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

Chapter 481 [Eternal Blood] [The Final Gift]

At this point, Xinghui suddenly looked up at the illusory figure of "Lyra".

"My Lady Witch, thank you for saving me."

The figure of "Lyra" nodded slightly, but did not speak—she seemed to be just a pre-programmed spell, without a complete consciousness.

Elvis asked excitedly, "Witch, are you still alive? Where are you now?"

Lyra's figure began to blur.

She raised her hand, pointed towards the center of the lake, and then vanished into thin air.

Only the silver pocket watch slowly fell, and was caught by Xia En.

What's in the center of the lake?

Xia En gazed thoughtfully at the lake water, which had regained its clarity.

With the help of Youxing and his wife, Xinghui stood up: "I can feel strong spatial fluctuations at the bottom of the lake."

"Perhaps the witch left something behind."

When this matter was brought up, Shane finally couldn't help but ask the question that had been on his mind.

"How much do you know about the [Time Witch]?"

Elvis and Marina exchanged a glance, their faces showing complex emotions.

Elder Marina slowly spoke: "The witch came to the [Eternal Darkness Realm] about a thousand years ago."

At that time, the Eternal Dark Clan was still in a rather primitive and ignorant state.

"There is basically no understanding of secret power or secret techniques."

"It was at that time that the witch built the Tower of Time and took in the talented Eternal Dark Clan as apprentices."

"She taught us the power to control time, leading the [Eternal Darkness Clan] to prosperity."

Elvis took over the conversation, his eyes gleaming with admiration.

"The witch rarely speaks of her origins, but we all know she comes from a very faraway place."

"She always said that she was just looking for some kind of answer..."

Xia En's heart skipped a beat: "What answer?"

Marina shook her head: "The witch never said it outright."

"But one time, I overheard her talking to herself..."

The old woman mimicked that distant and wistful tone: 'In the long river of time, does an eternal anchor truly exist?'

These words sent a jolt through Xia En.

He recalled the research notes he had seen at the top of the Tower of Time—Lyra seemed to be searching for a way to resist the corruption of the Filthy Fate.

But now it seems that her research scope is probably far more than that.

It's just unknown whether this "answer" is Lyra's own goal or a result of being influenced by the [God of Blind Fools].

Xia En gazed at the now calm lake surface, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

The mysteries left behind by Lyra, the Time Witch, seem to be deeper than he imagined.

And this seemingly ordinary lake may be hiding a crucial clue.

"Let's go to the bottom of the lake and take a look."

Shane made the decision, and the crew immediately sprang into action.

String Song transformed into a bronze dragon, carrying everyone towards the center of the lake. As they approached the water's surface, Chief Starshine suddenly raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

"Wait, this lake water..."

He frowned deeply: "I can sense that the flow of time at the bottom of the lake is abnormal."

Xia En took out the silver pocket watch and, sure enough, found that the hands had begun to jump irregularly.

"Time turbulence?"

“No, it’s much more complex,” Chief Starshine explained. “It’s an elaborately designed time labyrinth; venturing in recklessly could trap you in a time loop.”

Youxing suddenly said, "Clan leader, perhaps we can use [Star Orbit Positioning] for navigation?"

“Good idea.”

Xinghui nodded and stood in a triangle with Youxing and Youyue.

They simultaneously unleashed the power of the stars, and beams of azure light intertwined on the lake's surface, gradually outlining a three-dimensional star map.

Surprisingly, these starlight beams are not randomly connected, but form a precise path map.

"Follow the starlight."

Chief Xinghui reminded them, "This is the only safe passage."

String Song carefully descended following the star map's guidance.

The moment the dragon's wings touched the water's surface, the lake water automatically parted, forming a transparent channel.

As they ventured deeper, the surrounding scenery became increasingly bizarre.

Through the water wall, people could see images from different time periods flashing alternately—

It features the ancient landscape of the [Eternal Darkness Realm], the most prosperous city of the [Eternal Darkness Clan], and the scene of the [Night Apostle] descending and polluting countless cities.

