Chapter 169: Breaking Through to Soul Sage
"Success!"
"That's amazing, Su Mo! You really obtained the Sea God's Nine Trials!"
Upon witnessing that Su Mo had truly received the Sea God's inheritance trials, Bibi Dong couldn't help but exclaim in excitement.
She firmly believed that with Su Mo's capabilities, since he had been granted the Sea God's inheritance trials, he would certainly be able to complete them.
Once Su Mo ascended to godhood, with his help, she would finally be freed from being trapped inside him.
No one liked being imprisoned within another person's body indefinitely. Even though Bibi Dong trusted Su Mo, she still didn't want to remain confined within him forever.
"Mm, don't worry, Sister Rakshasa! I will definitely complete the Sea God's Nine Trials!"
Su Mo himself was overjoyed—this meant that his path to godhood was now within reach!
"High Priest!"
The bespectacled secretary, though still in shock, couldn't help but turn to look at Bo Saixi.
She had her suspicions but found them hard to believe, so she looked at Bo Saixi for confirmation.
"Indeed, it seems you truly are the one chosen by the Sea God!"
"What is your name?"
Instead of answering the secretary, Bo Saixi looked at Su Mo and, after a moment of contemplation, asked for his name.
Until now, she still didn't even know what he was called.
"Su Mo!"
Su Mo replied.
"I'm Ning Rongrong!"
"I'm Ye Lingling!"
Following Su Mo's lead, Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling also introduced themselves.
"Su Mo, the Sea God's Nine Trials present you with an incredible opportunity, but also an immense challenge. However, I hope you will give it your all and see it through to the end."
After learning Su Mo's name, Bo Saixi spoke to him with a serious expression.
She sincerely hoped that the Sea God's long wait would finally yield a worthy successor.
Yet, deep in her heart, Bo Saixi couldn't help but feel envious and somewhat unwilling to accept this reality.
However, despite these feelings, she would not hinder Su Mo from completing the trials. On the contrary, she would assist him as much as possible.
"Send word—starting today, Su Mo is the most honored guest of Sea God Island!"
Without hesitation, Bo Saixi turned and instructed her secretary.
"Yes, High Priest!"
Hearing this, the bespectacled secretary immediately acknowledged the order.
Her gaze toward Su Mo had completely changed.
Earlier, she had thought he was merely a genius, but now she understood—Su Mo wasn't just a genius. He was the one whom Sea God Island had been waiting for all these years.
"Su Mo, you all just arrived at Sea God Island today, so take some time to rest."
"Tomorrow, return here to the base of Sea God Mountain to begin your first trial."
Bo Saixi looked at Su Mo once again and instructed.
"Understood, High Priest!"
Su Mo had no objections—there was no need to rush.
Besides, they did need a place to settle down first.
Under the guidance of the bespectacled secretary, Su Mo and his companions soon arrived at the nearest town to Sea God Mountain.
This town was called Sea Ghost City, and it was guarded by the Sea Ghost Douluo.
After settling in, Sea Ghost Douluo personally came to receive Su Mo and his group.
After all, as a candidate for the Sea God's inheritance, Su Mo could not be taken lightly.
Moreover, even without Su Mo, Ning Rongrong alone—having received the top-tier Seven Trials—was reason enough for Sea Ghost Douluo to treat them with great respect.
The Next Day
The following day, Su Mo and his group returned to the foot of Sea God Mountain, where the Sea God Temple was located.
Yesterday, Su Mo had used several teleportation moves to reach the summit instantly, but today, that would not be allowed.
"Passing through the Sea God's Light!"
"So, we just have to climb up from here?"
Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling looked at the towering staircase, enveloped in a shimmering light, their eyes filled with curiosity.
They already knew the details of the first trial, but they didn't know what it would feel like in practice.
"My first trial requires me to climb 108 steps—the least among us—so it should be the easiest. Let me try first!"
Ye Lingling approached the staircase and, after stating her intention, took her first step.
Buzz—
As soon as she stepped onto the staircase, she felt a pressure descend upon her, trying to push her back down.
However, since it was only the first step, the force wasn't too strong, and she easily withstood it.
She then continued climbing, step by step.
At first, her pace was quick, but after reaching the seventh or eighth step, her speed noticeably slowed. It was as if her feet had been shackled with immense weight, making it increasingly difficult to lift them.
"No way! She's only climbed ten steps, and she's already struggling?"
"Why is this happening?"
At the base of the mountain, Ning Rongrong was astonished by Ye Lingling's struggle.
