First Encounter with PoseidonOn the boundless sea, a golden pillar of light appeared, piercing the heavens and the earth. A sacred aura rippled outwards, seemingly calming the chaos of the world, and even the sea itself became peaceful. Countless sea spirit beasts leaped out of the water, rejoicing at the inexplicable joy welling up within them.
Poseidon Island.
Dai Yao feigned shock as he gazed at the magnificent scene before him. After all, he had to appear to be a normal person.
The golden light curtain felt warm and comforting, like soaking in lukewarm water, relaxing all the tense muscles in his body. Then, the nine golden light curtains, like shooting stars, swiftly flew into Dai Yao's brow, transforming into a majestic trident mark.
A massive amount of information flooded into his mind, and Dai Yao learned the content of his first test, which was exactly the same as Tang San's test in the original work: to traverse the light of the sea god.
However, Dai Yao did not dwell too much on the test content. Instead, he was somewhat emotional, as accepting the nine trials of the Sea God meant that he had officially embarked on the path to godhood.
After going through many twists and turns, he ended up on the same path as Tang San in the original novel.
He exhaled a soft breath, subconsciously touching his brow, only to find nothing amiss. Looking at the Seahorse Douluo beside him, his gaze blank and motionless like a statue, Dai Yao smiled and pointed to his brow, asking:
"Senior Seahorse, what is this?"
Startled from his daze, Seahorse Douluo looked up and met Dai Yao's gaze, his heart jolting. Those brilliant golden pupils were majestic and domineering, concealing a sharp edge.
But when the golden trident mark appeared between Dai Yao's eyebrows, it added an air of unapproachable nobility and holiness to him.
Seahorse Douluo quickly lowered his head, avoiding Dai Yao's gaze, and respectfully said:
"Actually, I don't know what kind of assessment this is. I can guarantee that, so far, there has never been an assessment like yours on Poseidon Island."
Dai Yao nodded, feigning helplessness.
Just then, a distant voice drifted over, instantly enveloping the area around the Seahorse Pillar. The voice seemed to come from the heavens, yet it was gentle and compassionate, giving people a sense of peace.
"Don't make things difficult for him. This is the first time such a situation has occurred since the birth of Poseidon Island. What you are undergoing is not the top-level test, but the Nine Trials of Poseidon."
The sound grew louder as it approached, and as the last word fell, the space around the Seahorse Pillar seemed to distort, and a stunningly beautiful figure appeared before it.
A look of amazement involuntarily appeared on everyone's faces.
The woman was extremely tall, with long, flowing white hair cascading down to her waist. She wore a long red dress, and her mature, voluptuous figure, like a ripe peach, was partially revealed beneath it. It was as if a gentle bite would cause the juices of that ripe peach to burst forth. In her hand, she carried a jeweled scepter several meters long, her long dress trailing on the ground as she walked slowly.
What's most captivating is that flawless face.
She is elegant and dignified, like a cloud in the sky, unattainable and incomparably noble, yet she also gives people the impression of being gentle and kind, like a kind and understanding older sister next door.
Especially those eyes, as deep as the ocean, bearing the marks of time.
Upon seeing Poseidon, Dai Yao's eyes lit up. He knew from reading the original story that Poseidon, the High Priestess of Poseidon Island, was stunningly beautiful, and now that he saw her, she was indeed as rumored.
Dai Yao had seen many outstanding women in his life. Although his four wives were slightly better than Poseidon in terms of looks, they were far inferior in terms of temperament. The only one who could be compared to Poseidon was Bibi Dong, the Pope of the Spirit Hall.
However, the difference lies in their personalities. Poseidon is elegant and gentle, like the ocean, capable of encompassing all things; while Bibi Dong is cold and ruthless, perhaps due to unbearable past experiences, which is why she never shows any emotion.
Looking back, Dai Yao felt as if his intimate past with Bibi Dong in the Spirit Hall was a dream.
However, Dai Yao also knew that Poseidon already had Tang Chen in her heart. His feelings for Poseidon were mostly just admiration.
