Disciple of the Qian Daoliu?
Upon hearing Su Cheng's reply, Bo Saixi felt somewhat displeased for reasons she couldn't quite place.
Without hesitation, she flung the precious token symbolizing his esteemed status with her left hand, sending it flying into the soil several tens of meters away.
Coldly she asked, "Are you threatening me?"
Before the words even settled, a blade of light approached.
Not only that, but her pale left hand, now free, clenched into a fist, gathering golden light in an instant and swung forward.
The next moment, a powerful fist accompanied by a piercing sound tore through the air, rushing towards Su Cheng.
Seeing the formidable blow before him, Su Cheng's expression changed drastically.
Even more terrifying was the sensation that the air around him seemed to solidify.
It felt as though he were deep in the ocean, with immense pressure coming from all sides, making it difficult to maintain balance, let alone move swiftly as usual.
"Can't dodge it, can only face it head-on..."
Su Cheng's expression grew solemn as the soul rings under his feet flickered one after another.
Second soul skill: Splitting Wind and Thunder.
Fifth soul skill: Recasting the Green Edge.
A golden light flashed across the sword's edge, and the previously heavy Eternal Sword suddenly became several times sharper, and its blade exceptionally resilient.
In the next instant, a sword strike descended.
"Boom!"
The sword edge clashed fiercely with the golden fist shadow.
A deafening roar echoed all around.
After the strike, Su Cheng was violently pushed back more than ten meters, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth uncontrollably.
Signs of damage appeared in his internal organs to varying degrees.
Across from him, Bo Saixi raised an eyebrow, slightly surprised, as she retracted her left fist.
On the pale fist, there was a tiny scar over half an inch long.
"Heh, not bad."
A mere newly promoted Soul Emperor managed to injure her, a ninety-nineth level peerless Douluo, in a head-on collision, even though she didn't use her martial soul.
The wound was only a negligible trace of blood.
On the other side, Su Cheng, breathing heavily, didn't have time to recover before standing up with a serious expression.
The opponent's aura changed!
An incomparable sense of power and majesty emanated from her.
Under the vast blue light, a vaguely huge golden humanoid phantom slowly appeared.
In the phantom's hand, there seemed to be a gigantic trident.
At the same time, eight black and one red, nine soul rings were neatly arranged under Bo Saixi's feet, unabashedly emitting terrifying soul power fluctuations.
Noticing the surprise on Su Cheng's face and glancing at the six black and one red, six soul rings under his feet, Bo Saixi's eyes flashed with a hint of strangeness, which disappeared in an instant.
Then, with a sneer, she said, "What, is having a hundred-thousand-year soul ring something impressive?"
She raised her right palm high, then slashed down diagonally like a blade.
Streams of golden light converged in mid-air, forming blades that, accompanied by a tremendous sound of breaking wind, struck head-on.
"I can only break a ring..."
Watching the terrifying strike that almost filled his entire field of vision, Su Cheng's heart sank.
The arm holding the Eternal Sword hung down, seemingly giving up resistance.
"Two soul rings should be enough to escape. Let's try breaking one first, at least to make more noise over here, maybe even save one soul ring."
Outside the first soul ring under his feet, a layer of transparent innate power silently attached itself.
At that moment, he poured innate power into the soul ring.
The opponent's attack stopped.
The imposing golden blade in mid-air hesitated for a moment before silently dispersing.
"..."
Seeing Su Cheng not far away looking bewildered, Bo Saixi's heart grew more complex.
At the critical moment, she didn't want to strike again.
"He hasn't done anything wrong, and judging by his appearance, he's not the kind of person to do such things. I can't just kill an innocent child because of a dream."
Bo Saixi took a deep breath. "That's right, if I do this, I'm actually going against the will of Lord Sea God. But just to be safe..."
She gazed at Su Cheng and said calmly, "Answer a few questions for me, and I won't kill you for now."
Su Cheng's spirits lifted at the words, a hint of joy appearing on his face involuntarily.
If he could avoid breaking a ring, naturally, he would. If it weren't absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to resort to such measures.
