The scorching sun hung high in the sky, the clear sky stretching endlessly over the boundless azure waves.
A small boat sailed smoothly across the sea, unaffected by the ocean winds.
Amidst this vast panorama, the petite and stunning figure on the deck of the boat captured all the attention.
This person was none other than Bibi Dong, who had set out to sea to find Su Cheng.
Bibi Dong had officially taken over the position of Pope of the Spirit Hall for over five years now.
During these five years, her fame had spread far and wide.
In her thirties, she was at the pinnacle of a Titled Douluo, with a soul power level reaching ninety-eight.
With the Qian Dao Liu secluded in the Elder Hall and the disappearance of Haotian Douluo Tang Chen for many years, there was no one in the entire Douluo Continent who could rival her.
This unrivaled dominance, without the need to suppress her strength, had shaped her current demeanor, vastly different from reality.
Despite her seemingly calm appearance, Bibi Dong's heart was anything but tranquil.
For five years, she had been eagerly awaiting this day.
Thus, even though her status and strength had long since reached the peak of the world, she never dared to relax.
While diligently cultivating her innate techniques, she also dispatched numerous experts from the Spirit Hall to gather information on the whereabouts of hundred-thousand-year soul beasts based on the clues left by Su Cheng.
Finally, this year, she completed the cultivation of her second martial soul, reaching the ninety-eighth level.
With a powerful physical foundation, the configuration of a hundred-thousand-year second martial soul, and an impeccable spiritual will, there was no self-suppression formed by the Rakshasa God's Trial.
Although her cultivation level was slightly inferior now, she was confident that her strength was no weaker than that of the Spirit Hall's Supreme Elder, who was at the ninety-ninth level.
"Bright Church …" Bibi Dong muttered to herself, holding a thin book in her hands, which contained the teachings of the Bright Church that had been widely circulated at sea in recent years.
With a slight squint of her fair and lovely eyes, a pensive expression appeared on her face.
When they parted years ago, Su Cheng had promised her that when she completed the cultivation of her second martial soul and came to the sea, she would only need to follow the core members of the "Bright Church" to find him.
With Bibi Dong's strength, this was an easy task.
After arriving at a port city to the west of the Tian Dou Empire, she also inquired about the "Bright Church".
In the major port cities on the continent, there were many sea soul masters who traded goods with land soul masters.
Naturally, there were many members of the Bright Church among them, making it easy to gather information.
"Cheng Xue, what exactly do you want to do?" Bibi Dong murmured to herself, recalling the sights of recent days.
Combining the information provided by the sea soul masters, she easily learned that the founder of the Bright Church, known as the "God's Envoy" by the people, was none other than Su Cheng himself.
Once this was confirmed, she was naturally surprised.
The current Bright Cult, in terms of influence on the sea and the overall strength gathered from the middle and lower levels, was even stronger than the Spirit Hall.
You have to understand that when Su Cheng left the sea, he was only eighteen years old, and he had not returned to the sea for more than ten years after spending more than ten years on the mainland.
What does this mean?
This means that Su Cheng started to establish this organization at a very young age and expanded it to surpass the Spirit Hall in all aspects except for high-end combat power in less than twenty years.
But that wasn't the most critical issue; the most critical issue was the Bright Church doctrine.
Bibi Dong could see the problem at a glance.
While others might not know, she knew very well that Su Cheng didn't believe in the so-called Sea God at all.
He even personally erased a Sea God's remnant divine sense left on the Douluo Continent several years ago.
The implications of this were simply chilling.
Even with her current status and strength, she never dared to provoke the gods.
The weaker one is, the more arrogant due to ignorance.
At her current level, she could better appreciate how difficult it was to advance and how exaggerated the increase in strength could be with each step forward.
She also didn't believe that Su Cheng was a reckless person.
If that's the case, what was his purpose in doing this?
Even from a young age, he began planning and laying out strategies for decades.
"Forget it, I'll just ask him face to face..."
Thinking of this, Bibi Dong's face showed genuine joy.
Compared to the faint worry in her heart, the excitement and anticipation had already filled her chest.
She still vividly remembered the promise Su Cheng made to her when they parted years ago about their future.
Perhaps when this matter was over, their relationship could also move forward.
Having such thoughts wasn't just because of the promise they once made.
Power brings confidence, and authority breeds ambition.
