Chapter 245: The Tri-Luminary Covenant
Zhao Manyan was still unsure just how powerful the reinforcements that had appeared across the distant ocean truly were. According to the Mermaid Queen’s mental transmission, however, the truly terrifying existences of the Sea Demon Empire were still pursuing the other scattered Water Spirit clans. Sending several Supreme Monarchs after a single wounded Mermaid Queen would have been unnecessary overkill. The gigantic skeletal tide they had encountered was most likely led by Great Monarch-level creatures, perhaps with something even stronger hidden behind them.
Even so, Zhao Manyan had absolutely no desire to find out personally. Fighting Monarchs was already insane enough; challenging an entire reinforcement army would simply be suicide. The goal had always been to save the Mermaid Queen and her daughter, not wipe out an ocean empire. Once Mo Fan tore open the escape route with Space Magic, Zhao Manyan did not hesitate for even a second.
After several successive movements through Mo Fan’s spatial passages, the group finally returned to the coast near Sydney. The pressure of the ocean battlefield vanished behind them, replaced by warm sunlight, crowded beaches, and the distant silhouette of the city. Zhao Manyan inhaled deeply as though he had finally remembered how ordinary air was supposed to feel. Compared to standing beneath the pressure of multiple Monarchs, even the noisy human city suddenly seemed beautiful.
The celestial phenomena surrounding the Mermaid Queen gradually faded after they escaped. Her brilliant sun-moon-star crown disappeared, the flowing strands of Tri-Luminary Divine Water returned to a gentle state, and the overwhelming Monarch aura around her weakened considerably. She had recovered enough through Solar Radiance to survive, but the injuries she had suffered during the pursuit were still extremely severe. The young Mermaid Princess remained close beside her, refusing to move more than a few steps away.
Zhao Manyan glanced at them before looking at his own hands. The brief resonance he had experienced with the young Water Spirit earlier still lingered inside his Water and Light Elements. Even without a formal bond, both star rivers seemed unusually restless whenever she was nearby. That alone was enough to tell him that whatever connection existed between them was not ordinary.
“Monarchs really are monsters,” Zhao Manyan muttered.
He had always known there was a huge difference between Advanced Mages and Monarch-level creatures, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely. The Crimson-Shell Dragon Lord had been torn apart, smashed beneath celestial water, and nearly crushed into the seabed, yet it had still refused to die. Even Zhao Manyan, someone who prided himself on surviving ridiculous amounts of damage, had to admit that Monarch vitality was absurd.
Mo Fan glanced at him. “You jealous?”
“Of being beaten half to death and still moving?” Zhao Manyan replied. “A little.”
Mu Bai ignored both of them.
For the moment, none of them knew whether the Sea Demon Empire would actually pursue the Mermaid Queen into human territory. Sydney was home to one of Australia’s most important Magic Association strongholds, and even a Monarch could not casually charge into such a major city without provoking a massive response. However, powerful organizations were not always reliable when politics, fear, and survival entered the equation. Zhao Manyan had learned long ago that expecting bureaucrats to behave courageously was a dangerous habit.
Because of that, they did not immediately reveal the Mermaid Queen’s presence to the Australian Magic Association. Mo Fan concealed their elemental fluctuations while Zhao Manyan rented a secluded private villa with an indoor swimming pool near the outskirts of the city. It was expensive, but Zhao Manyan barely hesitated. Compared with what he had just witnessed, the price of a private pool suddenly seemed trivial.
They waited for several hours.
No sea demon attack came.
There were no emergency sirens, no Monarch aura approaching the coastline, and no reports of gigantic skeletal waves crossing toward Sydney. The Sea Demon Empire had clearly chosen not to expose its strength by launching a premature attack on one of humanity’s major coastal cities. Zhao Manyan finally allowed himself to relax.
“Looks like they backed off,” he said.
“Or they decided two wounded Water Spirits weren’t worth starting a war over,” Mu Bai replied.
Mo Fan shrugged. “Either way works for me.”
