Chapter 488: Eliminating the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps

The snow elf warrior Gu Dong knelt on both knees, offering a prayer.

“Before the deities we revere, worship, and honor, we present our sincere and exalted supplication.”

“Dueling God, you are the immortal champion, invincible yet eternally vigorous.”

"In the divine domain known as Tranquil Hill, the duelists rest in peace. When the Lord summons them, they shall rise again, taking up arms once more!"

“Dueling God, hear our prayers. Let our hearts' springs gush forth, let our strength converge into a mighty torrent.”

"Hear our confessions, let myriad voices merge into one vast ocean, joining hands amidst the surging currents. Under your supreme majestic power, grant us the exchange of spirit, let our messages traverse the void, reaching distant lands."

“Praise be to You, the tireless champion who marches onward, the sacred radiance. May You forever walk beside us, filling us with the warrior spirit to fight for You, for Your faith shines with glorious light!”

Gu Dong closed his eyes tightly, his devotion profound.

As a holy warrior of the Dueling God, he possessed great authority. This being a special prayer, his spirit was swiftly drawn into the divine domain of Tranquil Hill.

Gu Dong's spirit ascended, rising higher and higher until it reached a vast expanse of heaven and earth.

The sky was white, the ground gray.

Snowflakes as soft as goose feathers drifted silently down.

His spirit descended upon the summit of a snow-capped peak.

The mountaintop appeared as if carved by a blade, forming an exceptionally flat platform.

Scattered across the platform stood numerous tombstones, arranged in a staggered pattern.

Were the Bayonet Gang members to witness this scene, they would surely be astonished. For the positioning of these tombstones mirrored that of Tranquil Hill exactly.

Gu Dong's spirit remained focused, concentrated within his own tombstone.

Upon his arrival, several tombstones had already begun to glow.

After a brief wait, nearly twenty tombstones emitted a faint light.

Each tombstone represented a gold holy warrior. They had offered prayers, just as Gu Dong had done. At this very moment, these holy warriors were scattered across the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. Yet, through their similar prayers, they had temporarily gained the ability to communicate across distances.

This was no ordinary prayer.

Such long-distance communication would consume a vast amount of divine favor from the holy warriors.

Under normal circumstances, they would never resort to this method to contact one another.

But this matter was of grave importance. Upon learning of it through Bing Xiao's prayer, many sprang into action immediately.

From one of the faintly glowing tombstones, a mental wave emanated, carrying a message tinged with sorrow: “As expected, Jia Bing is already dead. Two other holy warriors have also perished.”

Gu Dong knew who this mental transmission belonged to.

Her name was Xue Tuan Zi, a snow elf magician.

Xue Tuan Zi was unfamiliar with the Axe Gang leader or Lin. But as an alchemist magician, she had collaborated with Jia Bing on several occasions.

The glow on another tombstone brightened, sending forth a clear mental wave: “Since becoming a holy warrior, I've never witnessed so many die simultaneously.”

Gu Dong recognized this spirit as well.

His name was Zhu Gan, an elf ranger. Though also an elf, he wasn't a native snow elf of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, but a wood elf.

Gu Dong had met him once. Zhu Gan liked to wear a bamboo-woven conical hat and drape a cloak over his shoulders. His favorite pastime was fishing.

"Hmph, that's just your narrow-mindedness talking. Didn't several holy warriors perish during that Duel Festival over a decade ago?" A coarse, rugged spiritual fluctuation conveyed the words.

This was the holy warrior Mo Gui Ji.

Another holy warrior, He Gai Tou, held a different view: “The two situations are not the same. Dying in the Duel Festival is a worthy end for a holy warrior, a warrior of the Duel God.”

“But this time, Jia Bing, Lin, and the Axe Gang leader didn't die in a heroic duel. The three of them teamed up to ambush the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, only to be slaughtered instead.”

Mo Gui Ji sneered: Hmph, those three were useless!"

Mei Lin countered with a mental wave: "That's not the case. I know Jia Bing, Lin, and the Axe Gang leader's capabilities well. They all served in the regular military. That all three perished while working together only proves the enemy's overwhelming strength. Or that they possessed extraordinary methods."

Mei Lin belonged to the First Navy of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom. She herself was a mermaid who practiced only magic, a peak gold level magician. Her power was formidable, capable of effortlessly casting battlefield-class spells.

Those transcendents who worshipped the Dueling God all possessed an intense pursuit of combat prowess.

Therefore, among this group, the stronger one's personal strength, the more respect they commanded.

When Mei Lin spoke, all fell silent to listen.

After she finished, a heavy silence settled over the gathering.

