The six Holy Pillar Douluo who had returned to the center of Sea God Island were still shaken. Staring down at the defeated army behind them, they let loose a low growl of fury.
The losses in this battle were immense, their hearts twisted with pain.
Over seventy percent of the elite Sea Spirit Masters who participated in the battle had become casualties! Most lost their lives at the hands of that Poison Douluo—these were the very people who had formed the foundation of Sea God Island over the past century.
Even more fatal was the tragic death of Sea Dragon Douluo, the leader of the Seven Holy Pillars. His fall was not only a tremendous blow to their highest fighting force; it also left an irremediable flaw in the Boundless Sea Grand Array that only he could command.
The formation, once flawless, was considered absolute defense for anyone below the god level—meant to match or even suppress peerless Douluo. Now, with the vital strength of the Sea Dragon Holy Pillar lost, the grand formation's might had plummeted. At best, it could barely resist an Limit Douluo.
"So... what do we do now?" The Sea Witch Douluo's face was as pale as paper, blood smeared on her lips. She had suffered a crushing mental defeat at Zhang Tao's hands and could now only muster half her strength.
The Dragon Fan Douluo's expression was grim, his tone bitter. "What else can we do? All we can do is rely on the power of the Sea God's radiance itself, hold out, and wait for reinforcements… or a miracle."
"We… simply can't compete with them." He was forced to admit the harsh reality. In that brief confrontation, the disparity in power was laid bare. Not only did the other side hold a numerical advantage in peak strength—they each possessed overwhelming personal power and a range of strange, nearly unstoppable tactics.
"With Sea Dragon Douluo, the High Priestess, and the Sea God's Trident all lost, and our elite troops devastated, we no longer have the strength to contend head-on."
"But... without Brother Hai Long's command, the remaining six groups and the forces left on the island couldn't possibly hold them back!" Sea Spear Douluo frowned. Excluding Sea Dragon, he was the strongest among the six—but at Rank 94, even he struggled to shoulder the burden alone.
Sea Ghost Douluo rasped, "Perhaps… we should temporarily let another take the lead of the formation. If I recall, Sea Dragon City has a peak Soul Douluo who passed the Black Rank Five Trial in his youth, just one step from Title Douluo."
"His strength can't compare to Sea Dragon, and his soul power differs, but he should barely be able to activate the Holy Pillar and maintain basic operation of the formation."
"A peak Soul Douluo who cleared the Fifth Black Trial?" Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope briefly flashed in Sea Horse Douluo and the others' eyes—only to vanish just as quickly. Replacing a Title Douluo core with a Soul Douluo would inevitably weaken the formation, its effectiveness likely dropping by a further 10–20%. What's worse—could a Soul Douluo even withstand the feedback from the Holy Pillar's power? Any small mistake might have them explode on the spot.
"In this situation… as hopeless as it is, we have to try everything." Starfish Douluo sighed, his voice soaked in sorrow. "Who would have thought that my Sea God Island, standing tall over the oceans for millennia, would be beset by invaders from the mainland, pushed to the brink like this..."
"What irony!"
Their minds couldn't help but recall the recent scene where the High Priestess received a sacred message from the Sea God and brought the Sea God's Trident back to the mainland. At the time, they believed the High Priest's holy artifact would quell all threats and bring further blessing and glory to Sea God Island. Who could have imagined such a tragic outcome—High Priest defeated, the treasure lost, and now the enemy at their very doorstep!
The thought that even the Sea God's divine artifact was now in enemy hands stung like a venomous snake in their hearts; at that moment, they felt their faith waver.
…
Buzz– Just as the six divine Pillar Douluo deliberated their emergency plan, the pale blue barrier enveloping Sea God Island began to swirl violently without warning. A moment later, a deafening crash resounded— Boom!
A terrifying thunder dragon, spanning hundreds of meters, smashed into the Sea God's shield. Exploding lightning ripped through the barrier like countless razor-sharp blades; blue fragments and violet-gold lightning snaked across the sky.
The six sacred pillars rocked from the impact. Without further word, they transformed instantly into six streaks of light, racing to the island's edge to face the disturbance with grave composure.
Just offshore, less than five miles from Sea God Island, an enormous fleet from the Spirit Hall and Body Sect lay in wait, their massive ships resembling an iron wall enclosing a city. At the very front stood a young man—who had only just defeated the sea dragon—hands clasped behind his back on the bow. Violet-gold lightning still crackled playfully around him. Clearly, that astonishing blow just now had come from him!
Chen Yi slowly withdrew his slightly numb right hand, gently rubbing it as he looked up at the still-stable but now chaotic blue barrier.
"Not bad. This turtle shell… is pretty tough."
Qian Renxue walked over, her golden armor reflecting cold light in the sunlight. Her gaze swept across the thick Sea God's radiance shrouding the entire island, a chilling killing intent in her voice. "What a magnificent feat! To blanket an entire island with such vast, pure holy light—making it both fortress and sacred ground for cultivation... The Sea God is truly generous."
The Angel Clan worshipped their own deities, and Angel Mountain was likewise bathed in divine light—but its scale and strength were nothing compared to the Sea God's blessing before her. In terms of fortune and resources, the Sea God, whose followers were spread throughout the boundless oceans, seemed even richer than the gods of angels.
