The Blackwater Ape's troops spent quite some time dragging the second batch of sea beasts back into the barrier.
But by the time they were done, they all looked half-crazed and exhausted, completely out of it.
Yun Jin frowned with clear disgust.
With that pitiful state, how were they supposed to be good sparring partners?
She didn't hesitate to announce, "This batch of Ink Sea Dragon Palace lackeys has already lost their nerve. But I can sense another group of dragon soldiers arriving here. Third batch of sea beasts, pay attention. The ones you'll face next are an entirely new set of opponents."
She shrouded the previous team led by the Blackwater Ape in a concealing mist, then summoned the next batch onto the field. This group was led by Yun Xueniao.
The third batch of sea beasts stepped forward with grim expressions.
Yun Xueniao blinked, utterly bewildered, as the battle began.
Two months later.
Inside the water barrier, silence fell.
One by one, the dragon soldiers lay sprawled on the seafloor, their eyes empty and lifeless.
On the first day, they'd thought it was just a fluke.
On the second, they realized something was wrong.
By the third, they understood this nightmare was going to repeat for the next two months.
During the first ten days, they'd won more often than they lost. Ten days later, the wins grew fewer. By the fortieth day, they couldn't win a single match. An equal number of fights, yet they were crushed by what they'd once called slave races. Not just defeated, but utterly humiliated.
That madwoman had shattered their pride completely, and even then, she didn't stop. She began increasing their numbers.
Two against one.
They sent out twenty thousand dragon soldiers, while the so-called slave races sent ten thousand. At first, they got angry out of habit. Then, they got used to it out of habit. And finally, they fell into despair out of habit.
Yesterday had been the worst. Thirty thousand against ten thousand. And they still lost.
The unfortunate Sea-Swallowing Ice Python Commander had a habit of keeping a diary.
Lately, every page contained only one word, written over and over in blood-red ink:
Miserable.
Miserable.
Miserable.
Utterly miserable!
At the Ink Sea Dragon Palace.
The Elder of the Ink Sea Dragons took a deep breath. Three months had passed. They couldn't wait any longer.
For the past three months, he'd done everything in his power to suppress the restless ambitions of the other three great sea factions.
But as long as the Ink Sea Dragon Palace failed to reclaim its honor from that woman, the other forces would never truly stay quiet.
The rebellious spirit of the Abyssal Merfolk had persisted for ten thousand years and never diminished.
The Nether Turtles were sluggish by nature and rarely obeyed commands.
The Blue-Scaled Sirens had always been the most cooperative, yet even they had started showing signs of unrest.
Only if the Lóngzūn stepped out and crushed that woman could the East Sea return to order. The Elder gritted his teeth and walked toward the Lóngzūn's secluded cultivation chamber. Even standing outside the sealed chamber, he hesitated. Was it worth risking his wrath to break his seclusion?
He hesitated for three full days.
Just as he was about to activate the secret method to force communication, a terrifying surge of power exploded from within the chamber.
The aura was so immense that the Elder was instantly forced to his knees. Even as his body trembled under the pressure, his face broke into wild joy.
That presence…
The Lóngzūn had broken through!
After tens of thousands of years, the East Sea was finally about to welcome a true king!
Overwhelmed with excitement, the Elder bowed deeply and shouted, "Welcome back, Lóngzūn!"
The vast, roaring power shot upward, shaking not just the Ink Sea Dragon Palace but the entire East Sea.
A hearty laugh echoed through the waters.
In a flash, the Lóngzūn appeared before the kneeling Elder.
"Congratulations, Lóngzūn, on mastering the Primordial Water!" the Elder said feverishly.
The Lóngzūn looked pleased. He waved his hand casually, and the Elder was lifted to his feet by sheer force.
"You're sharp," he said with a smile. "Indeed, I've grasped the Primordial Water."
The Elder's face lit up. "The Primordial Water is among the highest Laws in this Boundless Sea. With your command over it, the East Sea now belongs to you alone, Lóngzūn!"
The Lóngzūn raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you saying the Ink Sea Dragon Palace wasn't already the ruler of the East Sea?"
Then his smile faded.
A sharp look flashed in his eyes as he glanced at the Elder. "You couldn't have predicted my breakthrough. So why are you here?"
Before entering seclusion, he'd made it clear: no one was to disturb him unless it was a matter of life and death for the Ink Sea Dragon Palace. Although he'd happened to succeed in his cultivation right before the Elder's interruption, it didn't change the fact that the old man had been about to break his command.
He frowned slightly.
He hadn't even been in seclusion for a year. What could've possibly gone so wrong?
"Lóngzūn, a woman appeared in the East Sea," the Elder said quickly, his voice dropping low. "Three months ago, she arrived at the Sea of Domestication and killed all the guards there, including the core disciple Mo Yu. I immediately issued a bounty. But… the result…" His face twisted bitterly. "All four commanders and four hundred thousand sea beasts were captured by her alone."
The Lóngzūn narrowed his eyes, an icy glint flashing deep within them. "And that's it? That doesn't sound like a matter of life and death."
The Elder gave a strained laugh. "After that, I sent Mo Han, Mo Xiao, and Mo You together to capture her. But…"
The Lóngzūn's brows furrowed even more.
"She still held absolute advantage. Even after I personally told her through the Water Mirror that I'd overlook everything if she released them, she killed all three right in front of me."
The moment those words fell, the entire sea roared. Waves surged violently, as if the ocean itself was enraged. The Elder trembled and immediately dropped to his knees again.
The Lóngzūn's gaze turned sharp and cold. "You said… Mo Han is dead?"
Among all the younger dragons of the Ink Sea Clan, Mo Han had been his favorite. The young one had already mastered three supreme Laws, a talent that far surpassed even veteran dragons. In strength, he'd been second only to himself. Yet even with Mo You and Mo Xiao's support, he'd still been slaughtered.
"Yes," the Elder stammered, his whole body shaking. "It's my fault. I underestimated that woman's power."
"Is she still alive?" the Lóngzūn asked icily.
The Elder kept his head down. "The other three sea factions are restless. I've had to focus on keeping them in check. I haven't sent more troops to the Sea of Domestication yet."
"Useless!"
The Lóngzūn swung his hand, and the Elder was hurled backward, blood spraying from his mouth.
"Restless, are they?" the Lóngzūn said coldly. "Fine. You're coming with me. I'll have a proper talk with them."
"Yes, Lóngzūn!" The Elder didn't dare complain. He wiped the blood from his lips and struggled to his feet.
The Lóngzūn let out a cold snort, grabbed him by the arm, and vanished from the chamber in an instant.
His most promising junior had died. Died at the hands of some nameless woman. And the three other factions had stood by and done nothing. If that was how they wanted it, fine.
He'd make them pay the price. And as for that woman—
He'd make sure she begged for death before he was done with her.