"Tang San! Are you alright?! I sensed..."
A streamlined, grey-blue shark's back broke through the water. With a flash of grey mist, the Demon Soul Great White Shark, over twenty meters long, transformed into human form. As it flipped in mid-air, its gaze met another pair of dimly red eyes that had seemed to sense something.
Xiao Bai: "—!"
The rest of her words caught in her throat, unable to be spoken.
An invisible pressure crushed the space.
It was like being on an ice field ravaged by blizzards, with no cold-weather gear. Every breath would draw in shards of ice, stinging the throat and lungs until they hurt, and silencing her abruptly.
Even after Xiao Bai landed, she stumbled from the explosive, powerful aura. Looking up to meet Shang Yang's gaze again, her golden irises contracted in extreme terror.
Even Xiao Bai, queen of the Demon Soul Great White Sharks, felt an indescribable, bloodline-level pressure when facing Shang Yang.
Though the Demon Soul Great White Sharks were rulers of the seas, with no natural enemies save for the Deep Sea Demon Whale and the Demonic Orca, Xiao Bai now felt the tension of a small fish or shrimp encountering its predator.
Alarms blared in her mind, screaming danger and the need to flee, yet when this unfamiliar man in black robes looked at her, she was frozen, pinned in place to accept his appraisal.
"Another hundred-thousand-year soul beast? Xiao... Sui Sui, it seems your life outside has been quite eventful." Shang Yang looked at Xiao Bai with an unfathomable gaze and an unsettling tone.
It was like... a sarcastic Ape-faced Specter?
Tang Sui instantly had a sense of déjà vu.
The Ape-faced Specter, who was being mentally invoked by Tang Sui: "?" Don't slander its image!
The atmosphere on the scene was extremely tense.
The Shrek Seven Devils, still recovering from the aura shock Shang Yang had brought, stood frozen. Even Tang San was...
If Xiao Bai had fur, it would be standing on end right now. Sudan Novel Network.
"Who... are you?"
Reason and the desire for survival finally overcame the invisible restraint. A cold, fierce killing intent emanated from her golden eyes.
A mass of grey-white mist rose from Xiao Bai's feet, swirling around her like water. Her powerful mental energy radiated outwards from her, as aggressive as her own species, that of a top predator.
However, Xiao Bai's aggressive mental energy cleverly avoided Tang Sui and Tang San beside him, showcasing the power and terrifying control of her mental abilities.
Shang Yang, whose perception was already beyond that of ordinary people, naturally noticed this.
Tang Sui, caught in the middle but tacitly overlooked: "......"
She sighed. A third, powerful demonic energy emanated from her, shattering the ice shards that had condensed in the air. It broke the tense atmosphere, causing the surrounding air to warm up again.
Shang Yang glanced at the little one who was siding with the outsiders, grunted, and withdrew his pressure.
Tang Sui explained, "Xiao Bai, this is my elder, Shang Yang. He doesn't mean any harm. He won't hurt us, and he won't hurt you, so there's no need to be nervous. I brought my uncle here for another matter, unrelated to the second trial."
After speaking, Tang Sui withdrew her oppressive aura.
Yes, unrelated to the content of the current second trial, but not unrelated to the assessment itself.
A happy play on words.
Xiao Bai, who had armed herself with killing intent, hesitated, then withdrew her own. However, she still looked at Shang Yang suspiciously, "Is that true? You're not lying to me?"
Although she had already realized that this dangerous man before her was not human, he also had nothing to do with soul beasts... Wait!
Recalling that this world contained more than just soul beasts and ordinary wild beasts, Xiao Bai's pupils suddenly constricted into slits. She stared at Shang Yang in horror.
This guy... could he be a primordial beast!?
Tang Sui hummed, feeling a headache coming on. "What's there to lie about? If my uncle wanted to do something, he wouldn't just stand here talking and doing nothing."
She should have just taken her snake uncle to find the Deep Sea Demon Whale King directly.
She hadn't expected her snake uncle to cause such a big reaction.
As Tang Sui had expected, the commotion caused by Shang Yang's arrival had attracted the attention of several other powerful presences.
However, when one of these presences appeared above the island, the others, who had been stirring to investigate, calmed down.
"Xiao Bai, she's telling the truth."
The voice of Bo Saixi, the Great Priest of Sea God, echoed from above.
Along with her voice came streaks of golden light descending from the clouds.
"Greetings, Lord Shang Yang. I am Bo Saixi, the Great Priest of Sea God Island."
Meeting the astonished gazes of Xiao Bai and the others, Bo Saixi's attitude was unusually humble.
"Senior Bo Saixi, I..."
Before Tang Sui could finish speaking, her arm was pulled by a force beside her, and her vision was blocked by a tall, dark figure.
Tang Sui: "?"
"Tsk, the aura of a god..."
Shang Yang's snake pupils appeared, and his entire aura became oppressive.
Bo Saixi was silent for a moment, recalling Tang Sui's earlier words that Shang Yang meant no harm.
No harm, really?
The moment she appeared, the hostility emanating from him was so sharp it was almost like a sword piercing through.
Given the reason for his arrival in this world and the unpleasant memories of being suppressed by Onmyoji and deities in his original world, Shang Yang couldn't help but feel a surge of killing intent the instant he sensed the residual divine power in Bo Saixi.
Tang Sui, who likely understood why Shang Yang was so reactive, coughed lightly with a half-clenched fist. With her other hand, she grabbed Shang Yang's sleeve and stepped forward, saying, "I apologize, Senior Bo Saixi. My uncle is just a bit sensitive to divine auras, but he has never had any unpleasant encounters with the Sea God. It's just an unconscious reaction. Please forgive us."
Although she was apologizing, Tang Sui's tone held no hint of "humility." Instead, she treated Bo Saixi with an attitude of equality, or even superiority.
Bo Saixi's gaze fell upon Shang Yang, whose face was dark but who hadn't erupted due to Tang Sui's presence. She let out a sigh and shook her head, "It's nothing. Since it was a misunderstanding, it doesn't matter."
Although they hadn't actually fought, she had to admit that the other party indeed had the capital for arrogance.
Both the reappearing Tang Sui and this man named Shang Yang gave her a very dangerous aura.
Understanding that the other party likely had some past grievances with "gods," but not with the Sea God she served, Bo Saixi selectively overlooked this matter and moved on to the next topic: "May I ask, Lord Shang Yang, what business brings you to Sea God Island?"
Shang Yang glanced at the calm Tang Sui, his crimson snake pupils narrowing. "My family's young... son is about to advance. As his uncle, of course, I'm here to help my child hunt for a suitable soul ring."