Severed Arm Shu Tianhao, Martial Dao Crab

I do not know how much time had passed, but several ship silhouettes appeared where the water met the sky.

It was a fleet.

One flagship and four escort vessels; banners fluttered atop the warships, and the sounds of war drums and clashing weapons echoed in waves. The sailors on board were all robust in physique, moving with lightning speed and decisiveness, exuding an aura of fierce martial prowess.

A White Feather Albatross performed a graceful glide, plunging like a white javelin toward a room on the flagship.

This was the captain's quarters.

A middle-aged man was examining a sea chart at his desk when he suddenly heard movement and turned his head.

The albatross nimbly passed through the circular window and landed on a perch specifically prepared for it.

"A secret military dispatch?" A glimmer flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes as he walked over to the albatross and took the bamboo tube it spat out.

He opened the tube and unfolded the letter.

A moment later, the middle-aged man let out a deep sigh, his eyes flashing with astonishment and gratification.

"Chu Yun, you are worthy of being my son. To achieve such a feat in your first battle is truly stunning! Good, very good."

This middle-aged man was none other than the master of Shu Family Island, Shu Tianhao.

He wore simple clothing, his frame burly and standing as firm as a mountain. His gaze was profound, his presence steady. His temples were already graying, but what caught the eye most was his left sleeve. It hung empty, fluttering in the wind.

He had lost his left arm, leaving only his right.

A single-armed man, weathered by time.

"It is not that I do not care for your feelings, but jade must be carved to become a vessel. Chu Yun, one day you will understand your foster father. Shu Da and Shu Er have been spoiled rotten; if the Shu Family Island were left to them, I fear it would decline. Although you are my foster son, I have always treated you as my own flesh and blood. Grow well, grow strong; in my heart, you are the most satisfying choice for an heir."

Shu Tianhao solemnly put away the letter. His face was calm, but his heart was stirred.

Chu Yun's performance made him feel exceptionally gratified and pleasantly surprised. He had not wasted the secret care and heart's blood he had poured into him all these years.

Wishing for one's child to become a dragon is a natural expectation for any parent.

Chu Yun had not let Shu Tianhao down; in fact, to a certain extent, he had exceeded the latter's expectations.

Just as he was feeling sentimental, someone suddenly reported: "Report! A group of pirates has suddenly appeared ahead, their faction unknown."

Shu Tianhao's eyes narrowed, a flash of lightning sparking within them as he sneered, "To dare prowl in the waters of my Shu Family Island—they have quite the nerve. Hoist the sails, prepare the entire fleet for battle!"

"Report! The pirates' identity has been confirmed. They are flying the Black Wolf Blood-Eye Flag; it is the Remnant Wolf Pirate Group!" Before long, more intelligence was brought up.

"Remnant Wolf? Hmph! Do they really think I, Shu Tianhao, have grown old? Sound the horns, engage!" Following Shu Tianhao's low roar, the flagship took the lead, charging toward the pirate group. The four escort ships followed closely behind, their fighting spirit soaring and their killing intent thick.

A fierce naval battle had begun...

At the same time, the Salt Field Manor welcomed a burly man.

This man was fierce in physique and tall in stature, but the one flaw was his head, which was a size larger than an ordinary person's. His otherwise imposing and heroic aura was affected by this, appearing somewhat strange.

It was Wu Datou.

"Go report to Centurion Red Spear that Wu Datou has come to pay a visit," he said in a muffled, guttural voice to the servant guarding the gate.

The servant did not recognize him and stared at his large head for a moment before saying, "My master, Red Spear, is not in the manor. Please wait a moment, strong one, while I go report to Young Master Chu Yun."

"Very well."

Wu Datou did not force his way in but stood at the gate, secretly encouraging himself: "People often say how mean Lady Shu is and how viciously she treats Young Master Chu Yun. Sigh, rumors are truly terrifying. How could Lady Shu be as bad as they say? Young Master Chu Yun is young and stubborn, but he is family with the Island Master and the Island Master's wife. Although I, Datou, am an outsider, this matter concerns the Island Master. To repay the Island Master for saving my life, I will risk my own life to make this happen!"

He was a straightforward man, single-minded, and at this moment, he had been misled by Lady Shu. He did not stop to consider the old proverb widely circulated throughout the All-Star Archipelago: "There is no smoke without fire."

"Young Master Chu Yun says you may come in." A moment later, the servant returned to lead Wu Datou to the martial arts arena.

The arena was not large, but it was fully equipped with all eighteen types of weapons. Wu Datou had been here before. The arena was surrounded by a ring of bluestone rockeries; although his view was obstructed, he could hear a young man's distinct voice from far away...

"Minor Pill Fire, fire!"

"Fire Lotus Armor, rise."

"Leaping Technique, jump onto the bluestone on the left."

The voice was crisp, resonant, and full of youthful vigor, every word clear and distinct. Yet, it also carried a sense of steadiness and decisiveness. As Wu Datou listened, he felt an involuntary sense of comfort in his heart.

This voice reminded him of the Island Master, Shu Tianhao, which only strengthened his resolve for this trip.

"Although I have had little contact with Young Master Chu Yun, doing these things for the Island Master is only right."

Thinking of this, his pace quickened subconsciously. As he rounded the corner, his eyes lit up.

"What a fine young man!"

