Chapter 787: Chapter 786 Sea Leaf Gang
Normally, for top-level martial artists to reach ninety percent mastery, it takes at least a hundred years, and not everyone can achieve it.
Even for some of the best warriors in the Earth Immortal list, they only manage to elevate their top-level martial arts to eighty percent.
As for the Supreme Martial Arts, since the ancient past, very few have truly understood it. The idea of reaching ninety percent is almost as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
Shi Xiaole had faith in his own talent, but he was honest with himself. Managing multiple martial arts disciplines was beginning to feel overwhelming, let alone pushing all of them to their absolute limits.
Even if he could, it would undoubtedly take hundreds, if not longer, of years.
But now, the tides had turned.
With the intervention of the Martial Art of Life and Death, the other three disciplines within him were improving every moment. Despite the slow progress, the constant effort over a long time should eventually pay off!
Combined with Shi Xiaole’s own determination, the difficulties would definitely be many times smaller than before.
"Each Supreme Martial Art has its own unique effect, but the Martial Art of Life and Death, its effect is beyond terrifying."
It took a while before Shi Xiaole managed to suppress his overflowing joy, pushed open the door, and stepped out.
"Xiaole, you look quite happy. Did something good happen?"
Soon after, Niu Dali walked onto the deck, arm in arm with three beautiful women, enjoying their company while curiously asking his question.
These women were purchased from Chunxiang Building at the Western Sea Harbor by Niu Dali to ward off boredom on the journey, but Shi Xiaole was the one who footed the bill as Niu Dali didn’t have much money.
"Nothing could quite compare to Brother Niu’s happiness,"
Shi Xiaole was in a good mood and cracked a joke.
Previously, when he was experimenting with the Martial Art of Life and Death, he had set up the Vigorous Air as a defense, not worried about being discovered.
Niu Dali roared with laughter, then his expression sobered, before noting, "Xiaole, there’s one thing about you that you should change, or it will hinder your martial arts progression."
Hearing this, Shi Xiaole immediately prepared to listen to his advice.
"Martial arts originate from life. Therefore, we need to learn to experience, taste different flavors. A man should be open-minded! In particular, you need to learn to approach women, one after another. Only in this way will your understanding be profound. Look at those grand martial artists or literary giants. Who doesn’t live this way? They are all very open-minded!"
The three beauties chuckled flirtatiously. They pretended to be indignant with Niu Dali while also observing Shi Xiaole’s reactions.
Shi Xiaole said nothing and merely shook his head, smiling.
He neither completely accepted nor rejected Niu Dali’s words. Everyone had their own philosophy. However, the former’s philosophy was undoubtedly more integrated with life.
Of course, any philosophy ultimately couldn’t be separated from life. Yet to Shi Xiaole, women did not constitute the entirety of life. He wouldn’t use the excuse of "experience" to hurt the women who loved him.
"What a waste of effort!"
When Niu Dali saw Shi Xiaole’s reaction, he knew Shi Xiaole didn’t take his words to heart. He immediately sighed and went back, hugging the three beauitful ladies. It didn’t take long for strange noises to start coming out from the cabin.
The sun rose and set, and the raft followed the course set by Niu Dali, traveling two more months in the western sea.
At the same time, Shi Xiaole was experiencing astonishing miracles.
Under the coordination of the Martial Art of Life and Death, his Wind Sword Way had improved from fifty percent late stage to fifty percent peak stage. What’s more exciting was his Illusion Martial Way, which jumped from the early stages of forty percent to the late stages.
The Martial Art of Life and Death also made significant progress compared to two months ago. Although it had not reached the middle of the first stage yet, it was equivalent to several previous years of effort.
At Shi Xiaole’s level, the progress speed not only did not slow down, but it was accelerating. If the word spread out, it would certainly shock the world.
One couldn’t always expect calm seas. That night, another storm rose, bringing high waves.
The helmsman and sailors handled the situation calmly. Thanks to their expert skills, they’d faced countless similar situations.
However, tonight was different.
"Not good. It’s a tsunami!"
The darkness was suddenly illuminated by a mysterious broad white curtain, followed by a dull roar that sounded like a monstrous beast. Waves rolled in, causing the hundred-meter long raft and the surrounding dark sea to sway.
An old man turned pale, his legs trembling.
As an experienced helmsman, no one knew the terror of a tsunami more than him. It was an unstoppable natural disaster. But why didn’t they get any warning this time?
"Quickly, turn the ship around, now!"
The remaining people had goosebumps, looking at the countless white waves in the distance, which were spreading like tentacles of a sea monster. They were scared stiff, desperately turning the rudder to adjust the ship’s course.
Such a commotion couldn’t be concealed from Shi Xiaole and Niu Dali. They saw the situation in the distance and instantly turned pale.
A tsunami of this scale, forget about ordinary people, even a Void Origin Realm master may not be able to withstand it.
"Ah..."
The three beauties huddled together, already crying out of fear.
"Brother Niu, you take them and leave first. I’ll handle it."
"Hey, what nonsense are you talking!"
In front of everyone on the ship, Shi Xiaole shot straight into the sea monster-like tsunami, like a meteor piercing the night sky.
"Chaotic Wind Cloud!"
Compared to the approaching tsunami, which spanned the sky and the sea, Shi Xiaole was insignificant. Yet, it was this speck of dust who swung out a brilliant sword, tearing through the darkness.
