Chapter 381: Sand Between Fingers
The tornado absorbed nearly all the magic attacks, swelling to several times its original size and bursting into a myriad of colors.
Witnessing this spectacle, the dragonman youngster gained a profound understanding of the Divine Wind Pirates' formidable strength.
“To operate as pirates near Ice Sculpture Island, this crew possesses power beyond the ordinary.”
“The Ice Sculpture Kingdom is a maritime power renowned for its magic and alchemy. The Divine Wind Pirates excel at defensive magic and likely possess countermeasures against alchemy devices too.”
“Yet judging by the Ice Sculpture Navy's earlier large-scale magic assault, they clearly didn't anticipate the pirates having such capabilities.”
The dragonman youngster observed the battle, drawing lessons from the unfolding events.
When the ambushing navy first appeared, the dragonman youngster had assumed the Divine Wind Pirates, outnumbered and caught off guard, would be overwhelmed. Yet they executed two outstanding offensive and defensive maneuvers.
The battle continued to shift.
The tornado began to move slowly.
It shifted from above the Divine Wind, turning toward the naval vessels.
Originally surrounded by a barrel-shaped wind barrier formed by the tornado, the Divine Wind now risked its hull piercing through this barrier as it shifted.
The tornado had absorbed a massive amount of magic attacks, and the force of these assaults was far from dissipating. For the Divine Wind to pass through, it would inevitably endure another barrage of magic attacks.
Yet the next scene once again surpassed the dragonman youngster's expectations—and those of the entire naval force.
Beneath the tornado, magic power was being drawn upward by a powerful gravitational force.
Originally thick at both ends and narrow in the middle, the tornado now bulged at its center, tapering slightly at the top and bottom. Most crucially, while the middle and upper sections still swirled with vibrant, multicolored magic power, the lower portion had transformed into a pale blue, pure wind.
“What kind of alchemy technique is this, capable of channeling magic power to such an extent!” Kong Pan couldn't help but reveal a look of astonishment.
They relied on their new warship, while the Divine Wind Pirates brought out a trump card they had been hiding all along.
The Divine Wind pierced through the wind barrier. Throughout the process, it was merely suppressed by the raging winds, causing its draft to deepen slightly.
Pirates on deck had obeyed orders to lie prone or dive below deck in advance.
After the Divine Wind broke through the wind barrier, the pirates rose to their feet—although some remained pressed down, coughing up blood.
The next instant, healing light enveloped these stricken figures.
Soon, they too were back on their feet, full of life.
Seeing this, the dragonman youngster's pupils narrowed slightly: “Divine spell?”
The vast majority of the Divine Wind Pirates worshipped the Sea Wind God. The ship carried priests of the Sea Wind God.
Though their numbers were scarce, their presence made all the difference!
Clergy almost invariably possessed healing abilities.
On the battlefield, timely divine healing spells served not only their curative purpose but also wielded immense power to boost morale and steady nerves!
The Divine Wind broke free from the tornado's obstruction. Its movement gradually accelerated as it charged toward the naval forces.
During its shift, the tornado resumed its characteristic shape—thick at both ends and narrow in the middle—while its multicolored magic power once again spread across its lower section.
It resembled a dancer in a puffy skirt, first lifting the multicolored hem slightly before letting it fall again
The navy immediately deployed magic to intercept the tornado.
But the magic assault was once more absorbed and swallowed by the tornado, only strengthening its destructive force.
But the magic assault was once more absorbed and swallowed by the tornado, only strengthening its destructive force.
His left eye was covered by a circular lens.
One of the primary functions of this gold level artifact was magic vision, allowing Yue Qian to see through the core of most spells.
Once Yue Qian identified the core, he could strike it directly, shattering the magic with his slender sword.
“Cease magic attacks on the tornado!” Upon receiving Yue Qian's critical intelligence, Kong Pan immediately issued the order, “Deploy the breaching shells!”
“But sir, our ship isn't equipped with such ammunition.”
Kong Pan was slightly taken aback.
Their primary mission this time was to test the operational effectiveness of the new warship.
Transporting the “decommissioned warship” to Snow Bird Harbor was merely a side job.
One of the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's influential connections was the Li Jian clan.
Naturally, a test deployment wouldn't carry a large supply of ammunition. Before the Second Naval Fleet set sail, they never anticipated ambushing the Divine Wind Pirates here.
Thus, their military preparations were far from adequate.
Thus, their military preparations were far from adequate.
Yue Qian declared, "My glasses have locked onto that alchemy artifact. It's a pity Yun Zhong didn't join us. Otherwise, with my help, a single arrow could pierce this thing."
“Let me handle it.”
The slender sword in Yue Qian's hand glowed with a faint radiance.
Elven bloodlines were renowned for producing archers and magicians.
Snow elves shared this trait.
Yet when it comes to specific lineages, differences emerge.
The Li Jian clan, bearing the Inner World bloodline, has long lacked outstanding archers of their own. They boasted many close combatants and spatial magicians.
