Chapter Ninety-One: Tenfold Might of Qi and Blood, the Black Bandits Flee!
Splashing waves!
Two broad, formidable ironwood warships were cleaving through the sea, heading toward Thousand Mountain Island.
Captain’s cabin.
“This Swift Blade truly possesses impressive power.”
In Bai Xuan’s hand, he held a throwing knife between two fingers.
Swish!
In a flash, a white arc streaked through the air. Though not yet refined, the strike was as elusive as a horn hung by an antelope, cunningly tracing a curve and severing a snake bone hanging from the cabin ceiling.
Swish!
With a single strike, the throwing knife cut through the snake bone, its force spent, gently falling back into Bai Xuan’s grasp.
This showcased Bai Xuan’s remarkable control over his vital energy. With a casual display, he could perfectly modulate the power of his throwing knife.
“If I throw this knife with a force of one hundred thirty thousand pounds and overlay it with refined vital energy, that would be truly terrifying.”
Bai Xuan stowed away the meteoric iron knife.
Swish, swish, swish!
Black tiger stripes flickered across his body, his speed reaching its peak—he moved within the cabin like a phantom.
Clang, clang, clang!
Six throwing knives flashed like lightning, colliding in pairs midair, ringing out, then vanishing in an instant.
Whoosh!
Bai Xuan halted, opening his palm to reveal all six knives firmly held, each caught by his hand.
“With the speed granted by Gale Step, wielding Swift Blade renders one an invincible assassin. That Pei Luo must have apprenticed under the White-Browed Marquis.”
Holding the knife, Bai Xuan felt at ease.
He had not practiced the Rain Goose Visualization, so his mastery of Swift Blade naturally fell short of Pei Luo’s. Yet, his force—thirteen thousand pounds—more than compensated, even surpassing the deficiency!
“This blade is enough to intimidate peers of the same realm.”
Bai Xuan was satisfied with his throwing skill.
For days, he took the secret medicine and found clarity in his vision—whenever he focused, everything seemed to slow slightly.
“No wonder throwing knives are so accurate. When I return, perhaps I can procure similar secret medicines.”
Days passed swiftly as Bai Xuan diligently trained in the captain’s cabin.
Having mastered the throwing technique, he continued relentless practice, consuming exotic fish to augment his vital energy. He kept delving into the Four Seas Azure Dragon Visualization, striving for improvement.
He did not neglect Gale Step either.
From dawn till dusk, his schedule was packed, and his strength steadily rose with his rigorous training!
...
On the open sea.
The two ironwood warships pressed forward, breaking the waves. Aboard the Sea Swallow, the lookout’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
“Pirates!”
The lookout shouted loudly.
In an instant, horns sounded aboard the Sea Swallow. Dozens of sailors surged onto the deck, rapidly preparing for battle!
With a flash, Bai Xuan appeared on the deck.
“Black Pirates? And a leader at the Blood Refining level.”
From afar, Bai Xuan saw the Black Pirate fleet approaching under full sail, clearly raiding this stretch of sea—perhaps they had just defeated a Star Hunter fleet and reclaimed these waters.
To Bai Xuan’s eyes, the fleet held hundreds of auras. The strongest among them possessed a condensed vital energy, wielding the power of six streams—almost a small river, vast and mighty!
“They’re not Star Hunters, so I have no reason to fight them.”
His forces split across two ships, both combat and defense diminished. Even though Bai Xuan could win, the ships would suffer heavy losses.
“I’ll show them enough to make them retreat. It’s time to test the power of the Mystic Bloom.”
Bai Xuan’s eyes sharpened.
Having digested the martial experience of slaying the giant whale, his own vital energy brimmed, subtly growing stronger.
At this moment—
Above the Mystic Bloom, the shadow of the giant whale trembled and, with a thunderous surge, merged with Bai Xuan’s vital energy!
...
Black Pirate fleet.
“Fleet sighted! Two miles ahead—two ironwood warships!”
“Accelerate. Looks like Bai family fishing vessels, I see their signal flags.”
Commands spread among the pirates, swiftly organizing for boarding and plunder!
“One of them seems to be a pirate ship—how odd. Did a Star Hunter strike it rich, buy an ironwood warship, only to lose it as a prize?”
On the pirate flagship, the leader—a middle-aged man—stood, his vital energy refined, faint white light flickering on his arms, puzzlement in his heart.
He was the fifth-ranked expert among the Black Pirates, called Jiang Yuecheng, who had cultivated the Heaven and Earth Smoke Visualization. His twin palms, the “Smoke Chain Strike,” unleashed hundreds of blows in succession, having slain two peers of the same rank; his strength faintly surpassed Pei Luo’s!
But as he pondered and ordered the ships forward—
Boom!
From afar, the two ships seemed to erupt, a majestic river of vital energy surged skyward like a column of smoke!
Even at this distance, the dreadful pressure of vital energy swept forward like a tidal wave!
“How is this possible!”
Jiang Yuecheng’s eyes widened, his command cut short. “That’s the power of two rivers—twice the perfected master’s vital energy!”
“Has Bai Yuan-nian broken through? But even he couldn’t be so terrifying!”
His mind reeled in shock—the overwhelming pressure of two rivers’ vital energy made his heart tremble even from afar!
“This level of power is surely among the top ten of the East Sea… This is no longer human vital energy, even the whale of the sea is no more than this!”
As Jiang Yuecheng stood in awe, a distant flash of light streaked across the sky and vanished.
