Chapter 59: The Twelve Gods Bestow, the Star Sea Comes to Battle (1/3)

Lin Mingxi and Jiang Qingyu stared at the scene before them, their expressions dazed.

“Is this…” Lin Mingxi rubbed his eyes, disbelief evident in his voice, “Poseidon’s divine punishment?”

Punishment for what?

Punishing everyone with a snowfall?

Jiang Qingyu’s tone was hesitant, “…Doesn’t seem like it?”

She gazed up at the sky, watching the snowflakes drift down in a mesmerizing dance of beauty.

Yet the more beautiful it appeared, the deeper her shock became.

As a believer in the Greek pantheon, she knew Poseidon to be tempestuous and arrogant, capable of overturning oceans in his wrath.

The god’s earlier display had been so grand and terrifying, making them think destruction was imminent, yet now…

Tsunamis turned to gentle rain, storms became soft breezes, lightning transformed into refining energy, and even the ice melted into falling snow.

Poseidon, what on earth…

This is beyond ridiculous!

Her eyes turned to Su Fu, snowflakes settling on her shoulders, purple lightning coiling around the Golden Cudgel.

All forces that should have been devastating became gentle around her, transforming into forms that delighted her.

What should have been Poseidon’s most furious punishment had become the most spectacular performance.

Such a scene Jiang Qingyu had never witnessed anything like it in her life.

She couldn’t comprehend it.

Su Fu… how exactly did she manage this?

***

In the examination hall, the teachers were even more shocked than the students.

As vice deans of their respective colleges, they’d seen much of the world—which made this all the more astonishing.

After a long silence, Zhao Wujie finally spoke, voice thick with disbelief, “So Poseidon just… gave up?”

No follow-up?

Poseidon was one of the twelve Olympians, the god of the sea who could overturn entire oceans, make the earth tremble, and unleash devastating storms!

Yet now, this lofty deity couldn’t even make a single wave?

Helian Yue’s expression was complicated.

“Another deity must have intervened.”

“What god could reduce Poseidon to such a state?” Bai Li blurted out before realizing the answer-who else would protect Su Fu but…

Chinese deities!

“Heavens…” Mo Sanchou murmured, “So what we just witnessed was a clash between gods?”

Poseidon’s towering waves, thunderbolts, storms, and ice had transformed into rainbows, drizzles, breezes, and snowflakes.

Every attack had been effortlessly neutralized, yet they hadn’t even seen how the Chinese deities made their move.

The outcome was clear-Poseidon had been defeated.

No, the crowd realized in shock, this wasn’t a clash at all.

This was complete and utter suppression!

“Chinese deities…” Zhao Wujie muttered, “Are they really this powerful?”

That was Poseidon they were talking about!

Zhang Yuanhua added, “There’s more not only did they suppress Poseidon, they also enhanced Su Fu’s Golden Cudgel in passing.”

“The beautiful scenery is secondary-the real significance lies in…”

Helian Yue understood, nodding thoughtfully, “It means the Chinese deities weren’t even serious?”

Zhao Wujie felt numb.

That made it even more unbelievable!

Which Chinese deity was behind this?

He desperately wanted to know just how formidable were they?

“However,” Mo Sanchou said with a complicated expression, “what’s even more shocking is that the Chinese deities intervened solely to protect Su Fu.”

The realization dawned on everyone-indeed!

It was because Poseidon wanted to punish Su Fu that the Chinese deities intervened!

Bai Li opened her mouth slightly, her voice trembling slightly, “They… They’re this protective of their own?”

Seeing their believer being bullied, they didn’t hesitate to step in and teach the other party a lesson?

Even when that other party was the Sea God Poseidon?!

In the eyes of the Chinese deities, is Su Fu really this important?

Mo Sanchou stared at the image of Su Fu in disbelief.

He had witnessed too many deities showing indifference toward mortals and too many believers going mad just to earn the slightest attention from their gods.

That was precisely why this scene was so shocking.

“Indeed, how unbelievable. They would directly confront the Sea God for the sake of a single human.”

This would be unthinkable in any other pantheon!

To other deities, humans were nothing more than ants.

Envy such overwhelming envy!

After years of faith, after years of offerings, they had never received such favor.

Forget protection-they rarely even got a proper glance.

Seriously, does Su Fu even deserve this?

Does she even understand faith properly?

Cough, can they switch places with her?!

Why had their own deities never done something so domineeringly protective for them?

Pure envy, jealousy, and resentment!

