"Utterly ridiculous!" After saying that, he didn't wait for the Merman King's reply and began chanting obscure incantations.
The eerie green lights surrounding the coffin instantly condensed into a green mist, looking particularly ominous. The mist disappeared into the coffin the moment the incantation ended, enveloping the two human figures inside.
The Mermaid King let out a shrill scream; overwhelmed by the agony in his mind, he almost forgot where he was.
The dark, humanoid figure chuckled mockingly, plunging its hands into his chest, then pressed itself face-to-face with him, its tone quite disdainful: "Since the skin I prepared earlier has been stolen, then you will become my skin."
Although I will be weak for a while, I might be able to inherit the legacy of the Merfolk.
Furthermore, Han Tao will also be entering the Mermaid Domain today, and he fears that if he doesn't go, something unexpected might happen.
The dark, humanoid figure carried out all of this with ease, and the smooth progress of things made him even more careless about the merman king beneath him.
The Mermaid King's mournful cries echoed in the secret chamber, chilling yet filled with boundless resentment.
"Almost done..." The dark humanoid figure looked at the alternative below him, half of his body already submerged inside the Merman King's body.
This is not just possession; he wants to devour the Merman King and then completely replace him.
After all, once today is over, there will be no need for the Mermaid King to exist.
Just a moment before the Merman King's shrill scream abruptly ceased, an incomparably dazzling golden light burst forth from his palm, swiftly dispelling the swarming green mist.
After doing all this, the golden light transformed into countless points of light, all falling on the two of them.
"Ah!" This time, the scream came from a pitch-black humanoid figure. He looked in disbelief at his body being melted by the golden light, and his hoarse voice was filled with fear, "The dragon's breath of the Ancestral Dragon, how could you have it!"
The Mermaid King's eyes widened, filled with a palpable hatred: "Die!"
Ignoring the roar and barbed curses of the dark humanoid figure, he swung his regained strength with his fishtail and flung the figure out of the coffin.
As soon as the dark, humanoid figure emerged from the coffin, the surrounding air felt like irresistible magma to him, and the entire figure began to melt from its feet.
Even so, he still possessed divine consciousness, and thus could clearly see the Mermaid King crawl out of the coffin and, right before his eyes, destroy the mermaid lamps surrounding the coffin one by one.
"I am your ancestor! You can't do this!" The dark humanoid figure crawled on the ground, without a skin covering it or the protection of the mermaid lamp, and the stench of decay emanated from it.
The Mermaid King glanced gratefully at the golden light that had retreated after its mission, then looked down at him with disgust, leaning on the coffin: "Since you are an ancestor who has already died, you should stay in your grave and rot, just like the smell on your body!"
After saying that, he destroyed the last mermaid lamp in front of the humanoid figure on the ground.
The golden light had disappeared, and the Mermaid King leaned against the coffin, panting, but his aged face showed a sense of relief.
He didn't even glance at the marks on the ground, slowly walked out, and resolutely destroyed the remaining mermaid lamps.
"Meng Lian." When the Merman King sat back down in the palace, looking at the familiar scene, he felt as if he had been transported to another world.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Meng Lian looked at the Merman King on the throne with a puzzled expression. "Weren't you in seclusion?"
The Mermaid King lowered his eyes, yet his decaying body still exuded the majesty of royalty.
"What are they doing now?" He was heartbroken that no merman could recognize his true identity, yet relieved that they always obeyed the king's orders.
Once this matter is over, it's time to break the rule that merfolk have always lived in seclusion in the deep sea. The protection provided by the deep-sea waves has prevented them from experiencing the storms of the outside world.
Meng Lian felt that the Merman King was acting strangely today, but she didn't think much of it and simply answered truthfully, "The marriage celebration between the Dragon Clan and the Merman Clan has begun. Does Your Majesty wish to attend?"
A wedding celebration?
By the way, this time they are going to the Mermaid Realm, the place where merfolk have died throughout history.
Recalling that golden light, the Merman King pondered for a few moments. Knowing that Han Tao had his own plans, he didn't concern himself with the matter. Instead, he slowly said, "Destroy all the Mermaid Pills and register all the Mermaids who have taken the pills I distributed before."
