338 - Made-Up Martial Arts, Have You Really Mastered Them, Disciple?

### Chapter 338: One Man Robs a Bunch Xu Yan felt a sense of enlightenment upon entering the Azure Sea, staring at the vast, boundless expanse and experiencing a feeling of insignificance amidst its immensity. Azure Heaven Blue Sea City is located in the Yun Tian Sea Domain, far from the offshore of Mist Province. The Sea Tracing Boat did not fly through the sky but instead skimmed across the sea surface. Having come to see the Azure Sea, flying above would be missing the point, wouldn’t it? After a few days of sea travel, Xu Yan, feeling curious, pulled out a fishing rod. "When Master was on Canglan Island, he enjoyed fishing at the Cang River—there must be a deeper meaning in that, perhaps an understanding of the natural Dao of heaven and earth? "Or maybe it’s a form of mental cultivation? "I feel Master was subtly showing that fishing allows one to understand oneself, cleanse the mind, and cultivate a tranquil heart." The more Xu Yan thought about it, the more it seemed reasonable. Looking at the fishing rod in his hand, crafted by Fang Hao, he had prepared it to one day emulate his master's fishing and perhaps gain some understanding. "What bait should I use?" Xu Yan pondered, attaching a pill as bait. The fishing line and hook, crafted by Fang Hao, were of spiritual-grade quality; once a fish bites, escape would be impossible. To exaggerate, even sea beasts comparable to a Refining Divine Realm would struggle to break free! The Sea Spirit Tribe are undoubtedly the dominants of Azure Sea, but besides them, there are numerous sea beasts. According to Cai Ling'er, there are a few sea beasts in the Azure Sea that, upon reaching adulthood, rival Refining Divine realm warriors in strength, only lacking knowledge of martial techniques, relying solely on brute force. Although their intelligence might not have developed, they still possess a primal instinct for survival and will dive deep to avoid danger. Human martial artists entering the sea have little chance against these formidable beasts unless they are significantly stronger. Moreover, sea beasts in the Refining Divine stage are almost exclusively hunted by the Sea Spirit Tribe and traded with strong human martial artists in Azure Heaven Blue Sea City. The Sea Tracing Boat traversed the Azure Sea until Xu Yan could no longer see the Mist Province shore and dropped his line into the sea. As soon as Xu Yan dropped the line, smaller fish appeared, ready to bite. With a surge of divine energy, he sent them flying away. "I'm after big fish, not small fry," Xu Yan muttered. The Sea Tracing Boat continued its journey, heading towards the Yun Tian Sea Domain. After two days with no sighting of sea beasts comparable to the Refining Divine realm, Xu Yan began to wonder. With a change in mindset, he realized, "My approach is wrong. Fishing shouldn’t be about the size of the catch. Isn’t that against the essence of fishing?" Thinking this way, Xu Yan stopped paying attention to what was attracted to the bait. After a while, he reeled in a three-foot-long fish, changed the bait, and continued. After catching several fish of varying sizes, Xu Yan cast far, covering the bait with a divine energy restriction, ensuring only sea beasts in the Refining Divine realm could bite the hook. Sitting cross-legged on the Sea Tracing Boat, Xu Yan continued his cultivation and martial insight. The Sea Tracing Boat followed its set course, with the fishing line waiting for its catch. A day later, while cultivating, Xu Yan noticed the rod shaking, a powerful force tugging at it. Hooked! Xu Yan was thrilled as a large brown sea beast thrashed in front of the Sea Tracing Boat, unable to break free from the hook. "This sea beast’s power is equivalent to the late stages of the Refining Divine realm," Xu Yan murmured in awe. The struggling sea beast suddenly turned to ram the Sea Tracing Boat. With a smile, Xu Yan pressed down, subduing the beast with his power. After a few rounds of struggle, realizing the danger of the Sea Tracing Boat, the sea beast tried to flee, dragging the boat across the Azure Sea. "This direction