Sea God's Abhorrence

Ren Tao had a contingency plan for breaking Tang San's "Chaotic Cloak Dance."

As he tore through the curtain of wind with his powerful soul power, he unleashed nine energy attacks in succession.

His aim was the same as with his earlier Orca Shattering Fang Slash: to interrupt the trajectory of Tang San's strikes. As long as he disrupted Tang San's rhythm, an opening or weakness he could exploit might appear.

Then he could launch a ferocious attack, defeating Tang San while minimizing his own injuries.

That was what Ren Tao had thought.

Unfortunately, reality and ideals were always separated by a gulf. Only after entering the curtain of wind did Ren Tao discover that things were nothing like he had expected.

As the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer operated, it formed a powerful force field around its wielder, something like a self-defense mechanism. It was not so outrageous as to grant immunity to attacks, but any attack that could not directly break through the field was diverted, brushing past the swirling tornado.

They produced nothing more than a dazzling flash of lightning.

By then, both the force field and the energy field were in turmoil. Ren Tao's own body was involuntarily caught up in the Wind Vortex, beginning to whirl along to Tang San's rhythm.

For one fleeting instant, Ren Tao even met Tang San's eyes.

Tang San's blue hair was disheveled, his muscles knotted all over like those of a demonic god, and dazzling blue light blazed from his eyes. Though there was no killing intent in them, they held an intense arrogance that defied the world.

"Even though you released Xiao Wu, I won't lose this battle!"

"Then let's fight!"

Ren Tao's response came out rather dry.

Tang San's mental fortitude was far too strong!

It was as though that setback had done nothing to affect his condition.

It looked like getting away unscathed was impossible!

Ren Tao gritted his teeth and drove his soul power onward again, activating his Lightning Skills like mad. The space within and outside the Wind Vortex suddenly became violent and charged with fierce masculine energy, as though the smallest spark could set the entire area ablaze.

Before anyone realized it, blue-violet lightning descended from the sky, winding like thousands upon thousands of electric serpents. It pierced the dome formed by Sea God's Light and blasted small holes of varying depths into the ground.

Flames had sprung up at some unknown point, but the wind generated by the Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer confined them to a narrow area. Their heat, however, did not diminish in the slightest, and the tornado racing across the ground became a vortex of flame.

For a moment, divine forces ran wild, and the surrounding energies descended into chaos.

The Evil Orca King's roar rang out, long and resonant like a dragon's cry. Huge waves of energy light erupted violently from his phantom form. The instant they left it, they became enormous fireballs of deathly white and blue-violet, setting even the air alight and instantly unleashing a sea of fire.

Tang San's Clear Sky Hammer had finished gathering power as well. Dazzling white light enveloped its enormous head as it thrust out of the sea of fire.

Crack-a-boom!

Thunder exploded over the flat ground, but an instant before the sound rang out, Ren Tao's fireball and the Clear Sky Hammer had already met in their ultimate collision.

Those outside could no longer make out anything within the sea of fire. Even Bo Saixi's spiritual power probes were blocked. All anyone saw was the vast sea of fire suddenly stretching into an oval over fifty meters long, then collapsing inward from its center and rapidly compressing into a ball of light a little over ten meters across.

During that process, Ren Tao and Tang San's figures appeared for only an instant.

"Fall back!"

Bo Saixi's voice rang in everyone's ears at once, carrying an irresistible authority.

A sweep of red light, like a flowing silk sleeve, wrapped around the Shrek Seven Devils and dragged them out of the battle zone.

But in that single blink, everyone had already missed the decisive moment of Tang San and Ren Tao's battle. Flames soared into the sky, shot into midair, then rapidly exploded in every direction, scattering into streams of light that filled the heavens like a meteor shower.

Bo Saixi was not watching the battlefield. As her right hand pulled the Shrek Seven Devils away, she even had time to glance back. With a wave of her left hand, a red dome of light enveloped the Evil Spirit Orca Group, shielding them from the shock of the battle's aftermath.

She had no choice. She had to ensure the Evil Spirit Orcas' safety before Ren Tao would give her the information she wanted.

