Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

Chapter 329 The Choice of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King
……

Zi Ji looked into Xuan Ming's unfathomable, emotionless eyes, then glanced at the pale-faced Snow Empress and Ice Empress, before finally turning her gaze to Gu Yue Na. Seeing Gu Yue Na nod slightly, she gritted her teeth and said, "...Yes!"

With that, she blurred into a dark purple shadow, silently disappearing into the surging seawater below. Avoiding the center of the battle between Di Tian and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, she swam towards the possible location of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's lair.

"You..." Hyotei's chest heaved with anger, and she wanted to say something, but was stopped by Yuki-tei raising her hand.

The Snow Empress stared coldly at Xuan Ming, her ethereal voice carrying a chilling edge: "Xuan Ming, we need an explanation. If you are truly such an unscrupulous person, then the far north will not comply. Even if heavenly tribulation were to strike, we would not side with you."

Their pride makes it impossible for them to accept this style of behavior.

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became extremely stiff and cold.

The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress exuded a chilling aura that kept strangers at bay, their faces icy cold, completely regarding Xuan Ming as a despicable scoundrel.

A barely perceptible ripple flashed in Gu Yuena's silver-purple eyes, but she said nothing, simply watching the earth-shattering battle between Di Tian and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King below, as if she had tacitly agreed to Xuan Ming's decision.

Xuanming remained silent as well, the blood spear in his hand radiating a chilling aura. He gazed at the battlefield, seemingly assessing the situation, or perhaps awaiting news from Ziji.

His profile was cold and hard, showing no emotion whatsoever.

Time slipped away slowly in a suffocating silence.

The battle below intensified, with Di Tian and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King fighting with all their might. Every collision seemed to tear the sky apart and dry up the ocean!
The hearts of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress sank. They both hoped that Zi Ji wouldn't be found, lest her despicable plan succeed, and they also harbored a hidden worry that if she wasn't found, Xuan Ming would truly dive into the deep sea himself…

Given the terrifying control he just demonstrated over ice, he might actually succeed in this deep ocean...

In this complex and oppressive wait—

suddenly!

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's ferocious attack suddenly halted! Its huge single eye abruptly contracted, and it abruptly turned its head to look towards the depths of its lair, letting out a roar mixed with shock, anger, panic, and disbelief!
"No—!!! Di Tian! You dare—!!!"

It went completely mad, no longer caring about fighting with Di Tian. Its massive body desperately tried to break free and rushed into the deep sea!

Just as the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was shaken by the disturbance in its nest and its attack suddenly slowed down, Xuanming made a move!
The ice and fire crown on his forehead shone brightly, and an invisible yet vast and powerful spiritual force mixed with a strange spatial confinement force, like an invisible shackle, instantly enveloped the massive body of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King!

The Universe-Stabilizing Shield!
Under the full force of Xuanming's half-step divine consciousness level spiritual power, this powerful control skill originating from the Vast Ocean Universe Cover displayed terrifying power!

Even the mighty Deep Sea Demon Whale King felt as if the space around him had turned into solidified amber, making his movements incredibly sluggish and greatly suppressing the circulation of his massive soul power!

"Roar—!!!" The Deep Sea Demon Whale King roared in shock and anger, struggling desperately, but the invisible restraints were incredibly strong, and it was difficult to break free in a short time!

At that very moment, whoosh—!
The sea not far away split open, and Zi Ji's figure soared into the sky!

In her hands, she carefully restrained a small whale, about seven or eight meters long, with a crystal-clear pale blue body. It looked very young and weak, and was constantly whimpering in fear! The little whale's aura was weak, and its cultivation level was obviously less than ten thousand years.

This is the cub of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King! It was hidden in the deepest part of its nest. If it weren't for Zi Ji being the Demon Dragon King of Hell, with an extremely keen sense of energy and a talent for stealth, it would have been very difficult to find it!
"My child! My child!" When the Deep Sea Demon Whale King saw its cub captured, its single eye instantly filled with bloodshot veins, and it let out a heart-wrenching roar, struggling even more frantically, causing the surrounding sea to boil with its power!
When the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress saw the young demonic whale, a hint of pity flashed in their eyes, but they still looked coldly at Xuan Ming, wanting to see what he would do next.

Xuanming slowly stepped forward, hovering in front of the imprisoned Deep Sea Demon Whale King, his gaze calmly fixed on its single eye filled with rage and despair.

“Deep Sea Demon Whale King,” Xuanming’s voice clearly reached the other party’s ears, without the slightest emotion, “There’s no need to be so agitated. Capturing your offspring is not for the purpose of torture or coercion.”

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King stared intently at him and roared, "Human! Release my child! Otherwise, I will fight you to the death!"

