"By the way, Senior Bo Saixi—may I ask, why… why have you come to the Douluo Continent so suddenly?"
Having recovered his composure, Tang Xiao finally asked the question that had been on his mind. He looked at the now calm and steady Bo Saixi, gently suppressing his excitement.
To his knowledge, Seagod Island was an isolated overseas land, with its own strict system: no one outside could ever leave once they entered. Especially the High Priestess Bo Saixi herself—she hardly ever left the island's core region, and hadn't set foot in the outside world for a hundred years. She was truly a homebody.
He remembered his own grandfather, Tang Chen, joking that "even if I managed to win the fair lady's heart, I'd have to spend the rest of my life dwelling on Seagod Island."
So for such a figure to step onto the mainland of her own accord was an extraordinary event.
Bo Saixi's anger gradually faded as she returned to her usual gentle composure. Her gaze went far off to the horizon, as if looking toward the sacred temple across the sea. Her voice was serene but dignified as she replied:
"I am here under the divine command of the Sea God."
"The Sea God's will!?"
Tang Xiao, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder were all struck dumb when they heard this. Their faces filled with confusion, eyes flashing in disbelief and wonder.
A divine edict had descended? That was almost unprecedented in ten thousand years of continental history. The last time anyone had mentioned direct contact with gods, it could be traced back to ancient times. This sudden revelation shrouded them all in an unexplainable sense of awe and unease.
Bo Saixi paid little heed to their shock. After a moment's pause, she gazed at the three again with her blue eyes.
"By the way, is there someone named Tang San in your Clear Sky Sect?"
"Tang San?" Tang Xiao was again surprised. He hadn't expected Bo Saixi to ask about him so directly.
He quickly considered why Bo Saixi would seek Tang San, but based on her attitude and the context of the Sea God's command, it didn't seem malicious.
"Reporting to Senior, Tang San is… Tang Hao's only son and a direct descendant of our Clear Sky Sect."
"Tang Hao's son…" Bo Saixi nodded slightly. She recalled her impression of Tang Hao—a youth of remarkable talent and unyielding will—when the two grandsons of Tang Chen had arrived on Seagod Island with that message. She'd felt a faint hope that he would someday become Douluo's unrivaled champion. But unexpectedly, his son had become the very one whom the Sea God asked her to seek out for special observation.
After a moment's thought, she stated her purposes outright.
"I came to the mainland for him."
The Second and Third Elders frowned involuntarily.
That kid? Why would someone like Bo Saixi come all this way for him?
Bo Saixi instantly noticed the change in the two elders' expressions, but merely explained quietly:
"Tang San is the one chosen by the Sea God. The main purpose of my trip is to guide him to Sea God Island so he can inherit the Sea God's trial and legacy."
"The chosen one!? Guide him to Sea God Island… for the inheritance?"
The three cried out almost in unison. Overwhelming joy flooded Tang Xiao's face, his Adam's apple surging with excitement, and his voice actually began to tremble.
"Senior… that means… Xiao San is favored by the Sea God?! He's to inherit the Sea God's position?!"
This was nothing short of divine favor. If a god manifested from within the Clear Sky Sect, there would be no need to worry about revival, nor fear Spirit Hall or the Body Sect. He could even surpass the glory of Tang Chen and lead the clan to unprecedented heights.
"One could say that," Bo Saixi confirmed, then asked,
"Is Tang San currently here in the sect?"
Tang Xiao composed himself and answered:
"Reporting to Senior, not long ago, Tang San's teacher was severely injured, and out of worry, he left the sect and headed to Heaven Dou City."
"His teacher?"
A shadow of doubt flashed in Bo Saixi's blue eyes, and a chilly glint appeared beneath the surface.
In her mind, Tang San was chosen as a future candidate for divinity by the Sea God—his only true teacher should be the god himself. How could any mortal qualify to instruct one chosen by the gods?
Tang Xiao quickly caught the change in her tone and explained:
"Senior, you may not know, but Tang San's teacher is, in fact, only a nominal disciple of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Sect. His name is Yu Xiaogang. His soul power has never advanced beyond the realm of a Spirit Grandmaster his whole life. Yet he fancies himself a 'Grandmaster of Theory' and is well known not for talent or knowledge, but rather for stubbornness and arrogance—often bringing trouble everywhere he goes.
