Raphael's return was like a comet plunging into a field of shrapnel, destined to cause an earth-shattering explosion.

Li Huamei remarked, "I rather hoped Her Majesty the Queen of England would send someone to meet me, but alas, no such good fortune. Tell me, who do you suppose I might run into?"

Under Baludis’s orders, the Strait of Gibraltar was blockaded, with Alonso※#8226; Rosa’s fleet patrolling the great gateway to the Mediterranean day and night. Meanwhile, Ximen※#8226; Linare was stationed in Lisbon, stopping and interrogating every vessel that entered or exited; should Raphael be discovered, he was to be executed on the spot.

While the names of Portugal and Spain were being rattled by the name "Raphael," the man who bore it was approaching inch by inch, having just passed the Canary Islands, which belonged to Spain in the Atlantic. One of these islands, Las Palmas, was garrisoned by the Spanish Navy, tasked with monitoring Raphael’s movements. Yet, as Raphael’s fleet sailed past, every single monitor was found sound asleep in their quarters, completely oblivious that the highly wanted fugitive was passing right under their noses. From Las Palmas to Lisbon was now only a five-day journey. When Baludis learned of this later, he was furious, cursing loudly. He immediately demoted the commander at Las Palmas and reassigned everyone to patrol duty along the northern border with France.

The man showed no anger, maintaining his smile as he said, "It seems I am considered an unwelcome guest. If that is the case, I shall not press the issue. Travel safely." The man paused, then added, "Remember, it does no good to cross the Queen of England!" With that, the man departed, his light-brown figure quickly swallowed by the surrounding colors.

Li Huamei stated, "It just so happens that I know the way to England; there’s no need for you to trouble yourself with an escort."

Raphael and his company successfully passed Baludis’s first line of defense, sailed past the Madeira Islands, which originally belonged to Portugal, and then slipped into Lisbon undetected. Five days later, when Baludis discovered the person he was seeking was suddenly right before his eyes, the sheer degree of his surprise and fury was enough to evaporate the Mediterranean Sea.

The man said, "Admiral Li, this is disrespect toward Her Majesty the Queen!"

Li Huamei replied, "You are no ordinary person either. To recognize me!"

There was also a group of people busy because of Raphael. Some were classmates who had studied with Raphael at the same naval academy; others were young men who often frequented Uncle Frio’s tavern to hear stories; and still others could not tolerate the arrogance of the Spanish. They gathered together without prior arrangement and formed an underground guerrilla unit called "Lagulafu," wreaking havoc on Baludis’s rule within the city. It was rumored that Lagulafu was the first person in Portuguese history to die in a conflict against another nation; the young men adopted this name as their codename to express their unyielding determination against Spain. "Lagulafu" started with only nineteen members, but after half a year, there were nearly one hundred. They possessed extremely hidden bases and operated with exceptional caution and prudence, so Baludis never managed to capture a single one of them, nor could General Abocoroque fathom their actions. Upon learning of Raphael’s situation, "Lagulafu" decided to join forces with him. The first order of business was to ensure Raphael’s fleet entered Lisbon without being discovered by anyone.

Conversely, the news of Raphael’s return hastened its way up the African continent to Baludis’s ears. Given Baludis’s understanding of Raphael, he naturally knew the purpose of his return. So far, Baludis had controlled the movements of most Portuguese sea merchants; those remaining in the country were a given, but even influential overseas merchants like Pereira were subject to his control. Naturally, there were some with strong convictions who absolutely refused to submit, resulting in either death or imprisonment. There were also some beyond Baludis’s grasp who adopted passive tactics: unwilling to return to their homeland to become Spaniards, yet unwilling to openly display their dissatisfaction and risk arrest, they could only hide far away, abandoning their nationality to drift as lost souls upon the sea. These people would absolutely not seek trouble with Baludis on their own accord and were not worth noting. However, if someone raised a torch to strike down Baludis, they might help add fuel to make the fire burn hotter, and that would be troublesome. Looking at the sea, there were quite a few restless individuals, but only one had truly lit the torch—Raphael※#8226; de Castelo. Thus, Baludis was determined to eliminate him at any cost, ensuring the fire of resistance against him would never be ignited.

"What kind of person?" Richard hastily inquired.

Li Huamei sneered and said, "So impatient, truly useless. However, that man from the British Navy we just encountered requires more attention; he is no ordinary sailor!"

Yang Xien murmured, "That's the uniform of the British Royal Navy!" In the instant the man turned around, the light-brown coat flipped up, revealing the clothing underneath. Yang saw clearly that the style was exactly as James had described.

