Chapter 184: Destruction King, Foreknowledge

The reason Qi Luck could have such astonishing growth is naturally because Lu Yuan single-handedly facilitated the establishment of the New Nation, was revered by the Council as the Supreme Heavenly Master, and was sincerely respected and worshipped by hundreds of millions of common people.

Even now, he can still feel bits and pieces of Qi Luck continuously gathering from the void every day, totaling about two to three hundred a day.

If this trend continues, even if he does nothing, his Qi Luck will be able to break through the 100,000 mark in another half a year.

"100,000 Qi Luck, lighting up Nine Breaths Serving Qi is not far off; I wonder what kind of effect this Supernatural Power actually has."

On the deck, the sea breeze whipped about; Lu Yuan wore a smile, his heart filled with slight anticipation.

Just like that.

"With the Heavenly Master escorting us, this battle is a sure win, a ten-thousand-fold victory!"

There is no such thing as an unsinkable ship.

Their fleet advanced rapidly toward Dawan Island with the momentum of driving straight to Huanglong; normally, the Japanese thieves stationed on watch should have already discovered them, yet until they were less than forty nautical miles from Dawan Island, the Sunlight Country's fleet had still not appeared on the sea surface.

In terms of his current Dharma Power after stepping into the late stage of Refining Essence into Qi, thirty-four nautical miles is but a matter of a few breaths; very quickly, he clearly saw over a dozen massive Sunlight warships lined up in front of the port, with a large number of Sunlight soldiers waiting nervously on the decks.

The ships following closely behind immediately adjusted their direction, advancing steadily in a single-file snake formation amidst the vast waves; under the protection of Lu Yuan's Wind Riding Technique, the massive storm caused almost no impact on the fleet.

Just as the fleet was riding the wind and breaking the waves forward.

"Regardless of whether they want to go to full-scale war with us, their fleet can reach the nearby waters within twenty-four hours. It is too late to call for reinforcements, and it is meaningless anyway. Have you forgotten how the Second Fleet was annihilated?!"

Other Sunlight soldiers cast countless looks of hatred, apprehension, and fear, but Lu Yuan was too lazy to waste words and sneered:

"I am not here for a visit. The New Nation government has long since sent a letter demanding you withdraw and return this place. You Sunlight People seem very unwilling and intend to put up a desperate struggle to the end?"

"As for you, Lord Dongcheng, there is no need to stay here and be buried with us. Later, you may lead the elite troops to leave and hide on the nearby high mountains to observe and confirm whether the enemy is thoroughly dead."

They were unaware that their own movements and goals had already been learned by the enemy.

Rixiang Tengfei looked at Lu Yuan, who stood in mid-air like an Immortal, his eyelids lowered, and he said with extreme respect:

In the far distance was a lush, verdant large island. Lu Yuan stood above the deck, gazing into the distance, and said indifferently:

"No need to pay attention to the fleet; you just need to prepare for landing."

"Heavenly Master, look, near the horizon ahead is Dawan Island!"

Rixiang Tengfei walked out from behind the desk, pacing back and forth, a heavy gloom showing between his brows:

"The Jin Dynasty's shipbuilding technology itself isn't much to speak of. The New Nation has only been established for a year; the Ironclad Warships they built can hardly be called combat-ready. Yet they are mobilizing with such great fanfare—could it be that the Immortal has come out of seclusion?"

Before him, the staff officer said with a stern face:

"This is news sent back by our highest-level secret agent in Shangdu; it can be confirmed as one hundred percent accurate. According to intelligence, the New Nation people have dispatched two medium-sized warships, five small warships, and eight troop transports equipped with Cannons this time. Clearly, they have a major move, and it might just be aimed at us!"

"More importantly, although most of the soldiers are on the ships, there are still two thousand soldiers in the base who will unknowingly be buried with me and the enemy. Even if sacrificing oneself for the survival of the Empire is a glory, I feel ashamed toward them. The only thing I can do is to go to the Yellow Springs with them."

"All personnel take note, a storm is coming, reduce speed!"

"Heavenly Master, a storm is coming to the sea area ahead; judging by the intensity, I fear it is quite fierce. Please move into the cabin!"

"But a mere storm, what is there to be concerned about?"

Following the hoisting of the signal flag.

"May I ask, are you the Shenzhou Immortal Lu Yuan in person!?"

The Ironclad Warship was also steam-driven; after leaving the storm area, the journey proceeded smoothly without any further accidents.

Just then, on the lead flagship in the center of the fleet, an old man who was clearly a high-ranking officer led a group of officers onto the bow and shouted loudly:

"Regardless of the Immortal's intentions, we can sit down and discuss them; please do not resort to violence!"

On Dawan Island, the Sunlight Empire currently has an entire Dreadnought Fleet stationed there. Since this dilapidated fleet of the New Nation, which has almost no combat capability, is definitely no match, but since they dared to come, they must have something to rely on. Then, what they are relying on becomes obvious!