As he embarked on the path to godhood, Poseidon's fate was already sealed: to sacrifice her life and unlock the key to godhood. Unlike Tang San, he wasn't Tang Chen's great-grandson, so Poseidon wouldn't show him any mercy.
If he becomes a god, Poseidon must die, so he must be careful that Poseidon doesn't use the opportunity of the trial to get rid of him.
Although he had the Chaotic Green Lotus Martial Soul as his trump card and was not afraid of Poseidon at all, it was always better to be cautious.
"Greetings, High Priest."
Seahorse Douluo bowed respectfully and said, "This subordinate has failed to fulfill the Sea God's guidance. Please punish me, High Priest."
Poseidon smiled slightly, and the entire Inland Sea seemed to be captivated by her:
"It's not your fault. This is the first time I've ever seen something like this either."
Poseidon turned around, her gaze settling on the golden trident mark on Dai Yao's forehead. A faint emotional fluctuation finally flickered in her usually calm eyes. Dai Yao clearly sensed it—a complex and intense emotion.
Dai Yao could understand. A being standing at the pinnacle of humanity was destined to sacrifice his life for someone who suddenly appeared, and no one could easily forgive that. However, his Chaotic Azure Lotus Martial Soul stored all the soul power of a level 99 Soul Master, and if he wanted to, he could save Poseidon.
Whether to save him or not was a matter of his own decision.
"Young man, I have waited so long, and finally I have met you in my old age. The fate of Poseidon Island is in your hands. You can only succeed in the Nine Trials of Poseidon, you cannot fail. The consequences of failure are far more terrible than death."
Poseidon's eyes narrowed, and he said solemnly.
The air seemed to freeze, and Dai Yao clearly felt the immense pressure, like a vast ocean, making his breathing rapid. He knew that if Poseidon hadn't shown mercy, he would have had a hard time even raising his hand.
"Is this the power of a level 99 Peerless Douluo? It seems that holding back the Grand Elder of the Elder Council has made me quite arrogant."
Dai Yao was somewhat shocked to realize that Poseidon's intervention made him realize the gap between himself and the strongest experts on the continent.
The pressure came quickly and went just as fast. When it completely disappeared, Dai Yao revealed a perfectly timed hint of doubt. Back then, he had relied on his acting skills to survive in the cold palace, and now, acting again, he was flawless. He respectfully asked:
"High Priest, what exactly are these Nine Trials of the Sea God?"
Poseidon gave Dai Yao a deep look and said:
"I will not tell you what the Nine Trials of Poseidon are, nor can I tell you. You must complete one of the Nine Trials of Poseidon every year. As you pass one test after another, you will understand the meaning of them yourself."
"And from now on, no one on Poseidon Island will be able to accept your courtesy, including me."
Seeing that Dai Yao nodded to indicate that he understood, Poseidon stretched out her hand, with a golden bead in her palm.
The beads are crystal clear, and it seems as if golden clouds are surging inside, making them extraordinary.
"This item is called the God-given Soul Ring. Anyone who has been granted a Black-level or higher assessment by the Sea God can have a chance to obtain a God-given Soul Ring when they reach their first bottleneck."
"As the name suggests, a God-given Soul Ring does not require you to hunt Soul Beasts. The God-given Soul Ring will grant you the Soul Skills you need most, as well as the Soul Ring of the highest level your body can withstand. Everyone only has one chance."
"Dai Yao, I find that your aura is extremely solid, and it seems that you have been above level 70 for a long time, but you have not obtained a spirit ring. This divine spirit ring can be transformed into the spirit ring you need most, according to the limits that your body can contain."
Poseidon explained.
Dai Yao took the golden bead, his eyes burning with desire. One of his purposes in coming to Seagod Island was to obtain this divinely bestowed soul ring. He had finally hunted down the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, but it had unexpectedly become his third martial soul.
"Thank you, senior."
Dai Yao expressed his gratitude.
