Translator: CinderTL
Could it be that something has happened to the Nine True Gods?
An inexplicable intuition flashed through Chen Feng's mind, offering the most plausible explanation for the current situation.
The weakening of the Sea Eye Seal likely stemmed from some calamity befalling its source of power—the True Gods themselves.
This would explain how the Nether Sea's influence had breached the seal, allowing it to exert greater interference on this world and unleash Angelic Power.
It might even explain how the Nether Sea had sensed his and Gata's departure through the seal, dispatching the black-robed figures to intercept them.
With this thought, he turned to the Church Saint.
Observing the hidden anxiety on the Saint's face, Chen Feng's suspicions solidified.
The Nine True Gods had long fallen into slumber. After such an extended period, no one could guarantee that no problems had arisen.
This wasn't mere speculation, but rather a conclusion drawn from his broadened perspective after experiencing numerous trials and tribulations.
The Nine True Gods are asleep?
At that moment, the Star Spirit's voice echoed in Chen Feng's mind.
He had informed her of the general situation before entering the Secret Realm.
And now...
It seems the individual power in this world is quite flourishing.
Using Magnetic Field fluctuations to scan the surroundings, the Star Spirit, hidden within Chen Feng's consciousness, observed the Mermen Tribe and the Church Saint.
The extraordinary aura emanating from the seal stirred the magnetic field, rivaling that of a cyborg of equal rank from Earth.
As her gaze swept across the five-colored light screen sealing the Sea Eye, her expression sharpened, a rare hint of surprise and doubt flickering across her small face.
"A divine aura!" she exclaimed, her voice ringing with shock. Had she not been wary of revealing herself prematurely, she would have already projected her consciousness to investigate the Sea Eye Seal.
Chen Feng's expression tightened, taken aback by the Star Spirit's words.
"A divine aura?"
"Yes, I'm certain this five-colored light screen is connected to a Sacred Being."
Nodding emphatically like a pecking chick, the Star Spirit added a crucial detail: "Or, more precisely, it was left by an entity comparable to a Sacred Being."
"Beyond legendary, on par with any King of Angels."
"Though only a faint trace of power remains, it's undeniably authentic."
As her words faded, a wave of understanding washed over Chen Feng.
He finally grasped the true level of the Nine True Gods.
The Kings of Angels, also known as Demigods.
No wonder, despite sharing the title of "god," the Nine True Gods had to unite against the Evil God, paying a heavy price and falling into slumber.
"So, the Evil God surpasses even the divine?"
"Most divine beings, yes."
The Star Spirit answered the question with a vague reply.
Chen Feng pondered her words, then watched as she emitted magnetic field fluctuations to examine the five-colored light screen in detail.
"Something's strange," she said, shaking her head. "The divine aura here is steadily weakening, losing its power moment by moment."
Chen Feng's gaze sharpened, but he wasn't surprised. This aligned perfectly with his own perceptions.
Though the changes were subtle and difficult to detect in real-time, when viewed as a whole, it was like a leaky bucket—easily noticeable with careful observation.
Buzz!
Just then, the Church Saint beside him stirred, a storm of Thunder Light flashing in his eyes.
Sensing an anomaly—a distant spiritual pulse surging toward them—Chen Feng turned to look at him.
"This...!"
The Church Saint's pupils went blank, as if struck by lightning, his face draining of color.
"What is it?" Chen Feng asked, but the Saint could only open his mouth, his eyes filled with confusion and terror, unable to articulate an answer.
Frowning slightly, Chen Feng glanced around.
Most of Delia's group stood silently in place, waiting, while a few others were nearby, tending to the wounded Murloc Warriors.
"Everyone, get back to your duties," Chen Feng instructed.
With a wave of his hand, Chen Feng signaled them to leave.
Though puzzled and sensing something amiss, Lei Long and the others didn't press the matter.
After nodding, the Fifth-Tier Elders departed one by one, either to assist in treating the wounded or to reinforce the surrounding patrols and blockade.
Seeing this, Chen Feng turned his attention back to the Church Saint.
"It's a message from the Storm Church, isn't it?" he said in a low voice, having already guessed the source of the earlier spiritual disturbance.
The Church Saint opened his mouth, his expression conflicted, and struggled for several breaths.
Finally, facing Chen Feng's intensely probing gaze, the Church Saint forced a bitter smile, his face etched with worry and despair.
"The Church... the Church is in trouble."
Splash!
Waves surged, turning the shallow sea crimson.
Looking closer, the surface was littered with shredded flesh and corpses—both human and marine life.
Only splintered planks remained of the shattered warships, while cannons and other armaments had long sunk into the depths.
Witnessing this scene from a distant, desolate island, the black-robed, masked man's eyes deepened, a crimson hue gradually spreading to engulf his pupils.
