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

Chapter 501 [Returning to the Seven Seas, Reuniting with Old Friends]

With the activation of [Secret Realm Travel]...

The ship began to tremble slightly, and the surrounding scenery gradually became distorted and blurred.

Gears, steam pipes, metal buildings... the entire [Intelligent Realm] faded and vanished like an oil painting soaked in water.

Instead.

It is a boundless [Secret Sea], a dark expanse dotted with countless streams of light and starlight.

"I'm finally going back."

An gripped the gunwale, gazing at the familiar, mysterious sea, her eyes flashing with complex emotions.

Joey gently took Shane's hand.

"When we get back this time, we will definitely be able to completely eliminate the threat of the Corrupted Apostles."

Karl-Leigh stood beside Shane, data streams flashing in his mechanical eyes.

"Captain, the coordinates of the Seven Seas World have been detected and are steadily approaching."

Xia En nodded, his gaze deep.

He felt the surging ninth-order power within his body, and the nine balanced laws.

He now possesses the resources to confront the Corrupted Apostles head-on.

"Little Black, full speed ahead."

"Yes!"

……

……

Half a day later.

A flash of silver light appeared in the sky.

The Black Swan has returned to the Seven Seas World.

Looking down at the vast expanse of blue water, Xia En couldn't help but take a deep breath.

The familiar salty, fishy smell mingled with the sea breeze and filled my nostrils.

Believe it or not, although Shane always complained about the salty smell of the sea breeze when sailing at sea.

However, after traversing several [secret realms], they returned to this world that could be considered their home.

On the contrary, I found the smell particularly comforting.

Joey also smiled easily.

"The sea breeze from the Seven Seas World is definitely more comfortable!"

After a moment of awareness, An asked.

"Have you noticed that the concentration of secret energy in the Seven Seas World is higher than before?"

Jane nodded: "It has indeed improved quite a bit."

"This is probably the result of the awakening of the World Will after the death of the [Great Sin Apostle]."

"The difficulty for those who break through to the legendary realm in the Seven Seas World may be much lower than before."

But just as the crew was admiring the scenery of the Seven Seas World...

Xia En suddenly frowned.

"Wait, this smell..."

He keenly sensed that the sea breeze carried a very faint smell of filth and decay.

This immediately gave him a bad feeling.

Shaen immediately took control of the Black Swan and headed towards the direction from which the decaying aura was coming.

At the current speed of the Black Swan.

In just ten minutes.

Shaen arrived at the source of the decaying aura.

On the sea, several ships were engaged in battle.

To be precise, one side was besieged by the other.

The ships on the besieging side were generally black, even their sails were black, carrying an ominous aura.

What's even weirder is.

The seawater beneath these ships was also stained black.

Like a filthy black tide, it flowed endlessly, making one instinctively uncomfortable.

Xia En raised an eyebrow: "[The Black Tide Order]?"

The Black Tide Cult is a cult that believes in the Corrupt Apostles.

However, Xia En did not expect that they would now have begun to control such a fleet!

The ship that was being besieged bore the emblem of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild, clearly indicating that it was a merchant guild fleet.

But by this time, their situation was already extremely precarious.

Several warships were corroded by the Kuroshio Current, and their hulls were decaying at a visible rate.

The crew members collapsed in agony on the deck, their bodies gradually covered by a black substance.

"It's a corrupting attack from the Black Tide Cult!"

"They actually dared to openly attack the [Apocalypse Merchant Guild]'s fleet?" Xiange exclaimed in shock.

A cold glint flashed in Xia En's eyes: "It seems the [Corrupted Apostle] can no longer restrain itself."

“Prepare for battle!”

With a command from Shane, the Black Swan rushed towards the battlefield like an arrow released from a bow.

The Black Swan was first discovered by the crew of a merchant ship.

"Have reinforcements arrived?"

The other sailor, while resisting the corrosive power, looked in the direction of the Black Swan.

Upon seeing the lone ship, despair immediately filled his eyes.

"What good is just one ship?"

"The Black Tide Cult is not one that ordinary people can defeat."

The ship's female captain overheard their conversation, and when she turned her head and saw the Black Swan, her beautiful eyes widened in surprise.

"That ship...could it be..."

