DIVINE AUTHORITY.
That was the most crucial line separating ordinary Pokémon from Legendary Pokémon.
Sure, even without divine authority, an ordinary Pokémon could still—at least in theory—defeat a Legendary Pokémon.
But a Legendary Pokémon with divine authority always fought with built-in advantages.
Like right now.
Thundurus, as a Legendary Pokémon that possessed divine authority, could effortlessly draw lightning straight from nature itself.
If it were Zapdos—like the one Guo Yi had captured—it could do something similar, but the energy cost would be several times higher.
And beyond that—the scale of what they could influence wasn't even comparable.
A Zapdos without divine authority could only affect thunderclouds within roughly a one-kilometer radius.
But Thundurus was different.
Under its control, storm clouds inside the Secret Realm—and even outside it—were slowly gathering toward this very spot.
And a shift in the sky like that naturally drew attention from the people outside the Secret Realm.
"Look—are the storm clouds disappearing?"
"Disappearing? They're clearly moving toward the Secret Realm."
"That direction… didn't the League block that area off this morning?"
"Strange skies mean something big is happening!"
For a moment, people with no idea what was really going on argued and speculated over the eerie sight.
And if even ordinary Trainers noticed the omen, the League certainly did.
But even after noticing it, Lin Feng and Jin Peng had no time to deal with it.
Because they'd discovered the Seven Sages were moving rapidly downstream along the dike.
Back then—not long after Guo Yi entered the Secret Realm, the Seven Sages' leader, Yang Yong, had set the plan in motion.
With Lie Ke drawing the League's attention, their real operation could proceed smoothly.
Unfortunately for them, with reinforcements arriving from all over—and with Guo Yi's warning—the League had tightened its control of the surrounding area.
And this time the Seven Sages were moving in force. Naturally, the League caught their trail.
...
"Guo Yi's theory was right. They're using Lie Ke to pull our attention away."
A trace of a smile appeared on Jin Peng's face.
They'd searched for this rat for so long—finally, it had poked its head out.
"Don't celebrate yet, Jin Peng," Lin Feng said, far steadier than him. "We've only found their tracks. We still haven't confirmed their real target."
Then he pointed at the river chart beside them. "Chief Engineer Lin—if the downstream dike were breached, where would the damage be the worst?"
Lin Feng didn't believe the Seven Sages were retreating.
More likely, they'd realized Yunlong Dam couldn't be destroyed, and were looking for a weak point downstream instead.
"Worst damage?"
Chief Engineer Lin pushed his glasses up, studied the chart for a moment, and tapped a spot.
"If we're talking maximum destruction… it'd be here—Huilongkou."
Huilongkou?
Lin Feng repeated it under his breath, then lowered his gaze to the chart.
The river channel twisted and wound—seen from afar, it resembled a massive dragon taking flight. And the point Chief Engineer Lin indicated was the dragon's mouth.
"This is where the whole channel's backflow collects, so the dike takes the greatest strain here. And below this stretch is an endless plain."
"There aren't any major cities on that plain, but the people living there number at least tens of millions."
"If the dike breaks here, the consequences won't be something you can shrug off."
Chief Engineer Lin laid out everything he knew about Huilongkou, point by point.
This world had Pokémon, so at first glance, destroying structures should be far easier than in their previous life.
In reality, it wasn't.
Because Pokémon existed, the quality, hardness, and overall performance of materials in this world far exceeded what older equivalents could manage.
Facilities were built to withstand Pokémon attacks.
Otherwise—what would happen to world-class tournaments?
Would they have to rebuild an entire venue after every single match?
No amount of arenas would ever be enough.
After all, a match didn't last that long.
But rebuilding a stadium took ages.
So for the Seven Sages to destroy a dike, it was naturally no simple task.
"Huilongkou," Lin Feng said. "Yeah. That's a solid choice."
After hearing Chief Engineer Lin's explanation, Lin Feng agreed it fit.
Backflow would increase the load the dike had to bear—making it much easier for the Seven Sages to break through.
Of course, this was still only a hypothesis. Lin Feng couldn't stake everything on it.
"Jin Peng, I've got an idea. Tell me if it works."
Jin Peng replied, "Lin, go ahead."
"Here's what I'm thinking."
"I'll take half our people and set up an ambush near Huilongkou."
