Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

On the third day after boarding, as night fell, the sea breeze hardened, and the waves crashed against the deck with a loud "bang".

The snoring in the lower deck was deafening, mixed with the smells of feet and mildew, giving one a headache.

Xu Hao leaned against the blackened wooden plank, his ear pressed against the side of the boat.

Slight footsteps came from above, and then the vent was blocked by something, leaving only a small hole.

A wisp of sweet, white smoke drifted down through the hole.

"Here it comes." Xu Hao whispered, took out the water-repelling pearl from his pocket, and put it directly into Chen Yuanzhi's mouth. "Hold it in your mouth, don't swallow it, circulate the Turtle Breathing Technique."

Just as Chen Yuanzhi was about to ask a question, he was choked by a sweet smell, and his mind suddenly felt heavy.

He immediately shut his mouth, held his breath, and tilted his body to the side, looking more like a dead pig.

Xu Hao also fell down, but his hand secretly reached for the boning knife behind his waist.

About fifteen minutes later, the hatch in the lower deck was opened.

Several pirates, their mouths and noses covered with damp cloths, jumped down carrying lanterns and gleaming knives.

"Hurry up." The pirate leader kicked the nearest man, and seeing no reaction, nodded in satisfaction. The old hag had said that only five strong men would be left to row; the rest would be slaughtered to feed the fish. Search them first, lest the dead take the silver.

"Alright. This one with the meat coupon in this batch looks pretty juicy, let me check it out first."

A rough, large hand reached into Xu Hao's arms.

The moment the hand touched Xu Hao's chest, Xu Hao, who had been "unconscious," suddenly opened his eyes.

In the darkness, his hand reached out like an iron clamp, grabbed the pirate's wrist, and twisted it forcefully.

"Click."

The sound of bones cracking was particularly jarring in the silent lower deck.

Just as the pirate opened his mouth to scream, Xu Hao's other hand had already gripped the boning knife and plunged it into his chest.

"puff."

The pirate's body went limp, and he collapsed without even uttering a sound.

"Third brother? What's going on?" The pirates behind sensed something was wrong and were about to raise their knives when Xu Hao had already drawn his ghost-head knife from the corpse's waist.

"Just slaughtering a pig."

Xu Hao leaped up, and the narrow lower deck became his best hunting ground.

His dagger was used with wide, sweeping strokes, specifically targeting the lower body and neck.

With his strength at the peak of the Bone Forging Realm, every strike resulted in severed limbs flying everywhere.

"Ah—! My leg!"

"Stop him! Stop him now!"

Chen Yuanzhi gritted his teeth, pulled out the boning knife from the chest of the corpse beside him, and took advantage of the chaos to finish off the fallen pirate.

"Someone's stirring up trouble! A real pain!"

The pirate guarding the hatch reacted and poked his head out to see where he was going, only to be met with a flying dagger.

puff.

The blade pierced through his eye socket, and the pirate screamed as he fell to the ground, blocking the hatch.

Blood instantly stained the steps red.

"Up there!" Xu Hao rushed up the stairs, grabbed the corpse with one hand, pulled out his ghost-head knife, and roared at Chen Yuanzhi.

On the deck, the old woman was playing with the two small yellow croakers that Xu Hao had given her when she heard the noise and her expression changed drastically.

"Useless! Can't even handle a few two-legged sheep properly!"

She grabbed the double hooks and shouted sharply, "Archers! Seal the hatch! Shoot anyone who comes out into a pincushion!"

Two crossbowmen immediately took their positions, aiming at the still blood-smelling entrance to the hold.

Just as Xu Hao and his companion rushed to the top of the stairs, they heard several whooshing sounds overhead.

He was prepared, holding the pirate corpse in his hand above his head.

"Knock knock knock!"

Three crossbow bolts pierced through his body, the arrowheads only half an inch from Xu Hao's nose.

"Stay close!"

Xu Hao rushed out of the cabin with the corpse on his back.

