Soul Power Breaks Sixty on the Stairs, God-Bestowed Ring Gives Rise to Cloud-Piercing Flame

Before the white jade stairs of Sacred Staircase Plaza, the days quietly passed amid the daily gravity trials. In the blink of an eye, three months had gone by. Relying on the resilience of the Blue Silver Emperor and the explosive power of the Clear Sky Hammer, Tang San had climbed to the 150th step under double the pressure. With the enhancement of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, Ning Rongrong steadily advanced toward the 80th step. Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, and Oscar had each broken through the level-fifty threshold as well. Only Ma Hongjun remained stuck at the level-fifty-nine Spirit Power Bottleneck, always just one step short whenever he tried to break through to level sixty.

At noon that day, the pressure of Sea God's Light was even greater than usual. Bare-chested, Ma Hongjun's muscles tensed as he resisted the gravity. Sweat slid down his back and dripped onto the white jade stairs, instantly evaporated by Sea God's Light. Gritting his teeth, he moved upward step by step—he had already reached the 100th step, with only eight steps left before the 108 steps required by the Black Tier Six Trials. Yet his Soul Power seemed blocked by an invisible barrier, unable to break through no matter what.

"I can't! I can't hold everyone back!" Ma Hongjun growled as he activated the Phoenix Flame within him. Crimson flames wrapped around his body and intertwined with the pale blue Sea God's Light on the stairs, forming a red-and-blue halo. The pain from the burning flames unexpectedly stimulated the circulation of his Soul Power. His previously stagnant Soul Power suddenly churned, surging wildly through his meridians to assault the bottleneck!

"Buzz—" With a soft sound, Ma Hongjun felt his entire body grow light as the bottleneck shattered with a bang! The restraints