Huo Yuhao and his group didn't spend much effort before they quickly found traces of the Sea Princess Tribe.
On one hand, this was because the bay area was limited in size. On the other, the Sea Princess Tribe had already clashed many times with the local soul beast groups in the bay.
All they had to do was follow the noise of battle.
Along the way, Huo Yuhao communicated with his main body's clone, remotely accessing the clone's memories to confirm the situation.
And, well, as it turns out—
This Sea Princess Tribe coming to the bay really did have a lot to do with him.
Or rather, it was his demon offspring who were the true culprits.
Most importantly, this Sea Princess Tribe was indeed the same one from the original work.
Back then, Huo Yuhao had sent his personally raised demon children to the ocean for training and growth, using sea soul beasts as sparring partners to help them improve.
And the ocean closest to Shrek Academy was this very bay. Traveling north from the bay would lead into the ocean bordering the Extreme North, and eventually into the Ice Sea.
The Ice Sea was a frigid marine zone within the territory of the Extreme North, rarely visited by humans.
Living in the Ice Sea were unique sea soul beasts—and also the Sea Princess Tribe.
Strictly speaking, the Sea Princess Tribe should be called the Mermaid Tribe.
They were known as the "Sea Princess" Tribe because their leader carried the title of Sea Princess.
Ten thousand years ago, the Sea Enchantress of Sea God Island, a Sea Douluo, was one of this race.
The Sea Princess lineage of the Ice Sea inherited a special golden bloodline unique to the Mermaids. The Sea Princess herself had a strength approaching that of an Ultimate Douluo.
She had two daughters, both at the hundred-thousand-year cultivation level. Among them, the younger daughter, Li Ya, who inherited the golden bloodline, became Huo Yuhao's soul spirit in the original story.
Mermaids, like the Wolf Raiders, were half-human, half-soul beast hybrids—a third category of existence separate from humans and soul beasts. But mermaids were more intelligent and more human-like, with some even capable of awakening martial souls.
Huo Yuhao was quite intrigued by such half-human, half-soul beast races.
Unfortunately, in this era, the Wolf Raiders had gone extinct, and mermaids were rarely seen.
Without the protection of Sea God Island, sea soul masters had fallen into decline, and the Mermaid Tribe had become even more mysterious and scarce.
The story of how the Sea Princess Tribe ended up in the bay began with the expedition of Huo Yuhao's demon offspring.
Their journey wasn't confined to the bay. In fact, they deliberately avoided creating bloodshed in the bay.
They saw the bay as a nest—a place to hide and not draw attention, especially since it was close to the human empire. Any large disturbance might attract powerful retaliation.
Don't underestimate demons. They can be clever—especially those nurtured by Huo Yuhao himself.
After establishing a nest in the bay, the demon offspring moved north into the wider ocean to hunt and train.
Naturally, this brought them close to the Ice Sea, where conflict with the Sea Princess Tribe became inevitable.
However, due to the Sea Princess's immense strength and the many soul beast groups allied with her tribe—not to mention the innate power advantage sea soul beasts possessed in their home territory—the demon offspring were usually defeated and dared not provoke them further.
That is, until Huo Yuhao sent his main body's clone into the ocean, accompanied by a group of cultivation furnaces for training.
Then, everything changed.
The clone's combat power was exponentially stronger in the ocean, and he was practically an Ultimate Douluo in terms of strength.
Upon hearing his demon descendants complain about being bullied, the clone immediately stormed into the Ice Sea to investigate.
And from that point, it was the beginning of doomsday for the sea soul beasts of the Ice Sea.
Now, all the sea soul beast groups once allied with the Sea Princess Tribe had been slaughtered and turned into nourishment for the demon offspring. The Sea Princess Tribe itself suffered a heavy blow.
If not for the Sea Princess desperately holding off the clone, her two daughters wouldn't have been able to escape with the remnants of their people.
One can only wonder—how would the Sea Princess feel if she knew her daughters had led their people straight into the lair of their mortal enemy?
In truth, the two daughters, Li Jing and Li Ya, had no other choice.
After escaping the Ice Sea, they found the surrounding waters just as ravaged by the demon offspring's rampage. Bloodshed was everywhere, and they could only keep fleeing in search of safe territory.
Eventually, they found this bay—the only peaceful place left.
Even though it was close to the human empire, it at least offered a sliver of hope. Had they kept running, their chances of survival would've been even slimmer.
That was when Shrek Academy took notice of them.