Only after confirming that the coast remained quiet did they release the Mermaid Queen and her daughter into the private pool. Clear water immediately became filled with faint starlight as the two Water Spirits emerged. The Queen had already reduced herself to roughly human size, though her beautiful features remained pale from exhaustion. Beside her floated the younger Mermaid Princess, whose expression was unusually serious for someone who looked so young.
“Ring… ring…”
Two soft melodic hums echoed through the room. The Mermaid Queen’s voice was lower and more mature, while her daughter’s tone was bright and youthful. Neither spoke human language directly, yet their mental fluctuations carried clear emotions. Gratitude flowed toward Mo Fan, Zhao Manyan, and Mu Bai.
Zhao Manyan waved his hand. “You don’t have to thank us that much. Mo Fan did most of the suicidal part.”
Mo Fan stared at him. “You’re welcome to take over next time.”
“No, no. You’re extremely talented at suicidal work.”
The Mermaid Queen watched their exchange for a moment before a faint smile appeared on her tired face. She then turned toward the young Mermaid Princess and hummed quietly. The younger Water Spirit’s expression immediately changed. Whatever her mother had communicated was clearly not something she liked.
Zhao Manyan noticed the atmosphere shift. “What did she say?”
Mo Fan closed his eyes briefly, using the remnants of his earlier spiritual connection with the Queen to understand the meaning. His expression became more serious. “She still intends to return to the ocean.”
Zhao Manyan frowned. “In her condition?”
“She wants to find the surviving members of her clan,” Mo Fan answered. “Apparently there are other Water Spirits still being hunted by the Sea Demon Empire.”
The Mermaid Queen gave a slow nod.
Zhao Manyan was not happy with that answer. Even a Monarch had nearly died under the Sea Demon Empire’s pursuit, and now she wanted to return while still severely wounded. The scattered Mermaid Clan had no stable territory, no organized army, and no guarantee that any of its surviving members remained alive. Returning to the ocean now was nearly the same as voluntarily walking back into a hunting ground.
“That’s insane,” Zhao Manyan said. “You barely escaped once.”
The Queen remained calm.
Her mental voice passed gently through the room. Her clan had already lost too much, and abandoning the survivors simply because she herself had escaped was something she could not accept. She knew the danger better than anyone, but she still intended to go. Zhao Manyan could tell immediately that arguing would accomplish nothing.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead. “Water Spirits really are stubborn.”
Mo Fan looked at him strangely. “Coming from you?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Mu Bai remained silent, but the corner of his mouth moved slightly.
The Mermaid Queen suddenly turned toward her daughter. Her expression hardened, and she released a longer, sharper hum. The young Mermaid Princess froze. A moment later, disbelief appeared across her face.
“Ring?”
The Queen repeated herself.
The younger Water Spirit shook her head violently and immediately swam toward her mother. She clung tightly to the Queen’s arm as tears gathered in her eyes, sending a rapid series of emotional pulses through the room. Even without understanding every detail, Zhao Manyan could tell what was happening.
The Mermaid Queen intended to leave her daughter behind.
The Queen’s expression remained cold despite the pain hidden deep within her eyes. Through mental communication, she stated that taking the young Princess back into the ocean would only make escaping more difficult. Her Lunar Eclipse state gave her extraordinary concealment, but constantly protecting another Water Spirit would leave traces the Sea Demon Empire could follow. If she wanted any chance of finding the surviving clansmen, she had to travel alone.
The young Water Spirit refused immediately.
The Queen became even harsher.
She told her daughter that she had already become a burden once. If not for protecting her throughout the pursuit, the Queen would never have suffered injuries severe enough to nearly die. Remaining with her would only cause the same thing to happen again.
The young Mermaid Princess went completely still.
Zhao Manyan frowned.
Even he could tell that the Queen did not truly mean those words. She was deliberately making herself sound cruel because she knew her daughter would otherwise never agree to remain behind. The Water Spirit’s eyes lowered, and for several seconds the pool became completely silent.
