'Skill upgrade...'
Frowning, Su Ye focused his mind on the '+' symbol next to the skill.
A brilliant light flashed on the panel, coalescing into three new entries!
[Long-Range][Piercing][Hooked]
The three entries hovered between solid and ethereal, not quite real.
When Su Ye focused on one, the entry would solidify slightly, revealing its details.
Looking away would cause it to return to its ethereal state.
'So this means...'
'I have to choose one of the three?'
Su Ye's eyes flickered as he figured out the panel's intention.
Upgrading the [Whale-Hunting Spear] meant choosing one of these three traits: [Long-Range], [Piercing], or [Hooked].
[Long-Range]: Greatly increases the Whale-Hunting Spear's effective range and slightly improves its accuracy and precision.
[Piercing]: Further increases the Whale-Hunting Spear's penetration, granting it armor-breaking and magic-breaking properties.
[Hooked] offered a new attack method. After the Whale-Hunting Spear hit a target, it could... pull it in front of him?
'What would I do with a target I've pulled over?'
The corner of Su Ye's mouth twitched as he immediately ruled out [Hooked].
'In a martial arts world, this trait might have been quite useful, adding a surprising new tactic to my arsenal.'
'But in the Cultivation Realm, Magical Artifacts can be recalled at will...'
'With a few specialized spear-type Magical Artifacts, I could probably develop a 'hooked' technique myself, couldn't I?'
That left [Long-Range] and [Piercing].
After some thought, Su Ye discarded [Long-Range] as well.
'The reasoning was similar. The Cultivation Realm is full of long-range techniques.'
'At higher realms, beyond-visual-range strikes are effortless!'
'When it came to range, the Whale-Hunting Spear held no special advantage.'
'It's better to... just keep increasing the Whale-Hunting Spear's power!'
'Focus on one aspect and push it to its absolute peak!'
With his mind made up, Su Ye looked at [Piercing].
In an instant, the [Piercing] trait solidified and took form!
[Exclusive Skill: Whale-Hunting Spear]
[Trait: Piercing]
'With the [Piercing] enhancement, the already formidable Whale-Hunting Spear now also possesses armor-breaking and magic-breaking capabilities...'
Sensing the significant boost in the skill's power, Su Ye smiled.
...
Closing the panel, Su Ye composed himself and sat cross-legged.
He began his nightly cultivation routine.
He took a Qi Replenishing Pill from his Storage Pouch and consumed it.
The pill dissolved the moment it entered his mouth.
Soon, a pure and gentle stream of medicinal energy rose from his Dantian, flowing throughout his entire body.
Wasting no time, Su Ye began circulating his energy according to the Ghost Water Skill's method.
Nearly eight months had passed since he had last returned to port and broken through to the third level of Qi Refining.
Although he had lost the support of a Spirit Vein, he now had the bonus provided by the Flying Serpent.
Compared to his days on Donglong Island, Su Ye's cultivation speed hadn't slowed in the slightest; it had actually increased!
Now, he was drawing ever closer to the peak of the third level of Qi Refining.
HUMMM.
As he circulated the Ghost Water Skill, a faint, blue spiritual light emerged from his body.
It added an air of unfathomable mystery to his handsome, jade-like features.
...
「One day.」
The afternoon sun was dazzling, easily lulling one into a sense of idleness.
Su Ye patrolled the deck, calmly supervising the crew as they performed their routine ship maintenance.
'This voyage has been rather smooth, all things considered,' Su Ye thought.
After paying a hefty price for a hard-learned lesson, Captain Luo Qingjun had become far more prudent on this voyage.
Furthermore, thanks to Su Ye's outstanding combat prowess and a bit of good luck, the Flying Serpent had only lost two crew members in the four months since they'd set sail.
However, it seemed that good luck had just run out...
"Boatswain, unidentified vessel in the distance!"
The lookout's anxious voice drifted down from the mast!
"Signalman, hoist the flags: 'No desire to communicate,' 'Do not approach'!"
Su Ye ordered without a second thought.
'The waters of the Yaoguang Islands aren't like the safe, open seas of the modern world!'
'To suddenly encounter another ship on this vast ocean, especially one you can't identify, usually spells trouble!'
'After all, these waters have a certain local specialty: pirates!'
'Compared to their counterparts in the inland Cultivation Realm, who have to conceal their identities and hide in the shadows, the pirate-cultivators of the Island Cultivation Realm had it much, much better!'
'They captain Pirate Ships, fly skull flags, appear and vanish without a trace, and plunder other vessels. They even lead raids ashore, sacking towns and marketplaces that lack strong defenses!'
Thanks to the vastness of the sea and the fragmented geography of the islands, the pirates were impossible to fully eradicate.
Even the powerful Golden Core sects, despite killing wave after wave of pirates, could never completely exterminate the rogue cultivators within their domains.
Su Ye had heard that in distant seas, a notoriously famous great pirate had established a pirate kingdom, openly challenging the various sects.
'I hope it's not pirates...'
Su Ye's heart tightened as he stared at the distant ship.
But his hopes were in vain.
After the Flying Serpent had hoisted its flags, the unknown ship gave no response. In fact, it continued to sail toward them, the distance between the two shrinking steadily.
"What's going on? An unknown ship?!"
Captain Luo Qingjun and First Mate Luoguang River had also come up to the deck, their expressions grave.
Demon Hunting Ships were not designed for naval combat.
Unlike combat vessels, which were equipped with offensive, defensive, and speed-enhancing Arrays, the Flying Serpent's only Array was the [Reversing Confusion Array].
This kind of Array was almost useless against human cultivators and their ships.
Furthermore, to say nothing of the differences in ship construction and inscribed Arrays, the gap in firepower alone was enormous.
The Flying Serpent had only two ship-mounted artillery pieces, and those were just repurposed Whale Hunting Crossbows!
Luo Qingjun considered for a moment before taking command and issuing orders.
"Turn downwind! Try to put some distance between us and them!"
"Signalman, keep sending the signal! Tell them to keep their distance!"
"And bring out the Whale Hunting Crossbows! Mount them on the deck and prepare for battle!"
"All hands, on deck and on standby!"
As Luo Qingjun's orders rang out, the crew on deck instantly sprang into action.
"Captain, sir, the wind is against us! Turning is difficult!"
"Captain, sir, still no response from them! Should we continue signaling?"
Su Ye's lips pressed into a thin, grim line. As he watched the unknown ship draw ever closer, he began to wipe his Blood-Drinking Spear.
'All signs pointed to them being...'
"They're not friendly," Su Ye murmured, his eyes narrowing.
The distance between the two ships continued to shrink until they were only a few hundred meters apart.
Suddenly, there was movement from the other ship's flag!
On deck, every soul on the Flying Serpent, from the captain to the lowest crewman, fixed their gaze upon it.
And the flag they were raising was, unmistakably...
"A twin-bladed skull on a black flag!"
"Pirates!!!!"