The farther east it went, the thinner the mist, but the sky was still gloomy, as if the sun could not penetrate the sea.

The surrounding reefs are also getting higher and higher, and gradually become a thick stone pillar, somehow, the water level is obviously falling, the speed of the boat is still very stable, the sea and even the waves are reduced, calm like a windless lake.

“Why don’t you wait for the sea to completely fade away before you enter the shadow sea?”Tiley asked incredulgingly, "When all the rocks are exposed, you don't have to be afraid to hit the reef."

“Because when the tide is low, we don’t see the ghost red river, and it’s the only way to guide the explorers to the ruins,” the Thunder explained, “These pillar-like islands are not fixed, and every time the tide falls, the position between the islands changes.”In addition, most of the markings are engulfed by seawater, so they cannot be used to locate directions.”

“The red river?”She repeated.

"That's right.Look, this is it—” Thunder whistled and pointed in the bow.

The witches looked in the direction he was pointing, and in the dark green waters there were several red figures—they swung by like phantoms.But soon, two or three red shadows drifted by, and this time the ash saw the target, which was actually an orange-red fish.

“Is that...fish?”

"The Cabalfish of the Hidden Islands," said the thunder, smiling with his chin, "you will see the true face of the shadow of the Red River in a little while."

Gradually, more and more fish, and no longer three or two appeared, but gathered into a group, the collective swimming in the direction of the stern - far forward, the ash was shocked by the scene, more and more fish into this torrent, the sea water has appeared a dark red thick line.The sailboat was clearly following this red line, and the fish passed through the bottom of the boat, and from time to time the sound of ping-pong pong could be heard.

It turned out that she suddenly realized that this was the ghost red river - a strange river that did not exist!As the ship continued to advance, the dense fish had expanded into a channel that could accommodate several ships in parallel, the ink-green seawater seemed to disappear, and the sailing ship was like driving on the fish, if not in the opposite direction of the two, she even had the illusion that the boat was being carried by the fish.

“Why is that?”Tilly asked in surprise.

The Ashes were also eager to ask the question, and in the Grey Fort or in other kingdoms it was absolutely impossible to see such a sight—the mist hanging over the periphery, the gloomy sky, the grotesque boulders, and the “river” of red scales.For the first time, she was struck by the wonders of the sea.

"Because of the main island," said the thunder, "it is like a triangular spire, with a huge hole running through the tower, and these red scales like to lay eggs in the hole and reproduce."At the low tide, the void will surface, and the fish that inhabit it will always be the first to feel the change in the water level and flock out.So just follow the ghostly Red River, and we can reach the Shadow Island.”

“Mr. Thunder, there are huge obstacles ahead!”It looks like a mountain!”The lookout shouted.

"It seems we're coming," he said, trembling his pipe, "and ladies, welcome to the Shadow Islands."

A moment later, the ash also saw the appearance of the main island, as the thunder said, it is like a few triangles, the lower width is narrow, the surface looks very flat at first glance, not like a natural creature.But to say that the whole tower is cut out of the population, it is too amazing.The exposed tower alone is almost half the size of the city, and the hollow in the middle can accommodate the tower of a Helmes church.

The sea is still receding, the water at the top of the giant hole is sprinkled like a waterfall, and the submerged part below is completely covered by the fish, and the sea within the horizon is stained with redness, and the ash can't help but think that there are probably tens of millions of red fish living in the hole.

Wait until the sky gets dark, and the sea completely retreats to the bottom of the hole.Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Thunder ordered the sailors to stop the ship and docked them on the copper pile at the mouth of the cave with a thick hemp rope.Standing on the edge of the giant hole, you can see the opposite through the mouth from a distance - the light from the two ends can only illuminate a very small range, and the middle of the hole is almost dark, which makes people feel inexplicably depressed.

“Are you the last time you left?”Ashes asked.

"No," said the thunder, shaking his head, "the copper piles were already there when I first came here.They should have been built by the owner of the ruins.”

“Where... where are the ruins?”

He smiled and pointed upwards, "Right above us, we are already standing at the entrance to the ruins."

...

The next journey can only be described as inconceivable, and the witches followed the thunder and a group of people, entering from a stone gate at the bottom of the huge hole, following the stone steps flowing through the water, and circled them step by step.Although everyone raised the torch, the leaping fire light was weak and small compared to the stairs that could not see the end at a glance.

In the darkness of the abyss, Tiley clung to the ash's arm, completely without the usual calmness.

This is the princess he knows, Ash thought.In the royal palace, this one always has his own ideas, in the face of any difficulties are confident five princesses, the biggest weakness is fear of the dark.Even when you sleep at night, light candles in the room.When you escape from the palace, if you do not have the conditions to do so, you are to sleep with her.

Walking in the damp and dark minaret, the mood of the ashes became a lot more pleasant.

There was no evil beast in the way, no organs that hindered the intruder—and even if it had been, it was estimated that it would have failed long ago under the long-term immersion of the seawater.The only problem is that the long climb exhausted most of the physical strength of a group of people, and everyone's movements were getting slower and slower, and when the stone steps finally came to an end, the team could not help but cheer.

The last level of the relic is not a stone door, but a metal that glows brightly illuminated under the fire.Thunder hands pushed the door hard, the heavy door made a harsh friction, slowly opened.

Ash, holding a sword, took the lead in entering the room, looked around to confirm that there was no danger, and let Tilie and the other witches step into the room.

As the torch hung around the walls, a broad hall appeared in front of the crowd—though wide, it seemed empty, and it could be swept away at a glance, and there was nothing to ponder.

“Is this a monument?”She rubbed the green stone tabletop, "but some stone tables and stools, here is nothing."

"Indeed, there is not much left," nodded the thunder, "it has been sleeping at the bottom of the sea for too long, and it is difficult to preserve anything but stone."I also told Her Royal Highness Tiley, but she insisted on visiting in person.”

“What about the red stones?”Tilly said, “Where did you find it?”

"Just on the ground, when there was a scattered part of the ground, probably dozens of them."

However, now there is nothing left, the ash bowed to the eyes has grown out of the wet ground of the seaweed, and the explorer who arrived here is more than one thunder, and it is strange to find the magic stone under the slick.

But Tily was still full of interest, and she held up a torch and looked carefully at every corner of the hall, especially in a particularly dark place, and she would let the sailors add a few more torches.Molly summoned the magic servant, spread out on the ground, to serve everyone as a cushion to rest, and the ashes followed Tiley, watching her touch on the wall.

“Suddenly,” the five princesses stopped, “what is this?”

The ash looked at her, and saw a wall covered with a green moss, which implicitly reflected a little fire.

Tilie reached out to tear the green moss and saw a gemstone half buried in the stone wall exposed - it also appeared bright red, and the magic stone was generally crystal clear, prism-like, almost thick arms, but the surrounding was embedded with gold filaments, like a slotting it fixed in it.Even after soaking in the seawater for so long, the gold silk that wraps around the stone is still as clean as new.

Tilly tried to pull it up, and the gemstone did not move.

“Let me,” Ash said.

The five princess shook her head, as if she were thinking about something, and then she put her hand on the prismatic and closed her eyes.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light in the center of the prism—the ashes thought it was their own eyes, but the wall soon came rumbling, and it seemed that some organ had been touched, and soon spread to the whole hall.There was a rattling of friction on the stone walls, and a soft white light appeared from the walls, and even the ceiling above the head lit up.

The sailors stood up in panic, pulled out their weapons, but did not know which side of the defense should be, but in the end they could only be close to each other, and gathered around Molly's magical servants.

But no monster was killed.

When the sound was calm again, the hall was already brightly lit.(Unfinished.)