Chapter 1280: One Battle Secures the Southwest (Seventeen) [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Orcas break through the waves.
No matter how rough the waves were, the orca remained completely unaffected by its nimble maneuvering. This composure was quickly abruptly halted as a strong sense of crisis jolted its nerves. The orca decisively plunged into the water, its head bobbing against the waves.
It gives you a creepy feeling at first glance.
Oh, no, it doesn't have that now.
That pure malice and urgency made Bai Su feel uncomfortable all over—indeed, anyone would feel uncomfortable being stared at by an enormous humpback whale phantom, and would even have megalophobia—Bai Su's rationality strongly suppressed the instinctive emotions of the Martial Courage Totem, because she noticed that the giant phantom that was invisible to the naked eye was actually a Martial Courage Totem, and this person was with Gong Xi Chou, so it was obvious that they were friends rather than enemies, and she could not offend them rashly.
Luo Sha withdrew his gaze.
The illusory Martial Spirit Totem, sensing his emotions, irritably flicked its broad tail fin, its two flippers, nearly half its body length, flailing up and down, left and right. Bai Su silently watched this scene, deeply suspecting that the other party was actually trying to film her!
In his Martial Courage Totem form, Gong Xi Chou didn't need to rely on his eyes to see; he could control the movements within a radius of several miles solely through his senses. Naturally, he wouldn't miss the subtle animosity between Luo Sha and Bai Su. Gong Xi Chou was always protective of his own: "What, do you have a grudge against Bai Shao Xuan?"
Not only are they protective of their own, but they also like to play the straight game.
The direct questioning caught Luo Sha off guard.
He was also an honest man: "Who is Bai Shaoxuan?"
Gong Xichou said, "Hmph, that fish down there."
Luo Sha replied, "I don't know him."
Gong Xichou was puzzled: "Don't you know him? You two don't know each other and have no grudges, so why would your Martial Courage Totem be so hostile?"
Luo Sha knew that Gong Xichou was a person from the shore, and that he would probably never deal with the sea unless necessary, so he was unaware of the grudges and feuds between these giant sea creatures: "Orcas like to bully young bowback whales and interfere with their hunting."
"so?"
"Therefore, the two sides have a deep-seated hatred for each other."
Luo Sha recalled the whale pods that were often active near the island.
Their daily routine consists of eating, sleeping, and hunting killer whales.
Even if orcas are active more than ten miles away, the bowback whales will call their companions to attack them upon hearing the noise, creating a deep-seated feud between the two groups. After Luo Sha mastered the Martial Spirit Totem, he often went into the sea to swim with the whale pods, including but not limited to being dragged along to fight orcas. With this skill, Luo Sha became well-liked among the bowback whales. These bowback whales were also extremely intelligent and seemed to understand Luo Sha's special abilities; if he was absent one day, they would come and call him to come into the water if they passed by the island.
Bai Su, hiding in the river, wasn't a real killer whale, but since she was dressed as one, Luo Sha wanted to beat her up.
He explained, "It has nothing to do with Bai Shaoxuan."
Gong Xichou said knowingly, "Oh, path dependence."
Luo Sha didn't understand what "path dependence" meant, and he lamented that there was too much slang on the shore that he couldn't understand without specifically learning it.
If you don't understand, ask: "What does this mean?"
Gong Xiqiu replied inscrutablely, "Inertia."
He had asked Mama the same question, but Mama's answer was too long, and Gong Xichou only remembered the last few words.
As long as the meaning is roughly the same, that's fine.
Luo Sha: "...Oh, it is indeed profound."
In the short time it took for the two to exchange a few words, the water wall that Gongyang Yongye had cleaved open was blown open by the explosion, creating a huge gap. The scorching steam that rushed in completely enveloped the area, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. The intense heat not only boiled the water barrier that had blocked the impact of the explosion, but also left traces of the strong wind on it, rippling the surface of the river.
The temperature spread to the center of the barrier.
Gongxi Chou flicked his slightly hot tail.
Luo Sha asked, "Aren't you worried about your lord?"
This level of explosion was the strongest he had ever seen in his life. Even he wasn't confident he could escape unscathed from such close range. Was Gong Xichou not worried at all? Was he so confident in Shen Jun's strength?
Gong Xichou: "With my elder brother here, why would I worry about Mama?"
This raises doubts about his older brother's professional competence.
It also raises doubts about the durability and resistance to destruction of sacred objects.
Furthermore, they questioned the ability of the literary figures in Kangguo to salvage the situation.
Just as Luo Sha was about to speak, a long-handled sword cleaved through the water barrier from the outside. Gongyang Yongye glared at the two men with a sinister look: "Have you two finished talking in front of me? If you've had enough, get out of here and report to the underworld!"
Gongyang Yongye's strike in that critical moment was to protect himself and lessen his injuries; those two brats, Gongxi Chou and Luo Sha, benefited from his intervention. Instead of thanking him afterward, they chatted about it as if no one else was around—this was undoubtedly a sign of disrespect and humiliation!
