Chapter Fifteen: The Merman's Corrosion Fiend

Chapter 15: Mermaid's Corrosion Affliction

"Zhangyue, what... what are you talking about?" Zhou Hao looked completely bewildered, utterly clueless.

"Still playing dumb!"

Blinding lightning erupted from Zhangyue's right hand. In an instant, his entire arm blazed with a dazzling radiance, and a bolt of palm lightning flashed forth with a crackling roar. Without a word, it lunged straight at Zhou Hao!

Seeing the danger approaching, Zhou Hao's eyes turned a brilliant golden. As the light swirled within his pupils, golden rays shot forth instantly, colliding dead-on with the bolt of palm lightning amidst the dark deep-sea ravine. A piercing shriek erupted as the two forces exploded, their intense light illuminating the pitch-black abyss.

"Zhangyue, calm down. I am not the Zhou family member you think I am, nor am I some assassin sent by Zhou Guxiu to kill you," Zhou Hao said in a deep voice.

"If you're not from the Zhou family, why do you possess the Golden Heavy Pupils? That is a supreme pupil technique exclusive to the Immortal Realm's Zhou family!" Zhangyue's handsome face was written all over with rage. He never imagined that the "enemy" he deeply dreaded had been right by his side all along.

At this moment, lightning flickered on Zhangyue's right hand, transforming into a yard-long sword-like blade. With a gentle wave, jagged rocks shattered and tumbled down from the surrounding ravine walls. Zhou Hao deployed his Ethereal Immortal Steps, dodging swiftly, but he simultaneously had to parry the slashing thunder-sword, putting him in a severely defensive position.

"My name is Zhou Hao. Although my surname is Zhou, I am not from the Immortal Realm; I ascended from the mortal world," Zhou Hao urged anxiously.

"Hmph, relying on your mere words, who can prove it?"

"Hey, brother, be reasonable for a moment, will you? Do I have any reason to lie to you? Besides, you said I was sent by someone to kill you—have I ever made a move against you this entire journey?"

"That's because I discovered you early; otherwise, I surely would have fallen victim to your treachery. Your Night Palace has always stopped at nothing to achieve its goals. I am a surviving fish that slipped through the net under Zhou Guxiu, and she will inevitably hunt me down to the end!"

"What? The Night Palace? You said the Night Palace?" Zhou Hao had been retreating while blocking Zhangyue's attacks and conversing with him, but at this, he suddenly raised his head, fixing his golden heavy pupils on Zhangyue as he shouted loudly.

"Ha, aren't you an emissary of that very Night Palace?" Zhangyue sneered lightly.

"Are you kidding me? The Night Palace shares a deep, irreconcilable grudge with me. My master was murdered by one of their emissaries, and I'd love nothing more than to uproot their entire lair!" Zhou Hao said, burning with anger.

Hearing this, Zhangyue froze. His mind raced, and the thunder-sword in his hand gradually stopped slashing. After a long moment, he asked, "Is what you said true?"

"Of course it's—"

Before Zhou Hao could finish saying it was true, his golden heavy pupils captured a terrifying sight. Above the deep-sea ravine, the sky resembled a thunderstorm night, with countless bolts of lightning interweaving like divine chains, and one of them was hurtling straight toward the two of them at the bottom of the abyss.

That particular lightning bolt was vastly different. As it descended, its exterior was engulfed in roaring flames, while its interior was pure golden, flowing like a golden stream. It looked beautiful, but the thunderous might contained within was terrifying enough to destroy suns, moons, and stars.

If they were struck, given their cultivation level at the Golden Immortal realm, they would undoubtedly perish utterly.

"Run!"

Zhou Hao's pupils constricted as he threw both hands forward with all his might against Zhangyue's chest. Since Zhangyue was already standing very close to him and his mind had been preoccupied with Zhou Hao's words, he failed to react in time and was sent flying diagonally upward into the distance by the double-palm strike.

These strikes were delivered using Zhou Hao's Great Radiant Sun Palms, but for the first time, they were not used for attack, but to help someone escape. Although Zhangyue would still feel a dull ache, he would not be injured.

