Chapter 359

Chapter 359: Improving Weapon Techniques

"Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder" was essentially an attack that involved channeling spiritual energy into a treasured sword, transforming it into lightning to strike!

When Lou Yun first unleashed this weapon technique, he had killed three Giant Fire Wolves with a single slash. At that time, Lou Yun was utterly amazed by its power. Even now, recalling it filled him with profound emotion, so he decided to improve this move first.

Lou Yun closed his eyes, using his finger as a sword. A ball of white light glowed on his fingertip as he slowly thrust it forward. Accompanied by faint thunderous sounds, a flash of lightning seemed to streak through where his finger passed.

Chang Feng and Mo Bingju had been focused on increasing the ship’s speed, but their cultivation levels allowed them to hear the soft thunderous noise caused by Lou Yun’s finger-sword strike. They couldn’t help but look toward the source, and Lou Yun’s actions shocked them both. How could a weapon technique released with just two fingers produce such immense power? If he used a real magical weapon, wouldn’t the force be unimaginable?

Lou Yun, however, paid no attention to the power of this Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder. His focus was entirely on the flow path of the worldly energy emitted during his finger movements.

Compared to when he was steering the ship earlier, not only was the flow path of the worldly energy different, but so was its manifestation. Previously, Lou Yun had struck empty air with palm force, expelling worldly energy from his hand. Now, the worldly energy was concentrated on his two fingers, so the flow path naturally became distorted by their influence.

Similarly, the omnipresent worldly energy still converged into a vast ocean, with each individual current swirling in its own way. But Lou Yun ignored the paths of individual energy streams, concentrating solely on the overall ocean’s flow direction.

After identifying that path, Lou Yun aimed to guide his fingers along an identical route. In his mind, his right index and middle fingers had transformed into a sword-shaped mass of worldly energy. He constantly adjusted their direction bit by bit to align with the entire energy ocean’s movement.

This path proved far more challenging to trace than the last. Every weapon technique demanded a specific, unique internal flow path for spiritual energy in the user’s body before activation. Only after completing that circuit could spiritual energy infuse the weapon, unleashing the technique.

Even though Lou Yun’s inner energy was now worldly energy, the same principle applied—it must flow through the required path for Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder.

Thus, once worldly energy surged from his body to his fingers, the flow felt natural and effortless. But that was precisely what Lou Yun wanted to avoid, as it produced flawed, ineffective power. He forcibly altered the flow route mid-course, the instant the energy hit his fingers, to match the external energy ocean’s current!

Again and again, Lou Yun extended his hand, performing Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder with his finger as the sword!

He sat on the deck for a full day and night, fingers repeating the motion continuously. This went on until Mo Bingju and Chang Feng were wide-eyed with disbelief, wondering if Lou Yun was under some evil spell!

Finally, after countless attempts, Lou Yun stretched out the two fingers of his right hand once more. Yet this time was entirely unlike before—the instant his fingers extended, a dazzling bright light erupted. The air around them blurred as if boiling.

Then, a dull thunderclap echoed from nowhere, and Lou Yun’s fingers transformed into a bolt of lightning. With a "swish," it struck the deck before him!

Immediately, a series of "crack-crack-crack" sounds burst out. Under the lightning’s power, the small ship’s deck split apart, its cracks spreading like spiderwebs in all directions.

The scene unfolded too abruptly for anyone to anticipate—not even Lou Yun himself. Everyone froze in shock!

Fortunately, Chang Feng snapped out of it in time. He waved both hands rapidly, flooding the deck with surges of vast spiritual energy as he yelled, "Brother Lou, wake up!"

Guarded by Chang Feng’s spiritual energy, the deck stayed barely intact despite its perilous state. Lou Yun, jolted by the shout, opened his eyes.

During that day and night, Lou Yun had been wholly absorbed in modifying Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder, obsessed only with forcibly redirecting the worldly energy’s flow. He had just succeeded when Chang Feng called out.

But upon opening his eyes, Lou Yun immediately sensed the intense spiritual energy swelling around the ship, especially near himself. A glance at the deck before him made everything clear!

Scratching his head awkwardly, Lou Yun pointed at the deck and said, "Did… did I cause this?"

The question left Chang Feng and Mo Bingju torn between laughter and tears. Mo Bingju nodded. "Brother Lou, you’ve sat here day and night, training, right? Just now, your fingers suddenly shot out lightning bolts, and the deck ended up like this!"

Lou Yun was highly satisfied with the improved Sword Dance of Wind and Thunder’s power, but he could do nothing about the damage. Even with all his prowess, he couldn’t make worldly energy act like glue to mend the crumbling deck.

The small ship had an upper and lower deck; the top one was wrecked, but they wouldn’t sink. They just had to cram into the lower hold now.

Lou Yun offered everyone an apologetic smile, all the while muttering internally: Why haven’t the Nine Clans shown up yet? He hadn’t truly planned to sail to Divine Weapon Island!

As if Heaven heard his thoughts, that very afternoon while Lou Yun hovered above the bow on his magical weapon, speeding the ship along, his spirit sense detected energy fluctuations not far ahead—not worldly energy, but ripples from cultivation bodies like those of magical weapons masters!

The multiple waves were strong, clearly indicating the Nine Clans had arrived!

Hmph!

Lou Yun smirked coldly. Nine Clans—I’ve finally caught you!

He then used Spirit Vision, reconstructing an image from the sea breeze’s sounds in his mind. The scene shock startled him!

Below the sea’s surface ahead were dozens of balloon-like round objects over a meter in diameter each, floating upward. The energy waves he sensed emanated from them.

What is this?

Lou Yun was worldly-wise, yet he’d never seen anything like it. But he recalled Huangfu Hao’s words: The Yu Family controlled giant fish to avoid detection. Could these balloon-like objects be the Yu Family’s "giant fish"?

Regardless, these people intended to target this ship. Lou Yun turned to warn those below. "Brother Chang, Sister Mo, enemies approach! Protect them!"

With Chang Feng and Mo Bingju’s strength, guarding Yi Xuan and the other eight shouldn’t be hard.

Chang Feng knew Lou Yun had been waiting for this. He replied, "Brother Lou, stay cautious!"

Throughout their exchange, the circular objects surfaced. Only meters away, the stalled ship faced them.

Lou Yun saw them clearly—glossy spheres likely made of some beast hide. Above each was a small hole, like an oversized toy ball.

Suddenly, gas hissed from the holes as the big balls transformed quicker than eye could follow. In a blink, they became round Mats, each bearing a person standing on it!

Though Lou Yun witnessed the whole process, it explained why searchers found nothing—the "giant balls" were vehicles like this ship. As spheres, they sank underwater; as Mats, they floated. Without people, they hid deep until targets appeared!

Naturally, they avoided discovery. Who’d imagine such magical transport existed?

Lou Yun guessed internally: This contraption must be invented by that beast-controlling Yu Family. Otherwise, how could no one know?

Now, nine people stood on floating Mats, garbed diversely. All shared fierce, murderous stares locked on Lou Yun and the ship below.