It wasn't a sacrifice of tens of thousands; it was a sacrifice of billions!
The most terrifying part was that the calmer he appeared, the longer he had been contemplating it, the more he had premeditated it, and the more determined he was to succeed. My brother was now a calm madman, and I could not descend into madness with him. I struggled to maintain my composure and said softly, "Have you forgotten how many of our friends are among the Seven Tribes?"
"I know." Su Shiye pondered for a long time, then frowned and shook his head. "But I also know that this is something that must be done."
"Why?"
"I don't know the reason. I only know that I have to do it."
"Who told you that?"
"My body."
"Because your body has a killing instinct. Brother, wake up. Respect the decisions our Goddess made. If Deep Blue's ultimate goal was for you to resurrect her, why did she struggle so hard to split herself apart in the beginning?"
"I suppose even a Goddess isn't perfect." He stood up and slowly swam to the window, watching a sperm whale glide past. The golden light of his eyes reflected the shimmering water, and ripples of light flowed over the bridge of his high, straight nose. "From atoms to the sea races, everything in nature is evolving. Evolution is the strongest force in the universe. Every species seems destined to disappear, but energy never vanishes; it is always conserved. These species that failed to evolve are simply returning to the source, to be rearranged and recombined. All the descendants of the Sea Gods combined are not equal to Deep Blue. They are rotting, enslaving weaker races. Equality is no longer possible; we can only wait for the power of Deep Blue to change everything."
"How can you say the descendants of the Sea Gods are rotting? They have simply stopped evolving."
"Things that do not evolve have no meaning." As he spoke, he placed his finger against the glass. Behind the glass was the deep black night, and his own reflection was clearly mirrored upon it. "Life that should not exist in this world loses the right to reproduce and should be abandoned by natural selection."
I knew what he was thinking.
Even though he had obtained an Aether Body, the shadows of his childhood could not be erased. He had once been the weakling, abandoned by the world and natural selection. Therefore, now that he was strong enough to influence natural selection, he felt no empathy; instead, he chose to impose that same "enslavement" upon the weak. This mindset was very similar to the Chinese sea races in the Duchy of Charybdis.
"It's not like that." I shook my head and stepped forward. "The more imperfect a thing is, the easier it is to evolve. The more perfect a thing is, the more impossible it is to change—meaning the harder it is to continue evolving. The Sea God tribes aren't rotting; they are just evolving slowly. Brother, I believe you are a kind person with ideals. You have a way to make this world better. Can't you handle this in a gentler way?"
"Everyone says that. But Li Li, you know I am not actually that kind of person." He still kept his back to me, his gaze cold as he looked out at Saint Yegana. "If I could, I wouldn't mind if every living thing in the Light Sea disappeared, leaving only you and me."
At that moment, the bells of the Temple of the Light Sea rang. Several whales heard the sound and began to circle the bell tower slowly. Above the temple, the statue of Deep Blue was illuminated by flowing golden arcane light. She wore the sacred crown of the Master of the Oceans, her hair hidden beneath a thick veil, her hands clasped to her chest. Her head was slightly bowed, her brow furrowed in an expression of mercy—as if she were pitying the world, or perhaps repenting, or like a poor mother who had lost her child... Once the golden light passed, the statue sank back into darkness. All that remained was the sprawling prosperity of the Saint Yegana night.
I couldn't help but shiver. "If all life disappeared and only the two of us remained, even if we could survive, we wouldn't be happy. I still want to live in the current world with you, Brother. It isn't beyond saving yet."
Su Shiye fell into silence again. After a long time, he slowly turned his head, his eyes meeting mine. "I understand. I will give it serious consideration."
Hearing this answer, I knew it was hopeless—whenever he said he would "consider" something, it was usually just a brush-off.
The facts matched my prediction. Afterward, the activation plan for the "Creation Furnace" did not stop. He never mentioned it to me again.
I finally recognized the truth: I could no longer immerse myself in the tenderness of the Starry Sea. Every time I thought of him, I mistakenly believed that Su Shiye was also beautiful.
If this man were merely blinded by power, he wouldn't be this terrifying. Now, he seemed to have his desires under perfect control, but his thinking was alien to normal people. He had gone mad.
