Douro Continent

Chapter 684 Sea God and Asura God

Tang San passed through the gate of crimson-gold flames formed by Poseidon's self-sacrifice and arrived outside the true Sea God's Temple. However, he was blocked by the golden light barrier surrounding the temple. He immediately thought of the most direct method: to break through and enter. Without the Heart of the Sea God, this was the most direct method he could think of.

Just as Tang San was gathering his energy and preparing to activate it, the same cold voice rang out again, "Destroying the Sea God Temple's protective shield will cause the Sea God Temple to be crushed by the seawater."

The energy he had just gathered had to be abandoned because of those words, and Tang San's brows furrowed. How could this be? He couldn't break the light barrier, and he didn't have the Heart of the Sea God. How could he enter the Sea God's Temple?

If it were anyone else, their first instinct might have been to turn back and look in the direction they came from, to see if the crimson-gold flame gate still existed. If it was, at least there would be a way out. But Tang San didn't do that. In his heart, there was no way out. For the sake of the Sea God's legacy, Sea God Douluo Poseidon had given his life; he could never back down now.

Looking at the light barrier in front of him, Tang San tried his best to calm himself down. Although he was anxious, he knew that being anxious was useless at this moment.

The Heart of the Sea God is the key to passing through this protective barrier. Undoubtedly, it's because the Heart of the Sea God is the symbol of the Sea God. Having already passed the Sea God's eight trials to arrive here, there's no way I could be stopped here. Therefore, the problem is clear: the best way to solve this is to prove to the barrier before me that I am the Sea God's candidate, the one chosen by the Sea God. Once I've proven this, doesn't having the Heart of the Sea God make no difference?

Thinking of this, Tang San concentrated his mind, solidified all his spiritual power, and then slowly injected it into the trident mark of the Sea God on his forehead.

A rich golden light emanated from the mark on the Trident of Poseidon, illuminating the light barrier in front of them. Just as Tang San had expected, the light barrier trembled slightly under the light of the Poseidon, and the cold, detached notification voice from before did not reappear.

The light barrier itself was extremely hard, but Tang San discovered that it began to soften gradually under the illumination of his Sea God's Light. It didn't affect its ability to block seawater, but the softening of the barrier undoubtedly rekindled hope in Tang San's heart.

The light of the Sea God continued to flow, and Tang San began to control it, enveloping his body in it. Then, he slowly leaned his body against the area softened by the light.

It was extremely difficult at first, but under the influence of the Sea God's Light, Tang San's body gradually merged into the light barrier. Seawater was already suffocating, so continuing to suffocate inside the light barrier wouldn't matter much. Of course, Tang San didn't intend to crush the light barrier just like that. He still clearly remembered the cold voice's instructions. After his entire body merged into the light barrier, he used the Sea God's Light to soften it. Tang San then used his hands to embed himself into the sides of the light barrier, slowly closing the parts that had been stretched open. He then injected the Sea God's Light even more intensely, acting as an adhesive to fuse the gaps where he had embedded himself. In this way, even if the inside broke, the outer light barrier would remain closed, preventing seawater from invading.

After confirming repeatedly that the light shield was completely intact and fit perfectly, Tang San then poured more of the Sea God's Light into the area beneath him, making the light shield even more flexible. At the same time, the main blade of the Sea God's Trident began to pierce into the light shield with the infusion of his soul power.

It must be said that this light barrier was extremely tough. Without the power of the Sea God's Light, Tang San would have needed to break through it by exploding his rings and temporarily gaining energy surpassing his own strength. However, with the Sea God's Light, the barrier's resistance was significantly reduced. Finally, with Tang San thrusting the Sea God's Trident with all his might, he felt a sudden lightness as he broke free from the light barrier and plummeted downwards. The light barrier above remained unchanged, showing no alteration whatsoever.

Wisdom is an infinite power, Tang San knew that he had finally passed the first test.

Tang San released the flight ability from the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone, controlled his body in the air, and landed in front of the Sea God Temple.

Even from a distance, one could fully appreciate the grandeur of this palace, but when he actually floated down in front of it, he was still awestruck once again.

