Above the mage!

Chapter 514 Crow Zun Secret Gang
Having received such a life-saving grace, Sarah now trusts God almost completely, if not completely.

So she immediately relaxed her body, letting the light spots blend into her limbs and bones like light stardust, while a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

Help the soul recover?

Is there such a spell?

Sarah still had some doubts.

Because Gao De was not a high-level mage, and in the realm of low-level spells, she had never heard of such a spell before.

But the next moment, she clearly felt that after this gentle energy flow entered her body, it traveled along her blood vessels and reached the depths of her soul, just like a gentle hand gently stroking her damaged soul, relieving the pain a little.

Sarah's furrowed brows relaxed slightly, and a rare glimmer of color returned to her pale face.

"You should rest well first." Gao De said softly as the spell began to take effect before leaving the cabin.

The effects of the [Comfortable Sleep+] spell only take full effect after Sarah enters a deep sleep.

As Gao De's footsteps disappeared behind the hatch, Sarah felt her eyelids begin to grow heavy.

Sleepiness washed over her like a tide, and she instinctively curled up, like a child returning to her mother's embrace, her breathing gradually becoming long and steady.

"How is Miss feeling now?"

As soon as he left the cabin, Gao De bumped into Bao Zai, who had been waiting outside the door, anxiously wringing his hands.

Upon seeing Gao De emerge, he immediately stepped forward and, in a low voice, inquired about the situation with concern.

“She’s resting. I have some magic that can help her recover faster,” Gao De subtly claimed credit.

Baozai breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and regained his composure.

“Thank you for saving Miss’s life on Ash Island,” he said solemnly, bowing deeply to Gao De. “If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know, and I, Baozai, will never refuse.”

Clearly, during the brief interval, Sarah had recounted to him the details of what had happened on Ash Isle.

"No need for such formalities," Gao De said, returning the courtesy to the earnest-looking mage before him.

Baozai's surname is not Tieerha.

He was initially just one of the apprentices recruited by the Tierha family workshop. Later, his talent as a mage was discovered, and he was given special training by the Tierha family, becoming a family mage of the Tierha family.

In this situation, after the Tilha family was destroyed by Davy Jones, he did not choose to protect himself, but instead took care of Sarah, who was only twelve years old at the time, without regard for her, and continued to treat her as a young lady, protecting her until Sarah became the Five Rings Mage she is today.

Gao De felt immense admiration for such a loyal and righteous person.

Back in his cabin, Gao De closed the door behind him and took out a frosted glass bottle containing a dark red liquid.

This is a powerful, third-tier auxiliary cultivation potion with strong side effects that he obtained from the old apothecary in the black market of Black Sails City: "Bone and Blood Thorn Elixir".

This potion, once consumed, doubles the efficiency of the drinker's magic refinement with the same mental strength (effective within the third ring).

The duration is seven days, but the cost is that one's mind will be contaminated by toxins.

It's equivalent to doubling the progress of seven days of cultivation, but you need to ensure that your magic power is sufficient—if the concentration of magic power is not enough, what's the use of refining magic power so quickly?
Given Gao De's current level as a second-ring mage, drinking the Bone and Blood Thorn Elixir cannot exert its maximum effect unless he is in a dedicated cultivation room or a high-level spiritual land.

Because the required concentration of magic power cannot be achieved under normal conditions.

However, Gao De still opened the bottle and drank the entire bottle of Bone and Blood Thorn Elixir in one gulp.

The magic concentration was insufficient for the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture," but it was sufficient for the "True Ice Secret Transmission."

After all, his level in the "Secret Transmission of True Ice" was only at the second-class mage apprentice level.

The medicine initially caused a sharp, numbing sensation upon entering the mouth, as if countless tiny thorns were exploding on the tip of the tongue.

Immediately afterwards, a warm current slid down my throat into my abdomen, but the tingling sensation did not subside; instead, it spread along my blood vessels.

From the neck to the chest, then to the limbs and bones, and finally straight into the depths of the mind and soul.

The numbness was mixed with a slight stinging sensation, as if thorns were slowly growing in my marrow.

It is the spiritual toxin contained in the magic potion.

At the same time, Gao De could clearly feel that his efficiency in refining magic power was increasing rapidly.

