Chapter 312 Judgment’s Little Sister

Mapeier froze for a moment, a vein on her temple throbbing faintly. With so many people around, it wasn’t the right time to make a move. Her thoughts raced as she quickly feigned a pitiful look, pleading, "Brother Wang Feng, can you let me have this one? I... I can’t compete with others, they’ll beat me..."

"Who’d beat you up over a stupid orb? We’re all Holy Sanctuary disciples, aren’t we?" Old Wang chuckled, patting his chest. "Go ahead and grab one. If anyone gives you trouble, just throw my name out there—Wang Feng! After all, we’re all from Aurora City. If I don’t look out for you, who will? Your Judgment squad’s done for, right?"

Andy cleared his throat awkwardly from behind. Wang Feng had deceived his uncle, Anbolin, and Andy had always disliked him. But things were looking grim—he was injured, and Mapeier wasn’t much of a fighter. Meanwhile, Rose was at full strength, with Hei Wukai alone capable of taking on an entire Judgment squad. What was the point in fighting?

He walked over and tugged at Mapeier, "Junior Sister, let’s go pick some over there..."

A sharp glint flashed in Mapeier’s eyes. Honestly, she was tempted to kill him.

Whoosh!

A figure swooped down from the sky, landing beside them.

The newcomer radiated immense soul power—clearly a master. Mapeier swiftly hid the spider silk in her hand.

It was Mo Tong, clutching three or four orbs, grinning as he said to Old Wang, "Wang Feng, look how many I grabbed! Want one?"

"No need, I’ve got one already!" Old Wang laughed. "Here, give one to Junior Sister Mapeier. She’s too scared to fight for one and is feeling down. We’re all from Aurora City—we’ve gotta look out for each other!"

Mo Tong paused, glancing at Mapeier, who was crying her eyes out, looking all fragile and delicate. He couldn’t handle seeing women cry.

"What’s the big deal? It’s just a stupid orb!" Mo Tong recognized Mapeier. Last time, when Ashoka badmouthed Rose, she had tried to intervene. Huh, not a bad person!

He casually handed one over, "Here, take one! Aren’t I the best?"

"Junior Brother, you’re truly charitable!" Old Wang immediately raised his thumb in solemn approval. "A role model for us all!"

Mapeier was completely floored, staring at the dull, worthless Bloodsoul Orb in her hand. With great difficulty, she managed to stammer, "Th-thank you..."

"See? Everyone’s happy now!" Old Wang said with satisfaction. "Junior Brother, you’ve grown again!"

"I’ve always been growing, okay!" Mo Tong retorted, but then noticed Andy behind Mapeier, looking at him expectantly.

"Don’t look at me!" Mo Tong glared. "Men don’t get any! Go grab one yourself!"

Andy felt a surge of anger but quickly remembered that his life had been saved by Rose’s Hei Wukai. How could he have the face to argue with Mo Tong? He lowered his head in shame.

Then, the sound of whooshing filled the air.

Xue Zhiyu, Aota, Badeluo, and others landed one after another. Seeing Mo Tong and Wang Feng surrounding a Judgment female disciple, Aota smiled knowingly, "Brother, who’s this?"

"A little alchemist from Judgment," Old Wang grinned. "We’ve met before."

With more and more experts arriving, any thought of acting was impossible. Even a death soldier would value their life, let alone trying anything in front of so many masters. Success was unlikely.

She quickly made up her mind, pretending to be anxious as she said, "Our Judgment captain and vice-captain just sacrificed themselves..."

"Tsk tsk, serves them right for being scheming!" Aota remembered how Ashoka had given Wang Feng a hard time earlier and felt no sympathy. But seeing Mapeier’s pitiful state, he couldn’t help adding, "Not you, though. I remember you stood up for Rose last time. You’re a good person!"

Mapeier looked at him gratefully, then turned to Wang Feng, "Wang Feng, Andy is injured too, and there are enemies everywhere. Can we... can we join you?"

Everyone turned to Wang Feng, who glanced at the ashamed Andy and waved his hand, "Of course, of course! We’re all from Aurora City. Your Brother Wang is a generous man!"

