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墨書 Inktalez
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and the days began to lengthen. A small magic circle appeared beside the main house of Lich, and Baor was within the circle. Cui Ming was not exaggerating; although Baor was not a once-in-a-century talent, he was still an elite. He felt no fear, but rather a sense of excitement.
Lich was teaching Six Elements within the magic circle, reciting each line for Baor to repeat. Then they began the process of condensing energy. This stage of cultivation was the most dangerous; many aspiring practitioners had perished at this point, and many wildlings failed to pass Six Elements because of it.
Baor's comprehension was quite good, and he quickly entered the condensing state. Seeing this, Lich stepped out of the magic circle, feeling somewhat fatigued. He instructed Warden and Cui Ming, "You two guard the circle. If anyone tries to enter its range, break any Force Stone. If Baor shows any signs of distress, call for me immediately."
After saying this, Lich, who had not slept for a long time, headed toward his house. Yun'er, standing nearby with a cold expression, looked somewhat troubled. She did not understand why Cui Ming was chosen to guard the circle instead of herself. At that moment, Lich turned and said, "Yun'er, take some people to repair the bamboo house at West Beach; it's time to learn some culture."
"Yes." Yun'er instinctively lowered her head in response, biting her lip but remaining silent as she walked toward two maids to attend to her tasks.
After all, Baor was still very young. Lich had barely rested for half an hour when Warden woke him up. When Lich arrived to check on Baor, he saw that Baor's face was pale and trembling. He immediately entered the magic circle to assist Baor, spending two hours stabilizing his condition before dragging his exhausted body back to rest. Half an hour later, Lich still had not fallen asleep; continuous work had drained his energy, and this was just the beginning.
Once, twice—only the first day had passed—and Lich had not slept at all. He simply spread a blanket near the magic circle and seized any opportunity to doze off. Finally, Baor entered another state of distress. Warden intended to wake Lich again when Yun'er rushed in like the wind: "I'll handle it."
Before Yun'er could enter the magic circle, Lich appeared before her in an instant, blocking her way with his back turned: "Yun'er, you should go rest; there are many things to take care of. Don't come over anymore." He then stepped into the magic circle. After standing there for a long time in a daze, Yun'er turned and left. As she walked away, Cui Ming noticed her covering her face and crying softly. Oh girl, if you continue like this, Lich won't think you're wronged; he'll believe you were plotting something.
After enduring two more episodes with Baor's condition, Lich finally managed to get two precious hours of sleep. With this rest, he could support himself for several more days. Now it depended on when Baor would complete the condensing process; if it took more than five days, Baor would either die or be rendered useless.
Cui Ming and Warden took turns resting, demonstrating their loyalty as faithful guardians. They did not want anything bad to happen to Baor because if he did suffer misfortune, there would be no Magic Circle left. Their concern was genuine; Lich noticed this and felt touched. After his two hours of sleep, he instructed them both to rest for four hours—eat something, relieve themselves, and take a nap before returning.
Cui Ming and Warden walked side by side for a while before exchanging meaningful glances and parting ways; Cui Ming returned to his cave. After eating some smoked meat and looking up at the sky in the distance, he spotted an airship appearing high above—a vessel at least seventy kilometers from Shadow Island and over eight thousand meters high, hovering like a moon in the sky.
Cui Ming borrowed a telescope from the female doctor to observe the airship; it looked quite ordinary. Was Ye Family planning an attack? No; even an exhausted Lich was an invincible presence. The Ye Family would not be so foolish as to launch a large-scale assault on Shadow Island. After observing for a while longer, he noticed that the airship slowly drifted away.
Onboard the airship, Ye Xin used a high-powered telescope to survey Shadow Island before moving aside to stand next to Ye Wen and asking a busy Female Officer: "How is it?"
The Female Officer stood at attention and replied: "All data has been collected."
"Very good."
At that moment, the command room door swung open as Yellen strode in purposefully toward Ye Xin. Ye Xin stepped forward slightly when Yellen raised his fist and knocked him down. Ye Xin did not resist but got back up only for Yellen to knock him down again repeatedly until Ye Wenda finally spoke up from where he had been sitting quietly: "Yellen, that's enough." The others around them continued with their tasks as if they hadn't seen anything.
Yellen turned to Ye Wen and asked, "Why?"
Ye Wen stood up and walked to the edge of the airship. Yellen followed, and Ye Wen gazed at the magnificent glaciers, saying, "Twilight City has been developing integrated warfare technology while completely ignoring the existence of the ocean. With technological advancements, the Dawn Empire's Buoy has monopolized global communications. A single phone call or telegram holds no secrets before them. We do not seek to contest maritime supremacy with the Dawn Empire, but we must carve out our own territory."
"Currently, the Dawn Empire's Navy and Buoy are centered around the South China Sea. According to the Ministry of Defense's plans, we need to occupy the North Sea. For years, Twilight City has used the excuse of spreading civilization to support two City-States' Armed forces, achieving victories. Now, through canals, we have gained an outlet in the Northern region. At this outlet, we have constructed the headquarters of Twilight City's Navy. Although it is quite rudimentary, it has everything we need."
