Beginning with the Ubume Bird

Chapter 219: Chapter 56 Yuan Ba vs Shixin

“A single henchman already boasts ‘Ten Cities Peak,’ wouldn’t Cai Qian and Zhang He be aiming for ‘Nine Luminaries’?”

Cha Xiaodao furrowed her brows. Both were at the Ten Cities Peak, which could be said to be the pinnacle of the Red Flag Gang’s strength. Chaoyi and several other Gaoli ghosts, about thirteen or fourteen in total, were at the level of the Ten Cities. Beyond that, there were no others.

With a Tiger Head Great Spear in hand, Li Yan almost instantly tore through Elder Yan Lao Si’s Calming Sea Demonic Power, but this did not mean that in head-on combat, Li Yan could also secure such an advantage. After all, uttering words such as “Just do as you please” without dodging Li Yan’s great spear was still not enough for those at the Ten Cities Peak.

“Nine Luminaries? Zhang He is close, but Cai Qian may not be there. Competing for the role of Alliance Hierarch, being able to fight alone is not enough.”

Pirate thief, all supported by Zhang He alone with the Taiping Document, it’s only natural that he’s strong. Cai Qian is a businessman, where personal charisma and tactics are his strengths. Furthermore, his subordinates, referred to as ‘Fiery Cauldron Sir’s men,’ lay the foundation, and his own strength may not be that high.

As for the Red Flag Gang, Li Yan’s thought was that in terms of strength, tactics, and influence, he was no less than them.

...

It’s just that there’s no comparison…

Li Yan was not afraid of ‘Nine Luminaries’ level opponents. He was even looking forward to it, not out of arrogance, but because he had figured out the key to the power divisions in Yan Fu. Put simply, it’s not the higher tiers he fears, but the peaks.

In fact, this involves a question, with the Fruit World’s abilities, systems, weaponry, and miscellaneous items as vast as the sea of smoke, relying solely on the simplistic inheritance Awakening Degree like Ten Cities (39%), Ten Cities Peak (40%), and Nine Luminaries (69%) to define strength seemed unconvincing.

But that’s not really the case. The biggest factor restricting the combat strength of wanderers in Yan Fu is just one thing.

And that is inherited skills!

Li Yan’s strength increased significantly twice. The first time was when he obtained [Blood Dip], which allowed an ordinary warrior like him to maintain a strong offensive power whether he was facing demons, ghosts, or warriors protected by Dragon Tiger Qi.

The second surge in strength was due to Li Yan acquiring [Hidden Flight], which entailed a judgement for a feather piece to shoot out every three strikes, making his burst capability staggeringly powerful.

Beyond that, [Nine Phoenix Enhancements] and [Corpse Dog Enhancement] also greatly benefited Li Yan.

As for weapons, visualizations skills, Black Rider Ghost, and the various rare treasures on Li Yan, they too had a significant impact on his strength increase, but they were not critical.

So actually, the standard for judging the strength of wanderers in Yan Fu is quite simple.

As long as you break through your peak and obtain a new inherited skill (Blood Dip, Hidden Flight…), your strength will ascend a considerable step.

If this standard is applied to the Fruit Land, then the so-called gap between Nine Luminaries and Ten Cities Peak is only in physical fitness, which can be completely compensated by other means.

Therefore, the truly insurmountable gap is not between Ten Cities Peak and Nine Luminaries, but between Nine Luminaries and Nine Luminaries Peak.

Although the current situation in the South Seas is decided by who has more men, more money, more ships, more cannons, individual strength still holds a considerable advantage in the fray.@@novelbin@@

Li Yan dipped his hand into the basin, watched the cool water turn to ice, and then withdrew his hand.

“The power of Nine Phoenix is really useful, it’s a shame that last time in Yan Capital, there wasn’t a sea or river nearby.”

Li Yan clenched his fists; he wondered what his chances of victory would be against that Demon Thief Zhang He with his current strength.

“Hey, stop messing around, we’ve arrived.”

Cha Xiaodao dragged Li Yan away.

In front of Cai Clan’s Tianbo Division.

Large ships linked in chains, lanterns bright and showy. Around the perimeter, about a dozen three-masted ships connected in a ring, each ship nearly a hundred meters long!

As the massive vessels moved, the ships of the pirate leaders arriving for the conference were swallowed up by the array.