After all, once a ring was broken, it meant that one of his soul rings would forever be missing, which would have a significant impact on his future.
As for exploding a ring, it was just a burst of powerful soul power, which was meaningless at his level.
He needs a comprehensive and substantial improvement to have the capital to face this mysterious woman.
Moreover, it seems that the other party doesn't really want to kill him, otherwise there would have been no need to hold back just now.
From the strength shown by the opponent, it's obvious that there's no need to consider anyone's feelings.
Even if she couldn't defeat their Grand Elder, Qian Dao Liu, killing him and leaving without a trace would be untraceable.
As for the aggressive move earlier, Su Cheng didn't think much of it.
Whoever has the stronger fist, their words prevail.
That's how the world works, a truth he had long understood.
However, as Bo Saixi stood across from him, observing his joyful expression, she felt a mix of curiosity and amusement.
The impression she had of her disciple was one of effortless competence, rarely showing such expressions.
Thinking to herself, she maintained her composure, casually asking, "Have you heard of Sea God Island?"
"Sea God Island?" Su Cheng pondered for a moment before shaking his head, "Never heard of it."
Then, he asked tentatively, "Are you from a place called 'Sea God Island'?"
"That's right."
Bo Saixi had been observing his subtle expressions closely, and seeing his genuine demeanor, she relaxed slightly.
Su Cheng, upon hearing her confirmation, suddenly realized.
No wonder he had never heard of such a prominent figure before; she was from overseas.
She was probably a genius like Qian Renxue, but belonged to the same category as a grown-up Qian Renxue.
That's why she had reached such strength at such a young age.
Meanwhile, after speaking, Bo Saixi turned and walked away.
Noticing her movement, Su Cheng felt a sense of relief.
It seemed that she was probably new to the continent, heard about his reputation, came to test him, and had no further plans after that.
In addition to the relaxation, there was also a feeling of loss.
Although she had just made an unrelenting attack, in the end, she stopped without going too far and didn't overly pressure him. She was very honorable in martial arts.
And for some reason, he felt a strange fondness for her.
But Su Cheng wasn't foolish, he couldn't actively try to keep her, and he even wished she would disappear from his sight.
Such a powerful figure, and with uncertain identity, it was too dangerous to interact with.
"Are you coming or not?" Just then, a pleasant female voice came from the side.
"?" Su Cheng looked over in surprise, only to see Bo Saixi standing not far away, waiting patiently.
"I told you to come with me."
"W-why?" Su Cheng forced a smile, feeling bitter.
"You don't need to worry about it, just come along."
As she spoke, Bo Saixi's blue eyes remained fixed on him.
Su Cheng's expression changed immediately.
If he left here, the cost would be more than just a couple of soul rings.
Bo Saixi noticed his intention with a slight movement of her eyes, and a faint smile tugged at her lips.
Calmly, she said, "Don't think that the two peak Douluos from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect can rush over to save you when they hear any disturbance.
"The surroundings have been completely sealed off by me. Even if we fight here for a day, no one will notice.
"So, don't think staying here will serve any purpose."
Su Cheng felt a chill in his heart.
The fact that the other party had such means, and he hadn't noticed it at all.
And she acted so cautiously, did this person really look as young as she appeared?
Or was she actually an old monster who had appeared from nowhere, pretending to be young?
"What? Do you want me to personally come over and invite you?"
As she spoke, her fair right hand slowly clenched.
Su Cheng, seeing this, dared not delay any longer, and quickly stepped forward, asking with a hoarse voice, "Sister, what have I done to offend you?"
"Sister?" Hearing this address, Bo Saixi's body trembled, then she looked at Su Cheng strangely, "... In my dreams."
"D-dreams?"
Su Cheng's face immediately darkened at the words.
Then he sighed.
No matter what the other party said now, he could only accept it begrudgingly.
Lack of strength leaves him with no choice.
"Where do you want me to go with you?"
"Don't ask too much, just come with me."
"My teacher—"
"If you want to use your teacher's name to pressure me again, don't blame me for being merciless."
"..."
