Douluo Continent: On Becoming a God Through Science

Chapter 162 The Capture of Poseidon

A silvery-white light filled Poseidon's entire field of vision, and Poseidon had no time to dodge.

A torrent of stardust washed over Poseidon's body. The sky-blue cicada wings, which had been repaired by the Pearl of the Azure Sea, were once again tattered, and her blue-silver armor gradually melted away...

The power of this shot, fired at supersonic speed, far surpassed that of the previous ones. Coupled with the fact that there was no time to defend herself, Poseidon was seriously injured in the blink of an eye, her body covered in wounds and bleeding profusely.

"Hmm!"

Poseidon let out a muffled groan, his body stiffened, and he felt his soul power become blocked.

The sound of the vortex drew closer again.

"Oh no!"

Poseidon jerked her head up to react, but a white, desperate beam of light struck her.

Stardust Phantom flashed in front of Poseidon, its dragon claws thrusting and slashing out at lightning speed like shooting stars.

However, Poseidon had already learned her lesson once. Before her soul power completely subsided, her soul bone skill, which was always in a state of readiness, was activated, and a spherical, all-around blue barrier protected her.

Even the full force of Stardust Phantom's attack only caused it to vibrate violently, failing to shatter it in one fell swoop.

In the blink of an eye, Poseidon's soul power returned.

The light of the sea god shone again, the eighth spirit ring dimmed completely, and the effect of the restraint also faded.

Instead of repelling the stardust phantom, the waves that should have created resistance this time provided a tremendous pull, dragging it toward Poseidon.

Even with his Martial Soul True Form activated, Stardust Illusion was still no match for Poseidon in a one-on-one situation. Poseidon's tattered sky-blue cicada wings vibrated, and his figure darted out like a phantom. Holding the Spiral Water Pressure Trident, he thrust it directly into Stardust Illusion's abdomen, completely disregarding the fact that his soul power was running low, intending to defeat him in one fell swoop.

Poseidon intended to pierce the clone blocking her path with a single strike, but the enormous white dragon blocked Poseidon's spiraling wind pressure trident with its claws.

The dragon claw, burning with stardust light, rapidly disintegrated and dissolved under the spiraling trident, yet it was never completely defeated.

Poseidon's expression was grim. Each of the Stardust Illusions was comparable to the peak level 98 Super Douluo, and she could no longer easily control them.

Having not been defeated by Poseidon's spiral trident in one strike, Stardust Phantom found an opportunity. Although it wasn't the most comfortable situation where it could perfectly control the power of stardust for output, it still unleashed a torrent of sonic bullets at Poseidon.

"puff!"

Poseidon coughed up blood and flew backward. His tattered sky-blue cicada wings completely turned into fragments and drifted away. The blue-silver soft armor he wore, made of some unknown material, also completely melted away. If it weren't for his martial soul possessing him, he would be no different from being naked at this moment.

Poseidon felt a surge of shame and anger, but even more so, a sense of anxiety and unease.

After unleashing the Wrath of the Sea God, her soul power was almost depleted, and now she is nearly exhausted.

The fact that her ultimate move had failed to destroy You Chen's clone had cast an indelible shadow over Poseidon's heart...

"I'm going to die here? Die at the hands of someone I don't even know the name of?!"

Poseidon was furious.

Rather than doing this—

Poseidon's soul power ignited.

If a Limit Douluo were to self-destruct, the resulting power would be enough to send You Chen, who was also in poor condition, to the Yellow Springs.

but……

A figure shimmering with a faint golden light suddenly darted out, its star-like eyes meeting Poseidon's.

Two pitch-black suns descended upon Poseidon's spiritual world.

It's not the Wheel of Stars, but... the Soul-Stealing Technique!

Throughout the battle, aside from the moment he feigned death to allow Stardust Phantom to launch a sneak attack on Poseidon, You Chen has never stopped attacking Poseidon's mental world with Star God Spikes.

A single Star God Strike might not be very powerful, but it couldn't withstand You Chen's almost uninterrupted continuous output.

