Chapter 1279: One Battle Secures the Southwest (Sixteen) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"You old codger, you're all talk and no action, but you've got quite a temper, and you certainly know how to hold a grudge." Gongxi Chou only selectively remembers people he doesn't care about. Hearing the resentment in Gongyang Yongye's words, he tilted his head, seriously considering his grudge against the other man. He thought and thought but still couldn't understand what Gongyang Yongye was angry about. Last time they fought, he was the one who suffered the loss; it wasn't like Gongyang Yongye had ruined his reputation in his later years.

Hearing his rudeness, Gongyang Yongye sneered: "In the vast Kang Kingdom, there is not a single outstanding person, yet you, a mere brat, dare to come out and embarrass yourself! Just watch as I chop off your mouth and cut off your snake tongue to soak in wine!"

Gong Xiqiu expressed his disdain.

"Old man, who wants to argue with you?"

Soaking his tongue in wine, it's true, the older he gets, the more perverted he becomes!

Forced to desperately await the enemy's arrival, Luo Sha also remarked that these people on the shore were somewhat perverted. Gongyang Yongye's "random matchmaking" separated him from his enemies, and his temporary partner, Gongxi Chou, immediately began engaging in verbal sparring. This greatly shocked the naive mermaid, turning her shock into horror! "You people on the shore are really this ruthless?"

Gongyang Yongye stated that it was Gongxi Chou who was abnormal, and that it had nothing to do with him. He himself was also disgusted by the barbarian's remarks.

Even if it wasn't to repay a debt of gratitude, he would still kill Gong Xichou!

"You brat, prepare to die!"

Gongyang Yongye's firepower was all directed at Gongxi Chou.

A long, sweeping sword shadow descended from the sky, slashing towards Gong Xi Chou with unparalleled force, immediately unleashing eight-tenths of its power. An invisible sword aura formed a profound energy field, enveloping the river surface and forcing Gong Xi Chou to meet the attack head-on. If this strike landed, Gongyang Yongye's next move would be to rip his snake bones and skin off!

"puff!"

Two water columns swirled and intertwined, rising from below, simultaneously opening their mouths to grasp the blade of the Mo Dao (a type of Chinese sword), and counteracting it with opposing forces.

Instantly, the air surge burst forth in all directions from its center.

Simultaneously spreading were dense, highly corrosive fog and splattering rain of gastric juices. Gong Xichou was too close and was forced to take the double blow from both enemies and teammates head-on. As he swiftly escaped, he conjured a mask to protect his flawless, captivating face. Just as he was about to tell Luo Sha to get lost and not get in his way, Gongyang Yongye attacked again.

However, this time it wasn't Gongxi Chou who came to kill Luo.

Luo Sha corroded a large portion of Gongyang Yongye's martial energy, leaving extensive black marks on the sword's shadow. Gongyang Yongye suffered a minor loss, but as a seasoned veteran, he naturally couldn't let a junior humiliate him; he was determined to get his revenge himself!

Gong Xichou was then neglected.

who is he?

Can he tolerate this kind of humiliation?

Of course not!

A sudden gust of wind whipped up the river, causing the waves to surge and the water to boil. Dark green martial energy poured forth from Gongxi Chou's dantian, instantly engulfing him. The next moment, a strangely shaped, net-patterned dragon-snake burst forth from the mist, its breath creating a hurricane that swished through the river towards Gongyang Yongye's position. Immediately following, Gongxi Chou, fully armored and wielding a long halberd, rode the wind and waves, deflecting the blade of a Mo Dao with a single strike!

His sudden entry disrupted Luo Sha's rhythm.

If Luo Sha hadn't stopped his attack in time, he might have accidentally injured friendly forces.

To put it bluntly, these two have absolutely no chemistry.

One plus one not only doesn't equal two, but sometimes it can even be less than one. Gongxi Chou and Luo Sha exchanged blows for two or three rounds, realizing this was simply not going to work. At this rate, they wouldn't even be able to withstand Gongyang Yongye's attacks, let alone be defeated by him in a two-on-one fight. Gongxi Chou and Luo Sha simultaneously came up with a suggestion.

