Preparing to Submerge

The lower portions of these stone pillars had been severely eroded by the seawater, covered in barnacles and grime. However, one could tell from their still-intact tops that they were definitely not products of nature.

“This... how could there be ruins of a house in the middle of the sea? Am I seeing things?” Po Kong rubbed his eyes as he stared at the reefs not far away.

“You’re not seeing things. Those should be the pillars of a house... look, you can still see a bit of the original form of that beam.” Starlight studied them with a frown. For some reason, he felt a strange sense of familiarity looking at these broken stone pillars.

While the two of them were still investigating, Xia Duo, standing at the bow, had already leaped lightly onto the reef. She waved her arm, signaling for them to hurry up.

“I say, Little Shadow, we’ve come this far. Stop being so secretive, will you? How about explaining what’s actually going on?” Po Kong gave a forceful leap, causing the small boat to sink several dozen centimeters into the water before he landed on a corner of the reef. He began to size up the ancient stone pillars beside him.

Compared to him, Starlight and Moen were much more elegant. After receiving instruction from Eventador, both were now able to use wind fields to briefly support their weight, allowing them to step over the waves and onto the reef.

“Sigh... fine. Since we’re already here, there’s no point in hiding it anymore. It all starts with what our parents left behind...” Xia Duo gave a small sigh and shared a look with her sister before beginning to explain the situation.

According to the history known to the public, the elves planted the World Tree they depend on during the Age of Gods. This giant tree, blessed by the Goddess of Nature, not only allowed the elves to survive the era when the gods fell but also became an integral part of their lives.

Just as they had shared data through the sub-links scattered across various locations, the network of the World Tree provided them with immense convenience. This had led the majority of elves to abandon traditional books as a medium for writing, choosing instead to use this more convenient method to obtain information.

Consequently, over the past ten thousand years, a vast amount of ancient information had gradually been lost within the bottomless depths of that sea of data.

Given the elves’ easygoing and detached nature, such ancient and seemingly useless information was of no help to them now. Naturally, no one bothered to pay attention to these relics of a bygone era.

However, no matter the race, there are always a few mavericks. It just so happened that Xia Duo and Moen’s parents were that specific exception.

It could be said that Xia Duo’s personality was a perfect inheritance from her parents—full of vitality and an adventurous spirit.

Unfortunately, Xia Duo and Moen had never actually met their parents. The couple had left Star-Song Forest roughly twenty years ago, and no one knew where they had gone to explore or if they were even still alive.

At that time, the two sisters were still deep in slumber within the core of the World Tree.

Moen and Xia Duo had never mentioned their family situation before.

For long-lived races like the elves, such a scenario was not particularly rare. In the eyes of most elves, the relationship between generations was actually quite distant.

While Xia Duo and Moen still felt regret over never having met their parents, they didn't possess the same deep emotional attachment that humans might have.

However, the adventure journals left behind by their parents had opened another door for the sisters, making them exceptionally long for the world outside Star-Song Forest.

“The route we are about to take is a passage formed during the War of Gods ten thousand years ago!” Xia Duo’s crisp voice rang in their ears, instantly sending shockwaves through their hearts.

Moen stepped in at the right time to explain the lost history they had learned. During that battle between deities, the original Leon Continent had its terrain directly altered. Much of the original land had even been sunk directly into the sea.

Firefly Beach, where they had been earlier, was split open by a single sword strike from a god. The reef they were standing on now was merely a small piece of a ruin that had survived that world-destroying attack.

“Damn... no wonder that beach was so straight! It was actually carved out by a sword?” Po Kong gasped, muttering to himself.

With his strength, it would be easy to plow a trench dozens of meters long in the sand. Once he stepped into the Saint Rank, the power of his attacks would increase several times over.

But a length of over a hundred kilometers? He couldn't even begin to imagine what kind of scene that must have been.

Starlight also fell into silence. This was the first time he had gained a general understanding of the power of the gods. It seemed that the Ancient God of Darkness Taros, in his hurried resurrection, had possessed less than one percent of his true strength; otherwise, they never would have been able to defeat him.

If a single sword strike from a god possessed such terrifying power... then the power of the Godslayer...

Starlight didn't dare to think further. He didn't know what kind of existence he would eventually have to face, but he knew it was a destiny he could not escape.

He subconsciously clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms as a sense of powerlessness welled up within him.

“Starlight, are you okay? Do you feel unwell?” Moen, standing beside him, caught a glimpse of his slightly trembling hands and asked softly.

Upon hearing her concern, Starlight instantly snapped out of his thoughts and silently shook his head at her.

“But even if you say that, Little Shadow, we don't see any road here. We’re not going to fly across, are we?” Despite his shock, Po Kong still voiced his confusion.

The area around the reef offered nothing but a view of the empty ocean. There didn't seem to be a path anywhere. However, Xia Duo gave a small smile and pointed a finger beneath her feet.

“Of course not. We’re going through the seabed!”

“Huh? The seabed? Little Shadow, you’ve got to be joking... I mean, I’m no landlubber, but I haven't exactly evolved to the point where I can swim underwater like a fish!” Po Kong’s face twitched. He hadn't expected Xia Duo to propose such an outrageous plan.

“Don't worry. Among nature magic, there is a support spell called the Water Breathing Spell. As long as I keep the spell active on everyone, we can pass through the underwater area without any trouble.” Moen spoke as she began to gather her mana.

She lightly tapped the air with her delicate hand, and a pale green light split into four parts in mid-air, each landing on one of the four companions.

Starlight felt as though his body had been wrapped in a warm membrane. The thin layer of green light seemed to pull in air from the outside, creating a very subtle sensation.