The Black Water River, Falling Eagle Gorge.

This was an exceptionally treacherous waterway. The steep black cliffs on both sides were like twin swords piercing the heavens, tightly gripping the turbulent river between them. The current here grew incredibly swift, laced with countless undercurrents.

It was a vital chokepoint on the route from the Ten Islands Region back to Black Stone City.

On a protruding rock on one of the cliff faces.

A middle-aged man with a thin, three-stranded beard and a cold expression stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His hawk-like eyes were fixed on the winding waterway below.

This was Hu Yanmo, a Tributor Elder of the Huyan Family. He was here under the Patriarch’s orders to ambush and kill Su Yu.

In the clearing behind him, the massive, mountain-like Hu Yanxin sat cross-legged on the ground, his snores as loud and heavy as thunder. Even in his sleep, his nearly ten-foot-tall, powerful frame emanated a palpably tyrannical aura.

FLAP FLAP FLAP—

A messenger hawk broke through the clouds, swooping down toward Hu Yanmo.

Hu Yanmo raised his arm with practiced ease, allowing the hawk to land. He then skillfully untied the bamboo tube from its leg and pulled out the secret message inside.

"Hmm?"

Hu Yanmo unfolded the message and scanned it, his brow instantly furrowing.

’This Su Yu... He single-handedly challenged Ghost Mist Island and even killed Qin Bashan, who was at Refining Flesh Realm Perfection?’

He stared at the words on the paper, a scornful, disbelieving smile flashing in his eyes. He casually crumpled the message into a ball and tossed it off the cliff like trash.

’What an absolute joke! That brat is, at best, in the late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm. It’s impossible for him to cross two minor realms to kill Qin Bashan!’

Hu Yanmo snorted, completely disbelieving the intelligence.

’Most likely, the White Ape Martial Arts Hall secretly sent Lin Wanzhu to back him up. They’re just giving him all the credit to build his reputation and establish their dominance in the Ten Islands Waters.’

However, Hu Yanmo didn’t dwell on it.

No matter what Su Yu’s true strength was, or what hidden allies he might have, Young Master Xin, who had entered the Muscle Forging Realm, was personally overseeing this operation. Even if the boy grew wings, there would be no escape for him today!

’By my calculations, their treasure ship will pass through Falling Eagle Gorge in less than half a day. When that happens, Su Yu, it will be the day you die!’

...

Three miles upstream from Falling Eagle Gorge, on the Jiang Family’s treasure ship.

The early summer river water still carried a bone-chilling cold, but Su Yu, wearing only a thin pair of under-shorts, dove decisively into the raging Black Water River with a splash.

SPLASH—

The moment he entered the water, Su Yu’s body naturally made a subtle adjustment. The Great Accomplishment stage of his Bibo Fish Dragon Skill activated on its own. His shoulders tucked in slightly, and his spine aligned vertebra by vertebra like a great bow, giving his body a perfectly streamlined form underwater.

The river’s resistance seemed to vanish, replaced by a gentle, propulsive force.

"Swimming Fish Tail!"

Su Yu’s legs whipped around, his major tendons suddenly erupting with force to slap against the current.

SWOOSH!

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, his body shot forward a few dozen feet across the murky riverbed.

Immediately after, he twisted his waist and hips, executing "Water-Parting Swim" and "Black Eel Wrap." Submerged in the surging undercurrents, his movements weren’t hindered in the slightest. Instead, he was as agile and smooth as a true fish-dragon.

With every stretch and contraction of his bones, every contest between his Qi and Blood and the water pressure, the true essence of this water-elemental Cultivation Technique grew clearer in his mind.

After swimming at high speed along the riverbed for an unknown amount of time, Su Yu finally stopped, though he still felt unsated after practicing the five killing moves of the Bibo Fish Dragon Skill dozens of times over.

SPLASH!

Su Yu broke through the surface of the water, grabbed the ship’s rail, and vaulted lightly onto the deck.

His muscles were taut, and water droplets traced the chiseled lines of his physique, glistening healthily in the sunlight.

Su Yu let out a satisfied breath and summoned his panel to check it.

[Martial Arts] Bibo Fish Dragon Skill (Great Accomplishment 2400/3000)

’The Bibo Fish Dragon Skill is only six hundred points away from the Perfection realm. In a few more days, my combat power in the water will take another qualitative leap forward.’

Just as Su Yu grabbed a dry towel to wipe his hair, a series of sharp, urgent chirps echoed from high above.

"CHIRP! CHIRP!"

The Cyan-Scaled Sea-Exploring Swallow dove out of the thick fog like a bolt of cyan lightning, landing steadily on Su Yu’s shoulder. It seemed extremely agitated.

Sensing the little creature’s urgent warning through the Lingxi Beast Taming Technique, Su Yu’s expression instantly turned cold.

"We’re under attack!"

Su Yu shot to his feet, the immense Qi and Blood of his Late-stage of the Flesh Refining Realm erupting within him. His explosive shout, laced with surging Ming Jin, echoed across the entire massive treasure ship like a sudden clap of thunder!

The next moment, the wooden door to the cabin was thrown open with a BANG. Qin Yu was the first to rush out, sword in hand, her face a mask of vigilance as she ran onto the deck.

She followed Su Yu’s icy gaze.

At the entrance to the Falling Eagle Gorge waterway ahead, a sleek black speedboat cut through the river fog like a sharp blade, speeding directly toward their treasure ship.

