Zhou Huai's consciousness sank into Gandalf's body once again.

At this moment, his left hand held that heavy bronze key.

And his right hand held that glistening golden pendulum.

He tried to store the bronze key away.

To Zhou Huai's surprise, the bronze key was smoothly stowed into the Spatial Ring.

Right at this moment.

On the distant sea surface, a seemingly extremely crude small raft was cutting through the waves at a speed completely disproportionate to its appearance.

On the raft, ten people were standing densely packed together.

They wore uniform, exotic-styled clothing and had dark skin.

They were precisely the people of the White Elephant Country.

This group of people obviously also noticed the huge ice island that had appeared out of thin air on the sea, as well as the solitary figure on the ice island.

"Big Brother! Look! There seems to be someone ahead!"

At the very front of the raft, a skinny person from the White Elephant Country pointed in the direction of the ice island and shouted excitedly.

Standing behind him, a burly man with a fierce and fleshy face narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

"Mhm, I see it too."

The man called "Big Brother" had his gaze fall upon Gandalf.

And on the golden pendulum in his hand that was shining brilliantly under the sunlight.

"Look, is he still holding something in his hand?"

A lackey behind him with sharp eyes immediately exclaimed aloud.

"It's golden! Big Brother! Could that thing be the legendary Divine Artifact?!"

"What?!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone on the raft boiled with excitement.

"It seems... it seems that person beat us to it!"

"What should we do? Big Brother?"

"What is there to be afraid of!"

That Big Brother let out a cold snort, a ferocious smile surfacing on his face.

"He is only one person! We have ten!"

"Can't we just snatch it over!"

Amidst the discussion, that raft which looked like it could fall apart at any moment had already steadily docked at the edge of the ice island.

The ten people from the White Elephant Country nimbly jumped off the raft, their targets clear, and walked straight up to Gandalf, faintly surrounding him.

The leading Big Brother looked Gandalf up and down, his eyes filled with scrutiny and disdain.

"I've seen you before."

He grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

"You are a person from the Great Xia Nation."

Zhou Huai manipulated Gandalf and calmly nodded.

"What is your business?"

That Big Brother did not answer immediately, but instead vigilantly scanned the surrounding environment.

On this ice island, besides ice, there was only ice.

There wasn't any place to hide.

He asked tentatively.

"On this island, how come you're the only person?"

"Where are your teammates?"

A trace of impatience crept into Gandalf's tone.

"I don't like talking to people who beat around the bush."

"If you have something to say, say it directly."

Just at this moment, that sharp-eyed lackey from earlier leaned close to Big Brother's ear and whispered mysteriously.

"Big Brother, I've already used my Professional skill to perceive."

"On this island, apart from him, there is no other aura of any Classer!"

Hearing these words, that Big Brother's heart instantly settled.

The smile on his face became increasingly unbridled, and he no longer had the slightest bit of scruples.

He looked at Gandalf, his facial expression filled with pity, as if looking at a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

"Great Xia Nation person, we gave you a chance to cooperate, but you didn't know what was good for you and refused."

"Regarding this, I can only say it's a pity."

He took a step forward, a fierce aura radiating from his body.

"Now there is only you alone here."

"I advise you, it's best to obediently hand over the thing in your hand."

"Otherwise..."

Before he finished speaking.

Gandalf's right hand casually flicked.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound rang out.

That glistening golden pendulum was directly tossed like trash by him right at the feet of those people from the White Elephant Country.

This scene directly short-circuited the brains of these ten people from the White Elephant Country.

Everyone was stunned in place.

That Big Brother blankly looked at the golden pendulum emitting a divine radiance at his feet, then raised his head to look at Gandalf in disbelief.

"You... what do you mean by this?"

Zhou Huai manipulated Gandalf and looked at them with the gaze of looking at idiots.

"Didn't you want it?"

"I'm giving it to you."

"Gi—given it to us?"

Big Brother's brain couldn't quite process it.

Just like that, given away?

Since when did the people of the Great Xia Nation become so easy to talk to?

Just as he was half-believing and half-doubtful, that clever lackey beside him stepped forward again and whispered a reminder.

"Big Brother, watch out for a trap!"

"The people of the Great Xia Nation have always been cunning; they definitely aren't that kind-hearted!"

"There must be something wrong with this pendulum!"

Hearing this, Big Brother nodded deeply in agreement.

"Mhm, what you said makes a lot of sense."

He patted that lackey's shoulder, an expression of approval appearing on his face.

"So, you go over, pick it up, and check it carefully."

Lackey: "???"

The expression on his face instantly froze as he pointed at his own nose, his voice even stuttering a bit.

"M—me?"

"Go!"

Big Brother glared, his tone unquestionable.

"Could it be that you want me to go personally?"

That lackey's face instantly collapsed, and in his heart, he greeted all eighteen generations of Big Brother's ancestors.

