He whipped around to glare at Bo Saixi. Fire practically blazed in his deep sea-blue eyes as he snarled, "Not a match? Even if we're not a match, we still have to compete! And if I really can't beat her..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Bo Saixi's face, still breathtakingly beautiful even after a century. An absurd thought, tinged with a hint of throwing caution to the wind, flashed through his mind.
The words nearly burst from him. "If I really can't beat her, I'll marry you off to him! We'll use your beauty as a weapon! I refuse to believe that old woman, the Angel God, can be more ruthless than I am. I've set my sights on this successor. There's no way I'll let her snatch him away at the last moment!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to get angry at himself for coming up with such a ridiculous idea. Or perhaps he simply couldn't be bothered to look at Bo Saixi's stunned, blank expression any longer. Divine light abruptly gathered around him, and with a sharp pop, the watery screen shattered, dissolving into flecks of blue light.
The Sea God's divine consciousness had withdrawn. He returned to the Divine Realm to brood while keeping an eye on the Angel God Temple.
Silence settled over the Sea God Hall once more.
Bo Saixi stood where she was, frozen for a good ten seconds.
The Sea God's final words kept exploding in her mind like thunderclaps.
What did he mean... he'd marry her off to him?
What did he mean by using her beauty as a weapon?
What in the world was he talking about?
She was nearly a hundred years old!
Though her cultivation was profound and her appearance had never aged, she was still that old.
How old was that boy, Ye Qing?
Six!
He was just a little runt who'd only just awakened his Martial Soul!
"This... this is just..."
Bo Saixi pressed a hand to her forehead, dizzy and at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
Never mind whether she'd agree. Had Lord Sea God forgotten to ask the other party, Ye Qing, what he thought?
Would that child even agree?
Did he know what marriage was?
Besides, she was a woman nearing a hundred. How could Ye Qing possibly be interested in her?
"Lord Sea God has really lost his mind from being riled up by the Angel God..."
Bo Saixi sighed helplessly and shook her head, trying to cast aside those jumbled thoughts.
The urgent matter wasn't to dwell on this ridiculous proposal. It was to find out what was going on between Ye Qing and Sea Dragon!
She turned and hurried out of the Sea God Hall.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, and the sea breeze brushed her face, carrying a salty tang.
The distant sea glittered, its surface calm and peaceful.
But in Bo Saixi's heart, it was as if a boulder had plunged into a lake. No matter what, she couldn't find peace.
She walked to the cliff's edge, her beautiful eyes fixed on the distant mainland. Her gaze seemed to pierce the boundless ocean and fall upon Spirit City—the place that had her grinding her teeth with rage right now.
"Sea—Dragon—"
Her red lips parted, and she uttered those two words.
Her voice was quiet, but it carried a bone-chilling coldness and a fury that made her grit her teeth.
"You'd better have a perfect, reasonable explanation that can convince me!"
"Otherwise... when you get back, I'll tie you up and toss you into the deep sea to feed that giant whale!"
At that very moment, Sea Dragon Douluo, far away in Spirit Hall, shuddered. A chill inexplicably crept up his back.
He was in a secluded courtyard arranged by Pope Palace, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan. His brows were furrowed, and his face was full of anxiety.
Every so often, he looked up toward Douluo Hall.
That was the entrance to the Angel Secret Realm. Ye Qing and Qian Daoliu had gone inside some time ago.
"Why haven't they come out yet? What if something happened? That old Qian Daoliu wouldn't do anything to hurt Xiao Qing, would he? No, the Angel God is there... but what if the Angel God..."
All sorts of thoughts raced through his mind, and the more he thought, the more anxious he became.
"Sea Dragon, can you stop pacing? You're making my eyes dizzy."
Nearby, Pope Qian Xunji sat by the stone table, leisurely sipping his tea.
He looked at Sea Dragon Douluo's restless state and smiled with a touch of helplessness.
Sea Dragon Douluo stopped in his tracks and shot Qian Xunji an annoyed look. "Stop pacing? How am I supposed to do that? My God Child is in there. How can I not worry?"