"From now on, without my order, no merman may leave the floating city."
Before Meng Lian could answer, the exhausted Merman King waved him away.
Merfolk have absolute loyalty to the Merfolk King. Even if Meng Lian has doubts, he will still carry out his orders without hesitation.
The doors of the royal palace opened and closed again. The Mermaid King listened to the lively sounds coming from the floating city, leaned back on his throne, and closed his eyes to rest.
He couldn't bear to think about whether the merman race would still exist if the fake merman king hadn't invited the dragons.
The missing merfolk and the mermaid oil in the secret chamber are the best proof.
But cause and effect are cyclical, and retribution is inevitable. The ancestor who crawled out of the grave probably never imagined that it was precisely because of his actions that the plan failed.
...
The palace lanterns stretched endlessly, and the floating city was filled with bright lights and hanging red ribbons.
Colorful fish swam above the opened barrier, fluorescent jellyfish danced softly, and all the mermaids stood on both sides of the main road, craning their necks to wait for the soon-to-arrive newlyweds.
The marriage between the Merfolk and the Dragon Clan was an unprecedented event. Although the Merfolk King was unwell and unable to attend, Meng Lian carried out all his orders.
"Is that the most beautiful newborn merman? I heard that the dragon chieftain fell in love with him at first sight and they became his betrothal partner."
"He's so lucky..."
"I heard that the dragon chieftain had a bride in the human race who was used to bring him good luck, but the two had no feelings for each other, so he got a good deal."
"Tch... If you had that kind of looks and figure, you should try and pick up a bargain yourself..."
The merfolk were whispering among themselves when someone shouted, "They're here!"
The entire floating city fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on what lay ahead.
Two figures dressed in wedding attire appeared in everyone's sight. The tall man had bright golden eyes, his brows were furrowed, and his gaze swept over people with a vast sense of awe and natural ferocity. His jawline was cold and sharp, and people dared not look directly at him, so they subconsciously ignored his appearance and only remembered his arrogant and cold aura.
The man beside him had black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall, with bluish-green scales at his temples shimmering with a subtle glow, making his face appear even whiter and exuding a strangely alluring beauty. His fishtail was concealed by the long train of his wedding dress, and a dark red sash cinched his slender waist, making his entire figure as upright as a green bamboo stalk covered in morning dew.
They were dressed in wedding attire, and the two, with their completely different appearances and temperaments, stood together with an undeniable sense of perfect harmony.
"Bang!"
With a loud bang, countless fireworks rose into the sky outside the floating city, exploding right above the barrier, causing the entire floating city to tremble.
Fu Mingxu was startled by the loud noise and looked up to ask, "Was this also Han Zhengzhi's idea?"
His face was unadorned, with only his cascading black hair simply tied back with a hairband, revealing a handsome and strikingly beautiful face.
Even the most dazzling fairy beauty is nothing compared to this, and even the brightest moon cannot compare.
Han Tao lowered his eyes to look at him, the coldness on his face was swept away by the spring breeze, and the ice and snow melted to reveal the spring. "It was my idea."
"I've heard that humans celebrate weddings with fireworks. Do you like that?"
The exploding fireworks created a gust of air, causing the hems of their wedding gowns to flutter. As they gazed at each other, their dark hair swirled in the wind, their blue and gold hair ribbons resembling playful butterflies.
Fu Mingxu swallowed his words, "Isn't this just an act?" Subconsciously, the flesh in his chest throbbed violently, as if it were about to burst open with the fireworks filling the sky.
In the deep sea, beneath the fireworks, and before many eyes, he temporarily set aside those troubles and worries.
He heard his own voice, soft and steady: "I like it."
I don't know if I like the fireworks in the sky or the person in front of me.
It seems they really got married.
Before entering the Mermaid Domain, Fu Mingxu thought in a daze that things were not going as he had imagined, but the result was one that he did not reject.
The two did not speak again, but every glance they exchanged was noticed by others, and their intimacy was palpable in the air.
"Congratulations to you both! May you stay together forever!" Zhang Anran, who was hiding next to Meng Shui, suddenly shouted.
