Chapter 473: Section 260: Shadow Walker
Deep Sea Monster Fish.
The replenishments for the Anti-Intelligence Prophecy Skill and Deception and Disguise Skill had just concluded.
Survivors started to submerge one after another back to the sea.
The Dragon-man youth stayed behind till the end.
Zi Di knocked on the Captain’s door and met with the Dragon-man youth privately.
“Squad leader, everyone has replenished their Deception and Disguise Skill and Anti-Intelligence Prophecy Skill; this is the financial report for this mission,” Zi Di said as she handed a list to the Dragon-man youth.
The Dragon-man youth quickly glanced over it.
In terms of gold coins, the cost for this occasion was 180 gold coins.
That was 15 gold coins more than the total first-time expenditure.
The main increase was due to the Anti-Intelligence Prophecy Skill.
The costs of the Deception and Disguise Skill couldn’t be counted because its primary consumption was Divine Level materials—Pearl Bubble.
“Not bad,” the Dragon-man youth said calmly. “We now have a reserve of hundreds of thousands of funds. In the short term, replenishing both skills is no pressure at all.”
Zi Di immediately shook her head, “Squad leader, your way of thinking is incorrect.”
“The less we use Pearl Bubble, the less we have, and it cannot be replaced with conventional materials.”
“Although we have a substantial reserve of funds, there are also very many places where that money needs to go!”
“For instance, after we reach Ice Sculpture Island, we’ll need to purchase a Silver Level magic energy ship, which will be a substantial expense.”
“Another example is the training for you and Zong Ge, which also requires a continual investment of funds.”
“This time, the Anti-Intelligence Prophecy Skill’s added cost of 15 gold coins is mainly due to the both of you growing stronger.”
The stronger the survivors’ overall strength, the greater the cost of shielding and defending them.
That was obvious. To cover an ant, a fingertip was enough. But to hide a leaf, at least a palm needed to be extended.
“The bloodline of you two is the most outstanding among us all, so in the future, the cost of the Anti-Intelligence Prophecy Skill will continue to rise.”
Upon hearing this, the Dragon-man youth shook his head, “No, you’ve forgotten about Little Darling.”
Big guy Little Darling’s bloodline had been tested through the magical potion screening before, and it was at least of Legendary level.
Zi Di nodded, “I forgot about that.”
The Dragon-man youth smiled, “It’s understandable; after all, Little Darling’s strength is quite weak. Since coming aboard, we have always been concealing him, allowing him to stay mostly within the bow, not easily showing himself, so his presence has always been very faint.”
“But I believe that as long as we successfully guide him and help him take the most critical first step to truly start training, he will definitely show his extraordinary grace.”
The Dragon-man youth held high expectations for the big guy’s future.
“So you see,” Zi Di glared at the youth, “Squad leader, you must be cautious and not become complacent.”
“Don’t become careless just because our current funds are abundant.”
“The financial shortcomings on our end are actually quite significant.”
“Our future expenses will become increasingly larger; if not managed properly, we could easily fall into a vicious cycle, spending more than we earn.”
“Right now, what we need most is to establish stable sources of profit. Perhaps, we can try to continue selling our potions on Ice Sculpture Island.”
“Besides that, finding a suitable place to covertly build an Alchemy Factory to produce militant goods would also suit us well.”
The Dragon-man youth nodded, looking at Zi Di with satisfaction, “In terms of ability in this area, I am utterly no match for you.”
“Thanks to you, I believe our financial situation will definitely be very healthy.”
With that, the Dragon-man youth spread his palm and extended it to Zi Di.
Zi Di gently placed her palm on his, still maintaining a slight gap between their hands.
She was a Ghost Girl, and if she didn’t keep her distance, she would pass through the Dragon-man youth’s palm.
Feeling cherished in such a way by the one she held dear, Zi Di couldn’t help but curl the corners of her mouth slightly. Filled with happiness, she said softly, “Don’t worry, I will manage our finances well.”
…
The ghost fog filled the skies, and woeful cries and howls echoed from the Ghost Ship.
A fierce battle was raging.
Swarms of ghosts insanely shuttled through the dilapidated hull, their only enemy was a cloaked fighter who had mastered the Shadow Profound Skill.
The cloaked figure stepped onto the Ghost Ship amidst the dense fog of spirits, and succeeded in assassination on his first reality.
Cang Xu fell by his hand.
But for him, it was a failure.
Because his target was a ship ghost of the same level!
“The Life Breath just now misled me. The ship ghost’s Magic Book? Although it’s a minor trick, but…”
The masked figure, Wei Ying, furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
“Why can’t I detect the exact location of the ship ghost now that I’ve boarded the Ghost Ship?”
“He has clearly been hit by my Combat Skill and marked by me.”
Wei Ying became deeply perplexed.
At that moment, three ghosts spotted him in the corner and rushed over simultaneously.
A dense shadow surged around Wei Ying, enveloping him like ink, making him vanish on the spot.
When he reappeared, he was already in another cabin.
