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The next day.

As the first wave of the Sea Clan's assault receded like the tide, the coastal defenses of Tianhai City finally caught a brief respite.

The crimson seawater slowly withdrew, leaving behind a frozen battlefield—a scene of devastation littered with the corpses of marine creatures.

Yet, the aftermath of this battle sent shockwaves across the internet, stirring a frenzy.

Major livestreaming platforms and martial arts forums exploded with activity, the discussions skyrocketing in popularity.

Countless people uploaded clips of the battle.

Among these videos, the highlight reels of Su Muwan undoubtedly became the most dazzling spectacle.

In the footage, Su Muwan stood clad in an ice-blue gown, her silver fox fur cloak fluttering in the wind like a goddess of frost descending upon the mortal world.

She stood atop the Tianhai City cross-sea bridge, facing the surging tide of mutated Sea Clan creatures. With a mere flick of her wrist, her Frost Qi erupted like a blizzard, sweeping forward.

Dozens of tentacle-covered shrimp soldiers and crab generals were instantly frozen into ice sculptures.

Her fingertips tapped lightly, and those frozen statues shattered with a series of crisp cracks, scattering into a dazzling shower of ice crystals—like a magnificent glacial feast.

The camera then panned to Su Muwan conjuring a roaring ice dragon. With a single breath, the dragon swallowed an entire swarm of Sea Clan soldiers, freezing them into a towering iceberg.

The sight left countless viewers awestruck. The barrage of comments flooded the screen, nearly obscuring the footage:

[Lady Su is invincible! I’m literally kneeling!]

[That Frost Qi is insane! She’s slicing through the Sea Clan like they’re nothing!]

[So powerful and beautiful—how did we never realize Lady Su was this OP before?!]

[Where’d the Sea Clan go? Did they just give up? Hahaha!]

[Step on me, queen! That beauty and strength combo is unbeatable!]

[The Sea Clan must be trembling in the depths—they wouldn’t dare come back for more!]

The internet was ablaze with celebration, as if the crisis had already dissipated under Su Muwan’s overwhelming might.

The citizens of Tianhai City even began spontaneous festivities—fireworks lit up the streets, martial artists boasted of their heroic deeds in taverns, and the entire city basked in a festive atmosphere.

Yet, just as victory seemed assured, a single comment suddenly scrolled across the screen, shattering the revelry:

[Stop celebrating! Check the news! Something huge just happened!!]

The crowd froze, then scrambled to open live news links.

In the next moment, all smiles vanished.

Since the Sea Clan invasion had been broadcast globally from the start, everyone could now see the situation in other cities.

When the news feed switched to coastal cities worldwide, the shaky footage captured horrifying scenes.

The Sea Clan’s second wave had begun—this time not limited to Tianhai City, but launching a full-scale assault on coastal regions across the world.

The scale was unprecedented, as if they sought to swallow humanity whole.

At the feet of the Statue of Liberty in the West, crimson waves crashed ashore as hundreds of mutated fish demons brandished bone spears, smashing port vessels to splinters.

In the Bay of Cherry Blossoms, a colossal crab general snipped a cross-sea bridge in half with its pincers, sending vehicles plummeting into the sea with massive splashes.

Near an opera house, tentacled shrimp soldiers scuttled onto land, shrieking as they lunged at fleeing civilians.

Every scene, broadcast live worldwide, was gut-wrenching.

This time, the Sea Clan were stronger, fiercer.

Their bodies were riddled with grotesque tumors and writhing tentacles, their eyes glowing with a sinister crimson light.

Some fish demons even spewed black mist, blotting out the sky and causing drones to spiral out of control before crashing.

Wait—black mist?

Did the Sea Clan just evolve mid-battle?

The comment section instantly shifted from cheers to panic:

[Holy hell! Are the Sea Clan insane? A global war?!]

[This is way worse than before—ten times the scale!]

[Help! What about civilians? Someone do something!]

[Lady Su, we need you! These monsters are slaughtering cities!]

People worldwide trembled in fear, screams echoing through coastal city streets.

The Sea Clan’s onslaught surged like a tidal wave, overwhelming defenses before they could react.

Panic spread like a plague.

Yet soon, people realized things weren’t as dire as they seemed.

Though many lacked strength, and many cities didn’t have powerhouses like Su Muwan to hold the line, that didn’t mean entire cities were defenseless.

Through live footage, viewers spotted a man in a black trench coat standing in the ruins of an Eastern port, wielding a flaming longsword.

With a single swing, fire erupted into a dragon, incinerating Sea Clan into ash.

Elsewhere, a kimono-clad girl stood atop a skyscraper, her folding fan flicking gently as cherry blossom petals transformed into razor-sharp blades, slicing Sea Clan apart.