"This is……"

Joey's red eyes narrowed slightly: "A time corridor?"

"To be precise, it's a memory corridor created by the Time Witch."

Elder Marina's voice was filled with reverence: "She sealed the history of the [Eternal Darkness Realm] here."

After descending about 100 meters further, a miniature underwater structure appeared at the end of the passage.

It was a miniature version of the Tower of Time, made entirely of some kind of luminous white material, which stood out conspicuously against the dark lakebed.

"It was here after all!"

Elvis exclaimed excitedly, "The Witch's secret research lab!"

The stringed instrument landed on the platform in front of the tower.

As soon as they landed, the tower gate opened automatically, as if it had anticipated their arrival.

The interior space of the tower is much larger than it appears from the outside.

The first floor has a typical research room layout, with various clocks and star charts hanging on the walls.

On the central experimental table, there was an exquisite silver device that was slowly rotating.

"This is……"

As Shane approached the silver device, he discovered that it was composed of countless tiny gears and glowing runes, with a crystal ball floating in the center.

Inside the crystal ball, there seemed to be a drop of bright red blood sealed inside.

"Time anchor point."

Elder Marina reached out her hand, trembling, yet dared not touch it: "The Witch's greatest invention..."

"What can it do?" Joey asked curiously.

"In theory, it can lock onto a specific point in time, creating a space unaffected by the passage of time."

Elvis explained, "But the witch has never successfully activated it."

Xia En noticed an open notebook on the lab table.

The text above contained a puzzling passage:

[The 1203rd attempt failed.]

The Eternal Blood still cannot resonate with time.

Perhaps I'm heading in the wrong direction...

His whispers grew clearer.

【I must……】

My notes end here.

"Eternal Blood?"

Xia En looked thoughtfully at the blood droplet in the crystal ball: "Whose blood is this?"

The Starshine Clan Chief suddenly trembled: "I can feel... the immense power contained within this drop of blood."

"etc……"

Vivian suddenly pointed to a groove on the device's base: "Doesn't this shape match your pocket watch, Captain?"

Upon closer inspection, Xia En confirmed it was true.

He took out the silver pocket watch and carefully placed it into the groove.

With a soft "click," the pocket watch and the device fit together perfectly.

In an instant, the entire research room lit up.

Countless runes emerged from the walls, intertwining in the air to form complex three-dimensional patterns.

The blood droplet in the crystal ball began to glow, projecting a holographic image—

In the video, Leila stands in an unfamiliar laboratory, looking tired and anxious.

"If this video is activated, it means my plan has failed."

She spoke to the void, her voice filled with deep weariness. "The corruption of [The Fel God] is more severe than I imagined; I've tried everything, but nothing has stopped it."

"This drop of eternal blood is my last hope... It comes from a being beyond time."

Leila's eyes suddenly became unusually bright.

"But I know that at some point in the future, a special visitor will arrive."

"Please give this drop of blood to him..."

The image suddenly flickered, and Lyra's face became blurry.

"Time is running out... Remember..."

At that critical moment, the image disappeared with a "snap".

The research room fell silent again.

Everyone looked at Xia En, their eyes filled with questions.

Xia En stared at the crystal ball, his heart filled with turmoil.

He was almost certain that the "special visitor" Lyra was referring to was himself.

However, Lyra, who has now become the Time Witch, clearly no longer remembers her own existence, and has even forgotten the promise and feelings they once shared.

She might know of her arrival simply because of her control over the [Laws of Space and Time], which allowed her to foresee a certain future.

Shane reached out and gently touched the crystal ball.

The moment their fingertips touched, a strange wave emanated from the sphere.

The crystal ball slowly cracked open, and a drop of bright red blood floated up, trembling slightly in the air as if it were alive.

"This is……"

Xia En stared at the drop of blood, feeling an indescribable resonance.

It was as if it belonged to me all along.

"Captain, watch out!"

Vivian reminded her nervously.

However, before Xia En could react, the drop of blood suddenly accelerated, turning into a stream of light and plunging directly into his chest!

