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

Chapter 291 Subduing the Diamond Star! The Ghost Ship in the Reflection!
After hearing Edward's words, Shane wanted to tell him that he had misunderstood and that he was just Joey's captain.

But then I thought, did Edward really misunderstand?
Having silently made up his mind, Shane said earnestly to Edward, "I will."

Edward smiled with satisfaction after receiving an affirmative answer.

Joey, standing to the side, blushed and lowered her head, not daring to look at Xia En any longer.

However, at this moment, Xia En still had many doubts in his mind.

Now that he happened to have someone who could answer these questions, he decided to ask them again.

"What exactly is going on here? And why has the Diamond Star become a ghost ship?"

Edward explained, "This space is located in the gap between reality and the [Secret Sea], and also lies between reality and illusion."

"Its formation was a rare occurrence due to a combination of chance and circumstance."

"Back then, these bewitched and unaware commoners paid the price of their own lives to attract the attention of billions of radiant lords."

"And coincidentally, the Diamond Star is located in this strange fog."

"Two different secret powers collided and caused an indescribable change."

"Furthermore, the ship spirit of the Diamond Star has already begun to emerge. Its intense resentment has transformed into an obsession, which has gradually evolved into this strange space."

"Only when the obsession is eliminated can it truly break free from the prison of the past."

As he spoke, Edward gently stroked the wall of the cabin and said regretfully, "It really should be unwilling."

"A ship that was meant to be a 'Nova's Ark' in the great flood not only consumed a lot of precious materials, but also embodied the wisdom of this era."

"In the end, it was not because of a disaster sent down by heaven, nor because of the schemes of the gods."

"It sank so easily, merely because of the conspiracy of a group of misled people—without even waiting for the day of the great flood."

How could it be content with that?

Upon hearing this, Xia En nodded unconsciously.

The Diamond Star is like an army that has been building up its strength and carrying the hopes of the people for many years, only to perish before even stepping onto the battlefield.

They still die from internal conflicts and disputes among humans.

It's not hard to understand why the Diamond Princess would have such a strong obsession.

At the same time, Shane also noticed a key point from Edward's words.

"Mist?"

"Is there anything else special about this misty sea?"

Previously, Shane only regarded the Misty Sea as a mysterious place formed by the special geographical environment of the Seven Seas.

But Edward's account of how these mists could react with the power of the Lord of Billions of Radiance was somewhat unexpected.

"Judging from your performance, this shouldn't be your first time in the [Misty Sea], right?"

Edward asked, "Did you see any more of those fog-formed monsters in the later Misty Seas?"

After thinking for a moment, Xia En shook his head: "No."

He hadn't noticed this small detail before, and thought that the "fog monster" rushing out of the fog was just a random event.

But now that I think about it, I suddenly realize how strange it is.

"That's the damage from that explosion."

Edward said earnestly, "Deep within this fog lies a secret powerful enough to shake the entire world."

"However, it seems that my memories of this secret have been erased by the [Truth Society], so I cannot tell you."

"A secret that shakes the entire world..."

Xia En clicked his tongue in amazement, feeling that as his strength increased, he was also coming into contact with more and more secrets.

Suddenly, Xia En remembered something else and asked.

"To be honest, the reason I came to the Misty Sea to search for the Diamond Star is because I once obtained a ship that was extremely similar to it in the Frigid Sea."

"It's practically a replica of... the Diamond Star! How is that possible?"

Upon hearing this, Edward frowned: "A replica of the Diamond Star?"

"Doesn't that ship look a lot like the projection in the [Secret Sea]?"

Xia En: "That's right! I think so too."

"If I'm not mistaken, that was probably a remedial measure taken by the Lord of Cinder after the Diamond Dust sank."

"It could also be a backup plan that the King of Cinder had prepared long ago."

For the first time, Edward's tone showed uncertainty.

"After all, given that king's methods and personality, how could he allow the Diamond Star to sink so easily?"

