Over on the Great Xia Country side, everyone seemed to be frozen in place, staring blankly at the fifty White Elephant Country people lined up, facing them with neat white smiles.

Fifty people!

A full fifty people!

They all emerged from a small, dilapidated boat that looked like it couldn't even hold ten people!

This was no longer simple spatial magic.

This was bloody acrobatics!

It was a Demonic Technique!

“Amitabha.”

The leading white-haired Elder, with his hands pressed together, performed a standard Buddhist present towards Zhang Cheng and the others, a profound smile on his face.

He spoke in a common language with a heavy curry accent, his voice booming.

“Greetings, friends from afar.”

“We are envoys from the White Elephant Country.”

“May I ask, is this the Castlantis Archipelago?”

Zhang Cheng forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart and nodded.

“Yes... yes, it is.”

He looked at the fifty energetic White Elephant Country people, then at the dilapidated boat that was about to fall apart, and couldn't help but ask.

“If I may be so bold as to ask.”

“Did you... travel the whole way in this small boat?”

The white-haired Elder sighed deeply upon hearing this.

“Ah, don't even mention it, it's a long story.”

He waved his hand, his eyes filled with deep disdain for a certain country.

“We were tricked by those dogs from the Sakura Country!”

His first words were astonishing.

Zhang Cheng was stunned for a moment, not quite understanding his meaning.

“Tricked?”

“Exactly!”

The white-haired Elder slapped his thigh, his face full of indignation.

“Our White Elephant Country originally had airships too!”

“We spent a fortune to buy their latest developed ‘Amaterasu’ aerial fortress from the Sakura Country!”

“They boasted endlessly, saying it was incredibly sturdy and impregnable!”

As he spoke, his beard bristled with anger.

“And what was the result?”

“We had only flown halfway when we encountered a few waves ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) of short-sighted flying Strange Beast.”

“That broken ship was hit a few times and then, damn it, disintegrated in mid-air!”

“Dis... disintegrated?”

Zhang Cheng’s mouth twitched, his eyes filled with sympathy.

It seemed the White Elephant Country had been taken for a ride by the Sakura Country, severely fleeced.

Li Hao whispered from behind.

“Dogs don't even use things from the Sakura Country.”

“They only trick these simple-minded Ah San s.”

The white-haired Elder continued as if he hadn't heard.

“Fortunately, our White Elephant Country has its own Magic Treasure!”

He pointed to the dilapidated boat behind him, which looked like it could be blown apart by a gust of wind, a look of undisguised pride on his face.

“Luckily, our airship also carried our White Elephant Country’s most advanced ‘Ganges’!”

“This was personally crafted by our national treasure-level artisans, taking forty-nine days, using Ganges sacred wood soaked in divine oil!”

He firmly patted the old boat's hull, making dull “thump thump” sounds.

“It's very sturdy!”

“It is thanks to it that we were able to arrive here safely!”

The Great Xia Country people: “...”

They looked at the “Ganges” that creaked in the sea breeze, as if it could fall apart at any moment, and then at the proud white-haired Elder.

For a moment, they didn't know what to say.

And the forty-nine White Elephant Country people behind the Elder seemed to have completely disregarded the recent danger.

They pulled out various strange instruments from somewhere and, accompanied by cheerful music, had already started singing and dancing on the beach.

Their dark faces were filled with an optimism and carefree attitude that screamed “base exploded, no big deal.”

The entire beach was instantly filled with joyful air.

The white-haired Elder also seemed a bit embarrassed, clearing his throat before his gaze returned to Zhang Cheng and the others.

When he clearly saw the familiar uniforms on everyone, his eyes suddenly lit up.

“Oh? Judging by your attire, could you be friends from the Great Xia Country?”

Zhang Cheng nodded.

“That's right.”

“Excellent!”

The white-haired Elder's smile grew even brighter, and he stepped forward, saying enthusiastically.

“To be precise, your Great Xia Country is truly fortunate!”

“You just happened to meet us!”

The Great Xia Country people fell silent again.

Fortunate?

Where was the fortune?

Zhang Cheng looked at the overly confident Elder in front of him and tactfully reminded him.