"Well--!"

Xia En groaned, feeling a scorching power explode within his body, instantly flowing through his limbs and bones.

His consciousness seemed to be pulled into a chaotic space-time, with countless fragmented images flashing before his eyes—

He saw Leila.

Not Lyra as the Time Witch, but Lyra from the Seven Seas World.

The girl he met in the City of Giant Trees and made a promise with.

She stood in the void, cradling a beating heart in her hands, and murmured softly:
“Shane…this is our last hope…”

"With this drop of blood, anchor time..."

"And... wake me up..."

The screen suddenly shattered.

Shane suddenly opened his eyes and found himself still standing in the research room, with the crew members anxiously surrounding him.

"Captain! Are you okay?"

Joey held his shoulder, her red eyes filled with worry.

Xia En took a deep breath, feeling the new life force within him.

Fine silver lines faintly appeared on his skin, like the marks of time, but they quickly disappeared.

Not only that.

Numerous insights into the laws of spacetime flooded my mind like a tidal wave.

Those mysterious and profound messages lingered and surged within his mind, simultaneously propelling his mastery of the [Laws of Space and Time] to grow rapidly.

[The Laws of Spacetime (1% → 25%!)]

[Overall Qualifications: 125 → 135!]

After a while.

Xia En opened his eyes, a flash of silver light passing through them.

"I am fine."

He spoke in a low voice, his gaze becoming profound.

At this moment, Shane finally understood Lyra's plan.

This drop of "Eternal Blood" is not ordinary blood, but rather the pure power that Lyra extracted from the pollution of the "Blind and Foolish God" by using herself as a medium.

She attempted to use it to create a "time anchor" that was immune to external influences, thereby finding a way to combat the contamination.

However, she failed.

And now, this power has inadvertently merged into Xia En's body.

"Captain, your scent..."

String Song's dragon eyes narrowed slightly: "It seems different."

Before Xia En could speak, a loud roar came from above.

at the same time.

A sense of extreme foreboding arose in everyone's hearts.

Joey frowned: "What happened?"

Xia En, however, vaguely sensed a familiar aura, and his expression immediately changed.

"This power is..."

"Get out of the lake!"

Led by Xia En, the group quickly rushed out of the lake.

However, the sight before them made their hearts sink—

A dark crack suddenly appeared in the sky of the 【Eternal Darkness Realm】, as if it had been forcibly torn apart by some terrifying force.

A thick, inky stench poured down from it.

Wherever it went, time seemed to be corroded; vegetation withered, rocks weathered, and even the air became murky.

"not good!"

The Starshine Clan Chief's expression changed drastically, and starlight patterns appeared on his azure skin.

"It's the true power of [Evil Fate]!"

"He discovered that we have purified the [Apostles of the Night]!"

Elvis's silvery-white pupils contracted sharply: "The secret realm is collapsing!"

Elder Marina, tears streaming down her face, lamented, "In the end, we still couldn't protect our homeland..."

Xia En also felt an extremely strong sense of pressure.

The [Eternal Darkness Realm] is connected to the destroyed [Night Realm].

Since [Hui Si Ming] has noticed the disappearance of [Night Apostle], she will naturally decide to directly pour her power into this already precarious [Secret Realm].

That's why we're in the current situation.

In this critical moment, Xia En no longer concealed anything and spoke directly.

"Elvis, Elder Marina, and everyone from the [Eternal Darkness Clan]."

"If you'd like, I can take you away from here."

"Let's go to another safe, secret place."

Elvis stared at him in shock: "Is...this possible?"

Shane nodded: "I have a way to move everyone."

The two leaders of the Eternal Dark Clan did not hesitate for long. Marina spoke on behalf of her people.

"We are willing to accept your help."

Xia En nodded and said, "Then, everyone, board the ship immediately!"

At Shane's summons, the Black Swan immediately came to their side.

After picking up Elvis and the others, Shane quickly piloted the Black Swan to the last refuge of the Eternal Dark Clan.