I made a call to Garth Xitian, saying I intended to defect to the Storm Party and asking if they would accept me. Before I even had the chance to mention that I possessed a large amount of the Holy Capital Party's military secrets, he agreed without asking for a reason.
"You trust me just like that?" I was somewhat surprised. I thought any leader would despise a traitor.
"I believe in your loyalty to Su Shiye. When he was weak, you stayed with him without regret. Even if someone pointed a gun at your head and told you to leave him, you would have chosen death without even blinking. You accompanied him all the way to this point, finally helping him reach the pinnacle of the Light Sea. If he hadn't done so many things to disappoint you, you wouldn't have chosen to leave. And looking at his maddened behavior over these years, it's not hard for me to guess why you're disappointed in him."
His assessment was objective, devoid of any sentimentality, yet every word hit the mark. In a few sentences, he summarized the first half of my life with my brother. I couldn't help but smile. "Prince Garth is actually so well-versed in human nature? Impressive." But as I smiled, tears began to flow, and the more I laughed, the more the tears fell.
Yes, I had once been sincere toward Su Shiye. I loved him, admired him, and followed him without regret...
Further back, during those tens of thousands of days and nights in Phili Town, we used to sleep in the same bed, our small hands held together until dawn.
He was once the sun that lit up my life, but now he was the karmic fire I had to extinguish.
What was it that brought us to this point?
"Even a guy with 'straight-man cancer' has his sharp moments. Didn't expect that, did you?" Xitian snorted.
He wasn't smiling at all, but I was amused. "Are you a roundworm in my stomach? You know everything I'm complaining about in my head."
"Hmph, I know your little thoughts."
"I have good news for you. I'm not just bringing myself; I also have many of the Holy Capital Party's..."
"No need. Additional conditions aren't important; I only use loyal people. You should have more confidence in your own loyalty." Xitian remained cool. "Tell me your requirements."
"After the victory, I want to overthrow the system of slavery."
Xitian pondered for a few seconds. "Come then. I'll wait for you in Veda."
Garth Xitian's words had a powerful lingering effect.
That night, I tossed and turned in bed, trapped in a dead end of my own thoughts. I thought: if I defected and went to the Storm Sea, what should I do next? Join the Storm Party in attacking the Holy Capital Party? In the end, I might even have to go to war with the Starry Sea and the Bodhi Sea. My youth, my childhood—everything had sprouted in those places.
The only person who needed to be sanctioned was Su Shiye. Although he was the Dictator and was inseparable from the entire Light Sea, as long as he stepped down from that position or disappeared entirely, I wouldn't have to betray my friends and my homeland.
As long as he died, there wouldn't be so many casualties.
My parents had told my brother that my descendants were very important. So, that month, I froze fifteen eggs and stored them at the Arcane Academy, instructing them that if the revolution failed, they could use my eggs to cultivate descendants. Only then did I take the next step: I spent 950,000 Fu to hire the top assassin from the Saint Yegana black market to snipe Su Shiye.
The result goes without saying—it failed.
The assassin crouched on the roof of a library 1.7 kilometers away for an entire morning, finally waiting for Su Shiye to emerge from the Light Sea Maritime Bureau. He aimed a Bobbit worm toxin sniper rifle at the center of Su Shiye's forehead. Su Shiye had been talking and laughing with others, but at that moment, he unhurriedly raised his head and looked toward the assassin with an indifferent gaze. The assassin thought he was hallucinating, but no matter how long he hesitated, and even though people nearby were urging Su Shiye to leave, Su Shiye didn't move. He even tilted his head slightly, watching him.
Sweating profusely, the assassin gathered his courage and pulled the trigger.
The toxin bullet flew out, striking directly toward the center of Su Shiye's forehead. Then, Su Shiye reached out his index finger and thumb and caught the bullet with ease.
The assassin was stunned. He wanted to run, but he couldn't stop himself from watching. He saw Su Shiye toss the toxin-filled bullet into his mouth, bite it open with a light crunch, and spit it onto the ground as if he were eating a bad piece of candy.
The assassin finally fled in terror. But in the blink of an eye, Su Shiye appeared beside him, grabbed him by the throat, and lifted him into the air.
"If you commit suicide, I will find your family tree and kill them all," Su Shiye said. "Speak. Who sent you?"
