Ch. 1The Disappearance of the Seagod's Trident!
Key plot points and events
- In the Divine Realm, Tang San discovers that an unknown force has been rapidly consuming his Sea God authority. His search for help—including from the Goddess of Life—turns up no solution.
- Tang San initially takes comfort in the Seagod’s Trident, believing that possessing it still makes him the Sea God. The force then intensifies, steals the Trident from his divine consciousness, and erases his mark from it. He vows revenge.
- The story shifts to the Star Dou Forest, where a blue-haired youth bearing a golden trident mark confronts the Nethersea Dragon Beast. He summons the Seagod’s Trident and declares the beast sentenced to death under the Ocean Management Code.
- The beast attacks, but the youth uses the first form of the Golden Thirteen Halberds, Unfixed Storm, to immobilize it. He then drives the Trident through its scales.
Character developments and interactions
- Tang San moves from anger and frantic searching to a brief show of confidence, then to shock and fury when the Trident disappears. He suspects Poseidon is responsible.
- The blue-haired youth acts with commanding confidence, invoking the Sea God’s authority and swiftly overpowering the beast.
- The Nethersea Dragon Beast shifts from mocking the youth to believing his claim after its strength and control of water are suppressed. It attacks out of defiance, but recognizes that its greed in targeting the youth led to its predicament.
- Their encounter is framed as a mock legal proceeding: the youth pronounces judgment, while the beast protests inwardly before resisting.
Significant themes
- Divine authority and legitimacy: Tang San’s identity as Sea God is tied to both his godhood and the Trident, while the youth wields the same symbol and power.
- Power and vulnerability: Tang San’s status offers little protection once his authority and weapon are taken; the beast’s confidence likewise collapses when its abilities are suppressed.
- Retribution and greed: The beast’s attempt to devour the youth triggers its downfall, while Tang San’s vow sets up a larger conflict over the stolen divine power.