Even though the three approaching ghosts were no match for him, Wei Ying did not want to strike.
“There are too many ghosts on this ship. If I expend Fighting energy to eliminate these insignificant things, I’d fall right into the opponent’s tactics.”
“The most crucial thing is to find the true body of the ship ghost!”
Wei Ying possessed formidable strength; in a direct confrontation, he would definitely be able to suppress the ship ghost.
But now, the ship ghost had “disappeared.”
The only thing Wei Ying could be certain of was that “the ship ghost must be on the Ghost Ship.”
Bang.
Just then, a loud noise erupted.
The entire Ghost Ship tilted abruptly, almost capsizing!
The culprit was the Sea Snake Lady’s Magic Pet, the Golden Level Magical Beast sea serpent, which was slamming its massive, sturdy head against the bottom of the Ghost Ship.
“Reinforcements have arrived,” Wei Ying said calmly.
He was the first to discover the Ghost Ship and then informed the Sea Snake Lady. The support of the Golden Level sea serpent was within his expectations.
The support from the sea serpent was adding insult to injury for the Undead Mage’s side.
“Great General, attack! You must entangle the magic serpent from the deep sea and prevent it from destroying the Ghost Ship!” The Little Prince, struggling to keep his balance, hurriedly ordered.
Although the Ghost Ship was only of Silver Level, with the advantages of the Undead school, it was not difficult to confront a Golden Level sea serpent alone.
But now, the majority of the ghosts on the Ghost Ship were trying to deal with Wei Ying and were completely tied down, making it a struggle to resist the Golden Level sea serpent.
The Undead three-headed sea serpent plunged into the sea with a splash, engaging in a fierce battle with the Golden Magical Beast.
It attacked from three different directions with its heads, latching onto the body of the Golden Magical Beast.
The Golden Magical Beast let out a painful roar, wanting to turn around to face the Undead three-headed sea serpent, but at the same moment, it received commands from the Sea Snake Lady.
The Golden sea serpent mustered all its strength to climb onto the Ghost Ship, wrapping its huge body around the hull and began to constrict with all its might!
The Undead three-headed sea serpent spewed negative energy, attacking the Golden Magical Beast with full force, but the good times were short-lived as the Sea Snake Lady’s Spell quickly struck.
The Undead three-headed sea serpent was hit by a Water Magic Spell, its movements becoming sluggish and stiff, greatly affecting its offensive.
The Ghost Ship creaked under the strain.
Its hull already eroded by negative energy and decaying, now being constricted by the giant serpent, immediately caused large chunks of planking to shatter and extensive cracks to appear on both sides of the ship.
Seeing this, the ship ghost had no choice but to call back ghosts and send them towards the Golden sea serpent.
The ghosts were unending and immense in number, casting an eerie and frigid shroud over the battlefield.
The Golden sea serpent, simultaneously invaded by a multitude of ghosts and attacked by intense negative energy, soon fell into memory confusion and lost awareness.
Its massive body started to relax, granting the Ghost Ship a precious respite.
“Ku Feng, please distract the black-clad fighter for a moment,” the ship ghost’s voice reached Ku Feng’s ears.
Ku Feng immediately gave the command to stop protecting the Little Prince and, following the ship ghost’s instructions, dashed into the cabin towards Wei Ying.
Being of Silver level, his swordsmanship was strong, and he could indeed resist Wei Ying for a short time.
Soon, Wei Ying became aware of Ku Feng’s approach.
He let out a cold laugh and didn’t bother with Ku Feng, but instead instantly teleported, appearing behind the Little Prince the next moment!
The Little Prince was horrified and didn’t have time to flee before Wei Ying stabbed him with his sword.
At the moment when Wei Ying thought he was successful, the ship ghost emerged and lunged into Wei Ying’s body with a swiftness that not even lightning could outrun!
Wei Ying’s form instantly collapsed, transforming into a dense shadow.
It turned out that what the ship ghost had lunged at was just a phantom body he had disguised.
“You finally showed yourself!” Wei Ying’s real body appeared behind the ship ghost in an instant, unleashing his combat skills and striking the back of the ship ghost.
The ship ghost let out a pained howl as its ghostly body suffered a ghastly injury.
His plan had been to use the Little Prince as bait, but Wei Ying had turned the tables on him.
Already injured, the ship ghost was now severely wounded and at death’s door!
He quickly activated his ace in the hole, disappearing from the spot.
But this time, Wei Ying witnessed it all and noticed something amiss.
The Golden Level powerhouse’s expression slightly changed. “So that’s how it is!”
“The ship ghost has fused its ghostly self with the entire Ghost Ship.”
“He has become the Ghost Ship, and the Ghost Ship is him.”
“No wonder my previous mark only hit the Ghost Ship.”
“From a certain perspective, he has become the spirit of this Ghost Ship.”
Realizing this revelation, Wei Ying couldn’t help but show a confident smile.
No matter how much the ship ghost tried to hide, it was useless; he was just gasping for air, delaying the inevitable defeat.
