Chapter 576: Zong Ge vs Hua Tang – Battle Preparations

Ice Sculpture Capital.

“Something's wrong!”

“The Wisteria shop is in serious trouble.”

Zong Ge's expression was grim.

He was well aware of Zi Di's secret mission to the Wisteria shop within the capital.

Not only that, but he was also tasked with providing backup.

Yet when Zi Di fell into an ambush and combat erupted, not a single sound reached him.

It wasn't until spatial fluctuations erupted that the disturbance could no longer be concealed, alerting Zong Ge outside the shop.

His expression changed instantly, and he was about to rush in to help.

Fortunately, in the next moment, he forced himself to suppress that impulse.

Since the spatial teleportation had already occurred and no further sounds of combat followed, it meant Zi Di had been teleported out!

"We must rescue her immediately!!" Zong Ge turned and left immediately.

He had no idea where the spatial teleportation had taken her. But he knew that the more urgent the situation, the more crucial it was to remain calm.

Truthfully, he and Zi Di had considered the possibility of an ambush before their operation.

Both had deemed it highly unlikely.

After all, this was the Ice Sculpture Capital!

Part of their confidence stemmed from intelligence.

Through direct and indirect channels like the Thieves' Guild and the Li Jian Clan, they'd purchased substantial intelligence, finding no suspicious activity related to the Wisteria shop.

Secondly, there was Zi Di's rapidly growing combat prowess.

During their journey to the capital, Zi Di's power had surged dramatically. Not only had she ascended to iron level necromancer, creating rat eye ghosts and snake shadow ghosts, but she had also seized Jia Bing's alchemy puppets. Apart from the unfinished gold level ice gargoyle, each of the twelve silver level ice gargoyles was a masterpiece. Working in tandem, they displayed remarkable synergy.

To prepare for any contingencies, after consulting with Zong Ge, Zi Di decided to imbue three of the silver level alchemy puppets with the Deceptive Disguise spell and Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell, rendering them “invisible.”

It was with these three “invisible” ice gargoyles that Zi Di entered the Wisteria shop.

It could be said that by taking these precautions, Zi Di and Zong Ge had already anticipated the worst-case scenario.

These three “invisible” ice gargoyles indeed proved invaluable, instantly eliminating the first enemies to appear, freeing Zi Di from danger, and even seizing several gold level chains.

But the subsequent spatial teleportation was utterly unexpected.

Through the alchemy communication device, Zong Ge quickly confirmed Zi Di had fallen out of range.

“This is bad!”

“Zi Di's combat strength exceeded the enemy's expectations, forcing them to resort to spatial teleportation.”

“This was a reckless move. The spatial fluctuations can't be concealed; it will inevitably trigger an investigation from the royal capital.”

“Zi Di is also a necromancer. That alone might create an unexpected advantage.”

“Stay calm, don't panic!”

Zong Ge swiftly returned to their temporary lodgings.

He inspected and organized his equipment, preparing for the upcoming battle at a moment's notice.

First, he opened his luggage and retrieved a mass of metallic liquid.

The liquid shimmered with a golden hue, radiating a gold level aura.

This precious item had been procured by Zong Ge and Zi Di from the Li Jian Clan's vault, part of their deep cooperation agreement.

Striking Shifter!

That was the name of this metallic liquid.

It was an alchemy weapon.

Zong Ge plunged both hands into the liquid, simultaneously infusing it with gold level battle qi.

Thanks to his Deceptive Disguise spell and Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell, the golden aura of his battle qi appeared as silver to outsiders.

Even when Zong Ge projected his battle qi outside his body, achieving the breakthrough where silver level energy couldn't be separated, no one could detect this flaw.

For battle qi itself is an extension of the fighter's body, still benefiting from the blessings of the Deceptive Disguise spell and Anti-investigation and Prophecy spell.

Before obtaining this molten metal, Zong Ge avoided letting his battle qi leave his body whenever possible.

Doing so would undoubtedly greatly diminish his combat effectiveness.

After acquiring this molten metal, Zong Ge's disadvantage in this regard vanished.

Under the infusion of battle qi and Zong Ge's mental manipulation, the molten metal reacted instantly, rapidly reshaping itself.

In less than a second, it transformed into two short blades, each gripped by Zong Ge's left and right hands respectively.

Zong Ge maintained the battle qi infusion while mentally manipulating the blades, transforming them into daggers, one-handed swords, short staffs, boomerangs, and more.

Then, bringing his hands together, the molten metal coalesced into a single mass, reshaping into a long-handled broadsword, then a staff, and even a musket.

This was the Striking Shifter.

Under the user's mental control, it could transform into over twenty different weapons.

Not conventional weapons, but alchemy artifacts.

It complemented Zong Ge exceptionally well, allowing him to fully leverage his prowess as a weapons master.

Thus, when Zong Ge acquired the Striking Shifter, it immediately became his primary weapon.

Zong Ge began donning armor.

Compared to his weapons, the armor fell short by a level, being only silver level.

This wasn't because the Li Jian Clan lacked gold level armor, nor because the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps lacked funds, it was simply unsellable.

The Ice Sculpture Kingdom enforced a crucial national policy: the Armor Prohibition!

Gold level armor had a strictly limited annual production quota, with every transaction on the market requiring official documentation.

The Li Jian Clan also had no desire to sell to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.

