Chapter 152: Fierce Battle Amidst the Clouds, Bai Xuan Strikes!
Chapter 152: Fierce Battles Abound, Bai Xuan Makes His Move!
Chapter 152: The Domain of Fine Rain! Arrival at the Archipelago!
The storms howled, and dramatic changes swept across the heavens and earth of the Eastern Sea. Only the Heavenly Rankings hung high, unchanging and dazzlingly brilliant.
"Look quickly, another name in the top fifty of the Heavenly Rankings has been erased!"
"Another Grand Master has fallen, completely wiped from existence!"
Even on other distant islands, people witnessed this scene vividly and with absolute clarity.
Upon the Eastern Sea, conflicts grew increasingly intense. Every single day, the rankings on the Heavenly Rankings shifted, as if returning to the very beginning when names shot into the sky like shooting stars, only to fall and vanish just as quickly.
Deep within the maritime domain:
As the most powerful experts departed for the distant outer sea archipelago, the various factions left behind went into dormancy. Many with malicious intent sought to plunder and steal treasures and resources amidst the chaos.
On a massive island:
Amidst deafening roars, building after building collapsed, fires raged, and countless islanders wept and wailed.
"Hahaha! Utterly mediocre! Slaughter them all and plunder everything!"
A captain wore a cold expression. "Drag them down and display their heads as a warning!"
This giant whale felt no psychological burden. It identified its direction, submerged into the sea, and headed toward the center of the storm.
With a single palm strike, the gale-force wind swept forth like a blade, executing a horizontal sweep of slaughter.
That Grand Master had relied on a precious inherited artifact to travel through the storm, but now everything was over. Just as he was about to flee, he saw the golden light sweep past. In an instant, his figure froze and he turned into flying ash, failing to withstand even a fraction of it.
Within each of those giant eyes lay a terrifying golden lake. As they rippled, endless divine light could burst forth, destroying everything!
"Hmm? Oh no, when I came out of seclusion, I failed to control the power of the Eyes of Aspiration and accidentally injured many people."
This jade talisman had been forged using extremely formidable formation techniques, with several supreme experts working together to break through the storm and transmit it from the sea domain.
Amidst the undulating, mountain-like giant waves, a colossal spine broke the surface, and its front end pierced through the water as it abruptly opened three giant eyes.
On the other side:
Clang, clang, clang! The dozen or so crossbow bolts were sliced in half, shattering a dozen meters of roof tiles and striking several soldiers with tremendous force!
"Crossbow bolts cannot kill me! Vital energy like the wind, sever!"
"I have already departed for the archipelago. Do not worry."
Qianshan Island:
"Run, run, run! This is the territory of the Nine Swords Sect, and they have already joined the Qianshan Army. Don't get caught by the elite forces of the Qianshan Army, or death is certain!"
This was a thief, currently attempting to steal elixirs from the Qianshan Army's warehouse!
"Dare to steal from the warehouse? Kill them!"
A lookout was peering through the storm when he suddenly froze.
Over a dozen soldiers surrounded the alley, their heavy crossbows firing in unison. In an instant, a dozen bolts shot out, aiming to strike him down.
This fleet of pirates hastily swept away, navigating through the storm.
"What is that?"
The thief was startled.
"Die... hmph?"
This six-eyed giant whale looked somewhat bewildered.
Within the storm:
"These stupid thieves... Our Qianshan Army elites all wear the leather armor of the Sea Shark King, and even Grand Masters wielding divine weapons find it difficult to pierce through."
"Quick, grab these elixirs and get out of here!"
Another dozen soldiers rushed over, and in an instant, dozens of bows and crossbows fired together!
The thief was terrified for a moment. Pierced by a volley of crossbow bolts, he took a hit to his back, tumbled down, and was instantly hacked to death by a flurry of blades!
Someone laughed loudly, their figure leaping into the air, their entire body brimming with perfected vital energy like a flowing river.
Marquis Bai'e was inspecting military intelligence, his expression tinged with gratification.
"No!"
Boom, boom, boom!
The pirate fleet was swept by the golden light, shattering completely. The pirates roared in terror, but could only fall into the water, swallowed instantly by the storm!
Boom!
This was a perfected Grand Master, leading a fleet to slaughter a small island of merely a few thousand people. In a single day, they were completely wiped out, returning fully loaded.
