"But the price of the Sea God's inheritance is Lady Bo Saixi's life!" Sea Witch stared at the already closed doors, her voice choking with emotion. "Have you all forgotten how much help Lady Bo Saixi has given us over the years? Without her, there would be none of us. And now we have to watch her die right before our eyes. I can't bear it."
Sea Horse Douluo sighed. "You've all seen Lady's condition. Perhaps this is truly the best outcome for her. Ever since that person came here again, Lady has changed. Can't you see? Her heart died along with that person's death. Living is what causes her more pain."
"Enough. All of you, silence. Let us await the descent of the Sea God. And pray for Lady Bo Saixi as well." Sea Dragon Douluo slowly walked to the front, knelt on one knee, and placed his hands in a ceremonial gesture before his chest, saying no more.
The other six Sacred Pillar Guardian Douluo, including the unwilling Sea Witch, lined up behind Sea Dragon Douluo and knelt as well. Deep grief was etched across all seven faces as they prayed in silence.
Inside the Sea God's Temple.
Once the great doors closed, the hall was plunged into complete darkness. Although this was not his first time here, this occasion felt entirely different. Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing all fixed their gazes on Tang San. He was about to undergo the inheritance of a god! Once completed, he would become a true god. A god! A real, true god.
Everyone's breathing quickened involuntarily, and the looks they gave Tang San took on a subtle quality. The dominant emotions were excitement and envy, though there was also a thread of worry. While they didn't know just how greatly the shattering of the Sea God's Heart would affect Tang San's inheritance, they all understood that inheriting divine power was an immensely risky endeavor.
Dai Mubai suddenly raised his right hand and grabbed Tang San's shoulder. "Xiao San, you have to succeed."
Oscar produced his entire collection of high-grade sausages—his most prized reserves—and held them out to Tang San, offering his support through action. Tang San smiled and gently shook his head. A human Soul Master's auxiliary skills had no effect on a god. This was evident from the fact that when Tang San had temporarily wielded the Asura God's power to slay the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, he had been unable to receive Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda enhancement. So these sausages would be of no use during his inheritance.
Ma Hongjun gave Tang San a massive bear hug. "Third Brother, you've always been my idol. In my heart, there's never been anything you couldn't accomplish. This time will be no different."
Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing seemed to have arranged it in advance—the two women flanked Tang San on either side, simultaneously rising on their tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek.
Ning Rongrong giggled. "They say a beauty's encouragement can give rise to boundless power. Third Brother, don't let us down!" Strangely enough, neither Dai Mubai nor Oscar showed the slightest hint of jealousy. There was only encouragement in their eyes.
Xiao Wu was the last to approach Tang San. The others stepped aside and looked away, giving the couple these final moments together.
Tang San took Xiao Wu's hands and brought them to his lips. "Xiao Wu, I proposed to you, and you accepted. Don't worry—no matter how difficult or painful it gets, I will succeed. I have to, so that you can become my bride."
Xiao Wu's eyes reddened. She threw herself into Tang San's arms, her hands cradling his face as she gazed at him adoringly. "Brother, I love you. For my sake, you have to stay alive. Remember, whether you are human, god, or ghost, I will always be by your side."
Tang San understood the deeper meaning in Xiao Wu's words, and his heart clenched. He pulled her into a fierce embrace and pressed a kiss to the blood-red mark on her forehead. Only then did he release her, leaping into the air in an instant. With a flash of movement, he had already mounted the platform where he had once drawn out the Sea God's Trident.
Suddenly, the Shrek Six Devils each felt a peculiar wave of energy ripple through their bodies. On their foreheads, the mystical marks that had appeared before resurfaced—whether the black pentagram, the hexagram, or Ning Rongrong's red seven-pointed star. The glowing marks on all six foreheads lit up almost simultaneously, adding a touch of radiance to the dark world.
As though drawn by an invisible force, all six rose into the air at once, each landing on a separate platform.
The low, resonant voice of Sea God Douluo Bo Saixi echoed through the Sea God's Temple. "Are you all ready?"
