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

Chapter 334 The Soul That Cannot Be Released, the Power of the Gods
"How did you do it?"

Upon hearing this question, Xia En seemed somewhat bewildered.

Because he simply used [Great Dark Heaven] once, and simply crushed those ice crystal monsters.

Is there anything special about this?
However, Shane had previously observed that the ice crystal monsters possessed powerful regenerative abilities, making them difficult to kill with ordinary physical attacks.

But why did they die so swiftly and decisively under the influence of the Great Dark Heaven?
Although he had some doubts, Xia En remained calm in front of these strangers.

It gives people a sense of entitlement.

Seeing this, the pirates assumed it was a secret of Shane as a Secret Pathfinder and didn't ask any further questions.

at the same time.

Some of the pirates had already recognized Shane's identity and were whispering among themselves.

"Shane? That name sounds familiar..."

"Wait, isn't that the captain of the Black Swan?"

"Hiss... Is that the Black Swan that took down the Crimson Baron?"

Upon hearing this, Xia En was slightly surprised.

How long has it been? My deeds have already reached the ears of these pirates.

In fact, Shane underestimated the impact of his previous battle.

In this era where legendary powerhouses are extremely rare, the sixth rank is already the ceiling for ordinary secret cultivators.

In the naval battle between Shane and Richard, at least four sixth-tier powerhouses appeared, and more than ten ships participated in the battle!
A naval battle of this scale, taking place at the very moment the expeditionary force is setting out, has naturally attracted considerable attention.

—Those captains and sailors who were teleported to the Frigid Sea with Xia En became the spreaders of rumors.

"We heard about this from the captain of a warship we had encountered by chance before."

Noticing Shane's gaze, Lewis took the initiative to speak.

"It is said that the legendary vampire was furious because of this defeat and originally wanted to put a warrant for the arrest of the Black Swan and Captain Shane!"

This legend clearly refers to Muller of the vampire clan.

However, upon hearing the word "wanted," Xia En felt no emotion whatsoever; in fact, he almost wanted to laugh.

Strictly speaking, the joint wanted notice from several vampire islands is still hanging over Shane's head!
There are too many lice and they are not itchy.

Even without a warrant for his arrest, Xia En and the vampires were already irreconcilable enemies.

Whether there's a warrant for arrest or not doesn't matter.

But Shane noticed that Lewis used the word "originally," so could there have been some change in the situation?
Before he could ask, Lewis explained.

"However, the Federation Navy was quite dissatisfied with the vampires' actions and sternly ordered them not to allow similar incidents to happen again."

"That dissuaded the vampires from issuing a warrant for your arrest."

Upon hearing this, Xia En suddenly realized what was going on.

It turns out it was the influence of federal officials.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The Federation is calling on all forces to form the "Far North Expeditionary Force" and is even willing to recruit pirates at sea in exchange for the removal of their wanted status.

The call to action was barely made before infighting broke out among its own people.

Isn't this a slap in their face?
Federal officials certainly wouldn't care about minor frictions and disputes.

However, this battle between Shane and the vampires sparked widespread discussion.

The negative impact on the expeditionary force itself is immeasurable.

This forced federal officials to intervene.

Moreover, judging from the Federation's attitude, it is clear that they are being much stricter with vampires.

On the one hand, it's because this naval battle was initiated by the vampires.

On the other hand, the federal government is also aware of the vampires' nature, and if they are not restrained, similar incidents may occur again.

While getting a basic understanding of the situation.

The Black Swan was gradually approaching Shane and the others.

Upon seeing the shadow cast from above, the pirates couldn't help but let out a low gasp.

Only after observing the large ship up close could they more clearly and intuitively appreciate its majesty and extraordinary nature.

Whether in terms of size, style, hull material, or overall imposing presence, it far surpasses their own ships.

Compared to the Black Swan, the pirates' Dragon Ship seemed to be a generation behind!
"What a fine ship!"

Lewis couldn't help but exclaim, "No wonder it's the legendary Black Swan!"

Shane was no stranger to the way the pirates looked at him.

