"Have you all truly forgotten what she once did to us?"
Lin Yuan's voice rang out cold and sharp, filled with deliberate provocation.
He stepped forward half a pace, his blue gaze sweeping over each face before him.
"Do you remember how she turned you into a slave for her own amusement?" he said, glancing toward Yun Wu. "And you, Shuai—weren't you the one who hated her appearance the most? She forced you into marriage, and when you refused, she still dragged you straight into her hell."
Lin Yuan's gaze shifted to Luo Shixin.
"Luo Shixin… didn't she break your wings without the slightest hesitation?"
Then his eyes stopped on Lu Xiao, narrowing sharply.
"And you, vampire—didn't she once try to hand you over to the vampire clan, as if you were nothing more than a bargaining chip?"
The four men fell silent.
The air around them grew heavy and oppressive as wounds from the past—never truly healed—were torn open once more.
Lin Yuan clenched his fists, his voice trembling as long-suppressed rage surged upward.
"And me…"
His tone dropped, yet became all the more dangerous.
"She tore out my scales. My golden scales—ripped off one by one—just to turn them into ornaments for another man."
The memories struck him mercilessly. Pain, humiliation, hatred—emotions buried for years now fully awakened.
"And more than that," Lin Yuan continued in a low voice filled with malice,"she even tried to hand us over to the rebels—just to exchange for her own safety."
He lifted his head, his eyes cold as the deepest sea.
"A woman like that," he said softly, venom dripping from every word,"does not deserve to stand beside us."
His words echoed in the air.
For a brief moment, Yun Wu's eyes dimmed, doubt flickering across his face. But in the very next second, a sharp flash of anger ignited within them. The energy around them subtly changed—an unfamiliar yet oppressive spiritual current seeped in unnoticed.
Lin Yuan curved his lips into a faint smile.
He had used the innate spiritual ability of the merfolk clan—mental manipulation.
In an instant, the consciousness of the four men felt as though it had been pulled away. Their thoughts drifted, reflexes dulled, as if they were sinking into an invisible ocean current. The moment lasted only an instant—
—but it was enough.
Lin Yuan moved.
At blinding speed, he broke through the gap in their defense. Luo Shixin's guard faltered for a split second, and Lin Yuan seized that opening. His hand shot out and grabbed Xue Yunxue, wrenching her out of Luo Shixin's protection before anyone could react.
"Lin Yuan—!" Yun Wu shouted as he snapped back to his senses.
But it was already too late.
The blue-violet-haired figure vanished in a blur, carrying Xue Yunxue with him, leaving behind rippling waves of energy like crashing surf.
In the next second, Lu Xiao fully regained awareness. His dark red eyes narrowed sharply.
"Damn it!"
Without hesitation, his body dissolved into dense black mist and shot after them.
That mad merman—he truly was willing to do anything.
And one thing was now clear to Lu Xiao:
Lin Yuan didn't just want to take Xue Yunxue away—he intended to hurt her.
The forest howled.
The night sky seemed torn apart by unrestrained fury. The wind spiraled wildly as Lin Yuan sped through the trees, Xue Yunxue trapped in his arm. Her breath came in ragged gasps, her hair whipped violently by the wind, her eyes reddened with panic.
"Let me go…!" her voice cracked.
Lin Yuan did not look back.
"Be quiet. I won't fail this time."
Suddenly—
The ground beneath his feet moved.
Black-green roots burst from the earth like living spears, wrapping tightly around Lin Yuan's ankles with unnatural ferocity. The surrounding trees trembled, leaves rustling wildly, as if the entire forest had answered someone's call.
Lin Yuan jerked in shock.
"What—?!"
Xue Yunxue lowered her head, breathing heavily. A soft green light glowed in her eyes, filled with disbelief—as if she herself could not tell whether this was real.
"I… won't let you take me away."
With trembling hands, she pressed her palm against the ground.
BOOM—!
Vines surged forward at terrifying speed, coiling around Lin Yuan's body. Sharp thorns emerged, pressing into the blue-violet scales on his skin. Tree trunks bent and twisted, forming a living cage that sealed his movement. With Yunxue and Moa working together, they forcibly suppressed Lin Yuan.
For the first time—
Shock appeared clearly on Lin Yuan's face.
"Plant element…?" he whispered in disbelief."Impossible. You—"
He felt it clearly. The pure energy of the plant element.
Wasn't this fox woman supposed to possess the fire element?
Yet the plant-element projection and waves were astonishingly pure.
The forest itself bowed to her will.
But in the next second, his expression hardened.
"So you've developed a new power now?"
A violent surge of spiritual pressure exploded from Lin Yuan's body.
The air froze.
Yunxue staggered backward, blood trickling from the corner of her lips. The plants that had grown wildly moments ago began to wither, crack, and collapse.
"You're still too weak," Lin Yuan said coldly."Even with a rare elemental power, you're nowhere near my level."
He raised his hand.
