Yes, I became a god just by exercising.

Chapter 174 The Secret of the Eternal Proof: The Father of All Stars Searches for the Successor of the Gate of Stars?

Axo was one of the few elders of the Augustus family who could get along well with the younger generation.

At this moment, his face, which exuded an air of wealth and nobility, was filled with an inscrutable expression, as if he were about to reveal some great secret.

The younger generation was all attracted to him, including Xia Fa.

Then, Axor spoke mysteriously:

"What appears on the Baron Ocean is undoubtedly a ship, or rather, entities that are carried by ships."

His enormous body pressed down even lower, and his tone was even somewhat chilling:

"But strangely, the entities on that ship weren't pirates, but... a group of students!"

student?

Everyone was shocked. Students on a ship? What was going on?
Axel continued with a mysterious expression:

"To the unsuspecting, from a distance, it might look like a sightseeing boat sent out by some academy. If you get closer, many beautiful female students and handsome male students will enthusiastically invite you to board. However, once you board..."

His eyes suddenly widened, and his tone became resolute:

"I... I'll never get out again!"

Everyone shuddered for no reason; the scene was just too eerie to be true.

Of course, if you were simply invited onto a ship by a group of students and then never got off, that wouldn't be a big deal, since the world is full of strange and bizarre things.

However, this situation becomes even more problematic when it's linked to a "physical entity" that possesses limitless power and is shrouded in mystery...

Everyone shuddered, feeling goosebumps rise all over their bodies.

Xia Fa asked in confusion:
"Is that all? What about the rules and taboos regarding this new entity?"

Axel chuckled:
"I don't know. I heard it was an entity that appeared at sea just two days ago, and the people who boarded the ship can't get out. How can we find out?"

After saying that, the elder of the Augustus family suddenly changed the subject:
"By the way, what happened between Lord Glutton and the Gourmet?"

All the nobles of the Augustan Palace were paying close attention to the entity of Lord Gluttony, and the Augustus family was no exception.

After all, Lord Gluttony only went out for a meal, and young Raelillow went from a nobleman on the verge of ruin to the governor of Riverwind.

Then, he was promoted to sheriff of the southern district of Augustus, which left a deep impression on the nobles.

Many people immediately looked at Frederick, which suggests that it seems there aren't many young members of the Augustus family who enjoy reading newspapers.

Seeing everyone looking at him, especially Shaphat, whom he cared about most, Frederick cleared his throat and said:

"Here's the thing, and I'll make it clear beforehand: I saw it in the newspaper. I've always held the Gourmet in awe, and I have the utmost respect and admiration for Your Excellency the Glutton."

Everyone was even more surprised to see that he had made such a prior statement.

What exactly happened yesterday in the palace of a certain prince or nobleman of the Budai Dynasty?
Frederick continued:

"The situation was that Lord Gluttony suddenly appeared in the palace of the Bronze Bag King, who was entertaining guests with a sumptuous lunch and discussing some matters."

"Upon seeing Lord Glutton appear, the King of Bronze Bag and his distinguished guests were naturally overjoyed and were preparing to send the Bronze Princess to serve him his meal."

"But then, the food critic appeared pushing his cart..."

It must be said that Frederick had some oratory skills; with just a few words, he immediately captured everyone's attention.

Just as the glutton was about to eat, the gourmet appeared?
What will happen?
Are the two entities really going to fight?
Frederick didn't keep them in suspense and continued:
"Then, according to the newspaper, the gourmet first asked a bag-man if he wanted to order food, but the bag-man refused."

"Then the gourmet immediately pushed his cart to Lord Gluttony, took out a menu, and asked Lord Gluttony if he wanted to order anything."

"But guess what? Hey! Lord Gluttony ignored the Gourmet!"

"The Glutton began to eat on his own, but with each bite he took, the gourmet would pass him a portion of the menu and repeatedly ask if he wanted to eat more."

"You can imagine the scene: two entities, one ranked in the top three in strength, and the other ranked in the top ten, going head-to-head like this..."