Of course, the Sea Princess and the others who failed to escape hadn't been killed by the clone, but were instead captured alive.
Because the clone understood—fresh ingredients were more valuable.
All hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, and those with special bloodlines, were imprisoned alive.
Beyond the Ice Sea, in the ocean bordering the Extreme North, there were still many powerful sea soul beasts—some equal in strength to the Snow Empress—ruling vast territories.
Now that the clone had taken action against the Sea Princess Tribe, he wasn't about to spare the others.
Across the vast ocean, in the pitch-black depths of the deep sea, even more terrifying sea soul beasts lay hidden—and the clone was hunting them down one by one.
Drawing from the clone's memories, Huo Yuhao pieced together the entire cause-and-effect chain.
He rubbed his chin, recalling how in the original work the Sea Princess Tribe was persecuted by the Holy Spirit Cult's Elder of Ten Thousand Souls, and even Li Ya was turned into a resentful spirit.
Now, that elder had been taken down by Huo Yuhao ahead of schedule… and yet it was Huo Yuhao who ended up persecuting the Sea Princess Tribe himself.
What irony.
"So I guess… the Sea Princess Tribe is just destined to be with me!" Huo Yuhao sighed.
No matter what the storyline was, didn't the Sea Princess Tribe end up in his hands?
If destiny offers a gift, refusing it would be a crime.
So he might as well accept it with grace.
Just then, Cai Meier knocked on Huo Yuhao's door. Her voice came from outside:
"Yuhao, get ready. We've located the Sea Princess Tribe."
"I know. I'll be right out," Huo Yuhao quickly replied.
…
During their time on the soul tool ship, Huo Yuhao and the others weren't idle. While searching for the Sea Princess Tribe, they also studied how to fight in the ocean.
Most land-based soul masters had no experience in underwater combat—it simply wasn't something they ever encountered.
Fortunately, acquiring such knowledge wasn't hard. As long as you had money, sea soul masters were willing to share their combat and survival techniques.
There were indeed sea soul masters living in the bay area, and they had extensive knowledge about how to survive and fight in these waters.
Huo Yuhao's group even obtained compiled booklets full of practical experience.
As soon as Huo Yuhao stepped onto the deck, he saw Han Ruoruo operating a soul tool cannon, blasting a group of sea soul beasts that had gotten too close to the ship.
The bay's sea soul beasts weren't exactly friendly. Outside a few safe travel routes, other areas often saw attacks from sea soul beasts.
Since the group had long deviated from the safe routes to search for the Sea Princess Tribe, such attacks were expected.
In these situations, the ship's armed soul tool cannons proved extremely useful.
They didn't need to kill the soul beasts—just make them feel threatened. Most would retreat on their own.
And this time was no exception.
After three well-placed cannon shots shattered their plans for a meal, the sea soul beasts fled in panic, and the soul tool ship returned to safety.
On the deck, the five of them gathered together, listening as Xian Lin'er explained the situation concerning the Sea Princess tribe.
"We're approaching the territory of the Sea Princess tribe," Xian Lin'er said. She had previously scouted the area and had gathered some intelligence on them.
But due to the risk of being discovered, Xian Lin'er hadn't dared to get too close and had only been able to obtain general information.
"Based on my sensing, there are at least two hundred-thousand-year soul beast kings in the Sea Princess tribe. I also spotted about twenty or so other Sea Princesses."
"But the troublesome part is that this group of Sea Princesses has recruited a number of sea soul beasts as vassals, numbering over three hundred. As for whether there are more beneath the sea surface, I can't say—I didn't dare get close enough to find out."
"What's certain is that if we try to force our way through this horde, it's likely they'll scatter, and we may face many unexpected complications."
Jiang Nannan was surprised. "Sea Princesses can recruit sea soul beasts as vassals?"
Xian Lin'er nodded and explained, "Many soul beast kings possess intelligence on par with humans. It's natural for them to have their own followers, just like humans. Moreover, the Sea Princess tribe specializes in spiritual power, and soul beasts with spiritual attributes are often more intelligent than others of the same age."
Cai Meier realized something. "No wonder we've been seeing traces of battles involving the Sea Princess tribe—they've been recruiting vassals. Could it be that they plan to settle long-term in the bay?"
"For them to gather sea soul beasts several times their number as vassals shows how strong this group of Sea Princesses is," Han Ruoruo said with a serious expression.
Huo Yuhao nodded silently.
Indeed, this group wasn't weak. The Sea Princesses who escaped with Li Jing and Li Ya were the elite and geniuses of their tribe, most of them over seventy-thousand years old.
