The Snow Demon's strength scaled with Ning Rongrong's. With Ning Rongrong at level 84, the summoned Snow Demon possessed the power of a Titled Douluo. Though still far inferior to Bo Saixi, her overwhelming freezing power could buy them time.
"I didn't expect you to have such a trump card. But because your strength is limited, hers cannot be fully exerted. She is still not my match." Bo Saixi spoke gently, but the killing intent in her tone made everyone shiver.
"Sixth Soul Skill—Sea Burial!"
Bo Saixi raised her scepter and spun together with it. Heaven and earth changed; a black-blue vortex opened in the sky, then condensed into a waterspout. A tremendous suction seemed determined to draw everything into the vortex and seal it.
"Even the Grand Priest is using that move. It seems the outcome is decided. Unless your soul power exceeds the Grand Priest's, or your attack is strong enough to tear a black hole, there's no breaking it." Sea Dragon Douluo, watching from the side, sighed and prepared to leave. In his view, a bunch of kids around level 80 were doomed.
"Snow Demon elder sister, please hold it off for us a while." Ning Rongrong pleaded.
The Snow Demon looked at Ning Rongrong and nodded lightly. She flew to the black vortex and released all her chill, trying to freeze the waterspout. Unfortunately, her current strength was less than one percent of her prime. Otherwise, she could have frozen the entire vortex outright. Now she could only delay for about a minute.
But a minute was enough. Taking advantage of the window, the four formed a straight line. With Ning Rongrong's ring-merging ability as the core, they channeled all four people's soul power into Oscar at the front.
Under the amplification of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, the combined soul power of four over-level-80 soul masters pushed Oscar's soul power to the level of ninety. On the Demon Sword, the previously dim eighth and ninth soul rings flared.
"This is a four-in-one fusion skill!" Bo Saixi finally showed a hint of emotion. She realized this group of children was pinning all their hopes on that sword.
"Ah!!!" Oscar suddenly let out a roar of pain. He might be able to bear the eight-ring Demon Sword, but reaching nine rings was nearing his limit. He needed time to stabilize that power—this tested his willpower.
But Bo Saixi did not intend to give them that time. So what if the vortex was delayed by the Snow Demon? She herself could still attack.
"Mounting Billows!"
With a light lift of her finger, monstrous waves surged up behind Bo Saixi, as if to drown everything.
To buy Oscar time, Ning Rongrong ran to the front. Her Nine Treasure Divine Light Bodyguard was still active. Once used, this soul skill did not require her to keep expending soul power to maintain it. Unless Ning Rongrong actively dismissed it or it was completely shattered by the enemy, it would persist.
Facing Bo Saixi's fierce assault, cracks spread continuously across the pagoda. Everyone felt the thick killing intent—Bo Saixi's resolve to kill Ning Rongrong was only growing.
At that moment, a crystal suddenly fell from the sky and landed before them. Falling together with it was Tianlin.
Bo Saixi's eyes widened because a person was sealed inside that crystal—Tang Chen.
Standing atop the crystal, Tianlin looked at the near-shattering Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and smiled faintly. He pressed lightly with his foot, and cracks spread across the crystal—exactly mirroring the cracks on the pagoda.
"Senior Bo Saixi, I've brought Tang Chen as promised. But it seems you're not convenient right now. Let's wait until the trial is over before you meet Senior Tang Chen." Tianlin spoke with a smile, but released an aura matching Bo Saixi's, his tone not lacking in threat.
He indeed could not directly interfere with Ning Rongrong's trial. But Tang Chen was not part of it. There was no way Bo Saixi wouldn't understand—any damage she imposed on Ning Rongrong, Tianlin would reflect entirely onto Tang Chen.
If she wanted him to release Tang Chen, Ning Rongrong could not die.
Bo Saixi hesitated. Normally, she could simply seize Tang Chen by borrowing the Sea God's power—this was Sea God Island, where she was invincible.
But she was currently in the middle of a trial. The trial's restrictions on her were that she could not use the Sea God's power or her seventh, eighth, and ninth soul skills. Judging by Tianlin's aura just now, without the Sea God's power, she wouldn't be able to take him.
The problem was that if she used that power, the Sea God would immediately judge her in violation, and Ning Rongrong would pass on the spot.
It was a dead loop. Without the Sea God's power, to ensure Tang Chen's life, she could only let Ning Rongrong pass. If she used it, the Sea God would directly deem Ning Rongrong to have passed.
"So that's why Tianlin didn't show himself earlier—he was waiting for this moment." Zhu Zhuqing suddenly understood, muttering under her breath, "How clever (and shameless). He forced Senior Bo Saixi straight into a corner."
"Zhuqing, don't think I can't hear the subtext. I'll take it as a compliment this time. But next time we make sweet-and-sour fish, you're not getting any—let Hongjun eat it all." Tianlin said without turning his head.
"You can hear me even when I whisper? Some things never change—still as petty as a child." This time Zhu Zhuqing didn't dare say it aloud, only complaining silently in her heart.
During the brief standoff between Bo Saixi and Tianlin, a terrifying sword aura erupted from Oscar. By willpower alone, he barely endured the Demon Sword's might. But with nine rings, he could probably only maintain it for a little over ten seconds. In other words, Oscar had only one strike.
This strike had to be everything.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Heaven and Earth Primordial Spirit Slash!"
A colossal blade of golden light soared to the heavens, its length exceeding the diameter of Sea God Island. If this sword fell without the Sea God's Light protecting the island, Sea God Island would be erased from the map.
Strictly speaking, this was not even half as long as the one Tianlin could unleash. But given Oscar's capabilities, drawing out this much power was already remarkable.
"Slash!" Oscar roared, and the Demon Sword came crashing down.
Bo Saixi's heart pounded. She could feel it—if she received this with only her first six soul skills, she would die.
"Ninth Soul Skill—Sea God's Descent!" Almost reflexively, Bo Saixi used her ninth soul skill.
This move was similar in concept to Qian Daoliu's Angelic God Descent, drawing on the Sea God's power to elevate her to a demigod. Moreover, if Bo Saixi used it on Sea God Island, she could temporarily receive twenty percent of the Sea God's power.
The Sea God was a peak first-tier god. With twenty percent of his power, never mind an Ultimate Douluo or a demigod—even a true third-tier god could be hung up and beaten. But after using this move, Bo Saixi's ninth soul ring would be sealed for a month.
Bo Saixi swung her scepter and met the sword head-on. After all, Oscar was not Tianlin and could not fully manifest the Primordial Spirit Slash.
The massive backlash flung Oscar's body away. Tianlin hurried forward to catch him, channeled soul power to aid his recovery, then looked at Bo Saixi. "Senior Bo Saixi, the trial's over, isn't it? You used your ninth soul skill—broke the rules."
Bo Saixi fell silent. Tianlin was right—she had lost. Though the stick of incense hadn't burnt out, forcing her to use her ninth soul skill meant they had passed.
No one had ever passed like this. In the past, the sixth trial was already extremely difficult if you could last a stick of incense against the seven Sacred Pillar Sea Douluo.
These children's combat power was indeed unexpectedly strong.