"Negotiate terms?"
The Sea God True Body that Chen Juntao had transformed into looked down at Chen Junting. "Then let me see what qualifications you currently possess." At this moment, his tone was exceptionally indifferent.
After all, they had already reached this point; how could it be so easy to just call it quits? If he won, then he won! By that point, what terms would there be left to negotiate?
Thus, the helmet slowly descended onto the Sea God True Body's head. Instantly, an azure halo cascaded outward, and wherever it passed, the entire world turned into a crystalline azure.
Also at this moment, Electrolux's voice rang out in Chen Junting's mind. Compared to the past, he was exceptionally solemn this time. "Be careful, this is a divine tool from that Sea God."
"Divine tool?" Hearing this, Chen Junting's brow furrowed slightly.
He didn't know much about the Sea God Family. Even the sporadic bits of information revealed in his past life only went up to a certain point. Therefore, he truly hadn't known that Tang San would leave behind such a divine tool after becoming a god.
If that was the case, then the situation was completely different. Just think back to the original Shrek era; hadn't Tang San relied on the Golden Trident to fight Bibi Dong, and even the deified Qian Renxue? Regardless of the outcome, the existence of a divine tool provided a soul master with absolute confidence, let alone the fact that this current Sea God Douluo was already a demigod-level powerhouse.
However, there was no time for Chen Junting to ponder further. The Sea God True Body, standing tall in the void, was enveloped in a swath of azure, seemingly transforming into the ocean itself. But as the Sea God Helmet shimmered radiantly, his eyes became extraordinarily bright, shining with an intense blue-gold brilliance. Taking a step forward, he pressed his hands down from the sky.
At this moment, the Sea God Lake erupted, and the water elements between heaven and earth went into a frenzy, as if they had completely connected with him. Water was omnipresent in the world. Now, the water elements began to violently repel Chen Junting, and even Xuan Zi, along with the other senior elders and teachers of Shrek Academy, were caught in this rejection.
High above in the void, the reflection of a boundless ocean suddenly manifested. Under Chen Juntao's manipulation, it formed a massive crushing force, surging toward Chen Junting to suppress him. Boundless Ocean!
"If you refuse to negotiate, then I'll make you sit down first!"
With a divine tool in hand, his opponent had stepped past the quasi-god realm. In comparison, his own strength was inferior, but this was no reason for him to shrink back. On the contrary, his blood was boiling! As for victory or defeat, they would only know after exchanging blows!
"Immortal-Slaying Sword Array!"
With a sharp shout, the Immortal-Slaying Array Map swept up four beams of sword light and soared into the heavens. Simultaneously, four soul rings shone in succession around his body, and four streams of light flew out from behind Chen Junting's head one after another—the four great soul spirits, Tyrant, Mad King, Snow Emperor, and Evil Emperor, manifested in their true forms.
The Destruction Dragon roared as it spread its wings and took flight. A pillar of destructive light, carrying the Immortal-Slaying sword intent, surged forth and spewed toward the descending illusory ocean;
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear stood like a mountain, its roaring soundwaves seemingly solid. As its claws swiped out, they blotted out the sky, carrying a murderous, sharp radiance that tore through the void;
The Heavenly Snow Woman danced in the air, turning the northern sky into the Extreme North. Amidst the swirling snow, the temperature plummeted. With a wave of her delicate hand, the soft snow transformed into unbreakable ice, carrying an aura of death as it slashed out, seemingly severing all vitality;
Meanwhile, the Evil Eye Tyrant expanded its spiritual domain; its invisible spiritual power evolved into a vast, illusory world, piercing through the "Boundless Ocean" to directly affect Chen Juntao, engulfing him within the myriad of phenomena.
At this moment, the four distinct intents—Immortal, Slaughter, Perish, and Trap—permeated the space between heaven and earth, resisting the vastness of the ocean.
Immediately after, "Seventh Soul Skill—Seven Kill True Body!"
The absolute decree of the Seven Kills, a single sword spanning the heavens!
In this fleeting moment, Chen Junting's two complementary Yin-Yang soul cores spun frantically. Behind him, two clusters of light and shadow slowly materialized.
One was a great sun, pale yet brimming with killing intent;
The other was a bright moon, radiant in golden light yet incomparably sharp.
The phenomenon of the sun and moon, Yin and Yang in harmony!
A torrential surge of soul power erupted, intertwining with his momentum and intent to condense into a massive, phantom-like figure. The moment this figure appeared, it reached out a large hand and fiercely grasped the hilt of the Seven Kill True Body's sword.
Raising its eyes, under the state of "Sword God Without Self," those rational, utterly emotionless eyes resembled the Heavenly Dao itself. With a single sweep, the four great sword intents were entirely enveloped. The Immortal-Slaying Array Map surged, unexpectedly "breathing" in sync with the Seven Kill Sword True Body, resonating on the exact same frequency.
