Douro Continent

Chapter 683 The Inheritance Begins, Sacrifice, Sea God Douluo

"But the price for the Sea God's inheritance is Lady Poseidon's life!" The Sea Witch said, choking back tears, looking at the tightly closed door. "Have you forgotten how much Lady Poseidon helped us to be where we are today? Without her, we wouldn't exist. And now we have to watch her die. I can't bear it."

Seahorse Douluo sighed and said, "You've all seen the situation with the lady. Perhaps, this is the best outcome for her. Ever since that person came here again, the lady has changed. Can't you see that her heart died with that person's death? Living is more painful for her."

"Alright, everyone shut up. Let us await the arrival of the Sea God and pray for Lord Poseidon." Sea Dragon Douluo slowly walked to the front, knelt on one knee, and made a gesture with his hands in front of his chest, no longer speaking.

The other six Holy Pillar Guardian Douluos, including the Sea Witch filled with resentment, knelt behind the Sea Dragon Douluo. All seven of them had deep sorrow on their faces as they silently prayed.

Inside the Poseidon Temple.

After the gate closed, the place instantly turned pitch black. Although it wasn't their first time here, the feeling this time was completely different. Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing all focused their attention on Tang San. He was about to undergo the inheritance of a god! Once completed, he would become a true god. A god! A true god.

Everyone's breathing quickened involuntarily, and their gazes towards Tang San became somewhat subtle. The dominant emotions were excitement and envy. Of course, there was also a trace of worry. Although they didn't know the devastating impact the shattering of the Sea God's Heart would have on Tang San's inheritance, they knew that inheriting a divine legacy was a very risky matter.

Dai Mubai suddenly raised his right hand and grabbed Tang San's shoulder. "Little San, you must succeed."

Oscar brought out all his prized high-grade sausages and offered them to Tang San, showing his support through his actions. Tang San smiled and shook his head. Human Soul Masters' auxiliary skills are useless against gods; this is evident from the fact that Tang San couldn't accept the amplification from Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda after temporarily mobilizing the power of the Asura God when he killed the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. Therefore, these sausages would be useless in his inheritance process.

Ma Hongjun gave Tang San a big bear hug. "Third Brother, you've always been my idol. In my heart, there's nothing you can't do. This time is no exception."

As if they had arranged it with Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing came to Tang San's side, one on each side, and simultaneously stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek.

Ning Rongrong chuckled and said, "They say that the encouragement of a beautiful woman can generate endless power. Third Brother, don't let us down." Surprisingly, Dai Mubai and Oscar did not show the slightest bit of jealousy; their eyes were only filled with encouragement.

Xiao Wu was the last to approach Tang San, while the others stood aside, refusing to look at them. They were leaving this final moment for them.

Tang San took Xiao Wu's hands and brought them to his lips. "Xiao Wu, I proposed to you, and you said yes. Don't worry, no matter how difficult or painful it is, I will definitely succeed in making you my bride."

Xiao Wu's eyes reddened. She suddenly threw herself into Tang San's arms, stroking his face with both hands, gazing at him intently. "Brother, I love you. For my sake, you must live. Remember, whether you are human, god, or ghost, I will always be by your side."

Tang San understood the meaning behind Xiao Wu's words. His heart clenched, and he gave Xiao Wu a tight hug, leaving a kiss mark on the blood-red brand on her forehead. Only then did he release her, instantly leaping into the air and flashing onto the platform where he had once pulled out the Trident of the Sea God.

Suddenly, the Shrek Six Monsters all clearly felt a peculiar energy fluctuation permeating their bodies, and the magical runes that had appeared on their foreheads before reappeared. Whether it was a black pentagram, a hexagram, or Ning Rongrong's red heptagon, the light on their foreheads shone almost simultaneously, adding a touch of brilliance to the dark world.

As if drawn by a special force, all six of them rose into the air at the same time, each leaping onto a platform.

Poseidon's deep voice echoed within the Sea God Temple, "Are you all ready?"

