He Bore the Radiance of a Pilgrim (Combined Chapter)

"Every Sea Spirit Master believes that the Sea God is real, ruling over everything in the sea, and is the ancestor of Sea Spirit Master. It is under the protection of the Sea God that Sea Spirit Master possess powerful abilities, utilizing the power derived from the sea..."

"The Sea God walks on the sea, creating the Sea God Island and the surrounding islands out of nothing, creating a place for his people and believers to live and thrive..."

"Sea God Island is the sacred ground for Sea Spirit Master, and also the place where they worship the Sea God. The High Priest of the Sea God, as the Sea God's messenger, leads the most powerful Sea Spirit Master to worship the Lord Sea God on Sea God Island..."

"Seven Sacred Pillar are scattered Sea God Island. Legend has it that the Seven Sacred Pillars originated from the seven powerful Sea Soul Beast companions of Sea God, and for countless years, together with Sea God Mountain, they formed a massive array protecting Sea God Island..."

"The Sea God bestowed divine power upon the Seven Sacred Pillars, through which the God's will is disseminated. Any one of the Seven Sacred Pillars Sacred Pillar can test visiting Soul Master..."

"The Seven Sacred Pillars can communicate with the Sea God, granting the trial participants a unique test. They are not only the final resting place for the souls of the Sea Soul Beast, but also the convergence of the faith of countless Sea People Sea Soul Beast..."

Upon seeing this, Su Cheng frowned.

"Since ancient times, there have only been Seven Sacred Pillars on Sea God Island? So the number of these Sacred Pillar is fixed? Then why are there so many Black Level Assessment?"

He closed the book in his hand and fell into deep thought.

As far as he knew, there had been no fewer than twenty Black Level Assessment on Sea God Island in the past century. Apart from Sea Dragon Douluo and Sea Spear Douluo, who achieved the Sacred Pillar status, quite a few people had died in the trials.

Or rather, apart from those who have completed the assessment and those who are currently undergoing the assessment, all other Soul Master who obtained the Black Level Assessment died during the test.

Based on the information I've seen during this period, the existence of the Seven Sacred Pillars is by no means merely symbolic.

It has a huge impact on both the Sea Spirit Master on Sea God Island and Sea God himself.

For the Sea God to communicate with the mortal realm is not simple; he needs a medium to do so.

For example, Bo Saixi.

As the High Priest of Sea God Island, this Peerless Douluo who uses the Sea God Avatar as her Martial Soul could most likely summon the Sea God's Descent if she sacrificed herself.

Besides Bo Saixi, the Seven Sacred Pillars would probably be needed.

As for the trials below the Black Level, Su Cheng estimated that they might not really have anything to do with the Sea God, and even the Black Level Assessment might not be related to the Sea God at all.

It's possible that the Seven Sacred Pillars, with the help of divine power, formed some kind of special logic or operating rules, automatically issuing test content.

Otherwise, with so many Sea Spirit Master undergoing trials every year, where would the Sea God find the time to set up various assessments for them?

After thinking it over, Su Cheng realized that there were too few clues to draw any conclusions at the moment, so he decided to put it aside for the time being.

He picked up another book and started reading.

"The Lord Sea God truly exists; most of the Soul Master on Sea God Island have personally witnessed the Lord Sea God's manifestation..."

"The followers of the Sea God include not only Sea Spirit Master, but also a large number of benevolent Sea Soul Beast. When they are about to die, they will spontaneously go to the Seven Sacred Pillars to offer their Soul Ring and Soul Bone to the people of Sea God Island..."

"The appearance of the Sacred Pillar Douluo stems from a unique prophecy of the Lord Sea God, and is tested through the High Priest. The High Priest is the Lord Sea God's servant, dedicated to upholding the Lord Sea God's authority and exercising the Lord Sea God's power throughout his life..."

"The Lord Sea God is benevolent and compassionate. Not only Sea Spirit Master, but even land Soul Master, as long as they pass the trials, have the same opportunity to gain the Lord Sea God's approval. These trials are not given by the Soul Master on Sea God Island, but are bestowed by the Lord Sea God himself..."

"..."

After reading it, Su Cheng sighed.

Destroying the Sea God Inheritance is indeed extremely difficult.

Crucially, the destruction of lineages likely refers to more than just the Godhood Inheritance.

Is the belief in the Sea God considered a tradition? To complete the mission, is it necessary to sever all these beliefs?

