Shackles of Humanity

A full moon hung in the sky, its cold, clear light shining down on the land. The sound of waves crashing against the rocks drifted over from time to time. Luo Kai was busy picking apples in the orchard. Thanks to his meticulous care, this grove of fruit trees was flourishing.

He had to leave soon and couldn’t just let the fruit rot on the ground, so he was preparing to brew some fruit wine.

His increased attunement with the flow of water these past few days had made his state of mind increasingly peaceful. He viewed everything with a feeling that ”the highest virtue is like water.”

Along with this came a deeper connection to all of nature. Among the Five Elements, water nurtures wood. The trees and plants were extremely fond of him, stretching their branches and dancing in the wind whenever they sensed his arrival. He had a faint premonition that if he continued to live here quietly, it wouldn’t be long before the Wood Element Energy would also open its heart to him.

In truth, both the flow of water and the Evil Energy had been unconsciously influencing his personality. The water broadened his mind, while the Evil Energy bolstered his courage. He figured that once his state of mind matched the vibrant, upward-reaching frequency of the plants, he would be able to resonate with the Wood Element Energy.

Just as Luo Kai was busy in the orchard, a large ship appeared on the nearby coastline. It was pitch-black, with menacing cannon barrels exposed. A flag bearing the symbol of a soaring whale—the unique mark of the Dragon Shark Pirates—flew from its mast.

The pirate ship stopped by the coast, and several strong, dark-skinned men jumped off. One of them, a tall man in a pirate hat, looked out at the vast land before him, a nostalgic expression on his face. ”I never thought I’d have to come back in my lifetime,” he said.

The limping young man beside him was Gao Fei. He had been severely wounded by Luo Kai and was left with a disability from which he had yet to recover. He glanced at his watch and said worriedly, ”It’s the appointed time. Why aren’t the people from Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold here yet?”

The tall man was Gao Zan, the leader of the Dragon Shark Pirates. He turned to look at a nearby hill and sneered, ”I came personally. How dare that old ghost Li Jingyang not come to greet me!”

On that hill, many figures appeared indistinctly. They were all dressed in black and carrying firearms.

A white-haired old man led a few others over, calling out from a distance, ”Junior Brother Gao, it’s been many years since we last met.”

Gao Zan went forward to meet him, laughing as he chided, ”You old dog, you still look the same!”

The two embraced forcefully, then looked at each other and burst into laughter.

This old man was Li Jingyang, the Village Chief of Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold. In his early years, he had roamed the seas with Gao Zan. After making their fortunes, one became the leader of the Dragon Shark Pirates, while the other returned to land and established Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold. The two had been secretly cooperating for many years; Li Jingyang supplied the pirates with food and equipment, and Gao Zan, in turn, provided him with large sums of money.

”Old brother, I’ve come to seek refuge with you this time.”

Li Jingyang’s expression flickered. ”Did Su Chengbo make a move against you?”

Gao Zan said with a bitter expression, ”The Tri-Eyed Race has already led a fleet to blockade Broken Star Island. Luckily, I was prepared in advance. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to see you, old brother.”

”Is the Tri-Eyed Race’s fleet that powerful? Brother, you’ve operated on the seas for so many years, yet you had no power to resist at all?”

Gao Zan gave a bitter smile. ”Powerful is an understatement. A full eight Giant KUN-class Battleships, led by a Body Master. How could a ragtag group like us be any match for them?”

Li Jingyang stroked his beard and murmured, ”It seems the Tri-Eyed Race has decided to establish a foothold in the Xingma Kingdom.”

Gao Zan heaved a long sigh. ”Yes. This time, I’m counting on you, old brother, to find a place for my men to settle on land.”

Li Jingyang smiled and said, ”A small matter. I wonder where you’d like to expand your operations, brother?”

Gao Zan was about to reply when he suddenly saw numerous speedboats appear on the nearby coastline. The hills on land were also swarming with densely packed figures, the metallic sheen of heavy guns and cannons clearly visible. His face changed, and he retreated several steps in a flash, his voice cold. ”Old brother, what is the meaning of this?”

Li Jingyang sighed. ”Brother, I’ve let you down. Su Chengbo specifically asked for your head. If I were to take you in, I’m afraid Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold would be wiped off the map of the Xingma Kingdom by tomorrow.”

Gao Zan’s face turned grim, and he gritted his teeth. ”You think you can keep me here?” As his voice fell, the sea began to churn. Waves surged and rolled, rushing toward the shore.

