Half an hour later, above the Pacific Ocean.
Zhang Xiaoman had switched to automatic driving mode right from the start, and the speed of the car soared to a terrifying degree. The 3000-kilometer distance was almost completely covered by now.
Lin Sisi was sitting in the passenger seat beside him. Due to her blindness, she missed out on the spectacular night view from above.
"Brother Xiao Man, are we really flying in the sky right now? But why can’t I feel any movement?"
Her eyes were wide open, and she occasionally blinked, looking around. Zhang Xiaoman knew she was actually using her ears to listen to the sounds around her, but the Anti-gravity Car was truly filled with black technology; she probably couldn’t hear anything.
"This is alien technology that I obtained from the ruins. It uses an anti-gravity engine and a graviton reactor. Of course, you wouldn’t feel any movement sitting inside," he explained.
He glanced at the map to check their progress and saw that they were about to reach Rebirth Island. He added, "We’re currently inside the Gate of Hell, that natural barrier I told you about. It can block all devices and signals except for sail ships. At the moment, probably only my Anti-gravity Car can freely enter and exit this place."
As he spoke, the outline of the island was becoming visible in the distance. Even from high in the sky, he couldn’t see the entire island at a glance—Rebirth Island truly resembled a vast tract of land.
Zhang Xiaoman looked downwards and his eyes narrowed suddenly, as if he had seen flickers of light down there. A thought crossed his mind.
He turned off the automatic navigation system and took control of the Anti-gravity Car, lowering the altitude to see if the situation down there was as he suspected.
"As expected... The governments have already landed on the island, huh? Looking at these camps and equipment, they must have been here for quite a while."
On the ground, massive sail ships were docked at the shore, and a small camp had been set up around them, brightly lit, with vague figures moving about within.
Zhang Xiaoman had anticipated this, after all, if he and a few members of the Light Blue Expedition Team could find Rebirth Island, then the powerful nations were even more likely to reach it.
But knowing it was one thing; actually seeing other forces entering Rebirth Island still left a sour taste in Zhang Xiaoman’s mouth, accompanied by a tinge of worry.
The Final Gate lay at the center of the island within the ruins. As time went on, the others would eventually find it.
While he wasn’t sure if anyone would remain on-site for investigation, if he wanted to establish a base, he had to consider this issue.
After all, that area was also part of the ruins, which undoubtedly held greater investigative value compared to other parts of the island.
Fortunately, with the Original Realm as a backup, Zhang Xiaoman felt somewhat reassured. If necessary, the Star Alliance bases could all be set up in the Original Realm; they surely couldn’t follow him there as well.
Of course, this was just a hypothesis. As the Star Alliance developed, they could not always hide and shrink back forever.
Switching back to automatic driving, there was still about 500 kilometers from the edge to the center of the island. He had to increase the speed in order to arrive as quickly as possible.
Along the way, Zhang Xiaoman observed the scenery of Rebirth Island and immediately felt that the changes were much more significant than he had imagined.
About half a month ago, the island was mostly barren, with some plants that were mostly deep-sea corals, giving it a monotonous look.
But now, as Zhang Xiaoman passed by once again, new vegetation had begun to grow on the ground, and in some areas, small patches of forest had even started to form.
This sight was astonishing for Zhang Xiaoman. It was understandable if the seeds were brought by the monsoon or animals.
But what he truly couldn’t comprehend was how, in just a short half a month, all these trees had grown so big?
It was a pity that the map had disappeared when the Final Gate was activated; otherwise, Zhang Xiaoman could have kept track of most of the island’s dynamic changes at any time.
After passing through the outer zone, the journey that initially took more than a day to complete by off-road vehicle, was now covered in less than ten minutes thanks to the flight of the Anti-gravity Car.
Zhang Xiaoman even thought, not just once, that if humanity could thoroughly understand and popularize the technology of this kind of car, then our technological civilization would probably leap forward to a whole new level.
Finally, the vast Lake Island came into view, and the Anti-gravity Car began to decelerate in advance along the planned route, before coming to a steady stop above the destination.
Zhang Xiaoman opened the cabin door and stepped out, then went to the other side to help Lin Sisi out of the car as well.
Lin Sisi sniffed and showed a look of enjoyment on her face, saying, "Brother Xiao Man, is this Rebirth Island in the Pacific Ocean? I feel the air here is so comfortable, much fresher than in the city."
As he listened to the chorus of insects around them, Zhang Xiaoman also nodded subconsciously, "Yeah, every night when I feel tired, I would come here to enjoy some solitude, to breath in the fresh air, and to gaze at the starry sky above the sea. That feeling, as if you are the only person left between heaven and earth, is truly wonderful."
"Hehe, but in the past few days, the number of insects has gradually increased. Although there are more chirping sounds at night, I’ve been coming less often because I’m afraid of getting bitten by the mosquitoes here."
What he didn’t mention was that if he came here at night for a breath of fresh air, he would casually summon two Star Guards, ready to squash any insects that came too close.
"How nice, I wish I could be like you..." Lin Sisi remarked wistfully.
Seeing the envy on the young girl’s face, Zhang Xiaoman suppressed the urge to tease her by flicking her nose and comforted her,
"You’ll have the chance in the future. Once I help you awaken your Dark Energy Talent, you’ll be able to learn Teleportation Ability. Then, as long as I set up the waymarks, you can come here to play anytime."
Lin Sisi nodded obediently, her face full of expectation.
"Let’s go, I’ll take you to the camp I’ve established on the outskirts."
Zhang Xiaoman spoke and cast a Spirit Detection Technique on Lin Sisi, then led her towards the abandoned Underground Palace.
There were two entrances to the Underground Palace, both concealed within the ruins and quite inconspicuous, difficult to find without a careful search.
The palace was the place where Lord Bear had recuperated on his last visit, complete with lighting and a water source, and was also quite spacious, making it suitable for a temporary camp.
The palace also had a long descending passage. Zhang Xiaoman had previously followed it down and discovered a surprisingly different world, a very large space. He believed that with some modifications, it could serve as a temporary base for the Star Alliance prior to the opening of the Original Realm.
Over the past few days, Zhang Xiaoman had often brought various outdoor equipment here, including tents, food, and daily necessities, which he stored in the vast space below.
If it were just one person living here, it probably wouldn’t be a problem to survive for a month or so.
"Sisi, we’ve arrived. This is the Inheritance Land of the once Three Great Sanctuaries, where the Inheritance Fire burned. I will temporarily set it as our gathering place, and tomorrow’s Enlightenment Ceremony will also take place here..."