Dreadful Existence

Fury!

Unprecedented fury!

Upon hearing such insolent words, the Third Prince lost his composure instantly. His millennia of steady temperament shattered like waves in a storm. With a single palm strike, he shattered the jade table before him, shaking the entire hall and forcing everyone to their feet!

The grand hall was filled with formidable guests, their eyes brimming with reverence and tension—yet also burning with extraordinary rage!

How dare the humans of the East Sea demand tribute from the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk?!

This is rebellion!

Outright rebellion!

Such shameless, audacious insults were enough to unsettle anyone. No wonder even the Third Prince, Ao Lie, had abandoned his usual noble poise.

The opulent hall fell eerily silent, save for the terrifying oppressive aura radiating in all directions!

The messenger merman lay prostrate on the ground, too terrified to utter another word.

The distinguished guests rose in collective fury, their bodies exuding a murderous intent so thick it could suffocate.

"Your Highness! These ignorant, two-legged sheep of the East Sea dare insult our dragonkin with such arrogance! This general requests to lead our clansmen and raze every island in the East Sea to the ground!"

"I too shall join! We will make these humans regret their insolence for ten thousand years!"

"Such disgraceful words cannot be washed away even with the blood of ten thousand! We must slaughter all seventy-two islands and replace their wretched populace!"

"Exactly! These ignorant ants deserve nothing but death!"

Amid the chorus of battle cries, a towering merman at the head of the right column stepped forward with a heavy thud.

"Your Highness."

"This general shall personally lead a thousand clansmen and flatten the seventy-two islands!"

At his declaration, the other merfolk immediately deferred with flattering words.

"If General Ao Chang takes action, those ignorant humans will surely be annihilated!"

"With the general leading the charge, crushing those pitiful, suicidal fools will be as easy as turning a hand!"

"We await your triumphant return, General!"

Ao Chang paid no heed to the sycophantic praise.

As the rising star of the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk, his talent was unmatched in ten thousand years. He was the undisputed strongest among the younger generation, already possessing the cultivation of the eighth tier of the Heaven Rank.

Despite not being of royal blood, he had been granted the royal surname "Ao."

Now, as he solemnly requested battle, his eyes burned with absolute confidence.

Yet—

Third Prince Ao Lie slowly raised his hand in refusal.

Ao Chang was stunned. The other merman generals were equally bewildered.

"Your Highness, you…?"

Under the weight of their puzzled gazes, Ao Lie seemed to regain some composure from his earlier fury. The storm in his eyes receded slightly, replaced once more by his usual calm.

"Patience."

"For the humans of these islands to dare resist us—and even deliver such brazen words—they must have some hidden backing. That so-called 'powerful ally' is likely no ordinary figure. We cannot afford carelessness in this battle."

The generals nodded in reluctant understanding, though skepticism still lingered in their eyes.

"Your Highness is wise…"

"But even if that human possesses some skill, how could he possibly stand against General Ao Chang? Your caution seems excessive for mere humans."

"In this humble general’s opinion, there is no chance of failure."

Seeing their lingering defiance, Ao Lie remained unperturbed. A faint smile played at his lips as he surveyed the assembly.

"Gentlemen."

"For millennia, our Heavenly Dragon Merfolk have ruled the East Sea unchallenged. Not even the hidden clans of the mainland would dare such arrogance, let alone the insignificant humans of these islands."

"For Shi Tianchuan to defy us with just one ally—he is no mere bluffer."

At these words, the generals fell into contemplative silence.

Ao Lie descended slowly from the jade dais, his confidence and poise unwavering.

"Indeed, no matter how strong that human may be, he is nothing before our might. But I have been entrusted by His Majesty to oversee these islands. I will not tolerate even the slightest mishap."

"This battle is unprecedented. It concerns not only the dignity of our dragonkin but also our dominance over the human race. There must be no room for error!"

"As the humans say: 'Even a lion must use its full strength to kill a rabbit.' If even these weaklings understand this principle, how can we afford arrogance?"

His resonant voice struck deep. The generals’ eyes widened in realization.

The Third Prince’s foresight was truly remarkable! To remain so composed against such weak foes—his unshakable temperament was worthy of a true dragon-blooded royal!

The Third Prince… truly had the bearing of an emperor!

The generals bowed in unison, their faces solemn with newfound respect.

"We obey Your Highness’ command!"

His transcendent aura commanded the hall. A faint smile curled Ao Lie’s lips as he glanced at the trembling messenger on the floor. Then, his gaze darkened.

Narrowing his eyes, he issued his imperial decree with a voice that shook the heavens.

