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

Chapter 460 [The Winds of Heat Death] [The Forge Realm]

The ship rocked violently in the turbulent currents, and the crew could barely stand.

Xia En gripped the gunwale tightly, his eyes fixed on the front.

He knew that once they were swallowed by the spatial turbulence, they would likely be transported to an unknown [Secret Realm], or even lost in the [Secret Sea].

"Hold on!"

Xia En shouted, "Everyone, hold on tight!"

However, the power of the turbulence was too great; the Black Swan's hull spun continuously, as if it would be torn apart at any moment.

Just when everyone was almost in despair, the ship suddenly shook as if it had hit something.

next moment.

The surrounding turbulence suddenly disappeared, replaced by an unfamiliar sky.

"We... survived?"

There was a hint of uncertainty in Joey's voice.

Xia En slowly released the gunwale and glanced around.

They had clearly escaped the [Secret Sea] passage, but the scene before them made him frown.

This is clearly not the Seven Seas World.

The sky was an eerie dark red, and the land was barren and desolate.

In the distance, a massive black mountain range could be vaguely seen, its peaks shrouded in thick, dark clouds.

"This is where?"

Angie asked in a low voice, her eyes full of doubt.

Xia En took a deep breath, his gaze serious.

"It seems we've been drawn into another [secret realm]."

Suddenly, a faint sob came to Xia En's mind.

【Owner……】

"Little black?"

Xia En's heart tightened, and he quickly communicated with Xiao Hei, the ship spirit of the Black Swan, through a mental link.

However, Xiao Hei's response was extremely weak, as if it might dissipate at any moment.

"not good!"

Shaen quickly checked the condition of the Black Swan, his expression gradually becoming serious.

The Black Swan endured immense pressure during the recent spatial turbulence.

The ship was damaged in many places, with several extremely deep cracks appearing on the deck and hull, and there was even a gap about half the size of a person on the stern side.

The ship's internal compartments and keel also deformed and broke.

Overall durability has dropped below 40.

Worse.

The forced interruption of the [Secret Realm Travel] state caused great damage to Xiao Hei's soul, causing it to temporarily fall into a deep sleep.

After all, that's the [Deity of Filth]!
How could one escape from His clutches without paying a price?

"Little Black..."

Xia En gently stroked the gunwale, a hint of heartache flashing in her eyes.

The Black Swan was not only his ship, but also one of his closest companions.

Seeing how badly it was damaged, Xia En couldn't help but feel guilty.

Fortunately, the Black Swan has the ability to repair itself.

Although it will take some time, it will recover to its original state as long as it is not damaged again.

Xia En tried to sense the [Empty Beast Heart Seal] on his heart and found that it was still functioning normally.

This means they can return to the [Rhine Secret Realm] at any time for supplies and rest, preventing them from being completely cut off from their escape route.

Xia En took a deep breath, turned around and spoke to everyone.

"Gentlemen, the situation is not good."

He briefly explained the current status and damage of the Black Swan.

Upon hearing this news, everyone's expressions turned somewhat somber.

Joey frowned and asked in a low voice.

"Is Little Black... alright?"

Xia En shook his head: "He has temporarily fallen into a deep sleep, but there is no danger to his life."

"It's just that the Black Swan will need some time to be repaired."

Angie and Quinti exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with worry.

"So what should we do next?" Quinti asked.

After a moment's thought, Xia En replied, "Since we're here, let's make the best of it."

"Let's explore this [secret realm] first and see if we can find any useful resources."

"If things don't go well, we'll use the [Empty Beast Heart Seal] to return to the [Rhine Secret Realm] to rest."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

At this moment, Joey suddenly asked, "Captain, why did [Hui Si Ming] suddenly appear?"

"Has He been tracking us all along?"

Xia En shook his head, his brow furrowed: "I'm not sure either."

"However, I suspect it might be because I killed the clone of the Heart-Stealing Apostle in the Elf Realm, which caused me to be marked by the power of the Foul Fate."

"That's why He was able to pinpoint the location of the Black Swan."

"only……"

Xia En's tone became serious.

“I never expected that [Hui Si Ming] would personally take action against us.”

