Chapter 1278: One Battle Secures the Southwest (Fifteen) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Luo Sha never expected that Luo Yuan would still have the nerve to bring this up.

His emotions surged, and his murderous intent surged.

The water surged towards Luo Yuan along with the trident, hundreds of water columns swirling and intertwining in the air, forming a net that covered almost half of the river. Beneath the water net, Luo Yuan appeared like an ant, but no one dared to underestimate him, including Luo Sha.

"I will take your head to the ceremony to appease my grandfather!"

If Luo Yuan hadn't used such underhanded tactics to damage his grandfather's foundation, leaving the poison lingering in his meridians and impossible to remove, his grandfather wouldn't have had to endure until his lifespan was almost over before he managed to break through to the twentieth level of the Chehou realm with the help of external forces. For others, a breakthrough is a cause for great joy, but for his grandfather, it was a prolonged ordeal. Every extra day he lived meant another day of torment, and Luo Sha only learned of his suffering later.

Why didn't Grandfather say anything? What if my uncles and aunts knew...?

To help their grandfather break through to the next level, their uncles and aunts searched for rare and precious herbs for a long time, facing several close calls. Everyone knew how important their grandfather was. With a powerful ancestor residing on a secluded island, the clansmen didn't have to worry about being killed when they came ashore to trade. Anyone who dared to come would be killed. It was indeed reassuring, but this peace of mind came at the cost of their grandfather's suffering. It's unlikely that their uncles, aunts, and cousins ​​would insist on it.

Of course, that's a gamble.

[Want to take a gamble?]

"The difference between the 'enlightenment' performed by a 20th-rank Marquis and the 'enlightenment' performed by a 19th-rank Marquis is like an insurmountable chasm. If it's only the latter, it will actually harm you." Grandfather spoke these words with an expression as calm as if he were describing something that happened to someone else. "Being over a hundred years old is the age for striving and fighting, hehe, this old man has to give it his all, right?"

He also had his own selfish motives.

Rather than waiting for death, it is better to place one's hopes on Luo Sha.

Luo Sha is the most talented among the island's youths and has the best chance of leading everyone back to the shore. The island's living environment is too harsh; living here, to put it nicely, is seclusion, but to put it bluntly, it's just barely surviving. The higher the old man's cultivation level, the more he can sense the complex aura of the deep sea. Martial arts practitioners and scholars can resist it, but ordinary people won't survive long here.

Luo Sha is filial and will surely fulfill his last wish.

Before his death, he confirmed with Luo Sha several times.

【Does Shenlu still remember what you're going to do in the future?】

"I remember, I remember, your grandson remembers..." Luo Sha held his grandfather's cold, weak hand, sobbing uncontrollably. "As long as I live, I will definitely reach the shore, I will definitely lead my people to the shore. Once we've established ourselves on land, I will move your grave there."

Grandfather said, "We need a place with excellent feng shui."

We'll definitely arrange the best place for you.

Luo Sha had personally witnessed his grandfather, a rank 20 Marquis, being tortured to the point of being emaciated. How could he not hate Luo Yuan? He had originally intended to kill him and be done with it, but he never expected Luo Yuan to have the audacity to bring it up again. Luo Sha felt that even tearing the other man to pieces wouldn't be enough to vent his anger!

Luo Yuan looked up at the water network under the sky and scoffed.

"A mere trifle, like showing off one's limited skills before an expert!"

No matter how you manipulate water, you can't create anything else. How could a 19th-rank Marquis of Guannei not escape the net made of water?

Even if the old man came, he wouldn't have this kind of temper!

Shen Tang narrowed his eyes at the water net, raised his hand to summon a bluebird, and unusually concisely instructed the messenger army to hold back for now, pay attention to the water quality, and avoid contact with the river water unless absolutely necessary. This water net from Luo Sha was not just a water net, but also a source of stomach acid.

"Can the Warrior's Totem be used like this?"

