The next second, Zhou Huai's consciousness instantly transferred.

And arrived inside Gandalf's body.

The airship returning to Great Xia Nation was steadily cutting through the clouds, sailing above the blue, boundless ocean.

Controlling Gandalf, Zhou Huai pushed open the cabin door and came to the deck.

The sea wind whipped fiercely, blowing his Star-Moon Robe.

Overseas affairs head Zhang Cheng and Lin Zhu were both on the deck at this moment.

Seeing Gandalf walk out with a solemn expression,

Zhang Cheng hurriedly stepped forward with concern on his face.

"Captain Gandalf, did something happen?"

Zhou Huai did not answer, casting his gaze toward the distant skyline as he retorted with a question.

"About how much longer will our airship need to return to Great Xia Nation?"

Zhang Cheng was stunned for a moment, then mentally estimated.

"At the current speed, it will still take at least two days and one night."

Gandalf's brows furrowed imperceptibly.

"What if we advance at full speed?"

Zhang Cheng thought for a moment.

"Even if we activate all thrusters and disregard energy consumption, it will still take about a day and a half."

One and a half days.

Plus the time to return from the Imperial Capital to Donghai City.

It would take at least two more days.

Too long.

Donghai City could not wait that long.

Watching Gandalf's increasingly solemn expression, Lin Zhu on the side also sensed that something was wrong.

Her cold eyes looked over.

"Gandalf, what is wrong with you?"

"What on earth happened?"

The other Great Xia Nation team members on the deck also successively cast concerned gazes.

Gandalf took a deep breath, seeming to organize his words.

After a brief thought, Zhou Huai, controlling Gandalf, slowly spoke.

"Director Zhang Cheng, Principal Lin, I might not be able to continue returning to the Imperial Capital with you."

"What?"

As soon as these words came out, everyone's faces were filled with astonishment.

Lin Zhu's brows also tightly locked.

"Gandalf, what do you mean by this?"

"Where are you going?"

Zhang Cheng also hurriedly chimed in from the side:

"Captain Gandalf, if you have encountered any difficulties, you can speak up, and we can think of a way to help you."

Zhou Huai smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"I don't have time."

He turned around, looking solemnly at Lin Zhu.

"Dean Lin, I'll have to trouble you and everyone to send the Pendulum of Life back to the Imperial Capital."

"Next, I will head out ahead of time."

Everyone listened in a fog.

What did it mean to go ahead first?

This was the boundless ocean, thousands of kilometers away from land.

Was he planning to rely on his water-type abilities to surf back?

That was simply courting death!

Within the ocean, dangers were everywhere, and countless powerful abyss mutated beasts existed.

Even this heavily armed airship dared not claim one hundred percent safety.

Let alone a single person.

Zhang Cheng was anxious and hurriedly stepped forward to advise.

"Captain Gandalf, what on earth has happened?"

"You must not do anything foolish!"

Zhou Huai no longer explained.

He quickly removed all the gear on Gandalf's body as well as the staff flashing with Holy Light, putting them into the Storage Ring.

Then he looked at everyone and said seriously: "Everyone, my subsequent actions might be somewhat bizarre, but please do not stop me."

"I will explain to everyone later."

"In short, see you in the Imperial Capital!"

After speaking.

Amid everyone's horrified gazes, Gandalf leaped forward!

He actually jumped directly down from the airship thousands of meters high!

His body, like a kite with a broken string, plummeted vertically toward the deep blue ocean below!

"Quick! Save him!"

Zhang Cheng's face instantly turned pale, emitting a terrified roar.

Everyone on the deck changed expression simultaneously, plunging into chaos.

However, everything happened too fast.

Everyone failed to react in time.

Only Lin Zhu.

Her reaction was fast to the extreme.

Seeing the staff made of ancient wood in her hand lightly tap.

"Go!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Countless emerald vines, like living spirit snakes, shot out from the tip of the staff, instantly tearing through the air and crazily sweeping toward the falling figure!

The speed of the vines was as fast as lightning, arriving first despite starting last!

They were about to wrap around Gandalf's body!

However, at that critical moment.

A sudden change occurred!

On the rapidly falling Gandalf, a blindingly glaring white light suddenly lit up!

