Chapter 998: A Slide Stop

If Anthony is Gulliani, then Konisai is Dai Sen, and the enemy across from them is the sect’s “orthodox” faction—their own partner, likely the weaker side, who brought them in to turn the tide.

And the other side probably also brought in another group, which is why they dared to go all out.

This no-nonsense, “die now” posture clearly meant internal strife had reached a fever pitch, leaving no room for the opponent to speak.

A sect of ten million people cannot avoid conflict; a fight is normal. Ange is Anthony’s backing—so let them fight, since Ange has already moved.

Ange stepped forward, one hand drawn back in a throwing stance, scales on his arm surging, his palm coalescing into a spear, then hurling it with force.

The spear vanished with a whoosh the moment it left his hand, nowhere to be seen—it hadn’t pierced the cabin.

Everyone surged onto the deck behind Ange, and immediately saw the spear: the Lightning Spear now hung suspended in midair, a thick bolt of lightning slicing through the water curtain and striking the spear.

Apparently, the opponent had summoned a bolt of lightning, but Ange had thrown the Lightning Spear and caught it, using the lightning as a tether to link the spear to the water curtain above.

Konisai’s expression changed drastically: “Damn it, the Sanctuary Guardian has allied with him. My people didn’t stop him—either they surrendered or died. We must leave now, or it’ll be too late.”

Anthony gave him a approving look and asked calmly, “Who is he?”

He was decisive—even under these circumstances, he still thought of escaping first, not panicking. His stress tolerance was exceptional. Anthony liked subordinates like this.

“The other High Priest, Bonide.” Konisai replied.

“And who is the Sanctuary Guardian?” Anthony asked.

“The force that guards the Sanctuary—about a hundred Sanctuary Warriors, authorized to activate the defensive array Heaven’s Thunder. Once activated, it gathers the thunderous power of the entire sky and sea. If one strike fails to destroy the enemy, the thunderous energy keeps accumulating, escalating in power until the enemy is obliterated. Quickly get your people to safety—we must leave now.” Konisai spoke rapidly.

No sooner had Konisai finished speaking than the other end of the lightning began to extend. The lightning had split from the water curtain above, and now it branched out like growing limbs, spreading across the water curtain.

Of course, this was merely a visual illusion—those weren’t spreading branches, but converging currents; more lightning elements were pouring into the bolt, triggering countless finer sparks.

Still escalating in power? Anthony looked at Ange: “My lord, should we leave first?”

Ange shook his head.

Seeing Ange’s refusal, Anthony relaxed—he clearly knew this attack hadn’t surpassed Ange’s capacity to handle it.

Konisai glanced at Ange, then at Anthony, and finally realized his earlier intuition had been right: Ange seemed even more inscrutable than Anthony. This man was truly the lord.

But this won’t do, Konisai said: “If you still want to be the All-Knowing Lord, you must stop calling him ‘my lord.’ The All-Knowing Lord is omnipotent—no one is above him.”

Anthony smiled faintly: “Even if ‘I’ were to manifest my true form, I would still call him ‘my lord.’ This is Lord Ange, the Primordial Void.”

Konisai blinked in confusion—he clearly had no idea what “Primordial Void” meant.

While they spoke these few sentences, the lightning thickened another circle—but the Lightning Spear was not destroyed; instead, it too thickened.

The Lightning Spear was formed from thunderous energy; the lightning couldn’t destroy it—it fed it more power, like tossing a torch into dry grass, making it burn fiercer.

The opponent realized something was wrong. As thunderous energy piled up, the point where lightning met the spear had become a massive energy core, its reaction growing ever stronger. If this continued, even if the spear were destroyed, the entire energy core would explode.

A frantic voice shouted: “Shut it off! Shut off Heaven’s Thunder!” It was the same voice that had ordered them to die.

Anthony glanced at Konisai, who immediately replied: “It’s Bonide.”

Soon after, another voice shouted: “Can’t shut it off! The defense array isn’t gathering lightning—it’s being pushed by the lightning itself. We can’t shut it down!”

Anthony’s mind stirred. He looked up at Ange.

If the lightning were controlled, it was merely the Sanctuary’s defense array. But if it became an uncontrolled explosion after accumulating massive thunderous energy, the consequences would be dire—disrupting the balance of lightning elements between sky and sea, possibly destroying the entire bubble.

What the hell is this spear? How can it withstand such intensity of thunderous energy?

Bonide’s voice cried urgently: “My lords, please destroy that spear! If it explodes, we’re all finished!”

Anthony and Konisai exchanged a glance. Konisai shook his head—he didn’t know who “my lords” referred to.

But they soon found out: two Deathless Undead Soldiers emerged, running across the air. One charged toward the spear in the sky, the other toward Ange’s position on the semi-submerged vessel.

Konisai’s legs buckled. He screamed in despair: “Deathless Undead Soldiers! He’s allied with Leo’s Court! Damn it, he betrayed the All-Knowing Lord! We’re finished!”

Only the Grand Councilor and the six Councilors could deploy Deathless Undead Soldiers. In Leo’s territory, only Leo’s Court could send them.

If any other faction dared to interfere, they would never send Deathless Undead Soldiers—every one of them swore loyalty to the Grand Councilor and would never wander elsewhere.

Seeing the Deathless Undead Soldiers, Konisai knew it was over. Leaving aside their power alone, their mere presence here signaled Leo’s Court’s stance. No wonder the Sanctuary Guardian had silently defected to Bonide.

Thinking of this, Konisai gritted his teeth, tore off his robe, and shouted: “You go—I’ll hold them off. You’re men of honor. Please, do your best to sell grain here!”

Anthony was half-amused, half-exasperated. Which eye did he see that made him think Anthony was a man of honor? To ask him to sell grain here—did he not believe in Leo’s Court? Could Leo’s Court not even feed ten million followers?

But there was no time to ask. Anthony pulled out the badge of the Grand Councilor’s friend, flicked his thumb, and sent it flying into the air before catching it again, like flipping a coin.

Yet that simple flick—heard in the souls of the two Deathless Undead Soldiers—rang like a great bell within them, causing them to skid to a sudden halt, staring in shock at Anthony’s palm, then sprinting over in a hurry.