The women beside Dai Yao exchanged bewildered glances; they had never heard of divinely bestowed spirit rings before. Could a spirit master truly possess the ability to conjure a spirit ring perfectly suited to them out of thin air? Could it be, as the name "divinely bestowed spirit ring" suggests, a gift from the gods?
Does God really exist in this world?
"No need to thank me, it's all thanks to the Sea God."
Poseidon turned around and looked at the four women beside Dai Yao, her eyes filled with surprise. Even she couldn't have imagined such a scene: four disciples who had simultaneously passed the top-level assessment.
More importantly, it seems that all four women are Dai Yao's wives. With her centuries of experience, she finds it absurd that four women would submit to one man and live in harmony—isn't that just too much of a disgrace? Moreover, these four women are all exceptional talents among talents.
Of course, most of her knowledge and experience over the past hundred years has been confined to Poseidon Island, and her only romantic experience was with Tang Chen, with whom she never confessed her feelings. It could be said that her romantic history is a blank slate.
Sighing, "I really don't understand young people these days," Poseidon instructed Seahorse Douluo:
"Eurasia, relay my orders. These six are honored guests of this island until they complete the Sea God's test. No one may neglect or offend them. Except for not helping them complete the test, meet their conditions as much as possible. They shall stay in your Seahorse City. Also, summon the other six for a meeting at the Sea God's Temple tomorrow."
"yes."
Seahorse Douluo respectfully agreed.
As soon as she finished speaking, without any warning, Poseidon's figure slowly disappeared, vanishing into the void.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The appearance of the peerless Douluo, even without releasing any pressure, still made everyone breathless.
"What a powerful senior! Even with Grandpa Jian's help from Dad, he probably wouldn't be a match for this senior."
Looking at the spot where Poseidon had just been, Ning Rongrong sighed.
Seahorse Douluo smiled awkwardly and explained respectfully:
"Miss Ning Rongrong, although I don't know who the 'Grandpa Sword' you mentioned is, I am certain that he is no match for the Grand Elder. The Grand Elder is a peerless Douluo of level ninety-nine. There are very few in this world who can compare with her."
"Gentlemen, please follow me."
All the people in front of him, except for Bai Chenxiang, had passed the top-level test, and there was even one who had passed the Nine Trials of the Sea God. This made Seahorse Douluo put down his pride as a Title Douluo and become reserved and respectful.
Dai Yao retrieved the divinely bestowed soul ring from his hand. Now that he had just arrived, he needed to settle down and rest first. Only after he had recovered would it be the right time to absorb the divinely bestowed soul ring.
"Let's go."
Dai Yao spoke to the girls whispering behind him.
The five followed Dai Yao, with Seahorse Douluo in tow. Seahorse Douluo waved his hand, and a water bridge appeared, spanning the entire Sea of the Sea. After everyone stepped onto the bridge, Seahorse Douluo introduced the local customs and culture of Seagod Island while leading the way to Seahorse City.
After landing, the dozens of yellow-clad soul masters and one purple-clad soul master immediately followed and moved forward with the group.
Before long, they emerged from the forest, and a city came into view. The city was not large, much smaller than Han Hai City. However, what was most eye-catching was a seahorse statue standing in the center of the city, its eyes piercing, staring straight ahead, brave and composed.
"Gentlemen, we have arrived at Hanhai City."
Seahorse Douluo happily introduced the history of Seahorse City. When the group entered Seahorse City, the Soul Masters they encountered were all horrified when they saw the mark between Dai Yao and the others' eyebrows. They then respectfully lowered their heads to show their respect.
After Seahorse Douluo escorted everyone to the City Lord's Mansion to rest, he left for the Sea God Temple to discuss matters with the other Title Douluos.
In the city lord's mansion.
Dai Yao sat in the main seat, with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing sitting on his left and right respectively. Feng Wutong stood silently behind the sofa, while Dugu Yan crossed her legs and smiled as she looked at Dai Yao and the others, her gaze constantly shifting between them.