The thief possessed formidable strength of his own.
"Forget it. They look like mere pirates; the winds and waves are blind. Rest in peace within the storm."
Soon:
He found it completely unbelievable and stood frozen in astonishment for a moment!
"Crossbow volley, fire!"
"How is this possible? This is my palm wind, imbued with formed vital energy and the might of the Nine Streams vital energy. Why couldn't I kill a single soldier with a strike, only causing minor injuries?"
He saw those few soldiers take several heavy steps back, only to stand straight, completely unscathed, with cold gazes fixed on him.
With a loud boom, six streams of golden light swept out from the deep, turbid sea, piercing the air and shooting straight into the dark clouds.
Swish!
With a flip of his hand, he produced a jade talisman.
A figure soared upward, vital energy roaring as they stepped upon the wind, sprinting across rooftops at an incredible speed.
"Hacked down two petty thieves today? Well, true, with Snake Source's terrifying strength, not many genuine experts would come to pry—they're all small fry now... By now, the Qianshan Army is fully capable of protecting itself."
The jade talisman bore only a few short characters, a message from Bai Xuan: The storm has risen, and the final battle is about to begin!
"I hope Bai Xuan can emerge victorious in this battle... Breaking Sea Abyss, Ten God Guns—those names have belonged to the past for far too long."
Endless hope welled up in the eyes of Marquis Bai'e.
"In my youth, I also dreamed of relying on my own martial arts to make a name for myself across the boundless chaotic seas, conquering everything to become an invincible overlord... But I failed to achieve it, limited by talent. Perhaps my resolve was insufficient, and I chose another path instead."
"But Bai Xuan, you will achieve it!"
Marquis Bai_e raised his head.
"You will rely on your own martial arts to conquer everything and become an invincible overlord... All of this is not far off!"
He had chosen another path, and along that path, that figure was stepping upward, step by step, walking toward the very end!
...
Within the storm:
Four rune-inscribed warships plowed through the waves amidst the storm, their battle flags hoisted high. They did not belong to the Isles of Immortals, but bore a banner of a white crane.
This was a reclusive Taoist temple in the Eastern Sea, now emerging from seclusion to contend for the spiritual timber.
"Such a massive storm! Navigating near the coast or traveling between islands is barely manageable."
"To journey far out to the outer sea archipelago like this is truly arduous!"
"Sigh... The temple master is too arrogant. Since no one can dissuade him, we can only fight to the death."
On the deck of a warship, a Taoist priest sighed mournfully.
This storm was terrifying. To sail nearly ten thousand miles to the outer sea archipelago multiplied the difficulty exponentially. Furthermore, with countless formidable experts about, how could the White Crane Taoist Temple possibly win with its meager strength?
At that very moment:
"An enemy has appeared!" a Taoist priest shouted loudly.
Reflected in his eyes was a white crane soaring through the torrential rain—a spirit beast under his distant control, allowing him to see things far away.
Vaguely:
From the distant storm, amidst the undulating, mountain-like rolling seas, a column of cold, foggy warships emerged.
Giant waves like mountains surged in the sea, and the forms of terrifying giant beasts flickered in and out of the water.
Seen from afar, within this cold-fog fleet, terrifying auras of vital energy shot straight into the sky. Amidst the endless storm, they were as bright and prominent as lighthouses and torches!
"Oh no, it's the outer sea fleet!"
The Taoist priest turned pale.
In an instant, the entire White Crane fleet was thrown into turmoil, a sense of panic welling up. Hundreds of Taoist priests rushed onto the deck, all gazing at the terrifying fleet and feeling the overwhelmingly oppressive force radiating from afar!
Swish!
A figure appeared—an elderly Taoist priest wearing robes embroidered with a white crane offering fish. Even his originally proud expression was now struck with horror.
The brilliance of his true talismans resonated with heavenly might, faintly capable of contending with a single stream of vital energy. But the enemy possessed eight auras of vital energy pressure—how could anyone oppose that?
"This is bad!"
The old Taoist cursed inwardly, his mind as tangled as a mess of hemp. Then, he saw...
Boom!
The gloomy storm stretched endlessly, torrential rain pouring down. From the other side of the White Crane fleet, another massive fleet emerged.