The crowd fell silent, and Han Zhengzhi, who was intently watching each step of the process, wholeheartedly echoed, "May you bathe in the river of love forever, and never be apart until your hair turns white!"
These two sentences are like a drop of rain falling on a calm surface of water, followed by more raindrops and more words.
Countless blessings poured out from the mouths of merfolk, humans, and demons. At this moment, they forgot themselves and continued to offer blessings in accordance with the words of others.
The marriage between the dragon race and the merman race will be sealed at the Three Lives Stone in the Merman Realm. This was the news that the Merman King announced a few days ago.
Amidst the dazzling fireworks, Fu Mingxu was led by Han Tao step by step from the main road of the floating city toward the Mermaid Domain.
Standing in the crowd, Li Chixue watched the two figures hand in hand, feeling that today's fireworks were too dazzling, hurting her eyes.
“Young Master Li.” Meng Bai, standing beside him, looked at his profile, his silvery-white tail trembling nervously. “I…”
Before he could finish speaking, Li Chixue vanished in a flash, and the other man was nowhere to be seen.
It wasn't until they reached the entrance to the Mermaid Domain that Fu Mingxu snapped out of his dazed state.
"Do we really have to go in?" He looked at the vortex-like entrance, feeling a little apprehensive. "It's a pity there are no records about the Witch Clan inside the Royal Palace."
After the skin-stealing incident, the two searched the royal palace's archives in the dark, but unfortunately found not a single word related to the witch clan.
Han Tao looked down at him, glancing at the overlapping hems of their robes out of the corner of his eye, and said in a deep voice, "The Witch Clan existed ten thousand years ago, while the Mermaid King's Palace was newly built seven hundred years ago, so the books placed there are based on the time of that year."
"But there are tombs of merman royalty from all over the world in the Mermaid Realm, containing records from their time. Perhaps you can find the information you are looking for."
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingxu stared at the vortex in silence for a long time before finally managing to speak with difficulty: "So, we're going to take a stroll around the ancestral tombs of the merfolk?"
“The Mermaid Tomb is only one part of what’s inside.” Han Tao didn’t let go of his hand; instead, he gripped it tighter. “You’ll understand once we’re inside.”
Oh, still keeping me in suspense?
"Wouldn't it be inappropriate to wear such bright red clothes?" Fu Mingxu patted his clothes and said matter-of-factly, "Take them off while no one's around."
To everyone's surprise, Han Tao shook his head: "I won't take it off."
Without waiting for his reaction, she grabbed him around the waist and jumped into the whirlpool.
Fu Mingxu's words were swallowed back down by fright. As the wind howled past his ears, he gripped Han Tao's clothes tightly in fear.
"Don't be afraid." Han Tao's voice was filled with undisguised pleasure. He held the person in his arms tightly and said loudly, "Lift your head and look around."
As he finished speaking, the wind stopped, and a faint fragrance wafted by.
It smells like flowers.
Fu Mingxu slowly raised his head in his arms, and was stunned by what he saw.
Instead of a black hole, the vortex they jumped into was a meadow, with countless magical flowers and herbs blooming on the ground, and butterflies and bees flitting about busily.
If he hadn't seen the merman statue standing not far away, he would have thought that Han Tao had taken him to the Dragon and Phoenix Realm.
"Is this the Mermaid Domain?" Fu Mingxu got off him, stepped on the grass, and exclaimed in surprise, "I never imagined there would be such a place in the deep sea."
After saying that, he squatted down and looked at a spirit herb he had never seen before. When he stood up, a flash of inspiration struck him: "How did you know that these exist in the Mermaid Realm?"
He stared at Han Tao for a long time, then asked in surprise, "Have you been here before?"
Han Tao's fingers trembled slightly as he looked into those clear eyes. After steadying his breath, he said, "This place contains the largest Three Lives Stone in the Cangling Continent, a place where love is most intense."
Fu Mingxu was taken aback at first, but after scanning the area again, he immediately understood.
At first he didn’t notice, but now that he looked closely, the spiritual herbs and flowers on the ground were all growing in pairs, and even the fluttering butterflies and buzzing bees were in pairs.