Surrounded by a host of merfolk warriors, the high priestess of the merfolk slowly swam out from an ornate conch.
Her fish tail was exceptionally long and shone in dazzling, kaleidoscopic hues, making her stand out vividly against the deep sea.
"A rainbow-tailed merfolk?"
Anbaixiu had heard of them before. Their kind was inherently far more powerful than ordinary merfolk. It was said that the stronger the magical energy within their bodies, the more brilliant the colors of their tails became—a race whose strength could be gauged at a single glance.
The high priestess's tail was as gorgeous as a rainbow, suggesting she was likely a legendary powerhouse.
Yet the moment Anbaixiu saw her face, he was utterly rendered speechless. She wore an elaborate coral mask adorned with pearls and shells, making it impossible to tell what she looked like underneath.
Glancing back at Aeolus, he saw the young man's face flushed with anxiety. After overcoming countless hardships to find an "Ariel," he couldn't even see her face—how on earth was he supposed to recognize his wife?
Anbaixiu could only console him, "Don't rush. An opportunity will come. Endure it for now."
Only then did Aeolus grit his teeth and hold back. He had already sworn an oath to Talos: no matter what happened, he would listen to his friend.
Unaware of any of this, the merfolk high priestess approached Anbaixiu, surrounded by her retinue.
"Master Ultraman, Lady Aige, it is an honor to meet you for the first time. I am the priestess of the Rainbow Tail Tribe. You may call me Ariel."
Anbaixiu tried comparing this Ariel to the princess of the Raging Tide Kingdom. In terms of voice alone, this merfolk high priestess was far more melodious.
Merfolk were natural-born singers; even an untrained merfolk could produce songs so breathtaking they would put humans to shame. However, High Priestess Ariel's physique was somewhat astounding. Counting her tail, she was over three meters long and noticeably much larger than other merfolk. Compared to her, the princess of the Raging Tide Kingdom would probably only reach the length of her tail.
"High Priestess, it is an honor to meet you. This visit was somewhat sudden, so we did not prepare formal greeting gifts—only five hundred ixitxachitl. Perhaps for the merfolk at this time, this is the most fitting gift."
The high priestess had already heard of this, but she had not expected the number to be so great. If they had managed to recover five hundred intact corpses, the number of ixitxachitl they had actually slain had to be even higher.
To the merfolk, this was indeed the finest possible gift. Nothing brought more joy than the corpses of their sworn enemies.
Pleased, the high priestess said, "Thank you for your contribution to the ocean. Those devils have long deserved death."
"You are most welcome. After all, we came seeking an audience with Goddess Eadro. This will require your assistance in communing with the divine, so naturally, we had to show some sincerity."
Anbaixiu's words took the high priestess somewhat by surprise.
He didn't seem at all like the undead tyrant who slaughtered people over the slightest disagreement. Wasn't he rather polite?
Filled with doubt, the high priestess asked, "Communing with the deity is my duty, but may I ask, Master Ultraman, why do you seek an audience with the goddess in the first place?"
This was the crucial issue. Communing with a deity was a grand ceremony; one could not simply disturb a goddess over trivial matters. What worried the high priestess even more was whether these undead harbored some sinister scheme, intending to harm the merfolk tribe or act against the goddess while she was communing.
Until she confirmed Anbaixiu's true intentions, she would never help summon Goddess Eadro, even if it meant going to war with the undead.
Sensing her wary gaze, Anbaixiu said calmly, "The reason is actually very simple. I have obtained intelligence that could throw the entire ocean into turmoil, and it must be reported to Goddess Eadro. I know She is an entirely neutral deity who shows no favoritism, so I hope to warn Her so She may prepare in advance."
The high priestess said helplessly, "Master Ultraman, saying that is the same as saying nothing at all. Furthermore, you do not dwell in the ocean. Claiming this is for the stability of the entire sea seems a bit far-fetched, doesn't it?"
"Oh? Why do you say that? I have always been a peace-loving person. Does the High Priestess harbor some misunderstanding about me?" Anbaixiu asked.
The high priestess wondered whether this lich was merely lying or scheming something else. With a reputation like his, how could he have the cheek to call himself peace-loving?
"Master Ultraman, as you know, Goddess Eadro remains neutral, so as Her believers, we hold no particular prejudice against the undead. But for an undead to claim to love peace seems somewhat lacking in sincerity."
Anbaixiu let out a sigh and said to the high priestess, "I knew it. I sensed it the moment I arrived—the merfolk definitely have a misunderstanding about me. Mr. Nepris of the Blue Algae Tribe was the same way. When he heard my name, he jumped out of his skin, as if I were going to eat merfolk."
"You cannot blame him," the high priestess said calmly. "Faced with a lich who exiled an entire kingdom and slaughtered dragons and tens of thousands of living beings, anyone would be terrified."
