Chapter 118 Poseidon
"But Seagod Island has always been isolated from the world, not involved in continental conflicts, and its attitude towards land-based Soul Masters is not friendly..." Bone Douluo hesitated.
"We can't worry about that now."
Ning Fengzhi shook his head. "This isn't just a continental conflict, but a disaster that could sweep across the entire world. Seagod Island's ability to remain uninvolved depends on the peace of the ocean."
"Now that the Demon Emperor has emerged, intending to seize and even rule the ocean, how can Seagod Island remain unaffected? Try to make contact, even if there's only a sliver of a possibility."
The entire Douluo Continent was plunged into unprecedented panic and turmoil because of the Demon Emperor's appearance on the list.
Along the coast, countless people fled inland with their families, roads were blocked, and people were filled with fear.
Major powers frantically mobilized resources to strengthen coastal defenses and recruit Soul Masters; the air was thick with the oppressive atmosphere of impending doom.
At sea, the once bustling maritime trade almost came to a standstill. Occasionally, a daring ship would set sail, but news of attacks by terrifying sea beasts or disappearances quickly followed.
In the deep sea, the Demon Emperor's will, like an invisible network, was transmitted through the water and demonic souls to every corner of the vast ocean.
Countless powerful and ferocious sea spirit beasts began to answer the call of their king, converging towards the Demon Whale Sea, or restless in their respective territories, casting their hateful gazes upon the brightly lit human coastlines near the shore.
The Demon Emperor sat atop his skeletal throne, his abyssal demonic soul sensing the growing panic and hatred in the ocean, sensing the chaos and despair emanating from the continent. A cruel smile curved his icy lips.
"Fear, struggle, humans… this is only the beginning."
"When my billions of sea beasts trample your coastlines, when your civilization is swallowed by the sea and darkness, when the gods you worship fall silent before the resentment of the deep sea… then, the climax of the vengeful feast will be."
She slowly raised her head, her deep blue eyes seemingly piercing through the endless sea, gazing at the sky, towards the direction of the mysterious divine realm. The flames of hatred burning in her eyes almost set the entire heavens ablaze.
"Sea God... and those gods who tacitly approved of everything... you will not escape either."
The shadow of the Deep Sea Demon Emperor, like the deepest nightmare, enveloped the entire Douluo World.
The prelude to the ocean's revenge had begun.
Just as the entire continent was shrouded in the deep-sea fear brought by the Demon Emperor, and people along the coast were in a panic, fleeing inland—the heavens changed again.
This change did not begin in the icy cold of the far north, nor originated from the darkness of the deep sea, but from... something in between.
Just as the deep blue-to-black vortex caused by the Demon Emperor's ascension to the throne had not completely dissipated, a completely opposite light tore through the suffocating darkness!
"Buzz—"
It was not the roar of the seawater being pushed apart, nor the shriek of space being torn apart, but a clear, magnificent, holy buzz, like the simultaneous prayer of billions of believers!
The sound came from the depths of the sky, piercing through layers of dark clouds and the lingering devouring power of the Demon Emperor. Like a clear spring breaking through filthy mud, it instantly washed away the despair and panic that permeated the continent.
To the east of the continent, in the high seas about three thousand miles from the coastline, the sky was slowly torn open by a pair of invisible giant hands.
It wasn't a dark vortex, but a colossal pillar of light, also exceeding a hundred miles in diameter, yet radiating a warm and sacred golden glow, descending from the endless distance!
Inside the pillar, countless tiny, pale golden runes could be faintly seen flowing like swimming fish. Each rune exuded the pure, vast, and all-encompassing aura of the ocean, yet possessed a supreme majesty and divinity beyond ordinary seawater.
The pillar of light didn't land on the sea surface, but on—a gigantic ship sailing through the waves!
The ship, constructed entirely of dark hardwood and some metal, was about eighty meters long, with sleek and beautiful lines. Three mainmasts stood tall, white sails billowed, embroidered with a complex golden trident emblem.
At this moment, the ship was traveling along a relatively safe route, from somewhere overseas, towards the Douluo Continent.
The golden pillar of light precisely enveloped the entire ship, yet caused it no harm. Instead, it made the ship appear as if it were cast in gold, every detail gleaming.
On the ship, those who had been tense and fearful due to the strange celestial phenomena and the Demon Emperor's appearance on the list were now completely stunned.
Bathed in the warm and holy golden light, they felt their fatigue vanish, their inner fears slowly soothed, and their soul power flowed exceptionally smoothly, even touching the bottlenecks that had been stagnant for a long time.
On the bow deck, a figure slowly opened her eyes, which had been closed for a long time.
It was a woman, who looked no more than twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, but possessed long, deep blue hair as deep as the sea, reaching her waist, flowing gently in the wind, the ends shimmering with faint golden light.
Her beauty was unparalleled, not the demonic and cold beauty of the Demon Emperor, nor the noble and majestic beauty of the Ice Empress, but a kind of holy, graceful, and perfect beauty that seemed to embody the infinite tenderness and vastness of the ocean. Her skin was like jade, appearing even more translucent under the golden light.
Her features were exquisitely beautiful, her deep blue eyes as profound as the sea, reflecting the ebb and flow of tides and the shifting stars, a calmness that held an ineffable wisdom and vicissitude.
She wore a simple white dress, the hem embroidered with pale gold wave patterns, its simplicity unable to conceal her extraordinary aura.
She stood quietly at the bow of the ship, seemingly one with the ship beneath her feet, the surrounding golden light, and even the entire ocean.
She was Poseidon, the High Priestess of Seagod Island, the Sea God's representative on earth, a level 100 Quasi-God! She was also the inheritor of the Sea God's legacy.
At this moment, a subtle ripple appeared in her once calm eyes. Looking up at the golden pillar of light that enveloped the heavens and earth, a hint of understanding, a touch of solemnity, and a…fatal sigh flashed in her eyes.
"Finally…is it my turn?" Her voice was soft and melodious, like a sea breeze caressing seashells, like the tide gently lapping the beach, carrying a uniquely soothing power.
Her departure from Poseidon Island to secretly travel to the mainland was intended to address the recent anomalies in the world, particularly the unusual restlessness of the Deep Sea Demon Whale clan and the potential crisis brought about by the successive appearances of the mysterious "Goddess Ranking."
She was ordered by the Sea God to observe in secret, guiding the continental forces as needed to maintain the balance between the ocean and land, and to protect the Sea God's faith.
Unexpectedly, midway through her voyage, she herself became a member of this "Goddess Ranking."
"Goddess Ranking… what exactly are you? What is your purpose?" Poseidon pondered silently, but her expression remained calm and composed.
(End of Chapter)