Attack on Sea God Island
In the Douluo God Realm, at the Angel Temple.
The Angel God sat on her divine throne, a trace of the message that had just arrived from the lower realm still lingering at her fingertips.
She closed her eyes, her brow furrowing little by little.
The Demon Clan?
The Star Dou Great Forest?
Tens of thousands of them, including dozens of powerhouses comparable to Titled Douluo?
She opened her eyes, her expression troubled.
"How did I not notice a thing?"
The Angel God rose and paced a couple of steps through the temple.
The Douluo Plane was one of the lower realms under the Divine Realm's direct jurisdiction, where the faith of humankind converged. Any large-scale disturbance should have drawn a response in the Divine Realm.
Yet the message from the lower realm said that the Demon Clan had already been entrenched there for months, while the Divine Realm knew nothing of it.
"This is no small matter."
She stopped and waved a hand. A beam of golden light shot from her fingertip into a communication array deep within the temple.
"I must report this to the God Realm Committee."
In the God Realm Committee's council hall.
Five figures sat on either side of a long table. The Asura God occupied the central seat of honor, clad in dark red armor, his features stern and cold.
To his left was the God of Destruction, dressed in black robes, his face as dark as a thundercloud.
The Goddess of Life sat beside him, her green skirt trailing across the floor as she tapped the tabletop lightly with her fingers.
To the right sat the Godess of Kindness and the God of Evil.
The Angel God strode into the hall. The Asura God glanced up at her, his voice grave.
"Angel God, tell everyone about the message you received."
The Angel God recounted the message from the lower realm, then added:
"I checked the flow of faith in the Douluo Plane. Humanity's faith remains; it hasn't been cut off, which means the large-scale slaughter hasn't begun. Those outsiders calling themselves Demon Gods haven't occupied large stretches of territory, either."
The God of Destruction snorted.
"Dozens of outsiders at the Titled Douluo level, plus a Demon God Emperor whose combat strength is unknown? Where did the Douluo Plane get such things?"
"That's the problem."
The Angel God frowned.
"We didn't notice a thing."
The Goddess of Life raised a hand slightly, and five strands of divine sense reached toward the Douluo Plane at once.
A moment later, the God Kings' expressions all changed.
A thick layer of gray mist hung over the Douluo Continent. Their divine senses sank into it like clay oxen into the sea, unable to make anything out.
"The continent has been shrouded."
The Godess of Kindness withdrew her divine sense, her tone unusually serious.
"The method used to conceal the workings of heaven is masterful. No one from the lower realm could have done it."
The God of Evil tilted his head.
"To hide from the probing of all five of us God Kings, whoever did this must hold a lofty station."
The Asura God's face darkened, and he tapped the table twice.
"So many outsiders appearing out of thin air, with a god concealing the workings of heaven for them. There's definitely more to this."
He was about to continue when the hall's doors were suddenly flung open from outside.
A blue-haired middle-aged man strode in, dressed in a sea-blue robe. Moisture still clung to its hem; he had clearly come in a hurry.
The Sea God, a First-Level God of the Divine Realm.
The Asura God knitted his brows.
"Sea God, who gave you permission to barge in? Get out!"
The Sea God did not retreat. Instead, he took two steps forward and looked up to see the Angel God sitting nearby. He froze for a moment, a flicker of unease crossing his face, but his expression quickly hardened again.
"Asura God, this is urgent. Something has happened in the Douluo Plane."
The Asura God was about to reprimand him again, but the Sea God spoke first.
"The divine sense I left on Sea God Island sent me a message. A group calling themselves Demon Gods attacked the island. There were dozens of them, and the two leading them were as strong as Limit Douluo. They're neither Soul Masters nor Soul Beasts, and they don't have the slightest fluctuation of Soul Power."
The God Kings fell silent at once.
The Angel God glanced at the Sea God and snorted. She said nothing, but did not argue any further either.
The Asura God leaned back in his chair and exchanged glances with the other God Kings.
Dozens of outsiders at the Titled Douluo level—what exactly were they after?
"I have decided to dispatch a First-Level God to the lower realm in person."
The Asura God spoke.
"Find out where these outsiders came from. If they can be dealt with, deal with them."
The Sea God immediately cut in. "I'll go."
The Angel God frowned. "You?"
"Sea God Island is my territory, and now it's being besieged by a group of outsiders. I have every right to go down there."
The Sea God's tone was firm.
The Angel God wanted to say more, but the Asura God raised a hand to stop her.
"Fine, the Sea God will go. But remember, once you reach the lower realm, get a clear picture of the situation first. Don't start fighting as soon as you arrive. There's still some god of unknown origin hiding behind those outsiders. Don't get yourself caught up in it."
The Sea God nodded, turned, and left the hall.
On the Douluo Continent, at Sea God Island.
By now, the fighting had left the waters around the island a complete mess. Broken planks and shattered hulls floated on the sea, and the beach along the shore had been stained dark red with blood.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the Evil Orca King led the Sea Soul Beasts in a furious assault. The Seven Sacred Pillar Douluo took turns going up against them, only barely managing to hold on.
Agares and Vassago stood on the surface of the sea, dozens of high-ranking Demon Gods lined up behind them.
Vassago formed a hand seal, starlight flickering repeatedly between his brows. At last, he shook his head.
"Sea God Island's barrier was set up by the Sea God himself and is connected to the faith of the Douluo God Realm. We can't break through it by force."
Agares frowned. "If we could summon the Demon God Pillars here..."
"No."
Vassago cut him off.
"The Demon God Pillars are suppressed by this world's rules. They can't be moved easily."
As the two spoke, a column of blue light suddenly rose from deep within Sea God Island, and an aged but resonant voice rang out.
"I am Bo Saixi, high priest of Sea God Island. I ask you all to leave. Lord Sea God will soon descend in person. If you do not withdraw, you will face Lord Sea God's divine punishment."
The Sea God?
Agares and Vassago exchanged a glance. Neither took Bo Saixi's words seriously.
"The Sea God descending in person?"
Agares scoffed, folding his arms and lifting his chin toward Sea God Island.
"If the Sea God they're talking about could really descend, he should have shown up long ago. Would they have had to hold out until now?"
Vassago did not answer. His hands continued forming seals, and starlight flickered twice before he said coolly:
"The core of the barrier is in the center of the island. That high priest is stalling for time. Let's attack. Don't give her a chance."
Agares raised a hand and waved it forward. "All-out attack."
More than thirty high-ranking Demon Gods struck in unison. Their dark-purple Magic Power converged and slammed into the protective array around Sea God Island.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King and the Evil Orca King also pressed in from both sides with the remnants of the Sea Soul Beasts. In an instant, dark-purple light filled the sea, along with the shrieks of Soul Beasts.
The protective array the Sea God had left behind held for less than half the time it took an incense stick to burn. Cracks spread outward from its center, and it shattered with a boom.
Bo Saixi stood on the altar in the center of the island. Her expression changed, and she formed hand seals, trying to put up a second layer, but the Seven Sacred Pillar Douluo were already tied down by Demon Gods and could not spare a hand to help her.
Agares charged onto the island at the head of the attack. Several Sea Soul Masters rushed up to stop him along the way, but he casually swatted them flying.