I am Guhuoniao, not an umbrella demon, please do not disturb me.

The last merman to appear was slightly stronger, possessing the Nascent Soul stage. From the expressions of the surrounding mermen, it was clear that this demon held an extraordinary status.

"You have trespassed into my Merfolk territory, seize her!"

The young leader showed no courtesy to Bai Qingyu. With a wave of his finned hand, the hesitant merfolk surrounded him. The orca beneath him approached Bai Qingyu, but before they could make a move, an overwhelming and extremely powerful demonic force suppressed them in place, including the young leader.

Bai Qingyu still held the umbrella in one hand. Standing on the whale's back, she calmly said, "I am here with no hostility towards you. On the contrary, I am here to help you."

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Bai Qingyu, a land demon. I am not here to invade the territory of your merfolk."

"You merfolk know more about the high seas than I do. Since that's the case, you should know that the cultivation sects on land have already set their sights on you and the Sea Kingdom. I don't need to say whether I'm a bigger threat or they are. Since you're even trying to control the seas, it means you've already clashed with human cultivators. Am I right?"

“You may not know much about the land, but your merfolk clan certainly has people who do. Your men, stay here and watch over me for now. I'm not going anywhere. Go find a strong person in your clan and have them come and talk to me.”

Such a Nascent Soul leader may not understand the land, so it's better to let the strong members of their clan communicate with him. Besides, this guy can't make any decisions, so there's no point in talking to him.

Bai Qingyu released the suppression of the Nascent Soul Merman. When the Merman regained his senses, his expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly controlled the orca beneath him to swim towards the surface of the sea.

He didn't know Bai Qingyu at all; Bai Qingyu's name wasn't so well-known even among the merfolk.

However, he knew Bai Qingyu's strength.

The fact that Bai Qingyu could crush him shows just how terrifying his strength truly is.

Such a formidable enemy is beyond his ability to deal with.

This also shows that the relationship between the Merfolk and the forces on land, whether demons or humans, is not very good.

One historical reason is that Bai Qingyu once read in an ancient book that when the sea tribe invaded, that is, the merfolk and all the other sea monsters together, they launched a war against the human race that could be described as a devastating war. In the end, the sea tribe was completely defeated and was even chased into the sea by the then Heavenly Sword Master, who killed the merfolk king.

It was during that war that the Merfolk suffered heavy losses in combat power and were almost wiped out. Now, ten thousand years have passed in a flash, and the Merfolk have basically recovered. However, the human race has developed to the point of overwhelming them.

Besides that, there's the recent new grudge.

A group of cultivators came to the sea in search of the Sea Kingdom. When they couldn't find it, they had to find another way, and starting with the Merfolk became an essential step.

It's estimated that these cultivators have killed quite a few merfolk during this period.

Bai Qingyu didn't have to wait long. In her perception, three figures were rushing towards her. All three were strong, and all of them were at the Integration Stage.

boom!

Water splashed, but Bai Qingyu calmly raised her wooden umbrella to block all the water droplets.

At this moment, the three Meridian cultivators in the Integration Stage had already surrounded Bai Qingyu in a triangular formation, their auras surging, ready to launch an attack on Bai Qingyu at any moment.

During their fusion phase, the merfolk didn't look much different from ordinary merfolk; they were all incredibly ugly, except that they were much more robust and tall. It was clear that all three of them were male merfolk.

"Are you the Divine Phoenix Bai Qingyu?"

They weren't in a hurry to make a move; the three merfolk were also feeling guilty in front of Bai Qingyu.

As high-ranking members of the Merfolk, the three of them knew a great deal about the land, and were fully aware of Bai Qingyu's identity and deeds.

For the merfolk, intelligence on land is not so difficult to obtain. On the contrary, it is very difficult for humans to understand the merfolk, since they cannot simply dive into the deep sea and infiltrate the merfolk's ranks.

Moreover, the human race is arrogant. They had already defeated the sea race once before, and now they are all busy cultivating and fighting among themselves, so they are too lazy to collect intelligence on the sea race.

"It is I. I have come uninvited today. Please forgive me."

Bai Qingyu remained calm and composed. She was not afraid of the merfolk surrounding and killing her, because any merfolk with a brain would not make an enemy of her at this time.

"I think the three of you already know why I've come. Like those human cultivators, I've also come to find the Sea Kingdom."

Upon hearing this, the auras of the three powerful figures were slightly revealed, and their eyes became much more dangerous.

But Bai Qingyu hadn't finished speaking.

“Since you know me, the three of you must know that Demon Sword is my child. Demon Sword is currently trapped in the Sea Kingdom. I have come to take him back. I can guarantee that I will only take him back and will not do anything else, nor will I reveal your secrets.”

