Chapter 499: Section 286: Blind Idolization
The night enveloped Snowbird Port.
The ships of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps were still moored at the dock, lined up in a row.
With Zong Ge himself overseeing command, mercenaries were patrolling the ships everywhere—with one every five steps, and a post every ten; the defense was rigorous.
Some of the mercenaries who had come off their shifts were not resting but had gathered around Lan Zao, eager to hear about everything that had happened on the dueling field during the day.
Lan Zao gesticulated wildly, enthusiastically recounting the young Dragon-man’s valiant combat.
“The Saber Gang was utterly despicable and shameless—they knew our squad leader was incredibly powerful, so they had concentrated the gang’s finest equipment and given it all to Xiong Ju.”
“On Xiong Ju’s body were at least three pieces of Gold Level armor, while our squad leader was empty-handed.”
“Xiong Ju’s Golden Flower Steel Saw was formidable, and he himself was also very strong. His Bloodline naturally carried a Magic-like ability, Bear Roar, which was difficult to defend against—the roar causes dizziness and loss of motor skills once it hits you.”
“Our Lord, caught by his treachery, was momentarily knocked to the ground, and Xiong Ju used his Golden Flower Steel Saw to slash at our squad leader’s waist. The saw’s teeth kept grinding against our leader’s Dragon Scales, throwing up sparks in all directions.”
“The whole arena was aghast, thinking our leader was done for, even Chi Lai and Menshi stood up tensely, planning to rescue Lord Long Fu.”
“Heh, they’d only recently joined our Mercenary Group and didn’t have much confidence in Lord Long Fu. That’s understandable. Only an old-timer like me can truly appreciate the strength of our Lord.”
“Sure enough, once our leader broke free from the effects of Bear Roar, he deflected the Golden Flower Steel Saw with a single punch and easily escaped.”
“Xiong Ju was stupefied! He’d worked so tirelessly with his Golden Flower Steel Saw for so long, yet couldn’t make a scratch on a single piece of Lord Long Fu’s Dragon Scales. He felt a chill in his heart. The entire crowd was dumbfounded—they’d never seen such formidable defensive power! Keep in mind this was Gold Level equipment, especially the Golden Flower Steel Saw, which is the bane of armor.”
“When our Lord used his ultimate form, the duel lost all suspense. Lord Long Fu’s ultimate form was used during the great melee on Twin Eyes Island. Those mercenaries who were fortunate enough to see it should remember, right?” Lan Zao deliberately posed the question.
The mercenaries around him listened intently to his every word.
Hearing mention of Lord Long Fu’s ultimate form, several mercenaries quickly raised their hands and shouted, “I’ve seen it, witnessed it with my own eyes.”
One excitedly continued: “It was right on the docks of Twin Eyes Island. Our Lord underwent a miraculous transformation, becoming even more fierce and wild! He collided head-on with the Gold Level Fishman of the time, not falling behind in the least.”
Other mercenaries who hadn’t seen it looked enviously and curiously at the speaking mercenary.
Meanwhile, the speaking mercenary slightly lifted his chin, showing a proud and pleased expression.
Lan Zao went on: “After our leader used his ultimate form, Xiong Ju was no match at all. He couldn’t even see clearly where our leader was. Our leader was so fast, incredibly fast! Xiong Ju’s eyes simply couldn’t track our leader, let alone attack with that clumsy Golden Flower Steel Saw.”
“But after all, Xiong Ju was a renowned Silver Level fighter. He held out until the end before our leader knocked him out with a punch. Our leader is magnanimous. Seeing he had lost the ability to resist, he didn’t strike the killing blow. If it were me, I would eradicate the evil completely—with such a sneaky and despicable enemy, there would be nothing to say; killing him on the spot would have been entirely in accordance with the duel’s rules.”
“When our leader triumphed, thousands of people in the dueling field cheered in unison, shouting our leader’s name. It was truly blood-pumping. The cheers were like a tsunami that engulfed you. Only by being in the midst of it could you truly feel the greatness of our Lord!”
Lan Zao’s narrative was laced with his personal admiration, his strong veneration for the Dragon-man youth.
His words seemed to cause the mercenaries around him to show a look of serene longing.
After Lan Zao’s storytelling, the mercenaries, not yet satisfied, didn’t disperse but started discussing amongst themselves.
