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

Chapter 142 Third-Order Advancement Ritual! (10,000-word update, please subscribe! Please vote!)

Xia En slept surprisingly soundly that night.

In his hazy consciousness, he seemed to hear the roar of an ancient dragon and the gentle sound of ocean waves.

It was as if two different forces were being poured into his body, strengthening his physical body and soul.

This feeling of spiritual and physical sublimation is truly wonderful.

Xia En couldn't help but become immersed in it, unwilling to wake up.

However, even the most beautiful dreams eventually come to an end.

When Xia En opened her eyes, she saw a fair and pretty face with delicate features like a flawless doll, and a kind of indescribable sacred aura.

Moreover, the owner of this pretty face was clearly in a sweet slumber, with glistening liquid dripping from the corner of her mouth.

...Am I still not awake?

Xia En paused for a moment, but he shook his head and gradually came to his senses.

He quickly realized that the girl beside him was Joey, and that he was soaking in a pool of blood.

"I actually fell asleep like this?"

Xia En's expression was somewhat strange.

You should know that he has always been a very cautious person.

Especially since the transmigration, even when sleeping on the Black Swan, I remain vigilant about the situation on the sea.

However, in this desolate wilderness, without even a bed, he slept so soundly.

"It's really weird..."

Shaen looked up at the Storm Goddess statue high above and suspected that it was related to her protective power.

Because of his actions, Joey, who was next to him, quickly woke up as well.

She stared blankly at Xia En, as if wondering if she was still half asleep.

Shane greeted him warmly, "Good morning, Joey."

"Good morning, Captain."

Joey quickly snapped out of his dazed state and hurriedly withdrew his arm from behind Shane's neck.

—After all, that pose just now seemed a bit too intimate!
It was as if she was always holding the captain.

Shane noticed the small movement and said softly, "Sorry, Joey, I think I've caused you trouble."

"No no no!"

Joey quickly shook his head and said, "How is this troublesome? If you really want to say something, this is actually a reward!"

"……what?"

Xia En was stunned for a moment.

Joey realized that his statement was a bit strange, and explained it very quickly.

"What I mean is, the captain has helped me so much all the time, so this little thing is what I should do, it's nothing."

"Oh……"

Shane nodded.

Then, the two fell into a brief silence.

Shane was contemplating the connection between Joey's bloodline, the Truth Society, and the Storm Goddess.

This exploration of the Siren's "Ancestor Island" undoubtedly provided him with many new clues and information.

However, these clues are too numerous and too scattered, and it is clear that we are still a long way from tearing through the final fog.

"However, if I continue to explore the sea, according to that so-called law of the aggregation of secret power, one day the truth will be revealed to me."

Xia En thought to himself, "Now, why don't we take a short rest?"

And the other side.

Some strange ideas popped into Joey's little head.

If I soak in the blood pool with Captain Shane, does that count as taking a bath together?

And my clothes seem to be completely soaked...

When she entered the blood pool earlier, Xia En was so badly injured that she had no time to worry about anything else.

However, thanks to the dragon blood and the effects of [High-Speed ​​Regeneration], Xia En's body has now recovered to the most extent.

Clear and attractive muscle lines, and a deep and prominent collarbone, faintly visible beneath the pool of blood.

Upon seeing this scene, Joey's thoughts inevitably wandered.

As she pondered, her expression remained relatively normal, but the clenched little hands visible to outsiders in the blood pool, and the tail that swayed involuntarily, revealed that the girl was not at peace.

Because the two were very close, when the fishtail swayed, Xia En naturally felt a slippery sensation, which made him feel a little strange.

"Is this Joey's tail?"

"I must say, it's cool and refreshing, which is actually quite nice..."

In fact, the blood flowing from the heart of the ancient dragon was not cold, but carried a warm, soothing heat, like a steaming hot spring.

Therefore, the cool touch of Joey's smooth scales stands out.

Seeing the fish tail swaying more and more violently, Shane couldn't help but look at Joey.

