Chapter 372: Divine Wind Pirates

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord hadn't yet arrived at the docks, but the urgent message reached him first.

He requested the dragonman youngster's assistance—many remnants of the Bayonet Gang were already fleeing the harbor aboard various vessels.

Leading the charge were several rocket assault boats.

But they had already gained considerable distance, making pursuit seem unlikely.

There was no time for hesitation. The dragonman youngster immediately pledged to pursue relentlessly, aiming to eliminate as many enemies as possible.

The battlefield waited for no one. Without further soothing Lan Zao, the dragonman youngster led the available mercenaries in leaping from the ship and charging into battle.

He hadn't considered that his unfinished words might have created a massive misunderstanding for Lan Zao.

All Lan Zao heard was the dragonman youngster apologizing to him.

Though Lan Zao had recovered most of his strength thanks to the spell scrolls and healing potions, one mustn't forget that his bloodline had just undergone purification. His body was still adapting.

During this adjustment period, Lan Zao not only suffered from high fever, ringing ears, and accelerated heartbeat, but also experienced mental fog and difficulty concentrating.

Compounded by his recent nightmare, Lan Zao's mind had jumped to the conclusion that the dragonman youngster's apology stemmed from giving him a magic potion that had brought him to the brink of death.

Watching the dragonman youngster's retreating figure join the battle, Lan Zao found his breathing growing labored.

This time, it wasn't the suffocation from seawater flooding his lungs, but the crushing weight of facing death itself.

But soon, his breathing steadied.

“My Lord, I... am now resolved!” he declared inwardly.

Then he rose, scanning his surroundings, "Give me a blade.”

'Zi Di', standing beside him, cautioned, “You should rest now.”

But Lan Zao's mind was foggy, and his senses unclear. He glared at the alchemy puppet before him: “I said, give me a blade!”

Zi Di was furious.

She had kindly urged him to rest, and it was her who had alerted the dragonman youngster, saving Lan Zao's life. Yet this was the ungrateful, harsh rebuke she received in return.

Lan Zao insisted: "I must follow the commander while I still can fight!"

Zi Di fell silent.

Beside them, Men Shi roared with laughter: “He's a fighter! Give him a blade!”

Men Shi had just been temporarily assigned by the dragonman youngster to organize the flagship.

As a non-survivor, the dwarf knew nothing of Lan Zao's true identity or the secret connections between Lan Zao, the dragonman youngster, Zi Di, and others.

What the dwarf saw was a bronze level boatswain, restored to near-full strength by potions and scrolls, displaying the courage and will to grab a weapon and rejoin the fight!

This undoubtedly delighted the dwarf, who naturally wouldn't refuse. Instead, he eagerly fulfilled Lan Zao's request to boost their own morale.

Under these circumstances, Zi Di could no longer forcefully intervene.

She could only resolve silently: Keep a close watch on Lan Zao and the others and do her utmost to protect them.

Lan Zao's actions indeed ignited the morale of the surrounding mercenaries. Many who hadn't immediately followed the dragonman youngster into battle were now inspired by Lan Zao, crowding around him.

Among them were the big guy, Bai Ya, and others.

Their joining only added to Zi Di's headache. She knew that on this battlefield, with the magician tower monitoring everything, many of her methods couldn't be freely deployed.

With no other choice, Zi Di could only glare fiercely at Lan Zao.

The dragonman youngster had deliberately rushed into battle precisely to keep Lan Zao and the others safe.

But Lan Zao was mired in profound misunderstanding, completely oblivious to the goodwill of the dragonman youngster and Zi Di.

He even harbored deep suspicion that Zi Di harbored ill intent.

The nightmares he'd endured had clarified his purpose, strengthening his resolve to follow the dragonman youngster.

Even unto death!

“While I still can fight, let me offer you more assistance.” With this resolve, Lan Zao's eyes blazed with a death-defying fighting spirit.

He roared, “Follow me!”

And so, sword raised, he leapt from the ship first, charging onto the ice to strike at the remnants of the Bayonet Gang attempting to escape Snow Bird Harbor.

The big guy wanted to help his dad, and Bai Ya was never one to shy away from battle.

The group charged out with fierce momentum.

Men Shi wanted to follow, but he still had the task the dragonman youngster had entrusted to him.

Watching Lan Zao charge forward, he couldn't help but admire him from the bottom of his heart: "He's truly remarkable! Just a mere bronze level battle qi cultivator, yet he feels like a silver level battle qi cultivator to me!"

At that moment, Men Shi suddenly sensed that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps seemed different from other organizations!

He had joined the corps precisely because the dragonman youngster had saved his people. To repay a debt of gratitude, he had sacrificed himself.

But now, he felt a strong admiration for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

This admiration had nothing to do with a desire to follow the strong.

Lan Zao's battle qi cultivator level was far below his own.

This admiration stemmed from respect for a brave soul!

Lan Zao's actions perfectly matched Men Shi's temperament. Men Shi, too, was one who feared neither life nor death and was willing to sacrifice.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have risked his life at the auction to save his clan. Nor would he have joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps out of gratitude. And certainly not moments ago, when he was about to sacrifice himself by charging into the swamp oil amalgamation just before its explosion.

