The Regressor of Mount Hua-Chapter 316. Ambush at Guangdong (2)

Avoiding the nature formations of Hainan Island, the party set off for the Central Plains.

Everyone was quite exhausted from seasickness.

“Armor forged of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron?”

“Yes.”

Unlike the others, Gan Yezi was completely fine—he was used to ships, as one would expect from someone who lived on Hainan Island. Since there was still quite a bit of time before they arrived, he and Zhou Xuchuan spent the time talking.

First, Zhou Xuchuan gave him a general explanation of the situation in the Central Plains.

Gan Yezi showed particular interest when the Destructive Soldier was mentioned.

“Flame Point Spear?”

As expected of a blacksmith, he showed interest in new weapons.

"Ha, something like that truly exists? How amazing."

It could shrink and expand like the Monkey King's Golden Cudgel, and it could even spew flames. It was truly a weapon created by the gods.

“Do you believe me?”

“The South Sea Dragon King has something called the Water Dragon's Spear, which allows him to control water without consuming qi. If something like that exists, why not the Flame Point Spear? It's surprising, but not unbelievable.”

Zhou Xuchuan thought it was fortunate he hadn’t fought the South Sea Dragon King underwater.

Had he done so, things would’ve been much more difficult.

That man even had pearls that allowed him to breathe underwater.

“What do you think of the armor?”

"If it's not just a part of the armor, but the entire thing that's forged of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron, then it must be Qin Shi Huang’s Black Iron Armor.”

“Black Iron Armor?”

"Who else could have possibly scraped together that much precious Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron? That would be the work of none other than Qin Shi Huang, who even mobilized seven hundred thousand people to build a tomb and connect the Great Wall.”

"Could it really be that the entire armor is forged of Ten Thousand Year Cold Iron..."

"It's just a legend, so who knows if it's true. But, if you bring it to me, I can at least appraise it."

If he could bring it.

Qin Shi Huang...

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The emperor had been obsessed with superstition in his later years and created many absurd things.

Wasn't the Blood Demon's Black Coffin also an artifact from the Qin Dynasty?

"Land ho!"

Outside the cabin, a sailor’s shout was heard.

So we've arrived. Could everything be okay with the Central Plains?

Most homing pigeons wouldn't be able to return even if they could be made to fly into the stormy seas, and training them to even do so was almost impossible.

The only way to communicate or obtain information was by boat, but even that had been closed due to the South Sea Dragon Gate.

Please, let nothing bad have happened...

BOOM!

"W-what the hell?!"

Gan Yezi collapsed on the floor in panic.

A deafening roar erupted, and the ship shook violently. For a brief moment, he thought that they had been rammed by the imoogi.

No, that's impossible!

Zhou Xuchuan flung open the cabin door and rushed outside.

“What’s going on?”

“Captain Zhou!”

Chu Lian pointed urgently toward the stern.

Zhou Xuchuan turned around to check the back of the ship.

"Boulders?"

A boulder the size of a house was sitting there.

It wasn't just sitting there, it had actually destroyed more than half of the stern.

Creeeeeek.

Crack!

Now that the cause was clear, something worse became apparent. The weight of the boulder was breaking the ship apart.

Even if it was a ship prepared by the Gold Will Merchants, it couldn't survive being hit by a boulder flying through the air.

They tried to move the boulder away, but it was too late. The damage was severe. The water was rising and the ship was starting to sink.

“Evacuate immediately...”

BOOM.

Another crash echoed across the sea. A shadow fell over the hull.

There was no need to look—it was another boulder, just like the last one.

"How impudent!"

Zhou Xuchuan’s body shot straight upward. It wasn’t just a jump, he moved carefully, mindful not to further damage the already sinking hull. Rising like a bee rather than a butterfly, he extended his hand toward another boulder the size of a house.

If he just smashed it directly, the people below would be in danger. Instead, he pushed the boulder away with his palm.

Boom!

As the boulder crashed into the sea, a towering pillar of water shot up. Waves rippled outward, shaking the hull. Though Zhou Xuchuan had managed to throw the rock far away, he couldn’t stop the waves.

"AGH! AGH! HYUNGNIM! HYUNGNIM!!!"

"Great Hero Zhou! Great Hero Zhou!! Great Hero Zhou!!!"

"Damn it! What the hell is going on?!"

Gan Yezi cursed, muttering that he would become fish food before he could even set foot on the Central Plains. There was no way for them to escape.