Standing before the Sea God Temple, Tang San felt incredibly small. Everything around him was extremely quiet, and looking up at the sky, the seawater outside the light was still that clear blue.

Taking a deep breath and adjusting the mental energy he had expended while breaking through the light barrier, Tang San, holding the Trident of the Sea God, strode confidently toward the Temple of the Sea God.

Two massive gates blocked Tang San's path. The Sea God Temple was two hundred meters high, and the gates standing before him were a hundred meters tall, their thickness unknown. Each gate was carved with a design. On the left gate was a statue of the Sea God, a towering figure wielding his trident and standing on the waves. On the right gate was a depiction of the Sea God, wielding his trident in a forward attack stance. Before him rose a colossal whale from the sea—the very Deep Sea Demon Whale King, whom Tang San had slain and obtained his torso spirit ring from.

Standing before this gate, Tang San could deeply feel the awe-inspiring power of the patterns etched upon it. The carvings weren't particularly intricate, yet standing there, he felt as if he were actually there, witnessing the Sea God traversing the vast ocean with his own eyes.

"Respected Sea God, Tang San has come to receive your inheritance," Tang San shouted. At the same time, he gripped the Sea God Trident with both hands and bowed slightly towards the gate in front of him.

"You have already lost the Heart of the Sea God, yet you still dare to dream of inheriting my power?" A majestic voice suddenly rang out, its origin impossible to discern, yet capable of sending shivers down the listener's spine. The invisible pressure made Tang San feel breathless.

Lowering his head, gazing at the Trident of the Sea God in his hand, Tang San's eyes revealed shame. "Yes, I lost the Heart of the Sea God. The Heart of the Sea God chose me, but I failed to protect it. However, I still come here to inherit your power. I need your power to protect my family and friends, and I also need your power to avenge the shattered Heart of the Sea God. Please give me a chance; I am willing to accept the punishment for the shattered Heart of the Sea God."

"In that case, please come in."

"Crackling sounds..." Accompanied by a series of booming noises, the two colossal gates, each a hundred meters tall, slowly opened, unfolding towards the inner side of the Sea God's Temple. Instantly, intense golden light shot out from the Sea God's Temple, so bright that Tang San could barely open his eyes. Enveloped by immense divine power, that feeling of insignificance returned to Tang San's heart. At this moment, he felt like a grain of sand soaking in the ocean, so utterly insignificant.

Is this the pressure of a god? A smile suddenly appeared on Tang San's face, a smile full of confidence. He had faced a true god before, even though Qian Renxue was still an immature god at that time, she was already a god. Tang San was far less powerful then than he is now, yet he dared to fight Qian Renxue and survived. How could the gap between him and a god be so vast? He was only missing this final step. Besides, even if he was truly just a grain of sand in the ocean, he would still stir up the entire ocean.

It was because of this thought that Tang San's smile was full of confidence, and he strode forward. At this moment, although his body was small compared to the Sea God Temple, he had already regarded himself as the center of this place.

Inside the Temple of Poseidon, thirty-six enormous pillars on each side support the roof of the hall, and a passage three hundred meters wide leads from the center to the innermost part. At the end of the passage is a huge chair, and sitting on that chair is a person—no, it should be said, a giant.

Tang San stopped, slightly taken aback. The giant appeared no different from a human, wearing a white robe with gold trim and a three-pronged ring on his head, with a light blue gem set in the center. His figure looked very familiar, just like the one Tang San had seen before, the manifestation of the Sea God's divine sense released from the Heart of the Sea God. However, back then, he had only seen an illusionary figure, while this time he saw a real one.

Poseidon?

The Sea God's face was ancient and simple, not handsome, but extremely majestic. His calm yet slightly stern gaze fixed on Tang San, who entered from the other end of the passage, a faint light flickering within his eyes. The immense pressure he had felt outside had intensified here. It felt to Tang San like the Sea God's light he had stepped into during his first trial. Only then, he had endured physical pressure, while this pressure came from the depths of his soul.

