"Where am I?"
Ye Tian felt dizzy and disoriented.
He patted his head, trying to suppress the nausea, and remembered that while fishing, he had been dragged into the deep sea by an unknown marine creature.
"Don't move, or no one will save you if you fall off," a cold female voice suddenly rang from below.
Startled, Ye Tian looked down and discovered he was riding on the back of a massive white shark—a shark capable of human speech!
Could this be the legendary Devil Spirit Great White Shark clan?
Suppressing his shock, Ye Tian hesitantly called out, "Xiao Bai?"
"How do you know my name?"
The white shark, still speaking in human language, now sounded more curious than cold.
Realizing his guess was right, Ye Tian smiled awkwardly. This must be the king of the Devil Spirit Great White Sharks, Xiao Bai herself.
He couldn't exactly tell her he was a transmigrator, so he replied, "Uh, I guessed it based on your skin color."
"Mm." Xiao Bai, terse as ever, ended the conversation with a single syllable.
Her indifference left Ye Tian reluctant to continue chatting, but he had to understand the situation for his own safety. Swallowing his unease, he spoke gently:
"Why did you bring me here?"
"I don't know," Xiao Bai replied impatiently, though it was clear she was withholding the truth.
Still, Ye Tian had a hunch. The Devil Spirit Great White Shark clan was known as the guardians of Sea God Island, and Xiao Bai, as their leader, wouldn't act without good reason.
Reflecting on his past interactions with sea spirit beasts, Ye Tian couldn't think of anything significant. His only involvement with the sea was forming a fishing team, which hardly seemed enough to warrant this.
"If you don't explain, I'll jump off," Ye Tian threatened, sensing that his identity might give her pause.
"Go ahead," Xiao Bai replied indifferently.
Ye Tian grumbled, "Not worth it. If I get wet, I'll just end up cold."
As he sulked, his thoughts were interrupted by a towering, square-shaped stone pillar in the distance, emitting a radiant blue light symbolizing the ocean.
Ye Tian immediately recognized it—it was the landmark of Sea God Island!
Xiao Bai must have brought him here under orders from someone on the island. But why had he caught their attention? A chill ran through him as he marveled at the omnipotence of gods.
"We're here," Xiao Bai said, rare words from her as they approached the island's shore.
To Ye Tian's shock, she transformed into her human form—a striking figure with gray-and-white hair cascading over her shoulders and emotionless golden eyes.
"I'll take you ashore," she said, lifting Ye Tian like a chick and depositing him on the sandy beach.
"Hey! Is this how you treat a guest?" Ye Tian protested, struggling against her grip.
"You're their guest, not mine," Xiao Bai replied, pointing toward a group of people ahead, including a bespectacled young woman, likely the Sea Witch.
Among the group, a golden-haired man barked, "Kid, are you Ye Tian?"
Before Ye Tian could respond, the Sea Witch smiled and interjected, "Don't scare the handsome young man, Sea Lance. If Xiao Bai brought him, she wouldn't be mistaken."
Turning to Xiao Bai, she said, "Thank you for your efforts."
"Serving under Lord Sea God is my duty," Xiao Bai said humbly, bowing before stepping back.
The Sea Witch adjusted her glasses and smiled at Ye Tian. "You must be wondering what's going on, right?"
Ye Tian nodded, "As you said, I have no idea."
The Sea Witch chuckled, "No wonder the Sea God chose you—such a sweet talker." She extended a hand toward him, beckoning. "Young man, you're in luck. Lord Sea God has selected you to undergo the Sea God's trials."
"If you pass, you might even become a god."
Ye Tian's eyes widened. Wasn't this a bit too forceful? He recalled how Tang San in the original story had gone through countless hardships to reach Sea God Island. Yet here he was, dragged over without so much as a choice.
Seeing his expression, the Sea Witch assumed he was overwhelmed with joy and laughed. "Don't celebrate too soon. The trials are incredibly difficult."
This reassurance oddly comforted Ye Tian. He had no interest in becoming the Sea God, especially since his Patience System aimed to make him surpass even divine kings. The Sea God's inheritance would only hinder him.
In fact, the system forbade him from cultivating. Becoming a soul master would attract the attention of the gods in this world, leading to dire consequences.
Therefore, Ye Tian resolved not to participate in the trials, no matter what.
"Stop dawdling by the shore. We need to meet Lord Bo Saixi," Sea Dragon Douluo said sternly.
The Sea Witch smiled at Ye Tian. "Let's go meet the strongest figure in this world. Don't cry later, alright?"
(End of Chapter)
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