"Who’s to say that’s not true? If there’s nothing odd going on, why would anyone use young girls for a sacrifice?"

Han Junxiong’s expression turned even uglier. He clenched his fist slightly and then said, "No matter what the situation is, the moment I encounter those people, I’ll definitely teach them a good lesson."

"First, you need to improve your own strength. I believe the people in the returning sea domain will be anything but easy to deal with. Be careful not to bring trouble upon yourself."

Wang Zhan directly threw cold water on his enthusiasm.

Han Junxiong awkwardly scratched his head and remained silent.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came from nearby.

Then, Wang Zhan saw several men slowly approaching them.

In the next second, Wang Zhan swiftly charged toward them, revealing his Deep Fire Blade and raising it high.

A giant wall of fire immediately encircled the men, their faces pale with fear, evidently clueless as to why Wang Zhan had suddenly attacked them.

Wang Zhan squinted as he scanned them, then asked, "I heard you’re preparing to sacrifice some young girls on the sea domain?"

"Yes," one of the men quickly nodded.

Wang Zhan pressed on, "Where is the sacrificial ceremony being held?"

Hearing this, the men looked at each other and shook their heads. Then, one of them said, "This is our first time attending the sacrificial ceremony here, so we aren’t very familiar with this place. But if you’re looking for that spot, you might want to check out Skull Ridge."

Wang Zhan glanced at Han Junxiong behind him. Han Junxiong clearly didn’t know what this Skull Ridge was. Wang Zhan’s gaze returned to the men, and he asked again, "Where is this Skull Ridge you’re talking about?"

One of them pointed to a distant area with huge whirlpools and said, "Skull Ridge is naturally at the very center of those four whirlpools. There’s a Suspended Palace there, and beneath the Suspended Palace are piles of white bones, which is why it’s called Skull Ridge. But I must warn you, it’s said that the Four Priests living in Skull Ridge are definitely not people ordinary people can afford to provoke. If you encounter them, be careful you don’t bring trouble upon yourself."

Hearing this, Han Junxiong, who was standing to one side clutching his longsword, almost burst out laughing. Weren’t those the exact words Wang Zhan had just said to him? Now, someone else was saying them to Wang Zhan.

Wang Zhan rolled his eyes at the men and said irritably, "Where did you hear all that nonsense?"

With that, Wang Zhan flicked his sleeve. A Fire Dragon rose up and slammed down onto the men. In an instant, they collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

"Killed them?" Han Junxiong immediately asked.

Wang Zhan waved his hand. "They’re just a bunch of weak losers. Since we already know the direction we’re looking for, there’s no need to kill them. Besides, their existence poses no threat to us. I’m not as bloodthirsty and violent as you, only knowing how to bully those weaker than you."

Han Junxiong awkwardly scratched his head and said nothing more.

In the blink of an eye, Wang Zhan and Han Junxiong had walked towards the huge whirlpools. Only when they drew closer did they notice a gigantic palace at the center of the whirlpools. Beneath the palace lay countless white bones, a sight that was somewhat chilling.

"I didn’t expect there to be such a terrifying place in the sea domain."

Beside him, Han Junxiong frowned and said, "This place feels sinister. Clearly, the people living here are no good."

Wang Zhan nodded and continued, "Since we’re already here, no matter how formidable these Four Priests are, they’re committing such heaven-enraging and reason-defying acts. We can’t let them continue."

Han Junxiong, at his side, nodded. "Don’t worry. Our main forces will rendezvous with us soon. Even if they outnumber us, we’ll still have a fighting chance."

There wasn’t a hint of worry in Wang Zhan’s eyes. After all, for all these years, he had always fought alone and feared nothing. Comparatively, having companions around might actually slow down the speed of his blade, as he would need to consider other people’s emotions.

"How do we get into Skull Ridge?"

Wang Zhan frowned slightly. His expression grew increasingly grim as he looked at Skull Ridge before him. It seemed there was no path onto Skull Ridge. To get there, one would need to tread the waves. Although he possessed formidable combat strength, he had never fought someone at sea.