As the two walked along the road, Bo Saixi glanced at Su Cheng walking beside her and casually asked, "Your level of strength doesn't seem like something a person your age should have. And your configuration of soul rings is also quite unique. How did you cultivate?"
"Isn't it the same for you? Besides, you just said that a hundred thousand-year soul ring isn't anything special," Su Cheng retorted.
"Am I asking you, or are you asking me?" Bo Saixi's expression darkened.
Seeing this, Su Cheng quickly straightened up and said seriously, "Sister, surely you understand by now, reaching this level of cultivation requires more than just talent. People are different. Soul masters emphasize talent, and those with exceptional talent naturally should surpass their peers in strength."
"Talent..." Bo Saixi frowned and sighed inwardly.
These weren't the words Su Cheng used to say.
At this point, he continued, "However, talent is only part of the reason. To reach where I am today, I have naturally put in a lot of effort.
"Otherwise, how could I have obtained such a combination of soul rings?
"Everyone has constraints, whether it's talent, background, or even the choices faced during cultivation. Each step may determine the future.
"Regardless of one's own conditions, they must find a way to face them."
He looked at Bo Saixi and smiled, "Because I have talent, I don't need to consider these things. I need to consider resources, background, and the risks I may encounter during cultivation.
"As for those without talent, they must find other ways, right? There's always a way."
"What ways?" Bo Saixi glanced at Su Cheng, her eyes seemingly meaningful. "Are there really ways to improve talent?"
Su Cheng was somewhat surprised that she cared about such things. "There might be, who knows? But I don't need to think about those things."
"So, in the end, you're just talking without taking any responsibility," Bo Saixi said coldly, "Because you have the conditions for cultivation that ordinary people don't possess."
Noticing her expression, Su Cheng was momentarily stunned.
He patiently said, after some thought, "That's true, but those who are born superior are few. To change their fate, they naturally need to rely on their own efforts. Blaming heaven and others is useless."
"...Rely on oneself?"
"Of course, rely on oneself." Su Cheng laughed helplessly. "Otherwise, who else would you rely on? Or pray for the mercy of the gods? My first few soul rings were obtained through my own efforts."
At this point, he wore a pensive expression, "But come to think of it, there seem to be actual deities in this world. The statue of the angel god in our Spirit Hall, it seems to be more than just a legend."
Bo Saixi's expression changed slightly at his words, and she asked softly, "So, how do you view the legendary angel god of your Spirit Hall?"
"The angel god?" Su Cheng didn't think much of the question, considering it casual conversation. "Probably just an extremely powerful soul master, who, after surpassing a certain limit, considers themselves a god, looking down on the kneeling masses.
"But even if people kneel, it seems to have no effect.
"The world is still the same. The strong decide everything, the nobles indulge in pleasure, and the commoners without talent can only seek sustenance."
As he spoke, he didn't feel anything wrong with his words.
In fact, even the Spirit Hall itself didn't seem to attach much importance to the existence of the so-called deity.
Even symbolically, this so-called deity didn't have a reputation as loud as the Pope of the Spirit Hall.
Hearing his unreserved words, Bo Saixi, walking beside him, turned her gaze back and fell silent for a moment. "Indeed."
In the midst of their conversation, the two had walked quite a distance to the west.
Both of them were formidable soul masters, and their pace was extremely fast.
In just half a day, they had passed through several cities.
Seeing their location becoming increasingly remote, Su Cheng felt uneasy and couldn't help but ask again, "Where exactly are you taking me?"
"Sea God Island," Bo Saixi said bluntly, no longer hiding her intentions.
"Sea God Island? That's your home?!" Su Cheng stopped in his tracks, astonished. "This place is overseas, isn't it?"
"That's right."
"Why are you taking me there?" He immediately stopped walking, firmly shaking his head in refusal. "I'm not going."
He didn't want to go to a place he had never even heard of before.
The risk was simply too great.
Staying on the mainland, although it would require some sacrifices, would ultimately ensure his safety.
If he foolishly followed her to her lair, he would be at her mercy.
By then, even if he used the secret technique of breaking soul rings and the power of innate energy, he might not be able to escape.