As everyone followed his description, they actually imagined it for a moment, and some people even turned pale instantly.

Although the planet Caligi is home to the terrestrial divine kingdoms of the two righteous gods, the Silver Universe and the Nature Monarch, it won't be as easily wiped out by the "Story Answerer" as a certain planet once occupied by a secret heretical organization.

However, if the two entities really fight... the entire Star Coin Continent will probably sink!
Frederick, however, was not afraid at all, because he had read the newspapers and knew the outcome of the encounter between the two entities, so he remained very calm and continued:
"Seeing that Your Excellency the Glutton had eaten three different foods, the gourmet's menu almost hit Your Excellency the sore spot."

"Your Excellency the Glutton... finally turned around, and then, guess what?"

"He actually... he actually ordered a dish of stir-fried lamb intestines with eggs, and he even demanded that the gourmet cook it with lamb appendix! Hahahahahahaha!"

After Frederick finished speaking, he couldn't help but burst into laughter.

There was no way around it; Lord Glutton's move was just too wicked. He could only imagine how speechless the Gourmet must be.

Besides, this matter has already been published in the newspaper. If the food critic really wants to cause trouble because of this embarrassment, he should go after the Bronze Bag King and his descendants who dared to publish it.

In other words, since there hasn't been any news from the Budai Dynasty yet, there's probably nothing to worry about. As a renowned entity, the Gourmet shouldn't be so stingy.

The younger members of the Augustus family, upon hearing the final words, displayed a variety of expressions.

“Your Excellency the Glutton…you are truly wise.”

"Hahahaha, I can't resist anymore. Ordering lamb appendix scrambled eggs? You Glutton, you're a genius!"

"Speaking of which, if we ever encounter a food critic, could we do the same thing?"

"Then you'll have to find a superhuman who has signed the Surgeon's Pact or the Healer's Pact to have your appendix removed, otherwise your appendix will keep bleeding, hahaha."

"I feel that the Gourmet is going to make enemies of Lord Gluttony now, but Lord Gluttony probably isn't afraid of him."

"That's right. Ever since Lord Glutton's achievements against the giant royal family on Dark Star came out, he is now recognized as one of the top three strongest entities! On the contrary, there is still a lot of debate about who can be in the top three, the story teller and the bard."

"Hahahaha, as expected of Lord Gluttony, you subdued the Gourmet without even lifting a finger!"

Seeing everyone laughing together, the restaurant was instantly filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Xia Fa smiled helplessly and shook his head. There was nothing he could do; the gourmet had approached him the moment he asked.
Actually, yesterday at noon, compared to meeting the gourmet, Xia Fa's bigger question was why his body had the exact same surgical scars as before he transmigrated.

But this problem was so mysterious that after thinking about it for a while, he simply gave up on it.

If we have to talk about appearance, when this body first transmigrated, it was so hungry that you could see the ribs, so the face was naturally thin and bony, making it difficult for Xia Fa to compare.

After recovering his health, he discovered that he now looked almost exactly like his former self before he transmigrated.

He shook his head slightly, deciding not to think about it anymore.

He always had a nagging feeling that exploring this matter was about as dangerous as writing cryptic texts in Chinese characters…

Xia Fa forked a beef sausage and took a bite. The rich meat juices and oils burst in his mouth, and he couldn't help but show an expression of enjoyment as he began to devour it.

"These are truly extraordinary ingredients, and they're cooked so deliciously..."

Such a large room, and such a wonderful breakfast... Shafa almost wanted to stay in this palace of the Augustus family forever.

After eating and drinking to his heart's content, seeing that it was already noon, Xia Fa declined Frederick and others' invitations to participate in aristocratic activities such as equestrian practice or golf, and went straight back to Rum City.

This time, Xia Fa didn't go home, but went directly to Risle Street, which is just across the street from Daniel Street.

……

13 Risle Street.

The doorplate is made of iron and looks brand new, with strong and powerful numbers written in the Pu Tong language.

