Bai Chenxiang's TestSeahorse Pillar
Seahorse Douluo looked at Dai Yao with great anticipation. The previous few little guys had given him too many surprises, and he even felt a bit threatened by them. How would these little guys cross the Sea within the Sea?
Beside them, Zhu Zhuqing, Feng Wutong, and Dugu Yan also stared at Dai Yao on the opposite bank, but there was no worry in their eyes. They had complete confidence in Dai Yao's strength.
Although Bai Chenxiang was looking in Dai Yao's direction, her pupils were not focused, and her attention was obviously not on this place.
Her red lips were slightly pursed. Although she had completed the test the fastest, she couldn't feel happy at all. The thought that Zhu Zhuqing and the others had easily crossed the Sea of Seas without using any soul skills, while she had used all her soul skills to cross safely, made her feel somewhat frustrated.
"Is the gap really that big? We're about the same age, and Zhu Zhuqing is even younger than me..."
Bai Chenxiang thought to herself with a touch of sadness.
Within the Min clan, no one her age could compare to her, which fostered her proud and arrogant personality. Although Dai Yao's appearance made her tone down her arrogance considerably, she still believed that while she couldn't compare to Zhu Zhuqing and the others, she wasn't far behind.
But Zhu Zhuqing and the others' performance today was like a series of sharp swords, piercing her pride and leaving it riddled with holes.
This isn't just a little bit different, it's a world of difference!
At the same age and starting point, according to what she knew in the sect, not to mention that Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong came from prominent families, Zhu Zhuqing and Feng Wutong's initial cultivation conditions were even inferior to hers. However, there was an insurmountable gap between them and herself.
Her inner pride shattered, scattered in the wind. She was somewhat dazed; had coming to Poseidon Island really been the right choice?
Dugu Yan stood in the center of the three women, her long, slender legs appearing and disappearing with the sway of her cheongsam. She noticed Bai Chenxiang's reaction out of the corner of her eye; a slight smile played on her lips, then vanished.
Her purpose was to crush Bai Chenxiang's arrogance into the ground and make her doubt herself.
It seems things are progressing smoothly...
Just then, the commotion on the opposite bank drew everyone's attention. Bai Chenxiang also woke up with a start, shifting her gaze to Dai Yao's direction.
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"Rongrong, let me carry you over."
Dai Yao glanced at the raging sea within the sea, then turned to Ning Rongrong and said.
Ning Rongrong raised an eyebrow, pouted her red lips, put her hands on her hips, and said in a deliberately unreasonable manner:
"Dai Yao, you deliberately kept me here so I wouldn't leave with Sister Yan and the others, just so you could hug me, right?"
In that instant, Dai Yao seemed to see that little witch again, but the involuntary curve of his lips revealed Ning Rongrong's true thoughts.
Following Ning Rongrong's suggestion, Dai Yao smiled slightly and apologized in a seemingly respectful manner:
"I'm so sorry, it was my oversight that prevented Miss Rongrong from displaying her strength. But there's no one else here now, so please be magnanimous and forgive me this time. Can you punish me after we cross the Sea Within a Sea?"
Ning Rongrong couldn't help but burst out laughing. Back when she was being unreasonable, Dai Yao had responded in an even more unreasonable way. Now, however, Dai Yao no longer argued back and obeyed her orders. She felt a strange sense of satisfaction mixed with a strange thrill.
She coughed lightly, tightened her expression, and said in a deliberately serious tone:
"Alright, since you've said so, I forgive you. Now, carry me over there."
Dai Yao, pretending to be a servant, quickly agreed:
"Okay."
Holding Ning Rongrong's slender waist, Dai Yao summoned the Sacred White Tiger Martial Soul, his wings unfurling behind him. Gazing at the surging sea within the sea, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes.
Soul power surged and converged towards his right arm. In an instant, the air around his right arm suddenly solidified, becoming heavy and stagnant. Twisting his waist and using his right arm as leverage, he unleashed a powerful punch. In that instant, fierce energy gathered into a line, like a cannonball, striking the towering waves.
The Eight Extremes Collapse!
With a thunderous roar, a hole was instantly punched through the wave.
The hole is not large, about two or three meters in diameter, but it runs for more than two hundred meters, breaking through the entire sea within the sea.
Around the hole, seawater droplets, under the influence of gravity and inertia, began to engulf the space of the hole at a visible speed.
At that very moment, Princess Dai Yao scooped up Ning Rongrong, cradling her delicate head in her arms. She spread her wings, unleashed a powerful burst of speed, and shot towards the hole like an arrow. A spiderweb-like trail of cracks remained on the ground.
Buzz—
A strong gust of wind swept over them, and suddenly two more people appeared on the platform of the Seahorse Pillar.
Seahorse Douluo's pupils dilated instantly. Even he was shocked by this speed; it was faster than the woman who followed the pure agility path. Moreover, this was without the man using his martial soul.
