"Greetings, Great-Grandmother." Tang San bowed slightly, speaking with respect.
In recent days, Bo Saixi had been feeling an inexplicable sense of unease.
Now that the Sea God Island's greatest threat—the Deep Sea Demon Whale King—was dead, and the powerful individual who obtained its soul ring and soul bones hadn't appeared in the seas again, she believed this unease didn't stem from the Sea God Island—it might be something concerning herself.
She had always been alone, with her only entanglement being Tang Chen.
"Tang San, when you return to the continent, please help look for traces of your great-grandfather Tang Chen."
Tang San nodded. "Great-Grandmother, finding Great-Grandfather is a task for our Hao Tian Sect. You don't need to worry about it."
Bo Saixi breathed a slight sigh of relief. Tang San's filial piety was evident to her.
She only hoped that before her sacrifice, she could see Tang Chen one last time.
The God Realm.
After observing, the Sea God had already grasped Tang San's situation.
It could be said that the predicament Tang San faced was akin to a heavenly collapse, and he was destined to be crushed under its weight, unable to lift his head.
While the Sea God couldn't see Ning Tianchen's situation, he was aware of Feng Xiaotian and others' progress in their divine trials.
Feng Xiaotian and the others harbored extreme enmity toward Tang San, even desiring his death.
Their divine trial progress was faster than Tang San's, meaning they would inherit their god positions before him.
As for Tang San, he hadn't even found the Heart of the Sea God yet, let alone completed his inheritance of the god position, which remained far out of reach.
To prevent Tang San from being left isolated or collapsing midway, the Sea God knew he had to find him a reliable companion.
At the very least, this companion should protect Tang San until he became a god and even assist him in finding the Heart of the Sea God.
Otherwise, if Tang San were to die, the Sea God would have to find another inheritor.
With the greatest threat to the seas—the Deep Sea Demon Whale King—gone, the Sea God's faith power would inevitably dwindle year by year.
A talent like Tang San was a once-in-a-thousand-years occurrence on the continent.
If he had to wait another thousand years, the Sea God feared he wouldn't even be able to retain his title, and his strength would quickly fall below that of a first-tier god.
After some thought, the Sea God finally settled on a target—the Angel God's inheritor, Qian Renxue.
The Angel God had perished during a divine mission, leaving the god position vacant. If not for the continuous worship of her descendants on the Douluo Continent, this god position would have long vanished into the annals of history.
Qian Renxue was currently undergoing the final inheritance. Once she entered the Angel God's divine temple in the God Realm, it would be easy to implant certain ideas into her mind.
Unlike the original timeline, Qian Renxue hadn't formed a mortal enmity with Tang San, but the Spirit Hall behind her remained Tang San's sworn enemy.
Having an enemy protect Tang San, only for Tang San to later overthrow the Spirit Hall—what an amusing twist.
The Sea God was a man of action. Once he had an idea, he immediately acted on it.
Taking advantage of the moment when no one was watching, he slipped into the Angel God's inheritance temple.
Qian Renxue was in the midst of receiving the Angel God's final inheritance, making her extremely vulnerable.
Watching Qian Renxue undergo the trial of the seven emotions and six desires, the Sea God couldn't help but smirk.
"Hehe, little girl, blame it on being born in the wrong place. If only your background were clean, you and Tang San could have made a fine pair. Unfortunately, for Tang San to smoothly inherit my position, you must make a sacrifice."
No sooner had he spoken than the Sea God's divine power seeped into Qian Renxue's trial.
The divine power left behind by the Angel God was exceedingly weak—how could it withstand the Sea God's interference?
Before long, the scene before Qian Renxue undergoing the trial transformed into one of intimacy between her and Tang San.
At first, she managed to resist through sheer willpower. But as the Sea God's divine power continued to take effect, her memories were gradually rewritten.
…
In the Asura Divine Palace, the Death God respectfully reported to the Asura God seated on high: "Lord Asura, you tasked me with monitoring the Sea God's movements. He just entered the Angel God's temple."
"The Angel God's inheritor is currently undergoing the final inheritance. If the Sea God interferes, it will likely cause significant trouble."
The Sea God had no faction in the God Realm. With the current emergence of multiple god position inheritors on the Douluo Continent, the Asura God was paying close attention.
Not long ago, the Sea God had passed on the Divine Nine Trials to Tang San.
Knowing that Ning Tianchen and Tang San were mortal enemies, the Asura God feared the Sea God might stir up trouble, so he ordered the Death God to secretly monitor him. Unexpectedly, the Sea God truly slipped up.
No sooner had the Death God finished speaking than the Asura God vanished from his seat.
In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the Angel God's temple. The Sea God was still reveling in the pleasure of manipulating Qian Renxue, completely unaware of the Asura God behind him.
Suddenly, the Asura God unleashed his divine power, completely isolating the Sea God's influence.
