Chapter 416: Changes to the Divine Artifact

The Axe Gang leader felt troubled.

He wanted to use Fu Zhao to probe Zong Ge's true intentions—a sound plan, but he never imagined facing "Long Fu" head-on just yet.

“Does he suspect I'm the one behind the attack in Cold Wind Valley?” the Axe Gang leader couldn't help but wonder inwardly.

Guilty conscience.

The Axe Gang leader didn't want to fight Zong Ge, for fear of exposing himself.

Even holding back, he'd already clashed with Zong Ge and confirmed firsthand that this man was no ordinary silver level fighter. Such an opponent demanded his full strength!

The Axe Gang leader also intended to give his all. He had resolved to spare no expense in recruiting two allies of equal strength to properly kill “Long Fu.”

Small impatience ruined great plans.

Having decided to eliminate Long Fu, the Axe Gang leader naturally wished to avoid provoking trouble before the operation.

He sternly reprimanded Fu Zhao, even locking his son in confinement on the spot!

In the exchange of glances with the Axe Gang leader, Fu Zhao sensed his father had changed his mind. He had no choice but to play along, feigning deep resentment while accepting the punishment, then left the scene.

The Axe Gang leader repeatedly apologized, admitting his lax discipline of his son and stressing his desire to avoid conflict with business partners. Most crucially, he acknowledged the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' strength, especially Long Fu's combat prowess, stating they were equal partners.

“Since we're equals, then please, Gang Leader, don't cling rigidly to certain clauses. Recognize our sincerity in seeking cooperation.” Zong Ge's final remark stunned the Axe Gang leader.

Even Zi Di was taken aback.

It was a stroke of genius!

After a moment of silence, the Axe Gang leader indeed shifted his negotiating stance, becoming far more accommodating. Many terms were swiftly agreed upon with Zi Di, and he even made concessions in certain areas.

Soon after, both parties smoothly signed the magic contract.

This signified the preliminary establishment of their cooperation. The moment the contract took effect, the atmosphere in the reception hall visibly grew much more harmonious.

The Axe Gang leader wished to host a banquet in honor of Zong Ge and Zi Di.

However, Zong Ge and Zi Di did not wish to waste any more time here and took their leave.

The Axe Gang leader personally escorted them out, watching until their carriage disappeared around the street corner before turning back toward the gang headquarters.

Upon returning to the reception hall, Fu Zhao had already emerged.

The future Axe Gang leader looked uneasy. "Father. Long Fu suddenly challenged you. Could it be that he recognized you as the one who attacked him?"

The Axe Gang leader shook his head. "Even if he suspects something, he has no proof. That's not the point."

Fu Zhao pressed further, “Did signing a magic contract with them interfere with your plan to kill Long Fu later?”

“There's interference, but minimal,” the Axe Gang leader replied. "I considered that, of course. There are no absolute guarantees in this world. Any magic contract can potentially be broken. Before I act, I will certainly break this contract. If I can't manage it, the two gold level individuals I invited will possess that ability."

“Moreover, when I signed the contract with them, I had already anticipated this. The terms were designed with great caution.”

Fu Zhao set aside his bold concerns; his expression tinged with regret. "It's truly a pity. To be honest, I'd have loved to challenge Long Fu and see this man's prowess for myself. If I can use the Blood Vengeance Axe, even in defeat, I’ll give him a lesson he'll never forget!"

The Axe Gang leader's face grew solemn. "I believe that. Your strength is formidable, but the Blood Vengeance Axe is the crucial factor. Its power isn't something Long Fu can withstand."

"But I must tell you this: dealing with an enemy isn't just about teaching them a lesson. The best way to deal with an enemy is to kill them outright!"

"Teng Dong Lang once said it best. What makes the best enemy? An enemy lying dead is the best."

At this point, the Axe Gang leader sighed heavily, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "What a pity... that fellow of yours... actually died. But rest assured, your enemy will soon join you."

Zong Ge and Zi Di departed the Axe Gang, seated in the carriage for their return journey.