"Yes, we're ready!" The Shrek Seven Devils, including Tang San, shouted in unison. The moment that would determine their future had finally arrived. It would be impossible for them not to be nervous at this moment. But at this point, they had no way out. A firm belief, a belief in certain success, filled their hearts. Everyone gave their best.

Poseidon slowly raised the golden scepter in her hand. The scepter, three meters long, was carved with magical runes, and its head was a diamond-shaped protrusion resembling a spear. Five inches below the tip of that spear, a diamond-shaped golden gem was inlaid. As Poseidon raised it high, a bright golden light instantly ignited from the diamond-shaped gem, illuminating the entire Temple of Poseidon in an instant.

"Stand in the center of the platform," Poseidon said calmly. At that moment, a flush appeared on her face, and in that instant, she seemed to have become young again, bursting with vitality. The sadness in her eyes had disappeared, replaced by intense excitement.

Poseidon roared to the heavens, "I have waited a hundred years, and this moment has finally arrived! Great sea god! Your servant is finally able to complete the task you entrusted to me!"

A faint golden light began to rise from beneath Poseidon's feet. At that moment, she seemed to enter a special state. The faint golden light was Poseidon's soul power. This was the first time the Shrek Seven Devils had seen this Sea God Douluo truly display her power.

Bathed in a pale golden light, Poseidon's hair fluttered without wind. Under the surging golden light, one spirit ring after another was released from her body. Each spirit ring was shrouded in a pale golden glow, and it was vaguely visible that the lowest level among all nine spirit rings was at least ten thousand years old.

This is the power of the High Priestess of Seagod Island, the Seagod Douluo. Undoubtedly, the eight supreme trials she underwent years ago brought her immense benefits. This powerful figure, invincible within the bounds of the sea, is now using her power to ignite a sacred ritual.

The brilliant golden light, growing ever stronger, completely illuminated every corner of the Sea God's Temple. The demonic runes that Tang San had lit up when he pulled out the Sea God's Trident shone brightly again under the golden light released by Poseidon. The sacred aura completely stripped away the distracting thoughts in everyone's hearts.

Although this was Tang San's divine inheritance, witnessing this scene was also extremely important for the other six members of the Shrek Seven Devils. Only by truly experiencing the baptism of such divine power could they possibly reach such a level in the future.

Standing beside Poseidon, Tang San was deeply shocked as he quietly sensed the energy she released. He had originally thought that once his soul power reached level ninety-nine, he would be able to compare with a powerhouse of Poseidon's caliber. However, only after Poseidon truly unleashed her power did Tang San realize that even though they were both level ninety-nine powerhouses, there was still a gap in their strength.

Bibi Dong is not even in the same league as Poseidon. The divine aura on Poseidon's body undoubtedly comes from the power of the sea god. Moreover, the sea god's energy has been subtly integrated into every part of her body, including her nine spirit rings, which are all filled with the sea god's aura.

If Tang San had to find a point of reference for comparison, the only one he could think of was Qian Renxue. The Poseidon before him was like Qian Renxue without her tenth spirit ring. Although she was still level ninety-nine, there was no doubt that she had already stepped into the god-level realm, but because of her mission, she could never truly enter that world.

No wonder even the mighty Deep Sea Whale King dared not approach Seagod Island too closely, much less confront it. With Poseidon present, and the Seagod's power gathered on Seagod Island, it would be virtually impossible for Qian Renxue to destroy the island now. This is the power left behind by the Seagod, and the power Poseidon received for her loyalty to the Seagod.

A faint light flickered, and Tang San's expression became very calm as he silently awaited the arrival of that final moment.

With a flash, Poseidon's body shifted position, moving from standing side-by-side with Tang San to facing him. At this moment, even Poseidon's eyes had turned golden, and her nine spirit rings simultaneously expanded, growing to a diameter of over three meters. Tang San felt a warm energy sweep over him, and his body was enveloped by Poseidon's nine spirit rings.

