Chapter 1012: Temporary Cooperative Relationship

"It seems these sea creatures must be dealt with before we can land on Dragon Island."

As Xu Yang thought this, a plan formed in his mind. Without further hesitation, he immediately unleashed the full aura of the Boundless Ocean God-artifact from his palm.

In an instant, a powerful sea vortex, centered on Xu Yang, rapidly expanded, immediately crashing into the thousands of merfolk and scattering their formation.

Even the hundreds of Tigerwing Great White Shark teams, who had formed a blockade on the outermost perimeter, were scattered by the sudden colossal waves.

When the commotion in the sea subsided, all the sea creatures observed that the merfolk's immense Life Spirit Stone, which had been in its original position, had completely vanished.

In its place stood the incredibly refined figure of a human man.

It was undoubtedly Xu Yang, who was smiling as he surveyed his surroundings.

“Don't look at me with such surprise, friends. I've been here for quite some time now, and I've witnessed your conflict and dialogue firsthand. And yes, I've also taken the merfolk's spirit stone.”

Upon hearing this, the merfolk were furious. While they were astonished by the mysterious human's bizarre methods, unable to believe such a large spirit stone could be instantly relocated, their anger overshadowed their disbelief.

At that moment, however, they had no inclination to ponder such peculiar questions. Their foremost concern was what stance this human's sudden appearance signified.

“Although I took the merfolk's spirit stone, from this moment on, I am the human auxiliary they have invited. You Tigerwing Great White Sharks will find it impossible to annihilate the merfolk and seize their territory in the short term. If you insist on attacking the merfolk today, I will not hesitate to slaughter every Tigerwing Great White Shark present. I never like to repeat myself. I advise your Great White Shark clan to consider your position carefully. If you persist in this stubborn course, you will face my wrath.”

Xu Yang's words were chilling. A mere human would ordinarily be beneath the notice of these oceanic overlords. To them, a human was merely a morsel, hardly enough to fill a gap between their teeth.

However, Xu Yang's sudden appearance, the aura he emitted, and the profound majesty he displayed deeply shook these apex oceanic creatures. No one doubted the veracity of Xu Yang's recent statements, especially when he revealed the Boundless Ocean God-artifact in his palm. Everyone's perception of him underwent a profound transformation.

“If my judgment is correct, that must be the Boundless Ocean God-artifact in his palm—one of the three legendary artifacts of the Endless Sea. To think it's fallen into his hands! Could this individual be connected to the Eternal Demon Tree?”

The merfolk patriarch, who had been completely exposed and enraged, found his mind calming as Xu Yang declared his allegiance. It was now the Tigerwing Great White Sharks' turn to panic.

“Are you deliberately trying to make an enemy of us Tigerwing Great White Sharks? I advise you to leave at once, or else…”

Xu Yang shook his head helplessly, not wanting to hear another word from him. The opponent's stance and tone already indicated a blatant disregard for Xu Yang's earlier warning.

Given the situation, Xu Yang had no choice but to unleash his formidable wrath to underscore the weight of his words.

The next moment, Xu Yang subtly raised his hand, and the Jade Bone Divine Sword instantly vanished from its position. When it reappeared, the razor-sharp divine sword had already pierced through the body of a Tigerwing Great White Shark royal. It instantly pierced from head to tail, completely disregarding the formidable power of a mid-blue-tier Great White Shark, creating a massive blood hole through its shark body.

Undoubtedly, with a single, effortless strike from Xu Yang, this leading Tigerwing Great White Shark royal member was instantly reduced to a corpse.

When this occurred, all the surrounding apex oceanic beings were utterly dumbfounded. No one could fathom how this seemingly slender human had delivered such a fatal blow.

“All merfolk, hear my command! Launch a full counterattack—leave no one alive!”

The merfolk patriarch proved adept at seizing the opportunity. Capitalizing on the peak morale Xu Yang had inspired, he swiftly ordered the complete annihilation of the Great White Shark contingent to mitigate their losses.

Xu Yang, true to his word, relentlessly slaughtered the powerful Tigerwing Great White Shark creatures with the Jade Bone Divine Sword. The battle lasted only two hours and concluded with a decisive victory for the merfolk.

After the war, the merfolk leader and his clansmen returned to their territory, surrounding Xu Yang.

“On behalf of the merfolk, I thank you for your assistance. However, as payment, you have already taken our Life Spirit Stone. We are now even, and you are free to depart.”

Xu Yang was satisfied with the merfolk's demeanor. It was likely due to his overwhelming power; they understood they couldn't afford to provoke him, which prompted their deferential stance. After all, Xu Yang was the one who had taken their Life Spirit Stone. Even though he later saved their lives, it wasn't enough for the merfolk to feel profound gratitude towards him.

“Very well, 'neither owes the other' is a good phrase, and I appreciate that kind of relationship. However, as one should help to the end, in my opinion, the Great White Sharks won't give up so easily. Should they launch another large-scale invasion against your merfolk, you can summon me at any time.”

As he finished speaking, the Boundless Ocean God-artifact in Xu Yang's hand emitted a divine wave, its essence locking onto the merfolk leader's body.

“I have imprinted your life essence into this treasure of mine. In the future, should you encounter danger again, simply release a drop of your lifeblood, and my artifact will detect it. I will come to your aid immediately. Before I depart, I have one final question: were all the Life Spirit Stones you acquired from Dragon Island?”

The merfolk patriarch did not conceal the information. After all, their current relationship was one of temporary cooperation, and should the merfolk truly face a strong counterattack from the Great White Sharks in the future, they would still need to rely on Xu Yang's presence.