"Aiya, you old scoundrel! You ruined my empire, slaughtered my kin, and I swear I will never rest until you are dead! Die for me..."
The Merman King, his hair in disarray and eyes bulging with rage, roared as he emerged from the sea, lunging at Ji Mo.
He was driven mad, having lost all reason, and was determined to take Ji Mo down with him, burning his soul power to unleash his strongest attack.
The trident in his hand erupted with brilliant runes, beams of light shooting towards the sky, radiating immense divine might. It viciously pierced towards Ji Mo.
"Be careful!"
Bonny, still pouting and sulking, cared deeply for Ji Mo's safety. She leaped forward, blocking Ji Mo, intending to use her frail body to shield him from the attack.
Seeing this, Ji Mo was deeply touched. He knew he hadn't doted on this little girl in vain; she truly came through for him when it mattered, proving to be very thoughtful.
However, he would never let Bonny take such a blow.
He spread his arms, scooping Bonny up by the waist, and with his other hand, he struck out to meet the trident.
Clang!
A thunderous roar echoed, accompanied by a shower of sparks.
Ji Mo, with his bare hands, had blocked the terrifying attack.
The Merman King stared in disbelief, his eyes fixed on the trident in his hand, his eyeballs almost popping out.
This demigod artifact, it was bent!
It had been bent by a casual palm strike from Ji Mo.
If the trident hadn't been reinforced by Tian Tu, it would have likely been shattered into pieces.
"Who exactly are you..."
The Merman King was stunned, but before he could finish his sentence, blood gushed from his seven orifices, and his body began to disintegrate.
While the trident managed to hold its form, he couldn't withstand the backlash. His physical body dissolved into a mist of blood.
Bonny, held by Ji Mo, felt the long-lost warmth of his embrace, and the anger in her heart instantly vanished. A wide grin spread across her face.
But before she could savor the moment, the oblivious and tactless Ji Mo let go decisively and excitedly reached out to catch the trident.
"So thick, so long, and good hardness too."
He played with the trident in his hands, thinking it quite useful. If used for stabbing, it could create three holes at once, which would surely be exhilarating.
Then, to the shocked gazes of all present.
Ji Mo, with a flick of his wrist, straightened the bent trident.
"Hiss..."
A collective gasp of awe swept through the onlookers.
This was the renowned trident, and whether it was bent or straight was entirely at Ji Mo's whim!
If a demigod artifact was like this, what could flesh and blood withstand against such a grip?
"Could this be the legendary Qilin Divine Arm? I must find an opportunity to ask Brother Mo to teach it to me."
Nangong Chou's eyes gleamed with longing.
With such divine strength, what man couldn't be bent to his will?
"Here, little Bonny, this is for you. From now on, if anyone dares to upset you, just stab them."
Ji Mo placed the trident into Bonny's fair, delicate hand, affectionately ruffling her soft hair. After all, an Ocean Emperor, a trident was standard equipment.
Indeed, with the Eternal Ice Crystal Crown on her head and the trident in her hand, Bonny, while still cute, exuded a touch of noble sanctity, possessing the aura of an empress.
Receiving a demigod artifact out of the blue, anyone else would have been ecstatic. But Bonny showed no joy. More than this, she preferred to be close to Ji Mo.
"Hmph, don't you dare hug other women in the future, or I'll stab you."
Bonny harbored a grudge. After all, the Moon Goddess was within Ji Mo's ring. With them living together day and night, it was inevitable that sparks might fly at any moment.
A goddess, and a devastatingly beautiful one at that, put immense pressure on Bonny, causing her to bear a jealousy far beyond her years.
"Sister, if you had been bold and unrestrained back then, and danced for Brother Mo in a swimsuit, perhaps Brother Mo would have been happy and given you a good item or two. What a pity, missing such a great opportunity."
Nangong Chou sighed, his mischievous streak surfacing as he teased his own sister.
Nangong Manyin's forehead creased with annoyance. She grabbed Nangong Chou and began to beat him.
This wasn't about swimsuits at all, was it? Mr. Ji liked 'otaku' dances. Who knew what those were?
With the Merman King's death, the battle for the Ocean Emperor had officially concluded.
Bonny had won effortlessly, inexplicably becoming the ruler of the Arctic Ocean, the youngest Ocean Emperor in history.
Of course, to wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
The little girl would now have to shoulder the responsibilities that came with it, learning how to govern the sea tribes.
She was not bloodthirsty, possessing a kind heart. She forgave the surviving Merman King's faction, began accepting the surrender of these tribes, and pursued a path of benevolent governance.
Ji Mo did not intervene. Bonny couldn't grow under his wing forever; she would have to stand on her own two feet and be self-reliant in the future.
As for Tian Tu, who had gone to raid the home base, Ji Mo was still somewhat uneasy. He asked the system if it was a big deal.
The system pondered for a long time before answering his question with another: "Do you know that Kong Xu is a modern person, yet why did he appear in the Immortal Spirit Realm over ten thousand years ago?"
"Hmm, why?"
Ji Mo's expression turned serious, feeling that the system was about to reveal some hidden secrets.
The system didn't play coy: "Tian Tu is no ordinary being. He carries great karma and is connected to the safety of our Huaxia. It was precisely because Li Er calculated this that he arranged for Kong Xu to travel through time and space to intercept Tian Tu, who was not yet fully formed, over ten thousand years ago. Alas, even the most cunning schemes can be outmaneuvered; Kong Xu ultimately failed."
Ji Mo was stunned for a while before he could process this information, feeling perplexed: "Since Tian Tu is of such great importance, why didn't they send someone else, and instead sent my good brother Kong Xu to his death?"
Based on what he knew of the Great Immortal Kong Xu's life, he was just an ordinary mortal when he transmigrated. He rose to prominence rapidly due to his heaven-defying aptitude, only to be met with misfortune and ultimately killed by Tian Tu.
If they had sent any powerful figure, subduing Tian Tu would have been as easy as crushing an ant.
Thinking of this, Ji Mo was filled with rage. He felt that Li Er, that old scoundrel, had ill intentions. Since he could divine the secrets of heaven, he should have dispatched a suitable candidate.
The system, sensing Ji Mo's thoughts, sighed softly: "Things are not as simple as you imagine. Tian Tu is actually correct. The star domain we belong to has long been depleted of spiritual energy and entered an era of decline. Think carefully, before your transmigration, did you ever hear news of immortals appearing or deities manifesting? Mythology has waned, and the extraordinary is long gone."
"But we still have countless formidable individuals, powerful figures with heaven-defying abilities, where are they?" Ji Mo pressed on.
Whether it was the Three Pure Ones or the Four Emperors, even a random deity intervening would have been as easy as crushing an ant to deal with Tian Tu.
The system's voice suddenly became extremely heavy: "To completely resolve the source of darkness and prevent the harvesting of darkness, our Huaxia ancestors, one after another, shed blood in the starry sky, buried their bones in the firmament, and waged several holy wars. But in the end, all ended in failure... Those powerful figures you know of, almost all of them have..."
"In fact, Li Er has already calculated the final outcome: the annihilation of all worlds, utter desolation, the non-existence of all life, the end of an epoch..."