The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight touched the sea, the island was bathed in golden light, appearing serene and peaceful. Chen Ping and his group were fully prepared, their spirits high, and their faces beaming with excitement and anticipation.

Chen Ping stood at the forefront, his aura seemingly inexplicably harmonizing with the vast, high-level sea. An invisible pressure emanated from him, causing ripples to spread across the surrounding waters. "Ready? Let's go."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Wen Xin, Chen Dali, Jack, and Anna followed behind Chen Ping, their teamwork was excellent, as if they had been teammates for many years.

With Chen Ping leading the way, his strength was indeed like a fish in water in high-level sea areas, and almost no one could stop him, which made everyone feel more at ease.

Jack held the parchment scroll, glancing up every now and then to check their direction. Based on the clues marked the previous night, they were heading towards a legendary ruin that supposedly contained an artifact of the abyss.

Along the way, Chen Ping frequently demonstrated his masterful control in advanced sea areas, easily eliminating several waves of deep-sea monsters that attempted to interfere with them. Each move was clean and efficient, leaving everyone in awe.

"Chen Ping, your strength is simply that of a master of advanced sea areas!" Chen Dali couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes filled with admiration.

Chen Ping smiled slightly and replied humbly, "Strength is one thing, but the mysteries of advanced sea areas are endless, so we still have to proceed cautiously."

Anna whispered from the side, "With you here, I do feel much more at ease. However, we must also be prepared at any time, after all, the guardian of the Abyss Artifact will not let us succeed easily."

Wen Xin nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with determination: "No matter what, we will face it together."

And so, the five of them traversed the waves, crossed one treacherous sea after another, and made their way toward their destination.

......

As time went by, the group soon arrived at their first location.

Jack said, "According to the information, this area is one of the locations. Let's check it out. If not, then let's check the other three locations."

Chen Ping: "Okay, just one hour. After one hour, whether you've found it or not, come back and gather. Got it?"

Everyone nodded, and then they all went into the sea to search.

After the first hour, everyone returned, their faces filled with regret. Seeing this, Chen Ping comforted them, saying, "It's alright, there are still three locations left, let's continue." His words carried an indomitable spirit, encouraging everyone.

At their second location, they arrived at a sea area covered with coral reefs, their vibrant colors shimmering in the sunlight, a breathtaking sight. However, hidden behind this beauty lay a crisis; undercurrents surged, nearly plunging Chen Dali, Wen Xin, and Jack into trouble several times.

They searched carefully and meticulously, but ultimately found nothing. Only the waves crashing against the rocks seemed to mock their futile efforts.

"It seems that good fortune won't come so easily," Chen Ping said with a smile, but there was no sign of giving up in his eyes; on the contrary, his determination was even stronger.

The third location is in a dark sea area, where the light is thin and the seawater is an eerie deep blue, seemingly able to swallow the light.

Here, it was so quiet that only their breathing and heartbeats could be heard, along with the occasional low groans of unidentified creatures in the distance, sending chills down their spines. Yet, it was precisely in this deathly silence that they discovered something unusual.

"Look, what's that?" Anna exclaimed softly, pointing to a faintly glowing reef in the distance, where some kind of force seemed to be guiding it.

The group cautiously approached, and as they closed the distance, the light gradually became clearer. It turned out to be an ancient rune, emitting a faint but steady glow that stood out from its surroundings.

Jack quickly consulted the information, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "That's it! These runes are recorded in ancient texts; they are the markers leading to the ruins of the abyss artifact!"

Chen Ping stepped forward and said calmly, "It seems this is our destination. Are you ready? There may be real challenges waiting for us."

They exchanged a glance, their eyes conveying unwavering determination and trust. Without hesitation, the five of them walked together toward the glowing rune. The seawater parted automatically, revealing a path leading to the seabed, stretching into the unknown depths.

As they ventured deeper, the light gradually faded, and darkness enveloped them. Only their unwavering belief in moving forward guided them until a massive stone gate came into view, engraved with ancient abyss totems and radiating an oppressive aura. This was the entrance to the abyss ruins.

"Found it," Wen Xin said softly.

The moment you enter the ruins, the air seems to freeze, time seems to thicken, and the surrounding darkness presses down like a physical force. Only the ancient totems, in their faint light, illuminate a mysterious passage.

Chen Ping walked in front, with the others following closely behind, each step taken with extreme caution, for fear of triggering any unknown mechanisms.

Wen Xin suddenly whispered to Chen Ping, "Chen Ping, let us handle this. Don't interfere. We need to gain experience to improve our strength. With you backing us up, this is a rare opportunity."

Chen Ping looked at everyone. He understood Wen Xin's meaning, nodded, and agreed to her suggestion: "Okay, you guys can do it this time. I'll assist you from the side, but remember, safety first."

As Chen Ping finished speaking, Jack and Chen Dali stepped forward and pushed the stone door together. The ancient and heavy stone door slowly opened, and a heavy, oppressive atmosphere and the dust of history rushed towards them. They stepped into the ruins.

The interior of the ruins was dark and vast, with dim lighting, and the only way to move forward was by the beams of light projected from the lighting equipment carried by the group.

Mysterious totems are carved on the stone walls, recording the glory of ancient civilizations and the secrets of the abyss. Every step is taken on the dust of history.

The ruins were riddled with traps and mechanisms, which could be triggered carelessly, testing everyone's wisdom and reflexes. Once, Anna nearly stepped on a seemingly ordinary stone slab, which caused the ground to tremble.

Fortunately, Chen Ping managed to stabilize the situation in time, preventing a collapse. They became even more vigilant, taking each step with extreme caution.

The challenges from the guardian beasts came one after another. At first, they were ordinary magical beasts, which the group defeated one by one through their excellent teamwork. As they went deeper, the guardian beasts became increasingly powerful, and even some early-stage God-Kings appeared. They guarded the secrets of the abyss, possessed astonishing power, and the battles were fierce, but they were not yet too dangerous for them.

Throughout the journey, Chen Ping did not make a move. He could tell that Wen Xin, Chen Dali, Jack, Anna, and the others were basically at the God King level, with Wen Xin being the strongest, at the peak of the mid-stage God King.

They fought their way in and finally arrived at the final hall.

The real test is close to its origin: the guardian beast of the late God King—a gigantic abyssal sea serpent beast with eyes as deep and dark as the abyss, and a corrosive power in its breath.

They are watching them intently!