Chapter 298: 304. Chapter 304: The Target of Many Arrows

304. Chapter 304: The Target of Many Arrows

"Prepare to ambush."

The captain of the Grand Sage Tower gave an order.

The other 11 mages obeyed the order, secretly preparing to sortie.

After discovering Linke Grand's whereabouts, the captain of the Grand Sage Tower devised multiple contingency plans.

One of those plans was meant to deal with the current situation.

The well-coordinated Grand Sage Tower team needed no extra drills; knowing the basics sufficed for them to adjust on the fly according to the actual situation.

"Get ready, seize the opportunity to close in and strike hard."

The Shadow City captain likewise spotted Lin Ke's figure and keenly noticed the subtle changes opposite, letting out a low shout.

Including Christina, the 11 team members hastened their efforts to shake off the suppressed state.

Once the Grand Sage Tower team turned to deal with Linke Grand, the Shadow City captain would surely seize the chance to unleash a strong attack.

The Shadow City captain was unsure whether the force sent by Ruowosuosicheng truly had no intention of seizing the Saint's Inheritance.

But taking out the Grand Sage Tower team first would never be a mistake.

Christina divided her attention, glancing toward Lin Ke.

Although it's bad to be distracted on the battlefield, Christina really wanted to ask how her daughter Jialuona has been lately.

No one knew what Linke Grand was actually thinking.

Since he could silently break through the Landmine Formation, why not try a covert ambush?

Why reveal himself and draw attention?

Could he have other plans?

"Don't act rashly; beware of deceit."

The Grand Sage Tower captain realized this possibility and warned the team.

"Understood."

The well-coordinated team members promptly responded.

The carefully prepared measures specifically targeting Linke Grand were readied but not unleashed.

Unless they were confident of a decisive strike, they would not use it lightly.

A triangle is the most stable geometric structure.

The Grand Sage Tower team and the Shadow City team faced off head-on, while Linke Grand observed from the side.

The two teams, already trending toward a stalemate, were stirred by Lin Ke's unexpected intrusion, smoothly shifting their tactics to become less aggressive.

Regardless of their original intentions, they both became more cautious, showing no sign of unleashing big moves as they had upon first meeting.

Even if one side freed itself from the suppressed state, their mental energy, magic, and thought processes were no longer sluggish; the other side had dispelled the poison's negative effects, restoring body and sea of consciousness to normal, and neither side launched another fierce assault.

They even tacitly pulled back a little distance from each other.

The Grand Sage Tower team did this to fine-tune their formation, making it easier to employ the measures specially prepared for Linke Grand;

while the Shadow City team did so to gather strength, aiming to launch a swifter, fiercer surprise attack and close in for a hard strike.

Suddenly, merely by appearing and doing nothing, Linke Grand's figure influenced the battlefield like foam that vanished without a trace.

It turned out that was not a real person, but an incredibly lifelike illusion!

"Cheh!"

The Grand Sage Tower captain cursed angrily.

He was simply disgusted that he had been successfully grossed out.

"Heh..."

The Shadow City captain rarely smiled.

Since receiving the mission to excavate the Saint's Inheritance, the Shadow City captain hadn't smiled at all.

Until just now.

However, Linke Grand's deceitful tactic—whether sorcery or aided by a magical implement—was truly stunning.

Not only the 24 mages present but also two warships failed to see through that mere illusion.

"Captain, what should we do now?"

Christina suddenly spoke, uttering her first words since joining the team.

"Wait."

The Shadow City captain gave a brief reply, then asked, "Do you know Linke Grand, right?"

"Yes."

Christina did not hide this fact.

Many knew that she had taken a six-month leave, staying in Ruowosuosicheng until her daughter's birth, before returning to Shadow City.

Those with connections easily traced her background and found Linke Grand.

After all, the timing was too coincidental, and Linke Grand's exploits came one after another, his fame rising repeatedly, making it hard not to draw connections.

"Is there a way to contact him? I want to discuss cooperation with him."

The Shadow City captain pondered and then said:

"Sorry, Captain."

Christina's eyes flickered with a hint of apology: "I have no way to contact Linke Grand under these circumstances."

"Really none?"

The Shadow City captain repeated the question.

"Really none."

Christina kept her previous answer unchanged.

