The Victor Had Been Decided from the Start

Having dealt with the only threatening force, the Heaven Realm, he Shisui returned to the Core Research Building.

The meat, shrouded in thick fog, was cut and sliced into bite-sized pieces.

While enjoying the fruits of his victory, Shisui kept staring at the unresponsive body inside the transparent coffin in front of him.

He was waiting for the final transformation to complete.

The Sea Demon Species's body, immersed in the dark red solution, rapidly absorbed the materials that had been previously added.

The solution is therefore becoming lighter at a rate visible to the naked eye.

The unique, striking appearance and fin-like ears of the Sea Demon Species show obvious changes.

The facial features, body shape, and even the skeleton of the body are all resembling the original appearance of Yuan Yuan's body.

The moment the special solution turned a pale pink, the body within it suddenly opened its eyes.

The Dragon Spirit Species Royal Family's unique red vertical pupils appeared.

Shisui stared into those eyes, which held only a fleeting moment of clarity before being overwhelmed by pain and confusion.

Yuan Yuan's struggles made no difference, and he naturally became a pawn in Shisui's game.

Next, we simply wait for the Dragon Spirit Species Royal Family's internal trials to begin.

Ruolan Star Calendar Chongming City time, it is February 27, 1046.

There are two days left until the trial begins.

At this time, various messages related to the trial had spread from Chongming City to all the settlements of the Sea Race.

In a short time, Sea Race with money, leisure time, and some strength to cross the ocean flocked to the capital.

Everyone was ready to witness this trial, which had previously been a royal secret.

"Breaking news! Breaking news! It has been confirmed that His Highness the Third Prince has returned to Chongming City this morning!"

"Today's Headline! Two Days to Go in the Three Dragons Vie for the Crown Prince!"

"Of the three princes, which one will you choose to support? Let's hear the expert's analysis."

Just by listening to the newspaper vendors' cries, you can easily guess what the hot topics are these days.

Thanks to the government's leniency, the competition for the Crown Prince has been heating up and shows no signs of stopping.

However, the popularity of the eldest prince Yuan Rong, which initially saw a surge in approval ratings, has cooled down somewhat recently.

The reason is simple: no matter how eloquently they speak, the people are not fools who can be easily deceived.

The First Prince's Faction is self-righteously convinced that the people will be swayed by public opinion.

But these Sea Race have been accustomed to obeying the Dragon King for centuries, and to the principle of winner-takes-all.

Just as they might lose faith in a prince because of a defeat in battle.

"The people only care about who wins the trial."

"Whoever wins, they will support them."

Yuanli's eyes held a smile, and he appeared completely calm and composed.

Jiang Ning heard his assessment of the people and nodded in agreement, but did not make a sound to disturb him.

They were now sitting in the elegant, vast garden of the Third Prince's Residence.

Before Yuanli, his familiar easel was placed, a sight he hadn't seen in a long time.

He casually sketched the distant sea of flowers and pavilions, while Jiang Ning served him tea and water or assisted him.

A moment later, the final touch of color was added, and the painting was completed.

Seeing Yuanli put down his brush, Jiang Ning first waved to the servants waiting in the distance to come and carefully put the painting away.

Only then did he speak to ask questions.

Aren't you going to make some preparations?

What should we prepare?

Seeing that Jiang Ning was taken aback by his question, Yuanli continued.

"The trial location has been set at the lava pool, which is Father's territory."

The implication is that the Dragon King will decide who wins and who loses.

This may seem like a stage for the three princes, but it is not.

Behind this struggle for the Crown Prince position lies a power struggle and a game of interests among the upper echelons of the Sea Race.

At the same time, it was also a test of imperial power by ministers and aristocratic families who had been living in comfort for too long, once they entered a state of war.

They were all just "agents" in the public eye, pushed into the spotlight by various forces.

Although the eldest brother was a son born out of wedlock, he was still the eldest brother.

Although he had been idle for some time after entering the court early, he still possessed a certain level of prestige and connections.

Coupled with his laid-back personality, he became the first choice for some aristocratic families who were dissatisfied with the status quo and those who were opportunistic.

These people may be dissatisfied with the existing power structure.

Or perhaps they simply want to play both sides in this power game.

It doesn't matter; siding with the elder brother is just a way to try and get some benefits from him.

The second brother, through his own methods, successfully gained control over a considerable number of officials and prominent families.

These people recognized the Second Brother's abilities and potential, believing he could stand out in this power struggle, and therefore chose to support him.

And what about himself?

He was well aware of his position in this game of power.

He was not without supporters, but compared to his elder brothers who had entered the center of power earlier, his influence was clearly much smaller.

However, he had an advantage that no one else could match—military achievements and the favor of the Dragon King.

He was like a pawn in the Dragon King's hands.

Although not exceptionally talented, he had the advantage of not having much contact with the wolves outside the royal family.

So, in reality, the real fighting had already begun in secret.

Various forces are engaged in open and covert struggles, but...

The choice of this trial location is one part of the power struggle among the various parties involved.

The fact that the trial was chosen to take place deep within the Dragon King Hall is undoubtedly symbolic.

This means that this round represents a stage victory for the Dragon King.

Since he's prepared to win, what does he have to be afraid of?

In any case, the winner was already decided from the very beginning.

The rest of the drama is just a public spectacle of his final struggle before death.

Yuanli knew the truth perfectly well, and although Jiang Ning was unaware of the details, he had guessed some of the basics.

"I see."

Since His Highness already knows the answer, then he doesn't need to worry about it anymore.

During the brief moment of their conversation, a servant who had come from a distance had already laid out new blank sheets of paper.

Instead of preparing all that unnecessary stuff, I'd rather take advantage of the free time now and paint a couple more pictures.

With that thought in mind, Yuanli wielded his paintbrush, and once again, the paint danced across the blank paper.

Meanwhile, on the other side, inside the Second Prince's Residence.

At this moment, the Second Prince, who was now a puppet, listened to the analysis and reports of his subordinates, his somewhat unfocused eyes devoid of any emotion.

The personal servants surrounding him all had equally unfocused eyes.

In order to avoid being discovered, these servants who spent their days with the second prince were naturally turned into puppets.

Unexpected changes are brewing among the Sea Race, with their sights set on the position of crown Crown Prince.