A purple-black thunderball hung in the sky like a pitch-black sun, radiating an aura of utter destruction that chilled the soul.
Occasionally, bolts of lightning would arc outward, easily tearing tiny cracks into the surrounding space.
Looking down at her husband, who lay dying before her, and then up at the thunder sun brimming with destructive power overhead, the Demon Soul Great White Shark King, Xiao Bai, could not help but reveal a look of despair in her eyes.
She then glanced wistfully in the direction Bai Xiuxiu had fled, a fleeting sense of relief passing through her gaze.
She was thankful—thankful that today, she had let Bai Xiuxiu go, instead of capturing her as she usually would.
Finally, she looked at the few surviving members of her clan around her, knowing in her heart that today, disaster would likely wipe out the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan.
As for the Sea God—at such a critical moment, she had already called upon the Sea God's avatar, but the Sea God Tang San, far away in the Divine Realm, had still shown no response. That fact alone said it all.
The avatar of the Sea God had been summoned; as the true Sea God, it was impossible for him not to sense it.
Yet now, the sea giant formed by the Sea God's divine power stood motionless, its divinity gradually dissipating. This was proof that the Sea God was not paying attention to them.
Either the Sea God was preoccupied with other matters and unable to intervene, or he had abandoned the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan.
Xiao Bai did not know which was the case, but either way, her clan was doomed to face this calamity.
"Dying beneath this power is your honor. Be destroyed—Thunderfall!" As the Demon Empress's crazed voice echoed across the heavens, she swung her arm down decisively.
In an instant, the colossal thunder sun plummeted toward the Demon Shark Sea at supersonic speed, crashing onto the ocean's surface.
Thunder and lightning raged everywhere; countless tons of seawater were instantly vaporized under the intense heat, transforming into rolling, white steam.
The terrifying explosion triggered a massive tsunami. Waves hundreds of meters tall surged outward in all directions, overwhelming everything in their path.
The butterfly effect of this tsunami was so great that even coastal cities of the Sun-Moon Empire and Haiyuan City, thousands of kilometers away, were struck by minor tidal waves.
In Haiyuan City, Lu Jingming stood quietly atop the Sea Cliff Villa, gazing into the churning sea.
His expression was silent as he watched the never-ending waves.
As the Sixth Throne of the World Serpent, he was fully aware whenever a new member joined the World Serpent.
Though surprised that Möbius had found the Demon Empress and succeeded in inviting her to join, he also understood the Demon Empress's vindictive nature. Having gained power, she would seek revenge on her old enemies at the first opportunity.
And her closest, most vulnerable target was undoubtedly the Sea God's mount—the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan.
In the original work, after being swept into the Divine Realm by chaotic space-time, the Demon Empress had emerged and wiped out the Great White Sharks. Her urge for revenge was clear.
Now, as a member of the World Serpent, information could be shared.
The Demon Empress learned at once that Sea God Tang San was currently unavailable, and naturally wouldn't let this once-in-a-lifetime chance slip by. She struck directly at the Great White Shark clan's territory.
Of course, Lu Jingming himself was indifferent to all this.
He had no dealings with the Great White Sharks, and the Demon Empress's revenge was understandable. Even their extermination didn't matter to him.
After all, unless you've suffered another's pain, don't tell them how to act.
He wouldn't stop the Demon Empress's revenge; so long as she didn't betray the World Serpent and followed orders, he wouldn't interfere.
Just like when Tang San destroyed the Spirit Hall and slaughtered the Man-faced Demon Spider clan, it was all for revenge. Who could say what was right or wrong?
Ultimately, the world isn't simply black or white. Most things exist in the gray between.
Often, it's only differing perspectives that make things appear so different.
As the saying goes, "where you sit determines how you think." Your standpoint decides your viewpoint.
So, Lu Jingming did not find it wrong that Möbius chose the Demon Empress.
After all, she was indeed a most suitable candidate.
After ten thousand years, even under the suppression of the world's laws, she managed to become a level-100 true god without a god position. That alone proved her talent.
Moreover, the Demon Empress's extermination of the Great White Sharks dealt a heavy blow to the Sea God's worship.