He focused his mind on the "Secret Transmission of Zhenbing" and ignored the mental toxins.

But his body was silently "adapting," doing the "dirty work" that its owner didn't want to do.

[Your body has been attacked by mental toxins, your immunity to toxins has increased by 114.5%, and your body's organs' ability to metabolize and eliminate various toxins has increased by 120.8%]

The City of Black Sails, the Ice Anchor Slaughter Dock.

The salty sea breeze, carrying the stench of blood, swept over us. Several crows circled above the dock, waiting for the unwanted scraps of sea animal meat that had been cut up.

Gao De's figure floated down from the sky like a feather, landing lightly on the dock without making a sound.

He had barely stood still when Lan Wen, who was waiting for news at the dock, rushed over to greet him.

“My King,” Lanwen inquired about the details using the [Communication] spell, “I heard that Davy Jones’ Ironcrown sailed toward Ash Isle one day and returned half a day ago.”

"Something's been off with the Bloodsail Pirates ever since they came back. Has something happened to Davy Jones?"

As one of Phoenix's two deputy directors, Lan Wen naturally possesses exceptional abilities in information gathering, analysis, and judgment, and is also very intuitive.

He sketched out a rough outline of the truth in his mind simply by combining some clues with the inside information he knew.

“Yes,” Gao De nodded, stating bluntly, “David is dead.”

Lan Wen's expression changed slightly, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

He certainly understood the impact this news would have on the city beneath his feet, and the chaos it would cause.

"Although David ultimately died at my hands, I can't afford to accept this reputation."

Lan Wen was a true ally, and Gao De didn't hide much from him, quickly saying, "Therefore, the reputation of killing David will be inherited by Sarah. She is currently injured, and once her injuries have healed somewhat, she will forcefully land in Black Sails City with David's body."

"She will use this momentum to try to inherit David's position in Black Sails. In addition, she has formed an alliance with me. Regardless of whether she becomes the next leader of Black Sails, we have a solid backer here."

For Sarah, after "personally killing" Davy Jones, she would inevitably become the number one figure in Black Sails City, at most not reaching the same transcendent status as Davy Jones. "Therefore, the trade between the North and the Goldenrod can basically be entirely transferred to the Blue Flame Islands, retaining only some basic supply routes," Gao De briefly explained the future plans to Lan Wen.

However, the specific arrangements will only be finalized once things on this side have settled down.

His main reason for returning to Black Sails City first was to inform Lan Wen, so that Lan Wen wouldn't be too anxious without knowing his specific situation.

Uptown.

Inside the most luxurious private room of the tavern belonging to the Bloodsail Pirates.

The air was filled with the scent of expensive rum mixed with strong perfume.

A man who looked to be in his early twenties was reclining on a carved armchair covered in velvet.

He fiddled with a gemstone in his left hand and rested his right hand on the armrest, letting two glamorous women beside him serve him.

One of them was filling him with amber-colored wine from a silver pot, while the other stood behind him, her slender fingers gently massaging his shoulders and neck.

At that moment, the door to the private room was pushed open, and an elderly man with white hair and beard walked in.

“Young Master, we’ve lingered long enough in Black Sails City. It’s time to leave. The mercenary group is waiting for you to take their things back.” He glanced at the scene inside the room, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

This group consisted of the guests in Box 6 who competed with Gao De for the Siren's Saltwater Elixir at the Anling Festival auction.

"Still haven't found them?" The young man ignored the old man's reminder and asked casually.

"No, the other party left the Blue Flame Auction House immediately after bidding for the spirit liquid, without stopping at all."

"It seems they came for this Ring-Up potion, and then they completely disappeared without a trace, never to be seen in Black Sails City again," the old man said in a deep voice.

He paused, then added, "This person was extremely cautious. He left immediately after the auction, without even lingering over the subsequent items, clearly afraid of being targeted. I suspect that after leaving the auction house, he most likely took a ship and left the Blue Flame Islands."

In response to the old man's speculation, the young man addressed as "Young Master" simply picked up the wine cup handed to him by the maid and took a small sip of the wine.

He tasted a burning sweetness on his tongue, but a fierce glint suddenly flashed across his languid face: "Wait a little longer."

He swirled the wine in his glass, the liquid tracing an arc within. "Black Sails City isn't our territory, so finding people here isn't easy. But we have professionals here who can help us."

