The Sea Race's Complex Internal Makeup

In reality, the ethnic composition within the Sea Race is quite complex.

Even just based on the respiratory organs, there are two types: gill breathing and lung breathing.

Not to mention the differences in other morphological characteristics.

Even the Dragon Spirit Species, who are the rulers, should actually be classified as the Spirit Race.

Similarly, the Demon Race has a complex internal racial composition, as it had a common enemy— the Beastfolk— from the very beginning of its formation.

Therefore, although there are factional struggles within them, they all identify with their Demon Race identity.

But the Sea Race are different.

The unification of the Sea Races was achieved through the bloodshed of the Dragon Spirit Species Royal Family.

Therefore, even today, many ethnic groups still introduce themselves by beginning with their family name.

Instead of explicitly stating that they are a member of the Sea Race.

The Cheng Family is a prime example.

This type of family is not necessarily someone who might betray the Sea Race.

Their family's roots are tied to the Sea Race; as a community of shared interests, they have no reason to betray the Sea Race.

But this does not mean they are loyal to the Dragon Spirit Species.

After all, while ordinary people may not know the inside story of how you, the Dragon King, rose to power, how could those powerful and wealthy who fought alongside you to conquer the land not know?

Especially the old fox Cheng Wenjie, the patriarch of the Cheng Family, who only had the merit of "following the dragon's back".

They were fully aware of this.

That is why he spared no effort in raising his descendants and expanding his family.

At the same time, they seized control of one of the research institutes.

This kind of family-based community of interests exists in many places within the Sea Race.

To ensure the loyalty of their members, they will be quite protective of their own.

So when Cheng Wenjie learned that a descendant of a collateral branch of his family had gotten into trouble, his first priority was to use his connections to find out the details.

Immediately after confirming that the younger member of the family had encountered an accident while working for the Crown Prince, he decided to help.

"No one else should move yet. I'll take some people to the Second Research Institute to check things out."

Cheng Wenjie held a communicator in his hand, his tone somewhat serious.

The voice on the other end of the communicator responded with "Yes," and then asked another question.

"Grandfather, Ayan messed up the task assigned by the Crown Prince. Will this affect the court?"

The Cheng Family prospers together, and naturally, they also suffer together.

If Cheng Yan really did mess up the mission and offend the Second Research Institute as rumored...

This could create an image of the family being unreliable and negatively impact the Cheng Family's standing in the eyes of the rulers.

Cheng Wenjie sensed some unease in the voice on the other end, presumably because the person was worried about the impact on his future promotion in the court.

"Don't worry," he reassured her, "If handled properly, this might even take us to the next level."

He stopped there and said no more.

The two talked for a few more moments before the communication ended.

While Cheng Wenjie was on the phone with his family members, many "rumors" about this matter circulated within the Sea Race.

For example, comments began to emerge suggesting that the Second Research Institute was sending an envoy to intimidate the Crown Prince.

Meanwhile, a unit trained by the Cheng Family set off.

Although this unit consists of only ten people, they all possess the strength of the Earth Realm Ninth Realm.

Furthermore, he led a large number of sea creatures.

These people's target is the Second Research Institute.

The sea monsters they led were ostensibly experimental subjects used as an apology.

But these obedient behemoths are always ready to charge into battle for the Cheng Family, ensuring that the family members sent out have enough confidence.

Cheng Wenjie was very confident in this configuration.

Little did they know, the Second Research Institute was now no different from a den of dragons and tigers; going there was like being delivered to their doorstep.

At the same time, the second force dispatched by Yuanli also quietly set off.

After his messengers lost contact with him, all sorts of rumors began to spread among the people like a plague.

Many of these are the work of Yuanli.

Besides that, he did not take immediate action, but chose to wait for public opinion to develop.

Until those "rumors" became increasingly noisy.

It even began to become a topic of conversation among ordinary people during their leisure time.

Yuanli finally decided to send more people to the Second Research Institute.

Clearly, his aim in doing this was to later pin the blame for all these deaths on the Second Research Institute.

This allows them to conceal their true intentions.

However, as the saying goes, things shouldn't happen more than three times.

This repeated practice of having his subordinates "deliver food" is clearly not the behavior of a Crown Prince.

Although the Dragon King was sealed away, he was not a fool.

If Yuanli continues to send soldiers to their deaths time and time again, his identity as a puppet will likely be exposed.

It's simply not worth taking such a huge risk for a little bit of food.

Therefore, this batch of Sea Race is the last one.

Indeed, if we want to obtain more flesh and blood in a fair and just manner, it seems that the only way is through war.

On the other side, in the Human Race -Zi City.

Just as the Human Race high command council members were discussing whether to continue cooperating with the Demon Race, more important intelligence came back.

It was this news that made the Human Race high command decide to secretly cease cooperation with the Demon Race.

"This is the material purchase list and some ledgers that Mr. Yan Fei and Mr. Lu Qianyu found in the Shahai Laboratory."

The procurement list contains a large amount of materials produced in the Beastfolk territory.

The ledger also records collaborations with certain merchants and transaction details.

Some of these merchant firms were quite large, and they also had a presence among the Human Race.

Therefore, it is easy to find out that some of the managers of these businesses have a Beastfolk background.

"We suspect that the Demon Race secretly maintains a long-term cooperative relationship with certain forces of the Beastfolk."

The speakers frowned upon hearing this.

This speculation seems more serious than any biological modification experiment.

To cooperate with outsiders without their knowledge, as allies, is, to put it bluntly, a betrayal.

Therefore, it is pointless to discuss whether to continue the cooperation.

Once fragile trust collapses, it cannot be rebuilt overnight.

Inside the Second Research Institute, the blood mist thinned out somewhat.

Shisui collected a portion of Rc Cells from outside the body to reduce energy consumption.

He waited, waiting for the next, and final, batch of prey to come to him.

Time passed slowly, and about three hours later, movement occurred one kilometer outside the ice wall.

Some people arrived ahead of time.

It's impossible to discern which faction this group belongs to, but precisely because of this, his origins are easier to determine.

This is the army dispatched by the Crown Prince.

Because they were not a regular army and needed to keep a low profile, they had no markings.

They arrived at the ice wall, but it did not open on its own as it had last time.

Instead, they were allowed to unlock it gradually on their own.

Shisui gradually increased the complexity of the gate's locks, awaiting the arrival of other Sea Race.