Magic: Reincarnate from high-voltage electricity at the start, level up independently.

The news of Doria's mysterious disappearance had already spread throughout the entire Mermaid Music World.

According to the princess's personal maid's recollection, the night of the incident was no different from any other day.

Doria had a habit of going to the top of the highest building in the palace alone at night to look at the stars, whenever the weather was clear.

That night was the same; the princess went upstairs alone and didn't return for a long time.

The maid waited in the palace all night, from midnight until dawn, but Dorya never appeared.

The maid, feeling increasingly uneasy, immediately rushed up to the roof of the palace to look for the person.

On the empty rooftop, the night wind was bleak, and the view was so clear that there was no way to see anything. Not to mention the princess, there was not even a trace of anyone who had stayed there.

Just as the maid was in a state of confusion, she saw something through a crack in the corner of the rooftop.

A blue star hair clip.

As Dorya's personal maid who had served her since childhood, she knew all too well the origin of this hair clip.

This is a gift from Amber to Dorria.

Doria cherished this friendship immensely, never taking it off and always keeping it pinned to her hair, taking it terribly into her heart.

Even the slightest bump or knock would cause her heartache for a long time.

Such a precious personal item could not possibly have been lost by her carelessly.

There is only one explanation.

That night, Doria was looking at the stars on the rooftop when she was suddenly kidnapped.

In the instant of pulling and struggling, the star-shaped hair clip accidentally fell off and landed in a corner crevice.

Unfortunately, the rooftop of the palace is a restricted viewing area exclusively for the royal family, and no surveillance cameras have been installed.

All of this is just the maid's speculation, and there is no evidence to prove it.

The guards responsible for patrolling the palace that night all gave the same story.

The patrols went on all night without missing a single point. The palace gates, high walls, and guard lines were all in good condition. No suspicious persons were found, nor were there any signs of outsiders sneaking into the palace.

Despite such tight security, the royal princess vanished into thin air.

The royal family was furious when news of Doria's disappearance broke.

Prince Dorim, who was acting as regent, immediately issued an order for a city-wide manhunt.

At the same time, the royal family issued a reward.

Anyone who can provide valid clues about Doriya's disappearance will be rewarded with ten million fish coins.

Whoever can safely return the princess will be rewarded with one billion mermaid coins plus three reasonable requests.

The announcement of the exorbitant reward instantly spread throughout the music world.

The whole country was in an uproar.

Doria's popularity in the music world needs no further explanation.

She has beautiful long blue hair, a lovely and gentle appearance, and a pure and kind personality.

More importantly, she is the most dazzling musical genius in the music world today, with talent that surpasses all her peers, and she is the mermaid princess cherished by the public.

Almost everyone in the country likes her and favors her; no one wants her to suffer the slightest grievance.

But in this world, where there is light, there is also darkness.

Where there is extreme pampering, there will naturally be those who are secretly jealous.

The timing of Doria's disappearance was far too subtle.

There is only one day left until the start of the Music God Grand Ceremony Competition.

This competition is the highest stage in the world. The champion can receive the favor of the gods and even ascend to the divine realm with the divine messenger.

Doria is the undisputed favorite to win the championship.

She was the mountain weighing down on all the contestants.

As long as she's around, everyone else can only ever be second best.

When thoughts multiply, rumors naturally arise.

Many people speculated that Doria's disappearance was not an accident, but a kidnapping.

It is highly likely that the contestants took a risk and acted in secret.

Once Dorya, the biggest rival, is eliminated, everyone will have a chance to win the championship.

As speculation grew, all suspicion eventually fell on two individuals.

Amber.

William.

These two are the most talented and popular contestants besides Dorya, and are the most qualified to compete for the championship.

Some were certain: "I think it was William who did it! Everyone knows that Doria and Amber are like sisters; Amber has no reason to harm her. On the contrary, William, who has always been overshadowed by Doria, harbors the deepest resentment and is the most suspicious!"

