Chapter 335: Ling Vein Exploration

"Sir, are you the outsider named Ayang?" the old man asked, approaching with surprise in his eyes, as if he had long discerned everything.

Xu Yang nodded with a faint smile, "That's right. And you, sir..."

The old man suddenly grabbed Xu Yang's hands. It was clear that the old man's entire arm was trembling uncontrollably.

Before the old man could speak, a guard in the great hall announced the arrival of His Majesty the King and the royal family members.

The atmosphere in the hall immediately settled down. The Ice Snow Divine Dynasty had its own way of conducting ceremonies, and the old man, too, had to release Xu Yang's hands and bow towards the throne along with everyone else. Only Xu Yang and his companions stood out, appearing somewhat out of place.

"Welcome, Your Majesty!"

The opulent old man at the center was Wu Deng, the King of the Ice Snow Divine Dynasty, and the graceful and dignified woman beside him was Queen Shui Yun. Third Prince Ying was also among the group and nodded a greeting to Xu Yang and his party from afar.

"Welcome, everyone! It is once again time for the triennial Sunken Fish Festival. This year's grand ceremony is particularly noteworthy, as an additional winner will be chosen from the six participants – the one with the strongest Ice Snow Spiritual Vein – to become the Mermaid Lord's wife."

As soon as the King spoke, the scene instantly grew boisterous. All the nobles present eagerly anticipated the results.

"Your Majesty, which lineage's young lady will receive such an honor?"

The King smiled, "The specific results will be revealed under the watchful eyes of all of us. Please follow me, everyone!"

As soon as the King finished speaking, he led the assembled nobles to the back of the great hall. Under the guidance of the royal guards, they entered the palace's forbidden grounds through a special passage behind the palace. The so-called forbidden grounds were, in fact, a spiritual pond connecting to the underwater area of the island, serving as the royal palace's sole channel for communicating with the merfolk.

When the nobles followed the King to the edge of the pond, six masked participants of the Sunken Fish Festival were already waiting by its side.

"Your Majesty! Should we now activate the formation to summon the merfolk?"

The King nodded personally, giving the high priest the command.

Immediately, an incredibly pure power of ice and snow emanated from the high priest's scepter, landing on the surface of the pond. Soon, a chilling, bone-piercing aura suddenly surged from beneath the pond. Everyone present was startled by this abrupt coldness, instinctively stepping back a few paces. Only Xu Yang and Wushuang remained still.

In an instant, more than a dozen figures materialized on the bank of the pond. The person leading them had black clothes and black hair, with a tall and well-proportioned physique. It was clear at a glance that this was an outstanding leader among the merfolk. Behind them, more than a dozen purple-clad attendants and guards followed, each exuding an incredibly powerful aura.

"My Lord Jun Mo specifically sent me to test the strength of the spiritual veins of the Sunken Fish Festival candidates. Please issue your decree, Your Majesty."

For some reason, the black-clad individual exuded an air of extreme arrogance in every movement. Even in the King's presence, this haughtiness showed no sign of diminishing.

"Heh, it seems the merfolk are not as friendly with the Ice Snow Divine Dynasty as we might have imagined. Their relationship is merely one of mutual benefit. In fact, from the merfolk's perspective, the Ice Snow Divine Dynasty is nothing more than their subordinate. Even a mere guard is this arrogant, and for such a grand occasion, the Mermaid Lord hasn't even shown up. This already speaks volumes."

Wushuang's soul voice entered Xu Yang's mind, and he responded with a nod. "Regardless, let's observe the situation first."

As the high priest issued subsequent commands, the black-clad individual immediately closed their eyes. With hands clasped behind their back, a swirling mass of black mist materialized around them. This aura resembled an incredibly fierce and malevolent yin-sha energy, somewhat similar to the vengeful spirit that controlled the Shadow Clan from behind the scenes.

"What a sharp and domineering aura... The mastery of such power suggests that this merfolk lineage is not as simple as it seems." This thought arose in Xu Yang's mind, strengthening his resolve to find Bai Lianxue as quickly as possible.

Soon, as the black aura intensified to its peak, five of the girls began to emit pained groans, clearly struggling to withstand the pressure. Only the girl standing at the very edge remained completely still. From Xu Yang's perspective, the Divine Celestial Master who had just held his hands kept a worried gaze fixed on that particular girl.

"It seems she is the Divine Celestial Master's daughter! No matter what, I must see her face clearly."

Shortly after, the black-clad individual's lips curled into a slight smile. They ceased their actions and reopened their eyes. "I believe I have my answer. It's time to take this girl back," the black-clad envoy, having retracted their aura, smiled and spoke to the people present, simultaneously pointing to the girl at the very edge for the King. "As for the other five..."

No sooner had the envoy's words fallen than a chilling aura suddenly erupted from the deep pool behind them. Xu Yang and the others saw it clearly: five massive black tentacles emerged, directly sweeping the five girls from the bank into the water. Despite their pained screams and struggles, they ceased moving within a few breaths, and the water's surface returned to its calm state.

"What?! This... this is the Sunken Fish Festival? Isn't this just feeding those girls to sea beasts?!" Long Kun's exclamation was loud. To prevent unnecessary conflict, Xu Yang quickly stomped his foot, using his powerful barrier to block Long Kun's voice from spreading further, thus averting an awkward scene.

"We'll discuss this back home. Everyone, quiet down."

Just as the black-clad individual approached the sole remaining masked woman, Xu Yang calmly stepped out from the crowd.

"Envoy, wait."

The Ice Snow Divine Dynasty nobles and royal family members present were greatly astonished, their gazes converging on Xu Yang.

"Do you need something?"

Ignoring the envoy's posture, Xu Yang slowly approached, his eyes fixed on the girl. With every step he took, an incredibly powerful aura of pressure was released, a level of strength that even startled the black-clad envoy before him!

"This person... what profound power!" Originally, the envoy had intended to suppress Xu Yang's aura, to show him who was in charge and make him rein himself in. However, they quickly realized that Xu Yang's aura was simply beyond their ability to contend with.

Thus, Xu Yang easily reached the girl and, in front of everyone, lifted the covering from her face. At that very instant, to preserve the royal family's dignity, Xu Yang released his domain power to shield his actions. Therefore, only he saw the girl's clear face beneath the covering.

Prince Ying's brows furrowed slightly, betraying a hint of tension. However, Prince Yu, equally handsome, who stood beside him, maintained a calm and composed smile.