As the Sea God's mount, the Great White Sharks being exterminated would surely shake his foundation in the oceans.
Upon reflection, Lu Jingming had no deep grudge against Tang San; they'd never even met.
He didn't look down on Tang San's character—he himself was no saint.
The real reason he'd always regarded Tang San warily and opposed him was simple: it was a matter of stance, a clash of paths.
Tang San wanted to control Douluo Continent and then the Divine Realm, trying to plan everything within his grasp.
Lu Jingming was no different; to ensure his own safety, he would never give up the initiative to others. He had to maintain control.
Thus, he and Tang San were destined never to coexist peacefully.
Even having never met, Lu Jingming was certain—they were incompatible. Only one of them could prevail.
Naturally, he didn't want to be the loser. He had to strike at Tang San from every angle, until he was utterly defeated.
This was the so-called enmity of the path—not about right or wrong, but inevitable conflict in the pursuit of their respective roads.
This is the struggle for the Dao. The Great Dao is unique; only one can reach the summit.
He wanted to rise from the Douluo Continent, but Tang San and the Divine Realm were obstacles in his way.
And when it came to obstacles, Lu Jingming never showed mercy.
…
Back in the Demon Shark Sea, all signs of the once-thriving clan were gone. Now, only the charred corpses of the Great White Sharks remained.
As the king, Xiao Bai had been at the very center of the attack and took the brunt of it—so much so that not even her corpse remained.
The once majestic Sea God Temple at the ocean's depths had been leveled in the brutal battle.
In the center of the vast sea, a gigantic abyss now gaped, at least several thousand meters deep.
The Demon Soul Great White Shark clan was annihilated, and even the Demon Empress herself was severely injured.
She did not linger long in these dead waters, but dragged her wounded body away from the lifeless Demon Shark Sea.
No one knew how much time passed before a silver-white streak, like an arrow, shot straight into the Demon Shark Sea—the returning princess, Bai Xiuxiu.
When she saw the devastated sea strewn with the corpses of her kin, she stood frozen, as if time itself had stopped.
"Daddy, Mommy!" Her panicked, terrified cry echoed across the surface.
She began to swim madly in all directions, desperate to find her parents—even the enormous, dangerous abyss could not deter her.
But fate showed her no mercy.
In the end, it was only through the unique bond of blood that she sensed and found a faintly glowing shark pearl hidden among coral.
Through this special connection, Bai Xiuxiu instantly understood: this was her mother's—the Great White Shark King Xiao Bai's—shark pearl.
To the Demon Soul Great White Sharks, the shark pearl was as vital as a human Title Douluo's soul core, containing the king's lifetime cultivation.
The moment Bai Xiuxiu found it, the pearl flared with light, and a broken message rushed into her mind.
"Xiu Xiu, leave… she came for revenge… Deep Sea Demon Whale!" The message was fragmented, but enough for Bai Xiuxiu to understand everything.
She sobbed, overwhelmed by grief, knowing her parents and all her kin were gone—she alone was left of her clan.
She also learned that the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had returned for revenge, and her mother's dying wish was for her to stay away from the sea—otherwise, she'd meet certain death if she encountered the Demon Whale King.
Now, Bai Xiuxiu was completely lost, with no idea where to go.
Without her family's protection, without her clan's support, she was just a Demon Soul Great White Shark of less than 100,000 years' cultivation—even a mutant, but with little fighting power.
How could she possibly survive in this brutal sea?
Her heart was full of vengeance, longing to avenge her parents and people, but she had no idea where to start.
With her current strength, how could she possibly avenge herself against the terrifying Deep Sea Demon Whale King?
Just as Bai Xiuxiu was sinking into despair and confusion, a red mark suddenly appeared on her body. Instantly, an influx of information entered her mind.
Holy Grail War, Chosen Master, Master, Servant, Sea God's position!
A torrent of strange and complex information flooded her mind. Coupled with the grief of losing her family and clan, Bai Xiuxiu felt the world spinning and promptly fainted.
Even though she was unconscious, as she had been chosen by the Holy Grail to become a Master, the Holy Grail War proceeded methodically.
Since she did not resist, the Holy Grail automatically considered her willing to participate, and directly began the summoning ritual.