Chapter 349: The Abandoned Bo Saixi
He was late there was no denying it.
But late was better than never.
After a brief hesitation, Poseidon still chose to send down a sliver of divine will, descending into Bo Saixi's Martial Soul Avatar.
"Hold, young friend."
A faint golden light glowed from within Bo Saixi's Martial Soul Avatar, rapidly mending its broken form.
At the same time, Poseidon's voice echoed from within.
At that moment
Bo Saixi's Martial Soul Avatar, which had always been under her absolute control, suddenly broke free.
Her own body was now a mere vessel her Martial Soul Avatar had been completely taken over by Poseidon's divine will.
Divine Descent.
Realizing what had just happened, the Seven Sacred Pillars were briefly shocked
Then, without hesitation, they immediately retracted their Martial Soul Avatars, dropped to the ocean surface, and knelt.
Their heads were pressed low, trembling slightly.
Because they had also heard how Poseidon addressed Han Li.
"Young friend."
The meaning behind those two words terrified them.
Meanwhile
Bo Saixi, still trapped in Han Li's oceanic grip, had at first been overjoyed.
But the moment she heard those words
Her pupils dilated.
And then, the light in her eyes faded completely.
"Senior, this trip to Sea God Island has truly been… an enlightening experience."
Now that even the true god had been forced to reveal himself, Han Li naturally had to show some respect.
He withdrew his attacks and came to a halt.
But
Ceasing his attack did not mean he was going to let this slide.
His words were still polite, but there was a clear difference from his previous friendly exchanges.
Poseidon, seated within his divine temple, let out a long sigh.
From Rong Nianbing, he had already learned a little about Han Li.
And he had deduced even more.
Originally, Poseidon had planned to increase his investment, maybe even rig the god trials a little further in Han Li's favor.
But before he even had the chance
His own High Priestess had screwed everything up.
Fortunately, Han Li's tone, while unpleasant, wasn't beyond salvation.
There was still room for negotiation.
Poseidon's divine projection lowered its gaze
Taking in Bo Saixi's miserable state.
After a quick scan of her injuries, he had already made a decision.
He shifted his form, attempting to break free from Han Li's restraint
Only to remain completely immobile.
He increased his divine power
Yet still failed to break free.
Huh?
Even within his divine temple, Poseidon himself was momentarily stunned.
This was his own domain.
Even though he had only sent a fraction of his divine will, it still carried his full authority over water.
And yet
Here, in his own sacred land, where he should be at his strongest
He was actually being suppressed in the control of water laws?
By a mortal who hadn't even created his own divine seat yet?
Poseidon could tell if he forced more power into his descent, he could override Han Li's restraint.
But doing so might provoke Han Li's hostility.
And from this alone
He finally understood why both Rong Nianbing and the Five God Kings had taken special interest in Han Li.
His suspicions were confirmed.
And so
Poseidon shifted his gaze toward Han Li.
Luckily
All of his subordinates didn't dare to even look in their direction.
Their understanding of divine laws was too shallow.
They had no idea what had just happened.
Han Li felt Poseidon's struggle.
He met the god's gaze
And then, with a slight smirk, he released his restraint.
He had done it on purpose.
His recent breakthroughs had strengthened his law mastery, allowing him to manipulate water laws with extreme precision.
He wasn't above Poseidon
After all, among First Class Gods, Poseidon was already one of the strongest.
All First Class Gods had absolute control over one domain.
There shouldn't have been a difference in their command over the laws of water.
But Han Li was different.
For every law he mastered
Other gods would have to pay a "tax" when facing him.
Thus, under equal conditions, he would always have the advantage.
(Reference: Law Rings from Chapter 329)
Since Poseidon had only sent a sliver of divine will, he had no chance of breaking free unless Han Li allowed it.
Now that Han Li had made his point, there was no reason to push further.
If he truly wanted to, Bo Saixi would have already been dead.
To someone at his level
A High Priestess was nothing more than an irrelevant mortal.
The oceanic grip dissolved
Poseidon's divine projection remained floating in the air
But Bo Saixi crashed into the ocean below.
Fortunately, since her Martial Soul Avatar was still linked to Poseidon, she had also received some divine healing.
Her injuries were greatly reduced.
She was only physically battered
But inside, she was completely broken.
The moment she hit the ocean, she too knelt.
Even lower than the Seven Sacred Pillars.
Watching Poseidon's demeanor, she immediately understood.
She was finished.
And just now
When Poseidon had channeled divine power, she had sensed it.
A hidden truth, granted to her through her centuries of service as High Priestess.
It confirmed everything.
She had been abandoned.
"This is not the place for discussion."
"Young friend, let us return to Sea God Island and speak within the temple. Would that be acceptable?"
Poseidon turned toward Han Li, his tone even softer than before.
"Fine."
Han Li glanced down at Bo Saixi
Her entire posture screaming submission.
He let out a mocking laugh
And vanished into a streak of green light, heading back to Sea God Island.
Poseidon's projection surveyed the kneeling figures of his followers
And let out a deep sigh.
His voice carried a hint of displeasure
"Enough. Follow me back."
