The battlefield had gone silent.
Every gaze was fixed on the Lóngzūn.
Everyone still remembered how, before the expedition, he'd boasted about torturing Yun Jin, saying he'd make sure she died without even a burial ground left behind.
And yet, after just one brief exchange, he'd been bound up by her chains, unable to break free no matter how much power he used.
What the hell was this? Did the Lóngzūn just get one-shot?
Then what about all that bragging earlier? Was he seriously just slapping his own face now?
His expression was ugly, but deep down, he knew he'd provoked someone he absolutely couldn't afford to. So he lowered his tone and said, "Senior, I was blind and ignorant. Please, forgive my offense."
As he spoke, his gaze darkened. Someone this terrifying could easily threaten the Sea Emperor's throne. He had to report this.
The Sea Emperor would never let such a person live. To make an enemy of the Sea Emperor was to stand against the entire Boundless Sea itself. Yun Jin was doomed.
"Oh? Then what about the few Ink Sea Dragons I killed earlier?" she asked with a faint smile.
"They provoked you first, Senior. Their deaths were their own fault," the Lóngzūn said without hesitation.
The elders of the Ink Sea Dragon Clan froze.
The whole Ink Sea Dragon Clan froze.
Every single sea beast froze too.
The same Lóngzūn who'd been so arrogant before… gave in that fast?!
Even Yun Jin couldn't help laughing. "Alright, since you said so, then they truly got what they deserved."
The Lóngzūn nodded quickly. "I should be thanking you, Senior, for helping me clear out the trash in my clan."
She looked at him, amused by how quickly he could bend or bow, and her smile grew even brighter. With a casual wave of her hand, the chains vanished.
The Lóngzūn exhaled in relief and opened his mouth to speak.
But Yun Jin said evenly, "So you bow to me now, then plan to report me to the Sea Emperor so he can come kill me, right?"
His heart skipped a beat. "Senior, why would you say that? I'd never dare think such a thing!"
She didn't bother arguing. Instead, her tone stayed calm. "Lóngzūn, I'll give you a chance today."
He narrowed his eyes.
She continued, "Since this is the ocean, I'll seal away my other powers. I'll only use water-type Laws to fight you. I'll give you three days. If, within those three days, you can defeat me while I'm restraining my strength, I'll spare your life. But if you can't…"
She didn't finish the sentence, but everyone understood perfectly what that meant.
The Lóngzūn's face darkened.
She'd said earlier she was just one step away from fully understanding the Primordial Water. That meant her goal was clear. She wanted to use him as a stepping stone to break through to the Primordial Water. And he couldn't refuse.
From what he'd seen, this woman was ruthless. If he didn't agree, she'd probably just kill him outright. At least by fighting, there was still a sliver of hope. Otherwise, there was only one road left—death.
He ran the odds quickly in his mind. She'd restricted herself to using only water-type Laws. That meant she wouldn't be using those terrifying chains again.
She hadn't grasped a Primordial Force yet, while he had. That gave him an overwhelming advantage. Victory might still be possible. If he could just hold out, maybe he could even wait for the Sea Emperor's reinforcements.
"Fine," he said through gritted teeth. "I'll accept."
Yun Jin smiled lightly. "Then do your best."
She paused for a moment, then added with a grin, "Try your best to defeat me."
Her words were still unbearably arrogant. But not a single sea beast dared to speak. They all stared at her, eyes flickering with awe and fear.
Someone who could subdue the Lóngzūn so easily... even if she wasn't quite at the Sea Emperor's level, she couldn't be far behind. If she wanted to, she could probably wipe out every sea beast here.
But since she'd chosen to protect the enslaved races instead, she didn't seem like someone who killed needlessly.
The sea beasts exchanged uneasy glances. It was clear now—the East Sea might soon have a new ruler. They'd considered the possibility of Yun Jin winning. At worst, it would just mean another powerful faction rising in the East Sea. But they hadn't expected her power to be this overwhelming.
Power like that would definitely draw the Sea Emperor's attention. What would happen to the sea beasts of the East Sea now?
Should they follow Yun Jin? If they did, they'd risk the Sea Emperor's wrath.
But if they didn't... they probably wouldn't survive today. They could only sigh and frown in silence.
Up above, Yun Jin and the Lóngzūn faced each other, tension building. A great battle was inevitable. When she saw he was hesitating to strike, Yun Jin encouraged him, "Use everything you've got. Beating me is your only way out."
She'd displayed such overwhelming strength earlier for this very reason—to push him into fighting seriously, to force him to show his full power. That way, he'd make the perfect sparring partner.
The Lóngzūn took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus before he attacked. At first, his moves were cautious, probing.
But the moment Yun Jin clashed with him, her eyes lit up.
Good.
No wonder he'd mastered an entire Primordial Force—his strength was far beyond that of Mo Han!
She didn't use any other Primordial Force's power, relying solely on water-type Laws to counter him.
Though she hadn't fully mastered the Primordial Force, and her Law couldn't match his, her Primordial Soul was terrifyingly strong. Combined with her overall power, she managed to keep pace with him.
Still, she found it a bit frustrating. He was strong—too strong, actually.
She could hold back from using other Primordial Forces, but she couldn't suppress her soul power as easily.
After several exchanges, Yun Jin felt she wasn't being pushed hard enough. She tilted her head and taunted, "Did you even eat before this? Should I let you grab a meal before we start again?"
The Lóngzūn gritted his teeth, furious. Even with just those initial exchanges, he was already shaken. This woman hadn't even mastered a Primordial Force, yet she could resist the full power of his!
Of course, he hadn't used his full strength yet. But after that jab, he wasn't about to hold back anymore.
After mastering the Primordial Water, the sea within a thousand miles was under his complete control. He unleashed his true form, his massive dragon body unfurling as endless seawater surged toward him.
The waves roared as he swallowed them whole. For a split second, the entire ocean plunged into total darkness.
In that pitch-black sea, Yun Jin's eyes gleamed. Now this was more like it!
Finally, the Lóngzūn was getting serious.
In that instant of absolute darkness, she felt a cold, sinister aura cling to her body. Even when the sea brightened again and light returned to the depths, that aura stayed with her, following her like a shadow.
This aura...
It had to be connected to the True Meaning of the Primordial Force the Lóngzūn had comprehended.