Chapter 517.
The moment those words left Wang Feng's mouth…
The two purple-clothed sea soul masters froze again.
"There's… more?!"
Their faces went pale. One of them spoke with a dry voice, their thoughts spinning in disbelief.
"Y-You… this is still just the first test?"
Their heads were buzzing with confusion. It was too ridiculous to comprehend.
Even Wang Feng looked somewhat frustrated.
This golden light had clearly faded quite a bit already and I had only sensed two tests when it appeared!
After all, the Sea God assessments revealed the next segment only after the previous part was completed.
But now, as Wang Feng reached out with his mental senses, focusing on the faint trident-shaped mark glowing faintly on his brow, he realized something that made him deeply uneasy:
The first test was actually divided into three parts. Yet it only offered a single reward.
'That's not right!' Wang Feng muttered inwardly. This is seriously messed up.
He was only given two official assessments, and now one of them had been stretched into multiple impossible tasks.
At this point, how is it even different from a full-fledged Sea God Nine Trials?
Wang Feng's brows twitched. A theory slowly formed in his mind.
Could it be that Sea God himself tampered with my trial?!
Maybe he realized that the divine power he left behind in me was fading far too fast. Only two tests wouldn't be enough to push me to my limit—so he secretly split them into layers and tacked on more content!
Wang Feng couldn't help but sigh.
This is like wishing for a single prize and getting three punishments along the way.
'So shameless! Sea God, you're cheating!' He glanced up with complaint in his eyes.
One reward. Three trials in one. This is pure bullying. There's no doubt about it—he's deliberately trying to make things hard for me!
Clearing his throat, Wang Feng continued:
"And the last part of the first test is to tame three sea soul beasts over 80,000 years old in the central waters, then cut off the Sea God's Locks binding them, and bring them out from the sealed zone."
"…" Two purple-clothed sea soul masters and everyone.
Their minds blanked out for a moment.
What kind of test is this?! Is this even humanly possible?!
Before they could react, Hu Liena tilted her head and said thoughtfully:
"That doesn't sound too difficult… Right, Teacher? With your strength, even a 100,000-year-old soul beast can be subdued easily. You brought one back from the Star Dou Great Forest. Wouldn't an 80,000-year-old beast be easy in comparison?"
But before Wang Feng could respond, the expressions of the two purple-clothed sea soul masters turned even more grim.
Their voices trembled slightly as they explained:
"You don't understand. These aren't ordinary 80,000-year-old sea beasts."
"The soul beasts currently locked beneath the central waters, deep under Sea God Mountain, are all ancient, vicious monsters—some of the most dangerous to ever exist in the ocean."
"Most of the weaker or more docile soul beasts were either tamed or killed long ago—turned into soul rings by powerful sea soul masters."
"What remains now are only the ones that couldn't be killed or tamed, even by our Sacred Pillars!"
Their tone was now fearful and reverent.
"They've been chained beneath the mountain with the Sea God's Locks and suppressed by the divine power of Sea God Mountain itself. That's the only way we've been able to contain them."
"Even with the combined strength of the Seven Sacred Pillars, we don't dare confront those beasts in direct combat!"
"Killing them is incredibly difficult—and taming them is virtually impossible!"
And then came the final blow:
"And those Sea God's Locks you're supposed to remove? They're crafted from Sea Blue Heavy Gold—a rare, divine metal unique to the ocean, fused with a trace of the Sea God's divine power. They're unbreakable."
"Without the Sea God's permission, you won't be able to cut them no matter what technique or strength you use."
"Honestly, this part might be even more impossible than the previous two."
The purple-clothed soul masters looked at Wang Feng with a strange mixture of pity, awe, and fear.
"Your first exam is just a whole series of impossible missions wrapped into one."
When it came to the latter part of the trial, the two purple-clothed sea soul masters seemed utterly shaken, as if their entire understanding had been overturned.
Wang Feng didn't respond to their surprise. He could only sense an overwhelming and malicious intent hidden within this assessment.
What exactly is Sea God trying to do? Did I offend him somehow? Eat his rice or something? Why is this test so ruthless?
He couldn't help but compare it to the trials of the Rakshasa God. There was only one Rakshasa God, after all. Could it be that Sea God somehow knew what happened with the Rakshasa God and decided to change the structure of this trial?
Was this some twisted form of compensation? Forcing such an assessment upon him and adding three segments?
Wang Feng wanted to refuse, but he –knew he had no choice—he had to pass.
Hu Liena and the other two seemed to understand as well. The difficulty of these three assessment components was extreme, almost exaggerated.
"Your assessment locations are all within the central ring sea area," one of the purple-clothed soul masters instructed.
