The second to last draw.
"Earth Style: Muddy River"
This jutsu, which had appeared multiple times before, was unexpectedly drawn this time. It was the technique the Third Hokage used when Orochimaru disrupted the Chunin Exams. It could create a flowing river of mud beneath the enemy's feet, capable of repelling, burying, and controlling targets. Its scale could also be adjusted based on the amount of chakra consumed.
The last one:
"Earth Style: Swamp of the Underworld"
This was the jutsu Jiraiya used against the giant snake summoned by Orochimaru. This technique could turn the earth beneath the enemy's feet into a vast swamp, thereby trapping and submerging them.
Back when Naruto was young, Jiraiya, having been drugged by Tsunade and rendered largely immobile, still managed to use this move to submerge the giant snake summoned by Orochimaru. Its power was immense and considerable.
Li Xi estimated that if he were to use these last two jutsu without regard for cost, they could be compared to Water Style: Hydro Pump. In this other world, they could be considered advanced magics akin to forbidden spells.
Li Xi couldn't help but smile. He, who couldn't cast a single magic spell, was now considered a walking forbidden spell.
In summary, four of the rewards drawn last night were unusable. Without the Byakugan, those Gentle Fist jutsu were all grayed-out, unusable skills. However, the remaining three were quite good, especially the Healing Jutsu.
While Li Xi was still contemplating his gains, on a barren island out at sea, a burly man with a thick beard was holding a magic letter. It detailed Li Xi's every achievement, including the gold coins that filled over a dozen carriages. The assessment was objective, devoid of personal emotion, and remarkably detailed, specifying times and locations clearly. It was evident this information had been purchased at a high price from an information broker.
The grizzled man, gripping the letter, tapped his thigh incessantly, having reread it numerous times. According to his survival rules, he never crossed paths with individuals of such strength. The mere whisper of their presence would send him into hiding on his island, terrified of accidentally provoking a formidable opponent.
But this time, the prospect of over a dozen carriages of gold, coupled with the lavish spending of treating the entire city to a meal, represented a sum that could allow him to retire and live the life of a wealthy man for the rest of his days.
If he was to seize this fortune, Greybeard needed to devise a plan to deal with the powerful mercenary, Li Xi. Coincidentally, a special guest had recently arrived on the island, someone who happened to be the bane of powerful experts like Li Xi.
With that thought, Greybeard bellowed to his subordinates, "Fetch our esteemed guest. Inform him I have urgent matters to discuss."
...
The journey was already more than halfway complete. The sea was calm, and the clear weather was a blessing for all seafarers, a testament to the ocean deities' benevolence.
Li Xi, however, could not share in their joy. If Greybeard hadn't appeared by now, it was likely he wouldn't show up at all.
If Greybeard truly didn't come, Li Xi would have given up. After all, with Flin's B-rank quest completed, he would be promoted, and it wouldn't matter much.
But fate often worked in mysterious ways. Just as Li Xi was beginning to lose hope, dark clouds and rolling thunder, like a world spectacle, approached from the distant sky. Dense lightning, accompanied by several tornadoes reaching from sky to sea, signaled the imminent arrival of a typhoon.
The sea breeze picked up, and the ocean's surface was no longer placid. The unpredictable weather made everyone feel the ocean's raw power. The once steady Pearl began to sway and rock with the massive waves. Countless fish leaped out of the water, desperately trying to escape. Whether on land, in the sky, underground, or at sea, animals' instincts were often sharper than humans'.
"It's a storm! Hoist the sails and steer away from here quickly!" a warrior anxiously commanded. Encountering a storm at sea was a sign of terrible luck.
Li Xi knew nothing about sailing, but the sudden appearance of such a vast dark cloud was highly suspicious, especially when the sky had been clear moments before.
He closed his eyes briefly, and upon reopening them, his pupils had transformed into the vertical slits of a Sharingan with two tomoe. The scene a hundred miles away was instantly brought before him.
Within the dark clouds, intertwined like countless black pythons, a shirtless man with a coarse iron spear and a loincloth fashioned from animal hide floated amidst the tempest.
The myriad of fine lightning strikes served as his backdrop, the pouring rain his embellishment, and the ship-shredding winds his allies. A faint lightning symbol etched between his brows announced him as a priest of Set, the capricious god of storms, and a high-ranking one at that. By land-based classifications, he could be considered an archbishop, on the cusp of becoming a religious leader.
Set, the god of storms, was an ocean deity, leaning towards the malevolent. His priests were rarely benevolent, controlling coastal and deep-sea regions. He was worshipped by numerous indigenous peoples and deep-sea monsters, and he was one of the gods most feared by seafaring vessels.
As Li Xi observed for a few moments, this priest of the storm god, empowered by the tempest, moved steadily and rapidly towards the Pearl. There was no room for fantasy; he was indeed heading for their ship.
Li Xi's gaze grew slightly somber. As previously mentioned, malevolent deities like Set were capricious. If Li Xi were to engage his priest, and his actions were too heavy-handed, it was highly probable that Set himself would seek retribution. This was a common tactic of evil gods; in their words, "I am not here to be worshipped, but to be feared."
