Eastern Sea, Sharkman Royal Court.
Music played on ceaselessly. Fine wine and delicacies abounded.
At a grand banquet, the three ruling female immortals of the Sharkman Royal Court all sat in seats of honor, hosting an unexpected guest together.
"Wonderful wine, wonderful song, and even more wonderful dancing!" The guest drained the cup of fine wine in one gulp, then slammed it down with a loud clack, laughing heartily.
He had a square face, a tall and powerful build, snow-white skin, and both his eyes and hair were an icy blue.
The aura of an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal swirled around his entire body.
He was none other than the Ice Crystal Gu Immortal — the current Ice Crystal Immortal King from the Ice Crystal Blessed Land of the Black Heaven, a Snow Folk Gu Immortal.
Ever since the last great power summit of Black Heaven, the Night Wolf Lord had privately contacted Central Continent's Heavenly Court in secret, while Cold Ash Fairy had reached out to powerful human figures like the Skeleton Ancestor. The Ice Crystal Immortal King had naturally not sat idle either. His target, however, was not limited to Black Heaven and White Heaven — he had his sights set directly on the Five Regions. This time, he had personally come to the Eastern Sea to seek out the sharkman forces here.
The ruling powers of the Eastern Sea sharkmen were three in number, all female sharkman immortals: Lian Kexin, Yu Zi, and Xie Ningsi.
Though the three immortals had never met the Ice Crystal Immortal King before, upon seeing that he was an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal and a fellow non-human, they had arranged this banquet to receive him.
Upon hearing the Ice Crystal Immortal King's praise, Lian Kexin among the three smiled and replied, "We thank the Immortal King for his kind words. These dancing Gu Masters are all the future hope of our sharkman clan — seeds of future Gu Immortals. It is their honor to have caught the Immortal King's eye."
The Ice Crystal Immortal King laughed heartily once more: "Forgive my bluntness, but if these sharkmen are your clan's hope, then I fear your clan faces the threat of extinction in the future."
These words immediately caused the expressions of the many sharkmen present to change.
The dancing sharkmen's movements grew slightly unsteady.
But Lian Kexin maintained her smile: "We have long been aware of the Immortal King's purpose in coming. We will not be goaded by such tactics. For countless years, our sharkman clan has lived in this region of the Eastern Sea in great peace, tranquility, and prosperity. We have always upheld strict neutrality and will not participate in any wars."
The Ice Crystal Immortal King shook his head: "That is mistaken! Who wouldn't yearn for a peaceful and beautiful life? But throughout history, it has always been war that wins such peace. Your sharkman clan received the benevolence of Blessed Land Lord in the past, which is how you came to enjoy today's status. Across the vast Five Regions, you are the only non-human race to have established a super force."
"However, we all witnessed the Battle of Destiny with our own eyes. Destiny has been destroyed, the Five Regions are merging, and great turmoil across the world is imminent. Natural and man-made disasters will surely follow, along with endless warfare."
"You, the Sharkman Royal Court, wish to remain unscathed? Heh heh heh. How long has Blessed Land Lord been gone? How much of his influence remains? Can he still protect your clan?"
Lian Kexin's expression turned grave, unable to offer a rebuttal for the moment.
Beside her, Yu Zi let out a cold snort: "Our clan has over a dozen Gu Immortals and the Immortal Gu House Flow Fragrance Vessel. Do you think our current standing exists solely because of Blessed Land Lord's influence?"
The Ice Crystal Immortal King nodded: "I have long heard of your clan's Flow Fragrance Vessel. But what of it? It is merely a Seventh Transformation Immortal Gu House. Your clan may have many Gu Immortals, but how many are Eighth Transformation? Not a single one! Heh heh heh. Setting everything else aside, if I were to make a move right now, which of you could possibly stop me?"
The three sharkman immortals wore cold expressions. Xie Ningsi spoke in a deep voice: "If the Immortal King wishes to start a fight, then by all means strike! Let us show the Immortal King the mettle of our sharkman clan!"
The Ice Crystal Immortal King waved his hand: "Please don't misunderstand. This king has never thought of being your enemy. You and I are both non-humans. In the current state of the world, humans dominate. I would much prefer that we join forces. Non-humans should be friends, not enemies. I came seeking an alliance — how could I wish to make enemies?"
"You do not wish to ally. This king understands completely. But why not consider this — all I need to do afterward is let slip a rumor that the three of you warmly hosted me and that you intend to join forces with the great non-human powers of Black Heaven to move against the human forces of the Five Regions. Just imagine what would happen then? Heh heh heh."
The three sharkman immortals exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity reflected in the others' faces.
The Ice Crystal Immortal King's words were soft on the surface but hard underneath — he was clearly forcing an alliance upon them. If the three sharkman immortals refused this time, he would simply spread rumors claiming they had shown willingness to ally.
After all, everyone knew about the Battle of Destiny.
Dragon Lord's final condemnation of Fang Yuan had revealed to the entire world the great secret that non-human races were poised to rise!
Once word spread that the Sharkman Royal Court was allying with major non-human powers, it would inevitably strike at humanity's sensitive nerves, making them the target of universal hostility.
At that point, given humanity's temperament throughout history, they would likely form a coalition army and destroy the Sharkman Royal Court first before anything else!
Human forces had long coveted the Sharkman Royal Court — the only thing holding them back was Blessed Land Lord's lingering influence. If the sharkmen were perceived as turning against humanity, then regardless of whether humans believed the lie, they would seize upon it as a pretext to deal with the Sharkman Royal Court.
And once the Sharkman Royal Court was forced to fight back, their only hope of survival would lie in joining forces with the Ice Crystal Immortal King and his allies.