The Queen finally turned away from her daughter and looked directly toward Zhao Manyan.
Zhao Manyan instinctively stepped backward. “Why are you looking at me?”
The Queen hummed.
A complicated mental message entered his mind.
Zhao Manyan’s eyes widened.
“Wait.”
The Queen continued.
His expression became increasingly strange.
“Wait, wait, wait.”
Mo Fan slowly began smiling.
Zhao Manyan pointed at himself. “You want your daughter to stay with me?”
The Mermaid Queen nodded.
Silence filled the room.
Zhao Manyan looked toward the young Water Spirit. She looked back at him with red eyes, still clearly upset from the argument with her mother. He then turned toward Mo Fan, who was doing an extremely poor job of hiding his amusement.
“You knew this was coming, didn’t you?” Zhao Manyan asked.
“I suspected something like it.”
“You set me up!”
“I saved your future.”
Zhao Manyan ignored him and looked back toward the Queen. “You understand I don’t have the Summoning Element, right?”
The Mermaid Queen nodded again.
That was exactly why what she proposed was unusual.
Elemental Spirits did not necessarily require the same type of contract used by Summoning Mages. Extremely pure elemental beings could sometimes establish natural spiritual covenants with compatible humans, linking themselves directly to an existing Element rather than occupying a conventional Summoning contract slot. Such bonds were extraordinarily rare because both sides required near-perfect elemental resonance.
Zhao Manyan immediately thought about what had happened earlier.
His Water Element had responded to the Mermaid Princess.
Then his Light Element had reacted as well.
The Tri-Luminary Divine Water possessed both Water properties and celestial Light characteristics, especially in its Solar Radiance form. Among the people present, Zhao Manyan was the only one whose natural Elements directly matched two major aspects of her lineage. The compatibility was almost absurd.
Mo Fan crossed his arms. “I told you.”
Zhao Manyan ignored him. “So what exactly happens if I agree?”
The Mermaid Queen explained through mental transmission that the bond would not make her daughter a slave or ordinary contracted beast. It would be closer to a mutual elemental covenant, allowing the Water Spirit to reside within and resonate with Zhao Manyan’s Water and Light Elements. As Zhao Manyan grew stronger, she could draw nourishment from his cultivation, while her elemental origin would in return refine and strengthen his magic.
More importantly, neither side would lose their freedom.
The Mermaid Queen had no intention of giving her daughter to a human as property. She wanted a protector, companion, and cultivation partner capable of giving the young Water Spirit enough time to mature safely. Once the Princess became powerful enough to choose her own path, the decision of whether to remain with Zhao Manyan would belong entirely to her.
Zhao Manyan became unusually quiet.
That part he understood.
This was not ownership.
It was cooperation.
The Queen then revealed something else. Earlier, while the Mermaid Princess had touched Zhao Manyan, the Queen had felt a natural resonance between the young Spirit’s Tri-Luminary origin and his Water and Light Elements. If properly stabilized, the bond could eventually allow both of them to share certain characteristics of their magic.
Zhao Manyan’s eyes sharpened.
His Water Magic had always emphasized defense, while his Light Element was equally suited for protection. Solar Radiance possessed healing and regeneration. Starlight stored and released elemental energy, while Lunar Eclipse offered concealment, suppression, and destructive water control.
If all of those things could eventually interact with his own magic...
Zhao Manyan suddenly understood why Mo Fan had called this his future path.
The Mermaid Queen released another soft hum.
She also wanted Feng Zhoulong involved.
Mo Fan had already told her about the researcher after their escape. Because no one knew whether Zhao Manyan’s human Water and Light Elements could safely support the Tri-Luminary lineage long-term, she did not want them to recklessly complete the bond immediately. A preliminary spiritual covenant could establish recognition between them, while Feng Zhoulong could later design the stable elemental structure necessary for the complete contract.
Zhao Manyan nodded slowly. “That sounds a lot less suicidal.”
Mo Fan snorted. “Of course that’s the part that convinces you.”
“Survival is an important skill.”