"You see, isn't that precisely a misunderstanding?" Anbaixiu smiled. "Leaving aside the Kingdom of the Unholy Hymn, which is far too complicated to explain in a few words, let us speak of the dragons. I came to save the overseas dragons from being deceived by the Githyanki into a reckless invasion of the continent. Thanks to the favor of the Goddess of Fate, I smoothly resolved the Githyanki problem, leaving the overseas dragons completely unharmed. That affair concluded satisfactorily.
"As for slaughtering tens of thousands, that is an even greater injustice. I crafted my phylactery myself through alchemy; I don't even need to slaughter humans to harvest souls."
The high priestess was thoroughly bewildered by his words. She pressed further, "What about the Ryan Empire?"
"Ryan dispatched seven legends and an entire legion, but I was merciful. Though I defeated them, they departed without so much as an injury. If you don't believe me, I have a memory crystal right here that recorded everything that happened in detail."
Anbaixiu handed over a memory crystal—the very one he intended to broadcast across the world to strip the Ryan Empire of any moral high ground. The high priestess took the crystal, though she did not view it immediately.
Since the lich was willing to offer this, it was unlikely to be forged; there was no need to tell a lie so easily pierced.
"You didn't kill the Ryanians either?" the high priestess asked, genuinely curious.
Ryan and the undead were mortal enemies. For this lich to win and not turn those seven legends into puppets—how could he face his own kind?
Anbaixiu said helplessly, "As I said, I have always loved peace. I once averted a war between dwarves and elves. I have encountered unprovoked aggression from Ryan several times, yet I only ever captured them alive before letting them go.
"A friend of mine once said they wished to create a world where all races could coexist in peace. I find that ideal truly magnificent, so I wish to do my part. My audience with Goddess Eadro this time is purely for the peace of the ocean. However, the intelligence we carry is far too critical to be spoken in public, lest word leak out.
"If the High Priestess finds me at all credible, we may discuss this in private."
The high priestess stared into Anbaixiu's face, but that skeletal visage revealed no expression whatsoever, making it impossible to discern the lich's thoughts.
Tightening her grip on the crystal, she finally said, "Then please wait patiently, Master Ultraman. I will give you an answer shortly."
With that, the merfolk high priestess retreated into her conch palace.
The moment she stepped inside, she could hardly wait to inspect the images stored within the memory crystal.
Taking a look proved overwhelming—what she saw left her far more shocked than before.
This lich actually had a paladin serving beneath him?
A single paladin fighting seven legends—and winning? What kind of terrifying powerhouse was that?
More importantly, such a paladin was working for a lich, and the Lord of the Dawn had no objection? Had that deity possessed even a shred of displeasure, the paladin would have long broken his oath and fallen; he could never wield such immense Holy Light.
The high priestess felt her mind spinning. Having had no contact with the surface for so many years, what on earth had happened to the people up there, that even a paladin was working for a lich?
Yet doubt and shock could not alter the truth. Perhaps what the lich said was true, and the Holy Light truly stood by his side—meaning he represented justice far more than Ryan did.
That the Lord of the Dawn hadn't struck this lich down with divine retribution suggested this was very likely the truth.
"A peace-loving lich? That is far more absurd than a greedy undead tyrant."
After sighing in wonder, the high priestess summoned the merfolk elders. The memory crystal was passed among their hands, drawing successive gasps of astonishment. Once everyone was thoroughly stunned by the recorded scenes, the high priestess presented the crucial question: if the lich truly came in the name of peace, did they agree to summon Goddess Eadro?
All the merfolk fell silent, but in the end, they voiced their consent one by one.
This outcome was well within the high priestess's expectations. The words of a lich who stood more righteous than a paladin carried immense weight, meaning the great oceanic upheaval he warned of was very likely to occur.
In that case, this matter had to be brought before Goddess Eadro.
Before long, Anbaixiu was invited into the conch, sitting face-to-face with High Priestess Ariel.
"Master Ultraman, only the two of us are here, and this conch is sealed by a secrecy barrier. No one can possibly overhear our conversation. Now, please tell me: what major crisis could throw the ocean into turmoil?"
Anbaixiu did not beat around the bush and said directly, "High Priestess, I suspect the deity of the kuo-toa is planning to usurp the faith of other deities. The faith of the Raging Tide Kingdom, the merfolk tribes, and even the other oceanic races—that deity wants it all."
The high priestess's expression shifted in shock.
Usurping faith? Every war fought over faith was the fiercest kind of slaughter. This ocean had already endured more than one massive war sparked by widespread religious conflicts.
After all, living space was limited; if your believers grew, another's would dwindle.
And if it was the kuo-toa goddess... there was no need to doubt it. That deity was completely mad and capable of anything!
Chapter 418