Chapter 445: The Completion of the Trial, Ning Rongrong's Determination
"Let's start," Dai Yao said, his voice calm yet resolute.
Everyone nodded. Dai Yao continued, "As we planned, Rongrong goes first, then Wutong, with Zhuqing and Yan following in the third and fourth positions, and I'll take the rear. Alright, let's go!"
This order had been carefully thought out. Everyone but Ning Rongrong was fully confident of reaching the required steps in their trials. Feng Wutong's goal was only to reach the 136th step—a task she could have completed long ago if not for the added training advantage Seagod's Light provided. Despite achieving the rank of Spirit Sage, Ning Rongrong, as a support spirit master, faced considerable difficulty completing her assessment alone.
By placing her in the lead, the others hoped she could fully focus on reaching her goal without distractions, attempting the trial on her own while everyone else prepared to assist her. If anything went wrong, Dai Yao, positioned last, could step in to help her and ensure her success.
Ning Rongrong took a deep breath, her eyes set on the path before her. She had attempted this climb many times over the past year, always falling short of the 228th step. Today, however, she would give it everything, even if she couldn't reach the top alone. Each step she climbed on her own would be a victory in itself.
Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps…
Ning Rongrong moved at a steady pace. As the pressure increased, a thin sheen of sweat appeared on her brow, and her breathing grew shallow, yet her stride remained firm. She reached the 100th step, where her movements faltered slightly for the first time.
Just behind her, Feng Wutong showed no sign of strain, having already adapted to the pressure of the lower steps.
"Rongrong, need my help?" she asked succinctly.
Ning Rongrong shook her head, catching her breath as she spoke. "Not yet, Wutong. Using a domain is too exhausting. Let's save it until I'm at my limit."
With everyone watching closely, Ning Rongrong summoned her Ten Treasures Glazed Tower, the dazzling crystal structure appearing in her hand. Seven spirit rings glowed around her—yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black—emanating an overwhelming presence. She was only twenty-two years old and already a support Spirit Sage with the Ten Treasures Glazed Tower, an achievement so remarkable it would stun anyone who heard of it.
Over the past year in Seagod's Light, Ning Rongrong had reached the seventieth level and, with her bestowed spirit ring, pushed its age to an astonishing seventy thousand years, a formidable feat for any support spirit master.
One by one, her spirit rings flared to life, enveloping her in a radiant aura that gave her strength and lightened her steps. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself forward.
120 steps…140 steps…160 steps. The next sixty steps presented no significant challenge, but by the time she reached the 170th step, her body was noticeably strained. Finally, her seventh black ring lit up.
Ten Treasures True Body!
For a normal Seven Treasures Glazed Tower user, the seventh spirit ring granted an 80% boost, and for the Nine Treasures Glazed Tower like Ning Fengzhi's, the enhancement was a full 100%. However, Ning Rongrong's Ten Treasures Glazed Tower offered an unprecedented boost, bringing her augmentation to a staggering 110%—a truly fearsome enhancement for a support spirit master. When her True Body activated, this increase shot up to nearly 200%.
With labored breaths, Ning Rongrong pressed onward.
Each step became increasingly difficult as she neared the 210th step. Though she had come so far, the remaining eighteen steps loomed like an insurmountable barrier. Her spirit power drained quickly, and the weight of the pressure bore down on her, making her bones creak in protest.
Slowly, she lifted her foot to ascend further, each movement agonizingly slow, her progress halted by the immense weight pushing against her.
Just then, Dai Yao, observing her closely from behind, realized she had reached her limit. With a swift thought, he extended the power of his Holy White Tiger Domain, enveloping Ning Rongrong in its supportive aura.
And from behind, waves of power surged as domains cascaded forward. The Scarlet Phoenix Domain from the 135th step, Zhu Zhuqing's Nether Domain from the 150th step, and Dugu Yan's Azure Dragon Domain spread out to support Ning Rongrong. Both women moved forward, aiming to reach their own trial endpoints.
With the combined power of four domains, Ning Rongrong felt a surge of newfound strength. She clenched her teeth and took another determined step forward.
