Train Survival: I Became a White-Haired Hardcore Grinder
Chapter 324: Voyage
After defeating the Sandified Clone, Qingniao did not dissipate the lightning surrounding his body.
He hovered in mid-air, his wings trembling slightly as he closed his eyes and concentrated.
The King-level powerhouse's acute perception of energy fluctuations was pushed to its limit.
Although the Leader's Clone had been destroyed, a wisp of extremely faint yet unique primordial aura remained in the dissipating dark yellow sand, like an invisible thread in the sea of fog, winding into the distance.
"Northeast direction, about seven hundred nautical miles." Qingniao suddenly opened his eyes, lightning flashing and disappearing in his pupils. "The source of the aura is still moving, but the trajectory is subtle... his main body is hidden very deeply."
Bai Cheng nodded, her gaze sweeping across the surrounding sea area.
The dark red "Wall of Absolute Abyss" barrier completely disintegrated because the caster's life force was exhausted. Remaining Enforcement Officer flying vehicles hovered in the distance, but no one dared to step forward to stop them.
The battle just now had made them deeply realize that the strength of this group of "outsiders" was far beyond what ordinary Law Enforcement units could contend with.
"The barrier is broken, and the Enforcement Officers are powerless to stop us now." Zi Yuan sheathed her blade, her tone stern. "Before their so-called Purifier arrive, we must break out at full speed."
Bai Cheng also looked towards the others, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Lan Xiaoyu silently took her position immediately.
The train engine let out a deep roar, the silver-white carriage trembled slightly, and then transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the dense fog.
Qingniao turned into electric light and returned to the roof of the train, his Lightning Wings spread out, continuously sensing and correcting the direction;
Leng Ningxue and Yu Nian maintained the final defensive barrier, wary of potential sneak attacks from the fog;
Bai Cheng stood before the control panel, pressing her hands lightly in the air. Spatial Power gently enveloped the carriage, further reducing travel resistance.
The vastness of the Emerald Sea was displayed vividly at this moment.
Soon, the train had sped at maximum velocity for half a day, yet the scenery outside the window was still the boundless ocean and scattered island chains.
The foggy area was gradually left behind. The color of the seawater transitioned from dull gray to deep azure, and then further to distant dark green.
The islands varied in form; some dotted the waves like fragmented jadeite, while others rose from the sea surface like the backs of colossal beasts.
Sometimes, swarms of Glowing Jellyfish could be seen gliding through the deep sea like a river of stars, and sometimes, mountain-sized shadows slowly cruised in the extreme distance.
This sea area seemed to possess its own breath and heartbeat, so vast it inspired awe.
Yet, this was merely the tip of the iceberg of the Infinite Realm.
Vast as the Emerald Sea was, it was only a known sea area in the southeastern corner of the Realm;
Further away, there were endless uncharted abysses, floating shattered continents, storm restricted zones wracked by elemental chaos, and the legendary ancient waterways connecting various realms.
The Realm was so immense that stars could be extinguished within it, civilizations could rise and fall, and even a King-level powerhouse, though able to tear the sky, was but a fleeting streak of light in this boundless tapestry.
"We've broken free from the last energy monitoring net," Yu Nian suddenly whispered, and a Jade Leaf Rune in her hand dimmed.
Almost simultaneously, the feeling of being perpetually locked onto and scrutinized, which everyone had sensed, receded like a tide.
The train finally sailed out of the official boundary of the Emerald Sea.
The sea area behind them, shrouded in pink mist and undercurrents, gradually blurred into a pale gray trace on the horizon.
Ahead was the boundless, clear open sea. The sky was vast, clouds unfurled, and the sunlight poured down unobstructed, spreading shimmering, fragmented gold across the azure surface.
The pursuit was temporarily halted, and the journey entered a period of relative peace.
The train no longer needed to sprint at maximum speed but adjusted to a steady cruising speed, gliding over the waves like an elegant silver shuttle.
The sea breeze, carrying a slightly salty, fresh scent, poured into the windows, replacing the subtle corrosive feeling that had permeated the fog.
Qingniao retracted his Lightning Wings, landing on the edge of the deck to close his eyes and regulate his breathing; Zi Yuan carefully wiped her long blade, the surface reflecting the sea light and shimmering with a quiet purple halo;
Leng Ningxue condensed a small shard of ice crystal on her fingertip, letting it slowly melt in the sunlight, her expression showing the faint relaxation following days of intense fighting;
Yu Nian half-squatted by the railing, reaching out to lightly touch a School of Flying Fish skimming the sea surface, a long-lost faint smile appearing at the corner of her mouth.
Bai Cheng did not relax her vigilance.
She still stood before the control panel, her gaze sweeping across the Panoramic Radar Map.
The green dots representing life were sparsely distributed, and there were no high-energy threat signals for the time being.
But she knew that the main body of the Abyssal Echo's leader was still lurking in the shadows, the Purifier from Enforcement City might already be gathering, and the journey through the Infinite Realm had no true end.
The current tranquility was merely a brief interval between storms.
The train would continue sailing, heading toward stranger waters, more unknown challenges, and the truth that always remained hidden at the end of the mist.
The sea and sky merged into one color, the train traveling alone.
Above this seemingly boundless azure, they had temporarily broken free from the pursuit, but they also knew: the journey was far from over, and ahead lay the vast, endless unknown.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
The train sailed steadily over the azure sea. Sunlight streamed through the portholes into the carriage, adding a touch of warmth to the calm following days of fierce fighting.
Sunlight spilled onto the deck like molten gold, reflecting off the silver-white metal and making it slightly warm. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
The sea breeze carried the scent of salt and freedom, lifting Yu Nian's dark green hair and condensing tiny water droplets on Leng Ningxue's ice-blue hair tips.
The three of them sat together in the train's forward Observation Deck.
This was the first true moment of rest since the train left the boundary of the Emerald Sea.
"There are at least two days of sailing left until the next source of energy fluctuation that Qingniao sensed."
Bai Cheng pushed a cup of warm Energy Fluid to the center of the table, her pale golden eyes sweeping over the clouds at the edge of the horizon. "During this time, apart from basic vigilance, everyone should enter a state of regulated breathing."
Yu Nian held her own cup of specialized Plant Essence—a light green liquid refined by Lu Duo from Moonlight Vine freshly cultivated in a corner of the deck, glowing ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) softly in the glass.
She took a small sip and sighed contentedly: "Finally... I can taste air that doesn't smell like pink mist."
Leng Ningxue did not touch the cup. She leaned against the porthole, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles, condensing tiny Ice Crystal Snowflakes in the air, which quietly melted the next second.
Hearing Yu Nian's words, she tilted her head slightly: "Your recovery speed is faster than expected."
"The vitality of the sea is abundant," a faint luminescence appeared on Yu Nian's fingertips. "Especially after leaving that polluted sea area... the water here is very clean."
As she spoke, she suddenly looked at Leng Ningxue: "What about you? In the Desert Domain, your Ice Ability was almost completely suppressed. How do you feel now?"
Leng Ningxue was silent for a moment, then raised her right hand.
Above her palm, a sharply defined ice crystal slowly spun, refracting multicolored light spots.
"The Energy Core is slowly recovering." Her voice was still cool and clear, but lacked the tension of battle. "But the sense of desiccation caused by the Desert Domain... is still present."
She spoke the word very softly, as if reluctant to admit discomfort so close to that of a mortal.
Bai Cheng suddenly reached out, palm facing upward.
Silver-white spatial ripples spread out in her hand, forming a miniature Stabilization Field. "Try this."
Leng Ningxue looked at her, a flicker of confusion in her ice-blue eyes.