Inside the Deep Sea Monster Fish, the ghost girl sighed, pressing her hand to her forehead.

These people were really good at causing trouble!

Why couldn't they just preserve their useful bodies?

“Lan Zao, you're destined to be at least a silver level battle qi cultivator someday.”

Zi Di's inner thoughts were inaudible to Lan Zao.

Likewise, Lan Zao's inner thoughts were something Zi Di simply couldn't accept.

Each person was an individual; achieving complete understanding was exceedingly difficult.

Even between the dragonman youngster and Lan Zao, a minor misunderstanding could shatter coordination and fragment their actions.

A rocket assault boat raced across the sea.

Unlike its initial form, it was now significantly shorter.

“The third section has detached,” Bing Xiao stated, staring at the crystal ball within the sole cabin.

The crystal ball's display flickered, revealing the status of each rocket assault boat.

Almost simultaneously, they shed the rearmost sections of their hulls.

Spring Boxer watched silently.

He now deeply understood why these vessels were named rocket assault boats.

This specialized craft was designed solely for assault—a consumable from the start. Ignition began at the stern, the flames rapidly consuming the hull as they raced forward. With each section engulfed in fire, Spring Boxer felt as though he heard the roars and howls of countless beasts.

This wasn't mere fuel combustion; it involved certain techniques from the beastman's totems.

It was precisely this self-sacrificing method that allowed the entire vessel's speed to skyrocket, reaching heights unattainable by a silver level hull.

In terms of pure speed alone, the rocket assault boat ranked among the top few in the silver level.

“At this distance, we're safe!” Spring Boxer declared.

They had caught the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord off guard. By the time the magician tower could respond, they had already escaped its striking range.

“Exactly,” Bing Xiao's voice rang with excitement, "Look, there's the ship sent to retrieve us.”

Spring Boxer followed the direction of the voice to the crystal ball.

Three slender magic ships came into view.

Their sails were disproportionately large compared to the hulls, far exceeding standard dimensions. They resembled triangular clouds draped over the decks.

Spotting the pirate crew's emblem on the sails, Spring Boxer exclaimed in astonishment, "That's... the Divine Wind Pirates?

Almost simultaneously, the dragonman youngster received the latest intelligence from the city Lord through the alchemy device.

“Magic ships have appeared offshore to rendezvous with the Bayonet Gang!”

“They all belong to the Divine Wind Pirates.”

“Divine Wind Pirates?” the dragonman youngster exclaimed in surprise, "Pirates are actually active in the waters near the Ice Sculpture Kingdom?”

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord admitted frankly, “Indeed, there are several.”

"Pirates are like greedy jackals. Our nation's import-export trade is enormous, with countless merchant ships coming and going. There are over a dozen major shipping routes alone."

“As long as these profits exist, pirates will persist.”

"However, among them, several pirate crews operate year-round. Even when the Kingdom's navy mobilizes, it's difficult to eradicate them."

“The Divine Wind Pirates are one such group!”

"This pirate crew possesses astonishing speed, far exceeding the norm. Not only that, but their magic ships can also coordinate to boost their velocity."

"The Divine Wind has already appeared. This gold level magic ship is their flagship. Their leader is likely aboard as well."

The dragonman youngster furrowed his brow, "A gold level flagship? Then who exactly is their captain..."

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord knew what he was getting at and answered directly, "Rest assured, this intelligence has been verified multiple times. The Divine Wind Pirates' captain is merely gold level in cultivation."

"He was originally the heir to a major trading house. The Divine Wind Pirates' ships are all custom-made magic ships from Gear Island, built at great expense by the merchant guild before its bankruptcy."

The dragonman youngster still found it hard to believe, "Your nation's alchemy technology is so advanced, yet even deploying the navy couldn't catch up to them?”

“Then how are we supposed to fight them now?”

Anger surged within the dragonman youngster.

The remnants of the Bayonet Gang had inflicted heavy casualties on the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. He yearned to capture and eliminate all their leaders to eradicate the threat.

A cold laugh echoed through the communication device from the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord: “Even if they flee to the Divine Wind Pirates' ship, I will make them pay!”

The moment the city Lord's words faded, the magician tower erupted with a staggering surge of energy.

Within mere breaths, vast magic power was exhausted, forming a colossal magic formation above the tower.

The pentagram formation slowly rotated in midair.

Suddenly, a blinding bolt of lightning erupted from its center, shooting skyward and vanishing from sight.

The next instant, the lightning bolt crashed down.

Having traversed over ten thousand meters, it struck one of the rocket assault boats with pinpoint accuracy.

Rocket assault boats weren't fragile; they possessed defensive capabilities.

Yet after the lightning strike, the rocket assault boat lost all momentum. The various totems painted on its hull were completely obliterated.

Most of the hull shattered, leaving only the bow and cabin intact.

Carried by inertia, the rocket assault boat skidded over ten meters before grinding to a halt on the sea surface.

“Charge!” The dragonman youngster hesitated not a moment, leading the charge toward the damaged rocket assault boat.