The Lin's Patriarch is weird.

Chapter 157: 157.

The shipyard was relatively peaceful during the morning.

with the construction on halt, there was really no noise to be heard around the area aside from the waves.

Along the beach couples walked around enjoying the cool morning breeze and the gentle sound of the waves.

Families could also be seen strolling along the shore, with children occasionally running ahead before being called back by their parents.

Near the water, several groups had gathered to watch the sunrise.

The eastern horizon was still dim, painted in soft shades of blue and purple as the final traces of night slowly faded away.

Everyone quietly waited as the first hint of sunlight began to appear in the distance.

It didn’t take long before the first rays of sunlight slowly appeared beyond the distant horizon.

A faint golden glow spread across the surface of the sea, causing the dark waters to shimmer beneath the gradually brightening sky.

The people along the shore quietly watched the beautiful sight.

For a brief moment, everything was peaceful.

Then the sea suddenly changed.

A low rumble came from beneath the water and the waves began to rise.

At first, everyone assumed it was simply an unusually large wave.

But the water continued to swell.

A massive wave suddenly surged upward from the distant sea, towering above the surrounding waters before rolling toward the horizon.

"What is that?"

Someone pointed toward the sea.

The conversations along the shore immediately ceased.

Behind the enormous wave, something appeared.

At first, it was merely a vague silhouette beneath the rising sunlight.

Then it grew until a gigantic shadow slowly emerged from beneath the surface.

Its sheer size caused everyone standing along the shore to freeze.

For a brief moment, the outline of an enormous creature could be seen against the golden horizon.

No one could make out its exact appearance.

They could only see a portion of its massive body before the creature suddenly disappeared beneath the waves.

The sea violently surged once more before everything became strangely quiet.

"What... what kind of beast was that?"

Nobody had an answer to the question, the creature vanished without leaving behind the slightest trace.

A few people exchanged frightened glances.

"I’ve never seen anything like that."

"Was it a spirit beast?"

"It couldn’t have been..."

For several moments, nobody dared speak.

They simply stared toward the distant horizon, where the golden sun continued its slow ascent as though nothing unusual had happened.

A long silence followed.

Eventually, one of the older people released the breath he had been holding, "Thank heavens it was so far away."

Several people immediately nodded in agreement.

"If that thing had appeared any closer to the shore, I doubt anyone here would still be standing."

Another man glanced toward the distant waters with lingering fear.

"We’re lucky it only surfaced for a moment."

The people began murmuring among themselves.

One of the workers looked toward the unfinished structures scattered along the coastline and sighed.

"The Lin Family really is unlucky."

"Unlucky?"

The person beside him looked confused.

The man pointed toward the vast sea.

"Look at that. They haven’t even finished constructing the shipyard, and there is already a beast of that size lurking somewhere in those waters."

He gave a bitter laugh.

"Building a dockyard here suddenly feels like a joke."

The others looked toward the half-built harbor.

A moment ago, the sight had filled them with anticipation.

Now, after witnessing that enormous silhouette, the unfinished dockyard seemed almost insignificant compared to the vast and mysterious sea beyond it.

"Who would dare take a ship out there after seeing that?"

The conversations continued in low voices as everyone kept their eyes fixed on the distant ocean.

Splash, splash.

The sound of water striking Lin Xuan’s face echoed softly through his private courtyard as he washed himself.

Once he finished, Lin Xuan wiped himself clean and straightened his clothes before turning toward the Myth Grade artifact.

The artifact remained quietly suspended nearby.

Then, without warning, a familiar mechanical voice sounded.

[The Monarch of the sea has taken notice of your construction and is contemplating how to deal with you.]

Lin Xuan stared at it, confused.

"The ruler of the sea?"

His brows furrowed.

Deal with me? What the heck?

Before he could make sense of the message, another notification appeared.

The system clearly was not finished.

[Trial Activated: The King’s Trial.

Objective: Pass the King’s Trial.

Reward: Safe passage through the seas.

Failure to pass the King’s Trial.

Punishment: Destruction of the shipyard and an impending tsunami towards the city.]

Lin Xuan stared at the notification for several moments before asking,"What exactly is the King’s Trial?"

The Myth Grade artifact remained silent for a brief moment.

Then another series of notifications appeared before him.

[Name: ████████]

[Title: The Great Ancient Divine Beast, The Dragon-Snacking Monarch.]

[The Monarch of the sea has taken notice of an insignificant construction of yours.]

[Be warned.]

[You may have already incurred its wrath.]

[If you have not, then why would a shipyard built within a random kingdom in this vast world attract the attention of such a being?]

Lin Xuan’s expression gradually became blank as he stared at the words floating before him and for several seconds, he genuinely struggled to process the system’s response.

An insignificant shipyard?

He stared at the notification again.

Are you trying to warn me or roast me?

Lin Xuan took several deep breaths before finally calming himself.

He still had no idea what kind of existence this so-called Dragon-Snacking Monarch was, but one thing was already clear.

It was far beyond anything he could afford to provoke.

Still, there was a more important matter.

Lin Xuan looked back toward the artifact.

"What’s the King’s Trial? Your response didn’t really tell me that."

The artifact remained silent for a moment, then another notification finally appeared.

[The King’s Trial is a trial bestowed by the Dragon-Snacking Monarch upon those who have attracted its attention.]

Lin Xuan’s expression became serious.

[The contents of the trial will be revealed when the Monarch’s will descends.]

Lin Xuan stared at the notification and muttered.

"So you don’t even know what the trial is yet? Couldn’t you have just said so?"

[Ahem. It’s only because I’m only a fragment right now. Once you gather all the fragments, I’ll have all the answers in the world.]

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!