Nine pale gold spirit rings simultaneously enveloped two people—a spectacle never before witnessed by the Shrek Seven Devils. The immense energy fluctuations remained remarkably gentle. However, the illuminated Sea God Temple had become incredibly dazzling.

The dazzling magical runes mostly appeared in the form of waves within the Temple of the Sea God, densely covering the roof, walls, and the seven platforms beneath them. The golden light flowed slowly like mercury, and the sacred energy fluctuations made the air seem to be imbued with the aura of the Sea God.

The scepter in Poseidon's hand was now positioned between her and Tang San. The golden rhombus-shaped gem on her palm grew brighter and brighter, yet the light was not dazzling at all. Under the golden light, the trident mark of the Sea God on Tang San's forehead also gradually shone. A warm feeling instantly spread throughout his body. At this moment, Tang San felt as if every cell in his body had come alive, dancing with abandon.

At that very moment, the Asura God energy, which had not been suppressed by the Sea God's energy, was gradually compressed by the gentle, warm energy, slowly fading away from Tang San's left arm. It could no longer be a force that hindered the Sea God's energy from spreading throughout Tang San's body. Faintly, Tang San sensed that the Asura God's power had been forced back into his Clear Sky Hammer by Poseidon's manipulation of the Sea God's power within the Sea God's Temple.

This Sea God Temple feels like a giant magic array, and the central platform where Tang San is located is the eye of this array.

A golden six-pointed star began to light up beneath Tang San and Poseidon's feet. This enormous golden six-pointed star was a full five meters in diameter, with each of its six points pointing to one of the six other platforms. Six beams of golden light were released from those six points, striking the platforms. Instantly, six enormous golden pillars of light rose abruptly from the six platforms, each pillar covering its respective platform and simultaneously engulfing the bodies of Tang San's six companions.

The six monsters clearly felt their bodies being drawn by a strange energy. Their spiritual power entered a wondrous world, in which a special spiritual fluctuation connected with their souls. In their minds, they felt as if they were a pillar supporting a house, their bodies unable to move an inch, and even the rhythm of their breathing was controlled by the golden light.

Poseidon gazed at Tang San, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Tang San, are you truly ready?"

Tang San did not back down at all, his clear gaze fixed on Poseidon's eyes. "Yes, I am ready."

Poseidon's voice suddenly turned serious. "The Sea God is the god who controls all living things in the sea. As the successor of the Sea God, you will spare no effort to protect your people. Tang San, can you do it?"

Tang San replied without hesitation, "I can."

Poseidon asked again, "The sea god is the representative of light and the master of the sea. Can you ensure that kindness remains in your heart forever and use the sea god's power for justice forever?"

Tang San affirmed once again, "I will definitely bring the Sea God's justice to the human world."

Poseidon said, "Sea God, you possess the power to rule over everything in the sea. As the successor of the Sea God, the new generation of Sea God, you must always remember not to dishonor the dignity of the Sea God. You must spread the divine light of the Sea God to every corner of the sea and use your divine power to assist your people. Do not allow any foreign enemies to invade."

"Yes, I will definitely do it."

Poseidon's gaze seemed to pierce through Tang San's body. Their eyes met, and Tang San made no attempt to dodge or block, allowing Poseidon's sharp gaze to penetrate the deepest recesses of his eyes, as if seeing into his very soul. He knew that Poseidon's question was not a routine inquiry, but rather a question posed on behalf of the Sea God, a test from the Sea God. If Tang San hesitated even slightly at this moment, he would be unable to inherit the Sea God's divine power.

What Poseidon saw was Tang San's inner world; her gaze captured a flawless inner world.

Nodding in satisfaction, Poseidon pointed her scepter forward, placing the diamond-shaped golden gem on Tang San's forehead onto the trident mark of the Sea God. "The glory of the Sea God will continue because of you."

A surge of scorching energy suddenly poured into Tang San's mind from the rhombus-shaped gem. Tang San felt as if his soul had exploded in an instant. The ancient and deep voice that had appeared many times before rang out again at this moment, filled with passionate emotion: "Nine Trials of the Sea God, Ninth Trial, Sea God's Inheritance, Begin."