Dense blue light gathered in his palm and struck Xue Yunxue squarely on the forehead.
"Sleep."
CRASH—
Her consciousness collapsed instantly. Her body went limp, the green light in her eyes extinguished like a candle blown out by the wind.
"YUNXUE—!!"
Yun Wu's roar shook the forest.
The wolf charged forward in madness, his body wrapped in beast energy, black claws tearing through the ground. Xiang Shuai transformed fully, his gigantic tail smashing through trees, blocking Lin Yuan's escape route.
"YOU WILL NOT TAKE HER!"
Lin Yuan merely smiled faintly.
"Too late."
He scooped Xue Yunxue's unconscious body into his arms and stomped the ground.
WOOOSH—!
A corridor of spiritual water blasted forward, shattering all obstacles in its path. Yun Wu was thrown back, Xiang Shuai sent flying, earth and tree trunks exploding everywhere.
Luo Shixin attacked from the air—his sword fell like divine judgment.
Lin Yuan blocked it with his scaled arm, pushed back several steps—
—but it was enough.
He turned.
Ahead of them, the city wall was already in sight.
With one powerful leap, Lin Yuan soared over the massive wall, his body spinning gracefully in midair before landing lightly. Xue Yunxue lay unconscious over his shoulder. Without looking back, he tore through the forest at terrifying speed, trees and brush split apart by the whirlwind behind him.
"You're welcome to take her back," his voice drifted on the wind,"if you dare enter the water."
The next moment, he plunged into the raging river that flowed straight toward the sea.
SPLASH—!
The water swallowed them. A massive wave surged—then the river calmed, as if nothing had ever happened.
"CHASE HIM!!" Yun Wu roared, his eyes blazing red with uncontrollable fury.
Luo Shixin stood at the riverbank, eyes narrowed. His spiritual sense spread outward, following the chaotic currents.
"They're heading to the sea," he said firmly.
Without hesitation, he shot into the sky, cutting through the clouds, following the river all the way to the horizon where freshwater met the vast ocean.
Black mist had already moved ahead from the shadows—
Lu Xiao.
His face was cold as stone, crimson eyes burning with suppressed rage and resolve. The black mist slammed into the ocean surface without slowing, then sank into the depths, merging with the water as it chased the blue-violet shadow carrying Xue Yunxue farther and farther away.
On the shore, Yun Wu and Xiang Shuai were forced to stop.
Waves crashed against their feet, sea wind howled, yet neither dared move forward. The sea was enemy territory—a place where their strength would be greatly suppressed.
"We can only hope…" Yun Wu muttered through clenched teeth.
"…that they catch up to him," Xiang Shuai finished quietly, his tail swaying restlessly.
After all, Xue Yunxue was not a water creature.
She would not last long beneath the surface.
At least Lu Xiao still carried merfolk blood within him—their only hope in the dark, unforgiving depths of the sea.
Lin Yuan continued carrying Xue Yunxue deeper and deeper.
The water pressure increased. Surface light faded, turning into a suffocating deep blue darkness. Her hair floated chaotically, her body limp, her chest no longer rising steadily.
Her lips slowly turned blue.
Lu Xiao finally caught up, moving through the water like a living shadow. The moment he saw Yunxue's condition, his gaze sharpened instantly.
"Brother," Lu Xiao's voice echoed muffled through the water, filled with restrained fury,"let her go. She's not a water being. She won't survive at this depth."
Lin Yuan turned slowly. His expression remained calm—he even smiled faintly, a cold and dangerous smile.
"Relax," he replied casually."I won't let her die that easily."
He raised one hand. Blue-silver spiritual energy swirled in his palm, forming a clear air bubble. Lin Yuan brought it to Xue Yunxue's face and gently released it.
Fresh air filled her lungs.
Her chest jerked upward, her body trembling slightly, though her consciousness had not fully returned.
Inside her mind, Moa's voice rang out in panic.
"Sister Xue! Wake up! Hurry! We're in serious danger!"
The voice repeated again and again, striking her awareness like an unceasing alarm.
Xue Yunxue felt her head ringing violently. The world spun. Her chest burned, as if she had just been dragged back from the brink of death. Slowly, her eyelids trembled.
She opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was an endless expanse of dark blue—cold, vast, and alien. Her hair floated around her face, her body felt light yet restrained. Cold water pressed against her skin from all directions.
Water.
The realization hit her hard.
Her eyes widened, her heart pounding wildly. She gasped inside the fragile air bubble and turned her head in panic—
—and saw Lin Yuan right before her, blue-violet scales shimmering along his neck, blue eyes fixed on her with a mixture of rage and obsession.
Not far behind him, Lu Xiao hovered in the water, crimson eyes blazing sharply, his body tense like an arrow ready to be released.
Xue Yunxue swallowed hard.
She was deep beneath the sea.
"Ah… you're awake."
Lin Yuan's voice sounded calm, almost casual, as if they weren't deep under the ocean at all.
