Reinhardt stared, dumbfounded, as Shi Ming climbed onto the deck. The man had fallen from the sky, pierced clean through the ship’s hull, and plunged into the water below.

’A harbinger of doom has arrived!’

As a veteran captain who had sailed the seas for many years, he had faced every kind of predicament imaginable. But this young man before him, crackling with lightning, truly exuded the stench of death. He knew a single misstep would mean utter ruin.

He had no doubt that if that lightning-wreathed fist struck him, he would die instantly, regardless of his defenses.

His A-rank skill, Heart of Weaving, specialized in scheming from the shadows, not direct confrontation.

"Friend, this is all a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding."

"Fifty Dome Crystals—oh, no, I’m willing to pay a commission of one hundred Dome Crystals. What do you say we just let this go?"

His eyes darted back and forth.

’My Heart of Weaving skill is already active. Those three Awakened from the Gold Tower are probably done for. There’s no room for reconciliation now. I might as well placate him with words first, then launch a sneak attack. Maybe I can kill this kid in one blow.’

’No matter how strong this kid is, he just finished a fierce battle. He can’t have much stamina left.’

’If I can kill him and deliver his body to the Gold Tower, I might even get an extra reward.’

"One hundred Dome Crystals?"

"Do you take me for a fool?"

Shi Ming’s magnetic voice rang out again as he stretched his body, a series of sharp CRACKS and POPS echoing from his bones.

A violent storm of lightning raged within his eyes.

Without needing a command from their captain, the crew had already aimed the Chuiyan’s laser weapons at Shi Ming. Having followed the captain for many years, they’d learned through long association when to negotiate and when to strike with lethal force.

Kill!

BANG!

A nearby crewman pulled the trigger of a laser cannon!

Shi Ming dodged it with ease. A burst of Thunder Power sent the crewman flying. He stomped on the precision laser cannon, crushing it with a CRUNCH, then darted after Reinhardt.

Influenced by his Ten Thousand Tribulations Thunder Body, thunderclouds reconvened above this patch of sea. Countless bolts of lightning, like the wrath of a god, struck down upon the massive Golden Ship. Sparks CRACKLED loudly, and sections of the wooden structure were instantly turned to charcoal.

The spot where Shi Ming stood was the very core of the Ten Thousand Tribulations Thunder Prison.

The frequency of lightning strikes here was far greater than anywhere else.

To make matters worse for the Chuiyan, its onboard equipment began to malfunction and break down.

Despite its decent lightning protection, the Chuiyan shuddered violently from the strikes. The high voltage turned the entire vessel into a death trap, and some of the weaker crew members convulsed before being knocked unconscious.

"All of you, get him! Kill him!"

Seeing his crewman’s failed attack, Reinhardt roared.

But he didn’t dare to confront Shi Ming directly. As he hastily dodged the onslaught, he weaved nimbly through the ship, constantly keeping his crew members between himself and his attacker.

"A fine Wandering Ship. It has a certain mechanical beauty."

"What a pity."

After just two minutes of desperate struggle, Reinhardt knew he was no match for Shi Ming.

He had already been struck by lightning three times. The acrid smell of burnt hair rose from his singed golden locks, and several parts of his body were seared well-done, wracked by an unbearable, scorching pain. Even the expensive, high-grade protective chestplate he had spent a fortune on—an item he supposedly never took off, even in bed—was now cracking to pieces, utterly ruined.

Shi Ming had also been struck by lightning three times, but each bolt only seemed to invigorate him further!

"Friend! I was wrong!"

"Two hundred Pure Dome Crystals! Spare me!!!!"

Shi Ming blinked.

’Oh?’

’Two hundred Pure Dome Crystals?’

’Still holding back? You’re just asking to die!’

"You earned more than this when you sold me out to the Gold Tower!"

"Besides, if I kill you, won’t those two hundred Pure Dome Crystals be mine anyway?"

"This..."

Reinhardt collapsed to the ground. The searing pain in his back and thighs made it impossible to maintain his Awakened skill.

Shi Ming’s fist closed in. Reinhardt struggled to block it but was sent flying three meters back.

"Wait!!!"

"Friend, I’m a big shot in the Twelve Stars! I’ve already sent a picture of your face to my contacts there. Let me go, and we can talk this through. We’ll pretend today never happened, and I’ll even help you cover up the whole Gold Tower business. But if you kill me, your picture will be spread across the entire Endless Ocean!"

"By then, everyone will know you’ve offended the Gold Tower! There will be no place for you left in the entire ocean."

Reinhardt struggled to sound intimidating, employing a mix of threats and promises.

But Shi Ming simply erupted with lightning, showing no mercy.

’Offend the Gold Tower?’

’The Gold Tower offended me the moment they issued that insane bounty!’

’Besides, I’m wearing a mask; this isn’t even my real face.’

’Ever since we first met at the Twelve Stars’ trading post, I’ve been wearing the Hundred-Faced Sea Lizard Mask, upgraded by the Brain of Creation. My current appearance is completely different from my real one.’

’A threat like that is completely empty.’

Reinhardt’s body was sent flying toward his private recreational area on deck. His favorite dessert table and beer stand shattered, scattering debris everywhere. The solid wood lounge chair burst into flames under the arcs of lightning and collapsed in an instant. The once tastefully arranged leisure spot was now a complete wreck.

...

...

...

All enemies had been dealt with.

Unfortunately, because the Chuiyan was much larger than the Dayun, the massive, steel-hulled Golden Wandering Ship had been torn to shreds by the raging storm.

The hole in its lowest level was beyond repair, and seawater was already gushing in. GLUG... GLUG...

Its sinking was inevitable.

’The Chuiyan is a fine vessel,’ Shi Ming thought, ’but it’s too well-known. Plus, Reinhardt had a stable of mistresses, and I have no desire to become their high-profile target.’ He decided against keeping the Golden Ship. Instead, he would salvage its core to prepare for upgrading the Dayun to an admiral-grade vessel later on.

His time was limited. He needed to quickly find the 500 Pure Dome Crystals on board and, more importantly, extract the ship’s Sailing Heart.

The thunderstorm raged on, never pausing for a moment.

The Chuiyan had caught fire, sending up puffs of smoke that ironically lived up to its name.

It looked like a beacon fire on the open sea.

In the core cabin, Shi Ming found the 500 Pure Dome Crystals. The Gold-class Wandering Ship also held other treasures: a database containing "top-secret intelligence" and the main storehouse. For Shi Ming, temporarily wielding Titan Power, it was all child’s play. He could smash through any gate with a single punch.

GLUG GLUG GLUG.

The seawater leaking into the bottom of the cabin was beginning to rise.

Having finished his sweep, Shi Ming flexed his thunder-forged joints.

’What a haul!’

The extracted Sailing Heart, the ship’s accumulated intelligence, the collectibles from the cabins, and any other equipment worth taking—he stored it all in his system inventory.

The fight had taken less than ten minutes.

Collecting the loot, however, took over thirty.

’Awesome!’

He checked the time.

The first fifty minutes of his Descent of the Titan were about to end.

’I wonder what sort of strange buffs or debuffs the last ten minutes of Ten Thousand Tribulations Thunder Body will bring this time.’