The ship cut through the morning mist, slowly sailing toward the mainland.
On the deck, the sea breeze carried a damp chill as it swept over them. The newly risen sun dyed the ocean gold and crimson.
Sea Dragon Douluo gazed at the sun rising over the sea. After a moment of silence, he finally couldn't help asking, "Xiao Qing, do you really not want to stay on Sea God Island?"
Ye Qing leaned against the railing, looking out at the distant horizon. His tone was calm. "It's not that I don't want to stay. It's just not the right place for me."
He turned to Sea Dragon Douluo and continued, "If I'd awakened a water-type Martial Soul, like a sea horse or a shark, then of course I'd be happy to stay on Sea God Island and cultivate. But my Martial Soul is the Seraphim. Light and fire are my true nature. The water energy on Sea God Island is abundant, and though it can nourish Soul Power, it runs counter to my Martial Soul's attributes. Cultivating there would get half the results for twice the effort."
"Lord Sea God thinks highly of me, and I'm deeply grateful. But I know even better that strength is the foundation for everything."
Ye Qing paused, then replied, "So when Big Sister Bo Saixi asks Lord Sea God for permission, he'll agree to let me leave. Finding the Heart of the Sea God is one reason. But letting me grow in an environment better suited to me is probably the more important one."
Sea Dragon Douluo listened to his explanation and couldn't help sighing, a trace of helplessness in his eyes.
He thought of Bo Saixi.
When Bo Saixi awakened her Martial Soul at six, it was the rare Sea God Martial Soul. Her Innate Soul Power was an astonishing level twenty, and her talent was dazzling. Everyone had thought she would become the perfect inheritor of the Sea God.
But in the end, she only received the Eight Trials of the Sea God.
That wasn't to say the eight trials were bad. After all, they had allowed her to cultivate to level ninety-nine and become the unquestioned Grand Pontiff of Sea God Island.
But behind that glory lay a heavy fate.
The moment the true inheritor of the Sea God appeared, she, as the Grand Pontiff, would have to sacrifice herself to open the gates of the inheritance and make way for them.
The Nine Trials, on the other hand, meant a true Godhood Inheritance.
During the process, the inheritor could hold the same status as the Grand Pontiff. And upon succeeding, they could ascend to the Divine Realm and enjoy eternal life.
Sea Dragon Douluo had once thought he'd never live to see the inheritor of the Nine Trials appear.
After all, Bo Saixi's talent was there for all to see.
Who could have imagined that, barely a century later, a new master of Sea God Island would arrive?
And this new master's Martial Soul was an angel, the very opposite of the sea.
To be honest, even now, he couldn't understand the Sea God's intentions.
Why ignore Bo Saixi, who had the Sea God Martial Soul, and choose someone with the Seraphim instead?
Could the Seraphim really be of a higher quality than the Sea God Martial Soul?
He shook his head, pushing the absurd thought aside.
Whatever the reason, the Sea God's decision could not be questioned.
His mission on this journey was not only to escort Ye Qing to retrieve the Heart of the Sea God, but also to find a way to make the boy return to Sea God Island of his own free will and inherit that supreme godhood.
Come to think of it, he was truly envious.
How many Soul Masters spent their entire lives risking everything for an ordinary Soul Ring, exhausting themselves for the faint hope of becoming a god?
And Ye Qing?
A divine inheritance had come knocking at his door. Even the Sea God Trident, a divine weapon of such stature, had been sent to protect him before he'd even passed the trials.
At the dock earlier, when Sea Dragon Douluo had watched the Sea God Trident turn into a beam of golden light and sink into Ye Qing's brow, he'd almost felt as if he were questioning the very meaning of life.
Comparing people really could make you furious.
"Uncle Sea Dragon, what are you thinking about?" Seeing him lost in thought, Ye Qing couldn't help asking.
Sea Dragon Douluo snapped out of it and smiled. "Nothing. I was just thinking that the mainland is no Sea God Island. People's hearts are hard to fathom. Since you've never been there before, listen and observe, and don't act rashly."
"I understand."
Ye Qing nodded. "With you here, Uncle Sea Dragon, I know what to do."
Sea Dragon Douluo looked at his composed manner and nodded to himself.
Though the boy was young, he was far more mature than others his age, and he had a mind of his own.
Perhaps it was precisely this temperament that made the Sea God think so highly of him.
He said no more, turning to the other side of the deck to release his Soul Power and survey the surroundings.
Across the vast sea, apart from the occasional fish leaping above the surface, there was nothing unusual for now.
But he dared not let his guard down. This journey concerned not only the Heart of the Sea God, but also the future hope of Sea God Island.
Half a month of sailing passed in the blink of an eye.
When the coastline appeared in view, Ye Qing knew they had finally reached the mainland.
The two didn't head straight for Heaven Dou City. Instead, they decided to take a detour to the Star Dou Great Forest.
That was because he still hadn't added a Soul Ring to his Seraphim Martial Soul.
Another half month passed.
The two stood on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest, gazing at the primeval forest that blotted out the sky and stretched beyond sight. Even Sea Dragon Douluo, who was used to the wonders of Sea God Island, couldn't help exclaiming, "So this is the Star Dou Great Forest? It truly lives up to its reputation. Just the concentration of Soul Power here is several times higher than outside."
The roars of Soul Beasts drifted from deep within the forest, wild and ferocious, yet filled with vibrant life.
Ye Qing nodded. "They say this place is home to countless kinds of Soul Beasts, in numbers too great to count. As long as you're not terribly unlucky, you can almost always find a Soul Ring that suits you."
Sea Dragon Douluo laughed at that, looking at Ye Qing with a hint of teasing. "I didn't expect you to know more than I do. Looks like you'd planned to come here for a while."
Ye Qing chuckled. "Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never be defeated. Since I decided to come, of course I did my homework. I couldn't very well wait until the last minute and try to cram, could I? What do you think, Uncle Sea Dragon?"
"Well said!"
Sea Dragon Douluo laughed heartily, then asked, "You're right. We should be prepared. So tell me, what do you have in mind for your first two Soul Rings?"
Ye Qing pondered for a moment before stating his requirements. "First, they must have light or fire attributes, like a phoenix or some other Soul Beast. Second, they must be at least a thousand years old."
"What?!"
The smile on Sea Dragon Douluo's face instantly froze at the number. His eyes widened, and he asked in disbelief, "A thousand years?"
He wasn't surprised by the first requirement.
The Seraphim Martial Soul was inherently associated with light and fire.
So choosing Soul Rings with light or fire attributes made perfect sense. There was nothing wrong with that.
But the second requirement was outrageous!
For an ordinary Soul Master, the first Soul Ring could withstand only a little over four hundred years, while the second could manage no more than eight hundred.
Even Bo Saixi hadn't chosen to absorb a thousand-year Soul Ring back then.
That was something only a Soul Master at the Soul Elder level or above could manage!
"Xiao Qing, do you know what you're saying?"
When he recovered, Sea Dragon Douluo's voice was tight as he explained, "Do you know how violent the energy in a thousand-year Soul Ring is? Even with your extraordinary talent, you might not be able to withstand it! If anything goes wrong, the Grand Pontiff will skin me alive when we get back!"
Ye Qing had expected him to object and explained, "Don't worry, Uncle Sea Dragon. Before leaving Sea God Island, I absorbed a piece of top-grade Whale Rubber. It greatly tempered my physique, and my body is already far stronger than that of a Soul Master at the same level. With the sacred nature of my Seraphim Martial Soul as well, absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring shouldn't be a problem."