Across the Douluo Continent.
Countless Soul Masters finally understood.
The nine hundred and ninety thousand years displayed for the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King did not mean he had truly cultivated for nine hundred and ninety thousand years.
By devouring other living beings, he had piled vast amounts of external energy into his body.
In terms of total energy, he was indeed close to a million years.
But in terms of his own cultivation age, he had only cultivated for just over three hundred thousand years.
In Heaven Dou City.
Envy appeared on many Soul Masters' faces.
"He could possess power approaching a million years after only three hundred thousand years."
"This devouring attribute is far too powerful."
"He doesn't need to cultivate over and over. He just needs to find Sea Soul Beasts powerful enough to devour."
"No wonder all the Soul Beasts in the ocean fear him."
Another Soul Master shook his head.
"How could it be that simple?"
"To withstand over six hundred thousand years of external energy, his body must already be powerful enough in its own right."
"An ordinary Soul Beast would have been burst apart by those chaotic origins long ago."
The surrounding Soul Masters fell silent.
The devouring attribute was certainly powerful.
But not everyone could walk that path.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's ability to temper his flesh and blood to a level approaching a divine body already proved his talent.
In the Evil Demon Forest.
The Evil Emperor watched the explanation on the Sky Screen.
His enormous eye slowly turned.
"So that was it."
"I thought he had truly cultivated for nine hundred and ninety thousand years."
"He relied on devouring external origins to forcibly push his power to the brink of a million years."
The Crystal Divine Crown released a silver radiance.
The Evil Emperor soon saw the problem within the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
Although the origins belonging to different Sea Soul Beasts had been refined by the power of devouring, some traces still remained.
His power was immense.
But his origin was not pure enough.
"A million years like that is indeed watered down."
The Evil Eye Tyrant below immediately spoke.
"If you fought him, Lord Evil Emperor, you would certainly defeat him."
The Evil Emperor did not agree.
"His impure origin does not mean he is weak."
"Energy approaching a million years is enough to give him a body far beyond that of an ordinary ferocious beast."
"Besides, he lives in the ocean year-round."
"If we fought in the Demon Whale Sea, even I could not win easily."
The Evil Eye Tyrant immediately lowered his head.
The Evil Emperor looked at that massive figure again.
"Still, power piled up through devouring alone truly does not qualify him for the top three."
In the Demon Whale Sea.
As the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King watched the evaluation on the Sky Screen, the purplish-red light in his single eye rapidly spread.
The surrounding seawater collapsed downward.
An enormous whirlpool formed around his body.
"True cultivation age?"
"Does the power I gained through devouring not belong to me?"
"Sea Soul Beasts become my food because they are weak."
"Heavenly materials and earthly treasures have no guardians, so naturally I should take them."
"Once power enters my body, it is mine."
He opened his enormous maw.
The nearby seawater immediately surged into his mouth.
Dozens of Sea Soul Beasts that had failed to escape in time were swept back by the whirlpool.
The power of devouring covered the sea's surface.
Those Sea Soul Beasts' bodies rapidly turned into soul power and merged into the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
His aura grew another fraction stronger.
"So what if I haven't cultivated for nine hundred and ninety thousand years?"
"I possess power approaching a million years."
"And a body approaching god level."
"You aren't even qualified to stand before me, yet you dare judge my cultivation?"
The comments on the Sky Screen paused for a moment.
Soon, a flood of text appeared again.
[He has a point.]
[No matter where power comes from, it belongs to you if you can control it.]
[Reaching this level in just over three hundred thousand years instead proves how talented the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King is.]
[If he really cultivated for nine hundred and ninety thousand years, how strong would he become?]
[He probably only needs to completely refine the external origins within his body to truly reach a million years.]
Only after seeing these comments did the power of devouring within the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King gradually settle.
Sixth place still left him dissatisfied.
But at least the Heavenly Dao acknowledged that he already possessed energy and a body approaching a million years.
Such strength was still beyond comparison with ordinary ferocious beasts.
In the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiong Jun raised a hand and rubbed his chin.
"So his cultivation came from devouring."
"I really thought he had cultivated a hundred thousand years longer than Di Tian."
The Myriad Demon King looked at Di Tian.
"Boss, who would win if you fought him?"
Di Tian did not answer immediately.
He carefully observed the power within the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
"On land, I can win."
"In the ocean, he has the advantage of terrain. The battle would be much more troublesome."
Xiong Jun sighed in relief.
"So he still isn't as strong as you."
Di Tian nodded.
"His total energy exceeds mine."
"But his bloodline, origin, and control over his power are all beneath mine."
"The Dragon God Claw can tear through his Devouring Domain."
"If he cannot use his body to hold me back, he will be the one who ultimately loses."
Bi Ji looked at Gu Yuena.
"My lord, did you already see that there was a problem with his cultivation?"
"There are too many external origins."