The corps had complex backgrounds and mysterious, powerful patrons. Should they sell to them, any heinous acts committed by the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would inevitably bring misfortune upon the Li Jian Clan.

Zong Ge first donned a silver level inner armor, then began putting on the outer armor.

Additionally, there was a chainmail.

All three pieces were silver level. The inner armor covered only the torso, while the outer armor included shoulder guards, arm guards, knee guards, leg guards, and more.

The chainmail extended over his entire body and limbs, including a hood.

Without any gold level armor, he had to stack multiple silver level pieces.

It was a necessary compromise.

Because there were compatibility issues between the three silver level pieces. Even when functioning perfectly, the combined defense of three silver level pieces still fell short of a single gold level piece.

As he donned the silver outer armor, a flicker of hesitation crossed Zong Ge's face.

He was debating whether, under these circumstances, to request aid from the Li Jian Clan.

Doing so would make it difficult to explain why Zi Di had secretly visited the Wisteria shop late at night.

Even if he concealed that fact and only requested aid, it would create a strong connection between the Wisteria Merchant Alliance and the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. This would bring unforeseeable risks.

The Wisteria Merchant Alliance itself was trouble, and Cang Xu exposing his necromancer identity on Two Eyes Island was an even greater hidden danger!

If he concealed his identity, it would be difficult to leverage the cooperative relationship to borrow strength and influence from the Li Jian Clan.

Simply reporting it to the Ice Sculpture Kingdom authorities would also be unlikely to succeed.

Zong Ge knew the reason: he lacked crucial evidence! Even if he reported it, it wouldn't garner serious attention.

“Intense spatial fluctuations occurred within the Wisteria shop.”

"Mysterious, unexplained spatial fluctuations, such phenomena are taboo not only in the Sheng Ming Capital but in any major noble family's city! It cannot be tolerated."

“This alone should warrant an official investigation, right?”

"This secret faction attacked the caravan, sabotaged the Snow Bird Harbor alchemy workshop, targeted Shuang Lian, and finally struck against us in the capital. One crucial question remains: how exactly was Zi Di exposed?"

Zong Ge was unaware that it was the secret agents, not duelists, who had assaulted Zi Di.

His intelligence was severely lacking in this regard, leading to a misjudgment.

After pondering, Zong Ge decided to hold his position for now, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

There was little else he could do.

He had no idea where Zi Di had been teleported to.

The safest course was to wait for the official investigation. Perhaps it would spark a battle, and then Zong Ge could seize his chance.

Zong Ge's hand drifted to his right breastplate.

Beneath the triple layers of armor lay the inner lining.

Within its pockets, several pearl bubbles were concealed.

Besides this spot, others were hidden beneath his soles and near the wrists of his armguards.

Zong Ge channeled his spirit, transforming the fluid metal Striking Shifter back into its liquid state.

The liquid flowed over Zong Ge's entire body, seeping into the armor and lining, gently enveloping every pearl bubbles.

This way, even if subjected to violent impacts during fierce combat, the pearl bubbles would remain intact.

When the time came to use them, Zong Ge needed only mentally command the metallic liquid to deform, crushing the pearl bubbles. Convenient and discreet.

With this completed, the next crucial phase of battle preparations commenced.

Zong Ge entered the side chamber.

The chamber was cramped and dimly lit.

Kneeling with head bowed, Zong Ge remained silent, his heart filled with prayer.

“Great War God.”

“You are my Lord, You are my Father!”

"I heed Your teachings, follow the Way of War, and pursue the glory of victory. Now, the enemy is mysterious and unpredictable, their strength formidable."

“The battle approaches, and I am stirred, excited, and eager.”

"In this hour of preparation, I humbly beseech You: Grant me extraordinary strength, let this power flow through my blood, my soul, and my weapon. Let me battle in Your name, make me ever-vigilant, keenly perceptive, unbreakable, and unstoppable!"

"Great War God, mighty Military God, for You I shall raise the banner of victory high, I shall…"

Almost every survivor held their own distinct faith.

Zong Ge worshipped one of the living gods of the Sheng Ming Empire—the War God.

Before every crucial battle, or whenever Zong Ge was about to enter a major battlefield, he would offer such a prayer.

As he prayed earnestly, Hua Tang stood by the window, gazing across the street toward the inn where Zong Ge resided.

“Are Long Fu, Yao Ma, and their group there?” Hua Tang inquired softly.

A small, brooch shaped alchemy communication device was pinned to his collar.

Mei Lin's voice came through the device: “Yes, I can confirm it.”

“This inn is owned by the Li Jian Clan.”

“After deepening their cooperation with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, the Li Jian Clan holds the latter in high regard.”

“This inn ceased normal operations two days ago.”

“After the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps members checked in, they appeared unremarkable on the surface but had secretly reinforced defenses extensively.”

“Hua Tang, are you truly ready to act now?”

“You've just returned, passing through numerous teleportation formations along the way. Resting overnight and adjusting your condition before moving would be more prudent.”

Hua Tang shook his head slightly. An unmistakable glint of hatred flashed in his eyes as he gritted his teeth, “But I can't wait any longer.”

“Teng Dong Lang's murderer is right before my eyes. I can't wait any longer!”

Mei Lin fell silent for a moment. “Then go. May the winds of battle be favorable to you.”

“Long Fu, I'm coming!” Hua Tang gritted his teeth, gently pushed open the window, and leaped out.

To outsiders, all that could be seen was the third-floor window opening, followed by a few pink petals drifting down.