Sinister Ambush

On the tenth day after the eerie tide receded, the black mist over the South Sea finally dissipated.

But everyone knew this was only the calm before the storm.

The half-step tenth-rank eerie had retreated into the deep sea to heal its wounds, and without its suppression, the eighth-rank and below eeriesthat had been dormant in the depths of the South Sea began surging upward crazily—like a volcano blocked by a boulder for seventy thousand years, where once the boulder was pried open even a crack, magma burst forth from every direction.

At the watchtower of Zhennan Pass, Wang Hao stood with his hands clasped behind his back, gazing at the faint black specks on the southern sea horizon.

His internal injuries had mostly healed during seven days of seclusion.

The power of the people's collective will was, as expected, one of the most miraculous forces in heaven and earth—it did not directly replenish vital energy like spirit stones, but it could nurture the foundation of his cultivation and mend hidden wounds, gentler and more enduring than any healing elixir.

The cracks in the Martial God Foundation within his dantian had healed by ninety percent, and the remaining ten percent was slowly closing, expected to be fully restored in another ten days.

But ten days was too long to wait.

"Your Majesty." He Lanyue's voice came from behind. His left arm was still in a sling, and his right hand clutched a stack of freshly delivered military reports.

"All seventeen watchtowers along the southern coast report simultaneously—an eerie tide spotted three hundred li southeast, numbering at least ten thousand, led by an eighth-rank eerie, apparently a mutated Deep-Sea Demon Eel. Another tide, roughly eight thousand strong, spotted two hundred li southwest, led by an eighth-rank eerie, a Demon Starfish. Due south—"

"Due south as well." Wang Hao finished the sentence, his gaze fixed on that patch of black specks. "I can already see them."

He Lanyue followed his gaze, and his expression darkened further.

To the direct south, that black patch was slowly but clearly growing larger in view—not just one or two, but a massive swath, densely packed like a layer of ink spilling across the sea surface.

"Eeriest below the sixth rank have no intelligence; they only instinctively chase the scent of living beings." The Demon Lord's voice came from the other side of the watchtower. His black vortex-like eyes reflected the mass of darkness on the water. "When that half-step tenth-rank was around, its high-rank pressure kept them suppressed in the deep waters, too afraid to surface. Now that the high-rank eerie has withdrawn, the low-rank ones are like ants bursting from a disturbed nest—pouring out all at once."

"Their target is Great Xia's coastline." Yue Ji's dead-gray eyes flashed with cold hostility. "There are hundreds of millions of civilians along the southern coast. Zhennan Pass, Nan'an City, Haifang Harbor, Linhai County—every coastal town is their prey."

Wang Hao did not speak immediately. Instead, he reached into his sleeve and took out the Lamp of the People's Will.

The golden flame on the wick flickered slightly, noticeably dimmer than it had been ten days ago—that was the cost of using Nan'an City's five million three hundred thousand people's collective will to nurture his foundation and heal his wounds.

But the flame still burned steadily, with not the slightest sign of going out.

"Ao Guang." He suddenly spoke.

The South Sea Dragon King flew up from below the watchtower and knelt on one knee: "Your servant is here."

"How are your dragon kin troops? You've rested for ten days—how are the wounded?"

Ao Guang raised his head; golden flames blazed in his vertical pupils. "The lightly wounded have all returned to their posts. Among the severely wounded, more than three thousand still cannot fight. Those fit for battle—seven hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred."

Seven hundred sixty thousand. That number stirred everyone present. The South Sea Dragon Clan had three million two hundred thousand subjects, eight hundred thirty thousand able-bodied warriors, with three hundred thirty thousand of the old and weak devoured, but the main force of the younger generation had largely survived. Seven hundred sixty thousand dragon warriors, combined with the Great Xia navy's warships and the coastal garrison forces, made up a defense that was far from weak.

"But there is one problem." Ao Guang's voice lowered. "The dragon kin are not skilled at land combat. Naval battle is our true domain. The eeriest come from the sea—in a head-on battle at sea, the dragon warriors fear no enemy. But the moment they set foot on land, our combat effectiveness drops dramatically."

"They will not be allowed to land." Wang Hao's voice was calm, carrying an undeniable certainty. "My southern frontier is not a shore they can simply walk onto."