Dozens of massive rune warships were linked together, featuring tiered multi-story pavilions and soaring eaves, resembling a colossal floating mountain palace. Countless spiritual lights shot upward, and seven terrifying auras materialized, each radiating the might of heaven and earth!
Three of those auras were particularly powerful. Once they manifested, the storms within a radius of dozens of miles intensified, and thunder even rumbled faintly in the skies.
This was an extremely formidable secret art; once unleashed, it could manipulate celestial phenomena and annihilate an entire fleet.
Yet this was not the end.
Boom!
An eighth aura surged skyward like a dragon. As it rose, the storms across this sea domain seemed to tremble.
This aura swept past, as if a ferocious dragon had opened its eyes. Wherever its gaze fell, the mountain-like waves on the sea surface were flattened, and the storm was forced upward like a dome.
The previous seven terrifying auras all lowered—they were submitting to this pressure of vital energy.
Above this fleet, two streams of rune radiance intertwined to form two battle flags that refused to disperse even in the storm, suspended in mid-air and illuminating the mountain-like waves of the sea below.
"Isles of Immortals! Qianshan Army!"
"Ranked seventh on the Heavenly Rankings, Bai Xuan!"
The White Crane Taoist leaped up abruptly. "Tack! Change course!"
This weak fleet was frantically turning its rudder, reducing its forward speed as it retreated backward, gradually detaching from the center between the two massive fleets.
Seen from afar...
The cold-fog fleet and the Isles of Immortals fleet faced each other from afar, closing in. The terrifying momentum and power of both sides soared into the sky!
This terrifying battle was swallowed up by the storm. Seen from a distance, only flashes of light could be glimpsed within the dark clouds of the horizon, illuminating half the sea domain, accompanied by rolling peals of thunder that echoed in the distance.
In the end, everything vanished into the storm, leaving only the torrential rain pouring down without cease.
Fleeing dozens of miles away, where the storm isolated everything from view, the White Crane fleet finally slowed the discharge of its talismans.
"Terrifying... Truly terrifying."
Cold sweat drenched the White Crane Taoist. Only now did he realize he had been standing in the torrential rain. Returning to the captain's cabin, his hands were still trembling.
With his strength, he was a match for an ordinary Isles of Immortals Master. On the sea, he had always enjoyed high prestige; no one dared to offend him lightly, and his status was well-established.
Over time, he had entertained the notion of venturing into the archipelago to gain more, leading his fleet out to sea.
But at this moment...
"So this is what true hegemony in the Eastern Sea looks like? Forget it, forget it. I'd better go back!"
Filled with despair, the White Crane Taoist waved his hand and ordered the crew to change course and leave swiftly.
Just now, either of those two factions could have utterly annihilated them in a fraction of a second if they had unleashed their full strength!
When this order was passed down, many Taoist priests and sailors of the White Crane fleet breathed a sigh of relief, joy washing over their hearts.
What Eastern Sea hegemony? That concerned the White Crane Taoist, but what did it have to do with them?
Who on earth had the mind to risk their lives marching forward?
Soon, the fleet turned around and sped away from this sea domain.
At that exact moment:
Rumble!
The White Crane Taoist's expression changed. He sensed that the storm in the skies was intensifying. A stream of outer sea vital energy had shattered—a Grand Master had fallen!
In an instant:
Boom, boom, boom!
Streams of vital energy shattered, and the auras of the outer sea Grand Masters were extinguished one by one. Across the entire sea domain, storms raged and roaring lightning flashed, crisscrossing the depths of the cloud layer!
"Defeated just like that?"
The White Crane Taoist trembled from head to toe.
In the blink of an eye, eight Grand Masters with oceans of vital energy had their auras snuffed out like candle flames in the wind, extinguished forever!
...
At the center of the storm:
In a vast expanse of the sea, islands dotted the landscape like stars in the chessboard. This was the eye of the storm; surprisingly, it was calm and tranquil, the sea gently rippling with glittering reflections.
Fleet after fleet broke through the storm to arrive. Battles broke out, rapidly escalating to a white-hot intensity, and had already persisted for half a month.
First, islands with better locations and stronger inheritances had all been seized; to take them meant going to war.
Second, who among the experts who made it here did not have blood debts and deep grievances on their hands?
"You killed my ancestors. Did you ever think this day would come?"
"Two hundred years have passed, and a remnant like you still remains? The extermination of your entire clan back then was far too lenient!"
