The shimmering sea reflected the evening glow in layers of iridescent color. In the middle of that circular sea lay a small island, rising proudly about five hundred meters above the water.
Most striking of all, a faint golden light enveloped the entire island. Though not dazzling, it was clearly not sunlight—it emanated from the island itself, pure and sacred.
At the very summit stood a temple-like structure, as if carved from flawless white jade. Its dome shimmered softly, supported by massive columns, giving it an aura of holiness and solemnity.
"This is the forbidden ground?" Meng Yiran murmured in awe.
The purple-robed sea spirit master's eyes were filled with reverence. "Yes. This is the Sea God's Forbidden Island, and at its peak stands the Sea God Temple, the one and only building atop Sea God Mountain. It is the true heart of Sea God Island—also called the Island within the Island. Please look ahead—those steps before you lead to the summit."
He pointed toward the stone staircase descending from the temple. "That is where your trial will take place. There are 1,001 steps in total. Only guardians who have passed at least the purple-level trial may set foot upon them to offer worship to the Sea God. All others are blocked by the Sea God's Light."
"If you wish to begin your test, you may start now. I will wait here. However, please refrain from making noise upon the mountain—lest you disturb the Sea God."
Following his direction, the group saw the staircase stretching up from the temple, its white stone gleaming in the twilight like a ribbon of jade laid across the mountain's slope.
Just as Li Chang'an was about to lead everyone forward, the purple-robed master quickly added, "Honored guests, should the trial become too much to bear, do not force yourselves. Retreating swiftly down the mountain will leave you unharmed. The Sea God's Light is perhaps the least dangerous of all your future trials, so there's no need for undue fear."
Li Chang'an smiled. "Thank you for the reminder. But you don't need to wait here—we're not sure how long this may take. We brought food and water with us."
The man hesitated, then nodded. "Very well, I will remain nearby."
Li Chang'an didn't press the issue further. With a casual wave, he led the group away. The purple-robed sea spirit master could only sigh softly as he watched them go.
"Ah, young people… soon they'll understand just how fearsome this place truly is."
The circular sea surrounding the inner island was about two hundred meters wide. The waves were gentle; though called a sea, it resembled a ring-shaped lake—albeit filled with seawater. How it connected to the surrounding ocean was a mystery.
This time, without Sea Horse Douluo's direct supervision, crossing it was far easier.
Still, Li Chang'an insisted on personally carrying each of the women across—"for safety," as he put it. Even Ah Rou and Ah Yin were no exception.
Ah Yin didn't mind; she had long regarded Li Chang'an as her benefactor. Ah Rou, on the other hand, felt… awkward. After all, the man lifting her was her son-in-law.
By the time they reached the opposite shore—after a few "accidental" brushes against slender waists—Li Chang'an's expression remained perfectly calm, though the women's faces were faintly flushed.
"Listen carefully," Li Chang'an began, his tone turning serious. "The Sea God's Light acts as a powerful barrier, capable of reflecting any physical or energy-based attack. But here's the crucial part—it doesn't just reflect randomly; it returns the force directly to the attacker."
Mu Xi, ever quick-witted, immediately caught on. "Then that means…?"
Li Chang'an nodded. "Exactly. Once we step onto those stairs, we cannot use any offensive abilities. The moment we do, the Light will rebound that power onto us."
Xiao Wu muttered under her breath, "That's insane. It reflects both physical and energy attacks? Then how the hell are we supposed to climb?"
Li Chang'an continued calmly, "We'll have to ascend step by step, enduring the pressure. If your strength can't hold, you'll be forced back down. Offensive techniques are forbidden—but defensive or support abilities might still work."
No one questioned how he knew so much. Their focus was solely on how to survive this so-called "test."
"Let's begin," he said finally. "Everyone, move forward and feel the pressure for yourselves. Ah Yin—and Aunt Ah Rou—you two as well. If it becomes unbearable, retreat immediately."
He'd chosen his words carefully. Calling Ah Rou "Aunt" instead of "Mother-in-law" was deliberate—softening her guard a little, should… circumstances ever become ambiguous in the future.
"Understood," the women replied. Together, they approached the glowing stairway.
The moment their right feet crossed into the range of the Sea God's Light, a powerful resistance surged against them, pressing forward with invisible force.
Li Chang'an stepped first, followed by Ah Rou and Ah Yin—their souls no longer strong, but their bodies were still those of hundred-thousand-year spirit beasts, sturdy beyond compare. Then came Hu Liena, Zhu Zhuqing, Meng Yiran, Xiao Wu, Mu Xi, Ning Rongrong, and Ye Lingling.
Immediately, an overwhelming pressure crashed down upon them, as if the very air sought to crush their bodies. It was like pressing a finger into a balloon—soft, pliant, but ready to rebound at any moment.
A faint golden aura enveloped them. They could feel their spirit power draining rapidly as they climbed.
Step by step, Li Chang'an guided them upward. As expected, with every new stair, the pressure grew heavier—roughly ten percent stronger than the last.
"Interesting…" he murmured with a faint smile.
Though the weight barely affected him, he chose not to rush ahead. Instead, he stayed close to the group, helping them maintain rhythm.
At the thirty-fifth step, Ye Lingling finally could go no farther. Her breathing grew ragged, and she slowly retreated down the stairs.
One by one, the others followed—Mu Xi, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Meng Yiran, Zhu Zhuqing, Hu Liena—each forced to stop as the intensity overwhelmed them, some stepping back, others knocked away by the Light's rebound.
By the time they reached the seventy-third step, only Ah Yin and Ah Rou remained beside him. Though their bodies were incredibly resilient, they were not born for combat; their strength was nearing its limit.
"Aunt Ah Rou, Ah Yin—hold my hands. I'll take you a bit further."
Before either could protest, Li Chang'an reached out and grasped their delicate hands.
In an instant, both women felt the oppressive force around them ease, the crushing weight lifting slightly from their shoulders.
Startled at first, they then instinctively tightened their grips, holding his hands even more firmly—trusting him completely as they continued to climb higher into the Sea God's golden light.