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

Chapter 474 Goodbye, King of Ten Thousand Dragons!
Xia En nodded: "That makes sense."

"Let's first select a low-risk [Secret Realm] for testing."

Joey walked over, her long, snow-white hair fluttering in the sea breeze.

"I recommend the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm]. It's relatively close to the [Seven Seas World] and has the familiar ancient dragon clan."

"Moreover, I can sense that Xiange will probably achieve a breakthrough very soon."

"The environment of the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm] might be of some help."

"Okay, let's choose [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm]."

After making his decision, Shane looked at Vivian and asked, "How are you feeling?"

Vivian blinked her heterochromatic eyes, a wisp of deep purple energy flickering at her fingertips: "I've almost fully recovered."

"The powers of [Annihilation] and [Rebirth] have also stabilized considerably."

Xia En smiled slightly: "That's good."

"Attention all crew members, prepare to activate [Secret Realm Shuttle]!"

At Shane's command, the Black Swan began to tremble slightly.

The runes on the deck lit up one by one, forming a semi-transparent protective shield of arcane power.

A silvery glow emanated from the interior of the Black Swan, making the entire ship appear even more mystical.

"Om-"

Space began to distort, and a silver-white light gate slowly unfolded in front of the ship.

"go ahead!"

The Black Swan's steam core roared deafeningly as the ship shot into the portal like an arrow.

A familiar feeling of weightlessness washed over me, and the surrounding scenery quickly blurred.

As countless stars lit up, it signified that the Black Swan had officially entered the passage located in the Secret Sea.

Xia En gripped the helm tightly, feeling every slight change in the ship's hull.

At the same time, he glanced around warily.

Fortunately, the Secret Sea was calm at this time and was not intercepted by the Filthy Fate like last time.

However, even so, Shane did not let his guard down.

He knew all too well the cunning and power of the [Filthy Fate], and that any negligence could lead to disastrous consequences.

"Space readings are stable, and the hull has not been corroded."

Jian quickly reported the various data, the flashing light of the instruments reflecting off his glasses.

Joey stood at the bow of the ship, her long silver hair dancing in the wind of secret power, her eyes closed as she sensed the fluctuations in the surrounding space.

"There are no abnormal energy reactions. It seems we have indeed blocked the perception of [Hui Si Ming]."

Vivian stood beside Xia En, her heterochromatic eyes reflecting the starlight flowing through the passage.

At the same time, a hint of curiosity appeared on his face.

Unlike the other crew members, this was Vivian's first time experiencing the feeling of "traversing the secret realm".

"The energy here... is somewhat similar to the [Sea of ​​Annihilation], but also completely different."

Xia En nodded: "The [Secret Sea] encompasses countless [Secret Realms], and contains endless mysteries."

He turned to Faia: "How's the engine?"

Feiya wiped the sweat from her forehead and said excitedly, "The newly upgraded steam core is working well, and the energy output is at least three times more stable than before!"

"very good."

Xia En smiled slightly: "Stay vigilant, we are about to arrive at the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm]."

As the Black Swan traveled through the secret sea passage, the starlight ahead gradually converged into a dazzling portal.

"Prepare to cross over!" Xia En gripped the helm and gave the order in a deep voice.

The ship shuddered slightly, and then, as if passing through a curtain of water, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed.

The azure sky replaced the starlight of the mysterious sea, and a breath of fresh air filled the air.

In the distance, the rolling mountains resemble a giant dragon coiled in the vast sea of ​​clouds, with ancient dragon nests faintly visible among them.

"This is the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm]?"

Vivian looked around curiously: "It's much more beautiful than I imagined."

A hint of nostalgia appeared on Joey's face.

“The last time I came here, things weren’t this peaceful.”

As soon as she finished speaking, several black dots suddenly appeared in the distant sky, approaching the Black Swan at an extremely fast speed.

"It's Gu Long!"

Jane immediately recognized the figures: "It seems our arrival has attracted their attention."

However, Shane and the rest of the crew were all very relaxed.

After assisting the [King of Ten Thousand Dragons] in eliminating the [Black Tide] and the [Corrupted Apostle]'s clones.

Shane has already become a hero of the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm].

The ancient dragon clan is also an ally they can trust.

Soon, several enormous ancient dragons arrived in the sea of ​​clouds surrounding the Black Swan.

Their scales shimmered with a metallic sheen, and their dragon eyes shone with the light of wisdom.

The largest of the ancient dragons was the leader. It took a step forward, lowered its head, and emitted a deep and majestic voice.

