Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Those enormous figures covered in blue scales formed an irregular formation in the deep water. Their movement was not fast, but it had a long, rhythmic quality that seemed to last forever, with each step shortening the distance to Poseidon Island.

When the vanguard advanced to within a few miles of the coastline of Poseidon Island, the sea spirit beasts at the front began to emerge from the water one by one. Their enormous heads, like floating islands rising from the deep sea, slowly and steadily broke through the surface of the water.

Waves surged across the sea, pushing towards the coastline and crashing against the rocks, creating white sprays.

The figure of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King also emerged from the deep sea at this moment.

His body still maintained an undeniable sense of oppression when it surfaced, but as soon as he was fully above the surface, the light around him began to slowly recede and condense inward.

His body gradually shrank in the light, and his thick blue scales were replaced by a thin layer of light. His enormous outline became clearer as the light around him converged.

When the last ray of light faded from his body, he had completely transformed into a human form.

He was a tall, robust middle-aged man with deep, strong facial features, exuding a ruggedness as if sculpted by the sea breeze over millions of years.

He wore a magnificent robe with a deep blue base and flowing gold trim. His long hair swayed gently in the wind, with the ends sparkling like bubbles rising from the sea.

He did not exude divine power, nor did he release any sense of oppression, nor did he deliberately restrain himself.

He stood there, his golden eyes calmly sweeping across the coastline ahead. Behind him, the sea spirit beasts floating on the water were slowly gathering, pushing towards the coastline like a tide summoned by an invisible force.

Poseidon stood on the highest reef on the coastline, her fingers tightening slightly as she gripped the scepter.

She looked at the figure standing on the sea and raised her voice slightly: "Deep Sea Demon Whale King, you have become a god, why do you still lead your army to invade the territory of the Sea God?"

Chapter 584 The Phantom of the Sea God and the Barrier

Poseidon's voice carried far on the sea breeze, landing precisely on the surface of the sea beside the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

Her posture remained composed, and her voice contained neither fear nor wavering, only a calm as steady as the seabed itself.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King slightly turned his head, his golden eyes falling on Poseidon. After a moment of silence, he spoke:

“Ten thousand years ago, I was defeated by Poseidon and retreated to the deep sea wounded. At that time, I had not yet become a god, so I accepted it. But now that I have become a god, it is time to settle the old scores.”

Poseidon looked at him, her gaze unwavering: "The battle ten thousand years ago is over. The Sea God gave you a way out back then; that was his magnanimity as the Sea God. If you, in your current position, reignite old grudges, it would be a provocation against the Sea God's majesty."

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's lips twitched slightly, curving into a mocking smile.

“Tolerance?” he repeated the word, as if tasting it for the first time.

"Poseidon's tolerance means letting me retreat to the deep sea, covered in wounds, and lie dormant in that darkness for ten thousand years. Is this what you call tolerance?"

Poseidon did not respond; she knew it was pointless to argue with someone burdened by an obsession that had lasted for millennia.

Behind her, countless believers on Poseidon Island were looking up at the sky, watching the figure standing on the sea and the enormous silhouettes slowly moving beneath the surface.

There was no fear in their eyes, only a burning conviction, like a blazing fire. They believed the sea god would protect the island as he had done countless times before.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's gaze swept past Poseidon, across the island shrouded in the power of the sea god, and over the fanaticism in the eyes of the believers, before he gently shook his head.

He had no patience left to waste time with Poseidon.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King slowly raised his right hand, his slender fingers making a simple yet clear gesture in the air.

In that instant, the darkness beneath the sea suddenly shattered.

Countless enormous figures rose simultaneously from the deep sea, like ancient creatures awakened at the same time. The moment they broke through the water's surface, they stirred up layer upon layer of giant waves that crashed against the coastline of Poseidon Island.

Energy and physical attacks came simultaneously from all directions. Blue beams of soul power, condensed water columns, and shockwaves compressed to their extreme crashed down on the sky above Poseidon Island like a torrential downpour.

Poseidon stood on the highest reef on the coastline, watching the approaching attacks, knowing that war was inevitable.