There was a time when he had expressed similar sentiments to the Duke and Viper, feeling a deep sense of envy.

However, times have changed, and the once small and dilapidated Black Swan has grown into the behemoth it is today.

Instead, it was Shane's turn to be envied by the other captains.

Soon, An and Xiange flew down from the deck and came to Xiaen.

At this moment, Xian Ge maintained her mimicry state, wearing a thick, warm cotton coat, wrapped up tightly, like a large caterpillar.

Even so, the moment she appeared, the pirates of the [Dragon Pirate Crew] couldn't help but turn their gazes to her.

From her, they sensed a powerful, ancient, and familiar bloodline force.

The reason why the "Dragon Pirate Crew" is called this is certainly not without reason.

In fact, most members of this pirate crew had dragon blood to some extent.

Of course, the dragon here may not necessarily refer to an ancient dragon.

Some are sub-dragons that have largely degenerated, while others are bloodlines left behind after ancient dragons hybridized with other creatures.

At the height of the Dragon Pirates' power, they even kept a sub-dragon!
It's just that it's inconvenient to bring them along on this trip to the far north.

This also shows the close connection between the Dragon Pirates and dragons.

That's why the pirates couldn't understand why they felt an unusually strong pressure emanating from this girl.

I even... have an urge to worship her!

If she also has dragon blood in her body, just how high would the level of that bloodline be?
Even Lewis felt a jolt in his heart and looked at Xian Ge with suspicion and uncertainty.

"Captain Shane, who is she?"

Feeling the gazes of everyone, Xiange was not intimidated at all. She puffed out her little chest and said.

"I am the great Qing... cough cough!"

After Xia En glanced at her, Xiange coughed twice, managing not to reveal her true identity.

Nana looked at Xiange with surprise: "Smells good, a powerful aura, just like Captain Shane!"

"Are you Captain Shane's daughter?"

"If I mate with him, can I also have a child as strong as yours?"

Upon hearing this, Lewis was speechless and quickly apologized to Shane.

"Captain Shane, my sister is just being silly and talking nonsense. Please don't take offense."

Xia En's lips twitched, unsure how to respond.

To everyone's surprise, Nana was displeased upon hearing this and said, "I'm not just making things up!"

"I'm serious, bro, haven't you been urging me to find a man?"

"I think Captain Shane would be perfect for the job!"

"……you?"

At this moment, Xiange looked Nana up and down and said, "At best, you'd be the captain's seventh wife!"

Xia En's eyelids twitched: "Where would I get seven wives?"

String Song was greatly surprised: "Eh? There isn't one? Let me count them carefully..." "Sister Joey, Little Sister Sand Crystal..."

"Stop, stop, stop."

Seeing that the topic was getting further and further off track, Xia En quickly interrupted Xiange and turned to look at Lewis.

"Captain Lewis, how did you encounter that strange ice crystal monster before?"

Lewis gave a wry smile: "Actually, it was just an accident..."

Lewis quickly recounted his experience of accidentally stumbling upon the ruins of the Great Yan Kingdom, which led to a siege by monsters.

After listening, Xia En couldn't help but glance at him with a sympathetic look.

To be able to crash into the ruins in the ice so precisely, I don't know if it's lucky or unlucky.

But... ruins?

Xia En turned to look at the ancient ruins, whose style was completely different from modern buildings, and a sense of curiosity arose in his heart.

The Great Yan Kingdom has too many secrets buried in the dust of history.

Why was the Great Yan Kingdom destroyed?

Why did the Lord of Cinder freeze the town?

Why do those ice crystal monsters possess the power of [Evil Fate]?

These doubts had been lingering in Xia En's mind for a long time, and even a learned scholar like Jane could only glean some clues from them.

Perhaps, in these ruins, Shaen can find the answer he seeks?
With that thought in mind, Xia En's eyes flashed, and he walked towards the strange tower-shaped building.

"Captain Shane, what do you intend to do?"

Lewis immediately understood his intention when he saw Shane's actions.

However, Lewis did not offer any advice, because he knew he could not change Shane's decision, so he only offered a friendly reminder.