Bai Chenxiang sat alone to one side, cautiously, giving off an air of "everyone else is a fierce beast, and I'm just a pitiful and innocent little white rabbit, trying my best to hide myself and not attract your attention." All four sect leaders' wives passed the top-level assessment, while the sect leader even passed the Nine Trials of the Sea God.
She was the only one who received a yellow-level assessment.
The assessment content... and it was so strange! She had almost given up. She really wanted to improve herself, but no matter how hard she tried, she could never catch up with these true geniuses. But the thought of Dai Yao receiving the divinely bestowed soul ring made her heart pound.
She couldn't help but wonder what reward she would receive if she completed the Yellow-level assessment.
She knew she could never catch up with Dai Yao and the others, but Seagod Island was indeed a tremendous opportunity! She came here not to compare herself with Dai Yao and the others, but to surpass herself!
She raised her beautiful eyes slightly and secretly glanced at Dai Yao. Just thinking about the test made her face burn.
"After so many days of drifting on the ship, I can finally get some rest."
Dai Yao lay on the sofa, looking at the ceiling, and said relaxedly.
Dugu Yan rolled her eyes at him and said:
"Get up quickly, let's get down to business."
Dai Yao coughed lightly and sat up.
"My first test is time travel, the Light of the Sea God. That's a bit strange. What are your tests?"
Dugu Yan said in a deep voice.
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing sensed the mark between their eyebrows, and information flooded their minds. They immediately understood the content of their assessment. They both said:
"Mine is the same."
"Where is the parasol tree?"
Dugu Yan looked up at Feng Wutong and asked.
Feng Wutong was silent for a moment, then said, "I am also a transmigrator, the Light of the Sea God."
"Dai Yao, what about you?"
"Mine is a time travel, double the light of the sea god."
Dai Yao knew the contents of the Sea God's Light; in fact, one could say that a crucial opportunity in arriving at Sea God Island was the Sea God's Light. Cultivating under the pressure of the Sea God's Light allowed for rapid advancement in cultivation. Of course, Dai Yao couldn't tell them the specifics now.
As a control-type Soul Master, Dugu Yan is the commander in team battles, and under the current circumstances, she is particularly sensitive to information about the Sea God's Light.
He glanced at Dai Yao with some concern, pondered for a moment, and then said in a deep voice:
"My first test consists of traversing the Light of the Sea God. Hint: Proceed to the core forbidden area of Sea God Island and climb the first 228 steps of the forbidden area to pass the test. You may withdraw midway. Time limit: one year."
"Judging from the sympathetic look in Seahorse Douluo's eyes when he looked at us, this assessment will definitely not be easy. It's hard to say what the assessment will actually take right now, but it's very likely that the pressure will increase dramatically as we climb the steps. We'll be able to make specific plans once we arrive at the assessment site."
Upon hearing this, Feng Wutong said somewhat sadly:
"My assessment only requires me to climb 136 steps within a year, so the difficulty of the assessment should be much less than yours."
Dai Yao paused, then quickly stood up and put his arm around Feng Wutong's shoulder. He knew how strong-willed Feng Wutong was. They had both received lotus flowers from Dai Yao, yet they were both at the top level eight, while she was at the top level seven.
Feng Wutong must be feeling very bad.
"It's alright. I suspect the reason you got the top-tier seventh trial instead of the top-tier eighth trial is because of your martial soul attribute. The Sea God controls the sea, and you do have a fire attribute martial soul, so naturally he doesn't like you and won't give you the top-tier eighth trial."
Dai Yao comforted her softly.
Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Dugu Yan all stood up and walked to Feng Wutong's side. Dugu Yan smiled and said:
"Little Wutong, you don't need to worry about these things. We won't look at you with prejudice just because of the difference in your assessment."
When Feng Wutong looked up, she saw everyone smiling and comforting her, and her heart warmed instantly. She smiled and said:
"Don't worry, everyone. I won't be upset over something so small. I'm a very competitive person, and the final result can't be determined by the assessment."
Bai Chenxiang, who seemed like an outsider, was stunned upon hearing Feng Wutong's words. (End of Chapter)