A Stick of Incense and a Halberd
The incense had barely been lit when Bo Saixi had already crossed the stone platform that the Sea Dragon had given up. Tang San tried to pull his companions to the sides, but as soon as the Blue Silver Emperor at his waist tightened, the seawater beneath his feet rose up.
There was no gap in the water to gain leverage. The pressure pushed from his knees all the way to his chest, Dai Mubai's White Tiger True Body was also squeezed to one side. Ning Rongrong's first beam of light landed on Tang San's back, and before the second beam could switch places, Bo Saixi had already raised her hand and grabbed the sea above.
This test will not give them time to get back into formation.
Tang San opened the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, intending to conceal himself along the edge of the sea. Just as the blue light covered half of his sleeve, the pressure of the seawater accurately caught up to his waist. He closed the cover and changed position, his Eight Spider Lances driving into the cracks in the rocks, pulling Ning Rongrong as they rolled under the water wall. However, the backflow caused a thin crack to appear on the spear shaft.
"It's too late to use it to hide from me." Bo Saixi's voice came from the other side of the water wall.
She didn't explain further, and her next palm struck Ning Rongrong directly. Dai Mubai stepped in front of the tower to block her, and as the White Tiger Protection Barrier was crushed, Zhu Zhuqing caught Ning Rongrong from the side. The two landed on a high stone ridge, but their backs were still cut by the sweeping water blades.
Xiao Wu stood guard outside the examination hall. Her hand gripped the spare medicine bag, but her feet remained behind the boundary line. Entering the hall would turn a real test into someone else taking over. She simply followed their movements and changed positions, waiting for Bo Saixi to throw the first injured person across the boundary before stepping forward to catch them.
The first one to come out was Ma Hongjun.
The white mist from the Phoenix Flame failed to conceal the attack. Bo Saixi grabbed his wing from the mist and sent him back to the shore. Ma Hongjun fell into the shallow water, his lungs filled with seawater. Xiao Wu helped him sit up. As soon as he was able to speak, he pointed to the incense that was still mostly on the stone platform.
"It's still a long way off."
Tang San had already figured it out. If they only thought about all six of them dodging together, the water wall would chase down the slowest one. He told Ning Rongrong and Oscar to retreat between the two stone ridges, and tied the Blue Silver Emperor to their waists, while he himself went to meet Bo Saixi.
The Divine Slaughter's Domain narrowed from the body's surface, Clear Sky Hammer fell into the left hand.
Bo Saixi's palm strike hit the hammer, pushing him back three zhang. His Right Arm failed to support him against the stone wall, and his shoulder shifted again. The Eight Spider Lances managed to catch the crevice in the stone behind him in time, preventing his body from crashing into Oscar's arms.
The hammer fell from Tang San's palm, but Tang San grabbed the Blue Silver Emperor and sent Dai Mubai up the other side of the stone ridge. The White Tiger opened its mouth and roared at the water wall, giving Ning Rongrong a full defensive boost. Half of the stone ridge collapsed, Dai Mubai left the examination hall with the rubble. Tang San took advantage of Bo Saixi's change of hand to catch the tower light that was sent back.
The incense has already burned halfway.
Zhu Zhuqing made her final attempt to assist, but was also sent back out of bounds by Bo Saixi. Before falling into the water, she pushed Ning Rongrong against the rock ridge, but her own Hell Stab only pierced half a foot into the water wall. Xiao Wu grabbed her wrist from the shore, and the two of them retreated to higher ground to avoid the rubble hit by the backflow.
Only Tang San and two Support Soul Master remained inside the stone platform. Oscar's supply bag was empty. He didn't ask Bo Saixi to slow down his attack. After handing over all the remaining Recovery Big Sausage to Ning Rongrong, he picked up a broken vine from the ground and tied a knot that could bear weight.
"You pull him, I'll guard the back."
Ning Rongrong withdrew her Soul Power to the bottom of the tower, reserving the last bit of speed for Tang San. In the past, she was used to sending all the amplification at once, but this time she had to wait until each water wall actually moved before deciding which floor of tower light could be saved. Oscar didn't keep the last sausage for himself either; he tied one end of the knot behind his waist and held the other end in his hand, his fingernails quickly drawing blood.
He only had six Spider Spear left that he could use. His Blue Silver True Body unfolded against the seabed, the eighth black ring lit up, and the resilience left by the Sea Vine Demon Octopus allowed the roots to retract even after being stretched. He gave up fixing himself to the stone wall and instead let his body recede with each pressure, using the roots to pull himself back when the water was about to change direction.