The instant Zhangyue's body was sent soaring diagonally upward, he finally caught a glimpse of the bizarre, kaleidoscopic sea above, as well as the thunder-flame lightning that was already crashing down onto the exact spot where they had been standing just moments before!

Boom!

An earth-shattering thunderclap echoed in their ears. The sheer cliffs on both sides of the deep-sea ravine were annihilated and erased by the lightning, ultimately transforming into a colossal abyss spanning ten thousand yards—a scene of utterly horrifying proportions.

"Zhou Hao! Zhou Hao! Zhou Hao!"

Zhangyue happened to land not far outside the edge of that gigantic abyss. By now, his face was a mask of utter shock, and he flew frantically toward the abyss, shouting Zhou Hao's name down below.

Never did he expect that Zhou Hao, whom he had mistakenly taken for an emissary of the Night Palace, would risk his life to save him with all his might at that very moment. This filled him with an overwhelming sense of self-reproach and shame.

"I'm sorry..." Gazing into the pitch-black, fathomless abyss, Zhangyue helplessly lowered his head, dropping to his knees at the edge to offer a deep, penitent confession.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, an object flew rapidly up from the abyss. Hearing the sound, Zhangyue looked over to see a seven-inch-tall, goose-yellow gourd. His eyes lit up instantly, shifting from sorrow to joy.

Wasn't this gourd Zhou Hao's Sword-Nurturing Gourd?

The gourd lid opened automatically, and a figure in white drifted out gracefully from the yellowish gourd before the gourd landed in his hand.

"Is a simple 'sorry' supposed to cover it? At the very least, you owe me a pot of wine!"

Zhou Hao walked toward Zhangyue with a smile, extending a hand to the kneeling man.

"Deal!"

Zhangyue also reached out a hand, clasping Zhou Hao's tightly before pulling himself to his feet.

"Ah, the old saying is true: handsome people look exceptionally good when they smile." Meeting each other's gaze, Zhou Hao saw that Zhangyue's usually icy, handsome face was now wearing a faint, heartfelt smile. Even though he was a man himself, his heart skipped a beat for a fraction of a second.

Upon hearing this, Zhangyue's facial expression instantly reverted to normal.

"Zhangyue, do you think I look especially good when I smile right now?"

So he was just beating around the bush to praise his own looks. Zhangyue shook his head with helpless resignation and then nodded.

"You're shaking your head and nodding at the same time—what is that supposed to mean?" Zhou Hao asked, puzzled.

"You're so boring!" Zhangyue cast a sideways glance at him.

"Fine, I admit I got a bit off-topic," Zhou Hao said sheepishly.

At this very moment, in the waters directly above them, the Heavenly Striking Thunder-Flame Tribulation had gathered once more, forming a thunder tribulation electric field as it built up its momentum, ready to strike. Every drop of seawater there was undergoing electrolysis, turning the dark deep-sea brilliantly bright while wiping out nearly all living creatures. Meanwhile, the waters below, where Zhou Hao and Zhangyue stood, remained as dark as before.

Hum!

Zhangyue closed his eyes, extended the index and middle fingers of both hands together, crossed and overlapped them, and swept them across his eyes. Then he slowly opened them as golden light burst forth—revealing another pair of golden heavy pupils.

"We'll talk about the Golden Heavy Pupils when I buy you that drink. Right now, slaying the Sea Yaksha King takes priority. Let's begin," Zhangyue said calmly.

"This is a golden opportunity. As long as we find the Sea Yaksha King and eradicate him before the Heavenly Striking Thunder-Flame Tribulation falls, this heavenly tribulation will naturally collapse on its own," Zhou Hao said, gazing at the brightly lit sea above.

With their golden heavy pupils fully opened, they cast golden light in opposite directions, piercing through illusions and scanning for auras. Almost simultaneously, the two of them located the Sea Yaksha King, who was lying weakly in a trench.

