......
"Across the entire Heaven Dou Empire, who could possibly touch you?"
Luo Nan paused, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes:
"Unless it were the remaining Title Douluo of the Upper Three Sects—like Chen Xin, or the brothers Tang Hao and Tang Xiao—joining forces to surround and kill you..."
"Otherwise, mere ordinary Title Douluo would find it difficult to even take your life."
"You need only hold the fort at Moon Pavilion and release your aura; that alone is enough to deter any petty scoundrels."
Upon hearing this, a surge of intense pride welled up in Dugu Bo's heart.
Indeed, he was now a Super Douluo who possessed a Spirit Core!
On this continent, there were very few people left who could pose a threat to him.
At the very least, until the Elders of the Spirit Hall took action, hardly anyone could threaten him!
Nor would anyone dare to offend Dugu Bo!
After all, if you failed to kill Dugu Bo, he could easily wipe out everyone connected to you who hadn't yet reached the Title Douluo rank...
"I understand! Your Excellency, please attend to your affairs without worry; Moon Pavilion will be absolutely secure!"
Dugu Bo nodded heavily.
Luo Nan glanced at Dugu Bo with satisfaction, then turned to gaze out at the vast world beyond the Sunset Forest.
The situation in Heaven Dou City had largely stabilized, Dugu Bo's strength had undergone a qualitative leap, and the safety of Moon Pavilion was assured.
Now, it was time for Luo Nan to find a way to advance his own strength further!
Yes, Luo Nan was preparing to head overseas—to Sea God Island!
With the situation in Heaven Dou City firmly under control and Dugu Bo having successfully condensed a Spirit Core—making him capable of guarding Moon Pavilion—the time was right.
For Luo Nan, the ordinary resources and trials available on the mainland could no longer bring about a qualitative leap in his power.
Sea God Island, however—a place where one could receive the Sea God's inheritance—was the perfect destination for him! As long as he could participate in the Sea God's trials and secure some God-Bestowed Spirit Rings, the remaining spirit rings for his Dark Demon Dragon martial soul would be sorted out...
He had acquired the Vast Sea Universe Shield long ago, so there was no risk of being unable to undertake the trials.
With his strength now sufficient—Level 97 and equipped with spirit bone armor—it was time to go and meet that legendary figure known as the "Invincible on the Sea": the Sea God Douluo, Bo Saixi.
She was the very woman whom Qian Daoliu had been unable to conquer in his entire lifetime...
A few days later.
Off the west coast of the Heaven Dou Empire, on the vast expanse of ocean outside Vast Sea City.
The ocean's breadth and depth were far beyond anything found on land.
The azure waters stretched endlessly, merging with the horizon; the sea breeze howled, whipping up layers of white foam.
Before this magnificent masterpiece of nature, human power seemed utterly insignificant.
Voyaging at sea was fraught with unknown dangers—not only unpredictable, extreme weather but also countless terrifying sea spirit beasts lurking in the deep.
The ocean teemed with spirit beasts over a hundred thousand years old, and there was no shortage of those exceeding two hundred thousand years.
For this reason, Luo Nan did not choose to travel on the slow, massive merchant vessels that made for easy targets.
Instead, he set out personally, piloting a medium-sized speedboat—purchased at a high price in Vast Sea City—to cut through the waves and head into the deep ocean.
He had been at sea for only a few days when he encountered a minor issue.
It was high noon, and the sun beat down fiercely upon the water.
Luo Nan spotted a black sailing ship on the distant horizon—more than three times the size of his own speedboat—racing toward him at full speed.
At the top of that ship's mast flew a blood-red flag bearing a skull, fluttering in the wind.
"Pirates?"
Upon seeing this iconic flag, Luo Nan felt no panic whatsoever; in fact, he was amused.
He had been fretting over the lack of reference points on the boundless ocean; although he knew the general direction of Sea God Island...
However, the specific route was unclear; he was in need of people familiar with the sea conditions to guide the way and pilot the ship.
This group of pirates had arrived at the perfect moment.
Relying on a favorable wind and their massive hull, the pirate ship quickly closed in on Luo Nan's speedboat.
The deck was packed with ferocious, bare-chested pirates wielding all manner of gleaming weapons.
Gazing at Luo Nan's solitary speedboat, they saw it as nothing more than a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered; their eyes glinted with greed.
"Listen up, you lot on that ship ahead!"
"Stop the ship immediately, drop your weapons, and hand over all your valuables!"
"Otherwise, we'll hack you to pieces and feed you to the sea soul beasts!"
A pirate leader—wearing an eyepatch and sporting a face full of menacing, fleshy jowls—stood at the bow, shouting arrogantly.
However, before his voice had even faded...
*Whoosh!*
A black blur instantly shot up from the deck of the speedboat, slicing through the air like a bolt of black lightning.
The pirates didn't even see clearly what had happened; there was merely a flash before their eyes.
Then, a terrifying pressure—heavy as Mount Tai—crashed down upon them!
*Thud!*
Luo Nan landed steadily atop the pirate ship's highest mast, looking down condescendingly at the rabble below.
He hadn't even released his Martial Soul; he had merely allowed a sliver of the aura belonging to a peak-level Rank 97 Super Douluo to leak out.
Yet, for these pirates—whose strongest members were merely at the Soul Ancestor level—that tiny trace of aura was nothing short of a cataclysmic disaster!
*Thump! Thump! Thump!*
A rapid succession of dull sounds echoed across the deck as knees slammed heavily against the wooden planks. The pirates, who had moments ago been arrogant and insufferably haughty, now looked as though every ounce of strength had been drained from their bodies.
They dropped to their knees in unison, trembling violently, not daring to even lift their heads.
The one-eyed pirate captain was so terrified that the color drained completely from his face; a puddle of yellow liquid seeped from his crotch, giving off a pungent, reeking odor.
"M-My Lord, spare us! Please, spare us!"
The one-eyed captain kowtowed frantically, his forehead slamming against the deck with loud thuds as blood began to stream down.
"I was blind and failed to recognize a superior figure; I offended you, My Lord!"
"Please, My Lord, just treat me like a fart and let me go!"
"I was forced into this; I only took up this life of risking my neck to put food on the table for my family!"
Seeing this, the other pirates also began to wail and beg for mercy; the deck was suddenly filled with a chorus of lamentations.
"Have mercy, My Lord!"
"I have an eighty-year-old mother bedridden at home, waiting for me to return and care for her!"
"My Lord, I want to live!"
"My Lord, I..."
Listening to these hackneyed, unoriginal pleas for mercy, Luo Nan impatiently picked at his ear.
"Enough! Shut your mouths, all of you!"
Luo Nan leapt down from the mast, landing right in front of the one-eyed captain, and asked calmly:
"I have no intention of killing you. I only have one question: do you know the way to Sea God Island?"
Upon hearing the name "Sea God Island," the one-eyed captain shuddered violently and nodded repeatedly like a pounding pestle:
"I know! I know!"
......
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