Holy Thunder vs. the Sea God

Faced with that overwhelming pressure of lightning bearing down on him, the Sea God instinctively took a step back.

Even he froze at that retreating step.

Damn it.

The fight hasn't even started, and I've already lost the battle of presence.

But he really is strong.

Anyone who can knock aside my full-powered One Way, No Return is certainly no weakling.

I can't afford to underestimate him.

Yet the gravity in his eyes vanished in an instant, replaced by an even deeper arrogance.

That much was true.

But he had never believed he would lose.

The Sea God slowly drew back his trident and held it behind him, his expression more solemn than ever.

"I know you aren't weak."

"So I will show you respect."

As his words fell.

Buzzzz!!!

He abruptly raised his gaze, two vast oceans churning thunderously within his eyes!

"Sea God-Domain!!"

Rumble!!!

In an instant, the entire ocean boiled!

Centered on the Sea God, an azure pillar of light thirty thousand meters tall shot into the sky, piercing the heavens before spreading explosively in every direction.

A thousand miles, ten thousand miles, a hundred thousand miles!

Ring after ring of azure domain ripples swept across the entire ocean at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Wherever the ripples passed, the seawater lit up with a deep blue glow, billions of intricate patterns of law crisscrossing beneath its surface.

Before the Heavenly Screen, the beings of both realms discovered something horrifying.

From that moment onward, the entire ocean as far as the eye could see.

Was the Sea God's divine domain!

Within the domain, the Sea God's voice rang out from every direction at once, solemn as a divine decree.

"This is the domain belonging to me alone, the Sea God Domain."

"As long as a single drop of water remains in this world, I can draw endlessly upon the ocean's divine power!"

"An inexhaustible supply of Soul Power!"

"Injuries healed in an instant!"

"Within this domain, I can even summon the might of the entire ocean to fight for me!"

He slowly spread his arms, and the entire ocean rose in answer.

"Within this great sea, I am all but invincible!"

Rey's voice came from within the lightning, cold and utterly unruffled.

"You claim invincibility?"

"Before me, you aren't worthy!"

The instant his words fell.

He raised his hand.

In a flash, all the lightning between heaven and earth surged toward his palm!

That was not a single bolt, but tens of millions of bolts being drawn in, compressed, and forged together at once above his palm.

A platinum-colored ball of lightning rapidly swelled, arcs coiling around it like horned dragons.

Crackling explosions merged into an unbroken roar, its brilliance dimming even the divine radiance at the rift in the heavens!

"Radiant Thunder Power!!"

Boom!!!

The lightning ball left his hand, becoming a brilliant white pillar that pierced heaven and earth, crashing down upon the Sea God with the overwhelming might of all lightning bowing in submission!

The Sea God's gaze sharpened, and he held his trident across his body to block!

Boom!

The lightning pillar struck the trident's shaft, gold and blue ringing against each other.

Then there was nothing more.

The lightning scattered, dissipating into nothing.

Holding his trident steady, the Sea God paused in surprise.

I thought it would take some effort, but it didn't even hurt?

"That's it?"

He lowered his trident and burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha, that's all you've got?"

"That wasn't even as good as those two attacks your companion threw at me!"

Rey did not answer.

He merely sneered.

Within that smile lay the composure of a hunter watching his prey walk straight into the net.

"My turn."

The Sea God stopped laughing and pointed his trident into the distance, divine power surging.

"The sea..."

Huh?

The Sea God froze.

The power of law that commanded the ocean failed to respond.

He urged it again, unleashing all the divine power around him, but the ocean that had obeyed his every command within his domain.

Was now utterly silent, not stirring in the slightest!

It was as though the entire ocean had forgotten him.

The Sea God's pupils contracted sharply, and he cried out in alarm.

"What did you do to me?!"

Rey stood upon the lightning, looking down from above, and slowly uttered two words.

"You guess."

But he knew perfectly well.

The true killing edge of that seemingly harmless Radiant Thunder Power had never been its strength!

When that strike landed, as long as the opponent was weaker than him.

Every enhancement on them was completely stripped away!

The domain vanished.

The laws ceased to function.

"Fine! Very fine!"

The Sea God's eyes bulged with rage, overwhelming fury and murderous intent blazing within his golden irises.

"I want you dead!!"

He held nothing back now.

His newly formed domain was gone, his laws severed, but he still had one last thing.

Divine power!