But for archers, they had to recruit talent from outside.
Yun Zhong was currently the most renowned archer in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
Yet Yun Zhong, with his free-spirited nature, had declined the Li Jian clan's lavish recruitment offer.
Yue Qian was about to tear open a spatial rift and charge directly into the tornado when 'Sand Between Fingers' spoke up to halt him: “Hold on a moment. Let me make a prediction first.”
Sand Between Fingers was not a name, but a title.
This female magician resided aboard another warship, shielded from detection by its protective wards that concealed all magic activity.
Sand Between Fingers possessed blue eyes and crimson, wavy hair. Her elven ears were adorned with soft, orange-yellow fur.
Her skin wasn't the typical snow-white of pure snow elves, but rather a warm, wheat-like hue.
She wasn't a pure-blooded snow elf, but a hybrid of snow elf and foxman.
Sand Between Fingers plucked a small handful of sand from a blue pouch at her slender waist.
She raised her hand, continuously rubbing her fingers together as the sand slowly drifted down before her eyes.
This was the time sand, a rare magic ingredient.
Sand Between Fingers used it as the primary material for her spell.
The grains drifted down through the air, shimmering with a faint white glow.
The light twisted, forming ripples like swirling mist.
Through the mist, Sand Between Fingers glimpsed the unfolding battle.
Her expression shifted, "Yue Qian, don't strike it! I see it—this eyeball can self-detonate. When it explodes, it activates a spatial anchor, locking down the surrounding area."
“It's a trap. If you go in, you'll be gravely injured if not killed!”
Yue Qian's expression darkened, and he immediately abandoned his attack plan. “I'll just harass Feng Lian instead.”
“Be careful,” Kong Pan cautioned, “Feng Lian is very powerful, stronger than you. Don't get too entangled in battle.”
After issuing the warning, Kong Pan spurred Sand Between Fingers onward: "Well done, San Sha Man Tuo. You've just earned a merit. Can you contain this tornado?"
San Sha Man Tuo was Sand Between Fingers' real name. Clearly, she wasn't a member of the Li Jian clan but had been recruited.
If Yun Zhong agreed to join them, his role within the Second Navy would be similar to San Sha Man Tuo's.
San Sha Man Tuo nodded, "I can do it, but it will consume a great deal of time sand.”
Kong Pan immediately replied, "It doesn't matter. All materials expended will be reimbursed—never less than what was used. The Li Jian clan never shortchanges its own."
Having received the assurance she sought, San Sha Man Tuo sprang into action.
She released over a dozen alchemy hummingbirds, which swiftly flew toward the tornado.
They plunged directly into the vortex, each detonating to scatter vast quantities of time sand.
San Sha Man Tuo seized the moment to cast her spell. The time magic took effect swiftly.
The tornado's rotational speed and movement both slowed dramatically.
“Time magic?!”
“It must be that Sand Between Fingers casting it.”
The dragonman youngster stared in astonishment.
Time magic was exceptionally rare, even more so than spatial magic.
Yet now, the dragonman youngster witnessed it firsthand.
Beyond broadening his horizons, it filled him with awe: “The Ice Sculpture Kingdom truly lives up to its reputation as an elven kingdom—even time magicians exist here.”
On the surface, the tornado appeared to slow down, but in reality, the flow of time within it had become sluggish.
Feng Lian watched this scene unfold, his expression growing grave.
Truthfully, among the three commanders of the Second Fleet, it wasn't Kong Pan or Yue Qian he feared most—it was San Sha Man Tuo.
If he were struck by such a time spell during his fierce battle with Yue Qian, causing his movements to become “sluggish,” the consequences were truly unimaginable.
This signature time magic left Feng Lian utterly convinced that San Sha Man Tuo was also within the navy.
Earlier, although Sand Between Fingers had spoken, he hadn't acted—there was still a possibility it was a bluff.
The time magic completely extinguished Feng Lian's lingering hope.
“No wonder the Second Fleet had the confidence to ambush me. It's not just the new warships—the crucial factor is that all three gold level commanders are present!”
Feng Lian took a deep breath and shot skyward, soaring into the heavens.
He channeled his battle qi to its fullest, unleashing a terrifying aura.
“Watch out! He's going all out!” Kong Pan immediately warned.
Yue Qian sneered, eager for the fight, “Then let me see Feng Lian's true strength!”
He vanished through the air, reappearing behind Feng Lian in an instant.
Without even turning his head, Feng Lian casually swung his arm.
The long-handled scythe sliced through the sky, forming a three-meter-long azure wind scythe.
Yue Qian's slender sword collided with the wind scythe. The next moment, his expression changed drastically as he was sent flying backward.
But mid-air, he vanished once more.
The dragonman youngster's expression also shifted slightly.
Feng Lian had begun to unleash his full power, and Yue Qian was no match for him after a single strike. No wonder the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord held Feng Lian in such high regard!
The dragonman youngster sensed: “The decisive moment of this ambush has arrived.”