The North Sea was in turmoil due to the change in the Sea Princess.
And in the West Sea, the Sea God Douluo had been away for a month with no news, causing even greater waves.
Fortunately, Bo Saixi usually kept to himself, and few people could meet him regularly. The news was tightly sealed by the seven Sacred Pillar Douluo.
Now, without a leader, the tallest among the short was chosen. Among the seven Sacred Pillars, the Sea Dragon Douluo, the strongest, became the spokesperson.
After a thorough investigation, the intelligence about You Chen and Bo Saixi's battle at sea could not be hidden.
Combining the succession of the Sea Princess and the information gathered from some Sea Soul Beasts, the Sea Dragon Douluo learned that a mysterious Soul Master had recently slain three ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts that were attacking the mermaid clan's territory. He was almost certain about the situation's development...
The thought of such a terrifying possibility made the Sea Dragon Douluo feel a slight tremor in his body.
But...
'I am the guardian of the seven Sacred Pillars—Sea Dragon! How can I back down here!?'
A determined light flashed in the Sea Dragon Douluo's eyes.
Faith and loyalty once again transformed into his Divine Power.
If the High Priest had indeed met with misfortune, he would have to support Seagod Island and continue moving forward!
Before that...
'I must confirm the attitude of that powerful individual towards us and Seagod Island... Besides, with such a significant change in the North Sea, if Seagod Island does not send anyone to inquire, everyone will notice something is amiss. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King might break through Seagod Island's barrier. In such times, we must show confidence...'
The Sea Dragon Douluo had considered seeking divine guidance from the Sea God again. However, Bo Saixi had recently performed this ritual in the Seagod Temple. The altar needed time to recharge with faith, and it couldn't be done again so soon.
Moreover, the Sea Dragon Douluo had not succeeded Bo Saixi as the High Priest, and such an act would be against the rules.
For faith, maintaining this solemnity and restriction is essential.
You might say they lack flexibility, but the principles, content, and rules of the faith cannot change abruptly. They need to evolve naturally over a long period as social relationships and cultural dissemination progress.
Otherwise, believers might easily lose faith in the doctrines, leading to the sect's division.
Even if the Sea Dragon Douluo wanted to succeed Bo Saixi as the High Priest, it couldn't be done so easily. Without searching for the missing High Priest and taking his place, it would seem opportunistic and hard to gain others' trust.
Moreover, the succession of the High Priest is not just a nominal change but requires a ritual to worship the Sea God, completing the transfer of power.
Such a disturbance cannot be hidden from the surrounding Sea Soul Beasts.
In the past, the change in the High Priest's position was to intimidate dangerous soul beasts like the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, who did not submit to the Sea God and Seagod Island. It told them that although the old High Priest had aged, a new, young High Priest had emerged, capable of restraining and intimidating them.
But now, it's different.
Bo Saixi was far from the age to step down, and the Sea Dragon Douluo's strength was far from sufficient to assume the High Priest's position.
This would make the Sea Soul Beasts realize that something was wrong with Bo Saixi.
Therefore, the trip to the North Sea was inevitable.
The Sea Dragon Douluo knew that discussing resistance in front of such a powerful individual was meaningless.
If that mysterious powerful individual wanted to, even they, the Sacred Pillar Douluo, could only hide in the Seagod Temple, and even moving around Seagod Island would be life-threatening.
Unless they sought help from external forces, the survival of Seagod Island would be a significant question!
What forces could Seagod Island rely on?
The Sea Dragon Douluo immediately thought of the Martial Soul Hall and the Huo Tian Sect, the only two forces on the continent with ultimate combat strength.
However, the relationship with the former was not good. If they knew Bo Saixi was missing, they would likely take advantage of the situation.
And the Huo Tian Sect? The sect had isolated itself, and Tang Chen was long gone.
So, they couldn't rely on external forces.
"This is the situation."
The Sea Dragon Douluo gathered the remaining six Sacred Pillar Douluo and shared all the intelligence, speculations, and thoughts he had with great seriousness.
"You mean the High Priest has been defeated by that mysterious powerful individual who killed the Evil Orca King!?"
The Sea Lady Douluo, who revered Bo Saixi, was furious and slammed the table, "The High Priest is invincible in the sea! On this Douluo Continent, except for the great deities, how could anyone silently defeat her!?"
The other Sacred Pillar Douluo did not speak but showed similar expressions.
