Join my Patreon to be 30 chapters ahead of the webnovel releases:
patreon.com/ZeroMoney
I would appreciate your help if you could join my Patreon and support me because it would keep me motivated.
For every 5 Patreon memberships I receive, I'll release 15 chapters all at once. Your support means a lot to me.
******
"Hiss—"
A Rank 99 Peerless Douluo!
Was the High Priestess of Sea God Island truly that terrifying? When adding the seven other Titled Douluos, the island's natural oceanic defenses, and the blessing of the Sea God himself...
This time, the one gasping in shock was Zhan Tian Douluo. He realized that even the Spirit Soul World, which boasted the backing of four separate deities, was nowhere near as powerful as this single island. The Spirit Soul World only had six Titled Douluos in total across all four divine factions; yet here, a single god had cultivated such a staggering number of powerful sea Spirit Masters.
At sea, a sea Spirit Master's combat power was multiplicative. It was said that a Spirit Douluo of the ocean could challenge a land-based Titled Douluo. Beneath those seven Titled Douluos, the number of Spirit Douluos on the island likely reached well into the double digits.
If Sea God Island ever marched upon the continent, it would be an apocalypse. Conversely, any attempt to invade the island would be an exercise in futility. An enemy would have to break through an oceanic blockade only to face nearly twenty Titled Douluo-level combatants. Even if the claim that "Spirit Douluos beat Titled Douluos" was an exaggeration, two or three working together would certainly close the gap.
Sea Maiden City
Su Wen's group followed Liu Hai into the city, drawing the gazes of many local residents. They wondered what kind of Spirit Masters could be considered "honored guests" by the High Priestess.
"I've heard Hai Da and the others call you 'Grandmaster Wen,' but isn't your name Su Wen? Are you their teacher?" Liu Hai had been itching to ask this all way, finally blurting it out as they approached the Sacred Pillar.
"Grandmaster Wen isn't just our teacher; he is the teacher of every Spirit Master on the continent!" one sailor declared proudly before Su Wen could speak.
"That's right! Grandmaster Wen is the Mentor of the Continental Spirit Masters!" Hai Da chimed in.
Looking at the sailors' fanatical devotion, Liu Hai felt a strange sense of familiarity. It was the exact same look of worship the islanders had for the Sea God! Just what kind of capability did this Su Wen possess? He looked at the young man with renewed curiosity.
Mentor of the Continental Spirit Masters. Such a title wasn't something a few sailors could simply bestow. It implied that Su Wen's fame on the mainland was immense and that the title was recognized by the masses.
Su Wen smiled faintly. "If the opportunity arises, I'll let you experience it for yourself."
"Experience... what?" Liu Hai was confused, but they had already reached the City Lord's Manor.
The City Lord's Manor
The group was granted immediate entry and taken to meet the Sea Maiden Douluo. In the manor's back garden sat a young woman with a massive fish tail, its scales forming a beautiful arc up to her waist. She wore a small black top that left her midriff exposed. Her large, azure eyes looked less like the ocean and more like the clear sky. She was devastatingly beautiful, a gentle smile perpetually gracing her lips.
The Sea Maiden Douluo was not a pure human; she was a hybrid, the offspring of an ocean-human union from the Sea Princess Clan. She possessed the traits of a human Spirit Master—able to cultivate soul power and attach soul rings—while inheriting the innate spiritual talent of the merfolk. Though she ranked seventh among the Sacred Pillar Guardians, her actual combat strength was easily among the top three.
As the group arrived, she turned her gaze toward Su Wen. "So, you are the Su Wen the High Priestess mentioned? The Continental Grandmaster?"
"I am."
Su Wen was surprised by the island's intelligence network. Was this information passed down by the Sea God to the High Priestess, or was it their own network? Furthermore, was the Sea God truly watching them? A day in the Divine Realm was a year on the continent; a god couldn't possibly monitor every change. Monitoring a single Spirit Master across dimensions would require immense effort, let alone an entire continent.
Of course, Su Wen possessed the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud—the Heart of the Sea God. It was possible the god's attention was drawn specifically because of that artifact.
The Sea Maiden Douluo's voice was enchanting, clear and melodic. Even her casual speech had a song-like quality that made one lose themselves in it.
"You are very special. I actually cannot sense your thoughts," she noted.
Hai Da and the others stiffened. What did that mean?
She gave a sweet, innocent smile. "I possess the power of Mind Reading. I can vaguely sense the thoughts of those around me. Regarding Senior Zhan Tian, I sense very few stray thoughts, and his will is so firm that I cannot penetrate it. But as for this Grandmaster Wen..."
She looked at him with genuine intrigue. "I can sense absolutely nothing."
"Perhaps my spiritual power is simply a bit stronger," Su Wen replied with a simple excuse, not wanting to linger on the topic. His thoughts were all gathered and contained within the Heaven and Earth Visualization; if she truly tried to perceive them, her mind would likely be overwhelmed.
The Sea Maiden Douluo chuckled, not pressing the matter. "You carry the scent of the Sea Princess Clan on you. You must have encountered them?"
The sailors' expressions flickered. This was bad. It wasn't just an encounter; Su Wen had snatched the Star-God Clam's pearl and was eyeing its soul ring. But then again, a Star-God Clam wasn't technically a mermaid. Their expressions quickly smoothed out. Right, no conflict.
Noticing the shift in their faces, she waited for Su Wen to explain.
"We did encounter them. Likely the Mermaid Princess of the Sea Princess Clan—a hundred-thousand-year cultivation—and a fifty-thousand-year Star-God Clam."
"Xingxing was there too?" The Sea Maiden Douluo was surprised. Then, she gave Su Wen a dangerous smile. "So, did you lay a hand on Xingxing?"
"Cough. There was no conflict. When the Star-God Clam heard we were here to admire the miracles of Lord Sea God, it... gifted its pearl to me."
The Sea Maiden Douluo's smile stiffened. Gifted? More like you stole it.
However, based on Su Wen's words and the mental ripples she caught from the sailors, she confirmed there had been no casualties. "Rest in Sea Maiden City tonight. Tomorrow, I will take you to the Sacred Pillar to receive the Sea God's trial."
As they left the manor, Liu Hai began arranging their lodgings. Along the way, Su Wen remembered the guide's earlier confusion.
"Liu Hai, weren't you wondering why I am called Grandmaster?"
Liu Hai turned, waiting for him to continue.
"You can try to feel it for yourself."
Su Wen condensed a small ball of light and tossed it toward him.
(End of Chapter)