My left and right hemispheres fight each other.

Just as Chen Jing saw all of this clearly, a dark shadow tore through the curtain of darkness and suddenly attacked from below.

Chen Jing's arm, which he instinctively used to block, was grabbed. The dark figure pounced on him, using the force and weight to push Chen Jing to the ground. His grabbed arm was also firmly pressed above his head.

The shadowy figure raised its other hand high and then swiftly stabbed down. Chen Jing struggled briefly but immediately realized that he could not break free for the time being. He reacted like lightning and made the most correct judgment at that moment.

As he turned his head, a chilling aura, carrying an indestructible sharpness, struck his ear. The floor beneath him instantly shattered, and in a flash of light, Chen Jing saw that it was a longsword!

Sensing the opponent's intention to draw his longsword, Chen Jingkong simply stretched out his free arm, locking the opponent's joints like a lock, preventing the opponent from succeeding easily.

During this brief respite, Chen Jing finally saw clearly who the incredibly powerful black shadow pressing down on him was.

A bald head, excessively long eyebrows, a long face so thin that the eyes are sunken and the cheekbones are prominent, and one eye that gleams fiercely while the other is dull and lifeless.

"Old blind man!" Chen Jing shouted.

The shadowy figure froze, and Chen Jing seized the opportunity, kicking the figure in the stomach and sending it flying.

When facing an extremely strong opponent, never be pinned to the ground or too close to a wall, otherwise you will be in an extremely disadvantageous situation.

The dark figure staggered backward, grabbing the hidden door behind him, while Chen Jing had already snatched the opponent's longsword. He weighed it in his hand, feeling its considerable weight, and then twirled the sword.

Basic identification successful:

arms--

"A dull, sharp edge"

Quality: Craftsmanship

Basic Ability: All effects caused by blunt force strikes of this weapon are increased to 150% of the original value, while thrusts from the tip of the sword ignore 50% of the target's base defense.

Unique ability:

1. Stubborn Edge: When the wearer attacks a target whose total defense is 200% or more of their base defense with this weapon, blunt and thrust attacks will simultaneously benefit from each other's base ability bonuses. If the wearer's attacks land on the same spot consecutively, they will also ignore all defenses above that level.

2. Sharpness of Dullness: When the wearer attacks a target with a higher base defense than the wearer using this weapon, their physical strength is increased by 100%.

Background: The weapon crafted by a mediocre blacksmith for a disillusioned pirate became the starting point for that pirate's transformation into a legend.

Stubbornness was the reason for the pirate's downfall, and dullness was the root of his failure.

But in the end, he used this to make a comeback and became one of the most unique pirates in history.

Remark:

This strange weapon, with only its blade sharpened at the tip, bears an inscription by its maker dedicated to its user—

What breaks through the enemy's defenses may not be the opportunistic exploitation of gaps, but rather the stubborn prejudices of the foolish.

... "

"Dr. Edens, you've finally come out to see me, but do you have to be so rude? We are civilized people, we must be civilized." Chen Jing smiled easily, as if he wasn't the one who was almost pierced through the head by a sword just now.

"You've seen her?" Edens's only bright eye stared intently at Chen Jing.

"Her? Oh, that stargazing priestess, the captain's old flame." Chen Jing said rather flippantly after realizing what she meant.

"You know that too?" Edens took a couple of heavy breaths, unable to straighten his chest any longer, and slumped down in dejection.

"I know a lot. For example, you're not a doctor at all, but a blacksmith." Chen Jing curled the corners of his mouth.

Edens glanced at him with some surprise.

"However... there are many things I don't know, such as... whether our wise captain's name is Celine Vaughn, or..." Chen Jing carefully observed Edens' expression, and seeing that the other's eyes were widening, he smiled triumphantly and said, "Isolde Raven."

Edens suddenly became wary, staring intently at Chen Jing: "Who are you? What is your purpose?"

"I'm a doctor, I'm not interested in any treasure, I just want to know the truth." Chen Jing pouted, making a "believe it or not" look.

"I don't know the truth." Edens' gaze remained serious.

