The earth-shattering battle finally drew to a close, and the suffocating pressure hanging over the Demon Whale Sea Domain dissipated along with it.
Sunlight pierced through the energy aftermath that had yet to fully disperse, spilling onto the slightly chaotic sea surface. It illuminated the massive, lifeless whale carcass floating there, as well as the dark crimson-gold soul ring hovering above it, radiating an energy fluctuation that sent shivers down one's spine.
The Explorer slowly approached. On the deck, the group looked at the spoils of war before them. Even for Yu Yuanchen, Qian Daoliu, and Tang Chen, who were accustomed to grand spectacles, a hint of fervor could not help but flash in their eyes. A sea overlord with nearly a million years of cultivation was a treasure trove from head to toe; this was no exaggeration.
Bo Saixi held the Sea God's Trident, looking at this nemesis that had been entangled with Sea God Island for tens of thousands of years with a complex expression.
Finally, she sighed softly. The Sea God's Trident flashed with light, and a strand of azure divine power enveloped the massive soul ring above the whale carcass—the one radiating dark crimson-gold light and vast, ocean-like energy fluctuations. It was a partial condensation of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's nearly million-year power.
The soul ring trembled violently, seemingly attempting to resist, but under the traction of the Sea God's divine power, it was ultimately unable to withstand the force. It transformed into a stream of light and was collected by Bo Saixi into a specially crafted container.
This soul ring was not only perfectly compatible with Bo Saixi's attributes, but it also belonged to a creature that had once competed with Poseidon for the position of Sea God. Containing the Sea God's divinity, it would be of immeasurable help to her future efforts to gather faith and embark on the Path to Godhood.
"Let's deal with the spoils first." Seeing that Bo Saixi had finished collecting the soul ring, Yu Yuanchen spoke. His aura had largely stabilized, though his complexion still carried a trace of paleness from using the power of a god-rank position. His gaze swept over the massive soul ring and the whale carcass, his mind already made up.
The group flew down onto the whale carcass. This enormous body was, in itself, a mobile treasure vault. Yu Yuanchen's divine sense swept over it, precisely locating several cores where the energy was most concentrated.
He pointed his fingers like a blade, purple-gold lightning flickering as he easily sliced through the whale skin and flesh, which were far tougher than refined iron. A moment later, three items were extracted.
The first was a fist-sized, perfectly round bead of deep blue. Inside, it seemed as if a liquid ocean and lightning were slowly swirling, emitting a vast, abyssal energy fluctuation—the Whale Pearl of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, the essence of his lifelong cultivation.
The second was a crystal-clear, jelly-like substance that resembled the finest jade and emitted a strange, fragrant aroma—the whale brain. It contained powerful life essence and soul origin, possessing miraculous effects for nourishing the body and spirit.
The third was a bone that was heavier than any other soul bone, its texture resembling natural runes, with a dark golden luster flowing across its entire surface—a torso soul bone of nearly a million years! The aura emitted by this soul bone already carried a faint trace of divinity, and its value was immeasurable.
Bo Saixi stood to the side, looking at these three treasures with a calm expression. She stepped forward and bowed solemnly to the three men: "Being able to slay this beast today is entirely due to the all-out assistance of you three. I am deeply grateful."
She paused, then continued: "The soul ring of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King contains the power of the Sea God's nemesis, which is crucial for me to complete my god trials, so I will take it. As for the rest... let the three of you divide them. Consider it a token of gratitude from Sea God Island for your help, and for the matter of retrieving the Sea God's Heart previously."
She spoke very candidly. Previously, for her seventh Sea God trial, she had needed to find the Sea God's Heart, a treasure long lost to Sea God Island. After a search, she discovered it was actually the national treasure of the Heaven Dou Empire—the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. She had gone to the Heaven Dou Empire to demand it, and the royal family, not daring to provoke Sea God Island, had to seek help from the three major powers.
Unfortunately, the three top powerhouses of the continent—Yu Yuanchen, Qian Daoliu, and Tang Chen—had tacitly approved or even invisibly exerted influence, leaving the Heaven Dou royal family with no choice but to swallow their pride and "readily" hand over their national treasure. After all, none of the three had any fondness for the nobility.
She had always remembered this favor. Furthermore, in this battle to slay the Demonic Whale King, although she was the main force, success would have been impossible without the three of them suppressing the beast and turning the tide at the end. Her mind was clear, and she vaguely guessed that the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King might have been a "test" or "provisions" left by the Sea God for his successor, but she did not care; becoming a god was already her greatest ambition.
Yu Yuanchen looked deeply at Bo Saixi and nodded: "Saintess, you are too kind. In that case, we shall accept without modesty."
Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen also nodded slightly, acknowledging this distribution plan.
Next was the specific division of the treasures. The Whale Pearl's energy was too vast and its attributes too unique, but it also contained the resentment of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the baleful energy generated from devouring countless living beings. The risk of directly absorbing and refining it was too great, but since no one could think of a suitable use for it at the moment, it was left to Yu Yuanchen, the strongest among them, to keep it for the time being and discuss it later.
The whale brain, however, was a genuine treasure. Although the three were already at the pinnacle of the world, this life essence from a nearly million-year soul beast was a supreme treasure for strengthening their bodies, and it remained highly beneficial for consolidating their cultivation and tempering their physiques.
This time, the three did not hesitate. Yu Yuanchen acted, using his soul power as a blade to divide the whale brain into three equal portions, which they each took. This resource was exactly what they currently needed to solidify their foundations and prepare for their future assault on the god-rank.
