Chapter 172: Chapter 94: Arrows Whistling Like the Wind! The 18 Great Bandits!_2
Many disciples of the Giant Whale Gang rubbed their hands in anticipation, their hearts both nervous and excited. The nervousness stemmed from the inevitable casualties of battle—no one could guarantee they wouldn’t be among the dead—yet the excitement came from the chance to make a name for themselves!
Strapping the Iron-Cutting Sword to his waist and carrying a fine iron bow and quiver on his back, Su Changkong was also ready to stretch his muscles and tendons in preparation for action.
“We’ve arrived!”
After another half hour’s journey, in the early hours of the morning when the sky was still dim, everyone on the ship was wide awake and saw the silhouette of an island emerge in front of them as they moved forward. That island was the encampment and nesting ground of the Heaven Source Sea Bandit Group!
Five huge ships, each a hundred meters long, moored at the shore. Warrior after warrior from the Giant Whale Gang surged off the ships like a tide. Except for the few martial artists and sailors who stayed to guard the warships, the rest made their way toward the island.
At the center of the island stood various buildings and structures, including watchtowers and mostly single-story houses; it looked much like a small village or town.
In an exquisitely constructed pavilion, a man sat quietly in meditation. This man, in his forties, breathed with a faint red mist cycling relentlessly through his nostrils with each breath, indicating profound martial skill.
The man was none other than Wang Tianyuan, ranked seventh among the Eighteen Pirates of the Blue Rain Sea.
“Six times Blood Refining… is it really so difficult? Will I ever reach the realm of the Qi-Blood Long Dragon in my lifetime?”
After a long time, when Wang Tianyuan had completed a cycle of breath and energy circulation, his brows furrowed, his face tinged with a hint of helplessness.
The main reason Wang Tianyuan had become a sea pirate, of course, was money—to accumulate a great wealth to foster his own cultivation and ascend to higher realms!
Though he appeared to be just over forty in his prime, Wang Tianyuan was actually nearly sixty. Past sixty, one’s Qi and Blood begin to wane, and any progress becomes many times more difficult than it is for the young.
Wang Tianyuan also sighed inwardly, knowing that human effort is limited, and some goals can’t be achieved simply by trying hard.
“Dang Dang Dang!”
Just as Wang Tianyuan was preparing to continue his cultivation, the ear-splitting sound of a bell rang out!
“An enemy attack?”
Wang Tianyuan’s eyes snapped open, a glint of murderous intent flashing in them, as he grabbed a crimson curved blade beside him and sprang into action.
“Have we been discovered?” The over two thousand martial artists from the Giant Whale Gang who had landed on the island heard the distant sound of the bell. They knew they had been spotted by the Heaven Source Sea Bandit Group. With so many people landing on the island, it would have been difficult to go unnoticed.
So the only option was to face them head-on!
“Is it an enemy attack?”
In the center of the island, the pirates were also startled awake, armed to the teeth. Although surprised by the sudden attack, they were elite fighters who had experienced many bloody battles and managed to remain calm, ready to meet their enemy.
“Is it the Giant Whale Gang? How did they find this place?”
Scouts also noticed that the attackers were from the Giant Whale Gang, causing some to feel a surge of alarm.
The Giant Whale Gang, dominating many strategic routes in the Blue Rain Sea, was not a foe to be trifled with!
“Is the approaching enemy Sikong Zhan, the Young Gang Leader of the Giant Whale Gang? It’s not too late to retreat now! You can’t swallow the Heaven Source Group! Don’t delude yourself!”
From a distance, before closing in, a voice thundered like a storm, emanating immense oppressive power, revealing the formidable cultivation of the speaker.
Hearing this, Sikong Zhan burst into mocking laughter, “Wang Tianyuan, you’ve invaded our Giant Whale Gang’s territory time and again. You should have expected this day! Today, I will take your head to deter the petty thieves!”
“Kill!”
Many martial artists of the Giant Whale Gang charged toward the front, where pirate after pirate with solemn expressions occupied various houses and buildings.
Some pirates wore armor, and some wielded bows and arrows—their equipment was remarkably well-crafted!
“Kill!”
Amidst the roaring war cries, the two sides wasted no time in pleasantries, immediately engaging in a life-and-death struggle.
“Wang Tianyuan! Come and meet your death!”
Sikong Zhan, brandishing his Sawtooth Blade, decapitated two or three pirates with a single swing. Taking the lead, he made his way towards where Wang Tianyuan was located.
“You think I’m afraid of you, boy?”
Wang Tianyuan exploded with energy, Qi and Blood surging as he wielded a crimson curved blade. The billowing Qi and Blood looked like wolf smoke rising, tinting the overcast sky a pale red hue.
“This Wang Tianyuan is even stronger than Qi Chenghong!”
Su Changkong, observing from a distance, thought to himself.
However, he wasn’t particularly concerned. If Sikong Zhan had knowingly initiated an attack, knowing Wang Tianyuan’s hiding place, it was because he was confident of defeating him!
“Boom!”
Sikong Zhan also burst forth with Qi-Blood Wolf Smoke, towering into the sky, his imposing manner not inferior to Wang Tianyuan’s in the slightest. The warriors and pirates surrounding them dared not interfere, allowing the two to traverse the throng and collide with a heavy impact.
The earth trembled slightly as the two fighters, each at the second level of Qi and Blood, began their life-and-death duel. With the drawing of the blade came fierce Blade Qi, and the atmosphere was heavy with killing intent!
Sikong Zhan had been fighting across the lands since his youth, and his Sawtooth Blade was like a gigantic shark in the sea, cleaving through everything in its path. Meanwhile, Wang Tianyuan, ranked as the seventh of the Blue Rain Sea’s great pirates, showed no sign of weakness; his crimson curved blade sent out slashes capable of tearing nearly a yard-long crack with each strike.
“A head for a hundred taels!” A bald martial artist in the Giant Whale Gang’s uniform, his face contorted with a bloodthirsty grin, casually split a pirate in half with a stroke of his blade.
“A rabble daring to claim a spot in the Blue Rain Sea rankings?” The rest of the Giant Whale Gang’s martial artists were also buoyed with high morale.
The pirates of the Heaven Source Sea Bandit Group, battle-hardened individuals each, numbering over a thousand, faced the Giant Whale Gang’s assault with resolute fearlessness. Thousands became embroiled in combat, with battle cries shaking the heavens, turning the early morning fog blood-red.