Some fought desperately over grievances dating back two hundred years, engaging in a bloody battle for half a day. Blood rain showered the sky as a Grand Master was slain, staining the sea crimson!
"Exhilarating!"
The swordsman laughed aloud, his entire body bathed in blood.
Factions were arriving one by one in what was a massive war. Across the entire archipelago, fierce battles erupted everywhere!
Furthermore:
"The most critical moment has not yet arrived. Breaking Sea Abyss, the Ten God Guns, and Temple Master Xuanzhi have not yet arrived," someone murmured.
"The strongest of this era haven't arrived, but what about the second-strongest of the previous era? Ah right, the Master of Qianshan Island has already fallen; otherwise, with his realm, who could resist him with a snap of a finger?"
"From that era, there were still a few other experts. I remember..."
Boom!
Terrifying vital energy surged into the sky, possessing the strength of fully three seas—truly like a vast ocean shaking the region.
Within that ocean of vital energy, a colossal blade intent materialized, evolving mountains and rivers as it shot straight into the heavens!
"Wan Jueshan has arrived!"
"This person once fought the Master of Qianshan Island and suffered only minor injuries. Now that he has emerged from two hundred years of sealing, I wonder what level his strength has reached?"
"It's impossible for him to be at the Divine Form realm... Hiss! But this vital energy is too terrifying. He's probably half a step away from breaking through, possessing both divine bone and blood!"
At that moment:
"The Wan family has been wiped out? Which one is this? Doesn't matter. This old man will simply establish another branch."
Wan Jueshan wore a cold expression, his hair completely white, carrying a great saber on his back. Terrifying divine light surged from that enormous blade edge, unleashing power comparable to the Divine Form realm.
He was listening to a report from his subordinates.
Back then, he had planted dozens of branches across the Eastern Sea and left behind descendants and inheritances in the interior lands.
To him, the Myriad Saber Manor might have once been the main branch, but now that it was destroyed, it was nothing more than elevating another branch to take its place!
"The Master of Qianshan Island is dead. In this era, who could possibly stop me?"
The white-haired elder's hair danced wildly, his expression demonic, chilling, and terrifying!
At that moment:
Fleet after fleet arrived. Even more startlingly, a massive cold-fog fleet broke through with a resounding crash, stunning another batch of spectators.
"What is that? The Sea God Cult?"
"No, it's an outer sea faction. Judging by this, it's not the Eastern Sea fleet, but the Northern Sea fleet, all of whom sacrifice to and worship the Sea God!"
"Hiss... Six Grand Masters! This is terrifying!"
Not just this fleet; in fact, reinforcements arrived shortly after. The strength and auras of every single fleet were utterly shocking.
Some even felt a sense of shared hatred against a common enemy, wishing to organize the Eastern Sea factions to unite and resist this foreign fleet.
"Unite? Who are you going to unite with? Are you going to unite with Breaking Sea Abyss?"
"Not to mention—does the Star-Hunting Bandit even know who you are?"
Amidst the hum of discussion:
Boom!
A fleet shattered the storm and entered the archipelago sea domain. An intensely terrifying aura of vital energy shot skyward, nearly suppressing and overwhelming all other auras in an instant.
Within that vital energy floated a colossal, dragon-whale-like beast, swimming through the ocean of vital energy and emitting whale cries that shook the heavens!
"Breaking Sea Abyss has arrived!"
At the same time:
From another direction, a terrifying aura also manifested, breaking through the storm barrier and entering this sea domain.
It was an invisible and intangible spear intent, yet it served as the spear's bone, propping up everything like a giant pillar surrounded by a chorus of gods and resonant hymns!
On yet another side, the largest fleet of all slowly entered the sea domain. The auras of the powerful experts aboard were practically dense and countless; a single glance revealed dozens of them, overshadowing the Northern Sea fleet. Furthermore, the four leaders at the front possessed pressures that caused all who beheld them to change color.
"The Ten God Guns! The Thousand Isles Alliance!"
With a deafening roar, the entire sea domain erupted as if an explosion had occurred, boiling over. As the tide swept past, countless people were shocked while simultaneously turning pale.
All the experts had arrived, and the great war was about to begin—ready to erupt at a touch!
...
Within the storm:
"What a truly fine rain."
