The sun shone brightly, the sea surface shimmering with dazzling halos.
Waves leaped, emitting pleasant sounds, and many fish chased and played in the water, creating a beautiful and tranquil scene.
The seawater suddenly churned, and enormous bubbles erupted from beneath. A vast, triangular shadow loomed, indistinct.
Fish and shrimp in the vicinity instantly lost their ability to move, sinking rapidly. In a blink, they all vanished into the shadow, never to reappear.
"The Death Triangle has been appearing with increasing frequency lately. The heavens must be on this King's side. I can use this to eliminate that Ji fellow without shedding a drop of blood."
The Merman King stood at the edge of the sea shrouded by the mysterious Death Triangle, the pale yellow light emanating from his trident growing more intense.
Even holding the demigod trident, he felt an indescribable pressure, his body trembling slightly.
He understood the Death Triangle better than anyone else.
This was a special entrance, or perhaps a trap, connecting to the Land of Buried Gods.
The Land of Buried Gods, also known as the graveyard of gods, was where unruly divine beings who defied heaven and resisted darkness were interred.
The Merman King's father had allied with darkness, assisting a powerful figure in the murder of the Great Immortal Kongxu.
In return, the trident received enhancements from that powerful figure, greatly increasing its might and granting it the ability to sense the appearance of the Death Triangle.
Concurrently, that powerful figure bestowed a drop of immortal blood upon the Merman King's father, intending to help him break through his limitations, ignite the divine fire, and enter the divine realm.
Alas, the Merman King's father was ill-fated and met his demise in a lightning tribulation.
As the dutiful eldest son, the Merman King, on the principle of not wasting anything, utilized his father's remains to research and create a batch of undead creatures.
This provided him with a solid foundation, allowing him to gradually encroach upon, slaughter, and conquer the various races of the Arctic Ocean, reaching his current position.
Now, as long as he eliminated Ji Mo and dealt with Bonny, he would be the undisputed ruler of the Arctic Ocean, the new Emperor of the Sea Clan.
Following that, he could expand his influence, attack the shore, conquer the entire Purple Thistle Province, and then extend his reach to all the continents of the Immortal Spirit Realm.
If his performance was outstanding, he might no longer be just a pawn of darkness but could be valued and promoted to become the scythe, or even the butcher, for harvesting the Immortal Spirit Realm, thus gaining eternal life.
The Merman King envisioned a bright future, feeling that all he desired was within reach. All that remained was to clear away the obstacles before him.
And the obstacle in his eyes had appeared.
Ji Mo, riding the Silver Flood Dragon King in its true form, cut through the waves, arriving to fulfill the appointment.
"Just a weak, effeminate pretty boy?"
The Merman King narrowed his eyes, spotting Ji Mo from afar, and was somewhat taken aback.
Wasn't he the one who arrogantly claimed to be the guardian of the Sea Emperor, the lord of flood dragons, the terminator of sharks, the nemesis of deep-sea leviathans, and the breaker of clams?
Why did he seem so underwhelming, appearing harmless and not at all fearsome?
"The one ahead is the Merman King, an old schemer. Mr. Ji, you must be very careful."
The Silver Flood Dragon King stopped, not daring to proceed further.
This was because the Death Triangle lay precisely between them.
"He looks so unsightly. From a glance, I can tell he's no good."
Ji Mo glanced at the Merman King, then his attention was entirely focused on the trident.
As for the Death Triangle before him, he hadn't paid much attention to it for the moment.
The news he received at the Small Thunderclap Temple indicated that the trident was connected to the death of Great Immortal Kongxu. He wanted to uncover the truth of that year and avenge his elder brother Kongxu.
Unsightly?
The Merman King's face immediately turned green.
"How did Great Immortal Kongxu die back then? Who were the culprits? Tell me everything you know, and perhaps I'll grant you a swift end."
Ji Mo's expression was impassive. It was clear he had no intention of letting the Merman King go.
Whether it was for Great Immortal Kongxu or to avenge Bonny, he had no intention of sparing the Merman tribe.
The Silver Flood Dragon King was a little anxious, feeling that Ji Mo was not tactful enough.
Even if he harbored killing intent, he could have first made false promises to trick the information out of him. Why interrogate him so directly?
No one noticed that within the shadow of the Death Triangle, a blurry鬼脸 (guǐliǎn - ghost face) appeared. Upon hearing Ji Mo mention Great Immortal Kongxu, it revealed a sinister, triumphant smile.
"You want to avenge Great Immortal Kongxu?"
The Merman King paused for a moment, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.
After Great Immortal Kongxu's demise, who dared to mention him? Everyone avoided it like the plague, fearing implication.
Now, there was a human who didn't know the immensity of heaven and earth daring to mention him, and even arrogantly claiming to avenge Great Immortal Kongxu. It was simply courting death.
Great Immortal Kongxu was a forbidden topic. Once involved, one would inevitably be purged by darkness.
"The death of Great Immortal Kongxu is indeed related to our Merman tribe, and this trident in my hand has even been stained with Great Immortal Kongxu's blood. If you have the guts, come and kill me. Take your revenge."
The Merman King laughed arrogantly, deliberately provoking Ji Mo to enrage him.
Ji Mo's expression sharpened. He stomped his feet fiercely, and his body shot out like an arrow from a bowstring.
How dare he shout at Ji Hanhan! I'll beat you to death.
"Mr. Ji, calm down, this is a provocation..."
The Silver Flood Dragon King, due to the recoil, was directly stomped into the water.
When it resurfaced, Ji Mo had already charged into the Death Triangle area.
"This is bad!"
The Silver Flood Dragon King's heart leaped into its throat. Impulsiveness is the devil! The Death Triangle is a place of no return. This time, it's completely over.
"I thought he was some formidable character, but he's just a hothead. Haha..."
The Merman King was immensely pleased. He hadn't expected his plan to go so smoothly. With a little provocation, the opponent fell for it.
However.
His laughter abruptly ceased, and he wore an expression as if he had seen a ghost.
Because the Death Triangle, where "birds cannot fly over and not even a feather can float," did not swallow Ji Mo. This fellow seemed unaffected, sprinting across the water towards him.
Ji Mo's eyes were as brilliant as stars, containing an unimaginable pressure. The Merman King felt as if he were being watched by a supreme deity, so terrified that his heart almost stopped beating.
"Impossible! What the hell is this guy? How can he be so terrifying?!"
The Merman King's teeth chattered uncontrollably, and cold sweat began to bead on his forehead.
If not for the layers of energy light shields emanating from the trident in his hand for protection, he would have likely knelt down in fear on the spot.
"Death Triangle?"
Ji Mo finally sensed the terrifying suction beneath his feet, but he didn't take it to heart.
But then he sensed something was amiss.
A ghost face flashed and disappeared beneath the sea. Immediately, countless runes erupted, and chains of法则 (fǎzé - laws/principles) intertwined. A terrifying energy vortex appeared out of nowhere, sucking him in.
"Scared me to death. This Ji fellow has finally been tricked to death by me."
The Merman King wiped the sweat from his forehead, gasping for breath.
On the other side, the Silver Flood Dragon King's face turned ashen, and it cried out in disbelief, "It's over! Mr. Ji has met with disaster."
It decisively fled, rushing back immediately to report and seek reinforcements.
The Land of Buried Gods.
That dim moon suddenly emitted a faint glow.
The Moon God, who had been sleeping, seemed to sense something and slowly opened its eyes: "Is he here to save me?"
"No, a big fish has taken the bait and come to die."
The ghost face appeared, its mouth splitting into a sinister grin as it let out a chilling laugh.