Xia Fa gripped the small bottle in his palm; it was Pompeii's black bottle.

After he finished breakfast and returned to his room, he checked it out.

But to his surprise, the small bottle was completely empty, as if it contained only air.

If it weren't for that feeling that he found extremely repulsive and disgusting, and that which kept emanating from the small bottle,

If he were certain that what Dick Tudor wanted was in this small, bottle-like black bag, he probably wouldn't even dare to come and see Dick Tudor.

Filled with inexplicable excitement, Xia Fa walked step by step to the door.

As the saying goes, practice makes perfect, so this time he didn't hold back and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

As a long creaking sound rang out, he stepped directly inside, and the first thing he saw was the magnificent palace.

This time, Dick Tudor didn't drink alcohol; instead, he was having a meal.

His cheetah-like, agile figure was seated at the long table to the right of the platinum throne, treating the food on the table with an extremely serious, even proper, attitude.

Hearing the sound, Dick wiped his mouth with a napkin and turned around.

Upon seeing Xia Fa, His deep, star-like eyes lit up, and a smile appeared on his face:

"You're here! Perfect timing! Want to grab something to eat?"

Xia Fa had just finished breakfast not long ago and wasn't hungry at all.

But now, after just a whiff of the aroma emanating from the various delicacies on His long table, he admitted that he was immediately hungry again.

Not for any other reason than the aroma... it's just too tempting.

Those are top-quality, extraordinary ingredients, cooked with top-quality cooking techniques, resulting in a top-quality, extraordinary feast that instinctively attracts extraordinary individuals!

It's like a thirsty person seeing a spring and food, or a thirsty person seeing a beautiful woman!

Xia Fa pursed his lips, walked over, and sat down opposite Dick Tuo.

At first glance, these extraordinary meals were not luxurious; instead, they resembled the kind of feasts that ordinary people would prepare for a holiday—roasted pork knuckle with mashed potatoes, stewed mixed fish with perilla leaves, oysters with goose eggs, and so on.

However, the aroma of these foods far surpassed any of the gourmet meals he had ever eaten, except for the stir-fried lamb intestines and eggs made by the gourmet himself.

"Eat whatever you like, but don't overindulge. These are all cooked using supernatural creatures from the cosmos as ingredients."

A supernatural being of cosmic level!

Xia Fa's pupils contracted slightly. It was an existence between a ruler and a god. Each one was extremely rare. If used as food, it would be far superior to demigod-level creatures such as mountain dragons and bears!

Judging from this, I estimate I can only eat a small bite, otherwise I might really burst from being stuffed.

Xia Fa didn't rush to eat, but instead carefully examined Dikto.

Now that he has seen more, and after comparing them again, this extraordinary monarch, who is as handsome as an ancient Greek beauty and as majestic as an ancient Roman emperor, indeed feels to him to be far superior to the Scarlet Agent and Marshal Gaius.

Only Patriarch Osius was perhaps slightly better than Him...

"Why are you staring at me? I don't like men."

Dick Tudor chuckled and made a joke, then continued:
"You brought the things, right? I've been waiting for them for so long."

Xia Fa immediately placed the small bottle-shaped black bag on the table, and with a push of one hand, the small bottle slid towards Dick Tudor.

Dick took it without even looking at it; simply holding it in his hand, he immediately revealed a satisfied smile:

“Very good, Xia Fa, you’ve done me a great favor. With this, and a few more months, I won’t be afraid of those who are always watching me.”

Xia Fa raised an eyebrow slightly:
"So, what exactly is this thing? To be honest, I opened this black bag and looked inside, and it was completely empty, there was nothing there."

Upon hearing this, Dick Tudor revealed a knowing smile:

"That's normal. Don't you also feel that the things in here are very disgusted and repulsed by you, and you also feel very disgusted and repulsed by them?"

Xia Fa exclaimed in surprise:
"how do you know?"

Dick smiled enigmatically:

"Well... I'll tell you later. By the way, what kind of reward do you want? Just name it."

