Chapter 1060 - 996: Meeting with the Thunder Spear City Lord
The initial form of Holy Vine Village greatly lifted Da Fei’s spirits to an unprecedented level. When Tamilia first mentioned it, Da Fei thought it would be an unattainable dream only realized years later, but unexpectedly, it came to fruition much earlier, even before the National War Zone opened.
With a good mood, even the feeling of being idle was exceptionally pleasant, and looking at the sea scenery surrounding him was no longer tedious or boring.
At this moment, the fleet was approaching the sea domain of Thunder Spear City. Upon reaching this area, encounters with various Sea Race Giant Whale Trading Teams became frequent, and fountains of various giant whales emerged in succession on the sea surface. In the distant waters, Da Fei finally observed the faint sight of sailboats, showcasing the prosperity of Thunder Spear City.
Sona approached Da Fei, "Sir, once we disembark, I will go gather some intelligence, which may take about half a day."
Da Fei nodded, "Alright, you go ahead."
If eliminating the Thunder Spear City Lord is the intention of the Naga leadership, then the movements of their Slave Transport Fleet are not a concern.
Suddenly, a large patch of yellow dots appeared swiftly approaching from the seabed, making Da Fei’s heart leap, "What is this?"
Sona firmly replied, "This is the defense patrol team of Thunder Spear City. Their mission is to assess the strength of visitors; if they deem you too powerful, they will either escort you into the city or follow you out. Essentially, their duty is to ensure that powerful beings do not freely wield their might within the Thunder Spear City sea domain."
Da Fei responded with an "Oh," "That’s pretty good security."
Sona sighed, "Undoubtedly, maintaining excellent security underpins the prosperity of Thunder Spear City. To sustain such security, the military power of the Thunder Spear City Lord is immensely strong. In fact, numerous surrounding weaker tribes voluntarily request to join the security zone managed by the Thunder Spear City Lord, which in turn causes Thunder Spear City’s influence to grow, increasingly threatening other Lords’ interests. The Thunder Spear City Lord is not wrong; the problem lies in his excessive strength."
Da Fei could not help but sigh, even weaknesses are faults, and strength too, but surely invincibility would not be wrong, right? It seems the Thunder Spear City Lord’s mistake is being strong but not invincible, just enough for me to target, hahaha!
At this moment, the patrol team surfaced in front of the fleet, composed of numerous skate Naga Knights.
A four-armed Naga leader clad in heavy armor shouted, "Is the visitor the renowned Lighthouse Island City Lord, Da Fei?"
Well, even they know I’m the Lighthouse Island City Lord, indeed, renowned as I am. Da Fei hurriedly replied, "Yes, I’ve heard that the Thunder Spear City Lord enjoys fine wine, so I brought several ships of good wine to sell."
The leader responded, "Perfect, the Thunder Spear City Lord is also very interested in warriors; please meet with the City Lord once ashore, we will escort you!"
With those words, the team promptly formed a formation to escort on either side of the fleet.
Da Fei was stunned on the spot! Unexpectedly, the other party actually wants to meet me? Seems like an attempt at forming alliances? Indeed, this Thunder Spear City Lord, to manage so well, surely isn’t a mediocre being, knows exactly what to do!
Feeling awkward, Da Fei glanced at Sona, "What do you think the Thunder Spear City Lord intends to do?"
Sona calmly replied, "Sir, such an exceptional warrior, even the Dark Tide Lord holds you in high regard, ordinary city lords showing intention is quite normal."
Indeed, this is truly normal. If the system proposes an exasperating two-choice mission, that could also be very frustrating.
Da Fei cleared his throat and asked, "If, by any chance, they propose some grand collaboration, and it’s difficult for me to act against him, what should I do?"
Sona calmly stated, "My duty is only to guide you and provide information assistance. The specific decisions still require you to navigate."
Life indeed doesn’t go according to plan. Da Fei shook his head and sighed, "Alright then, stick to the plan, and I’ll consider it carefully."
"Understood."
Under the escort of the patrol team, a radiant island city came into Da Fei’s view. Seen from afar, its scale is much larger than the Dark Tide Temple, a true Eastern hegemon. As they got closer, numerous large fleets continually appeared, each between five to ten ships, none exceeding ten ships in size.
Approaching closer still, Da Fei clearly sees the tall island-encompassing walls and the various towering Magic Towers on the island, with those towers radiating dazzling light from afar. At present, these Magic Towers proudly demonstrate Thunder Spear City Lord’s formidable defense capabilities. In comparison, Da Fei’s Lighthouse Island, with its six towers in half-hearted conditions, seemed utterly embarrassing.
Da Fei began to hesitate whether to start a conflict with him. After all, even other Lords fear him; am I destined to be the scapegoat?
As Da Fei pondered thousands of thoughts, the fleet entered the harbor. Unlike the Dark Tide Temple City, which only had Sea Race street markets, the docks here were filled with humans carrying baskets.
