Underwater.
Watching Shi Xiaoyuan charge forward, wielding the White Dragon Fish like a whip, Jiang Ning twisted his wrist and swung his blade.
The fivefold force erupted instantly.
With this strike, the water was momentarily parted, as if a vacuum had been created beneath the surface.
Ssshh
Before the razor-sharp blade, the already half-dead White Dragon Fish was instantly split in two.
The momentum of the blade didn't stop; it continued toward Shi Xiaoyuan.
Ssshh
The blade cut through flesh as easily as slicing through soft tofu.
Shi Xiaoyuan's arm was severed in an instant.
"Roar"
A low, beast-like roar escaped his mouth.
Black-red blood sprayed from the stump of his arm, further muddying the surrounding water.
At this moment, the intense pain from losing his arm brought clarity back to Shi Xiaoyuan's eyes.
"Something's wrong!!" he thought to himself as soon as he regained his senses.
Recalling how he had lost control earlier, a possibility dawned on him.
Could there be something wrong with the divine gift?
Meanwhile, Jiang Ning didn't press the attack.
Instead, he observed, curious to see if Shi Xiaoyuan's enhanced regenerative abilities, brought on by his current state, could regrow the severed limb.
On the other side, Shi Xiaoyuan glanced at Jiang Ning and immediately retreated.
Fear now filled his heart.
Having witnessed the sharpness of Jiang Ning's blade, he knew he stood no chance in his current state.
With a fast blade paired with a weapon that could cut through metal like mud, this was an unwinnable fight.
Especially since he had left his blade in the ship's cabin and was now unarmed.
To make matters worse, the severe injury of losing an arm had significantly weakened him.
As Shi Xiaoyuan moved, Jiang Ning also sprang into action.
He knew where Shi Xiaoyuan was heading back to the ship's cabin.
In that cabin lay the blade Shi Xiaoyuan had used during his battle with the White Dragon Fish.
Given Shi Xiaoyuan's status and strength, that blade was undoubtedly a fine weapon.
Perhaps even one that could rival Jiang Ning's spirit weapon.
If Shi Xiaoyuan, in his current enhanced state, were to retrieve that blade, it could lead to unforeseen complications.
With this in mind, Jiang Ning wasted no time.
He moved like the wind, his speed astonishing even underwater.
His exceptional swimming skills made him as agile as a fish in water.
In an instant, Jiang Ning closed the distance to within half a zhang of Shi Xiaoyuan.
With a swing of his blade, the fivefold force erupted again, parting the water and creating a vacuum-like path.
Ssshh
This strike severed Shi Xiaoyuan's left arm as he raised it to block.
Another swing followed.
In the dim underwater light, the blade gleamed brightly, cutting through the darkness as it aimed for Shi Xiaoyuan's head.
"Blade Momentum" Shi Xiaoyuan's eyes widened in shock as he saw the dazzling strike.
In the next moment, his head was sent flying.
The thick neck spurted black-red blood like a broken water pipe.
Jiang Ning watched calmly before sheathing his blade.
"I didn't expect it to be this easy!" he thought to himself, looking at Shi Xiaoyuan's lifeless body floating in the water.
Just three strikes were enough to kill a true heavyweight in Luoshui County.
Thinking back, it felt almost unreal.
After all, Shi Xiaoyuan was the leader of the Green Snake Gang.
The Green Snake Gang was one of the three major gangs in Luoshui County, controlling the county's water transport.
Given that Luoshui County was situated along the vast Luoshui River, with its thriving water transport, the fact that the Green Snake Gang controlled such a vital sector spoke volumes about their influence.
As the leader of the Green Snake Gang, Shi Xiaoyuan was undoubtedly a major figure in Luoshui County.
Yet, he had been killed in just three strikes effortlessly.
"The advantage of a superior weapon at this stage is simply too great!" Jiang Ning couldn't help but marvel.
In terms of raw strength, based on Shi Xiaoyuan's performance in his enhanced state, Jiang Ning wouldn't have been confident in a hand-to-hand fight.
