The crowd's reaction, however, was not as calm as the two of them.
Duke Iron Bay stood frozen, holding his wine glass, watching Isabella and Lin Feng clink glasses in the direction they were going. He murmured to General Gray Ridge beside him, "Europa is even leaving a way out in Antarctica... My God, what was I hesitating about just now?"
General Gray Ridge did not answer, but his expression was complicated, as if he regretted not asking more questions about the details.
The representatives of the other medium-sized countries who had been observing the situation also put away their smiles and exchanged meaningful glances.
Some people tapped their fingers unconsciously on the table, some people frowned more and more, and some people had already quietly stood up.
He left early under the influence of alcohol, clearly intending to return that night to gather his staff and discuss countermeasures.
The banquet was still going on.
The beer on the long table was changed round after round, the aroma of roasted meat mingling with the clinking of beer glasses.
Some people, emboldened by the alcohol, began to sing loudly; others, spittle flying, recounted the most thrilling battle of the past six days to their companions; still others sat alone in a corner, quietly drinking one glass of wine after another.
Lin Feng was swept along by the crowd, drinking at one table and then moving from one table to another.
Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan remained seated in the corner, quietly watching him.
Jiang Zhaoyue occasionally raised her wine glass, elegantly returning the greetings of the generals who came over, a polite smile on her face.
Jiang Yelan, on the other hand, held a glass of wine that he had barely touched, his gaze calm and serene as he quietly observed everything in the hall, like a detached observer.
The celebration banquet lasted until midnight.
As the last group of guests staggered out of the hall, the stars in the sky above White Tower City were already incredibly bright.
After the rainstorm dissipated, the night sky was so clear it was almost transparent. The brilliant Milky Way stretched across the city walls, as if bestowing a silent blessing upon this ravaged city.
When Lin Feng pushed open the wooden door of the small courtyard in the east gate, the moon was already high in the sky.
Jiang Zhaoyue followed behind him, her hand supporting her on the door frame. Her steps were unsteady, clearly indicating that she had also drunk quite a bit.
Jiang Yelan was the last to enter.
She closed the courtyard gate behind her, bolted it, and then stood with her back against the gate for a while.
The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Lin Feng turned around and looked at Jiang Zhaoyue and Jiang Yelan standing side by side in the courtyard under the moonlight.
He rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and said softly, "You've had a tough few days, get some rest."
Jiang Zhaoyue glanced at him, her eyes filled with a slightly tipsy, gentle light, and nodded gently: "You too, don't force yourself."
Jiang Yelan didn't speak, but just looked at him quietly for two seconds, then nodded slightly and turned to walk towards her room.
With two soft sounds, the courtyard returned to complete silence.
Lin Feng went up to the second floor alone.
He took off his outer robe, not even having time to kick off his shoes, and threw himself heavily onto the bed.
The old bed frame let out a dull groan.
The moment his body sank into the soft bedding, his tense nerves relaxed abruptly, and all the fatigue surged in like a tidal wave, instantly engulfing him completely.
...
Five days later, twenty miles west of Baita City.
Lin Feng hovered 600 meters in the air, arms crossed, with the Wildfire Spear leaning against his back. His gaze fell on two figures about 100 meters below.
Jiang Yelan and Jiang Zhaoyue are facing off.
Four golden halos around the two women rotated slowly in perfect unison, creating a suffocating pressure.
What's even more striking is the subtle golden sheen that flows between their fingers, wrists, and necks.
In just five days, numerous people, including those from Europe, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and several other medium-sized countries, approached us to discuss establishing village-level territories in the Antarctic region and then attaching them to the Beacon Territory.
Two of the medium-sized countries, unable to produce gold-plated equipment, each contributed two pieces of gold jewelry. Although they were standard-issue, they were genuine gold-plated pieces.
At this moment, Jiang Yelan has added the Frozen Waistband, Silent Night Boots, and Shadow Hunter Leggings, while Jiang Zhaoyue has completed her Blood Oath Waist Armor, Moon Chasing Wind Boots, and Silver Gleaming Greaves.
Four pieces of gold equipment and three pieces of gold accessories.
Although they haven't collected the perfect nine-piece set, the qualitative change brought about by this equipment has made them completely different from five days ago.
Just as Lin Feng's thoughts were turning, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly rang out!
The exchange of skills officially begins.
Jiang Yelan took the initiative. Her figure trembled strangely in the morning light. She activated 【Shadow Step】 and instantly transformed into a black line, disappearing into thin air.
Almost in the same millisecond, she appeared three meters behind Jiang Zhaoyue like a ghost.
The Shadow Moon Blade was drawn from its sheath, its blade absorbing the surrounding light and gleaming with a cold, deadly black light, aiming straight for Jiang Zhaoyue's back!
Jiang Zhaoyue did not turn around.
The instant Jiang Yelan's figure disappeared, her battlefield intuition had already locked onto the location of that shadowy figure.
The Silver Moon Heavenly Spear twirled like a serpent in her hand, its tail whipping out with a powerful gust of wind!
"clang!!!"
The crisp sound of metal clashing exploded high in the sky, and the shockwave generated by the collision of the two powerful forces tore a circular gap in the surrounding thin clouds.
Using the momentum, Jiang Zhaoyue spun around and thrust her Silver Moon Spear forward, the tip of the spear like a shooting star chasing the moon, aiming straight for Jiang Yelan's face.
This shot carried an unavoidable sharpness, as if it could pierce even the space itself.
Jiang Yelan leaned back, narrowly avoiding the spear tip, but the Shadow Moon Blade deftly slashed up from below, its blade scraping against the spear shaft and sending up a string of dazzling sparks.
She flipped her wrist smoothly, changing the blade's momentum from a sweeping motion to a slashing motion, delivering a powerful diagonal strike to Jiang Zhaoyue's left shoulder.
Jiang Zhaoyue parried with her spear, the shaft firmly blocking the blade. At the same time, her right knee struck Jiang Yelan's abdomen like a heavy hammer!
Jiang Yelan struck her opponent's knee with her left palm, using the momentum to flip backward. Just as her body was halfway up in the air, she flicked her fingertips—【Phantom Flying Blade】!
A flying blade, imbued with dense shadow energy, flew out of her hand. It did not travel in a straight line, but instead drew a bizarre arc that defied the laws of physics, bypassing Jiang Zhaoyue's frontal defense and silently slashing towards her right lower back.
