Chapter 158: The King Pretends to Have a Temple

"Is this what's called 'The King Pretends to Have a Temple'?"

Because the votive power of sea scouts was too thin, even a new god like Xiao Lingdang could gorge herself freely.

Of course, the Church of the Sea God dared do this precisely because the native gods of this world knew no such technique, but for Feng Xue's shamanic arts, siphoning votive power from various places to feed his own phantom god was already basic basics.

Moreover, since roles like "scouts" or "reconnaissance agents" inherently aligned well with the concept of 【Guiding】, Xiao Lingdang didn't even need Feng Xue to set up an altar to absorb these votive powers infused with the Sea God's micro-avatars—she could simply gobble them up as she found them.

Using the false intelligence transmitted by the scouts under Xiao Lingdang's control, the Church of the Sea God believed the Dayun had already sailed for some time in the opposite direction and had now chosen to turn back.

After completing the deception, the remaining scouts instantly transformed into guides, leading the Dayun through stretch after stretch of sea that appeared utterly calm but teemed with deadly peril, until over an hour later—close to one in the morning—they caught the rhythm of war.

As if passing through an invisible barrier, the thick fog that had blanketed the sea since they took the "correct" route vanished instantly; at the edge of vision, flames kept rising along the coastline.

On the nautical chart, the island where the temple stood was only about fifty kilometers away; before that "shore" where the Sea God's power could not reach, exoskeleton-clad cyber-warriors, beast-summoners with obvious beast-like features, and even a few rare divine-favored gathered in clusters, charging the water curtain summoned by the Sea God's priests.

Amidst the backdrop of artillery fire and large-scale spells, warriors of at least Excellent rank were slaughtering each other; now it was impossible to tell who was defending and who was attacking—only one thing was certain: the rune-chains pinning the Sea God's curtain firmly to the shore had become the center of everyone's contest.

Every time a rune-chain was severed, the votive power spreading onto the shore would suddenly recoil, followed immediately by a volley of artillery fire—but most often, before the next wave of warriors could rush through the breach, new rune-chains, dragging divine power, would fall back into place.

Some tried to directly attack the seven admiral-class spell-ships that projected the chains, but each such ship represented a warrior standing at the peak of Excellent rank.

An admiral-class Sea Folk, even a junior admiral, was no longer merely a conventional spellcaster; after prolonged immersion in the Sea God's power, their bodies were likely no less formidable than those of top-tier beast-summoners.

Through aerial reconnaissance by a small drone, Feng Xue caught a lifespan—

791852.

This was a remaining lifespan exceeding two thousand years, and a warrior with such longevity possessed strength commensurate with it.

The moment Feng Xue saw that lifespan, the opponent's gaze met the drone's lens; the next instant, the screen went completely black.

"The drone was destroyed? Should we continue reconnaissance?" Before Feng Xue could speak, Xiao Lingdang had already asked—this actually eased Feng Xue's mind; at least, she hadn't been injured by that distant glance.

"No, immediately change position, head toward…"

Feng Xue was about to say "north," when a brilliant orange radiance surged from the north and slammed into one of the admiral-class ships; countless divine spell-chains shattered instantly—but at the same time, a voice of furious rage erupted.

Feng Xue saw a figure rapidly swell until it reached over a hundred meters tall, then halted; its terrifying size did nothing to hinder its agility—the colossal being, resembling the Sea Giant he'd seen earlier on the blockade line, swung one palm, and the artillery ship that had landed the hit rolled helplessly across the sea, spinning seven or eight full circles before crashing down and sending up a massive wave that even made the Dayun, dozens of kilometers away, shake.

After unleashing that furious strike, the giant did not shrink nor press further; instead, he calmly stood guard before the now-broken corner of the Sea God's curtain—though the divine power there was already weak, no one dared approach.

"Phew…" Feng Xue took a deep breath, glanced again at the lifespan locked above his head, and finally mustered the courage to say:

"Toward the side guarded by that giant—but don't get too close. Look for cover—reefs, anything?"

"Are you insane? That's a Sea Giant transformation! Even at peak Excellent rank, its physical strength is enough to make many lower-tier Outstanding-level masters avoid it!" Feina rarely showed reluctance to act—but this very reluctance proved that this entity didn't even need her to think; it had already triggered her "don't die stupidly" mental imprint.

"That's why I said don't get close. Xiao Lingdang, any results?"

"Report, Master: about twenty kilometers from this coastline lies a reef cluster. Originally, it was a small Shanfeng, but the rocks there are too low to conceal us."

Xiao Lingdang reported swiftly; Feng Xue stared at the chart's annotation and shook his head:

"Fine. Slowly navigate there. Mo Ying, cast a ghostly veil!"

At Feng Xue's words, Mo Ying's ghostly form reluctantly drifted out of the scroll, stretching longer and flatter; under Feng Xue's endless infusion of magical energy, she finally stretched into a thin film, completely obscuring the entire side of the Dayun facing the island.

Instantly, the battlefield's artillery roars seemed muffled, as if heard through a thick barrier—like watching a grand screen, less vivid.

Feng Xue now pulled out an altar table, lit two candles, then took out a pre-made pendant: a Bai Tu hugging a mortar and pestle, placing it at the center of the altar.

Well, Feng Xue had also considered summoning the Star of Longevity, the Great Emperor of Preserving Life, the Immortal of the Southern Pole, or even the Great Emperor of Southern Pole Longevity—but Senior Li had once said: the shamanic path most forbids overreaching. You must nurture a god matching your own level; otherwise, if you can't provide the necessary offerings, not only will your phantom god fail to reach its potential, you might also accrue great karmic debt.

After careful thought, Feng Xue decided Bai Tu was more suitable: it carried the legend of the "White Rabbit pounding medicine," aligned with his understanding, connected to mythic figures like Chang'e and Xiwangmu, and most importantly—he already possessed two blessed tools related to Moon and Healing. When he had more resources later, he might even be able to summon Xiwangmu herself.

Watching the Dayun enter the reef cluster, Feng Xue immediately cleared his mind, focused his spirit, and as the three incense sticks ignited, he slowly released his perception, letting votive power rise gently; using Xiao Lingdang's 【Goddess of Guidance】 trait, he bound a strand of his own votive power and let it drift toward the breach…

(End of Chapter)