Though Ye Wen's journey had been smooth and he had the soul-guiding device, the Dragon Abyss Boat, as his transportation, it still took two months to reach the Sea God Island.
This highlighted just how strong the foundation of the Spirit Hall truly was back when they invaded the Sea God Island from the Douluo Continent. Without such resources, no ordinary soul master faction could have afforded the costs of a voyage like this.
Because the Dragon Abyss Boat was a soul-guide device, its interior remained warm in winter and cool in summer, preventing Ye Wen from directly experiencing any drastic changes in climate. However, as soon as he stepped out of the boat, Ye Wen narrowed his eyes.
"It's already winter, yet the Sea God Island is so warm. It seems this place is close to the equator."
When Ye Wen had departed from the Douluo Continent, it was already winter. From the fact that the Tian Dou Empire bordered the Far North Ice Plains—a forbidden zone for humans—it was clear that the Douluo Continent was located near the Arctic Circle of the Douluo Star. Thus, during winter, the entire continent would be covered in snow.
However, the first impression of the Sea God Island was one of warmth. To maintain such warmth during the frigid season, the island must indeed be near the equator.
Ye Wen made a quick mental calculation. The speed of the Dragon Abyss Boat was quite impressive, capable of traveling at least 50 kilometers per hour. Though they had taken a large detour on their journey from the Douluo Continent to the Sea God Island, the fact that it still took two months underscored just how vast the Douluo Star truly was. The ocean likely accounted for over 90% of the planet's surface area.
At this moment, Dugu Bo let out a sigh of relief.
"We've finally arrived. I never want to set foot on this wretched ship again. It feels so much better to stand on solid ground."
After speaking, Dugu Bo took a deep breath and became lost in the moment.
Ye Wen chuckled but said nothing. For someone without any experience in long-distance sea travel, even a Title Douluo like Dugu Bo might feel uncomfortable after being on a ship for so long.
Still, Ye Wen found himself wondering why he didn't feel the same discomfort. It was as if he were naturally suited to being at sea.
But before Ye Wen and Dugu Bo could relax for long, an orderly and dense sound of footsteps approached from nearby.
Nine people arrived. Eight of them wore neat yellow uniforms, while the middle-aged man at the front wore a purple uniform. He spoke in a deep voice to Ye Wen and the others:
"State your names. This is the Sea God Island—not a place where just anyone can enter."
Looking at the man in purple, Ye Wen's eyes showed a hint of surprise. Though he had long known that the Sea God Island was wealthy, he hadn't expected someone guarding the port to possess the cultivation of a Soul Douluo.
Ye Wen was well aware that those who remained on the Sea God Island were individuals who had passed the Sea God Trials. The colors of their uniforms corresponded to the colors of the trials they had completed. Black uniforms were typically worn by the guardians of the Holy Pillars—the Title Douluos of the Sea God Island. The next rank down wore purple uniforms, indicating they had reached the level of Soul Douluo.
Seeing that the man was middle-aged, Ye Wen guessed that his cultivation had reached the level of Soul Douluo.
However, Ye Wen wasn't entering illegally but had arrived openly through the port, so he felt no fear. He gave a slight bow and politely said:
"Greetings, everyone. I admire the reputation of Sea God Island and hope to pass the trials to join it."
The middle-aged man frowned. Though he couldn't bring himself to speak harshly to the polite Ye Wen, he still warned:
"Sir, you are clearly a land-based soul master. It is extremely difficult for land-based soul masters to pass our Sea God Island trials. Failure means death. Given your distinguished demeanor, I advise you not to risk your life here and return to the mainland immediately."
Ye Wen wasn't surprised that the man could discern he was a land-based soul master. After all, by observing the subtle differences in characteristics between land-based and sea-based soul masters, it wouldn't be difficult to deduce the nature of Ye Wen's martial soul.
Ye Wen didn't bother arguing. Instead, soul power began to surge around him.
Six rings—yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, black—appeared one by one around Ye Wen's body, leaving the middle-aged man stunned.
Ye Wen smiled confidently and said, "Rest assured and lead the way. I believe that a genius like me, who has reached the sixth ring of a Soul Emperor at the age of seventeen, will surely be given a chance to join by the benevolent Sea God."
Actions spoke louder than words. Faced with a prodigy like Ye Wen, the middle-aged man ultimately couldn't bring himself to dissuade him further. However, he glanced at Dugu Bo and asked:
"What about this young man? Is he also joining the Sea God Island with you?"
As he spoke, a glimmer of hope appeared in the man's eyes. If Ye Wen was already so extraordinary, then this seemingly older youth beside him might be even stronger. Introducing these two to the Sea God Island would surely result in at least a black-level trial. In the future, he could boast to his descendants about having guided two Holy Pillar guardians.
Dugu Bo merely glanced at him and said nothing. Ye Wen explained:
"This is the elder who escorted me here—a Title Douluo. Thanks to him, I was able to reach Sea God Island. He currently has no intention of joining, but after witnessing the might of the Sea God, I'm sure he'll reconsider. Let's not delay. Please take me directly to the Holy Pillar."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man was startled. He hadn't expected the handsome-looking Dugu Bo to be a Title Douluo. However, recalling that Title Douluos could reverse aging, he wasn't too surprised. He cast a respectful glance at Dugu Bo and then led Ye Wen to the Holy Pillar of this region.
The Sea God Island had seven cities, each corresponding to one of the seven Holy Pillars. The port where Ye Wen had arrived belonged to the strongest Holy Pillar—the Sea Dragon Douluo's domain, the Sea Dragon City.
Though the Sea Dragon Douluo was the strongest Title Douluo on the Sea God Island after Poseidon, Ye Wen still looked down on him somewhat. After all, he was only a 95th-level Super Douluo, roughly on par with Yu Yuanzhen. Moreover, his 95th-level cultivation was only achieved because the Sea God had "cheated" for him. Without the Sea God's assistance, he would likely only be an ordinary Title Douluo at around 91st or 92nd level.
Soon, the middle-aged man led Ye Wen to the location of the Sea Dragon Holy Pillar.
The Sea Dragon Holy Pillar stood in the center of a pond.
Upon arriving, Ye Wen's attention was immediately drawn to the pillar.
The Holy Pillar rested on a unique triangular platform. The pillar itself was shaped like a sharp cone, with a special sculpture carved at the top—it appeared to be a dragon. The combination of the distinctive statue and the triangular platform created an atmosphere that inspired awe at first glance.
Beneath the Holy Pillar stood a towering figure, two meters tall, with a muscular bare torso adorned with a blue dragon pattern identical to the one on the pillar.
Ye Wen knew—this was the Sea Dragon Douluo!
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