Chapter 534: Then Let's Fight! (Two-in-One)

Weng Lingxiao did not stop him, and Yan Jing did not pause.

Under Weng Lingxiao's cold gaze, the clamoring higher-ups seemed to realize something and gradually quieted down.

They stood in place, glaring coldly at Yan Jing.

Yan Jing acted completely oblivious, casually chatting with Ning Wei.

Two hours passed like this before Cen Ji arrived with the investigation report.

"Is it complete?" Yan Jing looked at the waist-high stack of papers.

"Every member of the leadership, including those absent. Every single one is in here."

"Did anyone try to bribe you?"

"Bribing a law enforcement officer is a felony. They've already been locked up."

Yan Jing nodded.

He liked this kind of straightforward efficiency.

"Here, Cen Ji. Take this."

Yan Jing flicked a small glass bottle of Red Liquid from his sleeve, dropping it into Cen Ji's arms.

Cen Ji looked at the small bottle of Red Liquid. She didn't ask what it was; she just watched Yan Jing, waiting for his next words.

"Drink it, and no one will ever be able to drag you down from your position as a candidate again."

Yan Jing smiled. "There is a price, of course. You will never be able to take revenge on me again."

"—Will I die?" Cen Ji asked flatly.

"No."

Yan Jing kept his smile.

As soon as he said that, Cen Ji downed the liquid in one gulp.

She wiped her mouth and looked at Yan Jing, a certain resolve settling into her cold eyes.

Even as cold sweat beaded on her forehead, she didn't utter a single sound.

Yan Jing laughed. "That's right, Cen Ji. Until you have enough strength, nothing else matters. As long as you get stronger, it's fine."

"That is exactly the kind of blade I need."

"As for all of you—"

Yan Jing trailed his fingertips across the stack of papers. Countless pieces of information flickered across the weird energy as his expression turned icy. "Take them all into custody to await judgment."

The Great Prison was shaken to its core!

The prison staff trembled inwardly as they watched those figures being locked away in the cells one by one.

In the morning, a handover of power.

In the afternoon, the entire leadership was arrested.

These were their superiors, their elders, bigshots they might not otherwise see in a lifetime. Now, they were locked up in the prison, living worse than the convicts!

Rumors circulated that so many were arrested because Vice Domain Chief Weng had led a coup!

Of course, such things couldn't be said openly.

But regardless, looking at those bigshots, some secretly rejoiced while others burned with anxiety. For the prison's working sectors, already plagued by internal and external troubles, this upheaval was absolutely a terrifying earthquake.

In contrast, the imprisoned bigshots—despite their pessimism—had seen the world, making them the most composed of all.

Someone went to visit their elder, a highly respected senior figure in the Great Prison, and brought a message back out:

Tell the subordinates not to panic. He wouldn't be locked up for long; otherwise, the criminals outside would break in within two days.

With this reassurance, everyone thought about it and realized he was right.

The Great Prison already lacked available combat power. With so many locked up, who would fend off the enemy?

Even if Commissioner Yan had immense capabilities and six arms, could one man really block all the criminals in the Great Prison?

And so, the chaos gradually subsided.

But the discussions about Yan Jing didn't stop.

The topic of conversation slowly shifted from the future of the Great Prison to the man at the very center of the storm: what was he doing right now?

What exactly was his next move?

"My Lord, all sectors of the Sand Domain have been conquered. Every faction has been assimilated into our Wizard Tribe."

Huo Tong knelt on one knee, reporting the battle situation to Yan Jing.

"Mhm."

Yan Jing nodded. "Next stop, Haidu."

"Yes, My Lord."

Huo Tong nodded, then hesitated. "But... My Lord... marching across Haidu might not be so convenient."

"How so?"

Yan Jing's expression was calm.

"We conservatively have a few thousand people... and we can't find suitable ships for now."

Huo Tong voiced what she thought was the problem.

"It's fine. The ships are already prepared," Yan Jing said, his gaze placid.

Prepared?

Huo Tong was startled but didn't ask further. She turned and led the troops.

Soon, nearly ten thousand members of the Wizard Tribe marched mightily toward the western Haidu at full speed. In half an hour, they crossed a hundred miles and reached the border between Haidu and the Sand Tower.

At their first glimpse of the bay, everyone, including Huo Tong, was stunned.

Giant ships over a hundred meters long lined up in the bay like a mountain range. Uniform, razor-sharp rams stretching over ten meters protruded from their bows. Pitch-black cannon muzzles were stacked like honeycombs, exuding a freezing chill.

Ostentatious sails hung from towering three-tiered masts, painted with the emblem of a black cat's head.

A woman stood at the front of the deck on the largest ship in the center. She wore a purple gauze dress, her charming eyes sharply contrasting with her attire.

Looking at the Wizard Tribe appearing at the bay, Bobo smiled faintly. "Everyone, the ships are ready."