Unexpectedly, Xia Fa shook his head firmly:
"No, I only just realized that a top-tier secret contract starts at five million gold pounds, and even then, you might not be able to buy it. You've already helped me more than enough."

Dick Tuoduo was clearly taken aback, not expecting that Xia Fa would not only refuse the reward, but would actually say such a thing.

After a long while, a smile slowly appeared on His face—a genuine, heartfelt smile, tinged with a touch of emotion.

"Very good, I knew I was right, you are indeed a friend worth having."

With a casual wave of his hand, a candy shimmering with dazzling light, like a ball of seven-colored light, fell into Xia Fa's arms.

"This is the [Energy Candy]. For those below the Angel rank, as long as your heart or brain isn't destroyed along with it, even if only one of them remains, you can immediately recover from any injury, along with your physical strength and supernatural power. For those above the Angel rank, as long as your soul isn't completely destroyed, even if only a wisp remains, you can use it to recover to your full strength."

Xia Fa took the candy from his pocket. The candy wrapper had already been peeled off, and the candy itself looked like countless tiny gems of different colors pieced together, making it a top-notch work of art.

"This is so amazing, could it be the secret technique of your 'fairytale world'?"

Dick Tudor smiled and shook his head:
"How could that be? This is a secret ability that I developed by combining the [SOS Candy] with other secret abilities I have signed. However, even for me, it takes a year to secrete one, so don't waste it."

secretion……

Xia Fa always felt that the word was strange, especially since Dick Tudor was a man...

But he didn't think much of it and smiled contentedly.
"Thank you, this is very important to me."

Obtaining such a magical item just before setting sail is like having an extra trump card to save his life!

Dick Tudor chuckled and waved his hand:
"I should be thanking you."

Xia Fa hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered up the courage to ask the question he most wanted to know.

This is also his second most important purpose for coming here today.

"I...can I ask you something, something very important."

Dick asked curiously:

"What is it? Just ask, I'll tell you everything I know."

"Well."

Xia Fa took a deep breath:

"What is... a certificate of eternity?"

Dick Tudor was drinking champagne with its golden liquid in his glass, smoothing out the mashed potatoes he had just eaten.
Upon hearing this, His cheeks immediately puffed up, and he almost spat out the wine in his mouth.

He forced himself to hold it in, swallowed hard, and before he could catch his breath, said:
"Where...where did you hear about this concept?"

Now it was Xia Fa's turn to smile mysteriously:

"As you know, as a signatory to the Silver Throne, I often come into contact with all sorts of mysterious figures."

He felt something was wrong as soon as he said that.

I feel like I've said that somewhere before...

Dick Tudor sighed:
"I'm sorry, it's not that I don't want to tell you this, but... I really don't know how to explain it to you."

Xia Fa asked curiously:
"How to say?"

Dick Tudor replied almost without hesitation:

“A testament to eternity can be a pen, a piece of paper, a house, a bowl of water, a glass of wine, even an island, a breath of air, a single sentence, or a rumor… In short, it can be anything in the world, or it can be nothing at all.” Xia Fa became even more curious upon hearing this:
"Then why do some people say that two supreme-level secret contracts, an eternal certificate, and some other conditions can allow a ruler to transcend and become a god?"

Dick Tudor was truly shocked; his pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable.

This incredibly powerful transcendent monarch had never before shown such a loss of composure. The last time he had been so out of control was when he heard that Xia Faneng could sign a second overlord-level secret pact.
"You even know this? You...who exactly have you been in contact with?"

Before Xiafa could answer, He sighed softly:
"That statement is indeed true. In a sense, if we could categorize the forbidden knowledge in this world, this knowledge would be in the second tier—don't think it's too low. The first tier is all forbidden knowledge involving the nine Great Gods and the Great Old Ones they destroyed."

Dick Tudor put down his knife and fork, seemingly preoccupied by Xia Fa's question. He picked up the champagne beside him, gulped down a large mouthful, wiped his mouth, and then said:

"What exactly is the proof of eternity? Different people have different feelings about it. If I had to say it, there's only one sentence: when you come into contact with it, you will understand it."

