Thirty experts at the Earth Realm level attacked Long Xiao, and after ten minutes, they still hadn't defeated him. The islanders were also surprised.
Long Xiao found it even stranger. While the East Sea had many islanders, few were at the Earth Realm. How had so many appeared at once?
Running at high speed consumed a lot of stamina, and Long Xiao’s Five Elements Qi rapidly depleted. After half an hour, the pace of the Earth Realm experts chasing Long Xiao slowed. Only then did Long Xiao get a chance to catch his breath.
Approaching the door again, Long Xiao patted his shoulder and said, "Little fellow, come out and start a fire."
The "Crimson Flame Worm" emerged from Long Xiao's clothes and flew towards the islander experts, flapping its wings.
Waves of heat struck, scaring all the islanders into retreating to avoid the Crimson Flame Worm. Long Xiao seized the opportunity to open the door and escape.
The Crimson Flame Worm circled the hall, and flames erupted from various corners, igniting fires everywhere. Even the clothes of some islander experts caught fire.
The Crimson Flame Worm then rushed out of the burning hall and landed on Long Xiao’s shoulder. It jumped excitedly a few times before burrowing back into Long Xiao's clothes.
In the corridor outside the hall, several islanders appeared. Long Xiao was unsure of their strength and worried they might also be experts, so he immediately used the "Raging Dragon Fist."
As he swung his fist, a dragon's roar emerged. Long Xiao's right hand became like a giant dragon, crashing into the opponent's chest.
A cracking sound echoed. The chest of the islander who was hit caved in, and a large bulge appeared on his back. With a bang, the bulge exploded, spraying blood, shattered bone, and internal organs onto the opposite wall.
The other islanders, who were about to charge forward, saw the immense power of Long Xiao's punch and turned to flee in terror.
Just as Long Xiao retracted his right fist, the door to the "Spring Blossom" hall was smashed open, and a group of islanders engulfed in flames rushed out.
These were all experts. Long Xiao dared not linger and fight them. He hurriedly pushed open the door to another hall and rushed in.
This hall was twice the size of the "Spring Blossom" hall. In the center of the empty hall sat a large table, with four islanders sitting around it, also eating.
The sound of the door opening did not disturb the four people eating and drinking. Like the experts seen earlier, these four remained silent, each eating their own meal.
This time, Long Xiao did not dare to use his Qi. He tiptoed towards the four individuals.
Long Xiao walked all the way to the table, but the four people did not change their actions. They ate and drank their wine at an unhurried pace.
"Are you gentlemen dining?" Long Xiao greeted them with a smile.
All four turned to look at Long Xiao. This indicated that they could hear him and see him.
As Long Xiao was about to say something, the four turned back to their meals and drinks.
The atmosphere in the hall was eerie and terrifyingly quiet. Those outside stood at the doorway, none daring to enter.
Long Xiao walked around the table. Soon, he sensed a very faint strand of Qi entering his body.
This Qi was very strange; Long Xiao had never perceived anything like it before. It seemed as though this Qi did not belong to nature.
After his circuit, Long Xiao stood behind one person, watching him eat. When the islander picked up a mouthful of food and put it into his mouth, the strange Qi seemed to strengthen slightly.
Long Xiao then moved behind another islander who was drinking. He sensed that the Qi also grew stronger when this islander drank.
Long Xiao finally understood. These people were using a technique similar to "Dragon Swallows the Four Seas," absorbing this special Qi through eating and drinking.
Regardless of what this Qi was, or what technique they were using, Long Xiao felt indignant at the islanders' unrestrained absorption of Qi on Chinese soil.
"I say, gentlemen, that's enough. It's time to go. China is not your island nation, where you can swallow whatever you please."
As soon as Long Xiao finished speaking, the four islanders simultaneously turned their hostile gazes towards him.
One islander said, "You are not a waiter. Who are you?"
"Who I am is not important. What is important is what you are swallowing?" Long Xiao asked.
The four looked at each other, revealing smug smiles. One islander said, "There's no harm in telling you, as you won't be leaving this building alive today anyway. We are devouring the luck of China."
"Luck can be devoured?" Long Xiao asked, surprised.
All four islanders nodded. One of them said, "Of course, it can be devoured. Luck is like the Qi of nature. In ancient times, people could absorb the Qi of nature through cultivation. Now, our island nation's experts have found a way to devour luck."
Long Xiao had initially thought that "luck" was merely a term in Feng Shui and geomancy, never expecting it to have a tangible form.
A strand of life Qi flowed from Long Xiao's dan tian into his eyes. The world before him transformed completely. Various Qi streams flowed. When Long Xiao looked at the food and wine on the table, he saw that they emitted a multicolored glow.
The four islanders, seeing Long Xiao looking at the food and wine, found it strange.
One islander asked, "What are you looking at? Can you see the luck of your China?"
Long Xiao nodded and said, "Of course I can, because I am Chinese."
"Nonsense. How can luck be seen? If luck could be seen, it would be easy to capture."
"By what means did you capture the luck?" Long Xiao asked.
All four islanders shook their heads. One of them said, "We only absorb. Capturing luck is someone else's arrangement."
"By absorbing our luck, your own luck becomes better?" Long Xiao asked.
The four simultaneously shook their heads again. One of them said, "We absorb luck for our island nation, it has nothing to do with our personal fortune."
Long Xiao had never heard of luck being absorbable, let alone for the sake of one's country.
A nation's luck was tied to the fortunes of its people, as a nation is comprised of individuals. If the nation's luck was poor, everyone in that country would be affected to varying degrees.
"I knew my luck hadn't been good lately. So it was you stealing our country's luck," Long Xiao said indignantly.
"A nation's luck is for the nation; it has nothing to do with individuals."
"How can it not be related? A nation is made up of individuals. A nation's luck is the combined fortune of these individuals. By stealing China's luck, you are stealing my fortune. Give it back to me!" Long Xiao shouted furiously.
The four islanders thought for a moment. Long Xiao's reasoning was sound.
"Hahaha, you are very clever and your logic is sound. However, this logic of yours can never be told to any other Chinese people."
Seeing the islanders laughing heartily, Long Xiao's anger boiled over. He unleashed the "Raging Dragon Fist," smashing it towards one islander's head.
The "Raging Dragon Fist" was the most violent of the few martial arts Long Xiao had learned, possessing immense power.
The four islanders were still laughing. The islander Long Xiao attacked casually raised his hand to block in front of him.
With a thunderous crash, Long Xiao was sent flying backward, smashing through the door and falling outside.
He spat out a mouthful of blood and, leaning on the ground to get up, an islander waiting outside the door stomped on Long Xiao's chest.
A cracking sound echoed as several ribs broke. Blood once again gushed from Long Xiao's mouth.