"Too much, too much!" the Shrek Six Tyrants cried.
Ru Shenqi chuckled.
"Xiao Shen," Gu Xingyun asked. "What's your Eighth Trial?"
She closed her eyes and looked at the last red screen. When she opened her eyes, she replied, "Stop the Hurricane."
"Eh, what?" her friends gaped in confusion.
Sea Dragon Douluo walked over and explained, "Because Haishen Island's Head Flamen controls the weather, the island rarely ever suffers from natural disasters. This last Trial is a test of your courage. The Lord Sea God wants to see if you're willing to fight Nature itself to protect the residents of Haishen Island."
Ru Shenqi's eyes grew focused. "I am. I'll pass this Eighth Trial."
The Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians nodded, pleased with her answer.
Sea Witch Douluo added, "The hurricane is due here in three days, so rest up. You'll want to be at your peak state when dealing with Nature."
"Can anyone help me?"
Seahorse Douluo shook his head. "This is your Trial. You'll have to stop the hurricane all on your own."
"Eh, what?" the Shrek Six Tyrants cried. "How is that fair to Xiao Shen?!"
Ru Shenqi held up a hand and murmured, "It's alright. Senior, my skills aren't restricted at all, right?"
"That's correct. You can use whatever means to stop that hurricane."
And so, a plan began to formulate in Ru Shenqi's mind. Her grip tightened on the Golden Scepter as her ocean blue eyes grew stormy.
So be it. If I can kill the Storm Douluo, how can I not hold my own against a hurricane? But the rational part of her knew the truth. Killing a person is different from stopping a force of Nature.
With the Power of the Ocean and the Head Flamen's Golden Scepter, Ru Shenqi now had the ability to go in and out of Haishen Hall as she wished. When she started for it, the Seven Children of the Sea God didn't stop her. But Gu Xingyun did.
He caught her shoulder and said, "Xiao Shen, where are you going? Let's go back to Sea Witch City and discuss different scenarios."
But she only shook her head. "This is my Trial, and mine alone. I know you want to help me, but when the time comes, I must face this on my own. And I can't afford to cheat this Trial. It's my last one, and I need whatever rewards I can garner. I'm not supposed to have any help, so I must figure something out by myself."
She shrugged off his hand and waved the Golden Scepter. The doors to Haishen Hall slowly opened. As she walked forward, the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians bowed respectfully to her.
One thought crossed all of their minds. Master Ru Shenqi really is like Master Bo Saixi now. Poised, determined, and kind. Yet, she can be ruthless and lethal when she needs to be to protect others. She is the perfect successor to Head Flamen.
The doors to Haishen Hall closed. The Sea Dragon Douluo turned towards the Shrek Six Tyrants.
"Don't worry. She'll be alright. No one dares to attack Haishen Hall."
Gu Xingyun looked like he wanted to barge inside, but Bai Shanxin shook her head. "Xiao Shen is powerful. I doubt the Lord Sea God would issue this challenge if he knew she'd fail. She'll show that hurricane who the real power on the seas is."
<><><>
Three days later, the Seven Sea Titled Douluos and the Shrek Six Tyrants waited outside Haishen Hall. The winds were whipping, and the salty sea air had a hint of killing intent. Rain began to pour, signaling the arrival of the hurricane.
Inside Haishen Hall, Ru Shenqi stood from her lotus position. She grabbed the Golden Scepter and listened to the howling winds. Determination filled her gaze.
This is it. This determines whether or not I can help save Douluo Continent. For my teachers and my friends, I must complete this last Trial.
Taking a deep breath, Ru Shenqi made her first step forward. She waved the Golden Scepter, commanding the doors to open. Emerging from Haishen Hall, she looked up at the dark grey clouds that spat rain.
"Xiao Shen, jiayou!" her friends cried.
She looked at them with a gentle smile. Then, her gaze slid over to the Seven Children of the Sea God. Sea Witch Douluo floated over to her.
"Master Ru Shenqi, remember, you can use the Power of the Ocean and the Power of Haishen Hall. You must not let this hurricane hit Haishen Island."
"I understand. I will succeed, Jie jie."
The twelve people watched as she unfurled her Ultimate Darkness Wings. The purplish-black flames were immediately extinguished by the heavy rain. But her black scales still showed the magnificence of a century millennium spirit bone. She shot up into the air and towards the west side of Haishen Island. They dashed after her.
When she flew out over the ocean, they stopped at the shore. Xiao Bai joined them on the wet sand to watch. Ru Shenqi saw the storm approaching. With the high winds, it was difficult for her to remain in the air. Her eyes flashed silver-white as her spirit released. Her three black and five red spirit rings emerged. Her third spirit ring glowed brighter than the rest.
Clear Crystal Armor, launched.
After protecting herself with her shield, she faced her threat.