A familiar yet unfamiliar face flashed through her mind, and her tone became incredibly excited.

"If it really is him, then we're saved!"

at the same time.

The Black Tide followers also discovered this uninvited guest.

"Another one coming to their death!"

On a black ship, a priest dressed in black robes grinned as he raised his bone staff.

"The great Black Tide will devour you!"

He swung his bone staff, and a murky black tide rushed toward the Black Swan like a living thing.

However, Shane simply raised his hand slightly.

"Disperse."

Follow your words.

The ninth-order [Dominator Law] was activated instantly.

The surging black tide suddenly froze in mid-air, then seemed to be torn apart by an invisible hand, turning into countless black droplets that fell into the sea.

"What?!"

The black-robed priest stared wide-eyed, his face filled with disbelief.

"This is impossible! How could the Kuroshio..."

Before he finished speaking, Xia En had already given him a handshake from a distance.

"boom!"

The black ship, along with the believers on board, was crushed into dust by an invisible force.

The other Black Tide followers looked terrified upon seeing this.

"What... is this power?"

"Even legendary powerhouses couldn't do something like this, right?"

However, they still made the right choice, they shouted.

"Escape! Escape!"

But it was too late.

Xia En stretched out his large hand, and an invisible secret force wove a large net that covered the entire sea area.

“Destroy.”

A single, simple word.

All the Black Tide Cult members' ships exploded simultaneously, turning into countless fragments.

The filthy black tide was purified by the [Ocean Law] and regained its clarity in just a few breaths.

The survivors of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild stared in disbelief at this scene.

The strongest among them was only at the fifth or sixth rank; they had never seen such a powerful being before.

As the Black Swan slowly approached.

Crew members gradually recognized the legendary ship.

"It's...it's the Black Swan!" "So it's Lord Shane from the Arctic Star!"

"No wonder they were able to wipe out the Black Tide Cult so easily."

After that battle in the Far North, Shane's fame had spread far and wide throughout the Seven Seas World, making him a legendary hero.

However, Xia En's actions in so easily destroying the Black Tide Order's ships were remarkable.

It still deeply shocked many people who had only heard of his deeds.

Not long after.

The female captain straightened her disheveled clothes, quickly walked to the edge of the deck, looked at the Black Swan with a complicated expression, and respectfully spoke.

"Mr. Shane, thank you for saving my life."

And the moment I saw the female captain's face.

Xia En couldn't help but show surprise.

"Rena?"

The name Lena evokes memories from a very distant past.

This is the captain of the Giant, whom Shane encountered when he first set sail.

Because of her female identity, her forthright personality, and the kindness she showed, Xia En was left with a deep impression.

At that time, however, Xia En was just an ordinary person who was not even at the first level.

Time passes.

Xia En is now a ninth-tier expert, and is no longer far from the so-called "divine realm".

Xia En never expected to meet Lena here.

Even more unexpectedly, she has now become the captain of the [Apocalypse Merchant Guild].

Moreover, judging from Lena's current aura, she is clearly a fifth-tier Mystic.

This is actually quite good for an ordinary captain.

Clearly, after their separation, Lena also encountered her own opportunities.

When Lena heard Shane call her name, a look of surprise and complicated emotions flashed in her eyes.

"I didn't expect... that you still remember me."

She remarked with emotion, "Back when we parted ways on Duke Island, you were just the owner of a small boat."

"Now……"

Lena looked up at the magnificent Black Swan ship before her and the powerful crew members on the deck, and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotions.

Shane smiled. "Long time no see, Lena."

"It's such a pleasant surprise to run into old friends here."

He noticed several wounds on Lena's body caused by the black tide, and gently waved his hand.

A gentle force of the [Law of Life] swept over, and the wounds healed instantly.

Lena felt the renewed vitality within her body and opened her eyes wide in shock.

"This...this is..."

"Just some petty tricks."

Shaen said gently, "Can you tell me why the Black Tide Order attacked you?"

Upon hearing this, Lena's expression immediately turned serious.

"Mr. Shane, many changes have occurred in the Seven Seas World during your absence."

"After the Federation issued a warrant for the arrest of the Black Tide Cult, they not only did not restrain themselves, but instead intensified their actions."

