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

Chapter 215 Deep into the Forbidden Land, [Sand Island] Trembles!
After traveling for half the night.

The full moon still hung high in the sky, but the night was beginning to fade away, and the sky was becoming dimly lit.

The place that Sha Jingjing brought Xia En to was located several kilometers behind their tribal settlement.

The terrain here is extremely rugged, with exceptionally high peaks on both sides.

There was no vegetation on it; the bare mountainside was a deep yellow with a hint of dark red, looking like mottled bloodstains.

However, these mountains are not visible from a distance; they only suddenly come into view when you get close enough to them.

Clearly, the environment here has been subjected to some kind of special concealment technique, which can deceive the senses of most people.

Xia En also vaguely sensed that the space around here was distorted, and many places were contrary to common sense.

"This is it."

Sha Jingjing led Xia En to the foot of two steep cliffs.

In front of them was a very narrow passageway, barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

Inside the passageway, a chilling pressure emanated from within.

It was as if some terrifying monster was hiding deep within the passageway.

"This is a forbidden area for our clan, and also the location of the [Novice Treasure]."

“Long ago, we ventured into this place several times to search for treasure, but all our attempts ended in failure and resulted in numerous casualties.”

"Over time, the high priest stopped us from entering this place."

"Only when the clan holds a coming-of-age ceremony will newly adult boys and girls be allowed to come to the forbidden area to undergo trials."

Following behind Shane, Trish asked curiously, "Coming-of-age ceremony?"

"I remember that the elven race also has a coming-of-age ceremony."

"When elves reach a certain age, they are taken to the Mother Tree of Elves, where the Queen personally places a crown woven from the sacred tree's leaves on them, receiving the Mother Goddess's blessing!"

"...Elves?"

Sha Jingjing said somewhat embarrassedly, "This is the first time I've ever heard of this race."

"However, our Moon Wanderer Clan's coming-of-age ceremony is far more cruel and dangerous than you describe."

Her expression, though sad, was also strong, which made Tracy dare not ask any further questions.

At this moment, Xia En spoke up, "Miss Sha Jingjing, you can leave here."

"We will walk the road ahead on our own."

Although Xia En didn't know the specifics of the Moonlit Clan's coming-of-age ceremony, his intuition told him that there must be immense danger lurking inside this narrow passageway.

Sha Jingjing was already more than kind and righteous to bring them here, so there was no need for her to put herself in danger.

To everyone's surprise, the silver wolf girl shook her head firmly upon hearing this.

"I want to enter the forbidden area too."

"In any case, our clan has a deep connection with this treasure."

"At least... I want to see what it is and why it caused so many of my people to be killed."

On the way here, Sha Jingjing had already made up her mind and would not waver easily, she continued.

"Moreover, I recently underwent my coming-of-age ceremony and have some understanding of the situation inside the forbidden area."

"Taking me along will definitely help you explore the forbidden area."

Since Sha Jingjing had already said that, Xia En didn't try to persuade her any further, and simply said, "Okay, let's go."

Immediately, the three of them, along with a fairy, walked into the passageway.

As soon as he stepped into the passageway, Xia En felt his body become slightly heavy.

He was slightly startled, but quickly realized that the gravity field in the tunnel had become stronger again.

Moreover, the deeper one goes into the tunnel, the heavier the pressure becomes.

Sha Jingjing whispered from the side, "This is the first test of the forbidden area. Those with poor physical fitness will not be able to reach the end of the passage."

"But some members of the tribe also use the pressure to temper their bodies."

This pressure is enough to make it difficult for ordinary people to move forward.

However, for physically strong practitioners like Xia En, An He, and Sha Jingjing, it was still within their tolerable range.

The only one who looked rather disheveled was Tracy, who was leaning on Shane's shoulder.

She can't even fly anymore.

As he moved forward, Shane silently observed the scenery within the passageway.

The ground here is extremely compacted, with a density probably no less than that of an alloy.

After walking for a while, Shane saw several clear footprints on the ground.

A faint, fresh smell of blood lingered in the air.

Upon seeing this, Sha Jingjing's expression changed slightly: "Someone entered the forbidden area before us!"

Xia En was not surprised by this.

