Translator: CinderTL
Feng Qi was stunned to learn that Wang Yi was a spy planted in human society by the Domain Force.
But upon reflection, he realized there had always been something off about her.
In the previous Sacrifice Line, Wang Yi had served as the overall commander of the escort mission, responsible for all logistics, command, and coordination.
During the escort, she had allowed the Wolf Domain Battle Group to join the escort mid-journey.
At the time, Feng Qi had assumed Wang Yi was a puppet of the Black Shadow Faction, with the Technology Research Institute as her front.
He never imagined that when Wang Yi's mask shattered during the battle for the bloodstone, it would reveal purple eyes and hair—clear signs of body possession, unmistakably identifying her as the Lord of the Mist.
He had been puzzled then, wondering how the Lord of the Mist could be connected to the Wolf Domain Battle Group, which was backed by the Technology Research Institute, and possibly even to the institute itself.
Now, a clear narrative was forming in his mind.
The Lord of the Mist, having possessed Wang Yi, had searched her memories and discovered that the Technology Research Institute—the Black Shadow Domain's human front—was her true backer.
Next, the Lord of the Mist used Wang Yi's identity to contact the Black Shadow Faction behind the Technology Research Institute, seeking to exploit them for greater gains.
The Black Shadow Faction behind the Technology Research Institute remained completely unaware of this.
Perhaps this also laid the groundwork for the Lord of the Mist's future infiltration of the Tiger Soul Research Institute, as he dispatched subordinates to infiltrate the Technology Research Institute.
The Lord of the Mist remained hidden in the shadows, while the Technology Research Institute lay exposed in his gaze.
"There's a rune mark embedded within me," the Lord of the Mist said gravely. "If triggered, this body will be severed from its life force and self-destruct. I need to find a way to break it."
Feng Qi wasn't surprised by this revelation.
One of the Black Shadow Faction's methods for controlling subordinates was to implant death marks within their bodies.
Le Ping'an had deliberately triggered his death mark to die.
The Sacrifice Line, where Feng Qi had infiltrated the Technology Research Institute, had also been implanted with a similar death mark.
Naturally, he couldn't reveal this information to the Lord of the Mist. Instead, he immediately asked:
"Do you have any ideas on how to break this rune mark?"
"That's simple. I just need to create a fake mark to confuse the detection mechanism. But I'll need time to study it."
Hearing this, Feng Qi immediately thought of Wei Wei.
Back when he was infiltrating the Technology Research Institute in the Sacrifice Line, Wei Wei had proposed a similar solution.
She had ultimately succeeded in cracking the death mark, rendering it a mere decoration with no practical significance.
Indeed, the thought processes of geniuses are remarkably similar.
"Understood. Get back to the battlefield immediately. The probing skirmishes should be ending soon. We can begin the withdrawal."
"Hold on, I need to adjust to this body first."
With that, the Lord of the Mist stood up.
Stretching his limbs, he began practicing art magic, mimicking the techniques he remembered Wang Yi using.
After more than ten minutes, he turned and dashed toward the ongoing battle.
The Lord of the Mist's arrival boosted the morale of the Joint Operations Battle Group, which had been leaderless until now.
However, the Sand Domain Lifeforms also multiplied as the fighting intensified.
If they continued to engage, they risked being completely surrounded.
Lingering to fight was clearly not the Lord of the Mist's intention. He immediately began organizing the retreat.
Retreating along the path they had come, the battle group suffered further casualties before finally shaking off the pursuit by the Sand Domain Lifeforms.
The Lord of the Mist then led the battle group in a strategic withdrawal.
Feng Qi remained at the rear of the formation, communicating with the Lord of the Mist through their consciousness.
After another ten days of enduring wind and sand, the Joint Operations Battle Group, embedded within Feng Qi's mental consciousness, pierced through the barrier of the Yellow Sand Domain Field and vanished from his perception.
Yet Feng Qi chose not to leave.
He waited patiently inside the barrier for a long while before finally crossing through the Yellow Sand Domain Field's barrier.
Outside, near-total darkness prevailed. Looking up, he could see a hazy crescent moon obscured by dark clouds. The warships and battle cruisers that had been anchored nearby had already departed.
Submerged in the frigid seawater, he lost all sense of direction.
He removed his backpack and retrieved a positioning device.
After pressing the power button and waiting a moment, the device activated, displaying his current location.
Confirming his bearings, he stowed the device back in his backpack, zipped it up, and began swimming vigorously toward the War Dock.
He swam through the night until dawn began to break.
At that moment, he spotted the beam of light emanating from the lighthouse, the tallest structure at the War Dock.
The lighthouse served as a crucial navigational landmark, guiding ships to ports and docks. Spotting its light meant he was roughly 15-25 nautical miles from the War Dock.
After a brief rest in the seawater, he resumed his journey.
The Lord of the Mist never came to meet him, which he fully understood.
After all, the Lord of the Mist's public identity was the group leader of the Death Star Third Battle Group. Upon returning from his mission, he would undoubtedly be busy with tasks like recording detailed mission logs, leaving him no time for personal matters.
He wasn't so fragile anyway.
Before seeking out the Lord of the Mist, he had undergone years of rigorous training, honing his physical endurance to the point where swimming for three days and nights straight wouldn't be a problem.
Another half-day of relentless swimming passed.
By now, he could see the cluster of buildings behind the War Dock.
Glancing up at the sun hanging high in the sky, he lowered his head and continued his relentless pace.
Throughout the journey, he alternated between backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle, varying his strokes to alleviate the monotony.
Several hours later, he spotted a gray mist approaching on the horizon.
Realizing the Lord of the Mist had finished his tasks and come to retrieve him, he immediately stopped swimming.
As he waited, the mist rapidly closed in.
When it arrived overhead, the mist face materialized, and a familiar voice boomed:
"Why are you swimming so slowly?"
"You're on a ship, I'm swimming. How can you compare?" Feng Qi couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Can't you fly?"
"My flight relies purely on mental energy. Flying for a few hours is fine, but if I exhaust my mental energy, I'll likely pass out and sink to the bottom. Swimming is safer."
Understanding the situation, the mist face showed a look of realization.
A gray mist tendril then extended from the mist, coiled around Feng Qi, and lifted him from the sea. It swept directly past the War Dock and soared toward the Old Days Supply Zone.
(End of the Chapter)
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