Seeing Basha's crestfallen and displeased expression, Bai Qi felt immensely pleased. However, considering his plan, Bai Qi quickly composed himself. He waved his hand, signaling Afu to take the treasure chest away, while he put on a guise of great concern and said, "Basha, I imagine the thing you want to do most right now is to get revenge on those who hurt you, right?"
Although unsure of Bai Qi's intentions, Basha saw no need to lie about such matters.
"That's right. Atlantis, my former kingdom, which I built with my own hands, yet my own people betrayed me. Now that I have returned, they will surely face the wrath of Basha."
Watching Basha, who was so emotionally charged that she could barely wait to rush out and slaughter everyone, Bai Qi scoffed, "Basha, you should know very well that humans are no longer the defenseless insects of our era. They too have evolved, and so have your former subjects. And you, who have been trapped in hell for centuries, how much power do you truly have left?"
"Holy Lord, what do you mean by that?"
"I mean nothing specific. I just want to say that if you wish to exact revenge on those you hate, then you'll need a little help. My help."
"What?"
Basha could hardly believe her ears.
The Holy Lord was actually offering her help? How was that possible?
As if seeing through Basha's thoughts, Bai Qi continued, "Nothing is impossible. The world is advancing, and so are our enemies. Naturally, we demons must also keep pace. Besides, we are siblings, aren't we? It's only right that we help each other."
Bai Qi's last sentence utterly disgusted Basha. Siblings? What a joke. It was merely a superficial camaraderie among demons who shared hardships but not triumphs. Anyone who took that statement seriously would be a fool.
"Alright, Holy Lord," Basha said, composing herself. "I know you can help me, but what do I need to give in return? Let's be clear beforehand. Don't even think about my water essence. We are incompatible; you can't absorb mine, and I won't give it to you."
"Of course, of course."
Bai Qi replied, "You are so weak right now; I certainly wouldn't take advantage of your vulnerability to steal your water essence. I know you intend to seek revenge on the seven kingdoms of Old Atlantis, and I, in turn, want to preserve one country."
"Huh?" Basha's brow furrowed, and she asked with a hint of disbelief, "Since when has the decisive Holy Lord shown a soft heart?"
"Just tell me, do you agree or not?"
"I don't agree," Basha stated firmly. "Those traitors deserve to die. My wrath will show no mercy to any Atlantean because of you."
Bai Qi was not too surprised by Basha's refusal of his offer. "Alright, since it's your choice, let's begin here then."
With that, Bai Qi removed the magical barrier sealing the secret chamber and allowed Basha to leave.
As the magical barrier dissipated, Basha didn't hesitate. Her fishtail slapped the ground, and her body transformed into a stream of water, rushing out of the secret chamber and out of the palace. Looking down from above at the relatively prosperous Zebulon, a nameless rage ignited within her.
Basha's appearance also attracted the attention of many Zebulon residents who peeked out to see.
These people were too young and knew little of Old Atlantis's history. They had no idea who Basha was or why she was there.
Facing these ignorant Zebulons, Basha's rage escalated to an entirely new level.
"All of you, die!"
Basha raised her hands, and water magic erupted from her body, piercing the dome that separated them from the sea.
Indeed, although the Zebulons could breathe freely underwater, they had still developed a dome to keep out the seawater. After all, as technology advanced, more and more mechanical products appeared in their lives, along with precision scientific instruments. If these were submerged in seawater, they would be ruined.
Now that the dome was broken by Basha, seawater poured in frantically.
If it were just that, it wouldn't have been a major issue. The Zebulons could breathe underwater, and while some property would be damaged, there wouldn't be many casualties.
But in the next moment, they realized they were wrong, terribly wrong.
The incoming seawater didn't all descend. Basha, like a sponge, absorbed most of it into her body.
As the seawater poured in, Basha's body grew larger and larger.
The remaining smaller portion, as it fell, was controlled by Basha's water magic and transformed into sharks, which then lunged at the Zebulons.
These sharks, though mere constructs of water, were even more formidable than real sharks. Their sharp teeth could tear through steel, let alone the flesh and blood of the Zebulon people.
Even those few who possessed water magic and could barely repel the water sharks before them found themselves overwhelmed by more sharks that surged from all directions, tearing them to shreds.
Of course, Zebulon was once one of the seven great kingdoms, second only to Atlantis in status. However, all its defense forces had been annihilated when Bai Qi arrived. Even the scattered survivors were weakened and unable to put up much resistance.
While Basha controlled the shark swarm to massacre the Zebulon people, Bai Qi and Afu, each leading half the number of異魔 (yi mo - otherworldly demons), went to the museum of science and technology and the library, respectively. They meticulously recorded and replicated all valuable knowledge and packed away all valuable items.
Although Zebulon was not as powerful as Atlantis, due to its close ties with the surface world facilitated by the Sea King, Zebulon had developed not only magic but also some impressive technological achievements over the centuries. These precious technological achievements were stored in the museum of science and technology.
The sharks were focused on the Zebulon people and showed no interest in Bai Qi and his minions. They would automatically steer clear even if they encountered them.
The fleeing Zebulons, seeing this scene, clung to a sliver of hope and followed behind Afu and his group, seeking protection.
The result was that before Afu could even act, the shark swarm instinctively pounced upon these Zebulons, dragging them away and tearing them apart.
"Your Majesty, what is she doing?"
Afu, having completed his task, arrived at an open space to meet Bai Qi. He looked up at the colossal Basha floating in the air and asked Bai Qi with some confusion.
Basha now hovered in the sky, with seawater continuously pouring into her body. However, her growth had ceased. Incomprehensible syllables emanated from her mouth.
Although these syllables had no effect on Afu when they entered his ears, they made him feel extremely uncomfortable. With his excellent quality of asking when he didn't understand, Afu turned to Bai Qi for an explanation.