Tang San bit his lip, a trace of deep helplessness flashing in his eyes.
"It's not that they're too strong. It's that the laws of space in that world are too stable."
Tang San explained in a low voice, laying bare the heart of the matter.
"On Douluo Continent, divine power can tear through space with ease, causing destruction on a world-ending scale."
"But the density of spiritual energy and the spatial barriers in that Cultivation World are countless levels higher than those on Douluo Continent."
"Although Lord Sea God's divine power is immense, once it lands there, it's like pouring a basin of water into a vast, parched desert. The laws of that world forcibly dilute its power."
Hearing Tang San's analysis, a chill ran through the hearts of the Shrek crowd.
A dimensionality crush.
This was the most genuine kind of dimensionality crush.
A god who could do anything in a low-martial world would find it incredibly difficult to stir even the slightest ripple in a higher-dimensional world.
High above Heaven Luck Planet.
The Sea God stared at the cultivators below, all of whom were safe and sound, and was utterly dumbfounded.
He held his trident aloft, his hands beginning to ache faintly.
"Impossible!"
A storm surged through the Sea God's heart.
He knew exactly how much divine power he had used in that last strike. On Douluo Continent, it would have been enough to turn an entire ocean upside down.
Yet here, he hadn't even managed to break the Spirit Light Shields of a group of mortals?
As he watched the disdain gradually appear in the cultivators' eyes, the Sea God felt his face grow hot as if it were burning.
Anger, humiliation, and a trace of panic he was unwilling to admit even to himself surged up all at once.
"I refuse to believe there's a mortal shield in this world that I can't break!"
The Sea God roared.
He didn't want to keep testing the waters with these small fry.
There was only one way to reclaim the dignity of a god.
Defeat the strongest person in this place head-on!
The Sea God abruptly pointed the Golden Trident toward the vastest and most luxurious cluster of white jade palaces below.
"Listen up, you coward hiding down there!"
The Sea God's voice thundered through the sky.
"I know you're the one in charge here!"
"Don't use these small fry to put on a show. Since you had the guts to provoke me, then get out here!"
"I'll let you taste the edge of the Sea God Trident and show you what happens when you offend a god!"
The Sea God's challenge rang out with stirring bravado and imposing might.
But when his voice fell,
the scattered murmurs that had still lingered across the Floating Continent of Heaven Luck Planet vanished in an instant.
Every cultivator, from the lowly Qi Condensation disciples to the lofty Nascent Soul monsters,
fell silent in unison when they heard those words.
The amusement they had worn earlier disappeared.
Every gaze turned toward the Sea God, who was still striking a pose above them, with the strange look one gave a dead man.
Daring to point at Heavenly Fortune Master's abode on Heaven Luck Planet and call Heavenly Fortune Master a coward?
Even the great powers of the second step, who held absolute sway within the Cultivation Alliance, would have to weigh the consequences of such an act.
That wild god with the trident had just ripped a hole in the sky.
Just as everyone held their breath,
the sky above Heaven Luck Planet changed.
The illusion of a blue ocean, conjured by the Sea God Divine Power, vanished in an instant, as if someone had casually wiped it away with a rag.
In its place,
vast swathes of resplendent, seven-colored auspicious clouds appeared.
They converged from every direction, painting the entire sky into a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
A gentle breeze swept by, carrying the refreshing fragrance of strange medicinal herbs.
The tension stirred up by the Sea God's fury melted away in an instant beneath the caress of that breeze.
An indescribable serenity and peace enveloped the land.
The countless cultivators below saw the seven-colored auspicious clouds appear.
No one gave an order, and no one forced them.
Every person put away their magical treasures of their own accord, descended to the ground, and clasped their hands together in perfect unison, bowing deeply toward the sky.
"We welcome the Sect Master!"
More than a million cultivators spoke at once. Their voices held no killing intent, yet throbbed with a fervent faith that made one's scalp tingle.
As their earth-shaking welcome rang out,
the seven-colored auspicious clouds slowly parted.
An old man wearing a Seven-Colored Daoist Robe emerged from the clouds with a smile, strolling forward.
He had white hair and the youthful face of a child, with a kind and benevolent expression. A strand of white beard fluttered in the wind.
Not a trace of spiritual energy leaked from him. He looked like a wealthy gentleman with a gentle disposition, walking through a mortal marketplace.
But if one looked at him a little longer,
an illusion would arise.
