Above The Sky
Chapter 986 - 986 96 Ian in a dilemma Ian has nowhere to escape

986: Chapter 96: Ian in a dilemma, Ian has nowhere to escape…

Ian wins!

(5200, third update) 986: Chapter 96: Ian in a dilemma, Ian has nowhere to escape…

Ian wins!

(5200, third update) Such terrifying, all-destroying power, even the distant clouds seemed affected, visibly distorted.

No, that’s not because of the Thunder Spear!

It’s the Aether Armament!

Viscount Grant’s Aether Armament, Conquest Ripple, was like a blue shooting star, piercing through the mists from the direction of the Southern Sea, dashing forward at breakneck speed—separated by over ten kilometers, he had already launched an attack using Element Sensing!

Buzz—streams of water surged out from the Aether Armament’s rear, weaving through the sky as if alive, forming a massive net.

This was not a direct attack, but rather to envelop the entire raincloud-filled sky, dragging them into descent!

A torrential downpour combined with a tsunami-like wave stirred in the air, now resembling a colossal whale rolling in the ocean depths, crashing down upon the Dragon Worship Cult followers!

“Who is this?!

This power, altering celestial phenomena, transforming sublimation, this…

this power approaches the Third Energy Level?!”

The Elf Dragonblood, who had just unleashed a full-force strike, was nearly dumbfounded.

The Thunder Flame Spear he had just executed boasted destructive power capable of leveling an indestructible fortress or flattening small hills, truly a technique meant for breaking armies.

But this Sublimation Skill’s power, compared to the ‘Cloud Sea Tsunami’ unleashed by Viscount Grant using the rainclouds over the entire sky, capable of annihilating an entire town, seemed utterly insignificant…

Even among the Mountain People, that Third Energy Level Chieftain of the Jiamu Sect, Kode—if he were still alive—would have no choice but to retreat and avoid direct confrontation against this attack!

——No, I have to run!

This thought flashed for only an instant before it consumed the Elf Dragonblood’s entire mind.

This was indeed the time to flee; after all, he had already completed his mission, and Ian had just been killed under his Thunder Spear…

Halfway through his thought, the Elf Dragonblood turned, ready to accelerate his escape.

Yet, at that moment.

From the billowing dust clouds caused by the Thunder Spear’s explosion, a pale hand emerged.

This hand gripped a slightly old but clearly well-modified Charged Water Gun.

And then…

A straight jet of supercooled water struck the Elf Dragonblood squarely in the back.

“How…

could this…”

In an instant, his back turned icy cold before he couldn’t feel anything at all.

Shocked and furious, the Elf Dragonblood desperately turned his head to look, only to find Ian—almost unscathed for reasons unclear—already retracting the Charged Water Gun and lying back down on the ground, feigning exhaustion and gasping for breath as if battling to his last strength.

“You damn faker…”

Eyes wide, the Elf Dragonblood didn’t have time to shout his expletive before consciousness completely left him.

Not long ago, Viscount Grant, from afar, had also seen the scene of the Elf Dragonblood summoning the Thunder Spear and striking the distant ground.

As another water-element Sublimator, Ian’s faintly weak yet essentially unharmed condition was exceedingly clear to him.

It seemed Ian had long found a safe position to evade the enemy’s attack but had deliberately lured them to unleash a charged attack, leaving these unknown Sublimators with no escape from his supporting strike.

“Good!

Ian wasn’t lying; there definitely are foreign Sublimators attempting to assassinate him!”

Witnessing this, the Viscount was instantly exhilarated: “This is a major achievement!”

At this moment, Viscount Grant was filled with admiration…

With one glance, he understood the situation entirely.

Ian and Green Tide had clearly noticed the enemy’s tracking long ago, prepared thoroughly, and then informed him ahead of time to deliver the final blow.

They had drawn the enemy out into the open, baiting them into attacking, while retreating step by step into a location where he could unleash his full power.

In the process, Ian and Green Tide severely drained the enemy’s stamina.

Though they could have claimed some victories themselves, they left the final ‘kills’ entirely to him!

When the time came, he could even use the excuse of a ‘foreign Sublimator assault’ to request funding for Aether Armament repairs from the Nanling Governor’s Mansion or even the Imperial Capital, reiterating the strategic importance of Harrison Port as a border outpost and the challenges of dealing with multi-national infiltration, securing a substantial wave of support!

A huge favor!

A tremendous accomplishment!

A debt of goodwill to be owed to him!

In the past, Viscount Grant would never have accepted such a favor…

Who knew what Ian was up to behind the scenes?

It could very well be a ploy to drag him into trouble, using his combat prowess to shield against assassins.

But now, with his child soon to be born, and Ian agreeing to be the child’s teacher—even if it was merely for the Empire’s rewards, scamming a bit of aid, and considering the high prices for noble milk powder, Grant was willing to act!

[Conquest Ripple!

Full power mode…

Target: total enemy annihilation!]

The mighty tidal surge crashed down from the celestial dome.

“Damn it!”

Not only Borfa, the Demihuman captain who was still entangled with Green Tide, but even Mojian’s expression drastically changed—he had just witnessed Ian take out the Charged Water Gun and shoot the Elf Dragonblood before feigning weakness and collapsing, clearly holding back a play.

But knowing his own personality, there was no way he’d bother finishing him off!

Instead, Mojian turned on his heels and ran, fleeing beyond the range of Viscount Grant’s attack!

Leveraging the Aether Armament with the near Third Energy Level’s wide-area attack capacity was indeed the hallmark of the Empire’s well-established nobles.

Even if Mojian prided himself on being able to discern flaws in the Cloud Sea Tsunami, he had no intention of wasting his energy.

As for the rest of his teammates, they could go to hell for all he cared; his primary concern was escaping alive.

But unfortunately, he failed to escape.

The scent of blood wafted unexpectedly, and a grotesque beast that resembled both an insect and a lizard suddenly appeared beside Mojian, pouncing ferociously at the swordsman—it wasn’t strong, even weaker than a First-Level Sublimator, but it appeared so abruptly and attacked so suicidally that Mojian was forced to draw his sword to dispatch it.

“Where the hell did this magical beast’s shadow come from, and who summoned this Origin Quality projection?!”

After slicing apart the monstrous insect-lizard shadow, Mojian immediately sensed trouble.

The mere moment spent dealing with this had already cost him too much time.

He looked up and saw the water-blue Aether Armament descending with an overwhelming surge, crashing toward the Dragon Worship Cult’s forces.

The elite cultists were struck unconscious at the wave’s impact, while the Aether Armament tracked low, carving an arc before accelerating forward.

Its ultimate target was clearly the only Second Energy Level Dragon Worship Cult strongman left standing—

Mojian himself.

“It’s over.”

As the sheer Origin Quality of the Conquest Ripple bore down upon him, Mojian sighed internally: “I knew something was wrong, told them to stay vigilant—damn it, the strongest opponent always appears in the guise of a teammate!”

“I accept my fate…”

He lost consciousness.

The encounter concluded.

What should have been a brutal and bloody assassination event orchestrated by the Dragon Worship Cult ended with the rainclouds dispersing, leaving behind a scene of radiant spring sunlight.