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

Chapter 269 Fifth-Order Advancement Ritual!

After a while.

Sha Jingjing led Xia En to a tree that was seven or eight meters tall.

The trunk of this large tree is deep red, and upon closer inspection, it has a translucent texture.

Like blood vessels, fibers grow beneath the bark, with what appears to be viscous blood slowly flowing within them, creating a truly mystical sight.

There was also an indescribably pleasant scent that permeated the area around the tree.

This large tree is the Crimson Ancient Tree planted in the Rhine Secret Realm.

Nourished by the abundant life force of the Rhine Realm, the Crimson Ancient Tree thrives even without being watered with blood or nourished by corpses.

Although it is still far from its peak condition, it has shown its unique characteristics compared to other tree species.

At this moment, the branches and leaves of the big tree swayed slightly, as if welcoming Xia En's arrival.

Xia En touched the trunk of the Crimson Ancient Tree and exclaimed, "You've grown so much in just a few days!"

A faint sense of warmth emanated from beneath the tree trunk.

The deep red ancient tree possesses its own spirituality.

Although it may not be able to communicate normally like the ship spirit of the Black Swan.

But it's still possible to convey simple emotions.

"This is it."

Sha Jingjing pointed to a small house under the [Crimson Ancient Tree] and said to Xia En.

"This area has been regarded as the new holy land of our clan."

"Your Highness, you can rest assured and cultivate in seclusion here. We will protect your safety!"

Sha Jingjing revealed a resolute expression, like a loyal guard dog, and solemnly declared.

"Anyone who wants to hurt you must first step over my dead body!"

Xia En looked around the area near the Crimson Ancient Tree and noticed that a new altar had been built there, somewhat similar to the ancestral altar of the Moonlit Clan.

Several totem poles brought from Sand Island stand around the altar.

Clearly, even after arriving in their new home, the Moonlit Clan has not abandoned their beliefs and traditions.

That's right, you can see the moon at night in the [Rhine Realm].

This surprised Shane quite a bit.

He hadn't paid much attention to this at first, but after discovering the moon's existence, he realized...

Not only the moon, but the sun in the [Rhine Realm] is exactly the same as that in the Seven Seas.

However, their rotation trajectories and patterns are slightly different.

However, this was not the case in the original [Blood Moon Secret Realm].

This seems to indirectly illustrate the special nature of the [Rhine Realm].

But upon further reflection, Xia En couldn't help but have a question.

In what form do the sun, moon, and countless stars exist in the sky?

Xia En had assumed that the celestial bodies in this world were the same as in his previous life, spherical planets that operated according to their own laws and floated in the vast universe.

But if that's the case, why can we see the same sun and moon in the [Rhine Realm]?
The more you know, the more you realize your own ignorance.

Xia En vaguely sensed that there might be a secret about this world hidden behind this.

However, this is clearly not the time to explore these secrets.

Xia En put aside his distracting thoughts, exchanged a few more words with Sha Jingjing, and then entered the small house under the [Crimson Ancient Tree].

The furnishings inside the cabin were very simple, consisting of only a wooden bed.

Xia En didn't take it to heart. He sat on the bed, calmed his mind, and felt the rhythm of the secret power within his body.

Gradually, an invisible wave surged forth from the darkness.

The gentle sound of flowing water and the cascading waves filled the surroundings, creating an unusually tranquil atmosphere.

This is an invitation from [Secret Sea].

Xia En accepted it gladly.

next moment.

Illusory seawater surged up, gently enveloping him, his senses being ripped from his body, and he continued to fall into the deep, dark sea...

……

……

dark.

The surroundings were pure, absolute darkness.

There wasn't even a ray of light.

Rather than "darkness," perhaps "nothingness" would be a more fitting description.

Shaen's consciousness awakened in this "nothingness".

"Huh? This is..."

Sensing the darkness around him, Xia En couldn't help but feel a little lost.

Apart from this void, he could feel almost nothing.

Sight, hearing, touch, smell... it all seemed to be stripped away by some invisible force, and even one's own sense of existence was gradually becoming weaker.