"Shall we fight fire with fire?" she murmured to herself.
Calling on the Power of the Ocean, she swept the Golden Scepter. Tidal waves rose up over two hundred meters.
"Divine Pearl Sea Gate!"
Her magical diadem tripled the tidal waves' height. She held the Scepter in her left hand and used her right to point forward with her index finger. With that one command, she sent the tsunami waves forward, surging towards the hurricane's own waves. As for the rain, she released her Fire Dragon Domain and launched Ultimate Darkness Straight Line right at the dark clouds. Most of the precipitation in the clouds evaporated immediately.
Her fifth spirit ring lit up. "Fifth spirit skill secondary ability, Clear Crystal Annihilation!"
Countless purple bubbles floated towards the storm. Upon contact with the clouds, they exploded, slightly dispersing the hurricane and downgrading its strength. Seeing this, a small feeling of delight filled Ru Shenqi.
Her fourth spirit ring lit up as her voice echoed, "Fourth spirit skill, Clear Crystal Time!"
This tyrannical, now century millennium spirit skill, had not be used since its upgrade. And now, they saw its true power. By stopping time entirely, she had stopped the progression of the hurricane. But Ru Shenqi was immune to the time lock. She flew towards the storm.
"XIAO SHEN!" Gu Xingyun roared.
Even the other five looked worried. Though they were land spirit masters, in the past three days, Sea Witch Douluo had explained the destructiveness and deadliness of hurricanes to them. For Ru Shenqi to go barging straight into its heart seemed like a death wish.
But in the eye of the storm, all was calm. Ru Shenqi took this moment of peace to decide her next move. When she withdrew her fourth spirit skill, the storm began to move again.
"Death God Domination," she began.
This skill of the Death God Domain provided an imposing manner and pressure formed from killing intent which left the hurricane unable to display its full strength, but Ru Shenqi could exhibit one hundred twenty percent of their strength.
Under this skill, she launched the Death God Domain's Evolved Skill: Demon Hell. Freezing the water in the clouds, she knew she could only hold it for a little while. She darted out of the storm and ended up over the west coast of Haishen Island.
"Fourth spirit skill, Clear Crystal Time!"
She sped up time, trying to move the storm through while it was still frozen. Ru Shenqi's Penta Divine Pearl Diadem had taken care of the furious waves and while the winds and rain above were frozen, the waves weren't an issue. But then, lightning burst from the clouds. The heat melted the frozen water. A lightning bolt made its way straight towards Ru Shenqi. She launched her third spirit skill to protect herself but was still thrown into the ocean.
"XIAO SHEN!" her friends cried.
When she shot up, a fury blazed in her eyes. Her nine-pointed star appeared on her forehead.
"Goddess of Nine Stars Domain, Evolved Skill: Omnipresent Supremacy!"
This skill could cancel out any other power. Her domain spread out over Haishen Island. The hurricane was no exception, and it was almost completely broken apart into nothing. But the few storm clouds that were left could still threaten Haishen Island. Ru Shenqi flew towards Haishen Hall, and the others dashed inland to follow. When they emerged, the Seven Sacred Pillar Guardians gasped.
Ru Shenqi was hovering just above Haishen Hall. Calling upon the Power of Haishen Hall, she made a dangerous decision. Her third spirit ring lit up.
Please let this work.
Combining her Clear Crystal Armor with the Power of Haishen Hall, Ru Shenqi urged her shield to spread out. Though she could usually only protect spirit masters, she hoped that Haishen Hall would be able to make her shield protect the whole of Haishen Island. And with that spirit ring having come from an Ocean Spirit Beast, it was more likely to work. But it was still a gamble with her life. Slowly, she could sense her shield spreading from Haishen Hall. After ten minutes, the whole of Haishen Island was under her protection, literally.
The last of the storm clouds rolled over. Lighting struck down but bounced off of her shield. Blood spat from her mouth at the toll upkeeping the shield took. Her muscles ached, and her bones quivered.
"Xiao Shen..." Gu Xingyun murmured.
"She's even sacrificing herself for Haishen Island?" the Sea Witch Douluo gasped.
"Is that much of a surprise?" the Sea Dragon Douluo countered. "Did Master Bo Saixi not sacrifice herself for Lord Tang San to become the Sea God?"
The other five Sea Titled Douluo remain silent and passive.
When the last of the storms passed over Haishen Island, Ru Shenqi let down her shield. But it disappeared too fast, and she coughed up blood, suffering from internal injuries. Her wings were battered, and her body bloodied. The Golden Scepter dropped from her hand as her arms spurted blood and actually exploded.
"XIAO SHEN!" the Shrek Six Tyrants screamed at the top of their lungs.
As Ru Shenqi's eyelids fluttered shut, she began to fall. Bai Shanxin, as the fastest of them all, shot up. She caught her and brought her back down. The other Tyrants ran up to them.