In addition, most of Poseidon's moves are performed by incorporating mental energy.

Compared to the damage caused by the Star God's Strike itself, what made Poseidon's mental consciousness feel uncomfortable was that he had to expend much more mental energy to unleash those ultimate moves, resulting in a far greater mental energy consumption!

You Chen possesses the Star God's Thorn attack, and with each attack, he can sense the approximate state of Poseidon's spirit.

He knew perfectly well that his mental strength had already declined significantly after Poseidon unleashed the Wrath of the Sea God.

Now, he has fallen below You Chen's kill line!

However... compared to killing him directly, You Chen had an even better idea.

Therefore, You Chen did not use the Star Wheel, but instead used the Soul-Sealing Technique!

Cultivation techniques are not organs. Having the Star Soul Technique doesn't mean the previous Soul-Sealing Technique is no longer usable.

The Soul-Stealing Technique is not a control-type skill, but a pure mental attack. Making the enemy stunned or faint is just a side effect of the opponent's mental setback.

The Light of Poseidon only provides temporary immunity to control effects, but it does not protect against mental attacks.

This point had already been confirmed when You Chen used the Star God Thorn.

Thus, the Soul-Stealing Technique successfully took effect!

Poseidon froze on the spot, her eyes unfocused, and her burning soul power ceased.

In that final moment, their eyes met, and she recognized him as the very same You Chen who had been struck by her giant halberd. A question flashed through her mind: 'Why is he completely unharmed?'

Before she could come up with an answer, her mind had already fallen silent.

What is mental strength below the killing threshold? It means that if one is hit by You Chen's Star Wheel, one will die instantly. If it is the Soul-Suppressing Technique, it can be more subtle. Whether to directly destroy the opponent's soul or just make them faint depends entirely on You Chen's own choice.

At this moment... Poseidon's soul was completely still, like a dead pig that had fallen into a deep sleep, or a human who had been given a whole bottle of sleeping pills. No matter what You Chen did for a short time, he would never be able to wake up.

From the moment the two fell into the sea and unleashed a series of deadly moves to You Chen's ultimate Soul-Slaying Technique, only a little over ten seconds had passed.

You Chen's imperial golden body hadn't even completely finished its duration.

This is enough to show how dangerous the confrontation between the two sides was.

"I wonder if this counts as utilizing the Emperor's Golden Body?"

You Chen felt his soul power also plummeting to rock bottom, and he secretly grumbled to himself.

When Poseidon got lucky and picked You Chen himself, even You Chen was a little caught off guard. The Emperor's Golden Body, which he originally wanted to use as a game-changer, ultimately became the best sixth man for him to withstand the damage.

Poseidon's massive trident, unleashed at full power, would have been enough to severely injure You Chen, who was in his Martial Soul True Form form, to the point of near immobility if it had hit him.

If a direct hit were to hit You Chen in his Martial Soul True Form state, it would still inflict serious injury sufficient to affect his combat performance.

The power boost from the Emperor's Golden Body was equivalent to saving You Chen one unit of soul power used for the Holy Spirit's Grace.

The soul power saved was what allowed the two Stardust Illusions to fire at supersonic speed before dissipating, giving the main body of Youchen the opportunity to make eye contact with Poseidon and maximize his mental attack.

With the three giant halberds attacking simultaneously, You Chen had no more uses of his Emperor's Golden Body to defend against them.

He immediately unleashed the Sacrificial Sanctuary, gaining temporary invincibility and enduring the attack. Then, taking advantage of the billowing smoke and Poseidon's belief that he was dead, he used the Concealing Breath Technique to hide himself.

This is the full picture of how You Chen was able to win.

And now... this is the final step.

As the saying goes, a long night is full of dreams. Theoretically, given Poseidon's current state, no matter what You Chen does today, she won't wake up. However, You Chen still hasn't made the classic villainous gesture of declaring victory.

