"It’s hatching?"

A flash of surprise crossed Su Yu’s face. He hadn’t expected the sound waves to actually help the Stone Egg hatch. It was a pleasant surprise.

"Senior Brother Su, come quick! It’s coming out!"

Qin Yu, also astonished, quickly waved Su Yu over to the Stone Egg.

As the two watched with bated breath.

CRACK... CRACK CRACK CRACK...

Cracks spread wildly across the Stone Egg’s surface like a spiderweb.

Then, a small, dark-gold claw pushed through the stone shell from the inside.

As large pieces of the gray-white shell flaked away, a tiny creature finally struggled free from the egg’s fluid.

It was no bigger than the palm of his hand, its entire body covered in fine, black scales that looked as if they were cast from black iron. Its four limbs were thick and powerful, and it dragged a short tail covered in Bone Spikes. Looking at its body alone, it was practically identical to the ferocious, bloodthirsty crocodile-like Exotic Beasts of the Black Water River.

But strangely, the little one’s head was not a flat crocodile snout.

On either side of the top of its head, two soybean-sized fleshy bumps protruded abruptly, as if something hard was about to break through the skin.

And on the sides of its rather short, thick snout grew two miraculously thin, crystal-clear golden whiskers!

’What in the world is this creature? Judging by its body, it looks a bit like the ancient crocodile dragons recorded in old texts,’ Su Yu murmured softly, his gaze focused.

He had personally slain a Black Rock Iron-Backed Crocodile whose strength was comparable to the Flesh Refining Realm.

Afterward, he had looked through the Great Xia’s Annals of Exotic Beasts and learned that those ferocious beasts had an extremely diluted ancient crocodile dragon bloodline.

According to legend, once a true pure-blooded ancient crocodile dragon reached adulthood, its body would be as large as a towering mountain. It could stir up rivers and overturn seas, its terrifying strength even rivaling that of gods and demons!

It was a pity that with the passage of time, most of what remained in the world today were just hybrid descendants with severely degraded bloodlines.

"Senior Brother Su, I think it looks a little different."

Qin Yu knelt by the pool, carefully studying the newly hatched little one, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a peculiar light. "Look at those two bumps on its head, and these two golden whiskers by its mouth... With an appearance like this, it looks more like the cub of a true dragon from the legends, one that could summon wind and rain!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Qin Yu couldn’t help but let out a "pfft" of laughter.

’A true dragon?’

That was a Supreme Divine Beast that existed only in ancient myths, on par with Immortal Buddhas!

Even if it were just the descendant of a flood dragon with a trace of atavistic blood, its Qi and Blood fluctuations at birth would be comparable to a powerful human Martial Artist. How could it possibly be this weak, palm-sized creature?

"Goo... goo..."

The little crocodile dragon struggled to open its vertical pupils, which resembled purple amber. It looked around in a daze, its gaze finally locking onto Su Yu.

As if sensing an extremely intimate and familiar aura, it let out two chirps like a baby bird and, wagging its short little legs, wobbled along the edge of the blood pool toward Su Yu.

Su Yu extended his index finger.

The little creature immediately came closer and affectionately rubbed its small, golden-whiskered head against the pad of Su Yu’s finger. Its purple amber pupils revealed an intelligent, human-like attachment.

"Senior Brother Su, this little thing seems to like you! You should give it a name."

Seeing this, Qin Yu grabbed the scruff of the little one’s neck, lifting it into the air and curiously examining its belly.

"CHIRP! GOO!" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The little crocodile dragon, suddenly airborne, was startled. Its four limbs flailed comically in mid-air as it let out continuous squeaks of protest.

"Is this little one male or female? Look at its little belly, it’s so soft and cute." With a mischievous glint in her eye, Qin Yu poked the little crocodile dragon’s defenseless stomach, thoroughly enjoying teasing it.

Su Yu watched Qin Yu having so much fun and was a bit speechless. "Since it looks like a crocodile dragon, let’s just call it Little Crocodile Dragon. A humble name makes for a hardy life."

He stood up, dusted himself off, and glanced at the blood pool, which had almost no energy left. "Let’s go, Junior Sister. We’ve plundered everything worth taking on this island. It’s time for us to leave."

With a thought, Su Yu also placed the larger, unhatched Stone Egg into his storage ring.

He had completely emptied Ghost Mist Island. There was no point in staying any longer.

Behind him, Qin Yu carefully tucked the little crocodile dragon into the front of her robes like a treasure and hurried to catch up with Su Yu’s pace.

...

「Half an hour later.」

At the gate of the Ghost Mist Island water fortress.

Su Yu’s expression was cold as he took a flint and steel from his robes.

CLICK!

Sparks flew, landing on a pile of dry hay that had already been soaked in flammable oil.

BOOM—!

In just a few breaths, a pillar of fire shot into the sky.

The raging flames spread with terrifying speed, completely engulfing the entire water fortress in the blink of an eye.

The roaring blaze dyed half the sky red, casting flickering light and shadow across Su Yu’s handsome face.

"Let’s go, Junior Sister."

Su Yu didn’t spare the sea of fire another glance.

He bent down, picked up a coarse cloth bundle that was still dripping blood, and turned to stride away.

The bundle was bulging. Inside were the heads of Ghost-Hand Asura Qin Bashan, Second-in-Command Xia Lie, and Third-in-Command Huang Chong!

Su Yu remembered that the heads of these three Water Bandit leaders also had bounties on them at the chamber of commerce alliance on Black Crocodile Island. Not only would this trip establish the might of the martial arts hall, but he certainly wouldn’t pass up such a handsome reward.

...

「Two hours later.」

Black Crocodile Island wharf.