"Fortunately, the belief in the Sea God hasn't developed into a very complete and detailed system," Su Cheng thought to himself.

Absolute faith is very difficult to change.

Especially when the doctrines of a certain belief are deeply ingrained in people's hearts and logically consistent, and become the spiritual pillar of many people, eradicating it becomes extremely difficult.

However, in the Douluo Continent, it hasn't reached that point yet.

Because here, great power resides within oneself, and the gods of the world are not fictional, but real.

As a deity, there is naturally no need to refine doctrines; simply "manifesting divine power" is enough to maintain the rule of this belief.

This gave Su Cheng an opportunity to exploit the loophole.

Compared to the mainstream sects of his previous life, the Sea God's method of collecting faith was undoubtedly extremely crude.

Of course, he doesn't need any particularly sophisticated methods, because he is strong enough.

Even so, changing this situation remains extremely difficult.

Compared to the mainland people's worship of the Angel God and the Spirit Hall, the people of Sea God Island are clearly much more loyal and steadfast in their faith in the Sea God.

"We must first find a way to cut off the channel through which the Sea God manifests, namely the Seven Sacred Pillars."

Su Cheng held the book in his hands, quietly pondering and refining his plan.

"We need to figure out the principles behind the composition of those things, and we also need to find opportunities to get to know those Sacred Pillar Douluo more often."

Fortunately, the Sea God himself obviously doesn't contact the mortal realm often; at most, he'll just glance at it occasionally.

Even Tang San in the original timeline received help from the Sea God multiple times because he carried a wisp of the Sea God's Divine Sense with him.

Although Su Cheng was not clear about the structure of the Divine Realm, those so-called "gods" were ultimately just more powerful beings, and most of them were humans who had cultivated to that state.

Since they are human beings, they must have independence, desires, and wants, and their wills will inevitably conflict with each other.

Douluo Star is not simple; it is not an ordinary, unknown plane in the Divine Realm.

Given this, even if the Sea God, being a deity born from Douluo Star, has a means of communication, he would likely find it difficult to interfere in matters of the mortal realm unless absolutely necessary.

Moreover, the flow of time differs greatly between the Divine Realm and Douluo Star.

As long as Su Cheng remains behind the scenes and his talent isn't outrageously outstanding, he shouldn't attract too much attention from the Sea God.

Of course, if the Sea God wanted to manifest his divine power, in addition to using the Seven Sacred Pillars, the High Priest Bo Saixi was also a possible means.

However, he obviously cannot deal with Bo Saixi in a short period of time.

But if she hadn't been forced to, Bo Saixi wouldn't have sacrificed herself to make the Sea God appear.

Therefore, the key to severing the connection between the Sea God and the lower realm lies in those Seven Sacred Pillars.

"Secondly, there's Bo Saixi. She's the key to this mission, and we must influence her mindset to some extent."

Changing the High Priest's beliefs is absolutely impossible, not even a thought; it's simply impossible.

Those who have cultivated to this level are all extremely confident and have a firm will; how could they possibly abandon their beliefs?

But just because something cannot be changed doesn't mean it cannot be influenced.

Her extreme reverence for the Sea God was, in fact, a weakness that could be exploited.

"The final step is to change the meaning of the 'Sea God' totem for the people of Sea God Island."

Su Cheng snapped the book shut and put it back in its place.

They then left the Book Collection Hall.

Achieving these goals will obviously not be easy; it will require him to spend time planning and strategizing step by step.

In contrast, the later armed confrontations were merely a means to conclude the story.

Two years passed quickly.

In a side hall of the Sea Maiden City Lord's Mansion, six-year-old Su Cheng stood in the middle of the hall.

Before him was a magic circle and a crystal ball used to test Soul Power.

Today is the day he Martial Soul Awakening.

"Child, stand on it."

Standing beside the magic circle, the stunningly beautiful young woman spoke slowly.

She is the current Sea Maiden Douluo.

Although he looks extremely young, he is actually several hundred years old, much older than Bo Saixi Sea God Island High Priest.

However, she has the blood of the Mermaid Clan flowing through her veins.

Mermaid Clan are neither Soul Beast nor humans; they are a special race in the ocean, and can be considered half-human, half- Sea Soul Beast.

This race lives five times longer than humans, and their appearance becomes fixed after adulthood, never aging.

However, the Sea Maiden Douluo does not spend most of his time in the Sea Maiden City, but lives in the Sea in the Sea in front of the Sea Maiden Holy Pillar.

