《Witch, I'm really not the Deep Sea Ancient God!》 Chapter 1: Chapter 1 Deep Sea Affinity "You brats, if you don''t want to die, get up, kill him, show some guts." "Do it, kill the ck Bull. Only then can you be a member of our ck Whale Group!" "That''s it, let''s have some suspense!" Chen Qi opened his eyes, surrounded by the sounds of curses and cheers. "It hurts... Where is this? What''s going on?" Scanning the surroundings, it wasn''t his familiar bedroom but a totally strange world, on a giant ship. Dark clouds gathered, the sea wind howled incessantly, and fifty people dressed as pirates surrounded him like beasts observing a coliseum fight. What on earth is going on... Could it be that he was targeted by a kidnapping gang? But why would they sail out to sea? And based on his financial situation, how could he have attracted the attention of an international kidnapping group? It couldn''t be just because of his looks, could it? Am I going to be sold to some weird Rich Lady Ind next? What happened... Chen Qi pressed his head with his hands, trying hard to recall. His memory was very clear. Beforeing to this ce, he was clearly in his bedroom, about to start a new game. Wait, the game... Chen Qi looked at his dust-covered hand, and a line of illusory blue text slowly appeared. [A weak ve who has just awakened spiritually and is slightly deformed.] At that moment, a sharp pain surged in his head, and a flood ofplex information rushed in! Steampunk world, flesh imnts, ck giant whale, high sky crack, thirteen witches, thirteen nature forms, New Sun World, foreignnguages... Chen Qi had to grit his teeth and endure the knife-like pain. Only after more than ten seconds did he recover from the overwhelming information. "I... I... transmigrated into the game world of ''New Sun''?" ''New Sun'' was arge multiyer roleying exploration game with a steampunk style, employing thetest AI technology. It had unfathomable randomness and an unimaginably vast map, even during its beta test, it was a hit on global streaming tforms. The game''s background was a steampunk apocalypse. The world had not yet entered the age of electricity before cracks with destructive properties emerged all over the world. Thend was polluted, kingdoms fell, the moonughed, and the sun disappeared. In this cold world without the sun, humanity nearly went extinct. At the brink of extinction, the surviving humans studied the creations of these cracks, causing the world''s technology to develop rapidly but chaotically. Eventually, through the efforts of thirteen pioneers, a fabricated sun was raised. Although there still were many dark areas, humanity once again had a vastnd to survive on and maintained that for hundreds of years, forming a new human civilization called the "New Sun World." Unlike most games with limited content, New Sun''s vast open world allowed for countless unknown props and content, giving rise to many yers trading rare items or information, resulting in a chaotic in-game marketce. Chen Qi, as a minor grinder, had made some small money selling rare items and guides and was a moderately famous strategy blogger. "Transmigrated... I have no choice but to ept it... as if!" Chen Qi clenched his fist tightly, feeling the sea breeze on his cheek. Though hard to believe, when scanning the pirates around him, the bloody smell, the beating heart, forced him to ept the reality before him. "But what is going on now? What will these pirates do to me?" Chen Qi pressed his temple with his hand. ording to the original host''s memory, he was originally a young man born in Daluo Town of the Moonstone Inds. His parents had died, and he failed the spiritual awakening test in town, thus missing college. Not long ago, during a fishing trip, an unknown creature burrowed into his spine, causing him to suffer a horrific mutation disease. To cure his illness, he decided to go to the big city, hoping to make a name for himself and earn the money to cure his "mutation." However, his youthful ambition had yet to take off when he was tricked by his so-called rtives, sold to a human trafficking gang, and then resold to the ck Whale Pirate Group''s Sawshark. Ultimately, he became a toy for these pirates'' betting on "human fights," where even surviving the next second was uncertain. Orphaned, gravely ill from the start, and kidnapped... What kind of hellish starting point... Chen Qi finished recalling the information in his mind, furrowing his brows even more. New Sun had a lot of randomness, including random starting points and random yer origin and talents, starting as an aspiring youth, student, detective, dancer, etc. ording to the difficulty of the start, yers would receive different spiritual awakening talents. "I''m a ve kidnapped by pirates..." Chen Qi''s head throbbed. The pirates who kidnapped him were presumably the ck Whale Pirate Group, the rulers of the High Seas! At the start, I''m on the ship of ate-game boss faction? Even though it was just one of their many ships, it was not an opponent he, currently weak, could challenge. Any low-level pirate here could kill him ten times, a hundred times! Even in boastful and exaggerated game forums, his starting point would definitely be considered hellish. A sense of helplessness instantly surged in his heart. I think I saw a prompt earlier, Chen Qi called upon the panel in his mind, as a transmigrated yer and spiritually awakened individual. Semi-illusory text appeared before his eyes. [Name: Qi Nature Form: Lamp (You are a born explorer, your inspiration is far above the average person) Race: Ordinary Human (Mildly infected, if not treated in time, you are very likely to turn into a tentacle monster obsessed with reproduction) upation Card: None Equipment: A tattered ck bup outfit with minimal warmth effect. Attributes: Constitution: 7 (Affected by infection) Strength: 8 Inspiration: 35 Agility: 14 Luck: 6 (Average adult human attribute is 10) Overall Evaluation: A weak ve with slight mutation] So there is one, Chen Qi was delighted as he scanned the light screen before him. High inspiration, high agility, average constitution and strength... And infected in the spine; if not treated in time, he''ll turn into a tentacle monster obsessed with reproduction! At this moment, another light screen appeared. [On the high seas, you have awakened the special spiritual talent ''Deep Sea Falling Star.''] Spiritual awakening! Just like in the game, at the start, every yer experienced spiritual awakening, gaining a talent that granted special perks for their starting point. Chen Qi swallowed hard and quickly checked his spiritual talent "Deep Sea Falling Star." [Deep Sea Falling Star: Nature Form: Lamp Deep Sea Affinity lv1: Although you do not have the bloodline of deep sea creatures, your spirituality still emits a faint aura from ancient beings of the deep sea. Weaker ancient species will see you as their equal, and most deep-sea beasts will no longer regard you as ''human'' but as ''kin.'' (This ability can be turned on or off at will) Lamp''s Enlightenment: You have a higher chance of gaining more enlightening information.] Two attributes... Chen Qi''s hand trembled slightly. This is too lucky! As someone who was usually unlucky, he had never seen such a mind-blowing spiritual talent. Typically, spiritual talents only had one attribute, offering bonuses like weapon proficiency, increased appetite, increased luck, improved inspiration, or an enchanting demon aura. The first attribute alone, Deep Sea Affinity, was an extremely powerful one! ording to his knowledge, such an attribute would only appear with a small probability when a yer waspletely assimted by an ancient sea monster, resulting in total body deformation! Not to mention the second attribute, Lamp''s Enlightenment, which was also an outstanding talent. Getting either one alone was enough to be considered super lucky! These two-attribute spiritual talents really exist... Chen Qi couldn''t help but marvel. He always thought it was a myth. Usually, these levels of spiritual talents could only be found in hidden mainline bosses who could torment yers repeatedly. [Your Deep Sea Affinity has influenced the ''deep sea creature'' in your spine. It feels your terrifying aura, stops infecting your body, and expresses temporary goodwill towards you.] [Your body has received a 5-point strength and 5-point agility boost due to the mutation infection.] Can it work like this... Chen Qi looked at the prompt and immediately felt his heavy body be much lighter. ording to the panel, his spine was infected by a deep-sea creature. This talent could actually suppress the "deep sea creature''s" infection, thereby enhancing his body! In the early game, a 5-point increase in strength and a 5-point increase in agility was already a substantial boost! "Good luck..." Chen Qi immediately stretched his muscles. Bang! A loud noise drew his attention back to the pressing crisis before him. In front of him, a tattooed man resembling a bull swung a powerful punch, hitting a ve in the chest, blood sttering. "No time to think..." Chen Qi took a deep breath. In New Sun, the higher the talent, the harder the starting point. Clearly, this start didn''t give him time to calm down. Pirates loved gambling, the more thrilling and bloody, the better! They had dragged out ten ves from a dark cabin, forcing them to fight on the deck. Only the one who defeated everyone else could enjoy the next meal and be one of them on the Sawshark! And he was one of these ten ves! However, in this ''human fight,'' the battle was not a chaotic brawl of ten people. It was a one-vs-nine crushing battle! A ve called "ck Bull," with his terrifying two-meter-tall body, was crushing the other ves into submission. Even though the other ves had joined forces beforehand, they still couldn''t shake the ve named ck Bull! Bam! Bam! With a roar, ck Bull grabbed the neck of one ve and mmed him onto the deck. The others were already lying on the ground, lifeless. Only I am left... Chen Qi slowly retreated, ncing at the deck. On the deck, there were various weapons thrown by the pirates, avable for use. Chen Qi picked up a nearby scimitar and gripped it tightly. "Heh, heh, heh! Heh, heh, heh!" ck Bullughed maniacally, his chest muscles covered in ck tattoos moving. He nced around and then pointed a bloodied finger: "Kid, you''re the only one left." Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Ships Doctor When facing a creaturerger than oneself at close range, a person instinctively feels fear. The crimson killing intent of the ck Bull, rushing towards him, pressed down on him like a massive beast. "Hu, hu..." Chen Qi clenched the handle of his knife, but his body couldn''t stop trembling. Had he crossed only to face death immediately...? The ageless Witch, the Steam Mecha, the Transcendent power... He didn''t want to be an unnamed corpse atop the ocean before he had even experienced this world. No, mostly likely not even a corpse, Chen Qi mocked himself bitterly, then stared intently at the ck Bull. My starting agility isn''t low, and the ck Bull has just been through a battle royal with eight others, draining much of his stamina. Coupled with my recent talent, I gained 5 points of strength and 5 points of agility! In the early stages, these are already quite high values! Based on Chen Qi''s gaming experience, although they seemed drastically different in weight, he believed he also had a fighting chance. The ck Bull didn''t attack immediately, but instead caught his breath and picked up a long-handled axe: "Kid, stick your butt out, I''m going to chop your ass into..." Opportunity! Chen Qi bent down, lowered his center of gravity, and unleashed a stabbing move from below! ng! The ck Bull couldn''t use his axe to block in time and had to bend his arm to forcefully withstand the sh! "Court death!" After parrying, the ck Bull roared angrily, found the angle, andunched a fierce kick! Does this ck Bull not feel pain? Chen Qi quickly drew his knife, then stepped back to dodge the attack. "Good that I didn''t get greedy with the slice..." It was his first time using such a fierce attack on someone, and the counterattack was more ferocious and faster than he expected. Still, the ck Bull was ultimately just a human and, after retaliating, his arms couldn''t help but tremble. In terms of speed and reactions, I have the upper hand! Chen Qi held onto the knife hilt, again looking for an opportunity to attack. "Wow!" His attack instantly ignited the passion of the onlooking pirates. Having thought no one could match the ck Bull, they were surprised someone dared to strike him! "Kid, nicely chopped!" "Kid, do you know what your odds are? A full thirty times, thirty times!" "Kill the ck Bull, kid, and you''ll be a free man, a member of our ck Whale Group! Not only that, I''ll gift you a bottle of rum!" "Win, and I''ll gift you a night with a woman!" "Goddess above, they get excited just seeing a single strike. Does the ck Bull look scared?" The previously one-sided betting now filled again with suspense. Many pirates chasing high odds began cheering for him. "During the final moments, I underestimated you, little one. I won''t give you a second chance!" A twitch appeared at the corner of the ck Bull''s eye as he tilted his head back, as if he was no longer a ve but a noble knight with the power of life and death over themon people. He took a fierce two-step lunge forward and chopped his axe towards the opponent''s neck. His movements were stiff and slow... Chen Qi sidestepped, shing his knife in a sweeping arc, inflicting a major wound on the ck Bull''s deltoid! Critical hit! This chop harshly sliced through his flesh! The ck Bull wasn''t in good shape; after all, he was just a normal human, and after prolonged fighting, he was pushing his physical limits! Also, numerous wounds umted on his body made his movements extremely slow. Chen Qi saw the first light of victory: "The advantage is mine!" His opponent''s life hung by a thread! How could it be? The ck Bull shook his head, unable to stabilize his frame despite having in several men just moments ago. The dynamic shifted, stirring up the pirates once again. "ck Bull, killing thest man is so hard! If it''s too hard, use your secret weapon!" "Kill him, kill him quick! ck Bull, in the final moment, think of your woman lying in someone else''s arms, you better give it your all!" Amidst the shouting crowd, the ck Bull seemed like a pressure cooker ready to explode. Originally a minor gang leader who had stolen the boss''s woman, he had been sold onto this ship, always believing he was far superior to these lowly and weak ves. "Trash from the backwaters! I can''t die at the hands of a bumpkin like you!! I''m going to cut you into pieces and feed you to the fish!"" Gasping heavily, the ck Bull considered his next attack. In these final moments, he didn''t want to die because of underestimating this little guy. Though weak in strength and build, his reactions were too fast. Blind chopping was useless and would only expose his weaknesses! Come on... Chen Qi concentrated intensely, ready to execute a dodging counterstrike to end the ck Bull''s life. However, the next second, something unexpected urred! Instead of attacking, the ck Bull bit down on his teeth, retreated, and suddenly grabbed a disgusting octopus-like thing from the deck. Immediately, the pirates gasped in surprise. "ck Bull, I can''t believe you''d dare to use a Parasitic Sea Beast!" "No way, ck Bull, you''re thest one to resort to a Parasitic Sea Beast!" "That''s it, the bet''s over! Kid, you''re about to lose your head!" Parasitic Sea Beast... Chen Qi sweated coldly as memories of it surfaced in his mind. A Parasitic Sea Beast, as the name suggests, refers to sea beasts that parasitize humans. In the Witch Sea, these creatures are extremely dangerous, feared by all fishermen. A Parasitic Sea Beast would take its host into the deep sea and turn the host into a monster. However, in the eyes ofwless pirates, these parasitic creatures were not just dangerous beasts but also items that could enhancebat strength for a short time. Although these creatures were highly lethal, humans parasitized by sea beasts would temporarily exhibit superhuman speed and strength! Chapter 3: Chapter 2 Ships Doctor_2 In the yermunity, this was also a hot item only seen in the mid-stage. "Kill you, kill you!" ck Bull repeated as he pressed the parasitic Sea Beast into the wound on his shoulder. The tentacles of the Sea Beast stretched into his body from the wound, then violently plunged in, and in an instant, deep blue veins surfaced on ck Bull''s exposed skin. "ck Bull was already strong; with the parasitic enhancement, his speed and strength are now beyond what any beginner''s panel can withstand..." Chen Qi analyzed calmly as he continued to retreat. He was too weak now, powerless! These pirates would actually use such a forbidden item! "Dammit! Which bastard left this Sea Beast lying around as a weapon!" "Such a thing should be kept by the boat medic sister!" "Alright! A bet''s a bet, ah! Pay up!" The pirates also began to curse among themselves; some of them, for the sake of their money, began to speak up for Chen Qi. Chen Qi couldn''t hear their words clearly; ck Bull''s beast-like murderous intent permeated every inch of his body, leaving him in grave danger. He had to focus all his attention on the opponent''s movements! "Die!" The next instant, the giant right arm of the parasitic ck Bull, holding an axe single-handedly, charged at him like a massive mountain! Too fast! He could only react instinctively! Bang! At the moment of their encounter, ck Bull''s mouth curled into a confident smile, but the smile quickly faded along with his consciousness. The scimitar violently thrust into ck Bull''s heart! "Huh, huh..." Chen Qi grasped the handle of the knife, twisted it, and looked towards ck Bull, whose face wore an expression of disbelief as copious amounts of blood gushed from his chest. It hit¡ª With a loud bang, ck Bull fell heavily to the ground. Defeated... defeated in an instant!? The sudden turn of events left many pirates in a moment of silence, unable to believe what had just happened! The parasitic Sea Beast-infested ck Bull had been defeated in an instant!? Chen Qi''s hands trembled, and from the corner of his eye, he watched the right shoulder of ck Bull. The only parasitic Sea Beast slowly separated from ck Bull''s shoulder, pulling away sharply while extracting its flesh and blood. The Sea Beast looked like a rabbit scared by a lion. Without the power of the parasitic Sea Beast, ck Bull''s body had no ability to resist. Why did the Sea Beast run away? Deep Sea Affinity... Chen Qi probably understood; his Deep Sea Affinity could make deep-sea creatures see him as one of their own. The creature attached to ck Bull likely felt fear or some other emotion towards him. As the parasitic Sea Beast fled, ck Bull''s movements at that moment also became incredibly stiff. And others didn''t pay much attention, as Sea Beasts were inherently unpredictable and dangerous creatures. He had won... Chen Qi let out a long breath, his knife-holding hand still shaking uncontrobly, this start hardly giving him any time to develop. Looking at the steaming blood on the scimitar, Chen Qi gave a slight smile. Regardless, he had won, survived, for now. "Well done! You''ve made a good amount of money for me!" "Well done, from now on, you''re free!" "Haha, ck Bull, you dare to use such dangerous sea beasts, even if the ship''s doctor has modified them, they aren''t for you to use!" "ck-eyed Captain, I like this kid! Don''t mistreat him, okay?" In a brief silence, the pirates burst into celebration, especially those who had bet on him. Chen Qi felt a great relief, sat down, and the world seemed exceptionally quiet. Before him, ck Bull still had a breath of life, muttering something under his breath. However, in the overwhelming cheers of the pirates, it was impossible to hear clearly. Compared to thest words of a ve before them, they were more concerned about the money in their hands. ... After the gambling ended and the pirates had divided the money, a middle-aged man wearing a ck captain''s hat finally walked towards him. Chen Qi leaned on the railing, watching the seabirds fly across the sky, his mind filled with numerous thoughts. He had traversed time and space, and was now on a pirate ship. In the New Day, the ck Whale Group was a terrifying force closely tied to the main storyline, and in the game, it was also a force with a strong ability to court death. In the main storyline of New Day, the entire ck Whale Group would undertake countless dangerous voyages to summon terrifying beings from other worlds. Chen Qi shook his head; although he had awakened his spiritual sense, he didn''t have a real Transcendent upation yet. In a post-apocalyptic Transcendent world without formidable strength, one couldn''t even talk about exploring the world, let alone ensure one''s own safety. ording to the setting of New Day, only by defeating monsters in the dungeons known as ''cracks'' could one obtain Spiritual Points to enhance skills and the rare upation Cards to be Transcendent. If it had been a free start, he would have already killed several slimes, bought weapons, practiced skills, and prepared to enter the crack. But now, all his actions were restricted by the pirates; he couldn''t develop properly. Moreover, the mortality rate of the pirates was quite high, which is why they recruited new crew members from time to time. One day, he might just be used as cannon fodder... This was not a ce to stay for long. He had to find a ce to leave this ship and go to a real safe haven suitable for beginners. Only there could he develop steadily and truly utilize his talents. "Kid..." A tall, thin man came directly in front of him. It was indeed the captain of the Sawshark under the ck Whale Group¡ªck-eyed. He had a ck smoking pipe in his mouth, around forty years old, with a beard and both eyes seemed tock whites, just pure ck. Chen Qi sized him up. As an NPC in a vast open-world game, he had never seen this minor captain on any forum. The only thing he was certain of was that, with his current strength, this obscure ck-eyed Captain could easily control his fate. ording to the agreement, winning the duel meant you could get a job on the ship. And ording to pirate rules, all jobs on the ship were to be assigned by the captain. If the other party adhered to the agreement, hopefully, it was a job suitable for "escaping," Chen Qi prayed in his mind. The ck-eyed Captain studied Chen Qi and opened his mouth: "Little guy, I didn''t expect you to be able to defeat ck Bull. That was indeed beyond my expectations. Your final strike was fierce enough, not afraid of death, which is a required lesson for every one of our warriors. But you know, ording to the rules of the Witch Sea, any sailor infected with the sea disease is a gue, a menace, and should be immediately buried at sea. If it were one of the naval ships, you would already be bound tightly and thrown into the sea. Fortunately, we the ck Whale Group don''t mind these rules! You should be very thankful. Alright, let me think about what job to assign you." I still have to thank you? Chen Qi thought sarcastically. ck-eyed tapped his temple with his finger, sizing up his ship: "We don''tck crew to handle salvaging, and you, a young man, probablyck specialized knowledge and haven''t properly exercised your body... Hmm... what positions are vacant?" "Captain, the assistant who helped me with the medicinal herbs just died, give him to me." Chen Qi''s ears perked up, and his body trembled slightly. A gentle female voice reached his ears from his left. Chapter 4: Chapter 3: Crack Female? Chen Qi turned his head, blinked, and showed a slight surprise. Someone was actually taking the initiative to ask for him! In front of him was a ck-haired female wearing a half crow mask and dressed in a ck apothecary''s outfit. The only ship''s doctor on this vessel, and one of the few literate individuals onboard¡ªmost didn''t even know her real name, calling her Little Crow instead. From the half-exposed delicate and fair face, it was clear that she was a young woman¡ªher image stood in stark contrast to this bloodthirsty band of pirates. Chen Qi''s gaze fell upon the ship''s doctor, his pupils contracting! He recognized her! To be exact, he had seen her in popr videos. As a transmigrator from another world into a game, he had finally encountered a character he recognized! She was a game character who had gained massive poprity recently. A mad pirate doctor passionate about studying deep-sea creatures, with a wild fascination for marine life, but with her madness came a second identity. That was of an undercover agent nted within the ck Whale Group. She had been secretly rying information about the ck Whale Group, sabotaging many of their operations and saving numerous lives. In the middle of the game, to stop the ck Whale Group''s massacre, she injected herself with a fatal mutagenic potion and transformed into a banshee, defeating over a thousand pirates and nearly a hundred yers who had joined the city''s defense, all amidst her desperate cries. With her stunning beauty in her final moments and her unique story, she became quite famous among yers, inspiring numerous fan creations. In the Witch Sea game, many yers joined evil forces, and under the official videos, they spammed "Revive her!"¡ªwanting to resurrect the deceased Miss Crow and change her destiny. Of course, with Chen Qi''s current strength, he couldn''t even control his own fate, let alone change someone else''s. Although he could defeat the ck Bull, at the end of the day, he was still just an ordinary person who hadn''t stepped onto the path of the Transcendent, leaving his fate to be controlled by others. But this was also quite good news¡ªif he could work under Little Crow, at the very least his life would be much safer than under other ferocious pirates. The ck-eyed Captain stood up, exhaling a puff of thick smoke: "You want this man? Did yourst helper die, Little Crow? That''s the seventh one already." Dead... seven of them... Chen Qi instantly felt as if he had been pped in the face; working under the ship''s doctor might not be so safe after all. Little Crow bent down, her face scented with medicinal herbs as she leaned in slightly, her red eyes sweeping across his face: "Yes, I''ve repeatedly instructed him, but he still made an error in handling the herbs. I need a new assistant, one who can read and learn quickly," she said. The ck-eyed Captain asked: "Can you read, boy?" "Hmm." Chen Qi confidently nodded his head; he was literate, just like the ship''s doctor. The ck-eyed Captain pondered for a moment, then patted Chen Qi on the shoulder: "Alright, kid, work well under Little Crow. Here in the ck Whale Group, we never shortchange capable people. With us, you''ll earn ten times more than you ever did with hard work! After we return to port, you''ll get ten Gold Coins. By then, everyone who looked down on you will kneel and lick your boots." Ten Gold Coins! What a concept¡ªthat was enough to buy a decent small house in a big city! This promise was enormous indeed, Captain. Chen Qi could only pretend to be delighted, nodding his head. From now on, he was to be the assistant to a ship''s doctor. ck Crow turned around: "Follow me to the medical room, you have a task today." "Yes, ck¡­ Crow¡­ Big Sister." Chen Qi followed her, and due to the forum, he almost called her Little ck Crow just now. Although in the yers'' eyes she was the cute yet scheming Miss ck Crow, now she was his actual superior, the kind he had no choice but toply with. If she said one, he could absolutely not say two! The medical room was located on the second level of the ship, in a ratherrge independent cabin. His former ''residence'' had been the ve quarters, where over fifty people were crammed together in a space filled with stifling and dirty air. Yet the medical room before his eyes wasrge enough to be thrice the size of one ve quarter. The air was suffused with a faint mix of herbal and disinfectant odors. Light passed through frosted ss windows and brass chandeliers, casting mottled shadows on the wooden wall panels and brass medical instruments. On a wooden table to the left, there were even seven ss jars containing sea creatures. Chen Qi excitingly swept his gaze across the room before him, his start in the game being the ultimate nk te, with only a very narrow house in his original owner''s hometown of Maro Town. If only he could have a room like this in another world, how wonderful that would be. ck Crow entered the medical room and, after making sure the door was closed, said softly: "Take off your clothes!" "???" Chen Qi blinked, somewhat disbelieving his own ears. Take them off? He had heard stories on the forum about the Witch Sea region of the game, where the people were upright and honest. He never expected it to be so overpowering! He had never been ordered like this before and was momentarily stunned. Without giving Chen Qi time to think, ck Crowmanded again: "Take them off." "Alright..." Although he was very unwilling, he had no power to resist at the moment and had to survive for the time being. Only when he became strong could he turn the tables! Chen Qi immediately took off his blood-stained and sweaty shirt, revealing his upper body. The body he had after transmigration was not strong; in this world, such ordinary bodies were not umon. Except for the blue ''tattoo'' on his back, because of the spine infection from the Sea Beast, one could clearly see the blue patterns on his back that resembled both a spider and tentacles. ck Crow bent over, her gaze focused and sharp, staring at the pattern on Chen Qi''s back. "As I thought, you have been infected by a special Sea Beast. This sea beast didn''t consume blood, didn''t damage the subcutaneous tissue, and didn''t have the unique Qi of a sea beast. It''s incredibly mild..." During Chen Qi''s confrontation with the ck ox earlier, ck Crow had noticed his back. As a ship''s medic who specialized in researching deep-sea biology, she had developed a terrifying obsession with deep-sea organisms! Sea Beasts were usually highly aggressive towards humans, and even for her, someone well-traveled and knowledgeable, this was the first time she had encountered such a unique organism! And the Sea Beast appeared so tranquil, as if it had be one with Chen Qi! "Huff, huff¡­ Truly wondrous, it''s a pity this shipcks machinery to safely examine the depths of your spine." This Sea Beast might very well form the basis of a groundbreaking medical paper! And it seemed quite cute too! The little crow''s body trembled slightly, her face flushed crimson, and even her tone became extremely excited as she unconsciously reached out her hand, slowly touching: "Ah, ah~" "Crow... big sister..." Sister Crow, keep your cool! Chen Qi cautioned, clearly feeling the intense heat of the little crow''s breath on his back. The other party''s obsession and madness for the Sea Beast had somewhat exceeded his expectations! Deep sea fanatics, truly terrifying! If he did not intervene, he feared the next moment her hand would plunge into his body and yank out his spine alive! Though she appeared frail, this person was a bona fide Transcendent! "Cough, cough¡­" Hearing the reminder, the little crow coughed twice, straightened her mask, "You change out of your clothester, then take a good bath. Oh, find somewhere concealed to change, it''s best not to be seen by others. Among that bunch, there are those who fancy someone like you." She immediately resumed the professional demeanor of a ship physician, retrieving a set of clean clothes from a cab. Cotton jackets, shirts, trousers, and slip-resistant boots and gloves. "Thank you, Sister Crow." Chen Qi was covered in a strong smell of blood and sweat, and his tattered clothes indeed needed recing. He epted the clothes, felt them, and concluded they were decently made. Hmm? There was something hard underneath the clothes! Chen Qi pulled out the hard object, and blue ethereal text appeared before his eyes once more. [Collector: Description: A brass steampunk pistol, manufactured with a special technique, with twice the prating power of an ordinary pistol.] A pistol? Why give this to me? Chen Qi''s mouth gaped slightly, startled by the sudden surprise. This device certainly beats a curved sword any day! In the Witch Sea, pistols were not rare, but this one, crafted with special techniques, had an elevated prating power that made it effective against monsters. Although this weapon did not possess Transcendent elements, it was famous in yer forums, produced by the Hammer Armory Corporation, and definitively a Divine Artifact for pioneering! In a pay-to-win game, it would at least cost 648 Gold Coins to be gifted! "Why, Sister Crow?" Chen Qi, breaking out in a cold sweat, turned to look at the little crow. He knew, the value of this pistol could possibly fetch five ves like himself! Seeing his panicked expression, the little crow revealed a hint of a pleased smile: "You''re my assistant; I definitely don''t want to see another assistant die so easily. Plus, you possess significant medical value. In short, this is for your protection; you''ll need it soon." The little crow picked up her notes and pen, drawing what she had seen on the back and smiling obsessively. "Gonna need it soon¡­ a gun?" Chen Qi tilted his head, clueless. The little crow ced a finger on her chin: "Don''t you know? I just remembered, you used to be a ve and arepletely unaware of the Sawshark''s destination this time." "Isn''t the Sawshark headed for a major city?" The Sawshark was filled with ves, so Chen Qi subconsciously thought their target would be a city. As a male ve like himself, he could very well be sold to some perverted wealthy female merchant to experience a life of suppressed luxury and fame! The little crow picked up a list of Potions from the table: "No, the Sawshark''s next destination is not a city, but a crack, a dangerous crack located above the deep sea." She calmly stated a terrifying fact. "A crack!" That single word made Chen Qi''s heart pound violently. In the context of New Day, cracks were passages to other worlds. Within these cracks, one could find Transcendent power and technology, as well as Transcendent resources. The core reason the world of New Day survived in a sunless environment was due to the power of these cracks. The Transcendent items, powers, and technologies found within were coveted treasures sought after by countless individuals. Of course, the rarer the Transcendent item, the greater the danger. Risk and opportunity coexisted! For most ordinary people, the cracks were ces where fates could be changed. And for yers, the fastest way to be stronger in the early stages was to venture into a crack and acquire Transcendent resources! Given the uniqueness of his talent, it seemed his crisis was not about to end so soon... Chen Qi lowered his head, caressing the wonderful Collector in his hand. His intuition told him that the crack the Sawshark was headed for was no mere novice crack. The danger of the crack would bring fear and chaos, and within that fear and chaosy the perfect opportunity for his escape. A chance to flee from the ck Whale Group! Chen Qi''s heartbeat quickened even more as he nced out of the ship''s medical room window. The ck waves churned, and more fog began to swallow up the Sawshark. Bringing so many ves to a crack at sea... The survival rate in the impending crack was not likely to be high. A glint of light shed in Chen Qi''s eyes. Transcendence, and the freedom that was rightfully his, might be right before him. Chapter 5: Chapter 4 Rewards Chen Qi was thinking about the next n. The little crow shook her head; she saw a novice''s unique excitement in the other person''s eyes. In this vast sea, too many young people harbored their family''s hopes, stepping from the small inds into the coastal cities, aiming to carve out a career. And the cracks, especially the unknown ones, contained a fortune in valuable things. This casual sum of money could exceed what an ordinary person could make in a year. Among them, there were those especially willing to take risks, tired of the day-to-day work, wanting to step into a crack, earn a fortune, and be a respected Transcendent. The city newspapers loved to publish these rare sess stories every day, making many neers subconsciously overlook the high mortality rate of the unknown cracks. The little crow asked, "Have you been to an unknown crack?" I''ve been to quite a few and am even a well-known guide on the list. Chen Qi thought to himself, but the original owner of his body indeed hadn''t stepped into any unknown crack missions. He hadn''t even visited the safe mine crack in his hometown Maro Town. "No." Chen Qi replied. Just as I thought! The little crow smiled slightly, sincerely advising, "Don''t believe the newspapers. Aside from a few incidents, the rest is made up. Striving to get rich overnight is a very difficult task. Unknown cracks are often extremely dangerous, especially for a neer like you. Remember, this gun is for your protection, and not a tool for seeking wealth. The crack we are heading to next will be even more dangerous than you imagine." Although most pirates were desperate treasure seekers, she did not want a neer, a valuable "patient," to die so soon. "Sister Crow, what kind of dangers are there in the crack we''re going to?" Chen Qi feigned fear as he asked. If he wanted to n an escape, he needed more information. The little crow walked over to the Sea Beast tank and gently caressed a squid-like Sea Beast: "Arge Sea Beast den. In there reside creatures capable ofpletely swallowing a merchant ship. The moment you see them, their twisting and crawling, damp bodies will slowly permeate into your body, swallowing you from top to bottom, little by little, like a cherry... Moreover, this is just the known information." Speaking, the little crow''s mouth curved up, paired with the pitch-ck crow mask, revealing a creepy smile. Large Sea Beast... This is just too... Awesome! Chen Qi was delighted, he now possessed Deep Sea Affinity, and most deep-sea creatures posed no danger to him. They were all his beloved kith and kin! It could be said that this crack, feared by the pirates, was tailor-made for him. But considering the little crow''s sinister smile, he absolutely could not reveal this joy at the moment. Absolutely not... Since she was his immediate superior, he still needed to give her face, ying along with her viinous grin. Chen Qi cooperatively sucked in a breath of cold air, indicating it was indeed terrifying. Seeing his expression, the little crow reassured happily, "But don''t worry, in the crack, your job is to assist me, namely to heal injured crew members. Dealing with Sea Beasts is not your responsibility. As long as you do your work well, even if we run into danger, I will protect you. Of course, that''s provided you prove you''re worth protecting." The little crow patted his shoulder. "Hmm." Chen Qi nodded, he roughly understood. Before returning, as long as he didn''t do something too outrageous, he could gain protection from this ship''s doctor Miss. After speaking, the little crow''s tone became serious: "Alright, that''s enough small talk. Next, I will introduce your job. As per the ship''s rules, your dinner depends on your performance at work. If your work causes any losses, not only will you miss your meal, but you will also be whipped." The little crow detailed the tasks of a ship doctor''s assistant. The job of a ship doctor''s assistant was notplex, mainly room cleaning and handling medicinal materials. Cleaning rooms was not difficult, as the little crow herself was a person who emphasized cleanliness and tidiness. The real challenge was handling the medicinal materials. Apart from regr herbs, there was a very special type of medicinal material: Sea Beast. The small sea beasts in the ship doctor''s room each carried arge amount of rare medicinal materials. For example, the pearls under the special jellyfish umbre, the special venom inside the octopus... These Sea Beasts were considered Transcendent animals, and their body parts could be used to create Transcendent potions. However, considering their renewability and the little crow''s special preferences, one absolutely could not harm these Sea Beasts while collecting these materials. Although these Sea Beasts were soaked in a special fluid, they were still extremely dangerous. When extracting these materials, if not handled properly, it could easily result in fatal injuries. This was like trying to pull a tooth from a vigorous living tiger''s mouth. ording to the little crow, the previous assistant died because he mishandled the operation, forgot to wear gloves while drunk, and got infected by the Sea Beast venom. "Here, take this." The little crow took out two books. Chen Qi received the "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide" and a book on "Normal Human First Aid." Before reaching the crack, apart from the mission, he also needed to find time to practice shooting and gather some information on the ship. This task was just fine... The little crow instructed, "Extracting medicinal materials is the main task, but it''s a bit difficult for a neer; you can practice with the safe Sea Beast tanks on the table." Chapter 6: Chapter 4 Rewards_2 "If you do a good job these next few days, I''ll give you a special reward." Reward! Chen Qi was instantly energized. Under other pirates, there wouldn''t usually be any extra rewards. With that said, the little crow used a key to open a door inside the ship''s medical room. Behind the door were ss jars containing sea beasts. At a nce, there were at least forty such ss jars! "If you can extract from more than three by tonight, I''ll add meat to your dinner. If you can extract medicinal materials from five jars, I''ll give you a life-saving potion. If your learning and practical skills are strong and you can do more than ten, I''ll give you a super awesome potion. The value of this potion, even if you worked hard for a year, you might not be able to afford it." "What if it''s more than fifteen?" "Twenty is the level I personally achieve," the little crow hummed with a sneer. More than fifteen, what a joke! Extracting medicinal materials from the body of a sea beast sounds simple, but it''s a real test of patience and technique, and even for the little crow, who had many years of medical experience and gave it his all, he could probably only manage to extract from twenty by tonight. "Don''t set your goals too high at the start, aim for practicality, keep patient." The little crow picked up a medicine box, "Alright, I''m going to check the hygiene on the ship and distribute medications. Remember, when dealing with sea beasts, don''t lose your patience, patience is the key. You must remember, each and every one of these sea beasts is extremely precious, very precious, worth you working an extra ten years." After giving his instructions, the little crow left the medical room, leaving Chen Qi alone. "Phew..." Once the other person left, Chen Qi sat in the chair, flipping through the "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide." The book detailed numerous cases of severe injuries from failed attempts. It''s not easy in this other world either, with people dying in the attempt to extract medicinal materials, mortgage debts looming, and the need to learn... Five minutes passed in the blink of an eye. "Alright, it took me five minutes, and now I fully understand it." Chen Qi closed the book; his mind hadpletely grasped how to extract the medicinal materials from sea beasts. Now his newbie panel was too weak; he had to grow it for a while. The little crow was a doctor and had many powerful potions; if he could get those potion rewards, it would be of great help for his future actions. Better to behave obediently before nning his escape. Chen Qi walked into the storage room filled with sea beast jars, put on gloves, and began to work! Theoretically, with his Deep Sea Affinity, sea beasts wouldn''t attack him, and the task of extracting medicinal materials should be easy for him. However, the specific effects of Deep Sea Affinity still required further verification. First, Chen Qi fancied a ck octopus the size of a human head. He slowly extended his hand into the jar, dipped it into the water, and reached into the mouth beneath the octopus'' head. Then he raised his middle finger and index finger, carefully plucking off the granr special medicinal materials from the octopus'' body. Each step was important, as stated in the book. Slowly, with patience... Suddenly, the octopus'' tentacles and suction cups forcefully tightened, entangling his wrist. Damn it, a mistake! His mind understood, but his hand didn''t! At that moment, the tentacles of the deep-sea monster exerted a violent force, emitting an indescribable strange sound, like a low cry or a mournful tune. What was it trying to convey? Fear, hostility, assimtion, or introducing me to their god? Chen Qi broke into a cold sweat. Although he had the Deep Sea Affinity talent, he didn''t understand thenguage of deep-sea creatures. He could only rely on a kind of intuition, the intuition of his body, to feel this ancient biological information. Feel, slowly feel... As long as you take it slowly, you can understand the terriblenguage of this sea beast! Chen Qi rxed his body and focused his attention on his hand. Finally, in an instant! Chen Qi felt the meaning of the ancient creature''snguage: "Ah, that feels good, do it again, again~" Fuck! In that moment of realization, Chen Qi''s heart turned cold, and he couldn''t help but curse inwardly before suddenly grabbing the medicinal material and yanking his hand out of the jar. With a look of terror and his pupils contracted, he stared at the ominous octopus sea beast in the jar. What had he just felt! Is this the kind of message a deep-sea monster shouldmunicate to a human! Where''s its monster dignity? Did his just now erringly touch the sea beast''sfortable spot? Wait, what part of the sea beast did he touch just now? Chen Qi shook his head, not wanting to think too hard; he wasn''t some deep-sea creature enthusiast. Regardless, he had extracted the medicinal material, and his understanding of the Deep Sea Affinity talent had increased. This also proved, his Deep Sea Affinity talent was indeed strong! Bang! Just then, the door of the medical room was suddenly pushed open, and the little crow''s head slowly peeked in, looking at the still shaken Chen Qi. She had just passed by and heard the sound of the sea beast and Chen Qi moving backward. The voice of some sea beasts possessed a strange magic that could induce a feeling of fear in people. Chen Qi''s reaction clearly indicated that he had been scared. Perhaps sea beasts were still too terrifying for ordinary people, the little crow thought, shaking her head slightly. At this rate, it was questionable whether he could even do three by tonight, not to mention more than five. He might even develop a phobia of deep-sea creatures! How was she supposed to train him to be her assistant in the future! Raising a good assistant is no easy task, thought the little crow with a sigh, trying to reassure: "Keep calm, take it slowly, there''s plenty of time before evening." Chapter 7: Chapter 4 Rewards_3 "Don''t fear a single failure." "This fear can hardly be avoided," Chen Qi thought to himself. After saying that, the little raven withdrew her head and left again. Her work today was plentiful, as they neared the target crack, more and more people began to show signs of difort. "Tsk..." Next time, be more careful, Chen Qi patted his face and looked at these oddly shaped small sea beasts, rolling up his sleeves again. He could now be sure that, with his Deep Sea Affinity, it was extremely simple for him to extract these medicinal materials. To him, these sea beasts were not monsters but like human children holding lollipops! And all he needed to do was quickly snatch the lollipops from them! It would take at most an hour to collect everything. He just needed to casually take some medicinal materials from the sea beasts every once in a while. This also meant he had lots of free time today. Chen Qi turned his head, looked through the small window to the outside, and at the collector''s pistol at his waist. The fog was getting thicker; they were not far from the crack. He wasn''t proficient in the use of firearms, nor did he have knowledge of closebat weapons. He needed to take some time to enhance hisbat skills. At the same time, to escape, it would be best to observe the condition of the entire ship. That''s decided then... Chen Qi''s eyes showed determination. Time to get to work! ... ... A busy day passed in a sh, and as night fell, the Sawshark sailed smoothly through the darkness. "Done!" Chen Qi copsed into the chair with ease; today, he hadpleted his work and had observed the entire Sawshark. Also, he had taken some time to practice shooting with the pirates outside. "I''m back, how did the work go?" The off-work little raven opened the door, carrying two dry loaves of bread in her right hand, a medicine chest on her shoulder, and a leather whip in her left hand. The whip! Chen Qi, who was resting in the chair, saw this object and instantly tensed up. He became fully alert! On the pirate ship, where an atmosphere of violence was heavy, neers were usually targeted. Pirates would look for any excuse to beat them up. Especially someone like Chen Qi, who had no background and was a ve turned crew member. Today, while observing the Sawshark, Chen Qi heard talk from some of the crew about Doctor Raven. This cute yet scheming Ms. Raven, from the previous world''s website, was considered a terrifying quack doctor by these bloodthirsty pirates. Sheughed creepily during treatments, didn''t administer anesthesia during surgery, and resorted to violence against patients who didn''t follow medical orders... Through violence, Little Raven was an existence many crew members feared. If one considers her undercover status, this violence could likely be her form of retribution against ''pirates.'' However, ording to Chen Qi''s spection, there was another reason. She might have a sadistic streak! Especially when she held a whip in her hand! This further confirmed his suspicion! This was definitely bad news for him. "Sister Raven, let me help you with that." Chen Qi immediately stepped forward, smoothly taking the medicine chest, the bread, and the whip from her, and then slowly ced them on the cab. "How did the work go?" Little Raven twirled her hand and asked. ording to the management lessons the ck-eyed Captain gave her today, after giving sweetness, one must follow with bitterness. She thought it best to establish her authority over the new crew member tonight! After all, she wasn''t very tall, and her voice wasn''t harsh, so she couldn''t intimidate people with just a look, like the ck-eyed Captain could. Chen Qi quickly replied: "The cleaning is done, and for the medicinal materials, ording to the guide, I collected a total of neen jars." "How many?" Little Raven''s eager hand suddenly softened. "Neen." Chen Qi answered seriously again. The previous owner had experience dealing with sea beasts, so this number was not exaggerated. It wasn''t fifty jars because he waszy and wanted to be realistic. It wasn''t twenty jars, as he wanted to give some face to his immediate superior, this little raven. Chapter 8: Chapter 5 Yellow Needle "Ah!?" Little Raven''s hands were somewhat chaotic, and a trace of confusion and anxiety shed in her eyes! To handle the workload of neen, one would need to resort to some rough methods, otherwise it would be difficult to aplish. You''re not a brute, are you? Surely no sea beast jars have been damaged yet? She immediately checked all the sea beast jars, fearing that the precious medicinal materials might bepromised. Just as Chen Qi had said, neen jars of medicinal materials had already been extracted, and beautifully so. Moreover, the sea beasts she usually raised appeared listless, but today they were unexpectedly full of vitality! This also meant that there were few mistakes in the maniption. Beautifully done... Little Raven sighed in relief, her face slightly flushed, a bit happy. But on second thought, with no reason to whip him, Little Raven sighed heavily again: "Sigh..." Chen Qi was instantly startled, as if he had been struck by a whip. "Why are you sighing? I spent half an hour,boriouslypleting this challenging job!" Chen Qi felt that, although he had finished the job beautifully, she truly wanted to whip him from the heart! Little Raven adjusted her mask. She didn''t really want to whip him, nor was she a sadist. As a firm fan of the deep sea, she just wanted an excuse to have Chen Qi take his shirt off again, to have another look at the sea beast pattern on his back. Then give a symbolic couple of whacks on his buttocks. But this was neen! Quite arge workload! "Should I whip him neen times too? No no no, that''s just crazy, hellish thoughts..." Little Raven dismissed the idea. She must have devoted a lot of thought to this, meticulously read every letter of the "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide," racked her brain, and aplished it. She also got frightened by the sea beasts'' terrifying cries midway, but despite this, he still overcame his fear andpleted the job beautifully! And he did it on an empty stomach, no less! Such hard work, she couldn''t really pick on him as the ck-eyed Captain had said. Tired from a day''s work, Little Raven also copsed in the chair, smiling: "Neen? How did you do it?" Simply through hard work, it''s very difficult to achieve. Chen Qi recalled the original host''s memories, rubbing his hands: "I was born in Daluo Town of the Moonstone Inds, helped fishermen deal with some sea beasts, and I also attended university; I guess myprehension is decent." In this post-apocalyptic world, after centuries of a peaceful era, every country had established academies specifically for training Transcendents. The country where his story started was known as Shell Country, a nation focused on wealth with developed industries, where the education sector was on the rise. In Shell Country, there were many top academies for training Transcendents. However, unlike Earth''s academies, the entry requirements here were far stricter, and the majority of students were either nobles or descendants of powerful Transcendents. Commoners aspiring to enter the academies needed sufficiently high levels of inspiration and had to pass various difficult professional exams to qualify; the eptance rate was extremely low. "Oh? You also took the university entrance exams?" Little Raven hadn''t expected this little ve to have, like her, once been an exam candidate for university. Even among themoners, families willing to take the exams usually had some assets; bing a ve on a pirate ship was highly unlikely. Chen Qi responded: "Yes, I have some gift for inspiration, tried for the Royal University twice, but failed both times." "I applied to a medical college that was jointly established with the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom." "Oh, did you get in?" Chen Qi asked, as the yer-made game data had mentioned Little Raven''s proficiency in medicine but had not discussed her educational background. The atmosphere, once warm, suddenly grew a bit tense. "..." In Chen Qi''s mind, the image of a whip suddenly appeared; perhaps he shouldn''t have asked that question. "If I had passed, why would I be on a pirate ship, being a crazy female pirate all day, chatting cheerfully with a captured ve..." Little Raven was somewhat speechless, resting her face in her hand: "What do you think? The spots in these joint medical colleges are few, and we can only pick what''s left after the nobles and tycoons finish." "Of course, my own abilities weren''t up to snuff then. I just gotcent when I became a First Order ''Doctor Apprentice'' and missed this precious opportunity." "After I got the Doctor Apprentice license, I went out to make my own way due to various reasons."'' As she spoke, Little Raven felt somewhat sad. "Doctor Apprentice license!?" And ording to thews of the kingdom, only those with an entry-level Doctor''s license could be a legitimate ''Doctor.'' The Apprentice license did not qualify one to practice medicine. Chen Qi was slightly surprised; in his mind, Little Raven''s medical skills were impressive, and she ventured out right after getting her Apprentice license. This was unlicensed practice! She was definitely a quack! But on a pirate ship full of all sorts, this was somewhat normal. Feeling underestimated, Little Raven clenched her fist, boasting: "Don''t look down on me just because I have only an Apprentice license; it''s just that my status didn''t suit taking the license." "In research on deep-sea diseases, I might be even better than the legendary Healer, the Flower Witch!" "Oh, is that so." Gurgle~ Suddenly, a soft grumble came from Chen Qi''s stomach. He was hungry. ording to the ship rules, newly joined crew members were not entitled to eat in the dining hall; they could only have hot meals there after sessfullypleting a job with the pirate ship. Seeing the bread on the cupboard, the tired Little Raven immediately sat up. Chapter 9: Chapter 5 Yellow Needle_2 She was here to establish her authority and reward Chen Qi, but somehow, they ended up chatting. And chatting quite excitedly! This way, all her authority would be gone, and in a few days, they would call her Little Crow in secret... Little Crow handed him two pieces of bread: "Eat some bread first, with dried fruit." Chen Qi took the bread and took a bite. The slightly sweet taste of the dried fruit burst on his taste buds. Refreshing! Compared to modern bread, it was so hard it almost felt like a stone, but for Chen Qi, who had been starving all day, it was the ultimate delicacy. Little Crow picked up her medical kit: "Almost forgot, your reward." ording to their agreement, if he couldplete more than ten tasks, he would get a special potion. "Extraordinary Potion..." Chen Qi swallowed his saliva. Being a master gamer, he knew the importance of potions. If he wanted to fight monsters early on, Healing Potions or Strength Potions were essential tools! Little Crow opened a hiddenpartment in her medical kit, where several precious Extraordinary Potions were stored! Chen Qi took another bite of bread, his eyes filled with anticipation. Little Crow mumbled to herself as she rummaged through thepartment: "This one... no, too strong, your body can''t handle it. This one is for dogs, also no... this one is meant for women, no good either..." Finally, she grasped a yellow syringe. The golden liquid inside the syringe emitted a glow like gold! Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. That was very likely the best early-game Extraordinary Potion¡ªthe Yellow Needle! "This one is too expensive, also no..." She bit her lip and hesitated for a moment. Although they had not been together long, she had a good impression of Chen Qi. His performance was not like that of a ve; he worked diligently and had decent learning abilities. Moreover, he was around her age, possessing limitless potential. "This is a modified version..." Little Crow felt slightly conflicted. Giving a neer this potion seemed overly generous. Additionally, there was an unknown Sea Beast in his spine; who knew how long he could live. Little Crow turned her head and nced at Chen Qi again, her eyes filled with sympathy. With this frail physique, he could not even make it back without some supplemental potions. Besides, if she did not give it to him, greedy ck-eyed Captain would take it sooner orter. "Never mind, I''ll just take a loss!" After all, as his superior, as long as he remained alive, she could extract greater value from him in the future. Little Crow handed the special yellow potion to Chen Qi. "Here is your reward, take it! Remember, this is from Raven, the doctor of the ck Whale Group''s Sawshark, my modified masterpiece!" "Thank you, Sister Raven! I will remember it forever!" With bread in his mouth, Chen Qi took the precious yellow syringe with both hands. Phantom text appeared before his eyes once again. [Yellow Needle - Modified: Nature Form: Cup Description: A special potion from the fissure zone of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, which significantly enhances a person''s energy and endurance for twenty hours, and slightly boosts a person''s self-healing ability, capability value, and poison resistance, while permanently enhancing constitution and randomly changing attributes. This potion is remixed with special deep-sea ingredients and possesses stronger effects than the original potion. Note: Most permanently enhancing attribute potions do not have repeat effects.] Yellow Needle! What a great item! If he were not eating bread, Chen Qi would have eximed. It not only could enhancebat abilities but also permanently increase attributes. In early-game potions for ordinary yers, those that permanently increased attributes were rare, and the Yellow Needle was one of the best. Although it said it randomly changed attributes, data showed that the Yellow Needle''s random attributes tended to be positive overall. This rare import cost a lot of money. If a handgun collector could buy five ves like him, then the Yellow Needle could buy ten! Ten whole ves! Wait, why was he bing a unit of measurement... Chen Qi mentally joked. Little Crow made a gesture as if preparing to inject, and she gave a cold smile, a pirate''s trademark: "Do you know what this is?" "I know, I heard about this potion in big cities, quite expensive. Thank you, Sister Raven." Chen Qi said earnestly. You know? Little Crow''s mouth curled, her smile became more sinister: "Hehehe~ This is my modified product, rbined with Sea Beast serum, refined through numerous experiments to produce a superior potion. If I were at a medical college, I could patent this potion!" Little Crow closed the medical kit, restraining her smile to maintain her superior''s authority: "Good thingse at a cost. If youplete the extraction of neen cans of Sea Beast ingredients daily, only then will you earn the cost of this potion. Right, my modified version takes time to take effect. Since we''ll reach the fissure tomorrow morning, use it then. In the fissure, you''ll need the strength provided by the potion." "Arriving at the fissure tomorrow morning!" Chen Qi looked at the golden potion in his hand, analyzing the current situation in his mind. Today, he spent some time understanding the status of the Sawshark and the fissure. The Sawshark ranked low among the ck Whale Group''s ships, with about sixty crew members. Because of manpower issues, everyone had to go on the fissure exploration, including the ship''s ves, mostly used for the fissure. To prepare for emergencies, they also had five steam-powered mini-boats with propellers. Chapter 10: Chapter 5 Yellow Needle_3 The steamboats were at the stern, so getting them wouldn''t be hard. Everyone would participate in the crack instance, and there were also escape ships. The escape n wasn''t just a dream, but a realistic and feasible n. However, this n required a timing, a moment when everyone was in chaos. Seeing Chen Qi deep in thought, Little Raven thought he was scared. Not everyone was like pirates, lured by treasure and losing their reverence for life. Little Ravenforted him: "Don''t worry, although the crack is dangerous, the ck Whale Group rewards crew members who participate in the major operations. This journey to the crack is one such major operation. The ck Whale Pirate Group has profound resources. If you have half a year of experience, you have a chance to get an upation Card and be a Transcendent." "After the journey to the crack, if you can keep working with the Sawshark for a few more jobs to umte six months of experience, by then, I can help you apply for a Cup Phase ''Doctor Apprentice'' upation Card. If you''re lucky enough, bing a Second-tier professional isn''t a fantasy." "Cup Phase ''Doctor Apprentice'' upation Card..." Chen Qi propped his chin in thought. upation Cards came from the cracks, just like potions, and were essential items for bing Transcendent. Each upation Card had an attribute of Nature Form. In the setting of the New Sun World, there were thirteen Nature Forms, representing different forces and symbols, like gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, important attributes of extraordinary power. For example, the Cup Phase of the ''Doctor Apprentice'' upation Card represented evolution, flesh, life, eternity, and other symbols. As a veteran yer, Chen Qi remembered the abilities of nearly a hundred Transcendent professions. The ''Doctor Apprentice,'' a First Order upation Card, could grant basic Disease Resistance and basic self-healing physique as two passive abilities, increase learningprehension of medical knowledge, and included a basic Spiritual Healing Technique. Little Raven, imitating the tone of the ck-eyed Captain, continued: "Whether in the ck Whale Group or elsewhere, doctors are scarce and respected positions. This crack is very important. If we can find the Hunter''s treasure in this mission, it will be a great achievement! If we find the treasure, I''d even say, as long as you cane out of this crack alive, even if you don''t take on dangerous voyages afterward, you endure for six months, and you''ll get the precious ''Doctor Apprentice'' upation Card!" Six months...Chen Qi furrowed his brow and asked a question: "Sister Raven, can I really survive six months?" Little Raven''s mouth instantly felt as if it was stuffed and she fell silent. Indeed, as a new pirate, how easy was it to survive six months in the pirate group? Not to mention the increasingly dangerous voyages of the ck Whale Pirate Group, with the Kingdom''s Navy cracking down more severely due to its title of the Pirate Emperor. Chen Qi already had his answer in mind. Sorry, but he had no interest in the healer profession right now! What a trash profession! If it were a peaceful era and he didn''t have the Deep Sea Affinity talent, he might really consider bing a ship doctor. But ording to the game background, the world-destroying powers were returning, and the ck Whale Group had gonepletely mad in the pursuit of ancient powers... Little Raven herself turned into a monster and died for trying to stop the ck Whale Group''s massacre. If he really followed Little Raven to be a ship doctor, worked hard at medicine, and continued on this path... Maybe not long after, he''d reach the ending of this world, and after working hard in the ck Whale Group, end up dying at their hands just like Little Raven. Studying medicine couldn''t save the world, nor save himself. Not to mention, this Transcendent profession would take a full six months to acquire. Staying in the ck Whale Group was not a wise choice. The atmosphere between the two became a bit subtle. Approaching the crack, neither of them was sure to survive. Night had already deepened, and Little Raven shook her head: "Don''t worry, you are already a member of the ck Whale Group. There won''t be any problems tomorrow. Sleep early, I still have some work to do. There aren''t any spare crew cabins, sleep where you are; there''s a nket by the bookshelf." "Okay..." Chen Qi''s eyelids drooped. After fighting the ck Bull and suffering long-term malnutrition, his whole body was extremely tired. What a brand new world, maybe not so bad... Chen Qiy down, covered himself with the nket, and fatigue allowed him to momentarily forget the chaotic information in his mind. Hest saw Little Raven sit at the desk before he slowly closed his eyes. His breathing gradually became steady, and he seemed to hear the sounds of pirate mor and waves in his ears. Although there was still plenty of work left, Little Raven didn''t put pen to paper for a long time. Chen Qi''sst question had pierced her thoughts like a sword, making her uneasy. She self-deprecatingly reminded herself that she was just an insignificant ship doctor on a pirate ship, a failure who couldn''t get into medical school. Not to mention him, could she herself really survive for half a year? Little Raven listened to the sound of waves and slumped onto the desk. In the vast ocean waves, how many could truly control their destiny? Troubled, she slowly closed her tired eyes and fell asleep. In the gentle sound of the ocean waves, the two slept soundly, very soundly... Until a new day arrived, and the sunlight once again shone on the deck of the Sawshark. The sound of waves crashing against the ship slowly woke Chen Qi, and he heard the voices of pirates nearby. The footsteps on the deck grew more frequent, and the pirates'' voices became more excited. The crack had arrived... Chapter 11: Chapter 6: The Treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter! "The crack is right before our eyes, the time to go ashore hase!" "My warriors! Grab your drinks and gather on deck!" On the deck, the ck-eyed Captain yelled with all his might, his huge voice piercing through the entire Sawshark. Was the ck-eyed Captain''s voice always this loud... Chen Qi got up, ncing over the ship''s infirmary in front of him. Little Crow had gotten up early and was already prepared to enter the crack. Even though she hadn''t slept much, she was showing an excitement she had never exhibited before. She quickly packed up and said: "We''re ready to set off, take two cans of painkillers, ten bottles of Healing Potion, five doses of tranquilizer, a bottle of Sea Beast oil, and bandages. In this crack, your job is to timely distribute the medicines to the wounded." "Okay." Chen Qi answered excitedly. The time to go ashore was always the most exhrating moment for pirates. And it was also a perfect opportunity for great endeavors! Without hesitation, Chen Qi packed the necessary items into his backpack and strapped the Gatherer''s Rifle to his waist. Additionally, there was a yellow syringe. This powerful Potion can grant self-healing and an energy BUFF, and it permanently increases constitution, randomly enhancing an attribute! It was time to use it! Chen Qi rolled up the sleeve of his right arm, clenched his teeth, slowly stuck the needle into his skin, and then pressed down hard. The golden liquid rushed into his bloodstream in an instant, ignited the Transcendent Spiritual Power within his body, and then swiftly permeated his entire being. His whole body heated up! A notification screen appeared before Chen Qi''s eyes again. "You have injected a Yellow Needle improvement, gaining an energy boost BUFF, a gold self-healing BUFF,sting approximately 24 hours. Energy Boost: Your stamina has greatly strengthened, temporarily gaining +3 agility, and +3 strength. Gold Self-healing: During the duration, use the Transcendent Potion within your body to heal external injuries."] "Your constitution has permanently increased by 5, your strength permanently increased by 1 point."] Suddenly, Chen Qi felt like he had boundless energy. A 5-point increase in constitution was quite significant, simr to what some First Order Transcendent professions would offer. Usually, the Yellow Needle often provides a boost in a major attribute at the cost of dropping another attribute; getting a 5-point boost in constitution would typically result in a loss of 1 point in agility. Having no diminished attributes, but instead increased agility, was an incredibly lucky enhancement. Of course, this might be the "improved Potion''s" doing. Awesome! Constitution represents defense and stamina. Chen Qi took a deep breath, feeling every inch of his body. Now, he no longer had to worry about being killed with a single punch by an ordinary pirate of the ck Whale Group; at least it would take two punches. With this attribute value, even without Transcendent Skills, relying solely on his stats, he could take on many dangerous battles in the early stages and beat up the small monsters in the beginner''s vige. But unfortunately, this was on the ck Whale pirate group''s ship. "How is it?" Little Crow asked curiously, as after all, this was her painstakingly improved product. "Quite good, it feels even stronger than the Yellow Needle I''ve heard about. If this syringe could be patented, it would definitely make a lot of money." Patenting isn''t that easy... Little Crow adjusted her mask. Although her new assistant seemed to be praising her while also appearing somewhat naive, he always managed to hit the right spot. Little Crow picked up her medicine chest: "Let''s go, stay behind me and gather on deck. The old guy with the ck eyes always likes to have a drink and give a speech before entering the crack. By the way, don''t tell the captain about giving you the Yellow Needle, that guy has been wanting this Yellow Needle for a long time." "Not tell... the captain?" Chen Qi showed a puzzled look. Under normal circumstances, the captain is the person with the highest strength and status. Little Crow suddenly clenched her teeth and tightened her small fists: "Yes... that guy always likes to write ''Gold Coin IOUs'' and then use them to take other people''s things. The kind that borrows but never returns. Up to now, he already owes me fifty Gold Coins! Three Transcendent Potion syringes! In any case, you do need to maintain the proper respect for the captain, but it''s best not to trust that guy''s words too much." As she spoke, Little Crow threw a few punches in the air with her right fist. "Hmm..." Chen Qi nodded slightly. From the first moment he saw the ck-eyed Captain, he felt like he was dealing with the boss of a ruthlesspany. He didn''t expect that the man would even dare to cheat the ship''s medic out of her money! Worthy of being a captain indeed. Chen Qi followed Little Crow through the corridors and over the steps, reaching the deck. The rays of the sun hit his face. Coming to this world, it was the first time he had seen the sunlight... Chen Qi raised his hand to shade part of the sunshine and looked up at the sky, unable to hide the amazement in his heart. The huge white sun burned fiercely, illuminating the world. He suddenly remembered the promotional video of the New Day Era. The old sun had fallen, the new sun sustains thest of humanity''s civilization, which is also why this era is called the New Day Era. The brand-new sunlight was quitefortable... Chen Qi shook his head and smiled again as he followed Little Crow towards the crowd. On the deck, all the pirates of the Sawshark had assembled. The ves on the ship were also pulled out. They formed arge circle, with those of higher status standing in front. And in the middle of therge circle was the captain of the Sawshark ¡ª the ck-eyed Captain! Chen Qi followed Little Crow through the crowd. The ck-eyed Captain was drinking from a bottle of rum, humming a pirate''s song of the sea: "Hum hum hum~ We are pirates, with a bottle in the left hand, a cuss in the right, filling the dead man''s chest with Gold, filling that dead man''s chest! Filling that dead man''s chest!" What a dark chant... Chen Qi thought to himself, paired with the ck-eyed Captain''s hoarse male voice, it was nearly as terrifying as the whispered shanties of Sea Beasts. The ck-eyed Captain stopped his singing as soon as he saw Little Crow. "Little Crow, our best ship''s doctor, you''ve finally arrived! Have you prepared the Sea Beast we need to enter the crack?" Little Crow raised his head and said solemnly: "My new assistant talent is pretty good, did a damn neat job, saved me a lot of work, the parasitic Sea Beasts we''ll need are all ready, Now, cut the crap, get to the point, About the information on the crack, and our target, this isn''t just a regr treasure hunting game, right, Captain?" "A good talent, Little Crow, it''s the first time I''ve heard you praise an assistant, our Sawshark is exactly in need of talent at this time." The ck-eyed Captain''s pure ck eyes nced at Chen Qi, then suddenly he pulled out his pitch-ck Cuss and bellowed: "Everyone, because of the instructions from above, to keep other pirate groups from screwing with our ck Whale Group. I have not yet shared our true objective of this operation with you, which is more precious than tons of Gold! Even more valuable than a Transcendent upation Card! Now that the crack is right before us, it''s time to reveal it!" The true target... Chen Qi felt a slight shock in his heart. Normally, the captain wouldn''t hide their objective from the crew, unless, it was something extremely valuable. Valuable enough to be kept a secret. The pirates looked at each other in bewilderment, the ck-eyed Captain seemed to have kept a big secret from them! "Captain, more valuable than tons of Gold, could it be ckbeard''s sunken ship? I heard that bastard ckbeard''s sunken ship contained over ten tons of Gold." "ckbeard! Captain, could you really have found the sunken ship of such a big shot?" The pirates started making a ruckus all at once, each and every one of them dead set on treasure. "No, no, no!" The ck-eyed Captain shook his head, dismissing everyone''s spections, "It''s the ancient treasure left by someone even more famous than ckbeard, a treasure location found by our great leader. The treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter!!" With that, the ck-eyed Captain mmed down his drink. A huge roar erupted from the entire ship. Deep Sea Hunter! Chen Qi swallowed hard. He was not a yer who specialized in studying plots, nor was he a yer from the Witch Sea region. But he still had a profound impression of the Deep Sea Hunter! It was the title of a legendary hunter, with the Deep Sea Hunter and the ck Whale Group both being rted to the main storyline of the Witch Sea region. Deep Sea Hunter was incredibly powerful; in the legends of the Witch Sea region, he was the only person to have hunted a deep-sea behemoth after the Witches. Unlike most legends, Deep Sea Hunter, corrupted by the blood of monsters he battled, had no offspring and no disciples. On the contrary, he was feared by the world. Legend had it that after his death, he divided his treasure into several parts, burying it in the hidden ces of the great sea, leaving it for those adventurers who possessed the courage. However, the Deep Sea Hunter was so ancient that most pirates stopped pursuing his treasure, so ancient that people doubted its existence. The treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter was real... Chen Qi was quite certain of it. He had seen it on the game forums; the treasures and weapons associated with it were top-notch Divine Artifacts. The treasure he left behind had sold for a terrifyingly high price on the game forums. The pirates were inplete chaos, this was without doubt earth-shattering news. Little Crow asked anxiously: "Captain, is it really the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter?" Chen Qi was excited but also apprehensive at the same time. As a legendary hunter, the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter wouldn''t be easy to obtain! Other pirates also voiced their doubts. "Of course! This is the intelligence our great leader has acquired, the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter is right behind us!" The ck-eyed Captain turned around. As the Sawshark slowed down, a deste and small ind gradually came into view. Atop the small ind, a huge crack, like the gaping maw of a monster, emanated a dark and terrifying aura. That was their destination¡ªthe Sea Beast Cave Rift! At that moment, the ck-eyed Captain greedily nced at the ves again. On this ship, there were more than forty ves. He drew his Cuss and addressed the ves: "Under normal circumstances, you would be sold upon arriving at the city and then be ythings in those shameless nobles'' games! With no chance of ever turning your lives around! However, now you have an opportunity, and that is to show your courage in the crack! If you show enough courage and contribute within the crack! I will grant you freedom, and furthermore, award each of you five Gold Coins!" Upon hearing the ck-eyed Captain''s words, a spark of hope lit up in the eyes of some ves. These ves were nothing more than cannon fodder meant for navigating through the crack, taken by the ck-eyed Captain. Lastly, the ck-eyed Captain turned towards Chen Qi and the pirates: "The treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter will determine the future of our ck Whale Group! If we secure the treasure, all participants will be rewarded with fifty Gold Coins! In addition, based on different deeds, you will also receive the Transcendent Blessings bestowed personally by our leader!" Transcendent powers, in this superhuman world, are closely tied to status. And fifty Gold Coins, that alone amounts to a significant fortune; these two rewards, let alone changing a person''s destiny, could even change the fate of an entire family! Bang¡ª¡ª The Sawshark stopped before the small ind. At this time, the ck-eyed Captain turned back, his eyes filled with boundless greed. "Hahahaha!" Heughed heartily, spreading his arms wide, "My friends! Enough talk! After all, glory and Gold! Are right before our eyes!" Then he leaped vigorously, stepping up to the edge of the crack. "Everyone, follow me into the crack!" Chapter 12: Chapter 7 Inspiration Identification "Follow me." The little crow said, she, as the ship''s doctor, often walked in the middle of the team. And as an attendant, Chen Qi should stay close to her during this process. "Hmm." Chen Qi followed the little crow to the bow, then along the ropedder, and reached the crack on the ind. On this silent ind, the crack looked like a giant monster''s mouth, silently waiting for everyone to walk into its trap. As the captain, the ck-eyed Captain held the ck knife and charged into the giant mouth without hesitation. Spurred by the ck-eyed Captain''s speech, everyone except Chen Qi and the little crow was filled with excitement and passion. If the hunter''s treasure truly existed, then this crack must hide terrifying dangers... Chen Qi took a deep breath and reminded himself to stay vignt. Even though the Deep Sea Affinity could make him immune to sea beast attacks, there were still many non-sea-beast monsters in the ocean. "Don''t be afraid, nothing will happen..." The little crow, ahead, cast a nce at the giant crack and said to Chen Qi, then slowly walked down. Chen Qi also carefully descended along the rugged stone wall. The surrounding vision grew darker, and the entrance became narrower and narrower, faint sounds whispered by his ears. This was not a limited-number crack, nor did it have special enlightenment, it was the most ordinary crack... Chen Qi thought. ording to the setting of New Sun, many cracks would provide different information based on the level of inspiration. Some cracks would limit the number of people and have unique rules. Generally, cracks without rules were the best ces to hunt monsters. As he went deeper, a hint appeared. [You have entered the Sea Beast Cave.] Chen Qi looked up slightly, and a cave appeared before his eyes. The space inside the cave was exceptionally spacious, the stones on the ceiling flickered with a crystalline blue light, and the inside was filled with a salty sea breeze mixed with the stench of marine creatures. It seemed as though he could still hear the faint roars of sea beasts. [Your inspiration is being identified...] In the crack, if the inspiration was higher, there was a chance to obtain special enlightenment hints, and thus acquire clues to clear the crack. His initial inspiration was slightly higher, at 35, more than three times that of an ordinary person. [Identification sessful. Sea Beast Cave: Crack Deformation: 0% (This crack has been treated, no deformation or expansion into the world possibility) Nature Form: Null (This cave is already damaged and seems to have no value for exploration) Introduction: A sea beast cave, inhabited by monsters between the deep sea and thend, this is their monster nest. Inspiration Enlightenment: In your inspiration, you vaguely see at the far end of this cave, under the scarlet eyes, a cyan box emitting a special aura.] Just like a game instance description... Chen Qi''s eyes lit up, although he had seen simr panels in many games. When they appeared in reality, it was unavoidable to feel surprised. Crack Deformation Zero... In New Sun''s setting, the initial deformation probability of cracks was around 10%, and it would decrease with each clearance until it reached zero. This meant that many powerful individuals had explored this crack on the sea. Even so, no one had obtained that box despite multiple explorations by predecessors... The box that appeared in this enlightenment was probably the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure mentioned by the ck-eyed Captain. Chen Qi thought as he followed therge group forward. "How do you feel entering the crack for the first time? How is your inspiration? Did you feel any special enlightenment?" The little crow turned her head and looked at Chen Qi, who was deep in thought. "Yes... I sensed some enlightenment, and a monster''s roar..." Chen Qi whispered, not hiding anything, it wasn''t something that needed to be concealed. He could clearly hear more and more breaths. Moreover, these sounds were getting closer and closer to him. "I can feel it... Your inspiration is quite high." The little crow was slightly surprised, her new subordinate always managed to give her unexpected surprises, "High inspiration is a good thing. If we can go back smoothly this time, I can teach you a meditation technique. This technique can further enhance your perception and even enable you to have a third eye." The little crow smiled slightly, already thinking about matters after leaving the crack in just a few steps! Please stop your jinxing behavior! In such a creepy environment, Chen Qi felt a foreboding listening to the little ship doctor''s words. "Ship Doctor Sister, is there some kind of sound around us..." Chen Qi whispered, trying to interrupt the little crow''s jinxing behavior. "Don''t worry, this is your first time entering a crack, you''recking experience, this is a 0% deformation crack. Usually, the entrances of such cracks are safe, and my inspiration tells me..." Wow! In an instant, before the little crow finished speaking, a bat with a head-sized body screeched loudly and charged at the two of them from the stone wall! Danger triggered thebat instinct! Chen Qi quickly pulled out the Collector and shot the bat! Bang! The bronze bullet shot out, the immense prating power pierced through the bat, and scarlet blood exploded in the air. It was just an ordinary monster bat, not a sea beast, and itsbat power was not too strong. Chen Qi watched the smoke rise from the gun barrel and breathed a sigh of relief. [Killed a small bat, gained 7 Spiritual Points.] Looking at the hint before him, Chen Qi felt joy in his heart. In "New Sun''s" setting, killing monsters in cracks granted special resources called Spiritual Points. Essentially, it was like the experience points in typical games. Consuming Spiritual Points could upgrade the transcendent skills on the panel. Unfortunately, he currently did not have a Transcendent upation Card, nor did he gain special transcendent skills through other means, and Deep Sea Affinity was clearly not a skill that could be upgraded using Spiritual Points. Thus his Spiritual Points temporarily had no use. Unlike typical games, the Spiritual Points awarded for killing monsters in cracks were not much, and killing monsters too far above one''s own level would not grant any Spiritual Points either. Of course, there were special circumstances, some cracks with the [de Phase] tag would providerge kill bonuses. More Spiritual Points acquisition relied on the upation tasks of transcendent upation cards. For instance, a Doctor''s Apprentice could gain Spiritual Points by treating patients and learning medicine, thereby upgrading their transcendent skills. However, for the current Chen Qi, 7 points weren''t bad. This gun packs a punch, truly a divine artifact for pioneers... He looked at the Collector in his hand. "Of course, my marksmanship isn''t bad either¡ª" This was his first time using the gun in actualbat and he managed to act so swiftly and urately. At this moment, Chen Qi nced at the little crow. "Nicely done, just as I anticipated..." The little crow smiled slightly, masking the embarrassment from her recent words about there being no danger. However, she had seen Chen Qi defeat the ck bull while also taking yellow needles, so his quick shooting didn''t surprise her. "..." Chen Qi felt a bit speechless. The bat threat was not a big deal for these bloodthirsty pirates. The real terrory ahead with this cave''s master¡ªthe Sea Beast. They continued dispatching bats as they carefully proceeded deeper into the cave. In less than ten minutes, the bat swarm was driven back, losing their desire to attack. Going deeper now... Chen Qi held his gun, staying alert. But as the bat swarm retreated, more strange sounds echoed through the cave. Crash! Hiss hiss! Chen Qi heard these sounds by his ears and couldn''t help but look around. In the darkness, he seemed to see shadowy figures. They were waiting for an opportunity¡ª The sounds came more frequently and densely¡ª Chen Qi looked towards the front of the team, they were the mainbat force of this expedition. At the forefront, the ck-eyed Captain frowned, drew his precious ck knife, and shouted loudly, "Follow me, speed up, they are here already..." Chapter 13: Chapter 8: Emergency Situations The ck-eyed Captain gripped his dark de tightly, slowly sliding it across the icy ground. Chen Qi''s gaze was fixed intently on the captain in front of him. Just like with the bats from before, he couldn''t be sure if "they" could be affected by the "Deep Sea Affinity". As the ck-eyed Captain walked, he suddenly remembered something and looked back in Chen Qi''s direction: "Right, little crow, don''t you have a vial of Yellow Needle? Do you have it with you? I feel like I''m in need of it..." Bang! Chen Qi''s pupils sharply contracted. In the moment the ck-eyed Captain turned his head, a toad-like blue creature burst from the darkness, its mouth brimming with sharp teeth, and lunged straight for the captain''s tottering hat! "Damn it!" The ck-eyed Captain twisted the de in a reverse grip, then spun around, using the de to forcefully block the toad''s bite. Boom! Under the toad''s immense power, the ck-eyed Captain was sent flying, rushing back tens of meters tond in front of Chen Qi. The Deep Sea Toad, a colossal creature towering about six meters tall, had two boulder-like blue eyes and a gaping mouth with fangs that seemed capable of devouring everything! The moment it appeared, the entire pirate crew retreated five meters backwards. It gazed upon the crowd as if they were mere insects. Despite the distance of tens of meters, Chen Qi could faintly sense that it belonged to the ''Deep Sea'' category. The ck-eyed Captain wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and extended his hand toward Chen Qi, who was closest: "Do you have a Healing Potion?" The recent impact had been huge, and the captain had sustained no small amount of internal injuries. "I do..." Chen Qi took out a bottle of Healing Potion from his backpack and handed it to the ck-eyed Captain. The ck-eyed Captain took the potion, gulped it down, then took a deep breath and assumed a sword-drawing stance, staring fixedly at the toad in front of him. "Damn beast!" He cursed ferociously and, like a sh of lightning, he charged out, resolved to slice the Deep Sea Toad''s mouth with his dark de! The Deep Sea Toad was not to be outdone, opening its massive mouth to bite at the ck-eyed Captain. In the blink of an eye, they shed! Chen Qi observed the situation and believed the ck-eyed Captain had the upper hand. "Beast! Die!" The ck-eyed Captain roared in anger, his muscles bulging as he channeled all his strength into the edge of the de. sh! In the next moment, the de cut through the Deep Sea Toad''s teeth and instantly tore its body into two crimson halves! "Captain my lord! Our god!" "By the Sea Goddess above!" The crowd, seeing the obstructing creature halved, let out a long sigh of relief. No, this was just the beginning... Chen Qi muttered to himself, feeling the aura of the deep sea growing stronger! It spread like a fog, enveloping them. "Damn it¡ª" As a Transcendent, the ck-eyed Captain could also sense that frenzied aura approaching like a torrential downpour. A deep rumble resounded around the cavern. The next second, a terrifying scene unfolded. In the surrounding darkness, more and more Deep Sea Toads emerged, each step revealing their lethal fangs as they approached. One, two, ten... Over a hundred! Chen Qi looked around to find that they had all been unwittingly surrounded by the Deep Sea Toads! At that moment, everyone''s face was etched with terror. Even the mightiest among them, their captain, had exhausted all his strength to defeat just one Deep Sea Toad! What about them? The ck-eyed Captain tightened his grip on the hilt of his de, knowing that as the captain, he must issuemands in such perilous times. There was no path of retreat for us! The only choice was to carve a bloody path through! "All able-bodied fighters, follow me and clear the way! Those without the strength, stick with the Doctor and cover our rear!" The pirates grabbed their weapons, steam shotguns, transcendent hammers, massive des... The battle was on the brink of erupting, and the entire cave instantly became a battleground where humans fought against monsters. The two strongest individuals on the Sawshark, the ck-eyed Captain and the First Mate of the Sawshark, charged to the forefront, attempting to carve a path through. Meanwhile, some pirates and ves were responsible for covering their rear, preventing a pincer attack. Chen Qi hurriedly opened his backpack, taking out the necessary items in advance. Just as Little Crow had told him, he was the Doctor''s assistant and wasn''t going to face the monsters directly. Chen Qi pulled out a Healing Potion, witnessing the terrifying scene before him. Thebat strength of the deep sea toads was quite formidable; even these battle-hardened crew members often needed two people to take one down. And as for the armed ves, they served merely as human shields and bait. Under the terrifying onught of the sea toads, the pirates suffered casualties in an instant. "Save me, Doc... Big Sis..." A crew member who had his left arm bitten off crawled over with difficulty, his arm as mangled as bloody cotton, tears of blood streaking from his eyes. Behind him, several who were sumbing to their wounds, overwhelmed by fear, crowded around as well. Little Crow adjusted her mask, disying an unprecedentedly serious expression: "Help him stop the bleeding." "Okay." Chen Qi crouched down, pressing a bandage against the bleeding wound, while feeding the man painkillers and the Healing Potion. In Little Crow''s hands, a green light began to glow. Healing Skill, a transcendent ability, consuming Spiritual Power, could heal a person''s external injuries. However, such Healing Skills required some time, therefore, applying bandages and potions were essential. With theirbined efforts, they quickly finished treating the injured. Unlike Earth, with the enhancement of Extraordinary Power, as long as the Healing Skill and Healing Potions took effect, these pirate casualties could rejoin the fight immediately. But despite this, the rate of loss was just too rapid... In just a moment, the area where the two of them were stationed was already popted with ten injured men! And the number of wounded was still rising¡ª Bang! A loud noise erupted from the front! At that moment, the bigshot of the Sawshark, the First Mate of the Sawshark, dragging his injured body, came in front of them. He was covered in blood, and on his right arm were deep blue veins throbbing like several venomous snakes had burrowed inside! Hey down, using every bit of his strength to say: "Save me..." "Deep sea toxin!" Chen Qi was startled; he had seen in the "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide" that such deep blue veins were usually a sign of poisoning from the deep-sea toad''s deadly toxin. Little Crow furrowed her brows; the First Mate being poisoned was undoubtedly terrible news, given that he was one of their key fighters. The deep-sea toxin possessed Spiritual Power and was of transcendent nature; ordinary Healing Potions and Skills would not suffice for treatment. Had it not been for the First Mate''s high constitution, he would have already burst into fragments. They would have to use a more advanced Healing Skill and perform surgery... This required time, and simultaneously, she couldn''t afford too many disruptions. Little Crow looked at Chen Qi: "I''m leaving the rest of the wounded to you, and if anyone tries to disturb me, stop them! I must maintain absolute focus." Little Crow took out her surgical tools along with special medicines derived by Chen Qi from deep-sea creatures: "May the Sea Goddess, along with the Flower Witch, watch over us. Let there be no idents during this time..." Having said that, Little Crow focused intently on performing her emergency surgery. Let there be no idents... Chen Qi suddenly felt an ominous premonition. Their rear had already been breached, and this temporary medical post, filled with ''human meals'', was undoubtedly the most desirable destination for the monsters... Chen Qi tugged at a bandage, turning his head to look back. At the breached spot, a ten-meter-tall deep-sea creature that emitted an ear-piercing roar was gradually advancing towards them. Chapter 14: Chapter 9 Cover ``` Staring down Chen Qi was no ordinary deep sea toad. By its size, as well as its distinctly greyer and harder skin, plus those deep red teeth, it was clearly a more powerful alien species. At this moment, the little crow also noticed the unusual situation with this alien species. With so many injured crew yet to recover, their current state was outright unsuitable for escape! If she was to run now, it would mean abandoning more than a dozen injured on site. Diverting a sliver of her attention, she spoke to Chen Qi: "Take out the Sea Beast oil and sprinkle it on us, it has an auxiliary hypnotic effect, and can also, in front of Sea Beasts, mask our human scent." Auxiliary hypnotic? Your strange medicines sure are plenty... Chen Qi took out the Sea Beast oil, applying it skillfully over them. Hopefully it works... the little crow prayed inwardly. Boom! Boom! The alien species advanced another five meters toward them, then suddenly stopped. After scattering the medicine, Chen Qi turned back to watch the alien species'' movements intently. The deep sea toad''s massive blue eyes stared at him, and Chen Qi''s eyes met its gaze. A stare-off ensued. This little thing looks quite unique? Can my Deep Sea Affinity take effect? Chen Qi wondered. This deep sea toad should be a creature of the deep sea attribute. "Roar!" All of a sudden, the deep sea toad opened its giant maw and roared in their direction. Its voice seemed to carry an ancient power, awakening everyone''s instincts and fears! The roar almost stopped the injured on the ground from their hearts beating. Everyone, except for Chen Qi, was in a state of shock. The little crow, too, was severely scared, even ready to cease the surgery at the next second. If it really came to it, she would have to let this blue toad taste the fury of a medic! However, the instant after it roared, the deep sea toad turned around and leaped into the darkness. "???" Everyone was baffled, but still, they exhaled in relief. Chen Qi alone understood what had happened. Because the target of that roar was him... Guided by intuition, Chen Qi understood the deep sea toad''s piercing cry. The rough meaning was: "You eat." The monster hadn''t failed to see them, nor was it uninterested in them. But in its eyes, Chen Qi was also a monster, and these injured were his ''meals''. I have no interest in eating humans... Chen Qi thought, feeling slightly ted. He was now certain that Deep Sea Affinity worked on these deep sea toads! These deep sea toads that induced fear in everyone would not attack him and even showed a certain kindness. This ce was his home ground! Most pirates were busy fighting... Meaning, he could now move freely among the group of deep sea toads. This was an excellent opportunity to escape. The only concern was the ship''s medic behind him. Though she was a healer, it didn''t mean herbat abilities were weak. He could very well be caught halfway by the medic, snatched back like an eagle catching a chicken. Should I really run? Chen Qi lowered his head, calmly contemting. With the help of Deep Sea Affinity, he should be able to find a better chance to escape. "Moreover..." The enlightenment that had sparked upon entering the crack surfaced again in Chen Qi''s mind. At the end of the cave, below those crimson eyes¡ª Therey the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure! The ck-eyed Captain hadn''t been wrong; it was indeed a rarity of this world. That was why these pirates, at the risk of their lives, set foot in this Sea Beast cavern. With Deep Sea Affinity, this treasure could be a tremendous opportunity for Chen Qi. Under normal circumstances, it would require a long time of growth before he''d be eligible to step into this crack. Unafraid of deep-sea creatures in the crack... This Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, perhaps... ``` Chen Qi''s mind conceived a bold idea, and he lifted his head. Another monster had fixed its gaze on him! At this moment, above the ceiling, a human-sized bat pped its wings, its dark red eyes staring in the direction where Chen Qi stood. It wasrger and more menacing than the bats before! The Blood Eye Bat, an advanced variant of the ordinary bats, now belonged to the elite ss of monsters. The scent of blood had attracted this creature of the skies. The Sea Beast had left due to Chen Qi''s Deep Sea Affinity, but this bloodthirsty monster would not. "Trouble¡­" Chen Qi took a deep breath, preparing to ughter this bloodthirsty bat. Fortunately, unlike the Deep Sea Toads, this was a verymon monster in the game, and as a dedicated yer, he was very familiar with it. Normally, as long as one had the strength of a First Order Transcendent, they could defeat early-stage monsters like this one. Although Chen Qi was not a First Order, he had taken the Yellow Needle, and also had the Collector''s Rifle. In terms of weapons and attributes, he already tentatively possessed the strength of a First Order Transcendent. "Hiss!" The Blood Eye Bat dived down! Chen Qi did not immediately shoot; instead, he held his curved knife, quietly waiting for the right moment. In the instant it swooped down, he swung the curved knife violently, stabbing into the Blood Eye Bat''s body! This kind of monster didn''t fear pain¡ª As the curved knife stabbed into it, just as Chen Qi anticipated, the Blood Eye Bat continued to move forward, trying to bite his neck off directly! The Blood Eye Bat''s head was its core and also the hardest part. At this moment, Chen Qi''s left hand pulled out the Collector''s Rifle and pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! Three shots in a row! The head of the Blood Eye Bat burst open instantly like a water bag! [Killed Blood Eye Bat, obtained 51 Spiritual Points.] 51 Spiritual Points! This was already a considerable amount! Exhrating! Chen Qi felt the scalding sensation transmitted to his hand from the Collector. That should be it¡­ Chen Qi looked around, and aside from this bat, there were no other creatures daring topete with the Deep Sea Toads for food. Lying on the ground, the First Mate looked at Chen Qi, sincerely thanking him: "Thank you, thanks to the Sea Goddess, thank you, ship''s surgeon..." "Well done! My assistant!" Crow thought to herself; she hadpleted the First Mate''s bloodletting surgery, sessfully removing the deep-sea toxin from his body. Her assistant was morepetent than she had imagined. With the bloodletting surgeryplete, the First Mate stood up, flexed his limbs, and picked up his weapon again! The ck-eyed Captain was still fighting at the forefront! A piece of cake¡­ Chen Qi pped his hands and turned his gaze to where the ck-eyed Captain was. As the captain of the Sawshark, the ck-eyed Captain was formidable, possessing a ck de specialized for hunting monsters. Under immense pressure, he had sessfully carved a path of blood through the crowd of Deep Sea Toads. However, their stamina was ultimately limited, while the Deep Sea Toads were endless. And moreover, many more terrifying sea monsters lurked in the shadows, yet to emerge. If they didn''t have a target, they would sooner orter be depleted in this cave. "If this continues¡­" Crow bit her teeth tightly, her small fists clenched. Under the dual influence of Chen Qi and the ck-eyed Captain, the offensive of the Deep Sea Toads weakened. But the key point was that there was still no news about their target, the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure! And just at that moment, a pirate responsible for scouting appeared before the ck-eyed Captain. The scouting pirate came closer, and with a joyful face, he shared the intelligence he had just gathered with the captain. "Hahaha! Fantastic, this is just fantastic!" Upon hearing this, the frown on the ck-eyed Captain''s forehead unfurled, and heughed loudly. The captain''sughter was like a battle drum, igniting the emotions of everyone present. Did they discover something¡­ Chen Qi''s eyes closely followed the captain, gripping the Collector''s Rifle tightly. Then, the ck-eyed Captain, drenched in blood, pulled his long knife from the flesh of the toads and roared violently: "Crewmen! The Sea Goddess watches over us! We''ve found it! The location of the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure! Everyone, cast aside your fears and follow me with all your might!" Chapter 15: Chapter 10: Beneath the Wall Is this it? Chen Qi''s mouth opened slightly, a bit incredulous. After all, this was the legendary treasure. Little Crow also looked puzzled. But in the crack, the captain''s words allowed no room for doubt. Moreover, they now had to run at full speed! "Run!" Little Crow said to Chen Qi, this neer was braver than she had imagined. Under the Pathfinder''s lead, Chen Qi and the others tread across the slippery rocks and dangerous tunnels at an unprecedented pace... During this time, more and more monsters from the dark corners, seeing new food, gathered around. This was both a treasure hunt and a flight! Many copsed due tock of strength and were buried in the wave of monsters. Chen Qi sprinted with all his might, his concept of time growing a bit hazy. "I can''t hold on any longer! Captain!" "Captain, how much longer?" Some pirates shouted loudly, as they began to show clear signs of breathing difficulties. Chen Qi also gasped heavily; if not for the Yellow Needle, his strength would have likely been depleted already. After pushing through for an indeterminate amount of time, the pace of the team finally slowed. Those at the front naturally slowed their steps. We''ve arrived! Chen Qi''s eyes widened as he also slowed his steps. Before them stood a massive stone door full of cracks. The traces of age on it were just like a temple buried deep within a cave, weathered by countless years. Chen Qi looked inside and could faintly see the battered stone steps and a massive wall. Despite therge number of monsters behind them, the ck-eyed Captain still stopped. "We''ve finally arrived..." He smiled, then suddenly grabbed the Pathfinder''s cor, staring intently into his eyes! Before entering this stone door, he needed to confirm some things. The deep sea monsters brought fear and could cause humans to lose their sanity. And by observing the eyes, one could simply determine if the other''s mind had gone astray or was controlled by some strange creature. The captain, like a fierce ghost, asked the Pathfinder: "Have you been inside? Is it safe? By the way, were you satisfied with the sry I paid you yesterday?" The Pathfinder lifted his head and snarled: "I stayed at the entrance for a while, no danger, and Captain, I didn''t receive your sry yesterday! Not only that, but you also owe me five Gold Coins!" This captain was quite cautious... Chen Qi remarked. But with monsters chasing them, they probably had no choice but to step into the room beyond this stone door. They had no choice. "True, I still owe you some money." The ck-eyed Captain grinned, set down the Pathfinder, clutched the de tightly, and stepped through the stone door. Chen Qi followed behind Little Crow, passing through the stone door into a new cave. The stone door was massive, with a handle and the kind of bolt lock that inserts and withdraws. Upon entering, Chen Qi immediately turned back and, together with the pirates, used his muscles to close the stone door to prevent the monsters from getting in. Bang! Bang! Just in time, right after the door closed, the monsters outside fiercely mmed against it. "No time to spare, they probably won''t be able to get in." Chen Qi examined the stone door. Although there were many cracks, the material of the stone door was special and should hold for a while. But only for a while¡­ Chen Qi dusted his hands, feeling the warm breath of the sea beasts through the cracks. With the stone door closed, fearsome voices also erupted among the pirates. "My hand, my hand is bleeding¡­" "I''ve made enough money, after thisst bit, I''ll go back to town and buy back my girl from the gang." "Damn... I want to lie on big sister''s legs, her chest." "I survived! I survived, I''m still alive!" "A bunch of good-for-nothings, can''t you be a bit braver, look at the neer the ship''s doctor brought, even he is braver than you." In this brief moment of safety, the panting pirates sat down and celebrated surviving. Though it was brief, it was undeniably a life-and-death escape they had just experienced! Being chased by those monsters all the way, even the pirates showed some emotional instability. Some looked toward Chen Qi, who disyed a level of calmness that even surpassed these veterans. Little Crow nced at Chen Qi and said tly: "It''s okay to want to cry, to make a fuss, but wait until we are back on the ship, understand?" Understood¡­ Chen Qi stretched his limbs, his clothes soaked with sweat. What a thrilling long run! Unlike the pirates, he felt not fear, but a slight joy and a sense of relief after a workout. After all, those sea beasts, in his eyes, were not monsters. "Don''t be scared, we are safe, for now." Little Crow reassured again, shaking her head, even she, a control of the deep sea, felt the primal fear in her body. "Hmm..." Chen Qi nodded, raised his head, and began to seriously observe the ce before him. This ce was more of an altar than a temple. Before themy arge staircase leading upwards. Near the stairs on the ground was a very noticeable, artificially made crack. The stairs were about twenty meters high, and at the top was a massive wall. Engraved on the wall were dense, wave-like ''I'' patterns. And beneath the wall¡ª Chen Qi''s pupils suddenly contracted. An aged blue-green box was ced right under the wall. Undoubtedly, that was the ultimate goal of their quest, as revealed in Enlightenment! The Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure! Everyone looked up, drawn to the blue treasure. "We found it!" "Goddess!" "Treasure! Gold, wealth, blessings!" At this moment, the pirates, who had endured a long voyage and life-and-death adventures, could no longer contain their excitement and shouted aloud. Little Crow also revealed a smile, her face in disbelief: "It actually, actually exists..." The ck-eyed Captain''s hand holding the de also trembled uncontrobly: "Yes, it actually exists..." In fact, the ck-eyed Captain had kept a very important matter from everyone, that being the authenticity of his intelligence. There were many portions of the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, but over time, most of what was said about this treasure was merely false rumors. ording to the intelligence he received from his superiors, there were as many as seventy possible locations for the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure. This Sea Beast cave was just one possibility. And their Sawshark was just an inconspicuous one among the many ships seeking the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure! And they were just taking their chances, gamblers all. The ck-eyed Captain had dragged them into this life-and-death gamble all on his own. But they had never imagined that this treasure truly existed! And that it was found by their Sawshark! The Deep Sea treasure atop those stairs seemed to possess an infinite magical allure, drawing in everyone present. "Ah~" The ck-eyed Captain let out a delightful sigh and walked forward a few steps in fascination. Chen Qi was not drawn in but continued to observe the surroundings. The anomaly level of this crack was 0%, and likewise, this ce was not hard to find. This meant that it was very possible others hade to this ce before them but had not managed to acquire the Hunter''s treasure. This treasure was certainly not something one could simply take by stepping over the stairs. Chen Qi squatted down and inspected the ground. There was a very conspicuous crack line on the ground. This line was... Chen Qi, wearing a puzzled expression, faintly heard a wriggling sound. Looking around the walls, he could also see some small white bones. Something wasn''t right... Chen Qi gently stroked the ground: "Big sister Crow, this seems to be a warning line. We''d better not cross it." "Hmm?" Little Crow lowered her head, only now noticing the clear line on the ground. This line appeared as if cut by a de, strikingly conspicuous. Upon hearing Chen Qi''s words, everyone immediately took a few steps back. Now, everyone longed for the treasure atop the stairs, but no one dared to make a move! Boom! Boom! The sound of the Sea Beast pounding on the stone door came from behind them again! Caught between enemies... Chen Qi remarked. Clearly, they couldn''t stay in this ce for much longer. The ck-eyed Captain gripped his de, and as the person with the highest status in the team, it was time for him to step up. Moreover, although the Sawshark didn''t have many people, it was filled with talented individuals. Even though Chen Qi hadn''t paid much attention, there were quite a few talents in this team. The ck-eyed Captain said to a third-rate schr in the team who had studied history: "Schr, can you interpret the patterns on that wall?" There was also a schr... Chen Qi slightly surprised. Me? The schr was startled, adjusted his gold-rimmed sses, and looked carefully at the dense series of ''Ò»'' patterns on the wall, coughing twice: "Hmm... hmm, these patterns are clearly symbols of waves, so dense, they represent people''s primal awe of the ocean. Appearing here, they must be testing our reverence for the ocean." "Testing our reverence for the ocean..." The ck-eyed Captain scratched his head, clueless about what to do. He could only give a look to the Pathfinder: "You''re sure you can handle it?" Such tasks of breaking mechanisms were typically handled by this pathfinder. The Pathfinder, looking at the crack on the ground, revealed a confident smile: "Leave it to me, I''ll seed! After all, I''m a professional!" Hiss¡ªHearing this, Chen Qi suddenly furrowed his brows. The Pathfinder skillfully picked up arge stone from the ground and then threw it across the warning line. The stone slowly rolled across that crack line, and nothing happened. The Pathfinder followed the path rolled by the stone, carefully stepped over, and crossed that crack line. "No ground traps¡ª" Two seconds after crossing the warning line, the Pathfinder smiled knowingly. Boom! In the next instant of his smile, a massive tentacle, with unimaginable speed from the wall above, came down and gently pped. Whoosh! Chen Qi just heard a whizzing sound, and the Pathfinder was pped against the wall, almostpletely crushed, bleeding profusely, unable to rise again! That was it... Although he was mentally prepared, he was still shocked. This adventurous pirate was a Transcendent specialized in agility and had enough caution! The speed of the attack just now was not something ordinary people could react to. In this crisis situation, there was no time to mourn the Pathfinder, and everyone simultaneously looked up. On that gigantic wall, those dense series of ''Ò»'' patterns started to move, revealing a crimson color like ink. Many of the ''Ò»''s slowly opened their eyes. At this moment, the pirates finally realized that those weren''t ancient carvings of wave patterns at all, but rather closed eyes! It was awakening... As it slowly came to life, hundreds of giant crimson eyes, a wall of blood-colored tentacles, loomed far above, watching over everyone present. Chen Qi unconsciously swallowed a gulp of saliva. This was what he had been prophesied. Below the Crimson Eyesy the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure. Chapter 16: Chapter 11 Are you saying that we should return empty-handed? The Wall of Blood Eyes watched everyone present, its gaze seemingly piercing through flesh and bone, straight to the soul and marrow within. It was a suffocating sense of despair! Even the ck-eyed Captain, who was over forty and had seen many great storms, couldn''t help but retreat, retreat, and retreat again! Until the back of his head hit the stone door solidly. In an instant, everyone held their breath, not daring to make even the slightest sound. In the entire cavern, only the sound of the monster outside striking the stone door could be heard. Little Raven was extremely nervous, incessantly biting his nails. A monster beyond understanding, definitely not an opponent... The strongest among them, the ck-eyed Captain, gripped his de tightly; his strength could dominate the fate of everyone present. But in just a moment, he deeply understood that his ck de could not shake this wall-like monster. The treasure of the legendary Deep Sea Hunter was not something these pirates could covet! The Blood Eye Wall of the deep sea, that was at least a world-ss BOSS¡ªChen Qi''s first time seeing such a giant creature, he couldn''t help but be shocked. A monster of this level must be at least Transcendent Fourth Rank, a rank that only the big figures possessed, to have a chance of defeating it. But cing the treasure beneath the Wall of Blood Eyes did fit the description of the Deep Sea Hunter in the legends. In the videos about the Deep Sea Hunter that he hade across, this deceased legendary Hunter was not a man adept at mechanisms but a pure yer, a Hunter. To prove himself with blood, to breakws with force, was his style. Paired with the enlightenment he received upon entering the crack, he probably understood everything. In the distant past, the Deep Sea Hunter came to this crack and put one of his treasures beneath the wall. At the same time, he drew a crack on the ground with his de, a warning line for the weak. Those who crossed this line of the crack would be attacked by the Wall of Blood Eyes. It was both a safety line for the weak and a trial line for the strong. Everyone instinctively lowered their heads, looking at the crack carved by the de on the ground. They seemed to traverse time and space, feeling the words of that legendary Deep Sea Hunter: "Want my treasure? Then cross this line and battle with the Wall of Blood Eyes!" "Kill! Charge forward!" Not a single person dared to move forward. Now, they could only passively wait for the Wall of Blood Eyes to respond. Gurgle, gurgle! Suddenly, the hundreds of eyes on the wall rolled violently, directing their gaze toward the direction of the stone door! To be exact, the direction of these gazes was toward Chen Qi. Nearly a hundred blood-red eyeballs stared fixedly. Chen Qi lifted his head to meet their gaze. The bloodline purity of the deep sea in this Wall of Blood Eyes was far higher than that of the deep-sea toads outside. Chen Qi didn''t understand thenguage of the deep sea; he could only rely on instinct to understand the wall, to feel its gaze. The blood-red eyeballs continued to roll, those nearly a hundred gazes conveying some kind of special ancientnguage. It was an extremely simple ancient meaning: "Hello." No, to be precise, it carried a certain humility. Should it be more urately, "Greetings to you"? Interesting, Chen Qi had a hint of surprise, his lips moved slightly, without making any sound. Seeing Chen Qi''s distracted expression, Little Raven abruptly ced her hand under his armpit and gave it a fierce pinch, her grip harsh! "Stop thinking! Don''t try to understand it, and don''t try to feel it!" Although there is no research to prove it, based on the experience of the open sea, one should never try to understand thenguage of these ancient creatures. There are many legends of deep-sea creatures enticing humans in the vast ocean. Ow, ow, ow! That''s the armpit! Chen Qi never expected that Little Raven would suddenly do such a thing to him! "Got it." But sorry, I''ve already understood everything... Out of politeness, Chen Qi could only nod his head. If he didn''t nod, Little Raven might pinch an even harsher spot! After conveying its meaning, the tentacles above the dome of the Wall of Blood Eyes slowly retracted, and the multitude of eyes on the wall closed once again. Returning to a wave-like pattern of carvings. The Wall of Blood Eyes made no further movement. There was no more aggressive action, nor any psychic influences akin to a siren''s song. It seemed utterly unconcerned with the creatures outside of the line of the crack. The purpose of opening its eyes was not to instill fear in these creatures, but merely to greet Chen Qi. An existence that didn''t actively attack humans... After a long while, the people squeezed against the stone wall finally exhaled deeply. "I was scared to death; I''d rather be swept up high by the storm." "I won''t go to the gang to buy back my woman anymore, I just want to be alive; even if they sell me to the gang, it''s fine." The people, having narrowly escaped a catastrophe, celebrated the fact that they were still alive. "Hello..." Interesting... Chen Qi muttered to himself, his thoughts abundant. He had just felt a very simple goodwill from the Wall of Blood Eyes. He was almost certain that neither themon Sea Beasts outside nor this enormous monster in front of him wouldunch an attack on him. This was Deep Sea Affinity¡ª Chen Qi also took a deep breath, feeling the strength of this innate ability once again. It was indeed a gift fit for viinous BOSS monsters! This treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter was not so difficult for him to obtain. The treasure chest on the steps might be his if he took just a few steps forward... However, with his current strength, it was impossible to act against themands of Little Raven and the ck-eyed Captain. Chapter 17: Chapter 11 Are you saying that we should return empty-handed?_2 ``` He had to slowly find an opportunity... Chen Qi touched his chest and looked at the crowd again. For the pirates of Sawshark at this moment, the treasure chest before them seemed as unattainable as the distant heavens. The first mate sighed and furrowed his white eyebrows: "What should we do, Captain?" Outside the stone door, bloodthirsty Sea Beasts were still trying to shatter them. There was no time to dy. But the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure in front of them wasn''t something they could obtain easily. They needed the Captain''s directive. The ck-eyed Captain once again nced at the crack on the ground. He pulled out a bottle of highly concentrated rum from a crew member''s backpack and gulped it down: "We are no match for this monster. However, in legend, the Deep Sea Hunter was not one known for crafting puzzles; his treasures are often ced in the dangerous areas of the ocean. And in those areas, there is usually a fierce Sea Beast. Our great leader of the ck Whale Group had long advised us of this. In such situations, Sawshark is by no means unprepared..." Oh, you''re still prepared! Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. At this moment, the ck-eyed Captain''s gaze turned to Little Crow: "Little Crow, bring out those Sea Beasts you have brought." Little Crow bit her lip and turned to the tall pirate who was specifically responsible for carrying things: "Bring them out!" "Yes." Bang! Four backpacks were thrown into the center of the group, arge quantity of blue liquid flowed out from the bags. Clearly, this was Sawshark''s response to the Blood-Eye Wall. Out from those backpacks, four twisting, wriggling things slowly emerged, sliding their tentacles on the ground. Blue, octopus-like¡ª So this was Sawshark''s preparation... Chen Qi recognized these creatures. Aren''t these Parasitic Sea Beasts? But in terms of quality, they were far superior to the one he encountered at the beginning of his journey. At this moment, a delirious pirate said: "Captain, can these little things really defeat the Blood-Eye Wall?" Little Crow, somewhat speechlessly, exined to everyone: "ording to the Royal University Medical Journal of the Sea Volume 11, before parasitizing humans, Parasitic Sea Beasts secrete an invisible substance, which is extremely difficult for humans to detect, thereby creating a special scent. This scent can make other Sea Beasts no longer attack humans. Moreover, among the deep-sea species, especially the ancient deep-sea species, there exists a strange bnce, and they rarely prey on each other. Some heretics who worship the deep sea coexist with sea monsters precisely because of this! That is to say, if we can reduce the damage Parasitic Sea Beasts cause to humans and let them secrete only this invisible scent, we could temporarily be seen as the same kind by the Sea Beasts. Of course, we still know nothing about the deep sea; this is merely spection." After finishing in one breath, Little Crow''s throat was a bit dry. At this moment, some pirates were still looking at Little Crow, blinking, unable toprehend. Chen Qi, as a subordinate, summed it up for Little Crow: "To put it simply, by allowing the Parasitic Sea Beasts to parasitize voluntarily, we might be seen as simr by the Blood-Eye Wall, and then retrieve the treasure chest above the stairs." Little Crow continued: "Yes, but the chances of this method are low, it requires..." It requires gambling with their lives... Chen Qi added silently in his heart. Bang! Bang! The ck-eyed Captain loudly struck the ground with his long sword, interrupting: "Exactly! My brave warriors, by utilizing the Parasitic Sea Beasts on the ground, we can mask our human scent. We might be able to avoidbat with the Blood-Eye Wall and then take the treasure atop the stairs." Man-made Deep Sea Affinity! That was Sawshark''s method of dealing with the Blood-Eye Wall! Little Crow, whose speech had been interrupted, clenched her fists: "All four of these Sea Beasts had their aggression weakened; even if parasitized, the damage to the body would not be significant. However, Parasitic Sea Beasts are still dangerous, and only those who have a certain adaptability to Sea Beast parasitism can maintain a ''parasite time'' for a longer period; otherwise, these defanged Parasitic Sea Beasts are likely to detach from humans." "Exactly, as the ship''s doctor said, these Sea Beasts have had their aggression weakened, very safe!" The ck-eyed Captain, focusing on the brighter side, loudly reiterated and surveyed everyone present, "Alright, my brave warriors, who dares to voluntarily ce a Parasitic Sea Beast on their shoulder and step over the crack to seize that treasure?" At that moment, the ck-eyed Captain fixed his gaze on a dark-skinned salvage diver. This salvage diver, having engaged in fishing and salvaging for many years, had also been infected by a special parasitic fish-like Sea Beast. Later, he spent a great deal of Gold Coin, lying in bed for a month before he came back to life. It is said that those who survive being infected by a Sea Beast develop some resistance to deep-sea creatures. And this salvager had developed such a resistance in his body. Undoubtedly, he was the most suitable candidate. "I... I''ll do it..." The salvager was an honest and tough man. He nced at the ck-eyed Captain, clenched his fists, and quietly stepped forward. He knew it was a death-seeking act. But the Captain''smands were above all, not to be disobeyed, and resistance from him would be futile. At least, ck-eyed Captain might treat his wife and children kindly after his death. The ck-eyed Captain revealed a gratified smile: "Truly worthy of being a warrior from Sawshark! If we can sessfully obtain the treasure and return to our base at the ck Whale Group! At that time, you, who have earned the greatest merit, will definitely receive a full chest of Gold Coin!" ``` Chapter 18: Chapter 11 Are you saying that we should return empty-handed?_3 Moreover, you should know, the people who managed to obtain the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter, without exception, all became famous big figures at sea. The salvager didn''t speak, but silently picked up the treated parasitic Sea Beast and forcefully pressed it against his right arm. The parasitic Sea Beast, sensing the human scent, suddenly stretched out its tentacles and burrowed in! "Ah!" The salvager clenched his teeth and let the Sea Beast infiltrate his body. The breath of the deep sea¡ªChen Qi could indeed feel it; as the Sea Beast parasitized, a faint scent of the deep sea indeed began to emanate from the salvager. Just as Little Crow had said, the aggressiveness of these four parasitic Sea Beasts was greatly reduced, and even ordinary people could endure it for a while. "Phew!" Following that, the salvager, guided by the parasitic Sea Beast, slowly moved forward, stepping over the terrifying line of the crack. One step, two steps, three steps¡ª He took exactly three steps! The wall of bloodied eyes still hadn''tunched an attack. Everyone''s eyes widened; the wall of bloodied eyes in front of them wouldn''t attack him! This meant that their n was feasible! The ck-eyed Captain''s hand holding the ck de trembled a bit; that once-unreachable treasure now seemed within reach! They didn''t even need to fight the wall of bloodied eyes to obtain the legendary treasure! Chen Qi observed the salvager. He could feel that the parasitic Sea Beast on his shoulder had sensed something amiss and was about to break free from him. "Keep moving forward!" The ck-eyed Captain spread his arms, encouraging him. The salvager slowly ascended the staircase, trying to quicken his pace! However, the next moment, he distinctly felt the parasitic Sea Beast on his shoulder beginning to detach from him! In that instant, his mind waspletely covered with limitless blood-red eyes. "No! I can''t do this!" He was struck by a wave of fear. Driven by instinct, he ignored the captain''s order, quickly turned around, and then leaped towards the line of the crack! The parasitic Sea Beast detached from his body. Boom! The tentacles on that wall extended again and viciouslyshed out. In an instant, the man''s legs were turned into a bloody froth at the edge of the crack! Hey on the ground drenched in blood, struggling to crawl in their direction. Under Little Crow''s guidance, Chen Qi, as the ship''s medic, stepped forward, pulled him over, then bandaged him, and administered painkillers and healing medicine. If this were Earth, at this ce, with injuries of this severity, it would have been dered hopeless. But this is the New Sun world, a steampunk world with an explosively distorted tech tree. Injuries like a severed leg could be treated with extraordinary surgery if one had the money and status. Of course, normally, even nobility would have to think twice about the cost of such a surgery. But regardless, there was still a glimmer of hope. At this moment, under this bloody scene, the ck-eyed Captain couldn''t help but curve his lips in a slight smile. Although it was a failure, the salvager''s crossing of the crack line proved that this method was indeed viable! Moreover, unlike before, this time the wall of bloodied eyes didn''t open its eyes after the attack. Now, they just needed to keep trying! The ck-eyed Captain once again surveyed all the crew members: "Is there anyone else willing to undertake this mission?" He pondered, aside from the salvager, who else had the resistance of a Sea Beast? At that moment, Little Crow subtly sensed something, silently stepped forward, delicately tip-toed to use his not-so-tall body to block the ck-eyed Captain''s line of sight, and shielded Chen Qi behind him. "Ah..." Chen Qi was startled by this heartwarming scene, roughly grasping what it meant. Those infected by the Sea Beast could endure for a longer time. Wasn''t that him!? And he wasn''t just infected; to be precise, he was in the process of being infected! For others, this was undoubtedly a suicide mission! But just now, he had confirmed that the Wall of Bloodied Eyes wouldn''t attack him. He truly was the Chosen One! However, this required some acting skills... Chen Qi looked at the crack line, contemting. The ck-eyed Captain eyed everyone present, assessing each person''s worth. As pirates, many had been attacked by sea beasts. But he needed to choose the most suitable person, one with the highest adaptability, and also one with the least value! All the pirates were terrified, fearing that the ck-eyed Captain might choose them. The ck-eyed Captain nced at Little Raven, shook his head, and his gaze shifted slightly. And just then, something bizarre urred. The parasitic sea beast on the ground twisted itself, slowly moving toward Chen Qi. All eyes followed the direction in which the parasitic sea beast was moving. Oh no... Chen Qi had anticipated this scene, watching the slowly creeping parasitic beast. It wasn''t strange, as the parasitic sea beast was also a wild beast and would instinctively attack the weakest person. No one present was weaker than him, except the ves. This was an opportunity... Chen Qi''s heated peripheral vision turned to the stairs above, to the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure. If he missed this chance, reaching this ce again would be challenging. Why not take this opportunity to check out the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure! Deep Sea Affinity was his active skill; he could turn it off, but for various reasons, he had not done so. But first, let''s try turning it off... As soon as Chen Qi thought about it, he felt as if he''d lost ayer of aura from his body. Even after turning it off, the parasitic sea beast continued moving toward Chen Qi at an extremely slow pace. Seems like it didn''t work. This little thing likes me that much, huh... Chen Qi, speechless, turned the Deep Sea Affinity back on. At least this way, he wouldn''t be killed by a sudden sea beast attack. Seeing this, the ck-eyed Captain excitedly picked up the parasitic sea beast and suddenly leaped over Little Raven,ing toward Chen Qi: "Hmm, the new warrior on my ship, have you been infected by a sea beast?" "Hmm." Chen Qi nodded, not denying it; his back would reveal everything. The parasitic sea beast in the ck-eyed Captain''s hand extended its tentacles, writhing a few times toward Chen Qi. It seemed this parasitic sea beast really wanted to infect this person, which might buy some more time... The ck-eyed Captain said smilingly: "This beast seems quite eager to devour you, but don''t worry, it''s been defanged. Young man, I''ve always thought you were very courageous. Do you have the confidence to cross that crack line?" Do you have the confidence, rather than if you''re willing to cross it? Chen Qi felt somewhat emotional inside, as the other didn''t even give him a chance to choose. Although he performed well, exchanging his life for a faint chance at the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, to the pirates... No, to many people, this seemed worth it! It was a bloody good deal! In the end, he was just a ve who had recently be a crew member, merely cannon fodder. Leaving the ck Whale Group was the right choice. Let''s do it! Chen Qi took a deep breath. And just as he did, Little Raven coldly spoke: "No! Captain, he''s my subordinate and moreover, his body is too frail to reach the stairs under the parasitic influence of a sea beast. This is just a waste of manpower!" The icy gaze under Little Raven''s mask stared intently at the captain, as a tense atmosphere suddenly spread. Ah... Chen Qi had never expected, his immediate superior, Little Raven, to openly challenge the captain of the Sawshark. The pirates didn''t dare interject, for in terms of rank, Little Raven was just below the First Mate, only behind the ck-eyed Captain. The ck-eyed Captain was silent for three seconds, then coldly said: "Are you suggesting we return empty-handed!" Chapter 19: Chapter 12: The Road of Trials Returning empty-handed is the disgrace of pirates. To some extreme pirates, this is even more unbearable than a wife''s infidelity! "Are we going to return empty-handed?" The ck-eyed Captain asked again, his voice stern. Little Crow took a deep breath and answered: "This is not returning empty-handed! We have found out that the treasure exists. We could turn back now and share the intelligence with the Deputy Leader and others. With their strength, even this Blood-eyed Wall could be ovee! By then, the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter will still belong to us, the ck Whale Pirate Group!" "After returning... the treasure will still belong to us!" The corner of the ck-eyed Captain''s eye twitched, then he chuckled and said: "How is that possible? You don''t think that we are the only ones who have the intelligence on the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, do you? We are merely a little ahead of them in time. The other three major pirate groups, even Shell Country''s official navy, are all searching for the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure with all their might! By the time we return and reach headquarters, who knows how many ships will havee to this Sea Beast''s Lair. Then, we might not even catch a glimpse of this crack. The great age of voyaging has already arrived! The ship''s doctor, you and I will make a name for ourselves amidst the waves! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of us, how can we give up now!" "..." Little Crow was rendered speechless for a moment; although she wanted to protect this capable new recruit, she could not win the argument against him. More so, his identity was that of the captain of the Sawshark. Little Crow bit her lip and said again: "He can''t make it, after the fight with the ck Bull, he cried a lot, like a rat in a filthy gutter. Such trash and cowards who can only scream for their mommies and flee inplete disarray, then run into a woman''s arms, will never be able to cross the line of the crack. There are only three precious parasitic Sea Beasts left, they should be given to..." After crying a lot, trash, coward... Chen Qi was baffled. Although grateful to Little Crow for speaking up for him, it still sounded rather strange. At that moment, the ck-eyed Captain ced his hand on Chen Qi''s shoulder: "So young, yet brave enough to ovee the ck Bull! That alone proves he is a warrior! That''s right, young man! Moreover, I remember, you killed a Blood-eyed Bat with a pistol, all by yourself, didn''t you? With such courage, I believe you can step onto that trial stage and help us im the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure!" "He can''t..." Little Crow clenched her fist and spoke again, but her tone had be somewhat feeble. This guy''s performance, both on the ship and inside the crack, was just too good! Why did he have to perform so well... Chen Qi seemed to sense a resentful expression beneath Little Crow''s mask. Despite their brief acquaintance, Chen Qi had made quite a good impression on her. He was a rare find for her, with both talent and eloquence, a normal person. She had not expected that this new recruit would be dying after just one day... She knew better than anyone that being parasitized by a Sea Beast required not only resistance against deep-sea creatures but also exceptional physical strength. Even with the Yellow Needle, Chen Qi''s physical constitution was far inferior to a salvage worker''s. If even a Second-order Transcendent salvage worker couldn''t manage it, how could Chen Qi? Not to mention his psychological fortitude. The ck-eyed Captain was simply sending him to his death for an almost non-existent chance! Bang! Bang! Sounds of Sea Beasts ramming echoed from above the stone door once again. New cracks began to appear on the stone door. "No..." Little Crow clenched her fist, a rage hidden behind her mask so intense she even considered punching the captain to buy some time. The ck-eyed Captain spoke once more: "Stop being unreasonable, Little Crow. If it reallyes to it, we can simply hold a vote to decide!" A choice through voting... Undoubtedly, the result would not change. Chen Qi''s eyes gleamed; let him see just what the Deep Sea Hunter was hiding. You two don''t need to argue over me anymore... Chen Qi stepped forward, interrupting them, and said: "Let me try." His ordinary voice rippled like waves, reverberating through everyone''s minds! The pirates were all taken aback. They never expected that this youngster, who had just experienced the terrifying Blood-eyed Wall, would dare to step forward! "That''s a man!" A pirate, with genuine admiration, tossed him a bottle of rum. Chen Qi caught the slightly sweet rum, drank half, and then threw the bottle onto the ground. This is courting death... Little Crow furrowed her brow, she was merely a small ship''s doctor, unable to stop what was happening. All she could do now wasment her own impotence and weakness. The ck-eyed Captain''s heart burst with joy; he patted Chen Qi''s shoulder: "Well done,d! If you truly get the treasure, a box of gold, no, two boxes! And an upation Card that leads to the Transcendent path! Even a ship of your own! All yours! From now on, you''ll be the pride of the Sawshark!" Oh, and if you have a particr type of woman in mind, you can tell me that too! "Even if you don''t get the treasure, just for your courage, I''m willing to give you fifty gold coins in the name of the captain!" The ck-eyed Captain''s eyes were pitch ck with a weirdness about them, yet at this moment, he managed to squeeze out the smile of a kind-hearted uncle. This reward is really something... Chen Qi didn''t believe in such empty promises. The ck-eyed Captain''s kindness was merely lip service. In the captain''s eyes, he was nothing more than a temporary tool, as well as a livemodity. For pirates, interests always came first. Compared to the lip service of the ck-eyed Captain, he was more concerned about what treasures the Deep Sea Hunter actually had. Chen Qi could feel that the ck Whale Pirate Group was indeed not suitable for him. It was time to prepare an escape n. But before escaping, he must figure out a way to get his hands on something good. The ck-eyed Captain leaned forward, already eager to ce the parasitic sea creature on Chen Qi''s shoulder. "Captain, let me do it myself," Chen Qi said. He conveniently grabbed a tentacle at the bottom of the parasitic sea creature, lifting it, and slowly moved toward the crack. Although he possessed Deep Sea Affinity, this was not without difficulty for him. This was a true test of his acting skills. The parasitic sea creature wasrge enough that if ced on the shoulder at the right angle, it wouldn''t be apparent that he wasn''t actually parasitized. The real key was in the acting; he needed to show the pain and struggle of being parasitized. "Good¡ª" Chen Qi said in his heart, then ced the parasitic sea creature on his shoulder and pressed down hard. In an instant, the parasitic sea creature began to wriggle, its slimy tentacles started to approach his arms, his armpits! "Huff¡ª" Chen Qi panicked inside. Things were not as simple as he had imagined! The parasitic sea creature was truly a forbidden being, acting beyond his expectations in an instant. The slimy tentacles kept squirming, stimting his body''s senses. The parasitic tentacles were like a clingy kitten, constantly rubbing against his body. This feeling... It was so itchy, so slimy, and somewhatforting¡ª To show a face of pain under suchfortable circumstances was indeed a test. "This thing feels like it could be used in the massage industry..." Chen Qi forcibly showed a pained expression, encouraging himself. Then, he slowly stepped over the forbidden line drawn by the Deep Sea Hunter. Thud, thud¡ª One step, two steps, three steps, four steps! With each step he took, he could hear the excited cheers of the crowd behind him. Maybe I should run and tease them... Chen Qi estimated the timing, taking one step after another forward. In just a moment, he had already surpassed the salvage worker''s record! "Ah..." The little crow was flustered for a moment. Something wasn''t quite right! With his physical condition, he shouldn''t havested this long! Was it because of the Yellow Needle? Or because of the sea beast lurking inside him? When hees back, I''ll have to do a full-body check-up on him, from top to bottom, inside and out. However, I''m afraid I''ll never have that chance again... the little crow sighed internally. Suddenly, Chen Qi stopped moving. Oh no! He can''t hold on anymore! The ck-eyed Captain was shocked and immediately encouraged him: "Don''t be afraid, hold on!" "Don''t give up! Think of your family, think of your unfinished ventures!" "Get through this, and everything will get better! There''s no hurdle you can''t ovee!" "You can always find another woman, you can always earn more money!" "You''re still young, still a youth, with endless possibilities!" Under the captain''s lead, at this moment, these rough and tough pirates all turned into positive energy mentors, starting to offer encouragement. Having walked so many steps, without a doubt, Chen Qi was their biggest hope this time! Acting in pain was truly difficult, but thankfully what he left for the crowd was only a dashing back view... Chen Qi was somewhat speechless; he had already tried to walk as slowly as possible. That should be enough... Then, Chen Qi firmly held the sea beast on his shoulder and suddenly elerated, stepping over the threshold! elerate! This instant sent all the pirates into a frenzy of excitement. The treasure chest of the Deep Sea Hunter, situated upon the steps, was now just a quick shake away from him. "I''ve made it!" Chen Qi stepped over thest step, crouched down, and first winked at the wall of bloodshot eyes. After all, this was something from beneath their of that old monster. I''m taking it, okay?¡ª The wall of bloodshot eyes did not respond; it was a creation of the deep sea and did not care for the treasures left behind by the Deep Sea Hunter. Under the baptism of time, the turquoise chest had be somewhat mottled, covered in dust, but one could still tell that the chest was exquisite and magnificent. In the tense atmosphere, Chen Qi slowly wiped the dust off the turquoise chest with his hand and then lifted it up. This chest was welded to the ground¡ª There were no traps around, and it wasn''t a mimic... Chen Qi observed again, noting a prominenttch on the chest. After repeatedly confirming, he gently pressed thetch. With a "click," the lid of the chest slowly opened to reveal the treasures inside. Chapter 20: Chapter 13 Hunter Yu Huo "Wow, a golden legend¡­" A wave of dusty air hit him in the face. "Cough, cough! No glowing items, just a lot of dust..." Chen Qi coughed twice, carefully inspecting the items inside the chest. Inside the chest were three items: a sheepskin scroll, a cerulean card, and a golden amber gemstone. Although there was no blinding golden light, without a doubt, these were genuine treasures! At this moment, as Chen Qi reached the treasure chest, a loud shout came from behind him. "He... he really did it! He actually made it to that ce!" "Look, the parasitic sea beast is still writhing, gnawing at his body! Can he still hold on?" "Quick! Throw the stuff down quickly..." However, right now, Chen Qi was uninterested in those voices. He just wanted to know what exactly the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure was. He opened the sheepskin scroll, and at the very top, it was written: "To the adventurer who hase to this ce, If you have made it to this point, then you or your group must have fought a bloody battle with the deep-sea monsters of the ocean. After my death, the great whale will inevitably traverse the white mist of the setting sun, returning to this world. And in this ocean, there must be hunters to y them. To the adventurers who battled against the Wall of Blood Eyes, please ept this lone hunter''s gift, celebrating your fight." Between life and death... Chen Qi looked down at his fairly clean clothes and the sea beast massaging his shoulder. The massage strength and frequency by this parasitic sea beast were quite good. Massages can unblock meridians and promote blood cirction. He indeed considered it a bloody battle experience. Next, Chen Qi briefly skimmed the subsequent content. The restprised location descriptions. "Left of the Moonstone City Bell Tower..." "Under the triangr whirlpool..." All locations, this was a treasure map. The Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure actually included a map recording all treasure locations. Chen Qi tried to memorize these locations as best as he could. However, judging by the content, the Deep Sea Hunter mostly buried treasure in a typical manner, cing it near a dangerous sea beast. Most supposed Deep Sea Hunter treasures were merely rumors. A map of the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasures was among the most legendary in the entire ocean! If the ck Whale Pirate Group behind him knew about it, they would probably jump with excitement. What a valuable thing! Chen Qi memorized some locations before closing the sheepskin scroll and shifting his gaze to the cerulean card. This card should be a Skill Card... In the cracks, apart from cards closely rted to Transcendent upations, the mostmon cards were Skill Cards. As long as conditions were met, a Skill Card could directly grant a Transcendent a skill. This card depicted an abstract oil painting of a fisherman sitting calmly on a small boat in a dark gray storm, fishing with ease. The moment he held the Skill Card, a prompt appeared. [Skill Card - Stormy Fishing: Learning Requirements: None Effect: This card contains knowledge of Transcendent fishing. Even in a storm, you can still catch a big fish. Description: Are you troubled by theck of fish when fishing?] In the Witch Sea area, sea fishing indeed was a decent skill, but considering this was a deep-sea hunter''s treasure, even Transcendent fishing seemed unworthy¡­ Chen Qi bit his lip. Onest thing left! Chen Qi reached out and gently picked up the golden amber gemstone. Its color was not bright, even somewhat dull, but within it, faintly visible mes burned. The faintly burning mes gave a feeling of warmth and tranquility, as if carrying infinite power. An eye-catching prompt appeared! [Yu Huo of the Hunter: Description: The remaining fire obtained by the hunter in the Sunken Lighthouse, imbued with Transcendent power. Nature Form: Light, de Effect: Light of Yu Huo: Slightly increases the strength of your first to fourth-tier Transcendent upations. Hunter''s Will: Yu Huo contains a lifetime of battle knowledge of the Deep Sea Hunter, dramatically enhancing yourbat learning speed. Note: We are hunters; they are the prey. May you inherit the will of the hunter, ying the deep-sea monsters of this world!] Within the amber, it seemed one could see a hunter wrestling with a great whale in a storm, his eyes aze with fire-like madness, giving off a terrifying yet reassuring feeling. Just by looking at it, an intense sense of mystery engulfed him. Yu Huo... Chen Qi''s heart skipped a beat. As someone who had traded many rare items, he knew its value! Such an item usually only appeared in narrative texts! In yer forums, several major events'' storylines revolved aroundpeting for Yu Huo. The first ability, although only a slight enhancement, considering it neither as equipment nor an upation Card, but as an indiscriminate boost to Transcendent upations'' core, its value was enormous! After all, even an old monster with top-tier gear could significantly enhance its strength with this item. For pioneers, a slight enhancement from an upation Card was already immensely helpful! Not to mention the hunter''s will, many second-tier upation bonuses only slightly enhanced learning speed. Dramatically increasingbat learning speed while containing a legendary hunter''s knowledge. This item could be considered a "zero-tier upation Card," a zero-tier upation Card named "Hunter." An absolute treasure! This was what belonged in the Deep Sea Hunter Treasure Box! Just by touching it, Chen Qi could vaguely feel the Deep Sea Hunter''s desire to hunt monsters. Taking this item meant, in a sense, inheriting the hunter''s will! However, with his Deep Sea Affinity talent, Chen Qi''s chances of fighting deep-sea monsters were rtively low. After all, his aura seemed stronger than even the Wall of Blood Eyes! If the Deep Sea Hunter had any spirit, they''d probably kill this aberrant with a single strike. "Rest in peace. I will inherit the power within." Hunting humans could also count as hunting, right¡­ Chen Qi stowed his smile, adjusted his viewpoint, and put everything away. All three items were small enough to fit in hisrge pockets, even the sheepskin scroll. In a short while, the voices behind him grew louder. "Can you still stand?!" "Hey, hey, hey! Has he already beenpletely taken over by the parasitic sea beast?" "Captain, the cracks in the stone gate behind us are widening; the monsters are about to break through!" At this moment, everyone spected that Chen Qi had beenpletely parasitized, bing a ve to the sea beast. After all, the sea beast on his shoulder seemed increasingly excited! You''re pirates; stay calm. Haven''t you seen big waves before... Chen Qi stood up, turned, and looked at the anxious members of the Sawshark below the stairs. Seeing this, ck-eyed Captain stretched his neck and bellowed in his loud voice: "Can you hold on? If not, throw down the items from the chest first!" At least put on a show to ensure my safety first... Chen Qi remained silent, looking quietly at everything below. ck-eyed Captain didn''t care about his life, only the items in the chest. His pitch-ck eyes revealed a pirate''s fervor, the kind that could kill everyone for treasure. Would he descend and hand this precious treasure to the ck Whale Pirate Group? Though Chen Qi had long prepared to escape, he still questioned himself again. He remembered the ck-eyed Captain''s promise, two chests of gold¡ª if he descended and handed over these items. Would the captain really keep his word then? No, without a doubt, the reward would probably be less than one percent of the treasure''s value. As a constituent under the ck Whale Group, which was unlike other free pirate groups, they strictly managed their members. If he performed too outstandingly, he would undoubtedly be closely watched. The only good thing in the ck Whale Group was having a reliable mentor¡ªck Crow. Although ck Crow treated him well, given her undercover status, she might not survive the storm. Moreover, his bodycked wounds from the parasitic sea beast, meaning his Deep Sea Affinity could be exposed. His body risked dissection... He had no choice; his body was too enticing. Escaping was the correct choice, the only choice... Surviving, inheriting the hunter''s will, and embarking on a path of strength as a hunter was what he should do. Chen Qi pondered. He was in his unique safe zone, under the Wall of Blood Eyes. Outside, deep-sea monsters mmed against the stone wall, and the Sawshark was about to plunge into chaos. Now was the best time. "Hoo¡ª" Chen Qi sorted out his cluttered thoughts and exhaled deeply. Next, he looked at the ck knife at ck-eyed Captain''s waist, a cold light shing in his eyes. Chapter 21: Chapter 14 Black Sword The stone door behind them had already been punched through by the monsters, and they couldn''t wait to enjoy a feast of human flesh. The pirates lifted their heads and all looked at Chen Qi, the parasitic sea beast on his shoulder was moving more and more violently! Chen Qi''s gazended on the ck knife at the ck-eyed Captain''s waist. The ck knife, forged by ancient smiths, was a rather powerful weapon. Perhaps, he could "borrow" this ck knife. But this might require a bit of acting. "Can youe down!" In this most dangerous moment, the ck-eyed Captain shouted loudly, trying to awaken Chen Qi''s consciousness! Chen Qi lowered his head slightly and said painfully: "Captain... I... see... blood-red eyes, they keep closing in on me! It''sing!" Wasn''t this a bit too exaggerated... He clenched his teeth tightly, attempting to show a look of excruciating pain. Blood-red eyes emerged! The little raven saw this scene and instantly understood everything, saying with professional knowledge: "The parasitic sea beast releases a trace of toxin into the bloodstream while emitting an extraordinary sound simr to that of a sea demon. Under such circumstances, severe hallucinations ur!" His spirit has finally copsed... The little raven shook her head. Previously, when Chen Qi managed to walk up the stairs smoothly, she already felt it was abnormal; this did not fit his constitution at all. Now that hallucinations had appeared, this was the behavior expected of an ordinary person after being parasitized by a sea beast! "Hallucination?" The ck-eyed Captain shouted, clearly only a step away, clearly the sea beast had not left him. And now, the guy was hallucinating! "Yes, this is a normal behavior. For example, themon skin crawler can make humans turn on each other and kill each other." The little raven adjusted her mask. The ck-eyed Captain''s heart felt like it was being minced. The guy must be fighting fiercely with the parasitic sea beast now, struggling for control of his body! It might work... Chen Qi took two steps back: "No... the blood-red eyes have grown hands... it''s getting closer again! It''s going to attack me... I need a weapon! Captain, your knife, lend it to me, only a sh, only a sh with the ck de can kill this monster!" He clenched his left hand into a fist and swung it twice into the air. Still too exaggerated, and the voice was a bit low... thought Chen Qi to himself, feeling his acting was indeed not very good. "Even his voice has be weak, indeed, physical strength has reached its limit." The little raven, seeing this, shook her head helplessly. Physical strength at its limit... The ck-eyed Captain, hearing the ship doctor''s words, became extremely anxious. The ck knife at his waist was a treasure he got from the belly of a giant anglerfish, his most precious possession! He would perfume the knife every week. The ck-eyed Captain softly told the crew behind him: "Give me a better quality curved knife..." However, in the next second, he suddenly interrupted himself. His ck knife was very special,pletely different from the curved knivesmonly used by his crew! Not much time left... The ck-eyed Captain took his ck knife in hand, humming softly to himself: "Fill the dead man''s box with gold..." He was a gambler; a 99% chance to get 1 gold coin, and a 1% chance to get 50 gold coins, he would unhesitatingly choose thetter. If he could get the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter, then losing a ck knife was nothing at all. As a pirate, he had to pursue bigger treasures and bigger possibilities! Only by doing so could he ride atop the waves, ungoverned by anyone! Amidst the roars of sea beasts outside, the ck-eyed Captain slowly tossed the ck knife upward. He didn''t throw it too fast, afraid of rming the blood-eyed wall behind Chen Qi! Bang! Chen Qi caught the ck-eyed Captain''s ck knife with his right hand. [ck Knife: Nature Phase: de (This knife is born forbat) Description: This knife has extremely high durability, and the de has a special ck de aura. On hitting an enemy, it causes considerable ck aura damage (this ck aura induces fear). Description: sh its flesh, grant its fear.] The de seemed to be covered inyers of ck dust, but it gave a feeling of extreme sharpness, capable of tearing flesh apart. This weapon already involved transcendent power, typically requiring third-order transcendent strength to wield it. This weapon was quite famous, worthy of being called a small divine artifact. Seeing the other party get the weapon, the ck-eyed Captain''s tone sped up in encouragement: "How is it, can you manage it! Can you defeat the blood-red eyes ande to us!" I''ll give it a try. These blood-red eyes aren''t easy to deal with... Chen Qi grasped the hilt and tried swinging it a few times. It felt very handy, truly the Captain''s knife! But at this moment, a huge sound rang out again. Boom! Boom! The stone door behind them collided heavier and heavier, a significant crack appeared on the door! The ck-eyed Captain''s forehead was already covered in fine beads of sweat: "How is it! Have you killed the blood-red eyes,e down quickly! Come to a safe ce,e to us, we will protect you..." Chen Qi nodded seriously. Why aren''t you moving!? The ck-eyed Captain felt his heartbeat getting faster and faster. His nod didn''t mean he woulde down. The ck-eyed Captain asked, trying to stay calm: "What''s wrong?" "Captain... in front of me, another treasure chest has appeared... it opened its mouth... if there are no gold coins, it will eat... me. ... If only there were more gold coins... I need gold coins..." "A mimic..." At this moment, the ck-eyed Captain felt his heart pounding, causing him to tremble all over! Why did the hallucination have a follow-up! Isn''t it just creating empty promises? I can do that too... Chen Qi smiled inwardly. If he continued, he could promise the ck-eyed Captain several more "ifs." Come on, Captain, as long as you try harder, I''ll definitelye down. But unfortunately, the time was up. Boom! No time for the ck-eyed Captain to think, a deep-sea toad suddenly smashed, and the stone door was shattered with a crash! Nearly a hundred deep-sea monsters rushed in, with blood-stained mouths wide open, ready to enjoy a delicious feast. Chen Qi looked at the monsters below him. Next, it was about waiting for a moment, and then escaping amidst the chaos. The ck-eyed Captain''s face was ashen, his eyes fixed tightly on the blue treasure chest of the Deep Sea Hunter on the steps above. In this short time, he felt hope and despair. The monsters'' howls from behind pierced through the Captain''s spine. Chen Qi waited silently. However, in the next instant, something unexpected happened. The ck-eyed Captain suddenly grabbed the curved knife behind him, then rushed straight ahead, crossing the dangerous crack line! He couldn''t give up the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure so easily! "!!" Dare to cross that line... Chen Qi was a bit shocked. The moment the ck-eyed Captain stepped over the crack line, tentacles struck down from the wall, impacting like a giant python! The ck-eyed Captain should have specialized inbat as a third-rank de phase transcendent. Chen Qi found it difficult to capture his burst speed at that moment. ng! ng! He quickly ced the curved knife in front of him, instantly shing twice to block the giant tentacles. At this moment, the tentacles of the blood-eyed wall curved and retracted slightly. Praiseworthy courage, but that was all... Chen Qi sighed. The next moment, the ck-eyed Captain''s curved knife shattered, and he was forced away from the crack line by the tentacle''s impact. Apanied by thest attempt, a feeling of despair surged back in. The disheveled ck-eyed Captain raised his head, staring nkly at the steps above, he seemed to see Chen Qi being torn apart by the waves of sea beasts, and the treasure in that blue chest would forever be lost within the corpses, never to be obtained... So close, so close... Chen Qi had given him hope, yet in the end, he had also bestowed upon him despair. Now, he had to turn around and face the sea beasts behind him. "Everyone, form a defensive circle! Prepare to break out with full force!" With a loud bang! The stone door behind them suddenly shattered, and the sea beasts with blood-stained mouths charged in, ready to feast. The ck-eyed Captain mustered all his strength, roaring: "We... are preparing... to set sail!!!" "Aye, Captain!" The pirates of the Sawshark immediately formed ranks, shifting their focus from the treasure to battle the sea beasts behind them. "Gold coins, gold coins..." This amount of money wasn''t enough, why am I so poor... The slow-reacting little raven was still rummaging in her waist pouch, trying to find some gold coins to help Chen Qi solve the mimic in his hallucination. Suddenly, she paused, her trembling hands slowly stopped, epting the harsh reality. s, another recruit has died... She raised her head sadly, ready to take onest look at this interesting and capable new recruit. At the top of the steps, because of the sea beast''smotion, the wall with blood-red eyes opened once again. Beneath the red glow of the scarlet eyes, Chen Qi stood calmly, as if he had epted his fate. "Goodbye..." Suddenly, the little raven shivered all over. In the end, Chen Qi smiled at her, it seemed like he said something. At that moment, she felt a strange sensation, this recruit seemed not desperate or afraid, but extraordinarily calm, so calm that he merged with the blood-eyed wall... Even more, he seemed even more inscrutable than the blood-eyed wall itself. Boom! A tentacle charged at her! Due to the sea beasts, she had to engage in battle. Why... The little raven shook her head, taking a syringe and stabbing herself, turning around. As a medic, she now had to show her true skills! "Set sail! Go home!" "Go home!" Amidst the shouts, the pirates of the Sawshark drew their weapons, fighting with all their might against the sea beasts! In an instant, the blood of sea beasts and pirates mixed, sttering in this treasure cave... They fought with all their strength, swearing to carve out a path home! As the little raven and the ck-eyed Captain, blood-stained, prepared to leave the cave, ncing back one more time. Their pupils involuntarily constricted, their minds trembling. On the steps above, only a resealed treasure chest remained. No painful wails, no corpse, no fresh blood... The man beneath the scarlet eyes was gone entirely, as if he had never existed. Chapter 22: Chapter 15 Set Sail! "If fate allows, then let''s meet again upon the vast sea..." Chen Qi packed his things and left the stone gate early while the crew was fighting the sea beasts. The ck-eyed Captain and the little crow both held back some of their strength, and they probably had somebat supplies left as well. As long as they didn''t touch that bloody eye wall, the Sawshark probably wouldn''t suffer serious casualties. With the little crow''s skill level, he should be fine... Chen Qi thought to himself. Although their time together was short, his impression of the little crow was quite good. The other party was not a witch or a princess, yet she became a hit character in the Witch Sea block, which was not without reason. Although sometimes she would disy a sinisterugh, hee hee hee, and had a bit of a violent streak, she indeed was a good person and had given him quite a bit. If there was a chance in the future, maybe they could coborate again. But on this vast sea, without strength, you can''t aplish anything. Along the way, he encountered only sea beasts, and none deliberately made it difficult for him; some sea beasts even brought him some disgusting bat corpses, fearing he might starve... They were all very friendly, even giving Chen Qi a feeling of returning home. "But I''m a human after all, and I can''t eat these things..." Chen Qi looked at these sea beasts; although he possessed a Deep Sea Affinity, there was no doubt that, both in appearance and mentality, he was a bona fide human. "After getting out, I need to advance to a Transcendent as quickly as possible." The exit of the crack appeared before his eyes. Chen Qi put down the parasitic sea beast that had been massaging his shoulder. The massage wasfortable, but it was also time to say goodbye. "Goodbye, quaint little thing." Chen Qi hastened his pace and left the crack. Although the chance of being caught up was very low, it would be troublesome if someone was fast enough. ... Before long, Chen Qi passed through the narrow, dark passage and came out of the crack. The sunlight shone on him once again. The azure sky and the sparkling sea surfaceplemented each other, and the ck Whale Group''s steam sailboat, the Sawshark, was right in front of him. The sunlight was really dazzling; it must be close to noon by now... Chen Qi covered part of the sunlight with his hand. After getting used to the light, he walked toward the Sawshark. Based on the information he had gathered, for the sake of maximizingbat capability, all the members of the Sawshark had entered the crack. After all, even if people stayed on the ship, they couldn''t ry any unexpected situations into the crack. This was only information from others, not necessarily urate... But even if there were people left behind, their strength shouldn''t be too strong. Chen Qi climbed up the ropedder and arrived on the deck of the Sawshark, carefully looking around. As expected, he saw two people with their arms bandaged inside the ship''s sick bay. It was someone whose arms had been bitten by sharks, and since he was almost frontline capable, he didn''t go into the crack. The persony on the deck, sunbathing, sleeping very soundly... He wouldn''t interfere with Chen Qi''s escape. Chen Qi first went to the dining room, took the sea chart used for decoration off the wall, picked up a bag of bread and two cans, and during the process, he was lucky to get his hands on a simplepass. The entire process was performed with great dexterity. After taking the food, he made his way to the stern of the ship. At the stern, five steam dinghies meant for emergencies were suspended. The steam dinghies weren''trge, but their structure was clever and delicate, with a characteristic steampunk style. Their front end was equipped with a small steam engine, and three propellers were installed at the bottom. At the bow was a simple steering wheel, and by adjusting the angle of the wheel, it ensured safe passage throughplex sea conditions. On the bow was also a simplentern. On the side of the ship, in dark gold letters, the name "ck Spiral Propeller Sea Industry Company" was written. It seemed like a legitimate brand and must have been quite expensive. Hopefully, it wasn''t some rubbish cobbled together from counterfeit parts... Chen Qi pped his hands; he had already seen the vast ocean and his freedomy before him! Now, there was just one little problem troubling him. "How do I get this boat down?" Chen Qi looked at the hoisting mechanisms that secured the boat and fell into thought. It seemed like it required a key, but he should be able to force it off violently. He picked up the captain''s ck de, aimed at the connection, and stabbed forcefully! Strength worked wonders! Whoosh! The steam dinghy fell onto the water with a "bang". Worthy of the captain''s de, it was indeed handy! "Almost ready, set sail." Chen Qi took another look around. Suddenly, he spotted something conspicuous dangling below. A finely crafted steel fishing rod! On the handle of the fishing rod, there were also delicate golden patterns. Pirates usually keep valuable things on their person, or hidden in strange objects. And this item, judging from the patterns, seemed quite valuable... It looked like a branded item, but he didn''t know whose it was. Never mind, he took it! Chen Qi tossed the fishing rod and his backpack onto the boat, then spent 5 seconds studying the small boat. This must be the engine''s ignition device, like this, like this, it should start now... Chen Qi jumped onto the small boat, looking out at the boundless sea before him. As the moment to embark approached, the sea breeze blew over, freeing his train of thought. Suddenly, he remembered the anime he watched as a child, about a young boy who aspired to be king of the pirates, setting sail from a small town! This must be his first time at sea! Going out to sea is always exciting. Alone in a small boat, he was stepping into the new world after the apocalypse. But without a good ship, the real voyage would likely be much more arduous. Not to mention the dangers lurking in these waters. The sea breeze gently brushed his ck hair as Chen Qi looked out to sea, smiling wryly. At that moment, he suddenly recalled the promotional video for the game ''Descent.'' ''Descent,'' as a massive open-world game, was divided into six major sections, with six countries as borders. As the mes of the day gradually waned, centuries of peace were shattered, and blood and fire rekindled thend. Above the Witch Sea, beneath the deep sea, witches revived, and great whales brought the tides, sweeping across the borders. In such a world, the weak are monsters'' fodder, and only powerful Transcendents have a chance to grasp their own fate. Before crossing over, his main ount was a Fourth-Rank Pet Beast Trainer from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom sector, aiming to be a master beast trainer. Moreover, as ''Descent'' was a beta game, the world''s storyline hadn''t developed much. His knowledge of the Witch Sea sector wasn''t extensive. However, for every yer, ''Descent'' was filled with vast unknowns and dangers. Even high and mighty nobles fell because of these unknowns, which is what made it captivating. The keywords of the Witch Sea sector floated into Chen Qi''s mind. The sea, Crack Tide, flesh imnts, wealth, treasures, steampunk technology, monsters... These were the underlying themes of the Kingdom of Shell and the Witch Sea sector. And the Crack Tide and the Flower Witch were preludes to the main storyline of the Witch Sea. ording to his guess, now was just the eve of the story. Even the Crack Tide might not have arrived yet... After the Descent, the Witch Sea would get lively! But by then, survival skills would be even more essential. "Need to get stronger quickly, to advance to a Transcendent." As Chen Qi pondered, he started the steamboat''s engine. Now, he couldn''t treat this world merely as a game. He wasn''t a yer who could be resurrected after death, but rather someone constantly facing the danger of death. This was a real world, one he had to take seriously... Having crossed into another world, he had to make the best of his life. Looking at the waves, Chen Qi''s thoughts wereplex and hard to describe. In this world, you either rot in the sea or be a legend, one that could topple the entire world! In a hazy vision, he seemed to see himself after setting out to sea, amidst a massive storm, with monsters surging over the sea towards him like a raging tide. "A high inspiration, huh..." Chen Qi chuckled to himself. No matter what, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. With the roar of the propeller and engine, the small boat sailed toward the open sea! Embarking on the voyage! ... ... Chapter 23: Chapter 16 The Storm Approaches ... ... On the small ind within the crack of the Sea Beast cave, the first mate of the Sawshark forcefully pressed their captain''s head into the seawater with his bulky hands. Gurgle, gurgle~ This was usually a method of interrogation, but it was also the quickest way to calm down those who had gone mad. Now, their captain needed to be calmed down. The first mate pressed the captain''s head into the seawater for a full minute before releasing him: "Calm now?" The ck-eyed Captain''s head popped out of the water and he immediately said: "No! That ck de is my beloved, I can''t be without..." Gurgle, gurgle¡ª Before he could finish, the first mate fiercely pushed the ck-eyed Captain''s head back into the water. "A de can always be found again." The first mate disyed an indifferent expression, it wasn''t his knife after all. If he wasn''t sober yet, then it was time for another dunk in the seawater! It was at this time, having finished checking the situation on the ship and dealing with the wounded, that little Raven came before the two men: "One of the Sawshark''s emergency boats is missing, he might have taken it and escaped..." The first mate blinked, asking in a slightly puzzled whisper: "Are you saying he really left the Sea Beast cave before us, boarded our ship and then took off with it?" "Yes, though I find it hard to believe, that''s the situation at the moment." "How did he manage to do that?" The first mate looked utterly bewildered. "It''s not impossible..." Little Raven nudged her mask, looking like she had already grasped the entire picture of the event, "While cases are extremely rare, certain special types of parasitic Sea Beasts can achieve long-term parasitism in humans, and some have even established perfect symbiotic rtionships. Have you heard of ''skin-walkers''? These belong to a more advanced type of parasitic Sea Beasts that can mimic humans for up to a month. Although the parasitic Sea Beast used on him was not of this kind, we cannot dismiss the possibility of mutations. After parasitism, his speed and strength increased rather than diminished, and the parasitic Sea Beast gave him a partial Sea Beast scent. Hence, his chance of escaping in the Illusion was real." This was the knowledge of a deep-sea researcher... Little Raven hooked the corner of her mouth with a schr''s pride. The first mate sighed: "A mutated Sea Beast, which means he really escaped with the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure." Treasure! At that moment, upon hearing these words, the ck-eyed Captain again lifted his head from the water: "Pursue! Set sail now! We must catch him! He has my treasure..." Gurgle! Gurgle! Before he could finish, he was once again pushed under by the first mate: "Pursue what! With everyone so badly injured, we need to rest and recover. Besides, in this vast sea and after so much time, we have no idea which direction he went. He might have been infected by the Sea Beast and already gone into the sea..." Finding someone on the open sea was harder than one could imagine. Moreover, in the legends, those parasitized by Sea Beasts eventually stepped into the sea and forever became part of it. In other words, that parasitic Sea Beast might have caused Chen Qi to cast himself into the sea. The first mate truly did not believe Chen Qi was still alive. "Sea Beasts turn to water, if he couldn''t rid himself of the parasitic Sea Beast''s infection, then plunging into the sea would be his only oue... But if he did escape, then he must be gravely injured..." Little Raven shook her head, rationality told her that Chen Qi wouldn''t have a very good oue. But her emotions still believed that Chen Qi was still alive. "No! No! He won''t die!" At that moment, the ck-eyed Captain suddenly lifted his head fiercely, both his emotions and logic convinced that Chen Qi was alive! He roared loudly: "That man is extraordinary, I believe in him! He has inherited the will of my ck de, he''s sure to survive!" "Humph, talking about inheriting wills now, are you two that close? Wasn''t it you who foolishly gave him the knife..." Little Raven''s mouth curled up, mercilessly mocking, havingpletely forgotten the promise to find Gold Coin to help Chen Qi with the treasure chest monster. Atst, the captain, who always broke his promises, was getting his just deserts! "Done for, captain, have you lost your mind..." The first mate shook his head and pressed hard, submerging the captain''s head back into the water. The treasure they had finallyid eyes on had vanished into thin air, sending the captain into a troubled state of mind. The first mate spoke to the ck-eyed Captain earnestly: "Captain, you need to look at the problem from a different angle. Don''t focus on the fact that he''s escaped, but rather that the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure has emerged from underneath the Blood Eye Wall of the Sea Beast cave! Imagine the treasure chest has grown legs and made it to a safe ce! Do you remember the days we caught Mandrake? You can think of him as a Mandrake." The ck-eyed Captain calmed down a bit in the water, then raised his head to speak: "Yeah... Even if he has run off, this treasure is far easier to get than the chest behind the Wall of Blood Eyes. Isn''t this just like getting a new treasure map!" The only worry is that once the news gets out, those above will sooner ortere looking for us, and then my treasure..." Deluding oneself... Little Raven looked at these two people with utter speechlessness. Way too naive! Theypletely overlooked the possibility that Chen Qi might sell the treasure or be forced to hand it over to other pirates who had their eyes on him. The first mate spoke again: "Now, are you calm, Captain?" The ck-eyed Captain nodded: "Calm down. As long as we keep the news within our ck Whale Group, this treasure will sooner orter be mine... No! It will be ours, The Sawshark''s!" On second thought, I should really thank him! Thank him for finding us a new ''treasure map''!" Seeing the ck-eyed Captain deluding himself, Little Raven said: "By the way, Captain, I have some good news and some bad news that I forgot to tell you. Which one do you want to hear first?" The ck-eyed Captain shook the seawater from his head, his hair fluttering softly: "The good news." "ording to our information, he grabbed some food from the restaurant before he ran away. If he werepletely controlled by the Sea Beast, he wouldn''t have done that. This indicates that he isn''tpletely under the Sea Beast''s control and there''s a possibility he might survive." A chance of survival! You see, if they want to find the treasure again, the whole premise is based on Chen Qi being alive! Good news! The ck-eyed Captain''s mood brightened as he shed his shiny gold tooth: "I believe in him too, he won''t die so easily! Now, what''s the bad news?" Little Raven snapped her fingers: "Besides the food that was taken from the restaurant, another piece of evidence that he was somewhat lucid is... You made up an excuse to dy this month''s wages for ten sailors, and even added your own money to buy that limited edition fishing rod. That''s gone too. The Sea Beast wouldn''t take a fishing rod, which shows that he was indeed somewhat lucid." "My fishing rod..." That was a high-end brand! I even used it to catch a twenty-pound fishst time! The ck-eyed Captain immediately felt his blood rush to his throat, wanting to find his knife and cut somebody... My knife, where is my knife!? My blood is about to burst through my head¡ª Gurgle, gurgle¡ª The first mate reacted quickly and dunked the Captain''s head in the water again, "Cool off some more!" "(???)" Ha ha ha ha... Little Raven struggled to cover her mouth and maintain theposure befitting her role as the ship''s doctor. Nicely done, my assistant! She slowly turned around, stepping lightly toward the rocky shores by the sea. The waves washed over her boots, and the sea breeze yed with her hair. Little Raven stood on a rock, her jet-ck hair gently swaying with the wind. She gazed nkly in the direction of the stern. In the haze, she seemed to see Chen Qi dragging his feeble body, controlled by the parasitic Sea Beast, struggling to get into the ship''s boat, and then embracing the sea, embracing freedom... What a day full of events. She never thought that someone could leave such a deep impression on her in just one day. "How nice..." She slightly lifted the raven mask stained with the blood of the Sea Beast, revealing her cute little face with a small scar. Without this mask, her face just couldn''tmand respect from others. As a child, Little Raven had fantasized about having a fierce face, but after trying a few things, she found the mask to be the most reliable. As a ship''s doctor and an undercover agent for three plus three years, Little Raven didn''t care much about the treasures of the Deep Sea Hunter. After all, it was unlikely such treasures would fall into her hands; at most it would get her two or three Gold Coins. Therefore, she felt a faint joy and a hint of longing, a yearning for Chen Qi''s escape... It''s rare to see someone who can sail freely on the open sea. However, although their steamboat was of decent quality, the most important thing for a sessfulnding was still the weather. "May the Sea Goddess look favorably upon us and keep the weather on the ocean calm." Little Raven prayed, feeling the sea breeze. At the moment she finished praying, a raindrop the size of a bean fell onto her eyeball. Ouch! Why... ording to the navigator''s report, it was supposed to be clear skies today. She looked up. A storm seemed to being... And it didn''t look like any simple storm. ... ... Chapter 24: Chapter 17: Crack Tide The wind was getting stronger, and the sky was gradually bing overcast. Chen Qiy alone on the small boat, staring nkly at the sky. There are two most exciting moments in sailing, one is when you set out to sea, the other is when you return home. He had just been thinking about the First Order Transcendent profession of the Witch Sea, but in an instant, he felt an ominous premonition. The wind was howling... Chen Qi decisively sat up on the boat, looking out at the vast sea before him. There wasn''t a hint of human presence, only asionally could he see birds flying across the sky or schools of fish leaping out of the water. The sky allowed birds to fly at will, the sea granted fish their leaps, that was probably the best description of the scene before him. There was an unprecedented feeling of vastness, but also a faint sense of solitude... Although he had run away from the Sawshark, getting ashore alone was no easy feat. If there was any slight issue with the steamboat, he might have to enact ''Chen Qi''s Marvelous Drift,'' going insane on this broken sea. Chen Qi took out a nautical chart he had pilfered from the restaurant,bining it with some knowledge to analyze his current position. The sea area of the Witch Sea can be divided into three sections, with the coastal waters being close to the city. Beyond the coastal waters is the Crack sea area, where there are numerous crack copies, as well as some bizarre terrain. In the Crack sea area, the creatures flying in the sky and hopping on the sea are indescribable monsters of terror. On the edge of the Crack sea area, it is foggy and dimly lit, and further out is the Sea of Fog. Beyond the Sea of Fog is the lightless sea not shrouded by daylight, a ce that ''The New World of Day'' does not cover, and territory forbidden for humankind. He should be within the range of the coastal waters right now. Of course, coastal waters don''t mean safety, a lot of merchant ships pass through the coastal waters, hence it''s also where pirates are most rampant. In the Kingdom of Beys, going to sea is about connections and reputation, and his gless little boat, if encountering a merchant ship, might even get extorted. As for encountering pirates, if he''s not as strong as them, then he can only pray. But fortunately, the effect of Yellow Needle had not yet worn off, and he had a gun, so he still had a bit of self-preservation ability. "ording to this pace, perhaps I can return to Maro Town in the Moonstone Inds tonight." Maro Town is the birthce of the original body''s owner, a small ind town with a fairly good geographical location, quite a decent starter vige. Considering geographic and household registration factors, his next destination would be Maro Town. Chen Qi put away the nautical chart, took a bite of bread, and gazed at the distant sea. It was indeed a nice experience to traverse from a city of steel and concrete to the open sea. In this vast world, even if he shouted about his humiliating past or did some unspeakable deeds, except for the Ocean Goddess, no one would know. The Ocean Goddess would listen to and receive everything. It was time to use those two items. Chen Qi took out the Transcendent Fishing Skill Card and the Hunter''s Yu Huo, which could strengthen his profession, from his backpack. Both of these extraordinary items could be used directly! Let''s do it now... Hunter''s Yu Huo, a prop of this level, needed to blend with blood to be used. Chen Qi looked around, cut his fingertip with a sharp part of the steamboat, and then touched the Hunter''s Yu Huo again. "Burn, Yu Huo..." Chen Qi mentally said. When the blood touched the amber-colored gem-like Hunter''s Yu Huo, it rapidly ignited into mes. The mes burned at his fingertip, and with it, a scorching Transcendent aura permeated his blood, spread to his limbs, entered his heart, then surged into deeper ces, reaching his soul! It felt as if boilingva was forcibly poured into his mouth, then set his whole body on fire. Beyond that, a plethora of indescribable deep-sea monsters appeared before his eyes, surging towards him! In his mind, it was as if he were holding a massive de, his body aze with terrifying Blue Fire, ughtering these monsters one by one! This was the knowledge of a Deep Sea Hunter within the Hunter''s Yu Huo. A prompt appeared before his eyes. [You have assimted the Hunter''s Yu Huo.] "Huff, huff..." Chen Qi gasped heavily, the experience of using a High-order Extraordinary Prop was indeed too exhratingpared to a game. The soul was cast by Yu Huo, it was that legendary prop... Fortunately, the burning sensation didn''tst long. Chen Qi closed his eyes and felt some sort of power within the depths of his soul being strengthened. At the same time, in his mind, he also mastered much knowledge about the deep-sea monsters, as well as knowledge of fighting those gigantic creatures. The gradual dissipation of the scalding sensation and the appearance of the prompt meant that he hadpletely assimted the residual fire. Now, if he had a Transcendent profession, it would be enhanced. Unfortunately, he hadn''t officially embarked on the path of the Transcendent yet, so he couldn''t enjoy the benefits Yu Huo provided. "To ascend to the Transcendent..." Chen Qi already had some ns in mind. Ordinarily, Transcendent upation Cards are not easy to obtain. Most new yers who don''t have a good start have to wait a long time during their spiritual awakening. Even a First Order Transcendent upation Card requires considerable effort to acquire. And those upation Cards circting in the market would be purchased first by noble families and big businessmen, andmon people who want to buy one would have to pay a premium, and often what they buy are rubbish upation Cards. However, ording to the timeline, the Crack Tide that affects the entire Witch Sea will soon arrive. A huge number of cracks will lead to a significant increase in the number of Transcendent upation Cards! Therefore, with sufficient information, he could even pick out a desirable First Order Transcendent profession. Chapter 25: Chapter 17: Crack Tide_2 Once on shore, the first thing to do was to investigate the information about Transcendent upation Cards and cracks. Immediately afterward, Chen Qi pulled out the second item he had obtained from the treasure chest, the Skill Card ''Fishing in the Storm''. The use of the Skill Card was very simple: once the conditions were met, one just had to hold it in hand and use it with a single thought. "Use." The azure upation Card turned into ink-like water at the fingertips, then transformed into bubbles and disappeared without a trace. At this moment, the skill Transcendent Fishing Lv1 also appeared on his panel. His Deep Sea Affinity couldn''t level up, so Transcendent Fishing was the only skill he could use by spending Spiritual Points right now. Chen Qi used the 50 Spiritual Points he had farmed in the crack within the sea beast cave to level up from Lv1 to Lv2. Chen Qi looked at this skill, slightly surprised. Such amon life skill could actually be leveled up three times, and now he didn''t have enough Spiritual Points left. With the use of the Skill Card, he suddenly felt an inexplicable confidence! That was, even if hey down to fish, he could catch fish amidst a storm! "Why not... give it a try?" Chen Qi picked up the fishing rod, gave it a light toss, and the hooknded in the sea. What he was learning was not ordinary fishing but Transcendent Fishing! The biggest differencey in the bait. The bait for ordinary fishing was all food. Whereas for Transcendent Fishing, one transferred their own Spiritual Power to the hook, creating bait with the essence of their Spiritual Power. His current Spiritual Power capacity was a bit higher than an ordinary person''s. Having mastered this skill, from now on, he would be an enviable Fisherman who would ''never'' return empty-handed. The fish from this ce, to casually fish one out, Chen Qi created bait at the hook, which resembled a spiraling orb. In an instant, he felt a significant amount of Spiritual Power being drained from his body. This skill has such a high consumption¡­ Chen Qi gripped the fishing rod, waiting for a fish to bite. Fishing while sailing in this manner shouldn''t pose a problem, right... "..." Five minutester, Chen Qi blinked and began to doubt, could he really catch fish this way? However, before he could catch a fish, something even more terrifying happened! In the next moment, fierce sea winds blew, and a huge shadow began to engulf the area. Apanied by a loud rumble of thunder, raindrops started hitting him! The harbinger of a tempest! Though the steamboat was a great means to escape, its ability to resist the waves was mediocre. It had been clear skies just a moment ago... "What on earth is..." Suddenly, the sound of the wind passed by his ears, and within this fleeting moment, he thought he heard the roar of monsters. Out of the blue, Chen Qi suddenly recalled the promotional video for Witch Sea. On a sunny day, the sky suddenly darkened, clouds closed in, and fierce winds howled. The foreign girl onboard the ship, her flower crown knocked into the sea by a wave, reached out to retrieve it when suddenly, a gigantic shadow surfaced slowly from the ocean depths, like a dark mountain, engulfing the entire ship... As the camera continued to pan up, the entire Witch Sea was enveloped by a colossal storm! This was a far-reaching storm, also marking the first appearance of the main character of the Witch Sea main storyline, the foreign girl known as the Flower Witch. This abnormal weather, by causing arge number of cracks to form, was also known as the Crack Tide. Following this storm, cracks would sprout across Witch Sea like bamboo after the rain, thus signaling the onset of the great era of cracks in Witch Sea. Previously, Chen Qi could only tentatively determine the timeline through a little raven. And now, he was certain that the storm he was facing could very likely mark the beginning of the Crack Tide! As cracks revived and great whales exhaled, the once calm seas were now incessantly tumultuous, and the monsters dwelling in the deep sea would also emerge to the surface. It would be a frightful day without sleep. "Crack Tide, huh, troublesome..." If it were normal circumstances, he''d had popped a bottle of champagne for this storm! After all, more cracks meant more opportunities to increase his strength, which was undoubtedly a good thing! But the problem was, he was now on a small steamboat. "May the Sea Goddess show some restraint and not stir up too great a storm," Chen Qi thought to himself. However, his swimming skills were quite decent, and with the effects of the Yellow Needle still active, coupled with the knowledge of the Hunter Yu Huo, he had some ability to contend with the storm. As the storm approached, Chen Qi decisively took out the bandage from his backpack and secured items such as his ck knife and his backpack itself to prevent them from falling into the sea. Next, he secured the fishing rod to the boat with the bandage as well. His fishing skill was named "Fishing in the Storm." That is, even in the midst of a storm, there was a chance to catch fish! In the ocean, fishing skills were quite useful. Fish, take the bait! "That should do it..." After arranging some things, Chen Qi rubbed his palms together and then looked into the distance. In less than three minutes, the entire sea was shrouded under a dark sky. Suddenly, Chen Qi''s pupils constricted slightly. At the end of the grey sea horizon, a faint light appeared out of nowhere. Light? Ship lights? A boat? At this time, he encountered a boat? Chen Qi gripped the ck knife. And the light grew brighter, surging toward his direction! Chen Qi''s eyes widened as he saw from afar that it was a small, pitch-ck boat with a ship light. On the open sea, many horrifying legends are told. Among them, there are many about pitch-ck boats. If one encounters a small, pitch-ck boat under a cloud-covered sky or at night, and the boat has antern lit, Do not attempt to approach it, and don''t hesitate. Escape immediately, for that boat will take people to another world. Chen Qi stared fixedly at the approaching boat. He didn''t run away, for the speed of the ck boat far surpassed that of the steamboat. That is, he simply couldn''t outrun it. Moreover, it was undoubtedly heading straight for him. Upon closer inspection, one would realize that the ''pitch-ck hull'' was less like a boat and more like sharp, pitch-ck scales, and that the ship light was more of antern. Was this a deep-sea monster!? "Wait!" Chen Qi suddenly realized something. The creature was not just heading for him, but also for his bait! Chen Qi quickly picked up the fishing rod, then forcefully flicked it upwards! With his flick of the rod, the pitch-ck boat began to reveal its true form. Boom! Among the giant waves, a sea beast akin to a Jiaolong leapt violently from beneath the sea, opening its three rows of bloody fangs, and ferociously bit at the bait in mid-air. Its serpentine body leapt over Chen Qi. It was not any pitch-ck boat, but rather a deep-sea monster showing only half of its head! Boom! "Ha, ha, ha¡ª" The serpent-like monster bit down on the bait and plunged back into the sea, shaking its sharp, steel-like giant tail vigorously, exhaling heavily. Chen Qi turned his head back, touched his chin thoughtfully, and watched the sea beast''s odd movements. "What on earth did I catch?" Chapter 26: Chapter 18: Nearshore Dominator! The deep-sea monster swayed its body, lifting its head, its sharp ck scales and surging waves dancing in unison, its massive form moving like a mountain. The Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure did not deceive him, "Fishing in the Storm" was a life skill that allowed one to catch fish even in a storm. However, could this really be called a fish? Chen Qi stood on the boat, looking up at the colossal creature, at least twenty meters long, and stroked his chin. Well, good thing he thought he encountered some strange creature. Upon closer inspection, it was just a sea dragon capable of annihting fleets and striking fear into people''s hearts. He recognized this monster as a species that loved to race across the ocean, one of the few frequently found in nearshore areas. Its name was the ck Ship Sea Dragon, a renowned deep-sea species in nearshore regions. Based on its size, it seemed to be a juvenile. If we didn''t consider Chen Qi''s special circumstances, this could be one of the most terrifying legends of the "ck Ship with Lights." Due to several serious maritime idents it caused in nearshore areas. Therefore, it had a more domineering and widely recognized title ¨C Nearshore Dominator! Many people on the sea would shudder just hearing this name! Even the fleets under the four Pirate Emperors gave it a wide berth upon sighting the Nearshore Dominator. However, despite having Deep Sea Affinity, the massive difference in size made Chen Qi slightly afraid. "Ha!" The ck Ship Sea Dragon opened its jaws wide, waving its ck-scaled tail, and roared at Chen Qi! Such big talk! Chen Qi shielded himself with his hand and took a closer look at the colossal sea dragon. "Ha, ha, ha¡ª" The ck Ship Sea Dragon''s blue eyes, as big as bronze bells, kept spewing blood vapor, shaking its tail. "..." Chen Qi was somewhat surprised. The appearance of the deep-sea monster before him reminded him of a hardy canine species from Siberia on Earth. This thing, why does it feel like a husky? Upon closer inspection, those round blue eyes carried no ferocity but a bit of blue wisdom and a hint of cross-eyedness. Silly and goofy. "Is it asking me for food?" Chen Qi retreated slightly; the other party showed no hostility, but its size was just too enormous. He couldn''t withstand such a size difference. If the other party acted spoiled with him, forget about him¡ªthe fragile steamboat beneath him would instantly copse. Too terrifying, he thought he should quickly get rid of it. Chen Qi gently moved the fishing rod, realizing the bait on the hook had already been bitten off. "Ha, ha, ha¡ª" As the hook moved, the ck Ship Sea Dragon gasped, shaking its steel tail even more vigorously. Just for a piece of bait... Outrageous! Not at all like the Nearshore Dominator! Chen Qi reprimanded it, reconsidering his "Extraordinary Fishing" skill. This extraordinary fishing skill appeared more effective than he had imagined. Many deep-sea transcendent creatures were picky eaters, andrge carnivorous monsters like the ck Ship Sea Dragon generally were rarely interested in a simple ball of spiritual power. Yet this bait, constructed with transcendent power, wasn''t nutritious but was incredibly tasty! "Hahaha¡ª" The ck Ship Sea Dragon squinted its eyes and followed the movement of the fishing rod. Got it, got it... Chen Qi helplessly concentrated his spiritual power again, forming an extraordinary fish bait on the hook. As soon as it formed, the ck Ship Sea Dragon opened its mouth wide, bit down on the bait, and sshed in the water! Boom! Boom! Clearly, it was very happy! Chen Qi, soaked to the bone by the sshes, felt conflicted. Obviously, this was not a pet he could control! "Alright, alright, once you''re full, go y somewhere else..." Chen Qi waved his hand, unsure if the other party could understand hisnguage. Right now, he still had to outwit and oust the storm, leaving him no energy to entertain the Nearshore Dominator. The storm continued to batter his poor little boat. The ck Ship Sea Dragon shook its head; seemingly understanding something, it swiftly dove underwater. Chen Qi also bent down, reducing the speed of the steamboat, cautiously navigating through the storm. The storm was approaching; it was going to be a long journey¡­ Ssh! Before Chen Qi could sigh, a huge head with a litmp emerged from the water again and exhaled in his direction. "Still here? I don''t fear you, but my little boat does..." Chen Qi reluctantly turned his head, looking at the silly Nearshore Dominator. Although he had Deep Sea Affinity, his current strength wasn''t sufficient to directly drive away the deep-sea monster. Upon initiating the attack, the deep-sea monster could also counterattack him. Moreover, even if he exerted all his strength to drive it away, this Nearshore Dominator might just think Chen Qi was giving it a massage. Fortunately, this small sea dragon was quite smart and did not collide with his boat. Suddenly, Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. Its intention seemed not to be asking for food. But to give him something! The ck Ship Sea Dragon opened its bloodthirsty mouth with its three rows of sharp teeth. On its scarlet tonguey a shiny object. "?" Chen Qi cautiously used his fishing rod to pull it out of its mouth. Palm-sized, this was a small goldfish? Chen Qi held the dead little creature in his hand. He had seen this thing in thest few pages of "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide" given to him by the shipdoctor, Little Crow. Thest five pages were all extremely rare sea beasts; Little Crow, being a deep-sea enthusiast, dreamed of raising one! Of course, she had never owned even one. "Golden Scaled Fish..." At that moment, Chen Qi''s eyes were blinded by the golden light emanating. The Golden Scaled Fish lived in deeper waters and swam at considerable speeds. Thus, ordinary fishing boats found it hard to catch them; usually, it required powerful transcendent beings to personally dive deep to catch them. Chen Qi took out the soaked book and carefully turned to thest few pages. As he read, an illusory prompt also appeared before his eyes. In the new day game settings, the panel''s prompts depended on various aspects, with the most important one being one''s own known knowledge. His yer panel wasn''t omniscient, partially adhering to this setting. [Golden Scaled Fish: Nature Form: Bei, Cup Usage: An extraordinary fish symbolizing wealth and health. Consuming it after cooking can permanently increase one''s constitution and provide a small amount of self-healing speed. Description: Lucky!] "Well done, Nearshore Dominator!" Chen Qi looked at the introduction of the dead Golden Scaled Fish. Bei symbolized money, contracts, wealth, transactions, and other elements. The Golden Scaled Fish was simr to the koi fish on Earth; people believed that seeing one would bring continuous good luck and wealth for a week. Living Golden Scaled Fish were extremely expensive ornamental species; however, the one given by the ck Ship Sea Dragon was already dead. Whereas the Cup represented the primary use of the Golden Scaled Fish! A strong constitution was the core threshold for many ways to get stronger. Moreover, small healing speed might sound minimal, but in actualbat, it could increase the self-healing speed of external injuries, making it a quite powerful skill. This was truly a great supplement... The attribute-boosting Yellow Needle was at least purchasable, but the Golden Scaled Fishrgely depended on luck. ording to the Sea Beast Usage Guide, this thing wasn''t suitable for raw consumption. The Golden Scaled Fish had a reasonably long shelf life, and the temperature was quite stable. Chen Qi put it into his backpack. With the Yellow Needle, Golden Scaled Fish, plus the initial attribute boost, his early constitution would reach a rather formidable level. Well done, ck Ship Sea Dragon! In a sense, it was like he had caught a Golden Scaled Fish. Chen Qi gently patted its head with his hand. "Ha, ha, ha¡ª" Seemingly feeling Chen Qi''s mood, the ck Ship Sea Dragon nodded and happily wagged its tail, circling his boat a few times. Then it summed a few times, making sounds implying it was about to leave. Leaving? Chen Qi waved his hand: "Goodbye¡ª" Chen Qi marked this spot in his memory; maybe they would meet again someday. The ck Ship Sea Dragon wagged its tail. Swoosh! With a swooshing sound, like a rocket, it shot out, raising waves on the sea surface, disappearing from his sight in an instant. With that speed, it seemed capable of crashing through arge steel steamship! The Nearshore Dominator was indeed fast... Chen Qi gazed into the distance, and perhaps blinded by the golden light of the fish, he found the fierce beast somewhat cute. Ssh! Ssh! With the departure of the ck Ship Sea Dragon, waves hit his small boat once again. His clothes were already thoroughly soaked by the seawater, and despite being cotton, they felt like a heavy, cold armor. The cold intensified, bringing about a sense of weakness, as the Yellow Needle''s effect diminished. The storm was quite a trial... "Tost until the shore, I''ll have to endure for a while..." Chen Qi bent down, seizing the moment to consume the food and fresh water in his backpack. There was still a considerable distance to thend. The uing period would be a strenuous one. Chapter 27: Chapter 19: Lighthouse In the stormy weather, navigating a small boat and reaching the shore was no easy task. Raindrops continuously pelted Chen Qi''s body, and his thoughts shifted from wanting to reach the shore quickly to simply not falling off the boat. His body became exhausted, and his consciousness gradually blurred. He didn''t know how much time had passed, but the zing daylight in the sky began to wane and eventually extinguished. A round, slightly red moon slowly rose from the end of the coastline. This marked the descent of nightfall and the vanishing of daylight¡ª Nighttime already¡­ Chen Qi weakly opened his eyes and looked at the pitch-ck world before him. The storm had tormented his body severely. In the heavy rain, his sense of time was totally blurred. The steamboat, impacted by the waves, also suffered damage and significantly slowed down. This boat probably would be unusable after reaching the shore. However, there was a piece of good news. As the night descended, the storm now had only wind and some drizzle left. Where am I? Chen Qi braced against the sea wind and looked ahead. Suddenly, a faint light hit his eyes. Another light¡­ Chen Qi raised his head and looked towards the source of the light. The light grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly facing the strong light, he had to squint his eyes. In the distant blur, atop a huge tall tower, an old man holding an oilmp vaguely looked at him with a puzzled expression. It''s the lighthouse¡­ Chen Qiy on the boat, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Finally¡­ He had finally reachednd¡­ Seeing the lighthouse meant he was not far from the town and the shore. Chen Qi shook his head, sat up, and stretched his limbs. The lighthouse was an essential navigational structure for maritime journeys. The lighthouses in the Witch Sea region also had to guard againstrge sea beast attacks and special situations like ind fleet invasions. Thus, themp keeper was usually a highly respected, highly inspired, and powerful Transcendent. This was an extremely boring yet crucial job. The seventy-year-old lighthouse keeper looked towards Chen Qi''s direction. Today''s storm hadsted so long, how could there still be someone at sea! Moreover, it seemed to be a young man! This was too reckless! As an elder, the lighthouse keeper always had much concern for young people. He cleared his throat and shouted in a loud voice: "Young man, are you alright? Do you need help?" "What did you say? The voice is too low!" Chen Qi patted his head and let the water out of his ears. Upon seeing the light, he became spirited again! Whatever it was, he smiled, then waved his hand! Why are you smiling? Be serious! The lighthouse keeper anxiously shouted louder: "The wind is not right tonight! There might be monsters in the sea! Get to the shore quickly, don''t go out to sea tonight or tomorrow!" He shook his head, thinking that the boy seemedpletely unworried and probably didn''t understand what had happened tonight. His high inspiration allowed him to clearly sense an ancient aura mixed in the storm today, like a monster''s whisper. Such winds hadn''t blown over the sea for a long time. From his experience, this monster-like roaring sea wind indicated that some monsters, originally active in the deep sea, wereing to the surface! It seemed something major had happened. Many fishermen and merchants had met with mishaps today. And at night, sea beasts became even more rampant! This boy, sitting in such a small boat, was lucky not to be attacked by sea beasts. "Get to the shore quickly!" The lighthouse keeper yelled loudly; he couldn''t guarantee what might pop out of the seawater. "Okay! I''ll get to the shore immediately!" Chen Qi responded and slightly sped up his steamboat. With the propeller turning, his small boat sailed towards the ind town named "Maro Town." This was the town he was about to reach, also the town where the original owner of his body was born. Chen Qi opened the sea chart again and nced at the Shell Country''s terrain and the location of Maro Town. The major coastal city of the Shell Country was called Moonstone City. Besides Moonstone City, there were many inds along the Shell Country''s coast where humans could live. Moonstone Inds, Devil Inds, and so on. Manyrge and small towns had been established on these inds. Maro Town was one of the many towns in the Moonstone Inds. By reading the memories of the original owner, Chen Qi had gained significant understanding of this ce. First, to the people of the Shell Country, the inds were not a good ce. Inconvenient transportation,ck of entertainment, and frequent threats from waves and sea beasts. Not to mention the increasingly rampant piratestely. The small towns on the inds were just remote rural areas. Many young people from the inds longed for the prosperous cities of the Shell Country. They worked from dawn to dusk every day, just to go to the big cities and own a house. Every year, many young people left the inds and headed to the big ind cities of the Shell Country. However, in Chen Qi''s view, Maro Town was quite a good starting vige. In addition to having a household registration in Maro Town, more importantly, with the start of the Crack Tide, many cracks would be born on the sea. And cracks meant extraordinary resources, meantnd, meant oil, meant money, meant power! When theplete Crack Tide of the Witch Sea arrived, it wouldn''t be the inders rushing to the ind. It would be the indersing to the sea for adventures, sparking an adventure era like the Gold Rush in America. These inds, closer to the dense crack regions, would be more popted than big cities due to their better transportation locations, making them more favored by adventurers. Well, housing prices might even rise slightly¡­ "Huh, here I am!" Chen Qi stopped the steamboat and excitedly jumped onto the port of Maro Town. He then shook off the water from his body like a cat! This was the feeling of solidnd, how refreshing! After properly securing the steamboat, Chen Qi nned to get something to eat as he was really hungry. Seeing Chen Qi reaching the shore, the lighthouse keeper finally felt relieved. Luckily, nothing major happened¡­ Suddenly, the lighthouse keeper had a sh of inspiration. That young man just now was the boy who had sea beast disease and went to the city for work a few months ago¡­ He still managed toe back and even bought a small boat¡­ the lighthouse keeper felt a bit sentimental. Sea beast disease, as the name implied, meant terrifying deep-sea creatures had infected a human body. To cure it, one typically needed a bloody surgery, and finding an unlicensed ck doctor would also cost arge sum of money. Even he himself probably couldn''t afford so much money immediately. In his view, if Chen Qi could return, it must be either because he was ready to "die in his hometown," or he had been forced to join some illegal organization, earning money throughbor, with a perilous fate. "This generation of young people, it isn''t easy for them¡­" The lighthouse keeper sighed and shook his head. ... ... Having just ended a storm, the pier at Maro Town was exceptionally quiet. Chen Qi walked towards the town while rummaging through his backpack. In his backpack, besides the treasure map, were the medical supplies given by the little crow. Among them, the Healing Potions could be sold without a loss. Such good items for emergency healing were valuable everywhere. The problem was that Chen Qi himself currently had a great need for Healing Potions too. Painkillers and calming sea beast oil were also seble items. But the sum amount of misceneous items wasn''t much either¡­ Am I really going to have to work in a factory¡­ Chen Qi frowned deeply. In Maro Town, there was a crack mine with a zero percent mutation rate, where anyone could apply. Having transmigrated and still needing to work, no, that''s out of the question¡­ As a strategy guide creator, he knew that working was actually not a bad option in many situations. But now he had the ck Knife, and his attributes weren''t bad, so the fastest way to make money was still to explore cracks. Chen Qi shook his head. Right now, he didn''t even have a bit of money on him. Gold coins were more popr among pirates, whereas ordinary people used the Shell Country''s official currency¡ªShell Coins. Besides the different name, Shell Coins were very simr to Earth''s currency, also a type of paper money. As a country embodying the "Shell" nature form, the Shell Country''s currency was rtively stable. Shell Coins were also quitemonly epted in other countries, making them a fairly reliable currency. "Before I get some money, I can only continue eating seawater-soaked bread¡­" Chen Qi looked at the bread soaked by seawater in his backpack, smiling bitterly. His current funds weren''t enough to allow him a good meal. But at least he was a transmigrator, going hungry wasn''t such a big deal. Suddenly, a whiff of grilled food aroma drifted in! Who''s grilling at night! Especially right after a stormy evening! Chen Qi looked in the direction of the aroma. Maro Town''s dockside tavern, the only tavern on the entire ind. He saw a group of young people around a grill roasting fish outside the tavern. Inside the tavern, people''s loud and noisy voices could be heard! So many people on a stormy night¡­ This tavern is packed! Chen Qi was slightly surprised; even city taverns rarely had this many people. He looked up and saw the tavern''s sign written on a banner: "It''s a great day today, all drinks and meat, even vegetables, are free inside the tavern!" Free! All free¡­ Chen Qi''s heart pounded. It was just a simple ind tavern, making everything free would leave the owner working for nothing for a month or even two! For a small-town owner, this was a huge expense. What good day was it to make such a big giveaway? Chen Qi pondered and, fueled by curiosity, took a few steps forward. Unknowingly, he stepped over a drunkard at the doorway and squeezed into the noisy tavern. Chapter 28: Chapter 20: Newbie Village Maro Town Of course, Chen Qi''s purpose in entering the tavern wasn''t just the simple idea of getting a free meal and drink. As everyone knows, a tavern is a ce with a crowd of all sorts and a good ce to gather information. His most important task now was to collect information on the crack near Maro Town and then strive to be a Transcendent as soon as possible! The moment he stepped into the tavern, a wave of low-quality liquor aroma hit him in the face. The inside of the tavern was extremely crowded, with every table fully upied. Fortunately, there were still seats avable near the counter at the front. Chen Qi sat down next to the counter and drank a bottle of warm wine. With the warm wine in his belly, his whole body felt a lot warmer. Cool! Although this watered-down wine was nothingpared to Earth''s delightful soda, it was quite good now. As for roasted meat, that kind of good stuff had already been snatched up. But luckily, there were still plenty of peanuts. Chen Qi cracked peanuts while watching the lively crowd. People, buoyed by the alcohol, chatted away: "Hey hey, have you heard? The Witch Times'' gold badge reporter captured the movements of the four Pirate Emperors! There were more than five hundred ships speeding on the sea! This is a huge operation, and the goal is to find the legendary treasure!" "Treasure? What''s that got to do with us country folk, brother? You should check out the Witch Times instead. The newspaper reported on the Countess''s affair, and the thighs in that photo¡ªbeautiful indeed¡ª" "Boss, congrattions on your daughter returning early from Bei Country Royal University! She can buy a house in Moonstone City, or directly in the capital¡ªit''s no problem at all!" Chen Qi''s gaze quickly locked onto the key figures in the crowd. The tavern owner and his precious daughter. The reason why everything in the tavern was free today was that his daughter had returned early from Bei Country Royal University to take a position in Maro Town. Wait, Bei Country Royal University! Chen Qi was taken aback. In the New World, universities and colleges were gathering ces for Transcendents. Within these institutions, students are offered extraordinary resources beyond the imagination of ordinary people, as well as a slew of strength assessments! Anyone associated with a college possessed exceptional skills to some degree or another. Since all the yers started with awakened spiritual talent, a college start was also recognized as the best among yers. And Bei Country Royal University was the most famous and renowned school in the entire Shell Kingdom! Each year, Bei Country Royal University produced many exceptionally talented individuals for the world. The Royal Seven entrics, the Imperial Capital''s Three Jie. Many NPCs that left a deep impression on the yers came from Bei Country Royal University. Of course, in such a remote town, having a Transcendent able to get into the Royal University was enough to change a family''s fate and social status. The early return of a daughter who was epted into a top-ranking Transcendent school was truly a celebration within a celebration. No wonder the tavern owner was so generously footing the bill. Chen Qi grabbed a handful of peanuts and munched eagerly, continuing to watch the drama unfold. At this moment, everyone was surrounding the tavern owner, heaping praise on him, their eyes full of envy. Meanwhile, the owner''s young daughter stood behind him, not saying a word, very quiet. Chen Qi peeked through gaps in the crowd at her. She had silver-white hair, wore a mage''s hat, and was dressed in a simple and unsophisticated white apprentice uniform. Very much the standard young mage apprentice outfit. Chen Qi essed the memories of his original self. She was considered a peer of his and a true genius. At the age of five, she exhibited extraordinary talent, spending her days wielding a magic wand twice her height and practicing spells on rocks with her short little legs. Later, with the help of a noble, she sessfully got into Bei Country Royal University Book College. She should be about sixteen this year. Why does she look so familiar... Chen Qi reflected, remembering that this was also a rather famous character on the gaming forums. And just then, an impatient figure slowly pushed through the crowd and said in a deep voice: "Excuse me, everyone, could you make way so I can have a word with the new tutor..." Though the man''s voice wasn''t loud, his portly figure and the golden patterns on his expensive suit proved his extraordinary status. Chen Qi thought for a moment. This man was none other than the most distinguished person in Maro Town, Mayor Da Maro! He controlled Maro Town''s most important asset, the "Mine Crack," and also handled all sorts of affairs big and small, making him the wealthiest and most prestigious person in Maro Town. One could say, he was the lord of this ind. Although the mayor was very wealthy, he was also extremely frugal. After squandering half of his fortune in his earlier years, he became deeply fixated on establishing a powerful family. Therefore, he spent a lot of money and effort marrying an ugly yet robust wife. When Mayor Da Maro spoke, the crowd parted obediently. Most people had to give Mayor Da Maro face. The tavern owner''s daughter blinked her blue eyes and looked at Mayor Da Maro with some confusion: "?" Clearly, he came specifically for her, the talented graduate. A sixteen-year-old Transcendent who graduated from Bei Country Royal University, without a doubt, her future was set to far exceed that of Mayor Da Maro. Chen Qi thought to himself. Mayor Da Maro approached her, bending slightly forward and then feeling ufortable, he straightened up a bit. He seemed pushed by two forces until, with some impatience from the crowd, he managed to squeeze out a smile: "An, no, I should call you the Tutor of Maro Town. In the time that follows, the youth of Maro Town will be troubling you... Do you remember me? I am Mayor Da Maro. I helped quite a bit with the establishment and construction of your father''s tavern when I was younger. My two children, a son and a daughter, have also reached the age to apply for the Transcendent academy and have sessfully be First Order Transcendents. They have some talent, passing the preliminary screening of the exam but failing in the first round..." Failing in the first round¡­ Chen Qi frowned like an old grandpa on the subway. As a strategy content creator, he had helped many yers get through the academy''s exams. To be admitted to the Transcendent academy, one must pass at least five rounds of exams. And the first round of examination is a very simple written test. Failing the first round, how do you conclude they are so talented!? Mayor Da Maro paused for a long time before continuing: "I believe my children''s talents are not bad, and with hard work, it is not impossible for them to be Third-tier Transcendents. An, since you are from the Royal University, do you have any method that can allow them to enter the Royal University as well..." She graduated from there, not built the university¡­ Chen Qi couldn''t help mocking in his mind. The tavern owner''s daughter, by appearance, looked like the quiet, naturally dazed type. "Ah?" Confronted with Mayor Da Maro''s question, the tavern owner''s daughter, already somewhat sluggish, looked even more like a stuck robot. Her head turned around. Suddenly, in that instant, her blue eyes met with Chen Qi''s. What are you looking at me for? Chen Qi, who was snacking on peanuts while watching the drama unfold, was momentarily stunned, his hand holding the peanuts pausing. These peanuts and drinks on the counter should be free, right¡­ Wait a minute! Why has everyone''s gaze suddenly turned towards me!! However, he was not given time to think. In the next moment, the tavern owner''s daughter picked up her Magic Wand and moved with the agility of a cat, arriving in front of Chen Qi in an instant. The distance between them closed rapidly, and she was now merely a palm''s length away from him. A formidable presence weighed upon him. "???" Her sudden action caused Chen Qi to feel somewhat panicked. She tilted her head and leaned closer, much like a greedy merchant scrutinizing a priceless treasure. Sniff, sniff, sniff¡ª After smelling him, she excitedly said: "It''s blood, and seawater, along with the scent of a transcendent awakening." Chapter 29: Chapter 21 Newbie Mentor An She realized I was a spiritual awaken! Chen Qi felt his heart rate elerate. Once ordinary people step on the path to bing Transcendent, they emit a special spiritual power field. But at the end of the day, he was just a spiritual awaken, not a true Transcendent, emitting a barely noticeable aura. In contrast to his faint aura was the other party''s spiritual power field. The other party was clearly a frail-looking young girl, but to him, she seemed like a towering white tiger! She waspletely different from the other Transcendents he had encountered before, like the little crow and the ck-eyed captain. Such strong spiritual pressure! Chen Qi couldn''t help but remark. Sniff, sniff, sniff! Following that, An looked at Chen Qi again and asked curiously, "Have you been spiritually awakened?" "Yes." Chen Qi nodded. An turned back to the mayor of Maro Town and asked, "Mayor Maro, didn''t you tell me there are only six spiritual awakeners in town? And one is about my age. Awakening at this age, he is quite impressive." Is she praising me... Chen Qi silently ate a peanut. At the sight of him, her face seemed to carry a faint joy, with no malice. "There are indeed only six..." The mayor''s face was puzzled as his gaze also turned to Chen Qi. Although he was stingy, as the mayor, he knew everyone in the town, including all their misdemeanors. ck hair, young, and he seemed to have just been caught in heavy rain. Isn''t this Qi, who went to Moonstone City due to illness some days ago! "Qi!" The mayor blurted out, looking Chen Qi up and down again, "You''re back, is your illness cured?" His Sea Beast disease was suppressed due to Deep Sea Affinity. Being recognized... Chen Qi read the original owner''s memories, trying to familiarize himself with these people: "No, but it''s temporarily suppressed. If I want to cure it, I still need quite a bit of money..." "Oh, that''s a miracle, a miracle..." The mayor nodded his head without asking further. Having returned from a big city, he undoubtedly experienced many troublesome things; it wouldn''t be good to probe further. The mayor kept his doubts to himself, and then with a rough voice, he said: "Have you been spiritually awakened!? This is a good thing, after all, our inds need courageous Transcendents!" After speaking, Mayor immediately introduced Chen Qi to An, mentioning a young man with high inspiration afflicted with Sea Beast disease. Why have I suddenly be the center of conversation... Chen Qi was somewhat troubled, again picking up a handful of peanuts to eat. "I see." After listening, An stretched out her hand and introduced herself to Chen Qi, "Hello, Qi. I am An, the new mentor appointed in Maro Town, responsible for assisting and nurturing all the young people nearby with potential to be Transcendents." Mentor for beginners... The moment he heard this term, Chen Qi suddenly had a tide of thoughts, recalling her identity! A mentor for beginners is, simply put, simr to many game characters like priests, vige chiefs, or guides. This stems from the special system of Shell Country Academy. Every year, Shell Country Academy selects a group of outstanding students and stations them in remote areas of Shell Country to take on the role of mentor for beginners, nurturing the young from those areas. They assign tasks to ordinary people with potential, offer mary and supernatural resource rewards, and can even grant upation cards! Also, they maintain basic order in these remote locations. For yers, mentors for beginners are literally mentors, often the NPC that many novices interact with the most. To date, many professional guides on forums havee from these beginner mentors. yers, through aggregating data, have a ranking of beginner mentors from the Witch Sea forums. The very An in front of him was a famously ranked mentor for beginners! Chen Qi took another look at her. An, a graduate from Bei Country Royal University and a master ofrge-scale destructive force. She had two nicknames. Because she became a Third-order Transcendent at a young age and progressed in strength rapidly, developing even faster than yers did! Additionally, she often treated pirates who came to cause trouble and mocking nobles like dogs. Thus, she had the domineering nickname An Aotian. Also, because she served as a mentor for beginners, being very conscientious and patient, she also carried another more domineering nickname¡ª Teacher An! Of course, Chen Qi preferred to use a moremon and generic nickname, Teacher An. An brushed back her white hair behind her ears and spoke again, "The spiritual power field around you is much stronger than that of ordinary people, which proves you have the talent to be a Transcendent. If you want to embark on the path of the Transcendent, I can offer you some guidance. Of course, if you need help." An extended her hand. A mentor for beginners isn''t just about nurturing Transcendents. In a rtively remote ce like Maro Town, anything rted to the mysterious and supernatural is linked to this Transcendent mentor. Chen Qi was fairly familiar with the new day''s system of Transcendent professions. But if he wanted to obtain information about the Crack, the simplest way was to seek help from this mentor for beginners. Chen Qi extended his hand and said, "I indeed want to enter the path of the Transcendent and I need some guidance." The crowd watched this scene, some surprised; they did not expect Chen Qi to have survived, let alone be a spiritually awakened with great potential. At that moment, An''s father, the red-faced tavern owner, loudly said, "Alright, An, this is your celebration, not a time to talk about work, or to listen to some old fool ramble on. "You should know, everyone still wants to hear about your experiences in the capital." As he spoke, the tavern owner red fiercely at Maro Town''s mayor! "Now is not the time for certain self-important figures making impractical demands." The mayor of Maro Town hung his head, feeling as if he had shrunk. An gave a bitter smile, then said to Chen Qi: "Let''s talk after this celebration is over." "Yes." Chen Qi agreed. After An left, the disheartened mayor of Maro Town sighed heavily, a look of depression on his face. Suddenly, a light seemed to flicker in front of the mayor''s eyes, and he scratched his thinning scalp: "Chen Qi, you''re back. It seems you hit a wall in Moonstone City. But don''t worry, the timing of your return is just right!" "Why?" Chen Qi deliberately made a puzzled expression. Based on his spection, the reason An, as a Transcendent, hade to Maro Town to serve as a mentor was a decision made by Shell Country''s highmand. The Crack Tide was approaching, and the high-ranking officials in charge of monitoring the cracks must have also noticed abnormalities. Therefore, they had dispatched some Transcendents ahead of time to prevent the situation from worsening. Of course, Shell Country probably hadn''tpletely confirmed the arrival of the Crack Tide yet. Once they had, more and more ''newbie mentors'' would appear on these coastal inds. The mayor of Maro Town stroked his goatee: "You might not know, but several new cracks have appeared here in the Moonstone Indstely." New, unknown cracks! Chen Qi immediately asked: "Cracks, Mayor of Maro Town, do you have specific news?" "I don''t know, after all, I''m old and no longer at an age to take risks. From the mentor''s reaction just now, your talent is quite impressive. If you''re lucky, perhaps in a few weeks, you could be a First-order Transcendent, just like my son. You''re about the same age, so you could support each other then, especially since, as you know, cracks are too dangerous, and a slight misstep can mean death. We''re not like those city nobles who were fed Transcendent upation Cards with their milk... The mayor of Maro Town said a lot all at once. Even the mayor of Maro Town doesn''t know, so it seems I''ll have to ask the newbie mentor... Chen Qi thought to himself, taking a sip of his beer. The mayor of Maro Town sat down next to Chen Qi, also pouring a ss: "Sigh... not every young person can have innate talents like An from an early age... It might turn out like you or my child, clearly having talent but unfortunately havng gotten sick. I hope with your return this time, you can be a Transcendent soon and earn the money to cure your illness. If you really need money, you can also borrow from me." The mayor of Maro Town clinked his ss with Chen Qi, continuously voicing his worries. On one hand, he hoped his child would be strong early, but on the other hand, he feared his child dying tragically in a crack. Having said that, the mayor of Maro Town wanted to drink a few more sses with Chen Qi, but before he could drink, he thudded onto the counter, passed out drunk. That''s it, passed out? That''s a bit weak... I haven''t eaten enough yet! Suddenly, Chen Qi noticed two newspapers at the spot where the mayor of Maro Town had passed out. In this world without the inte, newspapers are the quickest way for ordinary people to learn about the world''s status. Chen Qi picked up the newspapers, and at the top of the page, it read ''White Dove Newspaper'' in big letters, with golden letters spelling ''Pelu Larn'' underneath the title. The White Dove Newspaper is renowned for its timeliness, aiming to report major events in the Witch Sea as they happen. From the date in the bottom left corner, it seemed it was freshly printed yesterday. "Witch suspected of appearing, ughtering the ck Rabbit Gang, is this true or false?" "Pirate Emperor''s ck Whale Group''s big move, ording to sources, the ck Whale Group has found a legendary treasure map. As of yesterday, fifty ships under themand of the ck Whale Group had set sail. What kind of treasure has the ck Whale Group so agitated? Stay tuned for White Dove Newspaper''s chief gold medal journalist, Pelu, to unravel it for you tomorrow." ck Whale Group... Chen Qi thought. Now, the ck-eyed Captain must still be looking for him. He was sold to the ck Whale Group''s Sawshark by human traffickers. And the group of kidnappers who abducted him rarely cared about where their ves came from. That means, for now, Sawshark does not know his origins, and finding him could take some effort. Chen Qi folded the newspaper and decided to remain as vignt as possible. The second newspaper was the Witch Times, part of the samepany as the White Dove Newspaper, but the content was quite different. The Witch Times aimed to use an artistic approach to depict human love and hate. Furthermore, their editor-in-chief liked to use her paintbrush to boldly and profoundly illustrate the body curves of the news protagonists in a roller-coaster manner. Simply put, it was melodramatic and borderline sensationalistic. Chen Qi frowned as he read, continuing to eat. Two hours of eating and drinking flew by in an instant... ... "Phew~" Chen Qi patted his full belly; this was probably the most satisfying meal he had had since arriving in this world. Unbeknownst to him, many people were drunk andy on the ground like mud. Only a few were still sober. Thud! "Aren''t you drunk?" An rolled up her pant legs and leaped over the mud-like figure known as the mayor of Maro Town, approaching Chen Qi. Chen Qi said: "No, I didn''t drink much, I just ate quite a bit." "I''m also not good at drinking." She took a deep breath, her sparkling blue eyes looking at Chen Qi, "It''s finally over, let''s talk, shall we? The smell of alcohol is too strong here. Can youe to my room? I have a really good Transcendent upation to rmend for your path to bing a Transcendent." Transcendent upation rmendation? A flicker of curiosity crossed Chen Qi''s eyes. He got up and followed her. Chapter 30: Chapter 22: Uniqueness An''s room was right at the back of the tavern, typical minimalist style, with only a bed and a desk chair aside from her work materials. Oh, and tworge wooden magical staffs that stood 1.8 meters tall. If not for the runes on them, Chen Qi would have thought they were hammers capable of smashing his head. The two found a ce to sit down. "Your inspiration is quite high, which means you have better talent in certain transcendent professions." As An spoke, she fetched a form, "But before that, I need to fill in your information." "Okay." Chen Qi sat down patiently. Then, like an interviewer, An began to ask: "Name?" "Qi." "Gender?" "Male..." Was it that hard to tell? Chen Qi was slightly stunned. An suddenly realized something and exined: "Well... I''m not questioning your gender, nor your appearance, nor do I want to check your gender... In the capital, I''ve met many burly women and soft, cute men. Of course, I''m not referring to you... It''s hard to describe..." She was stuck again, not knowing how to exin her thoughts to Chen Qi. "Simply put, you shouldn''t easily assume someone''s gender, I understand." Chen Qi summarized for her. In the transcendental world, that was not unusual. Sometimes, you couldn''t even assume the other party''s species. "Yes, yes, that''s a perfect summary... ahem. The topic has gone off track..." An coughed a couple of times. Although she had considerable transcendent power, speaking to strangers still made her a bit nervous. After asking the questions, she immediately redirected the conversation: "Qi, ording to my observation, your inspiration should be quite high. This means that you are very suitable for choosing the ''Rule of the Book'' and bing a mage apprentice. Our Shell Country officially also has some unassigned ''apprentice'' upation cards. Normally, these upation cards are allocated to outstanding spirit awakeners. But given your high inspiration, ording to the regtions, you can even get the apprentice upation card in advance. And to get the upation card in advance, you just have toplete the tasks assigned by the government. Of course, you won''t be shortchanged of a single penny for these tasks." Getting an upation card in advance! And not deducting any task rewards! One could say this was a secret benefit only for those with excellent talent in spirit awakening. Spreading this secret benefit might even provoke others'' envy. Most people would need at least half a year to get a transcendent upation card from Shell Country''s official hands. That''s why she chose a private room to discuss this. An silently waited, looking forward to seeing Chen Qi''s shocked expression. However, to her surprise, he showed no big reaction, instead looking thoughtful. Another lousy profession... Chen Qi thought to himself. An apprentice, a first-tier book phase upation card, only slightly enhancing memory and increasing theprehension of magical knowledge without any attached skills. With an excellent magical staff and extraordinary inspiration, a first-tier apprentice could cast some weak spells. It was a pretty weak transcendent profession in the early stages. But undeniably, as a precursor profession to a mage, the apprentice had great future potential. However, like a doctor apprentice, this profession required a lot of time and substantial knowledge umtion in the early stages. An had been noticed by transcendents since she was a child and had a vast knowledge reserve; that''s why she became a novice mentor and a powerful mage at such a young age. But for Chen Qi, choosing the apprentice path meant entering a school and spending a lot of time studying books. In a world facing the threat of destruction. By the time he graduated, the world might already be gone. No, Chen Qi looked up at An. Why the hesitation? Did I not exin clearly enough? An added: "Don''t worry, this advance upation card doesn''te with additional costs. On the contrary, if you perform well, you will receive extra nurturing resources. If you can reach the second tier within half a year, we will provide you with a custom magic staff. If you reach the third tier within three years, you can apply to go to our neighboring country, the White Tower Federation, where book-oriented individuals flourish, to learn more profound magic techniques!" An described her journey, depicting it for Chen Qi in a future-oriented manner. Chen Qi chuckled helplessly. Everythinges with a price. If he epted Shell Country''s upation card, it meant he would officially be a part of Shell Country''s system from then on. He would follow the path Shell Country''s governmentid out for him. If he didn''t have the talent for Deep Sea Affinity or wasn''t aware of the impending catastrophe in the New Sun World, this might have been a decent choice. A rtively stable choice. Got to think of a way to decline... Chen Qi pondered. For now, though, there was indeed a good reason to refuse. That was an important aspect of the transcendent profession system in the New Sun World: The Rule of Uniqueness. The transcendent system in New Sun was quiteplex, with thirteen nature forms, and each upation card typically had one, two, or even three nature forms. Thus, there were a multitude of transcendent professions in its system. Apprentice of the Book Phase, Travel Mage of the Lamp Book Phase, Herbalist of the Flower Cup Phase, Recruit of the de Phase, Forest Hunter of the de Flower Phase, and so on. These professions didn''t follow a simple linear progression; each advancement offered multiple choices. But regarding advancement, from the second tier onwards, every Transcendent had to obey a rule called the ''Rule of Uniqueness.'' The Rule of Uniqueness dictated that from the second tier onwards, every profession had to have the chosen ''nature form.'' For example, a first-tier Doctor Apprentice didn''t have to advance to a second-tier Doctor; they could be another advanced profession. A Cup Phase Doctor Apprentice could advance to a second-tier Cup Phase Glutton and then to a third-tier Cup Book Phase Blood Flesh Mage. Although advancing from Doctor Apprentice to Blood Flesh Mage deviated significantly from ''medicine,'' looking quite bizarre, since each profession involved the ''Cup'' phase, it was a coherent transcendent path. And this represented their Rule of Uniqueness as ''Cup.'' Of course, considering the skill synergies between professions, such advancement was generally avoided. As a former game yer, Chen Qi hadn''t paid much attention to these settings. But now, he had to take these things seriously. In the transcendent world of New Sun, there was an old saying. Every Transcendent, before stepping onto the transcendent path, must, at the starting point on the Sea of Spirit Trees, cut out their heart and ce it there. Finally, they must tie a string to their heart to continue forward. The Rule of Uniqueness is the heartstring; to deviate from it meant certain loss. Chen Qi organized his thoughts and declined tactfully, "Teacher An, Ick the professional knowledge system and might not be suitable for adhering to the Rule of the Book..." An''s eyes slightly widened; she did not expect Chen Qi to refuse such luxurious benefits. One couldn''t waste talent for this reason... She urged again: "You are a spirit awakener and have not reached the second tier yet. You have unlimited potential; there''s no need to decide your rule too early. Apprentice is a first-tier profession and matches well with many mage professions. Your inspiration is high, which means you are a natural mage. As for professional knowledge, you''re still young and can learn. If you encounter difficulties, I can also tutor you..." My mind is made up. Please don''t persuade me anymore! Chen Qi coughed twice: "I''ll think about it... By the way, Teacher An, apart from the apprentice, are there any other transcendent professions I can choose from? Or any information about the cracks in transcendent upation cards." This was a rare opportunity... An showed a helpless expression, shook her head, and took out a notebook: "Indeed there are. Recently, many fishermen have encountered cracks." Chapter 31: Chapter 23: Transcendent Career Choice An asked curiously, "Are you nning to enter the crack and obtain an upation card on your own?" That was exactly what he intended. Chen Qi nodded, "Yes, I want to see if there''s a career more suitable for me." An felt a bit helpless, feeling like she was watching a genius student go down the wrong path. But she wasn''t his parent and had no right to choose Chen Qi''s Transcendent path for him. Most First Order upations were familiar jobs in daily life or those with the word "apprentice" attached to them. She disyed the information she had collected about cracks rted to Transcendent upation cards. "On Devil Ind to the north, a crack centered on de Phase has been discovered. ording to my investigation, it might produce a First Order Transcendent upation card for a New Soldier." After saying this, An nced at Chen Qi. Many hot-blooded young men chose the New Soldier upation. Chen Qi''s expression shifted slightly. de Phase symbolized elements like honor, conquest, challenge, andbat. The New Soldier, a First Order de Phase upation, increasedbat knowledge and had a Courage Burst skill that could unlock physical potential and ignore pain, offering considerablebat strength. This upation was decent and was often the first choice for many reckless yers, Chen Qi thought to himself. Seeing Chen Qi had finished mulling it over, An continued, "In a cer in a vige infected by the ck Death, there might be a Second-tier Doctor..." "Old Bei''s merchant Yule in Maro Town found a giant overturned fish corpse in the sea south of the ind. After my preliminary investigation, it''s a low-level crack and might produce an upation card for a Cup Phase Chef. The mayor of Maro Town is also nning to have his son explore this crack." Wait, a Cup Phase Chef! Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. Finally, he had heard of a powerful early-stage Transcendent upation. As a strategy content creator, he had some knowledge of each upation. Chefs possessed a powerful cooking skill, able to make food that increased attributes. In terms of skill strength, it could even rival some Second-tier upations! If there was enough food source, one could achieve an unimaginable power level even at First Order. Chen Qi had personally witnessed a New Soldier shouting something like, "Hundred ways of martial arts, great mastery of fists," "Now I''ll show you the true technique," "I am invincible below Second-tier." Then after a shybo, he was taken down with one punch by a passing Chef shouting, "Control you." No fancy skills, just raw stats. A First Order Chef, given a source of Transcendent ingredients, had really solid stats. Moreover, this upation could perfectly utilize monster materials. The more ingredients a Chef had, the stronger they became. Hence, in many yers'' minds, Chefs also had the domineering nickname of "Monster Hunter." However, the orthodox path of a Chef, leading to titles like "Glutton" or "Monster Cook," was worrisome in terms of strength. So, in the eyes of many Transcendents, it wasn''t considered a particrly powerful upation. Simply put, itcked prospects. On the contrary, upations like Mage Apprentice or Doctor Apprentice, which were weak early but strongter, garnered more recognition. Most people in this world still ced more emphasis on an upation''s future potential. But as a strategy guru, Chen Qi believed Chefs were severely underestimated. The most important aspect of First Order upation skills was the transition. And Chefs, who could utilize monster materials to increase stats, perfectly fit this transitional condition, being useful even in theter stages. Additionally, his Deep Sea Affinity talent made it easy for him to obtain many rare deep-sea ingredients. The synergy between the two was quite good. After An finished speaking, she asked, "So, which upation are you interested in?" Chen Qi smiled and replied, "The Cup Phase Chef." "Huh?" An was slightly surprised. Chen Qi''s choice was different from what she had in mind. When she first saw Chen Qi, she had smelled a faint scent of blood, leading her to believe he would choose the de Phase New Soldier. Perhaps he was more peaceful than she imagined... An noted this down with a pen, "Alright, I understand." She then continued, "This Cup Phase crack is rated the lowest danger level, but youck weapons now. More importantly, it''s your first time exploring a crack and you''re inexperienced. In the face of special situations, many small problems might arise. This could still be very dangerous for you." Saying this, An smiled, "But there''s good news. The mayor of Maro Town has hired a Hunter to help his son explore the crack in two days. I can help youmunicate with them so you can join their team for your first crack expedition. With someone assisting you, your first experience will be much morefortable. Of course, I''ll also negotiate with them to ensure that if the upation card is found, they''ll try to leave it for you." "What?" Chen Qi blinked. Clearly, the other was a mentor in the beginner''s vige, and they were having a normal conversation. But for some reason, he felt like he was being a kept man. The other had already prepared to form a team for him. Chen Qi now understood why she had the nickname "Mom An" among yers. Couldn''t bear it anymore! A man living in heaven and earth shouldn''t be so humiliated and under others for long! He was a transmigrator with a boss-level talent; he couldn''t rely on others'' help like this. Moreover, he wasn''t weak now, with higher stats and the weapons Collector and ck de for pioneering. He was already capable of passing low-level cracks alone. Besides, if he did team up with others, even if they did give him the Cup Phase upation card, he''d probably owe a huge debt. And the most important thing was that splitting items afterward with others was bound to be a hassle. Chen Qi stood up and thanked, "Teacher An, no need to trouble you. Let me handle this myself." An''s information was incredibly useful. If he asked those drunks selling information in taverns, it would cost quite a lot. And those high-minded beginner mentors wouldn''t give free information to someone like him without background or money. Teacher... An''s face flushed slightly. It was the first time someone her age called her that. She was just a little bit more talented than her peers. As a student herself, she didn''t think she was that good, still very young, and had much to learn. Being called a teacher felt¡ª Pretty nice... An blushed, her small hands crossing and fidgeting, "There''s no need to call me that...it''s my duty..." "Your help has been tremendous. Thank you again, Teacher An." An stood up happily but then turned serious, "By the way, this crack information must not be revealed. It''s currently only for the people of Maro Town to know. If you encounter any trouble, you cane to me." "Okay." Chen Qi nodded, got the location of the crack from An, and bid her farewell. Soon, he walked out of the tavern, walking alone on the muddy, wet stone path. Chen Qi strolled as he looked at the night-time town before him. Not much time had passed since he arrived in this world. Yet it felt like a long time had passed. Chen Qi raised his head, looking at the empty starry sky, gazed at this new world. Though it seemed peaceful, it was still a post-apocalyptic world built by the top Transcendents. Beneath the surface order, ordinary people were still treated like kindling. The cmity from the frontier was about to descend, and every nation was full of undercurrents. A world on the verge of losing order. Chen Qi smiled. His beginning destined him to be strong by stepping through one crack after another. Yet unexpectedly, he did not feel any fear. Under his cold body, he instead felt a rush of warmth, a flow stronger than fear. Such a world might actually be good¡ª Chen Qi quickened his pace, walking forward. On this ind, he had a small home, a rundown little home. He needed to change his wet clothes and have a good sleep. Then, tomorrow morning, find a boat to the crack and take his Transcendent path. Oh, and make a little money along the way. Chapter 32: Chapter 24 The First Small Houseboat (4K) Chen Qi followed his memory, trudged through the muddy pebble road, and came to his house in Maro Town. Of course, to call it a house, from a structural standpoint, would be generous¡ªit resembled a dpidatedrge barrel, the kind with its lid pried open by a storm. Creak! Chen Qi violently pushed the wooden door open with his hand. Inside the room, apart from a wooden nk bed, an oilmp without oil, a secondhand "World Strange Illness Guide," and a few clothes, there was nothing else. "The conditions are a bit poor, but at least there''s a bed," Chen Qi consoled himself, took off his clothes, and revealed his back. The tattoo on his back resembled deep blue tentacles, which converged to form a terrifying ghostly visage. This ghostly back could not be gazed upon by ordinary people! In this world, there was no such thing as care for the sick, especially for strange illnesses like this; if revealed, it would only incite fear in others. All in all, no normal person would appreciate this back... Wait, followers of a cult that worshiped the deep sea might actually like this back, as a being able to be parasitized by a Sea Beast without dying is the perfect sacrifice to fulfill their desires. Hmm... and there are those with a taste for the macabre, like crows. Chen Qi then picked up the dusty clothes from the floor, dusted them off, put them on, and casually grabbed some torn clothes to use as a nket. He was in the pioneering stage of the game and had to make do. As the effects of Yellow Needle ended, he could feel a distinct muscle soreness. There was a sense of being hollowed out and fatigued. "Sleep!" Chen Qi said as he copsed into bed. Creak! The impact of his fallpletely copsed the bed, which was on itsst legs. The bed''s quality was worse than he had imagined. Chen Qi felt the cold sensation on his back and slowly closed his eyes. When I earn my first sum of money in the crack, I''ll have to get a bed that can withstand some flipping around... ... ... At night, the storm once again battered the small ind town. When Chen Qi got up, he heard the curses of the fisherman''s wife next door; she no longer wanted to stay in this shithole of a ce and was even thinking of selling the house to move to the big city. The fisherman predicted that with the recent increase in storms, Maro Town was bing less suitable for living, making it the perfect time to sell the house. "This timing of entry..." The Age of Great Voyages was about to begin, and Maro Town would be an excellent starting point. Chen Qi thought this as he headed to Maro Town''s herbal medicine shop. He exchanged the painkillers from his backpack for some money. The ck Whale Group''s painkillers were a rare, potent type on the market, with special added ingredients. One bottle sold for a thousand Shell Coins. In Maro Town, amon fisherman''s monthly ie was four thousand Shell Coins. A thousand Shell Coins were enough to guarantee his food and warmth for a few days. But for someone on the path to bing Transcendent, this amount of money wouldn''t even cause a ripple. Chen Qi clutched the crumpled coins and headed straight for the docks. Just like on Earth, in this world, money was needed for anything and everything. And he had a very troublesome issue: hecked a boat. The small boat he had snagged from the ck Whale Group had be battered and barely seaworthy under the onught of the storm. Ultimately, it was an emergency lifeboat. Taking others'' boats would mean wasting a lot of time. He had to have a new boat; the best option was to rent one, which was undoubtedly a significant expense. Hopefully, Maro Town would have a decent boat avable. The dock was crowded with fishermen, fishmongers, ship repairmen, and even the mayor of Maro Town. Suddenly, he heard sighs of despair around him. "The weather is utterly unpredictable; how can we go out to sea like this?" "What does the weather matter? I heard someone saw the ck Whale pirate group''s Sawshark near the coast; how can we go out to sea with that looming?" "Pirates? The deep sea creatures are the scariest. I heard that arge fishing boat spotted the dominator of the near sea! Fortunately, that sea dominator wasn''t hungry, or else the ten or so people on the fishing boat would''ve been done for." "The dominator of the near sea? I hear someone saw the Witch and a nameless monster on a passenger ship from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom." "..." Chen Qi''s ears perked up; their information was quite rich. The dominator of the near sea, the ck Whale Group, the Witch... The first two were pieces of intelligence he was aware of. As for the Witch... The Witch was an important character in the main storyline of the Witch Sea and an extremely mysterious entity. ording to some yers'' spection, this point in time was when the Flower Witch should have just arrived at the Witch Sea, and the de Witch should have been created. But at the current moment, early in the game''s timeline, no one would bother with the Witch''s business. With the strength they had now, getting involved in rted matters was tantamount to suicide. Before he knew it, he had arrived at where the boats were moored. Chen Qi lifted his head; the sea breeze under the sun was always sofortable. Last night''s storm led to many marine idents, and the mood was not great. But even so, for the sake of a livelihood, those who needed to fish still had to fish; life had to go on. Many were preparing to set out to sea. Chen Qi surveyed the ships before him. The urgent task was to find a ship suitable for heading to the crack. "Clunky big ships won''t do, this one''s already damaged, that one looks too expensive..." Chen Qi muttered in his head. "Wait!" Just then, a small, steel-built travel boat caught his eye. It was a steel-powered boat, notrge, consisting of a small cabin and the hull. Smooth lines, a steel-cast sturdy hull¡ª Chapter 33: Chapter 24 The First Small Houseboat (4K)_2 Chen Qi walked towards the ship with great interest. Next to the ship, there was a sign that boldly read "For Sale". Not only that, but it also listed some of the ship''s advantages. It was transformed from an abandoned vessel, with one direction in mind, speed! Equipped with a power engine from the crack, it could sail at double the speed of ordinary cargo ships under normal circumstances. It even had an overclocking function that could momentarily boost its speed by more than three times. Truly a speedboat, and a must-have for piracy! Chen Qi felt somewhat tempted. Friends who often kill might know, it''s easy to kill but hard to dispose of the body. But it''s different at sea. All you have to do is shout "Praise the Sea Goddess" and throw the body into the sea, and you''re done. Therefore, the crime rate over the Witch Sea could be said to be exceptionally high. A grand stage at sea, if you''re sick,e aboard. When two ships approach, it''smon for them to exchange a look and go straight to battle. Even official government ships often encounter such situations. He wasn''t afraid of sea beasts, but unavoidable frictions between people were bound to happen. But as a poor and helpless neer at sea, in order to stay out of these brutal disputes and be more efficient in his ventures, he desperately needed a fast ship. Chen Qi excitedly looked around and estimated the value of the ship to be around one hundred thousand Shell Coins. Small and fast, despite being somewhat old, it was the stuff of his dreams. The only problem was that the ship wasn''t his. At the harbor, sitting there, was an old man, the owner of the ship: Old Scavenger, Belly. A widower and an entric salvager who liked to collect junk from the sea and assemble it into various odd contraptions. He had once sighted a ck boat with a litntern, carrying a skeleton with tentacles during a voyage, which scared the living daylights out of him. Growing old, he no longer sailed out and had been preparing to move to Moonstone City, so he was always looking for a buyer for his boat. And with yesterday''s storm, his desire to sell intensified. Nobody wanted to venture out to sea anymore; if he didn''t sell soon, he feared he might never sell it at all! However, due to the costly maintenance of the ship, he hadn''t found the right buyer. He sat alone on the pier, blowing lonely gusts of the sea breeze. Chen Qi walked over and squatted down to say, "Old Belly, rent me the boat for a day for two hundred, how about it?" "Two hundred!" Belly''s eyes sparkled after not having had ie for a long time, and he immediately lifted his bald head to look at Chen Qi. Isn''t this the young man afflicted with sea beast disease? Why has he returned? His attitude changed in an instant, and he said gruffly, "No rent! This vessel is my partner, my beloved wife, would you rent your partner to someone for a day?" "..." Chen Qi looked up, choked by the other party''s words. Is this how people talk in the Witch Sea... Such a strong refusal, unless he was a pervert, it really wasn''t easy to retort. Old Belly continued, "Young man, don''t be foolish. Keep your money for something nice to eat." "Ah?" Chen Qi waspletely baffled and pondered for a moment, At sea, there was a tradition of sea burials, where the deceased were ced on little boats, covered in flowers, and set adrift into the ocean, to receive the Sea Goddess''s blessings after death. Did he think I was going to use his boat for my own sea burial? With no other option, Chen Qi tly said, "Four hundred." "Four hundred!" Double the price directly!? Belly swallowed hard; that wasn''t a small offer. But after hesitating for a moment, he still said, "No, it''s no good." Even if the other party wasn''t using his boat to depart this life, handing over the boat to a penniless young man was definitely not okay. What if something went wrong? They might not even find the person. Would raising the price again even work... Chen Qi frowned. He had to admit, his penniless state really did make it difficult to rent a ship from someone. Just then, a robust voice came through, unmistakably belonging to the man of the highest standing in Maro Town, the Town Mayor of Maro. "Old Belly, rent it to him. He''s already an awakened with magical talent, and it''s time he needed the money. Plus, his talent is not bad; in the future, he might even be able to buy your questionable junkboat." The pot-bellied mayor of Maro squatted at the pier, gazing at the distant sea, smoking a rolled cigarette. He had to admit, judging by the attitude of the professional mentor An, Chen Qi had far more talent than his good-for-nothing son. If Maro Town could have one more somewhat capable Transcendent, even boasting about it would be good. His child might have apanion. Maybe Shell Country''s officials would give more resources to his town. Of course, this was typical fantasy time. Unless a Third-tier Transcendent showed up, officials from Shell Country wouldn''t bother with his tiny rundown town. "Able to buy? Magical awakening?" Old Belly touched his head, looking dubiously at Chen Qi''s worn clothes. Maybe buy some clothes first... Belly thought to himself. But the mayor of Maro was officially the highest standing person here, and he owed the man a significant sum of money. He had no power to refuse! Old Belly turned around and smiled at Chen Qi, "Shh, still good for four hundred?" "Let me think..." Chen Qi had already jumped onto the ship and opened the hatch on the deck to check the power engine inside the hull. The power engine is the key to a ship. On the dusty casing of the power engine, one could vaguely see a steaming iron hand grasping a hammer tightly. Chapter 34: Chapter 24 The First Small Houseboat (4K)_3 This is... "The emblem of Steam Hand!" Chen Qi was startled. Steam Hand, a quite famous heavy industrialpany in the Kingdom of Shell. It''s apany that extensively uses dangerous creations from the crack. Because it can produce powerful,rge Mechanical Armor, it''s an entity many top yers who want to operate Mecha encounter. However, its clients are primarily major corporations and Shell Country officials, not civilians. In this remote countryside, it''s hardly known at all. In this world, brand is crucial; if it''s a modified product of this brand, the price could go up to three hundred thousand. If the power core inside is undamaged, it would sell for at least five hundred thousand, or even a million... Military-grade products, this modified piece''s origin is way too wild... Chen Qi stood up and looked towards Old Beili at the dock. Old Beili immediately revealed a proud smile, and chuckled, "How about that, this is what I retrofitted from the junk I collected. This modified ship isn''t too bad, right? Although it''s a bit shabby, it''s absolutely worth more than it costs." You call Steam Hand''s products junk? If this ship could be repaired, he could use it for quite a long time. And just owning the ''Steam Hand'' emblem is a profit! Chen Qi swallowed, and asked, "How much for this ship?" Old Beili sized up Chen Qi, and said with a smile, "Forty thousand per month over four months, or a lump sum of one hundred thirty thousand." Because the storms have been getting worse recently, and many dislike modified goods, Old Beili''s quoted price wasn''t high. Installments? Chen Qi hadn''t expected to hear this term from a junkman. The other party was quite business-minded. Old Beili chuckled proudly; this installment n was a trick he learned from a ck-market dealer. He didn''t think Chen Qi would be able to pay on time. If there was even one month he couldn''t pay, he had a reason to take the ship back. Then, he''d have both the ship and the money. Of course, unless the other party died. After all, the sea had been rather dangeroustely; his ship could end up feeding the sharks along with him. The next second, Chen Qi almost without hesitation said, "I''ll buy the ship, here''s a four hundred deposit upfront!" Chen Qi handed over two two-hundred denomination bills to him, then threw his backpack onto the ship. He walked straight onto the ship''s cabin, and pressed the start button. A deposit? Old Beili was momentarily stunned, yet before he could speak, the steamboat began rumbling loudly. The propeller''s des cut through the water, stirring up ripple after ripple. Chen Qi grasped the helm and set sail towards the sea. Extraordinary Rank was crucial; he didn''t have spare time to chat with Old Beili now. Full speed ahead! Watching the departing Chen Qi, Old Beili nced at the Mayor of Maro Town, venting, "Mayor of Maro Town, can this kid really afford my ship? Even if he sells his body to that generousdy from ck Whale Group, who''s especially patient, he couldn''t make a hundred thirty thousand in a week, could he? Unless he earns it in the crack, that''s possible." The crack could im lives or make one rich overnight. To the crack... To the crack! The thought made Old Beili suddenly break into a cold sweat: "Mayor of Maro Town, if he dies on the way to the crack then my ship will be gone too, it''s my painstakingly modified ship." "No, it can''t be the crack, he''s not the type of irrational person, and who goes to the crack alone? That''s no different from suicide. Don''t be fooled by his appearance; most likely, he''s been noticed by Instructor An. Now, he''s just carrying out tasks for Instructor An. If hepletes enough tasks, he may receive a precious Apprentice upation Card that money can''t buy." The Mayor of Maro Town exhaled a long ring of smoke, looking towards the disappearing boat on the horizon. "Shouldn''t be, right..." Chapter 35: Chapter 25 Crack Rating The midday sun grew increasingly scorching. The small boat had been sailing on the sea for some time now. Inside the boat cabin, Chen Qi took out the sea chart and examined it. The target crack this time was not far from Maro Town. The only troublesome point was that the target was close to a dangerous sea area. The near seas of Witch Sea had many dangerous areas frequented by sea beasts. These areas were marked by merchants and listed as dangerous sea regions. Unless pressed for time, merchants generally avoided these danger zones. However, for Chen Qi, these areas were actually safer. If he had time, he could easily visit these dangerous areas. Due to his Deep Sea Affinity talent, many things he did couldn''t be seen by the crew. For now, he had no ns or capital to recruit crew members. Hence, this fast small travel boat under his feet was quite a good choice for the early stages. After finishing his examination, Chen Qi hung the sea chart on the wall and then scanned the boat cabin. The boat''s area was not small. It had a resting sofa and bed, a refrigerator, and a simple small kitchen. However, the good furniture had been removed, leaving only odds and ends, and the deck was covered in dust. The sofa and chairs were all dpidated. The ship''sntern was also broken and needed a new one. Chen Qi shook his head. Although the foundation was decent, many of the boat''s facilities were too old and outdated. It needed to be refurbished, and new furniture had to be added. His small home in Maro Town was already in shambles. If he bought this boat, it could solve two major problems at once: transportation and housing! Chen Qi liked to call it his other-worldly "small houseboat." Then, he took the food and prepared freshwater from his backpack and ced them in the small refrigerator. The refrigerator was not powered by electricity but relied on special magic energy stones. As long as he had money, he could even put a heater in the boat. "Not bad, not bad." After ncing around, Chen Qi thought that although it was a bit rundown, it was still pretty good as a new home. It was 130,000 shell coins. If he were to go alone, he''d need about two trips to the crack. Of course, the actual harvestrgely depended on luck. After all, the output of the crack was not fixed. At that moment, a strong smell of fish suddenly hit his nose. "We''ve arrived..." Chen Qi looked out of the boat. On the azure sea surface was a huge flip-belly fish corpse, like a giant piece of white cloth spread over the sea. That was the crack location the novice mentor had told him about ¨C the flip-belly fish corpse. Chen Qi stopped the boat and lowered the anchor, then carefully approached the massive flip-belly fish corpse. On the upturned belly of the fish, he could see a giant mouth full of sharp teeth, simr to the mouth of a worm. At that moment, a prompt appeared before Chen Qi''s eyes. [You have glimpsed a crack, Inspiration Appraisal in progress...] The higher the Inspiration, the more information would be gathered. In team dungeons, usually, the tasks of Inspiration Appraisal were handed over to the Transcendent of the Book Phase. As far as Inspiration Appraisal was concerned, he didn''t need anyone else''s help right now. Chen Qi rubbed his hands, anticipating the appraisal results. [Appraisal Great Sess!] [Crack Name: Monster Kitchen Description: In an age when the sun had not yet extinguished, a group of persecuted chefs stumbled into the belly of a giant fish by chance. They thought they would die but unexpectedly found that the fish belly was surprisingly suitable for survival. This was a rare giant fish, desired by many fishermen who longed to hunt it. Driven by greed, the weak chefs came up with a survival method. Whenever fishermen caught the giant fish, they woulde out from the fish belly, kill the fishermen, and snatch all the fish on the fishermen''s boats. They lived a life of feasting on fresh fish in the giant fish''s belly. However, they did not notice the fish''s decay. Unknowingly, fish scales started growing on their bodies, making them a part of the "giant fish,"pletely bing monster chefs devouring innocent people at sea. Crack Rating: E Clear Condition: Kill the final monster deep within the crack. Crack Distortion Rate: 12%. Crack Rank Limitation: This crack can only be entered by First Order Transcendents or below. Nature Form: Cup, de. Inspiration Insight: The mindless scaly monsters, showing excited smiles, want to bring you to the dining table, bleed you out, and cook you into a delicious meal with chili, pepper, cumin, and barbecue. Inspiration Insight: You noticed that this crack might be passable through sheer force.] Chen Qi nced over the information about the crack. A 12% distortion rate, a clear condition that was the mostmon ¡ª kill the boss, rated E... "This familiar feeling." Chen Qi pped his hands. Now before him was a truly standard fresh crack! Previously, the Crack Sea Beast Cave he had entered with the ck Whale Group had a distortion rate of 0%, which in some sense was an already explored crack. A distortion rate of 0% meant that the crack had no clear rewards and no clear conditions. "Rated E, huh..." Chen Qi pondered. This world''s crack dungeons were roughly divided into five levels: A, B, C, D, and E. Level E cracks were the lowest, which armed ordinary squads could handle. Level D cracks required fully-armed First Order, or even Second-order Transcendents to deal with them. Level C cracks were very dangerous at this level. Only fully-armed Second-order Transcendents, or even Third-tier Transcendents, could manage them. From level B onward, the danger and distortion rate were both high. Even Third-tier Transcendents might lose their lives on the spot. Cracks of this level were usually assigned to official Transcendent teams for purification and required containment procedures afterward. Level A was about cracks that concerned many people''s lives and deaths. Cracks of this level had to be strictly contained and controlled. If a Level A crack was not properly handled and continued to distort, it could bring a continent-destroying disaster. ording to thew, cracks starting from Level A must not be glimpsed or discussed. And above that, those were not matters for the beta version, and he didn''t know about them. No yer had ever entered one either. Chen Qi took a deep breath, stretched out his foot, and then stepped onto the flip-belly fish. If he stripped away the immortal aura of the yer, even the lowest-level crack required vignce. This crack before him only had a rank limitation, not a number limit; it might be a team dungeon and could pose some small troubles. His hand might get a bit sore from all the killing. With high agility attributes, the third-tier Transcendent weapon ck de, the pioneering divine artifact long-range weapon Collector, and the battle knowledge of Hunter Yu Huo. His current setup was clearly a bit overkill. If he posted this setup to challenge an E-level crack on the yer forum, he would be used of "fish bombing." "Monster Kitchen, huh?" Chen Qi reminisced for a moment. The death rate for Monster Kitchen in the E-rank was not low; one could even call it a novice nightmare. Generally speaking, the Nature Form of a crack would hint at how to clear it. The de Phase was an absolute symbol of strength. The fact that both the nature form and inspiration insight of Monster Kitchen included the de Phase meant this was a crack that could be cleared through brute force and rewarded extra! Chen Qi took out the ck de, swung it again, and shed out a breeze. After absorbing Hunter Yu Huo''s knowledge, he had be increasingly adept with this weapon. Collector gave him the capability for long-range monster attacks. His backpack had enough Healing Potions for use as well. "Ready, almost ready..." Chen Qi took a deep breath, his heart pounding. Even the lowest-level crack could lead to death. In an era of peace, he rarely experienced such a dangerous thrill. But after the adventures of the past two days, facing the crack before him, he felt a sense of excitement stronger than fear. After confirming that everything was ready, he gripped the ck de, stepped out with his left foot, and entered the wormhole on the flip-belly fish. Whoosh! Apanied by a sense of falling and darkness, a giant kitchen appeared before him. [You have entered the crack "Monster Kitchen."] Underfoot was rock, with a strong fishy smell... Chen Qi gripped his ck de, cautiously moving forward. "Battle,mence..." Bang, bang, bang! It was the sound of a cleaver chopping meat. A sharp-nosed man wearing a chef''s hat, with fish scales on his arms and face, noticed him. He held a cleaver, smiled, and walked over: "You''re not wearing a chef''s hat? Are you a guest from above? Ah, ah, the dining table is already set. Guest, please follow me~" "Uh-huh." Chen Qi nodded slightly. "Please follow me~" As the chef hat monster turned around, its mouth stretched to its ears, revealing a smile full of sharp teeth while its crimson tongue wriggled incessantly. It couldn''t wait to savor the new delicacy. Its culinary instinct told it that the smell from this person would make a delicious seafood feast! Swipe! However, before it could go on smiling, a long de had already shed through its head, turning it into two stinking halves in an instant. The chop was so fast that it couldn''t even call out for itspanions. [Killed Monster "Chef Hat Fish Monster," gained 11 Spiritual Points.] There''s nothing to say to monsters, just kill them. Chen Qi enjoyed the sensation of the chop and then calmly shook off the foul-smelling pus from the long de. Bam! Bam! Bam! At the moment he killed the chef hat, a drum-like sound of rapid chopping came from behind the door ahead. Judging by the sound, there were quite a few chef hats. Chen Qi gripped the long de tightly and walked towards the door step by step. Although Monster Kitchen was a novice graveyard, as a strategy video contributor, he had even published guides on clearing it with useless gear. Of course, he wouldn''t dare try that now. For safety, he would use the most reliable stealth killing method. Chapter 36: Chapter 26 Stealthy Speed Kill The so-called stealth assassination is, in the absence of the enemy''s awareness, to circle behind them and strike them down. To prevent being besieged by monsters, this is amonly used technique, and it is also the most suitable method for clearing the monster kitchen. The space within the crack was notrge, with just a kitchen and a dining area besides the entrance. Chen Qi advanced and squatted quietly at the doorway, peering into the kitchen through the crack of the door and counting the number of monsters. "One, two, four..." A total of fifteen chef hats. Each gripping a kitchen knife, they chopped fish after fish and some rotten vegetables into pieces at an rmingly fast speed. Clearly, they were preparing a sumptuous feast for their boss. Chef hats had low attributes, and in terms of individual strength, they could notpare to an ordinary adult human. Yet neers to the monster kitchen who died were certainly not few. As Cup Phase monsters, their real difficultyy in their high ability for health regeneration. Chef hats could gain significant attribute bonuses and restore their health by eating fish or the corpses of their own kind. One bite, and their health would be fully restored; two bites, and their strength would double; three bites, and they could match an elite monster! Because many neers did not even read the monster introductions, directly engaging without caution, there were some who enjoyed brutalizing the monsters. Thus, not a few neer squads were wiped out. When killing these monsters, one must be quick, precise, and ruthless, giving the opposition no chance to eat and regain health. The chef hats continued to hack away with their knives, murmuring crazily. "This is not enough; we need food that is more wonderful and fresh!" "Eat! Eat! Eat!" "Chop! Chop! Chop!" They were extremely focused, wholeheartedly preparing a sumptuous feast. If someone were to die within the crack and got turned into a meal by the chef hats, allowing them to indulge in enough food, there would be a high probability of causing a mutation in the crack''s stability. The chef hats'' perception was not strong, and when they were cooking, they could hardly notice someone right in front of them. There should be no problem... Chen Qi found the visual dead spot and carefully entered from the doorway. He crouched and then inched quietly along the edge of the kitchen counter. Unknowingly, he had positioned himself behind eight chef hats, taking the advantage. "Stealth sessful." Chen Qi stood up, holding his breath. At this moment, he was behind an elite chef hat. Sniff sniff sniff¡ª The elite chef hat in front of him finally sensed something wrong, stretched out its head, and sniffed with its sharp nose. It grinned and said, "Ah! The delicious scent of humans..." sh! The ash-covered ck de, as if gliding through tofu, split the elite chef hat before him in half in an instant! [You have killed an elite chef hat, gaining 22 Spiritual Points.] Along with a heavy scent of blood, the chef hats realized what was happening, bared their fangs like wild beasts instantly. A human dared to intrude on their territory! They had been discovered. Unfortunately for them, the movement to turn around was... too slow... By the time they thought to resist, they were already dead. After drawing and shing with his sword, Chen Qi''s eyes narrowed, he immediately switched grips, and exerted force with one hand, swinging from left to right, delivering a Horizontal sh to the line of chef hats. In that instant, seven chef hats were cut in half, just like vegetables on a cutting board. "Kill, kill you..." "Chop, chop you..." "Eat, eat you..." "Desecrate, desecrate you..." The remaining seven chef hats saw theirrades dead and revealed their beastly fangs, wielding their knives and charging ferociously forward. They all came straight on and, incredibly, didn''t even use their throwing skills. Chen Qi expeditedly executed three more shes. Just like chopping down fruits, the heads of six chef hats hit the ground. At this moment, only one chef hat was left, standing afar and with a sluggish reaction. "You, you are seeking death. Shark Boss, Shark Boss won''t let you off..." It backed away while trying to reach for the food on the cutting board to eat. Chen Qi grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter and threw it fiercely at its head. sh! Along with a crisp decapitation sound, the interface jumped with considerable enlightenment. [You have killed a chef hat, gaining 6 Spiritual Points...] [You have killed a chef hat, gaining 7 Spiritual Points...] ... Having killed a total of fifteen chef hats, including the one by the door, he had gained a total of 105 Spiritual Points. It was quite a good haul, considering career tasks to be the main source of Spiritual Points. Chen Qi looked around to ensure there were no more enemies and smiled, "More than half of the monsters didn''t notice me; it was quite a decent stealth speed run." In this brief battle, eight chef hats died without even having a chance to see him. These eight monsters fit his definition of stealth kills. Chen Qi took out bandages and wiped the foul-smelling blood off the ck de. With Hunter Yu Huo''s enhancement, his movements could be described as smooth and flowing. But actually, there were some small ws, and that was his strength. Although the bodies of chef hats were not tough, he still felt a slight resistance during the shing process. His strength was only at 13 points, which was somewhat low. More of it relied on the sharpness of the ck de. Of course, for an E-rank crack, that waspletely sufficient. After confirming there were no fish that had slipped through the, Chen Qi quietly turned toward the otherrge door of the kitchen, the one leading to the dining room. Behind that door was this crack''s final enemy. As long as he could kill it, he could dere the crack cleared. Chen Qi used the ck de to open a small slit in the door and peered inside. On a huge dining table, there was only one enormous monster covered in blue scales. Unlike the slim build of a Chef''s hat, it stood three meters tall, its limbs abnormally developed, its muscles bulging like those of a wild ox. This stature had already left the category of humanoid. However, the most frightening part was the terrifying shark head. It was ferociously swallowing the food given by the Chef''s hat with its wide-open jaw. Crunch! Crunch! If it was a newbie seeing this scene on their first entrance to a crack, they''d probably be scared enough to run away. This is the final boss of the Witch Sea Monster Kitchen¡ªChef Shark. "Just finished eating, encountered a low-probability event, huh¡­" Chen Qi''s eyes became focused. This wasn''t good news. In Monster Kitchen, if the final boss had just finished eating, its strength would be much greater than under normal circumstances. Some squads, no matter how well-prepared, couldn''t contend with Chef Shark. This was one of the reasons why Monster Kitchen led to the annihtion of newbie teams! In the moment the door slit opened, Chef Shark lifted its head, and its blood-red shark eyes met Chen Qi''s. It then revealed a hearty smile; hungry saliva flowed from the corner of its mouth. "Tasty little dessert~" Seeing an even more delicious meal, Chef Shark stood up, picked up the huge cleaver beside it, its leg muscles tensed, and then it lunged violently! Shark Charge! Boom! Its huge body violently smashed through the door! It thought it could m Chen Qi against the wall directly, but instead a terrible pain came from its thigh. In the moment it charged, Chen Qi had already struck with his de, a solid Horizontal sh to its thigh. Arge amount of blood sttered! After eating, Chef Shark''s health was high and its agility not low. He couldn''t kill it in one sh; the best strategy was to cut its legs first! Feeling the pain in its thigh, Chef Shark swung the cleaver fiercely, chopping down. ng! Chen Qi blocked with a horizontal de, took the opportunity to step back, and increased the distance. Seeing Chen Qi being pushed back, Chef Shark let out a boisterousugh. "Hahahahaha!" Its appearance seemed to mock Chen Qi, as if the feeble attack just now could never kill it. Indeed, after eating, that sh couldn''t kill it, not even disable its leg. Chef Shark''s muscles tensed up, ready to charge again and trap the little guy in front of it underneath, then slowly pull out and eat its limbs. However, in the next second, the leg it had tensed up abruptly broke off, and arge amount of blood spurted out. The fight was over¡­ Chen Qi calmly looked at Chef Shark. The ck de, as the weapon of the Third-tier Transcendent ck-eyed Captain, was not just sharp, it was that simple. Once it hit the enemy, it would also deal a high amount of dark energy damage. It was just that the weaklings he had encountered before had too little health, there was no chance for the dark energy to show off. Now, at the wound of Chef Shark, eerie ck smoke slowly rose. In the next moment, the ck energy, like the sharp des of a meat grinder, danced on that robust thigh, violently shredding Chef Shark''s left leg. With half its leg useless, it meant Chef Shark had no chance of getting close to him. Now, it was nothing more than a floundering little fish on a cutting board. "Roar!" Chef Shark let out a furious roar, unwilling to give up, and tried to stand on one leg, attempting to kill the guy in front of it. It tried to throw its cleaver as ast-ditch effort! However, before the cleaver could leave its hand, the next second, the barrel was aimed at its scarlet shark eyes. Bang! The bullet pierced the eye, striking a vital point! As the enemy lost vision, Chen Qi found the angle, gathered all his strength in the de, and executed a Stepping forward sh. sh! With a crack, Chef Shark''s head rolled off like a tumbling stone. Chef Shark was a typical melee monster, and with its vision gone, it was easy to attack its neck directly. As the sound of the rolling head echoed, a prompt appeared in front of him again. [Killed Chef Shark, gained 100 Spiritual Points.] "Huff, huff¡ª" Seeing the prompt, Chen Qi adjusted his breathing and exhaled. Normally, Chef Shark only offered 50 Spiritual Points, but the Chef Shark in front of him actually gave 100 Spiritual Points. Luckily, he had enough advantages from his gear. Chen Qi smiled, wiped the sweat off his forehead after confirming there were no extra enemies, and felt pretty good. Then, an even more wonderful enlightenment appeared before his eyes. [Final enemy killed, rift clearance¡­] [Calcting rift clearance¡­] Chapter 37: Chapter 27: Perfect Completion [Rift mutation level decreased by 3%, currently at 9%] [All monsters in: You didn''t spare any monster in the rift, reward +20% Victory against the odds: As a Spiritual Power awakener, you dared toe here alone, reward +20% Quick battle: You''re really fast, reward +20% Boss kill: Even when full, it couldn''t defeat you, reward +40%] [Settlementplete, overall rating S, a perfect run through the de Phase. Received a Skill Card Chest and a Chef Transcendent upation Card.] With the prompt, a red card fell into his hand. On the front of the card was a chef with a smile on his face, cooking a shark. Transcendent upation Card, Chef, acquired! Chen Qi happily pocketed it and looked at the prompt in front of him. [Would you like to draw from the Skill Card Chest? (16% chance for rare de, 44% chance formon de, 10% chance for rare Cup, 30% chance formon Cup)] Apart from the ck market, the main way to acquire upation skill cards was through rift rewards. Common skill cards moderately increased knowledge, most of which could be learned with time. Rare upation cards either increased knowledge to a moderate degree or granted Transcendent skills! Normally, an E-level rift could only produce rare upation cards under a perfect rating. A 16% chance for a rare de Phase card, a 10% chance for a rare Cup Phase card... His luck was rtively low, so even with a perfect run, the odds of drawing a rare upation card were still slim. Now was undoubtedly a critical moment to test his luck! The Cup Phase skill card might be overridden by the Transcendent Chef''s skills. If possible, he wanted a rare de Phase skill card to enhance hisbat power further. Chen Qi rubbed his hands together, excitedly thinking to himself: "Draw the card!" The moment to test his luck had arrived! Apanied by the sound of wind, a bright red skill card materialized in the air! Rare! Wait, Cup Phase? Chen Qi frowned. On the back of the card was the image of a blood-filled cup. But something seemed a bit off. Within the blood of the Holy Grail was a sharp, crimson de. A rare Cup-de Phase skill card! Chen Qi was startled. This could count as drawing a rare de Phase skill card. [de Body Forging Skill - Early Stage Nature Form: Cup, de Description: There exists an insurmountable wall between wielding tools and bare-handedbat. Therefore, if one trains their body to be like a de, I am the wall! Function: Practicing this skill can enhance strength and constitution and grants the active skill "Burst." Burst: Consumes Spiritual Power, drastically enhancing body resistance and strength for a brief period. (This skill scales with constitution and strength; the higher the attributes, the stronger the skill)] A skill card that increases constitution and strength! Chen Qi was overjoyed. He initially thought he would draw something like a "Swallow Return," "Flowing Water Punch," or "Enchanting Palm" Transcendent martial skill, but he unexpectedly drew a body forging technique. Body forging techniques, akin to breathing techniques, were considered practical foundational skills and were one of the best skill card types for early constitution enhancement. "More attribute increases again..." As a strategy guide creator, Chen Qi had always favored operational routes, specializing in "outying" opponents. Of course, every cool "outy" performance was behind at least ten failed attempts. But now, he was getting further along the path of high stats. This was really¡ª Awesome! High stats also meant his margin for error increased. Chen Qi excitedly gripped the skill card, thinking to himself: ''Use!'' The skill card dissolved into a blood-red ink that dissipated in the air. [You have learned de Body Forging Skill - Early Stage.] In an instant, Chen Qi felt an influx of knowledge. In that moment, countless scenes shed in his mind: training muscles, catching des bare-handed, punching steel until it yielded... It felt like a long dream. As the dream ended, Chen Qi took a deep breath and felt some subtle changes in his body. [Your constitution +1, your strength +1, your body is digesting the de Body Forging Skill.] [Your constitution meets the requirement, you have mastered the "Burst" skill.] "Hoo..." Chen Qi stretched his muscles. Skills like body forging needed to be digested through training and diet. In the end, it should provide at least a 5-point increase in both constitution and strength, which was quite a substantial bonus. Chen Qi stretched his muscles again. Amidst the crackling sounds, a gash appeared on the restaurant wall before him, slowly opening into a jagged maw. [Rift ended, please leave within thirty minutes, and you cannot re-enter the rift for two weeks.] [Rift resetting...] Many rifts presented additional exits uponpletion. Furthermore, as long as the mutation wasn''t zero, the rift would refresh. Chen Qi looked at the prompt and nced around once more. Though he had acquired the Transcendent upation Card and a rare body forging skill card, he still hadn''t done the most important thing. Loot! The items in the rift were valuable, and he could make a considerable profit if he could take them out. Chen Qi found a bag and began scouring the rift. The chef''s uniform was just ordinary ragged cloth, the weapons were regr iron tools, and the food on the cutting board was all rotten fish... Nothing valuable at all. Chen Qi shook his head, squatted down, and looked under the kitchen counter. At that moment, he noticed a half-opened cab. Bang! Chen Qi used his de to pry the cab open. Inside were four bulging sacks. At the same time, he smelled a strong aroma. Chen Qi''s eyes lit up: "This is... spices!" Chapter 38: Chapter 28 Soul Seasoning Chen Qi forcefully pulled out the spice bags from under the cab. There were four spice bags in total, namely pepper, ck sesame, cumin, and devil''s pepper. Chen Qi counted them, and they weighed about thirty kilograms in total, which was a pretty good amount. Shell Country, as a nation of merchants and industry, had a wide cirction of spices. But the spices in the Monster Kitchen were rtively rare, especially ck sesame and chili peppers. In Shell Country, chili peppers weren''t abundant; most chili-rted products needed to be imported from the neighboring Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. In Shell Country, onlyrge restaurants typically used chili peppers. Chen Qi recalled the spice prices in Shell Country. Pepper and cumin were a bit expensive, while ck sesame was quite pricey. As for the devil''s pepper, it was the spiciest of all peppers and was more than ten times the price of ordinary chili peppers, making it a very costly spice! Chen Qi weighed the devil''s pepper. If he could find a good buyer, he could probably sell it for over a hundred thousand Shell Coins. A pretty nice gain! Chen Qi rubbed his hands together excitedly; he was usually broke. He couldn''t sell the items he had previously acquired. Now he finally had something he could exchange for money. However, considering he was about to advance as a chef, he needed to keep some of these spices for himself. Moreover, in Maro Town, or indeed the entire Witch Sea, the food was hardly decent, with many dishes seasoned only with a bit of salt. He could finally eat something delicious. After looting the Monster Kitchen, Chen Qi climbed out of the crack on the belly of the overturned fish, carrying a big bag. Drip, drip! The weather was still unpredictable; it started raining again... As soon as he emerged, raindrops hit his face. Like the whispers of a monster, the wind continued to ravage the ocean. The Crack Tide was far from over; there would be more and more strange creatures at sea. "With this weather, Maro Town will likely get lively again when I get back," Chen Qi felt the sea breeze blowing over his body. And at night, there would be even more terrifying creatures. But now he had a boat that could shield him from the wind and rain, at least he wouldn''t get soaked to the skin anymore. Chen Qi suddenly threw the spice bag onto his small houseboat, the heavy bag making the boat sway. A pretty nice ie! Chen Qi entered the boat cabin, set the course, and took out the most crucial thing he had acquired in the crack: The Transcendent path pass, the Chef upation Card. The First Order upation Card, as the initial card, could be assimted as long as Spiritual Awakening was achieved, with no extra conditions needed. Chen Qi knew the effects of the chef profession but had never obtained the precious Hunter Yu Huo. Hunter Yu Huo could enhance his Transcendent powers from First to Fourth Rank, though he didn''t know the specifics. Chen Qi bit his finger, letting the blood drip onto the Chef upation Card. As the blood slowly soaked the card, it twisted and melted, ultimately turning into blood and flowing into his body. A wave of heat surged through his body. In his mind, more and more hallucinations emerged. [Digesting...] Chen Qi closed his eyes. In a daze, he stood on an endless dark sea. Lowering his head, he saw the waves slowly wash over his ankles, and a pir to stand on gradually emerged beneath his feet. His blood leapt from his heart, flowing down his abdomen and thighs, carving the design of a ''cup'' onto the pir. "Phew..." The burning sensation slowly faded, and Chen Qi reopened his eyes. Before him, beautiful prompts appeared again. [You have entered the path of the Transcendent, bing a ''chef.''] [Your learning aptitude for chef skills has increased, and you have acquired the skill "Transcendent Cooking."] [You are now at the starting point of the Transcendent path: Constitution +3, Inspiration +3, Body Limit, and Total Spiritual Power enhanced.] Chen Qi felt the changes in his body. A new ''chef'' section had appeared on his panel. [With the blessing of Hunter Yu Huo, you have gained the extra skill "Soul Seasoning."] Hunter Yu Huo had unexpectedly granted him an extra skill immediately. Was Soul Seasoning about extracting souls to make seasoning? Chen Qi checked his upation panel. [Chef] [Rank: First] [Nature Form: Cup] [Skills:] [Chef''s Insight: You will learn culinary skills more efficiently.] [Transcendent Cooking: You are a born chef and have mastered the method of Transcendent Cooking.] [The food you cook will have stronger effects than those cooked by ordinary people who know nothing about nutrition and gourmet.] [Soul Seasoning Lv1: You can transform Spiritual Power into seasoning, sprinkling it to enhance the inherent vors of Transcendent ingredients and simultaneously boost the nutritional value for better digestion.] [Note: Transcendent Cooking improves food effects by approximately 20%, while Soul Seasoning enhances them by about 10%.] He wasn''t making seasoning out of souls after all, Chen Qi mumbled. It was just a First Order skill, not what he had imagined¡ªextracting someone''s soul to make seasoning. But as a First Order skill, Soul Seasoning already had a decent effect. And enhancing vor was very important in the culinary world. At this point, Chen Qi blinked; Soul Seasoning was actually an upgradeable skill! It required a hundred Spiritual Points... He had earned almost two hundred Spiritual Points in the Monster Kitchen. Upgrade. [Soul Seasoning Lv2: You can blend the Spiritual Power seasoning with spices, sprinkling them together to enhance both the spices and the food''s power.] [Description: A true chef is never limited by ingredients; even stinky shoes and feet, under the enhancement of Soul Seasoning and spices, can be a delicacy!] [Food cooked with Soul Seasoning will ultimately make picky eaters blush, from pure physical delight and soul-deep tremors!] [Note: Further enhances vor by an additional 5% on top of the original effects.] 15%, this was the slight boost from Hunter Yu Huo! Chen Qi felt genuine joy. A chef''s significant strengthy in Transcendent Cooking''s 20% food effect enhancement. As an additional skill, Soul Seasoning could enhance by 15%, totaling 35%. This was already a considerable boost, equivalent to adding a minor chef to the chef profession. If paired with enough Transcendent ingredients, his boost would be akin to taking performance-enhancing drugs. He could achieve what others gained through day-and-night training just by eating. Next, Chen Qi looked at the second crucial part of the Transcendent profession, the upational tasks. [Cooking: You can earn Spiritual Points by cooking a delicacy.] [Note: The number of Spiritual Points varies depending on the deliciousness of your dish, refreshed daily.] A chef''s upational task was very straightforward: cooking. In the New Sun, upational tasks were very important, being a major source of Spiritual Points for many. If done well enough, the profession could even gain special enhancements. For instance, Transcendent Cooking couldn''t be upgraded through Spiritual Points; it could only level up by continually cooking. For high-order Transcendents, upational tasks were also a stable way to maintain sanity. Thus, you could even see battle-hardened weapon masters selling silver scale armor or experts who could understand the stars and mysteries giving free street divinations. Wait¡ª Chen Qi suddenly realized something. Soul Seasoning could increase the deliciousness of food, and the key to chef tasks was the deliciousness of food. Didn''t this mean that, even if his cooking skills were terrible, he could easilyplete the daily task? The boost from Hunter Yu Huo to a First Order upation was stronger than he had imagined. "Even if it''s a shoe, it can be delicious..." And if it was already delicious? Roastedmb, stir-fried beef, pan-fried small fish... Chen Qi looked at the refrigerator. He currently had a rare golden-scaled fish. He recalled from books that the golden-scaled fish had delicate meat, as smooth as silk, and melted in the mouth. If grilled, it would obtain a crispy, slightly charred skin. Chen Qi couldn''t help but drool. His imagination was running wild. Chen Qi looked at his boat cabin. As a travel boat, it had a simple pot butcked a cooking device and basic seasoning like salt. "We''ll talk when I return!" Chen Qi gently steered the wheel, shifting the boat''s direction, speeding towards Maro Town. Time passed little by little, and before he knew it, the sky was painted in the warm orange-red hues of the setting sun. Chen Qi stepped out of the boat cabin. From this position, he could already see the lighthouse. Night was approaching, and the lighthouse keeper had already lit the light, guiding the ships returning home. Chen Qi turned his head, looking to the left, seeing arge number of fishing boats passing by. Mentor An and the Maro Town Mayor had instructed that these days, they must return before the moon rises. After the Crack Tide, the night belonged to the monsters. Rumble¡ª The huge steam roar mixed with human chatter sounded in his right ear. Chen Qi turned to the right, seeing a massive steel construct approaching him. A huge steel steamer was now on the same course as his small houseboat. Both boats sailed side by side, heading towards Maro Town. "Arge ship..." Chen Qi looked up at the behemoth. Compared to this giant ship, his small houseboat was like a shrimp. He could see fresh cannon damage on the hull, seemingly still emitting thick smoke. On the ship, heavily armed hunters walked by, all with well-equipped gear and heavy backpacks, clearly professional rift explorers. On the top of the ship, the Shell g fluttered in the sea breeze. "It''s arge merchant ship officially recognized by Shell Country, and from the aura, there are many high-order Transcendents on board." Chen Qi confirmed the identity of the ship. In the Witch Sea, merchant ships were no less powerful, sometimes even stronger than the navy. However, arge merchant ship of this scale with so many fully armed huntersing to Maro Town, what for? Chen Qi contemted. "Hello! Hello! Can you hear me?" At this moment, a young, sunny guy waved at him from the ship. "Hmm?" Chen Qi looked at the young man calling to him. The other guy wore an expensive set of steam armor, carrying a gold-handled sword on his back, and had a head of flowing golden hair. He looked familiar... Chen Qi squinted. The guy seemed quite famous in Maro Town: The Maro Town Mayor''s son, a sunny, cheerful young man, a First Order Transcendent novice, Little Maro. Almost everyone in town knew this young man. But Chen Qi wasn''t well-known in Maro Town, just a poor, helpless sea beast disease patient. Little Maro had been away for years; he knew little about Maro Town and rarely interacted with his peers there. The guy probably didn''t recognize him. "What''s up?" Chen Qi asked, seeing that the guy had a lot to say. Little Maro looked at Chen Qi with great interest: "Are you from Maro Town?" "You could say that..." Hearing a positive answer, Little Maro immediately revealed an excited expression: "Actually, I have some questions to ask you; of course, it''s not for free. How about this, I''ll tell you my sea encounters with the Flower Witch. It''s news about a witch, and it will be tomorrow''s big news in the White Dove Times!! Then I''ll tell you this incredible news, and you answer two of my questions, how about that?" More witch stuff... Chen Qi rubbed his chin. The fervor around witches was almost overshadowing that of the ck Whale Group''s treasure hunt. In the game''s early stages, no yer had ever seen a real witch. Witch news seemed to chase after him... Chen Qi internallyined. But being the protagonists of the Witch Sea region, witches left legends everywhere. It wasn''t surprising; what piqued his curiosity more was what questions this Little Maro had. After thinking for a while, Chen Qi answered: "Sure, as long as you''re not asking math problems or anything like that." Chapter 39: Chapter 29: Return and Iron Hand Little Maro cocked an eyebrow with a saucy air, eager to share the astonishing tale of the day: "The ship I serve on is arge merchant vessel that was specially ordered by officials to handle affairs on our Maro Ind. And during the voyage, we encountered a huge incident. We saw a luxury cruise ship from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom billowing thick smoke... Can you believe it? That steel behemoth, unbelievably, broke in half like a rag and was discarded atop the vast sea." Sure enough, the ship from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom must be the one from the promotional video, where the foreign girl, the Flower Witch, met her doom. "Did you discover anything?" Chen Qi, dragging his face into a curious expression that screamed ''I don''t know a thing,'' asked. Lowering his voice, Little Maro continued mysteriously: "Although the ship was split in two, there were quite a few survivors on the wreck. Our captain, being kind-hearted, asked for a little money and some supplies and then rescued the crew from above. And from these survivors, we learned that they had encountered a terrifying monster, no less dominant than the nearshore overlord!!!" "And that''s not all. Besides, ording to the survivors, they also saw a young girl with petals all over her body, incredibly beautiful, walking on the sea! That youngdy, she actually fought against the pitch-ck monster that destroyed the steel giant! Finally, as people sumbed to terror, both figures utterly vanished from sight." "Oh? Do you know where the youngdy, or that monster, went?" Chen Qi inquired. Scratching his head, Little Maro replied: "How could I possibly know, but Miss Pelu, the gold-medal editor of the White Dove Times, has already interrogated those survivors. It''s highly likely that the legendary Witch has reappeared! Unfortunately, as Miss Pelu is urgently chasing the story of the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure and the Witch, I wasn''t even able to get an autograph." Chen Qi asked: "Is that all?" "Yeah, shocking, isn''t it!" Is that all... Chen Qi offered a polite smile. Overall, these were all details he already knew. The only useful tidbit was that the Witch who encountered the shipwreck was currently active quite close to him. That''s not shocking! Could you encounter such major events? Seeing Chen Qi unimpressed, Little Maro said discontentedly: "Alright, as per our agreement, now it''s my turn to ask you questions. I have two questions!" "Ask." Little Maro looked down, scanned the surroundings, and with added mystery, asked: "Did youe across any pirate ships today at sea, like those from the ck Whale Group?" The ck Whale Group! A simple name, yet it unleashed a tidal wave of emotions in Chen Qi''s heart. Why would he be asked about the ck Whale Group? He didn''t respond immediately, instead gazing towards the distant lighthouse. If something unexpected urred, the lighthouse keeper should be able to help him with quite a few issues. Feeling secure about his location, Chen Qi answered: "No, how could a small chef in a tiny boat like mine encounter pirate ships and still be alive?" Little Maro sized up Chen Qi, thought for a bit, and then said: "True, you look rather weak. Now, the second question." "Ask." "You must know about me, Little Maro, right? Though I''m from Maro Town, my father always sent me away, so I''m not too familiar with the locals my age. So, I want to ask, do you know if there is any young person in Maro Town who has contracted the Sea Beast disease?" At the moment the question was posed, a gentle sea breeze blew through both their hair. Chen Qi''s gaze turned somewhat frosty. Bad luck, the sole young fortunate one in Maro Town to suffer from the Sea Beast disease was him. The other party, it seemed, was aiming for him. Yet judging by the current situation, it appeared someone else had tasked Little Maro with gathering information. So, there are enemies of his on this ship... The ck Whale Group''s men, they move that fast? The wind is pretty cold, thought Little Maro, feeling an odd chill on his back, and continued: "Do you know? Frankly, you give off the impression of someone frail with the Sea Beast disease..." As Little Maro spoke, he abruptly stopped and looked down at Chen Qi. Chen Qi, having said nothing in response, walked into the cabin and came out with a fishing rod. Swallowing hard, Little Maro asked: "What do you need the fishing rod for?" "Fishing." Chen Qi replied, waving the fishing rod around. Little Maroughed: "Hahaha, fishing? The ship is sailing, and there are no fish around for you to catch..." "Eh?" In the next instant, Little Maro realized that with what seemed like a random flick of the rod, Chen Qi had somehow tangled the fishing line around his neck. Chen Qi gave a sharp tug on the rod, pulling ''Little Maro'' off therge ship before him. Bang! Little Maro plunged into the seawater, still d in his heavy armor, instantly beginning to y joyfully in the water. From his movements, he seemed quite thrilled. Chen Qi silently reached out, kindly pulled Little Maro up from the water onto his boat, then asked with concern: "Are you okay?" Little Maro coughed twice and red at Chen Qi with a fiercely resentful look: "Youck martial morality, sneak attacking me." "How could I sneak attack you? It was just a careless mistake while fishing." Chen Qi said this, grabbed Little Maro''s leg, dragged him into his boat house, and shut the boat door. Then, he looked outside from the window, where Little Maro had just been standing, there was no one, and for the time being, no one seemed to care about the matter. Little Maroy on the ground, spitting out the seawater in his mouth. He then raised his head, and asked again with some confusion, "Did you really just identally hook me while fishing?" This beloved son of the Mayor of Maro Town really isn''t a fool... Chen Qi secretlyined in his heart. "Yes, but I have a few questions for you. Why did you ask about the Sea Beast patients?" Without a doubt, Little Maro had already be suspicious of him. If this Little Maro were an ally of the ck Whale Group, he would have gone to call hisrades by now. Little Maro looked at Chen Qi''s kind expression and began to speak, "It''s nothing, I just encountered a Hunter with a mechanical arm on the ship. He told me that in theirpany in Moonstone City, a young man infected with the Sea Beast disease had stolen arge sum of their money and ran away. And this person is from Maro Town, so they came to Maro Town to get the money. If anyone can give him information, they can get a share of the money." Little Maro got up, dusting off his hands, "Although I don''tck money, I''ve never really earned money myself, so I thought maybe I could make some this time. So, do you know? I''ll give you some too. You look like you''re in need of money." A Hunter with a mechanical arm was looking for me, not the ck-eyed Captain and Little Crow, Chen Qi''s thoughts flooded. And if it were those two, they would likely have used a more violent approach. There was no one with a mechanical arm on the Sawshark. "It''s someone from another organization..." Chen Qi recalled the original owner''s memories once more. He had fallen ill, gone to work in Moonstone City, and then was lured by so-called rtives into a human trafficking crime gang called ''ck Rabbit''. If the ck Whale Group wanted to find out about him, they''d undoubtedly go through this ''ck Rabbit'' gang. In the ck Rabbit gang, there was indeed a First Order Transcendent with a mechanical arm. This was a wanted criminal in Moonstone City, known as ''Iron Hand,'' who was involved in human trafficking and had a bounty of two hundred thousand Shell Coins on his head. Chen Qi organized his thoughts; he wasn''t as panicked as he had imagined. First, with his current strength, a First Order Transcendent with a mechanical arm wouldn''t be able to deal with him. Second, the ck Whale Group didn''t know what he had taken from the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasury and wouldn''t kill him outright; they would try to catch him alive as much as possible. Third, in addition to the Lighthouse Keeper of Maro Town with a guaranteed Third Rank strength, there was also Teacher An, a graduate of the Royal University. Chen Qi looked again towards the distant Lighthouse. All over the Moonstone Inds, there were many Transcendents who hated pirates. If the Sawshark appeared in these waters, even if they turned and fled immediately, they might not live to return. Chen Qi turned to Little Maro and asked, "Do you know where that Hunter with a mechanical arm that you mentioned went? Is he still on that ship?" In his memory, that Hunter with a mechanical arm was a criminal with a bounty of two hundred thousand Shell Coins. He could get rid of the other party directly by reporting him. Little Maro replied, "He jumped off the ship when it was slowing down." "Jumped off the ship?" Chen Qi was stunned. Little Maro exined, "Yes, becauserge ships need to disy their g when they approach the Lighthouse, we had to stop for a short while. He took that opportunity to jump ship. We stopped for quite a long time. By now, he''s probably already on Maro Ind. If he finds the money thief himself, we might not get any reward." "Indeed." Chen Qi looked at Little Maro, who seemed to still have no suspicion towards him. He finally understood why the other had never passed even the simplest round of exams. At that moment, Little Maro''s eyes sparkled. He suddenly realized that the man in front of him seemed to be a Transcendent! Little Maro became excited, speaking quickly, "I can tell by your aura that you are a Transcendent too. I came back this time specifically to go to the crack, to a rift called ''Monster Kitchen,'' but so far, I''ve only found three other people. That rift is pretty dangerous, E-rank for sure, but I have a feeling it could be D-rank level, so I was hoping to gather five people. With my keen eye, I noticed the way you handle your fishing rod, you''ve got some skill. All in all, the more people the better. Aren''t you interested in joining us?" "..." Chen Qi didn''t know what to say for a moment. Sorry, but I''ve already soloed that rift... The cooldown for the Monster Kitchen rift was at least three days. "Next time for sure." After giving a few nonmittal responses, Chen Qi walked out of the boat house with Little Maro. His small craft, alongside therge merchant ship and numerous fishing boats, gradually made their way into the harbor. Just likeing home from work or school, returning to port was always aforting moment. At the dock, people waited anxiously, looking forward to the return of their family members. "You old thing, you''re finally back! It rained again today, I thought you might have drowned." "You''re back, what''s that, you caught a shark!" "Haha! Bro, how was it, didn''t catch any fish? No worries,e have a drink with me first!" In the remaining light of day, the scene in front of him was exceptionally heartwarming. And in the distance, Chen Qi saw the Mayor of Maro Town and An, who were handling various trivial matters of Maro Town. Teacher An, who was processing documents, stopped her movements; she smelled a familiar scent. The sea breeze gentled, and she lifted her head, smiled, and waved at Chen Qi, "Wee back!" Chapter 40: Chapter 30: A New Era The small boat slowly approached the shore. "Disembark!" Chen Qi jumped from the boat onto the dock. He looked around but did not see the figure of the mechanical arm ''Iron Hand.'' However, in the midst of the crowd, the likelihood of Iron Hand making a move was low. The mayor of Maro Town, upon hearing An''s voice, looked up, curiously gazing in Chen Qi''s direction. He was very curious about what Chen Qi had gone out to sea to do. Behind Chen Qi was his disappointing son, Little Maro. The mayor of Maro Town felt a surge of anger; he had a lot to scold his son about. But as the words reached his mouth, he swallowed them back, turning them into a simple four-word phrase: "You''re back now." The mayor of Maro Town exchanged a few words of greeting with his son, and then his gaze carefully swept over Chen Qi. He didn''t see any serious injuries on him. An, after putting away her work documents, walked over: "Wee back, Qi, I actually have some good news for you today." "What good news?" Chen Qi asked curiously. "Do you know, in Maro Town, there is a mine crack with a zero mutation rate? However, in yesterday''s wind, they revived again." Crack revival... Crack Tides could cause some cracks with a zero mutation rate to revive again, turning them into challengeable dungeons. The mine crack in Maro Town should also be an E-tier crack, though even among E-tiers, there were differences. In the mine crack, there should be some skeleton monsters. Having one more crack to obtain spiritual points from wasn''t a bad thing. "And then?" Chen Qi asked. An nodded lightly: "Although it revived, the monsters inside are even weaker than those in a typical E-tier crack. You''re nning to head to the Monster Kitchen crack, but you obviouslyck experience. If you rush in, you might encounter peril. So, I thought of organizing some neers from Maro Town to go to the mine crack with you." Simply put, An wanted him to train in the safer mine crack first. Chen Qi continued to ask: "So what happened?" "I wanted to gauge the strength of the mine crack for you." At this point, An rubbed her hands together guiltily: "But during the process of gauging the mine crack, I identally killed all the monsters and cleared it. The n I had prepared for you was ruined." "..." identally, Chen Qi swallowed a gulp, imagining An wiping out all the creatures in the mine crack with a single ordinary attack. Aside from being nicknamed "An Mom" on the game forum, An Aotian''s strength far exceeded that of a typical third-tier Transcendent. From his observations, even thebined strength of Little Crow and ck-eyed Captain, both third-tiers, couldn''t match An. At this moment, the mayor of Maro Town, having just lit a cigarette, keenly sensed something! Chen Qi nned to go to the Monster Kitchen crack! Could he have gone there this morning? But he had no visible injuries. The mayor of Maro Town broke into a cold sweat, curiously asking: "Wait a minute, Qi, the ce you went to this morning, could it have been that Monster Kitchen?" "Hm?" Hearing the mayor''s words, An suddenly realized something too. Immediately, like a curious white cat, she pranced lightly around Chen Qi, sniffing here and there. "It''s blood, monster blood, and a hint of fragrance, spices? Wait a minute! The Spirit Power Field has also changed!" Afterpleting a circle, she stopped in front of Chen Qi, her pupils slightly contracting in confusion: "Have you already cleared the Monster Kitchen... and advanced to First Order Transcendent?" Chen Qi smiled helplessly. He had been thoroughly seen through; he couldn''t hide anything. Once someone became a Transcendent, it was nearly impossible to conceal that aura without special secrets. Moreover, An''s observational skills were far beyond his expectations; he even suspected she could see right through his clothes to his organs. Chen Qi nodded: "Yes, I went out to sea today, got lucky, and obtained a Transcendent upation Card, bing a chef." That quickly, a First Order Transcendent? The mayor of Maro Town was stunned, subconsciously stroking his mustache. Hadn''t he gone out to sea alone? Had he gone withpanions? Why hadn''t they been informed? Or had he cleared the crack by himself? The mayor looked at this young man, his mind racing, the hand holding the cigarette trembling slightly. Little Maro was bewildered, scratching his head; was the Monster Kitchen they mentioned the same one he was heading to? Compared to the mayor and Little Maro, An wasn''t overly surprised; in her eyes, this was simply Chen Qi''s inherent talent. Clearing a monster-infested crack was an expected feat. From the first time she met Chen Qi, she had caught the faint scent of blood, monster blood. This indicated that he might have already killed monsters back when he awakened his Spiritual Power. The only surprising thing was Chen Qi''s speed. An revealed a gratified smile: "Congrattions, now, our Maro Town has an excellent chef." Then, she suddenly changed her tone: "Qi, you have good potential. By the way, the path of the Book''s Apprentice is still open for you." A First Order Transcendent upation was akin to a student who hadn''t formally entered school, still in a self-study phase at home. At this stage, the student could learn whatever they fancied, pursue whatever interested them. But once reaching the Second Order, it signified formal school admission and necessitated choosing a study direction. Second-order Transcendent required selecting a corresponding Nature Form. In other words, as long as Chen Qi hadn''t formally entered the Second Order, he could still be an apprentice, one personally trained by her. "Mm." Chen Qi nodded. At that moment, amidst the sound of waves, a massive merchant ship slowly stopped. Many stevedores disembarked from it, unloadingrge cargo crates one after another and transporting them to Maro Town. Judging by the markings on the crates, they were all weapon crates! Chen Qi was slightly surprised and curiously asked An: "What''s this?" "Yeah, Mentor An, why are these merchant ships bringing so many weapons here?" Seeing the situation, the mayor of Maro Town wiped his cold sweat, puzzled as he hadn''t heard of merchant ships carrying weapon crates! Could there be pirates attacking? An walked a few steps forward, looking up at therge ship in the distance: "I found out just yesterday. ording to observations by the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau, the recent storm isn''t as simple as we thought, so Shell Country''s government is preparing to set up defensive measures on all coastal inds, to fend off sea beasts and pirates." The mayor of Maro Town asked: "Even if the storm isn''t simple, is there a need to transport so many weapons?" An paused for a moment, then spoke word by word: "It''s very likely to be an event we haven''t seen in a long time, a Crack Tide!" As the words left her mouth, the cigarette dropped from the mayor''s hand to the ground. The bustling dock instantly fell silent. Little Maro''s eyes widened, and even the distant watching hunters held their breath. "Wow¡­" Chen Qi also yed along, opening his mouth slightly, indicating he just found out. "It''s a Crack Tide¡­" The mayor of Maro Town muttered. Hundreds of years ago, Crack Tides nearly destroyed all coastal towns, and the Witch upation Card was born from it. A hundred years ago, a ten-day Crack Tide not only led to sea warfare but also birthed the Deep Sea Hunter ss monster! The subsequent impacts created today''s four most domineering emperors of the sea. Every Crack Tide event gave rise to legends! "If a Crack Tidees, won''t it affect our entire Moonstone Inds¡­" The mayor of Maro Town looked down, unable to fathom the scenario post-Crack Tide with his age and experience. No one could predict the aftermath of the tide. An walked forward, her gaze extending far to the horizon: "Yes, a tide capable of sweeping across the entire Witch Sea. Of course, this is just a preliminary prediction; the Meteorological Bureau hasn''t given a definitive answer yet. This Crack Tide might not be as tumultuous as the one seventy years ago." At this point, the sea breeze carried the whispers from the distant dark world, blowing hard. "But regardless of the oue," An stood on the dock, spreading her arms wide: "Everyone, a new era for the Witch Sea is upon us." Chapter 41: Chapter 31: The Person Hiding Under the Bed An turned around, smiled, and said, "The Crack Tide, for us apprentices who have just stepped onto the path of the Transcendent, is a rare opportunity. Once the news is confirmed, those old folks in Shell Country, hoarding their fortunes, might all run down to our countryside to scramble for a bite. If we can survive the wave, maybe we too can witness the sights of the Transcendent peaks." After finishing, An put an anticipatory nce on Chen Qi. If an ordinary person wants to be a High-order Transcendent, the most basic requirement is a High-order upation Card. And High-order upation Cards are only produced in High-order cracks. As a student of Bei Country Royal University, she knew deeply how much those old folks in the capital of Shell Country prized the high-grade cracks. Even with her unprecedented efforts, she nowcked even the qualifications to enter a High-order crack. But the Crack Tide, while bringing disaster, would also bring about new cracks. Naturally, these unknown new cracks would also be more dangerous than those that had been controlled. These disasters are also opportunities. Chen Qi also gazed towards the distant sea. An was right, but not entirely so. It''s not only the people from ind Shell Country who will stir trouble and scramble for food at the Witch Sea. ording to the game data, the rift tide at Witch Sea would be more turbulent than all tides in history. Apart from ind Shell Country, neighboring Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, White Tower Federation, and far-off ck Blood Empire all want to step into Witch Sea. During their conversation, the ship''s captain, wearing a captain''s hat, came down the shipdder, took off his hat to salute, interrupting their talk. He had matters to discuss with Maro Town''s new guide instructor and the mayor. And An, as an important figure in Maro Town, had other matters to attend to. "I need to deal with some issues first," An took a few steps forward, then suddenly thought of something, swallowing: "Right, Qi, you''re a Chef now, correct? I''ll send you something nice in a while." "?" Something nice? Chen Qi crossed his arms, tilting his head in confusion. More stuff? He had to admit, as the yer rankings stated, An was a rather responsible guide instructor. After An and the Mayor of Maro Town left. At that moment, the little Maro who had been by his side finally let out a sigh. "Phew!" He patted Chen Qi on the shoulder and said, "Wow, bro, you''re actually a Chef! I hardly ever see Transcendent Chefs. I''ve heard your cooking makes clothes burst off with its deliciousness. Hook me up with a meal sometime." Chen Qi looked at little Maro speechlessly. Then, little Maro looked around and whispered quietly, "So, how about it, they''re gone. Bro, let''s go find the money-stealing thief with the Sea Beast disease together, then tell the mechanical arm Hunter about it and make a hefty sum! I remember that person is quite wealthy!" You''re still thinking about your money? Chen Qi''s eyes became guarded. ording to the information provided by little Maro, someone had sneaked into Maro Town and even tried to kidnap him. In the shadows of Maro Ind, did someone want to make a move against him? He carefully scanned the crowd on the dock. Among the crowd, he saw no one with a mechanical arm. Chen Qi spoke to little Maro again, "Are you sure that person jumped into the sea? Also, from your impression, did that person have anypanions?" "Yes, I guess they''ve alreadynded. Nopanions, I think. The person was wearing a cloak, seemed like they came alone, probably a tough person specialized in handling debts for apany!" Hearing this, little Maro suddenly realized something and also began looking around. "The enemy is in the dark, we are in the light¡­" Chen Qi thought that if the other party was indeed here to kidnap him, they wouldn''t make their move at this time. The ce they would choose must be somewhere dimly lit, away from the crowd. "Home?" Chen Qi came up with a preliminary answer in his mind. While they were just talking, the moon had already shown a corner, and the light on the dock was exceptionally dim. "The person asked little Maro for information..." Inquiring blindly about information also meant that this person was not cautious and did not know his situation. If the other party was very anxious, they might have also asked others for information. Chen Qi looked around to make sure he wasn''t distancing himself from the crowd before walking forward. Old Bailey, who had been sitting on the dock all day, might know something if a man with a mechanical arm had passed by. Chen Qi squatted down, took out four hundred Shell Coins, and handed them over: "Old Bailey," Seeing the money, the sleepy Old Bailey immediately woke up: "What is it?" "I''ll rent your boat for a few more days. I''ll pay you the full amount for the boat next time I return. Also, have you seen anyone on the dock asking about others?" Old Bailey took the money, recalling: "It seems there really was someone, a person from Moonstone City. He said our Maro Town produced a damn money thief who stole theirpany''s money and came here to collect debts. He even warned us not to shelter any criminals, or he''d break our legs too." There really was... Chen Qi inquired softly: "Do you know where he went?" "Not sure, he was just wandering nearby. I remember someone responded to him, and then he suddenly disappeared." Responded! Did that person already get my information from others? Chen Qi tensed up internally. "Can you really pay the full amount?" Old Bailey asked, still somewhat dubious Chen Qi had that much money unless he involved in some illegal activities. "Of course." Chen Qi stood up and looked around once more. At this moment, the key was not the money, but to find the person hiding in the shadows. There was no one on the dock... Had that person suddenly disappeared, hidden in the water? A suitable ce to hide... Chen Qi turned his head and fixed his gaze on his small houseboat. The small houseboat, gently swaying a few times on the sea. A sense of danger spontaneously arose. Could it be that I was already seen by someone when I disembarked? That person knows I would return to the boat. So... Could it be that the person has already sneaked into my boat and then waits for night toe, to crawl into my bed while I sleep and surprise me? Chen Qi''s heart pounded as he sighed deeply. In the remaining light of the day, he took the collector from his backpack, hid it beneath his clothes, and then stepped towards the small houseboat. If the information from Maro is correct. Although the other person is just a First Order Transcendent, he is equipped with a mechanical arm. In the New World, there are three types of powerful equipment: mechanical armor, flesh imnts, and blood-mechanical armor. Mechanical armor, as the name suggests, ismon armor in the New World. Flesh imnts refer to equipping oneself with live monsters stripped of their consciousness, leaving only the most basicbat functions, a very dangerous type of equipment. Blood-mechanical armor is a hybrid of the two, incorporating both monsters and machinery into the equipment. Although the mechanical arm is only a hand, it''s still quite a decent piece of equipment early on. A single punch could kill a pig! Chen Qi recalled momentarily, in the original host''s memory, that First Order Transcendent''s mechanical arm was not a brand-name product. Tap, tap, tap¡ª Unconsciously, Chen Qi had already arrived in front of his small houseboat. He was about to step with his left foot, preparing to jump onto the boat. "Qi!" Just then, a female voice came from behind. "Calling me at this time..." Chen Qi let a few beads of cold sweat fall, stepped back a few steps, confirmed there was no danger, then, quietly speaking, said: "What''s wrong, Teacher An?" The caller was none other than An. At this moment, she was happily approaching with two bags in her hands. One bag contained ingredients like potatoes and beef, while the other was a set of brand-new cooking utensils. She came over, blinked her blue eyes, and handed the two bags to Chen Qi: "You should need toplete your daily task today. Just so happens, I ran into a chef on the merchant ship, so I casually asked them for some ingredients, just right for you." "Ah?" Chen Qi was shocked. Though ingredients and cooking utensils were not expensive items, her actions still left him with an indescribable feeling. A strange feeling of being kept... He once again deeply understood why on the neer instructor leaderboard, she held the nickname ''Mom An''. "Okay, thank you, Teacher An." Chen Qi took the ingredients and cooking utensils, turned around, carefully walked toward the small houseboat again. And just as he turned back, An directed a sly smile at Chen Qi''s back, showing a face that revealed her n had seeded! n sess! On the surface, she gave him food to help him, but that was only her firstyer. In reality, all the dishes she gave Chen Qi were her favorites! "The food in Maro Town is really bad..." An rubbed her growling stomach. Her father''s cooking was really not to her taste, and he loved making fish, which she disliked. However, choosing to be a Transcendent Chef must mean he''s quite skilled! In the capital, her friends had treated her to meals prepared by a Transcendent Chef, which were exceptionally delicious. Although Chen Qi had just be a chef, An felt his cooking should be tastier than what others in Maro Town could offer. Her real motive was to freeload meals under the guise of work and mentorship! If the food really tasted good, she could enjoy delicious meals every day from now on. This was An''s secondyer of thought. An touched the corner of her mouth, unable to hold back, and a bit of unbing drool trickled out. Chen Qi jumped onto the small houseboat and peeked inside through the cracks of the cabin''s door. Although the lighting inside was dim, he saw a person''s figure faintly hiding under the ramshackle bed. And he could smell a sweat scent that was not his own. As expected! At that moment, Chen Qi''s mind shed through one image after another. He could almost be certain that the person under the bed was ''Iron Hand'', a gang member who had lured him to the ck Rabbit Gang, cheating him of all his work money, and colluded with human traffickers! Iron Hand was a greedy and bold brute who, due to his swimming prowess, had once used his mechanical arm to drag a pair of siblings attempting to escape the gang into the sea, drowning them alive, hence earning the terrifying nicknames ''Water Ghost'' and ''Iron Hand''. Such a ruthless man was like a demon to many young people. But now, in terms of strength, Iron Hand might not be his match. Wait! Chen Qi suddenly realized something. Why did An call him just now? Was it really just to help him, or to freeload a meal for such a simple reason? No! An''s observation skills were extraordinary, she might have already noticed that person sneaking onto his boat. By calling out to him earlier, she was actually warning him! Chen Qi thought of the thirdyer and turned his head back, looking towards An. What terrifying observational skill! "Ah!" Why did he look back? Did he understand? Was his intention to freeload a meal discovered? An blushed, turned her head away, and embarrassedly smiled, then lifted her head again, revealing an expectant look. She could already imagine the scent of Chen Qi cooking. That look... Is it up to me to handle it? Chen Qi shook his head and responded with his eyes. No matter what, he had to take care of the person who had broken into his house uninvited. Chapter 42: Chapter 32 Sudden Fortune In the chaotic cabin, a bronze-skinned man held his breath, hiding himself under the dim light beneath the bed. His nickname was ''Ironhand,'' an ambitious gang member. However, yesterday, he had encountered an opportunity. As a distinguished guest of the ck Rabbit Gang where he stayed, the leader of the ck Whale Group''s Sawshark, the esteemed ck-eyed Captain, had arrived. The ck-eyed Captain inquired about a young man with a ''Sea Beast sickness,'' who, ording to the Captain, had stolen their stuff. To find any leads, he dragged out all but the high-ranking members of the ck Rabbit Gang, anyone rted to the patient with the Sea Beast sickness, and severely whipped and interrogated them with a whip! His words were fierce, his actions impassioned, showing none of the restraint expected of a pirate captain, treating the gang members purely as tools for venting his anger. To the side, the Crow Ship''s doctor hooked the corner of his mouth in a semnce of a smile, giving off an inexplicable sense of terror. But their ck Rabbit Gang traded in human lives, not in kidnapping people for ransom! Who cares where those lowly born vese from! Thus, after a lengthy discussion with the ck-eyed Captain, the higher-ups of the ck Rabbit Gang could only conclude that the person was from the inds. Now with the navy active, storms brewing, and sea monsters surging like schools of fish, they could only n for the long term with such matters. But in their interrogation, they had overlooked one person¡ªthat was him, ''Ironhand,'' the ruthless member of the ck Rabbit Gang. He was different; he had encountered Chen Qi and inadvertently learned that Chen Qi might be from Maro Town. From the tone of the ck-eyed Captain, that person must have stolen something extremely valuable to him. Thus, Ironhand came up with a daring idea. If he could find that item before the ck-eyed Captain did, his rise to power would be unstoppable¡ªhe would win several wives and reach the pinnacle of life! That was critical information known only to him! This was his chance, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! In the chaotic cabin, Ironhandy quietly under the bed, as silent as a corpse. When he had juste ashore, he carefully hid in the distant waters and saw the Sea Beast sick patient, he saw Chen Qi. With so many eyes around, it was not a good time to strike. When night fell, that would be his moment to hunt. Ironhand chuckled to himself, having already pictured the scene of emerging slowly from under the bed at night, then suddenly delivering a heavy p to awaken and scare the living daylights out of the other person. Bang! It was the sound of the ship door opening. He''s back... Ironhand held his breath; the rickety bed was too small, and in brighter light, he might easily have been discovered. Bang! It was the sound of starting a fire. "I''m so tired, need a good meal, with so many ingredients, I could make a meal for Teacher An as well." Chen Qi arranged the ingredients and cooking utensils. Eat up, this might be yourst dinner... Ironhand revealed a hint of a smile, thinking he was well-hidden. However, the very next second, he heard a frighteningly thoughtful remark. "Frying really needsrd, perfect, I put some under the bed to useter." "!" Was thererd stored under this bed? As soon as these words were spoken, Ironhand broke into a cold sweat, unable to hold back the perspiration. Though he was the one hidden in the shadows, why did he feel fear? Thatrd couldn''t be referring to him, could it? Drip, drip! Two drops of cold sweat fell to the ground. The more he thought about it, the more fear he felt! Enough, I can''t take it anymore, driven by fear, he abruptly crawled out from under the bed. Time to y it tough! Time to surprise him! He was ready to grab Chen Qi with his powerful arms, then slowly extract information from him. However, the instant he emerged, no one was to be seen! "Behind you!" Ironhand realized, quickly turning his head and throwing a punch. "Not bad reflexes." Chen Qi took a step back, easily dodging the wild punch. In Ironhand''s eyes, any ve captured by the ck Rabbit Gang was disposable scum, devoid of free will. Just as they would bring many people to the gang right under the noses of the police. In his mind, snatching a sickly, frail ve from a backwater ind was something no one would care about, an easily aplished feat. That was why he had been so brazen along the way. But now, he felt an overwhelming fear, a profound trepidation. "Dare to scare me!" Ironhand''s fear turned to rage, and he instantly adopted a boxing stance, his mechanical right arm steaming with scalding vapor, the air around him suddenly changing! He grinned with bared teeth, ready to show the move that cemented him in the ck Rabbit Gang: The Steam-Powered Punch! However, his opponent''s move took him by surprise. Chen Qi advanced a step forward. Sensing the majesty of my hand, not only did he not retreat, he advanced instead! Let''s give him a spectacle! Boom! Chen Qi advanced, his left hand lightly tracing and capturing the iing mechanical right arm! The unbranded, rusted mechanical arm, typical of a mixed-breed essory, was mostly modified from discarded mechanical limbs. Such a rusted steam-powered mechanical arm, though potent in sheer strength, was very predictable in motion. Chen Qi then bent his right arm and thrust upward fiercely. An elbow strike, a powerful and hefty elbow m! Ironhand''s jaw took a hard hit, his body''s bnce thrown off! Ironhand was stunned as a Transcendent, and especially a de Phase one, this was the first time he had been manhandled since acquiring his mechanical arm. Chapter 43: Chapter 32 Sudden Fortune_2 A wave of unspeakable fear surged to his forehead, and he roared inwardly, Burst of courage! Burst of courage, a First Order de Phase skill, allowed him to fear no pain and unleashed his body''s potential! Chen Qi also used a skill. An apanying skill of Body Forging through the de, burst. His constitution now, paired with burst, already counted as a fairly good defensive and offensive technique. The opponent''s movements had clearly lost bnce,pletely within his control. He pressed his hand against the opponent''s head and then smashed it down fiercely! With a bang! The Iron Hand was struck down by Chen Qi, firmly pressed to the ground. Iron Hand coughed up blood, looking incredulously at the scene unfolding before him; he was defeated in seconds. Although he was a brute, he had learned the skill to detect the Spiritual Power field. The Chen Qi before him had already reached the same level, stepping into the First Order. He couldn''t understand how a person suffering from Sea Beast disease could overpower him in strength and speed. After all, in theter stages of Sea Beast disease, due to the body being gradually consumed, it was very hard to even stand. His eyes bulged like copper bells: "Why?" "How could a mere mechanical hand surpass my well-trained, strong flesh." Chen Qi smiled and skillfully pulled out his Collector. The next second, the muzzle was pressed against his forehead. Chen Qi interrogated: "Tell me, where are you from, and why have youe?" Iron Hand''s spirit of resistance temporarily shrank back; he blurted out all the information about the ck-eyed Captain and the ck Rabbit Gang. ... "So that''s how it is..." Chen Qi thought. The ck-eyed Captain had gone to Moonstone City to inquire about his whereabouts. On the vast sea, finding a person was no easy task. Being able to go to Moonstone City in such a short time showed that the ck-eyed Captain and Little Raven pursued him earnestly. This was the first time in his life that he was pursued so vigorously. The information from the other party had two key points. First, from the current situation, the ck-eyed Captain had not disclosed his news to the ck Whale Group but kept it within their Sawshark. The high ranks of the ck Rabbit Gang asked hundreds of times, yet the Captain only evaded with the excuse of stealing something. The Captain wanted to monopolize the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter without others intervening. Second, the ck-eyed Captain was not sure where Chen Qi was, or even if he was still alive. Being wanted by the navy, they could only reluctantly join the ck Rabbit Gang, cautiously searching for him. All in all, his current situation was still rtively safe. However, if the other side could confirm he was alive, it was not out of the question that the ck-eyed Captain would inform the ck Whale Group. If the ck Whale Group were to act, the situation wouldpletely change. The Sawshark was just a small ship under the ck Whale Group; there were many top-notch monsters above it. These monsters were far beyond what Teacher An and the Lighthouse keepers could handle. Just the map to the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure on him was enough to mobilize half of the ck Whale Group. Chen Qi smiled helplessly; was this what being popr felt like. But there was some good news. His next target was the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter and ying with the Sea Beasts, and he wouldn''t be staying in Maro Town for a long while. Through Deep Sea Affinity, he could acquire many rare ingredients from the Sea Beasts! He was about to go out and enjoy himself! Even if the ck Rabbit Gang knew his hometown was Maro Town, it would be difficult to encounter him. The ck-eyed Captain and Little Raven could only rely on luck to find him. Chen Qi smiled and said to Iron Hand: "Thank you for the information you provided." "Right, take out anything valuable you have on you. I have no interest in searching your body." The Iron Hand might becking, but with a mechanical arm, he must be worth a lot! Reluctantly, Iron Hand pulled out a card from underneath his clothes: "It''s all here." A card? A Skill Card? Chen Qi picked up the card with his hand. On the back of the card, there was an image of a backpack. A prompt appeared before his eyes. [20-Series Backpack Card: Description: Produced by the White Dove Travel Company of the White Tower Federation, essential for hiding money at home and traveling abroad. Capacity: 1*1*2 (rectangr prism, two cubic meters)] Backpack Card... Chen Qi was suddenly shocked. He had never expected toe across such a good thing! The Backpack Card is a storage card, manufactured by majorpanies of the White Tower Federation using special crack technology. In Shell Country, even the most basic one cubic meter backpack card costs at least 300,000 Shell Coins! And the price multiplies several times for each additional cubic meter. This backpack card he was holding, in terms of price, was worth at least a million Shell Coins! Moreover, the key point was that the White Dove Travel Company, the producer of the backpack cards, preferred to use a starvation marketing tactic; they kept annual supply numbers low despite having ample production capacity. Therefore, this backpack card might fetch a price of two million or even three million Shell Coins! Robbery? No, self-defense turned out to be this profitable... Chen Qi couldn''t help reflecting; he earned so little from a trip to the crack. He couldn''t always be lugging a backpack around; in many cases, it significantly reduced hisbat capabilities. Chen Qi nced at the front of the backpack card. The front of the backpack card disyed the stored items. There were various knives, a collector''s gun, over two hundred bullets, and lubricant. Those items were worth quite a bit of money too. He had made a fortune! Chen Qi pocketed the backpack card and looked down at Iron Hand below him. The other party wasn''t here to assassinate him; he was here to deliver money and equipment. At that moment, Iron Hand, pinned to the ground, stirred and asked: "I''ve answered your question. I am very curious, you country bumpkin, what exactly did you take to make the ck-eyed Captain so anxious?" Iron Hand watched Chen Qi grit his teeth. Secretly, his mechanical arm moved slightly, emitting a bit of steam. Chen Qi didn''t speak, but silently drew his de. Seeing the ashen de, Iron Hand''s pupils sharply constricted! That was unmistakably the ck-eyed Captain''s de! He understood everything, this kid had dared to run off with the ck-eyed Captain''s de! How dare you! Excitement flickered in his eyes; if he could get his hands on that de, he would be set for a long while. Iron Hand''s mechanical arm emitted a great deal of steam, he thought to attack while the other party was drawing the de, then snatch it and run. Bang! Apanied by a gunshot, before his mechanical arm could swing, a great deal of blood flowed from his chest, and his consciousness gradually faded. "Phew!" Chen Qi pulled the trigger of the collector''s gun. In any world, people like ve traders deserve to be eliminated. The other party was a wanted criminal, this was a perfect act of self-defense. The noise from the fight had already drawn the attention of quite a few people nearby. Chen Qi grabbed Iron Hand''s right leg, pulling him out of the boathouse. Being a wanted criminal, he could still bring in some money! Phew! Hearing the gunshot, An Huangzhang leapt from the merchant ship with the agility of a cat. "What happened? Are you alright?" She hurried over to Chen Qi, asking with concern. But when she saw the corpse in Chen Qi''s hands, her pupils sharply constricted. Chapter 44: Chapter 33 Eat, Eat, Eat! ... ... The silent night had settled over the docks, and people had already returned to their homes. Yet outside the small houseboat, a bright oilmp still hung. Inside the boathouse. Tap tap tap tap! Chen Qi was cutting beef and nced back at the three people in his little broken boat. An, Little Maro, and Mayor Maro were sitting at the dining table, holding spoons and forks, their eyes filled with anticipation. The three of them had helped Chen Qi tidy up the boathouse and even redecorated the kitchen, bringing ingredients. Why? Why had things turned out this way? Why was I suddenly cooking for three people? Chen Qi shook his head, dumped the cut beef into the pot, added green onion and ginger, and nched it. Then he took out potatoes and celery, along with dried tofu, squid, and chicken, and silently started chopping. Chen Qi recalled the earlier events. After he had dealt with Iron Hand, An was instantly rmed and immediately started looking through documents. Iron Hand turned out to be a well-known fugitive from Moonstone City''s ck Rabbit Gang, with a bounty of two hundred thousand Shell Coins! An dismantled Iron Hand''s mechanical arm and handed it over to the bounty department. ording to her, the money would arrive tomorrow. However, regarding why Chen Qi was targeted by Iron Hand, An still had many questions. In a way, Chen Qi had also been tricked by the ck Rabbit Gang. So, he made up a story: "He got involved with the ck Rabbit Gang because he was greedy during a job, then coincidentally obtained the Collector, and with the help of the Collector, ran all night through the ck Rabbit Gang territory, and managed to escape the criminal gang''sir in an inspirational story. Gang members often seek revenge. And this Iron Hand hade after him because of the Collector." He had indeed experienced simr events, only he switched ''ck Whale Group'' for ''ck Rabbit Gang'' and ''the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter'' for ''the Collector''. Upon hearing this, An expressed deep sympathy. A young man, sick, who went to work in a big city and mistakenly joined a gang, was indeed too pitiful. She had a vivid imagination. She could picture a young, tender-skinned Chen Qi in a dungeon within the ck Rabbit Gang, helpless and suffering humiliations. Thus, An decided to offer psychological counseling to Chen Qi and to guard against potential unknown aplices. Then, naturally, she took a seat at the dining table. Mayor Maro came upon hearing the noise. He had heard about Chen Qi killing a fugitive and was instantly stunned! Although he had guessed that Chen Qi must have been involved in something significant while away from Maro Town, he had never imagined that Chen Qi was capable of killing a member of a gang with a de Phase, but considering Chen Qi had a gun, he reluctantly epted it. Two hundred thousand Shell Coins was not a small sum! Moreover, Chen Qi had also be a First Order Transcendent today. This boy was terrifyingly talented¡ª he was destined for great things! Therefore, he brought four bottles of wine, deciding to celebrate. Then, just as naturally, he took a seat at the dining table. Little Maro, upon hearing about Iron Hand''s sudden death, finally realized what was going on. So it turned out Chen Qi was a fierce man from a gang¡ªthat''s what the newspaper reports about gang conflicts were referring to. Recalling his earlier casual attitude towards Chen Qi and his disrespectful tone, fear instantly sprang up within him! However, fearful as he was, the meal he nned to mooch was still on the table¡ªChen Qi surely wouldn''t actually cook him. So, iming he was hungry, he naturally took a seat at the dining table as well. This small, dpidated boat, seemingly unable to bear its unexpected weight, now harbored three guests. Chen Qi turned again, looking at the expectant eyes of his three guests. The profession of chef seemed to be more popr than he had imagined. Although he was a chef, this was his first time cooking in an alternate world. Pressure mounted... Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead. He did not know if the coastal people of this other world would take to his cooking. Chen Qi nced at the ingredients, which, although they belonged to another world, weremonly found on Earth¡ªbeef, potatoes, parsley, tofu, along with a fish, a chicken, and two squids. "Not much seafood, I hope it won''t turn out too bad¡­" Chen Qi set the chopped vegetables aside and began to cook. The chef profession increased the speed of learning cooking-rted knowledge and also improved his cooking skills. He would make the potatoes and beef into a delicious and simple stew. Chen Qi heated the chef''s pan, threw in green onion and ginger, added themonly used soybean paste from Maro Town, and saut¨¦ed everything until fragrant. Then, he added the chopped beef to the pan to stir-fry. While Chen Qi was cooking, An sniffed and spoke to Chen Qi: "By the way, did you sense something was off before you entered the boathouse?" An suddenly remembered how Chen Qi had nced back at her before entering the boathouse. Thinking about it now, she realized his nce wasn''t simply inviting her to dine. His look had a deeper meaning! "Hmm..." Chen Qi nodded. An shook her head, saying earnestly: "That''s too dangerous, you should have told me first. As a First Order Transcendent, if I had handled it, it would have been much better, and you wouldn''t have had to be scared." "..." Chen Qi stirred the beef again. Indeed, An was right, turning to her to deal with Iron Hand was an option. After all, with An''s strength, a simple Fireball Technique would have sufficed to take Iron Hand down instantly. Hmm... It might even identally take his boat down as well. But there were many dangers in this world, and if he shied away from facing a First Order Transcendent whose information and location he knew, the journey ahead would be even tougher. Of course, the main reason was that he wanted the bounty. Also, he initially thought An had noticed it. An swallowed a peanut, preparing to continue speaking. Chen Qi thought for a moment and directly used a question to stop her: "By the way, do you eat spicy food? I got a little bit of devil chili at the Monster''s Kitchen." Chili! That was a rare seasoning! An had stayed in the capital and loved spicy food. An swallowed her saliva and nodded: "Yes." Once heated to the right temperature, Chen Qi added the seasoning and potatoes to the pot. Let it cook! Beef tastes better after it has been stewed for some time. Following that, Chen Qi headed outside the boat to start preparing other ingredients. For squid and chicken, go for grilling! Chen Qi secured a barbecue grill on the dock, ready to make grilled chicken and barbecued squid. After a busy session. Potato stewed beef, grilled squid, and grilled chicken ¡ª all three dishes were almost cooked. There were still the parsley tofu and the pan-seared fish left to make. This should be enough for four people... Chen Qi returned to the boat, looking at the stewed potato beef with satisfaction ¡ª he hadn''t eaten all day. However, before serving, he had one important task toplete. That was to use his skill "Soul Seasoning"! Chen Qi looked into the pot, grabbed a small handful of scallions, mixed in Spiritual Power, and sprinkled it down. As the Soul Seasoning and scallions touched the food, the fragrance of the potato stewed beef was further enhanced, releasing a delicious aroma. With the Soul Seasoning, the dish of fragrant, rich-sauced potato stewed beef was sessfullypleted. A notification also popped up before his eyes. "Sessfully cooked ''Potato Stewed Beef,'' obtained eighty Spiritual Points!" Chen Qi''s lips curved up, smiling happily: "As expected of me!" Eighty Spiritual Points! That was an exceedingly high number. Just as he had thought, Soul Seasoning could significantly enhance the deliciousness of the ingredients. If not for Soul Seasoning, achieving eighty Spiritual Points with ordinary ingredients would require at least the skill of a five-star chef. Following that, Chen Qi grabbed a handful of cumin and sprinkled it over the grilled squid and chicken. The aroma of cumin mixed with the scent of grilled meat, quickly spreading all over the small dock. An and the mayor of Maro Town swallowed their saliva, both had been working all day and were famished. However, they had overlooked one thing: the time Chen Qi spent cooking was longer than they had anticipated! They had been smelling the delicious aroma for over an hour now. The night was already deep! "I''m so hungry..." An muttered to herself, lying exhausted on the table like a tired little cat. Chen Qi served the potato stewed beef, grilled squid, and grilled chicken. "Sorry for the wait." It was finally time to serve the food, if not, I would starve to death! An perked up instantly as she smelled the beef. Next, Chen Qi quickly prepared the stir-fried celery tofu and the pan-seared fish, bringing them to the table. Chen Qi looked at them and pped his hands: "Everyone, let''s eat, I just became a chef, so I''m not sure how it turned out." Chen Qi eyed his dishes, fearing that theck of many seasonings might make the taste unsatisfactory. He wasn''t sure if it would suit their tastes. "Great! I''ll start eating then," An couldn''t wait any longer, and carefully scooped up a small portion of beef and potato, cing both into her mouth. "How is it?" Chen Qi asked curiously. An savored the taste. The tenderness of the beef and the softness of the potato intertwined on the tip of her tongue, along with the rich sauce and a slight spiciness, creating a wonderful taste sensation. Why is it so delicious! An''s face flushed slightly, showing an expression of enjoyment: "Delicious, what seasoning did you add?" It''s the soul, I added the soul! Chen Qi confidently touched his nose. When the technique and seasonings aren''t enough, Extraordinary Powerpensates. The spicy vor is because he added a little bit of devil''s pepper. "Let me try it too." The mayor of Maro Town, being a wealthy man, had tasted many delicious dishes. He too curiously took a bite of the beef. He immediately felt a warm flow throughout his body, as the delicious vor erupted on his tastebuds: "Delicious, I have heard that food made by Transcendent chefs is so good it could blow your clothes off, and it seems that''s not just a rumor." Blowing off clothes... Chen Qi thought about it. In this world, food that is delicious to the point of blowing off clothes indeed exists. However, this happens because some Transcendent ingredients can enhance the body, causing muscles to expand instantly. If diners wear rather tight clothing while eating such food, their clothes can indeed blow off, creating an extremely stunning visual effect. Of course, without Transcendent ingredients, he could not create such explosive food effects. As everyone began eating, Chen Qi also ced a piece of beef into his mouth. The vor of the beef and the sauce slowly spread across his tongue. Delicious! Too delicious! It turns out that even a different world can have such delicious food. These past few days, he had been eating only dry bread. Now, being able to have a bite of beef was indeed a pleasure. Even ordinary ingredients could taste this good, he wondered how much more delicious food prepared with Transcendent ingredients would be! Thinking this, Chen Qi then picked up a slightly charred piece of grilled chicken and ced it in his mouth. And so, everyone started feasting. ... ... Bang! The mayor of Maro Town brought a slightly sweet wine, and everyone drank directly. When An was almost full, she took a sip of wine and said: "I''m so full! By the way, Qi. Why don''t you open a small bar in Maro Town? I think your cooking is much better than my father''s. When that timees, it will definitely beat my father''s bar." Due to professional tasks, chefs often end up opening a restaurant. Beating the only dock bar in Maro Town? With his Transcendent chef identity, he might actually be able to achieve that. Chen Qi thought for a moment and took a sip of wine: "No, I don''t n to open a bar in town, um... I might start a dining boat instead." Chapter 45: Chapter 34: A Finger "A dining boat?" An''s eyes lit up. Dining boats at sea, a unique industry of the Witch Sea. Some cracks spawn in remote parts ocean, drawing countless voyagers. At such times, if there were a fragrant dining boat beside these rifts, it could attract many people. Without risking entering the cracks, one could still make a good amount of money. The Crack Tide has arrived, and more cracks will appear on the ocean! This indeed is a path to fortune. Of course, without sufficient strength, it''s also easy to be taken advantage of with people eating without paying. An sipped a little bit of wine: "So, you''re also nning to head into the tides?" An could tell that Chen Qi was not the type content with just being a Chef. A dining boat at sea was merely an excuse for him to step into the tide of rifts. Just like many pirates, often cloaked as businessmen, whalers, or explorers. "Mhm." Chen Qi nodded his head. He had already advanced to First Order, but his current strength might not be enough to beat a well-equipped and conscious First Order Transcendent. He still had plenty of room for improvement in his abilities. Maro Town was a good starter vige that could provide him a lot of help. But staying in the starter vige forever would lead to slow progress. Plus, he now possessed the treasure map of a Deep Sea Hunter, along with Deep Sea Affinity. To him, the dangerous tides would be safer byparison. Chen Qi took another sip of wine: "Yes, there should be many opportunities out in the wider world, and I want to give it a shot." An perked up: "Oh? A lot of people in Maro Town are also preparing to set sail, aren''t you interested in forming a group with them? Like little Maro, he even has... um... pretty good equipment." Chen Qi nced at the dazed Maro. Though it was somewhat rude, no matter how one looked at it, the other party felt like a liability. Moreover, if someone saw him peacefully coexisting with a creature like the ck Ship Sea Dragon, they''d probably brand him with the title of having the blood of an ancient god. "Mmm... I''m not interested right now, running a restaurant at sea is a small business in itself, so I won''t be forming a group." "Is that so! You''re quite brave to head to the sea during the Crack Tide alone," An drained another cup of wine, her face flushed and slightly tipsy. The Mayor of Maro Town gulped down his wine and also bowed his head, patting his intoxicated son, little Maro: "Yes, ascending to a higher rank amidst the Crack Tide is no easy task; my precious son encounters strange urrences every time he sets out to sea." The Crack Tide isn''t merely about an increase in cracks. The entire ocean bes perilously dangerous as ancient creatures revive in the deep sea. Just recently, the cruise ship from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom that was attacked by a mysterious ck creature is the best example. That ship from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom had several Third-tier Transcendents aboard, yet none were spared the disaster! Even without mentioning that ck creature, many fishermen on Maro Ind recently saw a terrifying near-shore overlord. Some were chased by a pitch-ck skeleton all the way back to harbor at night, only disappearing upon reaching the lighthouse''s light. Fearing these creatures, many fishermen have started moving away. The Mayor of Maro Town finished up thest skewer of grilled squid and nced at the time. It''s already thiste, and he hasn''t returned home! He suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, his hand holding the wine trembling: "Thank you for the delicious dinner. It''s gettingte, and my wife is waiting at home. As the head of the family, I need to get back early. The nights have not been peacefultely, and she would be scared without me." The Mayor of Maro Town hurriedly carried his drunken son and left the boat. An, her face flushed, said nothing but quietly watched Chen Qi. Then, leaning on the table, she lifted her flushed face and suddenly spoke: "Honestly, Qi, though I don''t know why, I feel that perhaps you''re more suited to being a Hunter than a Chef." Though An was the innkeeper''s daughter, she didn''t seem to handle her liquor very well. "Is that so?" Chen Qi took another sip of wine. Howe a Chef can''t be a Hunter? On yer forums, Chefs have the domineering title of monster hunters. While others'' first reaction upon seeing magical beasts might be that they can''t beat them, a Chef''s first thought is whether they can be eaten. In many chefs'' eyes, many dangerous monsters are just ingredients. "Remember, the path of a Mage is always open to you. Of course, getting a Second-tier upation Card from that path is anything but simple," She shook her head and then patted her flushed face to remain sober. She actually hoped that after Chen Qi went to sea, he''d encounter some trouble. Thene running back dejectedly, telling her tearfully that he was too reckless, and then, under her advice, choose the path of the book, stepping onto the Mage path! His personality wasn''t suited for following the conventional Mage path. But maybe he could be a unique profession of the White Tower Federation, a knowledgeable Hunter, or even enter the legendary Thirteen Hunter Associations of the "White Tower." However, rookies going out to sea always encounter plenty of troubles. But the fear is that the trouble might be so great that itpletely overwhelms Chen Qi. She could only wish him a smooth journey. Finally, An shook her head, stood up to say goodbye: "Do you have a destination to head to at sea? When approximately do you n to set sail?" A destination to head to at sea¡­ Chen Qi pondered. The treasure of a Deep Sea Hunter, or a dangerous area where Sea Beasts loom, these were his goals! He thought for a moment and then said: "I n to first go to Moonstone City to gather some information, and if quick, I could set sail by tomorrow." "Tomorrow!" An was startled. She touched her chin, then wore a mysterious expression: "Tomorrow night, your bounty should have arrived. Just in time, I''ll apply for something for you, which should be settled by tomorrow evening." "?" "See you tomorrow." ... ... After they had left. Chen Qi tidied up the small houseboat a bit. Then, pacing around the small houseboat for a moment and ensuring no one was around, he took out the treasure map from his backpack. The Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure map! Hunter Yu Huo had already been assimted by him, and now this treasure map was his most prized possession. The Deep Sea Hunter was a legend of the Witch Sea, and the treasures left behind were enough to change the life of an ordinary Transcendent. Moreover, perhaps, within ity the legendary Fourth Rank upation Card of the Deep Sea Hunter! Of course, being only First Order, the Fourth Rank upation Card was not what he needed to consider now. To develop quickly, this treasure map was crucial. Chen Qi opened this ancient parchment scroll and examined it carefully. The Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure information only specified locations, not the contents of the treasure. Instead, it summarized the contents with patterns. Chen Qi examined it closely. He didn''t know if there was any suitable ce for him to go on the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure map. Suddenly, Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. He noticed that in front of every treasure location, there was a vaguely drawn human organ pattern. He scanned from top to bottom. This protruding one, is it a finger? This round one, an eye? This one, a hand? This one, a leg? This twisted thing, could it be a brain? Chen Qi scanned from top to bottom and noticed that in front of each piece of treasure information, human organs were drawn with extremely abstract artistry. Could it be that the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure was actually his body buried? Chen Qi looked serious and instantly thought of various possibilities. Could it be that collecting all these treasures andbining them would summon a new Deep Sea Hunter? "No, no..." Chen Qi quickly dismissed this guess. Before the treasure map''s information were several brain marks. If this were really the Deep Sea Hunter''s body, then what would be assembled was a monster with multiple brains. Moreover, ording to legend''s description of the Deep Sea Hunter, it didn''t seem like a being with multiple brains. Beyond that, there were many hands. Could the Deep Sea Hunter have many hands? It surely couldn''t be a tentacle monster, right? So, what did these patterns mean? Chen Qi fell into deep thought. Having no choice, he looked over the parchment scroll again. On the back of the parchment, there were faint, unclear characters. Chen Qi squinted, examining closely. The content above seemed to be the exnation for these organ patterns! Chen Qi quickly looked over the exnations of this information. [ Finger: For the sea beast near this treasure, I only need a finger to handle it. Eye: For the sea beast near this treasure, a stern look from my deep eyes, and it must die. Hand: The sea beast near this treasure is somewhatpetent; I will have to use my hand. Leg: A true deep-sea monster, no choice, I must use my leg as well. Body: Terrifying foe; even I need to exert all my strength to seize the treasure from this level of beast. Brain: Oh no, oh no, to conquer this terrifying ancient beast, I must use my brain. ] Ah? After reading, Chen Qi frowned like an old man on the subway. What the heck? Are these human organ patterns corresponding to the difficulty levels for obtaining the treasures? The Deep Sea Hunter had categorized the treasures on the map using human body parts as different levels. Chen Qi had fought through many dungeons, seen difficulties indicated with hearts, stars, letters, and lengths. But this was the first time he had seen difficulty described with organs. The Deep Sea Hunter''s long hunting career might have messed up his brain. After thement, Chen Qi scanned the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure map again: "Well, at least now I know what these patterns mean..." With his current strength, he could not venture into deeper seas. And the lowest ''finger'' difficulty was also located in distant seas. Chen Qi looked at each piece of treasure information, trying to find a destination he could currently reach. Suddenly, his eyes lit up again. Near Moonstone City, there was a crack where the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure was buried! In front of the treasure information, there was a circle drawn, probably describing the treasure, though it was unclear what it was. And the difficulty was the lowest, a finger! The crack near Moonstone City, this was quite a good target! Perfect, as he also needed to take a trip to Moonstone City to sell the spices on the ship and Iron Hand''s mechanical arm. Additionally, as a major city, Moonstone City had special weapon shops, and he also needed to purchase many items. However, he still had one small doubt. Chen Qi closed his eyes and tapped his forehead with his index finger, asking himself: "With my current strength, am I as strong as one of the Deep Sea Hunter''s fingers?" Chapter 46: Chapter 35 Update of the Small Boat "I don''t think so." Chen Qi shook his head, answering his own question. After all, that was the fingertip of a legendary hunter. He had just entered the First Order and had yet to bring out a chef''s true capabilities; he was just a newbie. However, for him, it wasn''t the deep sea monster guarding the treasure that was the challenge, but how to reach the location of the hidden treasure itself. After setting his goal, Chen Qiid the scroll aside. He got up and looked toward the rickety old mini fridge in the boathouse. A one-meter-tall mini fridge, covered with a bunch of tattered patches. But within, there was a rather rare transcendent food item! The Gold Scales Fish he got from the adorable near-shore overlord wasn''t yet eaten. "A midnight snack." Chen Qi excitedly took the Gold Scales Fish out of the fridge, ready to cook a pan-seared Gold Scales Fish. The Gold Scales Fish was naturally delicious food, with flesh as delectable as butter, needing little preparation. When fried in oil, the skin of the fish quickly turned slightly charred, gleaming like gold. Then he sprinkled down some Soul Seasoning. In no time, a fragrant golden Gold Scales Fish was ready toe out of the pan. "Let''s try the taste of transcendent ingredients." Chen Qi took a gentle bite. The juices burst in his mouth, and the rich taste instantly spread! Without any sugar, it had a hint of sweetness. The texture was less like meat, and more like melting cheese. Meanwhile, a burning power slowly seeped throughout his body. A prompt appeared on his panel. [Your constitution has increased by +1.] [You have gained a Self-healing Physique (Weak).] [Self-healing Physique (Weak): Your body''s recovery abilities have strengthened. Note: I can feel it, the breath of life flowing within me!] A Self-healing physique is a prerequisite for many High-order physical skills. However, Chen Qi was still uncertain about the specific effects. "Let''s test it out." After hesitating for a moment, Chen Qi picked up a kitchen knife and lightly shed the back of his hand. At this moment, under the enhancement of a Self-healing physique, he could clearly feel the light wound on his hand continuously healing. In just over an hour, this light wound would bepletely healed. Many serious injuries that would normally require months of recuperation could now heal in just a couple of days with the Self-healing physique. "Not bad, not bad." Chen Qi patted his hands and checked his panel. [Constitution: 17, Strength: 15, Inspiration: 38, Agility: 19] Compared to his initially weak constitution, he had made significant improvements after getting proper nutrition. All his attributes were not low, resulting in a well-bnced panel. In the setting of the new day, as one''s constitution increases, the enhancement from many items will decrease. As a rare item, Gold Scales Fish would typically boost a normal person''s constitution by 2 to 3 points. But because his constitution was already rtively high, it only increased by 1 point. Chen Qi stretched, sensing the vast untapped potential in his body. Just like exercising on Earth, after digesting food, exercise was needed to fully unlock his potential. With the right training, breaking through twenty points for both constitution and strength was just a matter of time. "Whew!" Chen Qi did some warm-up exercises. Having eaten the Gold Scales Fish, he, who had been busy all day, didn''t feel tired at all! Instead, he felt an endless surge of energy in his body! He decided to exercise before bed, only stopping when he was utterly exhausted and then going to sleep. ... ... The next day. Huge clouds loomed over the sea, as if foretelling the descent of disaster, and they lingered without dispersing. Wave after wave crashed onto the boats at the dock. Today, because of the startling events of the previous day, many fishermen who were nning to go out to sea decided to take a few days'' rest instead. Fortunately, the revival of the crack at the Maro Town mines brought forth arge number of new ores, providing people with new job opportunities. Chen Qi got up early, ready to move his small houseboat to the dry dock for repairs and refitting. The boat had a good foundation, but whether it was the boat lights or the various furniture and equipment inside, all were too old. However, before he reached the dry dock, someone from the bounty department of the Moonstone Inds came over with caution, handing him a package containing two hundred thousand Shell Coins. It was the bounty for killing Iron Hand! "In one night, the bounty arrived; such efficiency is truly fast..." Normally, those departments wouldn''t be this efficient; it must have been An Ti who pushed things along. "Quick, say ''Thank you, Teacher An''?" Chen Qi silently gave thanks in his heart as he received the bounty and counted it. Thergest denomination of money in Shell Country is 10,000 Shell Coins, so the weight of 200,000 Shell Coins wasn''t very heavy. However, holding it in his hand, there was an indescribable sense of solidity! Just right, this money can be used to enhance his ship. The dry dock wasn''t far from the pier of Maro Town. Chen Qi steered his houseboat into the dock and said to the ship repair woman with the dirty braids: "Get me the best shipntern avable, rece the propellers with new ones, and also, take a look at the engine to see if it can be repaired. If you have any good new products in stock, feel free to rmend them." Now that he had money, he could afford to be a little extravagant! "No problem!" The seasoned ship repair worker heartily agreed. She excitedly boarded the houseboat, but the first glimpse of the engine made her frown: "Crack technology, I''m just a First Order mechanic apprentice, can''t fix that. However, I can help you remove the ash and add some lubricant." The Hammer Phase symbolizes elements such as mechanics, creation, craftsmanship, and steel. In addition to governing "Shell," Shell Country also governs "Hammer." Within its borders, there are manyrge corporations and a multitude of man-made wonders. Even numerous Steam Cities. However, in remote coastal areas like Moonstone City, theserge corporations don''t have much presence. Indeed, the high-end goods of Steam Hand can''t be fixed here, Chen Qi thought: "Alright, then please also check if there are any other minor issues with the ship." In Chen Qi''s memory, the only ship repair worker in Maro Town was skilled and didn''t charge exorbitantly. ng ng! ng ng! The ship repair worker began to work. Before long, his ship acquired two brand-new shipnterns, one inside the cabin and one outside. Nights following the Crack Tide were when many monsters lurking in the shadows came out to hunt. If one were to navigate at night, a good shipntern was an absolute life-saving device. On this, he definitely couldn''t skimp! Chen Qi directly chose thetest top-of-the-line model. Waterproof, impact-resistant, and capable of remaining lit even in emergencies. The shipntern for inside the cabin wasn''t expensive, but the one for outside cost him 50,000 Shell Coins! He reced the two propellers, slightly boosting the ship''s speed, for 30,000 Shell Coins. Plus some other minor patches and repairs. In one go, that was 100,000 Shell Coins spent! Nevertheless, in the end, the money was well spent. Chen Qi folded his arms and looked anew at his houseboat. Under the ship repair worker''s handiwork, this junker''s houseboat waspletely transformed. Now, he still had over 100,000 in cash. Chen Qi headed to Maro Town''s furniture and nautical equipment stores. He needed to rece the furniture in his houseboat. He bought a small bed, a small sofa, two new chairs, a fire-starting device using special energy, and also a telescope, music box, oilmp, carpets, incense, and other small items. Chen Qi selected all the furniture with a good cost-performance ratio, spending a total of 10,000 Shell Coins. ... Before he realized it, By the time Chen Qi had moved all the furniture onto the houseboat and finished arranging it, it was nearly noon. "Phew..." Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead inside the cabin and looked at his cozy new home. A leather sofa, a decent desk, a brightly new kitchen, and a dining table. Also, a superfortable, soft new bed. Paired with the light scent of incense, the entire room felt exceptionally weing. It was finally looking habitable. The feeling of having a new nest after all that effort was really not bad. Chen Qi smiled wholeheartedly. Bang bang! "Is anyone there?" Someone knocked on the boat door. "?" Chen Qi looked outside. At that moment, An was holding a bag of new things and winked her blue eyes at him. Chapter 47: Chapter 36 Setting Sail, Destination Moonstone City! Chen Qi opened the cabin door: "Good afternoon." "Wow¡ª¡ª" Teacher An walked into the small cabin, curiously scanning the interior of the boat. Yesterday, no matter how one looked at it, it was a dpidated old boat. Now, with furnishings added, although the oldness of the boat hadn''t faded, there was a sense of home. "Nice arrangement. At this pace, you''ll be able to set sail today." Teacher An''s eyes lit up. As a child, she too dreamed of having a boat that could travel to distant divinends. However, after she began practicing magic, shepletely forgot about it. "By the way, I have a gift for you." She then handed over a package to Chen Qi. "?" Chen Qi received the package with a puzzled look and opened it. Inside the package was a g and a piece of paper. The paper was the license for a dining boat. The pattern on the g was one of crossed fork and knife. "This is the dining boat''s g and the dining boat''s license." Chen Qi pped his forehead, almost forgetting about this. On the high seas, pirates have their gs, merchant ships have their gs, and the navy has its gs. To operate a dining boat, you also need to have a g. ording to thew, every boat must have its corresponding g, and forging a g is a serious crime. Unlike the merchant ship''s trading license, since there are few people in the dining boat industry and the money earned is not much, it is very easy to apply for. The sea has its rules, and as a neutral boat with little money, a dining boat is unlikely to attract the interest ofrge vessels. When sailing far, a boat without a g is like a person without clothes; it''s bound to be tricked if it encounters curious vessels. In sum, his little houseboat needed a chef''s attire. Chen Qi thought it over and realized if he were to apply himself, it would take at least two days. By then, the ck-eyed Captain might have made it to Maro Town. "Thank you again, Teacher An." Chen Qi took the g and bowed his thanks. He had to admit, An was indeed a diligent and responsible mentor for neers, having helped him a lot. Maro Town was an exceptionally good starting vige for neers. Teacher An smiled slightly: "No need to thank me. It''s my job, and if you can be a second-order Transcendent, I can collect a substantial reward. Moreover, it''s very important for my own path to transcendence. By the way, when do you n to depart?" "Hmm..." Chen Qi looked out the window. The mes of daylight were burning; it was the middle of the day. He had collected all the bounties he was entitled to, and made all the necessary preparations. Moonstone City was quite a distance from Maro Town. "I guess soon. If I set off now and the timing is right, maybe I''ll reach Moonstone City before the daylightpletely fades." "Is that so..." Teacher An walked to the boat window and looked out to the sea. Now, the sea was covered with the heavy shadow of the sky, making it seem particrly frightening. She had intended to advise Chen Qi to pick a good weather day for sailing. But on second thought, nobody knew how long this weather wouldst. ording to the information she received from the Meteorological Bureau, the weather in the Witch Sea was only going to get worse day by day. Teacher An coughed twice, her expression serious, she couldn''t help but add a few more points: "Also, you must pay attention to the following matters when sailing. First, by no means should you approachrge ships, whether pirate or official; they don''t like any vessels getting close. Second, it''s best to reach shore before nightfall, and if you''re still sailing at night, be sure to pay attention to your lights. Oh, and if you encounter fog, you must also light yourmps. And if youe across a sea beast..." Teacher An suddenly stopped. These were the conclusions of centuries of fishermen''s experience, many dangers could be avoided with experience. But sea beasts were different; most could only be driven off by force. As Chen Qi was sailing alone, hecked the strength to confrontrge sea beasts. Against a creature like the near-shore tyrant, if his boat was spotted, he could only hope for the best. "What should I do if I encounter a sea beast?" Chen Qi asked in a frightened tone. Teacher An''s gaze darkened: "Pray, pray that you don''t encounter a sea beast on your voyage!" "I understand..." Chen Qi prayed silently in his heart. He hoped that the more sea beasts on the way, the better! The best would be like the near-shore tyrant, sensible enough to offer him good things voluntarily! However, most sea beasts probably didn''t have brains as clever as the near-shore tyrant''s. Although the near-shore tyrant had intelligent, wide eyes, simr to a husky''s, it was already considered quite smart amongst sea creatures. After Teacher An gave her instructions, she left the small houseboat and went to the moored merchant ship to discuss the establishment of Maro Town''s defensive facilities with the town mayor and the merchant ship captain. Chen Qi set up the dining boat''s g properly, and also left the small houseboat. There were many ces he needed money, and for now, he couldn''t afford to pay in full for Old Beili''s boat. Chen Qi walked up to Old Beili and squatted down: "I still have some goods I haven''t sold, so I''ll give you twenty thousand Shell Coins for now, and the next time..." "No problem!" Old Bailey immediately said. After the incident with Iron Hand, Old Bailey harbored no more doubts about Chen Qi''s ability to make money. He had thought that Chen Qi was being toyed with by a rich widow in Moonstone City, but he didn''t expect it to be rted to a gang! Although he still thought that Chen Qi going out to sea alone was a very dangerous thing, he kept it to himself, not daring to say it out loud. But if Chen Qi could return sessfully, he would make at least a million! "Then thank you very much." Old Bailey smiled as he took the money: "No, I should be the one thanking you for buying my junk ship. With this money, I can move to Moonstone City earlier and get myself some decent clothes, so I won''t be mocked by my daughter anymore." After discussing the sale of the ship, Chen Qi went to the market once more to buy some ingredients and then returned to his little houseboat. This voyage could take longer than he had anticipated. Immediately after, he started the ship''s engine. Rumble rumble! The engine roared to life, and the brand new propeller began to spin. At this moment, An and the Mayor of Maro Town, who were still on the merchant ship discussing the town''s defenses, heard the sound of the engine. The two of them moved closer to the side of the ship, originally wanting to wish Chen Qi a safe and profitable journey. But given the current conditions at sea, and with Chen Qi going alone, just returning alive would not be easy. It would be normal for him toe back missing an arm or a leg. Being alive was good enough. They waved and said: "Safe travels!" "Alright!" Chen Qi walked out of the cabin and waved goodbye. The little houseboat departed from the dock and headed towards the vast sea. ... ... Above the near sea, the sky gradually darkened. The little houseboat had been sailing for some time. On the way, he had already seen manyrge merchant ships. However, Chen Qi''s primary task on the ship was to enhance his Body Forging Skill through exercise. With the knowledge imparted by the Skill Card, his mastery of the Body Forging Skill improved significantly during the voyage, earning him an additional 2 points of strength. "Huff, huff..." Chen Qi took out some freshwater from the fridge and drank it down. The Body Forging Skill consumed more physical energy than he had expected, and due to excessive exercise, he had also severely injured his muscles. But luckily, he was a Chef with a high constitution and possessed a Self-healing physique, so a little muscle damage was nothing a good sleep couldn''t fix. After sleeping, he could continue practicing! The over-exercised Chen Qi sat on the sofa, picking up the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure map and newspaper to check. He quite liked this world, but unfortunately, there was no inte, only newspapers. Moreover, the ship felt a bit lonely being manned by just one person. Perhaps, I could get a pet. However, ordinary cats and dogs definitely wouldn''t do, they couldn''t adapt to the dangerous voyages, and he couldn''t afford to keep arge Sea Beast yet, for fear of being treated as a heretic. Chen Qi thought to himself. Huff, huff! While he was looking at the map, he faintly heard the piercing sound of wind! Ssh! Another huge ssh sound came through. The sound of something flying? Chen Qi put away the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure map and became suddenly alert. In the Witch Sea, the chances of encountering a steam ne were very slim. It was more likely that he had encountered some kind of bird monster. Apart from Sea Beasts, there were many dangerousrge birds in the Witch Sea. He wasn''t afraid of Sea Beasts, but bird-type monsters posed a great threat to him. If it was a bird-type monster, that could be quite troublesome! Not running into a Sea Beast but first encountering a strange bird? Is my luck really that bad? Chen Qi picked up his Collector, stepped out of the cabin, and looked up into the sky. The sky was overcast. He saw no sign of any birds in the sky. "That''s not right..." Chen Qi gripped his gun and suddenly felt a chill on his back. Behind him, there was a noise, the sound of footsteps. There was something behind him... How did it get there? His little ship was sailing in the open sea, and there were no other vessels around! It was either some strange creature or a master-level person! But if it were a master, what would they want? At least from the outside, his ship didn''t have anything worth stealing. Chen Qi, for a moment, couldn''t figure out what the presence behind him could be. The next moment, a hand was ced on his shoulder. At that moment, the being behind him spat out a mouthful of seawater and, with a weary tone, expressed its thirsty request: "Boss... is your dining boat open for business now?" Chapter 48: Chapter 37: The Newspaper and Miss Miracle "Call me boss? Here for a meal?" "As long as you''re not here to eat me," Chen Qi replied helplessly, turning to look at the person behind him. It was a young woman with wet, golden short hair, dressed in a neat and professional outfit. On her waist, she carried a heavy vintage-style camera and a revolver. Both the pricey camera at her hip and the gold-edged revolver indicated her high social status. A wealthy individual, Chen Qi sized her up from head to toe. Overall, she was a girl with a rather heroic look, and her most striking feature had to be those bright golden eyes. However, her eyes looked somewhat distracted due to her recent fall into water and her hunger, though they usually shone like stars. Camera? Reporter? Photographer? Chen Qi curiously asked, "Um, who are you?" At Chen Qi''s question, the golden-haired woman''s eyes suddenly sparkled, and she burst into exuberant energy as if triggered: "Dove Times'' lead gold-medal journalist, two-time news achievement award winner at Moonstone City, highest-paid reporter and news writer, Pelu Larn. Of course, you can call me by my professional nickname¡ªMiracle Reporter!" Pelu? Miracle? Chen Qi was not good at remembering names, but when he heard ''Miracle Reporter,'' a memory instantly surged through his mind. She seemed to be an actual celebrity! Previously, whether it was An, the ck-eyed Captain, or the slightly famous Little Crow, they were all rtively niche characters in the entire gaming forum. But now, he was dealing with a star whose fame surpassed even that of Witches, with countless titles to her name! King of Trouble, Fearless One, Shell Country Shield, one of the Three Greats of Shell Country Royal University, cheapest informant, with enemies all over, Miracle Reporter Pelu Larn! Chen Qi was secretly shocked. Some people are remembered by yers for their looks, their physique, their character that attracts yers, or their brilliant plot performances. Yet as one of the most famous characters in the Witch Sea segment, Miracle Reporter Pelu Larn did not rely on any of these; it was her iparable presence! As a journalist, she was almost always on the move, riding her little white dove, heading to every major event in Witch Sea! In almost any significant event, one could spot this reporter. Additionally, with her extremely straightforward and explosive trouble-making skills, she left a deep impression on everyone. Take for example her background story in Moonstone City about a corrupt merchant siphoning railway funds. Normally, such a case would require investigating every detail of the corruption, covertly dealing with various powers, and gathering evidence behind the scenes. However, she directly sneaked into the merchant''s mansion, caught him while having an affair, and snappedpromising photos of him. She then used these photos to threaten him, stuffed a microphone in his mouth, and forced a confession out of him! As a seasoned individual, the merchant was not easily coerced into confessing. He even said that if she had the guts to spread the photos around town, it would actually excite him more. Then, a gun was pointed at the merchant''s head. By threatening the merchant, along with her stealthy skills, she sessfully found the evidence hidden in his home and managed to turn an ordinary news story into a sensational headline that rocked Moonstone City in just one day! In short, she was a chaotic journalist who would stop at nothing for the sales of her newspaper! Chen Qi looked again at the drenched kitten in front of him. The Pelu before him, unlike the schrly journalist in spectacles on her newspaper, was a stark contrast. A ssic case of photogenic deceit. At that moment, Pelu''s stomach growled and she asked weakly, "So¡­ boss, is this restaurant open? I''ve been running around all day and am about to starve..." "Yeah, it''s open." Chen Qi entered the boat house, tidying up the kitchen. He might as well entertain the guest. This was a significant figure with strong trouble-making skills; getting involved with her would likely bring some minor troubles. But in Moonstone City, many reporters had awork of information even broader than that of the informants. They roamed every part of the city, trying all means to gather material for big news. And as Moonstone City''s most famous reporter, Pelu also knew a lot of information and had arge number of informants. And most importantly, unlike the mysterious and enigmatic informants, she was talkative, a bbermouth. A lot of the expensive information she could let slip easily. Therefore, among the yers, she had the titles of ''cheapest informant'' and ''Riddle Informant yer.'' If you wanted information, seeking her out was a very good choice. Of course, she constantly flitted around, and finding her depended on a bit of luck. Chen Qi walked into the boat house and opened the refrigerator: "What would you like to eat?" Pelu entered the boat house, looked at his modestly stocked fridge, and said: "This boat house is so small. And only this much food? And I don''t even like any of these ingredients. Are you really a chef? Can you even cook properly?" The poor decoration and limited food made Pelu furrow her brow, but given her hunger, she''d have to make do. "I can handle it." Being underestimated in cooking, Chen Qi held back his urge to retort. On the surface, Pelu''s spiritual power seemed very weak, just a Transcendent of the First Order who was a bit bold and had strong backing. Chapter 49: Chapter 37: The Newspaper and Miss Miracle_2 But in fact, ording to information from the gaming forums, her Transcendent rank was unclear, and her ability to withstand hits was extremely strong. Her true strength should be on the level of a boss, belonging to the type that perfectly hid her own strength. Chen Qi took out the ingredients and said, "The shop has just opened, and although there aren''t many ingredients, the taste is still eptable, and I can make dishes with chili peppers." "Oh, you have that vor too!" Perlu''s eyes sparkled instantly; she loved spicy food, the thrill! "Everything in your fridge, as long as it has chili peppers, I want it all! Also, bring four raw fish; my pet needs to eat." "Pet?" "Yes, and my little white dove!" Saying this, Perlu walked to the side of the boat, bent down, and reached into the water. With a ssh, she pulled a one-meter-tall pigeon from the seawater. This wasn''t an illusion or a case of objects appearingrger up close; it was genuinely a veryrge pigeon! The sshing sound just now had been made by this pigeon. A light flickered in Chen Qi''s eyes; his main ount before crossing over was as a Pet Beast Trainer in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. He knew a vast amount of information about pet beasts and could be considered a human-shaped pet encyclopedia. Traveling pigeon, a traveling-ss exotic beast capable of carrying people during flight, with a strong sense of direction and stamina, is a pet worth at least ten million Shell Coins. Those who could afford the traveling pigeon were all wealthy individuals. Chen Qi picked up four raw fish and held them in front of the great white pigeon: "A raw fish for fifty Shell Coins, a total of two hundred." The hungry great white pigeon, teary-eyed, ate the fish. In Maro Town, selling a raw fish for twenty Shell Coins was already considered expensive. Hearing this price, Perlu''s eyes sparkled once more as she crossed her arms and said: "That''s way too cheap! A conscience, boss, feed my little white dove two more, never mind, it should have had enough, and it''s too fat now, just fry me two instead!" The white dove let out a cry of sorrow, feeling that its owner still hadn''t understood why it fell into the water. A conscience? Chen Qi was a bit surprised; his price was double the market rate. The restaurant at sea was just like those at tourist spots, often a bit pricier. But judging from Perlu''s tone, he had still set his prices too low. Chen Qi decisively took out more ingredients from the fridge. He was a chef, after all, and had used the rare "Devil Pepper" spice, so setting the prices a little higher shouldn''t be a problem. So he set dishes, which cost under twenty to make, at over one hundred each! Perlu sat down on a dining chair, touched her nose, and waved her hand: "The dishes in your little fridge, use your best spices and best cooking skills, I want them all!!" "No problem." Soon, a few fragrant dishes were served. As Chen Qi cooked, he casually chatted with Perlu. He wanted to gather some information about Moonstone City through Perlu. However, as someone who talked non-stop, she didn''t give him a chance to interject. She soon wore a mysterious expression: "Boss, you''re in luck today!" "?" Perlu was a person with a strong desire to share. To extract information from Perlu''s mouth, you hardly needed to ask deliberately. She would spill the information herself. Perlu casually picked up a bottle of wine from the table, drank from it, and excitedly said: "Meeting me today means, you''ll know the big news from the White Dove Newspaper tomorrow before anyone else in the Witch Sea!" "What''s the big news?" She immediately said: "The Flower Witch and the news about the ck Whale Group!" "Oh." Chen Qi quietly cooked. Although she was a well-known journalist, the information he knew about these two matters might not be less than what this journalist knew. "Why does it feel so perfunctory?" Perl looked at Chen Qi, seeing that he was someone with strict demands on the explosiveness of news. But that didn''t matter, the information she was about to share would shock this small business owner! "Ah, about to gain another fan," Perl raised her head slightly at thirty degrees and then angled her face slightly: "Hmph, boss, what I''m about to tell you is top-secret news." The ck Whale Group and the Blood de Pirate Group are both chasing the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter! Based on the information I''ve gathered so far, this treasure hunt isn''t just a rumor¡ªthe treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter really exists!" "This is something I obtained at the risk of my life." "Oh." Chen Qi continued cooking, replying nomittally. Damn, can''t this even shock you! It seemed that this small business owner didn''t care about the treasures of the high seas... Perl coughed twice, preparing to casually drop another bombshell: "Did you know, just yesterday, on a cruise ship, there was a sighting of the Flower Witch, and ording to the intelligence I''ve gathered, the ck Whale Group is tracking not only the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter but also the Witch!" "Hmm?" Chen Qi''s tone changed slightly. Atst, some useful information¡ªthe Flower Witch knew the secrets of the Witch Sea and was thus a target of many powers in the game. The ck Whale Group tracking the Flower Witch so early was indeed something he hadn''t known. But that was it. Seeing Chen Qi''s tepid response, Perl felt a bit frustrated, but then quickly assumed a mysterious expression: "Boss, do you know what I''m going to do next?" She was not only good at leaking others'' information but also her own. "What?" Chen Qi asked, finding her more talkative than he had imagined. Perl smiled slightly: "I''ve decided to track down the ck-eyed Captain and the cmity-symbolizing Raven Ship Doctor of the Sawshark from the ck Whale Group and interview them to uncover the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter!" Her original n was to have a meal back in Moonstone City, but the White Dove Newspaper''s intelligencework had spotted the Sawshark. Daring indeed¡ªfor a pirate ship toe near the waters near their Moonstone City! She made a quick decision, skipping her meal to track down the Sawshark. Once she got the secret of the ck Whale Group from them, she would definitely shock him, shock the seas! Perl''s imagination was quite vivid; she could already picture Chen Qi conceding to her personal charm, then offering her ''lifetime free meals''. "That is certainly fresh news." Chen Qi said. The Sawshark was chasing him, and the reporterdy was chasing the Sawshark. If the ck-eyed Captain and the little Crow got tangled up with this trouble-making reporter, they might temporarily set aside their ns to find him. It was good news, and Chen Qi continued serving food. In the course of their cheerful conversation, the ravenous Perl had already devoured an entire table''s worth of dishes. Her appetite could match that of two grown men. After eating, she had shaken off her drenched appearance and was brimming with energy again. "Delicious! Delicious!" Perly back in her chair, patting her stomach, showing an expression of pleasure. She hadn''t expected to be so lucky as to encounter a dining ship after falling overboard. Initially, she thought it was a ship set up to rip people off. But who would have thought it would be so delicious! "What on earth do you add to it!" Perl praised unrestrainedly: "Boss, your cooking isn''t too shabby. Next time, I''ll bring my friends from the newspaper here to eat." Chen Qi had already tallied up the dishes on the table and said to Perl with a smile: "Including two bottles of wine, that''s three thousand Shell Coins." "Three thousand Shell Coins! Boss, that''s a bargain! If you renovate a bit more and get a bigger ship, I think charging five thousand wouldn''t be a problem." The generous Perl stood up, patting her waist, trying to find an important item called ''wallet.'' Hmm, why isn''t it there? "Um, um, my money was all washed away by the water. How about I give you an autograph? I am quite famous, and my signature is really valuable." "What?" Chapter 50: Chapter 38 The Mysterious Cloaked Figure "Is this guy seriously ill?" Chen Qi looked speechlessly at Perlu. Everyone, whether yers or people from the Witch Sea, called her Miss Miracle or Miracle Reporter. Because everyone unanimously agreed that her being alive was a miracle. Perlu lowered her head and took out her backpack card, trying to find something around three thousand Shell Coins to cover the bill. Unfortunately, there was nothing; every single item in her backpack card was more than ten thousand Shell Coins! Such are the troubles of being rich, Perlumented in her heart. Chen Qi was uninterested in signatures. Undoubtedly, with Perlu''s fame, her signature could sell for more than three thousand Shell Coins without a problem. But the key point was that selling signatures was a troublesome matter in itself. Chen Qi thought for a moment and asked straightforwardly, "Miss Perlu, if you''re short of money, I would like some information on the cracks in Moonstone City." "Information on the cracks in Moonstone City? You''re going to the crack?" Perlu was slightly startled. "Yes." A Chef is typically a support profession, and under normal circumstances, they rarely take the initiative to go to the cracks. In her stereotype, Chefs earned money to buy Transcendent vocational equipment from merchants. Perlu thought about it and wiped the oil from her mouth. This little restaurant may not look like much, but it''s quite delicious, she even thought abouting for a second and third time! She couldn''t leave the impression of a diner who skips the check, and besides, it would harm her reputation! She took out a business card and handed it to Chen Qi: "This is my business card, if you want information about the crack, you can take this card and ask the shop owner of the White Dove Newspaper kiosk. "They should know plenty of information about the crack, and with my card, as long as the information isn''t too secret, they''ll tell you." Key item obtained! Chen Qi epted the business card. This card could be truly valuable, as having it would lower the difficulty of gathering information by at least fifty percent. It was so simple to acquire, Perlu truly deserved her reputation as the best at freeload info from the Witch Sea. Before leaving, Perlu said to Chen Qi, "By the way, boss, though this is just my guess, I believe that the vanished Flower Witch might have already sneaked into our Moonstone City. Unfortunately, my energy is limited, and I must first pursue the Sawshark. If you have information about the Witch, the ck Whale Group, or any other big news, you can go to the ce on the card, and based on the information you provide, our newspaper will reward you." "If the news is big enough, our [newspaper], might even offer you a lifelong worry-freebor contract." "Alright." Chen Qi agreed. Normally, this type of card is given by well-known reporters to their informants. But Perlu was somewhat casual with it. For now, the newspaper hasn''t stopped her from handing out her business cards like this. Perlu walked out of the boathouse, patting herrge white dove, and left the small houseboat happily. ... Before long, Chen Qi also left the boathouse. Rumble! Loud rumbling sounds continuously erupted near his ears. In the vicinity, he could already see a multitude of steel giants and travel ships, countless vessels like scattered stars advancing towards the harbor. "A thousand ships passing by..." Chen Qi mused as the scene before him couldn''t bepared at all with the one in Maro Town. As the small houseboat moved on, a gigantic city gradually came into view. Chen Qi looked into the distance. He could see a vast city wall and lots of ck, smoke-belching chimneys. "Moonstone City..." Its scale was farrger than anything he had imagined. In front of Moonstone City was arge port. Unlike the deteriorating docks of Maro Town, with the arrival of the Crack Tide, the port of Moonstone City was even more prosperous. Whether it was travel ships arriving at Moonstone City or adventure ships setting out to sea, the numbers were increasing. At the surge of the tide, the whole Moonstone City was presenting a scene of unprecedented prosperity! Chen Qi docked his small houseboat at the crowded harbor, stepped through the city gates, and walked towards the interior of Moonstone City. Moonstone City, in the name of trade, had set up numerous shops in the square not far from the city gates. Newsboys, Bounty Hunters, Merchants, Workers, Gang Members all passed him by continuously. "So easy to get pickpocketed here..." Chen Qi tightly grasped the backpack card inside his clothes and walked towards the center of the square. A grand clock tower stood at the center, adorned with intricate gears and clocks at its top, emitting sonorous chimes. And around the square, myriad shops and booths were in sight, from delicate craft stores to various firearm stores, Potion stores, adult shops. There were also plenty of hiring advertisements and many seemingly great opportunities. These opportunities often trap those unfamiliar with Moonstone City. A slight misstep, and you could lose your kidneys. Chen Qi scanned the surrounding shops. Most of the good stuff, he couldn''t afford just yet. Chen Qi went to a weapon store, sold the mechanical arm of Iron Hand, and some useless regted knives from his backpack card. If a mechanical arm is chopped off, the important parts that connect to the nerves will be seriously damaged, thus greatly reducing its price. The rusty mechanical arm sold for forty thousand, the useless controlled items for twenty thousand, a total of sixty thousand. As for the Devil''s Pepper and other spices, selling these would require a trip to the shops in the city center, which is quite a distance away. Chen Qi immediately spent all this money at the weapon store. He bought an anti-strike bulletproof vest to enhance his defense, four me grenades, and some bullets. At the same time, since he had a feud with the ck Rabbit Gang of Moonstone City, he bought a Hunter''s garment that could cover his face to conceal his identity. In the spiritually and geographically advantaged Moonstone City, it was quitemon to see people wrapped up tightly. He had spent another thirty thousand Shell Coins in the blink of an eye. After some simple shopping, Chen Qi started towards his destination, the crack where the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure was buried. ording to the treasure information, the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure was located in a crack in the civilian area of the inner part of Moonstone City. Moonstone City is also a city where prosperity and decay coexist. Beyond themercial district and the wealthy area lies the civilian district. Compared to the bustlingmercial district, the civilian area is much quieter and also reeks of kerosene and garbage. The police resources in the civilian area are extremely poor, reced instead by arge number of gangs engaged in criminal activities. On the ground, fresh bullet casings can still be seen. Clearly, a shootout had taken ce here not long ago. Chen Qi nned to first ascertain the situation with the crack. After the Crack Tide subsides, the crack revives. As expected, the crack where the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure was buried should have reopened as well. As long as the malformation degree is not zero, after being cleared, it requires at least three days to cool down. And if someone else enters the crack before him, then he would have to wait for the next opportunity. "Hopefully, the crack will leave a spot open for me..." Chen Qi thought to himself. Before he knew it, he had already reached the vicinity of the location indicated by the treasure map. Looking into the distance, on a ruinous wall, a huge wormhole was slowly squirming, as if it was about to open its massive maw at any moment. This was his destination for this trip! "This size, it''s arge crack..." The moment Chen Qi saw the size of the wormhole, he couldn''t help but frown. Arge crack would likely take a month to reopen. If he missed this opportunity, he would have to wait a month. And next to the wormhole, at least thirty Hunters armed with guns were guarding the wormhole crack. Outside the wormhole, gang members were wielding firearms, like guards protecting a vault. "Everyone, this is an area protected by us, you are not allowed to approach this ce without our permission!" "Only after our people have gone in, and you have paid your entry fee, will you be entitled to enter the crack!" "Complete inspiration enlightenment information, obtained by professionals with over twenty-five inspirations, fifty thousand Shell Coins a copy!" "Crack generation, specialized me throwers for one hundred thousand each, with a free ticket included!" "Fully armed retired soldier bodyguards, twenty thousand Shell Coins a day!" It seemed that gang members had already imed this publd as their own territory, preemptively seizing the crack. They were trying to make a big profit through extortion. The situation was more serious than he had imagined. Chen Qi scanned the surroundings. Apart from the gang members stationed at the wormhole entrance, there were also lone hunters like him, quietly waiting for an opportunity. Arge crack would attract many people. Chen Qi looked back and saw an informant holding a newspaper near the newsstand on the street. The informant was likely affiliated with the newsstand. The White Dove Newspaper report kiosks are extremelymon within Moonstone City. Let''s see how effective Pelu''s business card is... Chen Qi walked along the street towards it, ready to fish for some information. But before he could reach the newsstand, he suddenly heard the sounds of chewing and wriggling in his ears. Such a fragrant scent¡ª Chen Qi turned his head. In the grass next to him, it seemed there was someone! He saw a person in a grey cloak wriggling in the bushes, seemingly eating something. The writhing yet graceful figure, the twisting buttocks, the grey cloak covering the entire body. Could it be a ghoul! Chen Qi immediately thought of something and became alert, stepping back cautiously while curiously watching the person in the grey cloak. The cloaked person noticed the gaze and stopped their actions, turning their head to look at him. In the dim light, the face under the cloak waspletely obscured... But judging by the body shape and skin? It seemed to be a woman? Chen Qi took the initiative: "Excuse me, may I ask what you''re eating?" Unexpectedly, instead of smelling any blood, he caught a whiff of a faint medicinal scent. "Hmm..." The cloaked person seemed startled by Chen Qi, with their bandage-wrapped hands flusteredly moving on the ground. Chen Qi assessed the other party while taking another step back. She seemed to be struggling with what to say in this situation to maintain an air of elegance and mystery. After a long silence, she slowly replied: "You... there''s no need to be surprised, I am absorbing the natural essence of the earth..." "Eating grass?" "Hmm..." Chapter 51: Chapter 39 Are you really not hungry? The cloaked figure tilted their head up slightly and said softly: "Do you know? In the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, the earth is seen as the foundation of life and the mother of all things; it is the starting point for all living creatures. On the annual Day of Prayer, there are rituals of kissing the earth to thank the Mother Goddess. During the ceremony, flowers and grass are considered the most primal gifts from the earth to humankind, and those who follow the ts of the flower also kiss the blossoms and the grass. I was not eating grass just now; I was kissing the earth!" "???" Chen Qi frowned and nced at the few des of grass on the corner of the other person''s mouth. What is she talking about? You call this a kiss? You kissed it right into your mouth? The Floral Appearance symbolizes elements such as nature, pleasure, art, and beauty. Chen Qi remembered that some professions with the Floral Appearance indeed have skills like healing through eating grass or photosynthesis. But grass, especially the random kind, is really hard to eat. And mentioning it is not very elegant. Her wriggling appearancecked the grace that the ceremony should have. "Are you sure you''re not just hungry?" Chen Qi asked curiously, as he still had some food in his backpack. "No." The cloaked woman hesitated for a moment before answering resolutely. Fine... Chen Qi wasn''t surprised by the response. In such a ce where order was imbnced, few would ept food from a stranger. When hungry, many would rather eat grass. The cloaked woman''s ability to stave off hunger was extraordinary; he nced at the massive portal and swiftly changed the subject: "Are you also here to join in on this crack?" Chen Qi looked around. In the vicinity of this street, many civilians had run far away due to the issues with factions. The people who could stay nearby were either those joining the crack or those selling information or equipment. Chen Qi thought for a moment: "I''m a Chef, and I want to see if I can earn some money nearby." "A Chef! Really?" The cloaked woman was startled, she swallowed hard, immediately envisioning a deliciously fragrant cake in her mind. She suspected that the other person might have realized she was very hungry and was just teasing her! Suddenly, Chen Qi noticed some peculiar changes on the cloaked woman. The cloak covering her head inexplicably bulged slightly, like ocean waves! What''s going on? Can her hair move? Or is it undting flesh? Chen Qi was shocked. It immediately brought to mind the creatures in many games that used cloaks to cover their terrifying forms! These creatures were invariably hidden BOSS-level characters. Upon closer inspection, this person had their entire body wrapped up tight. And the revealed arms and legs were also entwined with bandages. The cloak was pulled so low, it was impossible to see the upper half of the face. A very mysterious person... Chen Qi''s curiosity was piqued and he felt an urge to lift her cloak. Unfortunately, he was not strong enough and it would be rude, so he had to suppress the impulse to lift her cloak for now. Based on his gaming experience, the moment the other person removed the cloak, it could likely trigger a terrifying second phase. The cloaked woman seemed to realize the strange bulges on her cloak, and she turned her head toward the direction of the portal, speaking mysteriously: "It looks like you are a neer to the crack. Let me warn you, within that crack, unimaginable terror awaits." As soon as she finished speaking, the cloaked woman patted the dust off her body and walked towards the street. "Huh?" What terror? Chen Qi watched the back of the cloaked woman. She left after dropping a cryptic line. ``` Damned, he''d run into a cursed riddler! From the recent situation, it seemed that the hooded woman was, like him, preparing to enter the rift alone. Moreover, she most likely harbored many secrets. In Moonstone City, there was no shortage of people with secrets. "Might as well go gather some intelligence first..." Chen Qi took out his ''reporter'' business card and walked towards the newspaper stand up ahead. The newsstand was built next to a weapon shop, and the area around it was dimly lit and hazy. The owner behind the disy window was a hairy old man with a pair of gold-rimmed sses. He squinted his eyes and asked in a thick voice, "What kind of newspaper would you like, sir? We have the Witch Times, the freshly printed White Dove Times, or the Man''s Times that covers the lives of the famous. Of course, we also have some newspapers that expose the wonderful curves of the human body." Chen Qi stated bluntly, "I''m looking for information about that rift." The old man adjusted his sses, "Newspapers about the rift, sir, will cost a bit more than normal ones, but it''ll be cheaper if you''re a member of the press." The old man made a five with his hand. Five thousand Shell Coins... Not too expensive. Chen Qi thought for a moment then handed over Pelu''s business card, "With this card, how much will it be?" He wondered how much of a discount Pelu''s fame could fetch. The old man bent his head, nced at it, and clenched his fist, "Pelu again..." The kind old man''s eyes suddenly held a trace of deep resentment. Chen Qi frowned. From his expression, it seemed that the fame of miracle reporter Pelu wasn''t as useful as he had imagined. After all, the business cards Pelu had spread around were not thousands, they were at least in the hundreds. Even the best things would lose their value if they became toomon. Chen Qi reached out his hand, ready to fork over some money¡ªpaying for information felt more secure. But the next second, the old man interrupted him, "No, sir, with the business card, there''s no need to pay an additional fee. That''s the rule of our profession, even when ites to that small... lovely Pelu, rules are rules." The old man wouldn''t take the money? Chen Qi stopped his motion of paying. You see, the old man could have easily pocketed the money without anyone being the wiser. This organization known as the ''press'' was even more disciplined than he had imagined. The old man popped his head out from behind the disy, making sure no one was around, and whispered, "Sir, rest assured, the press can always be trusted. The rift you''re about to enter is said to be more dangerous than you can imagine, but of course, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. That''s why people from the ck Rabbit Gang and the Stray Dog Gang are guarding in front of the rift." "Go on." "The rift you''re heading to is called the Hunting Grounds, a de Phase rift. It''s a major rift, one of the highest-grade E-ss rifts. First Order Transcendents are allowed to enter, with a maximum of fifty people, and there''s also one supervisor who can join the ranks of the monsters." The time the rift opens is at noon tomorrow. Of course, you are probably already aware of this information." The Hunting Grounds... Chen Qi took note of this; he had a deep impression of this type of rift. The old man pulled out a newspaper and continued, "The following information will cost a bit of money. ording to ancient archives, this rift was opened ten years ago. At that time, a powerful gang leader discovered a hidden treasure guarded by a monster within the rift. Unfortunately, due to excessive exhaustion, the gang leader was defeated by the monster guarding the treasure and died within the rift. Latter, when the rift''s anomaly level dropped to zero, it was permanently closed and that treasure became unattainable. This event gradually fell into oblivion." "But now, the Winds of Tides have blown away the dusty fog, allowing many objects buried by history to re-emerge." Immediately afterward, the old man''s gaze shifted to the fully armed treasure hunters in the distance, "That''s why there are so many people interested in this rift. Those heading there include hunters seasoned in such expeditions." "ording to my guess, those lone figures ahead, as well as the mysterious cloaked person you just encountered, are here for that treasure without a doubt." ``` Chapter 52: Chapter 40: Hunting Grounds Chen Qi nced at the area near the wormhole. There were about thirty members of the faction in front of the wormhole, and probably ten Hunters who hade here alone. In total, there were about forty people. ording to the intelligence, most of these forty people hade for the treasure mentioned by the old man. They hade for that treasure? Is the treasure you''re talking about the same one I''m looking for? If they really knew it was the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, those guarding this ce wouldn''t be faction members. They would be mercenaries specially trained by big corporations, or even special operatives from Shell Country! The treasure mentioned in the old man at the newspaper''s intelligence isn''t likely the same treasure he was looking for. Chen Qi looked curious and wanted to know more information: "Is there more?" The old man adjusted his sses: "Of course, when ites to gathering intelligence, we are professionals, even Shell Country''s official intelligence organizations might notpare with us." "ording to the information we''ve gathered, to obtain that special treasure, one must first obtain a key from the creature initially encountered. As for the treasure location..." A key... The Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure information did not involve a key. "The chances are high it''s not the Hunter''s treasure." Chen Qi made a preliminary judgment in his mind. Then, the old man leaned slightly forward, scrutinizing Chen Qi in detail: "Guest, the information I''m about to tell you is crucial." "This treasure location is only known to the chosen overseer." An overseer? Chen Qi had participated in simr cracks. In simple terms, there would be a ''werewolf'' character whose goals differed from normal yers. They would need to hunt those participating in the crack to earn greater rewards. To obtain this treasure, one must defeat the first monster encountered and also extract the treasure location from the overseer. Chen Qi said: "Sounds quite troublesome." After finishing the intelligence report, the old man adjusted his sses and scrutinized Chen Qi from head to toe: "Guest, the identity of this overseer has already been predetermined by the ck Rabbit gang. For this crack journey, the ck Rabbit gang and the Wild Dog gang, two factions at loggerheads, have already joined forces." "The crack can amodate up to fifty-one people, but because of some issues, ck Rabbit gang''s manpower is limited; together, they amount to only thirty people. That means, you canpletely ignore those squatting in front of the crack and just enter." With no issue regarding the number of people, there''s no need to queue up here anymore. Chen Qi took a deep breath. At this moment, the old man at the newspaper almost finished sharing the intelligence and kindly reminded: "Guest, you''re outnumbered and not well-suited to contend for the treasure," "Moreover, this crack has a high probability of dimensional distortion, further decreasing your survival rate." "But if you''re just aiming to pass through the crack and remain cautious, your chances of surviving should be about fifty percent." Fifty percent, the old man cited a not-so-high figure. He could see that Chen Qi''s capabilities were somewhat above those of a regr First Order Transcendent. But due to the involvement of the gangs and the high rate of distortion, the difficulty of this crack far exceeded that of a rank E crack. If any unforeseen circumstances urred, the survival rate would only be lower than fifty percent. "Thanks, I''ll be careful," Chen Qi nodded. His primary goal was the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, not the treasure they were talking about. The opponent''s intelligence was still very useful. Chen Qi asked again: "Thanks, is there really nothing you need?" The old man smiled: "No need, rules are rules. By the way, guest, if you have useful intelligence, you can contribute to our newspaper. Depending on the value of your intelligence, we will reward you. If it''s valuable enough, we might even provide you with rare weapons that are hard to find on the market. Just like the appearance of the woman in the cloak just now, my gut tells me, beneath her cloak lies not an ordinary appearance, possibly wriggling flesh or a body harboring insects. Of course, safety alwayses first, guest, you''d best maintain some distance from her." "I understand, your newspaper only wants intelligence? You don''t ept anything else?" Chen Qi asked. Many intelligence organizations also endorse a ''fencing'' side business. If he could get in touch with them, perhaps he could deal with some contraband. The old man raised an eyebrow: "No, we don''t ept other things, intelligence is what we, the followers of the Lamp Phase in this city, seek." "Lamp..." Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. In Shell Country, it was rare to see Transcendents who followed the Lamp''s Creed. The Lamp symbolized hope, guidance, light, exploration, and other elements. As expected, the newspaper organization behind Pelu was a quite powerful Lamp Phase organization! The newspaper editor in front of him picked up a newspaper and finally said, "May your journey through the crack go smoothly." "And may your business prosper," replied Chen Qi. After gathering intelligence, Chen Qi left the crack point. The crack would open at noon tomorrow, which gave him time to prepare. The most important piece of information he got from the elderly newspaper person was the name of the crack: "Hunting Ground." Hunting Ground was a fairlymon type of crack. Each Hunting Ground had a different terrain, but the types of monsters and some processes within the cracks remained the same. As a strategy content creator, he knew some special ways toplete the challenges! If human factors were excluded, this crack would be a piece of cake for him. In the Hunting Ground, it was possible to attract some monsters'' attention with food. Without hesitation, Chen Qi went to a mall and bought some ingredients needed for the Hunting Ground, as well as some cooking utensils, and some poisons that he might need. If he were lucky enough to obtain special Transcendent ingredients inside the crack, he could cook them right on the spot. Then, Chen Qi returned to the small travel boat and began practicing the Body Forging Skill. With the aid of the Body Forging Skill and the Transcendent ingredients, his body had begun to show some modest muscle definitions. After a night of practice, his strength increased by two points, and the punch he threw produced a slight whistling sound. ... The next day. Chen Qi got up early and once again came to the street where the crack''s entrance was located. The chaotic street was littered with overturned garbage bins, tables and cabs thrown onto the street, along with disordered clothes, and many fresh bullet casings. Boom boom boom! Chen Qi looked up. The crack was about to open, the wormhole''s pulsation frequency growingrger, and the surrounding walls and ground continually cracking open. A giant maw linking to another world was about to open! Chen Qi stood on the street, scanning his surroundings. Among the gang members, there was a man d in light steam armor. Beyond the gang members, there were also numerous tall Hunters wielding powerful shotguns and wearing heavy fur armors. The cloaked woman from yesterday was also present. Hmm? The weeds on her mouth were still there. Without exception, greed and madness shone in their eyes. A journey through the crack could change a person''s fate. Just then, a member of the ck Rabbit Gang, holding a shotgun, eyed all the non-gang members present with a greedy look. At this point, many people had not paid the ''entry fee''. They needed to find an easy target to extract a little entry fee. "You! You look pretty weak!" The member of the ck Rabbit Gang nced at the cloaked woman, noting her slender female frame, intending to extort money from her. But suddenly, he noticed a strange bulge under her cloak and backed off. Weird stuff, better not mess with it! The cloaked woman breathed a sigh of relief, nced at Chen Qi, who was not far from her position. After her, the next easy target would be Chen Qi. Here it came, his focus shifted to Chen Qi. The ck Rabbit Gang member, holding a shotgun menacingly, walked over to Chen Qi and said, "Damn it! Hey, this crack is ours. If you want to enter, you must pay the entry fee!" Being targeted, huh... Chen Qi silently shook his head. He despised gang members. Although these guys were not strong, they were very good at outnumbering their prey. "Hey, did you hear me? This is our crack, stepping into our territory means you have to pay! We charge fifty thousand. But you haven''t shown us the respect we deserve, so including the respect fee, you owe us eighty thousand! Eighty thousand!" The short member of the ck Rabbit Gang moved closer, stretching his neck and threatening again. Chen Qi lowered his head, revealing icy eyes, "The crack is already open. Instead of worrying about money, you''d better worry about your own life." The weaker you appear to gang members, the more ruthlessly they bully you. "It''s open?" The member of the ck Rabbit Gang was stunned, suddenly turning his head back. At that moment, the giant mouth on the wall burst open with a fierce roar, and the surrounding walls and ground instantly shattered. With a loud bang! An intense storm swept across the street in an instant! Within that gaping maw, the faint shadow of another world could be seen. At the moment of opening, all those present instantly felt the enlightenment of the crack! The intelligence was right! Within this crack, there indeed were objects that could change one''s fate! In an instant, ten fully armed Transcendents, ignoring the watchful eyes of the gang members, charged into the crack like rampaging bulls! Chapter 53: Chapter 41: Crack Distortion! "Damn, I hate you gangsters the most!" Two tall Hunters cursed while beating up the members of the ck Rabbit Gang, then squeezed into the crack. The ck Rabbit Gang had fabricated a limit on the number of spots in the hunting ground to earn ticket money through this false information. ording to Shell Country''s Crack Management Law, no organization or individual may monopolize a crack without permission, nor can they arbitrarily guide the deformation of a crack. Although the ck Rabbit Gang had recently received funding from an unknown force, increasing their strength, they still didn''t qualify for the operating rights of a crack. Nobody wanted to hand over their money to the gang for nothing. If you''re unsatisfied, just fight! The ck Rabbit Gang, in order to assert dominance, instantly started battling with these Hunters. Da-da-da-da! Gunfire rang out! Due to this false information, the scene became extremely chaotic for a while! "The fighting is really intense..." Chen Qi took out the backpack card''s collector, ced it on his waist, and leisurely walked towards the crack entrance. The numbers were sufficient; even if he was thest to enter, there would be no problem. And right in front of him, the cloaked woman also seemed to be enjoying the chaos, walking briskly and leisurely towards the crack. The two of them entered the crack at an unhurried pace. Chen Qi followed behind the main group, passed through the mouth of the wiggling walls, and entered a dark tunnel. As he stepped through the dark tunnel, a sea breeze blew from afar. Shush, shush, shush! Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting its glow on his face. [You have entered an E-rank crack, inspiration identification in progress...] Identification sess! [Crack name: Hunting Ground (Ind Forest) Rank: E Description: After a night of the Smiling Moon, all the wolves in the forest mutated into terrifying red wolves. Tonight, the old Hunter has gathered ''you'' neers to hunt the red wolves in the forest. Clear condition: Complete the old Hunter''s mission or survive for three days. Special clear condition: Kill the hidden monster in the forest (you are aware that this monster is the old Hunter.) Deformation rate: 31% (High deformation rate, this crack is more dangerous, please be cautious.) Crack rank limit: Except for overseers, only First Order or lower Transcendents can enter this crack. Nature Form: de Inspiration: You see the old Hunter staring nkly at the red wolves'' blood, a look of craving in his eyes. Then, he slowly looks at you and raises his hunting rifle. Special Inspiration: You see in the depths of an ind''s center, at a dark cave, a giant water ball expanding.] Chen Qi quickly scanned the inspirations before him. Two points were noteworthy, one being the ''water ball'' inspiration. This inspiration should be rted to the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, revealing a location to him. The second point was the 31% deformation rate! The higher the deformation rate, the higher the danger of the crack. For normal low-level cracks, the deformation rate remains between 10% to 20%. A 31% deformation rate meant the crack was far more dangerous than a typical E-rank, possibly even reaching D-rank levels. Simply put, it was a high-difficulty elite stage! Chen Qi had seen how deformation hunting grounds presented themselves. For high deformation rates in hunting grounds, it was highly likely the supposedly friendly old Hunter would transform into a monster and directly attack the yers. However, the greater the risk, the greater the reward. High deformation rate cracks offered far greater rewards uponpletion, typically ensuring rare-level Skill Cards or higher. By now, the participants ahead of him had gathered in a broad clearing within the forest. They needed to receive the old Hunter''s mission here. During the old Hunter''s absence, they started discussing. Two Hunters, one short and one fat, were particrly loud in their conversation. "Damn it! A 31% deformation rate, is this really an E-rank crack''s level?" "Crack deformation, this rare urrence, and we just had to encounter it!" "Yeah, did you feel it? Red eyes are staring at us... This is an unforeseen emergency, we might need to team up!" "Team up? It''s just a deformation, I''ve been prepared for it." "Prepared? What did you prepare for, so confident?" "Hahaha! I already bought arge insurance policy! You didn''t, did you?" "Hah! That''s nothing, I spent all my money and fulfilled my wishes before entering this crack; you didn''t, did you?" "..." What kind of strangepetition is this? Are you really nning to make it out alive? Chen Qi overheard their conversation, thinking that in this serious setting, how did two jokers slip in? Unlike in the game, they didn''t know about the deformation before entering the crack! This was a typical emergency situation. Chen Qi stood at the back of the crowd, thanks to the inspiration, he already knew where the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure was hidden. At this moment, a tall figure appeared at the edge of the forest: "Everyone''s here, looks like we have a bunch of newbies." This was a Hunter standing two meters tall, draped in a wolf skin coat, holding a hunting rifle and a bone saw. His aged face, bulging muscles, and scars told the years of battling with nature. He was the issuer of this crack''s mission and the hidden BOSS¡ª the old Hunter! All eyes fell on this muscr Hunter. The old Hunter wiped his precious hunting gun with a cloth and spoke to the crowd: "Since you''re here, you should know what''s happening in this forest. Bring me two live red wolves, and your hunting mission will be aplished. Then you can leave this ce." [Mission received¡ªHunt Red Wolves Description: Deliver two live red wolves to the old Hunter toplete the mission.] The crack''s deformation changed the task from hunting red wolves to capturing two of them alive. Upon hearing this, everyone looked troubled. Their weapons were all designed forrge-scale damage. Capturing live wolves was several times harder than killing them! At this point, a scar-faced man in a light ck mecha stepped forward, aiming to be the leader of the group: "Are you sure you need them alive? Dead ones won''t do?" The old Hunter replied sternly: "No! I need to hand the red wolves over to the Doctor to study the cause of their mutation, only then can wepletely eradicate the forest''s monsters." "Alright! Leave it to us!" The confident scar-faced man responded. Loading his hunting rifle, the old Hunter continued: "Now, to supervise your missionpletion and to maintain the forest''s bnce, I need to select a supervisor to oversee you along with me!" After receiving the mission, the second phase of the instance was: "Selecting a supervisor." This supervisor was appointed by the old Hunter and, typically, he would choose the person who appeared the strongest! The old Hunter''s eyes widened as he began scanning the forty-person group to pick a supervisor. Just then, the ck Rabbit Gang''s cadre, who had just asked a question, lit a cigarette and casually walked to the center of the crowd. This person, nicknamed Scar Rabbit, was a cadre of the ck Rabbit Gang and the leader of the gang''s forces for this mission. "Everyone, there''s no need for words, I think we all know who is the strongest here." He blew a smoke ring into the air, determined to be the coolest guy in the group! Chen Qi took a closer look. Though a bit showy, this guy''s gear was pretty good! Under his clothes, one could clearly see some noticeable steampunk-style steam pipes. ck Rabbit''s third-generation series, small steam armor, produced by a workshop called Small Man Gang specializing in small armors, used exoskeletons imnted into mesh to greatly enhance agility. In an overheated state, the whole person could move so fast they''d leave afterimages, as swift as the wind. ck Rabbit... Chen Qi recalled that this equipment was already in its tenth generation. Unfortunately, the model Scar Rabbit wore was from an earlier series, gued by issues like being ''easily predicted'', ''high damage rate'', and ''can''t stop''. Speed came with a price, and the earlier ck Rabbit armor models often went out of control, resulting in fatal crashes. But in this ce, it was still decent equipment. With such gear, Scar Rabbit had the credentials to be chosen as the supervisor by the old Hunter. Of course, that was unless there was an unknown powerful force: the cloaked woman. Chen Qi turned his head to nce at the cloaked woman beside him. She was quite close. Since they entered the crack, the distance between them had always been rtively short. It wasn''t surprising;pared to the other fully armed Hunters, he, as someone living in peaceful times, appeared much more approachable. At this moment, the cloaked woman next to him curled her lips into a cold smile. Simultaneously, the movement atop her head grew more intense. She clenched her hand around the cloak''s cor and tightened her fist, whispering under her breath like a mosquito: "I''m ready, I''m ready." "Elegance, elegance..." "???" What was she saying? Ready for what? Elegance? Chen Qi couldn''t shake off a foreboding feeling. This woman seemed about ready to shed her cloak! Chapter 54: Chapter 42 I Am the Witch Under the moonlight, a gentle breeze stirred the leaves. At that moment, the self-proimed strongest, Scarred Rabbit, slowly exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke again, "Alright, everyone, you should know that only a Supervisor can know the exact location of the treasure map!" "Now, with the crack distorted, it means it''s going to be even more dangerous than you think. As a Supervisor, I can provide you with information, I can ensure your safety, I am your umbre! After all, surviving for three days is also a way to clear the game, isn''t it?" "So, now, is there anyone still willing to pay for a ticket? This is yourst chance. If you miss it, there won''t be another opportunity." Thinking of arge sum of money, Scarred Rabbit''s lips curled into a chilly smile. Although his methods were brash and mindless, they were very effective. As the distortion of the crack increased, many people''s goal changed from ''return with full loot'' to ''just survive''. Paying for a ticket meant joining their ck Rabbit Gang, which could increase your chances of survival. If enough people paid for tickets, then the ck Rabbit Gang could takeplete control over the order in the crack. Then, without lifting a finger, everything in the crack would belong to them! Scarred Rabbit held out his hand in a gesture for money: "Five hundred thousand Shell Coins for a ticket, if you don''t have cash, you can use equipment as coteral." Five hundred thousand! Chen Qi didn''t have that much cash on him. It was already a considerably high amount. And if they took the first payment, they would go for a second. Money doesn''t grow on trees, and many were still unwilling to pay for the ticket. Why isn''t anyone paying? Scarred Rabbit twitched at the corner of his mouth, he''d forgotten to arrange for actors. No helping it now, just have to find an easy mark to squeeze. Scarred Rabbit quickly scanned over all the solitary Hunters around. That one too sturdy, that one too fierce, goodness, why is the head of the one in the cloak moving! It''s decided! You! Look totally ordinary! Clearly a newbie who just entered the crack! Scarred Rabbit, with his discerning eye, spotted Chen Qi at once! "Tsk¡­" Chen Qi was rendered speechless. With so many people around, why did he have to pick him out of the crowd? Scarred Rabbit walked up to Chen Qi and said sternly, "You came by yourself, right? It''s not easy, hand over that Collector''s gun you have, and consider it your ticket fee. By doing so, you would be a member of our ck Rabbit Gang. Good deal, right?" "Good deal?" Good deal my foot! To think he would want a collector''s gun in exchange for a fabricated ticket. Chen Qi''s eyes hardened, having no interest in joining a gang. However, as a stealth-based yer, he didn''t want to start a fight in this ce right now. He would have a greater advantage once everyone dispersed. However, just as Chen Qi was preparing to refuse, the situation changed abruptly. As Scarred Rabbit was about to continue his threats, a loud voice suddenly hit him from the back. "Move! You''re blocking my view!" "Who''s the bastard yelling at me?" Scarred Rabbit turned around, ready to beat the person severely. The one who yelled at him was none other than the boss of the crack ¡ª the Old Hunter! The Old Hunter picked up his shotgun and aimed it at Scarred Rabbit: ''Move!'' Scarred Rabbit''s eyes turned fierce, and he harshly said, "You... tell me to move... I''ll move..." Scarred Rabbit gritted his teeth, his legs trembling a bit, and obediently moved away from Chen Qi''s position. At this moment, the Old Hunter could finally take a good look at Chen Qi: "Quite an impressive kid, you have the aura of a Hunter, the qualifications to be a Supervisor." Me? I''m a Supervisor? Chen Qi had not expected the Old Hunter would choose him to be a Supervisor. He remembered that the Old Hunter''s choice of Supervisors was rted to two points: equipment and physical strength. Although his physical strength was not bad, unlike the other fully armed participants, he did not take out the ck knife from his backpack card, only a collector''s item. Being chosen surprised him somewhat. Was it because of the Hunter Yu Huo? Chen Qi thought to himself. Everyone began to look at him with the gaze reserved for a big shot, Being noticed by an old hunter and bing a supervisor was a proof of strength! Scar Rabbit was also stunned; had he, after picking what he thought were weak opponents all day, chosen the strongest one? And before the crowd could recover, the old hunter spoke again, "However, among us, there is another qualified monster! It seems that for this hunt, we must add another supervisor." What, another supervisor! Two supervisors! This was unprecedented in the hunting grounds! With this double trouble, who could handle it! By that moment, many were already sweating profusely, coping with the crack deformity was already enough for them, not to anticipate that there would be two supervisors! They just wanted to participate in a regr crack, to earn some regr money. "Oh?" At this time, the previously disheartened Scar Rabbit''s eyes lit up, he always felt something was off, and it turned out there were two supervisor positions! Could this position be mine? Scar Rabbit straightened his clothes, again entertaining the thought of ''delivering a supervisor''s speech''. Chen Qi took a deep breath, his gaze turning to the woman in the cloak beside him. Indeed... He had known that this woman in the cloak was not simple. Moreover, from the very beginning, she had been wearing a faint smile. The old hunter bent over, walking slowly forward with some reverence, and said to the woman in the cloak, "Honorable miss, you are entirely capable of bing a supervisor, letting our modest ce benefit from your undoubted power. However, may I ask you to reveal your face beneath the cloak?" Respectful tone! Everyone widened their eyes; the tone of the old hunter clearly carried humility. A humility of a lesser figure bowing to a greater figure! This was a boss from the crack deformity! Just who was this woman in the cloak! And why was the cloak moving, was there a hamster hidden in it? This person might be¡­ Chen Qi vaguely thought of something, a sense of forboding suddenly emerging. "Ah¡­ there''s no helping it then." The woman in the cloak paused for a few seconds, her smile fading, as she sighed helplessly. She slowly walked towards a rock in front and then suddenly yanked the cloak open, tossing it backward. The cloak flew through the air. The moment the cloak hit the ground, petalsnded on Chen Qi''s face. The next instant, he couldn''t help but widen his eyes. Beneath the cloak, there was neither writhing disgusting flesh nor repulsive bugs. Instead, there were exceptionally beautiful flowers, fragrant flowers. On her tender, pale limbs, there were fresh scars, upon which, amidst slight traces of blood, blossomed several exceedingly beautiful roses. Above the scars, flowers bloomed. She climbed upon the rock, turned her head, slowly sat down, and crossed her pale legs, letting out a slight breath. At that moment, the face hidden beneath the cloak appeared before everyone''s eyes. Masses of flowers grew atop her head,pletely covering the upper half of her face, but still, one could sense an extraordinary, girl-like beauty from her lower face and pale skin. "What exactly is this being¡­" The immense spiritual pressure, indescribably beautiful look gave everyone there a sense of fear, an unspoken fear. A terrifying aura, like a massive mountain, weighed on them! Many started to retreat, continuously moving backward. This clearly wasn''t the look a normal human should have! Nor the spiritual pressure a First Order Transcendent should possess! "Just who are you¡­ and what do you need us to do?" A heavy-set tall hunter, gathering his courage, asked. But the next instant, he regretted it; how dare he ask a question to someone with such a high-level spiritual pressure! She slightly tilted her head: "Well, there''s no need to retreat or to be afraid. I''m just a Pharmacist from a foreignnd; you may call me¡ªthe Flower Pharmacist." Under the moonlight, a gentle breeze passed through her long hair, bringing a light floral scent. She smiled, the small yellow flowers atop her head moving slightly: "Of course, you may also refer to me by my other name in the Witch Sea, the Flower Witch." Chapter 55: Chapter 43 Flower Witch Flower Witch... Why would she be here? Chen Qi''s mouth slightly opened, unable to hide his surprise at the moment. He couldn''t help but look at her delicate shoulder and the bright red flowers on her legs. Like the ck Whale Pirate Gang, the Flower Witch was closely rted to the difficult main storyline of the Witch Sea, and she was a key character in the entire main storyline of the Witch Sea. She was the protagonist of the Witch Sea segment! In the early stages of the game, the Flower Witch was a noble Third-tier Transcendent, but before long, she would advance to be a powerful Fourth Rank Transcendent. And as the protagonist, her strength far exceeded that of an ordinary Third-tier Transcendent. The main quests of each segment were extremely difficult serial tasks. Thus, in the early stages, weak yers had no chance to encounter the Witch, let alone know her location; information about her was also scarce. Why was she here? How had shee in? And what was she doing here? Chen Qi rubbed his brow, questioning in his mind. Although it was distorted, at the end of the day, it was just an E-rank crack. If she made a move, she could easily blow away everyone present! This was tant dynamite fishing! "And I, am just this poor newbie fish..." Chen Qi helplesslyined in his thoughts. Because the hunting ground needed a supervisor, it was barely eptable that she coulde in. But why would the Flower Witch, a High-order Transcendent,e to a low-rank crack? The equipment of the Flower Witch was at least of shining silver, even secret gold level and above, the equipment produced by this crack might not be as strong as her body. And the number of times she could learn Skill Cards was limited. Blindly using too many Skill Cards would cause irreversible brain damage, and could even drive a person mad. Thus, the Flower Witch wouldn''t havee to this crack just for the low-rank upation Cards of the hunting ground. "Could it be?" Suddenly, Chen Qi thought of something. If there really was something here that could attract the Witch, it was undoubtedly the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure! Was he really going topete with a Witch for the Deep Sea Hunter''s belongings? Me,peting with a Witch for something? She can now take on a hundred of me! A scene suddenly appeared in Chen Qi''s mind: In this ruthless Transcendent world, the more powerful Flower Witch gave a cold smile, drew a grass whip, and forced him to hand over the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure. If that was the case, then there was no help for it; he could only obediently offer up the treasure and swear his loyalty. Just consider it earning some favor points. Of course, there was a more in and simple guess. That was that the Flower Witch came to participate in this crack merely to make some money... "Could it be, the Flower Witch is broke to the point of not being able to afford food..." On the forums, the Flower Witch always seemed quite poor. Chen Qi shook his head, temporarily setting aside hisplicated thoughts, and then looked again at the Flower Witch under the moonlight. Under the caress of the gentle breeze, the Flower Witch smiled slightly. Previously, under her cloak was not squirming flesh, but her little flowers that had nowhere else to go. When the Flower Witch was emotionally excited, depending on the emotion, the flowers on her head would change ordingly. The yer forums even had statistics on this. For example, when angry, fiery red roses would burst forth from the top of her head. When sad, wilted little blue flowers would appear. Now, several little yellow flowers atop the Flower Witch''s head stirred! The meaning of these flowers are triumphant and a little joyous! With a slight movement of the wind, the corners of the Flower Witch''s mouth curved up slightly as she nced in Chen Qi''s direction. Damn, it seemed like she had been tricked! Chen Qi chuckled inwardly and took a deep breath. The Flower Witch was quite popr in the game forums, a refreshing presencepared to other sections'' deeply troubled protagonists. Overall, she belonged to a faction that was orderly and good, and as long as he didn''t provoke her first, the Flower Witch wouldn''t bother him. How should he put it? In Chen Qi''s memory, the Flower Witch was fairly easy to get along with. Even, a bit adorable and slightly humorous. However, if one were to remove the filter of a transmigrator yer. At this moment, the terrifying aura emanating from the Flower Witch,bined with her absolute power disparity and her status as a supervisor, could even induce a sense of despair in him! The Witch was a formidable entity worthy of awe! A gang member stepped back and asked softly, "The Flower Witch, is that the one from the legends who turns people into fertilizer?" In the legends of Witch Sea, the Flower Witch was a powerful Pharmacist whose light touch could cause a person to sprout flowers and eventually turn into fertilizer for the soil. Of course, ording to forum deciphering, this young Flower Witch was not the legendary one, but a newly appointed Witch, and ording to the information on the forum, she was no older than twenty. Moreover, she came from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. Before he transmigrated, his main character was also from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. In a sense, the Flower Witch was his fellow countrywoman! A sense of kinship inexplicably washed over him. The cadre from the ck Rabbit Gang, de Handle Rabbit, bent down, afraid that his voice might cost him his life, "Don''t speak¡­ quiet, be quiet¡­" In their eyes, the Flower Witch at this moment was like a massive beast covered in flowers. No one knew if the Flower Witch, on a whim, would turn them all into fertilizer the next moment! Crack distortions, two supervisors, one of which was a monster that could effortlessly crush them. Many Hunters, upon seeing the Flower Witch appear, exhibited obvious fear! The Flower Witch did not speak further but maintained her mysterious and elegant demeanor. Until a deep and long wolf howl suddenly rose, like a call of the wild, piercing through the silent woods and breaking the silence. "Howl!" Clouds gradually enshrouded the moon, with wolf howls echoing through the forest! Next, the old Hunter handed a map of the Ind Forest to the Flower Witch first, then to Chen Qi. [You have received an item: Map of the Ind Forest.] Chen Qi epted the map and quickly scanned it. On this map, some key locations were marked, such as a safe house for storing food, spots where the old Hunter had set traps, and some particr monster points. These spots were very important, privileges avable only to supervisors. Others silently drew their weapons, most of them already changing their minds. The difficulty of the crack had surpassed their imagination, and they had shifted from their original idea of hunting to another thought, surviving for three days. The old Hunter loaded his shotgun: "Everyone, the supervisors have been determined! Three sleepless nights are about to begin, and you can either bring me two live wolves or be feed for the wild wolves." "I hope you don''t disappoint me... Now, let the hunt begin!" Saying this, the old Hunterughed heartily, shouldering his shotgun as he stepped into the dark forest. Before leaving, the old Hunter turned back, his crimson eyes beneath the hunter''s cap ncing at Chen Qi. In his view, Chen Qi was the most likely to capture multiple crimson wolves. Chapter 56: Chapter 44 Deep Sea Water Elf After the old hunter left, everyone sighed. The red wolf was not a weak monster; capturing it alive was an extremely difficult task. Especially with the old hunter who might attack them at any moment and the mysterious overseer, the Flower Witch. How could they y this rift! It was unyable! The nature of the rift had instantly changed from a hunting game to a survival game right before their eyes. Some of them were already seeking a ce to hide, trying to survive for three days. Chen Qi also prepared to leave when suddenly, he sensed a dangerous gaze. It was from the ck Rabbit gang¡ª At Scarred Rabbit''s signal, the members of the ck Rabbit gang had already drawn their guns, ready for a shootout. The biggest surprise for Chen Qi in this rift was that he had be an overseer. This was not a good thing. The ultimate goal of the ck Rabbit gang entering this rift was the treasure hidden within. To obtain the final treasure of the rift, not only did they need to defeat the old hunter, but they also needed the overseer''s map. And clearly, they did not dare to take the map from the mysterious Flower Witch; that was a path to death. Therefore, Chen Qi undoubtedly became their primary target. "Am I being targeted by the rabbits..." Chen Qi thought to himself. It was the first time so many people were eyeing him with such dangerous gazes. Chen Qi took the ck knife from his backpack card. The ck Rabbit gang was known for their agility and preference for using small submachine guns. The current terrain was quite open,cking cover, which greatly favored firearms. His strongest weapon was the ck knife, which gave him a significant advantage in closebat. If he faced a barrage of gunfire from dozens of people, even if he activated his explosive skills for a temporary boost in strength and defense, idents could still happen. This ce was not suitable for fighting. Chen Qi shook his head and moved quickly. In the pitch-ck forest, he would have a greater advantage. A gang member asked softly: "Boss, he seems to be leaving... should we go... after him?" Scarred Rabbit gripped his gun and said in a deep voice: "Now is not the time... Besides, we need to wait for the right moment, wait until he is alone in the forest." Scarred Rabbit waited quietly. If theyunched an attack now, they could end up surrounded by the two overseers, the Flower Witch and Chen Qi, leading to a terrifying mixed battle! However, the next moment, these gang members were suddenly shocked. Chen Qi was advancing towards the forest. But his direction, surprisingly, was towards the Flower Witch. That was a witch! She was a legendary high-order Transcendent! Was he really not afraid of being turned into fertilizer by the Flower Witch? A curious yellow question mark flower bloomed on the Flower Witch''s head. Did he have something to say to her? The flowers on her head swayed with anticipation. "..." He had nothing to say and was just passing by. Chen Qi quietly walked past the Flower Witch and headed into the dark forest. "Huh?" The Flower Witch was stunned. Her elegant entrance had made her think he would say something. As he left, the gang members and the Flower Witch silently left for the dark forest, each pursuing their own goals and starting their hunt. ... ... Moonlight filtered through the leaves. Chen Qi carefully pushed aside the underbrush and followed a forest path, arriving in front of a cave. "ording to my inspiration and the map''s markings, this should be the ce." Chen Qi thought to himself. Finding this cave took him quite some time. Unlike the others, his primary goal was the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter. As expected, a giant deep-sea monster was inside this cave. He wondered what kind of things a "finger-level" treasure could contain. "Phew, ording to my inspiration, it should be a deep-sea monster, so there''s no need to worry..." Chen Qi took out antern from his backpack card and cautiously moved into the cave. Drip! Drip! Water dripped from the stone walls. The cave was notrge; after a few steps, he reached the end. There were no skeletons or rift lines here. Only a calm pool of water. Something was off... Chen Qi crouched down and carefully looked at the pool. He could see some bubbles and something that looked like "blue eyes" on the surface of the pool. He recognized the creature before him. The Water Beast, a mimic monster whose body mainly consisted of water, appeared as a peaceful pool when calm. When active, it turned into a giant slime water ball. If any creature ventured into its territory, it would extend tentacles from the water and engulf them into its body. To defeat this monster, one needed to destroy the core hidden in the water; otherwise, the Water Beast would continually generate new tentacles. It was quite a formidable creature, with a size capable of swallowing fifty bears. The hidden BOSS of the rift, the old hunter, probably couldn''t defeat this monster either. Gurgle! Gurgle! As if sensing Chen Qi''s presence, the Water Beast''s shape suddenly changed, and a massive amount of water gathered in the air, forming a giant water ball. The size of the water ball reached ten meters, almost filling the entire cave! Two enormous blue eyes emerged on the surface of the water ball. The blue eyes rotated, staring at Chen Qi. Hmm... It looked like a massive slime monster. "Hello..." Chen Qi gave it a slight smile. In terms of fear factor, this monster was nothingpared to the Blood-Eyed Wall or the Nearshore Dominator they encountered in the Sea Beast Cave. Moreover, this monster looked much cuter than the Blood-Eyed Wall and the Nearshore Dominator. It warmly weed Chen Qi''s arrival. The Water Beast sensed Chen Qi''s aura and happily bounced around. At this moment, Chen Qi''s eyes lit up! Inside the Water Beast''s water ball body, a small treasure chest floated. The Deep Sea Hunter had ced the treasure chest in its body! Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to take the treasure chest without a fierce battle with the Water Beast. But he only needed to briefly enter the monster''s body to get the treasure chest. "It should be okay, I''ll just touch it..." Chen Qi swallowed a gulp of water. To the Water Beast, water was its skin. Entering its body was like stroking its skin. A bit worried, Chen Qi extended his hand into the monster''s body. No problem. Confirming it was safe, Chen Qi held his breath, entered the water ball with his upper body, stretched his hand, grabbed the small treasure chest, and swiftly pulled it out! Instead, when he took out the treasure chest, the Water Beast let out afortable "ah" sound. It moved up and down, and its entire water ball and blue eyes turned a bit pink, wanting Chen Qi to touch it again ande in once more. "Came out safely..." Chen Qi looked at the Water Beast''s odd reaction and took a step back. The friendliness of suchrge creatures was quite intimidating. Chen Qi sat by thentern and looked at the treasure chest, which was only about the size of a palm. A finger-level treasure chest couldn''t be expected to contain anything too valuable. Without hesitation, Chen Qi opened the small treasure chest. Contrary to his expectation, it did not contain weapons, clothes, or disposable items. Instead, there were seven small water balls the size of fingernails! "???" Chen Qi was shocked. What were these? The items reminded him of childhood toys called "water elves," which growrger upon contact with water. A prompt appeared before his eyes. [Deep Sea Water Elf: Nature Form: Heart Description: Sleeping deep-sea beasts, ce them in the sea for a while, and their true form will be awakened! Note: They contain powerful deep-sea energy!] These were Pet Beasts! Chen Qi never expected that the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure would be special Pet Beasts! The Heart element represented emotions, bonds, and was closely rted to Guardian Beasts. In the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, there were many rare and exotic beasts, and Guardian Beast yers were quite numerous. However, in Shell Country, not many yers used Pet Beasts as their primary force; they preferred wearing heavy steam mecha and mowing down enemies with blue-fire Gatling guns. As a yer with a main ount of a Pet Beast Trainer, Chen Qi could tell at a nce. These seven little Pet Beasts were of high rank! Normally, to obtain such Pet Beasts, one would need at least third-rank strength. Good stuff! For a rift of "finger-level" difficulty, obtaining rare Pet Beasts so easily was quite a remarkable haul. Chen Qi pped his hands and stored them in the backpack card. At that moment, faint roars of beasts came from outside the cave. "That sound, it''s a wolf¡ª" Hungry red wolves could smell the scent of human flesh. With the treasure secured, it was time to deal with the rift''s task! Chen Qi''s gaze turned to the outside of the cave. This cave was situated near the center of the forest. Many people and beasts passed by here. The Water Beast wouldn''t attack him, but that didn''t mean it wouldn''t attack other creatures. Suddenly, an idea surged forth! If he and the Water Beast teamed up for a mixed battle in this ce, they would be invincible except for the Flower Witch! Even if the entire red wolf pack charged in, along with the ck Rabbit gang and the rift BOSS, the old hunter! If everyone came, with his and the Water Beast''s strength, they might still be able to put up a fight! Chen Qi slightly curled his lips, picked up the ck knife, and walked toward the red wolves outside the cave. This ce might just be a perfect "fishing spot." Chapter 57: Chapter 45 Little Rabbit Chen Qi, holding antern, walked toward the cave''s exit. Under the bright moonlight, a wolf sat by the trees, staring nkly at him. It was a starving red wolf, its eyes bloodshot, with half of its fur being reddish-brown. Compared to ordinary wolves, red wolves possess greater speed and stronger healing abilities. It took a few steps towards Chen Qi but then seemed to sense something and retreated. Despite its hunger, its animal instincts could still detect the danger inside the cave. Simply put, this was a cowardly wolf. "Noting? Little dog?" Chen Qi sat down, positioning the ck de within easy reach, then took out his backpack card. Although the red wolf''s eyes were blood-red and it looked fierce, it wasn''t actually a demon that would bite people on sight. Usually, they would not attack creatures stronger than themselves. Chen Qi''s current strength was not weak, coupled with the faint aura of the "Beast from the Water" emanating from the cave behind him. Even though the red wolf was ravenous, it only dared to watch from a distance. Red wolves, being somewhat intelligent and possessing decent fighting skills, were a popr choice for many yers as a second-tier Guardian Beast. Chen Qi opened the backpack card, taking out a simple barbecue stand as well as beef, pork, and some barbecue seasonings. He had purchased these from shops in Moonstone City before entering the crack. He was nning to grill meat right here! Of course, grilling meat here was not simply because of hunger. Chen Qi nced at the meat in his backpack; his purpose was to entice. Red wolves, as basic monsters in hunting grounds, do not provide many Spiritual Points or rating bonuses. In the hunting grounds, as long as one can defeat the Hunter andplete the hidden task, one can directly obtain the highest rating score! This meant that the key to hunting grounds was only one thing, that is the hidden boss of the crack: The Hunter! However, this was a group instance, and with high irregrity, the Hunter was an extremely difficult monster to deal with! But despite this, with his and the Beast from the Water''sbined strength, the Hunter was still no match for them! However, unfortunately, the Beast from the Water was a typical territorial creature that wouldn''t leave its territory easily. That meant, the only real challenge now was how to lure the Hunter into the cave. If Chen Qi actively sought out the Hunter, trying to lure him with lies, there would inevitably be some idents. After all, no one knows when the Hunter would transform into a monster and aim its hunting rifle at a human''s head. The Hunter needed fresh red wolf meat to satisfy his voracious appetite. Therefore, the best approach was to "fish." If one wanted to attract the scent-sensitive red wolves to a fixed location, delicious grilling meat was doubtless an excellent choice. The aroma of the grilled meat should attract these red wolves... Chen Qi quietly took things out of his backpack card. In this hunting ground, his prey was not the weak wolves. Attracting red wolves with grilled meat, then through the red wolves attracting the Hunter, was his real goal. These red wolves were merely bait. Of course, whether it would be sessful still required some luck. Chen Qi fetched some branches, whittled them well with his ck de, then built a crude barbecue stand using charcoal. All of it was high-quality beef and pork, marbled with fat, costing him a total of fifteen hundred Shell Coins. Then, Chen Qi used the ck de to slice the beef and pork and ced them on the barbecue stand. He lit the fire and began to grill! Before long, the meat, caressed by the mes, turned crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. He sprinkled a bit of salt, a generous amount of sesame, and chili powder made from devil peppers¡ª The fragrance slowly wafted around. Of course, there was also the most important Soul Seasoning! Soul Seasoning could enhance the meat''s natural deliciousness! Chen Qi lifted his hand, grabbing a handful of cumin mixed with Soul Seasoning, and sprinkled it over the grilled meat. The rich scent of the meat instantly permeated the forest. [You have cooked grilled meat today, gaining 80 Spiritual Points.] "It''s ready." Chen Qi contentedly sliced a piece of the grilled beef with his ck de and took a bite. The skin was slightly charred and crispy, with just the right amount of chew! "Quite good!" Chen Qi ate another piece. This effortless disy of cooking skills directly dumbfounded the starving red wolf watching from the sidelines. Not like this! It didn''t want to approach the dangerous Chen Qi, but now it felt that as long as it could eat a piece of meat, even if it died, that would be fine. "Want it? Little dog." Chen Qi smiled, looked towards the red wolf, cut off a small piece of meat with his ck knife, and threw it to the red wolf. Food thrown by humans... The red wolf hesitated for a moment but still opened its mouth, lowered its head, and ate the beef. After eating the meat, the red wolf wagged its tail, spun around, and then ran into the forest. Chen Qi wondered whether this piece of meat would cause the red wolf to call itspanions. Without much confidence, Chen Qi cut the roasted meat into many portions, then walked around the cave, scattering the roasted meat on the ground. As long as this meat attracted the wolf pack, drawing the old hunters would just be a matter of time. After making his round, he returned to the entrance of the cave and sat in front of the barbecue rack. Next was the wait for the prey to take the bait. Chen Qi continued to grill meat. Some time passed. Find adventures at m v lemp-yr Hiss hiss hiss¡ª The weeds in the forest made a subtle noise. Finally took the bait, huh... No, that''s not right! Chen Qi turned his head slightly, frowned, and reached out his hand to firmly grasp his ck knife. In the weeds, he could vaguely see the barrels of guns and dark hair. Before the wolves, it seemed he had caught a rabbit first. Bang! Bang! After a brief discussion, four members of the ck Rabbit Gang emerged from the bushes. "We meet again, Supervisor!" And the leader was none other than Scarface Rabbit, an officer of the ck Rabbit Gang. Some time had passed since the hunt began. At this moment, many bloodstains from red wolves were visible on Scarface Rabbit''s body. It seemed they had done quite well with their task of hunting red wolves. Bad news indeed... Chen Qi shook his head, hid the Collector behind him, and said coldly, "What do you want? If you''re after the Supervisor''s map, then you need to pay a price." He had no affection for a gang whose main business was human trafficking. "A price?" Scarface Rabbit''s mouth twitched slightly. This guy, all alone, dared to talk about a price with him? If it weren''t for the old Hunter choosing him as the Supervisor, they would have attacked the moment they met. Scarface Rabbit suppressed the urge to attack and nced at Chen Qi. There was no blood on Chen Qi, which meant he hadn''t fought with any wolves. Besides, Chen Qi had set up a barbecue rack here, so the cave behind him could very likely be a well-supplied safe spot. It seems he was just another person who chose to ''survive three days,'' too timid to fight the red wolves. Scarface Rabbit smiled inwardly and pulled out two anesthetic darts from his belt pouch: "Supervisor, it seems you understand our motive, but you should know that some things are too valuable for you to handle." "Give us the Supervisor''s map, and we''ll give you two anesthetic darts. With these, you canplete the task and get out alive. Think about it, if the Flower Witch has her eyes on you and you be fertilizer, not even a corpse will remain." While speaking, Scarface Rabbit walked towards Chen Qi. Halfway there, Scarface Rabbit felt something was off, squeezed out a smile, and sneakily gestured with his hand: "Of course, as long as you give us the map... we can help you catch wolves too..." The moment Scarface Rabbit shed a smile, one of the gang members behind him, close to the tree, secretly pulled out a gun and aimed at Chen Qi. Bang! A gunshot rang out, echoing through the forest. What happened! Scarface Rabbit turned around, and the gang member he had arranged to ambush was now shot, lying in a pool of blood: "You fucking ambushed us¡ª" Ambush? No, this was an outright shooting. Chen Qi blew a breath, twirled the Collector in his hand. If he''d caught a rabbit, then so be it. Better to rid of these harmful rabbits. After all, the scent of blood was also a fine lure. Chapter 58: Chapter 46: Monster Scarred Rabbit red fiercely at Chen Qi, wary of the gun in his hand. The "Collector" was indeed a fairly impressive weapon¡ªquick to fire and with formidable prating power! The armor his underling wore was too cheap and couldn''t withstand a single shot from the Collector. However, his armor could! Scarred Rabbit smirked inwardly, his understanding of the opponent''s weapon gave them a significant advantage. Chen Qi quickly scanned the surroundings with the corner of his eye, settling near the rock walls at a position less vulnerable to gunfire. He didn''t enter the cave directly to engage in a mixed doubles with the creature of the water pool. With his and the creature''s strength, defeating Scarred Rabbit would be easy. However, that would leave signs of a battle and a lot of blood inside the cave. That might alert the old Hunter. Read the full story at m-vl-em,pyr To deal with these ck Rabbit Gang members, he didn''t need the creature from the water pool; he could handle them alone. "Supervisor, you struck first. That was unjust," he said. Scarred Rabbit silently removed his outer suit, revealing a small, sleek ck mechanical armor. The engines on his back roared to life. ck Rabbit Third Generation small mecha, overheating mode! It could burst out at unimaginable speeds! Following that, he picked up two small daggers and assumed abat stance. This Scarred Rabbit, was he actually a closebat specialist? Chen Qi put away the Collector at his waist, then gripped his ck de and regted his breathing. ck Rabbit Third Generation small mecha was indeed more suited for closebat. First Order Transcendents had limited strength in their abilities; thus, equipment was crucial in battles among First Order Transcendents. The Scarred Rabbit in front of him had mastered the Body Forging Skill and was well-equipped, making him a formidable opponent. Chen Qi took a deep breath and assumed a stance to draw his de. Before making a move, Scarred Rabbit said to his underlings behind him: "The old hunter''s judgment was right, he truly possesses the qualifications to be a Supervisor. You two go call for backup, the quicker the better." "Boss, are you sure you don''t need our help?" "No need, though he is strong, I am stronger! But, you better hurry." "..." Scarred Rabbit''s remaining two underlings hesitated for a moment, not understanding why their leader needed support if he was stronger than the opponent. But the leader''s order was absolute, and the two immediately ran deep into the forest. The boss, he will win! "Hmph, what''s wrong, aren''t you striking yet?" Chen Qi held onto his long de, assuming a posture ready to counterattack. The ck Rabbit Third Generation small mecha was very fast; the best strategy was to anticipate and then defend and counterattack. Scarred Rabbit''s body emitted arge amount of steam as he finally said: "Supervisor, you must have heard¡ªmy underlings have already gone to call others. No matter how strong you are, you can''t contend with our entire ck Rabbit Gang! Soon, you''ll be fighting twenty of us all by yourself. Now, put down your weapon, and we might spare your life. This is yourst chance." Scarred Rabbit was certain that there were no otherpanions in the crack with his opponent. Chen Qi focused, watching the movement of the other''s legs. This Scarred Rabbit talked a lot because his armor needed time to warm up. The moment it was fully heated¡ª Whoosh! Apanied by a roaring steam whistle. The next moment, Scarred Rabbit suddenly elerated, shooting forward like a gust, instantly appearing in front of Chen Qi. Bang! Chen Qi drew his de in defense. Scarred Rabbit''s daggers shed with the ck de. Then, the next moment, Scarred Rabbit''s movements abruptly changed, drawing his de back like a phantom. The initial attack was a feint! Apanied by a loud noise, he was already at Chen Qi''s left side. This was the overheating mode! His speed was swift; his opponent surely couldn''t react! "Sess!" Scarred Rabbit smirked, but the next moment he sensed something was off. The other had anticipated his move, tilting his body slightly in advance. He lunged forward, but missed! And due to the strong inertia of the ck Rabbit Third Generation armor, his movement turned noticeably stiff. That was a huge opening! An opening¡ª In a fight between low-order Transcendents, a single opening could decide the oue. The next moment, a ck de swung up from below, striking fiercely at his armored chest. "Burst!" Chen Qi used the Burst Skill, concentrating all his strength into the de. The sharp de swept across the armor in front of the Scarred Rabbit''s chest, then ck de energy rapidly spread, slicing through armor and flesh alike, tearing open a torrent of blood. Bang! Why? As soon as he saw the ck de energy, numerous scenes shed through Scarred Rabbit''s mind, including memories of the ck-eyed Captain. The weapon of the man before him seemed to be the ck-eyed Captain''s weapon. "Why..." Scarred Rabbit coughed up a great deal of blood, fell to the ground, and could not rise again. "Done." After confirming there were no other enemies, Chen Qi sheathed his de. Though the ck Rabbit''s small Mechanical Armor was fast, its movements could be easily predicted by watching its legs. However, he hadn''t expected that the de''s energy,bined with the Burst Skill, could actually breach the opponent''s defense in one strike. Wearing Mechanical Armor required a tough constitution, and Scarred Rabbit''s constitution had not met the standard. Chen Qi looked down at Scarred Rabbit. Scarred Rabbit was an executive of the ck Rabbit Gang, likely quite wealthy. Another fine gain! Chen Qi didn''t rush to loot but instead looked towards where the two had fled. In the darkness at the end of their escape, he could faintly hear the howling of wolves and the sounds of monsters... ... ... In the forest, dark clouds slowly covered the moonlight. Two minions of the ck Rabbit Gang, one tall and one slim, ran with all their might. After running for a long time, the taller one began to gasp for breath: "Huff, huff... Is it necessary to run this fast? Isn''t the boss stronger than him? Do we really need such hurry?" "What do you know? Although the boss is strong, the opponent is still a Supervisor. If the battle drags on, the boss could get injured! Just imagine, if his leg gets broken, that would be a huge medical expense. But with backup, it''s different. Then, we could handle him easily without any casualties. Perhaps, we might even capture him alive and sell him to the Granny of the ck Whale Group." "Capture alive... I see... The boss had thought it through, I thought he had chickened out. Speaking of which, the Granny of the ck Whale Group does indeed prefer talented young individuals. Her involvement would be much better than dealing with that stingy ck-eyed Captain." A spark of excitement flickered in their eyes, knowing the Granny favored talented young men. If they could sell the captive to the Granny, it would be a huge gain! By then, each of their equipment would see significant upgrades! "Right, howe we haven''t found them yet? Didn''t we see a lot of Red Wolves around here? They should be close by, hunting wolves!" The two traversed through the forest, uneasily sweating. Their ck Rabbit Gang was drawn to this area by arge pack of nearby Red Wolves. Logically, their teams were equipped with strong tranquilizers, so there shouldn''t be any serious problems. They should have sessfully captured many Red Wolves. They hadn''t gone in the wrong direction... But why was it so quiet around them? The two swallowed hard, slowed their pace, and cautiously moved towards the dim path ahead. Creak creak! The ground was covered with a thickyer of fallen leaves and dry branches, making a "creak creak" sound when stepped upon. Suddenly, light appeared before their eyes. They saw Red Wolves tied up and the backs of their ck Rabbit Gang members! They had finally found the main group! They immediately said: "Everyone, the boss has encountered a monster and needs our support! Now, follow us immediately!" "A monster?" A deep voice came from the darkness. "Yes! That guy is not to be underestimated, we must immediately..." The two spoke but suddenly stopped. The voice just now was not from their gang members. The clouds dispersed, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, dimly illuminating the scene ahead of them. On close inspection, the Red Wolves, who should have been tranquilized, were all dead, with fresh wounds on their necks. The gang members, who should have been intact, now had giant holes in their backs, bleeding profusely. What had happened? What had the ck Rabbit Gang encountered? Their hands trembled uncontrobly as they quickly stepped back. Behind their teammates'' bodies, arge figure slowly emerged, holding a shotgun, wearing a Hunter hat, and covered in reddish-brown fur: "Thank you guys, really, thanks a lot for catching so many live Red Wolves for me." Then, it shed its wolf-blood stained teeth and aimed the shotgun at them: "So, where is that monster? Is it right before your eyes?" "Need a Hunter to handle it for you?" Chapter 59: Chapter 47 Hunter and Prey The two men shakily lifted their heads to look at the old hunter, whose appearance had drastically changed. At this moment,pared to when the old hunter first appeared, his body size had increased by a size, and in addition, his body was covered with red fur. Every time the old hunter obtained a live wolf, he would absorb its blood. And with each absorption, there was a small chance of evolution. And once evolved, he could transform into a werewolf! At this time, his aggressiveness and dangerousness escted to a very terrifying extent. The two men swallowed hard, havingpletely forgotten about the task of supporting their boss. Judging from the situation at the scene, during their absence, the old hunter had attacked the members of their ck Rabbit gang and absorbed arge amount of red wolf blood. He had already begun to take on the form of a monster. Just then, everyone in the crack felt a special inspiration. [The old hunter has mutated, and the degree of crack mutation has increased by 5%.] Inspiration appeared, and the degree of mutation increased! In the hunting field, this signified that the old hunter would no longer disguise himself, bing a true BOSS! He would constantly wander in the forest,unching indiscriminate attacks on any human he encountered! The monsterized old hunter possessed an extremely strong regenerative ability and powerful strength. Explore uncharted tales at m-vlem|p-yr Normally, without a coborative team effort, they had almost no chance of victory. However, now the ck Rabbit gang was nearly annihted, and the lone hunters chose to hide, meaning there was no possibility of cooperation. Ordinary teams would be headed for certain death upon encountering the old hunter. Now, the forest had essentially be a survival game. In everyone''s hearts, at this moment, the only one they believed could defeat the old hunter was the mysterious and unpredictable Flower Witch. Many began to pray, hoping the Flower Witch could defeat the old hunter, hoping the old hunter would not find their location. The two underlings of the ck Rabbit gang were also praying inwardly. The old hunter exhaled a breath tainted with blood, intentionally avoiding the Flower Witch. But now, he urgently needed to experience his new powerful strength! The red wolves, as well as the trash from the ck Rabbit gang, were too weak! The old hunter ced his rough hand on the shoulders of the two men, exhaling a breath of bloody air: "I''ll ask you one more time, where is the ''monster'' you mentioned?" The two men''s bodies seemed to freeze, and they instinctively lifted their trembling fingers, pointing towards the direction where their boss was fighting with Chen Qi. Boss, sorry! The old hunter, like a ravenous beast, revealed crimson teeth as he stepped over the twigs and dead leaves on the ground: "I''m going to hunt him down now." ... ... Dark clouds covered the moon, and the wind blew through the forest. The mes of the barbecue grill had died down, and two or three wolves ran past near the cave. Chen Qi sat in front of the cave, stroking the red wolf that was eating meat. His barbecue had sessfully attracted quite a few red wolves. Moreover, some red wolves were won over by his barbecue and almost became likerge pet dogs. Just now, he had also seen the crack notification about the [Old Hunter''s Mutation]. This meant that the old hunter had turned into a monstrous entity that would attack humans indiscriminately. "The meat is done, the wolves are drawn, but where is the old hunter himself?" Chen Qi shook his head. He didn''t rule out the possibility that the Flower Witch had discovered the old hunter and finished him off in an instant. However, this also meant that all his previous maniptions were in vain. Of course, this wasn''t entirely a bad thing, as with the defeat of the old hunter, the entire crack would end prematurely. Returning to Moonstone City ahead of time and selling the stuff from Scarface Rabbit, along with the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter, would be quite a profitable sum. However, at this moment, the red wolves eating the barbecued meat around him dispersed like startled puppies, scattering in every direction. The branches and leaves rustled. Huh? Chen Qi was rmed. In many senses, beasts are far superior to humans. From the reactions of the red wolves, they had sensed an unprecedented danger. Rustle! Rustle! In the distance, a tall figure gradually emerged, his footsteps heavy and powerful, his breath like the low growl of a beast. The old hunter emerged from the shadows, exhaling a breath tainted with blood: "Finally found you." The old hunter loaded his hunting rifle and continued: "Do you know, ording to my findings, a monster more terrifying than the red wolves has appeared in this forest. Have you seen any traces of it?" Chen Qi took a long breath. ording to the hunting guide, at this time you say, "I don''t know." The old hunter would happily chat with you, and then while chatting, he would suddenly tell you that he is the monster! Of course, Chen Qi had no intention of chatting with the other party right now. At this moment, he could barely contain the joy in his heart! He hadid out so much barbecue in the forest, lured so many red wolves, and waited for so long! This big fish had finally taken the bait! Seeing Chen Qi''s silence, the old hunter revealed his teeth stained with wolf blood: "What''s the matter... Have you encountered something? Are you afraid of something?" Bang! Chen Qi didn''t hesitate, took up "The Collector," and fired a shot right at the old hunter''s face. The bullet instantly blew a small hole in the old hunter''s face. The old hunter looked slightly surprised, nced at his own face, and blood dripped from his visage. The other party actually dared to attack him, the master of the forest? "Interesting! I wasn''t wrong, you do have the aura of a hunter, indeed braver than those weaklings." The old hunter smiled. Then, the wound on his face twisted like a vortex for a moment, and the injury healed instantly. "Huh..." Chen Qi blew on the barrel of "The Collector," which was steaming hot. Indeed, as a raid boss, the old hunter''s health and defense were among the best! The damage caused by "The Collector" was negligible. His main purpose in attacking was to draw the old hunter''s hostility. Immediately after, the old hunter picked up his hunting rifle and said to Chen Qi: "Since you have attacked me, it seems, you are ready to be hunted!" "Hunted? Are you hungry? Do you need me to feed you some barbecue, little dog?" Chen Qi taunted casually, showing absolutely no respect for the old hunter. Then, he took up hisntern and walked towards the depths of the cave. "Such arrogance¡ª" The old hunter''s mouth twitched, as if something was surging beneath his skin! He now had the body of a monster, and the other party dared to address him this way. The old hunter entered the dim cave. No matter if the other party was running or had set traps, they couldn''t escape his wolf ws. As he walked, he said: "Human, do you know? In my short hunting life, the more I honed my hunting skills, the more I realized the limit of humans, their frailty, their weakness." The old hunter stopped, he had already smelled Chen Qi''s scent. The wonderful human aroma! Drip-drip-drip! The sound of water drops echoed in the cave. When he reached the end and saw Chen Qi near the water pool. But at the moment, he didn''t pick up his trusted hunting rifle but instead violently broke it in half. He looked up, excitedly stating: "Humans are ultimately weak creatures that can only rely on tools... So, I quit being human!" After he finished speaking, the old hunter''s face contorted, his back arched, and a tearing pain came over him; his muscles bulged instantaneously, sharp ws and teeth extended from his bones, and thick, crimson wolf fur covered his entire body, transforming himpletely into a terrifying werewolf! "Roar!" He was now eager to use this new body to tear apart humans! Chen Qi held his breath; the other party had discovered him. The old hunter opened his mouth, showing his crimson fangs, and charged at Chen Qi: "Human, witness the might of my monster..." Boom! Then the next second, before the hunter could finish his line, a tentacle suddenly whipped him onto the wall. The old hunter, pinned against the wall by the tentacle of the beast from the water pool, was dumbfounded: "What the hell is this?" The creature from the water pool began to gather within the cave. What is this... Chen Qi put down the kerosenemp, at a loss for words on how to exin. The creature from the water pool was indeed a rare monster. If he directly said "creature from the water pool," the old hunter probably wouldn''t understand. Slime, his lordship would probably be confused too. To be considerate of the old hunter''s feelings, he pondered for a moment and said: "Let me introduce you, this is my hunting dog." Chapter 60: Chapter 48 I Havent Made My Move Yet "Hound?" The old Hunter''s mouth twitched slightly, his bloodshot eyes blinked, ncing toward the monster deep in the cave. At this moment, the beast of the pool had fully entered into itsbat stance, with several thick tentacles reaching out from atop the giant water sphere. The werewolf-transformed old Hunter, although he had reached a height of two and a half meters, still seemed pathetically weak and helplesspared to the huge water sphere. Moreover, those two blue eyes in the midst of the water sphere were emitting a terrifying aura. You call this a hound? You do have a sense of humor! The old Hunter coughed out blood, barely managing to walk out from the wall. Originally, the beast of the pool had been sleeping soundly, but, the old Hunter''s roar had directly awakened it. It did not wake up in a good mood! The old Hunter fiercely red at Chen Qi, having not expected to be lured into a monster trap by thetter. And he, due to his eagerness to disy his power, had been negligent and underestimated his opponent. Of course, the old Hunter had no thoughts of retreating; on the contrary, he was even more excited! He was a monster himself. His constitution could withstand the attacks of the monster before him, but Chen Qi could not. This meant that all he needed to do was to restrain his opponent and use the tentacles of the beast of the pool to finish him off. Boom! The muscles of the old Hunter bulged violently, and then he charged toward Chen Qi! In that moment, the beast of the pool also stretched out a tentacle fiercely, hurtling toward the old Hunter. Boom! Chen Qi instantly drew his ck de, using Burst to block the fierce smash of the old Hunter''s hands. The de aura of the ck de instantly spread across the old Hunter''s wounds, slicing open arge amount of fresh blood! However, the old Hunter merely smiled, for when that tentacle attacked both of them, it would be Chen Qi''s moment of demise: "This is my powerful body, my powerful strength..." Bang! However, something unexpected happened. Suddenly, the tentacle of the beast of the pool made a sharp turn, pping fiercely toward his wolf head like a giant palm. Boom! The old Hunter couldn''t dodge in time and was sent sprawling to the ground, rolling several times like a kicked ball. "Just now, what happened?" The old Hunter struggled to his feet, unable to hide the shock in his heart. The attack from the beast of the pool seemed to have intentionally swerved to hit only him. Why was he the only one hit? Why was it so unfair! Did the monster have prejudices? We''re all humanoid creatures here! Was it because he looked fierce? The old Hunter couldn''t understand, and once more looked at the beast of the pool as it continuously stretched out tentacles. A silent fear surged in his heart. Could it be true what Chen Qi had said, that this thing was his hound! Bang! Bang! Before the old Hunter had time to think, two ferocious tentacles came smashing down again. He had no choice but to defend with bent arms. Despite this, the savage attacks still left two deep indentations on his thick arms. No good, time to flee! The old Hunter thought to himself; his monstrous pride, his bloodthirsty desire, all had been scattered by the beast of the pool. However, just as he was turning around, preparing to evacuate... He saw Chen Qi approaching with the ck de in hand. The ck de lightly skimmed the ground, his gaze like that of someone looking at prey caught in a trap. And he was the little wolf who had fallen into that trap. "Ah..." The old Hunter looked at his hands, unable to believe that the body of a monster could tremble. Chen Qi in front, the beast of the pool behind! Caught in a pincer attack! Boom! The attacks of both unleashed at the same time! The old Hunter turned around, choosing to contend with the tentacle of the beast of the pool. The fierce strikes of the de and the shes of the tentacle poured down on the old Hunter like a sudden downpour! Chen Qi, without any hesitation, activated the Burst Skill, swinging the ck de in his hand with all his might! sh! sh! sh! sh! His powerful body was instantly riddled with countless fresh wounds. Though the old Hunter had a boss-level physique, under thebined assault, he could no longer withstand it! Suddenly, a voice echoed through the cave. "Stop!" Chen Qi shouted. Along with that shout, the old Hunter thumped to the ground, his huge body copsing. The old Hunter, running out of stamina, looked toward Chen Qi as he fell, knowing the other wouldn''t let him go, wouldn''t let a monster live. Having be a monster, he, in the end, was hunted down... Chen Qi took a deep breath and swung his de. With that final strike, the old Hunter wentpletely silent. "Phew, it''s over..." Chen Qi let out a long sigh, the hand holding the de slightly aching. As a high-mutated raid boss, the old Hunter had proven more tenacious than Chen Qi had expected. In the midst of battle, he had still utilized Skills like ''Iron Wall'', ''Regeneration'', ''Unyielding'', and ''Continuing the Fight'', stubbornly dragging out a few seconds. But fortunately, powerful as the monsterized old Hunter was, his and the beast of the pool''s attacks were no joke either. ``` Together, they dealt massive damage! This was the strength he possessed alongside the creature of the water pool! A mere raid boss, nothing to speak of. Chen Qi excitedly pped his hands, having contributed at least twenty percent of the damage in this battle. "Beautiful!" Chen Qi and the small tentacles of the water pool creature made contact. If the water pool creature had continued attacking, there was a certain chance it might have stolen the kill. Luckily, in the end, the water pool creature seemed to have understood his intentions. Score! Chen Qi crouched down and picked up the keychain from the old Hunter''s waist. The old Hunter''s shotgun had been broken, and his clothes were quite ordinary. This keychain was the most precious belonging on him. With this keychain, he could open the Hunter''s warehouse door and the treasure chests inside, obtaining the items the ck Rabbit group wanted. At this moment, an unprecedented prompt appeared before him. [Defeated the hidden boss, the old Hunter, and gained 1,000 Spiritual Points.] Only 1,000 Spiritual Points... Chen Qiined to himself. In Chen Qi''s opinion, the old Hunter was already very tough to kill. As expected, to earn Spiritual Points, one still had to rely on professional missions. However, as long as he kept exploring, in most cases, Spiritual Points were in excess. And at this moment, another inspiration surfaced. [By defeating the final hidden boss of the hunting ground, anomaly level decreased by 18%, and the crack will close early, in three hours.] This was an inspiration that everyone could sense. With the hidden boss defeated and the mission concluded, the entire crack was set to end prematurely. Chen Qi exhaled deeply. The most significant reward, aside from the highest level of settlement awards, was the treasure chests inside the Hunter''s warehouse. What a considerable haul! Three hours was more than enough time for him to reach the Hunter''s warehouse. As long as nothing unexpected happened on the way, the gains from his journey into the crack could be described as ''returning full-handed''. And then, the most critical prompt emerged. [You have in the hidden creature, the old Hunter...] [Calcting crack settlement...] ... ... Within the forest, lone Hunters hidden underground, in caves, in trees, and in the water, began to emerge from their hiding spots. Some of them could hardly believe the inspiration they had just sensed. The old Hunter defeated, the crack closing ahead of schedule! Without any hesitation, many immediately dashed towards the exit. Experience magic at m v le mpyr The Hunters exchanged nces, each concealed figure unaware of what had transpired. They could only specte about the events within the hunting grounds through their inspirations. "Can''t believe it, the old Hunter was conquered... Did the ck Rabbit group do it... I noticed that their members seem to have lost almost half." "Impossible, the ck Rabbit group can barely protect themselves." "Prayers, prayers are indeed useful. The Sea Goddess, and the God of the Day, have answered my prayers." "Looks like my insurance was a waste. I''m not going to die!" "Damn, I''m broke now..." "Since it''s not the ck Rabbit group, could it be the Flower Witch?" "That was really risky, earned nothing and almost lost my life." "Don''t think like that, just be d to be alive. We even encountered the Flower Witch. After we get out, we might make it into the Dove Newspaper." "Yeah... and we can brag about it at the tavern. This was a highly anomalous crack! And we met the Flower Witch, too!" Despite gaining nothing, the majority of Hunters participating in the crack appeared very happy. ording to the intelligence, the old Hunter was a werewolf with an incredibly powerful recuperative ability. It was incredibly lucky to survive in such a highly anomalous crack where a Witch was present. Furthermore, although they didn''t make much money, they still had a sum from the crack settlement and additional fodder for tavern tales. In any case, they genuinely thanked the individual who had defeated the old Hunter. If it weren''t for them, the old Hunter roaming the forest could have blown their heads off at any moment. The Hunters conversed about the Flower Witch as they made their way to the exit. "Do you think the one who defeated the old Hunter really was that Witch?" "Do you even need to ask? Who else could it be?" "Witches are truly terrifying. She managed to deal with the beastly old Hunter in such a short span of time." "I can already picture the scene: the old Hunter overwhelmed by the Flower Witch and smashed into a hole, turned into fertilizer." "Most of you probably haven''t heard the legends from the poets. A hundred years ago, the Ice Witch, who repelled the great whale, had to call the Flower Witch ''Grandma''." "Hurry up, let''s go. If the Flower Witch sets her sights on us, we might end up as fertilizer too." For various reasons, everyone''s first thought was the Flower Witch. Their talk grew more excited as they discussed the mysteriously formidable Flower Witch from a century ago and the Crack Tides from centuries past. In their conversation, the image of the Flower Witch became increasingly terrifying and enigmatic in their eyes. The Flower Witch is inscrutable! The Flower Witch dictates everything in the hunting ground! ... At this moment, under the moonlight, at the Hunter''s warehouse. The Flower Witch, seen by many as the mastermind behind the scenes, looked up at the moon, little flowers with question marks above her head sprouting one after another. What happened? What happened? She hadn''t made her move, so how could the crack have ended already? ``` Chapter 61: Chapter 49: Card Drawing Time! In the cave. Time for settlement! Chen Qi excitedly rubbed his hands together and looked at the prompt in front of him. [Settlement of the crack is in progress...] [Crack distortion decreased by 18%, current distortion is 18%] [Supervisor: Your strength has been recognized, reward +20% Animal Friend: You didn''t attack the red wolf, reward +20% Monster Hunter: You participated in defeating the hidden final monster, the Old Hunter, reward +200% Top Output: During the battle against the Old Hunter, you contributed the highest output, reward +300% Last Strike: You delivered the final blow to the Old Hunter, reward +30%] [Settlementplete,prehensive rating S, perfect clearance! Acquired one de Phase Skill Card chest, one exclusive Hunting Ground Skill Card chest.] Chen Qi quickly scanned the enlightenment on the settlement page in front of him. Another perfect clearance, as expected of me. Under normal circumstances, as long as you achieve the ''Top Output'' and ''Monster Hunter'' conditions, you can get the highest reward! Read more chapters on m-vl-e-mpyr Defeating the Old Hunter would earn a Hunting Ground exclusive Skill Card chest! At this moment, a prompt appeared in front of him again! [Do you want to draw a de Phase Skill Card chest? (de Phase Epic level 90%, de Phase Rare level 10%)] "90% chance for epic..." Chen Qi looked at the drawing probability of the Skill Card. Under normal circumstances, it is very difficult to obtain an epic Skill Card from an E-level crack, and even obtaining a rare Skill Card is not an easy task. Perfect clearance allowed him to directly draw an epic de Phase Skill Card! An epic de Phase Skill Card is an invaluable asset for Second-order Transcendents and even Third-order Transcendents. It''s time to test my luck again... Chen Qi frowned at the 10% probability in front of him. As long as he didn''t draw that terribly unlucky 10%, most epic de Phase Skill Cards could provide him with powerfulbat strength! However, there was a high probability that he would be unable to meet the conditions for using an epic Skill Card. "I hope I draw one I can use..." Chen Qi prayed in his heart. Draw! A card condensed at his fingertips and appeared in his hand. The back of the card was a de, and the front featured an explorer holding a long knife, crossing the foggy mountains at the edge of the new sun world. [White Mist Breathing Technique Lv1 Nature Form: de Usage Requirement: Constitution reaches 15 points Description: Breathe, breathe, only by continuously breathing can one cross the endless white mist. Effect: By practicing this skill, you can gain increased endurance and agility. Once you have a basic mastery, it can resonate with the spiritual power in your blood to unlock special Qi power for defense and attack.] Breathing technique! Chen Qi was shocked. Unexpectedly, he managed to draw another Skill Card that enhanced basic attributes! In the early stages, the most important Skill Cards are the three basic ones that significantly boost basic attributes: Body Forging Skill, Breathing Technique, and Meditation Technique. Among them, the Meditation Technique is a must-have for mage professions, greatly enhancing inspiration, while the Body Forging Skill and Breathing Technique are the most important basic Skill Cards for melee professions. The endurance boost and the unlocked Qi power from the Breathing Technique were crucial. Chen Qi took a long breath, feeling the intense beating of his heart; his endurance was not strong at the moment. In the short battle with the Old Hunter just now, he had already started experiencing mild breathing difficulties. In yer strategies, the earlier you acquire the Breathing Technique, the better. If he hadn''t drawn the Breathing Technique Skill Card, Chen Qi''s original n was to save up two million to buy one in the ck market of Moonstone City. Basic Skill Cards are usually more expensive than ordinary Skill Cards and are often out of stock for a long time. Even with money, they are hard toe by. Chen Qi felt a little joy in his heart. If he could master the epic Breathing Technique, unlock Qi power, andbine it with the Body Forging Skill, he might be able to withstand bullets even in the First Order. "Not bad, not bad..." This Breathing Technique would require some time to use, so he would use it when he returned. Chen Qi put away the Skill Card and looked at the second prompt in front of him. [Do you want to draw the exclusive Hunting Ground Skill Card chest?] An exclusive skill card from the Hunting Ground. Draw! At this moment, a Skill Card with a de on the front condensed in his hand. On the front of the card was the eye of a hunter, sharp as an eagle''s. [Hunter''s Eye Lv1 Nature Form: de Description: In the forest, I will notice every movement of the beasts. Introduction: By actively using this skill, you can enhance your vision and perception of the surrounding environment, allowing you to detect even the things behind you. (This skill is enhanced by inspiration)] Perception skill... Chen Qi felt slightly delighted in his heart. A perception skill could be very useful, whether it was to guard against attacks from behind or to anticipate enemy gunfire. Many strong individuals had met an untimely end because their perception was inadequate. He was no longer a yer; he had only one life. Perception skills were very important to him. Sometimes, a little instinct could help you avoid fatal encounters. It was an upgradeable skill, and upgrading to Level 3 required 1000 Spiritual Points. These Spiritual Points are spent so quickly... Chen Qi immediately used the Skill Card and upgraded Hunter''s Eye Lv1 to Lv3. The upgrade to Lv2 added a passive effect, amounting to about one-fourth of the active usage effect. The upgrade to Lv3 added the extra effect of ''Dynamic Vision,'' enhancing the ability to observe high-speed moving objects and also boosting reaction speed. "Dynamic Vision, what a good thing!" Chen Qi felt slightly delighted, not expecting that maxing out Hunter''s Eye would grant him Dynamic Vision. In the Sea Beast Cave, whether it was ck-eyed Captain''s attack or the tentacle attacks from the Blood-eyed Wall, they had appeared as afterimages in his eyes. Of course, there were also bullets! Especially in the Kingdom of Beitz, which loved using guns, Dynamic Vision would help him dodge bullets more effectively. Two quite nice Skill Cards! Chen Qi pped his hands; this time, his gains had been substantial. Next, he walked over to the scarred rabbit''s corpse, collected the dagger on it, and the ck Rabbit''s third-generation mechanical armor, and stored them in his backpack card. He couldn''t use these two items, but they should fetch a good price in the market. "That''s about it..." Chen Qi put away thentern and nced at the water creature in the cave. This was the most important contributor to his crack expedition this time. The water creature was a typical territorial monster and couldn''t survive once it left its territory. It was time to say goodbye... The water creature seemed to sense something and made a whimpering sound, its round body leaning toward him. "Goodbye, water creature..." Chen Qi finally reached out and bumped fists with its small tentacle. Then he left the cave, took the keychain, and headed to the hunter''s warehouse marked on the supervisor''s map. Chapter 62: Chapter 50 I Have the Key, You Have the Chest Chen Qi carried the map and the Hunter''s keychain, walking quickly through the dim forest. He needed to locate the Hunter''s warehouse, and then take away the treasure chest inside. On the map, the Hunter''s warehouse was marked with a treasure chest symbol, located at the edge of the ind forest. Chen Qi scanned the surroundings and could clearly see traces of people having trampled through the undergrowth. Branches were snapped, and dense footprints were everywhere... It seemed that in order to avoid the senior Hunters, many other participants had been active in this vicinity! Suddenly, an ominous premonition arose. The Hunter''s warehouse¡ªcouldn''t have already been opened by someone¡­ could it? Chen Qi suddenly remembered something. Normally, to obtain the Hunter''s treasure, three steps were required: get the location of the Hunter''s warehouse from the supervisor, then kill the senior Hunter to obtain the keychain, and finally, open the Hunter''s warehouse with the key to get the treasure. However, due to the senior Hunter serving as a hidden boss, with a very high difficulty in killing, the difficulty of getting the keychain was too great, therefore, there was a rare strategy. As long as the location of the Hunter''s warehouse was known, using explosives to directly blow open the doors of the Hunter''s warehouse would grant direct ess to the treasure. Even without the keychain from the senior Hunter or the supervisor''s map. But as long as one was lucky enough to find the location of the Hunter''s warehouse and blow open the door, it was entirely possible to just take the chest and leave. Of course, forcibly opening the warehouse would attract the pursuit of the senior Hunter, and without being able to disable the chest''s mechanical locks, it was a strategy with a very low sess rate. Chen Qi''s brow involuntarily furrowed. Having attracted the notice of the senior Hunter, it was very possible that the contents of the Hunter''s warehouse had already been taken. Chen Qi looked at the footprints on the ground. The direction of these footprints was the very way leading to the Hunter''s warehouse! "This is bad..." Chen Qi crouched down. He might not be able to directly deduce a person''s height and weight from the footprints, like detectives in TV shows could. But he could still roughly estimate the figure. These footprints were very small, and it seemed they were from someone barefoot... Barefoot? Chen Qi suddenly thought of something. In this crack, the one who would run around with white bare feet, he could only think of one. The Flower Witch... By the way, the Flower Witch was also a supervisor, and she too had the map of the ind forest. Was it possible that she saw the treasure chest mark on the map and directly ran to the Hunter''s warehouse, then punched the iron door of the warehouse to take the chest away? No way... Chen Qi''s scalp tingled at the thought. It''s still too early to draw conclusions now ¡ª he still needed to confirm it personally. Chen Qi stood up and continued through the forest towards the Hunter''s warehouse. By the time he arrived near the Hunter''s warehouse... Suddenly, from within the forest to his right, came the sound of a person. A woman''s voice? Who could it be? Chen Qi swallowed curiously, carefully stepping over fallen leaves and branches as he approached. The area was very dark, and with the trees blocking the view, he could only listen to the voice. "Hmph, if you were a bit smarter, you''d know the power gap between us," "This is yourst warning. If you don''t hand it over, don''t me me for getting rough." "My potions are terrifying! You better recognize what''s good for you!" This voice¡ªit was the Flower Witch''s voice! What was the Flower Witch doing here, and why was she uttering such fierce threats? Hearing the conversation at this moment...Chen Qi''s mind began to race with numerous thoughts. Robbery and murder! After all, the New Day world was still one where strength reigned supreme, with high-order Transcendents viewing lower-order ones as mere ants. The sea, as well as thends atop the cracks, were typicalwless ces. Despite there beingws, in a ce like the cracks, powerful Transcendents could still dominate the lives of the weak. The current dialogue most likely was the Flower Witch catching other participants and threatening them to hand over their treasures. However, did this fit the image of the Flower Witch? Chen Qi couldn''t help but question inwardly. In the game forums, the Flower Witch was seen as an entity on the side of order and goodness, and to maintain her elegance, she almost never engaged in robbery. But that could all be just for show... After all, the Flower Witch''s appearances before the yers'' eyes in the game were limited; the game was still in the beta testing phase before he crossed over. There remained a huge mystery around the Flower Witch. Just like inte celebrities, no one knew what kind of person she really was behind the scenes. Could it be that the Flower Witch had a dual personality? In a way, given the strength of the Flower Witch, not having struck immediately, and even giving the other party a chance, was already quite merciful. Suddenly... A chill ran down the back of Chen Qi''s neck. Hiding behind a tree and eavesdropping now, with the strength of the Flower Witch, she could definitely easily discover his position! However, driven by curiosity, Chen Qi still peeked his head out slightly, wanting to see what the Flower Witch was actually doing. Whoosh¡ª The wind gently blew, and falling leaves hit him. In that instant, the Flower Witch turned her head in Chen Qi''s direction. Oh crap! In that moment, both disyed a look of shock! Chen Qi''s pupils widened dramatically. He saw the Flower Witch squatting on the ground, using her terrifying spiritual power field to intimidate the creature before her. And in front of her was a pitiful and helpless little red wolf, a hungry little red wolf with a piece of grilled meat in its mouth. Huh? Chen Qi was taken aback and tilted his head in shock. This legendary witch was threatening a dog, no, a wolf, topete for the meat! Are you even human? It''s just a wolf, and besides, if you want topete with a wolf for food, just go physically take it. Why threaten it? Chen Qi couldn''t help but inwardly criticize, suddenly feeling a headacheing on. He really couldn''t understand the thought processes of many people in Witch Sea. "Sigh!" The Flower Witch noticed Chen Qi, and her little hands fluttered in panic as several little ck flowers shaped like exmation marks sprouted above her head! I''m doomed! I''ve been caught threatening the little red wolf for its food! If this incident made it to the newspapers, her elegant witch image would be destroyed! And why is it you again? Her mind raced desperately for a solution. The silent breeze of the ind forest blew past. The Flower Witch stood up and after a silent moment, murmured: "Did you know? In the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, animals are seen as gifts from Mother Earth, and at the same time, there''s a long tradition of Guardian Beasts in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. In the schools of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, an animalmunication ss ispulsory for many students. I wasn''tpeting with the wolf for the meat just now, I was reviewing the animalmunication course from school, it''s part of the curriculum." "Hmm..." Chen Qi didn''t know what to say for a moment. It actually made some sense. So far, the Flower Witch seemed as kind-hearted and orderly as he perceived her to be. And a bit naive, too. Chen Qi took a long breath of relief. This was a good thing. At least, he didn''t have to worry about being threatened by the witch with a grass whip, sumbing to her power, and then handing over all his possessions. "But you are really hungry, aren''t you!" Chen Qi looked around the Flower Witch. At this moment, the previously hungry little red wolf had stealthily run away when the Flower Witch stood up. As the little red wolf sprinted away, the Flower Witch didn''t move and appeared calm, but a small blue flower of disappointment still sprouted above her head. At the Flower Witch''s feet was a heavy iron lockbox. A Hunter''s warehouse treasure chest! She really did take it. Chen Qi stepped forward and asked: "Flower Witch, may I ask if the treasure chest at your feet is from a nearby Hunter''s warehouse?" The Flower Witch paused for a moment and then thoughtfully said: "Yes, I saw there was a treasure chest point on the map, but this chest is locked and I can''t open it." The Flower Witch had gone after the treasure chest from the beginning. Chen Qi shed the key: "So you mean, you were looking for the key?" The Flower Witch shook her head: "No, I wasn''t looking for the key; it''s most likely with the old Hunter, and since the crack has already been cleared, I can''t get it and will have to go to the city to find a locksmith..." "..." Chen Qi fell silent for a while. Didn''t you see the bunch of keys in my hand? The Hunter''s treasure chest is a puzzle box that could trigger a trap inside if not unlocked carefully. Only a master lockpicker would dare to open such a lock, but of course, that woulde with a hefty fee. ording to Chen Qi''s analysis, the Flower Witch probably didn''t have the money to pay a lockpicker. They could split the contents of the chest. The Flower Witch was a beat slow to react, looking curiously at the keys in Chen Qi''s hand. Could that key be the very one for the chest beside her? She asked in confusion: "You guys...defeated the old Hunter and got the key as well?" The Flower Witch was slightly surprised because in her estimation, the likelihood of Chen Qi getting the key was quite low. "Sort of..." Chen Qi proposed: "Flower Witch, you have the chest and I have the key. How about we sit down, have a meal, and then divide the stuff inside?" Chen Qi took out the cooking tools from his backpack card. He didn''t ask the Flower Witch if she was hungry. Because his intuition told him that if he did, she would definitely reply with a stubborn "I''m not hungry"! Perfect, they would have a meal, rest a bit, and split the loot. She was an elegant and mysterious witch, after all, why would she randomly ept an invitation to dine from a stranger! But you entered the crack and even brought cooking utensils? Are you here for tourism? The Flower Witch looked at Chen Qi nkly, swallowed, and replied: "Yeah." Chapter 63: Chapter 51 Hunters Clothes Under the moonlight. Chen Qi thought for a moment, the forest was not suitable for cooking. So, at his suggestion, he and the Flower Witch went to the clearing at the entrance of the hunting ground. The view was wide, the night scene was nice, the wind wasfortable, and there were the sounds of birds and insects. A good ce for a pic. Chen Qi sat down, took some branches and tools for lighting a fire, and began to set up a small barbecue grill. The Flower Witch, holding a heavy treasure chest, stood there, staring nkly. Such skillful handling! Is this what a chef does? He is really well prepared. But why would a chefe to the crack? Why does he have the old hunter''s keys? Question mark-shaped flowers popped up on the Flower Witch''s head. Because Chen Qi had the old hunter''s keychain in his hand. In the eyes of the Flower Witch, Chen Qi seemed to be shrouded in a mysterious aura, making him elusive. This person must not be simple¡­ the Flower Witch thought to herself. Chen Qi sliced the roasted meat and then skewered it with branches, "The ingredients I brought can only make some barbecue, do you eat spicy food?" "A little¡­spicy. I prefer sweet." The question mark-shaped flowers immediately turned into expectant little yellow flowers. The Flower Witch sat cross-legged, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, and then ced her hands on her legs, obediently waiting for the meat to be done. Chen Qi nced at the Flower Witch. Her sitting posture seemed to be some sort of dining etiquette. ording to the informationpiled from the game forum, the Flower Witch was a member of a top transcendent family in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, a genuine noble. The Golden Flower Bird Kingdom had the reputation of being a nation of art, and its great families were very particr about etiquette. Therefore, the Flower Witch had a mysterious pursuit of ''elegance.'' Chen Qi ced the skewered meat on the grill, lit the charcoal, and thought to himself, "I didn''t expect to meet the Flower Witch now." In the early stages of the game, the Flower Witch had not made any major moves, existing only as a mysterious character in the newspapers. Many opportunities to be stronger were inseparable from major events. The Flower Witch was someone destined to do big things, and so was he. Therefore, as long as he mingled in this vast sea, it was only a matter of time before they met each other. However, meeting the Flower Witch so early dide as a bit of a surprise to him. As the fire gradually grew stronger, the smell of meat began to permeate the air. Chen Qi looked at the box next to the Flower Witch, reached out, and asked, "Flower Witch, the meat is almost done, how about we divide the items in the box?" The Flower Witch''s gaze shifted from the barbecue, paused, and then said, "Okay, sure!" She quickly handed the box to Chen Qi. Chen Qi took the box, wondering why the Flower Witch seemedpletely unconcerned about the distribution of the items inside. He used the key to open the box. Inside the box, there was a handgun, a piece of clothing, some gold coins, and some herbs. Chen Qi picked up the clothing, and a special prompt appeared before him. [Hunter''s Clothes Nature Form: Void Description: This equipment is made from the skin of a mist fox, providing a certain degree of defense and featuring the active skill ''Phantom.'' Phantom: Activating this skill creates a mist around the wearer, concealing their presence. Note: Sneak, hunter! Strike their weak points from behind, destroy them!] A transcendent piece of void-type stealth equipment! Void represented nothingness, and much of its equipment was rted to concealment. But why use the verb ''strike'' in the note? Chen Qi muttered, feeling the texture of the clothing in his hand. It was dark gray with a slight matte texture, and mist fox fur lined the inside. This clothing was made from transcendent materials and could also help him withstand bullet impact. Compared to the ordinary clothes he was wearing, this was a considerably powerful piece of armor! Good stuff¡­ Chen Qi looked at the handgun next. [Beast Hunter Handgun: Nature Form: de Description: This seemingly ordinary handgun can actually increase the bullet''s power by at least three times! Note: Blow off those beasts'' heads.] This was a revolver made of transcendent materials, with a conventional bullet caliber. Its power was a notch above that of a collector''s, making it a decent small weapon. Chen Qi then looked at the gold coins, a total of five, not veryrge, probably worth around 300,000 shell coins. As for the herbs, they filled half the box with blood-colored toothed grass. Blood Saw Grass could be used to make berserk potions, which caused people to lose their rationality and significantly boosted their strength for a short time. Such arge amount of Blood Saw Grass should be worth about 500,000 shell coins, but if made into berserk potions, the price would at least triple. Chen Qi estimated the value and said, "I''ll take this hunter''s clothes, and the other three items are yours, Flower Witch. How about it?" The hunter''s clothes were the most expensive item in the box. The Flower Witch looked down, nced at it, and first took the herbs, "Hmm¡­I don''t use guns, so the gun is yours too." "In that case, I''ll be taking much more valuable stuff." Chen Qi nced at the Flower Witch. Her attention was stillpletely on the barbecue. The Flower Witch thought for a moment, "Is that so¡­ but if I take the handgun, I would just sell it in a store, cheapening it for those merchants. How about this, if we meet again, and if you have special herbs, give them to me." Herbs¡­ Chen Qi pondered for a while. He couldn''t easily acquire herbs, but he had a deep-sea affinity, and he should be able to get a lot of sea-rted herbs. "Alright." Chen Qi thought about it, he couldn''t make potions. If he had good herbs, they could indeed be given to the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch''s gaze remained fixed on the barbecue. Although she mentioned ''meeting,'' she felt their chances of meeting again were slim. After all, she was a witch destined to do big things! The next time Chen Qi saw her, it would most likely be on the newspaper''s front page. The scent of roasted meat wafted through the air. The Flower Witch still sat calmly. It seemed that to hide the fact that she was hungry, she had never voluntarily mentioned eating. Chen Qi took out two bottles of wine and said, "Flower Witch, the meat is almost done. We can start eating now." Chapter 64: Chapter 52 Night Talk in the Forest The bonfire burned, emitting a warm and bright light. Chen Qi used Soul Seasoning, sprinkling it with cumin. A fragrant aroma instantly filled the air. The Flower Witch eagerly picked up arge beef skewer, put it to her mouth, blew on it, and bit off a piece. Chen Qi had already eaten, so he wasn''t hungry. Speaking of which, the Flower Witch was of noble birth and had likely tasted many delicacies, even those made from expensive Transcendent ingredients. Her pte might be quite picky. Chen Qi asked expectantly, "How is it?" The Flower Witch swallowed the meat, and the savory taste blossomed in her mouth. "It''s... not bad... quite delicious," answered the Flower Witch. Although her expression remained calm, super happy little yellow flowers and rare joyful little pink flowers instantly sprouted on her head! To be precise, it was extremely delicious! Why could a beef skewer cooked by a chef be so delicious! She actually felt that this simple beef skewer was the most delicious thing she had ever eaten in her life! It could evenpare to food made from dragon meat. What kind of seasoning had been added! She quickened her eating pace. Chen Qi looked at the Flower Witch. Although the Flower Witch was still trying hard to maintain dining etiquette, her small movements had be noticeably rougher. It was clear that the child was truly hungry. Don''t choke... Chen Qi took out a bottle of sweet wine and handed it to her, "By the way, Flower Witch, may I ask why you appeared in the Witch Sea and why here?" Chen Qi asked curiously. In the beginning, no one knew the whereabouts of the Witch. Her appearance in a low-rank hunting ground crack was quite a rare event. "Hmm, hmm..." The Flower Witch took the wine and drank arge gulp. She had eaten too fast and choked. The Flower Witch looked at Chen Qi, not appearing malicious, just genuinely curious. After thinking it over, she answered, "Due to some matters, I am not wealthy at the moment, I came to this crack to find some items and to make some money on the side. As for why I appeared in the Witch Sea..." The Flower Witch thought for a moment, then felt no harm in telling him: "You must have noticed, I am no ordinary person. I suffer from a very serious rare disease, it''s so rare, you wouldn''t know..." "Blood Flower disease?" Chen Qi uncorked the bottle of wine and also took a sip. s! The Flower Witch was taken aback, for hers was an extremely rare disease! Chen Qi looked at the Flower Witch again. The Flower Witch''s attire was shorts and a short shirt designed for mobility. However, because her body was covered with flowers, visually, it looked as though she was wearing a short floral dress. The reason the Flower Witch was covered with flowers was due to a severe disease known as "Blood Flower disease." This disease was akin to a curse where flowers would grow on the body periodically. Though the flowers granted the Flower Witch power, if not cleaned regrly, they would prate deep into the nerves of the body, reaching the heart and brain, eventually turning her into a terrifying monster covered in flowers. Cleaning these flowers was also tremendously painful, each flower plucked felt like pulling a steel needle embedded deep into the flesh. The flowers would severely drain life force, normally, those suffering from Blood Flower disease didn''t live past thirty. "How did you know?" The Flower Witch looked at Chen Qi, curious. She had missed a chance to unt her knowledge. This was a disease unique to the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. In her eyes, Chen Qi was bing more mysterious. "I''ve read about it in books..." Chen Qi said. Although Blood Flower disease was extremely rare, due to its beauty, it was recorded in many books about strange diseases. "Oh." The Flower Witch nodded, "You should know, Blood Flower disease is very difficult to cure, so one of my reasons foring to the Witch Sea was to seek treatment for Blood Flower disease." "Oh, I see." Chen Qi pretended not to know. Then, suddenly, the Flower Witch lowered her voice, "As for my second goal, it has to do with the deep secrets of this sea, and things far away." Her lips curled up slightly as she spoke in a low voice, "It''s better that you don''t know this secret." Chen Qi frowned. Drat, it''s a dreaded riddler! However, he probably knew the Flower Witch''s second goal. Her goal, as well as the main storyline of the Witch Sea area, was to stop the Great Whale! ording to the trailer, the Great Whale was a terrifying creature from outside the new world, seen as an embodiment of nature, a personification of natural disasters. Powerful fleets, dense artillery, seemed insignificant in front of the Great Whale. It was said that the entire Crack Tide originated from its breath. And at the end of the Crack Tide, it would cross boundaries, bringing destruction to the Witch Sea. The Great Whale was a key word in the main storyline of the Witch Sea. Both the ck Whale Pirates and the Flower Witch were connected to the Great Whale. Since the Deep Sea Hunter had also resisted the Great Whale in legends, the Deep Sea Hunter treasure line was also considered a critical subplot. However, if you thought like the average citizen of Moonstone City, stopping the great whale had nothing to do with the Flower Witch. These matters should be left to the professional navy and the more powerful Hunters behind Shell Country. With the Flower Witch''s power, let alone opposing a great whale, she even struggled against the upper ranks of some of the ck Whale Pirate Crew. The Flower Witch was only Third Rank, like him, both in their developmental stage. In front of the real tide, she too was infinitely weak and powerless. yers deduced from her words that the Flower Witch''s purpose was to stop the great whale. But how exactly she intended to stop it, and why she needed to, remained a mystery. Chen Qi looked at the Flower Witch. They were merely acquaintances for now, not close enough to share secrets with each other. The Flower Witch sipped her drink, her cheeks tinting slightly red. It had been a long time since she had tasted such delicious barbecue, a long time since she had a full meal! She was truly blissful! The Flower Witch opened up a bit more, resting her head on her hand, and continued in a mysterious tone: Read more adventures at m-vl-em-pyr "You know? I''m not really the Flower Witch you imagine..." "What...aren''t you the Flower Witch from a hundred years ago, who turned people into fertilizer..." Chen Qi''s mouth hung open, going along with her performance. Surprise! The Flower Witch smiled slightly: "No mistake, I am the sessor to the title of the Flower Witch, but my current strength still falls short of the legendary Flower Witch." As she spoke, the Flower Witch''s tone got slightly excited: "But one day, I''ll surpass her, and then, I''ll take a new title for myself! Then, I''ll be famous across the ocean!" Famous across the ocean... Chen Qi gave a slight smile: "Is that so¡­" In the process of bing stronger, as long as they survived, eventually, they would all be famous across the ocean. Then, the Flower Witch looked at Chen Qi. Although she still felt he was hiding some secrets, for now, he seemed to be just a regr Chef. His cooking skills were notcking! If the food is delicious, he''s probably not a bad person... The moonlight spilled down, and the meat was almost finished. The Flower Witch touched her belly. It was about time to say goodbye. Chen Qi thought it over and finally asked: "By the way, Flower Witch, if I find the herbs, where should I look for you?" ording to the game forums, the Flower Witch should have a special secret base in Witch Sea. The Flower Witch could be considered the strongest Pharmacist in Witch Sea! If he could get some special herbs, he could go directly to the Flower Witch to create powerful Transcendent Potions. Find me... The Flower Witch was startled. The Flower Witch ced her hand on her forehead, lowered her head, and changed the topic: "There''s no need for that; you''re a Chef, right? The sea is bing treacherous. If possible, please sail less, and do more of what you want to do." The storm wasing, and monsters were surging like the tide. Pirates, monsters, most people could only pray when facing these terrifying beings. In the Flower Witch''s view, in the face of a great disaster, ordinary people should spend time with their families, see people they want to see, do things they want to do. Find her... She was a Witch about to undertake a big task! The ces she stayed were incredibly dangerous! Being near her would bring misfortune. Moreover, even she was not sure how long she could survive in this tide. "May we meet again by fate, but it''s better you pray we don''t meet again." The Flower Witch stood up, wiping the grease from her mouth. "Is that so..." Chen Qi smiled inwardly. All the major sections'' main quests were truly hellish in difficulty. Before he traveled through time, most of the quests involving the main story were where yers met their doom. With his current strength, getting involved in anything rted to the Flower Witch was indeed far too dangerous. But for some reason, he always had a feeling that the next time he saw the Flower Witch wouldn''t be too far off. Chen Qi stood to tidy up, packing the Hunter''s Clothes, beast-hunting pistol, and seasonings into his backpack card: "Then, may we meet again by fate, Flower Witch." Suddenly, Chen Qi nced at the Flower Witch, thinking of something. It seemed like she wasn''t ready to leave the crack yet, as she had something to take care of. Could she really be here for the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure... Chen Qi thought for a moment, shook his head, and left the crack. After Chen Qi left, the Flower Witch sighed with relief. Inside the hunting ground crack, she still had some unfinished business. At the very beginning, to make a graceful entrance, she had tossed away her identity-concealing cloak. Without this cloak, the moment she stepped out of the crack, she would undoubtedly be chased for interviews. The price of elegance... The Flower Witch looked carefully at the exit and finally found a worn cloak. After putting on the cloak, she pulled out a map marked with water globes, nced at it, and shook her head. It seems this was a fake treasure map; there was no treasure in this crack. "See you again if fate allows on the ocean..." As the Flower Witch walked away, a few mncholic little blue flowers appeared above her head. The ocean''s tide was extremely turbulent, and the tasks she was about to undertake were too dangerous; she did not want to involve the weak. But she was also not quite sure how long she would live. Before she died, she should eat well a few more times. That barbecue was rather tasty. As a Chef, he probably ran his own restaurant. Maybe she should have asked where his restaurant was. Regret, so much regret! Chapter 65: Chapter 53: The First Pet Moonstone City, within the Third Civilian District. Chen Qi stepped over the narrow, pitch-ck tunnel, emerging from the crack''s entrance. The ck Rabbit gang might very well be lying in ambush at the crack. Chen Qi cautiously surveyed his surroundings. The time flow in the crack synced with reality. By now, night had fallen, and moonlight bathed the chaotic city in this remote corner of the world. Chen Qi scanned the area. The dpidated streetlights flickered, walls were covered with bullet holes and smoke stains, some shops werepletely ruined, and the air was tinged with a hint of gunpowder. The moment he emerged, a drunken plumber by the street and a woman reading the newspaper on a rooftop both nced his way simultaneously. Among them were gang informants. Gangs, like rats, made full use of their numbers to oppress the weaker individuals. Guarding the entrance to the crack, then robbing the weaker parties of their rewards was amon trick among many gangs. Although apart from the Flower Witch, there should be no one else who knew about his defeat of the old Hunter. But it couldn''t exclude the possibility that someone had guessed it from various hints. After all, in the hunting grounds, apart from the Flower Witch, he was another overseer. Of course, no matter what, he had been chosen by the old Hunter as an overseer. For a gang like the ck Rabbit Gang, unless they could gather a team of ten, they likely wouldn''t dare make a move rashly. If they dared to take action... They were wee to try. Chen Qi walked along the street towards his small houseboat. As long as he wasn''t facing a widespread assault, he was confident that he could defeat the members of the ck Rabbit Gang. Chen Qi walked briskly along the street. "Guest..." Suddenly, a voice stopped him. In the dimly lit corner ahead, an old man reading a newspaper was sitting. Only on m v|le|mp|yr It was the newsstand old man who gave him information. The old man flipped through his newspaper, then said to Chen Qi: "Guest, it seems you''ve had a fruitful day, but let me remind you imprudently that rabbits are always vengeful. If possible, please make sure to leave this rabbit den tonight. However, don''t worry too much, the king of the rabbits isn''t in the den right now, but has gone to the Moonstone Inds." Gang members have their own territories, the area he was in belonged to the ck Rabbit Gang, and was also known as the rabbit den. The leader of the ck Rabbits isn''t in Moonstone City, huh... Chen Qi looked at the old man. As a Light Seer and also a member of the Transcendent organization "Press," the other party''s speed in obtaining information was first-rate. Chen Qi said: "Thank you for the warning." The old man adjusted his sses: "Guest, I want to ask, did the Flower Witch really appear in the hunting grounds? And is she the same Flower Witch from a hundred years ago?" Chen Qi pondered for a moment before answering: "The Witch indeed appeared, but based on my personal judgment, she doesn''t quite seem like the Flower Witch from a hundred years ago." The newsstand old man''s pupils contracted, and then his brows furrowed: "Is that so, then Perlu has missed out on a huge piece of news. Everyone apart from you has been scooped up by the major newspapers..." Scooped up by newspapers? The appearance of the Flower Witch was undoubtedly big news throughout the Witch Sea. For this news, the press would definitely interview the hunters participating in the hunting grounds. Am I going to be in the news? Chen Qi scratched his head. Then, the old man continued: "Guest, please be very careful in your travels recently. Witches are considered ominous symbols in other nations, and their appearances generally signal the onset of major disasters. Of course, the Crack Tide is a disaster in itself." With that, the old man looked at Chen Qi, a flicker of surprise in his eyes: "However, guest, I never expected you to be chosen by the old Hunter as an overseer. Initially, I thought you were just a Chef, but it seems I was mistaken, you are a formidable Chef indeed." The newspaperman had seen many people, and it had been a long time since he had so greatly misjudged someone''s strength. Even his intuition told him that the other party might even be rted to clearing the crack at the hunting ground. "Not bad." Chen Qi answered modestly. However, he had not yet fully mastered the Body Forging Skill and Breathing Technique. In the yer guide, one only qualifies as a First Order Transcendent after fully mastering the Body Forging Skill and Breathing Technique. Of course, that''s the standard for power-focused yers and more than sufficient to handle ordinary gang members. After bidding farewell to the old man, Chen Qi quickened his pace towards the port of Moonstone City. He had an urgent matter to attend to. In the hunting ground, the most important item he had obtained was seven deep-sea Water Elves. And to awaken their true form, the deep-sea Water Elves needed to be ced in seawater. ... ... Chen Qi arrived at the port and lit the boat''smp. The port was crowded and bustling, not a good choice for awakening the deep-sea Water Elves. Chen Qi thought for a moment and decided to drive the small houseboat to the waters near Moonstone City. Going out to sea at night was very dangerous due to the high chance of encountering Sea Beasts. But for Chen Qi, this was no problem. Moreover, as long as he stayed within the range of the lighthouse of Moonstone City, many monsters wouldn''t dare to attack him. Chen Qi drove the small houseboat to the seawaters outside Moonstone City. He ced seven small water balls into the seawater, waiting for the deep-sea Water Elves to hatch. "By tomorrow morning, they should be hatched..." Following that, Chen Qi took out the "White Mist Breathing" Skill Card and used it. The card dissipated at his fingertips like white mist. Knowledge of the Breathing Technique surged into his mind. [You have sessfully absorbed "White Mist Breathing." Your stamina has significantly increased, your agility +1] Chen Qi took a deep breath and felt the air flow through various parts of his body. After mastering the Breathing Technique, both his speed and the calmness of his movements would vastly improve. Like the Body Forging Skill, the Breathing Technique still required some time to practice to be fully assimted. Immediately after, Chen Qi proceeded with his routine exercises, aiming to fully master the Body Forging Skill and Breathing Technique as soon as possible. [Your constitution +1, your strength +1] [Your stamina has slightly increased, your agility +1] The movements of the Body Forging Skill were very intense. Chen Qi felt the sweat on his body and the incremental increase in physical strength. Unknowingly, the night grew deep, and from afar at sea, he could see dark shadows continuously passing under the water. Dangerous entities... Chen Qi tiredly looked at the sea. To date, apart from the nearshore overlord, he hadn''t encountered any dangerous Transcendent Sea Beasts at sea. Not encountering dangerous Sea Beasts, he didn''t know whether to consider this good luck or bad luck. Next, he could actively seek out these Sea Beasts. Chen Qi closed his eyes,y on the bed, and fell asleep. The next day, the mes of daytime ignited, and the warm sunlight shone on his face. The bedridden Chen Qi opened his bleary eyes and looked towards the chandelier inside the boat house. Suddenly, he felt a heavy, somewhat slippery sensation on his chest. And a bit soft... What could it be? Chen Qi instinctively grabbed the jelly-like thing at his chest. Before him, a Slime blinked its blue eyes at him. "?" Chapter 66: Chapter 54: Night of the Monsters "This..." Chen Qi pinched it with his hand. So soft! He suddenly sat up from the bed and looked around the boat cabin. He couldn''t help but take a deep breath. Such a soft thing, and there are seven of them! At that moment, exactly seven round, fluffy Deep Sea Water Elves were blinking their big blue eyes at him, awaitingmands. At that moment, a new prompt also appeared in front of him. [Deep Sea Hunter cultivated Deep Sea Water Elves: Description: Deep Sea Water Elves,pared to ordinary Water Elves, have absorbed the power of the deep sea. They possess higher intelligence, a temporary floating ability, stronger recovery skills, and greaterbat capability! Additionally, Deep Sea Water Elves also help elerate your boat! Each of these Deep Sea Water Elves possesses the ''Water Bomb'' skill! Note: The best pet beast choice for your voyages! Seven Deep Sea Water Elves, silently awaiting yourmand!] "Hmm..." Chen Qi looked at the seven slimes, no, the seven Deep Sea Water Elves. They seemed quite intelligent... "Come to my hand." Chen Qi said. The nearest one among them paused for a moment, then with a pop, it jumped onto his hand. Pretty clever... Chen Qi thought. The Deep Sea Water Elves master a skill called Water Bomb, which can instantly create a powerful water explosion around their body. Chen Qi, whose main character is a Pet Beast Trainer, preferred to use the hand-held Water Bomb. The so-called hand-held Water Bomb is akin to throwing a Water Elf like a hand grenade! "Go, Deep Sea Water Elves! Water Bomb!" Chen Qi stepped out of the boat cabin and fiercely grabbed the Water Elf in his hand, smashing it violently toward the sea surface. Boom! A massive explosion of water burst up from the sea surface! Just like a torpedo exploding above the water! Its explosive power was enough to flip over a small boat! After the explosion, the Water Elf quickly absorbed seawater to replenish its energy. Deep Sea Water Elves could move swiftly in the sea and rapidly replenish their energy. "The power isn''t small at all..." Chen Qi was surprised, the power was alreadyparable to a hand grenade explosion. As a former Pet Beast Trainer, he naturally knew the strength of this skill. This type of pet beast, possessing strong regenerative abilities, was extremely rare even in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. Its body, mainlyposed of water, had strong resistance to physical damage and incredible recovery abilities in seawater. Moreover, as a bomb, Deep Sea Water Elves could also track their enemies. It was as if his little houseboat had seven refible tracking torpedo missiles! To own one of these powerful pet beasts in the Second-tier would already be considered lucky, and now he had seven. Chen Qi pictured the sight of seven missile-like Deep Sea Water Elves circling around him. In such a case, perhaps, he could even handle a duel with Teacher An, a Third Rank Mage! It could be said that, Deep Sea Water Elves significantly enhanced his marinebat capabilities! "Not bad, not bad!" Read now on m_vl_em_p_yr Subsequently, Chen Qi tested the second function of the Deep Sea Water Elves. elerating the boat! Under hismand, seven Deep Sea Water Elves swiftly gathered together at the rear of the small houseboat, then violently pushed the houseboat forward! Whoosh! Under the propulsion of the Deep Sea Water Elves, the small houseboat burst forward with unprecedented speed. Not bad, not bad! Chen Qi flicked his finger, and the seven Deep Sea Water Elves obediently returned to the small houseboat. Unlike regr pet beasts, Deep Sea Water Elves only needed to absorb seawater to restore energy. Anyway, his little houseboat now also had a pet. In time, he wondered if he could teach them to clean the boat cabin and give massages... Chen Qi thought. Although he had only touched them for a moment, the touch of the Deep Sea Water Elves was truly excellent! If ced in a bathtub, they could also be incredibly fun toys. Chen Qi walked out of the boat cabin, spreading his arms, feeling the sea breeze blow past. And just then, he heard a bird call! Wait, the sky... Chen Qi looked up. There, in the sky, a huge dove was flying. A dove? Chen Qi raised his head, suddenly thinking of something. Could it be the miracle reporter, Perlu from Moonstone City? At that moment, a terrifying thing happened. Above the dove, a figure abruptly fell from the dove. A ne crash? Chen Qi was startled. "I''ve finally found you, boss!" Apanied by a terrifying greeting, the shadow, elerating downwards, plunged like a missile straight toward his little houseboat! It was the miracle walker Perlu, no, specifically, a human-shaped missile! If the little houseboat were hit by this human-shaped missile, it was likely to be flipped in an instant. His newly bought boat! This guy! Chen Qi''s pupils suddenly dted, and he quicklymanded the Deep Sea Water Elves. He had them urgently push the small houseboat forward. Boom! Miracle reporter Perlu hit the water, creating a huge ssh. Phew... Chen Qi patted his chest, calming his startled heart and the boat. Phew, on the high seas, humans are indeed more terrifying than sea beasts. Especially humans falling from above, are a terror among terrors. Then, he walked to the edge of the boat, stretching out his hand: "Miss Reporter, are you alright?" Falling from a great height, even into water, could still cause significant harm to the body. Did this persone down identally, or did they jump intentionally? Chapter 67: Chapter 54: Night of the Monsters_2 Pei Lu extended her hand out of the seawater, grabbed Chen Qi''s hand, and climbed up: "It''s fine, I took four years of physical education at Bei Country Royal University. I''m practically a half-athlete. It''s just a dive. A couple of days of rest, and I''ll be good." "..." Chen Qi pulled Pei Lu up from the seawater. Her body showed only a few minor injuries. "This girl is genuinely tough..." Although Pei Lu only had a first-tier Spirit Power Field, her body had a frightening level of hardness, which was one of the main reasons yers believed that Pei Lu was hiding her true strength. Once on the boat, Pei Lu''s eyes were red as she coughed up seawater and then stood up: "Boss... do you know... I''ve been looking for you for so long, almost thought I couldn''t find you. Look, I''m so excited; I fell off the pigeon." Pei Lu sat on the ground. Having fallen into the water, she somehow looked a bit pitiful. "Hey, don''t rush. Calm down a bit." Chen Qi crossed his arms and asked curiously: "What''s the matter? Is it about food?" Pei Lu naturally walked into his boathouse and said: "Do you even need to ask? Of course, it''s about the Flower Witch! This is big news that has shocked Moonstone City. For the sake of the story, all major newspapers are moving into action now! However, other newspapers, and even that damned junior of mine, have signed confidentiality agreements with the participants of the Hunting Grounds!" Then Pei Lu wiped her eyes and looked at Chen Qi: "Fortunately, I heard from the old man at the newsstand that you participated in the crack, and you probably weren''t interviewed. Moreover, he told me that you might be a key figure! Boss, if it weren''t for you, I would miss out on the most explosive news Moonstone City has had this month." "You actually saw the Flower Witch!" Pei Lu looked at Chen Qi, her eyes full of envy! "Is that so..." Chen Qi felt some emotion. The speed of these journalists was faster than he had imagined. Pei Lu was someone who would stop at nothing for newspaper sales. Despite her fame, she wasn''t withoutpetitors. The Witch Times, adept at pushing boundaries, had always been a strong contender against her. In fact, they had already surpassed the White Dove Times in sales this year. Chen Qi remembered that in the game''s new activities, there was a special faction war centered around the sales of the Witch Times and the White Dove Times. yers would be responsible for gathering or fabricating big news to boost their respective newspapers'' sales. He should now be considered a yer on the side of the White Dove Times. Chen Qi took out some peanuts and handed them to Pei Lu: "So, Miss Reporter, what do you want to ask?" Pei Lu brushed back her wet hair, took out her notebook and pen: "What happened in the Hunting Grounds, the Flower Witch''s appearance, including the color of the flowers on her head and her attire. If possible, please tell me her body measurements! The more detailed, the better!" So much information? Are you sure you''re not capturing a criminal? Chen Qi frowned. After some thought, Chen Qi recounted part of the events in the Hunting Grounds. However, in his version, he was not the one who defeated the Hunting Grounds, but merely a participant who hunted red wolves with culinary skills, without revealing his dealings with the Flower Witch. "That''s what happened in the Hunting Grounds. As for the Flower Witch''s appearance, she has flowers growing on her head, and she''s about 1.6 meters tall. Her figure is quite good, I suppose." Chen Qi replied. "Thank you very much. This information is enough for me to write an article." Pei Lu clenched her fist, looking fierce: "Don''t let me catch you, Flower Witch!" Explore more at m,v le,mpyr Pei Lu vowed in her heart that if she caught the Flower Witch, she would definitely conduct a thorough interview! "Ah, this..." Chen Qi looked at Pei Lu. The way she spoke about the interview felt like a gannd shakedown. No wonder she was known as Moonstone City''s most brazen journalist. As a chaotic-type journalist, Pei Lu''s interviews often involved torture devices. He could only pray for the Flower Witch and hope she wouldn''t get caught by this chaotic journalist. Luckily, with the Flower Witch''s strength, she should be able to give this journalist a good thrashing. Then Chen Qi said to Pei Lu: "Miss Reporter, can I ask if you have any useful information for me?" As the top of Bei Country Royal''s Big Three and an honorary journalist of Moonstone City, though her mind was somewhat erratic, Pei Lu was undoubtedly a huge intelligence broker. She knew all the big and small affairs in the Witch Sea. There should be a lot of useful information among them. Pei Lu, while writing her article, thought out loud: "Useful information for you..." Her eyes lit up: "Of course, I do." "What is it?" "ording to a sea fisherman''s discovery, recently, arge group of rare Moonlight Fish has appeared in the nearshore waters around Moonstone City. This is a rare and delicious ingredient, but nighttime is very dangerous. Thus, to prepare for the culinary contest, many chefs have contacted fishermen to arrange a fishing boat, nning to embark on a big fishing trip the night after tomorrow!" "Fishing..." Chen Qi rubbed his hands together. The other party truly regarded him as a professional chef. Moonlight Fish was a seasonal product of Moonstone City, with tender and juicy meat, weed by many big merchants. However, the Transcendent attributes of Moonlight Fish were not particrly strong. Even when processed into food, it could only temporarily boost inspiration. Chen Qi shook his head, not very interested in Moonlight Fish. What he wanted was a Transcendent ingredient that could give him a body of steel! Then, Pei Lu continued: "But unfortunately, Moonlight Fish can only appear at night, and in the ces where they appear, many dangerous sea beasts will also appear. Ghost Fire Fish, Demon Bats, Bullet Squids, even the Nearshore Dominator, and those things hiding in the shadows. In other words, the night when Moonlight Fish appear is a monster night!" "What did you just say?" "A lot of dangerous sea beast groups will appear. Plus, fishing at night means the prices of Moonlight Fish have skyrocketed. To guard against these monsters, at least five Second-order Hunters, or even expensive Third-tier Hunters, must be hired for them to dare to go to sea. Of course, if you want to join the fishing fleet, and with some gangs being unrulytely, you''ll need to spend a lot of money to get a Hunter''s protection." A first-order Transcendent is the starting point of transcendence, their power varies significantly. Whereas, Second-order Transcendents,pared to first-order ones, had delved deeply into their chosen path, possessed a unique Nature Form, and had mastered refined breathing, body forging, and meditation skills. Most Second-order Transcendents had a certain status in Moonstone City. At least five Second-order Transcendents indicated the level of danger of this fishing trip. Hearing this, Chen Qi couldn''t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Dangerous sea beast groups! Ghost Fire Fish, Demon Bats, Bullet Squids, those goodies... This monster night was a huge opportunity for him! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 68: Chapter 55 Night Voyage Chen Qi walked to the bedside, picked up "Sea Beast Usage Guide," and started flipping through it. Ghost Fire Fish and Bullet Squid are dangerous small-sized sea beasts that often move in groups. Once targeted by these schools of fish, one would suffer an attack akin to a hail of bullets. Although dangerous, they are much more valuable than Moonlight Fish. Seeing that Chen Qi was considering going out to sea at night, Pelu cautioned: "If you want to follow the fleet and fish at night, never board ships belonging to gangs, especially the ck Rabbit Gang, the Wild Dog Gang, and the Formal Attire Axe Gang. They might charge less, and have maids on board who''ll touch your thigh andpliment your looks! But once you''re ashore, they''ll gouge you with tea fees, weapon fees, protection fees, maid service fees¡ªall just ways to rip you off. So, make sure to choose a proper fishing vessel, which should cost about 50,000 Shell Coins." As Pelu said this, she imitated one of those money-grubbing maids and teased with a flirty wink. "Hiss..." This sudden assault made Chen Qi frown as though he were an old grandfather on the subway. If Pelu didn''t speak, she was quite attractive. But with Miss Pelu''s chaotic reputation in Moonstone City, her wink could scare many into running three hundred miles out of Moonstone City in a tumbling panic. She continued: "Right, when you go out to sea at night, make sure you have ship lights and kerosenemps ready. Recently, there have been six tragedies caused by people trying to save on kerosene by turning off their ship lights." "Mmm, don''t worry, my little boat''s ship light is quite expensive," Chen Qi said with a confident smile. To ensure safe travel at night, he had the foresight to ask the ship repair workers of Maro Town to equip his small boat with a waterproof, impact-resistantrge ship light! Apart from the Steam Hand''s engine, the ship light was undoubtedly the most expensiveponent on his boat. "Expensive?" Pelu raised her head, scanning his boat house with the eyes of a wealthy woman, somewhat puzzled. To me, it''s already quite expensive... Chen Qi helplessly closed the book and asked his second question: "By the way, Miss Reporter, what do you know about the ck Rabbit Gang?" "What''s up, are the rabbits eyeing you now?" Pelu asked. Gangs are a distinct feature in the civilian areas of Moonstone City. Gangs supplement the order of Moonstone City. With the Descent of the Crack Tide, chaos is intensifying, and the gangs are bing more numerous and bold. "Sort of," Chen Qi replied. There was no doubt that his trip to the hunting grounds had caught the ck Rabbit Gang''s attention. Not to mention, based on the information he previously had, the ck Whale Group and the ck Rabbit Gang were somewhat connected. Pelu frowned: "You''ve caught their attention then, be careful. ording to the intelligence from my informants, many gangs in Moonstone City have begun to make contact with pirate groups recently. And the ck Rabbit Gang has a close rtionship with the ck Whale Group, the leader among the four great pirate emperors. So you''d better be cautious. A rabbit doesn''t care about its reputation when it''s about to leave its burrow." Pelu popped a peanut into her mouth. The size of the ck Whale Group was growing day by day. Chen Qi propped his chin, pondering. Gangs are simply pirates onnd, so it''s not surprising they would join pirates. After the advent of the Crack Tide, cracks appeared more frequently in the sea than onnd. In such situations, joining the pirates would indeed be quite a far-sighted decision. The ck Rabbit Gang is not to be feared, but one cannot fight off a hundred with his bare hands. He would have to be careful when moving around Moonstone City... Chen Qi thought to himself. Pelu shook her head, expressing a fondness for the boss''s cooking skills. Sheforted him: "But don''t worry too much. In the end, the gangs are like rats in the city, especially at ports under naval jurisdiction; they wouldn''t dare cause trouble there. When I have time, I''ll go and interview the ck Rabbit Gang to get them to behave!" An interview, are you sure that''s not a threat? Chen Qi was slightly startled; she truly was the most brazen reporter in Moonstone City. Pelu stood up, somewhat reluctantly stuffing her papers back into her bag: "It''s such a pity, boss. I''m really too busy today to enjoy your cooking, and thanks for the information you provided." "Goodbye, and have a safe trip." Chen Qi waved his hand as he bid farewell. Before leaving, Pelu clenched her fists in encouragement: "Right, boss, keep up the hard work making money! Your restaurant is just too shabby and small. If possible, it''d be great to have a cab full of fine wine, a mahogany table, and ideally, a musician to add some artistic atmosphere. And it would be even better if you could add some Transcendent ingredients. I hope you be a five-star Chef soon!" Pelu had always wanted to invite friends for a meal here, but regrettably, the small boat house was just too small. If only the boat''s interior were a bit nicer, it would be perfect. "..." Easy for you to say... Chen Qi pped his hands and nced at his small boat house. If it hadn''t been for Old Beli''s rush to sell his boat, he wouldn''t even have it now. To fit a big liquor cab while ensuring the speed of the boat, it would be impossible without ten million Shell Coins. Moreover, bing a five-star Chef, which required passing the Chef''s Union assessment, was a very difficult thing as well. After Pell left, Chen Qi sat on the boat and began to plot his journey ahead in simple terms. The Monster Night would take ce the evening after tomorrow. He could take time tomorrow to go to the market at Moonstone City and sell the items he obtained from the hunting ground. Then he would spend the rest of the time practicing his breathing techniques and Body Forging Skill, as well as training the deep-sea Water Elf. ... ... Two days passed in the blink of an eye. At the port of Moonstone City, the afterglow of the setting sun shimmered on the sparkling sea. Chen Qi sat atop his small houseboat, counting his money. Life had been very ordinary in the past few days, with only asional probes from members of the ck Rabbit Gang, but he had encountered no troubles. He spent some time selling the spices he had obtained from the crack, as well as the small Mechanical Armor from the ck Rabbit Gang. The Devil Pepper sold for one hundred thousand Shell Coins, and the small steam-powered armor from the ck Rabbit Gang sold for two hundred seventy thousand coins due to a damaged neural connection system. With the sale of other items and some expenses, in and out, he now had a total of four hundred thousand Shell Coins. For someone who had just begun to make his way at sea, four hundred thousand Shell Coins was a significant sum. For non-Transcendents, as long as they avoided frequenting ces of ill repute and had no family members to support, four hundred thousand was enough tost a very long time. But for a Transcendent, the amount was still too little. Chen Qi finished counting his money and carefully ced it into his backpack card. Outside the boat cabin, the hearty voices of sailors could be heard. "We''re preparing to set sail, call the sailors to get ready!" "And hurry up and find someone to greet the five esteemed Second-tier Hunters, our cannons have limited power, and if we don''t want to be attacked by Sea Beasts, we still need to rely on them." "This operation is extremely dangerous, remind the fishermen who have paid that they absolutely must not lose sight of us." "May the Goddess bless us, bless us, Goddess, please bless us." The mes of the day were gradually extinguishing, and night was about to epass the sea. Chen Qi opened the window of his boat and looked out. At this moment, beside his small houseboat, there were fiverge fishing vessels, equipped with cannons, powerful steam engines, andrge trawlings. And ten medium-sized vessels. Beyond that, there were over twenty personal boats, just like his. "So many people..." Chen Qi remarked. Since the arrival of the Crack Tide, the number of people setting out to sea from Maro Town had noticeably decreased. But in Moonstone City, there was absolutely no sign of decline! In the night, sailing in small boats was a very dangerous affair. However, not going out to sea meant that many fishermen with meager savings would go without food, and their entire families would suffer. "Life is not easy." Chen Qi packed up, came out of the boat cabin, leaned against the wall of the cabin, blew in the sea breeze, and listened to the noisy voices of people. The fishermen on the small boats mostly hung their heads, clearly filled with fear about setting out to sea this time. On therge vessel beside him, the voices of the captain and first mate were particrly loud. "There''s really a lot of people heading out to sea today, but speaking of which, howe there are so many small boats? It''s the night of the Crack Tide! They really aren''t afraid of dying!" "Afraid of dying? That''s Moonlight Fish, one Moonlight Fish can be worth ten fresh big fish! You''re not supporting a wife and children. Have you ever thought about how much it costs to want to attend a Transcendent school and to cultivate Transcendent abilities?" Saying this, the two men on the boat lowered their heads and nced at Chen Qi. The coarse-looking first mate, seeing the g on Chen Qi''s boat, spoke out loudly: "Young man, you''re a chef, right? Your little boat won''t even be able to catch a single Moonlight Fish before being buried at sea! Eighty thousand Shell Coins to follow behind our vessel, and our Hunters will protect you! All registered!" "No thanks, I don''t have the money!" Chen Qi loudly refused. His target was the group of Sea Beasts, and he had no interest in following behind therge ships to pick up their leftovers. The first mateughed heartily: "No money, eh... Well, that''s that, but I have to warn you, the boats around you belong to gangs, and they don''t follow the rules like we do." Chen Qi nced to the side and saw a skinny man in a small boat''s cabin, staring at him with unabashed malice. The man''s Spiritual Power field was not weak, at a Second-tier level. He was an executive of the ck Rabbit Gang. "After watching for so many days, finally someone with a bit of skill hase..." Chen Qi did not worry too much and walked straight into the cabin, lit themp, and started the engine. With the deep-sea Water Elf, he could even destroy somerge vessels with weak defenses on the sea. If they truly dared to attack, he would ensure they had no return! In the sky, as if a giant hand suddenly snuffed out a me, the day''s fire waspletely extinguished, and the world plunged into darkness. Night had arrived. Rumble rumble! The Lighthouse lit up, and the ships started their engines and switched on theirmps. "To the sea!" The sailors on therge vessel shouted! With the leading of therge vessels ahead, a bunch of small boats lit theirmps and followed close behind, likenterns afloat on the sea, sailing into the pitch-ck ocean. Chapter 69: Chapter 56: The Black Ship in the Fog As they sailed, the tall lighthouse in their view became smaller and smaller. In the beginning, Chen Qi''s small boat followed behind the main fleet. About an hour into their journey, they were already far from Moonstone City. Moonlight poured down, draping the entire sea in ayer of pitch-ck ink. Chen Qi, holding a kerosenemp, stepped out of the cabin and looked towards the vast ocean. In the distance, arge school of fish emitting a blue glow resembled a beautiful, translucent ribbon of flowing sand drifting over the ocean. It was the Moonlight Fish! Everyone was instantly thrilled. "Brothers, we''ve got work to do!" "Pay attention to what you haul up. If there''s anything mutant and rotten, burn it immediately with fire and then throw it into the sea," "Be careful not to confuse the Moonlight Fish with the Ghost Fire Fish!" In front of him, the ships began to fish. "Phew, it''s also time to break away from the main fleet," Chen Qi looked around. In the distant sea, he could see some faint blue mes lighting up. It was likely the Ghost Fire Fish... "Deep Sea Water Elves, push the small boat from behind," Chen Qi snapped his fingers lightly. "Gurgle gurgle," Seven Deep Sea Water Elves understood his intentions, jumped into the water, and began acting as a second engine for the small houseboat. Taking advantage of people''s fascination with the Moonlight Fish, Chen Qi turned the boat''s direction, and with the hard pushing of the Deep Sea Water Elves, his small boat sped off like a speedboat with full firepower towards the distant group of Ghost Fire Fish. The Ghost Fire Fish''s ghostly oil was a rare and practical material. With the speed boost, his boat quickly reached the vicinity of the Ghost Fire Fish school. The moment the Ghost Fire Fish saw his boat, they fiercely ignited huge blue mes as a warning! Though these blue mes weren''t very hot, they were as sharp as des. A mere touch of the mes could instantly make flesh and blood stter, literally separating bone from muscle. The blue fire formed by the school of Ghost Fire Fish could be asrge as a mansion, and even the nearshore overlords had to respect it! This was why the Ghost Fire Fish were extremely dangerous. Ghost Fire Fish were quick-tempered. On the sea, without expensive catching tools, it was almost impossible to capture them. However, the moment they saw Chen Qi, the mes instantly extinguished, and they swam away in all directions. "Huh? Why are you running? I''m not a bad guy..." Chen Qi looked towards the school of Ghost Fire Fish. The situation before him was beyond his expectations. Most small sea beasts he encountered were very friendly to him, so Chen Qi always felt that his talent could somewhat be described as a ''Deep Sea Enchanting Demon''. Am I not a Deep Sea Enchanting Demon? Why don''t these Ghost Fire Fishe near me! I can give you massages! Chen Qi was somewhat anxious. Although the Ghost Fire Fish had stopped their aggressive mes, they also did not voluntarilye close to him. Different sea beast species reacted differently to him. "This way, although I could capture them, the efficiency is simply too low..." Chen Qi dug at his ear and thought for a moment. He suddenly thought of a way to extract materials from the Ghost Fire Fish. Since he couldn''t attract the Ghost Fire Fish himself, he would use Extraordinary Fish Bait. Chen Qi took out a fishing rod and an iron bucket. He used his Transcendent Fishing Skill, gathering an Extraordinary Fish Bait at the end of the rod, then ced it on the water. Following that, he positioned the Deep Sea Water Elves around it. To reach the bait, they had to swim past him. "Soul Seasoning!" For effect... Chen Qi used the Soul Seasoning to enhance the deliciousness of the Extraordinary Fish Bait. The effect was outstanding! Instantly, the Ghost Fire Fish, which had been ignoring him, smelled the aroma of the bait and rushed toward it. Indeed, some fish can''t be attracted by mere scent; it takes delicious food to draw them in... A Ghost Fire Fish approached the Extraordinary Fish Bait. Crouching at the edge of the boat, Chen Qi smirked deviously. The moment it was about to bite the Extraordinary Fish Bait, he abruptly grabbed the Ghost Fire Fish with his hand and skillfully scooped off ayer of ck oil from its body. The ghostly fires that the Ghost Fire Fish emitted were primarily because of this Ghost Fire Oil. This was a rather good meleebat weapon coating. Applied to a weapon, it could ignite the de with blue, razor-sharp mes, significantly enhancing the weapon''s attack power. This kind of Ghost Fire Oil was very rare in weapon shops. The Ghost Fire Oil scooped from a single Ghost Fire Fish was worth eight thousand Shell Coins. After scooping off the ck oil and putting it into the iron bucket, Chen Qi casually tossed the Ghost Fire Fish back into the sea. Eight thousand Shell Coins in hand! With so many Ghost Fire Fish, he would catch one after another! Eight thousand! Eight thousand! Eight thousand! Chen Qi, as if picking up money, grabbed one Ghost Fire Fish after another near the Extraordinary Fish Bait, and briskly scooped off the ck oil. Bang! Bang! One after another, the used Ghost Fire Fish were thrown back into the sea. The entire process was extremely skilled. In about ten minutes, he had scooped Ghost Fire Oil from a hundred Ghost Fire Fish. He had filled up a whole bucket with Ghost Fire Oil! Even in arge weapons store specializing in weapon coatings, it was hard to have so many in stock! "Huh..." Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead. Though being a pirate or joining a gang at sea was considered a hundred times more profitable than fishing, Chen Qi believed that honest fishing could still bring in big money. In just ten short minutes, he had earned eight hundred thousand Shell Coins! Moreover, the Ghost Fire oil could adhere to his ck de, enhancing his weapon. Chen Qi turned his head contentedly. At the moment, on the sea surface, there were a hundred Ghost Fire Fish unable to ignite, looking pitifully at him. Due to Chen Qi''s skillful maneuvers, they had not managed to snack at all before he caught them, removed their Ghost Fire oil, and mercilessly threw them back into the sea. "Hmm..." Chen Qi stroked his chin: "Am I being a bit cruel to these Ghost Fire Fish?" Chen Qi coughed twice and then conjured two Extraordinary Fish Baits, cing them on the sea surface for the Ghost Fire Fish to eat. He was still quite kind-hearted and wouldn''t treat the Ghost Fire Fish unfairly. "Eat more, you need to work on producing new Ghost Fire oil..." Chen Qi said, feeling somewhat guilty. Enjoy reading at m v-le-mp-yr He nned to rest a while, then explore this sea area to see if there were other groups of sea beasts. But at that moment, in the distance, a small fishing boat with its lights turned off was stealthily approaching his houseboat. It was the man who had red at him ashore just earlier. Because the Ghost Fire Fish had not ignited any me, he thought Chen Qi was catching some ordinary fish. Chen Qi roughly sensed that the other''s Spiritual Power field had already reached the Second-tier. The gaunt man with a crew cut approached Chen Qi''s boat, picked up antern, then spoke viciously: "Chef, you''re the overseer of the hunting ground, aren''t you? I''m a cadre from the ck Rabbit Gang, one of the Five Rabbits. In the hunting ground, I had a brother, nicknamed Scarface Rabbit. I''ve been thinking, and the only ones who could beat him, aside from the Flower Witch, is you." His eyes held a trace of malice. From his words, he clearly considered the Flower Witch the most likely assant. But now, he had found him. Chen Qi propped his chin, gently tapped on the Water Elves below the surface. If it was at sea, even a Second-tier was mostly no match for him. Chen Qi smiled: "Scarface Rabbit, huh? I do indeed know a bit about him..." "Knew it!" The gaunt man didn''t n to give Chen Qi a chance to speak, he said to Chen Qi: "You really dare to admit it, huh? After this voyage,e to our ck Rabbit Gang headquarters. If you show good behavior and sincerity, our ck Rabbit Gang is willing to forgive you." Bang! Just at that moment, he pulled out a gun, preparing to fire a shot at his houseboat as a warning. However, Chen Qi had drawn his gun first, and opened fire at him. Bang! The other''s reaction was incredibly fast, he used thentern in his hand as a shield, easily blocking the bullet. "Impressive!" The gaunt man slightly smiled: "Second-tier Transcendents, most have mastered the Body Forging Skill and the Breathing Skill, even the Meditation Skill. Response times, also far above ordinary people. In addition, there''s physical condition, Spiritual Power perception, Transcendent skills... This means we, and someone just entering Transcendent like you, are worlds apart." However, he hadn''t finished his sentence when he sensed something. When did fog start to form? Chen Qi held his breath, his body growing colder. The surrounding mist thickened, and the temperature was dropping rapidly! Suddenly, an anomaly urred! "Just you wait! Damn it! Damn! Damn, how did we run into this thing!" The gaunt man shivered, burst out with a curse, turned his head, and tried to light thentern of his boat. To sneak up on Chen Qi, he had just turned off the boat''s lights! However, the moment he touched thentern switch, his boat suddenly shook violently, convulsed fiercely, and then whoosh, the entire boat was violently pulled into the sea. The man, along with the boat, instantly disappeared into the sea, as if he had never existed. The faint bloodstain that appeared on the sea surface was the only proof of his presence. "What is this..." Chen Qi''s heartbeat was elerating. Unknowingly, thick fog had gathered around the area he was in. In front of him, within the mist, a blurry shadow gradually emerged. A wooden ck boat with itsntern lit and piled with pitch-ck cargo slowly approached him. On the boat, there was only antern-holding boatman. The boat came closer. Looking closely, the boatman had no flesh and wore a tattered merchant''s hat, his entire body was a charred skeleton. When the boat was ten meters away from his houseboat, it stopped. Click, click! From beneath the merchant''s hat, some deep blue tentacles emerged. And then, it picked up thentern, producing a strange sound like bones shing: "Good... evening..." Chapter 70 : 57 Deep Sea Merchant The moon hung high, and the fog grew thicker. The captain on therge boat fishing for moonlight fish nced at the distant fog and involuntarily stoppedmanding. "What''s the matter, Captain?" A young red-haired crew member asked. "Someone''s been attacked again." The captain shook his head, raising his right hand high and shouting: "Everyone, light the shipnterns, stop your work, we are going to look for other groups of moonlight fish!" The crew looked at their captain, perplexed. You must know, each moonlight fish here is worth between five hundred to two thousand Shell Coins! There are at least two thousand of them here! If they could catch all the moonlight fish here, they wouldn''t have to work for a month. The captain exined, "We can''t stay here any longer, Deep Sea Merchant has appeared." Deep Sea Merchant... As soon as the words fell, the ship plunged into a moment of silence. They surged towards the light and then gazed into the distant fog, sighing deeply. ... ... Right in the middle of the fog. The lights on the small houseboat were on. Chen Qi paced back and forth on the deck of the small houseboat, looking at the small ck boat in front of him, and the ck skull with tentacle-like appendages. What was this thing again? Chen Qi touched his chin with his hand. He remembered that this monster was mentioned in the Witch Sea section of the guide, and he had even made a rted game strategy. This monster was dangerous, but as long as he was in the light, it wouldn''t threaten his life. However, he couldn''t remember its name at the moment. Chen Qi leaned against the ship and asked outright: "What are you?" The pitch-ck skull on the ck boat slightly lifted thentern it held: "Guest... I make some small deals on these seas... person. You can also call me... Deep Sea Merchant." Deep Sea Merchant! Hearing this term, Chen Qi pped his hands together; he remembered now. Deep Sea Merchant was considered a famously dangerous monster at night in the Witch Sea. It would steer a pitch-ck small boat, approaching ships on the sea to sell some rare items. Of course, among these, there was one item Deep Sea Merchant would pay a high price to ''buy''. That was the shipntern. Deep Sea Merchant was incredibly powerful, so much so that even a fully armed Third-order Transcendent or even arge merchant ship had a tough time fighting it head-on. That meant it could rely on plundering rather than trading. However, it had one fatal weakness: It feared light. Even a slight touch of light caused its body to rapidly melt. Thus, Deep Sea Merchant would do everything possible to destroy or buy thenterns of ships, then devour them entirely in the darkness. Installing a high-end shipntern for a night voyage was essential,rgely because of the Deep Sea Merchant. Only on m v|le|mp|yr Chen Qi looked at the blood on the sea surface. Just now, a cadre of the ck Rabbit Gang, in an attempt to approach him, had extinguished the shipntern, and at the same time, Chen Qi had shattered his kerosenemp. The moment the light vanished, he was dragged into the sea by the Deep Sea Merchant, leaving no trace behind. "Deep Sea Merchant, huh..." Chen Qi lifted his head and shed a viinous friendly smile at the Deep Sea Merchant. The items sold by the Deep Sea Merchant were quite good, and yers had even made guides on how to find him. However, many people leave Moonstone City by sea, and under normal circumstances, the probability of encountering the Deep Sea Merchant was very small. This was truly a rare event! He and the cadre of the ck Rabbit Gang had indeed hit the jackpot! In many people''s eyes, the Deep Sea Merchant was a frightening monster, and their first reaction upon seeing him was to protect their shipntern and then run with all their might. But in Chen Qi''s eyes, the level of danger the creature presented hadn''t reached the point where he needed to flee. Besides ''fearing light,'' the Deep Sea Merchant had another huge weakness. That was the charredntern in its hand. The Deep Sea Merchant''s charredntern emitted a faint glow, and only within this special light could it barely maintain its physical form while directly facing the light of the shipntern. Without thisntern, it could not look directly at Chen Qi''s small houseboat, nor could it havee so close to his small houseboat. This meant that although the Deep Sea Merchant''s power far exceeded his own, Chen Qi could also fire at the charredntern in its hand and then smash the kerosenemp at it to kill it. As long as he stayed within the light and possessed a ranged weapon capable of attacking the charredntern, he had a chance of killing it. The Deep Sea Merchant was very powerful, yet also very fragile. As the Deep Sea Merchant approached Chen Qi, the skull''s neck emitted a cracking sound: "Guest... as you can see, myntern is broken, can you sell me one..." "I''m not in the mood for your childish tricks. Tell me, what do you have to sell!" Chen Qi interrupted sharply and pointed his gun firmly at the other''sntern. He was short on time and had no interest in ying a ''cat and mouse'' game with the Deep Sea Merchant. When facing the Deep Sea Merchant, one must never show fear. Otherwise, there was a very high chance that he would use some long-range weapons to directly attack your ship. "..." The Deep Sea Merchant was silent for a while. He had drifted in the sea for many years, but this was the first time someone had been so arrogant. He stretched out his pitch-ck bony hand: "Guest... people call me... the monster of the deep sea... do you..." Thentern in the hands of the Deep Sea Merchant shook, he was after all a famous old monster from the deep sea. The other party should show him some respect. Chen Qi nced at him coldly. They both mingled on the high seas. If the other was a sea monster, then he was an Enchanting Demon of the deep sea! This guy, still expecting him to show respect... Chen Qi examined the figure in front of him carefully. On yer forums and academic forums of Shell Country, there had always been questions about whether the Deep Sea Merchant was a special type of sea beast. The Deep Sea Merchant was not a sea beast. In the bestiary of the Witch Sea, only special parasitic sea beasts had high intelligence. But even the intelligent parasitic sea beasts could only mimic some human actions. Therefore, the "Deep Sea Merchant" was very likely a Transcendent who had embarked on the path of madness and became shell-like. High-order Transcendents, if they chose the wrong method for advancement, could likely distort and evolve into something akin to a monster. In the eyes of Transcendents, this kind of distortion was known as ''the path of madness''. To avoid further transformation, they needed toplete their ''upational tasks'' more crazily to stabilize their mental anchors. The fact that the Deep Sea Merchant showed no reaction to his deep-sea aura also proved that the other''s nature was still ''human''. For such strange creatures, there was no need for polite words, nor should one show fear.... Chen Qi propped his chin and said fiercely: "Cut the crap! Believe it or not, I''ll blow up thatntern in your hand!" Thentern¡­ The Deep Sea Merchant hesitated for a moment. He was not angry, instead, he slightly stepped back. The other knew his weakness... The Deep Sea Merchant pulled back thentern: "Guest... it seems you are more knowledgeable than I thought... it seems, the Sea Goddess has brought us..." "Say it again, I''m not interested in hearing your nonsense." Chen Qi was getting impatient: "Come on, what goods do you have? And, has no one told you that as a merchant, you should polish your spokennguage? Speaking so haltingly, why are you even selling things?" The whole person of the Deep Sea Merchant stopped for a moment. The other was too arrogant, really too arrogant! He even mocked his speech! After all, he did not have a normal head and his entire body was skeletal, appearing on such a dark windy night. Couldn''t he be shown some respect! It would have been nice to see a fleeting look of fear in his eyes. The customer is god... The Deep Sea Merchant felt insulted, but still spoke amiably: "Guest, I have many fine items here. I have a special aphrodisiac that can temporarily make you grow tentacles, greatly enhance your constitution, and let your wife experience pleasures beyond her imagination..." The items sold by the Deep Sea Merchant were mostly strange objects. Tentacle injections, which upon consumption, would make one''s body grow tentacles, and there was a high probability of losing rationality, bing a monster that only reproduces. A typical rip-off product! "Not interested, next, tell me something useful in actualbat, not this kind of deceptive trash." Chen Qi immediately said. Besides, he still had a tentacle monster inside his spine. The whole person of the Deep Sea Merchant stirred. The rejection by the other was too decisive. Although he had only First Order strength, from the current situation, his knowledge was extraordinary. "Guest, it seems you do not like this item. I thought you, like me, also desired to be part of a race." He pondered for a moment, then listed his goods: "Tentacle Potion, Tentacle Sword, Snake Blood Staff, Storm Scroll, professional sea charts drawn by the Ice Devil Pirate Group, sea snake venom, and Skill Cards for deep sea breathing, Wendy summoning scroll..." Chapter 71 : 58: The Four Emperors of the Seas The Deep Sea Merchant listed his goods one by one. At the same time, he exined the rules of trade: "Ordinary potions and maps can be bought with money, but as for Skill Cards or other more rare items, besides money, you also need ck Blood mutant fish that have not decayed for more than three days and have been affected by the tides," he said. "Guest,pared to money, I prefer bartering." Chen Qi sat in the small boat, listening with interest. As a special merchant of the night, the items the Deep Sea Merchant sold were extremely rare. For instance, the deep-sea breathing technique¡ªnot only did it grant mastery of conventional Qi Power, but it also significantly enhanced one''s ability underwater. The Storm Scroll and the Windy Summoning Scroll were both incredibly powerful one-time use scrolls. The Tentacle Sword and the Snake Blood Staff were weapons with both strong negative and positive effects. The items sold by the Deep Sea Merchant were extremely expensive. Under normal circumstances, only those of the Third Rank could afford the Deep Sea Merchant''s items. After listening, Chen Qi pondered for a moment. His money was limited at the moment, and he didn''t have any ck Blood mutant fish, so he couldn''t afford most of the items. The cheapest items were sea snake fluid and the Ice Witch Pirate Group''s sea chart. The Ice Witch Pirate Group''s sea chart! A shock ran through Chen Qi''s mind. The Deep Sea Merchant even had this valuable item. Among the many pirate groups of the Witch Sea, there were the infamous Four Pirate Emperors. Ranked from strongest to weakest, they were the ck Whale Pirate Group, the Sea God Pirate Group, the Blood de Pirate Group, and the Ice Witch Pirate Group. Each of the Four Pirate Emperors was founded with a great purpose, d in a grand premise. The goal of the ck Whale Pirate Group was to huntrge whales. The Sea God Pirate Group consisted of a group of mad devotees who worship ancient deep-sea species. The merchant before him was very likely one of them. The Blood de Pirate Group was a product of a split within the Shell Country navy, with countlessplicated feelings of love and hate toward the Shell Country navy. Meanwhile, the Ice Witch Pirate Group was established to investigate the legendary Ice Witch who resisted therge whale hundreds of years ago; they, like the legendary Ice Witch, also had a passion for studying history and archaeology. In yer guides, the Ice Witch Pirate Group had an incredibly extensive professional sea chart. Unlikemon charts sold in stores, it not only marked the terrain but also the frequent routes of many merchant ships and warships. More importantly, it detailed the conditions of dangerous sea regions. In the nearby seas, there were many ident-prone dangerous areas. The conditions of these dangerous areas were severely overlooked, with scant internal information avable. That''s why the Ice Witch Pirate Group always treated their sea chart as a treasure, not readily revealing it. Often, to save time, or when encountering pirate attacks, many ships were forced to enter dangerous areas. Thus, for yers who frequently engage in trade, adventure, and actions, the Ice Witch Pirate Group''s sea chart could be considered crucial. Chen Qi swallowed. The areas known as dangerous territories were so called not just because of Sea Beasts, but also due to special terrains like whirlpools. If he could get this sea chart from the Ice Witch Pirate Group, it meant his navigation would no longer be limited to ordinary sea routes, but could be more bold! Under normal circumstances, to obtain the Ice Witch Pirate Group''s map, one must spend a lot of effort and curry favor with the Ice Witch Pirate Group. "This map is very important; I must acquire it!" Chen Qi thought to himself and said to the Deep Sea Merchant before him: "The Ice Witch Pirate Group''s sea chart, how much is it?" The Deep Sea Merchant made a creaking sound and extended a charcoal-ck burnt finger. "One million Shell Coins?" Chen Qi''s heart missed a beat. The Deep Sea Merchant said: "That''s the market price. I never overcharge my customers for their first purchase, so let''s say eight hundred thousand Shell Coins. This map is taboo. You might want to inquire about it. Even the forgeries are worth ..." Chen Qi thought for a moment. The Ice Witch Pirate Group''s sea chart was indeed rare; in some ck markets, it could fetch two million, and there was also a need to sign a strict non-disclosure agreement. Selling the Ice Witch Pirate Group''s map could prompt not only pursuits from the Ice Witch Pirate Group but also from the navy. And the chance of buying counterfeit items was also very high. Chen Qi checked his backpack card; he currently had only four hundred thousand Shell Coins on hand. He would have to barter. Chen Qi picked up a bucket filled with Ghost Fire Oil. "Half a bucket of Ghost Fire Oil, how about that?" This half bucket of Ghost Fire Oil, if sold to a weapons merchant, might bring about four hundred thousand Shell Coins, much cheaper than the price mentioned by the Deep Sea Merchant. Butpared to money, the Deep Sea Merchant preferred to barter. "Ghost Fire Oil..." The tentacles on the head of the Deep Sea Merchant twisted slightly. With so much ghost oil, the other party was likely a merchant specialized in collecting ghost oil. Without professional techniques, this couldn''t be done. "It is possible..." The Deep Sea Merchant replied, as this could expand his shop. The two of them took out the goods separately, maneuvered for five minutes, then tossed the goods onto each other''s vessels. Hopefully, they aren''t counterfeit... Chen Qi received a one-meter-long sea map and scanned it from left to right. The map meticulously described the various terrains of dangerous territories, numerous merchant shipping routes, as well as some well-known pirate group bases. It matched the sea map he remembered. They were genuine! Chen Qi kept the sea map. At that moment, the Deep Sea Merchant nced into the distance: "Customer... do you have anything else you want to buy?" "No more." Chen Qi replied. The Deep Sea Merchant picked up the ck oar: "Customer, if you have nothing else to buy, I should be leaving. After all, the night is still long..." The other became a lot more polite... Chen Qi thought for a moment and asked, "Where can I find you?" The Deep Sea Merchant was stunned for a while; having been a monster in the sea for many years, it was the first time he had seen a First Order Transcendent not run away but actually seek him out. An interesting customer... The Deep Sea Merchant fell silent for a moment before replying, "Near the shore, Sea Flower Ind." "Oh." Chen Qi nodded. He didn''t actively want to seek out the Deep Sea Merchant. With his current strength, venturing into the other''s territory would undoubtedly be walking into a trap. Having more information wouldn''t be a bad thing. Click, click! The Deep Sea Merchant picked up the charredntern in his hand, lifted his head, looked towards the small houseboat''s bright boatntern, hesitated for a long time, and eventually, apanied by mist, left the ce. "Sigh..." He left... Chen Qi let out a long sigh. He had justpleted a trade with a ck skeleton whose strength far surpassed his own. This skeleton in the mist had imed the lives of many people. In the darkness, a Second-tier ck Rabbit Gang cadre didn''t survive even a second. If he hadn''t encountered even more ferocious monsters and had enough understanding of the Deep Sea Merchant, he might have shown fear as well. Moreover, obtaining the sea map of the Ice Witch Pirate Group, this voyage could be called a full sess! Chen Qi walked into the cabin, spread out the recently obtained sea map, and took out a pen, writing "Deep Sea Merchant" above Sea Flower Ind. Then, he positioned the pen over Moonstone City. He had traveled southeast from Moonstone City for about an hour. "It should be at this position..." Chen Qi ced the pen where he currently was. At this position, there were marks for Ghost Fire Fish and bullet squids. In addition to the shipping route, various sea beasts'' activity areas were also drawn... Chen Qi was pleased; this sea map was even more detailed than he imagined. The sea area surrounding his current location was outlined with bright red lines. Within these red lines was a particrly dangerous area, which was also an area that ordinary vessels should never enter. He was already at the edge of a dangerous sea area. Chen Qi''s pen moved towards the direction of the dangerous sea area. Not far from his current location, there was a white coral pattern. And next to the coral pattern, there was also a drawing of a ck sea dragon. A nearshore overlord? Chen Qi observed this hazardous sea area. It was densely marked with many dangerous sea beasts. It seemed that the reason for marking this area as dangerous wasn''t rted to whirlpools or cracks, but purely because of the sea beasts. Chen Qi paused his pen over the coral reef. From the distribution of sea beasts, this ce was likely a habitat for sea beasts. Chen Qi stood up, took out the Compass, and looked out the window. Under the dim seawater, the school of Ghost Fire Fish that had just finished eating Extraordinary Fish Bait was heading towards the dangerous sea area. Chen Qi suddenly felt a surge of excitement. The night was still long; perhaps, he could take a trip to that dangerous sea area. Chapter 72: Chapter 59: Farewell to the Sea Dragon ``` The Ghost Fire Fish''s speed became faster and faster, and soon, it disappeared at the horizon. Why did it run away... Chen Qi felt somewhat reluctant, but he went inside the boat cabin and turned the direction of the small houseboat. The direction of the Ghost Fire Fish was exactly towards the dangerous sea area. Chase! Boom! The small houseboat headed towards the dangerous sea area marked on the sea chart. About twenty minutes passed. Chen Qi stepped out of the cabin, holding a kerosenemp, carefully observing the movements on the sea surface. As he got closer to the center of the dangerous area on the sea chart, there were more and more active fish. Moray eels, flying fish, as well as electric jellyfish, ck mud monsters... The quantity and quality of fish in the current location were a whole level higher than in the previous sea area! If one were to fish here, they would definitely return with a full load! Chen Qi, holding themp, looked down, as two or three Moonlight Fish swam past below his feet. Quite pretty... However, just at that moment, a loud bang sounded! The whole small houseboat suddenly shuddered! Chen Qi hurriedly leaned back to adjust his center of gravity and barely stabilized himself. This shake nearly threw him directly into the sea. What happened... Chen Qi turned his head sharply to look. At the sea surface where the houseboat had just passed, there was a small, white, tree-like protrusion. It wasn''t very tall above the water''s surface, and in the dark of night, it was quite difficult to notice. Upon closer inspection, there were quite a few such protrusions ahead. Damn, if we keep sailing like this, the boat will be smashed to pieces! "Water Elves, stop the boat!" Chen Qimanded, then entered the cabin and shut down the engine. As a modified boat, the small houseboat''s braking system was almost nominal. Even after stopping the engine, there was still a considerable amount of inertia. Are we going to hit it anyway? Chen Qi worried. "Woo!" The Water Elves, upon receiving themand, let out a sharp cry, then swam swiftly to the front of the small houseboat like seven well-trained crew members. "Wow! Wow! Wow!" With theirbined strength, the small houseboat stopped abruptly and even moved back a bit! "Hmph!" The Water Elves showed a confident expression to their master. "Nicely done!" Water Elves could be used not only for eleration but also for braking... Chen Qi praised, then picked up themp and carefully surveyed the surrounding sea area. The white protrusions were more like branches of a tree than rocks. On the nearby sea surface, there were far more than one protrusion of white branches. Chen Qi looked beneath the sea surface, initially believing that the sea chart marked white corals. Now it seemed, beneath the surface of this sea, there appeared to grow a gigantic tree. The farther forward he went, the bigger and stouter the protruding branches became. Chen Qi furrowed his brows. The sea area ahead was scattered with white branches. In such a ce, it was impossible for any ship to pass through. Even a small vessel like the houseboat couldn''t forcefully make its way through these dense white branches. Swim across? No, that would be too problematic in case of an ident. The best way would be to use a spell known as Sea Walking, but that spell could not be mastered without reaching at least Second-tier. Chen Qi shook his head and then set his gaze on the Water Elves beneath his feet. Fortunately, he was a Pet Beast Trainer with rich theoretical experience! Water Elves were naturally intelligent and should understand my intent... Chen Qi gave some gestures to the Water Elves, and then ced them on the water. "Woo! Woo! Woo!" The seven Water Elves nodded; they were all professionally trained. Following that, Chen Qi stepped out with his left foot, gingerly cing it on one of the Water Elves. He pressed down with his foot, finding it quite solid, almost like standing onnd. Then, he stepped out with his right foot onto another Water Elf. Just like that, he sessfully stood atop the surface of the sea! "Phew, it works, but it is a bit of a test of bnce." Chen Qi spread his arms wide to stabilize himself. This technique of walking on the sea with the aid of Water Elves was not as simple as he thought. ``` After adapting for a moment, the instant he lifted his right foot, a Deep Sea Water Elf obediently swam to hisnding spot. Stepping down, lifting up, stepping down, lifting again! By repeatedly performing this action, he managed to walk on the sea without using any spells. Sea Walking. Deep Sea Water Elf, youthful model! "Perfect!" Chen Qi took a few steps and felt immense joy in his heart. He truly was a genius, having mastered an incredibly practical spell for the open sea in just a few minutes! This spell, even many second-tier mages might not be able to learn in a year! Maintain bnce, maintain bnce... He held antern in his left hand and a ck knife in his right, carefully walking towards the center of the sea area. The closer he got to the sea region, the more he could see the huge branches on the sea surface, and more and more schools of fish. Apart from being spectacr, this giant tree seemed to grow highly nutritious food, which was why there were so many fish around... Chen Qi thought. He had never before seen such a peculiar scene as a giant white tree growing inside the sea. Before he knew it, he had already reached the center of this sea area. Chen Qi lifted his head. A massive white tree grew here, showing at least thirty meters above the water surface. And this was just the height visible above the sea. What a spectacle... Chen Qi cautiously crouched down, picked up thentern, and peered below at the roots of the white tree. The roots under the seabed were the main part of the tree. In the pitch darkness below the sea surface, he saw the giant roots extending like a staircase to the depths of the ocean, bottomless. At that moment, the quiet Deep Sea Water Elf beneath him stirred. Thentern in Chen Qi''s hand swayed slightly. Stay connected with m v l e mpyr He saw it! At the root was a bright white fruit. And beside the fruit, there was arge ck shadow. A Sea Dragon was coiled on the massive roots of the white tree! In an instant, the creature that was coiled around the roots moved abruptly, and the entire ocean seemed to shake. A tremendous oppressive force overwhelmed the sea surface at that moment, causing the surrounding fish to instantly flee from the center of the sea area. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Aside from the two Deep Sea Water Elves at Chen Qi''s feet, the other five Deep Sea Water Elves suddenly leaped out from under the water and clung to him, trembling ceaselessly. They felt an unprecedented fear! Boom! A Sea Dragon, covered in pitch-ck scales, violently burst out of the water, causing huge waves, then opened its bloody, fang-filled maw and roared at Chen Qi. Roar! It was horrifying! The Deep Sea Water Elves were so frightened that they vibrated at an extremely high frequency! Such a huge case of getting up on the wrong side of the bed! Chen Qi, holding thentern, stood up and then smiled: "Long time no see, Near Sea Overlord. I didn''t expect your home to be here." The neer was none other than the acknowledged overlord of the nearby sea¡ªthe ck Ship Sea Dragon! From its youthful size and unique demeanor, it was undoubtedly the same ck Ship Sea Dragon he had encountered on his first sea journey. The resting ce of the Near Sea Overlord was actually here. Chen Qi patted the Near Sea Overlord''s head with his hand. Seeing the other party again brought an indescribable sense of affinity. Their tone was as dominant as ever, and the oppressive feeling was just as terrifying. He had changed since then, having mastered the Body Forging Skill and advanced to the First Order. But still, facing such a colossal creature, he could not help but feel instinctive fear. Chen Qi subconsciously nced at the creature''s mouth full of sharp teeth. The other party was gaping, begging him for Extraordinary Fish Bait. It was apparent that it really enjoyed the junk food ''Extraordinary Fish Bait''. "Sorry, I didn''t bring a fishing rod; I can''t gather Extraordinary Fish Bait. I will feed youter." Chen Qi patted the ck Ship Sea Dragon''s head again and then soothed the Deep Sea Water Elves. Whirring! The Deep Sea Water Elvesy trembling on his body, turning him into a vibrating electric motor! Chen Qi steadied his stance and soothed: "Don''t be afraid, it''s okay, it''s just a little Sea Dragon..." After a long while, the Deep Sea Water Elves ceased trembling and looked up at their master with adoration! The Deep Sea Water Elves didn''t think I tamed the ck Ship Sea Dragon with dominance, did they... Chen Qiughed, pped his hands, and looked at the white tree before him. More than the ck Ship Sea Dragon, he was even more curious about the white tree before him. He leaped onto the white tree and then looked at the surrounding fish. This ce might make for a fine sea farm. Chapter 73: Chapter 60: Deep Sea Giant Tree White Giant Tree... Chen Qi stood on the white tree root, gently stroking the rough bark. He picked up the ck knife and lightly shed it, and a small amount of white sap flowed out... It should be nutritious... He picked up thentern and carefully inspected it again. Besides, on many branches under the sea, there were a lot of algae growing. Chen Qi stared intently and saw some fish eating the algae. From the appearance, it was the same school of Ghost Fire Fish! After Chen Qi harvested the Ghost Fire Oil from the Ghost Fire Fish, they almost lost the ability to prey on other small fish. Having no other choice, the poor fishes could onlye to this ce to eat some algae to supplement their nutrition. Chen Qi excitedly rubbed his hands together. This ce was really great! Undoubtedly, for sea beasts, this was a natural buffet restaurant. The giant tree attracted small fish, and the small fish attracted sea beasts. And the sea beasts attracted him! The special terrain led to the number of sea beasts here being far more than in other ces. Wasn''t this a natural sea beast farm! Chen Qi looked at these Ghost Fire Fish. As expected, until new Ghost Fire Oil grew, Ghost Fire Fish could only stay here and eat algae. So every once in a while, he woulde here to harvest the Ghost Fire Oil from the Ghost Fire Fish and earn arge sum of money. If he had a, perhaps he could even keep the Ghost Fire Fish here. In the future, he couldpletely throw some weak sea beasts directly into this ce. "Good, good, this ce is mine. Who agrees, who opposes?" The Deep Sea Water Elf nodded in agreement, they all agreed. With seven agreements, even the boss around here, the ck Ship Sea Dragon, had no objection! Chen Qi memorized the ce, then looked at the tree root under the sea. At the root of the White Giant Tree, the ck Ship Sea Dragon''sir, there was a gleaming white fruit. "This is..." Chen Qi''s heartbeat quickened. His intuition told him that the fruit at the root of the tree was likely a very powerful Extraordinary material. It was too far from him. With his current diving skills, it would be really difficult to get it. "Deep Sea Water Elves! Go get it!" Chen Qi said. However, the seven Deep Sea Water Elves paused, their round blue eyes widened. They seemed to be saying, "Me go?" That ce was where the Nearshore Dominator, the ck Ship Sea Dragon, resided! "Boo hoo hoo!" The Deep Sea Water Elves blinked their big blue eyes, pleading with their master. Please no! (>©n<)! They really didn''t want to do it! These guys were quite good at acting cute... For a moment, Chen Qi actually felt a bit reluctant to force them. At this moment, the ck Ship Sea Dragon, which had been waiting to be fed, looked at Chen Qi. The wise dragon understood! With a ''boom''! It instantly dived into the sea, then used itsrge mouth to pick the fruit and swam back up! The entire process was as fast as a Frisbee-catching frenzied husky! "Ha, ha, ha..." The ck Ship Sea Dragon swam up to the surface, opened its bloody mouth, and seemed to show off, ring at the Deep Sea Water Elves with its copper bell-like eyes. On its huge tongue was the glowing fruit of the White Giant Tree. Chen Qi was shocked and then red at the panicked Deep Sea Water Elves. See, what efficiency! If you don''t do it, there are sea beasts that will! ck Ship Sea Dragon, you are amazing... Chen Qi was overjoyed, holding the white fruit in his hand. A very special prompt appeared before his eyes. [Pale Scale Fruit: Nature Form: Cup, Lantern Description: A legendary Extraordinary potion material, cannot be consumed directly. When mixed with other materials, it can be used to create a potion that greatly enhances physical defense, inspiration, and constitution. If consumed directly, it will cause excessive inspiration, leading to temporary spiritual madness, and uncontroble growth of white scales. Note: The fruit, which absorbs the essence of the sea, can make the body capable of resisting sea beasts and inspiration capable of seeing ghosts!] Chen Qi clicked his tongue. He recalled that this fruit was well-known on the forum. Ordinary people who took the potion made from this fruit would find their physical strength nearlyparable to Transcendents who mastered the Body Forging Skill! Besides that, it could greatly enhance inspiration. Chen Qi swallowed a mouthful of saliva. This was undoubtedly the rarest Extraordinary material he had encountered so far! The only downside was that the potency of this Extraordinary medicinal material was too strong and must be mixed with other materials to be made into a potion that could be consumed. If he took a bite now, it would be like eating a poison mushroom raw. "To handle this fruit, I need a Pharmacist..." Chen Qi thought. An ordinary pharmacist simply couldn''t handle a medicinal material as potent as the Pale Scale Fruit. At least a Third Rank Cup Phase [Pharmacist] was needed to process the Pale Scale Fruit. He only knew two people capable of making potions, Little Raven and the Flower Witch. No, with Little Raven''s level, it''s probably impossible to handle the Pale Scale Fruit! Only the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch''s Third Rank profession was precisely [Pharmacist], and her skill level far exceeded anyone else''s. Her powerful potion-making skills were renowned even in Moonstone City! The potions she produced were at least 30% more effective than those made by ordinary Third Rank pharmacists. Chen Qi shook his head. The Flower Witch''s skills were indeed high. But he had no idea where she had gone. To find the Flower Witch, he probably needed Miracle Journalist Pei Lu. Of course, Moonstone City was not without other skilled pharmacists. However, the fee charged by Third Rank pharmacists was daunting to even think about. Their prices were enough to ruin an ordinary city family. And not everyone in this world was as kind as the Flower Witch. Power was the currency of this world. If an unbacked First Order Transcendent''s life were weighed against a Pale Scale Fruit that could greatly enhance physical strength, most Transcendents would choose the Pale Scale Fruit. Seeking their help to make potions? You''d be lucky if they didn''t turn you into one! Chen Qi put away the Pale Scale Fruit and ced it at the bottom of his backpack card. This trip out to sea, harvesting the Pale Scale Fruit, could be considered a huge gain! "Ha, ha, ha¡ª" The ck Ship Sea Dragon opened its mouth wide. It couldn''t wait for Chen Qi to reward it with an Extraordinary Fish Bait. "Ahem..." I didn''t bring a fishing rod... Chen Qi coughed twice. He didn''t yet have the ability to dismantle knowledge, nor did he understand the principles behind using Extraordinary Fish Bait. Therefore, his Extraordinary Fish Bait required a fishing rod to use. "Don''t worry, follow me, little sea dragon..." Chen Qi once again used Water Walking and headed to his small houseboat. Just like that, the Deep Sea Water Dragon followed behind him. As he walked, he scanned the surrounding area once more. Apart from Ghost Fire Fish, there were two main types of sea beasts in this sea area: Bullet Squid and ck Mud. Bullet Squid, in the sea, used a skill called "Bullet Dash" to capture prey like a bullet. It had a special oil that could be used to make an Extraordinary Potion that temporarily increased speed, but extracting it was incredibly difficult and time-consuming. ck Mud, as its name implied, was a massive piece of ck mud, although it appeared weak, it was the most aggressive sea beast here. Especially towards humans, it would crawl onto ships, devouring any human it saw. But, unfortunately, this sea beast was almost worthless. The most valuable was still the Ghost Fire Fish! The materials were easy to obtain, and they were gentle by nature. One Ghost Fire Fish was worth eight thousand shell coins! Chen Qi thought for a moment. The more Ghost Fire Fish he gathered, the more Ghost Fire Fish woulde close to the White Tree area. The more Ghost Fire Fish attracted to the White Tree area, the more Ghost Fire Oil he would have. Upon arriving at the houseboat, he took out a fishing rod and condensed two Extraordinary Fish Baits, feeding them to the ck Ship Sea Dragon. The ck Ship Sea Dragon happily swam around him a few times before going back to sleep. He had been in the Dangerous Sea Domain for some time. Before dawn, Chen Qi harvested another bucket of Ghost Fire Oil, caught ten Moonlight Fish, and gathered a bit of Bullet Squid material. Busy times always flew by, and before he knew it, the day had begun to burn, illuminating the sea before him. Sunlight shined on Chen Qi''s back, as if coated with a golden ze. It was time to head back... Chen Qi wiped the sweat off his forehead and steered the houseboat back onto the normal route. At this moment, a distant fleet of ships gradually sailed by. The busy fishermen, who had been working overnight, were all smiles, raising their sses on the ships to celebrate their luck and their harvest. That night, apart fromst night''s mist, they neither encountered the fierce ck Mud nor the dreadful Ghost Fire Fish! Returning safe and sound with a full load, there was nothing worth celebrating more. My harvest was not small either... Chen Qi adjusted the direction of his houseboat and followed behind the fleet, heading towards Moonstone City. After selling the Ghost Fire Oil, he would have enough money to upgrade his equipment again. An hourter, the bustling port appeared in their sight. Chen Qi steered the houseboat towards his familiar docking spot. However, at this moment, he noticed someone he knew on the shore. The old man from the newsstand who provided him with information. The old man was among the crowd, frowning, making a "shh" gesture. Is he telling me not to say much? Why are you here? Chen Qi tilted his head in confusion. The old man frowned but didn''t say much. At this moment, a man in a light blue uniform, wearing a beret and holding an iron rod, walked towards Chen Qi''s houseboat. Judging by his attire, he was a harbor police officer, responsible for maintaining order at the port! The storm badge on his chest symbolized power and strength. He was also someone many ordinary fishermen least wanted to deal with! Being targeted by Moonstone City''s police was quite troublesome. Looking for me? Chen Qi touched his chin and looked at the man. The harbor police officer, with a cigarette in his mouth and a scar on his left eye, looked exceptionally fierce. He walked up to Chen Qi, took out his badge, and coldly said, "Did you kill someone? Do you know that?" Chapter 74: Chapter 61 Great Internet Celebrity The port police showed their credentials briefly and then quickly tucked them back into their pocket. "I... killed someone?" Chen Qi''s eyes widened slightly, his mouth agape in confusion. "Yes." The port police took a firm stance, not wanting to give Chen Qi a chance to defend himself: "Someone suspects you of killing a hunter employed by the Rabbit Tailor Shop in the hunting grounds for your own benefit." Rabbit, hunting grounds... Chen Qi thought for a moment¡ªit was about the previous incident. In Shell Country, there was aw that prohibited harming others for mary gain within cracks unless it was an emergency. But the cracks were ces governed by strength, and coupled with the difficulty of gathering evidence, thisw was practically nominal. To invoke thisw, extensive eyewitness and physical evidence was needed. Usually, it was only applied when two groups engaged in a fight resulting in casualties andpensation was sought. In the hunting grounds, he had indeed fought with members of the ck Rabbit gang. But it was mutualbat, not a one-sided attack. Moreover, re-opening the crack in the hunting ground would take at least thirty days. By then, all evidence would have vanished. In other words, this was merely a suspicion, and a superficial one at that. A ratherme excuse. Get more chapters on m v l e mpyr Bad news, he was falsely used of murder. Good news, he really did kill. Chen Qi was about to speak. However, the next moment, the port police continued firmly: "This incident is very serious; if handled improperly, you could face at least twenty years in prison. Now, we need you to go to the Rabbit Tailor Shop in District Three to verify something." Rabbit Tailor Shop? Twenty years in prison? Just spouting anything... Chen Qi didn''t quite know how to describe it. Even if they really suspected him, shouldn''t he be going to the police station? Because of concerns about the ck Rabbit gang, Chen Qi had been confined to the port andmercial streets of Moonstone City these past few days. Gangs had strict territory demarcations, and they were not allowed to cause trouble in the port andmercial streets. Heading to the Rabbit Tailor Shop in District Three. It was clear they wanted to lure him into their territory to ughter him like a pig! Chen Qi touched his neck and looked speechlessly at the uniformed port police officer. This might not even qualify as a fabricated charge but rather a clumsy scam. His case was probably not even filed at the police station. The so-called ''murder'' was merely a clumsy method by the ck Rabbit gang to draw him into their den. Chen Qi smiled and said cooperatively: "Officer, I will go to the police station to exin this matter." The port police hesitated, their steady tone suddenly quickening: "No need, your case has not reached the point where we need to involve the police station. Go to the Rabbit Tailor Shop first." He gripped the iron rod in his hand, intending to coerce the other party more aggressively. He sized up Chen Qi, who still had a gun tucked under his clothes and wore clothes that emitted a certain transcendent aura. He appeared very calm. The port police silently lowered their cap: "This matter is still under investigation. When the investigation reaches a certain point, someone wille to find you." Then, as if nothing had happened, the port police left the area. Is that it? Chen Qi crossed his arms and shook his head. What the heck! He thought the other party woulde up with a decent excuse. After seeing the police leave, the old man from the newspaper kiosk who had been watching the drama closely came over: "Customer, that was quite a close call, but don''t worry. With the gang''s power, framing someone isn''t so easy." The old man from the newspaper kiosk looked sympathetically at Chen Qi. He had seen such tricks too many times before. The gangs, relying on their numbers and thew, bullied the young arrivals in Moonstone City, squeezing every bit of value from them. Although he was old, he still felt indignant seeing these examples of bullies using their power to falsely use good people. At that moment, pedestrians by the port, seeing the police had walked away, also whispered: "Yes, boss, rest assured, although there are some bad apples in the Moonstone City police force, overall there are more good ones. As long as you exin things clearly, they don''t just arrest people without reason." "Yeah, picking on a young chef is no great feat." Chen Qi looked around. Where did you alle from? Normally, this ce wouldn''t be so crowded. And it seemed like all these people were here waiting for him. What happened? And what are these people here for? Chen Qi came down from the boat and walked up to an old man at the newsstand, asking softly: "Thanks for the heads-up, boss. Also, why are there so many people here?" From the way these people dressed, they weren''t fishermen. Could it be that he had gotten into some trouble again? "Eh?" The newsstand old man was startled: "Hasn''t Perlu told you?" "?" Chen Qi looked puzzled. Following that, the newsstand owner handed Chen Qi a freshly printed Dove Times newspaper. Chen Qi opened the newspaper and quickly scanned through it. It was thetest edition, filled with recent major news: "[The legendary treasure exists, and the ck Whale Group has found the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure and is now holding an unprecedented gathering! The Flower Witch appeared at the hunting grounds, ughtering the entire field single-handedly! A person suspected to be the de Witch appeared in a pub for a barmaid, causing a massacre! The navy reorganized, establishing a system of three major admirals! Life changes after the Crack Tide Descended.]" This has nothing to do with me, right? Chen Qi looked at these headlines. The news segment on the Flower Witch didn''t mention him either. Wait a minute... Chen Qi flipped to the back of the newspaper. In a little corner, there was a title. Miracle Reporter Perlu''s Little Fun Encounter: "[During an investigation, I was so hungry I literally fell from the sky,nding on a shabby chef''s boat. I thought it was just another overpriced sea restaurant, but to my surprise, it was super delicious! Indeed, during busy times, one''s luck improves. This must be the goddess''s reward for my hard work. Dear readers, I will strive to bring you more thrilling and explosive news!"] Besides the text, there was also a selfie of Perlu sitting on the flying Dove, stylishly set against the sea and a small houseboat. "..." Chen Qi raised an eyebrow. What the heck? Is this supposed to be in the newspaper? Doesn''t the management of the Dove Times care at all? And when did she take that picture? Perlu, are you posting for social media or what! After mentallymenting, Chen Qi collected his thoughts. Perlu, as the most famous journalist in Moonstone City, although only of the First Order in public perception, had built a considerable reputation through her fame and various maneuverings. In Moonstone City, there were many who loved her and many who hated her. Simply put, Perlu was a super inte celebrity! Meaning, the people in front of him, unlike the police from earlier, weren''t here to cause trouble. They were purely influenced by the celebrity effect, here to eat! And judging by their excited expressions, they had been waiting quite a while. I''ve be a celebrity hotspot? Chen Qi touched his head, somewhat surprised as he looked at the crowd. Chapter 75: Chapter 62 The First Deal Chen Qi looked at the expectant crowd before him. Why had things turned out this way? Why were they so idle? You see, being a chef was just a disguise for his Hunter profession! If this went on, he was afraid he would actually be one of Moonstone City''s famous five-star chefs. But judging by their excited expressions, they had waited for him for a full hour in this ce. And that didn''t even include the time they spent contacting their connections to find him. It was hard to refuse. Oh well, might as wellplete a career task. There were ten people who hade specifically for a meal, and the small houseboat simply could not amodate so many people. Chen Qi thought about it, moored the small houseboat in a less crowded corner, then found some wooden chairs and tables and set up a small street food stall. "Ladies and gentlemen, today we only have fish, no other dishes." Chen Qi said. It was a good opportunity to handle all the Moonlight Fish he had caughtst night and make a decent amount of money. "You only offer fish, no other dishes? Is this how you run a business?" A clothing store owner in a id shirt said. "Sorry everyone, we don''t have many ingredients left, but today we have freshly caught Moonlight Fish." Chen Qi shook his head. If he offered a full menu and kept the shop running all day, he really would be a professional chef. Just opening the shop asionally and cooking some dishes was enough. The customers looked puzzled, but then thought to themselves. Could it be that this chef is the legendary type who seeks quality over quantity? Moreover, Moonlight Fish is not amon dish, but a real high-end dish! It greatly challenges a Transcendent Chef to enhance the natural vor of the meat! This kind of chef truly deserved Pelu''s rmendation! Chen Qi went into the boat house and ced the Moonlight Fish on the chopping board. The flesh of Moonlight Fish was delicious. To preserve the original vor of the meat, steaming was a quite good method. He peeled off the unusable luminescent cells on the fish''s skin, then removed the blood clots, innards, and other impurities. Then he washed and cut the spring onions into sections, sliced the ginger, and sprinkled some seasoning to marinate. Finally, he steamed the fish, seasoned it, drizzled oil, andstly, sprinkled some Soul Seasoning and a bit of spring onion on top, then served it. In no time at all, a beautifully fragrant steamed Moonlight Fish was ready! [You have cooked Steamed Moonlight Fish, earning 100 Spiritual Points.] 100 Spiritual Points... That was higher than the previous record of 80 Spiritual Points! The Spiritual Points provided by Transcendent ingredients were higher than those from ordinary food. Chen Qi pped his hands and served the Steamed Moonlight Fish to the eagerly waiting customers outside. As a high-end rare ingredient, even without any processing, Moonlight Fish could sell for fifteen hundred Shell Coins. So, Chen Qi quadrupled the price: "Six thousand Shell Coins per serving." Six thousand Shell Coins! Everyone was surprised. That''s too cheap! "Boss, do you really do business this way..." It was their first time seeing Moonlight Fish sold so cheaply. Indeed, as Pelu the reporter said, although this small shop had a simple environment, it was really affordable! Chen Qi raised an eyebrow. Even with the price quadrupled, they still found it cheap. The price of Transcendent ingredients after cooking was more outrageous than he had imagined. Ten fish would be sixty thousand Shell Coins! Chen Qi wasn''t relying on being a chef to make money. After all, cooking was just a hobby, and being a Hunter was his main job. But this ie was quite decent. After serving the outside customers, Chen Qi went back inside the boat house and ced two servings of Moonlight Fish on the table. The newspaper stand old man didn''t sit at the small outside stall, but inside the boat house. The newspaper stand old man was a devoted fan of Moonlight Fish. Every season, he had to have a meal of Moonlight Fish. Of course, besides wanting to taste the delicious Moonlight Fish, he also had some information to share with Chen Qi. "Really delicious..." The newspaper stand old man cut a small piece of fish meat with his fork, ced it in his mouth, and savored it carefully. "Ah~ This preserved the original vor of the meat! Boss, you really did a great job!" Soul Seasoning and Transcendent cooking greatly enhanced the natural taste of the Moonlight Fish. Outside the boat house, praises could also be heard! "Delicious, and so cheap! I told you, Pelu only speaks the truth!" "Although the presentation could be better, it certainly enhanced the vor of the Moonlight Fish. With some wine, it would be perfect." "And, it seems to have sessfully unlocked some Extraordinary Power." "Really, such a dedicated chef, and yet he has been targeted by the ck Rabbit Gang." Damn it, the online store''s reviews shouldn''t be so bad... Chen Qi smiled, and also tried a piece. [You have consumed Moonlight Fish, gaining an inspiration boost (medium), sensory enhancement,sting approximately twelve hours.] Inspiration enhanced, along with sensory improvement. Chen Qi felt the sensations in his body. Moonlight Fish was a Transcendent ingredient, and coupled with Chef Skills, it could yield some unexpected effects. Watching the newspaper stand old man devouring big chunks of meat, Chen Qi steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Boss, about that police matter, do you know anything?" Chen Qi was still somewhat worried. This gang clearly wouldn''t let him off easily. Moreover, as expected, they were connected to the ck Whale Group. That is to say, they were rted to the ck-eyed Captain of the Sawshark. With his current strength, he was good enough to take on ordinary gang members, but he was nowhere near ready to confront the ck-eyed Captain. However, he was now dressed in Hunter attire, his body had developed muscles, and he had shed the disheveled look he had when he first entered this world. The overall demeanor had changed, making it not easy to recognize him. And judging by the reaction of the ck Rabbit Gang, they clearly had no idea that he was connected with the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter. Chapter 76: Chapter 62 The First Deal_2 The newsstand old man paused for a moment, then shook his head: "Ah... I do know some of it. It''s about the ck Rabbit Gang. Lately, they have a significant operation in the works!" "A significant operation?" "Yes, although there''s no concrete evidence, ording to our guesswork, it''s very likely that the ck Rabbit Gang will abandon their gang identity and be pirates! Moreover, they would be pirates under the ck Whale Group, one of the four great sea emperors!" The tone of the newsstand old man grew serious: "The people of the ck Whale Group, for their rule over the distant seas, are madly gathering forces in various coastal cities, just like recruitment. And now, our navy in Shell Country is still undergoing so-called restructuring, establishing the so-called ''Three Great Admirals and Seven Great Legions'', and they don''t have the time to deal with them." Join pirates? Chen Qi was startled. After the Crack Tide, the number and quality of cracks on the sea are far superior to those onnd. The pirates'' ie will increase considerably. But a gang is tightly connected to its region, and bing pirates means giving up their long-established connections and resources. In a sense, it indeed constitutes an extremely bold decision! Following that, the newsstand old man picked up his rum and took a swallow: "If they are joining the pirates, it also means they no longer have to worry about their reputation in their own city, before leaving, do some even more ruthless acts. Apart from you, there are quite a few First Order and even Second-order Transcendents in the civilian district that the gangs have their eyes on. Those bastards, most likely because of what you acquired in the hunting grounds, are about to frame you criminally, forcibly take your possessions, and force you to join them!" The tone of the newsstand old man became vehement. This is typical bullying by exploiting power! He himself is a resident within the jurisdiction of the ck Rabbit Gang, and having suffered quite a bit by them, he had long harbored resentment towards the ck Rabbit Gang. "Is that so..." Chen Qi shook his head. His current personal strength wasn''t yet capable of contending against the entire gang. Even though he might manage to fight a Second-tier Hunter, facing a gang of over a hundred members, he definitely was not an opponent. But as long as he is careful, keeping himself safe under the gang''s hostile view is still feasible. The newsstand old man reassured: "However, don''t worry too much. Perlu is currently tracking the Flower Witch. Once she deals with the Flower Witch, she will investigate the rtionship between the ck Whale Group and the ck Rabbit Gang." "Perlu?" "Yes, the collusion between the ck Whale Group and the gangs would also make news. She wouldn''t miss it." "Then let''s pray Miss Perlu quickly locates the Flower Witch." Chen Qi took a sip of his drink. The newsstand old man made a joke: "By the way! You are also quite young! Perlu has a significant background. When you meet her, calling Perlu ''big sister'' might get her to cover you." "To acknowledge Perlu as an elder sister? That sounds like a gang, doesn''t it?" Chen Qi swallowed his fish meat. "All the bigpanies in Moonstone City are maintaining a bunch of mercenaries, indeed no different from the gangs." The newsstand old man gave a bitter smile: "Boss, our White Dove Newspaper is also a bigpany, and we have employed a great number of Transcendents. In terms of strength, far surpassing the ordinary gangs in Moonstone City. However, I''m different from Perlu; I''m just an old man who sells newspapers, an extern staff member, barely scraping by." "The newspaper..." Chen Qi swallowed his fish meat. He remembered from the forums, the White Dove Newspaper seemed open but was actually a quite secretive and closed Lamp Phase organization. The newspaper never recruited outsiders, hence the guides about the newspaper were extremely rare. The newsstand old man continued eating, reiterating: "Before Perlu takes action, be extremely careful." "I will." Chen Qi remembered the ck Rabbit Gang as he looked out the ship window, gazing at the distant sea. ... ... In the afternoon, in the third civilian district of Moonstone City. A room inside a three-story small vi. It used to be a room brimming with a ssic elegance, but now, most of the furniture had been moved out, and the entire room looked starkly bare, with only a sofa and a table left. The ck Rabbit Gang was already preparing to leave Moonstone City to be pirates, and now, they were selling off arge number of properties in the city. On the sofa in the room sat a middle-aged man with a worried face. A man wearing gold-rimmed sses opened the door and said to the middle-aged man on the sofa: "ck Rabbit, the brothers of the gang have been here for so many years, and there are still many who don''t want to leave." ck Rabbit, that was the code name for the leader of the ck Rabbit Gang. But he didn''t resemble a rabbit at all; from outward appearance, he was just a blonde middle-aged man, more like an overworked office worker than a gang leader. And the sses-wearing man was the gang''s vice leader. ck Rabbit took the documents handed to him by the sses-wearing man and stated calmly: "After indulging for so many days, haven''t the brothers'' grievances subsided yet? By the way, how''s the progress on kidnapping the wives and daughters of the three dissenters and then saving them?" The sses-wearing man shook his head: "It was done quite well, no traces left behind. Those troublemakers, owing us favors, no longer have objections." As he spoke, the sses-wearing man heaved a sigh and asked: "ck Rabbit, why must we leave Moonstone City, by using such tactics, to be pirates?" As a typical regional organization. The connections they had made in the civilian district, the properties they had purchased, and the shops they protected were all critical sources of ie for them! Selling off their assets and buyingrge steamships to leave the civilian district was undoubtedly cutting off their own means of profit! Chapter 77: Chapter 62 The First Deal_3 ck Rabbit lit a cigarette: "Hey, did you know about the topyer of this world, the thirteen major Hunter organizations?" "The topyer, thirteen major Hunter organizations?" The man with sses asked, puzzled. ck Rabbit stood up: "Yes, the thirteen major Hunter organizations. Just proceed on the Transcendent path, and at its end, you will inevitably meet them. I have personally seen a merchant from the [Chamber of Commerce] who could use other people''s souls as currency to conduct demonic trades, and in the blink of an eye, a vige of a thousand people became mere chips in a bargain. I couldn''t believe that I was inhabiting the same world as someone with such powerful abilities." "Nobles'' power is more terrifying than we can imagine." ck Rabbit fell into reminiscence: "The nobles and Hunter organizations monopolized the Transcendent resources. If it weren''t for this Crack Tide, I, no we, might never have had a second chance to see these monsters. We were supposed to end up as dust on the ground, dying like sludge in the end. But this tide has granted us possibilities, a possibility toward a higher world. Join the ck Whale Group, join the wave, only then can we reach the upperyers of the world! Remaining in this civilian area, we will surely decay." "Sigh..." Advancing to a higher rank isn''t that easy..." The man with sses shook his head and said: "ck Rabbit, your idea is good, and it''s for our brothers'' future. But the matter of the hunting ground and the death of Scarred Rabbit and others still makes many of our brothers uneasy. They fear that bing pirates will lead them to die obscurely like those brothers." Hearing this, ck Rabbit rubbed his forehead: "This is easy to resolve, there should already be quite a few brothers believing that those who killed them were neither the Flower Witch nor the old Hunters, but another survivor, the supervisor." "Yes." ck Rabbit continued: "Then it''s easy to deal with. This way, our brothers will have an outlet, and we''ll find an opportunity to deal with him, letting our brothers vent their emotions." The man with sses shook his head: "Boss, that man is more cautious than we thought. We already bribed a port policeman this morning to try to lure him to our territory. But it was useless. The Navy is restructuring, and there have been a lot of personnel changes in the police department. Our old connections are useless now. We can''t make a move at the port, it could easily attract the Navy''s attention. Moreover, his strength should be stronger than a typical First Order Transcendent, not easy to handle, and the newspaper people have mentioned him too; he''s not just some ordinary man from a small ind, he''s also a somewhat renowned Chef." Another supervisor... ck Rabbit rubbed his brow: "You bribed a policeman to deal with him? Idiot, that''s not a person a small-time cop can handle. Being chosen as a supervisor, even our executives might not be his match. We must be cautious in dealing with him. Trust me, in the crack, his rating is second only to the Flower Witch." "So what should we do?" The man with sses asked, puzzled. The ck Rabbit gang had always bullied the weak and feared the strong; it had been a long time since they had taken on a tough challenge. The brothers of the ck Rabbit gang now needed a resolution, an exnation for their brothers'' tragic deaths in the hunting ground, an exnation that would allow them to be pirates. ck Rabbit was silent for a moment and then asked: "How much longer until the ck Rabbit, equipped with a water bullet system, ispleted?" The ck Rabbit, a steamship purchased by the gang for arge sum, not only was equipped with cannons but also with a transcendent weapon system resembling torpedoes! They believed that with thisrge steam irond ship, they could make a name for themselves near the sea. "Three days." "Does that man go out to sea?" The man with sses thought for a moment and answered: "He''s a Chef, seems to go fishing out at sea. Speaking of which, we had an executive who went after him on his own and we haven''t heard back yet. But ording to the information I''ve gathered, it''s very likely he''s been attacked by either Ghost Fire Fish or a Deep Sea Merchant." Went after him on his own, then no news... ck Rabbit fell into thought: "Let''s pause the actions for now." This man''s strength is definitely not as simple as imagined. In ck Rabbit''s view, the clearance of the hunting ground might be rted to this man. They can''t make a move at the port; thew protects him. But atop the great sea, just like the crack, it''s awlessnd not governed by anyws. No matter how strong he is, he is still just a human. Under arge steamship, he is as fragile as an ant. The reformed ck Rabbit gang needed an operation to establish confidence for their future maritime ventures! ck Rabbit, pacing back and forth while smoking, asked again: "Are you sure he goes out to sea?" "Sure, this time he even caught quite a few Moonlight Fish." Hearing this, ck Rabbit''s calm face finally curled into a faint smile: "Next time he goes out to sea, we go too. We need to let our brothers know that the money earned from being pirates is no less than in the gang. Just right, make this operation our first business deal since transforming into pirates." Chapter 78: Chapter 63 Qi Power The sky was overcast, drizzling lightly. Three dayster, at the port of Moonstone City. Chen Qi pressed his hands on his constantly heaving abdomen, feeling the inhtion and exhtion, as well as the flow of Spiritual Power throughout his body. During these three days, he hadn''t caused any trouble but instead devotedly cared for the Ghost Fire Fish while practicing the White Mist Breathing and de Body Forging Skills. However, contrary to his expectations, the ck Rabbit Gang, which should have caused chaos, only resorted to verbal threats despite looking for trouble with him repeatedly. It was like the calm before a storm. Facing the ck Rabbit Gang and the unknown threats from the sea, only strong physical power could ensure his safety. Breathing techniques and body forging were prerequisites for many skills and equipment and were also important benchmarks for whether a First Order yer met thebat standards. "Whew¡­" Chen Qi slowly exhaled a breath, feeling a burning sensation throughout his body. Thump thump! His heart beat strongly and powerfully. On his body, ayer of invisible gas had already formed! "I''ve done it!" Chen Qi was overjoyed. [You have fully mastered the de Body Forging Skill, constitution +5, slight increase in defense.] [You have mastered the White Mist Breathing, agility +2] [You have mastered Qi Power (White Mist type), which can enhance your body or attach Qi Power to your weapon.] After days of practice, he had finallypletely assimted the body forging and breathing techniques. Next, Chen Qi instructed the Deep Sea Water Elf to bring him two apples and toss them into the air. Then, grabbing the ck de, he leaned forward in a sword-drawing posture. A sh of the de! The ck de produced a harsh swooshing sound. Without the de even touching the apples, they were sliced into halves. An invisible Qi Power clung to the de, then transformed into de energy during the shing, cutting the apples near the de into two halves. Qi Power, which can be used for defense and attack, is aprehensive enhancement for a First Order Transcendent! Now, his constitution had reached 23 points, and his agility reached 22 points. Now, even if someone attacked him with a knife or shot him with a regr bullet, it wouldn''t be a big deal! However, he had only mastered the simplest usage of Qi Power and couldn''t yet produce those incredibly powerful de energies. Regardless, he now had the strength to pass through ordinary D-level cracks. Chen Qi immediately stripped off his shirt, took out his newly bought small mirror, and looked at himself. Now, his body had shed its frail form, disying firm contours. He had the kind of figure that seemed slim clothed but muscr unclothed. At the same time, bolstered by his muscles, the blue spider Sea Beast pattern on his back appeared even more terrifying! "Whew, it wasn''t easy mastering the body forging and breathing techniques. I''ve finally reached the average level of first-order noobs mentioned on yer forums." Delve into stories on m-v-l-e-mpyr Chen Qi reflected, putting his shirt back on. While it might only be considered ''average level'' by yers; mastering breathing techniques and body forging had already put him ahead of most first-order Transcendents in the New Day world. Even the yer-acimed best academy style startup hardly produces such a strong powerhouse in such a short time! But in the crowded New Day game yer forums, his aplishment would probably be met withments like "inferior to sports students," "that''s it?", "needs more training," "can you tackle a tiger?" He still needed to press on. Chen Qi stored the ck de into his backpack card, then walked inside the boat house to the misceneous box to check his newly purchased fishings and fish feed. Over these days, by catching Ghost Fire Fish in the White Tree area, he had amassed three barrels of Ghost Fire oil. He had sold a barrel in batches to various weapon stores, earning a total of eight hundred thousand Shell Coins! He had refrained from selling two barrels for fear that the abundance of Ghost Fire oil might intimidate the store owners and arouse suspicion. Ghost Fire Fish were rtively rare Transcendent creatures, and he had almost depleted the entire White Tree area of them unknowingly. Now, the White Tree area no longer had tales of fierce Ghost Fire Fish, only some pitiful little fish surviving on seaweed. To help the Ghost Fire Fish regenerate their oil faster and regain their prowess, Chen Qi bought some feed, nning to reward these Ghost Fire Fish. Meanwhile, he nned to return to the White Tree area and practice the advanced Water Walking skill "Water Sprinting" with the Deep Sea Water Elf! Chen Qi decided on his target and walked out of the boat house, looking towards therge ship in the distance. Recently, a ck steam irond ship had appeared at the port. Moreover, from time to time, people on the ship red at him with ferocious eyes. Chen Qi was not one to sit and wait for disaster. In the past few days, he had also spent money to gather intelligence on the ck Rabbit Gang. The members of the ck Rabbit Gang were fully preparing to set sail. This ck steam irond ship was, indeed, arge vessel the ck Rabbit Gang had purchased with a huge sum! Within the ck Rabbit Gang, more and more people wanted to kill him and saw him as the murderer of Scar Rabbit. A vicious fierceness shed in Chen Qi''s eyes. Although he was generally mild-mannered, he was not without temper, and his patience had its limits. He had never liked gangs that bullied the weak by relying on their numbers. Add to that the constant severe malice released by the gang due to their numbers. If it''s a fight they want, then a fight they''ll get! This method of threatening in various ways was utterly annoying! Chen Qi held his collector at his waist and had already entertained the idea of ''stealth kill.'' Unfortunately, the other party was ultimately a gang from the city! Moonstone City, no matter how chaotic, still had its own order. Within Moonstone City''sw enforcement, there were powerful Transcendents of Scales. Scales symbolized rules, order, bnce,ws, and other elements. For these Transcendents of Scales, the order of Moonstone City was invible. In Moonstone City, it was not wise for him to act rashly; otherwise, he might truly end up in prison. The level of perversion among the criminals in Shell Country''s prison was no less than that on Earth. From the current situation, it seemed like they would soon set sail. And that would be his chance! Boom boom boom! Chen Qi returned to his small houseboat, started the engine, and set off towards the dangerous waters of White Tree Territory. The small houseboat gradually left the port. However, not long after, Chen Qi heard the roaring sound of steaming from behind him. He walked to the side of the boat house and carefully looked back through the boat window. A huge steam irond ship was cutting through the waves at sea, like a steel fortress shuttling over the ocean. The steam engine emitted a booming sound, and the ship''s body stirred up waves as if paving a path for its hunt. This was the ck Rabbit Gang''s irond ship! "Heading for me?" Chen Qi''s heart pounded violently, and his pupils inadvertently widened. He had seenrge ships before. But this was the first time he had seen arge shiping for him! On this ocean, the ck Rabbit was like a giant, ferocious rhinoceros chasing a poor little duck. Chen Qi lifted his head and activated the Skill ''Hunter''s Eye,'' looking into the distance. Just then, he could vaguely make out a tattooed bald man on the steam irond ship, making a throat-shing gesture towards him. Chasing me on the sea? Chen Qi blinked and the corners of his mouth slightly curled up. The ck Rabbit Gang was actually mobilizing an irond ship loaded with its members just to eliminate him! Since arriving in the new world, he had never had experience battlingrge ships. But for some reason, at this moment, facing an irond ship, facing an entire gang''s pursuit, he felt no fear whatsoever. Instead, he felt an intense passion! A passion for them to experience the fear of the ocean on this brand new irond ship! Chen Qi silently turned his head back, walked into the boat house, and activated the overdrive mode on his small houseboat. Chapter 79: Chapter 64 Racing Boats on the Sea The sky darkened, as if a massive ck curtain had lowered itself upon the heavens. Above the dreary sea, the enormous ck Rabbit pursued the small room boat with all its might. Aboard the steam armored vessel ck Rabbit. On the bow, a tattooed bald manughed loudly, spreading his arms and addressing the leader of the ck Rabbit gang: "How does it feel, huh? The thrill of the wind at sea! But I never expected that an armored boat would give its first chase to a chef''s little boat. Isn''t this a ssic case of the strong bullying the weak? Even if we rob them, it''s just half a million Shell Coins!" The bald man aboard the ck Rabbit was from the ck Whale Group, sent to guide the ck Rabbit gang''s maritime journey as an ''expert''. ck Rabbit lit a cigarette and leaned on the rail: "Half a million Shell Coins? You''re underestimating the people we''re after. You also overlooked the price of a Transcendent chef, who alone could fetch at least three million Shell Coins. If the chef has practiced the Body Forging Skill, the price could double." "Underestimating? Are you questioning my judgment? I hope he''s as big as they get!" The bald man said angrily, his temper ring. ck Rabbit frowned and picked up a telescope, gazing at the small room boat in the distance. They had been chasing for a while now. But the small room boat constantly maintained a safe distance from the ck Rabbit. ck Rabbit questioned: "Didn''t you say we could catch up to him in ten minutes?" That little boat is pretty fast¡­ the bald man yelled out: "I''m a professional, we won''t lose track. This boat''s got decent hardware. But don''t worry, this kind of small boat can''t maintain high speed for too long, as long as we keep chasing! We''ll catch up with it eventually!" "I love watching these little boats trying to flee!" The bald man exined, thenmanded loudly: "Add coal to the boiler! And initiate the overheating mode!" At the bald man''s roar, the irond vessel emitted an unprecedented roar, like a deranged colossal iron bull! Chase! Full pursuit! As expected, with the engine firing on all cylinders, the ck Rabbit rapidly closed the distance with the small room boat. Then, after a minute, the gap widened again. "..." ck Rabbit shot the bald man a nce: "That''s your full power? Can you actually do it?" The bald man''s face turned bright red as he retorted: "What''s the rush! Are you the expert, or am I!" ck Rabbit shook his head. The ck Rabbit''s speed was simply too slow! The engine of the small room boat was a product of Steam Hand, which could elerate further in overclocking mode. Combined with a deep-sea Water Elf brand booster, it could fly! Unless it was arge military vessel produced by the Hammer Phase industry, catching up to his little room boat was not an easy task. As long as Chen Qi wanted, he could easily shake off the ck Rabbit. Above the vast sea, the two vessels relentlessly chased each other! The bald man kept yelling: "Chase! Keep chasing! Full chase!" Yet, the shouting was of no use. Whenever there seemed a glimmer of hope for the ck Rabbit, the small room boat would speed up. The distance between them always maintained at a delicate range. Thus, the two sides continued this for a full hour. Drip-drip! Raindrops hit ck Rabbit''s face. ck Rabbit wiped the rain off his face and asked: "Hey, man from ck Whale Group, is it possible for two boats to have such simr speeds?" For an hour, the two boats had maintained such a distance. ck Rabbit''s instincts from years mingling in gangs told him this was too coincidental. This made ck Rabbit think of the times they used bunny girls as bait. Always keeping the enticing bunny girl at a distance, then leading the target into a dark corner. Read additional stories on m-vl-em-py-r The bald man gripped his chin with his hand: "Are you saying he''s luring us? Have you lost your mind?" "I''m just putting forth a low-probability, reasonable hypothesis." "Shut up! Are you guessing or what? Are you the expert, or am I!" "Let me tell you, on some small vessels, a special engine is installed that has an overheating mode, which can temporarily increase the boat''s speed! The fluctuating speed of that small boat is exactly due to this reason!" After exining, the bald man chuckled: "But, this overheating mode is ultimately limited and cannot be used continuously. Haven''t you seen, their little boat is already trembling? We''re about to catch up." ck Rabbit frowned, looking towards the distance. Just as the bald man had said, the speed of the small room boat was decreasing. The distance between them and the ck Rabbit was rapidly closing! Is this what a professional looks like¡­ ck Rabbit was slightly rmed. Seeing this, the bald man proudly disyed his teeth etched with a ck whale: "You should learn from this!" Then, the bald man issued anothermand to slow down the ck Rabbit. He said leisurely: "We''re about to catch up! How should we divide it up? This person''s belongings, including his selling value, I want 30%. By the way, do you want me to tell you about our ck Whale Group''s rules for splitting loot?" "We haven''t caught him yet, and you''re already talking about splitting the loot?" ck Rabbit changed the subject. ording to his estimation, the value of Chen Qi far exceeded his expectations. Moreover, just shouting on the boat and already thinking about taking 30%! The bald man clenched his fist: "Haven''t caught him? Facing our irond ship and over fifty brothers, what can he do, huh? Well, 30%, do you ept?" "Let''s see what he has first¡­" ck Rabbit furrowed his brows. He looked around, seeing some protruding white branches above the sea surface. At that moment, the small room boat''s speed continued to slow down until it gradually stopped. The bald man raised his hand: "Slow down! All you youngsters of ck Rabbit Gang,e to the bow, let me show you what it means to be a pirate!" With a thunderous noise, the ck Rabbit stopped beside the small room boat, the bow facing it directly. At that moment, Chen Qi walked out of the cabin, raised his head, and looked towards the people on the bow of the steam armored vessel. The path ahead was the Land of White Trees, impassable any further. However, the speed of the ck Rabbit had been slower than he expected, and he had decreased his speed several times throughout. They almost lost them! The members of the ck Rabbit Gang walked to the bow, their eyes fierce: "Overseer, was it you who killed Scarface Rabbit Big Brother!" "We''ve been chasing you for a long time! You must pay with blood today." Bang! In anger, someone shot at Chen Qi. Chen Qi carried a fishing rod in his right hand and a ck knife in his left, not dodging. With the Hunter''s dynamic vision, he could clearly predict the bullet''s trajectory. From the moment the other party fired the gun, he knew the bullet was off. "Quiet! What are you doing, didn''t your leader ever teach you any rules!" At that moment, the bald man shouted loudly. Suddenly, the whole ck Rabbit ship fell silent. The bald man, a professional hired by the ck Whale Group, was a powerful Second-order Transcendent. The bald man smiled, revealing teeth engraved with a ck whale pattern: "Let me introduce myself, I''m with the ck Whale Group. Little chef, you''re quite brave to not dodge bullets! I respect you as a warrior. Our ck Whale Group is about to be the true emperor of the Witch Sea, and it''s precisely the time for us to use people! How about it? You give up some things, and we''ll consider our grievances settled. We could even let you join our new ship, the ck Rabbit!" Settling the score... Upon hearing this, ck Rabbit instantly furrowed his brows. They had long attributed the deaths of Scarface Rabbit and the others at the hunting ground to the opponent to avenge their brothers. If Chen Qi were to join their ck Rabbit, it would inevitably cause strong dissatisfaction among the brothers! This could even lead to mutiny on board! ck Rabbit was about to speak, interrupting the bald man. But at this moment, the bald man patted him on the butt. "!" ck Rabbit immediately understood; the people of the ck Whale Group didn''t actually want him to join the ck Rabbit, it was just a nasty joke to taunt him. Giving hope and then despair, this was the cruel pleasure of pirates who lived at sea for a long time. Chen Qi asked: "Giving you guys things, can I join you?" "Yes, consider it a membership fee. We value you as a talent." "This is my most valuable possession." Chen Qi reluctantly nced at the fishing rod, then with a burst of muscle strength, he tossed the rod towards them. This fishing rod was the ck-eyed Captain''s sry deduction from the crew, saving up for this limited fishing rod; it was extremely expensive, possibly even costing more than two hundred thousand Shell Coins! The bald man caught the rod and examined it closely. Just as he expected, in this situation, the opponent showed no hint of resistance and behaved very submissively. Gorgeous stuff! Indeed a brand item. But why is there a strange bait on this fishing rod? The bait appeared to be made of Spiritual Power. The bald man asked smilingly: "What is this?" Chen Qi calmly replied: "Extraordinary Fish Bait, I was just about to go fishing." Fishing at this time, you''re quite humorous... the bald man asked smilingly: "Fishing for what?" "ck Ship Sea Dragon." Drip! Drip! The sea breeze blew, and raindrops continuously hit everyone''s faces. At that instant, the entire ck Rabbit vessel plunged into an indescribable silence, a death-like silence. All smiles and expressions of hatred froze in that moment. The bald man swallowed. The ck Ship Sea Dragon is the scientific name for the overlord of the nearby seas. This must be a joke. It''s a joke, right! Logically, they shouldn''t be so quiet. Boom! Only then did a thunderp break the silence. ck Rabbit perked up his ears, instinctively retreating to the side. Why had everyone fallen silent? The bald man caught his breath; he now stood on an irond ship with no reason to feel any fear. He should continue toying with the opponent. The bald man calmed down and touched the fishing rod with his hand: "This rod is nice, but as a membership fee, it''s still not enough, is it?" "Not enough?" Chen Qi looked up, silently picking up the ck knife while assuming a battle stance. Dare to attack us... The bald man immediately showed a fierce look: "What about you, you want to resist?" "Yes, and let me remind you, we have a bite." "We have a bite!?" The bald man didn''t catch on immediately; seeing Chen Qi didn''t stop his actions, he picked up his shotgun, ready to shoot Chen Qi''s chest. "You''re asking for death..." Boom! In an instant, a gigantic figure surged from the sea at unimaginable speed, rushing towards the Extraordinary Fish Bait! The shadow was like a pitch-ck small hill. Boom! Boom! Boom! The irond ship''s steel hull shattered in an instant like tofu. A terrifying tear suddenly appeared on the steel bow. And the bald man, the strongest on the ck Rabbit, was during this impact thrown high into the air, only to crash heavily back down, his body torn and mangled. What happened? The crowd scrambled in confusion, having never seen such a terrifying creature. Its scales shimmered with a cold, dark-metallic sheen, radiating a suffocating chill. The shadow curved its body, biting off the bait thatnded on the ship, then lifted its enormous head, opening its huge mouth. Its eyes, like brass bells, seemed to burn with the fire of hell. Roar! The bleeding mouth opened! A deafening roar tore through the sea''s silence! The ck Rabbit Gang''s crew, untrained professionally, faced arge sea beast, and their innate fear made their heart rates spike in terror. However, on the steam ship, there was nond for them to flee. People kept retreating, converging by the ship''s edge into a small group. As the shadow opened its terrifyingly wide mouth... All on board realized the existence before them. It was the legendary overlord of the nearby seas¡­ The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 80: Chapter 65: The Black Rabbit Under the gloomy sky, the torrential rain continuously pounded on the ck Rabbit. The Sovereign of the Nearby Seas'' scaled body slid across the deck, cutting fresh, deep marks. Before boarding, under the guidance of ck Whale Group personnel, the ck Rabbit gang had learned how to start the boiler, how to deal with storms, and how to handle sharks and cannon fire. Now, they were facing the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas. "We''ve just learned how to steer the ship." "Stop talking nonsense, get your weapons out!" "Where''s the expert? Expert, save us!" The ck Rabbit gang nced at the expert at the bow of the ship. The ck Whale Group expert, who had been holding a shotgun, nowy on the deck, his body gruesomely mangled by the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas'' attack. Amid the howling storm, fear turned into chaos, and chaos into the instinct to survive. The ck Rabbit gang members picked up their fighting guns and aimed them at the massive creature before them. Driven by a gangster''s instinct, the leader of ck Rabbit yelled out: "Do not fire!" Before possessing absolute strength, attacking the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas was a direct path to self-destruction! However, under the oppressive presence of the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas, the leader''smand was utterly ineffective. The ck Rabbit gang picked up their firearms and pulled the triggers. They believed that all their fears stemmed from insufficient firepower! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tatat! The sound of gunfire and scales shing emitted brilliant sparks. A round of bullets was quickly exhausted. Under the full firepower of the ck Rabbit gang, the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas, the ck Ship Sea Dragon, slowly turned its head. Its copper bell-like wise blue eyes blinked, as if saying, "Ah, are you shooting at me?". The members of the ck Rabbit gang reloaded their rounds while retreating. Boom! The Sovereign of the Nearby Seas opened its massive jaws and charged towards the gang members shooting at it. On this chaotic ship, the only person who could keep calm was the leader of the ck Rabbit gang, a man who had survived many gang fires. "Anyone who can still move, abandon the ship, follow me to the lifeboat." In the storm, ck Rabbit shielded himself from the rain with his hand, struggled to light a cigarette, straightened his suit, and quickened his pace along the nted deck towards the "lifeboat". He kept muttering to himself to stabilize his emotions. "The Sovereign of the Nearby Seas is a beast, but judging from its current size, it''s just a juvenile, its attacking desire is limited." "The key to escaping is not the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas, but the chef from before, who led us into this trap, to the territory of the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas." "A chef could actually pull off such a dangerous move. Our lifeboat is limited in speed, the best escape tool, is that chef''s boat." "The best course of action is to seize the other party''s boat, then escape." "No, no, he was too calm, showing none of the respect that should be orded to the Sovereign of the Nearby Seas." Saying this, ck Rabbit leaned towards the side of the ship and looked out over the sea. Out on the sea, Chen Qi had already descended from the cabin boat and was walking on the water. He walked slowly, his ck de slicing through the water. Beyond that, masses of ck mud, as if answering the call of the sea, streaked past beneath his feet. "..." "..." ck Rabbit bit down on his cigarette: "How could a First Order Transcendent possibly master Water Walking?" Water Walking required a very high degree of control over Spiritual Power. ck Rabbit curiously asked, "Chef, why can you master Water Walking? Are you a newly trained Mage Apprentice from the Shell Country Navy?" Even with the enhancement of a Skill Card and the official training of Shell Country, this was not a Skill that a First Order Transcendent should have easily mastered. Chen Qi turned his head, "Navy? No, just an unregistered Hunter." While shifting the topic to divert attention, ck Rabbit walked towards the lifeboat, "Not the navy, really? I thought you were sent by the navy to eliminate us." Qi Power! Chen Qi circted Qi Power within his body and with a big jump, hended directly onto the deck, blocking the path of ck Rabbit to the lifeboat. The nearshore overlord had the nature of a wild beast and limited intelligence. Luring the nearshore overlord with food was a rtively reliable method. At the moment, the nearshore overlord dashed toward the restaurant on the ck Rabbit just like a greedy husky, giving the people of ck Rabbit''s gang a little ''foodie'' shock. Chen Qi, on the deck of the ck Rabbit, looked toward the ck Rabbit standing in front of him. Many things still needed his personal involvement. However, in these waters, it was not just the nearshore overlord that was a sea beast. ck Mud, a slime-like sea beast, although not as notorious as the nearshore overlord, was also extremely dangerous. Arge mass of ck Mud writhed beneath the ck Rabbit, continuously gathering and climbing up the side of the ship like a giant ck hand rising from the sea, clutching the ck Rabbit in its grasp. In fact, the temper of the Ghost Fire Fish in this sea area was also very vtile. If the Ghost Fire Fish had not been plucked clean, the current scene would have been even more spectacr. ck Mud spread onto the deck, enveloping and devouring any humans in its sight. For some reason, some ck Mud also ran up from Chen Qi''s non-slip Hunter boots, along his thigh, and into his clothes. The ck Mud adhered to Chen Qi''s body but did not attack. This scene, in the eyes of ck Rabbit, made the ordinary Chen Qi seem all the more terrifying. The people of the ck Rabbit Gang all looked toward Chen Qi, entwined in ck Mud. "Monster¡­" "Why can he stand within the ck Mud!" "This guy is definitely not normal! He''s a monster! The monster who lured us here!" The people of the ck Rabbit Gang backed away, and in this storm, they even dared not look directly at Chen Qi. At that moment, only one person stepped forward. Bang! ck Rabbit took a step forward. If even he, the leader, shrank back, then of the fifty people on board, who could confront the man in front of them! Who else could live to return! As the gang leader, ck Rabbit had mastered the Breathing Skill and the Body Forging Skill, and also possessed a powerful small armor. Chen Qi took a deep breath and circted the airflow within his body. A desire for battle warmed his heart and brought him in front of ck Rabbit. Whether it was the Breathing Skill or any other skill, they could only improve in realbat! It was time to feel the strength of a Second-tier enemy in this world! "Perhaps I am meant to choose the de Phase¡­" Chen Qi''s eyes hardened as his fingers gently slid across the de, igniting the Ghost Fire Oil coated on it. Blue mes lit up the gray sea. ck Rabbit''s eyes were no longer weary, and he tore open his own clothes, "I really didn''t expect to use this the first time out at sea." On his robust body, arge number of steam pipes were attached to his skin, resembling a multitude of dark tattoos. Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. Thetest model of ck Rabbit''s small armor, and moreover, a rare imnted type! Chapter 81: Chapter 66: The Beginning of the Legend Under the storm. On the gray ship, Chen Qi, dressed in Hunter''s attire, stood amidst the pouring rain, like the reaper of lives in the storm. ck Rabbit stepped forward slowly, mustering up his courage, with a determined look in his eyes, he assumed a professional boxer''s stance, "There is a rank gap between you and me, you are the challenger!" The next second. He elerated with all his might against the storm and threw a punch. This punch not onlybined his Qi power but also the strength of his imnted armor, crashing toward Chen Qi''s chest like a sledgehammer. ng! Chen Qi activated the Hunter''s Eye. With the dynamic vision granted by the Hunter''s Eye, he sessfully saw through the trajectory of the punch and blocked it with his ck de, which ignited with ghost fire. The ghost fire, enchanted by ghost fire oil, could even damage steel. Coupled with the ck Qi, despite ck Rabbit''s strong body-forging skill, he could not withstand this dual attack. The ck Qi and ghost fire instantly set his iron fist aze, causing blood to stter! As the leader of the gang, ck Rabbit had richbat experience and, after years of effort, had ovee the weaknesses of his ck Rabbit-type small armor. His speed and reaction far surpassed those of a First Order Transcendent! He did not hesitate, quickly retracting his fist and kicking off forcefully with both legs to get to Chen Qi''s side. Arge amount of ck steam pirs suddenly erupted from ck Rabbit''s body. It was the overload mode of the armor! The new ck Rabbit-type armor, manufactured by the workshop, allowed him to execute moves beyond his limits. However, as a price, his body would sustain severe damage after the attack. But before ck Rabbit could fully unleash his attack, arge amount of ck sludge crawled onto his body, wrapping himyer byyer. His movement slowed¡ª¡ª Chen Qi let out a long breath, both hands gripping the ck de, imbuing it with Qi power. Diagonal sh! The ming de cut from his opponent''s abdomen, along his chest and neck, to his face, carving out a crimson blood groove! Boom! Boom! The bloodied ck Rabbit rolled several times on the deck. Under the attack of the ck sludge, ck Rabbit could not throw his punch, and was shed down to the deck by the ck de. Cough, cough! ck Rabbity on the ground, letting the raindrops hit his face. He coughed twice, "I lost." He did not get up again. From the previous attack, he had already realized that Chen Qi was no ordinary First Order Transcendent. "This was a battle that could not be won. From the moment we came to this sea, we had lost, didn''t we?" He admitted defeat... Chen Qi picked up the ck de, looking down at ck Rabbit at his feet. "Yes." A Second-tier Transcendent already had a formidable physique, andbined with steam armor, his true strength was far beyond what was visible. If it were an arena without external interference, the two would have at least fought for ten rounds. As ck Rabbit said, the moment the ck Rabbit docked in this sea, there was no chance of survival. He was not the kind of man who would keep fighting before his death. In this final moment, ck Rabbit had no thoughts of battle, just wanting to reminisce as much as he could. If he was going to die, he might as well die a bit morefortably. Now, reconciliation was impossible. ck Rabbit let the heavy rain wash over his body, "So this is the sea. If I have to die, at least it''s not in the city''s mud." Bloodied, hey on the ground, coughing up a lot of blood. The ck sludge slowly crawled onto his body, eroding his flesh. "Boss!" Everyone looked towards Chen Qi. Members of the ck Rabbit gang mustered up the courage, aiming their guns at Chen Qi, preparing to ambush him. However, before they could attack. The Nearshore Dominator emerged from the restaurant, then came to Chen Qi''s side, lowering its head submissively and opening its mouth wide. The Nearshore Dominator had bitten into the food from the ck Rabbit ship''s restaurant, but still found the Extraordinary Fish Bait the best! Chen Qi extended his hand, patted the ck Ship Sea Dragon, then took out a fishing rod, condensing an Extraordinary Fish Bait. "Good job, little Sea Dragon." The Nearshore Dominator quickly snapped up the Extraordinary Fish Bait. Under the torrential rain, everyone silently lowered their guns. It was an incredible sight... ck Rabbit strained to lift his head, "I didn''t expect that besides that childhood encounter, I would be lucky enough to meet a top-tier monster before my death." As a child, ck Rabbit had seen a powerful soul merchant. To meet those powerful monsters again, he would have given up all hisnd-based property toe to this sea. But he never expected that a chef he thought he could easily crush would make him feel that childhood fear again. On the brink of death, ck Rabbit turned his head and asked, "May I ask, what family are you from? And which Hunter organization are you associated with?" "Associated with a Hunter organization?" Chen Qi blinked. The other party actually asked him this question. He was quite familiar with the settings of the New Sun game. ording to the game''s setting, before the New Sun had risen, in a ce shrouded in darkness, humanity had lived in struggle. That era was called the Era of Darkness. In that dark world, humans faced swarms of monsters every day, and only by hunting monsters could they survive. People who hunted monsters in that era were usually called Hunters. Eventually, through the course of history, bounded by thirteen Nature Forms, thirteen great Hunter organizations rose to dominate the Dark Era. In the legend of the New Sun, the strongest of these thirteen Hunter organizations traveled a long path, eventually reaching the crack in the sky and obtaining the seed of the day, igniting a new sun. On the surface, with the rise of the New Sun and the establishment of the Six Kingdoms, the names of the thirteen great Hunter organizations were no longer familiar to ordinary people. But in reality, even after a millennium of refinement, these Hunter organizations still held significant influence, shaping the course of the world. For example, Shell Country, which governed the [Shell] and [Hammer], had two major Hunter organizations, the "Commerce Guild" and the "Workshop." The establishment of cities,mercial rules, the formation of heavy industrypanies, the use of city-destroyer mecha, and the promotion of official Shell Country Transcendents were all influenced by these two organizations. These two organizations were highly bound to the royal family of Shell Country. This was not a secret; it was amon understanding among high-order Transcendents. The thirteen great Hunter organizations were recognized as the upper ss of this world. And indeed, there were many pathways to these sses. From childhood inspiration tests to military assessments around the age of eighteen, annual college exams, to promotion assessments inrgepanies, and even wars between countries. The roads were many, but each was extremely difficult, eliminating at least half of the people with every step forward. This was an ascension path through a sea of corpses and blood. ck Rabbit was no exception. The glimpse of the Extraordinary Power in his childhood instilled a strong sense of unwillingness in him; he did not want to live in a world ruled by Transcendent beings like everyone else. All this drove him to be the gang leader, abandon hisnd-based assets, and join the ck Whale Group. In his view, the First Order power Chen Qi had shown either made him the offspring of a great family or a Transcendent nurtured by a Hunter organization. Chen Qi shook his head. However, contrary to ck Rabbit''s imagination, he was neither a scion of a great family nor a First Order Transcendent specially cultivated by an organization. The other party at least used honorifics, and he was about to die... Chen Qi thought for a moment and decided to tell him, "I am not from a great family, nor am I from a big organization, just a young man who cooks. If I have to say, I am a sessor of the Deep Sea Hunters." Sessor of the Deep Sea Hunters? ck Rabbit looked at his affectionate interaction with the Nearshore Dominator. Did the being in front of him really have anything to do with the Deep Sea Hunters he had heard about as a child? He shook his head and quietly awaited his death in the storm. Boom! Chen Qi turned around and dodged the bullet attack. Besides dynamic vision, his Hunter''s Eye could also sense disturbances behind him. Behind him, members of the ck Rabbit gang aimed a Gatling gun at him! At the same time, someone behind the gunner took out a radio-like object. "A wireless device? Amunication tool?" Chen Qi spected. The gang member holding the radio-like object looked at Chen Qi in horror and activated themunication tool. "Grooves'' monster! If you don''t want to face the Navy''s wrath, you''d better stop!" Chapter 82: Chapter 67 The Beginning of the Legend II At that moment, under the assault of the ck mud and the local sea tyrant, the once newly-refurbished ck Rabbit had turned into a wreck. Under the torrential rain, ten gang members huddled together. "Say it again, one more step closer, and we''ll let you taste the navy''s wrath!" "The navy''s... wrath?" Chen Qi gripped his dark de, for a moment doubting his own identity. Aren''t you the pirates? Why threaten me with the navy''s name? It seemed, somehow, he should have been the one saying that. In some sense, he wasbating the evil forces at sea, contributing to maritime peace. If left unchecked, the ck Rabbit gang might carry on their gang''s traditional arts, instigating a more severe ve trading at sea and bing a maritime mafia. And as a victim, while being tracked, he contacted the enthusiastic sea civilians, the local sea tyrant and ck mud, to extinguish their criminally lit fires at their inception. It was a significant achievement on this vast ocean! If the navy knew, they should grant him a bonus and present him with a white cape emzoned with the word "justice". However, he must prevent the opposition from transmitting this location''s information to the maind. Pirates having contact methods with the navy... Chen Qi flicked the blood off his dark de and took a calm step forward. "You damned monster!" The ck Rabbit gang members suddenly pulled the trigger, and bullets from the machine gun poured down like heavy rain. Da-da-da-da-da-da! Ordinary bullets, and the firing was too obvious, better keep practicing... Chen Qi dodged sideways, stepped forward against the storm, and horizontally shed a gun-wielding gang member at the waist. However, at that moment, something beyond his expectations urred. The device, surrounded by gang members and resembling a harvested radio, suddenly began to distort. "Ga-ga-ga!" The radio-like object twisted continuously, making squeaky noises, then suddenly, a slender tentacle extended outwards. A long tentacle suddenly opened an eye stained with blood, scanning the surroundings constantly. A transcendent relic! The opponents even had this thing... Chen Qi instantly performed a sh-step to the blind spot of the eye. He couldn''t allow his features to be exposed under that eye. This device, called ''Eye of Long Voyage,'' is a high-endmunication toolmonly used on ships. On the high seas, affluent merchant ships, in order to track pirates that attack them, would spend substantial amounts of money to acquire these specialmunication tools. ''Eye of Long Voyage'' is worth 500,000 Shell Coins and can transmit the images it sees, along with vague coordinates, to the corresponding item onnd. In such cases, even if attacked by unknown pirates, the people onnd at least have some clues. Simply put, it''s a video transmission tool. What a troublesome thing... Chen Qi dodged around, for although he was doing a good deed now, it was still better not to be too famous. The blood-red eye kept spinning, sweeping over the tragic state of the ck Rabbit: The torrential rain continuously battered it, the local sea tyrant stared with its bell-sized eyes, slightly opening its giant mouth, curiously watching the Eye of Long Voyage. Numerous bodiesy in pools of blood. The ship was trembling on the verge of capsizing, with a substantial amount of ck mud continuously eroding everything on the ship. If not witnessed firsthand, these gang members who originally nned to make a big score would never have imagined the ck Rabbit turning into such a tragic state. Such scenes, even fishermen with over a decade of sailing experience, might not encounter. A gang member silently squatted down, speaking to the radio-like ''Eye of Long Voyage'': "People from afar, my brother, although unbelievable, what we are facing now... is not human." "My name is Ben, just a regr tailor shop staff member, today my first time at sea, I encountered a sea monster..." Lost in confusion! Chen Qi activated the ''Hunter''s Clothes'' skill, forming a faint mist around his body, then charged towards the opposition. Apanied by the Qi Power concentrated in his hands, his dark de, tinged with ghostly mes, drew a luminous sh through the grim heavy rain. Horizontal sh! This sh cut through the heavy rain, cleaving the radio-like ''Eye of Long Voyage'' and nearby gang members in two. Following that, a vast amount of ck mud responded to his sh, sweeping past Chen Qi''s feet like a dark tide, engulfing all the gang members in front of him. "Huh¡ª" Your next read awaits at m v|l-e-NovelBin Chen Qi adjusted his breathing and finally looked towards the person in the corner of the stern. Under the erosion of the ck mud, at this moment, of the fifty members aboard the ck Rabbit, only two gang members praying to the Sea Goddess remained. Praying was useless. The battle had already ended... He walked up to the two of them and crouched down. Facing the ck Rabbit gang, he still had some questions. After using some minor tricks, Chen Qi extracted some intelligence from the two. Bang! In the torrential rain, with the fall of thest two people, the farce came to an end. "Is that so..." Chen Qi, covered in blood, stood up, and after dealing with thest two, went to the bow and sat down. "Whew..." Chen Qi took a long breath. This rightful self-defense had finally ended. Thest few people, the way they looked at him, was as if they were seeing a monster that had broken out of a Disaster Relief Shelter. It made him seem quite frightful... Chen Qi removed some of the ck, sticky mud from his body and looked towards the dim sky. "There should be no enemies left." Just now, he had asked about two things. One was about the ck Whale Group''s Sawshark, and the other was about the ''Eye of Long Voyage''. The pirate from the ck Whale Group responsible for contacting the ck Rabbit gang was not from the Sawshark. As Chen Qi knew, the ck-eyed Captain had sought out the ck Rabbit gang and had asked them for information about him. But the ck-eyed Captain, for his own greed, concealed a lot of information about him. It could even be said that the ck-eyed Captain did not want to blow this matter up and swallowed it down. He did not want others to find him first. Moreover, the ck Rabbit gang never cared about the origins of ves. This matter did not stir up giant waves within the ck Rabbit gang. Indeed, if it were not for Chen Qi''s deliberate questioning, they would never have connected the two matters. Chen Qi picked up a deep-sea Water Elf. Deep-sea Water Elf, your stress-relieving toy! Chen Qi looked towards the distant sea. The Sawshark, at this moment, should still be tirelessly tracking him across the vast ocean. This was good news. As long as the ck-eyed Captain could conceal this matter, then the threat of the ck Whale Group to him would be much less. What really worried him was the Eye of Long Voyage that had just sent information to thend. ording to the intelligence he had gathered. The ck Rabbit''s Eye of Long Voyage could not record sound, it could only send video clips. This video of the ck Rabbit being attacked by a Sea Beast would be sent to the headquarters of the ck Rabbit gang in Moonstone City. With fifty members wiped out, the ck Rabbit gang members were only existent in name now. The remaining members being eaten by other gangs was only a matter of time. But if the scene just now were seen by the ck Rabbit gang and then shared with others, it would cause quite a bit of trouble... Chen Qi''s gaze turned icy as he looked at the shattered Eye of Long Voyage on the ground. Fortunately, he had dodged in time, and he had constantly worn the Hunter''s Clothes and used a skill that d him in ayer of mist obscuring his figure. To identify him based on this information would be an extremely difficult task. Robbery, no, maintaining peace in the great sea, indeed had its risks... Chen Qi shook his head and looked towards the grey sea ahead. This was a Transcendent world; if there were any Light Phase Transcendent skilled in tracking, there was still a slight chance they might find his trace. But in Shell Country, the Light Phase organizations were few and far between, finding him through a video was even more difficult. At the moment, the ck mud was continuously devouring the corpses. If this continued, many valuable things would be destroyed by the ck mud. Chen Qi turned back, removed some of the ck mud from his body and excitedly rolled up his sleeves: "Let''s loot first!" Chapter 83: Chapter 68 The Beginning of the Legend III The storm raged on. Chen Qi stepped over the ck mud and walked to the bodies of the ck rabbit and the bald man. The value of these two far exceeded that of the others. Both were wealthy Second-tier Transcendents, naturally equipped with backpack cards for convenient storage of items. The imnted armor couldn''t be sold, so Chen Qi took their backpack cards. One backpack card with a space of 1*1*2, another with a space of 1*1*3. Even without considering the contents of the backpack cards, the value of these two cards alone exceeded one million Shell Coins! Fat pickings! Chen Qi mused. Not long ago, he had been fishing honestly, earning money as a fisherman. Robbing wasn''t a bad way to make money either! Backpack cards were rare and valuable, and one could never have too many. Lately, his own backpack card had been getting a bit crowded. Next, Chen Qi opened the backpack cards to check their contents. Among them, the most valuable item was an unused Skill Card. A gray, epic-level Skill Card with an image of a dashing man standing on a wire, constantly twisting his waist to dodge bullets. [Bnce Posture Lv1: Activation requirement: Agility must reach 15, and breathing techniques must be mastered Description: Use Qi Power to enhance bnce. Once mastered, it significantly improves one''s bnce and agility. Note: Footwork, good footwork, dashing footwork!] Bnce... Chen Qi looked at the unused Skill Card. Bnce was incredibly important for sea battles, mastering this skill would make running on water alongside Water Elves no longer just a dream! Chen Qi looked at the Skill Card in his hands, his fingers trembling slightly. He had been using Skill Cards quite frequently. But it couldn''t be helped, he was acquiring Skill Cards faster than he had anticipated. "It shouldn''t have damaged my spirit yet." "It''s fine." "Use it, I can handle it!" Chen Qi activated the card. With the daily tasks and Spiritual Points saved from previous dungeons, he still had over 600 Spiritual Points. He used 500 Spiritual Points to upgrade it to Lv2. A flood of knowledge entered his mind, and after a series of pains, he felt subtle changes in his body. This was a special technique, manipting one''s Qi Power to perform maneuvers that seemed to defy Newton''sws! He could even basically perform stunts like running up walls... Chen Qi thought to himself, then pped his hands and looked at the other items. Besides that, there was arge shotgun owned by the bald man from the ck Whale Group, produced by therge armamentspany Magic Bullet, capable of loading heavy,rge-particle ammunition. Magic Bullet Company, a famed firearms manufacturer in Shell Country, was renowned worldwide for its weapons. If the gun hit the scales of a nearby sea overlord, it could likely inflict effective damage. Too bad it was a close-range shotgun... Chen Qi put it aside, having already developed the semnce of a melee yer. He didn''t have knowledge of gun-fighting skills, and shotguns weren''t suited for him. Chen Qi continued searching. In the backpack cards of the two men, there were mainly various firearms and knives, some high-damage grenades, and a few personal items for men and women, along with one and a half million in cash. There were also ten bottles of strong Healing Potions, ten bottles of regr antidote potions, and ten bottles of berserker potions with significant side effects. There were also a hundred special incendiary bullets, quite rare and priced at five hundred Shell Coins each. Healing Potions, bullets, and grenades could be kept, the rest could be sold on the ck market... Chen Qi estimated. The unwanted items added up to a value of about three million Shell Coins. Then, he went back into the ck mud to take the items from the ck rabbit gang members that couldn''t easily prove their identities and put them into his backpack card. The belongings of the ck rabbit gang minions weren''t expensive; many of them wore just a simpleyer of bulletproof vests. Chen Qi counted, and it should be about one million Shell Coins. Together, that was a haul of four million. Four million, sufficient for a First Order Hunter and even a Second-tier Hunter to purchase a rather luxurious set of equipment. If the Skill Card, backpack cards, potions, and cash were counted too. Altogether, the gains from this trip were close to ten million Shell Coins. That was a very substantial amount of money. If he got greedier, selling parts of this ship could fetch an even higher profit! But that would also make it very easy to expose his identity. After weighing his options, Chen Qi decided against it. "Not a bad haul." Chen Qi walked to the bow, took off his Hunter hood, and felt the sea breeze brush against his face. Unwittingly, he had amassed quite a savings. This money could easily buy a nice vi in Moonstone City. Earning money through acts of justice wasn''t less profitable than bullying Ghost Fire Fish! Save it up, and maybe he really could afford to buy a mid-sized ship produced by Steam Hand. Chen Qi smiled, then his expression turned serious. "Next, I need toy low for a while," he said. ording to his original n, he needed toe to thend of white trees to pluck some Ghost Fire Fish, and then practice "Water Surface Sprinting" with the deep sea Water Elves. But now, ns had changed! The ck Rabbit might have already exposed this location''s information through the Eye of Long Voyage. It was not out of the question that the ck Rabbit or the ck Whale Group might send someone to investigate the option of salvaging the sunken ship. If it was the ck Rabbit''s peopleing, the issue was very easy to resolve. But if it was the Navy, or the ck Whale Group, then things would be quite troublesome. He couldn''te here again until things had settled down. Chen Qi looked at the torrential rain in the sky. Dammit, his Ghost Fire Fish aquaculture n had to be put on hold as well! The Ghost Fire Fish were about to be free! He hoped that by the time he returned, the Ghost Fire Fish would have grown sessfully and produced new Ghost Fire Oil. Chen Qi turned back to thoroughly clean up the crime scene and removed the bloodstains from his body. The disappearance of the bodies could easily be med on the ck mud and the local sea overlords! Afterward, he fed the nearby sea overlords and the Ghost Fire Fish with Extraordinary Fish Bait in thend of white trees, bidding them a simple farewell. After saying goodbye to the Ghost Fire Fish and the nearby sea overlords, he returned to his small cabin boat. Now that his breathing technique and Body Forging Skill were fully mastered, along with the ample supplies provided by the ck Rabbit, It was time to prepare for a new journey to the crack. At that moment, some of the ck mud seemed reluctant to let him go. Chen Qi spent a lot of effort by various means to remove the continuously wriggling ck mud from his body. "Goodbye!" Then, he started the engine of the small cabin boat and took a roundabout route toward Moonstone City. Inside the cabin boat, Chen Qi used a towel to wipe his rain-soaked body and nced at the mirror. This incident could very likely attract the covetous eyes of high-order Transcendents. He gazed out at the distant sea, "Who knows whose hands that Eye of Long Voyage''s information will end up in." ... ... Hourster, in Moonstone City, within the third civilian district, the headquarters of the ck Rabbit Gang. The vice leader of the ck Rabbit Gang and other underlings were seated on a sofa. The bespectacled man lit a cigarette,y back on the sofa exhaustedly, and looked deeply at the projector in front of him. The projector was reying the scene from the sea just now over and over. The grim sea, the storm, the fierce ck Ship Sea Dragon, corpses everywhere, waves of ck mud, the destroyedrge ship, and a fleeting shadowy figure. The underlings of the ck Rabbit Gang were sitting on the sofa, watching this extremely brutal scene repeatedly. "Boss! Boss! Get up and fight back! If this keeps up, you''re going to be torn in two by the ck mud!" "Rey, y back the footage of the boss and that bald-headed guy from the ck Whale Group again." "The boss looked pretty cool when he died!" "Vice leader, this is truly a disgrace to our gang, revenge! We must take revenge for the boss!" "The ck Rabbit Gang values loyalty. We can''t just let this go!" "sses Bro, if you lead us to a sessful revenge, you''ll be the undisputed speaker in our hearts." "sses Bro! We believe in you!" The bespectacled man saw the hot and hopeful looks in his underlings'' eyes. He shook his head, thinking to himself, "It''s over, the ck Rabbit Gang is left with only these idiots, it''spletely hopeless." Apart from me, those who didn''t board the ship are all brain-dead hotheads. Me, take revenge on the sea overlord? Is that something a human would say? Why don''t you ask your grandpa to take revenge... The bespectacled man took a deep breath and exined calmly: "Everyone, we must ept the fact that the boss and the ck Rabbit can''te back and can''t be revived. Facing a sea overlord and ck mud, it''s a natural disaster, a natural disaster is not an object of revenge; this isn''t an issue we can solve with mere passion. Next, our first goal is to exin to the people from the ck Whale Group and then deal with the remaining assets." It''s time to break up the gang... The bespectacled man sighed deeply, "Right... rey the scene from just now one more time, and bring me another rolled cigarette; I need to think about how to exin things to the ck Whale Group." "Alright, Little sses Rabbit." The bespectacled man reached out and took the cigarette passed to him. "Thanks." But the next second, he broke out in cold sweat. He was the second inmand of the ck Rabbit Gang; apart from the boss, who dared to call him Little sses Rabbit! And the voice was a woman''s, androgynous and confident! Who was it? The bespectacled man, having lit the cigarette and taken it into his mouth, slowly turned his head around. He saw a short, disheveled, blonde young woman holding a camera, smiling broadly at him. "Hehe." Chapter 84: Chapter 69: Big News The sudden appearance of the woman with golden short hair plunged the ck Rabbit Gang''s meeting room into a brief silence. Leaning on the sofa, the golden-haired woman said somewhatzily, "Why has it gone so quiet all of a sudden? Have you got something to exin to the ck Whale Group? Keep talking, won''t you?" The neer''s presence was that of a First Order Transcendent. One brave ck Rabbit Gang member kicked over a chair and drew a ck pistol, aiming it at the woman''s head: "Dare to break into our important meeting, do you have a death wish? Brothers, grab your weapons!" p! The next second, the gang''s deputy leader, a bespectacled man, rose to his feet and delivered a resounding p to the gang member, knocking him to the ground. "Have you lost your mind?" Then, the bespectacled man stood up, straightened his suit, and whispered to the gang member, "She has a powerful background, we can''t afford to offend her, just endure it." At this moment, under the light, everyone finally got a clear look at the visitor''s face. Golden, beautiful short hair, blue eyes like a cat''s, and a camera in hand. She was not an ordinary person but the chief reporter of Moonstone City''s Dove Times, the "Miracle Reporter" Perle! However, Perle''s hair was disheveled at the moment, and there were dark circles under her eyes. In the gang legends of Moonstone City, although Perle was only a First Order Transcendent, all the gangs that tried to oppose her had paid a painful price. No matter how big the trouble she caused, there was always someone to clean up after her. People spected that she might be an insane princess banished by the King of Bei Country, or a witch with demon blood, or perhaps the daughter of a mental hospital''s director. There were countless urban legends about her. Seeing Perle, without a strong background, resistance was a suicidal choice. One either had to ept the interview obediently or run away. The bespectacled man, of course, knew this, and he bowed proficiently at a ny-degree angle: "Miss Perle, I apologize, my subordinate was impolite just now. Please forgive us." "At least you''re sensible." Perle walked up, looked around, and then found the most luxurious chair in the room to sit down. That was the precious chair of their ck Rabbit Gang leader! Only a speaker of the ck Rabbit Gang dared to sit in that chair. The gang members were shocked; their boss had only been dead for one day, and already someone else was sitting in his chair. Perle crossed her legs, took out her draft papers and pen, and said casually, "Just a reminder, there''s something serious going on right now, so you''d best cooperate with the interview." Something serious happening! Could it be that the guards outside had already encountered an ident... The bespectacled man slowly straightened his back and asked, "Miss Perle, may I ask, what is this serious matter?" Perle dug her ear with her pen: "Today, I''m in a very bad mood." "..." The bespectacled man was speechless. A bad mood counts as a serious matter? The next second, Perle looked at the dark images on the projector, furrowed her brows, and said, "Do you know, I''ve been looking for the Flower Witch for three days, yet I''ve only gotten a tiny bit of information. Besides, that jerk in the office who only knows how to draw men''s and women''s physiques has achieved a new sales record, almost surpassing me. Furthermore, after three sleepless nights, I wanted to go to the seaside to enjoy a meal of moonlight fish made by my lovely fans, but that guy is nowhere to be found. A Transcendent Chef, who''s not at all professional or money-loving!" From Perle''s tone, one could clearly sense her irritability. The bespectacled man calmly said, "With the Crack Tide Descent, moonlight fish ingredients are indeed limited recently. That''s definitely a terrible thing." "Yes! Of course, the key point is I haven''t had any good newstely. I had no choice but toe here and interview you about your dealings with the ck Whale Group, hoping your troubles are worthy of making my newspaper." As she spoke, Perle turned her head and ced her pen on the draft paper. The usuallyposed bespectacled man now clenched his fists. The gang''s kidnappings, extortion, and other misdeeds were also allowed by the higher-ups. As long as they didn''t overstep, the third district''sw enforcement often turned a blind eye. However, collusion with pirates was a totally different matter! A collusion with pirates, especially with the most notorious of the four major pirate groups, the ck Whale Group! With the navy''s recent reorganization, they were certain to reim Shell Country''s dominance of the sea! At this time, this was an unforgivable crime! They could even be subjected to a punishment more severe than the death penalty, being used as test subjects by Shell Country''s special agency. They couldn''t talk about it carelessly. Perle yawned: "Hurry up and talk; once I''m done with you, I still have to return to the paper, hand my article to the review team, then I can finally go home to sleep. And yes, I have to find time for a meal too, time is precious." The man with sses bit his lip and ced his hand on the gun at his waist, extremely conflicted. The arrogant woman before him, though she had a significant background, was at the end of the day only a First Order Transcendent! This was their turf. She was merely flesh and blood; when a bullet pierced her skull, she too would be a corpse. If the boss were still alive, even if they killed her and were pursued by the vast background behind her, they could escape to the open sea and remain beyond the reach of thew. And their ck Rabbit gang would be a renowned faction in Moonstone City for having killed Peilu. If the boss had not encountered the sea overlord, if they had chosen another day to take to the sea, if the boss were alive, they would have had the courage to act. But now, the entire ck Rabbit shipy buried in the storm at sea. Discover exclusive tales on m,v l''e-NovelBin The boss was beyond revival. The ck Rabbit gang was in name only; not to mention killing Peilu, even the crime of killing a civilian was more than they could bear. They could only kneel down obediently and submit to Peilu''s judgment. Without any room for resistance, without any room for negotiation... After recognizing the facts, the man with sses slumped: "I''ll tell everything. Three months ago, our leader, ck Rabbit, chanced upon the ck Whale Group''s matriarch in the city''s red-light district. Eventually, at her suggestion, we considered joining the ck Whale Group. The ck Whale Group informed us that in about three months, the entire ocean would undergo drastic change. And to let the navy know who the true master of the Witch Sea was, they needed arge number of hands, so they extended an invitation to us. Thus, under ck Rabbit''s arrangement, we began preparations to set sail." "The matriarch? That pirate matriarch who keeps a hundred handsome men, and your leader settled the details of joining the ck Whale Group with her in the red-light district? Roughly how many people were involved in this? "A dozen people. All the officials of our gang participated, and we were almost caught by a navy officer." #The ck Rabbit gang and the pirate matriarch conducting forbidden activities in the red-light district attracted the attention of the navy# Peilu jotted down a headline on her paper, then after a moment''s thought, she changed it. As the reporter with the highest cirction for the Moonstone City newspaper, she did not need to resort to such deceptive titles. She rested her chin on her palm and twirled her pen: "So, the ck Whale Group knew about the Crack Tide''s Descenting in three months, interesting, something even the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau didn''t know about. What else?" The man with sses swallowed nervously: "That''s it. Many matters were settled by our boss, ck Rabbit. Unfortunately, he has now encountered an attack out on the open sea." "Putting all the me on a dead man, huh. By the way, when he died at sea, it wasn''t a staged death? Nothing more interesting to tell?" Many gang leaders, before leaving their gang, would fake their own deaths to prevent being hunted down. Peilu slowly wrote down the information. In fact, there were more than just the ck Rabbit gang coborating with the ck Whale Group. Other newspapers had reported on rted matters as well. The news of the ck Rabbit gang could only be considered a minor piece. The man with sses said helplessly: "No, it wasn''t a staged death. The ck Rabbit ship encountered the sea overlord, ck Mud. We have evidence. This is probably the ultimate fate of our gang members." "A sea overlord, ck Mud, the chances of an encounter with those two are quite low. Your gang is really ''lucky.'' Peilu became intrigued and walked over to the projector. The images still yed on a loop from the film projector, disying the stormy sea. The gray ocean, the howling storm, waves of ck mud, and the terrifying sea overlord. This footage was much more interesting than these boring gang members. Peilu watched intently, not looking away: "Hey, is there a possibility of infighting happening on your ck Rabbit ship?" "Infighting? Unlikely. What''s up, Miss Peilu?" The man with sses asked, puzzled. Peilu bent over, a glint in her eyes. "A shipwreck, you say?" She reyed the footage once more, closely watching the images before her. "No, that''s not right." She murmured to herself: "The footage is blurry, yet many people in it are clearly looking at a target, something that instills fear in them. The ck mud on the ship has traces of being trampled in a short time. And there''s a fleeting shadow at the edge of the frame. Upon your fallen leader, besides ck mud, you can vaguely make out knife wounds..." The crowd listened to Peilu''s analysis, still somewhat bewildered. "Miss Peilu, what are you getting at?" Peilu''s eyes shed, and then she voiced a spection that shocked all the gang members present. "Someone on this ship, in the midst of the chaos, murdered your ck Rabbit gang." Chapter 85: Chapter 70 Bounty Murder, a simple word, echoed in everyone''s minds like the tolling of a bell. They all looked towards the projector screen once again. How could it be possible! On a ship covered in ck mud, did someone really dare to make a move? Could anyone even make a move? The bespectacled man swallowed his saliva. Under Pelu''s reminder, he also noticed this fact: "Not the ck Whale Group''s people, in the footage transmitted by the Eye of Long Voyage, the bald man who was in charge of docking for the ck Whale Group is dead as well, and besides, the ck Whale Group has no reason to harm us. To dare attack our boss under the joint assault of the nearshore overlord and the ck mud, it would have to be at least a third-tier expert. Could it be the Deep Sea Merchant?" Pelu propped her cheek, watching the footage over and over again. "It''s not the Deep Sea Merchant. Despite the storm, there was still light; the Deep Sea Merchant wouldn''t appear during the day." Pelu had been captured by the Deep Sea Merchant once during an interview and thrashed wildly in the water. She barely survived, thanks to the sh from her camera. So she was certain that the people on the ck Rabbit were not Deep Sea Merchants. The fleeting shadow in the footage was very likely the perpetrator. Pelu reviewed the footage three more times: "Above the deep sea, to attack an irond ship while the nearshore overlord and the ck mud are present is indeed a monster." Suddenly, Pelu thought of something. Her intuition told her that the other party possessed some special skill, one that could make them immune to the attacks from the ck mud and the nearshore overlord. "Interesting! The ck Rabbit, seeking to align with the ck Whale Group, was killed on its maiden voyage by an unidentified monster atop the ocean. This makes for quite a good piece of news." Pelu started writing, transferring the events from the projector screen onto her draft paper. After a busy three days, she had finally found some interesting material for her news story! When the Deep Sea Merchant first appeared, people just thought it was an ordinary boatman. The monster before them might be just as famous as the Deep Sea Merchant, a renowned creature of the ocean. And her report was likely to be the first to cover this mysterious entity! The lips of the bespectacled man moved. He suddenly remembered the ck Rabbit''s first business deal; could it have been the chef who arranged for someone to do this? He pondered whether to spill the beans about the ck Rabbit''s n to rob the chef. But he quickly dismissed the thought. How could a first-order chef afford to hire a third-order Transcendent? Speaking out would only tarnish their reputation, adding to their crimes. Pelu picked up her camera, took a few pictures, and then prepared to leave. The bespectacled man swallowed another gulp of saliva; finally, this gue was leaving: "Goodbye, Miss Pelu. I''m a fan of yours. Can I ask when this newspaper will be published?" They, the ck Rabbit gang, needed to move their assets before the newspaper article was published, clean up all the ves in the basement, and then flee. "Hm?" Pelu turned her head, revealing a yful smile: "You don''t really believe you can walk out of this meeting room in peace after seeing me, do you? Let me tell you about some news that''s about to be published. Following the navy''s reorganization, to curb the increasing piracy, they are preparing to punish a batch of scum that joined the pirates recently. Guess who''s on that list?" All the gang members felt their hearts stop for a moment. As she spoke, Pelu pushed open therge doors outside the meeting room. At the entrance, there were civilians who wanted to thank Pelu. But aside from the civilians, there were also tenw enforcers d in heavy steam armor. Their thick iron boots trod across the meeting room, and gang members drew their weapons. Da da da da da da! Da da da da da! Pelu cleared her ears. She wasn''t interested in a heated fight; after signing autographs for the grateful crowd, she headed towards the White Dove Newspaper. She just wanted to finish her work and then take a short nap before enjoying a delicious feast. ... ... Twilight. The waves gentlypped the shore, sounding deep and rhythmic. By the harbor, a small houseboat with a ''Resting'' sign hung on it. Chen Qi sat inside the boat house, opening the Ice Devil Pirates'' sea chart, contemting his next destination. Single-handedly taking down an irond ship was a big deal. For safety''s sake, he decided to leave Moonstone City temporarily. Bettery low in case things got out of hand, Chen Qi thought to himself. And just then, there was a hurried knock on the door of his little boat house. "Open up! Boss! Don''t you want to make money? It''s time to open up for business!" This lively and self-assured voice... Chen Qi put away the sea chart and opened the door of the boat house. Outside the door, a short-haired blonde woman looked at him with a cheerful smile. "What''s the matter, Miss Pelu?" Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin "My fan, you finally opened the door for me." The confident Pelu sat down at the dining table, holding a copy of a freshly printed newspaper. "?" Chen Qi looked puzzled. When had he be her fan? Though it was true that Pelu had many die-hard fans in Moonstone City. Clearly, he was not one of them. As if reading Chen Qi''s mind, Pelu crossed her legs: "I''d like a Moon Light Fish please, and by the way, let me guess, are you wondering when exactly you became my fan?" "When?" Chen Qi was confused. If she wanted a Moon Light Fish, he would have to go to the neighboring big ship to buy one at a high price. But Pelu''s visit was a good thing. He could take this opportunity to ask her if she had any information about Grade D cracks. Chapter 86: Chapter 70 Bounty_2 At that moment, Peril handed Chen Qi a freshly printed copy of the White Dove Newspaper. Chen Qi took the newspaper. Today''s White Dove Newspaper reported that three major admirals were leading ships, preparing to retake the nearby seas and the hegemony of the Crack Sea, in addition to increasing bounty rewards. It also covered gang-rted issues. Three gangs were captured for colluding with pirate groups. They were the Wild Dog Gang, the ck Rabbit Gang, and the Dice Gang from Moonstone City. ck Rabbit Gang... Chen Qi tried to remain calm and continued reading. The entire ck Rabbit Gang was captured, many facing the death penalty as a starting point. In Shell Country, there is a tradition of using death row prisoners as experimental subjects. Suddenly, a message appeared before his eyes. #Amid the Crack Tide and storm, a new deep-sea monster was born, brutally ughtering the ck Rabbit Gang# At the same time, a photo of the sea overlord was attached. "???" This monster couldn''t be me... Chen Qi quickly skimmed through the section. The newspaper described the disaster of the ck Rabbit vessel and spected through some clues that another ''Deep Sea Merchant'' level monster might have emerged on the sea. This monster was extremely strong, strong enough to disregard the ck mud and the sea overlord, and had in the leader of the ck Rabbit Gang, ck Rabbit. "..." Chen Qi was slightly startled. He was in the newspaper. Although not shown, there was no doubt that he was the protagonist of this news. Under Peril''s pen, he hadpletely be a bloodthirsty monster. He immediately thought of many possibilities. Peril''s White Dove Newspaper was very likely to attract a bunch of idle detectives who, through the photographs in the newspaper, would attempt to find him. What a hassle... Chen Qi rubbed his head. He hadn''t expected that his first time in the newspaper in this world would be for such a reason. "Wait!" Chen Qi noticed that there were some strange numbers and photographs on the back of the newspaper. "Wild Dog, leader of the Wild Dog Gang, joins the ck Whale Group, formerly organized an underground boxing club, bounty of one million Shell Coins." "A new female member of the Blood de Pirate Group, name and origin unknown, bounty of three million Shell Coins." "Identity and gender unknown, the pitch-ck remnant shadow ughtered fifty people on the ck Rabbit vessel, bounty of five million Shell Coins!" Below the paper, there was also a photo of the fleeting shadow he left behind on the ck Rabbit vessel. "?" Why? Chen Qi was shocked. Why could just a shadow be worth a bounty? Could anyone be caught based on this fleeting shadow? A mere shadow, why would it hold a bounty of five million? Chen Qi rubbed his forehead. He had some difficulty understanding the navy''s way of thinking. Were these navies filling out bounty amounts with their feet? Hopefully, no one will really see his idental shadow and start searching everywhere. The shadow''s deeds had nothing to do with me. Peril sat at the dining table and exined: "Shell Country decided to tackle piracy by increasing everyone''s bounty and coborated with our White Dove Newspaper to introduce a new Bounty Newspaper as a way to heat things up. By the way, you can also receive a bounty just for providing clues." "Is that so, I wonder if I could im a bounty." Chen Qi smiled and continued reading. Besides the four major pirate groups, it featured quite a few well-known figures from the nearby seas: Big Mama, the ck-eyed Captain, the Bullet Shooter, the Butcher, and others. Another new name appeared on this glory list. The Flower Witch, though not a dangerous entity on the seas, nor showing any hostility towards civilians. But considering her historical status, if someone could capture her, or get her to the naval headquarters, it could fetch a whopping ''twenty million Shell Coins'' reward. And just providing clues could earn one five hundred thousand Shell Coins. Beyond that, if someone was to first submit to the White Dove Newspaper, they would get an additional one million Shell Coins. The Flower Witch is really worth a fortune... Chen Qi remarked, feeling somewhat tempted. Seeing Chen Qi finish reading the newspaper, Perle looked up and smiled: "Don''t thank me, it''s part of my job, just casual help, treating me to a meal of moonlight fish will do." "?" Chen Qi suddenly grasped. Previously, the ck Rabbit Gang had threatened him because of the hunting ground issue. Although in his eyes, the crisis of the ck Rabbit was something he had resolved by himself. In Perle''s eyes, however, she took down the ck Rabbit Gang by reporting and interviewing! Bossdy that she was, she easily settled the gang threat for her chef fan! "Thank you, Miss Perle, no problem, I will make an amazing moonlight fish." Perle looked up, touched her nose, feeling as if she had gained another fan: "It''s nothing much, just a hand lent during work. If you really want to thank someone, you should thank the coastal overlord that attacked the ck Rabbit, or that mysterious shadow." The coastal overlord, I should indeed thank them. "Thank them too." Chen Qiughed, went to therge ship next door, and bought a luxurious moonlight fish for five thousand Shell Coins. Just in time, he hadn''t had dinner yet. [Cooking moonlight fish, gained 100 Spiritual Points.] Soon, a fragrant dish of scallion oil moonlight fish was ready. Chen Qi served the moonlight fish on the table. "So delicious!! Indeed, one just can''t miss out this dish during this period!" Perle''s face blushed slightly, excitedly tasting the fish with her fork. The savory taste blossomed on her taste buds. Just as she imagined, it perfectly brought out the delicious vor of the moonlight fish! "By the way, Miss Perle, how is the investigation on the Flower Witch going?" Chen Qi asked. These past few days, he had digested the breathing technique and the Body Forging Skill, earning the qualifications to head to a D-level crack. He was just looking toy low for a while, plus he urgently needed a reliable Pharmacist for the pale scales fruit he obtained from White Tree Land. Taking advantage of the fact that the Flower Witch hadn''t stirred up big trouble yet, Chen Qi wanted to see if he could find her. Once the Flower Witch got involved in big troubles and was pursued by various factions, it would be difficult to find her. "As expected, you''re also interested in the Flower Witch." Perle smiled mysteriously: "The whereabouts of the Flower Witch are very secretive, she has a unique way of hiding, evading my numerous pursuits. These are top-secret information painstakingly gathered by us at the White Dove Newspaper, and must not be told to others." "..." Chen Qi was skeptical, showing a slightly doubtful expression. Since when did you be someone who can keep secrets? The reason the navy and gangs are wary of Perle is because of her big mouth! Asking her for information doesn''t require deliberate questioning. She would volunteer information. Why aren''t you begging me to continue talking? Perle clenched her knife and fork, showing a meaningful expression: "Although the boss explicitly said that this information must not be leaked, I, Perle, love to do the opposite of what the boss says, can''t help it, it''s just my nature." "Actually, telling you is not impossible." "After all, I am the most famous reporter at the White Dove Newspaper. If even I don''t know the clues about the Flower Witch, then nobody knows the clues to the Flower Witch." Chapter 87: Chapter 71 Sea Flower Island The small boat cabin was aglow with the soft light of the ship''sntern, adding a touch of warmth to the interior. Chen Qi bent down to take a bottle of wine from under the table and handed it to Perlu. He was quite curious about how she had found the clues to the Flower Witch. After finishing a bottle of wine, Perlu started to recount her experiences over the past three days. Based on the information from the old newsstand owner and Chen Qi, the Flower Witch had flowers growing from her head, which meant that she must find a way to hide her appearance. But in a ce as extraordinary as Moonstone City, it wasn''t umon to see people concealing their looks. Walking down the street, at least one in every ten people was hiding their appearance. There were also quite a few of the same stature as the Flower Witch. So, she began to lift their cloaks and masks under the guise of conducting interviews. All sorts of characters with concealed faces: faceless men, master thieves of hearts, ghost brides, soul-stealing clowns, Piggy Heroes... Anyone hiding their face. If she saw one, she''d unveil one! Finally, thanks to her relentless efforts, in front of a herbal medicine shop, a person in a cloak took to their heels the moment they saw her. "That actually worked..." Chen Qi''s eyes widened. He never imagined that Perlu''s method of finding the Flower Witch was the legendary exhaustive approach! What''s crucial, this brute-force method actually led her to sess. At this point, Perlu lowered her head and furrowed her brows, "Unfortunately, I still let her get away! Not only that, but because I exposed a bunch of masked people''s true appearances, my damned boss called me in for a talk, saying that I disturbed the peace of themercial street and vited many people''s portrait rights. This also caused me to miss the best opportunity to pursue her." "Hmm... it''s already pretty good that you weren''t beaten up for unveiling people like that." Chen Qi couldn''t help butment. "I had no choice; I''m not as lucky as you, bumping into the Flower Witch in a crack." Perlu frowned, "However, it''s a good thing that after I left the watchhouse... no, after having a friendly conversation with the police, thanks to the information from my informant, a thin female in a cloak boarded a flower sea ferry boat and headed for an ind near the edge of the coast. This person is very likely to be the Flower Witch. I''m nning to set out tonight to find her and give the Flower Witch a little surprise!" "..." Chen Qi was somewhat speechless. After all the trouble, it was still the newspaper''s vastwork of information that prevailed! He had to admit, the news agency of Moonstone City was indeed quite a powerful organization. Curious, Chen Qi asked: "Which ind is it?" Perlu paused in her eating, her eyes showing a hint of surprise: "You... want to find the Flower Witch? Aren''t you afraid she''ll turn you into fertilizer?" In the legends, the Flower Witch was a madwoman who buried the bodies of a hundred thousand soldiers in the ground to cultivate the ck soil. Although reports indicated that this appearance of the Flower Witch was not the legendary Flower Witch, Most people, under the influence of these legends, would not dare to look for the Flower Witch even with a high bounty reward. For all they knew, their own bodies could be fertilizer for the flowers. Of course, as far as Chen Qi was concerned, the past was the past and the present was the present. The current Flower Witch''s foolish appearance aside, before ascending to Fourth Rank, it was already quite an achievement not to end up as fertilizer. Expectantly, Chen Qi said: "After all, with so much money at stake, if I could provide some clues, there would be as much as one and a half million Shell Coins to be had. That''s striking rich overnight." "True, that''s even faster than what rich yers make. You may be a chef, but you''re brave indeed!" Perlu pondered for a moment and then smiled. If she brought Chen Qi along, Wouldn''t that mean having an additional traveling chef with her on the road? She tapped the table and said softly: "The edge of the coast, Flower Ind." "The edge of the coast..." Chen Qi was slightly shocked. The destination for this journey was farther than he had imagined. The domain of the Witch Sea could be roughly divided into the near sea, the Sea of Cracks, the Sea of Fog, and the Lightless Sea beyond the edge of the New Sun World. Above these seasy countless inds. With so many isles andplex maritime governance, coupled with a perennially weak navy, These inds had also be theirs where pirates hid. It could be said that Shell Country had zero control over the seas beyond the coastal waters. It was for this reason that, in recent days, the upper echelons of Shell Country had reorganized the navy, established the position of admiral, and tried to take back their dominant position in the Witch Sea. Explore more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin The coastal periphery was a very dangerous ce for ordinary people. Chen Qi looked at his palm, clenched his fist, and thought to himself: "By now, I should have the strength to set foot on the edge of the coastal waters." "Delicious!" Having finished the moonlight fish, Pelu said: "I will depart on the White Dove tonight. It''s too dangerous for you at night, you can leave tomorrow morning. However, you need to be careful. There are many legends of treasures about Flower Ind and with the recent Descent of the crack, many Travelers have headed to Flower Ind. This is also good news; that cecks meat supplies, so the food must be terrible. Your business as a Chef will do well!" "Hmm¡­" Chen Qi nodded his head. After Pelu had her fill, she left the small houseboat. Once Pelu was gone, Chen Qi closed the doors and windows, took out the sea map from the Ice Pirate Group and the treasure map from the Deep Sea Hunter. Before heading to Flower Ind, he needed to confirm some things. What, exactly, was the Flower Witch going to Flower Ind for? As a main character of the Witch Sea, she certainly wasn''t going for tourism. Her journey to Flower Ind was surely for something important. Chen Qi opened the sea map. ording to the indications on the Ice Pirate Map, the location of Flower Ind had markings of a treasure chest and flowers. Was the Flower Witch after medicinal herbs, or treasure? Chen Qi rubbed his head. He had a vague feeling that the Flower Witch was also there to seek the Hunter''s treasure when he saw her at the hunting grounds. All signs indicated that there was more than one treasure map left by the Deep Sea Hunter in this ocean! And the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter seemed to be something everyone knew about! Chen Qi ced his finger on the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure map and swept it from top to bottom. In the middle section, the coordinates for Flower Ind were written. This ce, indeed, also held a treasure buried by the Deep Sea Hunter... Chen Qi nced toward the far left of the coordinates to check the difficulty of this treasure. However, to his surprise, there was no level of difficulty indicated before this piece of treasure information. Aside from a simple sketch of clothing and a set of coordinates, there were no hints! "Why?" Chen Qi was puzzled for a moment. No difficulty hint. Did it mean that the difficulty of this treasure was zero, or was it simply forgotten to be written? "Can''t figure it out." Chen Qi shook his head, put away the maps, and walked out of the boat house. Stars twinkled overhead; the nighttime sea breeze blew through his ck hair. He looked toward the merchant ships ahead, the bright lighthouse, the moon in the sky, until that boundless, far-away ce. Chen Qi reached out toward the direction of the moon and made a grabbing gesture. By now, he had gradually be familiar with this world, and had be a qualified First Order Transcendent. After this trip, he could consider his one and only principle: advancing to be a Second-tier Transcendent. "Flower Ind, huh¡­" Chen Qi felt excited yet somewhat apprehensive in his heart. The high randomness of the New Day World dictated that even with a strategy for the crack and formidable power, he could still encounter idents. A world fraught with dangers. But if one does not dare to brave the stormy seas, their progress would ultimately be slow and they couldn''t stand at the pinnacle of these waves! "Oh, the sea and the stars." Chen Qi gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with expectation. ¡­ ¡­ On the second day, the bright day ignited in the sky, illuminating the dark city. The small houseboat set off from the harbor, heading toward the distant inds. Chapter 88: Chapter 72 Ice Witch Background Plate "Near the edge of the sea, so far, we''re almost there." Chen Qi, holding a map, walked out of the cabin. With the aid of the Deep Sea Water Elf boosters, his little houseboat had sailed for an entire day. At this moment, the daytime mes were gradually weakening. The afterglow of the setting sun spread across the sea, the light reflecting off the water interestingly,plemented by the falling flowers drifting from Flower Ind to the sea. It was like a grand floral carpet at sea, weing the arrival of travelers. Chen Qi raised his head and looked towards the distant ind. Mountains filled with flowering trees, a small town at the base of the mountains, and a simple dock. Flower Ind, with its fertilend suitable for cultivating herbs and flowers, housed nearly a thousand people¡ªa fairly nice small town. However,pared to the people of the Moonstone Inds, the inhabitants of this remote outlying ind were more secluded and less likely to leave their homnd. In their eyes, such remote inds far from the cities were peaceful and beautiful, and they could easily make a lot of money from tourism every year. Of course, this peaceful life was predicated on the absence of pirates and the Crack Tide. Chen Qi slowed down the speed of his little houseboat, preparing to dock. At that moment, arge white dove flew across the sky, slowly descending in height,nding in front of the port of Flower Ind. It was Pelu, she had arrived as well. Chen Qi docked the small houseboat at the dock, took a big jump, and stepped onto thend of Flower Ind. Pelu, noticing the movement behind her, looked back at Chen Qi with a puzzled face: "How did you get here so fast? Did you also depart at night?" After all, she had been traveling sincest night, and she had flown from the sky! Chen Qi stepped forward: "Barely, my boat''s engine is quite expensive." The speed of the small houseboat was indeed fast. But the main reason he and Pelu arrived at the same time was due to the booster he was proud of: Deep Sea Water Elf brand booster! And there were seven of them! With the help of the Deep Sea Water Elves, the speed of the small houseboat was incredibly fast. The only side effect was thatpared to machines, the Deep Sea Water Elves tired too quickly. After pushing for just a day, they turned into a sloppy mess! This must be because the Deep Sea Water Elvescked exercise, they would get better with more practice! Deep Sea Water Elves did not need to breathe oxygen, only needing to regrly absorb seawater. So, Chen Qi put them in the backpack card. Later, he could summon them out just like throwing a Pokeball. Pelu picked up her camera, took a few pictures: "Forget it, it''s good that you''re here, just in time to show you how Moonstone City''s most famous reporter, with her eagle-like vision and wolf-like keenness, captures the Flower Witch." At the dock, the two of them presented their IDs, briefly verified their identities with dock workers, and then headed towards the vige of Flower Ind. "It''s really lively." Explore more stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin Chen Qi looked towards the vige. The houses in Flower Ind were built of red bricks, each one fronted with fresh flowers. At this time, although there was the Crack Tide, it was spring, the peak season for tourism. There were many tourists. Moreover, many people at the head of the vige were discussing information. Chen Qi pricked up his ears. "Have you heard? That crack is going to open again." "It won''t end up like ten years ago, with a deformity rate rising to over 40%, and then running out again, will it?" "Impossible, this time, the vige chief said they''ve brought in an expert." The crack revival had happened in this ce too, and the crack rating of this region should be D¡­ Chen Qi observed his surroundings while walking forward with Pelu. Just then, at the town square, two giant statues in the central flowerbed caught his attention. One was a Hunter holding a bone-shaped greatsword, massively tall and draped in thick Hunter light armor, his hood covering his rugged face. The statue, made of rock, was beginning to show ayer of deep green moss, but nevertheless, it stood like a majestic hunter gazing at the sea before him. "Deep Sea Hunter..." Chen Qi was slightly startled; it was his first time seeing a statue of the Deep Sea Hunter. This statue must be the legendary Deep Sea Hunter, the only being that had repelled the great whale after the Witch. "If this one is the Deep Sea Hunter, then who is depicted by this statue?" Chen Qi looked at the other statue. The other statue was that of a young woman, dressed in clothes resembling a nun''s attire, holding a holy book in her right hand and antern in her left. She stood like a tall lighthouse, watching over the Witch Sea, both beautiful and sacred. Bigger than the one constructed for the Deep Sea Hunter. Moreover, it was even older than the statue of the Deep Sea Hunter. "What is this?" Chen Qi, for a moment, didn''t recognize the figure before him. Peru took out a camera and photographed the two statues: "You don''t know this? This is the pride of our Witch Sea, the statue of the Ice Witch." "The Ice Witch¡­" Chen Qi remembered for a moment, and memories suddenly flooded his mind. It was that omnipresent giant backdrop! The Ice Witch was also a quite famous character in the Witch Sea region. However, unlike the Flower Witch who was the main character, the Ice Witch was a typical backdrop character. During the Crack Tide five hundred years ago, as it swept across the sea, humans faced oppression by the great whale, severe hunger, monsters appeared like a tide, and people were forced to cannibalize each other. At that time, Shell Country was deeply embroiled in a serious civil war due to the out-of-control Chuixiang Rift, incapable of dealing with the matters of the Crack Tide. Without the support of any terrestrial powerhouses, all the residents of the sea once plunged into despair. It was then that the Ice Witch emerged, defeated the great whale with her own strength, and saved countless people and numerous struggling families. Tomemorate the Ice Witch''s deeds, the sea was renamed from Whale Sea to Witch Sea by the king''s authorization. Additionally, the Ice Witch was also an incredibly powerful Mage, the pride of many mages in the Witch Sea. Today, the name of the Four Great Pirate Crews, the Ice Witch Pirates, is also derived from this Ice Witch. Also, the Ice Witch had an interest in studying history and archaeology. Thus, many major events and relics bear traces of this Ice Witch. In many ces, the status of the Ice Witch exceeds even the ancient Sea Goddess. Especially on the inds just off the coast, it ismonly believed that the Ice Witch''s statues can bring safety to their voyages. Chen Qi remembered that there were many posts about the Ice Witch on forums. In the eyes of most ordinary people in the New Sun World, human life has its limits. In the deeperyers of this world, there exists a Void Lantern Death God who reaps the lives of all those who attempt to transcend the natural limits of life. Any lifespan that surpasses a hundred years, in the Sea of Spirit, the Death God will duly arrive. Even those with the Transcendent bodies capable of moving mountains and overturning seas cannot resist the erosion of time. But ording to various pieces of information from yer forums, this Ice Witch, famous hundreds of years ago across the sea, hadn''t died. Instead, she lived on like a ghost and participated in many historical events of great impact. "Truly magnificent, was the Ice Witch formerly a warrior nun¡­" Chen Qi pped his hands, shifting his gaze away from the statue. At that moment, having finished taking photos, Peru had already begun to look for clues about the Flower Witch. Peru was randomly picking passersby, questioning them for information. Chen Qi was shocked; Peru''s method of finding people was indeed very direct and crude. Moreover, her manner of holding the microphone was too conspicuous. She approached an old woman, and took out a thousand Shell Coins: "Grandma, by chance, have you seen a person wearing a cloak?" The old woman took the money expertly and replied: "No." "¡­" Peru watched her money disappear and was stunned for a moment. Then, the old woman stood up, looked around: "People in cloaks are everywhere. Let me help you look. Is it that person? Come to think of it, that youngdy''s head was still wriggling, having quite the mysterious air." In the open-air herbal shop ahead, there were many travelers. And a person wearing a cloak was there, head bowed, picking herbs. At that moment, seeming to sense the gaze from behind, she pulled down a corner of her hood, turned her head, and nced at the two. Upon seeing them, her hood wriggled wildly like the waves of the sea! "The Flower Witch¡­" Chen Qi was surprised. He hadn''t expected to find her so easily! The person was really right at the entrance of the vige on Flower Ind! No, wait... Chen Qi suddenly thought of something. "Hold this for me." Peru''s eyes were determined, and she abruptly handed her backpack to Chen Qi. She crouched down, arms hanging naturally, palms slightly open, assuming a runner''s ready stance, then took a deep breath. "My fans, it''s time you see the speed of a reporter." "Flower Witch, this time, you won''t get away!" Chapter 89: Chapter 73: The Flower Witchs Hidden Technique "?" The Flower Witch had several startled little flowers pop up around her. She hadn''t expected that the annoying reporter from Moonstone City would actually be able to chase her to Flower Ind. "Boss, I''ve already paid for the herbs." The Flower Witch calmly paid, then pulled out a bottle of energy potion, drank it, and ran towards the big mountain on Flower Ind. As the supposed heir of a legendary witch, did those two mere First Order Transcendents really think they could capture her? The Flower Witch appeared unruffled, not believing that Perlu could catch her. But Perlu, considering herself half an athlete, decided to give it a try! Beyond the viges on Flower Ind, there were extended mountains. The Flower Witch, leisurely but swiftly, ran into the forest and deeper into the mountain. Perlu also exerted all her strength and dashed into the mountain. "Perlu really isn''t afraid of death, daring to chase inside the mountain..." Chen Qi crossed his arms and stated. It was simply unrealistic for Perlu to want to interview the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch intended to keep her identity hidden, she wouldn''t ept her interview. However, from this reaction, the Flower Witch seemed quite afraid of Perlu. Chen Qi shook his head. He still had to find the Flower Witch to make potions. If the Flower Witch saw him without Perlu around, perhaps she would talk to him. But now... She wouldn''t think that he was in cahoots with Perlu, would she? Even if he saw the Flower Witch herself, asking her to make potions would still be challenging... Chen Qi followed Perlu and also ran towards the forest. As a reporter, Perlu was quite fast. With strong, powerful legs, the Flower Witch remained in Perlu''s sight for a long time. Yet despite this, she eventually lost sight of the Flower Witch and could only aimlessly look up at high branches in the forest. Chen Qi walked slowly through the mountain, not in a rush to search but rather sniffing the air. The Flower Witch, due to her Blood Flower Disease, had a body scent like that of flower fragrance. Smell was a good choice for tracking her. "However..." Chen Qi looked around. Many trees on Red Ind were flower trees, filled with fresh floral scents everywhere. "Not easy to find..." Chen Qi shook his head. The Flower Witch had gotten some money from herst crack-induced trip and likely wouldn''t be lured by the smell of food. "Wait a minute..." Chen Qi suddenly recalled some information. In yer forums, it was mentioned that hiding was the Flower Witch''s favorite method. Perlu''s speed wasn''t slow; she had suddenly lost track of her. "The Flower Witch has probably hidden herself." Chen Qi thought and continued along the trail Perlu had followed, looking at the grass near the ground. Right then, he suddenly noticed something odd. Underneath arge flowering tree, there were three very unnatural-looking yellow flowers. Chen Qi sat down, leaning against the tree, and took out a water bottle. Following Perlu the whole way had made him somewhat thirsty. "Glug glug." While he was drinking, a ck flower suddenly popped out of the dirt next to the little yellow flowers. It was a scared little ck flower! "I knew you were here..." Chen Qi rolled his eyes silently. ording to the information on yer forums, the Flower Witch was very skilled in Earth Escape, which involves hiding underground. But in the beginning, her Earth Escape Skill had a fatal w: whenever she wasn''t deep enough, the flowers on top of her head would emerge through the soil. Chen Qi took a deep breath and carefully chose his words: "Well, Flower Witch, rest assured, I am not in league with that reporter just now, and I have no intention of capturing you for the bounty. I just have some herbs and need your help with them." Would she agree? Chen Qi quietly waited for her response. In the early stages of the game, no yer dared to approach the Flower Witch. It was only in the middle stages that yers began asking the Flower Witch to make potions. But by then, the Flower Witch had already be a prominent figure, always caught up in major events, and had little time to make potions. Now, likely being quite poor, if he offered enough money, she would probably be willing to make potions for him. Chen Qi thought to himself. After a long silence, he heard a faint sound from under the soil. "You''re mistaken, I am not the Flower Witch, I am just a flower." "..." What are you talking about? Chen Qi was stunned. Hold back, hold back! In what scenario could shee up with such a tant lie? The people of the Witch Sea are indeed a bit off. Staying too long in such an environment can affect one''s mind, which is very normal. Chen Qi calmed his breath, holding back his desire to retort. "Flower Witch, there are some matters for which I need you." "That woman has already run off; she should now be in the towns on Flower Ind, going from house to house looking for you." "I absolutely won''t betray you." "And besides, with your formidable power, we two First Order Transcendents can''t do anything to you." "I swear by the Sea Goddess, I absolutely won''t reveal your whereabouts, or else, may I encounter a sea tyrant when I go out to sea and face a ck mud tidal wave when I return!" Another moment of silence. The Flower Witch finally responded: "Fine, if you dare reveal my whereabouts, I''ll show you why witches are called witches." The tone in her voice was clearly a bit angry, even threatening. Stalking someone discretely seemed to be definitely out of bounds. Even beings known for their order and goodness could unleash havoc once provoked. Indeed, one must be careful with words and actions when speaking to a witch, never crossing the line carelessly. After all, she was a witch. Chen Qi nodded his head. Time passed, and a few orange-red flowers popped out from the ground. Chen Qi took a sip of water, "So, Flower Witch, why haven''t youe out yet? Did I do something wrong?" At that moment, a mosquito-like faint voice came from under the ground, "Well... I''ve been standing too long. My hands and feet are a bit numb, and the earth is packed too tightly... it''s a bit hard toe out. Could you help me?" "..." Numb feet! Hold back, hold back, she''s an esteemed witch, suppress the urge to make ament. Chen Qi looked at the flustered little flowers sprouting from the soil. He hesitated for a moment, then reached out, grabbed the flowers from the ground, and yanked like pulling up a radish. Pull! Pull! Finally, with great effort, she popped her head out like a potato mine in nts vs Zombies; after scanning her surroundings, she burst out. After emerging from the earth, the Flower Witch patted the dirt off her body and spat out the mud in her mouth. She hesitated for a moment, then looked at Chen Qi. To ease the awkward situation, she coughed twice and said, "Ahem. In our academy in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, Floral Appearance symbolizes nature, and many aspire to blend into nature. Merging with nature is apulsory course for every Floral Appearance student. Some can stand unmoved like a rock under the onught of a waterfall. Some can sit still and have birdsnd on them. And I can merge directly with the earth, even letting aggressive wolves walk over my head. In this aspect of blending into nature, I''ve even surpassed my teacher, although, I''ve gotten a bit rusty from not practicing for quite a while." The Flower Witch said with a bit of pride. "..." Is that really blending into nature? Isn''t that more like running away? Chen Qi looked at the muddy Flower Witch and pressed his hand to his forehead. He never imagined that just the second meeting with the Flower Witch would change his perspective on witches so dramatically. In online gaming forums, the Flower Witch, being the protagonist, always seemed mysterious and powerful. Indeed, what one sees online and meets in person can differ greatly. After ensuring no more interview-crazy Perl was around, the Flower Witch sat down, exhaling deeply, "That monster who strips clothes in the street has finally left, you''re really not with that guy, right?" "Rest assured, Flower Witch, although I know that street-stripper, I''ll definitely not betray you." "You actually know that pervert?" The Flower Witch took a step back. "..." Perl, what exactly did you do on the streets to make an orderly and nice Flower Witch speak with such disdain? Chen Qi felt somewhat regretful for having walked into the vige with Perl. The Flower Witch thought for a moment, then crossed her arms and said, "Oh well, since you''ve sworn. So, what potion do you want to make? Hmm... As a Witch''s heir, my fees are quite high. Also, I still have some important tasks toplete on Flower Ind, can''t give you the potion right away." Chen Qi organized his thoughts and replied, "At sea, I happened upon a Pale Scale Fruit, I''d like your help in making it into a potion." "What did you say?" "I said, I found a Pale Scale Fruit and want to turn it into a potion." Pale Scale Fruit is not just any ordinary herbal material. A few flowers of surprise popped out above the Flower Witch''s head, "You say, you found a Pale Scale Fruit, where did you get it?" "I just happened by a huge white tree and found it with my little pet beast." The Flower Witch blinked incredulously at Chen Qi, "You''re really lucky, huh. Well, if it''s Pale Scale Fruit, that''s high-end material, and it also needs ten types of neutralizing ingredients. I need my workstation to mix it for you." In the Flower Witch''s memory, Pale Scale Fruit grew under the sea, and finding one would require quite some luck. She had only seen it in textbooks. The Flower Witch doubtfully looked at Chen Qi. From the first nce she took at him, she thought he was rather bold. Seeing her, he didn''t shy away but dared to follow! And he even managed to break her perfect Hidden Technique and obtain a Pale Scale Fruit. Plus, he was apanying that mysterious Perl. This guy must be extraordinary. The Flower Witch leaned against the tree, beginning to mentally wrestle with herself. She had some issues she was dealing with and needed an outsider''s help. But stubborn her whole life, she disliked asking others for help! Asking others felt somewhat undignified. This isn''t asking for help; it''s striking a deal¡ªthis is an opportunity... The Flower Witch coughed twice and began to speak, "So, uh..." Chen Qi looked at the flowers falling from the tree, "My name is Chef, just call me Chef." The Flower Witch whispered, "Alright, Chef, do you dare to enter a D-level crack? I have some rather explosive information here." So, the Flower Witch was also here for the crack... Chen Qi replied without hesitation, "Yes, what''s the information?" Chapter 90: Chapter 74 The First Transaction He was originally going to go, and contrary to that, the treasure of the hunters was not a difficult thing for him, Chen Qi decisively agreed, turned his head, and quietly waited for the Flower Witch to provide the information. He agreed! Three happy little yellow flowers popped up above the Flower Witch''s head, followed by a mysterious expression: "This matter involves the legendary person and is not suitable for idle chat here, please follow me." The Flower Witch dusted the dirt off her bottom and, with a brisk pace, moved forward, then turned her head and waved at Chen Qi. Damn riddler, couldn''t she just talk here¡­ Chen Qi got up and obediently followed her. Under the Flower Witch''s guidance, the two of them followed the mountain road through the forest, heading towards the highest point of the mountain. Atst, the two reached the peak of Flower Ind''s great mountain, at a towering cliff. The Flower Witch walked to the edge of the cliff, cing her hands behind her back, quietly savoring the high floral fragrance and the sea breeze. "How about it, Chef, the spot I''ve chosen offers a pretty nice view, doesn''t it?" Chen Qi stepped forward, looking down at the entirety of Flower Ind from the mountaintop. The dusk''s dim light sprinkled among the mountains, dyeing the sky a gentle golden hue, harmonizing with the deep blue of the distant sea, forming a lush painting of flowers and seawater. The port and the viges below the flowers also appeared particrly peaceful. "Indeed, it''s a very nice view." Chen Qi took a deep breath, the air quality also quite good. But, this is off-topic! Weren''t they supposed to discuss something very important? Chen Qi turned his head, looking at the Flower Witch with a skeptical gaze. "Ahem." The Flower Witch coughed twice, pointing towards the easternmost seaside part of Flower Ind. In that ce, one could see many tents, a temporarily constructed settlement. Many hunters were stationed there, probably waiting for the crack to open. The Flower Witch exined: "In that ce, there exists a specialrge Grade-D crack ''Dragon Nest Site'', and every decade, this crack reopens. If no one attends to it, the crack will get out of control, affecting the entire ind." Dragon Nest Site¡­ Chen Qi stroked his chin, pondering; as a former pet trainer, he had cleared many simr cracks. If disregarding the mutation level, it ranked medium in difficulty within Grade-D cracks. The Flower Witch continued: "Inside the Dragon Nest Site of Flower Ind, there exists a special herb, Dragon Breath Grass, which grows beside dragons. I currently, desperately need this herb. However, Dragon Nest Ind has strict ss restrictions, and my rank is no longer sufficient to participate in this level of crack." Chen Qi looked into the distance: "Simply put, it means I need to go to the Dragon Breath Site, find the Dragon Breath Grass for you as a reward." "That''s not simple at all; that''s a herb growing beside the ultimate monster, which means, to get the Dragon Breath Grass, you have to face the final enemy in the crack, the dragon." "It''s manageable." Chen Qi smiled. As a yer, how could he possibly miss the final boss? Since he had entered the crack, he would go all out to achieve a perfect clear! The Flower Witch looked serious: "Actually, I was initially nning to ask the Hunter Group''s Red Crystal team from Flower Ind for help, but during the conversation with them, I felt something was off. This hunter team, they actively invited many traveling First Order Transcendents, nning to enter the crack with them. From my observations, this hunter team seems quite mild-mannered, but they are far more dangerous than the ck Rabbit Gang we encountered in the hunting field. Hence, I did not entrust them with finding the Dragon Breath Grass." The expression on the Flower Witch''s face was very earnest. "Is it really not because you''re short on money?" Chen Qi remembered that the price of Dragon Breath Grass was certainly not a small sum. The Flower Witch paused for a moment: "There is a small part of that reason, of course, but the dangers of that crack far exceed this hunter team." She looked at Chen Qi. Although she had shared some intelligence about the Grade-D crack, she still saw no signs of fear in his expression! The Flower Witch moistened her throat, looking towards the distant hunter team: "Next is the most crucial intelligence. After hearing this information, reconsider whether you want to enter the crack, whether you want to ept my request." The Flower Witch''s face was earnest, she took a deep breath and, after a minute of gathering her thoughts, she said: "In this Grade-D crack, there likely exists the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunters!" "Oh." Chen Qi nodded his head. After the ''oh'', the Flower Witch fixed her gaze on him. Hunter''s treasure, this is the treasure of legend in the Witch Sea! Should I act more surprised, giving due respect to the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunters and the serious Flower Witch? Chen Qi''s mouth opened, and he eximed cooperatively: "Oh!" This reaction was about right. "I know you''re shocked now, but please stay calm," the Flower Witch continued mysteriously: "Don''t ask me how I know about the legendary Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure; it''s a secret I cannot reveal. However, I can tell you clearly that there''s a fifty percent chance that the Deep Sea Hunters'' treasure exists in this crack. Discover stories with m,v l''e-NovelBin And this will change the whole situation of the crack!" "The hunters'' treasure is like gold scattered everywhere, it can change a Transcendent''s life, enough to make a kind person take up the ughtering knife, enough to turn close brothers into sworn enemies." "ording to my guess, I am not the only one who knows the information about the Deep Sea Hunters'' treasure. Therefore, by setting foot here, you are very likely to be the victim of people killing each other." The Flower Witch crossed her arms, releasing what she considered the most important information. Chen Qi nodded. For many people, a D-grade crack that definitely contains a Hunter''s treasure would indeed be a shocking piece of news. This piece of information was still very valuable. Contrary to his expectations, the Flower Witch actually trusted him unexpectedly, telling him such important information. Simr ages, having met once, plus a trading rtionship. Compared to those inexplicable Hunter Groups, the Flower Witch was more willing to trust Chen Qi. Of course, trust must be mutual and respected to maintain. I''ll take this mission! Chen Qi lowered his head, pretending to think: "Hunter''s treasure, huh? It means while I am helping you find Dragon Breath Herb, it''s likely that people will want me dead¡­I see some danger. If we could agree on a bit more reward." Indeed, he was still scared... the Flower Witch frowned and scratched her head: "It''s indeed dangerous, sorry, I shouldn''t have told you this info, just pay with money for the potion costs, I will deliver the potion to you if I have time." She thought it over, after all, he was just a First Order Transcendent; it was too dangerous to let him go for the Dragon Breath Herb. Even though theirs was just a trading rtionship, Chen Qi provided the herbs, she made the potion. But if just because of this, she let Chen Qi enter the Dragon Nest Ind and then he died. In the Flower Witch''s view, to some extent, it was as if she''d indirectly killed a young chef. She would rely on herself then, and think of another way, sighed the stubborn Flower Witch. "!" Chen Qi was startled. She was not ying by the rules. This was the time to raise the price, wasn''t it? Chen Qi stepped forward, looking towards the distant Hunter Group: "Flower Witch, what I mean is, we need to talk money." "Extra money? Say that again, that''s the Hunter''s treasure, aren''t you scared?" The Flower Witch''s head sprouted several question mark flowers, as she touched her empty pocket. The existence of the Hunter''s treasure was enough to dramatically change the entire crack. Chen Qi spread his hands and said: "Being scared is normal, but if I shrink back because of fear, then I should never go out to sea in this lifetime." "..." The Flower Witch fell silent for a moment, then nodded: "I don''t have much cash, I can only pay with potions, in addition to helping you with the medicine, I can give you another potion to use in conjunction with Pale Scale Fruits aspensation." "That''s fine," He agreed really fast! She remembered, her teacher had told her that to survive in the great seas, never fight alone, and if possible, it''s best to develop your own followers! This was her first trade after arriving in Shell Country, and he was the first person she got familiar with. A chef who knew no fear. The Flower Witch bit her lip and reached out her hand: "Deal!" Chen Qi stepped forward and shook hands: "Deal." Chapter 91: Chapter 75 Blood Blade Pirate Group and Blade Witch The sea breeze blew, and flowers drifted far away with the fallen leaves. "Pleasure doing business with you!" Chen Qi and the Flower Witch high-fived, sealing their first deal on Flower Ind. The Flower Witch repeatedly cautioned that she bore an important mission and must not have her whereabouts exposed. If he truly obtained Dragon''s Breath Grass, the Flower Witch would naturally find a way to contact him. Before leaving, the Flower Witch took out two strong Healing Potions from her withered medicine bag and handed them to Chen Qi, "ording to my information, the Dragon Nest in this ce is not a de Phase crack, but a Floral Appearance crack, which may have a special way to clear it. These are all I have left. I hope they can help you a bit. Please be careful." The Flower Witch shook her head. When she arrived in the Shell Country waters, her ship was attacked, and all her belongings fell into the sea. Therefore, she had been so poor as to eat grass earlier. Now, relying on the money earned from the previous hunting ground, she barely managed to purchase herbs and produce two new potions. But because of the ship fare and the cost of the herbs, she was once again penniless. Chen Qi took the potions. [Healing Potion - Modified: Nature Form: Floral Description: Transcendent potion that boosts overall stamina and strength within ten minutes, while also increasing the body''s healing speed.] High-end stuff! These Transcendent potions were worth at least thirty thousand Shell Coins per vial. Moreover, if the potion was made personally by the Flower Witch, the price would be even higher. Chen Qi epted the potion, "Thank you, I''ll do my best to get the Dragon''s Breath Grass." After the deal was done, the Flower Witch said her farewells and disappeared into the woods. Chen Qi pped his hands and returned to the vige on Flower Ind to gather more information about the cracks. ... ... Near the sea along Flower Ind, where the Hunters resided. Chen Qi came to this ce. The Dragon Nest was a crack that remained open for a long time and could only be entered at night. Here, there was a specific Red Crystal Hunter Group that tackled cracks. Chen Qi looked around. In this ce, Pei Lu was asking people for information. Besides her, there were some people in fancy clothes who were likely vige officials or wealthy merchants from Flower Ind. So many people... Chen Qi approached the traveling Transcendents and joined their discussion. They were discussing a simple battle n. "Dragon Nest, indeed, it''s impossible to drive away the dragon. Our mission this time is still to gather herbs. As a Floral Appearance crack, the herbs within it contain unimaginable Transcendent power." "Don''t say that, dragons can be driven away! The leader of the Red Crystal Hunter Group said, as long as we work together, we can defeat the dragon. Moreover, the dragon on Dragon Nest Ind isn''t as powerful as the Sea Dragons in the Witch Sea." "Yes, there are so many of us!" "Exactly, we''re so many, and the vigers of Flower Ind still look down on us!" "Keep your voice down, better not provoke these vigers, we are outsiders after all." Chen Qi listened and summarized the personnelposition for the crack expedition into roughly three factions. First, lone wolves like him who came to this ce. Second, the Red Crystal Hunter Group. In this world, Transcendents who specialized in dealing with cracks were also called Hunters. Organizations that aimed to clear cracks were called Hunter Groups. In gamingmunities, ''Hunter Group'' was also the name of many guilds. The Red Crystal Hunter Group was a registered Hunter Group with all its members being second-order experts. The third and the most dangerous faction ording to Chen Qi. He looked at the vigers here. Many vigers were gazing at the distant sea. After a while, as the moon rose, a loud steam roar came from afar. Everyone stopped their discussions and looked towards the distance. On the horizon, a blood-red g flew in the sea breeze. On the g, a long knife was thrust into a sea of corpses. "The Blood de Pirate Group''s g!" Chen Qi was startled. At that moment, some vigers smiled. They had been waiting for the Blood de Pirate Group. From the fringe of the near sea, it was pirate territory. Flower Ind was a fertile ind with a poption of a thousand. Without the protection of a powerful faction, normal life couldn''t be maintained. ces abandoned by the navy would be governed by pirates. Surprisingly, the one protecting Flower Ind turned out to be one of the Four Great Pirate Groups, the Blood de Pirate Group! Chen Qi took out his ck knife from the backpack card. Transcendents from the Hunter Group also drew their weapons. "This is the Blood de Pirate Group''s ship! There shouldn''t be any former navy members here! Nor any ck Whale Group members!" "Put away your weapons, don''t act rashly. We don''t need to confront the Blood de Pirate Group head-on." "Why is the Blood de Pirate Group here?" Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelBin Pei Lu, who was gathering information nearby, rarely showed a frightened look as she backed away. Pei Lu was almost a universally taunting unit in the near sea. A massive red steamship stirred up huge waves and docked at the shore. Soon after, a gangway dropped down from the ship. Sh-sh-sh! Fifty members of the Blood de Pirate Group, dressed in red uniforms, disembarked from the ship in neat steps, holding heavy firearms at their chests, forming a straight-line formation. They were uniformly outfitted in red and white military-style clothing and equipped with weapons from the Magic Bullet Company. The Blood de Pirate Group was born from an internal navy war; its founder was also the former admiral of the navy. Therefore, both its uniforms and its system bore traces of the navy. They viewed themselves as the true navy, ruling over many near-sea inds! Are there participants from the Blood de Pirate Group in this crack expedition? Chen Qi felt a bit uneasy. Under everyone''s gaze, a man and a woman descended the gangway. The woman was petite, wearing a red cloak. The young man was tall, dressed in a wolf-hide coat, with a terrifying ck wolf tattooed on his chest. Chen Qi had seen them in the newspaper. Fierce Wolf Fenrir and Little Red Riding Hood, two recently notorious pirates. Little Red Riding Hood, slender, a second-order Transcendent, with the profession of [Blood Soldier], had a bounty of three million Shell Coins! Fierce Wolf Fenrir, a third-tier Transcendent, and a key member of the Blood de Pirate Group, had a bounty of thirteen million Shell Coins! "Little Red Riding Hood, this person..." Seeing the two in front, Chen Qi was secretly amazed. These two were not only famous in the Witch Sea but also prominent on gaming forums! Especially Little Red Riding Hood. Chen Qi thought for a moment. Given her physique and appearance, coupled with the Blood de Pirate Group affiliation, he hadn''t expected to encounter her in this ce! This person was also a significant NPC in the Witch Sea. In the near future, Little Red Riding Hood would acquire another title¡ªthe de Witch. Butpletely opposite to the gentle Flower Witch, the de Witch''s temper was notoriously irritable! Of course, at this point in time, no one knew her witch identity. The Flower Witch did not know the de Witch at all. Chen Qi shook his head. Frankly, he didn''t want to meet the de Witch here, nor did he have any intention of getting acquainted. Her temper was bad, and she frequently resorted to violence. Countless yers, attracted to Little Red Riding Hood''s beauty, joined the Blood de Pirate Group, only to die by her de. The appearance of Fierce Wolf Fenrir and Little Red Riding Hood caused a brief panic. If the Blood de Pirate Group attacked, all fifty people here might die! Chen Qi took a deep breath. The Blood de Pirate Group had their pride. Especially Little Red Riding Hood and Fenrir, who valued their reputation even more than the navy did and would not attack without reason. Little Red Riding Hood stepped forward, scanning everyone present from the Red Crystal Hunter Group''s leader to the vige head of Flower Ind, then to Chen Qi and Pei Lu the journalist. The vige head did not speak, subtly signaling Little Red Riding Hood. Here was a reporter known for her taunts. Suddenly, Little Red Riding Hood conjured up a red Blood Crystal Spear. Blood maniption, a primary skill of the second-tier de Phase profession [Blood Soldier]. She pointed the red spear at Pei Lu, "Ms. Journalist, our Blood de Pirate Group won''t harm you out of respect for the press. But no matter why you''re here, we don''t want to see our whereabouts in tomorrow''s paper." "Okay, got it." Pei Lu obediently raised her hands. The Blood de Pirate Group loathed the current navy, while Pei Lu had recently been close to them. After the warning, Little Red Riding Hood moved to the center of themunity. Checking the time, she addressed everyone, "Ladies and gentlemen! Our Blood de Pirate Group is not like the ck Whale Group, those cowards who bully the weak, nor are we the navy, those backstabbing bastards. We have our own rules. As long as you don''t attack us, we won''t attack you. This journey, like you, we are participants in the crack! Like you, we are brothers seeking strength in this vast sea! "Exactly! We are just here to send our charming Little Red Riding Hood to the crack. Of course, if you pay us, we don''t mind protecting you. Rest assured, every agreement with us is a contractual one." Fenrir saidzily, showing their confidence in securing everything. Chen Qi gripped his ck knife. The Blood de Pirate Group was also a participant in the crack. This added a formidablepetitor! Chen Qi thought. The Blood de Pirate Group did not disy overt hostility, setting up like the navy amidst the Hunter Group, waiting for the crack. As dusk turned to night, cracks appeared in various forms and entry methods. E-grade cracks were often just wormholes you could crawl into. With higher crack levels, entry methods varied. In this ce, a mysterious unmanned boat appeared nightly. To enter the Dragon Nest, one must board the boat when the moon rose. Only clearing the crack could stop the nightly appearance of these boats. People gathered around bonfires, anxiously waiting. This hunt differed from before; the Blood de Pirate Group''s involvement implied the crack might be cleared tonight! "Everyone, time is running out." "This is our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity..." The Red Crystal Hunter Group decided to go all out after discussions! Both the Red Crystal Hunter Group and the Blood de Pirate Group probably knew about the Hunter''s treasure... Chen Qi observed from behind a tree. This expedition, as the Flower Witch said, not only posed threats from the dragon but also from people. A tense atmosphere filled the area. Finally, at midnight, with a misty breeze, over a hundred flowerden unmanned boats sailed toward them. A prompt for the crack finally appeared before them. [Inspiration Appraising...] Chapter 92: Chapter 76: The Invincible Little Red Riding Hood [Inspiration identification in progress¡­] [Inspiration identification sess!] [Crack Name: Dragon Nest Land Grade: D Nature Form: Flower, Cup Description: A volcanic ind where vigers hold an annual ritual, hoping one day to receive the dragon''s blessing and be one with the dragon. After countless prayers, two fire dragons took residence here. However, after consuming the offerings, they did not leave. If the fire dragons don''t leave soon, the volcano will erupt, burning everything to ashes. The ind residents have set down their journey flower boats, requesting your help to expel the fire dragons. Completion Condition: Expel the dragons! This is human territory! Special Completion Condition (Floral Appearance): The dragons are seen as symbols of nature. You need to make them leave without harming them. Crack Mutation Rate: 27% (High mutation rate, this crack is extremely dangerous, proceed with caution) Crack Entry Limit: Only Second-tier and below Transcendents may enter this crack. Crack Personnel Limit: No more than a hundred people. Inspirational Insight: You saw two fire dragons descending from the sky, unleashing hellish mes to vent their pain and rage upon the world. Inspirational Insight (Special): At the peak of the volcano, you saw a man with severed arms. Just as he was about to kill the fire dragon, he trembled violently, mysterious ck tentacles sprouting from his body, and ultimately died in the scorching mes.] Chen Qi swiftly scanned the Inspirational Insights in front of him. Anotherrge crack, and a D-grade crack with a 27% mutation rate. In the New Day world, each increase in crack grade means an exponential rise in difficulty. "The boss of this Dragon Nest Land is a pair of fire dragons, a tough boss indeed." The twin fire dragons were a famous couple boss in Dragon Nest Land. Even a slight mistake could result in abined assault by the dragon couple. Moreover, whenever a fire dragon killed a yer, they would kiss in front of the yer. Killing both physically and emotionally! Therefore, the forums were flooded daily with rookie posts seeking strategies to defeat the twin fire dragons. When the fire dragon''s health drops below 50%, they would flee Dragon Nest Land. When both dragons had left, the crack could be cleared. Chen Qi took out a cloth and polished his ck de until it shone. The twin fire dragons were extremely difficult. However, because of the high difficulty of the fire dragons, he had rich experience in clearing such levels. He knew many special ways to clear them. The Floral Appearance route, simply put, involved bypassing the conventional battle and making the dragons feel pleased, thus clearing the level directly and earning more rewards. Animalmunication, bewitchment techniques, and others could achieve this special clearance condition. Besides that, there were also some underhanded methods to clear it. If you were a yer with dragon''s blood, you could even seduce the fire dragons and provoke an internal conflict between the dragon couple. And his Chef Skill could also y a significant role in this crack! Chen Qi turned his attention to the second Inspirational Insight. The Hunter with tentacles, was it rted to the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure? The information wasn''t sufficient¡­ Chen Qi packed his things and silently signaled Pei Lu, then went to the flowerden boat on the shore. Aren''t you here on Flower Ind for business? How are you so adept at this? Pei Lu stared at him in bewilderment. Chen Qi blended smoothly into the crowd, following the people''s steps to board a small boat bound for Dragon Nest Ind. Over fifty people boarded the small boat to Dragon Nest Ind. The Blood de Pirate Group had only sent one person, Little Red Riding Hood. The Evil Wolf Fenrir asked: "Hey, Little Red Riding Hood, do you really not need your brothers with you?" Little Red Riding Hood raised her head at a forty-five-degree angle and snorted coldly: "No need, just two little lizards. I can expel the fire dragons on my own!" Does everyone who follows the de principle love to fight alone¡­ Fenrir said helplessly: "Really? Little Red Riding Hood, let me remind you, besides the fire dragons, there are other hunters." Sometimes, humans are scarier than monsters. Little Red Riding Hood''s gaze lingered on Chen Qi for a moment, then swept over the others. She wasn''t targeting anyone; to her, everyone present was trash! Smirking confidently, she said: "Don''t worry, I''m the strongest!" Little Red Riding Hood adjusted her clothes and leapt onto the foremost boat. Chen Qi watched Little Red Riding Hood with interest. As the future de Witch, Little Red Riding Hood''s strength far surpassed that of a typical Second-order Transcendent. Her primary trait was a single word: wild! For now, though, this crack didn''t seem normal. Chen Qi chose a middle boat and stayed with other traveling hunters. As a sea breeze gradually picked up, the small boat carried them toward another world. Soon, from within the distant mist, the outline of a ck volcano began to appear. On the boat, the hunters started a lively discussion. "It''s really fire dragons, to expel them, we must all give it our all!" "We need full cooperation and a team battle." "Since it''s a team battle, we need a leader. I propose Baron, the leader of the Red Crystal Hunter Group. No objections, right?" "Yes, the Red Crystal Hunter Baron! He has cleared one C-grade crack, five D-grade cracks, and thirty E-grade cracks. With such rich experience, he is the most suitable leader for us." Chen Qi listened quietly. Just as these people said, the fire dragon''s health was rming. Without special strategies,rge-scale team battles were needed to expel the fire dragons. And that was just for facing a single fire dragon. Facing two fire dragons greatly increased the difficulty. Simultaneously facing two stout fire dragons, few could endure it. Under everyone''s anticipation, Baron, the leader of the Red Crystal Hunter Group, tapped his dagger with his index finger and coughed twice: "Since everyone says so, let me, this old man,mand this dragon expulsion operation." Chen Qi looked at him. He was an old man with red hair, wearing a hunter''s outfit made of supernal deerskin, armed with arge sword specifically for taking downrge creatures. Additionally, his exposed skin bore some bestial tattoos that enhanced physical strength. Whether in basic skills or weaponry, he was truly professional. Considering his age and experience, he was indeed the best candidate for this operation''smander. Though suitable, it was undeniable that this person had to have an agenda. Chen Qi grew cautious. Like the Flower Witch, his first impression of this old man wasn''t good. Something about the old man''s actions felt conspicuously deliberate. A sea breeze tinged with sulfur brushed across his cheek. Chen Qi looked up to see the volcanic ind, covered in ck stones, appear before them. Dragon Nest Ind had arrived. As the mist gradually dispersed, the fifty-three of them jumped from the small boat onto the cknd ahead. The exposed ck rocks formed spectacr cliffs. The distant vige had already been charred into coal by the fire dragons'' roasting, some charred people exhaled ck gas and wriggled continuously on the ground. Chen Qi stepped forward a few steps and looked toward the highest peak of the mountain, the volcanic summit. Two resting fire dragons hovered in the sky like two spinning embers. The mountaintop was the dragons'' nesting site and also where dragon breath grass grew. "Better y it safe. Right now, I''m still too inexperienced to withstand thebined assault of two fire dragons." Chen Qi thought to himself. The safest way to defeat the fire dragons was to cooperate with others. At this moment, Baron slowly walked to the front of the crowd: "We have traveled a long way to get here. I believe everyone present hase with dreams in their hearts. Our goal is to clear this crack. If we expel the dragons, everyone will at least get a skill card. I wonder if any of you would be interested in hearing a few words from me." "Old man, spit it out!" Little Red Riding Hood bit her lip and shouted fiercely. She could see that the Red Crystal Hunter Group had prepared extremely well for this hunt! After saying his piece, Baron looked up at the fire dragons circling in the sky above: "Everyone, at my age near death, wealth and power mean nothing to me. Compared to those, my reputation, posthumous status, wishes of old friends, and regrets of my long life are most important. This ind embodies my regret." Then, he rolled up his sleeve, revealing a hand full of red scars. This was a burn from a fire dragon! Chen Qi was slightly surprised. Baron had prepared even more thoroughly for this crack than he had expected. At this moment, within the crowd, someone widened their eyes in disbelief and asked: "Old Hunter Baron, have you participated in this crack before?" Red Crystal Hunter Baron sighed and fell into memories, saying: "Yes, I came to this crack ten years ago. And my old friend died in this crack ten years ago. He fought the fire dragon alone to protect us. But because of that, I watched as his head was bitten off. This became a lifelong sorrow for me. I''vee back now to avenge my friend." As he said this, Baron looked toward the highest point of the volcano, shedding a few tears full of regret. The crowd was shocked and delighted. Baron was already very powerful, and he was also a previous participant in this crack! If they could get the help of a prior crack participant, the probability of clearing the crack would greatly increase. A previous crack participant¡­ Chen Qi pondered. Baron picked up some ck dirt from the ground: "Even after ten years, thend here hasn''t changed much. Though it may sound like an exaggeration, I know this crack better than everyone present, know the monsters here, and know everything here. With our strength, we can go straight to challenge the fire dragons. Thus, I have an idea for a fast crack clearance. I wonder if you''d be willing to join me in this?" Baronid out all his advantages and gave everyone an option. The traveling hunters were extremely excited, as if joining Baron''s team would guarantee great rewards. Baron raised his head and looked resolutely at the highest point of the ind: "Everyone, let''s expel the dragons together!" Chapter 93: Chapter 77: The Male and Female Twin Fire Dragons Baron of the Red Crystal Hunter Group stood there, quietly waiting for everyone''s response. What he meant was that all fifty-three people here would follow him, abandoning their original goals to join him in facing the final boss, the Fire Dragon! Many hunters fell into hesitation. Many of them were only aiming for a small goal. The Fire Dragon in thend of dragon breath was incredibly powerful, far beyond what these amateur hunters could defeat. Facing the Fire Dragon was not something they had even considered! But now, Baron of the Red Crystal Hunter Group was actually extending them an invitation. Chen Qi looked suspiciously towards Baron and the equipment carried by the Red Crystal Hunter Group. The Dragon-Specialized Giant Cannon, fireproof tattoos, high-melting-point shields, Potion No. 13... Luxurious dragon-ying equipment. There were more than just Dragon Nest Ind in the D-grade cracks above the sea. What could make a persone back to a crack like this one at the first chance after ten years? Other than revenge, what other reason could there be for someone to return? The hunters'' treasure... Chen Qi immediately thought of this. Unlike the previous treasures, he now knew neither the location nor the difficulty of the treasure. Chen Qi had a strong intuition that the other party was also here for the hunters'' treasure. And this old man Baron might know more than he did. What Barro was doing now appeared to be for revenge, but the real goal was probably something else. "Baron, you wouldn''t harm us, would you? After defeating the Fire Dragon, you wouldn''t keep the materials to yourself?" "What are you saying? In the past few years, Brother Baron has distributed all the Skill Cards and upation Cards to us." "Brother Baron is old, and to him, money isn''t important. Being able to defeat the Fire Dragon and avenge his brothers is his only wish." "Revenge, what does revenge have to do with us? How can we ensure that this guy won''t attack us on the way?" A small number of hunters voiced their opposition. Baron smiled: "Everyone, I follow the principle of the scales and the God of the Day; I will not break my promise or the iron rules in my heart. Plus, if we wanted to ambush, the Red Crystal Hunter Group wouldn''t need to gather you all together. Besides, we have only eight people in the Red Crystal Hunter Group, how could we strike against more than forty of you? I swear to you, my invitation is heartfelt; I truly want to clear this crack. Also, here we have members of the Blood de Pirate Group, and I''ve heard that they maintain the order of the nearby seas. Under thisdy''s watch, I wouldn''t be able to do anything to you." Little Red Riding Hood blinked, surprised to be mentioned by him! But Baron was right, the Blood de Pirate Group did indeed offer bodyguard services. Whether it was protecting inds or clients within a crack, it was all within their scope of services. Compared to other pirate groups, the Blood de Pirate Group ced more emphasis on their reputation. Thanks to their good reputation, they had the support of many inds. Little Red Riding Hood puffed up her chest, slightly annoyed as she looked at Baron. She had to admit, Baron had experience in clearing cracks. If they had his help, the journey through the crack would be much easier. Little Red Riding Hood formed a blood-red long de in her hand, lifted her head, and said to everyone: "50,000 Shell Coins! If any beast dares to attack another during this crack expedition, I''ll intervene! Don''t worry; as long as you pay, I swear on the Blood de Pirate Group''s name that I will protect you." Though Little Red Riding Hood wasn''t even 1.6 meters tall, she exuded a domineering presence, like a biting cold wind. The crowd looked at each other. If they had the protection of the Blood de Pirate Group, Baron wouldn''t dare toy a finger on them! The 50,000 Shell Coins for a bodyguard weren''t too expensive, so Chen Qi took 50,000 Shell Coins out of his backpack card. Although Little Red Riding Hood had a sharp tongue, she was known on the high seas for valuing affection and promises. Spending 50,000 Shell Coins to add extra assurance to the expedition wasn''t a loss. Under Little Red Riding Hood''s witness, all fifty-three people on the crack expedition paid her 50,000 Shell Coins each. Little Red Riding Hood epted the money: "Rest assured, I will protect you." Seeing this, Baron smiled: "Well then, everyone, with the protection of the Blood de Pirate Group, we should be able to work together and face the Fire Dragon!" Cooperation was indeed the best way to defeat the Fire Dragon. Baron took Little Red Riding Hood''s ce at the front: "Follow me, everyone. Those charred creatures can only provide some insignificant Spiritual Points. And I know a route that can avoid these charred creatures and reach the volcano summit." With familiarity, Baron led the way along the volcano, setting off towards the summit. On the way, the members of the Red Crystal Hunter Group also took out climbing equipment and took a shortcut. Chen Qi maintained a safe distance, following the group cautiously. Where it would have taken at least a day to reach the high part of the volcano, under Baron''s guidance, they arrived at a tform below the summit in just two hours. Baron wiped the sweat from his face: "Alright, everyone, it''s about time to rest for a bit." They were now on arge t stretch ofnd. Going further up would lead to the dragon''s nest! "Huff, huff¡ª" At this moment, they could hear the heavy breathing of the dragon. Under Baron''smand, everyone leaned against the rocks, gasping for air. "We''ve finally arrived!" "I''m exhausted, and this ce is too hot." Chapter 94: Chapter 77: The Male and Female Twin Fire Dragons_2 And it was at this moment that Baron silently took out a red crystal from his backpack card, right in front of everyone. Chen Qi took out his water bottle, his gaze unavoidably falling on the red crystal. He had devised numerous strategies for Dragon Nest Ind. Fire crystals, once shattered, would release a fire element aura strong enough to lure the fire dragons from the mountain peak! Wait a second! Baron intended to start an encounter right here on this tform! Chen Qi gripped his weapon, his eyes fixed on Baron. Baron turned his head, catching Chen Qi''s gaze in an instant, and said: "Hmm? What a surprise, young man, you actually know what this is?" At the same time, the other hunters of the Red Crystal Hunter Group also turned their attention to Chen Qi. "I''ve read about it in books, it''s a fire crystal, right?" Chen Qi replied, drinking down the water from his water bottle, trying to lower his presence as much as possible. But the astonishment that flickered across his face for a moment was still captured by the man known as Baron. To start an encounter without consent proved that Baron and his men wanted to plunge the situation into chaos! "Baron, what are you doing?" Crack! Apanied by the sound of the crystal bursting. A searing aura instantly filled the tform before them! Baron, looking at the scorching mes in his hand, said: "Don''t worry, everyone, I have no ill intentions. The terrain at the peak is too narrow, and this ce is the best tform to face the fire dragon." Everyone was bewildered for a moment; they had never expected Baron to take such a crazy action so suddenly! Baron wanted to forcibly drag them into a battle with the fire dragon! To think, just two hours ago, they had paid the Blood de Pirate Group for protection. However, they weren''t given the chance to ponder! With the shattering of the crystal! From atop the mountain, the sound of mighty winds came through; the pping of the dragon''s wings was like the descent of a storm! Two fire dragons, from the mountain peak, came flying towards this ce like two falling stars plummeting from the heavens. Little Red Riding Hood took out her long de and lunged forward: "Baron, what the hell are you doing!" This damn Red Crystal Hunter Group, starting a fight without their consent! Baron turned his head to look at Little Red Riding Hood, shed a smile: "Sorry, sorry, I thought you were all prepared, but now, indeed, is the best time." "You''re looking for death!" Little Red Riding Hood''s hands conjured a blood-colored long de and charged at Baron. She had taken the money, and her intent was to slice in two any beast that threatened their mission into the crack, to utterly destroy it! And Baron quietly pulled out a revolver from under his clothes, aiming it at Little Red Riding Hood! Bang! "Mere bullets!" Little Red Riding Hood swung her de, cutting the bullet in half. However, to her surprise, upon being cut, the bullet exploded into a red powder, which sprayed onto her. Little Red Riding Hood''s face turned red, and she instantly felt that something was amiss: "What is this powder?" "Who knows?" Baron''s expression was one of a mocking smile. He spread his hands, addressing everyone: "Ladies and gentlemen, the fire dragons have arrived, now is the time for us hunters to confront the fire dragons!" Chen Qi looked towards the two fire dragons slowly descending from the sky. As Baron had said, he had joined this venture into the crack ten years ago. And for this journey into the crack, he had made ten years'' worth of preparations! All that was unfolding before him was within the grasp of the man known as the Giant Hand. The addition of the Blood de Pirate Group had changed nothing. "What on earth is this powder?" Little Red Riding Hood took out three bottles of universal antidote from her backpack card and drank them. "Humans versus humans, humans versus dragons, the battle has already begun..." Chen Qi watched the chaotic scene unravel before him and silently drew his ck de. Roar! The massive roar of the dragon surged towards them like a tsunami. The moment the fire dragon saw them, there was no room for retreat. At this moment, one of the main fighters, Little Red Riding Hood, was still drinking medicine. She didn''t know what kind of powder she had been struck with; she could only mindlessly drink the antidote. "That..." Chen Qi walked to Little Red Riding Hood''s side and reminded her: "Little Red Riding Hood, the antidote is useless. That''s not poison, it''s an aphrodisiac, and a very rare one at that, specifically meant for dragons." "However, a dragon couldn''t possibly be interested in humans, but it will still fixate on you, meaning you will be the priority target." An aphrodisiac capable of inducing peculiar affections inrge creatures is extremely precious in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom with its diverse genders and species. Chen Qi remembered that such powder could only be obtained in C-grade cracks. Its rarity had already surpassed the regr rewards from Dragon Nest Ind! "?" Little Red Riding Hood paused for a moment, not expecting a First Order Chef to be so well-informed and even give her a warning. But what the hell was an aphrodisiac? This person didn''t seem too bright... Chen Qi exined: "To put it simply, you are the first one the dragon will hit." "Ah?" Bang! Dragon''s Descent! The male fire dragon plummeted from the sky like a bolt of red lightning from the heavens, mming heavily onto Little Red Riding Hood. Immediately afterward, the male fire dragon violently whipped its tail, coiling around the slender Little Red Riding Hood, and hurled her against a distant wall with tremendous force. In an instant, Little Red Riding Hood raised her arms to block, but she was still smashed hundreds of meters away, her body spurting copious amounts of blood. Baron, upon seeing this, took the greatsword from his back: "Alright, Little Red Riding Hood from the Blood de Pirate Group should be able to handle a male fire dragon." Then, he silently turned around, spread his arms, and proimed: "Fire dragon! We of the Red Crystal Hunter Group, have returned! Everyone, now that there''s no way back, join us in driving away the fire dragon!! Fight! Hunt!" "Come on, dragon, let me feel your wrath! Let me see if you can stop us again!" Baronughed heartily. Something''s not right... Chen Qi gazed towards the distant female fire dragon. This female fire dragon, covered in scars wrought by the storm, her scorching scales spewing mes, seemed to emanate boundless fury. This was the berserk state usually only seen in the second tier! Why had it entered berserk state as soon as they met? "Interesting." Chen Qi smiled inwardly, leaped backward sharply, and quickly distanced himself from Baron. Baron pulled out his greatsword, concentrating all his Qi Power into it. Qi Power sh! Boom! In a sh, the female fire dragon lunged forward, ramming the charging Baron into the rocks. "!" The onlookers felt the scorching breath of the spectacle before them. What was the speed of that fire dragon just now? The two strongest members from both teams were sent flying by the two dragons in an instant! Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin Chen Qi surrounded himself with a protectiveyer of Qi Power while taking out the backpack card holding the deep-sea Water Elf. "Roar!" The two fire dragons, exhaling their breath, threatened to burn everything before them to ashes. At this moment, everyone''s mind was struck with frenzied inspiration. [The female fire dragon has entered a berserk state; it seeks to vent its suffering to the world, crack distortion rate increases by 5%.] Chapter 95: Chapter 78 When Its Time to Take Action As the female Fire Dragon touched down, the air around gradually became scorching hot. Chen Qi''s palms began to sweat. He had made at least five strategy ns for Dragon Nest Ind. But it was his first time seeing a female Fire Dragon enter a frenzied state the moment they met. In its frenzied state, the female Fire Dragon would use powerful skills like the Fire Dragon''s Breath, Dragon Fall, and Shredding Bite more frequently. Normally, it was only just before leaving Dragon Nest Ind that a Fire Dragon would enter a brief frenzy. A frenzied female Fire Dragon was at least twice as strong as when in its normal state. The female Fire Dragon inhaled the air around violently into its abdomen before lifting its head sharply, and fiery mes gushed out from its throat. Fire Dragon''s Breath! This was the Fire Dragon''s most formidable move, and it was an attack in its frenzied state! It required a strong tank to withstand this blow. "Deep Sea Water Elf,e out." Chen Qi picked up his backpack card. As a monster with the water attribute hidden by Deep Sea Hunters, their bodies couldpletely resist the breath of a Fire Dragon. "Deep Sea Water Elf." Chen Qi looked towards the open backpack card, towards them. All of them had (=.=) expressions, showing no reaction. They were still sleeping! "Stop sleeping, it''s time to wake up." Chen Qi forcefully removed the seven Deep Sea Water Elves from the backpack card and, like tossing Pok¨¦ Balls, hurled them forward. "(O O)!" The eyes of the Deep Sea Water Elves suddenly bulged and they gathered together to form a wall of water bubbles. The Fire Dragon''s breath sprayed fiercely onto them. "Wah wah wah!" The bodies of the Deep Sea Water Elves trembled violently, screaming in agony. If this continued, they felt as if they were going to be Boiling Water Elves. The scalding mes slowly dissipated. Well done! Chen Qi crouched down, avoiding the female Fire Dragon''s breath of fire. After a round of the Fire Dragon''s Breath, the female Fire Dragon, due to its excessive body temperature, needed at least a minute to catch its breath. Wah wah wah, the seven pitiful Boiling Water Elves wanted to hug Chen Qi forfort. Too hot... Chen Qi hugged them briefly, took out a water bottle, took a sip, and then looked around at the devastation. Thirteen people suffered severe injuries due to ineffective defenses. Five Hunters, with severe burns all over their bodies, lost the ability to fight and were in urgent need of medical attention. Three cowardly Hunters, ovee by fear, chose to leave the battlefield. "The situation doesn''t look good." Why enter a frenzy now? Could it have been the aphrodisiac powder from before? Chen Qi observed the female Fire Dragon in front of him and nced behind him. Boom! Boom! Boom! In the distance, Little Red Riding Hood, after getting up, gathered blood spears and started fighting the male Fire Dragon. The two of them had fought to a ce out of sight. Little Red Riding Hood had no dragon blood, and the aphrodisiac powder only served to taunt, just as humans wouldn''t be attracted to small animals dressed in cool, sexy clothes. There must be another reason... Chen Qi looked at the female Fire Dragon. Its eyes were shedding blood-red tears, and every scale seemed to be burdened with heaviness. Was it sick? Chen Qi thought subconsciously. In Dragon Nest Ind, indeed there was a method involving healing dragons that led to sessfulpletion. And at this moment, there was a noise from behind him on the rocky terrain. Baron, covered in blood, descended from the rocks, pulled out a Potion from underneath his clothes, and fiercely plunged it into his vein. "That really hurts, my bones almost shattered." At that moment, the people scared by the Fire Dragon stepped back and cursed. Baron had a cold gaze. He paid no mind to what others were saying and instead focused his attention on Chen Qi: "Friend, what kind of pet is this? It can withstand a Fire Dragon''s attack." "Water Elf." Chen Qi kneaded the Water Elf as if it was dough. Deep Sea Water Elves were several times stronger than regr Water Elves, but they looked highly simr in appearance. Baron talked as he held his greatsword and walked to the forefront of the team: "Honestly, Beast Tamers in Shell Country are pitifully scarce. It''s my first time seeing a Water Elf, and there are as many as seven of them." Chen Qi became even more wary of Baron. There were surely steadier methods to defeat the Fire Dragon. Yet, Baron had dragged them all into the battle with the Fire Dragon, plunging them into difficulty. "Friend, I simply want to achieve victory." Baron, sensing what others were thinking, spoke with a smile: "Folks, we must take control of the frenzied female Fire Dragon before the female pirate of the Blood de Pirate Group dies, or else, we will be caught between two Fire Dragons." The people shook their heads. Although they were exceedingly dissatisfied with Baron''s unteral decision to start the battle, they could only swallow their grievances. Their only choice now was to join forces with Baron and confront the frenzied female Fire Dragon. Seizing the moment as the female Fire Dragon caught its breath, everyone took out their firearms andrge melee weapons, and like a sudden downpour, crazily fired upon the female Fire Dragon. Ratatatata! des, bullets, fists kept raining down on the scales of the female Fire Dragon! Chen Qi hid behind the female Fire Dragon, using a pistol to attack its back. At the cost of ten Hunters getting injured. Finally, under the firepower of fifty people, the female Fire Dragon finally felt the pain, pped its wings, attempting to fly into the sky, to use the skill Fire Dragon Fall! Baron seized the opportunity and shouted at his team: "This is it! Move! "Lock it down!" In that moment, another seven people from the Red Crystal Hunter Group pulled out thick, ck chains. They threw the chains at the female Fire Dragon, wrapping around the Dragon''s legs, neck, wings... Then they forcefully smashed the heads of the chains into the ground, forcefully restraining the female Fire Dragon on the floor! "Pretty professional." Chen Qi looked at the chains. The chains they used were a set of Transcendent relics from a C-level crack, capable of temporarily suppressingrge creatures. At this moment, the entire Red Crystal Hunter Group shouted in unison. A multitude of dark curses appeared on the chains. Boom! In an instant, the fire dragon was pressed down by an invisible force, its massive body sinking into the ground. "Well-prepared, aren''t you." Chen Qi looked toward Baron. What followed surpassed their expectations. After sessfully controlling the fire dragon, Baron took out a Transcendent potion as thick as an arm from his backpack card. Then, like a seasoned bullfighter, he leapt onto the head of the female fire dragon, legs mped around its head. Baron gritted his teeth, bent down, and with his burly hands, he forcefully pried open the female fire dragon''s mouth. He intended to toss the green potion into the female fire dragon''s mouth. However, at that moment, the fire dragon''s sharp teeth snapped shut fiercely. Baron''s right arm was severely wounded by the dragon''s teeth; fresh blood sttered everywhere. "Sess." In the final moment, Baron pulled out his hand, managing to throw the potion into the female fire dragon''s mouth! This potion, which they had spent a substantial amount of money to acquire, was specially designed! It was enough to force the fire dragon into a deep sleep! All that remained was to wait. However, his relief did notst a second. The female fire dragon broke free from the chains, and its scales trembled violently. "Pah!" The next second, the fire dragon spit out the green potion onto Baron''s face. "..." Baron wiped the green liquid from his face and stood there, dumbfounded. "It failed." Chen Qi shook his head. It was indeed possible to force the female fire dragon to swallow the potion using such a violent method. But in the final moment, Baron made a mistake; he wanted to save his hand. As a result, he didn''t deliver the potion down her throat but merely dropped it on her tongue. The significant failure left the entire Red Crystal Hunter Group frozen in ce, unsure of what to do next. The chains just used were Transcendent relics, and they couldn''t use them a second time. The female fire dragon shaked its head and pped its wings, with hot mes once again bursting from its scales. Now, it was the fire dragon''s turn. The fire dragon began to regte its breathing. The moment it finished regting, it would unleash another powerful breath of fire. Several hunters risked falling into theva, jumping constantly down from the current tform. Out of the original team of fifty-three, twenty had already fled the battlefield. Dragons after all are dragons; even those from a D-level crack are not creatures ordinary hunters can easily defeat. The remaining hunters looked at the weapons in their hands. If they too fled, the whole Hunter Group would copse instantly. Now, all they could do was trust that Baron could defeat the female fire dragon before them. "The losses are heavy; at this rate, we''ll all eventually be food for the fire dragon." Chen Qi surveyed the surroundings. Many had lost the will to fight. If things continued like this, even surviving would be in question. Fear, me, anger, helplessness, and sadness began to spread like a tide. Baron''s hair was disheveled as he searched through his backpack card. Chen Qi looked at Baron''s backpack card. Though it failed, the green potion just now was a viable item. If there was a second green potion... As a Chef, he had a method to deliver the potion into the fire dragon''s mouth. Baron took out a second green potion from the backpack card and held it in his hand. He lifted his head and stared nkly at the female fire dragon, a feeling of helplessness pervading his body. Although there was one more potion, he had no way to administer it into the fire dragon''s mouth again. If things continued this way, they would be wiped out sooner orter. Chen Qi walked over to Baron: "Baron." Baron had already lost his initial domineering and arrogance, now looking as dejected as a beaten dog: "What do you want?" Chen Qi said: "I have a method that can get the potion into the fire dragon''s stomach." As he spoke, the entire Hunter Group fell into a brief silence. Under normal circumstances, nobody would believe the words of a First Order Hunter. But now, they had no choice. Even though it was just the suggestion of a First Order Hunter, it still caused quite a stir. "What?" Baron blinked and looked incredulously at Chen Qi beside him. What a joke. Under normal circumstances, within a D-level crack, a First Order Hunter had no right to speak. The female fire dragon was already in a frenzy; if they didn''t act now... Once the fight with Little Red Riding Hood was over, they could very well face a doubles match. Chen Qi ignored the disdainful look: "Of course, there''s a condition. Baron, if you want my help to defeat the fire dragon, in return, you must tell us your real purpose foring to this crack. What exactly happened to you here ten years ago?" Baron''s eye twitched, and he froze. He was the most experienced Hunter here. The other party was not only speaking out of turn but was also attempting to dig into his weaknesses. Chapter 96: Chapter 79: The Ultimate Treasure: Flesh Implants The sky was shrouded in a thickyer of gray, and scalding sparksnded on Chen Qi''s face. Baron clenched his fists, a bitter smile on his lips, "My true purpose, as I''ve said before, is for revenge." Chen Qi replied coldly, "No one would believe such a poor lie." The other Hunters cast curious nces their way. The Red Crystal Hunter Group was on edge, watching Chen Qi withplex emotions. If it were before, they would never have paid attention to a Chef stirring up trouble. They had no other means to pry open the mouth of the Fire Dragon. Baron''s tight fist rxed: "I can tell you, but first you must tell us, do you have a way to deal with the Fire Dragon?" Chen Qi gestured as if chopping vegetables: "I am a Chef, and my Transcendent Skill is cooking gourmet food. I can mix the Potion into the food and get the female Fire Dragon to eat it." Chen Qi did not hide his n. Preparing gourmet food and then getting the Fire Dragon to eat it was amon strategy. Everyone was taken aback. A Chef, could it really be done? Would the enraged Fire Dragon really eat something made by humans? They found it somewhat unbelievable. Chen Qi added two more points: "It can be done, this Fire Dragon does not know how many human offerings it has eaten." To get the Fire Dragon to eat human food, three conditions needed to be met. First, one must have excellent culinary skills. Second, a lot of chili must be added, as Fire Dragons like spicy food, the spicier the better. Third, one must collect special volcanic herbs grown at the mountaintop and ce them on the meat, which greatly enhances the food''s vor. Chen Qi''s eyes were cold, like that of a merciless interrogator: "Alright, Baron, it''s time for my question, tell me why you came here." Baron''s fingers trembled non-stop. As the leader of a Hunter Group, he was now being interrogated by a First Order Transcendent. Could it really work... Baron looked at Chen Qi. If he could indeed deliver the Potion into the Fire Dragon''s mouth. He wouldn''t just spill the secret of their mission, he''d even give Chen Qi their bank card PINs. Baron''s trembling fingers stopped, he took a deep breath and said, "Deal, I will tell you my secret, and in return, you find a way to get the Potion into the Fire Dragon''s mouth." Baron began to tell his story: "Ten years ago, my brother and I dug out a tattered box from this scorched earth. Inside the boxy a ragged Hunter''s Clothes, a treasure." A box, the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter. Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. From Baron''s description, it seemed that the treasure hadn''t been ced next to the sea monster. Therefore, there was no difficulty rating on the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure map. Chen Qi feigned curiosity and asked, "Whose treasure was it?" Baron fell silent for a moment, as if he returned to that time ten years ago: "Who knows? At first, we all thought it was just rubbish. No one fought with my brother over that piece of clothes. In the end, it took us three days of climbing to reach this ce and encounter the Fire Dragon. Just like today, we fought the Fire Dragon and then died. In the end, of our twenty people, only my brother and I remained." "In the moment I awaited death, my brother, amid the heavy rain and wearing that Hunter''s Clothes, fought the Fire Dragon. At that time, he was just a frail First Order Transcendent, yet he managed to suppress the Fire Dragon briefly. At that moment, I knew my brother had found something valuable, something that could elevate us to the nobility. But unfortunately, in thest moment, he still sumbed to exhaustion and was beheaded by the Fire Dragon, and along with that piece of clothes, he waspletely eaten. The severely injured Fire Dragon, due to its excessive wounds, left the ind. And I... became the only survivor of that previous crack." At this, Baron gripped his greatsword: Discover hidden tales at m,v l''e-NovelBin "That is why I came here, not only for revenge but also to reim that piece of clothes." "My goal is simply to take back a piece of clothes." The box, the clothes... Chen Qi thought for a moment. He hadn''t lied, it was just as described in the treasure map of the Deep Sea Hunter. It was an unguarded treasure that had identally fallen into their hands ten years ago. But due to the Fire Dragon, both the man and the clothes ended up in the Fire Dragon''s mouth. From Baron''s description, they had obtained the treasure of the Deep Sea Hunter quite easily. Which is why Baron, at first, even considered it to be just an ordinary piece of clothing. "Really? Was the Deep Sea Hunter so casual with burying treasures?" Chen Qi tapped his forehead, temporarily burying the question in his mind. He had an ominous premonition. Baron ced his hand on his chest: "I swear upon the name of the God of the Day, I have spoken not a single lie, Chef, now it''s your turn to perform." "Give me the Potion." Chen Qi took the green Potion from the Red Crystal Hunter Group and observed it in his hands. It wasn''t poison, but a Transcendent hybrid Potion designed forrge creatures. With effects of inducing vomit and sedation, this Potion could cause a human to eject their organs if ingested. The Potion''s value exceeded that of an Epic Skill Card! "Hang in there for five more minutes, I''ll go get some ingredients." Chen Qi turned and headed towards the mountaintop. At that moment, the female Fire Dragon had recovered its vigor. Having just been fiercely attacked by the Red Crystal Hunter Group, it was looking to make them experience pain. Chapter 97: Chapter 79: The Ultimate Treasure: Flesh Implants_2 The group once again found themselves in a fierce battle. It took Chen Qi three minutes, relying on his bnce skill, to climb the rugged rock face and reach the dragon''s nest at the top of the mountain, where he collected some me grass. me grass was the fire dragon''s favorite thing to eat, besides meat. This was also the most important item for a First Order Chef to pass the fire dragon dungeon. Immediately after, Chen Qi returned to t ground, took out a chopping board, quickly set up a grill, found an unused long sword, and skewered arge piece of meat. He took the meat out of his backpack card, then sprinkled oil on the meat, turned the grill, and roasted the meat. Roasting meat in a volcano was indeed a novel experience... Chen Qi had the deep-sea Water Elf wipe the sweat off his brow. "Is it ready, Chef," if you don''t get it done soon, we''re going to turn into fire dragon roasted meat." He was roasting meat fervently, and the others were fighting just as fiercely. Chen Qi nced over at the battleground. The Red Crystal Hunter Group had be the main taunting unit by attacking the fire dragon. Now, apart from Baron, all the other members of the Red Crystal Hunter Group had basically lost theirbat abilities. At present, only ten hunters were still fighting with the fire dragon. "Almost there." Chen Qi rolled up his sleeves, mixed a potion into the meat, then sprinkled on some seasonings. A deadly amount of devil''s chili and salt, along with Soul Seasoning, masked the taste of the emetic itself. At the same time, he added the me grass, and the whole roast meat instantly ignited! [You have made me Grass Roast Meat (Devil''s Chili), earning 100 Spiritual Points.] Perfect cooking! Chen Qi took a sniff. He couldn''t help but want to taste it himself. Next, it was a matter of seeing if the female fire dragon would take the bait. Chen Qi stood up, moved away from the grill, not quite certain whether the female fire dragon would actually eat the meat fused with potions. It was always worth a try. If all else failed, he would just run away with the deep-sea Water Elf. Crack! The female fire dragon abruptly sent a hunter flying. It wanted to vent its rage upon the world, to release its pain! Suddenly, it caught a whiff of a tempting aroma. But after a prolonged fierce battle, the angry creature was hungry. The female fire dragon sniffed and looked towards the devil''s chili roast in the distance. Its massive eyes shifted. What was this? A delicacy fallen from the sky? The Soul Seasoning brought out the meat''s fragrance, while the devil''s chili and me grass hit the sweet spot in the female fire dragon''s taste. The ignorant female fire dragon pped its wings and approached the grill. The onlookers held their breath, anxious. They swallowed hard, unsure if the n would seed. They were gambling again, staking their lives on the skills of a First Order Chef. The female fire dragon wagged its tail. It held its proud head high, as if to say, how could the apex of the food chain be tempted by mere roast meat. Yet the enticing smell made it slowly lower its head. Just one bite! It opened its massive mouth and gobbled up half of the roast meat in one bite. "It worked, the chili and salt sessfully masked the taste of the potion." Chen Qi stood on higher ground, silently observing the scene. The female fire dragon, now indulging in the fine dining, actually showed a trace of pleasure on its pained face. The female fire dragon blinked. It had originally nned to save half for the male fire dragon. Was it really that delicious? Chen Qi smiled. There wasn''t much meat left in his backpack card; to a fire dragon, it was just a mouthful. After finishing the meal, the female fire dragon happily bounced around twice. But in the next instant, it felt a nauseating wriggling sensation in its body, uncontroble shaking, and it lurched forward noticeably. The female fire dragon suddenly spat a huge me onto the ground. Then, it began retching non-stop. Under the effect of the Transcendent potion, the massive body fell to the ground and slowly closed its eyes. The group trembled with excitement as they watched the scene unfold before them. They hadn''t held out much hope initially. Food prepared by a First Order Chef managed to satisfy a dragon''s pte. The battered Baron and a hunter from the Red Crystal Hunter Group quickly moved forward. In their eyes were the contents of the female fire dragon''s stomach! If that garment hadn''t been digested, there was a certain chance it was still inside the female fire dragon. They squatted beside the female fire dragon, searching vigorously. From within the dragon''s teeth gaps, there emerged a skeleton, d in hunter''s attire! Chen Qi didn''t move forward but stepped back to observe from a distance. The skeleton gave him a bad feeling. Normally, such a skeleton shouldn''t exist in a dragon''s stomach acids. This item could be the source of the female fire dragon''s frenzy. Baron and the other quickly pulled the skeleton out of the dragon''s teeth gaps. The skeleton had no skull; its bony frame was covered in cracks, and it was dressed in a tattered hunter''s garment. "Ten years, ten years!" Baron gripped the gun at his waist. At that moment, The Red Crystal Hunter Group examined the garment, and one of them asked: "Baron, are you sure this piece of clothing isn''t some kind of erotic apparel? I think I''ve seen it at the Sexy Beast Apparel Exhibition in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom; this one''s called ''Summer Holiday by the Sea, Enchanting Tentacle Siren'' edition." Erotic apparel! "What are you talking about?" Baron cursed. This clueless guy had the nerve to associate such a powerful Transcendent artifact with the twisted creations of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom during such a thrilling moment. However, in the next second, his pupils shrank. Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin From the outside, it looked indeed like a ragged deep blue hunter''s outfit. But that was merely the surface appearance. Chapter 98: Chapter 79: The Ultimate Treasure: Flesh Implants_3 But within the cloak, he saw countless writhing ck tentacles. A garment of tentacles. The tiny tentacles moved ceaselessly, entwining the white skeleton. A Red Crystal Hunter said: "Look, it really resembles that seductive Siren tentacle style, I remember they said wearing this out is superfortable¡­" "What kind of weird fashion show did you attend? Indeed, this clothing is strange¡­" Baron also expressed his puzzlement. Chen Qi looked at the tattered Hunter''s Clothes from afar. Moreover, why has a skeleton been able to exist inside the belly of a fire dragon for such a long time? From the tone of the other party, Baron truly didn''t know the garment before them was a Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure. Chen Qi took another step back. Immediately after, the hand of the Red Crystal Hunter Group member trembled violently. He had discovered a tremendous secret and whispered: "Baron, this garment, do you feel it? Its appearance, it seems like it''s the very clothes worn by the Deep Sea Hunter statue outside¡­" Baron blocked the garment with his body. The style of this garment, although somewhat tattered and strange on the inside, closely resembled the legendary Deep Sea Hunter''s clothes. He muttered to himself in a low voice: "No wonder, no wonder, so this is it, this is the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure¡­" His longstanding questions finally were answered. At this moment, Baron''s heart thumped wildly; he stood up, gripping his great sword. In the battle with the fire dragon, many were injured, many fled. The only ones who remained were some First Order Transcendents, exhausted in both body and mind. Little Red Riding Hood was likely killed by the male fire dragon. That meant, as long as he killed the few weaklings present, he could enjoy all this by himself. "Ten years, finally, we''vee to thisst moment." Baron picked up the great sword, turned his head, and said to the Hunter beside him: "Let''s get moving." Fighting between people, eh. Chen Qi didn''t rush to draw his sword. The surrounding air grew colder again. He had been conserving his strength and didn''t approach the treasure immediately. Since the beginning, he had been curious; with the Deep Sea Hunter''s character, would he really have left the treasure in a safe ce? ording to Baron''s words, there were no other Sea Beasts around when they found this treasure. Additionally, this treasure had no difficulty notification. If one assumed that the Deep Sea Hunter wasn''t the type to bury treasures carelessly, Then, there was only one possibility he could think of: The treasure itself, itself was a monster. The Hunters all started to back away. Baron, holding his great sword, stepped forward. "Sorry everyone, I''ve been forced to this." Baron concentrated his Qi Power, preparing to kill everyone present. The only threat was the Chef before him. Baron stared at Chen Qi, gripping the great sword. sh! Chen Qi stepped back, and behind Baron, the white skeleton was slowly rising. A sharp shing sound. Baron coughed out a mouthful of blood, his eyes looked upward, but what he saw was his blood-drenched upper torso. Your next read awaits at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Thump! Thump! Chen Qi''s heart raced, tightly gripping the ck de. Behind the severed half-body, the headless skeleton dressed in Hunter''s Clothes had already risen. Crack! Crack! Tentacles beneath the clothes, ceaselessly extended, entwining the nearly rotten white bones. "What is this?" The others backed away in turn. Whoosh! The white-boned hand entwined by tentacles picked up Baron''s great sword that had fallen to the ground. Crack! Crack! The skeleton turned around, with great sword in hand, took a step in their direction. Every step made the hearts of those present seem to stop. Boom! Blue mes burned over the white bones. The people felt an intense cold prating their bones, continuously retreating backwards. At this moment, in their eyes, there was neither Baron of the Red Crystal Hunter Group nor the fire-breathing dragon. In their frightened pupils, there was only a monstrous presence, a being that had died a hundred years ago¡ª The Deep Sea Hunter. Chapter 99: Chapter 80: Headless Skeleton Crack, crack! The headless skeleton''s bones continuously developed new cracks, propelled by its tentacle-like garments, advancing towards them as if it were a battle-hardened Hunter. Whether it was the way it walked, the gesture of holding the sword, or the action of swinging it, all reminded the people of the legendary Deep Sea Hunter. A cold sensation permeated the area. The people had already paid a heavy price in the fierce battle with the fire dragon. The posture of this skeleton was too horrifying, and many people, startled like birds at the sound of gunshots, ran recklessly down the mountain. ng, ng, ng! Before he knew it, in the midst of continuous battles, only Chen Qi and some bodies blurred with blood and flesh remained in the area. "This is not the Deep Sea Hunter, it''s just clothing, just flesh imnts..." Chen Qi kept emphasizing in his mind as he drank a bottle of potent Healing Potion. [You have acquired a brief enhancement of vitality and strength.] Within the ck market, there are three particrly famous types of equipment: Mechanical Armor, blood machinery armor, and flesh imnts. Flesh imnts often pertain to equipment made from Transcendent monster materials. Unlike ordinary equipment, flesh imnts preserve arge amount of Extraordinary characteristics during their creation. This greatly enhances the Extraordinary power of the equipment. As a consequence, the user''s mind is severely affected by the Extraordinary traits; prolonged wearing can cause severe mental effects, even distortions. If Mechanical Armor greatly affects the body, then flesh imnts severely affect the mind. Some flesh imnts also possess a certain autonomousbat ability. And the equipment of the Deep Sea Hunter possesses this feature as well. The situation now must be due to the autonomousbat function of the flesh imnts. Although this is not the Deep Sea Hunter, just a mindless piece of clothing, it is undoubtedly a formidable opponent. "Can I win?" Chen Qi shed two drops of cold sweat as he activated the dynamic vision of the Hunter''s Eye. Stationary objects gradually became blurry, while fast-moving ones became clearer. The headless skeleton grasped the blood-stained great sword in its hand, took a step forward, and swung a downward sh toward his direction. I can see it clearly! Chen Qi rotated around his left foot, dodging the attack. The opponent was fast, but the Hunter''s Eye still captured the trajectory of the sword. After absorbing Yu Huo''s Shadow, he mastered manybat skills of the Deep Sea Hunter. The manner in which the skeleton wielded its sword was very simr to the knowledge in Yu Huo. The opponent''s moves were all within his predictions. Moreover, he could barely keep up with its speed. "Deep Sea Water Elf, Water Bomb!" Chen Qimanded. Seven trembling Deep Sea Water Elves beside him made expressions as if they were heading to their death, fiercely charging toward the headless skeleton. Boom! Boom! The Deep Sea Water Elves used Water Bomb, creating a massive explosion around it. Bang! With no room to dodge, under the impact of the explosion, the headless skeleton''s body violently trembled, making crackling sounds like a jammed rusty gear. "Extraordinarily effective..." Chen Qi swallowed, his tense emotions slightly eased. Following the force of the explosion, a breaking sound came from the skeleton''s arm, and its attack steps began to show noticeable sluggishness. The monster in front of him was not as strong as he had imagined. Like the automatic mode of Mechanical Armor, it was just a mindless existence, with attack methods that were simple and limited. As long as he grasped the pattern of the opponent, he couldpletely withstand the attacks in front of him. If it were a normal person wearing this equipment, it would be much more troublesome. But now, this decaying skeleton could no longer withstand the equipment. Chen Qi adjusted his breathing, poised for a counterattack, gathering Qi Power over the ck de. Tentacles fiercely entwined around the skeleton''s wrist bones as it againunched a series of fierce great sword shes. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! The heavy metallic shing sounds echoed continuously in the air. He could predict the moves! Chen Qi burst into action, using his ck de to fend off the attacks relentlessly. Under the constant defense, more and more cracks appeared on the skeleton''s arms, and its attacks grew weaker. And at that moment of defense, under the enhanced dynamic vision, Chen Qi spotted a dim deep blue rhombus gem in the center of the inside of the clothing. This could be the core of the attire, attacking that gem might shut down the entwining garment''s attack mode. Bounce Back! After a loud metallic ng, Chen Qi found the opportunity and skillfully used his ck de to deflect the headless skeleton''s greatsword. Bang! The greatsword fell to the ground. The bones of the headless skeleton''s sword-holding hand fractured, and like a disassembled puppet, it almost toppled over, unstable. Great opportunity! Chen Qi didn''t hesitate: he gripped his ck de with both hands and stepped forward to strike, targeting the blue gem inside the clothing. However, just as the headless skeleton was about to be shed. Eight semi-transparent blue tentacles suddenly burst from the inside of the clothing. Immediately after, the tentacles erupted into blue mes, their posture resembling a blooming me flower. The eight burning semi-transparent tentacles struck fiercely like vicious punches, mming into him. The attack came so suddenly that he could only use his Qi Power to block defensively with his bent arms. Boom! Chen Qi''s body was violently knocked back, tracing a straight line. Ouch! The sound of bones cracking, along with a strong sensation of nausea and dizziness. I can''t fall down... Chen Qi subconsciously clenched his teeth, then dropped his ck de, and pulled out the double guns on his waist. The eight nearly two-meter thick, semi-transparent tentaclessted only a moment. It couldn''t dodge the gunfire now... Chen Qi, enduring the intense pain and feeling dazed, aimed at the center of the skeleton and pulled the trigger. Bang! Bang! Under two piercing gunshots, the decaying skeleton gained two fresh bullet holes. It finally couldn''t withstand any more and copsed to the ground with a thud. Immediately after, Chen Qi staggered forward a step and aimed inside the clothing at the blue gem, firing three more shots. Finally, with those shots, the entwining garment ceased moving, and the whole skeleton fell backward, turning into a white powder. "Huff, huff, huff..." Chen Qi gasped for breath, not moving the gun from his position, like a well-trained officer. Only after three minutes, when he confirmed that the clothing no longer posed any significant threat, did he sit down with a thud, picked up his water bottle, and took a drink. Luckily, the headless skeleton''s constitution couldn''t withstand the power of the clothing. Otherwise, this battle could even have threatened his life. "Huff, huff..." Chen Qi panted heavily, feeling the power of the Potion slowly seeping through his body. He had severe internal injuries, but fortunately, he had blocked with his Qi Power, avoiding fatal oues. Looks like it''s going to cost a bit for medical treatment... Chen Qi looked dumbly around him. Scattered sparks, spent bullet casings, scorched ground, several charred corpses, and a sleeping female fire dragon. "Temporarily safe..." Chen Qi looked around; in this lively ce, he was left alone. Others either ran or died. The fire dragon fell asleep, the entwining garment stopped. Chen Qi felt relieved, used his ck de to poke the blue gem at the heart of the entwining garment inside. The entwining garment continuously shrank, the whole garment seemingly attracted by a massive suction, withdrew into the blue gem and became a small model within the gem. "So this is the normal form of this garment." Carefully, Chen Qi picked up the gem, and a special prompt appeared before him. Chapter 100: Chapter 81 The Touch of Residual Fire Chen Qi held the diamond-shaped blue gem in his hand, observing it as a hint of azure light shed in his eyes. [Residual Fire Touch Nature Form: de Equipment requirements: constitution 25 (minimum required) Description: A piece of Transcendent equipment made from the de Phase of disaster. Entwining Residual Fire: When wearing this equipment, ck tendrils will emanate from the inner side of your clothes, entwining your limbs. These tendrils will overdraw your body''s potential, greatly enhancing your agility, strength, and burst speed. They have a certain degree of automatic counterattack functionality, intercepting attacks from all directions. Simultaneously, in this state, your resistance to liquid-based and psychic attacks from deep sea creatures will be significantly heightened. Residual Fire Bloom: For a short period, eight semi-translucent tendrils, burning with blue mes, will extend from the inner side of your clothes, acting as extensions of your limbs. Note: Using this equipment will rapidly deplete your stamina and spirit, and you will experience intense feelings of rage.] Residual Fire Touch... Chen Qi looked at the description of the equipment. A piece of Transcendent equipment that greatly consumed spirit. Once equipped, it would be like wearing a garment made of ck tendrils. Of course, from the surface, it looked like an ordinary piece of ragged clothing. Chen Qi stared at the azure gem, imagining a scene in his mind. When he was fighting hand-to-hand with someone, a small ck tendril would suddenly emerge from beneath his clothes,unching a sneaky attack on his opponent. The attributes this equipment enhanced were rare, and the enhancement was considerable. Even a worn-out skeleton could be so powerful, so once he equipped it, he should be able to take off, right? Chen Qi chuckled: "Well, I didn''t expect the Deep Sea Hunter to be such a person after all." In this country that believed in the Hammer Phase, most people still preferred armor-type equipment. In the Witch Sea, such tentacled, spirit-affecting Transcendent equipment was usually only used by those who believed in deep sea creations. In people''s perceptions, the Deep Sea Hunter was a hunter who tore through the ocean with a powerful physique, not someone who would use such weird equipment! But now, it seemed that the Deep Sea Hunter might have worn this equipment every day before his death, only it was not noticeable from the surface. Chen Qi opened the backpack card and carefully ced the Residual Fire Touch inside after confirming there were no issues. With his current sore body, he was in no condition to wear this garment. "It''s time to leave." Chen Qi dusted off the dirt on the ground, stood up, and nced at the sleeping female fire dragon. The female fire dragon''s health had already fallen below half, and once it awakened, it would leave this ind. If he could kill the female fire dragon, the rewards would increase further. This creature''s health was too high, making it difficult to muster any will to attack. Obtaining the Residual Fire Touch was already quite a good harvest; there was no need to forcefully pursue the rewards for clearing the crack. The risk was too high. "It''s okay now, it''s okay, let''s go." Chen Qiforted the panicked Deep Sea Water Elf. These Water Elves possessed higher intelligence and were more easily frightened. Just now, for them to charge forward resolutely required considerable courage. Chen Qi headed towards the dragon''s nest at the mountain peak, searching for dragon''s breath grass, and yanked them out. There were as many as ten dragon''s breath grass. With such a quantity, the Flower Witch should be quite pleased... Chen Qi collected the dragon''s breath grass and began walking down the mountain along the original path. Thanks to his bncing skill, the rugged mountain roads were still manageable. Suddenly, Chen Qi heard the sound of wings pping in the sky. He suddenly remembered something. Where was Little Red Riding Hood? From the start of the battle, the arrogant Little Red Riding Hood had be the taunt unit. During the battle, he and the fire dragon, two strong adversaries, had fought to the foot of the mountain. How did it go? Did she win? Chen Qi wondered privately. Even though the male fire dragon was much weaker than the female fire dragon, facing a male fire dragon alone was still an exceptionally difficult task. Chen Qi looked up and saw a severely injured fire dragon struggling to fly towards the mountain peak. Not bad, Little Red Riding Hood, pretty capable fighter! Chen Qi felt pleased. This was good news; when the injured male fire dragon returned to the peak and saw its sleeping mate, it would probably give the female fire dragon a couple of ps. If that happened, the two injured fire dragons would leave this ce, meeting the crack''s clearing condition. At this moment, Chen Qi heard heavy breathing. He took a few steps towards the sound. Amidst a pile of broken rocks, Little Red Riding Hoody covered in blood, her golden hair under her hat in disarray, and her chest rising and falling. She was already strong enough, fully living up to her previous arrogant disy. But for a Second-order Transcendent, fighting a fire dragon alone came with a heavy price. Chen Qi pulled up his Hunter''s hood, ensuring his face remained unseen, and nced carefully. Little Red Riding Hood, catching her breath in herst moments, muttered weakly to herself: "I wille back...to marry you...my beloved...wife..." "??" Chen Qi raised an eyebrow. Wife? It seemed he had overheard some earth-shattering secret. Chen Qi quickly ran his brain through some thoughts. In the Witch Sea, a meticulous and polite gentleman should not easily assume someone''s gender, species, or orientation. It wasn''t something rare. No need to overreact... Chen Qi thought to himself. The opponent''s injured body was recovering at a very slow rate, not needing his help. Besides, she probably still had some trump cards left unused. Unlike other yers, he did not have a masochistic tendency and did not want to engage with the hot-tempered Little Red Riding Hood any further for the moment. The Blood de Pirate Group''s troubles were too many to handle, not something he could deal with now. He still had to find the Flower Witch. Chen Qi tossed a Healing Potion to her and then walked down the mountain. As he left, Little Red Riding Hood''s blood-stained eyes showed a hint of fear. "Who...the fight...is it over?" She seemed surprised that someone coulde down from above. She wanted to call out to him, but the burning sensation in her throat prevented her from making any sound. ... ... After four hours, Chen Qi finally descended the mountain and returned to the seaside. The number of boats had decreased by ten, leaving only ten hunters who had exited the crack. "Nice scenery." The exhausted Chen Qi sat by the seaside, holding the Deep Sea Water Elf, feeling the cool seawater wash over his feet and quietly enjoying the sea breeze, taking a break. The Deep Sea Water Elf nestled against Chen Qi, giving their tired master a massage. After a while, he slowly looked up. Finally, the two fire dragons circled in the sky like stars, disappearing into the distant horizon. "Finally, they''re gone..." Chen Qi gently squeezed the Deep Sea Water Elf in his arms. [The two fire dragons were driven away, crackpleted.] [Crack instance settlement in progress...] Chapter 101: Chapter 82: Settlement [Crack Settlement in Progress...] [Distortion Degree of the Crack Reduced by 20%, Current Distortion Degree 7%] [Battle to the Last Chapter: Both fire dragons were significantly injured and fled in panic, reward +50%] Dragon Friend: You are very friendly with fire dragons, reward +20% Master Chef: You captivated the taste buds of the female fire dragon with your exquisite culinary skills, reward +70%] [Settlement Complete, Comprehensive Evaluation A.] Received a Dragon Nest Ind exclusive Skill Card Box.] Chen Qi looked at his evaluation. In this crack, he did not participate in the battle to repel the male fire dragon. Therefore, he did not achieve a perfect clearance. However, being able to obtain an A rating in arge-scale D-level crack with First Order strength was quite impressive. He was already very skilled. [Would you like to draw a Skill Card?] Draw! Experience new stories on m v|l e''-NovelBin Chen Qi did not hesitate, as they were all dragon-rted skill cards anyway. A card condensed at his fingertips. [Dragon Charm Nature Form: Floral Learning Conditions: Possess a certain degree of dragon bloodline or simr dragon bloodline. Effect: You can cultivate your own dragon aura, which can attract dragon-type creatures'' affection, allowing you to blend into dragon groups. When practiced to the extreme, you can even seduce a dragon. Description: Wow, the roar of the evil dragon!] A cute little fire dragon card appeared in his hand. Dragon Charm? What is this? Do I look like someone who can seduce dragons? Chen Qi frowned as he looked at the yful and affectionate little fire dragon on the card. "As expected, not every draw can yield a useful card." The higher the level of the skill card, the more usage conditions it had. He did not meet the conditions for this card''s use. The requirements for this skill card were quite stringent. To obtain a dragon bloodline, one needed either a rted high-order upation card or to undergo a special gic modification surgery. Obviously, he could not meet either of these conditions. Chen Qi stored the card and put it in his backpack card. His attributes were quite good now, mastering Qi Power and Body Forging Skill. To enhance his strength, mastering more powerful Qi skills was most crucial. Therefore, the best option was to go to the Moonstone City''s guild and exchange the Floral Nature skill card for a Qi-rted skill card. A Dragon Nest Ind card exchanged for an epic Qi card was not a problem. "It''s about time to leave." Chen Qi held the Deep Sea Water Elf and jumped onto the small boat ahead. The distortion degree dropped to 7%, and the crack would closepletely 24 hours after this crack ended. It was still not daylight. Chen Qi lit a kerosenemp on the boat. The dimly lit boat slowly glided across the pitch-ck water, heading towards the real world. Chen Qi looked up at the dim moon in the sky and then at the waves under the boat. He suddenly had a bold idea. What would happen if he just jumped into the sea like this? In this world, cracks, skill cards, Transcendent upations, and inspiration were asmonce as the sun on Earth. Many things that seemed magical to him as an Earthling were very normal in their eyes. As long as the crack did not involve the Void, There was always a way in and an exit path within a certain time after clearance¡ªthis was amon understanding. But in reality, no one stopped him from staying in the crack after clearing it. He couldpletely stay in the crack to eat, sleep, battle Water Elves, and watch the sunrise and moon every day. A great ce to hide. Chen Qi recalled that the yer forum seemed to mention rted things. If one stayed in the crack for too long, it might even lead to the deletion of their character. Anyway, it wasn''t a good thing. Chen Qi suppressed this bold idea and tightly held the Deep Sea Water Elf who tried to stick to the seawater. These little fellows losing themselves in the crack would be troublesome. After a while, the color and shape of the moon in the sky gradually changed. The gentle sunlight of the day shone on his face. A prompt appeared in his mind. [You have exited the crack.] "Back to the real world." Chen Qi looked into the distance and began rowing with a rough paddle made from a ck knife. As expected, the Blood de Pirate Group should still be guarding the crack''s entrance. Chen Qi did not have a bad impression of the Blood de Pirate Group. Overall, the Blood de Pirate Group was quite an orderly pirate group, providing important order beyond the coast. As long as they did not get involved with the ck Whale Pirate Group and the Navy, they could be seen as a sheriff-type presence. But anyway, he was one of the few survivors from Dragon Nest Ind this time. Although nobody saw him defeat the Headless Skeleton and obtain the Residual Fire Touch at the end, If he just went ashore like this, he''d be surrounded by people asking about the crack in Dragon Nest Ind. After all, he was now being hunted by the ck Whale Group. It''s best to keep a low profile to avoid trouble. After rowing a certain distance, Chen Qi held the Water Elf tightly and jumped into the sea. The Deep Sea Water Elf was a natural floatation device. By holding the Deep Sea Water Elf, he swam as agilely as a fish in the sea. Chen Qi felt he could write a book in the future, called "One Hundred Uses of the Water Elf." After swimming for a while, he returned to the dock of Flower Ind. Now, everyone else was guarding the crack entrance, so the dock was empty. An exhausted Chen Qi ced his hand on the small houseboat and climbed aboard with effort. Shhh! Chen Qi looked up. Someone was on the boat. In the faint moonlight, Pei Lu was sitting on the roof of the boat house, reading a history book. The pages of the book gently turned in the breeze, creating slight rustling sounds that intertwined with the tranquil sea. Like a literature girl, a history aficionado. Until she noticed Chen Qi in an instant. The moment Pei Lu saw Chen Qi, her eyebrows raised, her mouth slightly open in an utterly shocked expression, her limbs moving frantically. "I''m not a water ghost..." Chen Qi exined as he walked into the boathouse, taking out a towel to wipe his soaking wet hair. "What happened? Can you tell me?" Pei Lu curiously asked, lowering her head. She always had well-informed intelligence. The crack in Dragon Nest Ind was highly challenging, and many participants had already given up! How did he manage to escape? After drying his body, Chen Qi walked out of the boat house, basking in the sunlight for a while. "I found a good opportunity to leave Dragon Nest Ind." "..." Pei Lu looked at Chen Qi. Her intuition told her that Chen Qi must have done something significant he didn''t want to tell her. Darn riddler! Pei Lu''s curiosity was piqued. She rested her chin in her palm, mumbling: "You can tell me. Although I''m a journalist, I don''t write everything in the newspaper, nor do I spread my friends'' affairs everywhere." Friends, huh... Chen Qi looked at Pei Lu doubtfully. He didn''t believe it. If Pei Lu knew this involved a Deep Sea Hunter, she would definitely write the article immediately. Then by the next day, everyone in the city would know. Chen Qi took off the Hunter''s clothing that concealed his appearance, hanging it dry on the boat house. "Indeed, some things happened. That little Red Riding Hood from the Blood de Pirate Group sessfully defeated a fire dragon. The crack miraculously cleared." As long as a crack was cleared, there would be skill card rewards. And skill cards were scarcemodities all around. Pei Lu showed a surprised expression and genuinely smiled: "Another clearance... Your crack clearance frequency and speed are incredibly fast. I think you could totally apply for a Hunter license." Even she dared not easily enter a D-level crack. Pei Lu could see through it. This guy wasn''t a real chef. He was someone who wanted to dive into every crack he saw! Pei Lu teased: "What chef goes into cracks every day?" "Culinary skills are important, but so are fresh ingredients. I initially wanted to get some dragon meat from Dragon Nest Ind, but unfortunately failed." "Dragon meat..." Pei Lu swallowed or was very interested in it. But clearly, it wasn''t an easily obtained ingredient. Chen Qi smiled. Next time he had the chance, he would try to get some dragon meat. It was extremely nourishing. "The Hunter license, I''ll take the exam when I have time." The Hunter license was issued by various Transcendent organizations of states. In many ces, a Hunter license was not only a symbol of identity but also conferred various privileges. Like priority entry to many cracks and information on crack intelligence collected by weather bureaus. For mercenary work, holding a license also earned higher pay. After sun-drying the moisture from his body, Chen Qi looked at the shimmering sea in the distance and asked: "Pei Lu, do you have any information about the Flower Witch?" Chapter 102: Chapter 83 The Witchs Invitation Chen Qi asked curiously. At this point, Perri''s expression turned listless, like a rain-drenched kitten: "No." Perri pointed to the bruise on her face. It was evident that she had been beaten while searching for the Flower Witch. "Indeed, the Flower Witch isn''t that easy to find..." Chen Qi shook his head. He still had to find the Flower Witch toplete their deal. ording to the Flower Witch, once he obtained the dragon''s breath grass, she had her ways to find him. Logically speaking, even if he ran to the ends of the earth, a witch would have no trouble finding him. But with the Flower Witch, there was always a feeling of unease... It''s better to wait here for a while. But he might need to wait for Perri to leave... Chen Qiy outside the boat house. After being beaten, Perri became unexpectedly quiet. After finishing her book, she fiddled with her radio again. Eventually, she received a message from the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau and, due to work obligations, left Flower Ind on her white dove. And Chen Qi justy there on the ship, basking in the sun, and feeling the sea breeze. Sometimes, lying in a spot bathed in sunlight, with no worries, no goals. Comfortably soaking up the sun all day, until he felt like getting up. Days like this weren''t bad at all. The small houseboat swayed gently. And so, Chen Qi slowly closed his eyes and drifted into a dream. In his dream, he didn''t escape from the ck Whale Group. Instead, he chose to follow the Sawshark, joining Little Raven and the ck-eyed Captain in their daily fights, striving to be a great pirate. He was ruthless, and with his Deep Sea Affinity, he progressed from an ordinary sailor to bosun, then to first mate, and finally to captain, owning his own ship, famous across the seas. In the end, his talents caught the attention of his superiors. Then, he was tied up and taken to a small, dark room where a group of kind-looking doctors curiously stripped off his clothes and began dissecting him, injecting him with strange ck Blood Medicine. His body began to feel odd. His head was hot, his body ached... Chen Qi slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the sky. The mes of daylight gradually diminished, and the sky donned ayer of red twilight. He had slept for half a day. "Are you awake?" Next to him, a gentle female voice spoke. There really was a doctor by his side! The scent of flowers... Lying on the deck, Chen Qi turned his head. The Flower Witch was squatting next to him, looking down at him. "Flower Witch, when did you arrive?" Chen Qi sat up groggily. The Flower Witch replied softly: "Four hours ago." "You didn''t wake me up four hours ago?" Chen Qi hadn''t expected that he had slept so vulnerably on the open sea for so long. It was a good thing the Flower Witch was the one who came. If it had been someone else or some non-human creature that had boarded his ship, that would have been troublesome. The Flower Witch said softly: "You seemed to be sleeping deeply, and since you were gravely injured, I didn''t want to disturb your rest." From the time Chen Qi entered the crack, to the time he left it, not even a day had passed. Therefore, the Flower Witch thought that Chen Qi must have suffered some major blow in the crack and then fled, that''s why he slept for so long. She thought it over and decided to let him sleep a bit longer. A lot of worries can be alleviated with a good sleep. "..." Chen Qi shook his groggy head. The Flower Witch had the patience to stay in one ce for four hours, almost too patient. Then, he touched his chest, a sharp pain shooting continuously through his body. The wound! The blow dealt to him by the headless skeleton upon its fall had caused more internal damage than he had imagined. Moreover, his head was so hot; he hoped he hadn''t contracted some strange illness. The Flower Witch hesitated for a moment and answered: "You might have caught a cold." "A cold..." Enjoy new stories from m-v l''e|-NovelBin Chen Qi touched his forehead with his hand, and it was burning hot. It seemed like a severe cold. Chen Qi recalled his own actions over the past few days. ying with a sea dragon in a heavy rain, ying with a dragon on a volcano, ying with Water Elves in the sea. It was about time he caught a cold. Not to would be impolite. Chen Qi took out his water bottle and took a few sips. At this time, the Flower Witch asked curiously: "Are you really okay?" The Flower Witch looked at Chen Qi, and there was a substantial, obvious bruise on his chest that looked as though it had caved in. "It''s okay, it shouldn''t be a problem. It''s just a small injury, a few days of rest and I''ll be fine." As long as it''s not fatal, it''s a minor issue. Chen Qi finished drinking a mouthful of water, adjusted his breathing, and the pain in his body gradually subsided. Wait, why were the two of them discussing these things? It was like a doctor caring for a patient. At this time, shouldn''t they be discussing the mission first, talking about the Dragon Breath grass? He had managed to get a whole ten stalks of Dragon Breath grass. Why isn''t the Flower Witch asking him about it? Chen Qi took the initiative and said: "Flower Witch, I''ve already got the Dragon Breath grass." "Got it?" A small yellow flower of surprise bloomed above the Flower Witch''s head. She had thought that Chen Qi encountered some misfortune on Dragon Nest Ind. That''s why she didn''t bring up the Dragon Breath grass, fearing that it might trigger his sad memories, "That''s very efficient." The Flower Witch muttered as if she saw a workaholic speedrunning through the crack. Chen Qi took out the ten stalks of Dragon Breath grass from his backpack card. "Is this enough?" Ten stalks of Dragon Breath grass! The blossoms of the Flower Witch could hardly be contained, and she instantly grew several more. Ten stalks of Dragon Breath grass were enough for her to make five bottles of potion. The Flower Witch nodded and took the Dragon Breath grass: "It''spletely enough, and there are even extras, but I don''t have extra money to buy the additional ingredients, so I can only help you make the potion." He''s really honest... Chen Qi returned to the boat house and sailed the small houseboat out to sea. Next, Chen Qi handed over the Pale Scale Fruit to the Flower Witch. He had already obtained the ingredients. Now it was the Flower Witch''s time to perform. "It''s the real thing, and it''s fresh Pale Scale Fruit." The Flower Witch took the fruit and held it in the air, carefully examining it. Beforeing to Shell Country, her sister had told her that the Witch Sea was blessed with outstanding people and customs, and hidden dragons crouched among the tigers. The people of the Witch Sea really did conceal dragons among crouching tigers. Even a Chef was this amazing. The Flower Witch expressed her admiration. Chen Qi asked: "How does it look, Flower Witch, can you handle it?" The Flower Witch looked out to the distant sea: "I can, but to create a perfect potion, I need an alchemy furnace, as well as tools for grinding the ingredients, and so on. In short, I need a dedicated workshop for potion-making." "A workshop? Where?" Chen Qi asked. Given the Flower Witch''s current circumstances, it would be tough for her to have a workshop. After all, the bounty on her head could buy several workshops. The Flower Witch crossed her arms: "On a mysterious ind near the edge of the sea, that was my home when I was an apprentice Pharmacist as a child." Then, the Flower Witch blushed slightly as she gazed at Chen Qi''s small houseboat, filled with envy. What a lovely, cozy little boat! If only she could have a boat of her own. The Flower Witch was stubborn all her life, not wanting to rely on others. Moreover, her teacher had instructed her never to let outsiderse to their home. But sometimes, there was no other choice. She needed to work hard to earn money... The Flower Witch coughed twice and said softly: "That... I don''t have my own boat, so, can you give me a ride?" The dizzy Chen Qi looked at the poor Flower Witch: "No problem, but you should be aware, my boat is a bit fast." "Huh?" Chen Qi walked into the boat house, took out the sea chart, like a seasoned captain: "Mark the location, ready to set sail!" It was time to show off his boat skills. The Flower Witch took the sea chart and thought for a long time: "It should be here, I lived in this ce when I was a child, but now I can''t remember clearly." Chen Qi looked at the spot marked on the sea chart and promptly sobered up. On the chart, the normal sea areas were in blue, with dangerous areas wrapped in red lines. The ces smeared with deep ck indicated those were Forbidden Lands, absolutely not to be entered at any cost. In simple terms, whoever goes there dies! Only those who had a screw loose in their head would venture into these ckened sea regions. Even the charts of the ck Whale Group didn''t contain detailed information about these ck areas. Chen Qi turned around and asked: "Flower Witch, where exactly does your family live?" Chapter 103: Chapter 84: Black Earth The Flower Witch paced back and forth on the ship, wrestling with her thoughts for a long time: "A piece of fertile soil, I remember my teacher telling me its name is ck Soil Land, a great ce to cultivate medicinal herbs and vegetables." "ck Soil Land?" Chen Qi felt a sudden shock. ck Soil Land was the legendary masterpiece of the Flower Witch. He recalled in the legends that the Flower Witch had buried the bodies of a hundred thousand soldiers there, and it was also a wastnd destroyed by a great whale. Chen Qi spread his hands and said: "Can we really go to this ce? Are you sure it won''t lead to trouble?" Curious flowers popped up above the Flower Witch''s head: "It shouldn''t cause any problems, I spent my childhood there. The only danger is that in that ce, there are some strangely shaped Sea Beasts." "Some Sea Beasts..." Chen Qi''s spirits lifted, and he looked again at therge expanse of ck on the sea chart. After all, he was set on mastering these seas. Just a dark Forbidden Land close to the coast. Besides, that was also the Flower Witch''s home. Let''s go then! Filled with curiosity, Chen Qi walked to the control panel and started the boat''s engine. The rumble roared! The little boat set sail towards the Forbidden Land. And just as the boat embarked on its voyage, in the water, seven Deep Sea Water Elves immediately started to dash about frantically. Done for... Chen Qi touched his somewhat hot forehead, nearly forgetting about the Deep Sea Water Elves in the water. Bang bang bang! The seven Deep Sea Water Elves, like men chasing after a departing girlfriend, leaped onto the boat. "Waaah waaah waaah!" The Deep Sea Water Elves cried out in panic, thinking they had been abandoned by their master. I definitely have a fever... Chen Qi picked up a Water Elf and gave it a squeeze. "What''s this?" Several small yellow flowers sprouted above the Flower Witch''s head, and beneath them, her eyes shone with a tinge of envy. Chen Qi stroked the Deep Sea Water Elf, which was soft: "Water Elf, my little pet. Quitefortable." The Golden Flower Bird Kingdom was thend of Guardian Beasts, so for the Flower Witch, having pets shouldn''t be rare. In many wealthy households, cats and dogs were kept in groups. And the Flower Witch was one of the foremost nobles of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. To Chen Qi''s surprise, however, a sorrowful little blue flower popped above the Witch''s head, and he suddenly felt her journey was very sad. Why do you not only have a ship but also little pets? Many of life''s painse fromparison. The Flower Witch swallowed hard, wrestled with her thoughts for a long while, and then coughed twice: "May I touch it? I have a unique technique." "Sure." The Flower Witch spread her hands, and she always had a fragrance about her that made her quite popr with pets. Unfortunately, the Deep Sea Water Elves trembled slightly, seeming afraid, and huddled in the corner of the room. These little guys are pretty shy... Chen Qi moved to the control panel: "If you find the chair ufortable, you can use a Water Elf as a cushion." "...?" The Deep Sea Water Elves were immediately shocked. Having said that, Chen Qi took another drink of water and then concentrated on steering the little houseboat. ... ... The moon fell, and the little houseboat floated lonely on the sea, making the entire ocean seem exceptionally silent. In the light of the boat''smp, the Flower Witch sat on the chair, holding a pestle and began the simplest processing of her medicinal herbs from Flower Ind. The Deep Sea Water Elves, on the other hand, ran away from her bosom and bumped into each other on the bed. "White mist, whispers of the night." Chen Qi kept a vignt eye on the outside view. Unlike past voyages, the destination this time was truly a Forbidden Sea Area, and any moment of negligence could lead to a watery grave, bing a sacrifice to the Sea Goddess. Now, they had already approached the Forbidden Land, ck Beard Land. Chen Qi focused his attention. Regrettably, the small houseboat only had one cramped room, a most basic control panel, and no instruments for real-time observation of the surroundings. Some pitch-ck, twisted shadows swam under the boat. At this time, the Flower Witch stood up, ready to calm Chen Qi''s frightened emotions: "Don''t worry, the creatures under the boat are sea beasts known as ''ck beards,'' a type of creature that fears light; they won''t dare to approach ces with light." Chen Qi slowed the boat down: "I''ll be careful. Are we heading towards that opening?" In front of themy a massive ck ind, with copious amounts of ck mist spreading out from it as if it were alive. Above the ind, one could see numerous cracks, as if a god had chopped it with a crimson axe, breaking it into many pieces. To enter the interior of this dark ind, one had to navigate through these narrow cracks. The Flower Witch leaned against the boat window and pointed: "That widest entrance there, we should head in through here. By the way, Mr. Chef, the uing scene might be somewhat scary, but you mustn''t be frightened. They won''t harm you." "They are?" Chen Qi suddenly felt excited! Even though sea beasts were terrifying. Fortunately, he had been through a lot and could remain calm now even if Godzi showed up. The bright small houseboat navigated through the narrow crack, heading towards the interior. Just then, Chen Qi''s vision suddenly brightened. On these pitch-cknds, massive amounts of ck mist billowed, and some barely visible ck tendrils dangled in the water. On these ck tendrils, one could also see some torn knives. The knives bore no signs of corrosion. Recently, had someonee to this ce? Chen Qi thought to himself. "Shh, don''t worry, the ck beards fear light; as long as we don''t approach them, they won''t move..." The Flower Witch made a quieting gesture. However, against her expectations, she saw the ck beards slowly rise and twist in their direction, trying to get closer! If it weren''t for the ck beards being too short and fearing light, the houseboat would have met with misfortune. "Why? With my strength, this shouldn''t be happening." The Flower Witch crossed her arms and lowered her head, lost in thought. She understood something and said with a motherly tone: "Mr. Chef, the ck beards attack weaker creatures, considering them food. Your spiritual power field is too weak, which is why they have set their sights on you. However, rest assured, even if they all attacked together, as long as I am here, they won''t even harm a hair on you." Weak individuals be prey for the ck beards like fish. The Flower Witch patted her chest, possessing the demeanor of an elder sister looking after her younger brother. Such was the sense of safety brought by a strong Transcendent! "Hmm..." Chen Qi hesitated. No, they were justing closer, probably just wanting to say hello, to give him a hug. Of course, even though the ck beards were friendly. Chen Qi, having no interest in the unsightly ''ck beards,''cked any desire for them. Chen Qi had seen many sea beasts by now and had stringent requirements for them. He most wanted to encounter the kind of sea beast from which you could easily repeatedly harvest resources. Sort of like Ghost Fire Fish. If not, they should at least have a higher aesthetic value, like the ck Ship Sea Dragon. Chen Qi observed and under the protection of the ck beards, he could vaguely make out some broken weapons. Not only that, but there also seemed to be some smaller sea beasts. But regrettably, with the Flower Witch on the boat, it wouldn''t be appropriate for him to make a move. Under the illumination of the boat''s light, the little houseboat passed through the region of ck beards and slowly prated deeper into the ind. Chen Qi stopped the boat. An entrance resembling a wormhole appeared before him. It was very simr to the entrance of an E-grade crack. The Flower Witch looked upon this doorway, as if seeing her weaker self from more than a decade ago. She had arrived home. Chapter 104: Chapter 85: The Vegetable Garden Chen Qi stopped the boat, holding a kerosenemp as he walked out of the boathouse, scrutinizing the closed ''portal gate''. This gate could only be opened by the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch took off her cloak, revealing her white shoulders and legs. Ayer of pale blue spiritual power appeared at her feet. Spell ''Water Walking''! She easily stepped onto the water and approached the portal gate. "Need some help?" The Flower Witch worried that Chen Qi might not be able to jump over. Learning this spell and excelling in the first-year test at the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom Academy could earn top marks! Walking on water was really not difficult. Chen Qi tossed away the Water Elf and stepped on the Deep Sea Water Elf, reaching the portal gate even faster. "?!" Two small flowers popped up on the Flower Witch''s head. Being from the Guardian Beast country, she suddenly felt she had seen too little. "Ahem, open the door." The Flower Witch said, her voice and appearance being the key. Under the Flower Witch''smand, the closed portal gate slowly opened, revealing a narrow crack. Chen Qi followed behind the Flower Witch, continually entering within. At first, it was extremely narrow, allowing only one person to pass through. The farther they went, the broader it became. After walking for about two minutes, Chen Qi emerged from the entrance. Moonlight shone on his face, a vast green prairie unfolding before his eyes. "This is..." Chen Qi was amazed by the expansive scene before him. [You have entered the crack ''ck Land''.] Crack! Chen Qi instinctively became cautious. He was now in another world. With the descent of Crack Tide, no one knew what might happen inside the crack. The Flower Witch walked ahead: "Do not worry too much, this crack has undergone high-level harmless containment treatment. The pollution has been removed, it should be fine." High-level crack harmless technology was an extremelyplex technology requiring the simultaneous mobilization of the Meteorological Bureau, the Hunter Association, the Purification Department, and the Crack Stabilization Department, along with other Transcendent forces, to achieve. Simplified, only state-level power could aplish this! Harmless treatment, this was the Witch''s background... Chen Qi excitedly nced around. The bright moonlight covered the vast grasnd, casting a gentle glow on each de of grass. It looked just like a normal prairie. The Flower Witch took a deep breath and walked towards her small home. An open-air pharmacy. The pharmacy was filled with a faint herbal aroma, interwoven with the dust particles in the air, creating a unique atmosphere. A cab nearby was full of various herb bottles, withbels so faded they were illegible. In the corner, old alchemy equipment stood silently, its metal parts rusted, but its past power and magic still palpable. "Please wait a moment, let me clean up a bit, then I''ll help you make a potion with the Pale Scale Fruit." The Flower Witch picked up an old broom, a feather duster, and a rag, and quickly cleaned up. "Can I take a look around?" Chen Qi curiously nced around. The Flower Witch loved the joy of cleaning dust: "No problem, just treat this as an ordinary ce, no need for formalities." Chen Qi took a step forward and bent down, his pupils contracting. In the distant low in, he could see endless tombstones. These tombstones were old and worn, at least a century old. Roughly estimated, the number of tombstones here surpassed ten thousand. "What are these tombstones?" He curiously asked. The Flower Witch turned her head and sighed: "Several hundred years ago, when the Witch Sea first faced the Great Whale''s descent, ten thousand soldiers polluted by the Great Whale''s body turned into its ck tide army, destroying everything in sight. The Great Whale, an ancient being from the Era of Darkness, once infected, no medicine or surgery could save. Five hundred years ago, the previous Flower Witch handled them all here and buried them, setting up these tombstones." The reason the Flower Witch killed so many was because of the Great Whale, but except for schrs studying alchemy, few knew this. People only remembered the terror of the Flower Witch. Chen Qi stomped underfoot. Meaning that beneath himy the corpses of ten thousand people. This was the power of the Great Whale... He suddenly felt a chill in his heart. No matter what era, ten thousand people was a terrifying number. Chen Qi let out a long breath. Before absolute extraordinary power, people were merely numbers. Many ancient monsters fed on human emotions and spirits. Weak transcendents would only be fodder for the monsters, making them stronger. This was why every nation had rules prohibiting any individual or organization from privately venturing to the border. After cleaning the pharmacy, the Flower Witch took out the Pale Scale Fruit and began making the potion. At this moment, she suddenly became a bit sad, a few blue sorrowful flowers blooming on her head. She looked at Chen Qi, murmuring: "Chef, if you can, after making some money, it''s best to head to the ind cities of Shell Country. Don''t stay in the Witch Sea anymore." She had a good impression of Chen Qi, a brave man trying to survive, daring the storm and the risk of sea monsters to sail alone on the ocean. Though she wasn''t sure if he was rted to the [Report Agency]. "Why?" Chen Qi asked curiously. The Flower Witch hesitated for a moment before speaking: "ording to my teacher''s prophecy, the Great Whale will eventually cross the border, and the entire Witch Sea will be destroyed. Though just a prophecy... if possible, please stay away from this ce. Even the old monsters in the maind probably can''t stop the Great Whale''s descent. And I..." The Flower Witch said as the flowers on her head wilted. Many who perished in the sea didn''t even have a tombstone. Chen Qi did his best to appear surprised. This prophecy was notprehensive enough. The Witch Sea''s destruction? The whole world would be doomed. Other regions wouldn''t fare much better. This ce was so wonderful, with its winds and sea, and friendly sea monsters. Leaving wasn''t an option. Chen Qi shook his head: "I''ll consider it, but the Crack Tide is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us ordinary transcendents without backgrounds." Chen Qi didn''t hide his strong desire for power. ording to the background of the "New Sun Game," only absolute power could survive in this wave. As a transmigrator yer, he had to be as strong as possible. He couldn''t yet involve himself with the ck Whale Group or the main narrative of this sea. The Flower Witch stood there for a moment, nearly forgetting that although the person before her was just a First Order transcendent, the Dragon''s Breath Grass in her had was obtained thanks to him. "Sorry, I said too much. However, please still be careful, especially stay away from the ck Whale Pirate Group and the Sea God Pirate Group." The Flower Witch focused on making the potion. With nothing to do, Chen Qi wandered the grasnd with the Deep Sea Water Elf. Suddenly, he noticed a plot ofnd growing vegetables. Chen Qi''s eyes lit up. This seemed to be a vegetable garden. "Flower Witch, can these vegetables be used?" "Hmm... the garden still has vegetables growing, so yes." The Flower Witch recalled the days of gardening a decade ago. She didn''t expect that after ten years, the vegetables were still so well preserved. Chen Qi squatted down and pulled up a vegetable. These ingredients weren''t ordinary, but specially cultivated extraordinary ingredients! Chen Qi casually picked a few, and a special prompt appeared before him. [Ten-Year Extraordinary Cabbage Nature Form: Cup, Flower Description: Extraordinary vegetable cultivated with spiritual power. Consuming it can promote digestion, body growth during the growth period, and slightly enhance constitution.] [Ten-Year Extraordinary Carrot Nature Form: Cup, Flower Description: Extraordinary vegetable cultivated with spiritual power. Consuming it can enhance vision, and with long-term use, greatly improve vision, and slightly increase inspiration.] What on earth are Ten-Year Extraordinary Vegetables? Do they really take ten years to grow? Chen Qi looked at the vegetable garden, about the size of a small basketball court. The vegetables here could feed an ordinary person for a year. His culinary skills might have found a new purpose. Chapter 105: Chapter 86 Flower Witchs Fantasy Time The moonlight cast nting shadows as Chen Qi gathered cabbages and carrots into a basket in the field. Perfect, he hadn''tpleted his daily task yet, and both he and the Flower Witch had spent a lot of energy on Flower Ind. Chen Qi felt hot and particrly hungry: "Flower Witch, what would you like to eat?" While the Flower Witch was busy making medicine, it was the perfect time for him to cook a meal and showcase his culinary skills. A few cheerful little yellow flowers sprouted from the Flower Witch''s head: "I like all vegetables, except fatty meat." Liking everything was actually the most troubling thing, Chen Qi nced at the vegetable garden. Besides themon cabbages and potatoes, carrots were the most plentifully grown. There was just a small piece of meat left in his backpack card, just enough to make stir-fried pork with cabbage and saut¨¦ed shredded carrots. This meadow was the perfect ce for a pic. Chen Qi took out a pot, a cutting board, and some firewood from his backpack card. Click, click, click, click! He sliced the carrot and tore the cabbage by hand. He heated the oil, saut¨¦ed the meat until it was fragrant, then added the vegetables and seasoning. Then he sprinkled some Soul Seasoning and a bit of garlic shoots. Two delicious vegetable stir-fries were quickly prepared. Chen Qi couldn''t wait to have a bite. Because of his increased constitution, his appetite had been quitergetely, and he had been eating a lot of meat. [You have cooked Transcendent Saut¨¦ed Shredded Carrots, earning 90 Spiritual Points.] The Flower Witch was in front of an alchemical furnace, as if she was cut off from everything else: "The inspiration element in Pale Scale Fruit is too high, I need to add three grams of Nightmare Fuel, two grams of Depress Mushrooms to counteract excessive inspiration, yes, put all these ingredients together, and start the first wave of heating." The Flower Witch belonged to the type who became absorbed in her work and forgot herself. "Such enviable talent, I get distracted so easily." Chen Qi was subconsciously always aware of his surroundings, no matter what he was doing. He ced the dishes on a solid wood table and waited quietly for the Flower Witch to finish her work. A momentter. The Flower Witch wiped the sweat from her forehead: "The first step is done, now, wait for twenty minutes before proceeding to the second step of toxicity neutralization." At that moment, she sniffed the air, and her stomach growled loudly. Eating is one of the important things in this world, Chen Qi took out two ceramic bowls from his backpack card. "Flower Witch, you''ve worked hard. Let''s postpone the alchemy for a bit and eat first." The Flower Witch was attracted by the fragrance: "Thank you, indeed, you are a chef, it smells wonderful." However, she nced at the side of the table. Ten years had passed, and the chairs had be shabby and dusty. As the mistress of the Witch''s home, how could she allow a guest to sit on a dusty chair? The Flower Witch rolled up her sleeves, ready to clean the chairs first. Chen Qi, without hesitation, looked at the water elves ying around and then suddenly grabbed one: "No need, Flower Witch, I have a chair here." The seven deep sea water elves had already formed a hierarchy from oldest to youngest. The table wasn''t tall, perfect for using deep sea water elves as cushions. He ced a water elf at the side of the table to serve as a seat cushion. At the same time, he also cushioned his own bottom with a water elf. The deep sea water elves were soft, and sitting on them was even morefortable than a sofa. "Won''t it hurt them¡­" The Flower Witch was startled and gently sat on the water elf with cautiousness. "No worries, they are professionally trained," Chen Qi replied. The deep sea water elf under the Flower Witch''s bottom understood something but looked quite reluctant. It was a rare deep sea water elf, a standout among water elves, and didn''t want to be used as a cushion by anyone other than its master. Why should it be? Just because they were all deep sea water elves, some were sat upon by the master, while others had to be sat on by stinky humans from who knows where! Looking at the eldest being sat on by the master, this deep sea water elf gave a jealous look, started squirming, and expressed its dissatisfaction. The Flower Witch shivered a bit, wondering if she was so easily disliked by pets. Chen Qi gave the water elf a cold re. You''re still not happy? Hemunicated with his eyes to the deep-sea Water Elf beneath the Flower Witch''s bottom. Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin If it didn''t behave, he would use it as water for boiling. "Waku waku." The Water Elf reluctantly settled down. The Flower Witch shifted her buttocks. So bouncy, so soft! This feeling was even morefortable than the fire dragon skin sofa back in her hometown. The Flower Witch started to eat. Chen Qi ate a piece of stir-fried meat and asked, "Flower Witch, right, why did you specifically tell me to beware of the ck Whale Group and the Sea God Group?" "Because, because..." The Flower Witch choked, took a sip of water, patted her chest, and slowly said, "When I was a child studying pharmacy, these two pirate groups existed. I was young then, but even so, I witnessed many of their atrocities. Even if you want to be a powerful Transcendent, never join them. In the end, you will only be a monster, a non-human monster. These matters should be documented in the archives at the newspaper office, and once someone bes an officer, one can never escape their clutches." ck Whale Group... Chen Qi fell into thought. To be honest, the crew of the Sawshark treated him quite well. One of the reasons he had escaped from the ck Whale Group was due to various scandals about the group discussed on forums. Although pirates are supposed to yearn for freedom, the high-level yers in this faction were restricted everywhere, like prisoners on death row. Chen Qi continued to ask, "Flower Witch, did you have a grudge against the ck Whale Group since childhood?" The Flower Witch nodded and clenched her fists, "Yes, if I could, I''d kill Auntie, kill Father Whale. If it weren''t for them, my teacher would not have..." At this point, the Flower Witch stopped short. The information she revealed was obviously a bit too much. She wasn''t afraid of Chen Qi leaking the information, as these details were also recorded in the newspaper. But for a First Order Transcendent, knowing too much wasn''t a good thing. Many secrets only bring death. If Chen Qi were also hunted by the ck Whale Group, that would be troublesome. She was stubborn all her life and disliked involving others. Chen Qi tactfully asked no further questions. The matter of the Flower Witch was deeply connected to the main storyline of the Witch Sea, which also happens to be the toughest main storyline of the Witch Sea. Chen Qi solemnly reminded her, "Flower Witch, please be very careful, surviving is more important than anything else." His understanding of the Witch Sea''s plot was limited. But he knew that the Flower Witch''s experiences were far from smooth sailing. The Flower Witch finished off half a bowl of shredded carrots and changed the topic, sporting a slightly arrogant expression: "Well, Chef Sir, don''t worry, I am the one who inherited the title of Flower Witch. Ordinary pirates, I don''t even take them seriously. Someday, after fulfilling the previous witch''s wish, my name will echo across these seas. By then, you''ll be the chef friend of the new Legend Witch." The Flower Witch smiled, already envisioning her future. In her fantasies, she beat the ck Whale Group with unparalleled strength and luck, and kicked the ck Ship Sea Dragon. She became a celebrity of the seas, received rewards from the city lord, and made headlines in the Dove Times! Eventually, she became a legendary Witch, surpassing the First Generation Flower Witch! Passersby would greet her on the street, and she could dine in restaurants without paying. After returning to the family that had looked down on her, she could hold her head high with pride. The Flower Witch ate a piece of cabbage and wore a pleased expression. Now was the time for fantasies. "Hopefully, this day wille sooner." Chen Qi sighed inwardly, unlike other invincible protagonists in different sects. In her confrontations with the ck Whale Group, the Flower Witch was often disastrously defeated. Without advancing to the Fourth Rank, a Third Rank captain under the ck Whale Group could force out the Flower Witch''sst resort, a life-consuming type of release move. All in all, the Flower Witch''s battle record could only be described as aplete mess. It wasn''t untilter, after joining forces with the de Witch, that this steadily defeated situation began to improve slightly. Chen Qi''s eyes shone brightly as he asked, "By the way, Flower Witch, may I ask your name?" Chapter 106: Chapter 87: Chance Encounter Upon the grasnd, a breeze wafted by, causing the deep sea elves beneath their seats to shudder. The Flower Witch, holding a bowl, fell silent for a moment. Dislike your own name? Or unwilling to speak it? Chen Qi paused, as if he had asked a question he shouldn''t have. On the gaming forums, the Flower Witch did have a name. But neither the Flower Witch herself nor the yers liked to mention the Flower Witch''s name. In the Witch Sea, only a title acknowledged by the world counted as a true name. Picking up a cabbage, the Flower Witch slowly said: "Fen, my name is Fen, a very ordinary name." Chen Qi gave a slight smile: "Simple, but quite nice." In this world, many people''s names consist of a single, simple syble with a simple meaning. Just like his own name in this world, Qi, symbolizing possibilities, enlightenment, and more. In the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, Fen carries the meaning of the scent of flowers. Although the Flower Witch had been running around every day and probably hadn''t bathed in many days, she really smelled nice. A name quite fitting for her. But in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, Fen is a rathermon name, and it is used by many males, akin to Jason. Though the Flower Witch came from a noble background, her name was surprisingly ordinary. Therefore, the Flower Witch didn''t really like others to mention her name. Chen Qi changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Flower Witch, how much for one of the vegetables in your garden? I''d like to buy some." The Flower Witch wiped the grease from the corner of her mouth: "Friendship price, three thousand... no, just take what you want. The Dragon Breath Grass you gave me is quite valuable and enough to buy a lot of vegetables. Besides, I''m not very good at cooking. If you can turn these ingredients into delicious food, both my teacher and I would be happy." "Just take what you want..." Chen Qi''s mouth fell open slightly. That was a whole vegetable garden! The Flower Witchughed proudly: "Although you can''t tell, I''m really quite good at gardening." "Gardening?" The Flower Witch made a motion of carrying a hoe and exined: "Yes, when I was a child, because I was recuperating, I always lived in the countryside. Our family''s maxim is nobility and elegance! But in the countryside, there were no pianos, no flowers to nt, no peers to y with, and they wouldn''t let me interact with pet beasts. Many elegant pursuits were beyond my reach. However, I thought about it¡ªif nting flowers is elegant, then gardening should be elegant too. So, I started gardening with the maid, and I even got scolded for itter." "Did you nt this whole vegetable garden?" Chen Qi was somewhat admiring as he imagined it. The young Flower Witch, wielding a hoe twice her height, clearing thend. All these vegetables represent no small feat. The Flower Witch seemed to have found a kindred spirit. After all, her parents and rtives always told her that gardening was something only vulgar people did. A few lively small yellow flowers sprouted on her head: "Yes, and do you know what? After I fulfill the lifelong wish of the Flower Witch, I n to adopt an even more elegant and domineering title for myself." Chen Qi curiously pressed on, "What title?" The Flower Witch had inherited the wish and legacy of the First Generation Flower Witch, so she always identified herself with this title. Blood Flower Witch? The Flower Witch''s ultimate move was to bloom flowers amid blood. Or Fragrant Witch? This was a moremon title, but it suited the identity of the Flower Witch. "Hmph, hmph, it''s a title I''ve thought about for a long time, exceptionally elegant." "What is it?" The Flower Witch puffed out her chest, touched her nose with her index finger, and said with a touch of pride: "Vegetable Witch." "!?" Chen Qi almost choked on a piece of cabbage. What kind of title was that? Why not call herself Potato Witch or Cabbage Witch? It''s like turning the Gluttonous Witch into the Eating Rice Witch, the Angry Witch into the Wild Witch, the Ice Witch into the Ice Cream Witch, the Despair Witch into the depression witch. Mainly because, in Chen Qi''s view, vegetable also has another meaning. Vegetable, as in ''just practice''. The Flower Witch asked expectantly, "How about it, isn''t it very elegant?" "Hmm¡­not bad." Chen Qi nodded in agreement. The Flower Witch revealed two happy little yellow flowers: "Right, quite elegant, indeed. Unfortunately, I cannot abandon this name until I have fulfilled the wish of the Flower Witch. I must follow the path of my teacher to make everything better and to cure the illness¡­" As the Flower Witch spoke, the flowers atop her head wilted slightly, a heavy sense of fate and illness pressing down. Striving for fame alone in this vast sea is no easy feat. And to challenge the great whale is to challenge fate itself. Only those of legend could achieve such a miracle. Beneath every legend lies countless scattered bones. No one knows how many who set out to sea are buried in the Witch Sea. Amidst their casual conversation, the food on the dining table was nearly finished. And the alchemy furnace began making bubbling sounds. Reluctantly, the Flower Witch rose from the Water Elf''s side, resuming her potion brewing. Chen Qi had the deep-sea Water Elf tidy up the cutlery and dishes. Under his training, she had learned how to do the dishes and clean. He was confident that before long, the deep-sea Water Elf would also learn to fold nkets and give massages. A somewhat bored Chen Qi asked, "Flower Witch, how much longer will you be?" "A few hours." Just watching the Flower Witch make potions wasn''t much of an activity... Chen Qi pped his book: "I want to take a look outside ck Land. I saw some excellent Transcendent ingredients while I was sailing." "Ingredients?" The Flower Witch recalled for a moment. In ck Land, indeed, there are many rare Transcendent fish species. Although ck Beard is of no danger to her, for Chen Qi, venturing unprepared into ck Land is like amb entering a wolf''s den. The Flower Witch took out a bottle of ck potion and handed it to Chen Qi: "The scent of this potion can repel ck Beard. If you''re venturing out, you can apply this potion so that ck Beard won''t attack you." "Thank you." Chen Qi took the potion and applied it from the top of his head to his feet. Continue your adventure with m|v-l''e -NovelBin Then, he passed through the crack and returned to the ck Land Ind. The morning sunlight shone on his dark hair. Chen Qi enjoyed the sun washing away his fatigue: "Is it daytime already?" The entire ck Land Ind was like a vast reed field. Except these reeds were the taller ck Beard. Chen Qi wandered through the dense ck Beard, looking towards the water as he ventured deeper. After some time, he sessfully found a rare sea beast. "What is this?" Chen Qi crouched down and picked up the ck m at his feet. [ck m Introduction: Transcendent m species, known for its sharp shells capable of biting humans, causing them to fall into a nightmare. Its inner ck pearl can attract one''s gaze, making it a rather nice jewel.] "Ten ck ms, this is all money, they can be transnted to the Land of White Trees." Chen Qi ced the ck ms into his water bucket. The ce of ck Land is too remote and broken. He decided to give the ms a better home. A pearl from a ck m can sell for about seventy thousand; ten would fetch seven hundred thousand. Moreover, unlike ordinary ms, ck ms are not to be underestimated, with very rapid pearl production. With the addition of Ghost Fire Fish, saving up to buy a big ship wasn''t just a dream. A path to wealth was already appearing before him. Chen Qi continued cautiously within the ck Beard, seeking more ck ms. Suddenly, he heard some familiar voices, along with the sound of a de cutting through flesh. Boom! Boom! Besides that, there was the roaring sound ofrge machinery. "How about it, our great little ship doctor, how''s the concentration of the ck Whale Blood?" A familiar voice came from behind the ck Beard wall. Chen Qi stopped in his steps, slowing his movements. In this forbiddennd of ck Beard, there were others... Chapter 107: Chapter 88 Black Whale Blood ck whiskers stood like a massive wall, forming a barrier between him and the source of the voices. Muffled voices came again from beyond the whiskers. "I''m still extracting, so please keep quiet. Analyzing the concentration of ck whale blood is a task that requires extreme patience and specialization," "Understood, understood." "No worries, take your time, our best ship''s doctor. We have all the time in the world since we have to wait here for our prey to take the bait," Chen Qi pricked up his ears, trying his utmost to analyze the voices. Two men and one woman. The woman''s voice was somewhat dispirited, the men''s voices were one older and raspy, and the other had a maic baritone quality. These two voices took him back to a ship being battered by pouring rain. The ck Whale Group''s Sawshark''s little raven, and the ck-eyed Captain. Why were they here? What were they doing here? A multitude of questions sprang up in Chen Qi''s mind. Both were third-tier Transcendents. At this stage, Transcendents were also respectfully referred to as Masters. Third-tier Transcendents not only had mastered Body Forging Skill and breathing techniques, but the powerful abilities granted by their Transcendent professions also enabled them to establish high-orderbat schools. Their strength was sufficient to defeat an army of a thousand constructed by mere mortals. In short, they were not opponents he could contend with at present. If discovered, I''d be like a weak little sparrow,pletely at their mercy. Chen Qi carefully backed away, slowly as if he were a stone sculpture. However, behind him, voices of people conversing arose. This ce wasn''t home to just one group of pirates. "Trouble, it seems like I''m trapped here," Chen Qi muttered to himself. If not for these ck whiskers that were twice as tall as a man and could shield spiritual power perception, at such a close distance, he would have been discovered already. And at that moment, something unexpected happened. As his movements slowed, the ck whiskers beneath his feet began to stir. Slowly, the whiskers wove through his trouser legs, under his clothes, and gently caressed his skin. These whiskers took advantage of his inability to make any significant movements to ambush him! Though this was merely their way of showing affection, and quitefortably so. But they''re too loud! Keep it down, now is the worst time to be discovered. Oddly enough, Chen Qi now felt like a naked man hiding in someone else''s wife''s wardrobe. The little raven looked over and mumbled, "These ck whiskers might be cute, but the sound of their wriggling is really noisy." Chen Qi held his breath in that instant. As a sea breeze blew by, the whiskers swayed. And then, through a tiny gap in the whiskers, Chen Qi saw in an instant. Ships upon the sea, heavy salvage machinery, the little raven with a microscope, and a man wearing a pure ck mask. And... The ck-eyed Captain''s eyes, dark as the abyss, flickered towards him. The ck-eyed Captain said with irritation, "Indeed, the noise from those ck whiskers is truly annoying." Following that, his gaze shifted away from the whiskers. Phew¡­ Chen Qi breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He wasn''t discovered. Lucky for me, the ck-eyed Captain has poor perceptive abilities. Moreover, the whiskers clinging to his body and clothes had formed a natural ck ghillie suit. Now, he had perfectly blended in with the ck whiskers. Just wait a bit longer, acting rashly would only expose himself. Chen Qi slowly squatted down, enduring the strange sensation brought by the whiskers, and maintained a posture he could hold for a long time. Afterward, he focused his attention on the trio beyond the whiskers. They seemed to be discussing something very important now. This was a good spot for eavesdropping. ... ... Opposite ckbeard, on a small boat on the pitch-ck sea. It was a research vessel, equipped with a small instrument table, and beneath the boat, arge number of tools were ced. Little Raven stared at ckbeard for a while, then withdrew her gaze and continued fiddling with the microscope on the table: "The concentration of ck Whale Blood extracted from this mutated ck-blood fish has reached 70%, which is a considerably high concentration of ck Whale Blood, ck Glove." Underneath Little Raven''s hands, there was a ck object the size of a human head. Rather than blood, it was more like a squirming lump of ck flesh. A mechanical voice sounded once again. "How much? A 70% concentration, Raven, you truly are the finest ship doctor in the ck Whale Group, this concentration is enough to make those from the Ocean Deity Cult kneel down and kowtow a hundred times," said the one called ck Glove. The person speaking was named ck Glove, wearing a ck mask and dressed in all ck, wrapped in a ck scarf, topped by a slick ck top hat, with thick, ck felt boots and ck gloves. A person wrapped up tight in his own covering. ck Glove... In the shadows, Chen Qi let a drop of cold sweat fall. On the gaming forums, he was a notoriously tough BOSS. Although he was also a Third-order Transcendent, he hadpleted the construction of his own style, ''Shadow Stream'', making his strength far surpass ck-eyed Captain and Little Raven. Flower Witch seemed to have fought against him too, and the result was a draw. But what was ck Whale Blood again? Chen Qi reflected for a moment. It seemed to be something extracted from mutated monster fish. Chen Qi remembered that the Deep Sea Merchants had asked for something simr. ck Glove, delighted with the high concentration of ck Whale Blood, eximed: "Raven, I knew that in these dull times, I wasn''t wrong to wait for you guys. Little Raven, you have talent, a fishing captain who has failed, a broken-down Sawshark, this isn''t the ce for you." The air was suddenly thick with tension. The irritable ck-eyed Captain gripped the new sword he bought for a hundred thousand Shell Coins: "Shut your mouth, ck Glove, even though I haven''t achieved much recently, you are not much better. Your Wild Dog Gang and ck Rabbit Gang in Moonstone City were all captured in one fell swoop, weren''t they? Even, you''re not even willing to go there and retrieve your subordinates'' corpses!" ck Glove spoke sharply: "Youck ability, while I only encountered a natural disaster. Who asked those little rabbits to run into the ck Ship Sea Dragon and the monsters of the Ocean Deity Cult?" Grinding his teeth, ck-eyed Captain was upset, but his recent achievements did not give him the right to talk back to ck Glove. Moreover, strictly speaking, ck Glove was already his superior. ck Glove gently stroked the lump of ck Whale Blood: "ck-eyed Captain, you were once part of the Hunter operation, the organization gave you a chance, but you brought back nothing but casualties to the organization." "Go to hell, you maggot lurking in the shadows," retorted the ck-eyed Captain furiously but helplessly. "Ah~ Keep the insultsing!" ck Glove, who seemed to have the upper hand in the argument, let out a sound of satisfaction, then pulled out a special ss tube and handed it to Little Raven: "Little Raven, pack this thing properly. Oh, and I''ve called you here not just to help me with the ck Whale Blood, but also to share some vital news with you all." "What is it?" "Recently, all our operations in Moonstone City have been uncovered, and a lot of key intelligence has fallen into the hands of the press and the navy. Because of the leak, one of the magnificent Whale Father''s children, a cadre who had served the ck Whale Group loyally for twenty years, met an unfortunate death." ck Glove leaned in close to Little Raven, his words carrying a hint of threat. Something was wrong... Little Raven''s palms began to sweat: "An intelligence leak, that really is unfortunate. We''ve recruited too many people in the ck Whale Group, and there are always some bastards who would betray us for money." ck Glove didn''t speak, but fumbled in his pockets. Little Raven''s heart rate spiked suddenly. Had her cover, after so many years, finally been blown? Chapter 108: Chapter 89: Son of the Black Whale Spiritual Power emerged at the foot of the man in ck gloves, as he lightly stepped onto the water and said: "It wasn''t those minor characters who leaked the information, but rather intelligence about Hunter operations and the Witch, and as a result, our ck Whale Group has lost an important officer." Lil'' Raven maintained his usual back-talking stance: "That officer really was unlucky, he died a terrible, pitiful death. So, what does this have to do with us?" It probably wouldn''t be discovered... Lil'' Raven focused on putting the ck Whale Blood into the ss bottle. The man in ck gloves stood up straight, his voice cold: "Of course it concerns you, Lil'' Raven." "?" The air had frozen solid in an instant. The man in ck gloves took out a whale ring from his pocket: "An officer has died, and now, his ce is yours, Lil'' Raven. This is Father Whale''smand, now you too are a child of Father Whale, an officer of the ck Whale Group." Lil'' Raven gaped open-mouthed: "Me?" The other two men present were also extremely shocked. An officer of the ck Whale Group, also known as a child of Father Whale. To be a child of Father Whale was extremely difficult. It required not only outstanding contributions to the ck Whale Group but also the personal approval of Father Whale. Like the ck-eyed Captain, he had been in the ck Whale Group for at least twenty years, evolving from a young Englishman abducted forcefully by a matron to the formidable middle-aged man he was now. Even after having dedicated his entire youth to the ck Whale Group, the ck-eyed Captain was still just an ordinary captain, and had never received the recognition of Father Whale. Bing a child of Father Whale meant eligibility to ess the secret information of the ck Whale Group and more resources. In the future, it also opened up the possibility of promotion to the Fourth Rank. In the eyes of others, the Fourth Rank was known as a Legend, whose power appeared godlike to ordinary people. An ordinary person''s endpoint, reaching the Third Rank, would consume half of their life savings. In this era, where high-order cracks werepletely monopolized by nobility. The door to the Fourth Rank was a massive wall insurmountable to ordinary people. Once one became a Fourth Rank, it meant eligibility to join the Shell Country''s guilds and workshops, bing someone who shaped rules and touched immortality. "Why?" Even though his subordinate had be an officer, the ck-eyed Captain felt a confluence of emotions, indescribable at this moment. Lil'' Raven also asked in disbelief, "Why? I haven''t really done anything substantial. In the Hunter operation, we haven''t even found the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure yet." The eyes under the man in ck gloves'' mask shifted: "Indeed, Raven, but it''s not your fault, it''s all the ck-eyed Captain''s fault!" "You have the ability to extract ck Whale Blood, and you even sent two research papers on Sea Beasts to Bei Country Royal University, including the origins of Sea Beasts and the ssification of monster blood. Having such a deep understanding of monsters is a talent, a hard to replicate talent. Before you, no one could refine ck Whale Blood with a concentration over fifty percent." "Just because I can extract ck Whale Blood with a concentration over fifty percent?" Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin Lil'' Raven challenged. "Yes, the ck Whale Blood in your hands is something that can change fate." The man in ck gloves handed her the ck Whale Ring symbolizing her new status: "This is the raw gemstone of talent, Lil'' Raven. From now on, you are like me, an officer of the ck Whale Group, and we will rise together to the crest of the waves." Lil'' Raven slowly epted the ring. The ck Whale Group somehow knew about her having sent papers to Bei Country Royal University. If it weren''t for the Raven mask, they would see a panicked bird. Having been undercover for several years, she had actually mixed her way into bing a core officer. And possibly the youngest core officer in the ck Whale Group. She was still such a na?ve kid! Lil'' Raven touched her hair, knowing that, as an officer in the ck Whale Group, the sry and resources she received now far exceeded those provided by her undercover identity. The man in ck gloves pped his hands: "Congrattions, Lil'' Raven. In the future, concerning the forbidden creation of Meat Cutting Bone Breaking, we will likely also need your help." "To be able to participate in that event¡­" The ck-eyed Captain felt a chill in his heart, unable to describe his feelings at that moment. Human joys and sorrows do not coincide. Initially, he had taken a notorious ck doctor on board, who now actually qualified to step into the Domain of Legends. And he had just recently lost his ck de, searching for it all over the Moonstone City Inds to no avail. Once again, the image of a ck-haired boy surfaced in his mind, a frail boy sick to the marrow, an unfortunate boy parasitized by a Sea Beast and sunk into the depths of the sea. Missing him! How wonderful it would be to see him again, how wonderful¡­ The ck-eyed Captain sighed deeply. The ck Glove paid no attention to the ck-eyed Captain''s mood: "By the way, ck-eyed Captain, don''t worry anymore. Sooner orter, you too will qualify to be a son of the Whale Father. For now, I have a new mission for you here." The ck-eyed Captain looked curious, "A new mission?" The ck Glove looked around ck Beard Land: "Yes, ording to thetest news from the Eye of Long Voyage, the ce we are now, ck Beard Land, not only has ck Whale Blood but was also once the residence of a Witch." The ck-eyed Captain cast aside his dejected expression, "A Witch''s residence? Are you sure?" "No mistake, although it''s a low possibility, we can''t rule out the chance of a Witching. Your Sawshark will just be responsible for guarding here, and incidentally, checking if there are any new mutant creatures." "Is there anypensation?" The ck Glove coldly replied, "None." The ck-eyed Captain''s expression turned fierce, and he clenched his fists: "Isn''t this just letting us rot here! I still have to pay my crew." The ck Glove spoke fiercely: "ck-eyed Captain, don''t think that you, having failed repeatedly, still have a say. I''m telling you, don''t think I don''t know about the young man because of whom you lost the ck de! You''re not some pampered pretty boy kept by a granny. If you wantpensation, show some results!" Each of the ck Glove''s words, like a de, struck the soft underbelly of the ck-eyed Captain. Damn it! The ck-eyed Captain clenched his teeth hard and could only swallow his anger: "Fine, but just so you know, I''m not good at locating people." The Crow''s gaze nced briefly at the ck Beard, then quickly changed the subject: "The possibility that a Witch would live here seems too low, doesn''t it? The Witch couldn''t have already arrived, could she?" "What are you talking about, Crow¡­" The ck Glove knew that the Crow was famously jinxed. Just then, a sea breeze blew. The ck Beard swayed slowly like reeds. It was so quiet¡­ The ck Glove became alert. Besides the three of them as admirals, there should be other pirates nearby. Moreover, they had just heard some strange noises. "Gentlemen, something seems off, we might have encountered something strange again." The ck Glove concentrated a pitch-ck shadow at his fingertips, entwining like a small snake. Gazing directly at this small snake made one feel cold, and stirred intense feelings of inferiority, hatred, and sadness. He lightly tapped the surface of the water with his fingertips. Shadow Wave, a type of explorative magic, could detect high-spirit entities within a hundred meters. A jet-ck wave of spiritual power spread from that spot, sweeping over the spiritual entities within a hundred meters. "How is it?" The Crow focused his gaze on the ck Beard, asking. The ck Glove slowly stood up, spoke with a serious tone: "The game is on, gentlemen, a Third Rank master with a Floral Appearance is approaching us." Chapter 109: Chapter 90 Im Here to Avenge You! "A Third-order Transcendent with Floral Appearance?" The ck-eyed Captain gently stepped on the surface of the water, moving forward with his de in hand. Continue reading at m|v-l''e -NovelBin He looked into the distance, where arge number of blood-stained petals floated down the river to their feet. Floral Appearance symbolized surpassing, nature, and art, and rted professions oftencked prowess in battle. As a result, the ck-eyed Captain walked on the water leisurely, as if the situation was firmly in his grip. The ck glove stepped forward: "ck-eye, are you out of your mind? Showing off at a time like this? Show some respect, this is the Flower Witch!" "The Flower Witch?" The little crow''s heart fluttered with excitement and she waved her hands. As a fellow Pharmacist, the Flower Witch was the grandmother of Witch Sea potion learning. Her idol! Since childhood, she grew up listening to stories of the Flower Witch burying a hundred thousand people in the ground. For a long time, she believed that humans grew out of the soil. It wasn''t until she was fifteen that the little crow learned how humans normally reproduced. Unfortunately, her current identity didn''t allow her to ask the Flower Witch for an autograph. Moreover, this Flower Witch was only a Third-order, not the legendary Witch. "Be careful, you guys." The little crow''s dream of getting an autograph copsed, and with an indifferent attitude, she stood on the rocking boat, continuing her work. She hadn''t yet poured the extracted ck Whale Blood into the ss bottles. After all, she was a non-Water Walking nurse, hanging around in the back was just fine. She turned her head, more curious about what cute little Sea Beast was hiding behind the ck beard. The Flower Witch was discovered? Chen Qi,pletely wrapped in ck beard, no longer hid his voice but took out his most powerful beast hunting handgun and loaded it. Among them, the ck glove, as a Third-tier Shadow-rted profession "Malicious nderer," had the strength to fight the Flower Witch to a draw. Together with the ck-eyed Captain and the little crow, if they fought, it was sure to be a one-sided battle. If the battle was lost, both the Flower Witch and he could end up as captives of the ck Whale Group. "There''s only so much I can do." In the darkness, Chen Qi gripped the firearm in his hand. Although he had developed well, fighting across two ranks was simply unrealistic. Even the little crow''s small fists were more than he could handle. Moreover, his constitution wasn''t sufficient to use the Residual Fire Touch. The best option was to follow the ck beard, using the Water Elf and firearms as support. The ck-eyed Captain and the ck glove stepped across the water, moving towards the Flower Witch. The wind howled through the ck beard, sounding like the rion call before a battle. At the end of their vision, a girl covered in blossoms appeared. She bathed in fresh blood, her withered Magic Wand emitting a series of shrieks like the whispers of monsters, appearing as if she were a forbidden monster that had broken containment. The blood-red blossoms symbolizing anger bloomed heatedly with the boiling blood beneath her skin. She plucked the blossoms that blocked her vision from her flesh, revealing her blood-red right eye. Near the scientific research boat was a pool of red blood. Beneath the little crow''s feet were bucket after bucket of fresh flesh and blood. The Flower Witch sighed: "Am I toote..." Since Chen Qi had not returned, she came out of the crack to search for his whereabouts. Following the trail with a tracking Spell, she chased all the way here, only to discover pirates lurking nearby. At that moment, she vaguely felt that Chen Qi had met with misfortune. Now, seeing the blood-covered little crow, she could almost be sure of it. Chen Qi, a Chef by profession, had ended up as food on the chopping block. Although she still had many questions about Chen Qi, he was the first person she had met upon arriving in the Witch Sea. Such a dashing young man, such a hard-working young man. He cooked delicious meals, and evenmanded a Guardian Beast! Damn it, she couldn''t stand it, was a good person destined to have a gun pointed at them! It was just right to settle new and old hatreds at once. Qi, I will avenge you! Anger zed in the crimson eyes of the Flower Witch: "Hand over the corpse, and I''ll leave you with aplete one." Corpses? The ck glove looked around, the only corpses here were the mutated fish with ck blood. "Hahahahaha!" With a bigugh, the ck glove spread his arms: "Be grateful, be grateful! I never expected that the legendary Flower Witch would also desire a corpse rich with ck Whale Blood, longing for the way to eternal life." Though wearing a dark mask, there was an infinite mockery in the ck glove''s words: "However, Flower Witch, why are you so angry, did you lose a dear one?" Crackling! From the Flower Witch''s Magic Wand, red lightning burst forth from the tip. A basic attack Spell, branching type! Two bolts of Spiritual Power-formed lightning emitted screeching sounds as they surged towards the ck glove. The high-energy Spell, like countless searing des, ferociously tore apart his flesh and blood. Abundant crimson blood gushed from the ck glove''s body. The ck glove twisted his neck suddenly, making a sound like breaking branches: "Great, this is just fantastic!" "Flower Witch, is this all the strength you have? Haven''t had your meal? Bring on some more!" Layer uponyer of ck pus sacs pierced through his body, then twisted and converged, forming new flesh. The Flower Witch gripped her magic wand. As opposed to the usual circumstance, the ck gloves actually withstood the hit with brute force! Under normal circumstances, a human body, without taking any potions, would absolutely be incapable of such grotesque regeneration. Her attack did not have the desired effect. The figure before her in the ck gloves was not merely a flow of Qi Power nor armor but an even more formidable and terrifying forbidden school ofbat. "My turn now!" Endless squirming darkness appeared on the body of the man in ck gloves; viscous blood churned, and the tips of his fingers once again bore a pitch-ck little snake. In an instant, the small ck snake contorted and swelled, sprouting solid flesh, erging nearly a thousand times, like a rapidly inting balloon creature. Shadow Serpent. Devour! The enormous serpent''s ferocious head dove down, crashing towards the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch raised her magic wand, forming a shield with a floral pattern in front of her. Basic defense spell. Spiritual Power Shield. The serpent shed against the shield, sparking and creating a cacophony of hisses. But in that instant, a blurred silhouette dashed to the side of the Flower Witch and drew a long de from his waist. Draw Sword sh! Like a demon released from its cage, a long de was drawn, shing through the air with a ripping light. The perception of Spiritual Power by the ck-eyed Captain was weak and mages found it difficult to sense his Qi Power as well. The Spiritual Power Shield was very effective against spell attacks of the same Spiritual Power makeup. However, it was significantly less effective against the closebat techniques that used Qi Power to enhance strength and speed. Third Rank, an iplete ss of Shadow de appearance¡ªrogue... The Flower Witch turned her head, her hand wielding the wand swiftly rotating to cross in front of her chest. Basic melee move. Great Staff Block. Bang! Sparks flew! I can''t hold it back, I''m only a pharmacist major with part-time mage knowledge, familiar with some basic spells, the Flower Witch clenched her teeth: "No choice, I must use this move." High-order melee spell, On-site Explosion! In front of the Flower Witch, a surging ball of Spiritual Power violently converged, as if infused with infinite thunder. Compress,press,press! Until it reached its limit! Boom! Their attacks contacted for a moment, like lightning converging, creating a massive explosion that stirred great waves. Beneath the colossal waves, the three rapidly distanced themselves. The dust settled. The Flower Witch wiped the fresh blood from the corner of her mouth, panting heavily. As a mage, it was fortunate she had learned On-site Explosion. Otherwise, it would have been troublesome to be cornered by a warrior in close quarters. The Flower Witch lifted her blood-soaked hand, and once again, blood-red flowers grew on her fair arm. The ck-eyed Captain got yed by her On-site Explosion, his sturdy arm covered in blistering scars. Of course, the man in ck gloves was almost unscathed. He stood up, as if the oue of this battle had been preordained, mockingly saying: "So this is the Flower Witch? Quite a far cry from the witches in legends. Do you truly deserve to bear this name?" The Flower Witch knelt, drinking down a vial of dragon''s breath potion inmed with essence blood: "You''ll find out." The atmosphere among the three was like a hundred tons of gunpowder about to explode. The probing was over; the next sh would determine victory or defeat. "They''re really going at it." "Can this Flower Witch make it? Seems more useless than I imagined." "Quite disillusioning, I feel like even I could be a witch." The small crow goofing off in the boat set down a ss tube filled with ck Whale Blood, looking for something to eat. However, as she reached out casually, she touched something soft and springy. The small crow grasped this little thing, held it in her hands, and examined it closely. "Wah, wah!" The deep-sea water elves looked pitifully at the small crow; they never imagined their owner would send them to steal. The crow tamer paused for a moment, her face turning faintly red as she pinched: "Where did this little thinge from? It''s quite cute..." So cute! The crow was momentarily smitten by the deep-sea water elves. However, the next second, she sensed something amiss. This group of water elves didn''t seem to be wild. She looked back. Amidst the ck whiskers, a creature covered in them darted about. This must be the creature that was stirring within the ck whiskers just now. What species is this? A ck monkey? The worldly small crow was momentarily stunned. Then, the next second, the ck-whiskered creature pulled out a beast hunting pistol and aimed it at her. He pulled the trigger. Chapter 110: Chapter 91: Im Responsible for the Squawking, Youre Responsible for the Killing Rampage Bang bang bang bang! Bullets drew several horizontal lines in the air. Little Crow casual flick of her head, easily dodging: "Such poor marksmanship." Luckily, Little Crow reached out to catch the stray bullets, with blood blossoms sttering in her palm. The bullets failed to prate Little Crow''s defenses. Didn''t break through, huh. Chen Qi could only give a wry smile of helplessness. He had never seen Little Crow exert her full strength while cking off. Little Crow''s profession wasn''t a [Pharmacist], nor a [Doctor]. Instead, she belonged to the more powerful specialty of a cup shadow: [Drug Test Subject]. The greatest feature of her profession was the significant enhancement of her drug absorption capacity. With the aid of being a drug test subject, she could consume ten times more potions than an average third-tier Transcendent¡ª and their potency surged by several times! Thus, Little Crow''s truebat style was to crazily gobble down drugs and then enhance her body. Unlike the Flower Witch, Little Crow specialized in monster potions. The hidden potions she possessed were taboo concoctions capable of twisting both flesh and mind. Simply put, Little Crow was essentially a drug-gobbling, life-risking Berserker. But due to the severe side effects of drug consumption and her undercover identity, Little Crow usually acted as abination of an actor and a cker. With that kind of sry, she didn''t want to push herself too hard. Chen Qi stowed his gun and took advantage of the recent explosion to run a circle around ck Beard Land, putting himself in aparatively safe position. Moreover, his n had worked. Four deep-sea Water Elves, like skilled thieves, suddenly pulled the scientific equipment and microscopes into their bodies from the research boat. Among them was also the tube containing ck Whale Blood. Although he didn''t know its specific use, it was definitely good stuff, good enough to drive the man with the ck glove crazy! Little Crow extended her hand, trying to stop the deep-sea Water Elves. However, the next second, the Water Elves plunged into the depths of the sea, never to be seen again. The waters of ck Beard Land are very deep. Chen Qi then stepped on the Water Elves, sprinting towards the Flower Witch. "!" A little flower of surprise sprouted above the Flower Witch''s head. Despite being wrapped in ck tendrils and wearing Hunter''s Clothes, the Flower Witch recognized Chen Qi at first nce. So you''re still alive, huh! In the face of this sudden development, the man with the ck glove also turned his head and roared: "Little Crow, what are you doing? Go after him!" Little Crow, looking at the group walking on water, spread her hands helplessly. Damn, why can everyone walk on water! She couldn''t step onto the water''s surface, so how could she chase? The Flower Witch abruptly picked up her Magic Wand, focusing her maximum Spiritual Power at its tip. Support! Basic attack Spell, full-power version! Ferocious thunder cleaved through the water, creating a huge wave between the man with the ck glove and Chen Qi. Thinking to block me, the man with the ck glove murmured, "I really am underestimated." He licked his lips: "Flower Witch, I will show you the greatest insult to yourpanions right before your eyes." He braved the Flower Witch''s Spell head-on and then flicked his finger, sending a ck giant snake cutting through the sharp Spiritual Power towards Chen Qi. "You''re bracing against me?" Chen Qi drew his beast-hunting pistol, aiming at the immense ck snake. Bang! A blue me traced a massive line in the air. A bullet drenched in ghost fire oil shot out, striking the ck snake in the eye. Immediately afterward, he grabbed a deep-sea Water Elf and hurled it at the giant snake. Fire in the hole! The Water Bomb with tremendous force exploded, shattering the head of the ck serpent like a watermelon. In their continuous sprint, Chen Qi and the Flower Witch managed to rendezvous. The Flower Witch looked at Chen Qi, who waspletely entwined in ck tendrils, looking like a monster. She smiled faintly. Still alive, and doing well. Unexpectedly, he had endured ck Beard''s torture and held on for so long. It couldn''t have been easy; ck Beard must have done some terrible things to him. Unfortunately, the present situation didn''t allow for idle chat. She raised her Magic Wand, saying to Chen Qi: "Run, Chef, these three are very strong. Leave the rest to me." A first-order Transcendent like him would only be a burden to her here. "No, you run too. We can''t win against them." Chen Qi''s gaze was cold as he brushed the dust off his clothes. At the same time, to prevent ck-eyed Captain and Little Crow from recognizing him, he altered his voice. His voice was full of masculine charm with a nasal twang. The Flower Witch was instantly doused with cold water by her teammate: "Eh? I also run? And what''s with that voice?" "Bubble sound." Chen Qi loaded bullets into his gun. Rashness would only lead to death. Three Third-tier Transcendents. Among them, Little Crow held a trump card, and Gloved Hand mastered theplete Shadow School. As for the ck-eyed Captain... Though without much merit, he was tough to take down! Even if the Flower Witch were to sacrifice her life to use the taboo spell of release, she wouldn''t be able to defeat the three of them. Gloved Hand''s body continuously dripped with blood, darkening the sea below him as he said with a smile: "Do you two bugs think you can get away? You can do nothing. Once we catch you, we will bestow upon you the greatest insult." Blooms of fresh red blood flowers appeared on the pale skin of the Flower Witch. Angered, Chen Qi spoke coldly: "Flower Witch, keep your cool. This man''s profession is a Third-tier Shadow upation, the ''Malicious nderer.'' Shadow is a collective of filth and malevolence. He can absorb the malevolence directed at him and turn it into his own strength, and the attacks from those who harbor malevolence toward him will be significantly weakened." The Shadow upation represents the dark side of the world, that is, the collective of human negative emotions. upations with high negative emotions such as prostitutes, robbers, thieves, and victims of bullying are all rted to Shadow. And the Malicious nderer is a typical masochistic upation. The more others hate him and hold strong malevolence, the weaker their attacks will be. At the same time, he can absorb this malevolence, merge it with spiritual power, store it, and use it to cast powerful Shadow spells. His upational task is to draw a random "lucky" person each day and provoke others'' malevolence towards himself. This school, also known as the Keyboard Warrior, Mocking, or Shadow School, is a both powerful and disgusting branch within Third-tier upations. The moment Chen Qi finished speaking. The other four fell into a brief silence. Especially the Flower Witch and Gloved Hand, both of whom looked dumbfounded! Really? Even though his voice was greasy, what he said seemed to make sense! The Flower Witch adjusted her breathing, indeed feeling a surge of irritable malevolence. Gloved Hand spat out a mouthful of bloody water: "Damn it, how do you know?" The Malicious nderer was a rather rare Shadow upation, one that many libraries would not even record. A normal person couldn''t possibly know about it. Chen Qi chuckled: "Read more books, peruse the newspapers, get plenty of sleep." This guy is no ordinary person... Gloved Hand gritted his teeth: "So you''re knowledgeable. But even so, you still won''t escape from the palm of my hand." Gloved Hand''s fingertips began to condense little ck snakes again, and he said to the ck-eyed Captain: "ck-eyed Captain, you waste, you go first!" As only a First Order Transcendent at the moment, if Chen Qi wanted to be of help to the Flower Witch, he had to demonstrate his usefulness. In the Transcendent world where hierarchy matters, it''s rare for a low-order Transcendent tomand a high-order one. Many high-order Transcendents are quite arrogant. At first, they ask for advice humbly, requesting others to point out issues. The next day, who are you, what''s your status, to point out my issues? Luckily, the Flower Witch was quite open-minded. Following my earlier remarks, she should be willing to listen to me. Right after, Chen Qi opened his backpack card and continued speaking: "Flower Witch, restrain your urge to kill, maintain a peaceful heart and strike him as if you were hitting a stone by the roadside." Malevolence is unending. Unless one is an emotionless battle machine, it''s impossible not to generate malevolence when fighting a "Malicious nderer." Levelling out your emotions, treating the opponent as a mere rock; although it can''tpletely nullify Gloved Hand''s ability, it''s sufficient. "Mhm." The Flower Witch obediently nodded her head. From a young age, her teachers had taught her that in thepany of three, there is bound to be something to learn from. She suspected that Chen Qi might very well be a formal member of the intelligence organization known as "The Press." She took a deep breath, and the blood from her pale skin fell onto the sea surface with the wind. She raised her head, looking at Gloved Hand as though she were regarding a roadside stone: "It might work..." Being regarded as a stone? Why not look at me as if I''m dog excrement? Gloved hand felt insulted but didn''t sense the strong malevolence. It was just like the countless practices she went through as a child. She held her magic wand with both hands, and once again, a powerful energy gathered at its tip. Basic attack spell, full-force version against a stone! Chapter 111: Chapter 92: Give Some Face The air around began to violently fluctuate, and the mighty Spiritual Power converged, like a ferociousser cannon erupting forth. The ck-eyed Captain swiftly backed away. The ck gloves also stopped resisting head-on, moving instead like a wild dog in full sprint. Boom! Blood sttered as the upper half of the ck gloves was cut open with a vivid wound. Chen Qi raised his head and sneered, "How about that, ck gloves, still feeling good?" The bloodied ck gloves stood up, almost biting through his teeth in anger. In the world of pirates, Extraordinary Rank symbolized status. Now, he was actually being mocked by a brat of the First Order. The feeling of being insulted by a brat was unbearably humiliating! It had been a long time since he felt this way. He spat out a mouthful of bloodied teeth: "Not bad, exhrating, bring it on~" A huge amount of sticky, pitch-ck shadows emerged again on ck gloves'' body, beginning to repair his flesh. A Third-tier Transcendent is a point of qualitative change. Once one reaches the Third Rank, with enough Transcendent modifications, one can train their body to a state as tough as reinforced iron. The flesh itself can resist a barrage of bullets! And what the ck gloves trained in was a shadowy body capable of constant regeneration. "What should we do?" The Flower Witch sweated, holding her magic wand in both hands, her toes skimming over the surface of the water. The weakness of a shadowy body is... Chen Qi quietly pondered. Being among the outstanding Third-order Transcendents, ck gloves'' physical robustness had already exceeded human limits. "We can''t kill him, but we can disable him temporarily. After disabling them, we just run," Chen Qi inly stated the n and asked, "Flower Witch, do you have any fire-based moves?" Shadows fear the light, particrly wary of fire-based moves. The Flower Witch paused for a second: "I can''t, I''m an amateur mage, only capable of some basic techniques." "What about potions rted to fire?" "None, they all fell into the sea..." The Flower Witch clenched her magic wand tight. Watching ck gloves as his body nearly finished regenerating, Chen Qi raised his head, analyzing the situation at hand. The little crow was shirking, using the excuse of not being able to walk on water, always ying coy. The ck-eyed Captain was very selfish, unwilling to sacrifice himself to create an opportunity for ck gloves to strike. Probably, it would only be when it''s time to steal the killing blow that the ck-eyed Captain would make a move. In simple terms, among these three people, one was an undercover actor and another a headhunter unwilling to get hurt. The real key was with ck gloves. Chen Qi opened his backpack card: "Flower Witch, what about control-type moves?" The Flower Witch''s eyes lit up: "I''m very good at those! Especially entwining ones, but when I am casting control-type techniques, I can''t output any attacks." If she couldn''t deal damage, Chen Qi''s small pistol wouldn''t be able to inflict effective harm. And if Chen Qi engaged in meleebat, it would be a suicide mission! His bullets just now couldn''t even prate little crow''s defenses. Therefore, the Flower Witch had not used her control-type moves until now. The Flower Witch bit her lip, a look of worry on her face. "Hey!" ck gloves dug at his ear and berated: "Are you two discussing tactics to our faces, thinking we are deaf? Are your heads made of wood? If ites to it, why not whisper in her ear?" The experienced ck gloves pointed out, feeling utterly belittled! The opponents even dared to discuss tactics before him. Show some respect, will you! Chen Qi raised an eyebrow; he actually thought that ck gloves made a fair point. And the next second, he suddenly felt a soft, warm breath at his ear. There was also the fragrant scent of jasmine. The Flower Witch leaned towards Chen Qi, her heading closer, whispering in his ear: "Unless¡­ ck gloves and ck-eyed Captain show a gap in their defenses, I can''t control them. Moreover, your pistol might not be able to inflict effective damage on them. So, how about we run¡­" Chen Qi''s hand trembled slightly. In the game forum, with the Flower Witch as the protagonist, she was cheerful and lively, yet her entire being was bound by fate, a raremitted career type. Was the Flower Witch''s favorability towards him already so high, or was it because of a special rtionship... Chen Qi''s heart raced for a moment, as he said in a serious tone, "No, his pursuit ability is very strong, we must cripple him before we can run. Next, I will create his vulnerability." ck Gloves''s ears perked up. All of the conversation between the two had been overheard by him. ck Gloves silently adjusted his breathing, umting power. A First Order Transcendent, thinking of creating his vulnerability! "Come here, number three Water Elf." Chen Qi''s palm faced downward. Under hismand, a Water Elf abruptly popped its head out of the water and bounced into his hand. ck Gloves''s body trembled. Inside the body of the Water Elf in Chen Qi''s hand, there was an extremely precious item! ck Whale Blood! Sufficient to refine their ck Whale Blood! The ss tube containing ck Whale Blood, when had this been taken... ck Gloves turned his head to look at the small crow. Small Crow spread his hands: "©·(-.-)©³." Unable to walk on water, what could he do? Attacked by surprise? He had tried his best! "I''m just a healing Doctor." Small Crow argued thus. It was quite normal for a Healer to get ambushed. ck Gloves felt an agonizing pain in his chest from anger. More despairing than a powerful enemy were teammates who cked off and fished. Chen Qi suddenly threw the ss tube containing ck Whale Blood backwards: "ck Gloves, if you don''t want this tube of ck Whale Blood to vanish,e and get it." The ss tube fell into the sea and was taken by a deep-sea Water Elf, moving away from their position. He absolutely couldn''t show any vulnerability at this moment! ck Gloves struggled to maintain hisposure. But watching the ck Whale Blood getting further and further away, he couldn''t help but take a step forward. If he dyed any longer, ck Whale Blood might vanish into the vast ocean! That was tied to his ck Whale Group cadre evaluation for the year! "It doesn''t matter, I am strong." ck Gloves hesitated no more, as three pitch-ck little snakes appeared at his fingertips. The three snakes swelled up ferociously and transformed into monstrous pythons. Three Snake Bite! "Let''s go, ck-eyed Captain!" ck-eyed Captain and ck Gloves nearly moved forward at the same time. The ck beard grass swayed in the wild wind around them. The Flower Witch''s hair, full of blossoms, danced in the wind. She focused her attention and tapped her wooden wand lightly on the water''s surface. "Earth Goddess, please protect us." A ripple of Spiritual Power imbued with the essence of nature spread across the water''s surface. The Floral Appearance Technique of control, the Goddess''s Vines! A mass of green slimy vines grew from the sea, entwining towards the two men. The vines swept over both men''s thighs and arms, sessfully entwining them! "We did it." The Flower Witch was delighted, but the next second, a dread-filled ck bloom emerged above her head. The pythons on ck Gloves violently tore at the vines. The Flower Witch hurriedly said, "I can only hold them for three seconds." Three seconds was already quite impressive... Chen Qi praised, "Well done, Flower Witch!" Chen Qi didn''t hesitate, taking out an entire barrel of Ghost Fire Oil from his backpack card. Ghost Fire Oil! The ghost fire of the Ghost Fire Fish was a very special Transcendent blue me, powerful like a meat grinder, capable of burning underwater as well. Chen Qi''s muscles tensed, finding the right angle to heave a barrel of Ghost Fire Oil, drenching ck Gloves. ck Gloves felt the sticky sensation on his body: "Ghost Fire Oil? Why is there so much?" Chen Qi didn''t give ck Gloves time to react. In thest second, he aimed his gun at ck Gloves. He pulled the trigger. Bang! This burn, worth eight hundred thousand! Chapter 112: Chapter 93 Your Medicine The bullet ignited the ghost fire oil! Apanied by a loud explosion! The roaring mes intertwined like countless fiery serpents in the air. The transcendent blue mes kept rising, even forming a sky-high fiery tornado above the ocean. This burning was mixed with the scent of money, infused with his rage! The ck Glove fell from the vines into the water, convulsing incessantly. It felt as if he was being gnawed by a thousand ants and ten thousand centipedes. The ck-eyed Captain was utterly shocked! This amount of ghost fire oil was enough to burn for half a day. Ghost fire oil wasn''t cheap, and often it was hard toe by even if you had the money. The ck-eyed Captain recalled that a weapon shop typically sold only a little ghost fire oil. How many weapon shops would one need to buy out to get this much ghost fire oil! The ck Glove writhed in the blue fire; he had thought that being on water would spare him from a powerful fire attack. But he never expected the opponent would buy ghost fire oil, and a whole barrel at that! The method of use was actually to smash it directly! Is this guy a ghost fire oil wholesaler! In that instant, he felt not just humiliation but also the onset of death. "Pain, pain¡ª" "I feel like a mouse, a dead mouse that''s about to be burned alive¡­" The ck Glove, wreathed in blue mes, howled in the seawater, his body twisting constantly. For a short time, he couldn''t move, let alone pursue them. Sigh¡­ Chen Qi, relieved, patted the Flower Witch on the shoulder and said, "It''s over, Flower Witch, let''s go." The ck Glove''sst resort was a power that touched the source of his nature form. A forbidden technique that required a lot of negative emotions and a heavy price to use. At this moment, the ck Glove was already preparing this move. Continuing to fight would only result in both the Flower Witch and the ck Glove perishing together. Finally, Chen Qi nced at the disheveled ck Glove. His pitch-ck mask had been ruined by the ghost fire, revealing a sharply defined square face. At the corner of his eye, there was a scar shaped like a mouse. A rather distinctive face. The ck Glove was a "Malicious Libeler," someone who had angered enough people to fill a za. As a result, he kept himself tightly wrapped, fearing his true appearance would be exposed. Selling this information to a newspaper would definitely fetch a good sum. Chen Qi noted this, then turned, stepping on the Deep Sea Water Elf, and headed towards the small boat. The Flower Witch followed obediently, staff in hand. Under the warm light of the mes, a man and a woman gently traversed the water''s surface, disappearing from sight. ... ... Half an hour passed. The ck Glove was still burning. Even after such a long time, their figures lingered in their minds. Especially Chen Qi; the Little Crow never expected a first-tier Transcendent to leave such a deep impression on her. Moreover, he could wear the ck whisker suit for so long. The Little Crow asked, "Just leaving like that? ck-eyed Captain, aren''t you going to chase them?" "No chase, it''s not necessary. It''s a thankless task; we didn''t have the ability to pursue the Flower Witch anyway." The ck-eyed Captain ced his cold hand on the burning ck Glove, warming it by the fire. The Little Crow propped her chin up and asked curiously, "ck-eyed Captain, do you think that Flower Witch''s friend is a newspaper person or a noble from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom?" In her memory, only a noble''s carefully cultivated offspring could remain soposed at first rank. And he even knew about the ck Glove''s professional abilities. Even they didn''t know the ck Glove''s capabilities. They always thought the ck Glove just had a sharp tongue. In a third-order Transcendent''s battle, a first-order Transcendent often couldn''t intervene; many times, even looking could be fatal. Unexpectedly, the other side became the Flower Witch''smander. "He is¡­" The ck-eyed Captain''s body shook abruptly. It was strange, but he thought of that boy parasitized by a sea beast, an excellent crewman who inherited his ck knife legacy! Although wrapped entirely in ck whiskers, making him unrecognizable. But it was so simr, so very simr! Could it really be him? The ck-eyed Captain gripped his knife and shook his head. "What is he to the Flower Witch? Come on, tell me." The Little Crow pursed her lips. The ck-eyed Captain said in a deep voice, "You wouldn''t believe it even if I told you." "You don''t know if I won''t believe you unless you say it." "Even if I did, you wouldn''t believe me. My guess is too bold, too shocking." "You''re crazy." The Little Crow retorted. But regarding Chen Qi, she had her own assumptions too. He pulled out a newspaper from the research boat. The headline was about the ck Rabbit Gang being wiped out in a mysterious attack. But that didn''t seem right¡­ The Little Crow picked up the newspaper and then ced it down, shaking her head. Recently, too many strange things were happening on the ocean. Suddenly, a raspy voice came from beneath them. "Who he is might be... important, but can you two help put out the fire first¡­" Half an hourter, the ghost fire on the ck Glove had diminished somewhat. The ck-eyed Captain mockingly looked down; "ck Glove, you didn''t say anything, kept shouting pain, pain, pain. I thought you were trying out some new game. Feels good?" After a long silence, the charred ck Glove said, "Not... good." ... ... Thump, thump, thump! Deep Sea Water Elves dumped everything they had stolen from the research boat onto the small houseboat. The Flower Witch and Chen Qi also jumped onto the small houseboat. "Whew, we survived¡­" The Flower Witch took a deep breath, smiled, and extended her small pink fist to Chen Qi. "?" Chen Qi extended his fist as well. Bang! A victorious fist bump! "That was close, that was really close; I thought I was going to die." The Flower Witch patted her chest; she never imagined the ck Glove would be this strong. Moreover, his powerful shadow form far surpassed the normal constitution of a third-order Transcendent. The ck Glove was most likely Whale Father''s child from the ck Whale Group and had undergone a special baptism. Chen Qi started the small houseboat and checked their loot. A radio transmitter, a special blood analyzer, and some strange gadgets. These things together could easily fetch a million. Robbing and running, quite exciting! But the most important was a precious vial of ck Whale Blood. Chen Qi examined the ss vial in his hand. The ck Whale Blood squirmed continuously, seemingly trying to break the special ss vial, like rushing tides, intermingled with the breath of a great whale, crashing towards him. Chen Qi murmured, "A dangerous thing." Whaty within was too perilous. The Flower Witch said seriously, Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin "That is ck Whale Blood, blood from an ancient border species. Consuming it grants immense power. But as a price, it pollutes one''s spirituality, making normal ascension impossible. Eventually, it wouldpletely warp a human''s flesh and spirit, turning them into a mad monster." "Is that so¡­" This battle had been quite thrilling. Without the ghost fire oil, he and the Flower Witch would have sustained far more serious injuries. Chen Qi stored away the ck Whale Blood and then looked at the sky. It was still early morning; the sunlight gently sprinkled, tinting the distant horizon a faint golden hue. Chen Qi felt the soft and warm rays. At this moment, he noticed that ever since boarding the ship, the Flower Witch had been staring at him. "¡­" Chen Qi looked at the ck whiskers'' attire he was wearing. The ck whiskers were still wriggling. This attire was very ufortable at first, but over time, wearing it surprisingly became a bit pleasant. "Ahem, I forgot to take it off." Chen Qi plucked the ck whisker grass from his body and threw it back into the sea. Fortunately, the ck whisker grass wasn''t very aggressive under sunlight,bined with his earlier application of sea beast oil, it didn''t arouse the Flower Witch''s suspicion. "By the way, are you a member of the newspaper?" The Flower Witch asked curiously. Could Chen Qi really be a member of that legendary newspaper? Chen Qi had previously been with Pei Lu and knew the ck Glove''s information! Thus, she suspected Chen Qi was also part of the intelligence organization, the Newspaper. "No." Chen Qi replied resolutely. "Really?" The Flower Witch pouted, casting a doubtful look. She then walked out of the boathouse and spread her arms. The golden sunlight fell on her, like a beautiful flower field just in full bloom. Then, she suddenly remembered something and hurriedly took out a pale potion from her belt pouch. In the sea breeze and sunlight, she smiled radiantly and said, "Almost forgot, your potion!" The Flower Witch proudly lifted her chin; this was a potion she had meticulously concocted. Chapter 113: Chapter 94: The Pale Medicine The Flower Witch handed Chen Qi two vials of potion. One was a white potion made from pale scale fruit, and the other was a potion exuding a green sheen. It didn''t look very appetizing. Chen Qi asked "What kind of potion is this?" "Flu medicine." "..." Chen Qi felt a warmth in his heart. He had almost forgotten about his flu "Really... thank you." Chen Qi drank the flu medicine, then held the white potion up to the light, examining it carefully. The potion had a unique pale hue, different from ordinary white, carrying a faint cold glow, like moonlight reflecting off the water''s surface. As sunlight shone through, ripples began to form within the potion, as if endless life was surging inside. An unprecedented prompt shed before Chen Qi''s eyes. [Pale Scale Potion: Nature Form: Cup, Lamp Description: An extraordinary potion made with pale scale fruit as the core, blended with various herbs. Effect: Significantly enhances inspiration, boosts physical constitution. Note: The soul shines from within. Upon consuming this potion, your body will undergo a slight evolution.] Chen Qi didn''t hesitate and drank the potion in one gulp. In an instant, a faintyer of light appeared before his eyes. Tooth-filled jellyfish floated by the horizon, the sun smirked and then opened its cold, illusory eyes, and numerous red-eyed arms emerged from the sea... This felt like eating poisonous mushrooms! Chen Qi closed his eyes, trying to adapt to this peculiar sensation. The Flower Witch exined "The pale scale fruit contains the power of themp. Using it directly can cause mental disturbance, but don''t worry, the neutralizing herbs will take effect soon." Then, the fantastical scenes before his eyes began to change. The jellyfish turned into scantily d jellyfish girls, the sun became a Teletubby, and countless withered arms made a "V" sign at him. Is there a difference? What kind of neutralizing herbs did you exactly add? As time passed, the fantastical scenes in his mind gradually dissipated. Chen Qi felt a hot sensation starting from his feet and rising to the top of his head, then opened his eyes again. [Your constitution has increased by 7 points, your inspiration has increased by 12 points, and your intrinsic spiritual power has moderately enhanced.] Many of his attributes were already nearing the peak of a First Order Transcendent, but he still managed to improve so much. "It''s not easy." Chen Qi once again checked his attribute panel. Thirty points in constitution, fifty points in inspiration, twenty-two points in agility. Though they didn''t seem high, these stats were already extraordinary for a novice transcendent! Many second-tier transcendents had only around twenty points of constitution and thirty points of inspiration. Thirty points in constitution marked an important milestone. Reaching thirty points in constitution allowed for armor imntation surgery, preliminary mechanical ascension. Discover more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin He could practice legendarybat skills and begin the martial path, using his physical form to touch the heavens. It also allowed for safe gic enhancement and bloodline evolution. Most importantly, it met the wearing conditions for the [Residual Fire Touch]. Fifty points in inspiration meant he could easily identify insights for D-level and lower cracks and learn many powerful detection skills! And these attributes would get a small percentage increase when he advanced to second-tier. With his current state, even if showered with blue-med machine gun fire, he could still be lively with qi power! Feeling the power surging within his body, Chen Qi excitedly said "Flower Witch, can you give me a punch?" Qi power and constitution were now criticalponents of his defense. Confidence! Daylight broke, and he was ready for action! Chen Qi wanted to test his current defense level. How did itpare to the Flower Witch''s punch? A third-tier mage''s punch was still within his eptable range. Besides, the Flower Witch''s delicate fists, she shouldn''t be good at closebat, right? "Give you a punch? Really?" It was the first time the Flower Witch had received such a bizarre request. "Really." Bang! A crisp sonic boom echoed in the air! Scorching smoke wafted from Chen Qi''s abdomen. The Flower Witch retracted her crimson little fist, apologetically said: "I only learned the most basic fist techniques. Was it okay?" Although she was mainly a pharmacist, she knew a bit of everything. Basic fist techniques? Are you sure that wasn''t a sonic boom punch just now! A man couldn''t admit to being weak, but the pain left him unable to speak... Chen Qi felt momentarily muted, then, after a long silence, squeezed out two words "Not bad..." Chen Qi promptly turned his head, straightened his back, and wiped the corner of his bleeding mouth. He needed more practice! Indeed, without corresponding qi skills, attributes alone were far from sufficient. Next, Chen Qi walked to the control panel and asked "By the way, Flower Witch, where are you nning to go next? I need to head back to Moonstone City." Having finished attending to the Flower Witch''s matters, Chen Qi was ready to return to the city to upgrade his equipment and skills. "To Moonstone City as well." The Flower Witch had already thought about her future ns "To advance to the fourth rank legendary realm, I must fully assimte my pharmacology. Next, I''m nning to collect medicinal herbs andplete the digestion of my transcendent upation. Then, I''ll find a way to pass my mentor''s trial. Besides that, I want to search for relics like ''Meat Cutting Bone Breaking,'' ''Sea Song,'' ''de of Blood,'' and ''Joyful Elf,'' as well as info on the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure, to arm myself." Aside from her magic wand, the Flower Witch''s other equipment was quite ordinary. "Meat Cutting Bone Breaking?" Chen Qi asked curiously, having heard the term before. The Flower Witch exined, "Yes, it''s a weapon of the Deep Sea Hunter''s nemesis. This monster merged with a sea beast and forged a monstrous weapon, causing countless tragedies. But a century ago, this weapon was lost in a crack. With the arrival of the crack tide, many lost relics will see the light of day again." Relics... Chen Qi nced at his backpack card. In a way, his equipment, [Residual Fire Touch], was also a relic. Then, the Flower Witch frowned "But the most important thing is solving the money issue; I''m nning to sell a vial of Dragon Breath Potion at the pharmacy." The Dragon Breath Potion was highly valuable and useful, something one would never sell under normal circumstances. But the eternally stubborn Flower Witch was now poor and reluctant to take up a job. Chen Qi''s eyes lit up "Dragon Breath Potion, how much per vial?" Why sell it to the pharmacy when he could buy it directly? With the ck ms and Ghost Fire Fish, he now had a steady ie. The Flower Witch, calcting her living expenses, travel costs, and potion-making materials, muttered "Eighty thousand shell coins." That was close to cost price, Chen Qi said "Deal." Once again, they made a transaction. Chen Qi took the potion. [Dragon Breath Potion: Nature Form: Cup Effect: Temporarily grants minor dragon might and Dragon Charm. Both female and male dragons will find you appealing, and you''ll experience a surge in spiritual power and a temporary boost in overall attributes.] Spiritual power surge! Chen Qi brightened. Whether it was qi power or shadow power, it relied on the spiritual power in his blood. A surge in spiritual power meant an enhancement in his qi power. With a spiritual power surge, he could arm his entire body with qi power. The Flower Witch rubbed her eyelids: "Well... Chef, I''m going to take a nap." Extended traveling and potion-making had left her mentally and physically exhausted. After a brief conversation, the Flower Witch hugged a Deep Sea Water Elf and fell asleep at the dining table. As she closed her eyes, her lips curled slightly. If it weren''t for Chen Qi, she might have used her Flower Image Technique, ''Flowers Blossom in Blood,'' against the ck Gloves. Using it would have resulted in long-term side effects and subjected her to at least a month of bone-crushing pain. Also, this mission severely injured the ck Gloves. Such severe injuries, even for a Third-tier Transcendent, were unimaginable. "Woohoo¡ª" The Flower Witch''s small head sank into the cushiony body of the Deep Sea Water Elf, sleeping soundly. The other Deep Sea Water Elves also closed their eyes. Chen Qi watched this warm scene, smiling slightly. He was also very tired, but as the captain, he had no time to rest. He had to wait until he reached the shore... Chen Qi steered the small cabin boat toward the distant Moonstone City. The small cabin boat carved a white line across the blue sea. Return voyage! Chapter 114: Chapter 95: Transcendent Path, the Choice of Unique Nature Form In the blink of an eye, a peaceful day had passed. The sky changed from blue to ck, then gradually turned from deep ck to a warm orange-red, indicating that a new day was about to begin. In the morning, in front of the harbor of Moonstone City, a gentle breeze blew, carrying a faint scent of sea salt. On the harbor, fishing boats were docked neatly, their sails gently fluttering in the breeze, making a rustling sound. The small houseboat slowly sailed into the harbor from the distant blue horizon. "Finally arrived." Chen Qi patted the Flower Witch on the shoulder: "Flower Witch, we''ve arrived, time to wake up." He hadn''t expected that the Flower Witch could sleep on the boat for over twenty-four hours straight! And she slept very deeply! Poor Deep Sea Water Elf No. 1 was pressed under the witch''s corbone and hadn''t moved for a whole day, with the Flower Witch''s drool on its body. "We''re here?" The Flower Witch opened her drowsy eyes and stretched: "Did I sleep for a whole day?" "Yes, and you slept very deeply." Did I snore or drool? My elegant and mysterious image! The Flower Witch was startled, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks. As an elegant witch, she had to maintain her image. She immediately got up, put on her cloak, covering her face and the white arms and legs adorned with flowers. Although her sleeping posture was a bit unsightly, ever since arriving at Witch Sea, this was the first time she had slept sofortably. The Flower Witch asked softly: "Ahem, I didn''t talk in my sleep, did I?" Chen Qi thought for a moment: "You seemed to talk about something rted to your teacher and elegance." Luckily, my elegant and mysterious image should be intact¡­ The Flower Witch walked towards the door of the cabin. Chen Qi smiled and said: "Goodbye for now, Flower Witch¡­" The Flower Witch was going to search for herbs, and with his current First Order strength, he couldn''t help much. Besides, Chen Qi also had many of his own matters to attend to. The small houseboat was about to dock, and it was time for them to part ways. The Flower Witch adjusted her attire and asked softly: "Mr. Chef, how do I find you in the future?" Considering her need for free meals and his journalist status, among other reasons. The persistently stubborn Flower Witch decided to get a contact method. She had to admit, Chen Qi had helped her a lot. If it wasn''t for Chen Qi, she wouldn''t have easily gotten the Dragon''s Breath Grass or escaped from the trio''s grasp. Chen Qi answered: "At this harbor, I''ll be operating the dining boat in the evenings; if I''m not here, you can ask the old man at the newsstand in the Third Civilian District." "Understood." She straightened her back, her hands like holding a long court dress, and bowed gracefully: "Thank you again. Without your help, I might have had to deal with the troublesome Blood de Pirate Group." The noble bowing etiquette for expressing gratitude was unexpectedly standard. Wait, dealing with the Blood de Pirate Group¡­ Chen Qi suddenly thought of something. He remembered, in the mid-game, the Blood de Pirate Group and the Flower Witch knew each other. They fought against the ck Whale Group together. Undoubtedly, the Blood de Pirate Group didn''t know the Flower Witch now. The Blood de Pirate Group and the Flower Witch must have met on Flower Ind. Chen Qi was startled, he seemed to have disrupted the encounter between the Flower Witch and the Blood de Pirate Group. Many things in this world were already moving in apletely unknown direction. Chen Qi threw down the anchor, docking the small houseboat: "By the way, Flower Witch, you''d better change your outfit, or you might be targeted by a certain blonde¡­ cutie." Besides the ck Whale Group, there were also miracle reporters wanting to find the Flower Witch. "Hmm¡­ see you! May we both be well when we meet again!" The Flower Witch jumped off the small houseboat, waving goodbye. After the Flower Witch left, Chen Qi looked at the empty small houseboat and the seven bouncing Deep Sea Water Elves. A bit quiet¡­ He held a Water Elf, counting the gains from his backpack card. This voyage yielded considerable gains. Since setting out to sea, his achievements were quite impressive, even including theplete destruction of the Steamship of the ck Rabbit Gang. However, thisrgely depended on sea beasts like the Nearshore Dominator, not his own strength. In the hunting ground, he also relied on teaming up with the Beasts of the Water. Chen Qi shook his head. If this continued, he would be a kept man by sea beasts. The real key was his own strength. Chen Qi sat at the table, took out paper and pen, and wrote down a simple n for what was next. Firstly, he needed to take care of the White Tree''snd, sweeping all the Ghost Fire Fish in the near sea area of Moonstone City, leaving none behind, capturing them all! At the same time, he nned to ce ck ms inside, establishing a preliminary sea beast breeding ground. The Transcendent path was extremely money-consuming, and the ie from Ghost Fire Fish and ck ms was crucial. Secondly, he would spend money to purchase Qi Power type skills, sensing, meditation methods, and a series of Skill Cards, practicing to enhance his overallbat power. Skill Cards were extremely expensive in the ck market, requiring arge amount of money. Thirdly, was the matter of promotion. He now had full attributes, and digesting the Chef upation was only a matter of time. It was time to decide on his unique Nature Form and prepare the upation Card. The first two points were not difficult¡­ Chen Qi focused on the third point. Advancing to Second Order Transcendent meant he had to determine his unique Nature Form. Chen Qi thought for a moment. Now, he was not in the game, and couldn''t choose his path recklessly. Popr entertainment modes among yers like Floral Appearance-Enchanting Demon Flow, Hammer Phase-Giant Flow, and Cup Phase-Exotic Beast Flow couldn''t be chosen. If he chose casually, his final fate would be bing ashes in history. Nature Form represented the direction of the heart. If the chosen upation didn''t follow his inner choice, in the future, he was likely to step into the path of madness. In this world filled with elements of destruction, Chen Qi had a strong desire for exploration and a thirst for power. Only by bing stronger could he survive and go further. Only under the light of themp could he see the road ahead and view the higher world. Therefore, he had two ideas. One was themp; the other was the de. Themp symbolized hope, light, exploration, and leadership, while the de represented glory and power, and conquest. "Lamp¡­" Chen Qi said subconsciously, looking towards the boundless sea. To his surprise, his inspiration talent was also amp talent! Because of that, his inspiration was different from others. Chen Qi''s heart leaned more towards themp. The path of the de had a very high probability of leading to madness, easily turning him into a lunatic. One of the six major sections of the New Sun, the ck Blood Empire, was a section filled with lunatics. To survive in this about-to-be-destroyed world meant he had to keep exploring and discovering the secrets of the world. But whether it was the de or themp, without joining a Transcendent organization, obtaining Second Order upation Cards from these two professions was very difficult. The Shell Country mastered shells and hammers, and their friendly neighbor, the White Tower Federation, mastered books andmps. Although the White Tower Federation mastered themp, its backing origin hunter organization, the "Lighthouse," had very limited influence in this world. Unlike other origin hunter organizations, the "Lighthouse" didn''t have arge number of subordinate organizations. This meant he couldn''t join amp Transcendent organization, work hard within it, and obtain a Second Order upation Card that way. He could only rely on the Crack Tide. Butmp cracks were rarerpared to other cracks. Moreover, not every time you cleared a crack, an upation Card would drop. Targeting a Second Ordermp upation Card was harder than he imagined. Due to their scarcity, these upation Cards easily fell into the hands of other Transcendents. Losing hair¡­ Chen Qi''s head hurt a bit. This meant he had to be the first source of information onmp cracks. Information coulde from the newspaper office. Read new adventures at mvl In addition to that, the Hunter Association could provide information; he needed to find an opportunity to apply for a Hunter''s Certificate. Furthermore, to advance to the Second Order, he also needed to do a lot of cooking to quickly upgrade his Chef skills. Advancing too quickly could lead to malformation. Coincidentally, his restaurant boat''s business hours were from 7 PM to 10 PM every day. Chen Qi''s eyelids drooped, he stopped writing, and put away his chaotic thoughts. He had been busy for a while and needed some sleep. Chen Qi closed the cabin door,y down on the bed, closed his eyes, and drifted into a dream. When he woke up, it would be evening, and he would head to his home, White Tree''snd, to give the Ghost Fire Fish a surprise. Chapter 115: Chapter 96 Sea Beast Breeding Base Twenty dayster, thend of the white trees. Next to a giant white tree, there stood a small houseboat. And above the sea, an intense chase was unfolding. It was the deep-sea water elves in hot pursuit of Ghost Fire Fish. "Wakuku! (You won''t get away!)" Deep-sea water elf number one, like a fierce grand demon king, gobbled up ten Ghost Fire Fish into its stomach. "Wakuku wakuku (You are simply too weak!)" "Wakuku wakuku! (With such meager strength, do you even dream of making a ce for yourselves in the ocean!)" "Pfft, pfft!" The un-oiled Ghost Fire Fish wanted to ignite, to set this bastard world aze, to burn away all life on this earth! However, just yesterday, they had been plucked clean by the hands of a detestable human, not a drop left. "Wakuku wakuku! (Get in!)" With a snap! Deep-sea water elf number one spit out the Ghost Fire Fish from its body into the floating cage. Then, it bounced and swam over to Chen Qi''s subordinates, poking its head out, seeking praise. "Nicely done, number one." Chen Qi patted the head of deep-sea water elf number one. He then got off the ck Ship Sea Dragon and, stepping on the water elves, moved over to the side of the floating cage. "Breeding Ghost Fire Fish is harder than I imagined." He repositioned the buoys and supports. These days, apart from running a restaurant, practicing basic meditation techniques, he was building a Sea Beast farm with Ghost Fire Fish as the mainstay. The difficulty of Sea Beast farming was higher than he had anticipated. Yet, thanks to his efforts, the Ghost Fire Fish had settled down. With no hunting or work to do, and food provided every day, life was truly delightful! But as soon as the Ghost Fire Fish produced new Ghost Fire Oil, they couldn''t help but cause mischief. His painstakingly constructed sea cages had already been viciously sabotaged several times. Moreover, the Ghost Fire Fish farm required daily cleaning and feeding. Luckily, in his past life, he had been a distinguished Guardian Beast Master! Although the deep-sea water elves had no hands, their soft, slime-like bodies could actually perform many precise operations. Theirbat power was not as strong as dragons, but they were the ultimate handiwork pets! The strongest beasties for chores! And he had seven of them! Finally, with his diligent training and guidance, all seven deep-sea water elves had learned to feed fish, clean rooms, and also how to collect Ghost Fire Oil, catch fish, chop vegetables, toss in the frying pan, and massage. They could master these tasks and even outperform humans. Especially in massage and room cleaning, the deep-sea water elves had surpassed eighty percent of the people! The deep-sea water elves took on a great deal of work. If it weren''t for the deep-sea water elves, managing the farm alone would have been a disaster. Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead, stood up, and looked around the Sea Beast farm he had initially set up. He had spent three thousand Shell Coins on a twenty-meter-long floating cage. Besides that, he also farmed ck ms and moonlight fish. Chen Qi estimated that, given the production rate of ck ms and Ghost Fire Oil, in just about fifteen days, the sea creatures here would be able to provide him with a harvest worth one and a half million Shell Coins. For an individual breeder, this was truly a fortune! And the cost of feed for the Ghost Fire Oil was less than ten thousand. The deep-sea water elves didn''t require wages, so this ie was practically all profit! The only troublesome thing¡­ Chen Qi shook his head and sighed: "There''s just too much Ghost Fire Oil." As a single breeder, his supply of Ghost Fire Oil was enough to cover the whole of Moonstone City. He changed the Ghost Fire Oil market in Moonstone City with his own strength. The once rare weapon coating Ghost Fire Oil was no longer a scarcemodity in the weapon shops of Moonstone City. The weapon merchants had already realized that there was too much stock of Ghost Fire Oil. Ghost Fire Oil was continually depreciating in value. Now, in just twenty short days, the price of Ghost Fire Oil had plummeted by a full one-fifth. Therefore, Chen Qi had two ideas. The first was to be a trader and sell Ghost Fire Oil in other cities. The second was to increase the demand for Ghost Fire Oil, turning it into a best-selling product. Readtest stories on mvl In fact, Ghost Fire Oil, as a weapon enchantment coating, was not only highly functional but also aesthetically pleasing. Thus, it had the potential to be a popr product. It was just missing some advertising. But to advertise Ghost Fire Oil, unless you are a celebrity like Pe, it was still too difficult. After Chen Qi finished his work for the day, he took out today''s White Dove Times. #Crack Tide Below, The New Forbidden Marine Areas You Must Know# #The Three Jades of the Empire, Unbelievably All Gathered in Witch Sea!# #The Siren''s Song, Illusions Above the Great Sea# #The Navy''s First Expedition, Determined to Reim Control of the Nearby Seas# There wasn''t any major news; since Pe hadn''t caught the Flower Witch, the cirction of the entire White Dove Times had plummetedtely. Chen Qi nced over the newspaper''s ''New Forbidden Marine Areas''. This notably marked the Land of White Trees! At first, he thought that after the ck Rabbit incident, there would be specialistsing to investigate the Land of White Trees. On the contrary, after the ck Rabbit incident made the newspapers, The Land of White Trees became notorious above the great sea and was listed as a danger zone within danger zones. Nobody dared toe and investigate. Now, many boats that fished for moonlight fish at night steered well clear, fearing they would be caught by the nearby sea overlord. These past few days, he hadn''t seen a living soul in the seas surrounding the Land of White Trees. "That''s fine¡­" Chen Qi gave a meaningful look to the dopey nearby sea overlord. If someone came here and saw these floating cages and the feed boxes he had built, it would certainly cause an uproar. Then, it would be troublesome if adventurers were attracted to the ce. Chen Qi''s future n was to transnt many sea beasts to the Land of White Trees, constructing a small base there. However, sea beasts suitable for transnt and husbandry were hard toe by. He hoped that no one would discover this ce¡­ Chen Qi packed his things and went back inside his small boat house, ncing at the clock. Six o''clock, the sky had already donnedyers of faint darkness. It was about time to set up his stall. The nearby sea overlord sensed something and rushed over. "Goodbye, nearby sea overlord, take good care of this ce." After using the Extraordinary Fish Bait, Chen Qi fed the gasping nearby sea overlord. Then, he started his small houseboat and set off toward Moonstone City. These days, he had been looking for clues to a Second-tier Lamp Phase upation Card or a Lamp Phase crack. But the leads he found were either snatched up by others first or just misinformation. Fortunately, he had secured Pe''s assistance, thanks to offering a month''s worth of free dinners, leveraging her vast informationwork. After freeloading for ten days, Pe finally told him that she would give him an answer tonight! He hoped the information Pe provided would be useful. The engine roared and rumbled. "Water Elves of the deep sea, let''s go, it''s back to Moonstone City." Chen Qi called out. The Water Elves swarmed onto the small houseboat. Chapter 116: Chapter 97 Make Money Make Money Night had fallen, dotted with stars, in a secluded corner of Moonstone City''s harbor. At this moment, this usually sparsely popted corner gathered many of Moonstone City''s prominent figures. The street-side open-air restaurant was surrounded by soft light and the warm air of fireworks. And inside the small street-side eatery, the stove zed, the spat flew, and the scent of food was intoxicating, with the freshness of seafood, the richness of grilled meat, and the crispness of vegetables. Beyond that, the water elves constantly carried dishes, scurrying back and forth among the tables. "Water elf, serve the dishes quickly." "Being able to have this meal, this month has not been in vain." "Water elf, bring me a bottle of the strongest whiskey!" "Boss, another serving, braised abalone in sauce!" "Another serving of moonlight fish." The diners sat around the table, enjoying this rare feast. [You cooked garlic moonlight fish today and gained 85 Spiritual Points.] "Why has it turned out this way? Why?" Chen Qi waited for Perlu while genuinely wondering. His original idea was just to cook, sell food, while incidentally progressing through his Chef upation. But he never imagined it would be this popr! Three days after opening, he was already too busy to cope. Therefore, he had no choice but to switch to a reservation system. But even so, with only one chef, he was still extremely busy. Then, Chen Qi began training deep-sea water elves, letting the more intelligent ones like second and third help with cooking. Second was in charge of chopping vegetables, and third was responsible for flipping the pan. Although this reduced the quality of the dishes, it significantly increased the efficiency of serving them. Chen Qi thought that with reduced quality, there would be fewer customers. However, the restaurant became even more popr. Many people came to eat just to flirt with the water elves. Even scalpers started to snatch up reservations at his restaurant. Chen Qi''s restaurant even made it to the Witch Times, where it was dubbed as the Water Elf Restaurant in the newspaper. "Why has it be so popr?" Chen Qi rubbed his head and sighed again. The effect of celebrity endorsements was terrifying! And this was without him deliberately raising prices. Aside from costs, in just over twenty days, from only about four hours of business each night, he earned a total of over half a million Shell Coins and 1,600 Spiritual Points. Chen Qi picked up the ount book and did the math. Running the restaurant, along with the ie from selling ghost fire fish and ck pearls, added up to about two and a half million. The mass of useless equipment he acquired from the ck Rabbit ship, due tock of a formal channel, only sold for three million Shell Coins. Plus the one and a half million in cash from the ck Rabbit ship. His cash on hand once peaked over seven million Shell Coins. However, the expenses on the Transcendent path were a huge sum. He went to the ck market and bought just one nice, high-level deep meditation Skill Card and one most basic Qi Power basic defense Skill Card, and three million Shell Coins vanished in an instant. Now, Chen Qi only had a savings of four million Shell Coins. For an ordinary person, that was enough to get married and buy a house. But on the Transcendent path, this money could only stir up a little ssh. Fortunately, once the Sea Beast breeding farm was sessfully built, it would be a sustainable ie. Chen Qi reviewed the ounts for tonight. From tonight''s stall, he could make about a hundred thousand Shell Coins. Despite the restaurant''s poprity, the unit price of food made from ordinary ingredients was too low. Limited by manpower, after several consecutive days of busyness, both the deep-sea water elves and he had reached their limit. Moreover, the season for moonlight fish had passed. The most expensive moonlight fish sold for only a bit over ten thousand Shell Coins. To truly make big money with the Chef upation, the best way was still to create legendary Transcendent cuisine. Such as honey-roasted dragon meat, bone dragon rib soup, and so on. Chen Qi stood outside the houseboat, shaking his head, still wanting many items from the equipment market that he hadn''t purchased. Seven million Shell Coins were still far from reaching the goal of buying arge ship. "Perlu, is this the restaurant you mentioned? It looks pretty shabby, but the water elves here are cute. I wonder if the boss would sell them." "It seems not for sale, tell me what you want to eat, it''s on me." At that time, two women walked onto the small houseboat. Finally, they arrived... Chen Qi crossed his arms, "Perlu, good evening, what would you like to eat?" I wonder if Perlu managed to get any information about the Lamp Phase crack today. Perlu confidently replied, "I''ll take the fattest moonlight fish, today, I''m treating my junior, Lilith, to a meal." Junior? Chen Qi looked toward Perlu''s side. Standing next to Perlu was a tall, young woman about 170 cm, wearing round ck-framed sses, with slightly curly ck hair, a strong physique, and also dressed in a ck vintage ruffled long dress. Lilith, that seems to be the pen name of the Witch Times'' editor-in-chief... Chen Qi remembered. Recently, Witch Times reported on his Water Elf Restaurant, so the impression was quite strong. Lilith greeted him, looking at the water elf with an infatuated gaze, "Hello, Mr. Chef, I''m very fond of your water elves here." After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, Chen Qi served up a te of spicy grilled moonlight fish. Perlu and Lilith sat down at the table. Chen Qi asked, "Perlu, did you really get information about the Lamp Phase upation Card?" Perlu mysteriously said, "Yes, because this matter involves confidentiality. After you close up and when there are fewer people around, he wille to find you." He? Involves confidentiality? Chen Qi looked puzzled. Perlu, known as the enigma killer, had umonly refrained from disclosing the name and identity of the other party directly. A second-tier Lamp Phase upation Card was actually involved in confidentiality. Chen Qi had a bad feeling about this. And then, Perlu secretly winked at Chen Qi. Chen Qi drew in a cool breath. Her meaning was, ``` "Get her guests thoroughly drunk!" Perle sat at the dining table and said to Lilith: "Lilith, don''t be shy, help yourself. The moonlight fish, this is the boss''s specialty!" Lilith took a small bite with a slightly puzzled look on her face. Delicious! Perle actually didn''t trick her! Then, Perle chuckled with a confident face and picked up five bottles of highly concentrated wheat beer: "Cheers! To celebrate the new sales record of your newspaper, Lilith!" "Thanks, Perle. The reason my newspaper''s sales could set a new record is all because of the poprity of the Flower Witch. After all, the name of the Witch Times is meant tomemorate the legendary witches. Of course, I couldn''t have done it without your guidance, Perle." "That has little to do with me, let''s drink to that! By the way, how high have the sales of your Witch Times beentely?" The newspaper''s sales determined the sess or failure of theirpetition. Lilith whispered, "Not much, a newspaper with cute girls anddies on the cover hasn''t sold many copies." A faint smell of gunpowder spread within his small houseboat. Chen Qi smacked his lips. Are these two performing an office drinking session here? In the game forum, they arepetitors. As the editor-in-chief of the Witch Times, Lilith was the pr opposite of Perle. Compared to Perle, who chased big news, Lilith specialized in sensational and silly news. Moreover, she had exquisite drawing skills, applying unique artistic alterations to characters in the news. Especially to certain special parts. ording to some yers'' investigation, Lilith seems to be the only normal person in the White Dove Newspaper. Therefore, in the game forum, her nicknames are ''Doujin Editor'' and ''Ordinary Person''." In the White Dove Newspaper, every year, the editor with the highest sales is given an unimaginable legendary reward! So, the sales war between the two is now at a fever pitch. Nowadays, since Perle didn''t catch the Flower Witch, the sales of the White Dove Times plummeted. Whereas Lilith reported on the interesting stories of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, setting a new sales record. Chen Qi could never have imagined. His little restaurant would actually gather two rising stars in the news industry. Lilith gave a slight smile: "Perle, cheers!" "Cheers!" "Bring on some strong liquor, Qi!" After three rounds of drinks. Perle gave Chen Qi a knowing look. Lilith''s drinking capacity actually matched hers. To get Lilith drunk, this amount of alcohol isn''t enough! "Hmph." Two minutester. Perle banged on the table and fell down, unconscious from drunkenness. "Weakling¡ª¡ª" Lilith sneered coldly. Then she raised her head, face flushed, and said to Chen Qi: "Boss, are you selling the Water Elf?" Chen Qi had an ominous premonition and asked, "What do you want the Water Elf for?" "Big ns." Lilith honestly replied, "From my observations, many nobles are learning how to y like the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. They need the Water Elf for some special y. You should understand the wonder of the Water Elf, right? They will pay a substantial sum for your Water Elf." "The wonder of the Water Elf? y????" What are you talking about? Chen Qi frowned instantly like an old man on the subway. What the hell? He had underestimated the perversion of the Witch Sea folks. The Water Elf is being targeted by rich matrons. As a devoted host, Chen Qi had no interest in letting the deep-sea Water Elves experience the secretive and luxurious world of the rich. After all, they are so well-behaved. "No." Chen Qi turned down Lilith''s request. "Is that so, too bad?" Lilith chugged down another bottle of wheat beer and also passed out. These two are so weak, thought Chen Qi as he tidied up the dining table. It was nowte at night, the dock had be extremely quiet, and a cold wind began to blow. "Waku Waku!" Suddenly, a deep-sea Water Elf, as if encountering some kind of monster, leaped into his arms. "???" "Chef, would you mind stepping outside for a chat?" A stable elderly male voice. Perle''s guest? Chen Qi turned his head toward the direction of the voice. It was an elderly man with white hair, wearing a crisp blue navy uniform, with white hair neatly tied at the back of his head. A high forehead, a prominent nose, and a face full of wrinkles. Chen Qi''s gazended on the shoulder patch of the other party. A five blue star patch. Chen Qi was momentarily taken aback. The person Perle brought was a navy general? ``` Chapter 117: Chapter 98: The Navy Admirals Commission Five-star epaulettes, navy general... Chen Qi was secretly startled. Although the strength of the navy in the Witch Sea territory had always been questioned by various parties, a general, as one of the leaders of the navy, was undoubtedly a top king. Chen Qi sensed the opponent''s spiritual power field. An unchanged spiritual power field was like an immovable mountain. Even the surrounding air had be rigid. Merely a trace of breath leaking out made the water elf tremble uncontrobly. Fourth Rank, a legendary figure... If a huge chasm existed between the second and third ranks, then there was an enormous abyss between the third and fourth ranks. The person Pelu found was actually a navy general! Chen Qi touched his head, feeling somewhat headache. In the Witch Sea, a navy general could be considered a regional overlord. If it weren''t for thew, their formidable power would allow them to do whatever they wanted. Now, a fourth-tier powerhouse was seeking his help. At that moment, aside from bearing the me, he couldn''t think of anything else he could help a navy general with. The elderly navy general said kindly: "I am getting on in years. Just call me Old Bai Ou or Mr. Bai Ou. I came here for a meal and incidentally, I have some matters to entrust to you." Bai Ou... Chen Qi recalled for a moment. In the navy, Bai Ou was considered a general who was nearing retirement, if not for the Crack Tide. On the gaming forums, although he mostly spent his time in retirement, he was indeed a navy general with quite a good reputation. If one wanted to join the navy faction, Old Bai Ou''s faction was the most rmended. "Alright, Mr. Bai Ou, it''s cold outside, would you like toe in to chat?" Chen Qi tentatively asked. He indeed urgently needed resources for a second-tier Lamp Phase upation Card. However, if this matter involved the navy''s secrets, it would not be worth the loss. He was not interested in getting involved in the vortex of navy strife at the moment. Old Bai Ou hesitated for a moment, then entered the small houseboat and poured himself a cup of hot wine. At that moment, besides Old Bai Ou, there were the drunken big-mouth Pelu and the Witch Times'' Lilith on the small houseboat. Discussing this matter in front of these two potential greats seemed to indicate it was not particrly secretive. As long as it wasn''t about dealing with dirty business, Chen Qi heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously: "Mr. Bai Ou, what is the matter?" Old Bai Ou drank a cup of hot wine and slowly said: "Have a meal of moonlight fish, meanwhile, I heard from Pelu that you need a second-tier Lamp Phase upation Card, and your inspiration is quite strong." "Uh... I suppose so," Chen Qi replied. In the Witch Sea, like him, there were not a few neers with strong inspiration. For instance, Teacher An, who from childhood had unusual inspiration and could even feel the flow of spiritual power within her body. Old Bai Ou continued: "Then sir, how do you evaluate your strength among the first-order Transcendents? Additionally, sir, could you let me see your Hunter''s License and the record as well?" Among the first-tier Transcendents... Chen Qi was plunged into thought. Although still a neer, he had barely managed to pass the novice period. If not considering the nobles or those with great opportunities among the first-tier Transcendents, his strength was among the top. But with his newly acquired Residual Fire Touch, even against nobles who were carefully trained as first-tier Transcendents, he could fight! Chen Qi replied: "Quite good, but Mr. Bai Ou, I don''t have a Hunter''s License or a Hunter record that recordsbat information." Old Bai Ou suddenly frowned and looked at the dizzy Pelu: "Pelu told me that you entered a D-tier crack with a survival rate of less than 20% and came back alive. You are a powerful hunter with both strength and courage. She is also the boldest first-tier hunter I have seen in recent years." "I indeed have passed through several cracks, but I have yet to acquire a Hunter''s license," Chen Qi said. "Is that so..." Bai Ou''s face was filled with sorrow, his information seemed erroneous, the person before him, though high in inspiration, appeared tock extensivebat experience. Chen Qi straightened his cor: "So, Mr. Bai Ou, what exactly brings you here? You need help from a chef like me, but if it''s cooking for a banquet, my skills are still not up to standard." Bai Ou sighed deeply: "Here is the situation, the Crack Tide has revived many cracks. And at a location in the Moonstone Inds, an E-grade single-person crack has also revived. This crack is crucial for my family, so I have been imploring the Hunter Association to find someone to clear the crack. Regrettably, due to predecessors'' recklessness, this crack has mutated from E-grade to D-grade. But at the same time, it still only allows First Order Hunters to enter." After a single E-grade crack mutated into a D-grade crack, but in the short term, the entry conditions of the crack won''t change. In the strategy, this is a typical high-difficulty mandatory level, and among the toughest types of cracks to handle. Such a crack is incredibly challenging even for yers to clear." Chen Qi curiously asked, "How has the crack clearing been going?" Bai Ou shook his head, "After upgrading to D-grade, the difficulty far exceeds that of ordinary cracks." "To date, the Hunter Association has sent out sixteen First Order Hunters, of whom eleven perishedpletely, and five, narrowly escaping, also suffered severe injuries." Five Hunters made it out alive, huh. The difficulty seems manageable... thought Chen Qi. Bai Ou continued: "In this crack, inspiration is crucial, and it involves some elements of the Lamp Phase puzzle-solving that demands powerful inspiration. Therefore, I have been entrusting Hunters with high inspiration from the Hunter Association, but unfortunately, many have failed. I originally wanted to ask an equally First Order Transcendent like Perlu for help, but she rmended you, and I, in earlier years, indeed acquired a rare Second-tier upation Card, which can serve as yourpensation." A rare Second-tier upation Card! Chen Qi suppressed his temptation, asking instinctively, "Why not ask the navy?" Logically speaking, an admiral like him handling these matters could easily let his navy take care of it. Bai Ou took a sip of hot wine: "No, the navy is in a reorganization phase, and the timing is very critical. And as an admiral, I must not utilize naval resources even for trivial matters." Suddenly, Bai Ou seemed to recall something saddening: "Moreover, Chef, the newer generation within the navy may not necessarily be stronger than the professional personnel from the Hunter Association." This task was worth considering, Chen Qi thought for a long time: "My strength is indeed a bit above an ordinary First Order Transcendent, I might give it a try, so, what exactly is the task?" Bai Ou looked towards the sea outside the window, "Chef, have you heard of the Crack Lost Ones?" Crack Lost Ones? Chen Qi pondered for a moment, amon term in the mid-game. Simply put, these are the living beings who stay in cracks just before they close. Some of them remained sane, bing part of the crack, growing continuously stronger and even surpassing the crack itself! But this was merely a minority within a minority. Most would turn into ghosts and monstrous creatures. The bigger and more challenging the crack, the higher the chances of encountering these Crack Lost Ones. Many legendary yers had been trapped by these beings in C-grade cracks. "Yes, I know," answered Chen Qi. Bai Ou stayed silent for a long time, full of regret: "Ten years ago, my son went to a crack in the Moonstone Inds. He was a stubborn kid, unwilling to ept family help, wanting to rely on himself to be a legend, just like the legendary Deep Sea Hunters. But as the crack was about to close, he was trapped under the body of a monster, unable to leave while hispanions could only leave food for him. Now, as the Tide Descends, this crack has opened once more." As he said this, the hands of this mighty Transcendent trembled slightly. Even bing an admiral, an enviable position, they still had far too many things they couldn''t aplish. Bai Ou took out a tidy sum of a hundred thousand Shell Coins and crack records from his clothing: "Chef, I want you to bring my son back, and conduct a bted funeral for him on this year''s anniversary of his passing. This is mymission." Chapter 118: Chapter 99: Return to Maro Island, See Teacher An Again Chen Qi wiped the table: "Mr. Bai Ou, you shouldn''t mind the condition of the corpse, right?" He could bring back the man''s dead son. If a crack lost didn''t die, it was very likely to be a highly aggressive monster. So, finding the body wasn''t difficult, but ensuring the integrity of the body was. Old Bai Ou contemted in a deep voice for a long time: "I don''t mind. After death, the soul disperses, and the body is merely flesh, no longer of use. However, my wife believes in Sun Worship. She cares deeply about this matter. If impossible... could you bring back some belongings, like the chest emblem, the ck-rimmed golden sses, or the weapon he carried, the Magic Bullet pistol? And¡­ and..." Such vivid memories. Chen Qi epted the 100,000 Shell Coins and the crack file, taking themission: "I understand. I will keep the body as intact as possible." For Chen Qi, who had Residual Fire Touch, the difficulty of this crack wasn''t high. Then, he curiously asked: "May I ask, what is the Nature Form of the second-tier Lamp Phase upation card I am to receive?" Old Bai Ou didn''t want to disclose all the information about the second-tier upation card: "Lamp and Shadow Phase. It''s an extremely rare Lamp Phase card. Don''t worry, it won''t disappoint you." Lamp and Shadow Phase... Chen Qi was shocked. Themp symbolized hope, while the shadow symbolized darkness. These two Nature Forms typically had a certain degree of mutual repulsion in many contexts. An upation card thatbined these two was extremely rare worldwide. Its value far exceeded that of an ordinary second-tier Lamp upation card, like the "Traveler." Chen Qi opened themission file and skimmed through it. The crack was named 8ºÅÁгµ. Besides him, Old Bai Ou had alsomissioned seven first-tier Hunters with remarkable achievements. From the records, it was clear that Old Bai Ou had put significant effort into this matter. However, most Hunters had failed. A little challenging, just the way I like it! Chen Qi put away the file. Unfortunately, it was alreadyte tonight, no time for dinner. Old Bai Ou stood up: "Once themission isplete, besides the upation card, my wife will also offer a generous reward. In seven days, I will head to the Crack Sea, so if possible, pleaseplete it within seven days." "No problem." Chen Qi agreed. "By the way, for more information on the crack, you can ask the managers of the Moonstone Inds, the novice mentors." After saying this, Old Bai Ou left the small boat restaurant. Chen Qi prepared to close the door. However, there were still two drunk people on his boat. Pei Lu, like a dead pig, mumbled about being the sales champion. Lilith also had a pained expression, muttering incessantly about money. "How did these two manage to get this drunk?" Chen Qi had grown quite familiar with Pei Lu. He no longer held back and grabbed the Deep Sea Water Elf, giving Pei Lu and Lilith a rude awakening. "Who? Who attacked me?" The groggy Pei Lu felt a bit chilly on his head. Chen Qi briefly exined what had just happened to Pei Lu. Pei Lu and Lilith instantly showed regretful expressions. As journalists, they had missed such a valuable opportunity. It''s rare to meet such a notable person even once! ording to insider information, a great battle between the navy and pirates was imminent. To boost newspaper sales, Pei Lu nned to photograph the battle site. Lilith, also for newspaper sales, intended to photograph the beautiful Sea Demons of the Crack Sea, which required the escort of a strong fleet. Lilith stood up, tied her ck hair, and looked resolute. She was determined to win this issue''s sales championship of Moonstone City''s newspaper. The two argued as they left, heads hanging in dejection. After they left, Chen Qi cooked a final dish of stir-fried beef and took a taste. "Delicious!" His culinary skills, through constant practice, had finally evolved. At that moment, a special prompt appeared before him. [Your Transcendent Cooking skill has been upgraded to Transcendent Cooking Lv2, gaining a 10% boost. You can now learn more powerful cooking techniques.] "Finally..." Chen Qi felt exceptionally excited. This prompt meant he had finally advanced as a first-order Chef! Chen Qi took out a wooden sign and wrote, ''Out for training, temporarily closed.'' Though it would disappoint many, the restaurant business had to pause. He had more important matters to attend to now. Chen Qi started up the small boat restaurant, heading towards the Moonstone Inds. The 8ºÅÁгµ crack was in a small ind near the Moonstone Inds. He could conveniently visit Maro Town on the way. During these twenty days, Chen Qi had sent the ship money to Old Beili of Maro Town, paying off the debt, and even adding an extra 100,000 Shell Coins. However, the 8ºÅÁгµ crack was rtively special. The more information he had, the easier it would be to clear the crack. The file given by Old Bai Ou only contained the basic Nature Form information of the crack. For safety, he decided to consult the Transcendent managers of the Moonstone Inds, specifically the novice mentor, An. After all, he was originally a Transcendent from Maro Town. ... ... By noon, the small boat restaurant had returned to the waters of Maro Town, the hometown of this world. Chen Qi looked up and observed from the boat. In a short time, Maro Ind had changed dramatically. To guard against Sea Beasts and pirates, arge number of defensive structures had been set up on the outskirts of Maro Town. Stone walls, watchtowers, and multiple arrow slits and battlements equipped with well-made bows and cannons. If any pirate or Sea Beast approached, they would suffer deadly blows. There were even Transcendent barrier activation devices. In addition, a towering structure had been erected in the center of the ind. The weather station, used to detect the weather over the sea, the cracks in nearby waters, and any powerful spiritual power fluctuations. During the Crack Tide, this could be considered the most important facility. "Quite the project..." Chen Qi marveled as he maneuvered the boat for a while before finally docking at the pier. He looked towards the distant tavern on the pier. At that moment, a white-haired girl was holding a thick stack of papers and discussing the next construction ns with two Transcendents of the Hammer Phase. The serene white-haired girl before his eyes was none other than the long-unseen Teacher An, An Ma, An Aotian. Is Maro Town''s strategic position this important? Chen Qi mused silently. It was a familiar feeling. Sensing something, An turned her head, her white hair fluttering in the sea breeze. Her pupils shrank, then she smiled: "Qi, long time no see. You haven''t changed a bit!" When Chen Qi went to sea, she had thought he wouldn''t return. "Long time no see, Teacher An." An put the blueprints into her bag and walked quickly with the craftsmen: "How is your restaurant business?" She looked at Chen Qi''s small boat restaurant, which hadn''t changed much, and thought his business had flopped. If Chen Qi couldn''t make it, if he ran out of money... this would be her chance to rmend a path in book form! Chen Qi smiled and replied, "It''s quite popr, and it''s been featured in the newspaper." "Huh? Featured in the newspaper!?" An looked puzzled. Although she often read the newspaper, she had never noticed this. Also, why would a restaurant be in the newspaper? At this moment, the two craftsmen beside An took out a newspaper and handed it to her. "Really..." An was taken aback. The Deep Sea Water Elf restaurant boat on the newspaper was indeed Chen Qi''s small boat restaurant. Being featured in the White Dove Times wasn''t an easy feat. Even when she had outperformed many talented merchant families to get into Bei Country Royal University, she had only made it to an ordinary small newspaper. Yet, during Chen Qi''s short time at sea, he had been featured in the newspaper twice! Once in the very popr White Dove Times of Moonstone City, and once in the Witch Sea newspaper. Though they were in the corners of the paper, it was still remarkable. An stabilized her expression and smiled: "Congrattions. At this rate, you''ll soon save enough money for the Sea Beast medication." Her chance to rmend a path in book form had slipped again. But s, his business was booming! Moreover, he had acquired many cute Water Elves. Overall, she was genuinely happy for Chen Qi. Chen Qi looked around: "By the way, Teacher An, how is Maro Town doing?" An frowned: "Recently, there have been more and more cracks near the Moonstone Inds, and more monsters. We nned to set up a barrier around Maro Town. However, due to the impact of these cracks, the construction has been repeatedly destroyed." An pointed to her eyes, which had developed two heavy dark circles: "Once we establish the defensive structures, Maro Town will be the front line ind for Hunters. At that point, many wealthy people wille. You might consider setting up a restaurant in Maro Town. It would be very profitable." An could sense that Chen Qi''s chef skills had undoubtedly improved! "Is that so..." Chen Qi looked around. This coastal archipgo was indeed prone to monster attacks. Then, Chen Qi straightforwardly asked: "By the way, Teacher An, do you know anything about a crack called the 8ºÅÁгµ?" "?????" An''s brain froze for a few seconds, like a robot malfunctioning, as she touched the white tuft of hair on her head. Why was a new chef asking her this question? Weren''t they just talking about restaurants and food? Isn''t your topic shift a bit too fast? Chapter 119: Chapter 100: Ans Wish This can''t be right... An retorted: "Why do you want information about the No. 8 Train''s rift? Are you selling intelligence?" Recently, many people had been inquiring about the No. 8 Train. But this should have nothing to do with a steadfast chef. Chen Qi did not conceal anything: "I''m not selling intelligence. I''ve beenmissioned to go to the No. 8 Train and retrieve some items." "Amission?" "So you really aren''t focusing on being a chef..." An smiled in relief. She felt foolish, she should have realized that with Chen Qi''s disposition, bing a mere chef was impossible. Earlier, she had been blinded by the splendor of Chen Qi''s restaurant. Otherwise, how did he get his hands on a Water Elf? Chen Qi had never settled down, rather, he chose to be a Hunter and had cleared many rifts. He managed to run a restaurant while clearing rifts! That''s incredibly skillful! An sensed a considerable enhancement in his Spiritual Power Field. Such unimaginable ascension speed! "I knew I wasn''t mistaken." An slowly took out some information from her backpack, exining like a professional teacher: "The No. 8 Train is a Lamp-Shadow Phase solo rift, located near the southeast sea region of our Moonstone Inds, very close to Maro Town as well. High inspiration and high observation are required to clear it." At this point, An rubbed her weary eyes and sighed: "To set up a special defensive barrier, we need to clear all the surrounding rifts. Despite twenty days of effort, I have cleared all the D-rank rifts. However, the No. 8 Train rift is very unique; even with information, only a few have managed to clear it. Its emitting information disrupts the establishment of the barrier significantly." "Hence, wemissioned the Hunter Association, but they all suffered terrible defeats." An handed over the information, advising: "Chen Qi, no matter whomissioned you, this rift is extraordinarily dangerous. If you can single-handedly resolve this D-rank rift, it will greatly ease our barrier setup work. But be very cautious. At the slightest mishap, leave the rift immediately." An handed the intelligence she had collected to Chen Qi. Chen Qi epted the rift-clearing information that An gave him: "Understood, I''ll be careful." At this moment, two street artisans standing beside An and Chen Qi couldn''t hold back. They were discussing solo-clearing a D-rank rift, and it''s a chefckingbat skills who was supposed to clear a D-rank rift! That''s a D-rank rift with a 75% mortality rate! Recently, An had been tackling various high-difficulty D-rank rifts and was even preparing to take down the Nearshore Dominator, which was already astonishing. Now, there''s someone else aiming to single-clear the No. 8 Train, a First Order powerhouse! Are all the people in Maro Town this audacious? The artisan asked in shock: "Hey, little brother, are you really nning to go to the No. 8 Train? I heard many people died there, and the distortion rate is still rising." "Yes." Chen Qi replied while perusing the information that An handed him. It even included pictures of the No. 8 Train. This information was sufficient. He epted it and prepared to head to the rift. "Teacher An, I''ll go test the depth of this rift first." An smiled and said: "Hmm, stay safe. If you clear it, stay for a meal. By the way, I have a question, Chen Qi. Have you seen the Flower Witch in Moonstone City?" Why is everyone looking for the Witch? Chen Qi swallowed a mouthful of water, curious: "I saw her from afar. Teacher An, why do you ask?" In an instant, a hint of longing shed in An''s eyes: "Since I was little, I''ve heard legends of witches. The legendary Mage, the Ice Witch, fascinated me the most." An took out an Ice Witch statue from her backpack card: "It is said that every witch is someone recognized by the Ice Witch. They all possess exceptional skills. Therefore, I''ve always wanted to see just how strong a witch really is." "Sorry, maybe I''m being a bit arrogant. I''m certainly no match for a witch, but even if I lose, it doesn''t matter." An smiled wryly. Though she felt she would most likely lose, she truly wanted to fight the legendary witch. Unfortunately, she had been confined to staying on Maro Ind for a long time, unable to go out and capture witches. This invincible yet resolute look in her eyes... Chen Qi thought sarcastically. An was known as An Aotian because she was undefeated among her rank in the Witch Sea. Every few weeks, some noble genius, who looked down on An''s impoverished background, would show up to challenge her. But without exception, they were all beaten to a pulp by An. Even with a Third Rank body, she could protect herself under a Fourth Rank Legend. Once, Chen Qi thought the Flower Witch was mysterious and unfathomably powerful. Who was stronger, the Flower Witch or Teacher An? There seemed to be discussion threads on the forum debating theirbat strengths. But now, he could sense that while the Flower Witch was already very strong, An Aotian seemed even stronger. Chen Qi visualized for a moment. Without using forbidden techniques, Teacher An, the Mage, might be able to beat the protagonist of the Witch Sea, the Flower Witch, from face to behind, with various styles of fighting! More people wanted to capture the Flower Witch than he had imagined. The Flower Witch''s situation was truly pitiful. That''s the price of fame. He wondered how the Flower Witch was doing in his absence. Hopefully, the Flower Witch wouldn''t run into Teacher An. Chen Qi waved goodbye: "Teacher An, I''m leaving now." An swallowed down her surging emotions and waved back: "Please be very careful, the No. 8 Train is extremely dangerous. If anything goes wrong, escape immediately. Also, don''t forget toe back for the feast. There''s a banquet in Maro Town tonight, and you''re an important guest." "Hmm." After saying goodbye, Chen Qi didn''t hesitate and took a small boat towards the rift. ... ... The small boat sailed towards the ocean. On the sea, as the wind blew, after a while, Chen Qi saw a rusty train carriage. The rusty carriage seemed fixed, parked on the sea. At the door of the carriage, fresh blood spelled out "Wee passengers aboard." [You have contacted the rift, Inspiration assessment in progress...] [Inspiration assessment in progress...] [Inspiration assessment sessful!] [Rift name: No. 8 Train Rank: D Nature Form: Lamp, Shadow Description: During the Era of Darkness, to avoid catastrophe, people created a tool called a ''train'' that could travel anywhere. This became the mostmon transportation of the era. The people in the train were very lucky, but as time passed, they began to seek things beyond survival, like ves, love, and even eternity. They traded a tool with monsters, hoping it would keep them young forever. Thus, the monsters took their train through a Shadow Phase world''s gutter. The monsters told them, in the divine kingdom, humans do not die, and souls do not perish. But when they realized it, they could no longer leave the train. They continuously pounded on the windows, continuously pounded on the windows. Unfortunately, like their ceaseless wails, the train could never stop... Clear condition: Reach the first carriage and pull the train''s brake. Rift distortion rate: 51% (Extremely high distortion rate, with a high probability of increased distortion, this rift is extremely dangerous, proceed with caution!) Rift rank restriction: Only Transcendents of the First Order and below can enter this rift. Rift participant restriction: One person. (Due to rift distortion, this rift has be a solo rift) Inspiration Insight: You noticed that the space is distorted, only normal humans and objects are the correct path forward. Special Inspiration Insight: In the darkness, you saw twisted shadows silently dragging people into the dark.] Note: You said we''ve been walking on thin ice, can we reach the driver''s cabin?] Chen Qi quickly scanned the rift in front of him. The No. 8 Train was a one-way solo rift. Participants would enter a train and would repeatedly pass through identical carriages. The puzzle was quite simple, that was the information in the Inspiration Insight, one must follow the normal humans and objects to proceed. Simply put, if you enter a carriage and the scene looks normal, you proceed to the next carriage. On the other hand, if the carriage shows anomalies or monsters that defy ''normal logic'', you should move back immediately. This was the ''Lamp Phase clearing method'' for this rift. During the initial exploration, this Lamp Phase puzzle puzzled many people. Fortunately, Chen Qi had gathered enough information before entering. "51% distortion rate..." Chen Qi looked at the rift''s description. The numerous failures of Hunters led to the rift''s distortion rate being at an extremely terrifying level! Chen Qi took out his prepared pre-cooked moonlight fish. [You consumed moonlight fish, Inspiration slightly enhanced.] Previously, his meditation practice increased his Inspiration by 5 points. Including the moonlight fish, his Inspiration reached as high as 60 points! "Phew..." Chen Qi exhaled deeply. Though he was prepared, without a doubt, this rift was the most challenging he''d faced so far. He gripped the ck knife and stepped into the blood-stained train carriage entrance. The surrounding light quickly dimmed. [You have entered the rift.] Read new adventures at mvl "Wee... passenger," a voice greeted. Chapter 120: Chapter 101: The Lost in the Cracks "Guest... please find your seat and sit down... I wish you a pleasant journey." Apanied by the shrill mechanical wee of the horn, he was already in a brand new world, a world without a sun. Chen Qi swiftly surveyed the surroundings. The walls of the carriage were covered with thick copper tes and rust, embedded with delicate gears and springs. Light filtered through the steammps above, casting mottled shadows across the dim carriage, as if countless eyes were peering from the dark. Beneath his feet, the trembling iron tes enabled him to feel the carriage vibrating as it sped across thend. In front of him, a gaunt old man with a ck hat sat on the in seat, ceaselessly flipping through an old newspaper. Yet, the most terrifying scene was outside the window. That was thendscape of the Era of Darkness, hill after ck hill, with the dark sky constantly writhing. The Shadow Phase and Lamp Phase cracks, still as scary as ever... Chen Qi thought to himself. ording to the information from An. In the carriage, the key points he needed to inspect were the horn''s sound, the scene outside the window, the old man''s appearance, and the drink on the floor. Also the shadow underneath the seat and the spiritual power field throughout the carriage. If all of these things were the same as in the first carriage, then it meant that this carriage was normal, and he should continue forward. Conversely, if there was an anomaly, he must retreat immediately and re-enter the next carriage. If he made a mistake in action, he would encounter a siege by Shadow Phase creatures. Theoretically, it was a crack one could pass through unharmed as long as one remained calm. Why had so many Hunters failed? Chen Qi remained vignt, confirming each key point in front of him ording to the strategy. The sound of the horn was normal, the scene outside the window was normal, the newspaper-reading old man was normal, and the shadow under the seat was normal. "Everything is normal, heading to the next carriage." Chen Qi said in his mind, stepping crisply as he walked toward the second carriage. His footsteps reached the second carriage. "Guest... please find your seat and sit down... I wish you a pleasant journey." The sound of the horn sounded once more. But the instant he entered the second carriage, Chen Qi''s intuition sensed an abnormality! The scene outside the window was normal. However, the newspaper-reading old man in front of him had grown a vivid red eye and a ck mouth on the back of his head. The ck mouth curved slightly, as if smiling along with the entire train: "Guest, would you like some fun?" "That''s quite terrifying..." Chen Qi barely held back from cursing out loud. Without any hesitation, his index finger lightly traced the de. A huge blue Ghost Fire ignited from the de. After all, he was someone who had fought alongside the overlord of the nearby sea. But the atmosphere in this train was too oppressive, his courage was not great, and he must use firepower to dispel the fear! "??" What''s going on? The ''newspaper-reading old man'' seemed startled, instinctively backing away. In the instant he retreated, his true appearance was revealed, with many twisted ck pustules swelling from his body: "Human..." There was no need to give it time to speak! Draw the sword. Ghost Fire sh! Chen Qi activated his Qi Power, stepping forward, his de sweeping upward from his waist, tracing a bright ghostly fire through the air. Dark blood from the creature sttered! The blue mes, in an instant, tore apart the confined space of the carriage. "Aaargh!!" The newspaper-reading old man hadn''t even had the chance to reveal its true form before it was torn apart by the Ghost Fire and the dark Qi, turning into chunks of char. [You have killed a Humanoid Shadow creature, received 120 Spiritual Points.] "Phew..." Chen Qi looked at the prompt before him, taking a long breath. Ghost Fire Oil was a Transcendent me that could be ignited with Spiritual Power Points and could cause massive damage to shadow creatures. Good thing I responded quickly, and the firepower was fierce! Indeed, only the de in hand could alleviate the fear brought by the darkness. Chen Qi crouched down to check under the seat again. The spiritual power fluctuations here were also abnormal. "Waah waah waah!" The shadows under the seat, as if they saw monsters, kept crawling towards the corner. They were scared. "There are no powerful creatures, this carriage isn''t normal, need to go back." Chen Qi ced the ck de on his shoulder. Then, he returned to the previous carriage and moved forward again. Normal, move forward... Abnormal, y them all, reap 200 Spiritual Points, retreat... Normal, move forward... ... "Guest... please find your seat and sit down... I wish you a pleasant journey." Chen Qi maintained his focus, moving forward repetitively, until finally, he reached the twentieth carriage. At this point, there were at most five carriages between him and the leading driver''s carriage. Unexpectedly easy, this crack wasn''t as difficult as he had imagined. Chen Qi squatted down. The scene before him was beyond his expectation. The body of the old man reading the newspapery on the ground, leaking arge amount of dark brown blood. Many of the seats were as if they had been smashed by a heavy hammer, seriously damaged. Yet another frightening scene¡­ Chen Qi took out the adorable Deep Sea Water Elf No. 1 from his backpack card and touched it. "Waku waku (Master, hug me!)" The Water Elf snuggled up close. Fortunately, in this horrifying carriage journey, he had thepany of the adorable Water Elf. "Not normal¡­" Chen Qi instinctively stepped back, ready to turn around. However, he suddenly asked himself: "Is it really not normal?" Chen Qi dismissed this option. Although the scene before him greatly differed from that of the first carriage. But his inspiration was telling him, the spiritual power field of this carriage waspletely normal. The fluctuation of spiritual power was the key to determining whether a carriage was normal or not. The fallen body of the newspaper-reading old man and the destroyed seats before him, all seemed like a scene purposely sabotaged. Chen Qi squatted down again, enhancing his observational power. The entire carriage waspletely devoid of any trace of shadowy monsters. Something was misleading him. He was nearly misled by this clumsy arrangement. "Finally, it''s getting a little interesting¡­" The corners of Chen Qi''s mouth rose slightly, his cheeks blushed faintly, and he revealed a hint of excitement in his smile. Having walked for so long, he finally encountered something strange. This was more like a crack with high anomaly and high mortality rate! The ck de in Chen Qi''s hand was already eager for action. The ck de slowly scraped the ground, drawing searing mes across the rusty floor. The ck de passed over the twenty-first carriage. The moment he stepped in, mechanical horns emitted a horrifying sound unlike any before. "Guests¡­ since you''vee, don''t leave¡­ let''s cross the gutter together¡­ and reach the sea of flowers beyond¡­" Chen Qi scanned the surroundings, as the spiritual power filled with negative emotions permeated the entire cramped carriage. And at this moment, the old newspaper-reader had turned into ck fragments! In his ce was a young man with white hair lying on the floor. He was dressed in thetest Hunter uniform, with a new model collector''s rifle hanging at his waist. At the same time, his legs were severely damaged, continuously oozingrge amounts of dark brown blood. Seeing Chen Qi enter, the white-haired youth shed tears and cried out: "Finally, finally someone came; I thought no other Hunters wereing! Please help me, my leg is ruined, give me a hand. I will reward you, my family is very wealthy, I can give you five million Shell Coins, and also precious Skill Cards!" "Do you need help?" Chen Qi walked to his side, carefully sensing the spiritual power of the monster. As expected, it had already be a monster¡­ He ced the Deep Sea Water Elf on one of the seats. The monster youth before him was undoubtedly the body entrusted to him by the Navy Admiral to bring back. But now, that body was enveloped in the frenzy of the Lamp Phase Qi. Target on themission found! However, judging by the Demonic Qi emanating from it, he had to y exorcist for a while first. Chen Qi excitedly spoke: "Little guy, a reminder for you, this crack is a solitary one, there won''t be two humans existing at the same time." "¡­" As the words fell, Chen Qi raised his head, smiled faintly, his hands gripping the ck de, then fiercely plunged it into the monster''s head! Thwack! Blue Fire and ck Qi were tearing incessantly! With a loud bang, the white youth''s skin instantly turned to charcoal. In the final moment, its form twisted, turned into a shadow, and swiftly pulled back to create some distance. Boom, boom! A torrent of raging Lamp Phase Qi surged within the carriage. The whole carriage kept trembling! "Humans!" At this moment, carrying negative emotions within the carriage, the monster''s murmuring voice came again: "You have chosen the path¡­ to death¡­" A sh of vivid inspiration sprang forth. Experience more on mvl [You''ve angered the forbidden presence on Train 8¡ªthe Lost of the Crack! Anomaly Index of the crack increased by 5%! Please be mindful of your safety!] Chapter 121: Chapter 102: Shadow Release, Living Coffin Car The surrounding air seemed to have solidified, leaving only the sound of a heartbeat echoing in his ears. Chen Qi focused his attention. As expected, this was the monster that had left every Hunter empty-handed. The instant after shouting its harsh words, the monster seemed to vanish without leaving any trace. In the narrow, dark carriage, ck liquid kept dripping down. Hunter''s Eye! Chen Qi''s eyes shed with a glimmer of light, the surrounding Spiritual Power became clearer, and his movements slowed down. A trace of Spiritual Power mixed with negative emotions, like a banshee''s breath, blew on the nape of his neck. It was an ambush! ng! Qi de Great Rotation! Chen Qi spun to his left and unsheathed his de, creating a beautiful Helical sh in the air that blocked the monster''s dual-hand attack. After the crisp sound of metal, the Rift Lost was knocked back several meters, leaving a ck bloodstain on the floor. At this moment, Chen Qi finally saw the monster''s true form. Its decaying body was wrapped in a thick, twisted shadow but still wore the Hunter''s Clothes. Find exclusive stories on mvl From its neck, a long worm-like mouth opened up. Its hands had transformed into sharp crimson mantis des. Its aura of a Second-tier monster, with both high speed and strength, was terrifying for a First Order Hunter facing it alone in a rift. After the ambush failed, the Rift Lostughed and said: "Human body... interesting, perhaps you can survive here like me." It leaned forward as if preparing to dash, then burst out like lightning. Its sprint speed in that instant was beyond what the naked eye of an ordinary person could catch. Fortunately, under dynamic vision, it was merely the sprint of a hamster. ng! ng! ng! ng! Chen Qi swung his longsword, continuously blocking, then seized an opportunity, stabbing the monster''s throat-mouth and lifting it up. In that airborne moment, the Rift Lost couldn''t make any moves. All the monster''s actions seemed so sluggish, all visible to his eyes. Then, in the moment of lifting, Chen Qi swiftly sheathed his sword, forming the posture of a Draw Sword sh. See through, Ghost Fire sh! The monster''s body of the Rift Lost was torn again, spilling new blood. The Rift Lost crashed heavily onto the rusty seats. "Is that it?" Chen Qi said with a smile. The power the Rift Lost disyed couldn''t even entertain him. The Rift Lost now knelt on one knee, looking bedraggled. It hadn''t expected Chen Qi to retaliate so forcefully in such a short time. The previous Hunters had fed the Rift Lost too many heads, giving it overconfidence. Chen Qi once again ced his ck de across his chest. After more than twenty days of practice, he had assimted a ton of knowledge from the Hunter Yu Huo. Moves like See Through, Qi de Great Rotation, Draw Sword sh, Stepping Forward sh, Gale Breath Seal sh, he had already grasped a few. Chen Qi adjusted his breathing, once again infusing Qi Power into his body. However, at this moment, something unexpected happened. The Rift Lost didn''t attack, instead, it kept saying: "You... interesting... you must... stay and apany me." "I won''t... let you die... but will bind you... so you feel the passage of centuries... without leaving the carriage, doing nothing." Not just words but more like an icy curse. An unprecedented shadowy aura emanated from the Rift Lost. It wasn''t sorrow, nor hatred, but an even darker negative emotion: Despair. Rumble, rumble! The carriage seemed to start sobbing! In the Rift Lost''s eyes, Chen Qi remained just a Hunter falling into its trap. "Something''s wrong..." Chen Qi quickly backed off. "You must stay!" The Rift Lost smashed its dual hands down, as if nailing the carriage with thick nks. Then, it let out a hoarse voice: "Shadow Release... Living Coffin Car." As the words fell, the carriage''s windows and doors were instantly sealed with ck ink. The negative Spiritual Power also materialized, forming dozens of thick Shadow Hands. Chen Qi''s pupils shrank, finding the scene unbelievable. Release techniques! Essentially, the Rift Lost before him was a Shadow Phase monster, born from a human''s overwhelming negative emotions, using a human body as its core. Thus, its techniques had many simrities to those of humans. On the path of Transcendence, mastering a release technique was a crucial milestone. Release techniques required extensive practice, came with significant costs, and had stringent usage conditions. Some powerful release techniques could even warp space and directly affect one''s mind. Like the Flower Witch''s Flowers Blossom in Blood. And release techniques were named differently based on their Nature Form. Generally, a de Phase release was called de Release, while a Cup Phase release was called Cup Release... Encountering a monster using a release technique in a D-tier rift? Chen Qi''s mouth opened slightly in astonishment! Without special conditions, release techniques were the privilege of Third-order Transcendents. To use a release technique at the Second-tier, only a very few talents could do so! A Rift Lost in a D-tier rift was using a release technique right in front of him! Even in high-difficulty scenarios, this was extremely rare. Is this even reasonable! The entire carriage was painted with a thickyer of ck liquid. The Rift Lost wielded its blood-soaked de arms like an elegant conductor: "Shadow Hand, go! Hold him down!" Sounds of rending air filled the room as numerous Shadow Hands attacked from all directions. The Rift Lost''s Living Coffin Car had three effects. First, endless Shadow Hands emerging from the carriage, binding the enemy''s limbs. Once caught, it induced despair and corroded the body. Second, the entire space would be sealed by powerful Shadow Phase energy, making escape difficult. Third, within this carriage, one would suffer constant negative emotional interference. Shadow Hands spawned continuously, the Rift Lost watching from a distance, sneering like it was observing a rabbit in a trap. Bang! Bang! Bang! Shadow Hands continuously attacked from the floor, the ceiling, and the windows. Chen Qi swung his sword in defense, but the attacks were too dense, forcing him to retreat continuously. Two fists were no match for a hundred hands! "No, I must run, I must go home..." "No, I will die... I can''t beat it." "I must... run away, I''m definitely no match for the Rift Lost..." "If this continues, I won''t be able to leave the train." Chen Qi suddenly uttered a string of discouragements. A wave of inexplicable sadness spread through his mind. Wait, why am I saying these discouraging words? Chen Qi adjusted his breathing, stayed calm, and felt the Shadow Phase energy permeating the carriage. In an instant, he was already tainted by this despairing aura, leading to thoughts of escape and despair. "Am I really scared by just this level?" Chen Qi bit down on his finger, using the pain to stay awake, a fierce glint shing in his eyes. At this moment, the Rift Lost, like a Hunter enjoying its prey''s struggle, chuckled. It loved these sounds, these sounds of despair before the prey fled. Bang! A Shadow Hand grabbed Chen Qi''s right arm, attempting to break through his Qi Power defense. Chen Qi gritted his teeth, his heartbeat quickening. Though he felt sadness, rationally analyzing, this minor level was far from killing him. It couldn''t even force out his trump card. The Rift Lost was the challenger! It''s just that the shadowy aura had eroded him. He needed to end this quickly, or there would be mental issues... Chen Qi thought of something, pulling a blue gemstone from his backpack card. It was time to use this forbidden item. Chapter 122: Chapter 103: Tentacles Entwine, First Battle of Residual Fire Touch, Pure Violence ``` In the dim light, the blue gemstone in Chen Qi''s hand seemed to sense the presence of the monster, writhing ceaselessly. "Residual Fire Touch." Chen Qi whispered softly, gently pressing down, concentrating Spiritual Power into the blue gemstone. Crash! The sound of the gemstone shattering. The blue gemstone instantly melted, turning into a great tide that surged towards his limbs, back, and heart, expelling the attacking Shadow Hands. Then, the blue tides slowly congealed, forming countless tiny ck tentacles that adhered to his clothing and skin. Lastly, they became a ragged dark hunter''s garment. Within just an instant, Chen Qi had equipped the Residual Fire Touch. From the outside, it looked like a rusty, tattered hunter''s cloak covering his entire body. Inside, numerous tentacles had already entwined around his arms, thighs, and other important parts, providing him with a continuous supply of strength and speed. Chen Qi felt the flow of strength in his body. Due to the danger of the Residual Fire Touch, he had only worn it twice before, in the White Tree territory. "It seems like something''s not right..." Explore more stories with mvl Chen Qi raised his right hand. His constitution had reached 25 points, meeting the minimum requirement for using the Residual Fire Touch. In theory, upon donning the Residual Fire Touch, the equipment skill Residual Fire Entwining should have been automatically activated, quickly generating a furious emotion, consuming his own stamina, and greatly enhancing his strength! However, now the garment only had a very small consumption... "Why? Could it be broken?" Chen Qi wondered in his mind. Upon reflection, it wasn''t impossible for a rare, forbidden relic to have issues after a hundred years. But he wasn''t given time to react. "Human! Join me in eternity!" The Crack Lost One manipted twenty Shadow Hands from above the roof, smashing down. These Shadow Hands continued their assault even as he was equipping his gear. Bang bang bang! The Shadow Hands struck like spears, stabbing fiercely! Chen Qi instinctively dodged backward, easily evading these shadowy spears. "It''s not broken." Chen Qi could clearly feel that his speed had increased under the enhancement of the Residual Fire Touch. At that moment, he suddenly realized something. It was because of Deep Sea Affinity. As flesh imnts, the Residual Fire Touch had undergone aplete containment process and was a piece of equipment without consciousness. Despite this, due to its remaining properties, when Chen Qi put it on, it still demonstrated a certain level of affinity. Normally, an ordinary user would immediately enter Residual Fire Entwining mode upon wearing the touch due to its characteristics, consuming stamina. But because of Chen Qi''s Deep Sea Affinity, the Residual Fire Touch did not immediately enter the Residual Fire Entwining state. Simply put, he could wear this garment of the Residual Fire Touch in a normal state, consuming a small amount of stamina, to gain specific attribute enhancements. Bang bang bang! As he kept dodging, nearly a hundred Shadow Hands cornered Chen Qi in the dead angles of hispartment. "It''s over, human. You will spend this century with me," said the Crack Lost One, its mouth curling into a smile, determined to turn its opponent into another corpse within thepartment. "This is troublesome... I hope Residual Fire Entwining works properly." With no room left to retreat, a fierce look shed in Chen Qi''s eyes as he expanded all his Qi Power to his garment. Residual Fire Touch was a de Phase equipment, requiring strongbat desire to drive it. Apanied by the infusion of Spiritual Power and a fierce desire to fight. The tiny tentacles beneath the cloak grew sharply, emerging from the bottom of the garment. At the same time, more and more tentacles began entwining around his limbs, providing an unceasing supply of strength! And in an instant, blue residual fire burst forth violently! Residual Fire Entwining, activated! Chen Qi''s eyes shed with crazed fire, and his lips curled into a mad smile. At this moment, he felt only the unceasing flow of strength and unfathomable speed! And a raging emotion surged within him, an urge to smash everything in sight into pieces! "What in the world is this..." The Crack Lost One instinctively increased the frequency of its attacks and roared loudly: "Shadow Hand Binding!" At this moment, the Crack Lost One abandoned the idea of capturing Chen Qi alive. Shadow Hands were born at the same time from the ground, the roof, and the windows. Chen Qi tossed aside the ck de and resorted to a more brutally primal form ofbat: Fists! Without any skill or weapons, relying solely on strength, he could pulverize the monster before him! Shadow Hands attacked like torrential rain from all around! "Not enough, not enough, not enough!" Chen Qi kept throwing densely packed punches like a downpour! With the speed of his fists, he countered a hundred shadowy tentacles! In the blink of an eye! With thebination of Qi Power and strength, each punch emitted a sharp sonic boom. In a sh, the shadowy tentacles were reduced to pieces. "???" ``` The crack wanderer tilted its head, watching the scene before it in disbelief. It couldn''t even make out the previous punch''s speed! However, before it could recover from its shock, a hand pressed against its neck. "Had enough, little guy?" Like grasping a frail squirrel, Chen Qi grabbed the neck of the crack wanderer and then¡ªtoward the hard window above¡ª mmed it fiercely!! The overwhelming force caused the entire carriage to shudder violently! The crack wanderer howled: "You can''t..." Enough nonsense, Chen Qi''s right hand pinned the crack wanderer against the wall, and his right hand gathered Qi Power again. Boom! Boom! Boom! Three punches were thrown, and a heavy, muffled sound spread from the chest of the crack wanderer. Before the crack wanderer could finish speaking, bones shattered, and flesh sttered! The crack wanderer''s body was sshed with copious amounts of blood, it raised its hand, and at this moment, it had no strength left to resist! Its roars grew weaker and eventually turned into feeble whimpers. Pure power suppression! It looked at Chen Qi with terror in its eyes. Beneath the dark ck cloak, half-ck tendrils kept emerging. From beneath the cloak, it only saw a pair of eyes, eyes that burned like a monster''s. Like the legendary deep-sea monsters told of by sailors. It should have been the monster of the carriage, having absorbed Shadow Phase power from the Era of Darkness and the train, its body long since departed from human form. In this world, they were called monsters! In the time the crack re-emerged into the world, it disyed its monstrous strength, watched many powerful Hunters show desperation in their eyes, and killed them while they were still alive. Now, the crack wanderer felt the despair, as if it were the weak human who had fallen into a trap. [Crack Distortion Increase by 3%, the Crack Wanderer falls into despair! The power of its Shadow Phase within increases again!] It released its Shadow Power in an outburst of despair and roared: "Coffin Hand!" Above the roof behind Chen Qi, a gurgling sound was heard, and once again, a gigantic Shadow Hand emerged. Its enormity, capable of firmly grasping a bear and then crushing it to smithereens! "Residual Fire blooms." Chen Qi did not turn around, but softly said. Behind him, from the cloak, eight giant transparent tendrils burning with Residual Fire emerged. Apanied by the mes igniting! Like swatting a fly, the Shadow Hand was casually pped away by the tendrils spreading from the cloak. Boom! The massive impact turned the crack wanderer''s attack into dust. "Is that all the strength you have..." Chen Qiughed wildly. Now, it had been less than twenty seconds since he had activated Residual Fire Touch. And under the barrage of continuous heavy punches, even the core of the wanderer''s heart had been revealed. "The final blow!" Chen Qi adjusted his breathing, feeling the pain in his bones, and channeling Qi Power throughout his body. With his current constitution and Residual Fire Touch, he could onlyst for a maximum of 30 seconds... "I can''t... stay here any longer... I will make you..." The crack wanderer tried to use the de in its hand to attack Chen Qi, to break free from the constraints. However, all its struggles were automatically blocked by the eight tendrils of Residual Fire Bloom. Under absolute power, resistance was futile. In that moment, Chen Qi felt its desperate aura. A young man acting on impulse, wanting to be a legend above the vast sea, ending up tragically confined in this narrow train, waiting painfully for death. Eventually, this aura of despair resonated with the train, turning into the monster it was now. Although it spoke humannguage, in essence, it was merely a stack of despairing emotions. As instructed by the Navy Admiral, he needed to bring the body back as intact as possible. Defeating the core was the best approach. "It''s time to send you home!" Chen Qi clenched his right fist, which was concentrated with Qi Power. As his words fell, the struggles of the crack wanderer suddenly became slower. In the end, unexpectedly, it gave up on resisting. Boom! Without hesitation, he delivered the explosive punch that violently shattered the heart of the crack wanderer, which had been umting Shadow Phase power in its chest. With the breaking of the crack wanderer''s heart, the previously restless carriage once again quieted down, and the crack wanderer, trapped here for ten long years, finally closed its weary eyes. "Finally, it''s over..." Chen Qi, feeling the pain from the tendrils wrapped around him, exhaled deeply. [You have defeated the Crack Wanderer...] Defeating the crack wanderer also meant thepletion of Train Car No. 8. Chapter 123: Chapter 104: Shadow Charm [Defeated the Crack Lost One, Corruption Level reduced by 25%, gained 3500 Spiritual Points...] The crack dungeon gave a considerable amount of Spiritual Points. Chen Qi snapped his fingers "Residual Fire Envelop, stop." As the tiny blue mes on his body extinguished, the blood-red color in his eyes gradually faded. Chen Qi looked around. In the recent battle, the entire train car had turned into ruins. He picked up the ck de from the ground and then sat down on the wreckage of a chair. Suddenly, he asked himself "Why did I throw away the de?" Thinking carefully, it seemed to be just a simple reason It felt more exhrating to fight that way! As a forbidden artifact of the de Phase, Residual Fire Touch not only consumed a significant amount of physical strength but also had a major side effect. That is, when in the state of being enveloped by Residual Fire, it brought an unimaginable anger. Arrogance, madness, and other states would continue to breed under the rage. These emotions would severely affect judgment in normalbat, leading to some irrational behaviors. Temporary rampage feels great, but the aftermath is like cremation. If worn for even longer, he might even attack indiscriminately, friend or foe. Attack whoever he sees, sh whoever he sees! Although in the game forums, this kind of rage that attacks teammates was very popr among yers, especially when about to clear a level. shing both teammates and the boss together!! But for Chen Qi, this rage could potentially pose a considerable risk. Imagine if the Flower Witch was right beside him while treating him. Heughed crazily and said, "A mere witch, nothing special, let me test your depth," and then shed at her with the ck de. Given his current power. The consequences were unimaginable... Chen Qi shivered. However,pared to the excessive power provided under the Residual Fire Envelop state, the cost of rage was already quite small. Moreover, in Chen Qi''s view, rage wasn''t solely a side effect. Some de Release techniques also required the emotion of rage. Just as only magic can counter magic, rage could also resist some mental techniques. For example, here, he sessfully resisted the desperate mental erosion from the Shadow Phase. Even, ifbined with some other items, it could build a special y style. "Hope to find an item to offset the side effects of de Phase equipment in the future; my shoulder hurts..." Chen Qi touched his shoulder, feeling the fatigue from his body. His body was overextended... Residual Fire Envelop overdrew the body''s strength,bined with the power of the equipment itself, leading to unprecedented agility and strength. And this overdrawing affected every inch below the head. Just twenty seconds of Residual Fire Envelop had pushed his physical capabilities to an extreme! In the non-''Residual Fire Envelop'' state, thanks to Deep Sea Affinity, Residual Fire Touch still provided agility and strength bonuses, but it continued to drain physical strength. "Can''t hold on anymore, can''t wear it again..." Chen Qi, like an elegant magician, pulled up the shirt grasped at his chest. The shirt in his hand gradually turned into blue waves and finally condensed into a blue gem. Then, Chen Qi put the blue gem and the corpse of the Crack Lost One back into the backpack card. As the Crack Lost One died, the entrances and exits of the car reopened. The difficulty of car No. 8 was due to corruption. The condition to clear the level was to reach the driver''s cab and pull the train''s parking lever. In other words, theoretically, car No. 8 just needed to find the differences and could be cleared without fighting at all. But the Crack Lost One changed everything. The Crack Lost One was the reason so many Hunters died tragically. "Hope the road ahead is safe and there won''t be another Lost One." Chen Qi cautiously proceeded to the front car ording to the guide. The journey was very smooth, and three minutester, he reached the train''s driver''s cab. "Finally here, it should be this..." Chen Qi found the red parking lever. Gripping it with all his strength, he pulled it back hard. Rumble! Rumble! The entire car jolted violently, lights flickered, and items on the shelves wobbled, making a chaotic ttering noise. As the train''s braking system activated, its speed slowly decreased. [You have stopped the train, Corruption Level reduced by 10%, crack cleared!] Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead, smiling slightly "Cleared!" [Crack settlement in progress...] [Corruption Level reduced by 35% in total, current Corruption Level 16%.] [Stop it: Pulled the parking lever, reward +40% Perfect Pathfinder: You didn''t enter any wrong cars during the journey, reward +40%, increased chance of getting Lamp Phase rewards. Embodiment of Fear: You made the car''s horrifying monsters feel fear, reward +20% Monster yer: You defeated the biggest danger in the crack, the corrupted Crack Lost One, reward +80%] [Settlementplete, overall rating S! Obtained a No. 8 train-exclusive skill card chest and a Lamp Phase skill card chest.] Perfect! Chen Qi excitedly rubbed his hands. Achieving a perfect clearance rating in such a high-difficulty level even on the game forum would get him called a big shot by all the neers! [Do you wish to draw a Lamp Phase skill card, 20% rare, 80% epic] Lamp Phase skill card chest! Chen Qi''s heart skipped a beat. Many Lamp Phase skill cards were enhanced by inspiration. Over the past twenty days, Chen Qi had been practicing meditation, increasing his inspiration by 10 points. Discover stories with mvl Adding the previous Pale Potion, his inspiration reached an astonishing 60 points! Even the Mage apprentices of the White Tower Federation who had been practicing meditation since childhood might not surpass him in inspiration. "Draw!" Chen Qi said excitedly. A card with a candle me back, burning like fire, appeared in his hand. The card face depicted antern traveler apanied by a white dove, passing through a car scene. [You have obtained the Lamp Phase skill card ''White Dove Perception''.] [White Dove Perception Lv1 Nature Form: Lamp Usage requirement: Mastery of basic meditation and inspiration reaching 30. Effect: You can spread your spiritual power, extending your vision, significantly enhancing perception ability, and detecting the flow of spiritual power. Even with your eyes closed, you can still perceive all changes around you. At the same time, you gain a very small probability of danger premonition. Note: This skill is enhanced by inspiration.] Finally, a perception skill! Chen Qi was overjoyed. Previously, the Hunter''s Eye, which he got, was also a perception skill but mainly focused on enhancing vision. But its perception of blind spots was very weak. If he encountered an enemy adept at hiding their presence and attacking from behind, he had no solution at all. Fairly good skill! Chen Qi excitedly epted the card. [Do you wish to draw another No. 8 train-exclusive skill card?] Draw again! Chen Qi excitedly tapped to draw again, and a card appeared in his hand like ink. The card back showed the reflection of a rat, while the front disyed a dark female figure in the car with a blush on her face, facing a shadow. What kind of card is this? Chen Qi looked at the card''s description. [Shadow Charm: Nature Form: Flower, Shadow Usage requirement: Inspiration reaching 25 Effect: Increases your dark affinity while exuding a unique charm, making shadow-type monsters willing to stay on you. Additionally, in darkness, your stealth ability is enhanced! Note: Turn off the light, and the night sneaks into your bed. Don''t you find the wriggling shadows adorable?] Another charm card? Chen Qi was secretly shocked. Am I fated with charm skill cards? Earlier, the Dragon Charm card he got had been gathering dust in the storage due to theck of a dragon bloodline. Now, another charm card appeared. At this rate, he would transform into an enchanting demon... Chen Qi helplesslyined. If he were in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, which has many desires, these two charm cards would fetch an astronomical price. Fortunately, unlike Dragon Charm, this skill card had less strict usage conditions. Moreover, even excluding the effect of attracting shadow-type monsters, the ability to stay hidden in darkness was quite useful. Whether sailing on the sea or adventuring on an ind, darkness was everywhere. Great stuff! Chen Qi didn''t hesitate and used both skill cards. Chapter 124: Chapter 105 Ans Treat "[You have acquired Dove Perception Lv1]" "[You have acquired Shadow Charm Lv1]" A flood of knowledge suddenly emerged within his mind. Both skills could be upgraded and Chen Qi checked the Spiritual Power Points he had umted. The Spiritual Power Points obtained from the crack, along with those he saved from his daily tasks and those used for upgrading his meditation method, totaled 5000 Spiritual Power Points! That was enough to upgrade both skills. Chen Qi decisively used his Spiritual Power Points to upgrade his skills. "[Your Dove Perception has increased to Lv3 and gained a minor perception passive effect, improving your perception ability.]" "[Your Shadow Charm has increased to Lv3 and gained a minor dark concealment passive effect, enhancing your concealment and affinity abilities.]" In an instant, 4000 Spiritual Points vanished like smoke. Chen Qi felt the vast knowledge in his mind. Two Skill Cards, one enhanced his perceptual abilities and the other his concealment abilities! Of course, the most significant gain from this journey to the crack was the upation Card promised by the navy admiral, Old White Dove. Although he was a bit heavy-handed, he had indeed sessfullypleted themission! A prompt popped up. "[The crack will close in one hour.]" After packing up, Chen Qi prepared to leave the crack. Unlike a normal crack, after stopping, the shadow creatures from the entire Train No. 8 became restless. Therefore, he would encounter many shadow monsters on the way back. But for Chen Qi now, these monsters were merely a matter of one sh. Chen Qi cleared from the head to the tail of the carriage, earning 1000 Spiritual Points. Half an hourter, he reached the first carriage. He pushed open the car door and stepped out of Train No. 8. Chen Qi raised his hand to shield his eyes from the dazzling sunlight. Once off the train, a breath of fresh air hit his face. Chen Qi took a deep breath; the cool air instantly filled his lungs and dispelled the stale air of the carriage. This world was morefortable. Chen Qi smiled and said, "At this time, I should head back to Maro Town, rest for the night, and just in time for a free meal at An''s." He steered his small houseboat toward Maro Town. ... ... Maro Town. The daylight slowly dimmed, and the sky was painted a warm, orange-red hue, reflecting off the sea and resembling a beautiful ink painting. At this moment, near the dock, arge pot was ced on a patch of grass, surrounded by many cooking tools, seasonings, and numerous luxurious ingredients. Thirteen people were gathered around it. They were the Hammer Phase craftsmen building the defensive structures and weather tower of Maro Town. After consulting, to celebrate the initialpletion of Maro Town''s defenses, they decided to have avish feast tonight! At that moment, An was sitting quietly on a rock, reading a book, waiting for Chen Qi''s return. A white-haired, bearded craftsman resembling a dwarf looked around. Second-tier Hammer Phase dwarf, an upation that affects appearance and was not umon in Shell Country. The dwarf craftsman, starving, said, "Teacher An, what are you waiting for? If we start cooking now, we can eat straight away tonight!" "Please wait a moment, I want to wait for a chef friend..." The dwarf craftsman''s eyes widened, "Teacher An, isn''t your father a tavern owner? He should be good at cooking, why not let him do it?" An frowned, her usually calm face looking as if she had seen a terrifying demon, "You wouldn''t want to eat the food my father makes." An closed her book and exined to everyone, "It''s a chef friend of mine and a Transcendent Chef who has been featured in the newspapers. If we can wait for him, we will have a delicious feast tonight." "A chef who has been in the newspapers! Really..." Everyone patted their bellies. Transcendent Chefs were very rare! The leading dwarf craftsman swallowed hard. He had heard that recently, at the pier of Moonstone City, there was an extremely cost-effective and delicious Water Elf restaurant, reasonably priced and wonderfully tasty. Unfortunately, they were stuck on Maro Ind to construct the weather detection tower! The food in Maro Town was disastrously bad. Nothing but salted fish! They were willing to wait for a Transcendent Chef''s cooking! The dwarf craftsman waited for three minutes and then anxiously asked, "Teacher An, may I ask what the Transcendent Chef is doing, and how long will it take for him to arrive?" An replied softly, "He went to deal with the crack on Train No. 8, and if all goes well, he should be here in two hours." "Two hours... Train No. 8!" The dwarf craftsman eximed in shock. That crack had already caused many deaths! The dwarf craftsman asked doubtfully, "Can we really wait for him? I heard from someone who escaped the train that there is a humanoid monster in that crack that can manipte shadow power!" "A humanoid monster?" An''s pupils shrank slightly, her briefing to Chen Qi contained no information on any humanoid monster. She immediately inquired, "Can you borate?" The dwarf craftsman stroked his thick white beard and muttered, "That person, terrified, told me that just when he was about toplete the challenge, he encountered a crying young man who then transformed into a monster. That monster''s strength has reached the level of a Second-order Transcendent! Can you believe it? A crack that only allows First-order Transcendents has a Second-order monster." "Second-order Transcendent..." An''s brow furrowed even more. With a normal Train No. 8, one couldplete the challenge just by having high inspiration, even without needing different observations, just by observing the spiritual field. Thus, she felt confident in Chen Qi''s inspiration and his ability to easily ovee the challenge. But if there was a Second-order humanoid monster, the situation would bepletely different. Was she being too confident? An regretted a twinge of self-me; she hadn''t known about this information. She should have spent more time gathering more information before allowing Chen Qi to enter the crack. What if Chen Qi were to be seriously injured because of this information? An regretfully bit her nail, as the new mentor in Maro Town, she clearly had been negligent. "I hope nothing goes wrong..." Just then, she heard a familiar voice from behind her. "Teacher An, may I ask what you''re nning to eat tonight?" Chen Qi greeted everyone with a smile. "Ah!?" An turned around, her deep blue eyes staring nkly at Chen Qi: "That was fast..." It wasn''t even dark yet, and he had already returned! An asked curiously: "How was it?" Chen Qi rubbed his sore shoulders: "It was somewhat challenging, but luckily I was a cut above and just managed to get through!" "You got through..." Discover hidden content at §Þ?? An''s mouth fell open slightly, then she smiled, relieved; it seemed her worries had been needless. Chen Qi''s development might be better than she had anticipated. The dwarven craftsmen and others also stared wide-eyed: "Are you kidding? You''re saying you, got through the Number 8 Train crack?" The crack affected the establishment of barrier-type defense facilities. They had been troubled by the Number 8 Train cracktely and were well aware of its terrifying nature. They never expected that many people they had sent couldn''t solve the issue. Yet a chef had done it so nonchntly. Chen Qi looked at everyone''s astonished expressions and said calmly: "As long as the inspiration is high, this crack isn''t tough." "Is that so..." The craftsmen looked at each other, stunned. After they had eaten, they definitely had to check out the Number 8 Train crack themselves. "The first thing after getting through the crack was to have a feast to celebrate." An stood up and took out a bird''s carcass from her backpack card: "Qi, you arrived just in time, I wonder if you''re free to join us for a meal, we really need a chef." I knew it, there''s no such thing as a free dinner... Chen Qi rubbed his hands together and agreed to An''s request. Since he hade ashore, the usually calm An had been looking at him like he was a delicious meal. After eating the meal prepared by Chen Qi, An realized even more that the food in Maro Town was truly subpar. An said happily: "To trouble you, what about half of a Skyfire Bird as payment for cooking?" "Skyfire Bird?" Chen Qi was suddenly startled. Like the Ghost Fire Fish, Skyfire Birds were extremely dangerous creatures. In terms of danger, they wereparable to sea overlords. Skyfire Birds were very cunning, preferring to attack from a high altitude. They only descended to capture their prey after confirming their prey was scorched. For a small houseboat like Chen Qi''s, encountering a Skyfire Bird meant sheer bad luck. Also, the meat juice of the Skyfire Bird was delicious, a rare ingredient indeed. After being cooked, it provided a small resistance to me and an enhancement to the constitution! It was also one of the most ideal ingredients for Transcendent chefs to cook with. Chen Qi asked in amazement, "Teacher An, where did you get the Skyfire Bird," An spoke calmly: "Because I bought a new spell book, I''ve been a bit short on moneytely. I originally nned to hunt a sea overlord, get some of its scales by going to the ces where they frequently appear. However, unfortunately, I didn''t find the sea overlord, and there was no sign of it on the ocean; eventually, I was lucky toe across this Skyfire Bird." Sea overlord¡­ Chen Qi kept his expression steady and swallowed. An actually nned to hunt a sea overlord! If it were a regr Third-order Transcendent, it would be difficult to defeat a sea overlord. However, An was a high-achieving graduate of the Bei Country Royal University. Now, the sea overlord was just a child; the oue could be unimaginable if it really encountered An. Fortunate indeed... Chen Qi breathed a sigh of relief internally. Lately, the sea overlord had been in his White Tree Sanctuary, eating the fish feed he bought every day, nearly bing a homebody. As a result, the likelihood of An catching it was not high. Chen Qi took the Skyfire Bird and chuckled: "That''s really lucky, Skyfire Bird is indeed a Transcendent delicacy!" Why do you two speak so effortlessly about such daunting tasks? The craftsmen were dumbfounded, one smoothly handled the Skyfire Bird, the other nonchntly got through the Number 8 Train. At the moment, a watching dwarven craftsman furrowed his brows and advised: "Teacher An, I advise you to give up on hunting the sea overlord. Haven''t you read the newspaper? Recently, a beast from the Sea God Pirate Group, along with the sea overlord, obliterated an iron steamship! Even if you can defeat the sea overlord, if you antagonize the existence behind the sea overlord, it''s unthinkable." An softly said, "That''s also true." Wait, could this monster of the Sea God Pirate Group be referring to me? Chen Qi hadn''t expected that his affairs could reach the craftsmen of Maro Town. That''s the influence of newspapers. However, if An really antagonized the terrifying existence behind the sea overlord, the consequences indeed could be unthinkable! I might actually die... Chen Qi picked up the knife and began chopping vegetables at the campsite. It was time to showcase his culinary skills! The craftsmen immediately drooled shamelessly. An said nothing but sat on a rock, quietly waiting for Chen Qi to cook. Chapter 125: Chapter 106: Crying Cat Head Snap, snap! "It''s time to showcase real skills." Chen Qi donned his apron and began chopping vegetables. Each knife stroke was swift, precise, and fierce. In less than ten minutes, ingredients enough for twenty people were neatly ced in bowls. Next, Chen Qi started the stove, sprinkled the seasonings, and began stir-frying. Secret technique, single-handed wok toss! Under high heat, each stir was like a dancing note, his actions incredibly skillful. The aroma was alreadying out. ting. Finally, using his dark skills, he concocted a sauce with the soul seasoning and poured it! In an instant, the fragrance of the meat and vegetables danced like a culinary goddess in the mes, beckoning everyone. The onlooking craftsmen couldn''t help but drool. Even An, who was engrossed in her book, couldn''t resist taking a sniff! This was theplete version of Transcendent cooking, coupled with the power of soul seasoning! Chen Qipleted a series of dishes in one go. Braised abalone, strawberry jam bread, potato-sauce roasted beef ribs, vegetable soup, egg pudding, lobster, stir-fried pork... The once empty table was instantly filled. The ovepping aromas became even richer! Couldn''t resist anymore! The dwarf craftsman was the first to speak: "Everyone, I''m a simple man, forget dining etiquette, I''ll start first." "Me too!" ... "Take your time." Chen Qi smiled, feeling a sense of aplishment when someone wanted to eat the food he''d made. After days of practice, his skills had greatly improved! The dwarf craftsman took a bite of the beef rib mixed with potato sauce, his cheeks turning a mesmerized red. Fragrant, so very fragrant! The dwarf craftsman praised: "Buddy, you''re amazing, not only is your food delicious, but you can also pass through Train No. 8." The others joined in. "Yeah, I wonder if you have a chef rating, I heard there''s a chefpetition in Moonstone City, and the winner gets top-tier ingredients, you should totally join!" "The chefpetition, that''s in more than a month, right? I''ll find time to participate." Chen Qi didn''t chat much, he started preparing thest transcendent ingredient. Even though his constitution had far surpassed ordinary people, the Phoenix Firebird ingredient could still provide a significant boost. Therefore, he decided to showcase hisplete culinary skills! Add devil''s chili and Phoenix Firebird! Under high heat, a dish was perfectly formed! [You have cooked Stir-fried Devil''s Chili Phoenix Firebird (Extra Spicy Version), gained 150 Spiritual Points!] An looked at the final dish, her blue eyes shing red. This dish was full of chili peppers. No, to be urate, the chili peppers had a little bit of dish! What should she eat next? An lifted her head and stared at Chen Qi with kitten-like eyes, calmly saying: "Shouldn''t there be some sugar?" "No need!" Chen Qi gave a cool smile, adding some chili powder with soul seasoning, professionally exining: "This transcendent ingredient has a fire attribute, it perfectly matches with the devil''s chili, the spicier it is, the more it can stimte the ingredient''s power!" An couldn''t argue, softly saying: "Indeed, transcendent power alwayses at a price..." Not a problem, just one dish, An tremblingly picked up a chopstick, grabbed a bird leg, and ate it. "It should be fine..." Chen Qi tried it as well. The next second, their tongues burst into mes! Powerful! Chen Qi reacted quickly, taking a gulp of water. Though it was a bit spicy, overall, it tasted pretty good. His condition was bearable! Chen Qi curiously asked: "How is it?" "Not bad, I can handle spicy foods pretty well, and I''ve had professional fire resistance training..." An, at this moment, had turned into a white, crying kitten''s head because of the spiciness. More precisely, a burning, crying kitten''s head. Spiciness and transcendent power erupted on their taste buds! "Wooo..wooo..." Thud! The usually calm An was rolling around on the ground. This was the price of extracting transcendent power! Chen Qi stifled hisughter. A momentter, a prompt appeared before him. [You consumed the transcendent ingredient Phoenix Firebird, Constitution +3, gained minor burning resistance.] Now, Ghost Fire Oil had be an important weapon coating for Chen Qi. Minor burning resistance was quite a decent attribute boost. Moreover, the meat of the Phoenix Firebird was really good. If it weren''t for the devil''s chili, it would''ve been a really nice dish. Deliciousness and pain coexisted. The two of them regained theirposure and started eating the normal dishes. Out of control... An calmed down, blushing, wiping away the tears from the corner of her eyes, and sat back on her small chair. An was born into amoner family, and to avoid being looked down upon at the Royal University, she always paid great attention to her manners. She didn''t expect that the etiquette she had maintained for years would be defeated by a dish. Fortunately, the other dishes were really tasty! "Delicious." An happily ate a piece of fruit pudding and asked: "By the way, Qi, whomissioned you to go to Train No. 8, was it that Navy Admiral Old Bai Ou?" "!" Chen Qi was shocked that she knew about this. "Yes, after finishing the meal, I''m nning to head back to Moonstone City, go to the navy office, and find Old Bai Ou toplete themission." An curiously asked: "What''s themission? Is it a second-tier upation card?" Although it seemed unbelievable, in An''s spiritual vision, Chen Qi already possessed the strength to advance to the second tier! You guessed it too urately... Chen Qi nodded: "Yes, it''s a Lamp Phase upation card..." Lamp Phase! An was taken aback. In Shell Country, besides the news agency and the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau, almost no otherrge-scale Lamp Phase organizations existed. And these two exclusive organizations, even with their small numbers, still had a shortage of internal upation cards. Some seniors with enough experience and strength had waited ten years without receiving the promised promotion upation card. And the White Tower Federation, which controlled the origin-level Hunter organization [Lighthouse], had no intention of recruiting outsiders in this era. Even at Bei Country Royal University, Lamp Phase wasn''t very popr. As a novice mentor, An had rarely seen Lamp Phase upation cards: "Are you sure? Lamp Phase organizations are very rare, and maintaining the Lamp Phase principles means you can''t live a peaceful life." Unlike the first choice, the nature of a second-tier upation card was crucial. It was like choosing a major in university. Although the book Extraordinary Path recorded that there were ways to remedy a wrong nature choice. The cost of making such corrections was prohibitively expensive, not something an ordinary person could bear. Chen Qi smiled bitterly. In An''s eyes, choosing Lamp Phase had a bleak future and made it hard to live a peaceful life. Where the heart goes, so goes the nature. Sometimes, a person''s nature choice disregards the future. Besides, in Chen Qi''s eyes, the world was heading toward destruction and the peaceful era was ending. In such times, only those who kept moving forward could reach the pinnacle. Peace, what was that? Fighting and adventure were the real deals! Lamp Phase was a pretty good choice. To Chen Qi, it was one of the best choices. Chen Qi looked up at the slightly bright moon in the sky: "This world is vast, I still want to see more." Not satisfied with a peaceful life? An recalled many legends of the sea: "I see..." In fact, her intuition told her that Lamp Phase was indeed a good choice. Lamp Phase was both an explorer and a guide. In An''s memory, there were quite a few legendary figures in the Lamp Phase. Legend had it that the Ice Witch''s upation card was a legendary-grade Ice Lamp Phase card. The strength of Lamp Phase Transcendents was not weak. Due to theck of support from transcendent organizations, the hardest part of the Lamp Phase path was the difficulty of advancing. But in the Crack Tide, personal advancement no longer depended on transcendent organizations or noble patronage but on one''s own strength. Under the Crack Tide, anything was possible. Even without joining a transcendent organization, unimaginable monsters could still be born, just like the legendary Deep Sea Hunter. Not a bad choice, An shifted the topic, requesting: "By the way, Qi, can you give me a ride to Moonstone Cityter? I happen to be heading there as well." Chen Qi asked curiously: "Going to Moonstone City, for what? An patted her empty pockets: "Do you know about the recent major navy operation?" Chen Qi asked puzzledly: "Major navy operation?" An exined: "In the Crack Sea, ording to the meteorological bureau''s findings, arge number of cracks have formed in the forbidden Sea Demon Gorge due to the Sea Demon''s song, many powerful figures have fallen there, which means, besides the cracks themselves, there are many sunken relics, attracting countless adventurers." An looked out to the distant sea: "I''m also nning to go to the Sea Demon Gorge to make some money." "Sea Demon Gorge?" Chen Qi took out a sea chart from his backpack card. Sea Demon Gorge was located beyond the near sea, further into the Crack Sea. From the game forums, he remembered it was a ce with many dungeons. But at the same time, it was home to many dangerous sea beasts. The most famous of which were the Sea Demons that resembled humans. The Sea Demons'' songs were powerful mental attacks, capable of driving people to kill each other! An continued exining: "Personally, I can''t pass through the dangerous Sea Demon Gorge, so I''m nning to go to the navy office in Moonstone City and hitch a ride on the navy ships. My spells should be quite helpful." "Teacher An, your spells can outperform fifty cannons no problem." Chen Qi said, while assessing his own strength. With his current strength, he should be able to safely set foot in the Crack Sea. An leaned in closer, softly saying: "Moreover, ording to thetest White Dove newspaper report, the Witch is likely to head to the Sea Demon Gorge." "Do you think I won''t encounter the Witch? Although the possibility is low since the Witch is always mysterious." An finished eating a whole piece of fruit pudding. The dwarf craftsman eating beside them suddenly said: "You better hope not, if any of you meets the Flower Witch, there might not even be a corpse left, turned into residue in her alchemy pot." Witch, how terrifying. To the life-cherishing dwarf craftsman, he wished never to encounter such powerful beings in his life, regardless of their nature. "Hmm..." An was silent for a moment, then nodded, raising her ss to Chen Qi: "Let''s hope neither of us encounters the Witch, cheers to surviving!" I''ve already been targeted by the Witch, Chen Qi thought bitterly, raising his ss: "Yes, cheers to surviving!" Clink! In the midst of everyone''s cheers, the clinking sses produced a crisp sound! Unknowingly, night had deepened. The food on the dining table was finished by everyone, even the tes licked clean. Chen Qi returned to his small houseboat and slept for a while. The next day at noon. "Qi!" At the dock, An had changed into a convenient white shirt and trousers, holding a wooden magic wand taller than herself, and waved to him. She lightly stepped onto Chen Qi''s small boat. "It''s time to collect the reward." Continue reading at §Þ?? Chen Qi started the small houseboat, heading to Moonstone City. Chapter 126: Chapter 107 Second-tier Shadow Phase Occupation Card ... ... Moonstone City, Navy Office. In an office filled with sea charts and schedules. Admiral Bai Ou sat in his chair, lighting a cigarette. He shook his head in frustration, as recent shes between the Navy and pirate groups mostly ended in failure. They had neglected the pirates for too long, and by the time they were prepared to deal with them, these pirates had already grown from small fry into massive man-eating sharks. Among the four great pirate emperors, the young Ice Demon Pirate Group was somewhat weaker. Moreover, due to the Navy''s internal conflict years ago, the Navy had been weakened for too long. "Nothing but trouble. I should have be an edge hunter back then, gone to the frontier for a couple of years, and now I could have retired. Sigh, I should have retired long ago." Bai Ou exhaled a puff of smoke. In his troubles, he also recalled his wife''s nagging. To retrieve their son''s body, his wife wanted him to post themission to the entire Hunter Association, spread it throughout Moonstone City! Furthermore, she had grabbed him by the neck, demanding the body be reimed before their son''s death anniversary! Otherwise, the powerful family behind her, which controlled the Magic Bullet Company, would personally issue a heftymission! Bai Ou shook his head, muttering to himself: "Thew cannot be vited. If people knew an Admiral was using so many resources for a dead person, how would that look..." The Navy''s reputation was already bad enough; he didn''t want to add more fuel to the fire. "A transcendent capable of clearing Train No. 8, where to find such a person?" Just then, Bai Ou suddenly sensed a familiar aura. The aura of the Cup Phase, the smell of cooking. Could it be? He stood up, pushed open the office door, and curiously headed downstairs. Sure enough, in the luxurious reception room downstairs, he saw a young ck-haired boy and a white-haired girl. He didn''t recognize the white-haired girl, but her white uniform indicated she was an excellent student in the Mage program at the Bei Country Royal University. And the ck-haired boy was the chef he hadmissioned! Their presence here must mean he had likelypleted themission! Pei Lu had not lied, this person was indeed capable... A weight lifted off Bai Ou''s chest. After arriving in Moonstone City, Chen Qi and An had no hesitation, going directly to Bai Ou''s Navy office. The receptionist said to Chen Qi and An: "Please wait a moment. Mr. Bai Ou is on his lunch break. I will notify him in an hour." Wait for what! Bai Ou immediately spoke: "Young chef and miss, good afternoon." Bai Ou could not wait toplete thismission, then go back and report to his wife. Chen Qi turned his head in surprise, they had just arrived and were already noticed. An was a bit nervous, as it was her first time meeting a Navy Admiral. Chen Qi winked at Bai Ou. It was really done... Bai Ou coughed twice: "Please follow me upstairs, we can talk there." An tilted her head slightly, wondering why she was called. She was just passing by! Chen Qi and An followed Bai Ou up the spiral staircase, through the corridor, and into Bai Ou''s office. An office piled with scattered files. Chen Qi retrieved the Lost One''s body from his backpack card. A mangled, unrecognizable corpse. Despite this, Bai Ou immediately recognized the identity of the corpse, gently caressing its cold and decayed face. He bent down, straightened the hair and clothes of the body, and picked up a nket to cover it. "Sigh..." After a long while, Bai Ou looked up and calmly said: "Thank you, chef. I will now get yourmission reward." Bai Ou went to the safe, taking out a key to search for the upation card. Chen Qi rubbed his hands in anticipation. In the New Sun game, unless relying on transcendent organizations, the upation cards received were mostly a matter of luck. Though the boosts from second-tier upation cards were not much, they were enough to build an initialbat system. Hopefully, it''s abat-rted upation card... Chen Qi hoped. His first-tier upation was chef, a purely supportive upation card. For him, the best choice was to get abat-rted upation card. Bai Ou retrieved a card with inteced light and dark, along with a delicate silver box, from his safe. "Thank you again. Although this upation card differs slightly from a traditional Lamp Phase card, it is still a very good one." Bai Ou handed the iron box and the card to Chen Qi. Chen Qi looked at the card. The back of the card showed a burning candle, casting an infinitely deep shadow under its light. Continue reading stories on §Þ?? The shadow squirmed, as if hiding a demon within. It was a rare Lamp-Shadow Phase upation card... Chen Qi examined the front of the card. The front depicted in tarot card style, a figure in ck soaked in blood, gazing at distant stars over a pile of corpses. How rare... Chen Qi was taken aback. As a strategy content creator, he couldn''t instantly recall this upation card. A special prompt appeared before Chen Qi''s eyes. [The Traveling Shadow Assassin Rank: Second Nature Form: Lamp, Shadow Usage Conditions: 30 Inspiration points, First Order upation card fully digested Passive Skills: Assassin''s Talent (Shadow): Enhanced reaction ability, slight augmentation to shadow and concealment skills, meanwhile, slight increase in shadow phase skillprehension. Note: I am an emotionless assassin. Traveling Will (Lamp): Slight resistance to mental attacks, slight enhancement tomp and perception skills, slight increase inmp skillprehension. Note: No one can stop my journey! Active Skills: Dark Concealment: In the darkness, you can hide your sound, appearance, and even the aura of your spiritual power. Note: After this job, I''ll retire and see the outside world.] "Such a long upation card name..." Chen Qi grumbled. This upation card seemed to be a special variant of the Shadow Phase assassin. He then examined the Shadow Assassin''s skills. Two passive skills, one active skill. The most important aspect of a second-tier upation card was its passive skills. The slight increase inprehension for both Lamp and Shadow Phase skills, though minimal, was crucial! Except for some legendary transcendent relics or opportunities,prehension in Nature Form skills could only be acquired through upation cards. Even a small increase was a huge breakthrough! Many transcendent skills couldn''t be learned without this slightprehension. For instance, Shadow Phase''s Dark Concealment and Shadow Power both required this slightprehension. It expanded his potential skill tree significantly. Building abat system around these inconspicuous passive skills was what second-order transcendents needed to do. The key to determining the strength of a second-order transcendenty in whether they could build a reasonablebat system. The ck Rabbit Chen Qi had previously encountered had Hammer Phaseprehension and mechanical affinity, allowing him to wear custom workshop armor. Chen Qi took another nce. Additionally, there were bonuses to mental resistance and reaction ability. "Not bad, not bad." Chen Qi smiled to himself. A second-tier upation card providing so many bonuses was very rare. The moremon Lamp Phase second-tier upation card, "Traveler," had a fleeing skill, Light Feather Skill, and an important support skill, Weather Forecast, along with agility and inspiration boosts and a slight increase inmp phaseprehension. From Chen Qi''s perspective, purely in matters ofbat, the Shadow Assassin far surpassed the Traveler. As Bai Ou mentioned, this truly was a valuable upation card. Additionally, upon digestion, Chen Qi''s Hunter Yu Huo would enhance the passive skills of this upation. It was a pretty goodbat enhancement. Besides these enhancements, all second-tier upation cards would alter the spiritual power source within the body. We''ll talk about it back on the small houseboat... Chen Qi put away the upation card. Digesting a second-tier upation card required a quiet ce. Chapter 127: Chapter 108: Young man, would you like to join the Navy? Generous benefits! Old Bai Ou handed him the reward, which aside from the upation Card, included a silver box. Old Bai Ou said, "Chef, this box is a special request from my wife, an additional reward for this operation." There was additionalpensation? Chen Qi opened the elegantly crafted silver box. Inside the silver box, only six small bullets were ced. But on the bullets, intricate deep blue spiral patterns were carved. [Spiral Magic Bullet - Third Generation Universal Model Introduction: Thetest type of bullet produced by the Magic Bullet Company, it can be loaded without special firearms. Effect: Upon hitting the target, it will generate a giant spiral sphere with a two-meter radius, annihting everything within the sphere with tremendous energy.] Bullets produced by the Magic Bullet Company were famously well-known within the Shell Country firearm organizations! It is said that the raw materials they use to produce the bullets alle from an extremely dangerous B-level crack. One of these bullets is worth at least one hundred thousand Shell Coins. And without a membership, one wouldn''t even have the chance to purchase the bullets. A pretty nice additional reward, Chen Qi epted the bullets: "Thank you, Mr. Bai Ou." Old Bai Ou smiled: "No need to thank me, I''m the one who should be grateful. I''ve been losing sleep over this matter for several days." Right after that, he suddenly thought of something, changed the subject, and asked: "May I ask, Chef, are you from the newspaper?" Why does everyone think I''m from the newspaper? Chen Qi broke into a sweat: "Not really, I guess I could barely be considered an informant for the newspaper." Newspaper informants could probably be lined up for a kilometer. Hearing a negative response, Old Bai Ou''s mouth curled up slightly: "Chef, if you haven''t joined the newspaper, I wonder if you''re interested in bing a member of our navy? Currently, with pirates running rampant and the Crack Tide descending, our navy is in need of fresh blood!" Having seen countless young people, Old Bai Ou could tell that even among the talents of the Royal University, Chen Qi was a rare gem. High inspiration, delicious cooking, and a strong fighter! And he was also very young. By chance, the navy was in need of such young people. Now, he could not miss this opportunity. An Hui, who had been silent at the side, was shocked. The Naval Grand Admiral was actually inviting Chen Qi to join their ranks! Chen Qi was somewhat at a loss for a moment. Old Bai Ou did not hesitate and continued to up the ante: "If you wish to advance to Third Rank, with my connections, getting you a Third Rank Lamp Phase upation Card from the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau wouldn''t be an issue. Or finding someone to go to the underground gutter to buy a Shadow Phase Third Rank upation Card is also not a problem." The difficulty of obtaining a Third Rank upation Card far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people. Inside the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau, countless people yearned for a Third Rank Lamp Phase upation Card. And the gutter, an abandoned sanctuary from the old era and a forbiddennd independent from the six major tes, even deeper in the world. Obtaining a Shadow Phase Third Rank upation Card from the gutter was an incredibly difficult task. Chen Qi felt cornered for a moment. Explore more at §Þ?? Being recognized by the admiral and joining the navy offered rich benefits, including a Third Rank upation Card! Indeed, it was a tempting offer. But, I refuse! Although the conditions were very enticing, he had no intention of joining the navy. He currently had a good rtionship with the Flower Witch and also possessed the talent of Deep Sea Affinity. The navy''s goals, apart from eradicating pirates, were tobat the Sea Beasts that threatened thend. Joining the navy would be like walking into a lion''s den, and it wouldn''t be conducive to his future actions. He needed to think of a reason to refuse... Chen Qi cleared his throat: "Mr. Bai Ou, I currently have no intention of joining any transcendent organizations. I just want to be an ordinary traveling chef, living a peaceful and free life. Moreover, I''m afraid I might not be able to withstand the navy''s intense training." Is that too unbelievable? Chen Qi thought to himself. "..." s, the navy still has too poor a reputation... Old Bai Ou sighed: "Is that so? However, if you change your mind, you can find me anytime." "Sure." After saying goodbye to Old Bai Ou, Chen Qi and An Hui left the navy office once An Hui finished his business. ... ... The gentle breeze blewfortably through the streets of Moonstone City. "Phew..." An Hui, walking on the street with his hands outstretched, let out a long breath. She met a navy admiral for the first time and was inexplicably called up. One must know, even at the Bei Country Royal University, a navy admiral would be considered a mentor-level figure! Just now, she was so nervous she dared not make a peep! However,ter, thanks to Bai Ou''s arrangements, she was able to smoothly board a navy ship. This was also Chen Qi''s merit. This way, she could head to Sea Demon Gorge and make a fortune. An ced her hands behind her back and proceeded with light steps like an excited cat, it had been a while since she''d battled a formidable foe. Then, she turned her head, her blue eyes inquisitive like a fox''s. Her little head was now full of questions: "Qi, why did Bai Ou say you''re with the press?" As Chen Qi walked, he exined: "Previously, I exchanged information with Perul, a reporter from the Dove Times, using intelligence. I guess you could say I was her informant." Perul, the legendary chief reporter of the Dove Times! "Oh~" Following that, An continued to inquire: "Qi, why did you refuse to join the navy? Recently, the navy received arge amount of funding and supernatural resources." An really didn''t understand. Based on the recent situation, once Chen Qi joined the navy, he would receive quite enviable treatment. Due to the Crack Tides, Shell Country had provided the navy with a significant budget along with supernatural resources. Moreover, ording to newspaper reports, the navy was about to establish an insurance system to provide every sailor with medical and casualty insurance, along with housing benefits. More importantly, with the help of a Fourth-Rank navy admiral, bing a navy vice-admiral within five years wasn''t a problem at all! Bai Ou had even promised to help him obtain a Third-Rank upation Card. This was an opportunity many yearned for in their dreams. An recalled when she herself climbed to the Third Rank. In the White Tower Federation''s academy, she fought fiercely at the cost of her life, defeating ten Second-Tier Book Phases geniuses in a row and bing the dark horse, securing the third ce and acquiring a Third-Rank Book Phase upation Card. Besides, building thebat system for a Second-Tier profession also cost an unimaginable sum. If one could get the navy''s help, a lot of money could be reimbursed. Chen Qi always refused many promising opportunities right in front of her. Chen Qi was silent for a moment, his gaze drifting into the distance, and then he replied: "I''m not too fond of the navy''s atmosphere, having to train early every day, and not being able to choose my own destinations. I prefer the freedom of sailing." An nodded: "Freedom, huh." She was someone who went with the flow. If too free, sometimes she wouldn''t even know what to do. However, she faintly felt Chen Qi was definitely not the peace-loving chef he appeared to be on the surface. Following that, she gazed into the distance. They had arrived at Moonstone City''s port, where Chen Qi''s small houseboat awaited them. To prepare for the trip to Sea Demon Gorge, she still needed to purchase some equipment and potions. It was time to part ways. In the breeze, An smiled: "Then, goodbye, Qi. Next, I''m heading to Sea Demon Gorge. If you get a chance, you should visit too. Your dining boat business could do quite well there." "Hmm." Chen Qi walked up to his small houseboat and waved goodbye to An. But at that moment, An''s eyes suddenly sharpened! Something wasn''t right! She stared at the small houseboat and took her Magic Wand out of her backpack card, making a "shushing" gesture. "Shush..." What''s the matter? Chen Qi was startled. An, holding her Magic Wand, walked gracefully to Chen Qi''s side and whispered: "There is an extremely faint Spiritual Power disturbance on your boat, a thief..." "A thief???" Chen Qi looked at his swaying little houseboat. All his valuable belongings, including the Deep Sea Water Elf, were kept in his backpack card. The only things of any value were the refrigerator and the shipmp. But An''s Spiritual Power detection was incredibly strong; even the faintest disturbance couldn''t escape her search. There couldn''t be a mistake, there really was someone there! Chen Qi took a step forward, puzzled. Which scoundrel dared to steal his stuff? Could it be remnants of the ck Rabbit gang? Then, he saw a panicked little ck flower from the boat''s window. Chen Qi gritted his teeth: "Hiss..." Chapter 128: Chapter 109: Promotion to Second-tier, Shadow Assassin! "Shh, don''t make a sound..." An''s eyes were cold as she stood in front of Chen Qi, aiming her magic wand at the small houseboat. A fierce whirlwind suddenly rose around them, as spiritual power converged at the tip of the wand! Just a mere thief, she would bring them to justice! Doomed! Chen Qi ced a hand on his forehead. The uneasy little ck flower was undeniably the Flower Witch. Why had the Flower Witche to his boat? An, after all, was an official from Shell Country, and now, the Flower Witch was on Shell Country''s official bounty order. If she truly discovered the Flower Witch, she might just stuff her into a sack and drag her off to im the reward. Most importantly, on this bustling wharf, they absolutely couldn''t expose the Flower Witch''s identity! He must stop An Aotian from discovering the true identity of the Flower Witch. Firstly, keep the Flower Witch well hidden... Chen Qi organized his thoughts. Then, the Flower Witch poked half her head out of the boat window. Stare¡ª Although her eyes were hidden by the hood, Chen Qi could still feel that intense gaze filled with a trace of hostility. Being suddenly pointed at with a magic wand was by no means a pleasant experience. "..." For a moment, Chen Qi was stunned. "Hmm?" An''s grip on the magic wand loosened slightly. Not a thief? When facing a nearlypleted magic cannon, a thief''s first reaction should be to run! She knew that once she fired the magic cannon, this small houseboat would be obliterated! Yet, the person opposite her seemed to want to fight her while showing no fear in the face of such mighty spiritual power. Moreover, their own spiritual power field wasn''t in the slightest bit disordered. It was a master! And there seemed to be a faint scent of perfume. A young woman? In that instant, An thought of her senior at Royal University who loved seafood. Who is this? Why is she on your boat? An turned her head and asked coldly, "Qi, who is this?" "An avid foodie, a devoted fan of moonlight fish, and just like me, an informant for the newspaper," Chen Qi improvised a vague identity for the Flower Witch: "She has spent quite some money in my street-side restaurant, so we''re rather familiar. However, she''s rather scatterbrained." Avid foodie... The dining boat itself was a ce of business, and it was marginally reasonable for a customer to be waiting in a restaurant. An blinked and leaned in to whisper, "But why is she dressed so warmly?" The Flower Witch quickly bowed her head again, not wanting An to see her. Chen Qi exined, "She''s sick, there''s something odd about her face." There was no one more recognisable than a witch who grew flowers. An was shocked, realising her own indiscretion. During the course of studying the path of the Transcendent, it wasn''t umon to see individuals with disfigured faces. She had just threatened a sick person. An put away her magic wand and bowed, "I am very sorry, I was rude just now." Stare¡ª The Flower Witch timidly replied, "It''s okay..." An lifted her head, her blue eyes like those of a hawk, curiously staring at the Flower Witch for a moment, then turned her curious gaze toward Chen Qi. Something was off, extremely off! Although she sensed something was slightly amiss, it was very impolite to reveal someone''s cloak on the street. Perhaps, it was really as Chen Qi had said, the other party was not convenient to be seen. But what she hadn''t expected was that Chen Qi actually had his own die-hard fans. Something fishy! An withdrew her gaze and coughed twice, "I will take my leave now, if fate allows, see you at Sea Demon Gorge." "Goodbye." ... ... Wait, have I ever said I would definitely go to Sea Demon Gorge? Chen Qi turned his head, watching An disappear at the end of the port, and heaved a long sigh of relief. Finally, she was gone. The Flower Witch had almost been caught alive by the officials of Shell Country! Fortunately, it was An who found the Flower Witch. If it had been Pelle... he didn''t dare to think of the consequences. Chen Qi walked into the boathouse, started the engine of his small houseboat, and immediately set off toward the uninhabited sea. He needed to find a quiet ce to assimte his Second-tier upation Card. When the small houseboat stopped atop the deserted sea, Chen Qi looked back. The Flower Witch had taken off her cloak and was sitting at the table, with a sad little blue flower of self-reproach popping up on her head one moment and an angry little red flower the next. Her expression was also changing constantly. Conflicted... Eventually, the self-reproaching sad little blue flower overcame the angry little red flower. The Flower Witch sped her hands together and apologized, "Sorry, I saw Bounty Hunters at the dock and got scared of being discovered, so I sneakily unlocked the door and slipped in." Is that so... Chen Qi replied, "It''s okay, when I''m free, I''ll make a key for you." After all, there wasn''t anything of value on his small houseboat. The Flower Witch seemed to be without a fixed abode as well. Her situation indeed was not optimistic, and she had to be careful everywhere. For some inexplicable reason, her bounty had increased by another two million, reaching twenty-two million. Hearing Chen Qi speak, the Flower Witch''s cheeks reddened slightly, and she felt much more at ease, resting her chin on her hands as she asked, "Chef, that person seemed so strong!" On her head appeared a small red flower as she pouted and asked, "Who is she?" The talent of the Flower Witch to conceal her presence was very strong. But she had never imagined that such perfect hiding could be discovered in an instant. She even had a momentary thought that An might be stronger than her! Chen Qi replied, "Our Maro Town''s new mentor An, a very formidable Mage." "New mentor, An..." The Flower Witch crossed her arms over her chest, lost in thought. Then, she clenched her fists tightly, staring fixedly at Chen Qi. There was a strange feeling... She had something to ask Chen Qi but didn''t know how to begin. Chen Qi stopped the houseboat, "Flower Witch, please wait for me for a moment. Before handling any matter, I must first assimte the Second-tier upation Card." Assimtion of Second-tier upation Cards! The Flower Witch was startled; they had only been apart for twenty days, and Chen Qi had already found a Second-tier upation Card. Moreover, it seemed to be the rare Shadow Lamp upation Card! The Flower Witch didn''t speak again, as assimting a Second-tier upation Card required silence. Chen Qi took out the card. Now, he had met the usage conditions for the ''Travel-Desiring Shadow Assassin''! Chen Qi bit the bullet and bit into his right hand. Arge amount of blood dripped from his hand, staining the card. The card seemed to be melted by the blood and gradually merged into it. Last, with the Extraordinary Power of the card and the blood merged and then spread to his soul. A prompt appeared before his eyes! [You are assimting the power of light and shadow.] Chen Qi closed his eyes, his face instantly bing flushed, and his body grew hot. In that instant, he felt as if he were a sword on a forge, subjected to the hammering of Extraordinary Power, being remade. He also felt like an empty vessel, continually filled with a vast array of strange knowledge. Beyond that, the Hunter''s remaining Spiritual Power deep within his soul was resonating with this stream of Extraordinary Power. His body, soul, and source of Spiritual Power were all being elevated! Birds flew across the sky, and the waves gently brushed against the small houseboat... ... After an indeterminate amount of time, Chen Qi opened his eyes again. The burning sensation in his body gradually subsided. His whole being''s aura had undergone a stark transformation! At this moment, he knew clearly that he was now a Second-tier Transcendent, a Shadow Assassin! Chen Qi turned his head, feeling waves of fatigue. At this moment, the Flower Witch, who had been waiting for a full two hours, stretched out her fair right hand toward Chen Qi and opened her five fingers. "?" What was she doing? Chen Qi didn''t understand. Then, the Flower Witch''s tiny right hand pointed downward, her index finger and thumb rubbing together, and then she lifted it up. Click! After a crisp snapping sound, The Flower Witch produced a small yellow flower of celebration in her right hand, "Congrattions on your advancement to Second-tier, Qi!" Chapter 129: Chapter 110: Did you really agree? "Qi... Chen Qi was slightly taken aback, as the Flower Witch had always called him ''Chef,'' and now she had finally called him by his name. "Thanks..." Chen Qi took the little yellow flower. The petals were like delicate silk, gleaming a bright golden yellow. The flower was not magical. Apart from the flower on her head, any other flowers that grew on the Flower Witch would drain her life force. The Flower Witch secretly wiped the blood from her hands and proudly raised her head, "Do you know? This flower is called the Growth Flower. In our Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, it is a flower that parents give to their children when they ascend. It symbolizes the hope that their journey of ascension will be smooth and that they will live a happy life. Moreover, this flower has a blooming period of one year~" "Nice sentiment." Chen Qi carefully ced the flower on the table. When he had time, he could buy a flowerpot. Wait a minute? Parents? Was the Flower Witch taking advantage of him? Chen Qi suddenly realized. "Wait, Flower Witch, what do you mean by ''parents''?" The Flower Witch blushed and yfully exined, "Ahem, friends or rtives might also give it to the person who is ascending." After cing the flower safely, Chen Qi took out a Deep Sea Water Elf from his backpack card, ced it on the chair, and sat down. Comfortable! Soft feeling! Having just digested his upation Card, his body already felt empty. Whether it was his brain or his body. He needed to rx for a while. Chen Qi checked his panel. First, his upational tasks. [Traveling Assassin: Within seven days,plete a journey or an assassination to receive arge number of spiritual points. (The two skills must not ovep.) Golden Basin Handwashing: If the First Order upation''s task has nothing to do with de Phase or Shadow Phase, it will increase the spiritual points gained by your First Order upation Card by 50%.] A Second Order upation Card actually enhanced the spiritual points gained from a First Order upation Card, how rare... This upation Card was indeed special. Next, Chen Qi once again looked at his passive skills. With the blessing of Yu Huo the Hunter, his passive skills as a Shadow Assassin were also slightly enhanced. [Your assassin talent (Shadow) has been enhanced, gaining an additional ability - Shadow Resistance to Negative Emotions. When facing shadow abilities formed by negative emotions, you will have stronger defenses.] [Your travel willpower (Lamp) has been upgraded from minor to moderate mental resistance!] Shadow Resistance to Negative Emotions, plus moderate mental resistance. Moderate mental resistance! Chen Qi was secretly stunned. Mental resistance, like Nature Formprehension, was also a very hard-to-obtain enhancement. It often required years of hard training to improve one''s mental resistance. Minor mental resistance needed at least one year of hard training. And the gap between moderate and minor mental resistance was like a chasm. Moderate mental resistance required at least ten years of hard training! Lamp Phaseprehension, Shadow Phaseprehension, mental resistance... Three quite decent passives. As a strategy expert, Chen Qi began thinking about his system construction. Even though his upation was an assassin, which came with a stealth skill. But the definition of an assassin was very broad. As long as one wasn''t caught, a berserk assassin was also an assassin! The side effects of many relics could be offset by mental resistance. And many Shadow Phase skills also required mental resistance. When it came to skill learning, he could choose some more aggressive and dangerous skills entirely. Assassin flow, Berserker flow were both good choices. Or maybe, flows that needed relics: Sin Flow, Shadow Flow. Chen Qi rubbed his hands together. Without joining a transcendent organization, the construction of abat system could only be done step by step. Regardless, he urgently needed a Shadow Phase Skill Card now. At this moment, the Flower Witch took out a cup, added a bunch of strange herbs, and shook it. She handed Chen Qi a cup of green tea, "Here, nutritional tea." "Nutritional tea?" Chen Qi took the tea. Green oil floated on the surface, like a demon swimming around. The Flower Witch said, "You''ve just ascended to the Second Order, you''re in the development stage. You need to eat more nutritious things to develop well." "Me? Development stage?" Chen Qi suddenly remembered. After transcendent ascension, there was about a month-long development period. During this developmental period, the body would undergo slight enhancements. And some upation cards that could change one''s appearance would slowly change the appearance during this developmental period. For example, upations like Cat Eared Thief, Dwarf Craftsman, and so on. Of course, the extraordinary power of second-tier upation cards was limited. For instance, a Dwarf Craftsman would grow a beard and get a bit shorter. Or grow cat ears, dog tails, or some feathered spots on the body. These small appearance changes were already the limit of second-tier upation cards. Only reaching the third tier would allow for more dramatic changes, like bing a beastman, gaining the heart of a dragon, etc. By the fourth tier, some transcendent upations could even change the species or gender. For instance, the famous witch upation cards in the Witch Sea could even change your gender! And for mythological creatures like angels, chimeras, and other forms, only fourth-tier and above upations could achieve that. Chen Qi painfully drank the nutritional tea. Just as the Flower Witch had said, if he maintained nutrition during this period, he would further develop in all aspects. He needed to eat more good stuff. [You have consumed the transcendent nutritional tea, your body development speed has increased...] It was made from transcendent materials, but it was still so unpleasant... Chen Qi put down the cup and started to ask the main question, "By the way, Flower Witch, why did youe to see me?" This was the first time in twenty days that the typically independent Flower Witch came looking for him. Out of money? Or some other issue? The Flower Witch fiddled with her hands, trying to look natural, and said with difficulty, "I am nning to participate in the ultimate trial left by my teacher to ascend to the Fourth Order Witch, but I haven''t challenged a high-order rift in a long time. So, I n to first go to the Sea Demon Gorge in the Sea of Fissures and find a Floral Phase rift to build my courage!" Chen Qi rubbed the Deep Sea Water Elf and asked, "Then what?" The Flower Witch continued, "But, the Sea Demon Gorge is a terrifying ce full of sea beasts. Ordinary ships would never dare enter. I want to find a ship to go there, but we are both on the bounty list, so I can''t board a travel ship." We are both on the bounty list? Chen Qi showed a puzzled expression. "Yes, because we previously angered the ck Glove, we are wanted by the pirates..." The Flower Witch pulled out two wrinkled bounty orders from her backpack card. Pirates liked to issue bounty orders? Chen Qi was surprised. One was for the Flower Witch, and the other was for him. The Flower Witch''s bounty order matched her witch-like appearance, with a bounty of 24 million shell coins plus a forbidden relic salvaged by the ck Whale Group. On his bounty order was a hideous person with ck whiskers all over his body. Is this me? Chen Qiined. This did resemble the dark shadow left behind by the White Dove Times! And as for his description, there was only one simple word¡ª"monster." The bounty was also not high, only 800,000 shell coins! In the eyes of the pirates, the Flower Witch''s bounty was thirty times his, and it even came with a forbidden relic! Damn! Even after using the ghost fire oil worth 800,000, as a First Order transcendent, he was still looked down upon! Fortunately, he was no longer the same as before, a poor newbie who was at the mercy of others. Now, I barely count as a new transcendent novice¡­ Chen Qi put down the bounty order, "Flower Witch, in simple terms, you need me to take you to the Sea Demon Gorge in the Sea of Fissures." The Flower Witch clenched her fists, "Yes, besides the terrifying sea beasts, there are also members of the ck Whale Group in the Sea Demon Gorge. I know it''s dangerous, but I haven''t saved enough money to buy a boat, and I really don''t know what to do. Hmm...I have prepared many potions aspensation, such as underwater breathing potions, agility potions, etc." "And I can make any potion you can think of!" Then, the Flower Witch continued, "For this reason, I also prepared a scent potion that can ward off sea beasts." Well prepared¡­ Chen Qi curiously asked, "By the way, Flower Witch, do you know what other sea beasts are in the Sea Demon Gorge besides sea demons?" "Yes, I know... Tentacle Flowers, ck Sharks, Armored Dragon Tortoises, Magic-Devouring Sea Snakes, Witch Birds, ck Ship Sea Dragons¡­" The Flower Witch rattled off more than ten terrifying names in one breath. In the Sea of Fissures, there were numerous entities scarier than the Nearshore Dominator. Due to unforeseen incidents, adventurers who died at sea were not fewer than those who perished in the rifts. Sweat covered the Flower Witch as she spoke. The more she talked, the more she felt Chen Qi wouldn''t take her to the Sea of Fissures! It was simply too dangerous! The Flower Witch lowered her head and softly asked, "Um, will you agree?" "Okay, when do we set off?" The Flower Witch immediately said, "I know it''s dangerous, and you don''t want to go, but I have studied how to evade sea beast pursuits, and ordinary pirates are not our opponents. And, I truly can do anything¡­ Wait... you agreed?" A small ck flower appeared on the Flower Witch''s head, surprised! The other party actually agreed so easily. That was the dangerous sea area within the Sea of Fissures! Chen Qi sat in his chair and opened his "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide." Among the sea beasts the Flower Witch mentioned, many were precious. They had all kinds of valuable items on them. Maybe he could find some transntable sea beasts. It was time to expand the sea beast breeding base and find apanion for the Ghost Fire Fish. And just in time, it wouldplete his new task, "Travel." The Flower Witch asked again, "You really agreed? Besides, there are famous relics like the Meat Cutting Bone-Breaking, Sea''s Lute, Joy Elf reportedly near the Sea Demon Gorge. So, we might even encounter the Four Great Pirate Groups." Both of them were wanted by the ck Whale Group. Chen Qi thought and replied, "Really, don''t worry; the navy is there too. Besides, we''re just aw-abiding food ship." Huh? The Flower Witch added, "Really? My scent potion can only drive away small sea beasts like the ck-Toothed Fish. If we encounter a dangerousrge sea beast or a sea demon, I won''t be able to protect you." Chen Qi secretly smiled. If it were pirates, as a novice, he might actually need the Flower Witch''s protection. But sea beasts... As someone with Deep Sea Affinity, he wished to run into the most dangerous creatures in the Sea Demon Gorge¡ªthe sea demons! To say the least, sea demons, being humanoid creatures that lured humans, were quite pretty! He wouldn''t mind meeting more of them! Chen Qi thought about it and confidently said, "Large sea beasts and sea demons are not that easy to encounter, don''t worry, Flower Witch, trust our luck!" "???" Chapter 130: Chapter 111: Departure, Crack Sea! "Believing in luck, do you really think luck will keep us from encountering the overlord of the nearby seas?" The Flower Witch asked seriously. That''s the Sea Demon Gorge in the Crack Sea, a ce known for its sea beasts! The Flower Witch lifted the flower that covered her eyes, revealing her bright eyes. She smelled a lie on Chen Qi! Although the Flower Witch seemed naive, in many aspects, she was particrly sensitive... Chen Qi thought for a moment and replied: "One part luck, one part caution, and two parts strength." It was indeed not just luck that the Flower Witch had sensed. Although Chen Qi spoke of luck, inside, he probably already felt shivers of fear. Undoubtedly, for a newly promoted Second-order Transcendent, the Sea Demon Gorge was a ce of dread. He could totally rely on running a restaurant to make money; after working for half a year, he could buy a few Shadow Image Skill Cards. It was such a challenging task, yet he didn''t actively seekpensation. Why was that? Why wasn''t he scared at all? Suddenly, the Flower Witch understood something. Was it because of me that he was so full of courage? The Flower Witch blushed, her head sprouting a wobbly little pink flower. Touched! She would definitely make medicine in the future to repay him properly. "Such a dazzling little pink flower, like a tuft of hair, what was the pink flower again?" Chen Qi thought to himself. The Flower Witch used flowers to express emotions, so, on gamer forums, there was a vast record of the Flower Witch''s flowers. Like a white flower symbolizing daydreaming. A blood-red flower signifying absolute anger. But pink flowers were extremely rare. It seemed that they only appeared when she was very happy or shy. Chen Qi frowned, he could roughly guess what the Flower Witch was thinking. However, the Flower Witch seemed to be indulging in a bit of wishful thinking... Chen Qi himself wanted to go to the Sea Demon Gorge. Even if the Flower Witch hadn''te along, he would have headed to the Crack Sea. Chen Qi pped his hands, "Alright, Flower Witch, let''s prepare a bit. You rest for a while, and tomorrow, we head to the Crack Sea, how about that?" Chen Qi gave Water Elf No. 1 to the Flower Witch as a cushion. "Mhm!" The Flower Witch happily sat cross-legged on the Water Elf, wobbling like a roly-poly toy. Chen Qi opened the map of the Ice Demon Pirates. The Sea Demon Gorge was located in the eastern part of the Crack Sea, with a Sea Demon Ind next to it. Now, under the influence of the Crack Tide, this ind had already gathered arge number of adventurers. Their primary destination was the Sea Demon Ind near the Sea Demon Gorge. Even using the Water Elf booster, the journey would take at least three days. Along the way, Flower Ind and Honey Ind could serve as temporary rest stops. First of all, no matter what, going to the Crack Sea required a reason and a disguise. Chef was the best disguise. Chen Qi nned to sell some barbecue and octopus balls on the dining ship during this voyage. Although his spiritual power field had changed, because he had just been promoted, the aura of the Cup Phase had not yet altered. A skilled chef who barbecues, how could he be a bad person? Go to Moonstone City to buy some barbecue ingredients, food, and freshwater, and also purchase some oil for the steam engine of the small houseboat. And chef''s clothes. The medical supplies such as a first aid kit could be entirely handled by the Flower Witch. Beyond that, for a long voyage, it''s best to prepare some entertainment. Like the game Monopoly, or marbles, or Gwent cards. If nothing else works, they could squeeze the Water Elf. Finally, he needed to find a way to distract the Flower Witch to go to the White Tree Land and fully utilize the Ghost Fire Oil. Chen Qi pped his hands: "We don''t need many things, the most crucial is the information; if Teacher An reaches Sea Demon Ind before me, I can ask her for information." After finalizing the n, Chen Qi began to take action. Once the preparations wereplete, they would set out for the Crack Sea! Traveling with the Flower Witch should be quite enjoyable! The Flower Witch also smiled; she felt that sailing on the sea would be quite pleasant. ... ... In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. The Crack Sea. The sky was obscured by thick dark clouds, resembling a vast ck curtain that asionally emitted loud booms and unleashed lightning, akin to the roar of the Sea Goddess. "So tired, why am I driving myself?" Chen Qi wearily piloted the small houseboat through this perilous stretch of water. Aside from sea beasts, the Crack Sea was further gued by extreme weather due to the pollution from the cracks. During these three days of sailing, they encountered a total of three storms! Fortunately, thanks to his coboration with the Flower Witch, they had sessfully weathered the storms. By now, the Flower Witch was drenched and as exhausted as a deted slime. Chen Qi shook his head, having overestimated the houseboat''s deep-sea capabilities. After this operation, he couldn''t save money anymore; he had to upgrade the houseboat thoroughly from beginning to end. "Hopefully, we cannd soon¡­." At that moment, an ugly ck fish raised itsrge head above the sea surface. The ck ugly fish, a dim-witted sea beast known for headbutting boats, posed little threat and was virtually worthless. Unquestionably, its target was Chen Qi. Chen Qi turned his head and red at the ck ugly fish, his tired eyes exceptionally fierce. The ck ugly fish immediately retracted its idea of getting closer and slipped away. Just like humans can scare off other humans with a look. Chen Qi found that expressing some anger could also make many smaller sea beasts turn and flee. The ck ugly fish wasn''t of much value. Chen Qi shook his head. During the long sea journey, all he wanted was tond as soon as possible. Andcking radar equipment, he also had no idea how much longer he had until he reached Sea Demon Ind in the Crack Sea. The torturous feeling of anxiety was driving him mad. Judging from the weather, if they didn''t reach the ind soon, he and the Flower Witch would definitely encounter another storm. Just then, Chen Qi heard a roaring sound. A massive iron giant ship passed alongside him. The g on the ship disyed a surging storm, within which was a scale hammer symbolizing order. The Storm Hammer, a symbol of the Navy. This was a Navy ship! Chen Qi looked towards the distance. At the horizon''s end, he spotted a dark ind. Sea Demon Ind! "Finally there!" Chen Qi cheered inwardly. Had he sailed one more day, he would have gone mad on the boat along with the Flower Witch. Before the ind, besides the just-passed Navy giant ship, there were dozens ofrge ships anchored near Sea Demon Ind, each like a giant. The Deer Head, Armored Combat Ship, Storm Hammer Navy Ship, White Dove Travel Ship¡­ For adventurers unafraid of death, the crack was a resource, the equivalent of oil, money! As the Crack Sea, including Sea Demon Canyon, was dense with cracks, many powers did not want to miss this valuable opportunity! Chen Qi confirmed there was nothing wrong with the g on his dining boat, quickened his speed, and headed towards the port on Sea Demon Ind. The small houseboat stopped between tworge ships. His small boat seemed pitifully tiny and helpless between theserger vessels. "Is my ship too small?" Chen Qi excitedly looked around; aside from fishing boats, his houseboat actually appeared to be the smallest. Those who dared toe to Sea Demon Ind were mostly fully armedrge ships, apart from a few small merchant ships! "Phew! The air onnd!" Chen Qi took a deep breath. He walked over to the Flower Witch and patted the wilted Flower Witch. "What? I still need more sleep¡­." The Flower Witch clung to a deep sea water elf, unwilling to get up. You''re still sticking to the bed? "..." Chen Qi said in a tongue-tied manner: "Miss Witch, wake up, we have arrived." "We''re here!" The Flower Witch suddenly got up and promptly donned her cloak. Land ashore! Chapter 131: Chapter 112: The Twin Jies of the Imperial Capital! Near Sea Demon Ind, influenced by the Crack Tide, numerous cracks were revived. Chen Qi''s targets were the Shadow or Lamp Phase D-tier cracks, as well as the Sea Demon Sisters, and portable Sea Beasts. The goal of the Flower Witch was the C-tier Floral Appearance cracks, to enhance her own strength. To reach these ces, gathering information was essential. Chen Qi shook his head, now without the talkative Palu, the only option to get information was to find the information dealers on Sea Demon Ind. Chen Qi looked at the environment of Sea Demon Ind. Due to the influx of adventurers, numerous inns and taverns had been newly built on Sea Demon Ind at this moment. As a kingdom that controlled the "Hammer Phase" and managed the origin Hunter Group "Workshop," Shell Country had exceptionally strong infrastructure capabilities. Under the arrangement of the Ind Master, many houses where ordinary people lived had been transformed into inns in just one month. The once barren ind had now be an excellent tourist ind. Bang! Bang! The moment theynded on the ind, two gunshots rang out. Chen Qi smiled, appreciating the simple local customs. The Flower Witch looked around cautiously, she saw the Bounty Hunters of the Hunter Association. The members of the Hunter Association liked to take variousmissions, including Bounty Orders. She pulled her hat down low, then sprayed herself with a ''perfume'' that neutralized scents. Because of her blood flower disease, the Flower Witch really smelled very fragrant, so she had to use a special potion to hide the light fragrance emanating from her body. Chen Qi meanwhile dressed in the Hunter''s Clothes, and pinned a Chef''s Badge on his chest to indicate he was a harmless Chef. Unfortunately, this Chef''s Certificate was a counterfeit he had bought from a street stall. There was a clear difference from a Chef''s Certificate issued by the Chef Association. Once they returned, he could participate in a cookingpetition to get a real badge. Chen Qi said, "Fen, let''s find an inn, take a bath first, and then find a tavern to gather information, how about that?" While abroad, he could no longer call the Flower Witch by her title. Call me by my name... The Flower Witch blushed and nodded, "Mhm." It had been a very long time since anyone had called her by her name. Chen Qi continued, "Oh, and if anyone asks you who you are, just say you''re a server on my dining boat, doing misceneous tasks." Previously, the Flower Witch had been trying to act as his father during his celebration for advancing in rank. He remembered that! Your server... The Flower Witch entered into the role and respectfully said: "Okay, I am your loyal employee, boss~" You don''t have to be so formal... After getting ready, Chen Qi and the Flower Witch headed towards the inns on Sea Demon Ind. The two chose a luxurious inn at a central location, with individual bathing rooms and a good soundproofing system. Each spent two thousand Shell Coins, booking two adjacent single rooms, then they changed clothes and took baths. ... ... "Refreshing..." After bathing, Chen Qi feltpletely refreshed and invigorated. However, it would take a long time for the Flower Witch. This was not because she took long baths. The Flower Witch not only needed to bathe but also had to routinely pluck the flowers from her body. Although the Blood Flower disease was beautiful, it was still a terrifying illness. The Flower Witch also had to apply ointment to manage the flowers on her body. Especially those that grew in dangerous areas. Every time she plucked a flower, it felt like stabbing a major artery with a silver needle. And if the flowers were on the chest, over the heart, the pain was even greater. If not treated promptly, these flowers could severely affect the body. The Flower Witch needed to manage ten flowers every seven days. Although she had be ustomed to the pain, it mostly still took a long time. Chen Qi decided to first go to the tavern to see if he could find out any information about a C-ss Floral Appearance crack, and also about Sea Demon and Shadow Phase, Lamp Phase cracks. Next to the hotel was arge tavern that could amodate a hundred people. Chen Qi pushed open the door. The moment he walked in, he smelled the rich scent of alcohol and heard the melodious sound of a lute. The melodious sound of the lute quickly stopped, and then, he heard a slightly mocking young voice. "Sir, Meat Cutting Bone Breaking is the arch-nemesis of Deep Sea Hunters, a weapon left by the Blue Beast, not something your mere five-person Second-tier Hunter Group can acquire. You''d better give up early! But, since you''ve paid, I can tell you that neither the navy nor the ck Whale Group will easily let Meat Cutting Bone Breaking leave Sea Demon Ind. And most likely, Meat Cutting Bone Breaking will end up in one of their hands." Chen Qi looked carefully. The people in the tavern were all gathered around a young informant. He had a ponytail, wore a loose white shirt and grey-white trousers, and held an exquisite lute in his hands. Judging by his fair skin, he looked somewhat feminine. "This is!" Chen Qi was stunned. He recognized the character in front of him. True to the Crack Sea! He hadn''t expected to meet such a notable figure from the forum in such a short time! Although he appeared to be a venomous female minstrel, in reality, he was a gentle man. Although his spiritual power field seemed to be just a regr Second-tier Transcendent. In reality, he had already stepped into the Fourth Rank legendary realm. His true identity was none other than the hidden captain of the Ice Witch pirate crew, one of the four sea emperors, Captain Palu! On the gaming forums, Palu was very famous and, like Pelu, had many nicknames. He enjoyed disguising himself, and he believed that true disguise involved not just age and height. To truly deceive others, alterations in spiritual power field, gender, upation, and even species and personality changes were very important. Moreover, just like An and Pelu, Palu was also a distinguished graduate from Bei Country Royal University. And like Pelu, he was also one of the famous Capital City Trio, ranked second. He was known as the ''only normal one,'' ''Capital City Trio,'' ''cross-dressing boss,'' ''second-rate informant,'' ''working captain,'' ''crew''s ve,'' ''sessor of the Ice Witch.'' Although both were part of the Capital City Trio,pared to Pelu, Palu was both powerful and polite, meticulous in his dealings, and very diligent. Moreover, although the Ice Pirate Crew was called a pirate crew, their main action was to explore the unknowns of the sea and to unearth the hidden secrets of history. It was truly a breath of fresh air in the Witch Sea. The Imperial City''s Three Heroes was not exactly an honorable title. Chen Qi wondered why Palu was counted among the Imperial City''s Three Heroes. What was the purpose of the Ice Pirate Crewing here? Chen Qi stayed calm. Palu, though a Fourth Rank Legend, was incredibly powerful, but he was no madman and would not harm civilians. The sharp-tongued female bard with the twisted braids was Palu''s favorite disguise; she was very popr in yer forums, even five times more popr than her real self. At this moment, Palu was sitting in the middle of everyone, his wallet stuffed full. Clearly, he was earning money by selling information. Chen Qi ordered a cup of apple cider and took a seat. This was a big shot from the Ice Pirate Crew; perhaps, he could hear some useful information. Palu raised his hand and said, "Next question! There is no information in this vicinity that I don''t know." p! At that moment, a blonde young woman downed a drink and flicked two Gold Coins at Palu''s face. "I have a question!" Blonde hair, pointed ears, her appearance resembled that of an elf. Furthermore, she was dressed in an expensive white uniform, with a chic golden flower badge pinned at her chest. That badge... Chen Qi noticed that the badge resembled the flower the Flower Witch had given her. Could it be that she had connections with the Flower Witch''s family? Also, her appearance seemed to be typical of a talent from Bei Country Royal University, one of the Imperial City''s Three Heroes, the Seafood Sister, ranked third. What a situation! He had encountered two of the Imperial City''s Three Heroes all at once! Chen Qi fell into thought. Although he recognized this character, she wasn''t well-known to him. He also didn''t know why this beautiful blonde woman was called Seafood Sister. She didn''t quite seem like someone who dealt in seafood, right? Palu frowned and took the coins: "Please, this... friend, what information do you want to ask about?" The blonde woman raised her hand, smiling slightly: "I want to ask about the location of the Sea Demon!" The crowd instantly started to stir. As a famous creature from the Sea Demon Gorge, though dangerous, the Sea Demon was incredibly beautiful, attracting the interest of many. Palu answered, "The northern part of Sea Demon Ind is at the center of the Crack in Sea Demon Gorge. If you want to quickly reach the crack, you must pass through this area. If you go there, you have a high likelihood of encountering a Sea Demon." "May I ask why you are looking for information about the Sea Demon?" he questioned thedy. The blonde woman thought for a moment and said: "Because, I heard that the hair of the Sea Demon is a kind of sticky tentacle, which should feel quitefortable to touch." "Touching the Sea Demon?" Palu scoffed: "Just a reminder, although Sea Demons resemble humanoid creatures, they are actually monsters, essentially no different from the near-sea dominators, devoid of any desires towards humans. Their beautiful appearance and melodious singing voice are merely weapons to lure their prey." Although it wasmon consensus that the Sea Demon was beautiful yet dangerous in the Witch Sea, When many actually encountered the Sea Demon, they couldn''t help but be tempted, Creating illusions of "It''s different, it''s interested in me." Along with their unique enchanting songs, many people still fell for it every year! The blonde woman retorted, "But, the Sea Demon looks human-like, pretty, ah. I just want to touch it, y with it..." Palu frowned deeply, deliberately asking, "May I ask, which country are you from?" The blonde woman answered, "I am an exchange student from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom at the Bei Country Royal University." Palu raised an eyebrow, mocking: "So you''re from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, that country known for having weird ideas about pets; no wonder." Chen Qi thought to himself; as a renowned yer from Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, he couldn''t refute because, in a sense, Palu was not wrong. Palu solemnly said, "Everyone, the singing of the Sea Demon can enchant most intelligent creatures, not just humans. They are absolutely the most dangerous creatures in the Sea Demon Gorge! They also do not harbor any desires towards humans beyond the urge to attack! If you unfortunately encounter a Sea Demon, stay rational and do not be deceived by their looks!" The crowd nodded confidently, patting their chests. They had experienced significant events before, trivial Sea Demons wanting to seduce them? Palu, putting his all into his role as the caustic bard, eximed: "Only someone like those waste materials from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, or those whose brains got kicked by a donkey, blinded by lust, would think of approaching a Sea Demon. Why don''t you go and y with the near-sea dominators instead?" Chen Qi, drinking his apple cider, frowned. What did that mean? Who was he insulting? He felt like he had been inexplicably caught in a group attack. Palu plucked the strings of his lute and continued: "Next question." Although the elf-like blonde woman was insulted, she did not retort. Revenge with money! She threw out five more Gold Coins and fiercely flicked them onto Palu''s face: "I have another question." "Five Gold Coins..." Palu was shocked, the value of these coins worth at least 300,000 Shell Coins¡ªa not so small amount. Then, she looked around at the more than a hundred people present and asked: "I''d like to ask everyone, have you noticed any traces of a Witch?" In that moment, everyone exchanged nces. Palu''s expression also became somewhat somber. Chapter 132: Chapter 113: Intelligence The tavern suddenly became lively. "Even the White Dove Times couldn''t find that person, and you think you can." "You''re courting death, daring to earn this money. The Flower Witch''s strength can easily crush a weak foreigner like you." "I heard that recently, the famous ck Gloves from the ck Whale Group was half-incapacitated by an eighty-thousand-gold-coin Fireball Technique cast by the Flower Witch." "A Fireball, really?" The bounties exceeding ten million were all well-known figures. The Flower Witch, though only Third Rank, had a bounty that had already exceeded twenty million! Unless it was a Third-Tier Profession Bounty Hunter with de Phase. Otherwise, almost no one would take on a bounty target exceeding ten million. Why would the seafooddy from the Imperial Capital Three Jie be looking for the Flower Witch? Just to hang out? Chen Qi rubbed his chin. On the game forums, there was never any mention of the seafooddy and the Flower Witch''s rtionship. Moreover, Palu, as the captain of the Ice Demon Pirate Group, also had some connection with the Witch. The Flower Witch was indeed the protagonist of the Witch Sea. So many people wanted to catch her alive. Chen Qi lightly tapped the table. Palu hesitated for a moment and slowly asked: "Why are you looking for the Witch?" The blonde woman smiled and said:" "I want to im the bounty." That was a lie... Palu snorted and flicked the five Gold Coins back at the blonde woman''s forehead, boldly saying: "If I knew the Witch''s whereabouts, I wouldn''t be here making money. You might as well ask the drunken innkeeper next door. Maybe you''ll find something. Next question." The blonde woman bowed her head in disappointment. In fact, the Flower Witch was in the inn next door¡­ Chen Qi set his gaze on Palu. As the captain of the Ice Demon Pirate Group, he should know a lot about the rift information. Chen Qi downed his apple cider and asked: "I want all the known rift information in Sea Demon Gorge. How much will that cost?" With so many people around, if he only inquired about individual rift information, he could easily be targeted. Palu''s eyes fell on the chef''s certificate on Chen Qi''s chest: "Sea Demon Gorge has over a hundred cracks. There is no such thing asprehensive rift information. Of course, if you only want the rifts'' nature and locations, it will only cost five thousand Shell Coins." Five thousand Shell Coins! Chen Qi was startled. So cheap! The other party was the captain of a well-known pirate group. The information he sold only cost five thousand Shell Coins! Chen Qi took out fifty hundred-value Shell Coins, rolled them into a small tube, and tossed it to Palu. Palu caught the money: "Alright. However, as a newly advanced Second Order Transcendent, there aren''t many D-Rank cracks suitable for you in these seas." He gently waved his hand and publicly disyed a rift map of Sea Demon Gorge. To just disy it directly like this¡­ Chen Qi focused his eyes. The parchment map marked a lot of rift information. Near Sea Demon Gorge, there were many areas with death whirlpools. Whirlpool areas were universally recognized dangerous terrains on the sea. These terrains supposedly could swallow ships into another world. Besides this, Sea Demon Gorge itself was surrounded by numerous giant mountains. Thus, the whole Sea Demon Gorge was almost a one-way passage. The majority of the rift locations were deep within Sea Demon Gorge. And the rifts outside of Sea Demon Gorge had mostly been cleared by adventurers. In other words, to reach high-order rifts, one had to go through the center of Sea Demon Gorge, where Sea Demons lurked. In this ce, the chance of encountering Sea Beasts was extremely high! Chen Qi roughly understood why the rift location information map was so cheap. As long as one dared to cross Sea Demon Gorge, there were plenty of rifts. But even knowing the rift locations, no one dared to cross Sea Demon Gorge. Moreover, Chen Qi noticed a conspicuous emblem on the map, a ''harp'' symbol and a ''ck shark'' symbol. Chen Qi asked:" "What do these two symbols mean?" Palu plucked the strings of his harp and spoke in a deep voice: "The harp signifies the Sea Demon''s coral nest. Although there''s a chance of encountering Sea Demons anywhere in Sea Demon Gorge, the closer you are to this harp, the higher the probability of encountering Sea Demons. If you don''t want to die, block your ears and stay away from this ce." The Sea Demon''s nest! Chen Qi memorized this location firmly. When he returned, his primary target was to delve deep into the Sea Demon''s nest. Moreover, he was surprised to find that near the sound of the harp was an ''Shadow Phase Rift''! Chen Qi asked:" "What about the ck shark symbol?" Palu''s expression became a bit solemn: "As for the ck shark symbol, that involves the ck Whale Pirate Group¡­" Everyone heard this and also voiced theirints. "Tell us more." "The ck Shark is a ship under the ck Whale Group''s banner, frequently active in Sea Demon Gorge. Their leader, Kuang Sha, in terms of individual strength, is not inferior to the ck Gloves who handle gang affairs in Moonstone City." Then, Palu ced his finger on a D-Rank rift. This location was prominently marked. "The D-Rank de Phaserge rift, the Orc War, although currently just a D-Rank rift, this ce was where the Deep Sea Hunter''s arch-enemy, the Blue Beast, met its end! Besides this, around it are C-Rank Floral Appearance rifts, which is also the resting ce of the Pleasurable Elves. Also, the Magic Bullet Gun, Sea Demon''s de, and other relics. But as you might have noticed, even if someone clears these rifts deep in Sea Demon Gorge and gets the treasure, when they return, because of Sea Demon Gorge''s terrain, there are very few navigation routes to choose from!" Chen Qi carefully examined the information. Just as Palu mentioned, many high-order rifts were located deep within Sea Demon Gorge. If you wanted to take a shortcut, you''d have to pass by the ''harp'' location. But if you avoided the ''harp'' location, the navigation routes you could choose from were highly limited. After passing rifts, Transcendent''s condition would already be seriously impaired. Others could ambush along these routes. In other words, this Sea Demon Gorge was a natural robbery hotspot! Even if you cleared the rift, you''d still face threats from Sea Demons and pirates. This was the danger of Sea Demon Gorge. Chen Qi murmured: "The ck Shark guards these ces, intending to rob¡­" Palu helplessly smiled: "Yes, it''s not just the ck Shark, but also the ck Whale Group''s Devil Fish and Electric Jellyfish... Of course, the ck Shark is the most dangerous since it always operates in Sea Demon Gorge. They''re adept at coexisting with Sea Beasts and have practiced resisting the Sea Demons'' songs. Their leader, Kuang Sha, even dares to operate near the Sea Demon''s nest. Thus, holding the geographical advantage, they truly are the local tyrants of this sea!" Troublesome¡­ Chen Qi muttered to himself. His small houseboat was no match for a real pirate ship. Adventurersing here sighed. So what about multiple rifts? What about many opportunities? These ces were still firmly in the pirates'' control! Because of the ck Whale Group, many ships from Sea Demon Ind didn''t dare to enter Sea Demon Gorge. At this moment, a tall, burly man in a navy uniform chugged his strong drink, suddenly stood up, and loudly said: "Everyone, don''t be afraid. Our navy has arrived at Sea Demon Ind! By order of our Admiral, we are preparing to join forces with other ships to enter Sea Demon Gorge together!" Everyone turned and found it was indeed the navy. "The navy is finally here..." Palu touched his braided hair and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Inside the tavern were many adventurers from other factions as well. The navy officer quickly became the center of attention in the tavern. He exined to everyone that this afternoon, their navy ships would enter Sea Demon Gorge as the vanguard ships. Any other ships interested in entering Sea Demon Gorge could follow behind them collectively to the rifts! He also vowed that this operation would not be like before, where they extorted even a dime from adventurers. The navy had been reformed! Anyone who disobeyed would be executed! Additionally, they would try to ensure the safety of other ships as much as possible. Meat Cutting Bone Breaking, Pleasurable Elves¡­ Chen Qi looked at the rift information deep in Sea Demon Gorge. The ck Whale Group had already upied many key positions in Sea Demon Gorge. Now, the navy decided to join with other ships to break this deadlock! Undoubtedly, in this one-way sea passage, an unprecedented battle would erupt. The navy had suffered repeated losses, and this rift battle was an opportunity to restore their reputation. The ck Whale Group was already Chen Qi''s enemy, and they''d indiscriminately attack passing ships. Moreover, Teacher An should be on one of the navy ships. The navy''s appearance. For Chen Qi, this was undoubtedly good news. At this moment, Palu, taking advantage of the navy''s speech, began counting today''s earnings, a happy expression on his face. Chen Qi got up and walked to Palu''s side. Chapter 133: Chapter 114 The Sneaky Cat Behind the Flower Witch Chen Qi asked: "May I ask if the map just now is for sale?" "You really n to head to Sea Demon Gorge, huh?" Palu counted money while speaking, "Friend, even with the Navy''s promise, it doesn''t mean it''s safe. If you want to do a meal ship business, business is also good at Sea Demon Ind, it''s just that thepetition is fierce. Of course, I can''t not make money, a more detailed map, for twenty thousand Shell Coins, and it''s not for resale." Chen Qi didn''t hesitate and generously pulled out twenty thousand Shell Coins. The map of the Ice Demon Pirate Group could be considered the most professional map on the seas. If anyone knew the true identity of the wandering bard in front of them, his maps would have sold out long ago. "Looks like you''re not short on cash~" Palu handed the map to Chen Qi. After receiving the map, Chen Qi obediently retreated to the back of the crowd. At this time, the tall and robust navy man who had spoken earlier came over: "I want a copy of the map too, and I have a piece of information to inquire about." After buying the map, the tall and robust navy man asked solemnly: "Information trader, why is Kuang Sha, the captain of the ck Shark, bold enough to stay in the dangerous waters of Sea Demon Gorge?" The ck Shark, which operates year-round in Sea Demon Gorge, is definitely the Navy''s primary enemy. And its captain, Kuang Sha, has experience living in Sea Demon Gorge. Palu crooked his finger and whispered, "Secrets..." The Navy fell silent, the implication in Palu''s words was for a private conversation. Right after, the navy man''s face flushed, and he stepped out with Palu. After listening a while longer in the tavern and confirming there was no more information, Chen Qi also left the tavern. ... ... Chen Qi returned to his room at the inn and began nning his next move. During his previous action, he had already obtained the map of the cracks at Sea Demon Gorge. Whether it was the information about the Floral Appearance crack needed by the Flower Witch or his own Shadow Lamp Phase crack, all were taken care of. This afternoon, the Navy would raid Sea Demon Gorge. Following the Navy to Sea Demon Gorge was definitely a good choice! The Navy''s involvement could help him deal with the pirates within Sea Demon Gorge. Then, once they reached the intermediate zone, he would split from the Navy to head towards the Third Rank Floral Appearance crack deep within Sea Demon Gorge. After he brought the Flower Witch to the Third Rank Floral Appearance crack, He could go to the central area of Sea Demon Gorge, that is, the location of ''Qin'', to take a look at the Sea Beasts! And then, by the way, clear the nearby Shadow Image crack to obtain the Shadow Image Skill Card. "A perfect n..." Chen Qi stowed the map and went to the Flower Witch''s room to discuss their navigation n. The Flower Witch, who wasbing her hair, gaped in surprise. She didn''t expect that in the time it took to take a bath and apply ointment, Chen Qi had already gathered information and devised a sailing n. "So impressive..." The Flower Witch remarked with admiration. After a brief discussion, the two began preparing for their uing actions. ... ... Afternoon. At the entrance to Sea Demon Gorge, its sides are steep cliffs that seem to embrace the sea surface like the arms of a giant, And right now, five fully armed steamships were stationed at the entrance. At the lead was the Navy''s Bai Ou! Behind the steamships followed a full thirty well-armed medium-sized vessels. Chen Qi''s small houseboat also mixed in with the fishing boats, stealthily following behind these colossal ships: "Fen, be careful for safety," Chen Qi warned. The Flower Witch, hiding on the bed inside the boat''s cabin, nodded seriously, "Mhm, mhm." The sea breeze grew colder and howled through the sails. Boom! Boom! Boom! At the ship''s bow, a navy rear admiral vigorously struck the war drum with a giant hammer: "Everyone, prepare to set sail!" The engines of the Navy''s gship Bai Ou roared to life! Chen Qi stepped out of the cabin and looked up into the distance. On the railing at the stern of the ship, he saw a familiar figure with white hair. White hair billowed with the sea wind. An was indeed aboard the Navy''s ship... Chen Qi waved to An. However, contrary to his expectations, An''s eyes widened, and instead of waving back, he gestured urgently for Chen Qi to leave. Run! Knowing that arge number of pirates were hidden within Sea Demon Gorge, An considered this operation extremely dangerous! Even for Chen Qi, survival in the midst of a battle between the Navy and pirates was unlikely! Chen Qi chose not to leave. An had no idea that his ship was hiding a Third Rank Flower Witch. An, looking at Chen Qi, grew especially anxious and wanted to use magic to stop him. However, following a loud steam whistle, Bai Ou sped off, creating massive waves, and the ships, like numerous sharks, surged into Sea Demon Gorge. The small houseboat closely followed, entering Sea Demon Gorge as well. ... ... The me of the day gradually dimmed. An hour passed, and there were no longer anyrge ships within sight of the little houseboat. In the first half of the course, Chen Qi followed the Navy closely. For the middle segment, he chose a shortcut. Shortcuts would allow faster arrival to the depths of Sea Demon Gorge, closer to the Sea Beast''sir. At this location, the probability of encountering Sea Beasts was higher. Therefore, the majority of ships kept away from this route, choosing to take a longer detour. The Flower Witch sat on the ship, hands together in prayer, eyes closed: "Teacher, pray that our journey is smooth and we don''t encounter any Sea Beasts." Chen Qi carefully surveyed his surroundings. He really wanted to head to the Sea Beast''sir, but he couldn''t take the Flower Witch with him. He had to bring the Flower Witch to the crack first. But just then, something unexpected happened! Behind them in the sea, a bubbling sound emerged. Chapter 134: Chapter 114 The Cat who Cheats behind the Flower Witch_2 There''s a monster! Chen Qi decisively used the Dove Perception to detect the spiritual power fluctuations in the surrounding sea area. Below the seabed were humans, and they were Third-tier Transcendents! Pirates! Chen Qi quickly activated Hunter''s Eye. He saw a thick arm extending from above the sea surface, covered with ck shark tattoos, and in that brawny hand was a steel harpoon! An old man with a fierce face poked his head out from the water, his eyes fierce, ring intensely at the small houseboat. Who is this? Chen Qi thought quickly. The tattoos on the person, as well as the disyed dominance, very likely belonged to the notorious local pirate, Captain Kuang Sha! Kuang Sha touched the ne around his neck and smiled, "Thought I''d caught a navy reconnaissance agent, turned out it''s just a little fish daring to enter my territory, seeking its own death..." "Boy, remember before you die, this is my territory!" He violently gripped the harpoon, then hurled it towards Chen Qi''s legs! A massive sonic boom resounded through the air! Bang! Chen Qi sidestepped, dodging the vicious harpoon attack. "Got some skills!" Then, the next second, Kuang Sha picked up another bag filled with blood and smashed it hard at the small houseboat where Chen Qi was. Bang! The sticky ck bag hit the small houseboat, emitting a pungent smell of blood. At that moment, inside the boat, a wooden magic wand was already aiming at Kuang Sha. How dare you ambush Chen Qi! The Flower Witch had angry little flowers popping out of her head. Basic attack spell! Boom! A deafening roar! Spiritual power burst from the tip of the wand, shooting out a fierce sh of light that solidly hit Kuang Sha. This kid, there''s actually a Third-tier expert hidden on the boat! Kuang Sha held his bleeding shoulder: "Forget it, prey without value isn''t worth hunting..." Kuang Sha''s attack on Chen Qi was just a spur of the moment action. Blood would attract the pursuit of sea beasts. And just now, his blood bag had hit the small houseboat. The scent of blood would inevitably attract real sea beasts. The fate of such small boats that recklessly enter dangerous waters is doomed to destruction, devoured by the power of the sea! "Covering the retreat of our ships is the most important thing, no need to waste time on these little boats." "Goodbye, little fish, wait to be swallowed by the sea." After dropping the harsh words, Kuang Sha suddenly darted into the water like a shark, swiftly leaving the small houseboat. After Kuang Sha left. The two of them took a long breath. Dangerous... Chen Qi secretly said to himself. Kuang Sha''s appearance was too sudden. He had never expected someone to be hiding above the water. Fortunately, he had mastered the Dove Perception skill, which gave him stronger perception. If he hadn''t reacted in time just now, he might have had his legs sted apart by Kuang Sha''s harpoon. However, in such a dangerous area, that Kuang Sha dared to fight underwater was indeed beyond his expectation. The Flower Witch asked worriedly, "Are you alright, Qi?" "I''m fine, just a minor injury." Chen Qi touched his shoulder. He did not expect that his first fight in the Sea Demon Gorge would be against such a dangerous character. Luckily, in Kuang Sha''s eyes, killing them had no benefits. And most likely, he hadn''t realized the true identity of