Just as Tang San was gathering his energy to strike, that cold voice once again rang out. "Damaging the Sea God's Temple isolation barrier will cause the temple to be crushed by the ocean pressure."
The energy he had just condensed had to be abandoned because of those words. Tang San's brow furrowed in response. How could this be? He couldn't break the barrier, and he didn't have the Sea God's Heart—so how was he supposed to enter the Sea God's Temple?
If it had been anyone else, the first thing they would likely have done was turn around and glance back the way they had come, to check whether the crimson-gold fire gate was still there. If it was, at least they would have a way to retreat. But Tang San did no such thing. In his heart, he knew he had no retreat. For the Sea God's inheritance, Bo Saixi had given up her life. He would never back down now.
Staring at the barrier before him, Tang San did his best to calm himself. Though anxiety churned within him, at a moment like this, panic was useless.
The Sea God's Heart was the key to passing through this barrier. It was, without doubt, because the Sea God's Heart served as the Sea God's token. He had already passed through the Sea God's Eight Trials to reach this place—it was impossible that he would simply be blocked here. If that was the case, then the solution was clear. To overcome this obstacle, he needed to prove to the barrier that he was the Sea God's chosen candidate—the one selected by the Sea God. Once he proved that point, whether or not he possessed the Sea God's Heart should make no difference.
With this thought, Tang San focused his mind, consolidating every ounce of his spiritual power into a single point before slowly channeling it into the Sea God's Trident mark on his forehead.
A rich golden radiance poured forth from the trident mark, shining upon the barrier before him. Just as Tang San had anticipated, the barrier trembled faintly under the illumination of the Sea God's Light, and the cold warning voice did not sound again.
The barrier itself was incredibly hard, but Tang San discovered that under his Sea God's Light, it gradually began to soften. It still held back the seawater without issue, but this softening barrier undoubtedly kindled a spark of hope in Tang San's heart.
The Sea God's Light continued to flow outward while, at the same time, Tang San began to envelop his own body in its golden glow. Then, slowly, he pressed his body against the section of barrier that had been softened by the Sea God's Light.
At first, the process was extraordinarily difficult. But under the influence of the Sea God's Light, Tang San's body gradually merged into the barrier. He was already suffocating in the seawater, so suffocating inside the barrier was no different. Of course, Tang San had no intention of simply shattering the barrier. He clearly remembered the cold voice's warning. After his entire body had merged into the barrier, he used the Sea God's Light to keep it soft, then dug his hands into both sides of the barrier wall, slowly drawing the gap he had created back together until it sealed. He then infused even more Sea God's Light, using it as a bonding agent to fuse the breach he had made. This way, even if the inside was damaged, the outer barrier would remain intact and continue to hold back the seawater.
After double-checking several times that the barrier had been perfectly sealed with no gaps, Tang San directed more of the Sea God's Light beneath him, making the barrier even softer, while the main blade of the Sea God's Trident, infused with his Soul Power, began to pierce into it.
It had to be said that this barrier was remarkably tough. Without the Sea God's Light, Tang San would have needed to detonate his Soul Rings to temporarily gain power far beyond his own level just to break through. But with the Sea God's Light, the barrier's resistance dropped considerably. Finally, with a full-force thrust of the Sea God's Trident, there was a muffled pop. Tang San's whole body lightened as he broke free from the barrier and plummeted downward. The barrier above him remained unchanged, showing no sign that anything had happened.
Wisdom is an infinite power. Tang San knew that he had finally passed this first trial.
The flight ability of the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone activated, steadying his body in midair. Tang San descended toward the front of the Sea God's Temple.
From a distance, the grandeur of the temple had already been evident. But when he actually floated down before its entrance, he was struck with awe all over again.
Standing before the Sea God's Temple, Tang San felt utterly insignificant. Everything around him was utterly silent. Looking up, the seawater beyond the barrier remained that same crystal-clear blue.
He took a deep breath, recovering the spiritual power he had expended breaking through the barrier, then held the Sea God's Trident high and strode toward the Sea God's Temple with his head held high.
Two massive doors blocked his path. The Sea God's Temple stood two hundred meters tall, and the doors before him were a full hundred meters in height, their thickness beyond reckoning. Each door bore a carved image. On the left door was a relief of the Sea God—a towering figure holding the Sea God's Trident, standing atop surging waves. The right door depicted the Sea God in an attacking stance with his trident thrust forward, and before him rose a colossal whale from the depths of the ocean. It was unmistakably the Deep Sea Demon Whale King—the very one Tang San had slain and from which he had obtained his torso Soul Ring.
Even just standing before these doors, Tang San could deeply feel the impact of the carvings upon him. The engravings did not appear especially refined, yet standing here, he felt as though he were actually there—as though he were watching with his own eyes as the Sea God commanded the vast oceans.
"Revered Sea God, Tang San has come to receive your inheritance!" Tang San called out loudly. At the same time, he gripped the Sea God's Trident with both hands and gave a slight bow before the towering doors.
"You have already lost the Sea God's Heart, and yet you still dare to seek inheritance of my power?" A majestic voice suddenly rang out. It was impossible to tell where the voice originated, yet it made the listener's very soul tremble. An invisible pressure bore down on Tang San, making it difficult for him to breathe.
