Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Mordrac’s massive body began to slowly sink, and seawater surged up from both sides of its back, forming two white waves.

Soon, its mountain-like spine was completely submerged in the sea, leaving only ripples spreading outwards as proof that it had just been there.

Lin Yi stood at the bow of the Doom, but his gaze did not follow Mordrac as he sank. Instead, it fell on the huge tortoise island in the distance.

The giant tortoise's head moved.

The movement was so slow that it was almost imperceptible unless you looked closely—like a real island slowly adjusting its course.

A head, even larger than the Doom, peeked out from the edge of the tortoise shell, turned in the direction where Mordrac had disappeared, blinked its murky giant eyes, and then withdrew its head back.

The giant tortoise didn't care about Mordrak.

On this vast ocean, it has almost no enemies left.

Those beings that can defeat it, such as some ancient behemoths in the deep sea, have no need to fight it at all—what good would killing it do?
Its shell is so hard that even a Saint-level weapon can hardly break it, and its meat is tough and dry, not even enough to fill a tooth gap.

Those who could hold their own against it were the leaders of those three legendary pirate crews. They kept to themselves and none of them bothered to cause it trouble.

So the giant tortoise lived a very carefree life.

It spends its days lazily floating on the sea, basking in the sun, occasionally nibbling on fish and shrimp that swim by, and most of the time it's too lazy to even open its mouth.

To prevent this "island lord" from causing any trouble, the Black Sea Empress would send large quantities of sea beast meat to him every few days.

The meat was transported by large ships and poured directly into its mouth. All it had to do was open its mouth to enjoy a delicious meal.

The giant tortoise certainly didn't want its blissful days interrupted.

However, the aura of the Doom made it very uncomfortable.

The black sailboat gave it an indescribable feeling—not a threat, but an instinctive repulsion.

Just like when a human smells a pungent odor, even though they know it won't kill them immediately, they still feel uncomfortable all over.

The giant tortoise poked its head out not to see Mordrac, but to check how far away the ship that made it uncomfortable was.

Fortunately, that ship poses no immediate threat to it.

Although it is lazy, it is not stupid. Its instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm is as sharp as that of those old creatures that have lived for countless years.

Lin Yi took in the giant tortoise's reaction and his lips twitched slightly.

This guy really knows how to live life to the fullest.

Just then, something unusual happened on Turtle Island.

The entire Turtle Island trembled slightly.

The vibration was so faint that it was almost imperceptible unless you were standing on the boat and feeling it carefully.

But the pirates on Turtle Island were different—they lived on the island year-round and knew every little thing the giant turtle did.

The pirates who were carrying cargo on the dock all stopped in their tracks and looked at each other.

"Was there a jolt just now?"

"Seems to be."

"What's wrong with Grandpa Turtle today?"

Several pirates put down their cargo, ran to the edge of the dock, and peered out at the sea.

The giant turtle's head had retracted into its shell, and only ripples spread across the sea surface, making it look no different from usual.

After waiting for about ten seconds and confirming that the tremors had stopped, the pirates returned to their posts.

"Maybe it's a case of turning over."

"Can Grandpa Turtle even flip over?"

"Nonsense, wouldn't your stomach go numb if you just kept lying on your stomach without turning over?"

"That's true."

The pirates quickly put the matter behind them.

For these guys who live on the edge year after year, nothing else matters as long as it's not a direct threat to their lives.

What's a little tremor on Turtle Island? Back in the day, they experienced a giant turtle fighting a deep-sea monster on this island, which almost overturned the entire island, but they still survived.

Just keep doing what you were doing.

The Doomsday Ship bypassed the approaching Turtle Island and headed towards the rear of the island.

As they got closer, Lin Yi could feel the immense size of the island even more.

It's not an island at all; it's a living behemoth.

The part of the turtle shell that protrudes above the sea is at least fifty kilometers long, and the silt and vegetation accumulated on it form a thick layer of "soil," on which the buildings are built.

What's most breathtaking is the area behind Turtle Island.

Countless chains hung down from the edge of the tortoise shell, each chain as thick as an adult's arm, with pirate ships tied to its ends.

The ships varied in size, from small sailboats a dozen meters long to five-masted warships nearly a hundred meters long.

