Chapter 396: Passing the Second Trial! Tang Chen's Passing!
Looking at the three figures approaching from underwater, the Hundred Thousand Year Devil Spirit Great White Shark showed no hostility, only scrutiny. It said in a deep voice, "Human, the fact that you could make it here means you are qualified to speak with me."
Tang Chuan stopped and hovered in front of the Great White Shark, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Junior Tang Chuan, successor of the Sea God, has come to accept the Second Trial."
The Great White Shark's gaze fell upon the trident brand on Tang Chuan's forehead. A flash of complex emotions crossed its eyes—reminiscence, sentimentality, and even a trace of... unwillingness.
The Great White Shark snorted.
"Sea God successor... after more than a hundred years, someone has finally reached this step again."
"And stop with the 'Junior' business. Since you are the successor of the Sea God, you can just call me Xiao Bai."
Hearing this, the corner of Xiao Rui'er's mouth twitched.
Dugu Yan also had a strange expression on her face.
Xiao Bai... isn't that name a bit too casual?
The Great White Shark seemed to see through their confusion and rolled its eyes.
"Lord Sea God gave it to me. Any objections?"
"None," the three shook their heads in unison.
"Good then." The Great White Shark put away its playful demeanor, its gaze turning serious. "You should already know the rules of the Second Trial. Without harming any Sea Spirit Beast, pass under my nose and touch the Pearl on that Sacred Pillar. If you can do that, you pass the Second Trial."
Tang Chuan nodded. "Junior understands."
The Great White Shark looked at him with interest.
"So, what do you plan to do? Force your way through? You have the Asura Demon Sword; killing me might not be difficult. But the rules say no harming Sea Spirit Beasts. If you move against me, it counts as a violation."
Tang Chuan shook his head. "Junior will not move against Senior. Junior wishes to make a bet with Senior."
The Great White Shark became interested. "A bet? On what?"
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"I bet that Junior can swim past you and touch the Pearl on the Sacred Pillar without alerting any Sea Spirit Beast," Tang Chuan said calmly. "If Junior succeeds, it counts as passing. If I fail, Junior will voluntarily give up the assessment and leave Sea God Island."
The Great White Shark narrowed its eyes. "Interesting. But why do you think I'll bet with you?"
"Because of this." Tang Chuan raised his hand, and the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud mark on his forehead flared with light. A palm-sized azure light shroud floated out from his forehead, hovering above his palm.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud!
The Great White Shark's pupils suddenly constricted!
It stared fixedly at the light shroud, its eyes full of shock and nostalgia.
"The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, Lord Sea God's Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud... Where did you..."
Tang Chuan fabricated a story on the spot.
"A family heirloom. Senior should know that one of the abilities of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud is invisibility. Not just visual invisibility, but aura, form, Soul Power fluctuations... everything merges with the environment. If Junior uses the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud to hide my form and swims past you, could you detect me?"
The Great White Shark fell silent.
It naturally knew the power of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
That was the treasure of Poseidon, a space-type Divine Artifact, with concealment abilities unparalleled in the world.
Never mind a Hundred Thousand Year Spirit Beast; even a true god would find it difficult to detect the traces of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud unless they were specifically searching for it.
"Fine." The Great White Shark nodded slowly, a flash of admiration in its eyes. "I'll bet with you. But on one condition: you cannot keep yourself under the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud for too long—ten breaths at most. If you can swim past me and touch the Sacred Pillar within ten breaths, you win."
Xiao Rui'er frowned. "Ten breaths? Isn't that too short?"
"It's not short." Tang Chuan raised his hand to stop her and said to the Great White Shark, "Ten breaths it is."
The Great White Shark grinned, revealing a mouth full of forest-white, sharp teeth.
"Straightforward! Then let us begin."
It slowly swam to the front of the Sacred Pillar, its massive body completely blocking it off.
Immediately after, the Hundred Thousand Year Devil Spirit Great White Shark's perception expanded to its full extent, covering the entire inner water area. Not even the slightest rustle could escape its detection.
Tang Chuan took a deep breath and sent a voice transmission to Xiao Rui'er and Dugu Yan.
"Stay where you are and don't move. I'll go alone."
Dugu Yan shook her head. "That's too dangerous. What if..."
Tang Chuan interrupted her, his gaze extremely firm.
"There are no 'what ifs'. Trust me."
In the next second, he held the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud in his palm. With a thought, the azure light shroud slowly expanded, enveloping his entire person within it.
The moment the shroud closed, Tang Chuan's form, aura, and Soul Power fluctuations all vanished! It was as if he had never existed!
Xiao Rui'er and Dugu Yan's eyes widened. Even though Tang Chuan was right before their eyes, their senses perceived nothing! This feeling was bizarre to the extreme, making their skin crawl!
