"Mm." Tang San nodded. After what had happened this time, he would be even more cautious moving forward.
The two most important things for him to focus on next were finding a cultivation path for humanity and figuring out how to take revenge on demons and nymphs.
Demons and nymphs still had fifteen Emperors, and their overall strength was formidable. And that was not even taking into account the many Great Demon Kings and Demon Kings. Under this pressure, even if humans could develop their own cultivation abilities, their inherent physical weakness made it extremely difficult to compete with demons and nymphs. There was also the looming risk of being wiped out before they could achieve anything.
Thus, on one hand, he needed to strengthen humanity, and on the other, he needed to find ways to weaken the demons and nymphs.
Zhang Haoxuan said, "I’ll keep an eye on things in Kali City. Right now, it’s not advisable to attract more humans here. Overseas, our total number of migrants has reached nearly 400,000, which exceeds our previous expectations. Although many ships were destroyed, most of the larger ships are still on Crescent Island, since we sent them there in advance. We need your presence there to stabilize things. While we’ve hidden the news of your disappearance, your prolonged absence might make the sea clans uneasy. Our people overseas still need strong support from them."
Tang San nodded. "Yes, I’m planning to cultivate overseas for a while, but that will have to wait until Mei Gongzi completes her study period and returns. Since things here are stable, I’ll head back to the Ancestral Court to stay with her until she’s ready to come back. In the meantime, I’ll make some preparations and continue improving my cultivation."
"Good. Her safety is crucial as well. But after you return, you two shouldn’t assist humans too much in the open," Zhang Haoxuan advised him.
Tang San nodded again. The Ancestral Court’s wariness of humanity exceeded his initial expectations. Even though he had reached godhood, there was still a considerable gap between his current power and what was needed to protect all of humanity. There was so much to do...
Tang San withdrew his hand from Zhang Haoxuan’s back. After his treatment, Zhang Haoxuan’s energy level had significantly improved, and being a god himself, his recovery abilities were nothing to scoff at.
"Are you going to head overseas first before returning? I’ll go with you. I’ll stay there to help you select some children without Demonic God Transformations but with good talent. Lately, your companions have been teaching basic knowledge there. They should have some good recommendations."
Tang San agreed. A trip overseas was necessary, mainly to stabilize the situation with the sea beasts in the Endless Blue Sea. Tang San had been gone for quite some time, and if the sea clans felt that he was unable to pay attention to them, the stronger ones might start to get ideas. They had begrudgingly cooperated with him because of his Sea God power, but they weren’t truly loyal.
"How are we getting there? Can you teleport us?" Zhang Haoxuan asked.
"No problem. We’ll teleport directly. Do you need to leave any instructions?"
"Wait here. I’ll make some arrangements, and then we can leave."
Zhang Haoxuan had been in charge of affairs here, so he had quite a few things to take care of before leaving for an extended period.
Zhang Haoxuan left, while Tang San remained in the room.
After talking with his master, Tang San’s emotions had finally settled. The most difficult step was behind him. Now, the challenge was figuring out how to compete with the Ancestral Court. Strength was still key, and without a looming tribulation placing a glass ceiling on his evolution, it was time for him to focus on rapidly improving his power. Only with real strength could he stand on equal footing with the Emperors and truly have the right to speak up.
It took Zhang Haoxuan an hour to return. He had handed over the local affairs to Guan Longjiang and shared the good news of Tang San’s return, which would certainly be a morale booster for Redemption Academy.
"Are we teleporting from here?" Zhang Haoxuan asked, watching as Tang San activated the Spacetime Lighthouse and sensing the spatial energy forming.
Tang San smiled. "Yup, right here is fine."
As he spoke, silver light surged from the Spacetime Lighthouse, enveloping them instantly.
Zhang Haoxuan felt everything around him slow down, and his vision became a swirl of colors. Beyond the slow motion, countless streaks of multicolored light flashed by.
When he regained his senses, he could already smell the salty tang of the sea.
"We’re here?" Zhang Haoxuan stared at the endless sea before him and felt the soft sand beneath his feet. He was momentarily stunned. The teleportation had been far too easy. Even though he knew Tang San's strength had to be leagues above his previous self after reaching godhood, seeing him perform such long-distance teleportation with the ease of munching a carrot was still deeply shocking.
Tang San smiled faintly, gazing toward the Endless Blue Sea as his divine consciousness expanded outward, first covering Crescent Island.
Compared to his last visit, Crescent Island was even more prosperous now. This was the first island settled by human immigrants and had been under construction the longest. The flatlands of the island were now dotted with wooden and stone buildings, and it wasn’t just temporary quarters—there were already three small towns. The island’s inner harbor was full of docked ships, the transport vessels Zhang Haoxuan had mentioned earlier.
Crescent Island now had over 200,000 people, and compared to the hustle and bustle during the initial construction stage, things seemed much more relaxed.
Tang San quickly located some familiar presences.
Wu Bingji was teaching a group of over a hundred children in an open space. On the blackboard next to him, large characters were written—he was working on basic education. Cheng Zicheng was with him, helping with the teaching.
Tang San didn’t sense the presence of Du Bai or Gu Li, meaning they weren’t on Crescent Island and had gone to other islands.
Zhang Haoxuan, sensing Tang San’s divine consciousness expanding, smiled and said, "The migration has been quite successful. Humanity has endured all kinds of hardships, so we adapt quickly. Plus, we have the support of the sea clans. We’ve already had a harvest, and with the seafood from the ocean, self-sufficiency isn’t a problem. The sea beasts even trade with us for some of the crops. But due to what happened recently, we can’t transport goods for the time being."
"Yes, we'll resume transporting supplies once I return from the Ancestral Court with Mei Gongzi. But from now on, it’ll have to be done in secret as much as possible. We’ll build a hidden port farther from Kali City," Tang San replied.
Zhang Haoxuan sighed softly and said, "Take it slow. We’ve endured countless hardships over the years. Now that we have some hope, it’s best to proceed cautiously."
Tang San understood his master’s feelings and didn’t press further.
"Master, I’ll go greet the sea beasts," Tang San said as he began to rise into the air, heading toward the sea.
His divine consciousness shifted from Crescent Island to the Endless Blue Sea.
Tang San didn’t hold back his divine consciousness, letting it expand unrestrained over the ocean. A golden trident rune appeared on his forehead, and his bloodline aura manifested behind him.
Zhang Haoxuan stood on the shore, staring in shock.
The moment Tang San ascended into the sky and released his aura, it felt to Zhang Haoxuan like a blazing sun had risen beside him. The intense surge of energy seemed to distort the very sky, and even as a god himself, and not a weak one at that, Zhang Haoxuan felt an overwhelming sense of pressure.
Is this the power of a fresh Demon King? No way...
The last time Zhang Haoxuan felt such intense suppression was when the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor and White Tiger Demon Emperor appeared. When the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had used his divine consciousness to pressure the human settlement, he had felt suffocated. And now, he sensed a similar power from Tang San.