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

……

Leaving Biji and Ziji's residence, Xuanming did not rest for a moment. His figure transformed into a stream of light and shot straight toward the magnificent and solemn Sea God Temple atop Sea God Mountain.

The Temple of Poseidon was still bathed in a soft yet majestic golden light in the night, its doors tightly shut, as if isolating it from everything inside and outside.

Xuanming landed in front of the palace gate without knocking or announcing himself. He raised his hand, placed his palm on the heavy gate, and his divine sense silently seeped in like mercury spilling onto the ground.

"High Priest, it is I." His voice traveled directly through divine sense to the ears of the figure sitting quietly in the hall.

Inside the hall, Poseidon, who had been concentrating with her eyes closed, trembled slightly. Her sea-blue eyes snapped open, a complex and unfathomable emotion flashing across them. She hadn't expected Xuanming to come knocking on her door at this time, in this way.

The palace doors slid open silently.

Xuanming stepped in, his gaze calmly landing on the elegant and noble red figure in front of him.

"I apologize for disturbing you so late at night," Xuanming said, his tone unreadable. "I came to thank you for taking care of me on Seagod Island over the past few years."

Poseidon's fingers tightened slightly as she looked at Xuanming, her heart filled with mixed emotions, yet she didn't know how to respond to this seemingly polite expression of gratitude.

Xuanming did not wait for her response and continued, "Also, there is something that should be returned to its rightful owner."

He raised his hand, and with a flash of light, the golden trident of Poseidon, with its ancient and majestic design, appeared in his grasp. The heavy trident fell to the ground with a dull thud, demonstrating its astonishing weight.

Poseidon's gaze fell on the Trident of Poseidon, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes. She didn't understand Xuanming's intention in taking out this divine weapon at this moment.

However, the next moment, Xuanming's actions made her pupils shrink sharply, and she almost cried out in shock!

Without any warning, Xuanming suddenly raised his right hand and pressed it against the top of his head. The golden trident mark on the center of his forehead, which represented his qualification for the nine trials of the Sea God, suddenly burst out with dazzling light, resonating wildly with the light of the Sea God in the Sea God Temple!

Immediately afterwards, a terrifying energy surge that sent chills down one's spine erupted from his head!
"What...what are you going to do?!" Poseidon instantly realized what he was about to do, her face turned pale, and she took a step forward, her vast soul power surging, trying to stop him.

However, Xuanming's divine sense, which had already reached the Divine Origin Realm, acted like an invisible barrier, firmly locking her in place. No matter how she urged her soul power, or even drew upon the power of the Sea God Temple, she could not budge it in the slightest! She could only watch helplessly, her beautiful eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Xuanming ignored her struggles, focusing all his attention on the peeling process.

Peel away the Heart of Neptune that was integrated into the skull!
This is an unimaginable pain, as if one's head is being forcibly torn in two, and the divine object that has become intimately connected with one's bones and soul is being forcibly ripped out!
Xuanming's face instantly turned ashen, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead, but his icy blue eyes remained terrifyingly calm, without even the slightest tremor.

He was already used to pain. He had experienced the tearing of the soul, so compared to that, peeling off a piece of skull was just another form of torture.

Moreover, his spiritual power has already been transformed into divine consciousness. Although he will suffer a great loss of vitality after losing the Heart of the Sea God, his foundation will not be shaken.

The soul-nourishing resources he brought back from the Sun and Moon Continent, originating from the Evil Emperor's treasures, were enough to allow him to recover quickly.

As for the missing part of the Heart of the Sea God, the external evil eye brought by the sacrifice of the Evil Emperor can be integrated and filled in!

At this moment, the vast light of the sea god within the temple seemed to be drawn in, converging like a golden tide, enveloping Xuanming's head, and resonating with the struggling heart of the sea god, both aiding and intensifying the pain of separation.

The whole process seemed incredibly cruel and slow.

Bosei was bound by an invisible divine consciousness and could only watch helplessly as Xuanming's body convulsed slightly from extreme pain. He watched as the skin and bones on his forehead seemed to become transparent in the golden light, and a deep blue crystal, like the core of an ocean, was vaguely visible being "drawn" out of his skull little by little, bringing with it wisps of crimson blood and dazzling golden divine energy.