Gu Yuena gazed toward the Demon Whale Sea.
"His ability to keep all that power contained within his body is already exceedingly rare."
"But piling up a million years of cultivation does not mean he has truly reached the million-year level."
"Di Tian possesses the dragon race's origin."
"His understanding of power and rules is also far beyond that of the whale."
Gu Yuena gently raised her hand.
A wisp of silver light flowed around her fingertips.
"I simply did not expect a Soul Beast approaching a million years to have truly appeared in the outside world."
"The Divine Realm's restrictions on Soul Beasts are so stringent."
"For him to have come this far, he certainly has abilities of his own."
Di Tian looked toward the Demon Whale Sea, his expression growing somewhat more serious.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King was inferior to him.
But he already stood at the pinnacle of Soul Beasts.
As long as he underwent one more transformation, he would have a chance to truly attempt to reach the million-year level.
At the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
After reading the explanation on the Sky Screen, Ma Hongjun could not help speaking.
"So he ate his way to that cultivation."
"I thought he had really lived for nine hundred and ninety thousand years."
Oscar glanced at him.
"Even eating depends on what you eat."
"He's probably swallowed more Sea Soul Beasts than all the Soul Beasts you've ever seen put together."
Dai Mubai looked at the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
"In just over three hundred thousand years, he accumulated power approaching a million years."
"The devouring attribute really is suited to rapid advancement."
Tang San turned to Yu Xiaogang.
"Teacher."
"Could Soul Masters possibly follow the same path by devouring other people's soul power?"
Yu Xiaogang's brows knitted tightly.
"It is theoretically possible."
"But different Soul Masters have different soul power attributes."
"Forcibly absorbing it would only cause conflicts within one's own soul power."
"The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King possesses a special devouring origin, which allows him to refine the power of different Sea Soul Beasts."
"If ordinary Soul Masters imitate him, they are highly likely to damage the foundations of their martial souls."
Tang San nodded lightly.
This time, the explanation Yu Xiaogang gave did not contradict the Sky Screen's content.
Yet Yu Xiaogang still could not calm his thoughts.
A Soul Beast just over three hundred thousand years old.
Reaching a level approaching a million years through devouring.
Such a cultivation method was already beyond what existing Soul Master theories could fully explain.
For the first time, Yu Xiaogang clearly realized.
The knowledge of martial souls he had studied in the past was only a small part of the Douluo Continent.
Within the Sky Screen.
The power within the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King gathered together again.
Ninety-nine purplish-black rings of light rose from the seabed.
Within each ring, the phantom of a devoured Sea Soul Beast could be seen.
Demon Soul Great White Sharks.
Evil Spirit Orcas.
Deep Sea Flood Dragons.
Ten-Thousand-Year Black Tortoises.
And many ancient sea beasts humans had never seen.
Countless phantoms revolved around the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King.
In the end, they all merged into his single eye.
Golden text continued to appear.
[The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King grew continually through devouring.]
[Ninety percent of his body had already transformed into a divine body.]
[Once he fully refined all the foreign essences, he would be able to break through to the million-year level.]
[However, while he ruled the Demon Whale Sea, a human came to the ocean.]
The scene changed rapidly.
On the deep-blue sea.
A man in blue-and-gold robes walked upon the waves.
He had long blue hair.
The waves parted on their own beneath his feet.
He held a Golden Trident in his hand.
A diamond-shaped gem was set in the center of the trident.
With every step the man took, the entire ocean responded.
Sea God Island.
Upon seeing that figure, Bo Saixi immediately dropped to one knee.
The Seven Sacred Pillars Guardian Douluo bowed in unison.
"We pay our respects to Lord Sea God!"
All the inhabitants of Sea God Island knelt as well.
They could not be mistaken.
The man in the Sky Screen was none other than the Sea God, Poseidon.
High in the heavens.
Golden text appeared.
[The Sea God, Poseidon.]
[Before entering the Divine Realm, he once traveled the ocean.]
[He subdued the ocean's various races, gathered their faith, and ultimately formed the Sea God Godhood.]
[The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King refused to submit.]
[A battle erupted between them in the Demon Whale Sea.]
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King burst out of the sea.
His immense body blocked out a vast stretch of sky.
A purple-black Devouring Domain spread outward.
Seawater, clouds, and the energy of heaven and earth were all dragged toward his enormous maw.
Poseidon stood atop a towering wave.
His long blue hair streamed behind him.
The Golden Trident thrust forward.
A blue-and-gold pillar of light pierced through the sea.
The Devouring Domain split open down the middle.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King raised his tail fin and swept it toward Poseidon.
The blow hurled thousands of meters of seawater into the air.
A bottomless rift appeared beneath the sea's surface.
Poseidon gripped the trident with one hand.
A Sea God phantom rose behind him.
The Golden Trident collided head-on with the massive tail fin.
Boom!
