Chapter 408: Section 196: Cang Xu’s Trouble (Revised)
Zi Di’s cautious proposition received Cang Xu’s full approval.
The experience on Mysterious Monster Island had made almost all of the survivors develop the good habit of being cautious and preserving their own room to maneuver.
However, just as the Iron Lump was about to continue distancing itself from the new island, two Silver Level individuals descended from the sky, blocking Cang Xu’s path.
“Finally, I’ve caught up with you! Where did you think you were running off to?” one of the female Silver Level figures said with a gloomy face, radiating intense hostility.
Seeing this suddenly emerged enemy, Cang Xu’s expression slightly changed: “Ya Ma?”
Ya Ma had once had a friction with Cang Xu and Zi Di, and after being defeated by the latter two, she had no choice but to give up an auction entrance ticket to escape.
“Because of you, I missed the auction.”
“Now you’ve hijacked the Iron Lump and you think you can just walk away?”
“Heh, dream on!”
“I lost to you previously because I didn’t get to cast my spells in time, and you took advantage of that.”
“This time, let’s settle our old scores,” Ya Ma said with hatred in her voice.
She was a Summoner.
Previously, facing Cang Xu and Zi Di’s use of the Fire Magic Ring, she couldn’t withstand the spell assault and lost.
This time, upon seeing the massive Flying Ant summon beneath her, it was clear she had come prepared.
The Iron Lump had already left some distance from the shore, and riding atop the gigantic Flying Ant was the only way Ya Ma could fly in the air and intercept Cang Xu.
Cang Xu furrowed his brows tightly, glanced at Ya Ma, and then turned his gaze to her companion.
This person was also familiar to Cang Xu.
She was wide and hefty with an owl-like human face, indeed the Beastman Dancing Lady—Yue Ban.
Cang Xu could understand Ya Ma’s desire for revenge.
But what about Yue Ban?
Just as Cang Xu was about to speak and negotiate, Yue Ban spoke first: “Esteemed Mage, I have also been looking for you.”
“On my way here, I received an invitation from Mage Ya Ma, which gave me the chance to meet with you.”
“At the auction, you bought a pair of Dancing Shoes, you should remember.”
“Those Mushroom Dance Shoes are of immense importance to me.”
“May I ask if you would sell them to me?”
“I need them very much!”
Cang Xu nodded slightly: “Mushroom Dance Shoes… those are Golden Level equipment. Lady Yue Ban, how much are you willing to pay for them?”
“You lost to us at the auction, which is why the Mushroom Dance Shoes ended up in our hands.”
“Now you want to buy them, do you expect us to sell at a loss to you?”
“What can you offer in exchange?”
Yue Ban fell silent for a moment: “Indeed, I do not have enough funds.”
“That’s not a problem,” Cang Xu shook his head, “there’s more to value in this world than just money. In fact, many things cannot be measured by money.”
“If you can help us deal with the current trouble, we’re willing to negotiate with you and sell you the Mushroom Dance Shoes at a discounted price, based on your contribution,” Cang Xu suggested after some thought.
He wanted to negotiate to turn an enemy into an ally, transforming Yue Ban into a force on their side.
But his action was met with Ya Ma’s scoffing.
Ya Ma had invited Yue Ban to come because she was confident in her own strength. If Cang Xu could so easily turn an enemy into an ally, then she would indeed be too foolish.
As expected, Yue Ban shook her head: “Sorry, I can’t do that.”
“If it weren’t for Mage Ya Ma’s help, I wouldn’t have had the chance to come before you.”
Yue Ban was also riding atop a gigantic Flying Ant.
She continued: “I cannot reverse the order of events; I won’t repay kindness with enmity.”
“Moreover, my tribe has close ties with Ya Ma.”
Ya Ma laughed: “One of my summoned creatures, the Yellow Nest Ant, was contracted on Yue Ban’s homeland.”
“So, Your Excellency, there’s no need to waste your breath. Surrender quietly and you can avoid the pain of flesh and blood.”
Yue Ban echoed: “Hand over the Dancing Shoes, and I’ll plead on your behalf.”
Cang Xu laughed: “If that’s the case, then let’s get started. I hope you cherish the time because once my comrades arrive to support, you’ll have no chance left.”
Qing Xin had already flown into midair.
With a strong enemy suddenly appearing, she too was forced to continue the battle.
The situation was quite unfavorable for Cang Xu.
He appeared to be Silver Level, but in fact, it was just a disguise. His true level of life was only Black Iron Level.
Moreover, he was reliant solely on the Fire Magic Ring.
His true capability could not be publicly displayed.
“It’s a pity Menshi left the ship to seek an opportunity to repay the squad leader. Otherwise, the situation wouldn’t be this bad,” Cang Xu regretted internally.
He did not use the Communication Device to call for help in front of the two enemies.
Because he knew that Zi Di must have already noticed the emergency situation here.
An unexpected battle unfolded around the Iron Lump.
The Summoner Ya Ma and the Beastman Dancing Lady Yue Ban versus Cang Xu and Qing Xin!
Deep underground.
Boom.
Amid the explosion, dust dispersed.
The Dragon-man youth and his group broke into the center of the Array.
“This is where the Fishman Mages cast their spells!”
“But where are the people?”
