Bo Saixi turned around and struck the ground with the Sea God Scepter, producing a clear ring.
"I have guarded the Sea God Hall for over a hundred years and read every ancient book of myths the Sea God left behind."
A trace of self-mockery and despair showed on Bo Saixi's face.
"Before Lord Sea God attained godhood, there was indeed a taboo legend circulating in the depths of Douluo Star's oceans, one so ancient that even Lord Sea God had never witnessed it himself."
"Legend has it that deep in the ocean, an indescribable divine beast of the ultimate realm once fell into slumber, bearing the other half of the world on its back.
"That being was called the 'Ancestor' by the ancient Sea Soul Beasts of the ocean, and was also known as 'Lord Xuanming.'"
Bo Saixi's fingertips dug deep into her palms.
"I always thought it was merely the ancient Sea Soul Beasts' totem worship and exaggerated fabrication of the unknown powers of the deep sea.
"After all, in the understanding of the vast majority of human Soul Masters, a hundred thousand years was the limit for a Soul Beast.
"To me, however powerful a Soul Beast might be, it could at most reach the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's level.
"There could never be a living being that attained godhood without ascending to the Divine Realm, much less one capable of bearing a continent on its back..."
Sea Horse Douluo's heart almost stopped.
"Could... the Ancestor Lu Ye spoke of be that legendary being that carried a continent on its back?!
"How is that possible?
"Even the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King could never carry an entire continent on his back!
"Besides, if it really is that powerful, why hasn't the Divine Realm wiped it out?!"
"Because it has surpassed the Divine Realm."
A cold, heavy voice suddenly came from deep within the Sea God Palace.
The Sea God Hall's doors thundered open on their own. Inside, the once-dazzling relief of the Sea God Trident had actually become shrouded in a dull gray sheen.
And on the altar at the very heart of the palace, an extremely fine golden crack had appeared across the chest and abdomen of the once-towering, majestic statue of the Sea God!
It was not a mark of external damage, but a sign that the Sea God's Divine Sense contained within the statue had begun to fracture on its own after suffering the impact of a will of an exceedingly high order!
"The statue... the statue has cracked?!"
Sea Witch Douluo shrieked and collapsed onto her backside, her face as pale as paper.
Sea Dragon Douluo, Sea Spear Douluo, and the others dropped to their knees with a thud, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
For the Sacred Pillar Guardians of Sea God Island, a crack appearing in the Sea God's statue was no different from their sky collapsing entirely!
"Even Lord Sea God's Divine Sense... is avoiding that will,"
Bo Saixi said as a clear tear slid from the corner of her eye.
"Seven Sacred Pillars, hear my command."
The seven shuddered and looked up at Bo Saixi in unison.
"At your service!"
"Go and convey my decree."
Bo Saixi spoke quietly.
"From this moment on, make all of Sea God Island's Evacuation Ferries and Sea Beast Mounts available.
"All island residents, Yellow-Clothed Sea Soul Masters, and Purple-Clothed Sea Soul Masters are to pack their belongings immediately and evacuate at full speed toward the southwestern coast of the Heaven Dou Empire on the Douluo Continent."
"High Priestess?!"
Sea Dragon Douluo abruptly rose to his feet.
"Evacuate every civilian on the island?
"What about us?!
"What about the Sacred Pillars?
"What about the Sea God Hall?!"
"The Sacred Pillars and the palace cannot be taken with us."
Bo Saixi spoke softly.
"Then we'll stay here and defend them!"
Sea Spear Douluo gripped his spear and roared fiercely.
"High Priestess!
"Lord Sea God granted us our power and named us Sacred Pillar Douluos!
"Even if the sky falls, even if a continent crashes into us, we must never abandon the temple!
"I am willing to prove my resolve with death and live or die with Sea God Island!"
"Live or die with it?"
Bo Saixi's gaze stabbed like a blade into Sea Spear Douluo's face.
