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"Ugh... Why didn't you tell me about this situation earlier? Now your trial is likely to fail," Poseidon glared at Lin Yongming, took a deep breath, and reluctantly released his collar, her voice filled with frustration.
Failure meant angering the crowd. After all, many were still resentful about the Spirit Hall incident.
"Great Worship, since he isn't sincerely committed to becoming the Sea God's successor, we don't need to be polite. Let's capture him," Sea Illusion Douluo glanced at Lin Yongming and suggested to Poseidon.
"That's right! Capture them and offer them as sacrifices to the spirits of our fallen Sea God warriors!" Others quickly echoed the sentiment.
"Stand down! The Sea God hasn't given any instructions yet. It's not our place to decide," Poseidon's voice was cold and commanding as she glared at the crowd.
"Yes, Great Worship," the crowd fell silent under Poseidon's imposing aura.
"This situation caught me off guard too. I'm sorry for letting you down," Lin Yongming apologized to Poseidon.
"What's the use of apologizing now? Those nine golden cards represented the nine trials. Who would have thought that Thunder God would destroy them?"
"Now we can only wait and see if the Sea God has any further instructions," Poseidon sighed helplessly.
"Maybe I shouldn't inherit the Sea God's position after all. My martial soul's attribute is thunder, so the Sea God's divine position might not be the best fit for me," Lin Yongming said with a hint of resignation.
"Enough! Don't say another word, or I won't hesitate to kill you right now," Poseidon's eyes turned icy as she issued a stern warning.
"What's going on? Are you forcing him like this?" Bibi Dong stepped forward, standing up for Lin Yongming.
"Hmph, you, the Holy Maiden of the Spirit Hall, are only alive because of him. Do you think you have the right to stand here?" Sea Dragon Douluo stepped forward, his voice filled with disdain.
"Hmph, whatever. Don't think your Sea God Island is the only place with a Titled Douluo. Our Spirit Hall has one too. This time, we were just careless," Bibi Dong shot back without fear.
"Great Worship, I request permission to kill her," Sea Dragon Douluo said angrily, turning to Poseidon.
"Enough! Isn't there enough chaos already? Everyone, stay silent and wait for the Sea God's instructions," Poseidon glanced at Bibi Dong and then shouted, silencing the crowd.
"Yes, Great Worship."
Poseidon's authority on Sea God Island was indeed supreme. Her words immediately silenced everyone.
"And you two, behave yourselves on Sea God Island. Otherwise, don't blame me for imprisoning you," Poseidon warned the two women, especially Bibi Dong.
Bibi Dong wanted to retort, but Lin Yongming grabbed her arm and shook his head gently.
Bibi Dong reluctantly held her tongue.
Meanwhile, the two gods in the sky were locked in a fierce battle.
"Thunder God, enough! If this continues, I'll have to summon my true divine power. By then, even your last remnant will be destroyed, and the Thunder God's divine position will be lost forever. Why don't you take this time to find a new successor?" The Sea God's remnant consciousness stopped attacking and coldly threatened.
"Oh? Go ahead and try," the Thunder God's remnant consciousness replied with a calm smile.
"So you want to fight to the death, huh? Fine, don't blame me then."
The Sea God's remnant consciousness closed its eyes, releasing a wave of energy. Instantly, the sky darkened, and a powerful pressure descended from above.
"The true Sea God is coming!" Poseidon's expression changed as she realized what was happening.
In the divine realm, within a vast ocean, stood a magnificent sea-blue palace.
"Thunder God! The Thunder God has been dead for over ten thousand years, yet he dares to interfere with me?" The true Sea God, exuding immense pressure, slowly opened his deep, unfathomable eyes and looked down at Sea God Island through the water's surface, a faint smile on his lips.
Even if the Thunder God were still alive, the Sea God wouldn't fear him.
With a wave of his hand, the Sea God gathered a massive amount of divine power.
Boom!
A purple-black bolt of lightning crackled within the Sea God's palace.
"Sea God, stop," a young man with purple-black hair and wearing purple robes appeared before the Sea God.
"Destruction!" The Sea God's expression changed, and he quickly stood up and bowed. "Greetings, Law Enforcer."
"The Thunder God was one of my strongest first-level gods. Before his death, I promised him that if a successor appeared, I would ensure they completed the trials and allowed the Thunder God to return to the divine realm," Destruction God explained calmly.
"God King Destruction, I understand. But finding a suitable successor is incredibly difficult, as you know. I can't afford to miss this opportunity," the Sea God replied reluctantly.