When you come into contact with it, you will understand it...

Xia Fa murmured to himself, repeated the sentence, and nodded secretly.

Regardless, he still obtained crucial intelligence from Dick Tudor this time.

First, the "eternal certificate" is not just a specific object, but can exist in any form.

To be honest, when Xia Fa first heard that the proof of eternity might be just a wisp of air, he found it a bit abstract.

Hearing that the proof of eternity could be a landscape, or even just a sentence or a rumor, he gained a deeper understanding of just how miraculous the proof of eternity truly was.

Secondly, of course, is what Dick Tudor just said.

When you come into contact with it, you will understand it.

The meaning of this statement is probably very profound.

According to Dictator, only when one truly comes into contact with the Eternal Certificate can one truly understand why, together with two Overlord-level secret contracts, it can allow the Sovereign to transcend and become a god...

"Oh, right, if I had to mention it, there's another taboo related to it."

Dicket seemed to suddenly remember something and added:
"I actually saw this in the diary of the true god [First History]. As for how I obtained His diary, I'll tell you about that later—"

"In short, for different beings, whether human, demi-human, or anomaly, physical entity, or even a spirit in the Protoss realm,"

"Any being that signs a supreme-level secret pact, if it can sign one—in addition to certain of its own characteristics, determines what kind of eternal credentials it can integrate."

Xia Fa was slightly taken aback:
"What did you say? Ghosts and spirits can form secret contracts, and they can even form overlord-level secret contracts?"

He had previously guessed that entities could also sign secret contracts; otherwise, the young miner without facial features wouldn't have asked him to find the entity "Storytaker," and even said that the Storytaker had also signed the Silver Throne, a supreme-level secret contract.

As for whether the mysterious entity could sign a secret agreement, Xia Fa had made some speculations, but sincerely hoped that it was best not to.

But he never expected that not only could the Strange sign the contract, but even the spirits in the Star Spirit Realm could sign it.

If even a star spirit, as vast as a planet and of extremely high status, were to sign a supreme-level secret pact...

Xia Fa suddenly realized that among the ten overlord-level secret contracts, the "Star Spirit Master" secret contract, which allows extraordinary beings to capture star spirits, must also possess a power that cannot be ignored.

It has to be said that this secret contract truly lives up to its name as it comes from the origin of the universe. I'm guessing that any living being in the universe, except for humanoid supernatural beings, could probably sign it.

Thinking about it this way, the value of a hegemon-level secret agreement seems even higher...

Dick was somewhat surprised:

"You don't even know this? Oh... no, this is indeed knowledge that only those at the demigod level or above can know."

He changed the subject and said:
"Since you know about the Eternal Certificate, and that two Overlord-level Secret Contracts plus an Eternal Certificate, along with other conditions, can allow a Ruler to transcend into a Divine Being, then... you should be able to guess that the Mysterious Emperor who recently emerged from seclusion on Planet Calig is also after the Eternal Certificate, right?"

Xia Fa nodded:
"I know that, but what you mean by bringing this up is..."

Dick Tudor leaned back in his chair and smiled calmly.
"As I said before, what kind of eternal certificate you or that mysterious emperor can fuse with depends on two things: first, yourselves, and second, the hegemonic secret contract you have signed. However, the hegemonic secret contract that your spiritual intuition guides you to is based on certain characteristics of yourselves."

Before He finished speaking, Shaphat had already guessed what was going on:
"You're not going to tell me that the [Eternal Token] that appeared in the Baron Ocean this time can be absorbed by both me and that Mystic Emperor, are you?"

Dick snapped his fingers:
"That's right, very smart."

Seeing that Xia Fa's expression had become serious, Dick Tudor stopped joking and sat up straight again, placing his arms on the table and leaning slightly forward—for some reason, this posture gave Xia Fa a strong sense of pressure.