Once the sword was out, the green millstone magically stirred up the thunder in the sky, the howling wind, and the rolling waves, forming a water tornado that was several thousand feet wide. Water droplets splashed out from the edge of the tornado, like countless sickles, each powerful enough to kill a Dragon Gate Realm Lord.
The unique environment created Shi Xiaole’s ultimate sword swing.
"Is...is he a god?"
One of the three beauties murmured.
Boom!!!
As though the heavens were collapsing and the earth splitting, the sun and moon inverting, a waterspout and tsunami collided, creating mists as high as mountains, consequently pouring rain in a hundred-thousand-meter radius.
However, in just a moment, the waterspout was swallowed, and the tsunami carrying an inscrutable and terrifying horror continued to rage forward.
"Brother Niu, take them and move quickly. I will catch up with you! "
Shi Xiaole shouted, slashing his sword once again.
Returning to the West Sea was his decision, and the people on the ship were in danger because of him. Therefore, even if he exhausted all his power and paid any price, Shi Xiaole could not let them come to harm.
This was his path, his nature.
Seeming to understand, Niu Dali gritted his teeth, stimulating all his Vigorous Air to make the ship speed away like an arrow from a bow. It quickly moved beyond the reach of the tsunami, instantly covering a hundred meters.
The people on the ship watched the slowly disappearing figure with amazement.
"Wuji!"
The sword’s radiance, twisted like a rope, shot forward. Along the way, it drew power from heaven and earth, carving a huge hole in the tsunami. But the aperture was quickly filled again, only blocking the tsunami for a fraction of a second.
Compared to a natural disaster, human strength seemed pitifully inadequate.
Seeing that he couldn’t stop the tsunami, Shi Xiaole followed the ship. As soon as he landed on the deck, he again exerted all his Vigorous Air, causing the ship’s speed to surge.
A hundred meters.
Two hundred meters.
When the ship’s speed reached three hundred meters per second, it finally stabilized.
Niu Dali looked at Shi Xiaole with a mix of shock and delight, seemingly unable to believe his level of Vigorous Air.
The distance between the ship and the tsunami continued to stretch. When it reached seventy thousand meters, everyone on the ship cried tears of joyful relief. However, Shi Xiaole’s face turned pale: "Master Wu, steer the ship quickly!"
Master Wu was the old man who had first noticed the tsunami. At Shi Xiaole’s words, he hurriedly took the helm.
Draining all their Vigorous Air with reckless abandon, Shi Xiaole and Niu Dali quickly reached their limits. Even their Dantien regions started transmitting bursts of pain.
But the crisis still loomed. Looking at the ongoing tsunami behind them, Shi Xiaole’s face twisted with anxiety.
The ship’s speed gradually decreased, and the distance between it and the tsunami grew closer.
Seventy thousand meters.
Sixty thousand meters.
Fifty thousand meters.
...
When the distance shrank to less than ten thousand meters, the ship began to shake violently, giving the impression it was about to fall apart.
"Xiaole, it seems that I won’t be able to repay you the debts of our bets in this life!"
Niu Dali let out an unusual shout.
Thud!
A huge bang shook the sea.
Under the strenuous efforts of Master Wu and two other helmsmen, the ship bobbed a few times but miraculously did not capsize. Miraculously, the tsunami dissipated at this moment, leaving only the aftermath of its rage.
"Damn, that scared the hell out of me."
Niu Dali collapsed onto the ground, completely devoid of his usual gravitas.
The passengers were utterly drained, their joy of surviving overshadowed by their terror during the catastrophe. They realized how beautiful life truly was.
Shi Xiaole sighed in relief. Given his skills, he might not have been incapable of escaping the tsunami, but this outcome was undoubtedly preferable.
However, the immediate priority was rapid recovery. To prevent another unforeseen event, he needed to restore his strength quickly.
He wondered if having expended his strength all at once pushed him to his extreme limits. For when his Vigorous Air recovered, Shi Xiaole was surprised to discover his cultivation had progressed from the late stages of the Divine Border Realm three-fold to the peak of the same realm.
Was this unexpected delight?
"Master Shi, it’s disastrous! The ship has started to tilt. Little Zhang said there’s a crack in the hull, and water is seeping in."
Soon after, Master Wu rushed to Shi Xiaole, looking at him as though he were a god.
"Don’t worry, I will use my power to stabilize it."
Though he said this, it was not a permanent solution. Luckily, Niu Dali stepped in: "Xiaole, if we take turns holding it together for a few days, we should reach the nearby sect that I am familiar with. We can replace the ship there."
Then, in the next few days, they took turns stabilizing the ship, helmsmen pushing their limits to keep it on course.
Following a fixed route for several more days, an island of moderate size appeared within everyone’s sight.
"Who dares trespass into the Sea Leaf Gang’s territory? Stop immediately!"
When they were still several kilometers from the island, a group of armed men and women on the island’s edge shouted at them.
"Don’t you recognize your Lord Niu? Call your gang master to come and meet me!"
Niu Dali stepped out of the cabin and shouted back in a loud, jovial voice.
"What, it’s Lord Niu!"
Everybody was taken aback.
Unnoticed by Niu Dali, their faces flashed with surprise quickly replaced by a subtle, complex look.