The assassin committed suicide anyway. But the monitor he carried recorded everything.
I knew my identity couldn't be hidden for long. I immediately packed everything at top speed and fled toward the Storm Sea, while leaving a mimic illusion of myself in the White Eagle Palace.
Su Shiye didn't suspect me immediately. By the time he discovered I was the mastermind and threw my mimic illusion into prison, I was already living in the Storm Ancestral Palace and discussing marriage arrangements with Garth Xitian.
His reason for wanting to marry me was simple: I held high prestige in Saint Yegana, the Bodhi Sea, and the Starry Sea. Once Su Shiye fell from power, announcing my engagement to him would make it easier for the Storm Party to gain control over Saint Yegana.
The reason was perfect; I accepted the proposal without hesitation.
Because my current status was quite sensitive, the engagement ceremony was held discreetly. Only the Garth clan and high-ranking members of the Storm Sea government attended—fewer than twenty-five people in total. Before the engagement banquet began, Garth Xitian held a communicator out to me. "Su Shiye has something to say to you."
"Su Shiye?!" I mouthed the name without making a sound. I never expected him to contact Xitian directly.
The other end of the communicator was silent for a moment, then Su Shiye's voice rang out:
"Su Yi, you will regret everything you have done today."
He paused for a moment. Receiving no reply from me, he said calmly:
"Just you wait."
Then he cut the line.
After the engagement ceremony, I immediately handed over the military intelligence I possessed to Garth Xitian, including the secrets of the Uranium Bomb No. 9, the blueprints for the L-13 Holy Capital warships with a 660kg payload, the 824-class arcane-powered bombers, M240 assault toxin guns, Starry automatic missile launchers, and more.
The Storm Sea Military Research Department immediately threw itself into research, focusing on developing weapons to counter the Uranium Bomb No. 9.
I never told anyone Su Shiye's secret. If that news were released, it would either be treated as the joke of the year by the entire Light Sea, or it would lead to even more terrifying consequences—either everyone would kill Su Shiye, or Su Shiye would kill everyone.
But no one expected that while we were quietly preparing our military reserves, on May 7, 24729, the gunships of the Glazed Legion, carrying Uranium Bomb No. 9, sailed directly from Saint Yegana toward the Storm Sea.
The negotiating representative sent a signal: "Hand over Academician Su Yi within three days, or we will drop five uranium bombs on the Storm Sea."
Now was definitely not the time for the Storm Sea to fight a decisive battle; time had to be bought for Xitian and the others to prepare.
So, I insisted that Xitian must not reveal the news of our engagement, while also spreading word that I had left the Storm Sea. But Su Shiye didn't believe Xitian's words at all. Certain that I was still under Xitian's protection, he began conducting military exercises near the Storm Sea and intercepted Storm Sea cargo ships in various ways, attempting to provoke a war.
I was forced to flee once again.
This time, I hid in Bhoga City, Harijin County, in the Storm Sea. I forged a completely new identity, took a high school graduation exam, and then headed straight for the Red Moon Sea. I didn't know how many informants Su Shiye had, but he even found out that I had processed an ID in a small place like Bhoga City. No sooner had I left the Storm Sea than the Holy Capital Red Guards pursued me to Bhoga City.
In the end, I had to use my trump card.
On the night of July 15, 24729, I first made a call to Xiao Lan, and then, standing before the gates of the Red Moon Ancestral Palace, I called an old classmate I hadn't seen in years—
"Ye Jia, I can't escape."
***End of Memory Fragment Twelve***
In the blink of an eye, two years had passed since that night I asked Ye Jia for help.
On July 4, 24731, the Storm Party's warships slowly entered the territory of Veda, and Fan Li returned to her fiancé's homeland. Looking out the window from inside the cabin, the scenery of Veda was fully visible: this was a city of stone, exquisitely carved into an undersea mountain. Starting more than twenty million years ago, the sea races of the Storm Sea had cut caves into the rock, gradually building them into magnificent and grand structures.
The Storm Sea was the stronghold of the White-spotted Pufferfish tribe. The White-spotted Pufferfish were the most skilled nest-builders among marine creatures, capable of creating complex and diverse underwater structures whose exquisite nature rivaled that of the landscape master Olmsted or the modernist architect Gaudi. Consequently, the White-spotted Pufferfish tribe produced many of the Light Sea's most famous architects.
