Others mocked Cang Liu for being foolish, believing that even with a sword, he couldn't withstand the animosity of millions of merfolk. However, Cang Lan didn't see it that way; he always felt Cang Liu had more astonishing revelations yet to share.
Indeed, after obtaining the sword, Cang Liu adapted to dragon power at a hundred times the previous speed of the merfolk. Before anyone could react, he and his sword had secured the Crown Prince's position, leaving no one capable of challenging him. His methods were sharp and his dominance instilled fear.
Cang Lan felt both worried and proud. On the night Cang Liu personally executed his third and sixth brothers, Cang Lan visited Cang Liu's chambers.
At times, he felt as if he were dreaming. Just yesterday, his son was playing with pearls on a coral reef, pestering him for stories about how sea fish leaped over the dragon gate, and about how his deceased mother was once a peerless beauty.
Yet, in the blink of an eye, his son had grown up, mastering skills and adopting ruthless tactics from an unknown source.
A king's isolation was profound. For his most beloved son, born to his most cherished woman, Cang Lan truly wished he didn't have to endure such hardship.
"Liu'er, if it's too tiring, you can give it up. The throne isn't all it's cracked up to be," Cang Lan said, unfazed by the bloodstains on Cang Liu. The long sword crafted from dragon teeth on the table gleamed with a terrifying radiance.
"I must become king, and I will, sooner or later," Cang Liu met Cang Lan's gaze and spoke words that would forever be etched in Cang Lan's memory.
"Father, I have been reborn. The compass has already been used by me."
The Sea Kingdom was feared by humans not only for its dominion over the depths but also because of a supreme treasure capable of reversing time: the Sea Compass.
This artifact was miraculous, its origin and existence unknown. All that was known was that it was a treasure that could reverse the flow of time, usable once every thirty thousand years. Some legends claimed it was a gift from the gods, pitying the ocean races for their harsh existence, while others suggested the merfolk themselves crafted it after achieving godhood.
Though usable once every thirty thousand years, the temporal reversal it offered was only for a thousand years. Nevertheless, it was a heaven-defying treasure.
Humans held two divergent views on this. Some were not intimidated, having carefully researched and deduced that the physical limitations of the ocean would hinder technological development, making it fall far behind terrestrial advancements. Without human aid, even a thousand-year temporal rewind would be of little consequence.
Others, however, harbored anxieties. After all, it was not impossible that if the merfolk were determined to wreak havoc on land, they could use a thousand years to familiarize themselves with terrestrial systems and then reverse time. In such a scenario, humanity would be utterly defenseless, facing incalculable losses.
Therefore, besides the navigational routes, this treasure was also a reason for humanity maintaining friendly relations with the merfolk.
The leader of the oceanic merfolk on Earth, the compass was stored in different tribes every three thousand years. This particular three-thousand-year cycle fell to Cang Lan's tribe in China.
Upon hearing Cang Liu's words, Cang Lan was so terrified he couldn't eat. He dragged Cang Liu to the underground labyrinth. Indeed, the compass's radiant and intricate patterns had dimmed, appearing like mere scrap metal that had endured millennia, on the verge of turning to ash. Only its energy core, the Mermaid's Tear, still shone brightly.
The Mermaid's Tear was formed from the tears of despair and hope shed by the Merfolk King after contracting with a sea dragon. The world knew of the Mermaid's Tear's preciousness but not how to obtain the most perfect one.
The Mermaid's Tear representing despair was a dull gray-blue, solidifying into something resembling a rough stone. The tear representing hope, however, was a gelatinous gold, and when dropped onto the tear of despair, it could polish it, making it translucent and smooth.
Merfolk emotions were not abundant, and living in the depths, most merfolk emotions were like the cold, sharp undercurrents of the ocean. To simultaneously possess despair and hope was an immense challenge.
A single Mermaid's Tear was not only priceless but also a symbol of power, as merfolk reached their peak strength during periods of intense emotional fluctuation. The Mermaid's Pearl contained the most fervent emotions of the Merfolk King's life.
"Cang Liu, did our Sea Kingdom face a major crisis a thousand years ago?" Cang Lan believed his son implicitly and couldn't fathom him using such a vital artifact carelessly. "Is that why you trained yourself after being reborn? Tell me your difficulties, and we'll face them together."
"I told you, Father. I must be king. This is my Mermaid's Tear, so I am destined to be king," Cang Liu replied, glancing at the power crystal he left behind without retrieving it. He then pulled Cang Lan out of the underground labyrinth.
"I will announce the use of the compass after I come of age. However, this must not be revealed to the land until I bring someone here." Cang Liu was still young when he said this, his tone earnest. A father knows his son best, and Cang Lan noticed even Cang Liu's subtle reactions.
"Bring someone here?" Cang Lan stroked his chin and casually guessed, "Your future wife?"
"...No..."
Cang Lan had intended to tease Cang Liu, as his son had been rather stoic since his transformation. Cang Lan missed the soft, cuddly child he once knew. However, upon hearing his words, Cang Liu's demeanor seemed to darken further.
Cang Lan blinked and changed his tack, "Then is it you? Are you still pursuing her?"
"...No, don't guess wildly," Cang Liu retorted with a cold face, but a hint of dejection still escaped him in front of his father.
"I can't pursue her."
When Cang Liu spoke these words, his expression was filled with profound melancholy, causing Cang Lan immense heartache.
"Why can't you? You are my son, the king of the Sea Tribe. Who is beneath you?" Cang Lan immediately took offense. "Could the person you fancy possibly discriminate against us merfolk... Wait a moment."
