"Impudent! How dare you show contempt for Lord Sea God—you deserve to die!" the Soul Sage roared angrily.
In the next instant, a flash of scythe light cut clean through, and the Soul Sage's head was severed.
His head rolled to the child's feet, followed by the heavy collapse of his body.
"I'm not suggesting it—I'm ordering you. Become my Slave." With a sweep of his scythe, Tang Xiao flicked aside the filthy blood of the sea spirit master. Step by step, he then advanced toward the child.
"Y-you…"
The child shrank back in terror and fell to the ground: "The… the great Sea God will never forgive you mainland spirit masters!"
"Sea God? Heh." Tang Xiao sneered with contempt.
If the Rakshasa hadn't told Tang Xiao that the Sea God in the God Realm was already gone, he wouldn't have dared act so unrestrained. But now—
Tang Xiao reached out, clamped his hand around the youth's neck, and lifted him up. "Do you really think the Sea God will save you? How about we make a bet? I'll strangle you, and we'll see whether, before you die, your so-called Sea God extends a hand to his devout believer!"
With that, Tang Xiao tightened his grip.
"You—ugh—ahhhhhh…" The youth struggled desperately, his eyes filled with the longing to live.
"Seems your Sea God is nothing much after all." Tang Xiao laughed viciously, and with a squeeze, the boy perished.
A black aura seeped from Tang Xiao's palm, spreading across the boy's body, staining his skin. Then Tang Xiao released him. The now-corrupted youth fell to his knees before Tang Xiao. At the same time, the headless Soul Sage also rose, transformed into a Slave, and knelt before him.
"Greetings, Master."
"Now, I have a question. Compared with me, Tang Xiao, Great Chieftain, how does your Sea God measure up?" Tang Xiao asked.
"Master, the Sea God is not even worth a single hair of yours—he's nothing but trash," the Soul Sage replied reverently.
Tang Xiao nodded. "You're right. The Sea God is trash. And now, it's time to wipe that trash away. My Slave fleet will strike Sea God Island. You shall serve as our guide and lead us there."
"As you command, Master."
Sea God Island
At that moment, Bo Saixi was troubled. The Sea God had not cast his gaze upon her for a long time.
Summoning her martial soul, she stared at her Sea God Martial Soul. She could clearly feel an emptiness within—it was no longer what it once was.
Her mind wandered back to her childhood, when she went out fishing with her parents. The skies had been bright just moments earlier, but suddenly storm clouds gathered, winds howled, and towering waves overturned their boat. Her father sank beneath the waves, and she struggled helplessly amid the tempest.
Then, from the black clouds, a divine sea-blue radiance descended, taking the form of a majestic figure wielding a trident. He saved her from the raging waters.
That was the Sea God.
She begged the Sea God to rescue her father. With overwhelming divine power, he raised her father's body from the depths—but her father had already drowned. The Sea God expressed his regret, yet told her that even gods could not interfere with the cycle of life and death.
After burying her father, Bo Saixi became a devout believer of the Sea God. She endured endless hardships to reach Sea God Island, where she received the Red-Level Eight Trials and inherited the position of Sea God's High Priestess from her predecessor.
Her Sea God Martial Soul had been bestowed upon her as a divine gift when she was just a child.
As a fervent believer, she could always feel the merciful gaze of the Sea God through her martial soul—whether in prayer, sailing, dressing, bathing, or in everything she did, she felt watched over by that benevolent presence.
Ah, to be noticed by the very god she worshiped—what an honor that was for a fanatic such as her!
Under that divine gaze, Bo Saixi grew from a child into a young girl, and finally into a stunning High Priestess of Sea God Island. Because of the Sea God's constant attention, she held herself to the highest standards, handling every matter of the island flawlessly, striving always to please her great deity.
Decades ago, two spirit masters came from the mainland—Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen. Both had reached the same peak as she had.
Qian Daoliu was similar to her—an offering to a god, a grand priest. Both had reached rank 99, the pinnacle of Title Douluo, and both possessed god-bestowed martial souls.
Yet, when she interacted with Qian Daoliu, Bo Saixi felt an inexplicable pity for him.
