113: Chapter 113: At your age, you shouldn't compete with those young people!

Poseidon and the Seven Sacred Pillar Douluo stood on the dock, watching the ship get smaller and smaller, eventually turning into a black dot on the horizon before disappearing.

After a long while, Sea Dragon Douluo finally withdrew his gaze and turned to look at Poseidon beside him.

This second strongest person on Sea God Island had a hint of gravity and worry on his face as he couldn't help but ask: "High Priest, you say... in ten years, can they really succeed in hunting the Deep Sea Demon Whale King? That Deep Sea Demon Whale King's strength is, I fear... even above yours?"

The Deep Sea Demon Whale King was a terrifying entity that even Poseidon had openly admitted she had no confidence in dealing with. With nearly a million years of cultivation, it was an invincible hegemon in this endless ocean.

Letting two young people go to challenge it in ten years sounded truly like a fantasy.

Upon hearing this, Poseidon's incredibly beautiful face did not show worry; instead, a strange, somewhat inscrutable smile appeared.

She did not answer directly but instead asked back: "Sea Dragon, what do you think of Lu Jing?"

Sea Dragon Douluo was stunned, not understanding why Poseidon suddenly asked about Lu Jing, but he still thought about it seriously and replied: "Young friend Lu Jing... his talent is peerless, unfathomable. At only eighteen, he is already a Titled Douluo, and his spirit ring configuration is even more shocking—unheard of. His temperament is steady, his actions are decisive; he is certainly not a person who will remain in a pond. In time, his future will be limitless."

"Is it merely 'limitless'?"

Poseidon shook her head, looking into the distance as if she could see the ship that had already departed, and said softly: "Have you ever thought that at his age, you, me, and them..."

Her gaze swept across the other Sacred Pillar Douluo, "What was our Soul Power? Spirit King? Or Spirit Emperor?"

Everyone was silent upon hearing this.

They could become Titled Douluo, so their talent was naturally top-tier, but looking back at when they were eighteen, reaching the Spirit King realm was already stunning and enough to be called a genius.

As for Spirit Emperor?

That was truly rare.

And Lu Jing... is already a Titled Douluo! The gap between them is more than just heaven and earth!

Poseidon continued, her tone carrying a hint of emotion and certainty: "He is not only monstrously talented himself, but he also has the Snow Empress, whose cultivation is nearly seven hundred thousand years, accompanying him, as well as Donger, who has obtained the Seagod Nine Trials and holds the Sea God Trident. With these three together, their potential is infinite. Ten years may not be long for ordinary people, but for beings like them, it is enough for earth-shattering changes to occur. Especially for Lu Jing; in ten years, who can say he won't be able to step into that peerless realm of level ninety-nine in one go?"

Sea Dragon Douluo opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found he had nothing to say.

Yes, ten years might just be the blink of an eye for ordinary people.

But for a monster like Lu Jing, who would dare say he couldn't do it?

Thinking of his terrifying spirit ring configuration and his unfathomable destructive inheritance, it seemed... nothing was impossible.

"What's more..."

Poseidon's voice took on a distant quality as she said softly: "The Deep Sea Demon Whale King is strong, but it is not without weaknesses. Although the ocean is vast, it is not without power that can restrain it. There are some existences that cannot be judged by common sense. What we must do is wait and trust in the Sea God's choice."

After speaking, Poseidon said no more, turned around, and holding her staff, slowly walked towards Sea God Mountain.

The red skirt fluttered in the sea breeze like a burning flame, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.

Sea Dragon Douluo and the other Sacred Pillar Douluo looked at each other, and in the end, could only suppress their full hearts of doubt.

Since the High Priest said so, perhaps... there really is a glimmer of hope?

But looking at the now-empty horizon, thinking of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's terrifying, boundless might, and then thinking of Lu Jing and the other's young faces, Sea Dragon Douluo couldn't help but feel a sense of absurdity and deep powerlessness in his heart.

"Sigh, people really shouldn't be compared, and goods shouldn't be compared either..." he muttered to himself, shook his head, and turned to leave.

Yet in his mind, Lu Jing's unfathomable figure became clearer and clearer.

---

The "hanhai ship" rode the wind and waves, sailing steadily on the vast, boundless ocean.

The sea breeze blew, carrying a fishy, salty scent, brushing against the three people on the deck.

Wang Donger stood by the railing, letting the sea breeze blow her powder-blue long hair and light blue dress.

As the skirt fluttered, it occasionally revealed a pair of straight, slender legs beneath, as if sculpted from mutton-fat jade.

She looked at the blue where the water and sky met in the distance, her eyes somewhat vacant, as if she were thinking about something.

After a long while, she spoke softly, her voice drifting away with the sea breeze:

"When we go back this time, are we going straight back to Spirit Hall, or going to Heaven Dou City first?"

Lu Jing walked to her side, stood shoulder to shoulder with her, also looking into the distance, and upon hearing this, the corner of his mouth hooked into a faint smile: "What is there to go back to in Spirit Hall? The rules there are strict, the hierarchy is clear; going back would only be restrictive and add unnecessary annoyance. As for Heaven Dou City..."

He paused, a strange light flashing in his eyes, his tone carrying a hint of playfulness and certainty: "If I'm not mistaken, there shouldn't be many years left until the next Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament, right? Such a grand event is a rare spectacle on the continent; wouldn't it be a pity to miss it? It's just right to go back and see how the situation on the continent has changed over the past four years, and what level those so-called geniuses have reached."

"Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Elite Tournament?!"

Wang Donger's beautiful eyes lit up instantly upon hearing this, as if they were two of the most brilliant gemstones.

Her stunning face instantly bloomed with dazzling radiance, full of anticipation and excitement, even carrying a hint of eagerness to try, and she said: "That's right! How could I have forgotten this! Calculating the time, it really seems to be approaching! That is the grand event that gathers all the top young Spirit Masters on the continent! It must be very exciting!"

Seeing her excited look, like a little girl about to attend a grand festival, Lu Jing couldn't help but feel amused. He reached out and flicked her smooth forehead gently, teasing: "Why are you so excited? Even if the tournament is exciting, it has nothing to do with you anymore. Have you forgotten that there is an age limit for participation? Participants must be under twenty-five years old, and one can only participate once in their life. You calculate, how old are you now?"

Wang Donger was flicked and cried out "Ouch," subconsciously covering her forehead, then started counting on her fingers: "I am... twenty-four this year..."

She calculated, her face immediately fell, the excitement in her eyes instantly dimmed, replaced by a touch of frustration, and she said: "Three years later... twenty-seven... Ah! I'm over the age limit! I actually can't participate!"

Watching Wang Donger's expression, which instantly fell from the clouds to the bottom of the valley, full of frustration and unwillingness, Lu Jing couldn't help but laugh out loud, continuing to add fuel to the fire: "So, my dear young lady, don't even think about it. Just honestly be an audience member in the stands, watching those young people sweat on the stage. At your age, you 'old auntie,' you shouldn't be competing with those youngsters."

"Old auntie?!"

These three words were like three sharp daggers, precisely piercing into Wang Donger's "sensitive" young girl's heart.