At the bow of the speedboat stood Hu Yanmo, his hands clasped behind his back, his long beard fluttering in the river wind. His cold eyes were fixed on Su Yu on the deck, radiating an unconcealed, bone-chilling killing intent.

And behind Hu Yanmo, the massive, mountain-like Hu Yanxin sat cross-legged on the deck.

He was clutching a raw beef leg bone, thicker than a grown man’s thigh, and was gnawing on the bloody meat with loud CRUNCHES.

His murky, crimson eyes held a cruel, bloodthirsty glint that didn’t seem human.

The moment Qin Yu stepped onto the deck, she sensed the two terrifying, undisguised fluctuations of Qi and Blood from the approaching speedboat.

Her face instantly turned as white as a sheet!

"This is bad! Senior Brother, the Qi and Blood radiating from those two... it’s so strong!"

Qin Yu’s heart pounded like a war drum, and the keen intuition of a Martial Artist made the hairs on her body stand on end.

The long-bearded man at the front wasn’t as alarming. His Qi and Blood fluctuations, though profound, were at most on par with Qin Bashan from Ghost Mist Island. Since she had seen what Su Yu was capable of, she didn’t feel this man posed an overwhelming threat.

But the giant behind him, nearly ten feet tall and built like a humanoid beast, was like a bloodthirsty demon!

The sheer power of the Qi and Blood emanating from him sent a fatal sense of crisis through her, and her back was already drenched in a cold sweat.

The Muscle Forging Realm!

He was definitely a master of the Muscle Forging Realm who had opened his major tendons and comprehended the momentum of Martial Arts!

"Senior Brother! Run! That’s an enemy in the Muscle Forging Realm!"

Despite Qin Yu’s anxious warning, Su Yu showed no intention of retreating. He just turned his head calmly, gave her a slight nod, and said, "Junior Sister, you go on ahead. Leave this to me. If you don’t see my signal flare after one hour, then rush back to the White Ape Martial Arts Hall at full speed and report to Master!"

How could Qin Yu agree to that? Her eyes instantly reddened as she grabbed Su Yu’s arm, ready to pull him with her to jump off the ship and escape.

"Junior Sister."

Su Yu placed a hand on her shoulder, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Trust me, I’m confident. Even if I’m truly no match for him, I can escape with my Body Technique. If you stay here, you’ll just be a distraction."

Su Yu was determined to send Qin Yu away, not just because he didn’t want her caught in the crossfire, but also because the frenzied battle lust that had been suppressed deep within him was now completely ignited!

The Qi and Blood of the giant opposite them was terrifying, but it seemed he had only recently broken through.

An opponent who had just entered the Muscle Forging Realm was the perfect whetstone to test the current power of his White Ape Transformation!

However, the White Ape Transformation was a trump card he didn’t want Qin Yu to see.

Qin Yu bit her lip, wanting to persuade him further. But when her eyes met Su Yu’s, which were blazing with fighting spirit, she was suddenly taken aback.

’No way, is Senior Brother planning to fight a master of the Muscle Forging Realm?’

The thought alone made her heart pound with fear.

’Is Senior Brother really confident? If he is... what kind of monster is he?’

’But no matter what, I have to leave now!’

Qin Yu immediately erupted with Qi and Blood. Like a fiery swallow, she leaped over the ship’s rail and began sprinting across the water’s surface in the direction they had come from.

"Trying to run? Too late! Not a single person on this ship will leave here alive today!"

Seeing this, killing intent flared in Hu Yanmo’s eyes. His body moved like a soaring eagle; with a light tap of his foot on the bow, he leaped across the hundred-plus feet of open water, landing instantly on the deck of the Jiang Family’s treasure ship.

He clearly didn’t even register Su Yu’s presence. After landing, he didn’t spare him a single glance, preparing to bypass him and chase after the fleeing Qin Yu.

From the looks of it, he intended to cut the weeds and pull up the roots—to leave no one alive!

"Who are you? Why are you ambushing a ship from my White Ape Martial Arts Hall on the Black Water River?"

A bone-chillingly cold voice suddenly exploded by Hu Yanmo’s ear.

Su Yu’s feet flashed, and he instantly activated the Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step. His figure seemed to teleport as he abruptly appeared in Hu Yanmo’s path, blocking him.

"Brat, since you’re so eager to die, this old man will grant your wish!"

He wasted no time on words and thrust out his right hand.

In an instant, all the color drained from Hu Yanmo’s right hand, which strangely transformed until it resembled translucent, deathly-pale jade, like that of a glacier.

Beneath the translucent skin, faint scarlet threads of blood could be seen squirming about like living things!

Weeping Blood Cold Jade Palm!

This palm technique was his signature move, one he had painstakingly cultivated for many years. Its power was astonishing!

Within the Flesh Refining Realm, he believed few could withstand a single palm strike from him!

As he struck, a tyrannical and bone-chillingly cold Ming Jin instantly materialized on his palm, slamming viciously toward Su Yu’s chest!

Facing this astonishing palm strike, Su Yu didn’t let his guard down.

The Black Stone Body Forging Skill erupted, and a layer of Profound Silver Flow Armor that looked like liquid mercury instantly coated his right fist.

At the same time, the Ape Demon’s baleful aura erupted from his body, forming a bloody afterimage that enveloped his fist.

He dropped his shoulder and elbow, meeting the deathly-pale jade palm head-on with a savage punch of his own!