The two soul masters led both teams out of the city and headed at full speed toward the center of Sea God Island.
There were no transportation tools on the island. Despite its vast size, high-level soul masters could travel across the entire island within two days if they moved at full speed, rendering such tools unnecessary.
The two Soul Saints moved swiftly, but on land, their speed wasn't significantly faster than Tang San or Hu Liena's. Zhu Zhuqing, being a speed-type attacker, wasn't the least bit behind—in fact, she was slightly faster.
Wang Feng estimated that the entire island spanned about 500m in radius. The terrain in the center gradually rose, along with the sea level, but the incline was relatively gentle. After passing through forests, they arrived at the central waters around dusk.
Though referred to as a sea area, it was more like a large circular lake. At a glance, its diameter spanned at least five kilometers, with a mountain standing tall in the center.
The mountain wasn't very high—around five to six hundred meters—but its brownish-gray surface made it look like a massive brown gem from a distance. As the setting sun bathed the mountain in its rays, it shimmered with a light red luster. Reflected in the surrounding sea, the sparkling red light made for a breathtaking sight.
At the mountain's peak, a white jade-like palace could be vaguely seen—perched high above the sea.
"That is our Sea God Mountain, and atop it stands the Sea God Temple," said one of the purple-clothed soul masters with reverence.
"It is the most sacred place on all of Sea God Island. Beneath the Sea God Mountain are 72 Sea God's Locks. Most of them are now vacant. Sea soul beasts have become fewer, and many have already been tamed. They won't attack our soul masters without reason. However, if an unknown soul master enters the sea without permission, it can still provoke some attacks."
"But you need not worry," the other added. "You are here for the assessment. You won't be targeted by the sea soul beasts. The most dangerous ones dwell about five kilometers below the surface and rarely come up. The deeper they are, the more pressure they exert on Sea God Mountain. Unless there's an unusual disturbance, the untamed ones will stay below. As for the tamed beasts, they create almost no pressure due to the –absence of Sea God's Locks."
After that explanation, the two soul masters fell silent, quietly observing the group. Their role was to answer any questions but not to offer assistance.
Tang San and his group had already discussed among themselves and, without hesitation, decided to try the challenge first. The steps leading upward and downward made it possible to retreat if anything went wrong.
"Teacher, let's begin as well," Hu Liena said to Wang Feng, retrieving a diving suit from her soul guide.
These suits had been prepared in advance, purchased from Hanhai City. Made from special materials, they enhanced underwater maneuverability but didn't alleviate the intense sea pressure.
Hu Liena's suit was a light blue, designed with fin-like structures. It hugged her form, fully displaying her graceful, mature figure. Her pale cheeks were slightly flushed with excitement. The material of the suit allowed soul power to flow more efficiently.
Xie Yue and Yan also wore special suits—one black, the other red.
Wang Feng, however, didn't change–. He wore the same attire as before.
He nodded lightly and warned them, "Underwater, there's no margin for error. The steps allow you to retreat at any time, but if your soul power runs out, even breathing becomes difficult. Test your limits carefully. When you feel close to them—stop. There's always another way."
This was yet another challenge within the assessment.
The next moment, the three of them dove into the water, followed shortly by Wang Feng, who leapt gracefully into the sea. His entry caused barely a ripple.
As the four entered the designated sea area, black light surrounded the three students—an indication of their Black-Level assessment status. In contrast, a faint golden glow enveloped Wang Feng, marking his different level.
"Teacher, the sea is so beautiful!" Hu Liena exclaimed.
They had only descended about ten meters when the trio began to feel a light pressure—nothing too intense. None of them had yet used their soul power to resist the water pressure, a testament to their impressive physical capabilities.
Hu Liena, having trained in swimming before, glided through the water like a graceful fish. Xie Yue and Yan, too, were visibly thrilled by the underwater world.
This central sea area was clearly unlike the outer seas. Though dusk was falling above the surface, the underwater view remained strikingly vibrant.
Below them, a forest of aquatic vegetation unfolded—mainly coral seaweed and other unfamiliar marine plants. Exotic flowers bloomed beneath the waves, each more dazzling than the last. The entire scene was a spectacle, leaving the trio wide-eyed in awe.
Ordinary marine animals were rare, but sea soul beasts were plentiful. Most were relatively weak, ranging from a hundred to a thousand years in age.
While the central ring sea area once held many powerful sea soul beasts, most of those had long since been tamed. Over the years, they had reproduced, giving rise to many offspring—most of whom lacked the formidable strength of their ancestors.
Some stronger sea soul beasts approached curiously but retreated after sensing the radiant light from the four—an indicator that they were undergoing official assessment.
