Chapter 36: Finalizing the Script, Replicating the Path of the First Generation Sea God
"If a new Sea God could be cultivated to replace Tang San's position in the ocean, this immense Power Of Faith could naturally be converted, absorbed, and utilized for one's own purposes."
A clear plan took shape in Lei Chen's mind. Next, his gaze swept across the vast expanse of the ocean, searching for the'seed' capable of bearing the authority of the seas and worthy of cultivation.
Within the Sea of Plane Origin, Lei Chen's perception, like an intangible and formless tide, instantly covered the ocean world of Douluo Star, far vaster than its landmasses.
Azure abysses, undulating mountain ranges, blazing volcanic vents, resplendent coral jungles... The pulses and auras of billions of marine lives, like a scattering of stars, were clearly reflected in his mind.
His will swept past these points of light, quickly locking onto several existences with the most majestic energy levels—the current supreme powerhouses of the ocean.
Among them, one energy cluster, profound, obscure, and brimming with resentment, malice, and an aura of destruction, stood out like a beacon in the night. It was entrenched somewhere in the deep sea, its energy intensity even surpassing that of the other ocean powerhouses by an order of magnitude.
"The Demon Empress..." Lei Chen silently uttered this title in his heart.
This Deep Sea Demon Whale who called herself the 'Demon Empress' was precisely the wife of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King slain by Tang San ten thousand years ago.
The pain of losing her husband and her extreme hatred for Tang San and humanity drove her to frantically increase her strength. Her current cultivation was not much weaker than her husband's in his lifetime, making her the true overlord of the present-day seas.
In terms of strength and her grudge against Tang San, she seemed the ideal candidate to usurp the Sea God's faith. However, Lei Chen's perception lingered on her for only a moment before he decisively excluded her.
The reason was simple: this individual had walked herself into a dead end.
Over these past ten thousand years, to rapidly accumulate energy, the Demon Empress had taken the same plundering path as her husband, wantonly devouring other life in the ocean—from weak Sea Soul Beasts to powerful clans, all became her bloody feast.
Such actions had long been notorious across the vast oceans. Wherever she went, she brought only endless fear and hatred.
To expect marine life to abandon their faith in the'Sea God' and instead worship a demoness who might devour them at any moment? That was sheer fantasy.
Therefore, the existence of the Demon Empress not only failed to sever the marine life's faith in Tang San, but was instead constantly creating despair. In a way, it might even have inversely reinforced some marine beings' faith in the'Sea God'—hoping for the Sea God to descend and slay this fiend.
"This Demon Empress... she's certainly holding the villain's script steady." Lei Chen shook his head.
The Demon Empress's actions undoubtedly cut her off from the path of faith.
However, within fortune lies misfortune, and within misfortune lies fortune.
The Demon Empress's 'villainous' conduct, in Lei Chen's eyes, held another ingenious use. It instantly reminded him of the god-ascension path of the First Generation Sea God tens of thousands of years ago.
Back then, it was precisely the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, who wreaked havoc in the seas and devoured all life, that played the perfect 'world-ending villain' role, allowing the First Generation Sea God to appear in the guise of a'savior.'
The First Generation Sea God united the various ocean clans to resist the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, protecting the weak. It was through this prolonged struggle that he gradually won the reverence and allegiance of billions of marine lives, ultimately gathering faith and forging the sea god divine position.
And how strikingly similar history was.
Now, although the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was dead, his wife, the Demon Empress, had perfectly taken over the 'villain's script,' even surpassing her husband in resentment and madness.
"In that case, why not perform the same play according to the old script?" A gleam flashed in Lei Chen's eyes.
"Cultivate a new'Sea God,' raise the banner of justice, oppose the Demon Empress, and save all ocean life. In this process, new faith will naturally converge, gradually replacing the original Sea God faith directed at Tang San."
Even better, if this plan could be successfully implemented, it could also drag in that Sea God Family, which had always revered the First Generation Sea God.
When the time came, with just a little arrangement by Lei Chen, having the Sea God Family step forward to acknowledge this newly risen existence as the inheritor of the First Generation Sea God's will and the true guardian of the seas, its legitimacy could even turn around and suppress Tang San, this 'usurper'!
The mere thought of Tang San, who might still be caught in the Space-Time Turbulence, discovering his faith foundation being undermined and even being denounced as a 'false god' brought a faint, pleased curve to Lei Chen's lips.
Let's do it!
With the plan settled, Lei Chen immediately began screening for the 'protagonist' capable of shouldering this great task.
His perception swept past one powerful Sea Soul Beast clan after another: the tyrannical Devil Tiger Whale pods, the mysterious and profound Devil Ray Clan, the ancient and mighty Deep Sea Krakens...
Finally, his gaze settled on the periphery of the Far North Land, beneath the eternally ice-covered Frozen Sea, on a beautiful and peaceful clan—the Merfolk Clan.
And his attention focused on the Merfolk Clan's ruler, the 'Sea Princess' with a cultivation of six hundred thousand years.
Naturally, Lei Chen had his considerations for choosing the Sea Princess.
The first was strength. Possessing a cultivation of six hundred thousand years, the Sea Princess was very powerful. Although still not a match for that Demon Empress, the gap wasn't vast, giving her the qualification to oppose the Demon Empress.
However, strength wasn't the most important reason Lei Chen chose the Sea Princess. While her six hundred thousand years of cultivation were enough for her to hold her ground in future conflicts, the ocean wasn't without existences stronger than her. What truly made Lei Chen favor her was her 'nature' and 'conduct.'
This Sea Princess's disposition bore a striking resemblance to that of the Jade Swan, Bi Ji, from the Star Dou Great Forest.
She was inherently extremely kind, never actively harming any life. Instead, she tirelessly used her powerful spiritual power and affinity for water elements to heal injured Sea Soul Beasts, mediate disputes between ocean clans, and protect weak creatures.
In the law-of-the-jungle, perilous world of the ocean, the Sea Princess and the Merfolk Clan she led were like a rare 'oasis of benevolence.'
Their very existence already embodied a considerable degree of gratitude and trust. Especially against the backdrop of the Demon Empress's atrocities, this kindness appeared even more precious and had already accumulated a latent, positive embryonic form of faith in some sea regions.
"Kindness is a weakness, but it can also be the strongest weapon to unite hearts," Lei Chen thought to himself. "The core of the First Generation Sea God was 'protection,' not 'conquest.'"
"Having a benevolent ruler like the Sea Princess play the'savior' is far more convincing and resonant to the hearts of all ocean life than choosing a merely powerful overlord."
"Moreover, the Merfolk Clan borders the Far North Land. Perhaps... in the future, there could be some Collaboration with Xue Di's forces from the Extreme North."
Thinking this, Lei Chen hesitated no longer and officially finalized the script.