"I don't care." Chen Jing shook his head and took two steps closer. Seeing the growing resistance in the other person's eyes, he stopped. "I just want to know what you know."

"You should be dead, but you've seen her. Only she would call me 'Old Blind Man'," Edens murmured, somewhat bewildered.

Chen Jing's expression shifted slightly, and he said innocently, "But I've come back to life, which is why I'm so eager to know the truth—I need to figure out what exactly happened to me."

Edens gave him a deep look: "The fact that she can talk to you means that you are indeed alive, and not one of those monsters in human skin."

"A monster?" Chen Jing pressed.

"That's right, a monster." Edens carefully considered his words before speaking in his hoarse voice, "The Blessed Light Sea is actually the Corrupted Light Sea."

"In this sea area, the deep sea gleams with golden light, and whenever a ship passes over it, many people suffering from strange and incurable diseases are miraculously cured. Thus, it became famous and was known as the Sea of ​​Blessed Light."

"But they simply don't understand that their loved ones, who have recovered from their terminal illness and are now healthy and agile, have actually been quietly transformed into bizarre monsters."

"They slept in the same bed with the devil, laughing and celebrating the restoration of their bodies, believing it to be a miracle bestowed upon all beings by the sea god."

"But this place is called the Sea of ​​Corruption, where the remains and souls of countless beings are buried. These homeless wandering souls have been imprisoned here for countless years, turning into an endless, decaying sea of ​​soul light."

"The souls that have lost their physical bodies are tormented. Their minds have long been damaged and twisted. They wait madly to possess someone's body and temporarily leave this sea, just to taste a moment of peace."

"But they will eventually return. The corrupted light has long since become one, constantly calling for their return. Their bodies will decay again, and their souls will be constantly pulled away."

"At that time, the desperate monsters will no longer be able to pretend to be normal people. In extreme pain, they will take more people with them and be buried here to comfort their constantly tormented bodies and minds."

"Billions upon billions of living beings... Could it be that these twisted souls are not just human beings?" Chen Jing caught this unusual number.

“That’s right.” Edens glanced at him and continued, “Souls that haven’t completely forgotten their past will still disguise themselves as ordinary people, trying to return to shore, find a way to break free of the curse, or experience a brief period of peace.”

"But what about the souls of those animals..."

"Wait a minute," Chen Jing interrupted, "When did this blessed sea area first appear?"

Edens paused, then said, "It's always been there."

"Do the captain and the priest know about this?" Chen Jing's expression turned serious.

"Of course." The answer is yes.

"Then why did we bring a ship full of unknown pirates here, only to have those monsters possess them? And even appoint them as officials?" Chen Jing was puzzled.

Edens was stunned: "What did you say?"

"That woman from last night, the one who had the carpenter fix the door, don't you think she looks familiar? I disposed of her body right in front of you." Chen Jing stared at Edens's trembling old face, getting closer and closer.

"That's absolutely impossible," Edens vehemently denied.

"Do you think it's possible that the captain, at some point, also turned into a monster and is now taking our entire ship with him?" Chen Jing pressed on, as if gradually tempting the devil within.

Edens immediately regained his senses. He took a step back, creating some distance: "I can assure you of that, he won't have his body taken over by a mere wild spirit."

"Oh, I see. So, is he Isolde Raven or Celine Vaughn?" Chen Jing rubbed his temples in frustration, stealing glances at the other man.

"No comment," Edens said firmly.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to get any information about the captain from the old man who had been keeping quiet at crucial moments, Chen Jing sighed: "Then you should at least tell me what happened to my body."

"I really didn't know that, otherwise I wouldn't have mistakenly thought you were dead," Edens said, softening his tone.

"So you were just pretending not to know before?" Of course, Chen Jing didn't say this out loud, but instead pretended to be disappointed.

Seeing his state, Edens couldn't help but speak up: "I wanted to stop you that night, but you had already been infected, so I had to take your body to prevent the monster from possessing you."

"But when I woke up the next day, I found that you were in the outside world completely unharmed."

"At that time, I naturally assumed that the monster had replicated your skin, was born from my unconscious state, and imitated your appearance. I never expected that you would actually come back to life."