Compared to land-based soul beasts, sea soul beasts grew stronger at a much more rapid pace. A seventy-thousand-year-old soul beast on land could dominate a forest, but in the ocean, such beasts were everywhere.
Only soul beasts of a hundred-thousand years or more could hold real power in the sea.
If not for the fact that sea soul beasts disliked coming on land—and that doing so weakened their abilities—the beasts of the ocean could easily pose an existential threat to humankind.
So everyone frowned, pondering how to deal with the hundred-thousand-year Sea Princesses.
Even with two of them at Super Douluo-level combat strength, the five of them couldn't recklessly charge into a horde of over three hundred sea soul beasts.
The good news was—they'd found the Sea Princesses.
The bad news—the enemy had overwhelming numbers.
"Actually, we don't have to confront the Sea Princess tribe head-on," Huo Yuhao suddenly said.
Everyone looked at Huo Yuhao in surprise.
He smiled faintly. "I have three strategies: upper, middle, and lower."
"Start with the upper one," Xian Lin'er asked directly.
Huo Yuhao said, "The best plan is to poison the sea, killing all sea soul beasts under a hundred-thousand years…"
"Alright, let's hear the middle plan," Cai Meier interrupted decisively.
After hearing his first strategy, the four women twitched at the corners of their mouths. They felt like they were seeing Huo Yuhao in a new light.
This guy looks so honest—how is he so ruthless underneath!?
That said, Huo Yuhao's upper strategy did have a high success rate with minimal danger.
No wonder he had been chosen as a candidate to inherit the Sea God's Pavilion.
But it was far too cruel, violating Shrek Academy's fundamental principles. If discovered, it would leave a permanent stain on their legacy.
"Alright," Huo Yuhao said, somewhat disappointed. "The middle strategy is riskier—it involves decapitating the two hundred-thousand-year Sea Princesses."
"The vassal sea soul beasts recently recruited by the Sea Princesses likely aren't loyal. So, if Senior Sister Xian and I launch a surprise attack and seriously wound the two strongest Sea Princesses, the rest of the sea soul beasts will probably scatter rather than fight to the death."
"The twenty or so other Sea Princesses will likely fight us to the end, but given our team's strength, our chances of success are not bad."
Xian Lin'er, Cai Meier, and Han Ruoruo fell into thought.
It was clear they were seriously considering it—but also clearly hesitant.
Because the risk wasn't just "a bit high"—it was very high.
"What about the last strategy?" Jiang Nannan asked curiously.
Huo Yuhao didn't hide anything. "The lower strategy has a low success rate and many potential complications. It involves luring other soul beasts to attack the Sea Princess tribe."
That idea caught everyone's attention.
Huo Yuhao continued, "The Sea Princesses' expansion into the bay will inevitably infringe upon the territories and interests of the sea soul beasts already living there."
"So all we need to do is create conflict between them, provoking other sea soul beasts into attacking the Sea Princesses. Perhaps even launching a joint siege."
"At that point, we can act from the shadows. Once the Sea Princess tribe is battered and scattered, we'll strike at the hundred-thousand-year Sea Princesses."
"The problem is—this plan may sound good, but there are many variables. We have to consider the strength of the sea soul beasts in the bay, the tactics of the Sea Princesses, and factors like timing and terrain."
"Even if everything goes as planned, when we move against the Sea Princesses in the end, we might get attacked by the other soul beasts instead."
"After all, to the sea soul beasts, we humans are still outsiders. Who knows if they'll turn against us too?"
The group fell silent.
All of Huo Yuhao's strategies had flaws—and ironically, the cruelest one was the most reliable.
But none of them were ideal.
"Is there really no other way?" Jiang Nannan asked in frustration.
No one responded.
In truth, Huo Yuhao's intellect was the highest among the five. The others couldn't think of any plan better than his three.
"I support the upper strategy. If we're discovered afterward, I'll take full responsibility for all blame and consequences," Xian Lin'er suddenly said.
Cai Meier looked at her in shock, half-suspecting that Xian Lin'er had regained her memories and was now making a noble sacrifice for love.
But after watching her for a moment, Cai Meier confirmed that Xian Lin'er was fine.
"What's with that look?" Xian Lin'er asked, annoyed.
"N-Nothing. Just thought you were suddenly kind of heroic," Cai Meier said awkwardly.