"Sea Spear, do you think staying behind to die is something so glorious and heroic?!"
Sea Spear Douluo froze.
Bo Saixi stepped forward, her robes snapping in the frenzied sea wind.
"Tell me, when two continents collide with a force that sweeps away all resistance, when space tears apart and a tsunami a hundred thousand feet high surges into the heavens, how many moments can your nine Soul Rings withstand?!
"Can that spear you take such pride in pierce the continent's crust, or can it overturn this 'Ancestor's' colossal waves?!"
Sea Spear Douluo's face stiffened. His fists clenched, but he could not utter a word.
"If you stay, you will merely be reduced to a puddle of mangled flesh amid the thunder of the continents' collision, like an ant crushed beneath a boulder. Not even a scream will carry beyond it!"
Bo Saixi's voice echoed before the palace, every word striking the seven's hearts like a heavy hammer.
"That would be throwing your lives away for nothing!
"Not only would you fail to save Sea God Island, you would also bring Lord Sea God's legacy in the mortal world to a complete end!"
Sea Horse Douluo's eyes reddened.
"But, High Priestess... would evacuating to the Douluo Continent truly make us safe?
"The canopy of the sky stated it perfectly clearly. Sea God Island will be destroyed in two and a half days, and in three days, the lands of the two worlds will fully adjoin!
"With the Xuanwu Empire's military strength, once the lands adjoin, the legions and sects of the Douluo Continent cannot possibly withstand their Ninth-Level Soul Guidance Legion!"
"At least in the Douluo Continent's interior, ordinary people might still have a sliver of a chance to survive."
Bo Saixi closed her eyes and spoke in despair.
"The Douluo Continent is vast. The two great empires, Heaven Dou and Star Luo, extend tens of thousands of li into the interior.
"Even if the west coast falls, they can retreat inland and eke out a little more time alive.
"But Sea God Island lies right at the center of the ocean rift. It is a place of certain death!"
Sea Witch Douluo bit her lip and asked quietly,
"High Priestess... what about you?
"You're having us organize the evacuation. Will you leave with us?"
Those words made the hearts of Sea Dragon Douluo and the others, who had just risen, give a violent jolt. Once again, they stared fixedly at Bo Saixi.
Bo Saixi gazed at the distant ocean horizon as it gradually darkened, and a relieved smile curved her lips.
"I am the High Priestess of Sea God Island, and the Sea God's representative in the mortal world."
Bo Saixi held the Sea God Scepter, her gaze resolute.
"My Martial Soul is the Sea God. My divine power comes from the Sea God, and my life, too, belongs to the Sea God Hall.
"Mortals may evacuate, and Soul Masters may retreat, but the temple's guardian cannot."
"High Priestess!
"You intend to stay?!"
Sea Dragon Douluo cried out involuntarily.
"I will stay until the very last moment."
Bo Saixi spoke calmly.
"In two and a half days, when the leading tsunami arrives, I will activate Sea God Island's Island-Guarding Divine Light.
"I will burn all my Soul Power and remaining lifespan to draw upon the last of the Sea God statue's power and erect a Wave-Blocking Barrier around the entire island."
"That barrier cannot stop the Xuanwu Continent, but it can slightly hinder the tsunami's advance and buy the evacuation fleet already out at sea another half day to escape."
"High Priestess!"
Sea Witch Douluo could no longer hold back. Tears spilled from her eyes as she threw herself down beside Bo Saixi's skirts.
"No!
"Please leave with us!
"You're a rank-99 Peerless Douluo!
"As long as you live, Sea God Island's legacy will remain!"
"Foolish child."
Bo Saixi reached out and gently stroked Sea Witch's hair, her gaze tender yet brooking no argument.
"Rank 99 is an immortal in mortal eyes, but before the catastrophe about to descend, it is no more than a slightly larger splash.
"If I flee, my Sea God Martial Soul will collapse and my faith will shatter completely. What meaning would there be in my remaining alive?"