Chapter 197: The Second Trial
The five looked at Yang Potian, puzzled. Finally, Yang Tianyue spoke up, "Brother, are we supposed to cross the Circular Sea while getting past this 100,000-year soul beast? Isn't that a bit too much?"
Yang Potian chuckled. "It's definitely not easy. But go ahead and each try it once. Consider it training."
Seeing the continued confusion on their faces, Yang Potian explained, "We're land spirit masters who've never truly fought sea spirit masters. Having a high-level opponent like this is a rare opportunity to gain experience fighting in a marine environment. This is something we should take advantage of, so everyone should give it a shot and then we'll plan our approach."
Though still uncertain, the five took turns entering the Circular Sea. Predictably, each one was swiftly knocked out of the water and sustained minor injuries.
Niu Meng, rubbing his sore arm, grumbled, "Big Brother, this is a 100,000-year soul beast. Isn't that a bit much?"
Yang Potian laughed. "A 100,000-year soul beast that isn't actively trying to kill you is an exceptionally rare sparring partner. Where else are you going to find something like this?"
"From now on, aside from meditation, everyone is to train daily with Xiao Bai in the Circular Sea. This will be invaluable for your combat experience, especially for understanding how to handle sea spirit masters."
Yang Tianyue looked at him in confusion. "Brother, wouldn't it be simpler if you just helped us cross? With the spirit bones we have, it should be straightforward. Why drag it out?"
Yang Potian shook his head. "You're destined to inherit the Sea God's legacy. A Sea God without experience fighting in the sea would be a joke. Right now, these battles are low-stakes, but the later trials will likely be far more dangerous. This is your chance to build yourselves up."
After some discussion, they finalized their training plan. Each person would spar with Xiao Bai in the Circular Sea daily, and no one would slack off in their meditations to increase their spirit power. This was a precious period of relative calm before the more intense trials to come.
Satisfied, Yang Potian pulled some soul beast meat from his spirit storage device and began preparing a barbecue. They'd been pushing themselves so hard that they'd hardly had a chance to unwind, and since this trial was more manageable, it felt like the right moment to relax a bit.
After a year of eating mainly seafood, they were eager for a change. Yang Potian had stashed away some fine wine and soul beast meat, preserved through freezing within the spatial device, so the feast was ready to go.
The others relaxed by the Circular Sea, enjoying the food and wine. Soon enough, the enticing aroma drew Xiao Bai back to the shore, her expression curious.
Yang Potian invited her warmly, "Senior Xiao Bai, would you like to join us for a barbecue?"
The others exchanged glances, unsure. Xiao Bai was their opponent, after all, so why was Yang Potian inviting her to share food and drink? Niu Meng, an unabashed glutton, eyed her with suspicion, worried she'd eat too much.
Irritated, Yang Potian swatted Niu Meng into the sea and then nudged Ye Lingling, signaling her to welcome Xiao Bai.
Understanding his intention, Ye Lingling invited Xiao Bai again. Xiao Bai initially hesitated but then joined them without a second thought. A few drinks in, her icy demeanor faded, and she quickly grew chummy with the three girls, calling them her "sisters" within half an hour. Yang Potian could only watch with a smirk, wondering if this new friendship would actually stick.
As for Niu Meng, he seemed oblivious and entirely occupied with his food.
The next year unfolded with intense training and battle practice in the Circular Sea. Having grown close to the group, Xiao Bai treated them more warmly, though she continued to eye Yang Potian with suspicion, clearly displeased by his indifferent attitude toward soul beasts.
Through this rigorous training, everyone's skill in marine combat steadily improved, though their spirit power advanced slower than it had under the Sea God's Light.
After a year of hard training, Niu Meng and Dugu Yan reached the bottleneck for level 70 and obtained their divine spirit rings. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't manage a 100,000-year ring, with Dugu Yan securing a 50,000-year one, and Niu Meng achieving a 70,000-year ring.
Yang Tianyue's spirit power reached level 80, though she hadn't yet acquired her spirit ring since there were no other 100,000-year soul beasts nearby. Yang Ping'an and Ye Lingling also reached level 77, having gained four levels over the year—a commendable achievement. Niu Meng and Dugu Yan reached level 72, with Niu Meng's higher spirit ring duration helping him catch up to Dugu Yan.
Yang Potian had also trained rigorously against Xiao Bai, and though neither could gain a clear advantage, he admired Xiao Bai's agility and power in her element. Matching her in battle was a testament to his physical prowess. If he hadn't been holding back, he knew he could have critically injured or even killed her.
Through these sessions, Yang Potian's spirit power reached level 89, a gain of only a level and a half, since he'd already reached the peak of level 87 under the Sea God's Light.
On the last day of the second trial, everyone was primed and eager to complete the test.
Just as Yang Potian had anticipated, while the 100,000-year Demon Soul Great White Shark was formidable, their combined strength, boosted by their spirit bones, made it possible to overpower her. After a challenging battle, the group crossed the Circular Sea, successfully completing the Sea God's second trial.
Afterward, a voice resounded in Yang Potian's mind: "Through your formidable strength, you have assisted the Sea God's inheritor in passing the Circular Sea and helped her gain valuable experience. All spirit ring durations have been extended by 5,000 years."