At that moment, Joey happened to look at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.

The two looked at each other, but then instinctively looked away.

Just as the atmosphere in the blood pool began to become somewhat enchanting.

"Wow!"

Water splashed, and a tiny dragon head emerged from the blood pool.

"Haha! That was awesome!"

The stringed bird flapped its wings, blood splattering everywhere, while it let out joyful cries.

"I haven't felt this good in a long time!"

The bronze dragon had visibly increased in size, its eyes had become clearer and brighter, and the bronze luster on its body had become more pronounced, reflecting a mysterious charm under the light.

Not only that, the aura emanating from it, belonging to the ancient dragon, has also noticeably increased.

It is obvious that, under the influence of this pool of dragon blood, Xiange also gained great benefits.

"Hey, why are you guys looking at me like that?"

Faced with the gazes of Joey and Shane, Xuan Ge tilted her head in confusion.

Joey swam towards it with a forced smile.

For no reason, Xiange felt a chill run down her spine and said in a trembling voice.

"W-what do you want to do?"

"It's nothing, it's just that you seem to have gained a little weight. Why don't I weigh you now?"

While Xiange and Joey were playfully bickering, Shane opened the panel to review the gains from this battle.

[Ship Soul Level: LV4 (25%)]

This three-day, three-night bloody battle resulted in the deaths of a large number of dragon-like monsters.

Their strengths vary, but their combined experience points are quite substantial.

[Talent: Dragon Physique (Common) → (Rare)!]

[Description: After bathing in the blood from the heart of an ancient dragon, your physique has been enhanced once again.]

Cell activity and self-healing ability are slightly enhanced; resistance to lightning and fire is moderately enhanced!

The "Bronze Dragon's Majesty" effect has been enhanced!

When facing lower-ranking creatures, especially those with dragon blood, there is a significant chance of inflicting a state of "Intimidation" or "Fear" upon them!

[Overall Qualifications: 0.53 → 0.55!]

The upgrade of [Dragon Physique] was also within Xia En's expectations.

Moreover, the secret power within this pool of dragon blood is far from being completely absorbed.

It's not impossible to upgrade it to the "precious" quality.

"By the way, this dragon blood should also work on Fei Ya and An, so why don't we have them soak in it too?"

Xia En roughly sensed that there was a limit to the total amount of dragon blood secret power he could absorb.

Since we can't use it all ourselves, we should invite the crew to enjoy it together.

It can also slightly improve the physical fitness of all crew members.

However, the information that appeared on another panel surprised Shane.

[Due to the effect of "Captain's Majesty"!]

[You have received the talent of the crew member "Joey": the blessing of the Storm Goddess!]

[Quality: Rare]

[Description: Your luck will be boosted when you are at sea!]

The goddess is watching you.

[This talent was found to have some overlap with the effect of "Blessed by the Sea," therefore the two have been merged.]

The Blessing of the Sea (Changed)

[Quality: Epic]

[Description: Effect 1: Increases attributes (details omitted)]

[Effect 2: When you are at sea or in the deep sea, your luck will undergo a miraculous change, and you will be more likely to encounter various special events.]

The probability of encountering opportunities and hidden treasures has slightly increased!

Shane: "..."

Upon seeing this "slight improvement," he knew that the goddess's blessing seemed unable to suppress the sinister talent of "the favor of the sea."

However, luck is a mysterious thing, so maybe it really does have some effect?
More than that, Shane was concerned about Joey's current profile screen.

Crew member: Joey (already bound)

[Bloodline: Siren (Activated)]

[Secret Path Class: Tier 2 (Ocean Singer)]

[Talents: Storm Authority (Extremely Flawed), Affinity for Seawater, Melodious Voice, Magic Affinity]

[Skills: Summon Storm, Siren Transformation, Acute Gastroenteritis...]

[Description: A mysterious girl burdened with multiple secrets gradually comes to understand the origin of her identity.]

But ahead lay an even larger and denser fog.

"The Ocean Singer? The Power of the Storm?"