In Veda City, countless famous White-spotted Pufferfish architects had completed the most solid foundational frameworks. Outside these stone-carved buildings, countless stream-of-consciousness sculptors from the Resurrection Sea had carved lifelike statues—worshippers, penitents, dancers, marine creatures, coral patterns, and more. Inside, the buildings usually achieved a sense of overall harmony through repetitive forms; even the relief murals, doors, windows, chandeliers, and even the beds and tables were integrated with the stone.
Simply swimming through this city, one could almost hear the "clink-clank" of hammers from thirty million years ago when the stone city was being built.
The Storm Ancestral Palace was not a flamboyant palace, but it was the largest building in all of Veda, constantly exuding a sense of majestic desolation soaked in seawater and time. When Fan Li first saw this palace, she felt it perfectly matched the personalities of the Garth clan members.
The Lord and Lady of the Garth clan personally welcomed Fan Li and hosted a dinner for her and other clan members in the VIP reception hall of the Storm Ancestral Palace.
Their etiquette was not overly complicated, but it was quite rigorous. Even during the meal, one had to sit upright and not speak too much. Everyone took turns congratulating Fan Li on her successful escape and her phased victory, and then the room became very quiet.
"By the way, I heard some intelligence," Garth Xitian's younger brother suddenly said. "The Archon of the Starry Sea has gotten involved with Randy Rose. Is that good news for us?"
Fan Li suddenly looked up at him.
"What do you mean?" Garth Xitian also looked toward him.
"Randy Rose, the one who had rumors with Su Shiye. Su Shiye definitely wasn't serious about her, but it's hard to say for the Archon. If he has grievances against Su Shiye because of a woman, do you think it's possible to persuade him to surrender?"
Garth Xitian frowned in thought, looking first at Fan Li and then at his father.
"Su Yi, what do you think?" the Lord of the Garth clan asked.
"Don't try to persuade him," Fan Li said decisively. "Leave them alone and focus on the defense of the Storm Sea."
"Alright."
After dinner, everyone left except for Fan Li and Xitian. Just as Fan Li was about to return to her room to rest, Xitian suddenly glanced at the base of her tail fin and asked in confusion, "That... isn't the engagement ring I gave you, is it?"
Fan Li looked down and shook her head.
"Who gave it to you?"
"Su Shiye," she answered honestly.
"What?!" Xitian stood up abruptly. "You... no, that human girl you faked, and Su Shiye..."
"Yes. That part exceeded my expectations. I'm sorry."
"I told her long ago not to fall in love!" Xitian slapped the table in anger. "She didn't listen to a word I said!"
Fan Li remained silent.
"...How far did she and Su Shiye go? Holding hands? Hugging? They couldn't have kissed, right?"
Fan Li remained silent.
Xitian's gaze shifted, looking at her with a hint of panic. "They couldn't have already..." He suddenly laughed and said softly, "Impossible. You are a girl who values her purity; the human you created would also value her purity. She definitely didn't make a mistake, right?"
Fan Li took a breath. "Xitian, I..."
Just then, Xitian's secretary appeared at the door with six soldiers. The secretary knocked quickly five times, signifying a report of the highest priority. Xitian adjusted his emotions, sat back down, and gestured for them to enter. Fan Li breathed a sigh of relief.
The secretary rushed to Xitian's side, swam up slightly, cast a soundproofing spell, and whispered a few words in Xitian's ear. Then, Xitian tilted his chin. The secretary made a gesture to the soldiers, and they swam in orderly fashion, placing a small projection device on the floor.
"The Holy Capital army is advancing toward the Storm Sea," Xitian said, looking ahead. "Their negotiating representative seems to want a holographic dialogue with us."
Fan Li stood straight beside him, not particularly surprised. "He has to attack, and it has to be a blitzkrieg. The longer it drags on, the worse his physical condition becomes, and the more unfavorable the battle will be for him."
Watching the projection device connect to the signal, Xitian propped his lip with the back of his hand, his eyes narrowing. "...Is it time for the final battle?"
But as the image gradually emerged, he sat up straighter, his eyes widening slightly. "What's going on? Him in person?"