Someone immediately retorted, "No! Amber is precisely the most suspicious!"

"Because they are best friends, Doria was completely unsuspecting of her. It's the least likely person to be suspected when someone you know commits a crime. She could easily do it quietly, then shift all the blame onto William and escape unscathed!"

Some members of the public have raised another possibility.

"Maybe the princess has hidden herself and is deliberately playing the disappearance card."

"Everyone assumed she would win, and the pressure was immense on this young girl. She was probably afraid of making a mistake in the competition; what if she didn't win? Wouldn't that be embarrassing? So she simply avoided the competition altogether."

All sorts of speculations are flying around.

Some say it was the contestant's revenge, others say it was the princess's own doing, and there are even outrageous rumors that Doria was abducted by aliens.

There are all sorts of strange explanations, but everyone knows one fact.

The palace was heavily guarded to the extreme.

The plan was to abduct a princess silently from the palace, which was patrolled by the Imperial Guards, without leaving a trace or alerting anyone.

This level of difficulty is in no way easier than winning a music awards ceremony.

Ordinary people, and ordinary extraordinary individuals, simply cannot do it.

The person capable of such a near-miraculous and secretive crime must be a top-tier superhuman with exceptional stealth abilities.

No matter how the authorities investigated, how the public speculated, or how the clues were sorted out, the whole matter made no progress from beginning to end.

Soon, the highly anticipated Music God Grand Ceremony Competition will officially begin.

With the nation's attention drawn to the grand tournament, the buzz surrounding Doria's disappearance gradually died down.

On the morning of the opening day of the competition, unusual omens appeared in the sky.

The sky, which was originally a hazy, pale gray, was instantly filled with a soft and magnificent golden light.

Billions of golden rays stretched for thousands of miles, covering every inch of the music world.

Its golden radiance was so vast that it replaced the sun, moon, and stars, illuminating the entire world on its own.

next moment.

The ethereal, sacred, and vast divine music descended from the heavens.

The heavenly sound resonated throughout the heavens and earth, instantly spreading to every corner of the world.

This music from the gods possesses incredible and immense power.

Kagura enters the heart, soothing all anxiety, sadness, pain, and obsession.

Kagura descends upon a person, healing all external injuries, illnesses, and old wounds from overwork.

On the earth, wheat ears in the fields ripen rapidly, and fruits on the trees become plump and abundant in an instant.

The turbid rivers and streams were completely purified by the divine sound, and the water became clear and blue, as clean as a clear sky and azure sea.

Withered and dying flowers and plants straighten their roots and stems again, absorb vitality, and become more vibrant and full than before.

The parched and barren land was suddenly blessed with abundant rain, and the dry land was instantly revived, with all things returning to life.

All natural disasters, man-made calamities, suffering, and ruin in the world are soothed by this divine music, and the world is renewed.

A miracle occurred, and all people knelt in worship.

Throughout the entire music world, countless mermaids knelt down, facing the sky, and prayed devoutly.

"Thank you, God of Heavenly Music, for protecting all living beings! I vow to be your most faithful believer for life!"

"My lord, please grant me permission to follow you to the divine realm and escape the suffering of the mortal world!"

"I voluntarily offer my body, flesh, soul, and everything I possess to the divine!"

A nationwide pilgrimage, a surge of faith.

The miracles are far from over.

The golden light in the sky grew even more intense, so dazzling that it was hard to look directly at it.

Endless golden light converged and intertwined, and an incomparably vast and magnificent divine phantom slowly condensed and took shape in the high sky.

The illusory figure was hazy and ethereal, its specific appearance unclear, yet it carried a supreme divine pressure that looked down upon all living beings and ruled over heaven and earth.

All the mermaids who witnessed this scene were shaken to their core, and their worship became even more devout and fervent.

The shouts echoed across the mountains and rivers.

"Heavenly Melody!"

"Long live the gods!"

The phantom of the deity stood silently high in the sky, overlooking all living beings without responding to any cries.