“Back on Twin Eyes Island, during the chaotic battle, I knew that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps leader was far beyond just Silver Level.”
“We hid in the cabin, whereas the leader fought fiercely! He was the one protecting us.”
“The Saber Gang is a local tyrant in Snowbird Port. If we want to move freely in the port, being alone might leave us vulnerable to their conspiracies and ambushes. It’s safer to stay on the ship.”
“Scared for what? I’d say let’s just fight it out with the Saber Gang. It’s no big deal, if we can’t beat them, we’ll simply sail away from the port.”
“Let’s not add trouble for Lord Long Fu. After all, there are Golden Fighters within the Saber Gang.”
“Even if they’re Golden Fighters, Lord Long Fu is not the slightest bit afraid.”
“Don’t think of our squad leader as an ordinary Silver Level. I believe he’s absolutely capable of defeating Teng Donglang, otherwise why would he openly challenge him?”
“Lord Long Fu has already defeated three heads of the Saber Gang, and there are three left. They’re definitely no match for him. As long as the squad leader defeats Teng Donglang, our mercenary group will be able to walk sideways in Snowbird Port. Heh heh heh…”
The mercenaries fantasized about the bright future prospects, but Lan Zao’s eyes hid a touch of concern.
Lan Zao had been at sea since his youth, wandering around and broadening his horizons. He knew there was a qualitative gap between Silver Level and Gold Level.
This point of qualitative change was related to Fighting Energy.
Silver Level Fighting Energy needs to attach to the human body or weapons and equipment. But at the Gold Level, Fighting Energy sheds these bindings and can exist independently.
Independently existing Golden Fighting Spirit gives fighters a qualitative improvement in attack range, modes of attack, and more, almost comparable to magic.
Of course, this is under the premise that the fighter has mastered the corresponding Gold Level Combat Skills.
Without Combat Skills, it’s hard to demonstrate the strength of a Golden Fighter.
“But does Teng Donglang lack Combat Skills?”
“He’s the influential Gang Leader of the Saber Gang, with vast resources at his disposal. He hails from the military of the Ice Sculpture Kingdom, with such connections, would he lack Combat Skills?” Lan Zao shook his head inwardly.
Even more likely, Teng Donglang might also possess Flying Combat Techniques.
Flying Combat Techniques are rare; most Golden Fighters seek them in vain.
Does Teng Donglang have one? This remains an unknown.
Currently, we cannot dismiss this possibility.
And once he can fly, that’s an unbeatable position; the Dragon-man youth would have a hard time posing any threat to him.
As Lan Zao worried silently, Chi Lai and Menshi were also discussing the duel that had taken place earlier in the day.
“Our squad leader’s combat power is incredibly strong; he’s definitely at the peak of the Silver Level.”
“The strength of the Saber Gang is substantial. Based on today’s duel, Xiong Ju showcased no less than three treasures. Especially in the later stages, the eyeballs he gouged out of himself were quite sinister.”
Why would Xiong Ju destroy his own equipment?
About this issue had also been discussed and researched by them.
Chi Lai and Menshi discussed and felt it was very likely that Xiong Ju couldn’t control that eyeball. So he destroyed it in advance to prevent himself from backlash.
“As for the intelligence on Teng Donglang, the last time he attacked was a year ago. It’s getting difficult to collect any more information on him from the Thief Guild. We don’t know much about Teng Donglang; he always stays hidden in the smoke. Although the squad leader won this battle, the information about his combat strength has been fully disclosed.”
“Sigh, unless Lord Long Fu is still hiding something up his sleeve, otherwise, I’m not optimistic about his duel with Teng Donglang.”
Chi Lai and Menshi held similar views.
They maintained a pessimistic attitude towards the duel between the Dragon-man youth and Teng Donglang.
Their Bloodline determined their upper limits; their highest achievements would only be Silver Level.
They had been at the Silver Level for a very long time. They understood the gap between the Silver Level and the Golden Level far better than Lan Zao and others.
Precisely because of their clarity, they knew all too well how difficult it was for a Silver Level to defeat a Golden Level.
“What can we do to help Lord Long Fu?” Chi Lai looked troubled.
Menshi touched his own Silver Level long-handled Warhammer and sighed, “Lord Long Fu’s own strength actually surpasses Xiong Ju’s. The reason today’s battle was tough mainly lies in Xiong Ju’s excellent equipment. It’s a pity that Lord Long Fu is a fighter who attacks with his bare hands. If he had some weapons, he would be more confident in dealing with Teng Donglang in the future.”
