Chapter 258

Chapter 258: Ice Cloud Circle

Every eighteen hours, the Black Sea Currents appeared, lasting six hours. Thus, once the Narwhal set sail, it needed to find a floating island within eighteen hours to secure itself—otherwise retreat or be blown away by the currents.

One could imagine how the Rothschild Guild’s adventurers had painstakingly explored long ago. Through countless sacrifices and hardships, they’d forged the Spice Route—a chain of floating island rocks.

It wasn’t an exaggeration to say Midi stood on the giant’s shoulders to see through the Black Cloud Circle’s dangers. Yet this giant’s path diverged from his.

Continuing this way, the Narwhal would safely cross the Stormy Region and reach the Sea of Clouds’ far side at unimaginable speed. But that wasn’t Midi’s goal. As a reincarnator, he didn’t want to merely *cross* the Stormy Region—he aimed to *enter* its core!

If the Spice Route only traversed the outer Black Cloud Circle, Midi remained far from his target. Luckily, the winding route’s longest bend plunged deep into the Black Cloud Circle’s innermost layer. There, Midi hoped to find clues.

As they neared this inner layer, tension thickened aboard the Narwhal. What Midi saw as an opportunity to glimpse the Stormy Region’s interior, Victoria’s crew saw as their greatest peril.

“We’ll reach the innermost floating island in thirty minutes,” Victoria said, glancing at the black-haired youth while pointing at the map. “The Narwhal docks there for six hours until the Black Sea Currents pass.”

The instructions were routine, but unusually, Midi stood on the deck fully armed—not secluded in his room.

“Mr. Blade, won’t you return to cultivate?” Victoria asked, puzzled.

Midi’s recent behavior confused her. Though his motives eluded her, the genius merchant sensed his fixation on the Spice Route. When she’d unveiled the Rothschild Guild’s map, when the Narwhal plunged into black storms, fighting spirit had silently flared in his dark eyes—mesmerizing yet fleeting.

But after entering the Stormy Region and learning the route’s secrets, he’d grown disinterested. No—*disappointed*. This priceless route others craved meant nothing to him now.

Victoria knew if he lost interest, she’d lose his power to crush her brother. Worse, his dismissal stung—as if her treasure were trash. Unacceptable to both reason and heart.

*Why?* She dissected every detail but found no answer.

Now Midi reappeared armed, signaling his target was near. *What?* She studied him intently.

Meeting the heavenly girl’s earnest gaze, Midi smiled. “I’m here to see something. And you’d prefer me on the deck, wouldn’t you, Lady Victoria?”

Unable to guess the other’s thoughts and instead being seen through completely, Victoria could only offer a bitter smile. She made no attempt to hide it, openly admitting: "Exactly. As Mr. Blade mentioned before, the final thirty percent depends on luck. The time for assistance has come – at that floating island we’re approaching."

"What’s there?" Midi asked calmly.

"Nothing, like all previous floating islands. The problem lies in its location, extending beyond the Black Cloud Circle…" Victoria sighed, ready to elaborate when Midi cut her off.

"To be precise, it’s situated between the Black Cloud Circle and Ice Cloud Circle?" Midi interjected casually.

"Correct. Wait, how do you know about the Ice Cloud Circle?" Victoria answered automatically before staring at Midi with undisguised shock.

"I know far more than just that." Midi affected a mysterious smile.

As a reincarnator bearing memories of his past life, Midi understood the Stormy Region’s nature through common adventurer knowledge, though he didn’t know how the original pioneers had forged their passage.

The Stormy Region comprised three layers.

The outermost Black Cloud Circle housed the Narwhal, infamous for disorienting travelers with its directionless void and Black Sea Currents.

Within lay the Ice Cloud Circle – a white realm of drifting snowflakes and ice crystals, filled with lethal hailstorms and Death-winds forming White Sea Currents that cloud beasts prowled.

Between these two rings lay the Stormy Region’s heart – the vast Star Ocean containing Sky Cloud Sea’s Essence: the resources, ruins, and heritage Midi sought.

Now that the Spice Route had breached the Black Cloud Circle’s edge, reaching the Ice Cloud Circle’s border, investigation became imperative. The untamed Ice Cloud Circle would differ vastly from its future self after seven years of exploration.

After careful consideration, Midi concluded that breaching the Stormy Region required the Rothschild Guild’s support. A lone man’s deep thinking progressed too slowly – only by steering major factions behind his blade could exploration accelerate.

In this Sea of Clouds, who better suited than Lady Victoria?

Thus Midi came to the deck, both to survey the Ice Cloud Circle and declare his intentions.

The shrewd merchant didn’t disappoint. After momentary thought, she grasped his aim.

"Mr. Blade… could you mean to enter the Ice Cloud Circle? No – the Stormy Region’s depths?" Even bold, imaginative Victoria looked stunned. Old Steward Lund openly gaped at Midi like he was mad.

Crossing the Stormy Region!

Madness!

Victoria, Lund, and every eavesdropping People of the Heavens on deck shared this thought.

Sea of Clouds inhabitants hailed from Demon Realm and heavens alike, boasting strong bloodlines and awakening potential. After millennia, it teemed with experts – yet none had ever crossed the Stormy Region.

Now? Barely a year after Sky City’s opening, this Lower Realm human dared claim such?

Impossible!

Even with awakened Secret Techniques enabling flight, unrivaled personal power, or commanding great factions – none compared to conquering the Stormy Region.

Hadn’t millennia produced exceptional talents? All stronger than some Lower Realm human! Why should he succeed where they failed?

They overlooked one truth: being from the Lower Realm freed him from the Sea of Clouds’ "common sense." He wouldn’t quail before the Black Tempest.

Moreover, Midi’s past-life memories knew the Star Ocean’s core had already been breached – by the Blue Truth Sect, who’d likely become his greatest future enemies.

Midi recalled that supreme expert from his previous life, only vanquished through armies of corpses. Yet neither this memory nor the Blue Truth Sect’s secret passage concerned him now.

His sole priority remained forging a Stormy Region passage. His current task: lay bare his plans and persuade Lady Victoria.

Not just to relinquish the Spice Route, but join his quest for this perilous yet priceless goal.