Chapter 238: The Predicament of Tang San and His Companions

After Yang Xiong and the others finished confirming the assessment contents, they received a warm reception from the Seahorse Douluo, since among this group there were as many as three Red Level Trials, especially the last examinee of the Red Level Eight Trials, whose chance of passing the assessment was extremely high.

The Seahorse Douluo, after some interaction, especially sensed Yang Xiong's far‑superior physical quality and Title Douluo‑level strength; even as a Land Spirit Master, passing the assessment would probably not be that difficult.

Of course, after communicating with the Seahorse Douluo, Yang Xiong and the others roughly understood the situation on Sea God Island, and also grasped Tang San's party's situation.

Tang San and his group arrived at Sea God Island about three months earlier than Yang Xiong, and their condition at the time was rather disheveled.

……

About four months ago, Tang San organized a party and set out from Heaven Dou City, preparing to venture to Sea God Island for trials.

The party consisted of exactly seven people, namely Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan and Ma Hongjun.

Besides the original five from Shrek, Yu Tianheng and Dugu Yan were added.

Yu Tianheng's family was annihilated, and he bears a vendetta, but he is now only at Soul King level, unable to affect any larger affairs, and can only train with Dugu Yan at Dugu Bo's residence.

Now eager for revenge, after hearing Tang San's and Yu Xiaogang's introduction, he resolutely decided to follow Tang San to Sea God Island; it may be fraught with danger, but it is also his best way to strengthen himself.

Dugu Yan, as Yu Tianheng's girlfriend, also went to Sea God Island together with him.

However, in terms of strength, Tang San's party is far weaker than the original Shrek Seven Monsters.

When Tang San prepared to go to Sea God Island, he was only Level 63, Xiao Wu Level 62, and aside from the two of them there was no Soul Emperor left.

Yu Tianheng is Level 56, Dugu Yan Level 55; although they are among the best of their age group, they can only be called average.

Dai Mubai is Level 57, Zhu Zhuqing Level 53, and Ma Hongjun is only Level 49.

In terms of strength, basically everyone can reach Soul King level before twenty‑five, which is considerably stronger than the Golden Generation of the Spirit Hall, but with normal cultivation, even Dai Mubai would find it hard to break into the Soul Emperor realm before twenty‑five.

After making various preparations, Tang San's party boarded a carriage and left Heaven Dou City.

In a strangely miraculous twist of fate, Tang San's party actually encountered the Wolf Bandits from the original work; with their seven‑person strength they quickly eliminated all the Wolf Bandits and gained some loot.

Moreover, they also obtained a Dragon Abyss Boat in Hanhai City.

After enduring difficult perils at sea, they set out and arrived at Sea God Island.

However, this process was more tumultuous, harder and more dangerous than in the original.

Although Tang San's group had outstanding talent, they lacked social experience and any seafaring experience, and still ran into the Pirates from the original work.

Because they lacked the Hanhai Cosmic Dome, when they encountered the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, they were almost killed on the spot.

Fortunately, the Dragon Abyss Boat was extremely fast, and Ma Hongjun could fly, allowing them to swiftly escape.

When the group reached Sea God Island, each was covered in wounds and looked extremely miserable.

Nevertheless, the party was unusually tenacious, insisting on taking the Sea God Island assessment and joining the island.

The assessment, also hosted by the Seahorse Douluo, was somewhat unsatisfactory in its content.

Among them, Tang San obtained the Red Level Seven Trials, the highest assessment level among everyone, and the only Red Level Trial.

Xiao Wu obtained the Black Level Six Trials; her Innate Full Soul Power performance was indeed good, and she is one of only two Soul Emperors among everyone.

By comparison, the others lag far behind.

Yu Tianheng, Dugu Yan, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing all received the Black Level Four Trials; all four have very good talent and martial souls, and even Zhu Zhuqing, whose aptitude is slightly lower, has grown rapidly over the years, with her cultivation talent even surpassing Hu Liena.

Ma Hongjun only received the Purple Level Three Trials; he is the only Soul Ancestor among everyone.

Compared with the others, Ma Hongjun came to Sea God Island largely because of Flanders's arrangement.

Due to the lack of Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower, Ma Hongjun's cultivation speed has noticeably slowed over the years, and since leaving Heaven Dou Royal Academy, without Flanders and Yu Xiaogang supervising, he has become more indulgent.

Thus, over the years Ma Hongjun, although attached to a noble and becoming the son‑in‑law of a clan head, does not lack resources.

But the lack of restraint is the most serious issue, causing Ma Hongjun's physique to become more obese, and his excessive indulgence lets the evil fire's influence on him grow, potentially affecting his future.

According to Yu Xiaogang's description, Sea God Island is generally populated by Water Attribute Spirit Masters, which might suppress Ma Hongjun's evil fire to some extent.

Flanders and Ma Hongjun were originally a master‑apprentice pair similar to Tang San and Yu Xiaogang, and their bond was very deep.