The Pharmacist who arrived shortly after, cast a Spell, and understanding after checking, said, “They used a spell for disguise; in fact, they had moved on a while ago.”
Zong Ge frowned, “Fishman Mages casting a large-scale spell couldn’t have just been a decoy. Their early departure from here must mean they’ve achieved their goal. We were misled by their illusions, which caused us to lose the right moment for battle.”
“There’s nothing that could have been done,” the Dragon-man youth shook his head slightly.
Failing to stop the enemy meant that the rewards received afterward would not be substantial.
But for the sake of his own and his subordinates’ lives, the Dragon-man youth did not regret adopting a careful and steady strategy.
It was at this moment that the Communication Device transmitted the latest information from Zi Di.
The Dragon-man youth’s heart skipped a beat, “What? Cang Xu is in trouble?”
The youth’s expression remained calm, but he inwardly frowned, finding the situation tricky.
Since Cang Xu was using the appearance of the Purple Vine Clan Elder, it would be inconvenient for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to directly help.
“But no matter what, we should leave here first and try to meet up with Cang Xu.”
With that thought, the Dragon-man youth immediately ordered, “The enemy Mages have left, and our operation here has failed. We should return to the island immediately to deal with any follow-up moves by the enemy.”
The Deputy Commander and the Pharmacist both laughed heartily, clearly relieved.
The latter, believing the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was unaware of the latest information, said with a proud expression, “Don’t worry too much, Long Fu squad leader. The Lord himself has taken action, and the situation has now completely turned in our favor. We have already locked down a victory in advance!”
“Oh? Is that true?” asked the Dragon-man youth in surprise. “Tell me quickly, what exactly happened.”
Amidst the Pharmacist’s proud narration, the group swiftly made their way back.
Zi Lin Fishmen and a man with wet hair dragged a Fishman corpse with difficulty through a narrow passage.
To conceal their own Mana, they chose not to use any Spells.
The Fishman corpse was none other than the long-deceased Hai Ping.
Years had passed, yet his body had not decayed; it was still plump and lifelike, as if he were in deep sleep, ready to wake up upon opening his eyes.
At first glance at Hai Ping’s corpse, Zi Lin Fishmen couldn’t help but admire: Truly a being with the Bolang Bloodline.
Zi Lin Fishmen suddenly stopped: “I smell the sea. This secret passage is almost at an end, and we are about to escape from Twin Eyes Island. How about you?”
Zi Lin Fishmen cast a concerned look at the man with wet hair.
His condition was poor.
His face was a deathly pale, without a hint of color, his body swaying as if about to collapse, exhausted and almost depleted of all Spirit.
“I’ll try to keep up,” said the man with wet hair, forcing a smile.
“It’s alright,” he reassured Zi Lin Fishmen in return. “I have fulfilled my role.”
“We have accomplished our task.”
“I thought about staying behind to cover our retreat and gain you some time.”
“But you were right, in my current state, staying behind would only add to the enemy’s achievements and would not be able to delay them.”
“Once we enter the sea, I will use the last bit of my Mana to cast a Spell, creating a decoy of your presence, and separate from you.”
“Good luck!”
Zi Lin Fishmen opened his mouth but ultimately said nothing, just nodding.
They had found Hai Ping’s body much sooner than expected.
That’s why the man with wet hair hadn’t made an immediate sacrifice.
Zi Lin Fishmen felt both respect and admiration for him. When she heard that he wanted to stay behind, she persuaded him, actually wanting to preserve his life as much as possible.
Now, as they were about to enter the sea, he still chose another way to sacrifice himself.
And this time, Zi Lin Fishmen did not refuse.
Because both knew from the Naga Priest’s message that the battle situation on the island had changed dramatically.
The Fishmen’s side had collapsed.
There wasn’t much time left for their escape!
The two reached the end of the secret passage. Zi Lin Fishmen quickly cast a Spell, and the vines slowly parted, allowing the rushing seawater to flow through the cracks.
As the passage widened, water quickly flooded in.
Both Zi Lin Fishmen and the man with wet hair thrived underwater, diving deep.
They exchanged a silent nod, gradually moving apart.
Zi Lin Fishmen, clutching Hai Ping’s body, dove deeper, striving to put distance between him and the island.
Meanwhile, the man with wet hair swam a bit, then cast a Spell to mimic Zi Lin Fishmen’s Mana signature and went off in another direction.
“They’ve come out; they need support!” The Naga Priest’s eyes flashed with a glimpse of sharpness.
But she was still entangled with the Hun Tong Alchemy Avatar and couldn’t break free.
The aggressive, fearless Alchemy Avatar was extremely hard to deal with.
The Naga Priest also knew that she mustn’t act rashly; any peculiar move would surely attract a barrage of attacks from the Gold Level demon energy ship.
The situation was in utter disarray, but the Naga Priest had one thing to be thankful for: Hun Tong, in order to protect his interests, had not acted against those of the Gold Level. Each round of bombardment was justified as “intercepting treasures, protecting the territory.”
As a result, the Naga Priest looked to the Fishman Clan Leader.
The Clan Leader immediately felt a connection and realized that it was time for his sacrifice.
He sighed deeply, handing the staff in his hand to a nearby Fishman.
This staff was not just a piece of Gold Level equipment; it also held significant meaning.
It symbolized the authority of the Clan Leader!