The demigoddess of the ocean encountered the Sea God's inheritance—Cerydra could hardly believe the Sea God would have no designs.
As expected, the Sea God had indeed set his sights on Hysilens, intending to pass his godhood to her.
As a former empress who once ruled a domain and understood the essence of power, Cerydra instantly saw through the opportunity and necessity hidden within.
They were outsiders, memories bound together by negative energy, dependent on the Holy Grail and their Master to exist.
Though powerful, they were ultimately under someone else's control, and their existence was far from perfect.
But becoming a god—condensing divinity with this world's rules, reforging one's being with vast divine power—what did that mean?
It meant true independence.
It meant breaking all external shackles, truly existing as a complete, immortal lifeform.
Moreover, the Sea God's authority over the oceans was a perfect match for Hysilens's primordial power.
If successful, Hysilens could regain her power as an ocean demigod. Even if the Sea God was only a first-rank god, Hysilens could quickly elevate the position to God King.
With this, they'd finally have the means to survive in this world.
Meeting Hysilens's questioning gaze, Cerydra gave the faintest nod.
Receiving this affirmation, Hysilens looked back at Bo Saixi, who maintained a respectful gesture, eyes full of hope and resolve.
"Alright, I accept the Sea God's Nine Trials."
Before the Sea God Temple, the sunlight was just right, and the sea breeze brought the distant sound of waves, as if heralding the birth of a new Sea God.
…
In the afternoon in Heaven Dou City, sunlight lazily filtered through the thinning clouds onto the bluestone-paved streets.
Though the city had experienced the turmoil of a dynastic change, it did not appear desolate. Instead, there was a peculiar calm, the air thick with a stagnant energy unique to the changing of eras.
The Spirit Empire's takeover was still new, but their touted, civilian-friendly policies had begun to take effect.
Street vendors still hawked their wares, carriage wheels rumbled, and pedestrians chatted. There was less of the old panic from nobles' carriages dominating the roads, and more cautious curiosity.
For most commoners, whether the flag above changed from a swan to a six-winged angel mattered far less than whether tomorrow's table had an extra piece of meat.
The Spirit Hall's reputation, built over centuries among the people, now served as the most effective stabilizer, making the transition of power smooth at the grassroots.
The real undercurrents and resistance mostly hid behind the closed doors of former noble mansions and certain sects' shadows.
In this seemingly ordinary street scene, a strikingly red figure darted through the crowd like a dancing flame spirit—out of place yet utterly at ease.
She was a young girl, clad in fiery red of a most unusual style, nothing seen in any part of Douluo Continent.
Her steps were light, almost skipping, her black hair bouncing playfully with her movements.
Her bright, lively eyes brimmed with curiosity and excitement. She glanced everywhere—at candy figures from street vendors, sparks in the blacksmith's shop, some curious accessory on a passerby—as if everything in the world drew her interest.
Her lips always held a sly, happy smile, and she hummed a tuneless yet lively ditty. Anyone could see she was in a fantastic mood.
Yet, the strangest part was not her clothes or behavior, but the way those around her seemed to not notice her at all.
She moved boldly among the crowd, yet it was as if an invisible barrier kept her apart.
Rushed pedestrians instinctively avoided her, but no one gave her a second glance. Vendors' eyes passed over her as if she were air.
It wasn't deliberate ignorance—some force made their brains automatically filter out the too-bright red, making her a reasonable blank spot in everyone's vision.
At that moment, atop a nearby rooftop, a tall figure stood silently.
Lu Jingming, dressed in black, let his clothes flutter gently in the breeze.
His deep gaze pierced the noise below, locking precisely onto the lively red figure in the crowd. A faint smile curled his otherwise calm face.
"Finally found you, Sparkle."
He muttered to himself, so quietly only he could hear.
The red-dressed girl below, frolicking like a wild horse, was none other than the Masked Fool—Sparkle—who had blown open a space-time passage in Mingdu City, upending meticulously laid plans in a single stroke.
At this moment, she was using her signature ability, born of the Path of Elation, to dampen her presence and fool both mortals and ordinary soul masters.
This power played with perception, enough to let her pass through most places like a ghost.
Unfortunately, this clever trick was as obvious as sunlight to Lu Jingming, completely exposed.
Lu Jingming's gaze followed the red figure.
This troublesome imp, as he'd labeled her in his mind, was utterly unpredictable.
She delighted in ruining others' plans and sowing chaos.
The longer she roamed free, the higher the risk of unforeseen trouble. Who knew if she'd get bored and throw the world another surprise, blowing up his or someone else's schemes?
Seizing this unstable variable as soon as possible was undoubtedly the wisest choice.
He had to take down this mischievous girl.
Below, Sparkle seemed completely unaware.
She hummed even more cheerfully, then turned off the main street into a quiet alley.