At first, she also thought that the water net was woven from river water. The river water, mixed with Luo Sha's martial energy, could indeed increase its resilience. It might not be able to bind Luo Yuan, but it could still limit his range of movement. However, she quickly realized something was wrong. The water columns woven into the water net were drawn from the river surface, and inevitably some unfortunate aquatic creatures would be swept up.

Shen Tang also saw specks of gray shadows rising up along the water column.

Upon closer inspection, the gray shadow had vanished.

Am I seeing things?

Shen Tang's observation was meticulous, ruling out the possibility of her eyes being deceiving her. She carefully scanned the area and finally discovered the clue.

Indeed, some gray shadows were sucked into the sky along the water column, and they all dissolved into nothingness halfway through, as if they were easily soluble in water.

A hot fact—

Fish don't just dissolve into the water while swimming.

Therefore, the problem must lie with the "water".

Shen Tang flicked his finger and shot out a non-lethal burst of martial energy, which gushed into one of the water columns. The martial energy was immediately swallowed up and dissolved by the surrounding aura as soon as it entered the column.

Ji Moqiu said, "Yes, it is possible."

Shen Tang said, "I've never seen Gong Xichou use it either."

"Firstly, pythons are non-venomous, and secondly, with that skill, one could kill a whole string of enemies." The person who answered Shen Tang wasn't Ji Moqiu beside him, but Gong Xichou, who had rushed over upon hearing the news. His Martial Gallant Totem's advantage lay in its powerful strangulation ability; why would he needlessly extract stomach acid one by one? Luo Sha's Martial Gallant Totem had a mountain of stomach acid; how could a python compare to him? It goes without saying that he was mentally sound.

Shen Tang: "..."

How much stomach fluid does a typical humpback whale have?

She was seriously pondering this question, and Luo Yuan, sitting in the audience, had also suppressed his mocking and contemptuous thoughts, clearly having also noticed the strangeness of these liquids. But, even stranger scenes awaited him.

Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock—

Each water droplet separates from the water column.

A light drizzle began to fall within the water network, gradually intensifying into a torrential downpour. As the raindrops fell, they stretched into needle-like shapes, swarming towards a single target—the enemy, Luo Yuan—with the swing of the trident!

A strange, fishy stench filled the air.

Luo Yuan took two sniffs, and a stinging sensation came from deep within his nasal cavity.

He suddenly held his breath, and a powerful palm strike met the strange rain.

Hiss hiss hiss hiss hiss—

The illusory palm formed from martial energy began to fester, its color gradually changing from bright red to charred black, while emitting a chilling corrosive sound. Even martial energy could be corroded by this "gastric juice," and in the blink of an eye, it had rotted away more than half of the "palm"!

Luo Yuan shouted loudly.

An invisible sonic boom shattered the palm along with the strange rain, and the debris, carried by the boom, rushed towards Luo Sha with terrifying force.

Luo Sha's mouth moved slightly.

Despite the wind and waves, Luo Yuan could deduce the content from the lip movements.

【Let it all go into my stomach!】

Luo Yuan unleashed a powerful energy blade, dozens of feet long, from one corner of the water net, intending to cleave it in two. However, the expected scene didn't unfold. Instead, his energy blade struck the water net, creating ripples. As the ripples spread, jagged trenches resembling the walls of a cave appeared in mid-air, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Luo Yuan's strike seemed to have triggered something; the strange water net began to twist violently, countless water arrows chasing after him, seemingly determined to pulverize him into mincemeat.

Even the most impenetrable defense can have its moments of weakness.

Just a slight graze left a black, corroded mark on the gleaming armor scales; another mark would likely reach the flesh!

Luo Yuan watched, his eyelids twitching violently.

This corrosiveness is terrifying!

What Luo Yuan desperately wanted to avoid was no different from ordinary seawater to Luo Sha. He skillfully weaved through the rain, his trident attacks forcing Luo Yuan to open his defenses. Raindrops fell into the river, making the surface churn as if boiling, even Shen Tang had to take cover.

