Yang Xiong looked at the family of three and, after careful thought, finally spoke.
"Deep Sea Demon Whale King, do you love your wife wholeheartedly, without a trace of hesitation?"
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King replied: "Of course. My wife and daughter are everything to me. I'm willing to give my all for them."
"I know humans have always coveted the soul rings and bones of soul beasts. Even the Sea God wasn't as kind as he seemed on the surface. That's why, for all these years, I've kept my wife and daughter hidden deep in the ocean, never letting them venture out to hunt, just to ensure their safety."
Yang Xiong nodded and took out the Yearning Heartbroken Red from his body.
"This is Yearning Heartbroken Red, a divine treasure of the world. It has the power to bring the dead back to life and even help you break through your limits."
"However, this Yearning Heartbroken Red can only be picked by someone who thinks of their beloved with utmost sincerity. If you are truly sincere and devoted, dripping a drop of your heart's blood onto its petals will cause it to detach from the Black Stone. If you harbor any doubts or wavering thoughts, even if you cough up blood until death, you won't be able to pluck the flower. Are you willing to give it a try?"
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King looked puzzled: "If I consume your immortal herb, aren't you afraid that I'll turn against you once I ascend to godhood?"
Yang Xiong shook his head: "Deep Sea Demon Whale King, even if you achieve godhood, you still lack a divine position and won't be recognized by the God Realm. At that time, your entire family might be eradicated by the gods."
"Moreover, in the world of Douluo, if you lack a divine position, you'll be rejected by this world, and the rules of this world will likely strike you down."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King gazed thoughtfully at the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
His wife quickly interjected: "Esteemed sir, please don't kill my husband. I am willing to offer myself to you—even if it means death, I have no complaints."
Yang Xiong sighed helplessly: "Madam, your husband and I are merely cooperating. I know the Deep Sea Demon Whale race is gentle by nature, and I have no intention of being your enemy. In the future, I will find a way to resurrect the Deep Sea Demon Whale King."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King roared loudly: "Wife, leave this matter to me. Since I've lost, I will honor my promise. Our family will be together forever in the future."
As the Deep Sea Demon Whale King finished speaking, he used his soul power to lift the Yearning Heartbroken Red from Yang Xiong's hand and slowly brought it before his massive body.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King looked at his wife beside him, his eyes filled with infinite tenderness.
Then, a drop of essence blood sprayed from the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's mouth, landing directly on the Yearning Heartbroken Red. The flower, which had been floating in the air, began to shake rapidly, and the Black Stone at its roots shattered into fragments.
Yang Xiong had only intended to test the waters, but he hadn't expected the Deep Sea Demon Whale King to succeed.
At this moment, Yang Xiong couldn't help but shake his head. According to the original work, the Yearning Heartbroken Red was originally picked by Xiao Wu, and now it had been plucked by the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
The commonality between the two was that they were both top-tier soul beasts who were utterly devoted to their partners. Perhaps, compared to humans, soul beasts were even more loyal to their mates.
It seemed the Deep Sea Demon Whale King truly loved his wife deeply. It was no wonder that his wife, to avenge him, would later become the Demon Empress and even dare to defy the gods.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King gazed at his wife and daughter with some reluctance but showed no hesitation. He swallowed the Yearning Heartbroken Red in one gulp.
As the Yearning Heartbroken Red entered the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's body, in that instant, his originally sapphire-blue form emitted an endless red glow, dyeing the entire sky blood-red.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's aura surged rapidly, as if breaking through some ultimate limit. The sky was filled with lightning, as though heaven and earth were about to split apart.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King's body, which had exceeded two hundred meters, began to change rapidly. His once-massive form started to slim down, and his enormous whale tail gradually disappeared, transforming into a dragon's tail. The large fins on his body also changed, turning into four massive claws.
At this moment, heaven and earth seemed to begin collapsing. The originally azure lightning gradually turned crimson, as if the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was being rejected by the very fabric of existence.
In that instant, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's aura transformed. His soul power seemed to have completely converted into divine power, appearing overwhelmingly vast and radiant.
The entire ocean roared in that moment, as if welcoming the birth of a new deity.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King let out a thunderous roar—or rather, a mighty dragon's cry. The entire ocean trembled at that instant.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King had finally completed the final step: transforming into a dragon. This was the culmination of nearly a million years of pursuit.
But the crimson lightning in the sky grew increasingly dense, as if ready to strike down this violator of the world's rules at any moment.
