Chapter 550: Shuang Lian vs Da Dou
Exhale, inhale, exhale, gulp, inhale, inhale, gulp gulp...
The big guy swam with all his might, completely unaware that Da Dou had been attacked.
His mind was set on returning to Snow Bird Harbor, but he hadn't considered what the correct direction might be.
His swimming skills were clearly poor too. His breathing rhythm was unstable, and he frequently choked on water.
But to be fair, given the big guy's intelligence, learning to swim at all was quite impressive.
Who knew how much time and effort the old shipwright had poured into teaching him?
Spatial fluctuations erupted once more.
This time, right beside the big guy!
Da Dou growled lowly, glaring at him.
Behind the big guy, a flame emblem suddenly ignited, erupting in intense heat.
The seawater couldn't extinguish the scorching flames at all.
The big guy was soon engulfed in flames, his consciousness fading into a haze.
The flames surged upward, like weary birds returning to their nests, and plunged directly into one of Da Dou's arms.
The tattoo on his arm was complete once more.
It turned out that after capturing the big guy, Da Dou hadn't been idle.
While the big guy slept, he had dismantled part of the Flame Totem on his own arm and implanted it into the big guy's back.
The big guy remained completely unaware.
Da Dou now activated his hidden maneuver, instantly bringing the big guy back to his side.
Honey Snow Tower, top-floor control room.
Witnessing this, Bu Quan couldn't help but gasp, her expression clearly showing disappointment.
She had desperately wanted to see the big guy captured by the spatial trap and drawn into the demi-plane. She had confidence in her teacher, Shuang Lian.
Yet, unexpectedly, Da Dou had once again managed to defend against it.
Bu Quan couldn't help but glance at her esteemed teacher.
Shuang Lian remained utterly serene, her composure unshaken by two consecutive failures.
The only fleeting expression was a slight arch of her eyebrow.
"What do we do now? The giant's vanished!" Bu Quan's heart raced with worry, but fearing she might disturb her teacher, she kept her concerns silent.
Shuang Lian glanced at her beloved disciple, as if hearing her thoughts, and offered reassurance: “Rest assured, neither of them can escape.”
Bu Quan seized the moment to ask about the big guy's whereabouts.
Shuang Lian explained: “That's a spatial artifact Da Dou carries - a gold level Packing Bag. This spatial storage device can contain living beings. Da Dou uses it to store ingredients.”
“This underscores the critical importance of intelligence.”
“However, the flames on his body exceed what our intelligence documented.”
"The Flame Totem originates from a beast deity, making it exceedingly rare. Da Dou only obtained it thanks to his teacher."
During preparations, Shuang Lian specifically gathered extensive intelligence on Da Dou through channels like the Alchemy Guild.
In multiple culinary duels, Da Dou demonstrated his mastery by wielding the Flame Totem, securing victories over numerous rival chefs. Yet he had never engaged in a true battle.
Or rather, even if he had, it remained unpublicized and unknown.
Da Dou's spatial awareness and masterful use of the Flame Totem caused Shuang Lian's first two strikes to miss their mark.
“But it doesn't matter!”
“The victor of this battle will still be me, and only me!”
Shuang Lian was utterly confident in this fight.
Spell - Spatial Anchor!
In the next instant, she unleashed the spatial spell she had been brewing through the mage tower.
A colossal phantom ship's anchor abruptly materialized mid-air before vanishing instantly.
The spell's model was constructed by the tower spirit, fueled by the tower's vast magic pool, expanding its radius to eight hundred meters.
Da Dou's expression twisted in shock.
He felt space itself freeze. Under normal circumstances, he perceived space like water, able to sense other worlds beneath its surface.
But now, the water's surface had become solid ground. He could no longer break through the surface to dive into the space beyond.
“Damn.”
“The Tunnel Staff is useless now.”
“And seriously, this spell's range is way too big, isn't it?”
Da Dou inwardly gasped.
He'd tried to stop it, but it was already too late.
While the mage tower was brewing the Spatial Anchor, Da Dou dodged Shuang Lian's two spatial grabs, causing him to miss the prime opportunity to interrupt the casting.
“But even if I had the chance to shake this mage tower...”
Da Dou himself didn't have much confidence.
If he were facing Shuang Lian alone, perhaps she might avoid his sharpest blows and be forced to interrupt her spell. But this tower, its defenses were clearly impregnable. There was no way Da Dou could breach it instantly.
He summoned his Flame Totem, only to discover with disappointment that the Flame Flicker divine spell he'd used earlier was also unusable.
