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

Chapter 449 [The War Begins] [The Ancient Spirit Clan's Probing]

Above the ritual.

The beam of light and the black mist collided violently in the void, emitting a piercing hiss.

The black mist seemed to have a life of its own, frantically trying to devour the pillar of light.

But An's power was like a sharp sword, tearing and purifying the black mist bit by bit.

"An, be careful!"

Xia En stood to the side, his eyes fixed on An's figure, feeling both worried and relieved.

He knew that Ann was no longer the crew member who needed his protection, but a true legendary powerhouse.

Ann did not respond; all her attention was focused on fighting the black mist.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, but her eyes remained resolute.

She could feel the corrupting power contained within the black mist trying to erode her will, but she would never back down.

at this time.

Inside the Elf Temple, a mysterious halo gradually appeared on the statue belonging to Lyra.

The statue's half-open eyes slowly opened.

next moment.

An suddenly realized that a brand new power was flowing into her body.

"Laila, my other self, is this also a backup plan you left behind...?"

A complex emotion welled up in An Xin's heart.

However, she did not waste the opportunity.

The secret power within his body suddenly erupted.

The power of the beam of light instantly increased several times, like a golden torrent that completely engulfed the black mist.

The black mist let out a mournful roar, then vanished without a trace in the light.

The black sun in the sky trembled slightly at this moment, as if it had been impacted by something.

"Success!"

Angie's voice carried a hint of excitement.

She looked up at the sky and saw that the color of the black sun was gradually fading, and the originally dark light was replaced by a layer of soft gold.

"An, you did it!"

Xia En walked to Ann's side, his tone filled with undisguised admiration.

An was slightly out of breath, a tired smile on her face: "This is only temporary."

“I can sense that the power of the Black Sun has not completely disappeared, and the [Filthy Fate] may invade again at any time.”

Xia En nodded, his gaze serious.

"That's right, as long as [Hui Si Ming] doesn't disappear, the crisis isn't over."

Just then, the emerald crystal on the altar suddenly emitted a burst of intense light.

The city of Rhine in the picture became clear again.

Angie walked quickly to the altar and carefully observed the changes in the scene.

"The coordinates of the passage have been confirmed!"

Angie exclaimed excitedly, "We can use the ritual to transfer the power of the [Fountain of Life] to the [Rhine Secret Realm] and completely purify the impure forces there!"

A glimmer of hope flashed in Xia En's eyes: "That's great!"

"In this way, we can not only protect [Rhine City], but also perhaps sever the [Heartbreakers]' control over the [Ancient Spirits]."

Angie nodded, but her expression remained serious.

"However, this process requires extremely precise control."

"A slight mishap could lead to an imbalance of energy between the two secret realms, or even cause catastrophic consequences."

Xia En took a deep breath, his gaze resolute.

"We have to try, no matter what."

Ann walked to Xia En's side and said softly, "I will do my best to assist Angie and ensure the stability of the ritual."

Xia En nodded and patted Ann on the shoulder: "Thank you for your hard work."

Without saying much, Angie quickly began to guide the power of the ritual.

Her hands gently brushed across the emerald crystal as she softly chanted an ancient incantation.

As she moved, the secret power within the crystal began to fluctuate violently, and a dazzling light shot out from the crystal, soaring straight into the sky.

At the same time, the power of the Fountain of Life was also channeled into the ritual.

The light from the spring water intertwined with the light from the crystals, forming a portal composed of light gates.

But at this time.

This portal is still unstable and cannot allow living things to pass through; transmitting the power of the Fountain of Life is also extremely difficult.

Anqi's brows were furrowed, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

Her hands moved swiftly across the emerald crystal, as if playing a complex melody.

As she moved, the light gate gradually stabilized, but it still appeared extremely fragile.

"not enough……"

Angie murmured softly, her tone somewhat anxious.

Shaen stood to the side, his eyes fixed on the portal.

He could sense that the energy fluctuations emanating from the light gate were extremely unstable.

It seemed as if it could collapse at any moment.

"Angie, is there anything I can do for you?"

Xia En asked in a deep voice.

Angie didn't look up, remaining focused on controlling the ritual: "I need more power to stabilize the light gate."

