of the Sea God's Light couldn't fully contain it—the oppressive force extended hundreds of meters in all directions.
A terrifying coercion swept out from Wang Feng.
And the moment he stepped onto the 20th floor, all nine of Tang San's group felt it.
A powerful domain had been released—the Domain of Original Sin.
Shock rippled through the group.
'Is he attacking us? Here?! On Sea God Mountain?!'
'If he tried anything reckless, Great Priestess would crush him instantly. He wouldn't even make it off the island.'
But they didn't have time to think.
As the domain's energy spread, the terrifying pressure of both Wang Feng's soul power and domain fell upon them—a double force stronger than even the pressure of the Sea God's Light.
Their expressions changed instantly.
The pressure was crushing—far beyond their current limits.
And as Wang Feng drew closer, the impact of his Domain of Original Sin intensified, forcing the group to desperately circulate their soul power just to resist the force.
All their progress from the night before had to be used just to withstand his approach.
Wang Feng was now using the fully unleashed version of the Domain of Original Sin—yet he had deliberately held back a portion of its strength. While the soul power pressure remained completely genuine, he carefully limited the domain's influence, ensuring it didn't cross a fatal threshold.
Though his soul power level wasn't considered high in traditional terms, it was greatly enhanced by three 100,000-year-old soul rings. These rings, compressed and purified, granted him a terrifying depth of soul power—even without revealing his martial soul.
It was no exaggeration to say that Wang Feng's soul power alone rivaled that of an average Titled Douluo.
With such pressure radiating off him, Wang Feng walked step by step toward the group.
His pace was slow and steady, but with every step he took, the nine felt like their entire bodies were on the verge of collapsing—yet they couldn't. It was as though they were trapped in a crushing vice, unable to break or breathe.
The burden on their bodies and minds was overwhelming.
The first to collapse was Bai Chenxiang.
And then, one by one, the others began to fall…
Their spirits and physical forms simply couldn't bear it.
Bai Chenxiang, Shen Lingqi, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing… Even Tang San found himself struggling as Wang Feng descended, drawing closer to the 50th step.
The pressure they felt was far beyond what the Sea God's Light should be generating at their level. It was unreasonable, unnatural—cruel.
Yet Wang Feng had calibrated it with precision. It was never intended to kill. Instead, it was designed to break their mental will, to push them past their psychological –limits and make them collapse, both mentally and physically.
He wanted them to fail the trial—not by direct confrontation, but by forcing them off the path.
By the time Wang Feng passed the 50th step, only Tang San, Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing remained conscious.
But even they were nearing their limits.
Red-faced and sweating, Tang San growled as he released his Eight Spider Lances, trying to resist the unbearable pressure.
–By the time Wang Feng reached the 100th step, the pressure finally began to subside…
And at that moment, Tang San could no longer hold on.
His body collapsed onto the step, his vision spinning, mind overwhelmed by fatigue and spiritual dizziness.
The Sea God's Light, which had always seemed reachable before, now felt like a faraway illusion.
For a brief moment, Tang San even feared that his will itself would shatter.
He looked at the others below—every one of them sprawled on the steps, soaked in sweat, breathing like beasts, unable to move. They were too drained to even sit up, let alone climb.
It wasn't until midday, several hours later, that Tang San finally managed to recover enough to speak.
"When he passed by us on the 50th floor... the pressure we felt was even worse than when I tried stepping onto the 110th floor," Tang San muttered weakly.
That comparison alone left everyone shaken. On the staircase, if one couldn't endure the Seagod's Light, they would be ejected immediately.
But this pressure? It didn't give them that option.
"How do you all feel?" he asked hoarsely.
The others groaned and stirred, some crawling upright, others simply sitting slumped over.
None answered immediately.
After a long silence, Dai Mubai finally spoke, his expression grim:
"He wasn't trying to kill us, he was trying to crush our will. To push us so far that we'd voluntarily retreat—fail the trial and be eliminated."
The logic was clear. And no one could refute it.
"If he wanted to kill us," Dai Mubai continued, "he could've done it easily. But this is Sea God Mountain—he wouldn't dare openly defy the rules and attack us directly. That's why he used this method instead..."
"To wear us down. Slowly. Strategically."
His face paled further. "After this, I probably won't even be able to break through a single level today. Just recovering will take at least half a day."
The others nodded grimly. They were in the same state.
"Despicable!" Ning Rongrong spat through clenched teeth. "He's doing this just to block our progress! And when we finally recover, he'll come again tomorrow—doing the exact same thing!"
"We'll be forced to spend the rest of the trial recovering and retreating, not advancing!"
"This is blatant interference with our assessment!"
"No, we must report this to Senior Bo Saixi!" Ning Rongrong exclaimed.
But the moment she stood up, her legs buckled beneath her. Her whole body felt weak and drained.
Behind her, Shen Lingqi and Bai Chenxiang were in even worse condition—they couldn't even speak.
"I'm afraid it's useless…" Ma Hongjun said, shaking his head. "He could just claim he was using his domain to offset the pressure from the Sea God's Light. Say he 'couldn't control it.' What would anyone do? We've all used our own buffs on the stairs. Even Tang San used his domain."
