bestfiction Chapter 950: Don't Look
Chapter 950: Don't Look
The flying vessel cut through the sea mist, advancing slowly.An unknown amount of time passed before a shadow finally appeared on the sea ahead.
At first, it was just a faint smudge, like an accidental ink stain at the horizon where sea met sky. As the distance closed, the shadow gradually became clearer—it was an island.
The closer they got, the more they could feel the sheer enormity of this island.
At the island's center, a divine temple stood majestically.
The temple was entirely constructed from an unknown white stone, glowing faintly with a pearlescent sheen under the gloomy sky. The massive pillars were so thick it would take over a dozen people to encircle them, carved with images of waves, sea beasts, and deities holding tridents.
Before the temple, a broad stone staircase stretched from the shore all the way to the temple doors.
On either side of the staircase, tall stone pillars stood at intervals of several zhang, their tops burning with deep-blue flames that flickered unsteadily in the wind.
Waves crashed against the shore's rocks, emitting a dull, thunderous roar.
Beyond that, there was no other sound.
No birdsong, no wind. Even the fishman guards patrolling back and forth on the island were now silent, as if they didn't exist.
The entire island was shrouded in a solemn and oppressive atmosphere.
"Is this... the Sea God Temple?"
Li Qingran stood at the bow of the ship, gazing at the colossal structure and muttering softly:
"It looks so oppressive..."
"Even though we haven't seen the Sea God yet, I get the feeling he must be a gloomy old man."
Eve glanced at Li Qingran upon hearing this, the corner of her mouth twitching.
Chen Huaian didn't speak, merely quietly observing this temple.
He could sense it—there truly was a faint, elusive aura of divinity here.
That aura was vast and icy, carrying hints of brutality, hints of loneliness, and a few indescribable... traces of sorrow.
Eve stood to the side, her expression calm.
Only deep within her eyes did a flicker of complexity pass.
"Let's go," Chen Huaian said plainly.
The three of them stepped onto the stone staircase and walked toward the temple's main entrance.
…
The interior of the temple was even more magnificent than it appeared from outside.
The dome was so high its ceiling was almost invisible. Massive stone pillars supported the entire space, their surfaces densely carved with intricate patterns—the Sea God battling sea beasts, the Sea God receiving the worship of the masses, the Sea God meeting with various gods...
In the center of the great hall was a straight passageway,
leading directly to a massive, tightly shut bronze door at the far end.
On either side of the passageway, many people were already standing.
There were muscular, brawny men, women with seductive figures, elders with profound auras, and masked oddballs with sharp gazes and a palpable aura of killing intent.
All of them were Peak Battle Masters above level ninety.
But they were not the group who had traveled on the same vessel earlier.
They were likely challengers who had arrived at the temple long ago.
They either sat or stood, each occupying their own space, maintaining a wary distance from each other.
When Chen Huaian and the other two walked in, several gazes instantly swept over them.
There was scrutiny.
There was wariness.
There was apprehension.
And also a few barely perceptible traces of... hostility.
After all, everyone present was a competitor.
But no one spoke.
They merely watched quietly as the trio passed, their gazes lingering on Chen Huaian for a moment, then on Li Qingran for a moment, finally settling on Eve with a flash of admiration.
The three paid no heed to these gazes, proceeding directly toward the depths of the great hall.
Before the massive bronze door stood a person.
No—
It was a mermaid.
The fishman guards outside the temple were a group of strange creatures over three meters tall, with fish heads and humanoid limbs. They looked quite ugly, but the mermaid before them was different, perfectly matching the legendary image.
She had the upper body of a woman, fair skin, delicate features, and long, sea-blue hair cascading down to her waist. Her eyes were deep-blue, the color of the deep sea, cold and profound.
Her lower body was a slender fish tail.
The scales shimmered with a faint silvery light, extending from her waist all the way to the tip, finally fanning out into translucent fins that draped to the ground like gossamer.
As for her attire, it was quite—
Chen Huaian hadn't had time to get a clear look.
A small hand reached over from the side, firmly covering his eyes.
"Husband, you're not allowed to look!" Li Qingran stood on tiptoe, her hand covering Chen Huaian's eyes, saying angrily: "You'll get styes!"
Chen Huaian: "..."
He hadn't seen anything yet.
This girl's hand was covering him tightly, leaving not a single gap.
Besides, if he really wanted to look, he could still see even with her covering his eyes.
The little girl's action was a bit like plugging one's ears while stealing a bell.
Speaking of which...
Was that mermaid really that attractive?
Enough to make even Li Qingran feel a sense of crisis?
Originally, Chen Huaian didn't care either way, but with Li Qingran covering his eyes like this, he instead grew curious. He was just about to use his Divine Soul to observe the mermaid when he heard his little disciple's sullen muttering.
"What's so good to look at?" Li Qingran pouted, her tone sour. "It's just... just that they're a bit bigger! I'll grow more later too!"
A light chuckle came from beside them.
Eve covered her mouth, her eyes curved into crescents, trying hard to hold back her laughter, but struggling immensely.
Li Qingran's face flushed red, but she still stubbornly kept her hand over Chen Huaian's eyes, refusing to let go.
Chen Huaian sighed helplessly.
He didn't push Li Qingran's hand away, merely reached out to wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her closer into his embrace.
"Alright," he said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "If you say don't look, then I won't look."
Saying so, and deciding to go all the way.
Chen Huaian directly blocked his own vision.
Everything within sight turned pitch black.
He could sense the mermaid's precise location and the aura of her presence.
More accurate than using his eyes, like a flame in the darkness with nowhere to hide.
Seeing this, Li Qingran finally released her hand with satisfaction,
but still remained vigilant, staring at the mermaid like a little cat guarding its food.
The mermaid watched this scene quietly.
Those deep-blue eyes held no anger, no shame or annoyance, only a faint indifference.
As if the three people before her were nothing more than insignificant ants.
"Humans," she spoke.
Her voice was icy, devoid of any emotion, yet possessing a strange, rhythmic quality, like the echo of waves crashing against rocks: "Since you have come to the Sea God Temple, you must be here to participate in the Divine Trial."
Her gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on Chen Huaian.
"My name is Amphitrite. I am a divine attendant under His Lordship the Sea God, responsible for receiving trial participants for the Divine Trial." She paused, her gaze looking down on them, full of contempt: "Since you are here, then prepare to begin."
She turned around, facing the massive bronze door, and said plainly:
"Those Battle Masters outside are all survivors who failed the first Divine Trial."
"I hope you... can still be alive to see me again later."
As soon as her words fell, the massive bronze door swung open with a rumble.
Behind it lay a deep, profound darkness.
Within the darkness, the sound of waves could faintly be heard, along with something even more ancient, even heavier... the sound of a heartbeat.
Amphitrite did not look back. With a gentle flick of her fish tail, she swam into the darkness beyond the door.
Soon, she vanished from sight.
…