Seven Sacred Pillars
When Sea Horse Douluo's fist slammed down, a section of the Blue Silver Emperor beneath Tang San's feet broke off. He retreated along the broken vine, his Eight Spider Lances gripping the edge of the Sacred Pillar, pulling him out of the point of impact of the second punch.
The first battle of the Fifth Trial had been going on for half an hour. Broken vines were scattered all around the Sea Horse's feet, and Tang San's old injury on his Right Arm began to heat up. After blocking one attack with his fist, he switched to using his left hand to control the vines. The injury had been healing for nearly two years, and he could now grip objects without difficulty, but it would still hurt when he carried heavy loads continuously.
He is currently Level 80 and has just obtained his Eighth Soul Ring.
After the Fourth Trial, he practiced for about a year before reaching this bottleneck. The news of the completion of the mainland Angel Inheritance also arrived on the island this season on merchant ships.
The black ring came from a 70,000-year-old Sea Vine Demon Octopus in the deep-water reefs outside the island. It had been entangled in the sunken ship in the shipping lane, dragging the hunting boat close to the reefs to the bottom of the sea. Tang San first led his men to move the wounded trapped in the cabin, and then used the Blue Silver Emperor to lock its eight tentacles. The ink sprayed by the demon octopus obscured his Purple Demon Eye, and he lost half a cup of his vision underwater, only able to switch hands by following the location where the vines were broken. He personally smashed the last hammer, and the Soul Ring was absorbed all night under the protection of his companions.
Only after obtaining the new ring did he challenge the Seven Sacred Pillars.
The Sea Vine Demon Octopus also left behind Left Arm Soul Bone. Tang San healed his injuries from the hunt on the island, then stabilized his Soul Power with his new eighth ring, allowing the bone power to enter his left arm in stages. Only when the two Martial Soul no longer strained his shoulder and back during rotation did he put away the protective cloth, no longer treating it as an infinitely summonable power during challenges.
"You always watch my punches." Sea Horse took another step forward. "If I retreat any further, I'll be out of there."
Tang San's Eight Spider Lances were only a foot away from the edge of the platform, and he could not retreat any further. At this moment, the Blue Silver True Body unfolded downwards, and the vines that had been torn apart earlier took root in the cracks of the rocks, wrapping around the ankle of the Sea Horse in front of him. The Sea Horse raised his foot and shattered the roots, and the thickest Blue Silver Emperor above wrapped around his shoulder and stretched straight towards the other side of the Sacred Pillar.
Tang San used this opportunity to change direction, turning around close to the Sea Horse's left shoulder. The tips of the Eight Spider Lances stopped on his back, and his body was already inside the Sacred Pillar.
The Sea Horse retracted its fist, saw that the thin roots on its feet were still growing, and nodded.
"This time I'll let your hand rest."
Tang San sheathed his spear and bowed, the first ray of light landing on the mark on his forehead. Ning Rongrong handed him water from below the stage, but did not provide any boost. Tang San had to defeat the seven guardians alone; they could help him recover during the battle, but he couldn't let their power be sent into the examination hall with him.
Xiao Wu removed the Wrist Guard for him and saw that there were red marks on the wound, so she wrapped it looser again.
"Does it still hurt?"
"I can hold it."
"I asked you if it hurts."
Tang San could only nod. Xiao Wu didn't try to persuade him to stop the exam, but instead put the water back in his hand. "There are still six more exams to go. Don't wait until you can't lift this arm anymore before you start talking."
What truly made him stop was the Sea Illusion Sacred Pillar.
Fog rose from around the Sacred Pillar, and the people who had accompanied her vanished first. The stone platform beneath their feet turned into a shattered forest. Xiao Wu collapsed into her arms, blood dripping from her hair onto the Blue Silver Grass. The Red Ring that had once belonged to her shone brightly on her back once more.
Tang San was about to reach out when his Right Arm doubled over in pain. In the illusion, his arm was intact, but in reality, the pain from extracting the Soul Bone remained. He stared at his hand, then looked at Xiao Wu in his arms. Her chest was still. Someone outside the forest urged him to put the body down and walk towards a road leading to Spirit City.
Sea Illusion did not rush to attack. The path in the mist stretched forward, ending at the high seat where Bibi Dong sat. Further to the side, Bai Jin stood on the palace steps, holding the Medicine Case that had been sent years ago.
"You took their things, how could you still do it?" the voice in the fog asked.
Tang San held Xiao Wu in his arms, and the Blue Silver Emperor stretched out along the ground. He didn't chase that path, nor did he ask Bai Jin in the illusion to give him an explanation. When the pain in his Right Arm returned, he pressed the Purple Demon Eye down to his feet, and the gray of the stone platform began to show through the forest soil in the mist.