Xian Lin'er snorted. "For the future of the Academy, a little infamy is nothing. If the plan is exposed, I'll just announce my withdrawal from Shrek Academy. It's not like I have to leave Shrek City. Worst case, I'll just stay hidden in the Sea God's Pavilion from now on."
Han Ruoruo and Jiang Nannan were both a bit shaken—and also moved—by her words.
But before anyone could act, Huo Yuhao spoke up again with a smile. "Senior Sister Xian, no need for sacrifices just yet. Maybe… we should wait a little longer."
"Oh? Why?" Xian Lin'er asked, curious. The others also turned to look at him.
Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "The lower plan relies on the conflict between the Sea Princesses and the native sea soul beasts. If that conflict exists, it may break out on its own—even without our interference."
"And if it doesn't break out, and the Sea Princess tribe grows stronger, we can always return to the Academy and bring reinforcements. Then we can carry out the middle strategy."
"And if all else fails—then I'll poison them!"
"Who knows? Something might happen during that time that gives us the perfect opportunity."
Everyone nodded, feeling that Huo Yuhao's reasoning made sense.
Cai Meier said, "Then let's… wait a little longer."
The soul-guided ship drifted along the ocean's surface, quietly stationed at the edge of the Sea Princess Clan's territory—naturally, this did not escape the Sea Princesses' vigilance.
The Sea Princess Clan had already sent sea soul beasts to try and eliminate Huo Yuhao and his companions. At night, they even stirred up waves in an attempt to overturn the soul-guided ship.
In addition to their spiritual powers, the Sea Princesses could also manipulate seawater to generate waves.
However, every sea soul beast that approached the soul-guided ship met with no return. The waves they summoned were completely frozen solid. That chilling aura was so intense that even the Sea Princesses, who had lived in the icy seas for generations, couldn't withstand it.
At last, the Sea Princess Clan realized—there was a formidable presence aboard the soul-guided ship!
They ceased all further attacks and instead chose to relocate their gathering grounds, taking a "we can't afford to provoke, so we'd better avoid" approach.
The soul-guided ship quietly followed at a distance—neither closing in nor falling too far behind.
This only deepened the Sea Princesses' realization that the human powerhouse on the ship had come specifically for them. He was likely eyeing their soul rings—or worse, intending to enslave them.
Though the icy sea was far from the mainland, the Sea Princess Clan was not entirely ignorant of humankind.
At the heart of the sea soul beasts' formation, the sisters Li Jing and Li Ya were deep in discussion, surrounded by other Sea Princess guards.
At that moment, all the Sea Princesses wore grim expressions.
"Damn humans! If Mother were still alive, how would they dare harbor such intentions against us?!" Li Jing gnashed her teeth in fury.
Li Ya sighed, heart filled with sorrow.
It wasn't the first time humans had entered the icy seas. In the past, every intruder had been drawn by the allure of the Sea Princesses' beauty—but none had ever made it back. They were buried beneath the sea.
But now, in the face of the humans' covetous gaze, they had no choice but to retreat.
Their clan had already suffered heavy losses. The sisters themselves were both injured—making it impossible to confront a human powerhouse head-on.
The newly gathered subordinate sea soul beasts were even less reliable in battle.
"Sister, I have a really bad feeling about this," Li Ya said with growing unease.
Then she suggested, "If things get worse, let's just leave these waters. Let's head west. With this many sea soul beasts protecting us, our chances of escaping are higher. As long as we get out of the northern seas, we won't have to worry about those centipedes anymore."
"When Mother covered our retreat, didn't she mention that our kind exists in the western seas as well? We can seek refuge with them!"
Li Jing's expression shifted from rage to resignation, then finally to a deep sigh. She nodded, "That might be our only option."
She, too, had a sense of foreboding—but she was reluctant to let go.
They had hoped to gather strength in this bay and one day take revenge. But it now seemed the bay was too close to human lands. They had no choice but to flee again.
As for the subordinate sea soul beasts they had gathered—they'd have to be abandoned.
In truth, the Sea Princesses weren't eager to seek out their kin. Doing so would almost certainly result in absorption into the larger group, erasing their unique identity as the Sea Princess Clan. Their golden bloodline would become the strength of another.
But now, they had no other choice.
If they couldn't survive even in this "safe" bay, how could two Sea Princesses—each with only a hundred thousand years of cultivation—possibly survive long in the vast ocean?
Allying with their kin had become the only remaining path.
What they didn't know, however, was that there was no choice left to make.
Because Huo Yuhao had already set his sights on them.