As long as they were mixed in, there would be opportunities.

Mapeier smiled inwardly but put on an extremely grateful expression. Just as she was about to thank him, Wang Feng added, "But since we’re all together, everyone should contribute. You two don’t look like fighters, so how about you handle the cooking and carrying the luggage? No problem, right?"

"Ah?"

Mapeier was taken aback as Aota excitedly untied the mountain-like bundle and tossed it into her arms: "Bro, this is a brilliant idea! Hiring a couple of strong backs will let us focus more on dealing with the enemies!"

Badeluo directly threw the bundle to Andy, his eyes wide and fierce: "My bro said so! Got a problem with that?"

"Don't be so rough, we're all in this together!" Old Wang laughed heartily: "Together we stand!"

Mapeier's eyebrows twitched slightly. She couldn't shake the suspicion that he'd already figured her out and was deliberately messing with her.

But at that moment, everyone felt a sudden tremor under their feet, followed by a strong wind, and a colossal energy swirling above them.

Everyone instinctively looked up.

At that moment, the sky and earth began to collapse, like chunks of a canvas peeling away, and a gigantic void vortex loomed overhead.

Long before coming here, both factions had already prepped their disciples.

Leaping in would take them to the second layer of the illusion, while staying put until the collapse of this realm would directly return them to the real world.

At this moment, most people were excited.

Almost all who had survived up to now were ranked within the top three hundred on both sides, and their pride alone wouldn't let them back out now.

Moreover, high risk, high reward. Although the gap between them and top experts like Long Feixue was huge, if they really encountered good fortune, it would be a 'nobody's' comeback.

A white light was the first to rush up without hesitation, followed by more and more people flying towards the void vortex.

No guts, no glory!

After all, they'd just cheated death once. Who would still be afraid of anything?

This was the thought of the vast majority, but it certainly did not include Old Wang.

They'd already secured the original soul bead, and the mission from the Holy Sanctuary was also completed. Why would they still be itching to dive into the second layer? What a joke!

Having come here, he had already completed his mission. Now he just needed to wait for the first layer of the illusion to disappear and return to reality.

What did he care about treasures or glory? But guys like Old Hei and Aota were likely planning to push further, but that had nothing to do with him. Since everyone was almost gathered, there was no need for him to use the ice bees to gather them.

Old Wang was about to make his graceful exit, but the next second, Mo Tong scooped him up.

"Let's go, let's go! If we don't move now, we'll miss our shot! Oh, what are you doing? Never mind, I'll help you!" Mo Tong was so excited his eyes were shining. The first layer was a blast, the second's gotta be epic! Without allowing any rebuttal, he carried Old Wang swiftly, proudly saying: "Wang Feng, don't get all mushy. You're great at everything, except, you know, fighting!"

"Screw you, put me down..."

Before Old Wang could finish his roar, Mo Tong had already rocketed skyward, the wind whistling in his ears as he rushed into the spiraling void vortex, shouting: "What did you say?!"

"I said..."

Old Wang was both shocked and angry, but this guy was too fast. In just a few words, Old Wang's world went black, and the gut-wrenching feeling from the first layer's passage returned.

Damn it...

——

At this moment, in the vast and boundless depths of the sea, the Linglong Trench, twelve thousand fathoms deep, was originally pitch black but now illuminated by a brilliant golden ship radiating intense light, covering a radius of ten miles. A giant squid, tens of meters long, emerged from the sea sand, seemingly enraged by the sudden light, its powerful tentacles waving furiously. This was no ordinary giant squid; the tips of its tentacles were condensed with dark soul power, and ghosts roamed around it, the souls of those it had killed and imprisoned.

A golden beam immediately shot out from the golden ship. As soon as the light touched the giant squid, it turned red, and the next second, the squid's body, which had expanded to tens of meters, shrank into a ball. The wandering ghosts dissipated into green light points, and the red light entered the squid's body, systematically destroying and reconstructing its interior.

Inside the ship, the cabin, isolated from the seawater, was brightly lit. Sea warriors in various armors were working busily and orderly.

