Chapter 119: The Aftermath of the Battle, Two Months Later!
Chapter 119: The Aftermath of Battle, Two Months Later!
Chapter 119: The Name of the Whale Hunter Resounds Across the Eastern Sea!
A few days later.
Behind the Qianshan Army encampment lay a vast and secluded courtyard. It had been specially constructed as a place for the Whale Hunter to live in seclusion and meditate, yet it had remained unused since its completion. It was only a few days ago, following the Whale Hunter’s official induction into the Qianshan Army, that he finally moved in.
Rumble!
Two figures flickered, clashing in an instant. It was merely a display of wind and momentum, not a true life-or-death confrontation. Even so, one side held the absolute upper hand, seizing the majority of the air currents and bringing them under the control of his own surging blood energy!
Whoosh!
The two figures separated.
"Bai Xuan."
The White-Browed Marquis looked on with infinite emotion. "Your cultivation of the Tiger Image Diagram has already far surpassed my own."
"Not to mention your true strength... I witnessed it with my own eyes and still find it hard to believe. Bai Xuan, you were the Whale Hunter all along!"
"I am preparing to set sail again."
...
The White-Browed Marquis felt both relieved and worried. "With such a great vessel, there is practically nowhere in this Eastern Sea you cannot reach."
"However, my own capabilities only continue to grow when I am riding the wind, breaking through the waves, and stirring the vast ocean," Bai Xuan said plainly.
"Haha! I know. I am just filled with emotion... that I, the White-Browed Marquis, should have such a disciple."
Bai Xuan stood tall. "A teacher for a day is a father for life."
"Master, do not worry. I understand... the optimal choice would be to settle down and use the current resources of the Qianshan Army to provide for my cultivation alone."
"But without weathering the storm, there are no true powerhouses in this world. You, of all people, should know this, Master."
He noticed the White-Browed Marquis’s expression shift, his brows furrowing.
"Very well!" Bai Xuan said.
"Master."
The modification of the Ocean-Swallowing Ship would take time, and this period was sufficient for him to digest the lessons of this battle and fully integrate his Heaven and Earth Spear Intent.
"For the past few days, many pirates on the sea have scattered, abandoning the banner of the Star-Hunting Bandits to seek new allegiances. Once the command arrives from the Broken Sea Abyss to appoint a new commander, Qianshan Island and our family will have been secured by you."
"What are your plans for what comes next?"
The battle between the Qianshan Army and the Star-Hunting Bandits ended with over two thousand of the four thousand seven hundred elite bandits slaughtered, more than three thousand captured, Luan Shan dead, and forty-one warships sunk, with all remaining vessels seized.
Bai Xuan’s gaze sharpened.
Even now, the White-Browed Marquis could not help but marvel in disbelief. "Your innate divine strength is truly invincible! Even when Duan Haiyuan was young, he did not possess such godly might!"
Even after several days, the White-Browed Marquis’s tone remained filled with profound shock.
No matter how anxious the White-Browed Marquis felt, he understood that while Bai Xuan was not yet "invincible" in the absolute sense, aside from the likes of Duan Haiyuan and the few masters of the Ten Divine Spears, there were few who could match him!
If such a powerhouse were to remain dormant on a small island, afraid to sail the waves, how could he ever hope to defeat Duan Haiyuan and pacify the Eastern Sea in the future?
"Then you must be extremely careful. I have instructed my subordinates to use every possible means to retrofit the Ocean-Swallowing Ship according to the blueprints you provided. It should be completed in a few days."
Luan Shan, a prestigious Grandmaster of the Six Rivers Sect and the fourth-ranked among the regional lords, had been slain so easily, his head hung high at the pier of Qianshan Island!
The name of the Whale Hunter swept across the region like a storm, spreading far and wide throughout the Eastern Sea!
At the Forging Armory.
"The Whale Hunter defeated Luan Shan in the waters of Qianshan Island, pursued him for dozens of miles, and decapitated him?"
Yin, the Dharma King, shuddered as he read the letter in his hand. He knew the Whale Hunter was that mysterious Grandmaster. He had nearly crossed paths with this Bai family master that day; had he challenged him then, he likely would have met the same fate—decapitation.
Fortunately, he had been resourceful enough to concede on the spot and build a rapport, which had left him unscathed.
"This Grandmaster effortlessly executed Luan Shan in battle. It is likely his blood energy and strength have ascended to a higher level... This speed of cultivation is like a Great Peng bird rising from the sea, soaring into the clouds in the blink of an eye!"
Yin, the Dharma King, stood up and paced for a moment. His own blood energy cultivation had reached the level of the Nine Streams, and he was only a hair’s breadth away from completion; he would surely break through soon.
Although the White Lotus Sect had deep foundations, it could never withstand the Star-Hunting Bandits, who were currently swallowing the Eastern Sea like a whale, on its own.
"It is time to report to the Sect Master and form an alliance with the Qianshan Army."
After this battle, a massive gap had appeared on the map of the Star-Hunting Bandits' domination over the Eastern Sea. Most of the powers that had been watching from the sidelines or secretly plotting alliances would now step forward to formally form a coalition!
...
Eight hundred miles from Qianshan Island, on a magnificent island, dozens of palaces were interconnected, with two massive towns below housing over a hundred thousand people in constant motion.
