You Chen naturally saw through Li Na's thoughts.
Compared to her sister, Li Jing was indeed a bit stubborn and foolish.
On ordinary days, You Chen wouldn't bother with such an unreasonable woman.
However, he had promised Li Na beforehand.
Considering that both Li Na and Li Ya had been diligent in their efforts for him, and that Li Ya had shown considerable management skills, You Chen decided to intervene.
If the sister foolishly ran off and got herself killed, it was obvious that Li Ya's work enthusiasm and loyalty would decline, and You Chen did not want to see that happen.
Nevertheless, You Chen planned to test Li Jing first.
To achieve this goal, he deliberately spread rumors, making sure that Li Jing learned about his imparting of supreme spiritual secrets to Li Ya.
Li Jing was completely unaware, and all her reactions were laid bare under You Chen's Divine Sense.
Fortunately, although Li Jing clearly displayed emotions of unwillingness and resentment, she had not yet generated a task on You Chen's panel.
However, it was unclear what You Chen was really thinking, and Li Na, who was observing the entire process, felt a mix of fear and anxiety.
"Master, that child is just a bit foolish; at most, she's thinking of running away. She absolutely never intended to do anything harmful to you!"
Li Na hurriedly connected with You Chen, speaking in a flustered tone, "As long as you are willing to forgive Li Jing's disrespect, I am willing to do anything!"
You Chen looked at Li Na, who was peeking out from the Spirit Ring with a sincere expression, and found himself momentarily speechless.
Seeing her inexplicably flushed face, You Chen recalled the time he had forgotten to cut off power to Li Na while educating Bo Saixi, and suddenly understood what was going on.
Watching Li Na, who was clearly terrified yet held a hint of expectation, You Chen felt somewhat at a loss for words.
Are you sure you want to negotiate terms rather than seek benefits?
Moreover, he hadn't even said what he planned to do with Li Jing yet. Hadn't he already promised to resolve Li Jing's desire to run away? Why was there still such concern?
However...
You Chen glanced at Li Na's stunningly beautiful face, which was now brimming with vibrant emotion, and it was indeed hard to resist such a tempting offer.
Even though his physical aptitude had improved, You Chen still preferred research over physical enhancement.
Training the body was too repetitive, and even You Chen found it somewhat boring.
Using this as a diversion from the monotonous training life was a good choice.
It also provided a way to vent the inevitable bloodline surges that came with the expansion of physical power.
You Chen immediately took out the juvenile body of Li Na from the refrigerator and said, "I told you before about the issue of reshaping the body, right? In fact, with the original body still intact, this process will be much simpler. Even now, you can temporarily return to your original body. However, you cannot stray too far from me, and afterward, you will need a longer rest."
Upon hearing this good news, Li Na's eyes lit up.
With You Chen's approval, she flew out from the Spirit Ring and directly merged into her original body.
It must be said that the Douluo world was a very magical place, where the influence of idealism could be clearly seen.
In the original work, when Xiao Wu's soul entered the juvenile rabbit body, she quickly expanded back to human form.
And now, Li Na was similar.
The body that originally looked like a five or six-year-old girl, upon the infusion of the soul, seemed to undergo a bizarre growth spurt, instantly returning to its original three-meter length.
"I... I really transformed back!?"
Li Na flapped her fish tail, moving her head left and right, confirming the sensations multiple times before finally letting out a joyful cheer.
"Great! Master, thank you!"
Li Na completely lacked the self-awareness of a nearly six hundred thousand-year-old woman, bouncing over to You Chen like a little girl, joyfully wrapping her fish tail around his waist, her collagen-rich cheeks rubbing against his chest.
And this was You Chen's first close-up observation of a mermaid's body structure.
To be honest, You Chen was quite curious about the differences between mermaids and humans in that regard.
Noticing You Chen's gaze, Li Na recalled her earlier words, her pretty face flushed, but she did not hide it; instead, she intentionally posed in a somewhat alluring manner that highlighted her figure.
"Master~~~"
Li Na clung to You Chen, her eyes sparkling, producing a sound that seemed to ripple like water.
Honestly, You Chen was also puzzled as to why this Sea Princess had inexplicably developed feelings for him.
If one were to analyze it closely, it was likely a combination of being conquered by You Chen's strength, gratitude for his promise-keeping, a Stockholm syndrome-like attachment, and attraction to You Chen's celestial demeanor.
