"Lowly race! How could there be a lowly race here?!"
A harsh shout suddenly broke through the water. A burly man holding a steel trident frowned as he glared at the Blackfang Shark. Behind him stood a small squad, ten people in total.
The Blackfang Shark trembled under their sharp gazes and instinctively hid behind Yun Jin.
Yun Jin's expression stayed calm. "He's my subordinate. I brought him into the deep sea. Do you have any problem with that?"
The man's pupils shrank sharply.
This woman…
He hadn't even sensed her presence until she spoke. His instinct screamed danger. He immediately released his divine sense to probe her, but the moment he did, it was bounced back violently. He screamed in pain and spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Captain!"
The others shouted in panic, raising their weapons toward Yun Jin.
"What did you do to our captain?!" someone yelled angrily.
Yun Jin's tone stayed even. "Did I even lift a finger?"
Her words made them hesitate.
Right.
She hadn't moved at all.
So how did their captain get injured?
"Silence!" the burly man barked, forcing himself upright. He scolded his men, "Who told you to be disrespectful to a senior?!"
Idiots.
He'd merely tried to glimpse this woman's Primordial Soul, yet got seriously injured from the backlash. Her cultivation must at least be at the Mahayana stage. That was far beyond what their little squad could afford to provoke.
"Senior, they didn't know any better and disturbed you," the man said with a fawning smile. "Since this Blackfang Shark is brought here by you, he naturally has the right to enter the deep sea."
For a brief moment, Yun Jin felt a faint sigh in her heart. This Boundless Sea really was the embodiment of the jungle law. Men like this one—fluent and natural in switching between arrogance and servility—would be rare among humans.
But here, it seemed perfectly normal.
After getting scolded, the squad members quickly changed their expressions, all showing flattering smiles toward her. The shift was so smooth, it almost looked practiced.
"So, you're not planning to cause us any trouble now?" Yun Jin asked.
"Of course not, of course not." The burly man shook his head rapidly. "We were blind earlier, Senior. With your power, your subordinate can go wherever he pleases."
Yun Jin nodded and walked forward.
The man hesitated for a moment, struggling with himself before jogging after her.
"What is it?" Yun Jin raised an eyebrow.
"Please don't misunderstand, Senior," the man said quickly. "I only wanted to remind you. Ten miles ahead is the restricted zone of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace. No outsiders are allowed to enter."
Yun Jin looked at him curiously. "And what if I insist on going in?"
The man instantly took a step back, then chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I've already given my warning. What happens next has nothing to do with me."
These people were just outer patrols of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace, doing the simplest watch duties. The closer one got to the core, the stronger the guards became.
Yun Jin glanced at the Blackfang Shark. "Are all sea beasts in the Boundless Sea this clever?"
The Blackfang Shark couldn't tell if she was praising or mocking him, so he just grinned sheepishly, showing a few sharp teeth.
"Alright, you all should go," he told the other sea beasts. "Don't patrol here anymore. If you can, get as far away as possible."
Yun Jin was about to go up against the Ink Sea Dragon Clan. A massive battle was bound to erupt here. If they didn't leave soon, they'd get dragged into it.
Yun Jin gave the shark another glance. At least this Blackfang Shark had a bit of conscience left. She didn't say more and let him handle the retreat.
Once he was done, the shark swam back and bowed deeply. "Senior, we can continue forward now."
Yun Jin nodded.
Along the way, whenever they came across a patrol, she only needed to release a trace of her aura. Either the squads turned tail and fled, or they greeted her respectfully from afar.
The Blackfang Shark also tried persuading a few of them to leave, though whether they listened or not wasn't his concern.
Before long, Yun Jin and the Blackfang Shark arrived at the marked spot on the map. What appeared as just a single point on the map turned out to be an enormous sea region spanning a hundred miles.
Inside, the Spirit Pearl Clam clan was kept, along with several other sea beast races, all confined within barriers.
Compared to others, the Spirit Pearl Clams actually had it better. Since the Ink Sea Dragon Clan needed their pearls, they were provided luxurious palaces and comfortable living conditions. As long as they delivered pearls regularly, they wouldn't be mistreated.
But the others were far worse off. Some were penned up as livestock. Some were trained as mounts. Some were kept purely for the dragons' amusement.
Even before Yun Jin entered, she felt a deep discomfort in her chest. Activating her Insight Eye, the calm waters before her instantly filled with raging black mist. The darkness was so thick that it shocked her.
That black aura churned violently, filled with countless wailing spirits crying in agony. For thousands of years, the resentment and pain of all the races enslaved by the Ink Sea Dragons had merged into this terrifying sea of hatred.
[Missioner has sensed the resentment of countless souls. Emotion stirred. Would you like to modify your mission to: Lead all enslaved beings to freedom? Difficulty increase: moderate. Accepting this will raise it to S+ rank.]
A mission that could be upgraded after acceptance?
Yun Jin didn't hesitate. "Accept."
Freeing one is freeing, freeing a hundred is the same.
For her, it didn't make much difference.
[Mission updated. Please complete it to earn higher-tier rewards.]
Yun Jin lifted her foot, ready to step forward—
Only to find herself blocked by a transparent barrier.
"Senior," the Blackfang Shark said nervously, "this entire hundred-mile region is covered by a formation barrier. Without the Ink Sea Dragon Clan's permission, no one can get in."
Yun Jin nodded slightly.
She'd already sensed it.
"So, what do we do? Should we try to sneak in?" the shark asked, a little anxious.
"Sneak in?"
Yun Jin's expression turned odd.
The shark blinked, still clueless about what she meant.
He was about to ask again when—
Suddenly!
A strange, ancient sword appeared in Yun Jin's hand, releasing an overwhelming aura.
The surrounding seawater began to surge violently!
"Enemy attack!"
"Who's there?!"
"Quick, follow me!"
Voices echoed from all directions as one powerful aura after another rushed toward them.
The Blackfang Shark fell silent. Even if they weren't sneaking in…
Did she really have to make such a grand entrance?!