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Liu Hai took the glowing orb, observing it with a touch of curiosity. To his eyes, it appeared to be nothing more than a cluster of condensed energy; beyond that, he could discern nothing unusual. He turned his gaze toward Su Wen, seeking guidance.
"Just place the light orb against your forehead," Su Wen instructed calmly.
Liu Hai hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. Considering they were currently on Sea God Island, he figured he needn't worry about Su Wen or the others attempting anything untoward. Trusting in his surroundings, he pressed the orb against the center of his brow.
Instantly, the illusionary art contained within the orb activated. It caught a strand of his mental power along with his consciousness, pulling them deep into a constructed dreamscape. Inside that sphere of light lay the "Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning."
It wasn't long before Liu Hai's will returned to the physical world. He stood there holding the orb, his head feeling slightly swollen and heavy. His gaze remained fixed on the sphere, stunned into a long silence.
What exactly was just shoved into my head? he wondered. Was that... knowledge?
"What you entered was the Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning," Hai Da explained, stepping forward. "It contains all the knowledge and theories mastered by the Grand Scholar. His Eminence has made all of this public to the entire Continent through this very method."
"The Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning..." Liu Hai murmured to himself, his gaze toward Su Wen becoming incredibly complex.
He wasn't sure exactly how much knowledge was packed inside, but based on a rough estimation of the countless specks of light he had seen—and the sheer volume of information contained in just the few he had touched—the total amount was bound to be astronomical. The name was no exaggeration; it truly was a sea of wisdom.
"Does everyone on the Continent have one of these?" Liu Hai asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Hai Da gave a cheeky grin and summoned his own Spirit Imprint. "See this? This is called a Spirit Imprint. We don't use the first-generation 'Mountain of Books' like the one in your hand anymore. Nowadays, every Spirit Master on the Continent can claim their own Spirit Imprint. By activating it, they can enter the 'Academic Realm' anytime, anywhere."
"Spirit Imprint? Academic Realm?" Liu Hai looked utterly dazed.
Su Wen released his Heavenly Book martial soul. A single page separated from the book and floated gently down in front of Liu Hai. "Inject your soul power into it, and you can claim your own Spirit Imprint. Once you activate it, you'll understand."
Following Su Wen's guidance, Liu Hai funneled his soul power into the page. The paper emitted a faint golden glow, and within that light, a Spirit Imprint slowly manifested. Its shape perfectly mirrored Liu Hai's own martial soul: the Sea Staff.
Holding the imprint in his palm, Liu Hai felt a surge of wonder. Since Sea God Island was a place of absolute safety, he didn't hesitate. He funneled his soul power into the imprint as instructed, and suddenly, the world seemed to turn upside down.
It felt as though he were undergoing a spatial teleportation; Liu Hai's consciousness felt dizzy for a moment, though he recovered quickly. When he looked at the bustling, prosperous scene before him, he froze, completely lost.
Wait! Is this the Academic Realm?
Liu Hai was struck with shock as he recalled Hai Da's words. Had he been teleported to another dimension? He soon realized that he was merely a mental projection; his physical body had not been moved. He watched the throngs of people passing by, marveled at the grand Academy Palaces floating majestically in the sky, and stared at the rows upon rows of Spirit Battle Arenas and Heritage Palaces.
By the time he withdrew from the Academic Realm, Liu Hai's face was still frozen in an expression of profound shock. After taking a moment to compose himself, he looked at Su Wen and spoke with sincere conviction: "Though I am not a Spirit Master of the Continent, I can feel it. What you have achieved... you truly deserve the title of 'Grand Scholar'."
This was not just an invention; it was the evolution of the entire Spirit Master world.
"Alright," Su Wen said. "If you want to experience more of the Academic Realm, feel free to explore. We should get some rest; we need to be ready to accept the Sea God's trials tomorrow."
Over the last two and a half months of travel, the mental state of Hai Da and the others had suffered. Even Su Wen felt the strain and recognized the need for a full night's recovery.
The next day, Liu Hai found Su Wen while sporting a pair of dark circles under his eyes. He let out a long yawn and said, "I'm here to take you to the City Lord's Manor."
At the Manor, when the group encountered the Sea Witch Douluo again, Hai Da and the crew felt a bit uneasy. There was no avoiding it—the idea of mind-reading always made people feel exposed and awkward. However, Su Wen had spent the previous evening teaching them a meditation technique to "constrain" their thoughts.
While they couldn't completely merge their consciousness into a meditative world like Su Wen could, the thoughts of Hai Da and the sailors were now much more disciplined. Crucially, their most private intentions had become blurred and difficult for outsiders to perceive.
The Sea Witch Douluo looked puzzled. She hadn't initially paid much attention to the sailors, but now she gave them a second look. What kind of method could allow these 'small fry' to resist her mind-reading after just one night?
She knew this was likely Su Wen's handiwork. After sweeping her gaze over Hai Da's group, she returned her attention to Su Wen. He remained a dense fog to her; she could see nothing. Shaking her head, she gave up on trying to pry into his mind. "Follow me," she said.
Led by the Sea Witch Douluo, the eighteen travelers—consisting of Hai Da, the fifteen sailors, Su Wen, and the Battle Heaven Douluo—arrived at the Sea Witch Sacred Pillar.
Liu Hai, along with many Spirit Masters and residents of Sea Witch City, had gathered nearby. Clearly, word of the outsiders had spread, and news that they were to undergo the Sea God's trials had drawn a crowd.
"Who wants to go first?" the Sea Witch Douluo asked.
Hai Da looked toward one of the sailors. Among the eighteen of them, the fifteen sailors had the lowest soul power, ranging from Spirit Grandmaster to Spirit Ancestor level. Most were Spirit Elders, while two were Spirit Grandmasters. Hai Da signaled to one of the Grandmasters.
The man didn't hesitate. At Hai Da's nod, he stepped onto the high platform and stood before the massive Sea God Sacred Pillar.
The Sea Witch Douluo watched the sailor, her eyes flickering. Even on Sea God Island, one usually had to pass a preliminary test to even be eligible for the trials. The guardians of the seven pillars each had their own methods of testing candidates. Her method involved sensing one's temperament, mental distractions, and a basic evaluation of talent. She didn't need a formal test for this; she could sense it through her own innate gifts and mental strength.
Originally, of these sailors, only Hai Da and a few Spirit Ancestors would have qualified. However, because they had followed Su Wen, learned his meditation techniques, refined their mental power, and opened their spiritual seas, they had compensated for their lack of natural talent. Combined with their basic entry into the "Oceanic Intent," the Sea Witch Douluo had tacitly allowed everyone to attempt the trial.
The Sea Witch Douluo crossed her hands over her chest and closed her eyes. A faint blue light began to shimmer from her palms.
The ethereal sound of a flute filled the air, and the entire platform of the Sea Witch Pillar was enveloped in a cloud of clear, blue light. Then, a flash erupted from the base of the pillar. A streak of blue light raced upward along the intricate carvings, reaching the top in the blink of an eye.
The Sea Witch Douluo opened her eyes and looked at the sailor. A pillar of blue light descended from the sky, bathing him in its glow.
The color of the light began to shift. It turned from blue to white, then rapidly transitioned to yellow. The yellow deepened in intensity, but eventually, the transformation stalled. It remained a steady, deep yellow.
(End of Chapter)