Douluo Continent: Tonight, a Fairy Tale Descends

Since you can't become the strongest predator immediately, first become the most useful trader.

Ursula decides to return to her old ways and once again become the all-powerful deep-sea witch in this ocean.

“Desire, wherever it may be, is the sweetest bait,” Ursula murmured with a low, pleasant gurgle.

Her enormous body swam in the darkness, her countless tentacles sweeping across the rugged seabed like probes.

Finally, Ursula stopped in front of a natural cave formed from the bones of some ancient behemoth.

The massive, white ribs formed an archway, and the depths of the dark cave exuded a mysterious and dangerous aura.

“What a familiar taste, the temple of death and trade.” Ursula smiled with satisfaction.

This place reminded her of the Fishbone Cave she used to run on the edge of the Mermaid Kingdom, so she decided to rename the cave Fishbone Cave as well.

Meanwhile, in memory of her two capable servants in the mermaid world, the blind eel Hu Shan and the lame eel Jia Shan, Ursula decides to search for two more eel assistants in this deep sea.

Ursula's powerful mental energy swept across the nearby sea and quickly locked onto her target.

Those were two exceptionally gifted deep-sea electric eels. They were over ten meters long, covered in blue-purple scales, and crackling with terrifying electric current. Their strength had reached the level of ten-thousand-year-old soul beasts.

On the edge of this relatively barren abyss, they are already overlords.

But for Ursula, they are still just a small Karami.

Ursula appeared directly in front of them, and the pressure of a 100,000-year-old soul beast instantly suppressed the two unruly electric eels, forcing them to prostrate on the ground, trembling.

Chapter 29 This is unfair!

"Submit or die."

Faced with absolute power, the two ancient electric eels did not hesitate to choose the former.

Ursula nodded in satisfaction, extended her bone staff, and two twisted and complex magical contract runes condensed at its tip.

"In the name of Ursula, the sea witch, I bestow upon you new names and missions."

"From now on, you will be called Hu Shan and Jia Shan. You will bring guests to me, guard the cave, and convey my will."

Two magical contract marks were imprinted into the souls of the two electric eels.

"Hiss!" The two electric eels hissed in submission towards Ursula.

Then, they quickly began to roam the seas occupied by Ursula, spreading legends about the deep-sea witch.

……

Soon, thanks to the tireless efforts of Hu Shan and Jia Shan, Ursula's first customer arrived.

This is a massive, ancient giant clawed crab with a shell covered in cracks.

Its territory, its mate, and its offspring were all taken over and devoured by a more powerful deep-sea saber-toothed shark king.

It barely escaped thanks to its immense strength, but its heart was filled with despair and resentment; it yearned for revenge and to reclaim everything.

However, its strength prevented it from doing so, and just then, it encountered Hu Shan and Jia Shan, who were spreading the legend of the deep-sea witch in the sea.

In utter desperation, it chose to trust the two ancient eels.

Hu Shan and Jia Shan led it into the deep Fishbone Cave.

The interior of the cave had been magically altered by Ursula, with giant glowing jellyfish imprisoned on the rock walls to serve as lighting, emitting a cold, eerie green glow.

The jagged rocks resemble twisted ghostly shadows, with an altar formed from a giant giant clam shell at its center, upon which Ursula's enormous body sits.

The giant clawed crab trembled with fear at the eerie sight before it and the terrifying pressure emanating from Ursula, almost turning to run away.

“Speak your wish, lost soul.”

Ursula's voice, like a siren's song, entered directly into the giant crab's mind, full of allure.

"I can see the flame in your heart, the flame of revenge. How sweet."

In fact, with Ursula's strength, she could have chosen to devour the giant claw crab directly, which would have yielded greater benefits than trading it.

Ursula is a deep-sea witch with professional ethics; she prefers long-term customers to short-sighted practices.

In addition, Ursula also learned from Lin Wan that gods exist in this new world.

There are two ways to become a god: one is to receive a divine succession, and the other is to collect faith to create a new god.

Rather than accepting the divine throne inherited from others, Ursula preferred to create a divine throne that belonged only to her.

She wants to spread the name of the Deep Sea Witch throughout the entire ocean, thereby becoming a god in this world.

However, the truth is that Ursula knew that no god would pass on the divine position to her because of her appearance, so she could only take the second path to become a god.

Under Ursula's powerful mental manipulation, the giant crab's mental defenses quickly collapsed, and it poured out its hatred and desires to Ursula.

"Power, you need power enough to tear your enemies apart."

Ursula's eyes gleamed with greed.

“I can give you a brief burst of power, enough to severely injure or even kill that Shark King. But the price is half of your life essence. And, after it’s done, offer the Shark King’s soul crystal to me.”

A contract scroll, formed from seawater and unknown energy, appeared before the giant claw crab.

The terms of the transaction were written in the language of the soul.

Half of its life essence means that even if it succeeds in taking revenge, it will be severely weakened.

But the Giant Claw Crab didn't care, since its power could be regained through training.

The flames of revenge had long since consumed the giant claw crab's reason. Without hesitation, it signed a contract with its soul imprint under Ursula's guidance.

Ursula smiled with satisfaction.