"God King Destruction, I know. Although this boy's fate is unclear, according to my wife's calculations, your true successor isn't him. Besides, his thunder attribute isn't suitable for your divine position. He wouldn't be able to fully utilize its power," Destruction God explained.
"Life God King's prophecy?" The Sea God was taken aback.
"Sea God, don't worry. Your true successor will appear soon," a gentle voice echoed as a woman clad in green light appeared beside Destruction God.
"Greetings, Life God King," the Sea God bowed again. "If it's Life God King's prophecy, I naturally trust it."
"Moreover, his current strength is indeed lacking. If his essence doesn't meet the Thunder God's standards by the time he reaches Soul Sage level, you can make your decision then. A few more days won't hurt," Life God King assured him.
"A few days won't make a difference. Fine, I'll let it go," the Sea God reluctantly agreed.
As the two God Kings left, the Sea God's palace returned to tranquility.
"Little Green, do you think he's suitable for the Thunder God's position?"
"I'm not sure. His fate is shrouded in chaos. He could be suitable for any divine position, or perhaps none at all."
Above Sea God Island, the Sea God's remnant consciousness paused.
"Thunder God, I'll let you off this time. But if this boy doesn't meet the requirements to enter your Thunder Domain by the time he reaches Soul Sage level, I won't be so lenient," the Sea God's remnant consciousness said reluctantly, having received instructions from his true self.
"Fine, I'll agree to your condition. Soul Sage level it is," the Thunder God's remnant consciousness replied.
Secretly, he breathed a sigh of relief. If they had truly fought, he would have had no chance of winning.
The two gods, now at peace, returned to their respective divine artifacts.
"His strength is insufficient. Wait until he reaches Soul Sage level before initiating the trials again. If they wish to leave the island, do not stop them," the Sea God's remnant consciousness instructed Poseidon and the others coldly before disappearing into the Sea God's Heart.
"We obey the Sea God's will!" Poseidon and the others knelt and accepted the order.
"Kid, I hope you don't forget your original intentions. Improve your thunder abilities," the Thunder God patted Lin Yongming's shoulder before disappearing into the Thunder God's Heart.
Lin Yongming's expression turned cold, his fists clenching tightly. "Damn it, am I just a tool to you?"
"Do I really need to rely on you to become a god?"
At this moment, Lin Yongming felt a deep resentment toward the Sea God and the Thunder God. It felt as though they were treating him like a pawn, forcing him to undergo their trials as if he had no other path to godhood.
As the situation settled, Sea God Island returned to its serene state, with clear skies and calm seas.
"Great Worship, since I need to reach Soul Sage level, I'll take my leave now," Lin Yongming said, his voice filled with suppressed anger. He no longer referred to himself as "we" but as "I."
"Let's go," Lin Yongming said softly to the two women behind him, then headed back toward Sea Horse City.
Blue Silver Emperor and Bibi Dong exchanged glances and silently followed.
Poseidon was taken aback by how abruptly Lin Yongming left.
"Everyone, disperse," Poseidon waved her hand and returned to her residence.
As soon as she entered the Sea God Temple, Poseidon frowned and placed a hand on her slightly uncomfortable stomach.
"Is his talent really that exceptional, to warrant two gods fighting over him?"
"This whole situation... Waiting until he reaches Soul Sage level to initiate the trials again... He's only at level 63 now. It'll probably take him a year or more to reach Soul Sage."
"During that time, will he stay on Sea God Island, or will he return to the mainland?"
Poseidon sat down, muttering to herself.
The appearance of the Thunder God had caught everyone off guard, and the clash between the two gods had left them all in awe.
However, Poseidon also noticed the strange expression on Lin Yongming's face as he left. She decided against seeking him out to discuss whether he would stay or go.
"Molly, I'm feeling a bit tired. Relay my orders: aside from the forbidden areas, no one is to harm the sea spirit beasts on the island. Lin Yongming and the two women are free to explore as they please," Poseidon said, rubbing her temples.
"Understood, Great Worship," Molly nodded, noticing the fatigue on Poseidon's face.
Molly didn't think much of it, assuming it was due to Poseidon's incomplete recovery and the strain of activating the Sea Horse Pillar.
Back at the side wing of Sea Horse Palace, Lin Yongming sat on a chair, deep in thought.
"Xiao Ming, what's wrong? You seem upset," Blue Silver Emperor sat beside him, her voice gentle.
