"Is this the Sea God's Light?"
Dugu Yan inquired, "What exactly is the form of the First Trial,' the 'Time Travel' and 'Sea God's Light ' tests?"
Lin Mo did not answer immediately.
A faint golden light flashed in his eyes. He activated his Spirit Eyes, focusing his gaze as he looked up the steps toward the Sea God Hall.
But apart from what could be clearly seen up close, a faint golden mist appeared as one went further back.
The golden mist, though seemingly thin, had an extremely strong blocking effect.
Under the influence of this golden mist, even when Lin Mo used his Spirit Eyes, what he could see was no different from that of a normal person.
He withdrew his gaze and said thoughtfully, "It seems the First Trial will be to have us climb the steps in front of the Sea God Hall."
"However, judging from the description of the test and the expression of the previous Sea Soul Master, this test is definitely not as simple as it seems."
"I'll try it first."
Feng Xiaotian shouted; he had been unable to contain himself for a long time.
As soon as he finished speaking, a surge of azure light erupted around him, and the Gale Twin-Headed Wolf Martial Soul instantly possessed him.
Two yellow, two purple, and one black Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, and a pair of cyan wolf wings unfurled behind him.
He exerted force with both legs, and like an arrow released from a bow, he rushed towards the steps in front of him.
However, to Feng Xiaotian surprise, as soon as he rushed up the first step, it was as if he had bumped into something, and he was bounced back.
The force was swift and fierce; Feng Xiaotian had no time to react and was thrown more than ten meters away, tumbling several times in the air before barely managing to regain his balance.
"What happened?" Shui Bing'er asked softly, her gaze falling on Feng Xiaotian.
Feng Xiaotian scratched his head and described his feeling just now. "I felt like I had just bumped into an extremely resilient wall."
The amount of impact force determines how much bounces back.
"Moreover, that force was not just a simple thrust, but a complete return of all the force that propelled me forward."
Lin Mo nodded and continued, "It seems that this repulsive force is the main challenge we'll face in our First Trial. It's definitely not as simple as it looks."
After speaking, he raised his right hand, and a wisp of blood energy swirled around his fingertips.
He then flicked his finger, and the ball of blood energy suddenly transformed into a blood-red arrow, shooting towards the Sea God's Light not far away.
The blood arrow was incredibly fast, and in the blink of an eye, it touched the golden light barrier.
However, at the very moment of contact, the blood arrow seemed to have struck an invisible wall, bouncing back at an even faster speed.
The arrow of blood shot out like a lock being opened, heading straight for Lin Mo's face.
Lin Mo remained expressionless, raised his hand and grabbed the arrow of blood, Crush Grip the blood energy with force from his palm.
Looking at the traces of blood on his hands, he stated his judgment. "This Sea God's Light should be the most important defensive measure on the forbidden grounds of Sea God Island."
It felt to me like a rather domineering protective shield, capable of deflecting any physical and energy attacks.
"Moreover, the rebounding attack will only be returned to the person who launched the attack."
"This is quite extravagant, opening up the forbidden area's defenses to us as the First Trial test."
Upon hearing this, Ye Lingling said softly, "Does that mean we can't use any Soul Skill to assist ourselves while climbing the stairs, or we'll immediately suffer a backlash?"
Lin Mo shook his head. "While long-range, off-body attack Soul Skill cannot be used, protective and amplifying Soul Skill should still be usable normally."
"However, during the climb, most of the time we can only rely on our own physical strength to withstand the pressure of the rebound and climb step by step."
If you can't withstand this pressure, you'll be immediately ejected by the Sea God's Light.
"This is also the real reason why the previous Sea Soul Master said that the first level could be attempted without encountering danger."
"I see." Everyone suddenly realized.
"In that case, I'll give it another try," Feng Xiaotian said loudly, a fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and then the second of the five Soul Ring under his feet suddenly lit up.
The Second Soul Skill, Twin Wolf Possession, is activated.
The phantom of the two-headed wolf behind him merged with his body, increasing his attack, defense, and speed by fifty percent.
Feng Xiaotian took another step and walked towards the Sea God's Light.
Having made prior preparations, Feng Xiaotian's climb went much more smoothly this time.
Unlike the first time, he didn't rush forward recklessly. Instead, he slowed down and cautiously stepped into the golden light barrier.
However, his changing expressions as he climbed the steps revealed that the pressure from the Sea God's Light was still immense.
The moment he stepped onto the first step, he felt an overwhelming pressure coming from all directions.
The pressure squeezed his body hard, like pressing a finger into Air Balloon and Air Balloon popping it out.
