The ship rocked and swayed;

the sea wind carried a sharp mix of salt, dampness, and blood.

In such conditions, to complete an operation designed by a Saint!

Can I really do this? Little Crow pulled on black rubber gloves, took out a special disinfectant, and wiped down the surgical instruments.

After a brief sterilization, Little Crow bit her lip and stared at Chen Qi’s heaving chest.

Fen watched without blinking, mixed a vial of vitality potion on the spot, and poured it onto Chen Qi’s wound.

Then Little Crow’s hand holding the scalpel froze.

Fen stared at her and said solemnly:

“Don’t worry about anything else. Even if there are sequelae, it’s fine.

Qi can handle anything! Doctor Crow, start immediately!”

Fen lifted her head;

her eyes were full of confidence.

In that short instant, Fen’s words had something like a spell—Little Crow’s whole body trembled.

Qi, I’m going to start entering your body now… Little Crow inhaled deeply and whispered to herself in a very soft voice.

Then she carefully plunged a sharp scalpel into the wound and began cutting away the frozen, damaged flesh and splintered bone.

Each slice made Chen Qi’s body shiver slightly;

blood spurted.

Finally, she took Fen’s transcendent medicine, shaped spiritual energy, and smoothly infused the potion into Chen Qi’s spiritual channels.

It looked simple, but it required more than a hundred precise steps;

neither the fine manipulation of spiritual energy nor the physical motions could afford a single mistake.

Plus, without equipment, this was the most difficult surgery Little Crow had ever performed.

Less than 1% success rate!

Half an hour later, Little Crow wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked at Chen Qi under her hands.

Chen Qi’s gushing wound was bandaged;

the violent heaving of his chest gradually subsided.

“I-I… did it…”

Little Crow’s pupils snapped small.

With her third-tier body, she had completed a surgery that even the Black Death Doctor would struggle to perform!

Not a single mistake!

Things like this were exceedingly rare.

Every time she felt she might slip up, she miraculously pulled off the micro-operations!

Is the Goddess of Luck looking after me? Little Crow thought.

“Four — go practice more. Your potential is not bad. Pity that in Beiguo, high-tier medical profession cards are extremely rare.”

Little Crow shivered.

That was the Ice Witch’s voice.

Ever since confessing to the Ice Witch, she didn’t know why, every time she heard the witch’s voice, a sharp sting would run down her spine.

Behind Little Crow, the Ice Witch had somehow glued herself to her and was gasping!

Also, what does “four times” mean? Curiosity flashed in Little Crow’s eyes.

The Ice Witch wore a grim face and patted her head:

“Practice more, rank up first! Otherwise, the next confession won’t be a flogging on your back~”

Where will she strike? Little Crow felt a strange, electric pain all over and said aloud:

“O-okay! Witch lady!”

She had once been a terrifying pirate ship’s doctor.

But now, her former pirate ferocity and pride were all thoroughly suppressed by the Ice Witch!

“Huff, huff, huff…”

At that moment, Chen Qi opened his bloodshot eyes, gasped, and sat up.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

“Huff, huff, huff, huff…”

As he sat up, Chen Qi didn’t speak or respond to the noise around him.

He discarded the noise and entered a state of self-forgetting;

he kept adjusting his breathing to dispel the cold ice spiritual force inside his body.

In the previous fight he had nearly exhausted all his spiritual energy.

Trying to fight above his tier still had some difficulty… Chen Qi spat a mouthful of blood mist.

After the surgery his head still rang;

every hardened part of his body weakened involuntarily.

After finishing with the Dragon, he was spent.

After the madness, I really am weak.

As a Lamp Keeper with Deep Sea Hunter talent, his body—whether against mental corruption or physical damage—could usually endure.

However, when he entered the Crimson Stance he had not deliberately preserved his sanity.

There was no other reason: that monstrous mode required complete immersion in madness.

Too much rationality would only drastically limit its power!

If his rational side had stayed in control, midway through the fight he might have tried to retreat to the seabed and fight a maneuvering battle.

But the Blizzard Dragon King was equally cunning;

it could freeze the sea or suddenly flee at any time.

Chen Qi carefully felt his body and circulated the Breathing Technique, diffusing spiritual energy across his body to form a thin red membrane.

It was as thin as cicada wings, yet as sharp as the keenest blade.

That membrane moved like flame, rising and falling like a beast ready to tear open.

Ordinary people would be instantly cut just by approaching.