Xue Yunxue immediately struggled in his grasp. Her body thrashed, hands and feet moving frantically—but it was useless. One of Lin Yuan's hands pressed firmly against her waist, fingers gripping tightly without leaving the slightest chance of escape.
The pressure made her breath hitch inside the fragile air bubble.
She tried to channel her spiritual energy—but the surrounding water dampened everything. Her plant element did not respond. Roots, leaves, and life that usually answered her call seemed silenced by the ocean depths.
There was no other choice.
Desperately, Xue Yunxue tilted her head and bit down hard on Lin Yuan's neck.
KRAK—
Instead of flesh, she felt something cold and hard. The blue-violet scales were like steel—unmovable, leaving not even the faintest mark.
Lin Yuan chuckled softly.
"Fool," he said quietly, his voice vibrating faintly through the water."Did you really think I'd be that weak?"
His grip tightened further. Xue Yunxue was pulled closer to his chest, her space shrinking even more. Her heart pounded—not just from fear, but from the suffocating pressure.
Lu Xiao surged forward, his body slicing through the icy seawater. The black mist around him twisted into a dark current, condensing into a sharp attack that shot toward Lin Yuan.
BOOM—!
The sea churned violently.
But the ocean was not a battlefield that fully favored him.
Despite his mixed blood of vampire and merfolk, Lu Xiao's movements were far less fluid than on land. Each strike was dragged by the currents, deflected by the chaotic flow. Pressure waves bent his attacks by mere inches—yet that was enough to be fatal.
Lu Xiao frowned.
In Lin Yuan's arms, Xue Yunxue continued struggling, her hair drifting slowly in the water.
Lu Xiao halted his next attack.
If he miscalculated—even slightly—that energy could strike Yunxue instead.
His hands clenched. Rage and worry collided in his chest.
"Lin Yuan… let her go," his voice echoed heavy and cold through the pressure of the sea."You know I won't back down."
Lin Yuan only glanced back. His blue eyes narrowed, reflecting the cold light of the deep sea, a thin smile forming at the corner of his lips—mocking and cruel.
In the next instant, the water around him froze.
KRSSHH—!
Several ice arrows formed in his palm and shot forward, tearing through the water toward Lu Xiao with lethal speed.
"Lu Xiao," Lin Yuan's voice boomed beneath the crushing pressure, filled with ridicule,"have you already forgotten what she did to you? Why are you still defending her?"
Lu Xiao twisted mid-water, black mist exploding from his back, shattering the ice arrows into glittering shards.
"Because I dare to swear it," he roared back, crimson eyes blazing,"she is not Hu Shui. She is Xue Yunxue. That girl is real."
Lin Yuan snorted softly, his laugh cold.
"Tsk… still the same.""You're still so easily deceived by that cunning woman."
His gaze flicked to Yunxue's limp body in his arms.
"Perhaps," he continued softly, killing intent seeping through his words,"if I end her here, you'll finally wake up."
Those words struck Lu Xiao harder than any attack.
His heart slammed violently.
"Don't—!"
Anxiety exploded into uncontrollable rage.
The black mist around Lu Xiao spun wildly, condensing into blades of dark energy. No longer holding back, he charged forward, his assault brutal and relentless.
BOOM! BOOM!
Shockwaves tore through the sea, reversing currents. Coral formations cracked and shattered.
"Enough."
The voice was deep and heavy, resonating through the ocean like the toll of an ancient bell. It wasn't loud—yet it carried absolute authority. The turbulent currents instantly stilled.
A massive figure emerged from the depths.
The merman stood tall and imposing, his body like a pillar of the sea. His golden-scaled tail reflected the faint ocean light with majestic brilliance. Every movement altered the surrounding pressure, as though the sea itself bowed before him.
In his right hand, he held a trident-shaped sea staff, embedded with slowly pulsing crystal stones that emitted blue-green light. Draped over his shoulders was a bluish cloak made from the hide of a legendary blue whale, flowing elegantly with the current—magnificent, yet suffocating.
The aura he radiated was calm… yet absolute.Graceful, yet deadly.
Lin Yuan immediately stopped attacking. His expression stiffened, then shifted slightly.
"Father?" he said, his voice restrained."Why are you here?"
Lu Xiao stiffened. Upon seeing the figure, he immediately lowered his head in respectful salute.
"Uncle," he said in a low voice."It's been a long time."
Xue Yunxue, still trapped in Lin Yuan's grasp, stared at the merman with her heart pounding wildly.
Lin Yuan's father…?
The energy fluctuations around the man were so overwhelming that her chest felt tight. The sea itself felt heavier, deeper, as if pressing down on her consciousness.
"Sister Xue…" Moa's voice sounded softly in her mind, this time without any teasing."I… can't detect his level."
The man known as Lin Tianhai—High Priest and Guardian of the Eastern Sea—was an existence far beyond anything she could comprehend.
And now…
He stood right before them.