Chapter 526: Tree of Life, Deviant Ghost

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Even though the godly battle had long passed, its lingering effects continued to influence this icy sea, undeterred by the passage of time.

It wasn’t just the negative energy left behind by countless fallen believers, but also the remnants of power that the gods had once wielded, which lingered in this ancient battlefield turned mystic realm.

The towering ice mountains and sprawling glaciers served as undeniable evidence.

Ji Chen and his companions navigated through the ice mountains with caution, avoiding the icy grip that had frozen the believers.

Suddenly, he sensed a peculiar fluctuation, akin to stumbling upon a hot spring in the midst of a vast, freezing tundra—conspicuous and inviting, a source of warmth amidst the cold.

The direction was north, approximately seventeen to eighteen kilometers away.

Ji Chen swiftly determined the general location and wasted no time, leading the Ocean Crown expedition in that direction.

Whatever lay ahead, he felt it was essential to investigate. After all, this was the ancient battlefield of the gods, a place that potentially concealed ancient treasures.

These remnants that had withstood the relentless passage of time were bound to be extraordinary.

Several minutes later, they halted about a kilometer away from their destination. Countless layers of ice blocked their path, leaving them with no clear route forward.

Looking up at the thick ice above, Ji Chen spoke solemnly, “Blast open the ice layer above.”

The expert shooters of the Ocean Crown expedition, consisting of the Silver Sea Pixies and Lobster Guardians, immediately unleashed powerful magical energy. Hundreds of magical arrows and bolts of red lightning streaked upward from beneath the water’s surface, colliding forcefully with the ice that had covered millions of years.

With a resounding boom, accompanied by the violent surging of seawater and a deep rumble, the several meters thick ice layer exploded upward, sending shards of ice and seawater shooting into the sky.

A gaping hole, tens of meters wide, appeared in the thick ice layer.

Under Ji Chen’s command, the Ocean Crown expedition passed through the opening, steadily ascending to the icy surface.

Taking in their surroundings, they found themselves on an ice plain, with steep ice mountains jutting out haphazardly, like a collection of swords thrust into the ice, exuding an awe-inspiring aura.

With a quick glance, Ji Chen spotted a vibrant grassland to the north, teeming with life. Flowers adorned the landscape, and in the center of the grassland stood a towering tree. The lush, verdant canopy nearly obscured half of the grassland, like a semicircular shield sheltering the entire area.

The howling, frigid winds swept across the ice plain but couldn’t even sway the tree’s branches, merely causing them to rustle gently.

On this tree, which stood dozens of meters tall, golden droplets of liquid flowed slowly from a hollow in the trunk, forming a small pool about twenty centimeters wide at the intersection of the tree’s roots.

Anyone could easily sense that these liquids were filled with a majestic vitality, akin to an elixir of immortality that could grant eternal life with a mere sip.

On the other side of the tree, the group also noticed a humanoid crystal skeleton.

This lush and vibrant grassland stood in stark contrast to the pale and lifeless ice plains that surrounded it.

Ji Chen, observing this scene, couldn’t help but feel astonished.

In the midst of this ancient battlefield filled with death and corpses, there appeared such a vibrant and out-of-place oasis of life.

At this moment, he was filled with numerous questions.

How had this tree survived in the icy wasteland?

What was the nature of those golden liquid droplets?

Who was the owner of the crystal skeleton?

Just as his mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, the thunderous roar of artillery fire erupted in their rightward direction.

A massive ice mountain, whose age was indiscernible, shattered into countless ice fragments under the relentless bombardment of artillery fire. The ice layer beneath it was also shattered, revealing seawater mixed with floating ice.

Ironclad warships plowed through the broken ice, their deck cannons belching flames as they shattered the ice obstructing their path, creating a clear channel for navigation.

Ji Chen furrowed his brow slightly; the fleet from the Kingdom of Bass had unexpectedly arrived here. This complicated matters.

However, as he looked at the grassland, the fleet boldly clearing a path with artillery fire, a faint smile played on his lips.

In that case, let them go ahead and explore, draw out any potential dangers, and step on any possible traps first.

He didn’t believe that this ancient battlefield was devoid of danger.

“Everyone, return beneath the ice layer and await further orders!”

“Yes!”

The Ocean Crown expedition once again submerged beneath the ice through the previously opened hole, clinging to the underside of the ice like ghosts, patiently awaiting their lord’s instructions.

“Give me full firepower and clear a navigable route!”

Duoru shouted loudly, his words filled with aristocratic authority. He watched as the ice shattered one after another under the continuous barrage of artillery fire and nodded in satisfaction.

Whether it was the enemy or the obstructive ice, anything standing in their way would be ruthlessly crushed!

However, shortly after, Duoru frowned deeply as he looked around. Apart from the icebergs, glaciers, and frozen corpses, there was nothing else in this icy wasteland.

He turned to ask, “Where is what you’re looking for?”

The Deceiver shook his head, and beneath his mask, his cloudy eyes seemed somewhat lost. “This is our first time in this place, and we don’t know its exact location. But based on the clues that have been passed down, that thing is hidden somewhere within this icy wasteland..”