"An extraordinary stroke of fortune," Chen Yi mused, amusement flickering in his eyes as he surveyed the blue sea of light. "That so-called Poseidon... His power isn't outstanding—but in terms of wealth, he might be second only to that chef. In a sense, Poseidon may even be richer." (-Emotion God)
"Chef?" Qian Renxue looked at Chen Yi, puzzled. She couldn't tell to which god he referred, but he sounded…special, possibly even a top-ranked main god?
Beside them, Subduing Demon Douluo's eyes burned with excitement as he stared at Sea God Island, rubbing his palms together. "Rich or poor—it's all the same! Once we smash this place, whatever's inside is ours!"
"The richer, the better. The richer, the faster we can pay back this expedition's costs—and the more we stand to gain!"
His words resonated with many of the powerhouses nearby. Their gaze toward Sea God Island grew ever more heated.
Zhang Tao kept a close watch on the shifting barrier, frowning as he offered a suggestion to Chen Yi: "Young Sect Master, this Sea God's Light Shield doesn't seem to have overwhelming defensive power, but it's infused with divine strength and law—it's very tough. Anyone below Limit Douluo basically can't break through. Should we ask the Grand Elder to try?"
With the Grand Elder's Level 99 cultivation, combined with his mastery of the Divine Origin Stage and precise control, he might be able to forcibly break through after finding the weak point.
Chen Yi glanced at the blue barrier and shook his head. "No need to trouble the Elder." The very next moment, thoughts flashed through his mind; lightning arced between his fingers, and an ancient Thunder God Mace appeared in his palm. Even unlit, its aura as a super-divine artifact made everyone nearby catch their breath.
Gripping the Mace, Chen Yi looked indifferently at Sea God Island in the distance, his tone steady. "There's no defense in the world that can't be broken with a single strike."
"If there is…" he smiled, "then let's have another drink first."
But just as Chen Yi was raising the Mace to shatter the formation, the Grand Elder—who had been standing quietly in the room—suddenly turned to gaze solemnly at a stretch of sea beside the fleet and, like a ghost, appeared at the edge of the deck.
"Grand Elder?" Chen Yi stopped, eyeing the Grand Elder with curiosity and noticing his apparent tension. "What is it?"
Yuan Hua did not turn around, but fixed his gaze on the distant, roiling sea. His voice was solemn. "Something big is coming."
Chen Yi around him looked baffled. What kind of monster could make even the Grand Elder so apprehensive?
…
Boom—!!! Before anyone could react, the sea ten miles from Sea God Island suddenly erupted without warning. Ocean water surged outward, forming colossal waves—a massive, unfathomable shadow slowly emerged from the depths!
What seemed at first like a small island turned out to be… not an island at all, but a whale of unimaginable size!
Over 200 meters long, its deep navy skin rough as ancient corals, covered in scars and marks from countless years and battles. Most astonishing—this creature had only a single, massive eye, over three meters in diameter!
A million-year soul beast! The true sovereign of the seas—the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King!
His titanic solitary eye swept carelessly over the human fleet, pausing briefly on the strongest Grand Elder, then over Chen Yi's Thunder God Mace. Even the Demonic Whale King showed faint wariness toward that weapon. But in the end, his gaze fixed firmly upon Sea God Island, trembling with barely contained excitement.
Rolling thunder echoed across the island. The whale's mind voice rumbled:
"Humans... Let me lend a hand!"
Before his words even finished, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King opened its cavernous maw, spitting forth a terrifying pearl of lightning over ten meters across, his entire body sheathed in dark purple destructive thunder.
The lightning sphere—shrieking and devastating—smashed straight into the shield's weak spot!
Boom!
The explosion was ten—no, a hundred—times stronger than the one Chen Yi unleashed earlier, dark purple lightning tearing through the pale blue radiance, twisting and warping the barrier with mournful cries as its light dimmed visibly and rapidly to the naked eye.
The Grand Elder narrowed his eyes, voice low: "This soul beast's power is at the limit of what humans can achieve. Barring true gods, probably no one can match him. His pressure… is no less than the Beast God Di Tian of Star Dou Great Forest!"
Chen Yi took a deep breath, staring at the mountainous terror before him. "Unfortunately... In this endless sea, even Bo Sai Xi herself might be unable to defeat the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King."
As the two spoke, the Demonic Whale King lashed out a second attack. A colossal tail, like a heavenly pillar, rose from the water and slammed down with unstoppable force onto the already-collapsing shield.
Below, the six Holy Pillars finally recovered from the shock, erupting in angry roars.
"Damn beast! How dare you—"
"Deep Sea Demonic Whale King! To challenge the Sea God's divine privilege—you'll suffer divine retribution!"
From the creature's lone eye burst a savage crimson light, blood-red as a moon.
"You ugly and misshapen things dare speak in Poseidon's name?"
"Come, Poseidon—face me directly!"
With earth-shattering roars, the enormous tail—powerful enough to shatter the continental shelf—slammed the failing shield again and again.
The Seven Pillar Formation collapsed completely; the Sea God Priestess's powers were lost, the Sea God's Trident gone, the core relic without its blessing...
At this moment, Sea God Island's final defense was as fragile as paper before the overwhelming might of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
Crack—
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Eardrum-shattering thunder accompanied the destruction.
The pale blue barrier, which had protected Sea God Island for millennia, instantly split with countless cracks under the Demonic Whale King's rampage. With a sound like the very heavens shattering, it crumbled to pieces—Sea God Island's last protector dispersing in a cloud of blue particles and fading from the world.
…