Steps 211 to 221 went by slowly but surely. Yet as she reached the 222nd step, the pressure suddenly intensified, crashing down like a tidal wave. Thankfully, she had prepared herself, narrowly avoiding a misstep.
"Just like Dai Yao and the others said, the pressure after the 222nd step is a whole different level," she thought, gritting her teeth as she forced herself onward.
In the Seagod Temple, Bo Saixi observed the scene below and sighed softly.
"This must be excruciatingly painful," she murmured. "I never imagined a support spirit master could make it this far. She's truly remarkable. But those final six steps… back then, even I felt as though I was descending into hell. Rongrong, can you really push through?"
She shifted her gaze to Dai Yao, who was watching over Ning Rongrong protectively, her eyes a mix of complexity and admiration.
"What an extraordinary person," she whispered. "He's already reached the 222nd step without showing any sign of fatigue. No wonder Seagod himself chose him…"
With every step, Ning Rongrong's body grew weaker, blood beading along her skin as the strain took its toll.
"Just three more steps," she thought desperately. "I can't lose now!"
Her usual calm eyes seemed to blaze with determination. Driven by sheer willpower, she heard a faint 'pop' in her mind—a breakthrough. She'd crossed a bottleneck in her spirit power, advancing from level 72 to level 73.
The rush of energy revitalized her, allowing her to push onward despite the pain. Though her body swayed under the tremendous pressure, she managed to steady herself.
Three steps to go… Two steps… One more…
Reaching the final step, she collapsed onto it, having all but thrown herself forward to make it.
"Top Eight Trials, First Trial: Traverse and Overcome Seagod's Light—Complete. Spirit Power increased by one level. All spirit ring ages increased by one thousand years."
A clear voice echoed in her mind. A brilliant octagonal star appeared on her forehead, radiating a warm red light that enveloped her. Under its comforting rays, every cell in her body seemed to hum with life. A red ring descended from above, encircling her body and merging with her being.
A breakthrough in spirit power, coupled with the added spirit ring years, meant that her first and second rings, which had been at the century level, now transformed into millennium rings. This would significantly enhance her abilities as a support spirit master.
"I did it!" she thought, the triumphant realization filling her with joy.
Behind her, Dai Yao observed her success with pride. He could still see the determination in her expression, the tenacity that had brought her to this point.
"Congratulations, Rongrong," he said quietly.
As if in response, Ning Rongrong opened her eyes, a radiant smile lighting up her face.
Sweat poured down Ning Rongrong's face as her exhausted body barely held her up, yet her spirit soared. She turned back to look at Dai Yao, celebrating with a triumphant smile. Had Dai Yao not still been under the heavy pressure of his own trial, she might have leapt into his arms.
Seeing her so elated, Dai Yao felt a mix of pride and heartache. He hadn't expected her to complete the trial alone. In his memory, Ning Rongrong had struggled just to reach the 136th step. Yet here she was, victorious.
"Rongrong, take a moment to rest. You've worked so hard to finish, and your body's spent," Dai Yao said, smiling. It was as if the crushing pressure of the steps barely fazed him.
His words snapped Ning Rongrong out of her exhilaration, and she realized the others were still climbing, her cheeks tinged with embarrassment. She nodded, saying, "Sorry, Dai Yao. I got a little too excited. My spirit power just advanced a level, so I still have a bit left in me. I'll use my martial spirit to support anyone who needs it until everyone's finished. I'll rest once they're done."
Dai Yao thought it over and nodded in agreement.
After Ning Rongrong's success, the remaining three stopped holding back and surged forward.
Standing on the 135th step, Feng Wutong took a light step onto the 136th, becoming the first to complete her trial. Standing on the top step of her top-rank Seven Trial, only a slight sheen of sweat on her brow betrayed any effort at all. It was clear that 136 steps were nowhere near her limit.
