The Seal Is Broken

Deep, dark seabed, heavy machinery from Earth roars and rumbles.

The enormous, cylindrical cutting blade spun wildly, propelled by engines and driven by tracks, stirring up vast amounts of silt from the seabed, disrupting the unchanging sediment that had remained unchanged for hundreds of years, and bringing the long-forgotten history to the surface.

These three heavy-duty seabed mining machines, manufactured by the Britain SMD Company, were delivered to Nautilus Mining in Can*da to make their mark in the emerging field of seabed mining.

However, fate is fickle. Nautilus Mining was defeated by environmentalists and became a laughing stock. The three heavy machines were also auctioned off as valuable assets to repay debts. After changing hands several times, they finally ended up in the hands of Kang De, where they were given a second life in another world.

"Kill them!"

The main mining machine, the auxiliary cutting machine, and the ore collector—three colossal machines weighing hundreds of tons—were arranged in a triangle, their white, heavily armored hulls gleaming with a chilling light, surrounding the black submarine.

"Dodge! Dodge! Dodge! Helmsman! Emergency maneuver!"

Inside the Deep Sea Pioneer, the captain's roar revealed an unconcealable panic and terror.

The weapons officer shouted, "The magic device is fully charged and ready to counterattack!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the cockpit turned around and shouted angrily, "Counterattack my ass!"

The weapons officer shrank back. "But..."

The helmsman connected his mind to the control system, activating the magic circuitry and revitalizing the air element crystals. A massive amount of air was released, violently blasting out from the thrusters, causing the submarine to accelerate and rise sharply. At the same time, the first mate rushed forward and yanked the weapons officer aside. "Don't move!"

The crew members selected for the submarine concept aircraft are undoubtedly loyal, and in terms of talent, knowledge, aptitude, and background, they are also top-notch. They are proud spellcasters, proud, but even more rational.

They were well-versed in Kang De's archives and intelligence, and knew of the formidable reputation of the Dragon of Cathay.

Wings of steel soared through the sky, and colossal warships crisscrossed the raging waves. His alchemical military skills were unparalleled and unmatched, captivating every alchemist with their allure. Perhaps before today, the spellcasters were still proud of what they were doing— the Cathayan could never create a submarine capable of diving deep into the ocean and exploring ancient mysteries, but the Council could.

But they realized that the majestic and terrifying head of the giant was actually a creation of Kang De, and they also witnessed the awe-inspiring scene of the heavy metal roaring and rumbling forward on the seabed.

The imposing all-metal shell, the sharp, straight lines, the pure mechanical beauty, and the engineering marvel of countless engagements, transmissions, separations, and rotations are undoubtedly the work of the Cathayan. Kang De's field also reached the seabed, and he did it even better.

"We are no match for him," the first mate said. "To retaliate is to die."

"Yes." The captain nodded, his face grim. "According to the intelligence files, Kang De is at least reasonable, adhering to a certain degree of morality and principles, and possessing the pride of a strongman—the attack just now was merely a mistaken strike in our panic. As long as we hover and show no harm, he might not necessarily sink us. After all, such an action is tantamount to declaring war."

The weapons officer couldn't help but ask, "Should we surrender? What if he continues to attack?"

"Then we'll die." The captain forced a smile. "The same result as if we were to counterattack now."

Meeting the weapons officer's puzzled gaze, he said, "If we win the bet, we can survive for now. This is not surrender, nor is it begging... We still have a mission to complete."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Helmsman, rise twenty meters and hover, shut down the weapons systems, turn on full illumination... Then, everyone, pray that Kang De is not a hypocritical and cruel man."

As he said this, he walked towards the middle cabin.

"Captain?" Officer Hawkeye asked, "What are you going to do?"

"Starry Sky Council... I need to consult with the council members on what to do next."

The helmsman remained silent for a moment, then sighed deeply. The surfacing submarine slowly came to a stop. The weapons officer shut down the magic system and turned on the full lighting, signifying that the submarine had been disarmed and was offering no resistance.

