The shock waves from the exploding seawater had yet to subside.
The instant those words fell, it was as though a hair-thin fuse had been lit throughout the combat domain of the Void.
And yet.
The Sea God did not strike immediately.
He merely raised a hand and pressed down gently.
The entire sea fell silent in an instant.
Then the Sea God's voice rang out.
"Before the battle begins, there is one more condition."
"I can let you inherit the Sea God's position directly."
"With your demigod cultivation, I can grant you authority."
"That means you can bypass the third trial and bring all of this to an end."
"But it also means you cannot become any other god. Are you willing to accept that condition?"
Below the altar, the consciousnesses of billions of Sea Folk made no clamor.
Instead, their silence was terrifying.
Because they all understood what this meant.
-Ascension to godhood in a single step.
-Reaching the pinnacle in a single step.
-Eternal stability in a single step.
All he had to do was nod.
Di Tian's threat would be suppressed ahead of time.
Great Xia would gain god-level protection.
Jiang Qingyue, Gale, and Lilith would all be brought within the Sea Order's "safe zone."
Even a future collapse could be averted in advance.
This was the optimal solution.
The most stable solution.
And... the most "godlike" solution.
The Sea God did not urge him.
He simply waited quietly.
Like a sea spanning the Age of the Gods, waiting for a human to stop being a variable.
Qi Wu lowered his head and looked at the formation patterns beneath his feet.
His expression was relaxed.
There was even a hint of... an ill-timed smile.
"That condition of yours..."
He raised his head.
"Sounds pretty good."