The Angel Martial Soul and the Sea God Martial Soul were both divine gifts, representing the Angel God and the Sea God.
But unlike her own, Qian Daoliu's martial soul showed no trace of divine gaze—just an empty husk. In contrast, her Sea God Martial Soul constantly received the watchful eyes of her deity.
How pitiful, she thought, to never receive the gaze of one's god. Toward Qian Daoliu, she held no other feeling—only pity, and a touch of superiority.
Bo Saixi knew that, at certain… special times, the Sea God would cast his gaze upon her. In order to gain more of his favor, she would always cooperate with his divine will.
Yet in recent years, she clearly felt her martial soul changing. Whenever she bathed and summoned her martial soul, hoping for more divine attention, it was empty—just like Qian Daoliu's. A hollow martial soul, devoid of gaze.
At first, she thought little of it, believing the Sea God was simply occupied. But gradually, the gaze never returned.
This tormented her. She recalled the fate of the previous High Priestess. That woman had once been stunning as well. As a child, she too was saved by the Sea God from the demonic killer whales. Granted a divine martial soul, she became a fanatical devotee.
But when her lifespan waned, her beauty fading into old age, the Sea God's gaze left her. It was then that he saved young Bo Saixi from the storm and began watching over her instead, until she grew into a woman and replaced the former priestess. The predecessor soon withered away in sorrow.
Could it be… am I, too, discarded by the Sea God? Bo Saixi gazed into the mirror at her still-stunning face, feeling a flicker of doubt.
The fate of the last High Priestess made her wonder: perhaps, somewhere else, the great Sea God had saved another drowning little girl, bestowed upon her a Sea God Martial Soul, and now watched over her with fatherly eyes—waiting for the day she would replace Bo Saixi.
At the very moment when Bo Saixi was troubled, Sea Dragon Douluo entered the Seagod Hall and said to her:
"Great Priest, someone is invading our Seagod Island."
Upon hearing Sea Dragon Douluo's words, Bo Saixi instantly cast aside the vexation in her heart. She immediately raised her priest's scepter and said:
"Come with me, let us bury those invaders at sea!"
Regardless of whether the Seagod had truly grown weary of her, Bo Saixi's faith in the Seagod would never waver.
She would stand guard as the Great Priest to the very last, protecting the faith of the Seagod.
Far from Seagod Island, the sea spirit masters could see the sky darken as clouds pressed down heavily, spreading toward them. Beneath that oppressive sky was a vast and mighty fleet, sailing straight toward Seagod Island.
The sea spirit masters rushed to the shore, pointing at the invading fleet and discussing heatedly.
"So many years have passed, yet once again, people from the continent dare to invade our sacred land."
"Oh Seagod, we beg you, send down divine winds and bury this invading fleet beneath the waves."
"Most likely it's that bunch of Spirit Hall dogs again. This time we must make sure they die to the fury of the sea!"
"Hmph! Just wait. Once our Seagod Island has regained its strength, we will march on Douluo Continent and purify all heretics who worship anything other than the Seagod. Under the heavens, only the Seagod is the supreme, supreme faith!"
"Well said. Anyone who dares not to worship the Seagod deserves death!"
"Look, our Great Priest and the Seven Sacred Pillars have departed! With the Great Priest here, those heretics from the continent will surely be completely purified."
The sea spirit masters discussed feverishly in their fanaticism.
Bo Saixi, leading the Seven Sacred Pillars, soared into the air and flew toward the fleet.
Her icy gaze locked on the oncoming fleet. Without hesitation, she unleashed her soul skill—Sea Burial.
With her technique, a towering wave tens of meters high surged beneath her feet, rolling forward toward the fleet.
Just as the massive wave was about to crash down upon the fleet, Tang Xiao brandished his demonic scythe and slashed the waters. The sinister power of the Rakshasa God spread out, dyeing the sea waves black. The once-blue tidal wave was transformed into a monstrous black surge, its direction forcibly altered—rushing straight toward Seagod Island.
Seeing this, Bo Saixi hurriedly pushed her soul power to try and redirect the tide, but these corrupted black waves were beyond her control. To protect Seagod Island, she had no choice but to summon another Sea Burial. Two colossal waves of opposing force slammed into each other, shaking the entire ocean until it finally calmed down after a long while.