Just as men can fall in love at first sight upon seeing a beautiful woman's photo without any understanding, women, being creatures more driven by feelings, can also be drawn to and conquered by a powerful and charismatic man without prior interaction.
However, such an analysis of the lack of romantic understanding was unnecessary at this moment.
Having come to Douluo Continent, You Chen had already experienced fox girls and dragon girls; this mermaid was a first...
But that didn't hinder the romantic atmosphere.
A faint smile appeared on You Chen's face as he gently patted the area where Li Na's human body met her fish tail, seemingly touching a sensitive spot, causing the mermaid queen to shiver.
Then, he leaned in closer and whispered, "I have a plan; I hope you can cooperate with me."
"Whatever you say..."
Li Na's ears turned bright red, her voice soft and sweet.
Even when she later heard the specifics of You Chen's "plan" and was greatly shocked, she ultimately shyly nodded.
'I only agreed because I wanted Master to forgive Li Jing. Yes, everything is for Li Jing.'
Li Na silently self-hypnotized in her mind.
...
That day, Li Jing was wandering the corridors of the Crystal Palace.
She wore a face that made the patrolling Sea Soul Beasts avoid her, silently observing the patrol routes of the soul beasts. Clearly, she was familiarizing herself with and planning her escape route and timing.
'Mother, Li Ya, you have all disappointed me too much!'
Li Jing crossed her arms, recalling the surprise of her mother reappearing a month ago, and the shock during their subsequent conversation.
"Li Jing, after I requested it from the Master, he has agreed to protect the merfolk. So what if that captive is the High Priest? We never explicitly established a defensive alliance. Most importantly... even the High Priest himself has been defeated; how do you plan to resist? For my sake, can you at least show the Master the respect he deserves? Don't make it difficult for me."
Li Jing found it hard to understand why her mother had so easily submitted. Was it because she had received a promise of resurrection? Could she really abandon her dignity for that? What about the past persistence of the merfolk?
Moreover, that promise might just be a ruse to deceive the merfolk into serving him!
However... Li Jing ultimately did not want to make things too difficult for her mother.
So afterward, at least on the surface, Li Jing concealed her dissatisfaction and resentment towards You Chen, actively apologizing and greeting him with respect whenever they met.
But that did not mean she had given up on the idea of escaping from this man's control.
She did not recklessly approach her former subordinates or the Sea Soul Beasts under her command; instead, she first sought out her dear sister.
However, upon seeing Li Ya diligently working for You Chen, even actively suggesting many cruel methods for interrogating Bo Saixi, Li Jing hesitated.
She realized that she seemed to have never truly understood her sister, and from now on, she felt it would be impossible to understand her.
She abandoned the idea of persuading her sister to escape together.
Just as Li Jing was preparing to conspire with a few familiar Sea Soul Beasts to escape, news spread through the Crystal Palace that You Chen had intervened and dealt with three ten-thousand-year soul beasts attempting to invade.
Watching her many compatriots, who had tragically perished at You Chen's hands just a month ago, now celebrating his strength and expressing gratitude for his protection, Li Jing felt a chill...
She realized that perhaps no one would truly support her.
Because both the former and current Sea Princess, as the rightful heirs of the Sea Princess lineage, supported You Chen, who possessed unmatched power.
She had neither any righteous justification nor could she offer benefits and protection that would entice other Sea Soul Beasts.
Perhaps among the vast Sea Soul Beast community, there were indeed those who shared her grievances, but Li Jing knew she lacked the insight to identify them and could not bear the risk of being reported to You Chen.
She... could only escape alone.
To flee from this place that had become so unfamiliar to her.
Having solidified this thought, Li Jing continued to scout and plan her future escape routes within the Crystal Palace.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, a glimmer of joy appeared on Li Jing's face.
As she walked, the surrounding sounds gradually diminished.
She realized she had reached a point where no patrols were present.
She quietly noted the time and approximate location, then continued forward.
She needed to carefully investigate how large this gap in the patrol route was and where it extended to.
Only then could she connect it with her other route plans.
To Li Jing's surprise, after walking through several branching corridors, she saw no sign of patrols, and the sounds of footsteps gradually faded away.
'Even if there was a mistake in the patrol route planning, this gap is too obvious, right? Who arranged this patrol plan?'