Poseidon abruptly snapped out of his reverie, turning around with a nervous expression.
"Poseidon, do you know the consequences of interfering with the inheritance trial of a deceased god?" The Asura God's voice boomed, his face darkened.
As the enforcer of the God Realm, he had the authority to stop any illegal actions.
And the Sea God's actions were not merely illegal—they were outright criminal!
"Asura God King, I..." Poseidon tried to explain, but felt the oppressive force of the Asura God pinning him down, rendering him immobile.
His earlier actions had been recorded by the Asura God using a divine recording stone. Even if brought before the God Realm Committee, there would be no way to overturn the evidence.
For a moment, the Sea God's face turned ashen.
He knew that this time, he was utterly defeated.
As the strongest among the first-tier gods, countless deities coveted his position. Now that he had been caught, these gods wouldn't plead on his behalf—they'd kick him while he was down.
"Poseidon, do you admit to your crimes?" the Asura God demanded.
…
The once-deceased Angel God's temple grew lively again, immediately drawing the attention of other deities. Eventually, the news reached the ears of the four major enforcers: Evil, Kindness, Destruction, and Life.
Both God Kings and the three enforcers gathered swiftly, passing judgment on the Sea God's actions.
The God of Destruction, known for his unbending righteousness, couldn't tolerate such transgressions and immediately imprisoned the Sea God in the God Realm's dungeon.
As for Qian Renxue, who had been affected, the God Realm Committee provided appropriate compensation.
The Goddess of Kindness intervened, repairing Qian Renxue's disrupted memories. Following that, the Goddess of Life acted, reviving Qian Daoliu, who had died during the sacrificial ritual.
…
With the Sea God imprisoned, his connection to the Douluo Continent was instantly severed.
On the Sea God Island, an unavoidable major upheaval occurred.
The light of the Sea God before the Sea God Temple rapidly dissipated, and the Holy Pillars on the several islands collapsed with a thunderous crash.
The sudden calamity caused panic among the people of the Sea God Island.
The Holy Pillars and the light of the Sea God were personally established by the Sea God himself. Their destruction meant something had happened to the Sea God.
The seven Holy Pillar Title Douluos immediately rushed to the Sea God Temple, intending to ask Bo Saixi for answers.
But halfway there, the seven Holy Pillar Title Douluos clearly felt their powers rapidly regressing.
Their current strength was due to the blessings granted by the Sea God. Now that the Sea God was in trouble, those blessings were also revoked.
Among the seven Title Douluos, only the Sea Dragon Douluo remained above the rank of Title Douluo, though his strength had regressed to Level 91. The other six Title Douluos, without exception, all fell back to the Soul Ancestor level.
At the same time, a projection of the Asura God appeared above the Sea God Temple.
"The Sea God has committed grave transgressions—his morality and integrity were lacking, and his greed led him to make catastrophic mistakes. By my authority, I hereby confiscate all resources the Sea God possessed on the Douluo Continent."
Next, images appeared showing the Sea God confessing to his crimes and being taken into custody in the divine prison.
This revelation sent shockwaves through the community.
In the belief system of the soul masters on the Sea God Island, the Sea God had always been the embodiment of light and justice. Now, this illusion was shattered, and the faith of the island's soul masters collapsed entirely.
Of course, there were those who raised doubts.
But the ability to project such an announcement across vast distances left no room to question the Asura God's overwhelming power. If such a mighty being declared the Sea God guilty, how could it be a false accusation?
"No, this can't be true! How could the Sea God commit such crimes? This must be a setup—a frame-up!"
As the Sea God's former mount, Xiao Bai refused to believe it even unto death.
However, the hearts of the people on the island had already shifted. Countless soul masters from the island fled the Sea God Island in droves.
The seven Holy Pillar Title Douluos collapsed to the ground, their loss of strength serving as undeniable proof that something had gone terribly wrong with the Sea God.
After hearing the Asura God announce the Sea God's crimes, the last remnants of hope within them were utterly extinguished.
"Let's disperse. We've placed our trust in the wrong person."
The Sea Dragon Douluo was the most straightforward, turning and flying away from the Sea God Island without another word.
The Sea Horse Douluo sighed deeply, and along with the other Holy Pillar Douluos, they departed from the island in a daze.
These individuals had lived on the island for years; adapting to life on the mainland would undoubtedly be difficult for them.
The sea was vast, and rather than setting foot on land, they decided to search for an isolated island in the boundless ocean where they could spend the rest of their days.
In the Sea God Temple, Bo Saixi's hair turned stark white in the blink of an eye.
Her age had never been young, but her appearance had been maintained due to her Level 99 strength. Now that her power had regressed to Level 95, her vitality visibly declined.
Moreover, her martial soul was granted by the Sea God. Without the Sea God, her martial soul shattered.
Though she still retained Level 95 strength, she could no longer use her martial soul to fight, rendering her as good as useless.
