The humid sea breeze swept across Sky Island, and days later, the sky was still covered by thick clouds. Sunlight flickered through the gaps, casting a hazy glow over the floating island.
"Respected Sir, are you sure you want to bestow the divine position of Sky Island upon me?"
Gan Fall stood before Yun Lie, his aged face filled with astonishment, his cloudy eyes fixed on the young powerhouse before him, his voice full of disbelief.
In just a few short days, too many earth-shattering events had occurred on Sky Island, so many that Gan Fall still felt as if he were in a dream.
The once high and mighty God, Eneru, who wielded the power of lightning and was utterly arrogant, the being who ruled Sky Island with absolute power and made everyone tremble in fear, had actually fallen just like that!
Not only that, but those brutal God's Enforcers who followed Eneru, relying on his power, were also purged one by one by Yun Lie. Those who refused to submit could not escape punishment.
As the former God of Sky Island, Gan Fall had assumed that Yun Lie, having defeated Eneru, would naturally ascend to the divine position, continuing to rule this sky with his immense power, like all strong individuals.
So, when the sharp whistle sounded, summoning him, Gan Fall's heart was filled with unease.
He quietly tightened his grip on the saber at his waist, secretly preparing for a fierce battle that could erupt at any moment.
However, when he saw Yun Lie and heard the first words he spoke, all his tension and defensiveness instantly turned into shock and bewilderment.
"I want you to be the God of Sky Island. Are you willing?" Yun Lie's voice was calm and steady, yet it exploded in Gan Fall's ears like a clap of thunder, leaving him stunned, his mind a blank.
"Of course, I have no interest in the divine position of Sky Island."
Yun Lie looked at Gan Fall's shocked expression and continued unhurriedly, "You should be well aware that the world is not just Sky Island. You know how vast the Blue Sea, as you call it, truly is, and how much unknown and danger it contains."
Gan Fall nodded silently. As a former ruler, he knew more than most islanders about the vastness and cruelty of the outside world.
In that sea area known as the Blue Sea, powerhouses were abundant, and pirates would stop at nothing for profit. Once they learned of Sky Island's astonishing wealth, they would surely flock here.
"Sir, what price do you require for me to take over the divine position?" Gan Fall asked cautiously.
He had lived on Sky Island for many years and knew that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Behind everything that went too smoothly, there must be a hidden, unknown price.
"Smart man. I like dealing with smart people like you." Yun Lie's lips curved slightly upward, and he held up two fingers.
"I have two conditions: First, after you become the God of Sky Island, you must do everything in your power to make the various races on Sky Island put aside their prejudices, stop their conflicts, and no longer cause trouble. Everyone must live together peacefully under this sky."
At this point, Yun Lie's gaze became serious, "Especially the Angel Tribe and the Shandia. Their grievances have lasted too long; it's time for them to end."
"Second, I will ring the Golden Bell and take all the gold from Shandora, including what's inside that giant snake's belly."
Yun Lie's gaze was firm as he looked into the distance, as if he could already see the future, "You should understand that when the sound of the Golden Bell reaches the Blue Sea, those greedy pirates will inevitably follow the sound. At that time, this gold will no longer be wealth but a death warrant that will bring utter destruction to Sky Island. So, I will take them. At the same time, you must unite the Angel Tribe and the Shandia to jointly resist external enemies. Only by working together, in the face of a common enemy, can the two tribes truly put aside their hatred and come together."
Gan Fall pondered for a moment, a complex emotion welling up in his heart. He bowed solemnly to Yun Lie and said sincerely, "Thank you for your benevolence, Sir."
For Sky Island, gold, though precious, became a burden in the face of powerful external enemies.
Yun Lie taking the gold was tantamount to removing a "time bomb" that could explode at any moment for them.
Moreover, when he served as the God of Sky Island, he had always been committed to resolving the conflict between the two tribes, and had finally achieved some results, only to have them completely disrupted by Eneru's appearance.
