"ROAR——!" A heaven-shaking roar erupted from Dai Mubai's mouth. His clenched fists shot downward, and fierce white light blazed around his body like flames as all six of his Soul Rings burst into view in the same instant.
His muscles swelled violently, white fur patterned with black stripes surfacing across his skin. The unrivaled tyrannical aura of the King of Beasts exploded outward like a detonating bomb. The sand beneath his feet rippled outward in concentric waves, and that terrifying domineering presence—those piercing, savage eyes—even made the Sea Horse Titled Douluo, over two hundred meters away, show a flicker of reaction.
The Sea Horse Douluo swept his right hand, and the waves before him churned violently, rising as high as ten meters. They seemed to seal off every possible path forward. The frothing seawater surged with thunderous rumbling like a tidal deluge, yet not a single drop spilled beyond the bounds of the inner sea.
Facing this spectacle, Dai Mubai showed not a shred of fear. His third Soul Ring blazed to life as he unleashed his thousand-year Soul Ring technique—White Tiger Diamond Transformation.
Already a towering figure, his body expanded even further. The white fur transformed to brilliant gold, and the king character on his forehead became strikingly vivid. Every muscle in his body seemed to erupt with explosive power.
Empowered by the White Tiger Diamond Transformation, Dai Mubai let out a tiger's roar. Dense golden light radiated before him as the White Tiger Blazing Light Wave erupted from his mouth, transforming into a fierce beam of white light that surged straight into the waves.
With a thunderous boom, the wave directly ahead was blasted clean through, leaving a massive hole. In the same breath, Dai Mubai's powerful body launched forward, charged with peerless ferocity, plunging straight into the wall of water.
BOOM—the White Tiger Blazing Light Wave traveled roughly thirty meters before detonating completely. The towering wave was scattered in all directions like flowers of a celestial maiden, but a far more powerful surge of water crashed into Dai Mubai's body, hammering against his muscular frame. In the blink of an eye, his golden-glowing form was swallowed by the terrifying torrent.
Zhu Zhuqing's heart clenched and she instinctively stepped forward, but Tang San blocked her. His voice was low and steady: "It's fine. If Boss Dai chose to charge into the sea this way, he clearly has a plan. Let's wait and see."
Watching Dai Mubai seemingly vanish into the waves with all sound and no substance, the yellow-robed Sea Soul Masters on the shore exchanged stunned glances. The thought that land-based Soul Masters were nothing special began to form in their minds. Though this inner sea wasn't a true ocean, under the Sea Horse Douluo's control, it could be even more dangerous than the real thing.
Just then, with a thunderous blast, a massive sea horse roughly five meters long came hurtling out of the water. Its body tumbled through the air, blue light spilling in every direction.
"I see," Tang San's eyes lit up with a hint of admiration. "Boss Dai used the same method we employed to land on Sea God Island. He can't swim, but with his strength, moving through the ocean for a short period is no problem at all. This inner sea isn't as deep as the real ocean. Relying on the White Tiger Diamond Transformation to shield his body, he's walking along the seabed."
Before Tang San's words had even faded, sea horse after sea horse—each one massive—came tumbling out of the waves one after another. These were clearly Sea Soul Beasts dwelling within the inner sea. They appeared to possess strength roughly equivalent to thousand-year Soul Beasts. Every sea horse that burst through the waves seemed to have been stunned by the impact, though none sustained any visible injuries.
Before long, just five meters from the Sea Horse Pillar's platform, the waves suddenly parted. A colossal geyser of water erupted skyward, slamming into the light barrier above. That blazing golden, powerful figure rose from within the waves, drew a deep breath in midair, then slapped both palms backward against the water. Using the recoil, he landed squarely before the Sea Horse Douluo.
A trace of approval appeared in the Sea Horse Douluo's eyes as he nodded to Dai Mubai. "A tyrannical Soul Power with a king's aura. The Martial Soul of the King of Beasts. Breaking through my test with your third Soul Ring technique—you're one of the more exceptional Soul Emperors among land-based Soul Masters. What's even more impressive is your youth. No wonder you had the confidence to come here. Very well. You are qualified to undergo the Sea God's trials."
"Thank you," was Dai Mubai's simple reply. Having said it, he stepped to one side and looked toward the others on shore. He conveyed a message through his gaze—others might not have been able to read it, but he was certain Tang San would.