With a raise of his hand, the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array seemed to use the Seven Kill Sword True Body as its foundation. Strands of array patterns wrapped around it, seemingly fusing into one as it fell into Chen Junting's palm. Raising the five-colored Seven Kill Sword, an aura of absolute annihilation circulated. In an instant, this entire region was tinged with a layer of crimson, faintly contending with—and even suppressing—the azure of the "Boundless Ocean," as visions of a million corpses lying scattered across the battlefield manifested.
The next moment, a rose-gold light acted as the signal.
Eighth Soul Skill—Judgment of Fate!
As the saying goes: When fortune favors, heaven and earth lend their strength; when destiny departs, even heroes are not free.
"Slash!"
A ruthless, emotionless word left his lips as he delivered a horizontal slash!
Whoosh—
The giant sword streaked across the sky, striking down upon that illusory ocean. It was as if absolutely everything dissipated upon contact, dissolving into nothingness. Yet, the momentum of the sword's edge remained unabated, heading straight for the Sea God True Body.
Moreover, aside from the might of the Immortal-Slaying Sword Array, this attack primarily drew upon the power of his eighth soul skill derived from the bloodline of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
The move "Judgment of Fate" seemed mystical, but it was intrinsically linked to the concept of "fortune." The stronger the fortune, the greater the power; the more profound the fortune, the more profound the power... using this to amplify and pass judgment on everything!
Facing this strike, Chen Juntao had no choice but to thrust his trident forward.
"..."
The greatest sound is silence; everything seemed to return to dead stillness.
But when the azure light flared, the Sea God True Body took a step forward, swinging the trident to continue its descent upon Chen Juntao.
Yet right at this moment, "How dare you!"
Accompanied by a dragon-roar-like cold snort, Di Tian tore through the void. With a single step, he appeared right in front of Chen Junting. With a mere grasp at the surrounding air, countless dark energies condensed into a dragon's head. With another pull, the Black Dragon Sword was held firmly in Di Tian's grasp. Just this alone caused the winds and clouds to suddenly shift!
Upon seeing Di Tian, Chen Juntao was also startled. He had never imagined that his visit to Shrek Academy would consecutively flush out three Limit Douluo-level combatants. If it were only that old Taotie and this youth, he wouldn't be afraid in the slightest. But when it came to Di Tian entering the fray... that was a completely different story!
This third individual actually stood on the exact same tier as himself. And that was when he was wielding a divine tool! What kind of concept was that?!
Regardless of what Chen Juntao was thinking, Di Tian was ready to strike directly. As Di Tian raised the Black Dragon Sword in his hand, the world instantly changed color in that split second. It was as if the will of half the world was under his control, frantically crushing down toward the Sea God True Body.
Such a maneuver instantly caused the power of the ocean to go berserk! Similarly, it also signaled that Chen Juntao intended to fight fire with fire.
At this moment, the sky seemed to abruptly freeze.
Such a scene captured the attention of everyone present. Right now, Di Tian's pupils constricted sharply, and the Black Dragon Sword in his hand ruthlessly slashed down toward the Sea God True Body.
The purple-black sword aura of the Black Dragon Sword instantly cleaved open the void, leaving a massive rift. This wasn't merely the power of darkness, but also the power of space. It could even be said to be the fusion of his own dark attribute with spatial power—the exclusive profound mystery of the Beast God, Di Tian!
This sword strike plummeted straight down toward the Sea God True Body's head. Its target was the Sea God Helmet.
Seeing this, Chen Juntao shouted, "Light of the Sea God!"
A gentle halo suddenly released from the Sea God Helmet. Not only did it directly replace the azure hue of the ocean, but it also resonated with the Golden Ancient Tree down at Shrek Academy. Moreover, accompanied by the diffusion of the soft golden light, Di Tian's imposing aura and pressure gradually dissipated beneath this golden shroud, as if the entire sky was about to be dyed golden. At the same time, the dazzling golden trident seemed to transform into the Sea God's divine tool, the Golden Trident. Aside from its identical shape, it even exuded a so-called divine essence.
He swept his halberd outward, Ding!
A crisp chime echoed from the sky.
Following that, a bizarre scene unfolded.
In the sky, the abruptly torn black rift was actually veiled by a layer of dazzling golden light. All the spatial power was instantly isolated, as if the torn opening had been glued shut, rendering it unable to unleash its power outward any longer. Simultaneously, the dark elements seemed to be thoroughly purified by that layer of golden radiance.
At this point, the Sea God True Body had been shattered. Chen Juntao, wearing the Sea God Helmet, flew backward a thousand meters in the air before stabilizing his figure.
Di Tian, on the other hand, shuddered as an insignificant wound appeared on his chest. However, a faint golden light seeped from the wound, preventing it from healing on its own.
What a formidable Light of the Sea God!
Frowning slightly, Di Tian mused in his heart. He could clearly feel this Light of the Sea God clinging to his body like a parasite in his bones. If he wanted to expel this residual Light of the Sea God, he would have to spend some time and effort.