“Get off the ship!”

“Run away!”

The sailors and warriors worked together to lower the emergency boats.

However...

"AGHHHHHH!"

A shadow appeared again. But this time, it wasn’t just one, there were five. Each one was massive.

“Damn it!”

There was no time to hit them all. The problem was that they were all flying in at once.

Zhou Xuchuan landed on the ship, then leapt into the air again, blowing away a nearby boulder.

However, there were still four left. Even for him, the Sword God, without a movement technique that allowed him to fly freely through the air, like the Eight Great Stances of the Dragon in the Clouds, there was nothing more he could do.

He had no choice but to use another method, even if it meant the ship would take damage.

Violet Haze Finger!

He snapped all ten fingers at once. A mass of qi that had gathered between his fingers shot forward, tracing brilliant purple lines across the sky.

The streaks drew a long trajectory like meteors, piercing through the boulders that had yet to fall.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!!

The power of Violet Haze Finger was extraordinary. Just a few lines of qi were enough to shatter boulders the size of houses.

Unfortunately, only three were destroyed.

One boulder remained, falling straight toward Zhuge Shengji's head.

"AGHHHHHHHH!"

"Duck."

At the moment of life or death, Duan Lihua appeared and swung her sword.

The sword slashed down from above, forming a clean, straight line—sharp and elegant enough to leave anyone who saw it in awe.

Shing!

It was a Single Saber, Twin Halves.

No, a Single Sword, Twin Halves.

The boulder split cleanly in two and crashed down on either side.

SPLASH!

"AGH!!!!"

"AHHHHH!"

The people lowering the boats on both sides were terrified. The split boulder had narrowly missed them. Had it landed in them directly, they would’ve been flattened like mung bean pancakes.

However, the problem was still the debris from the shattered boulders raining down on their heads. The falling fragments were like weapons themselves.

"Agk!"

"Ugh!"

Some of the more unlucky ones might get hit on the head and die instantly.

Meanwhile, the emergency boats being lowered on both sides were steadily getting destroyed.

"Prioritize boarding the wounded, those who can't swim, and those who haven't cultivated!" Zhou Xuchuan shouted while blocking falling debris.

"The land is right ahead! If you swim with everything you’ve got, you’ll make it!"

"Great Hero Zhou! Look at the harbor!"

Zhou Xuchuan turned at Zhuge Xiuluan’s words.

It wasn’t far away, so he could see it clearly.

Several ships were docked at the harbor. Something massive could be seen on each one.

“Catapults?”

A catapult was visible through the gap between the spread sails on one of the ships. While it was hard to see them, there seemed to be several others stacked side by side on the other ships, too.

“Dark Heavens Association!”

Zhou Xuchuan clenched his teeth.

“Blessed Existence, you bastard!”

He had been wondering why their journey had been so smooth.

I made a mistake!

He had forgotten that the problem wasn’t just the Eastern Pirates allied with the Dark Heavens Association.

It was a mistake, he had let his guard down at the thought of setting foot on his homeland again.

Could something have happened to the Evil Valley?

The land before his eyes, Guangdong, was Evil Valley's territory.

Before leaving for Hainan Island, the Martial Alliance had requested the Evil Valley's cooperation.

No, it wouldn't just be the Evil Valley.

The Martial Alliance would also have been in Guangdong, hiding their identities, to welcome Zhou Xuchuan and his party.

However, judging from the fact that the dock was filled with their enemies, it meant that something must have happened to the Martial Alliance's Guangdong Branch or the Evil Valley.

This isn't good.

Zhou Xuchuan knew that he himself would somehow manage to survive.

However, the others were a concern.

Zhuge Shengji, Li Yicai, and Gan Yezi worried him specifically, as the others were strong enough to survive on their own.

“The Gold Will Sword Sect disciples will put their lives on the line to protect the Head Merchant, Elder Gan Yezi, the Divine Physician, and Shengji!"

"Understood!"

The ship was practically destroyed. It groaned beneath them, and it wouldn’t have been surprising if it sank at any moment.

Zhuge Shengji, Gan Yezi, and Zhuge Xiuluan boarded the emergency boat. As Li Yicai was too heavy, he had to board a different boat separately.

"Damn it, Head Merchant! Why didn't you lose some weight earlier?!" Hua Bisheng grumbled as he carried Li Yicai.

"Elder Divine Physician, please keep your head low!"