But no matter how big the ship was, it looked pitifully small in front of the giant tortoise—those five-masted warships were moored next to the tortoise island like matchboxes next to a house, and the huge contrast in size made people feel suffocated.

The chains swayed slightly in the sea breeze, making a clanging metallic sound.

These chains were not used to imprison the giant tortoise, but rather to facilitate docking the ship.

Turtle Island moves extremely slowly, only a few meters per hour. At this speed, it is perfectly feasible to tie a boat to Turtle Island with chains.

The pirates could even drink and have fun on the island while watching their ships being slowly towed by Turtle Island, saving time and effort.

Just as the Doomsday Ship rounded the stern of Turtle Island, three small boats quickly paddled up from the side.

Each small boat carried four or five pirates, shirtless, their skin tanned and shiny from the sea breeze.

With practiced skill, they quickly rowed to the side of the Doom, and several ropes with grappling hooks were thrown up and precisely hooked onto the Doom's gunwale.

A pirate with his hair tied in tiny braids was the first to climb aboard the Doom.

He landed on the deck, ready to shout a few words as usual, like "Does the new guy know the rules?", but his gaze suddenly froze.

The deck was empty.

There were no sailors, no helmsmen, no figures busy on the ship.

The ship was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the sails billowing slightly in the wind.

"This ship..."

The pirate with the shaved braid clicked his tongue in amazement, walked a few steps around the deck, and looked around.

He had spent twenty years at sea and had seen all sorts of strange ships, but he had never seen anything like it—a ship that could sail without sailors.

"Is this your first time visiting Turtle Island?"

No sooner had the braided pirate finished speaking than the cabin door was pushed open.

Shangyue came out from inside.

Her black wings unfurled in the sunlight, and her silver eyes coldly swept over the pirates on the deck.

The pirate with the broken braids froze instantly.

He opened his mouth, made an unintelligible gurgling sound in his throat, and then his back bent over at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The speed of the bend and the precision of the movement were as if it had been practiced hundreds of times.

"Respected extraordinary being, welcome to Turtle Island." His voice became unusually respectful, and his face was full of fawning smiles. "I was unaware of your arrival, sir. Please forgive my lack of hospitality."

Lin Yi walked out of the cabin and saw this scene, and couldn't help but feel emotional.

Bringing Shangyue along on this trip certainly saved a lot of trouble.

Logically speaking, ships arriving at Turtle Island for the first time, especially unfamiliar ships like the Doom that appear to have no markings, would certainly be ripped off by these pirates.

First, you have to pay some "parking fee," then some "protection fee," and then you might have to treat these local thugs to a few drinks, otherwise they will find ways to cause trouble.

If Shangyue doesn't come out, Lin Yi will only have two paths ahead of him.

Either pay up to avoid trouble, or give these guys a sum of money to get rid of them.

Although money is not the issue, the feeling of being treated like a lamb to the slaughter is still quite uncomfortable.

Either kill this guy, and then face his scheming accomplices.

Although Su Xiao and Lin Yi could easily wipe out the pirates with their strength, their rampage upon arriving on the island would definitely hinder their intelligence gathering efforts.

Although those pirates bullied the weak and feared the strong, even a rabbit will bite when cornered. If you really push them too far, they can also sabotage you in secret.

Now that Shangyue has stepped forward, all the troubles have been resolved.

Pirates might dare to mess with a seemingly ordinary stranger, but they would never dare to mess with a superhuman.

Especially in a place like Turtle Island, where the Black Sea Queen herself is a superhuman, the pirates under her command have an ingrained reverence for superhumans.

The pirate with the broken braid straightened up, his gaze lingered on Shangyue for a moment, and then quickly looked away.

He dared not look too long, for fear that his gaze might offend this extraordinary being.

But he didn't leave immediately.

He glanced at Lin Yi, then at Su Xiao who was standing at the cabin door and hadn't come out, quickly assessing the identities of the people on the ship.

People who can travel with superhumans are definitely not to be trifled with.

The next second, he raised his hand, put two fingers in his mouth, and blew a sharp whistle.

The whistle was distinctive, consisting of three short notes and one long one, with two turning tones in the middle, making it particularly jarring in the noisy dock.

This was a code among pirates.

Different people have different opinions.

