Chapter 1442 - Sea God Nine Trials, First Trial
“What? Tang Wulin disappeared?”
The Holy Spirit Douluo’s warm, ever-present smile vanished in that instant. Her aura trembled unstably. “Tell me in detail.”
Ye Xinglan recounted their experience in the Great Star Dou Forest concisely.
“The Beast God Di Tian?” Even though she was a Limit Douluo, when Yali heard this name, her heart trembled.
This secret had been kept by the Spirit Pagoda for far too long.
The Beast God Di Tian was still alive?
It was not that nobody had entered the Great Star Dou Forest’s central region, but those that did never made it back out. The Pagoda Masters of the Spirit Pagoda were the only ones who knew the truth about the Beast God Di Tian’s existence.
“You guys should go rest. Let me handle this.” Yali calmed her spirits down. No matter how anxious she felt, she had to deal with this matter as calmly as possible. After all, Tang Wulin did not die at Di Tian’s hands, but was taken away by some unknown power. What made her heart heavier was that giant silver claw. If it was powerful enough to intimidate Di Tian and rescue the Shrek Monsters and Sima Jinchi, it should at least be as powerful as the Beast God.
Since when were there that many elite powerhouses on the continent?
Di Tian himself was a pseudogod and certainly one of the most powerful among them. Even if Yun Ming was still alive, he would not be bold enough to claim that he could defeat such a legend from the soul beasts’ world.
This was no small matter. She had to discuss it with the other Limit Douluos as quickly as possible.
The Shrek Monsters also had heavy hearts. Tang Wulin had disappeared at such a crucial moment during Shrek Academy’s reconstruction.
He did not return, nor was there any word from him. His soul communication tools were completely offline, so there was no way they could pinpoint his location. It was as if he had vanished into thin air. That was the most worrying part.
…
‘I’m here! I’m here!’
Finally, his hand touched the red line, and in that instant, Tang Wulin felt an indescribable feeling of freedom within him.
The comfortable sensation which he felt when he was at the brink of death returned to him. It was as if all pain had left him.
“Plomp!” The ground gave way under his feet. However, he was too exhausted to even register shock.
In the next instant, he was completely submerged in a body of liquid.
The liquid was very warm, and it nourished his body. The intense fatigue returned to him, but could feel his body again.
The liquid did not heal him instantly. All it did was nourish him subtly. It made his exhaustion diminish little by little, just as it had built gradually in the first place.
He slowly regained consciousness as well. He was unsure how much time had passed. With his returning consciousness, a voice appeared in his head.
“Often, there’s only a thin line between life and death. A man can only really feel death when his life is on the line. The most terrible fate is not dying, but giving up. Everyone has a different destiny, but to be able to persevere until the end, you need a will of steel. Sea God’s Nine Trials, first trial, passed!”
…
“Your Excellencies, what should we do about this?” Before Yali sat the Heartless Douluo Cao Dezhi, the Amorous Douluo Zang Xin, and the most powerful veteran in Shrek Academy, the Light Dark Douluo Long Yeyue. The four great Limit Douluos were all present.
“Wulin will be fine. We don’t have to worry about that,” said Cao Dezhi with a deep voice. He certainly had the most confidence in Tang Wulin among the four of them. This was because he had personally seen how Tang Wulin obtained the plane’s favor and repelled the abyssal warriors with the help of the planar power.
“That trident is most probably a part of his mystical powers. Since it brought him away, he should be fine. Although he hasn’t returned yet, I believe that he’s not in much danger. Wulin is the beloved child of the times, the chosen one of the plane.”
Zang Xin said, “Then what about the Beast God? The most pressing issue right now is that we don’t know what kind of relationship these Great Beasts have with the Spirit Pagoda. The Spirit Pagoda secluded them within the Great Star Dou Forest’s central region, but they did not retaliate. It’s hard for anyone to think that there isn’t more than meets the eye here. That Beast God Di Tian’s strength can be described as legendary.”
The Light Dark Douluo Long Yeyue nodded her head slightly. “This is indeed troublesome, but I reckon that the Great Beasts won’t be used by the Spirit Pagoda. After all, the biggest culprit when it comes to the soul beasts’ extinction is the Spirit Pagoda. The Spirit Pagoda’s founder, the Spirit Ice Douluo, had intended to reduce the killing of soul beasts by using spirit souls. However, his successors had different views. In the name of research, they killed and captured soul beasts wantonly. This was what drove the soul beast population to near-collapse. The Great Beasts are the kings of the soul beasts. It’s highly improbable that they would be cooperating with the Spirit Pagoda.”