Chu Lian ran with the Divine Physician under her arm.

"They're loading!"

Zhuge Xiuluan didn't lose her composure even amid the chaos.

While evacuating, she kept her eyes on the enemy and warned the others.

Those damned bastards!

Their enemies had really prepared well.

They had taken advantage of the lack of intelligence communication. Not only had they prepared traps along their return route using the Eastern Pirates, but they had also set up an ambush to strike just as the party was making the final, exhausted stretch home.

While using catapults was a despicable move, it was also a commendably strategic choice.

They took advantage of the fact that there was no place to hide or retreat in the sea. They were even taking advantage of the increased dangers of the open water without a ship.

The most terrifying thing, however, was the catapult. Its terrifying accuracy came from calculating both ocean current and ship speed.

“The catapult cannot be seen because of the ships at the dock. You have to be careful.”

Zhuge Xiuluan’s voice wasn't loud, but it was audible.

"...I'm sorry, Young Master Zhou."

She should have noticed it before they had gotten any closer. However, she hadn't realized anything until the rocks were already flying at them.

"No, it's not your fault, Young Lady Zhuge."

The Dark Heavens Association was very meticulous.

They had hidden the catapults using the large ships at the dock.

Moreover, they had disguised their soldiers as sailors, creating a scene that looked perfectly normal.

While things may have been different if Guangdong was their hometown, since they had only been there once, they had been fooled.

The only way they would’ve suspected anything from a distance would be if the docks were completely deserted or if there had been smoke or fire.

"As of now, I won't be able to help you on the sea, so please take care of yourselves! I'll only trust you!"

If things continued like this, they would all become fish food. Zhou Xuchuan made a bold decision.

Landing on the sea as if it were solid ground, he bent his knees and pushed off with all his strength, launching himself forward.

"ROAR!!!!"

He didn't just use his lightness technique to its fullest. He also let out a Dragon's Roar straight ahead.

ROAR!!!!

The Dragon's Roar echoed loud enough to shake the horizon. It was the first time he had ever shouted this loud.

He focused only on the front so that the rear guard wouldn't be affected.

"...!"

The men on the docks, who had been moving in unison, suddenly froze. Overwhelmed by the Dragon’s Roar, their bodies locked up.

Quickly!

He had reduced his power because he was worried that it might harm ordinary people. Instead, he simply increased his volume to create an aura of intimidation.

Rather than wounding them, he had bought precious time. Before the catapults could launch, he split the sea open and shot forward like a meteor.

"Die, Zhou Xuchuan!"

The way his body approached like a meteor wasn't human. However, the martial artists on the dock weren't scared.

Although they weren't wearing their usual black attire, Zhou Xuchuan instinctively realized that they were Seven Stars Division soldiers when he saw them.

Violet Haze Dawnbreaker!

CRACK!!

Thunder roared. It was the sound of lightning, drawn from his blade. A flash of light surged from the edge of his sword and swept forward like a wave.

"Agh!"

"Agk!"

BOOM!

The group of Seven Stars Division soldiers, who had been concealing their swords at their waists, were blasted away before they could even attack.

Zhou Xuchuan, who had launched his attack with the first form of the Violet Haze Sword Sutra, quickly turned his gaze, looking for the catapults.

There are seven of them!

He could see the catapults moving the rocks, loading.

You damn bastards!

What looked like a comet had flown over and blasted into one of the catapults, but the others didn't react. Even as their comrades screamed and were sent flying, the remaining soldiers showed no fear or surprise.

Judging from the fact that they were silently doing their jobs, they had to be Seven Stars Division soldiers.

This is why they're called the Dark Heavens Association!

Even though they were mere foot soldiers, they were no less than any expert martial artist. In terms of training alone, Destructive Soldier would be considered one of the Seven Empyrean Overlords.

I can't even be happy as soon as I get home, to think I have to fight... What a ridiculous fate!

However, what could he do?

This was the reality of being at odds with the Dark Heavens Association.

Rustle.

He pulled his right arm back like a bowstring. Then, exhaling deeply, he threw the sword in his hand.

WOOSH!

The sword reflected sunlight and flashed through the air. It wasn’t something that contained any kind of technique, it was just a simple throw.

However, the one who had thrown the sword was a Seven Empyrean Overlord, and the sword that the swordsman had thrown hit a catapult.

BOOM!

"AGH!"

It was the beginning of a disaster.