The Sea Horse Douluo's approval wasn't because of Dai Mubai's combat strength, but because he hadn't killed a single sea horse Soul Beast during his underwater passage. Tang San could guess how Dai Mubai had reached the pillar; as the actual controller of this place, how could the Sea Horse Douluo not have known the same?
Tang San had indeed caught Dai Mubai's gaze and deciphered the information he was passing along. He immediately relayed it to his companions. "Reaching the Sea Horse Pillar doesn't count as the Sea Horse Douluo's actual test for us. Boss Dai is telling us it's not especially difficult. Within this inner sea, those sea horses we just saw are the strongest creatures. There are no more powerful Sea Soul Beasts. Zhuqing, you're next."
"Understood." Zhu Zhuqing answered without hesitation. She made none of Dai Mubai's elaborate preparations—her Martial Soul only appeared as her body launched into the air. Her first Soul Ring technique, Nether Thrust, activated mid-flight, propelling her forward at an explosive burst of speed straight into the oncoming waves.
Compared to Dai Mubai, her speed was far greater. She moved like a specter, weightless and effortless, her form flickering as she soared to a height of ten meters. When she was barely half a meter from the light barrier emanating from the Sea Horse Pillar, she suddenly altered her trajectory in midair and darted straight toward the pillar itself.
The savage waves naturally wouldn't let her pass so easily. The turbulent water surged toward Zhu Zhuqing's body. Her method of dealing with the waves was entirely different from Dai Mubai's. Purple light flashed across her body as her third Soul Ring technique blazed to life—a dark shadow seemed to unfurl from her form, slicing silently into the waves ahead. It was Zhu Zhuqing's third Soul Ring technique: Nether Slash.
The ferocious seawater parted and swept past both sides of her body just as it was about to make contact. The Nether Slash cleaved the wave open before her. By now, Zhu Zhuqing had surged forward nearly thirty meters.
She certainly wouldn't choose the same path as Dai Mubai, plunging beneath the surface. She didn't possess his rugged physique. But as an agility-attack Soul Master, she had her own methods.
Watching as her body was about to plunge into the waves, the Nether Slash appeared once more—this time not splitting the wave head-on, but cutting a triangular shape. At the moment her forward momentum was about to expire, she tapped her toes against the wave surface carved by her Nether Slash, and the first Soul Ring technique, Nether Thrust, fired again, launching her forward once more.
The buoyancy of seawater was greater than freshwater, but by how much, really? Yet that small amount of additional buoyancy was enough to keep Zhu Zhuqing's body moving forward. The Nether Slash cleared the way; the Nether Thrust provided acceleration. Combining the two techniques proved remarkably effective for navigating through the waves.
In the span of a few breaths, after roughly ten bursts of acceleration, Zhu Zhuqing finally broke free of the waves' embrace. Her body glided forward and she landed silently beside Dai Mubai without a single drop of water on her. Without so much as a flushed face or heavy breathing, she recalled her Martial Soul and inclined her head toward the Sea Horse Douluo.
A faint smile appeared on the Sea Horse Douluo's previously stern face. "Excellent. I can only call your performance stunning. An agility-attack Battle Soul Master. A feline Martial Soul—speed and striking power in equal measure. Your raw strength may not match his, but you performed even better than he did. And you appear younger still. Six-ringed Soul Emperor. It seems my understanding of land-based Soul Masters was indeed somewhat lacking. You too are qualified to undergo the Sea God's trials."
Zhu Zhuqing bowed to the Sea Horse Douluo once more, then walked to Dai Mubai's side and took his seawater-dampened hand, standing quietly beside him. In neither of their eyes was there the slightest trace of worry. They trusted in their companions' strength.
Shore.
"Little Ao, Rongrong—your turn."
Oscar chuckled. "No problem. Rongrong, let's go." He quickly produced and ate a sixth Soul Ring technique Duplicate Mirror Sausage. With a flash of silver light, his eyes brightened, and with a shimmer, an identical Oscar materialized beside him.
He had not only consumed his own sixth Soul Ring technique but simultaneously activated the Soul Bone skill—Duplication.
The duplicated Oscar crouched and bent down, hoisting Ning Rongrong onto his back. Under the lead of the original Oscar, both of them charged toward the inner sea at once.
Dark light appeared simultaneously on both the original and the duplicate. Both bodies unleashed Nether Thrust. Indeed, the Duplicate Mirror Sausage Oscar had consumed had been crafted using a single drop of Zhu Zhuqing's blood.
