Chapter 656: A Violent Close Quarters Battle

Pirates were greedy; plundering was in their blood.

As the fourth-in-command of the Fire Beard Pirates, Da Han was a formidable saint level powerhouse. His so-called invitation to Feng Lian wasn't about negotiating a deal.

His meaning was clear—hand over this shipment of red wine willingly, if you know what's good for you. Because I, Da Han, want it. Refuse to hand it over, then prepare to pay with your life!

None of the pirates surrounding Da Han thought he was being unreasonable.

This was the pirate way.

The strong reigned supreme. The rules of the game were brutal, simple, and stark.

Qian Xing watched Da Han issue his commands, a deep envy stirring within him.

This shipment of sorrow-dispelling red wine was worth a fortune. If Da Han succeeded in this raid, the haul would surpass plundering an entire city.

After all, raiding cities didn't guarantee divinity.

If Da Han succeeded, his ranking on the sacred monument would surely rise!

"This is the advantage of having subordinates. You don't need to lift a finger yourself. Just issue a few commands, and a successful raid could be achieved."

“Not to mention the advantages in intelligence gathering and other matters.”

Qian Xing had once viewed his subordinates as burdens, but now he found them exceedingly convenient.

The key factor was the Pirate Throne!

Though Qian Xing possessed a saint level cultivation, his innate talent had reached its peak, leaving no room for further advancement. Lacking a god level bloodline, he had no conventional means to absorb divinity. Attaining godhood was utterly beyond his reach.

But the throne was no ordinary artifact, it was a shortcut!

Throughout history, those who ascended this throne were almost never of god level bloodline.

Yet every Pirate King possessed divine authority and power, their personal strength exploding exponentially!

It was precisely this phenomenon that ignited the madness of pirates across the entire Main Plane.

If the winner required the god level bloodline and also possessed sufficient concentration, there would be scarcely anyone on the Main Plane who qualified. Under normal circumstances, a confirmed saint level seed was already exceedingly rare, enough to spark all-out war between powers like the Ice Sculpture Kingdom and Eruption Island!

“But Da Han's true objective lies in the Ten Millenia Ice Lake.” Qian Xing understood this point all too well.

Da Han cultivated an ice-attribute battle qi technique and followed the Dusk Church. The Ten Millenia Ice Lake represented a resource perfectly suited to him.

Upon reaching the saint level, transcendents' cultivation delved into the realm of laws. The more laws one mastered, the stronger their saint domain became. And the saint domain was the factor that most profoundly influenced the personal strength of transcendent saints. This explained why Qian Xing had retreated immediately upon witnessing Teacher Si Ling wield his saint domain, showing absolute resolve.

The disparity between their saint domains was simply too vast.

Recalling Teacher Si Ling, a shadow of gloom inevitably crossed Qian Xing's expression.

“How do you plan to handle the White Hair Trench?” Qian Xing inquired telepathically through his battle qi.

After all, it had been several days since the two had returned from the White Hair Trench.

Da Han replied telepathically, “Both Teacher Si Ling and Zhou Zhang are saint level. There's no need to provoke them. You should know what my purpose is in this journey.”

Qian Xing nodded slightly but persisted, “Aren't you worried these two might interfere with your plans?”

Da Han chuckled. “If they choose to meddle in Ice Sculpture Island, that becomes the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's problem.”

“Truthfully, the more chaotic the situation, the better it is for me.”

Qian Xing held grudges well. Though he couldn't defeat Teacher Si Ling, that didn't mean he couldn't cause trouble for him.

He suggested, “What if we leak this information to the Blood Light Punishment Institution? What do you think?”

“With one of the Twelve Saints involved, the Blood Light Punishment Institution will certainly make a huge fuss.”

“No, let's not.” Da Han refused decisively.

“Doing this would have too great an impact.”

"Bringing in that bunch of madmen from the Blood Light Punishment Institution, they won't reason with us. Most likely, they'll use the Ice Sculpture Kingdom as a base, which would severely disrupt my future plans to reach the island.

“Furthermore, if Teacher Si Ling dies at the hands of the Blood Light Punishment Institution because of our report, we'll be in serious trouble.”

“Teacher Si Ling is one of the Twelve Saints. That old codger You Shen isn't just powerful, he's also fiercely protective of his own. He'll definitely seek revenge against us later."

"By then, even the boss might only be able to protect us for a short while. Once we're isolated, there's a high chance You Shen will eliminate us."

Da Han didn't think Qian Xing's suggestion was a good one.

Qian Xing fell silent for a moment: "Then what do you plan to do next? How much longer must I stay here?"

Ba Qi wasn't rescued by Qian Xing, but that wasn't Da Han's fault. In fact, it was Qian Xing who called for retreat back then.

The specific agreement they ultimately reached was this: Da Han would help Qian Xing find Ba Qi, while Qian Xing had to fight for Da Han with all his might once.