"Hear my order!"

"This prince shall lead the campaign personally. Every clansman under my banner shall march. All generals shall take the field. We will crush the seventy-two islands of the East Sea with overwhelming force!"

"We will show these humans the difference between heaven and earth! We will ensure the glory of the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk resounds across all of Lanxing!"

The generals bowed once more, their battle intent blazing.

Pride swelled in every face. Every merman could already envision the bloodshed that would drown the seventy-two islands—a warning to all humans of Lanxing.

The wrath of the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk must never be provoked!

……

Two days later.

The sea churned with monstrous waves, towering like skyscrapers. Countless formidable figures stood atop the crests, their overwhelming pressure bearing down upon the coastline.

This display of power dwarfed the previous one.

The tsunami-like waves nearly scraped the clouds, looming over the land as if ready to swallow everything in their path. Against such force, all living things could only await annihilation.

Upon the waves—

The Heavenly Dragon Merfolk’s elite forces stood in grim formation, clad in divine armor and wielding celestial weapons. A hundred thousand merman soldiers exuded an aura that shook heaven and earth. Their killing intent alone had cleared the skies for a thousand miles.

Among them stood even more terrifying figures—

Towering merman generals, each holding Heaven Rank weapons, their depths unfathomable. Like gods, they stood at the forefront. Any one of them could sweep across the mortal world with ease.

This was but a fraction of the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk’s might—a terror beyond human comprehension!

Surveying the awe-inspiring army from his beast-drawn chariot, the Third Prince allowed himself a flicker of pride.

A single command from him, and the East Sea islands would be reduced to rubble. Humans, despite their millennia of cultivation, were nothing but ants before the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk.

This was the difference in heritage—the insurmountable gap between heaven and earth!

The Heavenly Dragon Merfolk, with their bloodline so close to true dragons, were beings of supreme nobility. For lowly humans to dare provoke them—such fools would pay with their lives!

What were the seventy-two islands?

Mere playthings.

His gaze cold, Ao Lie looked down upon the scattered islands in the distance.

He raised his hand, ready to deliver the order of annihilation—

When suddenly!

A thunderous voice boomed from the skies!

"Brother!"

"It hurts so much!"

The foolish-sounding cry came out of nowhere, yet it echoed across the heavens, startling the entire merman army into looking up!

Even Ao Lie frowned in surprise, halting his command.

But the moment he lifted his eyes—

He saw it.

A colossal shadow, tearing through the storm clouds as it plummeted toward them!

"BOOM!"

The shadow blotted out the sky!

The sound of its descent was like a hurricane, its pressure unbearable.

A sense of deadly peril surged through Ao Lie. Clenching his fists, he watched as his generals paled and swiftly pulled him back in retreat!

All of this—

Happened in the blink of an eye.

A massive shadow crashed into the sea, churning the waters into chaos!

"SPLASH!"

Waves surged into the clouds, wiping out half of the Merfolk in an instant!

Faced with the terrifying descent of that colossal shadow, the previously formidable army of 100,000 Merfolk seemed as helpless as tiny shrimp, utterly powerless to protect themselves. A single flip of the shadow brought devastation akin to the end of the world!

Even the earlier monstrous waves were thrown into complete disarray!

The sea was filled with screams of terror as countless fish-men scrambled in panic!

The Third Prince stood frozen mid-air, utterly dumbstruck…

This was downright terrifying!

What kind of existence could be so horrifying?!

Under his and the wide-eyed generals' stunned gazes,

the waves began churning once more as a towering figure emerged from the depths—its body as vast as a legendary immortal mountain, its eyes glowing like the sun and moon, yet its face was that of a dopey-looking black bear!

And now, it was actually whining pitifully to the sky!

"Brother!"

"This hurts too much! I can’t take it anymore!"

THUD!

Seeing the giant shadow trembling as it looked upward, the Third Prince and his men felt their hearts sink in dread!

They cautiously raised their eyes, their faces now etched with fear.

What kind of being could make such a terrifying giant beg for mercy?

Under the nervous gazes of the remaining tens of thousands of soldiers,

a few figures slowly descended from the sky. They appeared minuscule—not even comparable to a single strand of the giant bear’s fur—dressed in identical black cloaks, showing no obvious signs of power.

From afar, the Third Prince and his men eyed the newcomers with suspicion, struggling to believe that these unassuming figures could force the colossal bear to submit. Just how formidable were they?

While they were still puzzling over it,

the cloaked figures landed before the giant bear and, one by one, pulled back their hoods.

The leader… was a skeleton!