Chapter 562: The Royal Capital Is Under Attack
Zi Di surveyed her surroundings, her vision dominated by towering city walls.
The walls weren't built from stone bricks but rather ice bricks. They were incredibly high, Zi Di estimated at least 300 meters.
The crenellations along the crest undulated like the ridges of a shield, instantly reminding Zi Di of a gold level shield, the Thin Ice High Wall Shield.
Back in Snow Bird Harbor, Teng Dong Lang had wielded such a shield to withstand the fierce assault of the dragonman youngster.
Zi Di's gaze lingered on the walls, the resemblance growing clearer with each passing moment.
Unlike most castle walls, the Ice Sculpture Capital's walls were tall yet thin, exuding an ethereal, elven delicacy.
Zong Ge also studied the walls, silently assessing their defensive capabilities.
“Walls this high naturally offer excellent anti-air capabilities.”
“With a few ballistae positioned here, they'd provide formidable long-range firepower.”
Zi Di, Zong Ge, and their group were not far from the walls.
The transcendents of the Li Jian Clan had been waiting for some time. Now, smiling, they approached to greet them: “Lord Long Fu, Lord Yao Ma, the carriage is ready. This way, please.”
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps boarded the carriage.
The carriage immediately set off, carrying them toward the location of the shops.
Seated inside, Zi Di looked around.
The first thing she saw were ice sculptures.
Ice sculptures of all kinds, large and small. Some as big as mammoths, others as tiny as ant colonies.
"This is the Wild Beast Road. The ice sculptures lining both sides depict beasts." Inside the carriage, the transcendent from the Li Jian Clan provided a timely explanation.
“Beyond Wild Beast Road, there's Element Road, where the ice sculptures along the path take the forms of elemental beings.”
“In the city center lies Portrait Road, subdivided into over a dozen sections. Each is designed based on the intelligent races of the present world.”
Zi Di nodded slightly, showing no hint of surprise. She had already learned about these details before arriving at the royal capital.
Still, the sensory experience of seeing them firsthand differed greatly from what she had read in intelligence reports.
Zong Ge inquired, “Are these ice sculptures mobile? Can they be used for combat?”
The receptionist from the Li Jian Clan nodded, his tone brimming with pride. “Indeed. This is a unique alchemy technique exclusive to our nation, considered exceptional worldwide.”
“Each ice sculpture is an animated alchemy puppet, possessing sentience and combat capability.”
“Of course, their levels of sentience vary, as do their combat strengths.”
Zong Ge pressed further, "I've heard the Ice Sculpture Capital houses at least a hundred thousand of these sculptures, including over three thousand silver level puppets and nearly five hundred gold level ones. Is this count accurate?"
The Li Jian Clan representative nodded, then shook his head slightly. “Based on the currently displayed sculptures, that figure is correct.”
“But in reality, the numbers are far greater.”
“Beneath our feet, vast numbers of ice puppets likely remain concealed.”
"These underground puppets generally possess superior combat capabilities to those above ground. As for their specific levels and scale, that falls under our nation's military secrets."
Zi Di followed up: “Is there truly a vast lake beneath the Ice Sculpture Capital?”
According to intelligence reports, the snow elf ancestors who first migrated here discovered the Ten Millenia Ice Lake at the island's center.
The lake was vast, rich in ice element resources.
Overjoyed, the ancestors decided to settle there.
Over time, the lake had been filled in. The snow elves built the Ice Sculpture Capital atop the lake.
The receptionist nodded in confirmation. “There's no doubt about it. We are currently above the ancient ice lake.”
“Rest assured, Lords. We are perfectly safe.”
“The ice layer covering the Ten Millenia Ice Lake is nearly a kilometer thick, growing harder the deeper you go.”
“The Ten Millenia Ice Lake is now fully under our nation's control and is undergoing sustainable development.”
"We have numerous laboratories and alchemy chambers established within the lake waters beneath the ice. Some renowned ice sculptors specialize in collecting water from the lake's depths, freezing it into ice blocks to serve as their primary material for carving and other artistic creations."
A fragment of intelligence flashed through Zi Di's mind.
The waters of the Ten Millenia Ice Lake held significant secrets. The surface waters were several years old, while deeper layers contained water decades old.
At a depth of one hundred meters below the surface lay century-old lake water. extracted, it became century ice.
By extension, there existed one-thousand-year ice and ten-thousand-year ice.
This resource was exceedingly rare. Legend had it that a god level time dragon once fell, causing spatial anomalies in the lake and transforming its waters.
The power of time condensed within the lake water, merging with the properties of ice and snow to form this unique resource.
Century ice already possessed a certain degree of sentience. By the thousand year mark, this sentience grew increasingly potent. Ten-thousand-year ice held profound sentience, surpassing that of ordinary humans.
Ice sculpture masters employ unique alchemy techniques and carving methods to shape this frozen time into forms, channeling its spirituality to awaken it—thus creating each ice sculpture.
These sculptures possess innate sentience, becoming ubiquitous statues throughout the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's capital.
“The Ice Sculpture Kingdom's alchemy techniques are built upon the super-resource site of the Ten Millenia Ice Lake.”
"A significant portion of Jia Bing's ice sculpture construction methods involves ice sculpture craftsmanship. This craftsmanship holds a crucial position within the entire manufacturing process."
Zi Di gazed at the ice sculptures, her mind recalling Jia Bing's alchemy records.