"I'll go first!"

If one can't hold on any longer, another one will step in.

Gong Xichou was domineering and uncompromising, while Luo Sha, being from the sea, was completely unfamiliar with the customs and etiquette of the mainland. On an island, he was at least a young island lord, while Gong Xichou's cultivation level was lower. Why should he give way to him?

The rule for island hunting is that the strongest person always leads the way, scouting for nearby dangers to prevent their companions from being devoured by sea monsters. If anyone's going to go, it should be him first. Gong Xi Chou, go first?

That doesn't make sense!

Neither of them was willing to give in.

Gongyang Yongye didn't give them a chance to compete.

With time running out, the two quickly reached an understanding.

Since their coordination is lacking, and their combined attack would only backfire and hinder each other, and they can't split Gongyang Yongye in two, then let's simply divide the space into two parts. Gongxi Chou will manage one part, and Luo Sha will manage the other! Wherever Gongyang Yongye goes, that person will be responsible for intercepting him!

It wasn't exactly a bad idea, but it was certainly more orderly than the chaotic scene before, and Gongyang Yongye noticed something amiss.

Gong Xichou shouted to his brother, "Big Brother!"

Stop focusing on Mama, and look at him too, who lives under the same sky!

Luo Sha then realized that Gong Xi Chou and that person were actually brothers, and while surprised, he was also somewhat envious. The island's living environment was poor, and resources were scarce, making it difficult to nurture scholars and intellectuals.

The clansmen all follow the path of martial arts. Those with talent can become valiant martial artists, while those without talent train to strengthen their bodies, so that they can at least run faster when seeking refuge. Luo Sha also learned about the magical abilities of the Wenxin Scholar from his grandfather. After coming ashore, he met a few people, but none of them were as amazing as his grandfather described, leaving a lasting impression.

Jimo Qiu is the first.

Thinking this, two beams of light descended simultaneously.

One was given to Gong Xichou, and the other fell on Luo Sha.

Gong Xichou: "..."

This isn't unique to him?

While Gongyang Yongye was in Gongxi Chou's half of the field, Luo Sha clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ji Moqiu from afar and said loudly, "Thank you!"

At this moment, Ji Moqiu was unable to spare any attention to respond to Luo Sha.

In terms of martial prowess, Luo Yuan hadn't been at the nineteenth-rank Guanneihou level for as long as Gongyang Yongye, and his experience was inferior. However, Gongyang Yongye's sword had long since rusted, lacking the most important sharpness of a martial artist, and he couldn't unleash his full potential. Luo Yuan, on the other hand, was different.

Even if Gong Xichou and Luo Sha's teamwork was poor, they could still take turns switching roles and catch their breath when they couldn't hold on any longer. Shen Tang didn't have that privilege. She had to face Luo Yuan who was serious the entire time, and Luo Yuan was provoked by her and had his anger buff up!

"I spared your life last time, but this time there's no way out for you!"

Luo Yuan was eager to eliminate Luo Sha completely.

Shen Tang is such an eyesore!

"Oh."

Shen Tang's response was just one word.

The volume wasn't loud, but the humiliation was significant.

Before changing his surname and becoming a disciple, Luo Yuan had studied with others, learning a variety of styles and techniques. With decades of accumulated learning, he is now considered one of the more agile martial artists. In addition to common weapons, he also has some knowledge of unusual weapons.

The defining characteristic of Qimen weapons lies in their "uniqueness"!

His moves were ordinary, but his attack trajectory was unpredictable.

Initially, he wielded a short spear, his movements agile and swift. Upon closing the distance, the spear tip emitted light, and a long chain shot towards Chen Tang's face. The spear tip, like a viper's fangs, unleashed countless fine needles that exploded outwards like a shower of petals…

Ding ding ding—

The sound of impact, accompanied by sparks, echoed densely across the transparent barrier.

All of them were blocked by invisible protective energy!

