Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

Before Agati's response had even landed in the air, Lin Yi had already stood up from his chair.

He couldn't be bothered with these things anymore. Whether Agati was a seed, whether the man in the black robe would come after her, or whether she would live to see tomorrow's sun—none of these matters to him.

She's already been given the route map of the Bone Sheep; this trip has been quite fruitful.

Lin Yi strode toward the door. Mond got up from the floor, stuffed the things in his waist bag back in, and only followed after making sure they wouldn't fall out.

Baha flew up from the windowsill and landed on Su Xiao's shoulder, its black bean-like eyes sweeping over Agati, who was still standing there.

Bubuwang jumped up from beside Lin Yi's feet, wagged its tail twice, and ran away without looking back.

Four people, a dog, and an eagle walked past Agati.

No one gave her a second glance, and no one said a word.

Agati opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But these words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one.

Because she knew that these people didn't care at all.

She lifted her foot, wanting to chase after him.

But as soon as she took half a step, a familiar aura surged from behind her.

The aura was cold and damp, like the undercurrents of the deep sea, like the chill of a grave.

Her body froze, her half-step hanging in mid-air, unable to fall or be pulled back.

The man in the black robe emerged from the wall.

His movements were slow, just like last time, like an old tree bent by the wind growing out of the shadows.

He didn't speak, he just stood there.

Agati could feel the gaze on her, like two cold stones pressing down on her back, making it hard for her to breathe.

She wanted to turn around, to explain that she was no longer the vessel of the Nightmare God, but she couldn't move.

Several threads of condensed energy flicked from the black-robed man's fingertips, silently passing through the air and wrapping around Agati's lips.

The threads were so fine they were almost invisible, but Agati could feel them tightening.

The upper and lower lips were pressed together by those silk threads, stitch by stitch, fine and neat.

The stitches begin at the corner of the mouth and extend to the other side, each stitch piercing through the lips to firmly fasten the two lips together.

A very soft whimper escaped Agati's throat.

The sound was very soft, so soft that only she could hear it.

She wanted to shout, to scream, but her lips were sewn shut, leaving not even a crack.

Her fingers were trembling, her legs were weak, and she leaned against the wall like a tattered rag soaked by a storm.

The woman in black finished the last stitch, withdrew her fingers, and the ends of the silk threads drooped to the corners of her mouth.

He took a step back, his eyes, burning with eerie blue flames, fixed on her, like someone looking at something already sentenced to death, just waiting for the execution.

The man in black robes turned and walked towards the wall.

"My benefactor didn't want to get his hands dirty."

His voice was very soft, like the sound of wind blowing through dry branches, and he reached towards her head as Agati looked on in horror.

As Mondl walked out of the small building, he looked back once more.

He whistled, the sound particularly crisp on the quiet street.

"The old man made his move."

His tone contained no regret, no sympathy, only a nonchalant statement.

Baha flew off Su Xiao's shoulder, circled once in mid-air, and landed on Mond's shoulder, tilting its head and preening the feathers on its wings with its beak.

"That woman is too cunning; it's no loss that she's dead."

"Along the way, there were tests, schemes, using others to do the dirty work, and reaping the benefits. Although that madwoman Bone Sheep is crazy, at least she's crazy openly. What about her? She talks about cooperation, but her heart is full of ulterior motives."

Mond nodded.

"I hate people like this the most. They can't say what they mean directly, they can't settle scores openly, they always have to beat around the bush and scheme and plot."

He raised his hand and gestured with his thumb toward the small building.

"That old man may be neither human nor ghost, but at least he's honest. If he says he's going to kill you, he'll stand right in front of you and say he's going to kill you. He doesn't hide anything, how straightforward."

Shangyue, who was walking at the front, paused when she heard these words.

She didn't turn around, but coldly uttered a single sentence.

"If you demons could use your brains more, you wouldn't have been used as pawns in the void for so many years."