People from various factions have been on Sand Island for some time now, and no matter what methods they use, some of them will surely be able to find this forbidden area.

only……

The smell of blood reminded Xia En of the vampire Twilight.

Moreover, even Xia En had to admit that with Twilight's strength, if she were to enter the forbidden area first, the probability of her obtaining the treasure would be extremely high!
Thinking about this, Xia En couldn't help but feel a lot of pressure.

"Fortunately, judging from how fresh the blood smell is, she probably hasn't been in the forbidden area for very long, so there's still a chance for her to overtake her."

"It is precisely at times like these that we must not be impatient."

Xia En took two deep breaths, quickly calmed down, and proceeded at her own pace.

I don't know how long it took.

When they reached the end, even Xia En felt unusually heavy and slightly tired.

The only good news is—

[Overall Qualifications: 4.6 → 4.61!]

Under the tempering of this powerful gravity, some of the medicinal effects of the [Moon Essence] that had previously accumulated in Xia En's body were absorbed.

Unfortunately, the current situation is urgent, and there is no time for him to continue using gravity to train his physical body.

Soon, Xia En took another step forward, and the view in front of him suddenly opened up.

A vast, open space came into their view.

What appeared before them was a terrain resembling a valley basin, surrounded by towering, rugged rock walls on all sides.

Under such gravity conditions, it would be almost impossible to climb out of this valley by hand.

Flying is even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

However, Shane also noticed that a black mist was permeating the surrounding air.

This black mist is somewhat similar to the dark waves that occurred when [Emerald Isle] encountered [Wrath of God], and its ability to block perception is exceptionally strong.

Even with Xia En's perception, he could only penetrate a little over ten meters.

Beyond that, everything was a blur.

thump—

Just then, a deep, muffled sound, like an ancient war drum, suddenly rang out.

Upon hearing this sound, Xia En felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, his blood surging, and he felt indescribably uncomfortable.

As if by some unseen force, a terrifying will briefly focused its gaze upon him.

Xia En suddenly realized that it wasn't the sound of drums, but the beating of a heart!
Immediately afterwards, the ground beneath their feet began to tremble, as if an earthquake had occurred.

In fact.

Not only in the area where Shane and his group were located, but also among the natives and outsiders throughout the entire Sand Island, everyone heard this heartbeat and felt the ground tremble.

Even the most seasoned pirates couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "What happened?"

"Why was there an earthquake so suddenly? And that muffled thud just now..."

Among the pirates, a hideous man with a face covered in scars, almost disfigured, had bright eyes.

"The direction your heartbeat is traveling is the location of the treasure!"

"Brothers, follow me!"

The pirates nearby echoed, "Yes, Captain Gal!"

The disfigured man was none other than the fifth-tier pirate "Madman" Gal!
Beside him followed a strange man whose body was wrapped in bandages, and who constantly emitted the smell of gunpowder and gunpowder.

From time to time, a low, eerie laugh could be heard from beneath the bandages.

The other pirates were extremely wary of him and dared not come within ten meters of him.

Only Gar patted the bandaged monster on the shoulder, seemingly unconcerned, and whispered, "Leo, this time I'll definitely give you a good blast."

……

Coastside.

Carles and Gray Cloud also disembarked with several of their colleagues.

Due to the unique environment of Sand Island, ordinary secret travelers are severely restricted, not only unable to exert much combat power, but also becoming a burden.

Therefore, Carles only brought five or six elite men with him.

At that moment, they all heard that incredibly deep heartbeat.

Carles was alright; her body was made of steel, so she didn't react much.

But Gray Cloud and the others didn't feel so good; they all experienced an indescribable sense of unease.

Gray Cloud's expression was solemn as he murmured, "What exactly is the owner of this heartbeat?"

Having known some of the inside information beforehand, Carles was not too surprised, only letting out a soft sigh.

"Just as I thought, no wonder there are so few Federation powerhouses willing to participate in this operation."

"Ok?"

Gray Cloud asked in surprise, "Lord Karlless, what do you mean by that?"

Karlless didn't hide anything and frankly said, "Aren't you curious why I'm the only fifth-tier Mystic from the Federation to come to [Sand Island] this time?"

"Even the vampires have a sixth-tier Twilight expert making a move, so there will only be more sixth-tier experts in the Federation."