He turned and walked back into the war council chamber, stopping before the sand table.

On the sand table, the terrain of the southern coast was shrunk into a patch of mountains and rivers no larger than a palm.

At Zhennan Pass, Nan'an City, Haifang Harbor, Linhai County—the position of every city was marked with Great Xia's black dragon banner. On the sea, small red flags indicated the positions and directions of the eerie tides discovered by the watchtowers.

"Three routes of eerie tides, totaling over twenty thousand." Wang Hao's finger traced three arcs across the sand table.

"The southeast route with the Demon Eel, the southwest route with the Demon Starfish, and the due south route has the most mixed composition but also the highest numbers. Their speeds differ—the southeast route is fastest, expected to reach Haifang Harbor waters in six hours; the southwest is slower, reaching Linhai County waters in eight hours; the due south route is slowest, arriving at Zhennan Pass waters in ten hours."

"They didn't coordinate." The Demon Lord stared at the sand table for a long time before speaking. "Eighth-rank eeriest have intelligence, but they also have territorial instincts. There's no way they organized a three-pronged simultaneous assault. This is coincidence—three eighth-rank eeriest surfaced from the depths of the South Sea at the same time, each leading their own swarm, and happened to collide with Great Xia's coastline all at once."

"Coincidence or conspiracy, it matters not." Wang Hao straightened up. "Since they've come, am I supposed to send them back?"

He turned to Ao Guang: "South Sea Dragon Clan naval forces, split into three divisions. The first division, led by you personally, goes to Haifang Harbor to intercept the southeast route's Demon Eel. The second division, led by Ao Zhen, goes to Linhai County to intercept the southwest route's Demon Starfish. The third division stays at Zhennan Pass waters, coordinating with the main naval force to face the due south route's eerie tide."

"Your servant obeys!" Ao Guang clasped his fist.

"He Lanyue."

"At your command."

"Activate all protective city barriers along the coast to maximum output. Spirit stone stockpiles get priority supply. All civilians retreat into the cities. Every village outside the walls is to be temporarily requisitioned as forward defense outposts. Tell every city defender—if an eerie sets foot on land even one inch, they'd better have their heads ready to roll."

"At your command!"

"Han Shanyue."

"Your old servant is here."

"All remaining warships of the fleet are to be deployed immediately, positioned across Haifang Harbor, Linhai County, and Zhennan Pass waters. Rune cannons are to fire at full output—do not hoard ammunition. Use it all, and I'll have more shipped from the capital. But one rule: after firing, reposition immediately. The eeriest have learned from their losses; they won't stand still and take hits again."

"Your old servant understands!"

Order after order rang out from the war council chamber, and messengers on swift horses galloped off in every direction. Half an hour later, war drums simultaneously thundered from the city walls of Zhennan Pass, Haifang Harbor, and Linhai County.

That was the sound of war.

Haifang Harbor.

Ao Guang stood at the prow of the flagship "Dragon Abyss," his vertical pupils locked on the southeastern sea horizon.

The color of the water was changing from deep blue to murky green—a sign that the poison released by the Demon Eel swarm was seeping into the sea.

The murky green water spread toward the harbor at a visible pace. Fish and shrimp floating on the surface turned belly-up, white, the moment they touched the green water, rotting into black pus within a few breaths.

"They're here." Ao Zhen's voice came from behind.

On the sea surface, an enormous dark shadow rose from the murky green waters.

It was a giant aberrant eel over three hundred zhang in length, its body covered in pitch-black scales with dark green mucus seeping through the gaps between them.

Its head had no eyes, only a round gaping mouth that took up most of its skull, filled with rows of teeth arranged in a spiral pattern, each tooth as tall as a grown man.

Grade Eight aberrant — the Deep Sea Aberrant Eel.

Behind the eel, tens of thousands of low-grade aberrants writhed in the seawater like black ribbons. Some resembled twisted sea serpents, some looked like jellyfish bristling with barbs, and some were deep-sea fish with no eyes at all — every single aberrant had one sole purpose: surge onto the shore and devour the souls of all living things.

"Rune cannons — fire!" Ao Guang's command rang out.

Thirty rune cannons aboard the Dragon Abyss unleashed simultaneously, azure spiritual energy beams detonating across the murky green waters. The beams struck the aberrant eel swarm, and the low-grade aberrants screamed and thrashed as their bodies were scorched with charred, blackened holes by the spiritual energy.

