55: Chapter 55 Fire the Cannons!!!

High above the sky, a behemoth tore through the clouds, its massive shadow enveloping the mountains and rivers below like dark clouds, creating an astonishing momentum.

Its exterior resembled an unsheathed sword, the hull entirely crafted from Millennium Spirit-Nurturing Ironwood, shimmering with a dark metallic luster while flowing with the warm, gentle spiritual charm of wood.

On the decks at the bow and stern, formidable artillery turrets stood tall, the pitch-black muzzles engraved with complex Formation runes, emitting a heart-palpitating aura of destruction.

This was none other than the Fourth-Grade cloud whale ship that Ling Hao had purchased from the mall for 500,000 Prestige, a Nascent Soul Stage flying vessel!

This flying vessel was perfect in every way, except for one thing — it burned money!

Driving it required a massive amount of Spirit Stone, and the main cannon at the bow was a gold-devouring beast; a single shot consumed a full three million Low-Grade Spirit Stones or three thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!

With the current assets of the Moonshadow Sect, firing five shots would lead to bankruptcy.

"So poor..."

Ling Hao sighed inwardly; this time, attacking the Huoyan Sect to loot Spirit Stones and replenish the treasury was imperative!

Besides, the treasury of a Third-Grade Sect should surely be able to move the progress bar of the Cave Heaven evolution, right?

Originally, Ling Hao intended to travel light, bringing only Deputy Sect Master Chi Shuying. But Yu Lingshuang objected.

"A Sect Master's actions should command awe. This Disciple believes that by displaying the Sect Master's Divine Might, you can mold the Sect's cohesion."

She believed that a grand display was necessary, allowing the Disciples to witness the Sect Master's thunderous methods personally, which would better unite their hearts.

Thus, the spacious deck of this Nascent Soul Stage giant ship now carried five hundred Core Disciples.

The three Disciples, Chi Wanhe, Qin Zhaoxue, and Du Yuqing, were naturally among them.

At the bow, Ling Hao stood against the wind.

He wore a spotless white robe, the hem fluttering violently in the gale brought on by the high-speed flight.

One step behind him, Chi Shuying wore a pale pink court dress, her mature and voluptuous figure outlined perfectly, possessing a natural charm.

She stood quietly, though occasionally, her gaze towards the white-clad back in front of her carried a trace of imperceptible strangeness and guilt.

After all, she had instigated her own Junior to "take down" the Sect Master, and it had actually succeeded...

Thinking about it, the whole affair felt rather awkward.

Ling Hao's mood was equally subtle.

To have become Dao Companions with his own Disciple, while that Disciple's Bloodline Old Ancestor was now standing respectfully behind him...

This relationship was truly chaotic.

Yet, his expression remained calm as he turned around, seemingly inadvertently.

His gaze fell on Chi Shuying, his Divine Sense sweeping over her.

"Not bad, your cultivation has recovered to the fifth level of the Golden Core."

Ling Hao's tone was indifferent.

Chi Shuying quickly composed herself and responded respectfully:

"It is all thanks to the Opportunity bestowed by the Sect Master and the deep blessings of the Sect."

Ling Hao nodded slightly.

At this rate, whether it was Chi Shuying or Yu Lingshuang, whoever recovered to the Nascent Soul Stage first would allow the Moonshadow Sect to truly rank among the Fourth-Grade Sects.

It was just that thinking of Yu Lingshuang... she was also at the fifth level of the Golden Core, but her recent progress in cultivation seemed to have stalled, and he did not know the reason.

Perhaps, Chi Shuying's special Spiritual Root would recover faster?

"Shuying,"

Ling Hao withdrew his thoughts and returned to the main topic,

"After we arrive at the Huoyan Sect later, once the cloud whale ship breaks through their mountain-protecting Formation, leave the Golden Core Cultivators to me."

His gaze swept over the hundred Disciples standing ready on the deck:

"Your primary task is to ensure the safety of these Disciples."

"Bringing them out is to let them be tempered in actual combat, to clash with real Sect Disciples, and to increase their knowledge and courage."

"Shuying understands!"

Chi Shuying accepted the order solemnly, a glint of coldness flashing in her eyes; ensuring the safety of these future seeds of the Sect was her top priority as Deputy Sect Master at this moment.

With the deployment complete, Ling Hao returned to the spacious cabin.

With a thought, a book with a simple cover appeared in his hand.

The title was strikingly — 《The Iceberg Revered Master Is Only Gentle to Me》.

Where did this book come from? Naturally, it was "confiscated" from his "good Disciple" Chi Wanhe.

Ling Hao stroked the book cover, thinking helplessly.

His second Disciple, the transmigrator, hadn't even broken through the Foundation Establishment Stage after so long; could it be that she had spent all her energy writing these things?

He moved his Divine Sense to cover the pages.

The book flipped open rapidly without wind, and the content became clear in his mind instantly.

After finishing, Ling Hao's expression became extremely colorful, a mix of laughter and tears.

If the previous book, 《The Domineering Revered Master Falls in Love with Me》, was a "strategy guide," then this 《The Iceberg Revered Master Is Only Gentle to Me》...

It read almost like a documentary!

The names of the male and female protagonists in the book — Ling Han and Qin Zhaoxue — the name change was too lazy; were they not even going to pretend?

The setting in the book: Ling Han was the snow-white, peerless sword immortal Revered Master; Qin Zhaoxue was the female Disciple who transmigrated here, possessing a Yellow-grade Spiritual Root but supreme Comprehension Ability.

