Chapter 680: Withdrawing from the Capital

Dusk descended like a curtain, shrouding the sea that had been the battlefield. The former clamor had utterly dissipated, leaving only a tangled mass of corpses, ice floes, and shattered planks.

Crimson blood, illuminated by the setting sun, tinged the seawater with a magnificent purple hue.

Huge schools of sharks roamed the waters, devouring the corpses of both navy and pirates.

For them, this was a rare feast, one that only occurred when the pirates prevailed.

Had the navy won, they would have salvaged the bodies. But victorious pirates pressed their advantage, seldom retrieving comrades lost to the sea.

The First Fleet arrived late.

The gruesome scenes unfolded before the eyes of the naval officers and soldiers.

The Vice Admiral focused more on the drifting ice in the sea.

These were almost entirely remnants of shattered icebergs.

Soon, the observations yielded results—the casualties of the Second Fleet were not as severe as the Vice Admiral had anticipated.

“It seems the Li Jian Clan lost no more than a quarter of their forces; their main strength remains intact.”

“Hmph. The drifting icebergs did them a great favor.”

“Strange. Did Dao Hen not intervene?”

Subsequent reconnaissance reports began arriving.

Only then did the Vice Admiral learn: “Dao Hen did intervene, but not consistently...”

“The Li Jian Clan is utterly useless. They barely drew out any of Da Han's combat capabilities. The valuable combat intelligence gathered is minimal!”

The Vice Admiral's voice dripped with contempt and fury. Meanwhile, on another warship, Mei Lin leaned against the rail, her eyes flickering with reluctance.

The First Naval Fleet could have arrived in time, yet they deliberately delayed themselves.

Mei Lin disliked this course of action, but reason told her—it was the wisest choice.

Politically speaking: The royal family had long harbored resentment and apprehension toward the Li Jian Clan's control of the Second Naval Fleet. By delaying the First Fleet's support, they could weaken the Li Jian Clan while testing Da Han—a multi-purpose strategy.

Militarily speaking: With no saint level individuals from the Ice Sculpture Kingdom intervening throughout the battle, defeat was inevitable!

Mei Lin speculated privately: "Our nation's three saint level beings, the king and the Royal Grand Magician, represent the interests of the royal family and the Han Yu Clan respectively. They are both highly wary of the Li Jian Clan. They likely each harbor intentions to weaken the latter, hence none have entered the fray."

"Without opponents of equal standing, the Second Naval Fleet cannot prevail. Da Han alone was unmanageable, let alone with a saint level Ice Crystal Jellyfish."

That alone counted as two saint level combatants.

In a direct matchup, saint level beasts were relatively weak and easy to counter. The combination of Da Han and the Ice Crystal Jellyfish could be considered 1.5 saint level battle strength.

But when fighting below their level, against the Second Naval Fleet, the Da Han and Ice Crystal Jellyfish combo absolutely equaled two saint level forces. In fact, due to the beast's high-end offense and defense, coupled with its thick health pool, it became even more troublesome.

“This was a naval battle destined for defeat. It's highly likely the Vice Admiral knew of the higher-ups' plans and avoided it in advance.”

Later, Mei Lin also received battlefield investigation results.

Throughout the entire battle, Da Han had only intervened twice. On one occasion, he unleashed a saint level divine spell, decisively sealing the victory and fully demonstrating the might of the saint level.

As a higher realm within the transcendent levels, the saint level condensed immense power within a single individual, achieving a qualitative leap.

Their every move can effortlessly overturn an entire battlefield, stirring up regional upheavals.

This was a world of the strong. Without combat power of the same level, the Second Naval Fleet could only become targets for slaughter.

From this perspective, their escape and preservation of their main force demonstrated considerable skill.

What caught Mei Lin's attention more than the saint level divine spell was Da Han's earlier intervention.

Da Han hadn't merely executed a single move.

He had targeted Kong Pan.

Kong Pan wasn't instantly killed, but her spellcasting attempt was directly disrupted.

Mei Lin's gaze grew solemn: “Da Han wields the time divine spell, capable of foretelling the future.”

“Thus, he foresaw the impending scenario and struck preemptively, suppressing Kong Pan with pinpoint precision.”