In another coastal city, a muscular man charged bare-handed into a Sea Clan horde, each punch crackling with thunderous force, pulverizing the creatures into nothingness.

The viewers were stunned.

[Bro, where were all these human-shaped monsters during peacetime?]

[Damn, how strong are these people?]

[Well, since they’ve got it handled, I guess I don’t need to step in.]

[If you’re not stepping in, then neither am I.]

[Since none of you are, I’ll just sit this one out too.]

Meanwhile, at the Martial Arts Alliance headquarters…

The conference room was thick with tension.

Ouyang Xuan stood before a massive tactical screen displaying the global battlefield.

Red dots—each representing a Sea Clan incursion—covered the map in a suffocating swarm.

His brow furrowed as he swiftly swiped through screens, directing Alliance members to the frontlines.

"Hurry! Cherry Blossom City branch, reinforce the bridge! New City branch, hold the port!"

Ouyang Xuan’s voice was low and urgent. "And Lin City—send backup to the Chosen Ones! They can’t fight alone!"

Everyone in the Martial Arts Alliance knew about the Chosen Ones.

Those now appearing on-screen to repel the Sea Clan? Undoubtedly, they were the Chosen Ones!

With that, he turned and strode toward the lounge where Qin Luo and Su Muwan waited.

The door swung open as he rushed in. "Luo, the situation’s critical! The Sea Clan’s numbers are overwhelming—coastal cities worldwide are under attack! Some Sea Clan have even pushed inland, abducting people and dragging them into the sea! Their fates are unknown!"

Qin Luo, seated on the couch with a teacup in hand, looked up sharply. His face twisted with rage. "What?!"

He shot to his feet, the teacup shattering on the floor.

His voice burned with fury. "Those damned beasts are asking for death!"

Yet, deep inside, he smirked—cold and undisturbed, like still water.

Those "abducted" people would be fine. This was all just an act.

In fact, they’d be enjoying an underwater sightseeing tour, getting a close-up look at the ocean’s wonders.

His real goal?

To use this global invasion to lure out and capture all the scattered Chosen Ones.

The ones from the Profound Heaven Realm had already exposed themselves in Tianhai City.

Now, it was time to draw out the remaining "pawns" from other regions—and eliminate them all.

Then... let those few from the vast world be fully exposed under the sunlight!

Why are the Chosen Ones the Chosen Ones?

It’s simple—wherever there’s opportunity, they appear.

Wherever there’s a major battlefield, they’re there.

Su Muwan sat lazily on the couch, leaning back as she glanced at Qin Luo.

Inner thoughts: [You’re putting on quite the act, Qin Luo. I almost fell for it.]

Qin Luo blinked at her.

[All thanks to your teachings, Young Miss.]

[?]

Ouyang Xuan, of course, couldn’t hear their silent exchange and asked anxiously, "Brother Luo, what do we do now?"

Hearing this, Qin Luo took a deep breath and turned to Ouyang Xuan, his tone resolute. "Deploy our forces immediately—especially the Silver Squad—equipped with high-tech armored suits to protect civilians. Any Sea Tribe encountered are to be eliminated on sight. Leave none alive."

After all, they were just shadow creatures. If they died, they’d just revive anyway.

The Silver Squad was the Martial Arts Alliance’s most elite mobile unit, outfitted with the latest spirit-powered armored suits. Their mobility was unmatched, and their combat prowess rivaled that of peak Domain Realm experts.

Ouyang Xuan nodded. "Understood. I’ll arrange it right away!"

"Wait."

Qin Luo raised a hand to stop him, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Just defending isn’t enough. I’ll lead the charge myself. We’ll rally the world’s Chosen Ones, dive into the ocean depths, and storm the Sea Tribe’s stronghold!"

Ouyang Xuan froze for a moment before nodding firmly. "Got it! I’ll mobilize the troops immediately!"

With that, he turned and hurried out, his footsteps brisk.

The lounge was now empty except for Qin Luo and Su Muwan.

Su Muwan stood up, stretching with a lazy hum. "Another deep-sea expedition? You’re really enjoying playing the mastermind, aren’t you?"

Qin Luo chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Young Miss, this is a grand stage. Every Chosen One in the world is now a piece on my board."

"This time, it’s do or die. Either we pull it off, or..."

He pointed upward, a faint smirk curling his lips. "...we ascend to a new world."

Su Muwan rolled her eyes. "What new world? Are we blasting off into outer space or something?"

"Heh, something like that."

"Fine, let’s go then."

"Not yet. I’ll let the Sea Tribe simmer for a couple of days first—gives me time to gather our forces."

"??"