"Yes, we are ready!" the Shrek Seven Devils shouted in unison, Tang San among them. The moment that would determine their future had finally arrived. It was impossible for them not to feel nervous at a time like this. But there was no turning back now. Unwavering resolve—the absolute belief that they would succeed—filled every heart. Each person brought themselves to their peak state.
Bo Saixi slowly raised the golden scepter in her hand. The three-meter-long staff was engraved throughout with mystical runes, and its tip bore a diamond-shaped protrusion like a spear. Five inches below that spear point sat a rhombus-shaped golden gemstone. When Bo Saixi lifted it high, brilliant golden light instantly ignited from within that gem. In a single flash, it illuminated the entire Sea God's Temple.
"Stand at the center of your platforms," Bo Saixi said calmly. At this moment, a flush of rosy color had appeared on her face. In that brief instant, she seemed to have become young again, brimming with vitality. The sorrow in her eyes had vanished, replaced by intense excitement.
Bo Saixi threw her head back and cried out to the heavens, "One hundred years of waiting—this moment has finally arrived! Great Sea God! Your servant can finally complete the task you entrusted to me."
A faint golden glow began to rise from beneath Bo Saixi's feet. In that instant, her entire being seemed to enter a special state. That pale golden radiance was Bo Saixi's Soul Power—and this was the first time the Shrek Seven Devils witnessed the Sea God Douluo truly unleashing her full might.
Bathed in that golden glow, Bo Saixi's hair billowed without any wind. Under the surging golden light, Soul Ring after Soul Ring was released from within her body. Each Soul Ring was draped in a pale golden sheen, and one could dimly make out that all nine Soul Rings were of at least the ten-thousand-year level at their lowest.
This was the power of the High Priest who guarded Sea God Island—Sea God Douluo. Undoubtedly, the supreme eight trials she had undergone in her youth had granted her tremendous benefits. This powerhouse who was invincible across the entire continent as long as she remained within the ocean's boundaries was now using her power to ignite the sacred ceremony.
The resplendent golden light grew ever more intense, illuminating every corner of the Sea God's Temple. The mystical runes that Tang San had once lit when drawing the Sea God's Trident now blazed anew under the golden radiance Bo Saixi released. The sacred aura stripped away every stray thought from the hearts of all present.
Though this was Tang San's divine inheritance, witnessing this spectacle was of tremendous importance to the other six members of the Shrek Seven Devils. Only by truly experiencing this baptism of divine power could they hope to reach such heights in the future.
Tang San stood beside Bo Saixi, quietly feeling the energy she was releasing, and was deeply astonished. He had originally believed that once his Soul Power reached the ninety-ninth level, he should be comparable to a powerhouse of Bo Saixi's caliber. But in truth, it was only when Bo Saixi fully unleashed her might that Tang San understood—even among those at the ninety-ninth level, there could still be a significant gap in strength.
If Bibi Dong were compared to Bo Saixi, they wouldn't even be in the same class. The sacred aura emanating from Bo Saixi was undoubtedly derived from the Sea God's power. Moreover, the Sea God's energy had become deeply interwoven into every shred of her power, saturating even her nine Soul Rings with the Sea God's presence.
If Tang San had to find someone to compare her to, the only one he could think of was Qian Renxue. The Bo Saixi before him was like a Qian Renxue without the tenth Soul Ring. She remained at the ninety-ninth level, but one of her feet had already stepped into the divine realm—only her sacred mission prevented her from ever truly entering that world.
No wonder even the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, with its immense power, dared not approach Sea God Island too closely, much less challenge it. With Bo Saixi present, combined with the concentrated power of the Sea God on the island, even the current Qian Renxue would find it virtually impossible to destroy Sea God Island. This was the power the Sea God had left behind, and the power Bo Saixi had earned through her unwavering loyalty.
A faint light flickered, and Tang San's expression settled into perfect calm as he silently awaited the final moment.
With a flash, Bo Saixi's figure shifted position—moving from standing shoulder to shoulder with Tang San to facing him directly. Now even her eyes had turned entirely golden. The nine Soul Rings around her body expanded simultaneously, each growing to a diameter of over three meters. Tang San felt a wave of warm energy sweep over him, and his body was enveloped within Bo Saixi's nine Soul Rings.
