A flicker of surprise crossed Shang Yang's eyes at these words, quickly subdued.
"Ascend to godhood?" the Deep Sea Demon Whale King narrowed its eyes. "I am only one heavenly tribulation away from transforming into a dragon. Ascending to godhood is already a certainty for me. What right do you have to make me abandon my current path to godhood and believe your baseless claims?"
As it spoke, an icy, suffocating pressure descended upon Tang Sui. Shang Yang let out a "tsk," revealing his dark red serpentine pupils. With a sharp hiss, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's pupils trembled, its mind going blank for a second as the pressure was completely scattered.
Shang Yang's handsome face darkened. He lowered his voice and said, "Deep Sea Demon Whale King, I am right here. Targeting my child in front of me, do you think we are easy to bully?"
This guy...
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King, regaining its senses, pondered for a moment, its gaze falling upon the ever-composed Tang Sui. A surge of madness rose in its heart.
"Show me your proof."
"I cannot provide the proof you seek at this moment. However, I can tell you one thing." Tang Sui's expression remained unchanged. In front of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, it released a wisp of the Dao intent hidden within its soul onto its fingertips, instantly capturing the creature's attention.
"This... this is not divine power..." yet it contained another ineffable aura.
Tang Sui smiled slightly, "This is my Dao intent. It is equivalent to a pass into the divine path."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's pupils trembled.
The divine path...
The next second, an even deeper roar surged like a wave, filled with utter disbelief. "Your strength is clearly so weak, yet you already possess the qualification to enter the divine path?!"
And it, having already endured ten heavenly tribulations, still couldn't complete its transformation into a dragon and ascend to godhood!?
Malice flared in its eyes, only to be met with a warning from another powerful mental force.
Tang Sui observed the other's reaction and thought to itself, *as expected*. It sighed, "Senior, you should be well aware that for existences like us, without receiving a divine position inheritance, merely passing heavenly tribulations will not truly allow us to become gods."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's heart sank.
Though difficult to accept, what Tang Sui said was indeed the truth.
The so-called ascension to godhood for soul beasts after enduring ten heavenly tribulations and reaching a million years of cultivation was, in fact, a grand deception!
As for why no one had ever exposed it, it was because very few soul beasts met both conditions. In the end, they would disappear, and no one would know if they had truly ascended to godhood.
To other soul beasts, a soul beast that lost its trace had succeeded.
They ascended after becoming gods, leaving the Douluo Continent, which was why they could no longer be found.
But the truth of the matter, if it hadn't experienced it firsthand, it would never have known this truth...
"Therefore, I have questioned the Heavens, as a non-human entity," Tang Sui casually dropped a bombshell, shattering the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's composure, and pointed upwards.
Shock flashed in the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's eyes. "You?!"
A hybrid cub whose strength hadn't even reached the level of a Titled Douluo among humans?!
"If a million-year soul beast fails to ascend to godhood in the end, it still has a long lifespan. But you, if you fail to attain the Dao, will dissipate into nothingness with the passage of time!" the Deep Sea Demon Whale King said in a low voice.
Tang Sui smiled, "But this is the most worthwhile gamble, isn't it?"
"The divine position obtained through inheritance signifies that this divinity can still flow away from you, just like the gods who have descended into the world. Their powers have weakened with the passage of time, forcing them to seek new successors."
Dark red mist appeared in its dark blue pupils, carrying a Dao intent that even it found daunting.
"What I desire is 'eternity,' held in my own hands."
Tang Sui closed its fingers, gathering the Dao intent into its palm, its eyes shining with astonishing brilliance. Shang Yang chuckled at this, openly pleased by Tang Sui's revealed ambition.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King was stunned by Tang Sui's words.
Its one good eye swept over Tang Sui and Shang Yang, who seemed to be enjoying the chaos, and after several seconds, it slowly uttered two words—
"Madman."
It thought its confrontation with the Sea God was already insane, but it never expected to encounter someone even madder, someone challenging the very laws of heaven!
"Nothing remarkable is achieved without madness. Life itself is a grand gamble. I am merely seeking like-minded allies. Senior, what do you think?"
Tang Sui extended the olive branch once more.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King fell silent.
It stared at Tang Sui, enveloped in Dao intent. The light in its single eye flickered, finally converging into a sharp gleam. It spoke in a low voice:
"You are the boldest cub I have ever seen. As you said, I have indeed passed my tenth heavenly tribulation, yet I have been unable to complete my transformation into a dragon and become a true god."
The red glow in its eyes dimmed, and its eyeball slowly turned, glancing at Shang Yang, who stood with his hands behind his back.
Tang Sui blinked, awaiting the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's final decision.
"But you have provided me with a new perspective."
It said ambiguously.
A strange feeling simultaneously crossed the minds of Shang Yang and Tang Sui.
"So, what I was missing was..."
"A ticket!"
The low voice suddenly rose. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King, which had been negotiating quietly, suddenly lunged, opening its massive maw, lined with terrifying whale whiskers, and lunged to devour them both.
"Crack crack—!"
A crimson barrier instantly expanded. Even the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's mouth, which had expanded to over twenty meters wide, could not forcefully swallow it. Its unable-to-close jaws and rows of sharp teeth clashed against the resilient barrier, neither side able to overcome the other.
"Are you planning a double-cross?" Shang Yang's brow was tinged with red mist, and killing intent flashed in his dark red eyes.
"Since a low-risk shortcut has been presented to me, how could I let it pass?!"
Since this cub had obtained the ticket, and it could absorb other sea soul beasts and humans to turn them into its own strength, wouldn't it then possess the "ticket"?
It wouldn't need to be controlled by the Sea God, nor would it need to confront the laws of heaven. Simply by devouring this cub, it seemed like the most profitable option!
With this thought, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King increased its biting force. The barrier wall and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's rows of sharp teeth, covered in a blue glow, began to emit a "creaking" sound.
Shang Yang's expression turned grim. He increased his demonic power output and asked, "So, are you choosing to stand against us?" Su Dan Novel Network
Tang Sui, having somewhat guessed the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's intentions, also frowned, not expecting the creature to betray them so suddenly.
"Senior, you've misunderstood. I have only questioned, not attained enlightenment. Even if you devour me, you still won't be able to step into the divine path! Because we are both merely examinees, still on the journey, we haven't received the exam paper yet!"
It tried to persuade the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
Unfortunately, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, its mind already fixed on an equation, stubbornly believed its own logic was correct, and Tang Sui was merely making excuses to save its own life.
"Whether it's true or not, I'll know after I eat you!"
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King responded, its voice like a massive stone crashing onto the ground, emitting a strange sonic wave. Accompanied by the deafening sound, Tang Sui's vision went blank for a second.
"You dare?!"
Provoked, Shang Yang was furious. His rising tail note had completely transformed into the roar of a beast.
Did it really think he was already dead?!