The Mermaid Queen turned toward her daughter again.
This time her expression softened.
She hummed quietly, explaining that the Sea Demon Empire had become too powerful. The Mermaid Clan might survive, or it might disappear completely. If the race was destined to be scattered, then leaving one future generation safely among humans was at least another path forward.
The young Water Spirit lowered her head.
Her mother gently touched her cheek.
For several moments neither moved.
Then the Mermaid Princess looked toward Zhao Manyan.
Zhao Manyan suddenly felt far more nervous than he had while standing near the Monarch battlefield. Fighting was simple—raise a shield, survive the hit, and complain afterward. Having someone place their daughter’s entire future into his hands felt considerably heavier.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Zhao Manyan muttered. “I’m not exactly famous for being responsible.”
Mo Fan immediately replied, “You’re rich.”
“That is not the same thing.”
“It helps.”
The Mermaid Princess finally swam closer.
She stopped directly in front of Zhao Manyan and studied him seriously. Her gaze moved from his face to the faint Water aura surrounding him, then toward the golden Light energy resting deeper within his spiritual world. Zhao Manyan could once again feel both Elements stirring.
“Ring…”
A gentle tone entered his mind.
Not refusal.
Acceptance.
Zhao Manyan exhaled slowly. “Fine. But if we’re doing this, we do it properly. No forcing a contract, no damaging your elemental origin, and Feng Zhoulong checks everything before we make it permanent.”
The Mermaid Princess blinked.
Then she nodded.
Mo Fan smiled. “Look at you being responsible.”
“Shut up.”
The Mermaid Queen seemed satisfied. She raised one hand, and a tiny crown formed from the pool water between Zhao Manyan and her daughter. Three colors appeared within it: brilliant gold representing Solar Radiance, silver-black representing Lunar Eclipse, and pale white representing Starlight.
The crown slowly separated into two halves.
One entered the Mermaid Princess.
The other floated toward Zhao Manyan.
His Water Star River instantly trembled.
Zhao Manyan’s expression changed as the symbol touched his chest. Cool water energy rushed through his body, followed immediately by warm golden radiance. His Water and Light Elements, normally completely separate systems, suddenly seemed to notice one another through the foreign elemental bridge.
Buzz!
A pale celestial formation appeared beneath Zhao Manyan and the young Water Spirit.
It was not a Summoning Contract.
There were no Summoning stars, no dimensional gate, and no command imprint. Instead, countless Water and Light stars appeared simultaneously, flowing around them like two rivers entering the same ocean.
A tiny droplet of luminous water floated from the Mermaid Princess’s forehead.
At the same time, a strand of Water and Light energy emerged from Zhao Manyan.
The two energies touched.
The entire room illuminated.
Zhao Manyan suddenly felt another heartbeat beside his own.
Not physically.
Spiritually.
The young Mermaid Princess felt his presence at the same time.
Their thoughts did not merge, and neither gained control over the other, but a faint bridge now existed between their elemental worlds. Zhao Manyan could sense her exhaustion, fear, and uncertainty, while beneath those emotions existed an astonishingly pure Water origin waiting to mature.
The young Water Spirit also sensed something from Zhao Manyan.
Determination.
Fear of death.
A ridiculous desire to become impossible to kill.
And, buried beneath all his complaining, a genuine instinct to protect the people beside him.
The Mermaid Princess’s expression softened.
The preliminary covenant stabilized.
Inside Zhao Manyan’s Water Star River, a small symbol appeared above the countless blue stars. It resembled a crown containing the sun, moon, and stars. Moments later, a much fainter reflection of the same symbol appeared inside his Light Element.
Zhao Manyan stared inwardly at the mark.
“This is only preliminary?” he asked.
Mo Fan nodded. “The permanent bond waits for Feng Zhoulong.”
Zhao Manyan swallowed.
Even this incomplete connection had already caused his Water Element to become noticeably more active. The ambient moisture surrounding him felt clearer, easier to perceive, and strangely obedient. His Light Element also carried a trace of warmth it had never possessed before.