"Congratulations, Princess Clara. This giant squid is a rare five-hundred-year-old commander species."

In the control room on the upper bridge, Clara watched the struggling giant squid with a faint smile. Since meeting Wang Feng, it seemed her luck had been unsealed. Finding such a treasure while traveling was indeed a stroke of fortune. A five-hundred-year-old commander species giant squid, once tamed, would possess strength equivalent to that of a Ghost Peak. Moreover, it would be completely loyal, even willing to defy its instincts and die upon command. Even for the sea people, training a Ghost Peak-level death warrior was no easy task, especially considering her status as merely a princess...

"This is truly unexpected..."

However, before Clara's joyful words could finish, another golden beam suddenly shot down from above. This beam was brighter, thicker, and more powerful. The moment it landed on the giant squid, the already struggling creature instantly curled into a ball.

Clara's eyes gleamed. The skylight above the bridge opened, revealing a massive multicolored ship slowly descending. The ship's hull was etched with a glowing coral flower emblem, clearly the flagship of the First Princess Shayelona, the Multicolored Coral. In terms of size alone, it was fifty times larger than Clara's golden ship.

Both beams tried to pull the curled-up giant squid back to their ships. However, it was clear that Clara's golden ship couldn't compete with the massive Multicolored Coral above. With a flash of red light, the beam from the golden ship shattered, and the subdued giant squid was instantly drawn into the shimmering Multicolored Coral.

The bridge fell silent. No one dared look at Clara, fearing her anger. Captain Lance, who had just congratulated her, trembled with regret. It seemed his words had brought misfortune upon them.

Clara's gaze deepened as she looked at the conch by the helm, a communication device of the sea people...

The conch didn't even flicker with a single rune. Without explanation, Shayelona's Multicolored Coral grazed past the golden ship, creating a huge surge that forced the golden ship to maneuver urgently.

The multicolored light moved further into the trench at several times the speed of the golden ship. Then, with a flash, it vanished into the depths of the trench.

Looking into the trench's depths, Clara smiled slightly and ordered, "Let's go."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The golden ship sped up, following the Multicolored Coral's direction. As it went deeper into the trench, the light it could emit grew dimmer, and signs of life around them disappeared. Until a long horn sound, transmitted through the water waves, hit the golden ship. The sound waves vibrated through the ship's walls, entering the cabin like the sea's mournful cry.

"Docking signal from the Sea Eye received. Requesting descent."

"Granted."

With Clara's command, the golden ship plunged downward. As it descended, the light it emitted became distorted, as if countless threads were twisted into chaos.

Looking down from the bridge, they saw within the chaotic light, beneath the sea, a massive eye slowly opening, spanning ten thousand feet. Within the eye socket were three golden compound pupils...

The giant eye blinked once!

Boom!

The light emitted by the golden ship completely vanished, all rays swallowed.

Darkness, silence, only the eerie tremor.

Boom!

Until a drum-like roar, light returned to the world.

In the distance, the multicolored light of Shayelona's Multicolored Coral reappeared.

"Report, Your Highness, we have successfully passed through the Linglong Sea Eye! Current position: Eye of Ao Tian! Distance to the royal city of Alonzo—five hundred nautical miles—we have received a special message from Alonzo, ordering us to stand by for inspection."

Clara looked at the distant shimmering multicolored light, a glimmer of inscrutable emotion in her eyes. "Stop the ship, prepare for inspection."

Soon, a black ship three times the size of the golden ship descended from above. On its hull, hundreds of preheated soul crystal cannons were already aimed at the golden ship.

The runes on the conch lit up, followed by a rough voice, "Princess Clara, pardon the intrusion. As your Golden Bebe has returned from the human world, please undergo a routine inspection."

"Is it General Haijiang? No problem, please send your men aboard."

"Thank you, Your Highness. Long live the Queen."

"Long live the Queen."

Soon, the black ship shot out dozens of water arrows, which rushed onto the golden ship. More than ten of these arrows penetrated the watertight compartments and entered the cabin, while the others circled around the golden ship, meticulously inspecting it. These were specially trained members of the sea bat people, capable of emitting a peculiar sound wave to detect any hidden areas through the feedback of the sound waves.