"Please, come aboard."

The sea breeze blew as most of the Wizard Tribe ran onto the deck to breathe the fresh air. For them, this was likely the first time in their lives seeing the ocean. Everything felt incredibly novel, and they stared at the sights with wide, curious eyes.

"Lord Wen."

Bobo looked at the seemingly frail youth before her, finding it hard to imagine that this was the ruthless figure Lord Mao Si said had conquered the Desolate Forest and the Sand Tower.

"Lord Mao Si expressed his gratitude for your help to our fleet. He also promised that once the great Ship is built, every member of the Wizard Tribe will receive a boarding ticket."

"Mhm, I have high hopes for Mao Si." Yan Jing nodded. "He's good-looking, speaks well, handles things decisively, and has his own thoughts and insights—"

Yan Jing spoke for at least a minute. Bobo nodded repeatedly, beaming with joy. "Lord Mao Si evaluated you the exact same way."

"Great minds think alike."

Yan Jing nodded, his expression completely natural.

"Also, Lord Wen, Mao Si asked me to inquire if you've received any news from the other Ninth Tier experts recently. After all—"

Bobo lowered her voice. "According to our informants, the Great Prison is in complete chaos."

"I haven't." Yan Jing smiled. "But I think I will soon."

Yan Jing wasn't just talking nonsense; he truly felt it coming.

He then suggested they take a walk on the deck.

Although confused, Bobo naturally agreed.

They stood at the very front of the deck. The sun was setting, hanging low over the horizon but not yet submerged beneath the water, casting a shimmering glow across the waves.

Yan Jing gazed at the setting sun in silence, and the others beside him followed suit.

Just like that, a few minutes later, Yan Jing chuckled. "They're here."

Almost as soon as he spoke, the ship beneath their feet began to shake violently. Bobo's face changed, and she immediately shouted, "Reef the sails!!!"

Worthy of a well-trained fleet, the moment Bobo gave the order, the sails of over a dozen ships were drawn up in unison.

But that was only the first step. At the edge of everyone's vision, the surface of the sea seemed to twist as a swell rose against the wind.

"Is that a mountain...?"

A member of the Wizard Tribe muttered, but a sailor next to him looked grim. "No, it's a wave."

"A wave that small?" The wizard didn't understand, but a second later, he did.

In just a few short seconds, the wave surged over ten meters high, eclipsing the setting sun in the distance. The once-shimmering water plunged into pitch-black darkness, and from the looks of it, the wave was still growing!

The dark crest of the wave looked like a collapsing skyscraper, radiating such a suffocating pressure that it made it hard to breathe.

Bobo was desperately roaring, ordering the crew to quickly change direction.

But in truth, she had no confidence. As an experienced captain of many years, she knew the speed of that wave better than anyone. Even at maximum power, they might not be able to outrun it.

Just then, Yan Jing's voice rang out. "There's no need to change direction."

Bobo stared blankly, only to see Yan Jing casually stepping off the bow of the ship.

With every step he took, an icy stair materialized beneath his feet, steadily supporting his weight.

He reached out a hand. Sorcery Energy—entirely distinct from weird energy—surged forward, pouring out shards of runes. His eyes turned into a crystal-clear, deep blue.

In the next second, a magic array even larger than the ship abruptly unfurled in front of him.

" % "

He softly chanted two words.

The colossal wave that threatened to blot out the sky was instantly struck by the ice crystals erupting from the array. A blue-and-white veil of ice stretched out for thousands of miles. Before the raging crest could crash down, it was frozen solid in midair.

Every splash, every ripple, was thoroughly frozen under the icy seal.

A freezing wind instantly howled, scattering ice shards across the sea as the temperature plummeted.

Compared to the composure of the Wizard Tribe, the sailors were visibly shell-shocked by what was happening before their eyes.

Thousands of miles of ice... just what tier was the man standing before them?

Watching this miraculous scene, Bobo's jaw dropped in disbelief.

Bang!

A giant white ship smashed through the iceberg and appeared in front of Yan Jing.

A woman in a white qipao stood at the bow, glaring coldly at him. "Lord Wen, please go back. Our master has already given orders. Haidu does not welcome you."

Yan Jing chuckled. "The Sand Tower didn't welcome me either, but now Sha Like is nowhere to be found."

"Please do not compare trash like Sha Like to our master."

The woman said coldly, "If you stubbornly persist, you will definitely regret it."

"This is Haidu. The depths of the sea cannot be compared to a desert."

"Heh." Yan Jing chuckled and reached out his hand.

In the next second, a chunk of solid ice slammed into the woman's shoulder. She was blasted off the bow, crashing heavily into the mast.

"Bring out someone who can actually speak for him."

As Yan Jing's words fell, countless ice crystals rapidly coalesced beneath the giant white ship, freezing its hull in an instant.