"Greetings, Your Excellency Sea God. I never expected that you would personally preside over this inheritance ceremony." Tang San quickly regained his composure after a brief moment of surprise. Adhering to the principle that existence is its own justification, he calmly gazed at the Sea God at the end of the passage and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly.

"Why do you not bow before me?" the sea god spoke, his majestic voice filled with oppressive force.

Tang San calmly replied, "I am merely your successor, not your servant. Why should I bow?"

The sea god smiled and slowly rose from his seat. His rise gave off an overwhelming aura, like a mountain pressing down on you. Keep in mind, this sea god was over a hundred meters tall.

"Are you dissatisfied with Poseidon's sacrifice?" the Sea God asked Tang San with a smile.

Tang San said, "Leaving aside Poseidon's help to me, just consider the life she dedicated to protecting your temple and Seagod Island, only to end her life as a sacrifice. How do you think I should feel?"

Tang San knew that defying a god was not a wise move. But the mere thought of Poseidon's death filled him with righteous indignation.

The sea god said calmly, "She has simply returned to my embrace. What does it matter if she lives or dies? Sometimes, living is more painful than dying. Even gods are no exception."

Tang San sneered, "So, you've decided her fate, is that it?"

Poseidon shook his head and said, "No, you are wrong. She decided her own fate. Even a god cannot decide a person's fate. That was her choice. Everyone has their own choices, and you are no exception. Your coming here is your choice. Poseidon's ancestors were my subjects who fought alongside me on the sea. Almost all the ancestors of the original inhabitants of Poseidon Island were like that. They guarded Poseidon Island not only to await your arrival as their successor, but also to protect that memory. That was their choice, not my demand. I left only the way to this place, but never stipulated that she had to do it. Only when the high priest of Poseidon Island deems it worthwhile will she make such a choice. Do you understand?"

Tang San hadn't expected the Sea God to explain things to him so calmly. Yes, everyone has their own choices, and there's nothing wrong with that. However, Poseidon's sacrifice still couldn't bring him peace.

The Sea God laughed again. "Everyone's death is, in essence, the separation of body and soul. Tang San, tell me, for a person, which is more important, the body or the soul?"

Tang San said, "In a sense, the body should be considered a vessel for the soul, but if there is no body, would the soul still exist? It would probably dissipate."

The sea god nodded and said, "Since you understand this principle, it will be easy for me to explain it to you. Yes, when ordinary humans die, their souls dissipate within a short time. Even soul masters are no exception. However, after Poseidon's sacrifice, although her physical body died, her soul did not dissipate. Her soul, guided by my power, will go to another world. The world that all gods go to after they die."

"What world do gods go to after they die?" Tang San looked at the Sea God with some confusion.

Poseidon smiled slightly. "There is never a wasted effort. How could I not know of Poseidon's sacrifice? All I could do was grant her the power of eternal life. And eternal life is something only gods can achieve. Although her body never reached the level of a god in her lifetime, after her death, she will be equivalent to a god. Do you still think her sacrifice was in vain? Moreover, I know Poseidon's intentions. When your great-grandfather died, part of his soul was already affected by divine power, so I helped him, allowing his soul to continue to live. In this way, although they have died in the human world, their souls will never be separated. So, now I ask you, do you think it is better for Poseidon to live or to die?"

"This..." Tang San stared at the Sea God in disbelief, speechless, but one thing was certain: the righteous indignation in his heart had quietly disappeared.

"Didn't you already guess that gods are actually the realm reached by humans after their power reaches a certain level? That's right, your guess is correct. So, gods are also human. Therefore, the life of a god is also finite. It's just that it's much longer than that of a human. When a god dies, their soul doesn't dissipate like a human's, but transforms into a divine soul. The divine soul doesn't stay in the human world; it can only remain for a few years at most, while the divine soul itself must enter another space. It must enter another space. You can think of it as the divine realm. The passage between the divine realm and the human world is one-way; only the divine soul can enter the divine realm, while humans cannot enter it, and the divine soul cannot leave from there."

