Chapter 154: A Hard-Won Victory

The seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, whose combat power was comparable to seven martial cultivators at the Third Realm of the Five Seas, could only truly demonstrate their value on the battlefield; they were sickles for the large-scale harvesting of ordinary soldiers.

The seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors felt that Li Youyi was very long-winded. They were just a group of small fry; was there really a need to be so wary?

The seven of them currently had intense internal fire and abundant energy, and they just wanted to vent to their heart's content. Without even waiting for Li Youyi to finish speaking, they transformed into seven streams of light and charged toward the Fire Crow cavalry flying over the river and in the mid-air.

Li Youyi didn't even have time to set up a strategy, and he really wanted to tell them: kill the mounts before killing the riders.

"There's actually an insect tamer!"

"Be careful, this ghost-masked person just killed two of our army's Five Seas Realm experts in a row."

The sounds of running and wind-breaking approached rapidly.

Li Youyi was targeted by four Five Seas Realm experts among the Fire Crow cavalry, who charged from four different directions from the first and second decks of the warship. Two were at the Third Realm of the Five Seas, and two were at the Second Realm of the Five Seas.

They were all top experts in the Fire Crow Army under Yuwen Chao.

……

The third deck of the warship was heavily targeted by the Five Seas Realm experts of the Fire Crow cavalry; a full ten of them flew down to both ends of the corridor, surrounding them from the front and back.

Lady Xue's identity was truly extraordinary, as she had three Five Seas Realm experts guarding her. They fought chaotically with the ten Five Seas Realm Fire Crow cavalrymen, and the erupting magic power energy shattered all the railings, wooden walls, and screens, with even the roof being ripped away layer by layer.

In the main hall in the very center.

A three-finger-wide gap was opened in the window. Jiang Ning stood behind the window, constantly observing the Fire Crow cavalry in the night sky, worried that there were other experts hidden in the darkness.

Zhuang Yue listened to the sounds of flesh being torn and screams constantly ringing out outside, and said anxiously, "Young Lady, it seems it isn't Yuwen Tuozhen and his men chasing us, but rather we've encountered a group of night-city barbarian thieves wanting to plunder the merchant ship. Should we intervene, or flee immediately?"

"Whether we intervene or flee, it will expose our whereabouts and quickly draw strong enemies here."

Jiang Ning, who was staring intently out the window, suddenly knitted her brows, very surprised, and let out a soft, "Eh?" from her red lips: "It's actually those seven little guys. How could they be on the ship?"

Zhuang Yue stared out the window.

She saw two of the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors, their wings vibrating as they flew, transforming into two streams of light shuttling through the Fire Crow cavalry. Wherever they flew, blood constantly splattered, and corpses fell one after another from the backs of the Fire Crows.

"Splash!"

"Splash!"

……

The corpses fell into the water, and the sound of splashes never stopped.

Without the support of a battle formation, how could the Gushing Spring Realm soldiers block them?

Zhuang Yue was dumbfounded, then said happily, "I knew that guy Brother Sima Tan definitely didn't die in the Thirty-Three Mile Mountain. The robbery of the four major sects and Tianya Ridge was definitely his doing."

Brother Sima Tan had followed the Zuoqiu Sect team into the Thirty-Three Mile Mountain but had not returned.

Many cultivators speculated that he had either died in the mountains or had absconded with a massive amount of wealth, making him the biggest mastermind behind the scenes.

"You seem particularly happy?" Jiang Ning remained calm, her beautiful eyes devoid of ripples.

Zhuang Yue smiled: "I am happy for you, Young Lady! You went to Burial Xianzhen to seek Immortal Soil but returned empty-handed, yet that guy Brother Sima Tan must have Immortal Soil on him."

"Boom!"

The door was shattered by a punch.

The force of the punch and the fragments of the door surged in together, causing the walls to rattle and the windows to tremble.

A Five Seas Realm soldier strode in and saw Jiang Ning and Zhuang Yue by the window. He was momentarily stunned, thinking them heavenly beings, and after a brief moment of distraction, he exclaimed, "There are two pure immortal-bodied women here! Everyone, come quickly, notify General Yuwen..."