"Xiao Ming, is it because the trial was interrupted, or is there something else?" Bibi Dong asked.
"Sigh... I'm just frustrated with how the Sea God and Thunder God are treating me, fighting over me like I'm some kind of tool," Lin Yongming didn't hide his feelings from the two women.
"Now that you mention it, it does seem that way," Bibi Dong agreed.
"So, Xiao Ming, what do you plan to do?" Blue Silver Emperor asked.
"Let me think about it," Lin Yongming stood up and returned to his bedroom.
Blue Silver Emperor and Bibi Dong exchanged worried glances. This was the first time they had seen Lin Yongming act like this.
Back in his bedroom, Lin Yongming sat cross-legged on the bed.
Fully focused, Lin Yongming's consciousness entered his spiritual sea.
At the center of his spiritual sea, he stood before the Tome of Fluctuations.
"Listen with your ears, cut with your heart. The blade cuts the body, the heart cuts the soul," Lin Yongming's consciousness sat before the Tome of Fluctuations, recalling why he had started cultivating the power of fluctuations in the first place.
"I originally started cultivating the power of fluctuations because I was born blind and inherited the Tome of Fluctuations. Now, because of my soul power, am I supposed to abandon the power of fluctuations to inherit the power of the Sea God or Thunder God?"
"Wouldn't that be putting the cart before the horse?"
"Or perhaps I've been going about this all wrong. Maybe my understanding of fluctuations is incomplete."
Lin Yongming stared at the Tome of Fluctuations, questioning whether his cultivation path had gone astray.
"I could have followed the Tome of Fluctuations step by step, comprehending and mastering the power of fluctuations to gain immense strength."
"But now, for the sake of a divine position, I'm considering taking a shortcut by borrowing someone else's power to reach the pinnacle of the world, abandoning my cultivation of fluctuations."
Lin Yongming was lost, entering a state of confusion in his cultivation.
He sat quietly on the bed, lost in thought for a long time.
He didn't even notice when night fell, his consciousness still fixated on the Tome of Fluctuations.
"Sister A Yin, Xiao Ming has been in his room all afternoon without making a sound. It's already dark. Could something have happened?" Bibi Dong grabbed Blue Silver Emperor's arm, her voice filled with worry.
"It can't be. Xiao Ming has never been like this before. He must have gotten too absorbed in his cultivation and lost track of time. Let's wait a bit longer," Blue Silver Emperor replied, though her voice also carried a hint of anxiety.
The two women paced nervously outside Lin Yongming's door.
"Should we just barge in? There's no sound at all," Bibi Dong suggested after a few minutes.
"No, what if Xiao Ming is at a critical point in his cultivation? Interrupting him could cause serious problems," Blue Silver Emperor stopped her firmly.
"But—" Before Bibi Dong could finish, a chaotic surge of soul power erupted from the room.
"Let's go!" Blue Silver Emperor panicked and immediately slammed the door open, sending it flying.
Thud!
The two women saw Lin Yongming suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood, his face turning pale as he collapsed onto the bed.
"Xiao Ming!" The two women cried out, rushing to his side.
"Second Soul Skill, Blue Silver's Protection!" Blue Silver Emperor immediately began healing Lin Yongming's injuries.
"Sister A Yin, what's wrong with Xiao Ming? Why did he suddenly spit blood?" Bibi Dong asked, wiping the blood from Lin Yongming's mouth.
"His soul power is in complete disarray. It seems like he suffered a qi deviation. Something went wrong with his cultivation," Blue Silver Emperor explained after checking him.
"How could something go wrong with his cultivation out of nowhere? Did the Sea God and Thunder God do something? Are their conflicting powers causing issues in his body?" Bibi Dong couldn't help but voice her suspicions.
"I don't know, but it is strange. Cultivation techniques are usually straightforward, and qi deviations are rare. Thankfully, Xiao Ming's soul power is stabilizing. We'll have to wait for him to wake up to know more," Blue Silver Emperor sighed helplessly.
The two women cleaned up the blood Lin Yongming had spat out and sat on either side of him, silently guarding him as they waited for him to wake up.
Lin Yongming hadn't expected that his moment of stubbornness would lead to such a severe qi deviation.
Fortunately, the two women had been waiting outside and intervened in time, preventing Lin Yongming from fully succumbing to the deviation.
Otherwise, spitting blood would have been the least of his worries. At worst, his meridians could have been destroyed, leaving him crippled—or worse, dead.
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 285 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 75 power stones I will publish the next chapter.