Far away, beyond the boundary of the southern region, lay the vast ocean.

Its surface appeared calm from a distance, but beneath that endless expanse lurked constant danger. Powerful sea beasts roamed the depths, existences that could easily reach the third rank or higher, surviving under crushing currents and an atmosphere so dense it could annihilate ordinary evolver in an instant.

They ruled the deepest layers of the sea, where light could not reach and pressure itself became a weapon.

Above those waters, a man stood in mid-air.

He wore a pristine white robe, his expression indifferent, his hands clasped calmly behind his back. The endless ocean below reflected faintly in his eyes, yet he paid it no attention.

Suddenly, his brows furrowed.

He turned his gaze toward the south.

After a brief pause, he raised one hand and waved it casually.

Space split open.

A spatial crack tore apart the air before him, its edges shimmering with restrained authority.

The next instant, a figure was expelled from within.

The Abyssal Mistress stumbled out, her body still unstable from her escape.

"Huh?"

Her expression immediately turned ugly.

She halted mid-air and scanned her surroundings, confusion flashing through her eyes.

This was not the western region.

She recognized that instantly.

Nor was this the place she was meant to arrive at.

At her side, the white-robed man stood silently.

Grand Priest Leon.

A powerful fourth-rank existence.

He was the one who had given her that talisman countless years ago, after an eventful night she had never quite forgotten. That talisman was supposed to deliver her directly to his domain, bypassing distance and interference entirely.

Yet now, instead of solid land or a familiar sanctuary.

Beneath her stretched an endless ocean.

Her gaze darkened.

"Why… am I here?"

She turned her head around and froze.

Only then did she truly look at him.

The man standing before her looked as if he had stepped straight out of a xianxia legend.

His gaze was vast and deep, like an endless ocean, and the moment it fell upon her, her heart trembled involuntarily. There was an indescribable pressure to him, as though he were a being sculpted by the heavens themselves rather than born of flesh and blood.

"Heavenly tribulation?"

The man spoke slowly, his eyes narrowing slightly as he examined the Abyssal Mistress.

"Interesting."

His gaze lingered on the residual scars left behind by the backlash of higher laws.

"Who inflicted this upon you?" he asked, a trace of curiosity entering his otherwise calm voice.

The Abyssal Mistress did not answer.

She remained cautious.

Strangely, she could not sense even the slightest trace of evolutionary energy from the man before her. No aura, no fluctuations, nothing she could identify or measure.

Yet she knew.

This person was terrifyingly powerful.

Powerful enough to stand calmly above the vast ocean, ignoring the dangers that lurked beneath its surface.

As that thought crossed her mind, the sea below suddenly trembled.

The waters churned violently as currents spiraled out of control. In the next moment, a massive whirlpool formed beneath them, its rotation tearing the sea apart.

Something rose from within.

A colossal, worm-like creature burst out of the water, its body covered in hardened scales, rows of jagged teeth lining its open maw. Its presence alone distorted the surrounding atmosphere.

"This energy fluctuation…"

The Abyssal Mistress's eyes widened slightly.

"A third rank."

"You mere mortals dare trespass into the territory of the Hydra Clan."

Clear, articulate human words echoed from the creature's mouth, despite its monstrous form.

Though its body was massive, it possessed the ability to transform into human form. That was precisely why it had mastered human language.

"Mortal," the hydra roared once more, murderous intent surging outward, "prepare to die!"

Energy rapidly condensed in its mouth, gathering into a destructive beam aimed directly at the man in the white robe.

The white-robed man did not move.

He did not raise a hand.

He did not even release an aura.

He merely glanced at the hydra.

For a single split second.

The sky darkened.

Clouds that did not exist moments ago formed instantly overhead, blotting out the light. A deafening pressure descended as the laws of heaven were forcefully invoked.

Bzzt!

Kaboom!

A bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky.

The hydra did not even have time to scream.

Its massive body was instantly vaporized, erased without leaving behind blood, bone, or residue.

Bzzt!

Kaboom!

A second bolt descended, striking the sea below and dispersing moments later, as if to reaffirm the judgment.

Silence followed.

By then, the Abyssal Mistress was completely frozen in shock.

She recognized that power.

She knew it far too well.

"Heavenly tribulation…"

Her pupils trembled.

This was not borrowed lightning, nor a technique mimicking heavenly punishment.

This was the real thing.

"I know you are hesitating," the white-robed man said calmly, his voice indifferent as ever.

He turned his gaze back to her.

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"But if you refuse to answer me…"

His eyes hardened.

"I will eliminate you as well."

"Just like that animal."

"I'll talk!"

The Abyssal Mistress flinched as pain surged through her body. She still had not recovered from the damage inflicted earlier, and every movement sent sharp agony through her nerves.

She did not hesitate any longer.

If she stayed silent, she would die here.

And to her, death was the most terrifying thing of all.

She would do anything to avoid it.

With trembling breaths, she began recounting everything that had happened so far, from the battlefield to Grey's interference, leaving nothing out.

Only when she finished did the man in white speak again.

"Take me there."

His tone was calm, unquestionable.

"Take me to the battlefield where you fought."

"But, sir," the Abyssal Mistress began instinctively, "that kid should still be the—"

She froze mid-sentence.

At the wave of his hand, the residual Heavenly Tribulation within her body was forcibly expelled. The destructive energy dissipated instantly, replaced by a warm, overwhelming vitality.

Her injuries began healing at a terrifying speed.

Cracked flesh mended. Internal damage stabilized. Even her shattered meridians started to recover.

Her eyes widened.

"That is precisely why I wish to go there," the man said indifferently.

"I must meet this Grey Lockhart."

The Abyssal Mistress paused.

For a brief, fleeting moment, a wide grin flashed across her face.

Then she quickly suppressed it, returning to a respectful expression as she bowed her head slightly.

"As you wish, sir," she said solemnly. "I will take you there."

…

Southern Region.

Near the Ice Wall.

"Alright," Grey said calmly, his gaze fixed on the man before him. "I'm going to ask you a few quick questions. You'll answer them one by one. Understood?"

Lin Fang gulped and nodded immediately.

"Good."

Grey's voice remained steady.

"Question one. Who was the President of the NUSA?"

"Ronald Krumps," Lin Fang answered without hesitation.

"Question two. What platform did people use to watch endless short videos and give themselves the attention span of a gold fish?"

"TikTok."

Grey exhaled slowly.

"Alright. That's enough."

He rubbed his temple lightly.

"You really are from Earth."

Grey had already confirmed the year before his transmigration, and it perfectly matched the timeframe Lin Fang described. These questions were simply to verify whether Lin Fang originated from the same Earth, or an alternate version of it.

"I told you, Big Bro Grey!" Lin Fang finally let out a long breath of relief. "I really am from Earth!"

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