Translator: CinderTL
Splash!
The seawater churned, its currents invisible.
The magnificent Merfolk Palace stood amidst the coral reefs, guarded by dozens of solemn-faced Mermaid Warriors wielding spears. They patrolled the area with giant crabs and shrimp-like sea beasts.
A Giant Octopus was respectfully escorted to an open space within the palace, where it wrapped its tentacles around a wine goblet and sipped with evident delight.
Elegant Mermaids glided through the grand hall, carrying platters of fruit and pitchers of sweet, clear springwater.
"Is this the Merfolk Palace?" Lei Long, clad in a jacket, sat on a coral-carved chair, gazing around in wonder. It was his first time visiting such a place.
The silver and crimson coral walls, the impossibly sweet submarine springwater... The lingering astonishment in his eyes told him this experience would be a highlight of his seafaring career, perhaps even rivaling the legendary tales of the Great Navigators.
In contrast, Chen Feng sat calmly at the head of the table, long accustomed to such sights. He silently perused the ancient texts left behind by the Merfolk Clan.
The Nine True Gods, legends of the Divine War, Church doctrines... The corruption of the Nether Sea, the seal of the Evil Gods, the slumber of myths...
Chen Feng had uncovered many secrets, but information about Fragments of Divinity remained scarce.
Noticing his subtle frown, Delia, clad in a golden gown embroidered with yellow patterns, pondered for a moment before speaking.
"May I ask what Master Feng Chen seeks?"
"Our clan also possesses historical knowledge not recorded in texts, passed down through generations by word of mouth."
She hoped to demonstrate the Merfolk Clan's usefulness and value, especially with the receding ocean tide, which meant the Mermen threat from Riftsea Canyon could emerge at any moment.
She knew she had little time for hesitation.
Intrigued, Chen Feng set aside the ancient tome he was reading.
"Have you ever heard of Fragments of Divinity?"
He spoke without reservation, his confidence stemming from his strength.
Lei Long, standing nearby, was visibly startled, and Delia herself was taken aback.
In this world, gods reigned supreme. Anything associated with the word "god" evoked countless legends and coveted treasures.
A momentary silence fell over the palace. Chen Feng remained unperturbed, patiently awaiting her reply.
"Our clan elders have mentioned such matters," Delia finally said after a moment of deliberation, deciding to be truthful.
"Legend has it that at the end of the Sequence lies the path to Divine Transformation, allowing one to ascend to godhood."
"Furthermore, legend has it that the Nine True Gods fell into slumber because their Divinity was damaged during the Divine War."
Delia carefully revealed this secret she knew. Chen Feng frowned slightly, finding it largely consistent with what Old Leader Zhang had previously told him.
Divinity, it seemed, was a unique attribute attainable only by beings who had reached an extremely high level of existence.
But the crucial question remained:
How could one obtain a Fragment of Divinity?
Did it require slaying a god? Or perhaps a demigod of the King of Angels tier?
That was clearly impossible for him at his current level.
"Wait a minute," Delia suddenly said, her expression brightening as if she had just remembered something. "It's said that gods occasionally awaken briefly to answer the prayers of their most devout believers. Some have received a Divine Blessing—a strand of Divinity—which empowered them to become angels and wield Divine Punishment on the gods' behalf."
Her words caught Chen Feng's attention.
A Divine Blessing?
He recalled Yang Wudi's earlier story about killing an Apostle of the Evil God Cult in a cave in the Luoyue Nation. Before dying, the Apostle had lamented his failure to receive the Evil God's blessing and obtain a Fragment of Divinity.
"So, a Fragment of Divinity is essentially a sliver of a god's own essence that they shed?"
"Could it exist independently? Is it likely held by some angels or exceptionally devout believers?" Chen Feng pieced together his thoughts.
He then recalled the Evil God Power he had discovered earlier in Stormcliff Land, along with the rocky pillar suspected to be the Sea God's severed arm. He began questioning Delia about these matters.
"The Sea God and the Evil God?" Delia paused, startled by his sudden inquiry.
Without holding back, she drew upon her memories and knowledge, explaining, "The Sea God's origins predate even the Nine True Gods. He is an ancient deity born from the very essence of this ocean, possessing dominion over all its forces and ruling over every marine creature. He even established the Ocean Divine Kingdom, to which my Merfolk Clan once pledged allegiance."
Delia's account closely matched historical records. As Chen Feng reviewed the texts, he noticed illustrations of Ocean Giants and colossal whales hundreds of meters long—all former loyal subjects of the Sea God who gradually vanished after his disappearance.
"He was the first to discover the Sea Eye in Riftsea Canyon. Leading his armies against the Evil God and the corruption of the Nether Sea, he ultimately sealed the area alongside the other True Gods."
"He participated in numerous subsequent wars. But just before the final great battle, he suddenly vanished without a trace."
Delia recounted the tale, weaving together historical records and whispered legends.
Chen Feng pondered, a vague suspicion forming that the Sea God's disappearance might indeed be linked to the Storm God, and perhaps even connected to the Evil God's corruption.
He was about to press for more hidden details when—
"Hmm?"
His perception stirred, and he abruptly turned toward the palace entrance.
Lei Long and Delia froze, their gazes instinctively following his to the coral gate.
The seawater flowed invisibly, allowing slivers of sunlight to penetrate the surface.
Colorful reef fish darted through the water, while shrimp and other marine creatures drifted among the crimson coral formations.
At the center, a Giant Octopus was attended by several mermaids, its tentacles entwined around a wine cup as it sipped sweet springwater.
The scene appeared tranquil, but soon—
Whoosh!
