The cold mechanical prompt echoed in the control room.
Shi Bolong, who had already given up all hope, suddenly became alert.
It seems that the Key of Ten Thousand Unifications in Zhao Ya’s hand belongs to the Star-Picking Moon-Swapping Sect from a long time ago.
After many iterations and updates, the defense of the Celestial Secret Lock has been greatly enhanced; it can now resist some attacks from the Key of Ten Thousand Unifications.
To him, this is truly a lifeline in desperate times.
But at this moment, another unexpected change occurred.
The console, which had been incessantly sounding alarms, suddenly started to quake, and a silvery-gray liquid gushed out from various gaps.
The liquid enveloped the console tightly, causing the alarm to abruptly cease.
"This..." Seeing this scene, Shi Bolong was dumbstruck, utterly at a loss for words.
Zhao Ya, however, remained calm.
Because he could feel that these silvery-gray liquids bore him no malice.
Sure enough.
Mere moments later, the liquid quickly retreated back into the console, and then the mechanical prompt sounded again.
"Shipmaster permissions successfully added."
Added?
Zhao Ya was slightly surprised!
Shi Bolong, however, was utterly shocked.
Although he had never heard of such a situation, from the existing information, he could roughly deduce what had happened.
This Key of Ten Thousand Unifications, for some reason fallen into this world, had successfully opened the Celestial Secret Lock, but due to its age, it was still detected by the lock.
But the Star-Picking Moon-Swapping Sect is certainly the most feared sect by the Celestial Secret Sect and many mechanical sects.
To eliminate them, the Celestial Secret Sect went to great lengths, uniting many mechanical sects to forcibly eradicate the Liang Shang Junzi Realm at great cost.
The power exhibited by this Key of Ten Thousand Unifications shows why,
Even though it was detected by the lock, the Key still managed to forcibly unlock some permissions with its pervasive characteristics.
This should be the reason for the added shipmaster permissions, rather than replacing existing ones.
Nonetheless, this allowed Shi Bolong to breathe a small sigh of relief.
As long as it’s not a complete replacement, he still has a chance to survive.
After all, the Black Ship only recognizes permissions.
As long as his permissions exist, even if Zhao Ya wants to kill him, it will be an extremely difficult task.
After all, Zhao Ya would have to weigh whether doing so would lead to any unpredictable consequences.
At that moment, Zhao Ya turned to look at him.
Shi Bolong, half-lying on the ground, immediately showed a flattering smile.
"Sir, it seems we have to cooperate now!"
Zhao Ya remained noncommittal and suddenly said, "Are you happy?"
The flattering expression on Shi Bolong’s face remained, but a cunning and smug glimmer flashed briefly in his eyes.
Yet in the next second, that smugness turned into pain.
Crack!
Zhao Ya stepped on Shi Bolong’s leg, twisting it gently.
The leg bone shattered like fragile porcelain.
The intense pain made Shi Bolong unable to remain composed, with cold sweat as big as soybeans breaking out on his forehead.
"I won’t kill you, but that doesn’t mean I’ll let you go. You must understand that I have countless ways to make you wish for death yet unable to die, so do you know what to do from now on?" Zhao Ya said in an indifferent tone.
Shi Bolong raised his head with difficulty, speaking as humbly as possible: "Understood, Master!"
That last form of address was something he added voluntarily, and his fawning expression was much like that of a whining dog begging for mercy.
Zhao Ya laughed, then reached out and patted Shi Bolong’s head.
"At least you know your place."
"Thank you for the compliment, Master!" Shi Bolong said with utmost fawning, not even a trace of anger visible in his eyes.
Yet the more so, the more Zhao Ya understood that this Shi Bolong was not someone easy to deal with.
It was not surprising.
After all, being a disciple from the Great World Strong Sect, it would be strange if he submitted easily.
At that moment, an intense killing intent surged in Zhao Ya’s heart, almost driving him to kill Shi Bolong to eliminate future troubles.
But this thought only flickered momentarily, and Zhao Ya quickly calmed down.
Because, as Shi Bolong had predicted, he couldn’t make a move.
Otherwise, if the permissions conflicted and broke the existing balance, no one could predict what would happen.
This unpredictable consequence was the most terrifying.
So Zhao Ya forcibly suppressed his murderous intent and suddenly pulled out several small medicine bottles from his pocket, performing a series of dazzling operations after uncorking them.
Before Shi Bolong could react, Zhao Ya had mixed a packet of colorful medicinal powder.
Just one glance at it made Shi Bolong’s spine chill, a coldness piercing his core.
Danger!
Extremely dangerous!
This must be an extremely dangerous poison.
Even more so than the poisons concocted by the poison-centric sects Shi Bolong had encountered before.
"Come, obediently open your mouth and consume this packet of powder," Zhao Ya said blandly.
Shi Bolong instinctively resisted, his expression shifting unpredictably.
"What... what’s this?" Shi Bolong asked with difficulty.
"It’s nothing, just some powder I mixed from a few deadly poisons," Zhao Ya replied nonchalantly, but Shi Bolong still felt his heart pounding anxiously and then said with a bitter voice.
"Sir, considering that we currently share the shipmaster permissions, if you kill me, what will happen..."
"Don’t worry, I have no intention of killing you; this powder is just a safeguard."