In the center of the arena, a handsome youth stood with a straight posture, dressed in simple clothes with a fair face and red lips. He stood with his arms crossed, barking out commands.

Before him was a snow-white Fire Fox. It leaped and bounded incessantly, unleashing the three basic Daoist techniques: Minor Pill Fire, Leaping Technique, and Fire Lotus Armor. It was both spirited and magnificent.

"Ah, Young Master Chu Yun has truly grown up," Wu Datou sighed in his heart. He was ten years older than Chu Yun and, being diligent in his duties, rarely saw him.

Seeing him now, he felt that Chu Yun had undergone a earth-shaking transformation. He no longer resembled the depressed, taciturn youth he remembered, who always stood silently to the side.

He had become confident, steady, and bold, giving people a sense of hope.

Chu Yun was the Island Master's foster son, and seeing such a change, Wu Datou felt happy and pleased.

He walked into the martial arts arena, just about to open his mouth to explain his purpose. At this moment, Chu Yun had already turned his head to look at him, speaking first: "It's Datou. Did you bring your spirit beast with you?"

"Ah, yes, I brought it." Chu Yun's casual, indifferent tone made Wu Datou freeze, feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

The address "Datou" was generally only used by the Island Master. As the garrison commander of Shu Family City, even Lady Shu had to respectfully address him as General Wu. Yet now, he was being called "Datou" by a thirteen-year-old boy.

Chu Yun smiled faintly, and without waiting for him to speak, continued: "My old man often says that our Datou is the most loyal and upright. Entrusting the defense of Shu Family City to him makes me feel at ease, even when I am patrolling the seas."

The "old man" in Chu Yun's mouth naturally referred to his foster father, Shu Tianhao.

Upon hearing this, Wu Datou trembled all over, his heart instantly flooded with joy and emotion. He was like a shy child who had suddenly received praise to his face; his voice trembled, his face flushed slightly, and he stammered: "Th-this, for the Island Master to say such things, it truly makes me, Datou, feel ashamed, deeply ashamed."

Chu Yun raised an eyebrow: "What is there to be ashamed of? Could it be that my old man is wrong? I also think he is quite right! Datou, you have put in a lot of hard work over these years, even if you haven't achieved great merit, you are worthy of praise."

"No, no, no, how could the Island Master ever be wrong? Subordinate, subordinate..." Wu Datou's expression was somewhat flustered, his eyes blinking rapidly as he began to refer to himself as "subordinate" to Chu Yun.

"Hmm." Chu Yun nodded. The unique temperament he possessed after his rebirth had already transcended his age group, causing Wu Datou to unconsciously ignore his true age.

"I asked you a question, and you haven't answered yet. Did you bring your spirit beast or not?" Chu Yun frowned.

Wu Datou hurriedly said: "I brought it, I brought it."

"That's good." Chu Yun clapped his hands. "I happen to be lacking a sparring partner. Your Martial Dao Crab should have 56 years of cultivation, right? Summon it out and use the Water Bullet Dao technique to attack my spirit beast. Remember to listen to my orders; you may only stop when I tell you to. Do you understand?"

"Un-understand." Wu Datou blinked a few times and pulled an Immortal Pouch from his bosom. With its dark, tanned leather surface and red cord knot, it was clearly of military style.

He opened the mouth of the Immortal Pouch, and instantly, a fiery red light shot out. It landed on the ground and transformed into a giant sea crab the size of a plow ox.

This giant sea crab was fiery red all over, with a natural black pattern on its dorsal shell that depicted the character "Wu." A pair of massive pincers, like giant shears, could easily crush steel.

It crouched on the martial arts arena like a boulder, carrying an unbreakable aura.

This was exactly Wu Datou's spirit beast—the Martial Dao Crab.

"Datou, fire a Water Bullet every 10 breaths," Chu Yun instructed.

"Right." Wu Datou agreed immediately. Originally, he had come with the task of guiding Chu Yun in combat. Now that Chu Yun was requesting training himself, he decided to wait and see. If the results were poor, it wouldn't be too late to use his own methods.

However, as the training progressed for less than a quarter of an hour, the doubts in Wu Datou's heart crumbled and vanished with a roar!

He was stunned by the Heavenly Fox's supreme aptitude!

He had never seen a spirit beast that grew at such a rapid speed.

The frequency of the Water Bullet's launch was changing and improving almost every quarter of an hour.

From once every 10 breaths, to 8, to 5, and then to once every breath. At the beginning, it was just getting used to this training method, so the improvement wasn't significant. But later on, the rate of improvement grew larger and larger, and that mutated Fire Fox was actually still handling it with ease!

What kind of talent was this? It was something that could almost be recorded in history books; if it were made public, it would cause a sensation.

But what a pity, it was only a mutated spirit beast!

While Wu Datou marveled, he also felt regret. Mutated spirit beasts were destined not to live long.

After a long while, Chu Yun finally called for a stop. The Heavenly Fox was panting, clearly exhausted. However, upon seeing Chu Yun take out the fragrant eggshells, it immediately perked up. Its small mouth opened and closed, crunching the eggshells with a crisp sound.

Wu Datou took this opportunity to take out the pill bottle containing the Foundation Strengthening Pill from his bosom and explained his purpose.

"Oh, the Foundation Strengthening Pill that Lady Shu sent me?" A flash of light appeared in Chu Yun's eyes, and he let out a smile with an inexplicable meaning.