With a single spear strike, he shattered the boat’s iron chain. Channeling the Wind and Wave Power, the small boat shot away from Xiazigou like an arrow loosed from a bow.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The poisoned arrows that flew at them were either blocked by Chu Lingguang’s Divine Defense or fell harmlessly into the sea.
"Who the hell is he?"
"Don’t run if you’ve got any guts!"
The pirates were furious.
They could only watch helplessly as Chu Lingguang slipped away.
First of all, they couldn’t catch him.
Propelled by the Wind and Wave Power, Chu Lingguang’s small boat sped across the sea like an arrow from a bow. And even if they could have caught up, the pirates had already calmed down by now.
So many of them on the mountaintop hadn’t been able to stop Chu Lingguang. The defenses at the base of the mountain, manned by even more people, were just as easily shattered by him.
If they continued to fight Chu Lingguang at sea, on the cramped decks of their ships, they would be the ones at a disadvantage.
And so, the pirates began to count their dead and wounded on the island, while a few of their chieftains, driven by curiosity, entered the secret passage to investigate.
They also wanted to know what was hidden at the bottom of the passage.
The head chieftain had always taken the largest share of their plundered treasures. Many of them had wondered if his stone cavern was piled high with gold, silver, and jewels.
The smarter ones had already guessed that all that wealth was hidden down in the secret passage.
So, rumors of countless treasures hidden in the secret passage spread throughout Xiazigou. Everyone was getting restless, and the various chieftains harbored their own designs, each wanting to claim the treasure for himself.
"Reporting to the chieftains! One hundred thirty-six of our brothers are dead. Over two hundred are wounded, and nearly half of them are in critical condition."
Someone soon reported the casualty numbers for Xiazigou.
"What?"
"Did you miscount?"
"How could there be so many casualties? I clearly saw him pull back after just a single spear strike when he clashed with our brothers."
The chieftains were skeptical.
"He killed the boss without anyone even noticing. His power... I’m afraid he’s already reached the very peak of the True Martial Realm."
An injured chieftain said, lying back in a chair.
His aura was faint. A single clash of spears with Chu Lingguang had shattered his Dharma Aspect, sent his Qi Blood into reverse, and inflicted varying degrees of damage to his organs and physical body.
"Where in the world did he come from?"
"Could he be a top expert sent by the Court?"
"He seems even more terrifying than Liu Ziyun."
The chieftains’ hearts pounded with fear.
"If he’s from the Court, we can’t stay here any longer," the injured chieftain said.
"Leave? I won’t do it! Xiazigou is my territory. I’ll die here before I leave," a one-eyed chieftain declared indignantly.
"I’m not about to let some lackey of the Court just take everything we’ve worked so hard to build."
"What happened tonight was sudden. The brothers were caught completely off guard. If we had noticed when the boss was attacked, maybe he wouldn’t have died."
"The boss died because he was ambushed."
"Even if he’s really stronger than Liu Ziyun, we don’t have to be afraid of him. Back then, even Liu Ziyun couldn’t take us down. What makes you think this guy can?"
"Maybe he’s not from the Court at all. It’s possible we’re just overthinking things."
"The Island Master of Black Bear Island is named Chu Lingguang. He’s just a kid who recently passed the exam to become a Military Scholar. While they might be around the same age, if this guy were Chu Lingguang, the title of Martial Champion Scholar would never have gone to Yan Zhen."
The pirate leaders continued their analysis.
Although they lived overseas, they still paid attention to each generation’s Martial Champion Scholar from the Great Yuan Dynasty.
They were especially careful to find out who was in charge of the situation on Black Bear Island.
They didn’t consider for a moment that it could be Chu Lingguang.
In the end, they unanimously decided to stay and defend Xiazigou.
The reason for this, aside from believing it was unlikely Chu Lingguang was from the Court, was the countless riches hidden in the secret passage. No one wanted to give that up so easily.
The journey from Xiazigou to Black Bear Island took a full day by boat.
But Chu Lingguang was moving at full speed, and with the help of his recent boost in power, he shortened the day-long journey to less than half a day.
The soldiers guarding the port on Black Bear Island soon saw a long white wake appear on the sea’s surface as a small boat shot toward them like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Quick, go inform Lord Xuan Yuan! A small boat is returning!" a sentry leader ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
"Master!"
Not long after a soldier ran off, Xuanyuan Jinkang came running over. His power had reached Qi Sea Perfection, and his gaze was piercing. As Chu Lingguang’s boat drew closer, he recognized the figure on board as Chu Lingguang.
Someone else was lying on it—it was his master!
"Jin Kang."
The dying Eunuch Liu rallied at the sound of Xuanyuan Jinkang’s voice.
"Master!"
Xuanyuan Jinkang shouted.
Without waiting for the boat to dock, Chu Lingguang picked up Eunuch Liu and leaped from the boat to the port, covering a distance of more than a hundred feet in a single bound.
Unable to withstand the force of his leap, the small boat shattered on the spot and sank into the sea.
"Master."
"AAAH!"
Xuanyuan Jinkang rushed forward. When he saw Eunuch Liu’s vacant eyes, his fallen-out hair, and his missing yellowed teeth, looking as though he was breathing his last, he let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"Chu Lingguang, how did my master end up like this? I’ll kill you!"
He grabbed Chu Lingguang by the collar and raised a hand, intending to smash his skull with a single palm strike.
But a withered, skeletal hand shot out and grabbed his wrist. "It has nothing to do with Lin Guang," Eunuch Liu said. "Xiazigou’s vitality has been greatly wounded, and their chieftain has been slain by Lin Guang. The two of you finally have a chance to wipe out the Xiazigou pirates for the Court. This will be a great accomplishment. Do not miss it."