I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

With Leia watching, the two who had been talking incessantly leaped onto the floating island.

The floating island wasn't large. The moment Cheng Fei landed, he even had the illusion that the ground was shaking due to the impact. There were no plants on the island, only a thin layer of lichen.

Shen Xi left his embrace and walked quickly toward the skeletal remains not far away, with a long cable trailing behind her.

The two arrived in front of the skull, which was almost as tall as a person.

"Could this be a dragon?" Cheng Fei tapped the skull and found that the bones, which had endured countless years, were still solid and showed no signs of weathering. Instead, they gleamed with a strange metallic luster.

"Dragon?" Shen Xi frowned slightly.

"Dragons? Never heard of them? You know, those fantastical creatures with wings that breathe fire and like to sleep on treasure." The boy waved his hand, making a flapping wing motion.

"Are you sure?" the girl asked doubtfully.

"Just guessing, but doesn't it look like it? This kind of long head." The boy gestured to the shape of the skull.

The skull has protruding upper and lower jaws, and just by looking at it, one can imagine the gaping maw of its owner in life.

"This should only be part of it; the rest has fallen." Shen Xi looked ahead.

The skeleton is located at the edge of the crescent-shaped gap on the floating island. The neatly arranged spines abruptly end with the terrain, and bones of varying sizes are scattered nearby, making it difficult to identify their origin.

"Teacher Shen, do you have a feeling?" Cheng Fei looked at the scene before him and rubbed his chin.

"How does it feel?" the girl asked, looking at him.

"Something, maybe a cannonball or something, hit this island and blasted a hole in it. The monster's lower body was blown off, leaving only its upper body here," the boy gestured.

Shen Xi pinched her chin, examining the broken parts of the floating island, and nodded. "Possibly."

While the two were studying, the rest of the people on the ship also ran to the side of the ship to watch, like a group of tourists.

After some time, the two returned to the ship after completing their investigation.

Shen Xi then asked Leia and Weinuo for their opinions.

“The existence of dragons is indeed recorded in the ancient texts, but I can’t recognize them.” The elven saintess frowned and thought for a moment.

"It is said that there are the remains of a giant dragon near the roots of the World Tree. Maybe this is it." The Light Magic Craftsman nodded.

"I understand." Shen Xi glanced thoughtfully at Cheng Fei beside her.

"Teacher Shen, what's with that cute expression? You don't suspect I know some secret I'm hiding from you, do you? I was just guessing, who would have thought such a thing actually exists in this world." The boy's expression turned serious.

"Hopefully, it's just that some people seem to have been able to guess things very accurately from the very first day they arrived at the crash site." The girl sneered meaningfully.

"Shen Xi, you really need to get rid of your paranoia about me." Cheng Fei looked at her and silently mourned.

The girl opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, but Nagasaki Asuna, who was next to her, suddenly seemed to sense something, stood on tiptoe, and shaded her eyes with her hand, looking in a certain direction. "Um, could you two pause for a moment? It seems like we're in trouble."

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone followed her gaze.

Accompanied by a rustling sound similar to leaves in the wind, dense dark shadows emerged from the white mist.

Hordes of tree spirits rushed toward the docked airship, and a large patch of floating bushes resembled a school of fish swimming in the sea, creating a strangely absurd feeling.

"Oh no, oh no, the tree spirit is here!" Zhou Han's round eyes widened slightly, as if she had seen a tense scene from a horror movie, and she subconsciously grabbed Ruan Jingyi's arm beside her.

"Holy crap?" Cheng Fei was stunned.

"Weinuo, set sail. The rest of you, proceed with the pre-arranged defense." Shen Xi took a deep breath and gave the order in a cold voice.

"Alright!" The Light Magic Craftsman, who was unable to fight, hurriedly ran towards the driver's seat.

Shen Xi climbed to the top deck with a cold expression, raised his staff, and a crimson stream of light as thick as a washbasin burst forth, sweeping through the flying tree spirits. The tree spirits that were touched instantly turned to ashes and fell into the abyss.

As the stern of the airship lit up with twinkling lights, Zhou Han and Ruan Jingyi unleashed their firepower into the air, while Cheng Fei and those skilled in close combat dealt with the enemies landing on the ship.

The Miriam fought and retreated as the tree spirits harassed it until, after some time, perhaps because the tree spirits were all killed, or perhaps because they could not keep up with the speed of the airship, the attack finally stopped.

When the air inside the sea of ​​clouds returned to silence, the group on the ship breathed a sigh of relief as they looked at the tree spirit corpses that covered the deck.

Under these circumstances, the teardrop-shaped airship no longer stayed, but sailed into the deeper and more distant depths of the fog.

……

For the next few days, the Miriam remained in the same condition.

They encountered hidden reefs lurking in the white mist from time to time, but managed to avoid them all without any real danger. On some of the larger floating islands, the skeletal remains of unidentified creatures were found. For safety reasons, Shen Xi did not stop the ship to investigate.