Ignoring its threat, Xuanming continued, "I just want to create an opportunity for us to talk calmly. If you are willing to sacrifice yourself to help me increase my strength, I can guarantee that I will take good care of your cubs after your sacrifice and promise to do my best to resurrect you when I become a god. As for your wife, I can spare her as long as she does not actively oppose me. This matter can be resolved amicably."

"Sacrifice? Dream on!" the Deep Sea Demon Whale King roared. "If you are unwilling," Xuan Ming's tone remained calm, yet it carried a chilling undertone, "I will not use your child to threaten you. Such methods are far too low-level."

Upon hearing this, not only was the Deep Sea Demon Whale King taken aback, but even the Snow Empress and Ice Empress, whose faces were icy cold in the distance, frowned slightly and looked at Xuan Ming with some surprise.

He doesn't use the cubs as a threat? Then what's the point of capturing them?
Xuanming's gaze swept over the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, and he continued, "I will release you and fight you fairly. Although with my current strength, I may not be your match in a head-on confrontation... I am absolutely confident that I can kill you."

He raised his hand, and a wisp of blue lightning flashed from his fingertip, sending chills down the spines of all the powerful figures present! Within that lightning lay a terrifying aura of divine judgment and the destruction of all things!
The power of heavenly tribulation!

"Your cultivation is just a hair's breadth away from a million-year tribulation." Xuanming looked at the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's suddenly contracting pupils and slowly said, "If I were here, I would forcibly trigger your million-year tribulation... Do you think you could withstand it?"

For the first time, an undisguised fear appeared in the single eye of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King! It knew better than anyone the terror of the Heavenly Tribulation!
Given its growth through devouring and its less-than-stable foundation, it would almost certainly face certain death in the million-year celestial tribulation!

“And I,” Xuanming’s voice was like a devil’s whisper, “can save you when the heavenly tribulation has reduced you to your last breath. At that time, you will still be unable to escape the fate of becoming my soul ring and soul bone.”

“However, once that point is reached, the blood feud will be completely sealed. I don’t like to leave any future troubles.” Xuanming’s gaze swept over the trembling baby whale and the deep seabed.

"To prevent your future wife from seeking revenge, and to prevent your child from growing up and becoming my enemy... I will find your wife, kill her as well, and seize her soul ring and soul bone. As for your only child..."

Xuanming didn't say anything more, but the chilling killing intent he exuded said it all.

"Now, the choice is yours," Xuanming said finally. "Will you voluntarily sacrifice yourself, preserving a sliver of life and your family's bloodline, gambling on a future hope? Or will you force me to trigger a heavenly tribulation, sending your entire family to the Yellow Springs together?"

After saying that, Xuanming fell silent and simply looked at it calmly.

The power of the Qiankun Dingshen Shield still enveloped it, but the deadly oppressive feeling seemed to have lessened somewhat, as if giving it space to think.

There was dead silence.

The Snow Empress and the Ice Empress were completely stunned. They looked at Xuan Ming, and the disdain and anger in their eyes were gradually replaced by an indescribable shock.

They finally understood Xuanming's intention!

He captured the cub not to use it to threaten the Deep Sea Demon Whale King into submission! That was merely a means, not an end!

His real goal was to force the Deep Sea Demon Whale King to reveal itself, briefly control it, and then... give him a choice!

A choice that seems like a choice, but in reality there is no way out!

Voluntary sacrifice offers a glimmer of hope and a future.

Refuse? That would be utter destruction! And the most brutal destruction brought about by the heavenly tribulation he himself had triggered! There would be no room for even a sliver of hope!
This is more domineering, more unquestionable, and more... chilling than directly threatening someone with cubs!
He wasn't negotiating; he was delivering a verdict! He was simply giving the other party a "dignified" way to accept the verdict!

The massive body of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King trembled slightly, its single eye filled with endless struggle, rage, resentment, fear... and a deep sense of despair.

It had no doubt that Xuanming was capable of triggering a heavenly tribulation! The mysterious power that had just imprisoned it, as well as the unfathomable aura emanating from this human, proved this point!
A sacrifice? To hand over hundreds of thousands of years of asceticism and freedom to others? How could it be willing to do so!

Refuse? Under the heavenly calamity, there is no chance of survival! Moreover, it will also lead to the annihilation of your wife, children, and entire clan!
This is a desperate choice.

Time seems to have frozen.

Finally, after endless struggle and pain, the enormous head of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, as if having exhausted all its strength, slowly and laboriously lowered...

A mournful wail, filled with endless sorrow, humiliation, and despair, echoed across the entire sea;
"Human...you have won...I, the Emperor...will sacrifice myself!"

(End of this chapter)