The Demon Whale Sea caved downward.
The shock wave spread in all directions.
Nearby islands shattered one after another.
Countless sea soul beasts were swept into the distance by the aftershocks.
Soul Masters across the continent watched the battle, their faces filled with nothing but shock.
[Was this the power of a soul beast approaching a million years?]
[The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King could shatter islands with a single blow!]
[Poseidon had not yet entered the Divine Realm back then, yet he could already overpower him!]
[He formed the Sea God Godhood himself?]
[No wonder the entire ocean obeyed his commands!]
Within the Sky Screen's image.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King opened his enormous maw.
Ninety-nine purple-black rings of light merged into the Devouring Domain at once.
The entire Demon Whale Sea became a gigantic whirlpool.
Poseidon stood at the center of the whirlpool.
The surrounding space kept collapsing toward the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's mouth.
The Golden Trident turned gently.
The boundless seawater suddenly stopped.
The next moment.
The ocean's power surged toward Poseidon instead.
Control of the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's Devouring Domain was forcibly wrested away.
Poseidon raised the trident.
Blue-and-gold radiance illuminated the seabed.
"Unfixed Storm."
Golden rings of light flew from the trident one after another.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King tried to dive to the seabed, but the golden rings pinned his massive body in place.
The nearly million years of soul power within him erupted continuously.
Yet the golden rings never broke.
Poseidon crossed a thousand meters in a single step.
The Golden Trident plunged straight into the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's left eye.
Purple-red blood spilled into the sea.
The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King broke free of his restraints and slammed into the sea's surface.
Waves thousands of zhang high surged toward the heavens.
He dove into the depths of the sea.
Purple-black devouring power enveloped his entire body.
Poseidon stood on the sea's surface and did not pursue him further.
The blood on the Golden Trident was washed away by seawater.
He glanced at the spot where the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King had disappeared, then turned and left.
Golden text appeared over the scene.
[The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King challenged Poseidon.]
[His Devouring Domain was suppressed by the Sea God's power.]
[Poseidon restrained him with Unfixed Storm.]
[The Golden Trident blinded the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's left eye.]
[The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King retreated to the seabed in defeat.]
[Poseidon did not kill him.]
The barrage of comments immediately grew dense.
[Poseidon had clearly won. Why didn't he kill him?]
[The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King devoured so many sea soul beasts. Leaving him alive would only let him keep harming the ocean!]
[The Sea God could even defeat a nine-hundred-and-ninety-thousand-year soul beast!]
[Did Poseidon deliberately leave the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King alive?]
[He had already blinded one of the Demon Whale King's eyes. If he had kept chasing him, he should have been able to kill him.]
[Why did the Sea God stop at the end?]
On Sea God Island.
Sea Dragon Douluo immediately looked up upon seeing those comments.
"Lord Sea God was merciful at heart."
"Although the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King challenged Lord Sea God, he was, after all, a living creature nurtured by the ocean."
"Lord Sea God spared his life because he did not wish to exterminate him."
Sea Horse Douluo then said, "Lord Sea God ruled the ocean, but he never slaughtered sea soul beasts at will."
"The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's survival was a gift from Lord Sea God."
The island's inhabitants nodded one after another.
[Lord Sea God was merciful!]
[The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King should thank Lord Sea God!]
[Had Lord Sea God not held back, he would have long since died beneath the Golden Trident!]
[Lord Sea God was willing to give him a chance to mend his ways, yet he continued to occupy the Demon Whale Sea!]
Bo Saixi rose to her feet.
She gazed at Poseidon's departing figure.
"Lord Sea God commanded the ocean."
"All ocean creatures were Lord Sea God's subjects."
"Naturally, it was out of mercy that he did not kill the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King."
The Seven Sacred Pillars Guardian Douluo had no doubts whatsoever.
In their hearts, the Sea God was the ocean's supreme ruler.
Everything the Sea God did naturally had a sound reason behind it.
Star Dou Great Forest.
Gu Yuena watched the comments coming from Sea God Island, contempt surfacing in her purple eyes.
"Mercy?"
Di Tian turned to look at her.
"My lord, do you believe Poseidon had another purpose in sparing the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King?"
Gu Yuena stared at the Golden Trident in the Sky Screen.
"Those fellows in the Divine Realm never leave a threat alive without a reason."
"The Deep Sea Demonic Whale King devoured countless sea soul beasts and had already disrupted the ocean's balance."
"Since Poseidon had formed the Sea God Godhood, he could not possibly have failed to see that."
Xiong Jun frowned.
"Then why didn't he kill him?"
Gu Yuena raised her slender hand.
Silver ripples fell from her fingertips into the Lake of Life.
"Leaving behind a sea soul beast approaching a million years."
"It could both intimidate the other races in the ocean and become an opponent that a successor would have to face."
"That doesn't look like mercy."
"It looks more like a calculated scheme."
Before you continue