Chapter 406: Cold Wind Valley Ambush

With a formidable enemy at hand, Zi Di had no time for anger. She immediately drew her staff and joined the fray.

Currently disguised as Yao Ma, she appeared to be a silver level fire magician.

Her staff was also silver level.

The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ standing in Snow Bird Harbor, coupled with their financial resources, made acquiring silver level equipment no problem. Even for gold level gear, they had secured considerable quantities through connections with the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.

The staff, named the Soaring Flame Staff, came pre-imbued with three spells: Fireball, Fire Wall, and Ring of Fire. Fireball was an offensive spell, while Fire Wall, when used skillfully, served both offense and defense. The Ring of Fire was purely defensive. It was precisely because of this spell that the Soaring Flame Staff was undoubtedly a premium silver level staff!

With the staff's aid, Zi Di didn't need to chant at all. She simply channeled her spirit and infused it with magic power, launching a fireball.

The silver level fireball aimed straight for the top of the hillside.

That was precisely where the hidden scouting puppet had detected the enemy's position.

The gold level fighter had already charged down, but the silver level magician remained atop the slope.

The silver level magician spotted the incoming fireball and was taken aback, surprised their precise location had been revealed so quickly. They hadn't seen Yao Ma cast any scouting spells at all.

The silver level magician immediately flashed their bracelet.

The bracelet, a silver level magic artifact, nearly instantly cast Light Shield.

The shield materialized as a square, approximately 1.8 meters in length and width, immediately soaring forward to collide with the fireball.

Boom!

A sudden explosion erupted as the fireball struck the shield, detonating mid-air and unleashing intense heat and shockwaves.

The silver level magician successfully defended, and the fireball failed to hit its target.

Zi Di drew a scroll from her bosom and continued casting Fireball.

The silver level scroll hadn't been purchased but sourced from the War Merchant's arsenal.

Truth be told, much of that stockpile had already been depleted. Since leaving Mystifying Monster Island, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had endured numerous skirmishes along their journey. Of the twelve crates of explosive dumbbells, ten were used up in the battle against Rou Zang. When the remnants of the Bayonet Gang fled from Snow Bird Harbor dock, they exhausted all water-elemental and ice-elemental arrows and bullets in their arsenal to counter the swamp oil elementals.

The original stock of 138 healing scrolls had been depleted by more than half, but after restocking at Snow Bird Harbor, the count had risen back to 97.

Fireball scrolls were the most abundant, once numbering 250. Though many were consumed in successive battles, the initial stock was largest, leaving over a hundred remaining.

Scrolls were naturally faster than chanting spells. Zi Di knew their side was at a disadvantage and had to rely on equipment to compensate.

Zi Di, whose magician level fell short of silver, tore open three Fireball scrolls in succession and unleashed them toward the hilltop.

This forced the silver level magician to abandon her position.

A gem ring on her little finger emitted an eerie glow.

The light lingered behind her, rapidly expanding into an elliptical halo.

The silver level magician retreated backward, stepping into the elliptical sphere of light before vanishing.

The next moment, a similar white line of light appeared atop the opposite hillside. The silver level magician retreated, stepping out from within it.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Three consecutive explosions echoed as the mountaintop where she had stood moments before was levelled.

The silver level magician then pulled a scroll from her robe.

She tore it open, unleashing a Dazzling Light spell.

The spell did not target Zi Di, but instead shot toward Zong Ge.

“No!” Zi Di tried to intercept it, but was powerless to do so, forced to watch helplessly as Zong Ge was struck.

Zong Ge was already locked in combat with the gold level fighter and was losing ground.

After being hit by another Dazzling Light spell, his vision instantly flooded with blinding white light, making it impossible to discern his enemy.

“Die!” The gold level fighter roared, launching a fierce assault.

This mysterious foe was tall and agile, wearing an iron mask and wielding a long-handled war hammer with a barrel-shaped head, radiating intense fury.

In the critical moment, Zong Ge closed his eyes and raised his Gold Flower Hacksaw!

Clang!

The hammerhead aimed for Zong Ge's head, but he crouched slightly and shifted his stance. The steel saw, raised just in time, blocked the blow.

The mysterious foe's war hammer was merely silver level, but Zong Ge wielded a gold level Gold Flower Hacksaw.

This weapon had originally belonged to Xiong Ju, ringleader of the Bayonet Gang. However, the Bayonet Gang was wiped out in a single day by the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord. Xiong Ju and his men were captured, and their weapons and equipment fell into the city lord's hands.

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord had long conducted multiple transactions with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

Through these deals, the equipment had ultimately ended up in the hands of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

Not only the Gold Flower Hacksaw, but other gear like the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer, the Qi Boosting Syringe, the Root Boots, and Teng Dong Lang's gold level whip were all traded to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

The only regret was that defensive emblem - the Flowing Wave Armor.