"Well, forget it."

Shadow City captain sighed, no longer insisting.

He sensed that Christina actually had a way to urgently contact Linke Grand, but she was unwilling to bring it out.

If he were in Christina's position, he would likely make the same choice nine times out of ten.

Duty is public business; friendship is private favor.

Using one's private favor to accomplish public business that hardly concerns oneself is terribly unwise.

Even if they preserved the Holy Sage Sect's inheritance, what could the twelve wizards of their team possibly gain?

Just some rewards.

"Captain, what should we do?"

Among the Grand Sage Tower team, a wizard couldn't hold back his emotions and asked.

Being forced by an illusion to at least be at a loss for words, if not completely flustered, is truly disgraceful.

What's more disgraceful is that they still haven't discovered where the opponent's true body is.

Even contacting the rear warship yielded no image of the opponent breaking through the Mine Array, so they couldn't analyze the opponent's breakthrough method.

If they can't identify the breakthrough method, how can they intercept and defend?

Thus, the Mine Array could become Linke Grand's home ground, allowing him free passage.

Moreover, it ended up restricting their own team's performance.

Is this self‑imposed cocooning?

It makes them look quite foolish.

"Wait."

The Grand Sage Tower captain gritted his teeth, "Wait until they can't hold back, wait until they show a flaw. I don't believe he can keep acting so mysteriously forever."

As soon as his words fell, Linke Grand's figure appeared once again.

Whether unintentionally or deliberately, he appeared exactly where he had last disappeared.

After appearing, he did nothing, merely observing from afar.

"Shall we fight, captain?"

The wizard who had spoken earlier, seeing this, felt a surge of anger.

"What fight? Wait!"

The Grand Sage Tower captain's tone hardened a bit.

But he had no intention of blaming his team members; he was simply disgusted again by Linke's action.

"Wouldn't a small attack to test whether the opponent is real or an illusion work?"

The restless wizard was very unwilling and put forward a question.

"Try it? Then let's try." The Grand Sage Tower captain, hearing this, weighed the situation and quickly decided, "Since you suggested it, you go ahead and try; the others stand ready."

"All right."

The wizard happily responded, his voice full of joy.

Under the cover of the captain and other team members, the wizard swiftly cast a second‑ring ray‑type spell, "Frost Freeze Ray."

The target pointed directly at Linke Grand, who was openly observing from the side.

The spell's speed was extremely fast.

Linke Grand's reaction was equally swift; he lightly raised his right index finger, and when the Frost Freeze Ray reached about thirty centimeters in front of him, he touched it with his fingertip.

A chill surged from his fingertip, halting the Frost Freeze Ray—which was meant to pierce and freeze—compressing it into a thumb‑sized light ball, which then froze.

This action took place almost instantaneously.

The scene as seen by the other wizards consequently appeared somewhat distorted.

Although Linke Grand was still raising his finger, the Frost Freeze Ray had already been compressed into a ball and frozen.

Such a reaction, such speed—truly formidable.

Just as both sides believed that only a true body could so easily dispel the Frost Freeze Ray, Linke Grand's figure vanished once again like foam, dissipating into smoke.

One couldn't tell whether this was truly an illusion or a real body feigning an illusion.

In any case, they couldn't see through it and could only guess.

"Damn! He's back again?"

The Grand Sage Tower captain and the wizard who had just tested the defenses both had their guard broken.

It neither faded early nor late, but disappeared precisely after the Frost Freeze Ray was frozen.

Is this blatant mockery?

This is blatant mockery!

"Hehehe… interesting."

The Shadow City captain laughed heartily, feeling very pleased.

Christina's gaze fell on the spot where Lin Ke's figure had disappeared, and a flicker of doubt crossed her mind.

Doing this, aside from stirring the emotions of the two teams, what good is it?

Will he come again?

Among both teams, many wizards shared the same doubt.

For a moment, the twenty‑four wizards present, together with Lin Ke whose whereabouts were unknown, began waiting—whether with purpose or not.

Lin Ke's true body had all along been hidden in the meteorite belt.

After the two teams erupted into battle, Lin Ke recalled Fulandu in advance.

Then, using Flandre's speed and high mobility, break through the 'minefield' formation, achieving 'shifting form and changing shadow' via reverse summon.