Zhuang Yue's figure flickered, and she flew over, pointing a finger out.

A blood hole instantly appeared in the center of the Five Seas Realm soldier's forehead, and his body flew backward out of the room, snapping the railing and falling toward the water surface more than ten meters below.

Zhuang Yue drew her magic battle sword and killed her way into the corridor outside.

Not long after being hunted by Shi Shishi in Burial Xianzhen, she had swallowed a Dyeing Clouds exotic medicine, opened her fourth sea of Qi, and broken through to the Fourth Realm of the Five Seas. Not a single Five Seas Realm soldier outside could take her second sword strike.

……

Seeing the four Five Seas Realm experts coming from all directions, Li Youyi was not panicked in the slightest. He threw out his mid-grade magic iron book first, which transformed into a flying rain of book pages, striking the Five Seas Realm Third Realm soldier coming from the left side of the first deck.

His mid-grade magic jade bracelet then spun and flew toward the Five Seas Realm Third Realm soldier charging from the right side of the first deck.

"Swish!"

After pinning the two of them down, Li Youyi leaped up, meeting a Five Seas Realm Second Realm soldier jumping down from the second deck with a full-force sword strike.

The sword Qi was bright, and the sword light transformed into more than ten phantoms.

That Five Seas Realm Second Realm soldier felt as if his vision was filled with sword shadows, and in great terror, he hurriedly mobilized his magic power to urge his armor to protect his body.

With a "squelch," the Yellow Dragon Sword slashed down diagonally, and together with the armor on his body, the man was split in two.

Another Five Seas Realm Second Realm soldier's long spear was now thrusting toward Li Youyi's face.

Li Youyi performed the Spirit Treasure Snatch, raising his hand to grab it.

He twisted his wrist with force.

The powerful force transmitted along the spear, causing the Five Seas Realm Second Realm soldier's body to spin uncontrollably, and he was slashed in half at the waist by Li Youyi's sword.

In just one encounter, two Five Seas Realm experts were killed without the ability to fight back.

To any bystander, what Li Youyi displayed was the demeanor of a master; his mindset was composed, and his strikes were as smooth as flowing water.

After blasting away the iron book and jade bracelet, the two Five Seas Realm Third Realm soldiers released their zhang-high humanoid battle intent without hesitation, their battle aura climbing as if they were two peerless war gods.

They coordinated tacitly, fighting in synergy, enough to take on a Fourth Realm Five Seas expert.

One held a spear and slashed, with layers of staff shadows, not giving Li Youyi a chance to land.

The other thrust like lightning, the tip of the long spear releasing flame brilliance and emitting a loud explosion that tore through the air.

Li Youyi wanted to end the battle quickly, but he dared not underestimate his opponents. A dragon-pattern light shadow appeared beneath his feet, and his body actually leaped several zhang high in this inconceivable way, avoiding the attacks of the two below.

Turning, he fell head-first, performing the Ruyi Qiankun Sword.

The Yellow Dragon Sword collided with the two long spears with a "clang-clang," releasing circles of powerful energy ripples upon impact.

The moment he landed, Li Youyi slashed his sword horizontally toward one of them.

That Five Seas Realm Third Realm martial cultivator immediately stepped back, setting his spear as a pillar to block.

"Boom!"

The Yellow Dragon Sword was unstoppable, snapping the long spear. The tip of the sword grazed his abdominal armor, cutting it cleanly, and blood immediately began to flow from the gaps in the armor.

"What grade of battle sword is this?"

The Five Seas Realm Third Realm martial cultivator had never seen such a sharp and formidable battle weapon. His battle intent instantly vanished, and he hurriedly stepped on his magic power, rushing toward the Suihe below.

"You can't get away!"

Li Youyi swung his sword through the air, slashing out the Taiyi Sea-Opening strike, as if to cut the Suihe in two.

A Yellow Dragon-shaped sword Qi flew more than ten zhang away, striking the back of his head and neck. The sound of shattering bone rang out, and the moment his feet touched the water, his head drooped, and his entire body plunged into the water, never to surface again.

