"I'm really curious how the Zhou Clan were annihilated. Lady Zhou seemed very capable. Her level of familiarity with the Twin Songs of Harmonious Sea has reached its peak. I shall take preparation later for Huan Xue's arrival. Good thing he followed my advice," said Elder Xia while he continued to watch Qiaolian.
~
Back in the middle of the vast sea, the ribcage skeleton was burning rapidly by the black blaze from Qiaolian's aura. She clasped both her palms and bowed at the skeleton before it completely dissipated the air.
"A bone from the divine bloodline practitioner... Only by destruction can redeem this vicious weapon!"
However, by the time the entire weapon vanished in the sea, a cold voice resounded in Qiaolian's ear.
"Hehehe... Fool! I am nothing but a pawn. The Declination of Suffering is just a deception for our king to freely attack the master of the Scarlet Islands! Your Nightmare of Dreams is useless! I have already served my worth to my king! My life ends here!"
Qiaolian stared at the seawater below her feet as it turned black and green. "Ahh... it killed its life. Well, death is better than afflicted by Nightmare of Dreams."
The waves around the sea started dancing with vigor. Qiaolian raised her face and look at the glimmering stars for a long time.
Despite the warning she had heard, Qiaolian was not in a hurry. It took her a few more minutes before she flew back in the direction of the boat.
At this point, the sea was occupied by many human heads, surrounding all sides of the boat. But, there were crimson vines holding the neck of the heads, ultimately stopping their movements.
Zui Qingxing and the young boatman were also half-covered by vines that formed like a cave of leaves that served as a protective barrier. Beside them was Qiaolian's physical body, still sleeping from the Detachments technique.
On the very edge of the boat, opposite where Zui Qingxing was sitting, there was Huan Xue and a figure of a middle-aged man wearing a bright yellow green robe. In his hand was a shiny black spiritual sword.
Qiaolian was still several meters away when the figure of Elder Xia appeared behind Huan Xue. The elder's hand touched Huan Xue's head but there was not a single movement he make. His body seemed paralyzed?
"Master Xia," the middle-aged man spoke with no hint of emotion on his face. "In the end, he chooses to save those commoners. You are late. Hahaha..."
"Y-You've removed his inner core!?" Elder Xia screamed in terror.
The middle-aged man smiled and raised his other hand. His gesture revealed a circular force of faint black aura.
"HAHAHA... The Scarlet Islands is now the dwelling place of my sirens!"
Elder Xia was completely dumbfounded. However, when he stared at the black aura, his expression appeared relaxed.
"Huan Hougong, how long will you improve your knowledge? You've already become the ruler of the open sea. Those sea monsters had even acknowledged you as their king. But, you still don't know anything! That thing in your hand... you really believe that it's Huan Xue's inner core? Look at the aura... Have you not examined your yang core? The one you are holding is a yin core of one of your followers!"
Elder Xia suddenly remembered the scene when Qiaolian tugged two strings of the ribcage skeleton and it created a repulsive vibration in the sea.
That move was not for Qiaolian's safety and it was not also random testing of the weapon strings.
It was probably around that time that Huan Hougong paralyzed Huan Xue's body in the boat to remove his inner core.
But before he could hold the inner core, something that he had not noticed was actually altered due to the repulsive vibration. After all, the vibration was invisible. There was really no way for him to see it.
Whatever was altered, Elder Xia would not dare to speculate. But what an extreme precision and timing! There was only one method that could execute it, but he was not certain of which particular technique. The Cultivation of Orders.
No wonder, Qiaolian did not panic when she heard what the pawn claimed. It turns out that it was all arranged.
Qiaolian's consciousness finally returned to her body. She opened her eyes and stood straight, looking at the heads that were tied by the crimson vines.
"Silly... I was momentarily scared to death! Hehehe... Old age really makes one easily panic!" Elder Xia mumbled then glanced at Qiaolian and slightly bowed his head.
How could he think that Huan Xue's inner core was removed when the crimson vines were still manifesting around them!? It was indeed a silly reaction!
"I must thank Lady Zhou for protecting Huan Xue," Elder Xia spoke again.
"Huh? I've been asleep and clueless. Elder, it's probably the ancestors up there," Qiaolian casually responded with visible confusion on her face.
Just like how she pretended not to know about the Twin Songs of Harmonious Sea in the face of Huan Xue, there was no way she would also affirm the elder's gratitude!
Since the death of the Zhou Clan, she had already learned her life lesson. There was no one in her world that is worthy of her trust. For, even her parents who had raised and pampered her... also tricked her in the end, just for the sake of survival.
If only the Zhou elders had asked her opinion at that time, Qiaolian would have chosen to join them in peril rather than carrying the burden of losing her Zhou family.
Out of a sudden, Huan Hougong punched the paralyzed body of Huan Xue. He just realized his mistake... but the force of his punch did not even touch Huan Xue's skin. Sensing that the situation was no longer favorable for him, the man hastily moved backward and quickly leaped out to escape!
"The Harem King of the Open Sea Adorned by Hundreds of Songstress... I thought that tale was only a fabricated story... Harem King Huan Hougong actually exists and the hundreds of songstresses are actually the sea monsters!" said Qiaolian after the man flee. He did not even care about his companions who were still caught in the crimson vine!
"Lady Zhou sure knows good humor. Huan Hougong... He is Huan Xue's uncle and was once the ruler of the Scarlet Islands. But, a sea monster seduced him and he had actually fallen in love with the creature. So, he left the Scarlet Islands and joined his lover in the open sea. There is no Harem King... That is an exaggerated version people like to gossip! Hahaha..." Elder Xia was slightly laughing.
But, for some reason, the face of their Great Herbalist Wang Aija somehow flashed his thought. When it comes to extremely exaggerated gossip, there was only one source that he could really think of.
It should be fine to call him king.
But, why did it have to place a harem?
How could these tales accuse Huan Xue's uncle as Harem King of the Open Sea!