128: Chapter 128 Sea Clan Sends Pearls? Invites You to Explore the Endless Sea

Dawn was just breaking, and the bluestone roads of Holy Light City were still damp with the night dew, while the gilded palace lanterns in the side hall cast a warm glow.

Lin Zhe had just retracted the pale golden Power of Rules from his fingertips. Having finished dealing with the scammer, he watched as Su Ninghua sipped her tea. The sleeves of his dark imperial robes swept across the tabletop. Just as he was about to speak about the morning court session, a respectful report came from the royal guard outside the hall: "Your Majesty, Prince Regent, there is an envoy from the Sea Race requesting an audience. It is a mermaid girl carrying a colorful conch, who says she is here on the orders of Empress Empress Cang Lan to deliver a congratulatory gift for the Prince Regent's investiture."

Su Ninghua raised her eyebrows, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes: "The Sea Race has always lived in the deep Endless Sea and rarely has any dealings with mainland forces. A century ago, the empire sent envoys to purchase deep-sea pearls, and they couldn't even reach the coastline of the Sea Race. To think they have come voluntarily this time?"

Lin Zhe leaned back in his sandalwood chair, tapping his fingertips lightly against the armrest. With a calm expression, he uttered two words: "Enter."

"Yes."

With a creak, the hall door was pushed open, and a sea breeze carrying a salty, damp scent rolled in. A mermaid girl in a water-blue gauze dress walked in. Her ice-blue hair cascaded to her waist, and her ears were shaped like translucent fins. On her back was a colorful conch taller than a person, and fine beads of seawater still clung to her ankles, leaving faint water trails on the bluestone floor.

As soon as she stepped inside, she bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle toward Lin Zhe. Her voice was as clear and gentle as waves crashing against a reef: "I am Lan Xi, External Affairs Commander of the Sea Race. On the orders of Her Majesty Empress Empress Cang Lan, I am here to congratulate Mr. Lin Zhe on his investiture as the Prince Regent of the Human Empire! Please accept this humble gift, sir."

She stepped forward, holding a red coral box that emitted a soft glow with both hands. As the lid opened, a warm blue light instantly filled the entire side hall.

Lying on top was a necklace strung with millennium-old deep-sea pearls. Each pearl was the size of a pigeon egg, perfectly round without a single flaw, radiating a gentle blue light that clearly contained water-attribute divine power. Lan Xi touched the necklace with her fingertips, her tone carrying a hint of pride: "This was strung by Her Majesty herself, using pearls harvested from ten-thousand-year-old deep-sea clams. Wearing it grants immunity to all water-attribute attacks below high tier, and allows one to breathe freely in the deep sea without the need for any items. It is the only one of its kind in the entire server."

She then took out a stack of blue-glowing beast hide blueprints from beneath it: "These are one hundred water-attribute exclusive enchantment blueprints passed down by the Sea Race for over ten thousand years. Equipment crafted with these deals 25% more damage with water attributes and adds an extra 30% underwater movement speed. They have never been released to the public before."

After delivering the gifts, Lan Xi respectfully relayed Empress Cang Lan's message: "Her Majesty the Empress said that to celebrate your investiture, she is gifting all players in the server a free 3-day underwater breathing buff. You can freely enter and exit shallow sea areas to grind monsters without needing to consume potions. Her Majesty also invites you to visit the Endless Sea whenever you have time. All deep-sea secret realms, top-tier pearl mines, and water-attribute exclusive dungeons of the Sea Race will be unconditionally open to you. Additionally, all players registered in Luofeng Village will permanently enjoy a 30% discount on Sea Race equipment and materials, without any restrictions."

Su Ninghua, listening from the side, raised her eyebrows. Sea Race water-attribute materials and equipment had always been priceless, especially deep-sea pearls, which were essential materials for crafting high-tier healing staves. Previously, they were snapped up even at a price of one thousand copper coins each, and now they were giving Falling Maple players a 30% discount? Plus the free underwater breathing buff—a single underwater breathing potion usually cost 30 copper coins, and this would save a lot of money over three days. This gesture was no less significant than those from the Dragon Race or the Heavenly Realm.

Lin Zhe glanced at the gentle pearl necklace and nodded slightly, signaling the royal guard to accept the gifts. His fingertips moved slightly, and a thread of pale golden Power of Rules landed on Lan Xi, instantly forming a pale golden buff icon: "This is a permanent land breathing buff. You won't need to carry water-avoidance beads to stay on land for long periods, and it also grants immunity to the drying debuff. Consider this a return gift. Go back and tell Empress Cang Lan that I will visit the Endless Sea when I have time."

Lan Xi had been worrying about her skin cracking if she stayed on land for too long. Feeling the gentle divine power circulating around her body, she was instantly overjoyed. She kowtowed with a loud "thud," her voice filled with excitement: "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! I will certainly convey your words exactly to Her Majesty when I return!"

A cold system notification sounded in Lin Zhe's mind: [Ding! Detected that top-tier female NPC, Sea Race Empress Empress Cang Lan, has increased her favorability toward the host to 25. The 7th Bond trigger progress +4%, current progress: 4%!]

Lan Xi bowed respectfully again and retreated happily with the colorful conch on her back. As soon as she exited the palace gate, she couldn't wait to crush her communication conch to send the good news to Empress Cang Lan.

Almost simultaneously, a bright blue pinned announcement popped up in the field of view of every online player, staying there for a full ten seconds before disappearing:

[Server-wide Announcement: Sea Race Empress Empress Cang Lan congratulates Mr. Lin Zhe on his investiture as Prince Regent of the Human Empire. All players in the server receive a free 3-day underwater breathing buff, allowing free access to shallow sea areas to grind monsters; players registered in Luofeng Village permanently enjoy a 30% discount on Sea Race equipment and materials! The Sea Race reserves the right of final interpretation for this event!]

The entire server fell silent for three seconds, and then it completely exploded!

Messages on the world channel flooded so fast the server lagged for half a second. Millions of messages piled up, all filled with ecstatic howls:

"Holy crap? A free 3-day underwater breathing buff? I spent half a month's savings just to buy ten potions! This saves me so much!"

"Pearls and water-attribute magic cores in the shallow sea were expensive as hell before! I've been saving for a month just to get the three pearls I needed for my water-attribute staff! Now I'm rushing to the seaside to grind!"

"Falling Maple players get a permanent 30% discount? I'm transferring to Falling Maple right now, damn it! Who can resist these benefits?"

Countless players grabbed teleportation talismans and rushed to the beginner villages by the sea. In less than half an hour, the teleportation arrays at every coastline were packed. Everyone grabbed their weapons and charged into the shallow sea. The output of water-attribute materials increased fivefold that day, and the prices of Sea Race equipment, which were previously exorbitantly expensive, dropped by 30% directly. The solo players were grinning from ear to ear.

Lin Zhe rubbed the millennium-old deep-sea pearl necklace he had just received. The gentle texture transmitted through his fingertips. He looked up toward the coastline in the east, where the shimmering waves of the Endless Sea could be vaguely seen behind the clouds, and the corner of his mouth curled into a faint arc.

With benefits from various factions arriving one after another, the map of the entire continent was already unfolding before him piece by piece.