"Medicine is medicine, and an arrest warrant is an arrest warrant."
He placed the phantom he was holding on the Blue Silver Emperor, raised his hand, and the real sixth black ring lit up. The former Red Ring had returned to Xiao Wu's body; this one, from the Evil Spirit Orca, was completely different in power from the original. The red light that Sea Illusion had filled in from his memory was pierced by the black ring, and a corner of the forest was missing.
The Blue Silver Emperor emerged from the mist from the crevice in the rock and entangled Sea Illusion's right foot.
Sea Illusion stepped back half a step, and Tang San also stood up from the woods. In reality, his Right Arm was still wrapped in Wrist Guard over the wound, and Xiao Wu stood under the Sacred Pillar, holding a spare bandage that was soaked with mist.
He didn't walk towards her, but finished the battle first. The newly grown vines gathered Sea Illusion's retreat route, and the Eight Spider Lances only sealed four landing points, leaving the remaining space for Blue Silver Emperor. When Sea Illusion broke free of the first layer of restraints, the tendrils hidden deep in the rock crevices grabbed his knees from under his feet, forcing him to kneel on one knee.
The illusory mist completely dissipated.
"You've separated the past from the present." Sea Illusion withdrew her Martial Soul. "Pass."
Tang San stepped down from the stone platform, Xiao Wu first cupped his face in her hands, looking into his eyes.
"I'm here," she said.
I saw it.
She let go of his hand, but still wouldn't give way. "Then sit down and finish your water."
The subsequent Sacred Pillar each presented different challenges. The Sea Spear's attack aimed directly at his chest and abdomen, but Tang San used his Blue Silver Emperor to manipulate the seawater at the edge of the stone platform, forcing him to pass through a layer of crossflow before intercepting the final blow with his Clear Sky Hammer. The Sea Maiden's flute music penetrated his mind, but he closed his eyes, using his Purple Demon Eye to guard his consciousness, refusing to take his companions' cries as a means to escape.
Sea Star excels at stalling his opponent's recovery, but Tang San first lays a foundation on the edge of the platform, separating himself from the source of life beneath his feet; Sea Ghost's surprise attack only leaves two watermarks, which are caught by the Eight Spider Lances from the front and back. Finally, facing Sea Dragon, he breaks the Blue Silver Emperor three times in succession, injuring his shoulder bone, but still close to the Sacred Pillar when Sea Dragon is about to withdraw his fist, using the recoil from the stone surface to send the Clear Sky Hammer into an open space.
Sea Dragon's foot landed outside the boundary line, and the hammer stopped in front of his ribs.
Sea Dragon first pushed the hammer away, then showed him his right palm. There was a bloody mark from a vine tendril on his palm. When Tang San shifted position while enduring the dragon claw, this thin vine still wrapped around his wrist, causing the final heavy punch to deflect to his chest. If it weren't for this, Tang San would have been the one to fall out of bounds.
"Let someone else do it. You'll be down before you even throw that hammer," Sea Dragon said.
Tang San bowed to him. "I'll leave one next time."
"Let's heal your hand first." Sea Dragon took the Medicinal Bandage from below the stage and tossed it into his arms. "We've already passed the seven pillars; there's no need to show it to me again today."
After seven rounds, Tang San's outer clothes were almost soaked through, and his Right Arm was finally too heavy to lift. He sat down against the stone platform, and Oscar handed him Recovery Big Sausage to his mouth, but he didn't reach for it himself.
The other members also completed their assessments this season. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's teamwork was verified by the guardians item by item, Ning Rongrong insisted on leaving the tower light for her most exhausted companion, and Oscar held on until the end while Support in the area where they were being chased. Ma Hongjun stopped the Phoenix Flame on the stone platform, preferring to take another water blade on his shoulder rather than let the scattered sparks burn into the dwelling below the Sacred Pillar.
The mark on Zhu Zhuqing's forehead faded first. She kept the reward she had just received inside her body, turned around and walked towards Dai Mubai, without asking Bo Saixi for another test.
Dai Mubai wanted to help her up, but she went around to his shoulder first and removed the wet bandage. Over the years, the two of them had been chasing each other's pace. Now that she had finished her assessment, she had time to re-bandage this often-neglected injury before his next dive. Ning Rongrong saw this and pulled Oscar to get new Medicinal Bandage, not teasing the two of them.
Tang San's golden Trident was still heating up.
Bo Saixi descended the mountain steps, and only after he had regained his balance did he raise the incense in his palm. Before the incense could be lit, Sea Dragon stepped aside from the stone platform directly in front of him.
"For the next exam, you can work together. Endure until the incense stick burns; there's only one goal."
She inserted the incense stick into the crack in the stone and looked at Tang San.
"Live under my command."