No explanation of the test was needed; those simple words alone instantly boosted Tang San's spirits to an unprecedented peak. Six years of hard work had culminated in passing the Eight Trials of the Sea God, and the final moment had finally arrived. How could Tang San not be excited?

A dazzling light flashed as Poseidon raised her scepter high, unleashing a beam of golden light that struck the very center of the hall's ceiling. Instantly, a powerful golden light emanated from the sky, and the golden six-pointed star beneath Tang San's feet shone brightly. The dazzling light completely enveloped Tang San and Poseidon, while the golden light emanating from the scepter dispersed, transforming into thirteen beams of golden light that descended from the sky, forming thirteen golden flames around the six-pointed star.

A gigantic golden phantom gradually emerged from behind Poseidon. Tang San recognized this figure all too well; it was the Sea God who had once saved his life and taught him divine skills! However, this phantom of the Sea God appearing behind Poseidon was much clearer than any Tang San had seen before. Although his features were still indistinct, he could see that he was wearing a magnificent set of golden armor.

"The sacred gate is about to open, the divinity of the sea god is about to be passed on, candidate of the sea god! Please step into the gate that the sea god has opened for you, and use your strength, your heart, your soul and everything you have to accept the sea god's final test."

Poseidon's voice suddenly became incredibly loud, and her emotions seemed to have reached an unprecedented peak. The scepter in her hand shattered with a crash, and at the same time, the nine spirit rings that surrounded Poseidon's body and enveloped her and Tang San also shattered.

The instant those nine spirit rings shattered, Tang San felt a tremendous change in the surrounding space. Everything became unreal, and his body was unable to move. His entire body was locked by a vast and boundless energy that he could not even imagine.

Intense golden flames rose around his body, seemingly the energy that appeared after Poseidon's spirit ring shattered. The same flames also burned on Poseidon's body. The holiness and majesty on her face gradually disappeared, and all that remained when she looked at Tang San was a kind gaze.

"No—" Tang San tried desperately to shout, but he couldn't make a sound. He watched as the golden flames on Poseidon's body gradually changed from light gold to bright gold, and then from bright gold to crimson gold. Poseidon's body was also gradually disappearing as the color of the flames changed.

"Child, do not be sad. This is my mission. From the day I became the High Priest of Seagod Island and the administrator of the Seagod Temple, this day was destined to come. As the High Priest of Seagod Island, I must not only protect everything on Seagod Island and spread the blessings of the Seagod, but also become the guide for the new generation of Seagods. Now, I have accomplished all of this. From now on, you can only rely on your own strength. Child, I have lived for over a hundred years, just like your great-grandfather. At our age, we are not considered to have died young. Do not grieve. I must fulfill the mission bestowed upon me by the Seagod. In this respect, my identity is the same as Qian Daoliu's. Now I can tell you that although Qian Renxue has become a god, Qian Daoliu, as her guide, will surely sacrifice himself for the inheritance of the god, just like me. This is what we must do. Only by using our bodies as a conduit and our energy as a bridge of communication can we unleash true divine power and help you complete this inheritance of the god. If Tang Chen were still alive, perhaps I would have some regrets, but he has already gone before me. What else do I have to regret?"

Tang San's vision blurred, and fragments of memories flooded his mind. He clearly remembered that Poseidon had shown murderous intent during the Nine Trials of the Sea God after learning he was to undergo them. Now he understood why Poseidon had reacted that way; his Sea God inheritance required the life of this Sea God Douluo as a guide!

Tang San also recalled the expressions of the Seven Holy Pillars of the Sea God Guardian Douluo when they returned to Seagod Island. It turned out that they were not disappointed because they were about to complete their mission, but because they were saddened by the impending sacrifice of Seagod Douluo Poseidon for the inheritance of the Seagod.

