Chapter 126: Battle of Luofeng Mountain! The Gathering of the Ten Grandmasters!

Chapter 126: Battle of Luofeng Mountain! The Gathering of the Ten Grandmasters! (3600 words, seeking subscriptions)

Lungs · Metal (3%), Liver · Wood (3%), Kidneys · Water (3%), Heart · Fire (3%), Spleen · Earth (3%)

Dragon Blood Pouch (Qi and blood 5%)

Han Zhao absorbed the strength and blood Qi from Qian Luoshan, increasing his progress in the Five Organs Cultivation from 2% to 3%.

Qian Luoshan was only a Qi Grandmaster, like his brother Qian Luohai, and had prioritized the cultivation of water-elemental Qi.

The Absorption Art had been refined to one-twentieth of its power, which initially allowed him to increase his water-elemental Qi by 5%. However, through the "Five Elements Convergence" effect, this had been transformed into five different elemental Qis, each at 1%.

"This has saved me a lot of trouble."

Otherwise, when he encountered Grandmaster-level opponents in the future, after absorbing one type of elemental Qi to the maximum, he would be unable to continue absorbing, which would lead to significant waste.

Now, regardless of which elemental Qi an enemy cultivated, he could convert it.

"At this rate, I could shorten the time needed to reach the Five Qi Grandmaster level."

Adding points directly couldn't increase elemental Qi. According to his original estimate, it would take about two and a half to three years to reach the perfected state of Five Qi.

However, if he absorbed more Grandmasters, that could change.

"Only Upwards as a Perfect Grandmaster like Shangguan Yunfei, absorbing him would increase each of my elemental Qis by 5%. If I could directly absorb twenty Five Qi Grandmasters, wouldn't that mean I could achieve it in just one day?"

Han Zhao's eyes lit up, but he quickly returned to reality.

Someone like Shangguan Yunfei was not easy to come by.

Perfect Grandmasters with Five Qi at the peak were still elite figures in top factions, not something he could easily kill.

He had greatly increased his strength now, but if he were to encounter a fully prepared Five Qi Grandmaster, it was uncertain whether he could defeat them.

Zhu Gangyi was the weakest among the Four Powers this time, and it took him half his strength to kill him.

Aside from not using Sword Techniques, he had used all his ace skills, including Innate Qi, Dual Sword Mastery, and Diamond Body.

Xue Han, He Xuan, and Gao Baijie he should be able to handle, but if he were to face multiple opponents simultaneously, he couldn't guarantee wiping them all out.

"Only Shangguan Lie is left, and the Martial Saint-level expert's body has gathered malevolent Qi. Will there be any issues if I absorb it indiscriminately?" Han Zhao pondered with a serious expression.

He wouldn't dare to try it indiscriminately in reality, only through a simulation would he know if it worked.

"I need to leave here quickly."

After a moment, he came to his senses.

The small village behind him was in ruins. He took out a flint and lamp oil from his Universe Bag and set fire to the village along with the corpses. This was a safer approach to prevent anyone from discovering what had happened through the traces of battle.

Crackle!

"Jiuyou Mansion, this is just the beginning."

The flames burned vigorously, and Han Zhao's eyes flickered with a fiery light.

The setting sun painted the sky red as he walked toward the shallow beach.

Silk and Bamboo Cat hid in the trees, watching the village in the distance burn. Her tear-stained face showed deep concern.

"Gone." Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind her.

Silk and Bamboo Cat's delicate body trembled. She turned around abruptly, and Han Zhao stood behind her.

"Young Master, you're really okay!"

Silk and Bamboo Cat covered her mouth, tears of joy streaming down her face.

"Yes." Han Zhao smiled and said, "Let's go."

The two of them arrived at the ever-flowing shallows.

Silk and Bamboo Cat looked at the shattered boats and exclaimed, "Our boat! Young Master, our boat is damaged!"

"We're in trouble now! If someone finds out that Young Master killed that monster, Young Master will..." Silk and Bamboo Cat had a mournful look as she worriedly looked at Han Zhao.

"Don't worry, watch me."

Feeling her concern, Han Zhao chuckled lightly.

"Silk and Bamboo, do you remember what I told you before?" Silk and Bamboo Cat nodded vigorously. "Remember. As long as you believe in me, I won't die. Silk and Bamboo, believe in me!"

"Very well." Han Zhao walked in front of Silk and Bamboo, crouching slightly.

"Young Master?"

"Come on up."