The Great White Shark's pupils also slightly constricted.
Its perception swept across the entire water area, yet it could find no trace of Tang Chuan at all!
"One breath."
Tang Chuan moved.
He was like a silent ghost, quietly swimming through the water. The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud perfectly merged his form with the lake water, so even the currents did not produce the slightest ripple.
"Two breaths."
He swam past the Great White Shark's tail.
"Three breaths."
He swam past the Great White Shark's belly.
"Four breaths."
He swam under the Great White Shark's head.
The Great White Shark's perception swept frantically, yet it remained unable to lock onto him. Its eyes looked around, but it saw nothing.
"Five breaths."
Tang Chuan emerged from under the Great White Shark's head; he could already see the Sacred Pillar.
"Six breaths."
He reached out his hand toward the Pearl at the top of the Sacred Pillar.
"Seven breaths."
His fingertips were only three feet away from the Pearl.
"Eight breaths."
Two feet.
"Nine breaths."
One foot.
"Ten breaths!"
Tang Chuan's fingertips touched that milky-white Pearl!
At the same moment, the light of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud dissipated.
Tang Chuan's figure appeared out of thin air beside the Sacred Pillar, his fingertip touching the Pearl, a faint smile on his lips.
"Xiao Bai, I won."
The Great White Shark turned around and looked at Tang Chuan, who had already bypassed its line of defense at some point. Its eyes were filled with complex emotions—shock, admiration, and a hint of relief.
"Good. Quite the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Quite the Sea God successor."
It tilted its head back and let out a low whale song—no, a shark song.
That sound echoed throughout the entire Ring Sea and across all of Sea God Island.
"Second Trial, passed!"
On the lake surface, Ye Lengleng and Ning Rongrong jumped with excitement upon hearing the sound!
"He passed! Brother Tang Chuan passed!"
"That's wonderful!"
Xiao Rui'er and Dugu Yan also emerged from the water, looking at Tang Chuan's back with eyes full of pride.
On the shore, the High Priestess smiled slightly, her eyes full of gratification.
"Lord Sea God indeed... did not choose the wrong person."
She turned toward the distant Sea God Temple and whispered to herself.
"Chen, your great-grandson is stronger than both of us."
Over the Ring Sea, the mist gradually dispersed.
Sunlight fell, making the lake surface shimmer.
The mist on the Ring Sea cleared completely, and sunlight spilled over the shimmering surface of the lake.
Tang Chuan had just returned to the shore from the Sacred Pillar. The trident brand on his forehead was still glowing faintly as Ye Lengleng, Ning Rongrong, and the others gathered around to congratulate him.
The High Priestess stood not far away, her red clothes as bright as blood, a gratified smile on her face.
Just then, a deep blue figure sped over from the horizon at extreme speed, even creating a sharp whistle as it broke through the air.
Sea Dragon Douluo.
He was the head of the seven Sacred Pillar Guardians. Normally, he guarded the Sea Dragon Pillar and rarely left.
At this moment, his face was anxious. He didn't even care for etiquette, landing directly in front of the High Priestess and dropping to one knee, his voice trembling.
"High Priestess, something terrible has happened! Senior Tang Chen's... his injuries have suddenly worsened. His breath is failing; I'm afraid... I'm afraid he won't last through the day!"
Hearing this, the smile on the High Priestess's face instantly froze.
Her body swayed as if struck in the chest by an invisible heavy hammer. The light in her deep-sea-like eyes quickly dimmed, replaced by disbelief and fear.
"What did you say?"
"Chen... he was fine this morning..."
"High Priestess, please return to the Sea God Temple immediately!" Sea Dragon Douluo lowered his head, not daring to look at her.
The High Priestess didn't ask anything else.
She turned to take flight but stumbled, her whole body falling forward!
"High Priestess!" Tang Chuan was quick to react, stepping forward to catch and steady her.
The High Priestess's hands were ice-cold, and her body was trembling slightly. She grabbed Tang Chuan's arm, her knuckles turning white, as if he were the only piece of driftwood she could grasp in a raging storm.
"Go... take me there..." Her voice was almost squeezed out of her throat.
Tang Chuan didn't say much. Supporting her with one hand, he waved a burst of Soul Power with the other, lifting them both into the air and racing toward the Sea God Temple.
Ye Lengleng and the other three women looked at each other and quickly followed.
Sea God Temple, Sleeping Quarters.
The temple doors were wide open, and several Sacred Pillar Guardians stood outside, their expressions heavy.
Seeing the High Priestess and Tang Chuan arrive, they silently stepped aside to make a path.
The High Priestess almost stumbled into the hall.
Tang Chen was lying on the bed.