The Sea Dragon Douluo's face darkened slightly.
Actually, he had anticipated such a reaction.
As the strongest Sacred Pillar Douluo, he was the one who best understood Bo Saixi's power.
If not for the intelligence and deductions he had personally gathered, he wouldn't have easily believed it himself.
The Sea Spear Douluo, who ranked second in strength, glanced at the Sea Dragon Douluo and said calmly, "Alright, although it's hard to believe, Sea Dragon is not one to make baseless claims. If we can't confirm this premise, there's no point in continuing this meeting."
The Sea Star Douluo also agreed, "If Sea Dragon's deductions are correct, we are at a critical juncture. Sea Lady, this is not the time for emotional outbursts."
"Tsk."
The Sea Lady Douluo clicked her tongue but, seeing the other Sacred Pillar Douluo nod in agreement, remained silent.
The Sea Dragon Douluo nodded and said solemnly, "Through the intelligence from Sea Soul Masters and Sea Soul Beasts, that mysterious powerful individual likely controls the mermaid clan and the North Sea. We must understand the mermaid clan's current stance."
He turned to the Sea Lady Douluo, "The situation is unclear. I must go to the North Sea to investigate the mermaid clan's or that mysterious powerful individual's attitude towards Seagod Island. I need you, with mermaid blood, to help me contact the mermaid clan."
"I understand."
The Sea Lady Douluo nodded solemnly.
Although the journey to the North Sea was dangerous, the few present, all strong believers and loyalists, would not back down.
Especially concerning the revered High Priest, the Sea Lady Douluo felt a sense of duty.
"Sea Dragon."
The Sea Spear Douluo said, "This journey is fraught with danger. We might face a powerful individual who could defeat the High Priest. You are the strongest among us and should remain at Seagod Island. I will go."
He looked at the others and said sternly, "No objections?"
"I have an objection."
The Sea Ghost Douluo said coldly, "If that mysterious powerful individual acts, it will be the same result regardless of who goes. I think the Sea Lady Douluo going alone is enough. There's no need for someone to wait and report back. If she doesn't return within the specified time, that will be enough to confirm the situation."
Even the Sea Lady Douluo, prepared to die, was angered by the Sea Ghost Douluo's words, which treated her like a tool: "Old ghost, what nonsense are you spouting!? I'll make you come with me!"
"Quiet!"
The Sea Dragon Douluo's low shout stopped the impending argument and said, "Let me share my thoughts. First, the Sea Lady cannot go alone. In this period, every Sacred Pillar Douluo is crucial and cannot be easily sacrificed. If we ever need to retreat to Seagod Island, only the combined strength of the seven can resist. That, you should understand."
This was true.
Around Seagod Island, the long-term gathering of faith had created a home-field advantage similar to the Holy Domain in Saint Seiya.
The seven Sacred Pillars and the High Priest could gain power boosts around Seagod Island. The Sacred Pillar Douluo relied on the Sacred Pillars, and the High Priest relied on Seagod Island and the Seagod Temple's boosts.
The seven Sacred Pillars received less of a boost than the High Priest and could not directly use the Seagod Temple's Divine Power like the High Priest. However, they could connect their powers through the same Sacred Pillars, forming a special battle formation.
The seven Sacred Pillar Douluo, connected by the Sacred Pillars, could barely match a regular Ultimate Douluo, though not as strong as the High Priest with Seagod Island's boost.
Of course, this was for direct combat.
The Sea Dragon Douluo was more wary of the mysterious powerful individual because an Ultimate Douluo was more flexible than a giant monster like the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. From the individual's ability to hide, they could avoid direct combat and pick them off one by one.
Therefore, if they considered opposing the mysterious powerful individual, they had no countermeasures except to rely on the Sea God.
Whether they made this trip or not, it made no difference.
The Sea Dragon Douluo continued, "Moreover, our visit is to the mermaid clan. According to the mysterious powerful individual's previous behavior, they might not appear. Even if they don't act, the mermaid clan's strength cannot be underestimated. In case of any conflict, only I, the strongest, can ensure the Sea Lady's safe return."
In the end, it was decided that the Sea Dragon Douluo and the Sea Lady Douluo would lead a group of Sea Soul Masters on an official diplomatic mission to the North Sea.
...
"This is the situation, Lord. I apologize for disturbing your cultivation."
