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

Chapter 234 [Lady Ji Ya] [City of Giant Trees]

Upon hearing this information, Xia En remained calm and asked Xiange.

What kind of ship is it?

String Song reported, "It's a large, dark gray ship, even bigger than the Black Swan, with an orange-yellow snowflake pattern printed on its sails."

Xia En immediately understood: "Don't worry, that's not our enemy."

The owner of that large ship was clearly "Warm Snow," whom they had contacted in the [Radiant Land].

Over the past seven days, Xia En has frequently chatted with the other party online.

This was partly to gather information about the [Silent Sea] and the [City of Giant Trees] in advance, and partly to subtly learn about this "online friend" whom they had never met.

Although the identity of a Hui believer provides a basic level of trust.

But didn't you see that members of the "Truth Society" were able to infiltrate the "Land of Radiance"?

Who knows, this "netizen" might have another identity.

Xia En has seen many cases on Earth where online friends meet in person, only to be scammed or cheated in the end.

We have to guard against it!
Through these few days of chatting, Xia En has also figured out some information about Nuan Xue.

For example, Shane knew that her code name was named after her ship.

Moreover, Nuanxue wasn't doing pirate business, but rather a very new kind of business.

According to her own account, it's called...

Search and Rescue Team for the Sea of ​​Annihilation!

As the name suggests, it involves searching for and rescuing ships in danger in the Sea of ​​Annihilation, or sending stranded crew members trapped at sea or on islands out of the Sea of ​​Annihilation.

At first glance, it seems quite outrageous, completely different from the dog-eat-dog world of the Seven Seas.

But then I thought about it.

Due to the dangers of the Sea of ​​Annihilation, the proportion of ships that perish here is far higher than in other sea areas.

There will always be unlucky souls who lose their boats and are forced to fall into the sea.

Moreover, for those with slightly stronger abilities who follow secret paths, losing a ship doesn't necessarily mean they will die.

Take Shane as an example. After he obtained [Seawater Affinity/Control], he could swim in the sea for three days and three nights without any problem, given his physical strength.

Needless to say, a siren like Joey is even more dangerous.

While ordinary sailors may not be able to endure such extreme conditions, they can generally maintain this for a period of time.

This is the business opportunity of the "Warm Snow"!
It is common knowledge that when a person is about to die, they are willing to pay any price.

The crew of the Warm Snow used this as an opportunity to draw up a contract with them, making them spend a sum of money to avoid trouble.

Some secret travelers may not have money on them, but they have family, friends, or money saved on some island, so they can still scrape together what they need.

For those who genuinely lack funds, they can be released after a few years of unpaid service on the Warm Snow.

It sounds like they're taking advantage of the disaster and profiting from the shipwreck.

However, the Warm Snow has indeed rescued many sailors in distress over the years, providing a sense of security for explorers in the Silent Sea.

—No matter what, this is still much better than directly robbing a pirate ship.

Meanwhile, the Warm Snow Ship gradually grew stronger during this process.

Both the funds and the number of crew members far exceed the initial situation.

Therefore, Xia Encai said that this is a very new business.

This is a completely different way of life from that of pirates.

Of course, the Warm Snow ship not only does search and rescue business, but also takes on a series of other businesses such as delivering supplies, transporting people, acting as bodyguards, and serving as mercenaries.

To put it simply, it's somewhat like the Odd Jobs Shop on the Sea of ​​Annihilation.

As long as you pay, anything is negotiable.

Over time, the Warm Snow has built up a very good reputation on the Silent Sea.

This is also one of the reasons why Xia En decided to meet with her.

Just as Xia En was thinking about these things, the outline of the [Warm Snow] appeared on the sea not far away and was rapidly approaching in that direction.

……

……

It didn't take long.

Xia En then met the captain of the Warm Snow.

To his surprise, the other party was a charming and mature woman with fair skin, beautiful features, and a stunning figure. She looked like a noblewoman living in a palace, and also had a gentle and graceful temperament.

She looks somewhat delicate, which easily arouses a man's protective instincts.

Judging from her appearance alone, it's hard to imagine that she's a captain who makes her living at sea.

"You must be Captain Shane."

The woman, accompanied by several crew members, came to the deck of the Black Swan and extended her hand, saying, "I am Ji Ya, the captain of the Warm Snow."

