Chapter 678: Air Raid

As long as we're still at sea, we can't escape the storm's gaze!

The middle‑aged man in a storm priest robe let out a light hum, then clasped his hands together in front of his mouth and nose, and began a low prayer.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again, his gaze tinged with puzzlement and weight as he looked at the Steam Church Archbishop behind him, and slowly exhaled:

"The 'Ghost Empire' is no longer in the Mist Sea."

He paused, then added, "It has appeared in the Furious Sea, shrouded in secrecy, its exact location cannot be pinpointed."

Xiaoduo Mo Mengte remained silent for two seconds, then whispered:

"Only one 'Mysterious Servant' has been active in this world lately: Cha Latu, the leader of the Secret Cult."

"Cha Latu?" the middle‑aged man murmured hesitantly, then asked, "Hasn't he been absent for a long time?"

"Through monitoring the Secret Cult, we found traces of Cha Latu's activity. According to the revelation granted by the God of Ten Thousand Machines, he should have already ascended to Sequence One."

"He left Indis long ago, and with the outbreak of war, the Church hasn't pursued him further."

Xiaoduo Mo Mengte gave a brief explanation, and the jet‑propelled craft beneath his feet emitted a pale blue flame, swiftly departing the sea.

The Furious Sea, affected by the lingering power of the Death God, is perpetually caught in fierce storms; the spirit realm and reality overlap to a great extent here, making spirit‑realm wandering hazardous.

Consequently, neither the True God Church nor secret societies rarely venture into the Furious Sea beyond the safe lanes.

The 'Ghost Empire' silently materialized within a pitch‑black storm, its exaggerated waves rising and falling violently.

The damp sea and rain, driven by the gale, poured into the city; silver‑white lightning struck intermittently, and the exaggerated tumult made the city feel as if it could sink at any moment.

Under these conditions the city can't be properly explored, unless I constantly wield the Sea God scepter above the gray mist to suppress the waves.

As the thought drifted, he saw Roselle stride straight to the magnificent high throne and sit down.

In that instant Roselle's figure suddenly grew towering and imposing, like a monarch gazing down on all beings, causing observers to instinctively avert their eyes.

Silently, the palace's sway lessened, and the sounds of waves, gale and lightning from outside gradually subsided.

Roselle waved casually and said to Ke Lai En:

"I can temporarily assume the title of Emperor to take over this city, using its unique ability to suppress the waves. You may use this time, together with that blood clan, to explore the city; if you gain anything, remember to share a portion with me."

"Fine."

Ke Lai En nodded, retrieved the palm‑sized bronze door formed from Lu De Wei Er's extracted trait, placed it into his portable iron box, and then strode out of the hall.

After Ke Lai En left, Roselle's complexion suddenly collapsed, and the mechanical parts on his body began popping out one by one, looking as if they could fall apart at any moment.

"Damn it, that was almost embarrassing."

"Hand me that thing you have; this mechanical doll's body can't withstand the lingering aura here."

Lei Ke Dun then tossed the golden crown wrapped in transparent amber toward him, adding, "There's residual psychic contamination on it; use it carefully, don't lose yourself again."

"What do you mean again? Apart from the 'Eternal Blazing Sun' incident, I haven't died a second time."

Roselle retorted offhandedly, crushing the transparent amber covering the golden crown with ease, turning it into specks of stardust that vanished.

He swapped the decorative crown on his head, and his aura instantly shifted; the dark‑red glow in his eyes turned to pale gold, shedding the chaotic distortion for a sense of dignity and solemnity.

When he spoke, the dignified image vanished at once: "I suddenly realized that dying for a while isn't bad; it lets you escape madness and shift from light to darkness, no longer drawing attention."

"Look, I've quietly cultivated and already obtained the 'Hand of Order' trait. Once I revive and acquire the unique 'Judicator' trait, my progress will surpass the Seven Gods, making me the closest being to the Past."

Lei Ke Dun calmly interjected, "If the Western Continent remains sealed, none of us can become the Past." Roselle crossed his legs, leaned back, and said leisurely:

"Heh, so you invested in both 'God' and the Lord of the Mysteries? Whoever revives or succeeds first, you can demand they lift the seal for you?"

"I knew it; when it comes to choosing sides and weaving conspiracies, you guys who wield knowledge and wisdom are true experts—utterly rational, never returning empty‑handed."