Bai Li suddenly thought of a question, her voice tinged with hesitation.

“So… was the Education Ministry’s annual investment this time a loss or not?”

The vice deans exchanged glances.

This question… how should they put it?

If they said it was a loss…

They had been granted the rare opportunity to witness the Chinese deities in action-though they hadn’t actually seen anything.

But just seeing Poseidon utterly crushed was enough to understand how powerful that deity must be.

Before Him, the Sea God couldn’t even make a single ripple!

If Poseidon hadn’t tried to punish Su Fu, they would never have had the chance to witness this.

But if they said it wasn’t a loss…

Bai Li shook her head with a bitter smile.

“The chief examiner deity was just beaten down by the Chinese deities. The consequences…”

“Poseidon must be absolutely furious right now,” Zhao Wujie sighed.

“The candidates probably have zero chance of receiving divine blessings now.”

For a moment, no one spoke.

Of course.

Who could have imagined that the chief examiner deity would get publicly humiliated?

And beaten so badly at that?

These Chinese deities are just-

Too arrogant!

Too domineering!

Too enviable!

Helian Yue stood to the side, her expression growing increasingly complicated.

The world knew so little about the Chinese deities—even her own understanding was only superficial.

But following Su Fu this time, she had made a new discovery: these Chinese deities seemed… fiercely protective of their own!

She suddenly grew curious-was the one who intervened this time the Great Sage?

The Great Sage Equal of Heaven who had once said, “Call, and I shall come”?

The awe she had felt upon hearing those words was still vividly etched in her memory.

For some reason, Helian Yue suddenly wanted to meet Him.

***

Inside the exam scroll, Su Fu looked up at the faint divine figure in the sky.

She figured Poseidon must be seething right now.

Not only had he failed to make a single wave, but he’d also been forced to put on a spectacle for her.

Anyone would be livid.

Wait would Poseidon be shameless enough to just abandon the exam scroll and quit?

Just as she was considering the possibilities, she suddenly realized something was off.

Wait, where did that divine shadow go?

She squinted and looked carefully several more times, confirming the sky was now completely empty.

“Poseidon… left?” Su Fu froze.

“Just like that? No more trouble? Gave up?”

This doesn’t make sense!

Given Poseidon’s notoriously short temper, how could he possibly let her off so easily?

Wait-maybe he went to settle scores with the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas?

Now that she thought about it, that actually seemed plausible.

Su Fu suddenly felt a pang of panic.

Not for the Dragon Kings’ sake, but because what if they beat Poseidon up too badly?

Would the exam even continue then?

If even the chief examiner got chased away, what kind of exam would this be?!

Ahem, Su Fu thought inwardly, restraint!

Dragon Kings, please show restraint!

***

Divine Realm, Deep Sea.

One minute earlier, Poseidon had been sitting on his magnificent coral throne, fuming with rage:

“Eastern Dragon Clan! How dare you—”

Before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed.

Oh no!

Four terrifying auras suddenly emerged from the depths.

The next instant, four colossal dragon figures materialized before him.

“Aiya~” The White Dragon of the North Sea grinned playfully.

“Did we hear you calling us just now?”

“And here we are- Pretty quick, huh?” The Red Dragon of the South Sea smiled even wider.

“Since we’re already here…” The Black Dragon of the West Sea drawled.

“Then what are we waiting for?” The Azure Dragon of the East Sea swung his claws.

“Let’s rumble!”

Poseidon: “???”

BOOM!

Four dazzling divine lights erupted across the Divine Realm.

During the exam, the Dragon Kings had merely defended but now?

This was the real counterattack!

Surely Poseidon didn’t think that was the end of it?

Did he?

The Azure Dragon commanded the tides, summoning towering waves!

The Red Dragon breathed Samadhi True Flames, boiling the seas!

The Black Dragon stirred cyclones, toppling coral palaces!

The White Dragon unleashed glacial frost, freezing the entire ocean!

One minute later.

Poseidon crawled out from the rubble, face bruised, clutching his nose:

“You… how could you?!”

“Chasing me to my home to gang up on me? Four against one?!” He roared indignantly.

“Shameless!”

The Azure Dragon replied leisurely: “Who told you to unfairly target our Chinese pantheon little one during the exam?”

Poseidon froze: “What? I never! You’re being unreasonable!”

“I treated everyone equally! I never specifically—”

“Oh?” The White Dragon immediately cut in.

“Brothers, he admitted it!”