"You can call me Lady Gia. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Ji Ya's actions were graceful and poised, and Xia En, of course, did not show any timidity, shaking hands with her.

"Hello, Madam Gia."

At the same time, Xia En's wariness of this woman increased even more.

He noticed that the sailors on the Warm Snow were all unusually respectful to Ji Ya, and dared not show any unusual emotions in their eyes.

This means that Gia has absolute control over the entire ship.

A woman, especially a beautiful woman, often has to put in more effort than a man to achieve this.

This is enough to prove her extraordinary methods.

If anyone actually treats this woman as a weak and easily bullied ornament, they'll probably be devoured without a trace!
Suppressing his distracting thoughts, Xia En continued, "I am here in the Sea of ​​Annihilation to investigate the City of Giant Trees on the orders of Lord [Blacklight]."

"Please, Lady Jiya, take us to the sea area where the [City of Giant Trees] is located as soon as possible."

Although they had decided to meet in person, Shane did not intend to use the identity of [Blacklight] to contact Gia.

On one hand, [Blacklight] received a divine message from the Lord of Radiance.

If it were discovered that his true identity was actually just a fourth-tier Mystic, it would undoubtedly greatly diminish his status in the [Radiant Land].

This is not conducive to Shane continuing to stir up trouble.

On the other hand, it was to prevent the "Warm Snow" from double-crossing them.

So, Shane disguised himself as a subordinate of "[Blacklight]".

—As a senior member of the Hui Cult who keeps a low profile, it's normal for him to have a few underlings, right?
Shane had previously mentioned this to Gia in the Land of Radiance.

Therefore, Ji Ya had no doubts at this moment and smiled, "Okay."

"Captain Shane, please follow our ship."

"If all goes well, we should arrive at our destination in about three hours."

After saying that, Ji Ya turned around and gave orders to the crew of the Warm Snow.

Once the Warm Snow train has chosen a direction, it steadily moves forward.

This series of actions was swift and efficient, which pleased Xia En greatly.

That's why the Warm Snow was able to flourish in the Silent Sea!

Based on this level of expertise alone, they are miles ahead of those pirates who only know how to rob.

And while they were on their way...

Ji Ya's gaze swept across the deck of the Black Swan, and a hint of surprise flashed deep in her beautiful eyes.

There is no other reason.

There are far too few crew members on this ship!
The number of crew members, even those on the surface, is less than ten.

For a ship of this size, the amount is excessively small.

But what surprised Ji Ya even more was that she couldn't see through any of the crew members who appeared on the deck. One knight, wearing closed armor, clearly wasn't very strong, yet he inexplicably gave off an unsettling feeling.

A short-haired girl dressed as a boy seemed to possess extremely noble blood. In front of "her," my blood began to stir restlessly for no reason.

A white-haired, red-eyed mage, who actually carried the aura of a god?
What Ji Ya couldn't understand the most was actually this handsome Captain Shane.

Being on this ship gives you the feeling of being on the other side's home turf; beneath that seemingly slender body, there appears to be a force not to be underestimated.

Moreover, the other party and the other crew members, and even the ship itself, seemed to form a unified whole.

Even though Ji Ya herself is a fifth-tier Mystic, she absolutely does not want to start a war with them here.

However, their relationship was originally one of friendship, not enmity.

Ji Ya's thoughts flashed through her mind for only a moment before she spoke.

"If I'm not mistaken, Captain Shane's rank should only be fourth-tier?"

Xia En nodded frankly: "That's right."

Once you reach a certain point, the rank of a Secret Path practitioner cannot be hidden at will.

Because there are significant differences between each level.

Those at a higher level can easily determine the rank of others based on their past experience.

Since they were already disguised, Xia En didn't mind revealing this to Ji Ya.

Ji Ya pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "Captain Xia En, please forgive my bluntness."

"The underwater ruins of the City of Giant Trees are extremely dangerous. A fourth-tier strength is probably a bit too low."

Ji Ya's words were actually well-intentioned.

Having roamed the Sea of ​​Annihilation for so long, she had already witnessed many instances of people overestimating their own strength, forcibly exploring ruins, and ultimately losing their ships, their lives, and their burials.

Even though Xia En might not listen to her, she still had to try to persuade her.

