Chapter 53: The Eastern Sea Replica
After two days, Tang Xuan led the women in repeatedly clearing the Nightmare difficulty of the Black Wind Stronghold dungeon.
He finally reached level 20!
At level 20, the “Dongming Ship” dungeon was unlocked after “Black Wind Stronghold!”
Shaolin Temple, at the Dungeon Messenger.
Tang Xuan opened his character attributes to check.
【Name: Half-son of Heaven】
【Level: 20】
【HP: 2000/2000】
【Inner Power: 1080/1080】
【Attack: 2120】
【Defense: 1520】
【Speed: 1300】
【Martial Arts: Dog Beating Staff Technique (Mastered), Crimson Palm (Mastered), Arhat Thousand-Pound Skill (Mastered), Timber Needle Technique (Mastered), Five Tigers Gate-Splitting Blade (Mastered), Grass Glide (Mastered), Plum Blossom Thirteen Needles (Mastered), Shaolin Arhat Fist (Mastered)...】
【Inventory: Extended-back Blade*5, Tiger Fang Blade*4, Violet Phosphorus Rod*1, Throwing Needles*100...】
Upon reaching level 20, Tang Xuan’s attributes received another boost.
His martial arts skills were dazzling—a true leader among all players in “Grand Wuxia.”
Within his inventory were all sorts of green equipment: the Tiger Fang Blade obtained from previous dungeons, the Extended-back Blade from defeating the Five Villains by the river, and the Violet Phosphorus Rod specially gifted by Lu Youjiao after the Martial Arts Tournament.
Additionally, Tang Xuan had crafted a hundred throwing needles himself, plain but practical.
He sent flying pigeon messages to Wang Yajun, Luo Qingqing, Qin Yanran, Li Weiwei, Jiang Wanwan, and the other women.
“Get ready. We’re going for the first kill of the Dongming Ship dungeon!”
With the messages sent, Tang Xuan entered the Dongming Ship dungeon via the Shaolin Temple’s Dungeon Messenger.
In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted. He found himself at a harbor, where a grand, ornately decorated ship lay anchored.
The Dongming Ship!
Soon, Wang Yajun, Jiang Wanwan, and the others arrived as well, each entering through their sect’s Dungeon Messenger.
The Dongming Ship dungeon was drawn from the plot of “Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty.”
At this moment, the world was in chaos, the people were angry and restless, the Turks eyed the Central Plains hungrily, and the decadent dynasty had nothing left to offer.
Li Shimin was scheming, trying to persuade his father Li Yuan to rebel.
The Li Clan held Taiyuan, with abundant troops and provisions.
Meanwhile, Liu Wuzhou and Liang Shidu of the Eagle Soaring Sect allied with the Turks, raised banners against the Sui, and successively captured Loulan and Dingxiang. If they broke through Yanmen next, Taiyuan would be the first to fall!
Li Yuan, master of the Li Clan, remained indecisive. If he didn’t act, he would ultimately be dragged down by the Sui, perishing along with them.
But Li Yuan was a cautious man, yet to commit to rebellion.
Thus, Li Shimin set his sights on “the Dongming Ship’s ledger.”
Two years ago, Li Yuan was assigned as the governor of Honghua, concurrently overseeing the military affairs of the thirteen districts west of the pass. To counter Yang Xuangan’s forces, he finally took Li Shimin’s advice and purchased a large cache of weapons from Lady Dongming.
Emperor Yang of Sui was unaware. If such a transaction came to light, and there was solid evidence…
The suspicious Sui Emperor would surely consider Li Yuan plotting rebellion—a sensation throughout the realm!
Thus, the “Dongming Ship” dungeon mission: infiltrate the ship and steal Lady Dongming’s ledger, which bore Li Yuan’s seal, to serve as proof of his conspiracy.
Ordinary difficulty for the Dongming Ship dungeon required level 20–30, with 1–10 players.
Hard difficulty required level 30–40, with 1–20 players.
Nightmare difficulty demanded level 40–50, with 1–30 players!
Such difficulty was clear.
Even for ordinary difficulty, players needed to be level 20–30, ten in a group, to clear the dungeon.
Hard difficulty needed level 30–40, twenty players.
Nightmare difficulty required level 40–50, thirty players!
At level 40–50, one was already considered a top martial artist in the realm.
Someone like Li Mochou was merely a level 40–50 boss.
Yet it took thirty top experts to clear Nightmare difficulty of the Dongming Ship dungeon!
Despite the daunting challenge, Tang Xuan, with his martial prowess, was confident for ordinary difficulty (level 20–30, 1–10 players).
Even if he failed, he’d merely lose a level.
He and Wang Yajun, along with the others, stood before the Dongming Ship, selected ordinary difficulty, and entered the dungeon.
...
“Who dares trespass on my Dongming Ship?”
Tang Xuan and the women had just entered, appearing on the deck of the Dongming Ship.
The mission to steal Lady Dongming’s ledger was intriguing.
It could be cleared through force, like any ordinary dungeon.
Or, one could rely on agility and thievery to steal the ledger—once the ledger was secured, the mission was complete.
Tang Xuan had no intention of sneaking; he planned to clear the dungeon through combat, leveling up in the process.
The deck was crowded with dozens of guards.
These guards ranged from level 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, and even 30!
At level twenty-odd, one was already a third-rate martial artist, akin to the second and third leaders of Black Wind Stronghold, possessing respectable skills and serving as local powerhouses.
Level 30 was on par with the chief of Black Wind Stronghold, a second-rate martial artist—an influential figure with some renown.
Yet, on the Dongming Ship, these third-rate level guards were mere ordinary sentinels.
Even those at level 30, who counted as second-rate experts, were just squad leaders?
And this was only the outermost layer!
“Attack!”
The guards drew their weapons, charging at Tang Xuan and his companions.
Wang Yajun drew her sword, employing the Huashan Sword Technique.
Luo Qingqing wielded the Tiger Fang Blade, engaging the guards.
Qin Yanran and Li Weiwei both unsheathed their swords, using the Quanzhen Sword Technique and Emei techniques respectively.
Jiang Wanwan, dual Emei daggers in hand, darted among the guards, her movements agile and swift.
Her “Swallow Gathering Skill” originated from Coconut Blossom Island in the South Sea, developed over centuries for collecting swallow’s nests. It was a superb fourth-rank martial art, blending inner power and agility.
Though Jiang Wanwan was only level 20, her skills surpassed those of the guards at level 20–30.
These guards, while considered third-rate martial artists with decent skills, had not learned elite techniques; otherwise, they wouldn’t be reduced to mere guards.
Wang Yajun, Li Weiwei, and the others were similar. Though only level 20, they wielded top-tier martial arts, fighting valiantly even when outnumbered.
Tang Xuan surveyed the battle, withdrew a Tiger Fang Blade from his inventory, and flashed into the guard ranks.
Blade gleamed, slaughtering in all directions!
With his current skills, facing these level 20–30 guards was like a tiger among sheep!