He hadn't just been idly waiting these past few days—he had quietly siphoned off most of the Sea Princess Clan's newly accumulated fortune and destiny.
What little fortune remained likely spelled only one outcome: genocide.
"Everyone, come quickly—the Sea Princesses are preparing to leave!" Cai Meier, who was on watch duty, suddenly called out.
The group quickly gathered at the bow of the ship, gazing out toward the sea soul beasts' movements. They saw the creatures heading north at full speed, churning the ocean into surging waves.
"They're… leaving the bay?" Xian Lin'er furrowed her brows, clenching her fists slightly.
Clearly, they couldn't allow the Sea Princess Clan to escape. But if the Sea Princesses were truly trying to flee, they'd have no choice but to attack.
"No rush—let's wait a little longer," Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke, halting Xian Lin'er just as she was about to act. His eyes were fixed on the distant waters. "Something's coming from the far side of the sea."
The others followed his gaze. Moments later, they too saw something—identical sea soul beasts breaching the distant waves.
"Those are… Evil Demonic Orcas?!" Cai Meier exclaimed.
"Evil Demonic Orcas? What kind of soul beast is that?" Jiang Nannan looked puzzled.
She was a well-versed student at Shrek Academy, hardly ignorant—but when it came to sea soul beasts she'd never studied, she was completely lost.
Han Ruoruo beside her seemed to realize something and gasped, "Could it be the same kind of Evil Demonic Orca that Ancestor Tang San exterminated ten thousand years ago?"
"That's right, that very same species," Cai Meier nodded, then elaborated. "Evil Demonic Orcas are called the evil soul masters among sea soul beasts. They have virtually no natural predators and are innately cruel, slaughtering other soul beasts with abandon. Tang San once wiped them out completely ten thousand years ago. I didn't think any had survived."
"I've only seen drawings of them—but the ones coming now look exactly the same!"
Xian Lin'er spoke calmly, "The ocean is vast. It's not impossible that a few slipped through the cracks."
Huo Yuhao's eyes glinted as he silently mused, So this is the Sea Princess Clan's final calamity—a swarm of Evil Demonic Orcas. And one of them… has become a King-level beast. It seems there's no escape for them now.
The attacking orca group numbered over fifty, among them a single hundred-thousand-year-old Evil Demonic Orca King lurking beneath the waves.
Among sea soul beasts, three species ruled the top of the food chain: Evil Demonic Orcas, Devil Soul Great White Sharks, and Deep Sea Demonic Whales. Each had their strengths—and even the monsters of the deep sea preferred not to provoke them.
In terms of individual power, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale was the strongest, followed by the Evil Demonic Orca, with the Great White Shark being the weakest.
However, in terms of reproduction, the Great White Shark had the edge, followed by the Evil Demonic Orca, and the Deep Sea Demonic Whale was the slowest to reproduce.
This was why both sharks and orcas often formed large groups, while whales typically lived in small family units.
The orca horde surged forward. They ignored the soul-guided ship completely and charged straight at the Sea Princesses' formation of sea soul beasts.
The sea soul beasts quickly noticed the threat. Sensing the crisis, they fell into disarray. The Sea Princesses hurried to calm them.
Seeing the enemy advance rapidly, the Sea Princesses realized they couldn't escape. They began rallying their vassal sea soul beasts to prepare for battle.
The Sea Princesses specialized in control and support—perfect as battlefield commanders.
Then, before Huo Yuhao's group, the Evil Demonic Orcas tore into the sea soul beast formation like hot knives through butter. Blood dyed the sea red.
The sea soul beasts stood no chance.
As the orcas neared the Sea Princesses, the Evil Demonic Orca King surged forward and lunged directly at Li Jing and Li Ya, who were being protected in the center.
Its speed was terrifying—Li Jing and Li Ya had no choice but to brace themselves for a direct confrontation.
Fortunately, a brave Sea Princess guard sacrificed herself—ramming into the orca king mid-attack and disrupting its strike.
But the price was steep: the guard was torn clean in half by the orca's savage jaws.
"No!!"
Li Jing and Li Ya's beautiful eyes widened, filled with grief and hatred.
The guards who had died beside them weren't just elite warriors of their race — they were future seeds of the tribe, sisters-in-arms who had spent over ten thousand years together with them.
Now, they had died right before their eyes to protect them. How could they possibly accept this?
Instantly, both Li Jing and Li Ya's spiritual power erupted, ready to fight the Demonic Orca King to the death. But other guards stepped in to stop the mermaid sisters.