"You signed the Silver Throne and the Gate of Stars, while that Mystic Emperor signed the Primordial Stomach and the Forge of All Things. It seems that the overlord-level secret contracts you signed are completely different, but based on past experience, you should both be able to absorb that [Eternal Certificate]."

The Primordial Stomach and the Forge of All Things...

Xia Fa secretly memorized this crucial information. If Dick Tui hadn't been a man, he would have loved to hug and kiss him.

There was no other way; this intelligence was just too important!
Knowing in advance what kind of overlord-level secret agreement this mysterious emperor signed will allow me to better deal with and plan for the future!
Although I can barely fight angels now, once I sign the "Mystic Singularity" contract, a top-tier pact, I should be able to go toe-to-toe with the Overlord at the Wolf level.

In that situation, if the Emperor of Mystery was unprepared, he would still have a slight chance of snatching the [Eternal Proof].

This is his advantage. When that time really comes, the Emperor of Mystery will surely overlook a wolf-level superhuman like him.
Just like how the Crimson Agent overlooked him, who was only at the Eagle level, when he was on the ship yesterday at noon.

Neither of them could have imagined that he could transcend so many ranks and levels to unleash unimaginable strength.

"This time, no one from other inhabited planets will interfere, because with the tacit approval of the Silver Universe, the Nature Monarch has taken action and sealed off our planet, Kaligi."

Dick Tudor tapped the table twice with his index finger and continued:
“That’s right. Until the ‘Eternal Certificate’ is obtained by the Mysterious Emperor or some other lurking being, even I can’t leave this planet.”

Xia Fa, however, showed a thoughtful expression:

"Even so, people from the other twenty-one continents will still come to the Baron Ocean, right?"

Dick Tudor smiled and said:
"The old guys probably wouldn't dare to come, because whether it's a ruler or a transcendent monarch, anyone who dares to appear in the Baron Ocean at this time will become a thorn in the side of this mysterious emperor. As for the young people, especially the young overlords, it's unclear whether they will come to join in the fun."

He suddenly forked a large piece of roasted pork knuckle skin, put it in his mouth, savored it, then downed the bottle of champagne in one gulp and stood up:
"Alright, you don't need to think about anything else. My personal suggestion is that you shouldn't even go to sea this time. Even though you've signed two overlord-level secret contracts, which means you can deal with beings of the angelic rank, the gap between you and that Mystic Emperor is still far too great. But if you insist on going..."

A mysterious smile suddenly appeared on Dick's face:
"When that [eternal proof] appears beside you, you can sense it in a very special way that will definitely leave a deep impression on you. If I had to describe it, it would be like meeting the love of your life."

He leaned down to look at Xiafa, placing his hands on the table:

"When that time comes, if no one around you notices, then take the certificate of eternity and run away. Come to me, and I can protect you."

Xia Fa smiled:
"Thank you in advance."

Dick raised an eyebrow:
"So, you still want to go to sea?"

Xia Fa didn't hide anything from Him and nodded solemnly:
"Yes, I want to go and gain some experience."

Dick Tudor smiled and shook his head:
"Since that's the case, I doubt I can persuade you otherwise. After all, this is a grand gathering for the young overlords of the entire planet Caligia. However, they are merely future transcendent monarchs, while you are the future Mystic Emperor. Alright—"

He flipped his palm over, as if grasping something, and his expression suddenly became serious:

"Let's get back to the diary of the righteous god [First History]. To be honest, I joined an organization, a very mysterious organization that spans the entire universe. The leader of this organization gives me the feeling that he is even comparable to the nine righteous gods. I—"

Unexpectedly, Xia Fa also stood up at this moment, pressing his left hand to his right chest.

This iconic move made Dick Tudor's eyelids twitch.

The next moment, a sentence came from Xia Fa's mouth.

"For a new world!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he released his left palm, revealing a shadow gold badge on his right chest, featuring a half-decayed World Tree relief.

"For the new world."

Dick responded with a remark and immediately pressed his left palm against his right chest.