the Flower Witch. Otherwise, there really might have been some trouble. Chen Qi checked the blood on his small houseboat. Blood would attract sea beasts. At that moment, the Flower Witch decisively took out a potion and poured it over the blood. The smell of the blood gradually dissipated. "Hehe~" The Flower Witch patted her chest, "Don''t worry, I have prepared many potions that can hide the scent of blood, with me around, we won''t be targets for the sea beasts." "Well done..." Chen Qi faintly heard the faint singing of mermaids. This ce was very close to the mermaid''s nest. Unfortunately, he could not bring the Flower Witch with him to see the mermaids. And undoubtedly, their location had been exposed. "We need to speed up and head to the Floral Appearance crack, otherwise we might be pursued." Chen Qi summoned the deep-sea Water Elves, directing the small houseboat to proceed toward the Floral Appearance crack at full speed. ... ... An hourter, the sky had been shrouded by a thickyer of grey. Unexpectedly, apart from a few ckhead fish and the slight singing of mermaids, they hadn''t encountered any sea beasts. This wasrgely due to the effectiveness of the Flower Witch''s potion in repelling sea beasts! With the effort of the seven deep-sea Water Elves, the small houseboat stopped. In front of them was a towering flower tree, a hundred meters tall. On the tree was an entrance, a bleeding crack. A C-level solo Floral Appearance crack, Alchemist''s Abode, only essible by Third-order Transcendents! A C-level crack was not something Chen Qi could get involved with. "We''re finally here! I''m ready, I''m so ready~" The Flower Witch grasped her magic wand, continuously talking to herself, applying psychological reinforcement. It had been a long time since she had challenged a Floral Appearance crack. Chen Qi said, "Then, Flower Witch, this is goodbye for now." "Yeah." The Flower Witch took a step forward and then paused. She suddenly realized a problem. What would happen to Chen Qi after she left? Keep in mind, Chen Qi was just a newbie who had recently entered the realm of the Transcendents! In such a dangerous sea area, without her, if Chen Qi got targeted by a shark, or by the mermaids... The consequences would be unimaginable! This type of farewell scene was all toomon! What should have been a simple goodbye, could turn out to be a farewell forever! The Flower Witch''s imagination was very active. Chapter 135: Chapter 114 The Cat that Plays Around Behind the Flower Witchs Back_3 She could already imagine how the Sea Demon had lured Chen Qi with its singing and beauty. Then, under the Sea Demon''s seduction, Chen Qi had been turned into food, and the terrifying scene of being served on a tter followed. And when she saw Chen Qi again, she would only encounter a Sea Demon with a full belly. Moreover, they had just been targeted by Kuang Sha. Though they had only met once, the fact that the other party dared to stay in the water meant that he was an extremely dangerous Transcendent. Chen Qi might be captured by pirates and then sold to the grandmas of the ck Whale Group to be a ve, experiencing thenguage of flowers about forbearance and wealth. When she saw Chen Qi again, he would likely have lost his mind, emaciated, andpletely depraved. The Flower Witch instantly thought of many scenes, with sad little blue flowers sprouting from her head. "Qi, please be careful, and don''t cry, I''ll clear the Third Rank Floral Appearance crack as quickly as possible and thene back." Why would I cry? What exactly are you thinking about? Chen Qi said with a smile, "Hmm, I''ll be careful. Have a safe journey, Flower Witch." ording to his inspiration, this Floral Appearance crack, although a C-rank crack, only had a 7% mutation rate and was rtively safe. For the Flower Witch''s strength, clearing it was just a matter of time. The Flower Witch cast Water Walking and stepped onto the water: "Then I''m leaving... Wait a minute!" Chen Qi clenched his fist: "Fen, is there anything else?" "Almost forgot, give you the Potions!" The Flower Witch took out Potions from her backpack card. Five bottles of Sea Beast Repellent Potion, two bottles of Sea Beast Scent Potion, two bottles of Underwater Breathing Potion, two bottles of High-Efficiency Healing Potion. The Flower Witch, like a nagging mother, instructed: "You must find a safe ce to stay, and every once in a while, use the Sea Beast Repellent Potion nearby. If you happen to encounter a Sea Demon, apply the Sea Beast Scent Potion on yourself, then try to tie yourself uppletely and use a camouging Skill." Chen Qi promised: "Hmm... I got it." He knew that although the Flower Witch was worried about him getting into trouble, she was a bit too nagging. "I''m really going now, take care..." Chen Qi nodded, "Please be careful, Fen." Then, she took a few steps and turned back around. Coming back again! "Hold it in, hold it in, don''t show that you''re very eager to leave the Flower Witch." Inform Chen Qi about the threat of the Sea Demons, trying to maintain his sanity! The Flower Witch solemnly said: "If you hear singing, cover your ears immediately, you didn''t cover them just now. Also, don''t look directly at the Sea Demon''s body, but sense it with your Spiritual Power." Chen Qi replied: "Hmm, I promise that even if I hear just a little bit of singing, I will immediately cover my ears..." "And be careful of the Kuang Sha we just encountered." "Mhm." Finally, after twenty minutes of back-and-forth, the Flower Witch finally entered the Floral Appearance crack. "Finally..." Chen Qi took a deep breath and clenched his fist excitedly! Now, he could finally head to the center of the Sea Demon Gorge, which is the Sea Demon''sir. As expected, thatir would undoubtedly contain a lot of treasures. "I need to meet with the Sea Demon and take care of these matters before the Flower Witches back." Chen Qi suddenly felt a strange sensation. Wait, what kind of feeling is this? Do I feel like a cat who stole a taste behind the Flower Witch''s back? His heart had indeed longed for the Flower Witch, who worried about him, to enter the crack sooner. There was no helping it, the taboo talent of Deep Sea Affinity shouldn''t be easily revealed to others. This feeling was quite marvelous... Chen Qi thought to himself. But no matter what, the Flower Witch had finally left! He didn''t need to avoid Sea Beasts anymore! The feeling of freedom! "Deep Sea Water Elf, push the boat!" Chen Qi excitedly steered the small houseboat towards the most dangerous area of the Sea Demon Gorge, heading for the Sea Demon''sir. Chapter 136: Chapter 115: The Sea Monsters Apology At dusk, the sky was tinged with a gentle orange-red hue. Chen Qi''s small houseboat moved unobstructed across the ocean. Below the sea surface, various sea beasts such as sea snakes, sharks, and jellyfish continuously swam by. At that moment, a ck-armored sharkrger than the small houseboat emerged from the water, poking out its huge head, seeking a hug. Chen Qi patted the shark''s head gently and said, "Little guy, lead the way¡ª" The ck-armored shark swam past his feet, heading toward the distant coralnd. "We''re almost there, let''s stop the boat here..." Chen Qi found a hidden ck reef and then hid the small houseboat behind the rock. He was not afraid of sea beasts, but his small houseboat was. Like the shark just now, which was called a ck-armored shark, it was covered in ck armor tes and was five meters tall, even bigger than the small houseboat! If the shark couldn''t hold back its desire for a hug while approaching Chen Qi. The entire small houseboat would be obliterated in an instant! Chen Qi took a deep breath. In this sea area, the water was exceptionally clear, with arge number of colorful giant corals growing. Every now and then, small fish would spew colored bubbles from the water. Besides, there were natural moon rocks in the sea area. "Deep Sea Water Elf No.1, No.2,e here!" "Waku Waku (Understood!)" The Deep Sea Water Elves swam to the surface at an extremely fast pace and performed Water Walking with him. Chen Qi walked towards the depths of the Sea Demonir while observing this magnificent world. It was like the legendary underwater pce of Antis. At that moment, Chen Qi''s eyes widened suddenly! A beautiful figure emerged on the sea surface. On the corals in the distance, a young Sea Demon was sitting cross-legged. Its bare back was gracefully and fluidly shaped, its skin was delicate and glossy. The seaweed-like green tentacle-like long hair sparkled in the twilight sun, with skin as delicate as snow and eyes like sapphires. And its lower half was a magnificent fishtail, as if tailor-made by an exotic seamstress from smooth silk. Like a mermaid princess from an underwater kingdom. It closed its eyes, stretching its pale hand towards the sun and sang softly, "La~" The melodious song drifted over the sea. This is a Sea Demon, so beautiful, if only I had a camera¡­ Chen Qi couldn''t help feeling emotional. But he thought the Flower Witch was even more beautiful. Wait a minute! Something''s not right! Chen Qi''s cheeks suddenly flushed, his body experiencing an indescribable surge of heat, uncontroble! At that instant, Chen Qi had a terrifying thought. Even if it meant making enemies with the whole world for the sake of the Sea Demondy, it was worth the risk! Even if just to lick the Sea Demon''s fishtail, it would be worth this lifetime! He actually wanted to kneel down, to be the dog of the Sea Demon! It was an enchantment! A powerful enchanting song! At that moment, there was also a huge disturbance beneath Chen Qi''s feet. The Deep Sea Water Elf beneath him was enchanted too. "Waku Waku (Master, master I won''t betray you!)" Deep Sea Water Elf No.1, with a determined expression, spoke thus. An indiscriminate enchanting song! The song of the Sea Demon targeted not only humans but most intelligent beings as well. Regardless of gender, regardless of species, it could enchant anyone! As one of the smartest pets, the Deep Sea Water Elf naturally couldn''t evade this area attack. Not to mention, as a creature of the sea, the Sea Demon had a natural affinity. "Huff, huff..." Chen Qi promptly adjusted his breathing, his Second-tier profession was that of a cold-blooded assassin, naturally endowed with a moderate level of mental resistance. Even when faced with the Sea Demon''s enchanting song, he could maintain his sanity! However, although he held on... "Waku Waku (Master, I''m sorry!)" But the Deep Sea Water Elf No.2 beneath him couldn''t resist. Behold, the weak-willed Deep Sea Water Elf No.2 exhibited a pleased expression, suddenly emerging from the water and diving into the embrace of the Sea Demon. Chapter Continue: "Waku Waku (Snuggle!)" The Deep Sea Water Elf nuzzled in the arms of the Sea Demon, showing a pleasurable expression at having abandoned its master. Useless thing! Chen Qi cursed under his breath. Having lost a fulcrum, his ability to walk on water failed outright, and with a ssh, he fell into the sea. Fortunately, the quick-thinking Water Elf No. 3 withstood the siren''s song and timely took over! "Hmm~" At this moment, the Sea Demon focused on singing, also noticed Chen Qi''s movement, as well as the Water Elf in its arms. "Huff..." Chen Qi stood on the water again and looked at the Sea Demon anew. As a monster, although not as intelligent as humans, the Sea Demon is still among the top few in terms of intelligence in the sea. Chen Qi wondered what action it would take facing him. "Wah wah wah wah!" The moment it saw Chen Qi, the Sea Demon immediately became flustered, ncing around like a child who had done something wrong. Panic? Chen Qi was somewhat baffled. Suddenly, the Sea Demon had an idea, and tossed Water Elf No. 2 in its arms away like trash. Then, it ced both hands on its stomach, bent sixty degrees, and with a sobbing sound, gave him a look that pleaded for forgiveness. Was it apologizing because its song of charm identally affected me? Chen Qi couldn''t understand thenguage of the Sea Demon, but with the experience of interacting with Water Elves, he could roughly guess its meaning. It seemed to be expressing an apology... Then, the little Sea Demon straightened up suddenly and hummed softly: "La~" At that moment, Chen Qi felt a surge of power welling up inside him. Power surged through his body! The feeling of heat in his body vanished in an instant! [You have listened to the Sea Demon''s Song of Resilience, and received the Steadfast Will BUFF. For the next ten minutes, your willpower will be even more steadfast.] "Song of Resilience¡­" Chen Qi decisively opened the "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide" by Little Crow. This book, drafted by Little Crow himself, could be termed aplete encyclopedia of sea beasts. Although there were no medicinal materials worth collecting from a Sea Demon, the book still contained a description of Sea Demons. As intelligent creatures, their most powerful ability was their astonishing musical talent. Not just the song of charm, but they also mastered the Songs of Resilience, Fear, Agility, and more. They could even perform a technique reserved for Fourth Rank Legends ¡ª Sea Demon Chorus! Throughout their long lives, they could master a variety of transcendent songs. Legend has it that even a Fourth Rank Legend "Sea Demon Songstress" needs their recognition to be promoted. This was the true terror of Sea Demons. "It''s okay." Chen Qi epted the Sea Demon''s apology. After apologizing, the Sea Demon, like a curious child, circled around him. Unlike the nearby sea overlords, the Sea Demon didn''te too close to Chen Qi but maintained a certain distance. It bowed its head, seemingly very curious about Chen Qi''s thighs. Chen Qi thought for a moment and decided to change his clothes. This area of the sea was not devoid of human activity. He took out the Residual Fire Touch. The deep blue gem transformed into tidal water in the air, then the water swirled around his body. Finally, it quickly formed into a set of Hunter''s Clothes, with small tentacles spreading from the garment. Chen Qi thought for a moment, then made a simple mask with a bandage. This form not only provided a bonus but also concealed his identity. Should anyonee here, it wouldn''t expose his identity. Moreover, for the Sea Demon, this tentacled form was even more handsome. "Woo-hoo!" The green tentacles on the Sea Demon''s head moved together with its small hands. It really liked Chen Qi in his tentacle attire. Chen Qi looked at his first encounter with a Sea Demon. This seaweed-like tentacle hair was also very rare among Sea Demons. He would call it Little Seaweed¡ª Chen Qi thought to himself. At that moment, Little Seaweed shook its fishtail and pointed with its finger towards the central area in the distance. Above the sea, arge school of fish also swam toward the center of Sea Demon Coral Land. Little Seaweed''s tentacle hair moved happily, waving as a gesture. Is it inviting me? Little Seaweed swam its fishtail towards the center of the Sea Demon nest. And at that moment, he heard a multitude of singing voices. Chapter 137: Chapter 116: You have been strengthened, you are invincible! Chen Qi followed the direction of the singing voice, walking on water. Under the guidance of the little green algae, they quickly reached the very center of the Sea Demon Nest. Giant sea snakes, ck-armored sharks, dark cloud jellyfish... Arge number of sea beasts gathered here, waiting quietly. Why are there so many sea beasts here? Chen Qi slowly stopped and looked upwards. It was a massive coral tform. And on this tform, there was a harp that was a full meter and a half tall. Forbidden relic ¡ª the Siren Harp! Chen Qi remembered that this item was mentioned in the game strategy guide. On the tform, there were as many as thirty beautiful sirens! Each siren was as beautiful as a princess, and just one nce was unforgettable. The siren in the center was two meters tall, with meter-long tentacle hair and a body that made blood boil. She held a small harp in her hand and lightly plucked it. La~ A powerful song from the harp rang out! Apanied by the melodious harp sound, all the sea beasts on the coral ground started to boil with excitement! "Waku Waku! (Sounds great!)" The Deep Sea Water Elves jumped and cheered as well. The scene before them looked like an open-air sea concert. Except that the singer was a dangerously perilous sea demon. "Interesting..." Chen Qi felt a surge of power within his body. [You listened to the Siren Song¡ªPower Song, your power increased.] Chen Qi felt this power again. The siren''s song was not an indiscriminate attack; it could produce different effects based on their will. For example, the current song, powered by the siren''s active control, was a Power Song for him. But for humans, it could very likely be the Rage Song that incites mutual ughter. All the sirens had noticed Chen Qi. They were first startled, then bowed solemnly as if meeting a noble king. They bowed again... This took Chen Qi by surprise; it was his first time encountering such a scene. Unlike the silly Nearshore Dominator, the sirens were highly intelligent and had learned many human etiquettes. Bowing was their way of expressing reverence. In addition, Chen Qi carefully sensed that the sirens could control their singing. In other words, the siren''s song wouldn''t harm him. Sirens could be approached. "I''ming up..." After ensuring his safety, Chen Qi followed the coral reef steps to the tform. This tform was the deepest part of the Sea Demon Nest! Under normal circumstances, it was the ce where human heroes encountered their final boss battle! No surprise, there must be treasures here! Since I''m a guest, it''s quite normal to take some things. Otherwise, give them some delicious Extraordinary Fish Bait in return. Chen Qi quickly scanned the surroundings. Aside from the harp, there was also a broken stone table on the coral tform. On the table was a ne made of shells. Chen Qi picked up the ne. A prompt appeared before his eyes. [Siren Ne: Nature Form: Floral, Heart Effect: A ne made by sirens. Wearing it can block the offensive songs of sirens, and you won''t be actively attacked by sirens. Note: Legend has it that sirens give this item to humans who defeat them in singing.] Blocking the siren''s song and not being attacked by sirens! Undoubtedly, this was a divine artifact in the Sea Demon Gorge. Chen Qi suddenly remembered. The navy once asked why Kuang Sha dared to live in the Sea Demon Gorge and even treated it as his territory. Now it seemed that he might also possess this ne. Given to humans who defeat them in singing... Chen Qi pondered. His musical talent could only be described with four words: Ghastly Wailing. Is this thing really something I can take? Chen Qi picked up one ne and looked back at the sirens. Then, in an instant, three sirens appeared from nowhere with three more shell nes, handing them to Chen Qi. "Hum hum~" The little green algae also took out its siren ne and handed it to him. "?????" Chen Qi looked at his hand. In a sh, he had five precious Siren Nes! "Ah, this..." Chen Qi was astonished; he seemed to be very popr. In that case, can I also take this harp? Chen Qi''s thoughts grew bolder as he walked to therge harp and touched it lightly. [Siren''s Harp: Nature Form: Floral Description: The legendary Siren''s Harp. The melody yed with this harp,bined with singing, will exhibit soul-stirring extraordinary power. Note: The usage of this relic depends on your musical skill.] Based on the music yed, the Siren''s Harp could exhibit different extraordinary powers. The legendary item! This was an auxiliary divine artifact for yers! Chen Qi swallowed, maybe he could be an excellent sea singer. "Can I try it?" Chen Qi asked. The sirens blinked theirrge blue eyes, looking at him with anticipation. In their eyes, Chen Qi was an ancient being from the frontier! Perhaps he knew some forbidden ancient music! They were thrilled to see what kind of music Chen Qi could y. "Waku Waku (Master, go for it!)" The Deep Sea Water Elf jumped. "Then I''ll start." Encouraged by everyone, Chen Qi instantly gained confidence and began to y! Maybe now, after encountering the extraordinary, he possessed an amazing musical talent? He plucked the strings. Dun dun dun! Then he mimicked the sirens, trying to produce an ethereal sound: "La! La! La!" In an instant, a gale swept over the Sea Demon Land! Every note, every sound was filled with power and sorrow; this song of death seemed to awaken the deepest fears and despair within people, making them feel the fragility and impermanence of life! The sirens'' tentacles on their heads twisted and squirmed, covering their ears abruptly! Some sirens with weak spiritual power even knelt on the ground. Neither the harp sound nor the singing could be described. It was like the chaotic whispers from the frontier! The song that could not be faced directly! The prototype of the death song! The previously ecstatic giant sea snakes and ck-armored sharks also suddenly dived into the sea. Waves rolled through the Sea Demon Land instantly. Fortunately, the song didn''tst long. With the final note, the sea returned to calm. However, a heavy and oppressive atmosphere still lingered in the air, as if the fear and despair brought by this death song continued to spread. The previously enchanted Water Elf No. 2 becamepletely clear-headed after listening again and ran to Chen Qi''s feet in repentance. "That was awful..." Sure enough, I have no musical talent... Chen Qi stopped ying. The Siren''s Harp needed the mastery of extraordinary music techniques to fully exert its power. However, mastering extraordinary music techniques required the transcendent musical enlightenment of Floral Appearance, which meant pursuing a career rted to Floral Appearance. Thus, his recent music caused no substantial damage. It could only produce some mild mental damage by relying on the harp''s intrinsic power. "I shouldn''t have yed..." Chen Qi remembered that sirens were a race with immense respect for music. If someone had excellent musical skills, they would treat them as a friend. People with poor musical talent would be scorned as trash, pests of the world, and useless bottom feeders of the sea! In other words, his recent ying might very well incur the sirens'' resentment. Chen Qi turned around to see the sirens'' eyes, originally filled with respect, now holding an even greater sense of awe! "Why do they seem to respect me even more?" Could it be that I actually have musical talent? Chen Qi was puzzled. At this moment, the two-meter-tall siren walked to his side and gathered all the other sirens around. The sirens cleared their throats. It was time to return Chen Qi''s song! It looked like they had a gift for him? Chen Qi was taken aback. As the lead singer siren gently plucked the Siren Harp, the other sirens joined the chorus. "La~" Wait, this is a siren chorus! Chen Qi''s body shuddered violently. Legend had it that the siren chorus, whichbines various dangerous songs, could directly summon death! This was the death sound! Even a Fourth Rank Legend had to escape in the face of a siren chorus! The sirens wouldn''t want to take revenge on me, would they... Chen Qi''s heart pounded. "La~" Heavenly singing echoed underwater, intertwining with the resonance of the coral reef, creating a mysterious and grand musical effect. Multiple prompts quickly appeared before his eyes. [You listened to the Song of Agility, agility increased!] [You listened to the Song of Power, power increased!] [You listened to the Soul Song, spiritual power origin increased!] [You listened to the Healing Song, life recovery ability increased!] [You listened to the Song of Stealth, stealth ability increased!] [You listened to the Song of Water, the surrounding water will protect you!] [You listened to the Dy Song, all song buffs extended!] [You listened to the Song of Men...] ... ... "So this is the siren chorus..." Chen Qi froze after listening to the chorus. It wasn''t that scary; rather, it felt quitefortable. At this moment, he had fifteen singing buffs on him. It seemed as if the sirens had strengthened him! Chen Qi felt the vast power within his body and threw a simple Qi Power Fist! Boom! The sea water waspressed and shredded by the immense power, turning into countless droplets sshing in the air. Then, the waves surged high, like a white giant beast roaring in the wind before crashing back into the sea with a deafening thud. "I seem to be a bit strong now." Chen Qi never expected this. The sirens'' gift turned out to be such powerful temporary buffs! Chapter Find: With a duration of a day, it was definitely enough for him to clear the D-rank crack. Not to mention clearing the D-rank crack, Chen Qi felt he could even rob pirate ships. He had a feeling that he could face a Third-order Transcendent now. At that moment, the little green algae came over with a delicate small box and handed it to Chen Qi. Am I perhaps overly popr... Although the sirens didn''t ask him to give them head pats like the Nearshore Dominator, it was clear they liked him quite a bit. Especially when he wore Residual Fire Touch. Chen Qi took the box and slowly opened it. Chapter 138: Chapter 117 Shadow Blade Slash Chen Qi opened the small wooden box. Inside the box were five crimson pearls, a heart-shaped shell ne, and a small harp. [Song of the Shell: Nature Form: Flower, Heart Description: Wearing this item will slightly increase your charm, as well as slightly amplify the buff effects you receive from songs. Note: I am a die-hard fan of the Sirens'' Song.] [Siren''s Small Harp: Nature Form: Flower Description: A replica of the Siren''s Harp, it can be used to y transcendent songs. Inherent Skill: Song of the Sea (increases activity, agility, and strength of sea beasts within range, and heals their injuries; this is an inherent skill of the equipment, which can be yed without understanding music theory.)] The five pearls were rare gems, and if sold to a jeweler, they could fetch a million. "Valuable gifts." Chen Qi epted these gifts. These are two items designed to be used together. Among them, the most precious was the Siren''s Small Harp. Unfortunately, with his dreadful musical skills, he could never unleash the true potential of this transcendent item. Nature Form is Flower; he wondered if the Flower Witch had any singing skills. Of course, its inherent skill "Song of the Sea" was quite effective for Chen Qi. The shell ne was meant to be used with the Siren''s Small Harp. "Thank you." Chen Qi put the harp into his backpack card, then wore the shell ne and the siren ne. Unfortunately, he had no good return gifts. He could only cook! Chen Qi spent some time making a sumptuous roast and invited the sirens for a meal. The sirens, greedy sea beasts at heart, were instantly satisfied. After eating, the sirensy on the coral tform and fell asleep. The sirens'' chorus consumed a lot of the sea beasts'' energy. Unknowingly, the mes of the day gradually went out, and the entire ocean slowly fell into darkness. Chen Qi took out the kerosenemp. It was time to clear the D-rank void crack! Now, he had twenty song buffs on him. With these buffssting for twenty-four hours, clearing a D-rank crack would be a piece of cake for him! Chen Qi opened the map; near the siren''sir, there was a ten-person shadow phase crack. In his current state, a ten-person D-rank shadow phase crack was no problem at all! Might as well strike while the iron was hot, clear the crack, and then return to the siren''sir. Chen Qi didn''t hesitate and headed towards the crack. Speed run! ... [Inspiration identification ongoing...] [You have entered the void phase crack, "Skeleton Graveyard." ] [You carefully stepped into the graveyard.] [A giant skeleton general appeared from the darkness, mocking your frail body, and questioned the value of your life.] [You threw a punch and killed the skeleton general...] [The skeleton general triggered a death rattle, summoning a skeleton archmage.] [You threw a punch and killed the skeleton archmage...] [The skeleton archmage also triggered a death rattle, summoning a group of skeleton soldiers...] [You killed the group of skeleton soldiers, and they triggered a death rattle, summoning a skeleton puppy...] Chapter Your: ... ... [You cleared the crack and received a perfect S rating, drawing two skill cards.] [You obtained the skill card¡ª¡ªShadow de sh.] [You obtained a one-time skill card¡ª¡ªEmpty Skeleton Head.] "Done, why do all monsters here have death rattles?" Chen Qi walked out of the crack and checked his newly obtained skill cards. Empty Skeleton Head was a void phase skill card. Its effect was "cease thinking," then resist a one-time mental attack. Additionally, if he died while "ceasing thinking," it would trigger a death rattle, summoning a fierce skeleton general. However, to use it, one must possess void phase intuition. "In the early stages, void phase skill cards are indeed garbage..." Chen Qi kept the skill card, nning to sell it at the ck market when he got the chance. In the New Sun game, the symbol for void phase was having no symbol. Not just skills, but the associated upations were often trash in the early stages and quite rare. Also, none of the six nations in the New Sun world governed [Void] or [Shadow]. Both shadows and void phases, being negative nature forms, had their origins in the Hunter''s organization, located in the Lost Land, in the underground world gutters. Even though there was no top-level transcendent organization. The shadow phase, due to its "viinous" nature and decent strength, still attracted many yers. But the void phase was different; upation cards were rare, and early-stage strength was very weak. Therefore, very few yers chose the void phase path. Fortunately, the second skill card he obtained was quite decent. [Shadow de sh: Nature Form: de, Shadow Usage Conditions: Master qi power, possess slight shadow intuition or de intuition Description: Operate qi power throughout your body, enchanting your weapon with it, transforming it into a sharp ck thunderbolt, then unleash a powerful qi-powered sh!] A skill card that perfectly matched his current situation. Shadow de sh could be understood as the qi power sh of the shadow phase; simply put, it was a move like sword energy. While enhancing attack power, it also expanded the attack range! Sword energy was a romantic dream for men! And just right, the weapon Chen Qi used was a sword. Shadow de sh was a pretty good addition to hisbat strength. Chen Qi kept the skill card. Recently, he had been using skill cards too frequently; he should wait a few days to thoroughly digest this one. "Nice harvest..." Under the faint moonlight, Chen Qi walked on the water, heading towards the siren''sir. His next n was to fleece the sea beasts once more, then see if there were any rare sea beasts to bring to the White Tree Land. Finally, he would go pick up the Flower Witch. At that moment, a small sea demon with green algae hair suddenly emerged from the water. An adult sea demon could reach a height of 1.8 meters, with some even growing over 2 meters. However, little Green Algae was an undernourished sea demon, and with her fish tail, she stood at only about 1.4 meters. In the water, she looked even smaller. "Green Algae, you''re not asleep..." Chen Qi smiled slightly and patted her tentacle-like hair. Green Algae''s tentacles twitched, then she frantically waved her arms: "Wah wah wah ¦²(¡ã¡÷¡ã|||)¡ª¡ª" Hmm? What does that mean? Chen Qi was startled. At this moment, the Deep Sea Water Elf also moved. "Wait..." Chen Qi immediately became alert. It seemed Green Algae was warning him about some nearby danger! What could scare Green Algae? Could it be a nighttime shadow demon? No... Chen Qi soon dismissed this thought. "Is someone nearby..." He hesitated no longer and immediately activated his skill. Dark Concealment! Chen Qi held his breath, as if covered by a thin veil, hiding in the darkness. Not only his breathing, but even his spirit power field was covered by this thin veil. Combined with numerous buffs provided by the sirens, his concealment in the dark was extremely strong. Unless it was a mage of Teacher An''s caliber, it would be impossible to discover him. Could it be the Kuang Sha he encountered previously? Chen Qi looked underwater again. Most of the sirens were asleep, but the ck-armored sharks were still very active. Chen Qi, facing the third-order transcendent Kuang Sha, couldn''t possibly defeat him. But for mere survival, he should have no problem. Why were they at the sirens''ir? And what gave them the courage toe here? As a Light Seer, it was natural to remain curious. "Deep Sea Water Elf, follow." Chen Qi dived underwater, carefully swimming towards the center of the sirens''ir, following a ck-armored shark from a distance. With Dark Concealment, he sessfully hid behind a reef, beside which arge sea snakey asleep. A perfect hiding spot... Chen Qi concealed himself and looked into the distance. Sure enough, he saw lights and ten steam-powered boats. On each boat stood a fully armed member of the ck Whale Group. At the forefront was none other than the captain of the ck Whale Group¡ª¡ªKuang Sha! He stood two meters tall, with a mix of silver and white hair, a massive V-shaped physique, and a broad, sturdy back like an ancient reef. His body was too massive to be described as bull-like; he was more like a giant bear. "Interesting, they dared toe here on small boats." Chen Qi thought. One wrong move, and these ck Whale Group members would be shark food! Without a doubt, they must have some special items to dare venture this deep. But more intriguing was their purpose ining to the sirens''ir. In front of Kuang Sha stood a tall woman. Her pitch-ck hair was neat, she wore a raven mask, and donned a ck feathered robe. Like a raven symbolizing doom. Chen Qi was slightly startled. She was an acquaintance of his. Now, she was a newly promoted officer of the ck Whale Group¡ª¡ªLittle Raven. Chapter 139: Chapter 118: The Power of the Ancient Species, The Breath of the Great Whale Late at night, a blurred moon hung high in the sky, casting a faint silvery glow. Beneath the sea, strange sounds emerged from time to time. Nobody knew what exactly could be hidden underneath the seabed in this area. At this moment, the members of the ck Whale Group were discussing the n for the next day. Little Crow carried a kerosenemp, remaining vignt, and looked towards the distant coral tform. "Kuang Sha, do you really have confidence that you can make this sea area above into your domain?" Kuang Sha gripped his harpoon: "Of course, Doctor Crow, the premise is that the potion you gave us really possesses the strength of a superior species, just like the rumors im!" Little Crow adjusted her mask: "There''s no problem with the potion, it canst at least twelve hours, as long as your body holds up, of course." Kuang Sha flexed his muscles: "There''s no potion I can''t handle, just quietly await the shark sweeping across the sea. When do we act?" "At dawn, when the daylight burns, the time of the morning." Following that, Little Crow continued: "Now the navy has already blocked off most entrances and is firmly targeting the vessels of the Devil Fish." After speaking, she fixed her grim and cold mask intently on the members of the ck Shark: "I don''t know why, but this batch of tardy navy somehow knows that aboard the Devil Fish, we have stored the forbidden artifact Meat Cutting Bone Breaking that we obtained at great human cost..." Kuang Sha clenched his teeth, looking at his brothers. The men of the ck Shark fought for money, and for money, they had done all sorts of things! It was entirely possible they could sell out information. Kuang Sha argued: "Maybe it was the Ice Devil Pirates. I''ve heard that the tavern on Sea Demon Ind also spotted traces of the Ice Devil Pirates this time. When the timees, I''ll grab the old couple who run the tavern and interrogate them. They must know some information." Little Crow clutched herntern tightly with displeasure,manding: "It''s no longer important who leaked the information. You just need to know that tomorrow, the Devil Fish will break into the Sea Demon''sir. Moreover, we can''t rule out the possibility of the navy going mad and following the Devil Fish into the Sea Demon''sir! Remember, even if you ck Shark cannot protect the Devil Fish, you must take away all the treasures on board, including Meat Cutting Bone Breaking and other Transcendent relics!" This action was made due to the navy having blocked off arge number of routes. Therefore, aftermunication, the ck Whale Group decided to make a mad decision: To directly pass through the central area of the Sea Demon Gorge¡ªthe Sea Demon''sir! And this matter must be prepared for sufficiently. In the distance, Chen Qi, who had been eavesdropping, was shocked in secret. Little Crow''s voice was very soft, but Kuang Sha''s was very loud. Through Kuang Sha''s words, Chen Qi had also roughly analyzed the situation at hand. The ck Whale Group actually wanted to directly pass through the Sea Demon''sir. Even steel vessels, in the moment of crossing this ce, would be crazily attacked by giant sea snakes and ck-armored sharks. Not to mention the siren''s song! Kuang Sha''s muscles tensed all over his body: "Don''t worry, Doctor Crow. As long as it''s as the intelligence said, without any naval admirals, I am invincible. Now, Doctor Crow, give me the ck Whale Blood." Little Crow looked around, feeling a chill in the air: "Don''t rush, tell me the intelligence you collected today first." Kuang Sha said carelessly: "We don''t have much intelligence, apart from the movements of the navy, it was just a small fish." "A small fish?" "Yes, on a small boat, I encountered a newly promoted Second-order Transcendent and a Third-order Transcendent with a Floral Appearance." A Third-tier Transcendent with a Floral Appearance! The Flower Witch was indeed a Third-tier Transcendent with a Floral Appearance! However, why would this Third-order Transcendent have a Second-tier Transcendent by their side? Come to think of it, there had been an unidentified First Order ck-bearded monster with the Flower Witch before. An ally of the Flower Witch? Which power did they belong to? Little Crow fell into thought. Kuang Sha crossed his arms over his chest: Chapter Enjoy: "What''s the matter, Doctor Crow?" "Nothing, it''s just that the one you encountered might be the Flower Witch." "Witch!" He burst out shouting! "Keep it down, in case you''re overheard, or wake up the sea demons and sharks..." Kuang Sha showed no intention of apologizing or fear: "Don''t worry, Doctor Crow! Besides us, who else dares to stand in this sea area?" Little Crow shook her head: "Forget it, the witch isn''t important right now, what''s really important is to cover for the Devil Fish ship." Kuang Sha didn''t reply, filled with immense regret. He had actually missed the chance to arrest the witch! In the ck Whale Group, the Flower Witch was their number one target. If he could catch the Flower Witch, the taboo creation aboard the Devil Fish ship¡ªMeat Cutting Bone Breaking¡ªwould undoubtedly be his reward, too! Little Crow took out a bottle containing a wriggling mass of ckness from her backpack. It was like a pulsating ck heart. Diluted ck Whale Blood! She said coldly, "Remember, the effectsts for twelve hours, and within a month, the strength of your body absolutely cannot endure a second use." "All right, all right, hurry and give it to this old man." Kuang Sha took the ck Whale Blood, then asked as a final question, "I have the Sea Demon Ne, I''m not afraid of the Sea Demon''s song, but the ck Armored Shark and the great sea snakes are ferocious beasts. Doctor Crow, are you sure this blood can suppress such terrifying creatures?" Little Crow exined, "As of now, the origins of Sea Beasts remain a mystery, but just like dragons, higher existences exert a tremendous suppressive force over lower ones. ck Whale Blood will grant you a faint ancient bloodline presence. This presence, unless it''s a sea tyrant of a Sea Beast, they absolutely won''t dare approach you. Furthermore, this blood will grant you unimaginable strength." Kuang Sha looked up, and under the light of the kerosenemp, the ck Whale Blood radiated a tempting power. "Doctor Crow, I hope it is as you say, that the ck Whale Blood possesses such mysterious power." Kuang Sha didn''t hesitate, opened his mouth, and bit off half the ck Whale Blood. Upon consuming the ck Whale Blood, his muscles abruptly swelled, and his bones crackled. The spiritual power in his blood instantly took on ayer of frenzied darkness! His spiritual power field underwent a stark transformation, like a massive thundercloud, like a true shark! Little Crow asked, "How is it? Can you withstand it?" ck Whale Blood, only those with strong bodies can use it! Kuang Sha spat out blood and then let out a beast-like roar, "Exquisite. I even feel I could gnaw down the rest of the ck Whale Blood. Now, neither the Flower Witch nor the navy stands a chance against me!" Little Crow, watching Kuang Sha''s condition, clenched her fists, "Just a reminder, the Flower Witch is very strong, not an opponent you can defeat. Later, the ck Glove will take care of this." Kuang Sha immediately retorted, "I admit the Flower Witch is strong, but I''m different from you. At the age of ten, I hunted a three-meter-long shark with a bone de. At thirteen, a Sea Demon singer gave my father a precious Sea Demon Ne, and since then, I visit the Sea Demon Gorge every year. Generations of my family have lived in Sea Demon Gorge. I''m not afraid of the Sea Demon''s song, only fearful of the sharks lurking in the deep." The aged Kuang Sha gripped his harpoon, straightened his back, his mighty frame like a colossal mountain. "Besides, as a Third-order Transcendent of the de Phase [Water Beast], the Flower Witch couldn''t possibly defeat me at sea." This presence... Little Crow murmured softly, "I hope your arrogance is matched by your strength." And at that moment, a massive disturbance came from beneath the sea! It was a five-meter-tall ck Armored Shark! Their noisy sh had already disturbed this massive creature! The ck Armored Shark violently surfaced, opened its colossal mouth, its teeth sharp as des, and lunged for the small boat. However, Kuang Sha merely turned his head slightly, giving a faint re. Boom! In the moment their gazes locked, The ck Armored Shark instantaneously became like a startled kitten and bolted towards where Chen Qi was hiding. Kuang Sha clenched his harpoon, looking at the panicking ck shark. This was the first time he had seen such a magnificent scene. Even the ferocious ck Armored Shark feared him! This was the power of the ck Whale! "Doctor Crow, I understand now why you managed to be an officer. The potion you''ve created is indeed wonderfully unmatched..." Kuang Sha clutched his harpoon, feeling the power of the ck Whale Blood. The power inside him was surging! Kuang Sha could no longer suppress the pride swelling within him. "Be it the Witch or the navy! Or any other overconfident little fish! The oue for those whoe here is death! No one can pass through here!" He spread his arms wide and roared at the sea before him, "In these twelve hours, this sea territory is mine!" Chapter 140: Chapter 119 Assaulted ``` Kuang Sha spread his arms wide, and under the influence of the ck Whale Blood, revealed an unprecedented oppressive aura. The little crow clenched her fists: "Don''t be too arrogant, Kuang Sha. Your actions might awaken the sea demon." Kuang Sha grinned and said: "Little girl, I was called Little Kuang Sha when I was young, and now I''m Kuang Sha. How can I not be reckless?" Kuang Sha gripped the trident, in these waters, he could rob whoever he wanted, hit whoever he wanted. "..." The little crow shook her head, somewhat nostalgic for the days aboard the Sawshark. Although her jerk of a ck-eyed Captain often owed money,pared to the bloodthirsty nature of Kuang Sha, he was practically the paragon of gentleness and moral standards. If it weren''t for her status as an officer, this man wouldn''t listen to a word she said. However, a Kuang Sha possessing the ck Whale Blood emitted an aura powerful enough to deter the armored sharks. The ck Whale Blood was merely the icing on the cake. The key was his incredibly precious siren ne, allowing him to resist the siren''s song. As a Sea Beast tamer, the little crow looked at the siren ne around Kuang Sha''s neck. Only those with an extraordinary singing talent can gain the recognition of the sirens. It was with the help of the siren ne that Kuang Sha had risen from an ordinary fisherman to be a well-known pirate of the Sea Demon Gorge, before being defeated by the matriarch of the ck Whale Group and bing a member of the group. Unfortunately, the voices that could gain the sirens'' recognition were few and far between. The little crow sighed: "All right, stay away from the sirens. I''ve heard that today, someone near the Sea Demon Gorge heard the rare Song of Death. Maybe among the sirens, another genius whomands the music of death has been born." The little crow adjusted her mask: "The potion that masks our human scent is also about to wear off." She began to pack up, ready to leave this dangerous ce. However, at that moment, she witnessed a surprising scene. The armored shark, that Kuang Sha had just scared away, was actually charging towards the reef where the great sea snake was! While it''s rare for sea creatures to attack each other, for the armored shark, scared by Kuang Sha, to approach the great sea snake was extremely abnormal behavior. It was likely not approaching the great sea snake, but rather something mysterious that was attracting it. "Is it being lured by food?" The little crow lifted the kerosenemp, looking in the direction of the reef. The armored shark made wooing sounds as ifining to its mother. "Truly amazing..." She shook her head, unable toprehend the armored shark''s thoughts, and started the steamboat to leave the area. The crew of the ck Shark had set up traps here. After hearing that the siren had performed the Song of Death today, they did not stay long, promptly leaving the area. ... ... The moonlight was bright and clear. Chen Qi sat on the massive head of the armored shark, still shaken. He had never imagined that the armored shark, frightened by the presence of the ck Whale, would not run away as a first instinct, but instead approach him, seekingfort! Was this even reasonable? Such arge shark, actually seekingfort from him! Not even the near-sea overlord would do such a thing! Luckily, he had Dark Concealment,pletely merging his form into the darkness. "That was a close call." Chen Qi stroked the armored shark''s head to soothe it. Although he didn''t catch all of their conversation, Chen Qi deduced the gist from the ck Whale Blood and their actions. The ck Whale Group''s iron ships would be passing through this perilous Sea Demon Gorge. This might be an opportunity for him. "Hmm..." Chen Qi fell into thought. With his current individual strength, facing the pirate ship head-on was tantamount to a suicide mission. But if he had the siren song, he could stand a chance against the ck Whale Group''s pirate ship. Moreover, these pirate ships hade from the deepest high-order cracks of the Sea Demon Gorge. There might be unimaginable treasures aboard, as well as relics lost a century ago. The giant de Meat Cutting Bone Breaking, the euphoria elf capable of plunging people into a world of bliss, the blood-controlling de... Especially that creation known as Meat Cutting Bone Breaking. It was mentioned in the gaming forums as a relic, a weapon of formidable strength, and the archenemy of the Deep Sea Hunters of the past. Chen Qi gradually formted a daring n in his mind. Maybe he could join in this chaotic battle. After all, the sirenir was the home of his siren friends. It was only fair to collect a toll from those passing through. And he had long wanted to deal a blow to this ck Whale pirate group. ``` "Hmm..." Chen Qi touched the Water Elf. Despite having the geographical advantage, the n remained extremely dangerous. Kuang Sha could resist the siren''s song, and having consumed the great whale blood, was very powerful. The fish-pecking crow would not make a move, but it was likely that there were other experts involved in this operation. The disparity in power between a Third-order Transcendent and a Second-order Transcendent was enormous. Even with the Residual Fire Touch and the buff from the siren''s song, he couldn''t bridge the gap in strength. Inside the mermaid''sir, he could hold his ground against an ordinary Third-order Transcendent. But against a Transcendent who had the solution, he waspletely out of his depth. Even fighting on home turf, as a newly-promoted Second-tier Transcendent, he could still die in the chaos of battle. "It''s too dangerous..." Chen Qi shook his head, sighing deeply. Undoubtedly, this was a tremendous opportunity, but the risk was just as great. Unless the Flower Witch joined his cause. Then, he looked at the four mermaid nes in his hand. The mermaid nes could resist the siren''s song and prevent the mermaids from attacking him actively. "Wait..." Chen Qi suddenly realized something. It was not impossible to get the Flower Witch to take action. With the mermaid ne, the Flower Witch could also move amidst the song. But if he truly wanted to seize these relics from a century ago, he would have to n carefully. "I should go find the Flower Witch first." Chen Qi estimated the time. With the Flower Witch''s capabilities, she might have already cleared the crack. However, considering the current situation, it was very likely that the Flower Witch would have encountered pirates. Amidst the dark night, he cautiously steered his small house boat towards the depths of Sea Demon Gorge. Chen Qi maintained as much caution as possible. After two hours of sailing, he arrived at the location of the Floral Appearance crack. However, on the surface of the sea, he saw clothes bloodied beyond recognition and a multitude of corpses. Apart from that, the massive tree of Floral Appearance was wounded all over. "Has there been a battle here?" Chen Qi took out his weapon, lit the kerosenemp, and carefully surveyed the area. A great amount of blood flowed over this part of the sea. Above the sea surface, hot gunsmoke still lingered. What had happened? The next instant, Chen Qi felt a chill on his back, a scent of blood in the air. Bang! His thigh was kicked hard, he lost his bnce, and then toppled backward. Then, in the next breath, a hand grabbed the back of his clothes and, using the momentum of the fall, smashed him hard onto the deck! Boom! It was fast! Chen Qi could only instinctively use his spear to defend. But still, he was mmed to the ground with great force. His head throbbed with pain! Immediately after, someone pressed down on him and pointed a Magic Wand''s tip at Chen Qi. Huge Spiritual Power converged at the tip of the wand, and with just a thought, it could obliterate him and the boat into dust. "If you don''t want to die, keep your mouth shut!" A flower petal fell onto Chen Qi''s face. Under the faint moonlight, Chen Qi saw the face of the person above him. It was the Flower Witch, but she looked different from before she entered the crack. The Flower Witch now had pale skin bleeding nonstop, covered with wounds. The Flower Witch was startled. He had actually blocked her! A Hunter''s spear was now aimed right at her chest. Just a thought, and Chen Qi could pull the trigger, sending a spiral magic bullet into her chest! At the same time, the tentacles from the Residual Fire Touch spread out from his clothing, entwining the Flower Witch''s arm and causing the wand''s aim to shift slightly. This spear, and this stature... A little yellow flower of puzzlement sprouted above the Flower Witch''s head, "Qi?" "!!" The bloodied Flower Witch rose from Chen Qi''s body and looked at the tentacles wrapped around her arm: "Your clothes, why on earth are you dressed so... strangely?" Chapter 141: Chapter 120 I Have a Bold Idea The ship''sntern swayed gently. The Flower Witch gripped her magic wand tightly, lowering her head to scrutinize the clothes on Chen Qi, suspecting she was experiencing an illusion. These clothes are so strange... Because of the Residual Fire Touch and the makeshift mask made from bandages, she didn''t recognize Chen Qi at first nce. Furthermore, having just been through a battle, her initial thought was that Chen Qi had died. He has such strong closebat abilities... Chen Qi stood up, holstered his weapon, and, surprisingly, he, who specialized in closebat, was easily taken down by the Flower Witch, who specialized in magic. If it hadn''t been for the gun he took out in advance and hid in his hand, he would have had no chance to resist. If he wasn''t facing the Flower Witch, that spiral magic bullet just now could have created an opportunity to counterattack... Chen Qi thought to himself. "I''m very sorry, my nerves were a bit tense aftering out of the crack..." The Flower Witch, drenched in blood, sprouted a curious little yellow flower on her head and asked again: "Where did you get these clothes from?" Being well-informed, she could tell straight away that this was no ordinary piece of equipment. A forbidden creation with side effects! Chen Qi thought for a moment: "Hmm, got it by chance when passing through a crack..." The Flower Witch pouted, looking skeptically at Chen Qi: "By chance, are you sure it wasn''t given to you by your organization, the newspaper?" I''ve said it before, I''m not with the newspaper, why won''t you believe it... Chen Qi sighed. In the eyes of the Flower Witch, an ordinary Transcendent couldn''t possibly possess such powerful equipment unless they were given special training by an organization. Even her own family would be prudent about giving equipment of this level to their children. It''s the scent of a lie... The Flower Witch sat wearily on the boat, pulling out bandages to wrap her injured right hand. Her usually smooth long hair was extremely disheveled, with strands stained with blood that were especially jarring to the eye. On her left arm, a deep wound visible to the bone extended from her shoulder to her elbow, the blood congealed into a dark color, contrasting sharply with her pale skin. "Fen, what happened?" Chen Qi asked with concern. The Flower Witch was covered in scars, clearly having endured a fierce battle. Her voice was hoarse and low: "Injuries sustained inside the crack, and besides, when exiting the crack, I encountered a Third-tier Transcendent from the ck Whale Group and was attacked by them... However, I made an error in my perception and failed to detect the people beneath the water. Although I severely injured them, the Floral Appearance Wand I worked hard to obtain from the crack was stolen from me." Chen Qi said: "Stolen, that''s terrible..." The difficulty of a C-tier crack is such that even Third-tier Transcendents struggle toe out unscathed. Securing a magic wand relic from a C-tier crack is an extremely difficult feat. "It''s not too terrible, I haven''t fought with a strong opponent for a long time. Even though I lost a wand, it has revealed the weakness of my poor closebat ability. This lesson is more valuable than a wand." The Flower Witch forced a smile. She did not want to infect Chen Qi with her sadness. It was her decision to enter Sea Demon Gorge, her doing that dragged Chen Qi into the perilous Sea Demon Gorge. However, prior to entering Sea Demon Gorge, she hadn''t collected enough intelligence. Deep within Sea Demon Gorge, there lurked far more pirates than she had anticipated. She even saw two steel behemoths, like deep-sea sharks. The Flower Witch took out a cloth, stuffed it in her mouth, then pulled out a syringe, plunging it into an artery! A potent Healing Potion causes excruciating pain akin to flesh being torn when used! After administering the Potion, the Flower Witch gradually rxed her furrowed brow as her injuries steadily healed: "That''s right, Qi, well done. Luckily you distanced yourself from the Floral Appearance crack ahead of time, otherwise..." The Flower Witch wanted tofort Chen Qi. Indeed, as she had feared, something bad had happened. For Chen Qi, this region of the sea was still too dangerous. If Chen Qi hadn''t wisely left this ce earlier, he would have been the one attacked by the ck Whale Group pirates. And by the time she emerged, all she would have found was a mangled corpse. By then, the only thing she could do was to arrange a funeral for Chen Qi. "..." Chen Qi fell silent for a moment. He wasn''t actually keeping watch here. A minute after the Flower Witch entered the crack, he had run off to see the sea demons. However, the attack on the Flower Witch was indeed beyond his expectations. The Flower Witch looked like a withered little flower: "Qi, my identity might have been exposed. Someone mighte after me. So, you must take advantage of the night and leave this ce as quickly as possible." The Flower Witch thought she might be the cause of Chen Qi''s death. If Chen Qi ran alone and contacted the navy, he might have a chance of survival. "Leave here alone?" Chen Qi asked. He still wanted the Flower Witch to join his plot. "Miss Fen, what are you nning to do all by yourself?" Clutching her injured left arm, the Flower Witch fell silent for a long time before squeezing out the words: "Don''t worry, I am a Witch, there won''t be any trouble. Not only that, I''ll be sure to give those damn ck Whale Group a piece of my mind, to let them know that, even without my teacher''s protection, a Witch is not to be trifid with!" "You may not know, but I''ve mastered the Flower Dissolving Skill. Even when facing several Third-order Transcendents at once, I will still have the power to fight." I know that... Chen Qi thought to himself. Like a ck glove, a Third-tier Transcendent like the Flower Witch who controlled release skills was rare indeed. Especially the Flower Witch''s release skill "Flowers Blossoming in Blood" was famously known as a god-tier technique, splitting fifty-fifty in the Witch Sea sector. In the moonlight''s glow, the Flower Witch leaned against the cabin door: "Just prepare a feast for me in Moonstone City and wait. Although I''m being targeted, I''ll manage to return home safely." The Flower Witch smiled confidently and clenched her fist as if everything was under control. Pity, the sorrowful little blue flower on her head had already betrayed her. Looking at the current situation, things didn''t seem good at all. As the protagonist of the Witch Sea, the bounty the ck Whale Group and the navy had on the Flower Witch wasn''t just simple hatred. The Flower Witch was hiding secrets he didn''t know about. Chen Qi concluded: "In short, Flower Witch, you''re nning to seek revenge alone and then find a way to escape from Sea Demon Gorge." "Yes, although I seem to be badly wounded, such injuries are trivial to a Pharmacist. I''ll use the chaos of battle to give them a taste of their own medicine." Chen Qi pondered to himself. When it came to giving the ck Whale Group a piece of their mind, they were on the same page. Chen Qi ced his hand on the Flower Witch''s shoulder: "Fen, actually, I have a bold idea." A bold idea? The Flower Witch was taken aback. She was still struggling with how to persuade Chen Qi to escape Sea Demon Gorge alone, searching for the right words for an elegant farewell. "Fen, you should know that the sea demon''s den is the closest route to Sea Demon Gorge." "Yes, that''s right..." "Then, would you be interested in joining me there to rob the Devilfish? I''ve heard that ship is loaded with relics, including the legendary item¡ªMeat Cutting Bone Breaking." Chen Qi stated calmly as if he were a pirate who had wandered the seas for many years. Just another ordinary day collecting a toll. "???" The Flower Witch''s brain short-circuited in an instant as she nced at Chen Qi''s tattered little boat. She also felt Chen Qi''s spiritual power field. After reconsidering for a moment. This isn''t right, is it? Shouldn''t this be the moment where I, the one being pursued, entrust you with my dying wishes and we part ways amid a dramatic escape? The two of us, robbing a ck Whale Group pirate ship? Is that even possible? Chapter 142: Chapter 121: Chaotic Battle Chen Qi said, "It''s possible." "Your idea is indeed bold." The Flower Witch said softly. A regr Second-order Transcendent could barely survive. If he entered their of the sea demons, he would likely be eaten by sharks in an instant. Chen Qi''s idea was not unfounded. In fact, in his memory, the Flower Witch, as the protagonist, had her first team battle in the forums at the Sea Demon Gorge. Only, the situation this time was different. The battle at Sea Demon Gorge was the Flower Witch joining forces with the Blood de Pirate Group to stop the ck Whale Group. But now, there was no trace of the Blood de Pirate Group. Chen Qi looked up at the moon hanging high in the sky, the thread of the world''s fate had already quietly changed. Now, without the Blood de Pirate Group, there were only the weak him and the Flower Witch. But the two of them, although a bit inexperienced, were not incapable of fighting. The Flower Witch advised: "Qi, you might have misjudged the siren''s song. Sea demons don''t like to kill, yet their song is more terrifying than any de; you can''t endure it with just your spirit..." "What if I have this?" Chen Qi quietly pulled out a sea demon ne and handed it to the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch took the ne. This was the legendary sea demon ne! She looked at Chen Qi skeptically. Could it be that while she was away, Chen Qi had gone to the sea demon''sir andpeted in music with the sea demons? The Flower Witch really couldn''t imagine Chen Qi having any musical talent. A bold style singer, a romantic singer? She hadn''t seen Chen Qi sing before! Could it be that you are a hidden rap master? Moreover, she was surprised to find that Chen Qi himself was also wearing a sea demon ne. He had two sea demon nes! Could his singing have won over the sea demons twice? Chen Qi predicted: "A bit of vocal skill, plus a bit of luck, I encountered a sea demon in the dark, used Dark Concealment, and then got the ne." "Vocal skill, luck? Are you a gambler who believes in the path of Dice Phase?" "Favored by the Goddess of Luck." Chen Qi smiled mysteriously. Really favored by the Goddess of Luck? The Flower Witch pursed her lips, sceptical. Damned riddler! In fact, although the two of them had be quite acquainted under this cooperation. Both of them kept quite a few secrets from each other. Therefore, although they seemed harmonious, there was still a thin veil between them. Until now, Chen Qi didn''t understand why the high ranks of the navy and the ck Whale Group were pursuing the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch was also unwilling to tell him these things. He could only guess from the game forum''s information that it was rted to the Flower Witch''s illness and the secrets of the Witch Sea. The Flower Witch took the sea demon ne. If they could have this ne, perhaps they really could take their revenge in Sea Demon Gorge. Next, Chen Qi focused on his ''Dark Concealment,'' told her about the ck Whale Group''s Devil Fish passing through Sea Demon Gorge soon, and devised a simple n. Chen Qi finally asked: "Fen, are you in for this?" Even with the sea demon ne, this battle was extremely dangerous. The Flower Witch was silent for a long time, then clenched her fist: "Let''s do it!" Determined to make a big move! After discussing with Chen Qi, the Flower Witch stood up and went to ambush in the sea demon''sir. ... ... At dawn, the moon gradually faded, and the day''s me lit up the world. In the heart of Sea Demon Gorge, an intense chase was underway. The Devil Fish''s iron ship, like a giant beast, passed through the turbulent sea. The hull was covered with thick enchanted steel tes, and amidst several rounds of cannon fire, it emitted extremely hot gun smoke. Behind it, the navy''s Bai Ou relentlessly pursued. Bai Ou''s cannon muzzle fired mes tens of meters far, continuously bombarding. "Damn it! The power system is damaged, the defense system is damaged; it''s only a matter of time before we sink!" "Pass the current information to the people on the Kuang Sha, we need their assistance!" "Then, all personnel should take the tranquillizers assigned, put on earplugs, and prepare to enter Sea Demon Land!" Themander on the Devil Fish anxiously assigned tasks. At this moment, they could feel the vibrationsing from beneath their feet. All other routes were blocked, except for Sea Demon Land, which was filled with defensive forces. Fortunately, they had their ways! As the saying goes, the most dangerous ce is the safest ce! Charge! Devil Fish activated itsst power engine, the entire ship, like an uncontroble wild bull, charged into Sea Demon Land. Boom, boom! The steel ship rampaged, smashing the corals of Sea Demon Land to pieces. The huge impact caused explosions to erupt in Sea Demon Land. The navy''s Bai Ou had not anticipated this situation. They just needed a little more time, and they could have captured the Devil Fish. However, the Devil Fish''s destination was unexpectedly the home of the sea demons. "We can''t give them a chance to catch their breath, keep moving forward." The battlefield gave them no time to think. Boom! The bombs hidden underwater suddenly exploded, as if they were trying to flip over the entire Bai Ou! mes shot up into the sky! "Well done! Die, you dogs!" The Commander of the Devil Fish bellowed. However, in the next instant, a ck armored shark abruptly burst from the water. ns always fall behind changes; the surprise was just too sudden. Such a massive creature had already enraged the ck armored shark. The huge head of the ck armored shark smashed through the cabin, raising clouds of smoke. After the collision, the crew of the Devil Fish were thrown into chaos. The Commander of the Devil Fish stood on the deck, looking down into the cabin: "Why do I feel like there are more sea beasts than the intelligence reported?" It was as if something was attracting the sea creatures to gather! The number of ck armored sharks, the number of sea snakes, far exceeded their imagination! Boom! Boom! The ck armored shark struck again, and the Devil Fish waspletely immobilized. The Navy''s Bai Ou seized the opportunity. The situation was such; the people on the Devil Fish would inevitably take the relics and board the lifeboats. The Commander of Bai Ou sternly said, "The mage units are about to use the Ice Freeze Skill; everyone, prepare to board the Devil Fish!" Under the spell of five Second-tier Mages, the surface of the water solidified, forming an icy path. Following that, the armed Navy quickly rushed along the ice towards the powerless Devil Fish. Boom! Apanied by the sound of a cannon! The Navy stormed the deck of the Devil Fish, and the battle between the two forces officially intensified! ... ... "Now is not the time for Mecha battles." At that moment, Chen Qi was squatting on a high coral tform, observing the situation. Although this was a fairlyrge-scale battle between the Navy and pirates in recent times. To him, the fight between the two seemed quite like a squabble of inepts. The entire New Day World was under a huge circle bathed in daylight, with very little sea area avable for living. Beyond that,y the frontier. Most wars were terrestrial wars, and the oceancked strategic value. Therefore, Shell Country''s workshops and merchant associations had always invested little in naval forces and did not focus on naval construction. Even along the coast, many ship repair workers didn''t even know aboutrgepanies like Steam Hand. Shell Country, as the Steam Kingdom that controlled "the Hammer," was famously known for its Steam Mecha battles onnd; yet in the current version of Witch Sea, it had not officially appeared. Now, the battle between the ships of the two forces had ultimately evolved into the closebat battle that the ck Blood Empire greatly loved. This was a good thing. In order to defeat thergepany-made Mechas, one needed to possess Third Rank strength, along with the ability to ''dissolve''. Chen Qi was pondering his approach, as he tossed a meatball into the sea. He was making meatballs. Simply put, he was crafting Extraordinary Fish Bait and then sprinkling it with Soul Seasoning, continuously throwing it into the sea. His Chef talentbined with the Extraordinary Fish Bait could attract more sea beasts. "I can do this, I can do this." The Flower Witch kept muttering to herself. She held her Magic Wand, ready to use it to walk and join the fray: "Chen Qi, attracting so many sea beasts, can we really handle it?" She was already shocked by Chen Qi''s maniption. Unexpectedly, Chen Qi could also make such bait to lure sea beasts! But for a Chef to make such bait was indeed reasonable. This method of attracting sea beasts could indeed deal a heavy blow to the Devil Fish. But it also posed a significant danger to them. Chen Qi folded his arms: "Fen, where others fear, we are greedy; it''s only in this chaos that we find our opportunity to intervene." Following that, Chen Qi kept his attention, observing the distant battle. At that moment, the Navy had already boarded the deck, engaging in fiercebat with the pirates of the Devil Fish. Among them, under the swinging fists of a Third Rank de Phase Boxer, the Navy seemed to be gaining the upper hand. And when both sides were heavily wounded, from under the Devil Fish, a huge figure emerged from the water onto the deck. Your next journey awaits at M-V-L In that instant, everyone''s view was involuntarily drawn to this tall human figure. He picked up a harpoon, and his Qi Power-filled harpoon shot out with a thunder-like boom. The sea also surged with waves from it! On the deck, ten Navy soldiers were instantly impaled by the harpoon, skewered like meat strung on the prow of the ship. "Dammit, the ace of the ck Shark, Kuang Sha!" The Navy''s Third Rank de Phase Hunter, the Boxer, grew stern, throwing a punch at Kuang Sha. The Boxer, who had honed his physique and mastered the application of Qi Power, swung his Lightning Fist, creating a bolt of lightning in the air. "Mad Shark''s Fist!" Kuang Sha, not to be outdone, mmed his fist against the Boxer''s. Amidst this sh, a tremendous gale arose over the sea. Their moves collided with each other! However, this frozen frame did notst long! The next moment, Kuang Sha''s mouth curled into a faint smile: "Go back and train some more!" The Boxer''s heart suddenly turned cold. This fear did not stem from Kuang Sha''s fist but from the sea. In the midst of the noisy sounds, they heard singing. "La~" Chapter 143: Chapter 122: No Need to Thank ``` Boom! This is the siren''s territory! They are the true masters here! Their battle had seriously enraged the sirens! Above the sea, the sirens revealed their pure white figures, stretching their arms towards the sun that had just begun to rise: "Llla~" BGM starts! The ethereal and beautiful singing reverberated across the ocean. Only, these were not songs of blessing, but truly songs of ughter! Songs of enchantment! Songs of chaos! Songs of men! Though the voices were ethereal, in their minds, they shrieked like ghosts. The crew of the Bai Ou and the Devil Fish, their faces suddenly flushed, their minds filled with indescribable illusions, as if turned to mush. Boom! Under the influence of the enchanting and chaotic songs, the Boxer''s body trembled violently. The lifelong singleton''s breathing quickened, and a blush unwittingly spread across his face. In his eyes, even his nemesis, the broad-backed and bear-waisted Mad Shark, seemed a tad attractive. "Damn it! I''m the king here now! Mad Shark''s Fist!" The unafraid Mad Shark, his muscles tense, let out a fierce punch. The irrational Boxer was heavily mmed onto the deck, creating a huge hole. At this moment, both pirates and navy were thrown into disarray. "Miss Siren... For Miss Siren, I''ll kill you all!" "My brain, my brain is trembling." "Calm down, brother! Can you help me calm down!" Everyone present was sluggish, experiencing severe hallucinations. The Mages also had to start casting spells of tranquility. Some even began meditating on the spot, chanting scriptures. The siren''s singing grew bolder, echoing across the sea, stirring every soul! In this chaos, only three people didn''t need to resist the siren''s singing. The holders of the siren ne: Mad Shark and Flower Witch. And Chen Qi! Chen Qi was surprised to discover that he had gained several song BUFFs. "The sirens have begun to sing!" Mad Shark shouted at the people: "Give me the relic, only I can traverse these seas!" "Only I can survive in this chaos!" Unknowingly, the sea had soaked the cabins, with sea snakes swimming inside, and ck-armored sharks ramming the hull. It won''t take more than five minutes for the Devil Fish to sink! Then, everyone will be food. But Mad Shark didn''t care about that, rudely pushing people aside on the ship. His only goal was the relic on the Devil Fish. As for the lives of the crew, to him, dying to the siren''s song was also a fine thing. Soon after, he found the transporter of the Devil Fish, and flipped out a backpack card that stored relics. He excitedly took out a rune-sealed weapon box and three rare relics from the backpack card. Mad Shark ran his burly hand delicately over the ancient rune box. "The weapon of the Deep Sea Hunter''s nemesis, the Blue Beast, meat cutting bone breaking, finally in my hands!" Ever since childhood, he had heard of the Blue Beast''s weapon, a forbidden and dreadful de. From it emanated a yearning breath, a breath thirsty for power¡ª Legend had it that whomever obtained the de would be a monster upon the seas, a legend, and would battle the heir of the Deep Sea Hunter! Mad Shark could hardly contain his excitement at that moment. Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to open the weapon now, for once the siren''s singing ended, Bai Ou in the distance wouldunch an attack. Suddenly, he felt a chill on his back. That aura belonged to the Witch! "Hand it over." The Flower Witch said coldly, as magic started to gather in her hands. Mad Shark put the items down, turning back to look at the hooded Flower Witch in the roaring wind: "Never thought that on these vast seas, there would be someone crazier than I, Mad Shark!" Mad Shark was very confident; in the sirens'' songs, he was undefeated. However, the moment he turned his head, he was surprised to see that the Flower Witch''s neck also bore a siren ne. Someone who possessed the same relic as him! How could it be! How could someone''s voice be approved by the sirens! This was his family''s ancestral Divine Artifact. The Flower Witch gripped her Magic Wand: "Basic attack spell!" The wind around whirled instantly, and a solid st of magic hit Mad Shark squarely in the chest. Yet, Mad Shark did not dodge, and the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye: "Witch, my upation Card is a rare water beast, which can move unimpeded in the sea, and at the same time, has healing abilities beyond your imagination. My powers were born for the sea!" "Witch, your first sin is arrogance!" Mad Shark inhaled deeply, his cheeks bulging like a toad''s, then from his mouth, he fired a high-powered water cannon st. A bubble! ``` Basic Defensive Spell! The Flower Witch swung her magic wand to block, forming a magic barrier. However, under the immense impact, she was still propelled dozens of meters backward. Her hood was lifted off, revealing messy, blood-stained hair and faint traces of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth. The injuries she had sustained in the crack had not fully healed. Yet, the attack was not over. "Mad Shark''s Fist! Hundred Consecutive Strikes!" Mad Shark, with an Instant Step forward, furiously unleashed a hundred punches! And each punch was like a violent cannon shot! Ultimately, the Flower Witch was just a mage. Once cornered in close quarters, she fell into a passive state. Moreover, the Mad Shark had been enhanced with ck Whale Blood. The Flower Witch kept pushing herself. In the brief exchange of blows just now, she had confirmed something. The man before her most likely had not mastered release. "I hit, I hit, I hit, I hit!" Mad Shark''s punches rained down like a sudden storm, utterly arrogant: "Too weak, too weak. Who would''ve thought? Twenty million just delivered themselves to my doorstep!" Boom! Boom! Boom! The Flower Witch''s barrier began to show numerous cracks. The Flower Witch thought calmly. Unlike before, this battle had to be quick and decisive. Otherwise, even if they won, by the time the siren song ended, they might face a siege from sea beasts or the navy. Even if she could escape, Chen Qi could not. As Mad Shark threw another punch, the Flower Witch''s magic barrier shattered violently, and her legs were driven deep into the deck! "How much longer can you hold out!" No other choice left¡­ She closed her eyes and murmured softly: "Art of the Flower, Blood and Flower Fall." In that instant, with a gentle sea breeze passing by, a multitude of blood-red flowers sprouted from the Flower Witch''s body. The Flower Witch had few basic moves, but she mastered many powerful ones. Moves that could turn the tides of battle! The breeze suddenly grew stronger. The blood-red flowers fell from her pale skin, eventually turning into petals. The wind carried the petal rain, elegantly drifting over the ocean. Enjoy new adventures at M-V-L And the next second, the Flower Witch lifted the flowers covering her eyes, revealing a crimson right eye, and swiped her index finger gently. "Fall!" The petals instantly turned into countless sharp blood-red petals, falling from above and repeatedly slicing into Mad Shark''s body. Mad Shark tried to block with his arms but soon realized his body couldn''t possibly withstand this attack. In a moment, blood sprayed onto the deck, forming an abstract painting of blood. Moreover, these flowers also had a secondary attack¡ªsoon, one by one, blood-red flowers would start to grow on Mad Shark''s body! The Flower Witch breathed a sigh of relief. After all, she was about to be a Fourth Rank Transcendent with mastery of release techniques, not someone a mere Third-order Transcendent could defeat! In that instant, she felt like the strongest Third-order Transcendent, undefeated in her rank! However, Mad Shark had not given up resisting. Enduring the pain from the sh of flower des, he grabbed the Flower Witch''s left arm with his great hand. With his current strength, he couldn''t kill the witch in one blow! But the sea beasts could! At that moment, the waters near the Devil''s ship teemed with ck Armor Sharks, sea snakes, and ck muck! The ocean had be a yground for sea beasts! The sea was hell! And he, who possessed ck Whale Blood, feared none of these creatures! "Die!" Mad Shark grasped her left arm, enduring the severe pain, and hurled the Flower Witch forcefully towards the sea surface. Thump! Giant waves rose up. The Flower Witch coughed out blood, used Water Walking to rise immediately, and looked around. She sawrge-mouthed sea snakes, electric jellyfish with tentacles, and massive ck Armor Sharks all fixing their gaze on her! Especially the sea snakes and ck Armor Sharks, drooling profusely from their tooth-filled, gaping maws. Besieged from all sides! "No, no, about to be eaten..." The Flower Witch, filled with immense fear, felt her heart racing and immediately swung her magic wand. She, with higher Spiritual Power, would be the prime meal for the sea beasts. The next moment, the sea snake and the ck Armor Sharks lunged fiercely in her direction! "I can hold them off!" The Flower Witch shouted, casting a Magic Barrier. However, contrary to her expectations, the sea beasts merely swam past her. The food they craved was not her¡­ It was Extraordinary Fish Bait! And on the sea surface, there was another reliable figure she recognized. "Phew..." Chen Qi, holding a ball of Extraordinary Fish Bait, smiled at the Flower Witch: "No need to thank me." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 144: Chapter 123 Who Are You the Heir to? Transcendent creatures naturally choose to hunt food high in spiritual power first. Flower Witch, with her innate special constitution, was targeted by many monsters during her childhood training. It was for this reason that she, inherently taunting, even fantasized about bing an excellent Shield Axe Warrior, a glorious Dragon yer. Later, she discovered that, under the influence of the Blood Flower disease, she had difficulty even moving. The Flower Witch''s eyes moved up and down, staring nkly at the fish bait ball in Chen Qi''s hand. Chen Qi then casually tossed out another Extraordinary Fish Bait. Then, ckd sharks andrge sea snakes, at least ten times their size, scurried to eat the fish bait. Just like feeding kittens and puppies... Completely ignoring her! This behavior was nothing like the bully of the seas! What on earth did he put in this Extraordinary Fish Bait ball? An aphrodisiac? Could it be that this Extraordinary Fish Bait really tasted better than her? The Flower Witch swallowed hard, finding herself tempted to taste the bait. Noticing the Flower Witch''s gaze, Chen Qi spoke seriously: "Fen, do you know? In our Chefmunity, true skill is definitely not just about satisfying the appetite of ordinary humans. A truly elegant Chef''s real goal is to satisfy the appetites of all creatures in this world. In ancient times, Chefs could satisfy not only humans but various entities, such as vampires, dragons, Enchanting Demons, slimes, Sea Hags, and so on! For example, it is said that in order to advance to the legendary Fourth Rank profession [Grand Dragon Chef], one had to conquer the taste buds of a high-quality dragon with their culinary skills. This is also recorded in [Basic Qualities of a Chef]." Chen Qi seriously made up. Complete Form of Soul Seasoning, used to make Extraordinary Fish Bait, is considered a good delicacy for both humans and sea beasts. Therefore, as a Chef, it was quite normal for him to make a delicacy that would attract sea beasts. Of course, even though the Extraordinary Fish Bait was delicious, it was also an important reason that they obediently ate the bait because of Chen Qi himself. "I''ve learned..." The Flower Witch felt that what Chen Qi said made a lot of sense. She suddenly realized that the Transcendent profession of Chef, which had always been criticized in the Transcendent realm, actually possessed this hidden power! Above them, Kuang Sha, who was being ignored, grabbed hold of the ship''s guardrail and roared: "Can''t believe there''s a little fish oblivious to its own peril." While Kuang Sha''s mouth was taunting, his heart couldn''t help being cautious. His gaze was fixed on Chen Qi. The face was not visible, and the clothes he wore were the ragged Hunter gear that had been poprst century. Yet on the rough Hunter gear, there spread out some semi-transparent, illusionary tentacles. Like a strangebination of a Hunter and a tentacled monster. Besides, having only the aura of a Second-tier Transcendent, he could stand steadily on the sea just like a Witch! Surrounded by sea beasts, he remained rational. And why did this man also have the Sea Witch ne, a family heirloom of his? Could it be his father lied to him, saying the Sea Witch ne was offered wholesale? Kuang Sha had too many questions in his heart: "Kid, I don''t kill nobodies! Tell me your origins!" Chen Qi did not answer, silently pulling out the Collector, loading bullets. There was nothing to say to a creature on the verge of death. First, he loaded two regr bullets, then two spiral magic bullets. Kuang Sha spat out a breath mixed with blood energy: "Kid, you wouldn''t be that freshly-minted genius of the Sea God Pirate Group, would you? The sessor to the Deep Sea Hunter''s rival?" Who? The sessor to the Deep Sea Hunter''s rival? Chen Qi couldn''t remember immediately who the other party was talking about. After a Legend dies, a bunch of inexplicable inheritors always emerge. In the Witch Sea, there indeed was a famous powerhouse¡ªHai Ge. He imed to be the heir of the Blue Beast, the arch-enemy of the Deep Sea Hunters, bent on making the world feel the terror of the ocean! But what does this man have to do with me? Chen Qi thought for a moment, and given that he had Yu Huo''s power right from the start, he was clearly an heir of the Deep Sea Hunter! The heir of deep-sea monsters, what''s that got to do with him? "Apletely wrong guess." Chen Qi spun the gun in his hand, aiming at Kuang Sha. Bang! Bang! Two bullets struck Kuang Sha''s body, sshing a few tiny drops of blood. The body of a Third Rank Cup-shaped Transcendent had long been impervious to ordinary bullets. The Flower Witch gripped her magic wand, casting a barrier: "Qi, calm down. He''s been hit by my Blood Flower Skill. His life will be continuously drained by the flowers. As long as we keep our distance, we''ll be the victors." Steady, don''t rush in! The sea breeze kept surging. Just as the Flower Witch said, Kuang Sha was bleeding profusely, badly wounded. It''s not that simple... Chen Qi reminded: "Fen, be careful, he might have a second phase..." Boom! Kuang Sha suddenly leaped from the ship and stood above the sea: "Witch, and monster, your only mistake was stepping into my domain!" The moment he stood on the sea, the sea beasts felt the presence of the ck Whale and scattered in all directions. What''s the use of momentarily luring sea beasts with bait if his ck Whale presence could suppress them? Shark Wave Fist! He threw another punch, targeting the Flower Witch! A mass of water elements gathered in his hand, forming a colossal Shark Wave! Basic attack technique! The Flower Witch didn''t choose to defend; instead, she rapidly converged her Spiritual Power to unleash her signature move. Boom! Their attacks collided, creating giant waves and a thunderous roar! The waves fell. "Cough, cough..." The Flower Witch held her bleeding abdomen, her standing posture unsteady. Kuang Sha''s condition was even more severe, his flesh a blur with ghastly white bones exposed. Kuang Sha clenched his teeth. No, he couldn''t defeat the Flower Witch at all, and he was close to death! Kuang Sha spat out arge amount of blood, turned his head to the side, and shifted his target. He couldn''t defeat the Flower Witch, but he could defeat Chen Qi. Now, the only option he could think of was perhaps to take this Second-order Transcendent as a hostage. Then, with the power of ck Whale blood, he could pass through the sea area swarming with sea beasts! Finally, he could just toss Chen Qi into the sea to feed the beasts, take the relics, and escape without trouble. Pick on the softer targets! If the other party truly is the heir of the Blue Beast of the deep sea! Then ording to their pirate rules, by killing Chen Qi, he would be the new heir! Harboring such thoughts, Kuang Sha took out a ck block of blood from his backpack card: "Damn it,e on! If you two have the guts, kill me!" There was still half of the ck Whale blood that little crow gave him! He opened his mouth as if gnawing on a wriggling heart, biting off the blood of the great whale. However, the moment he swallowed the ck Whale blood, his body suddenly swelled again, emitting the sound of shing steel, like a wriggling ck mountain. Sharp dorsal fins sprouted abruptly from his back, resembling those of a shark. Crunch! Crunch! Two rows of sharp teeth grew out of the corners of his mouth, ringly cold, sending shivers down one''s spine. Chapter 145: Chapter 124: Are You That Fierce? Mad Shark''s body was gradually transforming into a shark. "Trouble..." Chen Qi took a step back. At this moment, the Flower Witch grasped her magic wand, her hand trembling slightly: "This is... a mutation..." The aura of the giant whale in Mad Shark''s body became increasingly intense. Mad Shark grasped his neck with his hand, only for huge ck bubbles to suddenly emerge from his throat. His body waspletely out of control, wantonly vited by the blood of the giant whale. In that instant, he saw the giant whale suspended in the air above the boundless pitch-ck sea, as if a meteor had fallen from the universe. The breath of that falling meteor pressed heavily upon him. All struggle was futile, his soul in utter chaos within the storm, uncertain of where it might go. Mad Shark''s body swelled like a balloon, reaching a height of five meters, its muscles turning into a sleek, pitch-ck skin, continuously releasing ck bubbles. Finally, atop the sea, hepleted his incredible transformation, bing a massive shark-man over five meters tall! As expected, the second stage... Chen Qi pulled a ck de out of his backpack card. He too had obtained ck Whale Blood before, but had always kept it in his backpack card. Mutation was the result of a severe imbnce of Transcendent elements within the body. The ck Whale Blood contained chaotic power, and consuming it could highly likely result in severe mutations. Yet even so, countless individuals still longed for the blood of the ck Whale upon the open sea. The power of ck Whale Blood, a force from the frontier, held innumerable possibilities. The Blue Beast, the legendary sworn enemy of the Deep Sea Hunters, was originally nothing but a poor messenger, hounded by creditors, abandoned by his wife and children. However, one day, he chanced upon a piece of ck Whale Blood and, with a mind to die, consumed it. From that day on, he became a monster, not only avenging himself but also leaping to be a Fourth Rank Legend! It was this legend that led many to dare risk consuming ck Whale Blood. And it was for this reason as well that the little raven, able to research ck Whale Blood, was promoted from a simple ship''s doctor to an officer. The Flower Witch immediately took up her wand, shielding Chen Qi: "Qi, be careful." The sound of bones being reforged into steel gradually ceased. Mad Shark revealed his bloody shark teeth, exhaling a puff of murky ck air like smoke: "Are you ready for this, both of you?" "To be able to speak..." Chen Qi muttered incredulously to himself. Mad Shark, who had consumed ck Whale Blood twice in session, retained his sanity, and his body still leaned towards the human, not fully transformed into a shark. In those two great eyes of his, a shark transformed, there was clearly an added touch of intelligence. Mad Shark briefly reined in his arrogance. He decided to stick with the original n, to first capture Chen Qi and then use him to threaten the Flower Witch, breaking them one by one! He licked his shark''s tongue, thinking it would be quite interesting when the Flower Witch saw the scene of Chen Qi being humiliated by him. Chen Qi suddenly felt a bone-chilling cold emanating from beneath his feet. This time, he was the monster''s target! Boom! A giant wave surged! Mad Shark fiercely plunged into the depths of the sea, his mutation not only enhancing his strength but also significantly improving his agility in the water. To be taken as a hostage! Chen Qi clenched his fist; he didn''t want to be a burden in this operation. "Residual Fire Touch!" Chen Qi roared, as tendrils spread out from his clothes, with blue mes igniting from the fabric. Strength and agility surged rapidly, apanied by an unprecedented sense of rage! Boom! The sea surface beneath his feet exploded with violence instantly! Under hismand, the Water Elves quickly dispersed. Mad Shark leaped out from the sea, opening his massive jaws like a ferocious crocodile, viciously biting towards Chen Qi. "Fen, help me hold him down!" With the boost from Residual Fire Touch, Chen Qi leaped high into the air. With Mad Shark''s increased size after mutation, the entwining vines from the Flower Witch could hit their mark more easily! "Hmm..." The Flower Witch immediately employed her entwining vines. The situation was utterly terrible; Chen Qi had be the target of the hunt. And she herself, seriously injured, couldn''t protect Chen Qi properly. Perhaps Chen Qi would fall prey to Mad Shark before her very eyes. Vines formed above the sea, binding Mad Shark tightly. Chen Qi, relying on his bncing skills and experience walking on water, sessfullynded on Mad Shark''s head. At this moment, Mad Shark''s iling arms were entwined by the vines. Well done, Fen! The perfect moment to strike! "Residual Fire Blossom!" Anger shed in Chen Qi''s eyes, and from within his clothes sprouted eight huge, translucent tendrils. Then, the eight tendrils transformed into a flurry of punches, hammering down on Mad Shark''s head. Eight Tendril Fist! Each tendril''s punch struck like a cannonball, and each could deliver ten punches in a single second! And he had eight such tendrils! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Mad Shark''s thick head wobbled, his massive shark''s head blurring instantly from the assault. This isn''t right, is it? What happened to tripling in strength after mutation? He looked at the intense barrage of firepower and even doubted whether it was Chen Qi who had mutated. Ghost Fire sh! Chen Qi pushed off with both legs, leaping down from Kuang Sha andnding atop the Water Elf. The shark-transformed Kuang Sha continued to use invisible Qi Power to defend his body. The Qi Power had to be depleted first. In an instant, Chen Qi switched grips and, with a knife in each hand, treaded upon the water, unleashing a Ghost Fire sh! With Residual Fire Touch activated, his mind was filled with a surging desire to battle! sh! A dazzling gash was struck across Kuang Sha''s chest, blood gushing forth! "Goddammit!" Bearing the pain, Kuang Sha harnessed the sea''s power, readying a blow of Mad Shark''s Fist. The waves surged with the movement of Kuang Sha''s fist! Boom! Chen Qi managed to withstand the hit with the eight tentacles spreading from around his clothing. At this moment, Kuang Sha had no extra strength to concentrate Qi Power on defending his body. For a closebat Transcendent, Qi Power defense was like the armor worn by a warrior; once the armor was lost, the fragile flesh couldn''t withstand the attack of a weapon. In the next instant, Kuang Sha saw the red-hot barrel of a gun. Bang! Bang! Chen Qi pulled the trigger, firing two shots in session. This time, they weren''t ordinary bullets. Both shots were powerful Spiral Bullets! The Spiral Bullets exploded in front of Kuang Sha''s chest, whipping up gusts of wind and creating a spherical space. Spiral! The bullets immediately unleashed immense force, cleanly ripping apart the flesh within the space. Kuang Sha, contorted with pain, looked down at his chest to see a huge spherical cavity, from which blood flowed incessantly. The loss of his heart spelled death. How was this possible? "The ''mad'' in Kuang Sha stands for madness of arrogance..." In his years of taking risks, Kuang Sha had be fearless in the face of death, but he refused to die in such an ignoble way. He reluctantly raised his right fist, preparing tond onest punch on Chen Qi before dying. However, a strong feeling of difort swept through his body, and no matter how angry he was, he could not swing that punch... Boom! Chen Qi didn''t afford him the chance to retaliate, firing ordinary bullets once more. The huge corpse fell into the sea, never to make a sound again. "Phew..." "........." The pitch-ck blood stained the vast sea. "It''s over." Chen Qi looked upon the scene and exhaled a breath of turbid air. The Flower Witch was dumbfounded. Just moments ago, she had been worrying about whether Chen Qi would be killed or if he could escape from Kuang Sha. Never had she expected him to actually defeat the tough-skinned Kuang Sha outright! So, you were this fierce? This capable inbat! The Cup-shaped Transcendent was known for their physical resilience. And after the mutation, their physical strength would increase even further. Despite the iplete mutation, nheless, this was the body of a Cup Phase Third-order Transcendent after enhancement! Chen Qi, breathing heavily, immediately deactivated Residual Fire Touch. The lust for ughter gradually faded. Although Kuang Sha had mutated. Luckily, he had more buffs on him! And there were also the Spiral Bullets. This was the power of the Siren''s Chorusbined with the strength of Residual Fire Touch! Moreover, Kuang Sha''s mutation was not profound, and he had used diluted ck Whale Blood, so his body''s resilience hadn''t reached the strength of a near-coastal overlord. Chen Qi suppressed the rage within him and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth: "Our coboration wasn''t bad, Fen!" Without the Flower Witch''s control, it would have been impossible for him to unleash his power unrestrained. The Siren''s song had a calming effect, and after his promotion, he had gained moderate mental resistance as well. The side effect of Residual Fire Touch''s rage could be suppressed. Otherwise, after killing Kuang Sha, the furious Chen Qi might have very well turned the gun on the Flower Witch too. "La~" Unbeknownst to them, the Siren''s song was nearing its end, its effects gradually weakening. Whether on the Devil''s Ship or the distant Bai Ou, many watched this battle unfold. Those who could barely maintain their sanity, clutching telescopes, found it hard to express their feelings at this moment. If it weren''t for the Siren''s song, they would have charged forward long ago. Seizing the chaos that hadn''t yet ended, Chen Qi and the Flower Witch returned to the deck once more. "Fen, we don''t have much time; we need to escape quickly." Grab and go! Chen Qi swiftly scanned the deck and quickly locked onto four rune-etched bronze chests. Rune chests, often used to store dangerous relics. Among them, thergest chest was a one-and-a-half-meter-long chest. Chen Qi stepped forward, crouched down, and grasped the long chest in his hands. The moment he held the long chest, his heart began to throb violently. Inside this chest was a weapon, the bane of the Deep Sea Hunter, a forbidden creation that had vanished from the seas for a century: Meat Cutting Bone Breaking. Chapter 146: Chapter 125: Meat Cutting Bone Breaking On the vast ocean, the siren''s song gradually faded from its initial ethereal notes, turning increasingly shrill and piercing. Gusts of wild wind swept across the sea, and under the heavy dark clouds, the Devil''s vessel, covered in wounds, was on the verge of sinking. People''s sanity slowly returned. Themander of the Bai Ou suddenly regained confidence and began to call for volunteers, "Is there anyone here willing to battle the Witch?" The recent fight between the Witch and Chen Qi had been witnessed by thismander. The Flower Witch''s strength was formidable, but it was clear she was severely injured. The tentacled creature dressed in the Hunter''s Clothes was of unknown origin, but only had the strength of a Second-tier. The Navy ship did notck Third Rank experts! No one answered. The mere sight of the sea beasts circling near the Devil''s Fish was enough to deter them. At this moment, a nondescript student from the Bei Country Royal University, An, cautiously raised her hand. She wanted to give it a try! This action was quickly halted; they did not want a temporary student to go to the Devil''s Fish. If she lost, it would be disastrous, and if she won... That would also be disastrous. Themander of the Bai Ou shook his head. On this ship, after all, there was no one who could contend with the Witch. Click! Click! A reporter from the White Dove Times continuously clicked the shutter, capturing images of the distant Devil''s Fish. The scene on the Devil''s Fish was far more absurd. Due to the seductive song, many rtionships among the crew had visibly changed. They could only quickly shift their focus, directing their aggression towards Chen Qi and the Flower Witch. "Attack!" "Attack!" "Attack, now!" Everyone shouted for an attack, each waiting for someone else to take the first step. Clearly, theycked a fearless initiator. Chen Qi paid little attention to these minions, instead eagerly opening the rune box to examine the Meat Cutting Bone Breaking. He had heard of this weapon''s name but had never handled it and didn''t know its specific effects. Inside was a rusty knife, 1.4 meters long, with a grayish-white bandage wrapped around the hilt. A special message appeared before his eyes. [Meat Cutting Bone Breaking, Nature Form: de, Shadow Equipment Requirement: Strength 20, Mastery of Qi Power, Minor Spiritual Resistance Description: A sinful weapon forged by the ck Blood Empire''s workshop, Sin Source, using resources from a B-ss crack. Skill: Absorption (Passive): As long as this weapon is held, it absorbs the user''s frenzy and Spiritual Power to enhance its attack power. Fury de (Active): When absorbed fury reaches a threshold, the weapon changes form, bing a sharper, blood-red long de. Fury de can absorb Qi Power and emotions, turning them into special de energy, enhancing all Qi Power techniques, and cutting through everything in sight. Cutting All (Active): Enhances this weapon''s attack, significantly inhibiting the regeneration of flesh and bones.] The sinful weapon of the ck Blood Empire... Despite Shell Country wielding the hammer, in terms of cold weapon forging, the ck Blood Empire was on par with the Kingdom of Shell. "A rare sinful weapon..." Chen Qi extended his index finger, gently touching the de. Despite merely touching the rust, a drop of blood appeared on his finger. Incredibly sharp! Chen Qi thought to himself. Of course, its most significant feature was the mode of the Fury de, enhancing Qi Power attacks! This weapon was likely forged using the Fury Absorption Crystal, a drop from the ck Blood Empire''s B-ss crack, the Seven Sins. Many forbidden creations needed materials from the Seven Sins crack, leaving a deep impression on Chen Qi. The Fury Absorption Crystal could absorb fury, greatly boosting Spiritual Power. In essence, although called the Fury de, this weapon was fundamentally a de of calm, a me-extinguishing de. Perfect against Red Temperature! However, actively getting angry was difficult. Even ill-tempered, negative individuals found it hard to be sufficiently enraged immediately in battle. Stirred waves roared in Chen Qi''s mind. This weapon seemed a perfect match for the Residual Fire Touch! The Residual Fire Touch ignited rage, while the Fury de extinguished it. Then, the Residual Fire Touch, finding the rage insufficient, reignited it, and the Fury de extinguished it again... A perfect cycle! Chen Qi grasped the hilt of the de, testing it out. "Shrouded in Residual Fire..." To his surprise, before the side effects of the Residual Fire Touch took effect, they were absorbed by the Meat Cutting Bone Breaking. The effect was stronger than he had imagined. The Meat Cutting Bone Breaking directly absorbed the fury generated by the Residual Fire Touch! He originally thought he would be a ything between two forbidden items, alternating between rage and calm. But in reality, only a small portion of the fury spread to him through the Residual Fire Touch. The exchange between the two forbidden itemspletely ignored him! The Meat Cutting Bone Breaking perfectly bore the side effects of Residual Fire Touch for him. Additionally, the Meat Cutting Bone Breaking needed fury. He could ignore the side effects, reaping the benefits of two forbidden items. Chen Qi discovered in amazement. The relic left by the Deep Sea Hunter and his arch-nemesis''s relic formed an incredibly perfectbination! The results of this harvest may have far exceeded an ordinary weapon. Chen Qi carefully stored the rune box, pondering escape routes. The other three boxes contained a green book, the Flower Witch''s Magic Wand, and the Joyful Elf, which could enhance control effects. The Flower Witch hugged her beloved Flower Wand, rubbing her cheek against it with a look of satisfaction. Nothing felt better than regaining something lost! Their mission was aplete sess! Next, they only had to escape. Chen Qi nced around. For now, no one seemed daring enough to pursue them in the short term. However, they had to escape quickly. Both the Navy and the ck Whale Group had more than one ship in the Sea Demon Gorge. Moreover, Palu, the Fourth Rank Legend who appeared on Sea Demon Ind, worried him. As the siren''s song ceased, the pirates on the Devil''s Fish gave up resisting, raising their hands in surrender. The Navy, however, eyed Chen Qi and the Flower Witch, ready to capture them. Just then, the siren''s song resumed. With so many spectators, the sirens prepared to continue their performance. "La! La! La! La!" Compared to the earlier melody, this one was piercing beyond belief! "???" Chen Qi was startled. This tune felt familiar. Wasn''t this his impromptu song? My song has been stolen and even adapted! The siren''s song now fused Chen Qi''s voice with the salty chill and loneliness of the sea, the soft and cold moonlight, and the umted sorrow and despair of endless ages. The song''s power now surpassed the original. Every note felt like it bore a cursed soul, akin to the whispers of an ancient god, struggling and wailing in the dark, trying to break free from eternal bondage. More terrifying than the seductive song! This could actually work... Chen Qi was bewildered, somewhat admiring the sirens'' ability to adapt. The Navy immediately abandoned their n of action. The Flower Witch turned her head; even with the siren ne, she could still feel the song''s lethal power. "Retreat!" Chen Qi didn''t hesitate. He and the Flower Witch quickly leaped into the sea, distancing themselves from the area. The frustrated Navy watched as they walked across the beast-infested sea. In the lingering song, beneath the rising sun, their elongated shadows vanished from sight. Chapter 147: Chapter 126: Forced to Operate The sun was high. Above Sea Demon Ind, a temporary naval meeting room had been set up. "During the pursuit of Devilfish, the Bai Ou was attacked by the sirens and ck armored sharks. We withstood the siren''s death song and even captured seventy pirates aboard the Devilfish. As for the witch and the monster that attacked the Devilfish, we have sent people to search intensively. All viable hiding spots around Sea Demon Ind are under our scrutiny. But as of now, there is still no news..." Themander of the Bai Ou stood straight, reporting to the senior navymander, Old Bai Ou. This operation, they defeated the Devilfish and also took down ships of the ck Whale Group lurking within Sea Demon Gorge. Looking solely at the results, they had achieved aplete victory! The only w was the unexpected witch and monster. In reports, this was an ident. The witch was a person on the reward list, and as navy personnel, they were supposed to capture both the witch and the monster. However, themander of the Bai Ou was very grateful to the Flower Witch and the monster. Had the witch and monster not appeared abruptly, the losses of the Bai Ou might have exceeded those of the Devilfish. It could even be said that the witch and the monster had protected them. Old Bai Ou looked at the blurred photograph: "The witch has apanion? Is he really just Second-order in power as reported?" Themander answered calmly: "Yes, only Second-order in spiritual power. Catching him wouldn''t be a difficult task." Old Bai Ou, looking like he was smiling at a naive fledgling, chuckled: "Appearances can be deceiving, remember how the legendary Captain Palu of the Sea God Pirate Group often disyed only Second-order strength." "Indeed..." Themander suddenly felt a chill, but he didn''t voice any doubts. How could a Second-order Transcendent easily master Water Walking and dare roam the seas filled with sea beasts? Unless he was from a top-tier transcendent organization, it would not be possible. Old Bai Ou handed the photograph to themander, instructing: "Mention to the bounty department to set the reward as for Third Rank. Additionally, have someone check the Sea God Pirate Group for anyone resembling this tentacled monster." Themander took the photograph: "Understood. What should we name the bounty?" Old Bai Ou fell into thought. The photograph only showed Chen Qi wearing Residual Fire Touch but provided no name. Dressed in tattered Hunter''s clothes of thest century, with tentacles growing underneath. Although his appearance was memorable, he was still a nameless individual. But Old Bai Ou had an intuition that the individual''s actions wouldn''t stop so easily. What to name it? ''Tentacled Monster'' wasn''t quite right, and ''Beast,'' since he was with the witch, wasn''t suitable either? Old Bai Ou, struck by indecision, struggled to decide: "For now, let''s just call him a Monster. Later on, the newspapers will give him a name." Themander responded: "Understood." At that moment, themander boldly asked: "Commander Bai Ou, why are we, the navy, offering a bounty for the Flower Witch?" The navy''s rationale was that the Flower Witch was a menace bound to bury a hundred thousand naval troops just like the legendary Flower Witch. But in themander''s view, the Flower Witch did not exhibit that kind of madness. At least from what could be seen, the tentacled monster standing next to the Flower Witch was the real threat upon the sea¡ªa monster truly capable of overturning the ocean! Old Bai Ou did not conceal it, speaking slowly: "I''m not entirely sure, perhaps it''s rted to the witch upation card. You should know that in legends, there are thirteen lost witch upation cards. For some who yearn for beauty, a Fourth Rank witch upation card is nothing short of a miracle. Undoubtedly, the Flower Witch knows the whereabouts of these thirteen cards. This reason alone is enough to burden her with a bounty exceeding twenty million." Old Bai Ou sighed deeply. The witch upation cards, creations of the Goddess of Beauty from legends'' first thirteen hunters, ensure perpetual youth. The whereabouts of the thirteen Fourth Rank upation cards were profoundly tempting. The Flower Witch being wanted wasn''t solely for this reason. She, in herself, was a treasure brimming with secrets, and consequently, the naval highmand wanted to capture her alive. Whether she hadmitted atrocities was now irrelevant. What they wanted was simply the countless treasures known to the Flower Witch. Old Bai Ou shook his head. Even with substantial funds and the support of the kingdom''s armor, as long as the higher-ups didn''t change, it would still be extremely difficult for the navy to be strong. The Commander noticed Old Bai Ou''s displeasure and said, "Commander Bai Ou, we can say that this operation was aplete victory! I heard that there''s a barbecue boat near Sea Demon Ind that seems to be very popr. How about we go have a meal there to celebrate, celebrate! Maybe after dinner, we''ll be able to find those two people." Old Bai Ou looked at the piles of documents in his hands: "It''s not so easy to find people, they are now wanted. At this time, as amander, I can''t leave my post and be negligent." "Then... I''m leaving? Commander Bai Ou." "Um... bring me ten skewers of grilled squid." ... ... At dusk. On the docks of Sea Demon Ind, a temporary barbecue stall. Chen Qi, wearing an apron, skillfully flipped the skewers in his hands, the aroma of the meat wafting through the air. "Damn it, why has it turned out like this again..." Chen Qi gritted his teeth. He and the Flower Witch, two sea robbers, were having a good celebration on their small houseboat when they suddenly encountered a naval ship searching for them! They almost had their identities discovered by the navy. Fortunately, Chen Qi''s identity was solid, as he was a famous chef featured in the newspapers. But then, the kind-hearted navy said to Chen Qi, "Mr. Chef, you might not know, but there''s been a rampage of sea beasts nearby, including nasty creatures with tentacles. Let us escort you back!" The navy under Bai Ou''smand was quite friendly and would actively help civilians in danger. Facing the navy''s friendly invitation, Chen Qi had to thank them. Then, once the group of navy men got hungry, he was forced to start barbecuing on Sea Demon Ind. Moreover, for some unexined reason, more than fifty customers came over. They thoughtfully brought a pile of food to his stall, ensuring he wouldn''t run away due to ack of ingredients. Besides that, there was that previous weird seafood sister. The disadvantages of being famous... Chen Qi unhappily ate a squid skewer. His original n was to leave the Flower Witch at the hotel and then go treasure hunting near Sea Demon Gorge. At that moment, the people at the barbecue stall on the dock were still talking about the events on the Devil Fish. "We''re telling you, today near Sea Demon Gorge, people from Bai Ou''s ship encountered the Witch, and besides her, there was a tentacled creature." "A tentacled creature, I like it! What kind is it? Are the tentacles big? Are they slippery? Soft?" "The tentacles aren''t big. It''s a very unique creature with tentacles growing on its body..." "Tentacles growing on its body, could it be, he''s the heir to the Deep Sea Hunter''s arch-enemy?" Chen Qi was secretly shocked, a few cold drops of sweat ran down his face. Why did it seem like his fame was even greater than the Flower Witch''s? Now, he could only pray that all the customers here were fools who couldn''t recognize the Flower Witch. At that moment, inside the small houseboat, the Flower Witch pretending to be a waitress was also panicking, her sweat soaking her clothes. What to do? What to do? The coast is full of navy and even Bounty Hunters! To prevent being discovered, she had to shiver and handle the food ingredients inside the small houseboat, skewering them. "Why is it so hard to skewer these?!" "Waku waku (this way, that way, this way!)" The deep-sea Water Elf below her feet tried hard to teach. "I don''t understand!" The Flower Witch was on the verge of tears. She was now very curious about how Chen Qi managed to understand the Water Elf''s words; did the Water Elf provide subtitles with each sentence? With the help of the Water Elf, the barbecue stall was fragrantly operating, barely running. "Hopefully we can get through tonight okay..." Chen Qi, while flipping the skewers, looked toward the sea. On the distant sea surface, he saw a tiny green algae sneakily swimming toward the small houseboat. "Sea Demon Little Green Algae..." Chapter 148: Chapter 127: Career and Hobbies "What a hassle..." Chen Qi flipped the skewer once more. Undoubtedly, that seaweed-like tentacle was the little sea demon he had encountered in the Sea Demon Gorge. Why would the sea demon follow them? Chen Qi remembered that sea demons were typically gregarious creatures, and now, one had actually run out from the Sea Demon Gorge. The little seaweed''s disguise wasn''t bad; it endured its hunger, striving to pretend it was actual little seaweed. It quietly waited in the water. Hopefully, it would not be discovered... Chen Qi prayed once again to the Sea Goddess in his heart. Luckily, the attention of those eating barbecue was all captured by an expert from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. The navy''smander said, "Next to the witch, there''s actually a tentacle monster, it''s really terrifying! The witch is indeed as horrifying as the rumors say!" "Yes, hopefully the fishermen who go out to sea won''t encounter that terrifying creature." "A humanoid body with tentacles hasn''t been seen on the Witch Sea for a long time. Could that tentacle be a forbidden existence summoned by the Flower Witch from another world?" The crowd heatedly discussed, and Chen Qi, d in Residual Fire Touch, had already caused quite a panic. Of course, it also excited an expert. The Seafood Sister blushed as she downed a bottle of wheat beer, shouting loudly, "To all from Bei Country, you''re all too rigid. That is a tentacle! Our world is filled with countless magical species, you need more imagination!" With her outrageous statement, she captivated everyone''s attention! The seafood sister with blond elf-like features pinched the air with her hands: "In our Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, there are twenty-three recognized genders. After all, our Golden Flower Bird Kingdom has those with cat ears, dog tails, wings, and even devilish horns, as well as many super cute transcendent professions. Don''t you think the existence of half-human, half-beast is wonderful? "I''ve tasted many types, but unfortunately, due to geographical reasons, I haven''t yet tasted the wonderful feature of tentacles." At this, Seafood Sister couldn''t help shaking her head, a saddened expression on her face: "I really want to eat seafood. How great it would be if I could encounter that tentacle monster." Everyone looked at her with admiration; someone actually wanted to initiate contact with the tentacle monster on the demon''s ship! "!!!" Chen Qi gasped in shock. This person was too outrageous! He now finally understood why this exchange student could be called one of the "Imperial Capital''s Big Three" like Pelu. And why was she called Seafood Sister by all yers! The Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, a nation with many genders, had thoughts that were too progressive, which the sailors and hunters of Bei Country couldn''t understand. You know, on the high seas, any monsters even slightly rted to tentacles are extremely dangerous. The twelve circr tentacles of the Crack Sea, the Blood-Eyed Wall, the sea demons with tentacle hair, or the vortex wormholes are all monsters that must be avoided when sailing. In terms of danger, they were even more threatening than the near-sea overlords! Therefore, tentacles are a symbol of horror and the Evil God! The people of Bei Country only felt fear towards tentacles! However, Seafood Sister used vividnguage to open the door to a new world for them: "Think about it, tentacles being slippery, soft, and if the tentacle is also warm, just imagine..." The sailors and hunters felt theirmon sense had been altered. Out of curiosity, some softly spoke from the bottom of their hearts, "Exin further." Seafood Sister''s eyes squinted into crescent moons as she began to impart strange knowledge to the navy officers present. Chen Qi listened with hairs standing on end. If it were the usual, he would only show a subway grandpa''s expression and continue munching on snacks. But now, he couldn''t help but start worrying, for the tentacle monster they were talking about was him! At that moment, another expert arrived. "The witch''s aura..." A white-haired bard murmured softly, then casually ced his lute on the chair. Why did you alsoe to eat barbecue! Chen Qi''s heart skipped a beat. The person who had arrived was none other than the pirate captain Palu of the Ice Demon Pirate Crew. In terms of perception, Palu''s ability was definitely not inferior to the novice instructor An. With such close distance, it was only a matter of time before the Flower Witch was discovered. He remembered, in the original plot, the Flower Witch had indeed be acquainted with both the Blood de Pirate Group and the Ice Demon Pirate Crew. It was going to be discovered... Chen Qi''s palms were sweaty as he internally voiced his rm. At least for now, Palu''s attention was entirely captured by the outrageous Seafood Sister. This was a temporarily set up outdoor barbecue stand, with not many tables and chairs. "Boss, give me two skewers of fish balls." Palu showed an immensely disdainful look, sat next to Seafood Sister, crossed his legs, and scoffed with a mocking face: "People from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom are really sick to actually like tentacles. "Nancy, find some time to clear up that murky brain of yours. Stop obsessing over weird things, or one day, you''ll end up dead at the hands of a sea monster." "With your Third-tier strength, if you encounter that tentacle monster, death is the only oue." At this moment, Palu no longer hid his intent, directly calling out the name Nancy from Witch Sea! The three heroes of the Royal Capital, as famous talents of the Shell Country Royal University, naturally knew each other. "Clear up the brain..." Nancy bit her lip, fuming with rage. At this moment, the character that Palu was ying was that of a sharp-tongued female bard! If the seriously capable chef in front of her ridiculed her, she might have let it pass! But this cross-dressing Palu, did he really have any right to mock her? On what grounds? Nancy, not to be outdone, ate a string of squid: "Hah, boss, do you think, people who dress up as animals every day, wear weird clothes, and like cross-dressing, might also have a problem with their brains?" Nancy asked Chen Qi. " ¡­ " Chen Qi didn''t know how to respond at the moment. In his eyes, Palu was a decent person without any strange habits. Everything he did was to better disguise his identity in order to enhance his strength. As the most amiable captain of the four major pirate groups, Palu could be considered a breath of fresh air in the Witch Sea! Palu wasn''t flustered and calmly exined: "Heh, Nancy, do not lump me in with you. The reason I sometimes cross-dress, as you should know, is because of my profession..." Hearing Palu''s words, Chen Qi had a moment of realization, and he finally recalled the other''s profession. It was indeed the Fourth Rank Legendary Dice Phase profession, the Transformer! Dice Phase represents luck, chaos, and randomness. Many Dice Phase professions have a degree of randomness, and the Transformer is no exception. His professional task involves drawing a role to y from a random pool. For instance, if he draws a bard, then he needs to act as a bard, if he draws a dancer, he must act as a dancer, if he draws a maid, then he must act as a maid. Afterpleting a role, he would acquire special temporary abilities and store them. And Palu''s random pool contained roles like bards, painters, Pharmacist apprentices, carpenters, sailors, maids, etc. All proper working roles. One of the performance metrics for these professional tasks is the money earned while in character. Thus, Palu is often seen working when he appears in the public eye. Either in the middle of a job or on his way to one. So, even as a Fourth Rank Legend, he also held the title of the Emperor of Part-time Jobs! Palu calmly took a sip of his drink and said to Nancy again: "I''ll say it again, the reason I''m dressed this way now is because of my profession, not my hobby. Do not confuse my profession with your hobbies, you idiot who wants to mess with tentacle monsters!" He did not enjoy role-ying¡ªit was simply part of his job. Palu continued to twist the knife: "Neither the Witch nor that tentacle monster is something you can handle, Nancy!" "Put away those weird thoughts. If you really face that tentacle monster, you won''t find any pleasure, only an ugly death!" Palu, with his many years of experience across the seas, deeply knew that most creatures with tentacles were dangerous beings forbidden by the sea! " ¡­ " Why do they all call me tentacle monster? My clothes don''t even have that many tentacles! Chen Qi wordlessly passed a skewer to them both. Nancy, with her odd interests, was also one of the three heroes of the Imperial Capital, a Third-order Transcendent from Shell Country Royal University. The strength of Imperial Capital''s heroes far surpassed that of ordinary Transcendents. If she really caught him, with his current strength, he would only be able to be smushed against the ground by her. The type that cannot resist... The risks of being famous... Chen Qi shook his head. He had never imagined that in this event, his poprity would even exceed that of the Flower Witch! After being left speechless by the rebuke, Nancy fell silent for a long time before she slowly said: "I understand now. I won''t go after that dangerous tentacle monster anymore." Finally got it...Palu nodded in relief. Then, Nancy curiously leaned closer to his ear, and with a pleading voice said: "By the way, Palu, do you have sea demons in that role pool of yours, or if not, any fluffy dog-people or cat-people?" The sea breeze lightly brushed by, causing Palu''s brain to momentarily stop. " ¡­ " No hope for this one... Palu silently downed a cup of wheat beer, then his gaze once again briefly swept the small cabin boat. Just a nce, and he felt a strong Floral Appearance Transcendent aura! Then, Palu''s pupils abruptly narrowed, his gaze pitying as he looked over Chen Qi''s body. He''s been discovered after all... Chen Qi helplessly shook his head. Chapter 149: Chapter 128 Deep Sea Titan ``` Crack! Crack! Inside the small boat cabin, the sound of a knife chopping meat grew faster and faster. "Boss, your ship..." Palu, sensing the ill-fated aura of the Floral Appearance, asked softly. Chen Qi did not answer and continued to grill skewers, trying to stay as calm as possible. Fortunately, the person who discovered them was Captain Palu. If old Bai Ou was the friendliest of the navy, then Palu was definitely the most amiable captain among the four great pirate crews. The father of the ck Whale Pirate Group, the Lady of the Blood de Pirate Group, and the Sea God of the Sea God Pirate Group were all madmen. Palu of the Ice Witch Pirate Group was Chen Qi''s favorite captain in the Witch Sea. The reason why the Ice Witch Pirate Group could be one of the four great pirate crews was mainly that they held many secrets of the Witch Sea. Moreover, as a pirate group that worships the Ice Witch, Palu naturally had a favorable impression of witches themselves. Chen Qi remembered that in the original plot, the Flower Witch had a cooperative rtionship with both the Ice Witch Pirate Group and the Blood de Pirate Group. Right now, at Sea Demon Ind, the navy had achieved aplete victory, with navy personnel everywhere. In a nearby attic was also old Bai Ou, a Fourth Rank Legend of the navy. Palu would never casually disy his power and expose his identity. They were all fugitives on the run. Overall, it was safe... Chen Qi quietly grilled skewers. At that moment, Palu, with a puzzled face, gently flicked his index finger upwards. Suddenly, Chen Qi felt an itch in his ears. The Whispering Technique, a minor spell used formunication. "Brother, if you''ve been kidnapped, blink," "????" I''ve been kidnapped? Chen Qi was momentarily baffled and tried to clear his thoughts. The Flower Witch was a simpleton, but that was only from Chen Qi''s personal perspective! In the eyes of others, the Flower Witch was a crazed and dangerous forbidden existence, making potions out of people, bloody yet elegant! Moreover, not long ago, the Flower Witch, along with the tentacle monster, synonymous with danger, robbed the Devil Fish. This event deepened the public''s entrenched view of the Flower Witch as a danger. In Palu''s perspective, it never urred to him that a second-tier, hardworking chef who cooked delicious food was actually the mastermind behind the Devil Fish''s operation! Therefore, Palu looked at him with a sympathetic gaze. Palu must have thought this poor chef was unluckily targeted by the witch on the way back and then became a toy the witch used to disguise her identity. If he hadn''t noticed this today, perhaps by tomorrow morning at Sea Demon Ind, there would be a new corpse floating, covered in flowers. Poor chef, yed like a puppet... Palu said nothing more and shook his head. Although with his Fourth Rank Legend status, he could overturn the entire Sea Demon Ind, any rash actions came with a price. The two tacitly stopped talking. Chen Qi put away the nervousness in his heart; as long as he didn''t show the Residual Fire Touch in front of others, his identity wouldn''t be easily exposed. The sea breeze blew gently, night descended, and the beachside open-air barbecue stall gradually lost the bustle of the daytime, bringing an end to the day. Chen Qi and the Water Elf packed up the stall. The charcoal on the grill still retained some warmth, and the asional spark jumping seemed to recount the liveliness of the scene that had just taken ce. This barbecue session even sold some transcendent vegetables from ck Beard Land for the first time. Sea Demon Ind was a high-consumption area, where the price of a skewer was ten times that of a regr one, and the price of transcendent vegetables was more than a thousand times that of a regr skewer! Despite the high prices, the transcendent veggies, enhanced by Soul Seasoning, were snapped up fiercely by the Transcendents. One session of selling skewers unexpectedly earned them two hundred thousand Shell Coins! Transcendent ingredients are the key to big profits... Chen Qi pped his hands, nning to change his business strategy from the original low prices to a Transcendent dining boat. But now, the source of transcendent ingredients was solely ck Beard Land. Late into the night, the lights on the small boat were still on, while the navy men had returned to their ships. Only one person had not yet left. Palu stood up, adjusted his clothes, and looked as though he was a nervous employee about to meetpany leadership: "Boss, please convey that I mean no harm. I''m just a small crew member of the Ice Witch Pirate Group, with some questions I''d like to ask the respected Witch." A small crew member? Chen Qi frowned and knocked on the cabin door: "Alright." Right now, the Flower Witch must be incredibly nervous! Chen Qi could imagine the scene of the Flower Witch rolling on the floor in anxiety. The door crack opened slightly. However, the Flower Witch did not speak. Through the crack in the boat cabin''s door, only a blurred figure could be seen. At this moment, the Flower Witch was unexpectedly radiating a Fourth Rank aura! ``` Chen Qi whispered in the dark, "This must be the effect of the potion." He had not expected that the Flower Witch would have such a potion. The mingled scents of flowers and blood added a cursed aura to the Flower Witch. The gaze beneath those blossoms was like a razor-sharp dagger, capable of piercing the soul in an instant and instilling an indescribable fear. Just as the Flower Witch had said¡ª Elegant, aloof, powerful, bloody, and yet mysterious! It seemed that if she were the slightest bit displeased, she could turn the person before her into dust of the underworld. Is this still her? Chen Qi was frightened too; the usually naive Flower Witch actually exuded such an aura! The sea breeze blew gently. Palu felt a chill at the back of his neck and spoke calmly: "Flower Witch, I mean no harm. I am asking for a friend, does the witch upation Card truly change one''s gender, and is it true that only females can use it?" Palu asked tentatively, knowing the answer. This question was just to confirm the other party''s identity, just a probe. After all, there were not a few impersonating a witch in the high seas recently. From behind the door, an emotionless cold voice came: "Every question has its price." Palu frowned and boldly pulled out a stack of banknotes from his backpack card, the money he had worked hard to earn over several days: "Four hundred thousand Shell Coins, will that do?" Four hundred thousand Shell Coins, that was the price of a half-barrel of ghost fire oil! A sound of a cup falling to the ground came through the crack of the door! The Flower Witch hadn''t seen so much money in a long time. Chen Qi made the choice on behalf of the witch and took the money: "It will suffice." The cold voice came again, saying icily: "It is not only females who can use it, any user will eventually be witch-like, but this witchification can be suppressed." "I understand," replied Palu. Palu began to ask a second question: "Flower Witch, I want to know the location of a Fourth Rank forged upation Card, as well as the location of the legendary Land of Trial. For this, I am willing to offer an important piece of information aspensation." However, with hardly any hesitation, the Flower Witch said coldly: "Located in thend where the Mechanical Titan fell in the Crack Sea, there exists a Fourth Rank forged upation Card. As for other information, you are not yet qualified to know." The tone of the Flower Witch was iparably cold. Not qualified... The Fourth Rank Legend Palu sighed deeply in his heart. He really couldn''t ask for any information of true value. The other party was a cruel and bloody witch! To obtain sufficient information, one had to show enough value and goodwill! Palu answered very understandingly: "Understood, Flower Witch, I have a very important piece of information. Near the research base in Sea Demon Gorge, a Deep Sea Titan that defies description has been found. Its massive size is like a seabed ind, an embodiment of the ocean itself. In the middle of that titan sea beast grows a sea-flower unimaginable in size, a legendary ingredient and medicine that perhaps could be of use to you." This piece of information¡ªChen Qi smiled wryly in his heart. Titan, in the New Sun World, often refers to something colossal. The sea beast asrge as an ind, such a creature, was a taboo existence upon the ocean! In terms of power, it even surpassed the Wall of Blood Eyes. For various reasons, they were no longer considered creatures in the high seas, but rather, like storms and volcanic eruptions, they were natural disasters! They were the spokesbeasts of cmity! Even a ship formed by multiple Third-order Transcendents would find it difficult to approach! To the Flower Witch, this was useless information. No one would venture into the heart of a cmity just for a legendary medicinal flower. Palu, with a bit of skepticism about the Flower Witch''s strength, disclosed this information. No matter how disguised, the Flower Witch was currently only a Third-order Transcendent! Her spiritual power field surely couldn''t easily escape Palu''s perception. Palu wanted to test how the legendary Flower Witch would react to this information. Yet, contrary to his expectations. The voice of the Flower Witch remained unchanged, still cold as ever as she mechanically stated: "I am aware. I will send the ck Hunter to take care of this matter." Chapter 150: Chapter 129: Little Green Algae The tone of the Flower Witch remained incredibly cold, as if a mere Deep Sea Titan was nothing more than a trivial fish in her hand. "Resolve this matter, ck Hunter?" Palu, rich in information, paused for a moment. The tone of the other party was unexpectedly rxed. But he quickly understood ck Hunter''s identity! Undoubtedly, the opponent was the very one who had just robbed the Devil Fish, appeared on the bounty order, and was the newly emerged supernova with a bounty of up to ten million, the Tentacle Monster! Although the Tentacle Monster''s bounty was only ten million, even less than the third-tier ck-eyed Captain! Daring to fight proactively in a sea full of Sea Beasts was itself an extraordinary act! The origin of the Tentacle Monster was far from simple; the bounty was worth at least twenty million! This legendary witch had such a friend... Palu was secretly taken aback, feeling that the Flower Witch was bing even more mysterious. At this moment, Palu deeply understood. Unless his Ice Demon Pirate Group could demonstrate enough trust, he would not be able to get any useful information from the Flower Witch! The crew was expecting me to bring back good news... Palu bowed and said: "Witch, I apologize for disturbing youte at night, but we, the Ice Demon Pirate Group, mean no harm. We, like the legendary Ice Witch, are researchers of the history of the seas, fighting for the secrets of the deep sea. If you ever need the help of our Ice Demon Pirate Group, we will not hesitate." Immediately after, Palu lightly rubbed his fingers: "A dice from the Land of Chaos, as an apology for my offense, it''s a small token." He then handed a six-sided die to Chen Qi. "What''s this?" Chen Qi''s pupils suddenly contracted, and a special prompt quickly appeared before his eyes. [Six-sided Dice: Nature Form: Dice Introduction: A six-sided die, all sides showing six, containing extraordinary power to alter luck. Effect: Can modify the random event oues in C-tier and below cracks, guaranteeing the best result no matter how small the probability. Note: A savior for the unlucky; with a slight move, luck is in your hands!] Six-sided Dice! Chen Qi was deeply shocked. Was Palu really this generous? In the game, it was a rare item exclusive to the unlucky! The main use in altering determinations was in the settlement of cracks. Some Dice Phase crack rewards had extremely low probabilities of special rewards! For example, drawing a reward from a C-tier crack in a D-tier crack, or even a B-tier crack reward. These rewards belonged only to those blessed with extreme luck! With this die, even if the probability was only 0.1%, one could draw the highest probability reward! Six-sided Dice, reversing fate! Chen Qi epted the die. Then, Palu picked up his lute: "Well then, Miss Witch, goodbye. Have a pleasant evening. If you ever need the Ice Demon Pirate Group, just let us know." He still had many questions, but if he truly wanted to befriend the other party, it would not be polite to probe into these matters. Before leaving, Palu nced at Chef Chen Qi with a sympathetic look. The Flower Witch indeed remained as mysterious as the rumors said. May tomorrow morning not see a flower-covered corpse floating at sea. Palu, holding his lute, boarded a night-traveling ship and left Sea Demon Ind. ... ... "He finally left..." Chen Qi breathed a long sigh of relief. To be honest, he still wanted to buy some intel from Palu. After Palu left, he returned to the small cabin boat. At this moment, the previously aloof Flower Witch looked like a child frightened by a dragon, burying her face into a water elf pillow. If not seen with his own eyes, no one would associate her with the cold-speaking witch just now. The Flower Witch had endured too much in a day; if she hadn''t retrieved the Floral Staff, her spirit would have crumbled. "What do we do? Qi, a Fourth Rank Legend is after us!" "Qi, why don''t you make us something delicious? This might be ourst meal!" "Qi, do you have any wishes? We should fulfill them soon!" "Qi, I want to eat your extraordinary fish bait." The Flower Witchy weakly on the floor, holding the water elf pillow while her legs trembled incessantly. Earlier, the Fourth Rank aura Palu exuded nearly scared the life out of her soul! One must know, a Fourth Rank Legend was an existence capable of moving mountains and overturning seas! Even ten Third-tier Transcendents or fifty Third-tier Transcendents might not be able to defeat a single Fourth Rank Legend, marking their enormous power disparity! To the Flower Witch, they had just been a hair''s breadth away from death. Chen Qi sat on a chair and took out the Ice Demon Pirate Group''s sea chart: "Calm down. Based on the current situation, he shouldn''t harbor ill intentions towards us. Moreover, he seems quite afraid of you." Then, Chen Qi took an apple from the fridge and handed it to the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch took the apple and curled up in the corner in a self-imposed seclusion: "He''s afraid of my teacher; and now, the teacher is no longer around." Chen Qi curiously asked: "Teacher?" The Flower Witch paused for a few seconds. Logically, she shouldn''t tell Chen Qi about this. However, after all they''d been through, they could be considered trustworthy friends. "Yes, my teacher, the Ice Witch." "The Ice Witch is your teacher?" Chen Qi murmured. Although he had long suspected it, the current situation still left him in awe! The Ice Witch was an existence that stirred the tides centuries ago, a deceased legend. Even a legend couldn''t escape the Lantern Death God''s pursuit after living past a hundred years. The Flower Witch wasn''t over twenty years old yet; a decade ago, she was just a sickly little girl. This meant that the Ice Witch from centuries ago was still alive and active in these seas just a decade ago. This was indeed an earth-shattering secret! Chen Qi''s heart leaped with joy, never expecting the Flower Witch to share such a secret with him. After speaking, the Flower Witch fell into a self-ming mood. She was too weak and powerless. If it had not been for Chen Qi, she would have been unable to exact revenge on the ck Whale Group at Sea Demon Gorge, let alone retrieve the Floral Staff. Chen Qiforted her for a while and began dividing the spoils with the Flower Witch. The Meat Cutting Bone Breaking weapon was his exclusive weapon; the Flower Witch had no need for closebat arms. Chen Qi took his exclusive weapon Meat Cutting Bone Breaking and the lucky dice they received earlier. As for the green-bound magic book, the Joyous Elf, and the Floral Staff, these three relics were useless to Chen Qi, so he gave them to the Flower Witch. Then, Chen Qi made some delicious fish balls tofort the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch, having eaten her fill, returned to the inn to bathe and wash off the dirt and blood from her body. Chen Qi stayed on the small cabin boat, as he still had many things to do. "Phew..." This mission not only brought him the exclusive weapon Meat Cutting Bone Breaking but also a powerful Shadow Image Skill Card, and he had also earned two thousand Spiritual Points from the Shadow Image cracks! These gains were already enormous! However, he still hadn''t found any transntable Sea Beasts. Chen Qi wanted a safe and reliable source of ie; just the Ghost Fire Fish''s Ghost Fire Oil was far from sufficient. He was in a critical development phase and urgently needed extraordinary materials to enhance his constitution. Unfortunately, the Sea Beasts around Sea Demon Gorge couldn''t be transnted easily or provide a source of money. The ck-armored Shark and the sea serpent, though strong inbat, had nothing of mary value. "La~" At that moment, a small green-haired figure emerged by Chen Qi''s small cabin boat, its green tentacle hair wriggling on the sea surface. It was the little Sea Demon... Chen Qi confirmed there was no one around and brought the little green-haired one into the boat: "Little Green Algae, do you need something?" The little green-haired one lightly grazed its fishtail against the boat''s deck, blinking its eyes: "La~" Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 immediately snuggled up to the little green-haired one. It must want something to eat... Chen Qi thought for a moment and handed the extraordinary fish bait to the little green-haired Sea Demon. To think it followed him this far for food! The little green-haired one obediently sat down, picked up a lyre, and gently yed: "La~" Travel Song... Chen Qi was slightly surprised. The little green-haired one not only wanted something tasty but also wished to see ces beyond Sea Demon Gorge! Sea Demons typically lived in groups, yet this one wanted to leave Sea Demon Gorge! A unique little Sea Demon. "This is troublesome..." Chen Qi rubbed his forehead. Unlike the Deep Sea Water Elf, the Sea Demons were real monsters. Moreover, Sea Demons couldn''t stay out of water for too long, and a juvenile Sea Demon had very limitedbat abilities, which meant it could easily perish. If anyone discovered a Sea Demon aboard his small cabin boat, whether they were Navy personnel or the Flower Witch, he would be in a tight spot. His only option was to send the little Sea Demon to White Tree Land. That ce had the Nearshore Dominator and Ghost Fire Fish, which should be fascinating for the little green-haired one. Chen Qi sat on the chair, opened the Ice Demon Pirate Group''s map again, and stared coldly: "Little Green Algae, without mymand, you must not sing carelessly." The little green-haired one obediently nodded, then hugged Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 in its arms. Chen Qi carefully examined the map. Palu''s intelligence just now was very interesting. A Deep Sea Titan had appeared near the Sea Demon Gorge at the Navy Research Base. A Deep Sea Titan by itself could attract countless deep-sea monsters. Such an existence was called a natural disaster because it mysteriously appeared then mysteriously disappeared over time. Mysteriously appearing and then mysteriously disappearing. Just like a storm, volcanic eruption, or tide. Chen Qi nced at the time. If he went there during the day, he might be discovered by the Navy Research Base researchers. Nighttime might be a better opportunity. Chen Qi reviewed the map, crossing his legs. Unlike the Flower Witch, after the robbery, he felt not fatigued but rather immensely energized! So far, he hadn''t encountered a deep-sea monster stronger than the Blood-Eye Wall. Now was a perfect chance to take a look. Chapter 151: Chapter 130 Shell Country Meteorological Bureau The night was as dark as ink, with the moon casting a feeble afterglow. The wind was strong at night, and on a small ind, the lighthouse shone like the sun, guiding ships on their distant voyages. The small houseboat swayed uncertainly in the surging waves, like a helpless leaf, at any moment it could be swallowed by a giant wave. "An hour, finally here." Chen Qi moored the small houseboat, dropped the anchor, then firmly secured the vessel to the shore with a rope. Stepping off onto the shore, Chen Qi shook off the water like a cat and surveyed his surroundings. The ind before him was very small, barely able to amodate ten houses. Nearly a quarter of its area was upied by a lighthouse and a temporarily constructed research tower. Besides his small houseboat, there were many other small vessels moored at the edge of the ind. These belonged to weary fishermen and adventurers, the night had fallen, and the wind was strong. Not daring to navigate in the dark, they had chosen to stop at this ind to spend the night temporarily. Apart from the fishermen, under the lighthouse stood three people dressed in white uniforms. The uniforms featured loose andfortable trousers suitable for long hours of maritime work, with an adjustable belt at the waist for members to carry various marine investigation tools. Like walkie-talkies, Spiritual Power Detection devices, and so on. Rather than sailors, they looked more like fully equipped researchers. At the same time, on the back of their clothing, there was a golden symbol resembling a ''WIFI'' signal. The order-embodied Storm Hammer was the emblem of the navy. The weather tower, symbolizing courage and exploration, was the emblem of the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau. "It''s the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau¡­" Chen Qi looked at the worried personnel of the Meteorological Bureau in the distance. This was the first time he had ever seen the people from the Meteorological Bureau. Although the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau was known as a meteorological bureau, its responsibilities far exceeded the simple scope of ''weather forecasting.'' Within the Meteorological Bureau, apart from the meteorological department, there were crack departments, investigation departments, and research departments. These four major departments were further divided into several smaller ones, forming an extremelyrge organization. In essence, their duty was to detect marine crack information and investigate dangerous special zones. The reason it was named the meteorological bureau was that historically, the emergence of cracks was considered a type of special weather. Also, under the direction of high-level leadership, in order to differentiate from the White Tower Federation''s investigation bureau, they had continued to be called the meteorological bureau. In the Witch Sea sector''s legitimaterge-scale Lamp Phase Transcendent organizations, there were only the Meteorological Bureau and the press. And now the press, self-sealing, no longer absorbs new blood. This meant that if he chose the Lamp Phase path, this was the onlyrge-scale Lamp Phase organization he could join. Chen Qi tried to imagine it. If he did not have the Deep Sea Affinity talent and had a normal start, while also choosing the Lamp Phase principles, Perhaps his path would be to join the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau and be a researcher delving into dangerous zones, studying the sea. However, there was an upside. Whenever Chen Qi wanted, he could easily join the Meteorological Bureau. Moreover, although the Meteorological Bureau was an organization that sounded high-end, their threshold was very low. The departments of the Meteorological Bureau, especially the investigation department focused on field research, were always understaffed and always hiring. Not only did they provide five insurances and a housing provident fund, but there was also a bereavement allowance! And the sry was even paid weekly, which was rare! Even if you have no dreams, you''re wee toe! New high school graduates who know nothing can easily get a job! At this thought, Chen Qi gave a wry smile. If he did not choose to be a Chef, under the official arrangements of Shell Country, he could well have be a member of the Meteorological Bureau, joining the action of investigating the sea. In the end, he might have been caught by the dear doctor in the process of studying the sea because of exposing his Deep Sea Affinity, rapidly reaching his possible ending one: Caught by the doctor, in bed, turned into the doctor''s ything. Chen Qi stood on the boat, ears perked up, listening to the conversation of the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau''s staff. "Are we still heading out to sea tonight?" an upper-levelmand has been issued; we must produce investigative results. Doctor Raven of the ck Whale Group has researched a miraculous potion." "Let''s talk about itter. The remnants of the ck Whale Group on Sea Demon Ind, the mysterious witches, and monsters are all currently unounted for. We might encounter that monster if we go out to sea tonight." "But during the day, the Deep Sea Titan might be more active, and at night, we might discover more research samples." The people of the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau sighed and groaned. With the advent of the Crack Tide, their workload had increased, and so had their burden. However, conversely, their research progress was exceedingly slow. Even in the middle of the night, they were still discussing work. Chen Qi followed their weary gazes, ncing towards the distant, pitch-ck sea. The wreckage of ships constantly drifted in the wind, and now and then, the sea surface would surge with waves. Below those deep waters, one could vaguely sense enormous shadows, like writhing tree branches, or giant arms lurking in the abyss. Below the ckened sea surfacey the massive Deep Sea Titan. The Deep Sea Titan was known as a natural disaster on the sea. Though incredibly dangerous, the vicinity of the Deep Sea Titan often contained extremely rare things. Therefore, it was also a key area for the investigative department. This was his next destination. Chen Qi packed up his things, ready to begin his action! This time, his goal was to delve into the waters upied by the Deep Sea Titan in search of Extraordinary Materials, as well as cultivatable Sea Beasts. Clearly, the small boat was not suitable for entering this area; otherwise, it might end up like those wrecks. It was also not advisable to light amp, lest nearby fishermen or researchers notice. Chen Qi ced his kerosenemp into the backpack card. Above the sea, there existed a creature known as Shadow, which didn''t belong to the Sea Beasts category but was born from darkness and would extinguish others'' mes. It was cunning and elusive, hard to detect, and could silently twist a person''s neck without them realizing it. Now, he possessed the skills ''Dove Perception'' and ''Shadow Charm''; even if he encountered a Shadow, he could sense it beforehand, and it wouldn''t be too terrible. He could now barely walk on the dark sea. Even Deep Sea Merchants would not dare to lightly venture into the habitat of the Deep Sea Titan. Chen Qi quietly descended from the ship and equipped the Residual Fire Touch. Dark Concealment! A faintyer of pitch-ck gauze covered him. His breath, smell, and sound all disappeared above the sea, as Chen Qi entered stealth mode. Under the faint moonlight, unless someone was particrly close, it would be difficult for even the skillful members of the Meteorological Bureau to detect his presence. The sea breeze, like a wail, pped against the boats on the ind. Praying in his heart, with the help of the Water Elf, Chen Qi gingerly stepped onto the sea surface. Despite the sea breeze, with bnce skills and the smart Water Elf, he could just manage to stand on the vast sea. The Water Walking skill also had to be prioritized very soon... Chen Qi thought to himself. Meanwhile, Little Green Algae also hugged the second Deep Sea Water Elf and submerged into the sea below, revealing only its green tentacle-like head, following Chen Qi. "Hopefully, luck will be on our side, and we won''t encounter any Shadows or anyone from the Meteorological Bureau." Chen Qi''s heartbeat quickened. After all, he was still a novice. The sea was incredibly dangerous; encountering a Shadow or a researcher from the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau would be disastrous. And so, with vignce, alone, a Sea Demon, and seven Deep Sea Water Elves, he headed towards the pitch-ck sea where the Deep Sea Titan dwelled. Chapter 152: Chapter 131 Hai Yunduo and the Song of Rebuke In the midst of the night. Chen Qi held an extinguishedntern as he continually moved forward in this sea area. He was now in the depths of the Deep Sea Titan''s territory. The sea waves gently swept over his trouser legs, a trace of coldness transmitting from his feet. It shouldn''t be a Water Elf secretly sucking on his toes¡­ Chen Qi looked down towards the seabed. Below the vast seabed, he could vaguely make out a multitude of writhing tentacles from the depths. Each tentacle was as thick as a truck, and the countless tentacles on the seabed could easily whip up a storm that covered the sky andnd with a gentle dance. Deep Sea Titan¡ªTentacle Tree! "Truly spectacr¡­" Chen Qi remarked. This was thergest deep-sea creature he had seen so far! Unfortunately, the only valuable part of this Titan''s tentacles was the skin. As for its internal core items, they were not something he could harvest. At this moment, Chen Qi suddenly felt a chill in his heart. It shouldn''t attack me, right? Strictly speaking, the Deep Sea Titan beneath his feet should be considered a nt, not an animal. Overall, its living characteristics were simr to nts like the pitcher nt, with a certain probability of attacking spiritual beings that entered its territory. Was his Deep Sea Affinity really useful against such nt-like deep-sea creatures? Could it really be effective? The waves grewrger. Chen Qi gripped thentern tightly, unable to help but widen his eyes in astonishment. Boom! Boom! Below the ocean, the tentacles danced wildly, stirring up huge waves! This Titan had evidently noticed an unknown creature entering its territory! Below, the massive tentacles of the deep sea twisted and ovepped, then entwined, forming a strange pattern! Under the moonlight, Chen Qi could vaguely discern the special pattern formed by the ovepping tentacles, an emblem that had appeared many times in civilization, a symbol shrouded in mystery! An heart. A heart shaped by tentacles? What the hell was this? "???" Chen Qi, with a face full of question marks, looked toward the blurry shadows under the sea, doubting his own eyes. Through the pitch-ck sea, he couldn''t see the true face of this Titan. But at the moment, it appeared that Deep Sea Affinity was effective. This must be the Tentacle Tree''s way of expressing goodwill. Chen Qi could feel a strong intuition that this Tentacle Tree would not attack him! "Safe¡­" Chen Qi''s lips curved up slightly. Since the master of this area had no objections, he would just do as he pleased! It was time to see if there were any cute little Sea Beasts in this sea area. Chen Qi''s steps became bolder as he started searching the sea area for Sea Beasts. Hammerhead shark! Go! Clownfish! Go! Thunder jellyfish, I''ll take you as well since you can serve as a generator forrge ships in the future! Large sea snake, don''t entwine my legs, go! Deep Sea Water Elf No.2, get off the little green algae! Chen Qi wandered unrestrainedly in the territory of the Deep Sea Titan, hoping to find valuable Sea Beasts. Unfortunately, like Sea Demon Gorge, they were mostly dangerous Sea Beasts with littlemercial value. Just then, he suddenly smelled a faint fragrance. Chen Qi immediately turned his head He saw several fluffy creatures, resembling sheep, floating on the surface of the sea. They drifted leisurely on the sea, like cotton candy clouds, one after another. "What is this¡­" Without hesitation, Chen Qi decisively flipped open the "Sea Beast Medicinal Materials Collection Guide". Sea Soap! Also known as Hai Yunduo! This cloud creature, simr to the Deep Sea Water Elf, is a special type of Sea Beast capable of free navigation in the sea. If you peel off the ''wool''-like cloud covering, inside you''ll find a small Sea Beast simr to a Deep Sea Water Elf. But in terms ofmercial value, it far surpasses the Water Elf! The ''clouds'' of Hai Yunduo are famously used as perfume, beauty, and shower gel materials in Shell Country! Once heated, the clouds will turn into a slime-like,fortable liquid. This liquid can be absorbed by the skin, whitening and adding sticity to it, repairing wounds! It makes people more charming! In advertisements, the Sea Goddess used Hai Yunduo shower gel when bathing in the sea! It is a luxury product favored by many beauty enthusiasts. It even surpasses the famous beauty products of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, such as the Slime Liquid, in both value and effect! Treasure, indeed¡­ Chen Qi rubbed his hands together eagerly. However, Hai Yunduo are irritable and reclusive. They don''t like attacking humans or contacting other Sea Beasts. But they are still incredibly dangerous, Their speed in the sea can even surpass the speed of sound, destroying any ship they encounter like a missile. There were people who once tried to make steel cages to breed Hai Yunduo. But Hai Yunduo will never be enved! If you try to forcibly restrain them, they will explode on you! A literal explosion! Therefore, above the sea, the usual way to harvest ''clouds'' from Hai Yunduo is to catch them, shave off the cloud wool, and then release them. Of course, like Water Elves, Hai Yunduo can also be kept as pets. There are also Transcendent Beast Tamers who make contracts with Hai Yunduo and take them as their own pets. However, this is extremely rare because, unlike Water Elves, Hai Yunduo be extremely weak outside the ocean and may not even survive. Not to mention, Hai Yunduo have very vtile temperaments, and even if they are forcefully contracted, they will not obey their masters. Chen Qi''s eyes lit up, and he excitedly walked towards Hai Yunduo. After countless hardships, he had finally caught a high-value Sea Beast. He counted them, and there were a full ten Hai Yunduo! The value of one Hai Yunduo''s wool was five hundred thousand, and for ten, that was a whole five million! And unlike Ghost Fire Fish, Hai Yunduo''s cloud wool shower gel was very popr, being a typical scarce luxury item. Besides, the growth cycle of the clouds was also faster than that of Ghost Fire Fish! "Hehe, Hai Yunduo, hehe, Hai Yunduo..." Chen Qi''s face turned slightly red with excitement as he crouched down, preparing to scrape off a bit of sea wool to apply to his skin. This stuff could truly make the skin whiter and more stic! And he happened to be in need of sunscreen! p! But then, Hai Yunduo suddenly leaped up, pushing his hand away. It was as if they were saying: "Get your stinking hands off! You freak!" "Go away, go away, you freak!" "You freak, stay away! Do you think you can touch us?" "???" Chen Qi was startled, having Deep Sea Affinity, it was his first time facing such a situation. This had nothing to do with his Deep Sea Affinity. If it had been the Flower Witch, she would have been knocked to the sky by the angry Hai Yunduo. Sea Beasts have their own personalities, and Hai Yunduo are typically very irritable, probably smacking even the local sea tyrants! Their temperament was even worse than that of Ghost Fire Fish! "What a trouble..." Chen Qi fell into worry, questioning whether even he would be unable to farm Hai Yunduo. If he were to roughly harvest the cloud wool from Hai Yunduo, they may explode on him as well! Looking at Hai Yunduo, Chen Qi felt a thwarting sense of losing money. Seeing that Chen Qi didn''t resist, Hai Yunduo even yfully bumped their fluffy cloud bodies against his abdomen. Bang! While it wasn''t harmful, it was highly insulting! And just then, Xiao Lvzao, holding the Water Elf No. 2, popped its head out. It could not stand it any longer, it was outrageous for a Sea Beast to be so impolite!! Looking at the obnoxious Hai Yunduo, it cleared its throat: "Lla~" The light and airy song echoed over the sea. The song was light, but it carried a collection of insulting feelings! It was a song of reprimand, simply put, a type of cursing song that could induce guilt! Chen Qi wanted to stop Xiao Lvzao. Xiao Lvzao was reprimanding the rude Hai Yunduo on his behalf. But Hai Yunduo were not like Ghost Fire Fish; they had a big temper! With Hai Yunduo''s irritability, they might be knocked flying into the sky by their attack! Fighting between Sea Beasts was still a possibility! However, against Chen Qi''s expectations. The scolded Hai Yunduo, though still irritable and talking back, started to approach. Then, as they got close to Xiao Lvzao, their attitude instantly changed, and they gathered around it. And Xiao Lvzao wasn''t indulging them, using the Water Elf No. 2 to push them away. The Hai Yunduo made sounds offort: "Wobi wobi! (Sounds good, sounds good!)" "Wobi wobi! (Siren sister! y it again!)" "!!!" Following that, Xiao Lvzao also showed off a triumphant expression, its tentacle hair swaying non-stop. Chen Qi was stunned, touching Xiao Lvzao''s tentacle hair. What''s happening? How could a song cause such a huge change in these Hai Yunduo''s attitude? Were they looking for a scolding? Was it the song that made the difference? This tant differential treatment! Could it be possible for me to attract Hai Yunduo with a song too?... Chen Qi had a bold thought. Regardless, at least the Hai Yunduo were willing to follow him. It shouldn''t be too hard to lure them to the ship. He finally got a Sea Beast suitable for farming! Chen Qi pped his hands excitedly, and before he knew it, he was in the very center of this sea area. He remembered that Palu had mentioned that in this central area grew the legendary medicinal herbs! Chen Qi continued forward and soon, he saw a huge Transcendent nt, radiating a wondrous Transcendent aura. Chapter 153: Chapter 132 Fruit Trees and Sea Sugar Cane The dark night was filled with the howling wind and the undting sea. Chen Qi looked up, gazing towards the heights. Five tree branches, akin to tentacles, twisted and intertwined, like arms constantly extending upwards. And at the top of the tree, it seemed to be cradling a beating heart of the wood. Besides this, under his feet on the seabed, he could see numerous tentacles slowly moving, the waves continuouslypping at his pants. The value of this fruit was definitely not lower than the Pale Scale Fruit he encountered in Moonstone City. No, to be precise, it should be far superior to the Pale Scale Fruit! Most nt-type Titans would protect all the nts growing in their territory and regard them as part of themselves. Therefore, normally, the moment this transcendent fruit was taken, the entire sea would howl with gales and boil up. "Can I take this thing?" Chen Qi wondered silently. Although he had deep sea affinity, it did not mean he could take other people''s belongings at will. Chen Qi climbed up along the thick, wriggling tree branch, finding a spot to stand, and finally reached the position of the tree heart. It even made a heart for me, taking a small fruit should not be too much, right? Chen Qi tentatively touched the fruit under the protection of the giant tree tentacles. Bang! On the sea, the tentacles instantly danced as if experiencing a thunderp. Chen Qi broke into a cold sweat and looked down. The tentacles did not seem to intend to attack him, instead, it felt like some pleasant expression. Is the tentacle tree weing me to touch its fruit? "Well, well, then I will not be polite..." Chen Qi shook his head, exerted his arm, and pulled the head-sized fruit from the enveloping branch, as if pulling up a radish. Its appearance was like a greenish jelly. The moment it was pulled out, a prompt appeared. [Tree Heart Fruit: Nature: Cup, Flower Description: A rare fruit growing in dangerous ces, it is said that even dragons fought for this fruit. Consuming this fruit can remold the heart, bones, and blood, greatly enhancing constitution and strength, and granting special defensive attributes. Note: It can be directly cooked into dishes or made into potions. Description: Heart, heart, beat again!] An item purely enhancing constitution! Chen Qi sat on the tree, taking out antern. Theposition of defense had three important parts: one''s constitution, transcendent skills, and equipment. And constitution was the foundation of everything. Before advancing to the second tier, his constitution was at 28 points. This constitution already overwhelmed first-order transcendents, even a small number of second-order transcendents. But if facing noble second-tier transcendents who had taken foundation potions from a young age, the value of 28 points was far from enough. umtion from childhood could make many noble children capable of overwhelming adults. And when facing even stronger third-rank transcendents, it was even more insufficient. Most of his current defense came from the tentacle defense of the Residual Fire Touch. If he faced the attacks of crack dwellers or Kuang Sha bare-skinned, he probably couldn''t withstand three punches. Nutritional intake varied at different times, at least having an extra 10% effect during the growth period. Getting a transcendent fruit during his growth period was quite fortunate. "I took it!" After confirming the tentacle tree had no objections, Chen Qi collected the Tree Heart Fruit. The Tree Heart Fruit could be cooked into dishes or made into potions, but which would have a stronger effect should be discussed with the Flower Witch. Chen Qi directly leapt down from twenty meters high and walked around this sea area, trying to take everything he could. During the exploration, he unexpectedly found a rod-like nt. This segment by segment thing was the transcendent food called sea sugar cane! A transcendent sugarcane growing on the sea, sugar made from the sea sugar cane could enhance the taste of food, grant temporary toxin resistance, and a recovery buff. Long-term consumption could grant permanent toxin resistance and recovery power. After consuming sea sugar cane, he could lick a poisonous knife while saying his knife was poisoned. Besides, sugar made from sea sugar cane was an extraordinary seasoning that could significantly increase the price and effect of transcendent dishes. In the long run, the value of sea sugar cane was not low. Sea sugar cane had to grow in nutrient-rich seas, and the white treend just met the conditions. "I can look into desserts..." Chen Qi rubbed his hands. In the Witch Sea, many people were loyal dessert lovers. For instance, the Flower Witch was a typical dessert fan with a poor tolerance for spicy food. Not to mention An, who was directly turned into a crying cat head by spiciness. As a chef, the dishes he currently made were either stir-fried or barbecued, which was too monotonous. Chen Qi walked into the sea sugar cane cluster. He arrived just in time. In this area, there were as many as twenty sea sugar cane shoots growing. As long as he rented these shoots into the white treend, they could continue to grow. With the green sea sugar cane, it could also improve the environment of the white treend. Chen Qi took out a ck knife, carefully cutting off the sea sugar cane shoots and handing them to the diligent Deep Sea Water Elf No. 3 and No. 4. Little Algae seemed to be a dessert fan too, directly picking up a cane and gnawing on it. And Hai Yunduo, like a loyal follower, used their clumsy bodies to pick the sea sugar cane and handed it to Little Algae: "Try it! (you try!)" "Try it! (Sea Demon, you try it!)" Little Algae was stunned for a moment, then handed their cane to the working Chen Qi. Chen Qi turned his head: "No, I will eat after I finish." Little Algae and Hai Yunduo instantly felt heartbroken! Especially Hai Yunduo, they felt a strong pain in their heart! Pain, too painful! Chen Qi focused on transnting the sea sugar cane; after dealing with the sea sugar cane, he still had to tie up Hai Yunduo to the ship. Once Hai Yunduo and the sea sugar cane were transnted, his base, the white treend, would take shape. Suddenly, a sinister sea wind blew past. Little Algae swam behind him, tugging at his clothes with its sticky tentacle hair. "What''s wrong?" Chen Qi felt a slight chill down his back. Something''s wrong... Little Algae immediately swam behind him, looking in fright towards the distance. However, the next second, he vaguely heard the sound of waves. At that moment, everything became silent, except for the wind and the waves. Suddenly, the sound of a bullet being chambered shattered the silence. There was a ship... With the distant ship light turning on, Chen Qi finally saw the ship behind him. He saw a sniper rifle made by the Magic Bullet Company. Besides that, there were ten pairs of terrified eyes. Chapter 154: Chapter 133: Monster, What Do You Want to Do? The sea breeze kepting. "They''re from the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau..." Chen Qi''s icy gaze formed a straight line with the gun barrel. Click! Click! The sound of bullets being loaded was incessant. Unlike the Navy that excels inbat, the Meteorological Bureau ces more emphasis on concealment and surveince. Their goal is not to win but to gather information and send it back to their research base. Concealment, investigation, survival, homing! These brief words permeated the philosophy of the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau. All ten people on the ship had mastered the skill of concealing their presence, and the ship itself had undergone special modifications. For this reason, he had not sensed any presence until the ship''s lights came on. Chen Qi rested his hand on his chin, lost in thought. The people from the Meteorological Bureau he saw on the ind werepletely different. Nine second-order Transcendents, plus a third-order Transcendent team captain. The third-tier Transcendent captain''s name was Jige, whose profession¡ªas a gun master¡ªpossessed powerful firepower. In the Crack Sea, this setup could be called luxurious. Each of them wore long-range firearms, steam-powered heat cutting des, sedatives, heamps, and self-destruct potions. In the Witch Sea branch of the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau, the research department''s investigation teams can be divided into five levels: S, A, B, C, and D. The D level consists of cannon fodder, and the higher the level, the more dangerous missions they havepleted. Equipped with such luxurious gear, they are at least an A-ranked investigation team. Where did you guys pop out from? Chen Qi''s heart pounded rapidly; the tentacles of Residual Fire''s Touch also twisted slightly, forming a defensive stance. If a direct confrontation were to ur, his chances of winning were not high. He had never imagined that on this night, an A-ranked investigation team would daringly travel on an investigation ship into the depths of this area! Even if he were captured with his abilities, it would not be easy for him to be killed. But he would definitely be handed over to the containment control department of Shell Country, where he would be subjected to severe torture. With the style of the Shell Country Research Institute, for the rest of his life, he would probably always be used as a tool formunicating with sea beasts, with no hope of turning things around! This is a tough one, Chen Qi thought as he looked down into the deep sea. The tentacr behemoth showed no reaction to the arrival of the investigation ship. This titan was unexpectedly docile! However, although the investigation ship''s gun barrels pointed at him, they hesitated to shoot. The gentle breeze caressed by like tiny des, continually awakening people''s fears. The crew aboard the investigation ship kept as calm as possible. "What on earth is this..." A crew member whispered. The creature before them wore a tattered Hunter''s coat that floated in the water as if it had a life of its own, gently swaying with the waves. In that moment, they remembered the notorious creature from the Witch Sea¡ªthe Deep Sea Merchant! The Deep Sea Merchant feared the light. A crew member increased the brightness of the ship''s lights. However, as if mocking the light, the creature before thempletely ignored the ship''s lights. A female gunner, with eyes wide and palms starting to sweat, said: "Captain Jige, what do we do now? Shall we use tranquilizer darts? I can circle behind him andnd a shot in the back of the neck of this creature!" As an A-ranked investigation team, not only were they adept at concealment, but they alsomanded powerful tactical coordination and intense firepower! They had experience in killing a variety of deep-sea monsters, and had even cooperated in repelling the juveniles of a nearshore overlord! Moreover, their base was located in this sea! The determined Captain Jige remained silent. Although the aura exuded by the other party was only second-tier, clearly, this was not a monster they could easily confront. By appearance, this seemed to be the creature from the intelligence reports¡ªthe one that hijacked the Devil Fish! "Trouble..." Chen Qi calmed his emotions, squatting down to touch the tentacle hair of a small green algae. In any case, this was his territory. The gunner, unable to suppress her hunger for battle any longer, whispered: "Captain, there''s a Bounty Order out for him." The man before them was the tentacled monster from the Devil Fish! The Navy had just released a bounty on him. Chen Qi cleaned his ears. Was the efficiency of the Navy so high these days? At this moment, upon learning of Chen Qi''s identity, the female gunner could no longer contain her desire to fight. A mere second-order Transcendent, daring to be so arrogant, putting on airs in this ce! The reckless gunner pulled out her sniper rifle and aimed at Chen Qi: "This person''s bounty is only ten million, seems not very strong, Captain Jige, I request permission to shoot, then sedate!" "..." Captain Jige was indecisive, exceptionally conflicted. He didn''t know how to deal with the monster before him. But perhaps as the gunman said, the person before them was just a criminal with a ten million bounty. His strength, not evenparable to the ck-eyed Captain. In a subdued voice, Jige uttered a single word: "But..." However, before he could finish, the gunman, with a smile on his lips in the tension, suddenly pulled the trigger, and the blue light from the barrel instantly illuminated the sea area. Facing the monster, fear only leads to death! The best way to ovee fear is to confront it! Bang! The burning demon bullet, designed to hunt giant creatures, erupted from the barrel, vowing to burn the monster before them to ashes! Shoot directly? Chen Qi had intended to defend. However, what happened next was beyond his expectations. The bullet did not fire. To be exact, the moment it fired, it was forcibly stopped by a calloused hand. The hand of Captain Jige, who was in charge of the operation, had shattered into blood tofu, bleeding profusely! With his own left hand, he forcibly stopped the bullet. "Who the hell gave you permission to shoot!" Ignorant of the intense pain in his left hand, Captain Jige cursed angrily. Because you detected a Second-order aura, did you really think the other party was just Second-tier? Utterly stupid! Have you ever seen a Second-order Transcendent taking a walk at sea alone at night? The instant the gunshot sounded, Captain Jige felt a tremor in his brain. He thought of his obedient daughter, his cherished wife, and tomorrow''s breakfast. It was like the legendary shbacks before death. He looked at his hand, which was bleeding non-stop. In fact, he himself was puzzled, why would an A-level investigation team fear a Second-order Transcendent? Someone with a bounty of ten million? But his instincts were telling him that they had just brushed shoulders with death. If that bullet had truly hit Chen Qi, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Life and death were but a moment apart. After the gunshot, the tentacles at the bottom of the sea stirred slightly, creating a huge noise. "Interesting..." Chen Qi got up. He hadn''t expected that someone would actually intercept that shot. They were fearful of him. In such a situation, there was no need to show any intent to flee. After all, if they knew his true strength, the consequences would be unimaginable. If the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau knew there was someone with a Deep Sea Affinity talent on the high seas, at the very least a thousand people would be dispatched to capture him. Chen Qi casually pped his hands and sat on the withered tree, asking the crowd: "Meteorological Bureau''s investigators, what are you here for?" Captain Jige''s hand trembled slightly, the other party''s words were incredibly calm, and they immediately pinpointed their identities. This also meant that the being before them was not a corpse parasitized by a Sea Beast. Moreover, he was not afraid of the light, making him no madman from the Sea God Pirate Group! In his view, the level of danger of the being before him even exceeded that of the infamous Deep Sea Merchant. Even after so many years of research at sea, he had never encountered such a rare existence. "Captain Jige, on the Navy''s Bounty Order, there''s his name..." The gunman spoke again softly, biting his teeth. His bounty isn''t high, is it? He didn''t understand why their captain would fear a monster with a ten million bounty. This guy might be strong, but they were, after all, an A-level investigation squad! Bear in mind, if they could take this monster in, each of them would get a million Shell Coins! "Shut up!" Jige cursed again, put away his shotgun, and remained vignt: "We''vee to collect some deep-sea water samples and attempt to take the fruits from the center of the area." Captain Jige struggled to maintain their dignity as an investigation team: "Monster, what do you want to do? What do you need to leave this ce?" Want me to leave this ce? Chen Qi leisurely sat atop the withered tree at sea, touching the tentacled head of the little green algae: "If you can offer something that satisfies me, I may consider giving you a little reward." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 155: Chapter 134: Sacrifice! Sacrifice! "What do you want?" Captain Jige asked shakily, knowing they had no way back from the moment his subordinate had held a gun to Chen Qi''s head and fired. "..." Chen Qi thought it over. An A-grade investigation team, all professionally trained, often destroyed assets before death. Even if he defeated them, he might not gain anything, but their disappearance would quickly spread terror in the nearby seas. Moreover, he wasn''t confident he could defeat them. Chen Qi turned his gaze to the one who had just fired the gun. At this moment, the young female gunman still appeared unconvinced, her gun still aimed at Chen Qi, her finger itching to pull the trigger. She still didn''t understand why Jige had stopped her. In the Crack Sea, a ten million bounty was nothing! To think, the worthless ck-eyed Captain of the ck Whale Group''s Sawshark, had a higher bounty than ten million! Such a resentful look... Chen Qi didn''t care much and instead focused on the gun in her hand. The gun''s body was an overall aqua blue, engraved with special spiral runes on the casing. Third generation Magic Bullet sniper rifle¡ªGiant Killer, a new model sniper rifle! A sniper that could blow heads with one shot! Its actual purpose was for hunting giant sea creatures. ording to tests, if using Magic Bullet Company''s bullets with a Magic Bullet sniper rifle, even the overlord of the coastal seas'' scales could be prated. Of course, as a sniper rifle, it still possessed impressive assassination capabilities. Ordinary armor couldn''t withstand the powerful sniper. Even for a Third-tier Transcendent, it was quite a suitable weapon. Chen Qi pointed at the gun in her hand. As an apology, he wanted that gun! "What does this mean?" Captain Jige asked as he lit a cigarette. Chen Qi was about to speak. However, unexpectedly, suddenly, a little green algae swam in front of him. It''s eyes turned blood red, and its green tentacle-like hair formed into two vicious little fists, excitedly dering in humannguage: "Sacrifice, sacrifice!" The small green algae were no longer terrified, emboldened under Chen Qi''s oppressive aura. It thought that Chen Qi''s gesture toward the gunman meant that he wanted to sacrifice the gunman! "???" What are you doing? Chen Qi looked at the small green algae, taken aback. What was going through this small green algae''s mind? Where had it learned this word? Chen Qi was somewhat speechless. Because the small green algae had always been well-behaved while following him, he almost forgot, it wasn''t some caring, gentle sprite, but a highly dangerous sea demon. But more panicked than Chen Qi was the A-grade team on the research vessel. The word "sacrifice" alone held magical power over the seas, especiallying from a sea demon with a green algae head, it added an extrayer of terror. Captain Jige anxiously looked at the person Chen Qi had just pointed at: Their vessel''s well-known young female gunman, Reina! Her skin was tanned, with brown short hair, her face adorned with freckles and scars, sporting two small canine teeth. From the outside, she looked like a gang member from rural areas. But in reality, she was a rich merchant''s daughter! Her uncle was a navy admiral, her aunt the general manager of Magic Bullet Company, her teacher the deputy director of the Meteorological Department, and her family owned ten weapon shops¡ªshe was additionally a sophomore at Shell Country Royal University! In short, she was funded to be part of the team! In this world, where sses were distinctly separated, nobles andmoners could almost be described as two different species. Their investigation department in itself was marred with a high death rate. Not to mention nobles, evenmoners short of money wouldn''t easily join their investigation department. Reina joined their team out of a burning passion, eager to test her courage. That''s why Jige always indulged Reina, which fostered her impulsive nature, always eager to charge at anyone she saw. But Jige never anticipated that Reina would actually fire at Chen Qi. She was definitely not an opponent Reina should rush at! If anything happened to Reina, their whole investigation team would have to pay with their lives! ording to the sea demon''s intent, this creature apparently wanted Reina''s body. Jige, with a cigarette between his lips, looked at Chen Qi with a terrified gaze. Sacrifice? Could it be that this was a monster that ate humans? Or was it connected to some ancient deity? "..." Chen Qi had no interest in their bodies. He was neither a ghoul nor a chef skilled with humans. The body of a Second-order Transcendent held no interest for him! If it were a Third-order Transcendent''s body, perhaps he might be a bit intrigued. Besides, the term "sacrifice" was rted to deities. The deities in the official records of the New Sun World were quite monotone. Among them, the most worshiped was the God of the Day, who was seen as the incarnation of the world''s sun and the deity governing the order of all things and the survival of humanity. Beyond that were the endpoints of the Transcendental path, the thirteen origin Hunters who lit the daylight. ording to legend, all thirteen origin Hunters ascended to godhood, bing the epitome of the Transcendental path. For instance, the Lantern Death God, who in myth was the original Lamp Hunter. And the rest were minor deities such as the Fox God, Flower Cultivating God, and little Enchanting Demons who governed specific domains. Among the famous deities of Witch Sea was the Sea Goddess, who, ording to legend, was the embodiment of the ocean. Storms were her anger, seabirds her breath, and sea fish her gifts. However, most people''s reverence for the gods remained merely verbal. Those who urinated daily into the sea were certainly not in the minority. Except for the Sea God Pirate Group, they held great respect for the sea. For someone like Chen Qi to suddenly mention a sacrifice was extremely rare in the entire ocean. "Sacrifice..." Reena, selected by the little green algae, held her gun with slightly trembling hands. She was sweating profusely! She didn''t understand why a Second-order Transcendent would want to sacrifice her? Sacrifice was umon, and in the minds of the people of Witch Sea, besides the God of the Day, the gods cared little for a human''s flesh. Did the monster before her truly want to eat her? Reena gritted her teeth, trying to retort: "Two arms at most, plus my hair." "..." Chen Qi was dumbfounded. What on earth? Who cared about your arms and hair? He wanted money! Weapons! Captain Jige gritted his teeth, even losing an arm for Reena was a terrifying thing. "No," Chen Qi refused softly. "!!!" Reena''s pupils constricted, her hand on the trigger, ready to resist to the death. The monstrous man actually wanted her body! Fight it! If she had to die, so be it! The others also reloaded their guns, pointing them once again at Chen Qi. "He''s just a ten million Transcendent, we can win..." Reena deceived herself. And just as they were reloading, emitting a murderous intent. Boom! A huge wave suddenly surged on the sea above! As if to return their murderous intent! Under the raging waves, the survey ship rocked in the storm, as if unleashing endless fury. Boom! A tentacle fiercely struck their vessel, and the ship made of steel instantly cracked extensively. Captain Jige felt his heart might explode. He could clearly feel that the turmoil of the sea had been because someone in their survey team bore hostility toward the creature before them! Could it be that this monster had caused the wave? Reina clenched her teeth, she could sense this as well. The creature before them could actually stir the tides! Chen Qi said nothing, the situation just then was likely caused by the Deep Sea Titan. Jige was panicked now, standing up, showing his rugged hands: "Monster, if you truly want a body or material for the Evil God, I think I''m suitable, my body can withstand a guillotine." To prevent Reena from dying, everyone started arguing. "No, I taste sweet, sacrifice me!" "No, I''m good-looking and have a nice body, I''ll go." "I''ll do it, the Divination Master said my soul has the bearing of a great emperor!" "No, I''m more fragrant than a Witch, take me!" What are you stirring up? Chen Qi looked at the scene, extremely speechless. He simply wanted a bit of money. Why had things turned out this way? All because the little green algae had spoken carelessly. At this moment, the little green algae had no inkling of its mistake, even acting like one of its dependents, it even started making choices. Once back, he''d have to properly school the little green algae! Chen Qi, sitting on a dead tree, spoke again: "If you don''t want to offer up your soul, then sacrifice something of equivalent value." "..." Above the dark sea, a slight wind brushed through. At this moment, the stubborn and reckless Reena, having seen the recent waves, dared not take the initiative anymore. They hesitated for a long time before beginning to remove their equipment. Chapter 156: Chapter 135 Rewards To survive, the investigative team took out their valuable possessions, even including their weapons. Especially Reena, who, aside from her clothes, took out everything on her person. Chen Qi rested his hand on these items, tallying them like a merchant weighing souls and money. The most valuable among them was the giant sniper rifle in Reena''s hands¡ª the Magic Bullet Sniper Rifle: Giant Killer! It came with the skill "Armor-Piercing." Bullets fired from this gun were at least ten times more powerful than those from normal firearms! It could also be loaded with many powerful beast-hunting bullets. To buy this gun through official channels would cost at least eight million. If purchased from the ck market, it would cost at least ten million. The other items included some potions, their equipment, two backpack cards, and two million Shell Coins. All together, these were worth a huge fortune of ten million! For a temporary investigative ship, managing to gather ten million Shell Coins was already quite difficult. With this money, whether upgrading their small flier or simply switching to a new ship altogether was not an issue! Am I really so terrifying? Chen Qi gently rubbed the hair-like tentacles of the small green algae. The investigative team was not an ordinary vessel, they truly dared to risk their lives for a piece of intelligence! Even if they encountered the overlord of the coastal waters, they would dare to open fire and fight. In their eyes, he seemed more terrifying than an ugly Deep Sea Merchant. Captain Jige asked, "Monster, are you satisfied now?" He knew well that the monsters of the deep sea were incredibly greedy, like the Deep Sea Merchants, who, after making a trade, would want to im their souls and lives. "It''s barely equivalent to your souls," Chen Qi said with a smile, epting the items. Even if he killed them all, he wouldn''t be able to get anything valuable anymore. Moreover, he himself had no intention to strike, and might not necessarily be able to defeat the investigative team. Chen Qi sneered, "Very well, I''ll give you some reward." Chen Qi emphasized the word "reward." At the mention of "reward," the ten members of the small team shuddered, all looking toward the tentacles of the Residual Fire Touch with eyes full of fear. Reward! A monster''s reward is never a good thing! Normally, such a "reward" could either taint their souls or their flesh! Of course, Chen Qi was a decent person and had none of these excessive thoughts, deciding to give them something good. He didn''t want to be a sea monster that everyone feared and everyone attacked, like the Deep Sea Merchant. If he were just a monster who knows only how to rob, he would be no different from the savage sea beasts like the Armor Shark and the giant sea snake. On the other hand, it was also about shaping his reputation. The fury of the navy, not even a Second-tier Transcendent like him could withstand it. He needed a longer-term view. If he could give away some things, more people would be willing to venture into dangerous territories to seek his whereabouts. He could engage in some pleasant trades with adventurers. However, why did these people look at me so strangely after hearing about the reward? Chen Qi puzzled, took out one-tenth of the ck Whale Blood from his backpack card. This was the ck Whale Blood he had snatched from the ck Gloves. ck Whale Blood was very expensive, but as the Crack Tide continued to intensify, the ck Whale Blood would be more abundant and cheaper. By the time ck Whale Blood became famous, such a small amount of ck Whale Blood would be worth about five hundred thousand. ck Whale Blood was of no use to Chen Qi; he would not use this dangerous item. Now, the only buyers of ck Whale Blood were the ck Whale Group, Shell Country Research Institute, and the Sea God Pirate Group where the Deep Sea Merchant belonged. Selling ck Whale Blood was extremely difficult. One-tenth of the ck Whale Blood, just to build his good reputation then! Chen Qi formed a small, wriggling ball of ck Whale Blood and tossed it to them, "Here''s your reward." Now, ck Whale Blood had not yet be widespread in the ocean. Jige''s body shook as he caught the ck Whale Blood, "A reward isn''t tentacles? Or eating us? Or imnting seeds in us to turn us into monsters?" The Bei Country Meteorological Bureau was fully studying the ck Whale Blood, which was an extremely valuable item for them. Holding the ck Whale Blood, Jige was shocked. This ck Whale Blood was processed! He had never expected that the monster before them would actually give them a reward, rather than ash of tentacles! Wait, if they could bring more money and weapons, is it possible to exchange for more ck Whale Blood! Didn''t bring cash today... Jige was full of regret. Legend had it that to obtain ck Whale Blood, one must defeat the sea beasts infected by it, which required at least Third Rank strength. Beyond that, they need to master a powerful blood extraction technique! That is to say, the person before them was definitely not just a Second-tier. In her imagination, Reena felt more and more that the person before her was unfathomable. In her heart, she had begun to pray, hoping that the monster before them would not seed humans like parasitic sea beasts do. It was about time to leave. Staying too long might attract the attention of others. Chen Qi gave a slight smile, collected the items, and walked on water, "Until we meet again." The group stared nkly at Chen Qi''s retreating figure, stunned in their spots, unable to calm themselves for a long time. This time, they sessfully redeemed their souls. The breeze carried the sea waves, brushing their faces. "We survived..." Captain Jige lit a cigarette, wiped off his sweat, and felt lucky to have lived another day. After he left, the people stared at Reena, their faces displeased. If not for the monster''s generosity, perhaps, today, they would have be nourishment for this ce. Unable to hold back, Captain Jige wanted to scold her: "Reena, you today..." "Captain, I know I was wrong. All your losses are mine topensate, and I''ll treat you all to a big meal," she said. With one sentence, their mouths were all sealed. Reena hung her head. Silently, she pulled out a freshly issued bounty order from the ship. It was the bounty for the Flower Witch and Chen Qi! The bounty for the Flower Witch remained the same, twenty-two million. But the monster''s bounty was only ten million! No name, no title, no additional information. On the bounty order, only one thing was written: this monster was a Second-order Transcendent. "False advertising!" Reena clenched the paper, her hands turning bright red. This mission, although she was also reckless, the key reason for her confidence was this bounty order! On the Witch Sea, the bounty order was an important measure of one''s strength. Many people also chose their fights based on the amount of the bounty. Reena clenched her teeth and said, "Why is the monster''s bounty lower than the witch''s?" Why? Jige exhaled a long ring of smoke, "Who knows? Perhaps, in the navy''s eyes, the witch is more important?" After tonight, they felt that the discrepancy between the two bounties was too great. Reena eximed angrily, "Nonsense, this tentacle hunter can manipte tides, it can absolutely defeat that Third-order Witch easily!" "Why should the witch even bepared with the tentacle hunter? I feel, if the witch and that monster fought a hundred times, the monster would undoubtedly defeat the witch all hundred times!" The others conducting the investigation agreed. Even the witch couldn''t leisurely stroll through the territory of the Deep Sea Titan with a sea demon. Moreover, that monster had also provided them with the rare ck Whale blood! The crowd unanimously agreed that this bounty order was deceiving adventurers! Allowing this bounty to spread further would only harm more people! It must be stopped before more people were deceived! Reena asked, "Which brainless idiot set the bounty on this order? I''ll go and settle ounts with him!" "Admiral Bai Ou..." "........" Everyone fell silent. Jige shook his head, smiling bitterly, "Alright, let''s not talk about this anymore. When we get back, we''ll report to our superiors and demand his bounty be raised." Reena nodded seriously, "We must report today''s events to the navy urately." ... ... Morning, Sea Demon Ind, hotel. Daylight sprinkled down in the morning. "..." The Flower Witch rose from her soft bed andbed her smooth long hair, ensuring it was perfectly hidden under her hood. Then she got dressed and prepared to leave! She had gone to bed directly after returning to the hotelst night because she was exhausted. Up to now, she still felt very tired; her body ached from the side effects of the blood flower disease. She was in no mood to apply any potion. Because she discovered that Chen Qi was gone! Next door in the hotel, he wasn''t there. Chen Qi might have met with trouble, he might even have been captured... The Flower Witch shook her head, put on her hood, and picked up her magic wand. If Chen Qi had been captured, the consequences were unimaginable! Bang! Bang! Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Guest, today''s newspaper." Outside, the hotel''s newsboy spoke softly. "Okay." The Flower Witch carefully peered out the door and took the newspaper into the room. The headline of the newspaper was ''Witch and Monster''! There, shockingly, were photos of her and Chen Qi. It covered the story of the two of them hijacking the Devil Fish vessel and escaping. Although neither of them had shown their true strength, because the battleground was a sea demonir, their actions were wildly sensationalized by the paper! Appearing in the newspaper did not please the Flower Witch. As she knew, the more famous one became, the easier it was to attract death. The Flower Witch continued reading. #Blood de Pirate Group announces, due to the captain''s illness, all affairs to be managed by Mrs. Blood# #Naval VICTORY! ck Whale Group in continuous retreat!# #Sea God Pirate Group conducts arge-scale sacrificial ceremony, pouring ten tons of milk and a hundred live chickens into the sea!# Then, she suddenly noticed that, in the bounty column at the bottom of the newspaper, Chen Qi''s bounty was even higher than hers! And, the bounty order for Chen Qi had some peculiar remarks written. ''Be careful of being seeded,'' ''Be careful of being sacrificed,'' ''Man-eating monster,'' ''Deep sea devotee''... "???" The Flower Witch''s mouth slightly opened. Last night, what had Chen Qi gotten himself into? Chapter 157: Chapter 136: Crisis of Trust The Flower Witch stared at the newspaper, pouting slightly and lost in thought. Chen Qi must be hiding something very important from her. With a vivid imagination, the Flower Witch began to wildly conjecture: In the pitch-dark night, Chen Qi let out a sinisterugh and reached out his evil tendrils toward the passing fishermen. Bang! Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Fen, open the door." The Flower Witch instantly reacted like a startled cat and opened the door, where Chen Qi stood, dressed in a chef''s outfit. He''s alive... The corners of the Flower Witch''s mouth curled up slightly, revealing an excited smile. In his hands, he carried arge bag of snacks, four bottles of fruit wine, and a small cake. The inn was small, with just one wooden bed and a simple dressing table. With nowhere else to sit, Chen Qi sat down on the bed: "Fen, I came back a bitte, and you haven''t had breakfast, have you?" As he spoke, he handed a piece of fresh strawberry cake to the snack-loving Flower Witch. "Thank you." This was the cake he had sprinkled with Soul Seasoning, tastier than ordinary cake. The Flower Witch happily epted the cake, a hopeless sweet tooth! The Flower Witch slid the flowers on her face upward as she ate the cake and kept her eyes fixed on Chen Qi. Stare¡ª Stare¡ª¡ª Why does he look a little disgusted, a bit strange? Chen Qi wore a puzzled expression. Could it be? The incident fromst night where he threatened the investigation squad had already been leaked! The Flower Witch nced at the newspaper and then at Chen Qi from time to time. "Fen, let me take a look." Please stop those disdainful looks... Chen Qi took the newspaper and quickly scanned it: "This..." His bounty had shockingly reached twenty-five million, even surpassing the Flower Witch! Even a third-tier Transcendent who hadmitted serious crimes rarely had a bounty of twenty-five million. The ck Whale Group''s ck gloves were only worth twenty million in bounty. Isn''t this a bit too high... Chen Qi muttered to himself. As aw-abiding citizen of the Witch Sea, he had somehow absurdly acquired a bounty higher than ten million. Clearly, his bounty was now ringly unreasonable. Chen Qi looked at the ''title'' on his bounty: ck Hunter. Chen Qi thought: "ck Hunter, really a simple title." The Residual Fire Touch, to look at, was just a hunter''s clothes fromst century, predominantly ck in color. Thus, he obtained a new title ''ck Hunter''. "Just not getting called Tentacle Monster, Tentacle Hunter is fine¡­" Chen Qi felt secretly relieved. Besides, there were a bunch of inexplicable annotations, ''cannibalistic tentacle monster,'' ''seeding monster,'' ''sacrificial figure,'' ''devotee of the Deep Sea Ancient God.'' Chen Qi''s eyes nked, and he understood why the Flower Witch was looking at him with disdain. The description, if ced on Earth, would roughly mean he was a pervert who streaked naked on the news. The Flower Witch ate the cake and asked tremulously: "Qi, is the information on this true?" Fen, please stop your unnecessary spections... Chen Qi calmly said: "It''s all utter nonsense, pure fabrication. I neither have tendrils nor have I sacrificed anyone, nor do I, like a parasitic sea beast, enjoy seeding others, nor am I a deep-sea follower of ancient gods."

