While Zhang was finishing his second ascension and becoming a deity, after Ai assimilated with the strange glowing horn released from the Ascending Beauty Painting, as everyone’s vision was still robbed from them, Long Jieshu had disappeared without leaving a single trace.

“Little Yin, or rather I should call you Ai, take care and maybe next time I'll be able to take you to where your old man is.” The mysterious man muttered to himself as rings of flames ignited around his body. Surrounded by flames, the mysterious man’s body began to release a subtle reddish glow before disappearing into thin air.

Just as the mysterious man disappeared, the blinding light emitted from Zhang’s ninth tribulation lightning bolt slowly faded away as a bright golden beam of light shot through the dark clouds that loomed above and revealed the last step of Zhang’s ascension for all to see.

Descending from the heavens and striking Zhang’s forehead, the golden beam of light caused everyone to watch in awe as a golden halo slowly began to form behind Zhang’s back.

As this golden halo formed, an immense amount of power and knowledge poured into Zhang, granting him unbelievable power and mystifying abilities that would allow him to crash any saint who dared defy him.

Signaling the birth of a new half deity, an extremely aura swept across Sea Beast Island as the golden halo behind Zhang’s back released a golden aura the formed into a massive transparent sphere, effectively showcasing Zhang’s divine domain.

“It appears the Eastern Sea will now have a new owner…” Master Shan Jin mumbled as he stood witness to what could only be described as sacred and once in a lifetime event.

Compared to Long Jieshu’s divine domain, Zhang’s was roughly tens as powerful and covered roughly ten times as much space, causing many of those who were present to instantly drop to their knees, aside from the beauties of course.

Had Long Jieshu's been able to utilize his full power and erect a divine domain like the one that Zhang had unconsciously created then no one in the Eastern Sea could have stood his match.

Almighty, powerful, and godlike would be perfect words to describe the current feeling that Zhang gave to everyone currently witnessing his ascension.

But little did they know, suddenly receiving so many blessings, and so much power, coupled with the severe exhaustion and fatigue that accumulated during his struggle with Long Jieshu's caused Zhang to be extremely tired.

So, tired in fact that as his powers steadily increased, Zhang’s consciousness steadily faded away, only remaining afloat thanks to the heavenly forces currently at play.

“Let’s quickly put an end to him, it doesn't seem like sweetheart is in any shape to be harnessing any more tribulation lightning for the time being.” Yuying said in a whisper toward the other beauties as she signaled them to close in on Long Zhiming, who was on his last limbs, quite literally, having lost an arm and leg during his struggle for survival.

Surrounded by twenty undead lesser saints, bombarded by nearly endless waves of sonic pulses compliments of Lingqi, and the target of hundreds of Ling’s icy arrows, now that Long Jieshu had fled, Long Zhiming was left with utterly no means of escape. Of course, due to the chaotic nature of the current battlefield, due to Zhang’s mesmerizing ascension, no one had actually noticed that Long Jieshu was gone, thus despite his current predicament, despite being forced to kneel on the ground by Zhang’s divine domain, Long Zhiming still held an extremely defiant glare in his eyes.

“How the mighty have fallen!” Yuying said while gazing down at Long Zhiming with eyes full of disdain.

Recalling her initial meeting with Long Zhiming, remembering the haughty manner in which he spoke and the belittling way he acted, Yuying couldn't help but feel her blood boil.

Of course, this only meant that Long Zhiming would have to suffer a little bit more before he was released from his misery.

“Cut and shred, hack him into a thousand bits.” Yuying muttered as she preferred a series of hand signs, causing the greenish glow within the eyes of the undead to glow even brighter, causing their speed and strength to significantly increase.

As a vivid example of what happens when someone invokes the wrath of a woman, Long Zhiming had dozens of bloody chunks sliced off of his body.

“Master! Where are you! Please save me!” Long Zhiming cried as he kneeled helplessly on the ground due to Zhang’s divine domain, covered in wounds and bleeding profusely.

“Your master must have turned tail and ran away because I don’t see him anymore.” Lingqi said while staring down upon Long Zhiming from atop the head of a giant wyvern, her words reverberating in the ears of all whom identified themselves as a part of the Sea Beast Sect.

Not only was Long Jieshu the Sea Beast Sect’s strongest expert, but he was also their only pillar of support. Without Long Jieshu there was no such thing as the Sea Beast Sect, without their master to lead them the people of the Sea Beast Sect were similar to a dragon without a head.

Hearing Lingqi’s words and arching their necks toward the sky to search for their exalted lord, the members of the Sea Beast Sect felt their very souls rattle and their bodies shake when they saw nothing but empty sky and the radiant glow being released from Zhang’s body.

“I heard if we mix a few pieces of dragon meat into a bit of soup, after some digestion our skin will become twice as glossy.” Lingqi said as she glanced at the other beauties who all began preparing a final farewell gift for Long Zhiming.

Vials of poison, needles of ice, a thorny whip and dozens of grotesque looking undead soon descended and unleashed carnage upon the man who had once stood at the pinnacle of power and prestige within the Eastern Sea.

Riddled with wounds and covered with blood, along Zhiming laid lifelessly within a crimson puddle as everyone, regardless of friend or foe stared with frightened looks on their faces.