"An, can you continue to channel the power of the [Fountain of Life]?"

An nodded and walked to the Fountain of Life without hesitation.

Her hands gently touched the spring water, and the secret power within her body resonated rapidly with the spring water.

The light in the spring intensified once more, transforming into a dazzling pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.

"Captain Shane, I need your help."

Angie's voice was urgent.

"Your [Void Power] can help me balance the energy fluctuations of the ritual."

Without hesitation, Xia En quickly walked to An Qi's side.

He closed his eyes, and the [Void Secret Power] within his body was slowly released, resonating with the energy in the ritual.

He could sense that the energy in the ritual was gradually stabilizing, and the fluctuations of the light gate were also weakening considerably.

"Very good, keep it up!"

Angie said happily.

After a short while, the light gate gradually stabilized.

Angie said, "Although this passage has been stabilized for the time being, it may still take some time before people can pass through safely."

Xia En was not in a hurry and calmly nodded, saying, "I understand."

And just then.

An pointed to a corner of the image that appeared in the emerald crystal and exclaimed in surprise.

"Captain Shane, look over there!"

Xia En looked in the direction An pointed, and his expression changed slightly.

In the distance from the city of Rhine shown on the screen, one after another, towering giant apes appeared.

Their bodies are made of mysterious power, exuding an extraordinary aura, like weapons born for war.

In the forest, there are also quite a few ferocious beasts, seemingly driven by some kind of force.

They gradually coalesced into a small horde of beasts, surging towards [Rhine City].

"Is it the Ancient Spirit Clan?"

Xia En's expression was grave as he murmured, "They've made their move?"

"But how could it be so fast?"

According to Xia En's original expectations, the Ancient Spirits should not have launched an attack so quickly.

"Wait, could it be because..."

Xia En quickly recalled the riot they had caused in the Ancient Spirit Clan's mining area and their theft of the Purification Stone.

Perhaps it was their actions that angered the Ancient Spirits, prompting them to start the war prematurely.

Xia En frowned, quickly weighing the current situation in his mind.

He turned to look at Anqi and An, his tone urgent but still calm.

"The Ancient Spirit Clan's attack came much earlier than we expected. We must take immediate action." Angie nodded, her gaze resolute.

"I will continue to stabilize the channel to ensure that the power of the [Fountain of Life] can be successfully transmitted to the [Rhine Realm]."

"You should return to Rhine City as soon as possible and organize a defense."

Without hesitation, Shane made a quick decision.

"An, you stay here to assist Angie and ensure the stability of the passage."

"I and the others immediately returned to Rhine City to prepare for battle."

Although An was somewhat reluctant, she knew that the current situation left no room for hesitation.

She nodded, her tone firm: "I will do everything I can to assist Angie and ensure the safety of the passage."

"You must be careful."

Xia En patted her on the shoulder and smiled.

"Don't worry, we won't let the Ancient Spirits succeed."

After speaking, Shane turned to look at the other crew members, his tone decisive.

"We must return to Rhine City immediately and prepare for battle!"

The crew responded in unison, "Yes, Captain Shane!"

Xia En quickly activated the [Empty Beast Heart Seal], leading his crew back to [Rhine City] through the teleportation portal.

……

……

When Shane and the others returned to Rhine City, the atmosphere inside the city was extremely tense.

The defensive works on the city wall are all in place.

The tree people, dwarves, and moon-singing people stood ready, their eyes fixed on the distant forest.

Jane stood on the city wall, her eyes blazing, directing the warriors of various tribes to deploy their defenses.

"Fia, make sure all catapults and ballistae are in optimal condition!"

"Dwarf craftsman, inspect every defensive point of the city wall to ensure there are no loopholes!"

"Moon Clan, prepare to engage the enemy in the air with your firearms!"

Jane's voice was clear and powerful, carrying throughout the entire city wall.

Xia En quickly walked to Jane's side and said in a deep voice.

"The Ancient Spirit Clan's attack came earlier than we expected; they have already gathered outside the city."

Jane nodded, her gaze remaining calm: "I've already seen it."

"Their giant apes and beast horde are approaching, and an attack is expected soon."

Xia En's gaze swept over the defensive fortifications on the city wall, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The defenses of Rhine City are largely complete, and warriors of all races are ready for battle.

