Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

"boom--!!!"

The black bone boat, like a raging beast, slammed violently into the rocky shore with immense force. The tremendous impact instantly crushed the hard rocks into dust, sending countless fragments of stone flying like cannonballs, stirring up clouds of dust and water mist.

However, the expected scene of carnage did not occur.

At that critical moment, Gu An, who had been charging forward with great momentum, unexpectedly twisted backward in mid-air, like a slippery fish, using the oncoming gust of wind to carry Shen Wan backward in an extremely bizarre manner.

"Thump!"

Just as the two were about to touch at the bow of the boat, they plunged into the dark, icy seawater like falling stones and disappeared instantly.

"Damn it! He got away!"

One-Eyed Dragon swayed slightly and landed steadily on the bow of the boat. Looking at the empty shore and the still rippling water, his one eye widened in anger, and the muscles in his face twitched violently. He had originally thought the other party was going to fight to the death, but he didn't expect it to be a feint, using the impact as cover to jump into the water and escape.

"Search! Find him alive or dead! That kid's injured, he can't have gone far!"

The one-eyed dragon roared fiercely, slamming his demon-headed sword down hard on the ship's side, leaving a deep gash.

The crew members on the ship were about to jump into the water as instructed.

Sudden.

"Thump!"

A deep, muffled thud came out of nowhere from beneath everyone's feet.

The massive Black Shark shuddered violently, as if a giant deep-sea monster had slammed into its hull underwater. Several henchmen who lost their footing tumbled to the ground, their weapons clattering to the floor.

"What happened? Did we run aground?" The one-eyed man's expression changed.

"No! Boss! The bottom...the bottom of the ship is leaking!" A henchman responsible for guarding the hold rushed onto the deck in a panic, his face ashen. "A huge hole! Water...water is rushing in!"

"What?!"

One-Eyed Dragon's heart sank. This Black Shark was made from the skeleton of a second-tier demon beast, the Ironback Black Shark. Its hardness was comparable to that of a mid-grade magic weapon. Ordinary reefs could not do anything to it. How could it leak so easily?

unless……

"It's that kid!"

The image of Gu An's lifeless, rolled-back eyes flashed through the one-eyed man's mind, and a chill ran straight to the top of his head.

……

underwater.

The icy, bone-chilling black water enveloped Gu An's body.

He did not escape far.

The moment he entered the water, his meridians, which had been reshaped by the dragon soul and possessed mutated water-attribute properties, immediately demonstrated astonishing adaptability.

In the water, his skin pores seemed to transform into gills, greedily absorbing the oxygen and chilling spiritual energy. His once heavy body became incredibly light, and the feeling of sluggishness he experienced on land vanished completely.

He was like a real black shark, swimming close to the bottom of the boat.

That attack was a result of him unleashing the last of his superhuman physical strength, combined with the sharpness of the broken sword "Piercing Clouds," which forcefully pierced through the weakest point of the ship's hull.

"Since you don't want me to leave, then you won't have an easy time either."

A glint of blue light flashed in Gu An's eyes as he looked at the hole that was gushing water into the cabin, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

He pushed off the keel of the ship with both legs and shot off like an arrow, diving directly into the bottom hold of the Black Shark along with the surging, backflowing water!

Inside the hull, it was pitch black and even more chaotic due to the flooding.

The icy seawater had already reached their ankles and was rising at an alarming rate. Several henchmen responsible for repairs were frantically trying to plug the breach with planks and animal hides, cursing under their breath, completely unaware that death was approaching.

Gu An rose silently from the water, like a piece of driftwood drifting with the current.

He was right behind one of the henchmen.

"Hurry up! Hand me that board! Damn, why is this water so cold..."

The henchman had just uttered a complaint when he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.

It's not the coolness of water.

It's the coolness of metal.

"laugh."

A faint tearing sound, almost drowned out by the sound of water.

The henchman froze instantly, clutching his throat with both hands, blood gushing from between his fingers, staining the black water beneath him. He tried to turn around, but found his vision spinning rapidly and plummeting.

Gu An expressionlessly sheathed his broken sword, crouched low, and, using the darkness as cover, slid toward his next target.

In this narrow, dark, and waterlogged hold, long weapons are impossible to use effectively, and spells are likely to accidentally damage the ship's hull.

The broken sword in Gu An's hand, now only a foot long, became the most terrifying reaping weapon.

Short, dangerous, and ruthless!

"ah--!"

Finally, a piercing scream broke the noise in the hold.

"Someone's there! He's in the water! He's..."

The sound stopped abruptly.

The remaining three henchmen stood back to back in terror, wildly waving their weapons in an attempt to drive away the unseen ghost.

"Get out here! Get the hell out here!"

A henchman at the fifth level of Qi Refining suffered a mental breakdown and threw out a fireball talisman.

The flames blazed brightly for a fleeting moment.

In that instant, they saw it.

In the floodwater, a figure, soaking wet and with deathly gray skin, slithered along the ground like a gecko to their feet.

Those pale eyes were staring coldly at them.

"die."

