An eye for an eye

Shi Tianchuan and the others were momentarily stunned by the words.

Master Yi Feng was decisive in battle and would never show mercy to such despicable fishmen. Yet now, he was sparing the last one—could there be some deeper meaning behind this?

Exchanging doubtful glances, none dared to speculate recklessly. Having witnessed Yi Feng's true cultivation level, they were utterly awestruck and regarded him as a senior master. Even if they didn’t fully understand his intentions, their faces remained reverent.

"We shall abide by Master's will."

With fists clasped in unison, they waited respectfully for Yi Feng to speak.

Yi Feng gave a slight nod.

"Release this fishman later. I want him to deliver a message to that Third Prince!"

Though the attackers were strong, they were merely lackeys, not the main force. Cutting them down effortlessly didn’t surprise Yi Feng—after all, he had gained some experience from the skirmish, so it wasn’t a wasted effort.

The real goal was to use this lowly fishman to provoke the Third Prince into showing himself.

At Yi Feng's words, the puzzled crowd widened their eyes in shock!

Was Master openly challenging the Third Prince?!

Before anyone could voice their astonishment, Yi Feng cast a cold glare at the fishman, adopting an even more domineering and menacing demeanor.

"Go back and tell your Third Prince this."

"From today onward, the seventy-two islands of the East Sea no longer belong to your Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan. Every cultivator on these islands is now free!"

"Not only that, but your Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan must also offer annual tributes to each island—not just treasures, but also the most talented fishmen among you, selected for me to cook and feast upon!"

Hiss—

The moment these words left his lips, the surrounding masters gasped in shock!

This wasn’t just a challenge—it was outright retaliation!

Such a declaration completely reversed the status between the islands and the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan, forcing the once-arrogant fishmen to bow their heads in submission!

Selecting the most talented fishmen for cooking…

And demanding one every year?

The words were utterly ruthless!

Shi Tianchuan and the dozens of elders stood frozen, their minds buzzing in disbelief!

The trembling fishman, too, stiffened in shock.

Only when Yi Feng's cold gaze bore down on him did the fishman snap back to reality, kowtowing frantically to this god of slaughter.

"Ah—this…"

"Y-yes! Yes!"

"I’ll deliver your exact words, I swear it!"

This fishman was no fool.

Though the message was humiliating, he had witnessed Yi Feng's terrifying methods firsthand. Why throw his life away over pride?

When faced with death,

the dignity of the noble Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan meant nothing!

Seeing the fishman’s spineless reaction, Yi Feng frowned slightly.

It seemed his words hadn’t cut deep enough.

After a brief pause, he sharpened his tone, transforming into humanity’s most ruthless tyrant.

"No."

"On second thought, one per year is too lenient."

Too lenient?!

The soft murmur sent shockwaves through the crowd!

Yi Feng remained unshaken, his expression unreadable.

"From now on, you will send five of your most talented fishmen annually. One for braising, one for steaming, one for frying—the rest I’ll decide later. I need variety in my meals!"

Hearing this devilish decree, the fishman felt his blood run cold!

Not only would they feast on his kin, but the cooking methods wouldn’t even repeat!

Horrifying!

Was this man even human?!

Even among the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan, few were this ruthless!

Before he could stammer another word, a kick sent him flying.

"Scram!"

With that indifferent command, the fishman shot into the clouds like a shooting star!

"Whoosh…"

As the fading sound of his flight lingered, the crowd remained stunned.

None had expected Master Yi Feng to be so bold—to retaliate with such ferocity. The situation had spiraled far beyond their expectations.

Awe!

From seasoned veterans like Shi Tianchuan to the younger talents watching from afar, everyone wore expressions of shock and even a hint of lingering fear!

After a long silence, Shi Tianchuan stepped forward, clasping his fists nervously.

"Master…"

"These… these demands for tribute—are they not too extreme? If the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan learns of this…"

Yi Feng turned calmly, his eyes unflinching.

"At this point, is there any room for compromise?"

