He looked up toward the place where the sky was splitting.
The space there had not truly torn open yet, but the killing intent had already arrived.
Meanwhile.
At Great Xia's highest defense command center.
Inside the conference room.
The air felt even more oppressive than the sea outside.
Jiang Qingyue stood before the tactical display, her fingertips resting over a string of red alerts, her brows tightly furrowed.
Gale leaned against the wall with his long saber in his arms, his gaze as cold as a blade still in its sheath.
Lilith sat at the corner of the table, her fingertips tapping lightly against its surface, as though counting out some invisible rhythm.
And Xiao Tiance stood at the very front.
He was not looking at the display.
Instead, he watched the doorway.
As though waiting for someone.
The next second.
The door opened.
There were no footsteps.
Nor any warning.
Qi Wu appeared directly in the center of the conference room.
The air seemed to sink an inch.
Everyone froze at once.
Jiang Qingyue spoke instinctively.
"Mr. Gojo..."
Her words stopped.
Because she had seen the state Qi Wu was in.
He was not battered.
Nor was he exhausted.
Instead, he exuded an oppressive sense of being "too complete."
Like someone who had just emerged from the deep sea of rules, still carrying the lingering echoes of the sea and a god.
Gale frowned.
"You... got a little too much stronger."
Lilith narrowed her eyes.
"With you standing there now, I actually feel like taking a step back."
Qi Wu raised a hand in greeting.
"Come on, I just went into the sea for a little advanced training."
He paused.
"And dismantled a god while I was at it."
The room fell silent for a second.
Then