The night had not yet ended, but the firmament was illuminated by the radiance emanating from a brilliant, golden pillar of light.
It burst forth from the magnificent Divine Temple, bathing the entirety of Sea God Island, comprised of interconnected islands, in its golden glow.
The ocean surged, and the seven Sea God Sacred Pillars distributed across Sea God Island simultaneously lit up.
Seven golden pillars of light, varying in thickness, ascended. Instead of reaching the heavens and earth, they transformed into energy particles that surged towards the golden pillar erupting from the Sea God Temple, coalescing into a single force and strengthening the already substantial golden beam.
The dark clouds in the sky, still clinging to the night, were painted with the same golden hue under the pillar's light, gradually morphing into a spectral figure clad in armor, with long, deep blue hair.
Though the figure's features remained indistinct, in its hand it held the quintessential weapon of a Sea God, a golden trident.
The guardians of the seven Sea God Sacred Pillars standing before the temple gazed up at the sky. The instant they saw the spectral figure, they fell to their knees, their eyes fixed on the ethereal form with devout and fervent light.
Not only the guardians of the seven Sacred Pillars, but also the Seven Monsters, who were frolicking or cultivating in other cities, the residents of Sea God Island, and the sea soul beasts within a thousand-mile radius, all ceased their actions simultaneously, gazing or bowing towards the golden phantom as if in pilgrimage.
Tens of thousands of tiny golden rays converged on the Sea God Temple from all directions.
The might of the Sea God sent tremors through the entire divine realm.
Far away within the Spirit Empire, Qian Daoliu, within the Angel Temple, sensed something and looked towards Sea God Island. Bibi Dong, leading five Titled Douluo-level powerhouses in the Star Dou Forest, unaware that her target had already relocated and still stubbornly searching for the Titan Giant Ape and the Azure Bull Python, paused, her expression briefly startled as she looked up in a certain direction.
In the Sunset Forest, Tang Sui, who had been sleeping soundly in her sleeping bag, suddenly opened her eyes and sat up. Her clear blue pupils flickered with flecks of black and gold light, and she looked towards the location of Sea God Island like a statue.
"Tang San succeeded."
The voice of the black-faced figure echoed in her mind.
"Mmm..."
Tang Sui responded softly, her voice barely a whisper, yet remarkably clear in the silent valley.
Startled by Tang Sui's movement, Tang Hao's eyes flashed with sharp intensity as he suddenly opened them. However, as his gaze fell upon the rustling Blue Silver Grass, the sharpness in his eyes receded like a tide. Following the direction of the spreading Blue Silver Grass, he saw his daughter, inexplicably sitting up and lost in thought.
"Sui Sui, what's wrong?"
Tang Hao's hoarse voice sounded.
The Blue Silver Grass, which had been moving along the ground, worriedly coiled around Tang Sui's wrist. A leaf, three inches wide,靈性ly patted Tang Sui's hand, as if in concern.
Tang Sui lowered her head, pulled out her other hand, and gently stroked the silvery-blue leaves of the Blue Silver Grass. Shaking her head, she replied, "I'm fine. I just didn't sleep very well. How about we set off now, Father, to avoid any further complications?"
Her brother had succeeded, so she couldn't fall behind.
Tang Hao glanced at the night sky, which had yet to fully recede. However, the darkness had significantly faded, and dawn was likely less than two hours away. Staying up for a night was not a hardship for him now, and since his daughter wished to begin early, Tang Hao had no objections.
Thus, the father and daughter, who had risen before dawn, cleaned up and organized themselves with unspoken understanding.
As for the Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape, they would naturally come when day broke.
After bidding farewell to the Blue Silver Grass with gentle voices, the father and daughter set off lightly from the valley, with Tang Hao leading the way.
After all, he had lived in this valley for over four years, and for safety reasons, it was essential to be familiar with the terrain and surrounding environment.
Before long, Tang Hao and Tang Sui landed smoothly.
The Sunset Forest was unlike the Star Dou Forest. Although it had mountains of varying sizes, most of them were inhabited.
To avoid any unnecessary trouble, Tang Hao led Tang Sui to the edge of a foul-smelling swamp.
Fortunately, the swamp was so putrid that even soul beasts were unwilling to drink from it. This foul-smelling area had thus become unoccupied territory.
Both father and daughter had emerged from fields of death and blood, so enduring the stench emanating into the air was not a problem.
"Alright. This area is relatively remote, rarely visited by people, and even fewer soul beasts are willing to come here." Even as he breathed in the stench, Tang Hao did not even frown.
Tang Sui, who had directly blocked her senses of smell and taste, looked at her father's unwavering expression and silently gave him a thumbs-up in her heart.
It wasn't that Tang Hao doubted his ability to protect Tang Sui, but rather that it was better to avoid trouble if possible.
When she began to form her spirit ring soon, human soul masters would only sense the presence of a powerful individual, but the soaring energy would be like a walking, humanoid meal for soul beasts.
However, if this foul stench, which even soul beasts could not tolerate, were added to the mix, it would be a different matter. Sudan Novel Network
It was like holding your nose and holding your breath while going to the latrine, and accidentally looking down to see a conspicuous red five-yuan note stuck in the feces.
Perhaps it wasn't stuck in the feces before, but it was obvious that those who had come to use the latrine had given up the idea of fishing it out and pretended it didn't exist, continuing with their business.
Tang Hao's deliberate choice of this location showed his deep thoughtfulness.
Tang Sui, who had roughly guessed Tang Hao's intentions, tightened her delicate little face and, feigning a cool demeanor, nodded before immediately and without hesitation opening a crimson barrier, blocking out the unpleasant odor.
Tang Hao raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He merely watched as Tang Sui sat on the ground, her legs crossed in meditation.
"Hum—"
The moment Tang Sui entered her cultivation state, the air seemed to solidify. Substantial black mist rose from the dark shadow Tang Sui cast on the ground.
Like a ferocious beast finally revealing its true form from the darkness, almost instantly, Tang Hao's body and his instincts, which had repeatedly skirted the edge of death, issued a warning, screaming of the danger before him.
Tang Hao clenched his left fist, the black hammer imprint on the back of his hand flashing. He suppressed the urge to summon the Clear Sky Hammer, exhaled slowly, and retreated a few steps, creating a safe distance. His eyes could not help but reveal a complex emotion.
This familiar sense of pressure, as if he had experienced it somewhere before, had returned...
As soon as this thought surfaced, the space around Tang Sui began to distort, and seven small vortexes rippled outwards.
Thin, cicada-wing-like, dark golden irregular edges were the first to emerge from the vortex, gradually revealing the complete, sharp lines of a mask.
In the center of the fragmented mask, a single black and gold eye suddenly opened, hovering around Tang Sui. The rolling eyeballs scanned the surroundings and met Tang Hao's gaze, his pupils contracting.
Upon seeing the complete mask, Tang Hao's mind went blank, his thoughts becoming sluggish. The moment he saw the true face of these masks, memories from over twenty years ago resurfaced from the depths of his mind palace, assaulting him!
- Author's Notes-
See you tomorrow, chirps~