Chapter 671: Zong Ge is Saved

Qian Xing had previously sought help from Da Han to rescue Ba Qi.

Da Han fulfilled their agreement and helped him locate Ba Qi. Then, both were startled away by Teacher Si Ling.

Though Qian Xing hadn't achieved his goal, Da Han had fulfilled his part of the bargain. So after returning, Qian Xing remained aboard Da Han's fleet without leaving.

He also stayed out of the public eye, becoming Da Han's hidden ace in the hole under the latter's arrangements.

Seeing Da Han's “ineffectiveness” in pursuing Feng Lian, Qian Xing volunteered.

Da Han rejected him telepathically: “It's unnecessary.”

Qian Xing's pledge to “fight with full force” was hard-earned, he wouldn't squander it on Feng Lian. Deploying a saint level combatant to take Feng Lian's life was simply not worth it.

Da Han decided against personally engaging in battle. Enveloped within the saint domain, he flew back to his flagship.

With a sweeping gesture, he ordered the entire fleet to pursue the Divine Wind Pirates.

Qian Xing immediately fell deep in thought.

He could see that Da Han hadn't deployed his full strength against Feng Lian.

"Though Feng Lian is only gold level, his combat prowess shouldn't be underestimated. He also possesses two saint level pieces of equipment...”

“Is Da Han deliberately conserving his strength for the advance into the Ice Sculpture Kingdom?”

Indeed.

Qian Xing understood clearly: Da Han's sorcerer bloodline was frost-based, and he had also cultivated time divine spells. Da Han's situation differed from Feng Lian's. His faith in the Dusk God was heartfelt, and his adherence to the Dusk Church's doctrines ran deep in his bones.

Da Han's power stemmed from two sources: the might of frost and the grandeur of time. Thus, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom's Ten Millenia Ice Lake was an ideal environment for him.

Qian Xing considered the situation from Da Han's perspective. If he were in Da Han's shoes, he too would undoubtedly head for the Ten Millenia Ice Lake. There, the opportunity to improve his saint level was undeniable!

Beyond preserving combat strength, Qian Xing contemplated another possibility.

“Could it be... that Da Han foresaw something during his recent reconnaissance?”

Da Han's time divine spell not only allowed him to revisit the past but also to peer into the future. When Qian Xing had once requested Da Han's divination, the latter had been deceived while revisiting the past. Yet, when predicting the future, he had seen Teacher Si Ling.

In Qian Xing's view, Da Han's foresight surpassed his own ability to revisit the past.

"Da Han uncovered many secrets about Feng Lian by revisiting the past. How could he not have predicted the future?"

“If I were in his place, I would have done exactly that.”

“If this possibility holds true, it means that Feng Lian possesses a means capable of threatening a saint level existence!”

The more Qian Xing pondered it, the more plausible this possibility seemed, and not by a small margin.

This also explained Feng Lian's unusually assertive stance toward Da Han.

Under normal circumstances, a gold level would go out of their way to avoid a saint level opponent.

Coupled with what Da Han had revealed during their battle—that Feng Lian was a remnant of the Tai He Clan.

Qian Xing mused inwardly: "The Tai He Clan's legacy likely contains methods to counter saint level threats. Much like the Ice Sculpture Kingdom must harbor trump cards against legend level foes."

The Ice Sculpture Kingdom had once been a legend level power. Though it now possessed only three saint level cultivators, as an independent maritime nation with world-leading alchemy technology, it undoubtedly possessed legend level capabilities.

This was a widely accepted fact.

Though Qian Xing cultivated only battle qi as a pure fighter, he was no reckless fool. His mind remained exceptionally sharp, possessing ample combat wisdom.

As Qian Xing pondered, Feng Lian landed on the deck of his flagship.

With Da Han no longer personally engaged in battle, Feng Lian also withdrew the wind currents, severing his connection to his pirate crew.

Consequently, Feng Lian decisively ceased using the bronze mask. After all, relying solely on his personal magic pool and internal battle qi reserves to wield a saint level artifact was simply too taxing.

The first mate urgently asked, “Captain, the Icebound Pirates are hot on our trail. What should we do?”

Feng Lian remained composed. “Da Han possesses the time divine spell. I can sense he's employing different divine spells to track me.”

“Perhaps he's discovered something.”

“That's why he's voluntarily stepped back, using his subordinates to wear us down.”

“Heh heh heh.” At this point, Feng Lian laughed to himself. “Then let them chase.”

The first mate's face darkened with worry.

On the surface, the Divine Wind Pirates held the advantage in speed. But did the Icebound Pirates lack the means to counter such a swift opponent?

Certainly not.

And they possessed more than one method.

As the fourth-in-command of the Fire Beard Pirates, a saint level powerhouse, the Icebound Pirates have dominated the seas for so long. How could they possibly fail to handle a high-speed target while maintaining such a massive fleet?

Not to mention, just Da Han's time divine spell alone poses a tremendous threat to the Divine Wind Pirates!

The first mate said, “We're already under the effect of the time divine spell ourselves. We can't shake off the Icebound Pirates.” Who knows what tactics they'll deploy next against us?"

“Even if this stalemate persists, this attrition pattern is extremely disadvantageous for us.”

The first mate's words held undeniable logic.

