Chapter 666: A Painful Night

The problem Zong Ge now faced extended beyond the latent dangers he carried.

Zi Di was deeply troubled. She discovered that the effects of the Deceptive Disguise on Zong Ge were also being accelerated by the potency of the [Beautiful Future] potion, rapidly depleting.

"Pearl bubbles are god level materials. God level materials possess fragmented divinity. That's precisely why the Deceptive Disguise spell is so potent."

“This potency stems from its supremacy over laws and concepts.”

“But the effects of the [Beautiful Future] potion are equally derived from an incredibly faint time divinity.”

“The two can influence each other.”

Up until now, survivors had used the Deceptive Disguise spell to deceive others and disguise themselves with unparalleled success.

Now, under Zi Di's witness, the Deceptive Disguise spell finally faced a severe challenge.

"Fortunately, Zong Ge maintained his disguise well until the very end. He didn't collapse before returning to his quarters."

Thinking of this, Zi Di couldn't help but feel admiration for the tough man before her.

Before returning, the turmoil had already begun erupting within Zong Ge's body, but he had stubbornly endured it.

Such endurance was extraordinary.

One must understand he was risking his life. Only now, lying in bed, could he fully focus on controlling his body and battle qi for defense, thereby reducing the mortal danger.

Alongside her relief and admiration, Zi Di felt intense anger.

She was furious with herself.

Why hadn't she done everything in her power earlier to help Zong Ge resolve the hidden threats within him? Why had she allowed things to reach this dire state?

In truth, Zi Di was being overly hard on herself.

Before this, she and Zong Ge had not been idle.

But the Blood Vengeance and other effects were truly difficult to resolve.

Zong Ge's eyes were tightly shut; he couldn't even speak. He had to focus all his energy, every single moment, every second, on monitoring his body.

The Blood Vengeance could erupt anywhere in his body at any time. It had already erupted on the way back from the arena. Fortunately, it hadn't struck a vital spot like his heart.

The Willow Flower battle skill was still draining Zong Ge's battle qi, forcing him to intensify the battle skill's suppression of his life force. Maintaining the battle qi itself had become an immense challenge due to the lingering power of the time divinity.

Moreover, the strange poison Mi Fang had inflicted was now taking effect, its toxins spreading anew throughout Zong Ge's body.

Though Zong Ge achieved a swift and decisive victory, he had collapsed.

Now, all hope rested solely on Zi Di.

“Stay calm.”

“It hasn't reached the worst-case scenario yet.”

“There's still hope!”

“Theoretically, Zong Ge can overcome this crisis on his own.”

The lingering power of the time divinity continuously affected the Blood Vengeance, Flower Willow, the strange poison, his battle skills, physical body, and deception spell.

Since it was producing effects, it naturally meant this temporal power was constantly being depleted.

As long as Zong Ge persevered, the day would come when this residual time divinity diminished to nothing.

“But how long will it take for this residual time divinity to be exhausted?”

“And now, of all times, Zong Ge must step forward publicly.”

Zi Di stared at the wall, her gaze seemingly piercing through it to the deep night beyond.

"Zong Ge endured the Frost Aura head-on during the battle. Since the enemies targeted Bing Yang, they must have coveted the [Beautiful Future] effect carried by the aura."

“They will certainly verify Zong Ge's true condition as soon as possible.”

"During the duel, Bing Yang's loud shouts also shattered the Frost Aura's concealment. So by tomorrow, this news will spread far and wide."

“As time passes, the outside world's concern for Zong Ge's true condition will only grow.”

Zi Di felt heavy-hearted.

She decided that besides waiting for Zong Ge to handle this dilemma himself, she must lend a hand and help him!

Zong Ge must recover swiftly.

His collapse severely weakened their position. Never mind others, if Hua Tang launched another ambush, neither Zi Di nor Zong Ge would have the strength to resist!

“Fortunately, I recently acquired the alchemy technique for the Ice Cube Red Wine from Ban Tu.”

“Like the [Beautiful Future] potion, time ice cubes harness the power reflected from the time divinity.”

“In fact, one of the primary ingredients in the [Beautiful Future] potion is time ice cubes.”

Since the sorrow-dispelling red wine could perfectly utilize time ice cubes, it should naturally also help Zong Ge neutralize the potion's effects on his body.

"I acquired this alchemy technique for the Lord Commander's sake. Unexpectedly, it was used on Zong Ge first."

Now, only one dilemma remained before Zi Di.

How could she obtain the sorrow-dispelling red wine?

"Elder Jiu Jin? The Alchemy Guild?" Zi Di shook her head slightly.

She had learned about the sorrow-dispelling red wine and the time ice cubes from Elder Jiu Jin. At the same time, she had also learned of the wine's rarity.

"The Intoxication Church? They're the ones who produce the sorrow-dispelling red wine."

"Not good. Their fleet was raided by Feng Lian. Right now, the entire cult is frantically recruiting, raising bounties, desperately trying to recover every drop of that wine."

