Becoming a saint begins with apprenticing under the last martial arts champion.

Uncle Xing entered the water without making many waves, clearly demonstrating his proficiency in swimming.

A-Wu and A-Feng followed closely behind him.

They moved like three fish, swiftly cutting into the battlefield.

And just as they jumped down...

One of the men behind Lu Changqing unleashed his inner energy and struck out with a palm from a distance. The powerful internal energy was compressed and transformed into an invisible hammer of energy, which struck Lu Changqing directly in the back!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Lu Changqing suddenly twisted his body and stepped forward, flashing like a startled swan, narrowly slid away from the edge of the water hammer!

The water hammer struck the air, creating a splash on the river surface!

"That brat!" The Dark Force Water Bandit saw his attack miss and a look of self-doubt appeared on his face.

After discovering that Lu Changqing was responsible for the mischief at the bottom of the ship.

The three of them went into the water together, planning to kill Lu Changqing.

What surprised them even more was...

This shrimp, which is only three-dimensional, looks like a lively and agile fish in the water!

Let alone killing them, it's extremely difficult to even touch them!

Now, the other party has surfaced, and the steps they are taking have a touch of perfect meaning!

Is this still the third training session? They've been practicing for too long and can't keep up with the current martial arts trends.

"Excellent footwork!" Uncle Xing exclaimed with delight upon seeing this. "Little Lu, retreat quickly! Your Uncle Xing will hold them off!"

Following behind him were A-Wu and A-Feng, both highly skilled naval warriors trained by the Wang family at great expense.

They had now split to the left and right, like two sharp knives, piercing the flanks of the three people chasing Lu Changqing.

"Get out of my way!" a burly bandit leader roared, turning around and slapping Ah Wu with his palm.

The hidden force was released, forcibly pushing the water flow apart and creating a brief vacuum impact.

A-Wu didn't take the hit head-on, but twisted his body to dodge.

At the same time, the Emei dagger in his hand slashed across the opponent's ribs. Although it was deflected by the protective energy, it forced the opponent to defend.

The other two bandits were also stopped one after another.

It was this moment of chaos!

A glint flashed in Lu Changqing's eyes, and with a powerful push of his feet, he leaped toward the deck!

"Not good! That kid is going to get on the boat!" A bandit leader with hidden strength sensed the intention, his expression changed, and he wanted to give chase, but was ruthlessly stopped by Uncle Xing.

"Your opponent is me!" Uncle Xing's hand formed a claw, bringing with it sharp streams of water, aiming straight for the opponent's throat.

For a moment, six masters of internal energy were fighting on the water, causing the surface to churn like dragons emerging from the water.

Lu Changqing jumped onto the deck and quickly tossed the numerous silver dollars and banknotes he had retrieved from his arms to one of the familiar servants of the Wang family, saying, "Give these to your young master."

After saying that, he was about to go back into the water.

The servant who caught the item quickly grabbed Lu Changqing: "Brother Lu, where are you going?"

Lu Changqing looked at the two pirate ships in the distance: "The trouble is still there!"

The servant was taken aback, and silently released his grip.

He was momentarily stunned by Lu Changqing's decisive leap into the water.

This...this is the third training session?

He's been trying to master internal energy for so many years, but he still hasn't been able to achieve this level of skill in the water!

...

...

As time went by.

On the water, the tide of battle has turned.

With nearly half of the main ship capsized, the pirates on board jumped into the water in panic, crying and screaming, and were no longer a threat.

The two remaining fast boats, which had been aggressive, now saw the main ship in ruins and heard bubbles churning underwater with muffled sounds coming from time to time. Their captains couldn't help but feel scared, and their attack slowed down.

How could the people on Wang Hao's merchant ship let such an opportunity pass by?

"Brothers! Brother Lu and Uncle Xing are fighting desperately underwater! We can't back down!" Holding Lu Changqing's spoils, the martial arts master, his face flushed, roared hoarsely, "Archers, fire!"

"Hold them down! Prepare the muskets, blast them to smithereens if they get close!"

"kill!"

The huge morale boost from escaping a desperate situation allowed these men, who were originally in despair, to unleash their full fighting power.

Arrows rained down, though their accuracy was hampered by the ship's rocking.

However, this also forced the pirates on the two fast boats to keep their heads down.

Several old-fashioned muskets rang out, causing little damage, but the booming sounds and smoke added to the imposing atmosphere.

