Evan Chu and his four companions arrived outside a massive plaza in the Mermaid Kingdom's royal capital. The place was already overflowing with people—he estimated there were easily tens of thousands lined up there.
All of them were young men—some human, some native merfolk, and even a few crabfolk with giant pincers instead of hands—each one anxiously waiting their turn.
Selena, Luna Chu, and Joan He were blocked outside since they were women; the plaza was guarded by dedicated Mermaid Kingdom soldiers.
The plaza was plastered with countless notices detailing the Mermaid Princess’s husband-selection contest. Evan Chu glanced over them and realized the real contest would be held in three days.
Because of the huge number of candidates, an elimination system was used: only those who passed could enter the Embroidered Ball Match, the traditional husband-selection ritual where the princess throws an embroidered ball from a high platform into the crowd of suitors.
The elimination was simple—a huge crystal pillar stood in the plaza. Each candidate had to strike it with all their might; the pillar would display their attack strength. Anyone scoring less than 500 was immediately eliminated.
Evan Chu and Skylar Yule waited at the back of the crowd, surrounded by chatter. One merfolk youth said, "I heard the Mermaid Princess chose the Embroidered Ball Match because of a dream. In the dream, she was told her true destined husband would only appear through the embroidered-ball toss."
"If only it was a martial tournament! With my Divine Martial Realm second-layer strength, who could possibly be my match? I could snap most of them in half with one claw!" boasted a crabfolk youth, raising his massive pincers with wild arrogance.
"They say the Mermaid Princess is already at the Divine Martial Realm third layer, and she's the number-one beauty in the Mermaid Kingdom. If you could become her consort, wouldn't that be something to celebrate?" another merfolk youth chimed in.
Hearing all this, Evan Chu and Skylar Yule felt a bit sour. Damn, even random youths here had Divine Martial Realm strength—top experts weren't worth much in this place.
One by one, those ahead finished their tests—some received entry tokens, others left with faces full of disappointment. Most of those eliminated were human youths, showing just how high the requirements really were.
With tens of thousands needing to test but only a single massive crystal pillar, progress was painfully slow. Even after several hours, Evan Chu’s group had only advanced a few dozen meters, leaving everyone anxious.
"Second Brother, I think we’re probably out of luck. The crystal pillar’s required attack strength must be insanely high—I doubt we’ll pass," Skylar Yule said.
Evan Chu shot Skylar a look. "Have a little faith, will you? You’re a dignified prince of the Heavenly Dragon Empire—if you get eliminated and someone recognizes you, you’ll lose all face."
"No one’s going to know, right? I’m not interested in the Mermaid Princess at all. If I fail, it’s no big deal—but as for what you want, you might have to count on yourself," Skylar laughed.
"One more person means one more chance. Don’t try to slack off—if you don’t give it your all, I’ll tell my dad you and Luna Chu have been practically glued together lately. Don’t think I haven’t noticed," Evan said with a wicked grin.
"You win. I’ll do my best—whether I pass or not, don’t blame me," Skylar conceded. Truth was, Luna Chu had gotten awfully close to him lately; he’d touched her everywhere except crossing that final line, but that was just a matter of time. As long as he wanted, she wouldn’t refuse.
Looking at all the oddly-shaped merfolk and crabfolk youths in the plaza, Evan Chu and Skylar Yule couldn’t help but expand their horizons. By the afternoon of the second day, only five people remained ahead of them—the wait had been ridiculously long.
From what Evan Chu gathered, as long as you scored 500 or more on the crystal pillar, you’d get a red token—meaning you qualified for the embroidered-ball event.
This time, Evan Chu was ahead of Skylar Yule in line. He was confident—if he used the fifth form of Demon-Breaking Fist, he could easily break 500. As for unleashing Fireshift, that would be way too shocking for public display.
Soon, it was Evan Chu’s turn. He glanced at the crystal pillar, quickly circulated his Chaos Qi, and unleashed a powerful punch straight at the pillar.
Instantly, the number 621 flashed on the display. It wasn’t an earth-shattering score, but it was more than enough for Evan Chu to claim his entry token.
With token in hand, Evan Chu stepped aside. Now it was Skylar Yule’s turn. Evan was actually a bit nervous—he’d never seen Skylar use martial arts before, and though he knew Skylar was at the Heaven Martial Realm, he had no idea what his attack power was like.
Skylar drew a golden longsword from his storage ring, walked up to the crystal pillar, and stood perfectly still, gathering elemental energy. Evan was surprised to see him condensing gold-element particles—it was a bit unbelievable.
The gold-element particles on the sword grew denser and denser. Then, in a flash, Skylar slashed down—a massive golden sword-qi smashed into the pillar, revealing a score of 563. He’d passed. Taking his token, Skylar walked up to Evan and said, "Mission accomplished. Let’s hope I’m not this lucky next time."
After the two came out, they found Selena, Luna Chu, and Joan He waiting nearby, just as anxious as ever. Seeing Evan and Skylar emerge, they hurried over.
"Did you get the token, Lin Feng?" Selena asked. Though she hated the idea of Evan Chu joining the contest, she knew he had a real shot at becoming the consort—he was such a freak, anything could happen around him.
Afterward, the five found an inn in the royal capital and settled in. According to the schedule, the husband-selection would be held the day after tomorrow. Everyone stayed put in the inn, not daring to wander in unfamiliar territory.
Finally, the day of the contest arrived. Evan Chu told Selena, Luna Chu, and Joan He to wait at the inn while he and Skylar Yule headed to the venue.
The contest was held atop the palace walls of the royal capital. Below, those who’d earned tokens packed the grounds, while outside, heavy Mermaid Kingdom guards kept out the crowds—ordinary spectators couldn’t even get close.
Evan Chu glanced around—there were thousands of people here. Winning the embroidered ball among so many competitors would be extremely difficult, especially since he and Skylar Yule were stuck at the back of the crowd. Their odds looked slim.
Soon, a booming voice rang out from atop the palace wall: "Today is my daughter's Embroidered Ball Match husband-selection. Everyone here is a top talent from all corners—though the numbers are great, it won't affect the contest at all.
The embroidered ball contains an energy stone—only my daughter's true destined husband can safely hold it. Anyone else who grabs the ball will be attacked by its power. Be careful: if you get it, throw it away immediately, or you might lose your life!
Now, I declare the embroidered-ball husband-selection officially begins..."