The two of them moved at incredible speed. In moments, they had crossed the waters controlled by the Demon Soul Great White Sharks and arrived above the beach on the outskirts of Sea God Island.
Qian Daoliu stopped first, drifting down onto the soft, white sand without disturbing a single grain.
Qian Renxue followed close behind. Her six wings folded away, their golden light subdued, and she landed steadily beside her grandfather.
Only with her feet on solid ground did Qian Renxue truly feel how different this overseas paradise was.
The sand beneath her feet was fine and white, warm from the sun.
The air was rich with moisture and the fresh fragrance of trees and grass, utterly unlike the solemn, sacred atmosphere of Spirit Hall or the bustling clamor of Heaven Dou City.
In the distance, lush vegetation bursting with tropical charm stretched out, dotted here and there with oddly shaped white buildings.
Farther still, a towering mountain rose from the earth. The outline of a magnificent palace seemed to crown its summit, glittering in the sunlight and radiating an awe-inspiring majesty and sacredness.
"So this is Sea God Island..." Qian Renxue murmured, light rippling in her violet eyes.
Everything here was new to her, and it only deepened her curiosity about the Sea God Inheritor, whom she had never met.
What kind of person could someone chosen by the Sea God be, growing up in a place like this?
However, her enjoyment of the scenery did not last long.
Almost as soon as they landed, several powerful presences swiftly approached from deep within the island, brimming with undisguised vigilance and hostility.
The foremost presence was the most immense and overwhelming, carrying the ocean's depth and a giant dragon's majesty. It descended before them in an instant.
Blue light flashed, revealing a burly, imposing figure. He strode forward with the air of a dragon and tiger, his features stern and resolute. Blue dragon-scale armor covered him, and the faint phantom of a blue dragon coiled around him. He was none other than Sea Dragon Douluo, the guardian of the foremost of Sea God Island's Seven Sacred Pillars!
Sea Dragon Douluo's sharp, knife-like gaze immediately fixed on Qian Daoliu. When he recognized the uninvited guest, his already stern brows knotted together, and his eyes filled with undisguised displeasure—and a hint of exasperation.
Why was this old geezer here again?!
How long had it even been since his last visit?
Wasn't he going to let anyone have some peace and quiet?
His gaze then fell on the golden-haired, violet-eyed girl beside Qian Daoliu, whose beauty was peerless and whose bearing was sacred and noble. Surprise flickered through his eyes, followed by even deeper wariness and confusion.
Why had this old bird brought a little girl here?
Judging by her age and aura... could she be his granddaughter?
Had he brought her here to meet the family?
Or... was there some other scheme?
"Qian Daoliu!"
Sea Dragon Douluo's voice boomed like muffled thunder, thick with hostility, as he demanded, "Why are you here again? You're not welcome on Sea God Island! And why bring a girl this time? What are you planning?"
Faced with Sea Dragon Douluo's blunt questioning, Qian Daoliu did not get angry. Instead, a meaningful smile appeared on his face.
He stepped forward and, under Sea Dragon Douluo's wary gaze, reached out and patted his broad shoulder with familiar ease.
Sea Dragon Douluo was taken aback. He instinctively tried to dodge, only to discover that some invisible force had sealed the space around him. He could not move!
As shock gripped him at the finesse with which Qian Daoliu controlled his power, he heard the other man lower his voice, speaking with a teasing air and an unmistakable note of declaration:
"Sea Dragon, don't always be so hot-tempered. Mind how you speak to me... Maybe, once today is over, our two families will be related."
Related?!
Sea Dragon Douluo's pupils contracted. He whipped his gaze toward Qian Daoliu, then looked at the peerlessly beautiful golden-haired girl behind him. A wildly absurd thought flashed through his mind, and his eyes flew wide. His mouth fell open, but he could not utter a word.
Qian Daoliu paid no further attention to Sea Dragon Douluo, who was left stunned and dumbfounded. He withdrew his hand, beckoned to Qian Renxue behind him, and said casually, "Xiao Xue, let's go straight to Sea God Hall. Bo Saixi should already be waiting."
Then, without another glance at Sea Dragon Douluo, he set off toward the temple atop the towering Sea God Mountain at the island's center, as if he knew the roads of Sea God Island by heart.
Qian Renxue was somewhat puzzled by Sea Dragon Douluo's attitude, but it was not the time to ask.
She gave Sea Dragon Douluo, still frozen in place with his expression shifting through one emotion after another, a slight nod in greeting, then quickly followed Qian Daoliu.
That left Sea Dragon Douluo alone on the beach. The sea breeze stirred his blue hair, but he seemed not to notice. Qian Daoliu's words kept echoing wildly in his mind: Once today is over, our two families will be related...
Related? To Spirit Hall? To Qian Daoliu?!
Could it be... the High Priestess had really agreed?!
Sea Dragon Douluo's expression turned into a kaleidoscope of shock, confusion, unwillingness, and worry.
He stomped hard, making the ground tremble slightly. Without another thought, he turned into a streak of blue light and shot toward Sea God Hall. He had to find out immediately what was going on!
At that moment, deep inside Sea God Hall, in the High Priestess's private chamber.
Bo Saixi stood alone by the window, gazing at the vast, endless sea beyond it, trying to use its boundless blue to calm her turbulent thoughts.
But the image of that tender face wearing a sly smile, along with those outrageous words, kept surfacing at the worst moments, stirring her heart until she could find no peace.
"Phew..." She drew a long, deep breath. The crisp, moisture-laden air unique to Sea God Island filled her lungs, but it did nothing to quell the restlessness in her heart.
She raised her slender fingers and gently pressed them against her smooth forehead. It still seemed to hold the heat that had risen there that day from sheer embarrassment.
"I can't go on like this."
Bo Saixi murmured as if to bolster her resolve. "I'm the High Priestess of Sea God Island. I'm Bo Saixi. How can I let a child's jest unsettle me, to the point that I deliberately avoid him? Absurd!"
She tried to convince herself that her inexplicable unease was simply a normal reaction to being slighted by someone younger, along with her concern over the important business ahead: meeting with Spirit Hall.
Yes, that had to be it.
Once Qian Renxue arrived, the boy would have a proper betrothal candidate, and his attention would naturally shift. Everything would return to normal.
After working herself up this way for quite some time, Bo Saixi finally felt her heartbeat gradually settle, and the suspicious flush on her face slowly faded.
She straightened her bright red robe, smoothing out creases that were not even there, and once more assumed the High Priestess's dignified, sacred, untouchable bearing.
"It's time," she murmured. Then she turned and left the private chamber with steady, graceful steps, heading toward the side hall where Li Qing lived.
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