Her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it difficult to breathe. She couldn't understand why he had to resort to such a cruel method!
Time slipped away slowly in the agony, from the dead of night until the first light of dawn appeared on the horizon.

As the first rays of dawn were about to pierce the sea, accompanied by a barely audible whisper, seemingly from the depths of the soul, the azure Heart of the Sea God finally detached completely from Xuanming's skull, hovering in his palm, radiating a gentle yet vast ocean aura. Xuanming's body swayed, his face almost translucent with paleness, but he remained standing firmly. The golden trident mark on his forehead dimmed considerably, as if it might vanish at any moment. He didn't look at the Heart of the Sea God in his palm, but instead gently pushed it away.

The Heart of Poseidon transformed into a stream of azure light and merged into the Trident of Poseidon, which stood quietly to the side!
Om-!
A joyful and majestic hum resounded throughout the entire Sea God Temple! The complete aura of the divine artifact erupted, and dazzling golden-blue divine light soared into the sky, as if the sleeping sea god had been completely awakened! On the halberd, ancient divine runes lit up one by one, radiating an unparalleled majesty that was more powerful and complete than ever before!

Xuanming's thoughts stirred slightly, and he made a final communication with the Trident of Poseidon. The complete divine artifact seemed to understand his will; its divine light subsided, its hum calmed, and then it slowly rose and hovered in front of Poseidon.

Poseidon instinctively reached out and grasped the halberd shaft.

The weight she held was no longer the heavy, unshakeable 108,000 jin, but a just-right weight, as if connected to her blood and mind, weighing only 108 jin like an ordinary weapon! She could even clearly feel the vast divine power contained within it, and... its open acceptance of her!
Having obtained the Trident of the Sea God's Heart, it willingly serves Xuanming's will! This means that she truly possesses the qualifications to strive for the Sea God's divine position!

A mixture of immense surprise and profound confusion gripped Poseidon's heart. She abruptly looked up at Xuanming, her voice trembling, "Why?! Why did you go to such lengths?! What...what is our relationship that warrants this?!"

Xuanming looked at Poseidon, who was radiant and even more beautiful because the artifact had recognized her as its master, and remained silent for a moment before finally saying the truth that he should have said long ago.

"I killed Tang Chen."

Five simple words left Poseidon speechless.

Xuanming's tone remained calm: "When I first returned to Seagod Island, I wanted to tell you, but you wouldn't see me."

"After that, you took the initiative to contact me, and the things you said were... inexplicable." He recalled Poseidon's subtle probing and struggles, and shook his head slightly.

"In the end, I am grateful to you for taking care of me on Poseidon Island for so long, whether it was out of duty or something else."

He looked at Poseidon with honesty, “But I turned around and killed Tang Chen, without even giving you a chance to see him again and explain things. In the end, I’m the one who wronged you in this matter.”

He pointed to the trident of Poseidon, which now seemed to fit Poseidon perfectly: "The Heart of Poseidon is less a gift and more... my apology."

He paused, looking into Poseidon's eyes, which were filled with shock, pain, confusion, and complex emotions, and continued, "I know you are a very kind person. Having obtained the Heart of the Sea God, you have the opportunity to go further, or even become a god. You may hate me, or you may seek revenge on me in the future."

“But at least…” his voice lowered, with a hint of barely perceptible relief, “Now that you have power and a future, you shouldn’t make things difficult for Hu Liena and the others anymore.”

"That's enough for me."

Having said that, he no longer looked at Poseidon's reaction, and dragging his exhausted body, which was severely damaged in both soul and body, he turned around and walked out of the Temple of Poseidon.

The rising sun had just fully emerged from the sea, its golden rays bathing the plaza outside the palace and illuminating his pale, lonely figure as he slowly disappeared below the steps.

Poseidon stood there, stunned, holding the trident of Poseidon that seemed tailor-made for her. The warmth and power emanating from the artifact felt so real, but Xuanming's calm yet resolute words as he left left her feeling utterly lost.

She finally understood the reason behind Xuanming's almost self-harming behavior.

It was not admiration, nor was it a gift.

It's compensation, it's a separation, and it's also... an arrangement to pave the way for her future.

But she desperately hoped that Xuanming could keep this a secret, so that she could pretend she knew nothing.

But now that Xuanming has brought this up, how is she supposed to face him? (End of Chapter)