As Xia En looked at these words, his eyelids twitched slightly.

How did Joey advance a level directly after undergoing a bloodline transformation?
Or is it a secret profession like "Wang Yang Singer" that I've never heard of before?
Thinking about it carefully, it seems that I am the only one on the ship who has been honestly accumulating secret power, sensing the secret sea, and advancing to the second level.
The [Storm Authority] talent is even more outrageous.

The term "authority" is usually used to describe the power of deities. Even the suffix "extremely incomplete" is enough to illustrate its extraordinary nature.

Moreover, this name is clearly closely related to the Storm Goddess.

"Where does this authority come from?"

"Is it related to Joey's mother, Diana?"

"Could it be that the true purpose of the Truth Society is to steal the authority of the gods?"

Xia En pressed his temples, feeling that the more he thought about it, the more problems he encountered.

As the description says, the more you know, the more you realize how deep the fog is before you.

As for the new skill [Summon Storm], it is undoubtedly a concrete manifestation of [Storm Authority].

Summon Storm

[Quality: Epic]

[Type: Skill]

[Description: Summoning a storm on the sea!]

The size of the storm depends on the amount of secret energy and mental power invested. You can control the summoned storm to a small extent, but once the storm exceeds a certain size, it will completely spiral out of control!

My storm will tear you to shreds!

Without a doubt, this was a deadly weapon in naval warfare.

The only drawback is that the summoned storm is very likely to be indiscriminate in its attack.

In other words, it's like putting both sides in the same harsh environment and then comparing whose boat has better performance.

It can be surprisingly effective at crucial moments.

Then, Xia En glanced at the String Song panel.

As expected, the bronze dragon's rank has also been promoted to the second rank.

This made Xia En feel a greater sense of urgency.

He could tell that Joey's transformation was not yet completely over.

simply put.

As the power of her bloodline is continuously discovered, the girl's secret power and even her secret path level will grow along with her growth.

This is similar to the case of the Bronze Dragon String Song, who became the Holy Bloodline of Fei Ya.

Or is this a common characteristic of "mythical creatures" and "extraordinary creatures"?
"So, am I the only captain who has to painstakingly collect potions and go through the advancement ritual?"

Xia En sighed.

He needs to break through to the third rank quickly, otherwise the crew members' rank will surpass his...

……Um?

No, occasionally being a kept man doesn't seem so bad, does it?

After letting his thoughts wander, Xia En immersed himself in the blood pool, enjoying a rare moment of tranquility as if soaking in a hot spring.

……

……

In the days that followed.

Xia En had the crew members on the ship bathe in the blood pool to absorb its secret power.

Of course, Miss Ghost, who is still asleep, certainly won't enjoy this kind of treatment.

It must be said that this ancient dragon was indeed extremely powerful in its lifetime.

The secret power contained within their hearts was so abundant that it would take the entire ship's crew several days to fully absorb it.

Among them, due to Xia En's special characteristics and the talent of "Dragon Physique", he and Xiange absorbed the most dragon blood power.

This leads to...

While Joey was soaking, Shane was in the blood pool;

While Ann was soaking in the blood pool, Xia En was in the blood pool.

When Faia went to soak, Xia En was still in the blood pool.

In other words, he bathed with all the crew members.

To be honest, when Shane was soaking in the blood pool with Joey and Anne, he didn't feel anything.

The former is because they've gotten used to it, while the latter is because they're wearing armor and nothing can be seen through them.

But when Xia En was bathing in dragon blood with Fei Ya, he inexplicably felt a strange mix of emotions.

how to say……

I felt a mix of curiosity, anticipation, restraint, and shame for these thoughts.

In short, it is quite complex and subtle.

If I had to describe it in one sentence, it would probably be—

"Brother, you smell so good!"

Of course, besides soaking in the blood pool, Xia En didn't forget his main business.

He collected some ancient dragon bones from near the statue of the goddess.

These bones, purified by the goddess statue and freed from blasphemous contamination, can still be used as materials to strengthen the ship's hull.