The three heavy mining machines had no cockpits; everything relied on the control unit Jiaolong Horus had taken over. From a distance, Kang De saw the three deep-sea mining machines resting on the seabed, their modified and added weapon systems aimed at the floating Jiaolong. He witnessed this helpless scene.

He exclaimed, "The France are in another world!"

"Yes," Horus said calmly, "Father, shall we make our move?"

It's said that a weapon system has been added, but at this depth, even torpedoes cannot be launched. The so-called weapons, apart from the rock-splitting rolling blades that come with the mining vehicle, are nothing more than external mines with a rudimentary propulsion system. They are hung on various parts of the deep-sea mining machine's armor like tethered hydrogen balloons. To attack, the ropes are untied, the mines are released, float up, and then explode.

But even this method is deadly enough. After all, in the deep sea, even if you only make a small opening in the submarine, the immense water pressure will solve everything for you.

"This..." Kang De licked his lips, "I'm a humanitarian, after all."

No one knows a father better than his son. The Iron Son said calmly, "You've taken a liking to him?"

"It's not a matter of whether I like it or not. I mean, look how rare this thing is! The Council must have spent a lot of money building it. Even if they don't use it themselves, they could keep it and demand ransom from it."

When Kang De encountered the enemy while piloting the Jiaolong, he was startled. At a depth of two thousand meters, even the most advanced attack submarines on Earth had few means of combat. Yet the Council's submarine could attack with sparks and lightning, clearly possessing unique capabilities.

It's such a shame it exploded like that.

It's good for intimidating foreigners, too.

"Is there any way to communicate?" he pondered. "Did the Starry Sky Council persuade them to give up? Never mind, let's find another submarine first, and leave a mining cart to keep an eye on them!"

"Good."

The Jiaolong swept past ancient ruins covered with mussels and seaweed, searching for the location of another submarine. Eight LED lights illuminated the dark void, lighting up the long-sunken ancient city. Kang De looked out from the spherical cabin, his gaze sometimes unfocused, sometimes solemn.

The city ruins two thousand meters below were the last glory of a great Civilization, but the malevolent shadows of the Star Palace shone within them, and Kang De knew that was no good.

Previous negotiations with the Starry Sky Council ended badly, and the arrogant councilors were wary of him. Time was of the essence, and even if he revealed the matter of the Star Palace, they would suspect that he was making up a story... so he had no choice but to resort to force.

"That's fucking amazing!" Kang De cursed. "How did Star Palace get involved again!"

Horus didn't reply. After a dozen seconds, it said, "Found it! The second submarine!"

"Received!"

Inside the Deep Sea Pioneer, Starlink handed over a crystal plate containing an instant message from the Starry Sky Council. The captain took a deep breath, decrypted the message, and saw the Council's order.

His expression changed.

Starlink asked cautiously, "What?"

The captain didn't reply immediately. After a moment of silence, he said softly, "The Council has ordered us to complete the mission at all costs... to cover the Deep Diving Walker's final injection."

The Starlink operative in charge of communications was initially bewildered, then his expression turned to shock. "At any cost?"

The captain remained silent for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "It's us."

He glanced at the crystal plate and chuckled, "That's very thoughtful."

Starlink's voice wavered slightly. "Captain, then we..."

"Execute the command."

The captain slowly lowered the crystal plate. "I don't know what lies beneath these ruins, and I don't care about the promises and rewards of the council members. We are soldiers, and we are loyal to this country. I trust the judgment of the Starry Sky Council —anything that would make the council members risk losing two submarines or even going to war with Kang De must Council, and that is our mission."

He turned and went back to the cockpit. "Helmet, prepare for maneuver! Weapons officer, recharge the magic device!"

The crew members were only surprised for a moment before silently carrying out the order. The captain returned to the command platform, looked at the slowly closing forward armor, and said softly, "Gentlemen, it has been an honor to work with you."

"The target submarine has been spotted; it's transmitting some kind of energy to an obelisk... Father, how do we stop it?"

"Just crash into it—accelerate!"

