Chapter 92 – The Oversight of Lakan
The Agila sat like a silent, golden god atop the sacred waters of the harbor. While the Sea God Island's inhabitants went about their day in a state of perpetual anxiety, the interior of the dreadnought was a sanctuary of high-level cultivation and quiet, sharp-witted observation.
Lakan stood on the observation balcony, a cup of Gamat-Mutya tea in his hand. His silver-sun eyes were focused on the distant Sea God Mountain, where the Shrek Seven were currently struggling against the Sea God's Light on the long, winding stairs.
"Look at him," Lakan murmured, his voice carrying a hint of a dry laugh. "Tang San is using the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud to cheat the pressure again. Poseidon is practically carrying him up those steps. It's not even a trial anymore, it's just a guided tour."
Beside him, Bibi Dong leaned against the railing. Her obsidian armor had retracted, replaced by a flowing, semi-transparent gown of royal violet that shimmered with the subsonic hum of the Abyss. "The hypocrisy of the Divine Realm never ceases to amaze me, Lakan. They call us 'Evil' for taking power, yet they hand it out like candy to those who bow low enough."
Lakan turned to her, his gaze sweeping over her sexy divine form and speak in a serious look. "Which is why our work isn't done. Your Rank 100 foundation is stable, but the transition to God-King is a marathon, not a sprint. We need to continue the fusions and the.....ritual for that fusion is something we must do a few days...no every day...yes....we must do it everyday. Because every time we connect, I am using the Chaos Qi to slowly rewrite the Rakshasa's jagged edges into the smooth, crushing silence of your new Law."
Bibi Dong stepped closer, the scent of sea-salt and dark peonies wafting from her skin. "Then why are we wasting time watching children climb stairs? The observation can wait for a few hours, can't it?"
Lakan smirked, catching her waist and pulling her flush against him. "The observation never sleeps, Dong'er. But I suppose a Sovereign can multitask."
He led her toward the central ritual chamber. This was the Abyssal Session. As they moved, the Agila's internal sensors picked up the ambient Faith Energy radiating from the Sea God Mountain. Lakan didn't just ignore it—he siphoned it. Using the Law-Mirror, he inverted the holy energy, turning it into a neutral fuel for their dual cultivation.
The session was intense, a battle of wills and waves. As they joined, Lakan's Seven-Tone Lotus Flame roared, acting as a forge. Within Bibi Dong's soul sea, the Demonic Whale King manifested, his violet thunder harmonizing with Lakan's Chaos Qi. This wasn't just intimacy; it was a cosmic restructuring. With every breath, the "Empress of the Abyssal Void" became less of a title and more of a reality. Her power didn't just grow, but it grows deeper and deeper, becoming a weight that the world would one day find impossible to lift.
Meanwhile, on the lower flight deck, Shui Bing'er and Zhu Zhuqing were undergoing their own internal reflections or observations.
Bing'er sat in a meditative trance, surrounded by a localized blizzard that didn't melt even in the tropical heat. Inside her mind, she was standing on a frozen sea, facing two entities. On one side was the chubby, glowing Tianmeng, and on the other was the sapphire-hued, youthful manifestation of Lan Fo'er.
"You're doing it wrong, Bing'er!" Tianmeng squeaked, hovering around her head. "Don't just freeze the air! Freeze the thought of the air! Use my mental energy to lock the molecules before they even vibrate!"
Lan Fo'er, the Whale King's daughter, giggled, her form shimmering like water. "Listen to the worm, Big Sister. My father always said that the ocean doesn't just hold things, but it swallows them. When you use your Twelve-Winged Ice Phoenix, don't think of it as a bird. Think of it as a glacier that has learned to fly."
Bing'er opened her eyes, and for a moment, they were a terrifying, translucent sapphire. "I understand," she whispered. The twelve wings on her back erupted, and the temperature on the flight deck plummeted to Absolute Zero. The water in the harbor below the ship instantly turned into a pillar of "Heavy Ice," anchoring the ship even more firmly to the seabed.
Across the deck, Zhu Zhuqing was a blur of black lightning. She was sparring with the phantom of the Demonic Whale Queen.
"Faster, little cat," the Queen's voice echoed in the shadows. "You have the speed, but you lack the 'Grip' of the abyss. When you strike from the void, you must strike with the weight of the entire trench."
Zhuqing skidded to a halt, her breathing even. Her Void-Walking Panther spirit merged with her body, turning her skin into a matte-black surface that seemed to drink the light. "The Abyssal Shadow... it's not about being hidden. It's about being the only thing that is real in a world of ghosts."
"Exactly," the Queen whispered. "Now, try again. Strike the air, but make the water a mile away feel the impact."
The peace was interrupted by a sharp, whistling sound.
A small, swift shadow was darting around the Agila, circling the golden hull with desperate speed. It was Bai Chenxiang. She had been watching from the shore, her pride stung by the sheer arrogance of the intruders. She wanted to prove that the Min Sect's speed was superior to anything the Spirit Empire could produce.
"Look at the little sparrow," Tianmeng shouted, popping his head out of a vent. "She thinks she's fast! Bing'er, can I go out and trip her? Please?"
Bing'er stood up, her Twelve-Winged Phoenix aura flaring beautifully. "No, Tianmeng. I'll handle this. It's time we showed the Sea God's followers the difference between a bird and a Sovereign of the Birds and Sky."
Bing'er stepped to the edge of the flight deck. She didn't fly, she just simply stood there. As Bai Chenxiang made another high-speed pass, intending to taunt them, Bing'er raised a single finger.
"Absolute Zero: Domain of the Still Sea."
The effect was instantaneous. The air around the Agila didn't just get cold; it became "thick." Bai Chenxiang felt as though she had flown into a wall of invisible, frozen honey. Her wings, which were moving at hundreds of beats per second, suddenly locked in place. She gasped, her momentum carrying her forward into a clumsy, tumbling descent.
Before she could hit the water, a pillar of ice rose from the sea, catching her gently but firmly.
Bing'er looked down at the terrified girl from the height of the deck. "Speed is a tool, little sparrow. But in the presence of the Empress and the Sovereign, even the wind knows its place. Tell Tang San that the 'Audit' is watching. If he wants to pass his trials, he should stop relying on the Sea God's charity and start worrying about the frost in his own bones."
On the shore, Tang San watched Bai Chenxiang's humiliation, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. He looked up at the Agila, at the silhouettes of the women who were once his peers or his enemies, and realized that the "Stairs" were the least of his problems.
Lakan, watching from the balcony above with Bibi Dong draped over his shoulder, raised his tea cup in a mock toast.
"The first trial is almost over, Dong'er," Lakan whispered. "Shall we go back inside? I believe we were in the middle of a very important... convergence."
Bibi Dong laughed, a sound like silver bells in the dark. "Lead the way, my Sovereign."