The Demise of the Fierce Tiger, Recipe for Healing the Kelp of the Azure Sea

"Cheers to our first place!" The atmosphere at the banquet was fervent. Old Red Spear held his cup high, his face already flushed red, and let out a loud shout.

"Huzzah!"

His words ignited cheers from the crowd. One after another, they raised their cups and clinked them together in the air.

Gulp, gulp...

They drank heartily, the wine spilling down their chests. The blazing sun and the men's bold spirits rendered this coconut grove scorching and masculine.

Chu Yun set down his cup and took a deep breath, savoring the fragrance of the fine wine and enjoying the cool sea breeze against his face. For a moment, his heart felt incredibly expansive, as if his very spirit had grown many times over.

The sky was blue and the air crisp. The tall coconut trees had orange-yellow trunks, deep green leaves, and fruit like gold. Each tree stood like a high tower upon the snow-white beach. It was a seaside scene of breathtaking beauty. This was the Copper Bell Coconut Forest, maintained by Old Monkey Qiao.

Ever since Chu Yun secured first place in the second assessment, Old Red Spear had been the first to propose holding a victory banquet.

The coming-of-age ceremony consisted of three assessments. Now that Chu Yun had won twice in a row, even if he placed last in the final one, nothing could shake the fact that he would be the overall winner of the ceremony.

At this point, one could say that his admission into Heavenly Song Academy was a foregone conclusion.

Therefore, when Old Red Spear suggested the banquet, it immediately drew agreement and support.

Old Monkey Qiao even stretched his throat and shouted, "Young Chu Yun didn't win easily! I'm going all out today! Everyone, come to my place and drink Coconut Milk Wine!"

The surrounding mood rose another notch.

Hearing the name of the Coconut Milk Wine, Old Red Spear couldn't help but lick his lips, and Old Fish King's eyes lit up as well.

Seeing the three old men so fanatical, Chu Yun could only nod.

"Great capacity for liquor!" Seeing Chu Yun down his fifth cup, Old Red Spear shouted happily. The old man treated Chu Yun as if he were his own grandson. The more Chu Yun achieved—winning first place—the happier Old Red Spear became as he drank.

"Old Red Spear, that's redundant. Which man of our Shu Family doesn't have a great capacity for liquor?" Old Monkey Qiao hiccuped and laughed heartily.

Although Chu Yun's surname was Chu, deep down he had inherited the fierce and valiant character of Shu Family Island. Looking at his performance on the Earth Altar, where he had thrashed Shu Er, it was ruthless and sharp—truly a joy to behold.

The All-Star Archipelago revered strength and admired the strong. This value system was pushed to the extreme on Shu Family Island. People looked down on Shu Er, who lay on the Earth Altar wailing in defeat, but they had gained a new perspective on the wise and brave Chu Yun.

After the crowd of spectators dispersed, Chu Yun's reputation would spread throughout the entire Shu Family Island. As for Lady Shu, Shu Da, and Shu Er, they would become the clowns serving as foils to the hero.

"By the way, the matter of the Immortal Pouch you entrusted me to sell has been settled," Old Red Spear said, handing over a bag of Earth-Fiend Stone Coins.

Chu Yun took it, and upon weighing it, he felt that there were certainly no fewer than 800 Earth-Fiend Stone Coins inside.

He was instantly overjoyed.

The Immortal Pouch was a trophy from his successful ambush of the Remnant Wolf Pirate Group spy. Beyond that, there were nearly a thousand Earth-Fiend Stone Coins—a massive harvest.

However, later on, the hatching of the Heavenly Fox Egg consumed more than he had imagined, spending almost all of those 900-plus Earth-Fiend Stone Coins.

Chu Yun had been penniless and destitute. Moreover, the eggshells for feeding the Fire Fox were almost exhausted. From now on, the Fire Fox's sustenance would depend entirely on Chu Yun's financial support. These 800-plus Earth-Fiend Stone Coins were truly a timely gift.

Tucking the bag of Earth-Fiend Stone Coins into his robes, the pressure in Chu Yun's heart eased.

"There are three days left until the third assessment. I plan to go into the forest to cultivate during this time and raise the cultivation of my spirit beast," Chu Yun told the group.

"Going to the forest to cultivate... that's fine!" Old Red Spear pondered for a moment before expressing his approval.

In truth, Chu Yun only had an 8-year cultivation Fire Fox; venturing into the forest on Shu Family Island alone was very difficult and fraught with danger.

However, Chu Yun's recent performance had made them look at him with new eyes. They all chose to trust him.

"Hmm, an 8-year cultivation Fire Fox is indeed a bit low. When are you leaving?" Old Monkey Qiao set down his cup and asked with concern.

"After the banquet, once I finish organizing my gear, I'll set off. I'll spend the night in the forest," Chu Yun said.

"So rushed?" Wu Datou expressed surprise.

"My preparations are always thorough; how could it be rushed?" Chu Yun smiled faintly. His sun-like, confident smile made people feel at ease. A surge of high-spirited passion infected the crowd.

"Youth is a wonderful thing!"

"Chu Yun, work hard. If you run into trouble, come find us anytime."

"Knowing how to strive and persisting without slack—he's just like the Island Master in his youth!"

The three old men grew sentimental, recalling memories of the past.

"The Island Master in his youth was high-spirited; it seemed there was nothing in the world that could stump him. Heh heh heh."

"The Island Master made a name for himself at only 16. Known as the 'All-Star Fierce Tiger,' he suppressed the younger generation. He was truly a young hero!"