Now, Yun Lie had given him a chance to start anew.
"Alright, take us to Shandora," Yun Lie said, waving his hand.
"It would be my honor."
Gan Fall responded respectfully and then led the way.
The group traversed the winding cloud path, the scenery along the way constantly changing. When the legendary golden city—Golden City Shandora—finally appeared before everyone's eyes, everyone was too stunned by the sight to speak.
The entire island seemed to be enveloped in a golden light, with golden buildings faintly visible everywhere, shining brightly and dazzlingly under the sunlight.
Nami felt a dizzy spell. She tightly clutched Yun Lie's hand, her voice trembling slightly: "Yun Lie, I'm so dizzy. Am I hallucinating?"
Everything before her was too dreamlike, making her unable to believe it was real.
Karina also widened her eyes, her breathing quickening.
No one could resist the temptation of gold, especially for those who had drifted at sea, accustomed to storms and poverty. The wealth before them was simply an unattainable beautiful dream.
"Go explore! Our goal is to take all the gold!" Yun Lie announced loudly when he saw them eager to move.
At his command, everyone immediately dispersed and began this crazy treasure hunt.
Robin activated her Hana Hana no Mi ability, and hands with eyes grew from various corners, meticulously searching every place that might hide treasures; Mikita and Nojiko held up binoculars, vigilantly observing their surroundings to prevent any unexpected occurrences;
"Now, take me to the Lord of Sky Island," Yun Lie said to Gan Fall after inspecting their gains.
"Please follow me." Gan Fall nodded, leading the group towards the Lord of Sky Island's habitat.
The Lord of Sky Island was a giant python, 200 meters long, coiled around a massive tree not far from Shandora. Its enormous body tightly wrapped around the trunk, its scales shimmering with a cold luster in the sunlight.
Its belly contained a huge space, filled with countless treasures, which was also Yun Lie's objective for this trip.
"It's indeed very large, somewhat similar to Sea Kings." Yun Lie looked at the giant snake, his eyes showing no fear, but rather a spark of excitement.
He speculated that this giant python was likely a Sea King that had been carried to Sky Island by the Knock Up Stream along with Shandora in the past. Over the long years, it had adapted to Sky Island's environment and gradually grown into a dominant force.
"Step back a bit. I'm going to perform a painless craniotomy on this giant python." Yun Lie waved his hand, telling Gan Fall to move further away.
Gan Fall didn't ask further. He quickly flew away on his horse.
He knew that Yun Lie possessed great strength, enough to deal with this giant snake.
"A little dizziness is normal. Spatial Slash!" Yun Lie smiled slightly, instantly drawing Sandai Kitetsu.
As spatial power surged wildly along the blade, a silver-white flash of light, like lightning, instantly streaked across!
"Hiss..." The giant python let out a painful hiss, its voice filled with unwillingness and fear.
But then, it lost consciousness forever. Its massive head was cleanly severed, leaving only its enormous body writhing on the ground.
The ground shook violently under the snake's struggles, raising clouds of dust. Not long after, the snake's body finally stopped writhing, completely devoid of life.
Gan Fall flew back, staring at the scene before him, dumbfounded.
He could hardly imagine that the Lord of Sky Island, who was once like a natural disaster and struck fear into the entire Sky Island, had been so easily dealt with by Yun Lie.
Subsequently, under Gan Fall's gaze, Yun Lie walked to the giant snake's side, his blade moving swiftly, skillfully disemboweling the Lord of Sky Island.
As the snake's belly was opened, its contents were revealed one by one: shattered ship wreckage, countless pieces of gold, human remains, and various strangely shaped rock structures.
Moreover, this giant snake had an extremely long lifespan, and its flesh and blood contained astonishing essence, making it a highly nourishing substance. Especially its snake gall, which was larger than a human head, was an even rarer treasure.
"Collect them! Collect all of them!"
Yun Lie looked at the mountains of wealth before him, his eyes gleaming.