"Moreover, his subsequent deployment of the divine spell, Intertwined Sword Slash, skillfully evaded the iceberg's ability to absorb ice elements. This was likely no coincidence, but rather the optimal attack method he had predicted."

“Such an enemy is truly terrifying...”

Simply being at the saint level was headache-inducing enough, exerting pressure like mountains that made breathing difficult. Now Mei Lin realized Da Han could also predict the future with his divine spell.

This made him at least ten times more troublesome!

Many tactics hadn't even been deployed before Da Han anticipated them.

Timely countermeasures against Da Han not only allow for more composed defense but even enable counterattacks.

Mei Lin knew that Kong Pan was formidable. Having commanded the Second Naval Fleet for years, she possessed adept and versatile naval tactics. Combined with her own spatial magic, she could dominate the seas as long as she didn't encounter a saint level opponent.

Yet in this battle, she hadn't even deployed proper naval tactics, likely because Da Han had preemptively neutralized them.

Reviewing the battle report, Mei Lin realized: The Li Jian Clan had been utterly powerless to retaliate throughout this offensive. Initially, their maritime defenses were breached by the pirate vanguard's assault, then crushed by the second wave, and finally annihilated by Da Han's third strike.

“If it were me, the First Fleet, facing Da Han, we wouldn't stand a chance either,” Mei Lin reflected, her mood heavy.

She sensed the vast disparity between enemy and ally through the battle reports.

The Vice Admiral summoned her for a meeting to discuss next steps.

With the Second Naval Fleet's retreat, the entire maritime defense line in this sector had been completely breached.

Through intelligence from various sources, the Vice Admiral had learned: the pirates had begun showing signs of dispersal even during the final stages of the naval battle. By the time the Second Naval Fleet was completely routed, the pirate coalition had already fallen apart.

“In the coming period, any coastal town on Ice Sculpture Island could face pirate raids and plunder.”

“The Second Naval Fleet is beyond hope. From now on, we must rely solely on ourselves.”

"Fortunately, these pirates lack discipline. A single naval victory has scattered them. This presents us with a golden opportunity to concentrate our forces and seek an opening to annihilate them!"

The Vice Admiral paused, then slammed his fist onto the nautical chart spread across the table, rallying the troops.

Mei Lin inquired, “Where is Da Han positioned?”

The key to the operation's success lay in evading Da Han.

The Vice Admiral fell silent. A Rear Admiral speculated, “Da Han is a formidable saint. If he strikes, his target won't be insignificant.”

“I believe any of our nation's eight major trading ports could be his target.”

“I propose we bypass these eight ports entirely and focus on eliminating pirate fleets elsewhere first.”

This suggestion was swiftly approved.

By the time Mei Lin left the flagship and returned to her command ship, the sun had set, and night had fallen over the sea.

The First Fleet cleared the battlefield before withdrawing.

Mei Lin gazed at the receding battlefield and sighed softly.

No matter how brilliant a commander, facing an overwhelmingly powerful individual, even the most exquisite tactics prove useless.

Against a saint level powerhouse like Da Han, the military tactics were like a joke.

A wave of helplessness washed over Mei Lin's heart.

At the same moment, Zi Di's heart was also filled with a crushing sense of powerlessness.

She was heading toward the teleportation formation with Zong Ge.

Zong Ge remained unconscious, or rather, his soul had vanished, though his body still lived.

“I must leave the capital immediately!”

Zi Di was fleeing with Zong Ge.

Beyond his unconscious state, the most critical reason was the dwindling supply of pearl bubbles.

For this departure alone, Zi Di had used two more pearl bubbles, altering both her and Zong Ge's appearances.

This left her with only two pearl bubbles remaining.

She had to retreat.

Once the pearl bubbles were exhausted, her secret of being a necromancer would be exposed.

Then, all the forces of the royal capital would converge to hunt her down.

This retreat meant abandoning the duel and suspending her business plans. But Zi Di truly had no other choice—she could only retreat!

Of course, she had considered seeking help from the Li Jian Clan, but she quickly dismissed the idea.

The Li Jian Clan had already hinted at ill will. Asking for help now would signal weakness. It could swiftly turn this ally into an enemy!