But the swarm was far too numerous — over ten thousand low-grade aberrants surged forward at once, and the rune cannons alone could never finish them off.

Ao Guang drew his Dragon Clan war blade, golden dragon patterns flaring to life along its edge.

"South Sea Dragon Clan naval forces — follow your king into battle!"

Not all seven hundred and sixty thousand Dragon Clan warriors were stationed at the harbor, of course, but Ao Guang's contingent brought thirty thousand elite fighters.

Thirty thousand Dragon Clan soldiers launched themselves from the warships, transforming into thirty thousand streaks of golden light, striking into the aberrant swarm like thirty thousand blades.

Dragon Clan against aberrants — this was an instinct carved into their very bones after fifty thousand years of surviving these waters. The bloodline of the dragons carried the righteous essence of heaven and earth, giving them a natural advantage against aberrant power.

It wasn't as overwhelming as Wang Hao's national destiny energy, but against aberrants below Grade Eight, it was more than enough.

Ao Guang struck the head of a Grade Seven aberrant eel with a single slash, the golden dragon pattern on his blade detonating inside the creature's body. The eel let out a piercing shriek as its massive form burst apart in a blaze of golden light. Black pus sprayed everywhere, sizzling and hissing where it splashed across Ao Guang's scales.

"Your Majesty! A second Grade Eight aberrant eel spotted to the southeast!" Ao Zhen's voice carried from afar.

Ao Guang whipped his head around. To the southeast, the green waters churned again as a second colossal aberrant eel surfaced from the deep. This one was even larger than the first — over five hundred zhang in length, its massive mouth packed even more densely with teeth.

Two Grade Eight aberrants.

The intelligence had been wrong — the watchtower had only spotted one, but another had been lurking beneath the waves.

Ao Guang's slit pupils contracted sharply. He had only thirty thousand Dragon Clan warriors in his unit, and enough rune cannon ammunition for a single conventional engagement.

Two Grade Eight aberrants appearing at once meant the balance of power had shifted from advantage to disadvantage in an instant.

"Relay to the flagship — concentrate all rune cannons on the second eel!" Ao Guang gritted his teeth and gave the order. "Dragon Clan warriors — detach a squad to hold the first one back! I'll take on the second myself!"

He launched himself skyward, transforming into a thousand-zhang golden dragon, every scale burning with the sacred golden fire of the Dragon Clan. The colossal dragon opened its jaws and blasted a stream of golden dragonbreath directly at the second eel's head.

The dragonbreath collided with the eel's green mucus, producing a deafening, earth-shattering boom.

Gold and green exploded across the sea, the shockwave shattering every low-grade aberrant within several hundred zhang.

But the eel's head was only scorched across a single patch of scales — nowhere near a fatal wound.

Grade Eight aberrants — roughly equivalent to the early Martial God realm in humans. Ao Guang was a mid-Martial God Dragon Clan warrior, and by all rights, one Grade Eight aberrant should have been child's play.

But aberrants weren't human. Their bodies defied conventional anatomy, and unless the aberrant core was shattered directly, cutting off a head or slicing through a body simply couldn't kill them.

And the aberrant core — was hidden in the deepest part of this five-hundred-zhang eel's bulk.

"Damn it." Ao Guang gritted his teeth, his dragon claws raking five gashes deep enough to expose bone across the eel's scales — but what welled up from the wounds wasn't blood. It was dark green mucus. The viscous fluid splashed across his claws, and its corrosive venom began blackening his scales.

"Your Majesty!" Ao Zhen's voice came again, now urgent with alarm. "A second Grade Eight aberrant detected off the Linhai County approach — the southwest route wasn't one aberrant starfish, it was two!"

Ao Guang's pupils constricted sharply.

Three waves of aberrant tides, and every route had a hidden second Grade Eight aberrant. This wasn't a coincidence — this was deliberate.

The half-Step Rank Ten aberrant was nursing its wounds, but it had left contingencies behind.

It had known Wang Hao would fortify the coast, so it sent the Grade Eight aberrants out in pairs — one to draw fire from the front, one to strike from the flanks.

"Send word to Zhennan Pass! Tell His Majesty — the aberrants have set a trap!"