# 1629
Chapter 1623: The Bell's Strange Wail!
The shattered flesh gradually regenerated in the air. An Qingyu's body plunged into the sea, directly freezing a patch of seawater into ice. A moment later, a bloodstained figure slowly rose from the center of the ice layer.
"You were faking it?"
The wound on An Qingyu's chest gradually healed. He frowned as he looked at the red-haired girl standing up from the stone platform, and asked coldly.
"Yes, I was faking." Chloe chuckled lightly. "Otherwise, it wouldn't be easy to ambush you."
"You managed to deceive my eyes too. Not bad." An Qingyu paused for a moment, his injuries already fully repaired.
"And your painstaking ambush didn't have much of an effect on me, did it?"
Chloe smiled without saying a word.
On the thick ice layer, the two figures stood facing each other. An Qingyu gazed at the girl before him. After hesitating for a moment, he still raised his blood-stained finger and wiped it across his eyes.
Chloe possessed the number 001 God's Ruins of the strongest known god in the world, and was suspected to have survived an extremely long lifespan. Faced with such an existence, An Qingyu didn't dare show the slightest carelessness, and immediately prepared to use his full strength.
"Using the Gate of Truth again?" Chloe raised an eyebrow. "In your current condition, can you even summon it a second time today?"
"Why not?" An Qingyu said calmly. "It's just a matter of paying a higher price..."
As the blood smeared across his gray pupils, a grand and mysterious presence descended once more. The calm sea churned violently, and the虚影 of a portal gradually took shape behind him.
Seeing this, Chloe's expression grew more serious. She looked at An Qingyu and slowly said:
"It seems you're determined to kill me... There's no chance of negotiation, then?"
An Qingyu didn't answer. He simply closed his eyes slowly, and a sense of life-and-death crisis instantly flooded Chloe's heart.
"Fine." Chloe shrugged her shoulders. "Then we'll have to meet again next time... Oh, and I hope you like the gift I left you."
Chloe waved her hand gently, and her entire body began to distort like burning paper. With a soft sound, her form turned into scattered embers and dissipated like fireworks.
Losing her target, An Qingyu's slowly closing eyes suddenly froze. His gaze swept across his surroundings, but there was no trace of Chloe.
Even he was somewhat puzzled by this bizarre method of departure.
"She got away..." An Qingyu shook his head and dispersed the Gate of Truth虚影 behind him.
This time he failed to kill Chloe. Perhaps【Chaos】would have some objections, but ultimately, An Qingyu didn't care about that guy's opinions... What he truly cared about was the【Key to the Gate】that hung above the river of time, overlooking his every move.
An Qingyu glanced in the direction where Chloe had disappeared and turned to walk into the mist.
...
On the dawn sea, an exploration ship sailed slowly forward.
"Bleh——"
Charles clutched the side of the exploration ship, retching violently, his face deathly pale.
The ship rocked with the waves, tossing the nine knights on its railing until they felt like they were about to vomit bile. They stood in a line, one after another, the sounds of dry heaving echoing continuously—a rather harmonious scene.
"Do they really need to react this strongly?" Wu Quan sat on the gunwale, couldn't help but ask.
"They grew up in the 'Human Enclosure,' and after returning to the mist world, they've been operating on land. They've never been on water before, so naturally they'd react strongly."
As Lin Qiye explained, he shouted to the knights:
"Don't all of you puke on one side of the ship! The weight distribution will be uneven. Four of you, go puke on the other side!"
Upon hearing this, the sea-sick knights, despite their miserable state, orderly had four of them step out, stumbling along the wall toward the other side of the ship.
This execution ability really is impressive... Seeing this, Lin Qiye couldn't help but think to himself.
"Director Lin, how much longer until we reach Great Xia?" Charles took a deep breath, forcing back his nausea to ask.
"We've only just left not long ago... About another day, I'd say."
"Bleh——!!"
Upon hearing Lin Qiye's answer, despair appeared on the knights' faces.
"Director Lin, I heard Great Xia is very large. Is that true?"
"It is." Lin Qiye thought for a moment. "Roughly speaking, about six thousand Londons."
The knights' mouths hung open, shock evident in their eyes. "Six thousand Londons? How much population would that be?"
"A lot... In any case, you'll find out when we get there."
"Are there no 'Mysteries' there?"
"There are 'Mysteries,' but they're all under the Night Watch's control. They won't affect ordinary people's lives."
The knights blinked, seemingly unable to understand what Lin Qiye meant. For them, Great Xia was just a mysterious nation occasionally mentioned in Lady Saint's conversations.
"You knew there were countries surviving in the mist. Didn't any of you want to go take a look?" Lin Qiye asked, puzzled.
"No." Charles shook his head. "Our motorcycles can't travel that far, and without the church's protection, we wouldn't have anywhere to rest."
Makes sense, since they're all landlubbers who've never been able to handle a boat... Lin Qiye thought to himself.
Lin Qiye leaned against the gunwale, gazing at the endless mist on the sea. Shen Qingzhu was alone in the pilothouse controlling the exploration ship, while the rest of the knights were busy battling seasickness. The entire bow of the ship was left with only him and Wu Quan.
"Brother Qiye." After hesitating for a moment, Wu Quan still couldn't help but ask, "How did I do this time? Did I earn some credit?"
"Of course you did."
Lin Qiye nodded. "Don't worry, I'll remember it for you. As long as you don't cause trouble, there will be a day when you can redeem yourself through meritorious service."
Upon hearing this, gratitude welled up in Wu Quan's eyes.
Just as he was about to say something more, a low bell toll suddenly rang out from within the mist, echoing through heaven and earth!
DONG—— DONG—— DONG!!!
This bell toll came extremely abruptly. Judging by its direction, it came from the direction of Great Xia. Who knew what kind of power it contained, that it could cross over a thousand kilometers and reverberate across the misty sea!
"Bells? Where are the bells coming from?" Lin Qiye's brow furrowed, speaking with confusion.
Just as he was lost in thought, a burning sensation suddenly ignited in his chest, as if it would burn him to ashes!
Lin Qiye yanked open his clothes.只见 the first of the three【Covenant】marks suddenly burst forth with blinding light, a terrifying energy of boundless magnitude poured out, tearing and distorting the space and time around him!
Shadows of time roared past before Lin Qiye's eyes, engulfing even Wu Quan, who was closest to him. These raging energies constantly tore at his body. His consciousness was like being stuffed into a juicer, being violently churned and tumbled!
A pillar of white light shot up from the bow of the ship!
When the light pillar faded, within the silence of the gray mist, the figures of Lin Qiye and Wu Quan had already vanished without a trace.