Su Yu and Qin Yu walked side-by-side onto the pier, striding toward the small building that served as the Jiang Clan Chamber of Commerce’s base.

By a fish stall in the distance, a few brawny men with fierce faces were collecting docking taxes from passing fishing boats.

The leader, a burly, rugged man, caught sight of Su Yu and Qin Yu out of the corner of his eye, and his expression flickered.

’Hm? Aren’t those people from the White Ape Martial Arts Hall? How are they back so soon?’

The burly man rubbed the thick flesh on his chin, a sinister glint in his eyes. He whispered an order to a subordinate beside him, "Go, follow them and see what’s going on!"

’They came back so quickly. The merchant ship most likely ran into bandits not long after setting out.’

’Heh heh, kid, with the trade route robbed again, the White Ape Martial Arts Hall’s reputation is completely finished.’

’Then you’ll have to go begging to Steward Hong!’

Jiang Clan Chamber of Commerce, front hall.

Su Yu and Qin Yu crossed the high threshold one after another.

Jiang Zhi and the old Steward of the chamber of commerce, who had been waiting anxiously in the hall, saw them return so quickly. Their faces instantly turned deathly pale, and their hearts sank.

’Senior Brother Su and Senior Sister Qin, how are they back so soon?’

’And there’s no sign of the treasure ship?’

’Could it be... could it be that the merchant ship, fully loaded with cargo, ran into trouble again?!’

"Senior Brother..." Jiang Zhi came forward, her voice trembling slightly. "The merchant ship... did it run into Water Bandits again?"

"It’s fine."

Su Yu’s expression was placid. He casually tossed the blood-soaked cloth bundle onto the huanghuali wood counter with a THUD. "The Ghost Mist Island Water Bandits who attacked the ship have all been wiped out. From now on, the trade routes in the Ten Islands Waters will be safe."

"There are heads in the bundle. Send someone to the chamber of commerce alliance to collect the reward."

As soon as he said this, the shop fell silent.

Jiang Zhi’s cute, round face was dazed, her mind buzzing.

’The Ghost Mist Island Water Bandits have been wiped out?’

’The trade routes will be safe from now on?’

’What nonsense is Senior Brother Su talking about?’

’They were gone for less than a day, right? The two of them wiped out all the Water Bandits on Ghost Mist Island just by themselves?’

Seeing the young girl standing there dumbfounded, Su Yu added, "What, is there something you didn’t understand about what I just said?"

At that moment, the experienced Steward at the side finally recovered from his shock. He swallowed hard, pointed at the bundle reeking of blood, and asked in a trembling voice, "Lord Su, you mean to say... that the Water Bandits of Ghost Mist Island have been completely annihilated by you?"

Su Yu turned to look at him, his tone still calm. "That’s right. The entire Ghost Mist Island water fortress has been erased from this world. Inside this bundle are the heads of the three leaders of Ghost Mist Island."

The Steward instantly sucked in a cold breath. He took a step forward and carefully untied the coarse cloth of the bundle.

When he saw the three heads inside, their eyes wide open in death.

"Qin Bashan! Xia Lie! It really is their heads!!!"

The old Steward couldn’t help but shout, so excited that he tore out a tuft of his beard. "Quick! Quick! Follow Lord Su’s orders! Immediately send someone with these three heads to the hall of the Ten Islands Chamber of Commerce Alliance to claim the reward!"

"And spread the news immediately! Let everyone in the Ten Islands Region know that Ghost Mist Island foolishly attacked our merchant ship and has been completely annihilated by Lord Su single-handedly!!!"

At the side, Jiang Zhi stared intently at Xia Lie’s head, his eyes open in death. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Senior Brother Qingyang, Senior Brother Song, Senior Brother Liu... Can your spirits in heaven see this? Senior Brother Su has avenged you!"

...

「The next morning.」

In the spacious backyard of the Jiang Clan Chamber of Commerce.

Su Yu, bare-chested, had assumed his stance early in the morning, immersed in the arduous practice of the Demon Ape Shakes the Mountain Fist.

As he threw a ferocious Savage Ape Cleaves the Mountain punch, the air in front of him was instantly compressed and blasted apart!

BOOM!

A visible astral wind swept out like a furious tide, violently shaking the thick weeping willow in the courtyard and sending catkins fluttering down like a heavy snow.

[Demon Ape Shakes the Mountain Fist Skill Level +20]

[Demon Ape Shakes the Mountain Fist has broken through to the Great Success Realm]

[Martial Arts]: Demon Ape Shakes the Mountain Fist (Great Success 1/10000)

’A breakthrough!’

The next moment, as the ink-wash characters froze in his vision.

A profound understanding of Martial Arts flooded into Su Yu’s mind like a sudden enlightenment.

"Swallow the primordial air to become a demon ape, flesh like knotted gold to move mountains. Seek not a thousand clever variations, but rely on one power to decide the world..."

Su Yu closed his eyes, savoring the insight. At this moment, his understanding of the force application techniques and Qi and Blood circulation for his main Fist Technique had reached a whole new level!

Following that, a physical transformation even more terrifying than the martial insight erupted within his body!

BOOM!

Along with a deep rumble like thunder.

The final barrier of the Double Dragon Pass, the Pohu acupoint, suddenly manifested deep in his spine!

The originally ethereal acupoint instantly transformed into a deep and terrifying black vortex, which began to frantically devour the scalding Qi and Blood that was like a vast ocean inside Su Yu’s body.

The Pohu acupoint is located on the spine, next to the Feishu acupoint!

This spot was the ultimate nexus of power in the human back!

At this moment, with the opening of this final major acupoint, endless Qi and Blood surged and reforged his back like a charging army of thousands.

The great dragon of the spine that ran through his body had, at this moment, finally awakened and roared!