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Tang San responded, "We are indeed land-based soul masters, but we were forced to come to Sea God Island."
"The Spirit Hall destroyed our sect and allied with the Tian Dou Empire to capture us."
"To take revenge, we need to grow stronger. Sea God Island is an excellent place for us to train."
While Sea God Island didn't get along well with land-based soul masters, their hatred was primarily directed at the Spirit Hall's soul masters.
Years ago, when the Spirit Hall invaded Sea God Island, many of the island's soul masters were lost. This event was a stain on the island's honor, and every resident of Sea God Island deeply despised the Spirit Hall.
The leader was still somewhat skeptical of Tang San's words.
However, after hearing that they weren't from the Spirit Hall, their attitude softened considerably.
"Put your concerns aside for now. Have you encountered any incidents of pirates hijacking ships while at sea?" the leader asked.
Tai Long wanted to speak up, but Dai Mubai stopped him.
They hadn't coordinated their story beforehand, so it was decided that Tang San would handle all communication to avoid mistakes and unnecessary trouble.
Tang San thought for a moment and said, "We encountered a cargo ship belonging to the Purple Pearl Pirate Group, but since we only had this small boat, we didn't dare approach them."
He didn't mention ambushing the Purple Pearl Pirate Group.
It wasn't that he feared these people might be allies of the Purple Pearl Pirates—it was because he worried that revealing their strength might alert them, causing them to miss the chance to reach Sea God Island.
What he didn't expect, however, was that his response inadvertently shifted the blame onto the Purple Pearl Pirate Group.
The leader frowned.
During their investigation, they had reviewed the situation in nearby waters, and the Purple Pearl Pirate Group was already on their list of suspects.
The cargo ship Tang San mentioned could have been a vessel transporting goods for the Purple Pearl Pirate Group—or it could have been the ship that stole supplies from Sea God Island and transferred them to another cargo ship to cover their tracks.
With such crucial information, the leader decided to report back immediately.
"Brother, wait a moment?"
Seeing them about to leave, Tang San quickly called out to them.
"You want to go to Sea God Island?" the leader guessed his intention.
The Shrek Five Monsters looked quite miserable.
Judging by how sunburned they were, it seemed they had been adrift at sea for a long time.
In light of the valuable information they provided, the leader assigned two members of his team to stay behind. "I'll report your situation to the city lord. Whether or not you're allowed to enter Sea God Island, someone will be sent to give you a response."
"However, you must remain in this area. Later, we may send someone to confirm the accuracy of your information."
After speaking, the leader departed with the group of sharks beneath the waves.
The two soul masters left behind didn't approach the Shrek Five Monsters' lifeboat but instead stayed within a nautical mile of their ship.
"It seems we won't have to drift aimlessly at sea anymore," Tai Long chuckled, leaning against the railing of the lifeboat.
Tang San discreetly signaled, "Everyone, don't move around. Stay as you are. We need to prepare our explanations in advance to avoid slipping up."
Sea God Island was the most sacred place for all sea-based soul masters, and it certainly wouldn't welcome bloodthirsty individuals.
Though killing the pirates on the ship had been a righteous act, no one had witnessed their good deed. If the people of Sea God Island found out, they might lose the chance to set foot on the island.
"We must stick to the story that after escaping the pursuit of the Purple Pearl Pirate Group, we've been drifting at sea ever since. Thanks to our thorough preparations before setting sail, we managed to survive without starving."
The two soul masters guarding them harbored no suspicions.
Tang San and the others appeared to be the young masters of some wealthy family.
Moreover, many of the navigational aids on their lifeboat hadn't been used.
People struggling so much just to survive at sea couldn't possibly be pirates, right?
---
By evening, a streak of light appeared on the distant horizon.
At first, the Shrek Five Monsters paid no attention to it—until they realized the light was getting closer.
"The strong individual approaching us should be from Sea God Island," Tang San quickly called everyone to stand and greet the arrival.
The person who arrived was none other than the Sea Horse Douluo, dispatched to investigate the situation.
As soon as his figure landed on the ship, the Shrek Five Monsters immediately bowed to him.
The Sea Horse Douluo waved his hand and then asked, "Your earlier statements have already been relayed to me by Nalu. I'd like to ask where you encountered the attack from the Purple Pearl Pirate Group?"
"Also, which ship attacked you?"
Tang San replied, "It was likely near the outer edge of the Demon Whale Region. We rented a ship from Hanhai City to set sail. The captain warned us that the Demon Whale Region was extremely dangerous."
"Later, we encountered a ship flying a distress flag at sea. When our ship approached, they rammed into us and boarded our ship."
