Under the blinding golden radiance, the mottled sea below began to change. Though the waves still surged, it seemed that countless patches of murky air were evaporating, gradually turning into nothingness under the illumination of the golden light.
"No one and nothing is permitted to taint the sea." Tang San's cold, majestic voice echoed through the sky as a beam of golden light suddenly shot out from the tips of the Sea God’s Trident, piercing into the murky Sea Plague in an instant.
In an instant, everything around—both sky and sea—turned gold. Brilliant, resplendent gold.
Tang San’s divine consciousness was rapidly depleting, but in this moment, he held nothing back. Since coming to this world, this was the first time, aside from that time he’d risked his life for Mei Gongzi, that he had unleashed his divine consciousness without reservation. Even if it ended up causing the plane to be more wary of him, he had no regrets.
What was the Sea God? If he couldn’t protect the sea, what right did he have to be its god?
The filth of the Sea Plague receded at a visible pace. Ghostly remnants of souls began to rise from the sea's surface. The weaker souls were barely wisps of smoke, while the stronger ones were larger, with some even exceeding a meter in diameter.
There was no doubt that these were the spirits of sea beasts that had perished in the Sea Plague. Yet, at this moment, their lingering souls were no longer tainted. Bathed in the pure golden light, they too became pure.
They gently floated upward, drifting toward the golden figure in the sky, merging resolutely into the golden light. It was as if only by doing so could they be saved.
Tang San had not yet reached godhood. Could he purify such a vast Sea Plague with his strength alone? Impossible. He lacked that level of power.
But he was the Sea God, and his body was the host of the Sea God's divinity. Here, this was his domain.
Those lingering souls, the power of their faith—they were the source of his strength. Instead of weakening as he fully unleashed his divine consciousness, his aura grew stronger, expanding to cover an even broader area, purifying the Sea Plague below.
His form continued to grow larger, gradually reaching a height of a hundred meters. He resembled a giant bathed in gold, as if the true Sea God was descending. Under his power, the filthy Sea Plague rapidly receded.
The Sea Shark King hovered in the sky, silently watching the scene unfold, his once-fierce gaze now filled with shock. This scene was etched deeply into his memory, something it knew he would never be able to forget for the rest of his life.
The Sea Plague was a tremendous disaster for every being of the Endless Blue Sea. With his current level of cultivation, the Sea Plague could no longer do much to the Sea Shark King, but that was just the Sea Shark King. He had been powerless to do anything but watch as his weaker kin were wiped out by the plague.
Yet, at this very moment, this human who claimed to be the Sea God's heir was actually purifying the Sea Plague, and even seemed to be cleansing the spirits of the marine creatures that had perished. This was unprecedented in the history of the Endless Blue Sea.
In that moment, all traces of ferocity vanished from his heart. The blood that had once been cold now burned with intense heat. The Sea Shark King found himself letting out his aura and bloodline power without reservation, merging them into the golden light, aiding Tang San in his efforts.
If even a Great Sea King like him could be moved to such an extent, there was no need to mention the others. At this moment, in the Endless Blue Sea, all living beings were united as one. All their collective power converged toward the golden figure.
The tainted seawater gradually returned to a clear blue. The skeletal remains floating within the golden light were purified as they were absorbed into the Sea God's golden power, which then scattered them away, returning them to the sea where they belonged. And as they rejoined the embrace of the sea, every ounce of soul power they had become one with the sea.
At some point, the elder of the Sea Walrus clan had also surfaced. As it also let out its power, tears streamed down its face.
It could feel the deep joy and release emanating from the countless marine creatures that had been purified after death. This part of the Endless Blue Sea, minutes ago steeped in a fatal sickness, was now filled with warmth and comfort as it underwent purification.
Tang San's divine consciousness continued to deplete, but it was also constantly being replenished thanks to the unity of the sea clans. Under his guidance, their combined power worked together to dispel the misfortune, cleanse the deathly taint, and restore the purity of the sea below.
The misfortune was gradually dissipating, but Tang San's mood remained heavy.
This mass of misfortune was, of course, the inverse of an equal mass of fortune. As the Ancestral Court’s Celestial Fox Sacred Mountain drew in the majority of the planet Falan’s fortune, the resulting misfortune would inevitably appear elsewhere. Even if it wasn’t this Sea Plague, it would always manifest in another place. The balance had to be preserved. The heavens were fair, and this was the way the fairness manifested.
He could solve the immediate problem, but he couldn’t eliminate all misfortune. The heavens were balanced, and they would never accept that. Only by dispersing the concentrated fortune in the Ancestral Court could the balance of the planet’s fate be restored, preventing further misfortune from arising and plaguing countless living beings.
What a clan you are, Celestial Fox Clan! Perhaps you are the only clan that should not exist in this world. For your own selfish gain, for the sake of your fellow demons and nymphs, you traded the lives of all other races. How selfish, how cruel!
The ethereal Sea God Trident shot out from Tang San’s hand, transforming into a golden halo that spread into the distance. Countless points of light followed the golden halo, and from all directions, more light points merged into it, rapidly purifying the entire region shrouded by the Sea Plague.
The golden light surrounding Tang San quickly faded, and he began to descend from the sky, falling toward the sea.
Under his guidance, with the Sea God's power at the center, the combined faith and strength of the sea clans made the purification of the Sea Plague no longer an issue. It was not his individual effort but the collective effort of the sea clans that made this purification possible. On his own, he could never have achieved this, but with his leadership, everything proceeded smoothly.
A massive white figure suddenly appeared beneath him, catching him as he fell. It was the Sea Shark King, who had reverted to his great white shark form.
The earlier purification did not weaken Tang San. The faith power from countless marine creatures had replenished his depleted divine consciousness. He refrained from continuing because the tribulation clouds in the sky, which he had temporarily obscured, were beginning to gather again. This forced him to disperse the Sea God’s power, leaving the sea clans to continue the purification themselves. Though the process would be slower, it was sustainable for as long as it was necessary.
"Your Highness!" The Sea Walrus elder had also arrived nearby. Its massive form bowed deeply before Tang San.
"Rubbish, what do you mean by 'Highness'?" The Sea Shark King's furious voice rang out, causing a shockwave that the Walrus Elder flying.
The Sea Walrus elder looked at the Sea Shark King in confusion, but the Sea Shark King’s voice was now filled with pride as he continued, "This is the Sea God, the one the heavens have bestowed upon us to be the ruler of the Endless Blue Sea. He is the divine lord who will lead us out of despair. You useless fools couldn’t even recognize the Sea God before. You're the most worthless of the worthless. Sea God, just say the word, and I’ll tear it apart and serve it to you as food. Walrus fat is quite rich and tasty."
Tang San was speechless. Brother, if you want to eat it yourself, you should just say so. A Sea Walrus god was surely a tempting treat for someone like the Sea Shark King.
He shook his head and admonished the shark. "The sea clans should coexist peacefully."
The Sea Shark King, however, was unconcerned. "Survival of the fittest. The weak are meant to be the food of the strong. Otherwise, wouldn't the strong starve to death?"