"It must be the effect of the Sea God's Light. Rongrong, try it yourself, and you'll understand."
Su Mo smiled as he spoke.
"Mm! I'll give it a try!"
Encouraged by Su Mo, Ning Rongrong did not hesitate. She lifted her foot and stepped onto the staircase.
Buzz—
The moment she was subjected to the repelling force of the Sea God's Light, Ning Rongrong finally understood what the trial entailed.
She then gritted her teeth and started following Ye Lingling's footsteps, slowly making her way up.
Without needing Su Mo's instructions, both girls had already figured out the correct approach to the trial.
One of the key rules was that no offensive soul skills could be used to overcome the pressure.
Luckily, Ye Lingling and Ning Rongrong had no offensive soul skills to begin with, so they naturally avoided making the reckless mistakes that Dai Mubai and his group had in the original storyline.
"I'll give it a try as well."
Seeing the two of them already attempting the trial, Su Mo smiled and stepped forward.
Buzz—
Just like the others, Su Mo felt the repelling force of the Sea God's Light as soon as he set foot on the staircase.
However, this power was insignificant in Su Mo's eyes.
As if completely unaffected, he walked forward with a steady, unhurried pace, leaving clear footprints with each step.
"That's incredible! He's making it look effortless!"
"Is this really his first time passing through the Sea God's Light?"
Seeing Su Mo's performance, the bespectacled secretary, who was watching from above, gasped in astonishment.
"That's because his physical condition is exceptionally strong."
Standing in front of the secretary, Bo Saixi's beautiful eyes flashed slightly before she calmly explained.
Even she was slightly surprised by Su Mo's formidable physique, but it wasn't entirely unexpected.
After all, anyone chosen by the Sea God had to be extraordinary.
"Rongrong, I'll be going ahead. Don't push yourself too hard—when you reach your limit, stop. We have an entire year, so there's no need to rush."
"The pressure of the Sea God's Light is actually perfect for training. If we cultivate here, it will yield twice the results with half the effort!"
By the time Su Mo reached the 14th step, he had already caught up with Ning Rongrong.
As he passed her, he offered some advice.
"Got it!"
Hearing Su Mo's words, Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded in agreement.
Seeing that she understood, Su Mo didn't wait. He passed Ning Rongrong and continued climbing.
By the 18th step, he had already overtaken Ye Lingling as well.
"Lingling, the same goes for you. If you reach your limit, don't push yourself. The real purpose of this trial is to use this environment for training!"
As Su Mo surpassed Ye Lingling, he spoke a few words to her.
"Mm, I understand!"
Ye Lingling quickly responded, having heard what Su Mo had said to Ning Rongrong earlier.
Watching Su Mo's figure moving ahead, a look of admiration flashed in Ye Lingling's eyes.
Even after surpassing her, Su Mo still appeared completely at ease as he ascended.
But as for herself? At this point, every step felt as heavy as a mountain. She was nearly unable to move any further.
Before long, Ye Lingling stopped at the 20th step and began meditating to cultivate.
"Lingling, I'll cultivate with you. I can't go any further either!"
Ning Rongrong soon caught up with Ye Lingling and stopped at the 21st step, sitting down to cultivate alongside her.
"They actually grasped the most crucial aspect of the first trial so quickly!"
The bespectacled secretary was once again astonished upon witnessing this scene.
However, her attention did not linger on Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling for long. Soon, she shifted her gaze back to Su Mo.
At this moment, Su Mo had already reached the 40th step.
She finally saw that his movements had begun to slow down.
From his actions, it was clear that Su Mo was beginning to feel the pressure of the Sea God's Light, and his progress was becoming more difficult.
By the time he reached the 60th step, he found it increasingly challenging to continue upward.
"Slaughter God Domain!"
"Eight Spider Lances!"
Buzz—
Feeling that his own strength alone was no longer enough to advance, Su Mo immediately activated his Slaughter God Domain and simultaneously released the Eight Spider Lances from his back.
As soon as these abilities were unleashed, he felt an instant lightness, as if the heavy suppression from before had suddenly disappeared.
Of course, it hadn't truly vanished—rather, it had been significantly weakened.
With the support of his Slaughter God Domain and Eight Spider Lances, Su Mo resumed his ascent.
It wasn't until he reached the 80th step that he once again felt that same oppressive difficulty.
Yet he continued, step by step, each footprint marking his relentless climb.
"88 steps!"
