The sea beasts hiding in the shadows looked at the three frozen Ink Sea Dragons with barely concealed fear.
That woman...
Could it be...
She'd already mastered every single Super Law those three dragons possessed?
Yun Jin's trademark bright smile was still on her face, yet at that moment, it carried an inexplicable sense of dread. She raised a brow, ready to finish off the three Ink Sea Dragons completely.
But then—
A trembling sea beast swam forward. "Senior! Senior!"
She tilted her head, curious.
The sea beast nervously pulled out a mirror. The next moment, the reflection shifted, revealing an elderly Ink Sea Dragon with white hair.
The dragon's voice was calm but heavy. "Release them. The Ink Sea Dragon Palace will overlook everything that's happened."
Yun Jin smiled faintly. "And if I don't?"
A flash of murderous intent passed through the elder dragon's eyes. "Then you'll be enemies of the entire Ink Sea Dragon Clan. You won't want to bear the consequences."
She gave him a mocking look. Then, right in front of his face, she snapped her fingers.
Cracks spread through the air.
The ice shattered.
In the blink of an eye, the three massive Ink Sea Dragons disintegrated into nothingness.
"Then we'll be enemies to the death," Yun Jin said coldly. With a flick of her wrist, a pulse of spiritual energy shot out. The mirror exploded into fragments.
The sea beast holding it shook violently, terrified.
Provocation!
That was outright provocation!
That woman had just killed the Ink Sea Dragon Clan's most promising younger generation, right before an elder's eyes!
The Ink Sea Dragons would never let this go.
The East Sea... was about to fall into chaos.
After annihilating the three dragons, Yun Jin looked utterly unbothered, as if she'd just done something as trivial as brushing off dust. She turned and left leisurely.
The surrounding sea beasts watched her go, still dazed. A moment later, they scrambled to contact their factions through every means possible, spreading the results of this battle far and wide.
The Ink Sea Dragon Palace had struck three times—and lost three times. Now, their four great commanders were trapped, and four hundred thousand sea beasts were under Yun Jin's control.
And the three top Ink Sea Dragon experts, Mo Han, Mo Xiao, and Mo You, had all fallen at her hands.
Would the Ink Sea Dragon Palace still be able to hold its dominant position?
Merfolk's Cavern
A group of Abyssal Merfolk gathered in silence.
"That woman's strength... it's beyond terrifying," said a blue-haired woman, narrowing her eyes. "For tens of thousands of years, the sea beasts of the East Sea lived freely. But ever since that Lóngzūn arrived, endless slaughter has covered these waters. He holds the Sea Emperor's Token and his strength is unmatched. None of us can challenge him. To survive, our Abyssal Merfolk united the sea beasts and founded the Merfolk's Cavern. Even then, we've lived under the shadow of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace all this time.
Now a woman suddenly appears and fights the Ink Sea Dragon Palace three times without losing once."
She paused, her tone low. "Right now, the Ink Sea Dragon Palace is weaker than it's ever been. Should we... make a move?"
The cavern fell silent.
After a long while, one merfolk said, "The core of that palace is still the Lóngzūn. No matter how many times that woman wins, it's meaningless. The moment she loses once, it'll all be over for her."
"Let's wait and watch. We can't move recklessly."
"Keep sending beasts to monitor the seas near the Sea of Domestication. If she keeps winning... if she even manages to defeat the Lóngzūn, only then will we act."
"Wait. We'll wait and see."
The Deep Abyss
Countless Nether Turtles lay sleeping in the cold darkness. Every now and then, one would open its eyes briefly, then close them again. Life, for them, existed in stillness. As long as no one disturbed the Nether Lake, they'd continue their eternal slumber.
The Siren Hall
The Sirens had come to the same conclusion.
Wait.
No one knew who this mysterious woman really was, or how far her power could go. It would be best if she and the Ink Sea Dragon Palace tore each other apart, so the rest could swoop in and pick up the pieces.
Ink Sea Dragon Palace
The elder's face was grim.
The three younger dragons he'd placed his hopes on had just been wiped out before his very eyes. That woman clearly intended to make the Ink Sea Dragon Palace her enemy. If only the Lóngzūn weren't in closed-door cultivation...
The elder's voice turned harsh. "How long until the Lóngzūn emerges?"
"Before going into seclusion, Lóngzūn said it could take months or even years. There's no way to tell," another dragon answered in a low tone.
A cold gleam flickered in the elder's eyes. "Keep a close watch on the other three factions. Don't let them get any ideas. If Lóngzūn doesn't emerge within three months, I'll go and call him out myself."
Otherwise...
If they couldn't even deal with a single woman, the other three powers would definitely start moving. At this point, the Ink Sea Dragon Palace could still monitor them, but it no longer had the strength to suppress them outright.
Everything now depended on Lóngzūn's return.
While every sea beast waited for the Ink Sea Dragon Palace's next move, the palace suddenly stopped all assaults on the Sea of Domestication. They turned all their focus to tightening control over the other three powers. Those three forces, even if they'd had thoughts of rebellion, now had no choice but to stay quiet.
Everyone was waiting.
Waiting for the Lóngzūn to emerge. If he won, everything would return to normal. The East Sea would still belong to the Ink Sea Dragons.
But if he lost...
That would be the day the heavens changed.
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
Yun Jin's comprehension of the Primordial Water had remained at ninety-nine percent.
She lacked only the final Super Law—Purification.
From the forty thousand sea beasts under her command, she'd gained countless techniques and insights. Her understanding of the Law of Purification had reached its limit, yet she still couldn't break through.
Just like her previous Primordial Forces, without grasping the True Meaning, she couldn't cross that final invisible barrier.
Her Primordial Flame's True Meaning was Courage.
Her Primordial Wood's True Meaning was Symbiosis.
Then what about her Primordial Water? What kind of True Meaning did it hold?
Every cultivator's True Meaning was unique.
There was no one she could refer to. She had to find it on her own.
Enlightenment couldn't be rushed.
When the month ended, Yun Jin gathered thirty thousand sea beasts once again.
The improved techniques she'd created for them were based on their original methods, so they practiced smoothly and progressed at lightning speed. In just a month, most of them had completed their transformations.
Yun Jin smiled in satisfaction.
"The conversion of your cultivation methods is complete. Next comes real combat," she said calmly. "I can sense a group of Ink Sea Dragon Palace beasts approaching. They'll reach the barrier soon. If we keep hiding, they'll think we're afraid. I need ten thousand volunteers to fight and give them a little... surprise."
Every sea beast straightened with determination.
The battle might've come earlier than expected, but none of them would back down.
"There's no need to panic," she said. "The barrier's still active. I'll give each of you a talisman. If the enemy's too strong, use it to return to the barrier instantly."
With that, Yun Jin waved her hand and picked ten thousand beasts.
Then she lifted her finger slightly.
From the four hundred thousand beasts trapped in the water formation, she randomly released ten thousand.
Among them was the unlucky Blackwater Ape.
He blinked in confusion.
That crazy woman again... what was she planning this time?
A heartbeat later, Yun Jin's voice rang out, full of spirit and fire.
"Look! The enemy army's already at the barrier gates! To protect our kin, to crush the vile Ink Sea Dragon Palace—charge!"
Blackwater Ape: "???"
Wait, wait, wait...
What the hell does she mean by that? Why are we the ones standing at the barrier gate? Doesn't that woman know what she's doing?!