Ultimately, under Flanders's arrangement, Ma Hongjun followed Tang San's party to Sea God Island for trials.

Initially, Tang San's party was confident, thinking the Sea God Island assessment was no big deal.

But when they reached the Sea God's Light, they were all stunned.

The first time they tried to traverse the Sea God's Light, the results were extremely poor, even downright despairing.

Normally, the Sea God Island Black Level Four Trials require passing the Sea God's Light Ninety‑Eighth Level Steps, the Black Level Six Trials require the Sea God's Light One Hundred Eighteenth Level Steps, and the Red Level Seven Trials require the Sea God's Light One Hundred Thirty‑six Level Steps; the difficulty is indeed immense.

Of course, Ma Hongjun's Purple Level assessment does not qualify him to traverse the Sea God's Light, and he cannot even cultivate under it.

But after Tang San's group made several attempts, they were all amazed, even a little frightened.

Among everyone, the best performer was not Tang San but Xiao Wu.

Xiao Wu can almost reach around the Sixty Level Steps on her own; although her martial soul is the Soft‑Bone Rabbit, her Beast Soul amplifies her body far beyond a Tool Spirit, and she is the only Soul Emperor‑level Beast Soul Spirit Master.

Even with all his effort, Tang San could only barely reach the Fifty‑Eight Level Steps, and that was with all his techniques.

It should be noted that Tang San lacks two domains compared to the original—both the Blue Silver Domain and the Killing God Domain—which could have played a huge role against the Sea God's Light.

As for the others, they performed even worse.

Dai Mubai climbed to the Thirty‑Three Level Steps, and Yu Tianheng reached the Thirty‑Two Level Steps.

Dugu Yan climbed to the Twenty‑Eight Level Steps, and Zhu Zhuqing only climbed to the Twenty‑Six Level Steps.

One could say that after seeing these results, despair filled everyone's eyes.

From the current situation, only Tang San and Xiao Wu have hope of completing the assessment; the others see no chance at all.

Especially as the Sea God's Light Steps ascend, the pressure increases and a qualitative change may occur; for example, between the Thirty Level and Forty Level Steps, the apparent ten‑step difference actually multiplies the difficulty countless times.

At this moment, Tang San's group stared at each other, each seeming a bit bewildered.

Tang San lacks the Blue Silver Domain and the Killing God Domain, so he cannot use domains to aid others or discover any loophole for traversing the Sea God's Light.

More troublesome, none among them can provide assistance; even mutual coordination and help are impossible, so passing the Sea God's Light must rely entirely on oneself.

Seeing everyone's extreme dejection, Tang San summarized his own cultivation under the waterfall, feeling that under the Sea God's Light's intense pressure, his cultivation speed was much faster than before.

Thus, under Tang San's encouragement and analysis, everyone, besides climbing the Sea God's Light Steps with all their might each day, also began cultivating on the Sea God's Light Steps.

While the cultivation speed has indeed improved, the gap is still far too large for each individual's assessment goal.

Dai Mubai and the other four were exceptionally tenacious and diligent, yet even after a month of cultivation they could not significantly raise the climbing steps; everyone seemed to go from full confidence to a hint of despair.

It should be noted that for the six of Dai Mubai, what they lack is not only those few levels of soul power, but also the body transformation provided by Immortal Herb.

In the original work, after taking Immortal Herb, people can greatly boost soul power, improve their aptitude, and even enhance their adaptability.

Additionally, since they did not win the Soul Master Competition, none received the competition's reward soul bone; thus among the seven now, aside from Tang San, the others have no soul bone, and a soul bone's boost to bodily strength far exceeds everyone's expectations.

Therefore, even when they cultivate under Sea God's Light, the cultivation speed does improve somewhat, but it remains unsatisfactory.

Especially in the eyes of those on Sea God Island, the seven led by Tang San are merely struggling in a dying state; a year cannot allow them all to pass the first stage of the Sea God Trials, and then it will be their death.

However, Dai Mubai also comforted everyone, saying that he himself had personally gone to the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect to invite Yang Xiong, but Yang Xiong was too busy at the time and did not come with the group.

Yang Xiong also briefed them on some conditions of Sea God Island, and said he would come after a while, though the exact time is undecided.

If Yang Xiong arrives, and Ning Rongrong and Oscar also come together, they will have Oscar's and Ning Rongrong's auxiliary amplification, perhaps giving them a chance to pass the assessment.

Tang San felt a bit uneasy hearing this; he had led everyone to Sea God Island for training, yet now they face mortal danger and instead need Yang Xiong and others to rescue them.

It should be known that Tang San has always wanted to be strong, not only believing his own power outstanding but also seeing himself as the leader of the Shrek group; back when he was in the Shrek team, the tactics were basically arranged by him.

But after five years, everything seems to have changed; not only has the gap between him and Yang Xiong widened, but behind Yang Xiong now stands a massive colossal being.

(End of chapter)