There are extraordinary individuals on this ship; you must not provoke them—this was the message the Broken Braid pirates conveyed using coded language.

As soon as the whistle fell, Lin Yi saw the small boats that had been following the Doomsday disperse instantly.

Those small boats were just drifting around slowly, like a group of sharks waiting for their chance.

Upon hearing the whistle, the pirates on the ship immediately changed course and rowed away quickly.

The speed was so fast, it was as if something terrifying was chasing us from behind.

Lin Yi understood what this meant.

Those small boats were all part of the same group as the Broken Braid Pirates.

If the ship on the Doom were an easy target, these pirates would swarm it and loot everything on board.

They've done this kind of thing many times, so it's second nature to them.

But if the people on the ship are not to be trifled with, especially if there are superhumans present like now, they will immediately disperse and pretend they are just passing by. Dealing with pirates is actually quite simple.

If you are powerful enough, there's no harm in being generous.

Appropriate favors can make them more respectful to you, and make things easier for you in the future.

But if you're not strong enough, then never flaunt your wealth.

Once these guys have their eye on you, they're like sharks that have smelled blood; they won't stop until they've devoured you clean.

The pirate with the shaved braid put away the grappling hook and swiftly untied the ropes from the ship's side.

"Sir, please rest on the ship for a while. I'll make some arrangements." He said, bowing and scraping. "Someone will come to take you into port soon."

After saying that, he jumped off the Doom and landed back on his own small boat.

The pirates on the small boat immediately started rowing and sped off towards the back of Turtle Island.

Less than ten minutes later, an even larger ship sailed in from behind Turtle Island.

That was a pilot ship specifically responsible for guiding ships into the port. A one-eyed old pirate stood at the bow, holding a huge horn in his hand.

As the lead ship approached the Doom, the one-eyed old pirate blew his horn, producing a long, deep sound.

Then he raised his hand and waved to Su Xiao, signaling her to follow him.

The Doom followed the lead ship, slowly heading towards the anchorage area behind Turtle Island.

Upon closer inspection, the magnificence of those chains becomes even more apparent.

Countless thick chains hung down from the edge of the tortoise shell, with various kinds of boats tied to their ends.

The chains gleamed with a dull luster in the sunlight, their surfaces covered in rust, clearly indicating they had been used for many years.

Some chains held not just one ship, but three or four ships strung together, like a giant candied hawthorn skewer.

Several excellent swimmers emerged from the sea and swam to the side of the Doom.

They carried simple but practical tools—scrapers, brushes, and large containers filled with some kind of special liquid.

These people are specifically responsible for cleaning the underwater parts of ships.

The Doom has been at sea for so long that its hull must have been covered with barnacles and other attached creatures.

If these things are not cleaned up in time, they will affect the ship's speed and may even corrode the hull.

The water ghosts moved with practiced skill, diving underwater and beginning to use scrapers to clean the barnacles from the bottom of the boat.

The scraper scraped across the hull, making a creaking sound, and the grayish-white barnacles fell off in patches, scattering into the seawater.

A chain was thrown from the stern of Turtle Island and tied to the bow of the Doom.

Immediately afterwards, several pirates began to build a buffer zone between the Doom and Turtle Island.

It was a makeshift passageway made of thick planks and ropes, with one end attached to the side of the Doom and the other end fixed to the dock on Turtle Island.

The gaps between the planks help to cushion the impact of the waves.

This was to prevent the Doom, which was tied to the back of the Turtle Island, from crashing into it due to inertia when the island stopped drifting at night.

With these buffer frames in place, even if Turtle Island suddenly stops, the Doom will only lightly bump against the wooden planks and will not cause damage to the hull.

Lin Yi and his group jumped off the Doom and landed on the dock of Turtle Island.

The docks were even more bustling than when viewed from the sea.

Piles of goods were stacked on both sides, some covered with tarpaulins, and some left out in the open.

Wooden crates, sacks, and barrels were piled up as high as a small mountain.

The laborers carrying goods moved between the cargo, their dark backs glistening with sweat.

The most conspicuous things are those iron cages.

Several large iron cages were placed in a conspicuous position on the edge of the dock, with more than a dozen people locked inside.

There were men and women, old and young, of different skin colors, and dressed in tattered clothes.