Sona introduced, "These are pearl gatherers or pearl breeders. They were formerly slaves, knowing little about the world beyond the archipelago, similar to how the Land Kingdom knows nothing about us. Pearls can increase the Sea Tribe’s population growth and are currency within the Naga Empire, thus making them equivalent to gold mines to humans. They are the most valued talents by various Lords of the Naga Empire. And having so many pearl gatherers is certainly a testament to Thunder Spear City Lord’s power."
Da Fei let out a sound: "Oh, I see!"
As the Da Fei Fleet docked, a large group of Naga warriors appeared neatly lined up along the pier, and the escort captain also shouted, "Please, warriors, disembark. Thunder Spear City Lord invites you."
There’s nothing more to say, let’s get going. However, this time I’m coming with a bit of force, no need to bring the whole family along, let them stay behind.
Sona also said casually, "I’ll go gather intelligence."
"Alright."
Thus, under the guidance of the Naga Guard, Da Fei walked through the streets, once again witnessing a city as prosperous as the Dark Tide Temple. Then Da Fei entered a tunnel carved into the island, experiencing the underground market, and went lower and lower.
Da Fei couldn’t help but exclaim, "Is Thunder Spear City Lord living underground?"
The Guard Captain leading the way replied: "Yes, though this island’s underground connects to the seabed, the Lord’s chamber is actually underwater, but he meets land guests by translocating underground. In fact, Thunder Spear City is just a small part of the Lord’s territory above ground, most of his domain and resource mines are underwater."
Da Fei nodded silently.
Finally, Da Fei reached a glittering underground hall, where the hall’s center was a huge pool. Before the pool, a towering Naga Hero with crystal armor stood proudly. This imposing aura made Da Fei’s heart tremble.
"Warrior, this is Thunder Spear City Lord, please!"
At the same time, the Naga Hero laughed heartily: "Welcome, Warrior! I’m deeply honored that you could visit Thunder Spear City!"
Da Fei stepped forward and coughed softly: "Well, I’m very pleased to be granted an audience with the City Lord, may I ask why you seek me?"
The City Lord responded with a smile: "Starting from defeating General Kennechi in the Devil Sea, the warrior’s achievements rapidly spread throughout the Eastern Sea Domain, and it’s even more shocking that the warrior refused the Dark Tide Lord’s invitation. I want to know what aspirations the warrior has? Is there any way I can assist you?"
Ah, so it’s about forming alliances! Alright, I’ll state my conditions; if you’re not compliant, I’ll have to figure out another way, heh.
Da Fei sighed: "My ambition, firstly, is to realize peace between the Siren Clan and the Naga Clan, and secondly, to gather 1000 units of Sea God’s Tribute in the short term, which is needed by Leviathan."
The City Lord was suddenly surprised: "The warrior actually has ties with Leviathan? Do you know what that implies?"
Huh? This reaction is similar to the Temple Chief upon hearing I have Leviathan? Da Fei had to sigh: "This means if I can’t complete the mission, my city could be obliterated at any moment!"
The City Lord shook his head: "But warrior, Leviathan was a race personally created by the Creator God, their proud ferocity demands respect even from the Sea God. Completing Leviathan’s task might mean obtaining Leviathan’s protection—fabled as the Guardian Divine Beast."
Da Fei was sharply taken aback: "Leviathan as a Guardian Divine Beast?"
The City Lord praised: "Indeed, Leviathan is very particular about water quality; your city must be located somewhere with exceptionally unique water. If she’s pleased, there will definitely be additional rewards. Warrior, you are indeed remarkable. I can help you quickly gather 1000 units of Sea God’s Tribute to complete your task; would you be willing to cooperate with me?"
My gosh! This is truly a powerful figure, offering a thousand units of tribute in one sentence, covering my six months of errands!
Da Fei was both surprised and delighted: "Cooperate in what?"
The City Lord smiled: "Peace with the Siren Clan aligns with the Naga Empire’s interests, and of course, with mine. I’m willing to help you achieve this; whatever conditions the Siren may require, warrior, you may inform me. Also, I wish to establish a trade cooperation relationship with your Lighthouse Island City. You’ll receive a 20% discount on our goods, and if you deem necessary, I can dispatch troops to assist with security. Warrior, what do you think?"
Da Fei was stunned on the spot! Such grand strategic vision, concise and wise!
The conditions offered perfectly align with my interests, especially since I’ve let the Lighthouse Islands go. It’s crucial to achieve something to give the large guilds confidence in collaboration, not to mention my urgency to participate in the National War, prioritizing harmony!
Da Fei asked in amazement: "Is the 1000 units of Sea God’s Tribute on credit?"
The City Lord smiled: "Of course! But usually, anyone who has Sea God’s Tribute would be reluctant to sell, so I admire the warrior; this is a special case within special cases. By the way, I’ve heard the warrior transported quite a lot of wine; we can calculate the price. In short, this debt will be recorded under Lighthouse Island City; warrior, what do you think?"
There’s no way to refuse! Agree! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)