Chapter 350: The Merfolk Clan's Turmoil

Chapter 350: The Merfolk Clan's Turmoil

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The Merfolk of the Tidal Sea are divided into three tribes, all of which worship the Sea God, but with some differences.

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This tribe possesses the Sea God's Staff, which is embedded with a gemstone, the Tide Heart, containing the power of the Sea God.

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In addition to this, there are two other Merfolk tribes in the Tidal Sea: the Channel Merfolk and the Shore Merfolk.

The three Merfolk tribes originated from the same clan but diverged due to different habitats.

The Channel Merfolk live in the deep sea, preferring the darker depths, while the Shore Merfolk inhabit the stormy bays with high waves.

The Shore Merfolk are more amphibious, spending more time on land than the other Merfolk.

Of course, this is in comparison to the other two Merfolk tribes; the Shore Merfolk still spend most of their time in the sea, only coming ashore about a quarter of the time.

Even so, the Shore Merfolk are the most skilled at land-based activities among the three Merfolk tribes.

A

This gemstone represents the supreme authority of the Merfolk.

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Due to the importance of this Sea God gemstone, all three Merfolk tribes have sought to control it.

In Merfolk history, there have been instances where the three tribes fought internally to obtain the Sea God gemstone.

However, such internal conflicts did not escalate into full-scale tribal wars, but rather small-scale competitions among the tribal leadership.

...

At this moment.

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Onatu had been placed under house arrest by High Priestess Sona, but this order was not enforceable.

Even if the guards tried to stop him, they could not.

However, at this moment, he was not standing with High Priestess Sona but with the elders of the other two Merfolk tribes.

High Priestess Sona's expression was cold as she questioned, "Onatu, what are you doing?"

Onatu bowed, "High Priestess, you are too kind, and some actions lack decisiveness. I hope to correct some of the High Priestess's mistakes."

Sona rebuked angrily, "Do you want to take my position?"

Onatu knelt on one knee, "I have the highest loyalty to the High Priestess and the tribe, but it is also for the future of the clan. I must do something.

"As long as the High Priestess agrees to my three conditions, I will remain your most loyal supporter."

Clearly, what was happening in this temple today was a coup within the Merfolk clan.

Or, to put it another way, a forced palace coup.

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Sona's face darkened as she asked, "What are your demands?"

Onatu stood up and said seriously, "First, lift the seal on the Frostbite Trench and release the ashes of Groth."

Sona's gaze hardened as she questioned, "Do you know what the consequences of this will be?"

Onatu replied matter-of-factly, "I do. This will cause the premature awakening of the Flame Demon Gross."

Sona: "Since you know, how can you dare to make such a demand?"

Onatu spread his hands in response, "High Priestess, perhaps you misunderstand something. The Flame Demon Gross has never been an enemy of our Merfolk.

"On the contrary, we share a common enemy with the Flame Demon Gross, and that is the Black Iron Dwarves.

"I have already communicated with the will of the Flame Demon Gross. When it awakens, it will immediately leave the Tidal Sea and return to the Crown of Magma.

"At that time, the deteriorating environment of the Tidal Sea will quickly recover, and the rising sea temperature will gradually decrease, restoring our Merfolk habitat to its former state."

High Priestess Sona's gaze narrowed, and she angrily questioned, "You dared to contact the will of Groth in the Frostbite Trench without permission!"

Onatu answered calmly, "I did this for the future of the clan. The Flame Demon Gross is a terrestrial elemental being and a fire creature, and it will not enter the ocean."

"Furthermore, the reason we're troubled by Flame Demon Gross is entirely due to the Black Iron Dwarves dumping volcanic ash into the Tidal Sea.

"By doing this, I'm merely returning Flame Demon Gross to where it belongs. It is the rightful ruler of the Crown of Magma, and the Black Iron Dwarves have usurped its territory.

"The Black Iron Dwarves have occupied the Crown of Magma for over a hundred years. It's time to return it to its original owner."

High Priestess Sona fell silent.

From the perspective of the Merfolk Clan, Onatu's argument wasn't entirely unreasonable.