The possibilities made Zhao Manyan’s heart pound.
Regenerating water defenses.
Solar-enhanced Light barriers.
Starlight reserves capable of restoring magical energy.
Lunar water capable of suppressing enemies.
Perhaps one day, a true Tri-Luminary Domain.
Zhao Manyan looked down at the young Mermaid Princess.
For most of his life, he had pursued one simple principle: if the enemy could not break his defenses, then eventually the enemy would become tired first. It had kept him alive countless times, but Zhao Manyan knew perfectly well that defense alone had limits. Against true monsters, merely surviving was not always enough.
This Water Spirit could change that.
She could turn defense into recovery.
Recovery into endurance.
Endurance into suppression.
And suppression into overwhelming battlefield control.
Zhao Manyan suddenly smiled.
“Little Princess,” he said. “If we’re going to do this, we’re going all the way.”
The young Water Spirit tilted her head.
“I’m going to make you the strongest Water Spirit you can become,” Zhao Manyan continued. “And when that happens, anyone who tries to break my defenses is going to regret being born.”
Mo Fan stared at him. “That sounded way cooler in your head, didn’t it?”
“It sounded incredible out loud too.”
Mu Bai sighed.
The Mermaid Queen watched them quietly from the pool. For the first time since her rescue, the tension in her expression disappeared almost completely. She could feel the faint covenant connecting her daughter to Zhao Manyan, and more importantly, she could sense that neither side had rejected the other.
Her daughter would be safe.
That was enough.
The Mermaid Queen moved forward and gently embraced the young Water Spirit one final time. The Princess immediately clung to her mother, and neither released the other for a long while. Zhao Manyan turned away slightly, giving them the privacy of the moment.
Eventually, the Queen pulled back.
Lunar Eclipse water gradually spread around her body.
Silver-black streams covered her figure, distorting light and elemental perception around her. Her already faint aura disappeared so completely that Zhao Manyan struggled to sense her despite standing only a few meters away. It was no wonder she believed she could travel through the ocean alone.
“You’re seriously going back?” Zhao Manyan asked.
The Queen nodded.
“Then survive.”
She paused.
Zhao Manyan looked toward her daughter before meeting the Queen’s gaze again. “Because when she becomes strong enough, she’s probably going to want to find you.”
The Mermaid Queen’s expression softened.
A final melodic hum filled the room.
Then her body dissolved into silver-black water.
The Lunar Eclipse rippled once.
She disappeared.
The young Mermaid Princess stared at the empty pool for a long time.
Zhao Manyan did not rush her.
Eventually, she quietly moved toward him and sat near the edge of the water. The Tri-Luminary mark inside Zhao Manyan’s Water Element pulsed faintly in response to her emotions.
He sighed.
“Well, this is happening.”
Mo Fan leaned against the wall. “Congratulations. You’re a father now.”
Zhao Manyan immediately spun around. “Screw you!”
The young Water Spirit looked confused.
Mu Bai actually laughed.
Zhao Manyan pointed accusingly at Mo Fan. “This is a cultivation partnership. Elemental covenant. Battle companion. Any of those sound better.”
“Sure, Dad.”
“MO FAN!”
The room finally felt lighter.
Yet beneath Zhao Manyan’s outrage, excitement continued building inside him. He could already imagine Feng Zhoulong’s expression when they placed a genuine Tri-Luminary Water Spirit in front of him. More importantly, Zhao Manyan could feel that the path ahead of him had changed.
His Water Element would no longer exist only to create thicker barriers.
His Light Element would no longer exist only to block stronger attacks.
With the young Water Spirit beside him, both could eventually become parts of something far more complete.
Defense.
Healing.
Suppression.
Energy recovery.
Elemental control.
And eventually, destruction.
Zhao Manyan looked toward the young Mermaid Princess, who had begun quietly playing with a tiny sphere of golden water above her hand. His mouth slowly curved upward.
Mo Fan had been right about one thing.
If this worked...
Zhao Manyan was going to become an absolute beast.