The observers secretly marveled at the strength of the Vanguard Demon; few could evade such a swift and massive aerial assault from a giant eagle. A mere scratch or a glancing blow would instantly pulp an ordinary person. Even members of the Reincarnation Squad would hesitate to confront the eagle head-on. If the Rear Demon were also brought into play, facing the coordinated attacks of two powerful entities—one overt, one hidden; one steel, one yielding—few could hope to withstand them.

(Our East Sea Team truly has great potential. The cultural techniques of the Yamato people are formidable. It's just a pity that the former captain defected to the Heaven God Squad, and my Gene Lock failed to advance further, barely stalling at the second stage, never reaching the third. Otherwise, the East Sea Team would surely present a very different picture... What a shame, what a shame. Time waits for no one, and heroes find no place to utilize their talents.)

Since becoming the captain of the East Sea Team, Miyata Kuraki had been brimming with ambition, hoping to elevate the team to a first-rate powerhouse. They had once defeated another team named the Indus Team, but they suffered a crushing defeat when facing the Heaven God Squad. It was only because the Heaven God Squad showed mercy and did not annihilate them, instead forming an alliance, that Miyata Kuraki's buried ambitions were driven even deeper, yet simultaneously solidified.

This entire internal monologue took place in mere seconds, as the giant eagle was moving at incredible speed.

In the blink of an eye, it had covered a vast distance. Far out over the turbulent waves, the silhouette of a huge destroyer was beginning to emerge. In about ten more seconds, the eagle would be directly above the warship.

"Mitsui Michi! Use Shadow Evasion to envelope us and the giant eagle!" Miyata Kuraki urgently commanded mentally. The team possessed a Psychic Controller.

Such telepathic communication was one of their most fundamental functions.

The lanky man nodded silently, retrieving a scroll from his breast pocket and placing it between his teeth.

His hands continuously wove intricate hand seals. Just as the giant eagle reached ten meters from the destroyer, he shouted softly.

A burst of black smoke erupted from him, engulfing the eagle and everyone else. When the smoke dissipated, both the eagle and the group had vanished without a trace.

"Impressive technique."

Zheng Zha had been listening to the wind and judging the location from a distance. Although the torrential storm somewhat hindered his hearing, the sheer force of the eagle slicing through the air made it impossible for him to miss. Yet, when the eagle was only a few meters from the destroyer, it suddenly disappeared entirely.

This situation was clearly beyond simple psychic jamming; it required a far more profound skill.

Regardless, the strength of this East Sea Team didn't seem utterly negligible.

"Everyone, pay attention. The East Sea Team has reached the vessel. I don't know their exact location; they used some kind of cloaking technique. Be aware of your surroundings... Also, do not hold back during combat. First, we must prevent them from realizing we've been captured, and second, holding back during a fight risks friendly fire. Kill them if you can; if you truly can't win, surrender completely... Chu Xuan, keep a close eye on those new recruits!" With that, Zheng Zha leaped off the deck, launching himself several meters into the air.

His wings flapped continuously, suspending him lightly in mid-air. He then shot towards the position where the East Sea Team had vanished.

On the other side of the destroyer, the various members of the Central Continent Team looked around. Due to previous squad splitting, most members remained with their smaller units. Upon hearing Zheng Zha’s warning, everyone tensed, prepared to attack the moment the East Sea Team materialized. However, the East Sea Team’s skill was indeed remarkable, managing complete invisibility; this was genuinely impressive.

Zheng Zha thought similarly. Since "The Main God" system offered countless skills for exchange, even with captain-level access to simplify browsing, one's personal energy was finite; it was impossible to memorize every skill, item, or attribute exchange. Therefore, most exchanges tended to favor skills one was familiar with, or those unique to one's native culture, leading to distinct national or regional characteristics defining each team.

(East Sea, East Sea... could they be from the Japan/Korea region? If so, the vanishing skill is likely Ninjutsu? If it’s Ninjutsu, it is certainly well-suited for ambush tactics.)

Zheng Zha hovered atop the destroyer. As long as there was a sound or shout from the ship, he could immediately provide aid. Although the broad strategy agreed upon was to temporarily let the East Sea Team go, they couldn't be allowed to become too arrogant. At the very least, they needed to be put under immense pressure to understand that the Central Continent Team members were not to be trifled with, lest capture result in severe harm or death.

