The King Insect fantasized about what it would do after escaping, while Shi Ming was focused on his immediate plans.

He planned to head for Da Yu as soon as possible.

The purpose of his trip was crystal clear. He needed to establish a good relationship with the Xirang Research Institute to facilitate his plans for the Sea-Rising Cherry Root and viewing the great stele. Therefore, if he could save the researcher whose life was in danger after ingesting the Sea-Rising Cherry Root, it would be an excellent start.

If he arrived too late and the researcher unfortunately died, then...

Xirang would lose a talented individual, and Shi Ming would lose his opportunity.

As for how to save the researcher...

When the time came, he’d have the Eye of the World take a look. If even the Eye of the World had no solution, Shi Ming could share some of his own ideas about adaptation with Xirang. If the opportunity arose, he could even apply to ingest another slice of the Sea-Rising Cherry Root and volunteer to be a guinea pig.

This Nine-Strand Pattern was, in essence, just an overreaction from the body rejecting the origin of destruction.

After confirming his next objective, Shi Ming began to plan his route.

’A straight line!’

He would depart from the Twelve Stars and cross the Volga Sea, which was under Katyusha’s jurisdiction. He would then continue southeast, pass through the Old Domain of the Five Stan nations, and enter the Sea of Soaring Dragons. From there, another few hundred nautical miles to the southeast would bring him to the location of the King-class wanderer, Da Yu.

The entire journey was about 3,500 nautical miles.

Along the way, he would be able to see the only landmass on the Endless Ocean: Mount Everest, also known as the Divine’s Private Land. If he was lucky, he might even catch a distant glimpse of the second of the Ten Great Sights of the Endless Ocean.

’It’s settled then.’

After relaying the route to his crew, Shi Ming entered the captain’s cabin. He needed to get some rest and also try out the Meditation Skill he had learned from the stele, which was said to increase one’s Spiritual Power.

...

...

...

The captains of the four General-class wandering ships under the Twelve Stars had all learned that a new Honorary Knight had been born. The thirteenth name was now engraved upon the Eternal Stele, bathing in the eternal glory of the Twelve Stars, just as theirs were.

"Stone."

It had been less than ten days since Secretary-General Abraham, at Wright’s introduction, had a secret meeting with the young man. Now, he had already been approved by the Round Table Council and become the new Honorary Knight.

Elizabeth, captain of the Tudor Rose, expressed her regret with a look of both interest and deep meaning. She seemed to be lamenting not building a relationship with the young man sooner. Otherwise, with the subtle and elegant social skills her faction was known for, she could have certainly secured a powerful ally. But now, it was likely too late.

Wright, captain of the Fontainebleau, was all the more grateful for his earlier decision. ’If the Calm Sea Pearl is with Brother Shi,’ he thought, ’it will surely be put to even better use.’

Quert, captain of the Constantinople, felt scalding magma course through the scars on his body. All he wanted now was another fight—a primitive, savage brawl with no skills allowed, just to see who would truly win!

Carmen, captain of the Great Bullfighter, was even more curious about the new Honorary Knight. ’Perhaps I can invite him for a drink at the Little Milk Cow Bar on the Twelve Stars next time?’ she wondered.

In the waters far from the Twelve Stars, a young woman named Yize piloted a wandering ship that could vanish as if erased. Having now fully mastered her A-rank skill, she took a deep breath and gazed to the southeast.

Her azure eyes shone even brighter.

’Honorary Knight...’

’Perhaps one day, I can be one of them too.’

Then she would have her name engraved on the Eternal Stele, right next to "Stone"—the man who had saved her from the Deep Sea Titan. Everyone has those moments when their heart suddenly flutters. In the face of such a strange, ineffable feeling, some people simply fall, while others find the strength to push forward.

Whatever the outcome, it was ultimately a good thing.

...

...

...

The Da Yun sailed overnight at a normal speed, crossing the Volga Sea. At the crack of dawn, a towering peak on the ocean came into distant view.

Mount Everest.

These days, people also called it the Sky Vault Pillar.

It looked close, but in reality, it was still very far away.

It stood like a pillar connecting sky and sea, or like the turtle leg severed by Nuwa to prop up the heavens. It rose from the Endless Ocean, one end touching the sky, the other plunging into the water. Even the great cataclysm that caused the world’s second-highest peak to collapse and sink had not moved it. It remained, steady as the fabled pillar that calmed the seas, a bulwark against the tide.

Its pure-white, snow-covered peak was a true Lighthouse on the ocean.

On a clear day, ships sailing in the Sea of Soaring Dragons, the Five Stan Sea, or even on the edge of the Great Maelstrom could see it from a great distance. Below the snowline on its slope was a research institute built less than thirty years ago: the renowned Xirang Headquarters.

Shi Ming gazed at the distant Sky Vault Pillar.

’Eye of the World, gather intelligence.’

As always, familiar text appeared before his eyes, but then, it changed.

[BEEP... BEEP...]

[Compiling intelligence...]

[Searching. Confirming detailed coordinates... Search successful. Summarizing intelligence... Intelligence generated.]

[■■■■]

[■■■■■■, ■■■■, ■■■■■■...]

?????

After the usual opening text, hundreds of chaotic characters streamed before his eyes like a waterfall, one after another, as if they had been blocked or scrambled. For the first time ever, the infallible Eye of the World had failed to provide any useful information.

Shi Ming was dumbfounded.

Finally, the chaotic characters vanished.

A few seconds later, legible text appeared before his eyes once more—an unsolicited message from the Eye of the World.

[Hmm...]

[How strange.]

[The Eye of the World clearly obtained the intelligence, but it cannot be displayed. Without a doubt, the problem lies not with the Eye of the World, but with the intelligence itself.]

[Although you have consumed one use of the Eye of the World to receive three hundred and fifty unreadable, garbled characters, it does not mean you’ve received no intelligence at all. Perhaps this unexpected result is, in itself, a form of intelligence.]

[Is it not?]

["You should come back and explore the area ahead later!"]

Shi Ming understood what the Eye of the World was trying to say. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Although it had only evolved once, thanks to the Abyss Lord’s blood, the fact that these eyes—capable of peering into Holy Hall Level Power—had encountered such a strange situation meant something was amiss.

An anomaly is, in itself, a form of intelligence.

It was like a circuit breaker in a machine. While it might seem to just shut the device down, it’s actually conveying another message: it either encountered a power surge, the device itself has malfunctioned, or there’s some other complex issue.

’But whatever the reason, forcing the issue might be counterproductive.’

’It would be a lie to say I’m not curious.’

’Some things are all the more tempting when you’re told you can’t see them.’

’Once you’re actually allowed to see them, they lose all their flavor.’

’The secret must be profound, but it probably isn’t dangerous. Otherwise, the Xirang Research Institute headquarters couldn’t have existed there safely for thirty years.’

’Plus, there are two S-rank Awakened stationed there year-round.’

The Eye of the World offered no further prompts.

It was now nearly six in the morning.

It was time.

A few minutes later, the morning sun broke over the eastern horizon, its light washing over the snow-capped mountain. A crimson, three-thousand-meter reflection shimmered in the sea, echoing the great pillar. Mountain, sea, and sky became one. This was the "Mountain and Sea Red Pillar," ranked second among the Ten Great Sights of the Endless Ocean.

And if one were to wait for dusk, the shimmering light would turn to leaping gold as the sun set into a world of crimson.

That was the sight ranked number one: "Sunlit Golden Mountain."