"In that case, Divine Phoenix, please return." The powerful merman crossed his arms and flew in front of Bai Qingyu.

"The Demon Sword has already established a cooperative relationship with the Sea Kingdom. The Sea Kingdom will not harm him. Once things are over and the time is right, he will return to the land."

"If that's the case, why not let me go? The Demon Sword is my child. Since he has joined forces with the Sea Kingdom, how can I stand on his side?"

Bai Qingyu folded the wooden umbrella and stepped onto the invisible staircase in the air, reaching the same height as the merman who had spoken. "Do you think I really can't find the Sea Kingdom? Since it's a kingdom, it must have its own destiny. You've inquired about me, so don't you know that I have control over the destiny and fortune of a kingdom?"

"No matter how deeply you hide your Hai Kingdom, you cannot conceal your destiny. What do you say?"

The merman's expression changed slightly; he had indeed forgotten that.

What he didn't know was that Bai Qingyu was actually bluffing him; she hadn't yet discovered the destiny of the Sea Kingdom.

"I came here to give face to your sea race. You wouldn't want me to find the sea kingdom by myself and then be followed here by those humans, would you?"

"This... I apologize for the intrusion. If Divine Phoenix wishes to go to the Sea Kingdom, please ensure that its location is not revealed."

Volume Two: The Journey Through the Demon Book: Chapter Twenty-Nine - Suzuka Gozen

The process was simpler than Bai Qingyu had imagined. The merman's expression changed quickly; one moment he seemed ready to take her down, and the next he was willing to take her to the Sea Kingdom. This made Bai Qingyu subconsciously feel that something was amiss.

Be wary of their surroundings, Bai Qingyu followed the three merfolk as they flew deeper into the sea.

She was eager to know how the Sea Kingdom had managed to conceal itself, how such a vast place could be hidden away while a group of cultivators wandered aimlessly across the sea like headless flies, and how these merfolk had managed to enter the Sea Kingdom without exposing themselves.

The Heavenly Sect's reply stated that they had seen the Sea Kingdom from afar, with land and high mountains. Bai Qingyu did not believe it was just a small island. If it were truly a small island, it would not have called itself the Sea Kingdom, and the Merfolk would not have attached such importance to it.

With no merfolk lying in ambush nearby, Bai Qingyu didn't say a word to them. Gradually, she noticed a thick fog rising from the sea, growing deeper and deeper, and visibility decreasing.

With the appearance of the thick fog, Bai Qingyu became even more vigilant about her surroundings. She discovered that the dense fog could not only block vision, but also senses.

Even if ordinary fog is very thick and obscures vision, it doesn't have much impact on cultivators. Even without eyes, they still have perception, which is more useful than eyes. However, if perception is disabled, the result will be different.

Once completely enveloped in the mist, the merman at the front spoke up: "After entering the Sea Kingdom, you must stay inside for at least three days before you can come out. If you come out early, be careful not to get lost here."

"What about three days from now?" Bai Qingyu frowned slightly.

"You'll find out for yourself in three days."

After traveling nearly ten kilometers through the thick fog, Bai Qingyu suddenly noticed something ahead. The surrounding fog began to slowly dissipate, and a continent appeared before her eyes.

Ten kilometers is nothing on this vast ocean; she could see it at a glance. But the problem was that she was certain she was moving in a straight line, and she hadn't made any discovery about this short distance before.

"I hope Shenhuang can remember what she said."

After saying this, the merfolk returned the way they came, completely unconcerned that Bai Qingyu might have any conflicts or cause any damage with the people of the Sea Kingdom.

Bai Qingyu looked back in the direction where the merman had disappeared. The thick fog she had come from had long since vanished, and there was nothing outside except the azure sea. She tried to walk back, but after only a few steps, she sensed something, like a layer of bubbles that she could easily pass through. The moment she passed through, her vision was enveloped by thick fog.

Back within the territory of the Sea Kingdom, Bai Qingyu habitually stroked his chin, lost in thought.

This is a barrier, a barrier with no defensive capabilities but unparalleled concealment.

She could actually create such a barrier, but it would never reach such a terrifying scale.

If you want a large area, the concealment will be relatively small, and vice versa. It's difficult to cover an entire city, let alone an entire island.

Moreover, this barrier alone is far from enough. The biggest reason why the Sea Kingdom has been able to hide until now is the strange fog outside. It is because of the existence of this fog and this barrier that the Sea Kingdom has not been exposed until now.

Bai Qingyu flew in the sky, looking at the continent in front of her. Compared to the outer barrier, the Sea Kingdom itself did not impress her much. It could be described as a main road or a very large island.