Only endless radiance shines upon the world.

In the unseen depths of the void, countless tiny, pure golden specks of faith slowly rose from the bodies of billions of people, continuously flowing into the phantom of the god and being completely absorbed.

Immediately afterwards, the fourth miracle appeared.

In the center of the golden, dazzling sky, a narrow, elongated crack slowly opened.

A figure slowly stepped out from the rift in the divine realm.

He was a tall and upright man.

He wore a pure white robe with divine patterns, spotless.

Six snow-white wings spread out behind it, each feather shimmering with a faint golden light, exuding holiness, indifference, and aloofness.

He stood silently suspended in the heavens, gazing indifferently at the tiny mermaid world below, watching countless beings kneeling, kowtowing, and frantically offering sacrifices of their faith.

His eyes held no warmth, no pity, no compassion, only indifference.

After a long silence, he gently shook his head.

He then turned around, his gaze piercing through thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, locking onto the core of this world—the Mermaid Palace.

Golden divine light surged, and a gilded divine staircase spanning heaven and earth appeared out of thin air, descending straight down from the end of the clouds and steadily connecting to the main hall of the imperial palace.

His name was Zoga, the messenger of the celestial gods.

Zoga lifted his foot and stepped onto the golden stairs, slowly walking towards the palace step by step.

At this moment, everyone in the world looks up at this scene.

I know it clearly in my heart.

This six-winged deity who descended to the mortal realm was a messenger sent by the god of music.

He will be in charge of overseeing and hosting the upcoming grand ceremony and competition.

He personally presented the prize to the champion of the competition.

After the competition, the champion can have an audience with the true God and become an apostle of God who will serve Him for eternity, living happily with God forever.

As the divine envoy approached step by step, everyone in the palace dared not breathe loudly, nor dared to be negligent or impolite in the slightest.

At the front of the crowd, a middle-aged man dressed in noble and elegant clothes, with a calm and composed demeanor, took the lead in bowing and paying his respects, his tone devout and solemn.

He is Dorim, Doria's uncle.

The current Fish King has been in seclusion for many years, detached from worldly affairs. He holds all the power of the country's government and the royal family on behalf of the Fish King, making him the acting king of the Fish Kingdom at this stage.

"Greetings, Your Excellency the Divine Messenger."

With him taking the lead, everyone present bowed and paid their respects in unison.

At the same time, Zoga finished climbing the last step of the divine staircase, landed gracefully, and stood steadily in the center of the palace square.

Faced with the respectful bows of the entire nation's subjects, he felt no satisfaction, but rather a deep displeasure.

The next moment, he spoke calmly.

"To see the divine messenger is to see a god; why not kneel?"

A simple sentence instantly froze the atmosphere in the room.

Dorim, who was bowing, suddenly frowned.

He is a prince acting as regent for a country, wielding the highest secular power and representing the face and dignity of the mermaid royal family.

Throughout history, royal families have only knelt before the true gods, never before divine messengers.

He led the crowd in bowing and paying their respects with utmost courtesy and reverence, demonstrating the utmost respect without the slightest disrespect.

Since the messengers of God have come from afar, we should respect each other.

Moreover, with the entire nation watching from afar, the royal family kneeling in public would be tantamount to completely diminishing the dignity of the entire country.

After a long silence, Dorim slowly straightened up and looked directly at Zoga, her expression calm and neither humble nor arrogant.

"My Lord, Divine Messenger."

"Having perused the palace's millennia-old records of ritual and etiquette, I know that whenever divine envoys descended upon the palace, they always met with the royal family as equals and treated them with courtesy. There has never been a precedent of forcing the royal family to kneel. Why, then, is it that this time, their arrival demands such a grand ceremony from me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present felt a sudden tightness in their chests, secretly sweating for the prince.

This is tantamount to publicly questioning a divine messenger, which is extremely risky!

Zoga completely ignored his explanation, his eyes growing colder, and repeated only one command.

"I said, kneel down."

