In the Name of Empress

Pillar of the Sea Emperor.

It's said this was the last resting point before the Sea Emperor's fall.

He thrust the Trident, capable of freely changing sizes, into the ground here in its grand original form, left a last message on the stone pillar, and then vanished.

His message was very brief, only mentioning that Demigod Tiya took away the Ascension to Divinity that was rightfully his, asking the ocean descendants to avenge him, without mentioning the embarrassing events of being deceived by Tiya due to his infatuation.

Everyone cares about their image; the Sea Emperor was no exception.

At the end of the message, he emphasized that he would definitely return.

It was clear he had full confidence in the resurrection event, yet accidents always come unexpectedly.

Unfortunately, he lost the resurrection event.

The Eternal Day Pearl he left in the Sea Emperor Hall lost its luster, the Abyssal Sea Lamp extinguished with two-thirds of the Dragon Whale Oil remaining, and the writings in the Ocean Secret Scripture he left disappeared completely.

These three Divine Artifact level treasures were all soul-bound to the Sea Emperor; as long as his soul wasn't extinguished, they still belonged to him.

Even if one or two of the treasures failed, the Sea Emperor Hall could continue self-deception. But when all three treasures failed, even the most stubborn individuals had to admit the Sea Emperor's demise.

It's already a fact that the Sea Emperor fell; dwelling on the details of the resurrection event's failure is meaningless, and after shock and grief, the people in the Sea Emperor Hall began contemplating new issues.

How to split the massive inheritance left by the Sea Emperor in a reasonable, lawful manner?

The division itself isn't difficult; after all, the Sea Emperor's soul shattered, resulting in complete death, and the three long-sealed treasuries within the Sea Emperor Hall automatically opened as evidence.

The Executive Officers of the Sea Emperor Hall drooled over these rare treasures, but they still retained some sense.

The Sea Emperor's influence was too massive; dividing his inheritance without solid reasons would surely lead to the furious citizens tearing them apart.

The idea they came up with was to find a legitimate heir for the Sea Emperor's inheritance, then control the heir as a puppet, using her authorization to legally divide the inheritance.

As long as they weren't consumed by the initial public outrage, any later doubts would be just background noise.

The Sea Emperor Hall devised the plan clearly and immediately sought out Haiyan Marshal Plaiden to discuss cooperation details.

Plaiden, having received benefits, naturally wouldn't object, but he had one request. The Sea Empress must be his most promising clanswoman, Catherine.

The Sea Emperor Hall was aware of the old guy's private motives but agreed anyway.

The division of the spoils depended mainly on strength; the Celestial Eye Clan might be formidable, but compared to a super organization like the Sea Emperor Hall, they were still insignificant.

Even if Plaiden had ideas, Catherine was controlled by the Sea Emperor Hall, rendering him helpless.

The Sea Emperor Hall and Haiyan Marshal reached an agreement with their own hidden agendas, without considering Catherine's opinion, nor did they consult her.

In their view, what difference would Catherine's opposition make?

The unpleasant meeting with Roland at the seabed infuriated the Sea Emperor Hall, leading them to issue the sternest warnings and admonitions to Catherine, warning her against any unnecessary thoughts.

"As long as you cooperate well with us, your future days will be much easier, after all, we need you to make frequent appearances, and your grandfather has high expectations for you."

The Sea Emperor Hall's chief priest Yedal warned Catherine both coercively and seductively.

Catherine nodded silently, saying nothing.

She wasn't the best actress, unable to produce convincingly fake effects; against an old fox like Yedal, instead of exposing her true thoughts through exaggerated acting, she chose silence.

She only needed to show hesitation, struggle, and confusion; as for what Yedal thought, that was his business.

The Sea Empress unveiling ceremony proceeded as scheduled.

Before the Pillar of the Sea Emperor, ocean races from various sea regions gathered in this area, all somewhat curious.

They were curious to know why suddenly a consort was being chosen for the long-dormant Sea Emperor, and more curious about who the damned lucky person was.

Since the message about the Sea Empress had never been publicly disclosed, there was no news even on whether she had been chosen, leading many young females to hold unrealistic fantasies.

Maybe it would be me?

Even those non-human-shaped sea dragons, giant whales, and shark maidens were eager to give it a shot.

After all, the Sea Emperor's true form was the Deep Sea Giant Dragon, and his past consorts did include non-human beings.

In an unobtrusive corner, several doe-eyed tiger whales gathered sneakily, whispering among themselves.

No marine creature wanted to approach them.

These street-smart ocean vagabonds boasted substantial combat prowess and outstanding intelligence, favoring team actions; most marine life fled upon encountering them.

Once deemed hunt-worthy and delicious by these folks, one was unlikely to escape their deadly hands.

Although other marine creatures knew these fellows wouldn't hunt during the Sea Empress unveiling ceremony, they still kept a distance.

If targeted by them, judged as "Mate, you're so appetizing," one's life would be over.

The shunned tiger whales didn't mind much, occupying a small area and waiting casually.

The marine creatures were unaware that these tiger whales weren't genuine tiger whales but a few humans in disguise using secret methods.

If approached closely enough to observe carefully, perhaps the truth would be revealed.

"Roland, they have arrived."

A female tiger whale with fiery red eyes softly murmured.

Roland didn't need her reminder; he sensed it too.

As everyone remained focused, filling this sea area with their various thoughts, the people from the Sea Emperor Hall finally appeared.

Their entrance was always infused with prestige and an aura of superiority.