"The Navy has several construction plans. The first is to establish ocean-based stations by building transmission towers using wireless technology, connecting to Nuo Duo in the east and Bujidao in the west. Simultaneously, we will build a network of communication stations on land centered around the Eastern Continent to seize control of communications from the Dawn Empire. Once successful, it will directly eliminate the outdated Buoy. The second plan is to become the dominant force in the North Sea. The North Sea is crucial; through rivers, our ships can attack seventy percent of the Fire Religion Nation while opening commercial routes in the North. Why? Because according to our undercover intelligence, Pirate King Ronk is colluding with the Dawn Empire, which explains why some important merchant ships from Twilight City have been repeatedly attacked."
Ye Wenda added, "To achieve these goals, we must have justifiable reasons; after all, the North Sea has long been within the sphere of influence of the Dawn Empire. Everyone fears Lich; we fear him too—no one can match Lich—but he also has vulnerabilities. He cannot leave Shadow Island. This era is different; no one would charge onto an island with a shield and Greatsword to fight Lich."
Yellen asked, "So what is the objective?"
"We aim to level Shadow Island," Ye Wen replied while looking at Yellen and added, "In simple terms, sink Shadow Island."
Ye Xin interjected, "At the same time, it will demonstrate our Navy's strength before the Dawn Empire."
Yellen remarked, "But isn't that meaningless? Whether Lich exists or not is just a matter of occupying an island; he is merely an excuse for the Ministry of Defense, right?"
"That can't be entirely true; Shadow Island poses significant threats. Lich has killed many."
Yellen countered, "What about those twenty-one lives on the Research Vessel? Knowing it was a dangerous period, they still sent people near Shadow Island and even deviated towards it?"
Ye Wenda said, "Yellen, let's not discuss these meaningless matters; there’s something I need you to do."
"What is it?"
"You need to communicate with the Ding Family to ensure that the Dawn Empire temporarily refrains from interfering with our actions. The Eternity Alliance has already erupted into chaos; the Dawn Empire accuses us of sending our forces into their controlled waters. Their Navy is moving north through the strait. We must persuade them based on our Force Alliance that this battle isn't about dominating the North Sea but rather a necessity for Force Alliance; we cannot allow Lich to act recklessly any longer and must teach him a lesson. Of course, this has already been explained within the Eternity Alliance, but having cultivators as witnesses would make things much simpler." Ye Wenda continued, "Yellen, I know what you are thinking; however, from another perspective, Lich's clan has killed far more people over centuries than just those twenty-one lives—and it will continue."
Yellen said, "Fourth Brother, Lich is bound by a contract with Death and trapped on Shadow Island. If Shadow Island ceases to exist, will Lich still be restricted by that contract? We shouldn't let such an unmatched being loose."
"The likelihood of that happening is low," Ye Wen replied.
"I hope so," Yellen said as she turned to leave. Halfway through her departure, she turned back and pointed at Ye Xin: "Those who commit many wrongs will bring about their own demise."
Ye Wen watched Yellen leave and said, "Yellen has that kind of personality; don't take it to heart."
Ye Xin smiled, "I am friends with him; I understand his character. Yellen is just too idealistic. Those who commit unjust acts will ultimately meet their demise. Look at any famous general; they all rise to power over countless bones. If we succeed in this plan, it will be a righteous act."
Ye Wen asked, "But how would Yellen know that we deliberately arranged for the Research Vessel?"
Ye Xin sighed, "Fourth Brother, don't forget about Ye Shi. Ye Shi wouldn't hide anything from Yellen."
"By the way, speaking of Ye Shi, the Cao Family has contacted me multiple times. An elder even visited the Ye Family specifically to see me. What do you think? Should I agree or not?"
Ye Xin asked, "Fourth Brother, what would be the reason for not agreeing? Cao Yi is young and outstanding, a remarkable talent. Limitless Swordsmanship has immense potential, and since the Cao Family is a prestigious family, Cao Yi will undoubtedly be the future head of the family. I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't agree."
"Ding Ze," Ye Wen replied.
"Ding Ze?" Ye Xin countered.
"You saw what happened during the ambush on the Fire Cult. Cui Ming is quite charismatic, well-connected, and has a good reputation. As a rogue, he can rally a group of over ten elite fighters; that's quite impressive. To put it bluntly, none of the Four Great Families have as many elite fighters as he does. Cui Ming is very emotional and rational; emotionally, he doesn't base his position on right or wrong but rather on whether he feels happy or unhappy. Rationally? If he doesn't want to do something, he simply won't do it. Indeed, a marriage alliance won't necessarily lead to everyone becoming friends."
Ye Xin pondered for a moment: "So what Fourth Brother means is that there is currently a circle among rogues whose strength is not weaker than any prestigious family. If we can win them over, it would be beneficial for our Ye Family."
(Note: Recently I've been busy with my youngest daughter's kindergarten matters; there aren't many drafts left. Just as the European Cup has reached the knockout stage and my Eldest Daughter is on summer vacation, it's truly a case of misfortune coming in waves.)
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