Shi Ming stared at the mouth-watering fruit and slowly approached.

As the Eternal Ice Domain drew near the giant tree, the slowly melting fruit was affected by the low temperature. The slightly thawed slime on its surface solidified, no longer dripping down.

As always, the Brain of Creation scanned these tempting fruits.

No information.

It couldn’t be upgraded, so naturally, it couldn’t investigate them.

But the Eye of Intelligence should be able to determine what they were. Shi Ming, however, had no intention of using his chance on these fruits.

’No need. I’ll just collect them.’

He activated his Ice Annihilation Power, remotely forming an Ice Blade. Under the control of his Spiritual Power, he aimed it at the crystal stem of one of the fruits.

The stem was incredibly tough. The Ice Blade had to be at full power for three seconds before it finally managed to slice one off.

Into the system warehouse!

With one in hand, Shi Ming conjured two more Ice Blades, and two more fruits entered his inventory.

’Sweet.’

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Three Ice Blades appeared at once, poised and ready, eagerly aimed at another three fruits.

But just then, he felt a disturbance.

A strange energy erupted from the deep sea!

The once pitch-black Sea of Boiling suddenly lit up. It skipped the dimness of dawn and went straight to a noon-like state. A powerful light blazed from the depths, piercing through a thousand meters of profound seawater to illuminate the crystal tree and Crystal Apples, making them glitter brilliantly!

A dazzling, radiant sun was slowly rising from the deep sea!

Waves of scorching, fiery light indiscriminately blasted every creature in the central region of the Sea of Boiling, like the coming of a white-hot apocalypse.

...

...

...

The Golden Bodhi had already crossed the 100-degree sea temperature red line and begun to venture deep into the Sea of Boiling.

The giant refrigerator from the Ice Bear was genuinely effective. The ship’s equipment and the crew’s physical comfort were far better than last time. Mel felt that perhaps she could rely on the defenses of a General-class drifting ship to go even deeper.

However, before she could put it to the test, Waterloo struck again.

She saw it.

The pitch-black night was instantly as bright as day!

Even brighter than the last time she’d seen it!

Mel’s face changed drastically!

"Full retreat! Now!"

The Golden Bodhi’s General-class characteristic, "Phantom," activated instantly. The massive drifting ship became ethereal as it executed a rapid U-turn, fleeing back the way it came with all its might.

Vast quantities of Pure Dome Crystals were consumed as if on a conveyor belt by the giant, high-speed vessel.

The iconic Golden Bodhi Flower on the ship actually wilted directly under the high temperature.

Its petals drooped.

They didn’t melt, but they began to soften.

Fortunately, with the experience from last time and the giant refrigerator, the casualties on board were minimal. However, most of the crew were blinded by the flash, their vision turning a sheet of white for a short time.

Mel felt she had the absolute worst luck.

Although rumors said an S-class sea beast dwelled in the depths of the Boiling Sea, it wasn’t unprecedented for General-class drifting ships to explore it. The Red Sea and the Nile River had both explored the peripheral regions. There were even some daredevil Golden Ships and Silver Speculators who recklessly probed the borders and transitional zones. No matter how gruesome their deaths, not a single one had ever witnessed the spectacle of the Golden Sun.

No one was as unlucky as her.

To come here twice and see it twice!

Mel took a harsh drag from her cigarette.

She was at a complete loss for what to do next.

...

On the Black Gold, 1,500 nautical miles away.

The researchers keenly detected the violent fluctuation from the depths of the Sea of Boiling. Massive computers began running at high speed, analyzing the potential impact of this fluctuation.

CLACK CLACK CLACK.

The Second-in-Command, a scholarly woman in high heels, entered the detection room.

"Is that S-class sea beast acting up again?"

"Second-in-Command, this is the second time. The center of the Sea of Boiling has been calm for years. The S-class sea beast just sleeps on the seabed, guarding its territory of a hundred-odd nautical miles, and rarely surfaces. Why has it been so active recently? Could it be planning something?"

A terrifying sea beast, 1,500 nautical miles away.

It wasn’t that the Black Gold didn’t want to eliminate it.

First, it was too far.

Second, it was too difficult.

For Awakened, a creature of such high temperature was nothing short of a dimensional beatdown. Even if three S-class Awakened were dispatched together, their combat effectiveness would plummet in the extreme heat of the Sea of Boiling, while the beast would be like a fish in water. Defeat would be certain.

But thankfully, they had coexisted peacefully for so many years.

Ordinary drifting ships wouldn’t venture into such a dangerous place.

The Black Gold hadn’t bothered with it either.

But this month, abnormal fluctuations had appeared twice.

The Black Gold had to be on guard.

If it were to burst out of the Sea of Boiling and enter other regions, it would be a major catastrophe. The Black Gold was already tasked with suppressing the Nameless Cocoon and would have to seek outside help.

For example, asking the nearby Twelve Stars for reinforcements.

"Perhaps things aren’t that bad."

"Maintain constant surveillance."

The Africa Region wasn’t like other seas; its beasts were unusually active. The Black Gold alone had detected two S-class sea beasts: one suppressed beneath them and another sleeping in a forbidden zone. And neither was an easy target; not one could be killed and converted into a resource for humanity.

"Commander! Bad news! The Nameless Cocoon is also showing signs of activity..."

The eyes of the bespectacled Second-in-Command turned cold.

"Hmph!"

"Transfer one-third of our reserve beast hearts to the mother unit on the Sealed Prison ship. Suppress it with full force."

"Teach it a harsh lesson."

Beneath the Black Gold, in the depths of the sea.

