Sensing that Ning Rongrong could now endure it, Tang San pressed onward, quickly surging past the one-hundred-and-eighth step.
At the same time, Ning Rongrong's physical condition was genuinely worrying. Though she gritted her teeth and refused to make a sound, her body trembled ceaselessly under the crushing pressure. Clinging to Tang San's back, how could he possibly fail to notice?
Without the slightest hesitation, Tang San increased the speed at which the Devouring Golden Threads transferred energy, while simultaneously releasing as much of his domain's power as he could to shield her.
Yet even so, when Tang San reached the one-hundred-and-twentieth step, Ning Rongrong's body began to give out. Tang San clearly felt a warm trickle of liquid spill from her lips and land on his back.
This wouldn't do. After the one-hundred-and-thirty-third step, the final three steps brought a sudden, explosive surge in pressure. There was no way she could hold on. Though Tang San had estimated the difficulty well in advance, Ning Rongrong's physical resilience turned out to be even worse than he had calculated.
With a silent sigh, Tang San made the only choice available to him. A brilliant blue-gold radiance surged forth, and Ning Rongrong felt a vast, powerful wave of life force pour into her body like a gushing spring. At the same time, everything around her—including Tang San's own body—transformed into blue-gold. He had activated his Blue Silver Avatar.
In an instant, the near-tangible Blue Silver Domain enveloped Tang San and Ning Rongrong within a blue-gold sphere. While this increased the surface area Tang San had to withstand, it also afforded Ning Rongrong as much protection as possible.
The pressure eased abruptly, but Ning Rongrong's heart sank. She knew perfectly well how devastating the Soul Power cost of activating a Martial Soul Avatar was for a Soul Saint. And Tang San had already expended considerable energy helping the others pass their trials—far more than a single hour of rest could fully recover. For her sake, Third Brother had endured so much. And after this, he still had to carry Xiao Wu up all three hundred and thirty-three steps! The pressure at just over a hundred steps was already this terrifying—three hundred-plus steps was beyond imagination. Even with his Soul Power at the seventy-sixth rank, it would be an insurmountable chasm.
This time, Tang San didn't pause. He surged straight upward, leaping directly to the one-hundred-and-thirty-sixth step.
The instant he crossed the one-hundred-and-thirty-sixth step, Ning Rongrong's body shuddered violently. A streak of red light shot from her forehead like lightning, actually piercing through the Blue Silver Domain protecting her body. Tang San grunted, quickly dispelling his Martial Soul Avatar and setting her down.
However, doing so meant he was now shouldering the pressure alone. Without the Blue Silver Avatar's protection, the force at the one-hundred-and-thirty-sixth step was tremendous—especially since he had been diverting his own Soul Power to Ning Rongrong through the Devouring Golden Threads this entire time.
His face turned slightly pale. Seeing the intense red light rising from Ning Rongrong's body, Tang San didn't linger. He turned and descended the mountain at top speed.
Red light swirled around her. The peculiar red seven-pointed star on Ning Rongrong's forehead blazed with dazzling brilliance, waves of crimson radiance cascading downward, dancing joyfully around her body. A red curtain of light shot forth from the seven-pointed star and quietly shattered. But rather than dissolving into motes of light that re-entered her forehead like the black curtains others had experienced, it coalesced into a red ring that descended from above, enveloping her body before gradually merging within.
A voice echoed in Ning Rongrong's mind: "Supreme Seven Trials, First Trial—Traversal, Enhancement, Light of the Sea God—passed. Soul Power increased by one rank. All Soul Ring skill effects enhanced by five hundred years."
Ning Rongrong had heard about the rewards Oscar, Dai Mubai, and the others received after passing, but none of them had included this five-hundred-year enhancement to all Soul Ring skills. Clearly, this was something unique to the supreme-level trials.
On the surface, a five-hundred-year boost to Soul Skill effects didn't seem particularly significant. But Ning Rongrong now possessed six Soul Rings, meaning the total increase amounted to over three thousand years.
For her fourth Soul Skill and beyond, a five-hundred-year boost was admittedly modest. However, for the earlier Soul Skills, the effect was considerable—especially the first and second.