She was confident that the future Spirit Hall would flourish under her leadership.
And upon learning of the existence of deities, she believed that with their talents, they would surely be able to ascend to the position of gods in the future.
"Su Cheng, something seems off with the Seven Holy Pillars recently." On a distant island shore nearly a thousand miles from the Sea God Island, Luo Leilei's fishtail lightly slapped the sea surface as she spoke with a solemn tone.
"What seems to be the problem?" Su Cheng asked calmly.
"I can't quite put my finger on it." The mermaid girl shook her head with a worried expression. "You know, we descendants of the Sea Witch tribe are different from the other Pillar Douluos, our connection with the Seven Holy Pillars is more intimate."
She spoke slowly, seemingly weighing her words carefully. "I feel like the Pillars are... ailing."
"ailing?" Su Cheng echoed.
"It's just a way of describing it, it's hard for me to explain." Luo Leilei scratched her head with a hint of frustration, her fishtail swaying faster. "There's a sense of weakness, do you understand what I mean? But when I asked the other Pillar Douluos, they didn't feel anything, and the Pillars' operations were normal."
"I see. Don't worry, I'll find time to go take a look, or you can ask my teacher." Su Cheng replied casually.
Then he turned his head to look towards the distant sea, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes as he took out a mask and put it on his face. "You can go back now, I have a guest coming."
"Guest?" Luo Leilei was puzzled for a moment, then she noticed his actions and couldn't help but feel strange. "Why are you wearing that? And why do you need it?"
"I can't let that person see my face. By the way, in the future, if you come to find me again, just call me 'God's Envoy' directly, don't call me by my name."
"Okay." Luo Leilei nodded.
At this moment, she also vaguely felt a powerful aura appearing in her senses.
Without further questions, she quickly swam away from the island shore.
Not long after Luo Leilei left, Su Cheng saw a boat cutting through the waves, heading straight towards his location.
At first glance, it was just a small dot on the horizon, but within a dozen breaths, it had already reached not far ahead.
The boat was not large, capable of accommodating only a dozen people compared to a normal passenger ship.
At the next moment, a delicate figure leaped from the deck, landing on the shore.
Bibi Dong beckoned with her hand, and the small boat used for transportation turned into a one-foot-long model and flew into her hand, stored in her storage soul device.
This seemingly inconspicuous small boat was actually a very rare transportation soul device.
However, at this moment, the two people on the shore did not pay attention to these minor details, just looking at each other.
Seeing the person in front of her, Bibi Dong couldn't help but take a deep breath, her chest heaving violently, making it difficult for her to speak for a while.
In contrast, Su Cheng appeared much calmer, walking up to her and nodding with a smile, softly saying, "Long time no see."
As Bibi Dong heard this, her emotions gradually calmed down, a brighter smile spreading across her face.
"Long time no see."
Half a day later, Su Cheng and Bibi Dong strolled leisurely on an island bustling with numerous members of the Ming Cult.
Watching the busy seafarers, Bibi Dong sighed softly, "People living on the sea are really different from the folks on land."
Though she hadn't been here long, with her discerning eyes, she could still discern many differences.
But compared to the ordinary sea folk, Su Cheng's demeanor and actions were quite different.
"The Bright Church you've established..." Bibi Dong said, taking out the book from before, appearing hesitant.
"You've figured it out?" Su Cheng chuckled lightly, not surprised by her reaction.
Bibi Dong wasn't foolish; given recent events, it was normal for her to speculate.
He hadn't intended to conceal anything from her anyway.
When the final battle came, he would need Bibi Dong's help.
"What do you think of my Bright Church?" Su Cheng turned his head, looking at the residents of the island.
"It's incredible," Bibi Dong sighed, "It's hard to imagine how you've accomplished this."
"What do you mean by 'accomplished'?"
"In such a short time, you've gathered such a massive force."
"It's all about the timing," Su Cheng said slowly, "The common people in this world have been oppressed for too long. The sea is harsher than the land; ordinary people face more storms and disasters just to survive. So when I gave them a chance, these people naturally burst forth with unimaginable willpower and energy."
He turned back to look at Bibi Dong, his gaze deep and profound. "The gods are aloof, unable to understand the suffering of mortals. All they care about is faith, ignoring the lives of ordinary people. Since that's the case, I'll change it all and give them a chance to determine their own destiny."