From what he had seen, Shi Xiaoyuan's strength was at least three to four thousand jin.
Coupled with his terrifying regenerative abilities, ordinary injuries would have been useless against him.
Non-fatal wounds wouldn't even breach his defenses.
But with Jiang Ning's incredibly sharp spirit weapon, it was a different story.
A single strike was enough to cut through Shi Xiaoyuan's iron-like body as if it were soft tofu.
"He must have died feeling utterly frustrated!" Jiang Ning smiled, feeling quite pleased.
With Shi Xiaoyan dead and the White Dragon Fish slain, everything here now belonged to him.
He had seen the ship's cargo hold filled with iron ore.
In this era, iron ore was an extremely valuable resource.
Weapons and armor couldn't be made without it.
Such a resource would sell easily.
Moreover, the White Dragon Fish, which he had cut in half, was also his now.
This spirit fish was a great supplement, capable of advancing his martial arts in a short time.
Afterward, Jiang Ning grabbed the two halves of the White Dragon Fish and made his way to the ship's cabin.
Meanwhile, not far from the sunken ship, Huang San'er was hesitating as he looked at the outline of the ship below.
He had noticed the commotion earlier, including some of the conversation between Shi Xiaoyuan and Jiang Ning.
So he knew something unexpected had happened down there.
Someone else was in the sunken ship besides their group.
"Should I stay or go?" Huang San'er asked himself silently.
He knew he could leave if he wanted to.
But he wasn't alone.
His wife and daughter were under the control of the Green Snake Gang.
And his strength was insignificant compared to the gang's vast power.
Thinking this, Huang San'er muttered to himself, "No matter what happens, I can't leave on my own. If I do, Boss Shi will find out, and not only will I suffer, but my family will also be implicated."
Having made up his mind, Huang San'er decided to stay put and wait.
In the ship's cabin, Jiang Ning circled the mountain of iron ore, feeling a surge of joy.
Even though he didn't know the exact price of iron ore per jin, he knew that such a large quantity was undoubtedly valuable.
After inspecting the iron ore, he moved to the spot where Shi Xiaoyuan had battled the White Dragon Fish.
There, he picked up the weapon Shi Xiaoyuan had discarded earlier.
"So heavy!"
The moment he lifted the blade, Jiang Ning felt its weight it was at least two hundred jin.
"To wield a two-hundred-jin blade, Shi Xiaoyuan's strength was indeed extraordinary," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
He then examined the blade more closely.
The blade was thick, and the edge wasn't razor-thin but rather broad and sturdy.
Its length was particularly striking over four chi and three cun.
Such a length made it somewhat unwieldy for an average person, as it was slightly too long.
While a longer blade could offer an advantage, excessive length could become a hindrance, making it difficult to execute certain techniques.
This blade was better suited for Shi Xiaoyuan's monstrous form.
Next, Jiang Ning drew his blade and struck the heavy blade that had belonged to Shi Xiaoyuan.
Clang
Sparks flew as the two blades collided, the metallic clang echoing through the water.
The powerful impact caused the surrounding water to ripple outward.
The entire cabin became murky again from the disturbance.
"It is a fine blade!" Jiang Ning thought, admiring the weapon that had once been Shi Xiaoyuan's.
He knew just how sharp his spirit weapon was it could cut through ordinary blades in a single strike.
For example, his previous hundred-fold forged blackwood blade had been split in two by this spirit weapon.
Yet, despite his increased strength, the strike he had just delivered to Shi Xiaoyuan's blade had only left a one-centimeter-deep notch.
While this was still impressive, it showed that if Shi Xiaoyuan had retrieved his blade, the fight would have been much more challenging.
"Good thing I didn't let him get back to the cabin and retrieve his weapon," Jiang Ning thought to himself.
After testing the blade, he gained a clearer understanding of the sharpness of his spirit weapon.
He then took Shi Xiaoyuan's blade and continued exploring the sunken ship.
There was still one thing he hadn't found the potential heavenly treasure.