Suddenly, the spear tip made a bizarre curve in mid-air, its tip aimed directly at Shen Tang's eyes. Even faster were several seemingly frail vines and Shen Tang's right hand! She and the vines grasped/wrapped the long chain almost simultaneously, throwing it with perfect coordination!

Luo Yuan said, "Truly, a newborn calf is not afraid of a tiger."

They even dared to catch weapons of unknown origin with their bare hands!

The long chain trembled and contracted, quickly curling back into his palm.

Shen Tang also glanced down at her palm. The scale-armored gauntlets had been mostly corroded away, almost revealing the red cloth gloves beneath. This corrosiveness was no less than, and perhaps even stronger than, Luo Sha's.

In addition to being corrosive, it is also highly toxic.

Before she could think, Luo Yuan was already upon her.

His weapon had changed again, its design somewhat similar to Luo Sha's trident. It didn't seem like something for breaking through enemy lines; it looked more like a fish spear. Ji Moqiu's eyes darkened. "Your Highness, be careful," he said, "this man has the intent of a martial artist—"

"Such a barbarian, yet he has such broad knowledge."

Luo Yuan's praise was laced with mockery and contempt.

Glug, glug, glug...

Suddenly, hundreds of enormous water spheres, each over ten feet in diameter, floated out of the surging river. Inside each sphere was a fist-sized orb of light. From a distance, these orbs of light resembled jellyfish floating in the air, emitting a hazy glow, and were quite magnificent.

Looking at it for a long time can even create a dreamlike feeling.

"Now, let's begin our escape!"

The jellyfish began to stir collectively.

One by one, they chased after Chen Tang.

Looking at the densely packed "jellyfish" army, Shen Tang felt a chill run down his spine and asked, "High Priest, what will happen if we crash into them?"

Jellyfish are large and numerous, but the river surface has even more space, so as long as they are fast enough, they can still squeeze through any gaps.

Shen Tang did not hear Ji Moqiu's response.

But she heard a loud bang.

The sound was coming from behind her.

With a sharp turn in mid-air, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ji Moqiu directing a vine to entangle two of the "jellyfish." Almost the instant they collided, the "jellyfish" rapidly expanded in size and then exploded!

The explosion not only brings tremendous impact, but also generates a scorching burst of energy that can instantly burn the vines to charcoal!

Shen Tang: "..."

If one is not careful, even someone of the same level as Luo Yuan could be seriously injured.

They can make over a hundred of these "jellyfish bombs" by hand.

In an instant, a thousand thoughts flashed through Shen Tang's mind, finally coalescing into one sentence: "Why didn't Wei Cheng kill you back then!"

Are these old men just here to make things difficult for her?

Wei Cheng subdued Luo Yuan back then and even forced Luo Yuan to work for the Eternal Life Sect. I don't know how Wei Cheng managed to do that. Was it all due to the suppression of his cultivation level? Now that it's my turn, Luo Yuan has come up with this martial artist's intent? Wait, why didn't he use it on Luo Sha just now?

Upon hearing Shen Tang mention Wei Cheng, Luo Yuanxian's expression froze for a moment, then he revealed a bloodthirsty grin: "This is what was prepared for him!"

The person he hated most in his life was that old bastard Luo, and the second most loathed was Wei Cheng. The overwhelming pressure Wei Cheng had brought him back then was almost etched into his soul, so much so that just thinking of that man filled him with a sense of utterly powerless defeat…

This sense of frustration was also one of the obstacles that prevented him from reaching the top!

How severe is the psychological trauma?

Luo Yuan's martial intent was forced out by his opponent, and he was on the verge of death! If it weren't for his strong will to survive, he might not have made it through. For the next few years, he secretly studied and refined his martial intent behind Wei Cheng's back.

Although Wei Cheng was a twentieth-rank Marquis, he was clearly restrained by a mysterious force, his strength remaining sealed. If Wei Cheng had launched a sneak attack, he would have had a good chance of winning. But just when Wei Cheng thought he was confident, the old man Wei Cheng vanished without a trace!

