Chapter 1222: The Catastrophe

Late at night.

Moonlight flowed into the waves, splashing against the shore like scattered silver.

The silent beach was only filled with the sound of the tides, surging endlessly, with no trace of any living beings. The entire world seemed to have fallen into a deep slumber.

On this lonely night.

Ao Budong stood stiffly on the beach, dressed in plain clothes, holding a pile of gift boxes in his hands. Gone was the usual arrogance of the Dragon Emperor, replaced only by a humble and anxious expression.

He glanced around several times, but there was still no sign of any movement.

Yet, he showed no trace of complaint or impatience. Instead, his eyes grew even more humble, and he kept taking deep breaths to calm his mind, patiently waiting with obedience.

Finally.

A ripple in the void appeared before him, and an old man with a cane slowly stepped out.

The moment Ao Budong saw the weathered face of the old man, it was as if he had seen a savior. He immediately fell to his knees with a thud!

"Lord Crab Emperor, Lord Crab Emperor, please save me!"

The Crab Emperor looked down coldly, his murky eyes showing no emotion.

Even as Ao Budong kowtowed repeatedly, the old man remained unmoved, as if he had no room for mercy. In such a delicate moment, his appearance alone was already a rare occurrence.

After a series of kowtows went unanswered, it was like offering warmth to a cold heart!

In the past.

Ao Budong would have stood up in anger, vowing revenge!

But today.

The emperor of the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan was utterly humble, kowtowing without pause, desperately pleading for help while forcing a smile and presenting various gifts!

"Lord Crab Emperor, I know you love fine wine. This is a 100,000-year-old vintage from my clan!"

"And here are my secret Soul Refining Fruits!"

"Yes, yes! And this ancient deep-sea vine left by my ancestors! And..."

In a flurry, Ao Budong opened the gift boxes, doing his utmost to please.

Yet, no matter how hard he tried, even forcing a strained smile and introducing each item with great effort, the beach now littered with treasures, the Crab Emperor remained unmoved, not a single ripple of emotion in his eyes.

After a long while of fruitless effort.

Ao Budong's expression froze, on the verge of breaking down.

Tears of frustration welled up in his eyes, and as he kowtowed again, his voice was choked with sobs!

"Lord Crab Emperor...!"

"I, your humble servant, am also of the sea. Though we are not close kin, we are still of the same kind! I do not know what force I have offended, but I know that my Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan is facing a great calamity!"

"To have come to this, it is all my fault, but the millions of my people must not have their lineage cut off. I beg you, show us mercy!"

"Lord Crab Emperor! I beg you, for the sake of our shared heritage, to show us a way out. If even a few of my clansmen can survive, I would gladly die ten thousand deaths to repay your great kindness!"

Even as the sand and mud covered his face, Ao Budong continued to kowtow like a madman.

In just a few moments.

The Dragon Emperor was already covered in blood and tears, driven to desperation!

Finally.

The Crab Emperor let out a long sigh.

"Ah..."

"Enough."

"Being of the sea, I cannot stand by and watch."

Ao Budong's eyes lit up with hope, and he scrambled forward on his knees!

"Thank you, my lord, for your mercy! Thank you, my lord, for your mercy!"

But before his joy could fully bloom.

The Crab Emperor raised his hand slightly, his cold expression overriding any hint of compassion.

"Hold your thanks."

"Though I am willing to offer some guidance, that is all. This matter is of great consequence, and even I dare not intervene against the will of that great one. Whether the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan survives or perishes will depend entirely on you!"

Ao Budong trembled at these words, his pupils shaking uncontrollably!

Great one...

To hear such a title from the Crab Emperor was utterly unimaginable!

Now, hearing it with his own ears.

Though his suspicions were confirmed, and it seemed that the Black Island indeed housed a terrifying presence, Ao Budong was still shocked, unable to fathom what kind of being could inspire such fear in even the Crab Emperor.

Suddenly.

The Dragon Emperor, who had ruled for tens of thousands of years, felt his heart racing with anxiety. His authority and experience over the Eastern Sea now seemed as laughably shallow as a child's.

After taking several deep breaths, he finally mustered the courage to speak with a trembling voice.

"Yes, yes, I would never dare to trouble Lord Crab Emperor."

"But, I truly do not know how we have come to this. I beg you, my lord, to give me a hint, so that I may have some clue. Even if I must die, I wish to do so with clarity..."

Seeing Ao Budong's eyes filled with regret and tension, as if he truly understood his mistake.

The Crab Emperor hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

"It is all a matter of fate..."

"Your son trespassed on the Black Island, provoking a great one to act. When we learned of that great one, we dared not intervene that day. In his presence, the three of us are nothing but ants."

Ao Budong nodded blankly, still not fully grasping the situation.

"There was indeed a skeletal figure who acted, but my son did nothing to provoke him. I truly do not know where we went wrong..."

The Crab Emperor looked down with a gaze full of disappointment.

"Your son trespassed on the Black Island, challenging an outsider, and even in defeat, he showed no awareness. That outsider is the master of the skeletal figure. It was only natural for the skeletal figure to teach him a lesson. How can you say there was no provocation?"

"You, after tens of thousands of years as the Dragon Emperor, have truly failed!"

Holy...

Ao Budong's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the ground!

He had suspected that the skeletal figure was a being of terrifying power, far beyond what the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan could handle. That was why he had swallowed his pride and accepted the humiliation, a rare act of submission...

But he never imagined.

That such a terrifying skeletal figure was merely someone else's subordinate?

So.

They had offended that person's master from the very beginning, and the entire chain of events had unfolded this way!

What kind of being could that master be?!

Unimaginable!

Finally understanding the truth, everything became clear.

But Ao Budong's mind was buzzing with fear, completely at a loss. The consequences were even more terrifying than he had anticipated. The catastrophe was now right before his eyes.

That great one could likely annihilate the entire sea clan with ease!

Facing such a being, he felt as insignificant as a grain of sand.

"This, this!"

Ao Budong quickly kowtowed to the Crab Emperor, not caring that his forehead was now covered in sand and mud!

"Lord Crab Emperor, please save me!"

"I truly did not know that such a great one resided on the Black Island. Had I known, I would never have dared to show the slightest disrespect to the Black Island!"

"I beg you, Lord Crab Emperor, to guide me. What should I do..."

The man was foolish, but his attitude was acceptable.

The Crab Emperor sighed helplessly.

"Ah."

"In the presence of Lord Yi and the skeletal figure, I am nothing. How could I dare to offer any advice on this matter?"

"From now on, you must act according to Lord Yi's will. As for what outcome you will face, it will all depend on Lord Yi's mood."

"I have said all I can, and it is only out of our shared heritage that I have done this much. I hope you will take care of yourself!"

With those solemn words, the Crab Emperor's figure dissipated into nothingness.

Ao Budong's eyes were filled with shock that took a long time to fade. He continued to bow repeatedly!

"Yes, yes, I will absolutely follow Lord Yi's will!"

After a long while with no further response, he finally dared to look up and saw that the Crab Emperor had left. He hurriedly took out a jade slip to send a message, almost roaring as he questioned Ao Chang, meticulously going over every detail of the past events!

Only then did he learn that the root of it all was a few human women. Because of such a trivial matter, they had provoked a terrifying being. Truly, the worst luck in eight lifetimes!

Not long after.

Dragon Emperor Ao Budong summoned all the high-ranking members of the Heavenly Dragon Merfolk Clan.

In the silent hall, gasps of shock were heard continuously. Ao Chang, the top talent and strongest of the younger generation, was immediately bound and restrained!