We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 208 [The Pirate King's Crown] [Augustine] and [The Observer]

【Sand Island】remains as desolate and bleak as before.

Yellow sand stretches endlessly, and the fierce wind is like a blade.

Even the terrible sandstorms raging in the desert have not yet dissipated.

However, Xia En's current state is completely different from that before he fled into the sandstorm.

An unimaginable surge of energy was coursing through his body.

The lingering effects of the [Secret Sea] gift have not yet dissipated, healing the wounds Xia En sustained in the sandstorm and making his regenerated body even more resilient and powerful.

The sandstorm, which could easily cut the skin and was as powerful as a steel knife, now felt like a tickle to him, causing no harm whatsoever.

"call……"

Amid the sandstorm, Xia En let out a long breath and exclaimed, "Finally back."

To be honest, the promotion ceremony didn't take too long, only about three days in total.

Converted to real-world time, it's less than a minute—no matter how many times you experience it, this difference in the speed of time is always incredibly fascinating.

However, the twists and turns, the thrills and excitement of this ritual were among the most intense in Xia En's experiences since his transmigration.

His conversation with Augustine, and the process of deducing the secret technique through the [Twilight Black Pearl], left a very deep impression on him.

So much so that returning to Sand Island now feels like stepping into another world.

Xia En steadied himself and carefully assessed his own condition.

Not only did his physical body undergo another transformation, but he also clearly felt that the amount of secret power he could control, both in terms of quality and quantity, had increased significantly compared to before.

If we were to say that at the third tier, the secret power that Shane could draw upon was a stream.

Now, the stream has turned into a lake!
What surprised Xia En the most was not these changes.

Instead, he discovered...

His control over his physical body and secret power became more refined and precise. He could exert only a fraction of his strength, no more and no less.

This kind of control ability may not sound very useful, but in actual combat, it can elevate combat power by several levels.

Reduce energy consumption and enhance the precision and accuracy of secret techniques...

Perhaps this significant improvement in overall quality is related to these factors.

"So this is the real fourth tier."

Xia En lowered his head, looked at his hands, and realized something: "At the fourth level, one begins to have meticulous control over secret power."

"Only in this way can a Mystic build their own domain at the fifth level."

"From this perspective, there is still a significant difference between pirated and genuine products."

After using the [Twilight Black Pearl], Xia En temporarily gained fourth-tier secret path power.

However, this power was clearly somewhat weak and unstable, not as solid and powerful as Xia En's current fourth-tier strength.

Clearly, this is the difference between relying on external resources and advancing through one's own hard work.

And when mentioning the [Twilight Black Pearl], one must mention one of the biggest gains from Shane's ritual this time—

【The Great Dark Heaven!】

This domain-based secret technique breaks the limitations of ordinary secret practitioners, allowing Shane to activate domain power even at the fourth rank.

This was all thanks to the Book of Shadows and his Sword of Judgment.

It was on the rudimentary form of the [Judgment] domain that Shane was able to deduce the secret technique [Great Dark Heaven].

Everything that exists within this domain will become an asset to Shane.

Even the enemy's secret power is no exception.

Furthermore, Xia En's original talents such as [Shadow Walk], [Super Speed ​​Regeneration], and [Blood Power] will receive a significant boost within the domain.

If the fourth tier is an important stepping stone for those who follow the secret path to become powerful.

Therefore, the fifth-order domain is a huge watershed.

Therefore, rumors still circulate in the Seven Seas that third-tier secret cultivators can forcefully defeat fourth-tier secret cultivators, but fourth-tier secret cultivators who challenge fifth-tier secret cultivators almost always end up losing.

"But I already have a domain at the fourth tier... so how should that be calculated?"

Xia En's lips curled up, quite curious about his current combat strength.

If he were to fight his pre-promotion self, even ten of his former selves together wouldn't be a match for him now.

This is what makes the domain so powerful!

After letting his thoughts wander for a while, Xia En reached out his hand, and the three spoils of the advancement ceremony appeared in his hand one after another.