She took a deep breath and then slowly loosened her grip on the scepter.

In that instant, the aura surrounding her completely changed.

A vast, ocean-like soul force surged forth from her body, like a tide whose last shackles had been released, creating invisible ripples of energy around her.

At the center of that force, she slowly raised her hands, palms up, as if lifting something extremely heavy.

A solemn and long humming sound emanated from her body, piercing through the roar of the waves and the howls of the soul beasts, spreading to every corner of the entire Seagod Island.

When the buzzing sound reached the eardrums of the inhabitants of Poseidon Island, their expressions instantly shifted from tense to calm and focused.

Behind Poseidon, a colossal phantom was slowly taking shape as her soul power and will coalesced.

The phantom seemed to have stepped out of an ancient painting, clad in azure divine armor, each armor plate shimmering with a luster like the deep sea itself, and holding a massive golden trident in its hand.

Its face was shrouded in light, making it indistinct, but even its outline caused the approaching sea spirit beasts to hesitate for a moment.

Poseidon's Martial Soul True Form.

Poseidon summoned the most powerful trump card of the High Priestess of Poseidon Island with all her soul power and faith.

The hundred-meter-tall phantom of the sea god stood above the island of sea god, its vast divine power spreading out like the tide, as if the power of the entire sea had gathered here at this moment.

At the same time, the seven sacred pillars throughout Poseidon Island simultaneously emitted dazzling light.

Blue-gold pillars of light shot into the sky from the top of each sacred pillar, like seven giant pillars supporting the heavens and earth, converging and coalescing in the sky.

Seahorse Douluo stood in front of the Seahorse Sacred Pillar, placing his hands on the base of the pillar and pouring his soul power into it without reservation.

He could feel that power resonating with the sea god's mark within him, connecting his will with the defense system of Seagod Island.

Sea Witch Douluo stood atop the tallest tower in Sea Witch City, her deep blue hair billowing in the wind. Her gaze fell upon the phantom of the sea god that was taking shape behind Poseidon, and then she channeled her power into the Holy Pillar.

The light of the seven sacred pillars reached its peak at the same moment, like seven ignited ribbons, converging their respective powers towards the same center.

The immense soul power and the power of devout faith intertwined, transforming into enormous ripples of soul power that spread in every direction of Seagod Island.

Above Poseidon Island, a nearly transparent blue barrier slowly emerged, like an inverted giant bowl, enveloping the entire island.

The barrier looked as thin as gauze, with fine wave patterns flowing along its edges, yet it exuded a chilling aura.

This is the strongest defensive barrier on Poseidon Island, formed by combining the power of faith accumulated on Poseidon Island over ten thousand years with the power left behind by Poseidon.

Countless attacks from sea spirit beasts landed on the defensive barrier. When the blue beams of soul power struck the surface of the barrier, they exploded into clusters of tiny light points. The condensed water columns were as if they had hit an invisible wall, and were compressed into a sky full of water mist the moment they made contact.

The rebounded attacks landed among the sea spirit beasts, causing a chaotic commotion. Several smaller sea spirit beasts were hit by attacks rebounded from their own companions, letting out low howls of pain.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King looked at the scene before him without any surprise on his face.

He knew all along that this attack wouldn't work.

If a god's territory can be easily breached by a group of mortal soul beasts, then the sea god is not worthy of being called the sea god.

But looking at the defensive barrier that remained as solid as ever, he narrowed his eyes slightly, and the divine power within his body began to surge at a speed far faster than when he was speaking.

Hundreds of purple lightning orbs appeared out of thin air around him. Each one was only the size of a fist, with fine electric arcs flowing across its surface, emitting a low hum in the air.

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's attribute was not purely water. His soul power was composed of seven parts water and three parts lightning.

The lightning bolts, when conducted through water, are amplified, making them far more terrifying than when used alone.

Each thunder orb embodies his tens of thousands of years of accumulated knowledge and the new power he gained when he first entered the divine realm.

He raised his hand and gently pushed forward.