"So what if we're used as pawns? Being used as pawns means we're useful. It's better than some races that don't even qualify to be pawns and can only hide in the clouds pretending to be high and mighty."

Shangyue stopped and turned around, a cold glint flashing in her silver eyes.

Mondl couldn't help but laugh out loud at the sight.

His smile aggravated the wounds on his face inflicted by Su Xiao, causing him to wince in pain, but he couldn't stop smiling.

"Alright," Lin Yi's voice came from ahead. "Let's get going."

The group stopped talking and quickened their pace toward the dock.

The scene at the dock was much the same as when we arrived.

Ships were densely packed behind Turtle Island, their masts resembling a leafless forest, their mooring lines swaying gently in the sea breeze, making a clanging, metallic sound.

But the dozens of ships that had followed the Doom to watch the spectacle had already dispersed.

The flag of the Bone Sheep still flew at the bow, but those who wanted to see Agati make a fool of himself dared not stay any longer.

When the man in black robes appeared, a chilling aura permeated the entire Turtle Island.

To the pirates, that aura was more terrifying than any storm.

No one knew what had happened, but everyone knew one thing—something had happened on the island, and it was something they couldn't afford to mess with.

So they left, even faster than they had come.

Some didn't even have time to reel in the anchor before cutting the mooring ropes and rushing outwards.

Only the Doom and a few small boats that couldn't escape remained on the dock.

The owners of those small boats crouched in their cabins, not daring to peek out, fearing that even a glance would bring them to their deaths.

Su Xiao walked to the bow of the ship, placed his hand on the gunwale, and the sails of the Doom slowly rose, the black canvas billowing in the sea breeze and making a whooshing sound.

Mordrac rose from the deep sea, its massive body breaking through the surface and creating huge waves.

Several thick chains were thrown down its back, which Am caught and skillfully hooked onto the hook at the stern.

"Walk."

Mordrak let out a low growl and began to move forward.

The chains tightened, and the Doom was towed away from the dock, its speed increasing rapidly.

Those who were still squatting in the cabins on the dock heard the noise and poked their heads out from the gaps.

Only when the flag completely disappeared from sight did someone let out a long sigh of relief.

He had been holding his breath for so long that when he exhaled, his voice trembled, as if he had just crawled back from the brink of death.

Mordrac swam much faster than he had come.

The Doom was being dragged along by it, and its speed was more than twice as fast as before.

The boat left a deep wake in the water, which spread out to both sides, forming white ripples that lingered for a long time.

Mond leaned against the ship's railing, watching the ships flee in disarray, and couldn't help but click his tongue.

"Doctor, do you think if we stay a few more days, we can plunder all the good things on this sea?"

Bach flew down from the mast, landed on Mond's shoulder, and pecked at his ear with his beak.

"Stay a few more days? Do you think this is your backyard? You can stay as long as you want?"

Mondl tilted his head to avoid Bahamut's beak and raised his hand to rub his ear, which had been pecked so hard.

"I was just saying, I'm not actually going to do it. Look how smooth the journey has been. Those boats ran away faster than rabbits when they saw us, not one of them dared to get close."

"That's because they're afraid of the Bone Sheep's flag, not you. If you strip naked and throw yourself into the sea, see if those pirates run away or come to rob you."

Mondstadt paused for a moment, looked down at his tattered leather armor, then at the flag fluttering in the wind at the bow of the Doom, and suddenly realized that Bahamut's words made sense.

Baha ignored him and flew back to the mast, his black bean-like eyes scanning the sea.

Bubuwang lay on the bow of the boat, chin resting on its paws, its tail sweeping across the deck.

Its eyes were half-open and half-closed, its ears were perked up, and it would twitch occasionally, then droop down again after confirming that there was nothing unusual around it.

They sailed for three days in this manner.

For the past three days, the sea has been unusually calm.

There were no storms, no giant waves, and even seabirds were rarely seen.

None of the pirate ships that usually rampage across the seas appeared.

