Strongest Lord by Opening Blind Boxes

Chapter 64: Two Left

The Floating Mountain soared past Black Cliff, descending rapidly to hug the Iron Chain Cliff Wall.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Feathered arrows shot toward the cliff wall, and screams immediately rang out. Many Mountain Bandits sliding down the iron chains were shot dead, plummeting like stones.

As a bandit leader, Liao Siniang was marked with a blue light by the system and naturally became a priority target. Man Datou and the others had already loosed their Bamboo Section Arrows at her.

But Liao Siniang was no ordinary woman. Man Datou and his men were masters of the Hundred-step Piercing Willow, their aim impeccable, yet her arm darted out like a Spiritual Snake. With a deft twist, she seemed to catch the incoming Bamboo Section Arrows, and with a flick of her wrist, sent them clattering against the nearby cliff face.

Liao Siniang seized the opportunity to descend rapidly. Her movements were agile, her form slick and evasive. After dodging two more Bamboo Section Arrows, she landed, sprinted for the docks, and quickly boarded a wooden boat.

Mountain Bandits were waiting on the boat to receive her. They quickly raised the sail and set out onto the Li River.

’Escaping by boat?’

Liao Siniang was Wang Yi’s target; he had no intention of letting her escape. Still in the cockpit of Prototype No. 1, he piloted the Floating Mountain in pursuit of her boat. Unleashing another Mount Tai Pressing Down, he smashed her vessel—and three others nearby—straight into the water.

As the Floating Mountain rose into the air again, it kicked up enormous, splashing waves. The wreckage of the boats bobbed to the surface, most of the Mountain Bandits aboard them already dead or grievously injured.

Wang Yi didn’t receive a kill notification for Liao Siniang. He gazed down at the murky water, knowing she must have a Diving skill and had submerged herself.

’This leader is certainly slippery, but it won’t be so easy for her to get away with her life!’

Wang Yi had no intention of letting Liao Siniang go. He had the Floating Mountain patrol over the river, ordering Man Datou to watch the water closely. Any Mountain Bandit who surfaced was to be shot on sight.

A moment later, Pang Damao exclaimed, "I’ve found the female bandit leader!"

On the river’s surface, Liao Siniang had just broken through to gasp for air. Before she could take more than a breath, a Bamboo Section Arrow shot toward her. Her luck had run out. The arrow pierced her right shoulder, and the Fire Dragon Oil exploded, tearing away a chunk of her flesh.

"Aargh!"

Liao Siniang roared in pain as her blood instantly stained the river red around her. Gritting her teeth, she dived back beneath the surface.

"I hit her! She won’t get away!"

Pang Damao yelled excitedly.

Wang Yi was just as ruthless. He piloted the Floating Mountain straight down toward the spot where Liao Siniang had submerged. The hundred-meter-tall hill crashed into the Li River with a deafening roar.

The Li River was wide and deep; here, the channel was nearly a hundred meters across and dozens of meters deep. The Floating Mountain continued its descent, nearly bisecting the river and sending waves surging over ten meters high. With a final BOOM, another massive wave erupted as the mountain’s base slammed into the riverbed. The entire Floating Mountain shuddered violently. Durability decreased by 3 points!

The peak of the Floating Mountain was now less than ten meters above the water’s surface.

"This river is damn deep!" Wang Yi exclaimed. ’If Liao Siniang somehow survives a wide-area attack like that,’ he thought, ’she’ll be one lucky woman.’

But he still hadn’t received the system notification of her death.

Up on the peak, however, Pang Damao was so excited that he slipped. He stumbled off the winding path, tumbled a few times, and flew right off the side of the mountain, landing in the Li River with a loud SPLASH.

Seeing this, Yang Qingniu spat on the ground. "What did I tell you? More trouble than he’s worth!"

Yang Wanli quickly shouted, "Save him! He can’t swim!"

"He can’t swim?" Wang Yi frowned. ’I remember the Talent Assessment Machine identified Pang Damao as an excellent swimmer. Is it possible for someone with excellent swimming aptitude to have never actually learned how?’