He lowered his gaze, looking down at the Sea God's Trident in his hands, a look of shame in his eyes. "Yes, I have lost the Sea God's Heart. The Sea God's Heart chose me, but I failed to protect it. However, I still wish to inherit your power. I need your power to protect my family and friends, and I also need it to avenge the shattered Sea God's Heart. Please give me this chance. I am willing to accept whatever punishment is due for the loss of the Sea God's Heart."
"Very well, then. Enter."
A deep, rumbling sound echoed as the two hundred-meter-tall doors slowly swung open, revealing the interior of the Sea God's Temple. Intense golden light poured outward from within, so brilliant that Tang San could barely keep his eyes open. An overwhelming aura of divine power blanketed him, and that feeling of insignificance washed over him once more. In that moment, he felt like a single grain of sand submerged in the ocean—utterly negligible.
Was this the pressure of a god? A faint smile suddenly appeared on Tang San's face—a smile brimming with confidence. He had faced a true god before. Even if
It was precisely with this conviction that Tang San's smile shone with confidence. Head held high, he strode forward. Though his body was minuscule compared to the Sea God's Temple, he had already made himself the center of this place.
Inside the great hall of the Sea God, thirty-six colossal pillars on each side supported the vaulted ceiling. A central passage three hundred meters wide stretched toward the innermost reaches of the temple. At the end of the passage sat an enormous chair, and upon that chair was a figure—no, it was more accurate to say a giant.
Tang San halted in his tracks, momentarily stunned. The giant's appearance was not fundamentally different from that of a human. He wore a white robe edged in gold, and upon his head sat a three-pronged circular crown set with a water-blue gemstone at its center. His form looked remarkably familiar—much like the manifestation of the Sea God's divine consciousness that Tang San had once seen projected from the Sea God's Heart. The difference was that back then, he had seen only a spectral image. Now, before him stood a genuine, tangible existence.
The Sea God?
The Sea God's features were ancient and unadorned, not particularly handsome, yet overwhelmingly majestic. A pair of calm but slightly stern eyes gazed at Tang San from the far end of the passage, with a faint glow shifting within them. The tremendous pressure Tang San had felt outside was now even more overwhelming here. To Tang San, it was reminiscent of the Sea God's Light he had stepped into during his first trial—except that back then, the pressure had borne upon his body, whereas now, it pressed down upon the very depths of his soul.
"reetings, revered Sea God. I never expected that you yourself would preside over this inheritance ceremony." After a brief moment of surprise, Tang San quickly composed himself. Adopting the philosophy that what exists must have its reason, he regarded the Sea God at the far end of the passage with neither servility nor arrogance.
"You stand before me—why do you not kneel?" the Sea God spoke, his majestic voice heavy with pressure.
Tang San replied evenly, "I am your successor, not your servant. Why should I kneel?"
The Sea God laughed and slowly rose from his seat. The moment he stood, it felt as though Mount Tai itself were pressing down from above. After all, this Sea God stood well over a hundred meters tall.
"Are you resentful because of Bo Saixi's sacrifice?" the Sea God said with a smile.
Tang San replied, "Setting aside the help Senior Bo Saixi gave me—she devoted her entire life to guarding your temple and protecting Sea God Island, and in the end, she ended that life through sacrifice. Tell me—what feelings do you think I should have?"
Tang San knew that defying a god was far from a wise thing to do. But every time he thought of Bo Saixi's death, his heart burned with righteous indignation.
The Sea God said calmly, "She has merely returned to my embrace. What is life? What is death? Sometimes, for a person, living can be more painful than dying. Even for a god, this holds true."
Tang San let out a cold laugh. "So you decided her fate, is that it?"
The Sea God shook his head. "No, you are mistaken. She decided her own fate. Even a god cannot determine a person's destiny. That was her choice. Everyone makes their own choices, and you are no exception. The fact that you are here—that is your choice. Bo Saixi's ancestors were subjects who fought alongside me upon the seas. Nearly all of the original inhabitants of Sea God Island were the same. They guarded Sea God Island not merely to await the arrival of you, the successor, but also to preserve a certain memory. That was their choice, not my demand. All I left behind was the means of reaching this place. I never required her to do what she did. Only when the High Priestess of Sea God Island believed it was worth doing would she make such a decision. Do you understand?"
Tang San had not expected the Sea God to explain things to him so calmly. Yes—everyone had their own choices. That was not wrong. And yet, Bo Saixi's sacrifice still gnawed at him.
The Sea God smiled once more. "Every death is simply the separation of body and soul. Tang San, tell me—for a person, which is more important: the body, or the soul?"
Tang San replied, "In a sense, the body could be considered the vessel for the soul. But without a body, could the soul still exist? It would probably dissipate."
The Sea God nodded. "Since you understand this, then let me explain it to you easily. That's right—when an ordinary human dies, the soul dissipates within a short time. Soul Masters are no exception. However, after Bo Saixi's sacrifice, though her physical body has perished, her soul will not dissipate. Guided by my power, her soul will journey to another world—the world to which all gods go after death."
"The world that gods go to after death?" Tang San stared at the Sea God in confusion.