Under the reflection of this picture full of vitality and abundance, the part of the tattered boat below the waterline suddenly underwent a noticeable change.
A strange structure suddenly stretched out from the bottom of the stern and quickly deformed and stretched, like a branch growing from the trunk of a tree. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a real propeller and began to rotate at high speed.
At the same time, a flat vertical structure "grew" somewhere at the rear end of the hull. It was shaped like a fish fin and swayed slightly from side to side under the influence of the water flow that was orderly surging due to the "propeller".
That is the rudder. As long as it swings left and right in coordination with the rotation of the propeller, the direction of the entire ship can be effectively controlled.
Under the action of the propeller, the slightly tilted small broken boat began to move on its own. White waves and foam appeared on the sea surface at the tail, forming a wake that was completely different from that of a conventional wind-powered sailboat.
If the people on the light sailing ship had not been paying attention to this at the moment, there would definitely be someone with enough eyesight to notice... This small single-masted sailing ship actually dragged out a unique track that only a steam ironclad ship could create.
The autonomous lifeboat was much faster than the caravel, and although the two ships were currently sailing in roughly the same direction, it soon left the latter far behind.
The figures of the group of people who were reluctant to say goodbye gradually disappeared below the horizon until they were completely invisible.
"…Wait, the horizon?"
Qi Ji, who had been standing at the bow and gazing at Maryfrion and others, suddenly started and realized that something was wrong.
"Isn't this world a round-earth-square worldview? The earth is flat, so where does the 'horizon' come from?!"
At this moment, she suddenly noticed that if the structure of this world was really an extremely huge plane as recorded in the books, then in theory the visible range of "eyes" should be infinite.
The light sailboat was gradually moving away from her. Logically, she should be able to see it all the time. At the very least, it was getting smaller and fainter little by little. How could it possibly "sink" below the horizon?
This is a phenomenon that is only possible in a world with a planetary structure!
"…That's weird. Could it be that this is actually a planetary world, and the flat earth theory recorded in the books is just a fallacy caused by insufficient scientific and technological level?"
A guess popped up in Qi Ji's mind, but she immediately shook her head and rejected it:
"No, it's impossible.
“Let’s not talk about the technological level of this world and the abilities of high-level extraordinary people. If this world is really a planet, then it would be absolutely easy to discover and calculate the relevant data, and there would be no way such a low-level mistake would occur.
"Even if I take a step back, based on my own perception, the sea level is indeed basically flat, with no obvious curvature... This shows that this is indeed a flat-Earth world."
What is going on? Why are there such contradictions between actual phenomena and theoretical speculation?
"Wait a minute...it's light. The light in this world doesn't travel in a completely straight line!"
Thinking of this, she immediately focused her perception and sensed the trajectory of the surrounding light.
"……really!"
As expected, after just a few seconds, she noticed that the trajectory of the light was not a strict straight line, but an extremely subtle arc towards the earth.
This unique light path can also explain why, even though the world is flat, objects will still sink into the horizon as the distance increases.
"What a strange fact... I don't know if this is a unique physical law that exists in this world, or if it was added temporarily because of my subconscious..."
Qi Ji couldn't help but sigh helplessly. The power level of her body was too terrifying, and the unconscious tampering was not even under her control.
Although for now, this effect has only caused some minor ripples and has not caused any serious negative consequences, it is only "for now".
God knows what impact it will have on the world the next time it happens.
It’s really difficult…
"Alas... I hope I can recover my memory and strength sooner, so that I can solve all the problems I'm facing now... There is no other way."
After sighing for a while, she did not spend too much time on it. Instead, she quickly focused her mind and concentrated on driving this temporarily modified "speedboat".
After all, there is still no clear idea about recovering memory and strength, so there is no rush and we can only let nature take its course.
Just like that, a small boat that looked rather shabby and old was heading straight southwest at a speed far beyond normal circumstances.
The water splashed up by the high-speed rotating propeller flew up and down behind it, making a rustling sound that was continuous but not monotonous, and had a hypnotic effect, echoing between the vast sea and sky.
Qi Ji stood at the bow, looking into the distance. Below was the calm blue sea.
There is a golden sun above my head.
====================
"Two computers, one large and one small, worked non-stop for two days and two nights, and finally copied all the original resources to the new hard drive...