Her first Soul Ring had barely surpassed the hundred-year mark, and now it leaped to over six hundred years. The second Soul Ring surged directly from five hundred to a full thousand years, transforming its color from yellow to purple. Although the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's Soul Skills weren't directly affected by Soul Ring quality, the stronger the Soul Ring, the less Soul Power was consumed when activating that particular skill. With each of her six Soul Rings enhanced by five hundred years, the cost of using her Soul Skills would decrease, and the duration she could sustain them would naturally extend. Ning Rongrong's Soul Ring colors now read: yellow, purple, purple, purple, black, black.
Descending the stairs, Tang San wasted no time and immediately entered a meditative state. Time was running short—he only had one chance to attempt this First Trial. Traversal, Doubling, Light of the Sea God—this was no game. No one could help him the way he had helped his companions. He could rely only on himself. And on top of that, he would need to carry Xiao Wu.
No one disturbed Tang San. Ning Rongrong had no opportunity to celebrate breaking through the bottleneck to the seventeenth rank. On the steps now free of the Sea God's Light pressure, she hurried down and sat beside Oscar to begin cultivating, restoring the Soul Power she had expended. Later, Tang San's final assault would need their support.
For the sake of helping the two of them pass, Tang San had expended considerable effort. They were partners—they wouldn't utter formal words of thanks—but when Tang San's turn came, they would give everything they had.
Tang San's meditation lasted a full three hours. When he emerged, the sky had grown dark. Only a little over two hours remained before the final day ended.
Three hours of cultivation had allowed Tang San to restore his Soul Power as much as possible while also bringing his condition to its absolute peak.
Opening his eyes, he gazed at the long staircase stretching before him. His mind was free of all distractions. There was no retreat. He could only give everything he had.
Before today, Tang San had reached as high as the two-hundredth step. Just yesterday, he had been cultivating at the one-hundred-and-fiftieth step. Though he had only advanced two ranks in Soul Power over the past half year, those two ranks had been extraordinarily difficult. After all, at his level—above the seventy-second rank—each additional rank demanded far more effort. But that half year had also tempered his body, already condensed by reaching the Soul Saint realm, into something even more refined.
After the one-hundred-and-thirty-sixth step, the Light of the Sea God no longer surged in sudden jumps—it increased steadily. Yet even so, by the two-hundredth step, the pressure was twice what it had been at one-hundred-and-thirty-six. The force at three-hundred-and-thirty-three was unimaginable. And Tang San could guess that since the one-hundred-and-eighth and one-hundred-and-thirty-six both brought sudden leaps, the three-hundred-and-thirty-third step he needed to reach would surely do the same. Once he passed the three-hundredth step, the pressure he would face would be beyond anything he had experienced.
Seeing Tang San emerge from meditation, his companions gathered around. Bai Chenxiang had also awakened by now, and the rest had restored their Soul Power. Every pair of eyes fixed on Tang San.
Dai Mubai's powerful tiger claw gripped Tang San's shoulder. "Little San, you've got this."
Oscar spoke in a steady voice: "I'll have all the support you need. Little San, you will succeed."
Ma Hongjun stepped forward and wrapped Tang San in a bear hug. "Third Brother, I believe in you."
Ning Rongrong approached with a gentle smile and gave Tang San a light embrace. "Third Brother, the light of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda will not go out until you've crossed the three-hundred-and-thirty-third step." Though she spoke with a smile, every person present could hear the iron resolve—the readiness for death—in her words. She did not say what she would do if Tang San failed.
Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward as well, embracing Tang San. "Third Brother, for Xiao Wu."
The last to approach was Bai Chenxiang. She too wanted to hug Tang San, but in the end, her shyness held her back. After all, compared to Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, her relationship with Tang San was not yet that close.
"Third Brother, I know you've been trying to set me up with Fatty. I promise you—if you make it through this safely, I'll give him a chance."
Every word from his companions sent a warm current surging through Tang San's heart, soothing every meridian in his body. An incomparable fighting spirit kindled slowly within that warmth. His eyes gleamed with a firmness like nothing he had shown before. His companions' words had ignited his condition perfectly—body, energy, and spirit—all surging to their absolute peak in a single instant.
He took Xiao Wu's hand, swept his gaze across his companions, and spoke in a steady, resolute voice: "I will not fail."
At the base of the staircase, Tang San drew Xiao Wu close and pressed a kiss to her forehead. Then he turned her gently so her back faced him, stood quietly behind her, and let down her braid.
