In front of the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar, Zhu Zhuqing faced Sea Horse Douluo. In an instant, her Nether Spirit Cat martial soul manifested, giving her cat ears, a tail, and sharp claws. Seven soul rings rose beneath her feet—four purple and three black—circling her body.
Thanks to the soul ring rewards from the previous four trials, Zhu Zhuqing had already gained an additional 3,000 years to her soul rings. As a result, her first two soul rings had also turned purple.
Her eyes locked onto Sea Horse Douluo, and she couldn't help but think:
'This is the first time I've faced a Title Douluo-level opponent. Whether it's soul power or soul skills, I have no advantage. Winning will be as difficult as reaching the heavens.'
'But I still have a chance. I've consumed two immortal herbs, which have opened all eight of my extraordinary meridians. My body is protected by soul power, and I have the advantage of speed. At worst, I can trade injuries. With Sister Lingling's support, my recovery speed is extremely fast.'
Having made up her mind, she launched her attack in the next moment. Her third soul skill, Nether Assault, and her fourth soul skill, Nether Slash, were used simultaneously. Control first, then attack—this strategy had always been effective.
However, Sea Horse Douluo's spiritual power far surpassed Zhu Zhuqing's. In the blink of an eye, he broke free from the control of Nether Assault. Facing the massive crescent-shaped light blade of Nether Slash, Sea Horse Douluo quickly retreated a few steps before firmly stabilizing his stance.
His fifth soul skill, Raging Sea Fist, activated as he clenched his fists. A surge of immense soul power erupted around him, and with a single punch, it was as if a tidal wave was crashing against the shore.
Although Nether Slash was powerful, it couldn't withstand the force of this wave-like punch. The crescent blade shattered, and even Zhu Zhuqing was struck by the residual force. She let out a muffled groan. Though not seriously injured, her breathing became erratic.
In a flash, she transformed into a shadowy figure and swiftly retreated, leaving afterimages across the platform with her speed.
Sea Horse Douluo's eyes darted around, trying to pinpoint Zhu Zhuqing's true location. But in the next moment, all the afterimages pounced on him, turning from illusions into reality.
"Fifth soul skill, Nether Shadow Clones!"
Each clone possessed 90% of Zhu Zhuqing's strength. The sharpness of their claws sent a chill down Sea Horse Douluo's spine, prompting him to use his sixth soul skill, Heavenly Sea Shield.
A massive amount of soul power surged out, forming a blue, wave-like energy shield around him with a diameter of three meters.
Protected by the shield, the six clones attacking from all directions were blocked outside the energy barrier.
"Seventh soul skill, Spirit Cat Avatar!"
"Sixth soul skill, Nether Piercing Strike!"
At that very moment, while Sea Horse Douluo's attention was focused on the six clones, a shadowy figure suddenly appeared behind him.
The Nether Spirit Cat, enveloped in darkness, extended its claws and instantly tore through the Heavenly Sea Shield. Taking advantage of the close proximity, it nearly gutted Sea Horse Douluo, causing blood to gush from his abdomen.
"Roar!"
With a furious roar, Sea Horse Douluo entered his Avatar state. His overwhelming soul power transformed into tangible shockwaves, putting immense pressure on Zhu Zhuqing, who immediately retreated.
Eighth soul skill, Raging Waves!
Sea Horse Douluo seemed to go berserk, unleashing wave after wave of towering tsunamis, each dozens of meters high, crashing indiscriminately in all directions.
The attack was too dense. Even with her agility, the Nether Spirit Cat couldn't dodge all of them. Struck by the eighth soul skill of a Title Douluo in Avatar state, Zhu Zhuqing coughed up blood, her internal organs affected by the relentless assault. Forced out of her Avatar state, she retreated to Ye Lingling's side for healing.
However, after his wild outburst, Sea Horse Douluo also exited his Avatar state. The continuous use of his seventh and eighth soul skills had severely drained his soul power, and the wound on his abdomen continued to bleed, leaving him in a terrible state.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing, fully recovered, launched another attack. She was now certain that if she went all out, she could injure a Title Douluro not in Avatar state.