You Chen waved his hand, indicating it was no problem, and said, "The visit from Seagod Island's Sea Soul Masters is indeed significant. Reporting such matters to me is a requirement I set from the beginning."
"Thank you, Lord."
Li Ya, still maintaining her nearly expressionless face, said, "Lord, the Sea Knife Fish clan's scouts have confirmed that the Sea Dragon Douluo and the Sea Lady Douluo are leading this mission. With the mermaid clan's current strength, defeating them is not difficult, but killing or capturing them is not guaranteed."
You Chen looked at Li Ya, wondering when the new Sea Princess had become so decisive.
He shook his head, "Li Ya, what kind of person do you think I am? If they come with proper etiquette, killing them will not serve as a warning but will instead cause unrest among the clans that depend on the mermaid clan."
Actually, You Chen didn't care about the unrest among the mermaid clan's dependent clans.
Soul beasts devouring each other for cultivation is a world rule, but soul beasts leaning towards good and order prefer to absorb the essence of heaven and earth.
The mermaid clan had no need to devour soul beasts, and You Chen's cultivation resources mainly came from the hunting shares of the seven dependent clans.
Maintaining the stability of these clans was necessary.
Moreover, during this time, You Chen, besides consuming the ocean's cultivation resources and digesting Bo Saixi's experience, had started secretly experimenting with something in the North Sea—spreading faith.
He was testing the waters for future faith gathering on the Douluo Continent, using the North Sea as a trial field.
However, he was unsure about the divine laws and whether spreading faith in the ocean would give Poseidon a reason to act.
So, he didn't spread it widely but started with some Crystal Palace Sea Soul Beasts.
You Chen didn't dare to steal too much of the Sea God's faith yet.
His current goal was to test if he could sense the power of the collective will.
After many attempts, You Chen found a good method—building statues.
Due to his current strength or other reasons, he couldn't directly gather the collective will, or perhaps he had already gathered it but couldn't see it with his eyes or Divine Sense.
However, through statues and similar objects, he could clearly detect the gathered collective will.
He confirmed this energy was the collective will because he held Pure Divine Power, which he could use as a reference.
One drop of Pure Divine Power could be divided into 10,081 threads of Divine Power, with one thread being the smallest unit.
Under You Chen's Divine Sense, the collective will gathered on the statue over time felt similar to one thread of Divine Power.
The Pure Divine Power given by the system could be used directly or distributed to others.
However, the collective will on the statue could only be used by him.
This meant the collective will directly pointed to him.
Although he didn't plan to waste Pure Divine Power, after finding a method to gather the collective will, You Chen was less concerned about the statue's collective will.
However, the collective will gathered by the powerful Sea Soul Beasts, who were at least ten thousand years old, was only a few threads.
Of course, the reasons for this were few. You Chen didn't mind. As long as it could regenerate, it didn't matter if it was slow.
He used one thread of Pure Divine Power as a reference and experimented with the collective will without hesitation.
After some trials, he found that while the collective will's energy nature was similar to one thread of Divine Power, there were significant differences.
The most noticeable difference was strength.
With just one thread, You Chen didn't expect to achieve the omnipotence of Divine Power, like extending the duration of his Spirit Ring.
He mainly tested the effects of using Divine Power and the collective will to replace or enhance soul power, which showed clear differences.
He then tested using the collective will alone to perform soul skills, or as cultivation resources to enhance soul power and physical strength.
After these experiments, his curiosity was temporarily satisfied, and he put aside the study of Divine Power, focusing on gathering the collective will.
He was curious about whether multiple statues would cause the collective will to converge or if his ability to control the collective will would expand.
For now, he only wanted to manage this small area and avoid unnecessary attention from the Sea God, developing quietly for a while.
After all, the angel god who collected the continent's faith was no longer around, and he could freely steal the faith that the Martial Soul Hall once occupied, even expanding the range beyond what the angel god once did.
So, what he told Li Ya was his true thoughts.
Bo Saixi attacking him was one thing, but he had no plans to attack Seagod Island.
"Lord, you have such deep considerations?"
Li Ya's eyes lit up, and she nodded, "If so, how should I handle them? Should I show a strong attitude or pretend as before, being insincere?"
You Chen smiled, walked to the door of his cultivation room, and said, "Since my cultivation has been interrupted, I might as well take a walk. Li Ya, this time, I will personally welcome these distinguished guests."