As soon as the two arrived at the Holy Pillar Platform, the seawater quickly swallowed the hole created by the punch. The time was extremely short, but in that brief moment, the two not only crossed the sea within the sea, but their clothes didn't get wet at all.
Moreover, the energy that just pierced through the entire sea within the sea was also quite extraordinary.
It traversed the entire inner sea, and upon reaching the platform, it dissipated just as well. This ability to control power has reached a state of perfection.
As he watched Dai Yao's martial spirit slowly disappear, a hint of amazement flashed in Seahorse Douluo's eyes. With wings on its back, the White Tiger, already the king of beasts, was even more agile and powerful. He felt that this man's martial spirit far surpassed even that of Sea Dragon Douluo.
"Truly, heroes emerge from among the young. To have reached such a level at such a young age is far superior to what I achieved back then."
Seahorse Douluo exclaimed in amazement.
"You flatter me, senior."
Dai Yao put Ning Rongrong down and answered with a cupped hand.
Dugu Yan and the others walked to Dai Yao's side, their gazes towards Ning Rongrong carrying a hint of mockery. They knew perfectly well what had happened on the other side. Ning Rongrong blushed slightly, hugged Dugu Yan's arm, and whispered something to her.
Bai Chenxiang stared blankly at Dai Yao, her heart filled with defeat. She had witnessed Dai Yao's power back in Longxing City, but only by experiencing it firsthand could she realize how terrifying he truly was, like a mountain standing before her, unapproachable.
The sea within a sea that she had struggled to cross was brutally breached by Dai Yao, who then crossed it at an even faster speed than she had, without even using his martial soul.
After comparing the two, she gradually calmed down. The two were not on the same level, and forcing a comparison would only cause more trouble.
"I came to Poseidon Island not to compete, but to become stronger. I only need to become stronger than I was before!"
Bai Chenxiang clenched her jade-like hand, thinking firmly.
Seahorse Douluo nodded, his gaze shifting slightly to Ning Rongrong beside Dai Yao, and he frowned, saying:
"Little one, you've passed the test, but this woman..."
Dai Yao explained with a smile:
"Senior, Rongrong is a support-type Soul Master, so it will be difficult for her to pass the test on her own. But support-type Soul Masters rely on their teammates, so I think she should be able to pass the test with my help, right?"
Seahorse Douluo stared at Ning Rongrong, deep in thought. He could sense the vibrant, inexhaustible energy emanating from her, a warmth like the sun, which was in no way inferior to the other women who had passed the test earlier. He shook his head slightly and sighed:
"Even if you've passed the test, you're truly a bunch of monsters. In all these years on Poseidon Island, I've never seen you cross the sea within the sea like this. However, before you face the real test, I want to ask you something, and I hope you'll answer me seriously."
"Please speak, senior."
Seahorse Douluo's expression hardened, and his gaze towards the crowd was full of scrutiny. He said in a deep voice:
"You yourselves know that you are all prodigies in the Soul Master world, quite rare even among the major powers. But I want to know, why have you all gathered together? And why did you come to Seagod Island? Isn't it better to cultivate within your own forces?"
Dai Yao was silent for a moment, then smiled and said:
"Senior, the reason we've gathered together is because they are all my wives. Of course, except for Xiangxiang, a pure agility-type Soul Master. However, she is also a disciple of our sect."
"The reason we came to Seagod Island is twofold. Firstly, the situation on the mainland is turbulent, with a great war imminent. We do not want to get involved in the conflicts on the mainland, so we have fled far away to avoid disaster. Secondly, we are all Soul Masters, and the trials of Seagod Island are world-renowned, so we have also come here for training."
Upon hearing this, Seahorse Douluo was startled, and the scrutiny in his eyes lessened somewhat. He hadn't expected that these four stunningly beautiful women were all this man's wives. He gave Dai Yao a strange look, wondering what charm Dai Yao possessed that could attract so many beautiful women.
Of course, he wasn't a gossipy person either.
He had also heard news of the impending great war on the continent. He said in a deep voice:
"Think carefully. Even if you pass the test, you will not be able to leave Seagod Island and will need to make offerings to the Seagod. Have you thought this through?"
Dai Yao turned around, exchanged glances with his wives, and then winked at Bai Chenxiang, whose expression had changed slightly upon hearing that they couldn't leave Seagod Island, signaling her to be quiet before speaking:
"Senior, we have thought it through. Please let us accept the test."
Seahorse Douluo nodded, turned around, looked up at the Seahorse Sacred Pillar with a devout expression, and said:
"One person steps forward."
Dai Yao knew what trials he would face after gaining the approval of the Vast Ocean Universe Cover, so he wasn't in a hurry. Feng Wutong took a step forward, but Dugu Yan glanced at Bai Chenxiang out of the corner of her eye, a slight smile playing on her lips, and stopped Feng Wutong, saying with a smile:
"Wutong, let Xiangxiang go first. Xiangxiang, what do you think?"