"Yes!"

Lu Yuan's gaze was playful: "Is that so?"

Of course, the drawback brought by the high power is that the transport, deployment, and accuracy of the 'Destruction King' became a major difficulty, because after all, the research and development time was short, the nature of this bomb was not stable enough, and there were significant risks in transport;

And in terms of deployment, the Steam Airships capable of carrying the bombs move slowly. Striking fixed targets on the ground is acceptable, but wanting to hit an Immortal who comes and goes like the wind is a huge joke.

The warships following and sailing in this area, which were originally tossing with the wind and waves, suddenly became steady as well; the wild winds and angry waves around them seemed to possess intelligence as they all avoided them!

The soldiers on the deck who had not yet retreated were stirred with emotion at this scene, which was like that of a heavenly being, and they prostrated themselves. He Yuanzhang, in addition to being shocked, immediately roared excitedly:

"Send the signal, have the fleet behind follow in a single-file snake formation!"

Lu Yuan swept his gaze over, seemingly finding it interesting, and his figure slowly descended above this group of people, saying with interest:

"Who are you?"

Rixiang Tengfei was expressionless, as if he had completely disregarded his own life and death, and said:

"Five 'Destruction Kings' have already been placed in the base, and there are dedicated personnel responsible for guarding them. As long as that person can be lured to the center of the base and the Destruction Kings are detonated, under the overlapping power, no living creature within one mile can survive."

"Can this news be confirmed?"

"No need to worry."

Upon hearing this, the staff officer suddenly knelt on both knees and cried out in grief:

"General, you are a hero of the Empire. There is no need for you to take such a risk yourself; let me be the bait!"

"Yes, subordinate understands."

"The Immortal has graced us with his presence; we failed to welcome you from afar. Why did you not notify us when visiting Dawan Island, so that we could prepare to welcome you?"

However, contrary to their expectations.

"I dare to ask, I would like to invite the Immortal to do us the honor of coming to the island as a guest to discuss..."

The staff officer's expression clearly changed, and he hesitated:

"General Rixiang intends to activate the 'Destruction King'? Although its power can cover one mile and can crush all life within a one-mile radius, hitting the target is a huge problem. That Shenzhou Immortal comes and goes like the wind; using a Steam Airship to deploy it, he will easily notice it and dodge."

Having said that, he stepped on the light breeze, and his figure flew toward the direction of the Dawan Island port like a meteor.

"First send the message back, then launch a Level 1 alert. Have the Third Fleet at the port fully contract its defense, and after the enemy arrives, negotiate first to delay as much as possible."

Amidst the high winds and rough waves, Lu Yuan laughed dismissively, and then his figure slowly drifted upward:

The staff officer knelt on the ground, shedding tears of grief:

"General Rixiang, what is this so-called 'Mutual Destruction Plan'?"

Although all of their former concessions had been reclaimed by the New Nation, before each consulate evacuated, they had left behind many well-trained secret agents and spies to engage in intelligence gathering.

Rixiang Tengfei said with utmost sincerity:

Dawan Island, Sunlight Country base.

Lu Yuan was unconcerned:

Rixiang Tengfei immediately bowed and said:

"The Immortal has misunderstood. This is a communication error between us and the New Nation government. It is not that we are unwilling to evacuate, but that moving the weapons, equipment, and other assets of such a large base is extremely cumbersome and troublesome, which is why it has dragged on until now."

"All personnel on the deck, retreat into the cabins!"

"The wind and waves are indeed becoming more violent; does this have a significant impact on the fleet?"

Facing the staff officer's question, Rixiang Tengfei's gaze was indifferent:

"I will use my body as bait to initiate the final Mutual Destruction Plan, using my life to repay the Empire."

"The Shenzhou Immortal who annihilated the Second Fleet?"

His laughter drifted amidst the gale, and as his figure rose into the high sky, the clear radiance of his Dharma Power radiated like the rising sun. Immediately, the roaring wind and giant waves within a hundred-odd zhang of his body suddenly calmed down automatically, as if the wind and waves in this area had been tamed, eerily forming a calm vacuum barrier!

The so-called Mutual Destruction Plan was a secret he himself did not know, and Rixiang Tengfei's words revealed a tragic tone, leaving the staff officer greatly alarmed:

"What? A fleet from the New Nation has departed from Shangdu port, carrying at least ten thousand soldiers?"

He Yuanzhang gripped the railing to steady himself, looking ahead with a grave expression:

The staff officer was struck with horror and said with slight trepidation:

"C-could it be that they are preparing to wage a full-scale war against us!? If this person really comes here, how should we respond? Should we immediately request reinforcements from the country!?"

"Outrageous, Heaven really knows how to pick its timing!!"

He Yuanzhang responded respectfully and excitedly, then began to issue orders. The soldiers on each ship moved at the news, all of them craning their necks at their respective posts, seemingly wanting to witness the Immortal display his divine power with their own eyes.

