Chapter 138: The Era of Maximum Gains
"So well hidden, but does it matter?" Ye Wen sneered, leaving the palace without a second thought and without even bothering to leave a decoy.
If word got out about the theft of this national treasure, it would be a massive blow to the imperial family, plunging the already struggling Heaven Dou Empire into chaos.
Upon embedding the Heart of the Sea God into the trident, the weapon, already brilliant, radiated even greater splendor and vitality.
"Sea God's Trial, Eighth Trial: Retrieve the Lost Heart of the Sea God, Completed.
Reward: 10% Sea God Affinity, Soul Power +1."
A wave of power washed over him, and this time his soul power underwent a qualitative transformation. Ye Wen could feel a new characteristic lacing his soul power.
"So, this is Level 100," he murmured. At 100, known as the Priesthood level in Douluo Continent, one was granted divine power without the mantle of godhood itself.
And as he processed the transformation, the final trial of the Sea God descended upon him.
"Sea God's Trial, Ninth Trial: Hunt the Deep Sea Demon Whale King."
The Demon Whale King, Ye Wen thought, was indeed destined for a rough life. First, Poseidon had taken one of its eyes to ascend to godhood, and now the successor to the Sea God's mantle was required to kill it outright. But instead of heading back to Sea God Island, Ye Wen took a detour to Sky Academy.
Looking over the core foundation he had spent years cultivating, he felt reassured. With the high ranking Academy members equipped with Battle Armor, even an invading Titled Douluo would find themselves met with lethal resistance.
Ye Wen had come back with a plan: to take his people to Sea God Island for an incredible boost. Between spirit ring age increases and the god given spirit rings, the rewards were too enticing to pass up. And with his own status as the Sea God's successor practically sealed, the usual restriction on non residents visiting the island no longer applied. There was no way he would waste this rare opportunity to maximize his people's growth.
Still, he wouldn't bring too many at once, so as not to leave Sky Academy vulnerable to opportunistic attacks.
In this group, Ye Wen brought Huo Rui, Ah Yin, Bibi Dong, Dugu Bo, Dao Ba, and Chen Youyu all elite members of his inner circle. Remaining behind were Huo Quan, Lou Gao, and Headmaster Lu Feng, each more than capable of holding down the fort with the Academy's latest reinforcements. Once this first group completed their trials, they'd switch out with the next group.
Nothing major was occurring on the continent at this time, though rumors were spreading about a clash between the Clear Sky Siblings and the Spirit Hall. This seemed to hint that a 100,000 year spirit beast had been exposed no surprise, really. It was only a matter of time before a high ranking Spirit Hall member would notice an unusually low level spirit beast trying to blend in with humans, especially with Super Douluo guardians always lurking nearby.
But this had little to do with Ye Wen. A 100,000 year spirit beast was not a rarity to him. In fact, what intrigued him was the impending downfall of Qian Xunji; once he fell, Ye Wen would have considerably more room to maneuver.
The scale of Douluo Star's oceans was staggering. With his Battle Armor donned, Ye Wen had no interest in taking his group sightseeing and headed straight for Sea God Island at top speed.
Upon their arrival, his companions were astonished. The continent itself boasted only about 100,000 spirit masters, while this small island housed over 3,500 spirit masters, including eight Titled Douluos. It was easy to see why Sea God Island was unrivaled; Spirit Hall's previous attempt to challenge the island had left them crippled, underscoring its power as the true dominant force of Douluo.
The Sea God Trials administered to Ye Wen's group were as follows:
Ah Yin: Top level Nine Trials
Bibi Dong: Top level Nine Trials
Huo Rui: Top level Eight Trials
Dao Ba: Top level Eight Trials
Chen Youyu: Red Level Eight Trials
Dugu Bo: Red Level Eight Trials
Bibi Dong's innate talents needed no explanation her dual spirits and innate full spirit power were unmatched among spirit masters below the God bestowed category. Ah Yin's eligibility for top tier Nine Trials was unexpected, though Ye Wen suspected this was thanks to Poseidon's favor toward him.
The others were not as surprising. They had each absorbed potent celestial herbs that greatly boosted their innate abilities, putting them on par with the Shrek Seven Devils from the original story, who each reached Red Level trials. Even Dugu Bo, once among the weakest of Titled Douluos, was now worthy of the Red Level. Freed from his toxic affliction and with Ye Wen's help, Dugu Bo was now an 88th level powerhouse on the brink of Titled Douluo a threshold he would likely surpass with this visit to Sea God Island. Not bad for someone who was once a mere genius of innate nine level spirit power.
With everyone settled, Ye Wen prepared for his own final trial. However, it seemed the gods hadn't marked a path to the Demon Whale King's lair for him. He'd need a guide.
And who better than Little Bai, the "tour guide" spirit shark? Bo Saixi was formidable, yes, but she spent so much time cloistered in the temple that her knowledge of the ocean paled in comparison.
Ye Wen tracked down Little Bai, who was sunning herself on the beach, and marveled at the sight. "You're a fish, and you're sunbathing?"
Suppressing his amusement, Ye Wen requested her assistance in locating the Demon Whale King. Begrudgingly, Little Bai agreed; her gratitude toward him for helping her clan outweighed her resentment.
Ye Wen spent the journey thinking over the Demon Whale King's characteristics. Near the peak of spirit beast evolution, it was capped at 990,000 years forever shy of a million due to the planet's restrictions. In reality, its true cultivation only reached around 300,000 years, with the rest forcibly absorbed from other spirit beasts like an evil spirit master among beasts.
However, underestimating it would be a mistake; strength born from forbidden methods was still strength.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10