At this point, a hint of helplessness appeared on the sea god's face. "If I could be reincarnated as a human, I would rather not be a god. Life in the divine realm is much more monotonous and boring than in the human realm. You know what? Even I envy Poseidon a little, because her divine soul can find her lover in the divine realm and is not lonely. Loneliness is the most terrifying thing. In the divine realm, everyone is an immortal divine soul, and power is completely meaningless."

Tang San couldn't help but ask, "Can't you find someone you love?"

The sea god chuckled, "Do you think it's that easy? Besides, even I can't do it now. Because my divine position hasn't been passed down yet; I'm not a god without any ties. I waited so long before choosing you. You haven't disappointed me, coming all the way to this point. You're very good, even better than I imagined. I originally thought that after you came here and saw me, you would try everything to inherit my divine position. But you dared to challenge my authority because of Poseidon's death. Just for that character alone, you are qualified to inherit my power."

Tang San looked at the Trident of the Sea God in his hand, "Unfortunately, I failed to protect the Heart of the Sea God. Your divine sense saved me more than once."

The Sea God sighed and said, "Back in the mortal realm, my path to godhood was the fastest; I spent my entire life conquering the seas. Only after reaching the divine realm did I feel regret. Because none of my friends could cultivate to the same divine level as me. Originally, I shouldn't have met you, as you are inheriting the Sea God's position, but for me, this is a rare opportunity to communicate with humans. Fortunately, that Asura God didn't steal you away. Inheriting divine power is extremely painful. Without the protection of a divine artifact, your body might not be able to withstand it. However, you are different from ordinary humans; you have two martial souls. Your soul ring configuration is even more astonishing to me, giving you physical conditions far beyond ordinary people. However, there is one thing I must remind you. During the inheritance process, you cannot use the power of your Clear Sky Hammer. Because it has been soaked in the Asura God's divine power, it will affect my divine power's transmission to you. Your inheritance is divided into eight parts, and you will experience different pains and trials. With your physical condition, you have a chance to succeed. You must remember, no matter what pain you experience, you must hold fast to your original heart. Only with unwavering faith can you become the new Sea God."

If Qian Renxue could see this scene now, she would be heartbroken. Both were inheriting divine power, yet the treatment was so different! When she received her inheritance, she had no one to guide her, and the Angel God's soul didn't communicate with her at all. Although she barely completed the inheritance, her inner demons caused some flaws, leaving Tang San as a huge weakness in her heart. Now, Tang San, however, had the Sea God's soul personally guiding him. Although the Sea God didn't say much, this exchange firstly freed Tang San from the mental obstacles caused by Poseidon's death and his great-grandfather Tang Chen's death, allowing him to wholeheartedly focus on the inheritance. Secondly, the Sea God's soul also told Tang San the entire inheritance process, undoubtedly helping him avoid detours and strengthening his resolve.

If divine inheritance can be obtained through back channels, then Tang San's case certainly falls into that category. Of course, he didn't know the process of Qian Renxue's inheritance, so naturally he couldn't possibly know that his own divine inheritance had such a significant advantage.

However, the Sea God clearly felt he hadn't given enough hints, so he added, "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. The bead you got from the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's head will be used in the final part of the inheritance. This will save you a lot of trouble."

Upon hearing the Sea God's words, Tang San's heart stirred, and he quickly asked, "Then is my final inheritance related to the trident? Can the whale pearl help me restore it?"

Upon hearing Tang San's question, the Sea God's expression changed, and his previous gentleness vanished instantly. "Will you accept the inheritance or will I? Enough nonsense. The inheritance will begin now." As he spoke, the Sea God's eyes suddenly lit up, like two suns. Tang San felt as if his soul had been sucked in all at once, and everything around him became unreal. Countless golden mists rose in the air, and there were even golden bubbles. In the violent distortion, he quietly lost himself.

With a flash of light, a huge golden sphere appeared on the chest of the sea god. In an instant, it shone brightly, and the entire sea god's temple trembled violently, its frantic pulsation seeming to purify everything.