Da Han had fulfilled his part of the bargain. Qian Xing did indeed spot Ba Qi during the assault on the Ocean Mother Nest. It was simply beyond his power to execute the rescue.

Regardless, Qian Xing must honor his pledge to assist in battle. He must remain at Da Han's side.

Sensing Qian Xing's growing impatience, Da Han hastily offered reassurance: “I'll act the moment the opportunity arises.”

A sharp gleam flashed in Qian Xing's eyes. He knew Da Han undoubtedly had a plan, but it wasn't something he'd share just yet.

Though both members of the Fire Beard Pirates and both at the saint level, their bond was tenuous. This collaboration was merely a fortuitous convergence.

Until the moment arrived, Da Han would lead his pirates to prowl the waters near Ice Sculpture Island, circling like a pack of bloodthirsty sharks.

During this period, the sorrow-dispelling red wine became the temporary prey of Da Han and his pirate faction.

Kong Pan's strategy had succeeded.

This high-ranking member of the Li Jian Clan had truly seen through the pirates' nature.

She deliberately let things unfold, and the situation developed exactly as she had envisioned.

Even Da Han was tempted to join the fray, let alone the other pirates.

A storm of slaughter was rapidly brewing around the sorrow-dispelling red wine.

Meanwhile, in the Ice Sculpture Capital, another storm of slaughter had reached its peak—

Bing Yang challenged Long Fu!

One was a former gold level, the other a silver level capable of slaying gold level opponents.

This was the hottest topic not just in the capital, but across the entire nation.

“Who truly reigns supreme among the silver level?”

The citizens of Ice Sculpture debated this question with relish, never tiring of the discussion.

Many supported Long Fu, the dragonman youngster was undeniably the brightest star, unmatched in prominence. Yet some favored Bing Yang.

“Long Fu is a dragonman outsider. Bing Yang is a snow elf, one of us!”

"Long Fu is strong, but his power has limits. His killing of Teng Dong Lang was highly attributed to luck. Bing Yang, though now silver level, was once gold level. That alone gives him a significant edge!"

Reliable sources say: Though Bing Yang consumed many [Beautiful Future] potions, he's fully recovered these past years. Otherwise, he wouldn't have entered this grand duel."

"Bing Yang endured hardships and never abandoned hope. He withstood despair and has now been reborn! His return to the duel arena is a redemption of his life through relentless perseverance."

Praise for Bing Yang's character and the promotion of his inspirational story spread from unknown sources.

In short, it was hard for the citizens of Ice Sculpture not to warm to Bing Yang.

Consequently, public support for him grew steadily.

Behind the scenes, the betting syndicate under He Gai Tou was orchestrating this sentiment.

Betting markets for this event had already opened.

The largest market was operated by He Gai Tou.

Odds across all markets collectively indicated that the public generally favored Long Fu.

However, as time passed, the number of people favoring and supporting Bing Yang grew steadily. This shift was particularly evident in the odds.

The public voiced a strong demand—they wanted this duel to be open to spectators.

Previously, although Zong Ge had accepted challenges, they had always been private duels. This practice had long drawn criticism, as many eager spectators were denied the chance to witness the action, leaving them frustrated.

"This duel between the two is likely to be the strongest clash among silver level fighters in this year's National Ceremony Grand Duel. Keeping it private any longer seems unreasonable, doesn't it?"

“It depends on the participants' wishes.”

"Bing Yang has publicly declared his willingness to engage in an open duel, it's just that we fear Long Fu might not dare."

"If Long Fu insists on a private duel, Bing Yang will accept that too, but then none of us will be able to watch. Is Long Fu so afraid of being seen?!" Many were already dissatisfied with this.

The public's enthusiasm for spectating was high; they craved high-quality, high-level duels.

The dragonman youngster gained fame by defeating a gold level opponent as a silver level fighter. His popularity stems from fulfilling the nation's immense demand for this form of spiritual entertainment.

“Perhaps he possesses unique fighting methods, but revealing them early might not benefit his future duels?” Some defended Zong Ge.

"If you want excuses, you can find a thousand. But don't you want to watch?"

“Of course I do! I can't wait to see it!”

The fierce demands for the duel to be made public quickly erupted into a nationwide sensation.

Consequently, sales of dragon rider potions miraculously surged by about thirty percent.

This development left the forces led by the Jing Xiang Clan in a foul mood. The market share they had fought so hard to secure plummeted by nearly half due to this single duel.

Many supporters, armed with bottles of potions, gathered in droves around the encampments of Zong Ge, Zi Di, and others. They chanted incessantly, voicing their allegiance and their burning desire to witness the battle.

Watching the shouting crowd from the window, Zong Ge snorted coldly. "I smell a conspiracy. Bing Yang is our enemy. This is an attack meticulously planned specifically for me."