Chi Lai suggested, “If not weapons, perhaps we could buy some armor.”
Both were on the same track, seeking assistance from external articles.
Because a fighter’s own strength is a gradual process, with almost no sudden changes.
Fighters rely on the persistent and continuous cultivation of Fighting energy, Combat Skills, and so on, constantly digging into the body’s potential, accumulating day by day to unleash abruptly.
Zi Di let out a faint sigh of relief.
She had finally made it back to the Deep Sea Monster Fish in secret.
During their time on Twin Eyes Island and Snake Rat Island, the survivors secretly docked the Deep Sea Monster Fish near the seafloor close to the islands.
This time they did the same.
The Deep Sea Monster Fish had almost perfect camouflage; even under the Mage Tower’s watch, there was little chance of being discovered.
However, the tight defenses of Snowbird Port caused significant trouble for the survivors to return to the Deep Sea Monster Fish.
Zi Di had spent a lot of effort to sneak back aboard the Deep Sea Monster Fish.
Her first stop was the Captain’s cabin.
Here, she could operate the functions of the Deep Sea Monster Fish, directing many surveillance Alchemy Puppets to monitor every aspect of the docks and ships.
On one hand, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had Zong Ge as a witness, patrolling with numerous mercenaries.
On the other hand, many surveillance-type Alchemy Puppets also assisted in the scouting, striving to leave no blind spots within the surveillance range.
Through the surveillance of these Alchemy Puppets, Zi Di heard the discussions of Lan Zao, others, and Chi Lai and Menshi.
“Compared to the lower-level mercenaries, the higher-ups’ understanding is closer to reality.”
“Although Chi Lai and Menshi have recently joined the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, the personal charm of the squad leader has won them over. As of now, their loyalty doesn’t seem to be a problem.”
“The lower-level mercenaries are gradually becoming blindly worshipful towards the squad battles. They believe the squad leader can defeat a Golden Level powerhouse like Xiong Ju purely out of personal emotions, rather than stringent logic and factual basis.”
Zi Di believed there were mainly two reasons for this situation.
The primary reason was the consecutive victories under Long Fu’s leadership. Continuous victories bring pride and confidence. And more and more confidence can evolve into arrogance.
The second reason is people like Lan Zao and Bai Ya. Their adoration for the Dragon-man youth is from the deepest parts of their hearts, and it is expressed openly. The attitudes and feelings they reveal in their everyday speech and conduct silently affect and influence those around them. Among them, Lan Zao played the most significant role.
Zi Di gradually realized the role Lan Zao played.
His help to the Dragon-man youth was not merely about his personal ability. It also lay in how he could influence the lower-tier mercenaries’ perception of the top echelons.
Loyalty can be inherited.
Zi Di couldn’t help but recall that initially on Mysterious Monster Island, she was very opposed to the Dragon-man youth accepting Lan Zao because Lan Zao sacrificed his own brother, Huang Zao, for survival.
“It seems now that the Lord was right.”
“In this regard, I am far less capable than he is.”
Zi Di was pleased to see such a transformation in the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
The Dragon-man youth needed members like Lan Zao, especially as Zong Ge and Sanda vaguely formed another subgroup.
The Dragon-man youth needed someone to help him unite the other middle and lower tiers, solidifying his authority.
And in this aspect, neither Zi Di nor Cang Xu was very effective.
On the surface, it was because they were both Undead Mages, which could be frightening. The underlying reason had to do with their background, experiences, speech, behavior, and values, creating a natural barrier with the middle and lower tiers.
Having ensured the dock’s safety and confirmed that the Deep Sea Monster Fish was also secure, Zi Di left the Captain’s cabin and entered the Alchemy Cabin.
Today, during the day, she didn’t go with the Dragon-man youth to watch the duel. She had more important things to do.
Standing in front of the Alchemy Array, Zi Di took out a large quantity of Alchemy Materials from her storage device.
Previously, a lack of materials had restricted her during the Bloodline testing process, forcing her to stop.
But Snowbird Port was thriving in logistics and abundant in resources.
Zi Di had searched the entire day here and obtained many things she needed.
“Tonight, I should be able to test my own Bloodline, and perhaps Lan Zao’s Bloodline might also be revealed.”