The once iron-willed and domineering Clear Sky Douluo was now so thin he was almost unrecognizable. His face was as gray as paper, his eyes deep-set, his lips parched and cracked. Black energy faintly seeped from the old wound on his chest. His breathing was weak and rapid, every rise and fall seeming to exhaust his entire strength.
But his eyes were still open.
Those eyes that once looked down on the world were now cloudy and dim, yet they still held a trace of stubborn light. When he saw the High Priestess stumble to his bedside, a hint of tenderness actually surfaced in those eyes.
"Xixi..." his voice was so raspy it was almost inaudible, "you've come..."
The High Priestess knelt by the bed, her trembling hands cradling Tang Chen's hand and pressing it against her face. Tears fell silently, dripping onto the back of Tang Chen's withered hand.
"Chen... didn't you say... didn't you say you could hold on for a long time?" the High Priestess choked out. "You promised me... you promised you would stay with me..."
Tang Chen struggled to move the corners of his mouth, seemingly wanting to smile, but only managed an expression more painful than crying. "I'm sorry... this time... I'm afraid I'll have to break my word..."
"No!" The High Priestess shook her head, her tears like a broken string of Pearls. "I won't allow you to die! Do you hear me? Tang Chen, I won't allow you to die!"
She turned and shouted hoarsely toward the door:
"Someone! Bring all the healing medicines! Call all the physicians on Sea God Island!"
No one moved.
It wasn't that they wouldn't obey, but everyone knew that Tang Chen's injuries were beyond the help of medicine or physicians. Having been a host for the Nine Headed Bloody Crimson Bat King for decades, his Soul and body were already riddled with holes. He had only lasted this long by sheer willpower. Now that his willpower was spent and his lamp had run out of oil, even a god would find him hard to save.
Tang Chuan stood at the doorway, watching this scene and putting on an expression as if his heart were being twisted by a knife.
He walked slowly to the bedside, knelt before his Great-Grandfather, and said softly:
"Great-Grandfather, your grandson is unfilial for coming too late..."
Tang Chen's gaze turned toward him, and a spark of light actually lit up in his cloudy eyes. "Chuan'er..."
He struggled to raise his hand, and Tang Chuan quickly grasped it.
"Did you... did you pass the Second Trial?" Tang Chen asked.
"Yes, Great-Grandfather. I passed."
"Good... good..." Tang Chen smiled. This time it was a real smile; though weak, it was full of gratification. "My, Tang Chen's great-grandson... is indeed... the best..."
His breathing became rapid, he coughed a few times, and a trace of black blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.
The High Priestess hurriedly used her sleeve to wipe it away, her tears dripping onto Tang Chen's face.
"Xixi." Tang Chen held her hand, looking at her with a gentle gaze.
"Don't cry... I fear your tears most..."
The High Priestess almost screamed out:
"Then don't die! If you die, what will I do? What am I supposed to do alone?!"
Tang Chen fell silent. After a long time, he said softly:
"I'm sorry... Xixi... in this life... I owe you too much..."
He paused, seemingly gathering his strength.
"Back then... to become a god... I left you and went to Slaughter City... separated for decades... leaving you to guard this island alone... waiting for me for decades..."
"Don't say it... don't say it..." The High Priestess shook her head, weeping uncontrollably.
"Let me speak," Tang Chen shook his head stubbornly. "If I don't say it now... there won't be another chance..."
He took a deep breath, his voice intermittent:
"In this life... the person I let down the most... was you... If I could do it over... I would rather not have any God Position... I would... I would just stay with you for a lifetime..."
The High Priestess leaned against his chest, crying loudly.
The crying was heart-wrenching, making even the Sacred Pillar Guardians outside the hall grow red-eyed.
Tang Chuan knelt to the side, his head lowered, fists clenched so hard his nails dug into his palms.
Tang Chen looked at him again, his gaze full of entrustment. "Chuan'er... after Great-Grandfather is gone... on my behalf... take good care of Xixi. She... she hasn't had it easy..."
"Don't worry, Great-Grandfather." Tang Chuan looked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Your grandson will definitely do so."
Tang Chen's voice grew weaker and weaker:
"And... the Clear Sky Sect... I... I let them down..."
"Great-Grandfather, you didn't let anyone down." Tang Chuan held his hand and said with a choked voice, "You are the pride of our Clear Sky Sect."
Tang Chen shook his head and looked back at the High Priestess.
Then, he reached out his withered hand, gently stroking her face and wiping away the tears.
"Xixi... next life... in the next life, I will definitely... come find you earlier... I won't make you wait..."
The High Priestess nodded frantically, but her tears simply wouldn't stop.
A moment later, Tang Chen's hand slowly slipped down.
His eyes slowly closed.
A faint smile still lingered on the corner of his mouth.
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