Although she had already decided to leave the Crystal Palace, Li Jing still felt a bit of ownership and couldn't help but feel some resentment.
Continuing her exploration with this small emotion, she suddenly heard some indescribable sounds.
Although Li Jing was inexperienced, she was not so naive as to be completely oblivious to what the sounds were.
'So, it turns out to be like this!?'
Upon hearing the sounds, Li Jing's face first flushed, followed by anger.
She quickly realized the reason for the patrol gap in this area.
Most likely, some Sea Soul Beasts had deliberately sent away other patrol members to facilitate their activities.
Li Jing raised her eyebrows, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her.
'Perhaps I can use this leverage against the two who are disrupting public order and have them assist me afterward.'
Thus, Li Jing further concealed her presence and silently swam toward the source of the sounds.
However, what puzzled Li Jing was that the corridor near the room had completely drained of water, creating an environment similar to an underground prison, where air was present but slightly damp.
Li Jing found it strange but did not dwell on it.
While Sea Soul Beasts preferred to live in water, they were not immediately incapacitated without it; in fact, many Sea Soul Beasts could live temporarily on land.
It was even possible that the water had been drained from this area, including the room, for some special purpose... just like humans playing in a bathroom.
Li Jing didn't care about what this abusing authority individual was up to; she was only concerned with whether she could catch them in the act.
Minimizing the noise from transitioning from water to air, she continued forward.
The room was not completely sealed, which was why the sounds were so apparent.
She approached the door crack and widened her eyes in shock.
'W-What!?'
Although the panting sounds were somewhat familiar to Li Jing, she had never thought in that direction.
But reality slapped her hard.
'How is this possible? Isn't my mother a soul body? Why... why is she able to do such things with that man!?'
Li Jing covered her mouth, struggling to suppress her shock and not scream.
Watching her usually dignified and loving mother display such beastly behavior, for some reason, Li Jing felt completely unable to look away, as if her eyes were glued.
The merfolk were a typical matriarchal society; if the female merfolk were top-tier soul beasts, then the male merfolk could only be considered high-level soul beasts.
They lacked the powerful support abilities of female merfolk, and even in combat, they were inferior, possessing only slightly stronger physical strength. However, this degree of advantage was not necessarily comparable to the seven major subordinate races, so overall, they could only be classified as high-level soul beasts.
Although Li Jing and Li Ya had seen their father, they had no feelings for him; given their current ages, that biological father had likely turned to dust long ago.
In Li Jing's simple view, the female should dominate the male.
Especially the most powerful mother of the Sea Princess lineage, who was the epitome of femininity, meant to rule over all males and make them submit!
Yet now, this mother, who should have overwhelmed all males in Li Jing's eyes, was acting like a lustful beast, completely exposed and taken advantage of.
After watching for a while, Li Jing finally managed to regain some composure.
Her foggy brain finally regained a bit of rationality.
Li Jing immediately realized that her blackmailing purpose could not be achieved.
She couldn't help but start to ponder the initial question. This posture of her mother clearly indicated a physical form; could it be that her mother had never died? If so, why was she bowing and scraping to this man!?
Li Jing was deeply shocked and unable to comprehend.
At that moment, as if on cue, the two in the room ceased their movements and began to share tender moments and dialogue.
"Li Na, don't worry, Li Jing may be a bit headstrong, but after all, she is your daughter, and I regard her as my own. Even if she is always plotting to escape, to me, it is merely a child's play with an adult; how could I blame her?"
You Chen displayed a gentle demeanor, as if he had truly become a kind and loving father.
"Mm~"
Li Na let out a soft, charming murmur, clinging to You Chen, her gaze filled with watery affection, her voice sweetly resonating, "Darling, as expected~ you are the best~ those spies from Seagod Island have all been successfully eliminated~ and everyone has no suspicions~ no unrest~"
Li Jing watched this scene of the "harmonious couple," feeling deeply shocked, as if her worldview had collapsed.
Seagod Island, spies, elimination—
Countless thoughts flashed through Li Jing's mind, ultimately leading to one conclusion.
'This is a play, a scheme to eliminate dissent?'
Li Jing felt her brain turn to mush once more.
Suddenly, You Chen looked up and locked eyes with Li Jing, who was peeking through the door crack: "What's wrong? After spying for so long, aren't you going to come in and greet your respected mother?"
