Chapter 1

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It may not be possible to reach there; if it cannot be reached, then return. A Luo is still waiting for her at the mute sea... But that light is not far away, carrying a tempting allure, seemingly within reach. She feels a bit reluctant, hesitating and wandering. Suddenly, she is swept into the depths of the water by a tremendous force, rolling and screaming in silence, and with a thud, she falls into the mud and sand.

She wanted to leap forward but was held back by the mermaid. She gestured for her to look at the scene ahead, where lightning flashed and struck densely into the water below. Even from such a distance, one could see the terrifying sight of lightning piercing through the sea.

Today is the 15th, and the moon is exceptionally large, illuminating the waters of the Silent Sea as bright as day. A wooden boat, with a sharp bow and flat stern, slowly approaches in a small patch of shadow cast by the moon, its sails billowing. As it draws nearer, movement can be seen on the deck. A young lookout climbs the mast to survey the surroundings and, upon seeing the distant islands scattered like chess pieces, despondently waves his hand downward—five days and nights have passed, yet they remain in the same place, likely to be lost in these waters.

Time is passing, and so is confidence. A slight turbulence has arisen on the sea, and looking out, the waves shimmer like scales. Lanterns are hanging on both sides of the ship, illuminating the deep black sea. The moon is astonishingly large, and faintly, a song can be heard; upon closer listening, it is a clear female voice, without melody or tune, yet ethereal and melodious, penetrating the heart.

Being burned by heavenly fire can be terrifying, and the mermaid hesitated. She had once been struck by lightning, and even now, recalling it brings unbearable pain. The power of the thunder god is astonishing; she had merely grazed it, yet when A Luo found her, she was belly-up, having already lost nine-tenths of her life. A Luo wept bitterly, initially intending to carry her to the mermaid graveyard, but fortunately, she woke up midway. Her mind was still functioning well, but the aftereffects were fatal, as she was missing a scale from her tail. Those mermaids, obsessed with beauty, began to whisper among themselves, planning to expel her from Tide City and send her to the South Sea to build a seawall.

The mermaid rolled her eyes and pretended to be on the verge of death to scare her, which made A Luo hesitate a bit. The person who had been thrashing on the surface was long gone, and after some thought, she made up her mind, "Dive down, dive deep, and the lightning won't strike." Before any further persuasion could be made, she nimbly flipped over and headed towards the center of the storm.

"It has nothing to do with you," A Luo comforted her, then turned to gaze into the distance and murmured, "We should go save them; it will be too late if we delay."

"Yibo!" A Luo's cry echoed over the sea. Faced with such a predicament, she felt powerless, only able to watch helplessly as the lightning and thunder moved swiftly, chasing in the direction where she had fled.

Just as he was about to raise the hammer, he was stopped by the shipowner, who said, "Do not offend the deities." He picked up a conch shell, raised his hand, and threw it into the water, murmuring a prayer, "I beseech the Lord of the Sea to show me a clear path; upon returning home, I will surely offer my sincere devotion and will no longer dare to act recklessly."

She was quite surprised; this was her first time seeing a dragon. When the Dragon Lord appeared, he transformed into human form. Could his true form also be like this? This dragon must have committed an offense and has been imprisoned here, though it is unclear for how long. It is possible that it has already starved to death. Looking at the pillar again, the cloud patterns and interlocking designs at the top are intricate. Since it is used to bind the dragon, it must be of great significance.

The bright moon rises over the sea, presenting a scene different from that seen on land. The surroundings are tranquil, occasionally interrupted by the calls of seagulls and the sound of waves gently lapping against the rocks

I have never seen such terrifying weather, with thunder and lightning obscuring the sky, clusters of fireballs rolling along the sides of the ship, and bolts of lightning striking the ship from front to back. A fierce wind suddenly arose, sweeping across, pushing the ship forward atop the waves, with seawater splashing into our eyes, and the creaking sound of joints disconnecting could be clearly heard in our ears. Suddenly, a colossal creature surged up from the depths, seemingly a turtle, with a shell over ten feet wide. There was no time to observe it closely before it plunged back into the water, creating towering waves, and with a thunderous crash, the ship's hull was shattered into pieces. Suddenly, a colossal creature surged up from the depths, seemingly a turtle, with a shell over ten feet wide. There was no time to observe it closely before it plunged back into the water, creating towering waves, and with a thunderous crash, the ship's hull was shattered into pieces

Everyone was astonished; beyond the South China Sea, there were mermen, their voices like gold leaf, weeping pearls. The knowledge of the land dwellers about the sea tribes was limited to ancient texts, and when they truly encountered them, they were at a loss. At that moment, thunder rumbled overhead; just a moment ago, the moonlight was like silk, and in the blink of an eye, dark clouds gathered, rendering visibility to nothing.