Zi Di activated her alchemy device first, creating a temporary private space for their conversation. She then looked at Zong Ge with a complex expression: "I never expected such a big payoff this time. I have to say, you were a huge help."

Zong Ge glanced at her, his expression calm: “It's what I should do. Even though we have differences in how we see many things, we're still on the same team.”

This realization brought relief to Zi Di. Truth be told, Zong Ge's sudden, unprovoked challenge to the Axe Gang leader had genuinely startled her.

Her inner voice had screamed, “Zong Ge, don't forget you're only silver level! Do you really think you're the commander?”

But the reality was, Zong Ge's challenge had turned the tables. Not only had it resolved his own predicament, but it had also helped Zi Di.

Combined with the outcome in Cold Wind Valley, which exposed the ambushers' hostility, it proved Zong Ge's decision had been correct.

Zi Di's tone softened. "You're right. We're on the same side. Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease."

She pressed further, “How could you be so certain the Axe Gang leader would reject you?”

"Also, did you suspect the Axe Gang father and son? After all, the leader's primary weapon is the Blood Vengeance Axe. I recall you mentioning during reconnaissance in Cold Wind Valley that the gold level fighter held back his power. His true primary weapon wasn't a war hammer, but rather a blade or axe suited for slashing."

Yet Zong Ge shook his head, speaking plainly: “I never suspected them.”

"The father and son are gold level and silver level respectively, which matches the ambushers' levels. But isn't his son also a fighter?"

Zi Di shook her head. "He likely practices both magic and battle qi, and magic aura can be concealed. There are many methods for that. Especially without real combat, it's hard to detect any clues."

She was puzzled, “If you weren't suspicious, why challenge them to probe their strength?”

Zong Ge remained composed. "I intended to challenge the Axe Gang leader anyway. On one hand, I wanted to gauge my true gap against gold level opponents. Could I achieve what a team battle could accomplish? On the other hand, actively challenging gold level opponents aligns with my upcoming plans."

“What do you mean?” Zi Di sensed trouble.

“Exactly what it sounds like,” Zong Ge replied, “Rather than passively accepting challenges, I'd rather go out and challenge them myself.”

“Most silver level cultivators want to step on me to indirectly gain glory from defeating a stronger opponent.”

"Fighting these guys is such a pain, they hold nowhere near the combat value of gold level opponents! Once I actively challenge gold level opponents, they'll have no reason to bother me."

Zi Di listened, utterly dumbfounded.

Zong Ge concluded, "On the battlefield, you must seize the initiative by any means necessary. Taking the offensive is often an excellent tactical strategy."

Zi Di rolled her eyes inwardly.

She fully realized that Zong Ge's previous cooperation with her had been nothing but a fluke.

As for his plan to actively seek trouble? Zi Di was a million percent against it!

But she was powerless.

She knew she couldn't stop Zong Ge.

That guy just loved doing things his own way!

His past experiences had forged his habits. Like his true appearance, he was a lion, fierce and relentless.

Ironically, his choices often yielded favorable outcomes.

Zong Ge was stubbornly independent; Zi Di couldn't sway him.

Even with her keen insight, she sensed a faint disdain for her lurking beneath his words and expressions.

Military men often looked down on merchants.

"Sigh, Commander, where are you now? If only you were here." Zi Di began muttering about the dragonman youngster again.

Among all the survivors, only the dragonman youngster could keep Zong Ge in check.

The youngster was no longer a dragonman; he had become a fishman.

Bam!

Inside the landing pod of the Deep Sea Monster Fish, the fishman youngster slammed his head against the metal hull once more.

He had no choice but to pause his training.

“Bursting Explosion battle qi really isn't suited for the Swift Swim battle skill.”

It was the same old problem.

The optimal use of Bursting Explosion battle qi was full-power output, unleashing its explosive properties.

But when applied to the Swift Swim battle skill, it caused the fishman youngster's swimming speed to fluctuate wildly, making it extremely difficult to control.

The youngster floated effortlessly on the water's surface, extending a hand to press against his forehead.

