Sea God Island.
After a fierce battle, the group finally passed the fourth trial.
Because the Shi brothers and Bai Chenxiang had only received the Fourth Level Black Tier assessments, the fourth trial was their final one.
Having completed all their requirements, they received an extra level of soul power as an overall reward, along with an auxiliary skill.
However, since Shi Mò and Bai Chenxiang's soul power had reached the Level 80 threshold, their auxiliary skill reward was replaced with a god bestowed soul ring.
Before fusing with his 100,000-year soul bone, Shi Mò soul power had been three levels lower than Yu Tianheng's.
The massive boost from the soul bone allowed him to catch up, and after absorbing his seventh soul ring, he even surpassed Yu Tianheng for a time.
However, this lead was only temporary. Since Yu Tianheng's martial soul had undergone a complete transformation, his cultivation speed, while not as freakish as Tang San's, was no slower than Ye Lingling's or Ning Rongrong's. He would inevitably leave Shi Mò behind again.
Thanks to the immense pressure of the Tidal Body Refinement, Yu Tianheng had already reached Level 79, prior to the fourth trial, while Shi Mò was only at Level 78. Upon passing, they both broke through to Level 80.
But because Shi Mò received the additional god bestowed soul ring as a reward, he temporarily pulled ahead once more.
As for Bai Chenxiang, she had consumed pills made from immortal herbs, which fundamentally enhanced her talent.
Furthermore, the mutation of her martial soul caused by her 100,000-year-old wind-attribute soul bone amplified her abilities to an unprecedented degree. In terms of sheer cultivation speed, she now surpassed even Yu Tianheng.
It was important to note that while Yu Tianheng had consumed many pills, he had never received the concentrated essence of multiple immortal herbs like she had.
However, in an actual battle, even with her god bestowed soul ring, Bai Chenxiang would be no match for Yu Tianheng; the gap in combat power was still vast.
After all, Bai Chenxiang's first six soul rings were purely agility-focused. Her attack methods relied entirely on her Martial Soul True Body, her new eighth soul ring, the two skills attached to her 100,000-year soul bone, and her rudimentary control over the wind element.
Although she was leagues stronger than before, her raw attack power was still far inferior to Yu Tianheng's.
With the amplification of his Martial Soul True Body, Yu Tianheng's attack power surpassed that of most Soul Douluos.
If combined with Ning Rongrong's full-force support, his destructive output could definitely threaten a Titled Douluo.
This was a testament to how domineering his evolved Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial soul had become.
With three members having completed their journey, the rest of the group began reviewing the content of their fifth trial.
Just like in the original timeline, the fifth trial was a challenge against the seven Holy Pillar Guardians. Soul masters who possessed a Fifth Level Black trial or higher were required to defeat one of the Guardians.
"My examiner is the Sea Star Douluo. Tianheng, what about you?"
Having just read her own prompt, Dugu Yan eagerly turned to Yu Tianheng, only to find his expression looking grim.
After a moment of silence, he looked up, his eyes entirely solemn, and said in a deep voice, "My examiner is the Sea Dragon Douluo."
Dugu Yan's expression changed, and she looked at him with a mix of shock and sympathy. Among the seven Holy Pillar Guardians, the Sea Dragon Douluo was undoubtedly the strongest.
Not only did he possess soul power of Level 95, but he also wielded a domain. She hadn't expected Yu Tianheng to draw the hardest opponent.
"Don't panic. Lord Sea God certainly wouldn't give us a test we can't pass. If Lord Sea God arranged for Sea Dragon Douluo to be your examiner, it means you have a viable path to victory," Tang San said, patting Yu Tianheng's shoulder to reassure him.
At that moment, Ye Lingling stepped forward, her clear, ethereal voice breaking the tension. "My test is different from yours. My objective is to assist you in completing your trials."
"Mine too," Ning Rongrong said, raising her delicate white hand.
Yu Tianheng breathed a massive sigh of relief. "With you two helping, I feel much more confident."
Although he was extremely confident in his own strength, fighting a Titled Douluo as a Soul Saint was a monumental task, especially since the Sea Dragon Douluo was no ordinary Titled Douluo.
Defeating a Titled Douluo solo at this stage was something probably only Lin Mu or Tang San could manage. But with the ultimate healing of the Nine Heart Begonia and the ultimate amplification of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, Yu Tianheng believed he stood a chance.
Following this, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing announced their assigned examiners: the Sea Spear Douluo and the Sea Woman Douluo, respectively.
While a one-on-one fight would have been hopeless, the overall difficulty plummeted with Ye Lingling and Ning Rongrong providing support.
"Brother, what is your test?" Xiao Wu asked, stepping forward to hug Tang San's arm.
"I must defeat all seven Holy Pillar Guardians within three days," Tang San said, his expression grave. "I am restricted from using my soul bone skills."
Since his Clear Sky Hammer martial soul currently had no soul rings, his soul bone skills were his primary method of attack.
Being forbidden from using them would be like losing an arm. Fortunately, his soul power had recently broken through to Level 90, otherwise, he would have had almost zero chance of winning.
Hearing the conditions of Tang San's test, Yu Tianheng couldn't help but sigh. "I thought my test was difficult, but compared to yours, it's a walk in the park."
"I can only do my best. Besides, there is still plenty of time before the deadline," Tang San said, refusing to be discouraged.
Even without his soul bone skills, he still possessed three 100,000-year soul rings. He knew he could find a way.
Meanwhile, on another part of the island, Ma Hongjun arrived at his teacher's residence, an extremely simple, dilapidated wooden shack near the beach.
"Teacher, I've come to see you."
Hearing the voice outside, Yu Xiaogang practically stumbled out of the shack and grabbed Ma Hongjun's shoulders with trembling hands.
Compared to two years ago, Yu Xiaogang had become emaciated, his limbs as thin as bamboo poles. Coupled with his unkempt hair and sallow, sunken face, he was a pitiful, almost repulsive sight.
"Give me food!"
Looking at his teacher, who now resembled a feral wild man, Ma Hongjun felt a complex mixture of pity and disgust.
Ultimately, the man had brought this entirely upon himself. Without a word, Ma Hongjun handed over all the provisions he had brought.
Upon seeing the food, Yu Xiaogang's eyes lit up with a manic gleam. He shoved the rations into his mouth, eating with a savage, unseemly desperation. His former dignity as the Grandmaster had long since been shattered.
Because he had failed to trigger the Sea God's trial, Yu Xiaogang was treated as an outcast. He was forced to live on the desolate beach in a makeshift shack.
As for food, although Ma Hongjun occasionally brought him supplies, he mostly had to fend for himself. Ma Hongjun was busy with his own grueling assessments and couldn't play nursemaid every day, usually only managing to bring leftovers and dry rations.
As a result, Yu Xiaogang survived primarily by scavenging for raw seashells on the beach, frequently going hungry for days at a time. Unable to leave Sea God Island, he was forced to endure this miserable existence through sheer, stubborn willpower.
In just a few minutes, Yu Xiaogang had wolfed down every last crumb.
A while later, he finally caught his breath, his eyes darting to his student. "Hongjun, how did your assessment go?"