Chapter 556: Unaccounted For

"What the hell are you all doing? Are you weak from hunger?" Yi Jiu bellowed at the other duelists.

He was furious.

He’d assumed the Honey Snow Tower’s fall into the divine domain would make them easy prey, but then Shuang Lian produced a legend level artifact, forcing even Mei Lin to admit her mistake.

This left Yi Jiu, consumed by vengeance, with nowhere to vent his frustration. The more he fought, the more stifled he felt.

Earlier, within the demi-plane, he'd been bullied to the point of vomiting blood by Shuang Lian and Bu Quan remotely manipulating the magic formation. Now inside the divine domain, he still couldn't breach the mage tower's defenses and had taken numerous beatings.

Mo Gui Ji snorted coldly: "Of all of us, you're the only one without reservations. Go ahead, unleash your full power! Break through into the tower's core! Then we can finally breach its defenses."

Yi Jiu sneered coldly: “You think I'd be your vanguard, letting you reap the rewards?”

Yi Jiu himself was injured. Even after consuming healing potions, his combat strength was only at 80% of his peak.

He could infiltrate the alchemy workshop but lacked confidence in breaching the mage tower's inner sanctum.

Crucially, even if he succeeded, he'd face grave danger. Did the mage tower's interior lack defensive forces? That was clearly impossible.

If Yi Jiu proceeded, he alone would bear the greatest risk. The real issue lay in spoils distribution, he doubted he'd secure his fair share.

Therefore, even though Yi Jiu had exposed his identity, he had never fought at full strength.

Even Qing Hong Yan, the rabbitman who grew more frenzied the longer the battle raged, was restraining himself, suppressing his battle lust.

After all, he wasn't alone; his own rabbitman clan stood behind him.

Qing Hong Yan had dealt with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps before.

But this time, against Shuang Lian who was backed by the Alchemy Guild, it was an entirely different proposition from the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

When not in a frenzy, Qing Hong Yan was quite sane.

He didn't want to bring major trouble upon his kin.

Honey Snow Tower.

In the control layer, Bu Quan exclaimed in surprise, “Teacher, these gold level fighters aren't much to speak of. They can't break through the mage tower's defenses!”

“We're safe now!”

But Shuang Lian shook her head, a faint worry on her face. “They haven't used their full strength.”

Shuang Lian's insight was far sharper and more precise than Bu Quan's.

Bu Quan froze. “Why?”

Shuang Lian gave a cold laugh. “They fear their identities being exposed.”

“How many gold level individuals are there?”

“The entire kingdom has only so many, and nearly every single gold level is documented on record.”

"They secretly worship an evil deity, formed a clandestine organization, and even attempted to eliminate me, an elder of the Alchemy Guild. They certainly wouldn't dare expose their true identities."

“I possess the Old King’s Crowbar, capable of prying open a portion of the divine domain. This terrifies them.”

“They dread the possibility that I might transmit information to the outside world, exposing them to the kingdom's pursuit!”

Having fought to this extent, Shuang Lian had also discerned the enemy's intentions.

Her gaze fixed intently on a corner of the magic projection, where Mei Lin stood.

Mei Lin concealed her features and employed commonplace spells, yet Shuang Lian sensed an uncanny familiarity in her posture.

“I've definitely seen this magician somewhere before!”

Of course, Shuang Lian had seen her.

Mei Lin enjoyed immense popularity within the kingdom. Not only was she exceptionally beautiful, but she also wielded immense power and held a position of great authority. Every public appearance she made drew attention, always commanding the spotlight.

This was the world of the strong.

Every gold level was a star, and Mei Lin was the star among stars.

Bu Quan asked, “Then, Teacher, can we send a distress signal to the outside world?”

Shuang Lian sighed. “If I could, I would have done so already. Unfortunately, it's impossible!”

“Ah!” Bu Quan gasped, stunned and disappointed.

Shuang Lian quickly encouraged her: “It's alright. Once I use the crowbar to pry open the divine domain sufficiently, I believe we'll be able to transmit a signal.”

Bu Quan hurriedly asked: “Then Teacher, when will we be able to pry open the divine domain enough to meet the standards for sending a distress signal?”

Shuang Lian shook her head slightly. “It's difficult to estimate the exact time...”

Truthfully, she herself didn't have much confidence either.

She had already made attempts, but the results had been dismal.

"This is clearly an ownerless divine domain. Why is it so incredibly difficult to pry open? At this point, we've already reached the absolute limit!"

Could it be that this divine domain possesses some unique quality?

Mei Lin scrutinized the Honey Snow Tower with intense focus, observing the divine domain itself.

“The Old King’s Crowbar lacks follow-through; the scale of the divine domain it leveraged is overall quite limited.”

“Is this deliberate suppression, or the limit of her power?”

"Our Lord is incomplete, yet His divine domain is unique. Because of Tranquil Hill's existence!"

“It's highly likely that even now, Shuang Lian hasn't succeeded in sending a distress signal.”

Observing this, Mei Lin's rising anxiety eased slightly.