Even if Wei Ying couldn’t find him, all he needed to do was attack the Ghost Ship and destroy it, which would force the ship ghost’s true body to emerge once again.
The ship ghost, of course, also understood that he had revealed his true capabilities.
So, when he merged with the Ghost Ship once more, he cast a powerful spell with all his might.
Undead Magic—Netherworld Walking!
Space violently fluctuated, and the Ghost Ship once again left the Main Plane, appearing above the Nether River.
The Golden sea snake let out a painful wail.
It wrapped around the entire Ghost Ship and was dragged into the Nether River.
In just an instant, its body, submerged in the waters of the Nether River, was severely corroded, and its flesh and blood vanished, leaving only the stark white bones of the snake jagged and uneven.
Wei Ying folded his arms and laughed coldly, knowing he had the ability to instantly teleport away, but he chose not to do so, following them to the Netherworld instead.
But this time, he was inside the Ghost Ship, without the danger of falling into the Nether River.
“The same trick won’t work again, do you really think it’ll be effective, ship ghost?” Wei Ying said with mocking laughter.
The ship ghost’s weak voice came through: “If you kill me and sink this Ghost Ship, you will die too!”
Driven to desperation, the ship ghost could only use the threat of mutual destruction to pressure his formidable enemy.
However, Wei Ying looked up and laughed heartily: “Ship ghost, do you see what this is?”
He produced a Holy Emblem and placed it on his chest.
The ship ghost exclaimed in a low voice, “The Holy Artifact of the Lord of Melancholy—the Shadow Walker’s Holy Emblem?”
“You’re a pure member of the Human Race, and you worship the deity of the Elves?”
Wei Ying’s face took on a serious expression: “I am certain, only the great Lord of Melancholy is the ruler of the Shadow Plane!”
“Without my lord’s mercy, how could I have reached such heights?”
“With such an emblem, I can leave the Netherworld at any time and return to the Shadow Plane.”
“I’ve won, ship ghost.”
“You lost this battle only because of my lord’s divine might!”
The ship ghost fell silent.
At the moment of teleportation to the Nether River, he had not thrown Wei Ying out of the Ghost Ship, and that decision sealed the outcome.
The real opportunity for victory was to have Wei Ying follow the teleport without the Ghost Ship’s protection, to be immediately absorbed and devoured by the Nether River.
But the ship ghost had lost his only chance.
Bang.
Ku Feng kicked open the cabin door and hurried back.
The Little Prince stood by, stunned like a petrified chicken. He had suffered severe injuries, his spine nearly broken, and almost half of his ribs were gone.
But worse than that was his psychological trauma.
He heard the conversation between Wei Ying and the ship ghost, realizing the ship ghost’s defeat, and with it, his fighting spirit was completely drained.
“We’re done for!” The Little Prince wanted to cry but couldn’t shed a tear.
Ku Feng, however, drew his long sword and stood in front of the Little Prince, his gaze locked on Wei Ying.
Wei Ying just glanced at him and remained still, without any movement.
Outside the ship, the Golden sea snake let out a final death shriek.
Its body came into direct contact with the Nether River and was eroded by overwhelming negative energy, turning quickly into a whole section of snake bones and helplessly falling into the river.
Wei Ying was still expressionless.
This wasn’t his Magic Pet anyway.
Besides, the overall situation of the battle was already decided, and the Golden sea snake had made its contribution.
Wei Ying continued, “I’m not attacking now because I want to give you a chance, ship ghost.”
“Enter into a Magic Contract, submit to me.”
“And I will spare your life.”
The Little Prince’s body trembled, and he, who had lost all will to fight, suddenly saw a new hope.
The Little Prince was afraid of dying.
Even though he was already Undead.
What he feared more was not seeing his father and mother again.
So, he wanted to live.
But he opened his mouth and yet did not speak because he knew that the ship ghost was the one who would decide his fate.
Ku Feng, however, let out a cold snort, unmoved.
Compared to the Little Prince, he was a tough warrior who had been forged through many wars.
Cang Xu’s corpse had gone completely cold and hard, lying on the floor, shifting position with every sway of the ship.
After a long while, the ship ghost’s hoarse voice came through, “Submit… so you intend to capture me alive.”
Wei Ying smiled slightly, “A living Undead Mage is certainly more valuable than one utterly extinct.”
“There’s no need to doubt my sincerity. We both know that even the great Nobles of the Holy Bright Empire are secretly nurturing Undead Mages.”
The ship ghost fell silent again.
The Ghost Ship was sinking.
Water from the Nether River flowed through the leaks in the ship’s hull, steadily pouring into the vessel.
A multitude of ghosts inside the ship were flying about in panic, all avoiding contact with the water.
But as more water flooded in, some ghosts were taken by the Nether River, drifting mindlessly into it, assimilated by the river.
Soon, the waters of the Nether River also seeped into the casemate where Cang Xu’s corpse lay.
The river water touched Cang Xu’s body and the water level quickly rose, covering his ankles and seeping into his body through the hole in his back.
The next moment, Cang Xu’s eyes snapped open, and he sat up abruptly.