Three feet beneath the water, the light was dim.

A dark figure glided along the riverbed like a ghost, enveloped in a transparent air membrane barely visible to the naked eye.

Ahead, an extremely cautious White-Scaled Fish was foraging among the aquatic plants. This type of fish was highly sensitive to fluctuations in the water current; an ordinary large fish approaching within ten zhang would startle it away.

At this moment, however, Su Yu seemed to have melted into the water. He didn’t paddle, but with only slight movements of his body, he silently slid up beside the White-Scaled Fish.

He was right next to it!

It wasn’t until Su Yu reached out and gently flicked the fish’s belly with his fingertip.

"Boop."

Only then did the White-Scaled Fish get a fright. Its scales flared, and with a flick of its tail, it fled in a panic toward deeper water.

"What an incredible Water-Resistant Air Membrane!"

Su Yu surfaced, his eyes filled with delight. He had just fully familiarized himself with how to use the Water-Resistant Air Membrane, which made him appreciate the miraculous nature of the Bibo Fish Dragon Skill even more.

At the same time, a question arose in his mind. ’This Cultivation Technique is so mystical, it seems a bit beyond the Qian Family’s level. And speaking of which, it should be about time for Qian Qinghong to ask for my help in the depths of the Black Water River. Maybe I can find out more then.’

Su Yu swam to the shore and was about to start a fire to cook.

"BZZZZ..."

Suddenly, his ears twitched.

’There’s a sound!’

’A kilometer away, two fast boats, sitting deep in the water, are cutting through the waves and approaching at full speed!’

Su Yu’s gaze turned cold. Like a melting wax figure, he slipped silently into the water, hiding in the dark shadow beneath the hull of his Cloud-Piercing Shuttle.

Just a few breaths later.

"CHIRP CHIRP!"

A sharp cry came from overhead. It was that relentless Cyan-Scaled Sea-Exploring Swallow again!

Shortly after, two shark-like black treasure ships broke through the fog. They flanked Su Yu’s treasure ship from the left and right, trapping it in a pincer formation.

"WHOOSH! WHOOSH!"

With the sound of clothes whipping through the air, five or six agile Water Bandits leaped onto the deck like vicious wolves, their movements ruthless and practiced.

"No one here! Check the cabin!"

"BOOM!"

The finely crafted cabin door was violently smashed, sending splinters flying. A few breaths later, several men backed out, cursing. "Boss! No one’s here! It’s empty!"

"No one?"

At the bow of the ship, a tall man’s gaze was sinister. He was the leader of this operation, Qin San Dao.

He scanned his surroundings, his eyes finally locking onto the desolate island shrouded in thick fog. He snorted coldly. "He can’t have gotten far. The kid must be on the island!"

"Leave two men to watch the ships and block his escape route!"

Qin San Dao commanded, "The rest of you, follow me onto the island and search!"

"Yes, sir!"

Qin San Dao pushed off with his feet, his Qi and Blood erupting. He leaped dozens of zhang like a great bird, landing steadily on the shore. The other four experts also jumped into the water and climbed onto the island, disappearing into the fog with murderous intent.

On the two black ships, only two Water Bandits remained on watch. They leaned against the railing, bored, and let out a yawn.

They were confident this operation was a sure thing and had no sense of danger.

"SPLASH..."

An extremely faint splashing sound was heard.

At the stern of the treasure ship, a dark figure quietly surfaced, revealing only a pair of calm, indifferent eyes.

Su Yu pressed himself against the side of the hull, his gaze sweeping over the retreating figures on the shore.

’The leader’s aura is profound. Judging from the fluctuation of his Qi and Blood just now, he’s an expert who has achieved Second Acupoint Perfection. Of the other four, one is at the First Acupoint, and three are ordinary Martial Artists. Their objective is clear; they were sent specifically to hunt me down.’

He hadn’t acted rashly just now, choosing instead to first clearly observe his opponents’ strength.

’With such a weak lineup, the roles of hunter and prey are about to be reversed!’

Su Yu took a deep breath. He gripped the ship’s railing with his left hand while his right reached for his waist, slipping two sharp-edged Flying Locust Stones between his fingers.

"Throwing Stones to Ask the Way!"

"WHOOSH! WHOOSH!"

The two Water Bandits leaning against the railing didn’t even have time to react before a black shadow flashed before their eyes.

"THWAP! THWAP!"

Two blossoms of blood bloomed on their foreheads. The Flying Locust Stones, carrying terrifying Spiral Force, pierced straight through their skulls and exited the backs of their heads in a spray of red and white matter.

The two men collapsed onto the deck without even a scream, their bodies going limp.

With Su Yu’s current abundant Qi and Blood from his Third Acupoint, combined with his Perfect Coin-Tossing Technique and its Spiral Armor-Breaking Trait, killing these ordinary Martial Artists was easier than killing a chicken.

Su Yu vaulted onto the ship without a second glance at the corpses and entered the cabin to inspect it.

