Translator: CinderTL
Torrential rain lashed the sea, churning the surface into layers of rippling waves.
Twenty-three warships, battered by the wind and waves, plowed through the surging waters.
Feng Qi and the Lord of the Mist occasionally glanced at Wang Lin, the commander-in-chief, who stood on the deck of the lead warship.
They cared little for the joint exploration operation itself.
After all, the Eighth Steel Mill battle group, which they had personally established, was merely a stepping stone, destined to be discarded sooner or later. Even accumulating vast honor points would be meaningless.
Compared to painstakingly upgrading the battle group's rating, it would be far simpler for the Lord of the Mist to directly possess Wang Lin's body.
Their primary reason for participating in this joint operation was their interest in Wang Lin, the commander-in-chief, and the Harvester Battle Group he led.
Before the mission began, they had thoroughly researched Wang Lin.
Twelve years ago, he graduated from Victory Academy and registered as a domain warrior in the Old Days Supply Zone alongside three classmates, all joining the Harvester Battle Group together.
Over the years, the group's members had cycled through countless replacements.
His original classmates had all perished in various battles, but Wang Lin had steadily risen through the ranks to his current position.
Wang Lin had now risen to become the group leader of the Harvester Battle Group.
Under his leadership, the Harvester Battle Group had advanced from an F-Tier Battle Group to a B-Rank Battle Group.
The Lord of the Mist chose Wang Lin not only because he had initiated the joint exploration operation, inadvertently walking into the spear's path, but also for a crucial reason:
The Harvester Battle Group's hundreds of core elite warriors possessed formidable strength.
Furthermore, the entire battle group was preparing to challenge for A-Rank Battle Group status this year.
Naturally, the Lord of the Mist coveted such a promising battle group. After learning the details, he immediately consulted with Feng Qi about seizing it.
Feng Qi readily agreed to the proposal.
They decided to wait until the battle group entered the Domain Field before seeking an opportunity to launch the body possession operation.
After a moment's contemplation, Feng Qi turned his gaze toward the black veil on the horizon.
This Domain Field was known as the "Heijue Domain Field."
Its internal exploration progress had reached approximately 39%. The rules closely resembled those of the human world. Currently recorded resources included 3,295 types of spirit plants and spirit minerals, 183 species of domain creatures, and its difficulty rating was provisionally assessed as: Fanged Tier (Third Level).
Among the creatures discovered within the domain, 38 were Domain-Transcending Creatures. These beings roamed the sea, frequently attacking human ships that entered their territory. They were bloodthirsty predators, relentlessly hunting the marine life in the area.
This information was included in the briefing materials provided before the mission began.
The warship cut through the waves as dark clouds gathered on the horizon, and the rain intensified.
Three hours later, they finally reached the outer edge of the Heijue Domain Field.
Without hesitation, the warship pierced through the black veil and entered the Heijue Domain Field.
Inside, the oppressive dark clouds and torrential rain persisted.
Gazing into the distance, they could see a lush, verdant island rising from the sea.
This island had not existed before the Heijue Domain Field's emergence. It was a new landmass that had appeared alongside the domain itself.
Since the Heijue Domain Field's arrival, the surrounding waters—the sea encompassed by the domain—had undergone dramatic changes.
The waters now teemed with bloodthirsty Sea Beasts, including colossal Great Sea Beasts larger than blue whales, posing significant challenges to navigation.
Furthermore, the seabed had given rise to valuable mineral deposits and spirit plants.
However, the region with the richest resources was undoubtedly their destination: Heijue Island.
This island served as the gathering place for intelligent species within the Heijue Domain Field.
Covering an area of 6,872 square kilometers, the island boasted lush vegetation but also harbored numerous terrifying domain creatures that posed significant challenges to the exploration teams.
Through multiple joint exploration operations, the teams had approached the island from various angles.
Yet none had managed to reach the core area where the space crystal was located.
As the warships entered the Heijue Domain Field, Wang Lin's voice boomed across the communicators of all 23 vessels:
"Attention all battle groups! Prepare for combat!"
Upon hearing the order, the warriors of each battle group rushed to the warships' edges, their gazes fixed on the sea.
The propellers' churning stirred the waters, drawing the attention of numerous Sea Beasts.
Sea Beasts continually leaped from the waves, following the warships' advance.
The warriors paid little heed to smaller Sea Beasts, as the warships were constructed from special metals with exceptional impact resistance.
However, the massive Great Sea Beasts could not be ignored.
These colossal creatures possessed the power to capsize entire warships.
"Warship No. 3 has detected a large Sea Beast. Requesting support."
The voice of Warship No. 3's commander crackled over the communicator, and all the warriors' gazes immediately shifted toward the warship's location.
There, a massive, lizard-like creature with a long, trailing tail was keeping pace with Warship No. 3 on its right flank. Its scaly back, which occasionally surfaced, shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.
Without needing orders from Wang Lin, the warriors launched their assault.
Traces of momentum formed, drawing spiritual energy from the surrounding environment to coalesce into art magic.
After a brief pause, a barrage of art magic rained down.
The lizard-like domain creature couldn't withstand the magical bombardment. Its back was torn apart by the spells, and blue blood spread across the sea's surface.
The scent of blood drove the smaller Sea Beasts trailing the warship into a frenzy.
In the blink of an eye, the massive creature was devoured completely, leaving not even bones behind.
"If we fell in, we'd probably end up the same way—nothing left but bones," a young man responsible for guarding supplies remarked with a look of astonishment. It seemed to be his first time witnessing the Domain Field firsthand.
"If I fall, I'll be the one eating them!" the Lord of the Mist said with a nonchalant glance at the youth.
"If you were capable, you wouldn't be stuck guarding supplies like us. You'd be in the combat units already," the youth retorted, rolling his eyes.
The Lord of the Mist's expression darkened at this remark, and he immediately fired back.
Their bickering escalated into a barrage of insults.
Feng Qi shook his head as he listened to their exchange.
Having adapted to human life, the Lord of the Mist had truly become a master of arguing.
He'd been the same during his time working odd jobs, constantly bickering and arguing with people. If you ignored his villainous nature, he was practically a world-class contrarian.
He'd learned little of human humility and politeness, but his skill at arguing was unparalleled.
(End of the Chapter)
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