Chapter 299: Rise of the Vast Sea God King, Part 1
The marriage alliance between Ye Wen and the Silver Dragon King had yet to make tangible progress since his true body was still in the Divine Realm. However, Ye Wen felt confident that the Silver Dragon King was within his grasp. To solidify their bond, he began assisting her in the resurgence of the dragon soul beasts on Douluo Star.
Ye Wen couldn't help but wonder: just how powerful had the Asura God been to inflict injuries that took the Silver Dragon King twenty thousand years to heal? Through their discussions, he learned that the Asura God, though formidable, couldn't have left such lasting damage. The Silver Dragon King's delayed recovery was more a matter of limited divine power than the extent of her injuries. Unlike the Dragon God, whose faith yielded a continuous flow of divine energy, the Silver Dragon King could barely accumulate power from her role as sovereign of the soul beasts.
This limited faith base was precisely why she'd taken such drastic steps in Soul Land III, hoping to infiltrate human society to reclaim her strength. Unfortunately, things hadn't gone according to plan; an unexpected betrayal altered her course. Although initially not ruled by emotion, her alter ego's influence ultimately drove her into irrational decisions, culminating in her becoming Tang San's daughter in law a fate Ye Wen couldn't help but find painfully ironic.
In this timeline, however, Ye Wen's intervention had changed her fate, and she joined his cause instead.
Being gods, distinctions of species and form meant little; divine power was flexible. Ye Wen could easily transform into other forms, but his intrigue grew upon seeing the Silver Dragon King's human form for the first time. With her silver hair and violet eyes, she bore an uncanny resemblance to Na'er, though subtly different, with a regal air that made her captivating.
The Silver Dragon King cooperated with Ye Wen's plan, though the soul beast Emperor Sky bore a resentful glare toward him, seemingly suppressed only by the Silver Dragon King's firm hand. Ye Wen was unperturbed by the dragon's attitude. In any power structure, dissenting voices were disruptive, and he'd always found the Divine Realm's management system inefficient. Although complacency had kept things running smoothly so far, complacency could be disastrous in times of crisis.
The plan progressed smoothly, and before long, another thousand years passed on Douluo Star, though only three years elapsed in the Divine Realm. During this time, Ye Wen's power had ascended to the peak of the First Level God stage, only a breath away from the Divine King realm.
"A God King... to transcend, one must embody their path to become the very essence of their divine way," Ye Wen mused, remembering Poseidon's words. "But just as he warned, one risks losing oneself in the process. So, what am I missing?"
Seated atop the Sea God's temple with his trident rooted beside him, Ye Wen's thoughts were a storm. Though outwardly empty, his gaze conjured an oceanic vastness. There was a time when he'd confidently thought he could surpass Poseidon's threshold, but reality had humbled him. The chasm between a First Level God and a God King was profound. Every attempt he made to achieve this breakthrough led him dangerously close to self destruction.
After a time, Ye Wen sighed, shaking off his frustration. A walk through the Divine Realm might provide clarity, he thought.
As he wandered beneath the stars in the Divine Realm, Ye Wen often marveled at the vastness of the universe, feeling his own smallness. When he returned to his temple, though, his spirits lifted. His family was preparing a warm evening meal, calling him to join them.
Basking in the warmth of family, Ye Wen felt an overwhelming gratitude. He thought of Tang San and how, despite having close allies, he'd ultimately chosen isolation, dooming his closest friend, Ma Hongjun, to eternal loneliness. For all Ma Hongjun had sacrificed, Tang San hadn't seen fit to bring his cousin, Bai Chenxiang, to the Divine Realm, leaving Ma Hongjun a god without a family.
Ye Wen's own ascension had taught him that Tang San's excuse for Ma Hongjun claiming a Second Level God couldn't bring family members was nonsense. As pillars of the Divine Realm, Second Level Gods were more than capable of having their loved ones join them. As for the rest of the original Shrek Seven Devils, their god positions had always puzzled him.
Dai Mubai, the God of War; Zhu Zhuqing, the God of Speed; Ning Rongrong, the Nine Colored Goddess; and Oscar, the God of Food only the Nine Colored Goddess and God of Food had actual precedents in the Divine Realm. The absence of records for the other titles confirmed to Ye Wen that Tang San had spun a web of deception to suit his own ends, taking advantage of his friends' trust and lack of information.
Ye Wen even suspected Tang San might have secretly bound Bai Chenxiang's soul to ensure Ma Hongjun's loyalty. This conjecture seemed far fetched but was plausible, given Tang San's penchant for moral posturing while operating ruthlessly behind the scenes.
Thinking on these matters, Ye Wen became vigilant against such petty duplicity, reminding himself to be thorough in his own plans. Half distracted, he shared a meal with his family, offering gentle conversation while his thoughts drifted.
And then, mid sentence, he froze.
"Could it be..."
A new possibility stirred in his mind, drawing a rueful smile to his lips.
Sensing his sudden shift, Ah Yin gently rested her hand on his shoulder, worry evident in her gaze.
"What's wrong, brother?"
Placing his hand atop hers, Ye Wen smiled. "Nothing, Ah Yin. I just suddenly understood something."
With renewed clarity, Ye Wen returned to meditation, his eyes gleaming with newfound insight, his aura growing ever more vast and profound.
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