"Ah!"

Bo Saixi let out a quiet sigh. Whether it was delight or relief was unclear. The corners of her mouth secretly curved upward, then quickly settled again.

Only then did she turn her gaze toward the battlefield-

Ren Tao had become a humanoid monster enveloped in flames from head to toe. Flesh kept melting off his body and dripping down like molten lava, yet his mouth stretched into a broad grin as he panted and let out strange laughter that sounded like pumping bellows.

On the other side, Tang San was clearly in much better condition. The flames had not even burned away all his clothes. But he knelt on one knee, one hand braced on the Clear Sky Hammer and the other pressed against his chest, where a shocking patch of charred blackness faintly glimmered with blue-gold light.

Neither spoke. They did not even meet each other's eyes.

As Ren Tao laughed, he looked toward the water, searching hard for the Evil Spirit Orcas and checking whether any of the nine orcas were missing.

Tang San, meanwhile, looked only toward Xiao Wu. His eyes had returned to normal and held a depth of love beyond words, while his lips clearly formed a message:

"I'm all right!"

Silence blanketed the scene.

Even the simple-minded Evil Spirit Orcas made no sound.

They did not know who had won or lost this battle, nor how the situation would develop.

Their boss was all right, but another vicious fight to the death might well follow. Still, it no longer mattered. The Evil Orca King had defended their clan's dignity. Even if they were wiped out today, they had stormed Sea God Island and fought a glorious battle in this lifetime, rather than dying miserably under the Demon Soul Great White Shark Group's slaughter. It was worth it!

"You should know that there has never been any bone-deep hatred between us. Everything I've done has been for survival!"

Ren Tao panted for a long while and confirmed that his orca group was safe before finally speaking, slowly delivering words laden with meaning. "But you failed the fourth trial of the Sea God Inheritance! I don't care how much the Sea God favors you. If he wants to pave your road with my orca group's lives, I refuse!"

Oh!

Only a good while after he finished speaking did everyone present realize what had happened.

However unwilling they were to believe it, judging by the situation, Tang San had lost?

Tang San did not deny it. At that moment, he had eyes only for Xiao Wu. The reason he had not chosen to perish together with Ren Tao at the final moment was Xiao Wu!

"I hope we never meet again!"

After saying this, Ren Tao walked straight toward the shore, but his lips moved as though he were silently communicating with someone.

Finally, he turned back and gave Bo Saixi a surprised look. Her previously placid gaze had now grown hazy, leaving everyone unable to discern her emotions.

"After this, neither Sea God Island nor Tang San may attack the Evil Spirit Orca Group for ten years."

Bo Saixi's reaction had surprised Ren Tao, so he had no choice but to respond. He told Tang San, "Consider that the price for my releasing Xiao Wu, Tang San!"

Hiss!

As Ren Tao stepped into the water, the sound of extinguishing flames rang out. His soul power could no longer sustain his outer clothing, and his injuries were so severe that he did not want anyone to see his wretched state. Thus, he entered the water in his monstrous form, seemingly about to transform into an orca and leave without a backward glance.

Just then, the dome of Sea God's Light in the sky suddenly shattered with a faint sound.

The golden beams above the Seven Sacred Pillars that guarded the island receded, but the one emitted by Sea God Hall raced toward the shore.

"Uh!"

Ren Tao jumped in fright and instinctively drew his neck back.

Ding!

With a soft chime, the golden beam forked in midair, and a thin strand fell from it. Completely ignoring Ren Tao's defenses, it pierced straight into the top of his head and vanished in a flash.

"Sea God, you fucking backstabbed me!"

Ren Tao was furious!

He could no longer spare a thought for dignity or decorum and could not help bursting into curses.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that, after risking his life to defeat Tang San, the Sea God would pull this on him!

A faint black trident ripple appeared before Ren Tao in his monstrous form, then sank deep into the skin of his forehead. Even the layers of flames could not stop it.

"Sea God's Abhorrence!"

Bo Saixi's voice rang out without a trace of emotion. "The opposite of Sea God's Light. It is a god's curse and punishment inflicted upon a sinner!"