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

Chapter 332 Humanoid Disaster
……

As the devastating light gradually faded, everyone could see the scene at the center of the explosion.

The massive, mountain-like body of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was now battered and bruised. Large areas of its deep purple skin were charred and torn, revealing the blurred flesh and blood beneath, and even some of its bones were visible!
Its enormous single eye was dull and lifeless, filled with pain and confusion. Its life force was extremely weak, like a candle flickering in the wind, floating on the newly closed sea surface, clearly having lost all ability to resist.

Xuanming hovered in mid-air, his aura somewhat disordered, and his face slightly pale.

The series of precise maneuvers he had just performed had also consumed an enormous amount of his mental and spiritual energy.

This move requires no skill; it's just about brute force.

He somehow created hundreds of tons of hydrogen-oxygen mixture and detonated it, the power of which far exceeded expectations. It was enough to pose a fatal threat to a being of the level of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

In the realm of the gods, within a magnificent temple.

The terrifying, world-destroying explosion reflected in the light mirror plunged the several god-kings into a brief silence. The blinding white light seemed to penetrate the mirror and shine onto their faces.

After a long while, the God of Evil slowly exhaled, his tone filled with disbelief and astonishment: "This kid... what did he just do? He turned seawater into... a bomb?"

The goddess of life's emerald eyes were filled with shock and bewilderment: "That power... it's not pure soul power or law, it's more like... the destructive energy released instantly when matter itself is forcibly altered... this..."

The God of Kindness's gentle gaze also carried a solemnity: "He combined and used the power of ice, fire, thunder, and even spiritual energy in a way we never imagined, ultimately causing this kind of destruction that is almost as powerful as heaven and earth."

The God of Destruction's body flashed with intense purple lightning, and he said in a deep voice, "A very dangerous method. But undeniably, its power... is astonishing."

Poseidon, the sea god who had been silent all along, now had a furrowed brow and his fingers were moving rapidly in the air, as if he were calculating something.

A moment later, he raised his head, his face unusually serious, even showing a hint of horror: "Gentlemen, I just did a rough calculation... If the yield of that explosion were increased by another order of magnitude... no, it would only need to be increased by three to five times..."

He paused, then uttered his conclusion in a low, clear voice:

"...its instantaneous burst of core destructive power is enough to... threaten the divine body of a third-level deity! If one is caught unprepared and drawn into the center, it could even... result in serious injury!"

"what?!"

Upon hearing this, even the expressionless Asura God's blood-red eyes flashed with a sharp light!
Threatening the gods?! A human who hasn't even become a god yet, with a soul power level of only eighty, actually possesses destructive means powerful enough to threaten the gods?!

“But this is only the theoretical limit of destructive power,” Poseidon immediately added, his tone regaining its composure. “In reality, it’s almost impossible to achieve. As you all saw, how long did it take him to create an explosion of that scale?”
First, he created an extreme environment using the power of ice and fire, then he triggered lightning to electrolyze the seawater, and finally he used his domain and mental power to forcibly compress and control it… The whole process took nearly fifteen minutes!

He looked at Xuanming, whose face was slightly pale and whose breathing was somewhat disordered, in the light mirror, and continued, "With his current strength, if he were to face a true god-level opponent, he would not be able to last that long, let alone devote himself to that kind of intricate and precise battlefield construction. No god would be foolish enough to stand by and watch him prepare such a powerful move."

The God of Evil stroked his chin, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "In other words, although this move is so powerful that it can touch the threshold of godhood, the wind-up is too long, making it almost impossible to use against opponents of the same level... no, against any prepared strong opponent in actual combat."

“That’s right.” Poseidon nodded. “It can be seen as… a strategic deterrent, or a decisive move that can only be used under specific conditions. It’s not very useful in direct combat.”

"Deep Sea Demon Whale King, you were careless."

However, the cold voice of the Asura God rang out at this moment, carrying a profound meaning: "But this means that in the mortal realm, he already possesses... a destructive power that is almost invincible below the god level."

"Moreover, don't forget, he's only a Soul Douluo now. Once he reaches level 99, his total soul power, mental strength, and control over his domain will undergo another qualitative change... At that time, the preparation time for him to create this kind of explosion will be greatly shortened, and the power... might really be able to be improved to the point that it can pose a fatal threat to a god-level being in actual combat."

Silence fell upon the temple once more.

Poseidon's calculations and the Asura God's deductions both point to a chilling truth.

