Deep beneath the dark sea, violent tremors rolled through the waters. The black murky sea was stirred into surging waves that spread outward. At the very center of it all, two humanoid figures were clashing at astonishing speed. One had a human torso, a fish tail, and a trident in hand. A faint trace of fiend qi still clung to him, but he was breathtakingly handsome, like a fallen immortal. The other bore wings upon his back and wore ancient-looking black armor etched with intricate designs; his movements were swift and forceful as he unleashed massive palm strikes. 5

Around them stretched a crimson sea of fire that spanned a hundred zhang in width. Within it, the armored man burst forth with incredible speed, flickering through space and casting spells with ease. Each strike landed harder than the last, until the merman was all but driven back. Then, without warning, the merman let go of the trident and let it drift at his side. He blinked once, and a single blue tear dripped down from...1