The Festival Begins, the Sea God Bestows His Blessing!

What alarmed the powers of the continent even more was the sight beyond Sea God Island.

Across the waters surrounding the island, Sea Soul Beasts surfaced one after another, packed so densely that they stretched beyond sight.

Clans that fought to the death on any other day were unusually peaceful now, gazing devoutly toward Sea God Island.

At their head were the Sea God's most devoted followers: the Demon Soul Great White Shark Clan and the Mermaid Clan.

The former had become the island's Island-Guarding Divine Beasts, while the latter had sent members of their clan to serve at one of the Seven Guardian Sacred Pillars.

They were the inner circle of the inner circle.

"So many Soul Beasts!"

Shui Yue'er stared at the Sea Soul Beasts outside, her face full of awe. She couldn't see where they ended.

Even all the kinds of Soul Beasts she had read about in books couldn't compare to the variety of Sea Soul Beasts here.

"Even Sea Soul Beasts worship the Sea God. Sea God Island might be more formidable than Spirit Hall."

"If Bing'er joins Sea God Island, then couldn't Skywater Academy..."

The instructor who had come with Skywater Academy began making plans.

Sea God Island was perfect. They had to join it. If Shui Bing'er joined Sea God Island, wouldn't Skywater Academy be able to swagger across the seas?

Everyone knew the ocean held boundless resources, yet no one had managed to exploit them in all these centuries.

Was it because they didn't want to?

Technology was part of the problem, but the greater obstacle was that the Sea Soul Beasts were simply too strong.

With Sea God Island's protection, Skywater Academy would be like a calf riding an airplane—its awesomeness soaring straight to the heavens.

"Sea God Island's strength needs to be reassessed."

Qian Renxue studied the Sea Soul Beasts outside with a grave expression. Those few mermaids in particular gave her a distinctly unusual feeling.

"Fortunately, Sea God Island is far overseas and has no designs on the mainland. Otherwise, the Hall would have a formidable enemy."

As Spirit Hall's representative on this visit, Azure Luan Douluo felt heavyhearted, though he also breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"It's starting!"

At someone's cry, every gaze turned toward Sea God Mountain.

Lin Hao, solemn-faced and holding the Sea God Trident, walked step by step toward the Sea God Hall atop the mountain, flanked by Sea God Island's eight Titled Douluo.

When they appeared, the prayers of the Sea Soul Masters across Sea God Island grew louder.

Countless Sea Soul Beasts answered with long cries from the sea.

"So powerful!"

"Sea God Island truly lives up to its name!"

As Azure Luan Douluo, Sword Douluo, and the other Titled Douluo looked upon Sea God Island's eight Titled Douluo, their hearts grew heavy.

Who knew Lin Hao could look so handsome?

Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling were among the crowd. Watching Lin Hao, who looked especially imposing today, Dugu Yan blushed as the thought crossed her mind.

The scene of Lin Hao helping her purge the poison rose again in her mind, and her eyes shimmered.

"The Sea God Festival—begin!"

At last, beneath countless watching eyes, Lin Hao reached Sea God Mountain. He raised the Sea God Trident, and his commanding voice rang across the entire island.

Sacred Ceremonial Music rose, intertwining with the Sea Soul Masters' prayers and the Sea Soul Beasts' long cries to form a holy hymn.

Within the Sea God Hall, rings of blue-gold light suddenly rippled from the Sea God Trident.

From the seven Sacred Pillars on Sea God Island, seven blue-gold beams shot skyward, merging into an incomparable surge of Sea God's Power that pierced the nine heavens.

The sky surrounding Sea God Island turned blue-gold.

The sea seethed. Every creature beneath its waters surged toward the surface.

"Lord Sea God!"

Sea Soul Masters across the island gazed at the spectacle in excitement. Some even fell to their knees, shedding tears of joy.

Invisible Faith Power gathered between heaven and earth and streamed toward the Sea God Trident within the Sea God Hall.

"My people, I have heard your call."

"In the name of the Sea God, I bestow my blessing upon you."

A vast, sacred voice suddenly resounded in everyone's ears.

At the same time, waves of golden Sea God's Light swept out from the Sea God Hall.

As the kneeling Sea Soul Masters and the Sea Soul Beasts in the ocean received its baptism, they immediately felt something change.

The Sea God's Light seemed to cleanse their bodies from the inside out, remaking their sinews and marrow. Their talents sharpened, and their cultivation rose.

Of course, the improvement couldn't compare to an Immortal Herb. Poseidon wasn't that well-off.

It could only improve them a little—about one level.

But even that was enough to drive them wild.

"Praise the great Lord Sea God!"

Cries of delight and sobs of gratitude rang out across Sea God Island. Countless believers kowtowed again and again toward the Sea God Hall, weeping as they thanked their god for his blessing.

The visitors from Douluo Continent stared, dumbstruck. From that moment on, none of them doubted that gods existed.

When they saw people break through a level on the spot, they nearly dropped to their knees themselves to beg for Lord Sea God's blessing.

"That's enough, that's enough! Stop it! Keep blessing them and you'll exhaust Sea God Island's reserves of faith!"

What the crowd didn't know was that the Sea God's Remnant Soul was practically stamping his feet in front of Lin Hao.

The Sea God couldn't intervene from across the Divine Realm. Everything they had seen was the work of the Sea God's Remnant Soul and Lin Hao together.

The remnant soul's power was limited, after all. He could only draw upon the faith Sea God Island had accumulated over the years and use the Sea God's Heart to accomplish this much.

And this was as far as he could go. Any more, and the remnant soul would exhaust his power.

Lin Hao rolled his eyes and cut off the flow of power through the Sea God Trident in his hand.

"The wool comes from the sheep. If you don't give them a little something, why would they worship you more?"

"Easy for you to say!"

The Sea God's Remnant Soul rolled his eyes. "Faith accumulates slowly, especially since most of mine comes from Sea Soul Beasts. Human Soul Masters contribute only a tiny fraction."

"And Soul Beasts don't gain sentience for hundreds or even thousands of years. Gathering faith from them is much harder."

"Sea God Island's savings over the years were barely enough to keep it running, and you've scattered so much of them. How could that not hurt?"

"That's why I said that if faith from Soul Beasts comes so slowly, wouldn't it be better to march on Douluo Continent and gather faith from humans?" Lin Hao's eyes lit up as he urged him on.

"That's your affair. I won't put myself through that."

"But let me make this clear: faith on the mainland is the Angel God's domain. You can make a move if you like, but if I do, I'll be breaking the rules."

The Sea God's Remnant Soul refused to take the bait and offered the warning quietly.

"Well, there's nothing left for me to do here. I'm going back to sleep."

"At my age, I ought to get plenty of rest."

Lin Hao rolled his eyes. You're a remnant soul. What do you need rest for? Can you even sleep?

As the Sea God's phantom slowly faded, the crowd was reluctant to see him go.

Having witnessed a god's power with their own eyes, they felt the trip had been worthwhile.

But just when everyone thought the festival was over, Lin Hao suddenly turned to face the crowd below.

He drove the Trident Imprint on his brow to its limit, and the sacred Sea God's Light descended once more.