’There’s no food or water in the cabin, which means there must be a Water Bandit Influence nearby! In that case, I’ll just kill them all to keep them from reporting back!’

Su Yu quickly made his decision. His eyes turned cold once more as he crept toward the fog-shrouded island.

...

On the island, clumps of fog were scattered about, pressing down heavily between the treetops. Visibility was less than five zhang.

Qin San Dao advanced with his four subordinates in a fan formation. The Cyan-Scaled Sea-Exploring Swallow circled ahead, its emerald eyes piercing through the white mist as it searched for any trace of Su Yu.

"Boss, this fog is too thick. If only we had a few more Sea-Exploring Swallows..." one of the Water Bandits grumbled, tightening his grip on his saber hilt as he stared into the surrounding mist.

"Shut up!"

Qin San Dao barked, "It takes at least three years to train one of these things, and a single one is worth a hundred gold. Where would we get so many? All of you, keep your eyes peeled..."

Before he could finish his sentence, an extremely faint, muffled grunt came from the rear of the group, as if someone’s throat had been seized.

"Hm?"

Qin San Dao whipped his head around.

The spot was empty. His companion, Zou Ling, who had been there a moment ago, now lay limply in the grass, his neck twisted at an unnatural angle. He was already dead.

"Zou Ling?"

Qin San Dao’s expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to step forward to check, a sharp, brief scream erupted from the fog to his left. It stopped as abruptly as it began, leaving only the chilling sound of bones shattering.

"Over there! It must be the kid! Kill him!"

Qin San Dao roared and charged forward, saber in hand.

But when he broke through the fog and reached the source of the sound, he found only a corpse with a caved-in chest. The killer was long gone, leaving behind nothing but a patch of disturbed leaves.

"The nerve! He dares to hunt us in return!" Qin San Dao stopped, his back against a large tree, his eyes vicious and wary.

’According to our intel, this kid Su Yu has only just entered the Second Acupoint. He’s definitely not my match in a direct confrontation, so he’s using the fog to play tricks and launch sneak attacks?’

Qin San Dao sneered inwardly, thinking he had seen through Su Yu’s tricks.

’But do you really think you’ve got me cornered?’

’Foolish, haha!’

"CHIRP CHIRP!"

The next moment, the Cyan-Scaled Sea-Exploring Swallow above them let out a sharp, urgent cry. It folded its wings and dove straight toward a thick patch of fog to the right.

"Found you!"

A sharp light flashed in Qin San Dao’s eyes. He laughed wildly, "Haha, you can’t escape the Sea-Exploring Swallow’s senses! Now die!"

"BOOM!"

The ground beneath his feet exploded as he shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

The moment he charged into the fog, he saw the black-clad figure standing silently under a tree.

"Go to hell!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Qin San Dao’s Qi and Blood boiled. The heavy Ghost Head Saber in his hand whipped up a foul gale as he brought it down with a ferocious chop!

This strike was heavy and powerful. As his Qi and Blood roared, it stirred up a large swath of fog, like a vicious flood dragon rolling, threatening to cleave both the man and the tree in two!

However, facing this killing blow, Su Yu’s expression was as calm as a pool of stagnant water.

He was already poised to strike.

"Ape Arm Star-Picking!"

Su Yu took a step forward, his Mo Yuan Saber sweeping out horizontally.

The slash seemed slow, but it was in fact blindingly fast. The jet-black blade drew a perfect crescent arc through the air. In that instant, the raging winds seemed to be forcibly suppressed by some terrifying power.

"VMMMM—"

The roiling white fog was sliced cleanly in half by this single, masterful strike, revealing a vacuum-like channel through its center!

For a moment, time seemed to stand still.

"SQUELCH!"

A soft sound broke the silence.

Qin San Dao froze in his chopping posture. The ferocity in his eyes had not yet faded when a grim line of blood suddenly shot across his field of vision.

Immediately after, he felt his arms go light.

"THUD."

His two thick arms, still gripping the Ghost Head Saber, were severed at the shoulder. They fell to the ground like two pieces of lotus root as blood gushed from the wounds like a fountain.

"AHHH!!!"

The delayed, excruciating pain instantly overwhelmed his nerves. Qin San Dao let out a bloodcurdling scream and staggered backward, collapsing to the ground as he stared in terror at the saber-wielding figure.

’Th-this... what kind of saber technique is this?’

"Run! Run for it!"

The last remaining Water Bandit was scared out of his wits seeing his boss crippled in an instant. How could he dare to stay? With a strange cry, he turned and fled into the fog.

Su Yu didn’t even look at the man. He simply flicked his left hand.

"BANG!"

A Flying Locust Stone tore through the air, pierced the fog, and struck the back of the Water Bandit’s head with perfect accuracy.

The man’s head burst like a watermelon. His body continued forward a few more steps from momentum before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

And with that, aside from the terrified, wailing Qin San Dao on the ground, Su Yu had slaughtered all the Water Bandits in just a few moves.