Everyone included Su Fu, which meant he had indeed targeted her!

Flawless logic!

“Brothers!” The Red Dragon cracked his knuckles. “Round two!”

Poseidon: “???”

How utterly shameless!

With a despairing wail, he cried: “This is bullying! Ganging up on the weak!”

The White Dragon chuckled mid-punch: “Weren’t you so mighty earlier? Summoning storms and thunder?”

“Where was your shame when using divine power against a mere girl?”

Poseidon trembled with rage: “That was proper examination! Education!”

“Ah, education…” The Azure Dragon mused.

“Then this is also education.”

“Educating you “

“Not to bully our little one!”

BOOM!

Pinned beneath four dragons, Poseidon finally broke.

He screamed toward the heavens: “Zeus! Hurry! Save your brother!”

A majestic face faintly appeared in the sky-it was Zeus, the King of Gods.

But upon learning the full story, that face quickly vanished.

What a joke!

Who could he blame but himself for courting death?

Poseidon: “???”

Figures you’d be unreliable!

He then shouted toward the underworld, “Hades! Come quick! Save your brother!”

Deep in the underworld, Hades slowly opened his eyes, observing the chaos in the sea through the reflections of the River Styx.

Then, without a flicker of emotion, he closed them again.

Only a cold, disembodied voice drifted over: “Good riddance. Just remember to leave his divine authority to me-don’t let some foreign god snatch it.”

Poseidon: “???”

“This is how you act as an older brother?!”

Seeing that neither of these so-called “family members” could be relied on, Poseidon turned his hopes to other sea deities.

“Thetis!” he bellowed toward the distant waters.

“Help me!”

The sea goddess Thetis was busy combing her beautiful long hair when she heard the plea.

She glanced at the surface-only to see four colossal dragons “educating” Poseidon.

“Oh dear…” She immediately lowered her head.

“I dropped my comb. Must find it.”

Meanwhile, the commotion in the ocean had grown too loud to ignore.

Deities from other pantheons began gathering, curious about the spectacle.

And what did they see?

Oh-ho!

The gods of the Chinese pantheon had emerged?

And they were beating up Poseidon?

The divine gossip mill ignited instantly: “Come on, let’s go watch!”

Soon, the entire divine realm knew the full story.

“Poseidon’s been meddling again, hasn’t he?”

“How many times must it be said? Don’t mess with the Chinese pantheon.”

“Even daring to lay hands on their divine beasts? No wonder they’re pounding him.”

Poseidon seethed-not a single one had come to his aid!

He’d remember this!

This was all those wretched humans’ fault!

They deserved to die!

With a vicious grin, he thought: Did those humans really think they’d escape unscathed just because he couldn’t act now?

Impossible.

He’d left them no chance of passing-

WACK!

A dragon’s tail slammed into his face.

Poseidon: “…..Stop hitting me!”

“Listen here! If you keep this up, those humans are as good as dead!”

The Azure Dragon of the East paused, exchanging glances with the other three.

He might actually do it.

With his vindictive nature, he could easily sabotage the trial.

“Tie him up!” the Azure Dragon commanded.

The dragons swiftly bound Poseidon again and set him aside.

“Poseidon can wait,” the Black Dragon of the West said gravely.

“We need to focus on the trial-can’t delay saving the kids.”

So the four dragons lined up, eyes fixed on the divine examination grounds.

The other gods, initially there for the show, now turned their attention as well, even greeting one another.

“Ah, Goddess of the Moon, you’re here too?”

“Oh? Even the Maya pantheon has come?”

“What rare guests!”

***

Inside the trial space, Su Fu didn’t rush back to the ship after confirming Poseidon’s departure.

First, she needed to uncover the anomaly behind the earlier deaths of examinees.

But… where was it?

Activating her divine skill, Heavenly Eye of Truth, her gaze pierced through the churning waves.

This stretch of ocean had already been turned upside down by Poseidon and the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas so many times.

Logically, if there were any anomalies, they should have been discovered long ago.

But there were none.

The waters around the cruise ship were eerily calm, without even a hint of unusual movement.

Wait a minute…

Su Fu suddenly froze.

Could it be… the cruise ship itself?!

Su Fu whipped her head around to look at the ship, and in that instant, all illusions were stripped away before her eyes.

She gasped sharply.

Holy Shit!

What cruise ship?!

That was nothing but a colossal Kraken!

The massive sea monster was slowly unfurling its tentacles, with the tourists standing right on those “tentacle platforms”!