Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

Inside the newly renovated main cabin, Xu Hao sat cross-legged with his eyes slightly closed.

As the Zhenyuan was transformed into a blessed land, the ship seemed to become an extension of his body.

Every rise and fall of the deck, every screech of the cables, even the sound of rats gnawing on wood in the corner of the hold, was vividly etched in his mind.

This feeling of being omniscient and omnipotent is wonderful.

Suddenly, a slight scraping sound came from a shadowy spot at the stern of the boat.

With a thought, Xu Hao could clearly picture the scene in this location, even though it was separated by layers of wooden planks.

The old pirate, nicknamed "Rogue Snake," was huddled in a pile of moldy ropes, writing shakily on a torn piece of clothing by the moonlight.

The handwriting was crooked and messy, but the content was extremely vicious: "The witch is dead, the new master is a fat sheep, come quickly."

After finishing writing, the scoundrel took out a palm-sized gray-feathered puffin from his pocket and stuffed the strip of cloth into the thin bamboo tube on the bird's leg.

He looked around warily, a lewd smile on his face.

In his view, although the new leader was ruthless, he was still an outsider who did not understand the rules of Shengzhou Sea.

Once this messenger bird takes flight, the nearby Blood Bone Alliance patrols will be drawn by the scent of blood, and then Rascal Snake will be the great hero who leads the way.

"Go, go, find the Blood Corpse Alliance patrol team, my wealth and glory will depend on you." The rascal lowered his voice, revealing an uncontrollable greed.

He looked around to make sure no one had noticed him, then casually strolled around the deck, even pretending to tug on the mooring ropes a couple of times.

Inside the main cabin, Xu Hao's lips curled into a cold smile.

This scoundrel is the old hag's confidant; he's treating his new employer like a fool.

Seabirds flapped their wings and soared into the night sky, quickly disappearing into the clouds.

"Fly, fly farther," Xu Hao muttered to himself. "In this vast ocean, if no one leads the way, where are we going to find a sucker to deliver supplies?"

Knock knock knock.

There was a knock on the door, somewhat urgent.

"Enter."

Chen Yuanzhi pushed open the door and entered, holding an account book in his hand, his brows furrowed.

"Boss, we only have enough fresh water for three days." Chen Yuanzhi spread the nautical chart on the table. "Moreover, something's wrong with this area. The chart indicates that 'ghost ships' often appear here. Just now, some old sailors were whispering that they heard crying."

"A crying sound?" Xu Hao scoffed. "Perhaps it's just the sea breeze seeping into the crevices of the rocks. As for the fresh water..."

He pointed to the dark night sky outside the window, implying something: "Don't worry, someone has already gone to solicit customers for us. In a couple of days, kind people will deliver goods to our door."

Chen Yuanzhi was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant, his expression changing slightly: "You mean... there's a mole?"

"Not only do they have benefits, they're quite diligent." Xu Hao smiled. "Don't make a fuss, let them run wild for a couple more days. Go and appease everyone, tell them that as long as the ship sails steadily, they'll get their share of the rewards."

As they were talking, the boat suddenly swerved to one side, and the teacup on the table slipped and shattered.

The wind outside suddenly picked up, and the sound of the waves crashing against the hull was like muffled thunder.

"The wind is picking up!"

Xu Hao got up and pushed open the door, only to see a raging wind whipping up huge waves outside, like black walls pressing down on him.

Chaos erupted on deck, the sailors' screams ripped apart by the wind. Only the shirtless man at the helm remained steadfast as a rock.

Luo Meng gripped the helm tightly with both hands, his muscles bulging, and his tattoos of a raging bull riding the waves seemed to come alive in the rain.

He tilted his head back to feel the wind direction and roared, "Lower the sails halfway! Hard to port! Cut through the waves!"

Under his control, Zhenyuan did not choose to fight against the wind head-on, but instead, like a slippery fish, cut into the edge of the storm.

The ship rocked violently, but it never lost control; instead, its speed increased dramatically under the thrust of the wind and waves.

"Excellent craftsmanship." Xu Hao looked at the scene with a hint of admiration in his eyes.

With just his skill in navigating a boat, Luo Meng's life was well saved.

"Second Master." Xu Hao closed the door, shutting out the wind and rain outside. He pulled a blood-stained ghost-head knife from his robes and slammed it on the table. "I'm going into seclusion tonight. I'm leaving everything on the ship to you. Take this knife. Anyone who dares to cause trouble, just chop them down. If you can't cut them down, call Luo Meng. No matter what noises come from inside this room, no one is allowed to approach. Anyone who disobeys will be killed without mercy."

Chen Yuanzhi looked at the knife, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he nodded emphatically: "Understood."

After Chen Yuanzhi left, Xu Hao locked the cabin door and sat cross-legged back on the bed.

He pulled out a top-grade blood crystal from the witch's secret compartment from his pocket.

This blood crystal was unlike any I had ever seen before. It was a deep red, almost black color, with a layer of viscous blood flowing across its surface. When held in my hand, I could even feel a faint, almost imperceptible pulse, like a living heart.

"That old hag, she's really good at hiding her true nature."

Xu Hao took a deep breath, and without further hesitation, opened his mouth and swallowed the blood crystal.

Since the Blood-Clad Tower's pursuers could appear at any moment, he must break through this barrier and enter the Yi Jin Realm before reaching the Zhenhai Alliance's territory.

boom!

The blood crystal entered his throat, but instead of turning into a warm current, it exploded instantly, becoming a stream of scalding magma that rushed down his esophagus straight to his dantian.

pain.

excruciating pain.

Xu Hao grunted, his veins bulging all over his body. This energy was far too violent, exceeding his expectations.

It didn't nourish the body; instead, it was like a mad beast rampaging through his meridians, trying to burst his blood vessels.

In just a few breaths, a layer of fine blood beads seeped from Xu Hao's skin, making him look as if he had just been pulled out of a pool of blood.

Even more terrifying, as the medicine took effect, a cold and violent will surged straight to his head.

Kill! Kill them all! Tear every living thing to shreds!

Xu Hao's eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his reason teetering on the brink of collapse amidst his bloodlust.

He felt an unbearable itch on his skin. Looking down, he saw that the skin on his arm was cracking, and faint bluish-black patterns resembling fish scales were emerging.

"Damn it... this isn't an ordinary blood crystal..."