Without the strength of a demigod, or level nine, it was best not to confront any priest, as their backing was immense.
The only individual Li Xi had witnessed killing a priest and surviving was the progenitor of vampires, Dracula. When his vampires had attempted to sacrifice entire cities, they had killed many priests from various temples. However, the temples had only issued bounties for the vampires, while Dracula, the mastermind behind the operation, was completely ignored. This illustrated that in any realm, strength was paramount.
"How can there be such a massive storm?" In moments, the entire sky had plunged into darkness. The Pearl seemed to sail between hell and heaven. Flin and the mage Zuo Lin arrived behind Li Xi, convinced that no matter the difficulty, Li Xi's presence was their safest harbor.
Li Xi offered a wry smile. "This matter is directly related to me. This is not a natural storm; it's been summoned by a priest of Set, the god of storms, and its target is our ship, or rather, me."
The two seemed to be listening to a fantastical tale. Such celestial power, conjured by human hands? As the sky darkened, fat raindrops began to pelt down, soon blurring their vision. Such an apocalyptic scene, orchestrated by a priest—how powerful must that individual be?
"You two go back and take shelter. I'll go meet him. If I'm not mistaken, the moment I leave, the storm will cease, and Greybeard will appear. Be careful on your own."
Li Xi felt a pang of guilt. Had he not insisted on coming to lure Greybeard, he wouldn't have attracted such a formidable opponent.
He then retrieved a stack of papers with encrypted writing from his spatial ring and handed them to Flin. He whispered the usage instructions into her ear. Thanks to the diligent efforts of his two shadow clones, 'Kisame Hoshigaki' and 'Stone Pillar,' the number of explosive tags had surpassed two thousand.
"Gate of Life, Gate of Rest, Gate of Opening"
"Open!"
A shattering aura erupted from Li Xi, scattering the downpour. The veins and blood vessels in his eyes bulged as if insects were crawling beneath his skin. His muscles were like forged steel, radiating a dangerous aura, as if an ancient beast had opened its contemptuous eyes to survey the world.
Zuo Lin took a deep breath, calming his uncontrollably trembling arm. How could someone possess such strength? This aura and presence were even more powerful and soul-stirring than when he had unleashed those near-forbidden, grandmaster-level spells. If he hadn't seen Li Xi standing before him with his own eyes, he might have suspected the arrival of a divine son.
Li Xi produced a dwarf-forged spear and with a swing, a "boom" sound echoed as the waterfall-like rain was cleaved apart. The energy propelled by the spear didn't stop there; it generated two-meter-high waves on the distant sea.
Li Xi looked up at the storm god's priest, who was solely focused on him. He pointed into the distance with the tip of his spear and then burst forth. Li Xi, without his dragon transformation, couldn't fly, but each step he took on the sea's surface detonated like a hundred-kilogram bomb. The ocean, already agitated by the storm, now seemed like a helpless beauty being ravaged.
As expected, the priest of the storm god barely glanced at the Pearl. He flew off in the direction Li Xi had indicated.
Just as Li Xi had predicted, the moment the priest departed, the storm, as if obeying a command, followed him. Soon, the dark clouds vanished, the rain stopped, and the sea calmed. Sunlight once again illuminated the surface. Of course, if not for the layer of stunned fish floating on the water, no one would have imagined that they had just endured an unimaginable storm.
Flin was about to utter words of concern for Li Xi when Zuo Lin interrupted her. "Miss, the pirates have arrived. Don't worry about Mr. Li Xi; no one can stop him if he wishes to leave. Instead, we must rely on ourselves now."
Flin looked at the four pirate ships sailing in the distance, completely surrounding their Pearl. The pirate ships were modified speedboats; escape was now impossible.
Flin held the thick stack of explosive tags Li Xi had given her. Li Xi hadn't elaborated much, only telling her to throw them at the pirates when they arrived, assuring her of their safety.
Flin didn't know what these items were for, but she completely trusted Li Xi's word.
...
Li Xi ran a considerable distance, stopping only when the Pearl was no longer visible to his eyes.
He then stood on the surface of the sea and asked the priest of the storm god curiously, "We don't know each other, and we've never had any grievances. Why have you come looking for me?"
The priest, dressed in ancient attire, grinned. "Nothing special. I heard a master had arrived in the ocean. I happened to be nearby, had some free time, and my hands got itchy. I just couldn't resist coming to test if you're truly a master."
Damn it, a battle maniac. These types were the most troublesome. If you went easy, they'd be relentless; if you were too harsh, you might have to deal with their parents. What bad luck.
"Then let's agree on this first: regardless of the outcome, no anger, and no informing the deity."
"Agreed. I've never lost before."
As soon as the priest finished speaking, he swung his iron spear towards Li Xi's head. Descending from above, combined with his magic and physical enhancements, the strike seemed intent on splitting the sea.