This young man named Xuanming is not only terrifying in temperament and potential, but he has even mastered the prototype of a kind of "destructive" power belonging to the god level!

Although it is currently severely limited, its potential, its ability to utilize multiple powers to their fullest extent, and even its ability to leverage the very essence of matter to trigger destruction, has made it impossible for the gods to take it lightly.

“It seems,” the gentle voice of the God of Kindness broke the silence, carrying a hint of complexity, “that we need to be more… careful in the trials we give him.”

The future of this mortal, who possesses the nascent potential to "slay gods," is already filled with infinite possibilities and...uncertainty.

The God of Evil suddenly grinned, breaking the somewhat heavy atmosphere: "Hehe, but speaking of which, if we really challenge this kid to a duel, and give him time to prepare the venue... tsk tsk, just thinking about the scene is exciting!" His words made a strange thought rise in the minds of all the gods: in a head-on fight, there might still be beings in the mortal realm who could suppress him.

But if you arrange a time and place and let him do as he pleases... the consequences would be something even the gods would have to think twice about!
This kid is a complete "human natural disaster"!
……

In the mortal world, above the Demonic Whale Sea.

The tattered body of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King floated on the sea surface, its huge single eye struggling to turn as it looked at Xuanming, who was slowly descending in front of it.

His eyes were filled with pain, resentment, and a deep sense of confusion.

It opened its mouth and emitted a weak and hoarse mental message: "Human...you...since you possess such...world-destroying power...why...did you go through all this trouble before?"

It couldn't understand. If Xuanming had used an attack of this level from the beginning, it would have been powerless to resist. Why bother capturing the cubs, negotiating, or even proposing a sacrifice?
Xuanming looked at it, his icy blue eyes showing no pride or ostentation, only calm honesty.

"Before I took action, I myself didn't know how much power this half-step divine sense level spiritual power, combined with my existing strength, could unleash," Xuanming said.

"This is the first time I've used the million-year soul ring and soul skill that the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm gave me in actual combat at full strength. I need to test the effect."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the pitiful state of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, and continued, "Moreover, you and I both know that a large part of the reason you suffered such a crushing defeat was because you were careless."

“You did not regard me as a true mortal enemy from the beginning. Your underestimation of me gave me the opportunity to calmly arrange the battlefield. You also did not unleash your full power from the start, attempting to break out of my domain and control.”

Xuanming's tone carried a calm analysis: "More importantly, your ability happens to be something I can counter."

A hegemon who relied on the power of the sea to fight, yet I restricted your movements with ice, evaporated your home ground with high temperature, and disrupted your perception and power flow with lightning.

Your greatest strengths are weakened layer by layer in front of me, making it impossible for you to unleash your true power.

He concluded, "My move is indeed quite powerful, but it relies on surprise and your ability to stay within the attack range."

If you had known my intentions from the beginning and had spared no effort to escape, I might not have been able to stop you, let alone achieve such a result.

“So,” Xuanming looked into the eyes of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and said frankly, “this time, my victory was largely due to luck. In terms of true strength, in a head-on confrontation, I am indeed no match for you right now.”

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King was stunned.

It never expected that this human, known for his ruthlessness and cunning, would analyze his victory so calmly, even "humbly," after achieving such a brilliant and almost overwhelming victory, attributing most of the reasons to luck, the opponent's carelessness, and attribute advantage.

There was no boasting or arrogance, only a completely rational review and honest self-awareness.

This attitude, on the contrary, dissipated much of the last trace of resentment and unwillingness in the heart of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

To be defeated by a madman or a schemer is humiliating.

But to lose to an opponent who possesses terrifying power yet remains absolutely calm and clear-headed... seems not entirely unacceptable.

Its enormous single eye slowly closed, letting out a long and complex sigh, in which it seemed to have found some relief.

The Snow Empress and Ice Empress, who were in the distance, heard the conversation between Xuanming and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King clearly.

The shock and complexity in the eyes of the two women had reached their peak at this moment.

They witnessed the world-destroying power firsthand and heard Xuanming's calm, almost ruthless, self-analysis.

Powerful, yet not arrogant. Victorious, yet keenly aware of the element of luck and trickery involved.

This kind of mentality, more than that terrifying power, made them feel that it was unfathomable.

For the first time, a hint of genuine scrutiny and consideration flickered in Xue Di's ethereal eyes as she looked at Xuan Ming. Perhaps, the person the lord had chosen wasn't merely because of potential...

(End of this chapter)