Last night, the investigation squad voluntarily gave him the items. A bunch of trumped-up charges, purely discrimination based on appearances! It was all because of the Residual Fire Touch coat developing tendrils, and tendrils being a terrifying symbol in the Witch Sea. "Oh, is that so..." The Flower Witch picked up a small bottle of fruit wine. She didn''t believe Chen Qi had tendrils nor did she believe he was a cannibalistic monster or a sacrificial cultist. Anyway, they were crime partners in a robbery together. And indeed, if it were members of the press, unaware of the Residual Fire Touch, they would also portray Chen Qi as a tentacle monster, just to boost newspaper sales. As partners on the same boat, there ought to be trust! But still, ever since they had set out to sea together, there was one thing she had been very concerned about! The Flower Witch got up, made sure the curtains and door were tightly closed, not allowing the outside people to eavesdrop. Chen Qi propped his chin with his hands, unaware of what the Flower Witch was about to do. The Flower Witch wiped the cake cream from the corners of her mouth and said seriously: "Qi, actually I have always had a question." "Speak." "I feel that your constitution is different from other people!" "?" Chen Qi shrugged. In this vast sea, everyone''s constitution was different from that of ordinary people. Chen Qi nced at the Flower Witch from top to bottom. Like the Flower Witch, in many aspects, her constitution was different from that of ordinary people. The Flower Witch puffed out her chest, took a sip of fruit wine, and mustered up the courage to say: "Chen Qi, so, can you take off your clothes?" "????" Chen Qi was puzzled and soon realized something. Did the Flower Witch actually suspect that he had tentacles on his body? After she finished speaking, her face turned red, and she burst out pink blush blossoms of embarrassment while she hurriedly exined: "Just the shirt is fine, I''m just curious, is your constitution somewhat special?" When the Flower Witch had first started traveling with Chen Qi, she was surprised to find that Chen Qi always dressed very conservatively! She remembered that the followers of the Sea God Pirate Group would carve the mark of the sea god on their chests! Moreover, the way sea beasts reacted to him was indeed a bit strange! He might really have some unspeakable secret! The Flower Witch wanted an answer! "..." Chen Qi shook his head, realizing that he indeed couldn''t hide it any longer. "Alright," "Let me check and see if everything is developing normally..." The Flower Witch''s face turned red as she rubbed her hands together. Chen Qi took off his shirt, revealing his well-built upper body. The Flower Witch, as a pharmacist, walked behind Chen Qi. Sure enough, on his sturdy back, there was a blue spider-like pattern!! But it wasn''t the mark of the Sea God''s followers, but something even more serious. "This is... Sea Beast Disease..." The Flower Witch murmured softly. Chen Qi sighed and said: "I have Sea Beast Disease, so when I face sea beasts, I am calmer than most people." ording to schrs'' research, people with Sea Beast Disease are less likely to be attacked by sea beasts! Compared to the boss-level talent of Deep Sea Affinity, having Sea Beast Disease makes it more convincing as a reason for not being easily attacked by sea beasts. "That''s how it is. I knew you couldn''t possibly be a follower of the Deep Sea Ancient God¡­" The Flower Witch felt like she had understood everything: "Can I check, Chen Qi? I don''t mean to touch you otherwise, just to check¡­ no other intentions!" Wait a minute! What am I saying? The Flower Witch said with a blushing, incoherent face. She was a pharmacist, not a doctor, and her understanding of many strange diseases was merely theoretical. "You may¡­" Chen Qi also wanted to know what was going on with the mysterious sea beast within his spine. The simplest way to cure Sea Beast Disease was to undergo a spine recement surgery. However, such surgery required an extremely strong constitution. His constitution had already reached 28 points. Compared to his initial frail constitution, it was a huge improvement, strong enough for some major surgeries. However, for a surgery that involved extracting the spine, it still might not be enough. The Flower Witch crouched down, rubbed it lightly with her finger to confirm there were no issues, and then listened with her ear, carefully inspecting. She took out a syringe. A needle plunged into the skin on his back. Chen Qi endured without making a sound. She said softly: "The heartbeat is normal, the blood is normal..." Afterward, Chen Qi felt a cold sensation on his back. The Flower Witch applied some pain-relieving potion to his back. Chen Qi turned his head and asked with a smile: "How is it? Fen, how is the condition?" "It''s¡­" The Flower Witch swallowed her words back. A fellow sufferer! Chen Qi, like her, also had a serious condition¡ªthe rare Sea Beast Disease! She frowned: "I''m sorry, Sea Beast Disease that has prated the spine isn''t something I can manage; I am only a third-tier pharmacist." Sea Beast Disease prating the spine could even be considered a terminal illness! The Flower Witch touched again! But unlike what the books said, the sea beast inside him was unexpectedly stable. And both the blood and heartbeat were all normal! Still in the earlytent stage? "Is that so..." Chen Qi gave a resigned smile. Even with Deep Sea Affinity, which could significantly reduce the risk of the internal sea beast. However, it was still a disease that required treatment. Unfortunately, Sea Beast Disease is a terminal condition, and only a major bone recement surgery could cure it. This type of surgery must be left to a professional and reliable Transcendent doctor. Chen Qi thought it over, and the only one he could think of was Little Crow. Meanwhile, The Flower Witch, having finished examining Chen Qi''s body, sighed deeply. Chapter 158: Chapter 137: Hmph, Just You Wait The Flower Witch had a realization. Before this, she had always suspected that Chen Qi was a follower of the deep-sea monsters, with special brands etched on his skin! It turned out, he was just a poor man suffering from illness. She understood the feeling of being stricken with severe illness and finally realized why Chen Qi was so reckless, even crazed, in many of his decisions! A man on his deathbed inevitably carries a trace of despair, a trace of madness. He had no choice! Burdened with such a terminal disease, he could only fight desperately! Only that way could he earn enough money to treat his illness. Like a gentle doctor, the Flower Witch patted his shoulder and softly said, "Qi, don''t worry too much, the Sea Beast disease isn''t fatal for a Second-order Transcendent. Besides, I am a Pharmacist; believe me, one day, you will be cured!" "Everything will get better!" Chen Qi offered a bitter smile. He was actually beingforted by a long-time sickly person. He possessed Deep Sea Affinity; the so-called Sea Beast disease couldn''t harm his body at all, on the contrary, it even strengthened his constitution to some extent. And the blood flower disease of the Flower Witch was the real incurable disease. Even doctors who were Fourth Rank Legends could not sessfully cure the blood flower disease, a mdy that appeared once in a thousand years. Chen Qi put down the newspaper and handed a bottle of fruit wine to the witch: "By the way, Fen, what do you n to do next?" This time, their operation on Sea Demon Ind had been a great harvest! Currently, there was nothing else worth exploring on Sea Demon Ind. "I n to..." The Flower Witch clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white from the grip; she stared at her delicate hands that had cast countless spells, her eyes shimmering withplex emotions. If it weren''t for Chen Qi, she wouldn''t even have been able to retrieve her Magic Wand this time. Like this, she couldn''t fulfill her destiny, nor could she resist the great whale! Why am I so weak? The Flower Witch downed the fruit wine and gritted her teeth: "I n to head to the Land of Trial, to im the Witch upation Card, and be a true Witch!" Having passed through the C-tier Floral Appearance crack, coupled with the actions of the "Devil''s Number," the Flower Witch had already grown significantly. Her equipment had been upgraded, and she also possessed a significant amount of wealth. "Indeed¡­" Chen Qi nodded. The Flower Witch was indeed the undisputed protagonist of the Witch Sea. Her Third Rank weak phase was only temporary. A witch was a Fourth Rank upation Card. And Fourth Rank was also known as the Legend domain. Once one achieved Fourth Rank, it meant having the strength to rip apartrge Mechas, defeat nearby sea overlords, and confront steamships head-on! Perhaps on the maind, Fourth Rank strength couldn''t suppress the old monsters, but in the newly formed territory of the Witch Sea, Fourth Rank was a dominant force in the sea. "Fen, do you need my help?" Chen Qi asked. The Flower Witch shook her head: "Thanks, but only Transcendents who adhere to the Flower Doctrine can enter the Land of Trial. I n to go to the dry dock of Sea Demon Ind to buy a steamboat, and then head to the Land of Trial alone." The rest of the journey, she must walk alone. The Flower Witch sprouted two little blue flowers of sadness on her head. She didn''t want to go forward alone, but the Land of Trial was too dangerous for Chen Qi. The Flower Witch shrugged helplessly. It was time to say goodbye. She was not an ambitious witch; she was just an ordinary person who adhered to the Flower Doctrine. "Why does it feel so unpleasant¡­" The Flower Witch felt a bitter taste in her heart, and despite not liking alcohol, she gulped down the fruit wine. If it weren''t for the blood flower disease, she might have been a little pharmacist at a drugstore, then every evening, facing the sea breeze, she would go to Chen Qi''s small dining boat for a delicious meal. Her dream was simply to live a simple life. Were it not for her teacher, were it not for the blood flower disease, she might never havee to the Witch Sea. The tide of the great whale swept through this world; only by reaching the peak of Transcendence could one survive in this tide. In the prophecies, the great whale would turn the Witch Sea into boundless ashes! Chen Qi and she, they were both dregs in this tide. Although she was clumsy and the danger was immense, she had to move forward, had to fulfill her destiny. "Is that so..." Chen Qi also felt somewhat reluctant. He also needed to go to the underground mall to buy the Shadow Skill Card, and at the same time, he needed to arrange the Land of the White Tree. Moreover, the Land of Trial mentioned by the Flower Witch was not something an ordinary second-tier Transcendent like him could participate in. If it weren''t for his Deep Sea Affinity, this operation in the Sea Demon Gorge would have cost him a painful price. Outside the house, the wind was blowing. Chen Qi nced at his rough hands. Now, although he had developed well, he was still far from a truly powerful second-tier Transcendent. Above the sea, strange phenomena would be more and more frequent. The Flower Witch sensed Chen Qi''s sadness, she puffed out her chest and clenched her fists: "Humph, Qi, don''t worry too much about your illness after I leave!" "Also, with your strength, even three second-tier Transcendents couldn''t take you down!" Next, the Flower Witch rolled up her sleeve, revealing her slender arm marked with bloodstains, and flexed her muscles: "Just wait! Qi, once I get the Witch upation Card and advance to a fourth-rank Witch, I''ll cure your illness!" "From then on, I''ve got you covered!" The Flower Witch lifted her head forty-five degrees, her face once again brimming with confidence, like a gang leader looking after a younger brother! "You make it sound like I''m about to copse in bed." Chen Qi smiled slightly and replied: "Don''t worry, Fen, I won''t have any issues. It''s not just you who has secrets; my advancement speed isn''t slow either. By then, it''s not certain who will be protecting whom!" The gap between the third and fourth rank was an insurmountable gulf! Even for the Flower Witch, advancing to the fourth rank was by no means a simple matter. And Chen Qi''s own developmental speed also far exceeded that of ordinary people. This was his fastest-developing start among countless beginnings as a strategy master. Now, although he couldn''t directly defeat a third-order Transcendent, he still had the ability to protect himself above the sea. "Eh?" The Flower Witch was suddenly shocked. Too arrogant! Chen Qi actually wanted to surpass her! Even though she was weak, she was about to advance to the fourth rank, a descendant of a Witch, and the prodigy of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom! And after her advancement to the fourth rank, she would be known as a legendary powerful being. And now Chen Qi, however strong, was still a second-tier Transcendent! Such arrogance! A mocking little red flower sprouted above the Flower Witch''s head: "If you want to surpass me, then just try!" The Flower Witch gestured a small fist towards Chen Qi. "Let''s give it a try." Chen Qi and the Flower Witch bumped fists. Bang! "It''s a deal." The Flower Witch and Chen Qi exchanged fists. Afterward, they tacitly moved on from the heavy topics to other matters, like the various trivia of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. How to make a kitten purrfortably, how to regain sanity immediately after eating mushrooms, how to use magic to remove stains from clothes, how to use meditation to cure insomnia. As a transmigrator, Chen Qi chose to be a quiet listener. He listened to the Flower Witch describe life in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, which was devoid of ostentatious tales and rather about mundane things like farming and gardening. He couldn''t believe that the Flower Witch was a person from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom! The Flower Witch had a remarkably poor tolerance for alcohol; she got tipsy from the weakest fruit wine, continuously sprouting dizzy little yellow flowers on her head. The Flower Witch, tipsy, hugged the deep sea water elf: "Humph, wait! Qi, once I be a fourth-rank legend, whatever I want you to say, you''ll have to say, you can''t hide anything from me!" The Flower Witch believed that Chen Qi was definitely keeping important secrets from her. She imagined that, once she reached the fourth rank, if Chen Qi didn''t tell her, she''d give him a piece of her mind. Chen Qi helplessly smiled, "You''re also keeping secrets from me..." The Flower Witch too had many secrets she hadn''t told him. Knowledge could lead to death. In the Flower Witch''s view, letting the weak Chen Qi know these secrets would only bring him trouble. Chen Qi countered: "When I be a fourth-rank, whatever I want you to do, you''ll have to do..." However, before he could finish, he heard a faint snoring sound. Looking down, the Flower Witch had already passed out. Such a disappointing Witch... Chen Qi walked to the window of the inn, carrying the fruit wine, opened the window, and looked out towards the distant sea. Chapter 159: Chapter 138 Farewell Chen Qi leaned against the window. Their hotel room was high up, and from this vantage point, he could gaze out at the distant sea and take in the port of Sea Demon Ind. One by one, damaged steamships sailed into Sea Demon Ind. Merchants were calling out continuously, and ship repairers bustled about. The entire port seemed to teem with endless business. On his most recent voyage, Chen Qi had been extremely lucky, hardly encountering any special phenomena. The only risk he came across was the storm in front of Sea Demon Ind. However, not all ships were as lucky as his little houseboat. Under the assault of sea beasts and storms, some steamships were literally broken in half. The sea breeze gently blew through his ck hair. "Sigh, the wind is getting noisier and colder..." Chen Qi lifted his head to look at the white sun suspended in the sky. Under this artificial sun, there still existed the concept of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with the burning time of the white sun varying with each season. Now, the entire New Sun world was about to enter winter. Just like on Earth, as winter approached, the people of Witch Sea were preparing for the winter and festive food. However, this year was very special. Under the influence of the Crack Tide, the people of Witch Sea were only going to be busier. Whether ambitious adventurers or merchants and fishermen longing for peace, all would join in this tide. Once the tide began, no one could remain uninvolved. Chen Qi turned his head to look at the drunk Flower Witch, then took out the ''Shadow de sh'' Skill Card he had obtained in Sea Demon Gorge. He hadn''t used this Skill Card yet. Chen Qi bit his lip and whispered, "Digest..." The card turned into ck mes and vanished at his fingertips. [You have learned Shadow de sh lv1.] Chen Qi felt the throbbing pain in his mind. He needed a test subject... He took out Water Elf No. 2 from his backpack card. Water Elf No. 2 had actually been charmed by sea demons,cking willpower. As its master, Chen Qi needed to train its willpower! The deep-sea water elf had strong recovery capabilities, so much so that even if it was crushed underfoot, it would fully recover as long as it soaked in seawater for a while. Therefore, the deep-sea water elf was the perfect punching bag! "Water Elf No. 2, stand still for me!" "Waku waku (I''m the practice subject?)" Water Elf No. 2 instantly fluffed up its fur, trying to escape. However, Chen Qi didn''t give it the chance. The blood in his body boiled subtly as Spiritual Power transformed into Qi Power, and Qi Power turned into a sharp ck de energy. Then, he lightly lifted the de, and the de energy turned into a sharp de that shed out. sh! Water Elf No. 2 was fully on the defensive and was instantly split in two. Even the wooden chair behind it now sported a fresh cross-section! That''s going to cost me money... Chen Qi smiled faintly. Since he was in the hotel, he had used very little force. But even so, he had still produced a cutting de energy. In full-force mode, ifbined with the Meat Cutting Bone Breaking raging stance, this move could probably cut through steel! "Unadorned brutality." Chen Qi put the de away. Now, he was a man with bounties worth tens of millions on the high seas. And that was just the bounty from the navy. The true target of their action was the ck Whale Group. Counting this time, Chen Qi and the Flower Witch had offended the ck Whale Group twice in a row. The colossal ck Whale Group would certainly not let him off easily. "I need to build a system quickly..." Chen Qi mumbled to himself. The most important thing for a Second-order Transcendent was to build his ownbat system. Now, possessing both Residual Fire Touch and Meat Cutting Bone Breaking, two forbidden creations, he had surpassed some Third-order Transcendents in terms of equipment! What he wascking now were correspondingbat skills. And now, the side effects of rapid development were starting to show. He had used too many Skill Cards and couldn''t learn anymore! Chen Qi patted his dizzy head. He had been using Skill Cards at a far greater frequency than the average Transcendent. His current state was like cramming a whole night''s worth of homework just before the deadline, with that buzzing feeling in his brain. Chen Qi looked at the drunken Flower Witch, the dazed Flower Witch. Perhaps he needed to rest for a bit too. Chen Qi leaned against the dressing table and went to sleep. ... ... Five hourster, as the sky grew dim, Chen Qi opened his eyes. The Flower Witch, who was studying a Potion, crossed her legs and curved a mocking smile: "What a letdown, Qi! To think you''d pass out drunk!" "Huh?" Chen Qi never expected to be preemptively attacked by the explosively uncool Flower Witch. They checked out of their hotel room and walked out of Sea Demon Ind. Chen Qi apanied the Flower Witch to the dry dock of Sea Demon Ind to buy a boat. The Flower Witch didn''t have much money and could only afford an ordinary small boat. After much indecision, the Flower Witch finally purchased a small boat. A small travel houseboat very simr to Chen Qi''s! Then, the Flower Witch also mentioned that she wanted to eat the Extraordinary Fish Bait made by Chen Qi! She was truly hungry, and Chen Qi shook his head, indulging the capricious Flower Witch. On the way, they chatted about some dull things. Nothing of any substance, just trivial matters, talking about whatever came to mind. Beyond that, it was just the Flower Witch''s repeated admonitions. She really treated Chen Qi like a gravely ill patient. Chen Qi touched the back of his neck. ``` Despite having bid farewell long ago, when the moment of parting came, they always lingered and chatted a bunch of nonsense. ``` ``` The two found a secluded corner near the port of Sea Demon Ind. ``` ``` The Flower Witch took out a bag full of potions and handed it to Chen Qi, ``` ``` "Qi, this is for high blood pressure, this is for heart disease, this is a strong healing potion, this is an inspiration potion, this is for curing blindness, this is for charm resistance..." ``` ``` Chen Qi took the hefty bag of potions. ``` ``` A cure for all sorts of negative states, all at once! ``` ``` With this bag of potions, he wouldn''t need to buy any for at least another two months! ``` ``` "Thanks, Fen." ``` ``` Chen Qi stored the bag of potions into his backpack card. ``` ``` It must be said that the Flower Witch had given him a lot of help. ``` ``` Perhaps, I should also give the Flower Witch a gift? ``` ``` "What should I give her?" ``` ``` Chen Qi felt conflicted. ``` ``` Apart from food, what else would the Flower Witch want? ``` ``` What does she want? ``` ``` Wait a minute! ``` ``` Chen Qi suddenly had an epiphany. ``` ``` Deep Sea Water Elves, the perfect gift! ``` ``` For Chen Qi, six Deep Sea Water Elves were enough. ``` ``` Having a pet to apany him on his sea voyages would make them much morefortable. ``` ``` You have to understand, the first time Chen Qi met the Flower Witch, she was in an utterly terrible state. ``` ``` At the very least, with a pet''spany, she wouldn''t be as crazy as before, eating grass. ``` ``` Moreover, Water Elf Number Two had recently been behaving very naughtily! It was time for a little punishment. ``` ``` After a while away from Chen Qi, Water Elf Number Two would learn to appreciate him. ``` ``` Chen Qi took out Water Elf Number Two from his backpack card and handed it to the Flower Witch: ``` ``` "Fen, please help me discipline this troublesome Number Two." ``` ``` "Eh?" ``` ``` Excited little yellow flowers popped up above the Flower Witch''s head. ``` ``` The Flower Witch, having guessed her heart''s desire, took Water Elf Number Two and stroked it. ``` ``` So soft! ``` ``` She absolutely loved the Deep Sea Water Elves, especially using them as cushions, superfortable! ``` ``` And as someone from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, since childhood, she had dreamed of bing a master beast tamer! ``` ``` The Flower Witch looked down, realizing this was quite a valuable gift: ``` ``` "Qi, can I really have it?" ``` ``` "No problem, Water Elf Number Two is the perfect household tool, feel free to make full use of it." ``` ``` At that moment, the happy Water Elf Number Two suddenly got a shock and began to convulse nonstop! ``` ``` It was being sold, sold to the wicked witch! ``` ``` It didn''t want to be abor ve for the despicable humans! ``` ``` It was willing to work for Chen Qi and the Sea Demons, but not for humans! ``` ``` "Waku Waku (Master, I was wrong! I won''t cling to the Sea Demons anymore!)" ``` ``` "Waku Waku (Master! Don''t hand me over to the foolish humans!)" ``` ``` "Waku Waku (Master! Master! Don''t abandon me!)" ``` ``` Water Elf Number Two suddenly broke free and wrapped itself around Chen Qi''s legs, wailing loudly. ``` ``` "Realizing your mistake now is already toote..." ``` ``` Chen Qi''s expression was cold as he brutally pried Water Elf Number Two from his leg and stuffed it into the Flower Witch''s arms. ``` ``` If Number Two continued to stay with him, it would sooner orter be a captive of the little green algae. ``` ``` "Thanks~" ``` ``` Little yellow flowers continuously appeared above the Flower Witch''s head: ``` ``` "I learned beast taming skills as a child, and I know how to evolve pet spirits. I will take care of it as if it were you, with all my might!" ``` ``` "Alright." ``` ``` Wait a minute... Chen Qi nced at the Flower Witch. ``` ``` Considering him as a Water Elf meant treating him as a pet? ``` ``` The wicked Flower Witch was trying to take advantage of him again! ``` ``` However, in a certain sense, the Deep Sea Water Elves were already evolved Water Elves, and evolving again would be no small feat. ``` ``` Chen Qi retorted: ``` ``` "I am not a beast, Fen, have a smooth journey..." ``` ``` "Mm." ``` ``` Finally, the Flower Witch, clutching Water Elf Number Two tightly, walked with heavy steps, looking back every other step, before boarding her little boat. ``` ``` In order to be stronger, in order to survive the tides, she had to leave! ``` ``` The Flower Witch''s destination was the depths of the Crack Sea. ``` ``` Chen Qi''s goal, on the other hand, was to return to the coastal seas. ``` ``` Their routes were now in twopletely opposite directions. ``` ``` Chen Qi stood on the shore. ``` ``` The Flower Witch looked around, and taking advantage of the solitude, she sneakily lifted her hood to show her eyes, trying hard to form a crescent-moon smile: ``` ``` "Qi! When we meet again! Make sure you''re not missing any arms or legs! Being alive is the most important thing!" ``` ``` The Flower Witch nagged onest time. ``` ``` In her eyes, Chen Qi, although very capable, was still too reckless in his actions. ``` ``` He could end up dead. ``` ``` Chen Qi waved his hand: ``` ``` "Definitely not, Fen, goodbye!" ``` ``` The engine roared into life. ``` ``` The little boat headed towards the vast sea, taking with it the Flower Witch''s waving hand and the faint scent of her until they both disappeared into the sunset''s afterglow. ``` ``` Phew¡ª ``` ``` Suddenly, the surroundings became incredibly silent. ``` ``` Chen Qi stood on the shore, the sea breeze in his face, staring nkly at the distant sea. ``` ``` It was also time for him to return home. ``` ``` Chen Qi walked onto the small houseboat, checking that the Sea Demon hidden inside was safe. ``` ``` On the way home, he would just hitch a ride with Hai Yunduo. ``` ``` And just then, a multitude of Bounty Orders fluttered down from the sky,nding on Chen Qi''s face. ``` Chapter 160: Chapter 139: Bloody Bounty Order ``` "Caw, caw, caw," a flock of pitch-ck crows scattered bounty orders from the sky before swiftly departing. Suddenly, a mor arose from the port. "Hey, hey, what''s the joke? Who brought this bounty order in?" "Dare to toss a ck Whale Group bounty order into our naval territory?" "Quick, catch whoever is spreading the bounty orders!" "??" Chen Qi took down the bounty order that had covered his face and opened it. This bounty order was made of parchment, and on the back, there was a picture of a deep red, blood-colored shark, carrying with it a strong scent of blood. This format wasn''t a naval bounty order but rather the ck Whale Group''s bloody bounty order! The bloody bounty order,pared to ordinary bounty orders, offered greater rewards and could be imed without cumbersome procedures. The ck Whale Group would fulfill their promise immediately and give the highest respect to the person whopleted it. Even if the person was an enemy of the ck Whale Group, they would still pay out the reward. Once, Palu, captain of the Ice Demon Pirate Group, and Little Red Riding Hood from the Blood de Pirate Group, had imed bounties from the ck Whale Group numerous times. On the vast sea, the ck Whale Group''s bloody bounty orders were far more persuasive than the troublesome naval bounty orders. In the Witch Sea, thest ones wanted by a bloody bounty order were Little Red Riding Hood from the Blood de Pirate Group and a mechanic from the Ice Demon Pirate Group. And these people were all well-known figures in the Witch Sea! Chen Qi''s mouth gaped slightly. On this bounty order, there were only two people. Him and the Flower Witch! And if someone could capture the Flower Witch, the reward was as high as fifty million Shell Coins, and the ck Whale Group even promised to grant a Fourth-Rank Legendary Profession Card! For him, the reward was a whopping thirty million, and besides, the ck Whale Group promised that if you caught him, they would also give out a Third-Rank Profession Card! What''s more, unlike the naval bounty order. This bounty order emphasized one point: Alive! If they caught a corpse instead, the ck Whale Group would not give any reward; instead, they would y them alive. "Alive, is it that serious..." Chen Qi hooked a faint smile at the corner of his mouth. Even without the ck-eyed Captain spilling his secrets, he had still be a target for the ck Whale Group! The Flower Witch had mastery over the secret knowledge of the Witch Sea, so for the ck Whale Group, they wanted the witch alive! But why did they want me alive? Chen Qi thought for a moment. The biggest possibility was the Residual Fire Touch, a piece of lost equipment¡ªperhaps someone recognized this rare item. Second, it could be because of his performances on the high seas. They wanted Chen Qi to join the ck Whale Group and be one of them. Regardless of which possibility, neither were good news... Chen Qi threw the bounty order into the sea and started the engine. At least for now, the ck Whale Group didn''t know his true identity. Chen Qi did not feel afraid; instead, he wore a faint smile! Now that he was already caught in the tide, rather than running away, he might as well enjoy the storm! Let the storme more fiercely! Chen Qi started his small cabin boat, heading for his White Tree base in the nearby waters. And in a ce he didn''t notice, a familiar gaze was fixed on him. The young ck-haired girl sat on a wooden crate, turned her head, and watched the small cabin boat move away. Looking at the retreating figure of the owner of the small cabin boat, she felt he seemed somewhat familiar. She blinked her expressive big eyes: "No, he can''t be alive, he''s already dead." Besides, even if he were alive, how could a sickly person like hime here? The ck-haired girl opened the ck Whale Group''s bounty order and murmured to herself: "Being watched by that olddy, what a pitiable guy, pitiable Witch Missy, pitiable ck Hunter." She shook her head; many things were not for her, a young doctor, to interfere with. Subsequently, she sighed deeply, heading for the passenger ship bound for Sea Demon Ind: "The weather should be nice today, too bad I couldn''t have some barbecue before going back." ... ... On the boundless open sea, the storm raged like an enraged behemoth. The sky, which had held a trace of the setting sun, was now devoured by thick dark clouds, dyed in a deep, ink-like gray-ck. The rain poured down like a torrent, as if intending to drown the entire world in this endless curtain of rain. An unprecedented storm! Chen Qi stood on the deck, holding a bucket, continuously pouring water from the ship back into the sea. As he left Sea Demon Ind, he also received a special prompt. ``` [You havepleted the task¡ªTraveler Assassin: Description: Traveler, you havepleted a journey with a witch! Travel Evaluation: A (You delved deep into the legendary Sea Demon Gorge and encountered the legendary sea demons.) Reward: 3000 Spiritual Points.] His Second-tier upation task was sessfullypleted. 3000 Spiritual Points, a substantial ie! However, at this moment, Chen Qi had no time to celebrate thepletion of his task. Because his little houseboat was about to be flooded! This storm was enough to devour the little houseboat! The houseboat was being relentlessly battered by the waves! Such massive waves, the tiny vessel simply couldn''t withstand them. Chen Qi could only think of ways to remedy the situation. "Number One, Three, and Four, steady the vessel!" "Little Green Algae, stop singing your rain invocation song, the storm is fierce enough already!" "Hai Yunduo,e back to me, stop pretending to be a dark cloud!" The deep-sea water sprite clung to the houseboat, constantly steadying itself. Chen Qi tried his best, hoping to survive this storm. It was his first time facing such a severe storm! He must, absolutely must get through it! "I can make it through!" Chen Qi shouted. The moment his words fell, there was a loud roar! "..." Chen Qi gradually stopped his actions and looked down at his feet. A cloud of scalding smoke was rising from beneath his feet! A scent of char! "..." The houseboat''s speed abruptly slowed down! Chen Qi pushed his soaked hair back. His little houseboat''s engine had finally burst! Burst! When it rains, it pours... He had not expected to encounter such unfortunate events right after leaving the Flower Witch. "Is my luck really that bad..." Chen Qi leaned powerlessly on the boat, staring into the downpour. If the Flower Witch were here, she could perhaps conjure a magic trick for him. Ah, missing the Flower Witch on the first day. Chen Qi sighed and took out the sea map of the Ice Magic Pirate Group. His current location should be on the edge of the coastal region. Now that the engine was scrapped, he had to activate the backup engine, the ''Water Sprite Engine.'' With the Water Sprite''s current condition, it would take at least three days for him to return to Moonstone City. No, it might be five days... Chen Qi shook his head. Staying on the houseboat for three days, he would surely go insane, and he might even do something very strange to the deep-sea water sprite. The houseboat was fast, but its ability to withstand storms and attacks was simply too weak. "When I get back, I must upgrade the ship..." "Think positive, it cannot possibly get worse, right?" Chen Qi consoled himself. Then, the very next second, roars filled his ears! A gigantic merchant ship was gradually emerging behind him. Chen Qi immediately threw Little Green Algae into the sea, then looked up at the mountain-like gigantic merchant ship. Even amidst the wild storm, it stood tall and unyielding! The distance between the two ships was closing fast, and the huge travel ship became clearer and clearer in Chen Qi''s eyes. Chen Qi''s gaze moved up. The people on the deck were busy. They were wearing raincoats and helmets, doing their utmost to cope with the storm. For a moment, a busy blond sailor noticed the pitiable Chen Qi. But before Chen Qi could say a word, The sailor looked horrified and shouted at Chen Qi through the storm, "Brother! Run, the Ghost Ship is catching up!" "????" Chapter 161: Chapter 140: The White Dove Cruiser ``` The stormy rain kept washing over his face. "Did I outrun a ghost ship?" Chen Qi looked down at the dpidated little houseboat beneath his feet. The speed of the small houseboat was now even slower than his running speed on the open sea! Then, he nced at the huge traveling merchant ship in front of him. The hull, painted in gray and white, bore a gigantic white dove at the bow, with the dove lifting its head towards the sky as if unafraid of any storms. ''White Dove Ship,'' a type of traveling merchant ship notorious in the Witch Sea for its extreme speed, was under the operation of the White Dove Newspaper. Compared to other merchant ships, the White Dove Ship had a rather good reputation. Based on the shipping route, their destination was also Moonstone City. There were many types of ghost ships, and without enough information, one mustn''t rashly make contact. The ghost ship could likely turn his little houseboat into mere cinders, devouring itpletely! Chen Qi shouted at the top of his lungs: "My ship''s engine is broken, can you give me a lift?" Deckhands aboard the merchant ship fell silent for a moment. Their merchant ship was in full flight, with no time to pick up an ordinary fisherman. Under normal circumstances, he might have negotiated with the captain, potentially appealing to his kindheartedness. But on this voyage, all their guests were renowned figures from all over, with significant reputations! These guests wouldn''t want to see a dirty, sodden fisherman who''d fallen overboard, ruining their mood. Not to mention that behind their traveling ship was a vicious and relentless ghost ship. Quickly, Chen Qi took out a water elf and the White Dove Newspaper''s business card: "I am a chef from Moonstone City, and I can pay one hundred thousand Shell Coins aspensation!" One hundred thousand Shell Coins... The blond sailor hesitated. Right at that moment, the captain with the golden teeth, who was dealing with the storm, nced at Chen Qi and revealed his gleaming golden teeth, his face a picture of shock. He recognized this person, the famous chef from Moonstone City! The owner of the Water Elf Restaurant! Nowadays, at the docks, there were still some people looking forward to this chef''s return, eager for him to cook them a delicious meal! In fact, a sign had been erected that read ''Looking Forward to the Return,'' and some had even hired a witch to perform a summoning ritual! He must have made a good deal of money; he could rake in a hefty sum... The captain with the golden teeth shouted loudly: "Okay! He''s a Second-order Transcendent, I''ve tasted his cooking, he''s the owner of the Water Elf Restaurant, throw him a rope!" A Second-order Transcendent may not have a very high status, but it signified someone with some abilities. Many small gang leaders have Transcendent ranks that are barely Second-order. The ship''s speed did not decrease. "Ah, the captain wants to make some money again..." In the howling wind, the blond sailor, from the deck, threw a rope thicker than his forearm down from the ship. Chen Qi made a fast decision, catching the sturdy rope, then handed it to the deep-sea water elf number one. Without any superfluousmunication, the most reliable deep-sea water elf number one immediately understood his master''s intentions and began entwining the houseboat with the rope. The blond sailor was dumbfounded. The chef in front of him surely didn''t n to bring that ship on board in this storm, did he? Before he could even react, Chen Qi took an agile step, stepping onto the ship''s deck and locking eyes with him. What was happening? The blond sailor stepped back in shock as if he had seen a ghost! What in the world was this man nning to do? Then, the sailor heard the man before him whisper: "Explode." Boom! The water elf below the small houseboat exploded with a sudden force! With the massive impact, the little houseboat felt like it was flying for an instant. Chen Qi gripped the rope with all his might. Taking advantage of the momentum, like a sailor filled with spinach-fueled strength, he pulled his engine-damaged houseboat, with a fierce tug from the waves, up onto the deck. Bang! The houseboat struck the deck with a loud noise, drawing everyone''s gaze. The sailors were stunned, staring at the scene. How could this man be so strong, what did he eat to grow up! The disheveled Chen Qi shook the rainwater from his hair and said to the people around him: "Thank you. My boat is broken, it can only be repaired at Moonstone City''s shipyard." Chen Qi looked around at those present. The reason he boarded the ship in such a brusque manner. On one hand, he couldn''t possibly abandon his little houseboat, even with the engine broken, its interior still housed a Steam Hand engine. On the other hand, he absolutely had to prevent the chance of being fleeced by these merchants. These merchant ships were not run by phnthropists after all. ``` If you didn''t show enough force when boarding the ship, you would definitely get swindled. The gentler ones would use bunny girls, gambling, feasts, and the like to give you a good time, make youfortable, before draining all your money. The rougher ones would simply take a Gatling gun spewing blue mes and aim it at your head to rob your money. But regardless, as long as you didn''t appear strong enough, you would inevitably be tricked. Thus, when Chen Qi boarded the ship, he disyed his muscles. At this moment, the gold-toothed captain of the White Dove cruise ship was staring dumbfounded at Chen Qi, swallowing back the thought of charging extra. The gold-toothed captain''s Transcendent level wasn''t high, merely a Second-tier Transcendent "Merchant" with no realbat capabilities. Just one nce was enough for the widely experienced captain to sense that this man had strength not inferior to a Second-order Transcendent from the mafia! Raising the price was no longer an option; all he could do was call a few bunny girls over and try to make some hard-earned money. The gold-toothed captainmented. Six deep-sea Water Elves hopped back from the sea and ran over to Chen Qi''s side. Chen Qi took a look at his little houseboat. The little sea demon was honestly hiding in a bucket, while Hai Yunduo was disguised as wool, squeezed into the cramped cabin. As his business grew, the small houseboat continued to be more crowded. He needed to buy a bigger boat soon... Chen Qi took out 100,000 Shell Coins from his backpack card and handed them to the captain: "Appreciate your help, everyone. My little boat had some problems, resulting in most of the ingredients I got from the Crack Sea spoiling." Going to the Crack Sea alone? The gold-toothed captain took the money and forced a smile: "No worries, Chef, what with the rampant pirates these days. Vessels like ours doing small business should help each other out when facing these ghostly cmities from the crack." Deep-sea Water Elf Number One climbed onto Chen Qi''s head to shield him from the rain and to stand guard against his master''s enemies. If anyone dared to attack the master, Deep-sea Water Elf Number One would be the first to defend! Chen Qi asked curiously: "The cmity of the ghost ships? Can you borate a bit more?" The captain with the golden eyes suddenly clenched his teeth, showing a terrified expression: "Sir, you should know about the consequences of crack mutations, right?" "Crack mutation..." Chen Qi pondered. The consequences of a crack mutation weren''t limited to the elevation of the crack''s rank. In addition, a mutated crack would be a source of pollution, further contaminating the world. For instance, the number 8 train crack he had encountered previously, if left untraversed and its rank reached C-tier, then in the dark corners of the city, there might really be a train running, nging and inviting weary travelers to head to Nether River. If the cracks weren''t dealt with in time, they would transform into a natural disaster, roaming the world! Therefore, under the Crack Tide, more and more strange phenomena would ur above the vast sea. Chen Qi asked: "The ghost ship chasing you, was it also caused by a crack mutation?" Following that, the gold-toothed captain lowered his head: "Yes, it''s a ghost ship with green fire, incredibly fast. Lately, within the nearby seas, it has already robbed multiple ships. They''ll rece the local sea lords and have be the new dominators of the nearby seas! Our ship has already been outfitted with the Bonfire Energy propulsion system from ind, but despite that, we still can''t match the speed of this ghost ship. If it weren''t for a powerhouse on board taking action, by now, we probably would have beenpletely plundered by the ghost ship." The new local sea lord, such big talk... Chen Qi thought with an inward smile. However, from the captain''s description, the speed of this ghost ship was certainly extraordinary. Bonfire Energy Company, like Steam Hand, also in charge of an A-tier crack, was a well-known bigpany in Shell Country. The power cores of many giant Steam Mechas were made by Bonfire Energy Company. Even a White Dove cruise ship using their engines, had quite a swift sailing speed on the sea. Chen Qi then asked for more details about the cmity ¨C the ghost ship. The sea ghosts who robbed on the big seas were named Green Fire Ghosts, a type of pirate ghost that liked to plunder and aimed to dominate the nearby waters. Their pirate ship was extremely fast, which was why many ships were helpless against them. And just an hour ago, this ship had been targeted by the ghost ship but had managed to shake off the pursuing ghost ship by relying on the passengers inside. Now, the ghost ship still hadn''t given up the chase! They imed to be the new local sea lords and demanded blood and money from any who passed through the nearby seas. Chen Qi looked down at the cabin below his feet. On this ship, there was someone capable of repelling the ghost ship. At that moment, from below, ear-splitting curses could be heard: "Quiet down up there! Our transaction feast is about to begin!" "Hurry up and bring all the courtesans, gigolos, and delicacies from your ship up here!" Hearing the shouts from below deck, the gold-toothed captain shuddered all over. Such a strong Transcendent presence... Chen Qi thought to himself. It seemed that the passengers on this ship were no ordinary people. Chapter 162: Chapter 141 Our Ship Might Have a Monster Chen Qi curiously asked, "Captain, are there any passengers aboard this ship?" With a sigh, Captain Gold Teeth replied, "Sir, to be honest, this ship carries all the prominent figures, among them even a Third-tier Doctor. You should know that in our Witch Sea, many transactions are conducted aboard ships. Soon, they will also hold a transaction banquet on board, but unfortunately, these guests are exceedingly picky. They want not only bunny girls but also male cowherdpanions, and gourmet dishes prepared by top chefs." Cowherds? Bunny girls? Chen Qi frowned. What on earth was this cruise up to? Suddenly, he noticed Captain Gold Teeth looking at him with an expectant gaze. Captain Gold Teeth, he realized, if this chef dressed up a bit, he really had a certain charm! To be a cowherd, that was no problem at all! The only pity was theck of characteristic features. Under the influence of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, the cowherd profession was intenselypetitive. You needed not only looks and eloquence but also unique features, such as cat ears, dog tails, demon horns, slime hands, and so on. If not, some startling special talent was necessary. "I am a respectable person," Chen Qi emphasized. As an heir to a Deep Sea Hunter, he would never sell his body! Never in his life would it happen! Captain Gold Teeth sighed, "What a pity..." And just then, Captain Gold Teeth suddenly pped Chen Qi''s balding head. This chef before him was the famous chef of Moonstone City. His culinary skill, just perfect for this banquet. Captain Gold Teeth squeezed out a smile and immediately stuffed the hundred thousand Shell Coins he had just taken back into Chen Qi''s hands: "No, I didn''t mean that, Chef sir. You''re the owner of the Water Elf restaurant, right? Our restaurant is in dire need of a famous chef right now, and we''re willing to pay you five hundred thousand Shell Coins to help usplete the banquet. How about it?" Chen Qi pondered for a moment. To earn five hundred thousand Shell Coins just by cooking for one night! That''s even more profitable than selling oneself! You must know that the cash he currently held was just over four million Shell Coins, and five hundred thousand Shell Coins was by no means a small sum. Moreover, if this were a transaction banquet, it also meant that Skill Cards would be sold there. He could also use his identity as a chef to join their banquet and engage in transactions. After thinking, Chen Qi answered, "No problem." Captain Gold Eyes then said to Chen Qi, "Guest, if you wish to proceed to the banquet hall, please make sure to dress properly. These guests are very particr, and they certainly don''t want to see someone looking like a drowned rat. My guests are not to be trifled with, and they all have strange tempers." After speaking, Captain Gold Teeth stood disheveled in the rain, looking pitiful and helpless. Clearly, the passengers inside the ship were not something a mere Second-tier captain could handle. Because of the storm and the Ghost Ship, their banquet had also not been prepared properly. Fortunately, they happened to run into a chef on the road. "I understand..." Chen Qi agreed to their request. For safety, he left Deep Sea Water Elves number four and five behind to guard his small houseboat. If anyone dared to intrude into his small houseboat, the Deep Sea Water Elves could inform him immediately. "Please follow me." Guided by Captain Gold Teeth and a bunny girl, Chen Qi walked into the cabin and wiped his wet body with a towel. Contrary to the stormy weather outside, the whole cabin was brightly lit, exuding an aura of opulence. As he headed to the kitchen, Chen Qi just happened to pass by the banquet hall. At the entrance of the banquet hall, two golden wallmps emitted a soft glow, greeting the guests like two elegant ushers into this enchanting world. On the long table in the hall, various utensils and pastries were arranged. ssy, grand, and high-end! Chen Qi couldn''t help but be slightly moved. As a chef, this was the first time he saw such avish banquet hall. However, the atmosphere inside the banquet hall was very subdued. In the center of the banquet hall, a man and a woman, both dressed in fancy clothes, were chatting idly. The woman screeched in her grating voice, "Damn Ghost Ship, daring to snatch my skirt, one day, my Hunter Group of wild dogs will kill them all!" "Stop dreaming. With your Hunter Group, you want to capture the Ghost Ship?" "Just count your money. I heard a distinguished guest from that ce hase on board, bringing a lot of rare items!" "I''m calling dibs on Floral Appearance and anything that makes one more beautiful¡ªthat''s all mine~" "Can''t the banquet start sooner? Why haven''t they started serving the food!" Due to the encounter with the Ghost Ship, the passengers on board were very displeased. Chen Qi activated his Dove Perception and unconsciously focused his gaze on a corner of the banquet. At the edge of the banquet hall, a girl with long ck hair sat alone, flipping through an anatomy book, seemingly isted from the surrounding mor. A mboyant blonde with big waves spread her arms, embracing and flirting with two blonde sailors. Besides them, there was someone in a white cloak sitting cross-legged at the entrance of the banquet hall, continuously muttering strange chants. ... ... Many Transcendents directly revealed the weapons at their waists. Why does she look familiar? Chen Qi stared at the girl in the corner and took a closer look, then said to the gold-toothed captain beside him, "Captain, you didn''t check their identities before entertaining them on board, did you?" A real merchant''s banquet wouldn''t allow weapons to be shown so tantly. This type of armed dealing resembled more a ck-market transaction or one amongst gangs or pirates. Among this group of guests, although some were wealthy, there were definitely pirates mixed in! The gold-toothed captain gave a helpless smile, not bothering to hide the truth, "Sir, there''s nothing we can do about it; we''re just an ordinary cruise ship, and it''s difficult for us to vet the passengers whoe aboard. And besides, this is a noble''s banquet. Even if there are pirates on board with bounties over ten million, we are powerless to do anything about it." Is that so... Chen Qi muttered to himself, staying vignt. I need to be careful; there are Third-tier Transcendents in the banquet hall. The crowd here is a mixed bag, but the trade meeting they''re holding might be a bit more interesting than a regr one. Following that, Chen Qi walked into the kitchen and looked towards his colleagues. There weren''t many chefs in the kitchen, only five in total, two elderly Third Rank chefs with the Cup Phase¡ªone blond and one bald¡ªand the other three were assistants to these chefs. The spat danced in the pot and mes leapt on the stove; together with the rocking ship, the kitchen was in chaos. Seeing the water elf lying weakly on Chen Qi''s head, the two professional chefs immediately recognized his identity! A chef from the Water Elf Restaurant! As colleagues, the two chefs had long heard about Chen Qi''s street-side stall. The banquet guests were particrly anxious, and Chen Qi didn''t waste words; he skillfully put on an apron and picked up the spat, "Everyone, I''m here to help with the cooking. If there''s anything you need help with, please let me know." A chef who hadn''t obtained a culinary license, a wild chef who had risen to fame through cookingpetitions, had even made it onto the front page of the Dove Newspaper. Many chefs had long wanted to challenge Chen Qi! But in the current urgent situation, the two colleagues suppressed their desire to spar. The bald head chef of the banquet said, "You''re a lifesaver! Over there are the Bubba Lobster, the sauce-drenched abalone, the tender triple fish dish, and the inspiration squid balls." All seafood, and they even have Transcendent ingredients... Chen Qi smiled. Though he disliked seafood, his Soul Seasoning was specifically designed to enhance the original vors of food. A perfect match! Chen Qi skillfully moved to the lobster''s side, "No problem." Chen Qi picked up a small knife and drew beautiful curves in the air, trimming off the lobster''s excess parts. The elderly chef watched Chen Qi''s unhurried technique with his ever-critical eye. Not professional enough, the knife skills are mediocre! To him, with thirty years of experience, this knife work seemed less like preparing a lobster and more like the method of an assassin! Could this chef''s ability really match his reputation, or was it just a restaurant that had gained poprity due to a water elf and cheap prices? "No good..." The head chef shook his head and exined, "Sir, when handling Bubba Lobster, you must be quick and cut simultaneously. You have to finish it off before the lobster can react. If it''s done too slowly, the lobster''s pain will spread throughout its body, affecting the texture of the meat and causing a mild bitter taste!!" Pain affects the quality of the meat? What a strange theory. Chen Qi listened intently but puzzled, It sounded somehow reasonable, though. "I understand." Chen Qi responded. Perhaps in terms of seafood knife skills, he was indeed not on par with those seasoned chefs. The head chef said earnestly, with gritted teeth, "Sir, I may be nitpicking, but the guests on this ship are of very high status and have extraordinary backgrounds. If we cannot make dishes that satisfy them, we might be killed by them alive before we get robbed by ghosts." Saying so, he trembled slightly and let out a long sigh, "Originally, there were three chefs on board this ship." "Is it that serious..." Chen Qi''s hand gripping the knife instinctively tightened. Then, the bald head chef nced at the doorway to ensure no one was eavesdropping and lowered his voice as much as he could, "Sigh... Sir, there might be pirates on this ship, as well as creatures from the deep sea..." "Oh." Chapter 163: Chapter 142: The Banquet and the Sirens Deep-sea monsters are not referring to me... Chen Qi confirmed in his heart. On the sea, most people who could be called "deep-sea monsters" were mutated humans. For example, the infamous Deep Sea Merchant was a terrifying mutated Transcendent. The most likely scenario was that they had encountered someone from the Sea God Pirate Group. A sense of uncontroble sorrow spread through the kitchen. The ship was already pitching and tossing,pounded by the fear of death. The bald chef remembered his wife back home, and his right hand, which was frying a dish, trembled slightly. "Those pirates and monsters run amok. On this ship, chefs like us, if we''re not careful, could be their ythings for amusement at any moment." The bald chef inexplicably rallied in his heart: "Sir, don''t be overly afraid. At this banquet, there are only a few pirates. When entering the banquet hall, mind your manners, and as long as our dishes are delicious enough, we can survive. "Oh, and sir, remember, never disobey their orders." Poor chef... Chen Qi silently continued chopping vegetables: "Thank you for the reminder. I understand." Time was running out. To avoid offending the guests in the banquet hall, everyone in the kitchen hastily prepared the dishes. The air was filled with the aroma of various ingredients blending together. As time passed, one exquisite dish after another waspleted. [You have cooked an exceptionally delicious Bobo lobster, gaining 120 Spiritual Points.] "Done!" Looking at the many delicious dishes on the chef''s table, Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his forehead. After reaching the Second-tier profession, the Spiritual Points he gained from his daily tasks had also increased. Once cooking waspleted, ording to the banquet''s procedure, the three chefs also had to go to the banquet hall to introduce the dishes to the guests. Before heading out, a makeup artist came over and handed Chen Qi a fitted white chef''s outfit with golden trim. Without a chef''s hat, he used Deep Sea Water Elf No.1 instead. Chen Qi dressed properly, adjusted the Water Elf hat, and followed the waiter carrying the dishes into the bustling banquet hall. At this moment, the guests of the White Dove ship had begun to enter. At the front of the banquet, a host with a mustache was giving an impassioned speech: "Dear guests, wee to this trading banquet. With the arrival of the Crack Tide, I believe everyone present has obtained Transcendent items during their journey in the Crack Sea. However, due to the limitations of nature, not every journey to the crack allows us to get the desired items. Only through exchange can the items find their proper value. This exchange event is temporarily organized. There may still be people on the ship who are unaware of it, but we wee everyone to join this event, jointly break the century-sealed wall of Transcendence, and achieve Transcendence to be legends!" After listening, Chen Qi pondered for a moment. The guests on this voyage were all Transcendents who had just returned from the Crack Sea. At the suggestion of a noble, they had organized this trading banquet. Things were not as serious as he had imagined; there were only a few pirates at this banquet. He could even participate in this exchange event. During the crack expeditions, even with the highest appraisal, it was inevitable to obtain skill cards unrted to one''s own craft. For example, he had the Floral Appearance Dragon Charm and a one-time skill card of the Void, ''Void Skeleton Head.'' As a chef, Chen Qi followed the waiter to the front row of a table at the banquet and introduced the dishes to the guests: "Guests, this is a Transcendent ingredient from the depths of the Crack Sea, squid balls. After enjoying them, they can increase inspiration. This is a top-notch Bobo lobster imported from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom..." At this moment, a seductive female voice interrupted him: "Did you prepare this Bobo lobster, little chef with the Water Elf on your head~?" "..." Chen Qi looked at the guest who was picking on him. His problem with the knife skills on the Bobo lobster had been noticed after all. A woman in a blue dress drank a ss of red wine, her gem-like blue eyes stared at Chen Qi. She had cascading blue curls, and her tight blue dress hugged her body curves, outlining an alluring figure like a mountain peak. At the same time, a devilish smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, evoking wild imaginings. Pirate... Chen Qi''s pupils constricted involuntarily. He recognized the sinful woman in front of him! Infamous on a gaming forum, a cadre of the ck Whale Group''s Mama Pirate Ship, Sea King Siren! She had multiple nicknames: ''Online Dating Killer,'' ''Bad Woman,'' ''Miss Siren,'' ''Super Sea King,'' ''COS Master.'' Third-tier Dice Phase profession, Shapeshifter, second-tier profession of Floral Appearance [Singer], first-tier profession of Floral Appearance [Singer''s Apprentice]. Therefore, besides changing her posture, she also mastered the forbidden voice. Transcendent profession, coupled with extraordinary beauty, was very much like the legendary sea demon. Hence, she was also called Siren. The Mama Pirate Ship was a powerful pirate group under the ck Whale Group, with many hedonistic Floral Appearance hedonists. And Siren was one of the outstanding ones among them. She was a scum who had deceived numerous men and women, toying with their bodies and emotions! Using sweet words and the Transcendent ability of a Shapeshifter, she could easily change clothes and show different forms in front of different targets. Countless yers had been deceived by Siren, imnted with special potions, and be Siren''s dogs. Some yers, after being deceived by Siren, made a resolute decision to join the Navy to punish her and seek revenge! While some yers said ''they don''t love women who aren''t bad'' and resolutely joined the ck Whale Pirate Group to be Siren''s dogs. There was even a heated thousandment debate on the forum about ''What''s wrong with being Siren''s dog'' that sparked a war of words between two factions of yers! Siren herself wasn''t weak, and with the backing of a Fourth Rank Mama, she had always evaded capture, ying with the emotions of countless people. She would even tie men or women she liked to her ship on the street, humiliating them mercilessly. Her arrogance knew no bounds. An extremely dangerous character... Chen Qi thought to himself. He never expected to encounter a ck Whale Group''s cadre on an ordinary voyage ship! Like ck Gloves, Siren was also a ck Whale Group cadre who mastered release skills, and her strength couldn''t be underestimated. At his current strength, he was certainly no match for Siren. Siren looked at the contemtive Chen Qi and said: "What''s wrong, little chef? Bobo lobster is a simple dish. I''ve heard that you appeared in the White Dove Times, but now it seems you only have a reputation~." Other guests also showed doubtful expressions. Siren began to show a devilish smile. My culinary skills are being taunted! Chen Qi immediately exined seriously: "No, dear guests, this is thetest method. You should know that the mood of the Bobo lobster before it died affects the quality of its meat. However, judging the Bobo lobster''s mood just by the knife work is extremely unreasonable. I infused my joy and pursuit of culinary arts into the knife. Although the knife work may differ slightly from traditional methods, I have conveyed my joy and pursuit of culinary arts to the Bobo lobster through my knife! Please believe me, this dish will not disappoint you." Conveyed the pursuit of culinary arts to the Bobo lobster? Infused joy into the ingredients? Siren''s slightly upturned lips could no longer hold the smile. What''s happening? What is this chef talking about? Could he be a fraud? Curious, she picked up a knife and fork, ate a piece of lobster meat, and slowly savored it! "Hmm..." Instantly, she felt a surge of heat through her body, the vor exploded on her tongue: "Fantastic... no, it''s decent!" "Is it really that good?" The other people at the table also looked skeptical and took a bite. As they chewed, the vor of the lobster bloomed like a flower in their mouths. It was just as the chef had said, the Bobo lobster was super delicious! The food''s intrinsic vor waspletely unleashed! Although the knife work wascking, the taste was perfect! Unbelievable! They felt like they were in paradise, seeing the Bobo lobstere to life and say, "Eat me, I''m super delicious!" "I didn''t expect to find such top-notch cuisine on this shabby ship." "When I go back, I''ll tell my head chef to also pour love and joy into the ingredients while cooking!" Everyone marveled. Thankfully, my skill saved the day... Chen Qi let out a long breath in his heart. Lacking knife skills, soul seasoning made up for it! Aplete form chef, paired with soul seasoning, could perfectly bring out the original vor of the ingredients! At this moment, Siren also rested her chin on her right hand, staring at Chen Qi''s Water Elf hat: "Chef, you''re quite delicious, don''t get me wrong, I mean your cooking. It''s a pity my sister isn''t here, or she could also taste your culinary skills. Little chef,ter could I trouble you to reintroduce this dish to my sister?" Siren''s tone was very deliberate and seductive; she thought the little chef before her would certainly fall for it. Got targeted, troublesome... Chen Qi replied: "No problem, Miss, thank you for thepliment. Enjoy your meal." Retreat! Given his current strength, being targeted by Siren was indeed a troublesome matter. Chen Qi quickly left the table and walked to the center of the banquet hall. At this moment, under the host''s speech, everyone began to exchange Transcendent items! Chapter 164: Chapter 143 I Was Named? This banquet was not formal, but rather an impromptu trading event, with no borate exnations or auction procedures. Just like a simple market, amidst the dancing, food, and piano music, those who wanted to trade took out Transcendent items, and if someone fancied them, they would exchange items or money. As for the security measures for the trading event, a special Eye of Long Voyage was set on the ceiling to record the happenings of the banquet. In the event of any special situation, the White Dove touring boat would trigger an rm system to ensure the safety of the trading event. There shouldn''t be anything else for me¡­ After handling the matters at the table, Chen Qi left the table and looked around the entire banquet hall. As the bald Chef had said, most of the people here belonged to the Moonstone City Company, and there weren''t many pirates. Excluding a few pirates, this was just an ordinary trading event. A good opportunity¡­ Chen Qi tidied his clothes. In the market, such trades without any intermediary fees were rare. Maybe, I can also do some business¡­ Chen Qi took out two useless Skill Cards from his backpack card. ''Dragon Charm,'' ''Void Skeleton Head.'' These were two very hard-to-deal-with Skill Cards. Don''t know if I can trade these two cards for something useful. If it were the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, Dragon Charm would definitely be in high demand¡­ Chen Qi weaved through the noisy banquet, trying to find a reliable buyer. Just then, an old, bitter voice caught his attention. "I only want Void Skill Cards, only void can trade for void." Chen Qi turned his head towards the direction of the voice. On the banquet floor sat an old man who was out of ce with the banquet. He wore a damp white cloak and sat cross-legged on the ground. His arms were bony, like dried branches, and some seawater continued to seep out from beneath his cloak. The aura of a Third-tier Void Transcendent, truly rare¡­ This cloaked outfit, he is likely from the Sea God Pirate Group! The Sea God Pirate Group and the ck Whale Pirate Group appearing together on the same ship? Are they nning to carry out revenge actions in the near seas? Chen Qi wondered. The Navy had just won a victory at Sea Demon Ind, and the ck Whale Group was not some meek kitten to take a beating. They were bound to take significant action for revenge! Chen Qi remembered that around this time, the ck Whale Group would upy nearby inds, set up meteorological observation stations, and establish their own territory in the near seas. But more than these matters, Chen Qi was now more concerned about the Skill Card in the hands of the cloaked old man. A merchant yelled: "Hey, old man, I''ll give you three hundred thousand Shell Coins for the card in your hand!" Hearing the three hundred thousand offer, the cloaked old man didn''t move a muscle, coldly repeating: "Only void can trade for my ''Void''." Chen Qi observed the card in the old man''s hand. The card''s face was empty, and on the back was a pitch-ck, blood-eyed book! The Void Book Form¡­ Chen Qi was shocked. As a strategy guide main, he knew this card. Void Knowledge, a one-time-use Void Book Form Skill Card, its effect was to clear the negative impacts caused by excessive use of Skill Cards. The higher the frequency of using Skill Cards, the more it would cause brain confusion, even madness. For this reason, even resource-rich nobles could not quickly create powerful Transcendents. In many cases, Transcendents had to rely on their own steady umtion of learning to master Transcendent skills. But Void Knowledge could clear the negative states caused by the excessive use of Skill Cards! Although Void Knowledge still had many limitations, for someone developing as quickly as Chen Qi, it was an invaluable treasure. However, Void Skill Cards, like Void Transcendents, were extremely rare. Many people wanted to trade for them with money but were directly rejected. Luckily, he happened to have a Void Card. Chen Qi walked over, squatted down, and brought out ''Void Skeleton Head'': "Can I trade this Skill Card?" The Void Skeleton Head, whose effect was to resist mental attacks at the cost of giving up thinking, was a one-time-use skill, and then after death, it triggered Blind Speech. For Chen Qi, this Skill Card was useless. But for a Transcendent stepping into the Void, this seemingly useless card was extremely important for their Transcendent path. The moment he saw the card, the cloaked old man''s body let out gurgling sounds of excitement. "Ritual, ritual¡­" He muttered, took the card: "Abandon thinking¡­ not bad¡­ I want it¡­" The cloaked old man wasted no words, quickly handed ''Void Knowledge'' to Chen Qi,pleting the trade. As soon as the trade waspleted, Chen Qi instantly felt a lot of people''s eyes on him. The value of Void Knowledge could soar above millions! It was a Skill Card many nobles purchased annually. Before they could say anything, Chen Qi mercilessly cut his finger with the card: "Use¡­" Before people could react, the Void Knowledge card turned to ashes in Chen Qi''s hands and merged into his blood. [You have used Void Knowledge.] Sorry! This card is too important to me, not for sale! In front of everyone, Chen Qi licked his tongue. Such a good feeling! It was like a sturdy ear picker carefully cleaning out the grime in his brain. His whole body and mind felt refreshed! Awesome! Most Void Skill Cards were universally regarded as trash cards. Unexpectedly, he managed toplete a trade with a Void Transcendent. Watching this scene, everyone shook their heads and gave up the idea of snatching the treasure. "This trading event still has some quality." After the trade, Chen Qi headed into the banquet, like a professional treasure hunter, scrutinizing the people around him. Wonder if I can trade for a high-order Light or Shadow Skill Card! Chen Qi started selling his Dragon Charm. Anyone dream of marrying a dragondy? Or being a dragon''s husband or wife? Getting close to a dragon? Dragon Charm, you deserve it! Just then, he heard the voice of a Siren: "My sister is short on money and is selling Shadow Skill Cards. Anyone interested?" Shadow Skill Card! Chen Qi''s attention was immediately drawn to it. He saw a tall Siren standing behind a ck-haired girl. The ck-haired girl sat in a chair, looking displeased. Because the Siren behind her bent over, burying the ck-haired girl''s head into her chest''s waves, and softly stroked the girl''s chin with her slender index finger. It was like ying with a teddy bear. The ck-haired girl looked like she had lost the will to live. Chen Qi could sense that the ck-haired girl wanted to kill the Siren behind her and chop her up! This ck-haired girl was also a Third Rank Transcendent, but her Nature Form couldn''t be confirmed¡­ Before Chen Qi could speak, the Siren turned her head. She also noticed Chen Qi and the Water Elf on his head: "Little Chef, we meet again. Is there anything you want? Sister will buy it for you as long as you lend me the Water Elf on your head to y with~" "Vah kwah vah kwah (stupid human!)" The Water Elf on Chen Qi''s head fumed instantly, puffing up in anger, not wanting to be yed with by anyone other than its master! Even if others got its body, they would never get its heart! The Siren was infuriated by the Water Elf''s look of disgust! She was so sweet, so beautiful! A little pet dared to reject her! She had always been loved by little animals since childhood! Cats and dogs all adored her! I like this kind of rebellious little creature¡­ The Siren said with a hint of force: "Little Chef, one hundred thousand Shell Coins for your Water Elf to apany me for a night! If it pleases me, I''ll let you keep mepany at night, such a rare opportunity~" With that, the Siren released a trace of her Third-order Transcendent''s terrifying aura, along with a scent of perfume! Threat paired with temptation! What a distasteful person¡­ Chen Qi clenched his fist. Simultaneously, beside him, the Gold-toothed Captain of the White Dove touring boat and the bald Chef frantically blinked at Chen Qi. The Siren was an important guest of the White Dove touring boat. If they failed to please her, the consequences would be dire! In their view, letting a Water Elf apany the Siren for a night in exchange for one hundred thousand Shell Coins was not a loss. The atmosphere became a bit tense. No, the Water Elf Number One was my top working pet. Besides, the Siren was part of the Big Mom Pirate Group. Once the Water Elf was handed over, getting it back would be impossible. Chen Qi kept his cool, ready to refuse. Suddenly, a cold voice interrupted the tense atmosphere. The ck-haired girl sorted through the cards in her hand and said coldly: "Sis, shut your mouth. We''re not here to y with men. If you''re lonely, go to a host club. Don''t act crazy in public." Someone''s standing up for me¡­ Chen Qi was shocked. Acting crazy? The Siren looked down at the ck-haired girl at her chest. She just wanted to y a bit, but got rebuked for it! Immediately, the ck-haired girl continued harshly: "And bullying a Little Chef, aren''t you ashamed? What''s so fun about a Little Chef?" Then, the ck-haired girl, tired of life, finally turned her head to see the Chef. Her eyes met Chen Qi''s. The moment their gazes met, the ck-haired girl slightly opened her small mouth, her facial expression freezing as if she had glimpsed something unspeakable! "This¡­" The ck-haired girl suddenly froze entirely, showing a very conflicted expression. Finally, after three seconds of calm thought, the ck-haired girl took a deep breath and said coldly: "Little Chef,e to my room now." "???" Chen Qi furrowed his brows, looking at his white, gold-trimmed Chef uniform. I am a Chef, not a host, right? Did she just request me? Chapter 165 Chapter 144 Long Time No See Chen Qi lowered her head and looked at the ck-haired girl on her chest, tugging at the tuft of hair sticking up on her head. Her friend, who usually loved reading books on dissection and studying sea beasts, suddenly spoke such forceful words. There was no reason for it... Chen Qi suddenly had a bold idea¡ªwas the ck-haired girl in her arms trying to insult her by iming her prey? Chen Qi leaned down and whispered in the ck-haired girl''s ear: "Do you want to dissect him~" The ck-eyed Captain felt a chill in his heart and immediately intervened to smooth things over: "Guest, this is a famous chef hired for our ship, a chef from the Water Elf dining boat, not a crew member, so unfortunately we can''t..." Chen Qi was the chef he had hired, not a professionally trained ''nightpanion.'' The ck-eyed Captain tried to speak up for Chen Qi, but his voice grew fainter and fainter, as if he was shrinking into the ground. Although he was a somewhat famous captain, he held no sway in front of the two esteemed third-tier Transcendents. "No way..." Chen Qi looked into the ck-haired girl''s eyes, feeling an ominous sensation. At that moment, the ck-haired girl tried to hide her excitement as she spoke to Chen Qi: "You must be a Transcendent of the ''Shadow Cup'' phase. I mean no offense; I just want you toe to my room to finalize a deal involving Skill Cards." The ck-haired girl put away the Skill Card she was holding, stood up, and straightened her skirt. A Skill Card transaction that needed to be done in a room? It smelled of lies... Chen Qi looked around. On this boat, apart from Chen Qi, the old man in the cloak on the ground could very well be one of their group. Three third-tier Transcendents¡ªif he tly refused, it would only make things moreplicated. Stay connected with empire And, if there truly was trouble, escaping on the way might be the better choice. To make sure Chen Qi would agree toe, the ck-haired girl added: "Don''t worry, you won''t be disappointed by this deal. The Skill Cards you get from me will be thirty percent cheaper than the market price." Thirty percent cheaper? Why? Chen Qi shook his head. He had no choice but to follow the ck-haired girl, leaving the banquet hall and passing through the narrow corridor. Even through the thick shipboards, he could still feel the howling of the wind and the rainstorm. However, at that moment, Chen Qi focused all his attention on the footsteps of the girl ahead. Tap, tap, tap¡ª Most people were in the banquet hall. Despite the storm outside, the corridor felt eerily quiet. Chen Qi discreetly took a beast-hunting pistol from his backpack card and hid it under his clothes, ready to fight if needed. "Miss, may I ask what you are doing?" "Trading cards, while also confirming something." Confirming something? No way... Chen Qi looked at the person in front of him, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity. The ck-haired girl stopped walking. They had reached her room. "Follow me." She used a key to open the door; inside was a small single room with just a simple bed and a desk. Chen Qi took a deep breath and walked into the room. Bang! The door closed behind them. Just as the ck-haired girl was about to take off her shoes and bend down... Whoosh! She suddenly twisted to the side and turned around with both hands reaching out, aiming to grab Chen Qi''s head! An ambush! Her technique was a controlling move, not intended to kill, but it implied absolute confidence in her strength. Although it was not meant to harm, it was still incredibly fast! Chen Qi instinctively stepped back to dodge the grab. Bang! The ck-haired girl''s hands missed their target, and her bloodshot eyes filled with shock. He had actually anticipated the ambush! "Is it really not so..." She turned her hands and said softly: "I just needed to confirm one thing, which requires a look at your back. Please cooperate." The agility of the person in front of him was strong, but his movements were reckless¡ªnothing yet unmanageable. Besides, this voice was different from what he had heard back in the banquet hall. Look at my back? His back bore the pattern of the Sea Beast''s disease¡­ Chen Qi, puzzled, knew that only a few people were aware of the disease on his back. Besides, the voice he had heard earlier in the banquet hall was a disguised one. This voice, it sounds like Little Crow¡­ Little Crow! Chen Qi''s pupils suddenly narrowed, his mind roiling tumultuously. The face before him differed significantly from that of Little Crow as he remembered. Moreover, encountering someone on a cruise ship who knew his secret was truly beyond Chen Qi''s expectations. The other party gave him no chance to think. "A truly skilled second-order Transcendent shouldn''t be like this¡­" Little Crow shifted her stance and threw a fierce high kick, her right leg shooting straight like a sharp scalpel toward Chen Qi''s chin. Boom! Chen Qi mobilized his Qi Power, blocking the kick with his hand in advance, neutralizing the strike. Third-tier Cup Phase, experimental subject of the potion! Though she looked like a frail young girl from her external appearance, her strength as a Cup Phase professional couldpare to that of a bear! And that was just her strength in her normal state without any potion. Unfortunately, her way of attacking had too many ws; she wasn''t skilled inbat, and she had no desire to kill. The moment Chen Qi resisted that strike, he grabbed her foot and leveraged a twist. "!" Little Crow immediately retracted her leg, stabilizing her stance. Chen Qi pursued his advantage, fiercely unleashing another savage kick, this time targeting her abdomen. The speed was so great that it produced a sharp sonic boom in the air! Boom! The kicknded heavily on her abdomen. Caught off guard, Little Crow was mmed against the room''s wall. The entire room seemed to shudder violently for a moment, and a noticeable crack appeared on the wall. Struck in the abdomen, yet not even a scream was issued; such was the defense of a third-order Transcendent. Although the blow did not cause actual damage, it sessfully created distance, putting Chen Qi in a safer position. At the same time, it also managed to calm the frenzied Little Crow. Normally, Little Crow wouldn''t be so reckless as to suddenly use a control skill to forcefully inspect Chen Qi''s back. Little Crow looked at Chen Qi, her face filled with disbelief that her attack had been blocked. Without taking any potions, herbat power was still too weak. A second-order Transcendent with very quick reactions... "Could such a huge change really happen in such a short time? Could it be that it''s just a resemnce?" Little Crow muttered to herself; when she first saw Chen Qi, she thought she had seen the assistant who had disappeared into the sea. More than ten days ago, Little Crow had believed Chen Qi was dead, with only the ck-eyed Captain still desperately searching. A person supposed to be dead, suddenly appearing before her with a new identity. The impact of this event was immensely huge! Therefore, she uncharacteristically abandoned her usualposure. However, it wasn''t umon for two people to look very simr. Additionally, Chen Qi had changed his clothes, his nutrition had improved, and he had undergone two Transcendent advancements. Chen Qi''s current state,pared to his impoverished appearance when he first went to sea, waspletely different. Not to mention, memories could be deceiving. But that pattern on the back would not lie. That''s why she wanted to lure Chen Qi to her room, to check his back and confirm the matter. Yet, to her surprise, the Transcendent before her, whether in terms of reactions orbat skills, resembled a Transcendent who had been trained from a young age. Could it be? Was he really a genuine second-order Transcendent, not her weak assistant infected by the Sea Beast? Did I recognize the wrong person? Little Crow felt a bit dizzy, unsure of what to think. The blocked Little Crow took a deep breath, attempting to remain calm. Just to confirm his identity, she had forcibly pulled him to her room and attacked him. How was this different from that perverted Siren! What am I really doing... Now, she needed to think of a way to resolve this... Little Crow took another deep breath, thinking rapidly. Could it be that she would have to knock him out and use the Physical Memory Erasure Technique? However, in the next second, her pupils suddenly contracted, her entire body shuddered. She saw that underneath his clothes, a Collector''s Gun was already aimed at her chest. Chen Qi took a deep breath: "Sister Crow, long time no see." Chapter 166 Chapter 145 Back from the Dead It wasn''t someone who looked simr, nor was it a ghost, but a truly existing person... "I..." Little Raven''s lips quivered slightly, wanting to say something, but having too many thoughts to express, they all jammed in her throat, and ultimately, nothing came out. The ailing assistant on the Sawshark had not only survived but had also be a somewhat famous chef. And, a Second-order Transcendent capable of fighting. Moreover, she even kept an expensive, cute Water Elf! Little Raven twirled her jet-ck hair with her fingers and finally said: "I need some silence..." Seeing Little Raven abandon her odd ideas, Chen Qi put away his gun and sighed deeply. As an executive of the ck Whale Group involved in many crucial events in the vast oceans, as long as he didn''t leave the Witch Sea, their meeting was inevitable. But after she took off her mask, was this what she looked like? Chen Qi shook his head, gazing at the girl in front of him. It was the first time he had seen Little Raven with her mask off. Her youthful, egg-shaped face, red pupils threaded with blood vessels, and loosely hanging, long straight ck hair. Even paired with the dark circles of a workhorse, the unhappy corners of her lips, and a bit of blood at the corners of her mouth, she was still very cute, like a sulky little ck cat. The skilled Siren, using sophisticated makeup techniques, entuated Little Raven''s facial features and covered the scars on her face, making her appear more like a misinformed, wealthy young miss. In his memory, Little Raven was always in a masked state. Photo fraud! She looked nothing like the photos on forums and in the Bounty Order... Chen Qi leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Based on what he knew, Little Raven probably wouldn''t reveal his identity. By that time, who would threaten whom was still uncertain. Chen Qi contemted the possibilities for him to escape. Without taking drugs, thebat capability of a drug-test subject wasn''t strong. Even if there was no hope of defeating the opponent, with the Deep Sea Water Elf and Residual Fire Touch, as well as darkness to hide in, he could still escape smoothly. With the Deep Sea Water Elf, even without a ship, he could live in the sea. Was she really resurrected? Little Raven scratched her hair, still somewhat astonished. The current situation of Chen Qi,pared to that of her former assistant, was indeed too different. Little Raven furrowed her brow, sat down at her work desk, and pped her own cheeks hard, turning them red. Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! Calm down! Isn''t it just a person who died and mysteriously came back to life? What''s so shocking about that? No, still can''t calm down, what am I even doing... Little Raven''s emotions were hard to calm. She organized her words: "Well..." "Just call me Little Chef, or you can call me Assistant, it''s been a long time, it seems we''re both doing quite well, Raven... sister." Chen Qi struggled to say thest word, ''sister''. After Little Raven took off her mask, it was really hard for him to call her ''sister''. But he had no choice, both by seniority and strength, he indeed should call Little Raven his sister. Somewhat famous Transcendent chef... Little Raven got straight to the point: "So Assistant, how did you survive that situation?" In Little Raven''s view, this was the first time she had seen Chen Qi alive since leaving the Sawshark! This is hard to exin... Chen Qi organized his words: "Willpower, I drifted alone on the vast ocean, finally returned to my hometown, and, fortunately, upon returning and due to the Crack Tide, I became a chef, and, fortunately, advanced to second-tier." Willpower... Little Raven bowed her head, ncing at Chen Qi with the corner of her eye. Stay connected via empire Indeed, navigating that small boat on the vast sea, constantly facing waves and storms, as well as monsters from the depths, was a true test of mettle. Without strong psychological quality, it was simply impossible to survive. In the process of fighting against sea beasts and storms, he must have grown a great deal, "Once he reaches the shore, with his inspiration, and his ruthless approach to monsters..." Little Raven fell into contemtion. Although it was hard to believe, under the Crack Tide, as long as one sessfully reached the shore and was a bit lucky, bing a Second-order Transcendent was not impossible. In the midst of the tide, even the lowest wanderer, in the chaotic sea, had a chance to be a legend, a transcendent level that even nobles had to pay a huge price to achieve. Moreover, in her eyes, Chen Qi was indeed a promising young man. Thinking about it, Little Raven''s world-weary face rarely curved into a faint smile. In her life, which was as disappointing as that of a rat''s, parents, rtives, and friends always mysteriously disappeared from her life, bing more and more blurred along with her memories. Recently, she''d also encountered some troublesome matters. Those damned men and women, ck Hunter and Flower Witch, defeated Kuang Sha, ruining the ns of the ck Whale Group! Moreover, that despicable ck Hunter even found the ck Whale Blood and handed it over to the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau, causing the Sea Demon Gorge branch to start researching ck Whale Blood as well. Due to ck Hunter''s fame, the ck Whale Group also decided to elerate their research on the ck Whale Blood. The research on ck Whale Blood, puzzlingly, just got swept up! And she was one of those caught up in it. Her superior in the ck Whale Group demanded that she produce a higher purity ck Whale Blood within a month, to be used for a special ritual. She really wanted to punch that ck Hunter and the Witch... Little Ravenined in her mind. But thankfully, a concubine she quite liked miraculously resurrected, which was indeed good news. A piece of news worth drinking to celebrate. Life''s joys alwayse from some unexpected little things... Little Raven blinked, her voice softened a bit: "My assistant, in the depths of that sea beast''s cave, what exactly is in that chest?" Knowing that the ck-eyed Captain, to now, had still kept it a secret from everyone, continuously roaming the sea, desperately searching for traces of Chen Qi, all for the item in the chest. More than ten days ago, Little Raven thought Chen Qi was thoroughly dead, and while worshipping her mother, she also burned a flower for Chen Qi. On the Sawshark, the ck-eyed Captain was the only one who from beginning to end firmly believed Chen Qi was still alive! His obsessiveness even led the ck Glove to decide to temporarily revoke his captaincy. Asking about this... Chen Qi thought for a moment and said: "Simr to pale scale fruits, a fishing skill card, and quite a few jewels, which is why I was able to get through many cracks." "Huh? Just this?" Little Raven was incredulous: "Pale scale fruits, you actually use such a rare transcendent fruit forparison, the treasure of the Blood-eyed Wall, could it be that you got the weapon of the Deep Sea Hunter?" "No, not at all." Chen Qi answered truthfully. Not telling me the truth, huh... Little Raven smiled, not delving deeper. If it were a one-time consumable item, it would have been used up already, and it would be of no use to her. If it were other transcendent weapons or equipment, what would that have to do with her, a drug-addicted berserk warrior? Besides, that treasure was not hers to im. She nced at the stack of newspapers on the table. Little Raven pulled out a stack of skill cards from under her clothes and flicked through the cards: "All right, let''s continue our deal, trading these skill cards. Little boss of the Water Elf Dining Boat, you must have made quite a lot of money, right?" Chapter 167 Chapter 146 Envy The storm outside the house grew fiercer, and the sizzling sounds of mes could faintly be heard. The little raven, like a card-shuffling mage, disyed the Skill Cards in her hand. She herself was a Transcendent of the Shadow Armor, and had just been promoted to an officer in the ck Whale Group. The extraordinary resources avable to an officer of the ck Whale Group far exceeded his imagination. With a light wave of her small hand, the little raven disyed six Shadow Image Skill Cards. Chen Qi scrutinized his options carefully. Even a powerful Shadow Image Skill Card would cost over two million Shell Coins after a discount of thirty percent! He only had five million Shell Coins in cash, so he couldn''t afford them all. Moreover, although he had eliminated the side effects of using too many Skill Cards, blindly absorbing knowledge could still lead to the madness of obsessively pursuing book-rted skills. Chen Qi''s index finger moved over the cards, examining each in turn. Shadow Flow Dance, a Floral Appearance Shadow Image Skill Card, summons two dark shadows that mimic one''s movements and dance wildly, inflicting heavy spiritual attacks. It requires mastery of advanced dance skills, and a slight understanding of either Floral Appearance or Shadow Image. Shadow Soldier Creation, a Hammer Shadow Image Skill Card, that can refine negative emotions and materials from shadow demons to create one''s own shadow soldiers. It requires a small amount of understanding of either Shadow Image or Hammer Phase and knowledge of prerequisite techniques like ''Elemental Extraction'' and ''Elemental Formation''. Twisted Crawling, an Illusory Shadow Image Skill Card that sacrifices half of one''s spiritual value to crawl on the ground emitting a shrieking wail, scaring away enemies. It requires belief in the principles of Shadow and has no other conditions for use. Shadow Armor, a de Shadow Image Skill Card that represents an advanced form of Qi Power, converting Qi Power into a stronger dark Qi Power and enhancing one''s defensive capabilities. It requires mastery of Qi Power and a small amount of Shadow Image understanding. Shadow Step, a Lantern Shadow Image Skill Card that is a movement technique ss skill. It significantly improves agility and requires a small amount of Shadow Image understanding, Qi Power, and 18 agility points. Dark Spear, a Shadow Image Skill Card that allows one to conjure a dark long spear out of thin air. It requires a small amount of Shadow Image understanding and meditation techniques. Chen Qi made his selection. Shadow Flow Dance, though powerful, is better suited to professions such as dancers, which has nothing to do with me. While the Shadow Soldier is nice, mastering it for practical use requires too many prerequisite conditions. Twisted Crawling is an extremely underpowered skill on its own and is only of some use when one takes the sinister path of evolving into a dark creature. The Shadow Spear is an attack technique for First Order Transcendents, and in terms of power, it''s nowhere near as effective as bullets. In the end, Chen Qi focused on Shadow Armor and Shadow Step. The Shadow Armor is an advanced use of Qi Power, focusing on enhancing the defensive capabilities of Qi Power. As a closebat Transcendent, Chen Qi has a strong constitution butcks defensive skills. With Shadow Armor, he could greatly improve his own defense. An excellent Skill Card thatpensated for his weak defense. Shadow Step, too, was a quite impressive movement skill. In yer guides, movement technique skills and perception skills are essential for Second Order Transcendents and are important ways to improve agility. Both of these Skill Cards must be pretty expensive... Chen Qi thought for a moment, then pointed with his index finger: "I''ll take these two." The little raven pinched the cards between two fingers and flicked them into Chen Qi''s hand: "Your breathing techniques are well-practiced; these two Skill Cards are indeed suitable for you. Let me think, two and a half million Shell Coins for one, five million Shell Coins for both. If you don''t have enough money right now, you can always payter." Five million Shell Coins... Chen Qi blinked, pausing his search through his backpack card. These two Skill Cards were very practical and would easily fetch at least ten million Shell Coins on the market! The price of five million Shell Coins meant they were practically half off! The little raven gathered up the other cards: "No need to pay with goods; if you can''t afford it, you can owe it for now." The little raven pondered; for a Chef, toe up with five million Shell Coins all at once was indeed an almost insurmountable challenge. Chen Qi confirmed: "Are you sure about the five million? Isn''t that too cheap?" Cheap? Do you really have that much cash? Little Raven rubbed her temples: "Because of the ck Whale Blood, and that ck Hunter, my mental state hasn''t been normaltely, consider it an apology for just having attacked you." "Moreover, there aren''t many buyers for the Shadow Image Skill Card, and selling it is a troublesome matter in itself." Chen Qi didn''t hesitate, he took out a pile of shiny Shell Coins from his backpack card and quickly counted them. Ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand, one hundred thousand... Chen Qi stacked the five million Shell Coins neatly and handed them to Little Raven. The hard-earned money was quickly depleted. "Huh?" Little Raven took the hefty sum of Shell Coins and blinked. The chef in front of her could actuallye up with five million Shell Coins in cash! Do chefs make that much money? Little Raven stared at Chen Qi for a long time, in a daze. "How nice..." Little Raven couldn''t help saying it out loud. She was like a young girl who had been bedridden for years, slumped on her sickbed, watching her peers make noise and enjoy their youth outside the window. Although it was hard to believe, at this moment, facing Chen Qi who was less powerful than her, all she felt was sheer envy. No pressure from parents, no oppression from superiors, no cunning rivalries among friends, no hostility from ck Hunters or witches, sailing the seas to one''s heart''s desire. Most importantly, delicious food every day! A carefree life, carefree sailing... Little Raven''s lips curled into a smile, which vanished in an instant. Chen Qi miraculously escaped from the ck Whale Group, but she hadn''t. Using the opportunity, she took out something resembling a radio from her backpack card and began to fiddle with it. Chen Qi wasn''t idle either; he directly used two Skill Cards. The cards dissolved at his fingertips, merging into his bloodstream. [You have mastered Shadow Feet Lv1] [You have mastered Shadow Armor Lv1] A surge of heat spread rapidly throughout his body... Chen Qi operated the Spiritual Power within his body, and some ck Qi Power appeared on his limbs. Both were upgradable skills, with a maximum level of three! Relying on the umtion from missions, he now had 8000 Spiritual Points. Upgrading Shadow Feet and Shadow Armor to Lv3 would each require 3000 Spiritual Points. Upgrade! The six thousand Spiritual Points he had saved up vanished in an instant. [Your Shadow Armor has been upgraded to Lv3, increasing the sturdiness of the Shadow Qi Power, and also, your defense has be much more stylish.] [Your Shadow Feet has been upgraded to Lv3, movement technique enhanced, agility increased by +7 points.] Chen Qi felt the vast Extraordinary Power coursing through his body. Second-tier Skill Cards, like the Meditation Technique and Body Forging Skill, also required a period of time to master fully after use, to unleash their real power. Tap tap tap! Chen Qi frowned and looked at Little Raven before him. He saw that Little Raven had taken out a radio at some point and was busily tinkering with it. She was... Chen Qi remembered that the radio in her hands was an Extraordinary Prop for supernaturalmunication. Chapter 168 Chapter 147 Are You Also a Lord of the Near Seas? Chen Qi was startled. This woman, she was conducting secret espionage work right in front of him! Carrying out such confidential work right in front of me, Little Crow, is this really okay? Little Crow frowned, sweat beads rolling down her forehead as she continually twisted the strange buttons on the radio, transmitting information out across the nearby sea. The Sirens were always close to her, and now, she had finally found an opportunity to transmit the information! Tick tock tick tock! Finally, she pressed the activation button on the radio. Sent... Little Crow heaved a long sigh, her risky task for the day wasplete. With this, the pressing demands from above would stop now... Little Crow felt a huge weight lift off her heart, Chen Qi curiously asked: "What is this?" This was a type of encryptedmunication, he could only make out the words "deep sea" and "ritual" from the rotating buttons. Chen Qi tried to recall. One of the ck Whale Group''s objectives in counterattacking the nearby sea, aside from gaining first-hand updates on the crack, was to conduct various rituals to seek protection from special entities. However, these summons often resulted in the emergence of some bloodthirsty, twisted creatures. Little Crow turned her head slightly, her lips curving into a devilish smile: "Curiosity killed the cat, this is some confidential information sent to the ck Whale Group. You wouldn''t want to know, nor should you try to guess." Chen Qi muttered, "Dangerous..." The more dangerous it was, the more it thrilled him. Little Crow pped her hands: "Alright, we should head back to the banquet hall now, it''s been over ten minutes. If we don''t return now, we might be misunderstood." Then, Little Crow quickly straightened her clothes, making sure there was nothing odd on them. "Are we just going out like this? Aren''t you going to make me do something?" Chen Qi asked again. Under these circumstances, it felt strange that Little Crow wasn''t making him do something. Suddenly, Little Crow blinked and seemed toe to a realization: "Oh right, I have something on you!" Having something on someone and not doing something about it always felt odd! "..." A storyline of threats... Chen Qi felt somewhat relieved in his heart. As long as he wasn''t attacked simultaneously, with the help of deep sea water elves, he had the capability to escape in the ocean. Moreover, if Little Crow really threatened him, he could reveal that she was an undercover. At that point, it wasn''t certain who would be afraid of whom. Little Crow fell into deep thought: "If one day I run out of money, I mighte asking you for it, and also, if one day, you see my obituary in the newspaper..." Little Crow stared at the door in front of her, as if she saw her childhood and the time she spent preparing at the florist. After bing an officer, she had lost all freedom; only by firmly grasping ck Whale could she survive in the tumultuous tide. p! Little Crow pondered for a long while, then suddenly pped her hands: "Help me go to Moonstone City Water Flower Street''s florist, buy sixteen bouquets of flowers." Obituary, buy sixteen bouquets of flowers? Chen Qi scratched his head, asking: "Why sixteen?" "Because I liked the year I was sixteen, that year I was preparing for the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom''s exam, and my mother was still alive." Then, uncharacteristically, Little Crow said: "My former assistant, no, the little chef at the Water Elf restaurant, although I don''t know your background, the most important preparation for the future in this vast ocean is to make arrangements for your own memorial day. I''ve seen too many patients who, just before they die, suddenly remember they still had many things left undone. On the ocean, one could die at any moment; you might even encounter a near-sea overlord on a safe route." "Therefore, heirlooms,st words, wills, you should prepare all these..." Memorial day, buying flowers, heirlooms... Chen Qi frowned. What exactly is on the mind of this young doctor every day? Little Crow, though young, was inherently resigned, a typical pessimist. However, being a double agent, the probability of death was indeed very high. "I understand." Chen Qi agreed to her request. Buying sixteen bouquets of flowers was not a difficult task. He had originally thought that discovering his real identity, Little Crow would react more intensely, such as ckmailing him to carry out some confidential spy tasks. Hearing the affirmative answer, Little Crow put her hands behind her back and smiled slightly: "Don''t worry, what are the chances of encountering a near-sea overlord in life? Little chef, I hope your Water Elf restaurant continues to thrive." "Sure, Little Crow." "Hm? ''Little''? Am I that small? Anyway, let''s part here, little chef." "Little Crow, isn''t there anything else you want to say?" "No." ... ... The two returned to the banquet hall. At this moment, the dealings in the banquet hall were heating up even more. Little Raven kept their agreement and returned to her spot, flipping through "Encyclopedia of Sea Beasts: Uses of Slimes." As a deep-sea enthusiast, she couldn''t help but steal a nce at Chen Qi, and the deep-sea water elf perched on his head. This thing looks like a deep-sea slime¡­ Little Raven was filled with envy. Darn, why did I say goodbye just like that! Why was I in such a hurry toe back! Little Raven roared inside her head as she suddenly realized, she hadn''t checked the condition of the sea beast behind Chen Qi! How could this man, stricken with a sea beast''s disease, still be alive! As a deep-sea aficionado and a doctor, she still had so much to do! Regret! Utter regret! Little Raven slumped wearily onto the table. "Still short on money¡­" Chen Qi leaned against the entrance of the banquet hall, pondering about buying a boat aftering ashore. "Chef, thank you for your help, I apologize, we were inconsiderate, exposing you to such danger," the Captain with golden teeth ran over, handed Chen Qi a million shell coins, doubling the agreed reward as an apology! Doubling! Chen Qi counted it. Upon returning, after selling off various things he owned, he should still be able to gather around ten million shell coins. With this one million, that would make it eleven million shell coins. Chen Qi''s goal wasn''t grand, he simply wanted to buy arge travel houseboat. On the boat, it would be sufficient to have a separate bedroom, dining room, restroom, and a ''courtyard'' for basking in the sun. If possible, he would also add a room for the water elf and the little sea witch. If he wanted to ensure the speed of the boat, it seemed his budget was still a bit short¡­ Chen Qi sighed. "Hey! Little chef, you''re quite rich, aren''t you!" Just then, the Siren came over again, swaying her wine ss. This creature below is still watching me... Chen Qi looked up. He really didn''t understand why the Siren was keeping an eye on him. The Siren came closer: "Little chef, we''ve now entered the coastal waters. You must have always been doing business in coastal waters, without any experience in the Crack Sea," Chen Qi replied, "Actually, I''ve been to the Crack Sea¡­" The Siren became more interested: "Oh? Then do you know about the sea witches? My singing is just as enchanting as that of a sea witch, would you like to listen to it?" The Siren cleared her throat. She was extremely bored now and desperately seeking some fun, such as harassing the man in front of her right in front of Little Raven! She found it very exhrating! Moreover, for some reason, she always felt that the man in front of her was no ordinary person! Chen Qi looked at the Siren speechlessly, wishing he could let her listen to his "Song of Death." He now understood why so many yers on the forums wanted to kill the Siren! He will surely not refuse my singing, since I''m so beautiful¡­ The Siren pulled out her violin, ready to y an Enchanting Song. Kid! Surrender to the allure of my voice and the hem of my pomegranate dress! The Enchanting Song, with Chen Qi''s mental resistance, was something he could easily withstand. But, contrary to Chen Qi''s expectation, amid the roaring of great waves, he couldn''t hear the Siren''s singing at all. Boom! A loud booming sound shattered the lively atmosphere of the banquet hall. "We''ve collided! They''re here! Ghosts, they''re here!" At the entrance, a sailor was screaming hysterically. Everyone abruptly turned towards the direction of the main door. "Damn, have we been caught up to then!" The Captain with golden teeth pulled out an imitation Magic Bullet Company Gatling gun: "Ladies and gentlemen, please protect your belongings!" Green mes, like a tide, pushed open the door and surged into the banquet hall: Crack! Crack! Amid the green mes, arge number of white pirate skeletons burning with green fire appeared. In an instant, the banquet hall was overrun with white skeletons. From the zing green fire, a massive green fire skeleton captain emerged behind the Siren, and with a huge ship anchor in hand, he fiercely smashed it onto the floor. He roared fiercely, with green mes spouting from his spine: "The future king of this sea area, the lord of the nearshore has arrived! Hand over everything you have!" You''re also the lord of the nearshore? Chen Qi looked at the nearly two meters tall green fire skeleton captain. The Crack Sea disaster, green fire ghost pirate ship, a cmity on the sea that loved to rob and aimed to be the lord of the nearshore. A slight smile curled up on Chen Qi''s lips. This was quite a worthy prey. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 169 This version is not right Dark clouds slowly dispersed, revealing a sliver of moonlight that fell upon Chen Qi''s face. "Waku Waku (Save me! Master!)" Deep Sea Water Elves wailed in the ocean, as if a massive mountain were rising from the seabed, rushing towards the ship. Storms, pitch-ck night, torrential rain, mutations, concrete, raging fire¡­ In an instant, numerous images shed through Chen Qi''s mind. Crew members ughtering each other over unevenly distributed spoils, young men and women jumping into the sea to their deaths over the greedy confiscations of nobles, a youth setting the ship aze for fear of his father''s punishment, a witch exiled due to infestation by a Sea Beast¡­ All were disjointed, terrifying scenes. The brain, the brain was trembling! Chen Qi clenched his right hand into a fist and fiercely punched his own chin. By the time he came to his senses, a giant wave was already crashing towards him! "Damn it!"n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Chen Qi firmly gripped the ship''s railing, struggling to avoid being swept away by the massive wave. However, as soon as the wave receded, countless pairs of bright red eyes had already appeared before his face. Boom! Apanied by a loud noise, the ship was jolted by a massive columnar creature and nearly capsized upon the ocean! "Waku Waku! (Master)" The horrified Deep Sea Water Elves leaped out from the surging waves and flung themselves upon Chen Qi, trembling non-stop like a quivering motor. Amidst the colossal waves, Chen Qi slowly raised his head and looked up at the enormous creature that was continuously rising before him. That massive creature was still rising! It was ck, thick, and long¡­ Atop the tower-like colossal columnar creature, indescribable ck mists swirled, within which countless blood-red eyes glowed! Their density resembled a stack of towering nests! Its vast size soared into the skies, making even the near-sea overlords seem like frail ants in its presence. Creak! Creak! Sounds reminiscent of a centipede''s movements echoed amid the huge waves. Pairs of bright red eyes kept twisting, seeking prey in the vast sea. And in the next second, the creature''s red eyes shifted downwards, locking onto the giant ship, locking onto his body! "Fuck!" Chen Qi''s eyes bulged like copper bells; it had been a long time since he had felt so insignificant, like an ant, seen as mere prey. This isn''t the right version, is it? This is a creature that appears in nearshore waters? Most importantly, the creature before him did not belong to the Sea Beasts but was some kind of Shadow-rted being! Dammit¡­ Chen Qi charged towards the cabin inside. "Water Elf Number One, Three, and Four! Adjust the ship''s outside lights'' direction! Aim it at that guy right in front of us! Five and Six, hold on tight to me!" From its appearance, it was most likely some kind of Shadow-rted creature. Continue reading on empire It was very likely afraid of bright light, which might also be the reason it didn''t attack the ship directly at first. Maximum ship speed! And the brightest lights! Chen Qi fiercely pressed the button for all the lights on the ship! At the bow, the giant spotlights came on, driving away the darkness before them. Then, Chen Qi firmly took hold of the helm, steered the ship around, and executed a massive drift, aiming the spotlights at the enormous creature in the sea. "Roar!" The moment the spotlight was aimed at it, a sound like the wailing of crows resounded over the sea. Boom! Boom! Boom! It plunged back into the deep sea to escape the ring bright light. The waves and wails gradually faded... The usually noisy sea slowly returned to silence. "Phew¡­" Chen Qi, his nerves still rattled, leaned against the control panel and let out a long sigh of relief. Just what was that¡­ Chen Qi rubbed his swollen temples, trying hard to recall the appearance of that strange creature. Psychic contamination, plus a huge body, and bizarre whispers... The Abyssal Pir, one of the thirteen great terror legends of the Crack Sea, representing Shadow. It is said that people with high inspiration, the moment they look directly into its eyes, will see visions of the past. The higher the inspiration, the more numerous and real the visions. Such monsters specifically target Transcendents with high inspiration! Luckily, although his inspiration was high, his profession''s medium mental resistance withstood this psychic attack. In the face of the Abyssal Pir, even military ships could only scurry away in fear. Only a Fourth Rank Legend or a Hunter Group equipped with Grade C Crack Sea weapons in their entirety had the qualification to hunt this monster. Why would such a high-level monster appear in the near sea? What version is this? It''s as if it just reached level six and now it''s trying to solo the dragon! Is that even possible? Chen Qi rubbed the timid Water Elves number five and six, then raised his head. The moon in the clouds was only a faint pink. The moon was still normal, not yet in the Laughing Moon period... Chen Qi muttered in his heart. The second stage of the Crack Tide, also known as the Laughing Moon Period, primarily manifests in the reddening of the moon at night, the appearance of numerous Shadow Demons on the sea, as well as mutated Sea Beasts, and crazed crowds. And the Abyssal Pir is a catastrophe of the Crack Sea that bes active during the Crack Tide''s second stage. Unimaginable, meeting such a caliber of monster in the near sea... Why? Could it be the result of the crows'' summoning ritual? Or is it because Deep Sea Water Elves are too enticing? Or maybe I''m just in unlucky? Chen Qi looked at the trembling Deep Sea Water Elf in his arms. The Deep Sea Water Elf possesses a strong affinity for the deep sea elements, a sought-after delicacy in the eyes of many Sea Beast monsters. The current situation left him no extra time to think; the next moment, a heavy thud came from the bottom of the ship again! Boom! The Abyssal Pir attacked once more from beneath the sea! Below five thousand meters is forbidden territory for humans, akin to a hell on the outskirts of civilization. Above five thousand meters, the Abyssal Pir can move freely. The night and the deep sea, one could say, are its domain. It''s not letting me go; I have the Shadow Charm after all... Chen Qi clenched his teeth. He had the Shadow Charm, which, in theory, should make him somewhat attractive in the eyes of the Abyssal Pir. Why was there no reaction from it? Or should he have danced for the Abyssal Pir? Shadow Charm and Deep Sea Affinity are not talents of the same rank. The weak Shadow Charm only made the Abyssal Pir keener to devour him! Chen Qi focused on piloting the ship, quickly distancing it from the current seascape. At that moment, under the full roar of the engine, faint green mes appeared at the stern of the ship. Chen Qi ced his hand on the most important button of the ship¡ª''Overdrive Mode''. Based on his experiments, in Overdrive Mode the ship would transform into the Ghost Ship, bing a will-o''-the-wisp upon the sea! However, the duration of Overdrive Mode was extremely limited! The current houseboat, at its super-high speed in Overdrive Mode, couldst at most ten minutes! Amidst the huge waves, the houseboat was like amb running at full speed, followed by a giant, ravenous wolf whose full form could not be discerned! "Waku Waku! Waku Waku!" The Deep Sea Water Elf trembled on Chen Qi, turning him into a high-speed vibrating small engine. Giant howls echoed across the sea... I''m going to be caught... Chen Qi took a deep breath, ready to activate Overdrive Mode. However, the next second, something unexpected happened. There, in front of his ship, a decrepit merchant vessel suddenly appeared. In front of the broken wreck, an old man in a cloak slowly raised hisntern, then opened his arms. He opened his arms, took a deep breath, and dered, "Praise the sun!" Chapter 170 I Think You Need Someone Like Me Apanied by the ancient sun praise poem from the old man''s mouth! The old man spread his arms, with antern in his hand emitting a weak glow, as warm as the sun! The moment the Hand of the Abyss saw the light, it trembled violently and plunged into the sea, as if it had never existed. "Is it a Transcendent relic of the Lamp Phase..." Chen Qi was slightly startled, turned his head, and looked at the old man on the battered ship. Next to him stood ten knights wearing triangr helmets, and ady wearing a crow mask. "It''s the cloaked elder from the Dove Travel Ship, and Little Crow..." Encountering them here? Chen Qi had been looking for traces of Little Crow and the cloaked elder. He had never expected to encounter them on the open sea. The waters he was now active in were frequently visited by the Ghost Ship, a dangerous area where logically, no ship should be at night. However, the current situation was dangerous! On such a dark, windy night, a young, weak man wandering alone on the sea like him, was a target for many sea beasts and pirates! After all, he was only a Second-order Transcendent. Chen Qi swallowed nervously, preparing to speed up the ship. However, the next second, he heard the sound of metal colliding. A knight with a triangr helmet had just tied a chain to his houseboat. At that moment, the cloaked elder let out a dryugh, "Young man, you are truly fortunate. We were on our way searching for the Ghost Ship and unfortunately encountered a group of ck Armor Sharks due to damage to our ship, and we''ve been stuck here for a full two days." As he spoke, the corners of the cloaked elder''s mouth twisted up: "We never imagined, on such a dangerous dark night, during the whispers of the dark, we poor survivors would still encounter you." "..." Chen Qi, inside the captain''s cabin, let a drop of cold sweat roll down his face through the window. The White Cloak, one of the captains of the Sea God Pirate Group, with a bounty of twenty-five million Shell Coins, profession of the Void, and also mastering the release techniques! At his side were ten knights with unknown strengths, wearing ck triangr helmets. The White Cloak was a true powerhouse,pletely on a different level from the previous Kuang Sha. Could I fight him? Chen Qi thought for a moment. Unless he could turn Little Crow against him, having her leg bend towards his arm, with his strength...n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He might engage in a fierce battle with White Cloak, but the inevitable result would be White Cloak pressing him down and beating him into delirium. In other words, he had no right to refuse them boarding his ship. If he couldn''t fight, then could he run? Chen Qi thought again. He could definitely run; as far as he could see, White Cloak had no capabilities to act in water. And Little Crow was a Third-order Transcendent who could not walk on water. With the assistance of the deep sea Water Elf and the Residual Fire Touch... As long as he wanted to run, no one could stop him. But as a price, he must also abandon his new ship. Exactly, he was extremely curious about what this Sea God Pirate Group guy was up to... Chen Qi breathed out and said resignedly, "Wee aboard, everyone." The moment he finished speaking, White Cloak and the ten knights with triangr helmets, along with Little Crow, had already reached his ship. After boarding the ship, Little Crow and White Cloak quickly surveyed the vessel. Little Crow murmured softly to herself, "Ah, frolicking near the coastte at night, could this be a pirate ship specifically for kidnapping..." Chen Qi let the ship maintain autopilot while stepping out of the captain''s cabin: "Everyone... wee to the Water Elf Dining Ship? You all don''t look too well, would you like something to eat?" "Ah?" Little Crow was startled, as if seeing a ghost! "Chen! Chen! Chenqi!" This isn''t right! Exhausted, she struggled to suppress her shocked expression. Why was Chen Qi speeding on the boatte at night? Was he now ying so wildly? Was he really that bold at night? White Cloak curiously asked: "Do you... know each other?" Lil'' Crow calmed down: "Have you forgotten, White Cloak, he is the chef we met on our cruise ship." "A chef, a chef, so it''s a chef..." White Cloak''s tense emotions rxed: "I thought I had encountered a ghost ship captain. Meeting a chef is indeed lucky, young man, why are you still hustling in the sea at night?" "I was forced by life back then, otherwise who would idle around at sea, dancing the shadow stream dance with shadow demons? To buy this ship, I took on a massive debt." Chen Qi thought of a reason and said despondently: "To save money, I must catch fish myself and head to Flower Ind to collect spices. I shouldn''t have bought this ship... What about you? Why are you on this sea?" "Such a pitiable young man, it seems, you were badly tricked by the unscrupulous banks of Shell Country. When I was young, debt collectors even cut off one of my eyes." White Cloak took off his cloak. He had a square face, sparsely white hair like dry straw, and a suppurating eye, his old face resembled cracked tree bark. "As for our purpose, hunting the ghost ship captain, it offended me, and I must make it pay the price, unfortunately, during the process of hunting it, we encountered a shipwreck." "That''s incredible, you actually wanted to hunt a ghost ship captain?" Chen Qi feigned surprise and frowned. "It''s not something worth mentioning. Unfinished business spoken aloud is just a joke." After White Cloak finished speaking, he sighed deeply: "We failed to sessfully hunt the ghost ship, nor do we have another chance to hunt it." He looked towards the distant dark sea and bitterly smiled: "What a pity, what a pity, the first red moon in fifty years is about to descend. Even without eyes, the orders from Whale Father and Sea God are our fate, and we must execute our fate, spilling the witch''s blood into the sea, weaving the ck whale''s blood into a new sun..." "White Cloak!" At this moment, Lil'' Crow coughed twice. This white-cloaked old man actually told the secret of their mission to the man before them! And secrets are only told to the dead! Moreover, White Cloak waspletely deranged. He particrly enjoyed breeding pitch-ck, twisted tentacles and sharks, feeding humans who disrespected the sea to the tentacles and sharks. She could already envision the scene of Chen Qi being cleaned off by the tentacles and sharks bred by White Cloak. Her assistant had barely survived... Lil'' Crow anxiously took out the backpack card, searching for the special potion to erase memories: "Old White..." However, the cloaked old man had no intention of stopping. "Doctor Crow, please be quiet. This chef''s ship is very fast; he is our benefactor, and we should not hide our secrets from our benefactor." Though the tone was mild, at this moment, a tremendous spiritual pressure weighed down on Lil'' Crow. "..." Lil'' Crow stopped her actions. Chen Qi stroked his chin. It seemed that White Cloak''s rank was at least one level higher than Lil'' Crow''s. Enjoy new adventures from empire Lil'' Crow currently had absolutely no say. White Cloak turned his head and opened his wrinkled eyes, revealing them like green snake eyes: "Captain, your ship is indeed very fast, it truly fascinates me." Chen Qi struggled to squeeze out a smile: "Bonfire Energy Company has already settled in Moonstone City. I rented theirtest energy core from them. If you want... you can rent from thempletely." Unexpectedly, White Cloak interrupted him and extended his dry palm: "Mr. Chef, you may not know, we are followers of the Sea God Pirate Group. We worship the deep sea deities; those foolish mortals couldn''t let us pass through the gates of Moonstone City..." Trouble, trouble... Behind White Cloak, Lil'' Crow bit her thumb. Saying this, White Cloak pulled out some shriveled banknotes from his pocket: "We need to implore power from the great beings of the deep sea because of these prejudices, we never had the chance to step foot ind..." Directly exposing his identity? Chen Qi was stunned. Now was not a good option to make a move. At least, he needed to turn Lil'' Crow against them before he could take any action! He needed to find a way to dy... Suddenly, Chen Qi felt like he had found his group and bitterly smiled: "Can we join your ritual? I feel, your ritual iscking a person like me." Chapter 171 Thirteen Doomsday Prophecies "Hmph?" The white-cloaked man let out an arrogant snort involuntarily. What kind of goods dared to say they were suited for his ritual? What did this young man take their great ritual for? Although the Sea God Cult had a vast number of believers, those truly capable of facing the descendants of gods without fear were few and far between. Not to mention, the number of followers who could bear the blessings of the "gods" was even fewer! Have you ever seen the monsters summoned by the deep sea ritual? Have you evermunicated with the monsters summoned by the deep sea ritual? Even the white-cloaked man, who had lived for over sixty years, dared not easily say he was suited for summoning ancient beings in a ritual. The white-cloaked man suppressed his desire to mock, speaking like a venerable elder, "Child, it seems you also understand the gods of the ocean. Why do you say so?" What kind of expression would this young man have when he saw the huge bloodied mouth of the god worshipped by their Sea God Pirate Group? As an elder, he felt the necessity to preach a bit about the ts and terror of their Sea God Cult. Chen Qi put his fingers on his temples, rubbing them, and revealed a slightly pained expression, "Just a hunch, my instincts are a bit sharper than an average person''s. I once dreamed of the beautiful Sea Goddess sitting upon the clouds, dreamed of the rain flowing backwards. Now I am seriously ill and physically weak, hoping to use the dew of the Sea Goddess to heal my illness..." "The rain flowing backwards, the Sea Goddess..." The white-cloaked elder''s eyebrows rxed slightly. His attitude changed instantly as he asked, "Are you a Transcendent adhering to the Lamp Principle?" Chen Qi tilted his head slightly and responded, "Yes, I was a chef in the First Order, but I now adhere to the Lamp Principle." After reaching the Second-tier, everyone who bound to a Nature Form principle received a special Nature Form Buff and special insights from cracks. For example, a Dice Phase could have better luck and a higher chance of encountering low-probability special events. A Floral Appearance could see others'' favorability within the crack, while a Cup Phase had stronger digestion and evolution probabilities... The biggest feature of the Lamp Phase was the probability of obtaining vague insights about the future! It was said that the legendary Ice Witch once dreamed of the descent and destruction of the Witch Sea. Currently, Chen Qi had just advanced and hadn''t yet received the unique Buff of his principle, but he knew information regarding the Sea God Pirate Group. The New Sun World contained countless doomsday prophecies, the most mainstream being thirteen, each corresponding to one of the thirteen Nature Forms. In the Witch Sea, the corresponding doomsday prophecy was "Inverted World," with the primary attribute being void. When the great whale descended, the world would be inverted, the sky would be an abyss, the noble would be sludge in the gutter, and the endless deep sea would be the new sky, with floods pouring from above, redrawing the world. Destruction could not be stopped; only by bing a part of the deep sea in advance could one survive in the new world and be its ruler. Only by bing a part of the deep sea in advance could one survive in the new world. This was the core of the Sea God Pirate Group''s teachings! Thus, the rain flowing backward and the Sea Goddess aligned with the teachings of the Sea God Pirate Group. Chen Qi observed the white-cloaked man''s expression. This kind of follower, not understood by the world, often needed the recognition of others. The white-cloaked man asked, "Aren''t you afraid, young man? In the vast sea, we are terrifying monsters." Chen Qi gave a helpless smile, "How could I not be afraid? However, I''m ill. Even if I risk being killed by a sea beast, I have to strive to make money. Besides, I heard the god worshipped by the Sea God Pirate Group can cure all illnesses." Even if it was for survival and he had to lie, this young man was good... the white-cloaked man thought privately. Besides, a Lamp Phase Transcendent and a patient might be useful for the ritual. The white-cloaked man gave up his thoughts ofbat, Experience new stories on empire "Young man, you are a qualified Lamp Phase Transcendent. Are you ill? What kind of illness? Our Sea God Pirate Group might give you a new life." Saying so, the white-cloaked man gestured for the little raven toe forward. The little raven pretended to be unfamiliar and walked coldly up to Chen Qi, "Please cooperate. I''m a doctor." "Alright, doctor." The little raven found an opportunity, walked up to Chen Qi, pinched his philtrum, then casually pulled out a syringe, ced it in his mouth, and stirred it. Then she walked behind Chen Qi and knocked on his back! Why is it so firm, why hasn''t the sea beast disease worsened...the little raven resisted the urge to question and said seriously, "He has a special disease of organ sclerosis. Without assets of over twenty million Shell Coins, there is no hope of a cure." What great cooperation... Chen Qi resisted the urge to high-five the little raven. "A terminal illness, what a poor child..." The white-cloaked man put away the ship fare he was about to pay and managed a smile,n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "You are fortunate, child." "???" Chen Qi bit his lip, trying to maintain that scared yet curious expression. The white-cloaked man took out his map, "Fate has brought us together. I now have a way to cure your illness. However, time is limited. We need to go to a crack and fulfill our destiny to bring a blessing to the sea... And we happen to be short of a ship. If you can help us, we will treat your illness for free. Little captain, what do you think of this proposal?" Chen Qi thought for a moment, "What is the payment?" The white-cloaked man handed a nautical chart to Chen Qi, "Child, rest assured, as long as you follow ourmands andplete this journey of destiny, the Sea God Pirate Group will reward you with enough gold tost you a lifetime and freedom from any illness." So, they are trying to hint that I won''t have a future... Chen Qi agreed with the other party, taking the map from the white-cloaked man''s hand. "Is the location at the edge of the near sea..." Chen Qi nced at the target location on the map. He remembered that the Ice Demon Pirate Group had marked this spot on their map. This ce, currently like the White Tree Territory, was the most dangerous forbidden area near the sea! After a brief conversation, the white-cloaked man instructed Chen Qi never to divulge their whereabouts. Simultaneously, he arranged for his ten helmeted knights to stand guard in the captain''s cabin to prevent Chen Qi from using the radio equipment to pass on information. Finally, after cooking and setting the course, Chen Qi returned to his bedroom. ... ... "Unexpected guests..." Chen Qi sat at his bedroom desk, lit the kerosenemp, and nned his next steps. As a ck Hunter who had ended the Ghost Captain, he unexpectedly encountered the Sea God Pirate Group, who were also seeking the Ghost Captain. Then, he had joined their ritual to summon deep-sea monsters. Was this good luck or bad luck... Chen Qi stroked his chin. If he mastered the spiritual power origin skill, he would feel a lot more confident. From the items on the Siren''s backpack card, without a doubt, the entity they intended to summon should belong to the deep-sea category. This meant the ce they were heading was a realm highly rted to sea beasts. It posed risks but also offered quite an opportunity... Chen Qi decided to pause his pursuit of the "Soul Origin" skill card. "However, I stillck information..." Chen Qi felt hesitant; he clearly needed more intelligence. Wakuwaku! The Deep Sea Water Elf No. 1 handed over a drifting bottle, which they had risked being devoured by the Abyssal Pir to obtain. "Thank you..." Chen Qi patted No. 1''s little head, preparing to open the drifting bottle. Bang! Bang! Just then, there was a knock on his bedroom door. "Come in, the door isn''t locked. What''s the matter?" Chen Qi put away the drifting bottle. The little raven pushed the door open and then closed it behind her. Then she took off her mask, revealing an extremely tired little face, "To check your health..." Chapter 172 Do you have any requests for your funeral? Outside the window, a bleak cold wind incessantly swept as the ship lights swung to and fro. Little Crow removed her muddy boots and left them at the door. "I''ming in." Examine his body? Chen Qi tilted his head and epted the map from the Ice Demon Pirate Group. Little Crow did not speak, moving like a professional agent to the wall to ensure no one was eavesdropping on their conversation. Then, looking around and finding no extra chair, she asked wearily: "May I use your bed?" "Sure." Pop! The bed was so soft, reallyfortable... Little Crow, with a bang, sprawled out on the bed: "Do you know? In one day and five hours, you''re going to die..." "One day and five hours?" Chen Qi disyed a thoughtful expression. This was roughly the time the ship would reach its destination. Little Crow bit her bright red lips, speaking with a touch of self-mockery:N?v(el)B\\jnn "No mistake, and you''ll die more miserably than normal people. You''ll be sacrificed, fed to those twisted monsters, like the Blood-eyed Wall we encountered before, no, the monster we summoned will definitely be more terrifying than the Blood-eyed Wall. By then, not even a shred of you will remain." "That''s your current situation." "..." Chen Qi stroked his chin. From the current situation, Little Crow knew quite a lot of information. He could try prying open Little Crow''s mouth to gather more intelligence! Chen Qi tentatively asked: "Not even a shred remains, is it that dire?" Little Crow spread her hands: "Yes, your luck is really bad. No, not just bad, you met us. If you had encountered the Near Sea Overlord, the ck Hunter, your death would be swifter, especially with the ck Hunter, you might even suffer inhuman treatment. "I just listened to the maritime intelligence from your ship''s radio, and I now understand why you managed to buy a ship so quickly. You really are reckless, venturing into this forbidden sea area..." Saying this, Little Crow flipped over on the boat, supporting her face with her hands, looking at Chen Qi as though looking at a dead man. So sad... During theirst meeting, Little Crow had told Chen Qi to live well and fulfill herst wishes after she died¡ªbuying flowers for her! Who could have imagined! When they met again, she would be preparing a funeral for Chen Qi! Such reversals alwayse so suddenly. This is perhaps life... Little Crow dragged her face, like a doctor announcing a terminal illness: "Assistant, what''s your name?" "Qi." Little Crow pulled her mouth corners upward with her fingers: "Qi, a good name. Do you have anyst wishes? Any requests for your funeral? Maybe I can help fulfill them, as long as they aren''t too excessive. Excessives..." Do I have an omen of death shining on my head? Chen Qi squeezed out a smile: "Little Crow, don''t be so pessimistic. I''m not that easy to kill; I still have some escaping tricks up my sleeve." He really was being underestimated! In Little Crow''s eyes, he was the kind of rookie who had no chance to flee and could be killed with a single punch! "Vakuvaku! (Yes, yes, the master is very powerful!)" The Deep Sea Water Elves nodded, considering their master the strongest in their eyes. Little Crow blinked her bright red eyes: "Pessimistic... pessimistic, sorry, I''m used to considering the worst situations first, but Qi... your current situation is not optimistic. Your life and death arepletely in the hands of the White Cloak, and I... can''t help you much." Little Crow fiercely pinched her mouth corners with her fingernails. She didn''t control her own strength well, and a tinge of fresh blood flowed from her mouth corners. "Ouch, sorry..." Little Crow hurriedly took out a tissue, wiping the fresh blood off her mouth corner, fearing that it might drip onto Chen Qi''s boat. Why did Little Crow seem to have a slight tendency toward self-harm... Chen Qi supported his face. Was the pressure of undercover work too great, or was it fear and loathing of her own incapability? Chen Qi, with a soothing tone,forted her: "Little Crow, the situation isn''t that bad. Can I ask, what is the target you intend to summon? Or do you have any other information you can tell me? Maybe things could develop in a favorable direction?" Little Crow rolled over on the bed: "The ce you''re about to go to is a very special crack. A hundred years ago, the Sea God Pirate Group summoned a deep-sea monster capable of creating a vortex of death there, in order to obtain the power of the deep sea. Legend has it that this deep-sea monster possessed a dreadful power to destroy cities. If not for the Deep Sea Hunter who killed it, the coastal Moonstone Inds would have beenpletely destroyed." "Of course, this monster requires arge number of creatures to survive, so sacrifices are indispensable, and that white cloak... has already marked you as a sacrifice..." Destroying the city... Chen Qi''s heart shuddered slightly. The monster they were trying to summon was even stronger than he had anticipated! However, it involved the Deep Sea Hunter and the vortex... This also meant that the monster being summoned was definitely from the deep sea, and it might even be an ancient species from the depths! Chen Qi had so far encountered only two ancient species from the deep sea - the Deep Sea Titan and the Blood-eyed Wall. Among them, the Deep Sea Titan was just a tree, not very aggressive. An ancient deep sea species from the crack, I wonder what it would do upon seeing me? Chen Qi fell into thought. Lil'' Raven with her hands on her face: "Qi, next, you will go with us to the crack, but under normal circumstances, I won''t be able to help you escape unless we encounter special circumstances, like running into the navy, ck Hunters, Witches, something like that..." "ck Hunter?" Chen Qi asked. Lil'' Raven exhaled: "Yes, that maniac who took down the Ghost Ship. ording to the information from the White Dove radio, the area of activity for the ck Hunter is in our nearby sea. If wee across it, I could use the chaos to find a way to help you escape..." "Oh?" Chen Qi''s lips slightly curled. "?" Lil'' Raven tilted her head, noticing that Chen Qi seemed to know some insider information. Could it be that Chen Qi has already been targeted by the ck Hunter... Cough cough... Chen Qi exined: "Lil'' Raven, actually, ording to reports from the White Dove Times, the ck Hunter has recently appeared in this sea area, and it''s not unlikely we''ve been targeted." Not unlikely! Hearing this, Lil'' Raven''s eyes finally shone a bit, but then dimmed, realizing that even if they encountered the ck Hunter, it didn''t guarantee their survival. However, regardless, as long as chaos erupted, she could protect Chen Qi and mess up the White Cloak''s ns! "I hope so!" Lil'' Raven tried hard to smile: "Don''t worry too much, just stay calm and if the right opportunity arises, you''ll survive..." "Thanks... I''ll do my best to survive." After expressing her concerns, Lil'' Raven felt much better and swayed her pale legs up and down: "You know, Qi, you must have realized by now, I am a..." You are an undercover, what about it? Chen Qi pretended to be clueless: "What?" Lil'' Raven swallowed it down, longing to share with someone. She really wanted to tell everything to the other person. But revealing undercover information might only bring trouble to Chen Qi. Lil'' Raven supported her face with her hands, smiling slightly: "I am a professional doctor, I''ll cure your illness..." Saying this, Lil'' Raven suddenly realized she had been lying on someone else''s bed for so long! Damn, why is this guy''s bed sofortable, and he even has Water Elves to hold! Read new chapters at empire "Right, about that, the medical examination..." She blushed, immediately stood up, and then pulled out an array of horrifying surgical tools. Scalpel, saw, steam drill, ice pick, anesthetic... Chen Qi broke out in a cold sweat. This examination doesn''t seem proper! Are you sure it''s an examination and not dissection? Lil'' Raven kindly exined: "Simply put, I came in under the pretext of examining you, and since I am a violent doctor, to keep our cover, I need to conduct a few ''small checks'' on you. You''ll need to let out a few painful cries... Don''t worry, it won''t harm your body, just a tiny bit of pain!" Chen Qi naively asked, "How much does a tiny bit hurt?" Lil'' Raven shed a mischievous smile, rolling up her sleeve: "Have you ever been sawed by a chainsaw? Qi?" "Hiss..." Chen Qi touched the Water Elf No.3 and No.4 in his arms: "Can the Water Elves make the painful noises for me?" "No." Chapter 173 This Crack is Going to Burst On the edge of the nearby sea, Storm Gorge, nightfall. Under the slightly reddened Blood Moon, the winds howled, thunder roared, and giant waves reached the skies. Chen Qi was at the helm in the captain''s cabin, cautiously steering the ship through the pitch-ck Storm Gorge. "The harbinger of the Laughing Moon Period..." Chen Qi looked up, his gaze piercing through the ss. The moon in the sky, as if soaked in fresh blood, hung over the horizon, casting a faint red hue over the sea surface. The shaky vessel, like a lone leaf, struggled to progress amidst the ferocious waves. At that moment, a triangle-helmeted Knight approached him from behind and tapped his back with an iron hand with a sting: "Captain, how much longer until we reach our destination?" "Two hours, and, do not approach my back so casually..." Chen Qi felt an unprecedented sting on his back. ording to Little Raven, he had about one hour before he ascended to heaven. However,st night, he felt like he had ascended once already. Chen Qi carefully recalled the blurry memories ofst night. Little Raven, iming to check his body, had him lie on the bed while calmly handling a bunch of hemostats and some jars, performing a thorough check from the inside out, including some minor surgeries. Normally, with days of practice, he had be capable of enduring pain, even if a steel needle was directly inserted into his armpit, he could bear it. The difference between butchery and surgery lies in precision. Last night''s procedure was less of a surgery and more of a butchery, yes, the kind used for ughtering pigs! Last night, Chen Qi only remembered Little Raven applying some strange medicine to his back, after which his pain sensitivity significantly increased, followed by a sudden intense procedure. Every possible method was used, from cupping to hammering... Little Raven, growing more enthusiastic as she proceeded, even climbed onto him, performing some cksmith-like terrifying checks! The pain in his thighs, back, and arms hadn''t subsided even now. Chen Qi turned around and gave a re at Little Raven, standing in the corner. Little Raven helplessly spread her hands, raised an eyebrow, and shed a mischievous smile as if to say:N?v(el)B\\jnn You, as the patient, only need to lie on the bed, while I, as the doctor, have a lot more to consider. Was I yed? Chen Qi stretched his limbs. No doubt about it, Little Raven is one ruthless unlicensed doctor. Now, thinking back, Little Raven''s inexplicable insistence on having him lie down might have been just to get a look at the Sea Beast tattoo on his back. Stay tuned with empire What a ughter...Chen Qi concluded. But truth be told, the check-up really seemed effective! After the surgery, he felt much more relieved. Despite the pain being intense, like tearing scars off his body, strangely, there was an urge to undergo it again... But now was not the time to discuss such matters, nor was there an opportunity for another session...Chen Qi turned back and ced his hand on the ship''s wheel: "In one more hour, everyone, we will reach the marked spot on the map, though the storm here is severe and we might encounter Sea Beasts." White Cloak pressed himself against the ss: "Little captain, you just need to keep driving forward, I will handle everything else." White Cloak smiled coldly, the vast storm in front of him seemed like a minor drizzle in his eyes. "Alright." Chen Qi pulled down the railing, increasing the ship''s speed to the maximum. He opened his Spiritual Power perception to the fullest while keeping the Residual Fire Touch hidden in his sleeve, ready to deploy it instantly. ording to the message in a bottle fished up by the Deep Sea Water Elf from the ocean. It contained information on Little Raven, Sirens, and White Cloak. This White Cloak had a record even more astonishing than his, a veteran of the Sea God Pirate Group and master of Void, he was just one step away from bing one of the four Angel Envoys of the Sea God Pirate Group. In his earlier years, he had hunted the ck Ship Sea Dragon, which is the juvenile form of the local sea ruler. He also had thirty-one D-level crack experiences and three C-level crack sesses. In the C-level crack ''Night Without Light'', he had obtained a legendary relic, the Sun Lantern, which could dispel many monsters, especially those of the Shadow phase. Furthermore, crucially, he possessed a technique for the release of Void. Since he specialized in Void, his reputation wasn''t as prominent, but his strength, considered one of the top two formidable bosses of the nearby seas, was unquestionable. ording to Little Raven''s estimate, White Cloak could fight against five or even more ck-eyed Captains by himself! Chen Qi was not quite sure how strong the ck-eyed Captain was, but estimated that with his current ability, even if activating the Residual Fire Touch, he might only be able to tie with one ck-eyed Captain. An extremely troublesome old guy...Chen Qi tuned his fighting spirit to its highest. Such old guys might strike the moment the ship reaches the entrance of the crack! White Cloak patted Chen Qi''s shoulder: "Kid, you''ve really been through a lot. After we finish this mission, I''ll apply for you to join our Deep Sea Pirate Group and bathe in the Holy Water of the Sea Goddess." Little Raven nced at her watch, coldly speaking: "White Cloak, don''t forget our mission''s purpose here. We, the ck Whale Group, provide the materials, and you mustplete the ritual; also, all gains from the crack must be split with us, the ck Whale Group. If there are items rted to Deep Sea Hunters or Witches in this crack, the ownership will be negotiated by big sis." Chapter 174 Come on, Enjoy Yourself "What a coincidence." Gathering her courage, the little raven''s voice dropped even lower as she interrupted the White Cloak. In her tiny head, myriad questions shed through her mind. What did those whispers mean? What special existence could it refer to? Was it a unique item brought by the White Cloak? She tried her best to raise her head: "White Cloak, what does that mean?" It was not merely about the gigantic waves that reeled, but rather a sort of ancient prophecy. Despite her being an enthusiast of the deep sea, she could notprehend the prophecies of the deep-sea kind. The anger towards humans? The attempt to stir chaos in the world? Or is it a prohibition against setting foot in their current domain? The interpretation of these whispers would dictate their subsequent actions. The White Cloak gazed into the distance, as if up to now, everything that had happened was within his expectations. He turned his head, asking: "Little captain, what do you think?" Chen Qi felt a tingling on his scalp as he stared into the distance at the mountain range. Amidst the buzzing in his head, he believed he had grasped the terrifying implications of those recent whispers. This ancient whisper carried a darkness, a loneliness, a madness - all born out of a long thread of time, as well as an endless yearning for love. Put simply: "Come on! Have fun, after all, there''s plenty of time~" Was this entity lonely, inviting him to join in its amusement? Chen Qi looked towards the petrified, mountainous range in the distance and shuddered. Sometimes, a discrepancy in size can be charming. But clearly, this difference was too vast; if he yed with it, he could be yed to death. This was no longer a dragon asking for a hug¡ªit was Godzi seeking an embrace! If this entity broke through its seal and descended upon the world, it would likely swoop towards him in the next second! Have fun? More like a quick death... He would have to keep his distance... Chen Qi organized his thoughts: "In truth, we haven''t suffered any serious harm, so, I believe this is an ancient and special invitation." The White Cloak paused for a moment: "Invitation? You only got it half right. This should be seen not just as an invitation, but as amand, a promise. When we reach the mountain''s summit andplete this final ceremony, we will receive his blessing." Following that, the White Cloak patted Chen Qi on the back: "Your inspiration is not bad. Others might have interpreted these whispers as rage." No, I truly find it hard to take these words as anger... Chen Qi looked into the distance speechlessly, beginning to think of the next n. "ck blood, ck blood, ck blood, we need more ck blood to stain the robes¡ª" And at this moment, within the dimly-lit ind, some corrupted vigers had noticed Chen Qi''s vessel. They, or rather, it, holding rusty shovels, steadily approached Chen Qi''s location. On rare asions, ''humans'' might exist within a crack, but unless it was a B-tier crack, these humans were never real, often malformed monsters, or disguises donned by other ''Transcendents''. For instance, Jin Li, the second-inmand of the Ice Witch Pirate Group, due to her profession as a ''Traveling Merchant'' in the Lamp Phase, often appeared in cracks, pretending to be an NPC, pushing silver-scale breasttes for fifty thousand each to participants. These vigers weren''t human, but rather monsters born from twisted obsessions. Bang! Their forms were already distorted, their bodies festering, and the weapons in their hands all consisted of foul objects congealed from blood. Corrupted beings could be twisted monsters after getting even a drop of tainted blood on them, even if they were Second-order Transcendents. Chen Qi furrowed his brows, stepped back; even if he had the Flower Witch''s potion to treat these toxins, The poison would inflict irreversible damage to his body. After all, he was but a developing Second-order Transcendent; he had to avoid such irreversible harm to his body as much as possible. Besides, these vigers prioritized attacking units that provoked them! ng! In the next instant, a hundred twisted vigers hit the ground, scurrying towards him rapidly like spiders. The White Cloak gracefully extended a finger: "Knight, ughter these mad fools." Subsequently, the ten Triangr Helm Knights under hismand took out ck spears and charged down from the ship,unching a swift assault! ng ng, thud thud!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Almost in an instant, the spears pierced through the vigers'' heads and hearts! The vigers'' heads burst open in a split second, with red and ck sttering everywhere. "All clear, sir." The leading Triangr Helm Knight stood erect, flicking the dark blood off his spear. The White Cloak said with a slightly approving voice: "True to a force modeled after sewer cleaners, you handle any filth or poison with ease." Sewer cleaners, gutter? Why does that sound somewhat familiar yet strange... Chen Qi pondered for a moment. He remembered that the sewer referred to the underworld of the New Sun world. In the Era of Darkness, the surface was more dangerous than the underground, leading humanity to establish arge number of underground shelters, which eventually formed a special underworld. With the rise of daylight, the underworld turned into a historical relic, no longer needed by humankind. Now, these shelters have be the haven for all sorts of beings that cannot survive on the surface, where many dark, twisted individuals reside, hence the name Gutter for what were once noble refuges. Although it is not one of the six major tes, it isrge enough to rival them in scale. To deal with this crack, they had summoned cleaners specializing in restraining the corrupted... Chen Qi thought to himself. If it were someone else, they might struggle severely due to the pollutants and poisons of the corrupted people. One could say that the ability of the Triangr Helm Knights to resist corruption directly downgraded this C-rank crack to a D-rank crack. With the Lantern Phase that resists the abyssal pirs, coupled with the Triangr Helm Knights specialized inbating the vigers. Had the White Cloak been to this crack before? Or did he know information about it? Wait, why is the mutation level of this crack so high? Chen Qi immediately thought of the answer. The Sea God Pirate Group had attempted this crack multiple times but had failed every time! And now, after the opening of the crack, they once again sought out the White Cloak toplete the task. Chen Qi winked at the Small Crow as a signal. But the Small Crow tilted her head, seemingly unaware of the matter. Before the final boss''s Descent, I must stay fully vignt... Chen Qi suddenly felt like he was ying a game of Werewolf. The White Cloak walked to the edge of the ship and lowered thedder: "Even a C-rank crack with high mutation levels is simple, like standing a coin on its edge, provided we are well-prepared. The only difficulty we face is to heed the whispers of an ancient presence and awaken its Descent." As he spoke, he stepped solemnly onto the ind, exuding an aura of deathly stillness. The Triangr Helm Knights went ahead, and they followed closely behind. Chen Qi and the Small Crow walked at the very end. The Small Crow turned to Chen Qi, wanting to say something, yet she remained calm and could not speak. The Triangr Helm Knights continuously hunted down the corrupted people. Unaware, the sky grew darker and the bodies piled up. They had reached deep into the ind. A twisted altar now appeared at the end of their view, atop the high summit. Runes constructed of mercury and blood, stacks of dry bones, writhing ck clots. "Finally, just by following the mountain path and replenishing all the materials, thenstly..." The White Cloak advanced in excitement, but in the next second, he involuntarily halted. Creak... Chen Qi looked down at his feet. It was a shriveled corpse, not decayed, dressed in a nun''s garb. Besides, there were numerous garments of the Sea God Pirate Group. Many had died in this ce, and the skeletons suggested that among them were no shortage of powerful Third-order Transcendents. Chen Qi activated his Dove Perception. In front of themy an ethereal barrier of Spiritual Power, one that had existed for hundreds of years! The White Cloak stepped forward, carefully touching the barrier: "After the Sea God Pirate Group''s four failed attempts, we have finally arrived here. Now, all we need is to break the seal set by the Ice Witch, and we shall wee a new god." As he spoke, the White Cloak turned back and gave Chen Qi and the Small Crow a grin. Chapter 175 Fight! Sealing? The seal of the Ice Witch? Chen Qi''s heart jumped. This rift is actually rted to the Ice Witch? Although traces of the Ice Witch are omnipresent in the Witch Sea, this was the first time he encountered signs of the Ice Witch within a rift. In legend, the Ice Witch hailed from the distantnd of Frostwinter Kingdom and was a Saint surpassing the Fourth Rank Legend; she was the savior of the Witch Sea, the strongest amongst the witches, and the keeper of order in the Witch Sea. However, what she did far exceeded just that. To prevent the Witch Sea from bing foulnd, the Ice Witch also possessed the power of prophecy. She would set seals to stifle any elements that could potentially destroy the Witch Sea. The fact that this rift could be sealed by the Ice Witch precisely demonstrated its value. Moreover, she would asionally appear in various major events and, every century, train a witch. Fen, the Flower Witch, was the youngest disciple of the Ice Witch. The Ice Witch had set a seal in this ce... Chen Qi looked toward the transparent, illusory barrier with a sense of ominous premonition. In legend, like the Deep Sea Hunters, the Ice Witch too was a hunter of deep-sea monsters! And,pared to huntingrge sea beasts, she preferred killing humanoid deep-sea monsters. Chen Qi, as such, was exactly the type of prey the Ice Witch most yearned to hunt. Only, unlike the now-deceased Deep Sea Hunters, this witch was merely asleep. "Qi, step back!" The little raven stepped in front of Chen Qi and drank a vial of Blood Medicine. At the same time, she unraveled her tied-up hair and took off the cumbersome Pharmacist''s robe, revealing the shorts and ck vest underneath that were suitable forbat, as well as her toned muscles. She had not neglected her physical training. Chen Qi looked toward the little raven, also readying himself for battle. Just then, the hand of the one in the white cloak was already on the barrier of the Ice Witch. "The final hurdle..." Undoubtedly, anyone trying to break the seal would incur the Ice Witch''s penalty! Chen Qi took a step back as a special inspiration once again shed through his mind. [You have heard the warning inspiration from the Ice Witch.] ["Halt your steps, travelers, for this is an ancient dream from tens of thousands of meters beneath the deep sea, it shall bring no blessings from the deep, only cursed soil upon the world."] ["Once it descends upon this world, everyone shall die."] Hearing the warning left behind by the Ice Witch a century ago, the white cloak let out a scoff of disdain: "Halt? Everyone is destined to die anyway, the world will eventually be cursed soil, the ck blood has long been tainted; a dying witch''s seal also wants to stop the tide of the deep sea!" The white cloak ignored the inspiration, cing his hand on the barrier and continuously channeling the Spiritual Power of the Void! At the same time, the Tricorn Knight behind him kept sshing ck, tainted blood upon the barrier. The inspiration went off again! ["I say again, halt."] The white cloak took a forceful step forward, his body straining. Crack! Crack! Gigantic cracks suddenly appeared on the barrier. ["Onest time, halt."] With the opportunity right before him, the white cloak had no intention of stopping. At the end, they did not heed the inspiration but only heard augh filled with supreme contempt: ''Hmph¡ª¡ª'' Amidst a clear sound of shattering ss, the entire barrier instantly crumbled! At the same time, a gigantic ck Ice Golem burst forth from the ground beneath them. Boom! Its body wasposed of a giant rune-engraved stone block, entwined with numerous runes and ayer of ck scales. Also, at the center of this statue was a core burning with blue me. Chen Qi scanned it in an instant. Bonfire Energy Company''s military-grade energy core, rune stones from the royal workshops of Frostwinter Kingdom, and the ck scales that covered it! These were the scales of a near-sea overlord! An ordinary Third-tier Transcendent would stand no chance against this ck Ice Golem! Boom! Though the Ice Demon Statue was only five meters tall, considering the materials from which it was made, it could easily massacre ordinary Third-tier Transcendents. And remember, the highest limit within this crack was a Third-order Transcendent! Rumble! Rumble! The core engine of the Ice Demon Statue was starting up, generating a deafening roar. The white cloak turned and said to the little raven: "Little Crow of the ck Whale Group, this old man must proceed to the altar; this Ice Demon Statue is now your responsibility." The little raven''s heart pounded, a cold sweat dripping: "I fight the Ice Demon Statue? I''m just a fragile doctor responsible for Potion R&D; white cloak, don''t forget, I''m the representative of the ck Whale Group. If I die, the ck Whale Group won''t let you off; the olddy could use a fitting new dog right now." The White Cloak tilted his head slightly, unconcerned: "You are not just a simple doctor, but a Third-order Cup Shadow profession, a subject of potion experiments. Under the influence of potions, the strength you exhibit in a short period of time can even rival the moves of a Fourth Rank Transcendent. Crow Doctor, you are stronger than I imagined, and what''s more, the young captain by your side has also concealed his true strength. Having the courage toe here with us, he must possess extraordinary abilities. You folks will win..." "Win... Hahahaha!" As he spoke, the White Cloak couldn''t help butugh. This is the creation of the Ice Witch, a mere crow cannot possibly withstand it. "However, dying time is enough¡ª¡ª" By now, he saw no need to y the role of a kindly old man. The White Cloak silently raised his hand, casting a spell on himself and the Triangle Helmet Knight. A dark membrane covered everyone present. Void Arts, Fade! Fade, a Third Rank Void spell, can erase one''s own presence, and any entity trying to observe them will suffer a light psychic assault. For golems that detect through sensing spiritual power and strength, this is the perfect counter-spell. However, considering this is the statue of the Ice Witch, besides concealing their presence, they must also leave behind something that could attract the golem! Clearly, this White Cloak had turned her into bait for luring the monster! She might be an undercover agent, but ostensibly, she is an executive of the ck Whale Group! The little crow said coldly; "The ck Whale Group won''t let you off, its executives cannot be insulted by others. Big Mama will tear open your spine, the Blood Hunter will harvest your soul..." The executives of the ck Whale Group can be insulted, but they must not be killed. Anyone who kills an executive of the ck Whale Group will personally be hunted by the Fourth Rank de Phase Blood Hunter, sailing on a crimson boat, hunting for his soul and blood! The White Cloak finally turned back: "Indeed, if it were just an old man nearing his end who killed an executive, punishment would be inevitable. But once I receive the Sea God''s blessing and advance to the Fourth Rank, stepping into the realm of Legends¡ª¡ª" "Who then would bother to me a Legend for the death of a Third-order ant? Even the adjudicators of Shell Country would likely stand on my side." ording to thews of Shell Country, once one bes a Fourth Rank Legend, even if theymit a grave crime, they are not sentenced to death but are sent to atone as an edge hunter on the frontier. The reason why the Fourth Rank is referred to as Legends is that they can stand above ordinary rules. The White Cloak no longer paid any heed to the little crow''s warning and walked towards the altar. In his eyes, with the imminent Descent of the Ancient Deep Sea Entity, the little crow and the captain are bound to die eventually. It''s better to let them serve some purpose before their death. The Ice Demon Statue''s body was getting hotter and hotter! Chen Qi took out the ck de and Meat Cutting Bone Breaking from his backpack card andmanded the Deep Sea Water Elf to enter battle mode. "Number One." "Vaku Vaku (Master, understood!)" The Deep Sea Water Elf assumed a defensive posture. "Damn it!" Although the little crow had anticipated this step, she was powerless. She could not defy the ck Whale Group''s orders and had to enter this crack. Boom! The moment the engines were preheated, the Ice Demon Statue charged forward, its massive fist like a high-speed missile. Targeting the little crow... Chen Qi quickly drew his sword and used Shadow de sh, cutting towards the Ice Demon Statue. A searing me was shed into the body of the Ice Demon Statue! In an instant, there was a re of light! Yet despite this, the Ice Demon Statue, with its sharp, scale-covered fists, stillnded a solid punch on the little crow''s abdomen!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Puh¡ª¡ª" The little crow spewed a mouthful of fresh blood, instantly feeling her organs shatter! Looking down at her bloody abdomen, she saw the Deep Sea Water Elf Number ched onto her stomach, helping to lessen the impact of the blow. "Vaku Vaku (Master! It hurts...)" The Deep Sea Water Elf let out a pained moan. "Sorry..." The little crow crushed and drank ten bottles of Potion. She had not engaged in realbat for too long and hadn''t reacted in time to the charge of the Ice Demon Statue, causing a weak Water Elf to take damage for her. Now, she had no choice but to fight! Fight! A subject of potion experiments needs no weapon; a body hopped up on potions is the sharpest sword! The little crow licked away the fresh red blood medicine from the corner of her mouth. The next second, she bent her arm and gently ced her tiny fist against the massive stone fist of the Ice Demon Statue and then softly chanted: "Inch Energy. Open Heaven!" Chapter 176 This Medicine is Powerful! ``` The Little Raven''s neck, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, and thighs, all generated force in an instant. She contracted her muscles, concentrating all her body''s strength into her fist within a brief breath, then unleashed it with explosive force! Apanied by a piercing whoosh of the fist cutting through the air, the massive body of the Ice Demon Statue, like a pebble swept away by a giant wave, was sted tens of meters away, leaving deep markings on the ground! Crack! The Ice Demon Statue knelt down on one half-bent leg, its colossal figure copsing in an instant. "Huff..." Little Raven regted her breathing while her blood-soaked hair fluttered in the wind. At this moment, her back was drenched in sweat and dark-red, blood-like patterns emerged incessantly. Inch strength, Little Raven, you''re still a kung fu girl, quite sturdy at that... This was Chen Qi''s first time seeing Little Raven in action. Ordinarily, these techniques that didn''t require weapons, relying solely on one''s fists and innate Qi, would be considered part of the mainstream Qi Power schools. And inch strength was even more so a high-order de Phase skill within the Qi Power tradition, generating short, sharp bursts of explosive force by contracting the muscles in an extremely short amount of time! Moreover, subjects of drug experiments could increase their attributes threefold or fourfold after drug intake. If the quality of the Potion was strong enough, it could lead to a tenfold increase, breaking through the physical limits of one''s body. With a super strong temporary status and pure Qi Skills! This level ofbat ability, this state of Little Raven, she had the power to challenge any battle-hardened, top-ranked Third-tier Transcendent with de Phase! Chen Qi''s gaze shifted to the Ice Demon Statue that Little Raven had just struck hard. In the roar of engines, the shattered body of the Ice Demon healed at an unimaginable rate. Little Raven swallowed the fresh blood and broken teeth in her mouth. It hurts so much! Broken bones, aching kidneys! Pain in the face, arms, and even the butt! Even her strongest blow couldn''t reach its core! There was no hope of winning at all... Tears and sweat mixed on Little Raven''s face. Gritting her teeth, she gripped her shattered fist: "Chen Qi, run, you might be able to get out through this crack." If it were someone else, Little Raven would have lost hope! But Chen Qi always held a glimmer of hope to escape! He had some significant secrets on him! Little Raven opened her backpack card and took out the forbidden Potion hidden within. Why are you saying yourst words already... Chen Qi clenched his ck de, with Qi Power entwining his entire body: "Little Raven, we are not dead yet. Don''t be in a hurry to say yourst words. This guy, after all, is just a bigger rock." Little Raven looked at the forbidden Potion in her hand: "I''m not small... Also, run fast, you might have a chance of survival. The statue is made of ice..." Little Raven didn''t finish her sentence before a huge gust of wind assaulted her. She instinctively bent her arm to defend, but what happened next was beyond her expectation. The Ice Demon Statue activated again. And this time, its target was not her, but the pitifully weak and helpless invalid, Chen Qi! Dynamic vision! Chen Qi immediately drew his sword,bining an explosive movement with a Qi de sh. The Ice Demon Statue''s burst was purely linear! Furthermore, it emitted a faint Spiritual Power before executing its move. With dynamic vision and Little Raven''s earlier demonstration, Chen Qi had already predicted the Ice Demon Statue''s attack. ng! With a clear sound, Chen Qi''s hand shook violently, a severe pain shooting through his hand. Although he dodged some of the force, his right hand was still seriously fractured and dislocated due to the immense power! No, to be precise, it should be said that it was shattered, and it was only hanging from his arm by the skin and flesh. The entire right hand dangled like a broken pendant, swaying precariously on his arm. "Awesome!" Find more chapters on empire Chen Qi gritted his teeth, enduring the pain, grabbed his right palm with his left hand, stuffed it back into the joint, and swiftly poured the Healing Potion provided by the Flower Witch over it. Swish! Swish! The strands of blood slowly merged together, reattaching. With a mid-level Self-healing physique and a top-ss Pharmacist''s Potion from the Flower Witch, even if he was cut in half, bing 0.5 Qi, he could survive as long as he was treated quickly enough. "Little Raven, stay calm, don''t be so pessimistic, we can fight." "Right, I have some good Potions here that might be useful to you." ``` ``` Chen Qi threw the potent healing potion and dragon''s breath potion given by the Flower Witch to Little Crow. On top of that, there was also a berserk potion specially made by the Flower Witch. The Flower Witch''s potions should be several times stronger than those produced by ordinary factories. As a medicated test subject, the stronger the potion, the stronger thebat power. After setting his bones, he immediately began to analyze the data of the golem before him. His dynamic vision was merely a basic First Order crack skill. Just now, even with dynamic vision activated, it was still very difficult to catch the Ice Demon Statue''s speed. However, from the recent situation, the statue seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. Most golems, as time passed, would also suffer functional degradation. Moreover, there were other scars on the golem caused by people. Even the statues of the Ice Witch could not escape the erosion of time. Boom! Boom! The Ice Demon Statue once again stood up, releasing the immense heat from its engine. "You said we could fight..." Little Crow turned her head, her blood-stained ck hair in disarray in the wind. Why wasn''t Chen Qi, who was adept at escaping, running now? Why? Even if they killed the Ice Demon Statue, they would be killed by the cloaked figures, they would be a sacrifice to the beasts of the deep sea! Could it be because of me... Little Crow blinked, seeming to understand something. In the doctrine of the ck Blood Kingdom, those who die in battle return to the high heavens, bing warriors for the Valkyries, while those executed by thew eternally descend into the ck prison, bing hounds for the Thirteen Hunter Wardens. Although for a pirate like her, infamous and vilified, death would only bring people''s apuse. But now, having a friend willing to die with her was a small happiness. She smiled a rare radiant smile: "We''re both doomed, Qi. Let''s go together and die in style..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Crack! She brutishly stuffed more than a dozen potion ss vials into her mouth, then bit down, ss shards following the potion down her throat, then spreading throughout her body. At that moment, Little Crow''s hair turned a fiery red, and her skin was covered with dense blood-colored runes. The Blood Medicine, containing the de Phase''s extraordinary power, greatly enhanced strength; after consumption, it caused a year-long injury to the body, and a small chance of contracting ss Disease. The Elf Blood Medicine, after consumption, greatly enhanced agility, with a small chance of an elfin transformation in the body, a great likelihood of lifespan loss! And the piles of unknown potions that Chen Qi had just thrown to her, all of them consumed in one go! "Ptui¡ª" Little Crow spat out the ss shards and bits of flesh, then charged violently toward the Ice Demon Statue. As a medicated test subject, she was a Cup Phase Berserker! Roar! The Ice Demon Statue, not to be outdone, like a giant truck, gathered the power of extreme cold for its Magic Statue''s Fist! And mmed out with a fierce punch! "Damn it! Come at me, you damned golem!" Little Crow threw a ferocious punch. Boom! With a loud gust of wind, their fists collided! If death is all there is, then let''s just do it! However, contrary to Little Crow''s expectations, her bones did not fracture! Instead, the Ice Demon Statue''s fists, eachparable to the head of a dragon, not only failed to repel her but were retreated by her small fist, developing cracks. "Am I that fierce..." Little Crow was shaken, a wave of heat sweeping over her body. Wait a minute, what did Chen Qi give me just now? This potion, it''s so strong! ``` Chapter 177 Last Will This Potion is so powerful, my Spiritual Power is surging out like crazy, and its effects even overshadow my other Potions, not to mention that the Healing Potion is far superior to those on the ck market¡­ In the midst of battle, Little Crow quickly suppressed the doubts in her heart and fiercely threw another punch! There''s no time to think about these things now! All she had in mind was one thing, and that was to kill the Ice Demon Statue before her! Meteor Fist! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Little Crow snickered, the only thing she could do was to embrace the agony inflicted by the Potion, ignore the cries of her body, and keep on bombarding punch after punch. To die covered in blood and mud, what honor is there not in that! Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom! The Ice Demon Statue was beaten back step by step. Nicely done, Little Crow¡­ Chen Qi activated the Shadow underfoot, furry Shadows appearing beneath his shoes, quickly approaching the Ice Demon Statue from behind. Perfect timing for an offensive! Chen Qi swiftly ignited the ck de in his hands. sh! sh! sh! ng ng ng ng ng ng ng! The Ice Demon Statue''s engine sounded a massive wail, at this moment, with enemies on both nks, it couldn''t even move, let alone retaliate with a punch. Under a barrage of attacks as dense as rain, the engine of the Ice Demon Statue once again let out a huge roar. Last energy, activate! An unprecedented heat transferred to Chen Qi''s hands. The Statue''s engine melted down! Usually, the appearance of this move means the life of the Statue is like a fading candle in the wind, soon to vanish! "Final blow!" Chen Qi stepped on the carcass of the Statue and leaped high into the air! Shadow de sh Dragon Ascending sh! Scorching ck mes descended from above, like a giant cleaver cutting through meat, ripping through the rune stones embedded in the Ice Demon Statue''s head. Little Crow also let out a fierce shout: "Die!" The battle-crazed Little Crow didn''t hesitate, she took a deep breath andunched her strongest punch at the cost of damaged bones. st Punch! Boom! Almost simultaneously, the two of them delivered these earth-shattering blows and quickly backed off! "Explode!" In that instant, the Ice Demon Statue also unleashed the immense power of its engine! Apanied by a thunderous explosion, a massive wind, carrying dust and dirt, swept over the deste ind in an instant! ... ... The dust and smoke gradually dissipated, and the noisy ind slowly returned to tranquility. Now, only the sound of breathing remained, gradually bing steady¡ª "Huff, huff, huff, huff..." Little Crow spat out blood, struggling to rise, but she was unstable and finally copsed to the ground with a thud. Explore more at empire The power of the Potion was backfiring against her body. Subjects of drug experiments are only strong for a moment. Did we win... Straining to lift her head, she looked toward the center of the dust cloud. The Ice Witch, from legend, though born a nun, is a cold and ruthless Witch. Her favorite thing was to let those cultists feel the hope of victory, before bestowing upon them despair. If the Statue guard she set up had any more tricks left, then... "It seems it doesn''t matter, we''ve done well getting this far, we did great, very great..." Little Crow crawled forward, remarkably raising her head to look into the distance. Atop the corpse of the Ice Demon Statue stood a young man covered in dust and blood. "Qi..." Little Crow said softly. Chen Qi stored the battered engine of the Statue in his card and walked over, squatting down: "Hey, Little Crow, if you can''t hold on, just lie down for a while. With your injuries right now, any sudden moves could kill you." Little Crow had always been a drug-fueled fighter, battling in a reckless manner, almost like a Berserker. From start to finish, she had been confronting the mightily powerful Ice Demon Statue head-on, in a frenzied manner.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om If she continued to fight, she might turn into a mad Berserker woman with only killing in her mind. Chen Qi took out a Healing Potion from his backpack card, opened the cork, and gently ced it to Little Crow''s lips: "Drink some Potion, take a moment to rest." Then, he picked up Little Crow''s arm and wrapped it with a bandage. What is it with calling me Little Crow, do I look weak or something, and ouch... lying on the ground, Little Crow opened her mouth and drew a breath of the Potion. A warm sensation gradually spread throughout her body, and the pain subsided slowly. At this time, Little Crow slowly lifted her head and asked curiously: "Qi, where did that Potion you just usede from?" Little Crow, although primarily focused on researching Sea Beasts, also had a decent level in potion-making. For the sake of unleashing her greatestbat power, the Potions she reserved in her backpack card were top-quality goods from ck market Pharmacists. Being a subject of drug experiments, Little Crow had a wealth of experience in testing drugs. She originally thought that what Chen Qi gave her was some odd and strange potions. Under normal circumstances, she would never drink Chen Qi''s potions because their effects were most likely to be overshadowed by her own potent medicines. But, the potion Chen Qi just gave her surpassed even the ones she had meticulously prepared! Even the simplest Healing Potion was of the highest quality. Especially the Dragon Breath Potion, a very rare potion indeed. Though its ingredients were easy to obtain, there were very few pharmacists who could make it! Such potions usually did not fall into the hands of ordinary people. Could it be that the potions had merged with each other, producing new effects? The efficacy of these potions was so profound, she would believe it if someone said they were made by the Flower Witch! Now, is it the time to ask such questions... Chen Qi pondered and replied: "I got these potions in exchange for cooking, from a top-tier pharmacist." "We are both nearly dead, and you''re still lying to me..." The Little Crow retorted back. "..." As she said this, the Little Crow finished the potion and struggled to stand up: "Qi, by now, the White Cloaks must be close topleting the ritual. They have no time to deal with us, do you have anyst words you want to say to me..." Blood trickled from the corner of the Little Crow''s mouth. At this moment, she had given up hope for life and stared at Chen Qi. That damn guy, full of secrets! "..." This young girl, why is she always thinking aboutst words? Chen Qi felt slightly speechless: "Cheer up, Little Crow. When we get back, I''ll let you knead the Deep Sea Water Elf to your heart''s content!" Chen Qi could tell, as someone obsessed with the deep sea, the Little Crow had long wanted to grab hold of the Deep Sea Water Elf and knead it, to suck it dry. To knead me... The Little Crow looked at Water Elf No.1, who had shielded her from bullets. Under the impact of the Ice Demon Statue, it had turned into a pancake! "Don''t worry, it''ll recover after being soaked a bit." Chen Qi said, picking up Water Elf No.1. "Both of you, you''re very strong! But, can this conversation wait tillter?" Suddenly, a Knight in a triangr helmet interrupted their conversation, appearing behind the two of them. Taking advantage of the situation... Chen Qi turned his head. "Damn it..." The Little Crow knocked on the ground with her fist. The captain of the Knights in triangr helmets nced at the shattered Ice Demon Statue: "You two really are strong. If it was somewhere else, I''d be quite keen to get to know you both, but I am a Hunter, and a Hunter must follow the client''s orders. And you two, are quite suitable to be sacrifices." Sacrifices... The Little Crow clenched her teeth. Those damn White Cloaks, they really wanted to leave no stone unturned! Though they had won, the situation had be even worse off. Chen Qi clipped his weapon to his waist and stopped being polite: "Hey, you dog of the White Cloaks, let me remind you, this is a monster sealed by the Ice Witch. If it truly awakens, not just us, you will die too. Your dog lives are more important than your employer''s orders, right?" The captain of the Knights coldly replied: "In the Sea God Pirate Group, an order is both amand and fate. Little captain, our lives were never in our hands to begin with. Before the end, why not witness the Descent of the Sea Beast?" Saying this, he made a ''please'' gesture. I really would like to witness its Descent... Chen Qi asked: "Little Crow?" The Little Crow took a struggling step forward, her body weak as she said: "Let''s go have a look..." Chen Qi took the Little Crow''s right hand, supporting her as they headed towards the altar deep inside the valley. They trod over the dust of a devastating defeat, up the long stairs. Eventually, they reached the high ce of the valley, where the altar was located. On the empty altar above, the White Cloaks had set everything up. A circle of runes crafted from ck Blood, the ancient deep-sea offerings. An octopus brain from deep below the sea, copious amounts of precious ck Whale Blood, the Sea Crown of the Sea God Sect, the Butterfly Powder of the Phantom Butterfly, and the Awakening Song from the music halls of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom... Everything was ready, all that remained was the infusion of Spiritual Power. The White Cloak knelt on the ground, murmuring: "The seal of the Ice Witch, after a century of wear and tear, can no longer resist the ''Void'' form." "In the end, it is our Sea God Pirate Group that has won. Not even the Ice Witch can escape the Lantern Death God''s pursuit, all she could do was set up a few feeble seals..." The Little Crow''s hands were trembling slightly. The White Cloak turned his head and looked at Chen Qi and the Little Crow: "Both of you, ancient beings from the deep sea are not beyond control; they are not merely wild beasts, they symbolize certain emotions, powers, from legends. And the being I''m about to summon represents dreams. Those who offer the sacrifice will receive a blessing from the deep sea." Dreams... Chen Qi touched his chin. Then, the White Cloak continued: "However, as symbols of dreams, they desire even more those individuals filled with fantasies, those who harbor hope, and the sacrifices must embrace hope too." The White Cloak ced his hand on the ground, pouring his Spiritual Power and blood into it: "Both of you, speak yourst words, and I will fulfill all your final wishes." Chapter 178 May You Be Satisfied, God of Illusion Dreams Last words¡­ The little raven fell silent, drawing closer to Chen Qi''s arm and gazing at his profile. She did not see the fear that should have been present on Chen Qi''s face. Calm, yet with a hint of fear, a feigned fear¡­ Just like when he first encountered the Wall of Bloodied Eyes! Why does it feel like this man is a bit happy? It surely can''t be joy from dying with me soon, impossible¡­ The little raven bit her bright red lips and said to the figure in the white cloak: "No need forst words, I don''t need outsiders to fulfill mine." "What a pity." The figure in the white cloak looked at Chen Qi. Chen Qi then asked curiously: "Old timer, what you''re summoning from the crack is a dangerous Abyssal creature. Can such an existence truly be called a deity? Are you really sure that the moment of its Descent, it won''t consider you as prey to devour?" "Consider me as prey?" The figure in the white cloakughed contemptuously and lifted his cloak. Underneath the cloak were arms like coral, and azure runes! Every day, members of the Sea God Pirate Group would anoint their bodies with a special Deep Sea oil, which made them appear as kin to Abyssal creatures! And this was one of the reasons why the Sea God Pirate Group could thrive and flourish. The figure in the white cloak gently lowered his hands: "You do not understand faith, little captain. To see ancient beings as monsters is your ignorance; those who harbor malice will be the first to be sacrifices." "Using rebuttals and questions asst words, how dull you are." Your journey continues with empire The figure in the white cloak turned back and walked to the center of the ritual, closing his eyes, hands pressed together in prayer. Like a devout believer, he spoke in the most heartfelt tone: "Beloved of the Sea Goddess, weaver of dreams, Angel of the Deep Sea." "Your most faithful human follower, Mag, offers the blood of the great whale, may you guide us across the shattered world, may you dye this vast ocean with us." "With ck blood, we dye this vast sea!" The blood of the ck whale soaked into the ground of the ritual. As the ck whale''s blood disappeared, along with an ancient whisper, faint ripples began to spread across the mountain, the waves gradually expanding, converging into a massive vortex. In the center of the vortex, dark as ink as if swallowing everything around it! Titanic creatures¡­ Chen Qi felt a special revtion. [You have breached the Witch''s seal, and it is gradually sensing its former power. The call of the great whale has increased the crack''s distortion by 5%! Current distortion at 95%! The death omen star looms over your heads!] And as the revtion dawned, the entire ind began to shake, and the sea waves also became increasingly fierce and surging! Giant cracks appeared on the mountain, as if a massive fossil had been imbued with life. Boom! Boom! With the sounds of shattering echoing across the ind, deep blue ribbons broke through the heavy rocks, continuously reaching out. Hundreds! Thousands! Tens of thousands! Atop those phantom-blue ribbon-like wings, coral and oil paints of many colors created a dazzling scene, emitting enchanting hues under the dim light. The entity sealed here broke free from its shell. Countless ribbon-like ethereal butterfly wings, along with a body resembling a snake, a creature as if stepping out from a dream. Beautiful yet powerful. Amidst the heavenly singing, it burst through the rock, like a butterfly leaping from the sea, flying into the sky, suspended in the air, like the legendary feathered serpent! Its body stretched at least five hundred meters long, its size had long surpassed that of ordinary sea beasts. "So beautiful, so lovely..." The little crow raised her head, unconsciously attracted by this posture. Those ribbons on its body, like the waves of the sea, like the hem of the Sea Goddess''s skirt, and like the pure dreams of a child. "We wee Your Descent!" The white cloak made a thumping sound as he knelt halfway to the ground. At the same time, the other knights in triangr helmets also immediately knelt down to express their reverence. You are venerating it... Chen Qi raised his head, staring fixedly at the giant creature before him. He recognized the monster before him. The Dream Beast, a disaster creature that appeared at night, resembling a feathered serpent covered in ribbons, was considered the gentlest city-destroying beast in the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, a creature of beautiful dreams. All living beings in its path would fall into endless illusions, eventually dying with a smile amidst starvation. Because of the Dream Beast''s special power, some groups in the pleasure-loving Golden Flower Bird Kingdom also regarded it as a divine beast. But one thing was certain, the Dream Beast was an absolute disaster creature that would grant no blessings to humans. Just as the Ice Witch had said, in the end, it was but a monster, a catastrophe creatureparable to deities in the eyes of mortals. However, the monster before him was even more special. Chen Qi felt a sense of foreboding. Logically, this should be a creature born from darkness, not from the deep sea, its overall color should be as dark as pitch, not the current colorful splendor. A special aberrant of Witch Sea? Or has some power transformed the Dream Beast into its current form? At this moment, the Dream Beast high in the sky slowly descended, its deep blue scales rising and falling with its breath, creating a beautifully romantic melody with the sea breeze. [You have encountered a temptation...] [Spiritual and willpower evaluation in progress.] [Judgment sessful, your will is firm, you sessfully resisted the Dream Beast''s temptation...] Temptation... Chen Qi touched his head. Although he possessed Deep Sea Affinity, this did not mean he was absolutely safe. Just as humans may kill each other or cause idental harm. Moreover, this Dream Beast might be an aberrant. "A very dangerous monster indeed..." Chen Qi whispered in summary. It was his first time encountering such a massive Dream Beast in reality. If possible, he even wanted to stand on the head of the Dream Beast, to see the world. The captain of the little ship, to actually call such a beautiful being a monster... The white cloak slowly raised his head: "Illusions, your devoted follower offers two fine dishes, earnestly begs you to break through this fragile shell and grant us your blessings..." He spoke solemnly, fearful that a single word could lead to his demise. The next instant, the Dream Beast''s ethereal blue body stirred the sea breeze, lowering its massive head to the ground, ribbons waving in the air like gs. Then, it suddenly lunged towards Chen Qi! Whoosh! The Dream Beast''s huge head stopped right in front of Chen Qi and the little crow. The heavy breathing of its scales pressed against them. "Ah!" The little crow let out a crow''s cry, instinctively bowing her head in that instant, feeling for the first time in her life that she never wanted toe into contact with ancient deep sea species. If she hadn''t been injured, she would have already dragged Chen Qi a thousand meters away at that moment. "May you be pleased, God of Illusion Dreams..."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The white cloak knelt half-way on the ground, saying devotedly. Chapter 179 I Accept the Gift, But That Doesnt Mean I Agree The Dream Beast epted his offering, which meant sess! The white cloak steadied his breathing, waiting for the Dream Beast to swallow Chen Qi and the little raven. However, he suddenly noticed something seemed a bit off. The Dream Beast lowered its head and let out a sound like a cat''s purr. Singing? What does that mean? Chen Qi steadied his breathing. Creatures naturally feared enormouslyrge monsters. If it had been his first time at sea, he would have run away at the sight of it. But now, Chen Qi just wanted to understand what it meant. Rubbing against me, a sign of friendliness... And a hint of wanting to merge with me? Integration with an ancient deep-sea species, this should not be just a simple merging but a fusion of flesh and blood. At the same time, it carried a hint of aggression! This aggression wasn''t toward me, but toward the world! So, are you inviting me to destroy this world with you? To color the world with the depths of the sea! "..." "..." You have quite the ambition. Chen Qi frowned, wordlessly patting the Dream Beast''s head. On the head of the Dream Beast, there was a trace of special Spiritual Power, that of the Ice Witch''s. Destroy the world? The two of them? Although to the white cloak, the Dream Beast was an invible deity, to Chen Qi, it was just a slightlyrger perverted snake. With theirbined strength, they might have a chance to take down a Fourth Rank Legend! Maybe even sink a navy battleship! But destroying the world was sheer nonsense. Chen Qi organized his thoughts and said considerately: "Little guy, don''t mess around." He didn''t know if this Dream Beast could understand him. "Little guy, don''t mess around, little guy, don''t mess around..." At that moment, the white cloak beside them opened his mouth wide, and Chen Qi''s words echoed in his mind like a valley''s resonance. This little captain, what was he doing with the God of Illusion Dreams? He was treating the great Dream Beast like a little pet. The Dream Beast rubbed against the ground; it didn''t understand Chen Qi''s meaning. As expected, this human could not grasp thenguage of the deep sea... Read new chapters at empire Then, the next moment, the white cloak saw Chen Qi stretch out his hand and skillfully stroke the head of the deep-sea monster. Just like petting a cat... How dare you touch! You cannot desecrate my summoned god! If the Dream Beast wasn''t right beside Chen Qi, the white cloak would have rushed up and hacked him into pieces! "?" The little raven opened her eyes and bravely looked at the scene, instinctively grabbing Chen Qi''s hand. Unlike the white cloak, shepletely did not understand thenguage of the deep-sea creatures, especially these titans. However, she could clearly sense it. This violent giant beast was conveying some sort of peaceful emotion to Chen Qi. An order? Or did it want to take Chen Qi as its kin? But it was certain, this giant beast had no intention of attacking him! Why? Could it be that the items Chen Qi obtained in the Deep Sea Hunter''s Cave made deep-sea creatures not view him as an attack target? Or did he possess some kind of tool that could suppress deep-sea beasts? Or was it the parasitic sea beast inside him? Could it be that an ancient deep-sea species was parasitic inside him! When danger arrived, this ancient species would appear to protect Chen Qi''s safety. The little raven had read in tabloids that many noble Transcendents had the power of giant beasts sealed inside them from birth. What exactly did Chen Qi obtain in that sea beast cave? The little raven''s mind was filled withplicated thoughts, many questions were answered but more arose. She was bing increasingly interested in the young man before her. If she were younger, she would have wanted to tie Chen Qi to a bed and research and question him thoroughly. But given the current situation, the little raven could only tremble and say: "Qi..." Chen Qi stretched out his hand and patted the Dream Beast''s head again: "Good, good..." Roar! The Dream Beast abruptly lifted its head and opened its blood-fanged maw. It felt that Chen Qi had rejected its goodwill! Also, its temptation! Little captain, do you know the price of desecrating an ancient being? The white cloak felt relieved. That''s right! Come now, show these mortals your divine power, Dream Beast! Then, in the next moment, he saw a deep blue glow emerging from the Dream Beast''s head, its wings fluttering in the sea breeze. "This is..." The white cloak''s eyes widened. This is the Dream Beast''s blessing ceremony! Only those recognized by the Dream Beast are qualified for this ritual! "Wait!" The white cloak was shocked. He wasn''t ready yet. The Dream Beast hadn''t even partaken in its offering yet, how could it be starting the blessing! As he stood up, he stared nkly into the distance. The Dream Beast was giving the blessing to the little captain! Chen Qi stretched out his hand, and the next moment he felt some memories entering his mind, along with a faint power flowing inside him. [You have received the Sea Blessing of the Catastrophe Dream Beast.] [You received the blessing of the Dream Beast, you acquired Sea Walking, you gained Illusion Resistance.] [You obtained Illusion Butterfly¡ª¡ª] Just like skill cards, a form of transcendent knowledge... Chen Qi was slightly surprised; he seldom received such blessings. Sea Walking, though the name was ordinary, was the advanced form of Water Walking! Water Walking involved using Spiritual Power to turn the water beneath the feet into a solid, icy substance. But Sea Walking consumed less Spiritual Power, was faster, and could also protect oneself with Spiritual Power, making one more agile underwater. He no longer needed to step on water elves every day. And Illusion Resistance was also a rather high-order passive ability; mastering this skill meant he had the qualifications to be an Illusion Master. If he were a Floral Appearance Transcendent, he might have received even more blessings. Just like skill cards, it needed to be absorbed to be mastered... Chen Qi epted this knowledge. At the same time, a blue butterfly with ribbon-like wings gentlynded on his fingertip. Transcendent material... Chen Qi extended his index finger, closely observing, and within it, he saw countless beautiful dreams of people. [Illusion Butterfly: Nature Form: Floral Description: The Illusion Dream Butterfly, it is said that when the Dream Beast absorbs the beautiful dreams of a thousand people, it will condense into an Illusion Dream Butterfly. Function: Direct use can make surrounding creatures fall into an endless dream of delight! It can also serve as the core main material for making forbidden Floral Transcendent creations.] Third Rank and above upation cards were often iplete, and the promotion methods were moreplex too. This material could probably create a Fourth Rank Legend upation card or even a forbidden Transcendent creation... Chen Qi thought to himself and put the item away. At this moment, the Dream Beast lowered its head again, making a purring sound. As if it was saying, "You''ve epted my gift! Now,e and destroy this world with me!" "Purr, purr..." The Dream Beast opened itsrge, bloody mouth and extended its tongue, wanting to merge with Chen Qi and be a new entity! "..." Damn... For a moment, Chen Qi didn''t know what to say. epting the gift didn''t mean agreeing to the Dream Beast''s conditions. Moreover... Chen Qi looked at the Dream Beast, its massive body was continuously freezing over.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Merging with the Dream Beast would mean death. Chen Qi organized his words and refused: "Dream Beast, I''ll ept your gift, but you can take back your intentions." The Dream Beast raised its head. At this time, Chen Qi noticed all eyes were on him. The injured little raven hid behind him. The white cloak''s face contorted, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and sorrow, a mix ofplicated emotions. His god had blessed the offering right in front of him! Is this appropriate? He was the one leading the ritual! The white cloak stepped forward and said angrily: "Angel of the Deep Sea, I prepared the ck whale''s blood, I unlocked the Ice Witch''s seal, I showed you respect, I dedicated my life to you!" The Dream Beast''s descent was all because of his efforts! Because of the Sea God Pirate Group! Would the Dream Beast give its blessing to a little captain who insulted it? Why? The Dream Beast must be getting senile! Mistaking the wrong believer! It must be... The white cloakforted himself. Just offering the crucial ck whale blood should make the Dream Beast understand everything! He took out the ck whale''s blood: "God of Illusion Dreams, I offer you the ck whale''s blood! May you ept my gift!" Then, the white cloak quickly stepped forward, trying to snatch the Illusion Butterfly from Chen Qi''s hand, reiming what rightfully belonged to him! That butterfly was a legendary material, essential for his path to reaching the Fourth Rank! However, in the next instant! A violent wind swept across Sea Lamp Ind! Apanied by a mournful song of pain, the Dream Beast opened its giant maw, its ribbon-like wings dancing like waves, and charged at the white cloak. "?????" The white cloak''s eyes widened, filled with disbelief. Chapter 180 Distortion Rate 100% A thunderous sound echoed through the mountains, the Dream Beast merely moving at high speed, flung the White Cloak heavily against the mountainside. The emotions in the White Cloak''s eyes grew moreplex. More than anger, there was confusion and excruciating pain. The Dream Beast, usually as calm as a god, bestowing endless joy upon others, now resorted to such reckless and crude attacks. Like a beast venting its own pain... Was the Dream Beast in pain? But why would it feel pain? The White Cloak was bewildered. BOOM! BOOM! The Dream Beastpletelycked the calm of a natural disaster beast, continually using the most primitive and violent methods to strike at the White Cloak''s body! "Your follower, beseeches you to ept..." The White Cloak tried to speak, but in the next moment, a massive impact mmed into his chest. The pain of cracked bones, the agony of flesh and blood quickly spread through his entire body! "ept the blood of the ck Whale..." The White Cloak''s body trembled, not because of his physical pain, but a mental anguish, the hallucinatory dreams constantly eroding his spirit. Pain, excruciating pain! If it weren''t for his years of hard practice and spiritual training to approach the Dream Beast, he would have long been devoured by this dream''s agony. Could it be that the Dream Beast was attacking him for that little captain? Attacking someone who had given everything for the Dream Beast! "Knights, stop it!" The White Cloak raised his right hand in desperation, ordering firmly. Ten Triangle-helmed knights moved emotionlessly, their spears tearing through the sea wind, stabbing at the Dream Beast with incredible speed. The spears prated deep into the Dream Beast''s massive body, yet what usually pierced humans was but tiny toothpicks on the Dream Beast. Completely impervious! The Triangle-helmed knights used their powerful muscles to thrust their spears deeper into the thick hide. As soldiers specialized in dealing with filth, they had no experience confronting gigantic beasts. They stood there due to the Sea God Pirate Group''smand. Shadows loomed over their heads, above them, countless ribbons floated in the air. Those were the wings of the Dream Beast! BAM! Thousands of ribbons from the Dream Beast smashed down, turning several Triangle-helmet knights into ck fragments in an instant. "Fake cleaners are still too fragile..." The White Cloak took this chance to leap back. ording to his n, he was supposed to win the favor of the Dream Beast, bing an honorary mentor of the Sea God Pirate Group, promoted to Legend, and advancing through the Crack Tide, bing a new entity. The key to all thisy with that little captain! Why was he so calm? Why was he so adept at handling the Dream Beast? The White Cloak removed his cloak, revealing a withered hand covered in runes, then took out hisntern: "Sun!" Under the light of thentern, the Dream Beast''s movements slowed! Taking advantage of this brief moment, he questioned Chen Qi: "Little Captain, do you know thenguage of the deep-sea species? What did you offer the Dream? Your soul? Or are you a more devout follower?" In the White Cloak''s eyes, Chen Qi must have had some special quality that attracted the Dream Beast. Continue your adventure at empire Otherwise, why didn''t the Dream Beast choose him! With no Triangle-helmed knights left, Chen Qi steadied Xiao Wu Ya and took out his beast-hunting gun. Thatntern could temporarily dispel the Dream Beast; an old third-order Transcendent did have some trump cards... Chen Qi tried to remain vignt: "I haven''t offered anything, but do you have anyst words now?" The light of thentern could only temporarily dispel the Dream Beast''s attacks. When thentern''s light faded, the White Cloak would be a creature for the Dream Beast to vent upon. "Last words,st words..." The White Cloak''s skeletal arm trembled uncontrobly, despair spreading through every part of him. "Why? Why you? Why did the Sea God deceive me?" He slowly raised his head, whispering softly: "Void Release. Scream!" Chen Qi did not hesitate, immediately pulling the trigger, firing five shots at the White Cloak. BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! The White Cloak''s body instantly sprouted two bloody holes, but his technique continued to form. The liberation technique was the final move that required third-order Transcendents to adhere to the principles of Nature Form, undergo continuous training, and have a sufficiently strong desire to release! Fourth Rank Legend or higher''s liberation techniques could even create miracles beyond rules. Different Nature Form techniques, such as de Phase, required a strong desire for battle, victory, and glory; Floral Appearance required a desire for pleasure, an appreciation for art and beauty; Cup Phase needed a desire for life, a yearning for evolution... But Void Release was very special, often only usable when the user felt despair, a total loss of hope! Compared to other liberation skills, Void Release was also more powerful! The White Cloak''s body twisted, like a character in an oil painting, continuously distorting, dragging the surrounding space into a ck distortion... Finally, he was covered by ck ink, twisting continually, eventually transforming into a small ck figure in an oil painting, emitting an unbearably sharp scream! There was an insurmountable chasm between third-order Transcendents who had mastered liberation techniques and those who had not. "Qi! Cover your ears!" Xiao Wu Ya immediately stepped back. "No need..." Chen Qi calmly looked at the Dream Beast high in the air.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om From the moment the Dream Beast descended, the White Cloak could never release aplete Void Release. The Dream Beast raised its massive serpent body, countless ribbons danced in the air, rushing toward the White Cloak. Enwrapping, entangling! Lastly, bestowing the dream! Amid the sound of ribbons entwining, the White Cloak''s voice gradually faded, finally returning to silence. "Farewell..." Chen Qi whispered softly. The old man finally died at the hands of the Dream Beast. The White Cloak''s Void Release technique Scream was iplete; at its core, it was just a half-finished product. And the White Cloak himself was an extremely ambitious person; even to the end, his idea was to use the Void Release technique to reverse the situation. But Void Release itself was an embodiment of despair, and having such thoughts rendered him unable to perform a perfect Void Release. Most importantly, as a natural disaster bestowing beautiful dreams upon people, the Dream Beast wouldn''t allow a song of absolute despair to descend here. The Dream Beast slowly raised its head, looking at the shattered mountains, then back at Chen Qi, and emitted a humming song. Confirming that Chen Qi had no intention of evolving with it, and affirming Xiao Wu Ya as Chen Qi''s prey, it slowly lifted its massive body and silently flew toward the sky. With breath, heartbeat, and restlessness, everything gradually returned to calm. "¡­" At this moment, Xiao Wu Ya had experienced too much in too short a time, standing in a daze. At this time, they once again caught a glimpse of enlightenment. [The Dream Beast has awakened, releasing its power! Rift distortion degree increased by 5%!] [Current distortion degree 99%!] "99%, just one percent left..." Xiao Wu Ya lightly bit his lip. The next second, a prompt reappeared. [The Dream Beast felt an indescribable sorrow! Rift distortion degree increased by 1%] "Pain???" Xiao Wu Ya tilted his head in confusion. [Current distortion degree 100%] [Copse begins!!] The entire vast sky started to shatter continuously. Chapter 181 Do You Watch Fireworks? The originally clear sky was like shattered ss, constantly falling from the sky, piece by piece. The surrounding sea area continuously churned up huge whirlpools, and enormous mountain ranges began to show cracks as well! Sea Lamp Ind was about to descend into the waters of the Witch Sea. Meanwhile, the Dream Beast soared in the sky like a dragon, high above. The two of them stood on the mountainside, looking up at the sky and towards the sea. "Is the final oue the copse..." At this moment, Chen Qi seemed to hear a faint smile from the Ice Witch in his ear. "Heh¡ª" How much auto-recovery had the Ice Witch left in this rift? Chen Qi sighed with relief and slowly walked to the body of the white-cloaked figure. Only a fallenntern remained in this ce. He slowly picked up thentern. [Day Lantern: Nature Form: Lantern Description: Antern made with fire fallen from the sky, capable of dispersing arge number of filthy monsters. Effect: Consumes arge amount of Spiritual Power to form a brief light sourcesting one minute. This light can disperse most monsters, especially Shadow Phase monsters.] A pretty good divine artifact... Chen Qi mused. Whether facing the Abyss Pir or the Dream Beast, this item could have a brief dispersal effect. In this dangerous world, it could be called a divine artifact among divine artifacts. "A good thing." Chen Qi smiled happily and epted the item. This dangerous journey had been worth it to gain a life-saving item. "Qi, what do we do next..." Little Crow stood in the distance, her bloodstained hair fluttering in the wind. She was disheveled. Whether facing the white cloak or the Dream Beast, it all felt extremely unreal. Logically speaking, the weak ones like them should have perished. There was a miraculous feeling of dying anding back to life. And the core reason behind all thisy in Chen Qi''s special constitution. Clearly, she should have been themander, clearly, she was the more powerful one, but at this moment, she had no choice but to seek Chen Qi''s opinion. Let me calm down as well. These things have been quite a shock to me. That was a gigantic beast... Chen Qi asked wearily: "Little Crow, haven''t you experienced a rift copse before?" "Have you experienced it?" Little Crow asked back curiously. Rift copses were rare events. Had Chen Qi experienced other rift copses? Not too many... Chen Qi smiled slightly: "No, I''m just a sailing rookie, but I''ve read in books that the current situation is a gentle copse. The rift and the real world will merge together slowly. Once the riftpletely ends, we''ll have a rift settlement. After the settlement, we will be able to leave this ce. Don''t worry, looking at the current situation, even if the rift copses, we will be fine." "Rift settlement?" Little Crow tilted her head in confusion, her ck hair standing on end. She thought that after the rift ended, there would be no rift settlement and no rewards. Chen Qi smiled and said: "Yes, a rift settlement. So, do you have any tasks left toplete in the rift? We can help each other now andplete some tasks together." Chen Qi remembered he had one task left, a design blueprint for a seantern. After all, he hadn''t killed many monsters or caused much trouble in the rift. If he didn''t find the seantern blueprint soon, his evaluation might be very low. After all, this was his first time entering a C-tier rift, and Chen Qi wanted to get the highest rating possible. This was his first time! "Completing... a task... now?" Little Crow looked at the Dream Beast high in the sky. Was this really the time to discuss this? Did the two of them not need to show some respect to the Dream Beast? "Yes, don''t worry, we''ll be fine." Chen Qi rallied his Deep Sea Water Elf troops, sending them to all corners of the ind to search for the seantern blueprint. "Waku waku (Master! Understood!)" No. 1 transformed into a Water Elf pancake, and at this moment, the usually silent and gentle No. 3 was forced to be the leader of the Water Elf troops. And the two of them walked slowly towards the beach, against the sea breeze. At this moment, there were no monster sieges, no hostility from others, only the faint sea breeze and the warm sunlight. The two strolled on this peaceful ind. "A narrow escape..." Chen Qi patted his chest and enjoyed the serene sea breeze. The events of today might be considered a random encounter in a game. In the Witch Sea, strange things happened every day. Encountering such a skirmish was not unusual. Not every well-known character died a heroic death; on the contrary, in the Witch Sea, most of them died from idents. Many once famous individuals disappeared into the sea due to a small ident, with even their manner of death unknown. Little Crow limped along cautiously behind Chen Qi, asking again: "Qi? Are you a secret follower of the Sea God Pirate Group?" Trying to ask about my secret, huh. But you haven''t confessed that you''re an undercover agent either... Chen Qi thought for a moment: "No, maybe it''s because of my Sea Beast illness and the Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure I obtained. It sessfully stabilized my condition, so today''s events were a bit unexpected for me as well. But we were lucky enough to survive, weren''t we?" Sea Beasts were unpredictable creatures. In the Sea God Pirate Group, some could even live with them, driving Nearshore Dominators and even stronger Sea Beasts. Such situations were rare, but they existed. A perfunctory but not bad exnation... Chen Qi was very pleased. Living at sea inevitably exposed your secrets. "Deep Sea Hunter''s treasure... I think I understand why the ck-eyed Captain wanted to find you so badly..." Little Crow pouted. She really wanted to pry open Chen Qi''s enigmatic mouth. Unconsciously, the two had already reached the beach. Little Crow took off her damaged shoes and gently stepped onto the beach, spreading her arms to enjoy the quiet sea breeze. "Hoo..." In that instant, she thought of her unexpected promotion, her unfortunate family, the series of shitty things she had recently encountered, and her future life. She really, really wanted to scream! Even with Chen Qi beside her, she couldn''t hold it in and wanted to scream! Or perhaps, precisely because Chen Qi was beside her, she wanted to scream even more. "This damned world, that damned white cloak, that damned olddy, that damned ck Whale Group!" She took a deep breath and screamed at the sea, venting her frustrations: "Aah¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª" Little Crow screamed loudly, as if she had vented all her troubles to the sea. It felt so good! Little Crow rxed entirely, looking over to see Chen Qi staring at her like she was a fool. "..." "..." Of course! Her face turned red, and she sat on the beach, burying her head in her knees, wishing she could dig a hole and disappear: "I''m sorry, I don''t usually act like this. I''m quite normal in private..." What''s normal about you? Although, a little groundhog version of Little Crow, it was clear she was really stressed... Chen Qi walked to the shore and tossed Water Elf No. 1 pancake into the sea: "It''s nothing. Sometimes releasing your emotions is very important." "..." Little Crow peeked out and tiredly looked at the sky: "Qi, after the rift ends, will the Dream Beast fly to Moonstone City and be a catastrophe?" "???" From Little Crow''s lowered head, Chen Qi saw a hint of remorse. Little Crow lowered her head, tightly biting her bloody finger. Although she was not the summoner of the Sea Beast, as a pirate, she was the one who had extracted the ck Whale Blood for the ck Whale Group. This Sea Beast, capable of destroying Moonstone City, was, in some sense, summoned by her. In some sense, she had also helped the ck Whale Group kill the people of Moonstone City. She whispered: "Qi, if the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau knows I summoned a catastrophic beast, I might be a more infamous pirate than the ck Hunter! An even worse existence!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Impossible, absolutely impossible." Chen Qi answered confidently. Comforting me, huh... Little Crow kept her head lowered: "Why? Summoning a catastrophic beast is a crime far more severe than the ck Hunter''s love for sowing human seeds." At this moment, Little Crow felt that she was very, very bad, worse than the entire ck Whale Group. Just thinking about bing a more infamous Doctor Crow than the ck Hunter, about the scolding and cursing from others, made her feel suffocated. Enjoy more content from empire Because the ck Hunter was only getting stronger. As a Second Order Transcendent, was I too confident... Chen Qi thought for a moment and softly said: "Because a soon-to-be-dead Dream Beast can''t make you an infamous pirate surpassing the ck Hunter." "Soon-to-be-dead..." Little Crow lifted her head, looking at the gigantic Titan in the sky. Chen Qiy on the beach, looking at the high Dream Beast in the sky, and silently asked: "Little Crow, have you seen fireworks?" "???" Chapter 182 Dreams and Fireworks Fireworks, how did you know I like watching fireworks... Little Crow buried her head, trying to cover her face as much as possible and sneaked a nce at Chen Qi, asking: "Did you bring fireworks?" Such beauty that blossoms in an instant and fades just as quickly, she used to love watching them with her grandmother when she was a child. However, in Shell Country, fireworks were only set off during the New Year or major festivals. At sea, people also used fireworks as a way to signal for help. Could it be that Chen Qi had especially brought fireworks on his travels? No, I didn''t bring any fireworks... Chen Qi lifted his head, gazing at the sky, and exined: "When the Dream Beast dies, its burning body falls from the sky, just like falling fireworks. If I''m not mistaken, there should still be some interesting scenes to witness, you know? When the Dream Beast dies, it creates mirage-like scenes where you can see people''s dreams, like yours, dreams of those wearing white capes..." "Seeing the fireworks of dreams..." Little Crow imagined for a moment, she hadn''t heard about such a thing before. And why do you know so much about the Dream Beast? And why are you so sure that the Dream Beast will die? However, it sounds quite romantic... Little Crow very quietly asked: "Why will the Dream Beast die?" Chen Qi estimated the time and gave a brief exnation. Currently, outside the rift, it should be morning, which means the sun is high in the sky. The sun in the New World possesses the great power to dispel impurity and catastrophe; most disasters from the rift are turned to ashes by the sunlight. Moreover, Chen Qi faintly sensed that the Ice Witch had ced a second restriction on the Dream Beast. This restriction, which is very likely "oil," would cause the Dream Beast, once exposed to the sunlight, to burn rapidly from the sun''s power. This means that even a being as powerful as the Dream Beast, at the moment of its Descent, would be consumed by immense mes. The Sea God Pirate Group thought they could break the seal, but the Dream Beast, once unsealed, couldn''t even survive more than a day¡ªits existence was fleeting. The Ice Witch, truly is a terrifying being... Chen Qi thought to himself, hoping that this witch, who specialized in ughtering humanoid monsters, would reviveter. Perhaps, all of this was anticipated by the Ice Witch. If the Ice Witch were still alive, with his current strength, he couldn''t even defeat a single finger of the Ice Witch. If he indeed encountered the Ice Witch, he didn''t know how many times the Ice Witch would kill him, and he might even be hung up and tortured. Luckily, the Ice Witch should still be lying in some sealed coffin, and he hadn''t provoked the hostility of official organizations. The Ice Witch likely won''t be easy to resurrect.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om How do you know so much... Little Crow blinked. How on earth did Sawshark capture this fellow back then! No, I must pry it out of his mouth... Little Crow tried to make her voice more seductive: "How do you know about the Dream Beast?" Chen Qi, feeling the serene sea breeze: "I once took an exam at the Bei Country Royal University''s Library Science Department, and I have read relevant books; I learned about the Dream Beast incidentally." Little Crow bit her lip: "Does the entrance exam of Bei Country Royal University really test these things?" Ordinary Transcendents probably won''t even encounter a Dream Beast in their lifetime! Yes, they really do test that, and there are even theoretical tests on encountering Dream Beasts... Chen Qi answered seriously: "You should understand, universities in Shell Country always test some knowledge that won''t be used in a lifetime." "..." Although Little Crow felt something was off, she nodded seriously, pondering how to continue her questioning. No good! Damn Riddler! Perhaps, only if she became a Fourth Rank Legend could she uncover his secrets. Wait, a dream... Little Raven faintly sensed something. At that moment, Water Elf No.3 jumped out from behind Chen Qi. "Waku waku (Master! Master! I found it!)" At that moment, Water Elf No.3 was holding a bunch of yellowed papers. Hopefully, there would be a design for the seantern... Chen Qi immediately took the papers and began to flip through them. Water Elf No.3 couldn''t read, and most of the papers were old newspapers. The newspapers described the chaotic era in the Witch Sea during the dim days of the daylight. "Isn''t it here..." Chen Qi diligently searched and finally, on one of the newspapers, he spotted densely packed engineering diagrams. "Lanterns, energy drive devices, and special deep blue stones..." The seantern''s design! [From a distant investigator, you have found the ''seantern'' design.] Mission aplished! Looking at the prompt in front of him, Chen Qi smiled genuinely. This operation, he had killed almost no creatures, wanting to enhance the rating of the rift, this was key in the critical aspects of the rift! "Well done, No.3!" Chen Qi excitedly put Water Elf No.3 on hisp and gently touched its bouncy and soft little head. Unexpectedly, the usually unremarkable No.3 had a special talent for finding items. "Waku waku!" Water Elf No.3 made a joyful sound. Chen Qi carefully examined the design on the newspaper. The seantern was a specially designed energymp for nighttime use, not only waterproof but also capable of dispelling shadow demons, evil birds, ck Beard, and many other monsters. Moreover, the material used came from themonly found deep blue ore in the ''Blue Crystal Mine'' from the Chuixiang Rift of grade D. The price of deep blue ore wasn''t low, but if the seantern could really dispel shadow demons, the materials were already quite cheappared to other simr products. An energymp specifically for dispelling shadow demons was an extremely rare creation. Good stuff... Chen Qi briefly summarized. With the arrival of the ''Smiling Moon Period'' on the sea, his vessel would also need arge number of ''demon-dispellingnterns''. If the design of the seantern had been lost, perhaps he could still contact the relevant departments to exchange it for money or even more expensive items. Of course, all of this was predicated on Bonfire Energy having no better product. Chen Qi stored the seantern design in his backpack card. At this time, the sky''s rift also suddenly split open. The Dream Beast sang. With theplete shattering of the rift, the burning sun in the sky poured down warm sunlight, gently sprinkling onto the beach and on the two of them. The sunlight is so warm, sofortable... Little Raven patted his own cheeks. As the only survivors, they quickly received a prompt. [Rift settlement in progress...] Chen Qi excitedly rubbed his hands together. The only regret was that in this rift, he had hardly killed any monsters; the only challenge he had ovee was a statue created by the Ice Witch. Hopefully, it would earn a good rating... Chapter 183 Listen to me, I really dont want to become the Deep Sea Ancient God [Rift settlement in progress...] [The rift has copsed, current distortion rate 0%!] [Alive: As a second-order Transcendent, being alive is already a lucky thing, isn''t it? Reward +30% Excellent Employee: Youpleted your superior''s task, finding the seamp design that Bonfire Energy Company has been longing for, reward +50% Pain, too much pain: Although you couldn''t prevent the Dream Beast''s descent nor inflict substantial physical damage, you caused it great mental anguish, reward +70%] [Settlementplete, rated A. You can choose from Floral Appearance, Lamp Phase, and Void for a skill card chest draw. (Legend 80%, Epic 20%)] [Additional reward (Lamp): When drawing a skill card, you can imagine the skill card you desire, thereby increasing the probability of drawing a simr skill card.] Pain creator, mental damage... Could it be? Chen Qi''s eyelids twitched. Because he inflicted mental damage on the final BOSS Dream Beast, he received a higher rating. In a C-tier rift, achieving an A-tier rating guarantees acquiring high-order skill cards! Because of thepletion of extra tasks, it equates to choosing a reward once, but unfortunately, there''s no small probability reward. Otherwise, he could use the dice of the multi-form Palu... Chen Qi thought carefully. [What nature form of skill card chest do you choose?] "Lamp Phase." Chen Qi made his decision. Most of the Floral Appearance skill cards are rted to arts, enchantment, and nature. As a Transcendentmitted to the path of Lamp Phase, he desperately needed a powerful Lamp Phase skill. What he needed most now was a skill to reshape the spiritual power origin! Reshaping the physical body, as well as reshaping the spiritual power origin, is vital for a second-order Transcendent! This is also a prerequisite for bing a third-order Transcendent and mastering the release skillter! A tiny me lit up from Chen Qi''s fingertip, followed by the appearance of a fiery red card. The front of the card depicted a heart burning with ''mes'', while the back showed a candbrum. [You have obtained a legendary skill card, Heart of the Bonfire.] [Heart of the Bonfire: Nature Form: Lamp Description: The heart is a burning bonfire, a bonfire is the soul''s bloom Learning Conditions: Minor Lamp Phaseprehension, inspiration 60, and mastery of a high-order Lamp Phase meditation method. Effect: Reshape your spiritual power origin,prehensively enhancing your spiritual power''s potency, recovery speed, and perception. Additionally, upon mastering it, you will gainprehension of Lamp Phase skills. In dangerous situations, your spiritual power will burn to gain powerful perception!] Finally got it! Chen Qi was ted. With this spiritual power origin skill, all his skills would increase in potency, and he could learn high-consumption skills! This meant a significant boost in overall strength. Moreover, this skill would grantprehension of Lamp Phase. It could be said that this was the most crucial skill for a second-order Transcendent nearing the end of their phase. And he met the skill''s inspiration 60 learning condition. The only hassle was mastering a Lamp Phase meditation method. Previously, due to time constraints, he had only mastered amon meditation method readily avable on the market. He would have to go to Crack Sea to get a new meditation method... Chen Qi excitedly pped his hands, put the skill card into his backpack card, and then looked at the little crow: "How about it?" Like him, the little crow had almost no kills in this rift. Perhaps, I shouldfort her... Chen Qi thought. Then, the little crow''s eyes widened. In her hand appeared a Cup Phase skill card, and she trembled slightly as she said: "2%..." A 2% chance, yet she managed to single-draw a Cup Phase skill card! Though it wasn''t very useful for the little crow, it was still a good find. The little crow tried to suppress her smile. If Chen Qi had drawn a bad skill card, this might hurt him: "Not bad... How about you?" "I was very lucky, drew the skill card I most wanted, to reshape the spiritual power origin." Chen Qi smiled slightly and put the skill card in the card. "Spiritual power origin." The little crow was shocked. A skill card to reshape the spiritual power origin was priceless and hard toe by! Moreover, even in a C-tier rift, acquiring a spiritual power origin skill card was a slim possibility. "Congrattions!" She happily looked up at the sky. Although it was thrilling, overall, the two of them had decent gains. And as the rift ended, they actually found themselves above the Witch Sea. The sea breeze gently ruffled their hair. The two, emptying their minds, stared nkly at the sky. Listening to the sound of the waves, watching seagulls fly beneath the Dream Beast. Until, under the daylight''s mes, the Dream Beast''s massive body began to burn slowly, emitting a gentle glow. "Fireworks..." The little crow sat up excitedly. A huge song echoed through Storm Gorge. The ribbons on the Dream Beast kept falling, finally cascading like a meteor shower, like falling fireworks, one by one onto the sea. And the falling ribbons burned on the sea surface, forming one by one, mirage-like special scenes in the mes. Countless ribbons danced in the wind! A dreamlike scene. "Goodbye, Dream Beast..." Chen Qi whispered. He looked curiously into the distance. He had never seen someone else''s dream. In the distant mes, a mirage-like hazy scene slowly appeared. "???" Chen Qi was startled. A ship covered in ck feathers raced across the sea! And at the bow was a fierce-looking, 1.8-meter-tall pirate princess wielding a scalpel and a flintlock, radiating heroic spirit. At that moment, the Sawshark appeared in front of the Raven Ship. The piratedy on the bow looked domineering, seven parts arrogant, as if saying: "A mere Sawshark dares approach this pirate!" sh! With a light flick of the piratedy''s hand, the Sawshark was cut in half, and the ck-eyed captain trembled on his knees on the deck, offering all his gold coins. However, the pirate princess clearly didn''t care, took out the flintlock, pulled the trigger, and blew up the treasure chest. Bang! She blew the smoking flintlock barrel lightly, treating gold like dirt. Then, she jumped onto the Sawshark, kicked open the ve room door, releasing the ves. She grabbed a teenager and threw him onto the deck with force! "Damn!" At this moment, the little crow looked up, unable to contain her scream!n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om That pirate princess was a dream she had before! Many dreams in life should never be shown to anyone. On the ship, the ck-haired boy suddenly exploded with strength, punched hard, knocking the piratedy into the sea, and the two engaged in a fierce battle! While fighting, the piratedy showed a joyful expression? Was she the dream''s protagonist? Why did she dream of being beaten? Chen Qi was stunned by the bizarre scene before him. This fierce-faced piratedy, could she be the little crow? Chen Qi nced at the little crow. Appearance-wise, there was no simrity; they werepletely unrted. Stay updated via empire "That, that, that..." The little crow''s face turned orange with embarrassment, her hands fidgeting uncontrobly, then cing them on Chen Qi''s face! Eventually, she would throw that teenage boy into the surgery room. "Calm down, calm down, calm down..." The little crow stammered, wanting to bury herself. She could only be thankful that the Dream Beast showed a rtively normal dream. Otherwise, she wouldn''t be able to live in this world. Yet, with the sea breeze, the dream scene dispersed like the wind. "Thank goodness, thank goodness, phew, phew..." The little crow exhaled deeply. "..." Chen Qi fell into contemtion. He never expected the little crow to have such dreams. Still, this dream seemed normal; after all, the little crow was a doctor who studied sea beasts. Wait... Chen Qi felt a twinge of unease. What dreams would he have? In this soon-to-perish world, power was everything. Right now, his personal strength struggled even against the White Cloak, let alone facing Big Mama, Abyss Pir, Deep Sea Merchant, or Blood Hunter. And Whale Father, Sea God, Ice Witch, Deep Sea Hunter, monsters beyond legend, he couldn''t even look at them. Only power could ensure survival and change everything. Maybe, he would dream of bing a fourth-rank Beast Tamer, dominating the seas, or perhaps bing a Deep Sea Hunter, ughtering all monsters and pirates. Or, I would dream of having a perfect family, or dream of the Flower Witch, Whale Father, or my hometown? No, many dreams are forgotten. I wouldn''t subconsciously have strange dreams. Chen Qi felt a hint of anxiety. It should be normal, there shouldn''t be any weird dreams... Chen Qi thought to himself, ready to use Water Elf No. 3 to cover the little crow''s face. In the vast sea, the sky''s color gradually transitioned from deep blue to heavy lead gray, heralding an unspeakable force''s arrival. The waves roared, crashing against the ship, producing a deafening sound mingling with the distant seagulls'' sharp cries, forming a chaotic yet majestic symphony. On the sea was a giant merchant ship where noble merchants clinked their sses in the dining room. In the storm, a figure in yellow appeared, and with his appearance, the waves stopped crashing and obedientlyy at his feet like tamed beasts. Was this White Cloak''s dream? Why wear that outfit... Chen Qi wondered. The man in yellow gently raised his hand, and boom! Countless ck twisted tentacles rose from the sea, like giant Abyss Pirs, quickly rushing towards the merchant ship. In a sh, all the ship''s bigwigs were tightly entwined by tentacles! Regardless of gender! Regardless of age! Regardless of beauty or ugliness! Under the Yellow Man''s tentacles, these people initially showed pain, then their expressions turned more and more content, like senseless sheep. At this moment, numerous strong marines rushed at the Yellow Man, but with a snap of his fingers, they were subdued effortlessly, lying helplessly on the ground. The Yellow Man stepped over the waves, snapped his fingers. A massive wave engulfed the merchant ship. In the mes, the dream vision kept zooming in, the Yellow Man''s face bing clearer. The blurred face beneath the yellow belonged to Chen Qi. "..." I dreamt of bing a Deep Sea Ancient God? And a beautified one too! Why did I look like a viin? Why did those people feel pleasure being entangled? I couldn''t have such dreams... Chen Qi tapped his forehead. "No..." Chen Qi turned to the little crow, trying to organize his words: "Let me exin..." Chapter 184 Evolve! Deep Sea Water Elf No. 1! I would have such dreams... Chen Qi was slightly puzzled. Although he possessed deep sea affinity, to be honest, as a yer with a sound mind and body, he wasn''t really interested in tentacles, nor did he have any interest in kidnapping innocent merchant ships. You should know that ultimately, showing up on the high seas with such an image would result in being dealt with by the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau as a heretic at sea. But, an exnation had to be given, otherwise... Chen Qi mimicked the Flower Witch''s opening gesture and waved his hand, saying, "Do you know? In our Shell Country Witch Sea region, many mysterious legends are passed down, among which, there are some obscure legends, such as those about a person in yellow clothes. It''s said that on the high seas, the yellow clothes can extinguish storms and are the nightmare of fishermen. And ording to the renowned book ''Lamp Phase Entering Dreams'' by dream researcher Fro, dreams are usually chaotic, contradictory, andplex. So, all of this is normal, everything you''re seeing is also false, I really don''t have any intention of bing a Deep Sea Ancient God." Chen Qi quickly finished a whole paragraph, earnestly exining. "..." The little crow took a deep breath, revealing a thoughtful expression. Although to Chen Qi, this seemed a bit abnormal. But to her, a doctor, it was all too normal. She was a doctor, after all, and although the perversity level of Shell Country wasn''t as high as that of Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, they also had their own unique way of thinking. Many people dream of bing a maritime disaster. But in reality, humanoid deep sea disasters of the Witch Sea tend to die very quickly. The little crow smiled calmly and in herposed doctor''s tone continued, "People who contract sea-beast disease all have a chance of dreaming these things, I understand. When I was a child, I too dreamed of growing crow wings, cat ears, demon horns, tentacles, etc. I too once wanted to transform into a Disaster Witch and rule the world. There are also some strange illnesses, like the love of biting one''s own fingers, arms, and so on..." "Oh?" Wait a second... Chen Qi observed the distant scene and noticed something amiss. This was way, definitely more than just a bit off! To put it simply, his face was a bit round, a bit handsome, and his figure was extremely tall. In my dreams, would I really give myself beauty filters? Is that even scientific? And these people, entangled by the tentacles, they wore expressions of enjoyment, which were also quite off! Something like this: (> v Why does that expression feel so familiar... There''s a blind spot! And in the distant scene. Suddenly, a gigantic deep sea water elf leapt out of the sea andnded in the hands of the person in yellow. Then, the person in yellow began to crazily stroke the water elf''s little head, and at the same time, the tentacles released their grip from the people. And all those on the merchant ship who were released by the tentacles looked on with envious eyes! Next, Water Elf No.3 showed a ''(> v In the heart of the water elf, no one disliked its master''sfortable massaging hands. "Hiss......" So it''s Water Elf No.3''s dream, is it because of the ck Hunter form... Chen Qi fell into thought, then turned to look at the Deep Sea Water Elf No.3 in his hands. The Deep Sea Water Elf No.3 shyly trembled, showing a happy expression: "Waku Waku (Master! So handsome!)"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Qi coughed twice, speaking seriously, "Let me rify again, this is the water elf''s dream, I am a bona fide adventurer on the high seas, with no silly ideas, and it has nothing to do with me..." He said, how could he possibly have such weird dreams! "Huh?" Have I been tricked... The little crow was silent for a long time, then spoke, "I also... don''t have any of those strange ideas, those are all my friend Siren''s ideas, she thinks about bing a sea demon every day, capturing all the men in Witch Sea." Explore stories on empire "Huh? Friend?" "Mm... I have a friend." The little crow smiled slightly, pretending she hadn''t said anything. Chen Qiughed as he watched the distant sea. To tell the truth, although Little Raven looked strange, she was actually much more normal than he had imagined. Countless dream beasts burned in the mes. In jest, the two sat on the beach as if they were in a cinema, watching those illogical, extremely vague movies in the distance. The white-cloaked figure dreamt of receiving the Dream Beast''s blessing and bing an evil presence above the sea, who ultimately transformed into a Shadow Demon in the storm. Little Raven dreamt of getting into the medical school of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, earning a fortune, and not being recruited by the Shell Country''s intelligence agency but instead bing an outstanding Fourth Rank Cup Phase Legend healer, yet choosing to stay in the small town as a vige doctor. She also dreamt of performing alchemy on humans, sacrificing an arm to resurrect her deceased grandmother and other rtives. There were also dreams of the Dream Beast; Chen Qi merged with the Dream Beast and evolved to devour the natural disasters of the sea. Chen Qi was surprised to find that his dream involved battling a giant finger of a Deep Sea Hunter and ultimately defeating it after a fierce knife fight. Moreover, there were dreams about prospering in the massage and hot spring service industry with the help of the Water Elf, as well as developing bodyguard services through a nearshore overlord, making pots of money and eventually capturing the legendary Sea Lantern Fox, finally bing a great merchant of Shell Country, advancing to a Fourth Rank Legend, and enjoying life. When Little Raven watched, she was utterly bewildered, further believing that dreams are indeed strange. "I''ve actually had such bizarre dreams..." Chen Qi smiled. Beyond that, there were visions from other strangers. In the distant mes, a woman dressed in white noble light armor, with a high ponytail, led a little girl with flowers on her arm out of a monastery centuries old, and with just a dagger for protection, ughtered an adult Blood Moon Sea Dragon to death. Amid the huge waves, the light-armored woman stood on the Dragon''s spine, full of bones, and slowly opened her eyes. In the raging mes, her blood-stained eyes seemed to transcend time and space, staring at them... "The Ice Witch..." Little Raven recognized the person in the mes; her appearance was none other than that of the legendary Ice Witch. Nowadays, the Ice Witch is considered a deity simr to the Sea Goddess, blessing safe voyages at sea, but in some historical books, the reason she was called a Witch was because of her bloody and brutalbat style. And the Ice Witch specialized in killing the menaces upon the sea! "I won''t be targeted, will I?" The more Little Raven thought about it, the colder she felt; she was now one of the masterminds behind summoning the Dream Beast, and her reputation was on the verge of surpassing the ck Hunter. "Don''t worry..." Chen Qi carefully looked at the distant images, falling into thought. By the Ice Witch''s side was mostly the young Flower Witch. When she was young, the Flower Witch didn''t have many flowers, and despite looking quite cold, how could she have be so harmonious when she grew up. This meant that the time these events urred was more than a decade ago. As the mes continued to burn, a man in a blood-stained robe stood on a small boat. The one the Ice Witch red at was not them, but likely a Blood Hunter of the ck Whale Group, deep within the Sea of Fog, and behind the Blood Hunter was arge, ck ship wrapped in chains. This must be the battle between the Ice Witch and the ck Whale Group, Chen Qi thought. And at that moment, the mes slowly diminished, and the dream visions gradually disappeared... The Blood Hunters would hunt down all traitors... Little Raven instinctively bit her finger. "It''s about time." Chen Qi nced at the time and stretchedzily. The two of them had to leave quickly; although the Dream Beast had died, its massive influence was bound to attract the attention of the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau. "Next, we need to retrieve Water Elf No.1..." Chen Qi looked out to the sea. Where was Water Elf No.1? It should''ve fully revived by now, right? Chen Qi looked towards the distant sea. He saw that No.1, after reviving, swam erratically above the sea, curiously looking around, especially at its master''s dream visions. Suddenly, a blue crystal imbued with the deep sea''s essence caught its attention. What was that, a drop from the Dream Beast or something else... Chen Qi wondered. "Waku waku (tasty!)" However, before Chen Qi could react, Water Elf No.1 excitedly swam towards the deep sea crystal, then opened its mouth wide and swallowed it whole. "Wa..." "!!!!" Chapter 185 Were Here to Pick You Up Water Elf No.1 convulsed swiftly on the surface of the sea. "???" Chen Qi was startled. As a fully handmade pet, Water Elf No.1 only needed to absorb seawater to reshape its body and grow healthily. Therefore, Water Elf No.1 also didn''t need to eat food! Plus, it had an extremely high working duration! But this didn''t mean that Water Elf No.1 ate nothing. Under their master''s training, they would also consume some drinks, turning into sour plum juice elves, juice elves, milk elves, and so on. However, as a deep-sea creature, they also instinctively craved the energy core of the deep-sea series! "Trouble..." Chen Qi walked to the shoreline, trying to stop Water Elf No.1. But he had not yet fully digested the Sea Walking knowledge given by the Dream Beast. Without the aid of Water Elf No.1, he was actually unable to run on the sea at first attempt. And now, if he ran over, it would be toote. Lil'' Crow also realized the severity of the situation, but she had no ability in Sea Walking either. No matter how strong Water Elf No.1 was, it was just a weak water elf. Could it really withstand the power of the Dream Beast? This was a drop from the Dream Beast! No.1, you can''t handle this power! "Waku! Waku!" Water Elf No.1 cried out in agony as the immense energy caused it to suddenly erge, transforming it into a super-sized water elf! It expanded from the size of a head to one meter high, then two meters, and finally a full three meters tall. The huge energy within Water Elf No.1''s body condensed, ultimately forming an enormous spiral. Super-sized Spiral Water Elf! "Everyone, move out, pull No.1 back." Chen Qi immediatelymanded. "Waku Waku (Understood)!" The other water elves darted like torpedoes, speeding to No.1''s side, then forcibly pulled it back from the surface of the sea. Water Elf No.1, like a huge beach ball, tumbled around dizzily on the beach. The consequences of eating recklessly¡­ Chen Qi looked at the state of Water Elf No.1 and asked Lil'' Crow: "Do you have a Spiritual Power suppressant potion?" The potions left by the Flower Witch for Chen Qi were all for strengthening. To ensure the safety of Water Elf No.1, they had to neutralize the massive energy inside it somehow. Lil'' Crow hastily searched her backpack card: "Yes!" Lil'' Crow, without hesitating, carefully injected the potion into Water Elf No.1''s body. Finally, the two spent some time controlling the turbulent Spiritual Power of Water Elf No.1. Fortunately, Lil'' Crow possessed skills to heal pets, and in the end, no major incident urred. Eventually, under the influence of the potion, Water Elf No.1''s body slowly shrank back to its normal size. "Phew, that was a close call¡­" Chen Qi wiped the sweat off his forehead and picked up the unconscious water elf. Now, apart from bing bluer, there was no change in its external appearance. At that moment, the Spiritual Power field on Water Elf No.1 significantly changed, and the aura it disyed could now bepared to the Sea Beast base''s close sea overlord! Perhaps, could Water Elf No.1 now perform the high-order skill ''Phantom Creation''? Chen Qi looked at Water Elf No.1. Being able to withstand this power meant that Water Elf No.1 would be stronger. "Phew, are you okay?" Lil'' Crow wiped off the sweat on her forehead, never expecting Chen Qi''s water elf to actually withstand the power of the Dream Beast. "I''m fine, thank you for your help." Without Doctor Lil'' Crow, Water Elf No.1 would have been paralyzed for at least a month. "Lil'' Crow, let''s get on the boat." "Okay." Chen Qi lowered thedder, then ced Water Elf No.1 in a special room. For now, Water Elf No.1 would still need to lie down for a while to digest the power within its body. After dealing with the deep-sea Water Elf, Chen Qi leaned on the ship''s rail and started the engine. Although the Dream Beast was dead, its Descent, in the moment itself, was a massive burst of energy, which was bound to trigger investigations by Shell Country Meteorological Bureau, the Navy, and others. The weather tower on Maruo Ind was not just for show. Although he was just a passerby caught up in the situation, if the Shell Country Meteorological Bureau mistook him for an aplice in summoning the Dream Beast, trouble would ensue. To avoid trouble, it was best to leave this contentious ce quickly. This journey''s gains were enough to let him establish a firm foothold in the Crack Sea! "Little Raven, do you have any ce you want to go?" Chen Qi asked. His first target should be ck Mine City, thergest city in the Crack Sea. ck Mine City, the central city in the Crack Sea region, had enoughnd to amodate a hundred thousand people. Once, ck Mine City had over thirty crack mines and was home to many miners. But with the arrival of the Crack Tide, this city, which once dealt only in mineral trade, should have be a transit center for adventurers; if the Flower Witchpleted her trial to be a Legend, she might also appear in ck Mine City. Little Raven sat on a chair on the deck, mulling over: "My next target should be the Crack Sea; I need to find auntie to report today''s events, and I might go to the Crack Sea''s research center, or possibly..." Little Raven looked out at the sea where the body of the Dream Beasty. Though the Dream Beast was dead, its influence was definitely not that simple. If no special incidents urred, as one of the participants, her bounty would increase by at least five million Shell Coins. I really don''t want to leave... Little Raven said in a very soft tone: "Let''s leave this sea area first. The Shell Country Meteorological Bureau, Navy, or even that ck Hunter, or other pirates could be attracted by the massive force; we need to leave this ce as soon as possible." "Hmm." Chen Qi said. Suddenly, a prompt appeared before him.N?v(el)B\\jnn [You havepleted the upation quest, A Journey of Cracks. You glimpsed the Dream Beast soaring in the sky and gained 4000 Spiritual Points!] 