Start with a red name

After incorporating many insights and with a semi-experimental mindset, he created the "Clavicle Blood Sealing Hand" technique.

Geng Xuan temporarily put aside those wild and unrestrained thoughts and calmed his mind.

They practice "heaven and earth stakes" for more than 20 hours every day, striving to solidify their foundation and continuously climb to higher levels.

On the other hand, we adhere to the principle of avoiding waste.

Taking advantage of the extraordinary enlightenment brought about by this wondrous state, Geng Xuan added the two peculiar secret arts, "Bedroom Arts" and "Finger-Wrapping Arts," to his digestion list.

Originally, according to the original intent of these two secret arts, in order to learn them and gain some understanding, one must practice extensively.

However, Geng Xuan's situation is different.

Any existing techniques or secret arts that have been continuously summarized and improved by predecessors and have already paved a wide path for him, as long as he has enough good fortune, there will be no obstacles on this path for him.

The various experiences and insights accumulated by predecessors will be continuously "downloaded" into his mind and simultaneously replicated on his body after he has "paid" enough good fortune.

In this way, the two secret arts, which were originally at the beginner level, quickly climbed to higher and higher levels, one level after another.

Time also slipped away in this seemingly tranquil atmosphere, which was actually rife with undercurrents.

A few days passed in a flash.

On the evening of the 28th, during a break from his meditation practice, Geng Xuan routinely listened to Zhang Kai's report.

"Based on the patrol feedback and the reconnaissance feedback from the Xuanqinghai sand sculptors, Dong Guan's troop adjustments along the Xuanqinghai coast have been completed."

Apart from the two banks of the 'throat waterway', the remaining troops were consolidated into six units.

Each force had a total strength of over 30,000, of which at least 10,000 were cavalry.

Furthermore, more troops continued to arrive from Xuanyou and Youzhou.

The troop strength on both sides of the 'throat waterway' has not increased, but has actually decreased.

However, the size of the ships is increasing.

Yesterday, we could barely keep an eye on things from a distance.

But today, our reconnaissance ship was forced back by enemy vessels before it even entered those waters.

At this point, Zhang Kai paused for a moment before continuing:

"According to reports from some experienced sailors in the shipyard, many of the ships that have appeared in the 'throat waterway' in the past two days do not seem to be ships from Xuanyou and Erzhou, but rather seem to have come from the south."

Geng Xuan was taken aback.

"South? You mean Yuanzhou?"

Zhang Kai nodded and added, "And Haozhou too."

Xuanqinghai is located between Xuanyou and Xuanqing provinces, and it is also roughly "riding" over Yuan and Hao provinces, separated by the Hang River.

"How did you figure that out?" Geng Xuan asked, somewhat curious.

Zhang Kai thought for a moment and explained:
"...Firstly, the wood used for shipbuilding is different; secondly, the specific shapes of the ships are different... There should be more reasons, but I can't explain them all at the moment."

But for those who spend their lives in the Xuanqing Sea, they can tell at a glance.

Geng Xuan nodded.

That concludes today's routine report.

Soon, Geng Xuan was once again immersed in the unique wonder of the "Heaven and Earth Stake".

Shifting stars.

Time smoothly transitioned from late night on the 28th to the early morning of the 29th, and then ushered in the dawn of the 29th.

Geng Xuan, who thought it would be another peaceful day, sensed an urgent warning through the connection of the Perfected Realm "Flying Eagle Technique".

With this change, Geng Xuan had no choice but to withdraw from his cultivation state.

At this moment, if we raise our gaze, away from the ground of Nightlight Island, and use the view from the Xuanqinghai Sand Sculpture two or three thousand meters above the ground...

You can clearly see that in the waters south of Yeguang Island, a continuous stream of boats are rushing out of the "throat waterway," which is shaped like a funnel and gradually widens.

Then they split into three groups, with the core force heading straight for Nightlight Island.

The other two streams, which were slightly smaller, moved northwards while gradually spreading out to the left and right.

In the direction of "Night Light Island", there were also densely packed ramming boats protecting the vehicles and ships, actively going to meet the enemy ships and navy charging head-on.

Meanwhile, the guard forces on the left and right, backed by the other two small islands, are also approaching this area of ​​water.

If they do not stop, they will collide head-on with the two forces that split off to the left and right after rushing out of the "throat waterway".