Chapter 529: Jielian Island
"Swipe..."
The white waves wash the coast again and again.
When the red sun slowly rises from the sea level in the east and casts the first ray of sunlight of dawn onto the boundless ocean, the ruins and wreckage all over the ground are outlined by the pure morning light, revealing a desolate and dilapidated outline.
Sparse weeds swayed lifelessly in the wind among the broken walls, dotted with mottled gray marks, like burnt ashes, as if they would completely collapse and shatter at the slightest breeze.
"Shuisha——"
The waves were still washing the devastated coast, rising and falling monotonously, leaving tiny pieces of debris and debris on the dirty and muddy mudflats.
The unchanging scene lasted for who knows how long, until the fiery red sun gradually climbed to the height of the zenith, and where the sea and the sky met in the distance... a black dot slowly emerged.
"Boom boom——"
Along with it, there was a faint roar, which was like the muffled sound of thunder. The volume was not loud, but it was very penetrating, making the listener feel that his heart and chest were vibrating and resonating violently.
It’s a pity that this once prosperous island... no longer has any living creature who can serve as a "listener".
“Boom boom boom!——”
The roaring behemoth rapidly cut through the sea surface and headed straight for the desolate island in the distance.
"There is something wrong with this place..."
Qi Ji was standing at the bow wearing a cloak, with his right foot on the step, his right elbow resting on his right knee, his other hand in a covering gesture in front of his eyebrows, and he was looking forward in a very bold manner.
She did not wear the hood that came with her cloak, but instead wore a tricorn hat that she had gotten from somewhere, and a delicate twig was held in the corner of her mouth.
If it weren't for her appearance and figure being too tender and delicate, and without any dignity, she would have looked like a standard pirate captain.
"It seems that I was right... This island is really the first scene of the 'natural disaster'."
She put down her hands and legs that were on the steps, and returned to a normal standing posture. While feeling the ominous fluctuations coming from the front, she mobilized the simulated spirituality to speed up the boat beneath her.
No, calling it a "dinghy" is totally inappropriate.
This single-masted wooden boat, which was originally less than ten meters long, has now become a metal ship with a total length of about thirty meters.
Rivets with equal spacing are neatly arranged on the streamlined hull. The original mast has become an elliptical chimney, with thick steam constantly pouring out of it.
At the bow slightly above the waterline, there are two hollow cylinders distributed symmetrically on the left and right. It is pitch black inside and no one knows what is inside.
The surging waves sprayed behind the metal ship, making it pierce towards Jielian Island like an arrow at a speed much faster than the steam ironclad ship.
Before long, the speedboat crossed several kilometers of sea and approached the side of the dead silent island.
Qi Ji skillfully controlled the speedboat with his mind, allowing it to dock at the edge of the island parallel to the coastline.
"I don't know who did this... Even if they were cultists from the New World sect, they wouldn't be so crazy."
If the "natural disaster" was really summoned deliberately by certain people, then their level of madness is not comparable to that of ordinary cultists.
"Natural disasters" are different from evil gods. No matter how evil an evil god is, he still has basic self-will. If believers offer sacrifices to him, he may at least give back certain benefits.
From the perspective of interests, the relationship between cultists and evil gods is nothing more than a relationship of mutual exploitation, where each takes what it needs. Apart from having no bottom line, their behavior is not incomprehensible.
But the "natural disaster" is not so particular. The "natural disaster" cannot be considered a "creature" at all. It is a collection of malice and destruction. Its only purpose in coming to the world is to destroy everything it can touch.
Compared to Him, those evil gods who know how to promise benefits and use pretexts to recruit believers are much more lovable.
Is it crazy to believe in such a thing? Is there any benefit to summoning Him? It is totally detrimental to others and not beneficial to oneself!
Could it be that those people simply wanted to show their loyalty and take revenge on society? Could a mentally ill person also be able to cultivate into a high-level extraordinary being? This world doesn't seem like a K-world view, does it?
While complaining, Qi Ji jumped up from the deck of the speedboat. Her petite and slender figure drew a graceful and light arc in the air and landed lightly on the beach without making any sound when she landed.
Looked around.
This small island has now been basically razed to the ground. There are no buildings or trees left. Only scattered debris and wreckage silently tell of the horrific tragedy that occurred here.