Gray Cloud paused for a moment, then guessed, "Isn't it because of the special restrictions of [Sand Island]?"

Carles shook his head: "That's just one factor."

"Moreover, even if the restrictions on Sand Island limit the strength of the Secret Path practitioners to the fifth rank, selecting a group of fifth-rank experts shouldn't be a difficult task for the Federation, right?"

"The real reason behind this is actually..."

"The Federation doesn't value the Norwich Treasure on Sand Island that much."

Thinking of the heartbeat he had just heard, Gray Cloud couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is the treasure here?"

"All I can say is that this treasure is not simply a matter of money and equipment."

Carles continued, "It may be very valuable to an individual, but it is not particularly valuable to the Federation as a whole."

"Compared to this treasure that has already been exposed, the Federation is actually more concerned about those treasures that are not known to the public."

Gray Cloud nodded knowingly.

The Norwich Treasure on Sand Island is only a part of the Norwich Treasure.

Rather than competing with these hyena-like pirates, merchants, and vampires, the Federation would naturally send more manpower and resources to take over the treasures known only to them.

……

It was not far from where Carles and the others were.

The black-haired woman dressed in a nun's habit boarded the Sand Island alone.

Upon hearing the heartbeat, she couldn't help but raise her head and look towards the center of the island, a strange emotion flashing in her beautiful eyes.

……

Indigenous tribes in the valley.

The elderly high priest felt the earth tremble and couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Holy Son, it must be the arrival of the Holy Son that has awakened it!"

He knelt down in the direction of the forbidden area, his forehead pressed against the ground, and prayed with the utmost sincerity.

May the moonlight shine upon you, and pave a new future for us...

……

……

When the tremors subsided.

Xia En finally clearly sensed the powerful aura deep within the black mist.

It wasn't that Xia En's perception was particularly strong, but rather that the aura was simply too immense, completely enveloping the entire forbidden area!
If Xia En's aura is a pond, then it is a deep sea!
The heartbeat that shook the island came from within the black mist.

"What was that just now?"

Xia En frowned slightly.

He had just stepped out of the passageway when this strange movement came from the black mist. Could it be just a coincidence?
Beside her, Sha Jingjing was also deeply shaken.

In her memory, such an event had never occurred in the forbidden area, nor had she ever heard any heartbeat that shook the entire island.

"Could it be because of Captain Shane?"

"Is he really the prophesied Son of God?"

Sha Jingjing stared intently at Xia En, as if trying to discern the difference between him and the others.

But just then, a pebble beside her feet suddenly rolled, and a dark shadow shot out from below, heading straight for Sha Jingjing!

Xia En activated the [Great Dark Heaven] around him, directly immobilizing the dark figure with immense pressure.

This is a strangely shaped insect, with a body like a caterpillar but a sharp thorn about the length of a finger on its head.

It's like carrying a vicious, deadly poison.

The alien insect's body struggled and thrashed continuously, and with each contraction and wriggling movement, Shane felt immense power.

It was launched at a speed as fast as a bullet.

This is in a forbidden area with extremely high gravity. If it were placed in the outside world, the force of its flight would be enough to pierce through a human body.

Upon seeing the little insect, Sha Jingjing quickly composed herself, cautiously observing her surroundings, and explained.

"Most of these insects come from the desert. After entering the forbidden area, they undergo a strange transformation and are extremely dangerous."

"Besides the insects, there are many other mutated creatures here, which can be considered the second test of the forbidden area."

As if to confirm Sha Jingjing's words, not long after, a pair of scarlet eyes slowly approached from within the black mist.

It was a wild wolf!
Compared to tiny insects, the wolf's mutations were more pronounced.

Its flesh and blood were mostly rotten, and its bones were directly exposed to the air, emitting a putrid stench that blended with the surrounding black mist.

Its state, seemingly somewhere between life and death, instinctively makes one feel uneasy.

Seeing this, Xia En frowned even more deeply.

The wolf's appearance inexplicably reminded him of the image of the "Filthy Apostle" on the Emerald Isle.

Is there any connection between these two?

"Watch out, that's a Dead Mist Wolf! It will..."

Before Sha Jingjing could finish speaking, the rotting wolf brought out a gust of evil wind and rushed straight towards Xia En!

(End of this chapter)