Ordinary White Dragon Fish were only slightly stronger than average humans.
With the right equipment, an ordinary person could catch one.
But this White Dragon Fish was special.
A ninth-grade martial artist had been killed in a single encounter with it.
Even Shi Xiaoyuan, an eighth-grade Divine Strength expert, had to transform to subdue it.
This level of strength surpassed that of an ordinary eighth-grade expert.
It was too unusual, too abnormal.
Combined with its unique size, Jiang Ning concluded that there must be some kind of heavenly treasure here.
Without the aid of such a treasure, the White Dragon Fish couldn't have grown so powerful.
Time alone wouldn't have been enough for it to reach this level.
After searching the ship, Jiang Ning began exploring the surrounding area.
Time passed slowly.
Huang San'er, who had been waiting underwater, eventually resurfaced.
The fish bladder he carried, which contained fresh air, had been completely depleted.
As for the sunken ship below, the commotion had long since ceased, and none of Shi Xiaoyuan's group had reappeared.
In this situation, Huang San'er had no choice but to return to the surface.
But he didn't dare to leave or let the people on the boat know he had returned.
If he appeared alone without Shi Xiaoyuan, he would undoubtedly face punishment.
The Green Snake Gang wasn't known for its mercy.
As for leaving, he didn't dare do that either.
First, because Shi Xiaoyuan's fate was still unknown. If he were still alive and found out Huang San'er had fled, even if he escaped now, he wouldn't escape later.
Not to mention, he had a family to think about.
Second, in the vast expanse of the Luoshui River, without a place to rest, even with his swimming skills, he would eventually tire and drown.
Especially since his arm was injured, and the prolonged exposure to water was causing him immense pain.
For now, he could only continue to hide beneath the ship, waiting for an opportunity.
Elsewhere, in an underwater cave.
"Is this the source of the White Dragon Fish's transformation?"
Jiang Ning stared at the small pool of water at the base of the stone wall, his eyes widening in surprise.
A small bowl-sized pool of water existing underwater was something he had never seen before.
Water within water.
He moved closer to the pool and crouched down.
Up close, the pool was even more distinct.
Tiny silver-white specks of light floated in the water, providing some visibility.
Standing before this pool, Jiang Ning felt as if he weren't underwater but on solid ground.
"Such a mystical phenomenon this must be the source of the White Dragon Fish's transformation," he thought.
With this in mind, Jiang Ning set his spirit weapon aside and gently touched the surface of the pool with his finger.
The moment his skin made contact, a chilling cold seeped into his body.
But aside from the cold, he felt nothing else.
After a moment, Jiang Ning nodded.
"It should be safe," he thought.
He then attempted to extract a small droplet of water from the pool.
This water, with its strange properties, was something he had never encountered before.
He didn't know what effects it might have.
But his intuition told him that this was likely the source of the White Dragon Fish's transformation.
Still, to be cautious, he decided to start with a small amount.
With a bit of effort, he managed to separate a tiny droplet.
The droplet rested on his palm like a small pearl.
Though it was water, it was different from ordinary water.
Even in liquid form, it held together without dispersing, like quicksilver.
"Let's test its effects," Jiang Ning thought.
He then brought the droplet to his mouth and swallowed it.
Gulp
The moment the droplet entered his stomach, a wave of cold spread through his body, as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar.
The cold permeated his entire being.
[Water Affinity Experience +1]
[Water Affinity Experience +1]
Seeing the rapid notifications appearing before him, Jiang Ning was astonished.
"Is this... the effect of that droplet?" he wondered.
He continued to observe.
[Water Affinity Experience +1]
[Water Affinity Experience +1]
[Water Affinity Experience +1]
[...]
In a short time, notifications about his Water Affinity experience flooded his vision.
The rate at which they appeared was far faster than before.
At this moment, he understood.
The sudden surge in Water Affinity experience must have come from the droplet he had swallowed.
After a while, the frequency of the notifications returned to normal.
[Skill]: Water Affinity (First Breakthrough 1855/2000) (Trait: Underwater Breathing)
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