Playing by the River and Sea: The Awakening of Marine Life

The next day.

Su Family Villa.

"Ahhh~"

Su Muwan stepped out into the courtyard, glowing with energy, and took a deep breath of the fresh morning air.

She turned her head and called out to Qin Luo with a radiant smile, "Luo Luo! Come here! The weather is so nice today!"

Qin Luo, rubbing his sore arms and wrists, shuffled out of the house at a leisurely pace.

His hair was slightly disheveled as he eyed Su Muwan’s energetic, beaming expression and couldn’t help but grumble, "You sure are full of energy, young mistress."

"I was practically tortured by you yesterday."

Qin Luo felt like he had to vent—seriously, who could understand his pain?

Su Muwan, taking advantage of her superior cultivation, had indulged her whims to the fullest.

He might as well have been a human furnace at this point!

Despite his complaints, his feet still carried him toward her.

Su Muwan feigned innocence, blinking her eyes. "Huh? What are you talking about? I don’t understand a thing~"

She bounced over to Qin Luo, looping her arm through his. "Alright, alright, stop complaining. The weather’s so nice today—let’s go out and have some fun!"

Qin Luo stood still for a moment before a faint, resigned smile appeared on his face. "Young mistress, you’re finally willing to step outside?"

"Didn’t you once tell me you couldn’t go out because your mere presence would bring misfortune to the world?"

"Hey!"

Su Muwan’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she tugged at Qin Luo’s sleeve. "That was then!"

"This is now! I’ve been cleansed! Bad luck avoids me when I go out now, okay?"

"Fine, fine. So, where are we going today?"

"Hmm..."

Su Muwan tilted her head in thought before suddenly brightening up. "It’s been ages since we saw Little Sharkie! Let’s go to Jianghai and visit them!"

"As you wish, young mistress."

......

Meanwhile.

Deep in the dark abyss of the ocean, a crystalline palace slowly rose from the seabed along a tectonic rift.

Within the palace’s depths, a towering figure sat upon a grand throne.

Clad in resplendent deep-sea armor forged from abyssal crystal, his long, azure hair flowed freely as his eyes snapped open—two piercing beams of cold light cutting through the ocean’s darkness.

"Ten thousand years have passed... What has become of this world?"

"Do the people still remember their king...?"

His deep voice reverberated through the empty hall, sending ripples through the surrounding waters.

A shrimp general immediately dropped to one knee, bowing respectfully. "Your Majesty! According to the intelligence relayed by the Eldest Princess and others..."

"This era is known as the Age of Spiritual Reawakening!"

"The Sea Clan... has been erased from history."

The moment these words were spoken—

"PREPOSTEROUS!!!"

BOOM!

A thunderous roar shook the entire crystalline palace, sending coral decorations crashing to the ground in shattered pieces.

The figure on the throne shot to his feet, slamming his trident down with enough force to send a shockwave rippling outward. The surrounding shrimp soldiers and crab generals were sent tumbling, yet none dared utter a sound.

"The Sea Clan, erased? We once ruled the oceans, commanding legions of aquatic beings! How could we be forgotten?!"

His blazing azure eyes burned with fury, as if capable of boiling the sea itself. "Where is the Eldest Princess now? Summon her before me at once!"

The shrimp general trembled as he scrambled back up, keeping his head low. "Your Majesty, please calm your wrath. The Eldest Princess and the others have infiltrated the land-dwellers to gather intelligence. It may take time to recall them."

Hearing this, the towering figure frowned, lost in thought for a moment before finally waving his trident dismissively, stirring a massive whirlpool in the water.

"Enough! Mobilize all elite forces at once—where are the Turtle Chancellor and General Shark?"

"Your servant is here!"

The Turtle Chancellor emerged, his bulky frame exuding an air of wisdom, the patterns on his shell faintly pulsing with spiritual energy.

Close behind him was General Shark, his lithe form bristling with sharp teeth and an air of deadly efficiency.

"Turtle Chancellor, take inventory of our treasures and armaments. Ensure none of the relics from our reign over the seas are missing."

"As you command!" The Turtle Chancellor responded gravely.

"General Shark, rally the troops. Awaken every warrior fit for battle. They must assemble before the palace within half an hour—any who slack off will face military justice!"

"Understood, Your Majesty!" General Shark’s voice boomed as he swiftly turned and darted toward the barracks like an arrow loosed from a bow.

With his orders given, the king stepped down from his throne, his gaze piercing toward the distant surface.

"What does it matter if ten thousand years have passed?"

"So long as I awaken—"

"These seas, no, this entire world, shall be mine once more!"

Very well. Starting with this ocean, I shall reclaim everything that was mine ten millennia ago!

Ah, right.

He turned to the shrimp soldiers and crab generals. "Which waters has Lan Xi ventured to?"

"U-um... Your Majesty, she went to a small section of the former East Sea Dragon King’s territory..."

"A place called Jianghai."

The king nodded, seemingly relieved. "A mere speck of land. There should be no danger there."

"No matter. We shall first consolidate control over this ocean. Minor territories like Jianghai can be absorbed later!"

"Yes!"

The shrimp soldiers and crab generals stirred with excitement.

Ten thousand years... At last, the Sea Clan shall rise again, and the world shall kneel beneath our claws!

Uuu~!

A deep, resonant horn echoed through the waters as countless pairs of glowing green eyes flickered to life in the darkness.

Gigantic sea beasts stirred, merfolk warriors tightened their grips on their blades, and crab generals raised their massive pincers—an endless tide of marine forces converging toward the palace.

"The awakening of our king is a blessing upon our clan! Though the world has changed, so long as His Majesty reigns, our glory shall be restored!"

"Long live the king! Long live the king!"

The Sea King stood at the forefront of his army, trident in hand.

Clenching his weapon, his eyes blazed with regal authority.

"To the surface! We reclaim the seas!"

"YES!!!"

......

Jianghai.

A lithe figure broke through the water’s surface, landing gracefully on a coastal rock.

Her slender frame was draped in a flowing blue dress that clung to her curves, its hem fluttering like the ocean breeze itself.

Her seaweed-like hair cascaded damply over her shoulders, a few stray strands clinging to her fair cheeks, accentuating the brilliance of her deep blue eyes—gems of the sea, shimmering with intelligence and mischief.

She was the Sixth Princess of the Sea Clan—Lan Xi.

Lan Xi tilted her head slightly, gazing toward the distant ocean where faint ripples of spiritual energy pulsed. A frown touched her delicate brows.

She knew the undersea palace had awakened. She knew her father’s temperament all too well—his fury, his burning desire to restore the Sea Clan’s dominance.

But this world was no longer the same.

The Age of Spiritual Reawakening had birthed countless hidden powers on land, far beyond what the Sea Clan had faced in the past.

To act recklessly now would be folly.

"Father, oh Father, you've only just awakened, yet you're already so impatient. What am I to do with you?"

She parted her rosy lips and murmured softly, her voice sweet yet tinged with a hint of helplessness.