Looking up at the tower, Da Dou shouted, "Who are you? If you're hired by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to retrieve the giant, I'll pay double the price!"
As a gold level magic chef, Da Dou certainly wasn't short on food or drink.
Even if he carried little cash, the ingredients he carried were absolutely priceless!
After all, he had come to Ice Sculpture Island to participate in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's grand ceremony. He had prepared a vast quantity of ingredients for this event, some of which were exceptionally high-end.
Shuang Lian chuckled softly. “Da Dou, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' bounty is far beyond what you could ever pay.”
“Release the hostage, and I might spare your life!”
Shuang Lian had no desire to utterly kill Da Dou.
For one thing, she and Da Dou shared no deep personal grudge. Had he kidnapped Bu Quan instead of the big guy, it would have been another matter entirely.
For another, she knew his background well—a gold level giant magic chef hailing from Eruption Island.
Though Eruption Island couldn't match Ice Sculpture Island in size, it housed legendary beings!
Hearing Shuang Lian's offer, Da Dou's heart stirred. He immediately replied, “Mighty magician, are you truly resolved to oppose my Eruption Island?”
“If you spare me and let me bring the giant back to Eruption Island, you'll gain not only my personal allegiance but the friendship of the entire island!”
“I swear on my personal honor, Da Dou, the rewards you receive will be beyond measure.”
Shuang Lian sighed.
Had this matter not involved Bu Quan's intentions, she might have agreed.
But now...
Shuang Lian's voice turned cold: “I am Shuang Lian, elder of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's Alchemy Guild and also the Honey Snow Tower Lord.”
“I don't believe you can speak for the entire Eruption Island.”
“Even if you could, I wouldn't fear it.”
“I don't believe the Eruption Island Lord would seek revenge with me over a mere young giant.”
“Would Eruption Island wage war against Ice Sculpture Island over this?”
“It's entirely possible!” Da Dou desperately wanted to blurt this out, but wisely kept his mouth shut.
The big guy possessed potential worthy of a saint level.
Igniting a war between the two islands was entirely feasible.
But now, Da Dou couldn't voice this so bluntly. If the big guy's true talent were exposed, the enemy would never let it rest.
Keeping it hidden was far more advantageous.
After pondering, Da Dou carefully chose his words to continue explaining.
He appealed to Shuang Lian, citing his and the big guy's shared giant ethnicity and his unwillingness to see kin exiled and bullied in a foreign land.
Shuang Lian scoffed. “Hmph. Even pure-blooded dragons wouldn't do such a thing. When did the giants on Eruption Island ever adopt such a policy?"
“Even if it's your personal stance, I haven't seen you act on it before.”
Da Dou tried to speak further, but Shuang Lian, growing impatient, resumed her actions.
She manipulated the mage tower with her mind, causing snow to drift down over the barren island.
The wind grew fiercer.
Soon, howling gales whipped through the air, carrying heavy snowflakes.
“Battlefield-class magic!”
“And she's casting two spells simultaneously.”
Da Dou sucked in a sharp breath, channeling his battle qi as he charged toward the sea.
He possessed no flight battle skill, but his movement battle skill allowed him to sprint directly across the water's surface.
Da Dou had no intention of fighting Shuang Lian.
If Shuang Lian were alone, his fighting spirit wouldn't be this low. The crux was the mage tower!
A full five-story mage tower gave him a headache just looking at it, let alone engaging in combat.
Since the big guy was already stuffed into the packing bag, Da Dou chose to flee directly.
So, Shuang Lian launched the pursuit.
Her advantage was huge. Stationed within the mage tower, she had no chance of losing.
Da Dou endured a brutal beating for a long time, subjected to all manner of spells that left him battered and bruised, suffering terribly.
He tried to run out of the Spatial Anchor's coverage, but the mage tower effortlessly followed him, keeping him perpetually near the center of its spell's range.
Da Dou's condition deteriorated severely.
Spell - Frost Flower Imprisonment.
Shuang Lian seized the moment, striking Da Dou.
Frost flowers instantly bloomed across Da Dou's body.
They shimmered like diamonds, radiant and crystalline, exquisite as works of art. Each frost flower was as large as an adult's palm, covering the Flame Totem on Da Dou's body in layers.
Da Dou channeled his battle qi, mounting a full-force defense, yet struggled to hold it.
The frost flowers quickly piled up thicker and thicker, gradually merging into a single mass.
Crack, crack.
Da Dou's movements grew increasingly sluggish as the frost flowers on his body solidified into a thick layer of ice, sealing him in place!