In the midst of a quiet breath, an unintentional glance revealed that the dragon had awakened at some unknown time, its scales bristling, glaring at her with a fierce and menacing demeanor

You should not go either," the mermaid said with difficulty, "it will be fatal.

However, when the net is thrown down and pulled up, there is not much weight. Upon careful selection, a solitary sea snail lies at the bottom of the net, with a crimson tail, about the size of a child's fist—it's it again

The shipowner looked up, thinking that such good weather could not possibly bring rain. Relying on boiling seawater for fresh water, the firewood and charcoal were also insufficient. He struck the side of the ship and said, "Let's set the nets first to fill our stomachs, and then head to the island to see if we can find fresh water"

She is timid, usually hiding at the bottom of the water to weave fish silk, rarely seeing the world, thus she does not recognize this person. She only remembers his appearance: eyes like the deep sea, lips like vermilion, wearing a white robe of gauze, adorned with a crown of coral, accompanied by fish attendants, exuding great nobility. Later, A Luo informed her that he was the Dragon Lord, who governs the waters north of the South Sea. Unfortunately, she has not seen that Dragon Lord again since then. Many years have passed, and she heard from the fish that the last time he was seen was here, so she and A Luo often come to wait, hoping for another chance encounter.

Unforgettable are those slender, white hands, holding a piece of golden scale as she adorned her fish tail. She felt quite shy, her tail fin fluttering delicately to cover herself. After much encouragement from A Luo, she finally unfurled her body for everyone to see, and upon seeing it, all were astonished, exclaiming how beautiful she was! Her scales were unlike those of other merfolk; while most merfolk had amber-colored scales, hers were emerald green, with horizontal stripes shimmering brilliantly. The newly acquired scale stood out particularly among the clusters of deep blue, resembling the sun's rays scattering on the water's surface, shining brightly no matter how deep she swam. Her scales were unlike those of other merfolk; while most merfolk had amber-colored scales, hers were emerald green, with horizontal stripes shimmering brilliantly. The newly acquired scale stood out particularly among the clusters of deep blue, resembling the sun's rays scattering on the water's surface, shining brightly no matter how deep she swam

If this continues, we will die here; the rice jar is empty, and the fresh water is nearly gone

The waves gently caress my chest, nearly scaring me to death; had it not been for the flexibility at both ends, I would probably have turned to charcoal by now. ... But looking around ... ? ... Where is this place? The moonlight dissolves into the deep sea, obscuring the path ahead ? Could it be that I have crossed the boundary and ventured into the Southern Sea ?

Dazed and confused, I managed to get up and, after a moment of focus, I finally saw the scene before me—a large stone base supporting a dark iron pillar, which was over ten zhang in thickness. Coiled around the pillar was a green dragon, its body bound by iron chains. Its majestic horns stood tall, and its eyes were tightly shut, with long dragon whiskers flowing gracefully. If the shackles could be broken, it would likely stretch for a thousand miles.

The mermaid had no choice but to follow, and through the water, she could still see the twisting, brilliantly glowing lightning dancing along the edge of the clouds. Suddenly, there was an explosive burst, as if the sky itself were about to裂开. Startled, her dorsal fin stood on end, and A Luo swam quickly ahead; she dared not fall behind and struggled to catch up. People were floating everywhere in the water, but A Luo had only one target: the ship's captain. She reached out to pull someone, but when she looked closer, she found a pair of unblinking eyes staring vacantly at her; the person was already dead. People were floating everywhere in the water, but A Luo had only one target: the ship's captain. She reached out to pull someone, but when she looked closer, she found a pair of unblinking eyes staring vacantly at her; the person was already dead. She pushed away in horror and searched for A Luo again, only to find her swimming closer to the surface. Her screams could not stop her. The wind and thunder continued to swirl above, and another flash of lightning was brewing. She floated upward and suddenly grabbed the gauzy fabric around A Luo's waist, pulling her forcefully out of that circle of light.

The thunderstorm continues to rage, but the deafening roar gradually recedes, fading into the distance. After traveling for a while, I stop to look and realize that the sky has cleared up without my noticing. A bright moon hangs in the sky, its pale light sorrowful, as if nothing had ever happened.