Silk and Bamboo frowned, biting her lip, hesitating for a while, and suddenly felt relieved. "Young Master, take Silk and Bamboo with you. You can't run fast on the sea. Leave me behind!"

"What are you saying?!" Han Zhao was momentarily stunned.

"Silk and Bamboo is an orphan. I was bought into the Furious Crocodile Gang at the age of six, and sacrificing for my master is my destiny since childhood. Young Master has been so kind to Silk and Bamboo, and Silk and Bamboo is willing to die for Young Master!" Silk and Bamboo's eyes turned red, her tone resolute.

"Alright, enough, let's get on with it!" Han Zhao said gruffly, urging her.

He had already gained control of Silk and Bamboo and didn't want to go through the process of building trust all over again. After all, cultivating trust took time, and he couldn't just sleep with every girl he met.

"Yes." Although Han Zhao's tone was a bit impatient, Silk and Bamboo was deeply moved. After hesitating for a while, she approached and circled her arms around his arm, leaning on his broad back.

"Prepare for takeoff."

"Huh?" Silk and Bamboo was taken aback.

Han Zhao accelerated, his body leaping more than ten meters into the air, soaring straight towards the sea.

[Option 1: Divine Eagle (A companion of a certain Swordmaster, a rare large raptor with innate divine power and terrifying combat skills.)]

[Option 2: Hundred-Year Crocodile-Turtle (Large head, short neck and tail, limb-like paddles, no claws, well-developed forelimbs, and covered in scales similar to crocodile skin.)]

"One."

Han Zhao silently recited in his heart, and his arms suddenly spread open, transforming into wings with a wingspan of more than five meters, and he quickly ascended into the sky.

"Wow! Young Master, you..." Silk and Bamboo cried out in astonishment.

"How is it? Never ridden an eagle before, have you?"

Han Zhao chuckled and joked around. He was in high spirits after defeating Zhu Gangyi.

Since Silk and Bamboo was so obedient, she could serve him for a long time. Letting her ride the eagle once was acceptable.

The second option was just too strange, so he couldn't choose it. Otherwise, turning into a crocodile-turtle would mean she had to ride on his head.

"Young Master, you're amazing!" Silk and Bamboo admired him, her face filled with admiration, and she cheered like an inexperienced young girl.

"Hold on tight! I'm going to accelerate!" Han Zhao reminded her, found the right direction, and suddenly started speeding up.

"Ah!"

Silk and Bamboo shouted in excitement.

In this way, the next island that would have taken half a day to reach by fast boat was reached by Han Zhao in less than two hours with Silk and Bamboo.

At this rate, it would take about two days to reach Luofeng Island.

Luofeng Island.

This was a large island located about a thousand miles away from the mouth of the Changlin River, far from Furious Crocodile Island, and roughly one-third of its size.

The island had a dormant volcano in the middle, rumored to be the place where the phoenix fell, hence its name, "Luofeng Island."

Apart from the dormant volcano in the center, the terrain around it was relatively flat, covered in dense forests, and the soil was fertile, making it suitable as a large base and a transit hub.

However, due to the prolonged battle for control of Luofeng Island by several large pirate crews near the South Gazing Sea, it lasted for over a decade and still didn't determine a winner. Instead, it resulted in heavy casualties and allowed Furious Crocodile Gang to dominate the seas for a generation.

In the end, the strongest pirate crews in the area, the "Fierce Wind Pirates" and the "Flying Dragon Pirates," stepped in to mediate, and an agreement was reached among the pirates, designating this place as a shared territory for them.

The benefits were distributed according to the size of each pirate crew and their actual contributions.

Because Luofeng Island was relatively close to Furious Crocodile Island and the biggest advantage of pirates was their ability to come and go without a trace, once they had a fixed base, it was easier to be discovered and destroyed. So, it was a very risky move.

However, as long as the benefits were significant enough, there were people willing to take the risk, especially since they were all outlaws.

Today, Luofeng Island was livelier than ever.

Because today was the life-and-death battle between the various pirate forces in the open sea and the Furious Crocodile Gang.

If they won, the pirates would dominate the open sea and even have a chance to get involved in the shipping on the Changlin River. In the future, Furious Crocodile Gang would have to consider their interests.

If they lost, Furious Crocodile Gang would continue to dominate the seas, and whenever they saw Furious Crocodile Gang's flag on the sea, they would have to steer clear.

Over a thousand elite pirates gathered here, waiting for the battle.