It was as if this old man was the sky itself, the earth itself.
Just by standing there, he was the center of Heaven Luck Planet's laws, and the entire world revolved around him.
This was the absolute ruler of Heaven Luck Planet.
A monster among monsters—Heavenly Fortune Master!
Spirit City, Douluo Continent.
When Qian Daoliu saw the old man emerge, his pupils contracted to the size of needlepoints.
He even took an involuntary half-step back, cold sweat breaking out across his back.
"Great Enshrined?" Bibi Dong noticed Qian Daoliu's strange reaction and asked softly.
Qian Daoliu swallowed, pointing at Heavenly Fortune Master in the light screen with a slightly trembling finger.
"Terrifying..."
"Your Holiness, you haven't reached level ninety-nine, so you can't feel that level of power."
Qian Daoliu took a deep breath, his voice filled with profound despair.
"Vermilion Bird Master earlier, or Duntian of the Soul Refining Sect."
"Though they were strong, they were still within the realm of individual people. You could sense the pressure and killing intent coming from them."
"But this old man is different."
"He has returned to the source. He has fused his aura with heaven and earth."
Qian Daoliu paused, his expression complex.
"To stand before him is to stand against the very heavens and earth."
"Lord Sea God's divine power may be overbearing, but before the true Great Dao of heaven and earth, he's like a child with a wooden stick challenging a mountain."
Hearing Qian Daoliu's assessment, the entire Pope Palace fell into deathly silence.
The last sliver of hope in everyone's hearts was being snuffed out, bit by bit.
High above Heaven Luck Planet.
The Sea God frowned as he watched the old man in the Seven-Colored Daoist Robe approach him with a smile.
He felt something strange, too.
The other man hadn't done anything at all; he was merely standing there and smiling.
Yet the Sea God felt as though he had punched a ball of cotton. He could barely even keep hold of the heavy Golden Trident in his hand.
But he was a god, after all. The pride in his bones wouldn't let him retreat.
"Are you the master of this place?"
The Sea God snorted, pointing his trident at Heavenly Fortune Master.
"You look like nothing more than a mortal old man with one foot in the grave."
"Stop putting on a mysterious act in front of me. Since you've come out, take one of my strikes!"
Faced with the Sea God's aggressive attitude,
Heavenly Fortune Master didn't get angry. Instead, his smile grew even wider.
He didn't look at the trident pointed at him.
Instead, he studied the Sea God's body from head to toe with a profoundly deep gaze that held a hint of inexplicable fervor.
That look
wasn't at all like the way one looked at an evenly matched opponent.
It was more like a gourmand who had gone three days and nights without food, suddenly spotting an exquisite delicacy wafting with an enticing aroma.
"A god? The Sea God?"
Heavenly Fortune Master spoke with a beaming smile.
His voice was gentle as a spring breeze, making those who heard it feel as if they were bathing in one.
"Little friend, the composition of the power within you has truly opened my eyes."
With his hands behind his back, Heavenly Fortune Master walked through the air and slowly circled halfway around the Sea God.
As he went, he commented like a curious scholar.
"Your body is made up of the thoughts and Incense Wish Power of countless mortals."
"In our Cultivation World, some incense cultivators also gather this kind of power, but most of it is impure, tainted by the mortals' myriad emotions and desires."
Heavenly Fortune Master stopped, a trace of greed flickering in his eyes as he looked at the Sea God.
"But the Incense Wish Power within you is so pure that it even contains fragments of Heavenly Dao laws that have no place in our starry sky."
"Wonderful. Simply wonderful."
Heavenly Fortune Master stroked his beard with satisfaction, as if praising a perfect work of art.
The Sea God felt thoroughly uncomfortable under that gaze, as if he were a dish being inspected. A nameless anger rose in his heart.
He, the mighty Sea God, was being appraised like an exhibit!
"Old man, what nonsense are you spouting?"
The Sea God was furious and could no longer hold back.
"Shut up! Take this!"
The Sea God shouted, and the Divine Core within him instantly began operating beyond its limits.
Blue divine light dyed nearly half the sky the color of seawater.
Gripping the Golden Trident with both hands, he unleashed power enough to destroy the heavens and earth, bringing it down mercilessly toward Heavenly Fortune Master's head.
The strike was as fast as lightning and carried the weight of a mountain.
The air split apart, releasing a sharp sonic boom.