Before the two warships collided, ranged weapons such as arrows, stones, throwing knives, and concealed weapons had already greeted each other.

Underwater, an even more dangerous underwater battle unfolds, revolving around the interplay of "attack" and "defense."

Among these, the most alarming were the burning rockets fired from enemy ships.

This clash began at dawn on the 29th and did not end until nightfall, when the western sky was ablaze with red clouds.

Around "Night Light Island", there are boats that are half-submerged or have simply flipped over, as well as vehicles and boats that have been burned so black that their original appearance is no longer visible.

Corpses floated on the water.

Some of them were still oozing blood, adding a touch of crimson to the already visibly reddened waters around them.

Some of the corpses were already cold, and even the fatal wounds were deathly white, with no trace of blood.

With "Night Light Island" as the boundary, the further south you go in the water, the more corpses and destroyed ships you find.

The further north you go, the fewer the number of corpses and destroyed ships there are.

On the island, Nightlight Island, which was originally well-maintained due to the large number of "Black Wind Army" troops stationed there, is now also in a mess.

A group of figures stood on a small patch of ruins.

The outline of the ruins suggests that this was originally a sizable mansion.

A slightly thin man leaned close to a middle-aged man and whispered, "...This used to be a villa of the Xuefeng Chamber of Commerce."

"The Snow Maple Chamber of Commerce?" the middle-aged man muttered, frowning.

The thin man quickly and vaguely explained in a low voice:

"It was General Hong's brother-in-law who did it."

A look of understanding flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. He stopped paying attention to the matter and stared at the ruins in front of him, saying thoughtfully:
"Did they... plan to retreat all along?"

Although the battle successfully achieved its intended strategic objectives.

As the commander-in-chief of this naval battle, he had a vague feeling that something was wrong from the moment he encountered the enemy.

Now that we've successfully driven the enemy back and taken a tour of the island, this feeling is even stronger.

Based on his experience, he could easily tell that not long ago, there were traces of a large-scale military force of tens of thousands stationed on the island.

Such a large team requires an astonishing amount of supplies, which are also incredibly complex.

If it's a hasty evacuation, it would be quite an achievement if the most important items could be moved, destroyed, or burned.

As seen on this island, it looks cleaner than if it had been licked by a dog.

From tents to provisions and supplies, nothing of value that could be moved was found—not a single hair.

Like the mansion in front of us, it was something that couldn't be moved and that we didn't want to leave for them to use, so it was completely destroyed.

If this wasn't premeditated, he could have gouged out both eyes.

Realizing this, his joy at successfully completing the planned operation was overshadowed by a dark cloud.

Seeing this, the thin man next to him quickly said:

"That's not surprising, is it? Knowing you can't win, of course you'll prepare to run away in advance."

The middle-aged man turned to look at the densely packed floating corpses on the southern sea and said, "Then how do you explain this?" Most of these floating corpses came from their own camp.

Only a small portion came from the enemy's "contributions".

This was partly due to his overly hasty and reckless actions in order to complete the battle plan.

But doesn't this also show that the enemy's strength is actually not weak?

At least, we have the ability to go toe-to-toe with them.

If the enemy hadn't retreated, they would have had a very difficult time taking over "Nightlight Island" and regaining control of the two other small islands nearby.

As the frontline commander, the stark contrast between the power he felt in actual combat and the actual results made him feel uneasy.

Seeing this, the thin man quickly said:

"That's normal. Judging from the traces on this island, the enemy force is only about 20,000. Adding the detachments on the two islands next to it, the maximum is 30,000."

"We can use the troops we recruit from the rear as consumables and keep throwing them here. Do they dare to do that?"

They've been fighting to the death all day and still haven't retreated. Do they really intend to fight us to the bitter end?

"..."

This reasoning sounded reasonable, and the middle-aged man began to hesitate.

The thin man, however, spoke in a tone that was both a reminder and an urging:

"His Majesty is still waiting for our news. How about we send the good news back first?"

"……All right."

The middle-aged man nodded in agreement and immediately made arrangements.

After making these arrangements, he looked north towards "Nightlight Island," already planning his next "punch" after he had fully charged up his strength.

The reason for not pressing on in one fell swoop is twofold. First, the losses from this battle were considerable, and both the people and the ships needed to be restored before it could be completed.

Secondly, operating in more open waters naturally requires more troops.

Dong Guan's order was the same.