A layer of golden mist appeared around his body, and under the influence of the mist, his Soul Power began to be consumed rapidly.
Feng Xiaotian gritted his teeth and continued climbing upwards despite the pressure.
Starting from the twentieth step, his speed visibly decreased.
Every step was difficult; my legs felt like they were filled with lead, and sweat poured down my forehead like a fountain.
Even so, Feng Xiaotian gritted his teeth and persevered.
Level 31, Level 32, Level 33...
The moment he stepped onto the thirty-fifth step, he could no longer hold on.
The pressure around his body suddenly surged, and an unparalleled force rushed in from all directions, directly throwing him away.
Feng Xiaotian was sent flying backward, tracing an arc in the air before crashing directly into the Ring Sea.
"Thump!"
Water splashed everywhere.
Before long, wolf wings appeared on Feng Xiaotian's back. He flapped his wings and rose from the sea, returning to the group.
He was soaking wet, his hair plastered to his face, and he was breathing heavily, but his eyes were shining with excitement.
Feng Xiaotian took a deep breath, adjusted his state, and said, "My current limit is about thirty-five steps."
If we use the Bloodthirsty Right Leg Bone, we should be able to push it up even higher.
"It's just a simple test, there's no need to use it."
He paused, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes. "I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I seem to feel that after being suppressed by the Sea God's Light, the speed at which my Soul Power circulates has increased significantly."
Lin Mo shifted his gaze from Feng Xiaotian, the golden light in his eyes fading, and smiled, "It's not your imagination; pressure itself is the best catalyst for cultivation."
"Under the pressure of the Sea God's Light, the speed at which your Soul Power circulates will passively increase significantly."
Combined with your regular cultivation, your cultivation speed will naturally increase significantly.
Feng Xiaotian nodded. "I feel like I'm floating on air right now. Without the oppressive power of the Sea God's Light, my body feels completely relaxed, and every cell is cheering with joy."
"It feels like a heavy burden has been lifted off my shoulders."
"This assessment doesn't seem as scary as that Sea Horse Douluo described."
Shui Yue'er chimed in, blinking her bright, watery eyes, "This assessment has brought us quite a few benefits."
"Just for the benefits of this cultivation amplifier, this trip to Sea God Island is worthwhile."
Shui Bing'er nodded in agreement with Shui Yue'er's statement. "That's true. If one could cultivate here for a period of time, it would greatly help improve one's cultivation level."
Lin Mo looked at everyone and said, "Everyone can try it and see where the current limit is."
"This will also give us a general understanding of each other's situations."
After hearing Lin Mo's words, everyone stopped hesitating and began to take turns testing.
On the contrary, Feng Xiaotian, who had just stepped down from the Sea God's Light, closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and immediately entered a state of cultivation.
Now that he understood the effects of the Sea God's Light, he couldn't waste any time; he needed to seize the moment to break through his cultivation level.
Pressure is the best catalyst for self-cultivation.
One by one, people stepped forward to try it.
Huo Wu was the first to rush forward, flames rising around her, her Fire Shadow Martial Soul Possession, and five Soul Ring pulsating beneath her feet.
She took a deep breath and stepped onto the stairs.
Huo Wu Feng Xiaotian, and every step she took was difficult.
She gritted her teeth and climbed upwards under the pressure. Sweat quickly soaked her clothes, and the flames dimmed under the oppressive golden mist.
Finally, she was ejected at the thirty-first step and fell into the Ring Sea.
Shui Bing'er followed closely behind, her body shimmering with icy blue light, her Ice Phoenix Martial Soul possessing her.
She stopped at the thirty-third step and voluntarily stepped back.
Shui Yue'er rushed up excitedly, only to be bounced away at the twenty-eighth step.
She fell into the sea, struggled for a while before surfacing, a bright smile on her face, "Sister, I made it to level 28!"
Shui Bing'er shook her head helplessly and reached out to pull her out of the sea.
Zhu Zhuqing walked forward silently.
With the Nether Civet Martial Soul attached to her, five Soul Ring —two yellow, two purple, and one black—rose from beneath her feet. Her steps were light, and her speed appeared to be considerably faster than Shui Yue'er's.
However, the pressure of the Sea God's Light had the same effect on her, and she was thrown off the twenty-seventh step and fell into the sea.
Zhu Zhuqing surfaced, expressionless, and swam back to shore, silently circulating her Soul Power to evaporate the water stains from her body.
Next was Dugu Yan. Soon, the Jade Phosphor Dragon Martial Soul was fully attached to her, and six Soul Ring rose from her feet. She was faster than everyone before her.