Under normal circumstances, Flame Demon Gross would never enter the Tidal Sea, as water and fire are incompatible.

The Merfolk Clan inhabits the deep sea, and there is no conflict with Flame Demon Gross in terms of habitat.

In other words, the resurgence of Flame Demon Gross wouldn't affect the Merfolk Clan.

However, sealing the Ashes of Flame Demon Gross in the Frostbite Trench has caused the seawater temperature to rise, disrupting the Merfolk Clan's habitat.

From this perspective, releasing Flame Demon Gross and allowing it to seek revenge on the Black Iron Dwarves is in the interest of the Merfolk Clan.

This is also why Onatu has gained support from many Merfolk.

High Priestess Sona's expression grew more solemn. She questioned, "Flame Demon Gross may not threaten our clan's fate, but what about the Abyss? Have you considered the issue of the Abyss?"

Onatu waved his hand and replied, "That's another matter. We'll deal with things one by one. First, we'll resolve the issues with the Black Iron Dwarves and Flame Demon Gross, and then we'll address the Abyssal pollution."

Sona took a deep breath to maintain her composure and asked, "What about the other two demands?"

Onatu continued, "Second, issue a bounty for the human summoners, preventing them from approaching the Frostbite Trench and our clan's territory.

"Third, if Serian has already signed a reconciliation agreement with the Black Iron Dwarves, it's of no consequence.

"The end is near for the Black Iron Dwarves, and whether or not we reconcile with them will not affect the subsequent matters.

"However, there's one condition. If the Black Iron Dwarves request aid from our clan, the High Priestess must not provide any assistance to them, regardless of the reason."

Sona, upon hearing his demands, already guessed what would happen next.

Even the point about providing aid to the Black Iron Dwarves was included for a simple reason.

Once Flame Demon Gross is released, it will inevitably clash with the Black Iron Dwarves in the Crown of Magma.

In this world, the Merfolk Clan is the most capable of confronting Flame Demon Gross.

As the Merfolk Clan wields the strongest oceanic power, and water overcomes fire, they are the nemesis of Flame Demon Gross.

Once Flame Demon Gross is released and clashes with the Black Iron Dwarves, the Black Iron Dwarves will likely request aid from the Merfolk Clan.

Onatu had anticipated this and thus stated this demand in advance.

Sona clenched her fists and rebuked, "Onatu!"

Onatu bowed his head and replied, "High Priestess, time is of the essence. Please make a decision immediately. Agree to my demands, and I'll temporarily hold the Tide Heart. After the Flame Demon Gross matter is resolved, I'll apologize to the High Priestess."

Sona gripped her staff and shouted, "Onatu!"

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"Onatu!" Sona's gaze turned cold. She raised her staff and slammed it into the ground, releasing a vortex of water that enveloped Onatu and trapped him in mid-air.

Onatu spread his arms, allowing High Priestess Sona to restrain him. He said, "High Priestess, you can kill me, but everything I do is for the future of our clan."

Seeing Sona's actions, the other Merfolk elders and priests joined the fight, unleashing various attacks like water streams and ice crystal spears, targeting Sona.

Sona raised her palm and unleashed the power of the Tide Heart, creating a water curtain barrier to defend against the attacks.

Both sides fought with restraint, not wanting to damage the temple's decorations.

After all, this was their sacred temple, the most revered place in the hearts of the Merfolk Clan.

Although the fight was restrained, the power released was not trivial.

The collision of water streams created ripples of energy, showcasing the intensity of the battle.

High Priestess Sona roared, "What are you doing?"

The two Merfolk elders responded solemnly, "We also act for the future of our clan. Sona, you are not fit to sit in the High Priestess's position."

(End)

Sona, the most powerful Tide Caller among the Merfolk, possessed the ability to control the waters of an entire sea.

She could easily raise the tides, but now, facing her own kind, she couldn't bring herself to harm them.

The battle continued, and the energy released caused the entire temple to tremble.

The entire Merfolk clan was in a state of panic, knowing that something significant was happening within the temple, but this was not a matter they could involve themselves in.

As the force of the attack intensified, cracks began to appear on the temple's pillars.