That was why Fen’s hands had bled when she carried Chen Qi in her princess hold.

Plus, Little Crow’s surgery had, to a large extent, helped his body adapt to this state.

Chen Qi kept breathing, integrating body and spiritual energy, holding them in balance.

Finally, that scalding film turned into blazing crimson flames that adhered to Chen Qi’s skin.

At last, a dazzling notification popped into his mind.

[You have mastered the ascension of Blade Spiritual Energy. You have gained a deeper understanding of Blade Energy. All Blade-affinity skills will receive a qualitative upgrade!]

Blade spiritual ascension… Chen Qi inhaled deeply and drew in the surging spiritual power.

Dice-affinity spiritual ascension was like modeling clay, Book-affinity ascension like human-written words, Hammer-affinity like white steam, Floral-affinity like the ink in a painter’s hand…

Blade-affinity, however, was like a razor-sharp flame.

In that instant, Chen Qi’s spiritual field was no longer just vast;

it now displayed more characteristics of flames and blades.

This was the sign that his spiritual cultivation had reached a new peak.

Combined with Hunter’s Fire, he might not only raise Crimson Stance to Lv3, he might even reach an even higher realm.

However, normally a fourth-tier Transcendent can only get one spiritual ascension;

Lamp-affinity’s ascension might require fifth-tier… Chen Qi curled his lips into a proud smile and opened his blood-red eyes.

Then, itching with anticipation, he looked at the shocked crowd.

Everyone’s mouths fell slightly open.

While defeating the Blizzard Dragon King, the Black Hunter had also completed the final practice of spiritual ascension!

Remember, Captain Palu took a full year—after legendary promotion and multiple opportunities—before he could turn his spiritual energy into putty-like form.

“Waku waku waku (Master, you’re the best in the world! Master beats everyone up!)”

“Black Hunter, thank you so much for your help!”

“Lord Black Hunter, does your ship need crew? A pet is fine too—my profession is Beast Transformer, I can play a kitten!”

“Lord Black Hunter, in this freezing weather, is your bed lacking a warm spot? My heart has had flesh surgery;

my body temperature is super high!”

The Ice Demon Pirates’ female cartographer clasped her hands and spoke passionately.

You really just want to warm a bed? Vice-Captain Fen gave a sidelong glance and said coldly:

“Everyone, quiet down. He needs to rest, and water spirits can do everything;

we don’t need new members for now…”

“Waku waku waku (No need!)”

The water spirits chimed in.

Flattering me well! Chen Qi blushed slightly at the praise, rubbed his nose, and moved his injured body a little.

Burry then added a line:

“Respected Captain Palu, I hope you can learn a bit instead of keeping strange thoughts in your head.

Reflect on why you haven’t practiced properly these days, why your strength hasn’t progressed.”

“…”

Is he really one of my crew… Palu slowly turned his head;

he vaguely felt that because he hadn’t used the D20 domain, as the youngest of the Four Emperors in the Witch Sea, he was nearly becoming a useless background prop!

He defended himself:

“The age has changed;

this is the era of the Tides.”

Transcendents who grow during the Rift Tide era develop much faster than those from ordinary times.

Still, Chen Qi’s growth had indeed exceeded his expectations.

That speed would be exceptional even at the talent-rich Beiguo Royal University.

“Is that so, Captain Palu?”

Burry tossed aside his mocking expression and stood next to Chen Qi.

He was now practically half the Ghost Ship’s mechanic!

“…”

I really want to punch him… Palu’s mouth twitched.

With the Blizzard Dragon King dead, the sense of crisis faded and the crew grew lively.

At dusk, as night fell, another bright red notification flashed into everyone’s minds!

[Fifteen days have passed. Leave the rift now to enter settlement and claim rewards.]

[Rift mutation rate increased by 5%. Current mutation rate: 96%. The rift is collapsing…]

Gashes of abyss opened across the sky;

the heavens looked like shattered glass.

On the distant sea floated merchant crates stamped with seal emblems.

There were no wooden crates in the Great Sea Coffin.

The merging of the two worlds was growing… Seeing the prompt, Chen Qi said in a low voice:

“Fifteen days are up…”

Now, as long as they left the rift they could receive the rift settlement rewards.

Chen Qi did not plan to linger;

their main goal—resurrecting the Ice Witch—was already achieved.

They had also slain the Blizzard Dragon King.

During the short rest, Palu and the Ice Witch had skinned the Dragon King, put the precious dragon-heart and dragon-scales into storage.