No matter how hard Luo Yuan searched, he couldn't find it.

The martial artist's intent made its first appearance, but it was given to an unknown nobody.

Chen, the nameless nobody, was unaware of Luo Yuan's thoughts; her attention was focused on the number of these "jellyfish bombs."

"...The quantity hasn't increased?"

Such power has an extremely low probability of being replenished indefinitely. Without any quantity to limit, the destructive power of Luo Yuan, a nineteenth-rank Marquis within the Passes, on the battlefield would likely far surpass that of several twentieth-rank Marquises. As long as he generates enough value, forces will naturally come to his aid in dealing with the Luo Clan's pursuit; why would he fear the Luo Clan for so many years?

"Since that's the case—"

A bold idea sprouted in her mind.

Rather than waiting for "jellyfish bombs" to hit you, you might as well take the opportunity to detonate them all in advance.

Luo Yuan must have consumed a lot of martial energy to use this move.

With a sudden change of heart, she boldly drew a longbow.

The nearest "jellyfish bomb" seemed to sense her thoughts, accelerating instantly and almost touching her back.

Shen Tang spun in mid-air, gathering immense martial energy in her right foot, stomping it to shatter the mist. Simultaneously, a martial energy barrier formed to block the fog, using the recoil to accelerate away and rise into the sky. A longbow reached its full moon, a radiant phantom blooming from her fingertips: "Explode them all!!"

Silver arrows rained down through the fierce wind and torrential rain.

They all rushed toward the "jellyfish bomb".

To pursue Shen Tang, these "jellyfish bombs" were densely packed together, not far apart. The destructive force of one explosion would have a very high probability of detonating the nearest jellyfish. With a bit of luck, all the "jellyfish bombs" could detonate at once!

Her action immediately broke Luo Yuan's composure.

"madman!"

Even if you're courting death, don't try to take him down with you!

As mentioned before, this move was specifically reserved for Wei Cheng. His confidence stemmed from the explosive power; a concentrated detonation had a very high probability of taking down even a Rank 20 Marquis! Shen Tang, this calf, lacked the resources of a Rank 20 Marquis, but possessed even greater audacity. Detonating simultaneously, intending to indiscriminately wipe out friend and foe alike?

Gongyang Yongye was the first to notice something was wrong.

A strong sense of crisis was setting off alarm bells in his mind.

A sense of impending death loomed over him, and driven by his survival instinct, he frantically channeled his martial energy into the blade, unleashing a second strike that even he himself could not replicate—the blade energy slashed diagonally across the river, producing a short, sharp cry and creating a massive wave hundreds of feet high.

A single stroke severed the river, exposing the riverbed and splitting open a deep valley.

Buzz—

The explosion devoured the giant waves, and a dangerous white fog filled the river surface.

Gong Xi Chou, in his Martial Gallant Totem form, struggled to maintain his balance under the impact. His speed was severely hampered, so he decisively coiled his body into a python. Luo Sha, unusually in sync with him, used the water absorbed by the Humpback Whale Martial Gallant Totem as a buffer against the explosion.

Even while standing on Gong Xiqiu's body, he didn't forget to explain.

"This is perfectly harmless water."

With triple buffering, the damage from a fall is negligible.

Gong Xichou shook the man off: "Get down!"

How dare you step on a fish?

Luo Sha knew he was just being verbally abusive and didn't take it to heart. Just as he was about to pick up his trident to find Gongyang Yongye, he sensed another aura he utterly loathed—an aura he loathed even more than Luo Yuan's! His gaze followed this aura, and he saw a black and white shadow leap out of the river. His Martial Spirit Totem, uncontrollably, wanted to approach…

Then, give the other side a tail!

(`ω)

Sigh, another text message reminds me that I'm another year older. Time really flies.

P.S.: Lawn mowers are really dangerous. This morning, a relative of mine was working outside when he was injured by something that flew off and needed a lot of stitches. Luckily, he was able to keep his eyesight.