On the deck of the pirate ship.
Luu Fei was leading his strongest men, fending off the Mountain Wild Group's frenzied assault.
His dilapidated pirate ship was surrounded by three others, hemming them in. On each of the attacking ships, hordes of vicious-looking pirates were trying to board Luu Fei's vessel.
Luu Fei roared, "Brothers, you have to hold them back!"
On the Azure Sky Sea.
Terrifying storms were a common occurrence, and even powerful Martial Artists struggled to survive them.
Therefore...
To survive on the Azure Sky Sea, a warship was essential.
These warships were themselves massive Profound Weapons, inscribed with powerful Arrays capable of withstanding the storms' onslaught.
They were incredibly precious!
Even in battles between pirates, they rarely destroyed the ships. Instead, they would board their enemy's vessel and claim it as a prize of war!
On the central pirate ship, Mountain Leopard, the third-in-command of the Mountain Wild Group, wore a mocking expression. Like a bloodthirsty viper, he sneered, "Luu Fei, I suggest you stop struggling. Surrender your warship and submit to my Mountain Wild Group. With your strength, I'm sure my Big Brother would be more than happy to have you!"
"Bullshit!"
Luu Fei roared as he cut down a Human King Realm pirate expert with his sword. "Mountain Leopard, don't think I don't know what you're plotting! You just want to silence us so you can claim the True Dragon Palace Ruins for yourself, don't you? If we let you board, would any of my brothers on this ship be left alive?"
On the Azure Sky Sea, the Spiritual Qi was dozens of times denser than on the Eastern Continent, which had lost its Ancestral Vein.
The number of powerful experts here far surpassed that of the Eastern Continent.
Mountain Leopard was a master at the Human Emperor Realm Fourth Stage. A cold light in his eyes, he laughed frostily, "The weak are prey for the strong. That is the unchanging law of survival on the Azure Sky Sea. You, Luu Fei, think you can stand against our Mountain Wild Group? That's a fool's dream. Since you've refused the easy way, I see no reason to show you any more mercy."
VMMM!
Mountain Leopard's figure flashed. He flew from his warship and came to a stop, standing upon the Vast Sea.
He gripped a golden Long Spear, his expression icy as he stared at Luu Fei. "Luu Fei, do you dare to fight me?"
"Why wouldn't I dare!"
Luu Fei snorted coldly and charged toward Mountain Leopard.
His Battle Blade slashed through the air.
VMMM!
A golden blade light shot out, transforming into a peerless ribbon of energy. The blade's edge stirred up tumultuous waves as the sharp aura surged forward. The raging swells of the sea were cleaved in two, sending columns of water shooting skyward. In an instant, the unparalleled strike was right in front of Mountain Leopard.
"Parlor tricks!"
Mountain Leopard sneered dismissively.
His cultivation had reached the Human Emperor Realm Fourth Stage, and he lived a dangerous life where every bit of his power was forged in countless battles.
Facing Luu Fei's attack, Mountain Leopard was unhurried. He spun the Long Spear in his hand, creating a circular barrier of spear light.
BANG!
An intensely bright flash of energy erupted, as dazzling as a Blazing Sun descending upon the Azure Sky Sea.
HISSS...
Vast swathes of seawater were instantly vaporized, transforming into a white mist that rose into the air.
Within the thick white mist, the two figures became impossible to see clearly.
Only the ceaseless, thunderous booming could be heard as blade light and spear light clashed again and again.
"Third-in-Command will be victorious!"
"Kill that bastard Luu Fei..."
"Captain, kill that bastard Mountain Leopard and avenge our brothers!"
Shouts and cheers came from the warships on both sides.
"Hahaha, Luu Fei, you're still a step below me!" Mountain Leopard's arrogant voice suddenly rang out as a golden streak of light shot through the air, tearing through the obscuring mist.
BOOM—
Amidst a flash of golden light, Luu Fei's body was sent flying backward, trailing a rainbow of blood before he crashed onto the deck of his warship.
HISS!
On Luu Fei's warship, the expressions of his powerful crewmen changed drastically. "Captain..."
"Captain, are you alright?"
Everyone stared nervously at Luu Fei.
Luu Fei's face was ashen, a startling trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. His shoulder had been pierced, leaving a bloody hole. He gritted his teeth and shook his head. "I'm sorry, my brothers. It's my fault for being too weak. I failed to lead us to become a Pirate King Level Pirate Group."
"Hahaha, Luu Fei, you thought you could become a Pirate King? What a fool's dream!"
Mountain Leopard's triumphant voice echoed from above.
His figure, like an invincible demonic shadow, landed on the deck. He swept his golden Long Spear forward, pointing it at Luu Fei. "From this day on, the name Luu Fei will no longer exist on the Azure Sky Sea!"
