As the Sea God spoke, everyone's attention immediately focused on Wang Nan.
Although they had never heard the name "Dai Yuhao," everyone present was a god. They could roughly infer what the Sea God meant.
Xiao Wu, however, showed a slight change in expression upon hearing the name, as if she had suddenly recalled something.
Realizing his slip of the tongue, the Sea God said no more and simply scrutinized Wang Nan.
Since ancient times, those who could ascend to godhood were all individuals blessed with great Luck, favored by heaven and earth. Luck was intangible, yet undeniably real. An Auspicious Beast being half a step into the God Realm at birth was precisely because it was born in response to destiny.
Back then, when the Sea God surveyed the Douluo Continent, he found no one besides Huo Yuhao who possessed such overwhelming Luck. Yet now, standing before him in the God Realm, was another individual from the Douluo Continent whom he had never noticed.
Wang Nan's destiny did not belong to this World.
The Dragon God's evaluation of Wang Nan had not been empty words. Even the Sea God, who closely monitored the Douluo Continent, had been unable to perceive Wang Nan's existence prior to his ascension.
At the same time, Wang Nan was calmly observing the gods around him.
Although he did not recognize any of them, the divine force fluctuations they emitted allowed him to match each figure to the names in his memory.
After briefly surveying the surroundings, Wang Nan's gaze finally settled on the Sea God.
Once, he had traveled the Douluo Continent alongside this very person.
Before the Sea God ascended, Wang Nan's thoughts had followed him through the Douluo Continent. The Spirit system, completely different from those of other Worlds, had fascinated him.
He had followed the Sea God to understand spirits, spirit rings, Spirit Bones, and Spirit Abilities. He had gone to school with him, grown up alongside him, participated in competitions, fought together, and undergone the God Examination. In the end, he had watched him successfully ascend, becoming both the Sea God and the Asura God.
If the story had ended there, it would have remained a beautiful memory.
Unfortunately, it did not.
Perhaps after standing at the peak for too long, he had forgotten the days before becoming a god. When the Sea God appeared before Wang Nan again, he had already changed, manipulating the destinies of all beings with a lofty and condescending attitude.
The God Realm differed from the Mortal Realm. The heaven and earth elemental energy here was incomparably rich, and boundless power flowed through the rolling clouds and mist. Divine light bathed the body, making one feel reborn.
Yet in Wang Nan's eyes, this brilliant and prosperous God Realm was nothing but chaos.
As one of the Five God Kings, the Asura God was meant to represent judgment and order, a cornerstone that upheld the God Realm's balance.
And yet—
"You, a human who ascended from the Douluo Continent, have reached the God Realm with great difficulty," the Sea God said coldly. "Yet you collude with foreign races and attempt to destroy the Seal of the Forbidden Land of the Gods. Do you understand your crime?"
His words cut off Wang Nan's thoughts. Upon hearing "foreign race," Wang Nan's gaze briefly swept over Xiao Wu.
The Sea God frowned and stepped forward, his tone carrying unmistakable coercion. "I am the enforcer of the God Realm. Considering that you are new, I can overlook this offense. Assist me in suppressing the rebels, and I will exempt you from punishment."
The Sea God could not clearly discern whether Wang Nan possessed a God Position, nor what kind it might be. However, judging by the aura surrounding him, he could tell Wang Nan was not aligned with the God of Destruction.
Under normal circumstances, a newly ascended god would not warrant serious concern. Yet now, he faced not only the God of Destruction, but also the Silver Dragon King.
The God of Destruction's power surpassed his own. Without invoking the Asura God's authority, he could not contend with him. And now, there was also the Silver Dragon King, whose strength exceeded that of a God King.
Even with Xiao Wu and the Evil God at his side, victory was not guaranteed. That was why he spoke as he did.
"Kid, don't listen to him," the God of Destruction sneered. "Ask anyone in the God Realm whether this Sea God has ever kept his word."
As he spoke, purple dark clouds gathered overhead. He was already prepared to act.
"If you make a move here, aren't you afraid of affecting the Seal and releasing what lies within the Forbidden Land?" the Sea God said sharply.
"I'm not afraid. Are you?" Madness flickered in the God of Destruction's eyes.
"Have you made your decision?" The Sea God looked at Wang Nan, his aura bearing down like a mountain.
Under that immense pressure, a long-silent dragon's roar echoed deep within Wang Nan's Sea of Consciousness.
After countless years, the indomitable will within him was finally awakened.
Wang Nan had never intended to accept the Sea God's proposal. He had come precisely to break the distorted order of the current God Realm. He was not skilled with words, and simply raised his head slightly, meeting the Sea God's gaze.
The Sea God's expression shifted.
Having served as God Realm enforcer for so many years, even the Evil God would unconsciously show respect when looking at him. Yet now, in the eyes of a newly arrived god, he saw none of it.
It was not provocation, nor disdain. That calm, indifferent gaze unsettled him far more.
Seeing that Wang Nan remained silent, the Sea God stepped forward once more.
"It seems you have chosen to stand with this foreign race." A golden trident slowly materialized in his hand.
The faint sound of waves echoed as a boundless sea seemed to rise behind him. "Since you seek death, I will show you no mercy."
A divine battle was on the verge of breaking out. If Wang Nan could not be won over, then he was an enemy. And the weakest enemy should be eliminated first.
So it was.
Wang Nan sighed inwardly. The figure before him was no longer the person from his memories.
Huo Yuhao had once been reprimanded by him in Qiankun Asking Love Valley. Later, as a god, he had even threatened Huo Yuhao's child, invoking his own daughter's name to do so.
If he could treat someone he once valued like that, then a "nobody" like himself was naturally expected to "seek death."
Facing the Sea God's overwhelming power, Wang Nan showed no fear. Instead, a vast strength surged from the depths of his heart.
The Silver Dragon King reached out. The silver spear embedded in the ground flew back into her grasp. She stepped forward and stood beside Wang Nan.