They had seized numerous spoils from Jia Bing's alchemy laboratory and even discovered a secret passage to the legacy of Fan Sheng Za Zhong.
Ever since, Zi Di devoted every spare moment to studying Jia Bing's alchemy records.
She had long harbored a deep fascination with the ice-carving techniques of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.
But the primary reason was that an unfinished gold level ice gargoyle belonging to Jia Bing had fallen into Zi Di's hands. Naturally, Zi Di yearned to complete this feat, to fully craft the gold level ice gargoyle!
“Jia Bing's personal alchemy knowledge and materials don't represent the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's most advanced ice-carving techniques.”
“Nor are they the pinnacle of its essence.”
“But how do I acquire that core expertise?”
“Lords, we've arrived at the shop.” The receptionist's voice interrupted Zi Di's thoughts.
Zi Di, Zong Ge, and the others dismounted from the carriage.
Zi Di entered the shop to inspect it thoroughly, reviewed the recent accounts, and held multiple discussions with key personnel.
After this round of investigations, she gained a comprehensive and profound understanding of the shop's operations.
“This is the Ice Sculpture Capital's shop.”
“As you've likely noticed, it's the largest establishment we've surveyed.”
“It holds immense importance; it will serve as our flagship store in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom!”
…
After giving detailed instructions to the three mercenaries, Zi Di arranged for their accommodations.
With this, the preliminary phase of Zi Di's business plan was complete!
“Next, we'll select one or two alchemy weapons to distribute nationwide.”
“But before that, we must study the market and choose carefully.”
Zi Di looked forward to this phase, brimming with confidence in War Merchant’s database and full of ambition.
That evening, Zong Ge and Zi Di attended a banquet specially hosted by the Li Jian Clan.
Numerous high-ranking figures were invited to the feast. Attendants accompanied Zong Ge and Zi Di throughout, introducing them to influential individuals from various capitals.
Zong Ge remained reserved and taciturn, while Zi Di truly shone. With the Li Jian Clan paving the way, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' network began to take shape that very evening!
By late night, Zi Di, exhausted from the day's exertions, had depleted both her physical and mental energy, leaving her too drained for further activities.
After a good night's rest, Zong Ge gathered intelligence through channels like the Thieves' Guild the next day, focusing particularly on the national alchemy market.
Zi Di delved deeply into this intelligence while also paying visits to several relatively more important figures.
These high-ranking individuals held such elevated status that the Li Jian Clan had deemed it inappropriate to invite them to last night's welcome banquet.
After all, the evening's focal points were Zong Ge and Zi Di, figures insufficiently distinguished to warrant personally inviting such dignitaries.
The visits yielded no major breakthroughs, serving primarily to establish familiarity and underscore the close ties between the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and the Li Jian Clan.
Thus, another day passed.
The arrival of Zong Ge and Zi Di was met with widespread welcome, greeted with warmth and curiosity.
Many gathered around Zong Ge, complimenting his feat of defeating the gold level Teng Dong Lang and asking about his experience during the battle, his reasoning behind his tactics, and so on.
By the third evening, the intense scrutiny had eased considerably, and the royal capital had largely accepted the arrival of “Long Fu” and his companions.
Zi Di finally found her opportunity. She quietly cast the Deceptive Disguise spell and Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell.
She had already scouted the terrain and spent over ten minutes walking to a shopfront.
This location was no longer in the bustling downtown area.
The shop remained open late into the night, not passing up a single transaction.
It was the Wisteria shop.
Zi Di lowered her hood, wearing a mask as she entered the shop.
The clerk greeted her warmly upon her arrival: “Good evening, what might I assist you with today?”
Zi Di approached him and presented the Wisteria secret order.
The clerk's eyes widened instantly: “Level seven secret order?!”
He bowed deeply, asking Zi Di to wait briefly before scurrying off to fetch the shop manager.
The manager personally verified the authenticity of the Wisteria secret order before Zi Di, his demeanor shifting to one of profound respect. He declared his willingness to obey any command she might issue.
“Take me to the magic messaging unit,” Zi Di instructed.
Soon, she stood before the terminal.
This communication device was standard equipment for the Wisteria Merchant Alliance. While not every shop possessed one, every outpost was equipped with it!
The magic messaging unit stood as tall as a person, topped with a circular platform featuring a central groove. Simply place a stone tablet inscribed with messages into the groove, activate the tower, and the information would be transmitted outward.
Its transmission range was limited, but by installing multiple towers, messages could be relayed over long distances.
This method strikes a balance between performance and cost, offering excellent value.
Zi Di had previously used a messaging unit on Two Eyes Island to send a “blackmail letter” to the Bai Zhen Clan.
Yet, to this day, no reply had arrived.
Zi Di had no way of knowing what exactly went wrong.
This time, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had come to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom specifically to attempt another delivery using the local messaging unit.
However, Zi Di didn't immediately put down the long stone slab. Instead, she mentally accessed the station's historical records for inspection.
Seconds later, her eyes widened in shock and anger. "What's going on? This messaging unit never received my previous letter!"
“Where did it go wrong?”
“Two Eyes Island? Or... here?”
Just as Zi Di pondered this, four figures abruptly materialized, encircling her.
Alchemy chains shot forth, instantly binding Zi Di in a tight, inescapable knot!
“Gotcha, remnant of the Wisteria Merchant Alliance!” The enemy exclaimed, their expression brimming with excitement.