Territory of the Mermaid Clan

Ye Chuan responded half-heartedly, since he didn’t know the way either and had to rely on this little mermaid to guide him.

Moreover, the commotion from slaying the serpent elder earlier was significant, and there was no telling whether other demonic creatures might be drawn to the scene.

Before they had swum far, Yuyu suddenly stopped, her small face tense with caution as her tail flicked nervously in the water.

"Master, there’s movement ahead," she whispered, pointing toward a patch of pitch-black water in front of them.

Ye Chuan immediately suppressed his aura, allowing his spiritual senses to spread silently.

Soon, he detected a group of dark figures swimming not far ahead—numerous in number, most at the Golden Core realm, with the leader slightly stronger, having reached the early Nascent Soul stage.

"Those are Demonfang Piranhas," Yuyu murmured. "They travel in huge swarms and love to gang up on lone prey. Even ordinary demonic creatures avoid them—they’re really troublesome!"

No sooner had she spoken than the dark swarm sensed their presence and abruptly changed direction, charging toward the two of them.

The lead Demonfang Piranha was noticeably larger than the rest, its mouth full of razor-sharp teeth glinting coldly, its eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

Just as Ye Chuan prepared to strike, Yuyu suddenly stepped in front of him. "Master, leave this to me!"

She took a deep breath and began singing a clear, melodious tune—a sound that rippled through the water. The charging piranhas instantly slowed, the frenzy in their eyes dimming slightly.

Ye Chuan was surprised. He hadn’t expected this little mermaid to have such an ability.

Yuyu turned her head and blinked at him. "This is the Siren’s Pacifying Song. It calms low-tier sea beasts, but it won’t last long. Let’s hurry past while we can!"

"No need," Ye Chuan said, eyeing the swarm of Demonfang Piranhas. With a casual motion, he summoned the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

"Emperor’s Banner, awaken."

A crimson glow expanded into a domain, enveloping the surrounding waters before countless spectral chains erupted forth, piercing through the sea beasts one after another.

Their souls were swiftly extracted, drawn into Ye Chuan’s soul banner.

[Nascent Soul realm soul absorbed. Artifact enhancement +1%]

[Golden Core realm soul absorbed. Artifact enhancement +0.1%]

[Golden Core realm soul absorbed. Artifact enhancement +0.1%]

...

The dense swarm of Demonfang Piranhas was utterly annihilated by Ye Chuan. Yuyu, though momentarily stunned, couldn’t help but clap her hands in admiration. "Master, you’re amazing!"

"Let’s go."

"Mm!"

They swam a great distance before Yuyu spoke again. "In the past, if we got caught by them, it would take at least half an hour to shake them off."

Noticing her slightly pale face, Ye Chuan retrieved a healing pill from his spatial ring and handed it to her. "You’ve expended a lot of energy. Take this."

Yuyu’s eyes brightened as she accepted the pill and swallowed it without hesitation. The moment it touched her tongue, it dissolved into a warm surge of spiritual energy that spread through her body, replenishing much of the stamina she had spent singing.

"Thank you, Master!" She grinned, her crescent-shaped eyes and tiny fangs making her look especially adorable.

After swimming for another hour or so, the water ahead suddenly grew clearer, no longer as dark, and in the distance, they could faintly make out a glowing coral reef.

Yuyu’s face lit up with joy. "Master, up ahead is the territory of our Siren Clan!"

Ye Chuan looked up and saw the coral reef emitting a soft blue glow, casting the surrounding seawater in a brilliant azure hue. A faint shimmering barrier surrounded the reef, clearly a protective formation set up by the merfolk. The dark expanse of the ocean seemed starkly out of place against these radiant blue shields.

Outside the barrier, several merfolk guards armed with tridents patrolled the area. Upon spotting Ye Chuan, they immediately tensed. "A human cultivator?!"

But when they noticed the little mermaid accompanying him, their expressions shifted to delight.

"It's Yuyu! She's back!"

"Quick, inform the chief! Yuyu has been rescued!"

The guards swiftly opened the barrier to let Yuyu pass through.

"Human cultivator, you may not enter," one of them said, blocking Ye Chuan as he tried to follow. The merfolk gripped their tridents, eyeing him warily.

"Oh?"

"Brothers, brothers! This is my savior! You can't treat him like this!" Yuyu flapped her tail anxiously, nearly stirring up a small whirlpool in her agitation.

After exchanging glances, the guards relented. "Our apologies, honored guest. But you must understand—humans and demons have been sworn enemies for generations... Very well, you may enter."

"No offense taken," Ye Chuan replied calmly before following Yuyu inside.

The moment they stepped into the coral reef territory, a crowd of merfolk swarmed around them, their faces filled with concern.

An elder mermaid woman rushed forward and pulled Yuyu into a tight embrace. "Yuyu, are you alright? We were so worried! We heard the serpentfolk had captured you, but we couldn’t find you anywhere."

Yuyu’s eyes welled up as she tearfully recounted how she had been taken by the serpentfolk and later rescued by Ye Chuan.

Hearing this, the merfolk turned their grateful gazes toward Ye Chuan.

Just then, a dignified middle-aged mermaid clad in a silver-scaled robe approached. His piercing eyes settled on Ye Chuan, assessing him carefully.

"Human cultivator, we owe you our deepest gratitude for saving one of our own. I am Hai Cang, chief of the merfolk."

Ye Chuan gave a slight nod. "It was nothing. I helped her because I needed directions to the Beihua Divine Continent."

He continued, "My final destination is the Donghua Divine Continent, so I must cross the Endless Demon Sea twice."

He could sense that this merfolk chief was no ordinary figure—his strength seemed on par with someone like Qin Tianya.

Hai Cang pondered for a moment before speaking. "Human cultivator, if your goal is the Donghua Divine Continent, there’s no need to detour through Beihua. The Endless Demon Sea connects all four major realms."

"Our merfolk owe you a debt, and we won’t let your kindness go unrewarded."

He paused briefly before adding, "Our clan possesses an ancient sea chart that marks a relatively safe route. Though still perilous, it’s far better than the alternatives."

"If you don’t mind, you may rest here for a few days. I’ll present you with the sea chart and assign a few of our kin who know the route well to escort you part of the way."

Ye Chuan considered this—it was an unexpected boon.

With the sea chart and merfolk guides, his journey would undoubtedly become much smoother. "Then I thank you, Chief."

Hai Cang smiled. "It is we who should be thanking you. Someone, show our guest to his quarters."

With that, he dispatched attendants to prepare the sea chart and arrange the escort.

Ye Chuan followed a mermaid guard to a room constructed from coral, its interior arranged simply yet comfortably.

There was no trace of demonic energy here, offering a brief respite.

He wondered how Qian Shuang was faring on her end.