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

Chapter 483 [A Great Race?] [The Bronze Curse]

After a moment of contemplation, Shaen asked, "What do you know about that drop of 'Eternal Blood'?"

A hint of awe flashed in Elder Marina's eyes.

“That is the witch’s most precious collection. It is said that she obtained it from the ancient ruins of another [secret realm].

"She once said that this drop of blood contained a power that transcended time and came from a great race."

"But the specific source..."

She shook her head: "The witch never mentioned it."

Elvis added, "However, I once overheard the witch say something—"

She said to the drop of blood, "Since your master has lost his way, let me inherit this power."

These words sent a jolt through Xia En.

"A great race?"

A single drop of blood possesses such extraordinary power.

So, what kind of great power would a race with this blood possess?
Moreover, Shane also knew of the existence of the so-called "Great Law".

The Great Law is the source of all extraordinary power in the Secret Sea.

Only those who leave their mark on the Great Law can be considered the strong in the Secret Sea.

Could the "great race" that Leila mentioned have anything to do with it?
Xia En had a vague feeling that he had touched upon an even bigger mystery.

After a moment of reflection, Xia En continued.

"I understand."

"Next, I plan to head to the depths of the [Secret Sea] to search for the relics left behind by Lyra."

Would you like to join this voyage?

Elvis and Marina exchanged a glance, then nodded firmly.

"Of course I do."

Elvis's voice was resolute: "This is not only to repay your kindness, but also to complete the unfinished work of the Witch."

Elder Marina also said, "The time-related secrets that our [Eternal Darkness Clan] possesses may come in handy during our voyage."

"very good."

Xia En smiled with satisfaction.

Elvis and Marina are both legendary-level or higher powerhouses.

With their addition, the Black Swan's combat capabilities have been significantly enhanced once again.

"We set off on time three days later."

……

……

Three days passed in a blink of an eye.

During this period, the city of Rhine held a grand welcoming ceremony for the Eternal Dark Clan.

Sha Jingjing organized the artisans in the city to build a small observatory in the east of the city, in accordance with the traditional style of the Yong'an tribe. This was an important facility for them to observe the flow of time.

On the night before his departure, Shane stood alone on the city wall, gazing at the Rhine City under the moonlight.

Familiar footsteps sounded behind me.

"Captain, are you thinking about Lyra again?"

Vivian walked to his side, the night breeze ruffling her long hair.

Xia En did not deny it: "I'm wondering, where is she right now?"

"And...can we find Lyra before she's completely taken over?"

"This is not your fault."

Vivian said softly, "You've done enough."

Xia En gave a wry smile: "But it's still not good enough."

He raised his hand, silver sands of time swirling in his palm: "This drop of 'Eternal Blood' has given me new power, but also brought more questions."

"for example?"

"for example."

Xia En's gaze was profound: "What is the purpose of the [God of Blind Foolishness] taking her away?"

"What is this 'great race' she mentioned?"

"besides……"

Shaen gently stroked the pocket watch with his fingertips, feeling the blue stardust left by the Starshine Clan Chief within.

"At the last moment, Chief Xinghui seemed to want to tell us something."

Vivian said thoughtfully, "Perhaps, once we reach that coordinate, everything will be answered."

Xia En nodded and put away the pocket watch: "I hope so."

A night breeze swept across the city walls, bringing with it the fresh scent of the distant forest.

After a moment of silence, Vivian suddenly asked softly.

"Captain, if... I mean, if the enemy we ultimately face is not just [Hui Si Ming], but something far more terrifying, what would you do?"

Xia En gazed at the stars in the night sky, his thoughts churning.

He thought of the mysterious and unpredictable God of Blind Fools, and also of the Black Tide he had seen in the Old Flame.

The dangers and horrors within the [Secret Sea] seem countless.

But soon, Shane's gaze became as firm as iron again.

"No matter who the enemy is, we will fight to the end."

"The Black Swan's voyage will not be stopped by any obstacle."

Vivian smiled, her heterochromatic eyes reflecting starlight: "This is the captain I know."

……

……

The following morning, the crew of the Black Swan boarded the ship one after another.

