Divine and Extraordinary Art

Deep within the East Sea.

Amidst towering layers of grand palaces, a majestic golden hall stood proudly, its halls echoing with elegant chimes and melodies, exuding an atmosphere of revelry and celebration.

Inside the hall.

Mermaid beauties swayed gracefully, their watery figures enchanting and alluring, their dance movements captivating beyond compare, rivaling any natural wonder.

Yet despite this.

The elderly man seated upon the jade throne on the high platform was drowsy, nearly nodding off.

He was none other than the Dragon Emperor of the Heavenly Dragon Mermaid Clan, Ao Budong.

Whether due to his advanced age or sheer familiarity with such spectacles, the Dragon Emperor showed no interest, his head drooping repeatedly, causing the tassels of his imperial crown to clink softly.

Just as he was about to drift into slumber—

Suddenly!

A booming voice echoed from outside the hall!

"Your subordinate, Ao Chang, requests an audience with His Majesty the Dragon Emperor!"

Ao Budong jolted awake, his aged eyes flashing with irritation.

"What is it?"

The old attendant beside him leaned in to whisper, only deepening his annoyance.

"Ao Chang?"

With a cold glance downward, the Dragon Emperor still granted some courtesy, waving his hand dismissively.

"Summon Ao Chang."

After all, Ao Chang was the foremost expert of the current generation, a rising talent. As the Dragon Emperor, he wouldn’t lose his temper over such a trivial matter.

Before long.

Ao Chang rushed into the hall with hurried steps, his expression frantic and his demeanor flustered.

"I pay my respects to Your Majesty!"

At the sight of this.

Even with his imperial magnanimity, the Dragon Emperor couldn’t help but frown in displeasure.

Ao Chang had barged in unceremoniously and now carried himself so disgracefully—what a lack of decorum!

Even worse.

He was holding an unsightly, hideous catfish!

What was this place, a human marketplace?

This was the imperial palace of the Heavenly Dragon Mermaid Clan, a sacred ground revered by countless clansmen!

A closer look only deepened Ao Budong’s displeasure.

Just as he was about to reprimand him—

Unexpectedly.

Ao Chang suddenly dropped to his knees, trembling as he cried out in desperation!

"Your Majesty, save us!"

"We encountered an unknown, formidable enemy! Tens of thousands of our aquatic forces were annihilated, and the Third Prince, Ao Lie, was grievously wounded, his form irreversibly altered! I dared to intrude upon the palace, begging Your Majesty to show mercy and save His Highness!"

Whoosh!

The shocking declaration silenced the music and dancing instantly.

The entire hall was struck with disbelief.

Even the Dragon Emperor’s eyes snapped wide open, his drowsiness vanishing in an instant.

"Is this true?"

"How severe are Lie’er’s injuries? Where is he now?!"

Though Ao Lie was known for his indulgent and troublesome nature, he was still the Dragon Emperor’s flesh and blood. Hearing of his grievous injuries, the Emperor’s concern was immediate.

The lives of ordinary clansmen, however, mattered far less.

The moment the question left his lips.

Ao Chang seemed to grow even more nervous.

Gulping, he raised the catfish in his hands and kowtowed deeply!

"Your Majesty, please understand…"

"The Third Prince… the Third Prince is right here in my hands. The enemy’s attack has reduced him to… this wretched state…"

Boom!

The trembling words struck like a thunderclap!

The Dragon Emperor shot to his feet, his eyes bulging in shock!

"This… this!"

In Ao Chang’s hands was nothing but an ugly, floundering catfish!

How could this be his handsome son, the once-majestic Third Prince of the Heavenly Dragon Mermaid Clan?!

Ao Budong refused to believe his eyes.

Yet, hearing the report and seeing Ao Chang’s terror, he narrowed his eyes and urgently extended his divine sense to probe the creature.

The moment he did.

His face darkened with fury!

That repulsive catfish…

Actually resonated with the royal bloodline energy of the Heavenly Dragon Mermaid Clan—it truly was his son!

Shock surged through him once more, and the old Dragon Emperor immediately channeled his cultivation!

Strangely.

No matter how much Dao power he poured into the creature, nothing changed!

The bloated catfish merely flopped mindlessly, its form remaining grotesque, as if it had always been an ugly fish, never to regain its former glory.

Disbelief. Horror. Rage.

In mere moments.

The once-drowsy old Dragon Emperor’s face twisted with fury, his plump frame trembling uncontrollably!

"Bastards…"

"Bastards!"

"Who dares to be so cruel as to reduce my Lie’er to this?!"

His roar shook the hall, a terrifying aura erupting from him!

Dancers and attendants dropped to their knees in terror, not daring to make a sound. Even the surrounding palaces trembled under the oppressive might, the seabed falling deathly silent!

The hall was eerily still.

Only the grief-stricken Dragon Emperor remained standing, staring at the hideous catfish, his rage unquenchable. He reached out several times but couldn’t bring himself to touch his son in such a state.

"Speak!"