With a whoosh, Tang San, lost in the golden light, disappeared in the burst of this huge golden light, and the Sea God Temple was restored as the golden light dissipated.

The Sea God let out a long sigh, wiping away non-existent sweat from his forehead. Looking at the spot where Tang San had vanished, he muttered to himself, "That kid's too clever. Luckily, I reacted quickly, otherwise he'd outsmart me. Hmph, anyway, I didn't give him any explicit instructions, so even the enforcers of the divine realm can't blame me. Hehe, hehehehehe..."

If Tang San were to see the Sea God in this state, he would probably be dumbfounded, recalling a companion whose smile was no different from that of Uncle Oscar when he was at his most lewd. All traces of his previous majesty had vanished.

"Hmph—" Suddenly, a cold, muffled groan rang out, and the entire Sea God Temple trembled violently. The Sea God, who had been wearing a lewd smile, immediately became alert, his smile froze, and his divine majesty was fully revealed. He turned around and stared at the entrance of the Sea God Temple.

A figure as enormous as him, yet entirely shrouded in dark red magical runes, slowly entered. Each step he took caused the colossal Sea God's Temple to tremble. Dark red light surrounded his body, obscuring his features. Only a vague outline of him could be seen, revealing that he wore armor covered in dark red magical runes.

The air inside the entire Sea God's Temple seemed to freeze, and the Sea God's expression turned somewhat grim. "Shura, what are you doing here?"

The man, whom the sea god called Shura, coldly said, "Poseidon, don't you know what you've done?" This man, whose entire body was encased in dark red magic-patterned armor, had a voice that sounded like the clanging of metal, and with each word he uttered, the air seemed to turn several degrees colder.

Poseidon curled his lip in disdain. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You're playing dumb," Shura said coldly. "Not only did you personally descend upon the Land of Inheritance, but you also gave guidance to the inheritor and even tried to lower the difficulty of his inheritance. You have violated the rules of the God Realm. You should know what the consequences will be. Those who violate the rules of the God Realm are annihilated."

The Sea God's expression changed, and his voice turned icy. "Shura, stop spouting nonsense. Don't think that just because you're a law enforcer of the divine realm, you can arbitrarily frame a good god. Which ear of yours heard me give instructions on reducing the difficulty of the inheritance?"

Shura had now reached a point five steps away from the Sea God. The two equally imposing god-level powerhouses stood facing each other. "What did you say to that human named Tang San earlier? Have you forgotten?"

Poseidon suddenly laughed, and his laughter was even more lewd than before. "Haha, hahahaha..."

Shura's blood-red eyes instantly turned even colder. "What are you laughing at? Do you think you can escape the judgment of the gods?"

The Sea God looked at the Asura God with a hint of mockery. "Who told you that I would be punished for saying those things? Asura, everything I've done is within the rules of the divine realm. Don't you know that inheritors have the concept of 'limitless affinity'?"

"Extreme Affinity? You mean, Tang San..."

Before Shura could finish speaking, the Sea God interrupted, "That's right. Tang San already possessed 115% affinity after passing the first eight of my Sea God's Nine Trials. Although his self-perceived affinity was only 99% due to the shattering of the Sea God's Heart, the shattering of the Sea God's Heart was caused by the influence of the Angel God's successor. Because of the fact that affinity cannot be properly evaluated due to god-level powerhouses, it is unaffected by the individual. Even if it exceeds 100%, it is still calculated according to the actual affinity. You wouldn't be unaware of this, would you, my Enforcer?"

Shura fell silent; clearly, he couldn't refute the Sea God's words.

The Sea God continued, "When the inheritor's affinity with the inheriting god exceeds one hundred percent before the divine inheritance, then during the inheritance, the inheriting god's true divine soul can come to the inheritance site to provide guidance. Therefore, my coming here is entirely within the rules of the divine realm. However, as far as I know, even as an enforcer, you cannot easily leave the divine realm to come here, right? Although the inheritance site is located between the divine realm and the human realm, serving as a buffer zone, even gods cannot come here without special circumstances. You are an enforcer, yet you knowingly break the law. Be careful, or I will impeach you to the divine realm committee."