He has cultivated himself diligently for decades, nearly a hundred years. How could he endure such injustice?
He even started to dislike Luo Sha, treating him like a "brat" just like Gong Xi Chou! Gongyang Yongye drew his sword and charged at the two: "This battle is not over yet, you're celebrating too soon!"
Don't let the old man's age fool you, he can still beat two young guys!
Gongyang Yongye broke through the water barrier, exposing Gong Xichou to the scorching white mist—if it were an ordinary person, they would have been burned so badly that their skin would have peeled off completely—though not fatal, it was very uncomfortable for him. Taking advantage of Luo Sha's entanglement with Gongyang Yongye, he swooped down towards the river. Passing through the boiling river, the cool water below greatly relieved his heat.
After recovering, Gong Xichou prepared to leap out of the water.
result--
With a thud, his head slammed into the ice.
He was stunned for a moment, then used 30% of his strength on the snake's tail.
With a snap, the palm-thick ice shattered into pieces, finally allowing Gong Xichou to emerge. However, the moment he surfaced, ice and snow engulfed him, nearly freezing him into an ice sculpture. He knew without even looking that Yun Ce was behind it all.
A flamboyant entrance, followed by a devastating performance that crushed his teammates.
Gongyang Yongye was so angry at the people of Kangguo that he almost laughed.
When Yun Ce charged out, even he felt a chill run down his spine. Gong Xichou, Luo Sha, and Yun Ce—the three of them were all weaker than him, but he couldn't possibly defeat any one of them. With the three of them working together, he feared he would die here!
This worry quickly vanished.
Gongyang Yongye discovered that Yun Ce was quite skilled, having improved significantly since their last encounter. His spear thrust could instantly freeze a column of water. His spear technique was beautiful, but his movement was even more astonishing. His toes lightly touched the flying snowflakes, lighter than drifting catkins, making him unpredictable and elusive.
Every move is pleasing to the eye.
However, he seems to be better suited to being alone.
He and Luo Sha had absolutely no chemistry.
Either Yun Ce's overflowing martial energy froze the opponent's water column energy, leaving Luo Sha's attack power insufficient, or Luo Sha's martial energy melted the opponent's Ice and Snow Flying Dragon, causing Yun Ce's spear shadow to miss several times and almost being hit by Gongyang Yongye's Mo Dao. The two of them were cooperating haphazardly, so Luo Sha simply adopted the same cooperative strategy he had used with Gong Xi Chou, but poor Gong Xi Chou almost couldn't get out of the water.
Gong Xi Chou, filled with resentment, dispelled his Martial Courage Totem form and charged forward at top speed in human form. He thrust out his halberd with such force that Gong Yang Yong Ye felt his hand go numb and almost lost his grip on the hilt.
"You three scoundrels!" Gongyang Yongye thought that if anything bad happened today, he would take them down with him even if it meant mutual destruction.
"Too much nonsense!"
A dark green light shot out from Gong Xichou's palm.
The dark python spewed out its fury, transforming into a long whip that shattered the water columns and ice spikes in its path, and charged toward Gongyang Yongye's face!
Gongyang Yongye: "..."
He never dreamed that one day three reckless brats would undermine each other while also ganging up to bully an elderly man nearing 100 years old. He was furious and angry, wiping the blood from his face, a burning rage igniting within him.
"This is outrageous!"
"This is absolutely outrageous!"
Whether the three of them ganged up on him or took turns attacking him one by one, Gongyang Yongye wouldn't get angry. He might even have the energy to watch the spectacle. But the three of them had such terrible teamwork that they had forced him to aggravate his injuries. He couldn't stand it anymore. He felt utterly humiliated! Suddenly, the Mo Dao in his hand erupted with terrifying martial energy. The blade swelled in the wind, and the powerful shockwave made the surrounding sky and earth tremble.
"I will cleave you all in two!"
Luo Sha muttered to himself, "This is terrible."
Why don't these people on the shore have any sense of reason?
Gong Xichou and his two companions coordinated terribly, but Shen Tang and Ji Moqiu seemed to have no barriers between them. The moment Shen Tang detonated all the "jellyfish bombs," a long-awaited spell was cast upon her. A pair of transparent palms, fingers interlocked, enveloped Shen Tang.
A strong wind blew the robes of the illusory figure, making them flutter loudly.
The figure that suddenly appeared was astonishingly large; its clasped hands alone were taller than Shen Tang. These hands appeared transparent, yet possessed an unshakeable defensive power. No matter how powerful the explosion or how terrifying the temperature, Shen Tang felt no discomfort whatsoever; even the wind blowing on her face felt warm and comfortable.
She looked at the safe space created by the illusory hands, then looked up, her gaze piercing through the translucent fingers to land on a face mostly covered by a hood, with only a small part of the lower lip visible. Before she could make a proper look, the scene in front of her changed from mid-air to a familiar face.
"Such a long-distance 'transplantation' is too risky."
Shen Tang stood on the highest deck of the ship.
