A figure leapt from the castle and crashed onto the beach, sending sand and gravel flying. It was a woman clad in shimmering, deep green and black scales, her body lush and full, with short, vivid blue hair and fin-like ears, wielding a steel trident. Standing on the shore, she watched the warships sailing toward the island of Paphos, rotating the trident and striking the sea with force. A blue glow spread across the water's surface, instantly causing the calm sea to surge with massive waves that lifted the ships high and then hurled them down again, as if tossed about in a storm, ready to be swallowed by the tide. Dark clouds rolled across the sky, blocking the sunlight, with lightning flickering in and out, and a heavy rain approaching. High above, Zhang Yuanqing observed the woman, whose athletic figure he immediately recognized from the information provided by Heraxini. The sea nymph Cythna, daughter of the goddess Aphrodite, differs from other half-divine children in that she is born with the innate ability to command sea creatures. When she is joyful, the sea is calm and serene; when she is angry, the waves surge and the waters roar. On the island of Paphos, there has long been debate over Cythna's lineage. While Aphrodite publicly claims that Cythna is the daughter of the god of war, Cythna inherits the bloodline of a sea nymph, and thus the enslaved people privately agree that she is the child of the sea god. Nevertheless, Aphrodite is known for her numerous romantic affairs—both divine and mortal—so it is no great surprise that she does not insist on the precise details of Cythna's origins. The sky darkens with storm clouds, the rain pours down in torrents, and several warships rock and sink amidst the turbulent waves, with warriors continually falling into the sea. At this moment, a majestic and resonant chant rises from the leading vessel. The warships, swaying in the towering waves, seemed to have gained some unseen strength—their sails lifted and they advanced in unison. When the waves rose, they surged ahead; when the waves crashed down, they skillfully avoided the impact. No matter how fierce the wind and waves grew, the ships remained unthreatened. Zhang Yuqing, observing this scene, raised an eyebrow—unable to discern which known profession embodied the power resonating within the song. The only possibility was that it was a new profession, one belonging to the Light God. Yet the Light God's profession was not among the top regions. In the blink of an eye, Cyria leapt from the shore and plunged into the sea. Moments later, the turbulent waters erupted with a roar, rising to reveal a long, slender tentacle—several tens of meters in length—that swiftly wrapped around one of the warships. The tentacle tightened and twisted, the ship groaning with a series of cracking sounds, fractures spreading rapidly until it finally shattered. Warriors on board were swept into the sea, swallowed by the waves. Stronger fighters managed to leap onto adjacent warships as the hull collapsed. More tentacles surged forth, wrapping around the warship draped in a soft golden glow. At this moment, a resonant, solemn male voice echoed from the leading warship: "The Light God's prophecy foretells that the warship shall reach the island of Paphos, conquer it, and then destroy it!" As the words settled, the sea surface suddenly rose, revealing a dark,青-black back脊, vast enough to resemble a small landmass. A colossal whale emerged, emitting a solemn, ethereal cry, and charged directly toward the origin of the tentacles. The two sea creatures engaged in fierce combat, their waves nearly submerging the warship. Could the Light God's profession include mastery over sea beasts? Was the prophecy guiding the whale, or had it anticipated its very appearance? Zhang Yuanqing witnessed the power of prophecy for the second time. Once, at Qin Feng Academy, the chairman's fragment of the Light Compass could "force" a prophecy—allowing him to inscribe exactly what he wished to happen upon the fragment. Once written, that event would inevitably come true. Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a few seconds, drawing upon his understanding of the Light Compass, and roughly deduced the nature of prophetic power—short-term prophecies involving individuals of lower status could achieve a kind of fulfillment that felt like altering fate. However, prophecies concerning the broader course of the future, especially those involving high-status entities or objects, were purely predictive, incapable of being modified or manipulated. Retreated? Just walked away? Zhang Yuanqing was utterly bewildered—this didn't match his expectations. Didn't the followers of the Light God have great strength? Didn't they have the entire island under siege, preparing for battle? I haven't even finished boiling my ramen yet, and you're already done! Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but mentally complain. From the brief clash, it was clear that the Light God's followers didn't possess particularly powerful, devastating attacks. Instead, they relied heavily on elaborate spells. "Yes, based on Cyntha's aura, she's an advanced-level sea nymph at the eighth tier. Without the authority of the Ocean Domain, breaking through her defenses to land on shore would be extremely difficult..." Zhang Yuanqing concluded that this was precisely the reason the Light God's followers had chosen to retreat rather than launch a strong assault. After suffering heavy casualties to make the landing, they'd still have to contend with the other offspring of the goddess of beauty and numerous other followers—making the outcome uncertain. "The golden light enveloping the warships seemed to be the power of the Sun God, yet it was too faint. Thus, the luminous compass, drawn from the same source as the sun, truly appears to be a divine artifact of the Light God class. 