The skeletons further away were either devoured by nearby dragon-like beasts.

Either they become corrupted by the "Truth" and become like the corpse of the "Black Stone Dragon Turtle," losing their original power and nourishment.

Therefore, the usable portion is actually not that much.

In addition, Shane also had Ann and others cut down trees on the island as spare materials to reinforce the ship's hull.

Over the course of a few days, the numbers on the panel naturally changed.

Materials required for a single enhancement

[Timber holdings: 104%]

[Metal holdings: 19%]

[Proportion of Extraordinary Materials: 15% (Maximum for this enhancement: 30%)]

[Each attribute must exceed 50 before the next enhancement can be performed!]

The amount of timber is sufficient, but the metal materials are lacking, and we can only find a solution after leaving the Siren Islands.

Moreover, Xia En also harbors his own ambitions.

It's best to use high-level extraordinary materials for each upgrade to allow the [Black Swan] to undergo a more significant transformation.

……

……

It’s noon this day.

The weather in the misty sea area was unusually clear.

Although the sea was still shrouded in mist, a few rays of light could be faintly seen piercing through the clouds above the island.

The hazy halo penetrated the clouds and mist, revealing a hint of golden brilliance, creating a unique aesthetic.

There was a "crash" sound.

Xia En stood up from the blood pool, water droplets constantly dripping from his body.

To be precise, this pool can no longer be called a "blood pool" because the liquid in it has become very diluted.

So much so that when Shane turned his head, he could see Joey's smooth, glistening little feet and her pearly, lustrous toes not far below the water's surface.

Xia En blinked, quite curious.

A few days ago, Joey transformed into a mermaid as soon as she entered the water, so why is she still using human-shaped legs today?
Moreover, the secret power in this pool is almost gone, so what is she still absorbing here?

Strange as it was, Xia En didn't ask him about it.

Because he had more important things to do at that moment.

Upon opening the panel, several lines of information appear.

[Talent: Dragon Physique (Rare) → (Precious)!]

[Unlock Effect: The Secret of Dragon Blood!]

[Description: After absorbing a large amount of dragon blood's secret power, your physique has been strengthened once again!]

The dragon's powerful physique stems not only from its innate divine strength, but also from its ability to harness the power within its blood and qi.

[You can now try to activate this secret power to deal additional damage and gain a slight damage reduction.]

The effects of "Blood Power" will simultaneously enhance "Dragon Blood Secret"!

Legend has it that the deep sea holds endless mysteries.

The ancient dragons were originally born here.

With a slight thought, Xia En activated this talent.

As the blood flowed, a thin, invisible layer of armor vaguely formed on the body's surface.

And it was accompanied by the roar of an ancient dragon.

This is different from actual blood; it is more like an extension of breath and blood, hence the name "qi and blood" or "blood qi," which is a very unique power.

And after the talent is improved.

At this point, Xia En's overall stats have reached 0.57!

"In this way, we will be more confident in passing the promotion ceremony."

These days, Xia En has successfully raised his [Job Compatibility] to 100/100 by taking advantage of the [Submarine Anchor Point] effect.

And today is the day he decides to enter the promotion ceremony!

Thinking of this, Xia En first bowed to the Storm Goddess statue not far away.

"By the goddess above, I hope this ascension ritual won't be too difficult."

He still held onto the mindset of a Chinese person from his previous life, believing that no matter what kind of god it was, if it brought benefits, it wouldn't hurt to believe in them.

But in the next moment.

Click!

A crack appeared on the surface of the goddess statue and quickly expanded and spread.

In the blink of an eye, the goddess statue showed signs of collapse.

Shane: "?"

Isn't it?

Is this request really that difficult?

"It's better to rely on yourself than others, let's give it our all!"

Xia En muttered a couple of things, then took out the [Crimson Fruit], [Black Stone Essence], [Heavenly Starfish], and a host of other materials from his spatial ring, beginning the final preparations for the advancement ritual...

(End of this chapter)