As he spoke, a hint of hidden malice flashed in his eyes.
...
"Lord Sea Dragon, things might not be as you think."
They had entered the mermaid clan's territory, and the Sea Lady Douluo laughed, "Look, the mermaid clan is welcoming us so generously. They even chose to meet on an island rather than their underwater palace, which is less formal but shows their consideration for us! As someone with mermaid blood, I know this is a sign of their goodwill!"
"Is that really the case?" Sea Dragon Douluo had a bad feeling.
The Sea Lady Douluo looked frustrated, "Sigh, you're overthinking it. I said, how could the High Priest be defeated at sea? I think she might have been injured and is temporarily staying with the mermaid clan to recover! The mermaid clan's hospitality might be because the High Priest has already arrived! See, everything fits together, doesn't it?"
As they spoke, they entered the agreed-upon island.
Led by the two Sacred Pillar Douluo, a group of Seagod Island Soul Masters followed, arriving at the meeting place, a large open courtyard in a grand estate.
This island was not far from the Crystal Palace and was where You Chen lived and cultivated.
The open courtyard was as large as a regular mansion, with a vast pond like a lake where several beautiful mermaids were swimming and performing graceful underwater dances.
A few meters from the pond, a mermaid with a golden crown and more beautiful and intricate scales than those
in the pond stood with her back to them, resembling a snake woman.
The Sea Lady Douluo's gaze subtly shifted to the mermaids in the pond, performing like dancers.
The Sea Lady Douluo, with half mermaid blood, felt uneasy seeing the mermaids perform like actors in a play.
Even welcoming Seagod Island's guests didn't justify humiliating their own kind with such performances.
She really wanted to question how this newly appointed Sea Princess managed to become the Sea Princess. If she couldn't handle it, they should just replace her with someone else.
However, considering the purpose of this trip and the hidden dangers, the Sea Maiden Douluo did not lose her temper. She silently glanced at the Sea Dragon Douluo.
While the Sea Dragon Douluo could not fully empathize with the hidden meanings of the mermaid dance as the Sea Maiden Douluo did, he also felt that it was a bit strange for the Sea Princess to have her own kind perform in such a way.
But what he was more concerned about was the matter of the mysterious powerful being. Seeing that the Sea Princess had appeared, he felt a sense of relief.
As the leader of this mission, it was not appropriate for the Sea Maiden Douluo to speak. After giving her a reassuring nod, he stepped forward and solemnly said, "Your Highness, Sea Princess, whenever the position of Sea Princess changes, Seagod Island reaffirms the covenant with the Sea Princess and the mermaid race. We are here for that purpose."
Squish.
The fish tails moved on the soft, damp grass, the scales rubbing against the tender green blades, producing a gentle sound.
Li Ya turned around, revealing a beauty that could rival the most enchanting of Sea Princesses, a beauty that seemed to confirm her status.
Her face, serene and seemingly devoid of emotion, showed no signs of fluctuation, instead exuding the regal authority of a queen.
"The covenant between the mermaid race and Seagod Island is hereby nullified."
She spoke in a calm tone, uttering words that sent shockwaves through the Seagod Island delegation.
"This..."
Although the Sea Dragon Douluo was taken aback, he managed to maintain his composure, using his eyes to calm the Sea Maiden Douluo, who was already unable to hide her irritation. He then asked in a deep voice, "If this is the will of Your Highness, the Sea Princess, though we regret it, we must accept it. However, before we do, may we ask for the reason?"
Ting ting ting~
Li Ya did not respond, remaining silent. Suddenly, from the direction of the corridor connecting the courtyard to the manor, came the sound of clear, tinkling bells.
The Seagod Island delegation had entered through a side gate that directly connected the island to the courtyard, bypassing the main entrance of the manor. The source of this sound was clearly from within the manor.
The Sea Dragon Douluo immediately frowned and looked in that direction, wanting to see which of the mermaids had the audacity to interrupt such an important meeting between the two powers. Perhaps he could use this to question the Sea Princess and gain some leverage for negotiation.
Then... the Sea Dragon Douluo's body began to tremble, cold sweat pouring down his face, and his anger boiling uncontrollably.
With the experience from yesterday, it felt like the next chapter was going to be another execution... My driving skills are really terrible. I'm thinking about scrambling some of the text, after all, as everyone knows, the order of the text doesn't affect the reading.
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