"Captain Shane, welcome back to the Dragon's Nest Secret Realm."

"The King of Dragons has sensed your arrival and has specially dispatched us to welcome you."

Xia En nodded slightly: "Thank you for your welcome."

"We came here for two reasons, one of which is to test the ship's new performance capabilities."

"Secondly, I hope to utilize the unique environment of the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm] to help my crew achieve a breakthrough."

Gu Long's gaze swept over the Black Swan, lingering briefly on a certain spot in the cabin.

Clearly, it sensed the unique fluctuations of secret power emanating from Xiange during her seclusion.

"Please follow us."

"The King of Ten Thousand Dragons awaits you at Dragon's Nest Peak."

Then, the ancient dragons circled around the Black Swan like the most loyal guards, leading the ship deeper into the secret realm.

As the voyage progressed deeper, the magnificent scenery of the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm] gradually unfolded before their eyes—

On the towering mountain peaks, ancient dragon nests are scattered like stars.

The clear lake reflects the sky, and occasionally a young dragon skims across the surface;

In the distance, a majestic white mountain peak pierces the clouds; that is the legendary "Dragon's Nest Peak."

"Truly amazing..."

The couple, Youxing and Youyue, who came from the [Secret Realm of the Night], couldn't help but show surprise, their eyes reflecting this magical land.

Joey walked to their side and whispered, "The concentration of secret energy here is several times that of the outside world, which is very beneficial to cultivation."

"Especially for creatures with dragon blood."

She glanced meaningfully toward the cabin—where String Song was preparing to break through to the legendary realm.

Shaen noticed that as they approached the [Dragon's Nest Peak], the dragon-patterned reliefs on the deck began to glow slightly.

This is the [Secret Dragon Crystal Rock] in the ship's hull material resonating with the secret realm.

"It seems that Grom's forging skills are indeed superb."

Xia En nodded in satisfaction: "The new material is perfectly adapted to the environment of the secret realm."

Before long, the Black Swan, guided by the ancient dragons, landed on the mountainside platform of Dragon Nest Peak.

Here, clouds and mist swirl around, and ancient stone steps wind their way up to the Dragon Court at the summit.

"Captain Shane."

An elderly man dressed in white robes was already waiting there; he was none other than the human form of the ruler of the Dragon's Nest Secret Realm—the King of Ten Thousand Dragons.

His hair was as white as snow, his face was dignified yet kind, and his golden vertical pupils contained endless wisdom.

Xia En looked at the [King of Ten Thousand Dragons] with some surprise.

This was the first time he had ever seen the [King of Ten Thousand Dragons] in this form. "What, you don't recognize me anymore just because you've changed your appearance?"

The King of Ten Thousand Dragons said with a smile.

"I only imitated it a little because I saw Xiange appear in human form last time."

Xia En snapped out of his daze and smiled, "I just didn't expect you to be interested in this form."

The King of Ten Thousand Dragons stroked his beard and laughed: "When you live long enough, you have to try some new things."

"Besides, you might be more used to communicating in this way."

His gaze swept over the crowd, pausing slightly when he saw Vivian, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"The power emanating from this young woman is... quite peculiar."

Vivian bowed somewhat nervously: "Hello, I am Vivian."

The King of Dragons nodded thoughtfully, but did not ask any further questions, and instead looked at Xia En.

"I already know the purpose of your trip from the ancient dragons."

"The Dragon Pool at the summit of Dragon Nest Peak is the most suitable sacred place for dragon bloodline breakthroughs."

"This will be just right to help Xiange get through this difficult time."

Xia En said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance."

[King of Ten Thousand Dragons] waved his hand: "No need to be polite."

"You are the eternal friends of the [Dragon's Nest]."

"But before that, I have something to tell you—"

His expression suddenly turned serious.

"Recently, traces of the Black Tide have reappeared in the Dragon's Nest Secret Realm."

Shaun frowned: "They're here again?"

"To be precise, we have discovered several [Black Tide Cultists]!"

"They were carrying this on them."

He flipped his hand, and a jet-black scale appeared.

The scales were covered with strange patterns and exuded an unsettling, decaying odor.

Xia En's pupils contracted slightly: "This is...?"

"A corrupted scale."

The King of Dragons' voice was deep: "Scales of the Corrupted Apostle."

"These scales can corrupt weaker ancient dragons, turning them into the corrupted ancient dragons of that day in the [Black Tide]."

Shaen asked in a deep voice, "What else did those cultists reveal?"