They huddled in the corner of the cage, their eyes filled with numbness and despair.

This is a merchant who trades in slaves.

However, such merchants are rare on Turtle Island.

The Black Sea King Agati's main business was not the slave trade, but the more lucrative legitimate maritime trade—transporting goods, escorting merchant ships, and trading marine animal materials.

These businesses are profitable and safe, and they also allow you to build good relationships with various kingdoms. Why not do them?
Therefore, the slave trade on Turtle Island was only a small-scale operation, with only a few small merchants involved.

Su Xiao also jumped off the ship and landed on the dock.

His gaze swept across the surrounding crowd, and after a moment, he locked onto a target.

It was a man with a black headscarf, about forty years old, with a burly and strong build, and muscles bulging like mountains on his bronze arms.

His face was covered with crisscrossing scars, some from knife wounds, some from scratches, and some whose origins were no longer discernible, but each one told a story of how many life-and-death experiences this man had gone through.

What's most striking is the tattoo on his arm.

A crow.

The black crow spreads its wings as if about to take flight, every line of its feathers clearly visible, lifelike.

The crow's eyes were red, gleaming eerily in the sunlight.

At sea, a raven tattoo has only one meaning—Black Sea King Agati.

This man is one of the Black Sea King's men.

He was standing next to a pile of goods, directing several of his men to move things.

His casual demeanor and arrogant tone clearly indicated that he was a minor leader here.

Su Xiao walked towards him.

He stopped in front of the man.

"You, come here."

His voice was calm and even, as if he were calling an ordinary porter.

The burly pirate was stunned for a moment.

He looked up at the man in the black trench coat in front of him, then looked around, and pointed to himself with some confusion.

That expression clearly said—are you talking to me?

"Yes, it's you."

The strong pirate's expression froze.

He spent over a decade on Turtle Island, climbing from a lowly henchman to his current position, relying on ruthless methods and fearless courage.

The last person who dared to speak to him like that was chopped up and thrown into the sea to feed the fish; he didn't even leave behind a complete corpse.

But the man in front of me...

The strong pirate's instincts were screaming a warning.

He could sense something inexplicable about this person.

It wasn't the kind of arrogance that was just bluster, but a genuine indifference.

It was as if he were facing a rock, a tree, something not worth a second glance.

This feeling sent a chill down his spine.

Su Xiao took something out of her pocket and casually tossed it over.

The burly pirate instinctively caught it, then looked down and his pupils instantly contracted.

The grayish-white exoskeleton covers the entire arm, with sharp knuckles and five claw-shaped fingers whose tips are sharp enough to easily pierce steel plates.

The broken ends were jagged, and the dried, dark red flesh inside could be vaguely seen.

The arm of an ancient god.

The strong pirate had been at sea for many years and had seen many extraordinary creatures, but he had only heard of beings of the level of ancient gods in legends.

The severed arm lay in his palm, and the terrifying pressure made his palms sweat.

Since the Nightmare God had many arms, Lin Yi only cut off one. With this thing as a token, he believed the Black Sea King would understand what it meant.

Immediately afterwards, something else fell into his arms.

A money bag containing at least a dozen gold coins.

He knew from the weight that it was real gold the moment he held it.

The burly pirate looked up at Su Xiao, his eyes filled with confusion.

"Both of them, are they?"

"If you don't love money, you can give it all to the Black Sea King."

Su Xiao's voice rang out again.

"but……"

He didn't continue speaking.

Some things don't need to be said too directly.

The strong pirate understood what he meant.

"I'll go right away, I'll go right away."

The burly pirate grinned and tucked the money bag and the ancient god's arm into his pocket.

The originally fierce face now forced a hint of friendliness, trying to make itself appear more welcoming.

He turned and walked away quickly, but before leaving, he turned back and smiled at Su Xiao to show his friendliness and enthusiasm.

The other pirates on the dock, seeing this, all looked away and pretended to be busy with their own affairs.

The situation where Su Xiao would be targeted wherever he went did not occur with him.

He is powerful enough that provoking him comes at a cost—a very high cost.

These pirates, though rude and barbaric, were not stupid.

They are more cunning than ghosts, more shrewd than foxes, and know the ways of survival best.

They knew perfectly well who they could mess with and who they couldn't. (End of Chapter)