Chapter 358

Chapter 358: Conflicting Feelings

After careful thought, Lou Yun suddenly understood. While the eight clans hoped to resolve their enmity with the Lou Family, there were certainly some members within them who were unwilling. If those individuals discovered this matter, it would inevitably invite considerable trouble. Therefore, the eight clans had conveniently sent those people here, hoping Lou Yun’s hands would eliminate them!

Lou Yun shook his head with a bitter smile. This time, Huangfu Xuanlan and the others were completely using him to achieve their own ends. He knew this perfectly well yet found himself unable to extricate himself, forced to willingly act as their pawn.

If he weren’t within Xinghai Village, Lou Yun truly would have wanted to roar out loud to vent the stifled emotions in his heart. But for now, he could only draw out a long breath, then turn into a streak of light under the cover of night and return to the City Lord’s mansion.

Early the next morning, Lou Yun and his group departed the City Lord’s mansion. They arrived at the harbor and boarded a small ship Ma Ziwei had specially arranged.

Lou Yun and the others could easily ride their magical weapons to fly to the Divine Weapon Island. However, since the Nine Clans would intercept lone individuals or vessels traveling to and from the Divine Weapon Island midway, Lou Yun naturally wanted to seize this opportunity to meet them!

As for Lou Yun’s request, Ma Ziwei naturally dared not be negligent. He personally selected a suitable vessel and prepared ample daily supplies and other necessities.

Although not overly large, this ship was considerably bigger than the one Lou Yun took to Ghost Sea last time with Gui You Quan. It was also equipped with a crew of seven sailors.

At Lou Yun’s command, the ship hoisted sail and departed from Binhai City.

The journey from Binhai City to Divine Weapon Island was not short. If left solely to the sailors navigating the ship, the fastest it would take over a month. Lou Yun, lacking such patience, discussed with Chang Feng and the other two and decided they would take turns using their cultivation to accelerate the ship’s travel.

Chang Feng and Mo Bingju agreed, but they had no previous experience sailing at sea, let alone piloting a ship using their cultivation. Thus, Lou Yun had to demonstrate first.

Lou Yun had actually learned this from Gui You Quan. Standing at the bow, he punched out over the sea, instantly creating a small whirlwind. Impacting with the sea surface, the whirlwind produced a reaction force that sent the small boat speeding forward.

Watching Gui You Quan do it back then had seemed effortless. But now, trying it himself, Lou Yun realized his earlier assumption was far too simple: steering a ship this way was anything but easy!

First, the pilot had to sense the wind direction. The whirlwind generated by their over-the-sea punch had to align with the current breeze. Only then could the force propel the ship. Naturally, if the wind direction conflicted with the travel course, the intensity of the punch needed to increase so the whirlwind’s force surpassed the prevailing wind’s.

Second, the application of force had to be balanced. Stronger punches weren’t necessarily better. Sometimes an extremely powerful punch generated a massive whirlwind, but upon collision with the sea surface, various undercurrents beneath the water could counteract the whirlwind’s force. Therefore, maximizing the utility of each punch’s energy was essential.

Lastly, one’s own spiritual energy had to be extremely abundant. For Lou Yun, that meant the Heaven and Earth energy within his body needed to be highly sufficient, because this method of piloting was extremely energy-consuming. Of course, that was except for those like Gui You Quan, whose cultivation had reached a genuine pinnacle.

Lou Yun stood at the bow, recalling Gui You Quan’s movements within his mind. Unconsciously, his hands began mimicking them. However, since what coursed within him was Heaven and Earth energy, each punch he struck created not just a powerful whirlwind. He could also feel the surrounding Heaven and Earth energy seemed to merge momentarily with the energy he discharged, while simultaneously appearing to mutually repel each other, incongruous and conflicting.

This discovery greatly piqued Lou Yun’s curiosity. He didn’t understand why these two entirely different sensations arose. So he simply closed his eyes, immersing himself in a state of unconstrained freedom, as if he had returned beside the endlessly churning molten lava. Yet his hands continued to move mechanically according to some peculiar rhythm, unknown even to him, each swing inevitably generating a mighty whirlwind.

Gradually, a picture formed within Lou Yun’s consciousness, in his very soul: as his hands moved, a misty vortex of Heaven and Earth energy surged forth. Beyond this vortex lay an endless ocean of Heaven and Earth energy.

Compared to this boundless sea of energy, the bit of Heaven and Earth energy Lou Yun discharged was utterly insignificant, less than a drop in the immense ocean.