"Today, we’ve slaughtered over a thousand of their clansmen and torn all pretense of civility. A great war is inevitable—this is a fight for survival!"

"Once you decide to rise in rebellion, hesitation is the greatest folly."

Shi Tianchuan and the other masters nodded, their faces damp with sweat.

Indeed.

Matters had escalated beyond reconciliation. This was life or death—mercy toward the enemy would be sheer stupidity. In such dire times, ruthlessness was the only way.

Come to think of it, compared to the fishmen’s tyranny, Master’s words were merely poetic justice.

After a moment of reflection,

Shi Tianchuan and the others straightened, their eyes filled with solemn respect for Yi Feng’s foresight. Despite their tens of thousands of years of experience, none could match his decisiveness in battle.

Such unwavering resolve was truly beyond their reach.

And, admittedly…

That had felt damn good.

After centuries of oppression, this retaliation was exhilarating.

As they surveyed the battlefield littered with fishmen corpses, the entire island burned with fighting spirit.

The blood-soaked war was coming.

……

Deep beneath the sea.

A magnificent palace shimmered with radiant splendor, its brilliance putting even the finest jewels to shame.

Inside the grand hall,

a lavish banquet was underway, attended by nobles of extraordinary bearing.

Suddenly—

A battered fishman stumbled in, crawling on his knees.

Prostrating himself, he trembled as he spoke.

"Your Highness!"

"You must avenge us!"

"We accompanied the Grand General to retrieve the Heavenly Maiden, but those humans had enlisted a powerful ally! The Grand General and over a thousand of our kin were slaughtered—only this lowly one survived…"

Silence fell over the hall.

Eyes flickered between shock and fury before settling on the throne.

Under the weight of their gazes,

the Third Prince’s brow furrowed slightly, a flash of anger vanishing as quickly as it came.

"Oh?"

"So they’ve managed to recruit such a figure. It seems humanity still has some strength left. No wonder they’ve held the continent for millennia."

Not a word about the fallen fishmen—they were mere pawns, after all.

Even such losses couldn’t dampen the prince’s banquet mood.

Unshaken even if the mountains crumbled—this was the bearing of a true scion of the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan!

Slowly setting down his wine cup,

the Third Prince, Ao Lie, remained as composed and regal as ever. His golden robes lay flawless, as though the blood of true dragons flowed through his veins. Nothing in this world was worthy of his concern.

With a cold glance at the panicked fishman, he finally spoke.

"Hmph."

"It seems they’ve grown bold with their so-called ‘ally.’ Do they intend to break the century-old pact this time?"

As his mocking tone rang out, the guests sneered in agreement.

"Hah! Shi Tianchuan must have a death wish."

"To think a mere ‘expert’ would let them challenge our Heavenly Dragon Clan—how laughably naive."

"Can ants trip an elephant?"

"Foolish humans. They’re only hastening their own doom!"

Amid the chorus of curses, a faint undercurrent of anger could be discerned, though it was overshadowed by an innate sense of superiority and disdain.

However.

Before their murmurs could subside.

The trembling merman, prostrate on the ground, uttered yet another shocking revelation!

"Y-Your Highness, the Third Prince!"

"They not only intend to break the pact, emboldened by that terrifying ally of theirs, but... that person has also declared... they, they demand..."

Sensing the ominous turn in the merman's words,

the mirth in the hall froze, and even the Third Prince lowered his gaze, his eyes turning icy.

"What else do they demand?!"

The merman in the hall was now pressed flat against the floor, his body quivering uncontrollably!

"That... that person insists we offer an annual tribute—the five most talented members of our kind—for him to... to cook and consume! One to be deep-fried, another to be steamed..."

As the merman relayed every word with trembling terror, the hall fell into dead silence!

At this moment.

Even the Third Prince could no longer maintain his composure. His handsome face darkened with fury, his noble demeanor shattered, replaced by a storm of rage swirling in his eyes!

"Boom!"

With a deafening crash, the millennia-old ice-jade table shattered into pieces!