As they admired the underwater beauty, the trio gradually swam toward Sea God Mountain.
Swimming beside Hu Liena was a plump little dolphin, about three to four meters long, its body pure white and its large, expressive eyes sparkling with intelligence. The dolphin quickly grew fond of her, swimming affectionately at her side.
From time to time, it released cheerful, melodic dolphin sounds, adding to the tranquil atmosphere.
However, the closer they got to Sea God Mountain, the fewer sea soul beasts they encountered.
When they reached a distance of only 500 meters from the mountain, the white dolphin seemed to understand it could go no further. Reluctantly, it circled them once more before swimming away, leaving the group behind as they pressed onward.
Upon entering the 500-meter range of Sea God Mountain, the three companions felt a distinctive pressure emanating from its imposing form.
Wang Feng squinted slightly as he gazed at the Sea God Mountain looming ahead. Even beneath the ocean floor, the mountain appeared to stretch endlessly downward, its form seeming almost ethereal in the underwater depths.
Moreover, the material composing Sea God Mountain was remarkably unique. It showed no signs of corrosion from the seawater and maintained its lustrous brown, jade-like appearance. From a distance, it resembled a massive pillar rising from the ocean floor.
After descending approximately fifty meters, the three companions' expressions grew tense. Their bodies felt compressed as immense pressure bore down on them from both the surrounding seawater and Sea God Mountain itself.
It was then that they spotted the the Sea God Locks.
These chains extended short sections from Sea God Mountain, floating silently on the ocean floor. The chains varied dramatically in size—some no thicker than bamboo stalks, others as wide as a person's thigh, and some even rivaling the girth of ancient trees.
The trio swam toward the nearest chain.
The chain gleamed with blue and silver hues throughout its length. At the point where it emerged from Sea God Mountain's wall, tiny script was etched into the metal. The inscription roughly translated to: "This chain weighs 2000 kgs and restrains a 10,000-year-old sea soul beast—the Blue-Eyed Sea Jade Snake. Chain length: 600 meters."
Only a few meters of this particular chain remained exposed, and it was relatively thin. Clearly, the Blue-Eyed Sea Jade Snake had been completely subdued, causing the chain to retract accordingly.
"So we need to find chains that match our individual assessment depths?" Xieyue mused aloud. "Then we wrap the chains around ourselves before the actual assessment begins?"
Xieyue's required sinking depth was 750 meters, Yan's was 850 meters, and Hu –Liena's was exactly 1,000 meters.
The wall of Sea God Mountain bristled with countless chains, creating a dense array of options from which to choose.
The three quickly made their selections. With so many chains available, they had excellent choices. Xie Yue chose one measuring over 700 meters in length and weighing approximately 3000 kgs. Yan selected an 800-meter chain weighing more than 3500 kgs. Hu Liena's chain stretched over 900 meters—nearly a full kilometer—and weighed more than 4000 kgs.
"Although these chains are heavy, the water's buoyancy should reduce their effective weight significantly. They should feel lighter than expected," the three reasoned.
The chains they had chosen lay close together, and none appeared excessively thick. Before securing the chains to themselves, all three shared this optimistic assessment.
However, the moment they fastened the chains to their bodies, their expressions transformed with alarm!
A tremendous weight pressed down upon them relentlessly through the chains! While each chain weighed several thousand kilograms in total, at least one-fifth of that weight bore down directly on their bodies. The ocean's buoyancy seemed to have no effect whatsoever!
The three companions plummeted rapidly! The crushing sea pressure combined with the chains' weight created an overwhelming threat that sent panic through their hearts.
Without hesitation, all three channeled their soul power and fought to halt their descent.
They ceased speaking entirely, knowing that every word would drain precious soul power. Underwater, their breathing depended completely on soul power circulating through their bodies to prevent unconsciousness from oxygen deprivation.
"These chains are far from ordinary..." Wang Feng observed, his brow furrowing with concern. "They must be imbued with special power—otherwise, they couldn't possibly restrain those sea soul beasts."
Watching the three struggle, Wang Feng's worry deepened. Their initial test posed significant danger. While it might not surpass the difficulty of crossing the Sea God's Light, it was undeniably far more perilous.
After all, these three were not Tang San and his companions—those children blessed and favored by the Sea God himself. These three could hardly claim such divine favor, making their assessment extraordinarily dangerous.
The trio managed to arrest their descent only after channeling their soul power to its fullest. If they had continued sinking at such a rate, their bodies would never have adapted to the sudden, dramatic increase in pressure.
.........…
Please support me and read atleast 20 chapters ahead at my patréon.
patréon.com/PrimorDious.
I'll be very grateful. Thanks.