Chapter 93 – The Weight of Truth
The golden hull of the Agila cast a long, imposing shadow over the sacred sands of the Sea God Island. While the island's air was normally filled with the scent of sea salt and divine grace, today it was heavy with the ozone of purple lightning and the absolute, crushing stillness of the Abyss.
Inside the sovereign's quarters, the light was dim, lit only by the prismatic glow of the Seven-Tone Lotus and the shimmering aura of Bibi Dong. The Abyssal Session had reached a plateau of quiet intensity. Lakan's fingers were interlaced with the Empress's, their soul powers cycling in a perfect, closed loop.
On the Sea God Mountain, the atmosphere was suffocating. Tang San was drenched in sweat, his Blue Silver Emperor vines withered under the intense pressure of the Sea God's Light. He had reached the 332nd step, his breath coming in ragged, bloody gasps. Above him, the 333rd step glowed with a deceptive, holy calm.
On the balcony of the Agila, Lakan stood with a relaxed posture, his silver-sun eyes narrowing as he watched the protagonist struggle. Beside him, Bibi Dong leaned against the railing, her presence alone warping the air.
"He's relying on the Sea God's affinity to bypass the friction of the law," Lakan noted, his voice smooth. "It's time we showed him that in the real world, the laws of the universe don't have favorites."
Lakan raised a hand, his 8th Soul Skill: Law-Mirror activating. He didn't attack; he simply Reflected the gravitational frequency of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King—the million-year pressure that had once held the ship itself captive—and focused it entirely onto that single, 333rd step.
As Tang San's foot touched the step, the world seemed to scream. The pressure didn't just double; it increased by a factor of ten thousand. The Sea God's Light protecting him was instantly crushed. Tang San's knees buckled, the sound of his bones cracking echoing across the mountain.
"ARGH!" Tang San roared, his eyes turning bloodshot.
The Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud sputtered. In his desperation, his survival instinct overrode his desire to hide his strength. A dark, murderous aura erupted from his chest—the Deathgod Domain—and in his left hand, the black, heavy mass of the Clear Sky Hammer manifested, crackling with raw, unrefined power. His eyes flashed with a cold, crimson light—the premature awakening of the Asura Intent.
"There it is," Lakan whispered, a cold smirk touching his lips. "The Hero shows his fangs when the God stops holding his hand. He's using the Law of Slaughter to fight the Law of Gravity. How primitive."
While the mountain was in chaos, Zhu Zhuqing had vanished from the Agila. She moved through the island's ancient forest not as a predator, but as the shadow itself. Her Abyssal Shadow law allowed her to merge with the darkness between the trees, making her invisible even to the spiritual sense of the island's guardians.
In a clearing near the forest's edge, Dai Mubai was training alone, his Evil-Eye White Tiger aura flaring as he struck at the air in frustration. He was Rank 60+, but compared to the monsters on the ship, he felt like a kitten.
"Zhuqing... where are you?" he muttered, his voice full of a pathetic, lingering entitlement. "If you would just come back... we could complete the Hell White Tiger. We could beat them."
"The Tiger is dead, Mubai."
The voice didn't come from any direction; it came from the ground beneath him. The shadows at his feet rose like black ink, coalescing into the lethal, elegant form of Zhu Zhuqing. She stood before him, her skin matte-black, her eyes glowing with a cold, violet-void light.
Mubai recoiled, his spirit rings flaring. "Zhuqing! You... you look different. Come back to the Academy. That man, Lakan, he's just using you. We are destined—"
"Destiny is a word for the weak," Zhuqing interrupted, her voice a subsonic hum that made the trees tremble. She didn't even summon her rings. She simply took a step forward, and the gravity in the clearing tripled. "You talk of completing the Tiger? I have the weight of a Million-Year Queen in my soul. You are a prince of a dying empire, I am the Shadow of a Goddess."
Mubai roared, leaping forward with his White Tiger Vajra Transformation. But he hit nothing. Zhuqing didn't dodge; she simply
dived into the shadow of his own body. He felt a cold, crushing weight on his back.
Zhuqing appeared behind him, her claws resting gently against his throat. She didn't cut him; she simply let him feel the Abyssal Gravity. Mubai collapsed, his lungs unable to expand under the pressure.
"I didn't come to kill you," Zhuqing whispered into his ear. "I came to Observe your progress. And the result is... pathetic. Don't mention my name again, White Tiger. A shadow has no need for a master who hides in a bottle."
She vanished into the ground, leaving Mubai gasping in the dirt, his pride shattered more thoroughly than any physical blow could manage.
That evening, the Agila's grand dining hall was prepared. The table was laden with delicacies—spiritual fruits from the North, whale-meat infused with chaos-spice, and wine that sparkled with starlight.
Bo Saixi walked through the corridors of the ship, her scepter clicking softly on the silver floors. She felt the eyes of the Anito-Artifacts watching her. When she reached the hall, she found Lakan and Bibi Dong waiting.
"High Priestess," Lakan said, gesturing to a seat. "Thank you for joining us. I believe the Shrek Seven are... resting? Tang San had quite a difficult time with the 333rd step today. Gravity can be such a fickle thing."
Bo Saixi sat, her expression guarded. "Sovereign, I did not come to discuss the children. I came to warn you. The Sea God... he is restless. Your presence, and the presence of a... new divinity... is disrupting the flow of faith on this island. If the balance breaks, the God Realm will not just watch."
Bibi Dong swirled her wine, the purple thunder in her mantle casting long shadows across the table. "Let him be restless, Bo Saixi. Poseidon is a God of the past. He clings to this island because he fears the vastness of the Abyss. Tell me... how many centuries have you spent here, waiting for a man who will never return? Waiting to sacrifice your life for a 'successor' who isn't fit to hold your scepter?"
Bo Saixi stiffened. "It is my duty. My honor."
"It is loneliness," Lakan said, leaning forward, his silver eyes piercing her calm. "You are a Rank 99 Limit Douluo. You are a queen without a kingdom, a goddess in a cage. Why die for a ghost? I am building a new Spirit Empire. An empire where the Gods serve the Sovereign, not the other way around."
He reached out, placing a hand on the table near hers. "Abandon this sinking island, Bo Saixi. Take a seat in the new world. Help me re-write the Sea God out of existence. Why be a priestess when you can be a Sovereign's consultant?"
But without her, Tang San may not become a god, even if someone replace her, it would still take too much time waiting, and Lakan is done waiting for too long. So he will let her die first for Tang San, then revive her, show her the world he build, and let her decide from there. If she still wish to uphold and follow Poseidon's path, then he'll just let her be. He's sure that by that time, he'll be bored as a God, and Bo Saixi's defiance may lead to entertainment. If she does choose to follow him, then even better and may avoid any conflict.
Bo Saixi looked at Lakan, then at the terrifyingly beautiful Bibi Dong. For a moment, her mask slipped. She saw the Tapat marks on their skin, the absolute confidence in their eyes. She saw a future that didn't involve her turning into a pillar of light for a boy who cheated with hammers.
"The Sea God... is my life," she whispered, though her voice lacked its usual conviction.
"Then it's time for a second life," Lakan replied.
As the dinner continued, the Agila let out a low hum. On the Sea God Mountain, the red light of the Asura intent began to pulse more violently, sensing the encroaching shadows. The observation was no longer just a watch, it was turned into a slow, methodical dismantling of the Sea God's legacy.
Lakan smiled, pouring Bo Saixi another glass of starlight wine. "The second trial begins tomorrow, Priestess. I wonder... how well can Tang San swim when the water itself decides it doesn't like him?"