“Ling Xiao, you’ve had your fun. Can we leave now? Sin City is no longer a place you can stay.”
Although thrilled and exhilarated, Hua Luoying remained perfectly rational. She knew exactly what kind of trouble killing the one-eyed dragon would bring.
“Leave? I still have to attend the Alchemy Convention. How could I possibly go now?”
Ling Xiao shook his head.
“Stop being so stubborn. You have no idea who stands behind the one-eyed dragon. Offending them will bring you endless trouble.”
Hua Luoying said anxiously urged.
“What? Don’t tell me the one-eyed dragon is like your Twin Flowers Pirates, with some big boss backing him too?”
Ling Xiao asked.
“That’s exactly the case. I told you before: the oceans of the Profound World cover nearly seventy per cent of its surface and have given birth to countless powerful factions. Among them is one force that rules all the seas surrounding the Heavenly Dragon, Divine Phoenix, and White Tiger continents. It is called the Water Temple. Its overall strength is no less than the strongest powers on the White Tiger Continent, and it even surpasses the Five Immortal Islands.”
To persuade Ling Xiao to leave, Hua Luoying revealed things she normally would not have mentioned.
“The Water Temple? Never heard of it.”
Ling Xiao was not being arrogant. He genuinely had never heard of the Water Temple. After all, his activities had so far been limited to the Heavenly Dragon and Divine Phoenix continents, and he had not even fully explored those two landmasses.
“Captain Hua, thank you for your kindness, but I truly cannot leave right now. Giving up such an excellent chance to improve myself at the Alchemy Convention just because of a possible enemy is simply not my style.”
“Ling Xiao, you don’t understand how terrifying the Water Temple is. You’re courting death, do you realise that?”
Hua Luoying cried out in frustration.
Ling Xiao shook his head. “If the Water Temple is really as formidable as you say, then even if I flee Sin City, it probably won’t make much difference.”
“That… that’s actually true.”
Hua Luoying fell silent. He was right.
“Fine. I’ll go investigate for you and find out whether the Water Temple will come after you because of the one-eyed dragon’s death.”
Hua Luoying gritted her teeth and declared.
“Thank you, Captain Hua, but you really don’t have to do this.”
Ling Xiao gave a wry smile.
“No. I told you already: I’ve set my heart on you. Whether you like me or not, that won’t change. Even if it means making an enemy of the Water Temple, I will still stand by my man.”
Hua Luoying flashed a brilliant smile, then hurried away.
“Tsk tsk. Young hero Ling really is blessed with female admiration. Captain Hua has always had sky-high standards. Very few men ever catch her eye, and even fewer earn her affection. Impressive.”
Princess Yun Ya sat nearby, smiling mischievously.
“Yun Ya, stop teasing me. I still have a huge mess to deal with.”
Ling Xiao shook his head.
“But you don’t look scared or nervous at all.”
“What’s there to fear? When soldiers come, block them with generals. When flood comes, dam it with earth. My entire journey has been filled with trouble.”
Ling Xiao laughed lightly.
Someone starting from the bottom and climbing upward would inevitably be envied and schemed against.
To seize even half a step from the heavens, one had to gamble with one’s life.
A little danger was nothing.
Hearing these words, the hidden martial artists watching from the shadows all shook their heads in private admiration. Ling Xiao’s personality truly satisfied them.
When bullied, one should strike back boldly instead of cowering.
Yet after the satisfaction passed, they began to worry for his safety.
Even setting the Water Temple aside, the One-Eyed Pirate Crew alone was enough to give Ling Xiao a massive headache.
That crew possessed four fleets. Each of the four captains was a half-step Cave Heaven realm expert, and the nearly one thousand crew members were all Celestial Human realm warriors.
If the Water Temple also sent people, the situation would become even worse.
According to rumours, the weakest members of the Water Temple were Cave Heaven realm experts. No one knew what level of master they would dispatch this time, but it would definitely be at least first-level Cave Heaven realm.
Ling Xiao might have killed the one-eyed dragon, but against a true Cave Heaven realm warrior he stood no chance whatsoever.
And that was not all. The Black Python family was now involved as well.
Though no one knew why Mang Tian had not helped the one-eyed dragon, Ling Xiao had killed the man right in front of him. That was a direct slap to the Black Python family’s face.
How could they possibly let him off?
Yes, Ling Xiao was strong.
His talent was monstrous.
But with his current strength, trying to face the One-Eyed Pirate Crew, the Water Temple, and the Black Python family alone was nothing short of suicide.
Not wanting to drag the flames of war to Princess Yun Ya’s home, and knowing the One-Eyed Pirate Crew was nearby and could arrive within a quarter of an hour, Ling Xiao simply found a street stall, ordered a steaming bowl of spicy and fragrant tofu pudding, and began eating as though nothing had happened.
The hidden martial artists on the street did not leave either, nor did they resume business.
They understood the One-Eyed Pirate Crew far better than Ling Xiao did.
Their leader had been killed. There was no way the crew would simply let it go.
Princess Yun Ya also stayed. She sat opposite Ling Xiao. First, she wanted to see just how strong he truly was; she had missed that spectacular battle in the Divine Phoenix capital, after all.
Second, she was prepared to step in if things became truly dire.
The Heavenly Dragon Trading Company was currently riven with internal strife. One faction intended to cooperate with Ling Xiao and support his Heavenly Empire.
This was the heavy bet she had placed. She could not afford to be careless.
The wait was not long. Less than a quarter of an hour later, the ground began to shake. A bizarre massive ship flew through the air and descended onto the street.
The rumbling was endless. Many buildings were crushed beneath the enormous vessel. It felt like an earthquake, sending hearts pounding in terror.
“They’re really here. It’s the One-Eyed Pirate Crew’s Ironclad Flying Wheel Ship!”
Everyone was stunned.
They had heard before that the crew’s Ironclad Flying Wheel Ship was a rare mechanical vessel, extremely uncommon even on the Divine Phoenix and Heavenly Dragon continents.
Seeing it today truly opened their eyes.
“Ling Xiao is in serious trouble now. All four captains of the One-Eyed Pirate Crew have come! And there are experts from the Water Temple too. The ones in blue robes!”
All members of the Water Temple wore uniform water-blue robes or battle armour bearing the “Water Temple” emblem. The emblem was very distinctive: a mermaid-like creature with a blue tail that was fish below and human above.
At the same time, inside Black Wind Tower.
“Sis, let me go! I have to help Ling Xiao!”
Hua Luoying was trapped by a restriction and could not leave.
The person who had trapped her was none other than Hua Fuguang.
Her own elder sister!