The fishing boats that used to shuttle between the islands have all disappeared.

The entire sea seemed to have been emptied out, leaving only the Doom and the behemoth behind it. Occasionally, a few blurry outlines could be seen on the horizon, but as soon as those outlines saw the black flag on the bow of the Doom, they would immediately turn around and flee at top speed.

Some ships didn't even have time to furl their sails, and just sailed at an angle, tilting violently, with cargo on deck falling into the sea with a crash, and no one dared to stop and pick it up.

Mondl lay on the ship's railing, watching yet another merchant ship flee in panic, and couldn't help but sigh.

"This flag is really useful."

Baha shook its wings, about to say a few more words, when Su Xiao's voice came from the bow of the ship.

"arrive."

Everyone's eyes turned forward at the same time.

On the horizon, a dark silhouette is slowly emerging.

The outline was initially very small, as small as a sesame seed, but as the Doomsday approached, it grew larger and clearer.

After Mordrac swam for nearly half an hour, the outline of the island was fully revealed to everyone.

It was an island with an extremely strange shape.

From a distance, the island appears to have two enormous horns pointing straight into the sky.

The two horns, one on the left and one on the right, rose abruptly from the mountain peak in the center of the island, piercing straight into the sky.

The surface of the horns is as smooth as a mirror, like the skeleton of some giant creature, or like a stalagmite that has been forcibly squeezed out of the ground by some force.

Their height is astonishing, estimated to be at least several hundred meters, taller than any mountain on the island.

From a distance, the entire island looks like a head pierced by horns, silently floating on the sea.

The island's overall color is also extremely bizarre. From the mountains to the reefs, from the beaches to the vegetation, everything is black.

It was as if something had absorbed all the colors from the island, leaving only the most primal darkness.

Although the island is covered with lush vegetation, the leaves, branches, and trunks of the trees are all black.

The sand on the beach was black, the rocks were black, and even the spray from the waves crashing against the rocks had an indescribable dark hue under the sunlight.

Terror Island.

This is the finish line of the third round of the battle for supremacy, a place that must be reached within fifteen days.

Lin Yi has only been in the Viking Sea for less than ten days.

There was still plenty of time, but nobody wanted to stay here any longer.

The island felt so oppressive; the omnipresent darkness was like a giant eye, silently watching everyone who approached.

Mordrac's speed began to decrease.

Its massive body moved slowly across the sea, each tail sway more cautiously than the last.

It doesn't want to get close to the island.

This was the first time Lin Yi had sensed this emotion from this giant beast.

Su Xiao maneuvered the sails, and the Doom, using its last bit of momentum, headed towards Terror Island.

The boat was not fast, but it was stable enough.

The waves gently lapped against the hull, making a splashing sound that was exceptionally clear on the still sea.

Just as the Doom was less than two nautical miles from Terror Isle, Mordrak suddenly let out a sharp howl.

The sound was completely different from before.

The howl was a warning, an alert; it was the sound of the bird telling the people on its back as quickly as possible that there was something underwater.

Lin Yi sensed it almost the instant Mordrac uttered the cry.

A large number of creatures are rapidly rising from the sea surface. They are numerous and fast, creating huge currents as they surge up from the deep sea, causing the entire area of ​​the ocean to tremble slightly.

Those creatures quickly rose to the surface.

The first thing that catches the eye is the dense array of silver scales, which gleam with a dazzling cold light in the sunlight.

Then there are rows of sharp bone spurs, extending upwards from their spines, like short knives stuck upside down on their bodies.

Finally, there were their eyes, pairs of dark golden pupils, cold, alert, and devoid of any warmth.

These creatures are somewhat similar to the sea creatures we encountered in Siren Harbor.

They have human-like upper bodies and fish-like lower bodies, with deep blue or dark green skin that gleams with a moist sheen in the sunlight.

But they have weapons in their hands, not the crude tools made of coral and shells, but real weapons.

