Chapter 36

Lin Qingxuan and Shangguan Mei sat in silence within the flying ship, each meditating in their own world. Suddenly, they noticed Jiang Yifeng bursting out of the ship, shouting and demanding to see the young head of the Four Seas Merchants' Association. In this era, naval battles relied on close-quarters combat known as "boarding," and the pirates' ships were already drawing near. Gao Shun and his men shot arrows at the pirates, but their shields were of little use. Before long, the pirates' ships drew alongside, and they began throwing grappling hooks or using grappling poles to leap aboard. However, outside the Luqi County city, chaos reigned as an endless churning storm covered the land, cracking the ground like a spider's web—some fissures stretched hundreds of miles, others thousands. While Li Qiang pondered, Yang Yuting finished his canned food, wiping his mouth and standing up despite his unhealed wounds. Xi Qianye rose from the sand, his power surging mightily, as if a single punch could shatter the void. Xia Feng calmly fought back, his Eight-Scene Spirit Sword shielding him from Li Fan's attacks. This is why Tibetan Buddhist monks and followers prefer to carve scriptures onto cylindrical, spool-like objects called Marni Liberation Wheels (Meridian turning), which they spin to accumulate merit. "I hope so," Xia Zixi said, crushing the crystal in her hand. The wind energy around her immediately obeyed, and she soared into the sky toward the battling duo. Di Chongxiao and Guan Shuangyan stood side by side, admiring the sea view and marveling at the correctness of summoning the "madwoman" official. Their seemingly foolish battle tactics were actually ingenious—Di Chongxiao, awakened to the Yuanling Thunder, could withstand far more lightning essence than most marine beasts. After half an hour of siege, the defenders were exhausted. Guan Yu led a charge up the city walls, slaying several men before retreating under cover of archers with crossbows. "Are you coming to grind monsters with us, or what?" Nanxiang Qingfeng invited, unaware of the tension. Li Delong added, "Choose now—either do it or leave our dorm!" The eighteen blood-red phantoms represented various weapon forms: spears, halberds, hooks, swords, axes, whips, maces, and more. Although the Four-Armed Demon Ape's attacks seemed simple, they packed terrifying power. When hit by the ape's fang "club" on his back, Li Mu's transformed green dragon stumbled and plummeted, creating a deep crater upon impact. However, I had left the sunroof open to disperse Zhao Qin's scent; my clothes were bloody, so I could take a shower at the hotel afterward—a stroke of luck. "Scram! If I see you again, I'll kill you all!" the big black dog snarled, its eyes glowing with murderous intent.

Equipment bound by a peace pact self-destructs upon attacking the contract holder and cannot be traded. Liu Bei led his men with such skill that each became a capable general, whereas Cao Cao preferred to lead from the front in battle, a trait that set his subordinates apart. Battle is cultivation; Long Yang realized that his breakthrough to the late Postnatal stage was due to slaying over thirty mid-Postnatal tigers. If he had relied solely on cultivation, he would never have advanced. Inside the KTV, waiting for Gong Shaoxie, no one had selected songs yet, and the lights were still on—not too dim. Seeing Xia Fangyuan's tears, Gong Shaoxie's frown deepened into a clear "Sichuan" crease. "The old man's nose is really sharp!" Feng Wu sarcastically remarked while accelerating the effects of her internal energy. These past few days exploring New York, Xing Yu felt an inexplicable familiarity with many places—as if he had been there before. "Ah, if Ah Yu always slept with your mom, then Dad wouldn't have the chance to discuss with your mom about having a sister for you. Then Ah Yu wouldn't have a sister," Ye Xiang lied through his teeth. Chen Ting sensed an inevitable, final battle with Long You Valley. The old men almost simultaneously activated their mental techniques, disappearing in a flash using the Luotian Array's power. When they heard that everyone except Huangfu Han had died, Lu Fei's heart leapt into his throat—could Xiaoxiao be among them? When Okura Oniichi II brought up his old wound, Qian Yelian's rage flared, but what could he do? After all, both he and Zhang Haotian had just been in fierce battles, their spiritual energy severely depleted. He had greeted the（group）from Hongfu Temple, but Master Huitong's response was perfunctory, exchanging only a few polite words before falling silent. Many others offered to help, and Fan Li was moved to tears despite his political savvy. It was for this reason that the successive protectors of Anxi, Anbei, and Annan, such as the Duke of Qiao, the Duke of E, Su Rui, and Jiang Lue, all emerged from the Northern Garrison. Qin Wan arranged Zhao and Xiao to the Northern Garrison rather than the Southern Mansion, clearly grooming them as future protectors. "It's possible, and since the scorpion tail values force, most people favor the God-Extinguishing faction," Jia Zi noted. Jiang Yichun was not talkative, so Bai Ruozhu had to recount the events, downplaying the danger to ease everyone's worries.