As Eve's carriage advanced along the forest road, the rhythm of hooves suddenly faltered and stopped because crushing pressure descended without warning.
The horses trembled violently, their legs buckling as if an invisible mountain had pressed down upon their backs. Foam gathered at their mouths; their eyes rolled in terror.
They did not dare take another step. Before Eve could speak, She Long's voice came from outside.
"Young Master… it seems there is trouble."
Eve pushed aside the curtain and stepped down from the carriage.
The moment her feet touched the ground, she felt the soul power with oceanic and water aura.
A vast, boundless pressure that resembled an endless sea pressing inward from all directions.
With of her stood Ci Xue and She Long.Both of them were tense, their eyes locked on a single figure as if facing a catastrophic enemy.
The woman before them had long ocean-blue hair cascading down her back like flowing tides. Her blue eyes were calm—
Eve recognized Bo Saixi immediately, the High Priestess of Sea God Island.
Eve turned her head slightly toward the coachman, whose entire body shook uncontrollably.
"Leave," she said calmly.
"Get away from here."
The coachman did not hesitate. It was as though he had been pardoned from execution.
"Thank you! Thank you, Young Master!"
He leapt down and ran on two legs as fast as he could, thinking that if only he had four legs like the horses, he might escape faster.
Bo Saixi did not move, she waited until the coachman's figure disappeared into the distance.
Then she spoke.
"Child. ...I am not here to harm you."
Her gaze settled upon Eve with faint scrutiny.
"You possess something that belongs to Sea God Island."
Eve did not feign ignorance.
With a flick of her wrist, she produced the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud. Blue light radiated gently from the artifact, resonating faintly with the surrounding pressure.
Bo Saixi's eyes brightened. A trace of excitement flickered across her otherwise composed expression.
Eve smiled faintly.
"This?"
She tilted the artifact slightly.
"This is the national treasure of the Heaven Dou Empire."
Her tone was light.
"Surely it cannot be yours."
Bo Saixi's expression darkened subtly.
"This is the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud," she replied firmly.
"It is an artifact that belongs to the Lord Sea God."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Regardless of how it came into the possession of an empire, I am obligated to take it back to the Sea God Island."
The air grew heavier as her soul rings rose one by one.
Eight black rings and one red ring circled her gracefully, each radiating terrifying pressure.
Simultaneously—her aura of Level 99 surged outward without restraint.
In response, Ci Xue and She Long no longer held back.
Their martial souls erupted into existence and nine spirit rings each rose behind them—
Two yellow, two purple and five black.
With their Level 96 cultivation fully unleashed, they stepped forward simultaneously, attempting to counter the crushing aura released by Bo Saixi.
The ground beneath their feet cracked under the pressure.
Yet before either of them could launch a follow-up—they froze.
Because behind them—another aura of Level 95 ignited.
Eve stepped forward calmly.
In her hand her Martial Soul—Myriad Transformation Fan appeared
Nine spirit rings manifested behind her as well.
Qian Renxue had not merely reshaped her flesh—She had made her jump to Level 95.
Bo Saixi's eyes gleamed faintly.
A young woman who had reached Titled Douluo and Level 95 at such an age.
As High Priestess of Sea God Island, she respected talent, but respect did not equate to retreat.
Her duty remained absolute, because the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud must be reclaimed.
Without hesitation—She made the first move.
Her third spirit ring lit up.
"Third Skill: Sea God's Gaze."
A massive ethereal projection of a translucent blue hand materialized in the sky.
An invisible gravitational force descended instantly.
Eve, Ci Xue, and She Long felt their bodies being dragged forward—
As if the ocean itself sought to pull them into its depths.
She Long used his Martial Soul : Snake Lance in his grasp, and his sixth spirit ring shone.
"Sixth Soul Skill: Twister!"
He spun the lance at blinding speed.
The airflow condensed into multiple spiraling tornadoes, cutting through the pulling force and disrupting the pressure field.
Beside him, Ci Xue merged fully with his Porcupinefish Martial Soul.
His body expanded slightly, spines bristling, he inhaled deeply—while his fourth spirit ring flashed.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Twist Blades!"
He expelled a compressed mass of wind laced with countless razor-sharp air blades, shredding space as they surged forward.
Eve did not remain idle.
Her fan unfolded with a crisp sound, her second spirit ring glowed.
"Second Soul Skill: Eye of Storm."
With a graceful wave—a towering pillar of spiraling wind erupted.
Her storm synchronized with Ci Xue's blades and She Long's tornadoes.
The three attacks merged seamlessly. Wind compressed more and the destructive force multiplied geometrically.
She Long and Ci Xue widened their eyes in surprise.
They had not coordinated beforehand—
Yet Eve's control elevated their techniques as if they were extensions of her own.
Bo Saixi's eyes sparkled faintly.
"Impressive coordination," she remarked calmly.
She raised the trident in her hand.
Her fourth spirit ring shone brilliantly.
"Fourth Soul Skill: Ocean of Annihilation."
The air darkened and a vast mass of seawater materialized midair—
It solidified within space itself, compressing with terrifying force.
The fused storm slammed into the suspended ocean mass.
For a split second—Wind and water collided in violent equilibrium.
Pressure waves erupted outward, flattening surrounding trees and the ground split open in jagged lines.
Then—The two forces detonated simultaneously.