Hundreds of lightning orbs, like birds released simultaneously, swept across the sea, leaving hundreds of thin purple trails as they landed precisely in the same area above the defensive barrier.

boom.

All the lightning orbs exploded at the same instant.

A sky full of purple lightning instantly covered the entire Poseidon Island, turning the sunlit sea and beach into a deep purple shadow.

Lightning spread wildly across the surface of the barrier, like countless burning threads simultaneously, emitting a continuous and dense roar that shook the entire island.

Although the residents of Poseidon Island had already gathered in the square and looked up at the sky when Poseidon summoned the phantom of Poseidon, some people still instinctively tightened their grip on the hands of the people next to them when the purple lightning covered the entire island.

Their faith in the sea god was unwavering, and they firmly believed that the sea god would protect them, but their fear at this moment was an instinctive reaction when people face the power of nature.

However, the thin, gauze-like blue barrier did not shatter, nor did it show any signs of impending collapse.

The lightning rippled violently across the surface of the barrier, but it was unable to tear it apart.

All destructive power was completely isolated from Poseidon Island by this seemingly fragile but actually indestructible barrier.

As the last purple arc of electricity slowly dissipated at the edge of the barrier, the inhabitants of Poseidon Island once again looked up at the slowly calming blue-gold light, their awe and faith burning even brighter at that moment.

As the Deep Sea Demon Whale King looked at the defensive barrier that remained as solid as ever, a genuine look of surprise flashed across his golden eyes for the first time.

He originally thought that the barrier was just the power left behind by the sea god ten thousand years ago, which had been repeatedly consumed over the long years and was now almost gone.

But the feedback when the attack touched the barrier just now far exceeded his expectations; the level of power was more abundant and more active than the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had anticipated.

It was as if something was secretly and continuously replenishing the operation of that barrier.

What the Deep Sea Demon Whale King didn't know was that the power on Seagod Island wasn't just a remnant from ten thousand years ago.

The moment the Deep Sea Demon Whale King became a god and accepted the rules of the divine realm, he naturally assumed that gods could not directly interfere with the lower realm, and that the power on Seagod Island could only be the legacy left by the Seagod.

The communication channel for the Sea God's assessment did exist, but in his understanding, it was only used to transmit messages and select successors, and could not transmit any substantial power.

He didn't know that the sea god didn't strictly abide by the rules of the divine realm as he thought.

Under normal circumstances, Poseidon might even have possessed Poseidon directly, allowing his true form to descend to the mortal world.

However, the divine realm is currently under martial law, and all parties are tightening passageways, which is why the Sea God has had to restrain his methods.

Poseidon watched the dissipating purple lightning and slowly spoke: "Deep Sea Demon Whale King, you have seen the defensive power of Seagod Island. This island is protected by the will of the Seagod, and you cannot break through this defense by brute force. Retreat, don't waste your energy."

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King stood on the sea surface, his gaze still fixed on the blue-gold barrier, without responding immediately.

He heard Poseidon's words, and he knew she was telling the truth; the barrier was indeed much stronger than he had expected.

But he did not back down.

He didn't travel thousands of miles across the ocean to come here just to admire the strength of this barrier.

He did this to devour the power left behind by the Sea God in the lower realm, and to devour the being who was undergoing the Sea God's divine test.

He couldn't possibly turn around and leave just because of a barrier.

“This barrier is indeed more troublesome than I imagined,” the Deep Sea Demon Whale King finally spoke, his voice steady. “But so what? No matter how sturdy it is, it’s just a shell. Once the shell breaks, what’s inside will be exposed.”

Poseidon's brow furrowed slightly. She knew what the Deep Sea Demon Whale King meant; he could indeed slowly deplete the barrier's energy, even if it took days or weeks, until the blue-gold aura completely faded.

She cannot allow Poseidon Island to passively wait in this war of attrition.

Poseidon said nothing more.

Her fingers tightened their grip on the scepter, and the golden scepter suddenly emitted a resounding, bell-like sound in her palm.

Then, she slammed her scepter to the ground.