Chapter 527.
Wang Feng's strategy for Tang San's group was the exact opposite of the gentle method he once used on Hu Liena and her teammates.
Hu Liena's trio had weaker innate talent, and the under‑sea environment was more dangerous. There, Wang Feng had relied on a slow, nurturing approach to awaken their potential. Tang San's group, however, possessed far sharper aptitude—enhanced further by the immortal herbs. To accelerate their growth, Wang Feng chose an extreme path.
Because Wang Feng had climbed to the 900th step, he knew precisely how much pressure the Sea God's Light exerted at every stage. By overlaying his Domain of Original Sin with crushing soul‑power pressure, he could make Tang San's team feel the intensity of those upper layers—months ahead of schedule.
He couldn't push them in a single leap, their bodies would shatter. Instead, he squeezed them to the brink each day, then let them fall back and recuperate. Thanks to the nightly soul energy vortex he generated, they had enough essence to restore themselves by morning—ready for the next round.
The downside? The process was agonizing. The pain alone could break their resolve. Yet breaking limits in a short time always demands a price. Wang Feng himself had endured unimaginable torment—almost tearing his body apart when he absorbed his very first soul ring. Without Meteoric Tears, he might have died that day.
Still, Wang Feng realized a bonus, this "training" conveniently masked his true identity. To outsiders, it looked like blatant sabotage—a perfect cover.
On the second morning, Wang Feng descended to the first step once more, unleashed his domain, and advanced like a slow‑moving wolf toward the nine. Tang San's group had just finished an exhausting recovery session. Before they could savor any growth, Wang Feng's pressure crushed them again.
They cursed, they trembled—but they endured.
Day by day, the routine intensified, greater pressure, longer exposure. Barely enough time to recover before the next onslaught.
Their strength climbed rapidly—but so did the pain.
The Fifth Day—
On the fifth day, Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and Yan finally surfaced from the deep sea—completing their first trial.
Their sudden appearance stunned Tang San's group.
Five months ago, Hu Liena's trio had begun the same assessment. Now they were already finished?
Tang San and the others hadn't even reached half of their required progress! Seeing the three Soul Hall members arrive—faces beaming, soul power each six or seven levels higher—sparked both disbelief and renewed determination.
"If they can do it, so can we. We just have to keep going—no matter how much it hurts."
The pressure from Wang Feng, combined with the example set by Hu Liena's success, forged a burning resolve in Tang San's team. They clenched their teeth, braced themselves for the next torture session and vowed not to collapse—because on the other side of that pain lay power.
The progress they had made was undeniably impressive. It was hard to believe just how far they had come.
Once considered rivals, the Shrek Seven Devils now trailed behind them. This realization brought an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
"The teacher is truly powerful..." Xie Yue said with visible excitement. "We've surpassed them again. Five years ago, they overtook us, but now we've caught up and even gone beyond. I never imagined we'd get this chance."
Yan nodded in agreement.
"The Shrek Seven Devils are indeed talented," he said thoughtfully. "But it's odd... Wang Feng, their strongest, didn't come with them this time."
Hu Liena smirked.
"That's a good thing," she said coldly. "That guy always causes trouble. He's absurdly strong. Now that he's absent, Lord Pontiff can focus entirely on blocking Tang San and the others during their assessment."
After five months of isolation without sunlight, the complexions of Hu Liena and the others had grown fairer—especially Hu Liena. She now appeared even more radiant and beautiful. The confidence gained from their growing soul power only enhanced her charm further.
"But how exactly is the teacher preventing the Shrek Seven Devils from progressing?" Xie Yue asked curiously. "It's been over five months, and yet they're –all still stuck on the 50th step of the Sea God's Light."
It was early morning. The sun had just risen in the west.
At that moment, they saw Lord Pontiff, Wang Wu, descending from the mountaintop. He landed gracefully and immediately unleashed his Domain of Original Sin along with the pressure of his soul power. He then walked directly toward Tang San and his companions.
Over the next half hour, none of them could move from their positions.
