"Sui Sui, what do I need to do now?" Ma Hongjun asked eagerly, a look of anticipation on his face.
Tang Sui soothed him, "Just like when you accepted your divine bestowed spirit ring before, exert all your strength to endure it."
While the words were easy to say, Tang San and the others, who had experienced accepting divine bestowed spirit rings, knew that the process itself was the most agonizing.
Ma Hongjun's expression turned serious. "I understand. When do we start?"
With less than two months left until the deadline for their second trial, and despite outwardly maintaining a cheerful demeanor with everyone, he was inwardly anxious about their progress.
Tang Sui nodded, glancing at her brother. He, understanding her unspoken cue, retracted his domain. The others, in tacit agreement, retreated, creating a clear space for Tang Sui and Ma Hongjun.
"Then, I'm starting," Tang Sui said, raising her hand. A small ball of black-red light coalesced at her fingertip.
"Bring it on! I've been waiting a long time!"
Ma Hongjun took a deep breath, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes. He did not see Tang Sui's dark blue eyes become veiled with a faint, almost colorless Dao intent.
A heavy, profound aura emanated from Tang Sui.
Lively, cunning, serene, gentle... all sorts of emotions dissipated within the colorless light that enveloped Tang Sui's body like a silk cloth. These vibrant emotions seemed to be peeled away from her, fading as the ethereal divinity in her eyes grew stronger.
Though such eyes appeared indifferent, as if nothing could stir a ripple within them, they were not empty. Instead, they seemed to contain a subtle, almost imperceptible compassion, the detached perspective of a transcendent being observing the world.
—A god.
The word 'god' surfaced in everyone's minds, feeling utterly natural.
"Whoosh—"
A strong sea wind whipped across their faces. A formidable black-red demonic power flew from Tang Sui's fingertips, interspersed with faint traces of light, and surged into Ma Hongjun's body.
"Caw—!"
A clear phoenix cry rang out from behind Ma Hongjun without any warning.
Ma Hongjun, his eyes tightly shut, found spirit rings of various colors appearing around him.
The air instantly became scorching hot, with an aggressive heat current rising. The phantom of a colossal fire phoenix solidified. It trembled its wings amidst the soaring flames, letting out a phoenix cry mixed with a hint of pain, carrying the scent of gunpowder.
Combined with the sweat that began to bead on Ma Hongjun's forehead, Tang Sui and the others knew that Ma Hongjun's spirit ring trial had begun.
"Go for it, Fatty!" Oscar said, his hands clasped in worry for Ma Hongjun.
The others shared his concern.
Within the Sea God's Temple, Sea God Great Enshriner Bo Saixi, who was observing through a crystal ball, couldn't help but be moved by the Dao intent and the profound aura of power radiating from Tang Sui.
"Great Enshriner, she can actually bestow spirit rings upon others... Could it be that she has already become a god?" the maid exclaimed, her usually pleasant features etched with astonishment.
Bo Saixi shook her head. "No. Her current spirit power level should be around the Soul Douluo stage, but her mental power... honestly, I can no longer gauge it."
However, this indicated that the Sea God's gamble was correct.
Perhaps Tang Sui could truly become a god.
The means to bestow spirit rings and the most suitable spirit skills upon others was already a divine miracle.
Bo Saixi's gaze deepened, and she began to anticipate the results of Ma Hongjun's advancement.
Tang Sui, acting as a probationary divine being, withdrew her power once Ma Hongjun entered his state, leaving only the black-red sphere of light suspended above him, radiating an aura of immense power.
They didn't even need to guard Ma Hongjun. Apart from his massive Fire Phoenix martial soul, Ma Hongjun was enveloped in a black-red energy barrier, a self-protection measure Tang Sui had specifically set up.
The power to maintain the barrier was drawn from the energy ball she had released.
There were over three thousand citizens in the City of Slaughter, and it was certain that other spirit masters would advance in the future. She couldn't personally oversee each one, so establishing backup measures was essential.
For three full days, they remained on the beach, not seeking out Xiaobai for trials, fearing they might disturb Ma Hongjun's advancement.
Night fell as expected.
Just as everyone was preparing to taste Tang Sui's roasted fish to satisfy their hunger, Tang Sui, who was handing a skewer of grilled fish to Tang San, paused. She sensed something and looked towards Ma Hongjun's location, about fifty meters away.
A strange sensation simultaneously appeared in the hearts of the Shrek Seven Devils.
Almost as soon as Tang Sui's gaze shifted, the others followed suit, focusing their attention on Ma Hongjun.
"Whoosh—!"
Orange-red flame patterns began to appear on Ma Hongjun's skin, like cracked lava, exuding scorching magma, and igniting into fierce flames.
"It seems we're reaching the finale."
As the party providing the power, Tang Sui was the first to detect the power supply from the demonic energy ball being cut off, no longer feeding into Ma Hongjun.
The next second, Ma Hongjun's body trembled. The flames erupting from his skin surged wildly, and he was instantly engulfed by orange-red flames, his human form obscured.
"Whoosh!"
The phoenix flames that shot into the sky dyed the deep night sky a fiery crimson, like a swirling vortex of flames.
"Caw—!!"
Immense flames soared upwards, and a clear phoenix cry erupted with them.
Brilliant phoenix flames pierced the night sky, ascending to its highest point. Together with the churning fiery clouds, they illuminated nearly the entire Sea God Island.
The residents of Sea God Island and other guardians looked up in anticipation, watching the phoenix bird that was born from the flames, having absorbed all the inferno.
"Caw—!"
Its feathers were flames, its seven heads stood tall, its crown majestic. A fiery halo appeared behind the giant fire phoenix's seven heads, resembling the three-legged Golden Crow described in ancient texts, its body transforming into the sun disk, appearing as a divine descent, illuminating the pitch-black night.
Dai Mubai clenched his fist forcefully, his expression unable to conceal his excitement. "Fatty succeeded!"
Expressions of surprise appeared on everyone's faces. They watched the colossal seven-headed fire phoenix circle in the sky, emitting its triumphant cry, signifying its success.
Unnoticed, a grayish-blue shark head emerged from the water in the ring-shaped sea.
Xiaobai, who had silently swum to the shore, saw the seven-headed fire phoenix displaying its magnificent form in the night sky, its golden eyes reflecting the sight with a mixture of surprise and unease.
Water and fire had always been incompatible.
As a sea spirit beast, Xiaobai, even with a cultivation exceeding one hundred thousand years, still harbored a natural aversion to fire.
It was akin to how Shang Yang instinctively disliked anything related to ice.
The current fire phoenix aura emanating from Ma Hongjun was the bane of almost all insectoid and fish-like creatures, let alone representing the decisive spirit ring for his martial soul true body.
The primal phoenix power that erupted in an instant was enough to instill fear in any creature naturally suppressed by it, and it had even startled her while she was sleeping beneath the ring-shaped sea.
It seemed the coming days would be difficult.
Xiaobai's shark face gradually turned grim.