VMMM!
A pinpoint of golden spear light shot out.
It pierced through the void, aimed at the center of Luu Fei's brow.
Mountain Leopard's face was filled with smug satisfaction. 'Fighting my Mountain Wild Pirate Group? Isn't that just courting death?'
Just as the smile on his face reached its peak, a dark figure suddenly appeared in front of Luu Fei.
The golden spear light trembled violently and came to a dead stop.
Mountain Leopard's expression changed in an instant. His gaze followed the spear light and landed on two fingers that had appeared at its tip. It was these two fingers that had caught the peerless spear light, saving Luu Fei's life.
"Hm?"
Mountain Leopard's eyes flickered as he followed the two fingers up to the sudden appearance of the dark figure.
"Brother Jiang?"
Luu Fei and the other experts of the Pirate Group stared at Jiang Chen in astonishment.
They never expected that Jiang Chen, who had been on the verge of death just half a month ago, would intervene at this critical moment to save Luu Fei.
"You focus on healing. I'll handle this one," Jiang Chen said coolly, turning his gaze to Mountain Leopard.
"Who are you?"
Mountain Leopard asked in a low voice.
Although he couldn't sense any True Essence fluctuations from Jiang Chen, the way he had caught that sharp spear with just two fingers forced Mountain Leopard to take him seriously.
Jiang Chen said calmly, "Luu Fei is my brother. If you want to hurt him, you'll have to get through me first!"
"Do you have any idea who you're talking to? I am the third-in-command of the Mountain Wild Group. You dare oppose my Mountain Wild Group?" Mountain Leopard's gaze was grim. He twirled the golden Long Spear in his hand, its razor-sharp tip glinting with a cold, threatening light.
Jiang Chen rolled his eyes. "Mountain Wild Group? Never heard of them..."
"Damn you, brat! You're too arrogant!"
Mountain Leopard roared in fury. His Long Spear swept through the air, and a golden spear light transformed into a torrential downpour of attacks, hurtling toward Jiang Chen. "Torrential Rain Spear Technique!"
'A Saint-Tier Martial Skill? I can't believe a pirate at the Human Emperor Realm Fourth Stage has mastered such a powerful technique. It seems the Azure Sky Sea is indeed leagues above the Eastern Continent.' Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself, then his body blurred into motion as he charged toward Mountain Leopard.
He couldn't use his True Essence right now; he could only rely on his physical strength.
He threw a punch through the air, shattering the spear light. Without losing any momentum, his fist continued on, smashing toward the golden Long Spear.
"You're courting death!"
Mountain Leopard sneered, "My Golden Dragon Spear is a High-level Celestial Tier Profound Weapon, yet you dare to face it with your bare hands... Th-this... how is this possible?"
Mountain Leopard's expression changed drastically, filled with terror and disbelief.
Jiang Chen's fist of flesh and blood slammed viciously into the Golden Dragon Spear. With a loud CRACK, the Celestial-tier Profound Weapon shattered into pieces. The punch was unbelievably fast. With a sickening THUD, it slammed into Mountain Leopard's body, sending him flying across the deck. The entire warship shuddered violently as Mountain Leopard coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Chen planted a foot on his chest and said coldly, "Who did you say was courting death?"
"I..."
Mountain Leopard opened his mouth, spitting out another mouthful of blood. Staring into Jiang Chen's icy gaze, he was terrified and immediately began to beg for his life. "I... I was the one courting death... Sir, please spare me."
"Spare you? Give me a reason!" Jiang Chen said mockingly.
Mountain Leopard's eyes darted around. "I-I'll tell you a big secret, if you let me go?"
Jiang Chen snorted coldly and stomped down, breaking several of Mountain Leopard's ribs. His face twitched in agony. Jiang Chen said flatly, "Are you in any position to bargain with me?"
"I-I'll talk... The reason we were chasing Luu Fei and his men relentlessly was because we discovered a precious True Dragon Spirit in the True Dragon Palace Ruins. Our Big Brother was afraid Luu Fei would leak the news, so he sent me to hunt him down. I... I've told you the secret now. You can let me go, right?" A pleading look appeared on Mountain Leopard's pale face.
'A True Dragon Spirit? My meridians are damaged. A True Dragon Spirit could help me recover quickly. Now that's good news!'
The corner of Jiang Chen's mouth lifted into a smirk. He slowly raised his left foot, then brought it down violently. With a sickening CRUNCH, he crushed Mountain Leopard's head, his expression nonchalant as he said, "You dared to harm my brother. You deserved to die!"
One punch to defeat Mountain Leopard.
One kick to kill him!
Everyone couldn't help but draw in a sharp, cold breath, their horrified gazes fixed on the black-robed young man...