【The Black Pearl of Twilight】Needs no further explanation.

What intrigued Xia En was the effect of the [Pirate King's Crown].

【Pirate King's Crown (Damaged)】

[Quality: Epic]

[Type: Relic]

[Description: A crown forged at the founding of the Viking Kingdom, bearing a portion of Augustine's majesty.]

Although damaged, it still possesses some magical properties and is also a symbol of status.

Wearing this crown will exert a certain degree of suppression on those who are pirates and seek secret paths.

[It can also provide a rough sense of the emotions and thoughts of pirates within a certain radius.]

[If you want to wear the crown, you must bear its weight! 】

"Does it bring pressure and, incidentally, allow one to sense emotions and thoughts?"

Xia En touched his chin.

Both of these effects are quite good.

Especially at sea, most of the enemies Shane encounters are pirates. It would be ideal if he could suppress them before the battle even begins.

The second ability is to gather intelligence at crucial moments.

The only problem is...

Shaun glanced at the crown, his expression slightly strange.

No matter how you look at it, wearing it is a bit too conspicuous.

What normal person would wear a crown anytime, anywhere?
"I remember there was a spell similar to 'illusion' in Lyra's magic book?"

Xia En thought to himself, "Maybe we can let Joey try to disguise the crown."

The last piece of spoils that appeared before him was a wooden ship's wheel, dark brown in color, with a classic design and some rough scratches on it.

It was the rudder of the [Sky Serpent].

Shane's hand gently stroked the steering wheel.

Whether it was his imagination or not, the rudder seemed to be trembling slightly, as if responding to his touch.

Soon, Xia En solemnly put it into his spatial ring.

Although the hope was slim, Xia En still hoped that the [Sky Serpent] could one day awaken again.

The sandstorm was still very strong, making it difficult to discern directions.

Xia En simply sat down and silently absorbed the sandstorm's secret power, waiting for the sandstorm to subside.

……

……

At the moment the promotion ceremony ends.

Or perhaps many, many years ago.

The innermost room of the Principality's Treasury.

The fire flickered in the fireplace, and the gramophone played his favorite songs for its owner.

The old hero, now past his prime, was curled up in his chair, seemingly in a state between sleep and wakefulness.

next moment.

A vast and boundless will descended, bringing him a memory as well.

He saw the room, the spirited young man, and himself as he placed the crown on his head. "So that's how it is?"

The old man opened his eyes and murmured something.

"Existing simultaneously in the past, future, and present... this is the true 'Secret Sea'."

"Even so, you still want me to believe in the possibilities of the future? For a future I can never see?"

"What a cruel fate..."

At this point, a smile suddenly appeared on the old man's lips, and that high-spirited confidence temporarily returned to him.

"But so what?"

"I... am Augustine!"

The old man stood up, strode out of the room, and pushed open the door.

Although the old man's war has been lost, he still has an unfinished mission in this era.

……

……

On an unnamed island.

The observer, wearing a monocle, seemed to pass through an invisible door, stepping out and landing on the island's ground.

The "Tiffany" beside him changed her appearance rapidly the moment she passed through the door, becoming a female researcher who only bore a 30% resemblance to Tiffany.

"[Observer] G09, are you alright?"

The female researcher looked at the [Observer] beside her and asked without changing her expression.

Her words sounded like she was concerned, but her tone was devoid of any emotion, like that of an absolutely calm robot.

The white-coated figure, referred to as "Observer G09," frowned and muttered to himself.

"Diana...Diana...Diana..."

"Who is she? Why can't I remember?"

The more the man muttered to himself, the more pained and conflicted his expression became, and gradually, his look even took on a hint of madness and despair.

It's as if... the name itself is enough to drive him crazy.

The female researcher remained unfazed, coldly commanding, "Observer G09, recite the name of truth!"

Upon hearing this, the man's body stiffened abruptly, and then he spoke.

[The truth, I already know it!]

As he recited those words, the expression on the doctor's white coat quickly shifted from mania to calm, as if he were in a state of absolute rationality.