Tough, domineering, and brooking no argument.

Dorim's displeasure rose completely, making it even more impossible for her to kneel down.

Looking at Zoga's arrogant attitude, which regarded all mortals and people as ants, the words of his elder brother before he went into seclusion many years ago suddenly echoed in his mind.

Before the Fish King went into seclusion, he secretly warned him—

The god of music is not a benevolent being.

At that moment, Dorim was so frightened that she immediately covered her brother's mouth, fearing that he would bring about a great disaster of blasphemy, and thought that her brother was just being impulsive.

But after seeing the appearance of this divine messenger with his own eyes, he finally began to understand.

If the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam will be crooked as well.

If even God's messengers are so cold and arrogant, what kind of compassionate and benevolent deity could the Heavenly God, who resides high in the divine realm, be?

Dorim suppressed the turmoil in her heart and remained polite, responding calmly.

"My lord, I sincerely revere the heavenly deities and respect your status as a divine messenger. But please forgive me for not being able to comply."

"People kneel and worship, but they are kneeling to the supreme true God."

"If the celestial deity were to personally descend, the entire Mermaid Royal Family would willingly kneel and worship without a word."

"But you are ultimately just a messenger of God, not a true God."

"It is precisely because we have devoutly believed in God for generations that we must not kneel before others casually. To kneel and worship indiscriminately without regard to rank is to blaspheme the true God and demean our faith."

His words were clear, logical, and well-founded, upholding both the dignity of the royal family and his position of faith.

Dorim believed her answer was flawless and appropriate enough that the other party should let it go.

But he was completely wrong.

Zoga's eyes shimmered with golden light, his killing intent fully awakened.

In the past, when divine messengers descended, they needed to disguise themselves.

At that time, the time was not right, and faith still needed to be cultivated slowly. We had to pretend to be gentle and benevolent to win people's hearts.

Even if you are arrogant and despise these ants, you still have to put on an act.

But now the overall situation is settled.

Their god has abandoned this world and found a more suitable place to continue making faith.

This music festival is the last wave of large-scale reaping.

Once the competition ends and faith is completely eradicated, this world will lose all its value.

At that time, he will personally slaughter all living beings, leaving not a single blade of grass behind.

There's no need for pretense anymore.

"I said, kneel down."

Zoga spoke for the third time, his tone extremely cold, his imposing aura enveloping the entire area.

Just as Dorim was about to argue her point again, a hoarse, cold voice suddenly rang out from behind the crowd, interrupting her.

"Prince Dorim"

"Our national laws clearly state that disrespecting God's messengers is a heinous crime and should be punished according to the law."

Everyone turned their heads at the sound.

A withered and aged figure slowly walked out of the crowd and stopped in front of Dorim.

He is the current prime minister of the Mermaid Kingdom, and the eldest son of the Wei family—Weisa.

Dorim's face darkened, and she demanded in a deep voice, "Wesa, what do you mean?"

Vesa's eyes were icy, showing no respect whatsoever for a prince, and his words were sharp.

"Literal meaning."

"The prince just now publicly contradicted the divine messenger, questioned the divine oracle, and refused to obey the rites. His words and actions were outrageous and constituted blasphemy against the gods."

He turned abruptly, facing all the officials, imperial guards, and palace servants, and shouted loudly.

"A prince who breaks the law is subject to the same punishment as a commoner! Even a king acting on behalf of the emperor is equally guilty of violating divine law!"

His voice was like thunder as he pronounced the verdict in front of everyone.

"In the name of the Prime Minister of the Mermaid Kingdom, I hereby declare—Dorim is guilty of blasphemy against the divine messenger and disrespect for the gods! She is sentenced to life imprisonment, to be carried out immediately!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Vessa shouted sharply, "Men! Seize him!"

The guards on duty immediately stepped forward and surrounded Dorim.

"Let's see who dares!"

Dorim roared angrily, displaying her full princely majesty.