An abnormal surge in the water current suggested an approaching creature.
The sunlight gradually faded as a shadow began to envelop the palace.
"What is that?" Lei Long murmured, bewildered, but Delia's pupils constricted in horror.
"A Mermen army!"
Hum!
The shadow drew closer, revealing a colossal submarine warship of peculiar design.
Forged as if from fused reefs, its prow resembled a dragon's head, flags fluttering from its masts.
Hundreds of meters long, the vessel was propelled by enormous fin-like paddles on either side.
An invisible curtain of water enveloped the deck, teeming with Merfolk warriors armed with spears and blades, their cold eyes fixed on the palace below.
"Sha!!"
Gata jolted awake, his tentacles flailing warily as he scanned his surroundings.
As if sensing his presence, the massive warship gradually slowed, eventually halting a hundred meters above the coral reefs and the palace.
"No wonder they managed to kill Darkblade and Blood Sea."
"So, it's an Ocean Overlord after all."
A colossal shadow engulfed the palace, accompanied by a voice tinged with surprise.
The speaker was a burly figure clad in a long, gray-blue robe, possessing a humanoid frame with arms and legs.
But upon closer inspection, a ferocious shark-like head, mottled in gray-blue, dominated his upper body. Three long, scar-like gill slits adorned either side of his neck, and rows of triangular, serrated teeth lined his jaws, unmistakably identifying him as a Sharkfolk.
"It's the Gray Shark Sage!" Delia exclaimed, rushing out of the palace, her face pale as she instantly recognized the powerful Sage of the Sharkfolk Clan.
Behind him stood another Merman.
Crimson-skinned and crab-like in appearance, he towered at four meters tall. His massive crab-clawed arms appeared capable of crushing any solid object.
"And the Fire Crab Chieftain... Wait, when did he become a Sage?"
"How could this be?!"
"Are the gods truly protecting the Merfolk Clan?"
Many mermaids despaired, astonished by the emergence of yet another Murloc Sage.
Gata, unaware of the details, issued a cautious warning.
In an instant, the sea beasts swimming nearby converged under his command, forming a living barrier before the palace.
"Oh?"
"Interesting. He can even control low-tier sea beasts."
The half-shark known as the Black Shark Saint's eyes gleamed with greed, his predatory instincts awakened.
Yet he hesitated, standing arrogantly at the ship's prow, surrounded by his mermen entourage, as he surveyed Delia, who had hastily emerged from the palace gate.
A flicker in his gaze betrayed a faint awareness of a force within the palace that was suppressing his biological Perception.
After a moment's contemplation, his brow smoothed, and he narrowed his eyes as he spoke.
"Now, I offer your Merfolk Clan a chance."
"Submit to my Sharkfolk Clan, accept our mark, and you shall live."
His icy words echoed across the sea. Delia's face paled with bitter resentment.
One by one, the Mermaid Warriors gritted their teeth, tightening their grips on their weapons. Their resolute gazes met, each fully aware of the mark's true cost.
Sensing their intent to resist, the Black Shark Saint sneered disdainfully.
With a wave of his hand, the Murloc Warriors on the deck raised their spears in unison, slamming them into the ground with a resounding thud.
The muffled boom reverberated as a concentrated surge of malevolent energy coalesced into a circular shockwave, erupting violently from the massive undersea warship.
Hum!
The invisible force swept through the Mermaid Warriors, their faces paling as they were overwhelmed by the Murloc army's grim discipline and ironclad resolve.
"Do you see now?" the Black Shark Saint said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield. "This is the difference between our clans."
He had grown impatient. "I considered our past ties and intended only to enslave you," he continued, "but it seems you don't value such mercy."
With another subtle gesture, he whispered inaudibly to the Fire Crab Sage behind him, whose massive turtle shell served as his armor. The Fire Crab Sage glanced at the palace, nodded slightly, and prepared to lead the Murloc army into a slaughter.
But then...
Tap-tap!
A figure in a brown jacket strode briskly out of the palace.
The Black Shark Saint frowned briefly, then relaxed. "Ah, just a weak Fourth-Tier human."
Sensing the faint spiritual fluctuations, the black-robed youth scoffed inwardly, deeming his caution excessive.
The Fire Crab Sage beside him shook his head and taunted the merfolk below. "A mere Fourth-Tier whelp," he sneered. "Delia, is this the audacious ant you rely on to defy us?"
His booming voice dripped with mockery, but Delia ignored him, her gaze darting urgently to Lei Long as if clinging to a final lifeline.
"The Master has spoken," Lei Long announced solemnly, meeting her eyes. "Out of consideration for past ties, he may intervene this once. But regarding the ancient feud between your clans..."
"He will only endorse the righteous choice."
As his words echoed, Delia's eyes flew to the palace hall.
There, on a coral throne adorned with crimson and silver, sat the black-robed youth, his calm gaze locking with hers.
His eyes were indifferent yet profound, as if a resurrected angel had descended before her.
In that fleeting moment, she grasped Lei Long's meaning.
A single act of intervention, or permanent protection.
The decision lay with her, the sole Elder and reluctant Clan Leader of the Merfolk Clan.
"Master!"
All hesitation and restraint vanished instantly.
Ignoring the warnings and customs passed down by her ancestors, Delia's tail curved sharply, and all hesitation vanished from her eyes. She immediately bowed low, her voice trembling as she made her decision.
"I swear this in my capacity as the Merfolk Clan Leader!"
"From this day forward, my Merfolk Clan pledges unwavering allegiance to you until death!"
(End of the Chapter)
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