"...Precisely. I fully agree with your assessment." Xiao Honglü’s voice came through the silver metallic chip. "Based on the current situation, the East Sea Team's attempt at stealth is largely to secure a formal parity—at the very least, they seek an equal footing for dialogue with our team. Otherwise, their move would have been a full-scale raid, not a mere ambush... If we appear too weak, they will look down on us, and captured members will be in serious danger. I’m sure you wouldn't accept that outcome, right?"

"Exactly!"

There was one point Zheng Zha hadn't vocalized: he desperately wanted to test a newly acquired technique—the collision of True Essence power with Demonic energy. This technique was honed specifically to counter the Black Flame utilized by replicants. While its defensive capabilities were excellent, its offensive power was somewhat lacking. Although his true body's innate strength could compensate for this weakness, this compensation relied heavily on the extreme defensive power of the skill. Therefore, using the East Sea Team as a testing ground was one of his primary reasons for engaging personally.

Meanwhile, the East Sea Team materialized inside a utility closet on the destroyer. As soon as they appeared, Mitsui Michi’s face turned pale. Miyata Kuraki, standing beside him, quickly supported him. "Is your Chakra depleted too much? Carrying all three of us at once is taxing. You rest now. Once your Chakra recovers, you can sneak out later. Little Inu Masao and I will begin our move. Divine Palace-sama, please stay with him; I believe Mitsui Michi's Shadow Ninjutsu can protect you well enough."

In fact, it wasn't just Mitsui Michi who looked pale. Of the four present, only Miyata Kuraki appeared composed. The other three looked decidedly ill, especially Little Inu Masao, whose face became ashen and green upon learning he had to move out with Miyata Kuraki. If examined closely, his legs were trembling slightly.

Miyata Kuraki sighed softly. He clapped Little Inu Masao on the back forcefully. "Show some backbone, man!" With that, he took a deep breath and threw open the door, simultaneously sending a mental summons to Aoi Sora.

"...Captain, this is the personnel map of the destroyer. Due to the psychic shield, we can only sense life forms, not gender or appearance. So these could be Navy soldiers coerced by the Central Continent Team, or they could be Central Continent members themselves. Be careful."

Miyata Kuraki nodded, yanked Little Inu Masao, and burst out the door, disappearing down the corridor in just a few strides.

This was, in fact, the East Sea Team's long-established coordinated combat style. Miyata Kuraki and Little Inu Masao were close-combat specialists, suited for direct assault. Mitsui Michi had exchanged for Shadow-style Ninjutsu, ideal for stealth and support. Combined with Divine Palace’s Shikigami and Aoi Sora’s psychic control, along with other team members' skills, this method had secured their victory against the Indus Team. Now, they turned this strategy against the Central Continent Team...

"Found them!" Two people in the Central Continent Team stiffened. Upon receiving Zheng Zha’s alert, several members focused their attention, their Gene Locks gradually activating. Besides Zheng Zha, Zhao Yingkong and Zhang Heng also detected movement within the ship compartments one after the other. While Zhang Heng remained relatively composed, Zhao Yingkong silently rose from her seat, opened the cabin door, and walked out, her hand loosely grasping what appeared to be her weapon, the Sword of Victory and Vows.

Simultaneously, Zheng Zha descended from the sky, plunging directly into the ship’s interior, then running towards the East Sea Team's location. With Zhao Yingkong closing in from below, these two—one above, one below—trapped the East Sea Team between them, rapidly moving towards their direction of travel.

Both Miyata Kuraki and Little Inu Masao had mental scan maps. Upon seeing two figures converging from above and below, Little Inu Masao panicked immediately. Miyata Kuraki, however, remained calm. "Don't panic. There are only two of them, and they are approaching from above and below. It's not certain yet that the Central Continent Team has found us. Here’s the plan: we attack the one coming from below. She is the closest to us, and attacking her will also allow us to search downwards... Mitsui Michi, you go find rooms where many people are gathered. With your Shadow Ninjutsu, you can infiltrate silently. If you discover anyone who isn't a Navy soldier, tell us immediately. If they are weak, or if it’s the injured Psychic Controller, capture them outright, and then we retreat immediately!" As his words fell, Miyata Kuraki pulled Little Inu Masao and charged towards Zhao Yingkong's position.

They were separated by only two corridors... Leap to