The Sea God Temple stood bathed in morning light, the sacred waters around it glowing with an unearthly hue. Today was unlike any other in the long, hallowed history of Sea God Island. The breeze was still, the waves calmed as though the ocean itself held its breath. For the first time in decades, the temple doors—carved with ancient sigils and sealed by divine order—were opened for a single child.
Hai Shenling.
Clad in ceremonial blue silk, with silver embroidery that danced like foam on ocean crests, the boy stood barefoot at the base of the temple steps. His wide eyes, as blue and bottomless as the sea itself, sparkled with curiosity and excitement. He was only six, yet carried himself with a quiet solemnity that made him seem years older.
By his side, Bo Saixi walked with gentle grace, her ceremonial robes flowing like a living tide. Today, she wore her crown—a simple silver circlet inlaid with pearls and blue jade, a mark of her identity not only as High Priestess, but as the voice of the Sea God.
Shenling turned his face up to her.
"Is this... where I get my martial soul awakened?" he asked.
Bo Saixi smiled, though her hands trembled inside her sleeves. "Yes, Ling'er. Today, the sea will speak through you."
Waiting at the top of the temple stairs stood seven figures, robed in sea-blue, white, and jade green. The Seven Children of the Sea God.
Sea Dragon Douluo's towering form was as immovable as a mountain, arms crossed, his gaze sharp. Seahorse Douluo's eyes were closed in silent meditation, a faint ripple of spirit energy swirling around him. Sea Spear Douluo leaned slightly on his long weapon, brow furrowed in anticipation. Sea Fantasy Douluo, the youngest of them, smiled faintly, her illusion-like aura whispering through the air. Sea Star Douluo and Sea Woman Douluo stood side by side, their presence as balanced as the tide and moon. And finally, Sea Ghost Douluo stood at the edge of shadow, his expression unreadable behind the mist around him.
All had gathered not simply to observe a ceremony.
But to witness a miracle.
Inside the Sea God Temple, the sacred stone altar glowed faintly with divine light. At its center, the Spirit Awakening Pool—a shallow body of water carved directly into the temple floor—awaited Shenling. The pool had not been touched by human feet for nearly a century.
Bo Saixi stood before it and turned to the boy. "Ling'er, remove your shoes and step into the water. It may feel cold. But don't be afraid. I'll be right here."
He nodded bravely. "I'm not scared. The sea... likes me."
A ripple passed through the room. The Sea Ghost Douluo's eyes opened slightly.
Shenling stepped into the pool. A pulse shot through the air the moment his toes touched the water. The light in the temple dimmed. The air thickened.
He sat down cross-legged in the center of the pool. Water pooled gently around his ankles, forming perfect ripples.
Bo Saixi chanted softly, hands raised as divine energy poured into the air. "Great Sea God, hear my call. Accept the offering of this child. Show us the spirit he was born to bear."
A deep tremor ran through the floor.
The pool lit up.
Shenling gasped as a wave of blue light burst from his chest.
And then—she appeared.
A figure of translucent beauty rose from the pool behind Shenling. Her form was ethereal, feminine, and terrifyingly divine. Scales shimmered across her arms and cheeks, and her long, ink-black hair flowed like kelp in slow water. Her voice—though no words left her lips—was a melody so enchanting that even the Douluo present felt their souls stir.
"Siren..." Seahorse Douluo breathed. "An ancient ocean spirit..."
Bo Saixi stepped back, astonished. "Not just a spirit," she whispered. "A pure-born Martial Soul."
The Siren bent low, placing a soft, spectral kiss on Shenling's forehead. His eyes glowed with pale blue light, and his body trembled—but he did not cry.
He smiled.
"She's singing," he said, eyes dazed. "She says... I'm hers."
The spirit flared with power. A ring of purple light shimmered around Shenling's feet.
"A thousand-year innate ring..." Sea Star Douluo whispered. "On awakening... this is unheard of."
"But... it's not over," Sea Woman Douluo said slowly, her gaze shifting.
The Siren bowed her head—then vanished in a ripple of light.
And then the temple shook.
From the skies above the Sea God Temple, a pillar of radiant blue light tore through the clouds and smashed down into the center of the temple like a divine lance. The pool exploded upward into a vortex. Everyone staggered, and for a moment, the world turned to water and wind.
And there—rising from Shenling's small body—was a second form.
Bo Saixi dropped to her knees. "No... it can't be..."
The projection was immense. Ten meters tall, glowing with golden blue divine light. A godly figure with no defined face, cloaked in waves, holding nothing but presence. Where its eyes should have been, twin whirlpools spun. A voice that was not a voice whispered into every mind:
"My child... returned."
The Seven Douluo all fell to their knees.
"Sea God..." Sea Spear Douluo choked, sweat on his brow.
"No..." Bo Saixi said, heart pounding. "Not the Trident... not just an artifact. This... is His Will. His very Self."
The projection of the Sea God extended a single hand.
The water in the temple formed spirals and runes, marking Shenling's skin with glowing symbols. They weren't words—they were blessings.
Shenling's body glowed, absorbing it all, until the light was too bright to look at.
Bo Saixi shielded her eyes. "Ling'er!"
Then—silence.
The light faded.
Shenling still sat in the center of the pool, steam rising from the water. He blinked, dazed.
"I saw him," he whispered. "He said... 'You are mine. But also yourself.'"
Seahorse Douluo approached carefully, placing his hand near Shenling's chest to assess his spirit strength. His brows furrowed deeply, then shot up in disbelief.
"Innate spirit power... full rank," he whispered.
Sea Dragon Douluo's voice was hoarse. "You mean... Rank 10?"
Seahorse Douluo shook his head slowly. "No. Rank 20. No—higher. The sea pulses through him without resistance... I cannot even measure it."
Bo Saixi's eyes filled with awe. "It is beyond the mortal scale. A divine-level vessel... from the moment of awakening."
Sea Fantasy Douluo placed her hands over her heart. "Then he truly is... not just touched by the Sea God... but a fragment of Him reborn."
Sea Ghost Douluo, silent until now, stepped forward and bowed his head. "This child... must never fall into enemy hands. If he does, the sea will weep blood."
Sea Woman Douluo's voice rang like a vow. "Then we seven shall become the tide that shields him."
Bo Saixi, still holding Shenling tightly in her arms, looked at each of them in turn. Her voice was clear, yet trembling with fierce love.
"He is my son. He is the Sea's son. We will raise him not just to rule—but to protect. The ocean has chosen him, and I—Bo Saixi—will stake my soul to keep him safe."
The seven Douluo knelt as one.
Around them, the Seven Douluo rose in reverent silence. Their eyes were wide—not just with awe, but with something more primal.
Hope. And fear.
Later that day, as the island winds slowly resumed their flow and the temple lights dimmed, the Douluo gathered in private.
Sea Ghost Douluo spoke first. "He carries two Martial Souls. A Siren born of the deep ocean. And... the Sea God Himself. This child is not merely gifted."
"He is chosen," Sea Dragon Douluo said. "He is the one foretold. The tide that would break the silence."
"Will we protect him?" Sea Star Douluo asked.
"We must," said Sea Woman Douluo. "He is not just Bo Saixi's senior child. He is the soul of the sea itself."
Bo Saixi stood apart, watching Shenling from a distance as he played in the garden, laughing with small fish that leapt from the fountains.
In her heart, one truth sang louder than any divine decree:
He was her child first.
And she would follow him—to the depths of the sea, or the heights of godhood—no matter the cost.