High Priestess Sona's anger grew, and she summoned the power of the Sea Goddess, striking one of the Channel Merfolk Elders with a stream of water.

This Channel Merfolk Elder was knocked back, slamming into the temple wall, and blood gushed from his mouth.

The blood instantly stained the water red, filling the entire temple with a bloody stench.

The High Priestess of the Channel Merfolk turned back to see her injured Elder, who was now gravely wounded and near death. She angrily rebuked, "Sona, you show mercy to outsiders, but why are you so cruel to your own kind?"

Sona also saw the severely injured Channel Merfolk Elder, and her heart trembled. She sighed and slowly retracted the power of the Sea Goddess.

The battle ended, and the two Merfolk clans immediately surrounded Sona, demanding that she hand over the Tide Heart.

If Serian had been there, she would have chosen to entrust the Tide Heart to Serian's care, but now Serian was away, engaged in peace talks with the Black Iron Dwarves.

If the Tide Heart were handed over to the Channel Merfolk and Shore Merfolk, it would be difficult to retrieve it later.

By then, the power structure within the Merfolk clan would undergo a dramatic change.

She thought it over and decided to entrust the Tide Heart to Onatu.

Onatu knelt on one knee and received the Sea God's Staff with both hands, accepting it respectfully, "I will surely safeguard the Tide Heart, and when the Flame Demon incident is over, I will return it to the High Priestess in person."

Sona didn't want the Merfolk clan to engage in infighting, so she waved her hand and closed her eyes.

...

On the other side.

At Moon Murk Beach.

The peace talks between the Black Iron Dwarves and the Merfolk clan had concluded.

Serian, the Tide Caller Elder of the Merfolk clan, was about to return to the temple to report when she received urgent information from her subordinates.

As a Tide Caller Elder of the Merfolk clan, Serian held a high position within the clan, second only to Onatu.

In fact, she might even be a candidate for the next High Priestess.

However, High Priestess Sona was still in her prime, and it was too early to discuss the succession of the High Priestess.

Among the clan's guards, many were Serian's confidants.

Therefore, when the incident occurred at the Vasque Temple, she received the news even though she was far away at Moon Murk Beach.

However, it would take at least half a day to travel from Moon Murk Beach to the temple, and by the time she returned, the coup would have long been over.

Incidents like this, whether successful or not, would not last long.

By the time she returned, the coup would have already ended.

If the High Priestess Sona prevailed in this incident, Serian wouldn't need to rush back, and she could just follow the original plan to return.

If High Priestess Sona lost, then Onatu and the other two Merfolk clans would take power, and by then, if Serian returned, she would most likely be arrested.

After all, she was Sona's confidant and an extension of Sona's will.

In other words, if Serian returned now, not only would she be unable to help High Priestess Sona, but it would also put the clan in a more disadvantageous position.

Just as she had anticipated, it wasn't long before she received the news that High Priestess Sona had been confined to the temple, and the Tide Heart had been entrusted to Onatu's care.

Serian was extremely angry, but she quickly calmed down. Instead of rushing back to the clan's territory, she turned to seek out the human Summoner's leader.

The human Summoner's leader she sought was none other than Lu Heng.

"There's something I need to tell you," Serian began. "Onatu has joined forces with the other two Merfolk clans, and they have confined High Priestess Sona, taking the Tide Heart into their custody."

Lu Heng was taken aback, "This... has there been a coup within the Merfolk clan?"

As he spoke, Lu Heng quickly searched his memories for related information.

However, he couldn't find any information about a coup within the Merfolk clan.

After a moment of thought, he understood what had happened.

This coup within the Merfolk clan had one important reason: Onatu had been rebuked and confined by High Priestess Sona.

It was because of Onatu's rebuke that he initiated the coup.

In other words, if the Summoner hadn't facilitated the reconciliation between the two clans in the previous life, there wouldn't have been the peace talks.

If there hadn't been the peace talks, there wouldn't have been the incident of Onatu's rebuke.

Now, the situation was a result of a series of butterfly effects, and the development of events was vastly different from the previous life.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end