Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The sea breeze on Sea God Island remained warm and gentle, but the atmosphere inside Sea God Hall had quietly begun to change.
Ye Qing stood before Bo Saixi. Sunlight streamed through the hall windows and fell on him, making the Golden Trident mark on his forehead glow faintly.
He took a deep breath, then finally said the words he had been turning over in his mind for so long. "Sister Bo Saixi, I want to leave Sea God Island and see the mainland."
At his words, the smile on Bo Saixi's face instantly froze. A trace of panic flashed through her eyes, which usually held a warm smile.
She hurriedly crouched down to meet Ye Qing's gaze, her voice soft and tinged with an imperceptible nervousness. "Why do you suddenly want to leave? Is there something about Sea God Island that's making you uncomfortable? Or... has someone mistreated you?"
For the past few days, she had kept the Sea God's instructions close to heart, wishing she could pile every resource in front of Ye Qing. She was afraid of even the slightest mishap, lest the Angel God seize the advantage.
But she had never expected that, before she could even try to win him over, the child would be the one to bring up leaving.
That was no good sign. After all, Ye Qing was still so young, only a little over six years old.
Ye Qing shook his head and said softly, "Sea God Island is wonderful, and everyone's been very kind to me. It's just... I don't really like it here."
He paused, then added, "Besides, my Martial Soul is Seraphim, and its energy clashes with the water element on this island. It'll be inconvenient to obtain Soul Rings and advance my cultivation in the future."
What he didn't say was that the rules on Sea God Island were far too strict. Everywhere was steeped in sacred solemnity, leaving a transmigrator accustomed to freedom feeling completely out of place.
More importantly, the mainland was full of opportunities waiting for him to seize.
For example, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in Sunset Forest, and the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone Tang Hao had left in Holy Soul Village after Ah Yin's sacrifice.
Bo Saixi listened with her brows knitted tightly, silently groaning inwardly.
His reasons were perfectly reasonable, and she couldn't find anything to say in rebuttal.
After a moment of silence, she could only smile bitterly. "This matter... isn't up to me. You're now the Holy Son of Sea God Island. Your status is exalted, and you're still young, so we have to ask Lord Sea God for permission before you can leave the island."
She took Ye Qing's hand, her voice carrying a hint of persuasion. "Why don't you go back and think it over first? There are actually lots of interesting places on Sea God Island. I can take you to see Coral Sea Valley, or the thousand-year-old sea turtles. The scenery there..."
"Thank you, Sister Bo Saixi."
Ye Qing cut her off, his voice firm. "I've made up my mind."
Watching Ye Qing turn and walk away, Bo Saixi let out a long sigh and felt a headache coming on.
Over the past few days, she had thoroughly investigated Ye Qing's past.
Six years ago, someone had abandoned him by the sea. An orphanage took him in, and he had grown up without incident until the day his Martial Soul Awakening made him an overnight sensation.
She had thought he would follow the usual path: accept the inheritance, cultivate, undergo the trials, and finally have her make a sacrifice to open the gates of the Godhood Inheritance, allowing the Sea God's Light to shine upon the sea once more.
But who could have expected the Angel God to suddenly show up, followed by some sort of wager?
And now, even the person at the heart of it all wanted to run away.
Why was being Grand Pontiff so difficult?!
With no other choice, she went to the Sea God statue once more and reported Ye Qing's request in full.
A moment later, the Sea God's voice rang through the hall, carrying a hint of reluctance and displeasure. "Let him go."
Bo Saixi froze. "My lord?"
"Let him go to the mainland!"
The Sea God continued, giving his orders. "While he's there, have him bring back the Heart of the Sea God."
"The Heart of the Sea God?"
Bo Saixi was even more puzzled. "Hasn't it been lost for a long time? Where is a child like him supposed to find it?"
The Heart of the Sea God had been lost for over a thousand years. Even she, a Peerless Douluo at level ninety-nine, had never seen it.
And Ye Qing was only a child who had just awakened his Martial Soul.
"It's in the hands of the royal family in Heaven Dou City!"
The Sea God answered and explained, "Only when the Sea God Trident is fused with the Heart of the Sea God will it be a truly complete divine artifact. So even if he hadn't brought it up, I would have found a chance to send him to the mainland later."
Bo Saixi finally understood. "I see. This subordinate understands."
"Also!"
The Sea God's voice grew grave as he warned her and issued his demand. "No matter why that boy wants to leave, you must find a way to make him return of his own free will and take my place. If necessary... spare no cost."
"This subordinate obeys." Bo Saixi answered respectfully, though a hint of helplessness rose in her heart.
The child was firm in his resolve. She feared he wouldn't be easy to persuade.
Night had fallen, but the lamp was still lit in Ye Qing's room.
He held a palm-sized piece of Whale Rubber. It was smooth and warm, with a faint pearly sheen.
The shopkeeper had insisted on giving it to him that afternoon when he visited one of the island's stores, saying it was nearly ten thousand years old and greatly benefited the refinement of Soul Power.
He had planned to ask first and see if he could buy it on credit.
But because of his status as Holy Son, not only did they let him take it on credit—they gave it to him for free.
It left him feeling a little embarrassed.
Although people on the mainland didn't yet know the uses of Whale Rubber at this point in time, a top-grade piece that had reached ten thousand years of age was still worth quite a lot.
Just as Ye Qing was wondering how to ask Bo Saixi for help refining the Whale Rubber, her voice sounded from outside the door. "Xiao Qing, are you asleep? I have something to talk to you about."
Ye Qing quickly put the Whale Rubber in a wooden box and got up to open the door. "Sister Bo Saixi, I'm still awake. Come in."
As soon as the door opened, Bo Saixi appeared before him.
She wasn't wearing the red robe that marked her as Grand Pontiff. Instead, she had changed into a light blue dress.
The hem swayed softly as she walked, outlining her tall, graceful figure.
Her exposed legs were as fair as jade, and she wore a matching pair of high heels that clicked crisply against the floor.
Even Ye Qing, who had seen every kind of beauty filter the future had to offer, couldn't help admiring her inwardly.
Bo Saixi's beauty had an almost divine radiance.
She possessed both the grace of a woman seasoned by the years and a purity untouched by the dust of the world.
No wonder such peerless figures as Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen had fallen for her.
Even across the whole of Douluo Continent, her bearing ranked among the very best.
"What are you busy with?" Bo Saixi asked as she entered, her gaze casually sweeping over the wooden box on the table.
Ye Qing nudged the box aside and smiled. "Nothing much. I was just looking through some of the island's cultivation manuals. Did you come to talk about me leaving the island?"
Bo Saixi sat across from him and nodded, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "Lord Sea God has agreed to let you go to the mainland."
Ye Qing's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"But..." Bo Saixi changed her tone. "Lord Sea God has a task for you."
"What task?"
Ye Qing was a little confused and surprised.
The Sea God was giving him a task?
Seriously?
With his little bit of cultivation, what could he even do?