As for the mountain of whale meat, it was a top-tier cultivation resource, containing abundant bloodline power. Unfortunately, the storage space on the Explorer was limited, so the three could only select some of the most essential parts to take with them.
Yu Yuanchen looked at Bo Saixi and smiled: "Saintess, please trouble Sea God Island to handle the rest. This place is closest to Sea God Island, so it can be considered making the best use of everything."
Bo Saixi naturally had no objections; this was equivalent to Sea God Island gaining a massive amount of resources for nothing, which would be of great benefit for training disciples.
Finally, there was the most precious item: the torso soul bone that was infinitely close to the god-rank.
Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu exchanged a glance and tacitly stepped back half a step. Tang Chen laughed heartily and patted Yu Yuanchen on the shoulder: "Yuanchen, if it weren't for you turning the tide at the end, we wouldn't have even gotten a hair, let alone whether we could have retreated unscathed. This soul bone should rightfully belong to you."
Qian Daoliu also spoke gently: "Brother Tang is right. If you hadn't used your trump card to prevent its self-detonation, everything would have been lost. This bone also has a certain compatibility with your lightning attribute; it is most suitable for you. Brother Tang and I have received much help from you, so there is no need to be humble this time."
Yu Yuanchen looked at the sincere gazes of his two close friends, and a warm current surged in his heart. The three of them had known each other since they were nobodies, supporting each other along the way, and their bond had long since transcended ordinary friendship. If he were to decline this gift, it would only seem distant.
Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu appeared rough or majestic, but they were actually delicate at heart and had always remembered his kindness—the Method of Soul Cores, the opportunity in the Demon Plane, the Martial Way... while it seemed like every instance was a win-win or for the greater good, Yu Yuanchen truly thought of them whenever there was a benefit. Adding up bit by bit, how could Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen not acknowledge the kindness this brother had shown them?
"Fine!" Yu Yuanchen was not a pretentious man. He nodded heavily and solemnly put away the heavy torso soul bone, which contained terrifying power. "I, Yu Yuanchen, will remember this favor."
However, Yu Yuanchen did not intend to absorb this 990,000-year soul bone just yet; he needed to process it further to realize an idea he had regarding his future.
With the treasures divided, Bo Saixi did not linger. Her fourth soul ring lit up, and she activated the soul skill Sea God Summon. The Sea God Martial Soul behind Bo Saixi blew a long, peculiar horn.
Before long, the sea surface in the distance broke open, and nearly a hundred agile Demon Soul Great White Sharks swam over rapidly. The one in the lead, exceptionally large in size and possessing a powerful aura, was none other than the hundred-thousand-year soul beast, the Demon Soul Great White Shark King, Little White.
Seeing the carcass of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, Little White's eyes revealed human-like shock and awe. She lowered her head toward Bo Saixi and Yu Yuanchen's group, expressing submission and gratitude.
Bo Saixi instructed Little White to lead her clan to drag the remaining whale carcass back to Sea God Island. She then bid farewell to Yu Yuanchen and the others once more: "Everyone, the journey west is full of unknowns, please take care. If you have any needs in the future, Sea God Island will not refuse."
"Saintess, please take care as well." The three men bowed in return.
Bo Saixi looked at the three of them deeply, her gaze lingering on Yu Yuanchen for a moment as if she wanted to say something, but it finally turned into a soft sigh. Her figure transformed into a blue light and disappeared into the distant sea along with the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan.
Watching the direction in which Bo Saixi departed, Tang Chen couldn't help but sigh with emotion: "After this battle, with the power of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's soul ring, Sister Bo Saixi is likely to be the first among us to push open that door."
Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu heard this and nodded slightly, a complex look flashing in their eyes. The three of them all aimed to forge their own paths to godhood, unwilling to rely on the legacies of predecessors or the sacrifice of loved ones, which was why they needed a long time to accumulate faith.
Bo Saixi, originally influenced by the three of them, naturally would not have been willing to let the High Priestess, who had treated her like family since childhood, sacrifice herself for her. But now, having obtained this soul ring from a beast king that was perfectly compatible with her attributes and had once vied with the Sea God, she could, with her foundation, make slight adjustments and use this vast power to replace the High Priestess's sacrifice and embark on the Path to Godhood. This "experience pack" prepared for her by the Sea God was indeed enviable.
"Each has their own destiny; it cannot be forced." Yu Yuanchen quickly collected his thoughts, his gaze once again turning to the boundless western horizon. "Our path is still ahead."
"Haha, well said!" Tang Chen laughed heroically and waved his fist. "I wonder if there are any worthy opponents on the overseas continent!"
A faint look of anticipation also appeared at the corner of Qian Daoliu's mouth.
The Explorer set sail once again. The runes lit up, and it rode the wind, breaking through the waves toward the west indicated by Bo Saixi's sea chart—the direction where Yu Yuanchen sensed a continent might exist.
At the bow, Yu Yuanchen, Qian Daoliu, and Tang Chen stood side by side, their robes fluttering in the sea breeze. Behind them was the gradually receding, now-calm Demon Whale Sea Domain and the end of a legend. Ahead lay the vast, boundless unknown and the beginning of a new legend.
In the direction of home, young eagles were spreading their wings, and they, this ship gathering the strongest power of the current age, were sailing toward a truly vast world. The Sun Moon Continent and the brilliance of soul tools would meet them in the not-too-distant future.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan