Sacrifice and Contribution, Mountains on the Sea

"Aaaaaaah!"

Screams echoed from Zhenhai Airport, located at the top of the central island.

The last group of evacuees are boarding the plane.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry!"

This island was where the Astolfo landed, where Kang De established his temporary headquarters, where the first field airfield was built, and where the first aircraft took off.

In the early stages of the evacuation, refugees from various islands were transported here by air forces such as hot air balloons, and then left by transport planes. As time went on, airports were built in various parts of the archipelago, greatly reducing the transportation pressure and the number of refugees stranded at Zhenhai Airport continued to decrease.

Now, they are among the last group of survivors awaiting evacuation.

The last group of soldiers who remained also withdrew in the same batch.

Those were the last crew members of the Combined Fleet ships, including the Song of Evergreen, which were trapped in the Broken Sea. Generals Quilion, Halsey, Han Guangcheng, and Mei Xizhu, along with their most fearless and loyal subordinates, held out until the very end. They received orders to evacuate the Broken Isles and return to the Distant Harbor aboard this An-124 transport plane.

At that moment, the soldiers herded the chaotic crowd like ducks, guiding them quickly through the open rear hatch and into the belly of this massive machine.

No urging or insults were needed; everyone was desperately trying to escape, because several nautical miles away, enormous tentacles, like pillars of a pantheon, were swinging through the air, creating towering waves!

A thick fog rolled in at sea, and a fierce wind whipped up the water vapor, making the weather resemble a torrential downpour. The sky darkened, the sea wind howled, and the waves crashed against the cliffs. The once beautiful scenery of the Broken Isles had vanished, replaced by towering pillars rising from the sea. Enormous tentacles stirred the wind and clouds, emitting terrifying screams and shrieks. The seawater surged restlessly; everyone knew that something enormous was coming!

"This is no longer a battle we can participate in."

Quilion, spear in hand, gazed solemnly at the undulating tides.

Two lines of fire weaved through the raging sea amidst the undulating waves, with Flame meteors constantly bombarding the flailing tentacles, exploding into dazzling bursts of fire. Then, with a flash of phoenix cry, another line of fire rose and slashed down.

Sometimes a single strike, sometimes multiple strikes, cleaved the pillars of heaven, causing them to collapse and the falling waters to stir up surging tides. The Phoenix King and the Dragon of Cathay joined forces to block this terrifying monster they had never heard of before. The dragon and the phoenix confronted the sea beast, halting its surging momentum. This battle, filled with blazing sunlight, gave the survivors hope.

I hope so...

Quilion reached out and quietly grasped a hard object hanging on his chest. It wasn't his own ornament, but something he had received from Lord Horus before the final evacuation.

It was a purple crystal, radiating a dreamlike luster and refracting mesmerizing light, encased in a transparent, glass-like shell, while Lord Horus's cold instructions echoed in my ears.

"In a critical moment, obey orders, crush the outer shell, and swallow the crystal."

The other party said, "Although the consequences are unpredictable and will add endless variables and limitations to your future, this is your only chance to survive, and your father hopes you will live."

Quilion pondered Horus's words for a moment.

He had a vague feeling that this must be His Highness Kang De's biggest secret.

The consequences are unpredictable, and the future will be filled with endless variables and limitations... In other words, consuming this purple crystal will provide a more convenient and rapid escape route, allowing us to survive life-or-death crises.

But this escape mechanism relates to His Highness Kang De's great secret, and he needs us to keep it a secret—he probably won't silence us, otherwise why would he release this? So... do we have to swear an oath of allegiance?

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Quilion's eyes.

He immediately looked in one direction.

Over there, heavily armored, tall figures with helmets and visors emitting an eerie red glow were vigilantly watching the crowd.

During this time, Quilion took every opportunity to spy on the Doom Warriors, wanting to study them inch by inch. Now, the Elven Commander has noticed something.

The way these guys are positioning and moving... is suspicious!

As a powerful elven warrior with keen senses, he intuitively discovered something crucial—the order for a full evacuation had been issued, and the enormous sea monster had appeared in the Broken Sea. Even the battle-hardened elven navy felt fear and dread, wanting to board their planes and leave this dangerous area as soon as possible. But these soldiers, who were in the name of destruction... didn't seem to be in a hurry.

Their tone remained calm, their posture appeared composed, and from the subtlest of their body language, they seemed to have no intention of approaching the transport plane.

In other words... they have other ways to leave!

With this thought in mind, Quilion looked at the purple crystal in his hand and understood everything.

This thing should be the key.

The commander, having figured this out, had a fleeting thought and wished he could swallow it whole right now. However, he knew that doing so now would be incredibly foolish, wouldn't allow him to don the power armor he so desperately wanted, and would likely result in a double whammy of punishment from His Highness Kang De and Her Majesty the Empress afterward.

One person hit him because "Are you asking for trouble?", the other hit him because "You're disloyal."

Quilion sighed softly, glancing again at the two lines of fire crisscrossing amidst the Raging Tide. "Great, great," he thought—"let's get them together quickly."

"Captain!"

He heard a call in his ear, looked up, and saw the first mate beckoning him. "Please come up!"

He took one last look at the churning, boiling tide in the sea, then hurried toward the tail of the transport plane.

"Aaaaaaah, we're going to die! We're going to die! Get out of here! Hurry!"

A piercing scream rang out. Quilion frowned and looked over. A human dressed in fine clothes was shouting hysterically, "It will eat us all! You all heard it!"

"What's going on?" the commander asked in a low voice as he approached the first mate.

The first mate pulled him towards the plane, shouting as they ran, "A minor nobleman from a human principality in the eastern part of the continent, I heard he tried to cut in line on Luoshan Island because of his status, and His Highness specifically ordered him to be thrown to the very back of the queue—such arrogant humans are everywhere!"

Humans have nobles, and elves have nobles, but even among nobles, there is a hierarchy of contempt.

The nobles of the Eastern Mountain Duchy of humans were undoubtedly at the bottom of the social hierarchy—or rather, the elves looked down on the vast majority of so-called human nobles.

After all, elves look down on what humans call nobility. Even common elven people can scoff at human nobles—what, your family is an ancient family with hundreds of years of history? You're 491 years old, and you're telling me this?

Two elves rushed to the vicinity of the rear cabin, where Viscount Ron was still shouting, seemingly deranged. "Get out of here! I want to go home! I want to go home! Take me straight home! I don't want to go to Distant Harbor! You all heard what that monster said! It knows where Distant Harbor is! It will come and kill us..."

Before he finished speaking, Quilion said angrily, "Luokas!"

His Arcane, who was waiting nearby, immediately understood his superior's intention. He raised his short staff and Silence Spell. Viscount Ron looked dazed and stopped shouting.

Quilion's face hardened with murderous intent. "If I weren't worried about causing widespread panic at a time like this, I'd kill him right now—you get two Marines to keep a close eye on him. If he spouts any more nonsense, snap his neck immediately, that short-lived pig!"

He cursed, then added, "His Highness Kang De is good in every way, except that he sometimes displays an inappropriate and difficult-to-understand kindness."

In his view, this so-called nobleman, who was as insignificant as an ant, wanted to cut in line. If His Highness was displeased, he could simply throw him into the sea to feed the monsters. Why give him a chance to live?

As the first mate watched the ever-flowing crowd gradually reach the end, his gaze fell upon a few ragged, trembling refugees. He suddenly said, "His Highness Kang De even saves the poor and beggars. This is an inappropriate and incomprehensible act of kindness. Although I cannot understand it, it makes me feel at ease."

Quilion paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Indeed."

The first mate sighed again, "But... alas, Distant Harbor."

They had all clearly heard Viscount Ron's mad shouts.

They also heard the monster's roar echoing across the sea. It said it knew where people had fled and that it would destroy the place. Looking at the enormous tentacles that appeared in various parts of the sea, with the surface portion alone measuring over a hundred meters long, it was hard to imagine just how terrifying its true size was.

Such a colossal beast, with its endless number of offspring, if it were to attack the Distant Harbor...

Quilion said resolutely, "Don't think about such useless things... Trust His Highness Kang De, and trust Her Majesty the Queen. Even such a monster cannot withstand the power of the Forbidden Spell."

"All personnel, board immediately! The cabin door is closing! Hurry!"

Horus's voice rang out again. The sky was dim, and a gust of water vapor swept through the air. A misty fog filled the entire airport. Quilion and several elven officers boarded the plane last. The spacious airport was empty. The cabin door slowly opened. Quilion turned his head and saw that the Doom Warriors were still in the same place.

He shouted, "Come here quickly!"

The other party waved and said, "See you in Distant Harbor!"

The commander muttered, "As expected..."

The hatch slowly closed, and the four D-18T turbofan engines were slowly starting up. The high-bypass-ratio three-shaft turbofan monster, with a maximum thrust of 23.4 tons per engine, gradually began to roar.

The cabin lights came on, Quilion looked at the faces of the passengers, still shaken. This heavy transport plane had no windows, so they couldn't see what was outside.

The rest of their fate is to be decided by His Highness Kang De, Lord Horus, and the gods.

The massive iron bird shuddered slightly, then began to glide on the makeshift runway.

"They'll all be leaving soon!"

Amidst the Raging Tide, Kang De raised his hand and unleashed a series of Palm Thunder: "Hold on a little longer!"

More than six tentacles have emerged from the water, intertwining and dancing wildly in the air, stirring up the water and roaring incessantly. The God of the Star Palace roars and howls at times, its mental state is very strange, it seems to be insane. Perhaps it went completely mad after merging with the giant sea beast.

"Hahahaha!"

Each tentacle opens a huge mouth at its tip, vibrating the air and producing a rumbling sound.

"Besides these feeble fireworks and useless slashes, what other methods do you have? Fire Thief! You look like nothing special! What other methods do you have? What other skills do you have!?"

It roared, its tentacles thrashed, it howled wildly and painfully, and it also laughed maniacally.

Those pillar-like tentacles, after surfacing, writhed and pounded the water like giant pythons, twisting and turning wildly, lashing and slapping while emitting painful roars.

"Kang De!"

Dairila's whisper echoed through the channel, "Have you noticed?"

Kang De casually asked, "What?"

"These tentacles surfaced but didn't launch any proactive attack!" the Phoenix King said gravely. "They were just wildly thrashing and slapping the water. At first, I thought they were trying to create giant waves to submerge the island, but it doesn't seem to be the case. Their actions are actually completely erratic!"

Kang De frowned. "What do you mean?"

"These tentacles feel to me... like they're exerting force," Dairila said. "Exerting force painfully."

"--shit?"

"You!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another tentacle burst forth from the sea. Near an island, its tentacles coiled around a cliff, then suddenly tightened!

The cliff face cracked, rocks fell, and the rock wall collapsed!

The tentacles pounded the water's surface wildly, accompanied by the roars and howls of the God of the Star Palace!

A flash of inspiration struck Kang De, and his expression changed drastically. "It's pulling its own body out of the sea!"

"... The seabed?" Dairila exclaimed, "Just how big is it?!"

Kang De did not answer, "Horus! How is the evacuation going?"

"All personnel on the islands are being evacuated in an orderly manner. The last flight is expected to take off in ten minutes. The sea monster has landed in large numbers, but our combat troops have all been evacuated."

"The dragons and Doom Warriors are covering the rear; they are responsible for protecting a small number of volunteer spellcasters—the latter are responsible for controlling the operation of essential magical devices such as the planetarium and the observer!"

Kang De asked, "How did they leave?"

"Some were taken away by the dragons, and the rest were transported by heavy helicopters. Although the Z-8's range doesn't support a direct flight back to the Distant Harbor, it's possible to hover in safe waters, rappel down, and then transfer to ships!"