Tall walls cast deep shadows, isolating the noise outside.
The moment she entered, her pure curiosity melted away, replaced by a radiant grin of smug excitement.
Thinking back to Mingdu City, to when she blasted open the time-space passage, to the shock she'd probably caused the mastermind and the anger that might have appeared on Celenova's icy face, a rush of indescribable pleasure shot up her spine.
The thrill of smashing carefully laid, seemingly flawless plans was unmatched.
To shatter every set track, to watch people scramble and fume—
"Pfft…"
She couldn't help but laugh out loud, then quickly covered her mouth, shoulders trembling as she tried to suppress it.
Her beautiful eyes curved into crescents, sparkling with pure joy.
Truly, this was the height of fun!
Sparkle was still riding the high of her orchestrated chaos, her lips quirking up as she imagined the countless frustrated faces left in her wake.
She didn't even notice the shadow quietly blocking the alley entrance.
Or perhaps, with her foxlike cunning, she had noticed—she just didn't care.
"Masked Fool."
A crisp, determined female voice broke the silence.
Firefly stood there, gripping a uniquely shaped winged device, face serious and eyes sharp, locked on Sparkle.
"Surrender now, or you'll die."
Only then did Sparkle seem to notice, patting her chest in exaggerated shock and feigning fright, her tone full of mockery:
"Oh my, who could it be? Turns out it's the Stellaron Hunters' tin can—Sammy, right? So scary! I'm such a coward, please don't frighten me~"
Firefly frowned, remembering Lu Jingming's warning:
"Don't engage in conversation. Capture her directly."
Knowing the Masked Fool's greatest talent was unsettling others with words, Firefly didn't hesitate a second longer.
"Boom—!"
Fiery energy and mechanical parts unfolded in a flash, transforming the petite girl into the armored mecha Sam.
Without warning, her metal fist, wrapped in crimson energy, blasted toward Sparkle.
The alley wall cracked under the shockwave.
But the devastating punch merely passed through Sparkle' body.
Her figure rippled like a reflection struck by a stone, then shattered like glass.
With a crisp sound, she turned into countless floating motes of light, disappearing without a trace.
All that remained was a faint, mocking sense of joy.
An illusion.
Firefly stood her ground, unsurprised.
She'd long known the infamous Masked Fool wouldn't be caught so easily—her attack was just a test.
Almost simultaneously, in another nearby alley, the real Sparkle revealed herself, a smug smile on her lips.
But the smile froze.
Ahead stood another figure—a girl wielding a giant purple scythe, its blade curved in a deadly arc, radiating ominous light.
She was willowy, her face hidden in shadow, but her calm eyes reflected the Styx itself—this was Castorice, the demigoddess of death.
Castorice said nothing, nor did she make any threatening moves.
She merely raised her eyes, and a deep, viscous purple domain spread from her feet.
Where the purple passed, even light was swallowed; moss withered instantly, the air turned icy, and a dead silence swept toward Sparkle.
"Tch!"
Sparkle cursed inwardly, "I hate these silent types who just go all out."
Castorice was no brute, but she was faithfully executing Lu Jingming's orders—deal with Sparkle directly, no need for words.
As the death domain closed in, Sparkle' figure again scattered into motes of light.
Her real body escaped once more.
Using such high-level illusion and space techniques twice in a row consumed her greatly.
She dared not linger, flickering through the city shadows, trying to escape the area.
But just as she thought she was safe, a suffocating pressure crashed down, like an invisible mountain.
The space ahead twisted, and a stunning silver-haired, purple-eyed figure appeared.
Gu Yuena floated above the ground, seven colored orbs representing the elements rotating around her, exuding overwhelming power.
Gold, green, blue, red, yellow, black, and silver interwove, making her seem a true goddess of elements.
Just standing there, her draconic aura and the tide of elements made the air thicken, and Sparkle' energy felt sluggish.
Sparkle' face twitched again.
Against Firefly and Castorice, she could have countered, but found it troublesome.
But this woman… she truly could not win.
"Time to run."
Sparkle instantly activated her joyful path, trying to create an illusion and slip into a spatial rift.
Her illusions were exquisite. As her real body slipped into the rift, even Gu Yuena's elemental orbs paused, losing their target.
But at that moment—
Clang!
A clear sword hum echoed, chilling the very air.
A sword energy, refined to the extreme, sliced into the space where Sparkle hid.
"Ugh!"
Sparkle gasped as the space around her froze, the icy sword intent forcibly breaking her escape and dragging her out, stumbling.
Not far away stood Jingliu, silver hair cascading, ice crystal sword in hand, exuding glacial cold.
Her blood-red eyes locked onto Sparkle without emotion, her killing intent and sword aura freezing Sparkle in place.
In front, Jingliu's sword; behind, Gu Yuena's pressure; left and right, seemingly no way out—no, not quite.