"My god, this is his first time crossing the Sea God's Light, and he actually reached the 88th step? That's insane!"
The bespectacled secretary, watching from below, was wide-eyed in disbelief.
The height that had taken her several years to achieve—Su Mo had accomplished in a single attempt.
Even Bo Saixi, who was watching from the side, was taken aback.
Reaching such a height on one's first try was extraordinarily rare.
Moreover, the fact that Su Mo possessed both the Slaughter God Domain and Eight Spider Lances also surprised her.
After reaching the 88th step, Su Mo finally stopped, making no further attempts to climb.
He could sense that even if he pushed on, he wouldn't get much farther. There was no need to force it—after all, it wasn't as if he could complete the first of the Sea God's Nine Trials in a single go.
Thus, Su Mo sat down on the 88th step and began meditating, using the pressure of the Sea God's Light to refine his cultivation.
With a full year ahead, there was no rush. The most valuable aspect of this trial was the ability to use the Sea God's Light to accelerate cultivation.
From that day onward, Su Mo and his companions used the pressure of the Sea God's Light to train within the first trial of the Sea God's Nine Trials.
In just three months, Su Mo's soul power had risen from level 68 to level 69.
He was now just one step away from breaking through to level 70 and becoming a Soul Sage.
Ning Rongrong had also advanced, reaching level 58.
Meanwhile, Ye Lingling had officially broken through level 50 a month prior, becoming a Soul King.
She had even received a divine-bestowed soul ring, successfully condensing a 10,000-year soul ring.
For those undergoing the Sea God Island trials, any breakthrough in cultivation during the trials would grant a divine-bestowed soul ring.
However, this opportunity was only granted once.
Any further divine-bestowed soul rings would depend on the candidate's performance in later trials. If they performed well, they might receive an extra one as a reward for completing a challenge.
It seemed that only the Sea God was this generous. Even those who weren't inheritors of the Sea God's legacy but merely ordinary participants in the island's trials could still receive divine-bestowed soul rings.
It was a stark contrast to the Angel God and the Rakshasa God, who had only ever taken in a single inheritor at a time and had rarely been seen granting divine-bestowed soul rings.
In this regard, the Sea God was far more generous.
Su Mo speculated that this might be related to the nature of the Sea God's divine position. Even after ascending to godhood, the Sea God continued to watch over the ocean, and countless beings across the seas worshiped him with unwavering faith.
With such immense faith gathered over the years, it was likely that the Sea God could use this power to create divine-bestowed soul rings.
Another three months passed.
Buzz—
While cultivating on the 188th step, a powerful surge of soul energy erupted from Su Mo's body.
Moments later, Su Mo's soul power finally broke through from level 69 to level 70.
"Yes! I've finally reached level 70!"
Su Mo opened his eyes, filled with exhilaration.
Even though he had known all along that reaching level 70 was inevitable, finally achieving it still filled him with excitement.
Buzz—
Just as Su Mo reached level 70, a graceful figure appeared before him.
"Su Mo, congratulations on successfully breaking through to level 70 and becoming a Soul Sage!"
"As you've advanced by an entire rank during the trial, just like Ye Lingling, you will receive a divine-bestowed soul ring."
Bo Saixi materialized in front of Su Mo, offering him her congratulations before lightly waving her scepter.
A small divine-bestowed soul ring appeared before Su Mo.
"Once you're ready, you may begin absorbing it."
Bo Saixi instructed.
"Yes, thank you, High Priest!"
Seeing the divine-bestowed soul ring, Su Mo's eyes lit up.
Coming to Sea God Island ahead of time had been precisely for this purpose—to ensure that his seventh soul ring could be a 100,000-year soul ring.
🌟 Unlock the World of Stories with Early Access on Patreon! 🌟
Hello, beloved readers and supporters!
I am thrilled to offer you an exclusive opportunity to dive deeper into our captivating stories before anyone else. By joining the Patreon community, you'll unlock a treasure trove of benefits, including:
📚 Early Access to 20 Chapters: Be the first to explore new chapters, experiencing the twists and turns of our tales well ahead of regular readers. Your journey through our stories doesn't have to wait!
💬 Connect with the Community: Join a vibrant, like-minded group of readers who share your passion. Engage in exciting discussions, share theories, and make new friends who love the stories as much as you do.
👏 Support the Creator: Your patronage directly contributes to the ongoing creation and improvement of the content you love. Be a vital part of the creative journey!
Patreon.com/anish_44
https://ko-fi.com/anish_44