But he didn't dare to disobey the order. He could only wear a crying face, looking back every three steps, and cautiously shuffled toward that golden pendulum.

He squatted down, held his breath, and extended a trembling hand, gently touching the pendulum as if touching some highly toxic object.

No reaction.

Bolding himself further, he picked up the entire pendulum.

Still no reaction.

A thought stirred in his mind as he tried to check the pendulum's attributes.

The next second, his dark face instantly flushed crimson!

His eyes were filled with irrepressible wild joy!

"Big Brother!"

He abruptly turned his head, his voice becoming extremely sharp due to excitement.

"It's real! It's real! It's the Pendulum of Life!"

"What?!"

That Big Brother's eyes suddenly lit up, and he rushed over in a single stride, snatching the pendulum from the lackey's hand.

"Quick! Bring it here for me to see!"

When he saw that familiar attribute panel with his own eyes, his breathing instantly became heavy and ragged.

It really is a Divine Artifact!

Their White Elephant Country actually obtained a Divine Artifact!

"Hahahaha!"

He let out a long howl toward the sky, emitting a burst of unbridled wild laughter.

"The Divine Artifact is ours! It belongs to our White Elephant Country!"

As soon as his voice fell, who knows who pulled out a uniquely shaped speaker from a Spatial Ring.

The next second.

A piece of music full of demonic charm and a strong sense of rhythm resounded throughout the entire ice island.

"Boom! Da! Boom! Da!"

Those ten people from the White Elephant Country, as if hearing some mysterious summoning, began to twist their bodies out of control.

They threw their weapons onto the ground, their faces overflowing with heartfelt joy, and began to sing and dance around the Big Brother holding the Divine Artifact.

That scene was as joyful as joyful could be.

Zhou Huai's consciousness inside Gandalf watched this familiar yet abstract scene before him, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably.

These people...

Their thought processes really were different from ordinary people.

The racial talent of dancing at the slightest disagreement was truly carved into their bones.

A full five minutes passed before that demonic music finally stopped.

The ten people from the White Elephant Country danced until they were drenched in sweat, yet each and every one of them was spirited and glowing with vigor.

That Big Brother walked up to Gandalf with a happy grin, and even the gaze he looked at him with became much friendlier.

He heavily patted Gandalf's shoulder, with undisguised appreciation on his face.

"You are a smart person."

"Very good, I appreciate you."

"Rest assured, although your Great Xia Nation previously refused to cooperate with us, seeing how sensible you are today, after our White Elephant Country surpasses the Freedom Federation and becomes the world's number one, I will consider taking a little care of your Great Xia Nation."

Having said that, he gave a big wave of his hand, calling over the group of jubilant lackeys behind him.

"Let's go!"

"Take the Pendulum of Life out as soon as possible!"

"Starting from today, our White Elephant Country is the new myth of this world!"

A crowd of people swarmed around the Big Brother holding the Divine Artifact, returning in a mighty grand procession to that dilapidated raft.

Breaking through the waves and leaving.

Zhou Huai manipulating Gandalf simply stood quietly in place.

With the gaze of looking at dead people, he watched them depart.

That small raft drifted further and further away on the sea surface.

However, right when it was about to disappear at the end of Zhou Huai's line of sight.

A sudden change occurred abruptly!

"Splash——!"

The sea surface around the raft, which had been fairly calm originally, violently churned without any warning!

Countless shockingly thick black tentacles covered in slippery mucus violently broke through the water surface like demonic claws reaching out from the abyss of Hell!

"It's an exotic beast attack!!!"

On the raft, a burst of panicked shrieks came over.

Before they could even react.

One of the thickest tentacles, carrying the whistle of tearing air, fiercely whipped down upon that already crumbling raft!

"Crack!"

A crisp sound!

The small raft instantly shattered into pieces!

The ten people from the White Elephant Country, like dumplings being dropped into a pot, shrieked as they tumbled into the ice-cold, piercing seawater.

They began to frantically engage in fierce battle in the water against the army of exotic beasts swarming in from all directions.

However, the number of underwater exotic beasts far exceeded the imagination of this group of people from the White Elephant Country.

It was as if they were endless.

After killing one wave, another wave came!

The next second.

More tentacles swept in from all directions like sharks smelling blood.

They accurately entangled every single person from the White Elephant Country who had fallen into the water, dragging them relentlessly toward the bottomless seabed.

"He—help!"

"No! I don't want to die!"

"Big Brother save me!"

The shrill screams were quickly swallowed up by the churning seawater.

On the sea surface, only strings of blurred bubbles and a patch of crimson rapidly spreading remained.

After a brief struggle, everything returned to peace.

That sea area seemed as if nothing had ever happened.

Only that glistening golden Pendulum of Life, after losing the support of its master, spun around and slowly sank downward toward the pitch-black deep sea.

From beginning to end, not a single exotic beast spared it another glance.