To be honest, the personal appearance of [Hui Si Ming] this time did bring Xia En quite a shock.

That terrifying aura, far surpassing that of the Lord of Cinder, Augustine, and even the [Great Sin Apostles], made Shane truly feel the gap between himself and the other party.

That was an insurmountable chasm.

At least for now, Xia En is as insignificant as an ant in front of the other party.

In fact.

If it weren't for the help of that [Secret Sea Sky Beast], Xia En and the others would probably have been crushed by the [Filthy Fate]'s giant hand.

This instantly extinguished Xia En's slight sense of pride from breaking through to the eighth rank and thwarting the [Heart-Stealing Apostle]'s conspiracy.

Defeating the [Filthy Fate] is still a long and arduous task!
At this time.

Jane, who was standing nearby, said, "Actually, it's not all bad news."

"This means that our actions have finally attracted the attention of the [Filthy Fate], and even made Him feel a little threatened."

"This shows that we already have the ability to cause Him some harm."

"However, it is clear that the journey ahead will be even more difficult."

"The fact that [Hui Siming] personally intervened means that we may face even greater danger at any time."

"Even the originally safe [Secret Realm Traversal] has become extremely dangerous."

"Captain Shane, it would be best if we didn't use this ability before we were freed from the lock imposed by [Fate of the Unholy One]."

Shane nodded, agreeing with Joey's analysis.

"You're right."

"But now, we need to figure out which [secret realm] we are currently in and gather as much information as possible."

Xia En's gaze swept over everyone, and he said in a deep voice, "Everyone, let's split up and explore the situation in this [Secret Realm]."

"Remember, safety first. Return immediately if you encounter any abnormalities."

"Yes, Captain!"

The crew responded in unison, then split into several groups and set off in different directions.

……

……

It didn't take long.

The group gradually returned to the temporary camp on the Black Swan.

Xia En stood at the bow of the ship, watching the crew members return one after another, his brows furrowed slightly.

Judging from their expressions, the situation does not seem optimistic.

Xia En asked, "How was it?"

Joey spoke first, her expression somewhat grave.

"Captain, we haven't found any trace of living things on the surface."

"The entire land was barren, without a single plant." "A deathly aura permeated the air, and the secret power was so thin that it was almost imperceptible."

An nodded and added, "Our situation is similar."

"There was no sign of life on the surface, not even a breeze."

"The sky was always that dark red, as if it had been polluted by some force."

"We did find some strange traces," Carles said, "like some kind of huge creature that once roamed here."

"But these marks are very old, and seem to have been left a long time ago."

"Captain," Xuan Ge said solemnly, "I have discovered some entrances to underground caves."

"Although I didn't go deep, I could feel strong energy fluctuations underground."

"Perhaps there are intelligent beings in this [secret realm] underground."

After listening to everyone's reports, Xia En frowned even more deeply.

He pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "It seems that the surface of this [Secret Realm] has been completely abandoned."

“There are no signs of life, and the mystic energy is very weak... This is very abnormal.”

"But...underground?"

Shane suddenly remembered the [Forge Realm] he had visited before.

Don't the dwarves there live underground?

Could it be that I stumbled upon the [Forge Realm] in my true form by accident?
Of course, this is just Xia En's guess.

Further verification is needed.

Suddenly, a deep rumble came from the sky, as if the heavens and earth were trembling.

Everyone looked up and saw the dark red clouds on the horizon beginning to churn violently.

An extremely powerful surge of mysterious energy emanated from the sky, as if something terrifying was approaching.

"what is this?"

Joey gripped the staff in her hand, a hint of unease flashing in her eyes.

Xia En frowned, a strong sense of foreboding creeping into his heart.

He quickly extended his senses, trying to pinpoint the source of that mysterious energy fluctuation.

However, the force was so immense that it almost suffocated him.

at this time.

Suddenly, the ground cracked open, and a small figure emerged from underground.

It was a dwarf, his face full of anxiety, shouting loudly at them.

"Quick! Get underground!"

"The Wind of Heat Death is coming!"

"If you don't hide, you'll all die!"