"..." Bibi Dong stared at Su Cheng in astonishment.
At this moment, a hand extended towards her, "As the Pope of the mainland's Spirit Hall, would you be willing to help me?"
Su Cheng didn't mention their previous agreement; he simply asked if she was willing to help him.
"Your business is my business," hearing this, Bibi Dong's surprised gaze softened into a smile.
She placed her hand on Su Cheng's, gripping it tightly. "What do you need me to do?"
Su Cheng raised his other arm, pointing towards the direction of Sea God Island in the distance, calmly saying, "Level Sea God Mountain and destroy the Sea God Temple."
Bibi Dong's eyes widened slightly at his words, a faint tingling sensation shooting up her spine.
Her body trembled involuntarily, unable to discern if she was excited or afraid.
"Destroy the Sea God Temple?"
"Yes."
Su Cheng turned to look at Bibi Dong, "When the time comes, you just need to keep my teacher occupied. I'll take care of the rest."
"Your teacher, the High Priest of Sea God Island?"
Bibi Dong now also knew about Bo Saixi's existence.
She knew about this level of Supreme Douluo, just like Tang Chen, who had a level of ninety-nine.
Now on the sea, the opponent's combat power was likely much stronger.
But despite this, she wasn't afraid, and she was even a bit excited.
Since she debuted, she had never faced such top-tier opponents.
"But, isn't she your teacher?" Bibi Dong hesitated, a hint of doubt appearing on her face.
"Rest assured, you just need to focus on the fight when the time comes," Su Cheng smiled, "My teacher is much stronger than you imagine. You just need to avoid losing too quickly."
He genuinely wasn't worried about Bo Saixi's safety.
Over the past five years, he had observed Bo Saixi's changes closely. He didn't know about Tang Chen's situation, but in terms of strength, Bo Saixi had definitely surpassed Qian Dao Liu.
The change in mindset had deepened her understanding, strengthened her will, and her control over power had long surpassed her past self.
"But, are you not afraid that doing this will make your teacher resent you?" After hesitating for a moment, Bibi Dong finally asked the question in her mind.
She could sense that Su Cheng had deep feelings for Bo Saixi, just like her feelings for Qian Xun Ji back then.
However, unlike Qian Xun Ji, Bo Saixi had never done anything to betray Su Cheng.
Even as her disciple, when Su Cheng refused the Sea God's trial and chose to leave Sea God Island for the mainland, Bo Saixi didn't try to stop him.
"..." Su Cheng fell silent at her question.
What he was about to do wouldn't harm Bo Saixi in any way, and it might even benefit her greatly.
But that wasn't an excuse.
He couldn't comfort himself with that, saying that everything he did was for Bo Saixi's good.
Even if everything he did was truly to help Bo Saixi escape fate and break free from the shackles of the Sea God, it would still be wrong.
Bo Saixi wasn't a child.
She was an adult with her own convictions and beliefs, with her own goals and pursuits.
Her entire first half of life had been dedicated to Sea God Island, viewing her mission as the greatest honor. How could she easily deny and abandon it?
"I'm afraid," Su Cheng sighed deeply after a long time, calmly saying, "But this is my choice, I am a selfish person after all..."
Though the conflict in his eyes lasted only a moment, Bibi Dong, who had been watching him all along, accurately captured it.
Feeling a softening in her heart, she couldn't help but regret asking the question just now.
Involuntarily, she grasped Su Cheng's hand firmly, saying firmly, "You still have me. Whatever you want to do, I'll be with you."
Su Cheng glanced at the hand she held, but didn't say anything more.
In his heart, he shook his head silently, fearing that Bibi Dong's situation might not be much better than Bo Saixi's when the time came.
"I just need to keep your teacher occupied? Can you handle everything on Sea God Island by yourself?" Bibi Dong didn't let go of his hand, her face slightly flushed. She pretended to change the subject.
"Don't worry, I grew up on Sea God Island, I know everything there," Su Cheng said calmly, "I know what to do. As long as my teacher isn't there, the other Supreme Douluos won't pose any threat to me."
He turned back to look at the members of the Bright Church on the island, "Besides, I'm not alone."
...
If you want to support me and gain access to an additional chapters, you can visit: [patreon.com/Firesight323]
(http://patreon.com/Firesight323)