Qian Xunji set down his teacup and gestured for him to sit. "Worrying here won't do any good. Why don't we talk?"
Sea Dragon Douluo hesitated, but eventually sat opposite Qian Xunji. His body remained ramrod straight, his face full of wariness. "Talk about what? I don't think we have anything to discuss."
He still remembered how Spirit Hall had tried to bring Sea God Island under its control, and the conflict that had erupted between them.
Qian Xunji didn't take offense. He poured Sea Dragon Douluo a cup of hot tea himself and slid it over, speaking in an even tone. "Don't be so tense. I just wanted to ask about the child in there. His name is Ye Qing, right? I heard he only awakened his Martial Soul recently?"
Sea Dragon Douluo nodded. "That's right."
It wasn't a secret, so there was no need to hide it.
Qian Xunji continued, "As it happens, I have a daughter too. Her name is Qian Renxue. She also awakened her Martial Soul not long ago. It's the Six-Winged Angel, and her Innate Soul Power is level twenty."
Sea Dragon Douluo's eyes flickered, and he offered a sincere word of praise. "The Six-Winged Angel, with a full twenty levels of Innate Soul Power... Your daughter's talent is peerless. Spirit Hall has a bright future ahead. Congratulations, Your Holiness."
That talent truly ranked among the best on the continent. Any faction would covet it.
"And then?"
He offered the praise, but Sea Dragon Douluo hadn't forgotten that Qian Xunji wouldn't bring this up without a reason.
A smile appeared on Qian Xunji's face. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. "Sea Dragon, though Spirit Hall and Sea God Island have had some grievances in the past, there's an old saying: it's better to resolve a feud than to keep it alive. There are no eternal enemies in this world, only eternal interests. Don't you agree?"
A faint alarm bell rang in Sea Dragon Douluo's mind, but he kept his expression calm and nodded. "What you say makes sense."
He wanted to see what Qian Xunji was really up to.
Seeing that he hadn't immediately objected, Qian Xunji's smile deepened. He slowly revealed his plan. "My thought is, since both children are so exceptional and close in age, why don't our families form a marriage alliance?"
"A marriage alliance?" Sea Dragon Douluo froze.
"Right. Let's arrange a betrothal between them while they're young."
Qian Xunji spoke earnestly. "Once they've both grown up, we can let them marry. Then Spirit Hall and Sea God Island will be family. We can put past grievances behind us and support each other in the future. With that kind of alliance, what couldn't we accomplish in this world? It would benefit both children and both our sides. What do you think?"
Sea Dragon Douluo held his teacup and sat there, completely dumbfounded.
He'd considered a thousand possibilities, but never imagined Qian Xunji had this in mind!
A marriage alliance?
He wanted the Sea God's successor and Spirit Hall's heir to be betrothed as children?
This... it was all too much to take in. For a moment, he had no idea how to respond.
Inside the Angel Secret Realm.
Qian Daoliu's eyes flew wide open. He could hardly believe his ears.
Give... give what?
A wife?
Lord Angel God, what were you talking about?
Could you just give someone away like that?
And give her to the Sea God's successor, no less?
Were you planning to openly defy the Sea God now?
He instinctively glanced at Ye Qing beside him.
The child looked just as bewildered, his little mouth hanging open. Clearly, the sudden, extravagant gift had left him reeling too.
Ye Qing really was stunned.
He looked at the peerlessly beautiful, sacred, and untouchable Angel God before him, then glanced down at his own little body, which hadn't even finished growing. A huge question mark slowly formed in his mind.
"Angel Sister, you're super pretty, but wouldn't it be a little inappropriate for you to be my wife? I-I'm still little."
"..."
"..."
Qian Daoliu turned to stone.
In the holy light, the amused smile on the Angel God's flawless, stunning face froze in an instant, as if an invisible divine thunderbolt had struck her.
For the first time, her golden eyes held a clear emotion: shock.
The entire Angel Secret Realm fell into dead silence.