Realizing these newcomers were not to be trifled with, Bo Saixi demanded:
"Who are you, to dare trespass into the sacred land of Seagod Island?"
In the next moment, several figures flew from the fleet into the sky, standing aloft opposite Bo Saixi and the Seven Sacred Pillar Douluo.
Bo Saixi and her companions observed them.
Each of them looked incredibly strange—dark-skinned, with long arms and short legs. Could people really look like this? Yet their strength was undeniable; each bore the power of a Titled Douluo. And the scythe-wielder in the lead radiated an aura so fearsome that even Bo Saixi herself felt a deep sense of dread.
"Who are you? This is Seagod Island's forbidden domain. No one but sea spirit masters may set foot here," Bo Saixi said coldly.
"Oh? Senior Bo Saixi, have you forgotten us so quickly?" The black-skinned man with the scythe spoke.
"You are…" Hearing this, Bo Saixi scrutinized him carefully. For some reason, a faint sense of familiarity rose within her.
"I am Tang Xiao," the man said. Then he introduced those beside him. Each one was an elder of the Clear Sky Clan, all at Titled level. One by one, they summoned the Clear Sky Hammer as their martial spirit.
"Tang Xiao? Clear Sky Clan? You all—" Bo Saixi's heart filled with confusion.
Indeed, the resemblance to the Clear Sky Clan was undeniable. And the Clear Sky Hammers proved their identity. But… how had they come to look like this?
The Seven Sacred Pillars of Seagod Island, upon hearing the intruders were from the Clear Sky Clan, eased their hostility somewhat.
In the past, Seagod Island treated all soul masters from the continent with equal disdain.
But after Tang Chen and Qian Daoliu had once visited, Seagod Island's outlook had shifted slightly.
Under the Seagod, heretical martial souls—like those of the Angel God—were considered devilish existences to be purified. The Clear Sky Clan, however, were seen as comrades, potential allies in the struggle to destroy the Spirit Hall's "devil faith."
Thus, Seagod Island had always been more tolerant toward the Clear Sky Clan.
"So, you are descendants of old acquaintances. What business brings you to Seagod Island?" Bo Saixi's tone softened considerably.
Tang Xiao gazed past her at the vast expanse of Seagod Island and the towering Seagod Statue behind her. He spoke:
"Senior Bo Saixi, you are mistaken about one thing. The Clear Sky Clan no longer exists. These men are all my followers. As for our purpose here—naturally, it is to turn Seagod Island into my playground of wrath, my Slave Paradise. Every sea spirit master will become my slave, forced to exhaust their remaining value. I will make the Seagod's followers tear down the Seagod Statue with their own hands and erect a monument to Tang Xiao in its place!"
As soon as Tang Xiao's words fell, the previously calm atmosphere immediately turned tense once more.
"Tang Xiao, do you know what you are saying?"
"Tang Xiao, even if you are of the Clear Sky Clan, you cannot insult Lord Seagod!"
Bo Saixi's face darkened. "Tang Xiao, do you understand your words? If anyone else had spoken such blasphemy, I would have killed them without hesitation to defend the Seagod's faith. Because you are a descendant of an old acquaintance, I will grant you one chance to live. Come with me to Seagod Island. Kneel before the Seagod Statue and repent until the Seagod forgives you."
"Hahahaha! Bo Saixi, in this world, there is no one I will repent before. No one—not even the Seagod! Today, I will trample Seagod Island underfoot and turn it into my Slave Paradise!"
"Stubborn fool," Bo Saixi said icily. "Though you are of an old lineage, I cannot allow you to insult the faith of our sea spirit masters. Today, you will remain here forever."
As she spoke, Bo Saixi unleashed her martial spirit. Behind her, the majestic figure of the Seagod manifested. Eight black soul rings and one red ring circled around her, while the vast blue Seagod Domain spread outward in all directions. She was determined to take Tang Xiao down mercilessly.
"Yes, I will remain here today—remain in my Slave Paradise!" Tang Xiao sneered. He swung the Rakshasa Demon Scythe, and the god-mark of the Rakshasa God surfaced upon his forehead.