The blood-red expanse didn't last long. Just as everyone thought they were about to witness the arrival of an peerless God of Slaughter—
"Crash!"
A wave seemed to surge in from antiquity, drowning out the murderous intent that had shot into the sky.
Above the Sky Screen, the suffocating blood-red was swallowed in an instant by an endless azure.
The waves surged, embracing all rivers.
A vast, profound aura that embraced all things yet contained devastating power replaced the aura of slaughter that had come before.
The original blood-red characters were washed away by seawater and transformed into sparkling, crystal-clear azure letters:
[Top Ten Hidden Powerhouses, Third Place] [Bo Saixi] [Identity: High Priestess of Sea God Island, Sea God Douluo, Spokesperson of the Sea God] [Martial Soul: Sea God] [Level: Level 99 Limit Douluo (Demigod)] [Special State: Borrowing the Sea God's Power, invincible beneath godhood while at sea] [Assessment: Invincible in the ocean, peerless in grace. She is the only woman among the three Peerless Douluo, and the guardian of the sea. She presides over Sea God Island and commands countless Sea Soul Beasts. She possesses the authority to command the power of the sea. In the ocean, she is its true sovereign. Even Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen, who are also Level 99, would surely lose if they fought her at sea. She, too, is waiting—for the one who can draw the Sea God Trident. Even if the price is also... sacrifice.]
The scene suddenly pulled back.
It was no longer the icy plains of the Far North, nor the sky ten thousand meters above the ground, but an endless, raging sea.
Waves hundreds of meters high surged like walls of water crashing down from the heavens, as if they would smash the entire world to pieces.
Yet before this apocalyptic force of nature, a figure dressed in a scarlet robe hovered quietly above the sea.
She was a breathtakingly beautiful woman who looked to be barely over thirty, noble and elegant, holding a golden scepter three meters long.
Facing the oncoming tsunami, she merely raised the scepter in her hand.
"Still."
Her red lips parted, uttering a single word.
In the next instant, the terrifying wave, powerful enough to destroy a coastal city, instantly gentled like a well-behaved pet. It became a rippling stream that tenderly lifted her feet.
The scene shifted.
Several ten-thousand-year-old Sea Soul Beasts, each over a hundred meters long, and even a hundred-thousand-year-old Demon Soul Great White Shark, swam merrily around her, bowing their heads in homage.
She stood between sea and sky, her red robe billowing, like the true empress of this boundless ocean.
Spirit Hall, Worship Hall.
Qian Daoliu had finally calmed down, but the instant he saw that red figure, a ripple passed through his eyes, which had seen through the ways of the world.
It was longing, bitterness, and a love he had buried deep in his heart.
"Bo Saixi..."
Qian Daoliu murmured, unconsciously tightening his clasped hands behind his back.
"At sea, I truly am no match for you."
"I never thought that after all these years, you'd still be as radiant as ever."
Golden Crocodile Douluo saw the complicated expression on his Grand Worship's face and wisely chose to keep quiet.
As a powerhouse of the older generation, he naturally knew of that story from the past.
Grand Worship Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen of the Clear Sky Sect, and Bo Saixi of Sea God Island.
The entanglement between the three was arguably the most legendary—and most tragic—story of their era.
Moonlight Pavilion, Heaven Dou Empire.
A woman of elegant, noble bearing played the qin with graceful poise. She was Tang San's aunt, Tang Yuehua.
When she saw the words "Bo Saixi" on the Sky Screen, and the name "Tang Chen" mentioned in the assessment, one of the strings snapped with a twang.
"Elder Brother..."
Tears filled her beautiful eyes as she looked out the window.
Since Qian Daoliu was still alive, and Bo Saixi was still alive, then her eldest uncle Tang Chen, hailed as invincible on land, must still be somewhere in this world!
But if he was still alive, why hadn't he returned to the Clear Sky Sect all these years, not even once?
Tea house, Suotuo City.
"Invincible in the ocean? She's just taking advantage of the terrain."
Gu Yuena looked at the woman surrounded by Sea Soul Beasts, a chill flashing through her eyes.
"The Sea God... Hmph. That fellow stole the authority over the ocean."
"If not for what happened back then..."
She didn't continue, but Gu Yuan understood what she meant.
During the age of the Dragon God, the Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King had fallen, greatly weakening the dragons' control over the elements. That was what allowed the human gods who came later to seize their opportunity and divide up the authority over the sea and sky.
"Bo Saixi is actually rather pitiful, too."
Gu Yuan watched the Sky Screen and gently shook his head.
"Like Qian Daoliu, she's a servant of the gods, a sacrifice meant to open the Godhood Inheritance."
"She loves Tang Chen deeply, yet her identity as High Priestess means she can never leave Sea God Island."
"And the moment the successor she's waiting for appears will be the moment her life comes to an end."
At the name "Tang Chen," Gu Yuena raised an eyebrow.
"Tang Chen? The one listed alongside Qian Daoliu in the assessment?"
"That's right."
A mysterious smile tugged at Gu Yuan's lips.
"Qian Daoliu ranks fourth, and Bo Saixi ranks third."
"So if nothing unexpected happens, second place should go to that 'Invincible on Land,' Tang Chen, who disappeared years ago."
"However..."
Gu Yuan's expression turned a little strange.
"The man he is now can probably no longer be called 'Tang Chen.'"
As if to prove Gu Yuan's words—
The azure ocean scene of Bo Saixi slowly faded from the Sky Screen.
Then—
The terrifying blood-red that had appeared for a fleeting moment before surged back once more!
This time, it was denser and more frenzied than before!
The entire sky seemed to split open, spilling thick, viscous blood.
A wild laugh, evil and depraved yet utterly domineering, rang across the entire Douluo Continent!
"Ha ha ha ha! Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Along with that spine-chilling laughter, two blood-soaked characters, brimming with boundless murderous intent, slammed into everyone's vision:
[Top Ten Hidden Powerhouses, Second Place]
The nauseating stench of blood seemed to seep through the Sky Screen and into everyone's nostrils.
[Tang Chen]
[Identity: Former Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, one of the three Peerless Douluo of this age, failed successor to the Asura God's godhood, King of Slaughter of Slaughter City]
[Martial Soul: Clear Sky Hammer]
[Level: Level 99 Limit Douluo (Demigod, Fallen)]
[Special State: Parasitized by the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King, consciousness sealed, reduced to a puppet of slaughter]
[Assessment:
He once swore, "I won't return until I become a god," all so he could be worthy of the one he loved.
His talent and brilliance were peerless. Wielding the Clear Sky Hammer, he swept the world undefeated and was hailed as "Invincible on Land."
Yet at the most crucial moment of the Asura God Trial, he was disrupted by the Rakshasa God's evil thoughts and lost control of himself.
The Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King seized the opportunity, infested his body, and devoured his soul.
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