Tang San's storytelling skills were impeccable.
The cause and effect of the events were entirely logical, and his description of the pirates' actions felt very authentic.
"Afterward, our battle attracted the attention of sea soul beasts, forcing us five onto a lifeboat, where we drifted at sea for nearly two months."
As expected, the Sea Horse Douluo inquired about their supplies.
Thanks to their prior coordination, Yu Tianheng's responses were flawless.
The Sea Horse Douluo continued to question them about the Purple Pearl Pirate Group.
The information he obtained from Tang San confirmed his suspicion that the Purple Pearl Pirate Group had attacked the supply ship of Sea God Island.
After finishing the important questions, he continued, "How do you know about Sea God Island? And which sect are you from?"
"I am a disciple of the Hao Tian Sect, and these two are disciples of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family. This is Tai Long, a disciple of the Strength Clan and a former affiliated sect of the Hao Tian Sect."
The destruction of the Hao Tian Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family had already spread across the continent. Although Hanhai City was a coastal city with limited contact with inland cities, the news had still reached there.
The city where Sea God Island purchased supplies was Hanhai City, and this information had also been brought back to the island.
"How can you prove it?" the Sea Horse Douluo asked.
Tang San and Yu Tianxin released their respective martial souls.
The Hao Tian Hammer and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon martial souls were among the most iconic martial souls on the continent, and the Sea Horse Douluo naturally recognized them.
Tang San continued, "I learned about Sea God Island from my uncle."
"My uncle is the current sect leader of the Hao Tian Sect and the eldest grandson of Tang Chen, a former Douluo of the Hao Tian Sect."
The Sea Horse Douluo's eyebrows twitched slightly. "So you're Tang Chen's great-grandson?"
Tang San nodded.
The Sea Horse Douluo had heard about the past between Tang Chen and Grand Elder Bo Saixi.
Since Bo Saixi had been searching for traces of Tang Chen, bringing Tang San back to Sea God Island might yield valuable information.
With this in mind, the Sea Horse Douluo instructed the two soul masters guarding the ship to lead the Shrek Five Monsters into Sea God Island.
Before leaving, the Sea Horse Douluo reminded them, "I still have matters to attend to. Once you arrive at Sea Horse City, stay temporarily at the guesthouse. Until I return, don't wander around. Understood?"
"Thank you, Senior."
The Shrek Five Monsters expressed their gratitude repeatedly.
At the same time, they couldn't help but feel relieved. After enduring so much hardship at sea, things were finally looking up.
Tang San pressed further, "Senior, have any other land-based soul masters recently arrived at Sea God Island?"
The Sea Horse Douluo shook his head and transformed into a streak of light, flying off into the distance.
"Could it be that Ning Tianchen and the others haven't gone?" Tang San couldn't help but feel puzzled.
Dai Mubai dismissed it casually, "Isn't it better if they didn't go? Maybe they just went to Hanhai City for tourism, and we over thought it back then."
Yu Tianheng added, "There's no reason for the senior to deceive us. If Ning Tianchen and the others had arrived at Sea God Island, the man we met this morning would have definitely asked if we were their companions."
Tang San stopped thinking about it and steered the small boat, following behind the two Sea God Island soul masters.
---
The Sea Horse Douluo moved quickly.
After confirming the identity of the culprit, he immediately headed to the main base of the Purple Pearl Pirate Group.
Before beginning the investigation, Bo Saixi had explicitly stated that the balance of the sea must not be disrupted.
The scale of the Purple Pearl Pirate Group was already comparable to that of several other long-established pirate groups. If the Purple Pearl Pirate Group were to be destroyed, the other pirate groups would quickly seize their territory and grow stronger.
This would completely disrupt the balance at sea.
That was not something Sea God Island wanted to see.
The Sea Horse Douluo applied immense pressure, demanding that the Purple Pearl Pirate Group hand over the culprits.
However, since the Purple Pearl Pirate Group hadn't committed the act, how could they easily admit to it?
The Sea Horse Douluo believed they were resisting in desperation and immediately executed several pirates on the spot.
Finally, under pressure, the Purple Pearl Pirate Group threw out some random individuals to take the blame and retrieved an equivalent amount of supplies from their warehouse to compensate Sea God Island.
After executing these scapegoats, the Sea Horse Douluo considered his mission complete.
Taking the supplies, he hurried back to Sea God Island to report.
Meanwhile, the Shrek Five Monsters had just arrived at Sea God Island. With the help of the island's soul masters, they were settled into a guesthouse.
However, they didn't have formal status on the island and weren't allowed to wander freely.