Moreover, the Ancient Spirits launched their offensive ahead of schedule.

From another perspective, they may not have been adequately prepared.

The small number of giant apes and the beast tide mixed in with them at this time are proof of this.

"Jane, you did a great job."

Xia En said sincerely.

Jian shook her head slightly, her tone still calm: "This is what I should do."

"Now, we need to develop a detailed battle plan to deal with the Ancient Spirit Clan's attack."

Shaun nodded, his gaze resolute: "That's right. We must ensure the safety of Rhine City while minimizing casualties as much as possible."

Just then, an urgent alarm sounded from the watchtower on the city wall.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Shane and Jane quickly walked to the edge of the city wall, their gazes fixed on the distant forest.

Suddenly, a large number of giant apes and ferocious beasts emerged from the forest.

The giant apes brandished their enormous fists, and the ferocious beasts roared as they charged toward Rhine City, the entire earth trembling beneath their footsteps.

But soon.

Shane and Jane both discovered something.

That is, although the number of giant apes and beast tides was not small, it was much less than they had expected.

It was even less than the last beast tide.

Xia En and Jane exchanged a glance, both able to see the surprise in each other's eyes.

"As expected, the Ancient Spirit Clan was not prepared either."

Xia En said, "Perhaps this is just a probing attack; the real threat is yet to come."

Jane pondered for a moment, then said, "In any case, we cannot let our guard down."

"Even if this is just a test, we must go all out and not give the other side any opportunity."

Xia En nodded in agreement: "You're right."

"We have to prepare for the worst."

He turned to look at the warriors of various ethnicities on the city wall and gave a loud order.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!"

"Catapults, ballistae, and magic-powered cannons, aim at the giant ape! Gunners, prepare to fire at the enemy in the air!"

Following Shane's command, the warriors on the city wall sprang into action.

The clatter of catapults and ballistae filled the air as stones, cannonballs, and sharp bolts were loaded and aimed at the giant ape in the distance.

The Magic Cannon has also entered charging mode.

The gunmen gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the sky, ready to deal with any flying enemies that might appear.

Xia En's gaze swept over the city wall again, and he prayed silently in his heart.

"Hopefully our defenses can withstand this wave of attacks."

at this time.

The giant apes and the beast horde in the distance have already approached the defenses of [Rhine City].

The giant apes roared deafeningly, and the thunderous hoofbeats of the beasts shook the earth.

"Fire!"

At Xia En's command, several cannons on the city wall fired in unison.

Rumbling--

Huge rocks, sharp crossbow bolts, and scorching energy projectiles rained down like a storm, instantly engulfing the giant apes and the beast horde ahead.

The giant apes roared in agony, and the beasts fell amidst the gunfire, their blood staining the earth red.

However, these giant apes and beasts seemed unafraid of death, and continued their frenzied charge forward.

"Continue the attack!"

"Don't give them any chance to breathe!"

Xia En's voice rang out again, his tone filled with unwavering determination.

Without hesitation, the soldiers on the city wall quickly reloaded their ammunition and launched another attack.

And at the same time.

Amidst the horde of beasts, an exceptionally large giant ape let out a deafening roar.

With a stomp of its legs, the earth began to crumble, and it leaped high into the air, hurtling towards Rhine City like a meteorite.

Xia En could tell at a glance that this giant ape possessed legendary strength!

If it were to crash into the city, it would undoubtedly cause great casualties to the city's residents.

"We must stop it!"

"Magic Cannon...Ready!"

Following Shane's command.

The magic-powered cannons on the city wall charged up again and then shot out a terrifying purple beam of light.

However, just as the beam of light was about to hit the giant ape...

A black mist began to emanate from the giant ape's body.

The fog acted as a barrier, blocking the beam of light and preventing it from suffering any damage.

Upon seeing this, Xia En's pupils contracted slightly.

"Has the power of the [Mind-Stealing Apostle] already seeped into these giant apes?"

The original giant ape was formed from the secret power of nature and did not have this kind of impure quality.

But now, they have clearly changed in some way.

A thought flashed through Xia En's mind, and then without hesitation, he charged headlong towards the giant ape falling from the sky.

(End of this chapter)