Inside the palace, a vast, booming voice resonated. The fluctuations of blood energy were like seven great rivers flowing and churning—incredibly formidable!
"Luan Shan is dead?"
"Good, good, good! That is a great scourge removed from the Eastern Sea! With Luan Shan dead, who else can Duan Haiyuan send to clear the way for him?"
The voice was filled with joy.
The Eastern Sea was too vast, and the distances too great. No single person could suppress the entire region; attempting to do so would only lead to exhaustion.
Therefore, while military might could not play a decisive role in a battle between Grandmasters, it determined whether a powerhouse could suppress and rule these vast waters!
Moreover, Luan Shan’s strength was something even this speaker had to treat with caution; the gap between them was actually very slim—only a hair’s breadth.
"It is said that the Whale Hunter only struck a few times before Luan Shan was defeated, unable to even flee. His strength must be overwhelming."
The voice fell into deep thought. He had to treat such a powerhouse with caution; he dared not show the slightest disrespect!
"The Qianshan Army is reorganizing and growing stronger by the day. By killing Luan Shan, they have proven themselves a formidable force... They are more than worthy of a place in the top ten of the Eastern Sea."
"Sword Seven, go send word to Liuli. Tell her to take her people to pay a visit to the Whale Hunter Grandmaster of the Qianshan Army and discuss an alliance!"
"Remember... show the proper respect to this master who shakes the sea!"
...
Far away, on a terrifying and deep island, countless caves interconnected like fish scales, and even the mountain peaks had deep craters leading straight into the sea.
In the most magnificent cavern, carved out by unknown numbers of people, lay an ancient and vast hall!
Splash!
A slender figure, half-human and half-scaled, slid slowly from the deep central cave and landed upon a towering altar.
Boom!
Blood energy erupted from its body, cold and terrifying. Its quality was so potent it had nearly coalesced into nine rivers of blood, hanging overhead and shaking the grand hall!
"Greetings, Sect Master!"
Below, nearly a thousand followers of the Sea God Sect prostrated themselves!
This terrifying half-human, half-scaled existence was the current leader of the Sea God Sect, the seventh-generation Dayou.
Every generation of Sea God Sect leaders would enter this deep island to receive the heritage, transforming themselves into terrifying entities.
The martial paths differed, and the resulting transformations varied. The previous leader, the sixth Dayou, had reached the realm of blood energy like the sea—a true Great Grandmaster. After receiving the heritage, only metal scales appeared on his left cheek as a mark of his status.
But this generation’s leader clearly had a flawed martial path; after entering the Sea God Island, he was almost entirely transformed into a terrifying creature of the sea.
At this moment, the Sea God Sect leader reached out with a massive hand, grabbed a believer like a chick, and with a crunch, devoured half of him, blood spraying everywhere!
"This..."
A wave of agitation rippled through the followers below, but in the face of this terrifying existence, no one dared to resist!
Although he had been mostly transformed into a creature of blood, he had gained a formidable physical body. With every breath, his heartbeat sounded like a great drum, and his respiration whipped up gales, striking terror into the hearts of the followers below.
Yet, some followers were devout, prostrating themselves and chanting with fanatical fervor.
"Great Sea God! Protect us so our souls may never perish and our flesh may endure forever!"
Amidst this fanatical roar, the Sea God Sect leader finished devouring the flesh of the powerful martial artist, replenishing his blood energy. The nine rivers of blood retracted back into his body.
A priest shrouded in yellow robes stepped forward and whispered something.
"Luan Shan is dead?"
The Sea God Sect leader let out a cold, hissing sound. "Very well, very well... It is a blessing for him to return to the embrace of the Sea God."
He felt no affection for Luan Shan, his voice booming. "However, the death of a Grandmaster of our sect must not go unpunished! The enemy of the gods must not be spared!"
"Issue the order: list the Whale Hunter as one of the most valuable preys of our sect. Whoever can sacrifice him shall receive the favor of the Sea God’s Fetal Technique and gain the bloodline of a true god!"
"The day of hegemony is approaching... We, the followers, shall also show our might to the Eastern Sea."
As these words were spoken, even the terrified followers below became fanatical and boiled over with excitement!
Thousands of elite followers roared, and their voices spread to the tens of thousands of troops outside the island, causing a massive commotion that echoed far and wide!
...
On the other side of the Eastern Sea.
"Huff... I have been defeated..."
A three-meter-tall, white-haired, robust old man knelt on one knee. Blood dripped from his hand, and he could barely grip the massive saber that resembled a door panel.
The saber was engraved with patterns of mountains and rivers, majestic and divine. It hummed with power, emitting rays of multicolored light. The sheer strength of the blade alone was enough to crack the earth and split the sea, repelling armies!
But at this moment, within a radius of several thousand meters on the island, trees had been uprooted and destroyed, rocks had shattered, and in the distance, a small mountain was visibly collapsed on one side. The earth was crisscrossed with deep saber marks!
Looking down at where the old man knelt, one could see a terrifying fist print, several dozen meters wide, deeply embedded in the ground.
Beside this fist print, deep fissures snaked across the landscape, extending far into the distance!
The power of that single punch was such that had a massive warship been there, it would have been instantly pulverized and driven deep into the sea!
(End of chapter)