Chương 171: Chapter 171: Three Questions to the High Priestess
The mourning ceremony for Sea Star Douluo didn't last long on Seagod Island.
The residents had long prepared themselves for his death, knowing that the Sacred Pillar Douluos would return to the embrace of the Sea God, which was not considered a tragedy in their eyes.
Other Sacred Pillar Douluos were accustomed to life and death, so there wasn't much sadness.
After the ceremony, Su Cheng followed the procession back to his own Holy City.
Soon, a purple-clad soul master came to him, informing him that the Sea Maiden Douluo wanted to see him.
Upon receiving the news, Su Cheng knew what to expect and quickly arrived at the Lord's Mansion.
As expected, Bo Saixi had arrived ahead of him, standing with the Sea Empress Douluo.
Although the hall of the Lord's Mansion was not luxurious, the presence of two peerless beauties standing side by side instantly elevated its grandeur.
Bo Saixi looked different from half a year ago.
Back then, she exuded a profound and noble aura, giving off an unapproachable feeling of grandeur.
But now, she seemed more human.
Su Cheng quickly bowed and saluted, "Greetings, High Priestess, Sea Maiden."
"Su Cheng, didn't you say that in the eyes of the Sea God's children, there's no need to address each other as 'High Priestess'?" Bo Saixi spoke calmly, her deep blue eyes staring at Su Cheng with a peculiar light.
The Sea Maiden Douluo standing beside her reacted subtly to Bo Saixi's words but remained silent, watching him quietly.
Su Cheng was not surprised by Bo Saixi's question.
His actions on Seagod Island couldn't have escaped the High Priestess's notice.
While Bo Saixi might have been unaware before, she couldn't ignore such matters once she took an interest in them.
Su Cheng had been cautious. He made sure that his words and deeds had nothing to hide, leaving no room for reproach.
However, he didn't expect Bo Saixi to bring it up first.
"In the radiance of the Sea God, there's no distinction of high or low among His people," Su Cheng replied calmly. "But to me, both the High Priestess and the Sea Maiden Douluo are respected elders, and naturally different."
"You have a way with words," Bo Saixi said with a hint of amusement in her eyes, her attitude markedly different from their previous encounter.
Back then, Su Cheng's devout faith didn't particularly stand out to Bo Saixi.
After living on Seagod Island for decades and serving as High Priestess for many years, Bo Saixi had seen all kinds of people, including countless devout believers.
Su Cheng's remarkable maturity at such a young age was surprising, but it was just that—surprising.
On this continent, especially among powerful soul masters, strength ultimately dictated one's status.
Su Cheng's mediocre talent wasn't enough to earn her special treatment.
Her offer to take him as a disciple was merely fulfilling a past promise.
"However, you've managed to surprise me," Bo Saixi said as she observed Su Cheng, her curiosity piqued. "How did you do it?"
Upon closer observation, she noticed Su Cheng's transformation.
Not only had his cultivation level risen by more than ten ranks in less than a year, but the quality of his martial soul had also significantly improved.
These changes might go unnoticed by ordinary people, but they couldn't escape Bo Saixi's scrutiny.
In her eyes, Su Cheng's aura was pure and agile, far beyond what a low-quality martial soul could produce.
"Master High Priest, I've mentioned before that in the presence of Sea God's glory, the level of innate soul power is but a small and insignificant obstacle," Su Cheng asserted, observing the shift in Bo Saixi's expression, which fueled his confidence in his future plans.
The high priest's state of mind appeared more active than he had anticipated, which was understandable given Bo Saixi's youthful appearance despite her formidable ninety-nine terror level.
Despite undergoing the top eight exams, she possessed exceptional talent, completing them in less than forty years instead of the usual ten-year intervals for sea soul masters. By her fifties, she had ascended to the rank of a level ninety-nine peerless Douluo.
Living in seclusion within the Sea God Temple on Sea God Mountain since accepting the top test, Bo Saixi had minimal interaction with others, with few being qualified to converse with her. Thus, her mentality was far from as stagnant as an ancient well.