The Divine Wind Pirates were currently sailing at maximum speed.

This was abnormal.

Ships typically traveled at normal cruising speed. Maximum speed consumed enormous amounts of magic power.

Over time, even the Divine Wind Pirates couldn't sustain such intensity.

Beneath his bronze mask, Feng Lian's brow furrowed slightly.

Under these circumstances, he could voluntarily abandon the sorrow-dispelling red wine and hand it over to Da Han. The latter would have gained something and found an excuse to leave, likely choosing to back down.

But that didn't serve Feng Lian's interests.

After a moment's thought, Feng Lian gave a cold laugh. “Change course. Head for Ice Sculpture Island.”

“All of this is for revenge against the Li Jian Clan.”

"Last time we attacked the Intoxication Church's fleet, we failed to draw them out. This time, leading Da Han's Icebound Pirates, I'll deliberately assault their defenses. I'll see how these bastards respond!"

“Cough cough cough.”

Feng Lian coughed several times, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.

The blood splattered onto the deck, instantly crystallizing into frost.

The first mate obeyed without question.

Though Feng Lian had been defeated in battle against Da Han, his prestige remained utterly undiminished.

He had remained resolute, bearing the external pressure brought by the Icebound Pirates while skillfully executing a diversionary tactic, killing with a borrowed knife!

The Li Jian Clan’s Kong Pan had deliberately abandoned the sorrow-dispelling red wine, luring the pirates into fighting amongst themselves.

Though Feng Lian had fallen for the trap for days, he had long since discerned the scheme.

This time, he would use himself as bait to exact vengeance upon the Li Jian Clan once more.

Because of Feng Lian's move, the storm of naval combat rapidly closed in upon the coastline of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom.

Meanwhile, within the Ice Sculpture capital, turbulent undercurrents surged as the national ceremony drew near.

Zi Di gazed at the pearl bubbles in her hand and sighed inwardly: “Only five left.”

These were the final reserves.

Not just hers alone, but the pearl bubbles for Zong Ge and everyone else!

Only five remained.

And now, she had no choice but to take one more for herself.

Deceptive Disguise spell!

Zi Di had long constructed a portable magic formation capable of casting this spell.

When she stepped out of the formation, her appearance had drastically changed—she was now Long Fu.

Zong Ge, who had been impersonating Long Fu, had collapsed and remained unconscious. Zi Di had no choice but to step forward herself, assuming the role of her own commander to face the outside world.

In the reception room, Zi Di received the steward from the Li Jian Clan.

The steward saw “Long Fu” and wore a perfectly measured look of delight: “Lord Long Fu's prowess is astonishing. To be struck by the Frost Aura yet remain unscathed, as if you'd consumed the [Beautiful Future] potion without getting affected—truly remarkable.”

"To be honest, the clan leader was quite concerned about this very point. For this mission, he not only sent me with specialized alchemy testing tools but also three bottles of sorrow-dispelling red wine."

Long Fu (Zi Di) felt a stir within and smiled faintly. “The effects of the [Beautiful Future] potion are indeed troublesome. However, after the battle, I offered prayers and was fortunate enough to receive the favor of my lord, the Justice God. His grace completely dispelled the potion's effects from my body.”

“Of course, I appreciate your clan's concern.”

“Why not let me test it now? That way, Lord Mian Li Zang can be completely at ease.”

Seeing “Long Fu” volunteer for the test, the Li Jian Clan steward visibly relaxed.

One of his missions on this diplomatic journey was to facilitate this very test.

When “Long Fu” mentioned the Justice God and prayer earlier, the steward had hesitated to broach the subject. After all, it touched upon matters of faith. To raise it would be to question the Justice God. For the Justice God's believers, this would be an immense insult.

However, now that “Long Fu” (Zi Di) had volunteered, it was the best possible outcome.

Without delay, the steward retrieved the alchemy testing device and handed it to Zi Di.

Zi Di first inspected it, confirmed it was in order, and then used it.

The results of the alchemy test, of course, showed no issues whatsoever. First, Zi Di certainly possessed none of the potion's effects. Second, even if she did, the Deceptive Disguise spell far surpassed the capabilities of the testing device.

The steward breathed a sigh of relief at this outcome, offering a few words of flattery toward “Long Fu” and praising the divine might of the Justice God.

He then inquired about the earlier proposal for cooperation.

Zi Di's heart sank slightly as she informed him, “I have already reported this matter upward, but I cannot say when a specific response will arrive.”

The steward urged her a few times before rising to take his leave.

Zi Di called him back, proposing a trade for sorrow-dispelling red wine. Her justification was straightforward, she had recently acquired the alchemy technique for the Ice Cube Red Wine, and while time ice cubes was readily available, sorrow-dispelling red wine was rare. Thus, she wouldn't pass up any opportunity to obtain it.

The steward smiled, pausing to negotiate with Zi Di.

Zi Di showed no trace of emotion on her face, patiently haggling over the price. Ultimately, to avoid suspicion, she purchased only two bottles.

“Alright, Zong Ge is saved now!” Zi Di suppressed her inner excitement. As they parted, she indicated to the steward that if the price was right, she would be very interested in acquiring all the sorrow-dispelling red wine the Li Jian Clan currently possessed.