"I am the current prince and acting monarch! Think carefully about the consequences!"

But the imperial guards had indifferent eyes and did not hesitate at all. They went straight forward and surrounded him in an instant.

Two guards with B-level strength stepped forward and grabbed his arms, locking them tightly.

Dorim, having spent years governing, only possesses the strength of an ordinary C-rank official and is unable to break free.

He struggled desperately, but to no avail.

One of the guards said with undisguised contempt, "Your Highness, behave yourself. If you struggle any longer, we won't be able to stop."

What appears to be advice is actually full of sarcasm.

In the eyes of the Imperial Guards, the acting monarch of a nation was no different from a criminal.

Dorim stopped struggling, looked at Vesa with a cold smile, and spoke in an icy voice.

"Weisa, the reach of your Wei family is far greater than I imagined; you even control the Imperial Guard directly under the palace."

Vesa remained unfazed and feigned ignorance, denying the allegations.

"I don't understand what the prince is saying."

"I am a believer in God, and so are these guards. You disrespect God and violate divine law; we are merely eliminating heretics."

He snorted coldly, his eyes full of disdain.

"From the moment you defied the divine messenger, you were no longer worthy to be the Mermaid Prince."

The royal family members standing nearby finally couldn't hold back any longer and stepped forward to plead for leniency.

"It was just a few words of argument, how could it be a heinous crime? The Duo family has been loyal and diligent in their duties for generations, and their contributions are immense; they don't deserve a life sentence!"

Just then, a minister of the Wei family stepped forward, walked quickly to Zoga, and knelt heavily on both knees.

"Mermaid Wei greets Your Excellency, Divine Messenger!"

Bang bang bang!

Three resounding kowtows, the utmost humility and courtesy.

"Get up," Zoga said calmly.

"Thank you, Your Excellency!"

Minister Wei stood up, turned to face the royal family, and spoke with righteous indignation.

"The divine messenger has descended upon the world in mercy, bestowing blessings upon all people! My Wei family, as a top noble family, is not much weaker than the royal family, and we sincerely kneel in worship."

"He's a regent king, clinging to his pride and refusing to pay his respects! What is this if not blasphemy?"

"Back then, the mermaid race was on the verge of extinction, and it was the celestial deity who saved us, giving us land and life! Now, he won't even lower himself to offer a simple bow of respect! How can someone so arrogant and disrespectful be allowed to govern the country?"

These words left all the Duo family members speechless and unable to refute them.

In the queue, Minister An wanted to step forward to mediate, but was firmly blocked by his own clansmen and could only remain silent and endure.

Dorim, who was being held captive, watched all of this and completely understood the situation.

The Wei family harbors wolfish ambitions and has long plotted rebellion.

It's also my own fault for being careless, allowing Vesa to seize the opportunity to take power in public today.

He gently shook his head at the royal family, signaling everyone not to act impulsively.

He was then forcibly dragged away by the guards, taken directly from the square, and thrown into the dungeon.

In just a short moment, a high-ranking prince was brought down from grace, shocking everyone present.

Vesa stepped forward and took control of the situation.

He turned to face the divine messenger Zoga and, without the slightest hesitation, knelt down on both knees.

"Welcome, Divine Messenger, to the world of music!"

All of Wei's retainers knelt down in obeisance.

The rest of the civil and military officials, imperial guards, palace maids, and servants dared not resist and all bowed their heads and kowtowed.

Even the remaining royal family members of the Duo family were forced to bow their heads and kneel in worship.

In the entire palace square, thousands of people prostrated themselves on the ground, but Zoga stood proudly alone.

He looked indifferently at the kneeling crowd, his face showing no emotion.

A moment later, he turned and strode toward the depths of the palace.

A clear, deep voice slowly echoed between heaven and earth, its chill penetrating to the bone.

"Prepare a batch of fresh, young blood for me immediately."

at the same time.

Chu Ge and Ailiya, who set off from the City of Violins early in the morning, have already entered the City of Sound...