"Captain Shane, please be careful."

"There should still be quite a few of the ice crystal monsters from before in that ruin."

Xia En nodded and said, "I will."

Since the goal was to explore the ruins, Shane wouldn't venture in alone. Instead, he waited until Joey and Jane arrived before slowly approaching the ruins.

Upon closer inspection, Shane noticed that the building's materials appeared very smooth and hard, with a grayish-black color.

The overall style is surprisingly similar to that of the Federal Grand Library.

Simple and straightforward, without any unnecessary patterns.

Practicality is prioritized over aesthetics.

The entire ruins are actually mostly hidden in the ice, with only a small portion exposed above the ice sheet.

At this moment, a hole appeared in one corner of the building, like a gaping maw, silently waiting for those who would walk right into its trap.

The ice crystal monster from before emerged from here.

Xia En turned around and glanced behind him.

In addition to their own crew, Daisy and her brother, as well as Nana, volunteered to join the "exploration mission".

It just so happens that the Black Swan will need some time to break through the ice, so we can use this time to explore the ruins.

Not long after.

Xia En cautiously stepped into the cave entrance, and a chilly blast of air hit him.

The temperature inside this ruin is even colder than the outside temperature.

This is actually quite unusual.

Click... Click!
Before Xia En could delve deeper into this matter, he suddenly heard a faint noise.

Without hesitation, he took half a step back.

With a "bang," a humanoid monster made of ice crystals missed its target and crashed headfirst into the spot where Shane had been standing.

The impact was quite powerful, leaving a shallow crater in the ground.

The ice crystal monster's head was also smashed in half.

But in the blink of an eye, its shattered head miraculously reassembled itself, eventually returning to its complete form.

During this process, Shane noticed that the inside of the ice crystal monster's head did not have any of the structures that a living creature should have.

It's like... it was just an empty shell created through simulation!
But for some reason, from those shattered ice crystals, Shane sensed a vitality that could not be described in words.

It was as if within each shattered ice crystal, a soul was emitting a painful, mournful wail.

"This is……"

Xia En frowned slightly.

He hadn't observed carefully when he used [Great Dark Heaven] to sweep away the monsters earlier.

Now, Xia En suddenly realized that these ice crystal monsters themselves seemed to be a blasphemous creation, something that should not exist in the world.

"Are ordinary physical attacks ineffective after all?"

"Then, shall we try magic?"

Soon, Joey cast a small fireball, which hit the ice crystal monster.

The ice crystals melted instantly.

However, after the fireball's effect dissipated, ice crystals condensed on the ground again after a short while.

Four or five minutes later, an identical ice crystal monster spawned again.

Upon seeing this, not only Shane, but also Joey and Jane frowned.

"Captain."

Joey hesitated for a moment before saying, "It gives me a very uncomfortable feeling."

“I felt filth and pain from it, as if… something was trapped inside it.”

"Your feeling is correct."

At this moment, Jane picked up where Joey left off, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, there are human souls imprisoned in the bodies of these monsters."

"A human soul?"

Upon hearing this, Xia En was startled and exclaimed, "You mean..."

Jian nodded and said, "That's right, they were probably originally the people of the Great Yan Kingdom."

"Their physical bodies have long since died, but their souls are imprisoned in this special creation, enduring despair and torment day after day, unable to find release."

"Even if they are cut into the smallest particles, they will still regenerate in this form."

Upon learning this information, everyone present felt a chill run down their spines.

The destruction of the Great Yan Kingdom occurred over a thousand years ago.

A thousand years of time, an endless torment.

Just imagining this kind of pain is enough to send chills down your spine.

Daisy asked, puzzled, "Who on earth would do such a thing?"

"Not a human, but a god."

An answer popped into Xia En's mind.

The filthy secret power emanating from the ice crystal monster is enough to identify the instigator of this incident.

Shaen quickly thought of another question: "But if ordinary spells can't destroy these monsters, why can the [Great Dark Heaven] completely kill them?"

After a moment's thought, Jian gave Xia En a meaningful look.

"Only the power of the gods can stand against the gods..."

(End of this chapter)