Turning allies into foes? Zi Di would never make such a losing bet. Thus, she resolved to depart temporarily, vanishing mysteriously through the Deceptive Disguise spell, leaving the Li Jian Clan ample room for speculation. If she could instill fear in them, that would be ideal.

Fei She and others departed alongside Zi Di, though they split into separate groups.

Initially, Zi Di's retreat proceeded smoothly.

However, when she queued up with the wooden crate (containing Zong Ge) to enter the teleportation formation, it failed to activate.

“What's going on?” Others waiting to teleport questioned.

The official overseeing the formation stepped forward: “We've detected prohibited items. This transmission is suspended. We must inspect everyone.”

The crowd gasped, murmuring complaints, yet had no choice but to comply.

Zi Di sensed trouble brewing. She forced herself to stay calm, confident in her deception skills.

However, when she was led into the room alone, she encountered a familiar face—the steward of the Li Jian Clan.

"Magician Yao Ma, leaving the city so late at night—is there some urgent matter? Perhaps our Li Jian Clan could be of assistance." The steward smiled.

Zi Di's heart trembled violently.

She had clearly cast a fresh layer of Deceptive Disguise spell, yet it hadn't fooled the Li Jian Clan!

In an instant, she understood: the teleportation formation's shutdown was entirely the work of the Li Jian Clan.

The Li Jian Clan had come specifically for her and Zong Ge.

The steward, smiling, took a sip of tea. Seeing Zi Di's stunned expression, he continued, “Your corps and our clan have worked closely together. To depart without notice is rather impolite, don't you think?”

“Not only did you flee alone, but you took your leader with you.”

"So, what about the upcoming National Ceremony Grand Duel? What about the Warm Snow Cup tournament? What about our mount potion sales?"

Zi Di snorted coldly, cutting him off to ask the most crucial question: “How did you uncover our disguise?”

The steward flashed a smug smile. “Speaking of which, we've been quite curious ourselves.”

"Your corps' disguise technique is truly ingenious, distinct from most transformation abilities. The uninitiated would find it nearly impossible to detect, yet once someone knows you've altered your appearance, you appear no different from your original form to those in the know."

"What exactly is this method? May we hear the details?"

Zi Di instantly understood, narrowing her eyes as a cold glint flashed through the slits: “You've been monitoring us?”

The steward nodded, admitting it plainly: “Fortunately we did. Otherwise, with your corps' disguise techniques, wouldn't we have been completely fooled by you?”

Zi Di sneered coldly: "Even if we were discovered, what could you do? Don't forget, we've signed a magic contract."

This was a safeguard.

Neither party could kill the other.

The steward replied: “Magician Yao Ma, do not worry. My clan is honorable. We would never harm you.”

“But leaving without notice like this is utterly unacceptable.”

“Return to your duties.”

“Oh, and don't fret too much over Lord Long Fu.”

“His current state isn't necessarily a bad thing.”

Zi Di's expression darkened, her murderous intent unmasked. "So that's it! You tampered with the sorrow-dispelling red wine, plunging Lord Long Fu into this unconscious state."

The butler's smile only widened. “Don't even think about attacking me, Magician Yao Ma. Remember, we have a cooperation contract.”

Zi Di's personal strength was limited, especially against the prepared Li Jian Clan.

Escaping alone would be difficult enough, let alone with the burden of Zong Ge in tow.

The steward did not actually harm Zi Di, but forced her to turn back.

With no other choice, Zi Di was escorted back to her previous lodgings.

There, she saw Fei She and the others, also brought back under guard.

Zi Di's expression remained calm, but Fei She became visibly agitated upon seeing her.

He knew the pearl bubbles were running low.

Once they were completely depleted, the young lady's undead identity would be utterly exposed. At that point, even if the Li Jian Clan tried to protect Zi Di, it would be impossible.

Zi Di would be torn apart by the swarm of transcendents!

As for Zong Ge and Fei She, though their positions would also be exposed, their identities weren't as sensitive, allowing them to survive for a while longer.

Of course, this too would be temporary.

Once their true forms were revealed, their identities would soon be uncovered. And with that, the secrets of Mystifying Monster Island would be laid bare!

At that point, everything would be lost.

A dead end.

Zi Di, Zong Ge, Fei She, and the others had reached a dead end.