Calm Belt

Just as Chen Qiang's voice trailed off, before he could even take action, the ship that had been perfectly still suddenly began to sway as a massive shadow emerged beneath the surface of the sea.

Before Chen Qiang and his companion could even process what was happening, the ship was lifted clear out of the water and sent hurtling into the sky.

"What the—!"

Only after the ship had completely cleared the water and soared into the air did Chen Qiang and Lin realize what the shadow beneath the waves actually was.

It was a colossal Sea King, and the shadow they had seen was merely the creature's head.

The Sea King was gargantuan; the ship Chen Qiang and Lin were riding was at least a dozen meters long, yet it couldn't even compare to the size of the beast's eye.

As for how they were making the comparison, it was because they were currently perched right on the Sea King's snout, with its eye looming just to the side—a single glance was all it took to see the disparity.

However, the Sea King didn't view them as food, but rather as toys; after surfacing, it simply flicked the ship high into the air.

"Lin! Hold on to me!"

Once the ship was tossed into the sky, Chen Qiang reacted instantly. He grabbed Lin, who was still reeling from the shock, and gave her a quick instruction before letting go of her to seize the ship's helm, anchoring them both so they wouldn't be flung off by the vessel's violent tumbling.

Whether it was Chen Qiang's abysmal luck or something else, no sooner had this Sea King appeared than others began to surface one after another in the previously calm waters. Each one would appear, do nothing but watch Chen Qiang and Lin flying through the air, and the moment they began to descend, another Sea King would emerge to bump them right back up.

It was as if these Sea Kings were treating them like a fun little ball.

"Ahhh!" "Ahhh!"

In the once-tranquil Calm Belt, the screams of Chen Qiang and Lin never ceased. After all, tumbling through the air like this was far more intense than any bungee jumping from their past lives. Being launched hundreds of meters high, falling, and being launched again—the word "intense" didn't even begin to cover it.

They had no idea how long they had been tumbling through the air. Fortunately, their ship was sturdy; although it had sustained plenty of damage, it hadn't completely fallen apart.

"Chirp!"

Just as they were still spinning, a bird's cry pierced the sky, accompanied by a giant eagle no smaller than the Sea Kings below.

The eagle appeared and snatched their ship with its talons, carrying them deep into the heart of the Calm Belt.

"Ugh..."

Only when the spinning finally stopped did Chen Qiang and Lin come to a halt, collapsing onto the deck of the ship.

They had barely steadied themselves before they couldn't control it any longer and began to retch; the constant rotation had been far too much.

"Chen Qiang! What do we do? Ugh..."

After a moment of recovery, Lin asked, but she had barely managed a sentence before the nausea surged again, and she vomited on the deck once more.

"Wait for now. Let's see where it's taking us... Ugh..."

Hearing Chen Qiang's words, Lin no longer had the strength to reply, continuing to heave instead.

They didn't know how long they spent vomiting, but only when they felt there was nothing left in their stomachs—not even bile—did the nauseous sensation finally subside a little.

During the time they spent recovering, the giant eagle had brought them to an island covered in vibrant peach blossoms. The peach trees were in full, brilliant bloom; overall, it was a beautiful island. The eagle had likely brought them here to enjoy its hard-won meal in this scenic spot.

But just as it was about to land, the petals on the island began to move without any wind, swirling into the air. Those flying petals acted like blades, slicing across the eagle's body.

Stung by the pain, the eagle immediately loosened its grip, and Chen Qiang's ship plummeted toward the island.

By the time the eagle reacted and tried to grab them again, even more petals had taken to the sky, swallowing the bird whole and dragging it down onto the island.

Afterward, the petals formed a massive barrier around the perimeter of the island, sealing it off entirely.

The island then rapidly sank into the depths of the sea, vanishing without a trace.

"Chirp!"

Wrapped in the sea of petals, the eagle only had time to let out one shrill, miserable cry before it fell silent.

Because of the giant eagle, Chen Qiang and Lin had been dropped onto the island before they could even react.

The petals that had been on the ground quickly formed a barrier in the air to hold back the seawater as the island plunged deep into the ocean floor.

For Chen Qiang and Lin on the ship, the experience was much simpler; they only felt the bright sky suddenly darken, turning into a night so black they couldn't see their own hands.

Once they landed on the island, the surrounding trees, which had seemed lifeless, appeared to come back to life, with vines constantly snaking out to entangle the ship.

The ship, which had been sturdy enough, quickly succumbed to the vines; it couldn't hold out for long, and under the crushing grip, it crumbled into splinters that fell onto the island.

Fortunately, Chen Qiang reacted quickly. Upon sensing that something was wrong, he grabbed Lin's small frame and leaped away from the encroaching vines, landing in a clearing in the center of the island where there were no trees.

For some unknown reason, once Chen Qiang landed there with Lin, the vines that had been chasing them slowly retreated. The trees, having shed their petals, returned to their original positions and stopped moving, appearing as ordinary, lifeless trees once again.

"Chen Qiang, what do we do now?"

In the darkness, Lin clung tightly to Chen Qiang, looking up at him with a pitiful expression, her large, beautiful eyes fixed on his face.

"Don't worry, everything should be fine for now. Let me rest for a moment, and then we'll figure something out!"

Chen Qiang smiled and activated his blood-red eyes to scan the surroundings. Seeing no trees moving toward them, he gently set Lin down and patted her head to reassure her.

Hearing his words, Lin acted like a sensible child; she let go of him and sat quietly to the side, waiting for Chen Qiang's next move.

In truth, Chen Qiang was exhausted. It had been four or five hours since the battle with Copperfield, and the constant fighting during that time had left his mind completely drained.

Not to mention, as soon as they reached the ship, they were thrown into the Calm Belt, tossed around like toys by various Sea Kings, and then chased by a giant eagle.

They had barely had a chance to rest before encountering this strange island. The ship had been pulverized and absorbed by the trees the moment it landed, and the trees had even attacked them.

Fortunately, the clearing they had landed in seemed to deter the trees, giving Chen Qiang a much-needed chance to catch his breath.