Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 556 Embers of the Sunshot
evening.

The salty sea breeze, carrying the broken waves, bathed Hualong Island in a hazy amber hue at dusk.

Liang Jin stood on the edge of the cliff, his imposing figure, over two meters tall, resembling a black sculpture in the twilight.

A hundred meters below, jagged reefs, like ferocious beast teeth, greedily devoured the surging waves. Each impact produced a deafening roar, and white spray exploded among the reefs before being quickly swallowed by the dark seawater.

He held a large bow in his hand.

The bow appears to be cast in metal, yet it reveals a warm, jade-like texture. When sunlight shines through it, it seems as if thousands of stars are slowly rotating inside, shimmering with light and color, and faintly tinged with a deep blue like the ocean.

This divine weapon, nearly half the size of an ordinary war bow, seemed perfectly suited to Liang Jin's hands, as if it were tailor-made for his imposing physique.

Even when a giant like Liang Jin, who is over two meters tall, holds it, it doesn't look out of place.

This bow was the Jade Shadow Bow that Yu Linglong gave him.

However, Liang Jin's gaze did not linger on the beautiful scenery before him.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. A transparent intelligence panel, visible only to himself, floated in the center of his field of vision, gleaming with a faint blue light. The text on it slowly emerged like flowing water:
[Complete sect missions today: 3]

[Amount of information available: 3]

[Intelligence 1: The Tan family of Dongzhou, relying on the power of the elders of Hualong Island, has been arrogant and domineering in Dongzhou City. However, they have inadvertently offended Dugu Hen, one of the Ten Great Evils of the martial arts world, also known as the "Blood Bodhisattva." Dugu Hen will slaughter the entire Tan family tomorrow night. If you can prevent this massacre, you will surely gain the gratitude of the Tan family and a small amount of appreciation and suspicion from Elder Li Xueqing of the Hualong Sect.]

[Intelligence 2: Zheng Jiaogu, one of the Ten Great Evils of the Martial World, nicknamed "Raging Wave Yama," has sent an envoy to Hualongmen to discuss the attack on Dongzhou. The envoy will also pay tribute to the new sect and present gifts. The envoy will arrive at Hualong Island in three days.]

[Intelligence 3: The ugly woman from the fishing village on the west side of Dongshi Island diligently trains in the underwater cave every day, hoping that one day she will be able to master her skills and come to see you in person.]

Liang Jin looked at the intelligence reports thoughtfully.

The first piece of intelligence is undoubtedly good news.

The Tan family are Li Xueqing's relatives.

Li Xueqing never married or had children in her life. She treated the nephews and nephews of the Tan family as her own children and the Tan family as her own family. She was the one who made the decisions on everything in the Tan family.

Even within the Hualongmen sect, there were many members of the Tan family.

Especially when Liang Jin first came to Hualongmen, a man named Tan Jian provoked Liang Jin, and in the end, Tan Jian's cultivation was crippled and he was expelled from the sect.

After Liang Jin seized power, he used cruel methods to eliminate the Tan family members in the Hualongmen sect, forcing all Tan family members to leave the sect and have their cultivation crippled.

Now that the Tan family is doomed, Liang Jin is overjoyed, so why would he possibly go to save them?
As for the Ten Great Villains of the Martial World, Liang Jin had also heard of them.

The so-called "Ten Great Villains" are not defined by their martial arts skills, but rather by their wickedness and longevity.

Many evildoers, before they even had a chance to make a name for themselves, were already wiped out by reputable sects or the imperial court's Six Doors (a powerful government agency).

Only those who commit numerous evils and manage to escape are worthy of being listed among the Ten Great Evils.

What Liang Jin heard most often in the Hualongmen was Zheng Jiaogu, the "Angry Wave Yama," one of the ten villains mentioned in the second intelligence report.

This guy is also the longest-lived of the Ten Great Villains.

Zheng Jiaogu's name is legendary in the East China Sea. He was the biggest pirate captain in the East China Sea, and he had been burning, killing, and plundering at sea since the previous dynasty.

Later, the Great Yu Dynasty was destroyed, and the crown prince of Great Yu fled to Hualongmen, where he organized forces from all sides to prepare to reclaim the country.

Seeing the potential for profit, Zheng Jiaogu came to join him and was appointed as a naval general by the Crown Prince of Dayu.

Unfortunately, as the Daqian regime gradually stabilized, the restoration of Dayu became increasingly hopeless, especially after the Dayu crown prince passed away in grief and indignation.

