Chapter 697: Island Arrivals
Ice Sculpture Island.
One of the eight trading harbors – Munitions Harbor.
The pirate boss Hong Pa was sitting on a large chair, his mouth biting a watermelon.
He was sitting on his flagship’s deck, gazing at Munitions Harbor in the distance.
Munitions Harbor was already on guard, the magician tower was emitting a vast light, and a giant magic formation was activated which raised a magical light wall.
The light wall was as multicolored as an aurora, and it extended from the earth to the heavens, intercepting all enemy attacks.
The Dread Firepower Pirates led by Hong Pa were being blocked by this light wall.
“First round of bombardment, prepare the Baby Bird Mushroom Cloud shells.” The Dread Firepower Pirates’ first mate was located on the bow house, his hand holding an alchemy device, and directing the bombardment on behalf of the commander.
The Firepower Pirates’ ships were already in a single file line, with every cannon of all sizes and lengths densely packed and concentrated together.
Bang, bang, bang…
A moment later, artillery shells fired, and smoke sprung up everywhere.
Not all cannons were firing, only the longest ones.
After roughly 50 shells were discharged, steel wings popped out from the shells’ sides. The steel wings vibrated in the air, producing a warbling-like noise.
The artillery shells flew high into the air, then began to follow a full parabola as they slowly descended.
They all hid the multicolored light wall.
Boom, boom, boom…
Each artillery shell explosion issued an ear-splitting sound.
In the huge air waves, a white mushroom cloud quickly rose.
After the smoke dissipated, the multicolored light wall thinned by one third, yet it still remained massive.
“Munitions Harbor’s magician tower combined with seven different defensive magic formations to create the large-scale magic [Great Aurora Wall], its defense really is astonishing!” The first mate sighed ruefully.
After sighing, he calmed down, and continued to order, “Second round of bombardment, fire the Python Shot.”
This time, two long cannons fired simultaneously.
Approximately three hundred Python Shots exploded into the air, transforming into gigantic lightning pythons that charged into the [Great Aurora Wall].
These pythons looked like giant sea monsters that were constantly churning and stirring inside the great wall.
The [Great Aurora Wall] exploded with intense radiance, encircling and subduing the lighting pythons in it.
After a bout, the lighting pythons dissipated into nothingness.
The pirate first mate’s eyes flashed sharply, “[The Great Aurora Wall] has been weakened by two thirds.”
“Then let’s put in our energy into the third round.”
He suddenly raised his voice, ordering through an alchemy device, “Third round of bombardment, Space Breaker Shot, fire!”
This time, the short cannons were fired too.
Countless ball shaped artillery shells were loaded into the cannons, then fired into the air.
After they smashed into the [Great Aurora Wall], they instantly collapsed.
There was no gunpowder explosions, rather innumerable ball shaped spatial cracks began to quickly form.
The clumps of spatial cracks connected with each other and joined together. Quantity turned into a qualitative change, creating an immense spatial crevice.
The spatial cracks covered the [Great Aurora Wall], its light had reached its darkest and its transcendent aura was at its weakest.
But at that moment, magic power drained from the magician tower at a frightful rate, imbuing it into the [Great Aurora Wall].
The [Great Aurora Wall]’s depressed state was cleansed away, and it once again became vast, thick, and dazzlingly radiant.
The first mate was flabbergasted, “This, this…”
Clack, clack.
The pirate commander Hong Pa finally finished his watermelon, and he stood up clapping his hands.
The multicolored aurora illuminated his pig face.
His face was shrouded with displeasure and bewilderment, “Didn’t you say that after [Great Aurora Wall] is formed, it cannot be replenished afterwards?”
The fear from the alchemy device carrying the fist mate’s voice was palatable, “Lord, Lord Commander, this should be the casting technique [Spell Refresh]. I didn’t expect the Ice Sculpture Kingdom snow elves to be capable of applying a personal casting technique to an entire defensive magic formation.”
Hong Pa sighed, “I don’t care about any casting technique, the reason why we chose to stir up Munitions Harbor was because you said to first mate.”