"...I'm more worried about Jiangzhong Aquatic Products right now."

Luo's killing spree has nearly wiped out all the aquatic life in the area.

The acidity of gastric juices in ordinary animals is scientifically controlled; even a high concentration of gastric acid cannot corrode them. However, the Warrior Totem is different; its evolutionary direction is determined by its owner. Humpback whales have a natural advantage in size, requiring no deliberate training or growth. Once in the water, they are aquatic overlords, unafraid of ramming ordinary large ships head-on. In a direct confrontation, only the naval vessel would crumble.

Naval warfare offers a significant advantage, but one-on-one combat is less effective.

Luo Shayi wanted Luo Yuan's head, so he had to find another way.

He forged the warrior totem into a battlefield.

The whale's belly was his main battlefield, and the gastric juices were his secret weapon for surprise attacks and victory. Those fleeting, cave-like, rugged marks—could they be the inner wall of the Warrior Totem's abdomen?

Shen Tang's guess was pretty much correct.

They even underestimated Luo Sha.

These seemingly harmless, transparent liquids were far more corrosive than she had anticipated. A mere touch from an ordinary Martial Arts Warrior would result in skin ulceration at best, and severe injuries like bone separation at worst. Luo Sha had once dealt with a traitor; he threw the traitor into the Martial Arts Totem's abdomen, and after the traitor's body passed through the stomach fluids, the swollen, festering skin peeled off with ease!

He can control stomach acid to shed a complete human skin!

Luo used traitors as practice tools.

This craft was prepared specifically for Luo Yuan!

but--

Ji Moqiu and Gongxi Chou made their judgments at the same time.

"Mermaid/Luo Sha is about to lose."

Despite seemingly having the upper hand and controlling the battlefield, the difference in their strength and cultivation levels was stark. Luo Yuan was undoubtedly a 19th-rank Marquis within the Pass. Even at full strength, this special gastric juice wouldn't endanger his life. On the contrary, Luo Sha's decision to lure the person into the Martial Courage Totem's abdomen was too risky, as the interior's defenses were far inferior to those outside.

As expected—

Luo Yuan unleashed his full power, exceeding the defensive limits of the Martial Courage Totem, and managed to tear open a gap in the defenses, breaking free from its confinement.

Almost at the same time, a mournful cry rang out over the river.

The giant humpback whale phantom appeared for a brief moment, blood flowing from its belly. Its swaying tail looked weak and feeble, and its voice carried a hint of weakness and grievance. Luo Sha raised his hand and withdrew it, wiping the blood from the corner of his lips with his fingertips, ignoring the crimson stain on its abdomen. This injury wasn't fatal, so there was no need to worry about it.

The next instant, a gentle, cool external force soothed the burning sensation.

A fist-sized wound heals faster.

Luo Sha could even feel the movement of flesh wriggling and sticking together!

Even the discomfort caused by blood loss was swept away.

"Is he a scholar from the literary world?"

Do the scholars and writers on the shore still have the ability to save lives?

Ji Moqiu smiled and said, "It is the High Priest."

Shen Tang rolled up her sleeves, ready to join the group beating up the centenarian. She said to Luo Sha, "It's not that I didn't give you a chance to take revenge one-on-one, but as you can see, this old bone is really tough to chew. If you can't handle it, call for reinforcements!"

It's not shameful to fight in a group; what's shameful is losing a group fight.

Luo Yuan recognized Shen Tang and the others at a glance.

He sneered, "A defeated opponent dares to come here to die?"

Shen Tang rolled her eyes: "The old man is not only old, but also has a big mouth. He's not afraid the wind will blow his dentures away! What do you mean by 'asking for death'? When I came here last time, did you take my head? Hehe, not only did you not take my head, you also couldn't protect a whole granary of grain. That useless old Deng can only gain an advantage with words. Apart from wasting his breath, he has no killing power whatsoever."

They lost the battle, but won strategically.

Who can blame them for being young?

Luo Yuan's face twisted and twitched uncontrollably.