Zheng Jiaogu then began to outwardly comply with Hualongmen's orders but inwardly defy them, no longer obeying their commands, and instead continuing to be the overlord of the sea.

Now, Zheng Jiaogu actually wants to pay tribute again and discuss attacking Dongzhou.

Clearly, he was aware of the internal and external troubles facing the Great Qian Dynasty and the weak defenses of Dongzhou, and wanted to use the power of the Hualongmen to make a fortune.

As for the third piece of information, it left Liang Jin completely bewildered.

Who is the ugly woman?

"What does she want to see me for?"

Puzzled, Liang Jin kept flipping through the information on the intelligence panel, until he finally found the information about the ugly woman when he had just obtained this clone a long time ago.

It turns out that when the ugly woman was about to commit suicide, Liang Jin took pity on her and ordered one of his spies to save her.

It's no wonder he couldn't remember this ugly woman; firstly, it was too early, and secondly, the two had never met before.

However, Liang Jin did not take the matter to heart.

However, if two strangers meet again in the future, it is fate; but if they never meet in their lives, that is also normal.

After reviewing the intelligence, Liang Jincai realized that the setting sun had finally sunk completely into the sea, and the last rays of light were slowly swallowed by darkness.

It won't be long before it's completely dark.

"I've been standing here with my bow for ages. If I go back without practicing my archery, people will think I'm crazy."

Liang Jin flicked his wrist, and an arrow appeared in his palm.

He drew the Jade Shadow Bow to its full extent, like a full moon.

At this moment, Liang Jin narrowed his eyes, his gaze locking onto the distant darkness like that of a hawk.

His hand holding the bow remained motionless as he sensed the airflow around him, even holding his breath.

Then he suddenly let go.

The arrow vanished into the distant darkness in an instant, without a sound.

The sound of the bowstring was about to ring out.

Almost at the same time, another arrow appeared in Liang Jin's hand, and he instantly drew the bowstring taut again.

Another arrow shot out!
Then another arrow was fired, and then another.

In the end, seven arrows were fired in quick succession, almost in an instant.

Seven white-feathered arrows drew seven graceful arcs in the air, like the Big Dipper twinkling in the night sky, flying toward the same target at tricky angles.

"Boom!!!"

Only then could the sound of the bowstring be heard.

This is the archery technique "Seven Stars Chasing the Moon Arrow" that Liang Jin obtained from Li Rong in Changzhou.

At this time.

It had gotten dark very quickly.

The night sky resembled a giant black pot, upside down on the surface of the sea.

Liang Jin stared into the distance.

He flicked his wrist, and an arrow appeared in his palm.

This time, however, instead of feathered arrows, iron arrows appeared!

The iron arrow not only had an iron shoulder, but also an iron shaft, and it was longer and thicker than ordinary wooden arrows.

The arrow shaft was thick and heavy, and the arrowhead was as sharp as a blade, gleaming with a cold metallic luster in the night, making it look more like a short spear.

These are spears and arrows.

Only bows large and strong enough like the Jade Shadow Bow can use this type of spear arrow.

Liang Jin nocked an arrow and aimed it at the distance.

next moment.

Liang Jin's aura surged, and he channeled his inner strength into the iron arrow.

"boom!"

A ball of flame suddenly rose from the iron arrow.

Surprisingly, the flames evenly enveloped the iron arrow, yet eerily did not scorch the bowstring in the slightest.

Liang Jin's eyes sharpened, and he took a deep breath.

He suddenly let go!
"Bang!!!"

The sound of the bowstring was like a loud bang.

With a loud bang, the burning iron arrow, like a falling meteor, streaked across the night sky with overwhelming force.

"boom!!!"

As the iron arrow fell, it exploded into a huge splash on the sea, and the flames turned the nearby sea surface crimson.

This is another type of archery.

When Yu Linglong gave Liang Jin the Jade Shadow Bow, she promised to also give him a level-one archery technique.

Later, she did keep her promise and gave Liang Jin a copy of "The Ashes of the Sunshot".

That is why Liang Jin was able to master two archery styles that were completely different.

"Seven Stars Chasing the Moon Arrow" is a profound-level archery technique that emphasizes the two characteristics of "concealment" and "accuracy." Simply put, it aims to kill silently and precisely, hitting a person's vital points with a single arrow.