The first mate promptly replied, “Right, according to my analysis, our group’s robust firepower, we were absolutely able to effortlessly deplete and dispel the [Great Aurora Wall]. Then, we could loot this trading harbor specialized in mainly arms to make ourselves stronger.”
“This was utterly unexpected, this was a lapse in information, not I!”
Hong Pa sneered, “When we came here, we made an agreement. You proposed we attack this place, yet currently, the outermost shell hasn’t even cracked. First mate, you should go.”
“No, no, Lord Commander, spare my life, please, please give me another chance!!” The first mate rigidly clenched the alchemy communication device, loudly begging for forgiveness.
But a moment later, the captain’s room door suddenly pushed open, and a few burly water pigmen pirate fiends walked out.
The first mate’s face was covered in fear, and without a trace of resistance, he slumped to the floor.
The water pigmen pirates grabbed the first mate’s legs and ragged him out of the captain’s room and to the rear of a cannon.
The first mate’s tears were overflowing as he frantically begged for forgiveness.
But the pirates remained unmoved, they opened the cannon and stuffed the first mate into it.
Boom!
Not long after, the first mate was shot out like a special artillery shell.
The first mate screamed as he streaked across the sky, then smashed his head into the Great Aurora Wall.
He was material, and the physically hard Great Aurora Wall stopped him.
A moment later, the aurora bubbled and completely melted the first mate.
Hong Pa glanced at the [Aurora Great Wall]. Then sighed, “Little ones, retreat.”
The Dread Firepower Pirates were following the Icebound Pirates and had participated in naval battles.
After the Li Jian Clan’s second naval fleet retreated in defeat, the pirate alliance dispersed into parts, Cong Mang’s Vegetable Pirates was one part, the Dread Firepower Pirates were another. There were other pirate groups like that too.
Pirates were not a regular army, and even the saint level Da Han found it difficult to constrain them.
As a matter of fact, he wouldn’t do that.
Because he understood the greedy nature of pirates. If he made a hardline demand, of course, he could restrict them, after all when faced with a saint level, who wouldn’t be afraid of dying?
But if that happened, then Da Ha’s reputation with the pirates would stink to high heaven. In future operations, it would be difficult for other pirates to willingly attach themselves to him.
Hong Pa decided to attack Munitions Harbor at his first mate’s strong suggestion.
They were unable to pierce the outermost defenses.
Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s eight great trading harbors were always important defensive regions. It would be a superb challenge for the Dread Firepower Pirates to storm it, and even after paying a disastrous price, they might not even succeed.
Therefore, Hong Pa chose to retreat.
Retreating put the pirates in a bad mood, and failing to gain a golden opportunity to pillage made them more frustrated.
Luckily, Hong Pa had dealt with the first mate ahead of time, and that would quell much of the public outrage to a degree.
“It seems we aren’t strong enough to force our way into the eight great harbor cities.”
“The most convenient thing to do is to follow behind the Icebound Pirates and draw support from Da Han’s strength.”
“Regretfully, the Icebound Pirates refuse any follower requests and have sternly ordered us to depart, saying anyone who followed them was their enemy.”
When Hong Pa thought that he couldn’t help but sigh as his heart filled with regret.
…
Da Han walked through the wilderness.
His movement speed was very normal, but after being enhanced with a time divine spell, his journey went by several-fold faster.
He was alone, he abandoned all of his Icebound Pirate subordinates, and none followed him.
Choosing solitude masked his whereabouts greatly.
He wore transcendent artifacts that provided him powerful invisibility, but they couldn’t compare to deception divine spells.
“These gold level camouflage devices cannot help me infiltrate the Ice Sculpture Capital.”
“To enter the Ice Sculpture Capital, I have to penetrate the ice lake and wait for an opportunity.”
“The National Ceremony Grand Duel is that opportunity!”
Da Han’s sight was profound as he walked alone.
…
The radiance of a teleportation spell violently dissipated in three short seconds.
After space stabilized, three people appeared from nowhere.
