When Yun Jin heard what the mermaid said, things finally made sense.
So that's how it was. This Mo Yu had never once imagined anyone would actually dare to lay a finger on him.
Mo Yu let the two Charm Mermaids finish speaking before lifting his chin proudly. "The Ink Sea Dragon Palace is the greatest power of the East Sea! Even the Sea Emperor himself must give face to Mo Hai Lóngzūn. If you kill me, you'll be declaring war on the entire Dragon Palace. The East Sea, no, the entire Boundless Sea, won't have a place for you to hide!"
He bared his sharp teeth and sneered. "I'm a man who values talent. I was even planning to recruit you before. But since you've been so rude, I can't just let it slide. Here's what you'll do. Let me go, knock your head on the ground three thousand times, and I'll graciously forgive you this once."
The chains in Yun Jin's hand suddenly tightened.
Mo Yu let out a shrill, agonized scream.
Only then did she realize something. So he was the one trapped by the chains!
She had thought it was the other way around, that he'd bound her. Otherwise, how could he say something so absurdly backward?
"Have you decided yet? Once you're ready, hurry up and release me, I—"
Yun Jin lost her patience. The Yin-Yang Chains coiled tighter in an instant.
A heartbeat later, Mo Yu's body burst into a mist of blood. His Primordial Soul hovered there, stunned, as if he couldn't comprehend why anyone would actually dare strike at the Ink Sea Dragon Clan.
Yun Jin glanced at the soul calmly. The tip of the chain shifted direction and pierced straight through it.
Mo Yu's eyes widened in disbelief. Even as his soul shattered into nothingness, he still couldn't figure it out. That woman… how dared she?!
The moment his Primordial Soul vanished, far away in the main hall of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace, an old man suddenly opened his eyes. A flicker of panic crossed his gaze as he turned and rushed toward the Spirit Tablet Chamber.
The Ink Sea Dragon Clan had one thousand three hundred and fifty members. Regardless of strength, every single one of them enjoyed the highest treatment within the palace. And now—
One of their noble dragons had fallen.
The old man's pupils quaked violently.
In a thousand years, this was only the second time someone had challenged the authority of the Ink Sea Dragon Palace. The heavens were about to change again.
He clutched Mo Yu's dimmed life lamp and sprinted outside. The death of a clansman was one of the most critical events for the Ink Sea Dragons. Whoever dared kill a true dragon… their life was already forfeit.
Back in the ocean pastures, Yun Jin exhaled softly. Killing idiots like that really did make the air smell sweeter.
Beside her, Hei Chi's mouth hung open in shock. She'd… she'd actually killed a member of the Ink Sea Dragon Clan. She wasn't kidding about going against the Dragon Palace! He forced his trembling hands to close his jaw.
Stay calm.
He had to stay calm.
A mysterious powerhouse like her could do anything, and he shouldn't be surprised.
Yun Jin's gaze shifted toward the two Charm Mermaids. Both women looked tense, their tails trembling slightly. They knew they stood no chance of resisting someone like her.
Yun Jin smiled faintly. "You two must know where the other races are being held, right?"
They hesitated, then nodded.
"Good. Take me there."
One of the mermaids bit her lip but didn't move.
"Senior, your strength is far beyond ours, we can't resist even if we wanted to. But we have to ask… why are you here?" she said in a trembling voice. "We've been imprisoned and enslaved for so long that we've already lost hope. Please, at least spare our lives."
Yun Jin listened quietly, then said, "I just killed a member of the Ink Sea Dragon Clan. Isn't that proof enough of where I stand?"
The mermaid faltered. "Many of the races kept here… they can be used to aid cultivation."
Even though Yun Jin had killed Mo Yu, how could they be sure she wasn't planning to take his place?
After all, the temptation of power was irresistible to most sea beasts.
Yun Jin understood her concern and didn't take offense. She only smiled. "No one in this sea can stop me from doing what I want. If I say I'm here to save you, that's exactly what I'm here for. Whether you believe it or not is up to you."
She pointed behind her. "The barrier's already broken. If you want to leave and report to the Dragon Palace, I won't stop you."
Without waiting for an answer, she turned and headed deeper into the waters. The system's map guided her path anyway, so she didn't need a guide.
Hei Chi hurried after her.
The two mermaid sisters hesitated for a long moment before swimming after them.
Yun Jin looked over. "Changed your minds already?"
One of them smiled sheepishly. "With power like yours, there's no reason for you to lie to us."
Yun Jin smiled in return. "Good. Lead the way, then."
The sisters nodded quickly.
"The nearest place holds the mid-tier races," one of them explained. "They're usually kept for food. Their only purpose here is to one day become a dish on some noble's table."
Yun Jin's eyes darkened.
Even mid-tier races were treated as livestock?
Hei Chi shivered at the thought. If that was how the mid-tier races were treated, what about the low-tier ones like him?
Sensing his fear, one mermaid added kindly, "You don't need to worry. Your meat's probably too tough. The nobles wouldn't like it."
Hei Chi fell silent. Was that supposed to make him feel better?
Yun Jin's eyes narrowed slightly. She ate meat too, but she'd never touch a being with sentience. Once a creature gained true intelligence, it stepped into another realm of existence. Eating them was nothing short of a sin against heaven.
"Senior, we're here," one mermaid said, leading the group into a massive breeding ground.
The moment they arrived, the stench of blood filled the air.
Hei Chi's stomach turned. He was from a low-tier race, yet what he saw here made even him uneasy. The creatures trapped inside were clearly intelligent, yet their fate was to become someone's meal.
A butcher stood in the center, holding a cleaver and gripping a struggling tiger-scaled fish. He pressed it down on the chopping block while a crowd watched.
The tiger-scaled fish already had a Divine Transformation cultivation base, only one step away from taking human form.
But instead of ascending, it was about to become dinner.
"When a tiger-scaled fish reaches Divine Transformation, that's when it tastes best," the butcher said proudly. "Not too tender, not too tough, and with a special aroma. A certain lord ordered one today, so I'll cook it right here for you all to see. Pay attention, this is what you'll be doing once I retire."
The fish's eyes were wide with terror, its belly convulsing violently.
The butcher casually smacked its head, forcing the body still.
"This one's trying to kill itself," he explained. "But if it dies on its own, the meat won't be fresh. You have to slice it while it's still alive. That's the first dish, Tiger-Scaled Sashimi."
The spectators all nodded seriously, committing the lesson to memory.
"The key to handling a tiger-scaled fish is speed!" the butcher barked, slamming the cleaver down toward the creature's head.