With a flick of his sleeve, a faint golden radiance enveloped everyone present. In the next moment, Poseidon himself transformed into a streak of light, chasing after Han Li while simultaneously dispelling the protective barrier surrounding Sea God Island.
The island wide lockdown was finally lifted, and the residents of Sea God Island breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Then
They looked up and saw two streaks of light flash across the sky, landing at the peak of Sea God Mountain.
From the mountaintop, Sea Dragon Douluo's voice boomed across the island:
"Just now, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King attempted an invasion! But fear not Lord Poseidon has manifested and has already repelled it!"
At his words, the entire island erupted into praise and worship.
Soon, things returned to normal.
But
Atop Sea God Mountain, within the Sea God Temple, the atmosphere was entirely different.
There was a heavy tension in the air.
Han Li and his companions had already been escorted inside.
And, in a rare sight, the previously empty temple now had three additional chairs one for each of them.
Meanwhile
The people of Sea God Island including Bo Saixi, and even Xiao Bai, the transformed Demon Soul Great White Shark were kneeling in submission.
All of them nervous, anxious, and terrified were facing the divine projection of Poseidon, seated at the head of the hall.
Poseidon's expression was not pleasant.
Han Li, on the other hand
Was amused.
He sat back, watching the scene unfold with great interest, as if none of this had anything to do with him.
"Do you all realize your mistake?"
Poseidon's voice was majestic and cold, carrying an undeniable anger.
The words shook the already fragile hearts of those kneeling before him.
"Yes, Lord Poseidon."
Their foreheads pressed against the cold temple floor, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
For many of them, this was the first time they had ever witnessed their god's presence
But they had never imagined it would be under such circumstances.
"Bo Saixi."
"As the High Priestess, is this how you demonstrate your faith?"
Poseidon's voice was filled with disappointment and rage.
Truth be told
If he didn't need to appease Han Li, he would have already slapped this foolish woman to death.
He had painstakingly invested in Han Li
And Bo Saixi had almost ruined everything.
The words Han Li had spoken earlier
He had already repeated them to Rong Nianbing.
And from Rong Nianbing's reaction, Poseidon could tell
There was still room to negotiate, possibly even greater rewards.
The God of Darkness and Goddess of Light were a married couple
The God of Darkness' inheritance had already been offered to Han Li.
Meanwhile, Rong Nianbing and the God of Elements were very close
It was entirely possible that Han Li's master would soon receive a divine inheritance as well.
Originally
Poseidon had planned to use this opportunity to further win Han Li's favor.
But Bo Saixi had ruined everything.
At this moment
He was seriously considering killing her on the spot.
A god as cunning as him
How had he ended up with such a brainless subordinate?
The Sea God's Trident imprint on Ye LingLing's forehead was right there
His previous manifestation had made things crystal clear
So how had Bo Saixi still dared to act against Han Li?
She had been High Priestess for a century
The path to becoming a divine official was already within reach.
Was she truly this stupid?
"Bo Saixi acknowledges her mistake."
"I accept any punishment Lord Poseidon deems fit."
Bo Saixi's voice was hollow.
Her forehead pressed against the icy temple floor
Yet the cold of the stone was nothing compared to the cold in her heart.
"Han Li, my young friend."
"How about I leave her punishment in your hands?"
Poseidon ignored Bo Saixi entirely.
Instead
He turned to Han Li.
The entire hall froze.
Everyone's breathing stopped.
Would Han Li seize the chance to personally execute Bo Saixi?
But
Han Li simply smiled.
"No need. Senior may decide as you see fit."
"Earlier, I was merely acting out of impulse. I hope Senior won't hold it against me for taking action in the Sea God Temple."
Han Li's smile was relaxed, casual even polite.
But
He was playing the long game.
He wouldn't fall for Bo Saixi's tricks.
Why should he dirty his own hands?
If he executed her himself, she could die with dignity.
But if Poseidon the very god she worshipped was the one to destroy her, the impact would be far greater.
That was Han Li's true revenge.
He never held grudges
Because he always settled them immediately.
Poseidon glanced at Han Li.
And in that instant
He immediately understood Han Li's intent.
However
He felt nothing at all.
He no longer needed faith or prayers
Why should he care about a single devotee?
If anything
Bo Saixi had only caused him trouble.
Poseidon's gaze turned icy cold as he looked down upon the kneeling figures.
"You turned against my chosen successor."
"For the next hundred years, you will endure the pain of wave piercing torment for half of each day."
"Do you accept?"
The Seven Sacred Pillars and Xiao Bai trembled violently.
This was one of Sea God Island's cruelest punishments
And they had to endure it for a hundred years.
But
They still bowed respectfully and responded:
"Yes, Lord Poseidon."
Then
Poseidon turned to Bo Saixi.
"As for you."
"I hereby strip you of your title as High Priestess and revoke your divine Martial Soul."
The moment Poseidon's words fell
Bo Saixi spat out a mouthful of blood, her body collapsing onto the cold temple floor.
The connection between her and Poseidon's divine projection was severed.
At the same time
Her soul power began to collapse.
Falling further
And further
Until it plummeted back to what it had been when she was only 18 years old
Before she had ever begun the Sea God Trials.
And that
Was only the beginning.
(End of Chapter)
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