This is determined by the characteristics of the Mermaid Clan.

Once they leave the sea, they will transform into human form, but this period is relatively short, otherwise their lives would be in danger.

Su Cheng knew that her daughter was also undergoing the Black Level Four Trials, and had already completed the first three tests, with only the last test remaining.

After her daughter completes the assessment, this Sea Maiden Douluo, whose lifespan is nearing its end, will return to her clan's territory to quietly await death.

The reason she is here today is specifically for Su Cheng's awakening ceremony.

Su Cheng was, after all, a child personally brought back by Bo Saixi. Regardless of his true identity or his talent, he deserved to be awakened by the Sacred Pillar Douluo himself.

Moreover, even if Su Cheng has nothing to do with Bo Saixi, the Sea Maiden Douluo will still take good care of him.

The Sea Spirit Master on Sea God Island are all loyal followers of the Sea God, and the seven Sacred Pillar Douluo are among the best.

Over the years, Su Cheng's devout faith in the Sea God has been evident to all, earning him widespread admiration.

And nobody thought he was putting on an act.

Not to mention that it is normal for the residents of Sea God Island to worship the Sea God, his daily words and actions are enough to convince people.

In the eyes of the Sea Maiden Douluo, ever since Su Cheng was old enough to understand things, he had been single-mindedly devoted to the Book Collection Hall, which was quite different from other people his age.

What's even more commendable is that he neither reads the legendary stories about Sea Spirit Master, nor does he try to understand the cultivation methods and Soul Skill of Soul Master. Instead, he focuses on understanding the thoughts and past of the Sea God.

The Sea Maiden Douluo has lived for hundreds of years and believes she has seen many people, but she has never seen a child like Su Cheng.

No, it's not just children.

Even adult Sea Spirit Master, those Sea God Warriors who have cultivated for a long time, do not have such devout faith as Su Cheng.

After the Sea Maiden Douluo finished speaking, Su Cheng nodded and stood in the awakening array.

As the Sea Maiden Douluo infused her Soul Power, golden light flashed across the formation.

Su Cheng extended his right hand, and the light points converged in his palm. Then, a long sword appeared in his hand.

The hilt looked somewhat rough, and the blade was not sharp either.

Any experienced Soul Master could tell that this Martial Soul wasn't of very high quality.

As a powerful Peak Douluo has lived for so many years, the Sea Maiden Douluo naturally figured it out at a glance.

I couldn't help but sigh inwardly, feeling a bit helpless and regretful.

But some things are destined by fate. The hurdle of Martial Soul Awakening has stopped countless ambitious young Soul Master.

Su Cheng is not the first, nor will he be the last.

She pointed to the crystal ball and said softly, "Go test your Innate Soul Power level."

As Su Cheng placed his still somewhat immature hand on the crystal ball, a faint halo of light appeared within it, almost invisible unless one looked closely.

"This..."

The Sea Maiden Douluo was speechless for a moment.

She glanced at Su Cheng, opened her mouth, but hesitated to say the result.

"Lady Sea Maiden, what is my Innate Soul Power level?" Su Cheng withdrew his hand and asked the Sea Maiden Douluo respectfully.

"..."

Upon hearing this, the Sea Maiden Douluo sighed inwardly again and said calmly, "Her Innate Soul Power is less than level one."

In fact, it's not just below level one; it's almost infinitely close to having zero innate Soul Power.

He only retained a sliver of hope for cultivating Soul Power, but his talent for cultivation was so poor it was simply outrageous.

To her surprise, after announcing the result, Su Cheng did not show the slightest disappointment or sadness on his face.

His expression was unusually calm, yet it contained a kind of unwavering determination that was hard to fathom.

"I understand. Thank you for awakening me, Lady Ama."

"... Su Cheng, aren't you sad?" The Sea Maiden Douluo's voice carried a hint of curiosity.

For Soul Master, the level of their Innate Soul Power almost entirely determines their future fate.

But at this moment, Su Cheng remained unmoved by this near-worst outcome.

Before Su Cheng could answer, another figure silently entered the hall and came to her side.

Upon seeing this Sea Maiden Douluo bowed slightly and greeted the man, saying, "Greetings, High Priest."

Su Cheng looked up and saw that the newcomer was completely shrouded in a bright red robe, with his long, sea-blue hair cascading down his back, reaching almost to the ground.

