A leading Water Bandit, a Third Acupoint Martial Artist, shouted an order, and seven or eight steel blades immediately came hacking down at Su Yu.

Su Yu’s expression was terrifyingly calm. He made no move to dodge, simply throwing a punch forward.

"BOOM!"

Accompanied by the roar of his Qi and Blood, his crimson fist shattered the air. A white shockwave blasted toward the descending steel blades.

"CRUNCH—SNAP!"

A grating chorus of shattering metal rang out. The moment they met the violent force of his punch, the descending steel blades broke apart inch by inch, like fragile icicles!

"AHHH!!!"

Blood-curdling screams tore through the air.

The leading Third Acupoint Martial Artist, along with the seven or eight Water Bandits at the forefront, were hit by the powerful Ming Jin.

The arms they used to hold their blades instantly fractured and twisted, and their chests visibly caved in. They violently spewed blood mixed with chunks of their internal organs, flying backward like kites with their strings cut before crashing heavily onto the deck!

Su Yu hadn’t used his full strength in this attack, suppressing his Qi and Blood fluctuations to the level of the early Flesh Refining Realm. But even so, the foundation of his body, tempered a thousand times over, combined with the ferocious burst from the White Ape Long Arm Fist, was more than enough to crush these ordinary Martial Artists!

Su Yu’s assault didn’t stop.

He was like a tiger let loose among sheep. With every step, he flashed behind a Water Bandit and effortlessly claimed a life.

In the span of a single breath, severed limbs flew across the deck. Dozens of ferocious Water Bandits were unilaterally slaughtered by Su Yu, their formation utterly broken as wails of agony filled the air!

However, the next moment, just after Su Yu dodged a sneak attack from behind, his flow of Qi and Blood faltered as he transitioned to a new move.

’An opening!’

Not far away, Xia Lie’s pupils shrank abruptly.

He had used his subordinates as cannon fodder not just to probe Su Yu’s strength, but to create this very moment!

"Die!"

Like a venomous python that had long lain in wait, Xia Lie had finally found the perfect moment to strike.

He abruptly pushed off his feet, the Qi and Blood of an early Flesh Refining Realm expert erupting from him. Like a black bolt of lightning, he instantly crossed several dozen feet, launching a ferocious attack from Su Yu’s rear blind spot!

The two long, narrow blades in his hands, like a viper’s fangs, let out a piercing shriek that tore through the air as they scissored viciously toward the exposed vital point on Su Yu’s waist!

The timing and angle of this strike were flawless. Even a Flesh Refining Realm master, caught at the critical juncture when their old strength was spent and new strength had yet to be mustered, would have no hope of dodging this lethal ambush!

However, Xia Lie never would have expected it.

Just as his twin blades were about to graze Su Yu’s robes, Su Yu, whose back was turned to him, vanished from his sight.

’Not good!’

The next instant, Su Yu’s figure had already appeared behind Xia Lie.

Accompanied by a terrifying sonic boom, he unleashed a brutally heavy punch!

The punch was not only blindingly fast but was also wreathed in a dense, blood-colored malevolent aura!

Having just killed seven or eight enemies in succession, the power of his Ape Demon Aura had grown stronger. Now, even with his Qi and Blood suppressed, the amplification from the Ape Demon Aura made this punch’s power far exceed the early Flesh Refining Realm.

Xia Lie’s face contorted in terror; it was far too late to turn and parry. He could only watch helplessly as the hammer-like fist brutally slammed into his abdomen.

"BOOM—"

Xia Lie felt as if he’d been rammed by an ancient, savage bull. Several of his ribs instantly snapped, and his entire body was sent flying.

"BAM!"

His body crashed heavily against the sturdy ship’s rail. With the harsh sound of splintering wood, the hardwood rail—as thick as a man’s thigh—was shattered by the impact!

"SPLASH!"

Losing his balance, Xia Lie tumbled like a broken sack, plunging headfirst into the cold, rushing waters of the Black Water River and sending up a huge, pale splash.

’This... what the fuck kind of monster is he?’

The moment he hit the water, the bone-chilling current shocked Xia Lie back to his senses. He fought back the excruciating pain of his shattered ribs, his eyes filled with absolute horror and fear.

