If the Land of All Spirits were considered a nation, it could essentially be called a religious state.
The church is the governing body responsible for day-to-day affairs.
The person in charge of the Emerald Fortress is called the Gardener.
A position somewhat similar to that of a bishop.
The old woman in religious attire mentioned earlier is the island's gardener.
During the defensive battle, Alka and his team confirmed that she was indeed at the fifth stage.
Her strength is certainly formidable.
Following this logic, the person in charge of the entire region, the Land of All Spirits, must be at least at the sixth stage.
Perhaps even higher.
After all, this is the Marsh Sea, home to all manner of demons and monsters.
These followers of the Xinyang Flower Fairy can live in relative peace in this area, and even possess the strength to revive the fallen god.
This means they possess sufficient strength to deal with external threats.
Countless forces are interested in this marshland area.
Not to mention, this haunted place has become a hiding place for the villains east of several of the surrounding landmark islands.
Various treasure troves, hiding places, and resting places.
Without a single ounce of strength, it's impossible to protect this place.
The strength of some of the soldiers on this island can be discerned.
During the battle, Alka and his companions saw at least 30 soldiers with a strength of at least the third level, most of whom held minor positions.
They also saw several with a strength of the fourth level.
As Alka and his companions followed Sofia to survey the surrounding terrain, they encountered many soldiers they had fought alongside.
These soldiers would greet them with a smile.
But if we were to ask who was the most popular among them, it would undoubtedly be Matresa.
After all, who doesn't love a doctor who can quickly treat injuries?
The island wasn't very large, and the most eye-catching structure was the enormous flower in its center.
The enormous bouquet stood seven or eight meters tall, and the tightly closed stamens alone were as large as a person.
The entire surface of the bouquet glowed faintly.
It was clear at first glance that this object was definitely connected to the flower fairy.
However, since the island was small, the group quickly surveyed the terrain. After all, Sofia had already begun surveying during the battle.
After completing their survey, they boarded the Flying Swallow and began to slowly move around.
The circle drawn by Arka also included a large swampy area.
The swampland surrounding the island wasn't as endless as the previous areas, but instead had a certain type of tree.
These trees don't grow on the ground, but rather within the swampy vines of the seawater.
Their roots are incredibly developed, entwining themselves with the vines below, tightly binding them.
Their roots also bind to each other's.
This results in these trees growing in large masses, their trunks seemingly woven from a tangled mass of gray vines.
These trees cluster together in groups of three or two, forming the only noticeable feature of the surrounding swamp.
You can even see a large forest of these trees in the distance.
These small groves are surrounded by abundant plants and fish, making them a good fishing spot.
Their roots pierce through the vines, creating large holes leading to deeper water. However, they don't make the surrounding area too fragile, maintaining stability.
"There's something hidden beneath this swamp," Sofia suddenly said, as the boat sent silver ripples downward, surveying the surroundings. Upon hearing this, the three people nearby immediately turned to look at her.
Sofia closed her eyes, the silver ripples emanating from her body no longer concealed.
She clearly probed the surrounding underwater, piercing through the surface and the vine-covered footholds, exploring deeper.
"It should be some kind of stone building. The ruins are entangled in plants, blending seamlessly with the swamp."
"Bororo," Alka called out upon hearing this.
Bororo nodded, squatted down, and pushed hard against the vines he was standing on.
He found a relatively weak spot and, with a strong push, opened a breach.
The vines in this weak spot were not densely interwoven, easily tearing a hole.
Bororo dived directly through the hole.
As soon as Pororo dived underwater, he noticed something different about this area.
Some kind of man-made building debris hung and drifted around, entwined by vines and plants, dragging the ruins along in the sea.
Many seaweed, mosses, and corals clung to these plants, and a variety of fish swam around. This place had clearly become a home for marine life.
And from the sea, Pororo could see more clearly and more. The area of this ruin was far from small; it could be called enormous.
Besides the pile of bound stones before him, there were many areas where the vines were unusually thick, with countless branches dangling into the sea.
These branches sank down to depths of tens or even dozens of meters, and could be seen dangling densely, still binding countless stone ruins.
The rocks, large and small, and the vines had long since merged into one, becoming part of the swamp.
After taking in the underwater scenery, Pororo swam upwards, found the opening he had previously torn, and emerged again.
Seeing Pororo emerge from the opening, the others immediately turned their attention to him.
"There are indeed the ruins Sofia described down there, quite a few, perhaps even numerous... In the deeper waters, they're practically all ruins and vines."