"Princesses, go quickly! Don't let your sister's sacrifice be in vain! She died so that you wouldn't be harmed. You are the future of our Sea Princess clan!" a guard cried with heartfelt sincerity, eyes brimming with tears.
Although Li Jing and Li Ya were protected by the sea princess guards, in truth, they were the strongest among them.
When the Demonic Orca King attacked just now, they weren't powerless to resist, nor did they fail to react. Yet a guard still chose to sacrifice herself —
All so that the sisters wouldn't have to risk their lives, in order to preserve their strength.
To the guards, the clan's future lay in Li Jing and Li Ya, not in them.
As long as the sisters survived, even if all the rest perished, it would be worth it.
"Leave? Heh... none of you are going anywhere!" the bloodied Demonic Orca King sneered.
"To think I would run into mermaids the moment I came out... Then let your blood announce to the seas that the Demonic Orca Clan has returned!"
"Orca Domain!"
A domain power filled with violence and madness erupted from the Demonic Orca King, spreading outwards and enveloping the remaining Sea Princesses and nearby sea soul beasts, distorting their minds and spirits.
Li Jing and Li Ya's expressions changed drastically — they realized they couldn't just turn and run, as doing so would expose their backs to the enemy.
Besides, even if they could escape, their people could not.
As the leaders of their tribe, they could not abandon their kin.
"Quick, let's form the Mental Web together!" Li Jing shouted, extending her spiritual power.
Li Ya was the first to connect to the Mental Web.
The other Sea Princesses also responded, linking their mental energies with the mermaid sisters, forming a power similar to a Martial Soul Fusion Technique.
They actually managed to resist the Orca Domain!
This was the secret technique of the Sea Princess clan — the Mental Web.
It worked like a fusion technique, allowing their spiritual energies to link and amplify each other in a terrifying burst of force.
At the Sea Princess clan's peak, the clan leader could connect with every Sea Princess and unleash a mental power surpassing even a Limit Douluo, enough to stir the entire Ice Sea.
They had used this technique once against the True Body Clone — but in the end, the clone still had the upper hand.
Now, with only Li Jing, Li Ya, and twenty others, their Mental Web could merely hold the Orca Domain at bay.
Li Jing and Li Ya were also injured — their spiritual power had been damaged in previous battles and hadn't recovered.
Unlike their mother, they had not fully developed their unique Sea Princess domain power, and could only rely on this makeshift method to resist the Orca Domain.
Seeing his domain blocked, the Demonic Orca King's eyes flashed with surprise — followed immediately by an even more savage madness.
"Good, good! This is exciting! Then take another one of my attacks!"
"Demonic Orca Axe!"
The Demonic Orca King leapt high, using his tail like an axe to cleave down at Li Jing and Li Ya.
The two sisters glared up at him, gritting their teeth.
"You'll pay with your life for my people!"
"Song of the Mermaids!"
The Song of the Mermaids was a spiritual-type soul skill, a unique one. Depending on the melody, it could inflict various effects: attack, speed boost, defense, healing, illusion, debuff, and more.
On its own, it was average — but when cast within the Mental Web, its power was terrifying.
A beautiful explosion of numbers.
The Sea Princesses now sang a sorrowful, piercing melody filled with undisguised killing intent. Soul power and spiritual force transformed into sharp blades, striking toward the Demonic Orca King.
The Song of the Mermaids clashed head-on with the Demonic Orca Axe, unleashing a deafening roar!
Far away, on a soul-guided ship, Huo Yuhao's party watched the sea battle with furrowed brows, disturbed by the brutal scene.
Though only 400 sea soul beasts were fighting, the savagery and bloodshed were deeply shocking.
But they had all experienced beast tides — this wasn't enough to scare them.
Huo Yuhao sighed inwardly.
"This Demonic Orca King dared kill my mermaid's kin? Then the entire Demonic Orca Clan must pay."
The sea soul beasts were locked in fierce battle.
But the outcome came quickly.
Even though the Sea Princesses fought fiercely against the Demonic Orca King…
The other sea soul beasts were no match for the fifty-plus Demonic Orcas.
At equal levels, a Demonic Orca could take on two Devil Spirit Great White Sharks — let alone other sea beasts.
Fifty Demonic Orcas working together against 300 normal sea beasts was a massacre.
The ordinary sea soul beasts didn't even have a chance to flee.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the sea, a figure silently gathered the souls of the dead sea beasts.
It was the wraith of the Ten Thousand Soul Douluo.