Ning Rongrong understood his movement. The tower light followed his every move, shifting positions and providing less Soul Power, but the speed boost never stopped. Oscar gave her the last two Recovery Big Sausage, then tied himself to a distant vine to help Tang San bear the pull of being swept away from behind.
Bo Saixi pressed his palm down toward the seabed.
All the roots detached from the stone surface at the same time, Tang San was pushed into the air, while the Spider Spear lost its landing point. Instead of struggling upwards, he cut open the Blue Silver Emperor at his waist, and Ning Rongrong and Oscar fell back onto the stone ridge, while he sank down beside them.
The palm strike followed immediately, and the Sea God's Light on his forehead was brought to its brightest. It couldn't protect his entire body, but it did create a gap a finger's width in the oncoming wall of water. Tang San turned his body to the side, his left shoulder passing through the narrow gap first, his right shoulder bleeding from the water pressure, but he still couldn't pull his companion back in to take the brunt of the force.
As the last bit of incense ash fell, his foot just touched the stone platform.
Bo Saixi withdrew his palm, and Ning Rongrong and Oscar fell into the shallow water at the same time. Zhu Zhuqing helped the two away from the shore. Tang San stood for a moment before slowly kneeling down. Seawater flowed down his clothes and into the cracks in the rocks, already mixed with blood.
The golden light of the Sixth Trial's completion fell on his forehead, but he didn't stand up immediately. Bo Saixi walked up to him, reached out and untied the fabric on his right shoulder that had been twisted by Soul Power. The bone beneath the wound wasn't broken, but the Meridians needed to be healed.
"If you loosen that rope, the last few people will be able to stay."
Tang San bowed to her, and was then helped back to his residence by Xiao Wu. The assessments of his companions concluded one after another after this evaluation. Their marks faded, and they gained the qualification to stay on the island to cultivate, finally able to freely choose when to set off.
No one packed their bags that day.
Tang San recuperated for two months, cultivating his Soul Power to level 83, before walking up the long staircase leading to the Sea God Hall for the second time. This time, he was neither injured nor had any unfinished medical prescriptions. Xiao Wu and her companions followed behind him, while Bo Saixi stood in Hall Gate, making way for him.
The Trident was in the hall.
When Tang San gripped the long handle, he first felt his palm being pulled downwards. The patterns on the halberd's body lit up along his wrist bones, Sea God's Light on his forehead connected with it, but the sound of water in the hall did not relieve him of any weight. After exerting force with his left hand, his shoulder quickly began to tremble, and the old injury on his Right Arm became hot and painful again.
Bo Saixi did not help him lift the halberd.
"If you want to use it, make sure it leaves here first."
Tang San took a breath and channeled the Mysterious Heaven Skill along his waist and back to his arms. He retracted the Eight Spider Lances into his body and withdrew the Blue Silver Emperor completely, leaving only his legs, which were standing on the stone platform, to bear the weight. He raised the halberd by an inch, and the Sea God's Light burned even deeper on his forehead, while the sound of the tide outside the hall poured into his consciousness wave after wave.
He heard the waves near the shore and the sound of distant reefs being shattered by the water. As these sounds distracted him, his Right Hand loosened one finger, and the tip of the halberd pressed back down on the stone platform. Tang San bit down on the blood he tasted in his mouth and carefully put his loosened fingers back in one by one.
Xiao Wu took half a step forward, and Bo Saixi didn't stop her, but she stopped herself. Tang San could hear her calling his name, but he couldn't hear her promise to give up her life for him.
"Brother, hold on tight."
The stone beneath Tang San's feet shattered, and the halberd tip was finally pulled out.
The Sea God's Light shone along the three sharp blades, and the waves Hall Gate receded to the sides. The halberd fell between his hands, still heavy, yet he could hold it firmly. He tried to lift it, and blood seeped from his right shoulder, causing his body to sway backward. He did not use a single miracle to heal his old wound.
Bo Saixi caught the falling halberd tail, steadied him, and then withdrew his hand.
The Seventh Trial is complete.
Tang San looked at the golden blade before him. Before he could even step out of the Hall Gate, the new test text was already laid out in front of him: Cultivate to Level 90, complete Dual Martial Souls Soul Ring, and hunt down the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
He gripped the long handle tightly and looked up at the sea outside the palace.
Xiao Bai stopped on the water at the foot of the mountain, watching the golden light that shone from the Divine Temple.