If this operation ended up exposing the secrets here, Mei Lin would bear immense responsibility!

"Was my tactic too aggressive? I was too fixated on capturing Shuang Lian and Bu Quan."

“Truthfully, if we'd stopped after rescuing Yi Jiu, none of this would have happened!”

Mei Lin continued to reflect on her actions.

As an exceptional commander, self-reflection was an essential quality.

Mei Lin's tactical flaw wasn't due to poor command, who could have anticipated that Shuang Lian, a mere gold level, would wield a legend level artifact?

Any other legend item might have sufficed, but it had to be the Old King's Crowbar!

This artifact specifically countered spatial coordinates and planes.

Though the divine domain was unique, it too fell under its influence.

“Mei Lin, since you won't let us use our true strength, we can't breach Shuang Lian's mage tower anytime soon!” Mo Gui Ji stated bluntly. “If you have any other ideas, now's the time to share them.”

Mei Lin gave him a quiet glance, her tone flat. “I have no better solution.”

“We invoked divine favor for prayer, yet even that assault failed to breach the tower. Even if we exert our full strength, our chances remain slim.”

“You may use your full power. My earlier suggestion was merely a strong recommendation.”

Mo Gui Ji's expression darkened. He muttered a low curse but ultimately refrained from further action.

He fixed a final, contemptuous gaze upon the tower. "How boring! If I can't crack this turtle shell, staying here is a waste of time."

“Mei Lin, you're nothing special. You've disappointed me.”

“Let me know when you come up with a solution!”

With that, Mo Gui Ji knelt on one knee and began praying.

Then, visible ripples spread through space.

When the ripples vanished, Mo Gui Ji himself disappeared from the spot.

He had left the divine domain of Tranquil Hill.

His departure quickly triggered a chain reaction.

“We've already won. Shuang Lian can't leave the divine domain, and she must use that crowbar to maintain the defenses.”

“Yeah, I don't believe she can hold out for half a year.”

“Once her honey snow reserves are depleted, what power will the mage tower hold?”

“That's enough. Now is not the time for the final showdown.”

The duelists departed one after another.

“They're gone! Look, Master!” Bu Quan chirped excitedly.

Shuang Lian's expression remained composed: "Breaching the mage tower is meaningless without sufficient numbers. They'll leave one or two behind to monitor us. Once our magic power reserves can no longer sustain the current defenses, they'll swiftly regroup, and even bring more enemies, to surround and kill us."

Bu Quan's face paled.

Shuang Lian thought silently: Before that happens, we must save ourselves. At the very least, we must find a way to send out a distress signal.

“Too bad Da Dou didn't bring it in.”

“Perhaps he has a solution.”

Main Plane.

A deserted island.

Da Dou, frozen solid, suddenly let out a low growl. Hot flames erupted from his entire body.

The scorching fire blazed fiercely, rapidly melting the ice encasing him.

Seconds later, he shook his arms, breaking through the increasingly thin ice, and regained his freedom completely.

Bam!

He thrust his legs, shattering the sea beneath him, leaping upward before landing on the sand.

Kneeling, he gasped for breath as the flames on his body rose and fell with each breath.

Finally, the flames receded, coalescing into the Flame Totem on his body.

“What's going on?”

“Why did Shuang Lian suddenly stop!?”

Da Dou scanned the surroundings, confirming Shuang Lian had completely vanished.

“Did some unexpected change occur?”

“Or does she have some other devious scheme?”

Da Dou was utterly perplexed.

Because the duelists' ambushed Shuang Lian within her demi-plane, it was beyond Da Dou's perception.

“That was perilous indeed, but I still retained the strength for one final strike.”

"As long as she continued attacking me, the Flame Totem would sense the danger and unleash its divine power. That divine power would help me shatter the frost seal."

“Shuang Lian clearly had me under her control, yet she didn't strike immediately. Did she sense the divine power stored within the totem??”

“Regardless, I wasn't captured!”

“Nor did I lose the giant.”

“We must leave this place at once!”

Having learned his lesson, Da Dou no longer hesitated to use his Tunnel Staff.

He drew it forth immediately, casting spell after spell until every remaining use was exhausted.

Even so, he did not linger.

Instead, he activated the Flame Totem, his body transforming into a stream of fire as he soared across the sea at breakneck speed, continuing his retreat.

One day later.

Snow Bird Harbor, the docks.

“Still no word from Shuang Lian...” Tripleblade paced the ship's cabin, his face etched with anxiety and worry.

He paused at the porthole, scanning the horizon.

How he wished he could glimpse the mage tower's silhouette approaching across the sky.

But there was nothing.

Tripleblade had repeated this action countless times.

“Not only is there no word, but we've lost contact with the Honey Snow Tower altogether!”

“Something must have happened.”

“But how could that be?! That was a mage tower—a five-story mage tower, with a gold level magician like Shuang Lian!!”

“Could they have encountered a saint level foe?”

"Or perhaps Shuang Lian successfully captured Da Dou, only to discover the big guy's true potential? So they simply decided not to return?"