Su Yao's expression grew gravely serious.

It took only two breaths.

The terrifying presence had already arrived.

In an instant, the surrounding seawater began to boil violently.

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Then, a middle-aged man in a gray robe suddenly appeared.

The man was tall, with a vicious look in his eyes.

Su Yao’s pupils shrank instantly.

What she feared had come to pass!

Indeed, standing before her was none other than Yang Xiao, father of the nine-headed serpent Yang Qi!

A mighty Ascension Realm dragon.

How could this be?

Why was he here decades ahead of time in this reality?

In truth, it was pure coincidence.

Yang Xiao had recently reached the peak of the early Ascension Realm and was nearing the threshold of the mid-stage Ascension Realm. His intention was to find a secluded place to enter closed cultivation.

In the dream, it was only after his seclusion that he learned of his son Yang Qi's death and sought out the merfolk to reclaim the Ocean Commanding Trident.

But in reality, he had happened to pass by and sensed the trident's aura.

Out of curiosity, he came to investigate.

What he hadn't expected to find was that the trident was in the hands of a merfolk and that his son Yang Qi's body lay nearby.

Excellent! This day was indeed one to remember!

Yang Xiao laughed angrily.

"Little merfolk, you killed my son and stole my treasure. You are courting death!"

Seeing that Yang Xiao intended to make a move, Su Yao gripped the Ocean Commanding Trident tightly and shouted, "Stop! Or I’ll destroy it right here and now!"

At these words, Yang Xiao’s spiritual energy froze for a moment.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, remaining silent.

Su Yao held the trident horizontally before her and spoke again in a deep voice, "Don't play dumb! What you truly care about isn’t your son Yang Qi but this very Ocean Commanding Trident. It’s the key to unlocking the Eastern Sea’s treasure!"

Yang Xiao's voice turned cold. "How did you come to know that?"

A faint smile appeared on Su Yao’s face.

So, it was true!

In the dream, Yang Xiao’s conversation with Ye Yu during their battle had already aroused her suspicions.

By conventional wisdom, the Ocean Commanding Trident was merely a lower-tier spiritual weapon. Though a rare treasure in most eyes, it shouldn’t hold great value to an Ascension Realm cultivator.

Yet every time Ye Yu had threatened to destroy it, Yang Xiao had shown considerable agitation.

Puzzled, Su Yao had begun to investigate the trident’s secrets.

What she had uncovered was unexpected.

The Ocean Commanding Trident was actually in a sealed state.

Once the Eastern Sea Pearl was embedded back into it, the trident would undergo a transformation, becoming a quasi-immortal artifact.

And most importantly, only the one who possessed the trident could unlock the Eastern Sea’s treasure, where the Eastern Sea Pearl lay hidden!

This was the reason for Yang Xiao’s deep attachment to the trident.

Having confirmed the truth, Su Yao spoke in a calm voice, "Now, either you watch me destroy this Ocean Commanding Trident and then kill me, or you leave!"

From the depths of her heart, Su Yao held no goodwill toward any dragons—especially the nine-headed serpent, Yang Xiao!

In the dream, Yang Xiao and Ye Yu’s mutual destruction had ignited a fierce hatred within Su Yao, driving her to begin slaughtering dragons as a path to enlightenment.

Even now, in reality, her hatred hadn’t lessened in the slightest.

Had her strength been sufficient, she would have certainly stripped and skinned Yang Xiao alive!

She was well-versed in this line of work!

Yang Xiao’s eyes turned sinister.

Fewer than five individuals across the Eastern Sea knew that the Ocean Commanding Trident was the key to the treasure.

Where had this insignificant merfolk learned of it?

No, she couldn’t be allowed to live! Should she reveal the trident’s secret, it would spell endless trouble!

Yang Xiao steeled his mind. While secretly preparing a spell, he spoke in a low voice, "Hand over the Ocean Commanding Trident. I’ll walk away and won’t pursue Yang Qi’s matter. How does that sound?"

“You have no right to negotiate with me!” Su Yao shook her head slightly, focusing entirely on Yang Xiao.

Facing an Ascension Realm expert, she needed to stay vigilant. A single misstep could cost her life.

But in her caution, she made a critical error.

She failed to notice that Yang Qi’s corpse had already risen silently.

Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, it lunged forward.

Sensing a disturbance, Su Yao quickly turned.

Seeing Yang Qi revived, she was shocked. Instinctively, she raised the Ocean Commanding Trident to block and began casting a spell single-handedly to counter.

But it was futile.

Yang Qi’s corpse wasn’t targeting her—it was after the trident.

In an instant, he transformed into a serpent, seized the trident in his jaws, and, without delay, returned to Yang Xiao’s side.

With the trident in hand, Yang Xiao finally smiled.

Yang Qi’s body, meanwhile, dissolved into nothingness.

This alone was enough to reveal that Yang Xiao hadn’t cared for his son in the slightest. Even if it left no bones behind, he remained indifferent.

Yang Xiao twirled the trident playfully, mocking, "Merfolk, how would you like to die?"

Su Yao’s face changed dramatically; without the Ocean Commanding Trident, she’d lost her sole protective talisman.

Though she had ascended to the heavenly realm before, the gap between the Ascension Realm and her current level was vast—impossible to cross.

Winning was out of the question; even escaping alive seemed unlikely!

Su Yao shook her head and let out a soft laugh.

So be it.

This was fate.

In a way, it was for the best. With Yang Xiao now in possession of the trident, he would never cross paths with Ye Yu. The tragedy from the dream would be avoided.

Her only regret was leaving Ye Yu behind.

She closed her eyes slowly.

If there is a next life, my husband, I hope we can meet again.

Seeing that Su Yao had accepted her fate, Yang Xiao couldn’t be bothered to speak further.

Just as he prepared to kill her, he suddenly found himself ensnared by countless golden chains that bound him firmly in place.

Then, a figure appeared beside Su Yao.

"Why would you go dragon-slaying without calling me?"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Su Yao’s eyes shot open.

There stood Ye Yu at her side.

In that moment, Su Yao was utterly stunned.

She could hardly believe it was real.

How could Ye Yu have suddenly arrived?

But in the next second, she gripped his arm, urging, "You must leave, quickly. He’s an Ascension Realm cultivator. We aren’t his match. I’ll hold him off!"

It was all too familiar—the setting, the person. Su Yao’s heart trembled, fearing that the tragic scene from the dream might repeat.

But Ye Yu shook his head gently.

"Don’t worry. Killing him now is as easy as turning my hand."