"Have you not tried ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) to resist?" Yu Nian's brows furrowed, her tone sharp.

"Resist?" Elder Moto suddenly opened his eyes, and those eyes that might have once been as clear as the sea now held only bottomless sorrow and despair.

"How could we not? In the first two years, the warriors of the tribe secretly organized and launched three... three attempts!"

He held up three trembling, webbed fingers, "The most tragic time was led by the strongest warrior of our tribe at that time, my son Mo Lin... They launched a night attack on the new palace where that group of people lived."

He pointed toward the new building in the village that Bai Cheng had mentioned, his hand dropping weakly.

"The result... total annihilation. Mo Lin... he was hung from the ancient coral tree at the village entrance and exposed to the sun for ten whole days."

The old man's voice became hollow, "Since then, nearly half of the tribe's young and strong have died. The spirit of the remaining people has also... also broken.

They intensified their exploitation, doubling the quota of tributes and extending labor hours. They even strictly controlled our own rations, not allowing us to eat our fill, saying... it was to prevent us from having the strength to harbor treacherous thoughts again."

A cold light flashed in Bai Cheng's eyes: "That new building is their lair?"

Moto nodded heavily: "Yes. They call it 'Wanghai Pavilion.' The stones used were forcibly quarried from our Sacred Mountain, and the style... is also strange.

It is cold and icy, with no waves or fish patterns, only straight lines and sharp edges."

He raised his head and looked at the three women before him who possessed extraordinary temperaments and were clearly not ordinary travelers. A spark of hope, as weak as a candle in the wind, ignited in his eyes, but it was immediately submerged by deeper fear and guilt:

"You... you want to... no, it won't work!"

He became agitated, taking two steps forward, almost grabbing Bai Cheng's sleeve before fearfully withdrawing his hand.

"Guests, I appreciate your kindness! But please leave quickly! Take advantage of the fact that they have all gone out to patrol the surrounding waters today and have not yet returned!

They... they are strong! Extremely strong! Their leader, Lord 'Black Fin,' can whip up giant waves and snap masts with a wave of his hand!

My son Mo Lin was a once-in-a-century genius of our tribe, yet he couldn't last three moves against him! You... you won't be able to fight them!"

Yu Nian smiled softly. There wasn't much warmth in that smile, but there was a rock-solid certainty: "Elder, perhaps we are a little bit stronger than you imagine."

The frost at Leng Ningxue's fingertips quietly dissipated, and her voice was cold yet carried a decisive tone:

"Since we have received the hospitality of your tea and food, there is no reason for us to stand by and watch such injustice. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Today, we will help you resolve this trouble."

"Foolish! You are being foolish!" Elder Moto stomped his feet in anxiety, his coral staff thumping against the ground. The blood drained from his aged face, leaving only a despairing grayish-blue.

"I once thought my son Mo Lin could lead our people to regain their freedom, but what was the result?

I also secretly sent people to the neighboring Feiyu Tribe and Yanke Tribe to seek help, promising great rewards... but they either refused to see us or the reinforcements they sent were intercepted and killed halfway!

Now, who in the surrounding waters doesn't know that Chao Yin Island is a cursed land? Who still dares to approach? Who still dares to entangle themselves with the karma of our Sea People?"

He retreated dejectedly, his back hunched so much it seemed it might break. He leaned against the cold stone wall and slowly slid to the floor.

That long sigh seemed to drain his last bit of strength, filled with a resigned exhaustion.

"Over these years... we have gradually... grown accustomed to it."

He murmured, his eyes staring blankly at the drafty roof, "By paying tributes on time and completing the labor, at least... we can stay alive.

As long as we are alive, the flame of the tribe won't be extinguished. Those 'Lords'... though they are harsh, as long as we don't resist, they... they don't completely deny us a way to live.

We can still secretly catch a few fish from the sea, and there is still a little Night Algae left for lighting."

His voice grew lower and lower, as if he were trying to convince himself or bowing to the cruel reality.

"Perhaps... this is a new trial given to us by the Sea God. Resistance... has already spilled too much blood. Perhaps... perhaps obedience is the only way to survive..."

The numbness and the gradually twisted acceptance in those words were like a heavy haze shrouding the dilapidated stone house.

Outside the window, the sound of the tide remained, but it could no longer sing the ancient songs of freedom; there were only the never-ending, heavy beats played for those who were enslaved.

Seeing that the three were unmoved, the elder's face became even more anxious.

He took a trembling step forward and croaked his warning again: "Guests, please leave quickly! You don't understand their terror at all. Staying here only leads to death—"

Before he could finish, the worn wooden door shattered with a bang!

Four tall and hideous figures blocked the doorway. Their skin was covered in dark scales, their claws were like hooks, and their eyes held the predatory glint of hunters.

The leader bared a mouthful of sharp teeth and picked up where the elder left off, saying gloomily: "Leave? You trespassed into a forbidden area and heard things you shouldn't have... none of you are leaving!"

One of the monsters lifted a dying Sea People youth like cargo.

The youth's face was covered in bruises, and his gill markings throbbed violently from suffocation. The moment he saw Elder Moto, tears and despair welled up in his eyes:

"Elder... I'm sorry... I shouldn't have spoken about the guests... but they tortured me..."

The claws gripping his neck suddenly tightened, and his joints let out a crisp snap!

However, a piercing chill arrived first despite starting later—

"Crack!"

An ice blade flashed like moonlight, and the thick arm was severed at the wrist, black blood spraying everywhere.

The youth fell to the ground, coughing violently.

At almost the same instant, Yu Nian's figure streaked out like a golden wind. Two longswords condensed from the void, turning into streams of light that pierced through the chests of the two nearest monsters, the sword tips still humming as they emerged from their backs.

On the other side, Leng Ningxue didn't even move half a step. She only narrowed her eyes slightly, and the remaining two monsters were suddenly covered in solid ice, which then shattered along with their shocked expressions, scattering ice shards all over the floor.

From beginning to end, Bai Cheng stood still in her original spot, her black dress unmoving, as if everything had nothing to do with her.

Dead silence.

Only the faint sound of the tide outside the door could be heard.

The rescued Sea People youth slumped on the ground, his pupils shrinking. He kept his mouth open but couldn't make a sound, as if he had even forgotten how to breathe.

The stone bowl in Elder Moto's hand fell with a "clatter," breaking into several pieces on the stone floor.

The color drained from his deep blue face, his wrinkles like frozen waves. His eyes were wide as his gaze moved repeatedly between the three women and the remains of the monsters on the ground. Finally, he trembled and spat out broken sentences:

"Im... impossible... The lackeys of these 'Sea Patrol Envoys'... each one could easily tear apart our tribe's warriors... You actually... you actually wiped them away as if brushing off dust..."

He stumbled back, his back hitting the cold stone wall, but he was completely oblivious to it. He only stared fixedly at Bai Cheng—the woman who had remained still the entire time.

At this moment, she seemed to be shrouded in an invisible abyss, where even light and shadow fell silent.

The elder suddenly understood: they weren't just "a little bit stronger."

It was the difference between a tsunami and a water droplet!