She was extremely beautiful, looking no more than thirty years old, with a noble and elegant demeanor, and clear blue eyes that were even deeper than the ocean.

Even the Merfolk Race Sea Maiden Douluo, renowned for her beauty, was completely overshadowed by her radiance when standing beside her.

In her right hand, she held a three-meter-long golden scepter. Its entire surface was engraved with magical runes, and the top of the scepter had a diamond-shaped protrusion resembling a spear, with a diamond-shaped golden gem inlaid below it.

This person is none other than the High Priest of Seagod Island, the level 99 Seagod Douluo Poseidon.

Su Cheng was taken aback when he saw her, but then he quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, High Priest."

"No need for such formalities."

Bo Saixi spoke softly, her eyes fixed on the Sword Martial Soul in Su Cheng's hand.

"The level of Innate Soul Power is almost non-existent. Su Cheng, do you know what this means?"

Su Cheng shook his head and said calmly, "I don't know."

"This means that no matter how hard you try to cultivate, you may never be able to break through to level 30 or above in your lifetime."

Hearing this, the Sea Maiden Douluo hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but didn't.

She felt that Bo Saixi's words were a bit too blunt.

In any case, this is just a six-year-old child.

To speak frankly about someone's future at this point would be rather cruel.

But the next moment, Su Cheng's unusually calm voice stunned her.

"High Priest, the glory of the Sea God shines equally on every citizen of Sea God Island. The difference in Innate Soul Power level is nothing but a trivial obstacle in the face of the Sea God's glory."

"..."

Upon hearing his words, the two Titled Douluo exchanged a silent glance, both showing a hint of surprise.

Bo Saixi then assumed that Su Cheng had accepted the fact that he lacked talent, so she nodded slightly and her expression returned to normal.

"Is spreading the glory of the Lord Sea God your goal? That's not bad. Becoming a powerful Sea Spirit Master is not the only way out for the people of Sea God Island."

"Su Cheng, I promised your mother that if you could awaken your Martial Soul and possess Soul Power, I would train you as my personal disciple, regardless of your talent level."

"Now I ask you, are you willing to become my disciple?"

Upon hearing this, the Sea Maiden Douluo standing to the side immediately turned to look at Bo Saixi, her eyes filled with undisguised surprise.

For all these years, Bo Saixi has lived alone on Sea God Mountain and has never taken on any disciples.

Even if this child is only a disciple in name, he is still extraordinary.

Moreover, judging from Bo Saixi's intentions, it seems that he is not just a disciple in name only, but someone he intends to seriously cultivate.

A sense of curiosity welled up in my heart: Who is Su Cheng's mother?

It's just a pity that the child's talent is too low.

Even with a peerless expert like Bo Saixi as a teacher, it would be difficult to achieve anything significant.

"High Priest, please forgive me for not being able to agree."

To the surprise of the Sea Maiden Douluo, Su Cheng actually rejected Bo Saixi's proposal.

He bowed again, looked at Bo Saixi earnestly, and explained, "It's not that I'm ungrateful. To become your disciple would be the greatest honor of my life. But compared to that, your failure to understand my meaning disappoints me even more."

Su Cheng's expression was solemn, and his words were filled with intense and passionate emotions.

"High Priest, please give me six months. Within six months, I can advance to become Soul Master, and then you will understand my will."

"..." Bo Saixi was also somewhat stunned.

It wasn't just because the other party rejected his offer to take on a disciple.

What he said was equally unbelievable.

Advancing to Soul Master in half a year?

Let alone a cultivation failure with less than level one Innate Soul Power, even a genius Soul Master with level six or seven Innate Soul Power would never dare to make such a boast.

Ignoring the surprise of the two people in front of him, Su Cheng continued, "I can feel the spirit of the Sea God guiding me. For me, the road ahead is both glory and the way home."

Surprisingly, neither Bo Saixi nor the Sea Maiden Douluo, two peerless powerhouses, uttered a word of rebuttal, nor did they show any anger or disdain.

It wasn't that they believed his words, but rather that Su Cheng's expression at that moment was simply too shocking.

At only six years old, his eyes were pure yet burning, his expression solemn yet sincere, as if they could scorch a person.

What moves people most often is not words, but attitude.

At this moment, Su Cheng radiated an aura almost like that of a pilgrim.

Even Bo Saixi and Sea Maiden Douluo, two devout followers of the Sea God, found it hard to look directly at him.