Soul masters were stationed outside the guesthouse at all times to keep watch.
Having reached their final destination, Tang San no longer felt a sense of urgency.
He paid no attention to what was happening outside and instead sat in his room, focusing on studying the hidden weapons in his hands.
"Young Master San, we're being held here against our will. Aren't you worried?"
Tai Long looked anxious and rushed to him.
Dai Mubai added, "Moreover, along the way, the soul masters on the island haven't spoken to us at all. We don't even know for sure if this is Sea God Island."
Tang San continued tinkering with his hidden weapon without looking up. "It's normal. We are outsiders after all. Given that Sea God Island has been attacked by the Spirit Hall before, such caution is understandable."
"Everyone, stay calm and patiently wait for the elder to return."
While Tang San could remain calm, the others were restless and uneasy.
---
When the Sea Horse Douluo returned to Sea God Island, of course, his first priority wasn't to attend to them but to head to the Sea God Shrine and report the situation to Bo Saixi.
Bo Saixi didn't care who had attacked the supply ship.
After all, there were no members of Sea God Island on board—it was a ship owned by one of their collaborators. If they died, they could simply find replacements later.
What she cared about was the prestige of Sea God Island.
If they remained passive after the supply ship was attacked, more people would challenge their limits in the future.
Therefore, whether the Sea Horse Douluo killed innocents indiscriminately or found scapegoats, she didn't care.
"By the way, Grand Elder, during this trip, I encountered several land-based soul masters who wish to set foot on the island. One of them claims to be Tang Chen's great-grandson and possesses the Hao Tian Hammer martial soul."
Bo Saixi's eyes twitched slightly, and her heart stirred.
After a long silence, she spoke, "Handle it according to procedure. When the opportunity arises, I will meet him."
The so-called "procedure" naturally involved bringing the Shrek Five Monsters before the Holy Pillars to undergo the trial of the Sea God.
Only those who passed the trial entirely could become members of Sea God Island.
If the Shrek Five Monsters were from the Spirit Hall, the Holy Pillars wouldn't issue them a trial.
Behind the Spirit Hall stood the Angel God. Although the people of the Spirit Hall hadn't undergone the trial of the Angel God, they bore the mark of the Angel God. In the eyes of the Sea God, they couldn't hide.
---
The Sea Horse Douluo didn't fully trust the Shrek Five Monsters. Since they were already in the guesthouse, he didn't rush to welcome them. Instead, he decided to leave them waiting to observe their behavior.
For three consecutive days, Dai Mubai grew increasingly agitated.
"They won't let us out, nor tell us when that elder will return. Keeping us locked up here—what kind of nonsense is this?"
"If this is how it's going to be, we might as well have drifted at sea for a few more days."
Yu Tianheng couldn't bear it any longer. He opened the door and tried to talk to the person outside.
But the result was that the person not only ignored him but also shoved him back into the room and closed the door.
"This is so frustrating. If we had known Sea God Island treated guests like this, we shouldn't have come."
Tang San put down his hidden weapon and looked at the four of them with a bitter smile. "Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it."
"Without the opportunities on Sea God Island, our strength will never undergo a transformation. Have you forgotten? My mother, the Hao Tian Sect, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family—all perished at the hands of the Spirit Hall."
"The only way for us to seek revenge against the Spirit Hall is to grow stronger. If we leave Sea God Island now, what right will we have to speak of revenge when we return?"
Their conversation reached the ears of the Sea Horse Douluo.
After confirming that the Shrek Five Monsters weren't from the Spirit Hall, early the next morning, the Sea Horse Douluo came to the guest house.
At the sight of him, Dai Mubai and the others felt as though they had been granted amnesty and eagerly asked about the situation on Sea God Island.
The Sea Horse Douluo smiled and said, "To become a member of Sea God Island, you must undergo the trial of the Sea God."
"Trial?" the Shrek Five Monsters were puzzled.
The Sea Horse Douluo turned and walked out of the guesthouse. "Follow me, and you'll soon learn the details of the trial."
On the way to the Holy Pillars, the Sea Horse Douluo introduced himself to the Shrek Five Monsters and provided some information about Sea God Island.
As for the trial itself, the Sea Horse Douluo stated, "Sea God Island doesn't welcome land-based soul masters. Therefore, the trial you receive will either be extremely unfavorable or excessively difficult, with significant risks involved."
"Think carefully before making your decision. Even sea-based soul masters face the risk of death during the trial."
"If you're afraid, I can arrange for someone to escort you off the island immediately."
Tang San's gaze was resolute as he declared, "We accept all trials from the Sea God. We are ready!"
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