Gu An let out a low shout, and the sword in his hand flashed out like a bolt of lightning.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two heads fell to the ground.

The last henchman was so frightened that his legs went weak and he collapsed into the water. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, a cold, broken sword pierced his heart.

In the blink of an eye, the bottom of the warehouse was emptied.

Gu An pulled out the broken sword, flicked off the blood droplets, and gasped for breath.

He was extremely exhausted, and his spiritual energy was nearly depleted. The series of killings just now was entirely due to his physical explosiveness and fighting instincts.

"Gu An..."

A weak call came from a dark corner.

Shen Wan was huddled behind a pile of shipping containers, half her body submerged in water, her face as pale as paper. She had been hiding here the best she could manage, not becoming a burden.

"Stay put and don't move."

Gu An did not turn around, his gaze fixed on the staircase leading to the upper deck.

There came a series of hurried and heavy footsteps, along with a suffocating spiritual pressure.

Qi Refining Level 8.

The main character has arrived.

"Good! Very good! I've been hunting geese all day, and today I've been pecked in the eye by one!"

With a furious roar, the wooden planks at the top of the stairs shattered.

A burly figure, enveloped in a yellow protective aura, charged into the warehouse like an enraged black bear.

The one-eyed man held a thick-backed demon-headed knife, his single eye bloodshot, exuding a murderous aura. He immediately spotted the corpses scattered on the ground, and the "zombie" standing amidst them, covered in blood.

"He really is a heretical cultivator!"

Enraged, the one-eyed man laughed, his spiritual energy surging and forcing the water beneath his feet back three feet. "You killed my brother and destroyed my treasure ship! If I don't extract your soul and refine your spirit today, I'm not Liu Sanyan!"

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly exerted force with his feet, making the wooden planks of the cabin crack and creak. He transformed into a yellow gust of wind, and his ghost-headed saber, carrying the force to split mountains and shatter rocks, cleaved down!

"Splitting Mount Hua in two!"

This strike was powerful and heavy, with a thick layer of earth-attribute spiritual energy clinging to the blade. Even before it landed, the heavy pressure of the blade shattered the wooden planks beneath Gu An's feet.

In the narrow space, there was no way to avoid it.

Gu An's pupils contracted slightly; he did not take the hit head-on.

He knew he was in extremely poor condition. If he were to directly confront a furious attack from a Qi Refining Level 8 cultivator, his arm would likely be crippled before his sword was even broken.

"Uninstall!"

Gu An rubbed his feet in the water, and his body slid to the side and back like a slippery eel.

At the same time, instead of parrying, the broken sword in hand lightly tapped the side of the demon head saber with an extremely tricky motion.

"when!"

A crisp sound.

The ghost-head saber veered slightly, grazing Gu An's shoulder before striking a nearby support pillar.

"Snap!"

That ironwood pillar, strong enough to support a thousand pounds, was cut in half like tofu by this one stroke!

Wood chips flew everywhere.

"Where do you think you're going!"

The one-eyed dragon missed his first strike, then with a flick of his wrist, his blade shifted from a slash to a horizontal strike, delivering a "sweeping blow" that sealed off all of Gu An's escape routes.

This change of move was extremely fast, clearly indicating that the person had put a lot of effort into mastering the sword technique.

Gu An felt a strong wind hit his face, and his cheeks stung.

There was no way to retreat.

"Let's give it our all!"

A ruthless glint flashed in Gu An's eyes.

He stopped dodging and frantically poured the pitiful amount of Yi Wood True Qi in his body into his arms, causing his muscles to bulge and his veins to writhe like earthworms.

He held the broken sword to his chest, taking the hit head-on!

"Clang—!!!"

Sparks flew everywhere, and the clanging of metal was so loud it hurt people's eardrums.

Gu An felt an overwhelming force surge through the broken sword, and his tiger's mouth instantly split open, spurting blood.

"Thump thump thump!"

He stumbled back several steps in the water, his back slamming hard against the cabin wall before he finally came to a stop.

"Wow--"

He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood.

The difference in their levels of understanding is simply too great.

A fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator against an eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator, and both were severely injured. If it weren't for his strong physical body, his heart meridian would have been shattered by that attack.

"Hey, turns out he's all show and no substance!"

Seeing Gu An cough up blood, the one-eyed man's eyes flashed with a cruel joy. The brief exchange had allowed him to discern Gu An's true strength—although the boy had an unusual physique and ruthless moves, his spiritual energy was weak and he was clearly at his limit.

"Die, you son of a bitch!"

The one-eyed dragon pressed his advantage relentlessly, wielding his ghost-headed saber with impenetrable speed, each strike aimed straight for vital points, giving Gu An no chance to catch his breath.

Inside the cramped cargo hold, swords clashed and water splashed everywhere.

Gu An was completely at a disadvantage, and could only rely on his agile movements and instinctive sense of danger to struggle on the edge of the knife.

"Sizzle!"

A cold light flashed.

Gu An's left shoulder was struck by the blade.

The hard "copper skin" was finally breached by the mid-grade magic weapon infused with spiritual power.