If she had known this would happen, would she still have chosen to inherit the Sea God's legacy? For the continuation of the Sea God, Poseidon not only sacrificed her youth and her entire life, but in the end, she also had to sacrifice her life.

"Child, do not cry. Death is not frightening; for me, it is a good release. Originally, when you began the Nine Trials of the Sea God, I felt some resentment, even some imbalance and resistance. I even tried to influence your trials with my own power. That was not because I was afraid of death, nor because I wanted to disobey the Sea God's orders. It was because I still had an important matter unfinished. I still wanted to see Tang Chen. And you have fulfilled my wish for me. In this life, we could not be partners, and now I am going to follow him. I believe that in another world, I will be able to be with him. From now on, everything depends on your own strength. Although you no longer have the help of the Sea God's Trident, I have witnessed too many miracles you have created, and I believe this time will be no exception. You will succeed, you will become a true Sea God. Being able to send you to the path of the Sea God's inheritance and watch you take this final step, I am actually luckier than Tang Chen. Go, child, accept the Sea God's final test with your strength, courage, and endless willpower. I wish you success..."

Poseidon's voice gradually became distant and faint, and her body gradually disappeared in the crimson-gold flames. At this moment, the surrounding energy also became violent, and the crimson-gold light turned into a huge pillar of light, completely engulfing Tang San's body.

Tang San's heart ached terribly. Tang Chen's death had already been a significant blow to him, but Poseidon's sacrifice for his legacy was even more devastating. These two elderly people had to endure such suffering in their later years. Heaven had been so unfair to them.

Intense pain gnawed at Tang San's heart. Although the area around his body was getting hotter and hotter, it was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.

"Senior Poseidon, your efforts will not be in vain. I will definitely fulfill your and my great-grandfather's last wishes and obtain the Sea God's inheritance." Tang San was a persistent person; he would never succumb to grief, but would instead transform it into strength. In that instant, his willpower became incredibly solid. Facing the surrounding crimson-gold flames without the slightest fear, he straightened his chest.

It was because of this action that Tang San discovered he could move his body again. All the crimson-gold flames suddenly subsided in front of him, and a large door burning with crimson-gold flames appeared before Tang San.

It was called a door, but there was no real door at all. It looked like a portal formed by flames, and the crimson-gold flames seemed to be beckoning to Tang San.

Tang San knew that this was the Gate of the Sea God's Legacy, which Poseidon had obtained at the cost of her life. She had opened this gate for him!

Taking a deep breath to fill his lungs, Tang San gripped the Sea God Trident tightly in his right hand and walked resolutely toward the crimson-gold gate.

……

At the seaside, Qian Renxue, dressed in magnificent palace attire, suddenly opened her eyes without warning, gazing at the boundless sea. Two tangible golden flames burst forth from her eyes. Behind her, the Angelic Holy Sword instantly materialized, slowly floating from behind to in front of her.

A slightly strange look appeared on Qian Renxue's face. "Is it about to begin? Tang San, you really haven't disappointed me. You truly are the only man I've ever set my sights on in my life. I'll wait for you here, until you inherit the Sea God's power, and then we'll see whether you can defeat me or I can conquer you."

No longer striving to hinder Tang San's inheritance of divine power, Qian Renxue's divine sense had become incredibly clear, devoid of any distracting thoughts. Her heart, through this period of cultivation, had truly entered the realm of divinity. She was gradually absorbing and digesting the abilities of all the Angel Gods. Now, she had truly become an Angel God, truly possessing divine power.

……

As Tang San passed through the crimson-gold flame gate, he felt as if his entire body was bound, the immense pressure threatening to crush him. However, the moment he stepped through the gate, all the pressure vanished instantly. The surrounding scenery transformed, and he found himself in another world.

This was a blue world. As soon as Tang San arrived, he found that although the pressure on his body had disappeared, he couldn't breathe. His surroundings were a clear, deep blue, and his body was sinking.

This is… Tang San calmly surveyed his surroundings. As his body descended, he had already sensed where he was.

Unlike the true Angel Temple where Qian Renxue received the inheritance of the Angel God, Tang San arrived at an underwater world.

