Arriving at Sea Horse City, managed by Sea Horse Douluo, Yang Yunhai looked at the surrounding residents and stone buildings. As if thinking of something, he suddenly asked, "Senior, with Sea God Island standing in the middle of the ocean for so many years, have there never been any land soul masters who happened to pass by, stop here, or even join?"
If all were natives, after so long, wouldn't it mean anyone on the street could be someone's relative?
"There have been," Sea Horse Douluo replied. "As long as a soul master sincerely believes in Lord Sea God, whether they are a land soul master or a sea soul master, they have the opportunity to come to Sea God Island, undergo the tests, and become one of us. However, serving Lord Sea God requires firm faith. Once one passes the test and joins Sea God Island, they are never allowed to leave. For soul masters who live in the outside world, very few can endure such loneliness."
"So, over time, the number of people truly willing to join became fewer and fewer."
'So eventually, Sea God Island became increasingly closed off, and fewer people were willing to join.' Yang Yunhai nodded slightly.
Especially with a group of hot-tempered Demon Spirit Great White Sharks circling outside—any ship entering would be attacked. Who would dare come?
"As for stopping here, in order not to disturb Lord Sea God, Sea God Island does not permit outsiders to reside," Sea Horse Douluo continued. "Of course, we do have designated seaports far from Sea God Mountain, where we can exchange necessary supplies with the outside world."
"That doesn't count as leaving Sea God Island?" Dugu Yan asked curiously.
Sea Horse Douluo shook his head slightly. "The fleets are not made up of Sea God Island soul masters, but rather sea soul masters who are not part of the island, or those who once failed the tests. Every so often, they deliver supplies here in exchange for the island's unique resources."
"I see." Yang Yunhai nodded.
"Senior, in recent years, has any other powerful soul master approached Sea God Island?"
"Yes." Sea Horse Douluo nodded. "A few months ago, there was a group of Titled Douluo level experts who came from the west. But they were deterred by the guardian beast outside the island and by the aura released by Lord Bo Saixi. From the looks of it, they were only passing through."
"Titled Douluo level experts?" Dugu Yan and the others were slightly surprised.
"The ocean is vast. The birth of Titled Douluo level experts is not strange," Yang Yunhai said casually.
'West side. That perfectly matched the information the Spirit Hall had uncovered. Those unfamiliar soul masters who sold soul tools at the Hanhai City auction were without a doubt Ming Hongchen and his wife. So, the shore they landed on must have been near Hanhai City.'
With that thought, he followed Sea Horse Douluo to their lodgings.
Soon, food was brought in.
After eating and drinking, Yang Yunhai asked about the details of their tests.
"Cross double the Sea God's Light and climb 333 steps," Dugu Yan replied first.
"Cross the Sea God's Light," Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Lingling, and Ning Rongrong each reported their tasks.
"Sea God's Light…" Yang Yunhai deliberately murmured, then raised his head. "Tomorrow I'll accompany you to see it. Once I confirm there's no issue, I should be leaving."
Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing's faces showed reluctance, but they still nodded gently.
"Good. We've been tossed around at sea for so long, so let's rest early tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll head out." Yang Yunhai smiled.
Everyone rose and returned to their rooms. Unsurprisingly, Yang Yunhai stayed with Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan.
It wasn't too late. After bathing together and cultivating soul power for a while, the three nestled under the blankets, resting feet to feet.
The night passed quietly.
The next morning, under the lead of a purple-clothed sea soul master, they headed for the test grounds 200 li away. With the ability to fly, their traveling speed was swift. By noon, they had arrived, landing at the shore of the Ring Sea.
Looking across the 200-meter-wide Ring Sea, there was an island with a high mountain in the middle. At its foot, straight steps led up to the peak.
From a distance, they could faintly see a towering palace, white in color, radiating a faint blue glow.
"Honored guests, I can only take you this far. Beyond here lies the forbidden land of Sea God Island." The purple-clothed sea soul master pointed ahead. "That is the staircase, where you will undergo your tests. There are 1001 steps in total. Only those who have passed the Purple Level test of the guardians may climb, enter Sea God Mountain, and worship Lord Sea God in the Sea God Hall."
"If you wish to begin your tests, you may go forward now. I will wait here."
"And please be mindful not to make loud noises on Sea God Mountain, so as not to disturb Lord Sea God."
"Thank you, senior." Yang Yunhai responded politely.
"Uncle, wait here. Teacher and I will escort Zhuqing and the others across," he added.
"Guests." The purple-clothed sea soul master's expression changed suddenly. "I forgot to warn you: if you don't have Lord Sea God's test, attempting to cross the Ring Sea will trigger attacks from the sea soul beasts."
Yang Yunhai smiled. "Senior, if I'm not mistaken, until one steps on the staircase, the test doesn't actually begin. Meaning, this Ring Sea is not part of the test itself. So escorting others across shouldn't count as violating the rules, right? Also, merely flying across the Ring Sea without stepping onto the stairs shouldn't be considered trespassing into the forbidden land or offending Lord Sea God, should it?"
The sea soul master froze. That… did sound like a loophole.
In the original, Bai Chenxiang had gone across even after her test, and she even stepped on the stairs.
Having read the script, Yang Yunhai continued, "Please rest assured, we won't harm the sea soul beasts below."
The sea soul master, unsure what else to say, could only nod and remind them not to disturb Lord Sea God.
"I understand." Yang Yunhai nodded, then picked up Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan and Chrysanthemum Douluo took Ye Lingling and Ningrong and flew across.
