The Blackwater Ape spun around, his first instinct to flee.
But soon he realized something was wrong.
Even though they'd been released, they could only move within a ten-mile radius. Any attempt to go farther was stopped by an invisible barrier, completely trapping them inside.
He turned back and saw ten thousand sea beasts charging right at them. His face darkened with fury.
Those beasts were mostly from mid-tier races, while the few high-tier ones were nothing but Charm Mermaids and Spirit Pearl Clams, species with almost zero combat power!
And now, that chaotic mob of mixed races was actually charging at them?
What a joke. What an insult!
The Blackwater Ape looked off into the distance at Yun Jin, who stood calmly on a coral rise, showing no intention of interfering. His jaw clenched as the truth hit him.
That damn woman was using them as sparring partners for those slave races!
The thought alone made his blood boil. He was one of the four great commanders of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace, a being of status and strength. And now he'd fallen so low he was being used as a practice dummy?
What a humiliation!
Fine. Since she wouldn't intervene, he'd just teach these pathetic sea beasts a lesson himself. He barked an order, and his ten thousand underlings formed up, ready for battle.
These were hardened Ink Sea Dragon Palace soldiers, beasts who'd fought countless wars. They only looked so pathetic earlier because they'd faced Yun Jin herself.
Against the tamed, inexperienced beasts from the Sea of Domestication, they immediately took the upper hand.
The moment both sides clashed, the opposing formation crumbled like paper. They were instantly overwhelmed.
"They're so strong... the Ink Sea Dragon Palace's army is terrifying," Carrie murmured beside Yun Jin, her voice trembling.
Thankfully, the barrier was still active. If they couldn't win, they could retreat. But two months from now, they'd face these same enemies for real.
"Pay attention to their combat style," Yun Jin said calmly. "When this batch falls, it'll be your turn."
Carrie and Karma, both assigned to the second group, nodded with determination and began studying the battle closely.
The thirty thousand beasts under Yun Jin had been split into three groups, ten thousand in each. Every batch contained a mix of species to force them to learn coordination.
To her, with the improved cultivation techniques and proper teamwork, these beasts should be fully capable of defeating regular Ink Sea Dragon soldiers of equal numbers.
Right now, what they lacked was experience. So while the second batch watched the first group fight, they whispered among themselves, analyzing tactics and forming countermeasures.
An hour later, the first batch returned to the barrier one after another, all with drooping heads.
They were depressed.
They'd mastered the battle techniques Yun Jin gave them, but once they faced a full-scale group fight, they couldn't even cast a spell before being forced back.
Senior Yun must be disappointed in them... right?
Yun Jin didn't show any disappointment at all. "You did well. Holding out for a full hour against the Ink Sea Dragon Palace's regular troops is no small feat. Other than the three great factions, no one's ever fought their dragon soldiers to a standstill like that."
The first group's eyes immediately lit up.
"Besides," she added with a faint smile, "your loss gave your comrades something to learn from. Now, I hope you," she said, glancing at the second batch, "can last a little longer."
The second group nodded seriously and stepped forward.
Outside the barrier, the Blackwater Ape's expression grew grim. He couldn't believe what he'd just witnessed.
Those slave races, who'd been nothing but weaklings a month ago, had actually held out against him for an entire hour. If they'd always been that capable, how would they have ended up as slaves in the first place?
Their sudden improvement definitely had something to do with that mysterious woman. Who the hell was she?
Before he could think further, the second group of sea beasts appeared outside the barrier.
His face instantly darkened. Was this going to be never-ending?
She really was using them as training dummies!
Fine, if she wanted to play it that way, he'd crush their morale completely. He gave a cold snort, ready to order the attack.
But then his brow furrowed. This batch looked... different. Their movements seemed a little more organized.
He dismissed the thought and waved his hand. "Attack!"
As both sides charged toward each other, a sudden commotion erupted in the enemy ranks. Hundreds of Tigerfish suddenly puffed up like balloons and launched themselves straight into his formation.
"Block those Tigerfish!" the Blackwater Ape shouted.
A row of armored beasts raised their shields, easily stopping the bouncing Tigerfish. He exhaled in relief—only for his eyes to widen the next instant.
The Tigerfish bounced high, leaping right over the shields and dropping into the middle of his army. Then came a deafening series of explosions.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hundreds of Tigerfish detonated at once, blowing a huge gap through his forces. The surviving "bomb squad" swam back into the barrier, looking tired but very much alive.
The Blackwater Ape was completely dumbfounded. Tigerfish could inflate with gas, sure—he knew that. But who the hell taught them to self-destruct?
And what's worse, they didn't even die! The moment they returned to the barrier, they recovered as if nothing happened. Given enough time, they could probably explode again!
Before he could even react, another sound rose through the water.
A hauntingly beautiful melody.
It was a song.
A mermaid's song.
The Blackwater Ape instinctively sighed. "What a lovely—wait!"
He jolted awake in horror.
That wasn't a normal song. It was laced with powerful spiritual energy!
His cultivation was high enough to resist, but many of his subordinates weren't so lucky. Their eyes glazed over, their faces turned blissful, and they started swinging weapons at random.
They were striking their own comrades!
Yet none of them even noticed. If anything, they looked... excited. He roared, trying to wake them up, but before he could, a new attack came.
A line of Spirit Pearl Clams opened their shells. Inside, instead of pearls, there were strange trumpet-shaped plants. And from those plants shot dozens of glowing spirit-energy bullets that slammed into his troops. One hit his arm, and he winced from the sharp pain.
"What the hell is that?!"
He pushed his army forward, only for another row of Spirit Pearl Clams to open up and toss out red chili-like pods that exploded on impact.
Others launched icicles that froze any beast they touched. And some even hurled... potatoes?
Yes, literal potato-sized projectiles that instantly turned into thick earthen walls in front of them.
Meanwhile, the mermaids kept singing, their melody filling the water with an eerie, mesmerizing rhythm.
Other sea races hid behind the "potato walls," darting out to ambush his forces before retreating again.
The Blackwater Ape felt his entire worldview collapse. He'd fought countless battles in his life, but never something like this.
Yun Jin stood silently, watching. When she'd distributed the improved techniques, she hadn't noticed how creative the Spirit Pearl Clams had gotten.
Now that she saw it clearly...
Was this... the ocean version of Plants vs. Zombies?
Well, well. If that's how they wanted to play, she couldn't be more proud.