Upon hearing Su Cheng's familiar response, echoing one from over half a year ago, Bo Saixi experienced a distinct shift in her feelings.
Taking a moment to contemplate, she refrained from immediate inquiry and instead remarked, "I've heard many refer to you as the 'God Envoy' now?"
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded, his gaze still serene.
"All I seek in my life is to spread the radiance of the Sea God and convey His kindness and love to His people," he repeated solemnly.
"Yes," Su Cheng nodded, his gaze sincere.
"What I aspire to in my life is to spread the glory of Poseidon and extend his kindness and brotherhood to the people of Lord Poseidon."
"God's envoy... the Sea God's messenger..." Bo Saixi mused, her lips pursed as she looked at Su Cheng. "As the High Priestess of Seagod Island, I can only consider myself a servant of the Sea God."
Upon hearing this, Su Cheng bowed slightly once more and replied earnestly, "High Priestess, your understanding of the spirit of Sea God is still incomplete. There are some aspects where you lack insight."
The corner of the Sea Maiden Douluo's eye twitched slightly as she observed the conversation unfolding.
She looked at the child in front of her, who was not yet seven years old, then glanced at Bo Saixi beside her, feeling a sense of strangeness creeping into her heart.
"Is there something lacking?" Bo Saixi's face showed a hint of surprise, followed by a slight furrowing of her slender brows, her beautiful, sculpted features emanating a different aura.
"Then you must enlighten me on my deficiencies," she continued.
"In many aspects," Su Cheng's tone remained composed, devoid of impatience, despite his tender age.
His demeanor was solemn as he spoke, embodying the essence of a "messenger of the sea god".
"You have not grasped the true will of Lord Sea God, nor have you fully comprehended his true power, nor have you understood Lord Poseidon's benevolent intentions in orchestrating various trials for his believers and people.
"Six months ago, when the spirit of Sea God guided me forward, you did not fully believe in it.
"In your view, innate talent determines a soul master's future, and faith in Sea God cannot influence the outcome."
After hearing these words, Bo Saixi found herself unable to refute them because, indeed, she had held such beliefs at the time.
"So, have you truly felt the guidance of the Sea God's will?" Bo Saixi asked.
"Just a little," Su Cheng replied, his expression solemn. "I still have much to learn about the will of the Sea God."
Bo Saixi's expression turned slightly puzzled.
She herself hadn't felt anything like that.
Could this child be the chosen successor of the Sea God?
The one I've been waiting for?
The one Seagod Island has been waiting for?
Bo Saixi tightened her grip on the white staff, hesitating for a moment before speaking again, "Su Cheng, I'll ask you again: are you willing to become my disciple?"
Su Cheng lifted his head to meet her gaze, his demeanor solemn. "It would be my honor, Master."
Seeing that he didn't refuse, a hint of joy flashed in Bo Saixi's heart.
She immediately realized her folly and self-mockingly thought to herself that she was worrying over a child, feeling like she had wasted so many years of her life.
Su Cheng and Bo Saixi left the Sea Maiden City together, currently on their way to the Sea God Mountain.
The diameter of the entire Sea God Island exceeded four hundred miles, and the Sea God Mountain was quite a distance from the Sea Maiden City, roughly about two hundred miles away.
That place was known as the forbidden area of the Sea God Island.
Generally, only the Pillar Douluos or the High Priestess herself could venture there.
Just like the Pope's Mountain in the Douluo Continent, unless under special circumstances, others were absolutely forbidden to approach.
Of course, if the High Priestess Bo Saixi spoke, bringing one or two people along wouldn't be much of an issue.
For ordinary people, even if riding a horse, covering the distance of two hundred miles would take an entire day. However, for soul masters running at full speed, it wouldn't take that long.
At this moment, Bo Saixi floated ahead like a red cloud in the sky, controlling her speed according to Su Cheng's current soul power level.
