"Folktale or not, it doesn’t change the fact that something weird is happening within the Bloody Expanse," Yuan said. "Let’s keep moving. If we encounter the source, we’ll deal with it then."
"Deal with it...?" Lev’s jaw dropped. "If the Bloody Devil Emperor is real, I’d rather we just run from it."
"What are you so afraid of? You’re traveling with the strongest Supreme Ruler and Demon Sealer in the world. If I were you, I’d even dare provoke the Demon God," Yuan laughed.
Lev glanced at Supreme Ruler Dena with a wry smile. Though she was undoubtedly the strongest among the Supreme Rulers, she had yet to recover her full strength. As for Yuan—despite his overwhelming prowess—he was still only at the First Level False God.
They continued their journey shortly after.
However, even after traveling for another week, they have yet to encounter a single Sea Devil, almost as if their existence had been completely wiped from this world.
It wasn’t just Lev who found the situation unsettling. Even Supreme Ruler Dena felt a faint sense of unease at the unusual stillness.
Suddenly, Supreme Ruler Dena stopped moving and shouted, "Something is coming!"
Supreme Ruler Dena was the first to spot this presence due to her superior cultivation, but Yuan wasn’t too far behind and also sensed it a few moments later. As for Lev, he remained oblivious.
"What a terrifying presence..." Yuan swallowed, a rare hint of unease surfacing in his voice.
Whatever was emitting this aura surpassed even the Ancient Chaos. In fact, he had only encountered something remotely similar a handful of times. If he had to draw a comparison, the closest would be Long Wu Qing, the eldest daughter of the Dragon God.
"W-What is it?! What’s coming?!" Lev cried out, panic rising as he caught sight of their tense expressions.
Several agonizing minutes passed in silence. Just as Lev was about to speak again, the surface of the crimson sea began to swell—bulging outward as though a colossal air bubble were forming beneath it.
First, a massive crimson horn broke through the surface, followed by the rest of its form—a bloated, balloon-like figure rising from the blood sea.
When Yuan saw the creature, his brows lifted, disbelief flickering across his face.
"This is... a goldfish?!" Yuan exclaimed, startled by how the creature’s plump, rounded form resembled that of a goldfish—albeit an absurdly massive one.
Sure enough, the Sea Devil bore a striking resemblance to a goldfish, its body cloaked in crimson and silver scales. Six majestic fins fanned out from its sides, while a regal dorsal fin rose from its back, shaped like a crown.
The crimson goldfish rose fully from the Bloody Expanse, ascending into the sky until it hovered above Yuan’s group like a blazing sun.
Then, its round, golden eyes settled upon them—or more precisely... upon Yuan.
Suddenly, a voice resounded, its origin impossible to discern, echoing from all directions at once.
"I came here because I sensed a familiar presence, but you are not who I first believed you to be. More surprising still... you are merely a human," the goldfish spoke, its voice still echoing from all directions at once.
"Are you the Bloody Devil Emperor?" Yuan asked.
"Bloody Devil Emperor? What a dreadful name," the goldfish replied, its voice laced with disdain. "Do I truly resemble a being that would bear something so distasteful?"

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