Bai Xuan stood in the captain's cabin of the *Swallowing Sea*, watching the torrential rain outside.
It was incomparably peaceful here. A cup of clear tea on the table curled with wisps of light smoke, while a red snake swam lazily in an aquarium.
Only a massive alchemy furnace was burning, refining pills and emitting the faint crackling of flames. Yet the terrifying vital energy contained within, if it were to burst forth, would be enough to submerge the entire *Swallowing Sea* and shroud this entire sea domain.
This was the vital energy of eight Grand Masters, along with half of their warships and sea beasts.
"The archipelago is almost here, and the pill is nearly complete... The Rain Peak Disc has also been comprehended to a considerable degree."
Bai Xuan was holding a jade disc in his hand.
In an instant, two raindrops in the torrential rain suddenly became animated.
Swish!
Across the heavens and earth, the torrential rain poured down, washing over everything. Even with the gale-force winds blocked outside, only those with accomplished vital energy martial arts dared to stand on the deck of the *Swallowing Sea*.
Amidst the rain, those two raindrops darted about, piercing through the air in an instant to circle the entire Isles of Immortals fleet once.
Agile, swift, and horrifyingly powerful!
"The first layer of the Rain Peak Disc is the command of raindrops."
Manipulated by the Rain Peak Disc, the speed of these raindrops was exceptionally fast, maintaining their connection even when flying far away, operating with ultimate agility.
Swish!
Bai Xuan's thought shifted again, and eighteen more raindrops broke away from their original trajectories, orbiting the first two core raindrops.
Among these eighteen raindrops, the power within each was extremely terrifying, their lethality astonishing. They could easily pierce through everything, even shattering divine weapon armor!
"The second layer: using two points as the core to command numerous raindrops to follow."
"The following raindrops are not as condensed as the core raindrops, but their power is similarly terrifying. In a single thought, they are unpredictable."
"A thought of ten thousand weapons."
Bai Xuan's divine will surged forth, merging with the Rain Peak Disc.
In a flash, those twenty raindrops darted like a storm, intersecting and flying along unpredictable trajectories as they shot through the air, descending from the sky to plunge into the sea.
Rumble!
Upon the sea, not a single splash of water was kicked up, but deep beneath the surface, a small mountain was collapsing, and underwater cliffs were caving in.
Swish!
In the air, the twenty raindrops broke away from their trajectories once more, controlled entirely by a single thought from Bai Xuan.
"With the Rain Peak Disc in hand, any single drop of water in heaven and earth can become a terrifying weapon, comparable to a divine weapon."
"As for the third layer..."
Bai Xuan's gaze narrowed as a wisp of Dao essence integrated into the Rain Peak Disc.
In an instant:
"Hmm?"
A Taoist guard on duty on the deck noticed something amiss.
He lowered the paper umbrella inscribed with water-repelling talismans in his hand, looking up in bewilderment. "Why has the rain stopped falling?"
Centered on the *Swallowing Sea*, within a radius of roughly five hundred meters, all the raindrops in the sky had frozen in place.
This sight caused many people to look up.
In the flagship of the Isles of Immortals, the white-haired True Person Liushen looked up, his expression extremely grave.
"Is this the Sovereign's method? It's not just the Dragon Breath Orthodox Method... Such terrifying might. It seems that within a radius of five hundred meters, all rainfall is under his control."
True Person Liushen wore a deeply solemn look.
As an Qi Refiner, he could feel the terror of this might even more acutely. Once this Domain of Fine Rain was deployed, any Qi Refiner caught within it would be reduced to a lamb awaiting slaughter.
To put it bluntly, they would die in an instant!
On another warship, the expression of the female Taoist changed drastically as she stood up abruptly, staring at the endless rain.
"The might of heaven and earth within this domain has been subjugated. No one has any way to influence or disrupt these raindrops... This is genuine, unadulterated Dao-entering might!"
The female Taoist's expression shifted, filled with extreme terror.
For a cultivator, this was the most terrifying thing imaginable!
...
On the *Swallowing Sea*:
With a thought from Bai Xuan, the endless rain resumed its flow, cascading freely between heaven and earth. The torrential rain poured down, splashing countless water droplets across the deck and sending streams of water converging and washing over it.
"Damn, I thought it was going to stop raining for good."
