In the City of Azure Waves, Qian Ye helplessly rubbed his temples. However, the firepower provided by a fully operational Valhalla far exceeded that of a detachment of a fleet, and three days of refitting were more than worth it.
Setting aside his worries, he began to arrange for the further mobilization of his troops. The private army of the noble families had not yet undergone reorganization, so they could not see the multitude of werewolves that Qian Ye had subdued in the Yóng continent. Therefore, he placed them all in the State of Zheng, to both defend against Nán Ruòhuái and to fill the void left by the large-scale troop withdrawals.
With the help of his massive fleet, Qian Ye gathered over two hundred thousand werewolf warriors from the Great Corridor and Emerald Sea, more than fifty thousand original soldiers from the State of Zheng, and a full twenty thousand Darkflame mercenaries. Now, a colossal army was arrayed outside the fog wall of the Gifted Land.
Yet, whenever Qian Ye recalled the final threat of the six-armed being, a sense of unease lingered in his heart. Logically speaking, with himself, the fleet, hundreds of thousands of troops, and countless strong individuals, he should be able to handle the horde of monstrous beasts gathered in the valley. What was there to worry about?
But Qian Ye remained utterly ignorant of the world beyond the door.
After studying the defensive map of the Gifted Land for an entire day, Qian Ye summoned Esca and said, “I need to mobilize another three hundred thousand warriors!”
“Ah… no problem! My lord, when do you need them ready? I think the fastest would be three months from now.”
“No, tomorrow.”
In the depths of the void, a small, high-speed airship was flying at breakneck speed. It wasn’t cruising but traveling at near maximum velocity, which was uncommon for long intercontinental journeys.
Ahead, the outline of a floating landmass gradually appeared. At this point, the Qin Continent was not far away.
From the distant void, a warship suddenly leaped out, adjusting its course toward the high-speed airship. In the bridge of the warship, the captain and the first officer peered through their telescopes, observing the approaching airship.
Both vessels were moving fast, and the distance between them quickly narrowed. The first officer recognized the emblem on the airship and whistled, saying, “It’s a Darkflame ship.”
The captain shrugged and said, “Let it pass.”
The first officer, somewhat disgruntled, replied, “Shouldn’t we inspect it?”
The captain laughed and said, “What is there to inspect on a Darkflame ship? You know well how powerful Lord Qian Ye is. Besides, the battle they fought in White City could be written into military textbooks. Given the speed of that ship, they must have something urgent. Let’s not complicate things.”
The first officer reluctantly agreed, “Alright! But if this continues, soon all smugglers and pirate ships will bear the Darkflame mark.”
“Whether they want to die is their business, not ours. Let’s move on to the next patrol point and finish early so we can go home.”
The imperial warship changed course, clearing the way, and watched as the airship disappeared into the distance before resuming its patrol.
The airship made a straight course for the floating land, then used its gravitational pull to change direction, pointing its bow toward the Qin Continent. Just as it completed the turn and slowed slightly, a tracking giant crossbow bolt, like a ghost, appeared and struck the airship’s engine, completely destroying it.
A black airship emerged from the shadows, rapidly closing in on the stricken airship. It was clearly a Void Pirate.
The pirate ship docked with the airship, and several pirates cut open the cabin doors, rushing inside. The bearded pirate leader followed, and behind him, hundreds of pirates swarmed into the airship, dispersing to search each compartment.
The shouts and screams quickly diminished. The pirate leader grinned, leading the charge into the command room.
Inside, the command room was in chaos, bodies scattered everywhere. The pirate leader instantly became furious, roaring, “How many times have I told you not to destroy the command room? There might be important figures or delicate treasures here! You worthless fools, you’ve ruined everything!”
A pirate approached, whispering, “Boss, this is a Darkflame ship. You just said not to leave any survivors!”
“Did I say that? Fine, it seems I did. Darkflame, they’re quite famous these days. There might be something valuable. Search thoroughly!”
A pirate pointed to the command console, “Boss, there’s one survivor here!”
The pirate leader strode over. A man lying on the command console weakly lifted his head, his elbow pressing down on a document. He stammered, “This is an urgent report… to be delivered immediately… to Lord Jundu. Please… there will be a generous reward…”
The pirate leader snatched the document, examining it closely, then suddenly pulled out a force gun, shot the man in the head, and said, “Do you think I’m stupid enough to deliver this? Look at me, am I that dumb?”
