58 The Eastern Sea: Hard Difficulty

Apart from the three Shaolin ultimate techniques, Master Xuan Zhi also imparted his own lightness skill, "Flying Technique," to Tang Xuan.

This is a grade four lightness skill, comparable to Wudang's "Cloud Ladder Vault" or Quanzhen's "Golden Wild Goose Skill," and superior to Tang Xuan's grade three lightness skill "Grass Step."

[Flying Technique (Grade Four Lightness Skill) (Perfect Level)]

[One of Shaolin Temple's premier lightness skills, also known as "Land Flight Method." Practitioners of Shaolin's land flight technique run with iron sand for several winters and can travel a thousand miles in one day, even soaring over cliffs and steep walls.]

[When used, speed increases by 300 percent, consuming 10 points of internal energy per use.]

At level one, this grade four lightness skill boosts speed by 25 percent; at the perfect level, it increases speed by 300 percent, far surpassing the 216 percent boost granted by the grade three "Grass Step."

Though the difference is only eighty-four percent, the gap between fast and slow is decisive; once compared, the superiority is immediately clear.

Moreover, with grade four lightness skills, the stronger the internal energy, the greater the effect.

With the perfect level "Arhat Divine Skill" adding an extra 120 percent, this land flight method can enhance speed by a staggering 420 percent!

Though Tang Xuan is only level 30 now, all his ultimate skills have reached perfect mastery.

He may not rival super masters like Hong Qigong, Guo Jing, or the Imperial Wheel Master, but in the martial world, he is far stronger than those level forty to fifty bosses—the top masters of the current era!

Even when facing level fifty or sixty bosses, those supreme, top-tier experts, he is not far behind.

"Get ready—let’s claim the first kill of the Dongming Ship dungeon on hard difficulty."

Tang Xuan sent a carrier pigeon message to Wang Yajun, Jiang Wanwan, and the other women.

Once players reach level thirty, each sect sends their disciples out to travel and gain experience.

For outer sect disciples, upon reaching level thirty, they are sent by their sect to travel, complete certain tasks, and upon returning, are promoted to inner disciples, gaining access to premier martial arts.

At level thirty, one is already considered a second-tier expert in the martial world; the heads of Dragon Gate Escort Agency or Fuwei Escort Agency, or leaders of the Giant Whale Gang and Sea Sand Sect, are all around level thirty.

Even Huashan's chief disciple Linghu Chong, Songshan Sect leader Zuo Lengchan’s disciple "Thousand Foot Pine" Shi Dengdai, and others are only at this level.

For Tang Xuan, Wang Yajun, and the others—those who became the first inner disciples of their sects—although they need not pass this trial at level thirty, they are still required by rules to travel down the mountain.

Once they complete certain tasks and return, they receive rewards, usually top-tier martial arts from their sects.

Just as with Tang Xuan, after reaching level thirty as a Shaolin inner disciple and traveling down the mountain, if he earns merit and returns, he can use his merit to learn even more advanced skills, including the seventy-two Shaolin ultimate techniques.

Therefore, Tang Xuan, Wang Yajun, and the others have been grinding dungeons to reach level thirty, after which they must travel down the mountain as their sects command.

But before descending, Tang Xuan intends to pioneer the hard difficulty of the Dongming Ship dungeon and claim the first kill!

Through the dungeon messenger, he enters the Dongming Ship dungeon and arrives before the massive Dongming Ship.

Soon, Wang Yajun, Luo Qingqing, Qin Yanran, Li Weiwei, and Jiang Wanwan arrive as well.

They select the hard difficulty for the Dongming Ship dungeon (level thirty to forty, one to twenty players) and enter together.

The requirements alone foreshadow its difficulty.

Level thirty to forty players must form a twenty-person team to conquer it.

Moreover, these players are mostly inner disciples of each sect, having mastered premier martial arts and already formidable.

Only by joining forces can twenty people clear this dungeon, showing its formidable challenge.

With Tang Xuan leading, the women are unconcerned—at worst, failure means a drop in level, nothing more.

...

"Who dares trespass upon my Dongming Ship?"

No sooner had they entered than they found themselves on the deck, greeted by the familiar Dongming Ship guards.

These level twenty-five to thirty guards have been defeated many times by the women, who now dispatch them effortlessly.

Tang Xuan stood with hands behind his back, watching as the women took action.

Wang Yajun, now a level thirty player, boasts high attributes and wields the grade four sword technique "Luan Cang Sword," along with the green-grade Luan Cang Sword, granting her formidable attack power.

Over these days, she has trained the grade four sword technique to level six, and with Huashan's internal and lightness skills, she has become a highly skilled heroine.

The women are all strong, and together handle the Dongming Ship guards with ease.

Luo Qingqing also uses the "Luan Cang Sword" and holds the green-grade sword, though most of her focus lies with the Five Venoms Sect's alchemy, gu-raising, and poison-making, so her sword technique is only at level four.

Her Luan Cang Sword is coated with a secret poison, boosting its attack power; its lethality rivals Wang Yajun's, perhaps even surpasses it.

Her poisons grow ever more potent, increasing her damage and highlighting the advantage of being a Five Venoms disciple.

Qin Yanran and Li Weiwei both wield grade four premier sword techniques from Emei and Quanzhen Sects.

Qin Yanran has long mastered the grade two "Flowing Cloud Sword" to perfection and, favored by Emei's leader Abbess Miejue, was taught the "Yin-Yang Sword Technique."

Emei boasts numerous premier sword techniques—such as "Three Flying Dragon Swords," "Seven Fiend Sword," "Golden Summit Nine Styles," "Radiant Sword," and others—comparable to the sword sect's top techniques of Huashan.

"Yin-Yang Sword Technique" is among them, incorporating Daoist mysteries, complex and inscrutable, with a total of one hundred and eight moves. It is a profound, intricate sword art from the mystic schools; the greater one's skill, the more powerful the sword technique becomes.

Through repeated dungeon runs, Qin Yanran has trained this sword art to level five, granting considerable power.

Li Weiwei's "Quanzhen Beginner Sword Technique," a grade two sword art, has reached perfection. She then learned the "Quanzhen Sword Technique," a grade four premier sword art, from her master, "Tranquil Wanderer" Sun Bu'er.

She too has trained this grade four sword art to level five, its power notable; though not yet matching Yelü Qi's perfect mastery, she improves steadily and perfection is within reach.

Tang Xuan allows the women to fight, observing from behind, giving them the chance to practice their sword skills.

Jiang Wanwan's "Jade Maiden's Pure Heart, Remnant Rainbow Style" has already reached level eight, only two steps from perfect mastery at level ten.

As the guards fall to their combined attacks, the women sit and meditate to recover their internal energy.

They continue their advance.

Passing through building after building, they finally reach the last room on the top deck of the giant ship.

Dan Wanjing, the peerless beauty, once again steps out from the room.