Hearing this, Alka frowned.
"Did you see any patterns or writing on those buildings?" Lucilia asked impatiently.
Pororo thought carefully.
"There should be, but not much. There are tons of plants and corals clinging to those rocks, but they've been destroyed beyond recognition.
I think it's best not to get our hopes too high."
Lucelia nodded. "That's good enough. At least we know a bit."
She jumped from Alka's shoulder onto Pororo's. "Take me down and take a look."
Alka nodded and said, "You two go explore the ruins below. Sofia and I will continue to survey the surroundings."
Pororo nodded.
The two sides split into two groups and began their respective tasks.
"Hold on tight. The currents below are rough. Don't get swept away."
Lucelia nodded. "Don't worry."
Then the two of them dived again through the breach.
Because of the thick layer of vines, even though the sea below was perhaps only four or five meters from the surface, it was still pitch black.
It was like being in the deep sea, completely invisible.
Pororo, a merman of the sea, could naturally see clearly in the water.
Lucelia couldn't do that, so she had to use a light source to get a rough view of the water.
But visibility was extremely low, and at best, she could only see around her.
"I can't see far enough. Take me over. I want something well-preserved, with images and text inscribed on it.
Even if it's nearly destroyed, don't miss it."
Hearing Lucelia's request, Pororo nodded and began to swim around.
After circling the area for a long time, disturbing countless schools of fish, he finally found a broken square stone pillar. Here, I saw some blurry characters and drawings.
Lucille immediately used her light source to examine them closely.
"Hmm... the damage is quite severe. It's been soaked in seawater and corroded quite badly."
Fortunately, the stonework in this ruin seemed to be made of good quality, and the carvings were once very fine.
Even after so much time, with a little cleaning, they could still be discerned.
"The common script of the Sea of All Beings... no, just a slight resemblance, an ancient version?" Luille muttered to herself as she observed and recorded.
Pororo couldn't understand any of this, nor was he interested. He simply stood by and kept a watchful eye.
This place gave me an unpleasant feeling, a sense of danger.
Although only a dozen or twenty meters underwater, it was as pitch black as the deep sea, and the environment was unusually cold, making me feel uneasy.
There was a constant sense of something sinister in the inky sea. "There are too few records. Let's go somewhere else after we've finished reading them."
Pororo nodded and led Lucelia toward some unusual ruins with pictures and text.
There were quite a few ruins entangled by vines near the surface.
However, there weren't many with pictures and text, so it didn't take long to see almost everything around.
Pororo prepared to lead Lucelia deeper, where there were many more entangled plants and ruined buildings.
"Be careful, something's coming."
Pororo, who was swimming downstream with Lucelia, stopped where he was.
Blue lightning activated the lightning patterns on his body, emitting a light that was unusually conspicuous in the deep sea.
Seeing Pororo's actions, Lucelia immediately entered a fighting state.
But Lucelia's fighting style tended to lean towards stealth and sneak attacks. The seawater environment affected her performance.
Even though she had become a puppet, she was no match for a pure marine creature in a sea battle.
A red aura began to linger around her. A red aura began to linger around her. A red aura lingered.
"Here they come." With his clear underwater perception, Porrocha sensed the enemy's approach.
The enemy's hostility was undisguised; it was obvious at first glance that it might be some kind of sea beast.
As expected, a black shadow emerged from the depths of the sea.
A snake-like creature swam swiftly towards him.
It opened its bloody maw and bit towards Porrocha without hesitation, moving at an incredible speed.
Facing the sudden oncoming giant teeth, Porrocha quickly raised his hands to block the enemy's maw.
The slightly sharp teeth sliced through his skin.
Lusilia suddenly appeared above the giant snake's skull, a red blade appearing in her hand as she plunged directly into it.
Red energy gushed out, instantly transforming the minor wound into a long, slender puncture.
The giant snake struggled frantically. The muscles on Pororo's arm bulged, lightning patterns flickering across it. A sense of desolation and withering appeared in the water.
Crystals of ice formed in the surrounding seawater.
Pororo tilted his head back slightly, then suddenly spewed something forward.
A torrent of gray-black lightning erupted from his mouth, pouring directly into the giant snake's maw.
As the lightning surged in, the giant snake immediately began to struggle frantically, but its mouth was firmly held by Pineapple, unable to move.
Lucilia remained on him, slicing furiously with the long, thin blade.