The spectators on Douluo Continent all held their breath, their eyes fixed on that streak of blue light.
Yet faced with this thunderous strike that was sure to land,
Heavenly Fortune Master merely stood there smiling, without even raising a hand.
When the sharp trident was less than half an inch from his head,
the Seven-Colored Daoist Robe on Heavenly Fortune Master's body glimmered faintly.
"Clang!"
A clear, resonant metallic clash rang out.
The Sea God felt that his all-out strike hadn't hit flesh.
Instead, it had struck a seemingly delicate but unbreakable shield of seven-colored light.
The shield rippled faintly, without even a hairline crack appearing.
Then a gentle but irresistible counterforce surged back along the trident's shaft, like a landslide sweeping down a mountain.
"Pfft!"
The Sea God felt his chest tighten and his throat turn sweet.
His massive body flew backward uncontrollably like a kite with its string cut, tumbling more than ten times through the air before he managed to steady himself.
He looked down. The webbing between the thumbs and forefingers of both hands gripping the trident had split open, and golden divine blood dripped down his wrists.
One strike.
No, Heavenly Fortune Master hadn't even made a move.
The recoil from his robe's protective shield alone had injured the lofty Sea God of Douluo Continent.
A deathly silence enveloped all of Douluo Continent.
On Sea God Island, the faithful who had been cheering just moments earlier stood frozen as if under a body-binding spell, their mouths agape and their faces pale.
Bo Saixi collapsed beneath the Sea God Pillar, tears instantly blurring her vision.
Their faith crumbled in an instant.
Before that smiling old man with his immortal bearing, the invincible Sea God in their hearts was as fragile as a baby waving a wooden stick.
In midair,
the Sea God wiped the golden blood from the corner of his mouth. At last, the once-arrogant face revealed an undisguised trace of terror.
He gazed at Heavenly Fortune Master, still smiling warmly in the distance, and for the first time felt a chill that rose from the depths of his soul.
Heavenly Fortune Master straightened his sleeves, rumpled by the fierce wind, then looked up at the Sea God.
The image on the Sky Screen froze on Heavenly Fortune Master's kindly smiling face.
In midair, the Sea God wiped the golden blood from the corner of his mouth. His normally haughty face was now covered in unmistakable shock and wariness.
He gripped the Golden Trident tightly, divine power surging wildly within him. He was ready to stake his life in one desperate fight.
Yet facing the Sea God's battle-ready stance, Heavenly Fortune Master showed no sign of anger.
He straightened the Seven-Colored Daoist Robe sleeve, ruffled by the fierce wind, then looked up at the Sea God.
His kindly smile held a boundless tolerance and compassion, like the vast starry sky.
"Since you've come all this way, young friend..."
Heavenly Fortune Master spoke gently, his voice like a spring breeze sweeping over the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which had run wild from their clash. In an instant, the atmosphere above Heaven Luck Planet softened.
"Why not stay and discuss the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth with this old man?"
Heavenly Fortune Master stood with his hands behind his back, his feet planted in empty space. His gaze rested on the Sea God with the fondness and encouragement of an elder for a younger generation.
"The composition of the power within you truly gives this old man a fresh perspective."
"Pure Incense Wish Power from all living beings, entirely free of mortal emotions and desires. It's an exceedingly difficult path, yet one that leads straight to the source—a road to heaven."
Heavenly Fortune Master stroked his white beard and let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration.
"It's just a pity that the world you come from has such narrow spatial barriers that they've limited your horizons."
"You possess an ocean of Incense Wish Power, yet you've never truly touched the edges of this starry sky's laws. You don't understand how to make this power merge with heaven and earth."
Hearing this, the Sea God froze.
He had thought that after blocking his full-power strike, the other would immediately unleash a thunderous attack and suppress him.
But this old man in a Seven-Colored Daoist Robe had not only refrained from fighting back—he had instead acted like a patient teacher, calmly commenting on the Sea God's cultivation system.
Just as the Sea God stood there, uncertain and wary,
Heavenly Fortune Master gently raised his right hand.
The Sea God tensed all over and instinctively tried to retreat.
But Heavenly Fortune Master merely smiled and flicked a finger, sending out a gentle green light.
The green light seemed slow, yet it ignored the divine barrier surrounding the Sea God and landed directly on the bleeding, split skin between his thumbs and forefingers.
An indescribable coolness instantly spread through his entire body.