"Your Dragonite is fast—so you patrol the airspace above the dike. And the rest stay behind to hold Yunlong Dam."
"Our strength will be spread out, but if we run into the Seven Sages, each group can hold them off for a bit and buy time for reinforcements."
"What do you think?"
Even though Lin Feng was acting Incident Commander for now, a decision this important still needed to be discussed properly with Jin Peng.
"Mm. Works," Jin Peng nodded, then added a precaution. "Lin, I think we should each leave one Pokémon at Yunlong Dam too."
"Just in case."
The odds of the Seven Sages doubling back to hit Yunlong Dam weren't high, but they couldn't afford complacency.
After all, Yunlong Dam's importance spoke for itself.
"Agreed," Lin Feng said.
Then the two of them each left one Pokémon behind, placing them under Chief Engineer Lin's supervision.
And for the sake of rapid support, both were highly mobile.
Lin Feng's was Scyther, known as the jungle warrior; Jin Peng's was Aerodactyl, the apex predator of ancient times.
With those two stationed here—and with the Gym Leaders assisting as well—Yunlong Dam's safety shouldn't be an issue.
"Chief Engineer Lin," Lin Feng said before leaving, "if you receive word from us, all you need to do is release the two Pokémon."
"They'll find us on their own."
Chief Engineer Lin nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Elite Four Lin. I'll remember."
Taking two main Pokémon out in a row still had a real impact on the two Elite Four's combat power.
Sure, they could fill the gap with their second-string teams.
But there was still a difference.
And to true powerhouses—even a sliver of difference could be fatal.
With everything arranged, Lin Feng led part of the League's forces toward Huilongkou.
Meanwhile, Jin Peng rode Dragonite and patrolled along both sides of the dike.
...
Huilongkou.
Under Yang Yong's command, the Seven Sages arrived one after another.
Crash—crash—crash!
The raging river hammered the banks, spray exploding into the air, the roar echoing without end.
Huilongkou—as the backflow mouth of this stretch of riverbank—held the fiercest current of all.
Back when technology hadn't matured, this place had been ground zero for breaches.
Every flood season, dynasties would station heavy forces here to guard it.
And after Yunlong Dam was built in modern times, the flow at Huilongkou had eased considerably.
But it was still the best place to breach the dike.
"Begin," Yang Yong said coldly, eyes on the surging river.
As his order fell, a hard-hat crew stepped out from the group.
Professional work belonged to professionals.
The crew leader climbed to higher ground, scanning the area for the best breach point.
It didn't take long.
With years of experience, he found a spot he liked.
He immediately waved his team over.
"Over here!"
"Release your Pokémon. Start digging from this point."
At his direction, the workers pulled Poké Balls from their waists and released their partners.
Their Pokémon were mainly Rock-, Ground-, and Fighting-types.
The Rock and Ground types handled excavation and demolition.
The Fighting types hauled and moved earth and stone.
And as for the team leader himself—his Pokémon was an Excadrill.
Excadrill.
A Ground- and Steel-type Pokémon.
Its body was deep brown overall, with a white face.
Its mole-like cheeks bore two red markings, giving it a fierce edge, while the tip of its nose remained pink.
Sharp talons jutted from its forehead and claws, like steel hooks.
Its belly carried red markings of varying sizes formed from three spindle-like shapes. Similar red protrusions also ran along its cheeks, the sides of its arms, and its knees.
On construction sites, Excadrill also went by the nickname "Drill King."
Its steel drills had the destructive power to pierce iron plates, making it extremely active in tunneling projects.
No matter how thick the metal, Excadrill could bore through it with ease—using its steel claws and the drill on its head.
With Excadrill assisting, the digging progressed at a terrifying pace.
Watching the work ramp up, Yang Yong spoke again to the subordinate beside him.
"Spread everyone out. If you run into League teams, focus on delaying them."
Yang Yong understood perfectly.
With an operation this large, the League couldn't possibly be unaware.
So he needed his people positioned in advance.
"Yes, Leader!"
At once, the Seven Sages' other senior members led their teams out to set ambushes around the area.
After they left, Yang Yong stroked the Cherish Ball in his hand and muttered under his breath—quietly, for himself alone.
"I wonder if you'll get a chance to take the stage?"
---
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