The gains from this expedition were already rich!

The Black Death Doctor who fled using a high-tier Lamp-affinity item could very well call reinforcements to intercept them.

Chen Qi inhaled deeply and said:

“If there’s nothing else, we set sail immediately and leave the rift.”

Palu considered carefully;

he still had some tasks, but the danger of an A-rank rift far exceeded his imagination.

As the Ghost Ship’s captain said, it would be best to leave the Great Sea Coffin immediately.

Captain Palu nodded:

“Understood, Black Hunter.”

Both of them turned to look at the silent Ice Witch.

The Ice Witch sat extravagantly on three water spirit cushions and gazed toward the distant horizon, seemingly lost in thought.

In the end, this rift will still collapse… The Ice Witch closed her eyes and fell into contemplation.

She glanced at Chen Qi and nodded:

“No problem.”

I wonder how the Witch Sea is doing now… The Ice Witch took a sip of black tea.

After everyone finished discussing, Chen Qi ordered the crew and steered the Nether Sea Ghost Ship away from the Witch’s Coffin.

…

One hour later.

With the Nether Sea Engine powering it, the Ghost Ship burned with illusory green ghost-fire and sped through the darkness.

The crew, like travelers returning home, crowded around the campfire, chatting while excitedly gazing at the horizon.

As the ship advanced, the surrounding temperature gradually rose.

There were no toothy seagulls;

lively schools of fish swam beneath the waves.

Fifteen frigid days in the Great Sea Coffin had already broken their bodies and sanity.

They were eager to return to the Witch Sea to see family, brag in taverns about their adventures, and show off their greatness!

No doubt, after this trip they would be the White Pigeon Times’ front page!

No—more than that: they would be the focal point of Beiguo’s largest Imperial Capital newspapers!

This story would appear in newspapers across all coastal cities.

Even if princes and princesses in the Goldenfinch Kingdom broke romantic scandal news, it would be relegated beneath them.

“Returning laden with treasure and glory, returning laden with treasure and glory~”

“Returning laden with treasure!”

They hummed tunes and nodded, intoxicated by the joy of homecoming.

Amid the relaxed singing, a dazzling prompt popped up before everyone!

A-rank Rift Settlement prompt!

Golden light erupted in everyone’s eyes.

“Woohoo! Finally settling!”

“Please, give me a C-rank!”

“I did nothing—completely relied on the Witch and the Hunter. A D would be great.”

They cheered.

Chen Qi sat by the campfire, opened his eyes, and checked his own prompt.

Most people’s ratings would probably be D or low C.

But his should be somewhat higher than the others.

He hadn’t completed hidden tasks nor extra survival days, but he had defeated the Blizzard Dragon King.

The Blizzard Dragon King was a boss.

He might get a C rating… Chen Qi thought.

[Rift settlement in progress…]

[Rift mutation rate: currently 96%]

[Survival Master: You survived fifteen days. Reward +100%

Coffin Explorer: You reached both the Witch’s Coffin and Merchant’s Coffin. Reward +50%

You Weren’t Hungry: In the Great Sea Coffin you hardly felt hunger. Reward +50%

Dragon Slayer Hunter: You alone defeated the Blizzard Dragon King. Reward +100%!

God Worshipper: You completed a magnificent sacrifice. Reward +25%

Deep Sea Serpent Terminator: You defeated the Merchant’s Coffin’s big BOSS, the Lord of Condensation who had ruled the deep sea for two hundred years. Reward +100%

Sea God’s Fear: You made one of the rift’s taboo existences, a Sea God, feel a sliver of fear. Reward +10%!

Sea God’s Affection: You made one of the rift’s taboo existences, a Sea God, feel a sliver of excitement. Reward +10%!

Love From Your Teammate: Your teammate ‘Palu’ used an ultra-lucky throw, increasing random rewards. Reward +20%]

So many settlement tags… Chen Qi mused quietly.

The one that surprised him most was the tag for defeating the Lord of Condensation.

He hadn’t expected the Merchant’s Coffin experience to add such a bonus to his settlement.

Maybe I can get a B rating… Chen Qi inhaled deeply.

For an A-rank rift, a B was already an excellent evaluation.

At that moment, the final result popped up!

[Settlement complete. Composite rating: A-]

[You have obtained an exclusive Taboo Treasure Chest!]

Chen Qi couldn’t help the twitch at the corner of his eye as he stared at the last letter.

How much?

An A?