[King of Ten Thousand Dragons] shook his head: "They were controlled by corrupt secret power and suddenly mutated during the interrogation. We had no choice but to eliminate them."

But one thing is certain—

A sharp glint flashed in his golden vertical pupils.

"The Corruption Apostle is completing its invasion through another means."

"And this method is more covert, eerie, and difficult to detect than the Kuroshio Current."

Xia En frowned.

In fact, this kind of insidious pollution is more terrifying than the large-scale surge of the "Black Tide".

Maybe right now.

In some corner of the [Dragon's Nest Secret Realm] and the [Seven Seas World], members of the [Black Tide Order] are active.

This shows that the Corruption Apostle was even more cunning and unpredictable than Xia En had anticipated.

He and the twisted, manipulative "Apostles of Sin" are practically two different types of enemies!
Shaen's vigilance towards this "Corrupted Apostle" has risen to a new level.

Unfortunately, his current strength is not enough to go directly to the destroyed Seven Seas World and eliminate this Corrupted Apostle.

Just then, a strong energy fluctuation suddenly erupted inside the cabin!

The entire ship trembled, and the dragon relief on the deck shone with dazzling golden light.

"This is... String Song is about to break through!"

Joey's long, snow-white hair moved without wind, and a hint of surprise flashed in her red eyes.

The King of Ten Thousand Dragons immediately said, "There's no time to lose, let her go to the Dragon Pool to break through!"

“The ancient dragons will guide you.”

"As for the matter of the [Corrupted Apostle], we'll discuss it further after the breakthrough is complete."

Xia En rushed to the cabin immediately.

At this moment, Xian Ge's entire body was wrapped in a layer of mysterious power threads that were bronze in color and mixed with gold and red.

It formed a cocoon-like structure.

It's like when Xia En took her out of the Ancient Dragon Egg from the Ember Treasure Trove.

Xia En carefully picked up the cocoon wrapped in the mystic threads, feeling the strong pulse emanating from it.

"let's go!"

Guided by the ancient dragons, Xia En and his group quickly headed towards the Dragon Pool at the top of the mountain.

Along the way, clouds and mist swirled, and the ancient stone steps were covered with dragon script, emitting a faint glow.

As the altitude increases, the concentration of mystic energy in the air also increases, even forming a pale golden mist that is visible to the naked eye.

"The mystical energy here... is so concentrated!"

Feiya took a deep breath, a look of ecstasy appearing on her face.

Joey explained, "【Dragon Nest Peak】is the energy node of the secret realm, and the Dragon Pool gathers the essence of the entire mountain."

Before long, the group arrived at the mountaintop.

A circular pool about 100 meters in diameter came into view, its water a dazzling gold, with wisps of mist rising from its surface.

"This is Dragon Pool."

[King of Ten Thousand Dragons] gestured for Xia En to place the String Song's cocoon into the pool: "The water of the Dragon Pool can help her stabilize her bloodline and successfully complete her breakthrough."

Xia En nodded and gently placed the cocoon into the pool water.

"Gululu——"

As soon as the cocoon touched the pool water, it sank to the bottom, and then the pool water began to churn violently, as if boiling.

Golden energy surged from the pool water and continuously flowed into the cocoon.

"This process will take some time."

[King of Ten Thousand Dragons] turned to Xia En: "Speaking of which, I've heard something else."

"Captain Shane, it seems you led the dwarves of the Forge back to the Seven Seas?"

When this matter was mentioned, Xia En paused slightly.

After all, the dwarves were a race under the command of the God of War.

The ancient dragon clan once waged a fierce divine war against the gods.

Now that the matter has been brought up, Xia En can't help but feel a little embarrassed.

However, the King of Ten Thousand Dragons clearly had no intention of making things difficult for him, and simply smiled faintly.

"Don't worry, the War of the Gods is over in a thousand years."

"Although we still harbor resentment towards certain gods, there is no need to extend that hatred to innocent dwarves."

"What I really want to ask is, it seems you guys also rescued an ancient dragon named Ghana in the [Forge Realm]?"

Xia En breathed a sigh of relief and then nodded.

"Yes."

"In fact, another name for the [Forge Realm] is the [Ghana World]."

"It seems that during its battle with the God of War, it accidentally arrived at the [Forge Realm] and has been sleeping underground for thousands of years."

"This time, the [Forge Realm] is on the verge of destruction."

"We were able to return to the Seven Seas World only with the help of [Ghana]'s power."

(End of this chapter)