"Master, the Nethersea Seal here has been broken."
Swish!
A figure materialized behind him, cloaked in black, and spoke respectfully.
The black-robed, masked figure nodded calmly, letting his arm fall to his side. Red leather gloves encased his entire hand.
"Rocky Mountain City in the Steel Kingdom and Black River Valley in the Tulip Kingdom are progressing according to plan. Only the three seals in the Holy Star Empire remain troublesome."
"Furthermore..."
The cloaked figure hesitated before delivering the latest news.
"Riftsea Canyon, north of Merman Bay, seems to be encountering some difficulties as well."
Hearing this, the red-gloved figure narrowed his eyes.
Sensing the chilling aura emanating from him, the cloaked subordinate quickly asked if more personnel should be dispatched.
"Unnecessary," the red-gloved figure replied, shaking his head.
Suppressing his murderous intent, he gazed across the desolate island at the distant mainland.
There, the flames of war continued to burn, the conflict between the Two Great Kingdoms relentlessly spreading and now threatening to engulf the entire Bountiful Continent.
"The True God Church is already losing its source of power."
"Our immediate priority must be to seize the Bountiful Continent as soon as possible and consolidate our forces."
Crimson light completely enveloped his eyes as the red-gloved figure waved his hand.
The cloaked man said nothing more, cupping his hands in a bow and nodding before his figure flickered and vanished from the spot.
In a daze, Chen Feng glanced in the direction he had left.
The crimson blood in the sea was thick and viscous, lingering for an unusually long time.
Strands of black mist continuously rose to the surface, leaving dense clusters of bubbling foam in their wake.
"The Storm Church's headquarters was attacked, and one of their angels was severely wounded."
"The Storm God's responses have become increasingly infrequent."
Inside the black palace in Riftsea Canyon, Chen Feng's eyes grew grave as he listened to the Church Saint's report.
The True God Churches were the most powerful forces in this world, rivaling even the greatest kingdoms.
For their headquarters to be attacked and severely damaged seemed deeply suspicious.
"This feels unnatural."
"Perhaps Evil God Angels are behind this chaos," the Star Spirit suggested in Chen Feng's mind, offering several analyses.
All her conclusions aligned closely with Chen Feng's earlier suspicions.
"Perhaps we should start making preparations sooner rather than later."
The thought flashed through Chen Feng's mind, and he suppressed any further speculation.
Regardless of the True Gods' situation, the immediate priority remained strengthening his own power.
Without further delay, he began to act.
He decisively summoned the Holy Shield Colossus and commanded it to split off new members of its kind.
Buzz!
In an instant, the solitary black palace radiated platinum light as six hazy Light Orbs descended from the Holy Shield Colossus.
Within mere breaths, six white-gray Small Stone Statues materialized before Chen Feng, their stone wings fluttering as they affectionately nuzzled his palm.
"Third-Tier."
Chen Feng's eyes flashed as he assessed the Small Stone Statues' capabilities.
Following the Holy Shield Colossus's latest transformation, these newly split statues had also grown stronger, each now possessing at least Third-Tier combat power.
Moreover, the number of statues that could be split off in a short period had significantly increased.
"Go."
With a mental command, Chen Feng issued his orders.
The six Small Stone Statues, ever loyal and obedient, swiftly dispersed in different directions, diving out of the ocean and soaring toward the Bountiful Continent's coastline.
The Holy Shield Colossus followed suit.
Their gazes met, and Chen Feng nodded.
His combat power rivaled theirs, and even if they encountered an Evil God Angel, he had little cause for concern.
This venture into the Dead Crow Secret Realm was solely to maximize their strength. Splitting up was the most efficient approach.
Buzz!
In an instant, the Holy Shield Colossus shed its hesitation, transforming into a streak of platinum light and surging out of the ocean.
The black palace fell into a brief silence as the Star Spirit began searching for other world arks or remnants of Ancient Taiduo's creations.
"It seems there are indeed some relics," she said, her voice tinged with excitement. "The more advanced the communication and positioning methods, the harder they are to activate. I just activated the simplest traditional backup system, and several signals briefly responded."
The Star Spirit projected a series of light screens before Chen Feng, displaying rough outlines of oceans and continents, with several blue dots flashing and disappearing.
She had accompanied Chen Feng to other worlds to find more remnants of civilizations, hoping to supplement her fragmented database with the information they contained. Now, the backup communication system had triggered brief positioning signals, undoubtedly pointing her in the right direction.
"These are likely crashed warships, possibly still containing some supplies," she speculated. "What do you say? Should we go take a look?"
The Star Spirit's eagerness was palpable.
Chen Feng glanced at the vanishing blue dots. One of them was located off the southern coast of the Bountiful Continent.