"The enemy is extremely treacherous and cunning. It is better to be slow and cautious than to proceed without taking any risks. We must proceed with caution and make sure every step is taken carefully."

"Do not underestimate the enemy, do not act rashly, and do not engage in reckless fighting."

……

Under the same sky, on the waters dozens of miles to the north.

Groups of boats, densely packed together, like migrating birds or schools of fish, sped northward.

Before long, they stopped on a sand island that was much larger than "Night Light Island".

On the island, rows of tents have already been prepared, awaiting their arrival.

Around this sand island, in the waters not too far away, there are several other sand islands, some of which already have many boats moored.

Some are waiting for their return.

That night, Geng Xuan spent a lot of time rewarding those who had done good deeds and bestowing blessings.

Because the number of prisoners was small, and the number of those who were converted was even smaller, it was far from enough to make up for the losses caused by this battle.

The total size of the "Black Wind Army" also decreased from more than 67,300 people before the naval battle to less than 66,000.

However, apart from the high-ranking officers, no one else in the military seemed to have any awareness of this.

Everyone was immersed in the fact that their cultivation level had once again improved by leaps and bounds.

More than half of those who participated this time were absent from the last battle.

Now that their wish has finally come true, they are all so happy that they have no time for any other thoughts.

Based on reports and feedback from others, as well as Geng Xuan's own feelings, a large number of lower and middle-ranking members of the "Black Wind Army" actually had reservations about the current "lazy and leisurely" state.

They couldn't wait for things to return to the way they were before, with constant bloodshed and endless blood rewards.

Geng Xuan paid little attention to these sentiments.

After landing on the sand island called "Lubo Island", he left all the daily affairs to Song Mingzhu and others, and returned to his "leisurely and carefree" state of cultivation.

Not only was he very skilled at this, but Song Mingzhu and others were also used to it.

There's no need to assign anything; everyone knows what to do.

Through continuous refinement, the efficiency of the "Black Wind Army" at all levels has become increasingly higher, and it has become more and more proactive.

……

Geng Xuan was so eager because he could clearly feel that a new step was getting closer and closer to him.

Before reaching this new level, the first to reach the finish line are the two secret arts of "bedroom arts" and "finger-circling arts".

Both have advanced to the perfect level.

Just as he had expected, neither of these two secret arts seemed quite proper, and in the initial stages of learning them, there were too many "strange" operations that relied heavily on skills and experience.

However, once these two secret arts reach the master level, they gradually transcend the level of skills and experience, and are sublimated to the spiritual level.

As the two secret arts continue to improve, progressing from master to grandmaster, and then from grandmaster to perfection, this transformation becomes increasingly "from the surface to the core".

To put it more simply and bluntly, the current Geng Xuan, if he so desires, without any coercion or experience, can transform into a "walking hormone" and easily make his target swoon.

If the target is someone who is inherently love-obsessed, then it's even easier to control them to death.

He didn't even need to take the initiative; a steady stream of "flowers" would flock to him.

In the world of martial arts, that would mean a "womanizer" or "flower-picking prodigy" only appears once every few centuries.

This is also the ultimate form of these two secret techniques.

But for Geng Xuan, this was only the first step in confirming his suspicions.

That's not the ability he truly desires.

"How exactly is it implemented?"

"Increase charm points? Handsomeness points? Charisma appeal? ...Or, to put it more simply, subtly control the target's endocrine system?"

……

That day, Yu Qiuhe came to report to him.

A thought struck Geng Xuan, and while listening attentively to the report, he quietly made a change of mind.

His posture and expression remained unchanged, only his "aura" subtly shifted.

Yu Qiuhe, who was speaking in front of her, suddenly paused for a moment, then continued her explanation with feigned composure.

But only Geng Xuan knew that when she looked at him, her eyes clearly wavered for a moment before becoming unfocused.

Seeing that the effect was too powerful, Geng Xuan immediately stopped and interrupted the spellcasting.

Even so, when Yu Qiuhe left, her legs were noticeably squeezed together.

Beneath her feigned composure, her inner emotions were even more difficult to express to outsiders.

Through this subtle attempt, Geng Xuan obtained the answer he wanted.

"ripple!"

"The ripples of the caster triggered the ripples of the recipient."

"The changes in the ripples, in turn, guided changes in the recipient's body and mindset." (End of Chapter)