Chapter 2153: The Secret of the Mermaid Clan

"Brother King, I was wrong. Please be merciful and forgive my past transgressions. From this day forward, I will dedicate my life to serving you, at your complete disposal." Ao Yong pleaded with Zu An, desperately dodging his attackers.

"Many people wish there were a magic pill to undo their mistakes, but unfortunately, there isn't." Zu An remained unmoved.

Shang Liuyu secretly sighed. Zu An's decision did not surprise her.

In truth, she knew very well that Ao Yong's words were born of desperation. Given any chance to recover, he would undoubtedly betray Zu An without a moment's hesitation.

However, seeing these sea creatures being slaughtered by the demons and devils, she couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

Seeing that Zu An had no intention of intervening, Ao Yong grew desperate: "Do you think these guys will spare you if you just stand by? Once I'm dead, you're next!"

"Wait, are you in league with them?"

"You son of a bitch, you've been colluding with these monsters all along!"

He was both shocked and enraged, cursing incessantly.

Fury value from Ao Yong: 88,888,888...

Despite the screen-filling surge of fury points, Zu An's expression remained calm. Such an incompetent ally was not worth saving; not only did he fail to help, but he had also completely united the demonic and infernal factions against them.

Just then, Ao Yong let out another piercing shriek. A moment of distraction had cost him dearly: the Bloodthirsty Crocodile Ancestor had seized the opportunity and bitten off his other hand.

The Bloodthirsty Crocodile Ancestor cackled, "A terrestrial immortal and a dragon, indeed! This flesh is truly delicious."

As he spoke, his teeth worked like a meat grinder, quickly stripping the arm clean.

Ao Yong completely broke down, activating a life-saving magical artifact and desperately trying to flee.

With his cultivation, he was no match for these creatures even in a one-on-one fight, let alone against four of them now.

"Trying to escape?" the Terror Shadow Demon sneered. Suddenly, a mass of darkness enveloped Ao Yong, instantly solidifying the space around him.

Ao Yong's face contorted in utter horror. He never imagined his life-saving artifact could be countered.

Next, the Fiery Demon Sea Siren, Kachiir, and the Bloodthirsty Crocodile Ancestor swarmed him, tearing him to shreds almost instantly.

Meanwhile, his subordinates, along with the sea tribe elders who had sided with him, were all massacred by the demons and infernal creatures.

The entire hall was stained red, and the air hung heavy with a sickening stench of blood.

Shang Liuyu couldn't help but glance at the towering Dragon God statue, wondering what the Dragon God would think if he were watching from above.

Kachiir then licked bits of flesh from between his teeth, smiling at Zu An. "Let's go, time to do what we came for."

Zu An nodded. "Alright."

He then took Shang Liuyu's hand and walked further in, as if holding her captive.

Shang Liuyu was very anxious then, unsure how Zu An intended to deal with these terrifying monsters. But at this point, she had no choice but to follow him to the end.

Kachiir and the others had initially worried that the recent events might make Shang Liuyu suspicious, but seeing this, they felt relieved.

Soon, Kachiir led the group past the massive Dragon God statue and to a wall behind it.

Zu An noticed that the wall was intricately carved with a mermaid, the craftsmanship so delicate that even as a mere bas-relief, her captivating beauty was palpable.

Seeing this carving, Shang Liuyu looked a little shocked, for there was a similar statue among the merfolk.

Legend held it to be the statue of the Merfolk Progenitor, though some also claimed she was not the progenitor but an ancient mermaid queen who had made outstanding contributions to the merfolk and even the entire sea tribe.

Regardless of the tale, she had been revered and worshipped by generations of merfolk, essentially from childhood.

How could her statue be in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons?

Meanwhile, Zu An was examining the wall. He detected a formation on it far more profound than the runes on the Tomb of Ten Thousand Dragons' gate—no, he wasn't even sure if they counted as a formation.

There were only a few incredibly complex runes, whose strokes and shapes he had never seen before. Yet, he dared not underestimate them, for he could feel a sacred power emanating from them.

Could these be the legendary divine runes?

Although his current mastery of formations couldn't decipher the principles behind these runes, he could clearly discern that they contained immense power. Any attempt to violently attack or break them would surely invite devastating retaliatory force.

No wonder even Kachiir and the other demons were so cautious.

At this point, Kachiir looked at Shang Liuyu, then secretly transmitted a message to Zu An: "This wall can only be opened by the queen of the merfolk. Let Shang Liuyu do it."

In the merfolk tribe, Shang Liuyu's two older sisters had successively become dragon kings' queens, so they naturally could no longer serve as the merfolk queen.

Shang Liuyu, with her innate talent, cultivation, intelligence, and the immense popularity stemming from her beauty and demeanor, was widely considered the undisputed choice for the merfolk queen.

Zu An was startled and asked, "What does she need to do?"

He couldn't help but feel a flicker of worry. If there was any danger, he would never allow Shang Liuyu to take the risk.

"She needs to sing," Kachiir replied. "As for what song, she should know it."

Zu An frowned. Sing?

This was completely unexpected. Singing could open a wall covered in divine runes?

This wasn't a story from Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.

And why was Kachiir so familiar with all of this?

Not only did he know about this mysterious wall behind the Dragon God statue, but he also knew how to open it.

He secretly relayed Kachiir's message to Shang Liuyu. She looked startled and surprised. "Indeed, for ten millennia, a song has been passed down among our merfolk, taught only to those confirmed as queen. I never thought it would be used here."

From her expression, it was clear she had learned the song.

At this point, she hesitated, looking at Zu An. "Are we really going to help them open it?"

No one knew what lay beyond, and if the demons or infernal forces succeeded, the consequences would be dire.

"Open it," Zu An said calmly.

Perhaps influenced by his composure, Shang Liuyu's mind settled significantly. She stepped forward and began to chant facing the wall.

Her voice was incredibly melodious and enchanting. Strangely, the entire song consisted of only the syllable "Ah," yet each "Ah" had a completely different pronunciation and intonation. Many of the tones were sounds that humans, demons, or other races simply couldn't produce.

This was determined by their natural vocal cord structure, combined with the merfolk's inherent bloodline talent. No matter how high other beings' cultivation, they couldn't mimic such sounds.

Despite the seemingly monotonous lyrics, Shang Liuyu's singing made them intricate and nuanced, profoundly sacred and pure. Even the demons and Kachiir appeared entranced.

The Merfolk Queen's singing truly lived up to its legendary reputation!

The others secretly gave Zu An a thumbs-up. In fact, due to the incident with Ao Yong, they had been somewhat worried that Shang Liuyu might suspect their identities and lose her admiration.

Yet, after a few words from him, she had become docile and compliant.

It seemed he truly had a way with women.

Kachiir, the Bloodthirsty Crocodile Ancestor, and the Terror Shadow Demon weren't particularly interested in women, but the Fiery Demon Sea Siren paid close attention. She resolved to find an opportunity to ask him later how he managed to make both sisters so devoted in such a short time.

As Shang Liuyu sang, the wall suddenly began to glow with faint blue lights. Gradually, more and more blue light appeared, seemingly coalescing into an ocean.

The lines of the mermaid carving on the wall also seemed to come alive. At a glance, it was as if a real mermaid was swimming and singing in the ocean.

Everyone marveled, wondering who had carved these designs so long ago, for it was truly miraculous craftsmanship.

Then, the lines surrounding the mermaid on the wall fully illuminated, immediately forming a translucent image. Like a holographic projection, a woman of unparalleled beauty appeared before them all.