Even Yang Xiong found the crimson lightning terrifying—it was something no mortal could withstand.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King let out another dragon's cry: "Yang Xiong, my time is running out. Are you ready?"
Yang Xiong gazed at the crimson lightning in the sky, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Wait a moment. I want to test the intensity of this lightning. I want to see if the rules of this world can truly not be broken."
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King burst into wild laughter: "Hahaha! You're a madman—I like your character. Let me accompany you on this journey."
Yang Xiong flew swiftly into the air on his sword, charging directly into the crimson lightning.
The crimson lightning seemed disturbed and disdainful of Yang Xiong's intrusion. Countless bolts of lightning struck his body instantly.
Yang Xiong felt an endless surge of power from the crimson lightning. Even with all his enhancement-type soul skills activated, they seemed to shatter in that instant.
His body felt as though it would turn to ash at any moment—this was the power of heavenly tribulation, the strongest force in the world.
But Yang Xiong had something to rely on. The crimson lightning struck his soul bone armor, threatening to shatter all his soul bones, as if bearing the weight of divine power.
At the critical moment, the skill of the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor head soul bone activated. A deep azure light filled his entire body, and his spiritual power became unceasing and indestructible.
Simultaneously, the hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Emperor right leg bone emitted waves of light, rapidly healing his body and showcasing an indomitable vitality.
Yang Xiong also used his sixth soul skill: Immortal Body.
No matter how intense or painful the crimson lightning was, his body was destroyed and restored countless times in an instant.
The Asura Demon Sword had now fused entirely with Yang Xiong. Under the bombardment of the crimson lightning, it exuded an incomparably terrifying killing intent.
The Asura Demon Sword was, after all, a Super Divine artifact that transcended the rules of this world. With the sword in hand, Yang Xiong struggled desperately amidst the endless crimson lightning, enduring each strike as if facing the oppression of heaven and earth.
Even with Yang Xiong's formidable strength, within mere seconds, his soul power was completely depleted, leaving only his robust physique to support him. There wasn't a single intact spot on his body; all his bones seemed shattered, and every drop of blood appeared to have been reduced to ash by the crimson lightning.
At this final moment, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King let out another dragon's cry:
"You madman, you've reached your limit. Now it's my turn!"
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King gazed at the crimson lightning filling the sky, his eyes filled with excitement and defiance toward heaven and earth.
"I've cultivated for a million years, striving to become a god. But because of these accursed rules, because of the rejection of heaven and earth, I've never been able to ascend."
"Today, I have become a god. No matter what, I am the most glorious existence on the seas, the true Sea God!"
With that, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King transformed into a giant dragon and flew straight toward Yang Xiong, wrapping himself tightly around him.
At this moment, a crimson light shot out from the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's body. Even the crimson lightning couldn't stop this light, and time and space seemed to freeze completely in that instant.
This was the act of sacrifice—the only choice left for the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. If he didn't sacrifice himself, the crimson lightning would eventually strike him, and he would be eradicated by the rules of this world.
Even so, his defiance echoed across the entire ocean, as if lamenting his million years of cultivation, yet being unable to ascend due to being a soul beast.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the sky gradually returned to calm, and the crimson lightning vanished without a trace. The Deep Sea Demon Whale King no longer had any breath left, his massive body floating lifelessly on the ocean's surface.
This body was no longer that of a whale but a dragon—a newly formed dragon that had been abruptly extinguished.
At this moment, Yang Xiong's soul power surged rapidly. His previously shattered body recovered at an astonishing speed, and even the exploded soul rings were fully restored.
Yang Xiong's entire body was now golden, covered in dense magical patterns, and radiating a crimson glow. In this light, no one could look directly at him.
Upon closer inspection, Yang Xiong's martial soul had undergone another transformation, resembling the Asura God he had once encountered.
His soul rings had also changed, becoming five black, three red, and one blue-gold ring. Especially the final blue-gold soul ring, which seemed to possess an infinite aura of intimidation toward anyone.
When Yang Xiong opened his eyes again, he felt an overwhelming surge of power. In that instant, he no longer felt like a mortal or an ordinary soul master—he existed like a god.
This was the first million-year soul ring to appear in the Douluo Continent in nearly ten thousand years, and it was also the strongest soul ring in the world.
The boost from the million-year soul ring was immense for Yang Xiong, especially in terms of physical prowess, which seemed to have broken through its limits once again, reaching an unprecedented level of strength.
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)