At the forefront of the crowd stood ten warriors in various attire.

Nine men and one woman, all of them exuded immensely powerful auras, and they were all top-notch experts in the Grandmaster realm.

The leader of the group was a tall and burly middle-aged man, towering at an exaggerated two meters in height, his body was densely muscled, making him look like a tower.

This man was Li Yun, the head of the Flying Dragon Pirates, a Triple Qi Grandmaster, known as the "Flying Dragon Hand." His martial arts were fierce and powerful, and his Flying Dragon Claw, which he had cultivated, was sharp and domineering enough to rival a normal Quadruple Qi Grandmaster. In this generation of the open sea, he was one of the top experts.

By his side was another burly old man, nearly 1.9 meters tall, with a long beard that reached his lower abdomen, making him appear to be a kind-faced old man. However, those who knew him well understood that this was just a facade.

This man was Bu Wushuang, the head of the Fierce Wind Pirates, a Perfect Quadruple Qi Grandmaster. His family's Fierce Wind Blade Technique was as fast and fierce as a hurricane, earning him the nickname "Wind God Blade."

However, he was now over seventy years old and no longer at the peak of his physical strength.

Nevertheless, he was still the highest-ranked and strongest among them.

The "Fierce Wind Pirates" and the "Flying Dragon Pirates," the two strongest pirate crews, each had two Grandmaster-level experts

among their ranks. The other six Grandmaster-level experts came from various other pirate crews.

In these remote waters, only pirate crews with Grandmaster-level experts could be considered major pirate crews.

"Today is the day of the final battle. Why haven't the Furious Crocodile Gang shown up yet? Could it be that they're afraid?" The only woman among them spoke. She wore revealing clothing with snake patterns on her exposed chest, thighs, and arms. Despite her striking appearance, she appeared to be a seductive snake woman.

She was Yu Ling, the head of the Venomous Snake Pirates, the only female Grandmaster-level pirate in the open seas.

"I heard that both Shangguan Yunfei and Shangguan Lie were seriously injured while competing for the Dragon Blood on Tianzhu Mountain and are now missing. The Furious Crocodile Gang's reputation has plummeted in the past year. Since they dared to actively seek trouble with us, it means the Furious Crocodile Gang wants to rebuild its reputation by besieging us," Li Yun said solemnly.

"However, something doesn't feel right," Bu Wushuang pondered.

"What's wrong, Chief Bu?" one of the Grandmasters beside him asked.

"Without Shangguan Yunfei and Shangguan Lie in charge, the Furious Crocodile Gang's strength has greatly declined. In terms of Grandmaster-level battle power, they are at an absolute disadvantage, both in terms of numbers and strength," Bu Wushuang furrowed his brows.

"Indeed, in this situation, why would they choose to engage in battle with us? I can't figure it out," Li Yun responded, recognizing that this was a key issue.

"It's simple. I heard that the Furious Crocodile Gang has a new young leader, just a little kid. When someone rises to power, they naturally get reckless," Yu Ling teased.

"Regardless, let's win this battle first, and then we can talk about it later," Bu Wushuang nodded. Regardless of the circumstances, this battle was inevitable.

The group stood on the beach, waiting. Soon, a fast boat arrived, and a slender figure, swift and agile, walked on water.

"Head." The newcomer, Wei Tianyi, the fifth-in-command of the Fierce Wind Pirates, arrived in front of Bu Wushuang and bowed respectfully. He was a Grandmaster with a complete Qi Refinement and was unparalleled in the art of "Bat Body Movement," a light technique that even Grandmaster-level warriors couldn't catch up to.

"Shangguan Yunfei's and Shangguan Lie's warships have appeared about a hundred miles away. They are heading toward Luofeng Island at full speed and should arrive in half an hour," Wei Tianyi reported.

"Good, the first fleet is ready to board the ship and meet them in battle!" Bu Wushuang immediately gave the order.

"Yes!" The warriors behind them quickly rushed to the warships moored at the pier.

"Everyone, I'll go ahead." Li Yun bowed to the others and took the lead in setting off.

Following him, six more Grandmaster-level warriors left with him.

"Everyone, please take care!" Bu Wushuang said earnestly.

In fact, facing the Furious Crocodile, which was a large battleship, in a sea battle, they were at a disadvantage. However, unless they gave up on Luofeng Island, which they had cultivated for many years, they had to kill some of the Furious Crocodile Gang's warriors first before retreating to the island for a land battle.