"Bullshit!" Ning Rongrong tried to argue, though her voice was weak. "With his strength, he needs to use a domain at such a low level just to resist the Sea God's Light? That's absurd."
"Actually," Oscar muttered, "the assessment rules never said interference isn't allowed. As long as he doesn't kill us, he hasn't violated Sea God Island's rules, Supreme Pontiff must have sent him here for a reason—it's obvious now. He's here to sabotage us."
Just then, two purple-cloaked Sea Soul Masters—those responsible for delivering their meals—arrived.
"What's going on with you all?" one of them asked, surprised. "It's already noon. Why haven't you moved? Why are you all slumped like this?"
The group weakly recounted what had happened.
"Please," Dai Mubai said urgently, "could you report this to Senior Bo Saixi? Wang Wu is deliberately interfering with our trial!"
But the two soul masters exchanged glances and said nothing.
Their silence said everything.
The nine immediately understood—this was allowed.
Senior Bo Saixi had to be aware. When Zhu Zhuqing had reached level 70, Bo Saixi appeared immediately. She had been watching.
Now, she hadn't shown herself.
That meant she had allowed this to happen.
Realization struck them all at once, bringing with it a fresh wave of frustration and despair.
After the two sea soul masters left, silence fell over the group again. A collective gloom settled on their faces.
If things continued this way, it wasn't just about enduring the pain. They'd have no time to climb. They'd be stuck—immobile, broken, and ultimately defeated.
Hopelessness began to spread.
But then…
Tang San slowly lifted his head and spoke.
"Everyone… we don't have to feel so hopeless. There's a saying: It is our enemy who makes us stronger. As long as the enemy doesn't kill us, they only help us grow."
Everyone blinked, stunned.
"Wang Wu wants to crush our will and bodies, sabotage our assessment, and stop our progress. But he can't kill us. Which means—if we can endure, we'll only get stronger!"
Tang San's words sparked a glimmer of hope in the others.
"Because of the rules on Sea God Island, this is the only method he can use. But it's a double-edged sword."
His eyes gleamed with clarity.
"The pressure he releases is even greater than the Sea God's Light. It devastates our energy, mind, and spirit in a short time. But he's holding back—because if any of us die, Senior Bo Saixi will act. So he has to control it very carefully."
"We lose time recovering. We may not climb the stairs each day. But when we do recover… our strength will rise rapidly."
"As long as we don't give up, we will improve—even if we're not advancing step by step."
The group fell silent as they considered his words.
Then Ma Hongjun suddenly slammed his hand into the stone step, eyes shining.
"He's right! I barely feel the pressure from the 55th floor anymore. If I can recover, I'll absolutely improve further. And if it happens again tonight—then we benefit even more!"
Everyone's expressions brightened.
"But… won't we still fail the final assessment?" Bai Chenxiang asked quietly, her voice trembling.
"Not necessarily," Tang San replied with a confident smile. "Think about it. Wang Wu completed the first two assessments in five months. There's no way it'll take him much longer to pass the Sea God's Light. Two months, three at most, and he'll have reached the 1,000th step."
He paused, looking at each of them.
"When he completes the assessment, the energy tide will vanish. His interference ends there. After that, the rest of the time is ours."
Hope returned to everyone's eyes.
Tang San's words had turned their despair into determination. They would endure. They would grow. And they would finish this trial—not in fear of Wang Wu, but using his presence to become even stronger.
"At that time, it'll be our chance!" Tang San's eyes sparkled with intensity. "Once he completes his assessment, it'll be impossible for him to remain on Sea God Mountain. That's when we strike—by advancing all at once to our breakthrough stages!"
"Using an idiom to describe our current situation…" he added, voice steady yet sharp. "Openly repairing the main road while secretly building a tunnel!"
The more Tang San spoke, the brighter his eyes gleamed. His clarity ignited a surge of motivation in the group.
"Brother, you're a genius!" Ma Hongjun laughed, eyes gleaming. "Imagine it—two months later, when he sees us suddenly jump straight to the 140th floor and complete the assessment in one go, won't he cough up blood in rage? Trying to sabotage us, and instead, becoming our whetstone!"
"Stealing chickens only to lose the rice!" he added with a big grin. "In the end, he paid the price to make us stronger!"
The whole group burst into laughter and cheerful energy returned to their tired expressions.
Determination surged in their hearts. No one was going to give up now.
But as they all encouraged each other, only Zhu Zhuqing remained quiet.
She stared toward the invisible summit of the mountain, her expression unreadable, her thoughts hidden.
"Zhuqing? What's wrong?" Ning Rongrong asked, her cheeks slightly flushed with renewed determination. "We have to endure. Two months from now, we'll slap him in the face! He won't break us that easily! What about you?"
"…Mm. You're right," Zhu Zhuqing murmured softly. "Slap him… in the face?…" she repeated, almost to herself.
Her voice was gentle, but the resolve behind it quietly burned.
...…..
Please support me and read atleast 20 chapters ahead at my patréon.
patréon.com/PrimorDious.
I'll be very grateful. Thanks.