She also wanted to see how Su Cheng's true strength matched his cultivation level.
But what Bo Saixi didn't expect was that Su Cheng also looked as if he were effortlessly keeping up, showing no signs of exertion or strain.
As the sun set, casting a faint glow in the sky, the two arrived near their destination.
Passing through a dense forest, the scenery suddenly opened up before them.
Su Cheng looked around at the stunning scenery, momentarily surprised.
The shimmering sea reflected dazzling colors under the setting sun, and in the embrace of the sea, a small island stood in the center of the circular water area.
The terrain of the island was quite high, about five hundred meters tall, and what was even more extraordinary was that the island was enveloped in a faint golden light. Although the light wasn't strong, it was unrelated to the sunset, emanating from the island itself.
At the top of the island, a dome-shaped white jade palace stood, surrounded by giant white stone pillars, giving it an exceptionally sacred appearance.
Bo Saixi landed on the shore, looking towards the palace on the nearby mountain island.
"That is the Sea God Temple, where the Sea God is worshipped, and it is the true core of the Sea God Island," she explained softly to Su Cheng, turning to him. "The white jade stone steps at the foot of the mountain are the stairs leading up to the island, totaling one thousand and one steps. After you pass the assessment at eighteen years old, if you achieve a Black-level assessment or higher, you will qualify to come here and accept the test of the Sea God's light."
"The Sea God's light?" Su Cheng's eyes flickered as he looked up.
"Exactly," Bo Saixi nodded, but she didn't seem inclined to provide a detailed explanation.
She simply said, "However, even if you haven't undergone the assessment, you can still experience the Sea God's light, but the prerequisite is that you can cross the circular sea. Moreover, enduring the pressure of the Sea God's light is not easy."
Su Cheng silently gazed at the distant mountain, his heart suddenly enlightened. "This fluctuation... so that's how it is!"
It's very similar to the fluctuations of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes!
The surging soul power, although extremely condensed with almost no residual ripples, was still sensed by Su Cheng's keen perception.
But unlike the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes, which are dangerous due to the extreme attributes of ice and fire spiritual energy, the Sea God's light contains incredibly high density.
A hint of joy arose in Su Cheng's heart. This place could help him condense his own soul ring.
He turned to Bo Saixi. "Teacher, that's not a test, it's a blessing bestowed by the Sea God on his believers."
Although he had some thoughts in his heart, what came out of his mouth was different.
"The Sea God is willing to guide his believers and provide assistance. But this isn't about raising pets; it's about tempering and cultivating oneself.
"Those who help themselves will receive help. If one cannot strive for oneself, they will naturally be abandoned by the Sea God.
"Just like me, with my low innate soul power, this is also a test. If I accept reality, then I don't deserve the guidance of the Sea God."
Bo Saixi was surprised by his words again. "So that's how it is..."
She naturally understood the role of the Sea God's light, but she hadn't thought of it from this perspective.
Combined with Su Cheng's own experience, she felt a sudden enlightenment for a moment.
Looking at Su Cheng, Bo Saixi said solemnly, "But it's still too early for you to seek the Sea God's light now. From now on, you can come here once a month, and I will impart to you the knowledge you want to learn."
Clearly, even if Su Cheng truly became her disciple, the Sea God's Temple was not a place one could easily enter.
Normally, the Sea God's Temple required at least seven Pillar Douluos to open together, and besides Bo Saixi, only she could open it alone.
But she couldn't simply break the rules and take Su Cheng into the Sea God's Temple.
In fact, Su Cheng had no intention of letting her break the rules, nor did he plan to enter the Sea God's Temple.
Although the possibility was slim, going there would still attract attention.
When facing a deity, being cautious was never excessive.
If the Sea God noticed his presence, he would absolutely have no resistance at this time and could easily encounter serious problems.
Even without the Sea God's intervention, just relying on the transmission of divine consciousness from the seven Pillar Douluos would be enough to render him helpless.
