The Golden Jiao Palace’s main gate faced directly opposite the Silver Jiao Palace’s rear entrance—though not truly face to face, since a vast expanse of open sea separated the two.

The Silver Jiao Palace’s rear entrance sat above, while the Golden Jiao Palace’s main gate lay below. Looking upward from the resplendent, golden-gleaming entrance of the Golden Jiao Palace, golden light shimmered through the deep blue seawater, and faintly, one could even make out the entirety of the Silver Jiao Palace looming above.

Lady Helian now stood at the Golden Jiao Palace’s open main gate, gazing up at her own domain above.

Around her, aside from the occasional passing school of fish, there was not another soul in sight.

She strolled leisurely to a great stone pillar beside the right side of the gate, a cold smile curving at her lips as she gave a light wave of her delicate hand across the pillar’s surface. At once, a figure appeared within the stone—a woman in her early fifties, human above the waist with a fish’s tail below, her body covered in radiant, golden scale armor, noble and resplendent, her unadorned face serene, an inherent aura of nobility surrounding her that made anyone hesitant to approach carelessly.

This woman was none other than the Golden Jiao Lady herself!

Years ago, consumed by grief over the loss of her son, she had starved herself for days, narrowly escaping the Silver Jiao’s poison in the process, only to find herself, unexpectedly, the last surviving member of the Golden Jiao. She had fled into this barrier-prison, unbroken for thirty years, and under the assault of nearly a thousand Silver Jiao, had managed to preserve her very last life.

This barrier-prison, unbroken for thirty years—once someone entered, it would remain unbroken for the full thirty years. Those outside could not get in, and those inside could not get out.

She had saved her own life, but in doing so, had also condemned herself to imprisonment.

At times, the Golden Jiao Lady remained utterly still—from a distance, one would think her nothing more than a statue carved into the stone pillar, exquisite to the point of perfection, resplendent to the utmost extreme.

But how could the Golden Jiao Lady possibly remain still?

For thirty years, every time she laid eyes on Lady Helian, hatred consumed her—hatred so fierce her teeth clenched, her nails dug into her own palms until blood flowed freely.

That conspiracy all those years ago, the poisoning—it had all been this woman’s doing, all because of her!

Watching the Golden Jiao Lady’s furious expression only pleased Lady Helian all the more. Her greatest source of pleasure was coming here from time to time, watching this lady’s helpless fury—every time she did, it proved to her that she was more noble, more elegant, more composed than this Golden Jiao Lady ever was.

“Thirty years, and you still hate me this much. Is that your failure, or my success? Ha ha!” Lady Helian laughed, covering her mouth.

“Wretched woman, bloodline is something you’re born with. From the moment you drew breath, you were inferior to me, and you always will be. No matter how hard you try, you will never become a Golden Jiao!” the Golden Jiao Lady said coldly. This madwoman, purely over the matter of bloodline superiority, had stolen her son, destroyed her entire family—if heaven had any justice left, this woman would surely meet a horrible end.

“Golden Jiao? Heh heh, my lady, once there are no more Golden Jiao left in this world, doesn’t that mean the Silver Jiao will become the true rulers of the Jiao Clan?”

Lady Helian showed no sign of anger at all, her smile eternally elegant, as she slowly moved closer, her fingertip tracing gently across the nearly transparent stone pillar, murmuring, “Thirty years. In seven more days, I’ll be able to break this barrier open, and kill you.”

Lady Helian’s tone was slow, almost offhand, yet beneath it lay something wickedly malicious. “Once you’re dead, there will be no more Golden Jiao left in this world, ever again… whoever it is, even the Jiao Clan of Nanzhao itself will have to acknowledge my Silver Jiao’s supremacy!”

Hearing this, the Golden Jiao Lady’s expression changed drastically. “My son! What have you done with my son!”

“Your son? Heh heh, haven’t I told you already? He’s dead, long dead!” Lady Helian said with a laugh, as though something this cruel were nothing more than a joke to her.