The Angel God belongs to the sky, while the Sea God belongs to the ocean. Therefore, when Qian Renxue inherited the Angel God's power, she was in the Angel Temple amidst the endless starry sky, while Tang San inherited the Sea God's power in the underwater world. Of course, this underwater world does not exist in the real world. One can only reach this place by passing through the Sea God's inheritance gate.

Tang San sank rapidly, clearly due to the weight of the Trident of the Sea God in his hand. The pressure around his body also began to increase, but the surrounding light did not change as his body sank.

Is this where the Sea God's legacy is passed down? Tang San used a ray of Sea God's light to control his Sea God Trident, maintaining its weight equal to the buoyancy of the seawater. At the same time, his body floated in the unchanging light of the seawater. He needed to assess his surroundings first.

After stabilizing his body and calming his mind, Tang San buried the grief caused by Poseidon's sacrifice deep in his heart before taking in everything before him.

As his gaze shifted from horizontal to downward, an unparalleled shock washed over him. His entire expression froze at that moment.

What was that? What Tang San saw was a palace. Yes, just a thousand meters below him, in the middle of this unchanging sea, a huge palace stood silently.

Having reached level ninety-nine in soul power and mastered the Mysterious Heaven Skill to its peak, Tang San could completely support his body through internal breathing, at least for the time being. However, the strange sight before him almost made him swallow seawater in surprise.

That palace was ten times larger than the largest palace in the Heaven Dou Empire that Tang San had ever seen. Even from a thousand meters away, it was still incredibly magnificent.

A solitary palace sits on the seabed, its height exceeding two hundred meters as far as the eye can see. Its length and width both surpass one kilometer. What a magnificent palace! Moreover, a faint golden aura seems to surround the palace, as if it is this aura that illuminates this underwater world.

"It's so beautiful," Tang San couldn't help but exclaim inwardly. This must be the true Sea God's Temple. Using the weight of the Sea God's Trident to control his body, Tang San slowly descended towards the Sea God's Temple below. The inheritance of the Sea God's divine position would undoubtedly take place in this magnificent Sea God's Temple.

Soon, Tang San arrived at the edge of the golden light barrier. Just as he was about to pass through the barrier and enter, a problem arose.

A cold, lifeless voice echoed in the seawater around him, causing the water to tremble slightly.

"Only the possessor of the Heart of the Sea God may enter the Temple of the Sea God; without the Heart of the Sea God, no one may enter."

How the sound came from and who made it were not important to Tang San. What was important was that he discovered he really couldn't enter the seemingly thin golden light barrier.

It was formed from some unknown energy, but it was extremely hard, and the hard light barrier kept Tang San out.

What to do? Without entering this protective barrier, the Sea God's inheritance is impossible. But how can Tang San retrieve the Sea God's Heart? It was shattered in the process of saving him. With the inheritance so close, Tang San is now in deep trouble because he has lost the Sea God's Heart.

Tang San stood calmly atop the light barrier, undeterred by the challenge before him. He knew that since the Sea God's divine will had sacrificed its own heart to save him, there was still a chance to inherit the legacy. Moreover, while the light barrier felt sturdy, he quickly assessed it to be at most equivalent to a god-level defense. Tang San, however, through the Great Sumeru Hammer technique and his own power, already possessed god-level offensive capabilities. Perhaps breaking through this barrier wasn't impossible.

Thinking this, Tang San swung the Trident of the Sea God in his hands, making the blade point downwards. He gripped the shaft with both hands, unleashing his gravity control skill, instantly increasing the Trident's weight to 1.08 million jin. At the same time, he released his Blue Silver Emperor Martial Soul. His entire body's soul power surged, and the light of the Sea God shot out from the trident mark on his forehead, flowing into the trident. He was ready to destroy the light barrier and force his way into the Sea God's Temple.

-

The gap with the first place has narrowed a bit more. Friends, keep up the good work and vote! Thank you.

(End of this chapter)