His flesh had originally been torn to shreds and he was on his deathbed, but with red light enshrouding his body and the affectionate mermaid bead protecting him, the Sea Yaksha King's physical body and primordial spirit were continuously healing. It looked as though he was about to make a full recovery.

Generally speaking, one must make ample preparations before undergoing a tribulation, stocking up completely on elixirs, immortal artifacts, and rare natural treasures. Because these items could often help immortals recover swiftly and continue fighting against the heavenly tribulation, as long as they survived the tribulation baptism without dying, they could break free from their shackles, elevate their realm, and advance!

"Not good. The affectionate mermaid bead is indeed formidable. In such a short time, the Sea Yaksha King has recovered, and his strength is even greater than before. The thunder tribulation can destroy everything, but it also contains infinite vitality. As long as he doesn't die, he will grow stronger and stronger until he truly steps into the Greater Immortal Realm!" Zhangyue withdrew his pupil-light, his brow furrowing deeply.

"Then we must strike first. Once the Heavenly Striking Thunder-Flame Tribulation falls again, we won't have anywhere left to hide," Zhou Hao sighed softly.

"And we must hit him with a single, decisive blow, taking advantage of the final moments while the Sea Yaksha King hasn't fully recovered..." As Zhangyue spoke, a heavenly thunder spear interwoven with clusters of lightning arcs appeared in his right hand.

"Strike!"

The heavenly thunder spear pierced through the deep sea, swift as lightning and light, rocketing precisely toward the Sea Yaksha King lying in the distant trench.

Clang!

However, just as the spear tip was about to pierce the other's chest, the red light emitted by the affectionate mermaid bead condensed into a blood-red shield, halting the heavenly thunder spear's advance dead in its tracks.

It was hard to imagine that the blood-red shield, which looked no thicker than a translucent layer of gauze, could be terrifyingly sturdy. No matter how many dazzling lightning sparks the spear tip hammered out against its surface, it could not advance even a fraction of an inch.

In the end, wisps of red light crawled like living creatures from the blood-red shield onto the heavenly thunder spear, covering the entire shaft in the blink of an eye.

The next moment, this immortal spear forged from heavenly lightning fractured inch by inch, shattering completely as the red light devoured the fragments of the heavenly thunder spear!

"No good. My heavenly thunder spear was devoured by the cursed red light emitted by that mermaid bead, and the Sea Yaksha King didn't suffer the slightest harm," Zhangyue said.

"Let me!"

Zhou Hao summoned his gourd, a sliver of brilliant light rising above its mouth, exuding an intimidating aura that made the very space seem to vibrate and hum.

"Throw another heavenly thunder spear, and I'll attach the sword light from inside the gourd to it. Let's hit the Sea Yaksha King with a one-two combo!"

Zhangyue nodded, and another spear materialized in his right hand. Its sharp tip flickered with electrical arcs, making one's entire body feel numb just by looking at it.

Zhou Hao inspected the entire heavenly thunder spear before deciding to place the sliver of brilliant light right at the spear tip, preparing to pierce through the blood-red shield forged from cursed red light in a single strike.

"This is our last spear. Success or failure hangs in the balance!" Zhangyue gently stroked the shaft of the spear, as tenderly and meticulously as if he were caressing a lover.

"Strike!"

The thunder spear flew horizontally across the vast sea, piercing toward the Sea Yaksha King who lay quietly in the trench, while the Heavenly Striking Thunder-Flame Tribulation in the sea above stirred restlessly, about to unleash its second wave of heavenly punishment.

Life and death hinged on a single split second!

If the heavenly thunder spear failed to assassinate the Sea Yaksha King before the tribulation struck, the Heavenly Striking Thunder-Flame Tribulation would inevitably drag Zhou Hao and Zhangyue into the tribulation zone as well. While the former might still rely on the yellowish gourd to hide, the latter would truly be finished.

Clang!

The heavenly thunder spear struck the Sea Yaksha's chest with pinpoint precision, yet it was once again blocked by the blood-red shield, vibrating endlessly as stray arcs of electricity danced wildly.

Crack!

