"Tang San…"
"The Deep Sea Demon Whale King…"
Bo Saixi's gaze stiffened slightly.
At this moment,
she finally understood the purpose of the white-robed youth's journey across the sea.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King was the overlord among sea Spirit Beasts.
Even when she mobilized the power of the ocean itself, she could only barely suppress it—yet the youth before her was someone capable of slaying it.
"Tang San is currently undergoing the Sea God's Trial, and he should also be tracking the Demon Whale King."
Bo Saixi lightly flicked her sleeve.
A stream of azure light surged from her palm,
condensing in midair into a detailed map of the sea.
On the map,
a region of ocean was vividly marked in dark crimson.
"This is the Demon Whale Sea Region, a forbidden zone of the ocean. The Demon Whale King resides here."
"If you go there, you will likely encounter Tang San as well."
Li Zhexian gave a slight nod and glanced at his companions, about to speak again—
when Bo Saixi continued:
"With the Sea God's Heart, you may land on Sea God Island."
"The Sea God has yet to issue his will—this is tacit consent."
With that,
she said no more.
Her figure retreated with the waves,
vanishing together with the six Sacred Pillar Guardians into the hazy radiance surrounding Sea God Island.
Tang Chen was gone.
She no longer had the heart to involve herself in worldly strife.
Now, she wished only to complete her duty—and then follow him.
Qian Daoliu gazed at the receding crimson figure. The restless light Spirit Power surging around him finally settled.
"Senior Qian Daoliu…"
"Let's go. I'll accompany you."
His words drifted away, and he quietly dissolved into the boundless sunlight.
This time, Qian Daoliu had followed Li Zhexian into the sea not out of any hope regarding Bo Saixi.
He knew well—
a woman like her,
once her heart belonged to someone, would never waver, even if seas ran dry and stones crumbled.
He only wanted to see her once.
Now that his long-cherished wish had been fulfilled, he had no regrets left.
Li Zhexian shook his head helplessly.
He had walked through the rolling tides of mortal life—
Seen too many stories of fated encounters that never came to fruition, of love that could not be attained.
Yet even so, he had not reached Qian Daoliu's level of detachment.
In his view,
if joy is born, one should remain together.
As the thought passed through his mind,
a soft, slender hand quietly slipped into his palm.
Li Zhexian turned his head and met Zhu Zhuqing's eyes, brimming with tenderness. He smiled knowingly and said:
"Everyone, set out. Our destination—the Demon Whale Sea Region."
...
Divine Realm Plaza
"Possessing god-level strength, yet not rejected by the rules of the mortal world!"
The Sea God frowned deeply and said in a low voice:
"Is this Li Zhexian human—or god?!"
The God of Destruction remained silent. With a sweep of his purple cloak, he turned and stepped into the void.
"I shall go summon the gods. Li Zhexian will inevitably ascend. The Divine Realm gaining a new deity is a matter that must be discussed collectively."
The usually silent Asura God finally spoke:
"Sea God, in your opinion, is Tang San a match for Li Zhexian?"
The Sea God did not hesitate.
"That sword strike just now had already surpassed the limits of the mortal world."
"Tang San has yet to inherit my divine throne—he is absolutely not his opponent."
"It's just that…"
"Would it be unfair?"
In the end, his heart still leaned toward the successor he had personally chosen.
What's more,
Li Zhexian was someone jointly favored by the Evil God and the Asura God.
If Tang San were defeated too miserably, how could he maintain his dignity?
"Unfair?"
Ji Dong's divine sense stirred.
On the light screen, clouds churned, revealing a blue-haired figure wielding a golden trident.
"You already bestowed a divine artifact upon Tang San."
"Neither Asura nor I have ever gifted Li Zhexian a weapon…"
At this point, he paused slightly.
"More precisely, Asura wished to bestow a divine sword, but Li Zhexian refused it."
Asura God looked at Ji Dong expressionlessly.
Ji Dong's smile faded slightly, and he said:
"Sea God, do you still think it is unfair at this moment?"
"That Golden Trident contains the divine power of a first-class god such as yourself."
Hearing this, the Sea God fell silent for a long time, then slowly nodded.
What Ji Dong said was indeed true.
If there was any unfairness,
it was unfair to Li Zhexian.
If Tang San, wielding the Golden Trident, were to be defeated,
then it would only mean one thing—
when comparing true talent and real strength,
he and Li Zhexian were simply not on the same level.
...
Demon Whale Sea Region
The waters of this region were deep as ink,
as though even light itself could be swallowed.
Tang San hovered above the sea surface, his sharp gaze fixed toward the direction of Sea God Island.
The vast disturbance that had mobilized the entire ocean just moments ago—
even separated by tens of thousands of miles,
he could still sense it clearly.
"Such overwhelming power must have come from High Priest Bo Saixi."
He muttered to himself, frowning in confusion.
"The Demon Whale King is entrenched in this region—what kind of existence could possibly force Bo Saixi to draw upon the power of the entire ocean?"
A faint sense of unease rose within him.
"Could it be a powerful enemy invading from the continent? What is the situation now?"
"I must slay the Demon Whale King as soon as possible and continue strengthening my own combat power!"
He tightened his grip on the Golden Trident. The divine artifact transmitted a warm yet immense surge of strength, slightly dispelling the gloom in his heart.
Confidence inevitably arose.
"I've been away for several years—who knows what the continent is like now?"
"But I'm certain of one thing: even if Li Zhexian's talent is extraordinary, now that I wield a divine artifact and bear the Sea God's inheritance—"
"his current strength is, at most, on par with mine!"
With that thought,
Tang San hesitated no longer.
He raised the Golden Trident, then slammed it down violently.
Surging Spirit Power and the radiance of the Sea God crashed fiercely into the dark sea below.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Centered on Tang San,
the sea surface within a thousand-mile radius collapsed with a thunderous roar.
Immediately afterward, a colossal wave rose like a wall of water connecting sea and sky.
The crest of the wave
nearly touched the clouds,
tearing a watery scar across the heavens.
And just as the titanic waves churned—
a vast, violent whale's cry suddenly exploded from the depths of the sea.
This cry was not merely sound.
It became tangible sonic shockwaves, resonating with the towering waves and shaking the entire sea region.
Boom!
Boom!
The ocean itself trembled.
Beneath Tang San's feet, a shadow rapidly expanded across the sea.
After several breaths,
an endless expanse of dark-blue back burst through the surface.
Its sheer size
was like a continental plate rising from the ocean.
Next,
an island-like head slowly lifted.
Its single remaining massive right eye churned with cold, cruel fury.
Dark-red, turbid energy spread outward, staining the surrounding seawater into a domain of ominous despair.
"The Sea God's successor?"
The Demon Whale King's low voice made the sea boil.
"Even one chosen by the Sea God has no right to provoke me in my waters."
"Very well. Today, you shall remain here. I wonder—if I devour the Sea God's successor, will it help me break through that final step?"
Tang San snorted coldly.
The Golden Trident in his hand radiated hazy divine light.
"Then let's see whether you devour me—or I behead you."
From the Demon Whale King's abyss-like blowhole erupted a sky-piercing torrent of dark-red, viscous Spirit Power.
"Your physical body has converted roughly forty percent into the divine level."
"But my body has already stepped ninety-nine percent into the domain of the gods."
"If I devour you, I may truly evolve into an unprecedented demon god…"