Quickly, the interior and exterior of the Golden Beibei were thoroughly inspected. However, the black ship waited another moment before granting passage: "Your Highness Clara, please proceed to the royal city at a speed of fifty nautical miles. Long live the Queen."

By this time, the light of the Rainbow Coral had completely disappeared.

After sailing slowly for ten hours, the royal city of Alonzo finally appeared ahead.

It was a marvel, a hundred-mile stretch of seabed enveloped by a massive arcane barrier.

Above the city was a magic pearl over a mile in diameter, emitting a golden light like the sun.

Hundreds of female eel people worked around the magic pearl, not only replenishing its energy but also adjusting its light intensity, ensuring that Alonzo had its morning, noon, and night.

Under the arcane barrier, various sea people bustled about, while outside, seahorse-drawn carriages queued orderly at the city gates, and sea people in their original forms swam in an orderly manner.

The most striking feature was the palace at the city's center.

At the center was the spire-like main palace, surrounded by fortress-like palaces to the east, south, west, and north.

Long live the Queen.

All crew members silently paid their respects to Alonzo.

The Golden Beibei slowly entered the seabed berth outside the arcane barrier.

Clara, dressed in her finest, rode out from the Golden Beibei in a magic carriage. Unlike the common seahorse-drawn carriages, Clara's carriage was not pulled by seahorses but powered by magic, and its interior was isolated from the seawater by an arcane barrier.

The magic carriage arrived at the royal family's dedicated entrance channel.

At the entrance, two male whale people, who had already received entry permission, quickly used their magic staffs to open a gap in the arcane barrier. However, another strange fluctuation arose, forcing the seawater that was about to rush in to be separated again.

With a splash, the magic carriage rushed into the channel and landed on the ground paved with smooth steel stone.

By then, the two male whale people had restored the breached barrier and saluted Clara's magic carriage.

The magic carriage did not stop and arrived at the Northern Palace of the royal palace.

The Northern Palace was the residence of the princesses, without a designated palace master, housing princesses who had not been granted their own palaces.

As soon as Clara stepped out of the carriage, a figure flew towards her.

"Sister!"

Clara caught the incoming person, spinning to dissipate the force, yet still feeling a tightness in her chest.

"I heard you were coming back, I thought they were lying to me, but it's true, I'm so happy!"

"Lidila, if you don't let go, my chest is going to shrink a size," Clara sighed silently. Lidila, born with great strength, though not one of the inheritors, was a trueborn princess, born from the Queen and the chief consort, unlike Clara, who was just one of the Queen's numerous daughters from various male concubines, and Clara had no right to know who her biological father was...

Yes, sea people princesses, though all born from the Queen, were distinguished as trueborn or bastard based on their fathers. Only the daughters of the two chief consorts held the title of trueborn princess, and the Queen had ways to know who fathered the child in her womb.

"Ah, sister, I didn't mean to," Lidila hurriedly let go of Clara, then vigorously measured Clara's chest size, relieved, she patted her own flat chest, cheerfully saying, "Phew, it hasn't shrunk."

Clara smiled, amazed by the unusual connection. As a trueborn princess, Lidila was not close to her own sisters but had grown fond of Clara, a bastard princess.

Clara hooked her arm through Lidelia's, "Come, let's go to my room to talk. I brought some human treasures for you."

Late at night...

Lidelia had worn herself out playing and had fallen asleep on Clara's bed, her legs sprawled out, glowing as if blessed by the sea god.

Clara straightened up and went to the window, where the massive Arcane Pearl, tended by the eel women, shone with the brilliance of a full moon.

She had requested an audience with the Queen Mother upon arriving in the city, yet, until now, there had been no response.

As she gazed at the Arcane Pearl in the sky, Clara suddenly thought of Wang Feng's infuriatingly smug face. She wondered how he was faring; with his cunning, he’d likely be fine. She was curious who’d get their hands on those 125 Skyburst Grenades...