While the Emperor's Golden Body was still active, You Chen suddenly closed in on Poseidon, and with a flick of his left hand, the Golden Sword swiftly severed one of Poseidon's arms!

The people in the Douluo world don't have any extraordinary will. Such a huge injury and excruciating pain would probably make even a god scream and roar.

But You Chen turned his head and glanced at her. In her sleep, Poseidon only had a furrowed brow and her body trembled instinctively, as if she had Parkinson's syndrome, but she had no other reaction.

The integrity of the body will greatly affect a Soul Master's combat power.

Besides this, the Douluo world has another special mechanism...

If the separated limbs do not have soul bones, it's fine. But if they do have soul bones, their soul power level may even drop directly.

For every limb with a soul bone removed, the soul power level will drop by ten levels.

These are the world rules of Douluo Continent.

In the original work, there are two cases of Title Douluo who lost limbs. After losing his arm, Chen Xin comprehended a higher realm and broke through to level 97, while Tang Hao's soul power dropped directly to the Soul Saint level because he had two soul bones removed.

Soul bones are extremely rare in this era. Even the Sword Douluo, who is backed by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, does not have a soul bone on his arm. However, the inheritance of Seagod Island is much more ancient and powerful than that of the Clear Sky School. As the strongest person on Seagod Island, Poseidon naturally has collected a complete set of soul bones.

After You Chen severed one of his arms, Poseidon's soul power level dropped rapidly, falling to level 98 in just a short time, and it continues to decline!

Looking at Poseidon's snow-white severed arm, if one ignored the grotesque cut, the flawless white arm was indeed full of perfect beauty.

Even though Yu Chen wasn't Yoshikage Kira, seeing such a perfect arm made him want to play with it.

However, as a researcher, the soul bone on his arm quickly drew You Chen's attention even more.

"I see……"

Observing the soul bones, You Chen seemed to have gained some insight.

Even after being separated from the Soul Master's body, this Soul Bone still retains Poseidon's Soul Power. It seems that after being absorbed, the Soul Bone became one of the Soul Master's Soul Power organs, forming a new Soul Power cycle with the original Martial Soul and Soul Bone. This stripping of the Soul Bone is equivalent to directly cutting off a portion of the Soul Master's Soul Power foundation, causing a sharp drop in Soul Power level, which is not surprising.

The reason why Tang San's soul power level did not plummet in the original work is that he had accepted the sacrifice of two 100,000-year-old soul beasts before that, and the Blue Silver Emperor soul bone technique reshaped his arm, which made up for the loss of his foundation.

And Poseidon?

She is currently unconscious. Once she wakes up, her soul power level will naturally drop to level 89.

Even if You Chen seals Poseidon's right arm and reattaches it to her later, she can only return to level 98 at most. She will need to make another breakthrough to return to the limit level.

You Chen silently used the power of stardust to purify and heal the severed parts of Poseidon's body and arm, stored the severed arm in a cold storage soul tool, and then, after looking at Poseidon who was unconscious and whose perfect body was completely exposed, he finally dressed her in clothes.

Even when asleep, Poseidon's ocean domain maintained only a minimum level of effectiveness, and there was no problem with getting wet. In addition, since the domain's owner was in very bad condition, the instinct to save herself caused the water that had soaked her clothes to be absorbed by the domain and used to restore her owner's condition.

With Poseidon on his back, You Chen summarized the events of the battle as he flew towards the Crystal Palace.

The most important point he analyzed was naturally his combat strength.

"Although I haven't yet broken through level 90 and condensed my second soul core, my overall combat strength is already above that of an ordinary level 98 Super Douluo. Relying on various overpowered skills and mechanisms, I already possess the ability to kill a Limit Douluo in a one-on-one fight, even if the opponent is a level higher."

One must mention his sixth spirit ring skill, Despair Light, which is worthy of being a spirit ring with 600,000 ferocious beasts. This single move is enough to close most of the gap between him and the Limit Douluo.

Of course, having the ability doesn't guarantee the ability to kill.

Just like Poseidon has the ability to kill Wanderer.