The whole affair dated back to the Madeira Islands. The Madeira Islands were due north of Las Palmas, less than 200 nautical miles away. Unlike the Azores in the middle of the Atlantic, which served as an important stepping stone to the American continent, Madeira was not significant enough to replace nearby Las Palmas as a bridgehead for sailing south to Africa; thus, Baludis did not value it highly. Half of the Portuguese troops originally stationed there were ordered to withdraw, and their communication with the homeland gradually weakened. Over several months, they were almost forgotten. However, a group of young men thought of it: members of "Lagulafu" secretly contacted the garrison stationed in Madeira. The highest-ranking officer among the garrison was Second Lieutenant Cai, who also commanded the troops. He and his comrades had been unable to do their part to defend their homeland when Portugal fell, and they were subsequently abandoned on this isolated Atlantic island, still unable to achieve anything. A soldier’s pride would not allow them to hide in a corner while their country was in peril, and the resentment buried in their hearts was reaching its limit. The arrival of "Lagulafu" opened a channel for them to vent. They quickly reached an agreement, and the focus of their discussion naturally turned to Raphael.

Richard said, "No, no. I only grew worried when you hadn't arrived after such a long time, fearing you might have run into trouble. Ah, I’ll go check the deck."

The man spoke, "Is this not the Ming Dynasty's Admiral Li? Truly an extraordinary figure!"

Portugal had been occupied by Spain for eight months. It was said that the easy occupation of Portuguese territorial waters and the subsequent entry into the Royal Palace by the Spanish fleet were due to the Navy Commander-in-Chief, General Abocoroque, surrendering voluntarily. General Abocoroque had always been known for his honesty and benevolence. People had always believed that as long as this naval commander was present, the Spanish fleet would not set foot on Portuguese soil. Even if the entire navy were killed in battle, General Abocoroque would never utter the word "retreat." To defend their nation, all Portuguese citizens vowed to resist to the last drop of blood, preferring death to living as subjects of Spain. But when the news of the "Commander-in-Chief's Surrender" reached their ears, the clenched fists relaxed, and the swords fell from their hands. This was an event more unbelievable than the entire navy being annihilated. General Abocoroque seemed the person least likely to be associated with the word "betrayal"; if even he surrendered... The moment this thought struck, the surging emotion within the people seemed to be carried away by an unseen hand. Although resistance groups sprang up in various places, because Portugal’s greatest pillar of support was gone, these resistance groups could not form an effective attack and were eliminated one by one by Baludis’s two great lieutenants, Ximen※#8226; Linare and Alonso※#8226; Rosa. Most participants were arrested and confined in the prison within the former Portuguese Naval Headquarters, guarded by General Abocoroque; no one had seen them since, leading people to believe they had been secretly executed. Furthermore, the King of Portugal, all government officials, and heads of the military were placed under house arrest. Only General Abocoroque remained free, his status and position unchanged, a reward from Baludis for his submission. However, when the people of Lisbon mentioned him, they no longer respectfully called him "General" but rather "Traitor."

Thus, it was Second Lieutenant Cai and his twelve soldiers who caused the patrolmen at Las Palmas to fall asleep on duty. It was the members of "Lagulafu" who waited for Raphael’s fleet in the Madeira Islands, concealing them in the cargo hold of a merchant ship along with dozens of barrels of beer for transport into Lisbon.

Li Huamei said, "Someone claiming to be a soothsayer told me this journey would be fraught with misfortune. He also said a lot of other things that I couldn't understand!"

The news of Raphael’s return had been received even earlier by General Abocoroque, adding another furrow to his brow. Almost all his former subordinates had deserted him, having been imprisoned for opposing Baludis. Only his loyal adjutant, Paro※#8226; Morais, remained by his side. For this loyalty, Paro had endured no small amount of public scorn. Now, Paro was following the General’s instructions, preparing for Raphael’s arrival.

Richard asked again, "Did you encounter anyone else?"

The man laughed heartily and said, "I was sent by Her Majesty the Queen of England to welcome Admiral Li. How could I not recognize him?"

Li Huamei said, "Indeed! We met a strange person."