A fast boat attempted to outflank the enemy, but the pirate leader, who had just peeked out from the bow to give instructions, was shot in the shoulder by an arrow from a sharp-eyed archer on the merchant ship. He screamed and fell back into the cabin.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the other speedboat began to slowly turn, as if it intended to retreat.

"Trying to run?" The martial artist on the merchant ship's eyes flashed with ferocity. "Ram them! Board them! Kill! Avenge our fallen brothers!"

In an instant, the roles of offense and defense shifted!

The pirates were completely panicked.

...

Underwater, next to the main ship wreckage.

The follower with hidden strength, carrying the unconscious Zhang Jiayu whose crotch was a mess, surfaced amidst the chaos.

He glanced at the chaotic battlefield, where the main ship had capsized.

Another ship got entangled.

There was another ship that seemed to be trying to escape!

Looking again at the fierce battle on the water not far away, and then looking down at the young master in his arms whose face was ashen, his expression so gloomy it could drip water.

"Young Master, Master... I'm afraid this is not the right thing to do." He gritted his teeth and whispered, without any further hesitation. He wrapped one arm around Zhang Jiayu, and with his other hand, he unleashed a powerful burst of internal energy, slamming his fist against the water's surface!

"boom!"

The water splashed up several feet high, and using the force, he, holding Zhang Jiayu, leaped out of the water as if stepping on an invisible spring, and sped towards the riverbank far away from the battlefield.

Someone on the merchant ship caught sight of it and wanted to fire an arrow, but was stopped: "A master of internal strength is determined to escape; we can't stop him. Deal with the one in front of us first!"

Lu Changqing followed suit, using his short knife, skillful maneuvering, and the help of the water flow that no one else could reach, to carve out several small but crucial holes in the bottom of the second speedboat.

The river water surged in, and the boat began to sink noticeably.

The pirates on board panicked and no longer cared about attacking the merchant ship. They began searching for things to save themselves and even started fighting amongst themselves over the planks.

Without pausing, he took a deep breath and dived back into the water, rushing like a fish toward the last fast ship that was being boarded by the merchant ship and was engaged in a fierce boarding maneuver.

...

...

A long time passed.

The battle on the deck was also nearing its end.

With their leader fleeing and the ship being scuttled, the morale of the bandits on the last pirate ship completely collapsed.

Most knelt and surrendered, while the few who resisted were quickly killed.

The river was a scene of utter devastation.

The main ship was mostly sunk, with only the mast and part of the superstructure remaining tilted above the water.

The other two fast boats, one slowly sank and the other was taken into control by the royal sailors.

Floating on the water were broken planks, debris, corpses, and some bandits struggling and calling for help.

The setting sun, like blood, reflected on the river surface that had just witnessed a life-or-death struggle.

An eerie silence hung over the merchant ship.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. Whether they were holding knives on guard or bandaging their wounds, they all stared blankly at Lu Changqing, who had nimbly and skillfully jumped onto the deck.

Lu Changqing was soaked to the bone, his left sleeve was torn, and his face was wet and he was panting.

But his posture was upright, his face unchanged, as if he carried an indescribable power.

On the deck, the wounded and injured brothers lay scattered about, a stark reminder of the dire situation they had faced not long ago.

The threat of artillery fire, the despair of boarding the ship, the countdown to sinking... each of these was enough to drag them into hell.

However, now that the bandit leader has either escaped or died, and the bandit ships have either sunk or capsized, the biggest crisis has been resolved!

All these changes are thanks to this young man!

Uncle Xing wiped the water off his face, looked at Lu Changqing, opened his mouth as if he wanted to ask something, but swallowed the words back down.

In the end, he only patted Lu Changqing's uninjured right shoulder heavily, his voice hoarse and solemn: "Little Lu... I, Old Xing, owe you half of my life!"

A-Wu, A-Feng, and the other martial artists and sailors who witnessed or participated in the subsequent battle looked at Lu Changqing with eyes filled with almost burning gratitude and shock.

One person goes into the water, causing chaos and turning the tide!

This isn't something you hear in a story; it really happened right before our eyes, and it saved all of their lives!

It's unclear who started it, but on the deck, these rough and tough men who had escaped death silently and solemnly clasped their hands and bowed to Lu Changqing.

The relief of surviving the ordeal, the grief for the fallen comrades, and the profound awe at the person who created this miracle.

A mix of emotions mingled together, heavy and pervasive in the air.

There was no commotion, only the subtle sounds of movement on the deck and the mournful murmur of the river wind.