Everyone was speechless, not expecting that even in this day and age, some parents still believed that children who didn't study well didn't deserve to have fun. It was truly excessive that some had never even been to an amusement park.
"Cang Liu, how is it?" Bai Cha looked at Cang Liu, whose skin was a translucent blue and whose left eye bore a faintly visible dragon pattern, deciding not to dwell on the amusement park topic.
She didn't have an exact location for the underwater secret realm. To find it faster than others, Cang Liu was an indispensable link. Cang Liu was the Crown Prince of the Sea Kingdom, and with the help of countless Sea Kingdom citizens, they could save a lot of trouble.
"I've already spoken with them, but I heard that no one can enter that secret realm." Cang Liu, on land, was always wrapped in layers of black cloaks, fearing even a sliver of sunlight.
But now, underwater, Cang Liu had shed his cloak, revealing his well-built muscles. He wore only simple, form-fitting soft armor that was both aesthetic and proportionate. Even his breathing seemed more balanced. With every move, one could feel the ocean's aura submitting to him, as if he could summon tides with a mere wave of his hand.
"The underwater secret realm is a floating island that my people noticed a long time ago. They specifically went to investigate," Cang Liu continued. "It moves every so often, and it's completely sealed when it moves, so we might have to wait a few days."
As he spoke, Cang Liu sent the compiled data from his phone to Bai Cha. Modern technology was already quite advanced, with waterproof phones being a basic necessity. As for why phones weren't transformed into floating touch screens, a significant reason was to cater to the tactile preferences of many gamers.
Moreover, although floating touch screens had been developed, they hadn't received a very good response. Whether they were converted into bracelet projections or glasses projections, there were complaints about poor tactile feedback or awkwardness. Over thousands of years, the small, compact form of the phone had managed to survive.
Bai Cha's left eye, adorned with a contact lens shimmering with technological light, scanned the folder Cang Liu had sent. Videos and images within the data appeared clearly before her eyes, shifting positions with her gaze. Only Bai Cha's left eye could see this dense information.
Evidently, despite the Sea Kingdom never having visited land in these past few thousand years, with the assistance of humans, the technological advancement of the merfolk was not far behind.
In the video, a massive floating island with a sharp bottom was seen rotating and moving slowly. As it moved, the surrounding waters warped, indicating that some high-frequency energy was diffusing around it, as if guarding the island. Underwater, this floating island indeed resembled a self-contained miniature world.
Adjacent to it were surveillance feeds, clearly showing that Cang Liu had requested the people of the Sea Kingdom to continuously monitor this floating island.
"Then we'll stay at your place for a few days to monitor it constantly. Once it stops, we'll set off," Bai Cha nodded. In fact, she had been considering exploring the Sea Kingdom. She had already integrated Cang Liu into her Shadow organization for some time.
As a member of the Sea Kingdom, Cang Liu should not have aligned with any faction. This time, he was forced to choose a side. At the very least, he had to report to his parents and then consider the situation of the Sea Tribe and offer appropriate care.
If land was a realm of cyberpunk and mechanical sci-fi, then the seabed was a fantasy world. Mechanical components accounted for less than thirty percent, with most of it being carved from the natural underwater landscape.
Giant shells and colorful corals lined the path. Along the way, many sea creatures cast curious glances, but upon seeing Cang Liu and the dragon pattern in his eye, they respectfully parted to make way.
Here, not only merfolk but also some underwater creatures had transformed into semi-human forms. Their appearances varied, and Bai Cha was unsure what kind of fish these creatures had evolved from. However, she remained relatively calm. Gu Mingze, on the other hand, was incessantly chattering with questions.
The deeper they went, the dimmer the light became. However, bioluminescent plankton and giant shells and corals acted as stairs and guiding lights, leading the way until everyone stopped before a group of merfolk.
The merfolk at the forefront had handsome features and a slightly sturdy build, similar to Cang Liu but more rugged. Perhaps due to their constant life in the ocean, his complexion appeared much healthier than Cang Liu's. His expression was solemn, and he wore three circles of golden pearls on his head, his entire being radiating a shimmering light, appearing incredibly noble.
"Father." Cang Liu stepped forward, about to kneel in a half-kneel to pay respects, but the man at the forefront quickly pulled him up.
Whether it was Bai Cha's imagination or not, the middle-aged merfolk seemed to have glanced at her just now, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. And although he was Cang Liu's father, he looked at Cang Liu with a hint of fear.
"There's no need for formalities. Father and son don't need to be so distant." The man patted Cang Liu's shoulder, then turned and bowed to Bai Cha, "I've long admired Miss Bai's reputation. I am the current king managing the Sea Kingdom, my name is Cang Lan."
"You know me," Bai Cha said, arms crossed, with a hint of knowing.
Bai Cha had expected Cang Lan to refute her, as this was her first meeting with him. Yet, Cang Lan's gaze just now was remarkably familiar, even carrying hesitation and unease.
This made Bai Cha suddenly recall Cang Liu's first look at her during the carnival. They had never met before, yet he seemed to have known her for a very long time.
Strange. It couldn't be that the entire Sea Kingdom had another prophet. Humans were exceptionally talented, and having two prophets in one country was already the limit; many countries didn't even have one. Bai Cha had speculated that Cang Liu might be a hidden prophet, and that was why he recognized her during the Prophecy Season.
But this time, Cang Lan's behavior made Bai Cha feel peculiar again.