"Who did this? How did Lie’er provoke such a foe?!"

Under the crushing weight of the Emperor’s aura, Ao Chang was drenched in cold sweat.

He could only stammer out the truth.

"Y-Your Majesty!"

"This subordinate accompanied the Third Prince to Black Island when we encountered several bizarre creatures—a short skeletal figure leading them, along with a colossal ten-thousand-foot bear and a dog…"

"They were sparring among themselves, repeatedly slaughtering tens of thousands of our elite forces by accident. The Third Prince, enraged, spoke out—only for that skeleton to point a single finger and cast a sinister curse, reducing His Highness to this state!"

"Your subordinate… your subordinate does not know why we provoked such beings, nor why they dealt us such a cruel blow…"

Casually slaughtering tens of thousands in a spar.

A single finger turning Ao Lie into a catfish?

Hearing the account, the old Dragon Emperor’s brows furrowed deeply, his cold gaze boring into Ao Chang!

"Fool!"

"Without reason, why would they act so ruthlessly?"

"You must have offended them first to incur such wrath! Now that you’ve brought calamity upon us, you still dare to withhold the truth? Must I personally interrogate you under torture?!"

Ao Chang, frantic and terrified, nearly wept!

"Your Majesty, please believe me!"

"The Third Prince has long resided in the Dragon Palace and has never crossed paths with these beings! I, too, have never met them before—how could we have any grudge? Our mission was merely to discipline the humans of the East Sea! We only encountered these creatures when they descended from the skies—it was pure coincidence!"

As Ao Chang kowtowed desperately, the catfish nearly slipped from his grasp.

The Dragon Emperor gritted his teeth, his expression grave.

"Disciplining the East Sea humans?"

"Creatures descending from the skies?"

"So this disaster truly was an accident… Those beings are anomalies, with no possible connection to the weak humans of the East Sea."

Ao Chang finally caught his breath, pleading with urgency.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"I beg Your Majesty to save His Highness and avenge the tens of thousands of our fallen warriors! The Heavenly Dragon Mermaid Clan has never suffered such humiliation—we beseech Your Majesty to deliver justice!"

Yet the moment the words left his mouth, the Dragon Emperor roared in fury!

"Revenge?!"

"You blind fool! Do you truly believe our clan can oppose such beings?!"

Ao Chang’s face drained of color, his eyes widening in shock.

He had witnessed Lu Benwei and his companions’ power.

He thought them merely extraordinary experts—never had he imagined they were so terrifying that even the old Dragon Emperor feared them, deeming them untouchable!

"This… how…?"

The once-proud young elite of the Heavenly Dragon Mermaid Clan was utterly stunned!

The Dragon Emperor, however, was now fully alert, his aged demeanor replaced by an imposing aura, shrewdness gleaming in his eyes.

With a cold snort, his voice dripped with wariness.

"Hmph!"

"Casually slaughtering tens of thousands speaks volumes of their strength. As for the curse that trapped my son’s form—I’ve never heard of such sorcery, nor can I break it!"

"Those beings’ power is beyond anything you juniors could fathom!"

Ao Chang was jolted awake as if from a dream, his hands trembling so violently he nearly dropped the Third Prince!

"Hiss…"

So this was the truth.

Those bizarre creatures were far more terrifying than he had imagined!

With his limited insight, he had assumed the Dragon Emperor could easily subdue them and even dreamed of avenging his grievances. Never did he expect his ignorance would nearly bring ruin to the Celestial Dragon-Merfolk Clan, making him a sinner in the eyes of his people!

Ao Chang broke into a cold sweat, overwhelmed by belated fear.

At the same time, his reverence for the Dragon Emperor deepened, and his words grew cautious.

"Your Majesty's foresight is truly peerless. This humble servant is ashamed."

"My talk of vengeance was born of ignorance, but the Third Prince has suffered unjustly… What shall become of him now…?"

Hearing this, the Dragon Emperor gave a slight nod.

"Ao Chang, your loyalty is commendable, a rare quality indeed."

"Though our adversaries are formidable, beyond our clan's power to oppose, they overestimate themselves if they think a handful of creatures can lord over the East Sea! They underestimate the depths of our oceanic heritage!"

A glimmer of hope flickered in Ao Chang's eyes.

"Your Majesty, you mean…?"

The Dragon Emperor narrowed his eyes, a ruthless glint crossing his aged face.

"At this point, there is only one path forward—I must venture out myself!"

"If I can summon the ancient predecessors of our sea clan, lifting the cursed affliction from my son will be effortless. And as for those arrogant intruders who bully the weak… they shall be dealt with just as easily!"

A turn of fortune!

Ao Chang felt his horizons expand, his face alight with exhilaration.

"Your Majesty is wise beyond measure!"

"This unworthy servant begs to accompany you, to guard Your Majesty as you seek audience with the venerable elders!"

The Dragon Emperor nodded faintly, his confidence unwavering as he clasped his hands behind his back and strode out of the grand hall.