"What aspect of knowledge do you want to learn now?" Bo Saixi asked lightly, feeling curious about what choice this child would make.
But to her surprise, Su Cheng didn't inquire about anything related to soul master cultivation but instead said, "I want to hear about the Sea God's past experiences."
Bo Saixi didn't know that this was already part of his plan.
Su Cheng didn't need anyone's guidance, and others couldn't teach him about his own situation, not even Bo Saixi.
To establish this master-disciple relationship was merely to gain a formal name and bridge with Bo Saixi.
But in their interaction, they would try to seek balance and equality as much as possible.
If one's thoughts were inferior, it would be difficult for him to influence the other's thoughts.
In this world, there were many kinds of geniuses: cultivation geniuses, combat geniuses, managerial geniuses, and so on.
But who said understanding the spiritual will of the gods couldn't be considered a talent?
Even for believers, Su Cheng's talent in this aspect was more worthy of their respect, including this ninety-nine level extraordinary Douluo, Bo Saixi.
Bo Saixi didn't know what he was thinking, but she patiently began to explain.
"Su Cheng, do you know how vast the sea is?"
"Of course," Su Cheng nodded. "The area of the sea is more than four times that of the Douluo Continent, and even if you add other scattered islands and other continents, the area of the sea exceeds that of the land by twice."
Bo Saixi nodded lightly.
"In the vast and boundless sea, there are far more creatures than on land. If these marine creatures lose their restraints and continuously wage wars, the consequences could be even more chaotic than on land.
Many, many years ago, the sea was indeed in chaos. In that chaotic era, among countless sea soul masters, emerged a stunning genius. With his extraordinary talent, he traveled every corner of the sea throughout his lifetime.
He wielded a trident and, relying on his immense strength and unparalleled charisma, conquered one race after another in the sea.
After a span of one thousand and one years, he finally unified the ocean and was revered by all sea tribes as the Sea God, creating an immortal legend."
"One thousand years..." Su Cheng murmured softly.
"Yes, one thousand years. Are you surprised? The Sea God spent over a thousand years, relying on his ninety-nine level strength, to conquer the sea," Bo Saixi affirmed.
"Ninety-nine level?" Su Cheng looked at Bossey, "Teacher, aren't you also at the ninety-nine level?"
"Not quite the same," Bo Saixi chuckled lightly, her eyes also revealing a sense of longing.
"After surpassing level ninety-five in soul power, unless there are special opportunities, the time required to advance one level through normal absorption of soul power cultivation is based on hundreds of years.
Moreover, once you reach level ninety-seven, it becomes an absolute bottleneck. According to normal calculations, humans simply cannot cultivate to level ninety-nine because advancing from level ninety-seven to ninety-eight requires a full three hundred years, and from ninety-eight to ninety-nine, it requires a grueling six hundred years of continuous cultivation.
I was able to reach level ninety-nine because I passed the top eight examinations, received the glory bestowed by the Sea God, and ascended to the position of High Priestess. Most of my strength also comes from the blessings of the Sea God."
Su Cheng nodded upon hearing this.
After a moment of silence, he continued, "But the Sea God didn't just become a God by reaching level ninety-nine, did he?"
"That's right. Even with the strength of the Sea God, it took him over a thousand years to break through level one hundred and achieve the position of Sea God.
Because our world has its own rules, and level ninety-nine is the upper limit of these rules. Beyond this level, there's no further advancement.
Breaking through this level is akin to transcending the rules, surpassing them, which is what we call a God. But that's not something achievable through individual effort alone.
The Sea God relied on the faith of countless sea soul beasts and sea soul masters to break through."
"Are these things all passed down through history?" Su Cheng suddenly asked, "I haven't seen much about the Sea God's ascension in the various records of the Sea Maiden City."
Bo Saixi was taken aback by his question, then hesitated, "Not entirely, some of these things were told to me by my teacher, the previous High Priest."
Su Cheng nodded, not delving further.
He stood there pondering for a while.