His spirit had been reforged by Huo Yuhao into a Soul-Collecting Envoy.
The soul of the fallen Sea Princess, along with all other dead sea soul beasts, were absorbed into the Ten Thousand Soul Banner Martial Soul.
Now connected to the Emperor Banner Martial Soul, the Ten Thousand Soul Banner acted as its extension, gaining many of its traits.
Thus, it could now freely collect souls — unlike before, when it could only absorb resentful spirits.
Additionally, the Ten Thousand Soul Domain that came with it had been enhanced — no longer requiring true Martial Soul Avatar state to activate, and its power had significantly grown.
Back at the surface—
Li Jing and Li Ya realized something was wrong. Most of the sea soul beasts had already been slaughtered by the Demonic Orcas. If the battle continued, they would soon be surrounded.
"Sister, in a moment, take our people and go. I'll stay behind to cover you!" Li Jing's eyes flashed with resolve — she was ready to follow her mother's example.
They had raised spiritual defense barriers to block the Demonic Orca King, but it was only a temporary shield.
Thankfully, thanks to the mermaid sisters' protection, none of the other Sea Princesses had fallen — though most were mentally drained.
Li Ya's face was sorrowful. She shook her head.
"Sister, even if we escape now, how long can I lead our people in flight? These Orcas won't let us go."
Li Jing fell silent.
Li Ya looked toward the soul-guided ship on the horizon and finally made up her mind.
"Sister… we can only take a gamble now!"
"What do you mean?" Li Jing was confused.
Li Ya replied, "We ask the humans for help! Maybe… if one of us sacrifices ourselves, the rest might survive, and they'll help us end this Demonic Orca crisis."
"No! Humans can't be trusted!" Li Jing flatly refused.
But just then, the soul-guided ship began moving toward them on its own.
Ten Thousand Soul Douluo (from the underworld): This is what posthumous re-employment looks like! The blessings of the dead!
On the soul-guided ship, Huo Yuhao proposed, "Bring the ship closer!"
Seeing the others' confused expressions, Huo Yuhao explained, "It's better to offer help in times of need than to fan the flames. Maybe we can earn the friendship of the Sea Princess clan, and it might help resolve my soul ring issue too."
Though still puzzled, the others trusted Huo Yuhao's judgment.
His abilities had earned their confidence.
So, Jiang Nannan began steering the soul-guided ship toward the battlefield.
Compared to ordinary items, soul tools were undeniably powerful. This soul-guided ship, for instance, didn't require a professional crew—just one Soul Sage was enough to control it easily. It traveled more smoothly and steadily than any conventional ship.
As the Sea Princess clan tried to flee, the ship entered the battlefield, immediately drawing the attention of both sides.
The evil demon orcas, having just finished off the other sea soul beasts, instantly noticed this new target entering their attack range. Abandoning the torn corpses they had been feasting on, they savagely surged toward the ship.
But waiting for them were three Title Douluo-level attacks, fired from three directions of the soul-guided ship, instantly killing several of the demon orcas.
Xian Lin'er, Cai Mei'er, and Han Ruoruo stood at three different spots on the ship, proud and imposing.
These orcas had just taken down 300 sea soul beasts without losing a single member—but before even reaching the ship, they'd already lost nearly ten.
Still, the orca pack was not intimidated.
Instead, as they regrouped, an even more ferocious, bloodthirsty aura burst forth from them, their eyes glowing red with madness.
These were the demon orcas—the "evil soul masters among sea soul beasts."
Brutality was their calling card.
The Demon Orca King also noticed the scene. His eyes flashed with a murderous gleam as he growled, "Damn humans! I didn't go after you, and you dared to come to me? Boys, stall them! I'll finish off these mermaids and then take care of them!"
Following his command, the demon orcas surrounded the ship, but didn't attack, watching it like hungry wolves.
Clearly, their intelligence wasn't low.
Facing the mermaid sisters, the Orca King wanted a swift victory—finish off the Sea Princesses quickly.
Suddenly, a gray wave of energy erupted from the Orca King's body.
The gray light gathered in his mouth, solidifying into a metallic gray beam, then blasted out toward the mermaids.
"Wrath of the Demon!"
A powerful pure-energy soul skill.
But what the Orca King didn't expect was that Li Yah still had fight left in her.
"It's a pure-energy soul skill! Sister, everyone, support me!" Li Yah's thoughts instantly reached all the Sea Princesses via their mental network.
Understanding her intent, the others channeled their energy into Li Yah, letting her lead.