The book was not yet finished. Ling Hao quickly scanned the existing plot:

The Promise of the Spiritual Root: At the Sect's Spirit Testing Platform, Qin Zhaoxue was found to have a Yellow-grade Spiritual Root and was mocked by everyone. Ling Han arrived on his sword, suppressed the entire scene with one strike, and declared coldly, "What of a Yellow-grade Spiritual Root? This Revered Master wants her!"

There were also Healing the Frost (Grand Competition event), Listening to the Heart Under the Moon (resonance of flute sound), Warming by the Cold Furnace (Alchemy accident), A Sword From the East (Hero saves beauty)...

The plots of the first three chapters were becoming more and more familiar to Ling Hao; weren't these just "artistic adaptations" of the events that had occurred between him and Qin Zhaoxue?!

This second Disciple... did she actually have feelings for him? Or did she simply treat him as a creative material bank?

His gaze lingered on the chapter 《Three Parts Heat, Seven Parts Love》 — the source of the "Warming by the Cold Furnace" story marked by Chi Wanhe.

Ling Hao stared at the book page, and a thought suddenly sprouted...

"Revered Master! We're almost at the Huoyan Sect!"

Chi Wanhe's crisp voice interrupted Ling Hao's thoughts.

Before he knew it, she had slipped in, affectionately hugging Ling Hao's arm, almost hanging on him, and excitedly trying to pull him out.

"Come out and take a look quickly!"

Ling Hao calmly put the book away, letting his lively Disciple and Dao Companion pull him out of the cabin.

The flying vessel was already hovering high in the sky.

Looking down from the bow, below was the mountain gate of the Huoyan Sect.

The entire Huoyan Sect was built against a massive active volcano.

On the crimson, iron-like rock walls, palaces and pavilions were densely packed, and the scorching heat mist that steamed all year round distorted the air.

Qin Zhaoxue stood at the edge of the deck, attracted by the scene below, but the corner of her eye caught a glimpse of her Revered Master quickly putting something into his storage space when being pulled out by her Senior Sister...

A book, the style of that book cover, why did it feel... a bit familiar? Was it an illusion? She blinked, withdrawing her gaze with some confusion.

Huoyan Sect, in front of the Scarlet Flame Hall.

Two Elders were standing with their hands behind their backs, discussing trivial Sect matters.

Suddenly, the daylight dimmed! It was as if a massive dark cloud had instantly obscured the blazing sun, enveloping the entire Huoyan Sect mountain gate in a depressing shadow.

"Hmm?"

A red-faced Elder looked up in surprise, his pupils shrinking violently.

Another goatee Elder also turned around abruptly, his turbid old eyes staring fixedly at the behemoth that was blocking the sun in the sky.

What a magnificent flying vessel that was! The streamlined hull was like a spear of the Heavenly God, and the ferocious cannon muzzles on both sides shimmered with chilling spiritual light.

Just by hovering there, the pressure it emitted made people unable to breathe.

"Hiss... What a flying vessel!" The red-faced Elder gasped, greed that could not be concealed erupting in his eyes,

"What a treasure! Such a divine object should belong to my Huoyan Sect!" He licked his lips, as if the giant ship was already in his pocket.

The goatee Elder stroked his beard, squinting his eyes, his tone carrying the usual arrogance of the Huoyan Sect:

"Not bad! It's just a flying vessel; since it dares to fly over our Huoyan Sect's head to act wildly, then let it stay!"

"It just so happens that this old man has long felt that we are missing a decent means of transportation."

The two smiled at each other, not taking the owner of the giant ship seriously at all.

It was no wonder these two were ignorant; in the current cultivation world of the Qing State, where the highest cultivation level was only the Nascent Soul Stage, Fourth-Grade flying vessels, these kinds of weapons of war, had almost never appeared.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the Huoyan Sect, there were many Loose Cultivators and Cultivators from nearby small forces who had been alarmed.

"Damn! Why did the sky suddenly turn dark? Is there going to be a rainstorm?"

"Hiss — My God! Is... is that a flying vessel? I've lived for most of my life and have never seen such a huge flying vessel!"

"This aura... so scary? It wouldn't be just for show and useless, right?"

The crowd was in an uproar, shocked beyond words.

Soon, sharp-eyed people recognized the white-clad figure standing proudly at the bow.

"Look at the bow! It's... it's Sect Master Yueying Ling Hao!"

"Moonshadow Sect? Why are they here? Wait... the flying vessel is facing the Huoyan Sect's mountain gate!"

"Hahaha! Huoyan Sect! The Huoyan Sect is in big trouble!"

Immediately, someone reacted and burst into schadenfreude laughter.

"That's right! They must be here to settle accounts! Who told them not to know their place last time and dare to block the mountain gate of a Fourth-Grade Sect? Did they really think they were something?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, retribution is here! I'm afraid they'll be wiped out today."

"Exactly! I heard that the Old Ancestors of the Tianhuo Sect and the Earth Flame Sect have both run to the Demon Subduing Plains, and now no one can save them. Serves them right!"

The Loose Cultivators discussed animatedly, their faces full of excitement and mockery at the spectacle.

"Betting, betting... will the Huoyan Sect be wiped out or will the Moonshadow Sect return empty-handed..."

"It must be the Huoyan Sect being wiped out!"

"Count me in!"

"Me too!"

On the deck, the corners of Ling Hao's mouth curled into a smile,

"Fire! ! !"