Orion raised his trident, preparing to break open the Tidewyrmâs skull and retrieve the Lordâs Stone within.
"No... Donât!"
From the depths of the sea, a terrified voice cried outâit was Thalorynâs pleading.
However, Orion completely ignored him.
Its skull crushed, the Tidewyrm died instantly.
Its enormous body plummeted to the seabed, triggering a violent tremor.
What trembled was not just the seabed, but also the hearts of all Sea Folk personnel.
"No... Donât!"
With his companion beast dead, Thalorynâs eyes instantly reddened.
He was enraged but hadnât lost his reason; he didnât charge up to fight Orion.
From their brief exchange, Thaloryn had already sensed that Orion was an Over-tier powerhouse.
"Now, itâs your turn!"
Just as Thaloryn was caught in a maelstrom of grief, anger, and terror, Orion put away the Lordâs Stone and turned, coldly staring at him.
As his voice fell, Instant Impact erupted, and Orion was upon him in an instant.
At that very moment, a phantom flashed from Thalorynâs body, intercepting Orionâs attack.
The phantom gradually solidified; it was Seadragon King Neptorâs will projection.
"Giant King Orion, my subordinate was unruly. Please spare his life."
"I am King Neptor of the Seadragon race. I sent them here this time to deliver an invitation to you."
"In half a month, Seadragon race will hold a Sea Offering at Azurecrown Royal Harbor, and I sincerely invite you to attend."
Seadragon King Neptorâs tone was gentle, his attitude neither servile nor overbearing, and he showed no intention of fighting Orion.
Orion retracted his trident and Titan Form. Sometimes, when kings conversed, it was unseemly for weapons to be present.
"So you are Seadragon King Neptor. Iâve long heard of your great name!"
The Seadragon King was an Archlord powerhouse. Although Orion did not fear him, he still had to show due respect.
"Since the Seadragon King has invited me, Orion will certainly be there on time."
The Seadragon Kingâs wisp of will projection gazed at Orion, sensing a familiar aura from him.
After a moment, seeming to have guessed something about Orion, the Seadragon Kingâs tone softened a little more.
"Orion, I didnât expect you to have such an affinity with the Sea Folk. Thereâs no need for us to fight and kill each other."
Hearing this, Orionâs eyes brightened slightly.
According to the Seadragon King, the Stoneheart Horde and the Seadragon race could sit down and talk.
As for the "affinity" the Seadragon King mentioned, Orion merely took it as Neptorâs rhetoric.
"Giant King Orion, I await your arrival in Azurecrown."
The Seadragon King showed no intention of continuing the conversation with Orion. At their status, some matters didnât need to be discussed on such an occasion.
The Seadragon Kingâs will projection receded, vanishing without a trace.
"You may leave!"
Orion glanced at Thaloryn, his expression impassive, betraying no emotion.
Thalorynâs face was a mixture of shock and anger. He wanted to retaliate but lacked the courage.
In the face of absolute power, Thaloryn was helpless. He could only dive to the seabed to collect his companion beastâs corpse.
Hualala!
The sound of rushing water was heard as Orion broke through the surface.
Seeing Orion return unharmed, all the people of the Stoneheart Horde erupted in cheers.
As for the Sea Folk warriors, having received their orders, they silently melted back into the sea, retreating with the receding tide into the deep.
Upon the cliff, in the castle hall.
With the Sea Folk retreated, the upper echelons of the Stoneheart Horde gathered in the hall, awaiting Orionâs summons.
"My dear, are you really going to attend the Seadragon raceâs Sea Offering?"
When Orion told Delilah about the Seadragon Kingâs invitation, she expressed her opposition.
As the king of a race, for Orion to venture deep into enemy territory was far too risky.
For a large faction, this was also inadvisable.
The best approach would be to send an envoy of suitable status and rank, accompanied by a retinue.
"The Seadragon King personally extended the invitation; I must go."
"The Seadragon King is an Archlord powerhouse. The Seadragon King appearing at Azurecrown Royal Harbor likely wonât be a will projection, but most probably an avatar."
Orion gave a compelling reason. When an Archlord invited him, Orion would generally not refuse unless they were mortal enemies.
Furthermore, from the Seadragon Kingâs words, Orion saw a glimmer of possibility for peaceful coexistence between the Stoneheart Horde and the Sea Folk. Although the Seadragon race was just one among the vast Sea Folk(Race), this was a start.
If the Stoneheart Horde wanted to encroach upon the sea regions, they would inevitably clash with the Seadragon race, even to the point of war.
However, it was impossible for the two races to engage in endless warfare; that was inadvisable and would result in mutual destruction.
Of course, while large-scale wars couldnât happen, both sides would likely tacitly accept small-scale battles.
"For the time being, the Stoneheart Horde is unable to develop the underwater world."
"Our current invasion of the sea regions is aimed at the islands within and the vast marine resources of the great sea."
"We donât want everything, which gives us and the Sea Folk the possibility to sit down and talk."
Orion voiced his thoughts. The Seadragon King had likely also considered this point before inviting Orion to the Sea Offering.
Of course, the foundation for all of this was Orionâs status as an Over-tier powerhouse.
If it were anyone else or any other faction, they would absolutely not receive such treatment.
"My dear, are you saying the Sea Folk might cede some islands to us, the Stoneheart Horde, to ease the tension between our two races?"
Delilah was very smart and had already thought of this possibility.
"It can only be called a temporary easing. I killed their Seventh Prince; there is hatred between us and the Seadragon race."
"The Sea Folk can temporarily swallow this insult because the Dragons and Blood Elves are eyeing them menacingly from the side. The Seadragon race doesnât want enemies on all fronts either."
"Thereâs another point: I suspect the Seadragon Kingâs true form cannot return for the time being. Faced with an Over-tier powerhouse like myself, stabilizing relations and seeking friendship is their primary choice."
Delilahâs expression was one of sudden enlightenment. Following Orionâs train of thought, many things that had previously confused her immediately became clear.
"So, regarding the Seadragon raceâs goodwill, our Stoneheart Horde should just accept it for now."
"What we need to do is continuously accumulate strength, so that when the Sea Folk come to settle scores with us, we have the power and foundation to counterattack and invade."
Orionâs gaze became very profound. Some matters, once oneâs status and strength increased, would naturally be considered more deeply.
In fact, even if the Sea Folk were to cede some islands, it would likely be with ill intentions.