The sea, a battlefield!
Bouny floated in mid-air, the Eternal Ice Crystal Crown atop her head radiating boundless divine light.
The entire sea churned with waves, spray reaching for the heavens.
Simultaneously, a surging cold current swept outwards, seemingly intent on freezing the vast expanse and everything within it.
The Merman King commanded a sea clan allied army of ten million strong, while Bouny, with the Dragon Clan, Deep Sea Monsters, and a few allied minor tribes, numbered only a million.
The disparity in strength was an insurmountable ten-to-one ratio.
Facing a certain defeat, Bouny decisively intended to use the divine might of the Eternal Ice Crystal to freeze the surrounding sea and turn the tide.
However, the Merman King had long prepared a countermeasure, joining forces with thirty undead creatures to form an array, encircling Bouny.
The undead were nearly invincible, difficult to destroy, and immune to freezing. Their pervasive aura of undeath surged into countless threads, intercepting all the cold currents emanating from the Eternal Ice Crystal Crown, while simultaneously trapping Bouny.
On the other side.
The Silver Dragon King and three Ghost-Faced Squids, leading their subordinates, were already locked in a bloody battle with the enemy.
There was no retreat in this fight; it was a battle to the death. They fought with the spirit of burning bridges, their combat ferocity unmatched.
The siblings Nangong Manyin and Nangong Chou also joined the fray valiantly, sacrificing themselves in the bloodbath.
Ao Cheng, truly devoted, remained steadfastly by Nangong Chou's side at this critical juncture, shielding her from attacks, inseparable and bound by fate.
Indeed, male bonds were true love; the kind of situations where people abandoned each other in times of crisis, as often happened between men and women, did not occur.
Clang…
With no one to protect her, Nangong Manyin, trapped in the encirclement, finally remembered the treasures she possessed. She took out the Void Swordplay manual previously gifted by Ji Mo and unleashed the myriad sword intents contained within.
Void sword intent permeated the air, and countless sword energies erupted, shredding swathes of sea monsters into mincemeat.
The Desolate Ancient Evil Dragon Island completely transformed into a colossal dragon, ferociously breaking through the enemy formation single-handedly, slaughtering with immense power.
A one-sided battle did not materialize.
Relying on the Void manual and the Desolate Ancient Evil Dragon, Bouny's side, despite their inferior numbers, still had the capital to resist. Both sides engaged in a massive melee, endless blood staining the entire sea surface, a truly brutal scene.
The Merman King's expression was exceedingly grim. He had expected to crush the opposition effortlessly after neutralizing Bouny, with no suspense.
He never imagined his opponents would be so tenacious. If this continued, even a victory would be a pyrrhic one, and his entire fortune would likely be depleted.
"To catch the bandit, catch the king first. It seems I must change my strategy and eliminate this yellow-haired girl quickly, then deal with the others."
The Merman King, a formidable figure, devised a new plan.
He roared to the heavens, his body swelling several times its size. Behind him, a massive disc appeared, like a black sun ascending into the sky.
The trident in his hand vibrated violently, emitting a piercing hum, unleashing its full might with a rainbow light that pierced the heavens.
The Merman King struck fiercely. The indestructible rainbow light instantly tore through the void, heading towards Bouny.
Clang!
The Eternal Ice Crystal Crown automatically protected its master, showering divine light that nullified the attack.
However, the terrifying impact still caused Bouny's body to tremble, her face flushing slightly, a consequence of her low cultivation realm.
"Kill!"
The Merman King, wielding his trident, lunged forward, simultaneously commanding the thirty undead creatures surrounding him to attack together.
This old scoundrel had completely abandoned all pretense of honor. Not only was he bullying the young, but he was also outnumbering his opponent.
The thirty undead creatures formed a dense, dark mass, their immortal and indestructible auras churning into mist, manifesting as dark light chains that converged on Bouny, intending to trap her to death.
The Merman King's killing intent surged, merging with his trident into a beam of boundless light that charged forward.
The void trembled, and runes soared into the sky.
Bouny felt a surge of panic. She was young and had almost no combat experience. Facing such a formidable array, she couldn't help but feel timid.
"As long as I'm here, you won't lay a finger on my little master!"
The Eternal Ice Crystal Crown emitted a childish voice, acutely aware that if it failed to protect Bouny and she got hurt, the brutal human would surely not let it off easily.
It firmly believed Ji Mo would be fine, as someone who could easily knead it like clay with his hands would surely not die without a trace.
The Eternal Ice Crystal Crown radiated a soft glow, its runes infinite. A cold current solidified, resembling a winding ice dragon.
Boom!
The ice dragon collided with the Merman King.
Both unleashed their strongest powers, clashing relentlessly, their impacts shaking the heavens!
The terrifying energy unleashed caused the surrounding seawater for ten thousand meters to evaporate instantly. Some sea monsters caught too close were affected, turning into clouds of blood mist in the blink of an eye.
Taking advantage of the stalemate between the Eternal Ice Crystal Crown and the Merman King, the undead creatures rapidly advanced.
The world-shattering cold emanating from the Eternal Ice Crystal Crown could freeze any flesh and blood, yet its effect on the undead was minimal, allowing them to watch as danger drew ever closer to Bouny.
Seeing the scales of victory tipping in his favor, the Merman King wore an immensely triumphant smile.
"Little mermaid, I remember you. You were the one who slipped through my grasp back then. Your parents, friends, and kin all died by my hand, and soon, you too will join the ranks of the dead under my command, leaving no merfolk in this world. I will tread upon your corpse to ascend the throne of the Sea Emperor and reach the pinnacle of my life!"
The Merman King revealed his pale teeth, his smile terrifyingly ferocious.
The undead creatures had already breached Bouny's ten-meter perimeter. In a short while, they would tear the delicate and beautiful little mermaid to shreds.
"You wish. Mo Mo said he would avenge me, that he would twist your head off for me to kick around like a ball, and that he would boil the entire merman tribe into a soup."
Bouny clenched her fair little fists, glaring at the Merman King.
Upon hearing these words, the Merman King laughed instead of getting angry. "I don't know whether to call you naive or simple-minded. That fellow surnamed Ji is finished, likely turned to dust, not even a speck remaining. You actually still fantasize about him saving you. How pathetic and laughable, hahaha…"
Boom!
A sudden explosion interrupted the Merman King's wild laughter.
His pupils contracted, and he stared dumbfounded, watching an undead creature that had approached Bouny, its maw wide open to attack, explode on the spot, turning into a ball of flame.
The nearly immortal and indestructible undead creature did not revert to its original form; within a few breaths, it had turned to ash.
"I knew it. My Mo Mo is fine. He's not dead; he's come to save me."
Bouny's tears streamed down her face.
At the brink of life and death, who else could save her but that simple, kind-hearted fellow?
"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible! That fellow surnamed Ji is already dead. Can he still return from the grave?"
The Merman King roared like a madman, his face filled with disbelief.
However.
Several more undead creatures were attacked, their bodies ignited, burning into ashes.
The Merman King finally saw clearly. Several wisps of transparent firelight shot out from the Death Triangle, containing unimaginable power, easily burning the undead creatures to death.
Rumble!
The earth shook, and the Death Triangle lit up with endless divine light. Terrifying energy churned within, engaged in an astonishing, world-shattering battle!