The points battle was forced to halt.
Faced with the storm, the petty human skirmishes were insignificant.
In a dark corner of the cabin, the peculiar face of the Nail Man gradually emerged, as his eyes opened and searched around for a certain figure.
Because too much Sense was consumed, he rested for a while, but upon turning around, he lost his big brother...
Illumi couldn't find Roy in the captain's cabin, his vacant eyes glancing outside, without a moment's hesitation...
He revealed his Hand Blade and fiercely scratched the deck; amidst the puzzled and amazed gazes, he dived down, reappearing by Wutong's feet, breaking open the deck, silently gazing at the storm ahead.
"Lord Illumi?" Wutong was startled, almost stepping on him, luckily his sharp eyes saved the day, otherwise today would be remembered as his death anniversary next year.
"Whoa~" The wind tightened, the sea waves surged, and the "Sea God" groaned with creaks....
Roy danced against the storm, as if carrying a mountain on his back, every slash was exhausting, far beyond the petty fuss of a waterfall.
"Form Four: Tide of Blows... Form Five: Merciful Rain of Heaven... Form Six: Twisting Whirlpool..."
Sea water gathered at his sword tip, forming pillars of water, continuously resisting the storm's erosion, occasionally glinting knife light... blooming with dazzling radiance in this dark, unique environment....
Even through the window, it could be seen.
"Where did that knife light come from?" Just moments after stepping into the cabin, Yuusuke and Kate charged out again, climbing to the top of the cabin, fixed their gaze on the youth wielding a sword against the storm, fearless... truly shocking!
"Is that still human?"
"He practices his sword like this all the time..."
Yuusuke's mouth gaped wide, Kate silently gripped the Samurai Sword.
He once listened to Ging's teachings, distinctly remembering him saying: "Humans are products of nature, no matter how strong, challenging nature's power is difficult,"
"A flood... a drought... a wildfire... an earthquake... all bring unimaginable disasters to humanity."
"Thus, humans should respect nature, abandoning thoughts of conquering it, only then can they accurately find their position in the world...."
But... Master, there are always those stubborn ones who won't give up....
Kate's gaze intensely locked onto Roy, couldn't help but wonder, if he had heard Ging's words at that time, would he have been derisive?
The knife light linked water flow, constantly crashing against the storm, heavy rain hitting people's bodies leaving marks and welts, especially Roy, who was always on the storm's edge...
The youth's stamina was quickly declining, his breathing gradually heavy, lifting the sword with difficulty, each slash heavier,
but his spirit was high, his eyes bright as two suns,
his mouth unconsciously moving, murmuring softly: "Almost... just a little more..."
Accompanied by... "Form Seven: Ripple Piercing... Form Eight: Cascade Basin... Form Nine: Water Flow Spray..."
One after another unfolded,
faintly feeling as if he grasped something, tightly clenched, letting the inspiration slip from his fingertips....
Unwilling, he took up the sword again, "Water Breathing·Tenth Form·Ever-flowing Stream," drawing water locally, releasing a roaring water dragon toward the skies!
"Roar~" the boundless clouds stirred by the dragon, breaking an opening...
A ray of sunlight penetrated, the red sun emerged from the sea horizon, half above, half below, mirrored existence, dazzling the morning glow, shining on Roy's face, the youth's lips slightly curled: "Got it."
His hand loosened, letting the Staff Blade drop vertically to pierce the sea, at the moment the sword tip touched the seawater... ripples spread from his center...
In the blink of an eye, radiating outward... everything halted where it touched, as if paused, losing the ability to move....
["Water Breathing·Eleventh Form·Illusory Sword·Water Mirror Sun Blaze"]
"Buzz...."
The wind and rain stopped, the wobbling "Sea God" fell silent as the ripples swept across.
Wutong and Illumi on the bow, Yuusuke and Kate on the cabin top, the shocked old captain Maxim on the deck, as well as Kurajing, the Bandage Man, the Snakekeeper, Sakamato Days, even the mice hiding in the bottom storage, all froze in this moment!
They felt the world flicker before them, then losing all colors, only a sun and sea mirror remained, reluctant to leave.
[Note: "Illusory Sword·Water Mirror Sun Blaze," inspired by the host observing water and sun fusion, self-created illusion field. A sword strike can paralyze opponents for 0.1 seconds, causing them to fall into the "Sea Sun" illusion, briefly losing the ability to think]
"Pop~"
0.1 seconds later....
The ripples receded, the illusion shattered, the world reappeared, wind and rain danced...
Suddenly, a wave struck, tilting the "Sea God," bouncing several examinees.
Everyone awoke to realize the unusual situation!
"What was that just now?"
"I seemed to lose consciousness for a moment!"
"You too? I thought it was just me... scared to death, nearly thought I'd meet my dead grand-aunt!"
"Forget the ghost of a grand-aunt, it wasn't the sun and sea?"
The clamor resumed... Kurajing crouched in a secluded corner, frowned as he glanced outside....
The storm persisted, except the clouds broke open to reveal a ray of sunlight, seemingly intentional?
"That's right, it must be that guy!" Yuusuke came to his senses, his gaze locked on Roy.
Born a Ninja, he came to take the Hunter Exam seeking the "Dream Scroll."
According to the clan elders, the scroll recorded many incomprehensible ninjutsu, including illusion techniques that bewilder people's minds!
Yuusuke suspected, given his own skills, the brief unconsciousness was definitely due to "illusion"!
"Step... step...." The youth sheathed his sword, stepped gently on the wave crest, returned unhurriedly.
The storm tossed his messy black hair, revealing dishevelment, yet no one dared to underestimate him for it....
Wutong, Illumi, Kate... an array of gazes focused on him....
Roy leaped onto the bow, glanced sideways at Maxim: "If you hesitate any longer, we'll really rush into the storm."
"Oh... oh...." The old captain snapped back, shouted loudly: "Gus, full helm!"
"Everyone, follow me, grab the ropes!"
"Yes!"
"Sea God" sails snapping, veered right, dodging the storm, navigated away...
Moments later,
The wind and rain gradually subsided, Illumi raised his chin silently gazing at Roy, noticing Roy's gaze sweep over, shrank his head, promptly burrowed under the deck, vanished.
No land in sight, perhaps only hiding under the deck brought him a slight sense of security.
Roy noticed this, but didn't bother with him, accepted the tree branch Wutong handed over, continued fishing, honing Nen, panel hints...
["Swordsmanship" +70..."Water Breathing" +50...]
[Current...]
["Swordsmanship": Level 3 (160/10000→230/10000)]
[Water Breathing: Entry Level (78/100)→Mastery (28/1000)]
A little accomplished.