"I'll give you two minutes."

"If you can explain things clearly within two minutes, you can leave."

"Otherwise, it's war."

Hearing Yan Jing's words, a commotion broke out on the white ship. Soon, a figure in a white robe stepped onto the deck and appeared before him.

It was still a woman, though she looked significantly older than the last one. Her face retained its charm, lacking youthful inexperience but gaining a maturity that made her seem even more alluring.

"Lord Wen, please quell your anger. This was Lord Zhou's intention. He just wanted to see if you were sincere."

Before she could finish speaking, her body was sent flying backward, smashing into the mast. It was unknown whether she was dead or alive.

The people on the giant white ship were stunned.

Everyone had thought there would be some back-and-forth negotiation, a process to go through, but—

"My sincerity is right here. Is his sincerity just sending you people out?"

"Is there anyone else?"

Yan Jing remained expressionless.

In the panic, yet another woman revealed herself.

This one's age fell between the first two. As soon as she appeared, she spoke up, "Lord Wen, please calm your anger. Lord Zhou is unwell today and truly cannot come to greet you. This ship is his apology gift to you. We hope you can accept it."

She was clearly much more tactful than the previous two. Sensing that today boded ill, she immediately offered up the ship beneath her feet.

As for whether it was truly an apology gift...

Only heaven knew.

Sure enough, Yan Jing didn't strike this time. He smiled. "Did he ask you to pass on a message?"

"Y-Yes, there is."

Remembering the contents of the message, the woman's voice grew quieter. "Our master... said... he said that the Great Prison is currently in chaos, and he hopes an outstanding young talent like you can lead the vanguard."

This was a sugarcoated version from the woman, but it still wasn't anything pleasant.

Such a tone clearly didn't place Yan Jing on equal footing; it carried a distinct implication of giving orders.

Having delivered the message, the woman trembled like a leaf, terrified she would be blasted away like the previous two.

Yan Jing began to laugh. "Then you can deliver a message to him for me."

"Tell him that I am entering Haidu whether he likes it or not."

"If he objects, then it's war."

"War?"

The woman blanked, hurriedly waving her hands. "No, no, no, Lord Wen, we absolutely didn't mean that."

"But that is what I mean," Yan Jing chuckled.

"Lord Wen—" The woman seemingly felt that Yan Jing was being far too arrogant, threatening war at the drop of a hat.

Her voice turned a fraction colder. "I hope you understand that Lord Zhou is no pushover."

"Mutually assured destruction benefits no one."

"I don't care." Yan Jing smiled. "If he thinks he's ready, let him wage war on me."

"Understand?"

"If I'm not happy, I'll fight him. I'll fight him even if it means we both go down. I'm young, and he's an old fossil. If he wants a fight, I'll give him one."

"If he pisses me off, I'll fight him."

"If he likes hiding, I'll drag him out and fight him."

"I could even side with the Great Prison and fight him alongside them."

"If he thinks he can win, he can come fight me. If he doesn't think he can win, he can shut up and endure it. I am not afraid of getting hurt."

With those words, Yan Jing violently tore off his own right hand. Blood splattered across his face, fully revealing his utter madness. "If he has a problem with me! He can come fight me!"

"Even if I lose, he shouldn't dream of surviving a siege from the other Ninth Tier experts! Do you understand?!"

"If you don't understand, I'll start the war right now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Jing's right hand grew back.

Opposite him, the woman was so shocked she didn't know how to respond.

Wasn't this a complete and utter lunatic?

They could have negotiated, but he demanded a fight.

Even if he couldn't win, he wanted to fight.

Even if it was completely unnecessary, he wanted to fight.

He even threatened to defect to the Great Prison!

A criminal joining the Great Prison!

Was that something a sane person would say?

But precisely because of this, the woman felt a chill run down her spine.

Because while she thought Yan Jing was insane, she also knew that such a person truly had no equal in the current Great Prison landscape.

No one wanted to get bitten by a mad dog!

She finally understood why Sha Like had fled without a second thought.

It wasn't that he couldn't win; it was that none of the Ninth Tier experts in the current Great Prison could afford to sustain severe injuries. Once wounded, eternal doom likely awaited them.

And yet, the person standing across from them was a complete maniac.

Finally, the woman bit her lower lip and said softly, "Everyone, disembark. Present the ship to Lord Wenxu, and—make way for Lord Wen."

A few minutes later.

Under the setting sun, Yan Jing sat at the bow of the ship, passing through the channel the giant white ship had smashed into the iceberg. Behind him, another fleet had been added to his ranks.

Sha Like was afraid of getting hurt, so Sha Like didn't dare fight him.

Weng Lingxiao was afraid of getting hurt, so Weng Lingxiao didn't dare fight him either.

But he wasn't afraid of getting hurt.

He was fighting for time; he was fighting to win.