All his divine power!

"Sea God's Twilight!!"

Amid his roar, the Sea God raised his trident high.

The divine power within him began burning, pouring out, and flooding into it uncontrollably!

That was not a release, but combustion: he used his own godhead as firewood, pouring every bit of divine power accumulated over countless ages into this single thrust!

Golden light surged three thousand meters above the trident, and wherever its tip pointed, even the void burned and shattered.

This attack could be said to have drained all his divine power.

But as long as I win, that's enough!

Prepare to die!!

Yet faced with that terrifying trident strike burning with divine power accumulated over countless ages.

Rey did not even blink.

"Many have wanted me dead."

His voice came from within the lightning, so calm it was almost indifferent.

"But they all failed."

"And so will you!"

Buzzzz!!

His entire body suddenly lit up!

Six golden lightning swords circled slowly around him!

The next instant, all six swords turned in unison and converged toward his hands!

Countless streams of golden-white lightning surged from every direction between heaven and earth, gathering between his raised hands.

Compressed, then compressed again!

The Holy Spirit lightning filling the heavens finally condensed into an incomparably brilliant, enormous blade of light!

Over three thousand meters long, the blade was forged entirely from pure white lightning, billions of tiny lightning serpents slithering and hissing across its surface, bright as a blazing sun fallen to earth!

Gripping the blade with both hands, Rey faced that trident strike burning with divine power accumulated over countless ages from high above the Nine Heavens.

And slashed thunderously downward!!

Booooom!!!

The two collided!

Golden twilight and white lightning crashed together in midair.

The terrifying shock waves became visible rings of surging air, sweeping across the eight reaches!

The entire plane trembled violently beneath that collision!

The ocean rolled backward, the earth cracked apart, and the skies of both realms shook in unison.

Even the Heavenly Screen stretching across the sky rippled!

On the Douluo Continent, above and below the Heavenly Screen, everyone stared fixedly.

Even if the Sea God could not kill Rey instantly, at least.

At least they ought to be evenly matched, shouldn't they?!

That was the Sea God's Twilight, fueled by all his divine power!

But they had never expected...

The clash lasted only a single breath!

Rey's Holy Spirit Lightning Slash cut through like a red-hot iron blade slicing into a thin layer of snow.

The Sea God's trident strike, burning with divine power accumulated over countless ages, was obliterated in an instant!

Not even a final glimmer of resistance remained!

"Impossible..."

Watching the three-thousand-meter blade of light descend, the Sea God showed fear in his eyes for the first time.

He wanted to run!

Instinctively, he turned and became a streak of golden light, fleeing toward the depths of the ocean.

"Running?"

Rey's voice sounded behind him, frighteningly calm.

"No one can escape under my watch."

He took a step forward.

Just one step.

Boom!

Billions of lightning bolts erupted from every direction, forming a cage of lightning that locked the Sea God firmly in midair!

He could not move!

The next instant, the three-thousand-meter lightning blade slashed down upon his head!

The Sea God took the full brunt of that attack!

Boom!!!

"Aaaaah-"

Smoke, dust, and lightning shot into the sky, lingering for a long time.

Only after a long while did the lightning finally disperse.

The Sea God fell straight from midair and slammed into the ocean's surface.

The Sea God Trident in his hand snapped at its midpoint, its two broken halves scattered beside the crater, their golden light extinguished, dull as scrap iron.

And the Sea God.

His imperial robes were shredded, his entire body charred, with not a trace of divine power stirring around him.

His white hair was scorched and curled, his eyes tightly shut; only the faintest, almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest remained.

"How is this possible? How is this possible..."

Rey slowly descended and stepped onto the sea, looking down at the Sea God from above.

"It's over."

"Cough... cough, cough..."

The Sea God, charred like charcoal, coughed violently, spewing a great mouthful of golden divine blood.

Yet he actually laughed.

His laughter was hoarse and broken, mingled with bloody froth, and sounded indescribably chilling.

"Ha... hahaha... you really think... you can kill me?"

"The Divine Realm... won't stand idly by!"

"The Five Great God Kings saw everything that happened today!"

"If you kill me, you'll make an enemy of the entire Divine Realm!"

"You'll still die!"

"You're no match for the Five Great God Kings!"

He spat out each word separately, coughing up a mouthful of blood with every one, yet his laughter only grew more brazen.

"Victory... still belongs to us!!"