The warships, small boats, and even the accompanying armored vehicles, all imbued with morale, were fully prepared, and the underwater ambush was also in place. The distant explosions illuminated the dark sky, making it as bright as day. As the explosions gradually subsided, Chen Tang's aura locked onto Luo Yuan.
"I'll deal with this person; I'll leave this place to Wu Hui."
The situation was somewhat better on land, but this was the river. Luo Yuan, a 19th-rank Marquis within the Pass, was far more destructive to the battlefield, both in terms of scale and range. Even from this distance, the aftershocks of the explosion were creating towering waves nearby. If it weren't for the naval formation stabilizing the ships, ordinary soldiers wouldn't have been able to handle such drastic swaying! Shen Tang could only lure Luo Yuan away or kill him nearby to boost morale! Finally, she reminded Chu Yao to be wary of the naval surprise attack from the southwest.
Chu Yao replied, "Your Majesty, please rest assured."
They were called a naval surprise force, but they were more like water ghosts.
No sooner had Shen Tang returned to fight than Chu Yao received a message from Ning Yan via Qingniao, informing him that she had discovered an enemy ambush!
In the southwest region, both civil and military officials primarily practiced naval warfare and spiritual arts.
Including but not limited to making people "soluble in water".
As Ning Yan stepped onto a Mengchong (a type of enemy vessel), she glanced at the adjacent vessel and keenly noticed that the two Mengchong had significantly different drafts. Since the two Mengchong were equipped with the same number of combat soldiers and had roughly the same carrying capacity, their drafts would naturally not differ significantly.
what does that mean?
This means there's something on the bottom of one of the ships.
He raised his hand, forming a hand seal, and cast a spell to envelop the ship: "Appear!"
Through a hazy vision, Ning Yan saw several transparent clouds of energy clinging to the hull of the adjacent Mengchong ship. Judging from the shape of the bulges, they were clearly enemies lurking on the ship, preparing to sabotage and attack.
Before the enemies could react, the soldiers on the ship thrust out a fork, followed closely by arrows. The first few hit didn't even have time to scream before collapsing into the water, the stinging pain preventing them from opening their eyes immediately. Instinctively, they tried to move their legs to hide underwater, but a cold, hard chain suddenly tightened around their throats!
Severe asphyxiation accompanied by a fracture of the cervical vertebrae.
In the midst of the struggle, he barely managed to open his eyelids a crack and vaguely saw scarlet liquid spreading from his body, staining the surrounding area.
Seeing that their whereabouts had been exposed, the remaining "water ghosts" received the attack order in unison. Some leaped out of the water, while others jumped onto the deck. Before the Kangguo Mengchong Navy could fully react, they launched a surprise attack.
Their speed was undeniably fast, but they still underestimated Ning Yan's speed and true strength. How difficult could it be for her to unleash the power of a scholar's words across the entire battlefield?
Under the power of words, each "water ghost" is marked.
The mark wasn't particularly dangerous, but it was eye-catching enough.
Especially at night!
Each of the marked "water ghosts" was glowing, with a halo around its head and five arcs of light around its torso and limbs.
To the soldiers of Kangguo, these "water ghosts" were nothing more than glowing, walking stick figures, their presence both striking and comical. No one expected Ning Yan to use the "Word of Power," a small gadget reserved for festivals in Fengluo, to mark enemies on the battlefield…
Kang Shi: "..."
If he weren't a professional writer, he would have laughed out loud.
They even inappropriately recalled the founder of this incantation, whose lord had said at the New Year's banquet that year that he wanted to celebrate with his subjects, and that in previous years the subjects had put on performances, but this year she also had a performance for everyone to see. Everyone thought it was a sword dance, and Gu Chi joked that it would be fine as long as it wasn't music, but then the lord ordered the palace maids to turn off the lights.
He performed a stick figure chest-pounding dance for everyone on the spot.
The principle of "what the superiors do, the inferiors follow" is a fine tradition of Kangguo.
To earn a living, students from impoverished families at the academy learned this incantation and started selling stick figure makeup inspired by the king on the streets, which quickly became a huge success. Kang Shi was unaware that Ning Yan had also learned it and was using it so skillfully.
"As expected of Tu Nan, are you alright here?"
Ning Yan said solemnly, "As soon as you arrived, I had something to do."
She regretted returning to the front lines with Kang Shi again. The Kang Kingdom's navy had escaped unscathed on so many journeys, yet she was caught off guard by the "water ghosts"—that was pure luck! When Kang Shi perfected the Way of the Scholar, couldn't he have also optimized away the drawbacks?
Kang Shi shrank his neck somewhat guiltily.
Thank God, things are much better now than they were back then.
At least, the luck that is borrowed in advance can be repaid in installments, in three, six, twelve, twenty-four, or even as long as thirty-six installments, minimizing the impact of overdrawing luck!
If you overdraw too much luck at once, you won't be able to withstand bad luck, so spreading it out over each installment will result in different outcomes. The only problem is that too many installments might lead to insufficient income and even mounting debt.
|ω`)
Kang Shi had already perfected the way of the scholar, transforming from a gambler into a consumerist using installment payments.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