They encountered several tree spirit attacks, but fortunately, the Miriam's current combat capabilities were sufficient to handle them. Apart from keeping the crew on edge and depleting ammunition, no other losses were incurred.

As the altitude decreases, the world deep in the sea of ​​clouds no longer has day and night, and is shrouded in darkness almost all day long. The teardrop-shaped airship is like a deep-sea probe, swimming in the boundless abyss. The magic lights around the ship are the only light source in this desolate world.

The crew members on board continued to work in shifts as arranged in advance, remaining online almost 24 hours a day.

"Cheng Fei was indeed very prescient. I feel like I would go crazy if we didn't have time to play outdoors." Nagasaki Asuna stretched and sighed during dinner one day.

"You can't even stand it for a few days? Just like Cheng Feiyu, you're utterly useless." Shen Xi retorted with a cold laugh.

“Teacher Shen, I think the title of the number one internet-addicted girl in the multiverse belongs to you.” Cheng Fei shook his head.

“Yes, Her Majesty the Empress is a virgin.” Nagasaki Asuna said with a nonchalant smile, making the air at the dining table freeze.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Miriam, who was eating with them during their break, looked up and around, her face blank. "What do you mean by 'utterly useless'?"

"Senior, what do you mean by 'utterly useless'?" Cheng Fei coughed and began to explain to her in a serious tone.

It's worth mentioning that Ye Shuang was called away by Lin Xuanqi midway through, but rushed back that evening.

"Master Ye, I thought you would take the opportunity to go home and read comics all night. It seems you've also caught Shen Xi's internet addiction." Cheng Fei shook his head and sighed.

Then, unsurprisingly, I received a very rude glare.

Five days later.

In the cockpit of the Miriam, under the watchful eyes of the crew, Shen Xi used tools such as a compass and altimeter to check the aerial map and confirm the orientation.

"Teacher Shen, how is the situation?" Cheng Fei asked, hands in his pockets. "There shouldn't be any navigation problems. I think if we continue like this for another half month, everyone really won't be able to hold on."

"Shut your jinx. We've checked the landmarks along the way, and it's impossible for us to get lost. We're very close to the roots." The girl glared at him without any politeness and strode towards the cabin door.

Apart from Vino, who was at the helm, the rest of the group followed suit.

Cheng Fei shaded his eyes with his hand and looked out at the world outside the ship, which immediately became pitch black and hazy once it was out of the range of the magic lamp's illumination. "Is it really that close? Can't I see anything at all?"

"Wait a little longer." Shen Xi raised her chin and gazed ahead at the flight path, her small face displaying her usual confidence.

In the darkness, the airship seemed to be moving forward, yet it also seemed to be floating in place, as time passed second by second.

Suddenly, Zhou Han exclaimed, "Look, look! There's light ahead!"

At the edge of the abyss, a point of orange-yellow fluorescence appeared without warning, clearly visible through the mist.

As the airship drew closer, the fluorescence became increasingly noticeable and gradually expanded. What started as a tiny, firefly-like speck quickly spread to blot out the sky, making it appear as if an unknown city had appeared before them.

“It’s a tree root!” Miriam exclaimed.

The view ahead gradually became clearer, with thick, dark red roots appearing in the mist. These roots were so enormous that as the airship approached, it felt like an ant slowly crawling to the foot of an ancient banyan tree that had stood for thousands of years, looking up at the aerial roots hanging down from the sky, or like a mortal arriving at the edge of a mythical world, glimpsing the pillars between heaven and earth.

The roots initially appeared singly, but quickly became dense, eventually forming an impenetrable wall. This wall was shrouded in an orange-yellow fluorescence from who-knows-where, with no top visible above, no bottom visible below, and no end visible to the left or right.

Whether it was magnificent or bizarre, this was roughly the scene that appeared before the crew of the Miriam.

"This is what you've been looking for..." Ye Shuang stared blankly, her mouth slightly agape.

“The roots have finally arrived.” Leia looked up at the scene, a hint of dazedness on her heroic face, and murmured to herself.

Shadow peered out from the ship's railing, his little mouth agape involuntarily, his innocent face filled with astonishment.

"So here's the question: which way do we go now? Should we ask Leia to go up and say 'Open Sesame'?" Cheng Fei asked curiously.

“There should be a crack nearby that leads inside.” Shen Xi’s gaze swept over the wall formed by roots.

Nagasaki Asuna blinked, her clear, bright eyes reflecting the image on the wall. Suddenly, she shivered. "Speaking of which, what's that? It looks a little scary."

When the rest of the people on the boat looked in the direction she was pointing, the air fell silent for a moment.

“Dragon…” Shen Xi’s pupils contracted slightly, and she took a deep breath.

"So those were just dragon cubs?" Cheng Fei raised an eyebrow.

In a spot in the center of the wall, obscured by roots and difficult to spot, a large, clearly non-World Tree-like creature can be found upon closer inspection.