The three observers were stunned.
"The teacher is incredible!" Yan exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "He's using this pressure to completely block their progress. If this continues, they'll either be forced to retreat back to Sea God Mountain or be stuck on the steps and fail the assessment. It's –a brilliant strategy."
Xie Yue and Hu Liena exchanged knowing glances, equally impressed.
"For the teacher, this must be incredibly difficult to manage," Xie Yue murmured. "If he goes too far and kills them, he'd violate Sea God Island's rules. Then Bo Saixi, the Grand Priestess, would definitely intervene—and that would be dangerous."
"Trust in the teacher," Yan replied with admiration in his voice. "He knows what he's doing. This kind of manipulation is easy for him."
They all understood how delicate the situation was. Preventing Tang San and the others from completing their assessment was no simple task.
They couldn't be killed—that would break the island's rules. But interfering in a way that hinders them without crossing the line? That required true mastery.
Yet the White Pontiff's current strategy did exactly that—subtle, powerful, and perfectly legal.
"This approach is brilliant..." Hu Liena said slowly, though with a trace of hesitation in her voice as she looked at Tang San and the others.
"Still, it might actually help them in the long run... if they can endure the teacher's pressure."
"That seems unlikely," Yan replied, shaking his head.
"Lasting a day or two might be possible—but a month or more? That's far harder than anything we faced in the deep sea. The teacher won't let up until they're pushed to their limit. And his Domain... even a slight taste of it is worse than being trapped in the pitch-black depths of the ocean."
He was right.
"Regardless, the teacher's methods are undoubtedly top-tier," Hu Liena concluded. "If Tang San and his team manage to persevere through this... it would only prove how exceptional they truly are—both in talent and willpower."
Still doubtful, the three observed the scene for two days before heading off to begin their second assessment.
In contrast, the second assessment for the three was much easier than expected.
The second test, Without using any soul abilities, they had to slay ten fierce sea soul beasts around Sea God Island—each at least ten thousand years old.
Though this test was also supposed to be time-consuming, Wang Feng couldn't help them in any way. The three had to rely entirely on their own strength to complete it.
Meanwhile, Wang Feng continued his relentless suppression of Tang San and the others every single day.
At the same time, he was steadily advancing up the Sea God's Light, nearing the 90th step.
In truth, each time Wang Feng climbed the steps from the base of the mountain, it was a form of self-training. The act of climbing compressed and refined his soul power, strengthening his body in the process.
The higher he went, the –stronger this effect became. Wang Feng had a strong feeling that the final level of the stairs would present an enormous challenge.
Though he didn't know exactly what it would entail, he was certain—it would be anything but ordinary.
Two months passed. Under Wang Feng's daily suppression, and except for Xiao Wu, the rest of the Shrek Seven Devils broke through level 70 and received their God-bestowed soul rings.
All this, in under seven months.
Surprisingly, the one who progressed the most was Bai Chenxiang. Although her soul power level had been relatively low at the start, the intense pressure and conditions caused her advancement to skyrocket. Her rapid improvement earned her the complete recognition and respect of Tang San's group.
Even as a non-combat woman, she endured the same torment and still persevered—something that lit a fire under the others.
Naturally, the male members refused to fall behind.
Ma Hongjun, in particular, gritted his teeth every single day, pushing himself to his limits.
What truly frustrated all nine of them was that no matter how much they improved, Wang Feng—disguised as the White Pontiff —continued to suppress them effortlessly.
His domain and soul power were so overwhelming that they struggled to recover after each session.
Fortunately, the nightly energy storms allowed them to quickly absorb and replenish their energy. Without that, they would have collapsed long ago.
Despite the brutal pressure, not one of them advanced a single step in those two months.
Tang San remained stuck at the 110th step.
The others didn't move up even one floor.
Yet, while their physical positions hadn't changed, something else had—their hearts.
They were all waiting, filled with anticipation. They sensed their strength had reached a terrifying new level.