"It sounds like this big guy is all we have left as our enemy."

Kang De breathed a slight sigh of relief, "Next comes my favorite part—the stone-throwing."

Once the evacuees reach a safe altitude, the giant seafood will fully surface. Then, Mass Projection, traveling at speeds of several Mach or even tens of Mach, will descend from the sky, turning it and the Broken Isles into a tourist attraction. The incident will be over, and everyone will go home.

But at that moment, Horus hesitated and said, "Father, are you sure...?"

Kang De casually replied, "What?"

Horus was about to speak when a thunderous roar echoed through the air.

More and more tentacles burst forth from the sea, or stirred up the solid rock layers underwater, twisting and pulling fiercely, while other tentacles frantically slapped the surface of the water, sending waves flying.

The sea monsters, large and small, were caught off guard and even knocked unconscious by the violent impact. These scouts and henchmen who collected flesh and blood were indeed descendants of that deep-sea behemoth, but now that ancient and powerful body had a new master, God of the Star Palace would not care about that.

It struggled to drag its body, and the tentacles above the water cried out with increasing excitement, indicating that it was making great progress.

"Ah! Fire Thief! Fire Thief! This is fate!"

One plane after another rushed to escape into the sky, for the sea had been overrun by demons, and the azure sky was the only sanctuary. On the sea, demons danced wildly, and a fierce wind swept across the sky, creating a dense fog.

The mad cries of the God of the Star Palace carried far and wide, and the tentacles echoed in response.

"Everything was predetermined! Fate cannot be changed! Indeed, Fire Thief! Everything that has happened today was destined long, long ago!"

Its voice was a mix of crying and laughing, seemingly a roar, seemingly a curse.

"A long, long time ago! I was chosen, allowed to walk the Great Road and observe cultivation in the Land of the End, thus awakening the Divine Power of Illusory Mist! My other kin were resentful of why I was the only one favored, but Asa made a prophecy, saying that one day I would make an even greater contribution with a great sacrifice!"

The God of the Star Palace roared, "Isn't this the scene before us?!"

"I sacrificed myself to become one with this hideous monster; this is a great sacrifice!"

"To annihilate you, Fire Thief should never have existed, for the sake of our master—that would be an even greater contribution!"

"Kang De! Fire Thief! This was destined! You and I are both pawns in the river of time! I fell to Mortal World, you perished here!"

Weep! Cry! We are all the same!

"Us--"

"--They're all the same!"

Accompanied by this heart-wrenching, all-cursing roar, the sound of rocks shattering echoed from the sea and its depths. Cliffs collapsed, mountains crumbled, and the tentacles clinging to the cliffs suddenly shot upwards, stirring up surging waves. Dairila cried out, "It's out!"

The sea surged and the seawater boiled as if it were being boiled. A thunderous roar rose from the seabed, like the song of whales, but it was filled with the ferocity of destruction and hatred. Kang De looked down at the ocean, and in Phoenix Vision dark and deep, boundless ocean, he saw an unprecedentedly huge creature emerge with a terrifying outline!

A flood peak rises from the sea, with waves surging and rolling.

Kang De shouted sternly, "All personnel remaining behind, evacuate immediately!"

A dragon's roar rose majestically, helicopter rotors soared into the sky, and Kang De's figure flashed across the islands. One after another, Doom Warriors, flashing with Paradox light, retreated into the White Mist World. Horus's alarm blared inside their suits. "Impact is imminent! Five seconds! Four! Three! Two! One!"

At the center of numerous wildly dancing tentacles, a giant vortex several kilometers in diameter began to churn. The sea surface swirled and collapsed, water vapor and raindrops tumbled and dispersed, and an indescribable terrifying power surged forth from the vortex. Everything seemed to stand still, the world trembled and shook, and then time continued to move forward, and the Destroyer reappeared on Mortal World!

"--arrival!"

Then, mountains emerged from the sea.

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PS1: Update... Qixi Festival, hmph, hmph, hmph.