From a distance, the entire island looked engulfed in crimson flames, and even the surrounding seawater seemed to be boiling.
Qin Siyang stood on a reef rock, gazing at the last burning island, and slowly let out a breath.
"The last one."
With that, he stepped toward the fiery island. The black sand path broke apart, and the reef rock he had arrived on began sinking into the sea bit by bit.
The surrounding sea rose gradually, forming an enormous bowl.
Qin Siyang felt as though he had returned to the very beginning.
This time, however, the seawater did not remain around him. Instead, it surged straight toward the burning island where he stood.
But the raging waves did not swallow Qin Siyang. They merely formed a circle around him, sheltering him within.
"Hiss, hiss, hiss..."
The sound of seawater extinguishing flames rose all around him.
Black smoke kept billowing up nearby. Qin Siyang wondered whether it was because of the curse in the seawater.
A few seconds later, the island slowly rose again, and the seawater receded.
All the flames on the ground beneath his feet had gone out. Only a scorching fissure remained at the center of the island.
The soil beneath his feet was firm.
Qin Siyang looked down for a long while, then crouched and scooped up a handful of soil.
There was moisture in it, along with grass roots and tiny grains of stone.
Holding that handful of soil, Qin Siyang fell silent for a moment before murmuring, "The real island... really is an island?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sea behind him suddenly trembled.
Then the entire ocean parted to either side.
He looked up.
Beneath the boundless seawater, an enormous dark silhouette slowly emerged.
Ridges like mountain ranges rose from the