Fan Li was also shocked—the figure in the projection wasn't a representative, but Su Shiye.
Without the Eye of Flame, every minute spent in Saint Yegana caused severe damage to Su Shiye's physical strength. He could only try to stay in places with low arcane energy. But the seawater of the Light Sea generally contained arcane energy, so his face was very pale. He pressed his hand to his chest before speaking:
"Fan Li, I knew you were in the Storm Sea."
Thinking of Fan Li's ring, Xitian felt extremely uncomfortable. He stood up, blocking Fan Li, also trying to hide her ring. "What business do you have with my fiancée?"
"Your fiancée?" Su Shiye subconsciously pressed his suffocating chest again and looked behind him. "Fan Li, come out. Tell Prince Garth whether you are still his fiancée or not."
Fan Li slowly swam out, her attitude equally cold. "Su Shiye, surrender."
Seeing her beautiful deep blue eyes and her heart-stirring flowing long hair, a nameless fire surged from the depths of Su Shiye's heart, nearly burning through his mind.
"So, you were Fan Li from start to finish. There was no human girl named Fan Li." Su Shiye gave a light laugh. "You slut."
Though he was smiling, the last words were practically forced through his teeth.
Fan Li's entire body went stiff.
"Su Shiye, watch your language! Do not insult my woman, or don't blame me if you meet a miserable end!" Xitian was enraged.
"Fan Li, do you think I'm insulting you, or am I telling the truth?" Su Shiye raised an eyebrow. "Tell me, if a woman just gets engaged to one man and then seamlessly moves to marry another, does that count as being a slut?"
Xitian had a very bad premonition. He just looked at Fan Li, his mind in a state of confusion. "You let Su Shiye touch you?"
"How many men do you intend to marry? How many tails do you have to tie rings to?" Su Shiye said.
Xitian spoke to Fan Li again, his voice dropping several octaves. "Answer me."
In that instant, many chaotic images flooded Fan Li's mind.
She and Su Shiye had been far too reckless during those three months. They did it every day, sometimes three times a day, sometimes for four or five hours at a time. For months, they hadn't stopped for a single day; there wasn't a day they didn't go onto land. If not for contraception, they would have had five children by now. Moreover, in the heat of passion, she had once said to Su Shiye: "If it weren't because I still have to study, I would really want to give you a baby right now."
Once, when Su Shiye went to the Starry Sea for just one day, she missed him terribly and told him over the phone, "Come back quickly, I miss you so much I can't sleep." Then Su Shiye had rushed back that same day for another indulgent, sweet feast.
It was truly unbelievable. How could she have created such a scandalous romantic history... No matter which day or which detail, it was all too explosive to say aloud. She prepared herself for the worst and said calmly, "Lord Dictator, you may curse all you like. Once you're finished, surrender, and I will persuade them to spare your life."
"Su Yi, I'm asking you one more time," Xitian said anxiously. "Have you and Su Shiye already..."
"No."
The person who said this was not Fan Li. She looked at Su Shiye in shock.
"That is the shamelessness of Academician Su Yi," Su Shiye said coldly. "She tricked you into proposing to her, but she won't let you take advantage of her."
Xitian's expression visibly relaxed. He pulled Fan Li a bit closer to himself with a hint of pride. "Su Yi is a woman who values herself. You wouldn't be able to take advantage of her either."
***
### Glossary
Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation
--- | --- | ---
吠陀 | Veda | The capital city of the Storm Sea.
白点河豚族 | White-spotted Pufferfish tribe | A race known for their architectural skills.
博比特虫毒素 | Bobbit worm toxin | A potent toxin used in specialized weaponry.
海务院 | Maritime Bureau | A government department in the Light Sea.
哈里真郡 | Harijin County | A region within the Storm Sea.
薄伽市 | Bhoga City | A city in Harijin County where Fan Li hid.
琉璃军团 | Glazed Legion | A military unit under Su Shiye's command.
红衣卫 | Red Guards | Elite guards or enforcers of the Holy Capital.
梵梨 / 范梨 | Fan Li | The protagonist's name (Fan Li 梵梨) and her human alias (Fan Li 范梨).
苏伊 | Su Yi | Fan Li's formal name/title as an academician.