The Heartless Douluo nodded slightly, “I think there’s only one reason, and that’s to survive.”
“Just wait and see. I believe Wulin will be fine,” he continued on, “Wulin is the chosen one of the plane. It shouldn’t be surprising for something mystical to happen to him every now and then. Maybe this is a phenomenon that he encountered under the guidance of the lord of the plane. These fortuitous happenings will make his future. His ability to escape with his life while facing the Beast God Di Tian is ample proof of this. However, there’s another point to consider. Since the leaders of the soul beasts, the Four Great Beasts, are still in the Great Star Dou Forest’s central region, this means that the life crystal which the Life Seed told Tang Wulin about might really be there.”
Zang Xin glanced at him and said, “You’re saying that we should form another party and journey to the Great Star Dou Forest again?”
Cao Dezhi had a slight frown. He did not continue his train of thought.
Long Yeyue grunted and said with slight disdain, “Talk about having an empathy link.” In terms of age, she was a generation older than the Amorous and Heartless Douluos. Naturally, there was no need for niceties while she spoke to them, especially when she had been tricked by the Amorous Douluo before. She still held a grudge about that.
Cao Dezhi sighed softly. He shook his head and said, “Forget it. They’re pitiable creatures. Although they’re powerful, their clan brethren are no longer around. In truth, only the Spirit Pagoda knows how many soul beasts are left on the continent. I think that the continuity of the soul beast population is most probably threatened already. Maybe, the existence of such powerful soul beasts is a form of memorial for the soul beasts’ world.”
The Holy Sprit Douluo could not help but say, “Can we do nothing else but wait? What if Tang Wulin isn’t coming back? Currently, it looks like the other forces can’t do anything about us rebuilding Shrek Academy, but I’m sure all of them are just waiting for an opportunity to strike. Especially against your Tang Sect and Tang Wulin, the Sect Master. What if he appeared in the outside world and is taken advantage of?”
The Heartless Douluo smiled faintly. “Please calm down, Your Excellency the Holy Spirit. With Tang Wulin’s strength, even if he was confronted by an expert, he can escape with his life. Also, we must have confidence in him. His adaptability means that he can deal with any sort of situation.”
…
“Will you leave or continue with the second Sea God Trial?” the immense voice echoed all around him. It crashed onto Tang Wulin like breaking waves.
The first trial had ended, and Tang Wulin’s surroundings were once again transformed into a vast and endless world of gold. Everything around him became illusory as well.
“May I know what the second trial is? Can I leave immediately?”
“The difficulty will gradually increase as you progress in the Sea God’s Nine Trials. Each trial will be more difficult than the last one. You can only truly be recognized by the Sea God’s Trident after completing the trials and possessing all of its powers. Every time you complete a trial, you’ll have an opportunity to leave. You may also leave when you fail a trial, but you’ll only have one chance. If you fail, you may not reattempt the trial. Do treat every trial with caution. Every time you pass a trial, your affinity with the Sea God’s Trident will increase until you complete all the trials in the end.”
Tang Wulin said, “What if I want to continue the trials after this? How do I return here?”
“You need only use the Sea God’s Trident’s power. Once you use it, you’ll naturally reach this place.”
Tang Wulin was hit with a sudden realization, and he reached a conclusion in his mind. There was no doubt that the Sea God’s Nine Trials were something his father had tailored to and designed for him. He had given much thought to this.
“I choose to leave,” he said without hesitation. He could not disappoint his father and he had to complete all of the Sea God’s Nine Trials. Hence, he needed to make better preparations and accumulate more strength.
Also, he was unsure of his companions’ current situation. He was transported here, but what about his friends? Were they still deep within the Great Star Dou Forest? Were they still alive?”
Hence, he could not stay here and take on the trials no matter what. He had to leave. Naturally, he chose to leave without hesitation.
There was a flash of golden light and the glow around him dimmed instantly. Tang Wulin’s vision blurred, making his surroundings fade. In the next instant, the shadows retreated and he discovered that he was in mid-air.