It was headed by Teacher Si Ling, who was followed by Cang Xu and Jian Gui.
“Where are we?” Cang Xu looked at a valley, despite not being a mortal being, he could still feel the frigid air.
That an undead lifeform could feel the cold proved how low the air temperature was.
Teacher Si Ling led the two out of this hidden cave.
Cang Xu and Jian Gui saw a snowfield.
Large snowflakes swirled through the air, the cold wind screamed, and heaven and earth mixed with each other.
Teacher Si Ling said, “This is the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s hinterland.”
“The Ice Sculpture Kingdom?” Cang Xu was amazed.
Jian Gui was puzzled, “My Lord, why have we come here?”
“As a matter of fact, this is precisely my true destination for this trip. Follow me, there shall be a grand opera staged here.”
…
Plop.
The fishman youngster mentally controlled the large water hand to throw the captured Cong Mang onto the ground.
It was a forest outside the city.
Great numbers of pine trees stood in the blanketing cold, and there wasn’t much life around.
Cong Mang violently coughed, he had nearly been choked to death.
Having narrowly avoided death, he breathed as his life depended on it, still out of it and unable to reflect on why this mysterious and powerful enemy decided to let him go.
A moment later, a Wisteria Secret Order was thrown into the snowy turf.
When Cong Mang saw the Wisteria Secret Order, it took a full dozen seconds for him to react. His eyes widened and he glowered at the fishman youngster, “You, you belong to the Wisteria Merchant Alliance? Why did you attack me?!”
Ding.
The fishman youngster calmly waved his water hand.
Cong Mang was flung into a pine tree, then fell to the ground.
He coughed again; blood was coming out.
Because of this severe strike, branches and snow fell, covering Cong Mang and serving as a backdrop to how miserable he was.
The fishman youngster slowly approached.
After this, Cong Mang completely sobered up and recognized reality, “Hold on, wait a minute, we can talk about this!”
“I have always been working with your Wisteria Merchant Alliance; this you should know.”
The fishman youngster looked down, dully stating, “I understand that you received the merchant alliance’s help, but in the end, you didn’t contribute your strength, that proves your loyalty. You betrayed the merchant alliance.”
“No, when I accepted the subsidy, I was not subordinate to the Wisteria Merchant Alliance…ah.” Cong Mang shrieked.
Before he could finish speaking, the fishman youngster kicked him in the belly.
Cong Mang spat out blood and turned deathly white; the sharp pain caused him to look like a cooked lobster as he rigidly curled up into a ball.
After gasping for breath for a good while, Cong Mang recovered.
His eyes were dark, and his mind was abuzz. At this moment, then fishman youngster’s voice seemed to come from the distant heavens, “Those who betray the merchant alliance shall suffer punishment.”
“Your pirate group received the merchant alliance’s aid and grew from it.”
“Now, I used an explosion to collect some of that investment back.”
“As for you, you are also part of our merchant alliance’s investment…”
Cong Mang used a bloodstained hand to grab hold of the fishman youngster’s leather boot, and after drawing in several cold breaths, he croaked out, “I…I was wrong.”
“My Lord, give me another chance.”
“Let me correct my error, I will change!”
The fishman youngster’s tone eased somewhat, “Decent awareness.”
Cong Mang clutched at his last hope, hurriedly insisting, “I can create more value alive than dead, your Lordship!”
The fishman youngster grunted, “As a matter of fact, the higher-ups did say to give you one final chance.”
“The higher-ups?” Cong Mang anxiously gazed up.
He came to a horrifying realization, the fishman expert was actually not the supreme leader. There were still people above him!
A moment later, the fishman youngster opened his webbed fish hand and clutched Cong Mang’s shaven head, lifting him up.
“Activating the Wisteria Secret Order can indeed allow you to demonstrate your value.” The fishman youngster said.
Cong Mang swiftly stated, “I will do my utmost, your Lordship!”
“Good attitude.” The fishman youngster slowly nodded, “In that case, welcome to Ice Sculpture Island.”