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

Chapter 473 [Black Swan Upgrades Again!] [Overall Ability 120!]

next moment.

Xia En gripped the knife with both hands and slashed down fiercely!
The pitch-black blade flashed like lightning tearing through the night sky, colliding violently with the giant hand.

"boom--"

With a deafening explosion, the giant hand was cleaved in two!
But before Shane could catch his breath, he saw the severed giant hand rapidly regenerate and split into more smaller arms.

"Damn it, its regenerative ability is too strong!"

Shaun frowned and stepped back onto the deck.

Joey immediately stepped forward, formed a hand seal, and a silver barrier was erected in front of the ship.

"Captain, we must find a way to completely eliminate it!"

Vivian also came to Xia En's side, her heterochromatic eyes flashing with a resolute light.

"Shane, let me try."

She took a deep breath and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"[Annihilation] and [Rebirth]..."

As she whispered, the deep purple of her left eye and the emerald green of her right eye lit up simultaneously.

Two completely opposite energies converged in her palm, forming a constantly rotating sphere of light.

Xia En could tell at a glance that Vivian was using two completely different laws.

So he decisively said, "I'll buy you some time!"

"Protect Vivian with all your might!"

"understand!"

Joey quickly formed hand seals, summoning the power of the storm, and numerous waves surrounded the Black Swan like a shield.

Faia then manipulated the steam core, channeling all its energy into the defense system.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The giant black hand kept pounding on the barrier, each impact causing the ship to shake violently.

But Joey and Faye gritted their teeth and held on desperately.

Finally, Vivian's sphere of light was fully formed.

"Shane, now's the time!"

Xia En immediately understood, and the [Void Blade] lit up again.

"Little Black, sprint with all your might!"

The Black Swan suddenly accelerated, like a black lightning bolt, heading straight for the center of the vortex!

Just as she was about to reach the vortex, Vivian suddenly launched the ball of light.

"go with!"

The moment the sphere of light fell into the vortex, it burst forth with dazzling light.

The power of [Annihilation], like a ravenous beast, frantically devoured the energy of the [Black Tide].

The power of "rebirth" transforms into countless emerald green specks of light, purifying the polluted seawater.

At the same time, Xia En swung his sword down!

"Break it for me!"

The dark blade light and the power of the light sphere intertwined and exploded in the center of the vortex!

"Rumble--"

Amidst the deafening explosion, the entire vortex was ripped apart!

The giant black hand let out a mournful howl and crumbled inch by inch in the light.

The Kuroshio Current on the sea surface dissipated rapidly like the receding tide, eventually restoring the original azure blue.

"Success!"

Cheers erupted on the deck.

Xia En let out a long sigh of relief and sheathed the Void Blade.

But at that moment, Vivian's body suddenly went limp and she fell backward.

"Vivian!"

Xia En reacted quickly and caught her.

Her face was pale, and the light in her heterochromatic eyes had dimmed considerably.

"I'm fine... I just overexerted myself."

Vivian gave a weak smile.

Xia En patted her head tenderly: "Rest well, leave the rest to us."

He looked up into the distance.

With the receding of the Black Tide, Furnace Island returned to peace.

The Federation fleet is regrouping and treating the wounded.

Grom, standing on the gun emplacement halfway up the hill, gave them a thumbs-up.

"Captain Shane!"

Daisy's voice came from the Breeze: "We need to talk!"

Xia En nodded and piloted the Black Swan closer.

As the two ships came together, Daisy leaped onto the deck, her face grave.

"This attack by the Black Tide is extraordinary."

She said in a deep voice, "They seem to have a clear objective."

Xia En frowned: "What do you mean?"

"They might be coming for you."

Daisy explained, "Based on our current research, the [Black Tide] has vaguely given rise to a kind of fuzzy will."

"Perhaps the Black Tide realized that the Black Swan might pose a deadly threat to them."

That's why we want to eliminate this potential threat in advance.

After listening to Daisy's analysis, Shane frowned.

He gazed at the remaining black trails on the sea and said in a deep voice, "You mean, the [Black Tide] has begun to develop self-awareness?"

Not entirely.

Daisy shook her head: "It's more like some kind of primal instinct, like a wild animal instinctively avoiding its predator."

Xia En nodded and said, "I understand."

"We will be extra careful."