At this moment, the sea was cloudless for ten thousand miles, the blue sky as if washed clean. On the deck, He Yuanzhang led his subordinate officers to point into the distance, saying with slight excitement:

"The Japanese bandits have the Third Fleet stationed at Dawan Island, and there is an observation tower on the island; I fear they will discover us immediately!"

"To encounter such a situation on my first expedition with the fleet, Heaven truly is not being kind."

The deck was in chaos. Amidst the sounds of commands and whistles, He Yuanzhang brought his subordinates behind Lu Yuan and said:

"That is exactly so. To tell you the truth, Shenzhou and Sunlight are separated only by a strip of water, sharing the same roots and origins. Since the establishment of the New Nation, His Majesty the Emperor and the various ministers have repeatedly deliberated, and finally unanimously agreed that the New Nation is no longer what it once was. Our two countries should work together to become powerful hegemons that can suppress the Shenluo and Sha'e."

"I am Rixiang Tengfei, the highest-ranking officer of the Dawan Island base."

"Reporting to the Immortal Master, our ironclad ship manufacturing technology is relatively backward, and the displacement tonnage is also lower. Under normal circumstances, there is no problem, but I fear that if the storm is too violent, it is hard to guarantee that no accidents will occur."

The cold wind howled and the sea churned. At this moment, the wind and waves were growing ever larger; ordinary people could no longer stand steadily on this deck. However, Lu Yuan stood tall at the bow, not only was his figure motionless, but even the clothes on his body did not flutter in the slightest.

Under the protection of Lu Yuan's Wind Riding Technique, after more than an hour of sailing, the Upper Capital Fleet had long since safely sailed out of the sea area swept by the gale and rain, and was advancing at full speed toward Dawan Island.

"If we want to be safe, we should either change course to bypass this sea area or wait for a while outside the storm zone. But now we don't know how large the storm area ahead is, or how long it will last..."

"Oh?"

However, what surprised Lu Yuan slightly was that when he arrived near the fleet in an instant, he did not use the Invisibility Technique to conceal himself, yet the thousands of Sunlight soldiers on the deck did not launch a single attack, as if they had received orders in advance.

In the command center, the highest-ranking general of the Dawan base, Rixiang Tengfei, stood up abruptly from behind his desk, his sinister face full of gravity:

The fleet rode the wind and waves on the vast ocean. After enjoying the scenery for a while, he returned to the room he had prepared for himself on the ship to continue meditating and cultivating to pass the time.

Even though the New Nation had discovered and cleared out most of the secret agents over the past year, a small portion of highly capable ones had successfully remained hidden and would occasionally send back important intelligence.

Rixiang Tengfei's expression was cold and hard as iron:

The so-called 'Destruction King' is the latest strategic weapon painstakingly researched by the Empire's Weapon Research Institute; it is a type of heavy bomb with a power ten times more violent than Black RDX explosives. This type of bomb weighs no more than five hundred catties, but the power released by the explosion is ten thousand times that of an equal weight of gunpowder. A single one can completely destroy an entire city block; the power is extremely astonishing.

Rixiang Tengfei said in a low voice:

"No, your weight is not enough; I fear you cannot lure that person into the trap. Only I can do it to be most secure."

Although ironclad warships have much stronger capabilities to resist wind and waves than sailing ships or wooden ships, if they encounter violent winds and giant waves, there is still a possibility of capsizing, especially since the largest displacement of their fleet is only four thousand tons, and those few troop transport ships cannot even be counted as warships.

In just over half an hour, the bumping and swaying in the cabin suddenly became intense. Lu Yuan rose and left the cabin to come to the deck, and then saw the boundless ocean becoming turbulent, with large, thick dark clouds flowing in the distant sky, as if a storm were about to sweep in from ahead.

Just like that, from day to night, and from night to dawn, the fleet sailed over a thousand miles of sea and finally arrived near Dawan Island.

However.

He Yuanzhang peered through a telescope with slight suspicion for a moment, then seemed to have discovered something:

"Heavenly Master, the Japanese bandits' fleet is gathered near the port in battle formation; they must have already discovered us!"

"On the sea, we have absolutely no way to defeat the opponent. Our only chance is to lure him in and use that thing; only then is it possible to completely eliminate him and clear away this greatest threat to the Empire!"

He looked with interest at the waves of wind and giant waves surging forward and asked:

"I will go take a look first."

According to the intelligence received so far, the abnormal movements of the New Nation fleet and the Shangdu Army are highly likely directed at Dawan Island.

*Chi! *

Before Rixiang Tengfei could finish speaking, a golden light shot through the air, instantly piercing a large hole through the center of his brow, causing his entire body to stiffen completely.

All around, all the Sunlight officers were terrified and shocked, losing their voices, while Lu Yuan sneered:

"Although I don't know what you are planning, my intuition tells me that there really is a tiny bit of a threat after landing on the island, so I'll just send you on your way first."