It was the remains of a creature that could only be described as grotesque. It was completely different from the skeletons on the reefs before. It had a complete shape, and its overall appearance was petrified grayish-white with a strange metallic luster. Its body was covered with layers of scales, and its slender body was full of unsettling power. Its broken wings drooped down, and its sharp limbs were stuck between the roots.

Although it is far less than the height of a wall, it is definitely not the size of a normal creature. If it were still alive, it could probably destroy a town with just a turn of its head. Even though it has been dead for countless years, it still evokes a sense of shock and horror in people's hearts.

A real, enormous dragon.

The dragon held its neck high, its gaping maw still roaring, and one forepaw was raised high, forcefully piercing through the wall of roots, leaving a shocking scar that formed a gap leading inside. Though called a gap, it was more like a towering canyon.

779. The World Inside the Roots

The petrified dragon, entwined by roots, resembles a lifelike sculpture, giving one the illusion that it might struggle to turn its head at any moment.

The Miriam fell into a long silence. Everyone stared at the wreckage, feeling a kind of tangible oppression, stemming from the most primal biological instinct: fear of a powerful species.

Miriam swallowed hard, glanced around furtively, and whispered, "Is it really dead?"

"Senior, don't worry. If we didn't die, we wouldn't be able to escape either." Cheng Fei sighed with a relaxed expression.

"So, what should we do now?" Nagasaki Asuna tilted her head.

Shen Xi let out a soft breath and ordered, "Go and check that crack."

So the teardrop-shaped airship changed course and headed toward the crack in the wall that had been torn by the dragon's claws.

Although the distance seemed short, the process still took a long time.

As the airship drew closer to the wall, the oppressive feeling grew stronger. Both the wall itself and the dragon's remains were far beyond human comprehension.

"I can't help but wonder what happened here, why the roots formed a huge wall, why the dragon attacked the wall, and what the world behind the wall is like. As my journey with her came to an end, I thought I could answer all my questions, but the history of the place where we fell became even more mysterious. What awaits us ahead..." The boy stood on the deck with his hands in his pockets, gazing into the distance, talking to himself in a serious tone.

"What nonsense is Cheng Feiyu spouting over there again?" Shen Xi kicked him to interrupt, her little face showing displeasure.

"I was just idling around and drafting my future biography. Is this not allowed by Her Majesty?" The boy looked at her seriously. "Or are you not satisfied with my description? Do you not like the phrase 'the journey with her has come to an end'?"

"Whatever, it's just a footnote to your youth living in your distant memories anyway." The girl spoke casually, not even looking at him, gazing thoughtfully at the approaching remains of the dragon.

The boy was stunned for a moment, and it took him a second to realize where she had come from. His expression turned sad. "Teacher Shen, I was really wrong. I know you have a good memory. It's been so long, so please don't hold a grudge over a single sentence, okay?"

The girl ignored him and only let out a cold laugh that had no meaning.

The airship continued toward its target, and the air was quiet for a moment.

"Teacher Shen, you choose one." Cheng Fei thought for a moment.

"What should I choose?" Shen Xi turned her head.

"When you came to this world, were you fighting the World Tree or the Dragon Clan?" the boy asked, looking at her intently.

The young girl's brows furrowed slightly, her face showing deep thought.

"By the way, I personally prefer to fight the dragons." Cheng Fei also looked at the remains of the giant dragon.

"Why?" the girl asked, puzzled.

"Because given your cruel and cold-blooded nature, if you were unhappy with the World Tree, you would have already launched an orbital bombardment with a star destroyer and burned it to the ground." The boy rubbed his chin.

The girl narrowed her eyes, growing impatient. She glared at him and said, "If you dare to try to slander me again, I'll really tie you, the biggest scum on Earth, to a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and execute you with orbital bombardment."

"This setting has actually been improved after all this time, Teacher Shen, are you serious?" the boy exclaimed in shock.

"Scared? Then behave yourself and don't do anything to disappoint me again, or you can pray that day never comes." The girl sneered.

"You're so cute when you talk. If you really want to, then do your best. If it's you, I won't run away." The boy shook his head and sighed.

This made the girl frown and shut her mouth, ignoring him.

"Teacher Shen, actually I've been thinking about something," the boy said again.

"What?" The girl glanced at him.

"The World Tree is so tall and huge, it probably needs to rely on light magic particles to fight gravity, otherwise it will collapse under its own weight." Cheng Fei clasped his hands together.

Shen Xi stroked her chin for a moment, then nodded, "Very likely."

"That raises a question. Based on the contents of that Genesis book, we previously speculated that the World Tree was some kind of extraterrestrial life, right?" The boy paused. "And light magic particles seem to be a specialty of the Fallen Lands?"

The girl instantly understood his meaning, her eyes narrowing. "If the World Tree is an extraterrestrial life form, it shouldn't need to rely on light magic particles to grow normally. Its life form should be more universal, otherwise it would be difficult to spread throughout the universe."