The Jiaolong continued to accelerate, creating heavy ripples, passing through the high walls and low buildings of the underwater ruins, and crashing into a submarine hovering at the top of a tower. Three different colored light bands were illusory and beautiful, continuously drifting from the submarine into the obelisk, and the entire seabed seemed to be trembling slowly.

The submarine seemed completely unaware of Kang De's arrival, or perhaps it simply ignored it.

Beneath the stagnant, lifeless depths of the sea, Jiaolong brandishes its sharp claws, silently charging toward its prey.

Just then, Horus suddenly exclaimed, "Father— the Fr*nce submarine has moved!"

Tidal waves roared in from afar, cannons and arrows flew, and streaks of lightning followed. The Deep Sea Pioneer suddenly changed direction and accelerated with high mobility, launching an attack on the Jiaolong!

At the same time, the Deep Diving Walker's weapon systems also launched an offensive!

"They're asking for it!" Kang De declared resolutely, "Blow them up!"

The auxiliary cutting machine responsible for monitoring the Fr*nce submarine rotated its long arm and ran for a moment. The mine mounted on the back of the armor cut the rope, and the bubbles tumbled and floated upward.

The detonator detonated, an explosion occurred, a dull thud followed by a brief burst of brilliant fireworks, and a raging, turbulent current swept back and forth, engulfing the stern of the Deep Sea Pioneer —although the submarine tried its best to maneuver, it was, after all, in the deep sea, and its propulsion system was somewhat underpowered, so its speed was simply too slow.

The submarine's movement was hindered, and its speed became even slower. Meanwhile, the auxiliary cutting machine below rushed towards it, and the second mine rose into the water from bottom to top. Kang De no longer showed any mercy.

The Deep Sea Pioneer fired all its cannonballs in one go.

The mine exploded violently in the abdomen, blasting a hole in the sturdy elemental alloy.

Within two milliseconds, the immense water pressure found its outlet. An unimaginable, surging force, like the palm of a sea god, gripped the small submarine, easily crushing it into a solid piece of scrap metal. In the instant before death, the captain seemed to want to take off his hat, the weapons officer opened his mouth to speak, and the eagle-eyed officer shed tears. They all had countless stories, and they all had their own lives.

They faithfully carried out all their missions until their deaths.

Without a sound.

As they had predicted, they had no chance of winning against the Dragon of Cathay.

"Target destroyed."

The Jiaolong submersible churned and churned as a barrage of wave-energy tidal rockets blasted through the city ruins, sending up clouds of dust and debris. Horus piloted the submersible, dodging the last remaining loyalty of the Deep Sea Pioneer, while the Deep Diving Walker ahead erected an electric grid, desperately buying time to break the seal.

"Hold!"

Even with mines and heavy mining trucks, the deep sea was still not Kang De's domain. He could not launch attacks as swiftly and fiercely as he could on land and in the sky, and this feeling of powerlessness made him extremely angry.

What's even more infuriating is the foolish behavior of these two submarines.

There is also meaningless loyalty and sacrifice.

"You bastard Council!"

A feeling of helplessness washed over him. The Jiaolong was unable to break through the Deep Diving Walker's interception network for the time being, and the injection work was nearing its end. The ruins of the city were becoming increasingly turbulent and shocking. Where the Phoenix Eyes looked, the ruins resembled a boiling volcano, with unimaginable power accumulating within them.

His anger gradually subsided, and Kang De said coldly, "Stop."

Horus, while attempting to break through, asked, "Father?"

"Too late," Kang De gritted his teeth. "Prepare for battle."

"Where?"

"Everywhere."

The Jiaolong turned and reversed, and the three mining carts also turned back. A faint light appeared on the deep, silent city ruins. The Deep Diving Walker completed its final injection operation, and a roar of cheers erupted from the submarine, "We won! Kang De is gone! He couldn't stop us!"

News of the victory was immediately relayed back to the Starry Sky Council.

The lockdown has been successfully lifted.

Kang De was not invincible.

The chamber erupted in jubilation, with members cheering, embracing, and high-fiving. "They won! They defeated Kang De! Kang De wasn't so terrible after all! He had his weaknesses too!"