With the others' power flowing into her, the golden bloodline inherited by the Sea Princess clan awakened fully within Li Yah.
Her eyes turned gold, her silver crown shimmered with a golden hue, her massive fish tail swayed—and behind her, a golden silhouette appeared, mirroring her form.
Together, Li Yah and the golden projection raised their arms. A glowing, blue, hexagonal crystal emerged, hovering in midair.
As the Orca King's Wrath of the Demon struck, it was instantly absorbed by the crystal.
"What is that?" the Orca King was stunned, a sense of dread creeping in.
The scene caught the attention of Huo Yuhao and the others.
A flash of light appeared in Huo Yuhao's eyes. "That must be the Heart of the Ocean!"
The Heart of the Ocean—a legendary soul skill usable only by those with the Sea Princess clan's golden bloodline. In the original story, the Sea Princess leader once used it, easily blocking attacks from both Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong, nearly killing them in return—forcing even Tang San to intervene.
It had two effects:
Immunity – complete immunity to all energy-based attacks.
Cursed Amplification – absorbed energy is fed back into the user, empowering their next strike with terrifying strength by merging it with their own power.
In short: absorb and counterattack.
Li Yah's entire body turned golden, a horrifying soul power wave erupting from her as even the sea itself boiled, massive waves rising. Blood began trickling from her nose—her body clearly straining under the burden of such power. Still, she endured, readying the next attack.
Behind her, Li Jing and the others watched with anxious hope.
Due to the incoming tidal wave, Huo Yuhao and the rest had to abandon the ship and fly into the sky for safety—this was not a wave they could handle.
Seeing the sea boil from Li Yah's power, the Orca King realized the danger. Without hesitation, he turned and fled into the deep sea, abandoning even his kin—cunning to the core.
But it was too late.
Li Yah's spiritual power soared, covering thousands of meters around her, locking firmly onto the fleeing Orca King.
"The Heart of the Ocean's... Curse!"
Li Yah whispered softly.
She raised the Heart of the Ocean, and a massive pillar of blue light shot skyward, then streaked toward the Orca King.
It carried his own power, water energy, and spiritual force—fused together into one devastating beam.
Blue light burst forth, darkening the sky over the sea, lightning crackling, waves collapsing inward—like the end of the world.
Xian Lin'er and the others were utterly shocked. Even though the attack wasn't aimed at them, they retreated instinctively, distancing themselves from Li Yah.
This was the ultimate trump card of the Sea Princess clan—the strongest strike of the Sea Princess!
A hundred-thousand-year-old Sea Princess like Li Yah, forcibly unleashing this move, had the power to kill even ancient soul beasts.
BOOM—
The explosion erupted underwater, sending waves soaring skyward. The ocean itself was blasted into a concave pit. The demon orcas caught in the shockwave were nearly wiped out; only the fastest escapees survived.
As for the Orca King—once the sea calmed, he was nowhere to be seen.
No one knew if he had been killed or managed to escape.
But even if he lived, the price must have been steep.
"Is it over?" Cai Mei'er asked with lingering fear.
Golden light flickered in Huo Yuhao's eyes.
It was over—but only the Sea Princesses' arc with the Demon Orca King.
Next came Brother Hao's storyline.
By forcefully awakening her golden bloodline, Li Yah had temporarily strengthened her tribe and attracted some fortune to help them survive this extinction crisis.
But once the Heart of the Ocean's power faded, the Sea Princess clan was still in dire straits.
After unleashing the attack, Li Yah lost her golden glow, and her once-radiant crown dimmed. Then, she fell from the sky, bleeding.
"Li Yah!"
Li Jing caught her mid-air, worry written all over her face.
Although they had defeated the Orca King, Li Yah was in critical condition. The strain of awakening her golden bloodline had severely drained her, and the Heart of the Ocean would now be unusable for a long time.
Even the Sea Princess leader needed a month to recover after using it. For Li Yah, the cooldown would be longer.
If not for her deep reserves, she would've been unconscious already.
Even conscious, she had no more fighting power left.
Just as the Sea Princesses thought the danger had passed, a sinister, evil force suddenly erupted from the sea.
A massive shadow emerged beneath them.
Li Jing sensed something was wrong and used her spiritual power to quickly move her people to safety.
Moments later, the spot they'd just vacated was torn open by a huge sea beast cloaked in demonic energy.
"Hah! So you ran all the way here—made it real easy for this king to find you! Jie jie jie—"
Demon Orca King: I finally got to appear again, and you made me lose this badly? Damn it!