The slightest touch intensified the stinging pain on his head.

That collision had delivered a significant blow.

Racial magic - Healing.

In the next instant, a flash of white light erupted as the fishman youngster successfully healed himself.

The throbbing pain above his head vanished completely.

The Surging Wave fishman bloodline he possessed granted him four racial magic spells. He was now most proficient in using Healing.

The use of Mental Flogging, Mind's Eye, and Affinity Aura was relatively infrequent.

After all, within the Ocean Mother Nest, only he, Zhong Yong, and the saint level sea beast remained living beings. (The tide snake eggs and Zi Di's corpse were not counted for now.)

Compared to these racial magics, the fishman youngster had mastered the fishman battle skills to perfection.

The initial awkwardness upon first using them had completely vanished.

Though he hadn't taken shortcuts like using the Grand Arena Medal for training, Zong Ge's eye for talent proved accurate, the fishman youngster truly possessed exceptional fighter potential.

Fishman battle skills were often straightforward, allowing him to grasp them quickly and master them with ease.

Not only that, but the fishman youngster also trained in the hybrid fishman form.

He had absorbed two bloodlines from Hai Ping's saint corpse. The first remained unknown to him, but the second, the Barbarian Fish bloodline, was unmistakably distinct.

When the youngster activated his Bloodcore and simultaneously unleashed both bloodlines, he entered the hybrid fishman form.

In this state, his features bore a certain resemblance to the saint corpse.

His training in this form stemmed from a desire to maximize his combat effectiveness underwater.

The concentration of the Surging Wave fishman bloodline remained relatively low. For now, the hybrid fishman form undoubtedly possessed greater combat prowess than the single fishman bloodline form.

Though the hybrid form also brought the drawback of accelerated Bloodcore magic depletion, the fishman youngster currently faced no shortage of Bloodcore magic.

The only regret was that the fishman youngster still couldn't properly utilize his Berserk talent.

More accurately, he couldn't avoid the drawback of losing his sanity when using it.

"I've already returned the Ice Heart Headband to the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord. The Cold Heart Ice Bag that Bu Quan gave me can keep me lucid, but it has specific trigger conditions and doesn't work at all with the Berserk talent."

The fishman youngster fretted over this, finding no immediate solution.

He ended today's training early, as the first practical deployment of the precision eel drillers was imminent.

True to his silver level Alchemy Master status, Zhong Yong far surpassed Cang Xu and Zi Di in alchemy mastery. After considerable effort, he successfully crafted the first batch of precision eel drillers.

These drillers were deployed in secret.

The fishman youngster and Zhong Yong entered the cockpit together, intently watching the precision eel drillers through the magic display.

These slender, microscopic alchemy automatons were only the size of an adult's finger. Released from the Deep Sea Monster Fish, they swiftly swam to the surface of the cave wall.

The wall was covered in pearls.

Selecting a relatively weak spot, the drillers commenced their work.

The spiral drills on their heads spun at full speed, generating considerable noise.

To the fishman youngster's relief, the slumbering saint level sea beast remained undisturbed.

Once the drillers penetrated the cave wall, their tails fully embedded, the drilling noise actually diminished.

Zhong Yong remarked, "I can now confirm the walls of the Ocean Mother Nest absorb sound waves. This explains why our dual-eared detectors failed to detect external intelligence earlier. Simultaneously, the walls significantly dampen the noise generated by the precision eel driller's operations."

“Success is within reach.”

The fishman youngster replied, “Let's hope so.”

Zhong Yong returned to the alchemy cabin to resume his work.

As the fishman youngster prepared to head back to the landing pod to restart his training, the tower spirit alerted him midway: "Captain, the divine artifact, Mermaid Fairy Tale, is behaving erratically. The cause is unpredictable. You should investigate immediately!"

The fishman youngster froze in shock.

What trouble was the Mermaid Fairy Tale divine artifact stirring up now?

He remembered clearly how it had exhibited suspicious disturbances when the Deep Sea Monster Fish had been inexplicably transported here before.