Meanwhile, the others had already begun charging toward the Seven Pillar.
Chen Yi and the Grand Elder had a very clear objective—
to head straight for the center of Sea God Island: the Sea God Temple.
Along the way, high-ranking spirit masters and hidden guardians of the island occasionally tried to block their path. However, with a casual swing of Chen Yi's Thunder God Mace or the Grand Elder's condensed spiritual pressure, none of them could even get close before being effortlessly repelled.
Before long, the two arrived at the foot of the solemn and majestic Sea God Temple.
What came into view was the long stretch of the Sea God Stairs.
In the past, these stairs were enveloped in dense divine light of the Sea God—a sacred ground that tested faith and strength. Ordinary spirit masters couldn't even take a single step onto it.
But now, due to the Sea God's phantom engaging in a fierce battle with the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, an enormous amount of divine power had been consumed.
The light on the stairs had become extremely faint.
Chen Yi's expression remained indifferent.
A trace of the Thunder God's power surged around him, forming a faint purple-gold aura that enveloped his entire body. Ignoring gravity and all obstacles, he turned into a blur of light and shadow, sprinting up the long staircase toward the temple at the summit.
The remaining Sea God light attempted to block him, but upon contact with the Thunder God's power, it instantly dissipated—completely ineffective.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Yi crossed the entire staircase and landed firmly before the massive gates of the Sea God Temple.
The Grand Elder followed closely behind, steadying his breathing.
Without hesitation, Chen Yi gathered his soul power into his right fist, condensing lightning, and slammed it into the heavy temple gates.
BOOM—!
With a deafening explosion, the gates shattered into countless fragments that flew inward.
Chen Yi flicked his sleeve to disperse the dust and stepped slowly into the most sacred hall of Sea God Island.
…
Inside the Sea God Temple
The interior was vast, with a high dome inlaid with luminous pearls emitting a soft blue glow—like an inverted starry sky.
Murals depicting sea gods and marine creatures adorned the walls, creating an ancient and sacred atmosphere.
At the far end of the hall stood the most striking feature:
A colossal statue of the Sea God, towering dozens of meters high.
Holding a trident, its expression was majestic and imposing, as if scrutinizing every being that entered.
Chen Yi stared at the statue briefly, then scanned the surroundings.
Despite the grandeur, aside from the statue and symbolic decorations, there were no visible treasures. The place felt strangely empty.
At that moment, the Grand Elder behind him glanced at the ground and lightly stomped his foot, producing a dull sound. He then pointed downward.
Chen Yi immediately understood.
His spiritual power spread out, carefully probing the ground beneath his feet.
Sure enough, near the base of the statue, he detected extremely faint energy fluctuations—perfectly concealed by the statue's divine aura.
Chen Yi walked up to the statue and looked up at it.
It seemed as if the statue sensed his disrespect; its gaze appeared colder and more imposing.
"Ridiculous," Chen Yi sneered.
Without hesitation, he summoned the Thunder God Mace, divine light flowing across it, and smashed it down toward the statue's base.
CLANG!!
A thunderous sound like a giant bell echoed throughout the hall.
The statue suddenly emitted a powerful ocean-blue divine light, forcefully blocking the attack.
The recoil forced Chen Yi back several steps, his arm slightly numb.
"Interesting."
A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
This statue, having been worshipped for ten thousand years and subtly connected to the Sea God's power, had taken on the qualities of a divine relic—its defense was astonishing.
But that was all.
The Thunder God Mace was a true divine artifact.
Even though Chen Yi could only wield a fraction of its power, its essence far surpassed this faith-infused stone.
"Break!"
He roared, pouring all his soul power into the Mace. Purple-gold lightning erupted violently.
BOOM—!
The second strike exploded forth!
Crack… crack…
The divine light at the statue's base shattered instantly. From the point of impact, cracks spread rapidly upward like a spiderweb, covering the entire statue.
BOOM—!
With a final violent explosion, the statue—carrier of ten thousand years of faith—shattered into countless fragments that scattered in all directions.
Dust and smoke filled the air.