She walked steadily, climbing fifty steps in one go before her speed began to slow down.
Level 51, Level 52, Level 53...
She stopped at the fifty-sixth step and then voluntarily stepped back.
As she stepped down the stairs, she let out a long breath and smiled, "This Sea God's Light is indeed extraordinary; the pressure will be immense later on."
"However, I can also feel that after being under pressure, my body does feel tempered."
Ye Lingling also tried, and finally stopped at the forty-fifth step. Then, like Dugu Yan, she chose to step down.
After stepping down, she let out a soft breath and looked at Lin Mo: "The pressure was indeed immense."
Lin Mo did not rush to climb the steps. He watched silently from the side, taking in everyone's performance.
The number of steps that a group of people climbed on their first attempt was, in a sense, positively correlated with their physical fitness.
Simply put, the stronger a person's physical fitness, the more steps they can climb.
As expected, Dugu Yan, whose cultivation level was higher than the others, climbed the most steps, ascending fifty-six steps in one go before voluntarily retreating.
Because of her Martial Soul, Ye Lingling's physical abilities were slightly inferior to Dugu Yan's, and she only reached level 45 on her first climb.
Shui Bing'er and Huo Wu were slightly inferior to Feng Xiaotian, climbing thirty-three and thirty-one steps respectively.
As for Shui Yue'er and Zhu Zhuqing, because their cultivation levels were relatively low, one climbed to level 28 and the other to level 27.
Lin Mo silently memorized these numbers.
A moment later, he clapped his hands and called over the group, who were covered in sweat and looked exhausted.
The crowd gathered around, their faces showing varying degrees of fatigue, but their eyes gleamed with excitement.
Lin Mo looked at them thoughtfully and said, "Through your climb just now, I have gained a general understanding of the situation here."
The first climb didn't go well, mainly because you hadn't fully adapted to the pressure from the Sea God's Light.
"This is also the most important reason why you were directly bounced back by the Sea God's Light at this stage."
"I believe that once you adapt to the pressure changes brought about by the Sea God's Light, the number of steps you can climb will increase significantly."
Upon hearing Lin Mo's words, the solemn expressions on everyone's faces gradually dissipated.
The number of steps they climbed on their first attempt was far less than the number of steps required to pass the test.
Huo Wu, Shui Bing'er, Feng Xiaotian, Shui Yue'er, and Zhu Zhuqing need to reach level 108.
Ye Lingling needs level 228, Dugu Yan needs level 333.
And Lin Mo...
Thinking about this, everyone felt a little scared.
Four hundred and forty-four levels—just thinking about that number is enough to make one feel hopeless.
However, everyone breathed a sigh of relief after hearing Lin Mo say that there was still a lot of room for improvement.
"If you get used to this kind of pressure and cultivate under such conditions, not only will your physical resistance be greatly improved, but your Soul Power cultivation speed will also be much faster."
Lin Mo continued.
He paused, then, based on the existing information, offered his own guesses, which were largely derived from his memories:
"The trials in the first few stages of the Sea God Trial are mostly similar to the first stage, traversing the Sea God's Light; for Soul Master, they are all tests to build a solid foundation."
"If we choose to take shortcuts here, then when the real test of strength comes later, it will be our doom."
Lin Mo's tone suddenly turned serious.
Upon hearing Lin Mo's words, everyone's previous playful expressions changed, and they could sense the seriousness in Lin Mo's words.
"But there's no need to worry too much."
Lin Mo's tone softened, "As you can probably see, the Sea God Trial is an immense opportunity for us. The first trial alone, the Sea God's Light, is a rare and precious training ground."
"Therefore, the later you actually participate in the test and clear the Sea God's Light, the better. If possible, it's best to formally participate in the assessment on the last day."
"Strengthen your foundation as much as possible, and improve your physical fitness and endurance. This will be very beneficial for your future cultivation and the absorption of Soul Ring."
Upon hearing Lin Mo's words, everyone nodded in agreement.
Shui Yue'er blinked, then suddenly asked, " Lin Mo, how many steps can you climb in one go?"
Her big, bright eyes were full of hope and a hint of expectation.
The question immediately piqued everyone's interest.
Feng Xiaotian immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, Sect Master, why don't you go up and give it a try?"
I want to see just how visibly different our physical abilities are, standing alone, on this Sea God's Light.
His voice was laced with encouragement, and his eyes gleamed with excitement.
Huo Wu nodded, "I want to see too."
Although Shui Bing'er didn't speak, her purple eyes also fell on Lin Mo, clearly showing that she also held expectations.