Clearly, that experience was far from pleasant.

In just a few words, Luo Sha was filled with horror.

It wasn't outwardly visible, but he could clearly feel that the wounds beneath the blood-stained clothes had healed completely, and even his depleted martial energy had recovered. All of this was thanks to this "High Priest"!

His gaze towards Ji Moqiu was so intense that it was impossible to look directly at him.

Luo Yuan's furious roar reached my ears.

"Arrogant brat!"

Despite his rage, Luo Yuan did not choose to fight four opponents alone.

He was a Marquis of the Nineteenth Rank, but if he were surrounded and attacked by Gongxi Chou and three others, the outcome of the battle would be a foregone conclusion; he would undoubtedly lose. Among them was Luo Sha, who was intent on killing him, making it difficult for Luo Yuan to escape.

"Gongyang Yongye, have you had enough of the show?!"

Calling for backup isn't exclusive to Shen Tang.

Luo Yuan also has helpers on his side.

Even if this helper lacks the sharpness of a martial artist, his strength and realm are undeniable. If he joins forces with him, they can at least take down two of the four! Gong Xichou and the others can be set aside, but Luo Sha absolutely cannot be allowed to live. Keeping him alive would be tantamount to raising a tiger to cause future trouble!

As Luo Yuan finished speaking, a figure quietly appeared on the river.

Who else could it be but Gongyang Yongye?

Gongyang Yongye laughed and said, "I've seen enough, but I didn't want to disturb you because you were having so much fun with the younger generation."

He arrived only after hearing the commotion, and upon arriving, he saw Luo Sha beating Luo Yuan, which pleased him so much that he hid in the shadows to watch the spectacle. At the same time, a sense of melancholy arose, especially when he saw Shen Tang and the other two appear, this emotion reaching its peak—the common saying about the power of words is that the younger generation surpasses the older generation, but isn't this generation of younger generation a bit too outrageous?

What did these young people eat to grow up?

Their strength and cultivation level were lower than his, but they were also younger than him, making them grandchildren or great-grandchildren. When he was their age, his strength was far inferior to theirs, and his career was mediocre. This world is developing too fast for him to understand.

"You call yourself a Marquis of the Nineteenth Rank, yet you can't even handle a few young upstarts. It's truly shameful." Gongyang Yongye's gaze swept over Gongxi Chou, his displeasure evident. "You brat, you're here too?"

Gong Xichou's pupils transformed into golden vertical pupils, his fighting spirit surging forth.

Gongyang Yongye sighed.

His actions contradicted his expression. He slashed out with his broadsword, creating a blade shadow that almost severed the heavens and earth, forcibly separating Shen Tang and the other three. He said, "I didn't really want to fight this battle, but I was entrusted with a task, and I have to be loyal to my lord. I can only forgive myself. Father Luo, let's finish this quickly! You two, us two, once we're done, my family's medicinal garden is waiting for me to go back and tend to it."

Luo Yuan retorted indignantly, "Do you even need to tell me that?"

Shen Tang: "..."

so what?

It was supposed to be one person and two people, so why is her opponent Luo Yuan?

Ji Moqiu is a pure support character; he doesn't deal damage!

Luo Sha was also dissatisfied with this distribution. His path to Luo Yuan was cut off by a long-handled broadsword. Gongyang Yongye stood on the hilt of the broadsword, looking down at Luo Sha who was surrounded by sword energy: "Just because I don't want to fight doesn't mean you, young man, can look down on me!"

The snake's tail whipped up a powerful gust of wind that struck the back of the head.

Gongyang Yongye sneered: "That doesn't mean you, you little rascal, can gain any advantage! You're truly a snake and rat, always behaving like a petty person!"

(ゝω)

Gongyang truly hates Gongxi Chou.

P.S.: I applied for a monthly pass activity post through the activity fund, but it couldn't be approved. The staff at the event review site were off work for the seven-day National Day holiday, so I completely missed the double monthly pass bonus _(:з」∠)_