Meanwhile, Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan, at the 170th step, exchanged a look. Their seventh rings glowed simultaneously, and they entered their Martial Spirit True Body forms, dashing upwards at full speed. The strength of these two women could easily rival the might of many lower-ranked Spirit Douluo. Their god-level martial spirits had evolved into fearsome forces, amplifying their power across both close-range and long-range attacks, and their stamina and augmentation abilities were top-tier.
While their seventh rings were not quite at the ten-thousand-year mark like Dai Yao's, they came close, at over 90,000 years. Faint hints of blood-red shimmered through their rings, a testament to their power.
In her True Body state, Zhu Zhuqing's appearance was minimally altered, unlike typical beast spirit users who transformed into creatures. Instead, her skin glowed with an icy sheen, her black hair turning silvery white as an intense, bone-chilling frost radiated from her. The Sea Within Sea surrounding Seagod Mountain was partially frozen in her presence.
Dugu Yan, on the other hand, fully transformed into an elegant, majestic green dragon.
With each step, their climbing speed was markedly faster than Ning Rongrong's, and they continued uninterrupted, only pausing at the 222nd step as the pressure intensified. Dugu Yan released a dragon's roar, and Zhu Zhuqing wavered briefly. However, they composed themselves, tackling the last six steps in one swift movement.
Upon completing their trials, the pressure from Seagod's Light vanished. Feng Wutong leapt to the 228th step, joining Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan. Their reward notification sounded in their minds, but they paid it no attention, focusing instead on Dai Yao.
"Dai Yao, it's your turn now. Finish it up!" they called out in unison.
Dai Yao knew this wasn't the time for small talk. Standing on the 228th step was draining him, too. He turned and looked up the seemingly endless staircase, took a deep breath, and dashed forward.
This time, he held nothing back.
To White Chenxiang's bewilderment, to his wives' pride, and to Bo Saixi's near-disbelieving gaze from the Seagod Temple, a towering Sacred White Tiger with spread wings soon stood firmly on the 333rd step, the world at its feet.
The majestic tiger's head gazed down in serene calm, taking in Seagod Mountain and the Sea Within Sea below.
The 333rd step was clearly nowhere near Dai Yao's limit.
"This… is he even human?" Bo Saixi muttered in astonishment, her jade-white hands trembling. She recalled the agony of barely reaching the 228th step; it had nearly cost her her life. And yet here was Dai Yao, not only finishing a trial several times more grueling than hers, but doing so with an ease that could shake even the strongest soul.
A life lived to the fullest indeed.
As Dai Yao completed the trial, the pressure melted away like snow under the sun. He deactivated his Martial Spirit True Body, feeling a flood of satisfaction as his reward notification echoed in his mind. Though he had long been confident in completing the trial, he had held off to maximize his training within Seagod's Light. Now, a year later, reflecting on this period of relentless training, he felt a touch of nostalgia.
It reminded him of his early days of rigorous practice at Star Luo Imperial Academy.
After a moment's pause, he made his way down the stairs, eager to reunite with his wives.
"A year, and it's finally done," Dugu Yan murmured, moved by the moment.
"Dai Yao, I completed the trial all by myself! Wasn't I amazing?" Ning Rongrong asked excitedly, raising a tiny fist in victory and looking up at him with hopeful eyes.
Dai Yao chuckled, brushing back a stray lock of hair from her face as he replied, "Absolutely amazing! For a support spirit master to complete such a grueling challenge alone—that's more than impressive. Most people would have given up ages ago."
Content with his praise, Ning Rongrong's smile widened before her curiosity took over. "Dai Yao, my reward for passing the trial was an increase in spirit power and a thousand-year extension for each of my spirit rings. Zhuqing, Yan, and I got the same, but Wutong's reward only extended her rings by five hundred years. Since you're on the Seagod's Nine Trials, what did you receive?"
Dai Yao thought back to the deep, commanding voice that had echoed in his mind upon completion. "It said something like: 'Trial completed—Traversed and Overcame the Double Seagod's Light. With remarkable talent, you have conquered every obstacle in your path. The limit of the First Trial is far from the challenger's own limits. Trial overachieved. Seagod affinity increased by ten percent, now totaling ten percent.'"
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