Chapter 684: The Great Migration

After the first three-masted ship was launched, the speed of construction began to accelerate. The increase in experience greatly improved the shipbuilding pace, especially with the collaborative efforts of many humans with demon bloodlines. Tasks pertaining to lumberjacking and carpentry were completed far more quickly than ordinary people could manage.

Everything was proceeding at breakneck pace. According to Tang San's plan, close to a hundred ships could be built within six months, and within a year, a million people had to be transported to the islands and settled there.

If this plan succeeded, the countless islands in the sea could accommodate even more humans. With the protection of the sea clans, humans would have a space where they could live without being enslaved. This would also significantly reduce the problem of overcrowding in Kali City.

According to the Redemption Society's statistics, there were between twenty and thirty million humans living on the Daemon Continent. Although humans had strong reproductive abilities, under the persecution of the demon and nymph clans, the average human lifespan was somewhere around twenty years—yes, it was that short. And even so, there were still tens of millions of humans, the vast majority of whom were slaves, with only a small portion being vassals.

Humans lacked innate combat abilities and a powerful physique, but they were overall more intelligent than both the demons and the nymphs. The Redemption Society was formed by a small group of wise humans with inherited bloodline abilities.

Not all humans with a Demonic God Transformation considered themselves human; some vassals believed they were part of their respective demon or nymph clans. However, most half-humans still identified with their human side and harbored hatred for the demon and nymph clans, especially the former—due to the fact that most of their mothers had been murdered.

Humans had been struggling amidst continuous abuse and slaughter, yet even so, their numbers still reached into the tens of millions.

This was why, upon learning that the new lord of Kali City had human blood, many were willing to do whatever it took—even risk their lives to escape from their masters—to move toward Kali City.

Within the jurisdiction of Kali City, things were actually better for humans overall; even the noble demon clans had to show some respect to the new lord, so their human servants, now technically free of indentured servitude, were treated better. By contrast, in the other main cities, the slave masters were long since grumbling in dissatisfaction.

It was at this time that Tang San received notification from the elder of the Sea Walrus clan: a Sea Plague had broken out.

***

Tang San stepped through the array and found the elder of the Sea Walrus clan already waiting there.

In the distance, the sound of hammering could be heard, and the shoreline was bustling with activity. The people who had already migrated were busy almost every day, yet each of them was full of energy and enthusiasm.

Humans had never considered the Daemon Continent their home; in fact, they had no home at all. But now that they were here, they finally experienced a feeling they’d never felt in their entire lives.

They finally had a place to call their own.

Surrounded by the vast ocean, free from the oppressive presence of the demons, they experienced the joy of a boundless sea where fish leaped freely and a vast sky where birds flew high. Here, they were building their true homeland, which gave them far more motivation than even the free settlement near Kali City.

So, no matter how hard or exhausting the work was—and it was plenty hard and exhausting—they all felt that life was full of hope. And hope was the greatest longing in the human heart. With the dawn of this hope shining upon them, how could they not give their all?

Moreover, there was no need to worry about food. The Sea Walrus clan provided them with a plentiful supply of fish, shrimp, and shellfish, which were all delicious and rich in nutrients. Combined with the fruits available on the island, their dietary needs were fully met.

With human farming capabilities, they would start reaping harvests within six months, and they would also learn sea fishing, becoming self-sufficient.

Tang San looked at the elder of the Sea Walrus clan and asked directly, "Where is the Sea Plague?"

The elder of the Sea Walrus clan responded urgently, "It's about a thousand nautical miles south of here, and it's spreading rapidly. Several of our clan elders have already gone there, but all we can do now is try to slow the spread of the Sea Plague. Based on past experience, though, it's like trying to stop a giant wave with a palm leaf."

Tang San nodded. "Let's go take a look."

"Follow me, Your Highness."

The sea clans had differing views on his identity. Eventually, they agreed to refer to him as "Your Highness," since they could not recognize him as the Sea God for the time being. Tang San was fine with that.

The elder twisted its massive body and rolled into sea, while Tang San leaped into the air and landed on its back. A faint gray-blue halo erupted from the elder's body, and its massive form suddenly accelerated, heading southward.

In terms of speed, the Sea Walrus clan couldn't compare to the Sea Shark clan, but this elder was a Sea King, equivalent to a Demon King on land. With its control over the seawater, its speed was incredibly fast.

As they traveled, Tang San silently absorbed the power of faith from the sea, keeping himself in peak condition.

Soon, he noticed that the number of sea beasts and other marine creatures in the nearby waters was noticeably increasing—they were likely fleeing the Sea Plague.

He had heard from the elder of the Sea Walrus clan that the spread of the Sea Plague was terrifying. Not only did the seawater itself carry the plague, but infected marine creatures also spread the plague wherever they went. As a result, once an outbreak of Sea Plague occurred, it became uncontrollable, causing massive death tolls among marine life, and the polluted waters could take many years to recover.

Covering a thousand nautical miles at full speed took them just over an hour. From a distance, he could sense a deathly stillness in the sea, along with surging energy waves. At the same time, he also noticed that the amount of faith power he could absorb was rapidly decreasing.

"Your Highness, we're almost there," the elder said nervously. Even as a tenth-order being, the natural fear of the Sea Plague was not something it was spared.

Tang San nodded and said, "Let's go take a look."

Soon, he saw a vast expanse of blue halos surging ahead. These halos spread from the surface of the sea down to the seabed. Numerous powerful sea beasts were spread out, releasing energy in the same direction.

The elder of the Sea Walrus clan emitted a strange buzzing sound. Soon, a massive figure approached them.

It was a Sea Shark, but unlike any Sea Shark Tang San had seen before. Not only was this one extraordinarily large, but its entire body was pure white, with golden lines extending from its forehead down its body, emanating an overwhelmingly powerful energy.

Seeing this figure, the elder's aura noticeably quivered. "Sea Shark King."

Upon seeing the massive white shark, Tang San couldn't help but feel a strange sense of familiarity. In his previous life on the Douluo Continent, he had known the Demon Soul Great White Sharks and had been friends with the Demon Soul Great White Shark King.

This Sea Shark King was nearly twenty meters long, simply massive, and its aura was so potent that the surrounding seawater seemed to be boiling. However, Tang San could sense that it was just at the initial stage of a Great Sea King.

The Sea Shark King's gaze instantly locked onto Tang San, and in the next moment, white halos surged, followed by waves of divine consciousness.

"Is this the one you believe to be the Sea God's emissary?"

The elder of the Sea Walrus clan was noticeably uneasy in the presence of the Sea Shark King. After all, their two clans were ancient enemies, and its cultivation level clearly couldn't compare to the one before it. The elder feared being seen as lunch by the Sea Shark King.

"That's right, this is the Sea God's emissary,"

the elder hastily replied.

The Sea Shark King silently sensed the aura emanating from Tang San, and its eyes revealed a strange expression, tinged with a hint of ferocity. It could undoubtedly feel an aura from Tang San that made even it feel a slight urge to submit. But as a sovereign of its own great clan and one of the most bloodthirsty beings in the ocean, its first thought was whether consuming this human might bring it benefits.