The pirates around him held their breath, all eyes on the document in the leader’s hand. The leader felt the document growing increasingly hot, and after a moment, he tore it to pieces, saying, “Knowing too much isn’t good. I still want to live a few more years! Gather what’s valuable and let’s return to the Neutral Zone.”
The pirates quickly looted the airship, detonated it, and vanished into the vast void.
On the pirate ship, the leader sat in the command room, visibly agitated. His deputy asked, “Boss, are you still thinking about what was in that document?”
The leader sighed, “I feel like I missed something.”
“You don’t have to worry. Everyone’s dead, and the ship is destroyed. As long as we’re careful and hide the hot items, who will know it was us?”
This airship was not a typical transport, with no obvious large cargo. The weapons, knives, and supplies on board were top-notch, and the pirates were adept at modifying them to be unrecognizable even to the original designers.
“True,” the leader’s mood lightened, and he ordered, “Speed up. Don’t just think about saving fuel. Getting back as soon as possible is the priority!”
Just as the deputy was about to relay the order, the ship shuddered violently, as if hit by a meteor. The pirates stumbled, and even the leader fell to the floor.
“What’s going on?” the leader roared, both shocked and angry.
“Monsters! Void monsters! Never seen anything like them!” the pirates’ voices trembled with fear.
The leader got up, rushed to the porthole, and couldn’t help but curse, “Hell, what is that?”
In the void ahead, a massive white cylinder suddenly appeared, composed entirely of roiling white mist, constantly writhing. A colossal manta ray-like beast was struggling to emerge, while more bat-like creatures with sharp horns swarmed out.
Another manta ray beast swooped down, its tail lashing the pirate ship, causing it to roll violently.
The swarm of beasts, like sharks sensing blood, swarmed the pirate ship, biting through the thick armor like cookies. In moments, the ship was riddled with holes, and countless beasts poured in, their shrieks echoing within.
“What the hell are these things!?” the pirate leader’s hands and feet went cold, all thoughts of resistance gone. Just as he wondered if the fog pillar might be related to the undelivered message, a beast pounced on him, tearing off his head.
In the unfinished fortress city on the Qin Continent, a grim atmosphere prevailed. Jundu stood motionless, gazing through the command room’s large windows at the fog zone outside. Tens of thousands of imperial troops had already set up temporary defenses, and more soldiers and workers were desperately building permanent and semi-permanent fortifications.
Occasional skirmishes erupted on the front lines as more beasts emerged from the fog, attacking the imperial defenses.
An officer knocked and entered, saluting and saying, “My lord, the newly discovered type of beast has been dissected, and we have preliminary results. All the data is here for your perusal. So far, we’ve identified four different types of beasts.”
Jundu took the file and opened it, revealing a drawing of a winged beast with sharp saw blades on its wingtips.
The officer explained, “It’s a flying creature, using aerial attacks as its primary method. We call it the Winged Bladetooth.”
“How dangerous is it?”
“It’s very fast, with moderate attack power and weak defense. Overall, it poses a significant threat to regular soldiers and support units. It can cut through thin armor but is ineffective against medium armor, likely serving as a harassment and reconnaissance unit.”
Jundu nodded, “Gather a detachment, provide concentrated firepower, and guard the key areas behind the front lines. Additional firepower should also be deployed at all artillery positions.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Before the officer left, another entered, “My lord, Mister Song Zining wishes to see you. He is waiting downstairs.”
Jundu raised his eyebrows, “Song Zining? Let him come up.”
Moments later, Song Zining entered casually. Jundu ignored him, continuing to stare at the fog. Undaunted, Song Zining stood beside him, also looking out, and asked, “Is the door open?”
Jundu didn’t answer but said, “What scheme do you have this time? Be direct.”
Song Zining replied, “All my schemes are for the empire, for humanity, and for that fool, Qian Ye.”
At the mention of Qian Ye, Jundu’s tone softened, “I doubt it’s entirely for Qian Ye.”
“Well, it benefits him, so it’s not a loss. Besides, your Zhao family has profited greatly.”
Jundu shook his head, “I wonder what you’re always thinking. What’s the point of all this? Tell me, what do you want this time?”
Song Zining said, “I’ve plotted for others many times, but this time I need to consider myself. I came to ask for your help.”
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