"..." Chen Jing was speechless for a moment.

"What's wrong, young man?" Edens looked over in confusion.

Chen Jing shook his head, suddenly feeling a little lost, and sighed, "I think I've caught a glimpse of the malice in this world."

"What?" Edens couldn't understand his rambling.

"It's nothing," Chen Jing waved his hand.

"Well then, you should return my things. Every moment now could be a crisis." Edens didn't hesitate any longer and stretched out his hand.

"What is it?"

"Don't play dumb with me. That sword of yours is part of my collection," Edens snapped.

"This?" Chen Jing suddenly opened the longsword in his hand, touched it, his eyes darted around, and he smiled, "Isn't this mine?"

"You little thief!" Edens was furious. He said angrily, "If it were anything else, I wouldn't care, but I absolutely cannot give you this sword."

"So you have other treasures? I'm not quite used to this sword either, let me take a look and see if I can switch to another one?" Chen Jing chuckled, shamelessly snuggling closer to Aidens.

"Get lost." Edens shoved him away, sighed, took out a small object, and said impatiently, "This is the only one. Take it or leave it."

"Whether or not we can exchange it is up to me. You can't force me to buy or sell it, old man." Chen Jing muttered, but his expression changed immediately after he started the basic appraisal.

"Dr. Edens, please preserve that body for me. It might hold some clues." Chen Jing took the small gadget and returned the rather heavy longsword to the other man: "Promise me this condition, and add this brooch, and I'll trade it."

Edens frowned, wondering what tricks this guy was up to or what he was thinking, but after thinking about it, he agreed.

Basic identification successful:

accessories--

"The Brooch of the Benefactor"

Quality: Homogeneous (Understated elegance!).

Basic Abilities: Provides the wearer with a 10% boost to Strength, Speed, and Inspiration, and increases the wearer's physical recovery rate to 160% of the base.

Unique ability:

1. Healer's Self-Healing: There is no upper limit to the wearer's physical recovery. 10% of the recovery beyond the limit will be stored as reserve life force. After the wearer is injured, they can actively release the reserve life force to accelerate the wearer's physical recovery rate for a short time, up to a maximum of 3000% of the base.

2. The Healer's Self-Salvation: This effect is triggered when the wearer's body enters a near-death state, immediately restoring the wearer's vital signs to their maximum capacity. At the same time, the "Healer's Brooch" will enter a "Lost Life Force" state, where basic and unique abilities become ineffective until the wearer recovers them.

background:

The treasure that the pirate emperor Everstein acquired in his youth is said to bring divine favor to whoever possesses it, protecting them from death.

In his later years, he used this brooch in an attempt to restore his youth.

Clearly, he failed.

The brooch was also discarded by the enraged emperor, and its whereabouts are unknown.

Remark:

Only those who help others can help themselves; how can those who are in debt heal themselves?

True confidence comes from having enough reserves to overflow.

Moreover, perhaps the inner abundance of the self-sufficient is the true essence of helping others?

... "

……

Replacing craftsmanship with homogenization is, normally speaking, a very unprofitable decision.

But the word "inner beauty" erases this loss.

Most importantly, the sword wasn't very useful to Chen Jing. If the treasure couldn't resolve the current crisis in time, it would be no different from dirt.

Furthermore, since he couldn't completely sever his relationship with Edens, the effect of this brooch made Chen Jing extremely satisfied.

He then decisively changed it.

However, to determine what kind of surprise this brooch might bring him, further experiments are needed to clarify the terms and mechanisms that are not described or explained in detail in the basic identification.

The nights were particularly unbearable. The Bauhinia was undoubtedly a colossal ship in this world, but it was far too cramped in Chen Jing's world. Various noises and sounds from the ship rose and fell, seeping through the uninsulated wooden walls and disturbing his ears.

To ensure sleep quality without wasting time that could be used for thinking, Chen Jing chose to create a lucid dream for himself.

In his dream, he sorted out the various threads of thought in his mind, did some simple reasoning, and then quickly ended his hibernation.

Chen Xin opened her sleepy eyes, preparing to welcome her third day in this world.