The style of the Earth-level archery technique "Sunshot Ashes" is completely different. It emphasizes "madness" and "fierceness". When an arrow is shot out, the shaft of the arrow is set ablaze and can burn all the grass and trees within a hundred paces. It does not care about concealment or being low-key at all.

However, its power is extremely fierce. Even if an arrow fails to hit a person's vital points, it can still kill them through an explosion caused by the powerful internal force contained within the arrow.

However, this kind of archery technique also consumes a great deal of internal energy.

It is said that the person who created this archery technique, after mastering it to the ninth level of perfection, could only shoot nine arrows continuously with all his might.

After shooting nine arrows, one's internal energy is depleted, and one can only continue after replenishing one's internal energy.

Liang Jin can now fire six arrows in succession.

He drew his iron arrow, ready to shoot again.

suddenly!

He seemed to sense something and stopped.

at the same time.

A cold, clear voice suddenly came from behind:
"It seems you truly have been practicing diligently day and night. You've already mastered the 'Embers of the Sunshot' that I bestowed upon you." Liang Jin hurriedly bowed to the person behind him, his movements fluid and graceful.
"Disciple greets the Sect Master!"

The person who came was none other than Yu Linglong.

Yu Linglong, dressed in a moon-white gauze dress, emerged gracefully from the shadows, like the bright moon in the night sky.

Her every step was as light as a feather, yet she possessed an innate majesty. The sea breeze brushed through her hair, sending a delicate fragrance into Liang Jin's nostrils.

Yu Linglong possessed exceptional lightness skills; she was the only one on the entire Hualong Island who could approach Liang Jin silently.

Liang Jin clearly did not intend to discuss his martial arts training speed too much; he did not want people to know that his training speed, which was dozens of times faster than that of ordinary people, was known.

So he changed the subject and asked:

"Sect Master, are we going out to sea again tonight?"

Liang Jin assumed that Yu Linglong had come to see him because she wanted to go play on land again.

But who knows.

Yu Linglong shook her head slightly:

"I'm not going tonight, I need to get some rest."

"I've come to you now to tell you that your proposal has been approved."

"Starting tomorrow, the Hualong Sect will prepare to enter Dongzhou and take complete control of it."

"And the elders and I will no longer stay on Dragon Transformation Island, but will regularly go to the mainland for inspection."

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin raised his head.

Sure enough, a barely perceptible smile appeared on Yu Linglong's lips, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

However, Liang Jin knew that he should not focus on the whole matter, but on the sect leader.

He looked up, his expression one of perfect satisfaction:
"Congratulations, Sect Master! This will surely be an important step for the Dragon Transformation Sect to accomplish its great cause."

Then, as if casually asking:
"Sect Master, how often can you go to the mainland?"

Yu Linglong replied:
"The tentative schedule is once every six months, and each session shall not exceed three days."

"I'll prepare for a few days, and soon I'll be exercising my right to go on land for the first time."

Yu Linglong's tone carried a hint of expectation, but also a touch of helplessness.

This timeframe is clearly too tight, but it represents a significant breakthrough for Yu Linglong's life.

She can not only travel to the land openly and legitimately, but also stay for a full three days.

Not long ago, she could only sneak back with Liang Jin's help, and could only stay until midnight at most.

Liang Jin smiled and said:

"Don't worry, Sect Master. With your disciple here, we can definitely give you more opportunities to stay on land."

Yu Linglong was quite satisfied with Liang Jin's answer.

However, she still said:
"I know the elders are worried about my safety. After all, turmoil is brewing on land, and things will get very chaotic."

"By the way, Elder Li deserves a lot of credit for your proposal being approved."

"From now on, she will be in charge of land affairs with you. I hope that you and she can put aside your past grievances and work together for the sect."

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin's eyes flickered.

How can we help him and Li Xueqing reconcile?

What a joke! How could that be!

Yu Linglong was just saying it casually. She knew that Liang Jin and Li Xueqing had a deep grudge, so she did not force Liang Jin to accept it.

She still needs Liang Jin to bring down Hualongmen.

If Liang Jin and the elders were united and harmonious, she would rather not see this outcome.

Her gaze fell on the jade shadow bow in Liang Jin's hand, and she said meaningfully:

"This Jade Shadow Bow and the 'Sun-Shooting Ashes' are just the beginning."

"Xiong Ba, as long as you are loyal to our sect, you will receive even more rewards in the future."

Liang Jin bowed respectfully, expressing his gratitude repeatedly.

But he suddenly said:

"This disciple truly desires something; I wonder if the sect leader would be able to grant it?"

