Chapter 1165: Chapter 1165

1165: Chapter 1151 Deep Sea Pearl 1165: Chapter 1151 Deep Sea Pearl Suwo Soradamshi, a name rather difficult to pronounce using human phonetics, is a century-old city on Mercury 42.

In reality, it’s a transliteration of the grating Fishman language.

As one strolls through it, the first necessity is the ability to breathe underwater and withstand prolonged submersion.

Even though only a fifth of the city is the so-called dry zone, it is still waist-deep in the semi-water area.

Like everyone else, Lu Ping’an was half-reclining on a boat being dragged along by a large fish down the main street.

He looked around with interest, observing the Aquatic Clan casually chatting and trading in the water, even finding the time to point and gossip about him, an outsider.

The most common sight here were various medium and small-sized sea beasts, similar to dolphins and seahorses.

Many young Merfolk were seen riding these creatures as if they were bicycles, just as in Lu’s hometown.

Above his head, in the water-separated area created by some powerful force, people swam back and forth, occasionally pointing and whispering about this rare foreign visitor.

This was Fishman territory, or rather, Merfolk territory, situated about seven hundred meters below sea level.

Even with the local low water pressure, this depth is not easily reached by land-based lifeforms.

In fact, when the Redemption docked at this deep-sea city’s port, it attracted the attention of nearly half the city.

“This is quite interesting, so many Fishmen and other oceanic ethnic groups.

What’s more, none of them are coming up to me shouting ‘gurgle gurgle’…”

“…Heh, I’m simply stating the facts,” Lu Ping’an replied, his usual political incorrectness unabated.

Although he appeared relaxed lying in the boat, he remained on guard under the watchful eyes brimming with hostility around him.

The more he understood this world, the more Lu Ping’an felt powerless…

The three great calamities had been entrenched here for far too long, their true strength unfathomable.

The local inhabitants most likely faced a bleak future, and to make matters worse, it was already proven that their physiological structure wasn’t suited for interstellar migration.

They would probably have to accompany their world to its end.

The city where Lu Ping’an was currently residing had over a hundred years of history.

Initially, it was nothing more than a ‘snail shell’ left behind by a super sea beast after its death.

Now, after continuous refinement, it had become the basis of the city’s original appearance and infrastructure.

However, what surprised Lu Ping’an the most was…

“Honorable Lord Sharkda, I, on behalf of myself and my lord, convey our sincere greetings to you…”

Catherine, acting as Lu’s “housekeeper,” took the initiative to greet the other party pleasantly.

She was addressing a tall half-Fishman with a serpent’s tail, easily towering over four meters, proudly bearing a crown of coral and turquoise, large enough to be worth its weight in gems, while wielding a trident.

He was dressed in a suit of seashells and seaweed, giving the appearance of an overweight penguin.

He looked quite ridiculous, yet he bore a stern and serious expression, seemingly oblivious to his comical appearance.

He was observing the “ancient system,” waiting for the visitors’ servants to introduce themselves and present their tributes.

He did not particularly care for these so-called “noble customs.” Hiding in the deep sea like a turtle and still wrapping oneself in the dregs of the original master’s traditions as finery seemed overly self-deceptive and laughable.

“Ha-ha, a crowned monkey…” Lu Ping’an laughed merrily and full of malice.

“My master says that you are as strong and rugged as his ancestors…” Catherine’s quick response served as a cover for Lu Ping’an’s remark.

As the de facto High Priest of the Beast God, she indeed inherited the “ancestors'” wisdom, particularly when it came to covering for Lu Ping’an’s lapses.

Lu Ping’an, who faintly felt like his “servant” was being sarcastic, glared at her but couldn’t be bothered to care more.

“Lord, I have come to negotiate a trade with you…” he took a bold step forward, directly saying it in a manner that was plainly “discourteous”.

The Sharkda before him did not put on any airs either.

As the male before him opened his eyes, those pale pupils seemed to see through everything, an inexplicable aura of authority radiating from him.

Even the formidable Fishman Leader instinctively took a step back.

Even though he quickly stepped forward the next moment, realizing it was not in keeping with “etiquette”, he had already shown weakness in this exchange.

Usually, they wouldn’t bother with such trouble, this city being a solitary Deep Sea City that hardly anyone visited, whom were all those formalities for?

Now that they were playing this charade, when Lu Ping’an requested a visit, he cited a whole suite of “etiquette procedures”, surely, it was out of insecurity?

“Hehe, a Fish Head will always be a Fish Head, do you not realize the more you try to ‘not let others look down on you’, the more you reveal your lack of confidence and nervousness?”

Lu Ping’an did not point this out…

of course, mainly because Catherine was glaring at him.

Once invited into the inner room by the Lord and serious discussions began, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Aside from Lu Ping’an, the others were after all in enemy territory — underneath the Deep Sea no less, where turning on them might lead to certain death, they were still worried about a breakdown in negotiations.

And the “nobles” of the Fishman here were also worried about the outsiders turning their gaze towards this “Deep Sea Pearl”…

Although others have called my place the Fishman’s Golden Land, we ourselves know it was originally just a sanctuary for refugees…” the Lord finally got to the point, having had enough of the tedious “diplomatic formalities”.

This Deep Sea Pearl, indeed, its precursor was the Abyss’ refugee camp…

even these Fishman, in a sense, had not much better treatment than the Long Hand Clan.

Here, one must mention the actual situation of the “Octopus Forces”.

It was, in fact, a gathering of myriad oceanic species under the command of a Great Will (with three Clones) — in some way, it resembled a diluted version of the Abyss, continuously devouring oceanic planes and incorporating them into itself.

The array of indigenous ocean dwellers and Fishman were the result of relentless fusion and ingestion, but the internal competition was equally fierce.

If this plane were also successfully devoured, then the Long Hand Clan might become a part of the Octopus Army (if any survived).

However, the Octopus and Abyss had been invading this plane for many years, God knows how many of the Family Clan and loser servants they had dispatched.

Some died in battle right there, some disappeared naturally unable to adapt to the environment, some perished due to various internal conflicts — in short, they successfully made their home in these oceans and became one of the de facto Masters of the world.

The “Fishman Tribes” easily noticed by Lu Ping’an were the most obvious example; they were simply “descendants of the Eight-clawed Race”, leading simple and primitive lives under the control of Shamans and Priests, worshiping the “Lord of Eight Claws” as a whole clan and enjoying certain Divine arts and blessings.

The most apparent common trait was their particularly strong aggressiveness, subconsciously attacking all non-Octopus Tribe members.

But where there is “enslavement”, there is also “liberation”; this was not a direct control area of the Octopus — some of the once subjugated ethnic groups, having left the area of Octopus influence, were gradually recovering their sanity and self.

They, in fact, despised the Octopus and their affiliate forces the most, but in a way, their treatment was almost the same as the Long Hand Clan’s; should the world fall again, they would have nowhere to retreat and would revert to primitiveness and madness.

By building a city in the Deep Sea, they seemed to be hiding…

but today, they met an exceptional visitor.