That day, after James claimed to return to the inn, he secretly began watching Richard. As expected, Richard soon left the inn, went to a tavern on the west side of the city, said a few words to the owner, and then returned. The tavern owner went into the back room, wrote a note, handed it to an errand boy, and gave him a few more instructions. James followed the errand boy all the way out of the city to the front of a half-worn mansion. The boy handed the note to the gatekeeper and returned on his own. James slipped into the mansion, only to find no one inside. Just as he wondered what to do next, he saw the gatekeeper release a carrier pigeon. James hid inside the mansion and waited until evening, when a dozen people arrived and gathered in one room to discuss something. James dared not slip into the room and thus never learned what they said. The group finally emerged near midnight and returned to their rooms to rest, with only one room still lit. James climbed up to the windowsill along the exterior wall and, through the half-open curtains, saw the back of a man with light golden hair. All he could discern clearly was a cufflink on the man’s left sleeve, the design of which was an eagle. Afterwards, James returned to the inn. As for the cufflink with the eagle motif, James was 100% certain it was an ornament only found on the uniform of the British Royal Navy. After hearing James’s intelligence, Li Huamei deliberately separated from Xingjiu and the others, proving her wait was not in vain.

Li Huamei glanced in the direction the man had gone and said, "Uncle Yang is right then. James certainly went through a lot of trouble!"

Li Huamei stated, "If it were truly Her Majesty the Queen, I would naturally show respect. But there is no need to show respect to a dog serving the Queen!"

The news of Portugal’s invasion by Spain had long since spread across the entire continent; people were discussing the matter not only in the Mediterranean but also in Africa and elsewhere. Raphael’s fleet sped toward Lisbon along the African coastline, incidentally hearing much about the situation in Portugal. For Raphael, every piece of news only brought greater sorrow, and deeper hatred for Baludis.

A full month earlier, Raphael had led his fleet back to Lisbon. It had taken him a full 12 months to travel from Lisbon to Malacca, but the return journey took only 90 days. Raphael’s fleet had grown tenfold since it first set sail, now boasting companions willing to follow him to the ends of the earth, supplemented by highly maneuverable Arab warships. Now he could easily defeat the Espinosa fleet or the Nagpore fleet of those days, and could even contend with the Pereira fleet. However, the opponent he was about to face was a Spanish fleet several tiers above him. To everyone, the contest between these two was like a chick trying to outfly an eagle. Yet, Raphael’s resolve remained the same as when he first set out, perhaps even stronger. Baludis was no longer someone to be defeated someday, but an enemy who had to be defeated right now.

The current Mediterranean was no longer a place where European sea merchants could realize their ambitions; it was filled with warships. There was the Spanish Invincible Armada, the fleet that once belonged to Portugal, the fleet of the Turkish Pasha, the fleet of the Pirate King Barbarossa, and the fleet of the Swedish Navy’s Borgestrom. Among them, the weakest and least conspicuous was the Castelo fleet led by Raphael.

After Richard hurriedly left, Yang Xien remarked, "The fox's tail has been exposed."

This action also brought certain negative repercussions for Baludis. Now, everyone in Lisbon knew that Baludis had placed a bounty on Raphael. A youth who was unknown a year ago suddenly became famous. Although few people knew that Raphael had once boasted of defeating Baludis, that he had allied with the Pirate King of the Mediterranean, was a great hero in eliminating the wicked African merchant, and had received aid from allies such as the Swedish Navy, the Ming Dynasty’s navy, and Pereira of Southeast Asia—they didn't even know what he looked like or his age. Based solely on the fact that he was "wanted by Baludis," people developed an inexplicable hope that he could overthrow Baludis and save Portugal. Raphael, eager to return to Lisbon, naturally did not realize he had become the beacon of hope in people's hearts. If this light could be seen by the naked eye, the nights of Lisbon would be as bright as day.

The Huachang left Sofala and ceased making long stops, instead heading south around the Cape of Good Hope directly toward the Mediterranean.

The two did not linger but returned to the Huachang and ordered the ship to sail. Xingjiu and the others went to carry out their respective orders, only Richard remained behind, casually asking, "Admiral, why did it take so long? Were you delayed by something on land?"

However, once it evolves into the “Divine Flame Set,” it can defend against Half-God Realm attacks, making it peak Half-God armor, its power far surpassing ordinary peak Half-God armor; it is top-tier among them!

At that time, even if he himself was still in the Ghost-God Realm, the “Divine Flame Set” would allow him to withstand attacks below the High-Tier Half-God Realm; only peak Half-God powerhouses would be able to inflict damage upon him.

"Right!" Ye Chen's heart suddenly stirred, "The skeleton of that prehistoric ferocious beast in the Fire Civilization Space—it was an extremely powerful beast in its life. If the special light matter within it can be refined, it might be comparable to the total special light matter of ten thousand Ghost-God Realm beings!"

"However..."