In an instant, Li Jing's face turned pale. She realized that if it were an ordinary Sea Soul Beast abusing their power, it would be one thing, but with You Chen's abilities, how could he not have sensed her presence?
Li Jing wanted to run.
But her sense of justice compelled her to take a deep breath and push the door open.
She immediately questioned, "Mother, so everything was just a lie? What are you planning? Even if they are spies, they are still our compatriots! Can't we use other methods!?"
"Mm?"
Li Na wore a dazed expression, offering no response.
This was, of course, a deception.
Li Jing was now emotionally charged and somewhat foolish, likely unable to react in time.
But once she calmed down, she would easily realize one issue—since You Chen had already discovered her, could it be that their earlier conversation was the real act?
But now, with Li Na displaying a completely dazed expression, her face showing a loss of cognitive ability, made Li Jing's earlier words seem credible, akin to "truths spoken under the influence of alcohol."
With Li Jing's intelligence, she would either not notice the discrepancies after calming down or, if she did, it would only reach this level.
Well, Li Na's act of playing dumb was just that—an act. However, displaying such a foolish demeanor in front of her daughter, the redness on her face was an uncontrollable instinctive reaction.
At this moment, You Chen timely took over the conversation, smiling, "Haven't you already guessed it?"
Seeing her mother unable to respond, Li Jing turned to You Chen, and even though she deliberately avoided his gaze, she could not help but see his upper body, which was as perfect as a marble sculpture.
Although he was naked, You Chen exuded a sacred and majestic aura.
Li Jing felt increasingly perplexed, but she ultimately brushed aside this strange thought, clenched her fists, and said, "You plan to... take control of the sea from Seagod Island? This... this is absurd! You... do you intend to replace the Sea God—"
As soon as Li Jing spoke, her pupils constricted, and she lost her voice.
She suddenly remembered the words this man had once said, which she had dismissed as a joke and scoffed at.
'He is truly aiming to become a god.'
Then, her mother's allegiance and cooperation became understandable.
Li Jing felt a clear realization; Li Na was about to face a calamity of six hundred thousand years that she might not survive.
In this situation, choosing a man who had a high probability of becoming a new god and betting on the possibility of him taking her to ascend seemed not so strange after all.
Although her mother had never shown such tendencies before, with Li Ya's previous experience, Li Jing no longer believed her understanding and judgment of her family were infallible.
Perhaps... this really was the truth?
Li Na felt an overwhelming mix of frustration, anger... and yet, a hint of relief.
At least, the mermaid clan had not been forced into submission; they had made their decision voluntarily under the judgment of the previous Sea Princess.
Just like the Demon Soul Great White Shark clan had once pledged their loyalty to the Sea God.
That decision, made by the Sea Princess as the clan leader for the future direction, was not something she should have questioned.
Since that was the case... there was no need to dwell on it anymore.
But this was still a massive shock, and Li Jing was left with a jumble of emotions, her heart heavy and conflicted.
'Does my sister, as the next Sea Princess, know this truth? She probably does, which is why she didn't react like I did. Ha, it seems I've been the fool all along...'
Having obtained the answer she sought, Li Jing left the room in a daze.
After a while, Li Na's voice finally broke the silence in the room.
She wrapped her arms around You Chen's neck and said gratefully, "Master, thank you for going through all this trouble for Li Jing. I think this way, she won't have any unnecessary burdens and can live here normally..."
You Chen smiled faintly, gently massaging Li Na. "This was something I promised you from the beginning. And isn't it quite interesting, too?"
As he spoke, You Chen lifted Li Na's thick fish tail with one hand, eliciting a startled cry from her.
"But since you offered to pay me, I won't refuse. Now, it's time for the final payment."
The door slammed shut under the impact of You Chen's tangible Divine Power, and a true battle ensued.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the exhausted Li Na finally detached from her physical form and returned to You Chen's Spirit Ring.
You Chen once again stored Li Na's body, stretching lazily. Despite the prolonged battle, his powerful physique felt refreshed and invigorated.
He licked his lips, inwardly marveling.
After a brief moment of entertainment, You Chen resumed his immersive cultivation.
However, this time, he didn't cultivate for long before another visitor arrived.
The visitor was the representative of Seagod Island—Sea Dragon Douluo.
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