One by one, sea soul beasts poked their heads out, gazing skyward in frustration.
Too careless—none of them expected that the intruders could fly!
In just the blink of an eye, Yang Yunhai and the others landed on the opposite shore.
"Yan Yan, you try first," Yang Yunhai said with a nod.
Dugu Yan nodded, striding forward.
The moment she stepped on the first stair, an invisible pressure rushed down like surging waves. Her body instinctively sank, bracing against it. With a slight frown, she lifted her foot again, climbing upward. The pressure only grew heavier.
From a distance, Yang Yunhai's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Then he called softly, "Yan Yan, come back for now."
Dugu Yan turned and descended. As she stepped back down, the heaviness instantly vanished, leaving her feeling light.
"Once I stepped on, I felt a heavy pressure," she explained when she reached Yang Yunhai. "It was like being in a raging current, climbing upward against the flow. The higher I went, the stronger the pressure."
Yang Yunhai stroked his chin, then turned to Zhu Zhuqing. "Zhuqing, try sending a wind blade at the stairs. Keep it weak."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded. Activating her left arm soul bone skill, she waved her arm gently, releasing a faint wind blade toward the stairs.
Pfft!
It was instantly rebounded, flying back toward her. Chrysanthemum Douluo raised a hand and scattered it, slightly surprised. "It can reflect attacks?"
"It should reflect both physical and energy attacks—and send them back at the attacker," Yang Yunhai analyzed. "That means, once on the steps, you can't use any soul skills. If you do, you'll immediately face backlash. The stronger the attack, the stronger the backlash."
"Then doesn't that mean we can only endure it with our bodies?" Dugu Yan said.
"Yes." Yang Yunhai nodded. "Yan Yan, Zhuqing…"
"This test is an excellent training opportunity for you. Over the next year, don't be obsessed with rushing to complete it. Instead, use the Sea God's Light to temper your bodies. Keep pushing yourselves against your limits. When you reach the point your body can no longer endure, stop there. Let the pressure temper your physique. Once you've adapted, climb further. Repeat this cycle until you complete the test—or even climb higher."
"A year is a long time. There's no need to rush."
'This boy is sharp.' In the God Realm Hall, the Sea God couldn't help but sigh in praise.
He had seen right through the true purpose of this test: to temper the body and strengthen the will.
Without an unshakable body and unyielding will, how could they absorb the bestowed god rings in the future? How could they ultimately inherit his god position?
"It makes sense," Chrysanthemum Douluo said, rubbing his chin.
Yang Yunhai smiled and turned to him. "Teacher, you should stay here on Sea God Island."
"Controlling the training is tricky—especially for Lingling and Rongrong. To avoid harming their bodies and to get the best results, it's better if you oversee them and prepare medicines to aid their cultivation."
He had long expected this. Before coming, he had already asked Ning Fengzhi to gather a large stock of medicinal herbs. He wasn't about to let his wives waste such a valuable opportunity by taking shortcuts like Tang San in the original story, who was kicked up the stairs by Xiao Wu. The Sea God's Light wasn't something so simple—it was designed as a foundation for the eventual successor to bear a god's position.
Ning Fengzhi, surely you want your daughter to get the best results too, right? You don't want her body harmed during the trial, do you? Hand over the resources!
Free rides are always the sweetest—Yang Yunhai admitted that to himself.
"Don't worry. With your Teacher's strength, I can protect them well enough," he added.
With Ghost Douluo, a level 98 powerhouse, accompanying him, Yang Yunhai felt he could practically walk sideways across the continent.
Especially since he now knew the Evil Emperor was on his side. With that reassurance, the danger level of traveling to the Sun Moon Continent dropped sharply.
"Teacher, don't forget my abilities. When it comes to sensing danger and escaping, I'm a professional."
"Alright." Knowing his disciple had already made up his mind, Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't push further and nodded.
"Take care," Dugu Yan and Zhu Zhuqing came forward at once.
"Mm." Yang Yunhai nodded, lightly tapping both their foreheads before turning to leave with Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"Old Ghost, I'll leave Xiao Hai to you." Landing outside the Ring Sea, Chrysanthemum Douluo spoke up.
"Yes." Ghost Douluo nodded. With his current cultivation, even from afar, he could hear their conversation clearly.
Waving back toward the women, Yang Yunhai didn't hesitate. He turned and left.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Two figures quickly shot toward the coastline.
"Let's begin." Zhu Zhuqing suppressed her emotions and stepped onto the staircase.
It was wide enough for four people side by side. Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and Ning Rongrong followed, each beginning their baptism under the Sea God's Light.
Chrysanthemum Douluo sat cross-legged at the shore of the Ring Sea, closing his eyes to cultivate.
Soon, far out on the sea beyond Sea God Island's pier, two figures disappeared over the horizon.
Yang Yunhai had chosen to fly directly west.
With the strength of the Evil Emperor and Ming Hongchen's group, he didn't believe they would bother detouring.
So by flying along the same route they had taken toward Sea God Island, he had a strong chance of reaching the Sun Moon Continent.
'Let's hope everything goes smoothly,' Yang Yunhai thought to himself.
After flying for a while, they landed on the sea, released the Dragon Abyss Vessel, and continued their journey in the confirmed direction. Flying continuously consumed too much soul power, and if they ran into sea soul beasts while exhausted, the danger would be immense.
So the best method was to alternate between flying and sailing while recovering their soul power.
And so, the days passed.
(End of Chapter)
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