Retreat? Absolutely Not!

Sea Horse Douluo's gaze swept over Lin Xia, Hu Liena, Yan, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling, finally settling on Xie Yue, who had his eyes closed, his tone carrying an indescribable meaning.

"I never imagined that Lord Sea God's assessment of you Land Soul Master would be so rigorous and difficult."

"You people... it's not too late to regret it now."

He paused deliberately, letting the word "regret" echo in the deathly silence, before speaking in a heavier voice:

"Otherwise, if any of you step forward to undergo the test and also encounter Black Level Assessment... or even Black Level Six Trials, then your fate will be the same as his."

His finger pointed clearly at Xie Yue, who was sitting cross-legged.

"I can tell you frankly."

Sea Horse Douluo's voice was deep and clear, each word like Icicle Spear piercing everyone's heart.

"With the strength he has shown so far, facing this Black Level Six Trials... there is absolutely no chance of him passing. The outcome is destined to be... certain death."

In the midst of this deathly silence, Dugu Yan took a deep breath, Sheer Force suppressing the turmoil in her heart.

A stubborn resentment flashed deep within her dark green eyes, like a flame burning in despair. She took a step forward, her clear yet resolute voice breaking the oppressive silence:

"Wait a minute, senior."

Her voice drew everyone's attention, including the deep, ocean-like eyes of Sea Horse Douluo.

Dugu Yan stared directly at Sea Horse Douluo, her purple eyes filled with sharp inquiry.

"You say Xie Yue has no chance of passing the test and is doomed to die. Then how did you pass the test back then? As far as I know, people on Sea God Island must take the test at the age of eighteen. Were you stronger than Xie Yue is now when you were eighteen?"

Sea Horse Douluo slowly shook his head, his gaze sweeping over Xie Yue, who was still sitting cross-legged, his voice carrying a sense of vicissitudes from witnessing life and death.

"When I was eighteen, I hadn't even reached level forty yet, which is a huge difference compared to him now."

He paused, his tone becoming even more serious, as if he were uncovering a long-buried, cruel truth.

"But there's one thing you must understand. Lord Sea God's Black Level Assessment for our Sea God Island Soul Master is one that must be completed every ten years."

One piece every ten years!

This time span struck like a thunderbolt, exploding in everyone's hearts.

The Black Level Assessment are already extremely dangerous, and there's a ten-year gap between each assessment?

What does this mean?

This means that the native Soul Master of Sea God Island can focus wholeheartedly on their cultivation and preparation for the long ten years, adjusting themselves to their best condition before facing the life-or-death test!

And what about Xie Yue?

He only has one year to complete the first assessment!

He had absolutely no time to catch his breath or prepare!

Sea Horse Douluo's voice continued, carrying a hint of barely Frisk lingering fear.

"Nevertheless, my Black Level Four Trials still brought me back from the brink of death several times."

He seemed lost in memories, his gaze fixed on the surging sea in the distance.

"My final test is to survive for one hour among a group of Demon Soul Great White Shark, excluding the island's guardian beasts."

Demon Soul Great White Shark Swarm!

The images of those silver dorsal fins, like the scythes of death, darting beneath the surface of the water as they traversed that treacherous sea, and the suffocatingly terrifying pressure, instantly flashed through everyone's minds.

Even the Sea Horse Douluo, Titled Douluo- level figure, only managed to survive for an hour among a swarm of sharks "excluding the island's guardian beasts," and he narrowly escaped death several times!

The difficulty of Xie Yue's Black Level Six Trials is simply unimaginable!

Sea Horse Douluo's words were like a cold tide, washing over everyone's tense nerves again and again, trying to extinguish their last bit of hope with the cruelest reality.

However, to his surprise, when he examined these young Soul Master from the mainland, he did not find the expected fear, collapse, despair, or discouragement on any of their faces.

Although Hu Liena's face was pale, her eyes were fixed on Xie Yue, who was sitting cross-legged, with an almost obsessive protectiveness.

The anger and resentment in Yan's eyes gradually settled into a deeper, more intense fighting spirit, as fiery as molten lava.

Ye Lingling pursed her lips tightly, the illusory image of the Nine Heart Begonia shimmering slightly in her palm, radiating a soft yet firm light.

Standing at the forefront Dugu Yan the Sea Horse Douluo, Dugu Yan's gaze, after the initial shock, became even sharper and more resolute.

She had personally experienced the terror of the Demon Soul Great White Shark swarm, and the "near-death experience" described by Sea Horse Douluo was even more shocking, but this did not break her.

On the contrary, a resolute determination to burn one's bridges and fight to the death rose within her.

She stepped forward again, her long, dark green hair swaying slightly in the sea breeze. Her voice was clear and steady, carrying an undeniable firmness. "Senior, please grant me a test, Lord Sea God."

Sea Horse Douluo frowned slightly, his gaze falling on Dugu Yan as if it were a tangible object, trying to find a trace of wavering in her eyes.

"Aren't you going to reconsider?"

His voice was low and carried an almost warning tone.

He had just used the coldest facts to depict the hellish scene of the Black Level Assessment, and he didn't believe that the girl in front of him could truly understand the weight of it.

Dugu Yan's expression remained unchanged. Her gaze swept over Xie Yue, who had his eyes closed, and over her companions beside her, before finally settling on Sea Horse Douluo's face. A proud and wild smile even appeared on her lips.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it resonated like a rock, clearly echoing across the Sacred Pillar Platform, drowning out the roar of the waves:

"Senior, we came here to be tested."

Her tone carried an air of matter-of-fact composure.

"If the test is too easy, wouldn't we have come all this way for nothing? How can we have motivation without pressure? We..."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over Lin Xia, Hu Liena, Yan, Ye Lingling, as if confirming some unspoken understanding, before finally looking at Sea Horse Douluo with a powerful confidence.

"... Having already accomplished so many impossible things, what's one more miracle?"

Her voice was like a declaration, not only an answer to Sea Horse Douluo, but also a declaration to her companions, to this sea, and to the will of the Sea God who reigns high above!

They traversed the world-ending tsunami unleashed by the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, experienced numerous setbacks on Purple Pearl Island, braved the sharp teeth of the Demon Soul Great White Shark to land on the beach, and finally broke through the Sea within Sea guarded by Titled Douluo!

Every step of this journey has been a brush with death.

Every single time they've done something that seems impossible, they've created a miracle. The Black Level Assessment on Sea God Island is terrifying, but it's just another insurmountable obstacle they must overcome on their path to power!

Dugu Yan demonstrated their determination to Sea Horse Douluo through her actions.

She didn't wait for her companions to agree, nor did she look at Sea Horse Douluo's reaction; she simply spoke silently with her purple eyes burning with an indomitable flame.

Back down? Absolutely not!