The outcome is still uncertain.

Without any other factors intervening, in a one-on-one situation, You Chen believed he had a certain advantage.

However, if it's a group operation, then the opposite applies.

Strong crowd control skills like Despair Light and Stardust Demon's Gaze will have their deterrent effect greatly reduced if the opponent has teammates to come to their aid.

This is why Soul Masters always operate in small teams.

However, at their extreme level, virtually no one can control them, which allows them to suppress an entire country single-handedly without relying on other helpers.

Ultimately, it's simply a lack of equally matched adversaries.

As for You Chen's ferocious beast soul ring skill, it is a skill that can be effective even against weaker gods. He is just a Limit Douluo. If it weren't for the huge difference in soul power, he wouldn't be a match for him.

All I can say is that Youchen's version is far ahead of its time...

In this era where even 100,000-year-old soul skills are extremely rare, he has been using 100,000-year-old soul skills in large quantities, and has even used ferocious beast soul skills.

Even if You Chen cultivated to the level of a Title Douluo, it would be difficult for him to create a beast soul skill on his own.

While he was thinking, You Chen had already carried the unconscious Poseidon to the Crystal Palace.

In order to focus entirely on the battle against Poseidon, Yu Chen dispelled his clone after delivering Liya and Lijing to the Crystal Palace.

The remaining sea spirit beasts, who were originally Lina's subordinates, trusted You Chen's previous promise a little more after seeing that You Chen had returned the two little princesses as promised.

So, after the soul beasts sensed the terrifying fluctuations that could travel from thousands of miles away, although they were uneasy, they ultimately did not leave.

Of course, besides that, it's also possible that they were wary of You Chen, worried that this demon king, who had killed countless of their companions and even forced the sea princess to sacrifice herself, might still have some tricks up his sleeve, just like he had kidnapped the two little princesses before. The reason he dispersed his clones was just another trick to test them...

Especially after experiencing the terrifying aftershocks of the battle that shook the sea and the heavens, they dared not act rashly, fearing retribution later.

If we rewind a little, we'll go back to the moment when Youchen's starlight avatar had just dissipated.

A turtle spirit beast dressed as a courtier, resembling a turtle prime minister, saw this and quickly woke up the two little princesses.

"Well……"

The princess in the silver crown clutched her forehead, letting out a muffled groan. She looked around and, seeing the concerned faces of her fellow beings, her eyes finally lit up. She addressed the tortoise spirit beast before her, "Prime Minister Turtle, you defeated that demon and rescued my sister and me!? Where is Mother?"

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Turtle paused, then shook his head with a complex expression: "No, that's not it. It was...it was that Soul Master who sent you back. And your mother, Princess Sea...has already sacrificed herself to become that Soul Master's Soul Ring!"

"What!? What are you saying? My mind is a bit of a mess right now. You called that demon 'Master'? 'Soul Master'?! And then, Mother sacrificed herself to him?! This is impossible! It can't be like this!"

Lijing was somewhat hysterical. Her memory only stopped at the moment when You Chen suddenly appeared. She had just woken up and saw her subordinate sea spirit beasts, thinking it was a happy ending, but instead she heard such terrible news. The huge contrast made her almost vomit blood.

"Your Highness..." Prime Minister Turtle looked worried.

Seeing the concerned expression on Turtle Prime Minister's face, and recalling the fawning address he had just given to the demon, Regent reacted instinctively: "You traitor who has sided with evil humans, get out of here!"

She instinctively conjured a wave of water.

But then a wave of water came from the side and dispersed him, preventing him from being truly injured. However, the Turtle Prime Minister still looked shaken.

"Sister, why are you stopping me from punishing this scoundrel?" Regent looked at her sister, Liya, with a ferocious expression.

Compared to her sister, Liya was more gentle and composed. She sighed softly and said, "Sister, the Prime Minister has served diligently for nine thousand years. How could he possibly be the kind of person you describe? We've only just awakened and don't know anything about the situation yet. Why don't we listen to the Prime Minister's explanation?"

