[Master of Demons: @Lin Yu, Young Friend Lin Yu, I am willing to offer all the treasures in my collection, including a piece of deep-sea silver weighing over three tons, a 300,000-year-old Sea Heart Essence, a 200,000-year-old Nine-Colored Jade Coral, and three 100,000-year-old Sea Soul Beast Spirit Bones, in exchange for your Dragon Essence!]
Deep-sea silver, Sea Heart Essence, Nine-Colored Jade Coral... what are these things?
Seeing the message from someone called the Master of Demons, Lin Yu was momentarily stunned.
But they sounded incredibly valuable…
[Qian Daoliu: @Master of Demons, spare me! Who are you? Deep-sea silver is a top-tier metal found deep underwater, refined through immense water pressure—it's a prime material for crafting weapons and extremely difficult to mine.]
[Sea Heart Essence and Jade Coral are top treasures of the ocean, guarded by powerful sea soul beasts and incredibly hard to obtain. And three 100,000-year-old Sea Soul Beast Spirit Bones? Are you trying to exaggerate even more?]
In Wuhun City, after the failed trade attempt, Qian Daoliu saw this so-called Master of Demons boasting about oceanic top treasures that even their Spirit Hall didn't have and dismissed him with a cold sneer.
He couldn't obtain the Dragon Essence, and he certainly wouldn't let anyone else get it either.
Besides, the lies were too obvious!
[Master of Demons: I'm not exaggerating; these are indeed treasures from my collection.]
In response to Qian Daoliu's doubts, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King simply replied with indifference.
[Dai Tianfeng: Let me add my two cents. Deep-sea silver is a metal mined from the depths of the ocean, unreachable by ordinary people. Even for sea soul masters, it's impossible to dive that deep without adequate strength. How did you mine three tons of deep-sea silver?]
Seeing that this Master of Demons claimed to have three tons of deep-sea silver, Dai Tianfeng also sneered, pointing out the discrepancies.
Mining three tons of deep-sea silver is simply beyond human capability!
The Master of Demons' identity was becoming increasingly doubtful due to Qian Daoliu's and Dai Tianfeng's critiques.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King had originally planned to hide its true identity, as dealings with humans were more straightforward compared to those with soul beasts. However, the questioning from Qian Daoliu and Dai Tianfeng made it clear that its identity could no longer remain concealed.
[Master of Demons: When did I say I was human?]
[Qian Daoliu: You're not human?!]
When the Master of Demons revealed that they weren't human, everyone, including Qian Daoliu, Dai Tianfeng, and even Ning Fengzhi and the others who were watching, were shocked.
Although they knew that soul beasts over 100,000 years old were occasionally brought into the live broadcasts, apart from the occasional appearances of the so-called Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, no other soul beasts had spoken in the broadcasts…
Wait a minute! Sky Dream Ice Silkworm… Is that the same as the Sky Dream?
Realizing that the so-called Sky Dream Ice Silkworm might indeed be the same as the Sky Dream, many were struck with immense shock and regret.
Previously, the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's humble demeanor had led many to dismiss its claims.
Legendary soul beasts of a million years had strength comparable to that of gods.
Therefore, many hadn't taken the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm seriously.
But it turned out to be true.
[Master of Demons (calmly): My true form is the Deep Sea Demon Whale. I remember that humans referred to me as—Deep Sea Demon Whale King. If you doubt me, you can visit the Demon Whale Sea to see my treasure trove!]
After revealing that it wasn't human, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King continued to state its true identity calmly.
What, this Master of Demons is the Deep Sea Demon Whale King?!
Upon learning that the Master of Demons was indeed the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, including Qian Daoliu, top figures from numerous factions had their eyes widen in shock.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King, although a sea soul beast, was well-known even on the mainland. It was a fierce beast that had once contended with the Sea God, creating a forbidden zone in the ocean with its formidable strength!
[Qian Daoliu (cold sweat): Ah, I didn't expect it to be the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. I was mistaken earlier. You indeed have the right to accumulate such a treasure trove. However, there's no need for me to visit and see it!]
Although Qian Daoliu was a Rank 99 Title Douluo and his strength was not far behind the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's, going to the ocean to confront a sea soul beast that might be even stronger than him was tantamount to seeking death.
And since he had been demoted two levels in soul power for answering questions incorrectly, now at Rank 97, even with his foundation at Rank 99, it would take him years to recover.
Following Qian Daoliu, Dai Tianfeng also expressed his apologies for the intrusion.
[Master of Demons: @Lin Yu, human, are you willing to trade with me?]
After silencing Qian Daoliu and Dai Tianfeng, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King turned its attention back to Lin Yu and asked.
However, before Lin Yu could respond, another message @-ed him.
[Poseidon (urgent): @Lin Yu, absolutely do not! You must not trade the Dragon Essence to the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. It is the most evil soul beast in the ocean, with cultivation reaching 990,000 years, nearly becoming a dragon. If it obtains your Dragon Essence, it might successfully transform into a million-year soul beast, which would be a disaster for the entire endless ocean and Douluo Continent. You would become a sinner of the world!]
Upon reading Poseidon's warning, Lin Yu frowned slightly, feeling a bit displeased.
Not?
Why are you shouting so loudly? Do I need you to dictate my actions?
Lin Yu had his issues with Poseidon as well.
Firstly, Poseidon passed the divine position to Tang San, who then turned the Douluo Continent into the Tang Family Continent, which was incredibly obnoxious!
Secondly, Lin Yu felt that the gods in the divine realm were not as benevolent as they were portrayed in novels.
The current rule that soul masters must hunt soul beasts for soul rings and to advance was due to the divine realm's gods altering the rules of the Douluo Continent, encouraging mutual slaughter between humans and soul beasts.
This alone demonstrated that the gods were not as indifferent as novels made them out to be. They were actively influencing the continent.
Furthermore, Tang San, who should have died during his battle with Bibi Dong and Chen Xin, was resurrected by the divine realm's gods through various means, clearly showing their interference.
Thus, Lin Yu saw the divine realm's gods as hypocritical, merely putting on a façade of benevolence.
Regarding Poseidon's warnings about the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, Lin Yu found them unconvincing.
In the original story, Poseidon claimed that the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was a vicious beast that wreaked havoc in the ocean but was kept in check by Poseidon. Yet, after Poseidon ascended, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King supposedly remained inactive, leading to doubts about the true nature of its behavior.
Lin Yu believed that Poseidon's actions might have been driven by self-interest, to elevate his status by demonizing the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, a high-ranking soul beast that might have been more of a scapegoat.
Moreover, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had a kind-hearted daughter, Blue Lotus, which further cast doubt on the claim of its inherent evilness.
Given the lack of concrete evidence of evil deeds and only Poseidon's words to rely on, Lin Yu remained skeptical of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's reputation as an evil entity.
Thus, Lin Yu had no intention of trading the Dragon Essence based solely on Poseidon's warnings. He was inclined to seek the truth for himself.
Note: If you are interested you can read up to chapter 80 at patreon.com/MythMosaic.