The Sea God's Nine Trials Appear, Bo Saixi's Arrival

Looking at the flag in his hands, Li Qing's youthful face was filled with shock and confusion.

The Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag?! If I remember correctly, isn't this thing the magical treasure of that old geezer, Ancestor Minghe, from the legends of the Primordial Era? It's one of the five great innate flags, isn't it?

As someone from an era of information explosion, Li Qing was no stranger to such mythological settings.

But the problem is... when I was paying my respects to the various powers earlier, I bowed to every big shot from both East and West, except for this Lord of the Blood Sea! Why on earth did this one show up?

It wasn't that he disliked the flag.

Joking aside, being one of the five great innate flags meant it was a top-tier innate spiritual treasure. It specialized in defense and could control all the waters under heaven. In the worldview of the Douluo Continent, it was absolutely an off-spec existence.

It was just that this sudden surprise caught him off guard, even leaving him with a faint sense of unease.

Things belonging to Ancestor Minghe were not so easy to take; could there be some hidden karma or danger?

Could it be that my subconscious desire for water was too strong, and since this Flag Master happens to be the big boss of water attributes, it sensed me? Li Qing could only guess wildly.

Just as Li Qing's mind was in turmoil, Seahorse Douluo had already recovered from his initial shock.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the waves in his heart, and walked up to Li Qing. His tone carried an unprecedented level of caution and inquiry: "Child, there is no need to panic. Tell me, your martial soul... what is its name?"

Seahorse Douluo's voice pulled Li Qing back from his chaotic thoughts.

He looked up, meeting the Title Douluo's curious and grave eyes, knowing he must not show weakness, nor could he reveal the true origin of this flag.

He steadied himself and replied in a tone befitting a six-year-old child, filled with a hint of uncertainty and ignorance: "Reporting to you, My Lord Seahorse, I... I feel that it is called the Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag."

"Mysterious Origin Water-Controlling Flag?"

Seahorse Douluo repeated the name in a low voice, his brows furrowed as he rapidly searched through all the information on top-tier martial souls in his mind.

In the end, he realized that whether it was the records inherited by Sea God Island or the famous powerful martial souls on the continent, he could find no description related to it.

The name sounded ancient and profound, carrying an indescribable Daoist charm.

"I have indeed never heard of it." Seahorse Douluo shook his head, but his eyes grew even brighter.

An unknown martial soul often meant infinite possibilities, especially when accompanied by the astonishing phenomenon from just a moment ago.

"Child, put away your martial soul for now. While the quality of a martial soul is important, innate soul power is the key to determining a soul master's starting point. Come, let us test your innate soul power."

Li Qing followed his instructions. With a thought, the phantom of the small flag in his palm, which had been radiating vast water energy, turned into specks of blue light and merged into his body.

A feeling of blood-connected intimacy, as if it were an extension of his own arm, welled up; the martial soul felt as if it had always been a part of his body.

He stretched out his slightly pale little hand and pressed it against the transparent crystal ball.

Everyone's gaze was focused on this seemingly ordinary crystal ball.

According to convention, the brighter the light, the higher the innate soul power.

Children on Sea God Island generally had decent innate soul power; everyone was used to seeing light at levels three or four, and even levels seven or eight appeared occasionally.

However, what happened next completely overturned everyone's perception.

The moment Li Qing's palm touched the crystal ball—

"Hum!"

The crystal ball seemed to be imbued with life, emitting a cheerful and clear hum.

Immediately after, without any guidance, a blinding blue light erupted from Li Qing's palm like a burst dam, filling the entire crystal ball with an unstoppable force!

"Innate full soul power! It's definitely innate full soul power!" someone in the crowd shouted excitedly.

Level ten innate soul power was already the legendary starting point, meaning that as long as he obtained a soul ring, he could immediately become a soul master. His future was limitless!

Surprise also erupted in Seahorse Douluo's eyes as he muttered: "It really is innate full soul power! Heaven blesses my Sea God Island; we have gained another peerless genius!"

However, his joy lasted only for an instant before it turned into even greater horror.

The blue light inside the crystal ball did not stabilize; instead, it grew brighter and more violent!

The light flickered and vibrated intensely, as if a primordial beast trapped inside was struggling to break free!