A deep wound, revealing the bone, appeared, and blood instantly stained half of his body red.

"snort……"

Gu An grunted, stumbled, and momentarily faltered.

"Die!"

A glint of light flashed in the one-eyed dragon's eyes as he seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

He gripped the sword with both hands, unleashing his spiritual power without reservation. The yellow light on the ghost-head sword surged three feet, and he slashed down fiercely at Gu An's head!

A fatal blow!

This strike sealed off all of Gu An's options for escape.

Gu An raised his head, looking at the approaching blade. There was no despair in his eyes, but rather an extreme calm and stillness.

He is waiting.

Waiting for an opportunity.

Or rather, waiting for someone.

Just as the ghost-headed dagger was less than three inches from Gu An's head, and the one-eyed man's face revealed a victorious grin.

A sudden change has occurred!

Shen Wan, who had been lurking in the corner without any noticeable presence, suddenly moved.

She didn't rush to help—given her current condition, it would have been suicide for her.

She sat cross-legged in the water, her hands forming an extremely strange hand seal. Her originally dull eyes were now burning with two balls of ghostly blue flames.

That's a sign of burning your primordial essence!

"Divine Thorn, duh!"

Shen Wan opened her mouth and silently uttered a single word.

An invisible, transparent ripple, like a red-hot steel needle, pierced deeply into the one-eyed dragon's brow and sea of ​​consciousness!

This is her last trump card as a descendant of a Foundation Establishment family—the Divine Soul Secret Technique!

Although forcibly using this technique with the cultivation level of Qi Refining would backfire on oneself, its power is enough to shake the soul of cultivators of the same level.

"ah--!!!"

The one-eyed man, who had been so imposing, suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream.

He felt as if his head had been smashed by a sledgehammer, or as if it were being stirred inside by countless red-hot iron rods.

The excruciating pain caused his consciousness to momentarily dissipate, and his hands involuntarily froze.

That seemingly fatal strike paused for a fleeting moment.

It's this very moment!

This momentary flaw, in Gu An's eyes, was like a bright light shining in the darkness.

"kill!"

With bloodshot eyes, Gu An ignored the tearing wound on his left shoulder, stomped his feet on the ground, and instead of retreating, he advanced, like a hungry wolf cornered in a desperate situation, charging headlong into the halted blade!

puff!

Although the production of the Ghost Head Saber has ceased, its sharpness remains.

The blade pierced Gu An's left shoulder and collarbone, becoming lodged in the bone.

The pain was excruciating.

But Gu An didn't even flinch. Instead, he used the force of the card to suddenly extend his right hand!

The broken sword "Piercing Clouds," now only half intact and covered in rust, burst forth with a breathtakingly beautiful cyan-gold afterglow, thanks to the infusion of all of Gu An's remaining power.

There's nothing fancy about it.

It's a straight, direct stab!

"puff!"

That was the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh.

The broken sword pierced the one-eyed dragon's eye, which hadn't yet closed, with perfect precision!

"Well……"

The one-eyed man's screams abruptly stopped.

His only remaining eye was wide open, filled with disbelief and fear.

The broken sword pierced through the eyeball, shattered the bone behind the eye socket, and went straight for the brain!

The violent sword energy exploded inside his skull, instantly shredding his consciousness.

"you……"

The one-eyed man let out two indistinct bubbling sounds from his throat, and the demon-headed knife in his hand clattered to the ground.

His massive body swayed twice, then crashed backward like a mountain of gold and a pillar of jade being overturned.

"Bang!"

The body crashed into the puddles, splashing up a large wave of blood.

Gu An remained in that forward-charging, stabbing posture, the ghost-headed knife still embedded in his left shoulder, blood dripping down his arm.

He was breathing heavily, each breath as heavy as a bellows.

Won.

This was perhaps the most dangerous and embarrassing battle of his career.

There were no traps, no poisons; it was purely through scheming and risking one's life that this evil cultivator at the eighth level of Qi Refining was able to survive.

"call……"

Gu An slowly straightened up and reached out to pull out the broken sword.

"Click."

A soft, crisp sound.

Gu An paused, then looked down.

A thin crack appeared on the broken sword "Piercing Clouds," which had been with him for a long time and had slain countless powerful enemies.

That attack just now, while killing the one-eyed man, also exhausted the last bit of resilience of this crippled weapon.

"Old buddy, you've worked hard."

Gu An said softly and sheathed the broken sword.

He turned around, not immediately checking the one-eyed dragon's storage bag, but instead looking at Shen Wan in the corner.

At this moment, Shen Wan had already fainted due to the backlash of her soul, and half of her body was limp in the water. If left unattended, she would probably drown.

Gu An walked over, pulled her out of the water, and carried her on his uninjured right shoulder.

"This time... we're even."

Gu An muttered to himself.

Then, he raised his head, his eyes still filled with murderous intent, and looked towards the staircase leading to the upper floor.

There were only a few terrified henchmen left there.

"Get down."

Gu An's voice was cold and hoarse, echoing in the empty warehouse.