“Wait, maybe the Li Jian Clan?” A thought flashed through Zi Di's mind.

From gathered intelligence, she knew: The Kingdom's Second Fleet had been the first to arrive at the battlefield in response to the distress call. They were also the ones who confirmed the demise of the Intoxication Church's fleet.

“They were the first on the scene. Could they have salvaged some of the sorrow-dispelling red wine?”

“The Second Fleet is practically the Li Jian Clan's private army.”

“So by that logic, the Li Jian Clan might have some of the sorrow-dispelling red wine?”

Zi Di's conjecture was correct, matching the facts.

Of course, she couldn't be completely certain yet.

“We need to contact someone from the Li Jian Clan as soon as possible.”

Just as she was thinking this, a report came in: the Li Jian Clan's steward had arrived.

Zi Di glanced at Zong Ge, then double-checked the room's defenses. Satisfied, she gritted her teeth and left.

In a small reception hall, she met the Li Jian Clan steward.

The steward smiled. “I wonder if Magician Yao Ma has considered our family's previous cooperation proposal?”

Zi Di remained expressionless. “I've already submitted it for review. Regarding this matter, we can only await notification.”

The steward nodded. Mentioning Zong Ge, he voiced concern on behalf of the Li Jian Clan: "Bing Yang's Frost Aura actually carries the potion effect of [Beautiful Future]! This is utterly vicious!"

"We witnessed Lord Long Fu being completely enveloped by the Frost Aura during the duel. Is he all right?"

“The power of time is no trivial matter.”

Zi Di smiled. "He's fine. So far, no issues have surfaced. I believe this was Bing Yang's desperate lie. Even if it's true, it's rather alarmist."

The steward said earnestly, "If Lord Long Fu feels unwell, please inform us immediately. Our clan can find a solution."

"Our interests align. In this grand duel, your mercenary corps’ commander stands as a beacon. Should he fall, sales of our two newly launched potions would suffer a devastating blow."

Zi Di nodded. "I'm well aware of that. But how exactly do you propose to resolve it?"

The steward smiled. “To be perfectly honest, our clan possesses a batch of sorrow-dispelling red wine.”

“And didn't you, Magician Yao Ma, recently secure the alchemy formula for this wine through your deal with Ban Tu?”

It was too timely. Zi Di had been scheming to acquire the sorrow-dispelling red wine, never expecting the Li Jian Clan to offer it up voluntarily.

For a split second, Zi Di opened her mouth to agree.

But the next moment, she shook her head. “I have no need for the sorrow-dispelling red wine at present. The commander is in excellent condition.”

“Are you seeking cooperation with us in this matter?”

“Now that you possess the sorrow-dispelling red wine, do you also desire this alchemy technique?”

Zi Di suppressed the urgency surging within her.

Her negotiation skills were formidable, and she understood clearly that this was not the time for haste.

If she revealed her true emotions, the Li Jian Clan would inevitably open their greedy maw to devour the survivors' interests.

Both sides explored this topic, attempting to negotiate.

Even when the Li Jian Clan's steward took his leave, no agreement had been reached.

After seeing the steward off, Zi Di exhaled a heavy breath.

“We've temporarily stabilized the situation.”

“But this predicament will only worsen with time.”

“Zong Ge's condition will eventually become impossible to conceal.”

The dire circumstances left Zi Di unable to sleep.

She assisted Zong Ge's treatment until dawn, monitoring his condition.

Hours later, the first light touched the horizon.

Zong Ge remained with eyes tightly shut, his physical condition far from promising.

Zi Di's brow furrowed deeply, her expression worn and weary. She found Zong Ge's condition had deteriorated further. His wounds were multiplying, even with Zi Di's assistance from outside.

That night, Zi Di stayed awake. Snow Bird Harbor City Lord managed a brief nap but slept poorly.

Tan Mo weighed heavily on his mind, especially after learning of Hun Tong's death at the hands of pirates.

"What truly lies behind Hun Tong's demise? Was it genuinely a pirate ambush, with Tan Mo fighting valiantly but ultimately defeated?" The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord sensed a thick layer of conspiracy in the air.

“Today marks the start of the investigation. May everything proceed smoothly.”

After a hurried wash, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord began his breakfast.

During breakfast, however, he received some good news.

"Oh? That big oaf nicknamed Sleeping Man, his bloodline is at least saint level?"

“Yes.” His subordinate confirmed.

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord held a cup of milk in one hand while deep in thought.

“A saint level seed placed within a mercenary group, was that intentional or accidental?”

“Heh, how could it be accidental?”

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's eyes flashed with sharp insight as he silently marveled: “Impressive. The arms dealer backing the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has astonishing ambitions. He actually wants to become the fourth pillar of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom!”

The Ice Sculpture Kingdom already had three saint level figures. If the big oaf ascended to that tier in the future, wouldn't he become part of the kingdom's high command?

By then, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would also become a pivotal force within the kingdom.

At that point, no matter how vast the arms trade grew, it would be shielded by saint level power.