The on-duty Taoist was drenched through in an instant. He quickly hoisted his water-repelling paper umbrella and cast a talisman to dry himself, a wave of warmth washing over him.
For these Taoists to stand guard on the deck was actually a form of cultivation—comprehending the momentum of heaven and earth and sensing this terrifying might.
For martial artists, this was merely icing on the cake, but for these cultivators, it was their true foundation.
At this moment, watching the rain freeze and fall, the Taoist gained a sudden flash of insight, and the momentum of heaven and earth surrounding him faintly grew a fraction stronger.
Inside the captain's cabin:
"Within a radius of five hundred meters, this is... the 'Domain of Fine Rain'."
Bai Xuan held the Rain Peak Disc.
Within the disc, as a wisp of Dao essence merged, endless runes condensed to form a complex and terrifying supreme treasure talisman.
At this moment:
Bai Xuan could sense it...
Across this five-hundred-meter sea domain, all the raindrops were under his sole control, immune to the influence of heaven and earth's might.
And even if Bai Xuan could only mobilize a portion of this endless rainfall to sweep outward, it could destroy everything, leaving nothing able to stand in its way!
"True Dao-entering experts equipped with sufficient magical treasures and talismans possess divine might of this caliber, in no way inferior to the Divine Form realm."
Bai Xuan had always been able to suppress peers of the same level, but only now did he understand that cultivators with genuine inherited foundations were actually not weak at all—and were in fact even more terrifying.
"No wonder... Chi Ying believed this was the most suitable treasure for me right now."
When engaging in close combat, he could simultaneously operate the Rain Peak Disc. The power would definitely be terrifying to an extreme, allowing him to leverage the advantage of his formidable divine will.
Now that his divine will had undergone a qualitative transformation, using the Rain Peak Disc was no less effective than close-quarters hand-to-hand combat!
"The final battle of the Eastern Sea is nearly upon us."
Bai Xuan lowered his gaze.
The alchemy furnace rumbled and vibrated, operating under the control of his divine will as flames erupted. His current mastery of fire manipulation had already traversed some distance into the minor success stage. With water and fire refined in unison, the pill was about to be completed!
...
The Isles of Immortals fleet accelerated, plowing through the waves at an incredible speed to shatter the storm.
Within this fleet were three experts with terrifying combat prowess who had obtained partial inheritances of the water palace; their speed was beyond question.
In just a few short days:
"The storm barrier is right ahead! Hold on tight, prepare to break through!"
An island master stepped forward, his voice echoing across the Isles of Immortals fleet.
Boom!
The fleet was traversing the most perilous zone. The storm practically turned the sea upside down, waves soaring into the sky. Sailing through it was like traversing a massive canyon, flanked by towering giant waves that scraped the skies. If they tilted even slightly, it felt as though the entire heavens and earth were collapsing upon them!
The howling gale nearly swept warships up into the sky to be utterly destroyed.
"No!"
In the distance, someone could be vaguely seen roaring furiously. Warships were shattering, swept up into the sky, while experts made their moves, their vital energy roaring. Yet failing to withstand the celestial phenomena, they emitted a grief-stricken, indignant roar before plunging into the sea.
This was a Grand Master; even if the fleet was destroyed, he had his own methods to cross the storm and reach the archipelago.
The Isles of Immortals fleet possessed a profound foundation and was not easily destroyed, but it was still buffeted heavily. Because its target was too large, it was even easier for the storm to engulf it.
At the critical moment, True Person Liushen acted, activating the Sea-Calming Pearl to temporarily pacify the gale and successfully cross this stretch of sea.
Boom!
The Isles of Immortals fleet smashed through the final gale. The heavy rain gradually slackened, and in an instant, the dark clouds in the sky parted to let a beam of sunlight shine down.
"We've finally made it!"
"We're out of the storm!"
Thousands of sailors rushed onto the deck, gazing into the distance, and some even wept tears of joy.
There lay countless islands scattered like stars on a chessboard, some half-submerged in the water and not yet fully surfaced. Ancient trees towered upon them in lush greenery, flocks of birds circled above, and sunlight poured down.
This was a utopia, newly risen from the seabed. Every island shimmered with spiritual light, and as the endless spiritual light linked together, it was near heaven-shaking and brilliantly resplendent.
The Storm Archipelago had arrived!
(End of this chapter)