Merfolk were not skilled at forging artifacts. Even if they forged something, it would be something along the lines of water-element arcane artifacts or storage items like hundred treasures pouches and sumeru rings. The skill was nowhere near as widespread as it was in the Green province. The merpeople traded with the cultivators of the South sea at each Merfolk sea fair by bringing a huge pod of whales loaded with various goods.
Many merpeople stood on the pod of whales, both beautiful mermaids and sturdy mermen. They all looked at Li Qingshan from above with gazes of curiosity, caution, coldness, and hostility.
Half of the whale’s eye right beside Li Qingshan appeared, over a dozen meters across. It was like a pool of water, clearly reflecting his figure.
It was a Daemon Commander, one close to the peak of the second heavenly tribulation. It was nowhere close to the Great Whale King, but it was still enormous.
Li Qingshan ignored all the gazes and raised his head, looking at the queen of the Merfolk. A pair of eyes met him.
At first glance, the eyes were still a light blue. They were clear enough for him to see through them.
But gradually, they went from a light blue to an azure blue, followed by an inky blue. He felt like his mind was being pulled into the depths of the ocean, into a bottomless abyss. The darkness and coldness constantly sank down. His body experienced actual pressure, like the pressure of the deep sea.
The merpeople in the surroundings had differing expressions. Some smiled cruelly, some sighed in pity, while others remained cold.
The great priest of the merpeople licked her razor-sharp teeth. Her face was filled with bloodthirsty joy. She recalled how the previous human cultivator had exploded when they met the Merfolk Queen’s eyes.
All of the cultivators on the beach watched this unfold. Some of them could not help but study the Merfolk Queen, but before they could even admire her beauty, they were helplessly drawn away by the eyes, forgetting everything around them.
Ji Qingyu happened to be one of them. He had not made out the Merfolk Queen at all when he was overcome by a stifling feeling, like the fear one felt when drowning. It was the fear of impending death. Right when he thought he was going to die, he suddenly jerked back to his senses and discovered he was still standing on the platform. He gasped for air and became drenched in cold sweat.
All of the cultivators who gazed at the Merfolk Queen from afar were the same. They all fell out of the air, no longer bold enough to look at the Merfolk Queen again.
That’s far too terrifying! Just through her eyes alone, she can kill all the cultivators present apart from father. She clearly held back at the end, which was why I could break free, and that’s just the residual power, just like how the wind and waves earlier were not actually targeting us. As it turns out, we’re no different from mortals before her. Isn’t the man who met her gaze dead for sure then?
But to everyone’s surprise, Li Qingshan’s expression was calm and relaxed as if he was enjoying it, or more accurately, the spirit turtle was enjoying it.
The spirit turtle liked to hide within the deep sea. A single slumber could last for millennia, avoiding all ties of karma, all sources of disaster and danger.
As he practised the Nine Transformations of the Demonic and Divine, Li Qingshan’s nature began to change as well. He obviously developed habits of the spirit turtle as well, but he was under the influence of the other transformations too, which was why he had not turned into a deep-sea shut-in.
He began to practice the Spirit Turtle’s Method of Sea Suppression, and he changed slightly. Li QIngshan’s gaze became as tranquil as the deep sea.
A sliver of surprise flashed through the Merfolk Queen’s eyes. She blinked her eyes. If he had just resisted her Eyes of the Abyss, then so be it, but he was enjoying himself. On top of that, the feeling of peace from his pitch-black eyes was beginning to influence her, making the slight displeasure she felt inside vanish.
“What beautiful eyes.” Li Qingshan praised from the bottom of his heart. He was tempted to exchange gazes with her for a little longer.
Breaking free from the eyes that were as deep as the sea, he studied this Merfolk Queen. She sat back on the crystal throne with a delicate crystal crown on her head. Her long, icy-blue hair was tied up, and she wore a beautiful, crystal necklace on her slender neck, which rested on her chest. Her silken dress draped down the throne, also adorned with many crystals. He could vaguely make out a long fishtail within it.
Apart from that, she bore some other special characteristics of otherfolk, but the noble, icy-cold aura she gave off was enough for anyone to forget about them and become enchanted by her.
While Li Qingshan was a lustful person, as well as a battle freak, he silently evaluated, Her cultivation is even greater than the Myriad Poison Ancestor. She’s reached mid third heavenly tribulation at the very least. She’s probably equal to the Fire Devouring King, Zhu Yan, or perhaps even slightly stronger. If I include the other abilities of these “godfolk”, I’m not her opponent right now.
“How disrespectful! Where are the guards?” the great priest called out.
A group of merfolk guards rode over on sharks and encircled him. The leading merman was especially burly, having reached the second heavenly tribulation too. In terms of cultivation alone, he was evenly matched with Li Qingshan. He wielded an anchor engraved with glyphs and glared at Li Qingshan, contemplating which part he should smash.
However, Li Qingshan did not even glance at him. He continued to stare at the Merfolk Queen, quietly waiting for her to speak.
“Who are you?” the Merfolk Queen asked. Her voice was extremely icy, but it possessed a natural charm. It was even more enchanting than the combined singing from the mermaids.
Li Qingshan was not accustomed to talking to people with his head raised, so he leapt onto the whale’s back gently and arrived before the Merfolk Queen. He answered, “Li Qingshan!”
Apart from the Merfolk Queen and the great priest, there were also a group of Merfolk elders on the huge whale’s back, all at the second heavenly tribulation and radiating with a turbulent aura of the sea. They bellowed loudly, some wanting him to piss off, some wanting him to kneel, and some almost about to strike and capture him. Their aura was as wild as the ocean, ready to erupt at any moment.
“Die!”
A bellow rang out from behind Li Qingshan, and a black figure rushed over. The captain of the Merfolk guards had been completely enraged by Li Qingshan’s disregard. He smashed the anchor in his hand at him with the terrifying power of the tides. It was an alarming sight.
“Li Qingshan.” The Merfolk Queen repeated the name. She had heard this name before. Although she resided in the distant depths of the South sea, as a king, her senses were obviously sharp. At a time like this, when war was on the brink of erupting, she had to collect all the information she could get her hands on.
Although the title “King of Savages” was still a bit of an overstatement, just his battle with the Myriad Poison cult meant he was no longer some insignificant figure anymore.
“What about you?” Li Qingshan asked. The Merfolk elders were all shocked, but it was no longer because of his rudeness. He had caught the anchor with his right hand without even looking back. The captain of the Merfolk guards was utterly furious, gritting his teeth and pressing his entire weight into the anchor, but he could not even make it budge.
Is he really a human? Gong Kun’s cultivation might not be the best, but he’s naturally endowed with strength. The Tidal Anchor weighs several tonnes. If he smashes it down like that, probably no one can receive it so easily apart from her majesty!
“Me?” The Merfolk Queen fell silent for a moment, as if she had never expected him to ask that. There was no one who did not know her name across the entire South sea. He asked this question clearly just for the sake of equality and reciprocity. She glanced at the anchor in his hand again.
“Gong Yuan.”
