After Bo Saixi finished speaking, she gripped Gu Wuchen's hand tightly, her fingertips slightly cold.
She held her breath, waiting for Gu Wuchen's answer, her heart pounding.
Gu Wuchen looked at her reddened eyes, but a look of disgust slowly appeared on his face.
He pulled his hand back, rubbed his arm, as if he had goosebumps all over.
Bo Saixi froze instantly, her expectant expression turning to ice.
She opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word for a long time.
Is my sincerity really so worthless in his eyes?
"Auntie, you're so cheesy!"
Gu Wuchen frowned.
"I don't dislike anything about you, so why say all this sentimental stuff? It's giving me goosebumps."
Bo Saixi was taken aback, then realized what was happening.
She rolled her eyes at Gu Wuchen and gave him a light slap in an annoyance.
"Auntie, I'm just telling the truth! How come it sounds cheesy to you?"
She was both angry and amused, and the tension and unease in her heart instantly vanished.
It turns out he wasn't refusing, he just couldn't stand the emotional scene.
"No the same."
Gu Wuchen scratched his head, his tone softening.
"Auntie, let's take it slow. These things can't be rushed."
Bo Saixi nodded, a gentle smile on her face.
"Okay, take your time. Auntie can wait."
The moonlight shimmered on the sea.
The next day, just as dawn broke, the Raging Wave Despair depths of Sea God Island were already crowded with people.
The seven Sacred Pillar Guardian stood on either side, their expressions solemn.
Bo Saixi stood at the very front, gazing calmly at the surging black waves in the distance.
Gu Wuchen walked slowly over, dressed in simple, close-fitting clothes, his eyes resolute.
After a night of rest and adjustment, he had reached his peak condition.
The estrangement from last night has completely dissipated, and his relationship with Bo Saixi has actually grown closer.
Are you ready?
Bo Saixi spoke, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible worry.
The Tidal Body Tempering is the most grueling part of the Sea God Trial, testing not only physical strength but also willpower.
In the original story, Tang San took nearly a year to complete it, and the pain he endured during that time is unimaginable.
"Ready."
Gu Wuchen nodded.
Bo Saixi raised her hand and waved it, sending a golden beam of light into the nearby Sea God Pillar.
The Sea God Pillar instantly lit up, and dazzling golden characters slowly emerged:
Third Trial: Tidal Body Tempering
Assessment requirements: Every day, stand Sinking Silver Pillar in the Raging Wave Despair and endure the relentless pounding of the deep sea for twelve hours until your body is fully adapted to the Deep Sea Raging Tide.
"Come with me."
Bo Saixi led Gu Wuchen toward the center of the Raging Wave Despair.
The Raging Wave Despair is the most dangerous place on Sea God Island, where the water is unfathomably deep and fierce winds blow year-round.
Huge waves, like black behemoths, crashed against the rocks on the shore, creating a deafening roar.
In the middle of the sea stand twelve solid black, Sinking Silver Pillar.
The Sinking Silver Pillar extend hundreds of meters into the seabed, their surfaces covered with marks etched by the waves. Each pillar is as thick as two people could hug and rises ten meters above the sea surface.
"This is the Sinking Silver Pillar."
Bo Saixi said, "The density of the Sinking Silver is extremely high, which can transmit the power of the tides to the greatest extent. Standing on it, you will experience the purest impact of the deep-sea tides."
Remember, no matter how painful it is, you must not leave the pillar, otherwise you will fail the test.
Gu Wuchen nodded, then leaped and landed on the central, Sinking Silver Pillar.
He had barely steadied himself when the first tide came in.
A black wave, tens of meters high, crashed against the Sinking Silver Pillar like a city wall.
The immense impact traveled through his entire body along the pillar, Gu Wuchen felt as if his internal organs were churning and his bones were about to fall apart.
He gritted his teeth and circulated his Soul Power to stabilize himself.
As the waves receded, his clothes were completely soaked and clung tightly to his body.
Before he could even catch his breath, the second wave of tides arrived.
This time the impact was stronger than the last, Gu Wuchen's body swayed slightly.
He took a deep breath and mobilized the power of Ice and Fire Share One Origin within his body to form a thin barrier on the surface of the panel.
The first three days were the hardest.
The tides come one after another, never ceasing.
Each impact felt like being slammed by countless hammer blows; the panels cracked, blood seeped out, only to be washed away by the icy seawater.
Gu Wuchen's Soul Power was consumed extremely quickly, often being exhausted in less than half a day.
He could only endure the scouring of the tides while simultaneously circulating his cultivation technique to absorb the Soul Power of heaven and earth to recover.
Bo Saixi stayed on the shore, watching him struggle against the waves, feeling both heartache and relief.
She could clearly feel that Gu Wuchen's body was becoming stronger at an astonishing rate.
Each time it is injured by the tide, it grows stronger after recovering.
A month later, Gu Wuchen had fully adapted to the normal tides.
Ordinary waves lapping against him could no longer shake him in the slightest.
He could even meditate and cultivate on the Sinking Silver Pillar.
Ice Empress and Snow Empress often came to visit him, and Ice Empress was always heartbroken to see his wounds.
" Chen'er, why don't you stop training? It's too tough." Ice Empress, lying on the rocks by the shore, called out to Gu Wuchen Sinking Silver Pillar, " Snow Empress and I will help you freeze this sea, then no one can say you failed the test."
Gu Wuchen smiled and shook his head, "No, this is a process I must go through. Only through the tempering of the tides can my body truly reach the strength of Titled Douluo."
Snow Empress tugged at Ice Empress's sleeve. "Don't disturb him, he has his own plans."
Three months later, Gu Wuchen encountered his first Deep Sea Raging Tide.
The Deep Sea Raging Tide is the most terrifying thing in the Raging Wave Despair, and it erupts once every three months.
Ocean waves can reach hundreds of meters high, and their impact force is more than ten times that of ordinary tides.
A colossal black wave, obscuring the sky and carrying an aura of cataclysmic destruction, slammed violently into the Sinking Silver Pillar.
Gu Wuchen felt an irresistible force surge through him, and his body was instantly sent flying.
Just as he was about to leave the area of Sinking Silver Pillar, he suddenly reached out and grabbed the edge of the pillar.
The immense pulling force caused his arm to ache terribly, and the bones creaked and popped.
He gritted his teeth, used all his strength, and climbed back to the top of the pillar.
Wave after wave crashed against his body.
Blood trickled from the corner of Gu Wuchen's mouth, and his vision began to blur, but he never let go of Sinking Silver Pillar's hand, nor did he move an inch away from him.
After an unknown amount of time, the Deep Sea Raging Tide finally receded.
Gu Wuchen slumped against the Sinking Silver Pillar, his body covered in injuries, too weak to even move a finger.
But his eyes were unusually bright.
He could feel that, after being tempered by this Deep Sea Raging Tide, his physical strength had broken through to the level of Soul Douluo.
Bo Saixi strode to the beach, looked at the disheveled Gu Wuchen, and asked with concern.
How are you feeling?
"It's alright," Gu Wuchen smiled. "It's easier than I expected."
Bo Saixi shook her head helplessly, raised her hand, and channeled a gentle stream of Soul Power into his body to help heal his injuries.