"There's even a possibility that the real Diamond Dust is just bait released by the Lord of Cinder."

"What he truly pinned his hopes on was the Diamond Star, which had been replicated in the Secret Sea."

Edward's conjecture clearly carries a hint of conspiracy theory.

However, after careful consideration, Xia En could not rule out this possibility.

Yan Yan may be a sunny and kind-hearted young man, but as a Lord of Cinder tempered by blood and fire, he is by no means a soft-hearted person.

Once crowned king, many things become beyond one's control.

Xia En sighed inwardly, hesitated for a moment, and then asked a question.

"What role did the Hui Sect play in the Diamond Star incident?"

The main reason he hadn't asked this question before was because he had a certain fondness for the followers of the Radiant Cult in the Land of Radiance.

It seems that not all Hui cult followers are fanatical believers who want an external god to invade.

But seeing the masked old man's behavior, Xia En couldn't help but feel some strange emotions.

"Don't worry, it's not what you think."

Edward said softly, "In the old days, the Church of Radiance was indeed a good orthodox religion. It was given the name of light and holiness, and its actions were dignified and upright, which is why it was respected by many kingdoms."

"Of course, when a sect expands, some scum and degenerates will inevitably emerge."

"But overall, Hui has done a very good job."

Xia En raised an eyebrow and said frankly, "What I'm actually worried about is the Lord of Radiance whom the Radiant Cult worships."

At this moment, Edward asked Shane a question.

Do you think the Lord of Billions of Radiant Light is an evil god or a benevolent god?

After thinking for a moment, Shane replied, "I don't know."

Judging from the reputation of the Hui religion in its old days, they did indeed do a lot of good things, maintained social order, and provided material assistance and spiritual support to the poor.

But the Lord of Billions of Radiance is also an Outer God in every sense of the word.

Perhaps His gifts already come with a price tag attached.

Edward continued, "In my view, gods do not distinguish between good and evil."

"Or rather, they simply don't have such a concept or awareness."

“Like the native gods born in our world, who were themselves sublimated from intelligent races, they may still retain a bit of their own likes and dislikes.”

"But why would those outer gods far away in the [Secret Sea], or the ancient gods sleeping in the deep sea, care about the thoughts of humans?"

Edward said earnestly, "Many times, it's not that gods need human faith, but that humans need gods to worship."

After hearing these words, Xia En's thoughts were in turmoil as he silently pondered the information in his words and digested it.

Shane didn't completely agree with this view, but there's always some truth to different opinions.

Finally, Edward gave the final verdict on the matter.

"That masked old man did not receive any divine guidance; he did it solely out of his own obsession." "In his eyes, the gods were perhaps merely tools for acquiring power."

“Blindly pursuing gods will only make you a slave to them; the same principle applies to pursuing truth.”

At this point, Edward's expression suddenly darkened.

"Actually, many years ago, the Truth Society wasn't like this at all..."

[Beep—Beep—]

[Self-destruct program initiated...]

Just then, a strange mechanical sound rang out from Edward's body once again.

A faint red light shone in his eyes once more.

"Father……"

Upon seeing this, Joey couldn't help but call out softly, but her expression remained strong as she pursed her lips to prevent tears from falling.

Edward gently stroked his daughter's soft, silvery hair and said, "There's one more thing I need to tell you."

"The Truth Society has been preparing two major plans over the years."

"A plan involving Diana and Joy, the purpose of which is probably to steal the authority of the gods."

“I was personally involved in this project, so I know some of the inside details.”

Xia En's expression was stern.

Just as he had guessed, the research on Joey was indeed related to the Storm Goddess!
What intrigued him even more was the other part of the two plans.

A scheme that can stand on equal footing with "stealing the authority of the gods" is by no means simple.

Unfortunately, Edward continued, "As for the other plan, I only remember scattered fragments, but it should be closely related to my other personalities."