"【The Wind of Heat Death】?"

Xia En was taken aback, then quickly realized: "What is that?"

The dwarf stamped his feet in frustration: "There's no time to explain!"

"The [Heat Death Wind] will annihilate all living things on the earth!"

"If you don't hide now, it will be too late!"

Xia En's heart sank, and he immediately realized the seriousness of the situation.

However, when he glanced at the Black Swan, which was parked not far away, his expression became even more unpleasant.

What should we do about the Black Swan?

"If it remains on the surface, it will be destroyed by the [Heat Death Wind]!"

The dwarf shook his head anxiously: "We can't worry about that now! You all need to save yourselves first!"

At this critical moment.

The shadow of the Black Swan suddenly twisted.

Immediately afterwards, a ship shimmering with diamond-like light emerged from the shadows—

It is indeed the Diamond Princess!
"Captain, I'm here to help!"

The voice of the Diamond Star echoed.

Without hesitation, Xia En quickly ordered, "Xiao Xing, hold off the Black Swan! We need to find a safe haven quickly!"

Joey pointed to a hill not far away and said.

"Over there! When we were exploring earlier, we discovered a cave leading underground!"

"We can hide inside!"

"go!"

Without hesitation, Xia En led everyone quickly toward the cave.

The hull of the Diamond Star radiated a dazzling light, and a surge of mysterious power pulled the Black Swan forward slowly.

Although they were not moving very fast, with everyone pushing them with all their might, the two ships gradually approached the cave.

The roar in the sky grew closer, and the dark red clouds seemed to be torn apart by some force, revealing the intense light behind them.

The fluctuations of that mysterious power grew stronger and stronger, as if it were about to devour the entire surface of the earth.

"Quick! Faster!"

The dwarf led the way, urging them on anxiously.

With all their might, they finally rushed into the cave at the last moment before the [Wind of Heat Death] descended.

Almost at the same moment.

The world outside the cave was enveloped in a blinding white light.

Standing at the cave entrance, Shane witnessed firsthand the sight of the [Heat Death Wind] sweeping across the surface.

It was a terrifying sight that defies description.

Intense light descended from the sky, as if the sun's wrath were pouring down.

Everything on the earth's surface was evaporated in an instant; rocks, soil, and even air were reduced to nothingness by that force.

Where the light passed, only charred marks remained, as if even time itself had been burned away.

"This...this is the [Wind of Heat Death]?"

Joey's voice trembled slightly, his eyes filled with shock.

Xia En stared at the scene outside, his brows furrowed.

He carefully observed the fluctuations of that power and began to have some guesses in his mind.

"This [heat death wind] is somewhat similar to a solar flare."

Xia En thought to himself, "These are all extremely high-temperature energy bursts, capable of instantly destroying all surface materials."

"The reason why intelligent beings in this world live underground is to avoid the periodically descending [heat death winds]."

"but……"

Xia En raised his head and looked at the dark red sky.

Everything has a reason.

So why is this world constantly ravaged by the "Heat Death Winds"?
After a moment of mental turmoil, Shane turned to the dwarf and asked politely.

"Thank you for reminding me. May I ask how I should address you?"

The dwarf patted his chest, revealing a set of white teeth, and said heartily.

"My name is Subaru."

"He is a patrolman in the [Iron Lava] dungeon."

Shane carefully examined the Subaru.

He was about 1.2 meters tall, with a strong build and well-defined muscles, clearly the result of long-term training.

His skin had a healthy bronze hue, his face was marked by the passage of time, and there were several deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Subaru is well-equipped.

He wore a set of light armor made of some kind of black metal, with intricate runes engraved on the plates, faintly emitting a mysterious energy fluctuation.

He had a short-handled warhammer at his waist, with a red gem embedded in its head, and flames seemed to dance within the gem.

He also carried a round shield on his back, with a roaring lion's head carved in the center.

Look majestic.

This equipment is very similar to that of the other dwarves that Shane saw in the [Forge Realm].

But it needs to be even more refined.

And... the [Iron Melting] dungeon?

After a moment's thought, Shane asked directly, "Is this the [Ghana World]?"

(End of this chapter)