Cang Lan seemed to have realized something, his expression becoming peculiar. "So, you didn't use our Sea Kingdom's supreme treasure for a woman, did you?"
"Mmm." Cang Liu readily admitted it.
Cang Lan: "It's over. A love-addled mind brings misfortune for three lifetimes."
"...Get lost." Cang Liu couldn't help but glare at his father. "I'm not love-addled. She will help our Sea Tribe ascend to land."
"Is this true?" Cang Lan's expression changed instantly, becoming serious.
While the ocean was good and their home, the absence of sunlight cast a gloom even upon hearts. Furthermore, the ocean's technology was rapidly falling behind the land's. Anyone with a modicum of foresight could sense unease.
Integrating into human society was easier said than done. The inability of merfolk to land was an insurmountable obstacle. Humans had long concluded that unless merfolk underwent genetic mutation surgery, implanting human genes.
However, the technology for human gene transplantation was only just maturing, and there was no precedent for genetic surgery on merfolk. Most importantly, no human was willing to waste time on this endeavor. Thus, when Cang Liu uttered these words, Cang Lan was overjoyed.
"Of course, it's true. I waited for this technology to mature before using the compass." Cang Liu scorned his unreliable father and sighed, "She even sacrificed herself for our nation. She taught me all my skills, how could I disappoint her?"
If he were to disregard the Sea Kingdom's interests solely for his feelings for her, she would surely be angry.
Thus, after Bai Cha's death, Cang Liu witnessed the humans suffer heavy casualties to defeat the Dragon Mother, saw the shadow leaders of various countries shaken and changing their strategies due to Bai Cha's demise, and witnessed the continuous succession and spreading of flames among the shadow figures of nations.
She was truly remarkable, designing the present and predicting the future. She had meticulously handled all aftermath, and everyone received their guiding instructions. Clearly, Bai Cha had invested considerable effort in teaching each individual.
Then, she left.
Cang Liu felt like a moth drawn to a flame, desperately beating its wings, yet never touching the flame's edge before it abruptly extinguished.
"What do you intend to do?" Cang Lan asked.
"I will first become strong enough that no one can refute me, then publicly announce the compass's use, and then go find her." Cang Liu replied, "The progress will be much faster this time. I will propose the merfolk landing plan to her in advance, and she will surely approve. Then you can wait to lead the people to land in a hundred years. Don't worry about anything else."
Merfolk had long lifespans; three thousand years was a normal lifespan for a merfolk.
"Right, although we will land, the merfolk lifespan will be shortened to two hundred years, not much different from humans. Although our abilities are strong, our reproductive efficiency is quite low," Cang Liu added. "We will need to rely on technological artificial cultivation, with one offspring per pregnancy. However, ninety percent of merfolk have agreed, so you don't need to worry."
Compared to living in the gloomy depths without seeing the sun, almost all merfolk agreed to ascend to land at the cost of their lifespan, with only a few choosing to forgo the opportunity.
"Oh..." Cang Lan nodded thoughtfully, then after a pause, he summarized his thoughts.
"A patriotic love-addled mind." Cang Lan clicked his tongue twice, with a hint of fondness.
"...If you can't say anything nice, just keep your mouth shut," Cang Liu said, wanting to end the conversation.
And so, Cang Liu reverted from a thousand years old to six. In this life, he achieved the feat of contracting with the sea dragon at seven, which he was originally supposed to do at ten. He declared himself Crown Prince at nine and dealt with his rebellious brothers at twelve.
By the time Cang Liu was eighteen, with dragon markings on his left eye and a long sword, no one in the Sea Kingdom could match him. He then announced the use of the compass and the merfolk's landing in a hundred years.
No one objected, and no one rebelled.
They had yearned for land and sunlight for too long, eager for Cang Liu to lead them away. Moreover, even if they had wanted to rebel, they lacked the strength.
At nineteen, Cang Liu arrived at Jun Yao. He concealed his dragon markings, donned a cloak to hide his long sword, and endured the same oppression he had faced in his previous life.
He knew she would come. Cang Liu could defeat them without harming them; his thousand years of reborn memory were enough for him to toy with these human children.
But Cang Liu didn't want to. He curled up on the ground, waiting for that beam of light to stand before him again, just as she had long, long ago.
The light that day was beautiful, golden, like spilled gold. Sitting in that corner, he could see her most beautiful profile.
When a person truly desires to change the world, they realize the insignificance of individual power. Just as she sacrificed herself to secure a sliver of hope for them, Cang Liu only wished for her to live, even if he himself had to live within the scope of her influence.
And now, after a millennium, Cang Lan watched the somewhat timid and subservient Cang Liu with a sigh.
His son, reborn, had never feared anyone, acting wantonly and without restraint. Yet, before this young girl named Bai Cha, he couldn't raise his head.
"I used the compass and reversed time." His voice was cold, like the undercurrents beneath the Arctic glaciers, frigid, yet surprisingly pleasant.
Everyone started and looked upwards. On a pink coral reef, the melancholic youth sat, having listened for an unknown duration. His expression remained aloof, his ice-blue hair dancing like a dancer's ribbons in the water, ethereal and sorrowful.
Bai Cha frowned and asked, "What was the price? What exactly happened? Since your goal was clear and you targeted me in Jun Yao, there's no harm in telling me these things, right?"
Bai Cha didn't understand. With her current dire situation, Cang Liu still chose to follow her. Was there still a turn of events? Otherwise, all of this seemed unfair to the other members of the Sea Tribe.