"The Mirage Sea... has vanished?"
Kashel stared in shock at the empty expanse before him, his eyes wide with disbelief. The other Domain Lord merfolk warriors standing behind him shared his stunned expression, their faces painted with confusion and awe.
"What happened?" Diaman asked, equally bewildered. Having just emerged from the illusion himself, he remained disoriented and uncertain of what had transpired.
The other merfolk were still processing the revelation and had no immediate answers for him.
The Mirage Sea, while undeniably dangerous, had always been considered sacred ground by the merfolk civilization. Upon reaching adulthood, every merfolk warrior would undertake a pilgrimage to these waters for the baptism ceremony, hoping to produce someone worthy of inheriting the Mirage Sea Lord's legacy. Even those who failed the trial would benefit greatly, their willpower tempered and strengthened by the experience.
Several of the Domain Lords present had once been young merfolk who excelled within the Mirage Sea's illusions during their own trials.
They understood the importance of the Mirage Sea better than any ordinary citizen could comprehend.
Kashel had come specifically to investigate whether the Mirage Sea could be secured as sacred ground for the new merfolk civilization they hoped to establish. But he never expected the entire region to simply vanish without warning.
"Could it be..."
Remembering the ancient ancestral teachings passed down through generations, Kashel felt his blood run cold.
Legend held that the disappearance of the Mirage Sea signified the appearance of a successor to the Mirage Sea Lord. According to tradition, the merfolk should revere such an individual as though he were the Divine Lord himself!
"Hey, you're all here."
Han Jue returned from his spacecraft with a casual greeting, approaching the gathered group.
"You, you received the inheritance?" Kashel's eyes widened as he turned toward Han Jue, his voice trembling slightly.
The ordinary merfolk couldn't possibly have ventured this deep into the dangerous waters. Only the two outsiders who had escaped the Abyss prison possessed the capability. And since Diaman clearly hadn't received the inheritance, that left only one possibility.
The merfolk ancestral teachings were explicit: anyone who received the inheritance from the Mirage Sea must be regarded as a disciple of the Divine Lord, possessing status surpassing even the merfolk leader himself.
To the Lord of the Dry Sea, his friend's legacy had been of paramount importance.
"I did," Han Jue replied, his eyes narrowing as he studied the merfolk with cautious wariness.
"...Greetings to the Divine Lord's disciple." Kashel gritted his teeth and lowered himself to one knee before Han Jue, his pride clearly warring with his duty.
The other four Domain Lords exchanged uncertain glances before following their new leader's example.
"Greetings to the Divine Lord's disciple!" they chorused in unison.
Han Jue stood frozen, utterly bewildered by this unexpected development.
After a brief explanation from Kashel, Han Jue finally understood the situation.
Through a series of unexpected circumstances, he had somehow become the highest-ranking figure within the merfolk civilization, a position that even surpassed the clan leader in authority and reverence.
"Let me see the Sea-Suppressing Pearl," Han Jue said cautiously, testing the extent of their obedience.
Kashel didn't hesitate. He retrieved the artifact and presented it to Han Jue with both hands, his expression resigned but respectful.
Han Jue's surprise deepened at this immediate compliance. Taking the Pearl carefully, he examined it with his enhanced perception, confirming his suspicions.
The Pearl's power had been severely depleted over the countless epochs.
While rare treasures born from secret realms like this could theoretically repair themselves over time, the process would require an extraordinarily long period, potentially millions of years.
The Pearl's only remaining function was to moderately enhance comprehension of the fundamental Origin Law of Water. Even if Kashel hadn't retrieved it, after a few hundred more years, the Pearl's power would be completely exhausted, and the Dry Sea Divine Kingdom would naturally collapse, wiping out all life within its boundaries.
The Sea-Suppressing Pearl held little practical value for Han Jue personally.
But what about the merfolk civilization itself?
"What are your plans?" Han Jue asked directly, his tone neither harsh nor particularly warm.
"This..." Kashel turned back and conferred quietly with the other merfolk leaders, their voices too low for even Han Jue's enhanced hearing to catch clearly.
After several minutes of deliberation, Kashel spoke with careful formality. "Our ancestral teachings state that encountering someone who inherits the Mirage Sea legacy is equivalent to meeting the Divine Lord himself."
He paused, his expression uncertain. "We merfolk have nowhere viable to establish ourselves in the outside universe. I wondered if... we might be permitted to accompany you?"
Han Jue's hand immediately went to his forehead in dismay.
This is bad.
Where could he possibly relocate them? Billions of merfolk, every single one reaching Universe level upon adulthood, represented a military force so vast that even if Earth were expanded tenfold, it still wouldn't be enough to accommodate them properly.
They possessed everything necessary to establish themselves except Immortal-level leadership. Without that crucial element, they couldn't quite achieve the status of a mid-level civilization on their own.
"How about this," Han Jue said thoughtfully, calling Diaman over with a gesture.
Having inherited the Mirage Sea Lord's legacy, Han Jue couldn't simply abandon these merfolk to their fate. The weight of that inheritance carried certain responsibilities he couldn't ignore in good conscience.
After considerable deliberation, only one viable option presented itself: purchase a suitable galaxy for their settlement.
