Chapter 282: Tang San's Top-Level Seven Trials
Sea God Island.
Tang San, Tang Tian, and Tang Hu—three of the Clear Sky Clan's most outstanding third-generation disciples—stepped onto the island.
Tang Tian and Tang Hu stared at the place, their faces filled with amazement. Warmth enveloped them. At a glance, they could see that Sea God Island was covered in green. The enormous island reminded them of returning to the Douluo Continent itself—no edges visible in one look. Various types of plants grew here, many they couldn't even name.
A bracing ocean smell pervaded the air, fresh and mild, cleansing the heart. In the wind, one could almost hear the ocean's voice—its shouts and whispers.
Under the sunlight, the beach was snow-white and delicate, each grain of sand like a tiny crystal glinting silver. Just arriving, one felt such serenity—sea and sky merging into one, seabirds whirling overhead. The sky was clear and dazzlingly blue, lofty and pure, so vividly transparent as to be indescribably moving.
Tang San glanced at the surrounding foliage, a flash of wistfulness appearing in his eyes. He had little mind to appreciate these plants. The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—the Heart of the Sea God, the essential key for activating the seventh to ninth Sea God Trials and wielding the Sea God's Trident—remained out of reach.
After Tang San returned to the Clear Sky Clan, he'd tried to bargain with the Heaven Dou Imperial Family for the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. At that time, Ning Fengzhi had not yet come to Spirit Hall, and one million soldiers were gathered at the Heaven Dou Empire's border, always on the brink of clashing with Spirit Hall.
Though the Heaven Dou Imperial Family agreed to the trade, they demanded no actual payment. Instead, they wanted the Clear Sky Clan to ally with them, planning to attack Spirit Hall. Once Spirit Hall was destroyed, the Heaven Dou Imperial Family would then give the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud to the Clear Sky Clan.
The Clear Sky Clan naturally cursed the Heaven Dou Imperial Family as shameless. In Tang San's previous life (his "first timeline"), the defeat of the Spirit Empire had required the entire continent's unified strength along with a kind of mechanical "descent of godhood" to prevail. Back then, Tang San had been the Sea God's inheritor, wielding the divine Sea God's Trident, and his cultivation had surpassed rank 93 as a Title Douluo—his ring configuration awe-inspiring enough to counter rank 99 Douluo. Only then had victory been possible. Now, with only the Clear Sky Clan plus the Heaven Dou Empire, it would be suicide.
Too timid to attempt it, the Clear Sky Clan had shelved the deal, sending Tang San, Tang Hu, and Tang Tian here to Sea God Island.
Much like the experience in his previous life, the three were led by patrol spirit masters to the ring-shaped sea near the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar. After crossing the ringed sea, they arrived in front of the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar.
"Stand according to the order in which you boarded the platform," said Sea Horse Douluo. As he spoke, his hands pressed outward in a virtual motion, and the surging seawater instantly calmed. The light screen radiating from atop the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar quietly faded away and vanished.
Sea Horse Douluo stepped forward, facing the sacred pillar, pious light in his eyes. "One person, come forward."
"I'll go."
Now the Clear Sky Clan's third-generation number-one genius, Tang Hu, stepped up.
Sea Horse Douluo slowly lifted both hands, reverence upon his face. He raised his hands to chest height, palms parallel, about half a foot apart. A faint blue light gradually appeared between them, then steadily grew brighter, changing from yellow to purple, then from purple to black. Finally, black light filled the entire Sea Horse Sacred Pillar. Immediately, five beams of black light shot out, all landing in front of Tang Hu. Each layer of the light screen shimmered with special golden characters.
Sea Horse Douluo's lips twitched slightly. He murmured to himself: "Black-Level Five Trials…that's one more trial than I had back then."
"Indeed, it's black-level," Tang San likewise thought. He wasn't surprised. Black-level indicated the potential to become a Title Douluo. If none among the younger generation of the Clear Sky Clan reached black-level, that generation would be finished.
Next, Tang Tian stepped forward. Another light descended from the sky, covering Tang Tian. Blue, white, yellow, purple, black—five lights gleamed in succession. Five light screens quietly appeared.
"Five trials," Tang Tian muttered, somewhat startled. He'd already heard Sea Horse Douluo explain that the Sea God Sacred Pillar's difficulty correlated with a spirit master's aptitude and potential. He believed that, given enough effort, he'd surpass Tang Hu one day. Currently, he lagged behind only because Tang Hu was a bit older. Now, with five trials as well, it showed their talent gap was slight.
Last came Tang San. He stood before the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar, feeling somewhat uneasy. Tang Hao's words still echoed in his mind, and he silently chanted: "Sea God's Nine Trials, Sea God's Nine Trials, Sea God's Nine Trials…"
"If you're afraid, you can leave Sea God Island right now," said Sea Horse Douluo, reading the anxiety in Tang San's heart. His tone was calm.
Tang San replied coolly, "No problem, Senior. I only wish my test to exceed five trials."
Sea Horse Douluo's mouth twitched. To surpass five trials meant going beyond Black-Level Five Trials—Black-Level Six Trials, at least. Over the last century, Sea God Island had produced thirty-one black-level examinees total, and only seven had managed to pass. He himself, with Black-Level Four Trials, had nearly perished more than once. For those who'd faced Black-Level Six Trials—only that abnormal Sea Dragon Douluo had succeeded.
But that monster Sea Dragon had been slain by that beastly Bibi Dong.
Sea Horse Douluo said nothing further. As he began Tang San's test, the Sea God's light soared instantly past the normal sequence of white, yellow, purple, black, plunging at once into the strange black world. Black patterns rose steadily, and under Sea Horse Douluo's bulging eyes, that black glow gradually climbed above the center of the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar—already signifying the difficulty of Black-Level Six Trials. Yet the black glow still did not halt, continuing upward until reaching two-thirds of the way up, precisely denoting Black-Level Six Trials.
Inside, Tang San roared: "Don't stop! Sea God's Nine Trials! Sea God's Nine Trials! Sea God's Nine Trials!"
It was as though the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar heard his call. The black pattern, which had appeared ready to stall, suddenly twitched upward. In the next moment, all the black coloring the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar shifted and turned dazzling crystal-red. A red beam shot toward the sky, straight into the heavens.
Sea Horse Douluo's eyes blazed with irrepressible shock. Almost simultaneously, he exclaimed, "Top—Level—Seven—Trials…!"
In the center of Sea God Island, within the Sea God Palace, Bo Saixi opened her beautiful eyes and looked to where that blood-like light pierced the clear blue sky, painting it red. Surprise and delight flickered across her face.
Thousands of people across the island and four of the Sacred Pillar Douluo, including Bo Saixi, directed their gazes toward the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar. Apart from Bo Saixi herself, everyone felt deep awe. They knew that the next leader of Sea God Island—the next Grand Priest—had appeared.
The red glow slowly subsided. Seven red screens merged into Tang San's forehead, forming a strange red seven-pointed star. Tang San stood there, face utterly blank.
At that moment, "Top-Level Seven Trials," so glaringly real, completely shattered the illusions Tang San had harbored as a reincarnated God-King—shattering his dreamlike arrogance.
Without the Blue Silver Emperor, without Xiao Wu's hundred-thousand-year ring, without the hundred-thousand-year Soft Bone Rabbit spirit bone and the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor spirit bone, lacking the immortal herbs Eight-Petal Immortal Orchid and Infernal Delicate Apricot…he was just an ordinary genius with innate full spirit power. Far from possessing true godly qualifications—by this normal progression, he might, at best, become a second-tier god in the future.
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