Zong Ge's battlefield intuition remained as sharp as ever.

Zi Di's expression grew grave. “If this is a carefully orchestrated enemy plot, it won't be easy to deal with.”

"According to intelligence from the Li Jian Clan, the mastermind behind this public sentiment is a gambling den owner. He's a gold level fighter named He Gai Tou. Perhaps he is one of our enemies."

Zong Ge remained expressionless. "There's no evidence to prove that. We can't be certain. It's perfectly normal for a gambling den owner to act this way when huge profits are at stake."

“We must guard against this being an enemy trick.”

“If He Gai Tou isn't involved, our overreaction will only earn us another enemy.”

Zi Di sighed, her face clouded with worry. “Are you confident about this battle?”

Zong Ge remained composed. “Don't forget, my true transcendent rank is gold level.”

Zi Di still felt uneasy. She knew Zong Ge wasn't in good condition, bearing numerous injuries. How much of his true strength he could unleash was uncertain.

Zong Ge reassured her. “Rest assured. With what the Li Jian Clan has prepared for me now, my confidence is much greater."

“For that, I owe you my thanks.”

Earlier, to aid Zong Ge, Zi Di had spared no expense in releasing two new potions.

To secure their cooperation, the Li Jian Clan had conducted exhaustive investigations. Not only did they bring back more detailed intelligence, but they also equipped Zong Ge with specialized gear highly effective against the Bing Yang.

Zi Di shook her head slightly. “We're on the same side. With the commander absent, you're our sole pillar. Of course we'll support you fully.”

“It's a pity our influence remains weak, forcing us to seek aid elsewhere.”

Zong Ge snorted lightly. “Though he isn't a gold level, he can indeed shoulder some of my burden.”

“But he still hasn't returned.”

Zi Di's expression grew solemn as she declared with unwavering certainty, “The commander would never abandon us. He will return.”

“Though he's only silver level, I've found a way for him to rapidly level up.”

“Sorrow-dispelling red wine?” Zong Ge shook his head slightly. “Obtaining that wine is far too difficult.”

Zi Di sighed softly: "There will always be a way. Right now, what we need to consider most is whether your battle with Bing Yang should be made public."

Zong Ge answered without hesitation: “It must be public.”

Zi Di sighed again: “I believe it should be so.”

Both were elites, both possessed talent.

Zong Ge analyzed from a military perspective: While past private duels largely preserved his secrecy, they also revealed a certain vulnerability. He needed a public duel, a resounding victory, to demonstrate his might and instill deep caution in his enemies.

Zi Di strategized from a commercial standpoint: Accepting the duel while keeping it private would inevitably spark intense public discontent. Even victory would attract negative backlash. Projected onto the potion business, it could severely dent sales of the dragon rider potions. Consider that they were about to launch two new potions...

Zi Di had secretly calculated: the choice between public or private would mean over 200,000 gold in profit difference!

Moreover, this matter also concerned the Wisteria Cache.

The two reached an agreement and immediately announced the news to the public.

“This is incredible!”

“Wow, Long Fu agreed to make the duel public.”

“Wonderful! This will be the most spectacular duel before the gold level clash!”

“Lord Long Fu truly is magnanimous; he hasn't disappointed us.”

Instantly, the crowd outside their residence erupted in thunderous cheers.

At the same time.

Deep within the White Hair Trench aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish.

The fishman youngster reluctantly withdrew his gaze, “As Teacher Si Ling said, a god level bloodline is qualified to bear divinity.”

“Even if I possess that qualification, I can't snatch divinity from Teacher Si Ling's grasp.”

"The matter with Dao Hen has been settled. Judging by the timing, the big guy should be boarding soon, right?"

“I wonder how things are going with Zi Di and Zong Ge.”

“Time to get moving...”

The fishman youngster had already discovered a way for himself and the Deep Sea Monster Fish to teleport away instantly.

That method involved using the divine artifact!

The core ability of the divine spell was to vastly amplify all Charming Blue divine spells.

By using the divine artifact as a foundation and then casting Divine Domain Descent, he could transport both himself and the ship away.

The fishman youngster's plan was this: First, have the big guy and the others board the ship. Then, midway, have the big guy secretly enter the sea.

Once in the water, the big guy would cast Divine Domain Descent.

This would create a passageway between the father and son.

The fishman youngster would then escape with the Deep Sea Monster Fish and Cang Xu, successfully reuniting with the big guy.

Yes, this was the reunion plan the fishman youngster had reassured the big guy about.

What the fishman youngster didn't know was that a crisis had already struck the big guy's side.

Da Dou, the big guy, and Hong Zhu had all been captured by imperial spies!

Just as the fishman youngster prepared to contact the big guy again, god's will descended once more, delivering a second revelation—

Steal the death divinity from Teacher Si Ling's grasp!