Chapter 119: A Glimmer of Hope for the Merfolk Tribe
This novel is translated and hosted only on BCatranslation
Yu Zhao smiled lightly and pushed the Heavenly Divination Shell toward the old merfolk elder using her spiritual energy.
“The Dao is emotionless, and all beings are equal. Every race has its reason for existence,” she thought. Yu Zhao didn’t wish to see a tribe destroyed due to human greed.
She waited for a moment but noticed that the old merfolk elder only stared at the Heavenly Divination Shell without moving. Concerned, she kindly offered, “Senior, do you not know how to use it? You just need to hold it in both hands and focus your thoughts on it…”
“I know how to use it!” the elder interrupted abruptly. He grabbed the shell, took a deep breath, and began to shake it in his hands, muttering under his breath.
He repeated the process six times before stopping, glancing at Yu Zhao with an unreadable expression, and pushing the shell back to her.
Yu Zhao accepted the Heavenly Divination Shell, placed her palm on it, and gradually let her eyes lose focus.
The old merfolk elder clenched his fists, his eyes fixed on her, not missing even the smallest change in her expression.
Crack!
A loud noise broke the tension. A new fissure appeared on the Heavenly Divination Shell, running through its entire body. The burn marks on its surface spread outward, almost covering the entire abdominal plate.
The elder finally exhaled deeply in relief.
It worked!
Yu Zhao absorbed the information conveyed by the Heavenly Divination Shell, her expression turning complicated. After storing it back into her spatial storage, she hesitated to speak, under the expectant and nervous gaze of the elder.
This elder, once a clan elder of the Merfolk Tribe, was known for his fiery temper. Yet, his desperate need to know the tribe’s future had tempered his attitude. With a forced smile, he asked, his tone unnaturally gentle, “So, what did the shell reveal?”
“Uh…” Yu Zhao hesitated, choosing her words carefully.
The elder was nearly ready to leap from his shell throne in frustration, mentally cursing her countless times.
Yu Zhao’s ears burned as if sensing his silent complaints. Helplessly, she explained, “Senior, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you; I’m just afraid you won’t believe me.”
“Say it anyway,” he urged. “I’ll decide for myself whether to believe it or not.”
Yu Zhao took a deep breath. “The Heavenly Divination Shell foretold that the Merfolk Tribe is currently in decline. However, there remains a glimmer of hope. If this opportunity is seized, there’s a chance for the tribe to reverse its fate and rise to glory once again.”
Her words were like a life-prolonging elixir to the elder. His spirits lifted, and the fatigue that had weighed on him moments ago vanished.
“Where is this hope for the tribe?” he asked eagerly.
Yu Zhao paused for a moment, then pointed at herself.
The elder was stunned, staring at her for a long while before finally realizing what she meant. The so-called hope for the Merfolk Tribe was… her.
He nearly burst out laughing in exasperation.
Ridiculous! Nonsense!
How could the future of the Merfolk Tribe be tied to a human cultivator?
Yu Zhao sighed. She had expected this reaction.
In truth, even she had been shocked by the result. The weight of responsibility was immense, pressing heavily on her shoulders with an invisible burden.
“Senior, I allowed you to use the Heavenly Divination Shell. Why would I deceive you? As for why I’m the key to your tribe’s survival, I don’t know either,” she admitted, feeling the elder’s piercing gaze.
The two stared at each other in silence for a long time.
Finally, the elder broke the quiet. “What is your name?”
“Yu Zhao,” she replied calmly.
“Can I trust you?”
“Senior, I won’t claim to be a saint, but I’m not a wicked person either. Whether you choose to trust me is for you to decide.”
Yu Zhao rarely made promises unless she was certain she could fulfill them. Yet, regarding the future of the Merfolk Tribe, she was utterly clueless about what to do or why she was connected to them.
In fact, once she left the Undersea Palace, she had no intention of returning to the Southern Abyss for a long time. How, then, could she possibly help the Merfolk Tribe prosper?
“I don’t dare to trust you,” the elder finally admitted. “But I trust the Heavenly Divination Shell.”
After pondering for a while, the Merfolk Elder finally spoke. His words revealed his willingness to trust Yu Zhao.
“Come with me.”
The elder and his shell mount led the way at their usual slow pace. Yu Zhao followed patiently, occasionally admiring the luxurious decor of the Undersea Palace.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, they stopped in front of a room. The elder dismounted and swam to the door. With a flick of his tail, the door opened automatically, revealing a dazzling brilliance.
Inside was a trove of treasures passed down through generations of the Merfolk Tribe.
“You may take anything you like—even empty the entire room—and I won’t object. But before you enter, you must promise me one thing,” the elder said.
Standing at the doorway, Yu Zhao could already feel the room’s vibrant spiritual energy. She smiled bitterly. “Elder, my abilities are limited. Please don’t make things too hard for me.”
“I won’t ask you to rescue our imprisoned kin or remain in the palace. All I ask is that if you encounter a Merfolk in distress in the future, you save them. Please.”
The elder’s earnest gaze made it clear he had placed all his hopes on Yu Zhao. She hesitated briefly before nodding. “I promise.”
Relieved, the elder stepped aside. “Go ahead.”
The moment Yu Zhao stepped into the room, she was overwhelmed by the sheer brilliance of the treasures. Blood-red Coral Jade, giant Sea Lingzhi mushrooms, Beast King Core jewels—it was a dazzling array of riches.
She spent nearly half an hour inside before reluctantly emerging empty-handed.
The elder looked at her in shock. “Why are you leaving with nothing?”
“Because I’m noble and selfless?” Yu Zhao replied hesitantly.
The elder was speechless, then became anxious. “Are you planning to go back on your word?”
“No, I’m not. I just don’t need anything from in there. I’ve already taken my reward,” Yu Zhao explained, referring to the gems and cores she had collected earlier from the hallway.
“Those trinkets are nothing!” the elder exclaimed, pushing her back into the room. He grabbed a thumb-sized Mystic Magnetite from a shell container and placed it in her hands. “Take this!”
Although small, the Mystic Magnetite was incredibly heavy, nearly slipping from Yu Zhao’s grasp.
He then handed her a Millennium Jade Essence, a transparent jade stone containing a drop of milky-white liquid that carried immense spiritual power.
Before she could thank him, another item—a severed piece of Dragonwood, taller than she was—appeared in her arms. Dragonwood was a rare undersea material, renowned for its indestructibility.
One treasure after another poured into Yu Zhao’s arms, and her protests were met with the elder’s unwavering insistence.
By the time they left the treasury, Yu Zhao was smiling, while the elder looked on the verge of tears.
“What madness possessed me to give away my tribe’s heirlooms like this?” he muttered, clutching his chest in regret. “Oh, my poor heart!”
He couldn’t let her go with nothing but trinkets.