Yang Potian could barely suppress a groan. Why is the Sea God so fixated on extending my spirit ring durations? Couldn't I receive a level-up or some other bonus?
The others, however, fared much better. Most of them received a one-level boost in spirit power. Although Yang Tianyue's spirit power didn't increase, her Sea God affinity rose by an additional 10%, which was quite the impressive gain.
Ye Lingling's spirit rings received another 500-year extension, bringing her to four purple and three black rings, significantly boosting her skills' strength. Yang Potian's spirit ring configuration now stood at six black and two red, giving him a distinguished setup free from lower-tier yellow or purple rings.
Currently, Yang Ping'an and Ye Lingling had both reached level 79, while Niu Meng and Dugu Yan were at level 74. Yang Tianyue remained at level 80. Surprisingly, the content for everyone's third Sea God Trial wasn't the expected Tidal Body Training.
For Yang Potian, the red screen displayed, "Red Level Trial - Third Stage: Battle of the Apex Behemoths. Assist the Demon Soul Great White Sharks in eliminating the Evil Demon Orca and support the Sea God's successor in completing her third-stage trial."
Yang Potian's eyes brightened. So the Sea God had this in mind, he thought. He knew that Tianyue, already at level 80 and capable of absorbing a 100,000-year spirit ring, was likely destined to take the Evil Demon Orca King as her eighth ring.
Each team member's trial was slightly different, though all shared the common task of participating in the Battle of the Apex Behemoths and killing the Evil Demon Orcas:
Yang Tianyue's task as part of the Sea God's Nine Trials was to kill the Evil Demon Orca King.Yang Ping'an had to kill 15 Evil Demon Orcas.Dugu Yan's target was 10.Niu Meng was tasked with killing 8.Ye Lingling's task differed: she had to protect the Demon Soul Great White Sharks, ensuring they didn't suffer more than one-fifth casualties.
The third Sea God Trial was, like the previous ones, to be completed within a year.
Yang Potian considered delaying the trial until Yang Ping'an reached level 80, which was only one level away. The Evil Demon Orca pod included several high-age spirit beasts that would suit Ping'an's Broken Soul Spear. However, after some reflection, Ping'an opted to proceed without waiting, deciding to hold off on his eighth ring for now. Given his physical strength, he might absorb a 100,000-year spirit ring after the Tidal Body Training. Plus, if he completed all six stages of his Black-Level Trials, he might receive a God-bestowed spirit ring as a reward, which would be even more advantageous.
After discussing with his teammates, Yang Potian approached Xiao Bai to discuss the plans for the upcoming battle.
At the mention of the Evil Demon Orcas, Xiao Bai's expression darkened, a hint of fear flashing across her face. Evidently, these orcas had left a deep scar on her.
Xiao Bai finally explained, "Three main soul beast species rule the ocean's apex: our Demon Soul Great White Sharks, the Evil Demon Orcas, and the Deep Sea Demon Whale. The Deep Sea Demon Whale is the strongest, followed by the Evil Demon Orcas, then us Demon Soul Great White Sharks."
"The Evil Demon Orcas are a savage species," she continued, "living in large pods with around 300 to 500 members. They kill indiscriminately, even when not hungry. They won't tolerate any other creatures within their territory."
Niu Meng asked in amazement, "Are Evil Demon Orcas really so strong that even the Deep Sea Demon Whale King avoids them? We heard about the Demon Whale Domain in the Hanhai City waters, where no ships dare to venture."
Xiao Bai shook her head. "That's the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's territory. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King is extremely powerful but quite lazy. If it weren't, it could probably wipe out an entire pod of Evil Demon Orcas."
"Is the Deep Sea Demon Whale King really that powerful?" someone asked.
"Yes," Xiao Bai replied. "It's so powerful that it once battled the Sea God and lost an eye in the process. In these waters, it's virtually invincible."
Just as she began to get off-track, Xiao Bai shot an annoyed glance at Niu Meng and steered the conversation back on course. "An adult Evil Demon Orca is around 20 to 25 meters long, with a robust body, sharp teeth, and an array of formidable skills. A single Evil Demon Orca can match two of my kin in strength. They have around 300 members in total, about 200 of which are fully grown."
"How powerful are these adult Evil Demon Orcas in human terms?" Niu Meng asked, intrigued.
"Typically, an adult Evil Demon Orca reaches 10,000 years of age, possessing the strength of a human Spirit Saint. Those over 50,000 years are equivalent to a Spirit Douluo, and an 80,000-year-old Orca is almost as strong as a Title Douluo. The Evil Demon Orca King itself would be comparable to a level 96 human Spirit Master. There are two orcas over 80,000 years old, about a dozen over 50,000 years, and the rest range from 10,000 to 50,000 years."
Hearing this, the group gulped. "That's like three Title Douluo, ten Spirit Douluos, and 200 Spirit Saints!"
The sheer strength of this group left them all feeling uneasy, especially since the battle would take place in the orcas' natural habitat—the sea.
Sensing their unease, Yang Potian reassured them. "Don't worry too much. Soul beasts, despite their physical advantages, are limited in intelligence. Only 100,000-year soul beasts reach a comparable level of intelligence to humans. Even in groups, they're not as strategic as humans and rely mainly on instinct."
(End of Chapter)
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