4000 Spiritual Points! Chen Qi looked at the prompt before him and tallied up his gains. In this operation, he managed to get the most important Soul Origin Skill Card, the Daylight Lantern that disperses Shadow Demons, the Sea Lantern design, and the evolved Water Elf No.1. It could be said that the gains from this operation far exceeded those of a normal C-rank crack. "Set sail!" Chen Qi pressed the button. The boiler started operating, and the massive ship began to move slowly. The sea was calm, the breeze unexpectedly pleasant. The houseboat exited the storm gorge and sailed towards the Crack Sea. The prolonged journey also induced a great sense of fatigue in Chen Qi. He leaned on the captain''s chair, holding Water Elf No.3, and rested for a moment. ... After resting for a while, a gentle sea breeze swept by, and someone gently woke Chen Qi. "Qi, Qi!" Little Raven gently tapped Chen Qi''s shoulder. "??" Chen Qi instinctively opened his eyes, nced at the nket on him, then looked forward. Through the ss of the captain''s cabin, a huge ship appeared before them. This was no ordinary ship but one designed with a mermaid as the inspiration, blending mystery and beauty, power¡ªa warship. The ship''s lines were smooth and elegant, seeming to sway lightly on the ocean surface. The body was painted deep sea blue, also adorned with elegant red highlights that shimmered like fish scales under the sunlight, both mysterious and enchanting. Furthermore, light red runes could be seen on the ship''s body, enhancing its speed and defenses. Rune technology could only be aplished by Hammer Phase Rune Carvers and was exceedingly expensive. And on the prow of the ship, prominently disyed, was a statue of the Sea Goddess. A design with considerable aesthetic appeal... At that moment, on the prow, a tall woman with big wavy red hair holding a fire gun, smiled slightly. Her hearty voice echoed across the entire houseboat: "Little Raven, we''vee to pick you up. Earlier, your ship lost its signal, and I thought you and the White Cloak had been killed by that nearshore ck Hunter." The ck Whale Group''s ship... Chen Qi and Little Raven both swallowed nervously. Chapter 186 Carola The resoundingughter pierced through the ship. "Shh¡ª" Little Crow stealthily ran behind Chen Qi, her fingers wet with cold sweat as she rubbed his nape. Red wavy hair, a Fourth Rank Legend, a great aunt... a drop of cold sweat trickled down Chen Qi''s palm. "To have encountered a monster of the Fourth Rank, and one of the elites no less..." Chen Qi quietly reduced the speed of the boat. In front of them was an extremely dangerous big shot. The top madam of Witch Sea, with her red waves of hair, a viin worth rallying to, the emblem of Steel Wool Flower, master of the burning iron rod, domineering CEO, great aunt, the legendary pirate queen Car. Car''s personality was hearty and violent, her actions extremely perilous¡ªit could be said she was the most dangerous pirate on the high seas. If this were a simple game, encountering this pirate would actually make him quite happy. But in the real world, he had to consider his own personal freedom, along with his innocence. In the presence of this Fourth Rank Legend, he had no room to resist. What great aunt Car liked to do most was to fancy men with high charm, capture them, and then ravage them ruthlessly. ording to gaming forums, this Fourth Rank Legend was the favorite challenger of many highly charming Floral Appearance richdy yers. Many yers tried to conquer this fierce and powerful pirate with their irresistible Floral Appearance charm. However, the end result for most of these yers was being toyishly discarded without mercy.N?v(el)B\\jnn Now, she should be considered Little Crow''s new immediate superior. Little Crow''s hands trembled slightly as she whispered again: "Qi, that''s our ck Whale Group''s great aunt, you must... be careful." Her current strength was not enough to ensure Chen Qi''s safety, in her eyes, Chen Qi could very well be great aunt''s ything. Little Crow felt that there was a very high chance that Chen Qi would be targeted by great aunt. "I understand the severity..." Chen Qi whispered softly. As a professional gamer, he naturally knew the strength of a Fourth Rank Legend. In front of great aunt, he had no chance to resist. But fortunately, he was a genuine Lamp Phase yer, not one of those yers who relied entirely on charm and flirtatiousness like those of the Floral Appearance. As an utterly harmless Chef, as long as he kept a low profile, great aunt probably wouldn''t take an interest in him... Chen Qi tried hard to keep his expression like a cold and heartless boatman. The speed of the ship gradually slowed. And the massive Mermaid was running alongside the small houseboat. Soon, led by great aunt Car, five pirates lightly leaped onto the dining ship. Chen Qi also carefully followed behind Little Crow, emerging from the cabin. Under the bright sunshine of the sea, Car looked over the dining ship with interest. Although Car was referred to as great aunt, she was incredibly alluring in appearance. Her figure was tall and bnced, with exquisite curves, her belly-baring red pirate outfit entuated her graceful posture, showcasing a perfect blend of strength and softness, like a wless sculpture. On her exposed right arm was the tattoo of a ck Whale, while her left arm bore a Tarot tattoo surgery called ''Strength,'' enhancing her power and vigor. Her golden-red eyes were like those of a fierce jaguar. Based solely on her figure, Car was undeniably beautiful, enough to captivate many men. However, her height of over two meters, the numerous taboo firearms at her waist, and those jaguar-like eyes gave her an air as intimidating as an amazon, striking fear into the hearts of most. Such an imposing figure and domineering presence were enough to instill fear in the majority of people. Car tossed her red wavy hair,ughing loudly: "Water Elf dining ship, Little Crow, it seems you have done well with your task to have the leisure to board a dining ship." "Um..." Little Crow, like a student timidly returning to school, mutters: "Great aunt, the Dream Beast is dead, my task..." In Little Crow''s eyes, her mission had failed again. ``` After all, their goal in the ck Whale Group was to summon the Dream Beast and use it as their weapon against the navy. Those who failed their mission would be punished with a whipping by Grandma. The very next instant, Car walked up to Little Crow and said with a smirk, "No, you did a splendid job! Little Crow, you sessfully summoned the Dream Beast, and that alone is enough to let those blind navy fools know that the ck Whale Group is not to be trifled with!" "But¡­ the Dream Beast died¡­" "That''s nothing! Just the appearance of the Dream Beast in the near-sea Domain is already the ultimate insult to Shell Country''s navy. Besides, the fact that you are still alive toplete the task proves your ability!" Car praised Little Crow without hesitation, as she was quite fond of the little one before her. In her eyes, Little Crow was simply amazing! Furthermore, having witnessed the Dream Beast and surviving was a miracle in itself. "You''re really lucky, cutie~" As she spoke, Car''s gaze suddenlynded on Chen Qi. Then, she asked, "Chef, do you have any strong liquor here?" "The strongest we have is wine," Grandma said with a smile, "That''ll do, oh, and do you have any spicy dishes? Any kidneys?" Good, mistaken for a chef¡­ Chen Qi nodded and replied, "Yes." "Then bring some, enough for five people, the spicier the better! We''ll pay double the price." "Okay." Chen Qi rubbed his hands together; his daily task was not yetplete. On the deck, there were three open-air dining tables designated for guests. Car sat at a table, crossing her legs and asked curiously, "Little Crow, by the way, where did White Cloak go?" Little Crow sat on the chair with her legs crossed, then ced her hands on herp, not daring to move again. She deliberately omitted the love-hate rtionship between Chen Qi and the Dream Beast, and told Car about the crack. ¡­ "In the end, White Cloak died, and it was quite painful," After listening, Car tapped on the table with her hand: "Damn it! White Cloak actually thought to kill my cute little officer. It seems we need to let the Sea God Pirate Group know the consequences of offending the ck Whale Group!" Although the Sea God Pirate Group had a cooperative rtionship with the ck Whale Group, Car considered the madness of the Sea God Pirate Group to be lunacy too. After speaking, Car suddenly asked, "By the way, Little Crow, did you encounter the ck Hunter? Is it a monster from the crack or a sensible human?" Car''s trip to the near sea was not only to wee new allies but also to recruit strong individuals like the ck Hunter. Actually asking me about the ck Hunter... Little Crow smiled confidently and gave a quality response, "I don''t know." Car fell silent for a moment: "That''s true." "Everyone, your dishes." Chen Qi brought out a serving piled with fiery chili liver and kidneys, chili potatoes, and an extra-spicy version of yellow fish. To avoid bing the new chef on the mermaid ship, Chen Qi did not put much effort into it this time. Car bit into a piece of the little yellow fish, then grinned and said, "What a pity, it seems quite difficult to run into the ck Hunter for now... By the way, Little Crow, you''ll head to the Sea of Fog with me next." ``` Chapter 187 Qi, Goodbye "The Sea of Fog?" Little Raven was momentarily stunned. The Sea of Fog is a region beyond the Crack Sea, close to the edge of the New World. That area is filled with thick fog, no longer a ce where ordinary people can survive. In that ce, adult near-coastal overlords are no longer rare. Even military vessels have a high rate of idents in the Sea of Fog. Car smiled, but there was a hint of anger in her tone: "Yes, the Sea of Fog, my little darling. Concerning the Crack Tide, we, the ck Whale Group, need to hold a meeting, and this requires the gathering of all our executives. You should know, the Navy''s three admirals, the Hunter Groups of the ind majorpanies, and that damned Flower Witch, as well as the de Witch, their emergence haspletely disrupted the bnce of the entire sea. We must let these Hunter Groups, Witches, and the Navy know who is the prey in this vast sea, and who is the hunter." Car grasped the flintlock in her hand and spun it around. Before the Crack Tide, the ck Whale Group could be said to be the absolute overlord above the sea! "Hmm, hmm." Little Raven forced a smile to avoid showing any sign of dejection. After finishing this meal, she was going to leave this small cabin vessel. Wonderful times are always fleeting. Enjoy the meal... Little Raven suppressed her aversion to chili and quietly ate herst dinner. Although it wasn''t to her taste, she ate with unanticipated joy. Then, Car took out a Bounty Order, and a bold idea suddenly came to her mind: "Little Raven, this nearby sea area is where the ck Hunter often appears, right? What do you say, should we pin the matter of the Dream Beast on the ck Hunter?" "???" Chen Qi was shocked, was he already so famous at sea? Car had a moment of inspiration. The influence of the Dream Beast was too great; it was perfect to pin it on the ck Hunter, and also to prevent the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau from focusing all their attention on the ck Whale Group straight away. After all, their ships would still be active in near-coastal waters for a while longer. Moreover, if the ck Hunter learned that ''he'' was involved with the Dream Beast, he would undoubtedly be furious ande to investigate, possibly even seeking out the ck Whale Group on his own initiative. However, regarding this n, Car''s subordinates were all frowning. Car asked again: "Little Raven, what do you think?" Passing the buck to such a twisted ck Hunter... Little Raven once again gave a quality response: "I don''t know." "Troublesome, I also don''t know why Whale Father cares about some insignificant tentacle hunter?" Car turned around, leaned in closer, and sighed: "Culinary ship''s chef, do you have information on the ck Hunter? Or any other news?" Chen Qi looked at the newspaper on his table and said quietly: "I only know that the ck Hunter recently killed the Ghost Captain." "Killing the Ghost Ship, a bit stronger than imagined..." After hearing this, Car fell into thought: "Forget it, since we want to recruit him, we shouldn''t be pinning the me on him. Otherwise, before bing coborators, we might be treated as prey, which would make things a bit problematic." Car elegantly took a sip of wine: "Compared to this ck Hunter, indeed, we should capture those two witches first. That damned, cold-hearted creature, the Flower Witch, has recently messed up our ns in the Crack Sea again. I don''t know what her rtionship with the ck Hunter is, but if we find the ck Hunter, capturing the Flower Witch might be a lot easier." "Witches must die." Car swirled the blood-red wine in her ss, her eyes reflecting a hunter''s intent to kill. The Flower Witch... Chen Qi fell into contemtion; he also didn''t know the current situation of the Flower Witch and Water Elf No.2. From the looks of it, their situation wasn''t optimistic. Suddenly, Car''s lips curved into a faint smile. After dealing with the matter of the Dream Beast, Car suddenly shifted her target and looked towards Chen Qi: "Little chef, your boat is not bad. In our forsaken Witch Sea, your culinary skills are passable, and the boat is decent too. Next, you''re heading to ck Mine City in the Crack Sea?" He''s not thinking about taking me aboard the Mermaid Ship, is he... Chen Qi didn''t hide his intended destination: "Hmm, I also don''t know how the culinary ship business in the Crack Sea is..." "Cough cough, auntie, this chef will be heading to the Crack Sea, he''s quite short on money recently." Little Raven coughed twice. To protect Chen Qi, she had just described him as a talented battle chef with decent skills! If it weren''t for Chen Qi''s vessel, they would have taken at least two more days toplete the Dream Beast ceremony. Not to mention the matter of the Dream Beast, in a significant sense, Chen Qi was also a major contributor to their current deterrent action. Car''s lips curled into a knowing smile, poured another ss of wine, and handed it to Chen Qi: "Little chef, when you''re out in the world, it''s not just about strength, but also about background, and yes, face too. I''m in a very good mood today, you''ve helped us, and we, the ck Whale Group, will not let you down." "Little Raven." The little crow shivered, then realized what had happened. Chen Qi had helped her so much this time, but she had actually forgotten to give him a thank you gift. However, she could feel that if it weren''t for Chen Qi, even if she wouldn''t have been killed by the Dream Beast, she would not have escaped unscathed. Completely unsure of how to repay him¡­ The little crow thought for a moment and handed a card to Chen Qi. "What is this?" Chen Qi took the card. It was a pitch-ck card with the backside made of shell. This must be a VIP card of the Crack Sea ck market; in Shell Country, many dangerous materials aren''t allowed to be sold openly. Therefore, even in the chaotic Crack Sea, only people with sufficient status and identity qualify to enter the ck market. And such VIP cards often require special channels and another person''s guarantee to purchase, to ensure that the buyer will not report the matter to the officials. For someone like Chen Qi and the Flower Witch, who didn''t know anyone in the Crack Sea, obtaining a ck market VIP card was very difficult. Even an item without a dered identity, in a chaotic ce like ck Mine City, would definitely be taken advantage of. Chen Qi, in Moonstone City, had already experienced many times the difficulty of doing business because of ack of identity and background.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Moreover, this card was not just any ordinary VIP card but one that required the endorsement of a significant figure. He could not use his name, otherwise, it would expose¡­ The little crow coughed twice: "This is my card, Chef; with this card, not only can you purchase more items, but they will also not dare to bully you at will, which will help you in doing business." Chen Qi epted the card: "Thank you, Dr. Crow." Car didn''t mind her little self-contained ship''s doctor having another good friend: "Little Chef, you have good abilities and are the right age. If you were a Third-tier Transcendent, maybe I would have let you board our ship, but as it is, you probably can''t handle the workload on our Mermaid." Car deliberately emphasized the workload. Are you implying something¡­ Chen Qi struggled to contain the expression of a question mark on his face. "????" For a moment, he couldn''t tell if she wasplimenting or criticizing him. Was he being seen as a freeloader just because he wasn''t strong enough? In the end, Car slowly stood up: "Little Chef, make five more dishes like this; my crew also needs to replenish some nutrients." Having said that, she got up magnanimously, leaned against the side of the ship, and lit up a cigarette. Chen Qi did not hesitate to use up all the kidneys and meat in the fridge, earning fifty thousand Shell Coins. Atst, he ced the packed dishes on the table. "Done, everyone." "Alright." Car signaled to the little crow to take the dishes with her. She exhaled a puff of smoke, noticing the little crow''s troubles: "Little Crow, on this vast sea, as long as you have the strength, you can achieve anything, and by joining the ck Whale Group, you can have everything and be an existence on par with a Witch, where men or your enemies are just toys in your hands. As a reward for this mission, the ck Whale Group will get you the release technique for your Shadow likeness. And once you step into Legend, you will possess true freedom." In Car''s view, the little crow had talent but always disparaged herself; maybe it was because she spent too long on the broken ship of the ck-eyed Captain that shepletelycked the ruthlessness of a pirate. However, this trait might be very suitable for embarking on the path of the Shadow. "Mm-hmm..." The little crow nodded. In front of the matron, she was so nervous that she couldn''t even think properly. Car led her crew toward the Mermaid. She waved her hand and added: "Little Chef, goodbye. Remember, being an enemy of the ck Whale Group brings no benefits." The little crow also followed the matron, reluctantly waving her hand goodbye. But in the end, she couldn''t help calling out his name: "Qi, goodbye." Afterward, she vigorously patted her own back. Goodbye, this is to remind myself to watch out for the illness on my back, to take care of my body¡­ Chen Qi stood on the deck, looking into the distance. The Sea Beast disease behind him, although currently stable, also required seeking a treatment opportunity. The sea breeze gently brushed the deck, carrying the salty moist air and call of the ocean, bidding farewell to the Mermaid sailing into the distance. The Water Elf slept, and the entire sea became unexpectedly quiet for a moment. Chen Qi let out a sigh of relief, with mixed emotions in his heart, uncertain of how to express them. Waves, sea, release, Little Crow, Flower Witch, soul core, power, cmity, family, loneliness¡­ In this great tide, there was simply no time to stop. Whether it was the little crow or himself, their current strength meant they could only ride in small boats, at the mercy of the waves, heading toward the horizon. Chen Qi walked to the captain''s quarters, changed the ship''s course, and with hope for the future in his heart, sailed towards the distant Crack Sea. Set sail! Chapter 188 Black Mine City (Combined) At night, two dayster, inside the houseboat, bedroom. After washing up, Chen Qi stood beside the mirror, straining to look back at his back. At this moment, due to the medium-level healing, even though he had been injured before, his body still appeared quite healthy. "No major issues." Chen Qi did a simple check-up on himself. Apart from his spine, there were no internal or external injuries. Thanks to the Chef Skill, the Transcendent vegetables from the ck soil, and the joint effect of three developmental buffs, his constitution had reached 44 points. His stamina had also increased significantly. A 44-point constitution meant that he could now equip simple mechanical imnts. Once his constitution exceeded 60, he could even undergo the instation of flesh imnts. After watering the small yellow flower on the windowsill, Chen Qi sat in a chair and took out thetest newspaper. The solo journey to ck Mine City was downright boring. The hardworking Water Elves had also reached their limit in continuous work. At the moment, he was the only source of activity on the vast boat. Loneliness, solitude, cold... Chen Qi joked to himself. Fortunately, during the voyage, he encountered a vessel from the Seal Logistics Company and managed to get thetest newspaper of ck Mine City. Chen Qi opened the newspaper, ready to catch up on the major recent events in ck Mine City. In the Crack Sea, ck Mine City was the site of many major events and also offered many opportunities. "Environmental issues in ck Mine City urgently need to be addressed, cracks increasing, the once bustling mining area faces a huge challenge." "Massive de Phase conflict between Blood de Pirate Group and ck Whale Group! Casualties exceed five hundred people! Battles! Thrilling!" "Over a thousand maritime conflicts have urred, when will the robbery at sea stop? What exactly is the navy doing?" "Announcement: Sea Beast Twelve Touches and cmitous de Storm! Currently ravaging the northern waters!" "Number of adventurers in ck Mine City, along with the poption and market size, hit new record highs." "Leader of Blood de Pirate Group is in retreat for personal reasons, the Lady of Blood washes her face with tears daily, the great pirate of ck Whale Group, Long Beard, publicly states he will look after the Lady of Blood for the leader, Blood Dragon." "Lady of Blood states she will send someone to kill Long Beard and send him to Golden Flower Bird Kingdom, to experience a whole new gender." "The mysterious dealings and love-hate rtionship between ck Hunter and Flower Witch." Chen Qi quickly scanned the news before him. "All recent updates from ck Mine City... Wait a minute, what is thest one about?" Chen Qi raised his eyebrow, scrutinizing it closely. Firstly, because ck Hunter and Flower Witch had killed Kuang Sha together, the rtionship between the two had always been a matter of debate. Thus, it had long been spected that there was a hierarchical rtionship between them. But who was above and who was below between him and Flower Witch? There was never a unified answer. Many believed Flower Witch was on top, and ck Hunter was definitely below. Others believed ck Hunter''s monstrous personality was on top, and Flower Witch was definitely below. Regarding this, the brave reporter Miss Jin Li, chatting with knowledgeable individuals from the Ice Demon Pirate Group, reported that, based on history, witches are not violent monsters but hunters of Sea Beasts and saviors of Witch Sea, hoping everyone could abandon their prejudices against witches. Though cruel, Flower Witch acted for the good of Witch Sea. However, Flower Witch would never consort with someone monstrous like ck Hunter from the sea. The ultimate conclusion was that the Ice Demon Pirate Group believed Flower Witch and ck Hunter were not in the same faction; their cooperation was only temporary to tackle the ck Whale Group.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The reason for their cooperation might be that Flower Witch threatened ck Hunter, either nting a parasitic seed in him or administering a deadly poison. In short, just a lot of baseless conjecture. "..." Damn clickbaits, thought it was something significant... Chen Qi couldn''t help but say: "Hmm? Perl, you unscrupulous reporter...hmm?" But the author of the article turned out not to be Perl from the Witch Times but her archrival, Lilith from the Witch Times. So it''s you... Chen Qi murmured internally. As a journalist who started with wild dating rumors, Lilith was a novelist who could exaggerate a story about a count having an affair and spin it into a tragedy thatsted a whole year. All one could say was that Miss Lilith had restrained herself quite a bit. Chen Qi scanned the news from the Crack Sea, apart from this report, there was nothing about him. And this piece of news was just tucked away in a corner, unable to stir up any waves. If it weren''t for Perl''s report from Moonstone City, it could be said that he had already disappeared from public view. "I guess I''ve temporarily fallen off the radar in the Crack Sea..." Chen Qi mused internally. Calm waters, ah! Finally... I can make some waves again! Taking advantage of the currentck of attention, maybe it''s time to make a big move! After all, the identity of ck Hunter was too useful, especially for robbery. The next moment, Chen Qi shifted his focus to the ck market in ck Mine City. He remembered that in the ck market of ck Mine City, there were plenty of treasures, and even extremely rare forbidden Skill Cards for sale. I need to visit the ck market... He still had a lot of weapons from the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau on him. Beyond the forbidden cards and weapon trade, ck Mine City also had numerous low-difficulty, high-return rare events to acquire special forbidden artifacts. Chapter 189 Guest, Come and Visit Often in the Future "Guest~, you know, we''re all legitimate businessmen, we can''t just ept these kinds of undisclosed weapons unless you tell..." The chameleon squeezed out an utterly cheerful smile, his entire demeanor as sunny as if he had found a girlfriend, signaling the person next to him to serve Chen Qi a cup of tea. The man before him seemed to have a significant background; he had to restrain his own temperament. "You wouldn''t want to know." Chen Qi interrupted the other party. The weapon dealer behind the chameleon was affiliated with the Blood de Pirate Group. These weapons from the Beati Country Meteorological Bureau, they would take as many as were offered. The chameleon silently bowed his head; clearly, the other party did not want to disclose the origins of thisrge batch of weapons. But no matter what, being able to procure these weapons indicated that the Second-order Transcendent before him had the backing of a force with considerable firepower, daring enough to challenge the Beati Country Meteorological Bureau. The Meteorological Bureau was an organization primarily focused on investigation and exploration, unlike the Beati Navy. Although the Meteorological Bureau adhered to neutrality, they almost never struck first unless it rted to their missions. However, adhering to neutrality did not mean they were weak. The Beati Country Meteorological Bureau, vindictive in nature, housed many experts skilled in assassination, and possessed numerous numbered forbidden items. Many arrogant pirates had crossed the Beati Country Meteorological Bureau and subsequently mysteriously vanished at sea. To procure so many weapons not only suggested the great power backing the man but also showed the audacity of the force behind him! Daring to strike against the Meteorological Bureau, were they truly not afraid of being sliced into pieces and turned into specimens? Could it be the ck Whale Group? Or a major corrupt element within the Meteorological Bureau itself? The chameleon felt he was subtlying into contact with a ruthlessrge organization. He silently calcted the price of the weapons and finally said: "Guest, these weapons must have their traces erased when used; otherwise, they might attract unwarranted attacks. I can only offer you eight million Shell Coins! You can check around, no one else will offer a higher pricetely!" Eight million? A fair but somewhat low price¡­ Chen Qi nced lightly towards the chameleon. Though the chameleon sensed an unfathomably powerful force behind Chen Qi, as a businessman who thrived on the knife''s edge, he instinctively pushed the price down. After all, every deal was tied to his wallet. No matter what, the other party was a neer to this shop. Chen Qi took out a card from Little Crow. This card, issued by the Lamp Phase organization, was a universal VIP card. Owning this card signified considerable strength. Chen Qi said with a hint of mockery: "Now, with the intense conflict between the Blood de Pirate Group and the ck Whale Group, there''s a high demand for weapons, isn''t there? The price is low, right? Chameleon." I didn''t fool you, ah, but there''s also a ck market card; you came prepared¡­ The chameleon nervously rubbed his hands, what he hated the most was dealing with these dangerous people: "Sorry, I counted wrong earlier, eleven million Shell Coins." Chen Qi said nothing but stroked his chin. The chameleon felt a stinging pain in his jaw: "Twelve million." Twelve million, a very high price¡­ Chen Qi agreed to the transaction. The chameleon shakily counted out the payment then pulled out a bag of standard Gold Coins, afterward saying: "We wee your next visit." Chen Qi took the bag of Gold Coins, counted it, and was about to leave. At that moment, the chameleon suddenly thought of something and immediately said: "Guest, please wait a moment!" "?" Chen Qi turned around. The chameleon had second thoughts? After all, if the price was ten million, it indeed was just right, but twelve million was a bit too much. The chameleon squeezed out a smile: "Guest, although I don''t know the power behind you, if there is anything you need help with, you can visit our ck market. Recently, many people need help, whether they are pirates or naval forces, we provide all possible services." The chameleon couldn''t confirm Chen Qi''s identity. But he guessed that behind Chen Qi, there was either a veteran Hunter Group dismissed due to a mistake, or a special organization from other kingdoms. Recently, due to the resources of the Witch Sea, officials from other nations have been arriving there. The Golden Flower Bird Kingdom''s canaries, or the ck Blood Empire''s vanguard, or the White Tower Kingdom''s Knowledge Hunters. Whichever it was, as long as he behaved well, it meant there was a possibility of coboration. After all, the current leader of the Blood de Pirate Group was missing, and the Blood Lady cried all day long. The Blood de Pirate Group urgently needed fresh blood. One could even say they needed a new leader! If they could attract a wildbat organization, that would also be a good move. The chameleon smiled faintly: "Guest, feel free toe more often for business." Chen Qi nodded slightly; he understood what the chameleon was thinking. The Chameleon seemed arrogant, but the Blood de Pirate Group, which backed him, was not daring to offend people lightly anymore because their leader was missing. It could be said that the ck market run by the Chameleon was the best ck market in ck Mine City, a perfect ce for trading. For a long time, whether selling or buying, this ck market could be the first choice. Chen Qi looked around. Around here, many people were doing business, and he had some good items to purchase. Following his memory, Chen Qi went to an old man''s stall in the ck market and spent five hundred thousand to purchase a gramophone that could y the ''Song of Silence.'' The ''Song of Silence'' Gramophone, considered a hidden treasure of this ck market. Although the gramophone itself was not highly valued, the record inside, which yed the song, could significantly increase the speed of practicing meditation or inspiration-based skills. Following that, he spent five million more to acquire a high-order meditation technique ''Candlelight'' from Lamp Phase. ''Candlelight'' could enhance total inspiration and Spiritual Power while also extending the perception range of inspiration-based skills, making it one of the best meditation cards for Second-tier Transcendents. However, the high-order meditation techniques from Lamp Phase were indeed costly... Chen Qi thought to himself as he casually walked a few steps, and suddenly five million five hundred thousand Shell Coins vanished. After shopping, Chen Qi walked out of the underground ck market and eventually followed the path through the marketce to its end, the Hunter Office. This ce held a rare opportunity, one where just Second-tier strength could get one a forbidden technique. Inside and outside the room, there were armed Hunters. The Hunter Office, established by the Hunter Association, a ce where yers grind experience and money, was also a favorite for wild hunters. Most hunters who don''t have apany can''t go to the cracks every day, and as the Crack Tide increases, the cracks only get more dangerous. Therefore,pared to cracking expeditions, many hunters chose to take on tasks to earn a hardship fee. Chen Qi walked into the house. The interior was full of the smell of smoke and alcohol, with papers filled withmissions mercilessly scattered on the floor. Some were joyously toasting, discussing which red-light districts had fallen aristocrat maids; others were deep in thought, pondering how to solve the diseases brought by the cracks. Meanwhile, a person dressed in bank attire sat on the bar, smiling and ready to serve everyone present. Most high-difficulty, high-reward tasks were snatched by the nosy Blood de Pirate Group, bigpanies, or senior hunter groups.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Qi quickly scanned the room; it was mostly First Order Transcendents, with just a few Second-order Transcendents. The tasks left here were mostly smaller tasks like being a bodyguard, investigating infidelities, finding cats, or dealing with stolen goods. Thus, essentially, this ce was for newbies. Chapter 190 All you have to do is make demands, but the captain has a lot more to consider. "Mommy! Look! It''s a Second-tier big shot!" A Transcendent with a mushroom haircut saw Chen Qie in and couldn''t help but show a look of envy, pointing with his finger. Chen Qi paid no attention to the gazes of others and walked straight to the bar, then looked at the countless quests on themission board. For convenience, most people would turn their quests into flyers and ster them all over the wall en masse. In the ck market of the Crack Sea, there should be a quest, one involving the legendary release skills. Chen Qi vaguely remembered that in this small ck market, there was a future member of the Ice Witch Pirate Group, and the incident involving this junior member would lead to a legendary-level mission. As long as he couldplete this junior member''s quest, he could directly gain a powerful release skill, or perhaps a forbidden artifact. And most crucially, this mission merely required a bit of luckbined with the strength of a Second-order Transcendent toplete! Once, a yer relied onpleting this mission to remain within the top ten yers in the Witch Sea for a long time. I wonder if that quest is still avable... Chen Qi worried, because as a butterfly pping its wings, many things had already be entirely beyond his expectations. His gaze swiftly scanned through the numerous quests before him. Catching a cheating husband, brawls over splitting loot from the crack, gathering thugs, or recruiting bodyguards to protect ships... Hunters... And there''s looking for the Awakening Grass that can cure illusions, and the legendary Blood Origin Crystal that can treat blood disorders. "Awakening Grass??? Blood Origin Crystal?" Chen Qi suddenly noticed something; at the bottom of the quest notice, there was a lively little yellow flower. The reward was several bottles of high-quality healing potions. This damn sense of familiarity, could this be my dear little Witch... Chen Qi turned to the office manager and asked: "Manager, what does the person who registered this quest look like?" The manager was taken aback for a moment and said: "Looked just like you, all covered up tightly, the only distinctive feature was a moving water ball hat on the head?" Water ball hat, Flower Witch... Chen Qi felt joy in his heart. The Flower Witch is in ck Mine City? This is good news indeed! But why is she looking for the Awakening Grass? The office managerined: "Guest, you shouldn''t be blinded by the generous rewards of this quest with a bunch of potions, but you must know, Awakening Grass is not easy to find, the Blood Origin Crystal is even more priceless. Plus, the state of that person seemed pretty bad, even if you find it, the client might not be around anymore by then." Her state is pretty bad... The Flower Witch should be alright... Chen Qi asked: "Has shee here recently?" The office manager grumbled in response: "No, many people do this, post a quest and then be uncontactable. Precisely because of this, our small office is doing such meager business." Is that so... Chen Qi mused silently. He and the Flower Witch did not leave any means of contact when they parted ways. Sigh... Chen Qi frowned. To be honest, he now quite missed the Flower Witch and Water Elf No. 2. Undoubtedly, the Flower Witch was in a bad state. Chen Qi remembered the hardship the Flower Witch had suffered in the process of advancing to the Fourth Rank, which could have turned the Flower Witch into a Tomato Witch in a short period of time. Perhaps, I should go look for her... But the area of ck Mine City was enormous, and the mixture of peopleplicated; to search for someone unterally was not a wise choice. Plus, he could not be certain whether the Flower Witch was in ck Mine City at all. The best way would be to cause a big stir in ck Mine City to let the Flower Witch know he had arrived. That way, the two of them rushing towards each other would have a much higher probability of meeting. However, the Flower Witch unexpectedly wanted the Awakening Grass to treat illusions. The Awakening Grass that cures illusions¡ªI only have the Illusion Dream Butterfly that creates the Endless Pleasure Dream... Chen Qi thought for a moment, then said to the manager: "If this client returns, tell her that a Beast Tamer has the suitable herb." You even have Awakening Grass... the manager agreed to Chen Qi''s request. Immediately after, Chen Qi nced over the nearby quests. At that moment, from behind him, came the sigh of a blond young man. The blond young man pped his hands andined: "Oh my God! My Lord! Why can''t this vast market find a single captain that meets my requirements!" At that moment, a captain with a mouthful of rotten teeth cursed: "Meeting your requirements, my ass. Why don''t you ask for a new type of airship to transport you? With this time, you might as well kneel down and beg Lord Chameleon." "???" Chen Qi turned his head back, his eyes revealing the gaze of a Hunter. I''ve found him! Theining young man had blond hair, a baby face, was not very tall, and on his arms,rge blue veins were clearly visible. Levin, a mere Second-tier with weakbat abilities, was also a loyal fan of the Ice Witch Pirate Group. A seemingly simple and honest young man. Of course, although he looked naive, he was actually the child of the chairman of a major family behind the Bonfire Energy Company, a bona fide young noble. So, in reality, he was a naive-looking, and at the same time, greasily fat young man. Moreover, he was the rare sort who had no real power but still wandered around outside! Of course, for various reasons, this Levin didn''t want to expose his identity. His destination could get him the skill "release"... Chen Qi actively approached: "Kid, do you have anymissions? I''m a professional Hunter." "A professional Hunter..." Levin looked at Chen Qi skeptically, then he said: "Do you have a friend who can sail? I have a destination in mind and need help. I''m willing to pay you two hundred thousand Shell Coins as a reward!" "Yes." Chen Qi answered without hesitation. I haven''t even mentioned the requirements yet... Levin was baffled. At this moment, the boss of the office jeered: "Customer! Don''t bother with this kid. The kind of ship he wants is one that can even make a near-shore dominator bow down!" The office bossughed: "Such a ship just can''t be found at our office! No, it can''t be found in ck Mine City!" The crowd all looked at this unreasonable young man, and if it weren''t for the fact that Levin was a Second-order Transcendent, these people would have roughed him up a long time ago. "Do you really have one?"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Levin asked, curious. This key mission wasn''t given out for free, it was a real test of the yer''s deception skills. Because Levin''s request was almost impossible to fulfill! Therefore, the biggest challenge was to have the ability to persuade Levin to get on the ship! Many yers had lost this precious opportunity just because their skills in trickery weren''t up to par. This really tests my deception skills... Chen Qi took a deep breath, ready to coax Levin. Chen Qi said: "Rest assured, the captain only needs to sail, and you have much more to consider." "Indeed, I have quite a lot to consider..." Levin crossed his arms; he had finally found someone who understood him! This was his lifeline! With that, he red fiercely at the captains who couldn''t meet his demands. Chen Qi proceeded to say. "I have a captain I know who''s even more professional than Seal Logistics and Dove Logistics." More professional than Seal Logistics! Levin, with a serious face, began to state his demands: "I hope your friend''s ship is fast, faster than Seal Logistics'' ships." The speed will definitely be fast enough... Chen Qi answered: "No problem." "My destination is a dangerous sea area, so I hope your ship can withstand storms as well as fend off dangerousrge sea beast herds." Easy... Chen Qi answered: "No problem." "I hope there are as few people on the ship as possible because my business is very confidential, and I don''t want too many people to know. Moreover, I hope the captain has total control over the crew, I don''t want other crew members bothering me." It''s just me, the only living person... Chen Qi answered: "No problem." No big deal... Chen Qi answered readily: "No problem." Levin paused, fell into thought, then continued: "Pirates have been rampant recently, and I hope your ship can resist pirates, of course, if possible, I don''t want any battles. I hope that merely with the ship''s domineering presence, it could scare the pirates away!" Hiss, seems like not a big issue either, no ship dares to approach a Ghost Ship... Chen Qi thought for a moment and said: "No problem, is that all? Any more requirements?" He can fulfill all of these! Levin waspletely dumbfounded. He had approached so many people, and this was the first time someone could meet so many conditions without hesitation. Why do I have a bad feeling about this... His face turned red as he added: "Thest point doesn''t really matter, but I hope the food on board is a bit better." Chen Qi answered: "No problem, that''s the easiest thing." "Good heavens!" Levin eximed in amazement. At this moment, the surrounding people also cast incredulous nces, a ship one could only dream of, could it really exist? Chapter 191 The Seriously Injured Flower Witch At the moment the conversation ended, everyone in the office turned to look at Chen Qi. They all doubted what Chen Qi had said, yet no one stood up to expose the tant scam. After all, a young, noisy man being deceived could turn into interesting gossip in the taverns. "Cough cough¡­" The rtively higher-status office boss coughed twice to catch Levin''s attention. After listening, Levin blinked his golden eyes and said softly, "You wouldn''t be deceiving me, would you? Do you have a legitimate Hunter''s license?" Chen Qi was momentarily stunned. He had nned to bluff Levin, given that Levin''s demands were unreasonable, essentially an impossible task. Therefore, the real test here was of one''s eloquence. But unexpectedly, his ship actually met all the conditions! At sea, whether it was the pigeon logistics'' travel ships or the Seal logistics blessed by the so-called Emperor''s twenty-sided dice, their vessels could notpare to his Ghost Ship. Even if their speeds were close, Chen Qi''s inherent traits made his ship far safer than ordinary vessels. I really don''t have a Hunter''s license... Chen Qi thought for a moment and took out a VIP card from the ck market: "I have no interest in deceiving a novice who frequents the office. Of course, if you want to board this ship, you must pay a higher reward." "A higher reward..." Levin clenched his wallet: "The ce I''m headed to is an unprecedentedly good location, involving secrets of the legendary Deep Sea Hunter. It''s a big deal, but I can only negotiate this business with the captain behind you." Chen Qi fell silent for a moment, estimating the time: "Of course, I only deal in big business, no problem, meet me at the dock on the east side of ck Mine City tomorrow night at twelve o''clock, there will be someone to pick you up, how about that?" Levin stomped his foot and patted his waist. An extremely difficult matter had suddenly been resolved, leaving him with an ufortable feeling in his body. But if there really was a ship that could get him to his destination, the benefits he would gain would certainly be beyond imagination. He turned his gaze to the newspapers scattered on the floor. The ck Whale Group, the Dream Beast, the ck Pig Shark, de Storm... Lately, the sea was filled with dangerous news, and as a second-order Transcendent venturing away from home, he would surely encounter an unprecedented maritime disaster without a good ship. Moreover, he was a second-order Transcendent from a prominent family; in dire situations, merely mentioning the name of his family in the background would make most people choose to stop. I can''t be fooled that easily... Levin was confident in his own strength as he held the mechanical saw meat knife at his waist: "No problem, I can pay you at least two hundred thousand in reward, and as for the subsequent payment, I''ll need to discuss that with your captain!" Levin said coldly, in his eyes, only the esteemed captain behind Chen Qi was worthy of discussingpensation matters with him. "No problem, sir, trust me, you''ll be satisfied," Chen Qi agreed readily to Levin''s terms. Levin''s eyes were sharp: "Then I''ll see you tomorrow at the eastern docks, and upon seeing the ship, I will make a down payment!" After reaching an agreement, Levin left the office. "It''s a deal." Chen Qi pped his hands and took onest look at themission from the Flower Witch on the wall before leaving the office. ... ... After dealing with the ck market matter, Chen Qi shed the outeryer of the Hunter''s Clothes that served as a disguise, his boots stepping over the muddied streets. He needed to make some preparations to fulfill Levin''smission the next day. Perhaps, this could also be an opportunity to test the performance of the Ghost Ship mode. Previously, due to the ck Whale Group, he had not tested the Ghost Ship''s overload mode. Moreover, although Levin appeared simple-minded, he was not as easy to deal with as one might imagine. "Wait a minute¡­" Chen Qi suddenly thought of something. Levin, hailing from a prominent family that had ventured out into the world, might still be harboring many great secrets. Though he seemed naive, in reality, the passionate Levin was very tight-lipped, If he could extract these secrets, perhaps he could uncover more clues. Compared to a chef, the identity of a ck Hunter might allow him to pry open Levin''s mouth more easily. Moreover, an ordinary houseboat managing to traverse dangerous seas was bound to raise suspicions. After all, Levin was just a stranger. "The identity of a ck Hunter¡­" Chen Qi mused to himself. However, this approach could also expose him to risks. But as long as he could control Levin, he could minimize these risks. Let''s try it, if I can make use of the ck Hunter identity, it could be beneficial for future developments. After deciding on these matters, Chen Qi found himself at the docks before he knew it. It was now dusk, the time when countless ships were returning to port. The sound of waves created by the ships crisscrossing the sea surface rose and fell in session. Across from the ships, an investigator from the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau was bellowing at the top of his lungs: "Attention all who are heading out to sea, the ck Pig Shark raised by the ck Whale Group has been spotted in the oceanic regions, and it has severely injured the Witch!" "To everyone, if you gather information about the ck Pig Shark or other strange creatures while out at sea, the Meteorological Bureau will provide different rewards!" The lighthouse keeper also spread his arms and said: "Yes, for the safety of everyone in ck Mine City, please inform the Meteorological Bureau immediately if you encounter any special circumstances at sea." ck Pig Shark, Meteorological Bureau, the severely injured Witch¡­ The de Witch? No, the de Witch had not shown her full power yet. Driven by curiosity, Chen Qi approached the investigator and asked: "Sir, may I ask what happened out at sea? I am about to set out myself."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The investigator looked towards the tattered ships on the horizon, his eyes filled with fear: "You''re going out to sea soon? Unless you have the protection of apany, I rmend you stay safe within the city. After all, you only have one life. Even the famous Flower Witch was gravely injured by the ck Pig Shark." "Gravely injured? The ck Pig Shark? What''s happening out at sea?" Chen Qi asked anxiously. The investigator clenched his fist, his eyes brimming with anger: "The ck Pig Shark, a monster trained by the ck Whale Group, a hunter of the dark night, a blood hunter. Everyone who is an enemy of the ck Whale Group ends up hunted by them. Not just the Witch, but the navy, Seal Logistics, the little Red Riding Hood of the Blood de Pirate Group, even my fellow weather-detecting colleagues from the Meteorological Bureau, all had their ships shattered by the ck Pig Shark and became corpses atop the sea. If it wasn''t for the Flower Witch and her paralyzing potion, she would have been buried at sea by now." Chen Qi faintly recalled something. The ck Pig Shark was not a wild sea beast but a pet of a Beast Tamer from the ck Whale Group, a terrifying bloodthirsty hunter of the sea. This constituted one of the research findings of the ck Whale Blood. The ck Whale Group had long been studying methods to control marine creatures, but due to various reasons, had made no progress. However, with the onset of the Crack Tide, they discovered the perfect substance¡ªck Whale Blood. With ck Whale Blood, they could even manipte the symbols of storms at sea, such as the Storm Dragon, as well as the creatures the Flower Witch initially encountered, the symbols of the sea vortex, the creatures of ck Earth. Chapter 192 The Ghost Ships Maiden Voyage Chen Qi turned his head aside. At this moment, what should have been a spectacle of bright lights and bustling noise during the return to port was in utter chaos due to the ck Pig Shark''s attack, de storms, and many other disturbances. The air was thick with the briny scent of seawater and the grumbling of people, weaving into an almost suffocating sense of oppression. Two captains walked past Chen Qi, cursing at the navy stationed at the dock: "What the hell is the navy good for if they can''t even take down the ck Whale Group''s ck Pig Shark? If it weren''t for running into the Flower Witch''s little flower boat, we''d all be dead!" "Quit talking to these useless naval officers, the Blood de Pirate Group has announced that they''re taking over the ck Pig Shark matter! Wait for the Blood de Pirate Group, because if you wait for these navy guys, our ck Mine City will have the Deep Sea Titan descend upon us too!" The navy immediately pushed one of the captains: "What are you saying? Do you know who you''re talking to? Do you know how strong the ck Pig Shark is?" "Want to start a fight, do you? Do you know that the employer behind me is the Magic Bullet Company!" The two groups quickly drew their curved des and started fighting. They''re starting a fight just like that? Chen Qi dodged to avoid a navy officer who stumbled toward him. The reasons these two groups were fighting were indeed blunt and crude. The investigator shrugged helplessly. In ck Mine City, he had already grown ustomed to this kind of unsophisticated environment. He then reminded Chen Qi: "You see for yourself, my friend, if you n to set sail, please be fully prepared. This is no ce for coastal sailing, and even if you avoid the dangerous routes, you still might encounter danger. If possible, you might go to ck Mine City''s Seal Logistics; they''ve been offering bodyguard servicestely." "Hmm, I understand." Chen Qi then gathered some information before he faced the sea breeze and walked towards his houseboat. The Blood de Pirate Group, the Flower Witch, and the ck Pig Shark¡­ In the original plot, the Flower Witch would form an alliance with the Blood de Pirate Group and the de Witch on Sea Flower Ind! But now, because of his intervention, the Flower Witch and the Blood de Pirate Group werepletely unacquainted. The Flower Witch, on ck Mine City, would also ally with the Blood de Pirate Group for a grim sea battle against the ck Whale Group. This battle was also the first time the Flower Witch unleashed her power in release, staining the sea with blood and gaining fame. That was one of the few victories of the Flower Witch. But now, the Flower Witch had no help from the Blood de Pirate Group; her teammate had gone from the formidable Blood de Pirate Group to the newbie at sea, Chen Qi¡­ Could the Flower Witch defeat the ck Pig Shark? Could she defeat the ships of the ck Whale Group? Perhaps, the Flower Witch''s situation was more perilous than I had imagined¡­ Chen Qi tapped his forehead, a faint sense of foreboding creeping over him. But now, he had no way to meet up with the Flower Witch. Despite the Flower Witch''s abstract hiding method, she wouldn''t let others find her easily. "It''s better to deal with Levin''s matter first¡­" Chen Qi shook his head. The treasure Levin was searching for involved the Deep Sea Hunter and the Ice Witch. Perhaps, he might encounter the Flower Witch on his journey toplete the mission. Chen Qi returned to his cozy little boat, entered the captain''s room, and prepared to steer the ship into the dangerous waters teeming with sea creatures. If he was to reveal his identity as the ck Hunter, tomorrow would not be suitable for receiving Levin at the dock. A dangerous area was far more fitting to wee Levin! "Vaku vaku (Master! Master!)" At that moment, the Deep Sea Water Elves had also had their rest, and after not seeing their master for a full day, they immediately crowded around him. Chen Qi petted the Deep Sea Water Elves. "Activate!" Following that, Chen Qi took a deep breath and activated the Ghost Ship''s overload mode! Ghost Ship, Ghost Fire Mode, activate! Apanied by a rustling sound. The patterns on the ship''s hull seemed to grow deeper, each line concealing ancient secrets, and the entire vessel appeared to age a hundred years in an instant, bing decrepit. Eerie green mes burst forth from the deck, whipping up gusts of chill wind, and instantly, the entire ship filled with a sinister and terrifying atmosphere! This was the power of the Ghost Fire core¡­ Chen Qi looked around his vessel. Now, his houseboat still had the air of a Ghost Ship. Quite good! Chen Qi smiled faintly. Now, this ship should have no problem fooling Levin. Immediately afterward, Chen Qi returned to the bedroom and nced at Water Elf No. 1, who was still deep in slumber. Water Elf No. 1 was motionless, only the brief rising and falling of its body hinted at a sign of life. "Still haven''t recovered? Come on¡­" Chen Qi touched No. 1 and, after replenishing its water, went back to the bedroom to n for the next day. Then he began to practice meditation. Unconsciously, the night passed. Chen Qi leaned tiredly on his chair, his gaze fixed on the small yellow flowers on the windowsill under the moonlight. "Hopefully tomorrow''s events will proceed smoothly¡­" ... ... The next day, at the docks of ck Mine City. The sun shone brightly, the sky was clear, and it was a perfect opportunity to go to sea. Levin was wearing heavy armor and had a specialized blunderbuss gun slung at his waist.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om "Stay calm, stay calm, Levin. As long as the firepower is strong, nobody can touch you!" He recalled yesterday''s events and still had an ominous premonition. Although the other party showed a ck card, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a scam! "If he dares to cheat me, I''ll let his throat feel the power of the Fire Dragon blunderbuss gun and taste the vor of justice," Levin muttered to himself. He went to the agreed spot, looked around warily, but did not see any sign of Chen Qi. It''s more like, there was nobody around at all. "You''ve got to be kidding me; was I duped?" Levin mumbled to himself. Just then, a small figure covered with cloth suddenly scurried to his feet and handed him a slip of paper. "Wakuvaku! (Here you go!)" Before Levin could get a good look at the little one, it had already vanished into the crowd. "Beast Tamer???" Levin opened the paper suspiciously. It clearly stated that to board the ship, one must take a steamboat to a designated spot first. Levin was anxious in his heart: "They want to pick me up outside, so that''s how it is. Behind this, is it a pirate ship?" It went without saying, a ship unable to enter the port could only belong to pirates. Levin was someone with a strong sense of justice in his heart; he despised most pirates except for the Ice Witch Pirate Group. But as long as it wasn''t the ck Whale Group or the Sea Gods Group''s ship, he was barely able to ept it. "Don''t be afraid, when the timees, I can take out my new blunderbuss gun and aim it at his forehead. That way, he surely won''t attack me." Levin hesitated for a long time at the dock but eventually hired a steamboat to go out to sea, heading in the direction of the meeting. The steamboat kept heading towards the distant horizon. Meanwhile, from below the ship, a ''wakuvaku'' could asionally be heard. After an unknown amount of time, a rusty wreck of a ship appeared in the distance. This ship¡­ A sense of crisis suddenly rose in Levin''s heart, and he immediately took out his blunderbuss gun! The other party was actually trying to trick him with a medium-sized wreck! Such a ship was simply unable to reach his destination! It couldn''t withstand sea beasts, let alone storms! He angrily and frustratedly raised his blunderbuss gun, aiming at the ship''s bow! "I must protect my own safety." But the next second, he frozepletely! A man dressed in Hunter''s clothes, all ck, appeared on the side of the ship, looking down at him from a high vantage point, as if gazing upon an ant. Levin''s pupils constricted sharply and he swallowed a gulp of water. In the burning green fire, the man said only one simple word. "Board." Chapter 193 Treasure Hunting Get on board¡­ Levin stood on the steamboat, taking a step back. It was amon phrase among captains, yet Levin heard no emotion in it. Rather than an invitation, it sounded more like an order¡ªamand that could not be refused. The other party''s voice and appearance werepletely obscured by the ck Hunter attire, making it impossible to tell their gender. What in the world is this¡­ Levin touched the corner of his eye, where, just a moment ago, he thought he''d seen the ck garment fluttering like a tendril. Spiritual Power Detection! What''s there to fear? It''s just someone dressed oddly, and their aura is only that of a second-order Transcendent! Levin gritted his teeth, mustered his courage, half-squatted, and ced his cold, sweaty fingers on the steamboat''s button. But before he could maneuver the vessel backward, apanied by the sound of ''waku waku,'' his steamboat, strangely, started moving towards the broken ship on its own! "Did I move forward on my own?" Levin''s breathing grew rapid, a sh of panic crossing his face. Beneath the boat, there seemed to be an indescribable monster of horror. He lifted his head, looking at the rope thrown over the side of the ship. After hesitating for a long time, he clenched the thick rope firmly and climbed onto the ship, on board the ck ship. And the moment he reached the deck, he saw a skull rolling past his feet. "Ghost Ship!" Levin vaguely realized something. He had heard about a strange Ghost Ship appearing nearby in the coastal waters, but he never expected that the Ghost Ship would take up hismission! The businessman from the office, he had connections with a Ghost Ship. Who in the world was that person? He slowly lifted his head and looked toward the deck above. Standing before him was a Hunter in worn ck Hunter attire. Only a second-tier aura, stay calm, stay calm, I can defeat them¡­ Levin curiously asked: "Captain? Where are the other people on the ship?" Chen Qi said softly: "Besides you, there are only the two of us on this ship. Didn''t you say? Fewer people is better, right?" "Just the two of us!" Levin shouted out, a surge of joy in his heart. Logically, if there''s only one person, it means that even if he gets tricked, he wouldn''t have to face a situation of multiple attackers!n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The other party''s aura is only second tier, and he was a second-order Transcendent cultivated by his family. One-on-one, he definitely had a chance of winning! But now, he felt a fear, a terror stemming from the unknown. Levin tried to rally himself: "You''ve indeed met my requirements, captain. You''ve made a great deal. As long as we''re lucky, we can make a big fortune!" You''re still pitching to me¡­ Chen Qi didn''t have time to chat idly with Levin and went straight to the point: "State your destination and the payment you can offer." Speaking normally, not a monster¡­ Levin took a deep breath, took out thepass, and pointed far away: "Straight in this direction, through the dangerous seas of Blood Water Ind, lies a naval abandoned base. Of course, now, it''s just an uninhabited ind, and buried on this ind, lies a treasure. Let me rify upfront, this treasure is rted to the Blood de Pirate Group, and only I can unlock this treasure! Afterward, apart from twenty thousand Shell Coins as payment, we''ll split the profits fifty-fifty!" Only you can open it¡­ Chen Qi tapped his chin with his index finger, pondering for a moment: "No problem. However, as an exchange, once we arrive, you must tell me everything you know." Chen Qi leaned against the side of the boat, opening the map of the Ice Demon Pirate Group. The naval abandoned base near Blood Water Ind, because of the navy''s experiments, has sprouted many mutated monsters in the surrounding seas. Among them, the mostmon are flying fish, with speedsparable to bullet fish, a very dangerous creature. Because of this, this area can be considered one of the forbidden zones of the sea. This ind demands very strict requirements concerning the speed of the ships. No need to adjust the direction, just keep moving forward. Chen Qi gave a slight smile and snapped his fingers. Departure! "Vaku Vaku (Aye aye, Captain!)" With a crisp sound, the engine of the Deep Sea Water Elf No.3 abruptly started in the engine room. Green ghost fires lit up on the ship, and the vessel sailed towards the distant ocean. So fast¡­ Levin struggled to stabilize his stance. Wait, if there''s just one person, who started the engine? Levin felt a hint of doubt in his heart. Is there really only one crew member on this ship? Levin leaned nervously against the side of the ship; although hungry, he didn''t have the courage to enter the dining room. Should I immediately tell the captain everything? Otherwise, I might¡­ Levin clenched his fists uneasily. Chen Qi entered the captain''s cabin and charted the course ahead. The abandoned naval base was not far from ck Mine City, and the route was notplicated, requiring only about five hours of travel. The real challenge was the Sea Beasts in the dangerous waters. Of course, for Chen Qi, that was hardly any danger at all. ... ... Five hourster. The voyage went unexpectedly smoothly. The ship kept sailing deeper into the ocean, and soon, sharp flying fish leapt out of the water, constantly striking against the hull. They did not show aggressiveness, but were like frenzied fans. "Vaku Vaku! (Protect! Protect!)" Water Elf No. 4 and No. 5, wearing skull heads, acted like protective professional soldiers beneath the boat, continuously using water bombs with loud noises to disperse these overly fric flying fish! "My goodness¡­" Levin rubbed his aching head, standing at the side of the ship, watching the vast school of flying fish above the sea. If this were an ordinary vessel, seeing so many flying fish, it would either activate the ship''s protection system or just speed up! However, this ship adopted an unprecedented method to drive away the Sea Beasts. His gaze shifted to the captain inside the dining room. Facing so many flying fish, the captain remainedposed, sipping tea. "What confidence, could he easily wipe out this terrifying swarm of flying fish with just a flick of his finger¡­" Levin subconsciously clenched his fists. He had already envisioned the scenario where, after the treasure was excavated, he, no longer useful, would be thrown into the sea to feed the fish. Levin gazed tremulously toward the distance. On the horizon far away, the outline of an abandoned ind appeared. On that uninhabited ind, one could also see a scrapped dome-shaped weather station. We''re almost there¡­ Chen Qi finished his tea in the afternoon, walked out of the dining room, and looked towards the distant sea: "We''ve arrived at the destination, it''s all up to you now." "Understood! Captain!" Levin unconsciously responded and took out his treasure map, obediently following behind Chen Qi. Chen Qi lowered the shipdder, walked down from thedder, and looked towards the abandoned ind. The ind was notrge, only considered a tiny mini-ind, equipped with just one abandoned tower and a two-story abandoned research institute. The dpidated buildings were wobbling under the erosion of the fierce wind, with walls covered in vines and moss. "Captain! Be careful." Levin carefully walked forward. How has this guy be so docile after just a few hours¡­ Chen Qi crossed his arms, quietly watching Levin''s performance. Levin, looking at the map, hurriedly walked to a pile of wastnd, then took out a shovel and fiercely dug downward. Chapter 194 Experiment This really was a straightforward and crude way of digging... Chen Qi quietly watched Levin dig for treasure. It was the first time he had seen such an unadorned way of treasure hunting. As the guide said, the difficulty of obtaining this treasure was extremely low. It could even be described as effortless. The only challenging part was crossing the dangerous sea area. If you were well prepared in advance, even with the strength of the First Order, you could cross the flying fish shoal. Levin wiped the sweat off his forehead and struck down with the shovel: "Captain, it''s almost there!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The shovel hit something hard with a crisp "ding" sound. With a joyous look, he carefully scraped away the surrounding sand, revealing the rusty outline of a coded iron chest. "Captain, leave the rest to me!" Levin then squatted down and entered the code, smoothly opening the chest. Bang! With a crisp sound, gold coins spilled out from the chest. In addition, there was arge stack of papers, a fiery red rune stone, and a special Hammer Phase skill card. This haul! It really was a treasure! Levin rubbed his hands excitedly. Logically, at this moment, as the initiator of the action, he should preside over the distribution of the treasure! But now, Levin felt a sense of unease. Throughout the journey, the ship clearly had no people, yet strange noises inexplicably echoed. And there was green ghost fire, too! Without a doubt, the second-tier aura released was only a facade for fishing! Levin rubbed his hands and said softly: "Captain, take a look first. Actually, regarding how I found this treasure, I have something to tell you..." "??" Chen Qi was slightly surprised, Levin''s mouth unexpectedly loosened up like this. He walked over to inspect the contents of the chest. There weren''t many gold coins, only half a million in Shell Coins, and these were standardized bank gold coins. In addition, there was a high-order Hammer Phase skill card "Steam Engine." Mechanize the body to transfer Qi Power into the engine to deliver scorching hot Steam Fists! This skill required the mechanization of the body and Chen Qi had no interest in the mechanical school for now. In Chen Qi''s opinion, this skill, whether in terms of versatility or strength, was not as practical as the physical hardening of Hammer Phase. This is a weapon rune stone... Chen Qi took the long rune stone out of the chest. On the stone, arge number of fiery red runes were carved. [Rune of Casting Fire: Nature Form: de Description: Long sword, ignite the mes! Effect: It can add ayer of fiery runes to the outeryer of a weapon. When Spiritual Power is infused, the runes will ignite, enhancing the weapon''s attack power and granting a special casting fire effect. Casting Fire: The temperature of this me is extremely high and has stronger lethality against metal. Under the maniption of Spiritual Power, the temperature can further increase. Note: Normally, this rune stone is only suitable for melee weapons and cannot be stacked with other runes.] Rune stone, a weapon enhancementponent... Chen Qi stroked his chin. A third-order Hammer Phase rune craftsman could forge such special tools to enhance weapons. But the stronger the weapon, the higher the quality requirements for the rune stone. Casting Fire¡ªChen Qi looked at the rune. Casting Fire, with just a slight infusion of Spiritual Power, could ignite a raging fire. Even for a third-order Transcendent, this was quite a remarkable me. Chen Qi carefully touched the stone, faintly feeling a scorching temperature. The quality of this rune stone was quite high! Chen Qi distributed it simply: "This rune stone belongs to me. That Hammer Phase skill card is yours." "No problem, Captain!" Levin was overjoyed. Although he looked like a de Phase warrior, he was actually a Transcendent dedicated to the Hammer Phase path. This was undoubtedly good news for him. Then Chen Qi bent down, picking up therge stack of papers from the ground. "This is..." Chen Qi''s eyes brightened. The papers were covered with encrypted text. Only from the numerous distorted sea beast drawings could it be vaguely seen that these were some confidential research documents. Navy research documents, interesting, and they were studying distorted sea beasts... Among them, there were images of the Deep Sea Hunter and his nemesis, the Blue Beast... Chen Qi quickly scanned through these documents. Although most of the text was encrypted, part of the research content could still be inferred. Simply put, it involved using materials from the cracks to cause mutations in sea beasts and humans. ording to Shell Countryw, unless one was a fourth-rank Cup Phase Transcendent, research on biological fusion and mutations was strictly prohibited. Upon seeing these research documents, Levin swallowed hard. These research documents were the real treasure on this ind, a treasure buried for over twenty years! Does he understand these documents... Levin''s heart began to pound: "Captain, these documents..." "These documents could be sold to the Blood de Pirate Group, the Sea God Pirate Group, or even the ck Whale Pirate Group. Any of them would be enough to exchange for a Skill Card of a release technique." Chen Qi spoke preemptively. Undoubtedly, these documents were absolutely qualified as a treasure. With the Crack Tide approaching, just this one document was enough to attractpetition from numerous parties. Even though it was banned, both the ck Whale Group and the Sea God Pirate Group had conducted extensive research. The value of these documents was enough for a pirate group to nurture an ordinary person into a third-order Transcendent. No wonder some yers could rise through ranks by relying on this treasure! But how did Levin get hold of the whereabouts of these documents? Chen Qi had a vague sense of foreboding: "Levin." "Yes, sir!" "How did you know about this?" Levin swallowed hard: "Captain, sir, I am a frence Hunter. It was a chance encounter. While on a mission to find a cat, I ran into an old man who imed to be the former deputy leader of the Blood de Pirate Group and a former Navy admiral. He hoped I could dig out these documents and deliver them to the current leader of the Blood de Pirate Group... He told me that, aside from that piece of paper, everything else was my reward." Navy admiral... Chen Qi looked at Levin. This kid stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter. Levin raised his hand obediently: "Although it sounds ridiculous, I really met a powerful legendary old man. Unfortunately, he was already withering away, his body long invaded by crack disease, unable to move an inch. So he entrusted me, and then he died, leaving nothing behind. The Blood de Pirate Group hates deceivers and is ferocious. I suspected the old man might be tricking me and feared the pirates would fight me for the treasure, so I wanted to find someone to dig it up first, to verify its authenticity..." Chen Qi thought briefly. Even a Fourth Rank Legend could not escape the erosion of time. Even if they did not fall to the Lantern Death God, they might be incapacitated for life due to diseases brought by the cracks. Like the Flower Witch, even if she advanced to Fourth Rank Legend, she could remain bedridden for life due to the Blood Flower disease. Levin raised his hand: "I swear, Captain, if I lied even a single sentence, may I be struck by Storm Thunder and tortured to death by the four strong men of ck Mine City!" He wasn''t lying... Chen Qi smiled faintly and asked: "Is there anything else you want to say?" Levin took a deep breath and gathered his courage: "Well, sir, there''s one more thing..." "Say it." Levin spoke with effort: "Sir, although this is just my personal spection, if we traverse this sea area, we might be pursued by the Blood de Pirate Group and the ck Whale Group. Recently, they seem to be stationed in this region. Our return journey might be quite unsafe!!" Levin''s palms were sweating. His intuition told him he was in extreme danger now. The wind blew over the deserted ind from afar. "I know." Chen Qi stood up. As they sailed towards this ind, the radar on his ship faintly detected a dangerous aura. "It seems we''re not particrly lucky..." Chen Qi looked into the distance. On the horizon at dusk, he seemed to hear the roar of warships and the cries of predators from beneath the sea. Chapter 195 Reuniting with the Blood Blade Pirate Group Roar¡ª The sea breeze, carrying the scent of blood, blew from afar, lightly piercing the skin of the two men. Chen Qi and Levin simultaneously looked up, their gazesnding on the golden horizon line at dusk. A huge g, soaked in blood, slowly rose from the sea''s surface. The entire ship was covered with rust-streaked steel, with scalding steam constantly billowing from both sides of the vessel. On either side of the ship hung two rust-covered great battle-axes. It surged across the ocean like a massive, ferocious bear, stirring up waves upon waves, rushing towards them with great force! "The Blood de Pirate Group, the warship ''Blood Axe''!" Levin''s mouth twitched, and he immediately kicked the freshly unearthed safe back with his foot. This was the Blood de Pirate Group''s first-ss warship, equipped with a defense system, steam cannons, and radar surveince systems, designed specifically for navalbat! "Captain, they couldn''t possibly being for us, could they?" Levin couldn''t help but step backward. Without doubt, they were the target of this military vessel. This ss of naval vessel was capable of contending with the regional sea tyrants, even shing briefly with the Abyssal Pirs. It wouldn''t matter if they were two second-tier Transcendents; even if a hundred Levins were cloned right then, they would stand no chance against a military vessel! "Run!" Levin kept retreating. Then, almost at the exact moment he turned his head, a small red dot targeted Levin''s neck. Boom! Apanied by a heavy boom, a ming cannonball, like a fierce meteor, streaked across the sky, hurtling towards the two of them! A wave of intense heat passed over the men in an instant¡­ The entire deste ind was torn apart by this cannonball, which ripped a scorching gash through it. This ship was indeed ferocious... Chen Qi shielded his face from the sparks that were flying towards him. In the distance, thick smoke billowed from the Blood de Pirate Group''s heavy cannons, like the gaping maw of a gluttonous beast! Done for... Levin watched the towering mes ignite before him. The Blood Axe had appeared in recent news, defeating as many as ten ships through its formidable defenses and overwhelming firepower during a skirmish between the Blood de Pirate Group and the ck Whale Group. This was a ship with a terrifying track record! Levin''s hands shook uncontrobly. Even a powerful third-tier Transcendent would find it difficult to face a warship alone. The Blood de Pirate Group had them in their sights! Was there still time to run? Moreover, what worried Levin the most was the captain standing beside him, dressed in strange garb. The Blood de Pirate Group surely wouldn''t spare any monster on the high seas. Without doubt, the captain beside him would be treated as an evil spirit and dealt with, and being associated with this monster, he too would be deemed an aplice and meet a shared demise. Levin pleaded desperately: "Captain, what should we do? It seems we''ve provoked the Blood de Pirate Group''s wrath!" Heavy cannons, Fire Dragon¡ªChen Qi also began to worry. The current situation had exceeded his expectations. Although his houseboat was incredibly fast, itcked a defense system. If it faced the military vessel''s cannons directly, they would have no choice but to flee in disarray. Could run¡­ Of course, that was only if the other side had just one ship. Hard to run, though... Chen Qi mused silently. Clearly, the two of them were now within the Blood de Pirate Group''s artillery firing range. The previous cannon st was a warning; if they showed any intention of fleeing, the heavy cannons would surely crush the boat and them into dust. However, this might also be an opportunity... Chen Qi looked at the naval base research documents in his hand. There could be no more suitable buyer for these research documents than the Blood de Pirate Group. Of course, all this assumed that both parties were willing tomunicate normally. "Captain, Captain, aren''t we going to run..." Levin said urgently. At this moment, as a young man who had just graduated and set out to seek adventure, he waspletely terrified by the situation at hand. "Calm down, Levin, let''s talk to them first," Chen Qi advised, all the while preparing to activate Yu Huo''s bloom at any moment. Talk to them... Levin swallowed hard. As an average adventurer, he seemed to have no choice but to rely on this oddly dressed captain. Boom! Boom! The Blood de Pirate Group''s ship abruptly stopped in front of their small houseboat, its size easily four timesrger than that of the houseboat. At the bow, a one-eyed gun master stood, aiming a two-meter-long sniper rifle at Chen Qi with a ferocious look, saying: "You two, what business do you have on this long-abandoned ind? Looking for death, perhaps?" Not only that, but other heavily armored pirates also gathered at the bow, looking at the two of them as if they were prey. The Blood de Pirate Group sure is intimidating... Chen Qi was about to speak. But who knew that the next second, Levin stepped up in front of Chen Qi and pointed at the one-eyed gun master above, saying: "Do you know who you''re talking to? Keep your mouth clean!" The one-eyed gun master immediately got angry: "You motherfuckers, I gave you a chance to talk, and now you''re pushing your luck!" "???" Chen Qi nced at Levin. Levin had already taken out his steam chainsaw knife, boldly standing in front of him! Then, he secretly winked at Chen Qi. Leave the rest to me, Captain... Levin hinted, confidently moving forward. This kid''s got guts, Chen Qi observed Levin''s performance quietly. Talking to these pirates with too much politeness would not be a good choice. Showing a certain degree of danger was necessary to keep the conversation going. Levin mustered his courage, realizing that to survive, he needed to bare his fangs. "I''ll have you know, I''m from the Bonfire..." "Bonfire what?" The one-eyed gun master demanded. ...Energy Company, Levin''s words reached his lips, but he couldn''t bring himself to say them. On the one hand, it was his pride at stake; as someone who had fled his family because of a broken-off arranged marriage, he didn''t want to rely on Bonfire Energy''s influence. On the other hand, standing before him was none other than one of the four emperors, the Blood de Pirate Group. Was the backing of Bonfire Energy Company really going to be of any use? As coborators with the navy, was it likely they''d be captured the next second and have their heads chopped off by an axe on the pirate ship? Levin was about to speak with newfound courage. However, the next second, the one-eyed gun master cursed: "You two, if you were from the ck Whale Group or the navy, you''d be dead by now. But if you''re from Bonfire Energy Company, I might let you live a little longer!" "Remember, this sea area! It belongs to the Blood de Pirate Group, and no one can disrespect us here!" The one-eyed gun master pulled the trigger and furiously fired a shot at Levin''s shoulder. Bang! "?" The one-eyed gun master''s hand trembled slightly as he fired. Levin was slow, but the captain beside him, without even moving, blocked the bullet for him. At this moment, he noticed a small, ethereal tentacle extend from the dim clothing, like a thin snake, gently biting off the bullet. Chen Qi raised his head and said coldly: "Does the Blood de Pirate Group, which prides itself on being the former navy admiral''s troops, have no manners at all?" "ck Hunter..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om On the chair at the center of the Blood de Pirate Group''s deck, a middle-aged and brawny man d in a wolf''s pelt and covered in blood lightly moved his finger and opened his eyes. Chapter 196 Kuang Sha in the Sea ``` Bang! Bang! "Tentacles... Sea God Pirate Group..." The monocr gunman, out of fear, switched to more powerful armor-piercing bullets and aimed the gun at Chen Qi''s head, pulling the trigger once again. "Stop." A dull roar, like amand that could not be defied, echoed around the warship. Almost the instant the monocr gunman pulled the trigger, his hand was twisted off by an invisible Qi Power, then violently spiraled and fell to the ground. "Big brother Fenrir..." The monocr gunman turned his head in disbelief to look at his big brother. "Step back." Fenrir got up from his chair and walked to the bow of the ship. At that moment, the others from the Blood de Pirate Group also exchanged nces before obediently retreating behind Fenrir. The mad wolf Fenrir, to think that he would encounter... Chen Qi looked towards the person cloaked in wolf garb aboard the ship. This was an important figure on the high seas and a key figure for starting the Blood de Pirate Group''s storyline. Although he was only a Third-tier Transcendent, he was very famous within the Blood de Pirate Group, not only because he was the childhood friend of the group''s leader but also the adopted son of the previous captain of the Blood de Pirate Group. As such, Fenrir was born for battle and was a fighting fanatic. As a Third-tier Transcendent skilled inbat, Fenrir boasted the terrifying record of defeating five other Third-tier Transcendents single-handedly while being ambushed. Previously, when Chen Qi was on Sea Flower Ind looking for the Flower Witch, he had encountered Fenrir once. He and the de Witch Little Red Riding Hood were amonbination on the high seas.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om But now, on this ship, there seemed to be no Little Red Riding Hood. Moreover, at this moment, the young executive of the Blood de Pirate Group had bloodshot eyes, a heavy beard, and his clothes were stained with mottled bloodstains, adding a lot of ruggedness to his appearance. With the Blood de Pirate Group leaderless and the Blood Lady in tears every day, the situation was a fatal blow to the entire pirate group. The lives and families of thousands behind the Blood de Pirate Group were on the brink of bing corpses in the vast sea... Chen Qi rubbed his chin. His reputation was not good on the high seas. If this Third-tier Transcendent attacked him, even with the aid of the deep-sea Water Elves, it would be very difficult for him to escape his wolf ws. This was a monster that lived forbat and hunting! Chen Qi felt slightly uneasy. If Fenrir, driven by his desire to fight, engaged him in battle, it would be a very bad situation. Fenrir''s voice was exceptionally heavy: "It''s really lucky, I never expected to actually meet the infamous ck Hunter from the newspapers, this is indeed our fortune." ck Hunter? Who? The captain beside me? Levin was confused, he was the type who liked to look at the Miss Sisters in the Witch Times, paying no attention to the Dove Times. Chen Qi slowly spoke up: "It''s really lucky that I could encounter the mad wolf of the Blood de Pirate Group. So, is there something you wish to discuss?" Lucky, are we? We don''t feel fortunate... Fenrir took a light step forward: "This is a misunderstanding. Recently, the ck Whale Group has been digging for treasure at a nearby abandoned naval base. Therefore, at first, we thought you were from the ck Whale Group, since only the ck Whale Blood can make the flying fish on the high seas show such a strange posture. I apologize. Now it seems that this was just a misunderstanding, a mistake made by us." An apology, a misunderstanding, not wanting to continue the fight... Chen Qi looked up in a slightly puzzled manner. The true man, known for his courage, Fenrir, was actually making an apology? And to him, a notorious monster at that. Even if the Blood de Pirate Group was facing difficulties, they would surely not want to recruit a monster. His reputation was not one that invited respect. In most cases, when facing a monster, Fenrir would pick up his Blood de and engage in a fight to the death. Fenrir continued speaking: "Mr. ck Hunter, we are willing to help you through this tough situation, but now I have a very important question for you." ``` Having ovee a difficult situation, the key... Chen Qi temporarily suppressed the questions in his heart: "Ask." Fenrir slowly began to speak: "What is your rtionship with the Flower Witch?" Asking this... Chen Qi vaguely understood something: "A very good friend." A friend, huh... Fenrir''s utterly exhausted face tried to squeeze out a hint of a smile as he continued: "The Blood de Pirate Group is known for repaying favors. Recently, during our battles against the ck Whale Gang, we were aided by a passing, gluttonous witch. Although we couldn''t see her face clearly, based on her magic, there''s no doubt that she was the legendary Flower Witch." "The Flower Witch?" Chen Qi asked, puzzled. Fenrir said quietly: "Yes, she helped us drive away the ck Pig Shark and even asked us if there were any good dining ships near ck Mine City, persistently asking over ten times." Is that so... Chen Qi smiled slightly. Even though his own reputation was not good, now, thanks to the efforts of the Ice Demon Pirate Group and the Flower Witch herself, the Flower Witch''s reputation was getting better and better. And as someone who had aplished great things with the Flower Witch, his terrible reputation also garnered a moment of respect. "Do you know where she went?" Chen Qi asked. Fenrir spread his hands and said: "Sorry, we''re not sure. Although the Witch suffered serious injuries, she refused our help and quickly vanished over the sea. The Blood de Pirate Group always repays its debts, Mr. ck Hunter. If you see the Witch again, please be sure to convey our gratitude for her assistance and our hope to see her again." The Blood de Pirate Group is also looking for the Flower Witch... Chen Qi shook his head inwardly. At that moment, Fenrir looked towards the distant sea and raised his hand: "Alright, Mr. ck Hunter, as a form of assistance, please follow our ship. We will escort you and help you leave this area of the sea." Upon hearing Fenrir''s response, Levin breathed a sigh of relief. The legendary Fenrir, far from killing him, was actually willing to protect them. Although Levin had no idea what Chen Qi had done, he felt extraordinarily grateful. "Escort us?" Chen Qi looked at Fenrir with suspicion. Fenrir, exhausted, stretched out his hand: "Have you not sensed that killing intent, ck Hunter? We have be the prey of a massive beast." Fenrir chuckled. It seemed that this ck Hunter, just like him, wasn''t too perceptive. Killing intent? Where''s thating from? Why didn''t I sense it? Chen Qi followed Fenrir''s gaze towards the distance. There, a lone, quietly drifting small boat could be seen. Beneath the tiny boat, its outline was faintly discernible in the weak sunlight, resembling a solitary, dark boulder. And in this tranquil territory, a surge undercurrent flowed. It was the domain of the ck Pig Shark. The ck Pig Shark, the ruler of this sea region, was lurking right below the ship''s shadow. Its massive and robust body covered in a deep ck skin seemed to swallow all light. It was the masterpiece carefully studied by the ck Whale Group! The overlord of this ce! Even separated by thousands of meters, the bloodthirsty beast aura of the ck Pig Shark still heavily pressed upon everyone present. Fenrir raised his hand, signaling the crew to start the engine: "ck Hunter, your mini ship can''t withstand the hunt of the ck Whale Gang. My advice is to abandon your ship right now." Boom! Boom! The battle ship of the Blood de Pirate Group emitted a great deal of steam as the drummer fiercely struck up a battle song! Fenrir raised his bloodied arm: "ck Hunter, join us. To survive, run with all your might!" Chapter 197 Beast Tamer "ck Pig Shark! That sea monster that has annihted countless ships!" Levin was utterly confused; he just wanted a simple treasure hunt, so why did he encounter so many monsters? "Get on the ship." Chen Qi patted Levin and immediately boarded his houseboat and started the engine. Unwilling to abandon his own ship... Fenrir also waved his hand, signaling the crew to return to their stations. In the Crack Sea of today, if one wants to survive, as a captain, one must be prepared to forsake his own ship, even if that ship cost a lifetime of savings, even if losing that ship would turn your life from heaven to hell. Hesitate for a moment, and you''ll be one of the countless corpses under the sea. In this Crack Sea, as long as you are not dead, there is always a chance to rise again. The ck Hunter... Fenrir did not try to stop Chen Qi. Now, there was no time for talk. Afar, on a lonely little boat, a shark tamer, emaciated and clothed in tattered rags, gently waved his fishing rod: "Dinner''s ready, Pig Shark." Boom! In an instant, the Pig Shark''s wide and powerful fins began to move, stirring up violent waves with each motion. Fenrir''s resounding voice echoed across the sea: "Activate the shield! Turn the bow, cannoneers, fire! Gunners, initiate a strafing run! Aim for the Pig Shark''s head, give it a warm wee!" The roar of cannon fire, dozens of heavy cannonballs trailing mes soared toward the ck Pig Shark, instantly producing huge waves on the sea surface. However, the Pig Shark was not severely hurt; it forcefully flicked its fins, quickly changing its direction, moving swiftly through the dense artillery fire. And as it drew closer to the Blood Axe ship, the ck Pig Shark gradually emerged from the surface, revealing itsplete form¡ªfour robust fins, two tough wild boar tusks, and eyes that glowed faintly red. Those round, tiny eyes were filled with ferocity and disdain! Shark Leap! The ck Pig Shark erupted with a huge ck aura, leaped out of the ocean violently, then opened its boar-like gape, aiming for the people on the Blood de Pirate ship. Boom! Under the massive impact, the ck Pig Shark''s huge head smashed a giant pit on the deck; the Blood Axe Pirate ship''s defense system was breached, crew members were severely injured, and the entire ship was on the verge of capsizing! It was at this moment... Fenrir raised his hand: "Don''t retreat! Forward! Only blood and de can carve out a chance for life!" Boom! Boom! Boom! With thunderous artillery fire, the Blood de Pirate crew drew their des and fearlessly hacked at the Pig Shark''s massive body. For a time, the sea surface was filled with shing des and continuous cannon fire, the deafening shouts and artillery noise intermingling. Boom! Boom! The ck Pig Shark unleashed its wild instincts, opening its fangs wide, smashing anyone in its path, then raising its massive head, aiming for the space below the deck. Pig Shark Bomb! This beast, damn it, still has a brain, intending to destroy the ship''s power system... Fenrir pressed forward quickly, drawing the Wolf Pack Greatsword from behind, a ck-furred Gray Wolf formed from Qi Power appeared behind him. Qi Power Transformation! de. Grey Wolf sh! All of Fenrir''s Qi Power followed the greatsword as he swung it, a ck Gray Wolf formed from Qi Power fiercely charged at the ck-furred Gray Wolf. Boom! Apanied by a deafening sound, the huge body of the ck Pig Shark, as if bitten down by a giant wolf, fell back into the water. Fenrir looked over the ship covered in wounds; just one strike from the ck Pig Shark had caused the ship to emit arge amount of gunpowder smoke! Many were seriously injured! If this were to happen again, the entire Blood Axe ship would be at risk of sinking. And if a sinking urred, all hundred people on his ship would be mere food wedged between the teeth of the sharks. Fortunately, they now had a chance to escape. Fenrir, standing at the bow of the ship, spat out a mouthful of blood qi: "ck Hunter, as you can see, even a warship has no chance against the ck Pig Shark, for the sea has never been our domain!" "ck Hunter, make sure to keep up closely!" Under the Crack Tide, Fenrir deeply understood that unless you are a Fourth Rank Legend, on this vast sea, you are ultimately nothing but an ant. Fenrir spat out a breath of blood qi, his arm uncontrobly trembling from exerting too much force. In the midst of this conversation, the Blood de pirate group had already turned their bow around and sped off toward the distant sea. The water elf crew member, wearing a skull, ran around frantically: "Waku Waku (Master! I''m scared!)" This ck Pig Shark was not right; in terms of power and ferocity, it far exceeded that of normal sea beasts... Chen Qi also turned the ship around, following behind the Blood de pirate group. Most importantly, its attitude toward him was also very strange. Under Chen Qi''s maniption, the houseboat turned alongside the Blood Axe Pirate ship. "Be careful, ck Hunter!" Fenrir roared loudly. However, almost in the next instant, a cannonball like a shooting star flew out from afar! This time, the target was Chen Qi''s houseboat! Overload mode! Maximum speed! Chen Qi immediately activated the houseboat''s overload mode and violently maneuvered the vessel,pleting a drift on the sea with a surge of ghostly fires. Although his response was timely enough, the cannonball''s residual force still left a deep scar on the hull of the houseboat. And at that moment, Chen Qi, through the window, also saw the enemy clearly. At the far end, a huge ck Whale g fluttered in the sea breeze, as if proiming the victory song of this battle! A medium-sized ck Whalebat ship had its cannons aimed at them! "Damn it! Have we beenpletely spotted?" Fenrir mmed his fist onto the deck in anger. If it were any other situation, the little boat in front would be nothing but their ything. But now, behind them, the ck Pig Shark! If they stopped and turned around, they would surely be the ythings of the ck Pig Shark. Meanwhile, the shark tamer on the lone boat leisurely hummed a tune: "No matter how strong the cannon fire, it cannot overpower the majesty of nature." Saying so, the shark tamer rowed, setting his sights on Chen Qi''s houseboat. The ck Hunter, who was the enemy responsible for killing his old friend, Kuang Sha. If not for ck Hunter and Flower Witch, his somewhat arrogant friend would have mastered the Meat Cutting Bone Breaking technique and achieved release! He had not expected to encounter this Hunter again. Revenge was at hand... The shark tamer slowly extended his blood-drenched middle finger towards Chen Qi: "Go, ck Pig Shark! Let them understand the power of the sea, the price to pay!" The target is me... Chen Qi was startled. The shark tamer had abandoned the Blood de Pirate Group and was targeting him instead. Then, with a huge wave rising above the sea, the ck Pig Shark suddenly elerated, charging at Chen Qi''s boat with unimaginable speed. Deep Sea Affinity, no... Chen Qi tried to remain as calm as possible, drawing out his Meat Cutting Bone Breaking de. Something is wrong! Yu Huo unfolded! Unleash the de of Fury! Next instant, against Chen Qi''s expectation, the ck Pig Shark opened its massive maw and ferociously bit towards him! Shadow Step! Chen Qi''s feet fiercely retreated, dodging the huge impact by moving to the side. The massive beast, like a high-speed tram, flew past him. "Phew..." Chen Qi took a deep breath, his hand holding the knife dripping with cold sweat. Ssh! The ck Pig Shark leaped over the boat and plunged back into the water. "Quite rebellious, aren''t you, little Pig Shark." Chen Qi felt a momentary murderous intent from the ck Pig Shark, a fleeting fear, and the chains within the wound. Sea Beasts are dangerous because they are hunters of the sea, the embodiment of nature. Once you''re in their sights, even a ship worth more than a hundred million Shell Coins could be reduced to nothing in an instant. Therefore, the vast majority of people are filled with fear towards Sea Beasts, and that includes even those who study Sea Beasts like crows. However, Chen Qi had never felt that fear. He swallowed hard, the tentacles on his clothes twisting excitedly. This was his first taste of fear in this new day world. "Such a naughty fellow, attacking me..." Is it that my Deep Sea Affinity is not charming enough? No.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Qi shifted his gaze from the ck Pig Shark in the water to the shark tamer in the distance. He had not expected to encounter a Third Rank heart-to-heart Beast Tamer on the high seas, and moreover, one that could control a ck Pig Shark. The shark tamer felt Chen Qi''s gaze, revealed his yellowing ck teeth, and the corners of his mouth slightly lifted. Chapter 198 The Failed Beast Tamer At this moment, the ck Pig Shark and the ck Whale Pirate Group''s battleships formed a pincer attack! Someone had to pay the price of their life for there to be any chance of breaking out of this encirclement! Levin took out his shotgun, his eyes filled with despair: "We''re done." Without themand of the number one Deep Sea Water Elf, they scattered in panic, those damned ck Pig Sharks daring to attack their masters! The whole houseboat was in chaos, and the situation of the Blood de Pirate Group was not looking good either. Behind Fenrir, the red-haired youngster said in a panic: "Big brother Fenrir, we have no way out. We need a decoy team, and I''m willing to be the bait!" Decoy... Fenrir gripped his wolf tooth saber tightly. Soon, the ck Pig Shark wouldunch its next attack, and the ck Whale pirate ship would also start its next round of cannon fire. Now, the best choice was to dispatch a squad capable of independentbat at sea to attract either the ck Whale pirate ship or the ck Pig Shark, buying time for them to escape. But ultimately, this required extremely strong individual seabat capabilities. "We need to organize at least ten people, all of whom must be Second-tier or above, with experience fighting Sea Beasts! And it would be best if all had the ability of Water Walking!" "My seabat ability is too weak, and our ships simply can''t muster a force to resist the ck Whales..." Fenrir racked his brains, thinking. Who had strong seabat abilities? The ck Hunter. Unless, the ck Hunter joined them! In the Sea Demon Gorge, the ck Hunter had demonstrated formidable seabat abilities. If they had the ck Hunter''s help, perhaps they really could break through the siege. However, as a price, at this moment, the ck Hunter would also have to abandon his ship! This ship burning with ghostly fires! But, was the ck Hunter really willing to sacrifice himself to be bait... Fenrir turned his head again, prepared to seek Chen Qi''s assistance. However, in the next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted. He saw Chen Qi standing on one foot at the ship''s edge, tentacles behind him twisting excitedly, looking down from on high at the ck Pig Shark beneath the sea, as if he was admiring his prey. Killing intent... Fenrir was startled, for in the ck Hunter''s eyes, he saw not the fear he expected. Moreover, most crucially, the ck Pig Shark, which should have continued its attack, was retreating nonstop, issuing warning roars incessantly! Was the ck Pig Shark... afraid? Fenrir couldn''t help but grip his saber more tightly. "ck Hunter, please listen to me..." "Fenrir, have your crew block the cannonballs. Next, all of you follow mymands, and I''ll take care of this big fellow in the sea." "????" Fenrir was stunned; the other party was actually trying to wrest control from him! "Number three, stop the ship now!" "Vaku Vaku (As youmand! Master!)" Number three, growing smarter recently, slowed down the ship. Chen Qi jumped down from the ship into the sea breeze, standing lightly atop the sea surface. Now, having mastered Sea Walking, he no longer needed the Water Elf''s version of Water Walking to tread upon this vast ocean. Chen Qi stood firmly on the sea''s surface, ripples emanating under his feet, his pitch-ck cloak dancing with the waves as if merging with the roiling sea. "Leaping off the boat voluntarily..." At this moment, Fenrir waspletely stunned by the scene before him. What kind of joke was this? The sea was the domain of Sea Beasts, and humans could onlypete with Sea Beasts because they had ships. The pride of Mages, Sea Walking, was like a baby''s crawlpared to the iparable speed of the ck Pig Shark in the sea. To voluntarily fall onto the sea surface was to willingly disarm oneself. Chen Qi flicked his long knife. It might have seemed rash, but this ocean - this was his ideal battlefield. Right now, the utility of Deep Sea Affinity was not affinity but a threat. In Chen Qi''s eyes, the ck Pig Shark was not so dangerous. The fear of the deep sea had not stopped working. Rather, it had been overshadowed. Chen Qi''s eyes burned with the fire of battle. This was probably his first encounter in the New Day world with a proper Beast Tamer, this T0 popr profession from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom! Among Beast Tamers, the mostmon was the bond-based approach: Third Rank abilities of the Beast Tamer included Bond Contracts, which allowed one to sign contracts with favored pets, perceive the pet''s consciousness, telepathically convey one''s thoughts to the pet, enhance the pet with one''s own abilities, and allow the pet to have more possibilities. Through continuous adventures, the pet would grow stronger and actively protect its master. By the Fourth Rank, one could even enable the pet to undergo an evolution beyond limits. But in addition to this, Beast Tamers had many other, more sinister paths, such as the control-based approach, that involved various methods to strengthen Bond Contracts into Control Contracts. Especially when facing powerful ferocious beasts, the conventional bond-based approach was utterly useless. Only chains and restraints couldpel these terrifying creatures. The ck Pig Shark had been bound by chains, giving it the courage to initiate an attack on Chen Qi.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Chen Qi moved forward steadily, the long knife gently gliding over the water''s surface. Although the control-based approach may seem powerful, it hides a significant w. That is, the control-based approach often involves imnting a special chain within the beast''s body for control. Once the chain is destroyed, the Beast Tamer''s contract bes practically worthless. And the statuses of master and pet were about to be reversed in an instant. Chen Qi had just seen chains soaked in blood protruding from the wound of the ck Pig Shark. The opponent had buried controlling chains deep inside the ck Pig Shark''s body. He had to make the ck Pig Shark understand who was the true master of this sea region. Interesting, instead of retreating, he even dares to move forward... the Shark Tamer silently extended his five fingers: "The old man is really looked down upon, isn''t he? Fear not, Pig Shark, crush him!" "Roar!" The ck Pig Shark let out a massive cry of agony, its eyes redder than ever! It opened its gaping maw and, under an irrefutablemand, charged towards Chen Qi, with massive waves rising from the ocean like a colossal sea train! This was one of the ck Pig Shark''s most powerful moves! Pig Shark Train! Chen Qi did not retreat in the slightest. The moment the Pig Shark, fearing the attack on him, showed fear, its Beast Tamer had already lost control over it. As the Pig Shark neared him, Chen Qi exhaled gently, his hand subtly turning as he stepped forward, with pitch-ck mes igniting at the tip of his de. Yu Huo erupts! Embrace the Fury de! Shadow de sh, Big Spiral! The de caught fire with huge ck mes, and the tentacles on Chen Qi''s clothes, like numerous spider arms, pierced into the Pig Shark''s skin, forming a swift Helical sh inbination with his body and de. As his body rotated with the de, in a matter of mere moments, ten Helical shesnded on the Pig Shark''s body. The vast ck mes, like relentless spiral des, tore open the Pig Shark''s wounds, along with the chains inside, fiercely ripping them apart. "Phew..." Chen Qi let out a breath, the mes diminishing with his exhtion. It was over... he silently turned back, wiping the shark blood from his face, and walked towards his cabin boat. The Pig Shark copsed onto the sea surface in an instant. From afar, the Shark Tamer, shocked by the scene, couldn''t believe it¡ªhis ck Pig Shark''s strongest move, Pig Shark Train, had actually been avoided! Still, he stretched out his blood-drenched fingers. The ck Hunter had some skills, but that power was far from being able to defeat his ck Pig Shark; his ck Pig Shark was very strong and could not possibly be hurt by a de... Bang! "Waku Waku (Water Bomb)!" Before the Shark Tamer could issue his controllingmand, he was ambushed with a close-range Water Bomb by Water Elf No. 4, sting him straight into the sea. The Shark Tamer reached out his hand. "Ora Ora!" Water Elf No. 4 forcefully smashed the Shark Tamer into the sea. "I, I..." The Shark Tamer struggled in the sea, fiercely grabbing Water Elf No. 4 and tossing it back into the water. "Damnit, a mere Water Elf dares attack me." Then, he struggled to crawl back onto the boat, ready to drive the ck Pig Shark once again. Now, he wanted everyone to feel the ck Pig Shark''s rage, the fury of the sea! And the moment he lifted his head, the ck Pig Shark had already turned around, those crimson eyes targeting him. The Shark Tamer felt an intense killing intent in an instant. "I am your master! Mas¡ª" Bang! Before the Shark Tamer could finish, apanied by a huge wave, he was already in the massive maw of the ck Pig Shark. Crunch! Blood sttered across the sea. The shackles had been lifted... In regr circumstances, making the ck Pig Shark break free from control would require a deeper strike. However, the ck Pig Shark, the moment it saw Chen Qi, had already started frantically struggling to break free from the Shark Tamer''s shackles, trying to find Chen Qi for a hug. And the moment it attacked Chen Qi, it had already begun to repent, to feel fear. So fragile, it was over just like that... Chen Qi silently turned back and walked towards the ship. One should know that a Third Rank Beast Tamer from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom possesses the strength to wrestle with dragons. This Shark Tamer, was easily taken down by a Deep Sea Water Bomb from a Water Elf, and had no power to fight back against the ck Pig Shark. Being a Beast Tamer, he didn''t even have basicbat abilities, couldn''t even control his own pet, uneptable...mented Chen Qi, a professional Beast Tamer. Indeed, there is a huge gap between the Beast Tamers of Shell Country and those from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. The Shark Tamer''s taming technique was formless, meaning less, he might as well practice in his next life. Chen Qi stowed away the Meat Cutting Bone Breaking de and then slowly walked back to his cabin boat on the waves. At that moment, Fenrir at the bow of the ship and the crew of the Blood de Pirate Group were dumbfounded. What just happened? Why is the Shark Tamer gone? Why did the ck Pig Shark turn around? Why can the ck Hunter be so calm? Isn''t it said in the newspapers? Flower Witch on top, ck Hunter below, right? They did not know how to express their feelings at the moment, how to organize their words, how to describe the ck Hunter''s maniption. Only Levin instinctively eximed: "Fuck!" Chapter 199 Cooperation with the Blood Blade Pirate Group (Parts 1 and 2 Combined) Levin eximed: "Captain, that was incredibly fierce!" Although he had long felt that the captain was no ordinary person, he had never imagined that the captain would dare to dive into the sea and confront the ck Pig Shark head-on in fiercebat. In the end, he even defeated the bloodthirsty behemoth with a Spiral sh. Fenrir was even more bewildered, as he had just been considering "noble sacrifice," "sea battle squad," "breaking through the encirclement," and st words." Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the shark tamer was dead, and the ck Pig Shark had fled. Compared to the simple-minded Levin, Fenrir had many more thoughts swirling in his head. For example, why did the ck Pig Shark flee? Why did it attack its own master? And why did it feel fear? In Fenrir''s eyes, the Hunter who debuted alongside the Witch became even more enigmatic. But no matter what, the ck Pig Shark was defeated! Vanquished by the hands of the ck Hunter! Fenrir boldly announced: "ck Hunter! Thank you!" Fenrir''s originally exhausted face suddenly filled with confidence, and then, he turned his gaze toward the distant ck Whale ship. Suddenly, the previously threatening ck Whale ship quickly stowed its g and turned its bow. The tides of attack and defense had changed! Mainly because the ck Pig Shark had fled, their support vessels could only obediently run away. Fenrir loudlymanded: "Don''t let those guys get back safely, fire the cannons! st their arses!" Without the ck Pig Shark, the distant ck Whale Group warship was nothing but a toy for the Blood Axe ship. Boom! Boom! Boom! Dozens of cannonballs were fired, making the distant ck Whale Group warship flee in disarray. In this way, without the pursuit of the ck Pig Shark, the Blood Axe Pirate Ship triumphantly advanced and finally reached the territory belonging to their Blood de Pirate Group. ... ... An hourter, five warships gathered beside the Blood Axe ship and the houseboat. Near ck Mine City, there are many inds under the Blood de Pirate Group, as well as arge number of their ships. Upon receiving the "support"mand, they immediately headed for this location to cover Fenrir''s ship. Fenrir waved from the Blood Axe ship, exining to the captains who arrived for support: "No need! The ck Pig Shark has already run away! That damned shark tamer is also dead!" The ck Pig Shark fleeing in panic, a beast that dared to withstand cannon fire... The captains were stunned, wanting to know the specifics of the event. On the bounty board of ck Mine City, who knows how many bounty orders there are for the ck Pig Shark and shark tamers. The defeat of the ck Pig Shark that long gued ck Mine City is certainly big news! However, at the moment, Fenrir had no mood to exin these things but simply dered loudly: "A great victory!" As the danger subsided, everyone began to slow down their ships. And Fenrir brought out a cup of fine liquor, raising it towards the adjacent houseboat: "You two! Now that we have achieved a great victory, how about a drink?" Chen Qi stood atop the houseboat, facing the sea breeze, looking toward the drink in Fenrir''s hand. Although the Blood de Pirate Group retained many pirate practices, they ced great importance onradeship. Especially Fenrir, as an officer of the Blood de Pirate Group, would never mistreat their friends. Even if he were a monster from the newspapers. Chen Qi had the Water Elf No. 3 control the speed of the ship, and he and Levin boarded the Blood de Pirate Group''s ship. At that moment, a one-eyed gunner with a severed palm brought out a cup of fine liquor: "Enjoy, you two! This is a strong spirit brewed from Dewdrop Roses grown on Flower Ind for ten years, not only can it heal wounds but also bolster one''s energy!" The one-eyed gunner appeared somewhat ufortable as he handed the drink to Chen Qi. Chen Qi took the drink and had a sip. Being a Transcendent with the de Phase, Fenrir curiously asked: "Mr. ck Hunter, why did you dare to face the ck Pig Shark alone? And how did you make the ck Pig Shark flee in such panic? Do you, perhaps, possess a domineering presence that instills fear in sea beasts? And that sh of yours, how exactly did it defeat the ck Pig Shark?" Fenrir was full of questions. Although Chen Qi''s Spiral sh was powerful, the ck Pig Shark was tough-skinned and thick-fleshed. Logically, the power of that strike should not have exceeded his Gray Wolf sh. But in terms of effect, it far surpassed his technique. Could it be that I have misjudged... Fenrir was filled with doubts. This drink is so sweet... Chen Qi exined: Your next chapter awaits on empire "My Spiral sh is not very powerful, however, the ck Pig Shark was controlled by the shark tamer, and inside it, there were chains..." Chen Qi detailed the tactics he had used to defeat the ck Pig Shark to Fenrir. Those Beast Tamers with very lowbat abilities on their own were easy to beat once you found the right approach. "Chains, bacsh, I see, I had thought that your de contained even more terrifying power," Fenrir realized.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Fenrir seldom encountered Beast Tamers from Shell Country, and this was his first time facing such a situation. He had not expected that it was possible to attack the chains inside the body, allowing the ck Pig Shark to break free from its bonds. Is this the power of knowledge... Fenrir was particrly moved, realizing that the ck Hunter, although depicted as a mere monster in the newspapers, was actually quite knowledgeable in reality. Chen Qi humbly said: "I was able to repel the ck Pig Sharkrgely thanks to the wound on its body. Without that bright red wound, I could not have defeated the ck Pig Shark so quickly." "The wound..." Fenrirughed heartily: "Mr. ck Hunter, so that''s it, that wound was inflicted by the Flower Witch. You two are indeed partners who have coborated for a long time." "Hm?" Chen Qi drank the red wine. Chapter 199 Cooperation with the Blood Blade Pirate Group (Part 2 Combined) He had always thought that the wound on the ck Pig Shark was caused by Fenrir. Unexpectedly, it was actually caused by the little witch, Fen. In other words, he and the Flower Witch had identallypleted a close cooperation. At this moment, Fenrir lifted his head and said heartily, "Mr. ck Hunter, you and your partner, the Flower Witch, have really helped us a lot. To be honest, the Blood de Pirate Group has long wanted to cooperate with you two." "Cooperate?"N?v(el)B\\jnn Chen Qi looked at his backpack card. Taking advantage of this moment, he thought it was a good opportunity to sell the encrypted research blueprints he had just obtained to the Blood de Pirate Group. He couldn''t decipher the encrypted texts of the blueprints with his own strength alone. Fenrir ordered the one-eyed gunman, "Go, bring out the Blood de and the gold from our Blood de Pirate Group." The one-eyed gunman walked into the cabin and quickly returned with gold coins worth ten million shell coins, along with a blood-red dagger. "Sir," The one-eyed gunman bent over and handed over the items. Chen Qi epted the gold coins and the dagger. [Spotted Blood de Nature Form: de Description: A craft made from B-grade crack de stones, a symbol of high status in the Blood de Pirate Group. With this small de, one can receive assistance from the Blood de Pirate Group.] Chen Qi couldn''t help but be astonished. Although it was just a dagger, the actual difficulty of its creation was very high, and the raw materials used were extremely expensive. This dagger was usually only given to officers of the Blood de Pirate Group. In other words, with this dagger, the Blood de Pirate Group, one of the Four Great Pirate Groups, would no longer be an enemy on the sea. And his sea voyages would be much smoother. He could evenmand most members of the Blood de Pirate Group directly with this dagger. On the yer forums, the only way to obtain this dagger was to continuously earn contributions and thenplete the officer tasks of the Blood de Pirate Group. Unexpectedly, the other party had given it to him so easily... Chen Qi epted the Blood de. Now, the Blood de Pirate Group really needed allies. Otherwise, with the Blood de Pirate Group''s style, they wouldn''t cooperate with a notoriously bad deep-sea monster. And especially not one known for causing trouble everywhere. Chen Qi noticed that many people on the Blood de Pirate Group''s ship were still afraid of him, afraid of being entangled by his tentacles. It was all Pei Lu''s fault. Reputation... Chen Qi really wanted to teach Pei Lu a lesson now. Fenrir, recalling the White Dove newspaper''s report, still said heartily, Read exclusive content at empire "Mr. ck Hunter, I always speak my mind. As long as you and the Flower Witch don''t threaten the Blood de Pirate Group, and as long as you don''t harm our members or innocent civilians, our Blood de Pirate Group is willing to offer you any help! From now on, the Blood de Pirate Group''s ships are your ships! The brothers of the Blood de Pirate Group are your brothers!" "Thank you." Chen Qi epted the status-symbolic dagger, "Fenrir, do you have anything else to say?" At this moment, Fenrir''s face held a trace of hesitation. Fenrir shook his head but still spoke, "Mr. ck Hunter, actually, a friend of mine needs the help of the legendary Flower Witch, but our sincerity alone doesn''t seem to move the Flower Witch. Even though we''ve shown enough friendliness, the Flower Witch remains very cautious. After severely injuring the ck Pig Shark, she disappeared from this sea instantly. If possible, I hope you can ry to the Flower Witch that we have news of other witches and hope to get her help. And as a reward, we are willing to offer any assistance!" "Assistance..." Chen Qi thought for a moment. In the original plot, the Flower Witch had already cooperated with the Blood de Pirate Group tounch the first major event of Witch Sea, a liberation battle against the ck Glove of the ck Whale Group. And Fen, inheriting the liberation technique of the previous witch, would be famous across the sea. But because of his involvement, the Blood de Pirate Group and the Flower Witch were not familiar with each other now. I don''t even know the situation with the Flower Witch now... Chen Qi nodded, "I will." Fenrir raised his ss, happy, and downed it in one gulp, "Many thanks! From now on, for any matter, you can tell us, the Blood de Pirate Group!" Now, the Blood de Pirate Group was able to get the help of ck Hunter and the Flower Witch! It was a tremendous event! Soon, with a flushed face, Fenrir poured another ss of strong liquor, "Brothers! From now on, ck Hunter is your big brother! Toast to him!" Everyone celebrated their escape from the ck Pig Shark''s jaws. Chen Qi drank and took out a stack of blueprints, "Fenrir, I have some blueprints here on navy research. If you''re interested, you can buy these blueprints." "Blueprints?" Fenrir received the blueprints and quickly looked through them. Even though he didn''t understand the encryptednguage, he could tell from some forms and diagrams of sea beasts that this was a valuable research blueprint. Fenrir''s frown deepened, "The navy is researching the evolution of distorted sea beasts. I thought all their research drafts were kept in the meteorological bureau''s containment. I didn''t expect any to be circting outside!" The navy had conducted extensive sea beast research, but to manage these research blueprints, they even invited knowledge hunters capable of tracking information from the White Tower Federation. Chapter 199 Cooperation with Blood Blade Pirate Group (Parts 1 & 2 Combined) - Part 3 In this era, they had actually managed to acquire a set of Sea Beast research diagrams! Unimaginable! Fenrir flipped through these yellowed pages. The manuscript totaled a full fifty pages and additionally involved the ck Ship Sea Dragon, ck Pig Shark, creatures of the waterholes, and even, signs of the Deep Sea Titan''s Twelve Touches and the Blue Beast, as well as the Deep Sea Hunter.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Undoubtedly, these pages were of great value! The Blood de Pirate Group had undergone a civil war due to naval research... Fenrir couldn''t help but recall his childhood scenes: "Mr. ck Hunter, with my knowledge, I cannot estimate the value of this manuscript. I need to write down the first page of this manuscript and then go back and inform our researchers to provide a proper valuation. May I copy down the first page of this manuscript?" "No problem." Chen Qi agreed. A yer had once exchanged this manuscript for a Skill Book of de Release. But now, judging by Fenrir''s expression, Chen Qi sensed that the price of these papers was likely higher than he had imagined. Fenrir copied down the first page, his eyes full of shock. How on earth had ck Hunter managed to obtain these papers? After copying the manuscript, Fenrir said: "Mr. ck Hunter, may I have a contact so that we can inform you as soon as weplete our study?" Explore more at empire Contact information... Chen Qi fell into thought. The Water Elf restaurant? No, that was too dangerous, highly likely to expose his identity. The Blood de Pirate Group was teeming with prying eyes, and Fenrir was not one to keep secrets. I need a middleman, a foolish one... Chen Qi thought for a moment and then said to Levin, who was watching the scene: "You can tell him any matters." "???" Levin was taken aback, he was just a warrior meant for cheering and who had just ventured into the sea; why had he suddenly be ck Hunter''s Intelligence Officer. Fenrir looked at Levin''s chest, at the Hunter''s emblem, the office proof: "Understood, Mr. ck Hunter, we will inform you immediately if you wish to find us. The chameleon at ck Mine City Shell Grand Mall, the Fisherman at the dock, and courier number 17 at the Seal Logistics can all contact us immediately." Chen Qi nodded. The group raised their sses to celebrate this great victory. At this moment, the people on the Blood de Pirate Group''s ship were drinking, tipsy. To avoid getting drunk, Chen Qi had only sipped a little red wine. A burly man staggered as he spoke: "Finally! Thank you, ck Hunter! We have finally killed the Shark Tamer! Tomorrow, we will make the front page of ck Mine City!" "Front page?" Chen Qi swirled his red wine ss, looking puzzled. And the burly man went on to say: "Yes, the front page! Not to conceal it from you, ck Hunter, but after we go ashore, we will contact the newspaper! They''ll report on this! Also, there might be a Photography White Dove that has spotted the fleeing ck Pig Shark." Photography White Dove... Chen Qi looked toward the sky. A white dove as big as a human head flew by, with a vintage camera hanging around its neck. The Photography White Dove, a unique pet of the White Dove Newspaper, patrols areas where maritime incidents frequently ur. It is also their corepetitive power to report on events firsthand. Many maritime events can''t escape the Photography White Dove''s tracking. Undoubtedly, the defeat of the ck Pig Shark would stir up a storm in ck Mine City. Chen Qi hoped that this operation might slightly amend his reputation and also hoped that Flower Demon would see this report... Chen Qi downed a ss of red wine. At that moment, Levin drank a ss of red wine and came over, whispering softly: "Mr. ck Hunter, may I go to the newspaper to convey this information to the relevant personnel there?" Chapter 200 Terrifying Deep Sea Water Elf "Newspaper?" Chen Qi looked at Levin with confusion. Levin rubbed her hands with a cute gesture, "That captain, sir, you should know that the White Dove Newspaper offers a hefty reward to those who provide clues. From what I''ve observed, the Blood de Pirate Group would also ry information to the newspaper, and I¡ªI want to¡ª" Levin whispered. "Captain, sir, I want to make some extra money!" This operation had granted him a Skill Card of no small value. However, to board Chen Qi''s pirate ship, he rented a small steamboat. Levin wanted to exchange ''first-hand information'' for a bit of money from the White Dove Newspaper. Chen Qi pondered for a moment. Undoubtedly, the ck Pig Shark was one of the major menaces to the waters around ck Mine City. Due to the ck Pig Shark, the city''s port was in a state of unrest. Now, having defeated the Shark Tamer and gravely injured the ck Pig Shark, although it wasn''t earth-shattering news, it was indeed a positive piece of news. Levin would surely not dare to speak ill of him. It would be good, through this report, to salvage his reputation somewhat. As the Crack Tide deepened, more and more forces would arrive at the Crack Sea, especially those specialized in hunting monsters. And at such a time, a good reputation was particrly important. Levin definitely wouldn''t speak badly of me, my reputation might be saved¡­ Chen Qi rejoiced secretly and nodded. After getting an affirmative response, Levin turned around, clenching her fists with excitement, "Yay!" Chen Qi looked at the jubnt members of the Blood de Pirate Group and took a small sip of red wine. The atmosphere of celebrating a victory over a formidable enemy together was quite pleasant. After the Blood de Pirate Group finished up, Chen Qi stood up, bid farewell to Fenrir, and returned to his houseboat. Finally, after dropping Levin off at her original location, he returned to his humble houseboat. ... "Phew¡­" After seeing off Levin, Chen Qi deactivated his houseboat''s Ghost Ship mode and removed the Residual Fire Touch. Then he changed into the Chef''s clothes. "So tired¡ª" Chen Qi returned to the bedroom and stretched his muscles. The Residual Fire''s eruption, especially the Rage de''s toll on his body, was more severe than he had imagined. Just one strike had drained a great deal of his energy. Body aches often stemmed from overexertion. "Waku Waku (Master! Need a massage?)" Water Elves Number Four and Number Five hopped around excitedly; they had be professional masseurs under Chen Qi''s training. "No, you two rest as well¡ª" Chen Qi patted the obedient Water Elves and headed to Water Elf Number One''s room. "I wonder how Number One is doing?" Chen Qi slowly pushed open the door to the Water Elf''s room, and the moment he did, a massive blood-colored eye fiercely locked onto him. The eye was intensely red, as if it were a fusion of stars and flesh. A thousand eyes twisted and stared at him! "!!!" Abyssal Pir? Chen Qi instantly became alert, quickly retreated, and drew his ck de! In the next second, those countless blood eyes surged toward him like a huge tidal wave! Chen Qi swiftly retreated, but the room on the boat was too small, leaving no ce to hide. It was too fast¡­ He could only, by instinct, pull out his long de! In the next instant, the wave engulfed him! However, contrary to his expectations, there was no pain, nor was there any mental corruption. Instead, Chen Qi felt a soft, bouncy sensation on his head. "???" Chen Qi blinked and removed whatever was blocking his vision from atop his head. Before him, a plump Water Elf was clinging to his head. "Waku Waku! ?¦Ø?! (Master!)" Number One? Chen Qi looked surprised as he gazed at the soft Water Elf Number One in his hands. Water Elf Number One had finally awakened. It had actually seeded in digesting the power of the Dream Beast¡­ Chen Qi was overjoyed! Even with the enhancement of a Beast Tamer, a pet often struggled to digest the power of a cmity-level beast, even if it was but the remnants of such power. Yet Number One had truly digested the power of the Dream Beast in such a short time. From the outside, Water Elf Number One seemed almost unchanged. The only notable change was in its eyes! Simply put, it evolved from O^O to ?¦Ø?! But its power had gained a tremendous boost. "This is your doing¡ª" Chen Qi looked at the countless ck mists surrounding the room, as well as the numerous twisted red eyes. Illusion¡­ Chen Qi used his de to touch and break through the illusion before him. That meant Water Elf Number One had gained the ability to create illusions! Typically, a Third Rank Flower Hammer Phase magician would possess the skill to create illusions. However, illusions often have one significant weakness: they are immediately seen through by those with strong perception abilities. This is a unique ss that counters warriors but is in turn countered by mages. My perception is not weak¡­ Chen Qi carefully examined the illusions around him. As someone with high inspiration, he was unable to recognize this kind of illusion at the first moment. Chen Qi squatted down; on the surface of the illusion, there was ayer of a very special Spiritual Power that prevented others from peering inside. This Spiritual Power was like a thin film, blocking external perception! "So strong!" Chen Qi couldn''t help but mutter to himself. You see, only a Third-tier Illusion Master could create an illusion of this caliber! "Number One!" "Vaku Vaku (Master)!"N?v(el)B\\jnn After thinking for a moment, Chen Qimanded: "Deep Sea Water Elf Number One, create an illusion of the Flower Witch." "Vaku Vaku (Understood, Master)!" The Deep Sea Water Elf''s eyes shone brightly as its body emitted a great deal of blue light. Suddenly, a crouched witch slowly raised her head and stood up from the ground. "..." Chen Qi looked at the ''Flower Witch'' before him. Her form was tall and twisted; her skin resembled ancient wood eroded by time, yet a decaying grey-green hue faintly shimmered through, as if covered by a thinyer of oil paint. The petals on her head had long lost their former brilliance, bing dull and distorted, but they still exuded a bizarre charm. "Hiss¡ª" Chen Qi was startled. This was less the Flower Witch and more the Corruption Witch! Something wasn''t right... Chen Qi, like an expert Pok¨¦mon Trainer, once again extended his hand tomand: "Number One! Create my illusion!" "Vaku Vaku (Master! Understood!)" The Deep Sea Water Elf looked up, its body emitting blue light. Afterward, a shadow was born from the mist, slowly rising to its feet. His head was engulfed by a broad ck hood whose edges were fringed with sharp tentacles, resembling a circle of ck thorns, and beneath the ragged Hunter''s Clothes were indescribable, twisted ck tentacles. Moreover, his joints and limbs had numerous dislocations, making his whole appearance even more terrifying. Am I really that frightening... Chen Qi touched his chin. "Vaku Vaku (Master! How is it?)" The Deep Sea Water Elf Number One''s eyes sparkled with stars. Chen Qi pondered for a moment. The essence of creating illusions is to use Spiritual Power for 3D painting. Therefore, it not only requires control of Spiritual Power but also a powerful artistic ability. Andcking the basic ability in art can easily lead to drawing some terrifying images. Many extremely horrifying paintingse precisely from casual doodles. As a pet creature, Deep Sea Water Elf Number Onepletelycks the drawing ability for "human anatomy." Therefore, it''s quite reasonable that the illusions it creates have some ''twists''. However, to be able to ''twist'' that horrendously is also a skill... Chen Qi squatted down, smiled, and patted Number One on the head: "You did very well!" For a pet creature, Deep Sea Water Elf Number One had done quite well. You know, many professional Illusion Masters find it difficult to create such twisted, terrifying illusions. Anyway, he now possessed a super ''Water Elf'' capable of creating illusions. "Vaku Vaku!" The Deep Sea Water Elf jumped with joy and leaped onto Chen Qi''s shoulder. Chen Qi touched the Deep Sea Water Elf. After a long spell of running, his energy had reached its limit. He nned to get some good rest after practicing meditation. ... ... ck Mine City, White Dove Newspaper branch, at twilight. In the center of the newspaper, severalrge wooden desks were filled with drafts, documents, and manuscripts. Perl tied her blonde hair into a ponytail, then picked up her cherished camera: "Thank you, boss, I really need a camera that can record everything perfectly right now." The newspaper''s boss was a lean middle-aged man, who shook his head: "Perl, that is a Second-tier Lamp Phase forbidden object sealed by the Federation, and it''s the only creation that your body can handle right now. However, this doesn''t mean you can face a deep-sea creature like the ck Hunter on your own. You must be grateful that you weren''t brutally murdered by the terrifying ck Hunter." That''s the savior of my newspaper... Perl, like a happy kitten, epted the camera: "I know, I know. Coming to ck Mine City, the biggest news here will certainly belong to our White Dove Newspaper!" Perl confidently patted her chest, making a crisp sound. The newspaper''s boss sighed: "Sigh... Perl, sales are important, but the Crack Tide nowadays is enough to devour us. You must be careful; there''s no need to risk your life for amp''s reward." "I understand, boss. But in the midst of the tide, we in the White Tower Federation have no choice." The vivacious Perl furrowed her brows for a rare moment. Then, the newspaper''s boss nced at the time: "Oh, Perl, today''s your first day on the job. There are two visitors outside who im to have clues to big news. These two are now your responsibility." "Mhm!" Perl nodded lightly, took the camera, went downstairs, and pushed open the door of the newspaper. Outside the door, two ''Intelligence Officers'' were waiting for her. "Good afternoon to the two of you," Perl bowed in greeting and offered two chairs to them. Before her were two individuals who had already been waiting for quite some time. A Third-tier Transcendent and a Second-order Transcendent. A blond young man, and someone wearing a cloak... Both of them seemed anxious, and the cloaked one smelled so good... Perl looked at the two with interest, then pped her hands and said: "What information do you have? The White Dove Newspaper will pay ordingly for your information." Chapter 201 You Dont Understand Him (4k) Pel wSatracted some manuscript paper and a quill, her eyes sparkling as she quietly waited for the sensational news from the two: "Could you briefly talk about the information you two are providing? I need to assess the value of this information." Those dazzling golden hair, those sharp golden eyes! The legendary journalist, Pel...Levin couldn''t hide his astonishment, excitedly clenched his fists¡ªhe had actually met the chief reporter of Moonstone City, a superstar celebrity, a miraculous journalist! After all, this was the miraculous reporter from the White Dove Newspaper of Moonstone City!n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om And she hade to ck Mine City¡ªa piece of great news worthy of notifying all the merchants of the ck Hunters! Although Levin hardly ever read the White Dove Newspaper, he was still a loyal fan of Pel: "Mmm, mmm, mmm, I definitely won''t disappoint you! This information is about the ck Pig Shark." Pel propped her chin with the cap of her pen, deep in thought: "The ck Pig Shark, a pet cultivated by the Beastmasters of the ck Whale Group using new technologies. The Bei Country Meteorological Bureau is very interested in this ck Pig Shark. However, many people are more concerned with human affairs... yes, this is quite a good piece of news." Levin didn''t respond; he was preparing to gather his emotions before revealing Chen Qi''s situation, which would stun everyone! The opportunity to interact with a major celebrity like Pel wasn''tmon; he must converse more. Levin''s dream was to be featured at least once in the White Dove Newspaper so that his family''s sister could see him. Pel noted this down and then turned to the other guest on the left. A young woman in a cloak who seemed very frail. She smelled really nice. Why could she smell so nice? Pel sniffed. It wasn''t like the overwhelming scent of perfumes piled on by the nobles of Shell Country, but a faint, clean fragrance. It was the perfume scent of the Canary family from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. And, somehow, it felt a little familiar. I really want to lift up her cloak... Pel asked curiously: "Miss, do you have any information? Also, could you lift your cloak?" "Huh? Why?" The girl in the cloak said softly. Pel''s eyes lit up: "I''m just curious, you remind me of the young nobledies from the big families of the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom. I''m willing to pay a curiosity fee of 5000 Shell Coins!" "Curiosity fee? What a strange fee..." The cloaked girl was clearly shocked by Pel''s exnation. But after hesitating briefly, she lifted her cloak and briefly revealed her face. It was the face of a young woman, delicate and cute. However, there were no flowers on this face, just a lot of scars, looking like massive burns, covered with lots of holes, and some very fresh wounds. This made her look instantly miserable and horrifying. Though strangers could not recognize it, if Chen Qi were here at the moment, he would recognize her at first nce as the severely injured Flower Witch, who had all the flowers plucked from around her eyes. The Flower Witch immediately pulled her cloak back down. So, she had just been severely injured recently... Pel nodded: "Thank you. Could you briefly talk about your information?" The Flower Witch said softly: "It''s like this, I''m a traveler. While I was on Eastern Commercial Street, I encountered the ck Gloves, whose Bounty Orders exceed twenty million. They control the underground casinos and the whole of Eastern Commercial Street. Moreover, I also heard about their ns; it seems they are nning to take over the entire control of ck Mine City... Also, because I was injured, while going to the pharmacy to buy medicine, I was also tricked into paying an exorbitant price for the medicine." Pel listened carefully and nodded: "The ck Gloves, that bastard who likes getting beaten up, has been silent for so long and has now reappeared in the world! However, miss, as material for the news, it stillcks something. ck Mine City''s Eastern part is controlled by the ck Whale Group''s forces; this is something everyone knows. However, many things are not so easy to handle, and the White Dove Newspaper''s capability is very limited. But, you said, you heard their ns? Do they have something more explosive?" Pel smiled helplessly and then her sharp intuition told her that a Third Rank Transcendent wouldn''t just have these boring pieces of news. The Flower Witch pursed her lips: "I have more explosive information, may I ask if I can exchange information for information?" The Flower Witch murmured to herself, desperately in need of information. But to exchange information from a high-status journalist, a corresponding price must be paid! Pel, known for her firmness, would be a tough bargainer! Pel readily agreed: "Information in exchange for information, of course." The Flower Witch hesitated for a long time before speaking: "ording to what I heard from the underlings of the ck Whale Group, the ck Whale Group is preparing for a major voyage to seek data on Sea Beast research and a Witch upation Card. Recently, they managed to obtain a Witch upation Card, and they are frantically searching for the Navy''s research base. Moreover, they are preparing to take down the Blood de Pirate Group''s power in ck Mine City..." "Witch upation Card, the Navy''s research base, taking down the Blood de Pirate Group..." Pel considered briefly : "A lot of information, the Navy''s research base, speaking of which, the recent activities of the ck Whale Group have indeed been around the Navy base, including the ck Pig Shark... this indeed is great information! Miss, I''m willing to pay a fee of fifty thousand Shell Coins for this information, along with another piece of information." Chapter 202 A Slime Her condition was very poor, seemingly having suffered some kind of permanent injury... Pelu responded earnestly: "Awakening Herb is extremely rare. Merchants from the Golden Flower Bird Kingdom or the Theocracy might be able to provide it, but such scarcemodities usually cost more than 200,000 Shell Coins. As for forbidden items rted to illusions, one would need to find the heads of major trade groups to stand a chance of obtaining them." "200,000 Shell Coins..." So expensive,pletely unaffordable... The Flower Witch clenched her small fist gently. She had just been tricked by a dishonest apothecary. What was critical was that, because she had argued with the asshole of a major swindler for a few sentences, she had attracted the attention of ck Glove. Under the influence of the ck Whale Group, many apothecaries in ck Mine City had banded together, and she now had no chance of entering any drugstore in ck Mine City. Her most lucrative source of ie had encountered a huge problem. If she were not the Flower Witch, she might have been able to use the domineering presence of a Third-order Transcendent to suppress them. But now, concealing her identity was of utmost importance. It was for this reason that she hade to the White Dove Newspaper, hoping to earn the money needed to make ends meet by selling information. That was how one problem ended... The Flower Witch nodded helplessly: "Mmm, thank you. I got it." And Pelu also took out Shell Coins from her backpack card and handed them to Levin and the Flower Witch. Pelu put two sheets of manuscript into her briefcase and finally whispered to the Flower Witch: "Miss, you seem to be a neer to ck Mine City. If you need help with anything, you cane to us at White Dove Newspaper. Although we''re not a big organization, we still have some strength." "Help..." The Flower Witch looked up and asked in a voice as intive as a wronged kitten: "Um, may I ask, does ck Mine City have Blood Origin Crystals?" A blood disease? Pelu blinked: "Blood Origin Crystals are Extraordinary Props of the Cup Phase and the de Phase, and they seem to be used in the practice of blood arts. You could try asking the Blood de Pirate Group in their territory. However, remember, do not mention the navy or the ck Whale Group when approaching the Blood de Pirate Group, and you must show enough strength, as the grudges of the Blood de Pirate Group are quite substantialtely." Such a quick response... Fen was slightly startled, then nodded her head. For various reasons, her body was extremely weak now, and she needed the Blood Origin Crystal for treatment. She suddenly realized that this reporter would answer her whenever she had questions. Was her mouth too soft? Finally, the Flower Witch asked again in a low voice: "Do you know the areas of activity of the ck Hunters?" Why ask this? Did she intend to hunt ck Hunters? Pelu clipped her camera to her waist: "I don''t know... But, miss, it is still best to stay safe. Even a Third-tier Transcendent must be careful at sea." "Mmm." The Flower Witch nodded gently. She couldn''t ask more, or it would easily raise suspicion. "Thanks a lot for the help of the newspaper." The Flower Witch smiled and nodded, then slowly pushed open the door of the newspaper office and walked out. The moment she stepped out of the newspaper office, a sad little ck flower quickly sprouted from the top of her head! "Sigh¡ª¡ª" The Flower Witch took out the crumpled Shell Coins and the brand new ones from her bag and put them together. She had sessfully obtained both information and money! And she had not been discovered! The White Dove Newspaper really was a good ce! "Time to eat!" Fen wiped the sweat from her forehead and quickly stepped onto the streets of ck Mine City, spending money on some jam bread and grape juice drinks. Then, she found a deserted open space and temporarily took off the hood on her head. The moment the hood was removed, an overwhelming feeling of exhaustion pressed heavily upon her. The flower on her head also wilted instantly. "So tired, the influence of ck Glove actually pervades ck Mine City..." The Flower Witch sighed deeply. Ever since ck Glove''s influence had be aware of her, her movements in ck Mine City had been hindered at every turn.N?v(el)B\\jnn If it weren''t for the free snacks from White Dove Newspaper, she wouldn''t even be able to have a good meal. Most crucially, her physical condition was too poor afterpleting the trials. Weak! Helpless! Constantly on the run! "Regardless, I can finally eat..." The sad flower on the Flower Witch''s head perked up as much as it could. After that, she found a deserted space, took out a dining cloth, and thenid out the biscuits, grape juice drinks, and jam bread. A simple pic spot. Fen pped her hands, although the pic was for one person only, it was still the most delicious meal she had in recent times. "Waku Waku!" At that moment, the voice of Water Elf No. 2 came from behind her. Water Elf No. 2 handed a bag of raisin cookies to the Flower Witch. While following Chen Qi, Water Elf No. 2 had learned exquisite massage techniques and got hold of a bag of super luxurious grape cookies by massaging the old grandma at the pastry shop! There was also a jar of chunky jam! At this moment, Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 was wearing a deep blue hat of a Spanish duelist, with a bright red rose in its mouth. Water Elf No. 2 hopped and skipped: "Waku Waku!" "Thank you! You did a fantastic job!" Excited, Fen embraced Water Elf No. 2 in her arms, rubbed her face against it, and hugged it tightly. A solo journey was just too cruel¡ªif not for the Deep Sea Water Elf, she could hardly imagine the rest of the journey. Moreover, after so many days together, Water Elf No. 2 had finally gone from being disgusted to willing to ept her! The Flower Witch sat cross-legged and pulled out two ss cups, then poured two sses of grape juice. "Come!" Fen offered a ss of grape juice to the Deep Sea Water Elf. "Waku Waku!" "I can''t understand you~" Fen smiled slightly and tied a small napkin around the Deep Sea Water Elf. Then, she took out two tes, put slices of jam bread on them, and topped each with a small wild daisy. Even in poverty, one must never lose elegance¡ªthis was the creed of the Flower Witch! Her mother had also told her that when she became elegant enough, she would qualify to be embraced by the family once again. As a Floral Appearance Transcendent, she also had to learn to enjoy life. Bang! Fen and Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 clinked their sses together. "Delicious!" Fen''s face was flushed as she ate a small piece of bread, showing a blissful expression. Soon, the bread and cookies were all gone, and the tes were clean. "What a waste..." After finishing her meal, the Flower Witch immediately fell into thought. She was so hungry that she had instantly finished so much food. She should''ve savored it slowly, taking more bites! Only then could she have enjoyed the burst of vor on her taste buds for longer! In terms of food, she couldn''t spend a vast amount of money. After all, she still needed to buy the 200,000 Shell Coin worth of Sober-up Herb. Fen looked down at Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 and asked: "Are you full, little one?" Mhm. Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 nodded its head. Unlike Chen Qi''s philosophy, the Flower Witch always felt that to nurture a summoned beast, not only sea water was needed but also a lot of nutrition. At the same time, it also had to taste good stuff! Therefore, she carefully prepared many nutritional potions, and fed them to Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2. With an abundance of healthy, green nutritional potions, Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 had turned somewhat emerald green. Simply put, more like a slime! "Are you really full? I can''t neglect you, or else your original owner might me me..." Seeing No. 2 nodding its head, Fen happily packed up the tablecloth. The break was over, and next, she had to deal with the herb matter! With Smiling Moon approaching, she had no extra time! The Flower Witch packed up the tablecloth and kitchen waste on the ground with care, then stood up and redonned her cloak. "Let''s go to the Blood de Pirate Group''s territory first. I remember, I ced amission there, and that''s quite a sum..." The Flower Witch nned to head to the Blood de Pirate Group''s Shell Commerce first. However, when she took a step with her left foot, Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 tugged at the hem of her trousers. "Waku Waku!" What happened? Is it trying to take me somewhere? Fen turned around, looking at the Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 with a puzzled yet gentle expression, and asked: "What''s wrong?" Chapter 203 Flower Witchs Quest for People (Two in One) "Waku Waku!" The deep-sea Water Elf said anxiously. Water Elf number two... The Flower Witch slowly turned her head, wearing a cloak. Spiritual Power Detection! Within the tiny crevice in the wall, she could vaguely see some figures clothed in pitch ck, with smooth, dark skin. Their dark spiritual power spread like shadows upon the wall, forming one hidden eye after another. Shadows of crime, bred by the dark gloves as a cheap surveince unit... The cheerful little yellow flower that had just sprung up on the Flower Witch''s head wilted in an instant. These shadow figures were the dark gloves'' specialists in dirty work. She was currently in the outer area of ck Mine City, very close to the port of ck Mine City, and this area was one of the few under the full jurisdiction of the navy. Underestimating the enemy, theck of spiritual power, and her own weakened state meant she hadn''t detected them at first. A total of eleven... Pretending to squat down, the Flower Witch gently touched Water Elf number two. At this point, fighting was not a clear choice, she needed to conserve her strength now. Moreover, the shadows under themand of the dark gloves totaled a hundred ¨C far beyond what she could handle at the moment. "Let''s go!" The Flower Witch stood up, cradling Water Elf number two in her arms, and then quickly walked towards the street. Yet despite this, those fellows, like shadows, continued to close in on her, always maintaining a safe distance. Annoying fellows, they wouldn''t attack, but they wouldn''t leave easily either... The Flower Witch was ready to head towards the naval base. This way, although there was the risk of being discovered by the navy, she could also force these twisted creatures to retreat. "Waku Waku!!" Water Elf number two pped in Fen''s embrace. "Not walk this way?" Fen looked puzzled, she could roughly understand what Water Elf number two meant. Did Water Elf number two seem eager to head towards the port? Could it be wanting to drink seawater? Fen vaguely remembered Chen Qi instructing her that the deep-sea Water Elf needed to take in seawater regrly. Or... Suddenly, a daring thought popped into the Flower Witch''s head! ording to the information she had just received, the ck Hunter had been spotted in the nearby sea area and, for various reasons, was seen defeating the ck Pig Shark? Could it be that Chen Qi''s small houseboat was at the port? And Water Elf number two''s destination was the port! She wondered how Chen Qi was doing now? He couldn''t have been in good shape after facing the ck Pig Shark. Could it be... A hopeful little yellow flower sprouted in Fen''s head as she used Hidden Technique and hurried towards the port of ck Mine City. As she walked out of the dirty streets, the remnants of the sunset cast their glow onto her face. The sunset''s glow spread across the sea, reflecting the darkness of ck Mine City in a golden light. "Should have shaken off those shadows by now; time to find someone." Fen stood at the edge of the port, her gaze sweeping over the busy and vibrant scene, a surge of excitement welling inside her. She pulled down her hood lower and strode forward, stealing nces at the small fishing boats. "Not this one, nor this one¡ª" Fen walked briskly, carefully revealing the colorful eyes beneath her cloak, trying her best to scan every little boat on the dock and each stall at the port. But her excitement quickly sank with the sunset. The lighthouse''s light glowed, and the night-shift navy returned to their respective posts. Not at all! Chen Qi''s small houseboat was nowhere to be found! There were no delicious roadside stands either! Her excitement wilted in an instant. It was, after all, ording to the information, that Chen Qi had encountered the ck Pig Shark in the morning; he was probably in some small clinic now, not at the port... Fen walked on, crossed her arms, and let out a long sigh. Even Chen Qi could hardly havee out unscathed facing the ck Pig Shark! He''s not here... The Flower Witch felt a slight pain in her heart and was about to turn back when suddenly, Water Elf number two in her arms abruptly raised its head. "???" Fen turned back, curious. Among several warships, a medium-sized vessel was quietly moored on the sea. Aloft that ship, a g was waving high! And on it was unmistakably the image of a Water Elf with a chef''s hat! Water Elf dining boat, such a distinctive vessel, was a rarity in Witch Sea. But, that ship was way too big! The Flower Witch vaguely remembered that when she and Chen Qi had said goodbye, Chen Qi had been on just a small houseboat. Could it be, for the sake of business, his boat had grownrger? "No way..."n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Fen tiptoed, her curiosity piqued, and quietly approached the distant Water Elf dining boat. ... ... Dusk fell, and all was silent but for a few distant fishing fires flickering with the stars. The sea breeze of this season was a bit cold¡ª Chen Qiy on the deck, his eyes closed, quietly enjoying this rare moment of silence. Practicing the meditation technique was much moreplicated than it was in the game. As a skill for strengthening mental toughness and increasing the origin of spiritual power, the practice of the meditation technique required significant mental expenditure. A high-order meditation technique, even with a Skill Card, would still need well over a month of practice. But luckily, Chen Qi''s high inspiration, along with the phonograph specially used for practicing the meditation technique, and the previous basic technique, had significantly cut down the practice time to within two weeks. [You have mastered the high-order meditation technique Candlelight; your spiritual power origin is enhanced, your inspiration +5, and your spell-casting speed increases by 10%.] The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 204 Oh no, Im Surrounded by Water Elves (Two in One) ``` Seen through...Fen froze on the spot for a moment. "Fen,e with me." This wasn''t a good ce for a chat...Chen Qi dusted off his hands covered in dust and led Fen to the dining room. "Fen, are you hungry?" Chen Qi asked, looking unusually thin as the Flower Witch. "I''m okay, I just had a meal..." Fen suddenly remembered the time he first met Chen Qi and they ate grass, saying so instinctively. Really not hungry?...Chen Qi showed a puzzled look. "Wakuvak! (Master! We''re hungry! Very hungry!)" The Second Deep Sea Sprite spoke for the stubborn Flower Witch. Lately, to save money and escape, the two hadn''t had much good food. Look, the flowers on the Flower Witch''s head have wilted, she''s be so hungry! The Flower Witch always had a habit of being stubborn about certain things. Chen Qi went to the kitchen, took out some fresh lemons, strawberries, and then butter, white sugar, and slowly mixed in eggs to create a delicate cake batter... Into the oven it went, then out it came. Last, he spread ayer of jam and cream, topping it with two decorative mint leaves. A simple fruit cake, no helping it, the Flower Witch was an irredeemable sweet tooth. "Wakuvak (Master! I want some too!)" The green Second Deep Sea Sprite said as such. "..." Chen Qi fell silent for a moment. This little guy who used to only need to drink seawater seems to have not only grown fat at the hands of the Flower Witch but also got his taste pampered by her. Of course, it''s not to exclude the possibility that the Flower Witch''s nutrient potions were too bitter. Chen Qi took some time to make a cup of strawberry juice for the Second Sprite. "Wakuvak! (Delicious!)" The Second Deep Sea Sprite drank the strawberry juice, the face turning red. Speaking of which, ording to the research of Teaching Nation, water sprites inherently have the function to preserve freshness and clean dirt. Second, oh Second, at this rate, you''ll soon be arge-sized nutrient jelly, and an overly sweet version at that...Chen Qi found a stool and he and Fen sat down at the window seat in the dining room. Chen Qi spoke first: "Fen, talk about it, although I may not be able to help, speaking it out might relieve some pressure." Chen Qi remembered, the Flower Witch''s affairs involved many powerful beings of the Witch Sea, even ancient ones. It could be said that there is nothing simple rted to her. Of course, it hadn''t reached that point yet since the Flower Witch herself was only a Third-order Transcendent. His current power made some simple tasks not a problem. Fen gently ate a small piece of cake, then softly began to speak:N?v(el)B\\jnn "I passed the trial left by the first Flower Witch and obtained the legendary Fourth Rank upation Card Flower Witch, but as a price, my body was prated by flowers, and my blood developed a huge problem... Also, my mind suffered great pollution, filled with many illusions. To cure this disease, the only way is the legendary Potion of Lucidity, Red Blood Origin Potion, but now, I can''t obtain these two potions, the ingredients for both are extremely hard to acquire." The Flower Witch ate the cake to ease the sadness in her heart. She had traveled all over ck Mine City, constantly on the move, even used her abilities to obtainrge amounts of medicinal herbs. However, she still hadn''t found the Blood Origin Crystal and Lucid Grass. The Flower Witch hung her head low, sick, plus the ck-gloved hands of the ck Whale Group put her, usually optimistic, even to the point of considering mming into a wall. The Flower Witch poured out these troubles. Lucid grass, Blood Origin Crystal...Chen Qi listened quietly. Getting a Blood Origin Crystal wasn''t difficult; in the Witch Sea, Blood de Pirate Group controlled the C-grade crack ''Blood Castle,'' where a lot of Blood Origin Crystals could be produced. Blood Origin Crystals could temporarily enhance one''s Cup Phase power, even create Third Rank ''Blood Demon'' upation Cards; for a Second-tier Transcendent aiming to be a Third-tier Transcendent, this was a very useful item. Now, the Blood de Pirate Group was considered their friends. But lucid grass, that was entirely up to luck...Chen Qi spoke softly: "Blood Origin Crystal is not a problem, just buy it from the Blood de Pirate Group, and moreover, it seems the Blood de Pirate Group has some business with you..." That bunch of pirates from a navy background? Fen replied: "I know, but they are well-known pirates, it might be for my bounty." Chen Qi immediately denied: "No, the Blood de Pirate Group''s matter with you might rte to the de Witch..." Little Red Riding Hood sought the Flower Witch to solve the de Witch''s issue. "Witch?" A puzzled little flower bloomed above the Flower Witch''s head. The definition of a witch in the Witch Sea was exceedingly strict, to put it simply, they had to be rted to the historical thirteen witches, thirteen witch upation cards. Also, these thirteen witch upation cards had very special properties; once a witch died, her witch card would return to the Land of Trial. The Flower Witch rubbed her forehead, her eyes shining: "Many witch upation cards have been lost, the Blood de Pirate Group actually obtaining one of the witch upation cards, that new leader, Lady Blood, is truly astonishing..." Lady Blood couldn''t possibly be the de Witch, Chen Qi rested his cheek in his hand and replied: "It shouldn''t be, but it looks like they don''t have any hostility, if we want a Blood Origin Crystal, we might as well go find them." Chen Qi said they could go...The Flower Witch stroked her chin. Indeed, although the ck Whale Group and she were archenemies, the Blood de Pirate Group, as an emerging group of pirates, was not necessarily out of reach. ``` Chapter 205 Speedrun Hunter Exam A new day. Chen Qi woke up early and changed into a more standard hunter outfit.N?v(el)B\\jnn A jacket, loose pants, non-slip ck boots, a long tool belt, and a ck hat. Adding a set of specially-made ckbat underwear, it was the mostmon hunter gear in the Witch Sea. Chen Qi left the bedroom and checked the condition of the Flower Witch. Fen was tired and was still cuddling Number Three, drooling as she slept... She slept so soundly... He decided not to wake her up. She still had to make potions when she woke up... Chen Qi smiled slightly, left a note about his departure, instructed the Deep Sea Water Elf to watch the house, and then left the ship to head to the Hunter Association in ck Mine City. The Hunter Association was not far from the dock, located in the bustlingmercial street. Chen Qi heard the roaring of steam on the street, the noise between hunter couples, andints about the uncleaned corpses causing congestion. The morning in ck Mine City was still so noisy... Chen Qi walked along themercial street and asked a hardworking newsboy for the papers: "Give me a copy of the White Dove Times, one of the Witch Times, and a weather forecast from the meteorological bureau..." Chen Qi took the newspapers and checked them one by one. The White Dove Times reported on the Blood de Pirate Group and its reappearance in the Witch Sea. "Shock! After robbing the Ghost Ship, the ck Hunter returned to the Crack Sea! What is his purpose? Is he meeting with the witch? Or is it arger conspiracy?" Why is this ce also into shocking headlines... Chen Qi nced over the newspaper. Chen Qi could vaguely hear discussions about this matter as he passed by, praising the Blood de Pirate Group. Although his reputation was very poor, defeating the ck Pig Shark was undoubtedly great news. And below the headline was a report on another maritime celebrity, the emerging Hai Ge, sessor to the Deep Sea Hunter rival, Blue Beast. Recently, Hai Ge, using his own strength, killed a third-tier navy officer and robbed the governor of ck Mine City''s goods! Extremely arrogant! Even though Hai Ge was only third-tier, this man always managed to dominate the front pages. Chen Qi vaguely remembered that the White Dove Times headlines had often been upied by this guy. This guy''sbat power was extremely absurd, absolutely one of the strongest third-order Transcendents in the Witch Sea. However, this guy had bad luck, as Hai Ge''s troubles had coincided with Chen Qi''s actions. Although Hai Ge''s strength was stronger,pared to the arrogant pirate Hai Ge, in the eyes of the press, the ck Hunter''s matters were still more newsworthy. In addition, there was the conflict between the Blood de Pirate Group and the ck Whale Group. Because of thepetition for crack resources, they had had several major shes in a row, and a bloody battle was imminent. Also, there was thetest report from the Bei Country Meteorological Bureau. ording to their investigation, this Crack Tide was different from the past and did not show any signs of weakening. This Crack Tide, ording to the meteorological bureau''s prediction, might coincide with the once-in-a-century Smiling Moon, potentially driving the entire sea into madness. It must be noted that under the Smiling Moon, the slightest breath of many monsters could kill thousands. In addition, the Witch Times reported about newly emerged powerful female pirates, gun master Lanni, and Red Braid, among others. The battle between the Blood de Pirate Group and the ck Whale Group, hopefully, the Blood de Pirate Group could hold on a bit longer since the strength of the two groups was onpletely different levels... Chen Qi kept the newspapers. "Here it is." Chen Qi stopped walking. In front of him stood a huge tall building. The ck Mine City branch of the Hunter Association adopted advanced steel frame structures, covered with exquisite copper tes. After being battered by rain and time, the entire building looked particrly dpidated, forming a stark contrast with the new buildings on themercial street. At the entrance of the Hunter Association was an enormous bulletin board for Bounty Orders. Apart from some fourth-order old monsters that were impossible to handle, the most prominent one was him... ck Hunter, Second-tier, bounty of twenty-eight million coins. The Navy was really willing to spend money. Why did they ce me in the center... Chen Qi inwardlyined helplessly. Now, the ck Whale Group also knew he was here. He had to stay as alert as possible in ck Mine City. The bounty order for the Flower Witch had actually risen to forty million Shell Coins. The Navy must have confirmed that the Flower Witch held historical secrets. In addition, there was the ck Gloves. As a cadre of the ck Whale Group involved in many misdeeds, his bounty was only twenty-five million. ck Gloves'' bounty is lower than mine... after checking the bounty orders, Chen Qi walked straight into the association''s front lobby. "I am here to apply for a second-tier Hunter''s Certificate." The receptionist was a huge, hairy third-tier middle-aged man, equipped with a freshly forged "bear" from the workshop. He was one of the managers of the ck Mine City branch, Tie Xiong. Tie Xiong nced at Chen Qi and, seeing no luxurious equipment on him, casually pushed a piece of paper to Chen Qi: "Fill out your nature form and profession, your skills and experience. Kid, times are different now. The issuance of the second-tier Hunter''s Certificate is stricter than you think!" "I know." Chen Qi took the paper from him. Being a hunter was a very prosperous profession in Shell Country. Unlike ordinary Transcendents, hunters are explorers of cracks, thus requiring highbat and exploration skills. Chapter 206 The Task of the Grey Hunter "Your strength has passed the test;e with me, and I''ll take you to the meeting room of our ck Mine City Hunter Division." Tie Xiong straightened his cor, gave up on showing off his muscles, and continued forward along the gravel path of the open-air training ground. The final assessment... Chen Qi wiped the sweat from his face and looked up at the sky.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om The day was zing hot, and before he knew it, it was already noon. Toplete the Hunter Association''s professional assessment within a day was indeed difficult. Chen Qi followed Tie Xiong''s footsteps up the spiral staircase to the Association''s towering headquarters. An antique iron door appeared before them. And just at that moment, a grey mouse scurried past his toes. The Boss is here! Tie Xiong instantly broke out into a cold sweat, stopped in his tracks, and then advised: "Neer, let me remind you that the Hunters are not as you imagine them to be, and our boss is not someone you should mess with." Then, Tie Xiong ced his hand on the door and slowly pushed it open: "Today happens to be the time when we update our assignments. Go inside and find our divisional Association President, Grey Mouse; he will assign you a task." Tie Xiong kindly reminded: "Lastly, take my advice: it''s best to keep a respectful fear of our boss''s words and learn to refuse properly. There are some things you can''t handle." In the Hunter Association, more daunting than being insulted and abused by high-ranking members, is taking on tasks that are beyond one''s own scale. Grey Mouse... Chen Qi vaguely remembered this person, as he walked into the Hunter Association''s conference area through the heavy iron door. The Hunter Association is an organization that upholds freedom, with exceptionally simple internal rules: ept a task, thenplete it. Those whoplete many tasks obtain more information and be the leaders of the Hunter Association organization. Chen Qi looked around. This was a meeting hall with a round table, and sitting around it were prestigious Third-order Transcendents. Third-tier Transcendents, before the Crack Tide, were all powerful leaders. However, at the moment, there were only three people at the round table, with most attendees being standing Second-order Transcendents. Three Third-tier Transcendents, and over thirty Second-tier Transcendents. And at the main seat of the round table sat a Hunter draped in a grey coat, wearing old Hunter garb underneath, while his right hand toyed with a pitiful little grey mouse. His face wasn''t very old, around thirty, but his hair was already graying, and the skin that showed was horribly withered, like dry bark. He was the division president of the ck Mine City Hunter Association, a Third-tier de Phase professional, Bounty Hunter. High-order de Phase profession... Chen Qi remembered this person. The individual was a well-known figure in ck Mine City and a very rare Bounty Hunter in the Witch Sea. This was a special profession that couldplete bounty tasks to earn special currency and exchange for Transcendent items and attributes with greedy otherworldly merchants. As a Third-tier profession, he already had ess to the special entity "Greed," and as a de Phase profession, he possessed formidable singlebat capabilities. And Grey Mouse was a veteran Bounty Hunter, known in the underworld as the Grey Hunter! Shell Country held vast knowledge of shell and Hammer Phases, and a de Phase often signified the power of directbat, and without a doubt, Grey Mouse was among the best. Even with Residual Fire Touch, he would not be a match for the man, perhaps not even able tost thirty seconds... Chen Qi remembered that this division president was only a step away from bing a Fourth Rank Legend. Besides, Grey Mouse had a vastwork of connections behind him; he had tight links to the underworld, as well as deep connections with a Fourth Rank legendary Cardmaker. He held extremely special Skill Cards and arge number of general-purpose Skill Cards in his hands. And these Skill Cards could only be obtained bypleting significant tasks in ck Mine City. In addition, Grey Mouse was also the pioneer of the underworld route, enabling one to enter the underground maps of the new-day world "the Gutter" through him. A pivotal figure in ck Mine City. Why would such a person appear in the conference room at this time? Normally, the boss of the Association wouldn''t preside over a mere Hunter meeting. Why? Could it be that Grey Mouse had some significant task? Chen Qi couldn''t help but specte. As Chen Qi stepped into the meeting hall, Grey Mouse adjusted his hat and asked: "Neer?" "Yes, I''ve justpleted the first two assessments, and I''m here for thest one." "Oh?" Grey Mouse''s eyes shifted slightly, and he folded his hands into a fist: "Neer, you should know that a new era has descended; with the arrival of the Crack Tide, we Hunters no longer need boring fringe elements. We need adventurers, the fearless who dare toplete any task. This means Hunters holding new Second-tier Hunter licenses must possess strength beyond the average Second-tier Transcendent!" What a hassle... Chen Qi felt an ominous sensation: "I am quite confident in my own abilities. Even if it''s a de Phase from the ck Blood Empire, I believe I can defeat them." Chen Qi twirled the collector in his hand. Normally, the host of this meeting should have been an ordinary Third-tier Transcendent. But he never expected that Grey Mouse would be the one presiding over this meeting, and even engaging him in direct conversation. Chapter 207 Im Here to Do a Task Smack! Smack! Smack! The Grey Mouse suddenly pped his hands: "Good! As a Hunter, one should dare to undertake tasks that challenge and exceed one''s own limits. Timid acquiescence will only lead to being engulfed by the great waves!" All eyes involuntarily fell on the two bounty papers before Chen Qi. This kid, not only is he taking on missions, but he''s epted the two with the highest danger coefficients! A neer actually dared to take on the tasks of the ck Glove and the ck Hunter, simply too audacious. The ck Hunter is currently shrouded in mystery, having just recently defeated the ck Pig Shark, and with his strength, killing this neer before him would be a piece of cake. Although the ck Glove is a masochist, his masochistic tendencies are only towards those stronger than him. As the executor of ck Glove''s dirty deeds, he could make Chen Qi die like an insect on the side of the street. The Grey Mouse propped his leg on the round table, his gaze scorching: "Neer! Although you''ve done well, the missions from our Hunter Association are not like outsidemissions. If you fail toplete a mission, you must ept the corresponding punishment. If you fail, for these two tasks, you will have to pay apensation of one hundred thousand Shell Coins each." This was the first time since the onset of the Crack Tide that a neer had dared to ept his mission. Remember, even the well-equipped Levin had waited a full five days before daring to ept the mission he posted. Chen Qi noticed that the Grey Mouse, with support, was looking at him with a heated gaze, as if he were a long-coveted lover in a dream. "I know." Chen Qi nced over the two papers. To kill the Shadow of the criminal ck Glove, even if there were nomission from the Hunter Association, he would actively seek out this mission. However, his current strength was not enough to face the ck Glove alone. But, if the intelligence was correct and the target was located within the territory of the Blood de Pirate Group, the difficulty of the mission would decrease significantly. As for the mission concerning the ck Hunter, it was a great test... of his acting skills. The Boxer, unable to help himself, spoke up: "Do you really understand? Things are not as simple as you think. Our Hunter Association values freedom, which means that the moment you epted that mission, you could already be in their sights... I advise you to give up this decision, to not let yourself suffer for nothing, to not let the hard-earned money..." ...the Boxer advised, seeing the neer as utterly reckless in his eyes. This person is quite nice... Chen Qi hadn''t paid much attention to this Transcendent before, he thought for a moment and said: "Thank you, I''ll be careful." "Anyone else?" The Grey Mouse looked around expectantly. The neer has epted? Should these veterans show some indication? This guy isn''t just using the Hunter Association''s mission failure rules to extort money... The Boxerined to himself before raising his right hand. Following Chen Qi''s lead, a total of ten people epted the mission. Should they fail, it would cost the Hunter Association a total of one million inpensation. After everyone finished discussing, the Grey Mouse handed a more detailed mission brief, crumpled into a note, to Chen Qi: Read new chapters at empire "Neer, here is the detailed information about these two missions, keep it to yourself, okay? As a neer, you just need toplete half the mission to pass the evaluation, like finding the general direction of the ck Hunter or injuring a Shadow of the ck Glove... Well, in summary, you don''t need toplete the entire mission, rest assured, even if you fail, I will not ask forpensation." The Grey Mouse leaned forward slowly, his tone serious: "But remember, we in the Hunter Association are just a bunch of people who care about money, with no kinship, no brotherhood, and no love. If you ever find yourself in dire straits, we won''t even help collect your body. We''re just a ce for postingmissions andpleting them." A ce for postingmissions... Chen Qi was momentarily struck by this thought. Shifting the responsibility of the oue onto themissioner and the one epting themission was one of the fundamental reasons for the Hunter Association''s continued existence. The Hunter Association is not an ''organization'' per se, but more akin to a temporarily established discussion group. In thepany, if a mission fails, there will be cruel punishment, but there will also be support and protection. In the Hunter Association, however, all consequences must be borne by oneself. This also meant that once targeted by the ck Glove, Chen Qi could only rely on himself. The glint of determination in Grey Mouse''s eyes flickered; he didn''t want the neer to harbor too many emotions and expectations towards the Hunter Association. "I know, that''s exactly why I came to this ce..." Chen Qi gave a slight smile, epted the two mission papers, pushed open the door, and left. ... ... ck Mine City, the brewery, afternoon. Chen Qi changed into amon set of Hunter''s clothes and looked towards the brewery''s gate. In the Witch Sea, alcohol was an incredibly developed industry, and the Blood de Pirate Group owned many breweries. Among them, the Flower Wine popr across the Witch Sea was a product of the Blood de Pirate Group. At the moment, in front of the brewery''s gate, there were at least thirty armed guards. Chen Qi sat outside the brewery on a chair, holding a photograph, contemting his next n. ording to the information provided by the Hunter Association, the ck Glove had dispatched five subordinates who had sessfully infiltrated the brewery''s interior. Generally speaking, the simplest method would be to wait nearby the brewery and then look for a way to assassinate them. This method is too slow... Chen Qi pulled out the ''de'' Fenrir had given him. A token of the Blood de Pirate Group, this token alone was enough tomand the people of the Blood de Pirate Group. Directly using this token tomand the ''Blood de Pirate Group''¡ªwould that be a better choice? If that''s the case... Chen Qi fell into thought.N?v(el)B\\jnn By doing so, it was somewhat likely that his identity and his connection with the ck Hunters would be exposed. But there were no better options, just try to bluff it through... Chen Qi changed into another set of Hunter''s clothes, covered his face, and walked towards the brewery''s gate. The moment he approached the brewery, the muzzles of three firearms were pointed at him. "Hey! Dammit! Kid! Who allowed you to dress like that and approach this ce?" "Do you even know whose turf this is!" The guard captain at the door cursed fiercely and fired a shot into the sky. "I am Levin! I''m here to..." Chen Qi flipped his hand and pulled out a bright red dagger from underneath his clothes. "Levin! Blood de... executive..." The guard muttered, immediately had someone back off, and bowed in salute. The chief officers of the Blood de Pirate Group were all Third Rank experts! Not someone their rank-and-file guardsearning a few tens of thousands of Shell Coins a month could afford to provoke! "Is this dagger really this effective?" Chen Qi struggled to control his expression. He seemed to understand why this prop was one of the must-have items for the Blood de Pirate Group. Levin? I wonder under which esteemed officer of our Blood de Pirate Group you serve, Little Red Riding Hood, Fenrir, or perhaps the old general... the guard captain squeezed out a smile: "Sir, what brings you to our humble brewery? Are you here for a bottle of fresh Flower Wine?" Chen Qi thought for a moment and replied with a smile: "I''m here on a mission." Chapter 208 Welcome Back! ``` Task? What task? The guard captain looked puzzled. Chen Qi surveyed his surroundings and noticed that the guards were all keeping their distance from him. They will listen to my orders, right... Chen Qi spoke in amanding tone: "Give me a map of the distillery, and don''t move from here. I''ll be back." "Okay, okay..." The guard captain was full of doubt yet managed to suppress his curiosity. If his sry had been higher, he might have mustered the courage to interrogate this mysterious officer! But now, he didn''t even have the authority to question. It''s that easy... Chen Qi took the map with both hands, pulled out the ck de wrapped in entwining bandages, and headed towards the distillery''s warehouse. Currently in the warehouse, more than a dozenborers were strenuously moving barrels of liquor. ording to the information provided by the client, the person with the ck gloves should be one of theseborers. Seeing the de at Chen Qi''s waist, an oldborer''s face filled with difficulty as he stepped back: "Sir, sir, didn''t you say you would never use us for experiments..." Recently, many factories in ck Mine City had been gued by numerous disappearances of miners, causing widespread panic. "Everyone, rest assured, I am only here to find some shadows." Looking at the many busyborers, Chen Qi couldn''t help but frown. Dove''s Sensing! As he activated his sensing ability, the spiritual power fields around the people began to emerge slowly, but to his surprise, most of them had an exceedingly thinyer of spiritual power field. Is the information incorrect? Or is my sensing weak? Can''t identify them... Chen Qi gripped the ck de tightly in his hand. Could the subordinates of ck Gloves, aside from the criminal shadows that followed, be capable of concealing their own spiritual power fields? Although he had higher inspiration, his sensing skills were rtively ordinary. I need to change my approach... Chen Qi''s leather glove gripped the ck de tightly as he walked into the crowd. People under ck Gloves should all have shadow affinity... Since he had an affinity for shadows, he might be able to detect something. And, as he approached aborer who was nearly two meters tall, he faintly sensed a trace of shadow affinity. "Found one." Chen Qi casually remarked, turning his head. And in that instant, the sound of breaking bones began to pull and stretch. "Damn it! Where did youe from?" The shadow of theborer beside him began to distort as if pulled by an invisible force, gradually lifting off the ground and turning into a mass of pitch-ck, flowing shadow, then like twisted liquid, it formed into a peculiar suit of ck fur armor! A monster covered in ck fur swung a fist the size of a pot at him! Burst. Upwards sh! Chen Qi drew his ck de in one swift motion and shed upwards, bisecting the shadow creature at the waist. Apanied by ck blood spilling onto the ground... Chen Qi silently struck another blow behind him, defeating another shadow monster. Immediately afterward, shadows started to appear on three other people as well. As they ran, they shouted loudly: "ck Gloves won''t let you off, ck Whale won''t..." sh! Chen Qi didn''t give them time to speak. He quickly advanced and cut down the three monsters created by ck Gloves. With each raise and fall of his de, blood sprayed, and these shadow monsters became corpses on the ground. So weak... Chen Qi couldn''t help but feel disappointed. He had thought they were weak, but he hadn''t expected them to be even weaker than he had imagined. Not a single one could withstand a single blow. The otherborers looked towards Chen Qi, their faces filled with terror. "Don''t move, take a break, and rest assured, I won''t hurt you..." Taskplete! Chen Qi crouched down to examine the corpses. Although he hadpleted his task, he faintly sensed something amiss. These people were weak, too weak, unusually so¡ª Their bodies'' strength was even inferior to that of a First Order book-affinity Transcendent. Most of their bodies were frail, and usually, the stronger the spiritual power field, the stronger the power. Moreover, the pitch-ck shadows on their bodies seemed to be shapeable... A Second-tier shadow-affinity Transcendent''s shadow disguise technique? Chen Qi couldn''t help but think. This Transcendent Skill could change one''s height and appearance, considered a fairly practical ability. However, these people clearly didn''t have the spiritual power field or strength of Second-tier. And the price of their power was their weak spiritual power field. These people, they could conceal their spiritual power while changing their appearance? A special Transcendent, dedicated to hiding spiritual power and identity. In terms of rarity, they might surpassmonbat Transcendents. After all, few would pay attention to a person with a weak spiritual power field. Such Transcendents were exceedingly rare. Even among ck Gloves'' subordinates, there definitely wouldn''t be more than ten. And here, there were no less than five such Transcendents! Quite the expenditure... Chen Qi turned to thebor foreman nearby: "When did these few peoplee? And what were they doing?" Thebor foreman hesitated to answer: "About three months ago, I think. They were mainly responsible for transporting goods, very diligent. They have wives to support at home and are honest folk. We really don''t know anything..." ``` The foreman of the porters seemed to shrink in on himself, terrified that Chen Qi would cut him down. Three months ago? Chen Qi stroked his chin and asked, "What kind of wine were they transporting?" "Flower wine¡­ the wine that''s reserved for distinguished guests¡­" Chen Qi suddenly felt a chill. Before, on Fenrir''s ship, Fenrir had offered him plenty of wine. I haven''t been poisoned, have I? In the Witch Sea, there are some extremely special poisons. "Let me see the wine they were transporting." "Okay, okay, this is what they just brought in." The porter handed a barrel filled with flower wine to Chen Qi.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Qi took a bottle of wine out of the barrel and then carefully examined it. Inside the bottle, there were some tiny ck hair-like pieces floating around, but as time passed, these ck pieces were dissolving continuously and slowly disappearing into the wine. From the outside, there appeared to be nothing wrong! They disappeared so quickly¡­ Chen Qi was startled. "This wine? Is it for the ships?" Chen Qi confirmed once again. "Yes, yes¡­" The porter stuttered. These poisons must be the creation of some special crack. The people from the ck Whale Group had actually infiltrated the winery and poisoned it. And they had been doing it for a full three months! This task he was on seemed to have snagged a big fish! Chen Qi stood up and rubbed his hands together. Typically, poisons of this invisible kind wouldn''t be too potent. And with Pharmacist Flower Witch at Chen Qi''s back, even if he were to be afflicted with a potent poison, it wouldn''t be a big problem. As long as he still had a breath left, Flower Witch could save him! But for the Blood de Pirate Group, this was a fatal blow. Chen Qi took two bottles of the wine, nning to go back and request Flower Witch''s help: "I understand now." Then, after confirming there was no other business, he instructed the winery staff to deal with the matter and to disguise it. This was more important than he had imagined. Discover stories at empire To prevent any major figures from getting involved¡­ Chen Qi left the winery as quickly as possible. After Chen Qi departed, the plump security chief was incredulous. At this time, when the Blood de Pirate Group was without a leader, someone actually came to their winery and uncovered the ck Whale Group''s scheme. In terms of efficiency, it was nothing like their Blood de Pirate Group! The guard looked at the many barrels of flower wine in the warehouse. Consider that these were destined for the officers'' ships! If it weren''t for that person, this wine was meant to be sent to the frontline! If the frontline had drunk this wine! The consequences would be unimaginable! "Who is this Levin under exactly!" The security chief couldn''t help but marvel, immediately walked to the security room, and activated the radiomunication device. "Hello, is this Lord Fenrir? I have an urgent matter to report." The security chief was very anxious. Unexpectedly, the voice on the other end was very soft. "No, I am Lady Blood." "Lady Blood?" Lady Blood! The security chief was jolted with surprise; the wife of the current leader of the Blood de Pirate Group was actually together with Lord Fenrir. ... ... At dusk, the docks of ck Mine City were draped in a tender golden glow, as if gently caressed by time, appearing exceptionally tranquil and serene. "Phew¡­ taskpleted¡­ so tired¡­" Chen Qi stretched his weary body, heading towards his cabin ship. He hadpleted the mission too quickly; it would be best to wait another day for things to ferment before seeking out Grey Rat for the mission reward. On the ship, the cloaked Flower Witch sniffed the air, then lowered her head to look into the distance. It''s Chen Qi''s scent! "Wee back, Qi!" Flower Witch immediately leaped from the ship, waving and smiling at Chen Qi. "Mm." Chen Qi walked forward. But the moment he approached Flower Witch, Chen Qi noticed her cloak begin to wriggle frantically. "??" A faint smile appeared on the Flower Witch''s lips. Something isn''t quite right¡­ Chen Qi paused in his steps. Something was very off, incredibly, it was off by a factor of eleven! The undtion of Flower Witch''s cloak, wasn''t it a bit too violent? And he faintly heard the screams of the Water Elves¡­ Chapter 209 Flower Witchs Spectacular Culinary Skills Flower Witch tried to maintain her usual expression: "Qi, you''re back!" "Yes, Fen, do you have some good news?" Why did Flower Witch seem so happy... Chen Qi breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that nothing significant had happened on Flower Witch''s end. "Hehe~" Fen led Chen Qi onto the houseboat, then asked, "Qi, you should know about my future legendary title, right?" Experience tales at empire The future title, Fen''s dream was to fulfill the legacy of the Ice Witch, and then be the new Legend... Chen Qi recalled for a moment: "Um¡­ Vegetable Witch?" You really do remember! Fen couldn''t help but curl up the corners of her mouth and continued, "You should know that this title is not only elegant, but also has many meanings." Is this title really elegant? I feel it''s not as good as Land God Witch... Chen Qi couldn''t help but retort. Fen wiped her nose: "Actually, my cooking skills are quite proficient!" Chen Qi sniffed, there seemed to be a scent of vegetables on the boat. Now, it was dusk, just in time for dinner! Flower Witch had prepared the dishes in advance. Flower Witch can cook too... Chen Qi had to marvel that Fen,ing from nobility, truly differed in many ways from most nobles. Unless it is nobles in relevant professions, it is rare for nobles to cook for themselves. Now, his Spiritual Power Points were still plentiful, and he had also done some tasks that morning. Perfect, dinner could be enjoyed with Flower Witch''s cuisine! Excited, Chen Qi followed Flower Witch into the dining room. At that moment, aside from him and Fen, there were seven pitiful, helpless deep-sea Water Elves at the table. However, instead of the deep-sea Water Elves, Chen Qi''s eyes were immediately drawn to the green glow on the table. Elf mushroom soup, hair-like seaweed soup, green slime jelly, vegetable sd, dew fruit juice... All were transcendent delicacies! Chen Qi swallowed hard. This was his first time seeing such a green-hued dinner in the New Sun World. Flower Witch took off her cape, revealing her face. At this moment, her facial wounds had healed, and her face was once again covered with vibrant flowers. Flower Witch said proudly: "Hehe, the skills I''ve learned are exquisite culinary arts!" "That''s a lot though." Chen Qi looked at therge spread of dishes. Even with his increased appetite, it would be difficult to digest such a vast amount of food all at once. "???" Fen touched her nose: "The rest is for the Water Elves." Water Elves? Chen Qi was slightly startled and looked at the Water Elves on the table. He saw a big bowl filled with arge amount of green liquid, the entire soup resembling an evil potion mixed by a witch in the depths of a forest. Deep-sea Water Elf number two calmly drank a cup of the green soup and said to the other Water Elves: "Wakuvaku (Too weak! To be stronger, you must be brave like me!)" Deep-sea Water Elf number two bravely took another sip. If number two likes it, that''s good... Fen proudly said: "These are the dishes taught by my teacher and nanny! Unlike ordinary dishes, they are extremely rich in nutrients! And, they can rapidly develop pets when consumed!" Deep-sea Water Elf number one looked at the green dish, its face showing terror: "Wakuvaku (Master! Can this really be consumed?)" Chen Qi slowly looked down. There, number three had already copsed on the ground, unable to rise again! And from its mouth oozed the green liquid. Number four advanced, tasted a sip, and instantly hopped around before falling to the ground. Two deep-sea Water Elves had fallen already! "..." Are you sure you''re not making some dark creature cuisine? Chen Qi took a deep breath, then looked again at the deep-sea Water Elves and the eagerly expecting Flower Witch. "You have a taste..." The little yellow flowers on Flower Witch''s head moved about, she was very eager for Chen Qi''s appraisal. It seems I have no way to back out... The rice was awful, but out of politeness, he felt he had no choice but to eat it... Chen Qi sat down, picked up a small bowl, and scooped up a bowl of a mysterious green oily liquid with a spoon. Everything had to be tried... As a Light Seer, he should maintain his curiosity.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om Chen Qi abruptly grabbed the bowl and gulped down the mysterious liquid. "Hiss..." The green oily liquid exploded on his taste buds and then swept through his body! Heart-strengthening bitter gourd, blood-improving kelp, strength-boosting spinach, eyesight-enhancing beta-carotene, and waist-strengthening Transcendent chives... This tiny soup contained at least ten types of highly nutritious Transcendent vegetables. [You have consumed the Vegetable Fortifying Soup, constitution +1, strength +1, and a slight increase in disease resistance for a short time.] It could even add attributes... Chen Qi muttered softly. Lately, his attributes had hit a bottleneck. So that''s it, the Flower Witch''s cooking skills were indeed formidable. This method of juicing all the vegetables and then mixing them together while ensuring the effects blended without conflict! Chen Qi looked at the Flower Witch''s small hands still holding some vegetable leaves. Fen must have spent quite some time on this dish. But! It tasted horrible! Super horrible! Chen Qi suppressed his feeling of nausea and consumed the bowl of liquid in one go. It''s all tonics! Fen asked: "How is it?" Chen Qi suppressed the urge to vomit: "It''s good, besides being unptable, it has no other ws!" "Ah... Is it that bad!" A sad little blue flower immediately sprouted from the top of the Flower Witch''s head. She had a rich experience of eating grass and taking potions, hence already losing her ability to judge many dishes. "It''s very bitter..." Chen Qi couldn''t describe his feelings at the moment and nced at Water Elf Number Two. Water Elf Number Two, fearless, drank the green fortifying soup as if it were just water. "Number Two..." Chen Qi couldn''t believe it. Before, Number Two was just a meek Water Elf. But now, Water Elf Number Two seemed to have adapted to it all: "Waku Waku (Master! For strength! I am willing to endure everything, wow!)". "Waku Waku (To return to master''s embrace! I must be stronger!)". For tremendous strength, eating a disgusting meal was nothing! Water Elf Number Two was resolute. Hiss... Chen Qi was surprised; he never thought that one day he would be dragged into this by his own pet creature. The Flower Witch tasted it again and whispered very softly: "Sorry, sorry, I''ve been eating these since I was young, so I thought..." The Flower Witch took out a freshly baked flower cake and handed it to Chen Qi. Due to various reasons, Fen had been taking medicine for a blood disease since she was young, and with her extensive experience in eating grass, she had much higher tolerance for this type of food than most people. This also led to her misjudgment of the taste of food. Cake... Chen Qi curiously took a bite of the cake. After tasting the slightly bitter yet lingering "green soup", his mouth seemed to still retain the freshness bestowed by nature. But the sweetness of the cake, like the warm sunshine in spring, instantly dispelled all the previous bitterness and cold! Super delicious flower cake... Chen Qi even felt that, even a cake enhanced with Soul Seasoning couldn''tpare to the one before him. The Flower Witch really could cook... Though only desserts. "Delicious!!" Chen Qi praised sincerely. Hehe... The Flower Witch took a small sip of the green soup and smiled proudly. Immediately after, she took out a bottle of potion from her backpack card that looked as dreamy as the stars. "Qi, the potion made with the Illusion Dream Butterfly as the main ingredient is ready!" "??" So fast... Chen Qi slowly savored another bite of the elf mushroom, surprised as he looked at the potion in Fen''s hand. Chapter 210 Illusion Dream Potion! Drink! The Illusion Dream Potion from the Dream Beast, so quickly, worthy of the Flower Witch... Chen Qi took the potion from Fen''s hand. [Illusion Dream Potion: Nature Form: Floral Description: A transcendent potion born from the hands of a witch, containing part of the power of a disaster beast. This power is perfectly neutralized by other medicinal materials, resulting in a dreamlike color. Usage Conditions: Constitution 20, inspiration 40, and a minor amount of mental resistance (if mental resistance is insufficient, there''s a high probability of having nightmares and encountering nightmarish assaults). Effect: Gain minor floral appearance understanding, minor illusion resistance, inspiration increased by 10 points, minor enhancement of spiritual power origin, minor increase in spiritual power control, increased illusion skill talent, and temporarily increased likelihood of dreaming sting about twenty days). Note: Fen added many rare transcendent medicinal materials while making this potion! After consumption, it also provides a special constitution boost!] Chen Qi looked at the dense list of benefits. Undoubtedly, this was an extremely powerful potion. Most importantly, it was the understanding of floral appearance skills, which meant a significant increase in the range of skill choices for him. Additionally, spiritual power origin and spiritual power control were two very rare enhancements. Spiritual power origin couldprehensively increase the power of his qi. Spiritual power control, simply put, was a further application of spiritual power, usually requiring third-tier strength to qualify for learning. Unexpectedly, he could directly gain minor spiritual power control through the potion. Although it was just a minor increase, it meant he could now directly master high-tier, intricate skills like qi power transformation. "Thank you very much!" Chen Qi did not hesitate and drank the Illusion Dream Potion in one gulp. The icy liquid slid down his throat, instantly transforming into a warm current that quickly spread throughout his body. It felt as though every inch of his skin and every bone had undergone the cleansing of dewdrops. Oh? Drinking it directly? The Flower Witch was surprised, as she had not yet exined the safety instructions for consumption. "Phew..." Chen Qi took a deep breath, feeling the power in his blood and the scenes in his mind. Beneath the sea of spiritual power representing his strength, a colorful little flower gradually appeared. [You have consumed the Illusion Dream Potion, gained the corresponding benefits, and additionally gained 3 points of strength, and an increase in recovery ability and energy (temporary,sting about a day).] "How is it? Are you okay?" Fen asked concernedly, as any potion could potentially have side effects, and blindly consuming materials from a disaster beast could even lead to distortion. "It feels pretty good! My constitution now is enough to withstand this potion." Chen Qi smiled slightly, looked around, and then ate a small piece of elf mushroom. Even though it tasted awful, it was a good thing that could enhance attributes! Even Water Elf No. 2 could eat it! Chen Qi did not hesitate any longer and began to enjoy the Flower Witch''s cooking. "Wakuwa Wakuwa (Master is eating...)" Seeing Chen Qi and No. 2''s actions, Deep Sea Water Elf No. 1 decided to bravely try the Flower Witch''s dishes. Relying on a strong will, Deep Sea Water Elf No. 1 sessfully withstood these medicinal materials. Chen Qi patted No. 1''s little head: "Fen, you don''t need to make nutritious food for other water elves, but you can try giving No. 2 more food. I can feel that No. 2 has be very strong." Chen Qi realized that the Flower Witch was currently not wealthy. Most of her medicinal materials came from the ck Land and the Journey to the Crack. However, with the support of numerous potions, Deep Sea Water Elf No. 2 had really grown stronger and even harbored a faint power of further evolution! Most crucially, No. 2 could actually continuously consume so many days of nutritious supplements. Water elves were weak but were immenselypatible pet beasts, possessing infinite evolutionary potential. "I understand..."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The Flower Witch whispered, suddenly realizing she had been wasting medicinal materials. "By the way, Fen, I have something to show you. Could you please help me identify it?" Chen Qi took out the flower wine he had obtained from the brewery from his backpack card and handed it to Fen. Wine, and it''s high concentration... Fen blushed and said: "I''m not very good at drinking wine; I get drunk easily...." No, Flower Witch, you misunderstood; this isn''t for you to drink... Chen Qi briefly exined the origin of the wine to the Flower Witch. The ck Gloves had specially dispatched a transcendent who could hide the spirit power field just to poison this wine. However, Chen Qi only had a rough guess about the specific effects of these poisons. Proper identification had to be left to the professionals. Despite being a pharmacist, Fen was inherently also a small poison maker. Hmm, the Flower Witch had the potential to be a deadly poison master... Chen Qi thought as he looked at the nutritious meal before him. I see, it''s poisoned... Fen took out a small white flower from her backpack card and then inserted it into the wine bottle. The next moment, the white flower turned bright red. Unexpectedly, the flower did not wither but instead grew tiny thorns, even starting to move toward Fen''s fingers. Fen frowned instantly: "Invisible poison of the cup, blood poison, Qi, have you heard of Blood Mage?" Blood Mage? Chen Qi pondered. Corpse Shepherds and Necromancers were popr professions, rted to the void and shadow phases. Due to the special nature of these forms, not many people chose this path. But Blood Mage, as a cup phase profession, could control blood at the third rank, enabling them to manipte bodies. Due to their own spirit power field, Blood Mages usually couldn''t directly control others'' blood. However, if they could feed the opponent specific items in advance, Blood Mages could break this limitation and achieve victories against stronger opponents. Historically, there were cases where powerful de Phase Legends fell to Blood Mages. This was an extremely powerful, disgusting, and bloody profession... "Fen, are you saying that this poison is specially crafted for Blood Mages?" Fen nodded: "Yes, and this poison was made by a top-level pharmacist, whose level might surpass mine, no, in poison making, he is far above me!" Explore stories on empire Above you! Chen Qi was stunned. A poison maker superior to the Flower Witch, if from the ck Whale Group, was likely either hidden elders in the Mist Sea or forbidden creatures imprisoned in the seabed jail. Such a grand gesture! Chen Qi thought silently. The ck Whale Group had made many preparations to kill the Blood de Pirate Group. Fen continued: "If this poison were slightly enhanced andbined with a Blood Mage, even a powerful third-tier transcendent could explode instantly, bing a weapon in the Blood Mage''s hands." A weapon of the Blood Mage, which means that the ck Whale Group nned to dispatch a Blood Mage... Chen Qi looked at the flower wine before him. If this wine reached the hands of the Blood de Pirate Group''s officers, it would be a colossal disaster. Had he unknowingly helped the Blood de Pirate Group solve a major problem... Chen Qi thought to himself. In that case, when he met with the Blood de Pirate Groupter, he could use it as leverage. Chen Qi took another bite of the flower cake. After tomorrow, once he received Hui Shu''s reward, he and the Flower Witch could set off to meet the Blood de Pirate Group. Chapter 211 Hound Step However, this journey was fraught with danger... Chen Qi vaguely remembered that once the Flower Witch boarded the ship, the Blood de Pirate Group would embark on a perilous voyage. Chen Qi stared at Fen''s face: "By the way, Fen, how''s your injury?" Fen moved the flower from her right eye, revealing it. Close to that bloodshot eye, there were still some red scars and traces of blood that hadn''t been cleaned up. The Flower Witch herself suffered from Blood Flower Disease, andbined with the blood disease from the trial, her entire body was extremely fragile. Fen replied softly: "Thanks to the potions made by the Illusion Dream Butterfly, my spirits are temporarily stable, but I still have nightmares asionally. However, the blood disease remains a huge issue." We need to get Blood Origin Crystals as soon as possible... Chen Qi pondered. By tomorrow noon, the information about the assassination of the Shadow of Crime should reach the Hunter Association. After collecting the task, it would be almost time to head to the base of the Blood de Pirate Group. Chen Qi said: "Fen, we will head to the Blood de Pirate Group tomorrow night." Tomorrow? Isn''t that too soon? No, these matters must be dealt with before the arrival of the Smiling Moon... Fen nodded seriously: "Rest assured, Qi! I''ve be stronger! With me here, if the Blood de Pirate Group dares toe at us, I''ll show them the power of release!" Fen waved her little fist in the air. After undergoing the trial, she had gained maturebat experience! Fen was confident that as long as they didn''t encounter legends or sea beasts, she was invincible at the Third Rank! And Water Elf No.2 condensed two small water fists and waved them in the air. The Blood de Pirate Group shouldn''t be a worry, but this trip still seemed fraught with danger... Chen Qi ate a piece of cake. In the conflict between the Blood de Pirate Group and the ck Whale Group, even someone as strong as the Flower Witch couldn''t guarantee her safety in the battle. ... ... The next noon, on themercial street of ck Mine City. A sudden storm swept through ck Mine City, and arge number of papers fluttered over themercial street. "One copy of today''s newspaper, please." Chen Qi, as usual, bought a newspaper at the newspaper stand on his way to the Hunter Association. The top headline was about the Blood de Pirate Group attacking the ck Whale Group. Last night, the Blood de Pirate Groupunched a surprise attack, severely damaging the ck Whale Group''s ind. "A retaliatory action because of what happened yesterday?" Stay updated through empire Chen Qi shook his head, and the next second, as he arrived in front of the Hunter Association headquarters, he felt a gaze upon him. Three well-equipped hunters, like fierce beasts, were fixing their beastly stares on Chen Qi. The three hunters were discussing among themselves. "Is this guy a newbie too? Could he be the assassin?" "Is it him? You must be joking,pleting that mission and daring toe back?" "That was an A-rank mission reward, enough to drive everyone crazy. Besides, even if ck Gloves are brazen, they wouldn''t show up in front of the Hui Shu leader." "That guy! He dared to break into the base of the Blood de Pirate Group alone? Truly bold!" They were discussing yesterday''s events... Chen Qi frowned, looking down. Underfoot was a fresh bounty order. #ck Gloves: Anyone who captures the hunter who assassinated our members will be rewarded a million shell coins and a C-rank Skill Card of any nature form by the ck Whale Group!# The task issued by ck Gloves... Chen Qi carefully inspected the task. In the simple text, he could feel the hysterical anger of ck Gloves. The reaction of ck Gloves was quick, he issued a bounty so swiftly... Chen Qi thought it wasn''t a good sign. The actions in ck Mine City were even more dangerous than he had imagined.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Chen Qi looked toward the hunters. One of the hunters muttered: "Newbie? Do you have any leads on this guy?" Chen Qi smiled: "No, and I don''t want to get involved in this either. Besides, it seems pretty dangerous." The Hunter Association advocated for freedom, and thus it was essentially a mixed bag of characters. Although officially, the Hunter Association did not allow the issuing or taking of pirate group tasks, in reality, many hunters still helped pirate groups if the reward was sufficient. Even the leader Hui Shu would asionally turn a blind eye and take on pirate group tasks. The hunter grinned: "Is that so? The reward is quite substantial, after all. Capturing one person is simpler than clearing a crack!" So reckless... Chen Qi said: "Not necessarily, you might die even faster. Even if you capture him, are you sure the Blood de Pirate Group will let you go?" "..." The group swallowed nervously; the Blood de Pirate Group''s influence in ck Mine City was significant. These rag-tag hunters posed no real threat to him, but hopefully, ck Gloves'' task wouldn''t attract powerful bounty hunters... Chen Qi ignored them and walked inside the Hunter Association building. Chen Qi climbed up the spiral staircase to the top floor, The task he took was directly under Hui Shu and ultimately required him to go to Hui Shu''s office to collect the reward. Due to Hui Shu''s personal habits, this didn''t need any notification. "Hui Shu, I''m here toplete the task." Chen Qi walked down the corridor, knocked on the door, pushed open the heavy oak door carved with a gold de, and entered the room inside. Hui Shu''s office was quiterge, with a spacious, solid wood desk in the center. Scattered on it were several thick history books, some documents, and a detailed map of ck Mine City''s waters, marked with various colored annotations, showing the leader''s familiarity and control of ck Mine City. Chapter 212 Setting Sail! Breaking Through the Encirclement!! The chameleon''s Shell Mall, a rundown meeting room. "Big brother! The captain you rmended to mest time... He was really fierce! Can I call on him again?" Levin handed the only chair in the meeting room to Chen Qi. Call him again? You''re really brave... Chen Qi mocked in his mind, and coldly replied: "No." Is that so... Levin sighed to himself. As an adventurer, he loved that kind of excitement. "Big brother! Was it you who killed the Shadow of Crime from the ck Gloves?" As Chen Qi''s middleman, Levin said this while handing over the letter from the Blood de Pirate Group. "What do you think?" Chen Qi took the letter from Levin''s hand, slowly opened it, his attention immediately captured by its contents. #ck Hunter and Miss Witch, a huge storm is about to start. We earnestly request that youe to Red Maple Forest Ind within three days. On the way, please watch out for the ships of the ck Whale Group and the natural disaster of de Storms. Signature: Fenrir# Red Maple Ind, in that ce... Chen Qi vaguely remembered, it wasn''t anywhere safe. Chen Qi pulled out the map of the Ice Demon Pirate Group from his backpack card. The location of Red Maple Ind had arge number of cracks. With Red Maple Ind at the center, there are multiple rare, stable resource cracks around it. The lifewood, quicksilver metal, Blood Origin Crystals and so on that are produced from these cracks are extremely important resources. It can be said that Red Maple Ind is a pretty decent resource spot. And at this ce, Red Maple City has also been established. Though it''s nowhere near the scale of ck Mine City, within the Crack Sea, it''s considered quite a wealthy ce. Currently, within the Crack Sea, many conflicts between the Blood de Pirate Group and the ck Whale Group ur near Red Maple Ind. However... Chen Qi''s index finger rested on Red Maple Ind, and he gently moved it outward. Near Red Maple Ind, aside from the cracks, if one continues towards the direction of the Mist Sea, then the destination will be the extremely dangerous Lost Land. At that ce, even the sea charts made by the Ice Demon Pirate Group are mostly nk, and currently, information about this Lost Land is exceedingly scarce. A dangerous sailing route indeed... Chen Qi muttered inwardly.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Lack of information also means that this region is extremely perilous even just to enter. Moreover, with his and the Flower Witch''s identities, once they enter this sea region, they''ll inevitably be encircled by enemies. "Big brother! Any other orders for me?" Levin asked eagerly. Ever since meeting ck Hunter, Levin felt like he was on a high, and no matter what, this was the only major figure he knew from the Witch Sea! "Orders?" Chen Qi looked at Levin with curiosity. Levin''s eyes were sparkling: "As long as it''s not about random killing, I can do it! I can do it even if the pay is low! No, I can do it even without pay!" Why has this guy suddenly got himself all wound up... Chen Qi asked speechlessly: "Aren''t you afraid?" His reputation at sea was terrible, but Levin was extremely excited. Levin nodded: "Afraid... But honestly, the fact that I''m still alive proves that I still have value. As long as I''m alive, rest assured, I can keep a tight lip." But I don''t really have any tasks to give you... Chen Qi rubbed his head, and before he knew it, he''d gained a little follower. Levin was from the Bonfire Energy Company, but asking him to go to the Bonfire Energy Company for some invincible Bonfire weapons was not realistic. Chen Qi thought for a moment: "You can help me collect some intelligence or interesting stuff. If the information you provide is good, I will pay you." "Alright!" Levin nodded seriously. "Then goodbye, Levin. Oh, and be careful of the ck Gloves... um, you might be wanted." Wanted, what does that mean... Levin looked puzzled. It''s about time to set off... Chen Qi put away the sea chart and the letter, stood up, and headed for the docks of ck Mine City. ... ... The noon light poured over the sea, tinting the horizon with a gentle orange hue. The sea breeze softly touched skin, carrying with its salty tinge and the call of the unknown distances. What a perfect day for setting sail! "Set sail! Set sail! Set sail!" Fen repeated excitedly, waving her magic wand around as she walked eagerly on the deck. In the past, she had only been on little boats. This was her first time sailing on Chen Qi''s big ship! The Flower Witch, with her cloak on, like an adventurer full of hope, stood with her right foot on the bow, then raised her magic wand and excitedly curled her lips: "I''m going to be the Witch of the Pirate King! The Witch of the Pirate King!" The Flower Witch was too excited... Chen Qi felt the sea wind and allowed himself to be swept up in her excitement. Readtest stories on empire "Be careful, Fen! The ce we''re going to is a battlefield, this ship may be fast but it doesn''t have the ability to resist cannon fire or natural disasters!" This mission, no matter how prepared he was, could still end tragically in disaster. This was the rogue wave of this ocean! Red Maple Ind was in a time of war, extremely dangerous. Fen patted her chest and said vigorously: "Chen Qi! Don''t worry, as long as I''m alive, no one can hurt you! No one!" "Chen Qi, hurry up and sail the ship. I can''t wait to enjoy the fierce storm!" "?V¨¢monos! ?V¨¢monos! (That''s right! That''s right! Master, the Witch will protect you!)" The deep-sea Water Elf Number Two, wearing its Spanish cowboy hat and brandishing a fresh flower, jumped to the top of the Flower Witch''s head, looking like a swordsman yearning for adventure. Chapter 213 Only You Can Accomplish This Task In the fog, the captain of the ck Whale Group clenched his fists. "Damn it! The Lady of Blood is actually here, do they not care about their base anymore? Originally, we could have offered perfect gifts to the Whale Father and Big Mom!"n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "What do we do, Captain! Aren''t we going after the Hunter who attacked ck Pig Shark? ording to the investigation, he still has our ''Meat Cutting Bone Breaking'' on him! That should belong to our ck Whale..." "Shut up! This isn''t the time! Didn''t you see the Blood de Pirate Group''s Sharp de Ship? Let''s go." "Don''t worry, as long as they dare set foot on the sea, sooner orter, the Hunter and the Witch will be prisoners in our hands!" The sailors of the ck Whale Group in the fog mored, but their ship, like a dog that had lost its home, paid no heed to the screams of the crew from the other two ships in the sea and left without looking back. The Fourth Rank Legend''s slice from the Lady of Blood... Find exclusive stories on empire Chen Qi and the Flower Witch were in disarray in the wind together. de-like gusts of wind ravaged the sea! Just a snap of the fingers had produced such fierce twin shes! After the Descent of the Crack Tide, Third-order Transcendents became more numerous and powerful, but even so, Fourth Rank Legends remained as rare as a phoenix''s feather or a unicorn''s horn. In the gaming forum, reaching the Fourth Rank was also the pinnacle among yers. The frail Third-order Transcendents, in front of the seasoned Legends, were just like weeds, and only for the fleeting moment when activating their release technique did the Third Rank have the brief power to contend with a Fourth Rank Legend. But it was just for a fleeting instant... Chen Qi felt the roar of the fierce wind in his ears. The Lady of Blood was not the first Legend he had met. Before her, the Ice Witch Pirate Group''s capricious Captain Palu and Big Mom Car were also Fourth Rank Legends. But this was the first time he witnessed a Legend in action. The sonority of that power, the vibration felt in the heart, was simply terrifying. The Lady of Blood''s fragile and mncholic image grew even taller in his and Fen''s eyes. There was no need to speed up anymore... Chen Qi walked out of the captain''s quarters and looked towards Fen on the deck. Fen looked at the Lady of Blood on the bow and patted her generous chest: "Qi! Don''t be afraid! I''m here!" A Legend is like a huge being above the heads of ants. The fear of a Fourth Rank de Phase Legend is etched into one''s instincts. For a Second-order Transcendent like Chen Qi, it was impossible to withstand the Legend''s awe. I''m not that scared... Chen Qi patted Fen''s back and said softly: "Don''t worry, we''ll be fine, we are here to negotiate terms." Atop the bow, the Lady of Blood''s somber face rarely showed a trace of a smile: "Wee to Red Maple Ind, Mr. Hunter, and Miss Witch! Please follow us!" The one receiving us turned out to be the current leader of the Blood de Pirate Group... Chen Qi and Fen felt somewhat ttered. Chen Qi steered the Ghost Ship, following the lead ship of the Blood de Pirate Group, passing through the thick fog, and finally arriving at the docks of Red Maple Ind. Red Maple Ind, the Sharp de Ship, in the brightly lit hall. In front of Chen Qi was a ck table,den with various foods, mostly heavy-on-oil roasted pigs andmbs. In the corner of the hall, several high-ranking members of the Blood de Pirate Group stood, talking amongst themselves. "So that is the sessor of the Ice Witch¡ªthe Flower Witch?" "Those flowers on her head are really scary!" "The other one is?" "The ck Hunter, I''ve heard the ck Whale Group already knows his details." "He seems to be only Second-tier. Can I fight him?" "Shut up! The others are our benefactors! Do you think you can win?" They know my details... Chen Qi frowned. In front of these high-ranking Blood de Pirate Group members, the sense of mystery he carried seemed to have vanished. Meanwhile, Fen to his right took the opportunity to lean towards him when he wasn''t paying attention. Arriving at the hall first was the Wild Wolf Fenrir, who poured two sses of wine: "My apologies to the both of you. In recent days, the ck Whale Group has drawn on manpower and sent out new teams, so we didn''t have an actual way to contact. Also, because of the ''brewery'' incident, we could only provide such simple ways of contact!" In the days since theyst met, the robust arms of Wild Wolf Fenrir had gained a few more obvious scars. He then lifted his ss and said: "To you both, thank you for your help! If it wasn''t for you, the Blood de Pirate Group would have suffered major losses!" "..." Fen looked at the wine and couldn''t help but frown. Fenrirughed heartily: "Don''t worry, Miss Witch! Thanks to Mr. ck Hunter''s men, we''ve disposed of all the wine that was tainted with the cup''s poison!" "You''ve both been waiting. " At that moment, the Lady of Blood entered the hall, lifted her skirt, and sat down. Chen Qi looked towards the leader of the Blood de Pirate Group, who had long been missing her husband. The Lady of Blood was over one meter seventy tall, dressed in a deep red robe. Her bright red hair was very long, reaching nearly to her waist. However, from such a close contact, Chen Qi did not feel the aura of power that a Fourth-order Transcendent should exhibit from her. Contrarily, there was mncholy, loneliness, sadness, and self-deprecation. The Lady of Blood''s hair was somewhat disheveled, with a few freckles and traces of tears at the corners of her eyes. Well, to put it simply, like a poor, beautiful widow who has lost her husband... Chen Qi spoke up: "Hello, Lady of Blood." Struggling to lift the corners of her sad mouth, the Lady of Blood replied: "Hello, Mr. Hunter, and Miss Witch, I am honored to meet you both." Chapter 214 Sniping In the living room, the crowd around the side began taking out sunflower seeds. "Fenrir, close the door," Madame Blood gently raised her hand, signaling. Fenrir stood up, ushered the other high-ranking members out of the living room in one breath, and firmly closed the door: "Alright, everyone, it''s time for you to go out," Fenrir rudely drove the others away. The Flower Witch, Fen, sped her hands and preemptively said: "Madame Blood, could you be more specific about what this is all about? You''re not joking with us two, are you?" For a moment, the Flower Witch couldn''t imagine what task required both her and Chen Qi! It couldn''t possibly be that matter, could it? Madame Blood couldn''t be that perverse! Impossible! Impossible! The little flowers on Fen''s head swayed erratically, blushing slightly as she let her thoughts run wild. Madame Blood took out a sea chart, her finger gentlynding on Red Maple Ind, then sliding upwards. Her finger passed through a foggy area, through the Forbidden Land teeming with sea beasts, and finally arrived at a pitch-ck sea territorypletely unmarked. Experience more content on empire "Ladies, this area is uncharted in any sea map of Moonstone City. This is where the navy''s core research facility used to be, where flesh imnts were crafted, a yground for all manner of monsters. This ce witnessed the birth of numerous powerful flesh imnts. Tracing back in history, the Deep Sea Hunter''s Residual Fire Touch, Meat Cutting Bone Breaking, Resonance Staff, all originated from this workshop. However, after the disaster twenty years ago, the ce turned into ruins, long-sealed ruins.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The copse of the crack, the leakage of an extensive amount of research material, resulted in any living being here ultimately undergoing mutations. Originally, the crack situated here also deteriorated, leaving behind a region only popted by various formidable monsters, ck Pig Shark, Corvus, ck Ship Sea Dragon, and the ck Light Dragon..." Radiation, mutations... No wonder the Ice Magic Pirate Group had no information on this area... Chen Qi stroked his chin. In simple terms, it''s a horrifying monster ind replica sitting atop a sea ind. But how does this bear any inevitable connection to him and the Flower Witch? Do we two look like we can resist radiation? Is it because the Flower Witch and I are both sickly? Chen Qi asked: "Madame Blood, what''s the connection to us? Even with the dangers, the Blood de Pirate Group''s ship strength should make venturing into this lost nk areapletely unproblematic." Madame Blood''s finger pressed heavily on this dark territory: "With the Crack Tide''s Descent, this lost area has begun to revive, whether it''s the ck Whale Group, the navy, or even ourselves, we''ve all entered this region, initiating exploration." "Mr. Hunter, the ck Pig Shark you encountered in ck Mine City was once a monster that lived in this region, and it was through new technologies that the ck Whale Group has sessfully tamed them. Additionally, ording to our intelligence, many destroyed documents remained within the cracks of this ce, and relying on this data, the ck Whale Group has now upied the cracks, making this ce their turf." Research documents... Chen Qi touched his chin: "I think I understand, but what else? Besides this, what about the Lost Land?" Even if this research facility held immense value, it had nothing to do with Chen Qi and the Flower Witch. And the next second, Madame Blood suddenly paused: "Within this region, there isn''t only a variety of monsters. Indeed, there''s an unprecedented ce as well, that is, the Witch Trial Land, the de Witch Trial Land!" "!!!" Upon hearing the words "Trial Land," Fen''s expression became somewhat uncontrolled, as she involuntarily clenched her fists. The Witch Trial Land meant that there must be a Fourth Rank Witch upation Card hidden in the Lost Land, and possibly an artifact of a Witch! This is very important to me! Fen couldn''t help but m her hand on the table: "That is, can you exin a bit further?" Madame Blood shook her head: "This area was discovered by my husband. Once, he and his brother, Fenrir, sailed on a small ship and reached the very depths of the Lost Land, discovering this special crack, and even entering the Trial Land..." At this point, Madame Blood''s tone involuntarily became a bit choked up: "However, after that time, he went missing within that crack and has since left no trace. We hid this for a long time, but ultimately, it was discovered." Madame Blood sighed: "Based on the intelligence Fenrir has collected, to survive in the de Witch''s Trial Land, only a Fourth Rank Legend or a Witch could manage... But even my strong, valiant husband got trapped there, so I believe that perhaps only the mythical Miss Witch could venture deep into that ce." Trial Land... Fen couldn''t help but sprout an excited little yellow flower and a disappointed little blue flower atop her head. So it was the Blood Emperor of the Blood de Pirate Group who had fallen in the de Witch''s Trial Land! "Indeed, I am aware of detailed information about various Trial Lands." Fen said excitedly: "So, Madame Blood, you want me to go to the Witch Trial Land to look for your husband." "Yes, even a corpse would do, not, even pieces of a corpse, even detritus..." Madame Blood''s face turned ashen, her lips curling into a bitter smile: "If he were alive, knowing his character, he would have reached my side no matter what." Chapter 215 Join Us, Black Hunter! This is a warning... Reflected in Chen Qi''s eyes was a bright red bullet. Bang! Before he could react, the next moment, from afar, the piercing roar sounded. With the shrill sound tearing through the sky, a pungent smell of gunpowder instantly filled the air, and thousands of magic bullets poured down like torrential rain, nting towards them. "Damn it!" Fenrir couldn''t help but clench his teeth, straining to shout: "Defend! Activate the highest level of shields!" The surface of the ship was instantly covered with a dense hail of bullets, metallic shes with steel resounded incessantly, deafening, sparks flying in all directions as if mes of anger leapt upon the hull, turning the surrounding seawater a zing red. Following that, under Fenrir''smand, the surface of the ship emanated scorching heat, and a tough translucent shield slowly appeared, blocking almost all the attacks. Phew¡ª Chen Qi let out a long breath of relief. Luckily, their ship was one of the Blood de Pirate Group''s sturdiest, the General, with the ability to deploy a special barrier that could withstand most long-range attacks. However, despite this, the massive warship was still forced to retreat by the relentless rain of fire. "Counterattack! Counterattack!" Fenrir, the wild wolf, bellowed, ordering all the crew on board to enterbat mode while signaling the other nearby ships around Red Maple Ind to form an encircling stance. Such dense rain of gunfire could only be the work of a gun master... Chen Qi subconsciously thought. It was Carol from the ck Whale Group, currently the onlyrge captain known to be in the Crack Sea. A gun master possessed extremely powerful long-range attacks, ordinary bullets in their hands could exert more than ten times their power, and their shots could reduce a steam iron ship to burning ash within seconds. Chen Qi decisively said: "It''s Carol''s ship, and her corps of gunners..." "Carol..." The moment that name was heard, the scene briefly fell silent for a second, and the Blood Lady began to speak with resignation: Find your next read at empire "Don''t worry, everyone, our veteran Gail should be on his way back now. If Carol directly engages us in battle, the ultimate oue is bound to be our victory..." As she spoke, a look of sorrow crossed the Blood Lady''s face: "However, if a battle does break out, we might not be able to ensure your safety..." Carol, a Transcendent known for her firepower, had the ability to set the whole Red Maple Ind aze with her might. The end result for any ship that engaged her in battle was usually being reduced to ashes. No one could assure that they wouldn''t be gravely injured by Carol''s absolute firepower. Chen Qi touched his forehead, sensing a chill. Is this the treatment one gets from being on the Witch Sea''s protagonist Fen''s ship, to instantly catch the attention of the Gunfire Queen the moment one boards? He and Fen were starting to establish their strength, but they had practically no ability to resist in the face of steel giants and Fourth Rank Legends. Faced with the current situation, everyone was at a loss for what to do. And the very next second, Fenrir suddenly noticed, through a window, that bubbles were emerging incessantly from near the surface of the sea. There are people underwater! Before the crew coulde to their senses, in an instant, a massive sea beast slowly surfaced, and on top of the sea beast''s head stood a man drenched in red. A presence from the Cup Phase... Chen Qi thought to himself. Fenrir reached for his great sword: "Mdy, what should we do?" The Blood Lady paused for a few seconds: "That should be the other side''s envoy, let''s hear what they have to say..." Bang! An envoy? Chen Qi showed a hint of confusion. In the moment the Blood Lady finished speaking, the sea beast and the person on it fully emerged from the water. The man had short red hair, looked about thirty years old, wore a pair of sses, and held a Corruption Wand in his hand. Contrary to his attire, his delicate and square face, coupled with the circr gold-rimmed sses, gave him an air of a sophisticated banker. This attire was that of a flesh mage, wait, beneath their feet... Chen Qi''s pupils dted with astonishment. Right under their feet was an immense sea beast. It was azure in appearance, overall resembling a huge turtle, only with a much longer neck and a shell more like a mshell, and a head shaped like a seahorse. A mshell dragon, a highly rare sea beast... Chen Qi remembered, it was quite a famous creature in the Witch Sea. Not just Chen Qi, at this moment, everyone on the ship - Fen, the Blood Lady, the wild wolf - was captivated by this special sea beast.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The reason lied in the sea beast''s size and appearance; it stood over fifteen meters tall, and on its body were special ck patterns, adding a terrifying domineering look to the mshell dragon''s otherwise dull eyes. Despite its dull appearance, mshell dragons were definitely not easy to tame, and in terms of strength, they were no less formidable than the ck Ship Sea Dragons of the nearby seas! Fenrir couldn''t help but clench his fists: "A flesh mage, is this fellow, an abnormal creature from the Navy Research Base?" The flesh mage shook the water from his head, facing the immense main ship of the Blood de Pirate Group with no hint of deference in his eyes, calmly adjusting his round, ornate sses: "Yes, a masterpiece from the Navy Research, controlling fierce beasts isn''t an impossibility. The monsters we''ve got from the Navy Research Base go far beyond just the ck Pig Shark~" Following that, the flesh mage crouched on top of the mshell dragon''s head: The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!