Walking on the streets of the Sea Maiden City, Su Cheng's expression radiated enthusiasm and confidence, which was extremely infectious.

But his heart remained cold and undisturbed.

That's right. When Su Cheng came to Martial Soul Awakening, he once again reduced his bloodline potential.

This step is actually a bit risky.

If Bo Saixi were to abandon him simply because of his poor talent, it would truly squander the great advantage brought by the "Fated One" at the start.

Fortunately, Bo Saixi eventually showed up.

If the other party is willing to show up, the move is already more than half successful.

But that's normal.

Bo Saixi herself is an unparalleled genius. Is Innate Soul Power really that important to her?

Unless one is Innate Full Soul Power and Twin Martial Souls, no matter how outstanding one's talent is, one can probably only praise her as a "genius" at most.

Further lowering his Innate Soul Power level was a decision Su Cheng made after much deliberation.

Severe cases require strong medication.

Level three or four Innate Soul Power is not outstanding enough, at least not enough to dazzle others in the near future.

With a potion specifically designed to enhance Martial Soul, he could actually weaken himself to the point of having zero innate Soul Power, so that, at least through Martial Soul testing methods, no one could sense his Soul Power.

But if you actually do that, it's pure gambling.

Having zero Soul Power was not included in Bo Saixi's promise, and he absolutely could not give up this opportunity.

Therefore, one can only awaken with the lowest level of Soul Power.

Not long after the Soul Power awakening ceremony, the fact that Su Cheng's Innate Soul Power level was almost non-existent had already become common knowledge throughout the city.

Those two Titled Douluo obviously wouldn't be so idle as to tell others about such trivial matters.

Su Cheng himself found an opportunity to spread this news.

Over the past two years, Su Cheng has become quite familiar with the people of Sea Maiden City.

The Sea God Island has few inhabitants to begin with, and Su Cheng's identity is quite unique. He can come and go freely in the City Lord's Mansion, and he can recite all kinds of Sea God doctrines, classics, legends and histories by heart. His faith concentration is close to 100%, which naturally attracts the attention of many residents.

Because of their shared faith, the residents of Sea God Island don't really have any wicked thoughts among themselves.

Compared to the cutthroat competition on the mainland, the people here are much more honest and simple.

In the minds of the inhabitants of Sea God Island, everything they possess is a gift from the Sea God.

The trials that begin after they turn eighteen represent their ultimate future path.

Everyone was working silently to pass the test, and there were almost no conflicts of interest among the residents.

This situation, while limiting each person's upper limit, also guarantees their lower limit.

Now that people know about his Martial Soul Awakening, many feel pity and regret.

Su Cheng's response to others' concern and inquiries was also very simple.

"So what if my Innate Soul Power level is low? Over the years, I have studied the teachings of the Sea God and continuously deepened my understanding of the Sea God's thoughts and will. Under the guidance of the Lord Sea God, it won't be long before my Martial Soul naturally transforms, helping me to continue to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Sea God."

Most people, of course, don't really believe his statements.

However, as believers in the Sea God, they had no way to refute Su Cheng's words.

His attitude and emotions when he speaks are particularly infectious.

Gradually, many people changed from initial skepticism to skepticism.

I want to see if he can really raise his Soul Power to level 10 and become Soul Master within half a year, just as he said.

Similar situations were within Su Cheng's expectations.

His research into the history of Sea God Island over the years has not been entirely fruitless.

Su Cheng discovered that the Sea God not only used rather crude methods to collect faith, but also didn't really care much about the spread and promotion of the Sea God's doctrines.

Even within those books, there are many contradictions.

Clearly, more than 90% of these legends and sayings about the Sea God were probably not written by the Sea God himself, but rather supplemented by later believers.

This has led to a situation where, although the Sea Spirit Master here all worship the Sea God, their ways of worship differ.

The understanding of its core spirit varies greatly, but it is only through power that they have been brought together.

In reality, it's nothing more than vague things like "the Sea God protects the island, the Sea God blesses the people, the Sea God drives away the evil Sea Soul Beast, and the Sea God bestows tests to select managers."

If it weren't for the existence of extraordinary power, this would never have become a unified sect, and it wouldn't even be as good as the Spirit Hall.

Normally, the final result would inevitably be fragmentation, which would then break into multiple schools of thought.

"Amateurish, really amateurish," Su Cheng sighed to himself.

"Wait until I show you what professionalism really means."