Wu Zetian stretched out her lotus-root-like arms, hooked them around Li Xin's neck, and pressed herself tightly against his chest.
That astonishing softness and warmth seeped through their clothes.
Her eyes became slightly hazy, yet still carried a hint of unyielding stubbornness.
"Hmph."
"I don't care how formidable she is at sea."
"On land, by Xin's side, I am the best."
"Great Tang will never lose to her Haiyue Empire."
Seeing her adorable, jealous determination, Li Xin could not help but burst into laughter.
"Alright, alright."
"You're the best."
"But next, the second place will probably be her turn to appear."
As soon as Li Xin finished speaking.
The scene on the Heavenly Curtain suddenly changed.
The boundless forest landscape vanished in an instant.
It was replaced by an infinitely deep azure expanse.
It was the sea.
An endless sea.
[Heavenly Dao Power Ranking, second place!] [Haiyue Empire!]
As those four words appeared, the entire Heavenly Curtain seemed to transform into an enormous projection of the ocean.
Amid the surging waves, magnificent crystal palaces appeared and vanished beneath the sea.
It was an architectural style entirely unlike that of land civilizations.
Crystal-clear and radiant, like the Atlantis of myth.
Countless strange marine creatures darted through the city.
At the very center of the city, a massive phantom full moon floated in the seawater, radiating gentle and sacred light.
It was the totem of the Haiyue Empire, as well as the source of its power.
The introduction appeared shortly afterward.
[Nature: Absolute ruler of the ocean and the Far North.] [Territory: Encompasses the four seas and the entirety of the Far North Ice Plains.] [Special Ability: Cloud Butterfly · Dream Illusion.]
The scene shifted.
Countless transparent butterflies flickering with blue fluorescence danced above the sea.
Each butterfly that descended could wrap around a Soul Master or soul beast.
Within those dreamlike cocoons of light, their souls were reshaped and their bodies strengthened.
When they broke free from their cocoons once more, there was no longer any sense of self in their eyes—only absolute loyalty to that Empress.
And their strength soared dramatically!
This was the Haiyue Empire's core technology—mass-producing Death Warriors at the level of Limit Douluo!
Though it came with tremendous side effects and lifespan restrictions, this force was enough to crush everything in the world.
The view continued to pull back.
On the Haiyue Empire's Territory Map, the snow-covered Far North Land was prominently included.
Heavenly Snow Woman Snow Empress, Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion Ice Empress, Titan Snow Demon King...
These rulers of the Far North Land were all kneeling respectfully outside that undersea divine hall.
And that was not all.
Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, Evil Orca King...
Countless Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast overlords of the ocean were also members of the empire.
Its overall strength utterly eclipsed the Star Dou Great Forest!
The entire continent fell completely silent.
Those who had just been shocked by the Star Dou Great Forest could barely close their mouths now.
If the Star Dou Great Forest was a gathering place for beasts.
Then the Haiyue Empire was a highly civilized, highly centralized super war machine with overwhelming military might!
Compared to it, the Star Dou Great Forest was practically a primitive tribe.
The reward was announced.
[Haiyue Empire, Hai Na Bai Chuan.] [Special Grant: The entire empire shall receive the protection of the "Thousand Year Dream Illusion Array"!] [Effect: When the array is activated, all who enter it without belonging to the Haiyue Empire shall fall into a Dream Illusion. Below Titled Douluo, souls will instantly dissolve; even above Titled Douluo, remaining conscious is difficult, and life and death will be beyond one's control!]
This was practically an instant kill!
With this array, the Haiyue Empire would become a truly impregnable domain. Outsiders would not be able to set foot inside even half a step.
At the border between the Far North and the deep sea, the Glazed God Hall.
The throne here was not forged from gold or stone, but condensed from the purest moonlight.
A tall woman lounged lazily against the throne.
She possessed silver hair cascading like a waterfall. Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent, yet it carried a breathtakingly sickly beauty.
The slit of her flowing-cloud-like gown rose extremely high.
Her round, straight legs were crossed together, exposed to the air without the slightest concealment.
She wore no shoes. Her toes lightly tapped the void, gleaming with a faint pearly luster.
Haiyue.
Like the woman herself, the name was cold and aloof, yet carried deadly temptation.
She slightly raised her head. Her glazed eyes watched the Heavenly Curtain, and a playful smile curved across her lips.
"Exposed, have we?"
"It seems this quiet place of ours is about to become lively."
Her voice was ethereal and distant, like the song of a Sea Siren.
"I hope a few worthy guests come."
"My Cloud Butterflies have been hungry for a very long time."
"If they aren't even qualified to become puppets, that would be far too boring."
Below the main hall.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman in white snow robes leaned over the railing.
It was Snow Empress in human form.
Looking at the woman on the throne, whom even she feared, Snow Empress asked:
"Since we're ranked second already."
"Does that mean we'll soon meet... Lord Li Xin, whom you often mention?"
Heaven Dou City, Tang Sect's temporary headquarters.
Tang San stood before the window.
He was the inheritor of the Sea God's Nine Trials.
In his understanding, the sea should have been the Sea God's private garden—Tang San's future personal domain.
From the moment the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud acknowledged him as its master, he had already regarded the Sea Area surrounding this continent as his own possession.
But now, reality had delivered him a resounding slap across the face.
Where had this Haiyue Empire come from?
It commanded the four seas and had annexed the Far North.
Not only did countless Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts pledge allegiance to it, it also possessed that terrifying technology known as the "Cloud Butterfly."
Compared to it, he, a Sea God inheritor still undergoing his trials, was like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
A frustration he had never felt before, mixed with the flames of jealousy, burned fiercely within his chest.
Tang San took a deep breath and forcibly calmed the surging Soul Power within him.
This feeling was terrible.
It was like a peerless treasure he had already reserved for himself being snatched away by a bandit who had appeared from nowhere.
And that bandit was stronger and wealthier than him.
"Like a frog at the bottom of a well..."
Tang San's lips moved slightly. When he uttered those words, his mouth was filled with bitterness.
He had believed that after crushing Spirit Hall and establishing Tang Sect, he would stand at the peak of the continent.
Now, it seemed the vastness of this world far exceeded his imagination.
Before these two great powers, humans were as fragile as dying candles in the wind.
"No."
Tang San suddenly shook his head, and the dejection in his eyes vanished completely.
In its place was a gloomy yet resolute gleam.
What did he have to fear?
No matter how strong the Haiyue Empire was, it was still merely a mortal power.
But he, Tang San, had the God Realm behind him!
Not only the Sea God.
The Clear Sky Hammer martial soul within him also contained the killing aura of the Asura God.
That was the supreme Asura God, one of the Five Great Law Enforcers of God Realm!
Having backing in the God Realm was his greatest source of confidence.
Before you continue