If the White Pontiff didn't appear the next day, they were confident they could charge straight to the 140th step and complete their assessment in one go.
It could be said that for those two months, the nine of them lived a life of bittersweet agony—painful yet fulfilling.
But they endured it, tooth and nail.
And finally—after all that time—Wang Feng himself reached the top…
The 999th step.
Wang Feng stood silently on the 999th step, gazing upward at the final two steps. In the distance, the Temple of the Sea God stood proudly—pure, beautiful, and awe-inspiring.
Compared to the dark and sinister aura of the Rakshasa Temple that Wang Feng had once seen, the Sea God Temple radiated a sacred and commanding majesty. It was far grander, more solemn, and overwhelmingly powerful.
Yet despite how close he was, Wang Feng had little confidence in climbing those last two steps.
The pressure radiating from the Sea God's Light at the 999th step was no weaker than what he had experienced 5,500 meters deep in the sea.
Throughout his climb, Wang Feng had quietly activated every form of enhancement he possessed—except for his Dark Angel Martial Soul. That power was far too sinister. If he unleashed it, Bo Saixi would sense it instantly.
This wasn't the deep sea, hidden from view—this was Sea God Mountain, and he had to be careful.
Still, Wang Feng wasn't sure he could reach the thousandth step. After a long moment of contemplation, he flipped his palm, summoning the Innate Five Treasured Flags, and activated his Five Innate Realms.
The pure white domain bloomed around him like light itself—the absolute contrast to his dark and oppressive Domain of Original Sin.
Bathed in its glow, Wang Feng's body shimmered faintly. All his attributes surged.
Without hesitation, he took a step forward—onto the one-thousandth step.
Instantly, Sea God Mountain trembled!
The infinite radiance of the Sea God's Light surged toward Wang Feng, crushing him from all directions!
He let out a low grunt as thin cracks began to appear across his body. Blood seeped out from his skin, forming a network of glowing red lines.
This was not just another step—it was a qualitative transformation.
Even though the Five Innate Realms granted him temporary invincibility from damage, they couldn't shield him from the sheer pressure of the divine power. Invincibility did not mean immunity to overwhelming force.
Thankfully, the Golden Lotus augmented his healing ability within the Five Innate Realms. His torn body began to recover rapidly, even as his soul power was being wildly depleted—like water rushing through holes in a shattered dam.
Simultaneously, his spiritual power was under a massive assault.
The thousandth step wasn't just physical pressure—it was a direct assault on the soul.
"So it's true… the thousandth step is a qualitative leap. I can't even imagine what awaits on the final step."
Wang Feng's thoughts blurred.
Under such immense force, he only lasted ten seconds before the Sea God's Light hurled him off the step like a leaf in a storm.
His soul power was completely drained. His spiritual power—nearly exhausted.
Still… he had reached the thousandth steps.
But now, he had doubts.
"Can the final step—step 1001—truly withstand the full power of the Sea God's Light?"
He pondered silently.
This light was divine power, a gift from the Sea God himself. Tang San and the others had only ever faced a fraction of it—as evidenced by the 10% power increase with each step.
It grew stronger step by step, which meant the pressure they endured was only a sliver of the true divine force.
But here, on the last step the Sea God's Light would descend in its full form.
Even if it was merely a flicker of divine energy—a careless wave of a true god's hand—Could any mortal truly bear it?
The first 900 steps had felt manageable. In fact, they had grown easier with time.
But these final two steps shattered that illusion.
"What the hell is Sea God thinking?" Wang Feng cursed silently.
"You're giving me a trial like this? Do you really think I'm that worthy, old man? But here's the thing—I'm not even interested in your goddamn position! So why the hell are you torturing me like this?"
He was truly speechless.
After being blasted off the thousandth step, Wang Feng knew in his heart—the final step was impossible.
The thousandth had already pushed him beyond his limits.
And if the 1001st step really was the endpoint...
......
Please support me and read atleast 20 chapters ahead at my patréon.
patréon.com/PrimorDious.
I'll be very grateful. Thanks.