Daisy sighed: "The Federal Council has decided to increase its research efforts on the [Black Tide]. I will inform you immediately if there are any discoveries."

"Thank you."

After seeing Daisy off, Shane returned to his cabin.

Vivian was already asleep, her heterochromatic eyes closed, her long eyelashes casting faint shadows on her face.

Xia En gently tucked the blanket around her, then turned and left the room.

On the deck, Joey and Jane were discussing the battle that had just taken place.

"captain."

Jane pushed up her glasses: "I think we need to speed up the ship's upgrade process."

"The hull of the Black Swan is already somewhat unable to withstand this intensity of combat."

Although the Black Swan has merged with the Goddess of Fate's artifact, the Shuttle of Fate, its four-dimensional attributes have been greatly improved.

However, the level of battles that Xia En is currently facing is also getting higher and higher.

They're always talking about [Secret Realm Travel], [Filthy Apostles], and even [Filthy Fate Master].

This makes the Black Swan's strength seem somewhat insufficient.

A new upgrade to the hull is indeed an urgent task.

Shaen nodded, his gaze turning toward Furnace Island.

The crater continues to spew crimson lava, staining the night sky blood red.

"Once Grom has settled the wounded on the [Volcanic Islands], we'll go find Grom."

"The upgrade of the Black Swan can no longer be delayed."

……

……

……

The next morning.

The core forging area of ​​Furnace Island.

Shaun stood in front of a huge furnace, the heat wave hitting him so hard it almost burned his skin.

This furnace is made entirely of transparent crystal, with golden magma flowing inside, radiating astonishing energy fluctuations.

Grom wore specially made heat-resistant armor and held a uniquely shaped forging hammer.

"Captain Shane, are all the materials ready?"

Xia En took out several items from his pocket—

Lava Ore brought back from the Forge Realm;
The Rhinestone Spirit in the Rhine Realm;
Branches of the ancient Lingyuan tree;

The Secret Dragon Crystal Rock atop Dragon's Nest Peak...

There were also various rare materials that Shaen had exchanged in the Seven Seas Federation. A hint of amazement flashed in Grom's eyes: "Excellent materials!"

"With these, I'm confident I can transform the Black Swan!"

He turned to the dwarven craftsmen behind him and shouted.

"Ready to start work!"

The dwarven craftsmen immediately sprang into action, using pre-prepared tools to categorize and place the various materials.

The temperature at the core of the furnace began to rise sharply, and the magma within the crystal walls turned from crimson to a dazzling golden-white.

"First, the smelting of [lava ore]!"

Grom raised his forging hammer high, ancient runes lighting up on its head.

As the hammer fell, a beam of golden light shot out.

【Lava minerals】melt rapidly at high temperatures, turning into flowing liquid metal.

"Next, add [Rhinestone Essence]!"

Shane personally threw the shimmering blue stone essence into the furnace.

The moment the stone essence came into contact with the molten lava, it burst forth with a blinding light, and the entire furnace shook.

Two completely different energies collided and merged, ultimately forming a brand new alloy.

"Incredible..."

Jane adjusted her glasses and began recording the process.

"The stable properties of [Rhinestone Essence] perfectly neutralize the violent energy of [Lava Ore]."

Joey stared intently at the furnace: "I doubt there's any material on the Seven Seas that can compare to this alloy."

The forging process lasted a full day.

As night fell, the materials in the furnace finally completed their initial fusion.

Grom wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Shane: "Next, we need the power of the Black Swan's core—the Weaver of Fate."

Shane nodded and went to the furnace.

He closed his eyes, feeling the connection between his body and the Black Swan.

Master, I am ready.

Xiao Hei's voice echoed in my mind.

Shaen took a deep breath and placed his hand on the crystal wall of the furnace.

"Om-"

A faint blue light spread from Shane's palm, flowing into the furnace along the crystal wall.

The molten alloy inside the furnace began to churn violently, gradually turning a deep blue color.

"Success!"

Grom shouted excitedly, "The materials and the ship's spirit are perfectly integrated!"

"Now, we can begin the final forging!"

The dwarven craftsmen manipulated pipes to guide the molten alloy liquid into specially made molds.

As the alloy cooled, metal plates gleaming with a blue-gold light gradually took shape.

"These metal plates will replace the original hull of the Black Swan."