To Bai Cha's surprise, Cang Lan instinctively glanced at Cang Liu upon hearing her confident words. Cang Liu remained still, and Cang Lan hesitated before not denying it, merely sighing, "Cang Liu has already explained the specifics to me. Accommodations have been arranged for everyone. Please follow me."
Seeing this, Bai Cha did not press the matter further. There was no rush. Although Cang Lan and Cang Liu's behavior was strange, Bai Cha still intended to clarify what needed to be said.
"Logically speaking, in Country Z, your Sea Kingdom should not have taken sides. However, due to some special circumstances, you may temporarily belong to the Shadow side." Bai Cha and several others were led to different shell houses by different people. Cang Lan escorted her and Lucifer, with Xiang Nan following behind; his residence was next door.
"It's alright, it's alright. This was Cang Liu's voluntary decision. We all believe in his judgment." Cang Lan sighed softly, a look of weariness and helplessness appearing in his eyes. He shook his head gently, as if it were all as expected.
"Given the Sea Kingdom's unique circumstances, if you wish to withdraw, I can also find ways to assist Cang Liu," Bai Cha added. After all, Cang Liu, as the Crown Prince of the Sea Kingdom, could not be overly emotional. Bai Cha intended to clarify things as much as possible. "Cang Lan, as a member of the Sea Kingdom, can act as a mercenary for the Shadow. When certain events occur, the Sea Kingdom can be completely excluded, so you don't have to worry about implicating your people..."
"No, no, he's doing quite well now." Cang Lan stopped before a blue coral house, looking at Bai Cha meaningfully. "It's just that we have lived in the sea for so long that we cannot venture out, and naturally, we cannot progress. Although the Sea Tribe is currently in a relatively good state, it is also gradually declining..."
This sounded like a plan to align themselves in exchange for opportunities to explore the outside world. This was not unreasonable. Although the Sea Kingdom lived underwater, they held considerable influence, as humans' lives were inseparable from the ocean, and no one wanted their shipping routes to encounter any problems.
Therefore, even as humans on land squabbled fiercely, everyone tacitly maintained friendly relations with the Sea Kingdom.
Although Country Z's technological power was primarily held by the Light faction, the Shadow, due to its unique nature, possessed the world's most advanced gene technology. Cang Lan seemed to want Bai Cha to alter the Sea Tribe's way of survival from a genetic perspective.
"I will do my best. Although the genes for humans to survive freely in water have been successfully developed, it's not easy to do the reverse, allowing merfolk to survive freely on land," Bai Cha hesitated, not making immediate promises. "After all, we need various experiments, and conducting them in the sea would be very difficult."
If the Sea Kingdom needed the Shadow's protection for their safety, Bai Cha was capable of that. However, moving away from the sea, she had some ideas, but making grand promises was a bit excessive.
"This was Cang Liu's decision, and we have no right to choose." Cang Lan seemed hesitant, as if worried about something. "This... you all make the decision."
This tone carried not only dissatisfaction but also concern. Why was the father-son relationship so strange? What was he worried about? Moreover, the young merfolk who had followed Cang Lan seemed to be very afraid of Cang Liu.
Bai Cha remembered hearing somewhere that the Sea Kingdom was not very peaceful. Merging with the Sea Dragon did not elevate a merfolk to paradise; on the contrary, the struggle for the throne was extremely fierce. If one merged with the Sea Dragon while still weak, it would invite pursuit and assassination. Thus, the Sea Dragon, for the sake of succession, would choose someone else to merge with. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Prophecy could not learn her management style. Prophecy could at most predict the direction of events.
In a flash, Bai Cha seemed to grasp something crucial and blurted it out.
Bai Cha crossed her arms and tapped on the colorful coral adorning the stone-cave house, narrowing her eyes. "You seem very afraid of me."
Cang Lan's expression froze, and he awkwardly turned his head away.
"No wonder something felt off. I remember now. Although this theory is quite outlandish, it seems to be the only one that fits the current situation." Bai Cha spoke with apparent ease, as if casually remarking on having just had a drink of water, yet it made Cang Lan extremely tense.
"Cang Liu, you've been reborn, haven't you? Time reversal?"
Cang Lan: "..."
Cang Lan didn't know much about Bai Cha, but what worried him even more was his own son.
Originally, his youngest son was still young and always innocent and cute. He had once thought that Cang Liu would not participate in the struggle for the throne. Instead, his previous eight sons were all troublesome, and sometimes Cang Lan felt that these sons would eventually usurp him.
Then, one day, his youngest ninth son changed. His innocent eyes suddenly became deep and serene. At first, Cang Lan thought Cang Liu was simply influenced by his other sons. By the time he realized, Cang Liu had already somehow trained himself and acquired a great deal of skill.
It was as if a cloth covering an inconspicuous stone was suddenly pulled away, and a shining pearl appeared abruptly in everyone's sight. His innocent son had suddenly become different.
He trained day and night, speaking less and less each day. Until one day, he brought several of his sons to the Sea Dragon and prayed with numerous merfolk for the Sea Dragon's favor. At that moment, Cang Liu walked forward directly, as if he knew everything, and merged with the Sea Dragon.
"As per custom, I will grant one wish to whoever merges with me," the Sea Dragon said.
In the past, the wishes of the merfolk were nothing more than "Help me ascend the throne." This was because everyone knew they were not yet powerful enough, and those who contracted with the Sea Dragon would become targets for more than half of the merfolk.
However, Cang Liu was not excited at all; he was even unnervingly calm. His request surprised everyone.
"Give me your sharpest teeth, and forge my sword with them."