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"Hidden quite well, but so what? In front of an absolute powerhouse, you're still just being plundered at will."
Ye Wen sneered disdainfully before swiftly departing, not even bothering to leave behind a fake to deceive Emperor Xueye.
The theft of a national treasure was something that only someone with a malfunctioning brain like Xueye would broadcast everywhere.
Once word got out, it would be a slap in the face of the royal family, further worsening the already dire state of the Heavenly Dou Empire.
After embedding the Heart of the Sea God into the Sea God Trident, the golden glow of the already dazzling trident became even more radiant, now exuding a sense of vitality.
"The eighth trial of the Sea God's nine trials: Find the Lost Heart of the Sea God—complete.
Reward: 10% increase in Sea God affinity, +1 soul power."
A surge of soul power coursed through Ye Wen once again, this time bringing about a qualitative change. Ye Wen felt as though his soul power had gained a unique characteristic.
"So this is what reaching level 100 feels like," Ye Wen murmured, his gaze distant. Level 100 in the Douluo Continent was also known as the Divine Official rank, referring to soul masters who possessed divine power but lacked a divine position.
At this moment, the final trial of the Sea God's nine trials descended.
"The ninth trial of the Sea God's nine trials: Hunt the Deep Sea Demon Whale King."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King truly had a tragic fate. Back when the Sea God ascended to godhood, he gouged out one of its eyes. Now, the second-generation Sea God intended to completely drain it dry and finish it off.
However, Ye Wen didn't return directly to Sea God Island. Instead, he took a detour back to Tian Xing Academy.
Looking at the stronghold he had painstakingly built over the years, Ye Wen felt a sense of reassurance.
With the existence of Battle Armor, the core leadership of Tian Xing Academy was now equipped, and even if a Title Douluo were to attack, they would only meet a bitter end.
The reason for returning midway was naturally to bring his own people to Sea God Island to reap the benefits. After all, whether it was increasing soul ring durations or obtaining divine-bestowed soul rings, these rewards were incredibly valuable.
Especially since Ye Wen was now practically guaranteed to become the next Sea God, the restriction of not leaving Sea God Island was essentially meaningless. Such a prime opportunity for strengthening couldn't be missed.
However, it wasn't wise to take too many of the academy's top experts at once, lest some ill-intentioned individuals exploit the situation.
This time, he brought Huo Rui, Ah Yin, Bibi Dong, Dugu Bo, Dao Ba, Chen Youyu, and several other core experts.
Those left behind to guard the academy included Huo Quan, Lou Gao, and Director Lu Feng—three individuals capable of reaching Title Douluo-level strength. That was more than enough.
Once this group had been sufficiently strengthened, they would naturally rotate back to relieve the others.
During this period, nothing particularly noteworthy happened on the continent. However, there were rumors of conflict between the three siblings of the Hao Tian Clan and the Spirit Hall, though the specifics were unclear.
It seemed likely that the identity of the 100,000-year spirit beast who had taken human form had been discovered.
In fact, it would have been strange if it hadn't been discovered.
Wandering around with cultivation below the Soul Emperor level? The twin stars of Hao Tian were already Soul Emperors, and staying together for long periods naturally made them conspicuous. Not to mention, the hidden Elder Guardian was a Super Douluo.
Such a group would naturally draw regular attention from major powers, and occasionally sending high-level experts to investigate wasn't out of the question. Whether or not their identities were exposed was simply a matter of time.
But what did it matter to Ye Wen? 100,000-year spirit beasts weren't rare.
If anything, Ye Wen was eagerly anticipating the upcoming event of Qian Xunji's downfall. Once Qian Xunji fell, the space Ye Wen could maneuver in would expand significantly.
To be honest, the ocean area of Douluo Star was absurdly vast.
Ye Wen had no interest in taking his group of experts sightseeing by the sea. Instead, he donned his Battle Armor and sped forward at high speed.
When the group first set foot on Sea God Island, they were all awestruck.
After all, the total number of soul masters across the entire continent was only around 100,000, yet this small island alone housed 3,500 soul masters and eight Title Douluos.
By any measure, it surpassed any other force on the Douluo Continent.
Even the Spirit Hall, which had previously launched an invasion, had been decisively defeated. Truly, it was the undisputed number one force on the continent.
- Ah Yin: Top-tier Nine Trials
- Bibi Dong: Top-tier Nine Trials
- Huo Rui: Top-tier Eight Trials
- Dao Ba: Top-tier Eight Trials
- Chen Youyu: Top-tier Eight Trials
- Dugu Bo: Red-grade Eight Trials
Bibi Dong's talent went without saying—twin martial souls with innate full soul power, enough to dominate all soul masters below those with divine-bestowed martial souls.
However, Ah Yin qualifying for the top-tier nine trials exceeded Ye Wen's expectations. After all, her current Blue Silver Sword Emperor martial soul hadn't reached peak attributes in any aspect. It seemed Poseidon had elevated her status due to Ye Wen's influence.
As for the other disciples, having absorbed the essences of various immortal herbs, their qualifications were unsurprising. In the original story, the seven members of Shrek's team also generally met the requirements for red-grade trials. Even those who only reached black-grade trials still had the potential to become Title Douluos.
Still, it was somewhat unexpected that Dugu Bo, who ranked among the weakest of the Title Douluo in the original story, could qualify for red-grade trials.
But Dugu Bo of today could no longer be judged by the standards of the original story. He had already overcome the burden of toxins, and with Ye Wen providing some immortal herbs, Dugu Bo was now far stronger than before.
Currently at level 88, he was nearing the threshold of becoming a Title Douluo. This trip to Sea God Island would undoubtedly allow him to ascend to that rank.
It seemed Dugu Bo was originally a genius with innate level-nine soul power.
After settling the group he had brought, Ye Wen prepared to begin his ninth trial.
However, it was only then that Ye Wen realized this divine trial hadn't provided him with any markers. It seemed he would need to find a guide.
The best guide on Sea God Island was naturally Xiao Bai, the little shark.
Though Bo Saixi was powerful, she spent most of her time praying in the Sea God Palace and wasn't as familiar with the seas as Xiao Bai.
However, when Ye Wen found Xiao Bai, he discovered the lazy fish lounging on the beach, soaking up the sun.
'You're technically a spirit beast who transformed into a human, but you're still a fish. Aren't you worried about drying up into jerky?'
After silently ranting to himself for a bit, Ye Wen asked Xiao Bai to lead him to the Demon Whale Sea to find the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
Xiao Bai, who had finally avenged her brother, initially wanted to refuse. But under Ye Wen's piercing gaze, she involuntarily shuddered and reluctantly agreed to act as a guide once again.
There was no helping it. The big boss was stepping down, and the second boss was ascending. If she upset the second boss, her future days wouldn't be pleasant.
While traveling, Ye Wen recalled the specific details of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
An almost divine-level spirit beast, it was unfortunate that due to the world's rules, it had been stuck at 990,000 years for who knows how long.
However, its overall strength was somewhat inflated.
Its true cultivation was only around 300,000 years, with the rest coming from devouring other spirit beasts—essentially the equivalent of an evil soul master among spirit beasts.
But it couldn't be called weak. After all, being called "evil" was also a form of strength.
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