Hovering over the outer ring of ships, dozens of fiery crown macaw parrots fluttered, their plumage glossy and sleek. They circled around the pirate leaders’ ships, chirping:

“Ma Family Stockade from Penghu Island enters, a forty-eight-foot single-masted ship, fifty people.”

“White Bottom Gang from Taiwan enters, a forty-eight-foot single-masted ship, fifty people.”

“Hundred Yue Tribe from Luzon Island enters, a twelve-foot single-masted ship, seven people.”

“Madura Tribe from Sumatra Island enters, a twenty-foot single-masted ship, thirty people.”

“Blue Flag Gang from Cheung Chau Island enters, two ninety-foot single-masted ships, eighty-seven people.”

“`

The parrots were squawking as they flew toward Li Yan’s fleet…

Xue Ba yawned and gestured as if shooting a firearm at the parrots in the sky.

Amidst the ship formation, the Cai Family Servant in charge of recording the ships’ comings and goings wiped his sweat; after a long while, the macaw parrots fell silent.

“You lazy bums, I’ll pluck all your feathers when I get back!”

As the servant cursed and walked out, the voices of the macaw parrots reverberated:

“Red Flag Gang entering jurisdiction from Lantau Island, twenty thirteen-zhang double-masted sailboats, crew totaling nine hundred and twenty-eight.”

“Tianbao is here!”

“Twenty boats? They’ve all come in!”

“Brother, are those British cannons? Look at the size of them, It’s my first time seeing such!”

The grand fleet entered the Cai Clan’s large ship formation like a python entering the arena.

“People from the Red Flag Gang? And our big brother has come!”

No sooner had they entered the formation than a raucous yell came from another ship, and a figure leaped from a skiff onto the Spirit of the Duck.

“Courting death!”

In an instant, firearms rose from the ship like a dark forest, their poisoned arrowheads and iron tips poised to strike.

Squeak~

The cabin door opened, and as Li Yan stepped out, he saw a man holding a large iron spear charging toward the cabin.

Before the firearms could be discharged, a newly forged wrought iron hammer, aimed at the spearman’s head, flew through the air!

The man, bold enough to charge on board alone, didn’t flinch at the two-hundred-plus-pound hammer, instead intercepting it with a clang of his iron spear.

Grinding his teeth, the man watched as a slender individual leapt to grasp the handle of the hammer.

Xue Ba cocked his head, and his other hammer struck the shaft of the spear, the man’s feet going rigid as he bore down with the spear tip against both hammers!

With the sound of rushing wind, the large spear and the two hammers whirled around in a flurry, the two men ducking and weaving in close combat, clanging fiercely without a clear victor.

“Causing trouble~”

Gu waved his hand, signaling his brothers not to accidentally harm Xue Ba.

“Hammer meets force, Li Yuan Ba fighting Luo Shixin, ha ha~”

Leaning against the door, Li Yan watched Xue Ba’s figure and footsteps with a smile.

Zhao Xiaoyi also came out of the cabin, and Li Yan had indeed kept his promise to release the Black Flag brothers once they set sail, letting back hundreds on board.

But Li Yan hadn’t relaxed his grip on Madam Guo or Zhao Xiaoyi, which was agreed upon beforehand.

At this point, the Black Flag Gang had at least three leaders each claiming their own territory, and even Chaoyi had suggested they negotiate some conditions and release Madam Guo to let them tear each other apart.

If they really killed him, it would be difficult to justify, and whoever took advantage of the Black Flag would likely raise the banner of avenging Madam Guo, shifting the conflict onto the Red Flag.

But Li Yan didn’t agree, instead keeping Zhao Xiaoyi by his side all the time, locking Madam Guo up without letting her go anywhere, and having the Red Flag brothers incessantly mutter nonsense in her ear every day, slowly stringing her along.

In the end, Li Yan still regretted not being able to get his hands on Zhao Xiaoyi.

“If you want me to release Madam Guo, you’ll have to accompany me on a few more trips…”

Li Yan pointed at Xue Ba and smiled at Zhao Xiaoyi, “My training, what do you think?”

Zhao Xiaoyi took a few glances and then shook his head, “Most of the fierceness is gone, replaced by just a little cleverness, not worth it.”

“`