He had barely finished speaking when the hatch was pushed open again, and a burly man hurried in: "Young Master, there's news!"

“Speak.” Case leaned forward slightly.

"The Crow Clam Gang has sent word that their informants spotted the target at the Ice Anchor Slaughter Dock!" Zhuang Yu reported rapidly. "Those crows have confirmed that he is the one who bought the spirit liquid at the auction!"

Black Sails City has always been a place where pirates, gangs, bounty hunters, and sea hunters stand in a tripartite balance.

Of the four forces, the Pirate King is Davy Jones and his Bloodsail Pirates.

The head of the bounty hunters is Sarah and the Coin Hunters she founded.

The strongest force among the Sea Hunters is the Abaddon's Claw tribe, whose members are mostly the most elite Abaddon native mages.

The leader of the gangs is the Crow's Den Gang, whose intelligence network covers every corner of the city.

Their symbol is the silhouette of a raven perched on a ceramic vessel.

Crows are typical birds of Black Sails City. They flock together and peck at carrion, which perfectly matches the characteristics of gang members who are scattered throughout the city and live by feeding on the city's "carrion" (illegal trade). It also symbolizes that the Crow's Secret Gang's intelligence network is as ubiquitous as a flock of crows.

The leader of the Crow Jar Secret Gang is called the Jar Master.

However, David's power was so great that it is said that even the Lord of the Bottle had submitted to him.

After hearing what the burly man said, a glint of light flashed in the young man's eyes. "As expected, in Black Sails City, it's best to leave these kinds of things to local bigwigs like them!"

"I knew this guy probably hadn't left yet!" He chuckled and stood up.

As the young man straightened his clothes and walked out, he sneered, "I told you, this bottle of Siren Salt Swamp Elixir was only temporarily entrusted to him for safekeeping. Whether he can keep it or not depends on his abilities."

"Come with me, get ready to make your move."

“Young Master, Black Sails City is a place where all sorts of people mingle. We don’t know much about the other party’s background yet. Before we find out the details, I don’t recommend taking action rashly.”

"To avoid provoking the wrong person and bringing about your own death." The old man quickly stepped in front of the young man and advised him against it.

"What dragon or snake? At most, it's just a tiny worm hiding its head and tail!" The young man scoffed at the old man's advice, as if he had heard some absurd joke.

"If this guy were really some powerful mage, would he need to hide himself so thoroughly to participate in an auction? Not to mention mingling among the casual attendees at the bottom."

"Besides, didn't you say that the disguise spell he used to conceal his face didn't have very strong magical fluctuations, not even reaching the fourth ring?"

“But he also has a servant with him. That person looks to be a high-level mage. This guy is probably like you, from an extraordinary background, with a powerful force behind him,” the old man said calmly.

“Master Luke, you’re getting more and more timid at your age. You’re being far too cautious.”

If this guy truly came from a distinguished background, how could he be completely without connections in Black Sails City? The Raven Crow Gang has confirmed that no reputable force in the city knows him.

He puffed out his chest, his tone carrying an innate arrogance, "Besides, our Layton Mercenary Group is a well-known force in the mercenary world. How many people can compare to my background? And yet, I just happened to run into one?"

Having said all that, Master Luke looked at the arrogant young master before him and finally sighed helplessly.

The young man's name was Case, and he was the second son of the leader of their Layton Mercenary Group.

He was merely a guard mage sent to accompany him, and any further persuasion would be overstepping his bounds and would only displease young master Case.

Moreover, although young master Case is a bit arrogant and domineering, he is not a brainless person, and what he says is all reasonable.

In a place like Black Sails City, rife with criminals, how easy is it to run into a noble young master of distinguished birth?
More than 80% of the people here are rats with some ability, who couldn't make it on the mainland and fled here to escape the light of day.

Their common characteristic is that they cover themselves up tightly, for fear of being recognized as true.

The other person's attire happened to match this characteristic.

"Your subordinate obeys, but we must still be careful, as the information from the Crow's Vessel Gang may not be accurate or reliable," said Mage Luke, bowing slightly.

"Just come with me, stop arguing," Case waved his hand impatiently. "In Black Sails City, if their intelligence is inaccurate, whose is?"

(End of this chapter)