Nine pale golden Soul Rings enveloping two people at once—even for the Shrek Seven Devils, this was a sight they had never witnessed. The enormous energy fluctuations remained remarkably gentle. Yet the Sea God's Temple, now fully illuminated, had become breathtakingly magnificent.
Resplendent mystical runes appeared throughout the temple, mostly in the form of waves, covering the ceiling, the walls, and the seven platforms beneath their feet. The golden light flowed like liquid mercury, and the sacred energy vibrations seemed to suffuse the very air with the Sea God's essence.
Bo Saixi's scepter now stood between her and Tang San. The golden rhombus-shaped gemstone on its shaft blazed ever brighter, yet its light was not harsh at all. Under that golden glow, the Sea God's Trident mark on Tang San's forehead gradually illuminated as well. A warm sensation spread through his entire body in an instant, and every cell in Tang San's being seemed to come alive, dancing with joy.
It was at this moment that the Asura God's power—previously never suppressed by the Sea God's energy—was also gradually pressed back by that gentle warmth, retreating bit by bit from Tang San's left arm until it could no longer serve as an obstacle to the Sea God's energy flowing throughout his body. Faintly, Tang San sensed that the Asura God's power had been driven by Bo Saixi's invocation of the Sea God's energy within the temple back into his Clear Sky Hammer.
This Sea God's Temple felt like an enormous formation array, and the central platform where Tang San stood was its core.
A golden hexagram began to illuminate beneath Tang San and Bo Saixi's feet. This massive golden hexagram was a full five meters in diameter, and its six points each aimed toward one of the other six platforms. Six beams of golden light shot from those points toward the six platforms. In an instant, six colossal pillars of golden light surged upward from the platforms, each one engulfing the platform entirely and swallowing one of Tang San's six companions within its brilliance.
The Six Devils clearly felt a strange energy seizing their bodies. Their spiritual senses were drawn into a wondrous realm where a unique spiritual frequency connected with their souls. In their minds, they felt like pillars supporting a great hall—unable to move even an inch, their very breathing controlled by the golden light.
Bo Saixi gazed at Tang San, a faint smile touching her lips. "Tang San, are you truly ready?"
Tang San did not avert his gaze for even a moment. He looked into Bo Saixi's eyes with crystalline clarity. "Yes. I am ready."
Bo Saixi's voice suddenly turned solemn. "The Sea God is the deity who commands all living things of the ocean. As the Sea God's successor, you will spare no effort in protecting your subjects. Tang San—can you do this?"
Tang San answered without hesitation. "I can."
Bo Saixi pressed further. "The Sea God is the embodiment of light, the ruler of the seas. Can you keep kindness forever in your heart and use the Sea God's power solely for justice?"
Tang San affirmed once more. "I will bring the Sea God's justice to the mortal world."
Bo Saixi spoke again. "The Sea God holds dominion over all the ocean's power. As the Sea God's successor—the new Sea God—you must always remember: do not disgrace the Sea God's dignity. Spread the Sea God's divine light across every corner of the ocean and use your divine power to aid your subjects. Allow no foreign enemy to invade."
"Yes. I swear I will do so."
Bo Saixi's gaze seemed to bore straight through Tang San's body. Their eyes met, and Tang San did not try to look away or shield himself, allowing Bo Saixi's piercing stare to penetrate to the very depths of his eyes, as though reading his very soul. He knew that Bo Saixi's questions were not mere formalities—they represented the Sea God's inquiry and the Sea God's test. If even the slightest hesitation arose within Tang San's heart at this moment, he would be unable to inherit the Sea God's power.
What Bo Saixi saw was Tang San's inner world, and what her gaze captured was a flawless one.
Nodding with satisfaction, Bo Saixi thrust her scepter forward, pressing the golden rhombus-shaped gemstone against the Sea God's Trident mark on Tang San's forehead. "The glory of the Sea God shall be continued through you."