Chapter 994: Cannonade Duel!

“That… that’s what?”

“Does the Lord of Ruan Gate also possess a second-rank divine weapon? Does he also have a Divine Weapon Domain?!”

“The Lord’s Purple Thunder Dragon seems unable to match the golden-red silk—how is there still golden-red silk? Can that kid summon silk without limit?”

Damn! Why does he have so many divine weapons! And a Divine Weapon Domain! How many people has he killed? Everything was stolen, right?

“Good! Hahaha! What of Jingting Mountain? What of Lord Lu?! Hahahaha!”

Everything unfolding in the northern part of Mist Rain Lake was truly earth-shattering.

The Purple Thunder Dragon and the golden-red radiance left every battle group across the Thousand Boats Isles stunned, triggering waves of uproar.

The Jingting disciples who had once sneered and laughed mockingly now either raged, trembled, or shouted curses.

The Thousand Boats Alliance disciples, who had moments before turned pale and grown solemn, now wore expressions of stunned delight.

Ruan Gate can still fight!

Lord Lu is still going!

Your Jingting Mountain—Lord Lu suddenly escalated combat intensity, pulling out your ultimate techniques to utterly destroy Fuyao Island?

Our Ruan Gate—Lord Lu meets strength with strength, unyielding!

“Young man, you’re too conspicuous!” A stout, short-haired woman glared fiercely at the northern sky above Mist Rain Lake, swinging her halberd in a sweeping arc.

“Ah!” The Chenghua disciple cried out as the delicate oil-paper umbrella shielding her body was ripped apart by the halberd’s tip.

Clutching the torn umbrella, the disciple spun like a top, flung backward by the halberd’s force.

Her hairs stood on end as she poured every ounce of her power into her technique!

She had even foreseen her own death—yet…

The furious, burly woman paid no heed to the minor disciple, instead hurling her halberd upward with a sudden motion.

“Crack!!”

A bolt of lightning struck down, slamming directly onto her body.

Though the northern Mist Rain Lake erupted with deafening noise, the sound of the lightning strike drew the attention of everyone nearby.

“Everyone! Follow me!” The burly woman roared.

Hearing the command of the Jingting Mountain·Iron Flower Hall’s Hallmaster, several disciples immediately responded.

“Ziz~ ziz~”

Lightning coiled around the Hallmaster’s feet as she shot forward.

Six or seven Dongting disciples abandoned their opponents and swiftly followed.

It was clear the Hallmaster deliberately waited for the Jiangjing disciples—her divine technique, Swift Light Flash, had clearly been adjusted to Jiang Pin.

“Follow me!” The Hallmaster shouted as she raced forward.

Along the way, islands saw Dongting disciples joining this force.

On the islands, fighters clashed in close quarters; on the lake, chaos reigned, lotuses blooming everywhere.

The Hallmaster fought with ferocity yet clarity, always choosing paths with the fewest lotuses, using her Hai Pin’s absolute defense to shred through lotus petals and leaves while waiting for Jingting disciples to catch up.

Her terrifying speed turned the twenty-plus warriors into a thick bolt of lightning, slicing across the battlefield.

The Jingting disciples could guess where the Hallmaster intended to lead this force.

The northern Mist Rain Lake!

The battleground between Lord Lu and Lord Lu!

Once, dust had choked the air there; most Dongting disciples avoided it, preferring to charge across islands, relying on sheer speed and close-combat divine arts to slaughter enemies.

But now…

The battle’s tide was clear!

Lord Lu’s duel with Lord Lu was, subtly, falling behind.

This was the perfect moment to earn merit and reward!

The Hallmaster swung her halberd, charging ahead: “All of you! Raise your halberds! Target Ruan Gate’s leader—prepare to throw!”

“Yes!”

“By your command!”

“Boom boom boom!” The explosions in the northern Mist Rain Lake continued, shaking heaven and earth.

Lu Ran stood midair, wielding his blade, summoning radiant light to continuously detonate the Purple Thunder Dragon, halting the dragon’s inch-by-inch advance.

“Aaaaaa!”

Lu Xiao was beyond rage.

Within a hundred-meter radius, the fine threads of lightning crawling across the ground were sucked into his halberd, then blasted outward as thick purple lightning dragons, extending the length of the Purple Thunder Dragon.

“Gulps.” Lady Lu San swallowed hard, staring dumbfounded.

The heart she had just forced down began pounding uncontrollably again.

She had thought Lu Ran was strong—but she hadn’t imagined…

He was this strong!

He was holding back Lord Lu’s ultimate technique alone!

This…?

The battle had utterly defied everyone’s expectations.

Jingting Mountain had come in fury, aiming to shatter the Thousand Boats Isles with unstoppable force.

Before absolute power, the Thousand Boats Alliance’s resistance would be futile.

Yet Ruan Gate disrupted everything, shaking Jingting’s foundation and relentlessly squeezing their survival space.

Seeing the situation diverge from expectation, Lu Xiao swiftly issued orders—the war entered its second phase.

Jingting Mountain was indeed the stronger side!

Dongting could still sweep across the Thousand Boats Isles like autumn wind clearing fallen leaves, relying on absolute speed and powerful close-combat divine arts.

But Ruan Gate’s iron defense of Fuyao Island had caused Lady Da to perish amid the swirling sands.

Lu Xiao was furious.

His fury, ignited by repeated challenges to his authority and dignity, blazed across the heavens.

He abandoned Jingting’s gradual encroachment on the Thousand Boats Isles—he entered the fray alone, determined to crush Fuyao Island outright.

This move decided victory or defeat.

More importantly, it decided dignity!

Yet the young Lord Lu met him with the same sovereign posture, shattering the dragon inch by inch, matching him blow for blow!