This severe injury came about in the Heaven Dou Palace when he showed disrespect for the new emperor, bringing disgrace on himself…"
Tang Xiao recounted Yu Xiaogang's misdeeds and recent experiences, as well as Tang San's loyalty and strong sense of justice—how, even knowing his teacher's flaws, he continued to respect him as master.
As she listened, Bo Saixi's frown deepened. A weak, ill-reputed, good-for-nothing became the master of one chosen by the Sea God? Completely absurd! The very idea that, in future, the world might mention Tang San's master in the same breath as the Sea God made Bo Saixi's back go icy cold.
She interrupted Tang Xiao, her voice indifferent:
"So, will you tolerate this person's existence just because they still have a teacher-student relationship with Tang San?"
Tang Xiao winced at the displeasure in her words and hurriedly clarified:
"Please stay calm, Senior. It's not merely the teacher-student bond—the issue is, for some reason, Yu Xiaogang is now have the support of Bibi Dong herself, Spirit Hall's current Supreme Pontiff… There's also an old story that's hard to explain. At the time, we believed we could obtain the twin martial spirits training method from Bibi Dong via Yu Xiaogang, and after Tang San acquired that, we could then deal with Yu Xiaogang."
"I see." Bo Saixi's expression softened slightly, but the chill in her eyes did not fully fade.
"For the sake of twin martial spirits' cultivation, there's no need for any such tricks. There's no need to let an unworthy clown taint the honor of the Chosen.
If Tang San follows me to Sea God Island, with the baptism and trials of the Sea God's Light, the inherent conflicts of cultivating twin martial spirits will naturally be resolved."
The Sea God's Light—refined the spirit, stabilized one's foundation, and harmonized the mind. While not specifically designed for reconciling different martial spirits, it posed no true difficulty.
"Does the Sea God's Light really have such mystical effects?" Tang Xiao asked, first surprised, then elated.
That would remove their greatest concern, wiping away Yu Xiaogang's stain on Tang San's future while opening new paths for cultivation.
Realizing this, Tang Xiao immediately bowed,
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior! Now I know what to do."
He'd already resolved to remove Yu Xiaogang as soon as possible to ensure Tang San's reputation would be unsullied, matching his image as inheritor of the Sea God's mantle.
The Second and Third Elders exchanged complicated glances. That man they despised might now, with Tang San's rise, become unmatchable within the sect.
Bo Saixi said no more. Her gaze seemed to pierce through the scant palace walls, gazing deeply in the direction of Heaven Dou City.
"When the Sea God issued the divine command, there was also mention that something crucial to the inheritance lies in Heaven Dou City itself…"
…
The Body Sect.
The cloud-wreathed mountaintops, rarely touched by sunlight, now basked in a sudden, precious sunlight that cast warm rays onto the bluestone-paved courtyard below.
An old man lounged comfortably on a worn cane rocking chair, eyes half-closed, fiddling with a warm jade flask in his hand. The flask bore the near-effaced words "Seven Treasures."
It was a 500-year-old heirloom from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's treasury. One sip could soothe the heart and even sharpen the soul's power.
"What a fine day…"
Humming a tuneless song, the old man rocked gently, savoring this rare moment of leisure.
"Elder! Elder!"
A desperate voice suddenly broke the courtyard serenity.
The old man's brow furrowed slightly. Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw a figure rushing over like the wind.
"Hm? Changyou? Aren't you the warden at Vast Sea City? Why are you back?"
"Did a tidal wave submerge Vast Sea City, or has a mermaid come ashore to pour out her heart to you?"
Zhu Changyou was running, drenched in sweat, and didn't have time to salute or explain. He quickly pulled a sealed black envelope, brimming with spiritual power, from his pocket.
"Elder, it's from Brother Zhang Tao. He told me repeatedly to return this letter urgently, and deliver it to you as soon as possible!"
"A letter from Zhang Tao?"
The elder's calm face changed at once, his eyes sharpening.
Just the previous year, Zhang Tao had inherited control of Vast Sea City from Jiang Wu. He would never send such an urgent letter unless facing a dire situation.
The elder received the envelope, unleashing soul power from his fingertips and tearing the seal open to read the letter inside.
As he began to read, Zhu Changyou's eyes involuntarily drifted toward the jade flask on the stone table beside them. Just the aroma made him crave. He didn't know the wine's provenance, but he could tell it was no ordinary drink.