“No! You’re lying!” The Golden Jiao Lady suddenly grew agitated. For thirty years, thirty long years, she had never once believed that the son she’d carried and borne through such hardship could truly have vanished the moment he was born!

“No! My son isn’t dead, he must still be alive, he simply got lost, that’s all, simply lost!”

“Wretched woman, shut your mouth. Don’t you dare speak of my son, don’t you dare! Get out! Get out! I don’t want to see you again! Get out!”

…

The Golden Jiao Lady grew extraordinarily agitated. Her son remained her eternal, unhealed wound!

If her son hadn’t gone missing, her family wouldn’t have panicked, wouldn’t have fallen into chaos, and the Silver Jiao would never have found the opportunity to strike. The Golden Jiao’s last remaining bloodline wouldn’t have been wiped out under her watch!

And her son’s disappearance—it was all because of her, all because of her own carelessness!

Rather than saying the Golden Jiao Lady hated the Silver Jiao, it would be more accurate to say she hated herself.

Watching the Golden Jiao Lady’s agitation was, without question, a source of pure pleasure for Lady Helian—savoring the sight of a woman she’d envied her entire life, now raving like a mad dog, was more than enough to satisfy her.

“My lady, come watch the show with me later. Let me tell you something wonderful—our Flowing Light Dagger has returned.”

Hearing this, the Golden Jiao Lady finally calmed herself, staring at Lady Helian in disbelief.

The Flowing Light Dagger, the very dagger that had nearly wiped out the entire Silver Jiao clan—how could it possibly have returned?

Could it be that someone from the Meng Clan had come?

But why would the Meng Clan come here?

The Golden Jiao Lady’s eyes, once as dim as a nearly extinguished lamp, suddenly flickered alight, gleaming with a flicker of hope.

If someone from the Meng Clan had truly come, did that mean her chance had finally arrived?

Trapped here alone for thirty years, enduring in solitary strength, all for the hope that one day, an opportunity might present itself—a chance to escape safely at last!

The Meng Clan and the Silver Jiao shared an undying blood feud from years past. If someone from the Meng Clan had truly come, wouldn’t that mean chaos was about to descend upon the Silver Jiao?

“I know exactly what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, I’ll let you watch—let you see exactly how they die!”

Lady Helian burst into laughter. These intruders hadn’t even recognized the passage barrier—how could they possibly be from the Meng Clan?

The Golden Jiao Lady was simply thinking too much into it!

Still smiling, she turned away from the Golden Jiao Lady and slowly swept her sleeve, sealing the barrier-prison’s surface back over. Everything returned to its original appearance at once—nothing visible at all, the stone pillar once again just an ordinary stone pillar!

Those outside could not see the Golden Jiao Lady, nor hear her voice. Yet the Golden Jiao Lady herself could see everything happening outside, could hear every sound!

A Jiao Ren’s heightened senses told her that deep within the sea before the Golden Jiao Palace’s main gate, several massive fish were slowly drawing closer, stirring restlessly, as though preparing for some kind of uprising.

What exactly was Lady Helian planning?

Why was she lingering at the main gate instead of leaving? Was she scheming against the people from the Meng Clan?

Just as the Golden Jiao Lady puzzled over this, unable to make sense of it, a stir of activity suddenly rippled through the calm seawater above and to the side. Within moments, a group of figures could be seen swimming steadily closer.

Leading the group was none other than Helian Shaoze, Lady Helian’s own precious son.

Every time she saw this arrogant, insufferable boy, the Golden Jiao Lady’s heart ached as though pierced by needles. Without any need for Lady Helian to provoke her, tears would well up uncontrollably, and she would find herself thinking of her own son—if he truly were still alive, what would he look like now?

Surely a hundred, a thousand times better than Helian Shaoze!

But this time, the Golden Jiao Lady saw not only Helian Shaoze, but also, trailing behind him, a group of people—men and women, young and old, every one of them carrying an extraordinary bearing.

The Golden Jiao Lady froze for a moment, then suddenly began pounding against the barrier, crying out, “Help! Someone, help me…”

They were from the Meng Clan—surely a mere prison barrier like this couldn’t escape their notice!