She wagged her tail, intending to leave, when suddenly she heard a tremendous sound of iron chains clashing, and rocks tumbled from the edge of the cliff, shaking the sea. Startled, she covered her eyes with both hands and peered through the webbing between her fingers, witnessing the swirling glow of the sunset, which was even more intense than before. Gathering her courage, she cautiously slid down along the cliff wall. The bright light dazzled her, and she paused to adjust for a moment. As the water grew deeper, the pressure increased, squeezing her heart and lungs to the brink of bursting

She wandered aimlessly, soaring upwards, but after surfacing, encountered a bit of trouble and finally lost her way. She could not remember from which direction she had come, as there were no markers on the water's surface, making it even less navigable than the depths below. She dove back down, retracing her path according to her memory, swimming for a long time, but the deeper she swam, the more profound the water became. The water beyond the South China Sea is extraordinarily beautiful; in the shallows, it is a breathtaking blue, but as one descends, the accumulation of colors grows increasingly intense. Looking down, it seemed to be a trench, the light dimmed, turning into an inky blackness that was almost dizzying. The water beyond the South China Sea is extraordinarily beautiful; in the shallows, it is a breathtaking blue, but as one descends, the accumulation of colors grows increasingly intense. Looking down, it seemed to be a trench, the light dimmed, turning into an inky blackness that was almost dizzying

There are many spiritual beings in the vast world, and once one attains enlightenment, they must face the heavenly tribulation. This time, they happened to encounter an old turtle hiding beneath a merchant ship to escape danger, which not only failed to provide assistance but instead harmed everyone on board. A Luo wanted to offer help, as saving others is a virtuous deed that should not be opposed. However, the merciless thunder and lightning left no room for escape, turning them into roasted fish, which inevitably instilled fear.

Fortunately, Yibo swam swiftly, disregarding everything, heading south continuously. Coral seaweeds retreated rapidly at the corners of her eyes as she passed through schools of fish, their small, cunning faces frozen in identical expressions of astonishment in her gaze. A giant whale paused to observe her; she swam beneath its massive body, and by the time it turned its eyes, she had already swum far away

Alo is indifferent and utterly bored, she is the very shell that has been caught three times in the net. She and the mermaid form a peculiar combination, one is timid and fearful, while the other is audacious and reckless. Often, she bravely disregards life and death, but fortunately, with the mermaid by her side to hold her back, she has managed to survive until now

In a flash of lightning, it struck deep into the sea, causing onlookers to tremble in fear. Although the singing of the merfolk is beautiful, their speech is not eloquent. In a pair of starry eyes on the water's surface, fear is vividly written, as they frantically wave their hands to indicate that they have done nothing.

The boatmen, who had been adrift for more than a month, were very uneasy; the magnetic needle on the compass kept changing direction and no longer pointed steadily to the south. When the sun rose, they tested it, but it swung erratically east and west, lacking any fixed course

"It must be this monster causing trouble," a boatman said as he approached with a hammer. "Let me smash it flat and see if it can still deceive people!"

"Truly strange." Someone murmured, "I cast the net three times, and it was the same each time."

Jiao Lei barely brushed past the top of his head, while A Luo felt a lingering fear and lifted that person to keep a distance. Just as he caught his breath, the thunder roared again. Turning back, he noticed that the mermaid was trapped, unable to break free despite several attempts to escape. She was anxiously pacing, just about to go to her rescue, when she saw that enchanting and graceful body suddenly leap out of the water, its transparent wings appearing in the lightning, the tail fin creating a splash of light as it traced an elegant arc, plunging deeply into the sea.

She let out a whimper and blew a stream of bubbles. As she stepped back, she suddenly saw the bottom of the ravine illuminated by a brilliant glow, lighting up the area for a hundred miles. Although Yibo was timid, the merfolk were very curious. She lingered for a while, holding onto the cliff as she tried to move down. After just a couple of steps, she couldn't help but retreat, thinking it might be a sea monster with nine heads... After careful consideration, she decided against it; having just regained her life, she didn't want to end up caught in the teeth of a monster.

Thinking of this makes me very sad. The mermaid is inherently peaceful, yet cannot tolerate imperfection. Her kin, who usually live in harmony, ostracized her and treated her as an outcast. Fortunately, she is blessed and encountered a benefactor; otherwise, she would likely be in grave danger now.

Those who originally did not believe in ghosts and deities had no choice but to bow their heads at this moment. They were sent by the monarch to facilitate maritime trade, with their ship laden with ceramics, ironware, rhinoceros horn, and pearls. However, once they entered the South China Sea, everything became chaotic. The azure waves stretched endlessly, as if they had stumbled into another world, destined to drift aimlessly forever.