Yu Linglong was somewhat surprised to hear this.

"Oh?"

She drew out the sound, looking at Liang Jin with amusement:

"what do you want?"

This was the first time Liang Jin had ever asked her for a reward, and she was very curious to know what he wanted.

Liang Jin replied:
"I have heard that purple soul jade is very powerful. If one could have purple soul jade for self-defense, then one could resist most dangers."

"Therefore, this disciple humbly requests... that the sect leader grant this disciple a piece of purple soul jade?"

A while ago, Liang Jin's clone in the Green Robe Tower encountered two experts who used purple soul jade.

If it were just a piece of purple soul jade, he naturally wouldn't be afraid.

But in the last instance, Liang Jin faced attacks from two purple soul jades simultaneously, and was also ambushed by a second-rank expert like the Demon Slayer King.

This put Liang Jin in a real threat and even caused him serious injury.

Therefore, Liang Jin was even more interested in the Soul Jade.

If he could also possess a purple soul jade, then when he faced the same predicament again, he would be able to deal with it with ease.

Yu Linglong raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, before she chuckled softly:

"You are my chief disciple. If I were to only reward you with a purple soul jade, people would inevitably laugh at me for being stingy."

"Alright then, you should arrange the Dragon Transformation Sect's advance into the land these next few days, and then I'll have a reason to reward you."

"At that time, I will reward you with a piece of golden soul jade."

Liang Jin was overjoyed upon hearing this.

He knew that Yu Linglong was a rich woman who was generous and lavish.

From Yu Linglong, Liang Jin had already obtained two local-level secret manuals, a disguise technique, and a divine weapon, not to mention countless other small rewards.

The fact that he now had the chance to obtain the Golden Soul Jade was a pleasant surprise for Liang Jin.

You see, he'd been wanting to buy a purple soul jade to play with for a while, but he hadn't been able to get one.

But the rich woman in front of him immediately offered a higher-grade golden soul jade.

All this hard work and effort is definitely not as easy as marrying a rich woman.

"Thank you, Master!"

Liang Jin hurriedly thanked him, and then he added:
"By the way, Sect Master, I have received intelligence that Zheng Jiaogu, the 'Raging Wave Yama,' has sent an envoy to pay homage."

"Based on their route, they should be able to reach Hualong Island in about three days."

Since the rich woman was so generous, Liang Jin naturally didn't hold back and immediately revealed the valuable information he had just obtained.

Yu Linglong was slightly surprised upon hearing this:

"Zheng Jiaogu? That pirate captain?"

"You actually managed to plant a spy among him. It seems you take your duty quite seriously."

Then her beautiful face turned cold, and she couldn't help but let out a cold snort:
“Since I took over as sect leader, he has never come to pay homage to me, which clearly shows that he does not take me seriously.”

"Now that they've sent someone here, they probably want to use the power of my Dragon Transformation Sect to help them attack Dongzhou."

The Hualong Sect never took Zheng Jiaogu and his gang of pirates seriously.

If this were on land, Yu Linglong would have already sent people to confront Zheng Jiaogu for his disrespect towards his sovereign.

On this vast ocean, it's not impossible for the Dragon Transformation Sect to deal with Zheng Jiaogu, but it would be extremely troublesome and would require paying a heavy price.

Although the Hualongmen navy could defeat Zheng Jiao's pirates head-on, annihilating them would not be easy.

In the vast ocean, islands are as numerous as stars, making it difficult to find the pirates' lair.

The Hualongmen navy's goal was always to counterattack the land, and they had no time to deal with these pirates.

As long as the pirates don't provoke the Hualong Sect, the Hualong Sect won't bother with them.

This resulted in the two sides being nominally ruler and subject, but in reality, they were each governing their own affairs, yet they never truly broke off relations.

Liang Jin bowed and asked:

"Sect Leader, shall we receive them?"

Yu Linglong waved her hand and said:
"You can handle this matter entirely."

Clearly, such a trivial matter was not worth her attention.

After she finished speaking, she turned and left, her skirt sweeping across the ground, leaving behind a faint fragrance.

Liang Jin watched Yu Linglong's departing figure, a hint of fighting spirit surging in his eyes:
Just how powerful is this Jade Linglong?

"I've always felt that she's stronger than the Demon Slayer King, but now I feel more and more that she's even stronger than the Sorrowful Joy?"

"This doesn't make sense..."

"Am I really able to defeat her?"

(End of this chapter)