Suddenly, a voice sounded by his ear, "Don’t you know about the Four Priests living in Skull Ridge? These are the few days just before the official sacrificial ceremony. If you enter Skull Ridge now, those Four Priests will treat you as an enemy. Escaping then will be incredibly difficult."

Wang Zhan was stunned. He hadn’t even sensed anyone approaching him, which meant the newcomer’s strength surpassed his own.

Wang Zhan quickly turned around. Seeing the man standing behind him, he frowned and asked, "Who are you?"

"You wouldn’t know my name even if I told you, so why bother asking about my identity?"

The man stood by the sea with his arms crossed. He glanced at Skull Ridge in the distance, then, pointing at it, he looked at Wang Zhan and said, "It seems your friends are also imprisoned in Skull Ridge?"

"What do you mean?" Wang Zhan asked, looking at the man beside him in confusion.

"I didn’t expect you to be such a blockhead. I was originally thinking of partnering with you, but looking at you now, it seems that would just be a waste of my time."

The man shook his head helplessly. "You must know about the grand sacrificial ceremony in the sea domain, right? All those young girls are imprisoned here in Skull Ridge. Look at those gleaming white bones—those are all skeletons of young girls. Though I don’t know what you’ve come here for, if it’s to find friends, and you’re a step too late, I’m afraid your friends might very well become part of these bones."

Wang Zhan’s expression changed instantly. The man before him gave off an unfathomable aura. After sizing up the man again, he asked, "Are you also planning to force your way into Skull Ridge?"

"Or what?"

The man said nonchalantly, "My friends were also captured by the Four High Priests there. For reasons of both sentiment and principle, I must go and meet with them. They’ve done many foolish things in the sea domain over the years; I just haven’t dealt with them. But now that they’re seeking death, there’s no need to show mercy."

Hearing this, Wang Zhan smiled faintly. "You seem extremely confident in your strength?"

"Or what?"

The man replied calmly, "Although the Four High Priests in Skull Ridge have all reached the realm of a Tribal Patriarch, I entered this realm ten years ago. So, if I fight them, I might not gain the upper hand, but I can still fight them with my back against the wall. And even if I have to risk my life, if I can’t kill all four of them, I can at least take care of two."

"Besides, your strength doesn’t seem too weak either. I presume you can handle one of them, right? The last one remaining will naturally draw a united attack from everyone in the sea domain."

"Using our lives to trade for peace in the sea domain would naturally be a good deal."

Seeing the man’s confident demeanor, Wang Zhan couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

However, he never thought of leaving himself in a certain place or staking his own life.

"Enough with the nonsense. Listening to your intentions, you’re prepared to be our comrade, right? Since that’s the case, let’s not waste any more time. Tell me how to enter Skull Ridge. We’ll go in now and check the situation."

Wang Zhan said calmly.

Although he didn’t particularly like this fellow, he still felt a trace of admiration for him.

Before the man could speak, Han Junxiong, who was standing to one side, quickly walked over and said eagerly, "Brother Wang, we’re teammates who fight shoulder to shoulder! How could I separate from you?"

"Although I know my strength is far inferior to you two, one more person naturally means a bit more strength. And even if we know the path ahead is a dead end, we still have to try, right?"

Wang Zhan nodded with satisfaction. He patted Han Junxiong’s shoulder and said, "Don’t worry. Just based on this thought of yours, once we’re inside, I will definitely find a way to protect you well."

Han Junxiong scratched his head awkwardly. Why did it sound like he was so useless?

The man to the side smiled and said, "You two little fellows may be young, but I didn’t expect you to have such tenacious willpower. Since that’s the case, let’s enter Skull Ridge together and see what the situation is. If it really proves too much for us, when the time comes to withdraw, I will also find a way to let you two leave."

Wang Zhan just shrugged, clearly unconcerned by this.

After all, only by experiencing life-and-death battles one after another could his strength improve to a certain extent.

Han Junxiong also nodded. "I think with the strength of the three of us, dealing with those Four High Priests shouldn’t be too difficult."

The man smiled but didn’t say anything.

Wang Zhan walked over to the man, looked at him, and then asked, "Since we’re going to be teammates, shouldn’t you tell me your name?"