Chapter 142: Suppressing the Royal Clan

Deep beneath the ocean, the sounding of the Royal Bell brought all aquatic life to a standstill. Every creature turned its gaze toward the depths of the East Sea.

A colossal projection of a Black Tortoise was slowly manifesting from within a seal. A Royal Projection—enough to strike terror into all who beheld it. Since ancient times, whenever a major event concerned the Royal Clans, they would manifest through such projections.

"You're dead. The Royal Clan has awakened!"

Seeing this spectacle, Divine Sword’s face twisted into a look of gloating. He knew full well that Lin Qiu had offended the Royal Clan. They had even issued a hunt order against him. With the Black Tortoise clan breaking their seal prematurely, Lin Qiu was destined to face overwhelming pressure.

"Hmph!"

Lin Qiu let out a cold snort, his expression filled with disdain. He reached out, mobilizing the Ancient City Stele within his body. A bell tolled from deep within the Other Shore Ancient City.

Lin Qiu’s own projection materialized in the ocean, radiating infinite majesty, like an emperor presiding over the world. For some reason, a flicker of unease crossed Divine Sword’s heart.

"New Master of the Other Shore, you will regret offending the Royal Clan."

Lin Qiu’s projection had drawn the attention of the Black Tortoise. It spoke without a hint of courtesy, clearly intending to strike at Lin Qiu the moment they emerged. Long ago, they had been suppressed by the previous Master of the Other Shore; the dignity of the Royal Clan would not allow them to be suppressed again. They had to crush him before he could grow into a true threat.

"Is that so? In the East Sea—my territory—even the Royal Clan must remain obediently within their seals unless I give them permission to do otherwise!"

Lin Qiu did not hold back. The phantom of the Ancient City loomed behind him, accompanied by crushing, boundless pressure. The Black Tortoise’s projection was actually being forced back, slowly but surely. Lin Qiu was utilizing the power of the Royal City to drive the Black Tortoise clan back into their seal.

The Black Tortoise clan had not yet reached their scheduled time for breaking the seal; forcing it early had cost them dearly. They had never imagined that Lin Qiu would be able to harmonize with the power of the Royal City to suppress their breakthrough.

This was a contingency left behind by the previous City Master, designed to prevent the ocean’s Royal Clans from breaking their seals too early and hindering the progress of his successor. It was precisely because of this safeguard that Lin Qiu dared to offend the Black Tortoise clan, even going so far as to stand against the entire ocean.

"Damn it! Why is this happening!"

The projection struggled incessantly, its face filled with disbelief. It had never expected Lin Qiu to be capable of manipulating the power of the seal.

"In the East Sea, I am the King. Nothing happens here without my nod!"

After forcing the Black Tortoise back, Lin Qiu did not immediately disperse his projection. He spoke again, his voice arrogant. Simultaneously, the power of the Ancient City surged outward, sweeping up the energy of evolution.

Whenever a Royal Clan broke a seal, they would release a continuous stream of evolutionary energy to celebrate. But now, Lin Qiu was plundering all of it for himself, showing no mercy. After all, he needed one million evolution points to advance from the fifth rank to the sixth!

This left the various races of the East Sea deeply dissatisfied. They had hoped to use the Royal Clan’s awakening to boost their own cultivation, but with Lin Qiu stripping away all the energy, they were left with nothing.

"Seal!"

Once he had absorbed all the evolutionary energy, Lin Qiu spoke once more. The power of the Ancient City coalesced into the character for "Seal." Laden with immense pressure, it slammed into the depths of the East Sea, reinforcing the Royal Clan’s prison.

Only after finishing this did Lin Qiu disperse his projection. He looked toward Divine Sword, who was not far away. "You said I was dead?"

His words dripped with intense mockery. Divine Sword remained silent; after what he had just witnessed, he realized he was no match for Lin Qiu. Lin Qiu, however, couldn't be bothered to kill him. Having just harvested a massive amount of evolutionary energy, he didn't care about a minor annoyance like him.

"I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll spare your life. Take a message back to your master: if he doesn't stop his antics, I will come to pay him a visit myself!"

With a wave of his hand, Lin Qiu blasted Divine Sword away, far beyond the reach of the Royal City. Only when he had vanished did the many aquatic creatures hiding in the shadows snap out of their stupor. They looked at one another, their faces filled with disbelief.

They had expected the awakening of the Royal Clan to be the end of Lin Qiu. They never imagined he would be so tyrannical. By coordinating with the power of the Royal City, he had forcibly suppressed the Black Tortoise clan. He had truly forged a blood feud with the Royal Clan.

"Does this guy really have no fear of the Royal Clan?"

"I don't understand. Can even the Master of the Ancient City be this arrogant?"

"Is this East Sea really going to be under his rule? We finally had a wave of evolutionary energy, and he took it all!"

Whispers echoed throughout the ocean. Every creature was discussing Lin Qiu. They were terrified and resentful, unsure of how to judge him. They feared him because of the strength he had displayed again and again; on the surface, he was a fifth-rank, but anyone who truly treated him as just a fifth-rank had to be dreaming. What fifth-rank could suppress a Royal Clan single-handedly? Could rule the East Sea? Could be this arrogant?

In the ocean, there were many fifth-ranks, but one as arrogant as Lin Qiu? He was truly one of a kind.

Their resentment stemmed from the loss of the evolutionary energy and the uncertainty of the future. The older creatures had memories of the era when the Royal Clans reigned supreme, and they had placed their hopes in the Royal Clans' return. But Lin Qiu was different. What would the style of this new hegemon be?

Meanwhile, in the Mermaid Royal City, when Divine Sword returned with his injured body, the City Master, Bi Cang, wore a grim expression—especially after hearing the message Lin Qiu had sent.

"Very well, go and rest."

Bi Cang waved his hand to dismiss Divine Sword, his mind racing as he contemplated how to handle this situation. He had deep ties with the Black Tortoise Royal Clan, and his own kin possessed their bloodline. This meant a peaceful coexistence with Lin Qiu was impossible; it was a matter of life and death.

"Notify the other City Masters," Bi Cang muttered helplessly after a long silence. He had realized that the gap between him and Lin Qiu had widened significantly. If they did not unite, they would be picked off one by one, and he would have no capital left to oppose Lin Qiu.