"Sixth spirit skill, Flowering Lotus Regeneration."
A rainbow colored petal landed on Ru Shenqi's body. When her arms regrew, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
"Second spirit skill, Flowering Lotus Eternity."
Another petal landed on her, healing her broken bones and internal injuries and wounds. When she was fully healed, she woke up soon after. Her eyebrows scrunched as she groaned. Bai Shanxin helped her sit up.
"Did, did I pass?" she asked, still slightly out of sorts.
"Nothing's been said yet. You still have your Red octagon also," Ming Yong answered.
"S- so I didn't pass?"
The Sea Lance Douluo interrupted, "If you hadn't passed, that octagon on your forehead would've exploded, killing you."
Just then, the majestic voice proclaimed, "Ru Shenqi. Eighth Trial, Stop the Hurricane, Completed. Red Level Eight Test Fully completed. You are specially awarded the position of Head Flamen on Haishen Island. Due to unwavering determination and willingness to sacrifice your life for the residents of Haishen Island, rewards are tripled. Completion Award: First three rings upgraded, God Bestowed Spirit Ring."
Ru Shenqi lifted into the air. Her octagon faded away, and her first three spirit rings all shed their black light. Soon, they became crystalline red. Everyone's eyes widened. She now had a full set of eight red century millennium spirit rings.
A pearl appeared in front of her. She closed her eyes and accepted the God Bestowed spirit ring. As she began to absorb it, the Power of Haishen Hall spread over her, protecting her.
"Let's go back," Sea Witch Douluo said. "Haishen Hall will protect her. This absorption may take a while."
The Seven Sea Titled Douluo parted ways, returning to their own pillars. The Shrek Six Tyrants went back to Sea Witch City and waited for their captain to return.
<><><>
After one hundred and twenty days, a resounding explosion echoed from the center of Haishen Island. Thirteen figures shot towards Haishen Hall in an instant. When they saw the figure in red and silver slowly stand, relief filled all of their hearts. Her sea foam white hair now had silver highlights, and her ocean blue eyes had turned a little deeper blue. Now, her skin seemed to have an immortal youthfulness. Though she still greatly resembled Bo Saixi, her new appearance off-set her a bit.
She stretched out her hand, and the Golden Scepter flew into her grasp. Her noble and poised manner made her seem much older and much more experienced that her twenty years.
The Shrek Six Tyrants approached her. "Xiao Shen."
Ru Shenqi turned to look at them. A gentle smile spread across her lips. "Xingyun, Shanxin, Youyou, Jiaxiang, Suyin, Yong."
The Sea Dragon Douluo led his companions to kneel and kowtow to her. "Greetings to Head Flamen, Master Ru Shenqi."
She waved her hand slowly, motioning for them to stand. Once they had, she nodded to them. "Thank you for pushing me to be stronger during my Trials."
Sea Witch Douluo grinned. "We had to push you to become the best Head Flamen."
"And you have," Ou Ya added. "You should have nine century millennium spirit rings now. Master Bo Saixi only had one."
This time, a playful smirk tugged at the corner of Ru Shenqi's mouth, and she resembled the young and rash twenty year old once again. "Actually, I only have eight century millennium spirit rings."
"EH, WHAT?!" everyone exclaimed. "YOU ONLY GOT A DECADE MILLENNIUM SPIRIT RING?!"
She shook her head in response. Her eyes flashed silver-white as her spirit released. Eight red spirit rings appeared, but she held back her ninth for the moment.
"After my first three spirit skills upgraded, my first spirit skill gained a second spirit ability. My secondary first ability is called Clear Crystal Mass Enfeeblement. It's an area of effect ability that spreads out as far as I want it to and strikes the central nervous system and causes targets to feel weakness and fatigue."
"Aiya, Xiao Shen. You're growing even more tyrannical!"
She laughed daintily. "Oh, that's not all."
This time, she let her full spirit ring configuration appear. Two silver rings wrapped in white tendrils appeared. Everyone's eyes widened.
Sea Dragon Douluo breathed in disbelief, "Lord Tang San didn't receive Poseidon's Ring until he passed all Nine Trials of the Sea God. He was already a Titled Douluo with nine rings. To skip a Mortal Ring is unheard of."
But the Shrek Six Tyrants were still confused. So, Ru Shenqi cleared things up for them.
"God Bestowed Spirit Rings can only bestow a ring up to nine hundred and ninety nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety nine years. Twenty days ago, I broke through with a peak century millennium spirit ring. Because of my perseverance, the Lord Sea God then bestowed me another spirit ring and a ring upgrade of five thousand and one years for each of my last two rings. So my ninth and tenth rings aren't Mortal Rings one could get from a spirit beast. They're Divine God Rings, worth one million and five thousand years of cultivation."