It was gold level armor, and the design was ingenious!

With the Ice Sculpture Kingdom enforcing an armor ban, such defensive accessories were exceptionally rare in the absence of formal gold level armor.

Thus, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord kept it in his possession. Despite the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps inflating the price several times, it remained unsold.

Seeing Zong Ge lose his vision, Zi Di grew even more tense.

In her view, Zong Ge was already in danger; now, without vision, the situation had become dire!

But Zi Di lacked a dispelling spell, so she chose to continue attacking. She immediately wielded her staff, unleashing Fire Wall.

The spell swiftly spread across the hillside crest, forcing the silver level magician to take flight.

Zi Di tore open another scroll, casting Fireball.

The silver level magician couldn't use her ring to draw a light circle for teleportation again so quickly. Such magic items usually had restrictions, requiring a period of time before they could be used a second time.

The silver level magician still had other cards up her sleeve.

She revealed the necklace hanging around her neck. The pendant was a rectangular tag.

The pendant flashed, scattering light into the air and releasing the sealed magic pet within.

The silver level magician clearly specialized in light magic; her pet was a silver level light elemental.

The light elemental had two clawed paws, a bear-like head, and a lower body tapering to a sharp point like a cone. Flight was its instinct. The moment it was released, it received its master's command and immediately charged at Zi Di.

Zi Di took a deep breath, refusing to be distracted by the enemy's magic pet.

“I have a magic pet too!” she whispered, releasing Lan Lu's ghost.

The two headed ogre's ghost was obtained during her time on Snake Rat Island. It had been severely damaged on Two Eyes Island, rendering it nearly unusable.

However, through Cang Xu's efforts, Zi Di acquired a batch of soul crystals and numerous potent undead spells, granting her the ability to heal the ghost Lan Lu.

Now, Lan Lu not only returned to peak condition but was also imbued with the Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell and Deceptive Disguise spell, masking its undead nature.

To outsiders, the ghost Lan Lu appeared as a formidable combat-type alchemy puppet.

Being a ghost, Lan Lu could naturally float through the air.

The light elemental familiar was also silver level, matching Lan Lu's level.

The two magic pets roared at each other before lunging into a fierce clash, locked in an intense stalemate.

The ambushers numbered only two, but the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps fielded more than just Zong Ge and Zi Di.

“Engage!” roared Xu Ma, swiftly drawing his alchemy rifle and firing a signal flare skyward.

This was an unmistakable call for backup.

The silver level magician naturally moved to intercept, firing a precise light spear that shattered the flare before it could fully ascend.

But in the next instant, the other accompanying mercenaries followed Xu Ma's lead, drawing their alchemy muskets and firing their own signal flares.

The silver level magician was momentarily speechless, having never imagined such signal guns were standard issue for nearly everyone.

She intended to continue her interception, but Zi Di wouldn't let her succeed. A barrage of fireballs forced her to constantly shift positions.

Xu Ma then directed the mercenaries to concentrate their fire.

Their alchemy crossbows and muskets, sourced from the War Merchant's arsenal, now utilized alchemy arrows and bullets.

In an instant, bullets and arrows converged into a dazzling yet deadly barrage, forcing the silver level magician to frantically dodge while maintaining her defensive spells. She found it nearly impossible to support her allies or strike at Zong Ge.

“Zong Ge, hold on!” Zi Di shouted. Relying on her gear and high-frequency advanced spells, supported by other mercenaries, she had managed to suppress the silver level magician.

Yet she remained unable to aid Zong Ge, offering only anxious encouragement.

Zong Ge, however, remained steadfast.

No matter how fiercely the gold fighter attacked, he parried every strike with his Gold Flower Hacksaw.

Zong Ge's combat experience was immense. Even temporarily blinded, he could pinpoint enemies by sound alone.

Had the enemy been an assassin type, he might have been in danger. But the gold level foe before him fought with a sweeping, aggressive style, much like Xiong Ju, charging headlong into battle, relying on sheer force to overwhelm.

Beyond his precise recognition, Zong Ge held another advantage: the Gold Flower Hacksaw.

The Gold Flower Hacksaw possessed an exceptionally broad blade. As a weapon master, Zong Ge often utilized the saw as a shield after identifying incoming attacks, securing himself in a solid defense.

The gold fighter, frustrated by his prolonged inability to break through, grew dissatisfied with his silver level war hammer and unleashed his battle skill.

Zong Ge immediately sensed the enemy's aura surge, recognizing the use of a battle skill. He responded by deploying his own defensive battle skill.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The gold level adversary swung his long-handled war hammer like a torrential downpour, but Zong Ge blocked left and right, steadily retreating while maintaining a solid defensive line.