Immediately, He smiled and sighed softly:
“I should have guessed it. No wonder you knew taboo knowledge related to the proof of eternity.”

Seeing that Xiafa was part of the same organization as Him, His attitude towards Xiafa became even closer:
"In that case, I'm relieved. Alright, let's not waste any more time. See you at the next dream conference."

As soon as He finished speaking, both Dictator himself and the entire palace suddenly went blank.

A commotion swept over, and behind him were passersby. Suddenly, Xia Fa found himself standing in front of number 13 Risle Street, on the street.

Looking up, I saw that the doorplate had turned into rotten wood, and most of the writing on it was stained.

"Dick Tudor is in such a hurry... what is he going to do?"

Xia Fa had been wondering why He suddenly stopped eating and stood up, but now it seemed that He was probably in a hurry.

For some reason, Xia Fa thought of the item that Dick Tudor had asked him to retrieve, the item on Pompeii's body.
I suspect it's related to why He was in such a hurry.

However, since he felt extremely disgusted and repulsed by that thing, and the thing also felt extremely disgusted and repulsed by him, he couldn't be bothered to care about it.

"He's always so busy, I don't even have time to ask him about the information on the Overlord-level secret contracts... I wonder if it's written in the occult book that Marshal Gaius gave me..."

Xia Fa sighed softly, somewhat forlorn, and turned to walk towards the port of Rum City.

Next, it's time to go to the Extraordinary Market to buy some necessities.

And then... we prepared to set sail!

……

3pm.

The sun was shining brightly, and the clear, bright light reflected the vast expanse of the blue sea, making Xia Fa feel especially refreshed and relaxed just by standing on the beach.

He spent three hours and nearly 100,000 gold pounds buying some necessities for his voyage, and then rested for a while in a tavern in the Extraordinary Market and had a few beers.

After calculating, there are only 3.5 million gold pounds left.

We are still about 1.5 million gold pounds short of our goal of 5 million gold pounds.

Now, it's time to set sail.

Xiafa's boots crunched on the fine sand as he rubbed the silver coin the black-robed angel had given him.

This silver coin is extremely special. The reverse side is blank, while the obverse side is dotted with stars, clearly indicating that it was privately minted. Moreover, it features the totem of the "Father of Ten Thousand Stars," one of the five pirate emperors of the sea.

When he tried to infuse the silver coin with his supernatural power in the tavern, he immediately saw a coordinate appear on the back of the coin.

Those coordinates are exactly where he is standing now.

This is a very remote bay located west of Rum, where you can hardly even see any fishing boats.

Since Qinghuzi died, the fishermen have returned to their familiar waters to fish, naturally avoiding this remote bay with few fish.

Xia Fa waited patiently, gazing into the distance. The sea was calm, with only shimmering waves. Seagulls circled overhead, occasionally plunging into the water and grabbing a large fish with their claws. But he didn't see a single ship.

"Wasn't it said that as long as I was willing to go to sea, the Father of Ten Thousand Stars would send someone to pick me up? Where is he...?"

Xia Fa was a little confused, mainly because he had been standing there for more than ten minutes.

Just as he was about to take out the silver coin to check again and confirm that the coordinates were correct.

Wow!
The colossal object broke through the sea surface, creating waves hundreds of feet high, causing ripples to spread throughout the area.

Immediately afterwards, a huge ship, a full kilometer long, emerged from the water!
The large ship was covered by a flowing, multicolored membrane, which was probably the reason it could move underwater.

As soon as it appeared on the sea surface, the colorful light membrane that was completely attached to the ship shattered, turning into bubbles that scattered and disappeared into the clear, sunny sky.

The large ship, however, sailed straight toward Xiafa, cutting through the waves with overwhelming momentum.

A smile spread across Xia Fa's face, for he had already seen the pirate flag—a black flag dotted with stars.

It is... the pirate flag of the Father of Ten Thousand Stars, one of the five pirate emperors!
The massive ship, a thousand meters long, stormed onto the beach with incredible ferocity, seemingly unconcerned about running aground.