Since most of the obstructions have been removed, half of the entire island can be seen with the naked eye - the other half is because there is a small hill in the center of the island, which blocks the area behind it.
And in Qi Ji's perception, the place where the remaining aura of destruction on the entire island was the strongest was in the other half that was invisible to the naked eye.
To find out, she walked around the hill in the center of the island and headed to the other side.
It wasn't particularly urgent, and the entire island and the surrounding space within hundreds of miles were all within his perception range. Qi Ji's steps were not hurried. Instead, they were quite comfortable and relaxed. He walked leisurely along the foot of the hill.
Along the way, she saw nothing but a few pieces of debris and wreckage, not to mention survivors or people, not even a single corpse.
The entire island seemed to have been swept several times by some violent and brutal force, leaving nothing behind.
"However, since this is the first scene of the 'natural disaster', it's great that this island didn't sink..."
About half an hour later, she went around the hill in the center of the island and reached the other side.
A huge pit first comes into view.
The barren land looked like dough hit by a hammer, with a large area suddenly concave, like a dried-up lake.
There was nothing in the pit, not even the building debris that could be seen occasionally in other places. Apart from dry and rough sand, there was nothing else to be seen.
However, in Qi Ji's inspiration, the inside of this pit is not as peaceful as its appearance.
The violent aura of chaos filled the place, and the disordered and violent spiritual remnants were like a hurricane, raging in it all the time.
Any living being, once it steps into its range of influence, will have its spirituality destroyed instantly, and will either die on the spot or mutate into a deformed, crazy monster.
"This is it."
Qi Ji nodded slightly and walked in directly.
“Pah—”
However, at the same moment her footsteps stepped onto the edge of the pit, a crisp sound like something brittle breaking... sounded somewhere behind her.
"Tsk, another acquaintance is here again."
Qi Ji shrugged helplessly and looked back.
Behind her, a crack appeared out of nowhere in the air, like broken transparent glass.
Chapter 530 Cecima
"Kaka...kaka..."
The crack appeared several dozen meters behind Qi Ji, more than half a meter from the ground, and at this moment it was making a sound of hard objects breaking under the heavy pressure.
With a sharp sound that made one's teeth ache, the width of the crack quickly expanded to both sides, and silver flakes vibrated down from the edges and quickly melted into the air, like shards of glass.
Through the scar that burst out from the void, a chaotic and filthy color was revealed, with countless strange and ominous outlines looming in it. Faintly, one could hear sharp wails and screams coming out at the top of their lungs, which was chilling.
"brush--"
The next second, a figure emerged from the chaotic blocks of mixed colors.
Dark trousers, high-top leather boots, white shirt, burgundy suit jacket...
And her long, smooth hair that fell to her thighs appeared a very deep blue under the hot midday sun, like the surface of a deep and quiet lake, with a depth that was too deep to be contemplated.
As soon as the tall and capable figure emerged from the secret space, Qi Ji waved at her with a smile and greeted her in a very natural and relaxed tone:
"Hi, see you again~~"
The voice was light and sounded like a casual conversation with an acquaintance you bump into while shopping on the street.
"……What?!"
As soon as Nancy popped her head out, she heard a familiar yet unfamiliar pleasant voice floating slowly from the front. She was so startled that her whole body trembled, and a look of surprise appeared on her heroic face.
Yes, the one who came to Jie Lian Island through the "Secret Walk" at this moment was Daisy's aunt, Nancy, who was the captain of the Sunset Harbor Super Management Bureau's Execution Team. She had been in contact with the "Bonadeng Sheng Incident" more than a month ago, and had several not-too-deep interactions with Qi Ji himself.
Her registered information was that she was a righteous mage who was proficient in the fields of "Giant" and "Fire", but Qi Ji knew very well that this guy was hiding a deep secret and was definitely not an ordinary cultivator.
Until now, she finally showed her extraordinary qualities under Qi Ji's eyes.
"You..." Nancy stared at Qi Ji who was standing on the edge of the giant pit with wide eyes. For a moment, she stood there, completely unable to react.
Qi Ji continued to glance at her, pointed at the bottom of the pit, which seemed to be empty, and asked casually:
"Are you here to deal with this? Um, I mean the other 'you'."
"brush!!!"
