Another Black-Level Trial!
Looking at the stubborn, wild, and resolute short-haired girl in front of him, and then at her silent but equally determined companions behind her, Sea Horse Douluo felt a mix of shock and regret.
He had seen too many Land Soul Masters who were scared off by the Black Level trials, and he had also seen too many "geniuses" who turned into skeletons during the trials.
The courage and perseverance of these young people far surpassed that of ordinary people, even moving him, Sacred Pillar Guardian who had undergone the Black Level Four Trials.
"Good."
Sea Horse Douluo's voice was deep and complex, carrying a hint of indescribable emotion in its unique tone, a blend of the roar of tsunamis and the Tackle of rocks.
"You young people are indeed very energetic. Few people have the courage you have."
As the examiner, his duty was to convey the will of the Sea God, not to dissuade him.
Since the other party has made up their mind, all he can do is carry it out.
He said no more, and the pious look on his face returned.
Just like when he had given Xie Yue a test before, he slowly raised his hands, maintaining the posture of supporting, and extended his right index finger. Instantly, a point of extremely brilliant blue light condensed at the fingertip, and he pointed it at Dugu Yan's body from a distance!
"Buzz--!"
A blue beam of light, even purer and more refined than the light of the Sacred Pillar, descended from the sky once again without warning!
It seemed to Infiltrator the barrier of space, precisely enveloping Dugu Yan's tall and powerful body!
The beam of light was about one meter in diameter, as clear as the purest seawater, and exuded a sacred and gentle aura.
Bathed in the beam of light, Dugu Yan's body trembled slightly. Her face did not show the initial bewilderment of Xie Yue, but rather a focused vigilance.
She clearly remembered the changes Xie Yue had experienced, and knew that this was just the beginning.
As expected, the change happened swiftly!
Almost without pause, the pure blue color, as if bleached, instantly faded, turning into a flawless pure white!
The white light was pure and holy, like the wings of an angel, but it lasted for less than a breath.
The white was quickly replaced by a bright yellow! The yellow light was warm, with a sense of earthy weight, but the color was not yet stable, and it was as if a darker paint had been splashed on it, rapidly turning from yellow to purple!
Purple light flowed within the pillar of light, noble and mysterious, carrying a powerful Pressure —the very color of Millennium Soul Ring!
The purple light continued to deepen, from light purple to dark purple, and then to a deep, almost blackish purple!
The deep purple, like thick, unyielding ink, almost completely obscured Dugu Yan's tall and imposing figure under the beam of light, leaving only a blurry outline visible.
The yellow-clad Sea Soul Master on the shore held their breath once more, their eyes filled with horror and pity.
They knew what this meant—yet another Black Level test!
Sea Horse Douluo stared intently at the beam of light, watching as the deep purple, like burning ink, finally swallowed the last trace of purple light, transforming into a chilling, death- and despair-symbolizing deep black!
"Black Level test!"
"Another Black Level!"
Suppressed gasps of alarm rose again from the shore. The deep black light that enveloped Dugu Yue was heavy and oppressive, carrying a chilling majesty!
Unlike when it enveloped the Xie Yue, it didn't seem to completely engulf people, but the terrifying pressure it contained still made Dugu Yan feel a huge sense of crisis stemming from her life instincts!
She gritted her teeth, her dark green Soul Power flickering on her body, and the phantom of Medusa's Martial Soul seemed to be roaring silently, resisting the invisible pressure.
Meanwhile, a Synchronize change occurred on the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar behind Sea Horse Douluo!
The mysterious patterns on the surface of the Sacred Pillar, which originally shimmered with a blue halo, began to change color from blue to purple at their lowest level as the light surrounding Dugu Yan's pillar deepened, and finally... completely turned into a deep black!
This blackness, as if alive, began to steadily and slowly but surely climb upwards along the patterns of the Sacred Pillar!
Sea Horse Douluo gazed at the ever-rising black patterns on the Sacred Pillar, then looked at Dugu Yan, who stood like a black reef within the pillar of light, and slowly spoke, his voice as solemn as a divine pronouncement:
"The test that the Lord Sea God has bestowed upon you is..."
His deep voice, carrying an indescribable heaviness, clearly reached everyone's ears:
"Black Level Five Trials!"
"Black Level Five Trials"
Sea Horse Douluo spoke each word slowly and deliberately, each syllable carrying immense Qian Jun.
Although it was one less test than Xie Yue's six trials, the heaviness and danger still made the air freeze. He glanced at Dugu Yan and emphasized:
"The Black Level Five Trials, second only to the Black Level Six Trials in difficulty, is a severe test bestowed by Lord Sea God upon those with immense potential... or, moreover, upon those who are Land Soul Master."
As Sea Horse Douluo finished speaking, the deep black light enveloping Dugu Yan suddenly subsided, not dissipating, but rather condensing!
Five solid black light screens flashed past Dugu Yan in an instant. Their speed and the mystery of their contents were so great that no one except Dugu Yan herself and the examiner, Sea Horse Douluo, could see them clearly at all!
Immediately afterwards, the five black lights transformed into five deep, ink-like points of light, which flashed into Dugu Yan's forehead!
"Well!"
Dugu Yan's body jolted violently, as if struck by an invisible hammer! A clear black five-pointed star pattern slowly emerged beneath the skin of her forehead, its color as black as ink, its edges seemingly still wriggling slightly, exuding a cold and heavy aura.
This is the mark of trial bestowed by the Sea God, and also the Sword of Damocles hanging over our heads!
The light in her eyes instantly became deep and solemn, as if she had received a massive amount of information in a single moment. The pressure and content contained in that information made her face turn slightly pale.
She didn't even have time to glance at her companions. She quickly took a few steps back, and like Xie Yue, sat cross-legged on the ground, closed her eyes, and frowned tightly, as if she was trying her best to digest and ponder the five tests that had just been imprinted deep in her soul.
She pressed her lips together, her originally wild and flamboyant aura now appearing somewhat tense. Her dark green short hair, bathed in black light, seemed to have dimmed a bit, and the black five-pointed star on her forehead was like an ominous brand, foreshadowing the perilous path ahead for her.
The black patterns on the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar faded slowly as the light barrier disappeared, eventually restoring its mysterious appearance with a flowing pale blue halo.
The half-human, half-fish Sea Horse sculpture atop the Sacred Pillar still radiates a majestic divine light, and the invisible energy field on the platform remains powerful.
However, the look in Sea Horse Douluo's eyes as he gazed at Dugu Yan, who sat cross-legged with a furrowed brow, was filled with an indescribable complexity.
In those eyes, there was bewilderment at the fact that Land Soul Master was facing such a severe test, a deep fear of the terrifying difficulty of the Black Level Five Trials, and even a hint of... pity in their scrutiny.
It's like watching a martyr destined for death, a prisoner given a reprieve by the gods.
He sighed silently to himself: the Black Level Five Trials, although one test less than the sixth level, is still a life-or-death situation with a slim chance of survival.
Given the strength of these Land Soul Masters... their fate was probably already sealed.