Immediately, the long planks were lowered down.

One by one, the pirates quickly disembarked from the ship and then lined up in two rows.
However, these pirates were clearly not as professional as the soldiers, and they had no discipline whatsoever. Although they were divided into two rows, they were exchanging glances and boldly casting sizing looks at Xia Fa.

Whispers arose from over there.

They were discussing in hushed tones, but their voices, carried by the breeze, were all heard by Xia Fa through his ability to use the Etheric Source Secret Contract.

"This is the young master from the Augustus family?"

"She doesn't seem that spoiled."

"Maybe they'll be a reliable partner, haha."

"That's hard to say. Not everyone can be as reliable as young Frederick, but this lad looks quite agile."

"Our boss actually came to pick him up in his own boat. This kid must be someone special."

"Huh, why can't I tell his rank?"

Xia Fa narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze flickering.

The atmosphere on the ship seems quite nice.

On the other hand, the black-robed angel probably only told the Father of All Stars about his signing of the Silver Throne, a secret treaty of supreme authority, so these pirates probably don't know about it.

despair!despair!despair!
Heavy footsteps sounded from the ship.

Xia Fa suddenly felt as if the sun had gone dark, and then realized that an incredibly burly figure was carrying a large bronze anchor and was getting off the deck, blocking out the sun!

The figure was as imposing as an iron tower, wearing a sleeveless vest, with short, spiky red hair, a deep, square face, a high nose and a wide mouth, giving off a strong sense of oppression and the majesty of a lion king.

That was actually a demigod!
Xia Fa felt a chill run down his spine. He guessed that this must be the captain of the ship.
The figure stepped down and, in a few steps, stood before Xia Fa, then suddenly reached out and patted him on the shoulder:

"You must be Xia Fa? The man in black robes mentioned you to me. It's alright. Since you're on our ship and going to see the leader, we're all on the same side now."

As he spoke, his massive, bear-like body suddenly wrapped around Xia Fa's shoulder, and he began to complain:
"You have no idea, the leader has been very worried lately. He wants to find a successor, but no one meets the requirements."

"After all, He signed the Gate of Stars, a supreme-level secret treaty. If you want to inherit His mantle, obtain His large fleet, and especially make the captains under His command willingly submit, you must also be someone who has signed the Gate of Stars, a supreme-level secret treaty."

"A young overlord, a future extraordinary monarch—but where can one find such a person? And is it something that can be found so easily?"

"Although I've heard that a signatory to the Gate of Stars has recently appeared on Greenbeard's ship, would such a person willingly join our pirate crew?"

"To escape from the Crimson Executor, He must be an angel, after all, the Crimson Executor is also a transcendent monarch, you know that, right?"

"In short, don't overthink it. Now that you're on our ship, come with us on a free and joyful adventure, chasing after schools of traveling whales. However, we need to avoid that Mysterious Emperor for now. Sigh, even our leader told us not to mess with him."

The captain rattled off a whole bunch of things in his own language. Although there was a lot of useful information in his words, Xia Fa could clearly see that the pirates in the distance had already started exchanging knowing glances and gloating.

Xia Fa was both amused and exasperated. How did he end up with such a talkative captain?
However, he then began to ponder.

The Father of All Stars... There were rumors at sea that this pirate emperor, who was also an extraordinary monarch, had signed the overlord-level secret contract of the Gate of Stars.

However, the Father of All Stars, as one of the five emperors of the sea, is incredibly mysterious. Even angelic beings may not know much about him.

But now, Xia Fa is certain.

After all, these were said personally by one of His captains.

The Father of All Stars... did indeed sign the Gate of Stars!

No wonder He has such an honorific title.

"It seems this pirate crew made the right choice coming here..."

Xia Fa was excited, although he couldn't learn from the storyteller or the strongest of the nine righteous gods, [Absolute Defense], how to develop the Silver Throne, a hegemon-level secret contract.

But it seems... I'm about to learn from the Father of All Stars how to develop the Star Gate!

(End of this chapter)