The sealed insect, unable to break out of its cocoon, stirred restlessly.

[Human, did you, really go to kill, that Three-Eyed Bird?]

[Success, I wish you.]

[Unscrupulous, to achieve the goal. We, are truly, the same kind... ]

...

...

...

The moment the Great Sun Wheel rose, Shi Ming reacted with extreme speed, activating his Formless Pure Ice.

At the same time, to avoid any accidents, he was also prepared to use the Black Tortoise Shield once. But he found it unnecessary, as the Formless Pure Ice single-handedly defended against the intense heat and steam damage of the Great Sun Wheel.

Outside the 10-meter range, the juices of the Crystal Fruits dripped down. DRIP DRIP DRIP. The branches and leaves were irradiated by the scorching sun, glowing like fiery flowers.

Within the 10-meter range, the Crystal Fruits were frozen solid like true crystal, exuding a piercing cold. The icy gleam was sharp, and they were as white as silver.

One tree, two different wonders.

After his vision cleared from the temporary whiteout, Shi Ming saw a six-meter-long Golden Crow diving up from the seabed, carrying an oppressive force that blotted out the sky as it tore toward him.

The Great Sun Wheel was just a momentary flash. Now, the creature revealed its true form. Its feathers were an indescribable, iridescent mix of gold and black. With its wings spread, while not as massive as a Titan, it still blotted out the light.

It had a third eye on its head, which was currently closed.

An S-class sea beast.

The Three-Eyed Golden Crow!

Shi Ming’s reaction was lightning-fast. The instant he realized an enemy was attacking, he activated the Titan Bloodline within him!

TICK TOCK. As the illusory clock ticked, he had already completed his transformation!

His clothes instantly burst apart. His skin became covered in a dense network of mercury-silver markings, like tributaries of the River of Destiny. The markings writhed, their ends crossing over to form Möbius strips, the symbol for infinity "∞".

The pupils of both his eyes...

also transformed into "∞" shaped double pupils.

The mercury-silver markings were inlaid around the edges of his pupils, flowing slowly.

The 11th Titan skill!

Wheel of Destiny!

[Wheel of Destiny.]

[Your eyes may peer into the River of Destiny one time. From the infinite possible tributaries of the River of Destiny, you may lock in one destiny for your enemy and one for yourself. In 50 minutes, destiny will irreversibly flow in the direction you have specified, and in the final 10 minutes, the full repercussion will be realized, achieving the outcome for both parties.]

[Within the 50 minutes, each time you hit the opponent, its destiny process will accelerate by 1 minute.]

Wheel of Destiny versus the Great Prophecy Technique!

This was a clash of metaphysics!

Shi Ming’s eyes opened, his pupils locking onto the Three-Eyed Golden Crow.

The illusory River of Destiny flowed endlessly. Countless tiny tributaries spread out from himself and the Golden Crow, slowly intertwining.

From within,

Shi Ming instantly saw innumerable possibilities, and the countless different paths their destinies could take—

[Main Tributary: 78% Probability]

"The Golden Crow escapes."

"Shi Ming gains nothing, except for a tree of Crystal Apples."

’A 78% chance for such a garbage ending?’

[Sub-Tributary I: 7% Probability]

"The Golden Crow falls."

"Shi Ming bathes in the Golden Crow’s blood. After being severely burned, he activates Death’s Door and obtains the Great Sun Wheel skill. The Golden Crow’s third eye dissipates during this process and cannot be consumed. Shi Ming misses out on the Great Prophecy Technique."

[Sub-Tributary II: 7% Probability]

"The Golden Crow falls."

"After Shi Ming immediately eats the Golden Crow’s third eye, he is unable to consume the heart in time due to its large size and misses out on the Great Prophecy Technique. He then relies on Formless Pure Ice for protection while bathing in the Golden Crow’s blood, obtaining the Great Sun Wheel skill."

...

[Sub-Tributary XIII: 0.1% Probability]

"The Golden Crow falls."

"Shi Ming bathes in the Golden Crow’s blood and simultaneously, in an act of hubris, eats the Formless Pure Ice, only to discover the two energies cannot be counteracted. His body explodes. Because his corpse is too fragmented, Death’s Door cannot revive him."

The corner of Shi Ming’s eye twitched.

’What a trap.’

’Thankfully, the probability is only 0.1%.’

’And now, its probability will become 0!’

Interpreting the River of Destiny took only an instant and didn’t delay his battle with the Golden Crow.

Shi Ming also saw an even more bizarre possibility.

[Sub-Tributary XVIII]

"The Golden Crow is about to fall, ■■■■■■, Shi Ming is defeated. (Probability: 0.0001%)" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

????

’So the River of Destiny uses censor blocks, huh!’

’A 0.0001% probability?’

’What kind of garbage gacha game has odds like this?’

In an instant, using the Wheel of Destiny, Shi Ming understood countless different potential fates. He then chose a relatively good destiny tributary, one whose original probability wasn’t too low.

[Sub-Tributary X: 3.7% Probability]

"The Golden Crow falls."

"Shi Ming bathes in its blood, obtaining the Great Sun Wheel. Relying on an unknown power, he brutally devours the entire Golden Crow heart and third eye, obtaining the Great Prophecy Technique, and returns safely."

’Who cares what "unknown power" it is.’

’It doesn’t matter if a cat is black or white, as long as it catches mice!’

’As long as the ending is good, who cares if the process is a little rough?’

’Time for an all-out assault!’

...

The tributary of the river of fate was now fixed.

Behind Shi Ming, an illusory, mercury-silver "∞" symbol with 60 segments appeared.