The sandalwood comb appeared in his hand—no one noticed when—and he began to tenderly brush through her long, lustrous hair. The raven-black strands smoothed effortlessly beneath his fingers. He didn't skip a single strand, working with complete focus and devotion.
In that moment, both Tang San as he brushed her hair and Xiao Wu standing before him seemed perfectly still. Their companions stood behind them, but no one intruded.
Watching Tang San comb Xiao Wu's hair in silence, Oscar instinctively drew the tear-blurred Ning Rongrong into his arms. Zhu Zhuqing melted into Dai Mubai's embrace. Only when Ma Hongjun tried to hug Bai Chenxiang did he get his hand swatted away—but almost immediately, Bai Chenxiang herself reached out and clasped his thick, fleshy hand.
Tang San's skill with the comb had improved tremendously. Xiao Wu's hair was brushed into perfect order, and the scorpion braid took shape gradually beneath his deft hands, flowing from the crown of her head downward to its final knot.
With his companions watching, Tang San tied the braid secure and then pulled Xiao Wu tightly against him from behind. Memories flooded through his mind—yes, for Xiao Wu, he absolutely could not fail.
His figure shifted, and Xiao Wu was now secured on his back. In the next instant, a brilliant blue-gold radiance erupted from Tang San's body.
After careful deliberation, Tang San had chosen not to use Dai Mubai's Soul Skill. The copied White Tiger Martial Soul Avatar simply couldn't match the effectiveness of his own Blue Silver Avatar. And while the White Tiger Martial Soul offered a greater overall boost, Tang San's Blue Silver Martial Soul came far more naturally to him. Moreover, the White Tiger Martial Soul would only deliver seventy percent effectiveness—actually inferior to using his own.
The Blue Silver Avatar released, transforming Tang San's entire body into blue-gold. Several strands of Blue Silver Emperor rose gracefully, wrapping Xiao Wu securely against his back, binding every inch below her neck. This would minimize the external pressure affecting her.
Blue light surged from beneath his feet. In the state of his Martial Soul Avatar, Tang San activated the Blue Silver Domain. Not that he didn't want to activate the Slaughter God Domain simultaneously—but in the Martial Soul Avatar state, he could only fully utilize one domain at a time. Using two simultaneously would actually produce a counterproductive effect. He had long since decided to alternate between the two, deploying whichever domain was best suited to each moment.
Three Recovery Large Sausages flew before him, and Tang San consumed them without hesitation. Behind him, four streams of light ignited—the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's augmentation had begun. Tang San launched himself upward at the very instant the light touched his body.
When Tang San began his ascent, the others witnessed his full power for the first time. His figure flickered, and he carried Xiao Wu upward like a streak of blue light, clearing over a hundred steps in what seemed like the blink of an eye.
The others rushed to keep up, Bai Chenxiang among them. None of them were subject to the Sea God's Light pressure anymore, so they could ascend freely.
Tang San climbed through the Light of the Sea God at an astonishing pace, and his method was distinctive. Rather than charging straight up, he moved in a diagonal pattern—zigzagging from the left side of the staircase to the right, then from the right back to the left, covering a dozen or so steps with each shift. Viewed from above, it was a serpentine path.
This was something Tang San had gleaned from watching Xiao Wu's ascent. The serpentine approach allowed him to bypass the strongest frontal pressure as much as possible, conserving both physical stamina and Soul Power.
The two-hundredth step. Tang San's speed dropped immediately. Bolstered by Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, he felt his Soul Power brimming to the bursting point, every part of his body thrumming with strength. Though the pressure hammering him from the front was immense, it couldn't so much as bend him. It could only be conquered one step at a time beneath his feet.
Tang San had already deployed the third evolution of the Blue Silver Domain—Ten Thousand Phenomena—but it was wrapped around himself and Xiao Wu rather than spreading outward, working in concert with the Blue Silver Emperor to protect her. Under Tang San's meticulous care, even now at the two-hundredth step, Xiao Wu had not yet felt any pressure.
The other Shrek Seven Devils had caught up, following close behind Tang San. Two hundred steps. Their hearts were in their throats. After all, just as when he had carried Ning Rongrong, Tang San carrying Xiao Wu could not use the Eight Spider Lances.