Wang Yi opened the cockpit door of Prototype No. 1 and yelled to the nearby Hardworking Turtles, "Hardworking Turtles, in the water! Rescue him!"

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH!

The five Hardworking Turtles were obedient, immediately leaping into the water to rescue Pang Damao.

A moment later, one of the Hardworking Turtles brought Pang Damao back up. His face was pale and his lips were purple, but he was still gripping someone’s neck in a death grip.

The person in his grasp was none other than Liao Siniang, who had already passed out.

Yang Qingniu fired a Bamboo Section Arrow, Piercing through Liao Siniang’s forehead. Pang Damao’s grip loosened, and her body slid back into the river, tumbled in the waves, and quickly vanished.

"Ding! You have slain Black Mountain Stronghold’s Water Hall Master, Liao Siniang. You have received 10 Gold Coins and one [Diving] Skill Book!"

Wang Yi felt a sense of relief upon hearing the system notification.

’So Pang Damao really does have an aptitude for the water. He even managed to catch Liao Siniang. It seems the Talent Assessment Machine’s results were correct after all... Another leader down, which means there are only two left!’

Wang Yi glanced at the river’s surface, then back toward Black Cliff.

The cliffs were now engulfed in flames that soared toward the sky. Black Mountain Stronghold was doomed to become a smoldering ruin.

"The battle isn’t over! Pull Pang Damao back up! We’re continuing the hunt for the Mountain Bandits!"

At Wang Yi’s command, the Floating Mountain rose into the air once more. Wang Yi had no time to deal with the small fry; his gaze swept the area, searching for Black Mountain Stronghold’s Big Boss, Rolling Python, and the Wind Hall Master, Yuan Hei.

Only after eliminating these two bandit leaders would his mission be truly complete!

After nearly half an hour of searching, Wang Yi finally spotted Wind Hall Master Yuan Hei halfway up Black Stone Mountain.

The man had somehow found a horse and was trying to ride it down the mountain to escape.

Wang Yi gave chase with the Floating Mountain, pursuing him from the mountainside to the foot of the mountain, and then for another couple of miles before finally killing him.

This Wind Hall Master possessed a Lightweight Skill and an agile Body Technique, but he stood no chance of escape when faced with the sniping of the Divine Archers.

Upon killing him, Wang Yi once again received 10 Gold Coins and a [Night Travel Technique] Skill Book.

’Now, only the Big Boss, Rolling Python Luo Jiu, is left! I wonder where he could be.’

Wang Yi looked back at Black Stone Mountain, his expression grim. "Search the mountain!" he commanded.

...

On the far side of Black Stone Mountain, there was a hidden cave filled with vast amounts of gold, silver, and other treasures. A secret passage was also connected to it.

Rolling Python Luo Jiu and four of his trusted confidants were currently hiding inside this very cave.

This cave was the Black Mountain Stronghold’s treasury, its location known only to Luo Jiu, Master Xu Lei, and a few of Luo Jiu’s inner circle. Not even the other Hall Masters knew of its existence.

’Damn it all! What kind of Divine Being is this? To think they could use Moving Mountains to destroy my stronghold!’

Luo Jiu was furious and frantic, his heart filled with bitter resentment. Black Mountain Stronghold had occupied Black Stone Mountain for over twenty years. He had even established connections with many officials, allowing him to operate freely on both sides of the law. He had thought the stronghold would only grow stronger, never imagining that a disaster would literally fall from the sky.

’I wonder what’s happening outside... They destroyed my stronghold. This is a blood feud. They’d better pray I never get an opportunity for revenge, or I’ll cut them down, even if they are a Divine Being!’

Luo Jiu cursed a few more times before turning his thoughts to his next move.

For security, his treasure vault had only a single secret passage for entry and exit. As long as the attackers remained, he didn’t dare leave.

But with no food or water in the vault, it wasn’t a place he could hide for long.