Xia En naturally sensed Ji Ya's goodwill.

Normally, a fourth-tier Pathfinder would be taking a huge risk venturing into the City of Giant Trees.

The slightest mistake could result in death on the spot.

But the problem is...

He's cheating!

The talent of "deep-sea diving" is the foundation upon which Xia En has been able to grow stronger and stronger step by step.

Faced with the unknown environment of the [City of Giant Trees], Shane certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to directly use his true form to explore the sea.

The correct and safest approach is to first use the [Projected Body] to explore the path.

Even if my current fourth-tier strength isn't enough, it doesn't matter.

Shaen could easily improve his strength while exploring the ruins!
The advancement method for the fourth-tier class [Deep Sea Devourer] is to continuously devour creatures in the deep sea.

In fact, Xia En hasn't been idle these days either, using [Deep Sea Diving] to dive into deeper waters every day.

With the breakthroughs of both Xuan Ge and Qiao Yi, his strength has improved significantly.

[Overall Qualifications: 5.5 → 5.8!]

[Career fit: 7%!]

However, Ji Ya was unaware of this, which is why she gave this reminder.

Seeing Xia En's expression, Ji Ya knew that he probably didn't intend to give up, so she tried to persuade him.

“I know this is probably a task entrusted to you by Senior [Blacklight], and you certainly can’t give up easily.”

"How about this, you hire our salvage crew from the [Warm Snow] to go out to sea with you."

"As for the hiring fee... I'll give you a discount, 30% off, how does that sound?"

Xia En's lips twitched slightly.

Well, they've tried to do business with me!
He now truly understands why the Warm Snow Ship has been able to do such a good job in business.

This Lady Gia is simply a business genius!

However, Xia En could neither expose the existence of [Deep Sea Submersible] nor waste the money.

He decisively replied, "I appreciate Madam Ji Ya's kindness."

"But we really don't need the Snow Warmth to help us explore the ruins."

Lady Ji Ya did not react upon hearing this.

A young girl beside her couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "You're so tactless. Don't you understand what I mean?"

"With just a few of you, only at the fourth rank, going to explore the [City of Giant Trees] is just suicide!"

"Bring our people along; maybe we can even help you complete your mission..."

"Lucy!"

Ji Ya frowned and interrupted the girl in a stern tone.

Then, she looked at Shane apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, Captain Shane."

"I have neglected to discipline my sister, I apologize for making you laugh."

"……elder sister!"

Lucy cried out in grievance.

She didn't think she had said anything wrong, but seeing her sister's serious expression, she didn't dare to continue.

"Holly, you take Lucy back first."

Ji Ya gave an instruction to one of the crew members behind her, then looked back at Xia En: "It would be best if Captain Xia En had confidence."

"But the situation in the City of Giant Trees is indeed very complicated."

"If you don't mind, please allow me to explain a few things to you, as an apology for my sister's rude behavior."

Followed by.

Ji Ya gave Xia En a general overview of the current situation in the [City of Giant Trees].

Just like its name suggests, that underwater ruin is covered with many enormous trees.

While the fact that trees can grow in seawater may seem counterintuitive, it is not unusual in a world with supernatural powers.

In the City of Giant Trees, besides the sea beasts corrupted by mysterious power, there is also a group of tree-people residents.

Those tree-people seemed to possess some special power, which gave them the ability to live in the sea.

The source of that power is the deity they worship—

【Giant Wood God! 】

It is said that it is a deity born from the forest of giant trees, and only by offering sacrifices to Him can the tree people survive in the sea.

The offerings, on the other hand, were other living creatures.

Fish, marine mammals, and even humans on the sea surface are their targets.

"Over the years, the area of ​​the [City of Giant Trees] has not shrunk, but has continued to expand."

"And every area encompassed by this city has, without exception, become a forbidden zone for life!"

Ji Ya said seriously, "Therefore, even we are very wary of this ruin."

"If we let it continue to grow, the entire [Sea of ​​Annihilation] might become the territory of this giant tree, right?"

"That will be the true end of desolation."

Upon hearing this, Xia En also revealed a serious expression.

He did not ask Lady Ji Ya why she did not address this hidden danger.

It's probably not that I don't want to, but that I can't.

The power of just one or two ships is far too insignificant for a city.

(End of this chapter)