Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 127 Magellan: Let's save one first and see how strong we are.

Before Wang Cheng could even find an opportunity to try to contact Captain Magellan...

The lantern maker, who had failed in his first attempt but was unwilling to retreat, charged forward once more on his dragon lantern, hands clasped together, chanting an incantation:

"Nine Palaces conceal me, Yin and Yang govern me, Five Elements support me, Four Seasons complete me, Om Hum Chicha. With disheveled hair, each transforms into its true form. Hasten, hasten, as the law commands!"

The palms of his hands shone with a light, one green and one red, one yin and one yang, enveloping the entire dragon lantern beneath him.

Wang Cheng and Luo Wenlong, who were not far from him, both changed their expressions upon seeing this, and were slightly alarmed:

"This is an innate extraordinary phenomenon called the Yin-Yang Hand!"

"To be old and not die is to be a thief. This old man who is obsessed with immortality actually has a trump card. Indeed, one should not underestimate the heroes of the world."

There are many kinds of innate extraordinary phenomena in this world, each representing an extraordinary birth, possessing extremely special talents and destiny, mysterious and profound, far beyond the reach of one or two unique skills.

For example, double pupils, arms that reach past the knees, eagle-like eyes and wolf-like gaze, ears that reach the shoulders, heterochromatic eyes, and square anus are all characteristics of famous eccentric people in history, and none of them are simple characters.

Compared to these rare innate features that only appear once every few centuries, various special palm lines are frequently seen.

The book of physiognomy says: "If you can understand the principles of Yin and Yang, you can hold the world in the palm of your hand."

The hands are divided into Yin and Yang, with the left hand being Yang and the right hand being Yin; the back of the hand and the palm are also divided into Yin and Yang, with the back of the hand being Yang and the palm being Yin; fingerprints are also divided into Yin and Yang, with whorls being Yang and loops being Yin.

The so-called innate extraordinary feature, the "Yin-Yang Hands," refers to having five whorls on the right hand and five loops on the left.

This type of anomaly is relatively common and quite practical.

After all, mountains are yang and water is yin, and all officials traveling between mountains and seas inevitably have to deal with yin spirits and evil spirits.

With one hand opening the Yang Gate and the other the Yin Gate, it provides a bonus effect to all kinds of unique skills and techniques related to Yin and Yang.

Therefore, many official positions and ranks are accompanied by special skills, and some are even prerequisites for certain esoteric arts. Without these skills, one can never learn them.

People with this extraordinary ability are actually more favored by certain special lineages than those with less common but powerful extraordinary abilities.

At this moment, the exceptionally skilled lantern maker formed a yin-yang seal with both hands and slammed them onto the dragon lantern's forehead, then lit an incense stick and placed it on top.

Boom!

With a thunderous roar, the dragon lantern suddenly opened its golden, gleaming eyes, its flames blazing brightly, and its entire body radiating intense heat, as if it had transformed into a fire dragon.

Then, raising its head high, it spewed a line of golden-red flames at the inconvenient Magellan.

"drink!"

Magellan roared, and a burly knight phantom clad in full heavy armor leaped out from behind him, his chest gleaming with a blue cross of holy light.

The blue cross is the emblem of Saint Vincent, the patron saint of Severnsis, who is the guardian of Lisbon and also the guardian of navigation.

Magellan and the knight's phantom simultaneously swung their swords, cleaving the fiery current that lunged at them in two.

Unlike the dozens of tributary states within the Chinese cultural sphere that were predominantly polytheistic, the Western countries clearly possessed a different theological and professional system.

This Severan navigator, born into a family of knights, possesses the theological profession of Tide Knight, protected by his patron saint, Saint Vincent!
After becoming part of the elixir of immortality and the warship, its power increased even more than it had in life.

The fiery currents that Magellan had severed surged to both sides, inevitably affecting the enormous immortal herb.

Countless vines immediately swept over, and what could have easily devoured the powerful techniques of the Cloud Mist Ghost Master was now countered by one thing and quickly turned into charcoal in the flames.

"squeak--!"

This provoked a sharp screech from deep within the ship's hold, and dozens of small gyratory cannons, which were built into the wood on the fore and stern, immediately pointed towards the sky.

The gyrocopter, capable of firing quarter-pound iron balls and stone pellets, fired together into the sky.

Like the Consepson in Lu Yunchen and Wang Cheng's hands, the shells on this ship also came to life, and the fire lines that automatically corrected their trajectories wove together an impenetrable net.

However, the range of aerial fire is greatly reduced compared to horizontal fire. The Lantern Craftsman, riding a dragon lantern engulfed in flames, quickly ascended, weaving and dodging through the air.

It roamed around looking for opportunities, occasionally spewing out streams of flame to ignite the warship.

But it's clear to anyone with eyes that even with the formidable Yunmeng fleet at their side, the Lantern Craftsman would have a hard time gaining an advantage against a national treasure-level sailing warship.

However, at this moment, Luo Wenlong, the man in the painting who saw the opportunity, also arrived on a crane.

Seizing the opportunity, he pulled out a scroll painting, "One Hundred Birds," from his sleeve.

Countless thrushes, magpies, swallows, sparrows, kingfishers, larks, and red-crowned cranes flew out from inside with a "whoosh".