Chen Yi shook his slightly numb wrist and looked toward where the statue once stood.
As expected—
A bottomless circular cavity about three meters wide had appeared.
A pure azure light continuously surged out of the hole, illuminating the depths of the hall.
"Indeed… a hidden place."
Chen Yi and the Grand Elder exchanged glances.
"I'll go down," Chen Yi said calmly. The situation below was unknown—there might be contingencies left by the Sea God. But with the Thunder God's power and a supreme divine artifact, he was confident.
The Grand Elder nodded.
"Be careful. I'll keep watch up here… and enjoy the spectacle outside."
He was referring to the earth-shaking battle between the Sea God's phantom and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
With his keen perception, the Grand Elder could tell—the Sea God phantom was already at its limit. Defeat was only a matter of time.
Chen Yi nodded and, without hesitation, leapt into the deep cave, lightning trailing behind him.
…
The Underground Treasury
Inside the abyss, Chen Yi descended through layers of blue light.
Eventually, he passed through a soft, water-like barrier and landed lightly.
He looked up—
"…What the…"
Even someone as experienced as Chen Yi couldn't help but gasp.
Before him stretched a vast underground world.
The towering dome made it feel like an independent universe. Countless glowing crystals illuminated the space like daylight.
But the most awe-inspiring sight—
The stars floating in the air.
No… they weren't stars.
They were soul bones, radiating multicolored light in various shapes.
Hundreds of them filled the space, shining like a galaxy on a summer night.
At a glance, every single one was over ten thousand years old.
Even more terrifying—
Among them were dozens emitting far stronger auras, vastly surpassing the others.
Clearly… hundred-thousand-year soul bones.
Some even carried ancient, savage auras—undoubtedly from ferocious beasts.
"This…"
Chen Yi swallowed hard.
"No wonder people say the sea is an untapped treasure mountain… but this is beyond treasure!"
He forced himself to calm down and looked further.
Rows of shelves made of jade-like deep-sea material stood neatly arranged.
On them were dark masses of whale glue—each extremely ancient, all over ten thousand years old.
Besides these, there were:
Rare deep-sea metal ores
Ancient corals and pearls
Unknown aquatic treasures with auras comparable to heavenly herbs
The sheer value was immeasurable.
Chen Yi's eyes burned with excitement.
"All of this… belongs to my Body Sect!"
With such a foundation, the Body Sect's strength would skyrocket in a short time.
Combat power, mid-level experts, future potential—everything would rise dramatically.
"This is a complete victory…"
Without hesitation, he activated the Thunder God Mace.
The Mace's internal storage space far exceeded any known soul tool.
Under Chen Yi's control, a powerful suction force pulled in:
Soul bones
Whale glue
Rare materials
Ancient texts
Wherever the purple-gold light passed, the stars dimmed, and the treasury rapidly emptied.
…
God Realm – Forbidden Land
In a desolate, lifeless region filled with oppressive destruction—
Inside a crumbling cave, the pale Sea God sat cross-legged, struggling to resist the erosion of the forbidden land.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, turning ice-cold.
He had sensed it—
The statue he left behind on Sea God Island… had been destroyed.
"Damn it! That brat! Damn you, Asura!"
He growled in hatred.
The destruction of the statue meant not only the loss of the island's core—but also the complete severing of his last foundation in the mortal world.
From this moment on, his ability to perceive and control Douluo Continent would drop to its lowest point.
He lifted his head, glaring toward the direction of Asura Temple.
"Did you see this, Asura?!
Do you think Chen Yi will set me free?!"
His thoughts raced.
With Sea God Island gone, the collapse of faith was imminent. Severely injured, his future looked bleak.
With the Goddess of Life, God of Destruction, and the Seven Element Gods backing Chen Yi—his rise was unstoppable.
"No… I won't just sit and wait to die!"
Madness and determination flashed in his eyes.
His gaze slowly shifted deeper into the forbidden land—
Where massive dark-gold chains inscribed with forbidden runes coiled tightly.
This was the Prison of the Gods—
A place that not only punished sinful gods, but also imprisoned the most dangerous criminals in the entire God Realm.
...