After resting for a night, Lin Zhiyue and the others set off once more.
As they ventured deeper into the Wudu Sea, the color of the water gradually darkened, transitioning from light blue to ink blue, and finally to a deep blue that was almost black.
After flying close to the surface of the water for a distance, the spirit boat could no longer proceed. The group transferred to a welcoming vessel sent by the Merfolk.
The hull was made of a translucent material, resembling a single hollowed-out seashell, with intricate spiritual runes flowing slowly along its edges.
The welcoming vessel had neither oars nor sails. Driven by spiritual energy at the bottom of the boat, it quietly cut through the water, heading toward the horizon.
The sea breeze was much more humid than on land, carrying a heavy saltiness and a faint, indescribable sweet, fishy scent.
After sailing for a while, moving shadows began to appear beneath the surface. At first, it was just a few slender silhouettes darting past the bottom of the boat, but they gradually increased in number. Some drew close to the sides of the hull, while others surfaced to reveal half a face before quickly submerging again.
Most of those faces had sharp features, with skin tones ranging from light to dark. Some bore fine scales, while others had translucent fins extending from behind their ears.
The Merfolk darted through the water, their movements graceful and fluid. Occasionally, a young Merfolk would surface, their gaze landing on the cultivators aboard. Some smiled, while others bared rows of sharp teeth, as if communicating something.
The people on the boat did not react much. Only a few adjusted their stances, ensuring they could shift their center of gravity quickly if needed.
Standing at the side of the boat, Cen Xi'er let her gaze linger on the silhouettes swimming beneath the water for a moment before looking away.
Jiang Yuezhan stood near the back. He adjusted his grip on his sword twice. A tense atmosphere began to spread—
Lin Zhiyue stood beside him, her gaze sweeping across the water and scanning the faces that surfaced.
After sailing for two hours, a sizable palace appeared ahead. The entire structure was built from materials resembling coral and seashells. Parts of the walls were covered with slowly flowing membranes, with a faint spiritual glow shimmering along the edges.
The boat stopped before the stone steps at the palace entrance, and a Merfolk dressed in a silver robe swam over from the steps.
His form was somewhat longer than that of an average Merfolk, with a pale complexion. A thin silver pattern ran from his forehead all the way to the back of his neck through his hair. A polite but cold smile played on his lips, and his voice was steady, though devoid of any desire to converse: “I am the Eldest Prince of the White Merfolk royal family, ordered to receive you all. Accommodations have been prepared in the palace. Please follow me.”
As he turned to lead the way into the palace, his pace was even, making no deliberate effort to slow down and wait for the group to keep up.
Before their arrival, Tiance Palace had already delivered an official visitor's letter to the Merfolk in the name of the human cultivators of the Sanglan Continent. The letter was politely and thoroughly phrased, expressing their sincerity and requests. Although it did not explicitly mention the sea blockade, the lines implicitly conveyed their intention to communicate with the Merfolk face-to-face.
...
An elder from the Sacred Sword Pavilion was the first to speak, his tone polite but measured. “Your Highness, we wonder when the Empress might be free to meet with us.”
The habitual smile on the Eldest Prince's face faded slightly, the corners of his mouth dipping. His voice remained gentle, but it carried an involuntary touch of aloofness. “My Imperial Mother has been overwhelmed with government affairs lately, so I am afraid she will not be free for a few days. Why don't you all stay in the Wudu Sea for a few more days to rest your feet?”
The leading elders did not press further. Their faces showed nothing, but they were already calculating in their minds.
Although the disciples clenched their fists in secret, they were sensible enough not to speak. This was someone else's territory, and they could not afford to be presumptuous.
Merfolk guards lined both sides of the stone steps, standing tall and looking straight ahead, though a few of them let their gazes linger briefly on the passing cultivators.
The interior of the palace was more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Glowing shells and tiny pearls were embedded along both sides of the corridor, casting a soft light, while water flowed gently beneath the pathway.
Walking in the middle of the group, Lin Zhiyue scanned the walls on both sides of the corridor, occasionally spotting very faint engravings on the surface.
The arrangement of those engravings was slightly different from common runes, and the branching angles at the ends were not completely symmetrical. For the moment, she could not determine their purpose.
Cen Xi'er walked beside Lin Zhiyue, her gaze fixed on the Eldest Prince of the White Merfolk leading the way.
Jiang Yuezhan walked at the rear. Along the way, he glanced sideways at the water on the left side of the corridor, confirming that nothing was hidden within before withdrawing his gaze.
The group was settled in a row of side halls on the eastern side of the palace. The rooms were spacious enough, with simple furnishings, and several pieces of jade that emitted soft light were embedded in the walls.
Lin Zhiyue stood in the room for a moment, confirming that there were no hidden compartments in the walls and no new movement beneath the water. Then, she walked to the window and looked out through the translucent panes.
At dusk, the sea turned a deep dark green, and the shadows of a few large fish occasionally glided slowly past the window.
As night crept over the water, the light outside the window gradually dimmed. A string of tiny, silvery points of light moved slowly along the underwater channel, illuminating the winding paths beneath the surface.
When she closed the window, her fingertips paused on the edge of the frame as if to confirm it was shut tight. Then, she turned around and sat down in the darkness.
Relying on her high emotional intelligence, Cen Xi'er spent two days piecing together bits of information from the Merfolk maids.
She did not directly ask about the reason for the sea blockade, nor did she pry into the secrets of the Merfolk royal family. Instead, using casual chat as a pretext, she gradually heard about several major events that had occurred within the Merfolk race over the past few months from the mouths of a few maids.
The Merfolk were divided into two lineages, the Black Merfolk and the White Merfolk, ruling the East Sea and the North Sea respectively. The North Sea royal family consisted of the White Merfolk, while the East Sea royal family consisted of the Black Merfolk.
The two seas were connected in their depths, and the royal families of both lineages had intermarried for generations, making them virtually indistinguishable in name.
Early next year, the Princess of the North Sea White Merfolk and the Third Prince of the East Sea Black Merfolk would officially wed.
This matter had been in preparation between the two lineages for over half a year. The wedding date was set, and the gift list had been finalized.
Cen Xi'er did not press further upon hearing these details. She merely lowered her head to shell a nut, as if listening to gossip that had nothing to do with her.
When the Merfolk maids mentioned the Princess and the Third Prince, their tones carried a complex mix of emotions, as if admiration and dissatisfaction coexisted.
She also learned from those maids that the Merfolk were not entirely unified. Some supported keeping a distance from humans, while others believed that the sea blockade was highly detrimental to both humans and Merfolk alike.
However, those who supported the blockade seemed to have the upper hand at present, while those with differing opinions had gradually stopped speaking out publicly over the past few months.
On the evening of the second day, after the sky had darkened, Cen Xi'er walked to the door of Lin Zhiyue's room. She did not knock, but stood outside the door for a moment. “I've gathered some information. The sea blockade is led by the royal families, and both sides have agreed to it. I suspect the wedding between the White Merfolk Princess and the Black Merfolk Third Prince early next year might be related to this, but as for the specific reason... even they don't know.”
After speaking, she stood at the door for a moment to ensure the person inside had heard before departing without lingering.
Her silhouette moved away along the corridor, gradually swallowed by the shadows between the pillars.
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