This time, however, was different from the last. A strand of void-slashing sword light rested upon the tip of the heavenly thunder spear; like a golden needle, it punched a hole straight through the blood-red shield. Following that, the heavenly thunder spear drove straight in, shattering the entire shield in one fell swoop, causing it to instantly splinter into countless pieces.

Puff!

The Sea Yaksha King's chest was effortlessly pierced, and his heart suffered dual destruction from the void-slashing sword light and the heavenly thunder spear. First it was churned into a bloody mush, and finally, along with his entire body, it was blasted into a cloud of blood mist by the self-detonation of the heavenly thunder spear.

In the brightly lit sea above, the Heavenly Striking Thunder-Flame Tribulation had also descended, but halfway down it dispersed like drifting clouds and vanished completely, because the tribulation target no longer existed...

"Brilliant, we won!"

Zhou Hao was so happy he felt like jumping up and down, but beside him, Zhangyue let out a soft sigh. "Sigh, we wasted several heavenly thunder spears."

Zhou Hao's mouth twitched as he muttered inwardly, "You call that a waste? Several heavenly thunder spears traded for the life of a sea demon on the verge of ascending to Greater Immortality—we made a massive profit!"

"We've eliminated a major scourge for the East Sea. It's time to reunite with Huohuo and the others," Zhou Hao said, stretching his back.

"Now that not even the mermaid palace is left, and the entire mermaid territory has turned into a dark deep sea, it seems we'll have to help them find a new home," Zhangyue said.

"Indeed. So, where do you plan to send them?"

"I don't know."

"Actually, I happen to have a great place to recommend."

"Oh? Really? Let's hear it!"

"The Eight Hundred-Mile Mermaid Lake."

"Mermaid Lake? Isn't that where the upcoming Golden Immortal grand gathering of young talents from the Seven Great Immortal Realms is going to be held?"

"Precisely. Mermaid Lake has been a peaceful and beautiful place since ancient times, and some of the mermaids there naturally belong to the mermaid clan. I believe sending the mermaid clan there is the most appropriate choice." Although Zhou Hao had never been to Mermaid Lake, he had caught plenty of summaries about it that very night through clairvoyance, listening to the gossip of the onlookers lingering in the streets around Gongchen Bridge.

"Hearing you put it that way, Mermaid Lake is indeed well-suited as a new habitat for the mermaid clan. Alright, let's head back immediately and seek their opinion!" Zhangyue nodded, expressing profound satisfaction.

"There's still one more thing we need to check out."

With that, Zhou Hao flew toward a trench in the distance, with Zhangyue following close behind. In that trench, blood mist permeated the surroundings, and a sliver of brilliant light rooted itself within the mist, looking utterly out of place.

Beneath that brilliant light lay the legendary mermaid bead—the Affectionate Mermaid Bead!

Zhou Hao produced his gourd, and with a whoosh, recalled the strand of void-slashing sword light. Then he bent down, intending to pick up the blood-red, smooth orb.

"Stop right now! You cannot touch it casually; this is a cursed mermaid bead!" Seeing Zhou Hao actually reaching for the bead, Zhangyue cried out in alarm.

Zhou Hao's fingers were less than an inch away from the grape-sized, blood-red mermaid bead. He looked back at Zhangyue and asked, "What should we do now then? Destroy it?"

"Let me take it back to the Desolation Palace. With our current strength, we cannot destroy this bead; we can only let the elders of the Desolation Palace handle it," Zhangyue said as he produced a bronze box. It looked like a Rubik's cube, its six faces covered in crisscrossing lines.

"This box is specially designed to counter eerie curses. As long as you place it close to the Affectionate Mermaid Bead, it will automatically suppress the bead inside without needing you to touch it by hand."

However, just as Zhangyue handed the bronze box to Zhou Hao so he could store the blood-red mermaid bead, a drastic change occurred!

Upon the mere grape-sized mermaid bead, eerie red light flashed. As Zhou Hao faced it, his own eyes were engulfed in a crimson hue for a mere blink before vanishing. The blood-red mermaid bead stopped flashing its red light as well, and even the blood-red color inside the bead faded cleanly away like retreating clouds of blood.

