Chapter 351: Collision Across the Void

"This is likely no natural weather! The wind follows the tiger, the clouds follow the dragon! The main event should be arriving soon." Sinuoli stood up to gaze into the distance; he could faintly sense the immense power hidden within this storm.

"I know about dragons, but what is a tiger?" Buluokesen stroked his beard. Having served as the head of the Southlands Engineer Hanghui for several years and presided over world-renowned major projects, this young man now possessed the air of a superior.

"Just a type of Zhendan beast; you will see for yourself when the time comes."

Sinuoli shook his head with a light smile. The staff accompanying him to Zhendan had already been arranged at the beginning of the year. Buluokesen was ranked as the chief among them; operating the ship's equipment was impossible without him, and he was also a key backbone should there be an opportunity to investigate the secrets of the Terracotta Sentinel.

"Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The sound of the wind grew louder, and the clouds in the sky gradually approached the shore. The Dwarf soldiers also realized the change, and they gathered in front of the harbor to wait for the visitors from Zhendan.

"How spectacular!"

Sinuoli took out his telescope to gaze at the fleet rushing out from beneath the clouds. Driven by the unnatural gale, their sails were fully billowed, rapidly closing in on the coastline.

According to the intelligence previously obtained, the Dragon Fleet comprised various types of ships of different sizes and purposes. Excluding small boats, the large vessels could be roughly divided into five types.

Forming the vanguard of the formation were several slender warships, followed by larger, wider ocean-going transport ships used for carrying warhorses and war beasts, which the Cathayans called "horse ships."

On both sides of the horse ships were "grain ships" used for transporting food; they were slightly smaller in size but had a deep draft. Behind the vanguard, the main force consisted of "Zuochan," which could be used to carry personnel and cargo, and also possessed combat capabilities.

"Is that thing behind also a ship? How is it even bigger than a Dreadnought!"

"By the Ancestor Gods, that looks comparable to the Xuexing Lueduozhe Hao that His Majesty Sinuoli sank before!"

"What military might! No wonder the Zhendan navy can travel unimpeded throughout the Bagu!"

"How much timber must that thing have taken!"

The Dwarfs had seen something of the previous four types as trade expanded, but the massive object behind them drew bursts of exclamation; compared to it, the ships in front seemed like underage children.

"What a treasure ship!"

Even with his prior mental preparation, Sinuoli couldn't help but praise it aloud. This flagship of Yin Yin was likely two hundred meters long; excluding the hull, the ship tower alone was four stories high. Nine masts stood on the deck, with twelve sails hanging from them.

Those huge sails flapped loudly in the gale, and hundreds of people below shouted in unison to coordinate their control, driving this giant ship straight toward the coast.

"What petty thieves dare to run wild in my territory, Outekelasi?"

Before the Dwarfs could form the welcoming formation they had just rehearsed yesterday, a pale yellow magic barrier suddenly rose from the ground, covering the entire Bone Temple.

The barrier blocked out the fierce wind that had been stinging people's cheeks, making the Bone Temple a world unto itself under the abnormal weather, followed by the voice of Lord Outelakesi, amplified by magic.

"Hmph!"

A delicate snort came from the approaching fleet; neither the howling wind, the surging waves, nor the shouting of men and horses could prevent it from reaching the ears of everyone present.

"This is truly a coincidence!"

Seeing a conflict between allies about to erupt, Sinuoli sighed inwardly. But if he were to analyze it, he feared that all three parties present, including himself, were happy to see this.

Yin Yin had come to pay a visit, but making such a big scene was mainly to show off her strength, and exerting force against thin air naturally wasn't as effective as having a target.

As for Outekelasi, the geomantic bridge tower had finally been repaired after many years, and it naturally had the idea of testing its effects. The Dragon Emperor's princess happened to be a choice of sufficient weight, and the excessive fanfare gave it a pretext to strike.

The Dwarfs loved to watch the excitement, and Sinuoli himself wanted to see just how strong the Ming Dragon was, while also being able to secretly learn a trick or two about how the Slann utilized geomantic power.

"I command this wind to be calm and the sea to be tranquil!"

Following the low chant of the second-generation Slann, a gradually enlarging phantom of a toad floated above the bridge tower; although not particularly solid or clear, a careful look revealed the features to be those of Outekelasi.

Sinuoli could feel the geomantic energy in this area frantically converging toward the bridge tower. As the energy increased, the phantom swelled like a balloon to the height of half a pyramid.

The Demon Toad phantom raised its claws and gestured toward the sky, and the storm clouds stopped in their tracks. It nodded slightly, muttered something, and then split its claws to the left and right, intending to directly disperse the dark clouds.

"A grain of sand trying to shine like a pearl!"

A clear, elegant female voice appeared in Sinuoli's ear. Although he did not see the speaker, everyone knew to whom it belonged.

If the Slann were really allowed to disperse the gale, the sailing giant ship without rowers would lose its source of power and would have to wait for the evening tide to reach the shore. It was still morning, and if the Dwarfs were made to wait on the shore until then, Yin Yin would lose face.

"Awooo!

"

A resonant dragon roar resounded across the entire shifting mangrove coastline—to prevent the Warm-blooded from stepping into their jungles, the Slann of the Southlands used a Great Incantation to fill the entire coastline with illusions that constantly changed and moved.

"This Zhendan dragon is very different from the pointy-ears'!"

"She has no wings, how did she fly up?"

"What a long one!"

A cerulean True Dragon soared up with a "whoosh" from the treasure ship in the center of the fleet; she shook her body lightly and increased her altitude, flying into the clouds.

"The dragon is the chief of all scaled creatures; it can be hidden or manifest, small or giant, short or long."

Sinuoli squinted his eyes, staring at the True Dragon shaking its head and waving its claws in the clouds, muttering to himself. A few drops of moisture blurred his vision. Who would have thought he would see the divine beast widely worshipped in his previous life in another world.

This cerulean giant beast had horns like a deer, a head like a camel, eyes like a rabbit, a mouth like a donkey, a belly like a snake, scales like a fish, feet like a phoenix, whiskers like a man, and ears like a cow; it was a genuine Eastern Shenlong!

"Hehe, little toad, you are far inferior to your predecessors!" Yin Yin stared with her dragon eyes at the phantom also suspended in the air, and after a moment of confrontation, she spoke in human language from her large mouth.

As soon as she finished speaking, she coiled her slender body and opened her large mouth to inhale deeply. The energy in the clouds seemed to be gathering toward her as well, and the mane behind the dragon's head began to quiver with heart-stopping electric light.

"Awooo!

"

Yin Yin let out a deafening dragon roar and spat out a thick, cerulean beam of light from her mouth.

"Boom!"

"Crackle!"

This beam of light was as fast as lightning, instantly striking the barrier raised by Outekelasi. This charged strike was immensely powerful; within the span of two breaths, the barrier began to flicker. Seeing this, the Slann phantom raised its claws again.