That light was so brilliant, so dazzling, resembling a miniature sun exploding violently in mid-air!

Boom—!!!

A deafening roar, accompanied by a terrifying energy shockwave, swept across the entire sea area!

The sea surface below was forcefully blown out into a huge depression!

Monstrous giant waves surged into the sky, then crashed down heavily!

Lin Zhu's vines, which were about to touch Gandalf, couldn't even withstand a single instant in front of that destructive power before being directly vaporized and disappearing into nothingness!

On the deck, everyone was shocked by this terrifying explosion and retreated repeatedly.

They grabbed the gunwale tightly so they wouldn't be blown away by that violent air wave.

When all the dust settled.

On the sea surface, only churning waves remained, along with a huge whirlpool that failed to calm down for a long time.

Gandalf's figure had long since disappeared without a trace.

On the deck, there was a deathly silence.

Everyone opened their mouths wide, staring blankly at the messy sea surface below, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Cap... Captain!!!"

A young team member let out a heart-rending cry of grief, their voice filled with trembling.

What was the situation?

Captain Gandalf... self-detonated?

He just... died like this?

For a moment, everyone's complexion turned pale, and their minds went completely blank.

Even the usually calm Lin Zhu had a rare trace of paleness appear on her cold, pretty face.

Zhang Cheng suddenly snapped back to his senses, rushed to the side of the ship, and shouted hoarsely downward.

"Quick! Send people down to check! I want to see him alive or his body if he's dead!"

But Lin Zhu slowly shook her head.

She closed her eyes, carefully sensed for a moment, and then softly said in a voice close to sleep-talking: "There is no need to go."

"His aura... has completely vanished."

"He... is really dead."

No one could figure it out.

This hero who had just led them to seize the Divine Artifact and made unparalleled contributions.

This new-generation SS-Rank Expert that Great Xia Nation had managed to produce.

Why would he, perfectly fine, suddenly commit suicide out of despair?

And what did the words he said earlier mean?

Zhang Cheng collapsed onto the deck with a thud, his eyes empty.

It's over.

It's completely over now.

How was he supposed to report back to Marshal Zhao when he returned?

However, just as they hadn't yet recovered from the massive shock brought by Gandalf's suicide,

Above the distant sky,

Two streams of light radiating terrifying auras were rapidly speeding toward their direction at an astonishing speed!

Feeling those two undisguisedly powerful auras, Lin Zhu's expression instantly became solemn.

Almost within the span of a breath,

Those two figures had already crossed the distant distance and landed heavily on the deck of the Great Xia Nation airship!

Boom!

The entire airship trembled violently because of it!

Only then did everyone see the appearance of the newcomers, one after another revealing expressions as if facing a formidable enemy.

The newcomers were precisely Wada Hirayama from Sakura Country, and that person-in-charge from Kimchi Country.

Two SS-Rank Experts descended simultaneously!

Anyone would understand that the newcomers meant no good!

Wada Hirayama's gaze swept across the deck, finally landing on Lin Zhu.

He grinned, and that smile was filled with undisguised mockery and malice.

"Your Excellency Lin Zhu, the matters in the ruins are not yet settled."

"Aren't you people of Great Xia Nation in too much of a hurry to leave?"

Lin Zhu stepped forward, shielding all the team members behind her, her expression icy.

"Since we have already withdrawn, the affairs of the ruins naturally have nothing to do with us."

"What do the two of you mean by chasing after us?"

The person-in-charge from Kimchi Country shook his head, a hypocritical smile hanging on his face.

"No, no, no, we originally thought that the Divine Artifact obtained by your Great Xia Nation was also fake."

"But looking at it now, it doesn't seem to be the case."

"Archbishop Andrew wants to personally verify the authenticity of that Divine Artifact."

He paused, a trace of icy cold light flashing in his slender eyes.

"Therefore, we'll have to trouble everyone from Great Xia Nation to come back with us for a trip."

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of all the Great Xia Nation team members present grew solemn as well.

Anyone could understand.

Where was this an invitation?

This was clearly a threat!

The Freedom Federation never intended to let them take the Divine Artifact back so easily!

Lin Zhu's cold face was covered with a layer of frost.

She slowly raised the staff in her hand, and a massive force of nature began to gather around her.

"What if we refuse?"