"It's a pity... ever since that accident, the Island Master lost his left arm, his spirit beast Raging Sea Tiger died, and he has been despondent ever since."

"People say a tiger without fighting spirit is no different from a sick cat. Although the Island Master has held up the entire Shu Family Island all these years, this old man still wants to see that high-spirited Island Master who looked down upon the four seas and eight directions!"

The group sighed incessantly. Mentioning Chu Yun's foster father—Island Master Shu Tianhao—brought forth anticipation, pride, and regret.

Chu Yun also fell silent.

Shu Tianhao losing his left arm had been a massive blow to him. People said the former All-Star Fierce Tiger had lost his claws and teeth and was no longer a threat.

"No! I believe in the Island Master! Whose life doesn't have its low points? The Island Master will rise again. He will regain his fighting spirit and dominate all directions. I believe this day will come sooner or later!"

Amidst the sighs, Wu Datou spoke with conviction. When mentioning Shu Tianhao, his face was full of reverence and adoration.

He was an orphan of war. When he was on the verge of death, Shu Tianhao had arrived to save his life and brought him back to Shu Family Island to raise him. From then on, he followed Shu Tianhao's lead with unwavering loyalty. Even if asked to climb a mountain of blades or descend into a sea of fire, he would not hesitate for a second as long as Shu Tianhao gave the word.

"You don't know—that scene is deeply etched in my mind; I will never forget it for as long as I live." As he spoke of being saved as a child, his eyes revealed a profound depth of emotion that was truly moving.

"The fire back then was fierce, surging and billowing, burning straight into the sky! I thought I was a dead man, but right at that moment, a figure cleaved through the sea of flames and came toward me!"

"He held a gleaming broadsword, and the flames swirled around him, as if intimidated by his presence, not daring to act out. His stature was as imposing as a mountain, as if he were a god descended from the heavens!"

Wu Datou was drunk, his face flushed a deep red, his mouth muttering deliriously. His eyes seemed to pierce through time and space, filled with crystalline tears mixed with longing and adoration.

Chu Yun sighed to himself, a sudden realization dawning upon him.

In his past life, his foster father, Shu Tianhao, died at the hands of the pirate Remnant Wolf. In this life, Chu Yun had issued a warning in advance, which should have changed a few things.

But these things were far from enough. Even if he were to reach the point of "exterminating the Remnant Wolf pirates and ensuring the survival of foster father Shu Tianhao," it still wouldn't be enough.

Shu Tianhao was still alive, but he was already dead inside. Having lost his left arm and his fighting spirit, Shu Tianhao was no longer the All-Star Fierce Tiger.

The only reason he continued to hold the situation together was because of the responsibilities resting on his shoulders.

That was all.

To truly bring Shu Tianhao back to life, one had to ignite his fighting spirit! To let the "All-Star Fierce Tiger" be reborn!

But to achieve this was difficult—truly, incredibly difficult.

Changing a person's heart is far harder than destroying a person.

Chu Yun suddenly felt a heavy burden press down upon his shoulders; awakening the All-Star Fierce Tiger was, in a sense, even harder than his own rebirth.

Chu Yun's rebirth was a rebirth of the flesh; his heart had never changed, it remained the same. It was forever filled with fighting spirit and an unyielding will.

But Shu Tianhao's heart had already died.

To truly save Dad, it can never be achieved overnight. It can never be done with just a few words of persuasion. Only by truly leading by example and using actions to influence him subtly is the right path! Chu Yun's eyes flickered, his mind racing through countless thoughts in an instant.

There is no banquet in the world that does not come to an end. After the victory feast dispersed, Chu Yun used his newly acquired 800-plus Earth-Fiend Stone Coins to purchase a large quantity of medicinal pills and supplies.

After making his preparations, he went to bid farewell to the three elders.

"Oh, right." Having already started to leave, Chu Yun seemed to recall something, stopped his steps, and turned back to say, "Has there been a problem with the Jade Sea Kelp in Old Red Spear's salt fields lately? I suddenly thought of a method that might be worth trying to save them."

In the salt fields, vast stretches of Jade Sea Kelp were cultivated. This kelp absorbed moisture from the seawater and separated out sea salt. It was the core of the entire salt field's operation.

However, for a period of time, the Jade Sea Kelp had suffered from a widespread blight. It was only later discovered that this was a peculiar epidemic. By the time a targeted formula was developed, the epidemic had already spread to the entire All-Star Archipelago, causing massive economic losses. It caused the price of salt to skyrocket during that time, leading to instability across the entire market.

The formula Chu Yun intended to mention was precisely the one developed later that could fundamentally cure this epidemic.

Originally, he had not wanted to say anything.

The reason was simple: the benefits were few, but the drawbacks were great.

Shu Family Island did not rely on salt fields as its primary industry. If all the salt fields in the All-Star Archipelago were suffering from this ailment and only Shu Family Island remained unscathed, it would be inevitable that some would suspect Shu Family Island of foul play.

Even if such suspicions held no water, the anger caused by suffering such massive losses would blind many people.

Even if it didn't lead to a collective attack, those with ulterior motives would try every possible means to get their hands on the cure.

For Old Red Spear and the Shu Family Island, the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages.

However, the realization he had during the feast had changed some of Chu Yun's plans. He understood that this epidemic would be an opportunity mixed with immense risk. With his current strength, he couldn't grasp it.

Even if he did grasp it, he couldn't hold onto it; instead, he would face a backlash, and the losses would outweigh the gains.

But just because he couldn't do it didn't mean his foster father, Shu Tianhao, couldn't.

Perhaps such a dangerous opportunity was exactly what he needed to awaken?