Bo Saixi didn't rush him, patiently waiting by his side.
After a long while, Su Cheng spoke slowly, "Teacher, I have three questions I'd like to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"I've read in the records that there is a powerful soul beast sovereign in the sea, called the Abyssal Demon Whale King. Do you know about it?"
Bo Saixi found it strange that Su Cheng's first question was about this sea soul beast, but she answered nonetheless.
"I know about it. The Abyssal Demon Whale King is extremely powerful, arguably the strongest soul beast in the world today. Even I wouldn't have confidence in defeating it.
If we were to measure its strength in human terms, it would likely be a level ninety-nine Title Douluo. It has even surpassed the limit of a hundred thousand years for soul beast life and is on the verge of becoming a true Sea God Dragon.
The term 'becoming a Sea Dragon' refers to its ability to become a true Sea God Dragon. If it succeeds, it would be second only to a god in existence.
However, for soul beasts, this step is as difficult as climbing to the sky. Achieving this requires a million years of cultivation, enduring nine calamities, even more difficult than a soul master ascending to godhood."
"A million years?" Su Cheng feigned surprise.
"That's right. However, that fellow hasn't lived that long," Bo Saixi shook her head, "It has been cultivating for about three hundred thousand years. But with its ability to devour other sea soul beasts and its own special skills, it has already overcome eight calamities, equivalent to nearing the level of cultivation of a million years. Apart from fearing the Sea God, it is the true master of the ocean."
"I see," Su Cheng nodded slowly.
Then he looked at Bo Saixi and asked, "Teacher, my first question is, since the Sea God could have killed the Abyssal Demon Whale King back then, why didn't he?
Upon hearing Su Cheng's words, Bo Saixi's expression paused.
She really didn't know why the Sea God didn't kill the Abyssal Demon Whale King.
In fact, Su Cheng himself had some speculation about this question.
Perhaps it was a gift from the Sea God to his future successor, or maybe the Abyssal Demon Whale King was originally intended for himself by the Sea God, but he hadn't had the chance to use it yet. Of course, it couldn't be ruled out that the Sea God was merciful at the time, feeling that its cultivation was not easy and spared it.
But these reasons were obviously not something Bo Saixi could think of.
In fact, Bo Saixi herself had some doubts about the existence of the Abyssal Demon Whale King.
Seeing Su Cheng still staring at her, she felt a hint of embarrassment in her eyes, shook her head, and sighed softly, "I don't know."
"Teacher, I have some thoughts about this matter," Su Cheng said softly.
"I've said before, the Sea God is kind to his believers, but he is also strict with them.
The Sea God is omnipotent, but everyone is an independent individual. The Sea God won't let his believers lose their autonomy and become pets.
Self-help is divine help. The existence of the Abyssal Demon Whale King is an example of this. There are always challenges that we must overcome ourselves.
The spirit of the Sea God will guide me, but it won't command me. Ultimately, whether I can achieve anything depends on our own efforts."
"... " Upon hearing his explanation, Bo Saixi frowned and pondered for a moment.
It seemed to make some sense.
But was it too harsh for the Sea God to leave such a huge hidden danger?
Su Cheng didn't wait for her answer.
Just posing this question to her was enough, and there was plenty of time for her to think about it later.
Su Cheng then moved on to his next question.
"Teacher, my second question is, since the Sea God traveled the world and explored the sea, why do you, as the High Priestess of the Sea God, always reside in the Sea God Temple? Does the Sea God really need you to serve day and night on the Sea God Mountain?
"Although I'm still young, I know a lot and understand the desires of the Sea God's people.
"If you always remain aloof, overlooking everyone, how can you truly know the innermost desires of the Sea God's people?"
...
If you want to support me and gain access to an additional chapters, you can visit: [patreon.com/Firesight323]
(http://patreon.com/Firesight323)
Tình trạng nguồn điện hàng tuần
-- Xếp hạng
Quyền lực 
-- Đá
Quyền lực