"The Steel Kingdom?" His gaze sharpened as he recognized the corresponding region on the map.
The port was located not far from Hurricane Island, near the Steel Kingdom.
Chen Feng felt a stirring of interest, remembering his Azure Armor Talent.
Earth's unique environment and constant scrutiny made it increasingly difficult for him to use his Blue Demon identity.
Now, with war erupting in the Dead Crow Secret Realm, especially along the Steel Kingdom's coastal borders, the perfect environment for cultivating fear had emerged.
"I can do that," he decided.
With this thought, Chen Feng turned his gaze toward the distant Sea Eye Seal.
The Church Saint had changed into a pristine gray Church robe. Though still disoriented and lost, he remained vigilant, using Storm Blessing to heal his injuries and maintain watch over the surroundings.
No one could guarantee that members of the Crimson Sequence wouldn't return to sabotage the seal.
Meanwhile, Delia and the others had regained their composure, leading their people in training exercises to prepare for new attacks.
As for Chen Feng, his gaze deepened. He had no intention of remaining here indefinitely, burdened by the responsibility of guarding the Sea Eye Seal.
This shouldn't be his constraint, nor should it hinder his departure.
Therefore...
Zzzt!
His figure vanished.
A flash of Thunder Light streaked across the sky, turning silver-white.
The black palace fell silent once more, briefly illuminated as if nothing had changed.
But upon closer inspection...
The stone throne where Chen Feng had been sitting now bore an intricate Thunder Light sigil.
Whoosh!
A gale howled as a bolt of thunder cleaved through the sky.
The sea surface of Merman Bay was split by the shockwave, leaving a narrow, rippling wake. Both ordinary fish beasts and apex predator whale-class creatures fled in terror.
A hundred meters, a thousand meters, ten thousand meters...
The thunderbolt's speed was so extraordinary that even the sonic boom couldn't keep pace.
Upon closer inspection, crackling sounds could be heard beneath the arc of thunder, as if blue light runes were periodically falling into the sea.
"An excellent method!"
A crisp voice echoed within the thunderbolt's arc. The Star Spirit's eyes shone brightly as she clearly detected the Thunder Light sigils.
Based on the Magnetic Field fluctuations, the Force energy stored within the sigils was dissipating at an extremely slow rate—at least a month before they would fade.
"With this, even if the Sea Eye Seal falters, I can swiftly return."
With a calm expression, Chen Feng transformed into a bolt of thunder, rapidly distancing himself from Merman Bay.
This was the best solution he could devise, using the Thunder Light mark as a contingency plan.
Even Yang Wudi had been able to leave his Force within the rocks of the Louyue Desert, where it remained undissipated for days.
Chen Feng, being several levels stronger, possessed Force that was inherently active. Naturally, he had no concerns about his power dissipating easily.
Buzz!
With a thought, another wisp of Force dispersed, transforming into a mark that plunged into the ocean.
Below, startled fish darted away, while crabs buried in the seabed widened their eyes, clearly witnessing a palm-sized, undying Thunder Light mark appear on the reef's surface.
The thousand-meter range was merely the limit of the canopy's influence, not the Thunderclap Art's teleportation range.
By exerting his full power and leaving marks along his path, Chen Feng could now teleport several kilometers in an instant using these marks.
Whoosh!
His speed surged again.
Chen Feng transformed into a bolt of Thunder Light, skimming across the sea's surface and soaring through the air.
He left a trail of marks in his wake, passing white seagulls gliding overhead and whales surfacing to breathe.
The roaring waves receded into the distance, and startled cries erupted from scattered ship crews.
By the end...
Chen Feng had already left the waters of Merman Bay far behind, catching a distant glimpse of the island where he had once stayed for a time.
"Hurricane Island."
His gaze flickered, and Chen Feng paused, hovering above the sea.
The ocean within his sight was now murky and polluted, no longer the clear, azure blue it once had been.
Broken wooden planks drifted on the surface, while his Perception revealed vast stretches of silt and sand covering the seabed. Seaweed withered, reefs blackened, and countless corpses and shipwrecks lay buried beneath the waves.
And on the distant horizon...
The once-prosperous Hurricane Island had been utterly transformed. Most of its buildings lay in ruins, reduced to rubble.
The western industrial district remained barely intact, with hundreds, perhaps thousands, of workers shoveling coal into the bellies of massive metal beasts.
Giant chimneys belched endless plumes of gray smoke, and the warships docked at the southern port were no longer multi-masted sailing vessels.
Several colossal iron warships now dominated the coastline, steam-powered metal warships ruling what had once been Hurricane Territory.
Flags fluttered, emblazoned with fiery red tulips.
Witnessing this scene, Chen Feng's gaze flickered, and he stood motionless for a moment.
"Has the Steel Kingdom fallen?"
(End of the Chapter)
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