Lin Mo glanced at everyone, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Alright, I'll grant your wish."
As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward and stood in front of the steps of the Sea God's Light. He then took a step forward.
The moment Lin Mo stepped into the Sea God's Light, he could clearly feel the pressure surging in from all directions.
Just as he had expected, the pressure from the Sea God's Light on the first step was completely ignored by his physical strength, which was many times stronger than everyone else's.
Lin Mo continued climbing upwards.
Level 10, Level 20, Level 30, Level 40, Level 50...
Lin Mo climbed all the way to the previous limit set by Dugu Yan without pausing for a moment, and did not feel any obvious pressure.
His steps remained steady, his breathing calm, as if the Sea God's Light had no effect on him at all.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene.
Starting from the fiftieth step, Lin Mo gradually began to feel some pressure, but it was only a little, and he quickly controlled his body to skillfully dissipate some of it.
He continued climbing.
Level 60, Level 70, Level 80, Level 90, Level 100...
When Lin Mo stepped onto the 108 steps, everyone held their breath.
Shui Yue'er covered her mouth, Huo Wu's eyes widened, Feng Xiaotian's mouth gaped open, and Shui Bing'er's eyes flashed with disbelief.
One hundred and eight steps—that's the number they need to pass the test.
But Lin Mo continued upwards.
Level 110, Level 120, Level 130, Level 140, Level 150...
Lin Mo's steps remained steady, and his pace remained neither too fast nor too slow.
Level 180, Level 200, Level 220, Level 250...
Everyone watched as Lin Mo, with a slow but incredibly steady pace, surpassed the limits required for their assessment.
He even surpassed the assessment requirements of Ye Lingling, a Top Level Eight Trials; those 228 steps were just an ordinary number under Lin Mo's feet.
Finally, Lin Mo stopped at the top of the three hundred steps.
He stood there, enveloped in golden Sea God's Light, looking like a golden statue.
The Sea God's Light on the three hundred steps was so intense that even Lin Mo felt considerable pressure.
The pressure surged from all directions, squeezing his body and making his breathing rapid.
But he remained standing there steadily, without swaying at all.
Lin Mo took a deep breath, then turned around and began to slowly back down the steps.
He did not continue his upward Dash.
He retreated step by step, at a pace even slower than when he was climbing.
When Lin Mo completely withdrew from the range of the Sea God's Light and stood in front of everyone again, everyone was stunned into silence.
The scene was deathly silent.
Shui Yue'er's eyes widened, and she stuffed an egg into her small mouth. She stood there blankly, seemingly forgetting to breathe.
Huo Wu's expression went from initial shock to disbelief, and finally froze into a blank stare.
Shui Bing'er's usually calm eyes were filled with shock as she tried to process what she had just witnessed.
Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted slightly, and a hint of envy flashed in her eyes as she looked at Lin Mo.
Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan exchanged a glance, and both women saw the same emotion in each other's eyes: Just as expected.
Dugu Yan's lips curled up slightly, and a smile flashed in her eyes.
She had long known that Lin Mo's strength far surpassed theirs, but witnessing this scene still made her feel honored.
In the first test, the Sea God's Light, everyone saw for the first time the difference between themselves and Lin Mo.
That's not just a difference of one or two levels, it's a world of difference.
The gap was so large that they couldn't even muster the thought of catching up.
After a long silence, Feng Xiaotian finally managed to utter a single sentence. "Sect Master... are you even human?"
Lin Mo glanced at him and said calmly, "How can you talk like that?"
Feng Xiaotian chuckled sheepishly and quickly waved his hand, "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I was just too shocked. Three hundred steps! I climbed three hundred steps in one go!"
After regaining her senses, Shui Yue'er's eyes sparkled as she looked at Lin Mo with admiration, muttering softly, "As expected of the person I've chosen, he's truly amazing..."
Shui Bing'er gently patted her younger sister, telling her to stop talking nonsense, but a strange light also flashed in her purple eyes.
Dugu Yan looked at Lin Mo with a smile, her eyes full of pride.
Ye Lingling asked, " A-Mo, how did you feel up there just now?"
Lin Mo replied casually, "It's alright. The pressure of three hundred steps is indeed considerable, but it's still within my tolerance."
"As for going any higher... although we could still push further, there's no need for now. Let's talk about it later."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a surge of emotion once again.
Three hundred steps are still within the limits of what the person can bear.
If someone else said that, they would definitely think it's bragging.
But coming from Lin Mo, they took it for granted.
After all, this is Lin Mo!