On the other side, Chen Juntao wasn't faring well either. Not only was his Sea God True Body shattered, but purple-black energy was still flickering across his body. However, because the Light of the Sea God was dispelling it, he appeared fine on the surface, but he had still sustained significant internal injuries.
At the same time, "Senior Di Tian, why are you here?"
Chen Junting stepped to Di Tian's side and asked.
"Shrek isn't far from our Great Star Dou Forest," Di Tian replied with a leisurely expression. "While I was in the Great Star Dou Forest, I sensed a divine aura, which is why I rushed over to investigate. If Shrek didn't have a cooperative relationship with our Great Star Dou Forest, I certainly wouldn't have waded into this muddy water. Who would have thought that you, kid, would be here too?"
As he spoke, he cast a glance at Chen Juntao in the distance.
Subsequently, he retracted his gaze, and the look he gave Chen Junting was filled with curiosity. "That fellow is the High Priest of the Sea God, right? Tell me, how did you and Shrek end up provoking them? As far as I know, the current Sea God was one of the original Shrek Seven Devils. Logically speaking, Shrek should still share some lingering ties of friendship with their Sea God's priestly lineage."
"What a mess this is..."
Di Tian coming to their aid was a testament to his loyalty and integrity. Naturally, Chen Junting had no reason to hide the truth from him. However, the moment he revealed the matter of the "Sea God Inheritor," Di Tian shot Chen Junting an astounded look, before shifting his gaze to cast a disdainful glance at Xuan Zi, who was completely baffled by the sudden scrutiny. "And it's all because of this?"
Di Tian laughed.
However, this laugh was akin to laughing at a bunch of fools.
How desperately their soul beast clan yearned to become gods, yet they never had the opportunity. And the result? Humans were actually arguing over whether to go or not. Weren't they just fools?
"Was this whole thing your idea?"
Di Tian looked at Chen Junting, but immediately denied it before he could answer. "Hmm, it shouldn't be. Then it must be that fool Xuan Zi."
"Di Tian! What do you mean by that!?"
Hearing this, Xuan Zi instantly became furious! He had just emerged from seclusion; how did it suddenly become his idea? That's not how you pin the blame on someone!
However...
"Hehe—"
All he got in return were two cold scoffs from Di Tian.
Meanwhile, Chen Junting, who had remained silent for a while, turned his gaze toward Chen Juntao. This action also caught Di Tian's attention.
"I actually said it before: I am here to negotiate terms."
Chen Junting's single sentence seized Chen Juntao's focus.
Chen Juntao glanced at Di Tian, who was clearly taking their side, and coupled with Chen Junting's inherent strength, plus that Taotie...
"What do you mean?"
"What do I mean?" Chen Junting's gaze was piercingly cold. "I made it very clear from the start: I'm here to negotiate terms. Now, sit down and negotiate, understand?!"
Chen Juntao looked at him deeply and said, "Alright."
"Then bring the others over too."
As soon as these words were spoken, a Void Gate appeared beside Chen Junting. Although it didn't stir up the slightest ripple, amongst the Limit Douluos, who were exceedingly sensitive to the power of space, this seemingly abrupt movement didn't escape anyone's notice. Thus, when Gu Tianchen stepped out alongside Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong'er, Chen Juntao immediately and excitedly locked his eyes onto Wang Dong'er, and even Di Tian followed his line of sight.
Immediately after, Buzz—
A dazzling golden light blossomed from Wang Dong'er's glabella. The brand of the Golden Trident instantly captivated everyone.
"Greetings, Young Master."
Chen Juntao's figure flashed as he arrived before Wang Dong'er. He bowed deeply, expressing his respect.
Clearly, for a man deeply loyal to the Sea God, Wang Dong'er, who had become the Sea God Inheritor, was the Young Master to him, the High Priest. One had to understand that once Wang Dong'er reached the Ninth Trial, Chen Juntao, as the High Priest, would have to sacrifice himself. To remain so fiercely loyal even knowing he would likely die... This was truly...
Over on Wang Dong'er's side, as she faced Chen Juntao's praise, who would have thought that this young lady would subconsciously take a step back. Although she quickly regained her composure and few noticed, this faint hint of resistance was caught by Di Tian's eyes. This instantly raised his eyebrows as he found it rather amusing.
"There's something going on here..."
Meanwhile, over on Chen Junting's side. He had now taken Wang Dong'er's place to speak, making it clear to Chen Juntao: if Wang Dong'er were to go with the Sea God Family to their current clan grounds to participate in the trials, they must agree to certain conditions.
"Conditions..."
How incredibly stifled Chen Juntao felt!
However, when he glanced at Di Tian standing to the side, as well as the formidable Chen Junting and Xuan Zi, he knew that only by negotiating the terms properly could he take the Young Master away and allow her to inherit the Sea God's divine throne.
Thus, "What conditions?"
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