Crossbow bolts rained down on the corpses, the sound of them piercing flesh was sickening.

Taking advantage of this brief cover, Xu Hao had already rushed to the front of the crossbowmen.

He slammed the arrow-studded corpse into the crowd, his ghost-headed dagger following closely behind.

The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning.

Before the two archers could even change their arrows, their heads were chopped off.

"court death!"

On the deck, the old hag looked at the blood-soaked figure rushing out, her single eye filled with malice.

With a flick of her wrists, two blue-glowing steel hooks slid into her palms, and she pounced like a ghost.

With the full power of the Yi Jin Jing realm unleashed, the sea breeze whipped her hair wildly, making her appear like a madwoman.

"Well done!"

Instead of retreating, Xu Hao advanced, his ghost-head saber slashing down with the force of wind and thunder.

"clang!"

Sparks flew everywhere.

The old hag let out a shrill cry, her twin hooks glowing blue, clearly coated with deadly poison, as she aimed straight for Xu Hao's eyes.

Xu Hao dodged to the side. "Good skills, but too bad you're going to die young!" The old woman saw that her attack had missed, so she crossed her two hooks and aimed them at the knife in Xu Hao's hand.

As long as she can lock the weapon, she's confident she can hook the boy's intestines out.

Xu Hao's lips curled into a sinister smile.

Lockblade? I've been waiting for you for ages.

when!

The witch hooked the knife with two hooks and twisted it forcefully, trying to take the knife away.

However, Xu Hao did not engage in a physical struggle with her like an ordinary martial artist.

With a flick of his wrist, a strange spiraling force emanated from the ordinary ghost-head knife.

hum-

The old woman felt a violent tremor in her hand, and half of her body went numb.

"Give me your life!"

Xu Hao roared, discarded his knife, and lunged forward.

Without weapons, his fists were more ferocious than any weapon.

His left hand gripped the old woman's wrist like an iron clamp, while his right hand, in the form of a claw, with the penetrating force of the "Overturning Rivers" technique, fiercely grabbed at the old woman's throat.

The old woman was terrified and tried to retreat, but found that the boy was incredibly strong.

"you……"

Click.

The sound of the throat bone breaking was crisp.

Xu Hao seized one of the witch's poisoned hooks and swung it backhand.

puff.

A hideous head flew into the air, spraying blood from its neck cavity all over Xu Hao's face.

The headless corpse swayed twice and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The entire deck fell silent instantly.

All that remained were the howling sea breeze and the sound of the canvas flapping.

Xu Hao, carrying the witch's head and covered in blood, looked like a demon crawling out of hell.

He casually tossed the severed head at the feet of the terrified pirates, his gaze sweeping across the entire area.

"Who else wants to feed the fish?"

No one dared to make a move.

Clang.

It's unclear who first threw down their knife, but then there was a chorus of sounds of weapons hitting the ground.

The surviving pirates immediately knelt down, kowtowing repeatedly: "Great hero, spare our lives! Good man, spare our lives! We are willing to obey your commands!"

Xu Hao ignored them, and the scroll in his mind vibrated, emitting a burst of golden light.

[Captain successfully killed; Black Shark now unclaimed.]

【Bind on?】

"Binding".

[Binding successful! Blessed Land obtained: Black Shark LV1 (Bloody)]

[Hyster Reinforcement: Sturdiness +10%]

[Speed ​​Boost: Tailwind speed +20%]

In an instant, Xu Hao felt as if the deck beneath his feet had come to life. The vibration of every plank, the tension of every cable, and even the squeaking of rats in the hold were all clearly imprinted in his mind.

This feels fucking awesome.

"Wash the deck clean, throw the corpses in to feed the fish. Anyone who dares to slack off, hmph."

Xu Hao's voice wasn't loud, but it resonated through the ship's hull and reached everyone's ears.

The pirates dared not disobey, and they all rushed to fetch the water buckets, afraid that if they were a step too slow, they would be chopped up by this scoundrel.