The moment the phantom appeared, the nine Soul Rings beneath Bo Saixi's feet simultaneously burst forth with unprecedented brilliance.
In an instant, the light of the nine Soul Rings changed from bright to scorching, then from scorching to shattered.
When the first Soul Ring shattered, it let out a crisp sound like glazed glass falling to the ground. The sound was not loud, yet it echoed endlessly through the empty room.
Then came the second, third, and fourth. The rhythm of each Soul Ring's shattering grew faster and faster. The fragments turned into fine golden motes, like an inverted rain of stars, converging upon the forming phantom of the Sea God.
Golden flames rose from those shattered Soul Rings, enveloping Bo Saixi completely.
The flames were not hot, yet they carried the sensation of the soul itself burning. They climbed along the edges of Bo Saixi's robes, drawing her body, her power, and everything she had accumulated over countless years into that burning radiance.
Bo Saixi felt her consciousness thinning in a way she could clearly perceive.
Those fragments of memory once closely connected to Sea God Island were being stripped away layer by layer, refined, and transformed into the purest energy as they flowed into the forming golden passage.
Then, she turned her head slightly, her gaze falling upon Ariel, and a gentle smile slowly curved her lips.
The smile was faint, only lifting the corners of her mouth slightly, yet it carried the calm and relief of someone who had finally fulfilled her mission.
"Goodbye, Ariel."
Her voice was softer than usual, yet it fell clearly upon Ariel's ears.
The next instant, the light around her suddenly exploded, like a golden flower ignited all at once, melting both the phantom of the Sea God and Bo Saixi herself