'What is the relationship between the Light God and the Sun-Wandering God?' Zhang Yuanqing furrowed his brows, pondering. ... The King of the Mysterious Eyes rode upon a colossal tiger with a human face and nine long tails, finally reaching the Zhuolu region after a relentless journey of one day and one night. Stretching out across the horizon, an endless expanse of thick mist obscured the plains, forests, rivers, and sky, spreading for hundreds of miles. The entire world seemed reduced to nothing but this dense fog. The King of the Mysterious Eyes had never witnessed a fog of such magnitude. It was the legendary magus Chi You who had summoned it, along with the 79 ancient war gods and countless fog lords. He was also astonished that the ancient lawful faction could engage in fierce combat with the Jiuli tribal forces for three days and three nights within this thick mist. This clearly demonstrated the immense scale of both armies and the Even the reality of an impending decisive battle between the Lawful and the Chaotic factions cannot replicate the grandeur of the Battle of Zhuolu. "In the Battle of Zhuolu, there were numerous half-divine warriors—countless nine-tier Masters. As long as I stay away from the main battlefield, I shouldn't encounter any half-divine warriors. I'll definitely meet nine-tier Masters, though. Fortunately, I have companions by my side. If I can restrain my bloodthirsty fury, preserve my composure, and endure when facing strong opponents, I'll have a decent survival rate..." "But then, I'll only clear S-tier dungeons—unlikely to draw the attention of an Ultimate Being. How can I earn His notice and receive His grace?" The Mage-Eyed King reflected on his true purpose for entering the dungeon. To gain the attention of an Ultimate Being, one must perform exceptionally well in battle. Yet, even though he has now reached the eighth tier, he is not among the elite combatants in such a formidable war as the Battle of Zhuolu. Too conspicuous—he would be easily crushed by a single palm from a peak-tier Master or a half-divine warrior. As he pondered, the ancient war god "Man," riding a three-headed black panther, lifted his head with excitement and roared, then waved his great hand, declaring, "To battle!" Hundreds of雾masters, each wearing bronze masks of grim, monstrous spirits, led their strange and monstrous beasts into the thick mist. The blood of the King of the Magic Eyes began to surge; the ancient war god's instinct, awakened by direct experience in large-scale warfare, carried him forward with natural enthusiasm, and he followed "Man" into the mist. "Great Cynthia, my goddess, you have ensured the safety of the island of Paphos." "With Cynthia's divine protection over the waters of Paphos, the followers of the Light God will never set foot upon the island." The guards offered sincere praise and worship. Yet Cynthia remained gloomy, for the star of the evening was not herself, but her sister, Sektyra. Sektyra inherited Aphrodite's beauty and was the most radiant and beautiful of her divine offspring. She was always the center of attention wherever she went—women envied her, men adored her. Zhang Yuanqing sipped his fruit wine, observing Sektyra from a distance with quiet attentiveness. Her hair shone like pure gold, her skin as smooth and luminous as fresh milk, and her features exquisitely refined. Every gesture, every expression, carried an irresistible charm. Dozens of slaves knelt at her side, eagerly serving her. The drowsy guards praised her endlessly, their eyes filled with admiration and longing. Suddenly, Zhang Yuanqing felt a sharp pain in his waist, as a delicate little hand clamped firmly there. Hesychia puffed out her cheeks, gasping, "Amynias, you said yourself that I am the most beautiful woman." "Yes, yes," Zhang Yuanqing casually brushed off the remark. "Your eyes have been fixed on Sektyra the whole time," Hesychia exclaimed. Nonsense! How could you possibly compare with a divine level of passion? Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself, but quickly offered her a soothing expression. Hesychia immediately calmed down, beaming, "Amynias, the followers of the Light God aren't as formidable as the rumors suggest. With Cytherea goddess protecting the island of Paphos, we are very safe. Once the Lady Aphrodite sends her reinforcements to defeat the Light God, the crisis on Paphos will be over." Unfortunately, the goddess of beauty will never return—indeed, she will be slain by the Light God while passing through one of the forests. Zhang Yuanqing thought to himself. After briefly acknowledging Hesychia, he turned his gaze back to the divine offspring. Currently, one of the divine children had not yet appeared—Eriga, the one in charge of the sky. Since Zhang Yuanqing entered the realm until now, during the celebration banquet, Eriga had not shown up at all. Was she shy, or simply not on the island? Zhang Yuanqing murmured this thought to himself, then refocused his attention on the realm itself. After the departure of the followers of the Light God, he walked around the island, which had an irregular shape and a diameter of approximately ten kilometers. The island was rich in resources, featuring vast forests and grasslands, with livestock—mainly sheep and cattle—kept in enclosures. There were no farmlands, and the island's inhabitants subsisted primarily on wild fruits and fishing. Zhang Yuanqing found no other notable features. The map was simple. As for the characters, aside from Cupid, the other five divine offspring could be largely disregarded, including the dozen or so half-human, half-divine half-brothers and half-sisters. On the third day of entering the realm, the enemies finally appeared—but they had nothing to do with him. "In terms of strength, it's quite unusual, even falling short of the A-tier fallen monarchs," Zhang Yuanqing mumbled to himself. The more he thought about it, the less confident he became. The longer the crisis remained delayed, the more terrifying it would surely become when it finally erupted. Yet, after thoroughly exploring the map and examining the character relationships, he found no compelling areas worth investigating. With that in mind, his gaze turned toward the towering clock tower and the series of grand domed buildings. The castle had never been explored! He would explore the castle again at night. Zhang Yuanqing settled down to drink quietly. After the banquet, Zhang Yuanqing returned to his residence. As the head of the slaves, he naturally lived within the castle. All the slaves resided in a single domed building on the west side of the castle. Zhang Yuanqing's room was small—less than thirty square meters—and beyond a bed and basic furnishings, it could truly be described as bare and simple. Certainly, in this era, the concepts of desks and wardrobes are absent—simplicity is the prevailing tone. He washed his face with fresh water from a wooden bucket, removed his straw sandals, put on his clothes, and lay down for a moment. Soon, the wooden door opened gently, revealing a graceful head. It was Hesatini. Neither spoke; they silently closed the door, undressed, and then, in due course, the simple wooden bed began to play its "creaking" music.