Chapter 116: High-Priced Intelligence

Chapter 116: Chapter 116: High-Priced Intelligence

She was well aware of Lin Ji’s intentions, right here on the deck.

Surrounding them were Tang Ling and several other women, fully absorbed in setting up the formation.

But faced with Lin Ji’s domineering presence, her legs went weak, and she dared not resist.

She could only blush and obediently continue feeding him.

Time passed minute by second in this tense and oppressive atmosphere.

Half an hour later.

With a low shout that Lin Ji and Tang Ling uttered almost simultaneously—

Buzz—!

A dazzling, blazing blue ring of light instantly swept across the entire War Ship like a compass, originating from the formation core at the center of the deck.

The entire War Ship was instantly covered in a honeycomb light membrane, thin as a cicada’s wing yet indestructible.

At this moment, the entire LV4 Heavy Cannon Assault Ship seemed to have donned a suit of energy armor.

"It’s done!"

Tang Ling cheered, collapsing exhaustedly onto the deck.

Lin Ji also let out a sigh of relief and stretched his body.

Su Qingyue and Gu Yihan, watching the blue light shield rise around them, both wore expressions of astonishment.

"Qing Yue, attack the shield with full force."

Lin Ji commanded, pointing at the shimmering energy-fluctuating light shield in the distance.

Su Qingyue didn’t dare to be careless and quickly took a few steps back.

Her ice-blue eyes focused as she fully activated her C-grade talent.

Dozens of sharp ice spikes, capable of piercing through iron plates, whistled through the air and slammed violently into the shield.

However, the shield’s surface merely rippled slightly.

Not only was it not breached, but it didn’t even show the slightest sign of shaking.

Lin Ji nodded, his expression turning serious.

He directly activated the A-Rank Violent Fire Talent within him.

[Volcanic Magma Burst!]

A dark red, violent magma Fireball, like a meteor, smashed fiercely into the shield before him.

Boom—!

A violent explosion erupted at the edge of the deck, the terrifying high temperature instantly vaporizing the surrounding seawater.

Under this A-grade attack, the blue light membrane finally shook violently.

But it was only a shake.

In less than a second, the shield stabilized once more, as solid as before, replenished by the energy from the underlying LV3 Crystal Core.

Lin Ji glanced at the energy bar on his System Panel, which had shrunk by about one-twentieth, a glint flashing in his eyes.

This meant that this shield could withstand twenty full-force attacks from an A-grade talent.

As long as there were enough high-grade Crystal Cores, this ship at this stage was practically an impregnable mobile fortress.

Witnessing this, all the women on the deck gasped in shock.

Especially Gu Yihan, who knew all too well the destructive power of an A-grade talent.

The sturdiness of this shield was simply despair-inducing.

Just as the women were still immersed in a profound sense of security—

The Logbook of Navigation in Lin Ji’s pocket suddenly vibrated.

He took out the Logbook of Navigation.

Flickering on the screen was actually a private message from Ye Xinglan, the leader of the Rose Society.

"The situation has changed."

This was the first sentence Ye Xinglan sent, the words carrying a heavy tone.

"A elite squad from the Apocalypse Guild has already landed on the island. Their target is likely the resources there as well."

"To avoid being surrounded, we can’t meet at the original coordinates anymore."

"I’ve already sent you the new rendezvous coordinates. Once we get there, we’ll discuss how to deal with them."

"Be careful. The ones leading the team this time are two A-grade powerhouses from Apocalypse."

Lin Ji narrowed his eyes slightly, his fingers tapping rapidly on the screen.

"Which two?"

After a moment, Ye Xinglan replied with two codenames.

"One codename Xuanbing, female."

"One codename Anying, male."

Lin Ji’s pupils contracted sharply.

He remembered clearly—Qin Yao had mentioned these two names to him before.

They were an exceptionally troublesome duo within the Apocalypse Guild.

Both were A-grade.

Xuanbing had an Ice Affinity talent like Su Qingyue, but with stronger control, specializing in Extreme Cold Domain for Field Control.

Anying, on the other hand, possessed a rare Stealth Assassination Talent, practically appearing and disappearing like a ghost.

When these two worked together, it was far more than just one plus one equals two.

As long as Xuanbing immobilized the enemy, even if only for a second or two of stun, Anying could deliver a one-hit kill from a blind spot.

After the initial surprise, a question quickly surfaced in Lin Ji’s mind.

Why did Ye Xinglan sound so familiar with these two?

"President Ye, you seem to know Apocalypse’s people quite well?"

Lin Ji didn’t beat around the bush and asked directly.

This time, there was silence on the other end for several minutes.

Then, Ye Xinglan sent a message.

"Apocalypse Guild has expanded too quickly, and its members are a mixed bag. It wasn’t hard for me to plant one or two informants inside."

"However..."

"Not only did I plant eyes in Apocalypse, but there are also spies from the Apocalypse Guild on my ship."

"Otherwise, the coordinates of this island wouldn’t have been leaked so easily."

"I’m conducting an internal purge and believe I’ll root them out soon."

Reading the words on the screen, Lin Ji was momentarily stunned.

Spies?

He instinctively looked up, his gaze sweeping toward the direction of the second-floor cabin.

A thought involuntarily crossed his mind.

Could Qin Yao also be an informant planted by Apocalypse on his side?

But just as quickly, Lin Ji dismissed the idea.

First, when Qin Yao first encountered him, his team was still very weak—at best, a slightly plump minnow.

It simply wasn’t worth an organization as massive as the Apocalypse Guild going to such lengths to keep tabs on him.

If they really wanted to eliminate him, Qin Yao alone could have done it back then.

Moreover, Lin Ji had absolute confidence in his Eye of Insight.

Unless there truly existed a talent in this world naturally adept at concealing one’s soul, capable of perfectly masking even inner thoughts.

Otherwise, if Qin Yao harbored even a hint of betrayal, he would surely detect it immediately.

Up until now, all he had seen was the untamed wildness ingrained in Qin Yao’s bones, without a trace of hostility.

Having reasoned this through, Lin Ji turned his attention back to the Logbook of Navigation.

Ye Xinglan having a traitor within his ranks was a perfect opportunity to drive a hard bargain.

"President Ye, your team is practically full of holes now."

Lin Ji leaned against the railing, his fingers typing swiftly.

"Forming an alliance with you at this point carries significant risks for me."

On the other side, Ye Xinglan clearly saw through Lin Ji’s intention.

This man was unmistakably trying to jack up the price.

"Captain Lin, risk and reward often go hand in hand. Are you trying to take advantage of the situation again?"

The two exchanged words back and forth, probing and negotiating through the screen.

After a few casual remarks, sensing the timing was right, Lin Ji immediately dropped his heavy bargaining chip.

"President Ye, I have a crucial piece of Intelligence I can sell to you."

"Moreover, once we meet, I can even find a way to help you directly expose the spy on your ship."

Ye Xinglan on the other side was clearly taken aback, replying faster than before.

"Are you sure?"

"Captain Lin, why don’t you just say what you want in return?"

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