21: Sea God's Heart

At Seven Treasure Hotel, in a private room, after three rounds of wine and five courses of food.

The waiter cleared the table, brought over a pot of tea, then silently left the private room.

"Mr. Zhongli, after Imperial Father learned that you had become a guest adviser of my residence, he bestowed upon you one million Gold Soul Coins and ten chests of jewels."

As he spoke, "Xue Qinghe" took out a golden card from his new Storage Soul Tool and placed it on the table.

It was a savings card, one accepted throughout Douluo Continent.

It was rather strange, really. Douluo Continent had savings cards and card readers.

Yet its other technologies were not particularly advanced.

The Soul Tools in use today were mostly relics left behind from ancient times.

For example, the lights and sound-amplifying Soul Tools in the Soul Fighting Arena.

"Xue Qinghe" also took out the ten chests of jewels one by one and placed them beside Paimon.

What "Xue Qinghe" could not understand was Paimon.

She clearly did not have a Storage Soul Tool, yet merely touching physical objects allowed her to store them as though she did?

Could this little fellow's ability be related to the spatial attribute?

If that was true, then once Paimon grew stronger, she would be incredible!

Before Zhongli could say anything, Paimon rubbed her hands together and hurriedly put away the chests containing the jewels.

"We're rich, we're rich!"

"Zhongli, from now on, we won't..."

Suddenly, Paimon seemed to recall something, and the smile on her face froze.

"Zhongli spends money so freely. These Gold Soul Coins probably won't last long, right?"

Thinking of how he had behaved whenever they went shopping in the past gave Paimon a headache!

"Thank your Imperial Father for me."

Zhongli clasped his hands and spoke calmly.

Xue Ye: I bestowed so many things upon him, yet he was not even willing to address me as Emperor Xue Ye!

Zhongli silently placed the savings card on the table into his pocket.

Sometimes, buying breakfast and such still required money.

He just did not know whether he would forget to bring it.

Zhongli truly had no real concept of money...

Originally, Zhongli had thought Xue Ye's gifts ended there. Unexpectedly, "Xue Qinghe" took out another item. Upon seeing it, he was momentarily stunned.

"Wow, what is this?"

Paimon hurriedly flew over to "Xue Qinghe's" side, her large eyes fixed on the item.

It emitted an azure glow and was diamond-shaped. There were no visible traces of polishing, as though it had formed naturally.

As Zhongli stared at it, it stared back at Zhongli.

The two faced each other in silence.

"???"

"Paimon, this is the national treasure of the Heaven Dou Empire, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud!"

"It is a Soul Tool passed down from ancient times!"

The Heaven Dou Imperial Family knew that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud could attack and defend.

However, they did not know that it was an item of inheritance from the Sea God.

The direct descendants of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family did not possess particularly powerful Soul Power or formidable combat strength.

Thus, this treasure had always been kept on a shelf and left unused.

"Imperial Father gave it to Mr. Zhongli..."

As for the rest, "Xue Qinghe" did not say it aloud. Asking "Zhongli" to save the Heaven Dou Empire in its hour of peril? How could such words possibly come from her mouth?

"Mm..."

Zhongli fell silent. This Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud was an extremely important opportunity for Tang San. Without it, even with Twin Martial Souls, Tang San could not possibly obtain the Sea God Nine Trials.

In Poseidon's view, an inheritor had to gain the recognition of the Sea God's Heart and master it before there was any possibility of passing the Sea God Nine Trials.

Without the Sea God's Heart's assistance, attempting the Sea God Nine Trials was simply courting death.

Naturally, he would not allow his inheritor to court death.

Without the Sea God's Heart, no matter how exceptional one's talent was or how much potential one had to become a god, he would only grant the Sea God Eight Trials.

"I already placed the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well into my Inner Scenery. Whether I take this Sea God's Heart or not seems to make little difference, doesn't it?"

"Asura should guide Tang San toward obtaining the God Position of another deity..."

After helping Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan resolve their poisoning problem, Dugu Bo had given the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to Zhongli as payment.

A-Ping knew the art of Inner Scenery. As the Ancestor of All Immortals, how could Zhongli possibly not know it?

Before Dugu Bo's astonished gaze, Zhongli had directly moved away the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well...

"Qinghe, do you know what this truly is?"

Zhongli did not immediately put away the Sea God's Heart. Instead, he asked "Xue Qinghe."

It was rather strange when one thought about it.

Logically speaking, "Xue Qinghe" was not yet the inheritor of the Angel God, because she had not gone to undergo a God Trial. At most, she could be considered a descendant of the Angel God.

Her talent ranked among the very best in the entire Douluo world, yet even with such talent...

Why had the Sea God's Heart not actively acknowledged her as its master while in her possession?

Was "Xue Qinghe" unworthy?

Upon hearing this, "Xue Qinghe" froze, somewhat confused.

She had brought this item herself, so she naturally knew what it was. She had even just explained it to Paimon.

Zhongli's sudden question instead made her feel slightly unaccustomed.

"Please enlighten me, sir."

"Xue Qinghe" clasped his hands and said.

"This is an item of inheritance from the Sea God Poseidon—the Sea God's Heart."

"Rumble!"

The moment those words fell, "Xue Qinghe" felt as though she had been struck by lightning.

She did not yet know much about who Poseidon was.

But the Sea God...

A god!

"As long as one gains its recognition, one can travel to Sea God Island, obtain the Sea God's inheritance, and become the new Sea God."

"Gasp—"

"Xue Qinghe" sucked in a sharp breath. Her expression changed drastically as she looked again at the Sea God's Heart in her hand.

The Heaven Dou Imperial Family actually possessed such a supreme treasure!

Zhongli... he, he actually recognized it!

Wait, since Zhongli knew this was the Sea God's Heart, why had he not simply taken it? Why tell her about it instead?

Was he not afraid that she would take it back?

This was an opportunity to become a god!

Suddenly, "Xue Qinghe" seemed to think of something, and her expression became exceedingly strange.

In the dream, Tang San had become the Sea God!

Could this have originally been Tang San's opportunity?

Thinking of the dream, "Xue Qinghe" glanced sideways at Zhongli.

Whenever this man acted, the Angel God, Rakshasa God, Sea God, and Asura God were all suppressed without the slightest ability to fight back.

It was understandable that he looked down on the Sea God's inheritance and spoke of it so directly.

After thinking for a moment, "Xue Qinghe" made a decision.

If she brought the Sea God's Heart back, it might end up in Tang San's hands in the future for all sorts of inexplicable reasons. She might as well give it to Zhongli. In any case, it was of little use in his hands.

Could it be that he would inherit the legacy of a deity weaker than himself?

Clearly, that was impossible.

After taking a deep breath, "Xue Qinghe" finally spoke. "Thank you for informing me, sir."

"Sir's strength has already reached the realm of a Titled Douluo. With the Sea God's Heart's assistance, perhaps one day you may break through level one hundred and become a deity!"

Upon hearing this, Zhongli had yet to say anything when Paimon frowned, looked at Zhongli, and subconsciously...