Compared to other small islands at sea, the Sea Kingdom is indeed quite large, but compared to the land where they live, it is far from being a continent.

Just like the information given by the Heavenly Sect, the Sea Kingdom does indeed have a huge mountain peak, at the foot of which are cities of all sizes. Most of the people living in these cities are demons, including both land demons and sea demons, including the merfolk we just met.

This also shows that the Merfolk may not be members of the Sea Kingdom, but their relationship with the Sea Kingdom is definitely that of ironclad allies.

They didn't release their senses, and it seems there aren't many top experts in this sea kingdom.

Landing on the ground, Bai Qingyu held up her umbrella and walked towards the inland city of the Sea Kingdom. She took out Changsheng's communication talisman, which had been dim, but now it was bright, indicating that Changsheng was indeed in the Sea Kingdom.

Bai Qingyu didn't know why Changsheng had come to the Sea Kingdom, but at least she was here now.

It has to be said that she came in a bit of a hurry. Take just now, for example. If there were merfolk lying in ambush in that thick fog, it wouldn't take many. Two Mahayana cultivators plus three Nascent Soul cultivators would have seriously injured her, even if she wasn't killed.

But there was no other way; the child was in danger, and I couldn't just stand by and watch him die. As his aunt, how could I just stand by and watch him die?

Looking at the city of the Sea Kingdom from afar, Bai Qingyu always felt that this was the paradise of the demon race. Tongzhou was no match for it. In her opinion, the coexistence of humans and demons was not so good. No matter how harmonious it was, they were ultimately not the same race.

Especially for humans, how could they possibly feel comfortable living with a group of "neighbors" who could suddenly turn on them and kill at any moment?

In the eyes of most humans, the demon race are all madmen. The fact that they can live together harmoniously now is like a mental patient holding a sharp knife saying that he is cured. His usual behavior does indeed seem like he is cured, but it would be a lie to say that he is not worried at all.

The surroundings were quiet, and Bai Qingyu, holding an umbrella, arrived in the first city.

This city doesn't even have city walls, because the demons living here don't need to worry about war at all.

The city's development cannot compare to that of Jiangnan or even the capital. Some of the larger human cities are much better developed. However, it is quite remarkable that the demon race on an island has developed to this extent. Moreover, it has more of the characteristics of the sea kingdom and is not copied directly from the human race.

Her arrival attracted the attention of the demons coming and going in the city, but no one said much. Judging from Bai Qingyu's wings and hands, they knew that she was also a demon and not a human. Perhaps she came from another city.

Bai Qingyu entered the city and simply used his luck to conceal himself, and the surrounding demons indeed turned their attention away.

Her current state isn't about invisibility or trickery; rather, she's given herself a buff. Weak demons can see her, but they'll subconsciously ignore her. To put it bluntly, she's minimizing her presence as much as possible.

There was no rush to find Changsheng. Bai Qingyu was certain that he was not dead, and that was enough.

What she's doing now is far more important than directly contacting Liu Changsheng: probing the Hai Kingdom's true intentions.

You can tell what kind of personality the upper class of the Sea Kingdom has by looking at the lower class; at the very least, you can tell whether the other party is easy to negotiate with.

Take the city in front of her as an example. In her perception, only 80,000 to 90,000 little monsters live in this city. This number is not large. If it were a human city of the same size, it could support at least 120,000 people.

And this is all in comparison. If we don't compare it to the human race and only compare it to the demon race itself, this number of demons is basically impossible to manage.

The term "demon race" is a general term. Rabbit demons are demons, wolf demons are demons. If you put these two races together, how can they not fight?

However, in the city now, even though there are all kinds of demons everywhere, running on land, swimming in the sea, and flying in the sky, there is no fighting between so many demons. They are quite harmonious and well-behaved, and the lively atmosphere is very lively.

This alone shows that the upper echelons of the Sea Kingdom are not simple, and are definitely not vicious and unreasonable monsters.

If he were cruel and tyrannical, how could the cities under his control have developed so well?

Bai Qingyu lingered here for a long time, just to see if everything she was seeing was real.

After watching for a long time, the sky had completely darkened. Just as Bai Qingyu was about to leave, a slightly cold and emotionless voice suddenly came from behind her.

"Suzuka Mountain is no worse than the outside world."

Bai Qingyu turned around and found a woman in white with white hair standing beside her.

Her gaze lingered on the white-clad woman's chest for a half-second longer. The size, the way she was dressed, the expanse of white—it almost instantly stirred up Bai Qingyu's memories.

When it comes to clothing, in the entire demon register, no, I should say in the entire world, only the demon named Suzuka Gozen left the deepest impression on her.

All I can say is that it's a style she would never dare to try...