However, the previous two reverse summons were merely 'external incarnations'.

The one who moved to freeze the probing attack of the Grand Sage Tower team was Flandre.

'External incarnation' cannot yet cast sorcery.

And Lin Ke's two moves, disrupting the battle rhythm of the Grand Sage Tower team and the Shadow City team, were precisely to prevent their fight from ending too quickly.

Let them wait like this for a moment.

Waiting and waiting, someone grew impatient.

"Captain?"

In the Grand Sage Tower team, another mage shouted.

Although he didn't speak, the captain knew this team member wanted to say something.

?

Nothing more than wondering why they should follow Linke Grand's rhythm and foolishly wait here.

However, the Grand Sage Tower captain had bitterness he could not voice.

If possible, he certainly wouldn't want to wait.

But, although the previous two appearances were illusions, who can guarantee that whatever might appear next is definitely not a real person?

Once their minds lapse and they relax their guard, the attack power Linke Grand displays could possibly wipe them all out in a single strike.

Don't end up trying to set a trap to lure Linke Grand in, only to be neatly dealt with by him instead.

In that case, even with the Supreme Council's rules, at most they'd suffer some injury, no need to worry about their lives.

But they'd lose face terribly.

The Grand Sage Tower captain is now in an awkward position, hard to dismount, feeling very embarrassed.

Moreover, he faintly feels that Linke Grand appearing twice as an illusion may have sensed something and is now probing.

Then the question arises.

What is Linke Grand probing?

Nothing more than testing whether the Grand Sage Tower and Shadow City teams have any means to 'instantly kill' him.

The Grand Sage Tower captain regretted it bitterly.

Why couldn't he control his emotions and give rise to killing intent?

The records clearly state that Linke Grand's perception is exceptionally strong; without interference from high‑rank true spirit sorcerers, he can generally predict his own fortune and misfortune.

When the moment came, he still failed to be perfect.

"Captain? What exactly are we waiting for?"

That mage received no reply, spoke up again, and simply asked more bluntly.

"No nonsense, keep waiting!"

The Grand Sage Tower captain clenched his back teeth, spoke firmly: "It's just a test of patience? We can handle it. However long he waits, we'll wait that long."

That mage opened his mouth, wanting to say more.

A companion beside him tugged at him, making him swallow his words.

Sigh!

Let's just wait then.

Lin Ke said, "I'm waiting for my own team to return; what are you two waiting for?"

The atmosphere on the Shadow City team's side is actually somewhat better.

Being able to drag time forward is still advantageous for them.

After encountering the warship of Ravosith Academy, the Shadow City otherworld expedition team sent out a distress call to the organization.

The Supreme Council's regulation requires that the squad size dispatched by the wizard organization seeking to seize the inheritance must match that of the wizard organization excavating the inheritance.

Upon reading and understanding, one finds that the Supreme Council does not limit requests for aid from the wizard organization excavating the inheritance.

As long as that wizard organization is willing, a full mobilization is permissible!

One would think Shadow City would not fail to send reinforcements, right?

"What are you waiting for?"

Inside the Void Realm.

Ragnar Walter attacks relentlessly; the Shadow City 5th‑rank Sage avoids if possible, only bearing the attack head‑on when unavoidable.

Another offensive 5th‑circle sorcery was blocked, yet no counterattack came; Ragnar Walter, while organizing another attack, shouted with a mouth cannon: "Are you waiting for Shadow City's support?"

The Shadow City 5th‑rank Sage remained silent, merely increasing the distance from Ragnar Walter.

"Support?"

What the Shadow City 5th‑rank Sage awaits is not support, but when the two lower teams will decide victory, awaiting the ownership of the Saint's Inheritance.

Originally everything was fine; a little more delay, and the two teams' battle could have a result.

Who would have thought, a troublemaker would burst onto the scene midway.

It left the two teams unable to fight or withdraw, stuck there, unable to move.

If not trapped by the Void Realm, unable to break free momentarily, they could not relay orders.

The Shadow City 5th‑rank Sage truly wishes to turn his team around to deal with that troublemaker.

You damn well jump around happily; if you want to grab it, grab it; if not, don't make a fuss.

Just damn well spam your presence.