The trident, spear, and scimitar were all made of metal, with sharp edges that gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

They were also much larger than the previous sea creatures, with the smallest being two meters tall, muscular, with thick scales and sharp bone spikes, clearly indicating that they were highly trained combatants.

Sea warriors.

The ones Lin Yi encountered before were just patrol teams, responsible for daily vigilance and communication with humans.

These are soldiers who have actually been on the battlefield.

The scars on their bodies are the best proof; those scars have long since healed, but the marks they left behind are still shocking.

The leading sea warrior was taller than the others of his kind, estimated to be about three meters tall.

It held a huge trident in its hand, each of the three blades engraved with a blood groove, which gleamed with a dark red luster in the sunlight.

Its eyes were fixed on the Doom, scanning from bow to stern, from Su Xiao to Mondstadt, and finally landing on Lin Yi.

It opened its mouth and emitted a series of complex syllables.

Lin Yi couldn't understand what it was saying, but he could hear the command in its tone; it was telling them to leave.

Shangyue stepped forward and responded in the sea tribe's language.

Her voice was cool and clear, a stark contrast to the deep, resonant voice of the sea warrior.

The two were communicating in a language composed of bubbling sounds, friction sounds, and low-frequency vibrations. They spoke very quickly, and Lin Yi could only judge the nature of their conversation from their expressions.

The sea warrior was very assertive. He pointed his trident forward, and the warriors behind him raised their weapons and formed an attack formation.

Their movements were synchronized and well-trained, clearly indicating that this was not the first time they had done this.

Shangyue did not back down; she was warning the sea creatures, telling them that the people on this ship were not someone they could mess with.

The leading sea warrior remained silent for a moment, seemingly trying to find some flaw in these people, some evidence that could prove they were just bluffing.

Then it saw the flag on the bow of the Doom.

The black flag unfurled in the sea breeze, with a white skull and ram's head and two downward-curving ram's horns.

That pattern is so famous in this ocean that even the sea creatures living in the deep sea know what it represents.

The lead sea warrior's pupils contracted slightly. It didn't react immediately, but stared at the flag for a long time.

If this flag was stolen, then the people on this ship are more terrifying than bone sheep.

If this flag was found, then the people on this ship are not someone it can mess with.

In either case, it doesn't want to get into conflict with these people.

At that moment, Mordrac let out a low groan.

It communicates with these sea warriors in its own way, telling them about recent events.

The bone sheep is dead, the flag has been stolen, and the ancient god on the island is dead too.

These people weren't here to cause trouble; they were just passing through on their way to Terror Island.

The sea warriors remained silent for a long time after hearing Mordrak's words.

Its dark golden eyes scanned the group of people, finally settling on Lin Yi.

It opened its mouth and said something.

After listening, Shangyue turned to Lin Yi and said, "It said that Terror Island is not a place for humans. But if you insist on going, they can't stop you."

Lin Yi looked at the sea warrior and asked Shang Yue to indicate that they were just going over there.

The leading sea creature warrior was silent for a moment, then made a gesture.

The warriors behind it immediately put away their weapons and spread out to the sides, clearing a path to Terror Island.

They acted quickly, not because they were afraid, but because their leader made the judgment, and they only needed to carry it out.

The leading sea warrior gave Lin Yi one last look, then turned and led his warriors into the sea.

The sea returned to calm, with only ripples spreading outwards as proof that they had once existed.

Su Xiao adjusted the sails, and the Doom continued to sail forward.

Terror Island is getting closer.

The two horns that shot straight into the sky grew closer, higher, and larger.

Standing at the bow and looking up, they look like two pillars supporting the sky and the earth, their surfaces as smooth as mirrors, without even a crack.

As the Doomsday Ship sailed into the waters off Terror Island, the seawater changed from azure to deep blue, and then from deep blue to pitch black.

A slight scraping sound came from the bottom of the boat; it was the sound of the hull touching the black sand.

Terror Island, we've arrived. (End of Chapter)