Jiang Yuecheng’s expression changed drastically. With the reflexes of a top martial master, a Blood Refining grandmaster, his palms—sheathed in fine steel gloves—swung forth like smoke!
Clang!
Bang, bang, bang! Jiang Yuecheng was struck as if by a giant hammer, sent staggering backward seven or eight steps. Each step left deep cracks in the deck, fissures spreading!
The metallic reverberation lingered, echoing faintly!
“That blade…”
Jiang Yuecheng retreated swiftly, ducking into the cabin, then opened his palm. His steel glove bore a deep wound, cleaved through by a single strike!
Blood dripped from his palm, the wound deep to the bone—the throwing knife had pierced and lodged in his hand.
“That blade crossed a thousand meters to cleave my steel palm? Even the Smoke Chain Strike was broken, skin torn to the bone!”
Jiang Yuecheng’s heart quaked; he knew if he faced that opponent directly, he’d be killed in a single instant!
“Retreat! Full rudder, leave these waters—get away from those ironwood warships!”
Jiang Yuecheng shouted, and in moments, the entire Black Pirate fleet changed course, fleeing at full speed, vanishing from the Sea Swallow’s path!
...
Aboard the Sea Swallow.
“How could the captain’s vital energy be so terrifying just now?”
“So dreadful—like being a leaf on the water, confronted by a world-ending tsunami, utterly hopeless, as if facing the wrath of heaven and earth!”
“Amazing, truly amazing. The storm and the giant whale we faced before were nothing compared to this.”
The sailors with martial foundations were shaken to their core, holding Bai Xuan in awe.
“The giant whale’s vital energy is truly powerful.”
Bai Xuan stood upon the deck, watching the distant fleeing fleet.
His terrifying vital energy had burst forth for just a breath before being restrained, yet the lingering pressure was enough to strike fear into hearts!
To Bai Xuan—
“Tenfold vital energy is overwhelming. Without proper training, I may not wield it perfectly in battle.”
“For example, the blade just now relied mainly on my own strength; only thirty percent of the whale’s vital energy was truly infused into the throwing knife.”
Yet even thirty percent was enough to crush and severely wound a half-step master at a thousand meters!
“I must continue testing, gradually mastering it, until I can control the outburst perfectly, with not a hint wasted—then my power will be truly invincible!”
...
“Next, I’ll set a small goal… To fully condense the whale’s vital energy into the Swift Blade—then I’ll have achieved perfection.”
Bai Xuan set his aim.
Unlike the Azure Dragon Claw, which could be condensed more easily thanks to the Four Seas Azure Dragon Visualization, where he had inherited true teachings and could push it to terrifying levels—
But the Swift Blade—
He only possessed a fragmentary visualization manual and practiced by reference, yet managed to infuse whale’s vital energy into a single blade, proving his control was nearly flawless!
“Continue training.”
Having driven off the Black Pirates, Bai Xuan returned to the captain’s cabin, resuming his secluded cultivation without pause!
...
Half a month passed swiftly.
In the distance, the outline of Thousand Mountain Island gradually appeared—they were nearing home, soon to arrive!
“We’re finally returning!”
“This journey was thrilling, but with the captain, there was never real danger.”
“Hiss… Our captain’s strength is terrifying, I’m telling you—even though I’ve never trained martial arts, nor cultivated vital energy, these old eyes have seen dozens of masters in my day.”
An old sailor, saliva flying, declared, “Looking at our captain now, his power is earth-shattering! Ordinary masters are nothing; even those so-called Sea God cult leaders or Black Pirate Ten Guns would be no match! Let me say five words—tell me if you agree.”
He gestured grandly, attracting many sailors to listen.
“What five words, Old Xu?”
The younger sailors looked on with curiosity. Old Xu was a veteran of the Kaiyang, now transferred to the Sea Swallow, always boasting aboard.
Though often tricked by Old Chen, they remained curious.
“Five words: Equal to Breaking Sea Abyss!”
Old Xu’s words rang out, leaving the young sailors exchanging glances.
“Equal to Breaking Sea Abyss?”
“That Breaking Sea Abyss is the top fighter in the East Sea, said to have founded the Star Hunters and swept the region undefeated.”
They had never met a true master and could not discern the gap between such powers, but vague as it seemed, Old Xu’s claim carried some weight.
At that moment—
Old Xu sensed the silence around him. With experience, he jumped up.
“Ha ha, Captain, Brother Xuan, I won’t disturb you—I’m off to net some fish!”
He scampered away, while the young sailors rose and saluted respectfully, saying in unison:
“Captain!”
“Go tidy your things, prepare to disembark and return home. This voyage has been hard for everyone. Next time, we’ll head out in at least a month—wait for notice.”
Bai Xuan stood there, speaking calmly.
“Yes, Captain!”
The young sailors dispersed.
“Equal to Breaking Sea Abyss?”
Bai Xuan stood, shaking his head, amused.
“Vital energy like the sea… It’s said to be at least ten rivers’ strength, inexhaustible, able to sink a great ship with a gesture!”
He had read many martial records in the Bai family’s library and understood well—
“A figure like Breaking Sea Abyss, who sweeps the East Sea undefeated, is surely beyond the ordinary grandmaster, impossible to measure by common standards.”
“Now, even without unleashing my vital energy, ordinary masters should not be my equal—but to be truly invincible, there remains a gap.”
“This time, I must fully master the Four Seas Azure Dragon Visualization.”
Bai Xuan gazed ahead, eyes full of expectation for the approaching silhouette of Thousand Mountain Island!
(End of chapter)