Chapter 365 - 198: Great Victory at Fu Long! Harvesting the Vermilion Fruit

Chapter 365: Chapter 198: Great Victory at Fu Long! Harvesting the Vermilion Fruit

It froze in mid-air, then shattered inch by inch, turning to dust.

But Chen Sheng’s expression turned completely grim.

It wasn’t just him. The faces of every Jingwu Guard behind him had turned exceptionally grim as well.

The Breaking Gang Crossbow was a heavy weapon under strict military control, yet now it had appeared in a Water Bandit Stronghold!

The implications were deeply unsettling.

Atop the stockade wall.

An old man with a white beard and a withered face stood holding a Strong Bow. His eyes were filled with the resolute will to die as he bellowed:

"The Alliance Leader is gone! The Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance will fall today! But for any of you with blood in your veins who refuse to live in disgrace, follow this old man into one last battle!"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

From within the stockade walls came a chorus of roars, a mixture of grief, indignation, and despair. Though their numbers were few, their cries were exceptionally harrowing.

"Loose!"

The white-haired old man commanded hoarsely.

In an instant, hundreds of arrows shot out from all over the stockade wall like a plague of locusts, a dense black cloud that descended upon the fleet.

However, the scene that followed made the rebels on the wall gasp, their pupils contracting as a chill ran down their spines.

Chen Sheng took a single step forward, coming to a halt in the empty air.

Faced with a rain of arrows that blotted out the sky, a vast and majestic power of the Mental Realm, mixed with vigorous True Essence, instantly billowed out from him. It was as if an immense, invisible, and resilient net had been cast over the fleet.

The arrows filling the sky suddenly slowed, eventually coming to a trembling halt in mid-air as if caught in a mire. The densely packed volley, frozen in place, was a magnificent spectacle.

Chen Sheng snorted, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

The next moment, as if seized by a great, invisible hand, the hundreds of suspended arrows whipped around. In perfect unison, their tips aimed back at the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance’s Water Stockade.

Then, guided by his will, the arrows converged into a heart-stopping black torrent and shot back, several times faster than their initial flight.

THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! THWACK!

The sound of sharp points piercing flesh and blood-curdling screams instantly erupted from the stockade wall. This single reversed volley wiped out more than half of the exposed defenders, and the stench of blood filled the air.

"Stubborn fools, digging your own graves."

Chen Sheng’s voice, cold as iron, echoed over the Water Stockade:

"Kill!"

As the order was given, the two hundred Jingwu Guards, who had been lying in wait, roared as one.

Like tigers unleashed, they surged forward. Some ran across the water as if it were solid ground, while others launched themselves from the ships’ gunwales, pouncing ferociously upon the now-chaotic Water Stockade.

The slaughter began anew.

Chen Sheng had intended to spare the old and weak within the stronghold. However, by greeting them with a Breaking Gang Crossbow, they had crossed a line and demonstrated their resolve to resist to the very end.

In that case, there was no need for any mercy.

...

Most of those left behind at the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance headquarters were the wounded, the old and the weak, along with some of the water bandits’ families.

Though there was no shortage of warriors brave enough to fight to the death, their resistance was feeble and pointless before the well-equipped Jingwu Guard, who fought like wolves and tigers.

The battle quickly turned into a one-sided purge.

The sounds of crying, begging for mercy, clashing weapons, and falling bodies all mixed together, then gradually faded into silence. In the end, all that remained were sporadic sobs and the mournful wail of the wind blowing through the empty stronghold.

Chen Sheng stepped over the blood-stained stone stairs and walked into the main hall at the heart of the Cyan Flood Dragon Alliance’s stronghold.

The hall was vast and empty, filled with a complex odor blending blood, damp air, and old wood.

After scanning the room, Chen Sheng walked straight to the large, heavy mahogany Alliance Leader’s Chair. He didn’t sit, but instead bent down and pressed a hidden mechanism beneath the armrest.

With a soft CLICK, a stone slab on the floor behind the chair slid silently aside, revealing a hidden compartment about a foot square.

Inside the compartment rested a jade box, its entire surface smooth and lustrous.

Chen Sheng took out the jade box and opened it.

A fist-sized fruit lay within. It was shaped like a heart, crimson as blood, and its surface shimmered with a faint, hazy spiritual glow.

The fruit’s fragrance was crisp and elegant, carrying a refreshing aura of pure botanical essence. Upon closer inspection, however, its spiritual glow seemed a little dim—a telltale sign it had been stored for a long time.

A Hundred-Year Vermilion Fruit!

As he felt the pure, surging wave of Spiritual Power wash over him the moment he opened the box, a look of satisfaction finally appeared in Chen Sheng’s eyes.

Refining this Spiritual Object, even if it couldn’t propel him straight to the peak of the Primordial Sea Realm, would be enough to advance his Cultivation by a huge leap, saving him more than a year of painstaking effort.

And this was precisely one of the key objectives of his entire scheme.

"A Vermilion Fruit!"

Sun Yuzhi’s voice came from the entrance of the hall.

She had already changed out of her blood-stained outer robe and was now dressed in a clean, crisp Jingwu Bureau uniform. As she strode into the hall, her gaze was immediately drawn to the crimson fruit, and her eyes flashed with surprise and delight.

"Your luck is truly astounding. To think you’d find a treasure of this caliber."

"If you need it, Vice Envoy, it’s yours."

Chen Sheng closed the jade box, turned, and smiled.

"You don’t mean that."

Sun Yuzhi scoffed, shooting him a look from her beautiful eyes.

She then glanced around the great hall. Seeing that they were alone, Sun Yuzhi walked naturally to the head of the room and sat in a chair beside Chen Sheng’s, her posture relaxing considerably.

"Why would I be insincere?"

Chen Sheng’s expression grew more serious.

"Without your help and protection along the way, Vice Envoy, I might not have made it this far. If you need this paltry Vermilion Fruit, I wouldn’t hesitate to give it to you."

To him, a Spiritual Object that could aid his Cultivation was indeed precious, but Sun Yuzhi’s friendship and support were far more valuable than any material treasure.

Her heart warmed slightly at his words, but she maintained her usual cool and aloof expression and waved a dismissive hand.

"There’s no need. I’m currently stuck at a bottleneck, and it isn’t due to a lack of Cultivation. You, on the other hand, have just established your foundation; this is the time for you to advance with vigor. This Vermilion Fruit was picked some time ago. Nearly twenty percent of its Spiritual Power has already dissipated. Even sealed in a jade box, it shouldn’t be left to sit for long.

"You should refine it as soon as possible and convert it into your own Cultivation. That is the proper course of action."