“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps...” Xue Tuanzhi murmured, breaking the silence.

“Can someone tell us about this mercenary group?” Zhu Gan inquired, unaware of these details.

In truth, most present were equally uninformed.

“This is all the intelligence I've gathered on the matter,” Mei Lin shared the relevant information with the group.

Since they communicated telepathically, vast amounts of data were instantly shared.

Mei Lin's intelligence was remarkably detailed. Her high rank and influence granted her intelligence-gathering capabilities far surpassing those of lone operatives. Prior to this, she had specifically contacted Bing Xiao, obtaining numerous pieces of information from him.

In an instant, many grasped the entire sequence of events.

Mo Gui Ji sneered, "The Axe Gang leader was closely tied to Teng Dong Lang. He secretly sought revenge, even going so far as to enlist two other gold level holy warriors as allies. Despite combining the strength of three gold level warriors, not only did he fail to exact vengeance, but he also lost his own life, and dragged the other two down with him. How utterly laughable!"

Mei Lin ignored Mo Gui Ji's words, her tone calm and composed: “The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' ostensible top fighter is their leader, Long Fu. This man, with a silver level cultivation, publicly slew the gold level Teng Dong Lang in Snow Bird Harbor. Clearly, this isn't the true upper limit of this group's strength."

"Detailed on-site investigations show Long Fu engaged in combat with the Axe Gang leader and two others. The battle wasn't fierce; the battlefield showed almost no destruction. This suggests the fight was brief, perhaps even very short. Moreover, Long Fu held overwhelming dominance throughout."

Mei Lin was unaware that it was actually Zong Ge who had slain the Axe Gang leader and his two companions. The so-called “Commander Long Fu” was merely Zong Ge in disguise.

Her analysis once again plunged the room into silence.

Those recognized by the Dueling God and elevated to holy warriors possessed formidable combat prowess and extensive battle experience.

Though no one spoke, no one disagreed with Mei Lin's assessment.

Thus, in their minds, the combat prowess displayed by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps became terrifyingly formidable!

Gu Dong remarked, “I believe that among all our gold holy warriors, aside from Lord Long Meng, none could possess such combat strength capable of swiftly slaying three opponents of the same level.”

There was silence again.

After a moment, Zhu Gan broke the quiet: “I once visited Ice Spear City and even went fishing with Lin.”

“Sigh... Never imagined the next news I'd receive about him would be his death.”

“What should we do about this Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps now?”

No sooner had Zhu Gan finished speaking than a furious mental wave erupted: "Strike back! We must strike back hard and wipe them all out."

“This group masquerades as a mercenary group, but they're actually arms smugglers.”

"Yet their true nature is far more despicable! They are enemies of the kingdom, pawns and tentacles sent by hostile nations."

“We must eliminate them immediately. Only then can we strike a decisive blow against those ambitious hostile forces abroad.”

The speaker was Bao Li Gen.

Xue Tuan Zi asked doubtfully, “How can you be so certain they're mortal enemies of the kingdom?”

Bao Li Gen snorted coldly. "Is that even worth explaining? Just look at their actions, it's obvious. How long have these people even been in the kingdom? They've already killed four of our own. Four gold level warriors! Teng Dong Lang, the Axe Gang leader, and the rest, they weren't ordinary gold level fighters. Each possessed combat prowess at the upper echelon of their level."

"Their arrogance knows no bounds. They're just outsiders who came onto our territory, into our country, yet they brazenly eliminate our people. We must retaliate a thousandfold. Slaughter them all!"

“Three gold level warriors aren't enough? Then gather more gold level warriors. I refuse to believe we can't take them down.”

Bao Li Gen roared repeatedly, seething with rage and radiating murderous intent.

Though little known outside their circle, he was widely recognized among the holy warriors of the Dueling God.

He still served in the regular army of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.

However, he was not an exemplary soldier, frequently violating military discipline and spending years confined to detention cells.

Nevertheless, this did not diminish his camaraderie with fellow soldiers.

Though he was not close with Teng Dong Lang or the Axe Gang leader, they had all once been part of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's regular army. This shared history meant Bao Li Gen always recognized Teng Dong Lang, the Axe Gang leader, and others.

Gu Dong's background was similar to Bao Li Gen's.

Only two years prior, he had retired from the military.

Gu Dong deeply understood Bao Li Gen's rage, yet he did not endorse his proposed course of action.

“Such a move is far too reckless.”

But Gu Dong found Bao Li Gen's words utterly unsurprising. In his memory, Bao Li Gen had always been this way, a fiery, impulsive, and brash military warrior.