"They proclaimed that the [Corruption Apostles] were about to descend and purify the entire world."

"During this period, the Black Tide Cult has attacked dozens of ports and hundreds of merchant ships."

"More people have joined the ranks of the Black Tide Cult."

Shaun frowned slightly: "Has the Federation not taken any action?"

Lena smiled wryly, "The Federation certainly sent a fleet to encircle and suppress them, but the Black Tide Cult is elusive, and their corrupting power poses too great a threat to ordinary warships."

"What's even more terrifying is..."

She lowered her voice: "It's said that some legendary powerhouses have already been corrupted and joined their ranks."

"There are even clones of the Corruption Apostles within the Black Tide Cult."

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Xia En's eyes.

It seems that the power of the Corruption Apostles is rapidly infiltrating this world.

"Lena, where are you planning to go next?"

"We were originally heading to [Liuli Island] to deliver a batch of supplies, but now..."

Lena looked at the wrecked ships of her fleet with a somber expression.

After a moment's thought, Xia En said, "How about this, I'll escort you for a while."

"Really?"

Lena exclaimed with delight, "Thank you so much!"

Xia En smiled and said, "It was nothing."

"Furthermore, I was also planning to go to [Liuli Island] to check out the situation."

As one of the most important islands in the Seven Seas, [Liuli Island] must contain a lot of information about the [Black Tide Order].

And so, the Black Swan escorted Lena's merchant fleet toward Emerald Harbor.

During the voyage, Shane learned more about the current situation of the Seven Seas World from Reina.

With the resurgence of the [World Will], it is easier for Secret Pathfinders to communicate with the legendary [Secret Sea].

This led to a surge in the number of secret cultivators, and the number of legendary powerhouses also experienced an explosive growth period.

at the same time.

Due to federal support.

The [Hui Sect] and the [You Suo Sect] began to grow in strength.

In particular, the [Radiance Cult] has become the second largest cult after the [Storm Church].

Several sects have also taken action against the Black Tide Cult.

They jointly issued a proclamation against the Black Tide Order, calling on all Secret Path seekers to fight against this evil force.

"Speaking of which..."

Lena hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Shane, what level of cultivation are you at now?"

"That power just now... it was almost like..."

Xia En smiled slightly: "Ninth rank."

These two words struck Lena like a thunderclap.

"Nine...nine tiers?"

Her voice trembled slightly.

In the history of the Seven Seas World, there are only a handful of ninth-tier powerhouses, each of whom is a legendary figure.

And now, Xia En, who is standing in front of her, has actually reached this level?

No wonder…

Rena murmured, "No wonder you were able to wipe out those Black Tide cultists so easily."

Xia En smiled faintly and did not linger on the topic.

He then asked, "What's the current situation on [Liuli Island]?"

Lena composed herself and replied, "[Liuli Island] is one of the core islands of the Federation."

"Their defensive capabilities are very strong; they haven't been directly attacked by the [Black Tide Cult] yet."

"However, the island is under martial law, and strict checks are required to enter and exit."

"and"

She lowered her voice: "I heard that the Federation is preparing an expeditionary fleet on [Liuli Island], ready to launch a full-scale attack on the [Black Tide Cult]'s stronghold."

Xia En raised an eyebrow: "Oh? Do you know the exact location?"

Lena shook her head: "I don't know about that; only the federal high command would know."

Xia En nodded thoughtfully.

It didn't take long.

【Liuli Island】gradually appeared on the sea not far away.

Unlike what Xia En remembered, the [Liuli Island] now had an additional semi-transparent energy shield around it.

Dozens of federal warships patrolled the area, maintaining a high level of vigilance.

"It seems the situation is more tense than I imagined."

Xia En narrowed his eyes, clearly sensing that multiple powerful auras were gathered on the island.

Some of them even reached the legendary level.

Soon, a patrol fleet approached the merchant convoy.

On the flagship at the head, an officer in a federal uniform shouted.

"Vessels ahead, please identify yourselves immediately!"

Lena quickly produced the credentials of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild: "We are the transport fleet of the Apocalypse Merchant Guild, entrusted with delivering supplies."

After checking the credentials, the officer's gaze fell on the Black Swan, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"That ship is..."

(End of this chapter)