There were no toothbrushes in this world, and his mouth was full of bad breath. Chen Xin endured it with great discomfort and pushed open the hidden compartment.

With a slightly wary look, Chen Xin performed a few feints at the imaginary enemy before finally peeking her head out.

Then he froze.

"Dr. Chen's sleep quality is truly enviable." Chen Muqing was still dressed in the same outfit. She stood directly opposite him, looking at him with a half-smile.

"Quartermaster, what brings you here?" Chen Xin was thankful that since coming to this world, he hadn't had the habit of sleeping with his clothes on.

"The Golden Warehouse and the Black Kite will be docking soon, and we'll need Dr. Chen's help out then."

Chen Xin blinked, recalling Chen Jing's conversation with the captain yesterday: "I'll make sure the quartermaster comes to find me personally, otherwise I'll be late."

"Not yet, for now." Chen Muqing shifted his expression, giving Chen Xin a cryptic look as he looked her over, then tossed her a canvas bag: "These are clothes the captain personally picked out for you. As the flagship's only doctor, you can't be underestimated."

"Huh?" Chen Xin subconsciously caught it and looked inside.

"Dr. Chen, you wouldn't mind changing your clothes in front of me, would you?" Chen Muqing gave him a flirtatious wink, her eyes filled with desire.

But Chen Xin felt a chill run down her spine.

"No, I don't mind." Chen Xin got goosebumps, forced a smile, and agreed.

Chen Xin quickly took off the hospital gown that he had slept in until it was wrinkled, and then quickly changed into the clothes that Chen Muqing had brought for him.

Then, he folded the hospital gown and put it into the canvas bag.

Looking up, he saw Chen Muqing squinting her narrow eyes meaningfully, her lips trembling as she said, "I didn't expect Dr. Chen to have such a good figure."

Chen Xin could only respond with a shy smile.

Although he was already in good shape, he wasn't particularly good, since he hadn't had any systematic fitness training.

However, since Chen Jing relaxed his muscle restrictions last time, he has already achieved some success in sculpting his physique.

It's not the kind of explosive muscle, but rather very smooth and full lines.

"Let's go." Chen Muqing glanced at him again, then turned and walked out.

Chen Xin hesitated before following. He noticed that the three pirates in the corner had woken up, each with a worried expression and looking at him with some fear.

Chen Xinruo was lost in thought and did not ask anything at this moment. He hurried to catch up with Chen Muqing's already departing figure.

Upon reaching the upper deck, Chen Xin belatedly realized that despite the large flow of people, the originally cramped passageway was not congested.

Because most of the sailors had already gathered here.

He could no longer see Chen Muqing's back, but he saw Ge Yan and the other three not far away.

Chen Xin walked over, and Ge Yan glanced at him: "Did you see that?"

"What?" Chen Xin tilted her head.

Ge Yan stretched out his finger and pointed to the horizon where the sea met the sky.

A massive ship, painted in gold and incredibly imposing, but riddled with cannon craters and bearing numerous signs of repair on its masts and decks, broke through the fog and approached.

A colossal ship, shaped like a giant whale, with a jet-black streamlined shape, sailed against the light, its appearance so appalling it resembled a bizarre ghost ship.

Chen Xin stared intently into the distance, finally managing to make out what was troubling Ge Yan.

The two ships were not only filled with sailors and pirates dressed in coarse linen, but also with other oddly dressed individuals who stood out from the crowd, making it easy to identify them as travelers.

"Hahahaha!" Chen Jing manipulated his body and suddenly burst into wild laughter.

The sailors around them looked at them with puzzled expressions, and Chang Song, Ge Yan, and the others also asked with similarly confused looks, "What's wrong?"

"Are you guys debating whether or not to cooperate with them?" Chen Jing stopped laughing, but a smile remained on his face.

"Don't even dream about it."

"World, you are truly wicked."

"It is only after entering the Fuguang Sea area that the opportunity to connect with tourists is given."

"But now, how are we supposed to distinguish the approaching tourists...?"

"No, it's everyone on those two pirate ships..."

"Is it a monster in human skin?"