Chapter 2419: Explosive News

Upon hearing this, the Mermaid Queen couldn't help but show a worried expression. She could feel the North Sea Dragon King's rage even from such a distance, making it seem difficult to rescue someone right under his nose.

As they worried, the two had already entered the main hall. Inside, Zu'an noticed four striking men dressed in different colored dragon robes. Each had two horns on their heads and a serious expression, and each emanated an aura distinctly different from everyone else around them. It was clear their strength was significantly higher than others, and combined with their attire, they were obviously the Four Dragon Kings of the East, South, West, and North Seas.

Zu'an couldn't help but feel a little puzzled. Although the East Sea Dragon King seemed to be the leader, they generally appeared to be equals. So why was there only one Dragon King in later generations?

"The Queen has arrived!"

The Mermaid Queen truly was the most dazzling star of the entire merfolk race. Her mere appearance caused a slight stir throughout the grand hall. Although everyone present was mindful of their decorum and tried to restrain themselves, their joy and fervent excitement were impossible to conceal.

A trace of joy also appeared on the East Sea Dragon King's face when he saw the Mermaid Queen. He subconsciously wanted to step forward and greet her, but then he saw Zu'an by her side and remembered she was already taken. A hint of dejection flashed in his heart, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He walked forward with a smile to greet them, saying, "Esteemed Sir, please forgive us for not coming out to meet you." The other party was unwilling to reveal his identity, and he didn't even know how to address him, but this didn't faze the well-connected and resourceful Dragon King.

Seeing his solemn, even somewhat humble, attitude, everyone then realized that this person seemed to be the mysterious entity who defeated Impious King Mogade last night. The other three Sea Dragon Kings also secretly sized up Zu'an. Last night, due to their special status, they had not appeared in order to avoid being drawn into the chaos in the East Sea, but their intelligence officers had already reported the previous day's events to them. No one dared to show him the slightest disrespect, so they all followed the East Sea Dragon King and bowed to him.

Zu'an took the opportunity to observe the North Sea Dragon King. He seemed to be the oldest among the Four Dragon Kings, burly with a red face, clearly indicating a fiery temper.

"I hear you've captured the Peacock Princess of the Demon Clan. Where is she now?" Zu'an very directly stated his purpose.

The expressions of all Four Dragon Kings changed as they wondered, "What exactly does this mysterious entity mean? Could he have some connection with the Demon Clan?" The North Sea Dragon King clenched his fists inside his sleeves, thinking, "No matter how strong this person is, our merfolk race is not weak. With so many masters here today, can he still act unreasonably? Even if it means offending him today, the revenge for his beloved son's death must be exacted!"

The Mermaid Queen, most sensitive to emotional shifts, noticed the Four Dragon Kings simultaneously becoming wary and defensive. She secretly grew anxious, thinking, "You're being far too direct about rescuing someone."

"This woman killed the North Sea Dragon King's Eldest Prince, and our people have just captured her," the East Sea Dragon King stated, highlighting her grave crime and pre-empting any unreasonable demands. He then stepped aside to reveal the view. In a corner, there was a magical cage, and a beautiful girl in green was sitting inside. Her hair was somewhat disheveled, and there were several bloodstains on her clothes, clearly indicating she had engaged in a fierce battle before being overpowered and captured.

In fact, Zu'an had already seen her with his divine sense the moment he entered the hall. His heart was immediately thrown into turmoil, just as it had been when he first saw the Mermaid Queen. Because this Peacock Princess was almost identical to Kong Nanwu from later generations! In that instant, his hair stood on end. He couldn't understand why. If the Mermaid Queen's resemblance was a coincidence, then what was going on with the Peacock Princess? The same coincidence happening a second time?

For a moment, he even suspected he had fallen under some illusion, entered a dream, and all of this was merely his imagination, which would explain why the people here looked exactly like those in his memories. Who could possess such immense power? The Chronomancer, or perhaps a trap left by the Lord of Slaughter on the Creation Jade Disc? However, he quickly dismissed this speculation. Not to mention whether they had the ability to subtly ensnare him given his current cultivation, even Mi Li, when she appeared earlier, hadn't found anything unusual about this space. Moreover, he recalled that only the Mermaid Queen and the Peacock Princess looked very similar to people from later generations; everyone else in the Dragon Palace was a new face. Furthermore, he held the Tooth of Demolition, so illusions could not affect him. So what was the reason...?

At this moment, the Mermaid Queen's light cough reminded him. She was also a bit puzzled, wondering why he was staring blankly at the Peacock Princess. Was he attracted by her beauty? That shouldn't be the case; he didn't react this strongly when he saw me. In terms of beauty, she had absolute confidence. Furthermore, she didn't believe this man would be easily captivated by beauty. So why was he behaving this way?

Everyone in the hall also noticed the unusual behavior, their expressions growing strange. "With the Mermaid Queen here, he's still staring so intently at another beautiful woman? This guy is too bold," they seemed to think. Even the Peacock Princess herself felt a little unnerved. She subconsciously took a step back; she didn't know his identity, but just found his stare somewhat strange. But upon meeting his eyes, a trace of confusion flashed in her own. Why couldn't she feel even a hint of aversion? It was well known that not long ago, she had killed the North Sea Dragon King's Eldest Prince with a single blade for harassing her.

Prompted by the Mermaid Queen's reminder, Zu'an came back to his senses. He then spoke, "You've made a mistake. She is not the killer of the North Sea Prince."

At his words, the entire hall was stunned. Everyone's gaze became strange. Was he openly trying to protect this woman? The Mermaid Queen was also a little confused. On the way here, she had analyzed the consequences of various options. Was he still planning to forcefully rescue her like this?

The East Sea Dragon King opened his mouth but said nothing. *Mogade, I couldn't afford to offend, and you... I can even less afford to offend. What the hell has been going on these past few days? Why are all the people I can't afford to provoke showing up?*

He didn't dare to speak, but the North Sea Dragon King, having just suffered the pain of losing his son, couldn't hold back. "Your Excellency's cultivation may be high," he said, "but to openly shield a murderer like this is surely to show utter disregard for our merfolk race."

The other three Sea Dragon Kings exchanged glances at his words. They subconsciously took half a step back, thinking, "Don't get us involved." Of course, they also knew that even if they wanted to stay out of it, they couldn't. Since ancient times, the Four Sea Dragon Kings have always advanced and retreated together. In the eyes of others, they shared honor and disgrace. If they offered no help this time, the Four Sea Dragon Kings would likely lose all their prestige, sinking to the very bottom of the sea. In the vast merfolk race, who would still obey them? Thinking this, the three Dragon Kings could only steel themselves and take another step forward, showing their support for the North Sea Dragon King.

"I am not shielding her," Zu'an said unhurriedly, "because she was with me all last night. So how could she have been the killer of the North Sea Prince?"

At these words, the entire hall erupted in an uproar. The Peacock Princess, meanwhile, stared at him with wide, incredulous eyes. The Mermaid Queen's beautiful eyes were also filled with shock.