Shura coldly stared at the Sea God, "Don't waste your breath. I heard everything you said to Tang San. Do you dare say your words didn't exceed the bounds of propriety? The guidance you gave him was far too obvious."

The Sea God retorted, "Who said my guidance was too obvious? I had him receive the inheritance before he even understood what was going on. Shura, don't think I don't know why you came here. It's all for Tang San. Your own divine power failed to gain Tang San's body's approval and was suppressed by my divine power, so you wanted to use your position to influence his inheritance. You probably planned that when Tang San was receiving the Sea God's divine power, because the Sea God's Heart shattered, you would step in to save him and then let him inherit the Sea God's divine power." "Inherit your Asura God's legacy, am I right? Let me tell you, don't dream about it. After all these years, do you think it was easy for me to find this inheritor? I've already completed all eight trials, and you suddenly come out wanting to steal the limelight. Don't even think about it. Who told you that you can't inherit without the Heart of the Sea God? It's just a little more dangerous. And there's something you might not have thought of. That little whale that caused me some trouble back then was killed by Tang San, who also obtained his whale pearl. With that, restoring the Heart of the Sea God won't be a problem."

The God of Asura glanced coldly at the God of the Sea, "He was able to kill the Deep Sea Demon Whale King because of your power, God of the Sea?"

"Uh..." The Sea God then remembered that Tang San's killing of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was largely due to the mutation of the Killing God Domain, which unleashed the power of the Asura God. It was only through the Asura God's powerful killing aura that the Sea God completely subdued the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, thus achieving victory. In reality, even if Tang San's affinity with the Sea God exceeded 100%, the Sea God could have chosen not to come. However, knowing that the Asura God intended to seize Tang San, he rushed over at top speed, hoping to prevent any problems during Tang San's inheritance and give the Asura God an opportunity. A god's power cannot directly encounter the human realm, never. Only a wisp of divine thought left in the human realm upon becoming a god can assist the chosen one in completing the trials, and even then, favoritism is strictly prohibited. Otherwise, the Sea God would have already used his power to deal with Qian Renxue, who had threatened Tang San's life. The Sea God's idea was to help Tang San complete the Sea God's inheritance as quickly as possible. In a sense, it would be a fait accompli, and even if the Asura God held a high position in the God Realm, he could no longer forcibly take Tang San away.

"So what if I used your power back then? You knew he was my successor, yet you still interfered, Asura God. We're all gods, and I'm not afraid of you even if you go to the God Realm Committee to complain. What are you looking at? You're not convinced? Stop looking at me with those dead fish eyes. This is my Sea God Temple; even if you fight, you might not be able to defeat me."

The God of Asura did not react; his voice remained cold and metallic, "Are you talking to me about first come, first served?"

The Sea God puffed out his chest. "That's right. There has to be a first-come, first-served order. You waited until Tang San had already completed my Eight Trials of the Sea God before trying to snatch him away. As a law enforcer, isn't that knowingly breaking the law?"

The God of Asura slowly nodded. "Alright, then I'll go with you to the God Realm Committee to discuss the concept of 'first come, first served.' I'll only ask you one question: why was Tang San able to use my power when hunting the Deep Sea Demon Whale King? The God Realm cannot transfer power to the Human Realm. Did I give it to him? Poseidon, see you at the God Realm Committee."

After saying this, the God of Asura turned around coolly and walked directly out of the Sea God Temple.

Upon hearing his words, Poseidon was stunned for a moment, but quickly recovered and couldn't help but swear, "Damn it." His expression immediately turned awkward.

He had always thought that the God of Asura would suddenly appear and steal the fruits of Tang San's labor just as Tang San was about to complete the Sea God's inheritance and inherit his divine position. However, after hearing the God of Asura's reminder, he suddenly remembered that Tang San's Killing God Domain seemed to have existed even before his Sea God Heart encountered him. That thing seemed to inherently carry the aura of the God of Asura. That is, the characteristic of the chosen one of the God of Asura.

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(End of this chapter)