With their combined efforts, only a little over a minute passed. The giant snake that had attempted to devour them perished in the water, its blood filling the sea.
"We can't bear to watch any longer! Let's ascend."
The surroundings were completely stained with blood. Lucilia nodded. She immediately clung to Pororo's body, and the two of them swam rapidly upwards.
The copious amount of blood in the sea and its pungent scent began to attract predators from the surrounding area and the surrounding seabed.
They began to gather.
A brutal battle was about to ensue.
The monsters attracted were not as weak as the giant snake.
Through the hole, the two emerged and once again stood on the swamp.
They quickly ran towards the spot where Alka had left.
They hadn't gone far when the swamp beneath them began to shake slightly.
The seawater in that area began to fluctuate abnormally, indicating the intense fighting below. Even the surrounding water had been dyed red.
Observing this, Pororo left quickly without even looking back.
Since they hadn't been underwater for long, Alka and the others weren't moving very fast. It didn't take long, just over half an hour, for them to quickly catch up with Alka and the others ahead.
"Why are you back so soon?"
Hearing Alka's words, Pororo could only shrug helplessly. "We encountered a blind sea snake. It wasn't very powerful, but its death attracted a multitude of marine life."
At this point, Alka nodded, instantly understanding.
Who knows what powerful sea beasts might be hiding in the waters below.
For these marine creatures, the smell of blood is the most attractive.
"We're almost done exploring here. Let's go back together later."
With that, they gathered together and, after a short while, had almost completed their exploration of the surrounding area and began their return journey.
They watched as a hint of blood-red appeared in the sea.
The fighting in the area where Pororo and the others were located had begun to spread.
But this no longer concerned them.
They returned with the boat.
They anchored the Flying Swallow at a small harbor near the island.
The harbor was filled with small fishing boats and the same concave wooden planks used to transport cargo.
They returned to the three-tree seating area that had been prepared for them.
After returning, they briefly ate the food Juanlu had left for them and cleaned off the seawater stains.
Sofia once again plunged into his work, finding a quiet spot on the second floor to begin drawing a map.
The other three sat in the living room off the first floor hall.
Julia was also quietly reading a book nearby.
"How's it going, Lucelia? Did you find anything interesting?"
Lucelia nodded at Alka's question.
"Although the ruins were severely damaged, the text and images that could be clearly seen were few and far between. But I did find something.
I didn't find any matching text for the pattern above. But if it's similar, with just some different or simplified text, then I still found something.
The text is very similar to the Sea of All Beings, the same passage I used before.
The terminology is similar to the written version.
It should be passed down from one generation to the next, though the writing has changed over time."
From Lucelia's words, it's clear that the writing she currently uses may have evolved.
The evolution of writing has distinct characteristics: generally, it becomes simpler and easier to write.
Through the changes in writing, we can identify which writings are from earlier periods and which are from later periods.
And the writing Lucelia saw today is from an earlier period.
"So, I speculate that these ruins are most likely from before the War of Gods.
Adding to what we've discovered in the Zehai area recently, this place is likely to have some connection with the Sea of All Beings. "
The ruins and inscriptions on the ruins in this area clearly demonstrate this.
But this world was originally fragmented and pieced together, so it's difficult to determine their connection based on geography. It's practically impossible.
Perhaps they were once a single continent tens of thousands of years ago.
But they eventually broke apart, one forming the safe Four Gods Sea, the other lost in the vast ocean.
We can only determine their connection based on other factors.
"That's all I know. We saw too few ruins. Our exploration deeper was interrupted by the sea serpent. We'll have to find a way to explore further later." "
Hearing Lucillia's words, Alka nodded. There would definitely be a chance.
The reason he asked Sofia to draw a map of the surrounding area was mainly because there were quite a few white and blue dots nearby and they were not far away, so there was enough of them.
And they did need more normal treasure to replenish the funds for their future activities.
If they didn't replenish it, Jason would have to beg.
Speaking of which, as a treasure hunting group, the normal wealth on board was not much, not up to the standard.
After all, Al had previously... Ka and the others were all after treasure, but sometimes the treasures didn't bring any surprising riches.
Over time, their stored treasures began to dwindle.
It was time to replenish them.
Meanwhile, these treasures could also offer some insight into the entire Zehai.
Understanding the surrounding environment would unlock more treasure information.
And increasingly detailed treasure information would also allow Alka and the others to gain a deeper understanding of the area they were in.
The two complemented each other.