“He's clearly only silver level...” The gold level foe's eyes blazed with bloodshot fury.

Were it not for the glow of silver level battle qi, he might have suspected he was clashing with an equal.

Zong Ge weathered the most perilous phase through sheer defense. As time passed, the Dazzling Light spell's effect gradually faded, allowing him to see again, albeit dimly.

He opened his eyes and simultaneously drew the flying hammer from his waist, hurling it forward.

It was the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer!

Originally forged by the dwarf ringleader of the Bayonet Gang, it was a replica of the legendary weapon, the Great Thunder God's Flying Hammer.

Both the hammer body and shaft radiated a silver level aura, but the gem embedded at the very tip emitted a gold level aura, flickering with threads of lightning.

It could be considered a near-gold level heavy throwing weapon.

Controlled by mental will, it was extremely convenient and had a low learning curve.

After Xiong Ju obtained it, he trained with it for just one night and wielded it in the next day's heroic duel, causing considerable trouble for the dragonman youngster.

The Small Thunder God Flying Hammer spun toward the gold level fighter.

The gold fighter raised his long-handled war hammer, knocking it away with the hammerhead. But it spun once in midair and charged toward the gold fighter again.

Meanwhile, Zong Ge shifted from defense to offense, swinging his Gold Flower Hacksaw to unleash a series of dangerous blade shadows.

The gold fighter, engaged in combat with Zong Ge while also guarding against the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer, gradually became overwhelmed, exposing more and more openings.

"This damn thing!" The gold level fighter roared in fury, unleashing a fierce battle skill to smash the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer.

Under Zong Ge's mental control, the hammer shot upward, soaring into the air.

The gold level fighter tried to pursue, but Zong Ge had already closed in before him.

Zong Ge channeled his battle qi into the Gold Flower Hacksaw.

The hacksaw's teeth whirled at breakneck speed, while the gem embedded in its handle emitted an earthy yellow glow.

The gold fighter instantly felt his body grow heavy, his movements slowing.

Battle skill—Spinning Horizontal Slash!

Zong Ge gripped the saw's handles with both hands, slightly bending his waist. Using his heels as pivots, he straightened his arms, driving the Gold Flower Hacksaw to spin forcefully in a full circle.

The saw's speed and power surged dramatically.

Its surface blazed with silver light as it slashed viciously toward the gold fighter's waist.

The gold level fighter had no time to retreat gracefully. In desperation, he summoned his battle qi to unleash a defensive battle skill, fortifying his double-handed war hammer.

He blocked the horizontal slash with the middle section of the hammer's shaft.

Had Zong Ge wielded a greatsword, this attack would have ended there. But in his hands was the Gold Flower Hacksaw.

In the next instant, the saw teeth savagely tore into the barrel-shaped handle, erupting in a torrent of sparks.

These sparks coalesced midair into blossoms of golden light.

The sharp edges of the golden flowers whirled and danced, diving toward the gold fighter's vulnerable points, like the eyes, nose, and throat.

The gold fighter naturally possessed defensive battle skills to protect himself, but the relentless stream of golden flowers swiftly eroded his defenses.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The Small Thunder God Flying Hammer struck again, hitting his back, waist, and the back of his head, delivering another heavy blow.

The gold fighter roared in fury, unleashing a powerful battle skill. The surging shockwave kicked up a cloud of dust, nearly knocking Zong Ge off his feet.

Zong Ge adjusted his stance and charged forward once more.

Amidst the swirling dust, his and the gold fighter's figures blurred, appearing and vanishing abruptly.

Outsiders heard only the clashes and explosions.

The dust was soon blown away by the battle skills' aftereffects. To everyone's surprise, Zong Ge held the upper hand!

In Zong Ge's hands, the Gold Flower Hacksaw and the Small Thunder God Flying Hammer were wielded with astonishing skill.

The two weapons complemented each other with perfect synergy, leaving the gold fighter scrambling to respond. Occasional flashes of brilliance and masterfully coordinated strikes kept the gold fighter reeling from relentless blows.

Zi Di couldn't help but breathe a huge sigh of relief.

The key to this battle rested squarely on Zong Ge's shoulders. All she could do was cheer him on from the sidelines.

The other mercenaries roared in approval, their morale soaring. This surge of energy fueled an even more intense barrage of arrows and bullets.

“Long Fu, just you wait!” The gold fighter spat out a threat before retreating.

The silver level magician brought up the rear, tearing open a spatial scroll. Instantly, a swarm of alchemy puppets poured forth.

Over a hundred automatons swarmed toward the main force of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

Instead of pursuing the gold level fighter, Zong Ge joined Zi Di in confronting the automatons to protect their subordinates.

Lacking aerial combat skills, the Gold Fighter was swiftly carried away by the silver level magician, vanishing from the Cold Wind Valley in moments.