"Once the special light matter from this prehistoric beast skeleton is absorbed, it will rot and decay, making it impossible to extract the vital essence from it again!"

"Furthermore, without the Boundary Suppressing Stone, in the Ancient World, the Fire Civilization Space and the Rune Civilization Space, along with many other relic spaces, are sealed."

Thinking of this, Ye Chen sighed in his heart, "If I had four Demi-God Stones right now, I could purchase one Boundary Suppressing Stone! But one Demi-God Stone is comparable to one hundred top-grade Ghost Stones. How difficult is it to acquire four Demi-God Stones?"

Ye Chen found a secluded spot, dug a hole, and immediately hid inside, pulling out a Soul Crystal to begin consuming and cultivating.

"Soul Crystal, enhance physique!"

"Refine the physical body!"

Ye Chen madly devoured and absorbed, closing his eyes lightly to cultivate his spirit.

Time flowed...

In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

Streams of pure energy flowed out of that Soul Crystal, merging into every cell and gene, causing the cells to continuously transform and evolve, like a snake shedding its skin. With every tempering, they became tougher.

With Ye Chen's current physique, his blood vessels were hard to cut even with a knife, tougher than a hemp rope.

Bang!

In his hand, the pitch-black Soul Crystal shattered, turning into specks of fine powder. Streams of pure energy poured in. Originally, one peak Ghost-God Soul Crystal could only help a person increase their physique level by four tiers.

But because this Soul Crystal contained a faint trace of Demi-God Power, Ye Chen’s physique advanced by leaps and bounds during the tempering process, soaring from level ten thousand to level twenty thousand!

The doubling of his physique meant that his speed in Superman Mode would also double!

The original speed when activating Lightning Superman Mode was only level forty thousand; now it could reach level eighty thousand!

Ye Chen clenched his fists, feeling strength surge through his body. Two sharp rays of light shot from his eyes. He moved, rushing out of the mountain cave to stand on the open ground outside.

Fresh air filled his lungs.

Ye Chen took a deep breath, and then his eyes glowed with vigorous killing intent. Four days had passed in the Star Fragment; there were 26 days remaining!

"I must increase my strength crazily, striving to reach the realm of Ghost-God Invincibility here!"

Ye Chen’s fighting spirit soared. With the Nine Palaces secret manual, slaying monsters beyond his level was not difficult for him.

"Kill!"

Ye Chen’s figure was like the wind, like a God of Slaughter, recklessly unleashing his full aura, charging out into this chaotic wilderness.

He had only charged out two kilometers!

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

Two roars sounded, immediately followed by two monsters resembling apes, covered in golden fur and tentacles, leaping out of the grass, eyes crimson, lunging at Ye Chen with gaping maws.

"Die!"

Ye Chen’s divine sword shot out like lightning.

Thwack!

Thwack!

The two monsters fell dead instantly. Ye Chen grabbed them, refined the two sixth-tier Ghost-God monsters, extracted the special light matter within their bodies, and integrated it into himself, then charged toward the next area.

Kill!

Kill!

Ye Chen was like an unparalleled God of Slaughter, charging everywhere far outside the area enveloped by Nantian and the others, a diameter of four kilometers, seeking out monsters.

In just four hours, he slaughtered nearly a hundred Ghost-God Realm monsters, most of them fifth or sixth tier, along with seven or eight peak Ghost-God beasts.

However, all were instantly vaporized!

Even without using the Nine Absolute Spears, Ye Chen's own 70,000 points of Ghost Qi already exceeded the 20,000 points of Ghost Qi possessed by peak Ghost-God beasts, compounded by the doubling effect of the Meteor Imparting Art!

Instant kills were entirely possible!

The only trouble was that these few peak Ghost-God beasts possessed extremely strong physiques, reaching level ninety thousand, and were also extremely agile. Some specialized in speed, running so fast Ye Chen's retina could barely capture them; he could only rely on rich combat experience and a sense of danger to judge their positions!

It was imperative to achieve a one-hit kill effect!

If it weren't for the powerful viruses contained within these beasts, which made them unsuitable for consumption, Ye Chen would have devoured them long ago to enhance his own physique.

After killing an eighth-tier Ghost-God beast, Ye Chen was about to leave when suddenly, a strong sense of danger struck him from behind, washing over his whole body. Immediately, from a patch of deadwood thicket, a beast with an entirely crimson body, about six zhang tall, with sharp claws, a tiger-like form, and a single horn on its forehead, sprang out!

“Demigod Realm!” Ye Chen’s pupils constricted.