Upon hearing this, Prime Minister Gui gave Liya a grateful look and nodded repeatedly.

"snort."

Regent gave a soft snort and turned her head away, but this attitude indicated her consent.

Subsequently, Prime Minister Turtle relayed to them all the words Princess Sea had spoken before her sacrifice, including You Chen's declaration of becoming a god, his promise to reshape Princess Sea's body in the future, and the contents of his deal with You Chen.

The two princesses reacted differently to this.

Regent exclaimed angrily, "What?! You want us to accept his protection? Mother is clearly telling us to submit to that demon!!!"

She turned sharply to look at Liya, and said solemnly, "Sister, we absolutely cannot agree to this. That human soul master just left us here; something must have happened. Let's take this opportunity to run away with everyone!"

Liya, however, looked sorrowful and helpless. She shook her head and sighed, "Sister, haven't you realized that man's power and scheming are beyond our imagination? The fact that he left us here means he must have left a mark so he can find us. If we run away now, we'll only increase our suffering later and give him more ammunition to make things difficult for us."

"you……"

Regent retorted angrily, "As a descendant of the golden bloodline, the next Sea Princess, how can you utter such discouraging words!"

But even after saying that, she wasn't entirely confident in her own words.

Rumble—

Just then, a terrifying tremor reached the deep sea.

The crystal palace, as solid as a rock and as strong as a fortress, swayed slightly.

All the spirit beasts present changed their expressions.

"This is……"

"No, no way?"

Among the group of soul beasts, the Turtle Prime Minister said with a complicated expression, "It must be that soul master who is fighting fiercely with his enemy."

Regent suddenly looked up: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Although we don't know who is fighting that demon right now, we can definitely go and help him deal with that demon!"

One of the spirit beasts hesitated and said, "But, Your Highness, in my opinion, that spirit master..."

Meeting Regent's dangerous gaze, he subtly changed his words: "After all, that demon kept his promise and sent you back and protected you, instead of getting involved in the battle over there, and the Sea Princess's soul is still in his body..."

The Sea Princess's soul still resides within him...

Regent's face turned pale; this was the most crucial issue.

"Give up."

Liya said bitterly, "Look at the fluctuations from their battle right now. That man... he might not have even been using his full strength before. If we, a few defeated soldiers, were to get involved in this level of combat, we'd probably only meet a gruesome end..."

As if in response to Liya's words, an even more violent underwater earthquake struck.

All the sea spirit beasts fell silent.

Yes, regardless of who wins or loses, in the face of such a powerful figure, they all have "only one option: to kneel and worship".

Even if that unfamiliar strongman wins, he may not necessarily come out on top, but it is still a vague future that can be looked forward to.

Many sea spirit beasts silently prayed that the unfamiliar powerful figure could defeat You Chen, the Demon King.

At the same time, there is a fear that one has done something wrong and will be punished after the victorious return of the other side.

however……

"Looks like you're all pretty obedient."

Amidst the increasingly violent earthquakes, they didn't have to wait long before they saw the demon-like man carrying a slender woman back to the place. He looked down at them, smiling as he spoke directly into their minds with his mental power.

Many soul beasts felt frustrated and indignant, but having faced You Chen's power directly, they also had a sense that "this was the only natural outcome."

The woman dressed in men's clothing was carried on You Chen's shoulder, her hair disheveled, making it impossible to see her face.

You Chen casually tossed it to the ground, then looked at a trembling female mermaid clad in guard armor and asked, "Your Crystal Palace must have a dungeon for holding prisoners, right?"

"I?"

The mermaid shuddered and quickly replied, "Yes, sir, you want me to lock this... prisoner up, is that right?"

Seeing You Chen nod, she quickly agreed, then stepped forward and was about to lift him up.

But when she moved the woman's body slightly, causing her hair to fall naturally to one side and revealing the woman's stunning face, she immediately let out a scream of extreme fear and shock, and uncontrollably released her grip.

(End of this chapter)