Yet, this minuscule amount of energy, striking the infinite ocean of energy, still managed to stir tiny ripples. And it was precisely these ripples that provoked a reaction of repulsion from the energy sea. However, after the repulsion, the ripples were ultimately absorbed in the end.

Fusion Lou Yun could comprehend. The energy he emitted also originated from Heaven and Earth, springing from this vast ocean, so it was destined to rejoin the whole. But why the repulsion?

Lou Yun stared fixedly at the vision within his soul. After a long moment, he finally saw why. The Heaven and Earth energy within this vast ocean was simultaneously unified and yet separable into distinct individual entities. Each individual stream of energy followed its own distinct flow path. Logically, such divergences should lead to overall discord. Yet paradoxically, the opposite held true; the intertwined flow paths of countless individuals formed the grand operational pattern of the entire energy ocean.

This very mechanism embodied the way of nature Lou Yun had perceived – unconstrained freedom!

Each individual entity flowed freely along its preferred path. The flow path of the Heaven and Earth energy he emitted was different not only from every individual stream, but also different from the grand pattern of the energy ocean itself, hence provoking their rejection.

Upon grasping this point, the movement of Lou Yun’s hands, releasing Heaven and Earth energy, underwent a subtle shift. This alteration was so minute that even Chang Feng and Mo Bingju, who were intently watching his every move, failed to notice it.

However, thanks to this slight adjustment, the Heaven and Earth energy he discharged became perfectly harmonized with the grand flow of the energy ocean!

What followed was a sudden, unprecedented surge in the ship’s speed. Like an arrow launched from a bowstring, it skimmed swiftly across the sea’s surface!

The acceleration was so abrupt, so unexpected, that everyone aboard, except Lou Yun, was thrown off balance. The seven ordinary crew members, along with Yi Xuan and Yi Ru, all tumbled to the deck.

At this moment, Lou Yun seemed utterly unaffected by the pitching vessel, standing instead as if rooted atop a towering mountain peak. His eyes remained shut, a faint smile upon his face. Though the speed of his hand movements had slowed considerably, each deliberate swing propelled the boat forward at its absolute utmost velocity!

No one understood how this transformation had occurred. Only Lou Yun knew: all Heaven and Earth energy possessed its own minor flow path and partook of a larger, holistic pattern. Whether the flow path of the energy he emitted resonated aligned with, or deliberately contradicted, the external energy’s lines would produce astonishing, massive changes!

Thus, relying solely on his own power, Lou Yun remained at the bow, tirelessly piloting the vessel for a full day and night without rest before finally stopping. The waters they reached by then left the ship’s seven sailors utterly stunned. The distance covered by Lou Yun’s piloting this single day exceeded what they would normally sail in ten!

Lou Yun wasn’t overly surprised by this result. He knew if he could absorb and command even more Heaven and Earth energy, this speed could increase again, perhaps even double.

He stopped, not due to depletion of internal Heaven and Earth energy, but because understanding the flow paths of the energy sparked an unconventional thought within him: Could this concept of differing energy flow patterns be applied to his attacks?

Therefore, Lou Yun personally halted. He handed the task of maintaining speed to Chang Feng and Mo Bingju and walked over to a corner of the deck, settling down to ponder intensely.

Ever since gaining the ability to perceive, absorb, and command Heaven and Earth energy, Lou Yun’s biggest headache had been his lack of accessible weapon techniques. He knew that among the numerous cultivation methods and weapon techniques passed down by his master, Mr. Commoner, there must certainly be Kun-level and other high-tier techniques. However, higher-level weapon techniques necessitated longer study and training periods, time he currently lacked. So he turned his attention to the weapon techniques he already knew.

In Lou Yun’s current eyes, these techniques – whether Star-level, Moon-level, or Sun-level – all possessed their flaws and weaknesses. If he could find a way to mend these defects, those techniques could surely manifest significant power once more.

Crucially, this would save considerable time compared to studying new, advanced-level weapon techniques!

The first technique Lou Yun thought to improve was the very first one he learned: the "Interlinked Sword Art" (Sword Linking Formula). Its three moves were the Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder, Sword Piercing Cloud Shadows, and Sword Sweeping Rain Cascade!

If improvements were to be made, naturally they started with the simplest technique riddled with the most vulnerabilities. Thus, Lou Yun decided to attempt modifying the Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder first.

Lou Yun slowly extended his right hand, curling three fingers together while joining his index and middle fingers like the sharp edge of a sword blade.