“Elder, you seem very confident.”

“However, to my knowledge, your country's team shouldn't have any SS-Class Professionals, right?”

“SS-Class Professional?”

The white-haired Elder waved his hand dismissively, an obvious look of arrogance on his face.

“To be frank.”

“Although our team this time indeed doesn't have any SS-Class Professionals.”

“However, the strength of our White Elephant Country Professionals cannot be judged by such a small professional rank!”

He thumped his chest, his voice booming.

“As everyone knows, our White Elephant Country's warriors are invincible!”

“It is recognized worldwide!”

“Any S-Class Professional from our side can still contend with your so-called SS-Class Professionals!”

As he spoke, he wore an expression that suggested, “I'm doing you a favor.”

“Therefore, I am honored to inform you.”

“Our great White Elephant Country is willing to condescend and cooperate with your Great Xia Country this time!”

“Once we get that Divine Artifact, we can make an exception and let your Great Xia Country use it three times for free first!”

“As long as...”

The Elder hadn't finished speaking.

A clear, calm voice interrupted him without warning.

“I'm sorry.”

“We're not interested in cooperating with you.”

It was Gandalf who spoke.

Zhou Huai had stood silently by the side the entire time, observing with a cold eye.

At this moment, he finally lost his patience.

The white-haired Elder's expression froze on his face.

The cheerful music and dancing on the beach also came to an abrupt halt.

All the White Elephant Country people's gazes simultaneously fell on Gandalf.

“What?”

The white-haired Elder's eyes widened, as if he had heard something incredible.

He pointed at Gandalf, his voice even changing pitch.

“Boy! Do you know what you're saying?”

“We are the great White Elephant Country! Destined to surpass the Free Federation and become the world's number one powerful nation in the future!”

“You! How dare you refuse our cooperation?”

He trembled with anger, feeling his dignity had been challenged like never before.

He no longer paid attention to Gandalf, turning his gaze instead to Zhang Cheng, with a condescending look of scrutiny on his face.

“I suppose you are the leader of this team, aren't you?”

“I'm too lazy to bother with a young punk.”

“You shouldn't be as short-sighted and ignorant as him, should you?”

Zhang Cheng looked at his self-important demeanor and found it amusing.

He slowly straightened his back.

The face that usually wore a warm smile was now solemn.

He shook his head, his voice calm yet exceptionally firm.

“I'm sorry.”

“That young punk you just mentioned is precisely the captain of our team.”

“He is our overall leader here.”

“What he says goes.”

Zhang Cheng's gaze swept over all the White Elephant Country people present, and he said clearly, word by word.

“Our Great Xia Country will not cooperate with you.”

He made a “please proceed” gesture towards the white-haired Elder.

“If there's nothing else, we'll be leaving first.”

“Our team members still need adequate rest, so we won't disturb you all from continuing your dance.”

After speaking, he turned and waved to the Dragon Tooth Special Forces members behind him.

“Let's go.”

The Dragon Tooth Special Forces members, suppressing their laughter, turned in unison and followed behind Gandalf and Zhang Cheng, heading towards the camp.

Only the fifty White Elephant Country people were left standing dumbfounded.

“Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!”

The white-haired Elder watched the Great Xia Country people's retreating backs, fuming and glaring, pointing in their direction and cursing loudly.

“A bunch of foolish fellows! You will regret this foolish decision today!”

“You have missed a golden opportunity to latch onto our White Elephant Country's great leg!”

“You will regret it! You will definitely regret it!”

Just as he was about to explode with anger.

A young White Elephant Country man ran over, holding a cup of drink with a strong curry scent.

“Elder, don't be angry.” 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

“Here, drink some divine oil to calm your Life Qi.”

“Later, we'll dance together.”

The white-haired Elder let out a heavy “hmph,” took the cup of divine oil, and drank it all in one gulp.

He wiped his mouth, and the anger on his face seemed to dissipate quite a bit.

He glanced at his companions who had already resumed singing and dancing, and finally couldn't resist, joining the joyous group with light steps, swaying his waist.

As if the unpleasantness from just now had never happened.