141: Chapter 141: Sea Burial

The next day, at the break of dawn.

Ji Xuan led Shui Binger and the others to visit the remaining three Sacred Pillars one by one.

The result was without suspense; even the head of the Seven Sacred Pillars, Sea Dragon Douluo, was no match for Ji Xuan, and the others were naturally no match either.

As the sun set and the light of the final Sacred Pillar extinguished, the fifth trial for Ji Xuan and his group officially came to an end.

However, Shui Binger and the others had technically passed the trial by taking a shortcut.

In the end, they received a reward of half a level of Soul Power, and Shui Binger did not receive the additional spirit ring age reward.

Ji Xuan obtained a 15% Sea God affinity, bringing his total affinity to 55%.

Just then, the figure of High Priestess Bo Saixi suddenly appeared before everyone.

Her gaze fell upon Ji Xuan, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips, while killing intent had already risen in her heart.

Since the fourth trial, the strength Ji Xuan displayed had left her deeply shocked; now that Ji Xuan had easily defeated the seven Sacred Pillar Douluos, her shock was even greater.

Given Ji Xuan's current strength, even if he couldn't win against the combined force of the Seven Sacred Pillars, he would likely be able to outlast them.

She had originally thought that Ji Xuan would pass the trial smoothly, and she would ultimately have no choice but to sacrifice herself, which filled her with unwillingness.

But now that Ji Xuan and his group had taken a shortcut in the fifth trial, it provided her with the perfect opportunity to prevent Ji Xuan from passing.

High Priestess Bo Saixi spoke: "Everyone, I presume you have received the prompt; the difficulty of the sixth trial will be increased because you took a shortcut in the fifth trial."

The current sixth trial had been changed to persisting under her for the duration of one incense stick.

Once High Priestess Bo Saixi's words fell, Shui Binger and the others looked at each other, their expressions turning ugly.

High Priestess Bo Saixi was a level 99 Limit Douluo who had once defeated Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu on the sea; she was arguably the strongest person in the world on Sea God Island.

Even if the rules restricted her from using the power of the sea or her Domain, and limited her to only using her first six Spirit Abilities, the group still felt their chances were slim.

"A-Xuan, I'm sorry." Shui Binger walked to Ji Xuan's side and took his hand. "If not for our lack of strength, the difficulty of the sixth trial wouldn't have suddenly increased."

"Your Highness, I'm sorry." Huo Wu sighed. "Binger is right; we have dragged you down."

"It's fine." Ji Xuan shook his head slightly.

The sixth trial only required them to persist together for the duration of one incense stick, not to defeat High Priestess Bo Saixi.

Merely delaying for time lowered the difficulty significantly.

...

Three days later, by the seaside, the sea breeze blew gently.

The five members of Ji Xuan's group had adjusted their states to their Peak.

Today was their sixth trial, and the rule was that as long as one person persisted for the duration of one incense stick, it would count as a pass.

The trial began, and the five of them immediately sped off in five different directions.

But High Priestess Bo Saixi ignored the other four entirely, locking her gaze firmly on Ji Xuan.

To her, the others were merely insignificant ants; as long as Ji Xuan died, she would not need to sacrifice herself.

High Priestess Bo Saixi flashed, transforming into a stream of light as she pursued Ji Xuan.

Ji Xuan had no intention of clashing with her head-on. Runes flowed around his body, his spatial power activated, and his figure suddenly vanished from where he stood, appearing a hundred meters away in the next second.

He knew well that fighting High Priestess Bo Saixi head-on was like throwing an egg against a rock; only by relying on Teleportation to constantly maneuver could he possibly last for the duration of one incense stick.

Although High Priestess Bo Saixi was fast, she was ultimately a beat slower compared to Teleportation, and several of her attacks were dodged by Ji Xuan using Teleportation.

For a time, the two were in a chase, with High Priestess Bo Saixi unable to do anything to Ji Xuan.

"Damn it, this kid's Teleportation..." After chasing for a long time without success, High Priestess Bo Saixi's expression gradually darkened.

She keenly sensed that Ji Xuan's Teleportation was not driven by Soul Power, nor was it a Spirit Ability; she could not discern any clues at all.

At this moment, half the time of the incense stick had passed.

High Priestess Bo Saixi felt a secret urgency; if this continued, she might really let Ji Xuan pass the trial time limit.

Her eyes sharpened, and she instantly changed her strategy. She turned, no longer pursuing Ji Xuan, but instead headed toward Shui Binger and the others.

Ji Xuan's figure stopped abruptly, hovering in mid-air, his brows knitted tightly.

This woman actually wanted to capture Shui Binger and the others to threaten him?

The facts were exactly as Ji Xuan had anticipated.

Shui Binger and the others lacked Ji Xuan's Heaven-Defying Teleportation ability and could not dodge when facing High Priestess Bo Saixi, so they were quickly and firmly imprisoned.

With a flick of High Priestess Bo Saixi's fingertip, four water-blue spheres appeared out of thin air, enclosing the four of them separately.

The water spheres were sealed tightly, and the four could not breathe in the water. A sense of suffocation washed over them instantly, and their faces turned flushed red.

"Ji Xuan, if you continue to run, they will die." High Priestess Bo Saixi's voice spread through Soul Power in all directions.

Hundreds of meters away, Ji Xuan stood in the Void Realm, watching the four struggling painfully in the water spheres. He flashed and appeared a hundred meters from High Priestess Bo Saixi, staring at her with a heavy gaze: "Let them go."

"In your dreams! Ji Xuan, it's over!" High Priestess Bo Saixi's mouth curled into a cold sneer. "Sixth Spirit Ability, Sea Burial!"

In an instant, the sea churned violently, and a huge dark blue vortex appeared. A terrifying suction force came from the center of the vortex, dragging Ji Xuan and the four imprisoned in the water spheres into it.

The vortex vanished in a flash, leaving only distorted spatial ripples before returning to calm.

"Sister! Brother-in-law!" In the distance, Shui Yueer witnessed this scene, her small face instantly turning pale as she slumped to the ground.

"Your Highness!" Hu Liena clasped her hands tightly to her chest, her eyes turning red.

Watching Ji Xuan being dragged into the eerie vortex with his fate unknown, her heart felt as if it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand.

She suppressed her tears and crouched down to hold Shui Yueer tightly.

"Your Highness and the others will be fine."

Xie Yue stood to the side; compared to Shui Yueer and Hu Liena, he appeared relatively calmer, but his heart was also full of worry.

Having spent over three years together, he had long since formed a deep bond with them and was unwilling to believe they had failed just like that.

But as time slowly passed, that stretch of the sea remained silent...

High Priestess Bo Saixi approached the three, her tone indifferent: "It is over. The three of you will remain on Sea God Island."

"No... that's impossible!" Shui Yueer cried heart-wrenchingly. "How could my sister and brother-in-law... have an accident?"

"How could it be..." She muttered to herself over and over, as if trying to convince herself, and as if trying to escape reality.

Hu Liena held Shui Yueer tightly in her arms, gently patting her back.

Xie Yue stood there, his gaze fixed on the direction where Ji Xuan and the others had vanished.

He was equally unwilling to accept this outcome, but the reality was right before his eyes.

What made his heart sink even more was that they were to be left on Sea God Island forever.

High Priestess Bo Saixi glanced at the three, her lips curling.

With Ji Xuan dead, she would not need to sacrifice herself.

She looked up toward the direction of the mainland, a trace of melancholy in her eyes; she wondered where Tang Chen was now...

A moment later, she flashed and vanished from the spot.