The joy was short-lived, and a councilor shouted, "Since that's the case, the remnants of the Yilan-Tai'er are about to escape. We must order the Azure Fleet to prepare for their containment—"

Since he's already fallen out with Kang De, he'll definitely want a share of the spoils—so he needs to seize control of the Yilan-Tai'er remnants before he can negotiate with Kang De!

As the Speaker looked at the jubilant members of parliament, his unease slowly grew.

Even though the Deep Diving Walker's report began with the sinking of the Deep Sea Pioneer, none of the senators paid it any mind. Perhaps in their minds, exchanging a submarine for Kang De's failure and the success of their plan was an extremely profitable deal. But...

To prevent the seal from being broken, Kang De even sank a Council submarine without hesitation, and in the conflict in the Broken Sea, he never killed anyone!

The thought cast a shadow over his heart, "Gentlemen, if—and I mean if—there really is danger lurking within the Yilan-Tai'er Ruins, what should we do?"

"Don't worry, Your Excellency the Speaker!" a senator said with a raised eyebrow and a smile. "The Broken Sea is Kang De's territory, and it's very close to his lair. He should be the one worrying about this!"

Broken Sea.

"Sister Nixiyasi! Sister Nixiyasi!"

The communicator by the bedside rang with a familiar voice. Lying motionless on the bed, Nixiyasi rolled her eyes. It was a gift from A Fu, a magical device that could communicate in real time over long distances, a gift from Kang De.

The mere thought of that name brought back memories of the pain and anger of that day, when her self-respect and pride were so easily trampled upon by the Cathayan —without those, how could she possibly stand before them?

What should we do now...?

Where should I go?

Thinking of this, A Fu's anxious cries became even more annoying. She even thought of throwing the thing into the sea, but the next moment, the admiral's eyes widened.

"Get your fleet out of here immediately! Father says your submarines have broken the seal on the underwater ruins, and something very dangerous is about to happen—you must regain command of the fleet right away!"

Nixiyasi immediately sat up, grabbed the communicator, and asked, "What's going on?"

The rumbling sound had traveled through the two-thousand-meter-deep water, wave after wave, reverberating across the sea surface.

Undersea ruins, the earth trembled, and the obelisk, stripped of the marks of thousands of years, revealed a sacred and pure form. Red, yellow, and green light pierced through the core of the obelisk, shooting straight to the sea surface and slowly rising upwards. The city's remains shattered and scattered, the earth collapsed, revealing a gaping abyss that shone with a dark red light.

That was Land of Shelter, the last Bulwark of Yilan-Tai'er.

Kang De, who witnessed everything aboard the Jiaolong, said gravely, "This is bad."

Horus did not have the Eye of the Phoenix; he could only vaguely see the outline of a huge dome in the dark red light, containing cities, plains, mountains, and rivers, but he could not see anything deeper inside.

"What did you see? Is something terrible happening?"

"I saw the God of the Star Palace, and I saw countless living beings surrounding him. No one was killed, not a single one. Everyone watching was very excited."

Kang De muttered, "This is terrible."

In the Land of Shelter, the fervent shouts of the sinners rose higher and higher. Everyone looked up at the sky, and beyond the dark red dome that had remained unchanged for thousands of years, deep ripples appeared. They were the color of the sea, and they also signified the beginning of freedom. The promise of the gods was true! He really wanted to set us free!

As the seal was broken, the three towering obelisks opened like flower petals, golden rays streaking across the sky. Ancient weapons and war vehicles floated down, and atop the Eternal Tower, the phantom of the God of the Star Palace shone with dazzling brilliance. Bennu's cries echoed throughout the entire Shelter.

"Use the weapons I have given you! Master the power I have bestowed upon you! Repay the trust I have placed in you! Devout believers, repentant sinners! Prepare to return to the Mortal World! Slay the fallen, cleanse the wicked, and obtain for yourselves the gift of forgiveness!"

"--Red Alert, initiate evacuation procedures!" Kang De returned to the Broken Isles from the Jiaolong. "All personnel, evacuate the Broken Isles immediately. Mass Projection is about to begin!"