Chapter 53: Fame Spreads Beyond the Island, Aftermath and Reckoning!

In the Yang family residence.

“How could it have been exposed? Didn’t I make all the arrangements, paying off those who should have turned a blind eye to the manor? Where did this meddling expert come from, interfering so willfully?”

A middle-aged man, dressed in rich attire, paced back and forth incessantly, betraying his anxiety and fear. This collaboration had been conducted in secret without the family’s approval. Its failure now threatened to ruin him completely, pushing him out of the family’s power structure for good.

Yet there was nothing he could do. The Whale Hunter was shrouded in mystery—no bounty at sea had ever threatened him, and even the Star Pirate crew knew nothing of his origins.

Who could have foreseen this man’s sudden intervention, sweeping in to annihilate the Sea God Cult’s branch in one fell swoop?

“Master, someone from the family is here. They request your presence at the main house for a report.”

A steward entered, speaking cautiously.

“Damn it… Spread the word: add another thousand taels of silver to the bounty on the Whale Hunter!”

The middle-aged man halted abruptly, his voice thick with unwilling fury.

He feared that this summons to report would be a one-way journey; returning might mean never leaving again. Yet refusing to go wasn’t an option. At this moment, his hatred for the Whale Hunter was boundless, but despair was all he had left.

Elsewhere.

In the dilapidated ancient temple on the small island.

“Qianshan Island has suffered heavy losses. The authorities have always been at odds with us, and now they've finally seized the opportunity… For now, we can’t spare more men. In recent days at sea, we’ve allied with the Star Pirates to confront the Song navy. This battle must not be taken lightly.”

A man in brown robes spoke in a hoarse, cold tone.

“Then let us stand down for now and abandon the plan to attack the docks. As for the Star Pirates, after this battle, they still plan to assault the Blacksmith Manor—let that be our focus. Send the demon sharks there.”

Another man, hidden in the shadows, spoke slowly. “The Whale Hunter… This man is now an enemy of our cult. Mark him as a divine adversary. Set a bounty of two thousand taels. If he is found, he must be killed!”

At sea.

“Killed a half-step grandmaster?”

Li Qicheng furrowed his brow.

Three-time blood refinement experts were not worth his concern—he could dispatch them with ease. But to slay a half-step grandmaster meant the Whale Hunter’s strength exceeded his expectations.

“No matter. Keep the bounty posted, and let some rumors spread. If he is willing to let bygones be bygones and join us Star Pirates, all past grievances can be written off.”

Li Qicheng spoke in a low tone.

He did not fear the Whale Hunter; compared to figures like Yuan Mo, he was an established master himself, only a step away from becoming a grandmaster. Their strengths were not on the same level.

Still, a master of this caliber deserved respect; he could not be treated lightly.

Compared to that, what did a man like Qian Yuan amount to? Dead is dead—such grudges could simply be set aside!

At this moment, the name Whale Hunter was spreading far and wide across the East Sea.

…

In the courtyard of the Marquis with the White Forehead.

“Have you heard? The Seven Seas Society was actually a front for the Sea God Cult. These people were conducting blood rituals in secret, with even a half-step grandmaster among them, trying to coordinate with the Star Pirates to attack the docks. If the authorities hadn’t wiped them out in one swoop, it could have been disastrous.”

Bai Tianyuan marveled.

“They say that during the battle, a mysterious expert appeared—called the Whale Hunter. His body-forging skills were legendary, and he single-handedly swept through the Seven Seas Society, slaying the ascendant Yuan Mo, the Iron Monk. He then vanished without a trace.”

“This man is truly one who can kill at ten paces and travel a thousand miles unimpeded!”

Bai Tianyuan couldn’t help but praise, awe and admiration in his voice.

“I wonder when we’ll have such strength—to roam free, slaying our foes at will.”

He sighed, while Bai Xuan beside him only chuckled softly and said nothing.

In the past two days, Bai Xuan had escorted the young sailor home and then returned quietly, keeping a low profile so that no one would notice. He’d also heard that there was now a bounty of five thousand taels on his head. Caution was essential; he would never recklessly reveal his identity.

Bai Xuan’s form blended into the crowd, utterly unremarkable. Who could have guessed that just two days ago, he had slain a half-step grandmaster and wiped out the Sea God Cult’s branch?

…

Back in his small courtyard.

“These past days have been hectic, and the martial hall needed help as well. Only now do I finally have time to tally my spoils.”

Bai Xuan locked his gate, entered his room, and took out the loot.

Those few banknotes were nothing to mention—even the strongest masters rarely carried much money on them.

“That’s all? Looks like the bounty on my own head is worth more… Five thousand taels of silver could buy a top-class deep-sea whaling ship, built of ironwood to last a century, unmoved by storms, and able to carry three hundred people!”

“If I owned such a vessel, I could roam the vast seas at will. Unfortunately, a great ship is useless without a crew.”

Bai Xuan shook his head.

At present he had only about a thousand taels on hand. The speed at which he killed couldn’t keep up with the rate at which he spent money. But then, who would truly carry all their wealth with them? Having a few hundred-tael banknotes on one’s person was already exceptional.

He put away the notes and opened the porcelain bottle. At once, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, like an ever-gathering wellspring of vitality.

“Grand Longevity Elixir… Now I have two of them.”

With a single whiff, Bai Xuan knew this was the rare pill for breaking through the Life-and-Death Threshold—a treasure beyond compare.

His vitality was already approaching its limit. After a little more consolidation, he could attempt the breakthrough.

But—

This step was called the Life-and-Death Threshold for good reason; it was a matter of life and death, fraught with peril. One wrong move, and the body could explode, killing the practitioner instantly.

Ordinary martial artists who had undergone three blood refinements could achieve this step in a decade or so, provided they had rare meats and herbs to supplement their strength—it was not uncommon.

But stepping through to become a grandmaster was exceedingly rare at sea. Each who succeeded became famed far and wide.

The reason was simple: the mortality rate was terrifyingly high. To harness the strength of a whale with a human body—how could there not be risks?

Bai Xuan was clear-minded.

Even with the Grand Longevity Elixir, he needed to be exceedingly cautious.

Fortunately, he possessed something that could improve his chances of surviving the breakthrough.

Of the two booklets, one recorded details about the Sea God Cult on Qianshan Island: brief accounts, transactions, and the matter of the demon shark.

According to the booklet, the Sea God Cult’s goal on Qianshan Island was gradual infiltration—strengthening their power and searching for a rumored “Earth Fiend” on the island.

What exactly was the “Earth Fiend”? The operatives themselves were clueless. They had only a simple secret technique to help them search.

The previous two scouts had been killed by the Scribe. The cult took this seriously, dispatching a top expert like Yuan Mo, along with several captain-level fighters. Their expansion had been swift.

Unfortunately for them, they encountered Bai Xuan during their rise—and were annihilated in an instant.

“It seems these people will not let this go.”

Bai Xuan’s eyes narrowed.

Since their aim was to find some strategic location on Qianshan Island, it was inevitable they would try again. Killing them now would only bring more in the future.

“If fire comes, I’ll drown it with water. If soldiers come, I’ll meet them with generals. By then, my strength will be quite different… There’s nothing for it but to keep getting stronger.”

He set the booklet aside and picked up the other.

On the sealed cover of the second small volume were seven archaic characters: “Seven Seas Vital Gate Life-Preserving Method.”