’The power of that punch nearly killed me!’

At this moment, he didn’t hesitate for even a second.

’Run!’

Scared out of his wits, Xia Lie dove headfirst toward the bottomless riverbed, fleeing for his life like a wounded fish!

"Trying to run?"

On the deck, Qin Yu’s eyes widened when she saw the severely injured culprit fall into the water and try to escape. Old grudges and new hatred surged within her. With a sharp cry, she raised her sword and prepared to leap off the treasure ship to give chase.

"Don’t go."

Su Yu’s large hand once again clasped her snow-white wrist, pulling her back.

"Senior Brother! Why are you stopping me? Xia Lie is seriously injured! We can’t let him get away!" Qin Yu stomped her foot, her face a mask of anxiety.

"Don’t be anxious, Junior Sister. I let him go on purpose."

As he spoke, Su Yu casually flicked out a handful of Flying Locust Stones.

The Flying Locust Stones shot out like a shower of feathers, precisely striking the few remaining Water Bandits who were trying to escape.

"THWIP, THWIP, THWIP..."

Body after body collapsed. In less than a few dozen breaths, Su Yu had killed every last one of the Water Bandits.

He raised his head and made a gesture toward the sky.

"SWOOSH—!"

From deep within the clouds, the Cyan-Scaled Sea-Exploring Swallow that had been circling out of sight dove down, streaking through the sky like a cyan arrow released from a bow.

With a soft PLOP, the intelligent little creature deftly dove into the turbulent river. Like a cyan phantom, it locked onto the trail of Qi and Blood from Xia Lie’s underwater escape.

"Junior Sister, take care of the mess on deck."

"I’m going to find Ghost Mist Island’s water fortress!" Without waiting for Qin Yu to reply, Su Yu leaped off the treasure ship.

"PLUNGE!"

Su Yu’s figure vanished into the bottomless Black Water River!

"Senior Brother!"

On the deck of the treasure ship, Qin Yu’s heart skipped a beat as she watched his figure get swallowed by the river in an instant. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

’What does Senior Brother Su mean? Did he let Xia Lie go on purpose to follow the trail back to Ghost Mist Island’s main stronghold?’

’No, but so what if he finds it?’

’Not only is Ghost Mist Island shrouded in fog, but it’s also home to hundreds of vicious bandits! And worst of all, their leader, Qin Bashan, is a true master at Flesh Refining Realm Perfection!’

’Could it be... could Senior Brother Su be planning to charge into that viper’s nest all by himself and take on the entirety of Ghost Mist Island?’

The moment this insane thought surfaced, Qin Yu’s face turned deathly pale with anxiety.

"No, it’s too dangerous for him to go alone!!!"

Qin Yu couldn’t help but gasp, her chest heaving with worry.

’The ambush was a complete success. Xia Lie took the bait and was crippled by Su Yu in a single blow. If we had just killed him, we would not only have gotten our revenge but also boosted the reputation of the White Ape Martial Arts Hall.’

’But I never imagined Su Yu would actually want to go to the Ghost Mist Island headquarters!’

’I know Senior Brother Su has always been calm and methodical, but this is just absurd. Does he really think he can take on Ghost Mist Island all by himself?’

’If anything goes wrong, if he gets hurt or even killed... how could I ever face our brothers at the White Ape Martial Arts Hall!’

Gritting her teeth, she hastily shouted an order to the ship’s captain, who was just coming up from the cabin. With a single bound, she dove in, chasing after Su Yu.

「...」

After the two had gone, the ship’s captain quickly gathered the crew on deck to deal with the aftermath.

Seeing the deck littered with the bodies of the Water Bandits, the crewmen all turned pale with shock.

"Good heavens! It’s only been a moment, and all the Water Bandits are already dead?"

"They’re really from Ghost Mist Island—I recognize their clothes. Did Sir Su Yu kill all of them?"

"He’s incredible! I thought we were finished, but I never expected him to be so powerful. I guess I was truly blind."

"Good riddance to these damn Water Bandits! Let’s see who dares to rob ships now. This trade route will be open for business again!"