"Are all the personnel gathered?"
In the waters opposite the patrol vessel where Huyan Longzhu and his comrades were stationed, the fleeing knights and wizards had been summoned to a single location.
The robust young female knight Kuntina scanned the area, silently counting sixty-seven individuals.
Excluding Nicholas Geiki and Gorov, who remained behind as bait, there should be twenty-five more.
"Where are the others? Has the message not been conveyed?"
Upon Kuntina's query, several knights shook their heads, their expressions somber: "There's no need to wait, they perished in last night's ambush, their bodies unable to be recovered..."
A moment of silence followed as the group absorbed this grim news, and Kuntina suddenly raised her sword: "One day, we shall return and demand retribution from those foreign savages for the blood they owe!
But for now, steel yourselves and prepare for the breakout, we cannot squander the valiant sacrifices of Lord Geiki and Gorov!"
She was about to assign breakout tasks when a deep, rumbling sound echoed from behind!
The group turned to see a mass of white energy expanding ominously in the distance.
Even from afar, the danger it emanated was palpable!
Several aluminum warships that had been headed in this direction altered course upon noticing the anomaly.
"That is Lord Geiki's Iron Curtain..."
Kuntina's expression grew complex.
Ordinarily, martial techniques are less effective than spells of the same tier in terms of range, targeting smaller and more concentrated areas.
However, the [Iron Curtain] technique, a ninth-tier martial skill, was markedly fearsome!
Years ago, Nicholas Geiki had utilized this technique to decisively defeat a contingent from the Thunder Kingdom, establishing his formidable reputation as the "Storm Knight"!
Yet now, casting [Iron Curtain] with his body still recovering from various injuries clearly indicated he was fighting with everything he had...
Kuntina, pushing aside feelings of amazement and sorrow, issued a somber command: "Everyone! The enemy ships patrolling this area have been drawn away by Lord Geiki, it is time to break through!
Yalman, take two teams and head east!
Aubrey, take two teams to the southeast!
The remainder will follow me as we circumvent south towards Reverse Wind Port!"
"Yes!"
Everyone nodded in understanding, following their respective leaders as they split into three groups to escape.
If even one individual could return successfully, the Storm Kingdom would still have ample opportunity to prepare for battle!
...
"Iron Curtain!!"
Meanwhile, on the other side, Nicholas Geiki's eyes widened in fury as he bellowed.
A torrent of energy erupted from his pores, engulfing the surrounding area for dozens of meters!
"Another one of those underhanded tricks..."
Huyan Longzhu was buffeted backward by the force of the energy, clenching his teeth in frustrated anger.
In his view, combat between men should revolve around the clash of muscle and blood!
These foreign beings seemed fond of flashy tactics, were they incapable of engaging in straightforward combat?
At a distance, Gurumi's gelatinous tentacles were also disrupted by the energy wave, yet she persisted, launching two tentacles to scour the lifeless wizard Gorov for valuables.
After tossing anything of worth back onto the ship's deck, Gurumi redirected her tentacles to assist Huyan Longzhu, wrapping around his waist to stabilize him.
"The impact of the energy wave is too great, we cannot approach that individual... What is your plan?"
The voice from the tentacle reached Huyan Longzhu, who instinctively opened his mouth to respond.
"Wah gugu pu cough..."
However, lacking the [Underwater Breathing] and [Sound Bubble] spells, he found himself choking on seawater, nearly vomiting stomach acid!
Seeing Huyan Longzhu beginning to turn pale, Gurumi attempted to pull him out of the energy wave's reach.
Smack!
Yet, the tentacle suddenly snapped, sending Huyan Longzhu tumbling like a rat caught in a washing machine, tossed and turned by the turbulent water.
Just as his vision swirled and he lost his sense of direction, an acute sense of danger surged within him, without hesitation, he positioned his spear horizontally before him!
Bang!!
Geiki's sword clashed against the spear shaft, swiftly followed by a crashing blow from his shield, striking Huyan Longzhu with tremendous force!
The latter, already on the brink of suffocation, expelled a series of bubbles as his stamina swiftly depleted.
Although Geiki seemed to have the upper hand, he was far from unscathed.
[Iron Curtain] belonged to a realm of high-level martial skills, allowing him to efficiently dispatch foes while the energy waves restrained and suppressed his enemies.
Yet this technique placed immense strain on his body, after all, it relentlessly siphoned his magical energy and continuously released waves of power through his pores.
In his prime, Geiki could have endured, but in his current weary state, burdened by numerous injuries, blood seeped from his mouth and nose, indicating he was nearing his limit.
"At the very least... I must eliminate this dangerous foe... to remove a significant threat to the kingdom..."
Despite the pain from his wounds reopening and blood gushing forth, Geiki forced himself to press forward, aiming his sword toward Huyan Longzhu's neck!
"Blade Slash!"
As the sword began to glow, Geiki heard a sudden whoosh from above.
The warriors from the three clans on the ship were preparing to fire!
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Multiple heavy crossbows adjusted their angles and unleashed a volley, their bolts slicing through the water with force, plunging directly into the energy waves surrounding Geiki!
In his weakened state, the [Iron Curtain] lacked its usual impenetrability, two bolts pierced through the waves and struck his heavy armor!
While the armor halted their deeper penetration, it could not absorb all the impact, causing Geiki to stagger backward, and his sword aimed at the vital spot on Huyan Longzhu only managed to strike his shoulder.
"Ugh..."
A muffled grunt escaped Geiki as the sharp blade met flesh, instantly snapping him back to awareness from his daze!
"Die!"
Huyan Longzhu, his mouth filled with seawater, managed a garbled shout as he thrust his spear with all his strength!
Bang!
The titanium steel shaft of Huyan Longzhu's spear shot forth like a silver serpent, forcefully penetrating Geiki's abdominal armor and emerging from his lower back!
"Am... I done for..."
Agonizing pain surged through Geiki's entire being as his vision grew increasingly hazy, and he could only see the encroaching tentacles reaching out toward him.
...
On the island, the warriors of the three clans erupted into cheers!
Huyan Longzhu, his shoulder bleeding profusely and heavily inundated by seawater, grinned widely as he reveled in the crowd's adulation and congratulations.
At his feet lay the lifeless form of Nicholas Geiki.
It was said he was the foremost knight of the Storm Kingdom, having gathered a group of subordinates to lurk beneath the waves, ambushing and slaying numerous warriors from the three clans.
Yet now, he had fallen at Huyan Longzhu's feet!
The bloodstained spear stood beside him, prompting the crowd to raise their arms in triumph!
"Long live the gods! Victory for the three clans!"
Within the main tent, Nalan Xia withdrew her gaze from the report in hand.
Not long ago, dozens of knights and wizards hidden beneath the waves had attempted their breakout in three groups.
One team was discovered and slaughtered by griffins, a second was pursued and captured by an aluminum warship, and the third team had failed to intercept...
Zuo Qiuyue, seated across from her, remarked pensively, "From the enemy's perspective, that Storm Knight was quite a hero, sacrificing his life to provide opportunities for his subordinates."
Pausing, she inquired, "Sister Xia, do we not need to continue pursuing those who escaped?"
"No need."
Nalan Xia displayed a smile that hinted at deeper significance.
"Everything is as the gods have foreseen, our plan can now unfold!"