"It seems that the reason my personality fragment is left in this space is to collect certain information for this project."

After saying this, Edward's body faded at a visible speed, becoming translucent.

Even at this point, he still didn't forget to give a warning.

"Finally, please remember to be careful of my true form."

“His memory has been completely erased, and he is now a completely different individual from me!”

"Joey, please live on..."

Before the words were even finished, the translucent body completely collapsed and disappeared into thin air.

Tears welled up in Joey's eyes.

next moment.

Suddenly, cracks appeared in the scenery around Xia En and the other person.

Immediately afterwards, the cracks continued to expand and spread, like a giant mirror suddenly shattering!
Click!

Xia En's consciousness sank into darkness.

He felt no unfamiliarity with such darkness, let alone any fear.

Compared to the disorienting darkness of the fifth-tier advancement ritual, this gentle darkness even made Shane feel at ease.

Soon, in the darkness, Shane heard a cry that could not be described in words.

It wasn't a language, but rather an expression or release of emotions.

This feeling reminded Shane of when the spirit of the Black Swan was just beginning to emerge.

Back then, Xiao Hei always liked to use this clumsy yet straightforward way to express his affection and closeness.

Xia En collected his thoughts and slowly moved closer to the direction from which the emotion was coming from.

Soon, he sensed a hazy, indistinct consciousness and felt the emotions it was emanating—

The resentment at failing to fulfill one's mission;
Resentment towards the incompetence of the captain and crew;

The fear of one's own destruction;

Suspicion about people weaving conspiracies...

Numerous negative emotions, like a large net, trapped the still-naive ship's spirit in darkness.

It's like an incredibly solid "wall of the heart".

It's both a way to protect oneself and to shut out all goodwill.

Only then did Xia En understand why Xiao Hei had such difficulty communicating with the Diamond Star, and why he said that the ship's spirit wasn't aloof, but just shy.

If we were to describe Xiao Hei as a lively and cheerful young girl with wheat-colored skin...

She is pampered by Xia En and is always full of energy and high spirits.

So, the ship spirit of the Diamond Princess is like the so-called "landmine woman".

It has a closed-off mind, gloomy behavior, and a sinister appearance; you might accidentally stumble into its minefield.

But Shane knew it wasn't its fault.

This is the mistake of those with malicious intentions.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship is innocent.

Thinking of this, Xia En moved even closer, opened his arms, and embraced the ship spirit consciousness in front of him.

He solemnly promised, "I will protect you and make sure that what happened back then never happens again."

"You will never be destroyed before I die."

"I will take you with me to complete that unfinished mission."

"When the great flood comes again, you will become the true Noah's Ark..."

The bewildered ship spirit trembled violently.

Immediately, that invisible "wall of the heart" crumbled.

……

……

Beneath towering waves and amidst howling winds.

Standing on the deck of the Diamond Star, Shane opened his eyes.

At this moment, the two incredibly similar and enormous ships have merged into one, becoming indistinguishable from one another.

It's like a combination of body and shadow, or like a lost soul finally returning to its home.

call--

The Diamond Star's massive sails billowed, condensing roaring illusions and layers of flames that fluttered in the strong wind.

It was as if it was the first cry after years of slumber!
From this moment on, the Diamond Star once again possessed its own ship spirit!
Then, something happened that Xia En could hardly believe.

The world before my eyes suddenly changed.

The sky turned gloomy, and eerie, shadowy clumps floated overhead. There was no wind, yet a cold, flowing sensation emanated from my skin.

Strange turbulent traces, resembling bubbles, can be seen appearing nearby from time to time.

Xia En looked down and saw that what was reflected in the distorted, mirror-like seawater below was not the image of the Diamond Star, but a ship he knew all too well—

[Black Swan!]

Moreover, at this moment, the Black Swan is sailing forward, cutting through the waves.

In an instant, Xia En understood everything.

The Diamond Princess has entered the reflection of the Black Swan!
(End of this chapter)