Surprisingly, yet expectedly, Clara only after two days did she finally receive the Queen Mother's summons.

After the last incident involving the Eye of the Sea, she’d earned the Queen Mother’s personal praise, which immediately set her apart from the other wild princesses. But as the saying goes, the tallest tree catches the wind, she subsequently received a lot of special "attention." The mermaid palace is always rife with hostility.

Arriving at the council hall during the council session, Clara wasn’t allowed into the main hall but was told to wait quietly aside.

Clara knew this was a clear snub. The Eye of the Sea had earned her status, but it was not significant enough to allow her the "freedom" to come and go as she pleased.

But she wasn’t sure if this was the Queen Mother’s true intent or just a show for others...

Clara stood still in the side chamber’s corridor, eyes downcast, focusing inward. She knew the Queen Mother's ladies-in-waiting were watching from the shadows, and every move she made could be reported back to the Queen Mother.

She endured this cold shoulder for two hours.

Only after the ministers and petitioners left did Clara hear the ladies-in-waiting’s announcement.

"Princess Clara, step forward for your audience!"

Clara took a deep breath and entered the council hall with careful steps. The Queen Mother sat on her gold-and-pearl throne, veiled by a curtain.

To her left stood the four direct heirs: two men and two women, the eldest princess Shayelona, the third princess Valena, the second prince Yero, and the fourth prince Pius.

To her right were the generals whom the Queen Mother regarded as her right-hand men.

At that moment, all eyes turned toward Clara, their gazes laden with meaning.

"Your humble servant, Clara, greets the Queen Mother. May she reign eternal."

Clara took a deep breath and knelt in obeisance.

"Rise," the Queen said with a neutral tone.

Clara rose gracefully, only for the third princess Valena to let out a disdainful snort, "Clara, how dare you return? Have you forgotten the Queen Mother's teachings? Without important matters, you must not leave your post without permission!"

"Princess Valena, Clara is also a person of merit. Missing the Queen Mother and returning to see her is an act of pure filial piety. Although it may not be correct, there's no need to be so harsh, is there?" The fourth prince Pius smiled faintly.

Seemingly speaking in Clara's defense, he appeared to be protecting her, but the phrase "person of merit" subtly stirred up feelings of jealousy among the others.

The most significant change in the sea people recently has been the emergence of the Eye of the Sea potion. Although it has no effect on the strong, it has given the lower ranks of the sea people greater confidence on land, leading even the two royal families of the whales and the sea dragons to make significant concessions to the mermaids on many sea people's interests.

Fortunately, this potion came from a marginal wild princess outside the four heirs...

If she could quietly contain her ambitions, being kept at a distance wouldn't affect anything. But if she kept appearing before the Queen Mother like this... Was she implying that the Queen Mother's rewards were insufficient for her merits? Or was she reminding the Queen Mother that the four heirs had not made significant contributions to the royal family?

Truly... tactless.

The Queen's gaze was neutral, with a hint of a smile, as if waiting for Clara's rebuttal. A mermaid without ambition is certainly not a good mermaid.

However, to the Queen's surprise, Clara did not refute but instead bowed to her again, "Your Majesty, following the Eye of the Sea, I have never forgotten Your Majesty's command to strive harder. Fortunately, with the blessing of the Sea God, I have finally made another discovery!"

"What?" The Queen's eyes seemed to shoot out lightning.

Meanwhile, the second prince narrowed his eyes slightly, his lips twitching, "In the presence of the Queen, this is no place for lies. If it's just a minor improvement, our clan's alchemists can already achieve that. You haven’t been fooled by those humans, have you?"

"Your Majesty, I dare not speak falsely. This potion has extraordinary effects on the strong members of our clan."

"The strong? Don't tell me it's something for tier-level warriors."

At this moment, Shayelona, the eldest princess who had been coldly watching as if it were none of her business, suddenly spoke, "Seeing is believing. Since it’s a potion, testing it will reveal the truth."

"Your Majesty, may I have your permission?" Clara had been waiting for this sentence and immediately spoke. In front of the Queen, taking any object required permission.

"Granted."