The mermaid bead before them was now crystal clear and glistening with a faint light, truly looking like the solidified teardrop shed by a beauty.

"Why did the bead lose its color?" Zhou Hao cried out in surprise.

"Could it be that the mermaid princess's lingering resentment has dissipated?" Zhangyue guessed.

"Can I pick it up now then?"

"No, place the box beside it. If it doesn't get drawn into the box, it means there really are no more cursed anomalies."

Following Zhangyue's instructions, Zhou Hao placed the bronze box next to the crystalline mermaid bead, but nothing happened at all.

"Alright, it seems I was overthinking. It looks like this bead has truly recovered its spiritual essence from the past and can be used safely," Zhangyue said, letting out a breath of relief.

Without lingering any longer, the two of them instantly transformed into beams of rainbow light, rocketing toward the sea surface.

At the edge of the East Sea!

A group of over thirty people waited in eager anticipation. The mermaid clan had transformed their tails into legs and gathered by the shore to await the return of Zhou Hao and Zhangyue.

"Why aren't Zhou Hao and the others back yet? It's been so long—could they have run into some danger?" Huohuo stomped her feet on the beach, her gaze fixed constantly on the horizon.

"Sister Huohuo, don't be so anxious. Your sweetheart couldn't bear to leave you behind anyway; he'll definitely be fine. Who knows, they might already be on their way back," Li清露 teased, watching Huohuo's anxious little expression.

Huohuo's delicate face instantly flushed red, and her bright, expressive eyes held an even deeper yearning and anticipation.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, figures truly appeared over the sea surface. Two human-shaped silhouettes stood within golden and purple rainbow lights, crossing the sea from a thousand miles away in mere seconds before descending onto the beach.

"Zhou Hao!"

Seeing the golden light dissipate to reveal a familiar, delicate youth's face, Huohuo practically flew forward and pounced. They had only been apart for half a day, yet she had suffered from lovesickness.

The white-robed youth broke into a sunny, clean smile and opened his arms, welcoming the red-robed girl into his embrace. The two hugged tightly, feeling the warmth of each other's bodies.

"Huohuo, let me show you something."

Acting mysterious, Zhou Hao pulled an item from his robe, clenched it in a tight fist, and extended it out in front of Huohuo.

"What is it?" Huohuo's pretty face was written all over with curiosity.

"Guess!"

"No, I'm going to open it and look directly."

Under Zhou Hao's doting gaze, Huohuo pried open that right fist finger by finger.

A crystal-clear, smooth orb lay quietly in his palm!

"Wow, what a gorgeous bead!" Huohuo's mouth formed an "O" shape.

"This is the mermaid clan's most precious treasure—the Affectionate Mermaid Bead."

"The Affectionate Mermaid Bead? You found it!" Huohuo exclaimed in astonishment.

Zhou Hao nodded.

Huohuo gently picked up the mermaid bead, holding it up against the sun. Light passed through the bead, refracting seven-colored rays that were exceptionally stunning.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, at that exact moment, Zhou Hao's eyes turned crimson red, and two eerie red rays lunged with lightning speed straight into the mermaid bead. In an instant, the bead reverted to a blood-red color.

"Ah!"

Startled, Huohuo hurriedly tried to throw the mermaid bead away, but it was too late. The orb seemed to possess a life of its own; it couldn't be thrown off, and instead burrowed through Huohuo's fingertips straight into her body, after which Huohuo collapsed, unconscious.

"Huohuo!" Zhou Hao turned pale with fright, rushing forward to catch the falling girl.

"Ahhh, what on earth is going on here?" Zhou Hao demanded furiously.

"This is the Mermaid's Corrosion Affliction—a mermaid curse concerning love. They hid the curse inside the Affectionate Mermaid Bead!" the green snake cried out. Everything had happened too suddenly just now, and the speed of that red light was so fast that she simply hadn't had time to stop it.