Chapter 277: Attempting the Sea God's Light
"Ah, just kill me! I could barely make it to the 40th step of the Ice God's Hall, and now I have to climb 136 steps!"
Zhu Zhuqing and the others didn't say anything, just looking at her and Nami with a hint of pity. The others only needed to climb 108 steps.
Meanwhile, Nami, who had the highest level of assessment, had to climb a total of 333 steps.
"Silly girl, my stairs only have 99 steps, and just because you can't handle the cold doesn't mean you can't withstand the pressure. Don't scare yourself."
"Oh, I see! Well, then I think I can do it!"
Hearing her brother say that the Sea God's Light isn't as difficult as the Ice God's Stairs, Ning Rongrong immediately felt relieved.
"Let's finish eating and then try it out. I can't help but feel itchy to know the difficulty."
"Alright, I feel the same way. After we eat, let's go."
Dugu Yan's words were met with unanimous agreement from the group. They decided to try it out right away.
After finishing their meal, the group called for Sha Lan and planned to head to the Sea God Forbidden Land for their trial.
Sha Lan didn't object, as she had already received instructions from Sea Spirit Douluo, and everything was to follow the children's wishes.
"Follow me!"
The group followed Sha Lan up a hill behind the city, where they finally got a full view of the entire Sea God Island. It was a donut-shaped, circular island, with seven sacred pillars located in the seven directions of the island, and in the center of the island, there was a vast ocean.
Sha Lan led the group to a boat heading toward the center of the sea. After sailing for hundreds of nautical miles, they finally reached an island at the center of the ocean.
"Is that the Sea God Forbidden Land?"
"Yes, only those undergoing Black-level or higher assessments come here for the trial. I wish you all the best."
Arriving at the central island, they passed through a forest. When the group stopped, a square dome-shaped building, resembling white jade, appeared at the top of the island.
From a distance, the building radiated a sacred light, and the path to the top was lined with endless stairs.
"This is the Sea God Island Forbidden Land. The top is the Sea God Hall, and these stairs are the core of your trial. There are a total of 1,001 steps."
"1,001 steps? I thought Nami's 333 steps was the maximum?"
Xiao Wu was astonished when she heard the number of steps. After a brief glance at her friends, she dashed forward toward the stairs, muttering as she ran.
"I'm curious to see how hard these stairs really are!"
Xiao Tuzi's sudden action caught both Sha Lan and Ning Bei off guard, and before they could stop her, she had already reached the first step.
"Boom."
"Ouch!"
Xiao Wu, who had planned to jump up the stairs and climb ten or more steps at once, was suddenly bounced back by an invisible force. She landed on her butt in front of everyone.
"Ha ha."
Ning Rongrong almost couldn't hold back her laughter. The sight of Xiao Wu charging ahead only to be thrown back, dirty and disoriented, was just too funny.
"Hey, there seems to be an invisible wall up ahead. It bounced Xiao Wu back just now."
Ning Bei stepped forward and helped Xiao Tuzi up, patting her head with an expression of exasperation.
"You need to walk up. The harder you try to jump or charge up, the stronger the force will bounce you back. Just walk up carefully."
Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood. Xiao Tuzi rolled her eyes at Ning Bei.
"Big Brother Ning Bei, why didn't you tell me earlier? You made me embarrass myself."
"Did you give me a chance? You started charging forward before I could say anything."
Ning Bei spread his hands, indicating that he wasn't taking the blame.
"This gentleman is correct. The stairs in front of the Sea God Hall can only be climbed using physical strength. No other method will work."
After hearing Ning Bei and Sha Lan explain, the group abandoned any thoughts of shortcuts. Nami took a deep breath and was the first to step onto the first stair.
The moment she stood still, a pressure surrounded her from all sides, trying to push her back, as if someone were pressing down on an inflated balloon with a finger.
Seeing that Nami successfully climbed the first step, the others followed suit and began their ascent.
Nami took another step toward the second stair. As she stood on it, she clearly felt the pressure trying to push her off again, but this time it was stronger by about 10% compared to the first step.
From there, Nami quickened her pace, wanting to test her limits. Five steps, ten steps, and she reached the 20th step. At this point, her steps slowed, and beads of sweat began to form at her temples and forehead. Looking up, she gritted her teeth and continued climbing.
By the time she reached the 30th step, the pressure from all sides had become so overwhelming that Nami was struggling to catch her breath. Sweat dripped down her face, leaving wet streaks on the stairs, and her movements had become more labored.
Reluctantly, Nami released her martial soul, activating her third soul skill, Tide Summoning, to enhance her physical attributes. Feeling her body lighten slightly, she pressed on, climbing further.
This time, she made it to the 40th step, but the suffocating pressure returned, and she had no choice but to give up. All her strength drained away, and she was thrown back by the overwhelming force.
Ning Rongrong, who was still getting used to the resistance on the stairs, saw Nami fly past her and gasped.
"Nami, are you alright?"
"I'm fine, just a bit exhausted. The pressure up there is intense!"
Seeing that Nami was okay, Ning Rongrong breathed a sigh of relief. After some communication, Nami began meditating to recover her soul power.
Dugu Yan, having the highest cultivation level, quickly reached the 50th step. After a brief look back, she began meditating in place, following Ning Bei's advice to adjust to the pressure before continuing her climb.
Among the others, Xiao Wu and Long Nian Bing, who had the strongest physical strength, reached the same step Nami had just been on. Both were drenched in sweat and were clearly nearing their limits.
In comparison, the mental-type soul masters, Ye Yin Zhu and Zhu Zhu Qing, were lagging behind. They stopped at the 35th step, each struggling to lift one leg several times but failing to go any further.
The most embarrassed of all was Ning Rongrong. She was currently on the 15th step, her face flushed with effort. Clearly, in terms of physical strength, she was the weakest.
Looking at her companions, who were much further ahead, Ning Rongrong felt frustrated. She raised her left hand, and a soft glow appeared as she summoned the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
"Nine Treasures Famous Technique: Unstoppable Work."
For the first time, Ning Rongrong used her powers for her own benefit. After the five beams of light entered her body, she immediately felt her strength surge, and she quickly sprinted up several steps.
By the time she reached the 28th step, her face had turned red again, and she let out a frustrated yell:
"Ah!!! This is so difficult! How long will it take me to reach the 136th step?"
"Rongrong, this year, this month is exactly the Monkey Year and the Horse Month!"
Ning Rongrong: "Is that really what I meant?"
(END CHAPTER)
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