In the Empire’s sea domain.

The fleet under Princess Willow’s command glowed with a faint blue light under the blessing of the God, and the fleet continued sailing at high speed.

Several Sea God believers on board gradually could no longer endure it and began taking turns to rest.

Willow found it even stranger.

A full two hours had passed.

With the God’s acceleration, the speed of the ships had already reached its limit, yet they still had not even seen the shadow of Fang Heng’s fleet.

Could it be that they had not taken the same route?

As she was thinking, a guard hurried over and reported, "Your Highness, we have received two consecutive messages from the frontline garrison on Pulau Island. One is that Fang Heng’s Chamber of Commerce arrived at the island not long ago, and the goods have been confirmed intact."

Hm?

Fang Heng and the others had already arrived?

And even the cargo shipped with them had already been delivered?

Willow parted her lips slightly, inwardly astonished.

How had they managed to get there so quickly?

The guard paused, then continued, "The other is an urgent message. Enemy attack ships from the Lyman Empire were spotted in the island’s alert zone and are rapidly approaching Pulau Island. The island command post has already prepared to counterattack and warns the Empire to stay alert."

Willow’s heart skipped a beat when she heard that.

The Lyman Empire had made several probing attacks on Pulau Island during this period. She had not expected them to suddenly make a move today.

And by sheer coincidence, Fang Heng and the others were still on the island.

A bad premonition rose in Willow’s heart. She nodded and said, "Pass down the order. Full speed ahead. Raise the alarm immediately and reinforce the island."

"Yes!"

...

Pulau Island.

Several hundred warships in the front line of the Lyman Empire rapidly approached the island first.

All artillery was fully prepared, waiting only for the enemy to enter range.

Stefan looked tense as he stared through his telescope at the distant fleet.

The enemy had roughly three hundred large and medium-sized warships in total.

The flag on the flagship belonged to the Belmonte family.

Belmonte was one of the Lyman Empire’s famous commanders. He had repeatedly led the Empire in expanding its sea domain territory and was an extremely troublesome opponent.

He would not be easy to deal with.

It seemed the other side was determined to seize the island this time.

Stefan suddenly noticed something and shifted his gaze to the right.

Hm?

What was that?

Fang Heng’s Chamber of Commerce ship?

From afar, he saw that the ship belonging to Fang Heng’s Chamber of Commerce was gradually leaving the harbor.

Had they gone mad?

In a situation like this, they were actually taking the initiative to leave the harbor? Were they not dying fast enough?

Stefan shouted, "Who allowed them to leave the harbor?!"

"Sir, they are not under our command. We tried to stop them, but they said they had your permission and were free to engage in battle to assist us."

Stefan stared at the lone merchant ship from Fang Heng’s Chamber of Commerce leaving the harbor and heading straight toward the dense enemy fleet in the distance. He opened his mouth, but for a moment, did not know what to say.

"What a bunch of lunatics!"

Agreeing to let them assist in battle did not mean agreeing to let them throw their lives away...

A single ship leaving the harbor’s protection was no different from a target.

Stefan could already foresee the merchant ship being blasted to pieces.

Should he save them now?

No!

Stefan shook his head and cast aside that moment of mercy.

He could not disrupt the deployment of the entire force because of them.

"Leave them alone! Respond according to battle strategy. Prepare to counterattack. Swear to defend the Empire’s territory to the death!"

The soldiers on the island shouted in unison, "Swear to defend the Empire’s territory to the death!"

Not far away, aboard the merchant ship slowly sailing toward the Lyman fleet, Fang Heng slowly raised his head and looked into the distance.

The Empire’s regular navy was indeed vastly different from ordinary pirate rabble.

Aside from their scale, every ship was surrounded by a faint layer of red light.

"God..."

Fang Heng murmured to himself.

The ships were protected by the power of faith from a God.

Meng Qingyu quietly reminded him from the side, "Your Majesty, the enemy has appeared. We are about to enter the enemy’s artillery range."

"Mm, I’ll handle it. You all stay here."

Fang Heng nodded lightly and floated into the air.

Whoosh!

In midair, Fang Heng rapidly formed a seal with both hands in front of him.

Layers of alchemy magic arrays began revolving around him once more.

In an instant, accompanied by a terrifying coercive pressure, the enormous bodies of more than twenty Bone Dragons emerged from the magic arrays.

Hm!?

The Empire soldiers stationed on the nearby island were instantly shocked.

What was that!?

Bone Dragons!?

Where had they come from!?

More than twenty Bone Dragons loomed over the sky at once, their aura of death forming a dark domain.

Stefan had been commanding his troops in preparation for battle, waiting to strike first once the enemy entered range. Suddenly, his heart jolted as he stared fixedly at the Bone Dragon swarm in the distance, his eyes filled with shock.

Bone Dragons! They really were Bone Dragons!

Earlier, they had sensed a terrifying aura of death approaching the island, frightening them half to death, only for that power to suddenly disappear.

These Chamber of Commerce people had caused that!?

How had they done it?

After being summoned, the Bone Dragon swarm hovered in place for a moment, then rapidly flew toward the enemy Empire fleet!

The soldiers of the distant Lyman Empire fleet were all startled when they saw the Bone Dragon swarm suddenly appear.

What were those monsters!?

Undead Bone Dragons?

On the flagship, Hutt, deputy commander of the Empire mage corps, stared fixedly at the draconic creatures in the distance, his eyes filled with horror.

Those were creatures recorded only in historical legends!

Many had even doubted whether Bone Dragons were nothing more than inventions fabricated by mad necromancers.

And today they had witnessed them with their own eyes?

According to necromantic records, Bone Dragons were gigantic creatures that spread death and terror, the ultimate horrifying summon of necromancy.

He swallowed carefully.

And this swarm of Bone Dragons was charging straight at them with overwhelming force. No matter how he looked at it, they were definitely not friendly!

"All units, attention! Aim!"

Empire Commander Belmonte stared at the Bone Dragons rapidly approaching from the sky. The growing coercive pressure brought beads of sweat to the tip of his nose.

How had they run into creatures like Bone Dragons?

Stay calm!

At this point, the arrow was already on the string. If they retreated now, the Bone Dragons would only catch up and seize the initiative, and then the entire fleet would be annihilated.

The cannons of every ship adjusted in unison, aiming at the Bone Dragon swarm in the sky.

Belmonte roared, "Fire!"

In an instant, artillery erupted. Thousands of magical crystal cannons shot heavy beams of energy from their muzzles, blasting toward the rapidly descending Bone Dragon swarm in the sky.

"Boom! Boom boom boom!!"

The beams from the crystal cannons bombarded the Bone Dragon swarm and exploded continuously.

Did it work?

The soldiers on the ships stared intently into the sky.

They saw masses of black mist spreading from the explosion zone.

In the blink of an eye, the more than twenty Bone Dragons in the sky were enveloped in black ghostly death fog, completely obscured from sight.

Not enough!

The attack intensity was insufficient! The Bone Dragons were not dead!

"Again! Recharge!"

Belmonte gritted his teeth and shouted, sweat streaming down his forehead.

As the Bone Dragons drew closer, the coercive pressure they exerted multiplied severalfold.

"Attack!"