Princess of the Eastern Sea

As Tang Xuan charged into the crowd of guards aboard the Eastern Sea, blades flashing, crimson symbols floated above the heads of each fallen defender. His attack power had reached 2120, and with the Tiger Fang Blade equipped, it rose to 2155. The reward from slaying the Five Fiends of Kawabe—the complete fourth-grade Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade, now perfected—boosted his attack power by 264%. Coupled with the perfected Arhat Thousand-Pound Skill, which increased it further by 60%, his overall attack power had soared by 324%.

Moreover, with each successive move of the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade, the attack power incremented by an additional 1%. Thus, every strike Tang Xuan unleashed became stronger than the last. Even though these guards were around levels twenty to thirty and possessed some defensive abilities, his overwhelming strength dealt over nine thousand points of damage. At times, when his blade struck the chest, abdomen, or neck—critical points—it delivered a fatal blow, inflicting more than eighteen thousand points of damage.

Wherever he passed, guards either fell severely wounded or were slain outright.

[Defeated a level 25 elite Eastern Sea guard, gained 166 experience.]
[Defeated a level 27 elite Eastern Sea guard, gained 180 experience.]
[Defeated a level 26 elite Eastern Sea guard, gained 173 experience.]

Originally, the guards of the Eastern Sea, each level higher than the second-in-command of Black Wind Fortress at level 25, could provide over a thousand experience points. Yet, since the party consisted of six members, each only received a little over a hundred points. Tang Xuan, accustomed to clearing dungeons with the women, was unfazed by this.

After clearing the deck of all Eastern Sea guards, Tang Xuan led the women into the ship’s interior. The Eastern Sea was a giant vessel in the ancient style, with ornate, carved houses built upon its decks. Tang Xuan and his companions needed to sweep each house, one after another, until they located the account ledger.

Every house contained varying numbers of Eastern Sea guards. Initially, these guards were merely third-rate masters of levels twenty to thirty, easily dispatched by Tang Xuan. As they progressed, the guards’ levels increased, soon reaching the thirties.

At level thirty and above, they were considered second-rate martial experts—akin to the renowned “Many-Armed Bear” Duojin, head of the Dragon Gate Escort Agency, or Lin Zhennan, chief escort of the Fortune Escort Agency—each famed for their skills and reputation in the martial world.

These level-thirty guards, when numerous, forced Tang Xuan to exercise caution. Facing a swarm of second-rate experts was perilous—even a first-rate master at level forty or fifty would struggle under such assault! Fortunately, Tang Xuan’s prowess let him wield the fourth-grade Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade, with each swing stronger than the last. Even against a multitude of level-thirty guards, he slew them all in turn.

Wang Yajun, Jiang Wanwan, and the other women guarded the perimeter of each room, ensuring no guards escaped to summon reinforcements. Though only level twenty themselves, each possessed advanced martial arts, capable of handling any fleeing level-thirty guards for a time.

At last, Tang Xuan and the women arrived before the topmost cabin on the Eastern Sea. As they had cleared every other area without finding the ledger, it was clear that the account book must reside in this final, uppermost cabin.

Just as they prepared to enter, a young woman in a purple dress stepped out from within. Her appearance startled the group. Her beauty was unrivaled—even compared to the striking features of Wang Yajun and Jiang Wanwan, she was not outshone. Moreover, her aura was pure and unique.

“Shan Wanqing, Level ???”

In the dungeon, unlike the outside world, one could directly see the names of all humanoid monsters.

Shan Wanqing!

Tang Xuan, Wang Yajun, and the others understood at once. No wonder she was so stunning—she was Princess Shan Wanqing of the Eastern Sea.

In “Twin Dragons of the Tang,” Shan Wanqing’s beauty rivaled that of Shi Qingxuan and Shang Xiuxun. Her parents were intricately connected to Li Yuan, Yue Shan, Zhu Yuyan, and others. She was favored by the Li clan, deeply in love with Xu Ziling, though ultimately they did not unite.

Shan Wanqing gazed at Tang Xuan and his companions, showing neither surprise nor the expected anger at their slaughter of so many guards. She smiled lightly, a smile that eclipsed all blossoms, and simply said, “You’re here for the ledger, aren’t you?”

As she spoke, she raised her hand, revealing the account book in her delicate grasp. She already knew exactly why Tang Xuan and his companions had come.

“If you wish to claim the ledger, you must first pass their trial.”

Shan Wanqing spoke again, her tone serene. As her words faded, two women stepped out from the cabin behind her. Both wore white and were well past forty, perhaps in their fifties, yet their eyes and bearing revealed them as top-tier martial experts of their era—level forty or fifty bosses.

Even Li Mochou, the Scarlet Training Fairy, had been only a first-rate expert of her time. Here, she was but a mere servant to Shan Wanqing.

The women realized now why the normal difficulty of the Eastern Sea dungeon required a party of ten players at levels twenty to thirty to conquer. Not only were there swarms of guards outside, but the final boss consisted of two first-rate masters at levels forty or fifty!

Tang Xuan was not surprised—his experience in dungeon exploration allowed him to gauge the challenge accurately.

“You all step back. I’ll handle them.”

Tang Xuan smiled, motioning for the women to retreat. He stowed the Tiger Fang Blade in his game pack and took out the Violet Phosphorus Staff.

[Violet Phosphorus Staff (Green): Attack Power +50.]

This was the staff gifted by Elder Lu Youjiao of the Western Beggar Sect after the martial tournament.

Against two first-rate experts at level forty or fifty, the Five Tigers Gate-Cutting Blade alone would not suffice. Such experts, like Li Mochou, possessed high attributes, strong internal energy, and powerful martial skills. Even at level twenty, Tang Xuan would struggle to face one with only his Five Tigers Blade, Scarlet Training Palm, and Wood-Intercepting Needle—barely managing at best. To fight two simultaneously would be even more daunting.

With the Dog Beating Staff Technique, however, things were different. It was the Beggar Sect’s secret art that had enabled him to defeat Huo Du and Dalba so effortlessly.

Tang Xuan stepped forward, and the two women in white advanced as well. The parties squared off. Without further words, Tang Xuan thrust the Violet Phosphorus Staff, transforming it into a flurry of staff shadows that enveloped the two women in white.

The two were visibly startled—this youth’s skill was unexpectedly formidable. Both drew long swords, flanking him left and right, and lunged forward.

“Clang, clang, clang—”

The sound of swords clashing against the staff rang out in rapid succession.

Shan Wanqing’s eyes brightened; she had not anticipated that this young man’s martial prowess would be so extraordinary.