Elvis and Elder Marina of the Eternal Dark Clan stood on the deck, watching the Rhine City gradually disappear into the distance, their expressions complex.

Can we really come back?

Marina asked in a low voice.

Elvis paused for a moment, then said firmly, "Yes."

"Once we find the answer, once we are completely free from the shadow of [Hui Si Ming]... this place may become our new home."

Xia En stood in front of the helm, his gaze sweeping across the entire ship.

Vivian, Anne, and Carles are inspecting the runic array on the hull;

Xian Ge lay on the mast, lazily basking in the sun;

Joey leaned against the ship's railing, his red eyes slightly narrowed, discussing the techniques of the secret art with Jane;
The couple, Youxing and Youyue, stood at the stern of the boat, talking in hushed tones.

"set sail!"

At Shane's command, the hull of the Black Swan glowed with a silvery light, and the rune array lit up one by one.

[Secret Realm Trek] Initiated!
In an instant, the ship was enveloped in a silver halo, and the surrounding scenery distorted and dissipated like ripples on water.

As the light faded, the Black Swan had already entered the Secret Sea, a place filled with starlight and resembling a vast universe!
The vast starry sky of the Secret Sea unfolds overhead, with countless dazzling stars like diamonds embedded in the dark, deep waters.

In the distance, nebulae swirl and shimmer, their magnificent bands of light dancing silently in the void like a goddess's veil.

Following the coordinates he had obtained earlier, Shane headed deeper into the [Secret Sea].

"Navigation confirmed."

Shane adjusted the helm, and the Black Swan's silver sails immediately detected the invisible flow of mysterious power in the Secret Sea.

"Full speed ahead!"

The ship trembled slightly, and the mithril figurehead shone with a dazzling light.

The ancient runes engraved on the hull lit up one after another, forming a semi-transparent silver light shield around the ship.

Vivian stood on the observation platform, her eyes reflecting the myriad stars.

But soon, she let out a soft exclamation.

"An unusual energy fluctuation has been detected ahead, resembling some kind of debris field?"

Xia En's expression was also somewhat strange.

"Wreckage zone?"

Keep in mind, they are currently located within the Secret Sea Passage opened by the Weaver of Fate. What kind of debris would appear in this passage, isolated from the Secret Sea?
Xia En looked in the direction Vivian had warned him.

There, a band of floating debris can be vaguely seen.

The fragments had an eerie bronze sheen and were covered with honeycomb-like holes.

Xia En's expression immediately hardened: "All personnel on alert!"

As the Black Swan approached the debris field, everyone gasped in horror.

That was no ordinary wreckage.

Each "fragment" is a twisted bronze statue.

They remained in the posture of their last moments: some held their heads in their hands, some knelt in prayer, and some were even running.

The faces of all the statues are frozen in extreme terror.

"This is."

Youyue covered her mouth, her azure eyes filled with horror.

"what happened?"

Xia En's expression also became extremely serious.

No matter how you look at it, this bronze statue that appeared in the [Secret Sea Passage] is extremely eerie.

With the mentality of "less is worse than more".

Shaen ordered, "Speed ​​up! Avoid this wreckage!"

Under Shane's skillful control, the Black Swan sped up dramatically and moved away from the area where the bronze statue was located in another direction.

They watched as the wreckage behind them receded into the distance.

Everyone breathed a slight sigh of relief.

For some reason, they all felt a strange chill in their hearts when they stood in front of those bronze statues.

It was as if it had been targeted by some "dirty thing".

Although he had temporarily moved away from the bronze ruins, Shane was not entirely at ease.

Quite the opposite.

An ominous premonition was lingering in his mind.

Shane's intuition told him that these things were definitely not that simple.

as predicted.

It didn't take long.

Joey let out a gasp.

"Captain, look ahead!"

Shaun looked in the direction Joey pointed, and his pupils suddenly contracted—

More bronze statues were floating in the [Secret Sea Passage] ahead!

They were denser than before, like an eerie bronze forest, blocking the entire waterway.

What's even more chilling is...