This was the first time Xia En had ever experienced anything like this.

Soon, a flash of inspiration struck Xia En, and he suddenly realized what was happening.

"This is... the fifth-tier advancement trial?"

"It's actually like this."

Even though Xia En had learned about the special nature of the fifth-order advancement ritual beforehand, the current situation still far exceeded his expectations.

This trial mission is no longer as specific as "escaping this sea area" or "finding the traitor," but rather involves exploring independently in this [nothingness] space.

"At least give me a hint!"

Xia En's lips twitched, and he muttered to himself.

"What should I do?"

He feels like he's playing a poorly guided game, completely lost and unsure of his goal.

Fortunately, Xia En is far more composed and resilient than the average person.

He quickly calmed down and silently reflected on his current state.

This realization startled Xia En.

Because at this moment, even his human body no longer exists; all that remains is a highly condensed mass of secret power!

No wonder he lost all five senses, including his sense of smell.

How could a wisp of mysterious power possess such sensory abilities?
Then, as Shane's consciousness explored outwards, it touched an invisible barrier, which was the void and darkness it had previously sensed.

This void was like a cage, trapping him inside.

Xia En suddenly realized: "The key to this advancement trial is to break through this cage formed by [nothingness]."

While he understood the situation, Xia En was still deep in thought about how to proceed.

According to Ji Ya, the fifth-order trial focuses more on the control of secret power.

"Then let's try to break the deadlock by force."

After a moment's thought, Shane began his first attempt.

He directly unleashed his secret power, like a surging tide, to impact the [Void] cage.

Boom!
A muffled thud suddenly echoed in Xia En's mind.

The surge of secret power shattered instantly, but the barrier of nothingness remained unmoved.

Xia En's body was composed of secret energy, and under the enormous impact, extreme pain immediately came from all parts of his body, as if he had been smashed to pieces.

"hiss……"

The pain was so intense that it was almost unbearable for a human. Even with Xia En's willpower, he almost fainted from the pain.

However, after regaining her senses, Xia En was not surprised but rather delighted.

During the fierce impact, he had already sensed a barely perceptible tremor in the [Void] barrier.

"This method might work!"

Xia En muttered to himself, "But it hurts so damn much..."

Since there was a possibility that this path was passable, Xia En decided to remain calm and patient. After the pain subsided, he once again channeled all his secret power and slammed into the barrier. "Ugh!"

Even with preparations, the pain at the moment of impact still caused Xia En to groan involuntarily.

The barrier of [Void] trembled slightly again.

Moreover, whether it was Xia En's imagination or not, his secret power seemed to become more solid and resilient during this process of shattering and rebuilding.

An invisible transformation is taking place.

Once the pain had subsided, Shane regrouped and launched another attack.

And so it went, with Xia En completely absorbed in breaking through the barrier of [nothingness], forgetting the passage of time.

……

……

I don’t know how much time has passed.

Xia En felt so much pain that she was almost numb.

The body, formed by secret power, is like a lump of rough iron, which is refined and solidified by repeated "forging" to remove impurities.

Click!

After countless impacts, Shane suddenly heard an invisible, crisp sound.

This tiny sound, upon hearing it, was like heavenly music to Xia En's heart!
A crack appeared on the [Void] barrier and showed a tendency to expand.

A surge of ecstasy welled up in Xia En's heart.

The next moment.

A dark wave suddenly surged from the crack.

The newly formed cracks were quickly filled and healed by the waves, becoming as new as ever.

It was as if everything Shane had done before was in vain.

"Fuck..."

Upon realizing this, Xia En couldn't help but utter a vulgar remark.

However, this is not over.

The dark wave surged directly towards the body imbued with secret power, its chilling aura suddenly penetrating and seemingly eroding his power.

With a serious expression, Xia En compressed his secret power into a single ball to resist the onslaught of the waves.

A moment later, the dark wave disappeared as if it had never existed.

Even so, some of the secret power was still worn away by the waves.

This discovery gave Shane a bad feeling.