However, the techniques he had copied still had noticeable imperfections compared to when Zhu Zhuqing used them herself, and his control over his body naturally couldn't match hers.
But do not forget—the one stepping into the inner sea was not Oscar alone.
A dazzling, resplendent glow flared behind the duplicated Oscar. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared in Ning Rongrong's palm. The first three tiers shone simultaneously as her first Soul Ring technique—Strength Boost, second Soul Ring technique—Agility Boost, and third Soul Ring technique—Soul Power Boost all landed on Oscar.
As the saying goes, raw power crushes clever technique. Oscar's use of the Nether Spirit Cat's skills was naturally far inferior to Zhu Zhuqing's, but at this moment he was receiving a seventy percent power amplification from Ning Rongrong. Capable of wielding eighty percent of Zhu Zhuqing's abilities, his Soul Power, agility, and strength now far exceeded the original.
The same Nether Slash was deployed—though Oscar's finesse fell short, its power was dramatically amplified. The gap torn in the seawater was far larger, granting him considerably more reaction time.
Moreover, the duplicate's capabilities were generated based on the original's strength, meaning Ning Rongrong's amplification of Oscar effectively applied to the duplicate as well. Although the duplicate possessed only about seventy percent of the original Oscar's strength, it didn't need to perform the Nether Slash—it only needed to carry Ning Rongrong while keeping pace behind the original, which was more than sufficient.
A strange spectacle unfolded across the inner sea. Ahead, a single figure flickered with dark light, constantly leaping forward. Behind him, two figures—one carrying the other. From the exquisite pagoda in the carried figure's hands, three beams of light arced forward to land on the lead figure, connecting them like bridges. By the time they arrived before the Sea Horse Pillar, the time they had taken was actually shorter than even Zhu Zhuqing's.
Watching the six Soul Rings—again in the optimal configuration—gradually fade from both Oscar's and Ning Rongrong's bodies, the Sea Horse Douluo rose slowly to his feet. He turned to Ning Rongrong first. "Your Martial Soul is the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?" Despite being surrounded by the sea, he was certainly aware of the seven great clans of the land.
Ning Rongrong offered a modest smile, speaking with quiet confidence. "It should be the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, actually. Though it's true I hail from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan."
"The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?" A contemplative gleam entered the Sea Horse Douluo's eyes. "Good. A fine Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda indeed."
He turned to Oscar, and his gaze grew somewhat uncertain. "It's hard to imagine—I actually can't discern what your Martial Soul is. It seems as though you possess the same ability as that young lady. But I know that's not the case. Your clumsy handling of the technique tells me those aren't your own native skills. Would you care to tell me what your Martial Soul is?"
Oscar smiled. "If I told you my Martial Soul, would the Sea God's trials perhaps be a bit easier?"
The Sea Horse Douluo gave a faint smile. "That is not for me to decide."
Oscar met the burning gaze of this Titled Douluo-level Sea Soul Master and said, "My Martial Soul is sausage. To be precise, I am a Food-Type Soul Emperor. As for why I could use those abilities—surely you can guess."
Food-Type Soul Master? The Sea Horse Douluo was momentarily stunned. His current feeling was rather similar to what those opponents had experienced watching the Shrek Seven Devils compete in the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament all those years ago.
The first to reach the Sea Horse Pillar, Dai Mubai, had already delivered a tremendous shock to the Sea Horse Douluo. But the three who followed were equally extraordinary. What astonished him most was this pair who had just arrived—one a Food-Type Soul Master, the other a Support-Type Soul Master. Yet they had passed through the waves' test and ascended to the Sea Horse Pillar platform without a hitch.
The crucial point was that these Soul Masters from the Soul Land were all so young—they looked barely past twenty, yet every one of these four possessed the optimal Soul Ring configuration as Soul Emperors. Through these four alone, the Sea Horse Douluo had gained a clear understanding of what kind of team these land-based Soul Masters represented. Given time, these young people's futures were truly limitless.
While the Sea Horse Douluo was lost in thought, a small dispute broke out on shore.
"Xiangxiang, just let me carry you across," Ma Hongjun urged.
Bai Chenxiang shook her head stubbornly. "No. I can manage on my own. I can't keep being a burden to all of you."
Before Ma Hongjun could say another word, Bai Chenxiang had already launched herself forward without hesitation. Her figure flashed, and like a streak of white light, she spread her nimble wings and flew straight toward the inner sea.