The poses of these statues seem to have changed?
The statues that were previously cradling their heads are now slowly raising their faces; the kneeling statues in prayer are straightening their twisted fingers one by one; and the running statues seem to be changing direction—

All geared towards the Black Swan!
"Are they moving?"

The dragon scales of the stringed instrument exploded, and golden-red dragon flames surged in its throat.

"No, it's not moving now."

Shaun's voice was unusually solemn: "These are the marks left on them by [time]."

He keenly sensed that these bronze statues retained some kind of distorted time law.

As the Black Swan approached, the flow of time on them subtly changed, creating the illusion of "activity".

Even so, the scene before us was horrifying enough.

"Everyone, be prepared."

Xia En decisively said, "I'm going to activate [Void Shuttle] and pass directly through this area!"

As Shane's mastery of the [Laws of the Void] continues to improve, his ability to [traverse the Void] becomes increasingly powerful.

It is entirely possible to transport the Black Swan and all its crew members through the void within a certain distance.

The [Void Power] rapidly spread across the Black Swan, soon enveloping the entire ship.

However, just as the Black Swan was about to enter the void—

"boom!"

A bronze statue suddenly crashed into the figurehead!
Its distorted face was pressed tightly against the protective shield, and two scarlet spots suddenly lit up in its empty eye sockets.

Immediately afterwards, all the bronze statues turned their heads at the same time, their scarlet eyes shooting out like searchlights!

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

Xia En turned his head to look.

The figurehead that was being touched by the bronze statue was turning into bronze at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Even more frightening is that this transformation is spreading along the hull!

Youxing looked shocked and murmured, "Could this be the legendary... [Bronze Curse]?"

Shaen immediately asked, "【Bronze Curse】, what is that?"

Youxing explained, "I only saw a brief description in the records left by the elders of my clan who explored the [Secret Sea]."

"It is said that deep within the Secret Sea, there exists a curse that can transform everything into bronze."

"Any living thing or object that it touches will turn into a lifeless bronze statue in a very short time."

"Legend has it... this forbidden power can even corrupt gods!"

"All personnel, prepare for battle!"

With a roar, Xia En's Eternal Blood surged within him, and silver patterns instantly covered his entire body.

The Law of Time is activated!
A silver halo erupted from him, enveloping the first bronze figurehead.

Under the influence of the power of time, time in that area began to flow backward, and the bronze that had just been transformed returned to its original state.

"Dark stars and a pale moon! Construct a barrier of starlight!"

"String Song! Burn down the nearest statues!"

"An, prepare the [Purifying Rain]!"

Following Shane's series of orders, the crew immediately sprang into action.

Azure starlight and golden-red dragon flames intertwined to form a net, shattering the bronze statue that tried to approach.

Vivian raised her staff high, and a rain of fluorescent green light fell, slowing the spread of the bronze transformation.

However, there are simply too many statues.

They surged in from all directions, like sharks drawn by the scent of blood, relentlessly ramming against the ship's protective hull.

Even more terrifying.

The shattered statue fragments miraculously reassembled in the [Secret Sea], transforming into even more distorted forms and attacking once more!
Yes.

They are inanimate objects, so how could they be dead?
Or, they may not have the concept of "death" at all.

【Owner……】

It feels so...uncomfortable...

At the same time, in Xia En's mind, he heard Xiao Hei's slightly painful cries.

Xia En scanned the area with his senses and immediately realized what had happened.

As the bronze statue came into contact with the Black Swan, even Xiao Hei's soul began to show signs of becoming bronze!
This situation deeply saddened Xia En.

If Xiao Hei's soul is completely transformed into bronze, then there is probably no way to save him!
Unfortunately, he still couldn't find an effective way to deal with these bronze fragments.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Xia En's forehead. The Eternal Blood surged wildly within him, and the power of the Time Law continuously consumed his secret power.

"This can't go on."

His gaze swept across the battlefield, and he noticed that although the shattered statue fragments could be reassembled, the process was noticeably slower.

"core……"

"This bronze statue must have some kind of core!"

Without hesitation, Xia En immediately activated the vision of [Peeping Eyes].

The scene before him immediately shocked him.

(End of this chapter)