Within this enclosed space, the total amount of his secret power is actually limited.

Each impact depletes a small amount of secret power, and the impact of this strange wave undoubtedly exacerbates Shane's burden.

When the secret energy is completely exhausted, it means that the advancement has failed.

Shane clearly could not accept this outcome.

And right now, the worst thing is...

The fact that this dark wave can recover strongly suggests that his attempt to forcefully break through the [nothingness] barrier is doomed to fail!

It took him a lot of time just to create a single crack from the impact.

If every time you break through the barrier, you are subjected to a baptism of a pitch-black wave, you have to start all over again each time.

Xia En's total amount of secret power cannot support such consumption.

"If a direct breakthrough is not feasible, what other options are there?"

Xia En fell into thought.

Soon, a bold idea popped into his head.

The barrier formed by nothingness is like a security door.

Forcibly breaking down the door is certainly one method, but wouldn't the more correct approach be to enter the door's password?

In other words.

If we can make the [Void] barrier think of him as one of its own, wouldn't we be able to pass through this gate?

So, Xia En calmed himself down and began to sense the state of the [Void] cage, and then unleashed the domain of [Great Dark Heaven].

As the domain expanded, the two mystical forces soon came into contact.

However, this time it was different from the previous collisions.

This time, Shane chose to imitate [Nothingness].

Before long, the two secret powers began to subtly assimilate.

Although the feeling of rejection still exists, it is not as strong as it was at the beginning.

This discovery immediately gave Xia En a thrill.

"Have the opportunity!"

Xia En's thoughts were in turmoil, and he suddenly understood many things.

Blindly imitating is obviously wrong; doing so will only lead to being assimilated and swallowed up by this darkness.

If it truly becomes a state of "nothingness," Xia En's own consciousness might be extinguished in the process.

Only by making contact with it and imbuing this cage with your own colors can you truly break free!

The two sides influence and assimilate each other.

In the end, it remains to be seen whether Shane's [Great Dark Heaven] assimilates this [Void], or whether this [Void] completely devours him.

This promotion trial is essentially a clash of domains.

The ability to control secret power determines the outcome of this invisible battle.

However, this is destined to be a long process.

……

……

Just as Xia En was focused on breaking through to the next level.

The landscape of the Seven Seas has undergone tremendous changes.

If we had to pinpoint the exact cause, these changes are inextricably linked to Xia En.

The divine message conveyed by Shane within the Radiant Crystal Mirror officially ignited the Radiant Church's war against the Truth Society.

This is a real war, with no room for retreat.

The conflict initially erupted at the Federal Research Institute on [Liuli Island].

A group of top researchers were directly attacked by the [Radiant Guards], and were forcibly abducted and killed.

In retaliation, several hidden churches of the Hui Cult were also directly massacred by the Truth Society.

And this was only the beginning of the chaos.

Because the [Deepest Sect], which had been silent for a long time, suddenly made its move at this time.

After receiving guidance from the Deep Ones (Shane), they decisively launched a sneak attack on the Truth Society.

Who doesn't like to kick a dog when it's down?
Several ships belonging to the Truth Society were inexplicably pulled into the deep sea, resulting in heavy losses.

Many scholars of the Truth Society have also suffered from an unseen curse.

To this day, at least a hundred islands within the Federation have been affected by the clash between the three major powers.

More than ten small islands were even sunk directly by the actions of the three powerful forces.

Most civilians in the Federation had no idea why these three major powers were fighting each other.

Even these names are quite unfamiliar to ordinary people.

This great battle made people realize that such a powerful and mysterious organization existed in the Seven Seas.

The most intriguing aspect is actually the attitude of the federal government.

The research institute was attacked, and federal officials should have immediately issued an arrest warrant for the Hui Cult.

However, the Federation remained strangely silent, offering neither assistance to the Truth Society nor to the Radiant Church or the Profound Cult.

It subtly implies a desire to sit back and watch the tigers fight.

This chaos continued until one day.

A small boat from the far north sailed into the Federation's harbor, bringing with it astonishing news.

(End of this chapter)