As the Sea God's most loyal believer, she chose not to leave the Sea God Island but instead remained in the Sea God Temple.
Of course, in her current frail state, with mobility issues and the inability to summon her martial soul for battle, an encounter with soul beasts in the open sea would surely mean her death.
…
In the Spirit Hall.
Qian Renxue felt as though she had just emerged from a very long dream. When she awoke again, she had already completed the inheritance of the god position.
And before her, standing alive and well, was Qian Daoliu, who had previously bid her farewell in what she thought was his final sacrifice.
"Grandfather, you're alright? Don't scare me!"
Qian Renxue ran forward excitedly and embraced him.
Qian Daoliu was thoroughly perplexed. He had burned his life force to open the door for Qian Renxue's inheritance. Yet here he stood, alive and unharmed. Why?
Regardless, since he hadn't died, he resolved to live on.
"Little Xue, perhaps the divine ancestor took pity and spared Grandfather's life," he chuckled softly, gently stroking her forehead. "Now that you have ascended to godhood, your plans with the leader of the Tianshan Sect—perhaps Grandfather can assist you in some way."
"Ah yes, Little Xue, the first pope of the Spirit Hall was none other than the divine ancestor herself. Since you have inherited her god position, it is only fitting for you to assume the role of pope."
Qian Daoliu harbored immense reluctance toward Hu Liena acting as the temporary administrator of the Spirit Hall.
Previously, allowing Hu Liena to take charge had been a matter of necessity—neither Bibi Dong nor they themselves had the time to oversee operations, so they reluctantly allowed Bibi Dong to recommend Hu Liena.
Bibi Dong's ascension to the papal throne had been partially due to her capabilities but mostly because she was Qian Renxue's mother. In Qian Daoliu's eyes, she wasn't an outsider.
But Hu Liena? A complete outsider—how could she possibly inherit the throne of the pope?
The Spirit Hall was a legacy passed down through the Qian family for generations. How could it fall into the hands of outsiders so easily?
Qian Renxue shook her head and firmly declined. "No, Grandfather. The burden of the papal throne is too heavy for me. That little fox is doing a fine job—let her continue managing the Spirit Hall."
"If you're unwilling, Grandfather, why don't you come out of retirement?"
Qian Daoliu shook his head and declined. "I'm old now. This continent belongs to you young people."
Before he could continue, Qian Renxue quickly excused herself. "Grandfather, I need to adapt to my newfound strength. I'll take my leave for now."
…
Meanwhile, through the words of the Asura God, Ning Tianchen learned about the events unfolding in the God Realm and on the Sea God Island.
In the original timeline, the Sea God had done similar things, but at that time, the Asura God had also favored Tang San, aligning himself with the Sea God's actions.
Now, however, Ning Tianchen had no ties to the Sea God and naturally chose to uphold justice impartially.
People are inherently hypocritical, and actions tend to lean toward self-interest.
As for the Asura God's current actions versus those in the original timeline, Ning Tianchen refrained from passing judgment.
After all, the downfall of the Sea God Island also worked in his favor.
It meant Tang San had lost his greatest support and would henceforth be unable to stir up any significant trouble.
At the same time, Ning Tianchen also learned that Qian Renxue had ascended to godhood.
He decided to accelerate his own divine trial progress, delegate the sect's affairs, and set out alone to obtain his ninth soul ring.
While at it, he also wanted to check on the progress of the Yu Die sisters' divine trials.
Cooperation was built on equal footing. With Qian Renxue's strength now ahead of his, if he couldn't catch up quickly, there was a small chance she might develop other intentions.
Of course, this was a low-probability scenario.
…
Hanhai City.
Tang San had just landed, and upon noticing the reflection on the sea surface, he saw that the divine trial mark on his forehead had dimmed.
However, he paid it no mind and hurried toward the Tang Sect. Along the way, he also learned about the recent developments within the sect.
After Dai Mubai returned to the Star Luo imperial family, he demonstrated great competitiveness for the position of crown prince. Many noble families, both openly and covertly, pledged their allegiance to him.
These noble families had deep roots within the Star Luo Empire, with vast business interests intertwined in their lineages.
As Dai Mubai's strongest supporter, the Tang Sect naturally attracted these nobles, who were eager to collaborate commercially and even purchased large quantities of the sect's hidden weapons.
As for the Dragon Halberd Sect, located within the borders of the Tian Dou Empire, the reach of the Star Luo nobility did not extend to them.
However, Dai Mubai was not an "ungrateful" man. Rallying numerous supporters, he pooled together a substantial sum of money as a token of gratitude to the Dragon Halberd Sect.
Hearing all this good news along the way, Tang San couldn't help but smile.
Their plans were proceeding steadily. In the future, everything would unfold according to his vision: first securing the Star Luo Empire, then exacting revenge on the Spirit Hall.
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