Departure

When making decisions, he deliberated deeply. But once he had made up his mind, Wang Yu would never hesitate again.

That night, in the inner courtyard of the Shadowless Fist Gym.

Sun Chengshan, Song Hezheng, and Wang Yu sat around the stone table in the courtyard.

Several ordinary meat dishes and a pot of aged wine were laid out on the table.

"I've already asked around. Every July, there's a fixed new recruit selection in the provincial capital.

"With your cultivation and strength, passing that selection is a certainty."

Sun Chengshan drained the wine in his cup in one gulp and spoke.

Wang Yu nodded. Sun Chengshan had likely learned these matters from the Garrison Commander, so he had clearly put thought into them.

"When do you plan to leave?" Sun Chengshan asked with a smile.

"I'll leave in a couple of days," Wang Yu said, reaching out to refill Sun Chengshan's cup.

Song Hezheng, who was picking up food beside them, paused and sighed. "Come to think of it, Junior Brother has been here for over a year now. It really is hard to let you go like this."

"You brat, what's there to be reluctant about? He's joining the army. That's how he'll find great opportunities in the future. If you ask me, you ought to join the army too and temper yourself there. Then you might still accomplish something in the Blood Burning Realm.

"If you keep staying in the gym, what prospects can you possibly have!"

Seeing Song Hezheng grow sentimental, Sun Chengshan immediately rebuked him in displeasure.

In his view, Song Hezheng had a mild temperament, but he was far too mild.

He never liked to fight for anything and was even more free of worldly desires than Wang Yu. He clearly possessed decent talent, yet he had always been content with mediocrity, willing only to follow in the footsteps of Sun Chengshan, his Master.

Wherever Master went, he went.

Having heard that Master would join the Lu Family in the future, he had also planned to follow him there.

As for inheriting the gym, he had no intention of accepting it.

"Master is right," Song Hezheng said with a smile, paying no mind to Sun Chengshan's scolding.

He knew Sun Chengshan was doing it for his own good. He hoped that Song Hezheng would achieve greater things in the martial path in the future, perhaps even surpass him, this old Master, rather than silently following behind him forever and accomplishing nothing.

But knowing that was one thing. Asking him to leave his hometown and join the army like Wang Yu was impossible.

Unless Sun Chengshan went with him.

"Hmph, you..." Sun Chengshan muttered on and on, then drained his cup again.

"So, Junior Brother, you won't be taking part in this year's sea tide either?" Song Hezheng asked after picking up a bite of food.

"Mm, I'm not waiting anymore," Wang Yu nodded.

"That's rather unfortunate. The last sea tide was somewhat dangerous, but the treasure ingredients and meat we harvested were quite plentiful," Song Hezheng said regretfully.

Wang Yu merely smiled and said nothing further.

After finishing the pile of seafood cultivation treasures he had harvested last time, his Shadowless Fist had now reached the Great Perfection Realm. As for the incomplete Body Tempering Methods he had cultivated alongside it, all those he could practice had also been trained to their limit.

To be honest, he had reached a point where there was nothing left for him to train. Even if someone gave him another pile of cultivation treasures, he could only eat them as ordinary ingredients; they no longer had any body-tempering effect.

That was precisely why treasure ingredients no longer held any attraction for him. More than anything, he wanted to reach the Nanxi provincial capital as soon as possible and obtain a Blood Burning Method.

"Speaking of which, what did the Garrison Commander find out about that wave of heat during the last sea tide?" Wang Yu suddenly recalled this question and looked toward Sun Chengshan.

Sun Chengshan's face was flushed. After half a pot of wine, he already carried a hint of drunkenness.

"Oh, there were just some findings recently. They said they discovered a sealed volcanic belt beneath the Silver Belt Sea, with signs suggesting it may have erupted.

"The Garrison Commander seems to have been busy with this matter lately as well, mobilizing a great deal of manpower and resources to assess the danger level of that undersea volcanic belt.

"That wave of heat last time was probably caused by an undersea volcanic eruption. That was also why so many sea beasts surged ashore during that sea tide—they had all been driven up by the volcanic heat wave.

"But it's a little strange. If it truly was an undersea volcanic eruption, then given the scale and intensity of that heat wave, the eruption shouldn't have been so silent and without warning."

Sun Chengshan could not make sense of it, but the existence of the undersea volcano had undoubtedly raised the danger level of this stretch of the Silver Belt Sea considerably.

Even if it could be guarded against after being discovered, and even if it would not erupt again in the coming years, the power and hidden dangers lurking within that undersea volcanic belt could not be ignored.

"Anyway, don't worry. The Garrison Commander will certainly take this undersea hazard very seriously. The moment there are signs of another eruption, we'll receive word immediately. If it really comes to it, we'll still have time to evacuate."

Sun Chengshan tapped the chopsticks in his hand and added this to Wang Yu.

"As long as Master is keeping an eye on it," Wang Yu nodded.

Given his cautious nature, he had asked about the Garrison Commander's investigation into the heat wave no fewer than five times over the past half year. He had even suggested that the Shadowless Fist Gym relocate directly to avoid the danger.

But Sun Chengshan had refused, and there was nothing he could do.

After several rounds of wine.

In truth, this simple meal for three was Sun Chengshan and Song Hezheng's farewell banquet for Wang Yu.

They both knew that Wang Yu disliked making a grand fuss and holding a lavish feast to see him off, which was why they had kept it simple.

There were no outsiders. It was enough for the three master and disciples to chat and drink together.

"Oh, right. That Secret Deer Gang—should I, before I leave..." Wang Yu said, raising two fingers to tap his own neck. A glint of coldness flashed through his eyes.

Sun Chengshan stared blankly for a moment, then burst into laughter.

"You little brat, how old are you? Why are you learning such wicked things?"

Song Hezheng also smiled from the side, leaving Wang Yu thoroughly depressed.

He was not even twenty yet, and both his looks and appearance still seemed quite youthful.

When he spoke of ruthless deeds, he looked exactly like a high school student solemnly plotting something like robbing a bank, creating an oddly jarring contrast.

"I'm serious, Master," Wang Yu said unhappily.

In his eyes, the Secret Deer Gang remained a hidden danger that had grievances with the gym, and it had quite a formidable background.

Their gang leader was even an expert at the Body Tempering Sixth Level.

He feared that after he left the gym, Sun Chengshan and the others might suffer because of them.

Rather than that, it would be better to take the initiative and snuff out this hidden danger. With himself and Sun Chengshan, two Body Tempering Sixth Level Martial Artists, joining forces—

—and laying out a plan, they had a good chance of directly assassinating that gang leader and completely scattering the Secret Deer Gang that had settled in Island Town 732.

That way, Wang Yu could leave with greater peace of mind.

After laughing, Sun Chengshan said, "The Secret Deer Gang has been suppressed by the Garrison Commander. For the past half year, they've kept their heads down and stayed low-profile. Don't worry. As long as the Garrison Commander and the military commander are still here, that Secret Deer Gang won't dare act recklessly.

"Besides, I'm a Body Tempering Sixth Level Martial Artist now too. If he really comes knocking, I might not be afraid of him."

Sun Chengshan spoke with utter confidence. Clearly, the immense increase in his strength had also brought him unprecedented confidence.

Wang Yu could not persuade him, so he did not persist.

Sun Chengshan's ties with the Garrison Commander's side had grown ever closer. Presumably, that Secret Deer Gang would not dare cause trouble again.

When the meal ended, all three had eaten and drunk to their hearts' content before returning separately to rest.