The crystal ball itself began to emit creaking sounds of being unable to bear the pressure, and fine, spiderweb-like white cracks appeared on its surface, centered exactly where Li Qing's palm was pressing!

"What... what is happening?" "Is the crystal ball about to explode?" Exclamations erupted from the crowd.

Seahorse Douluo's face changed drastically. He had lived for nearly a hundred years and had never seen or even heard of a test crystal ball being damaged because it couldn't withstand someone's innate soul power!

Just how immense was this child's talent?!

"Crack—!"

A crisp sound, as clear as ice shattering, drowned out all the noise!

Under the stunned gaze of everyone, the surface of the crystal ball, made of special materials, suddenly burst with a jagged crack as thick as a finger, and then it shattered completely.

Silence! A deathly silence!

Everyone looked as if they had been frozen in place, mouths agape and eyes wide, staring at the broken crystal ball.

It wasn't just them; even Seahorse Douluo was the same.

He opened his mouth, his throat feeling dry, and just as he was about to announce in a trembling voice the news that would shake the entire Sea God Island, and perhaps the entire Douluo Continent...

A new anomaly occurred!

Without warning, a beam of pure, warm blue light, imbued with supreme majesty and vast divine power, descended like a galaxy from the nine heavens, piercing through the air directly from the direction of the Sea God Hall, which towered into the clouds at the center of Sea God Island!

The speed of the light beam exceeded the limits of the naked eye, enveloping Li Qing with unerring precision!

"Hum--!"

A sacred, magnificent aura, as vast as a tsunami yet as gentle as a mother's whisper, permeated the air.

Bathed in this blue light, Li Qing felt a warmth spread throughout his entire body, as if every cell were cheering and leaping for joy.

Immediately following this, a delicate trident pattern, roughly the size of a fingernail and outlined in pure golden light, slowly emerged in the very center of Li Qing's forehead!

Though small, the trident pattern radiated an unquestionable, sacred authority, as if it represented the very will of the ocean!

"The Light of the Sea God! It is a gift from the Lord Sea God!" Some devout Sea Soul Masters knelt down on the spot, their eyes brimming with tears of excitement.

"That mark... what is it? Is he a favored one of the gods?" Most others watched the golden trident on Li Qing's forehead, filled with bewilderment and awe.

They had heard of marks for the Sea God's trials, but a situation where divine light descended directly to bestow a mark was unheard of!

Seahorse Douluo stood completely frozen in place, his mind a blank slate.

The shattering of the crystal ball had already exceeded his understanding, and now, what were this sudden Light of the Sea God and that mysterious golden trident mark?

How could this child's martial soul awakening possibly disturb the Lord Sea God enough to personally manifest a miracle?

That golden trident was by no means an ordinary mark for the Sea God's trials; the aura it emitted was more ancient, more pure, and even carried a sense of... recognition?

Just as Seahorse Douluo was in a state of utter confusion, not knowing what to do!

"Swish!"

A dazzling golden streak of light, as if teleporting, shot over from the direction of the Sea God Hall, moving so fast that no one present could track its trajectory.

As the golden light dissipated, a figure of peerless beauty and nobility, possessing an unmatched grace, appeared quietly upon the awakening platform.

The newcomer was a woman dressed in a luxurious, bright red robe with gold trim, which perfectly accentuated her graceful and tall figure.

She possessed long, deep blue hair like the ocean, cascading down to her waist. Her stunning face seemed to gather all the beauty and spirit of heaven and earth; it was breathtakingly exquisite, yet carried a sense of sacredness and majesty that could not be profaned.

In her hand, she held a golden scepter taller than herself, with a massive blue gemstone embedded at the top, radiating soft yet powerful energy fluctuations.

On her feet were a pair of silver high heels, making her already tall figure appear even more statuesque.

Merely by standing there, she seemed to become the center of the world, with an aura of elegance, sanctity, and power flowing naturally around her, compelling everyone nearby to feel an involuntary sense of awe and a desire to prostrate themselves in worship.

It was none other than the supreme ruler of Sea God Island, the High Priest of the Sea God, the ninety-ninth-rank peerless Douluo—Bo Saixi!