They wanted to take advantage of the conflict between the snipe and the clam to pluck a few "liver flowers" from the tree.

"Retroceder!"

This time, not only were there countless vines on the trees blocking their way, but the dozens of crew members who were originally serving on the ship also emerged from the bushes.

From the first mate, boatswain, rigging officer, gunnery officer, to the most basic gunners and sailors, they all formed a symbiotic relationship with the elixir of immortality and the Trinidad. Like Captain Magellan, they all had a vine connecting them to a large tree at the back of their necks, and their bodies grew many plant-like features, resembling dozens of "ginseng fruits" hanging on a tree.

They also retain their own consciousness, but just by looking at their resistant eyes, you can tell they are not satisfied with this job.

Driven by the elixir of immortality, he was forced to wield the same musket and crossbow that had also come back to life to block the attack of the "Hundred Birds".

Whenever danger arises, the vines on the back of the sailors' necks twitch, forcibly compelling them to protect the "liver flower" with their own flesh and blood, just like a group of "evil spirits" controlled by the elixir of immortality.

Even if someone tries their best to resist, they are completely powerless to change their situation.

No, some people can do it!
Magellan only made his first move, then stood on a tree branch, his hand on the hilt of his sword, without moving.

Even though the vines on the back of his neck trembled more violently than anyone else's, his green eyes remained as cold and hard as knives, resisting the will of the elixir of immortality.

Clearly, a person who can do what no one has done before, persist in his ideals, persuade foreign kings, organize ocean fleets, evade assassination attempts by his own king, overcome various difficulties, and spend three years completing a circumnavigation of the globe must have an unwavering will, regardless of his character!
This willpower would rank among the best of all the heroes of the world in this era.

The obsession with "freedom" and the control of the elixir of immortality clashed fiercely, and this happened countless times every day during this period.

In fact, the elixir of immortality and the resurrected warships themselves are not very intelligent, and most of the time they hunt by instinct.

As long as Magellan can fulfill his responsibilities as captain and do his best to satisfy the elixir of immortality's appetite, the elixir of immortality will not concern itself with anything else.

Unfortunately, Magellan, the Tide Rider, was unwilling to stay on the ship and be a "gardener" for a tree. His futile resistance was the last stubborn act of this great navigator.

His cold, hard gaze betrayed an undeniable weariness.
“Great Saint Vincent, my journey as a navigator has come to an end.”

The ship and the demonic vegetation are growing stronger and stronger, and I don't know how much longer I can hold on.

I know my body has been controlled by demons and is no longer pure; I only beg you to redeem my and my crew's free spirits.

"Huh? Wait, who are you people? How did you sneak onto the ship?"

I glanced down unintentionally.

He was taken aback to find two exquisitely beautiful children staring at him curiously.

One was dressed in green, and the other in purple. They seemed very interested in his "ginseng fruit" appearance and even reached out their little hands to touch the long vine behind his head.

The gentle breeze and the rumbling thunder are essentially wind and thunder, neither human nor ghost, nor evil spirit, and are not on the menu of the Five Temples Gods' Hidden Flowers.

If you don't actively reveal your attack intentions, you won't provoke the elixir of immortality's counterattack.

"what--!"

Just then, the weakest of the dozens of "ginseng fruits" was pecked through the thigh by a crane and fell from the treetop with a wail.

When he was alive, he was just an ordinary person, and his goods were worth only 100 incense money.

Upon hearing Magellan's question, Qingfeng took out a hundred incense coins, which had already been corrupted by the [Golden Evil Lord], and threw them at the crew member.

Effect: "By lending someone an excessive amount of wealth in advance, the person is forcibly transformed into a slave to money, and the rest of their life is spent struggling to repay the loan."

They are to be slaves for ten, twenty, thirty years, until death, never daring to rest, catch their breath, or think. No matter how much they are exploited, they will not leave.

The moment the latter became a "slave to money".

His soul, body, will, and freedom had all become the property of the "debt collector," and he could no longer resist any of the debt collector's demands.

At the same time, Wang Cheng took over her consciousness, and her eyes changed accordingly.

Wang Cheng stretched his neck, and following the noble etiquette of the Francois, gracefully bowed to Magellan and said in standard West Francois:
"Captain Magellan, good day! Actually, who we are doesn't matter at all. What matters is that I know what you want."

Captain, how about we make a deal?
I am willing to offer an irresistible offer for the elixir of immortality to 'redeem' your soul from its grasp.

As for what you need to give in return, it's very simple: while you serve on this ship, you must grant me three small wishes.

A scrutinizing gaze seemed to pass through the crew members and land on Wang Cheng. Magellan didn't waste any words, answering with just one word:

"it is good."

Wang Cheng was taken aback, not expecting this great navigator to be so easy to talk to.

Feeling that his price was too low, he tentatively continued:
"My first wish is to have three more wishes?"

This time, Magellan agreed just as readily, but also made a request as if it were perfectly natural:
"If you can save the 52 crew members, including me, I can grant you ten wishes without having to fight the demonic plant's feeding desires."

but! "

Looking at Wang Cheng with the same eyes one would use to look at a fraudster, he said, word by word:

"Let's save one first and see how we're doing."

(End of this chapter)