The other Five Seas Realm Third Realm soldier took this opportunity to jump onto a passing Fire Crow, shouting loudly: "There is a Fourth Realm Five Seas expert at the bow of the ship! All Five Seas Realm experts of the Fire Crow cavalry, assemble and hunt him down with me."

"Boom!"

A Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor launched a sneak attack, flying in from behind him.

He sensed danger, but just as he turned around, before he could defend, his body was already knocked off the back of the Fire Crow, falling toward the warship.

Li Youyi wore Wind-Riding Boots, his feet as if stepping on a flowing wind, shuttling between the railings of the warship. He casually grabbed a long spear stuck in the wall and thrust it toward the Five Seas Realm Third Realm soldier knocked over by the Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperor.

That soldier knew Li Youyi's power and hurriedly slapped the ship's hull with one palm, his body spinning to dodge.

The spear thrust past beneath him, piercing through the floor of the second deck of the warship and becoming embedded within it.

Li Youyi waved his right hand, and the Yellow Dragon Sword drew a bright sword circle, covering him within it.

After several rounds of exchange, the Five Seas Realm Third Realm soldier struggled miserably, and in the end, his heart was pierced by a sword, and he plunged into the Suihe with a splash.

Li Youyi stood suspended in the air, stepping on the long spear stuck horizontally in the ship, observing the battlefield. He discovered that the seven Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors were fighting fiercely, charging through the Fire Crow cavalry as if entering an uninhabited realm.

In a short time, nearly half of the Fire Crow cavalry on the river and in the air were dead or injured; it was simply tragic.

Under the high-speed charges of the seven little ones, Li Youyi's worries were purely superfluous. Those Fire Crow cavalrymen couldn't even form a battle formation, and if they hadn't been waiting for Yuwen Chao's retreat order, they would have already scattered like birds and beasts.

On the third deck, Fire Crow cavalry experts were constantly screaming and falling down. They had encountered a strong opponent, and even the armor on their bodies was shattered.

"There is a Fourth Realm Five Seas pure immortal-bodied expert on the third deck, hurry and form a military formation."

A Five Seas Realm soldier let out an urgent and shrill whistle, gathering the dozens of Fire Crows circling in mid-air, preparing to organize men to kill the enemy with a military formation.

Li Youyi stepped on the long spear, his body ejecting and colliding with that Five Seas Realm soldier.

The two embraced in a ball, crashing through the wall and falling into the room.

"Boom!"

Li Youyi had been using Golden Spring Bone-Forging, and his physical body was formidable. He smashed a fist into the soldier's face, and the bones of his face instantly collapsed, his entire head becoming deformed.

Standing up, he added another sword strike before walking out.

The Fire Crow cavalry on the ship had already sensed that something was wrong. The soldiers on the backs of the Fire Crows in mid-air were suffering heavy casualties from the attacks of the fierce insects, and the Five Seas Realm leaders on the ship were also dying one after another.

There was a problem with this ship; the number of top experts exceeded their expectations.

Some soldiers began to flee, jumping onto Fire Crows, which then triggered a chain reaction.

Li Youyi's figure jumped rapidly, and after several shifts, he landed on the third deck and saw Zhuang Yue wearing a veil. It was no surprise; he had sensed her power aura when he was below.

Zhuang Yue's robes were soaked in blood, and she had just pierced the last Five Seas Realm soldier with her sword. She turned around and looked at Li Youyi, who was wearing a ghost mask. She, who usually looked at any man with disdain, had a smile appear in her large eyes.

But soon, the smile froze.

Because Li Youyi turned and went downstairs, rushing toward the location of Li Ling.

"Boom!"

The entire bow of the ship was almost shattered, with only the internal steel frame structure remaining.

Yuwen Chao, Yin Shisan, and Wu Zhaonan, who were fighting in the cabin below the deck, rushed out one after another, standing in three different directions.

Wu Zhaonan had suffered severe injuries, blood gushing from his mouth and nose, and the armor on his body was beaten to tatters.

Yin Shisan's face was slightly pale, and the robes on his body were like rags, revealing his white belly; he was quite disheveled.

