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Su Wen had no intention of declining the Sea God's arrangement.
For most Spirit Masters, the primary function of the Sea God's Light was to compress the physical body, allowing them to feel the subtle changes within their anatomy and thus manage their soul power with greater precision. For Su Wen, this was technically redundant; with his transcendent perception, he had achieved that level of mastery shortly after his initial awakening. He didn't need external pressure to see inside himself.
However, the Sea God's Light was not entirely useless to him. It provided a harmless, multi-dimensional pressure that pushed the physical body to its absolute limit—and at that limit, unique biological transformations tended to occur. Su Wen could perceive every detail of his body, but if the body itself remained static, there was nothing new for him to observe.
Sea God Island was vast. At its center lay a circular sea encircling a smaller islet. This inner island was the forbidden zone of Sea God Island: the location of the Sea God's Light.
Su Wen followed the Sea Dragon Douluo from Sea Dragon City toward this sacred restricted area. Emerging from a stretch of primeval forest, he saw the circular sea and the forbidden island ahead. The islet was draped in a layer of faint golden light—not blinding, but strikingly prominent. It wasn't reflected sunlight; it was an intrinsic radiance emanating from the land itself.
At the summit of the island stood a square building that looked as though it were carved from white jade. Its perimeter was defined by massive white stone pillars, their crystalline texture radiating a holy glow.
"Ahead is our island's forbidden zone, where the Sea God Temple stands. It is the only building on that mountain," the Sea Dragon Douluo said, his eyes brimming with unmasked reverence. His faith was visceral and profound, fundamentally different from the professional respect he showed Su Wen.
Pointing toward the long flight of stairs, he continued: "That is where the Sea God's Light resides. Only guardians who have passed a Purple-class trial or higher are permitted to step onto those stairs to worship at the Temple. The Sea God's Light serves to repel those who do not meet the requirements, though Lord Sea God also uses it as a trial in its own right."
Su Wen didn't need the directions; he had already spotted the light. There, Hai Da and the other sailors were repeatedly sprinting up the steps. Sensing someone's arrival, Hai Da halted, stabilized himself, and looked back.
"Grand Scholar?" Hai Da asked in surprise, quickly descending the stairs. The other sailors followed suit, gathering at the open space at the base of the climb.
Su Wen flew across the circular sea and landed on the islet. "Grand Scholar, are you here to traverse the Sea God's Light as well?" Hai Da asked curiously.
Su Wen shook his head. "My trial is different from yours, but I do indeed need to utilize this light."
Su Wen's gaze swept over the group, and he felt a flicker of disappointment. Their progress was minimal. It seemed they hadn't discovered the correct way to use the Sea God's Light. Usually, the sea spirit masters guiding them would offer hints, but the sailors had clearly missed them. Su Wen wasn't their nanny; he had intended to remind them earlier but had forgotten. He hadn't expected them to be so stuck.
The Sea God's Light wasn't a challenge just anyone could take. Normally, only those with Black-level trials would face this. The fact that even those with Yellow-level trials among the sailors were permitted to try was a clear sign of the Sea God showing favoritism for Su Wen's sake.
"Sigh, you aren't using the light correctly," Su Wen said, looking at Hai Da. "Go up to the tenth step and try to circulate your soul power to cultivate right there."
Hai Da's eyes flashed. He climbed to the tenth step and attempted to meditate as instructed. His expression shifted instantly. "Try the Body Tempering Method," Su Wen added.
Hai Da switched his soul power's flow to the tempering route and gasped in delight. "Grand Scholar! Under the pressure of the Sea God's Light, my cultivation efficiency has skyrocketed across the board—especially the Body Tempering Method!"
Su Wen nodded and looked at the other sailors. Their eyes lit up with realization, and they bowed deeply to him. "Thank you for the guidance, Grand Scholar!"
Su Wen waved them off. Having shared the trick, he didn't waste any more time. He turned toward the stairs and began to climb, step by step.
Hai Da stepped back from the tenth tier, watching with bated breath. He wanted to see the Grand Scholar's limit. Most of the sailors had targets ranging from 36 to 72 steps. Hai Da's target was the highest: 108 steps. However, their time limit was three years, unlike the one-year limit given to the legendary Shrek Seven Devils, because as sea spirit masters, their lifelong faith in the Sea God granted them more leeway.
Currently, Hai Da—the strongest among the sixteen—had only managed to reach the 36th step. And that was through a desperate sprint using every soul skill in his arsenal, which had left him bedridden for a full day afterward.
Watching Su Wen begin his ascent, they were naturally curious about how far he could go.
Su Wen felt the omnidirectional pressure closing in, but his expression remained unchanged. His pace was steady and rhythmic as he took one step after another. He reached the 30th step without slowing down. There, he paused for a moment, closing his eyes to truly analyze the pressure.
Under this weight, Su Wen could feel his body's instincts flaring up in opposition. This wasn't just about making it easier to perceive his internal state; the light was actively stimulating his biology, forcing his cells into a high-activity state that naturally boosted cultivation efficiency. However, for a normal spirit master, the biggest gain was still the ability to correct flaws in their soul power circulation under duress.
Opening his eyes, Su Wen continued upward. His pace finally began to slacken. By the 40th step, he began to feel the true weight of the mountain. He lifted his legs with deliberate focus, climbing until he reached the 49th step.
"As expected of the Grand Scholar! He reached the 49th step on his first try!" Hai Da was stunned. He alone knew the sheer wall of force Su Wen was pushing against. Hai Da would be violently repelled the moment he touched the 36th step, yet Su Wen stood firmly at 49.
What made it truly absurd was that Su Wen hadn't even used a single soul skill to bolster himself yet.
Standing on the 49th step, Su Wen felt the Sea God's Light causing every inch of his flesh and blood to hum with activity. At this height, he finally detected the light's hidden nature.
"This Sea God's Light... it's specifically designed to induce a biological rebellion, forcing the flesh to awaken and fight back."
(End of Chapter)