Galaxy prices typically ranged between 0.1 and 1 Hunyuan Unit, relatively affordable for someone with Han Jue's resources and connections.
"Diaman, do you know of any vacant galaxies for sale within the Cuimu Empire?" Han Jue asked directly.
"Yes," Diaman replied, his eyes brightening with sudden understanding. "Actually, you don't need to purchase one. I already own a galaxy, but I lack the capability to properly claim and develop it."
"Han Jue, if you can get these merfolk to support me, no physical effort required, just nominal backing, I can designate that galaxy as my future territory, and they can settle there."
With the support of billions of Universe-level warriors, even if they only provided symbolic backing...
If Diaman couldn't return to the Cuimu Empire and successfully inherit the throne with such overwhelming advantages, then he would be a complete waste of potential.
As for not wanting the throne in the first place?
That was only his attitude before being driven out and nearly killed! Circumstances had thoroughly changed his perspective on imperial succession.
"Did you hear him?" Han Jue looked at Kashel and the other merfolk leaders.
Kashel nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "We understand the arrangement."
The merfolk communicated using the universal language, so there had been no confusion about the terms being discussed.
"Then it's settled," Han Jue said, clapping his hands together decisively.
"In that case, we should begin preparations for the migration immediately. Marquis Cang Yuan is ready to take action, and this Divine Kingdom is about to completely collapse," Han Jue added after receiving a mental communication from Lord Hafa through his communicator.
The group returned to the merfolk city, where Kashel immediately began organizing the massive evacuation effort.
With such an enormous population, transporting everyone would be impossible. Considering those who would refuse to leave their ancestral waters, Kashel estimated that only about ten billion elite warriors would ultimately be selected for relocation. The remainder would be left to adapt as best they could when the Divine Kingdom finally collapsed.
Meanwhile, while Kashel coordinated the complex migration logistics, Han Jue and Diaman followed a Domain Lord merfolk named Gongtel to the Abyss prison.
"Honorable Divine Disciple," Gongtel asked respectfully, "should all the prisoners be released?"
"Yes," Han Jue confirmed with a nod.
There was no strategic advantage in keeping them imprisoned any longer. They might as well be freed.
Bai Zhou and the other captives were soon released from their cells, blinking in the sudden light and freedom.
"Brother Han Jue, have you actually become the leader of the merfolk civilization?" Xie Peng exclaimed in disbelief, watching the Domain Lord Gongtel bow respectfully behind Han Jue.
After all, there were only a handful of Domain Lords in Xie Peng's entire Blue Silver Clan, and seeing them in person was exceptionally rare even for clan members!
"That's impossible," Han Jue denied repeatedly, shaking his head. "Absolutely not."
Xie Peng gave him a knowing look, clearly believing he'd seen through the deflection, but wisely chose not to press the issue.
"Han Jue, these merfolk are inhabitants of a Divine Kingdom," Bai Zhou reminded him cryptically, his tone carrying a subtle warning.
Furthermore, they were hostile to humanity, inhabitants of a Divine Kingdom created by an Immortal enemy of the human race.
"Don't worry about it," Han Jue replied confidently.
Diaman's ancestor would handle the political complications.
Bai Zhou nodded, accepting the reassurance. Since Han Jue possessed such confidence in the arrangement, there was no need to interfere. Besides, the matter didn't directly concern him anyway.
Having witnessed Han Jue's extraordinary talents firsthand, Bai Zhou now desired only to return to seclusion and cultivate intensively. He was determined to refuse all external missions until he successfully mastered the Hundred Paths of Time Illusionary Body technique!
Over the following days, Kashel worked tirelessly to organize the migration. More than ten billion elite merfolk warriors were carefully selected and prepared for departure.
With assistance from Marquis Cang Yuan, the massive population was successfully transported back to the Dry Sea Secret Realm proper, emerging from the collapsing Divine Kingdom just before its final destruction.
Diaman then crushed a special talisman, establishing contact with his ancestor through the secured communication channel.
With his ancestor's direct intervention, negotiations were conducted with Marquis Cang Yuan, ultimately resulting in a comprehensive agreement that facilitated the merfolk migration to a suitable star system within the Cuimu Empire's territory.
Diaman's ancestor extended an invitation for Han Jue to visit the Cuimu Empire personally, offering generous hospitality and potential opportunities.
Han Jue politely declined the invitation.
He had one more critical matter to attend to before he could consider any social obligations.
"Han Jue, are you certain you want to sell this Sea-Suppressing Pearl to my teacher?" Lord Hafa asked for the third time, his expression serious as he confirmed Han Jue wasn't joking.
"Of course. This artifact provides no significant benefit to me personally," Han Jue replied with a casual shrug.
Now that the Sea-Suppressing Pearl was in his possession, he certainly wouldn't return it to the merfolk. But since the artifact held no practical value for his own cultivation path, selling it made perfect sense.
"My teacher says that although the Sea-Suppressing Pearl is damaged, it can still be repaired with sufficient time and resources. He's willing to exchange something valuable for it," Lord Hafa said after a moment of mental communication through his device.
After a brief pause, Hafa looked up again, his expression filled with surprise. "He's offering a juvenile Star-Eating Grass in exchange."