The elder's gaze remained quiet at first, but quickly turned surprised.
He did not speak, instead rising slowly from the rocking chair, his formerly lazy air turning tense in a heartbeat.
"Even Zhang Tao's child couldn't fathom the depths of this mysterious powerhouse?"
The letter described a mysterious figure in black clothing who'd arrived at Vast Sea City's port aboard a ship from overseas. This figure showed neither a leaking soul force nor awakened soul rings, and seemed as ordinary as any person.
Zhang Tao had tried to investigate with hidden spirit power, but it was as if the attempt had dropped into a fathomless sea—completely undetectable. Zhang Tao surmised this one's cultivation far exceeded that of a typical Title Douluo, likely a peerless being at the 99th rank.
"To completely block the spiritual investigation of a master, and harmonize one's presence almost perfectly with the world at large… one must at least be on the very pinnacle of rank 98, or even…"
The elder set down the letter, recalling all the legendary figures of the continent at such a level.
"Who could it be? Could it be… her?!"
Names associated with mysterious seas, legends on par with Tang Chen or Qian Daoliu, instantly surfaced in the elder's mind.
Bo Saixi, High Priestess of Seagod Island!
On equal footing with Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu, revered as the "Invincible Sea." If it was truly her, would she simply watch Tang Chen's family from the sidelines?
The elder was nearly certain she would intervene.
What weighed most on his mind, though, was the old gossip from Chen Yi about the downfall of the Angel God, hinting that the Sea God might have played a dishonorable role.
If that were true, then Bo Saixi's arrival on the continent was not just about aiding Tang Chen's descendants.
"If she's really here… the waters of this pool will become thoroughly muddied."
His face grew grave as his fingers unconsciously tapped the armrest.
The intervention of a peerless Douluo leaning toward the Clear Sky Sect would be enough to shatter in an instant the fragile balance currently maintained by Spirit Hall and the Body Sect's ongoing suppression of the Clear Sky Sect.
He raised his head and looked at Zhu Changyou.
"Changyou."
Zhu Changyou snapped to attention, quickly standing up straight and wiping his mouth.
"Elder, your orders!"
"Depart at once. Head to Spirit City as quickly as possible and deliver this secret letter to Qian Daoliu himself." The elder resealed Zhang Tao's letter and handed it over.
"Yes! Understood, I'll deliver it without fail!" Zhu Changyou accepted the letter with solemnity.
"Furthermore," the elder's voice became icy, "if he still hesitates due to past feelings, tell Qian Daoliu this for me:
'From today, our Body Sect will handle everything. He need not worry further!'"
Zhu Changyou felt a chill run down his spine. The elder seemed deeply dissatisfied with Qian Daoliu's handling of the Clear Sky question.
"The disciple understands! I will deliver the message!" Zhu Changyou answered solemnly.
The elder's face softened a bit. With a flick of his sleeve, a large wine jug soared out from the back room and landed gently in Zhu Changyou's arms.
"Take this with you."
"Yes, Elder!" Zhu Changyou no longer hesitated. His soul power flared, and within a blur, he shot from the courtyard, down the mountain path, and vanished in a flash.
The elder stood alone in the courtyard, sunlight still shining, but his eyes had lost their peacefulness, shifting to utter solemnity. After a moment of silence, his figure flickered and vanished, as if he'd melted into midair.
…
Chu Shanhe's Secluded Cave.
The Grand Elder's silhouette appeared quietly.
The stone door of the cave was tightly shut, but faint fluctuations of cold energy could be sensed from the cracks.
Perceiving the aura from within, the elder finally let a genuine smile appear.
"It seems… the day when my Body Sect holds a true peerless Douluo under heaven is not far off," he muttered to himself.
Two years ago, Chu Shanhe's cultivation was already at the 98th rank, the pinnacle, unable to advance further. Later, Chen Yi had gifted him the seed of divine intent, hoping he could use it to condense a second soul core and reach rank 99.
Now, the elder could sense that Chu Shanhe's second soul core was gradually taking form within.
Once he emerged from seclusion, he would be a peerless Douluo with two soul cores!
"Bo Saixi? Seagod Douluo!? Hmph.
This is the Douluo Continent. She has no right to act as she pleases here!"
...
PS: This is already completed at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode