The waters of Nanhong were broader and more boundless by far than the land.

Headed by the South Dragon Palace, with six dragon sons beneath it and thirteen dragon grandsons, it held better than a hundred great generals a match for the White Jade Capital. The demon soldiers under its hand were spread through the whole of those waters, taking in water-kin of every sort, forming one thick-woven net of veins.

Add the formations built up over long years.

And to try to work into the Dragon Palace's ground underwater without being found out was about as hard as climbing to heaven.

“Hoo! Rest a while!”

A crab demon of enormous bulk sprawled across the stone face, its shell thick and coarse-grained. It set down a pair of savage, dreadful great pincers, only lightly, and the water-bottom shook and would not stop.

It shifted into human shape, a dark red face full of pent-up grievance.

A White Jade Capital great demon general under the Dragon Palace's hand, holding one region for ten thousand years by the Fifth Prince's decree, its power beyond telling in words — when had it ever swallowed a slight like this?

Soldiers and generals moved out of the water, and not so much as a chance to strike. Several dozen lives left behind, and home again with its feathers torn.

Never mind that the count was small. These were picked troops and hardened officers gathered out of many water-kin, and no few of them matched the later stages of Return-to-Void, or Perfection itself.

Even spending the whole strength of the Fifth Prince and the Young Fourth Lord, they had barely scraped together three thousand.

A thing as shameful and as spiritless as this — how did it look like the Dragon Palace's work at all?

“If This General had the say, we should report back to the other princes and cut our way back in while the chance is here!” The dark red crab demon general brought out a wine flask and threw a mouthful down hard.

“My lord, have a care what you say!”

The…