She extended a tentacle, the tip of which condensed into a drop of viscous, deep purple venom, which she flicked into the giant claw crab's wound.

"Go! Take my grace and reclaim everything you have lost."

"Finally, remember to spread the name of the great sea witch Ursula in the deep sea."

Several days later, Hu Shan brought back a Shark King Soul Crystal containing immense energy, as well as half of the life essence that the Giant Claw Demon Crab had been forced to sacrifice in accordance with a contract when it was severely injured and on the verge of death.

Ursula absorbed the Soul Crystal and the Essence of Life, feeling a slight increase in the power within her body, and let out a low laugh.

Her first transaction in this unfamiliar sea was successfully completed.

Meanwhile, the reputation of Ursula, the Deep Sea Witch, began to spread in certain sea areas and among the Soul Beast class.

……

In the following period, Ursula welcomed many more customers.

A weeping sea monster, driven from its kind and yearning to return, traded the permanent right to use its beautiful voice for the illusionary conch shell that could bewitch its kind.

An ancient tortoise, nearing the end of its lifespan and yearning to break through its bottleneck and extend its lifespan, offered up its thousand-year-old collection of deep-sea silver and a strange pearl in exchange for Ursula's concoction of tortoise-breath elixir. This elixir contained a considerable amount of life energy, enough to allow the ancient tortoise to break through its current bottleneck.

A group of phosphorescent jellyfish, trapped in a deep-sea vortex and on the verge of extinction, offered half of their phosphorescent essence in exchange for Ursula's intervention to temporarily quell the vortex.

These sea spirits have all sorts of wishes, and the prices they come with are all different.

Ursula always manages to accurately grasp the bottom line of each sea spirit beast, exchanging what they desire most for their most precious or most promising possessions.

Through repeated transactions with these sea spirit beasts, Ursula's strength steadily increased, and through conversations with them, she also gained more information about this sea area.

For example, in this sea area, there is a place where the gods have passed on their legacy, called Seagod Island.

Ursula certainly wanted to go there to receive the Sea God's legacy, but when she learned from the Sea Spirit Beast that the Sea God's legacy would not be passed on to the Sea Spirit Beasts in the ocean, she mocked the Sea God.

What kind of bullshit sea god is he? He only achieved his godhood by collecting the faith of sea spirit beasts, yet he dares to discriminate against them.

Ursula harbored a deep loathing for this sea god who also shared the name Poseidon, and she became even angrier after learning that her nemesis Ariel was now on Poseidon Island and had the opportunity to inherit the sea god's legacy.

That damned sea god actually discriminates against the soul beast race.

Why should the mermaid clan be allowed to inherit the Sea God's legacy? This is so unfair!

Chapter 30 Ariel and Eva

Pearl Bay, on the edge of Poseidon Island.

This is the habitat of the mermaid clan on Poseidon Island.

Beneath the clear, shallow sea, coral reefs blaze like flames, schools of colorful fish dart among the swaying anemone forest, and fine white sand blankets the seabed, reflecting sunlight that pierces the water like scattered gold.

And in this shallow sea, there is a tiny figure.

It was Ariel.

She floated in the warm, shallow water, her small brows slightly furrowed, her expression focused.

Ariel stretched out her hand, her fingertips swirling with a visible ring of pale blue water ripples, guiding the jellyfish that had been drifting aimlessly in front of her to gather lightly around her, then disperse, forming a small, briefly shimmering crown shape.

“Perfect, it’s a treasure bestowed by the sea god.” A gentle voice whispered in Ariel’s ear.

A mermaid parted the water and came to Ariel's side.

Her lower body was covered with silver-blue scales that shimmered with a pearly luster, while her upper body was dressed in simple clothing made of light sea silk. Her face was beautiful, yet possessed the depth and majesty of the ocean.

She is none other than the Sea Maiden Douluo, the strongest member of the mermaid clan and one of the seven guardians of the Seagod Island.

The sea witch was filled with amazement as she watched Ariel manipulate the jellyfish.

She never imagined that this little mermaid, rescued from the reefs by her people, would possess such outstanding talent.

Ariel's control over water was like an innate instinct; she was like the darling of the sea.

The sea witch could almost foresee that this child would have a place among the seven pillars of Poseidon in the future, and she even guessed that Ariel might very well receive the nine trials of Poseidon, which she herself had never received.

“Ariel, your affinity for water amazes me every day, as if the sea has opened its arms to you,” the sea witch exclaimed in admiration.

Upon hearing this, Ariel, who had been frowning, smiled. The ripples she was controlling instantly disappeared, and the jellyfish regained their freedom, slowly drifting away into the distance.

"Sea Witch Sister!"

Ariel swam nimbly to Lorelei's side, flicking her tail, and nuzzled against her arm.

Ariel has been summoned by Lin Wan for some time now, and her first stop in Douluo Continent was the reefs near Seagod Island.

She was also very lucky; she was quickly spotted by mermaids who were out for a stroll and they took her back to their clan. She has been staying in the mermaid community ever since.

Ariel's original plan was to train step by step on Poseidon Island until she was 18, gradually showcasing her unparalleled talent, and finally pass the nine trials of Poseidon at the age of 18, thus becoming the Sea God.