Bai Chenxiang was taken aback. She hadn't expected Dugu Yan to have any schemes. However, since arriving at Seagod Island, she hadn't made any contributions to the team, which made the once proud and arrogant Bai Chenxiang very resentful.
There's no danger in undergoing the test of the Seahorse Pillar now, so I might as well scout ahead for everyone.
He nodded firmly and said:
"Sister Wutong, let me go first."
Feng Wutong gave Dugu Yan a strange look, nodded, and returned to Zhu Zhuqing's side.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Bai Chenxiang took a deep breath and walked to Seahorse Douluo's side. After indicating to Seahorse Douluo that he was ready, Seahorse Douluo reverently walked to the foot of the sacred pillar, raised his hands to his chest, and with his hands facing each other, a faint blue light slowly appeared.
Dai Yao clearly sensed that this blue light was the power hidden within the Vast Ocean Universe Cover.
The blue light in Seahorse Douluo's hand shone brightly, and a blue ray of light rapidly spread upwards along the patterns on the sacred pillar, reaching the top in the blink of an eye.
Seahorse Douluo turned around, facing Bai Chenxiang, and pointed his right hand at Bai Chenxiang's body.
A beam of blue light descended from the sky, enveloping Bai Chenxiang. Bai Chenxiang, however, did not feel any change, only a slight increase in warmth.
The blue beam of light began to change at a speed visible to the naked eye. The blue light instantly turned white, but after turning white, the rate of change slowed down, and under everyone's watchful eyes, it finally turned yellow with difficulty.
"Senior Seahorse, what does this mean?"
Looking at the yellow light surrounding him, Bai Chenxiang asked in confusion.
Seahorse Douluo showed no surprise whatsoever and explained:
"On Poseidon Island, the Poseidon will bestow different trials upon those who accept the trials based on their talents and potential. These trials are divided into top-level assessments at the white, yellow, purple, black, and red levels. As the assessment level increases, the difficulty of the assessment will also increase dramatically."
"In the white and yellow level assessments, there is only one test, while there are distinctions after the purple level. Generally speaking, the purple level assessment has one to three tests, while the black level assessment has four to six tests. The top-level red level assessment has more than seven tests."
"Every guardian of our Holy Pillars has passed the Black-level assessment. In other words, those who pass the Black-level assessment can become Title Douluo."
Upon hearing this, Bai Chenxiang was struck dumb, her mind going completely blank.
For so many years, her grandfather had always told her that she was the most promising genius in the Min clan to become a Title Douluo. However, after the verification on Seagod Island, she not only failed the Black-level test required to become a Title Douluo, but she didn't even pass the Purple-level test.
She forced a smile and said:
"Thank you, senior."
As soon as she finished speaking, the yellow beam of light vanished, and the yellow glow gradually receded, gathering into a small yellow dot on her forehead. Her previous disappointment instantly turned to astonishment. She stole a glance at Dai Yao, pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then finally asked the Seahorse Douluo:
"Senior, what are the consequences if I fail the assessment?"
Seahorse Douluo stared at Bai Chenxiang with a strange expression. As Bai Chenxiang's examiner, he naturally understood the content of Bai Chenxiang's test and said in a deep voice:
"The Yellow-level assessment is not difficult, so the consequences are not serious. If you cannot complete it within a month, you will be expelled from Poseidon Island and will never be allowed to set foot on Poseidon Island again in your lifetime."
Bai Chenxiang remained silent for a long time, then thanked Seahorse Douluo one last time before returning to Dugu Yan's side, somewhat dejected.
"Xiangxiang, what is your test?"
Dugu Yan asked with a smile. She noticed the look Bai Chenxiang gave Dai Yao, and the Seahorse Douluo's tone was also off; clearly, this test wasn't very serious.
"Sister Yan, can I not tell you?"
Bai Chenxiang hesitated, biting her lip, before finally speaking. After learning the details of the test, her emotions were far from calm; her bright eyes kept glancing at Dai Yao. As if remembering something, a faint blush appeared on her face.
"If you don't want to talk, don't force yourself."
Dugu Yan frowned slightly, but pretended to be magnanimous and said.
"Next one, come forward."
On the high platform, Seahorse Douluo gave his instructions.
Feng Wutong took the lead and stepped onto the high platform. Everyone's attention shifted from Bai Chenxiang and focused on Feng Wutong.
Dai Yao, however, seemed to be deep in thought.
What exactly did Bai Chenxiang mean by the look she gave him? And what was the meaning behind the strange tone of the Seahorse Douluo?
What was Bai Chenxiang's test in the original novel? I think it involved kissing the fat man for the duration of an incense stick burning...
Could it be...?
Dai Yao's eyes suddenly lit up. (End of Chapter)