"Every word avoids naming a certain dragon, yet every sentence is about that dragon; in this regard, you and Angel Weide might share common ground."

He teased in line with his remark, and Lei Ke Dun steered the conversation back on track:

"My investment isn't solely for the Western Continent's seal; on the contrary, I'm not in a hurry about the seal. I hold an absolute advantage—so long as the seal is lifted before the primordial barrier shatters, I can accept it."

"The real danger comes from the starry sky; if you don't want to become food for their expanding authority, you must find suitable allies and seize their power first."

"Your ambition is huge!" Roselle remarked, then, curious, asked, "Wasn't your cooperation with the God of Knowledge and Wisdom from the start about helping it vie for the position of God, or rather, isn't that the main point of your collaboration?"

"He is the All‑Knowing One; you, to some extent, hold all the world's knowledge. Can't the two of you deduce a new combination of authority that could achieve a Past beyond the known?"

"You can guess." Lei Ke Dun smiled, not answering the question.

Roselle folded his legs, leaned uncertainly against the seat, and fell into thought.

In the western district of Beckland, Yue De Sen, in a good mood, perched on the second‑floor balcony, inhaling the not‑so‑fresh morning air of Beckland, gazing at the bustling streets afar; he planned to bid farewell to Leonard today and return to the 'Golden Dream' vessel.

After more than two months of preparation, with Daniz and others' help, he finally completed the exploration of the Jacob family's leftover treasure, obtaining the 'Parasite' trait from Pa Lie Si.

"Through this period of honing, my 'Dream Thief' elixir has digested a lot; perhaps in another two or three months I can start advancing to demigod?"

"You could have Bu Lu forge the 'Parasite' trait into a wondrous item, like the captain did. Hmm, Bu Lu's skill is limited; I could return to the Southern Continent to find other artisans—those two cats are good options."

Planning his clearly visible future, Yue De Sen felt in a great mood today and intended to go out for a slightly upscale bar to have a drink.

"Perhaps I could have a wonderful encounter after leaving Beckland… no, I can't; my heart belongs to the captain."

While wrestling with his thoughts, Yue De Sen's inspiration was suddenly sparked; he instinctively turned his head skyward, and within the not‑thin cloud layer, numerous deep‑brown airships crowded in.

The airships bore a red‑white‑blue flag with diagonal stripes—the flag of Fu Sa Ke! Yue De Sen froze for a second, a string in his mind suddenly tightened, as if he were intensely stimulated by war! Fu Sa Ke withdrew from the Southern Continent battlefield because they are declaring war on Lu En!

"Now, I must leave Beckland, leave Lu En; I have no official status here—whether it's Fu Sa Ke's army or Lu En's authorities, I'm a dangerous element that needs to be dealt with."

"The steam train will surely be seized; I need to contact the captain and find someone who can spirit‑realm roam to pick me up."

Muttering to himself, he saw a visible gust rise from the Holy Wind Cathedral, a wailing, spiraling gale turning mid‑air into successive teal‑black wind blades that shot toward the densely packed airships.

These massive, sharp wind blades, as they neared the sky‑borne airships, were blocked by a barrier formed of solidified dawn light.

Simultaneously, the airships' cannon mouths, machine‑gun ports, and launch bays opened, all aimed downward.

Boom! Boom! Boom! The fierce wind collided with air, producing explosive sounds; a terrifying, visible hurricane spiraled and coiled, the airflow whipping into an unrestrained tornado! The hurricane surged upward, intercepting and shredding the tilted shells and bullets on the airships, exploding into a dazzling spray of sparks.

The tornado lasted barely two seconds, then surged outward in all directions, turning into a terrifying teal‑black storm, rising like mountain‑shaped waves that hurled the airships away.

Within the teal‑black storm, a flash of light resembling blood mingled with rust briefly enveloped all the airships, linking them into a single entity that steadied amid the hurricane.

On the ground, Yue De Sen kept swallowing, and having passed the 'Decryptor Scholar' stage, the obstructions in his sight couldn't hinder his view; he could easily reconstruct the clearer aerial battle scene in his mind.

A battlefield where high-sequence extraordinary beings participate is like a moving natural disaster; is this the scene that the captain and they experienced on the front lines of the battlefield?

Fortunately the captain has already been promoted to "Prophet", allowing them to relatively easily avoid potential dangers; otherwise, even piloting the Golden Dream, survival on the battlefield would be difficult.

(End of chapter)