Just then, a gray shadow flashed over. It was a tall man with a full head of blond hair. What was horrifying was that the man’s pupils were gray, devoid of any human emotion. His voice was even more bone-chillingly cold. ”Today is the day you die.”

A sense of crisis rose in Gao Zan’s heart. He turned and leaped into the sea without hesitation. As a Water Elemental Master, the ocean was his domain.

Behind him, Gao Fei and a few pirate followers were also furious, but there was nothing they could do. They followed him and jumped into the sea.

Strangely, Li Jingyang didn’t try to stop them at all, letting Gao Zan and his men leap into the sea. He looked down at his watch and gave a sinister smile. ”Perfect timing.”

”BOOM.” A series of muffled rumbles came from the sea, followed by countless huge waves. The pirate ship was blown to smithereens. Beneath the moonlight, one could vaguely see innumerable glittering objects being thrown into the sea along with the ship’s wreckage.

It turned out Li Jingyang had already planted a large number of timed Water Thunders in the coastal waters. An explosion in water is a completely different concept from one in the air; the power is amplified by at least several dozen times. Although a Water Elemental Master could control Hydro Power, they couldn’t block such a dense series of explosions.

...

The violent explosions caught Luo Kai’s attention. He put down his work and ran toward the sound. From a distance, he could see columns of water erupting from the sea’s surface and a dense crowd of men in black surrounding the shore.

’It’s the Black-clothed Guard from Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold.’ A murderous intent surfaced in Luo Kai’s heart. ’Those guys are up to no good again. I had already decided to spare Jiuyuan Farm Stronghold, but now I run into them just as I’m preparing to leave the country. It seems this is fate. In that case, I might as well go along with it!’

His chest began to heave as his Qi and Blood Circulation quickened. The Severing Blade on his back finally sensed his killing intent and began to hum with excitement.

Luo Kai shot into the crowd of Black-clothed Guards. Before they could even react, several of them already had their necks slit by the Severing Blade.

Unlike his previously bloodier massacres, he was now like a wisp of green smoke dancing through the crowd. Not even a single drop of blood splashed with each swing of his blade. This was because his blade was so fast that the blood in his victims’ wounds continued to flow normally until their brains lost control of their bodies. Only after they fell to the ground did the blood gush out.

At his current level, these ordinary people who weren’t even Martial Artists were like ants to him. It seemed he could obliterate their consciousness with a single thought.

The slaughter on this side quickly drew Li Jingyang’s attention. He spoke to the blond man beside him in a low voice, ”Mr. Peng Si, please go lend a hand.”

The blond man said icily, ”Dealing with others costs extra.”

Li Jingyang nodded. ”Of course.”

Luo Kai had also spotted the few people on the shore. ’Looks like that white-haired old man is the leader. Killing the others is pointless; I just need to take out the mastermind.’ He stomped his foot lightly and drifted over like a wisp of green smoke.

At that moment, the blond man also rushed over. Midway, his fingernails grew explosively, like daggers gleaming with a cold light. A pair of fangs also protruded from his mouth. His speed suddenly surged, and he came roaring forward like a beast riding a gale.

Luo Kai was secretly surprised. ’What kind of Body Technique is this? It’s just like a Vampire.’ A flicker of curiosity arose in his mind, so he sheathed his long blade and raised a fist to meet the attack.

The blond man was extremely confident in his body. He ignored the incoming fist and swiped his sharp claws toward Luo Kai’s abdomen.

Luo Kai, of course, had no intention of trading injuries with him. With a quick twist of his body, he dodged away.

The blond man’s fighting style was bestial—nothing but frenzied attacks, completely ignoring and not dodging any incoming strikes. This gave Luo Kai a bit of a headache. ’This guy’s fighting style is the same as mine used to be: trading injury for injury, life for life. And he’s fast, too. I might not be able to handle him without getting serious.’

Growing impatient, he once again increased the speed of his Qi and Blood Circulation and struck directly at the blond man’s claws.

A sound like wind and thunder echoed through the air. The surging Fist Power advanced layer by layer. Shattered fingernails flew everywhere, followed by a series of sharp cracks as bones broke. The blond man’s arm, all the way to his sternum, was pulverized by the unstoppable Fist Power. A massive amount of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs spewed from his mouth, and his entire body, like a deboned shrimp, collapsed to its knees on the ground.