"Hey, this sand feels great." He stamped his feet. "Way better than those lousy, foot-piercing beaches on the continent."
The moment he finished speaking, a voice came from the woods.
"Stop."
The voice was not loud, yet it carried with remarkable clarity. Even from far away, every word was distinct. Everyone halted.
A man emerged from the trees.
He looked around fifty, tall and broad, dressed in a grayish-blue robe embroidered with subtle wave patterns.
His hair was gray-white and neatly combed. His eyes were also a bright gray-white, like two pearls soaked in seawater for centuries.
He walked at an unhurried pace, every step firm and steady. The hem of his robe swept across the sand without making a sound.
But his aura... Bing Yekong had tensed up almost the instant the man stepped out of the woods.
The man was a Titled Douluo, and undoubtedly a formidable one.
"Outsiders." The gray-haired man stopped before the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar, his gaze passing over the faces of all six of them. His tone was calm. "Sea God Island does not accept outsiders. Please leave."
Feng Xiaotian took half a step forward and cupped his hands. "Senior, we came all the way from the continent specifically to..."
"To undergo the Sea God's trial?" The gray-haired man cut him off, the corner of his mouth twitching in something that could hardly be called a smile. "People come every so often. You are neither the first nor the last. But rules are rules. Sea God Island is not open to outsiders. Take another step forward, and I will consider it a provocation."
The pressure radiating from him spread soundlessly like a tide, forcing Huo Wushuang half a step back. His face went slightly pale.
Feng Xiaotian gritted his teeth, still wanting to