On Yuwen Chao's massive tiger head, there was a bloody claw mark, and one could see the skull beneath; it was an injury caused by Yin Shisan's claw power.

All three were shocked by the battle situation on the ship, which was completely different from what they had expected.

Although Wu Zhaonan was severely injured, he laughed wildly, in an excellent mood: "Good! Today, Wu is impressed by Clerk Chen to the point of prostration. So you were prepared all along; no wonder you didn't fear this Yuwen Chao."

Yin Shisan also hadn't expected such a situation, and Li Youyi had actually won! It was truly fulfilling, and he humbly smiled: "One can only say that barbarian thieves are always barbarian thieves and cannot ascend to the hall of elegance."

Li Youyi didn't go to the bow of the ship to join the fun. Since Zhuang Yue was there, Jiang Ning must be there too, and it wasn't his place as a First Realm Five Seas martial cultivator to fight against a Fifth Realm Five Seas powerhouse.

He just felt very depressed; he kept running into her, and their fate was too strong.

He reunited with Li Ling: "No need to chase those fleeing Fire Crow cavalrymen, hurry and sketch the beast scripts to control a batch of Fire Crow mounts."

Both were great thought-masters, and sketching beast-taming characters was second nature to them. They constantly struck out spiritual light characters, which landed on the Fire Crows circling around the warship.

Yuwen Chao hadn't expected to suffer such a big setback today, and he glared at the two opposite him, roaring: "Retreat! Mountains and rivers have their meetings; this matter is not over."

Yuwen Chao summoned the Three-Headed Fire Crow, preparing to leap onto its back.

"Swish!"

A bright sword Qi fell from the sky, splitting the massive Three-Headed Fire Crow in two.

Crow fire splashed all over Yuwen Chao.

Zhuang Yue stood on the third deck, her skin appearing even whiter and more translucent under the reflection of the magic power, her battle sword pointing from afar at Yuwen Chao below.

"It's you."

Yuwen Chao had seen the portraits of Zhuang Yue and Jiang Ning, and recognized her from her brows; she was indeed the person from the Luan Terrace that the Young City Lord had issued orders to search for everywhere.

Great!

As long as he brought this news back, he could make up for his mistakes today.

Yuwen Chao stepped on his magic power, jumped off the warship, stepped on the river, and landed on the shore to flee.

"Swish!"

Zhuang Yue leaped down from the third deck, her figure pausing and accelerating several times in the void, appearing on the river surface like a holy saintess, thrusting her sword through the air toward Yuwen Chao's back.

How could Yuwen Chao dare to take this sword strike head-on? His figure flickered, avoiding the vital point, and his fingers hooked toward Zhuang Yue's wrist.

"Swish!"

"Whoosh!"

The two figures changed constantly, and after more than a dozen moves, they collided with a fierce strike, causing the water surface to explode and the magic power energy to scatter.

Zhuang Yue retreated ten zhang away.

Yuwen Chao had a bloody scratch on his cheek and also retreated ten zhang away.

Yin Shisan and Wu Zhaonan looked at each other, their figures flickering as they rushed up, wanting to help Zhuang Yue take down Yuwen Chao together.

"Swish, swish!"

Piercing wind-breaking sounds rang out, and from the main hall above the third deck, dozens of pure white magic power feathers flew out, as fast as lightning in a long river, striking Yuwen Chao in a winding manner.

Yuwen Chao immediately braced his battle intent and punched out fiercely.

"Pop, pop..."

His fist, along with the armor on his arm, were all shattered by the white magic power feathers, and his entire arm became bloody, with only the arm bone remaining. More feathers directly pierced through the armor on his chest, passing through his back.

Yuwen Chao plunged into the water, quickly sinking to the bottom.

Zhuang Yue wanted to add a sword strike, but she was a step too late.

Yin Shisan and Wu Zhaonan were both shocked; they hadn't expected such a divine figure to be hidden on the ship. The two of them had fought for a long time and couldn't break Yuwen Chao's armor, yet someone else had pierced it from afar with just a feather condensed from magic power.

……

Happy Valentine's Day to everyone! I've finally recovered from the flu; the word count today is decent, right...

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 155 =====