Grom explained, "They are not only extremely strong, but they can also resist the erosion of Outer God's power."

"It can even... isolate the perception of outer gods!"

Upon hearing this, Xia En's eyes lit up immediately.

What he needs is the ability to block the perception of [Hui Si Ming].

Only in this way can they use [Secret Realm Travel] to travel to other [Secret Realms].

And there's no need to worry about being intercepted by [Hui Si Ming] on the way.

Xia En nodded in satisfaction: "When can we start the installation?"

"Tomorrow morning!"

Grom confidently declared, "Give me three days, and I'll return you a brand-new Black Swan!"

……

……

three days later.

As the first rays of dawn touched Furnace Island, the refit of the Black Swan entered its final stage.

The brand-new blue-gold hull gleamed in the sunlight, and the patterns on the deck were even more intricate and precise.

The figurehead has been re-sculpted into a black swan with outstretched wings, and two [Secret Dragon Crystals] are inlaid in the eyes, exuding an aura of majesty.

"So beautiful……"

Vivian stood on the dock, the brand-new Black Swan reflected in her heterochromatic eyes.

Joey also smiled, a rare occurrence for him: "I can feel that the flow of mystical energy on the ship is much smoother."

"captain!"

Fia jumped excitedly off the ship: "The power of the steam core has tripled! And a new secret energy conversion system has been added!"

Jian flipped through the data records: "The results of the hull strength test exceeded expectations; it can even withstand the attacks of an eighth-tier powerhouse."

Xia En stepped onto the deck, feeling the pulse beneath his feet.

Master, I feel... stronger than ever before.

Xiao Hei's voice was full of energy.

"Congratulations, Captain Shane."

Grom boarded the ship and handed Shane a metal box: "This is the final gift."

Xia En opened the box, inside was an exquisite amulet.

"【Furnace Amulet】".

Grom explained, "It can guide you to find the best forging materials in the world, which may be helpful for your journey ahead."

Xia En solemnly accepted the amulet: "Thank you, my friends."

"Haha, we're the ones who should be saying thank you!"

Grom laughed loudly, "Without you, the dwarves might still be trapped in the [Forge Realm], waiting to die!"

Shortly after, Grom left the deck.

Xia En then opened the panel to check his own status.

[Due to the effect of "Captain's Majesty".]

[Overall Quality: 120!]

[Title: Lord of the Rhine (Legendary - 1.5)!]

Captain of the Black Swan (Legendary Level - 1.3)!

【所掌握法则：虚空（35%）；死亡（6%）；生命（7%）；寂灭（2%）；海洋（2%）】

Shane's overall improvement was not entirely due to the upgrade of the Black Swan.

When Vivian was promoted to Legendary, Shane also reaped a substantial reward.

Leaving aside the improvement of overall quality.

His mastery of the [Law of Life] has also improved, and he has even unlocked a new [Law of Annihilation].

As for the "Law of the Ocean," it comes from Joey, who broke through the legend.

Upon closer inspection, Xia En was somewhat surprised to discover that he had actually mastered five laws!

Moreover, this trend continues.

As the crew continues to break through, he will master more and more laws.

This should have been a good thing.

More rules mean the ability to deal with a variety of different crisis situations.

Their combat strength will be even greater.

But he witnessed Vivian being in danger because of the laws of [Annihilation] and [Rebirth].

Xia En couldn't help but feel a sense of crisis.

It's worth noting that the conflict between these two laws nearly cost Vivian her life.

If so many of my own laws collide, wouldn't it just explode?

A thought vaguely arose in Xia En's mind.

Perhaps he should find a way to integrate and apply all of his principles.

Instead of using it only when I remember, as is the case now.

However, ideas are one thing, but putting them into practice still requires constant trial and error and exploration.

The upgrade of the Black Swan is now complete, and the crew members are in top condition.

It's time to consider the next steps.

Xia En stood at the bow of the ship, gazing intently into the distance.

"Jane, what's the ship's charging status?"

Jane pushed up her glasses and replied, "It's fully charged and ready to start at any time."

"However, Captain, I suggest that we conduct a short-distance 'Secret Realm Traverse' test before officially heading to the 'Secret Sea'."

"To confirm whether the mark of [Hui Si Ming] has been completely blocked."

(End of this chapter)