“Hmph, wretched severed soul, you think you can pull wool over this princess’s eyes?!” Yuying said angrily as a beam of greenish energy shot out from the tips of her fingers, impaling Long Zhiming’s corpse and causing a gut-wrenching screech to ring throughout Sea Beast Island.

Once Long Zhiming or rather what had possessed him was impaled by Yuying’s soul attack, a vast number of the black clouds that blocked out the sky began to dissipate, signaling the end of his heavenly tribulation trial and the end of his life.

“Thank you…” Long Zhiming’s faint voice could be heard drifting into everyone’s ear as a thick black mist seeped out from his mouth, eyes, ears and nose.

“He was possessed too…” Master Yu Xui mumbled as the triumphant smile that had crept onto his face was replaced by a look full of pity.

With Long Zhiming dead and Long Jieshu out of sight, those of the Sea Beast Sect quickly lost their will to fight and all stared blankly up into the sky at Zhang whose ascension was concluding.

Steadily thinning away until it was no longer, the beam of golden light that shone upon Zhang’s forehead, like a dwindling flame, faded away.

Now that his ascension had concluded and his body was no longer held up by any external forces, Zhang’s body began to plummet toward the ground as his divine domain flickered before dispelling itself and lifting the immense weight that had pressed down upon all who were present.

“Forces of the Blood Coral Cove! Forces of the Eastern Sea Alliance! I command you! Retrieve all of the treasures that was dropped by your lord! Not a single gold coin nor essence stone is to be missed! All who dare obstruct you, death!” Ling commanded, as she and the flew toward and pulled Zhang into their embrace in midair.

“As you command madam!” The various forces under Zhang’s banner and the banner of the Blood Coral Cove roared in unison as they quickly went about collecting Zhang’s scattered riches.

Knowing full well that was what their husband would have wanted and knowing full well that was what their lord would have wanted, the beauties and Zhang’s vassals quickly oversaw the retrieval of the many millions of gold coins and essence stones that were currently covering Sea Beast Island, ignoring the forces of the Sea Beast Sect.

“In the name of the Blood Coral Cove and the Eastern Sea Alliance, I hereby claim Sea Beast Island and all of its spoils! Any who wish to protest are free to do so, however they will face my husband's wrath, the wrath of a half deity!” Lingqi said in a loud and audible tone, causing a few of the saint, who were thinking of returning to Long Shijie’s tomb and looting the coffers, to instantly stop in their tracks.

“If anyone wishes to forge relations and friendship then we of the Blood Coral Cove are more than willing to reach out a hand, however a show of sincerity is a must.” Yuying said with a chuckle, showing signs of Zhang’s influence upon her while also spurring a few people into reaching into their pockets and seeing what they have to offer as a bribe.

Seeing that the beauties were ignoring them, the remnants of the Sea Beast Sect silently and stealthily began to try to scurry away, however their movements soon caught the eye of Master Shan Jin and Master Yu Xui who quickly sparked the flames of battle once again.

Battered and without a leader, the forces of the Sea Beast Sect quickly scattered to the four winds, destroyed and dispersed in a matter of hours. Loose souls were laid to rest and placed into eternal slumber, the strong were cut down and the weak were bound and taken as captives.

In next to no time at all, the Sea Beast Sect, the scourge of the Eastern Sea and the Dragon God Palace, the almighty rulers of the sea were all but defeated.

Without bother to witness the outcome of the hard-fought battle that had engulfed the entirety of Sea Beast island, with their husband in their embrace, the beauties, along with a handful of their subordinates and a larger than life Lightning Abyssal Dragon, had quickly located a safe location on the ground before ordering for a camp to be set and for all who wished to have an audience with Zhang to be sent away.

Having lost consciousness, Zhang was currently in an extremely vulnerable state, which would create the perfect opportunity for someone to strike and rid themselves of what would soon be the most domineering figure within the Eastern Sea.

To ensure as few people as possible caught onto Zhang’s current state, Yuying went as far as attaching thin strings of essence to his body and manipulating him like how she would a puppet.

Making the unconscious Zhang walk and move about as if nothing had happened, Yuying tried to create the illusion that nothing was amiss. As a day turned into two, without Zhang showing any signs of waking up, the beauties had their subordinates spread new telling everyone that Zhang had gone into closed door training and would most likely not greet any guests for quite some time.

==========================================================

In a flash, a month had passed by and a large sprawling fortress could be seen erect in the northern region of Sea Beast Island. Patrolling the ground of this fortress of course were the soldiers of the Blood Scale Army, and the members of the Eastern Sea Alliance.

Since it did not seem like Zhang was going to wake up anytime soon, the beauties decided it would be best to commission the construction of a large fortress where they can reside and take care of their husband until he wakes from his slumber.

During Zhang’s coma, his wives had expanded the influence of the Eastern Sea Alliance and the Blood Coral Cove to such a degree that if they wished, they could have a mid-sized sect annihilated with a single word.

To some, the Blood Coral Cove and the Eastern Sea Alliance had basically replaced the Dragon God Palace or rather they had replaced the Sea Beast Sect, establishing the beauties at the pinnacle of power and influence.

Whereas they were not as tyrannical as the Sea Beast Sect who wished to rule over the entire sea nor as pushy as the Dragon God Palace who sought to reign over all else, in an attempt to surprise their husband when he woke, the beauties openly accepted gifts and bribes from the various forces of the Eastern Sea, establishing them as a force who was driven by riches and wealth.