This change is like going from one extreme to another.

From a volcano on the verge of boiling over, it has transformed into millennia-old, unyielding ice.

The man said coldly, "Abnormal memories have been deleted... [Observer] personality restored..."

His tone was exactly the same as that of the female researcher.

"call!"

Immediately, the Observer exhaled sharply, his expression returning to its initial state.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise: "What just happened? Why did it suddenly trigger the self-protection mechanism?"

The female researcher honestly stated, "We just escaped from a fourth-tier advancement ritual in the [Secret Sea], possibly directly facing the influence of the [Secret Sea Will]."

"I see."

The observer had no doubts and nodded.

"The reaction speed of the [Secret Sea Will] is 56% faster than last time. It seems that it is also constantly evolving in this aspect."

Fortunately, we did not return empty-handed this time.

He reached out and took out a ball of azure light, smiling as he said, "Including the data I submitted, what's the progress of the [Augustine] collection?"

The female researcher replied, "32.1%".

The observer's eyes lit up: "It's already over 30%?"

"So, does that mean the plan can be put into action now?"

The female researcher did not answer his question, but only said, "I can use the [Tiffany] anchor point a maximum of 5 more times."

"Five times? That's not enough..."

The observer sighed: "Her bloodline is too diluted. You are already the highest in your generation, but the efficiency is still limited."

In fact.

In actual history, Tiffany was a member of the Truth Society, but she was not a traitor among the apostles.

However, the Truth Society, through special secret techniques and by using descendants with Tiffany's bloodline as a medium, locked the Observer onto the anchor point of Tiffany, thus smuggling her into the ritual.

As for the origins of these Tiffany descendants, that's another story.

At this moment, the observer thought to himself, "Was that really all that happened just now?"

"Why? I seem to remember a name..."

He touched his chest and felt a strange emptiness.

……

……

Sand Island

The gale gradually subsided, and the yellow sand that filled the sky began to fall.

A thin layer of mystical energy barrier blocked the sand falling on Xia En. This was not a secret technique, but a basic manipulation of mystical energy.

If it were Xia En before the fourth rank, he might need to concentrate and focus to do it.

But now, these little tricks can be done with just a thought.

Xia En casually brushed away the yellow sand around him and turned to look around.

After being swept away by the sandstorm, all traces in the vicinity were buried by the yellow sand.

Xia En had no idea which direction he had come from.

However, while waiting, he also clarified his three next goals—

Anhe Cuixi.

Vampire Twilight!
[Norwich's Treasure Trove!]

First and foremost, finding the two crew members who had become separated from him was obviously the top priority.

Secondly, before his promotion, Shane was relentlessly pursued by Twilight.

If he hadn't been helped by the natives of Sand Island, it's hard to say whether he could have broken through the sandstorm and escaped alive!
Xia En cannot tolerate this grudge going unpunished.

Of course, Xia En did not think that he would be invincible after breaking through to the fourth rank and be able to defeat that powerful vampire whose specific rank was unknown.

However, given the unique environment of this [Sand Island], coupled with the boost he received after advancing to the fourth rank, he did indeed have the strength to fight.

Even if we don't beat Twilight, it's always easy to trip her up in the shadows.

As for the Norwich Treasure, Shane really just went with the flow.

Come here.

It would be best if we could get it, but even if we can't, we can't let Twilight get it!

Moreover, after careful consideration, Shane realized...

He had just witnessed Augustine in his prime not long ago, and then toured the treasury of the Pirate Kingdom during the ascension ceremony; now, it was this Norwich Treasure...

Are these three events really just a coincidence?
Or is this some kind of guidance from fate?

In any case, it's certain that he was destined to find this treasure.

The best way to find out where the treasure is is to make some contact with the natives of Sand Island.

After determining the priorities, Shane stood up, preparing to use his intuition about the crew members to search for the missing Anne and Tracy.

However, after taking only two steps, Xia En's expression changed.

(End of this chapter)