Yun Jin noticed his movement but didn't rush.
She took her time to comprehend the Primordial Water, then slowly opened her eyes.
"Se… Senior," Irene said carefully. "That Lóngzūn seems to have escaped. If he makes it to the Central Sea Region, it could spell endless trouble."
Yun Jin looked at Irene with faint amusement.
"This leader of the Abyssal Merfolk… seemed rather interesting. Was she trying to pledge allegiance already?"
Yun Jin chuckled. "Relax, he's not getting away."
No sooner had she spoken than the endless seawater that had obeyed the Lóngzūn moments ago suddenly reversed. Layer upon layer of waves surged, forcing him right back before Yun Jin.
He fell from the air in disarray, trembling as he stammered, "Senior! It was all the Ink Sea Dragon Clan's fault, we didn't recognize your greatness and offended you! I was in seclusion all this time and didn't know what they were doing. If I'd known earlier, I would've made them come grovel before you myself!"
He babbled desperately, "But it's fine now! I've killed all the Ink Sea Dragons with my own hands, it's their retribution! Now there's only me left from the clan, and I'm willing to serve you as my master, from now on I'll obey every order you give, I—"
He didn't even finish.
Yun Jin merely arched a brow, calm and unbothered.
Then, the sea closed in.
A roar of pain split the waves.
The Lóngzūn's body burst apart instantly, his Primordial Soul barely escaping before the ocean's pressure crushed it to dust.
The Lóngzūn of the Eastern Sea—dead.
His remains were swept away without a trace. The overlord who'd thrown the Eastern Sea into chaos for millennia had been erased from existence.
Yun Jin stood quietly, her gaze sweeping over the remaining three super-races and the endless legions of sea beasts behind them.
She parted her lips to speak.
Before she could, the three great clans and their armies all dropped to their knees before her. Hundreds of thousands of sea beasts prostrated together, a scene grand enough to shake the heavens.
"Irene greets the new King!"
The leader of the Abyssal Merfolk bowed deeply.
"Greetings to the new King!"
All the Abyssal Merfolk followed.
The Abyssal Merfolk Clan—submitted.
"You Lie greets the new King!"
"Greetings to the new King!"
The Nether Turtles—submitted.
"Hai Yue greets the new King!"
"Greetings to the new King!"
The Blue-Scaled Sirens—submitted.
Of the Eastern Sea's four great super-races, the Ink Sea Dragons were wiped out. The other three had all surrendered. Everything was now settled.
The rest of the sea beasts followed suit, roaring their salute. For a moment, the thunderous cry of "Greetings to the new King!" echoed through the entire sea.
The thirty thousand sea beasts Yun Jin had saved earlier stood frozen, wide-eyed at the sight.
Hei Chi's jaw hung open, trembling as he tried and failed to close it.
"Big Sis," Karma mumbled, dazed. "Guess we won't need those last words we prepared, huh?"
"Are you stupid?!" Carrie's eyes gleamed with wild joy as she dragged Karma to kneel too.
The thirty thousand sea beasts fell to their knees one after another, joining the chorus paying homage to the new ruler of the Eastern Sea.
Everywhere Yun Jin looked, sea beasts knelt before her. At that moment, her Emotional Value spiked crazily. Her grin almost split her face.
So she was the King of the Eastern Sea now? She didn't really care about the title, but the Emotional Value… that was something else.
Each sea beast didn't give as much as a human of the same level, but there were just so many of them.
Wave after wave of emotion surged into her, and her Emotional Value shot past five hundred billion. If she spread the news properly across the Eastern Sea, she could push it even higher.
And what if… she took the other sea regions too? What if she snatched the Sea Emperor's throne itself?
The entire ocean would sing her name for generations. How much Emotional Value could she harvest then?
Just the thought made Yun Jin feel like the happiest girl in the world. She waved her hand, freeing the remaining sea beasts trapped in the water barrier.
They'd been terrified by what they'd seen, and the moment they were released, they instinctively knelt too.
"From today onward, the Ink Sea Dragon Palace is no more," Yun Jin said flatly.
No one dared to object.
The surviving dragon soldiers only trembled, afraid to speak a word.
"As for the strongest force in the Eastern Sea," she said thoughtfully, "it'll be called…"
The sea beasts looked up expectantly.
Surely someone this strong would choose an awe-inspiring name.
After a moment, Yun Jin declared seriously, "The Wushuang Sect, Eastern Sea Branch."
"???"
Wushuang Sect? Eastern Sea Branch?
The sea beasts stared in confusion.
Yun Jin didn't bother explaining. "That's what I said. You'll find out the details soon enough."
She'd already conquered this territory. Management wasn't her problem. It was now Wushuang Sect's domain, and her sect disciples could handle the administration.
Since Yun Jin had spoken, no one dared to argue. They all bowed and agreed in unison.
She looked at the gathered sea beasts. "Here's your first task. Spread word of the Lóngzūn's death to every corner of the Eastern Sea. Within three days, everyone must know a new King has ascended."
A task? Perfect!
And an easy one at that. Irene and the others accepted it eagerly.
Yun Jin even handed them a recording stone. "Make sure to spread the footage of me fighting too."
With proof of her might, it'd be easier to instill awe among the sea clans.
Irene and the others took the recording stone and quickly got to work.
Soon, the news spread like wildfire.
The new King of the Eastern Sea, who'd slain the Lóngzūn that mastered the Primordial Water with a single move—was Yun Jin.
" The Ink Sea Dragon Palace… destroyed?"
"For real?"
"There's a recording, of course it's real!"
"The Lóngzūn's really dead!"
Cheers erupted across the sea.
"Don't get too excited yet, who knows what kind of temper this new King's got."
"Whatever it is, it can't be worse than the Lóngzūn!"
"True that!"
In the shadows, the sea beasts who'd once fled the Sea of Domestication emerged hesitantly. They'd hidden ever since, terrified of being caught. But now, just three months later, the once-invincible Lóngzūn was dead?
The image of Yun Jin slaying him spread everywhere. They instantly recognized her as the Senior who'd saved them.
They used to think she'd wanted to keep them behind as cannon fodder. But in truth, she'd singlehandedly wiped out everything.
Only now did they understand what she meant when she'd said those who chose to leave could never return. She didn't hate them—but she no longer saw them as allies.
Shame filled their hearts.
With the Ink Sea Dragon Palace gone, the Eastern Sea was finally free of the mountain that had crushed it for ages.
Before the dragons came, no one had ever enslaved sea beasts here. Now that the clan was gone, they could finally live freely again. They'd lost the chance to follow that incredible Senior, but at least… they'd gained their freedom.
Three days later, a clear notification rang in Yun Jin's mind.
[Mission taker Yun Jin. SS-class mission 'Regain Freedom'—completed with extraordinary results. Please return to the Mission Hall within one month to claim your reward.]