“Huh.” Lady Lu San exhaled deeply, her thoughts churning.

It was time to choose.

Lu Xiao had waited until his rage peaked before activating his Divine Weapon Domain because the Purple Thunder Dragon drained divine energy and stamina mercilessly.

If this continued…

Lady Lu San glanced sideways at Lu Xiao, his hair standing on end in fury, then turned to Lord Lu, solemn and divine.

Strange!

Lord Lu was merely at Jiang Pin—activating a divine weapon domain of this caliber should drain him utterly—why did he show no sign of fatigue?

Regardless, the facts were clear.

If Lu Xiao didn’t stop soon, what would happen then?

Lady Lu San’s eyes flickered uncertainly.

Should I protect you and take you back?

Or should I “sacrifice” you, seeking a new path instead?

“East!” Jiang Ruyi shouted, golden jade talismans swirling around her as she retreated swiftly.

He Yingcai, beside her, didn’t hesitate—she lifted the hem of her divine technique, Lotus Robe, shielding the Lady of the Gate.

On the eastern lake, twenty to thirty men had arrived, each raising halberds—clearly preparing to hurl them, piercing the figure in midair!

But Dongting lacked ranged techniques; their thrown halberds were mere ordinary attacks.

Against a balanced duo like He Yingcai and Jiang Ruyi, even dozens of ordinary flying halberds were useless.

But against Lu Ran?

Even if they couldn’t pierce his water armor, this assault would at least force Lu Ran into chaos, disrupting his Divine Weapon Domain!

Then Lord Lu could unleash his full might!

“Swoosh~ swoosh~”

Jiang Ruyi swiftly flung her white jade tablet.

“Hm?” Deng Yuxiang also sensed danger—immediately, mist swirled beneath her feet as she darted eastward.

Suddenly, a figure appeared directly before Deng Yuxiang.

Few in this world called Deng Yuxiang by that name.

Deng Yuxiang saw her close friend—and Yan Shuangzi’s long leg reaching out.

“Take me—Evil Moon Domain!” Yan Shuangzi spoke rapidly; Deng Yuxiang seized her ankle mid-sprint, dragging her sideways through the air.

“Got it!” Deng Yuxiang’s eyes gleamed.

She had been ready to reveal her Night Phantom Technique—Night Wind Assault—to blow the entire assassination squad and their halberds away.

Now Yan Shuangzi offered her a far more terrifying option.

“Bang! Bang!”

“Sizzle~ sizzle!” Jiang Ruyi frantically hurled down the white jade tablet, causing the Lightning Seal to erupt into dozens of lightning spheres, each fifty meters in diameter, blocking the enemy forces’ charge.

The Flame Seal exploded upon the lake’s surface.

Waves and fire surged together, rising into thick white mist.

“Watch out!”

“Ahh!!”

“Charge! Ignore it—just Jiang Pin’s Jade Technique!” The Iron Flower Sect Master barked, hearing her disciples’ cries.

“Sssss—”

Deng Yu surged forward at high speed, her wide straw cloak flaring behind her.

She stepped upon a layer of wind and waves, then sharply turned ninety degrees, releasing a burst of immortal mist from beneath her feet.

“Whoosh!”

Yan Shuangzi was seized by the ankle, flying horizontally behind Deng Yu.

Her lone hand gripped the Divine Weapon—Evil Moon Crescent Blade—leaving behind a streak of pitch-black scar wherever the blade passed.

Directly ahead of the main Dongting force, a black line stretched longer and longer.

A tripwire?

A throat-cutting scar!

“Everyone, shoot!” The Iron Flower Sect Master had just burst through the churning fire sea when she suddenly spotted a long, dark line twenty meters ahead.

The Iron Flower Sect Master’s expression turned starkly pale!

She did not know what the black line was, but she still treated it with caution, hurling her Heaven-Devouring Halberd with all her force toward Lu Ran in the sky, then swiftly bending low.

Under this momentum, she could not stop.

Fortunately, the black line hovered one and a half meters above the lake’s surface—Dongting disciples could easily leap or duck to avoid it.

“Swoosh~”

The Heaven-Devouring Halberd, propelled by its thrower’s full momentum and strength, emitted a terrifying sonic crack—faster than the eye could follow!

“Clang!”

Lu Ran’s Eight Wilderness Blade and Silent Night Blade flew out simultaneously, slamming hard against the halberd’s shaft, neutralizing the devastating strike and sending the halberd crashing downward.

“Ahh!”

“Ahh! Aaaah!”

“Ugh.” Screams and eerie throaty groans followed one after another.

Fine electric currents, spreading fire seas, and steaming white mist obscured vision.

Some Dongting disciples, disrupted by divine arts, stumbled and became “pebbles” skipping across the lake’s surface;

others, with extraordinary agility and luck, barely escaped the chaos of battle.

But before them lay the throat-cutting black crescent scar.

Figures flew over the crescent, splitting cleanly in two.

Blood and severed limbs drenched the North Lake.

The Iron Flower Sect Master’s eyes flew wide open!

Some Dongting disciples had narrowly avoided the “throat-cutting crescent,” but Gao Yun’s Western Desert had already opened, sweeping violently from west to east.

“Ding~ ding~ ding~”

High above, the Eight Wilderness Blade and Silent Night Blade spun rapidly, shattering a hail of thrown spears, while a third blade—Cool Night Sword—arrived in time to shield Lu Ran.

“Hah!” The Iron Flower Sect Master’s eyes bulged as she tried to disrupt Lu Ran’s spellcasting with a battle roar.

Yet she suddenly realized faint golden beams were quietly falling.

Is this the Praying Carp?

A divine technique of purification and perception?

One more chapter before 24:00—it’s too late; you can read it tomorrow.

(End of Chapter)