Therefore, as long as she could injure him, there was hope for victory. Title Douluo could bleed too, but she could recover endlessly.
Using her speed, Zhu Zhuqing continuously circled Sea Horse Douluo, launching attacks from time to time. Whether successful or not, she would immediately retreat, dragging the fight until his condition deteriorated to a critical point.
Zhu Zhuqing decided to make her final move: "Torso Bone Skill, Orca's Wrath!"
This attack completely drained Zhu Zhuqing of all her soul power. Not a trace remained in her dantian or meridians.
The extracted soul power was compressed to an extreme degree, forming a bomb-like mass. With a push of her palms, the compressed soul power bomb was hurled toward Sea Horse Douluo.
Even though Sea Horse Douluro activated his sixth soul skill, Heavenly Sea Shield, his weakened state reduced its defensive capabilities. With a loud explosion, the shield shattered, and Sea Horse Douluo was struck by the blast, sustaining significant injuries. Though he still had some strength left, he was nearing his limit.
This left Zhu Zhuqing in despair. Had she done all this only to still fail?
Then, from a distance, Chen Yuan's applause echoed, "Zhuqing, you've already proven yourself worthy of challenging Sea Horse Douluo. At this point, if Sea Horse Douluo has any sense of honor, he should admit defeat."
"Once one reaches the Title Douluo level, the enhancement from nine soul rings brings a transformative increase in power. This gap isn't so easily bridged. If Sea Horse Douluo stubbornly refuses to admit defeat, he'll only be embarrassing himself."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing felt a mix of disappointment and relief, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"That's great, but catching up to you and Sister Yan Yan won't be easy."
Chen Yuan chuckled. He wasn't someone who could be easily surpassed. With a thought, he activated Time Reversal, consuming his own soul power to restore Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling to their initial states.
"Let's go. It's time to truly challenge Sea Horse Douluo!"
...
Two hours later in the real world!
The golden light of the Sea Horse Sacred Pillar faded. Sea Horse Douluo panted heavily. Though he didn't fully understand why he lost, he was convinced of his defeat. All his soul skills had been exposed. The moment he activated a soul ring, his opponents would instantly counter.
He was a Title Douluo, yet he had been pushed to this point.
Refuse to admit defeat? What about his pride?
Watching Chen Yuan and the others leave, he muttered.
"The ones coming after me will only be more troublesome. Let's see how you handle them..."
Sea Horse Douluo didn't need to worry. Starting with him, every time they challenged a new guardian Douluo, Chen Yuan would immediately replicate them. Then, with Zhu Zhuqing and Ye Lingling, they would repeatedly challenge the guardian, studying their martial soul and soul skills. In as little as a day or as long as three, they would completely master the opponent's fighting style.
Thus, in just six or seven hours, Zhu Zhuqing completed her trial, pushing three guardian Douluo to their limits. Though they still had some strength left, they had no face to continue the fight.
Another eleven or twelve hours later, Dugu Yan also completed her trial, defeating all seven guardian Douluo, including Sea Dragon Douluo. They were all convinced of their defeat, having been thoroughly studied.
It seemed like they had defeated the seven guardian Douluo in less than a day, but in reality, they had spent over half a month studying them in the Mirror World.
Dugu Yan, completing the fifth trial of the Sea God's Nine Trials, challenged seven guardian Douluo in a single day and convinced them all. Her reward was doubled, and her Sea God Affinity increased by 20%, reaching a total of 50%.
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong completed the fifth trial of the Top Seven Trials. Their rewards included a one-level increase in soul power and an additional 2,000 years to all their soul rings.
Ye Lingling completed the fifth trial of the Black Six Trials. Her reward was a one-level increase in soul power. However, since she was currently at the level 70 bottleneck, the reward didn't immediately manifest.
(End of Chapter)
Word Count : 1,442
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