leads exactly to the Yun Tian Sea Domain; let it pull us there," Xu Yan decided, turning off the Sea Tracing Boat, allowing the beast to guide them over the sea. With astonishing endurance and speed, the sea beast attempted to dive several times but was unable to pull the Sea Tracing Boat under, finally resorting to relentless forward escape. Xu Yan, sitting on the Sea Tracing Boat, continued his martial cultivation and insights. A day later, the sea beast still madly dashed onward, gaining momentum with reckless abandon. On a large ship, a member of the Blood Blade Bandits arrived at the corner, eyeing a reclining female martial artist with excitement, saying, “This is more cooperative; I only want some pleasure compared to those who've lost everything; you're quite lucky!” The female martial artist bit her lip, eyes closed, trembling slightly from fear. “Darling, time for me!” yelled the bandit, but at that moment, a resounding crash and a furious roar startled him, his excitement fading. Alarmed, he hastily dressed and grabbed his knife, while the female martial artist's eyes opened to the sight of a massive sea beast soaring and roaring in fury at the back of the ship. Behind the beast seemed to be tethered a strange, pale blue craft. “Quick, cut down the sea beast!” barked the Blood Blade Bandit leader. The sea beast seemed intent on ramming the ship. Amidst the sudden turn of events, the once-resigned Refining Divine realm warriors on board exchanged glances, and together they launched into the air to escape in another direction. Why leave their fate to bloodthirsty bandits when they could seize the moment to flee? Over twenty Refining Divine realm martial artists burst forth. The Blood Blade Bandits in that area recoiled, trying to avoid the perilous clash. “Seeking death!” the leader of the Blood Blade Bandits roared, commanding, “Kill them all!” Weapons in hand, the Blood Blade Bandits surged forward, preparing to chase the fleeing warriors, while two slashed at the massive sea beast. The beast, formidable in strength with tough skin, was not easily brought down by a single blow. During his cultivation, Xu Yan opened his eyes, curious about the sea beast's attempt to crash the ship to escape. “Smart use of the environment to avoid danger,” he mused. Seeing two bloody blade strikes approaching, Xu Yan tugged the fishing rod, yanking the sea beast away from the ship's path. The blade strikes missed their mark. “Apologies, my fishing has disturbed you!” Xu Yan said, expressing his apologies. The Sea Tracing Boat glided overhead, with Xu Yan raising his palm and releasing energy to lift the sea beast into the air, flying over the large ship. “Rob them, leave the sea beast and that craft!” Suddenly, a figure blocked his path, brandishing a blood-red long knife. The shout summoned the Blood Blade Bandits back, surrounding Xu Yan. The bandit leader’s eyes gleamed, fixated on the Sea Tracing Boat, visibly a treasure! A fast, skyward-flying vessel—acquiring such a treasure would make the Blood Blade Bandits even more elusive. Xu Yan was momentarily stunned, a robbery? “Are you sure you want to rob me?” he asked, studying the encircling bandits. “Youngster, we Blood Blade Bandits have principles: leave the beast and the boat, and you can go unharmed. Refuse, and your body will float on the Azure Sea!” the leader declared solemnly. Xu Yan laughed—pirates with principles? Cai Ling’er had mentioned the presence of pirates in the Azure Sea but noted they were seldom encountered; piracy wasn’t even a frequent occurrence annually. Of course, for Xu Yan, pirates posed no threat. Cai Ling’er only mentioned them during her introduction of the Azure Sea. Unexpectedly, shortly after entering the Azure Sea, he encountered a pirate raid. “I have principles too,” Xu Yan smiled at the Blood Blade Bandits. “Hand over your Storage Pouches, and I’ll spare your lives. Otherwise, I’ll reduce you to ashes!” The bandits were stunned, incredulous. What did this kid mean? He’s robbing them instead? One man robbing a group? Who gave him such audacity? --- **New Terms and Translations:** 1. **Azure Sea (碧海)** - The term refers to the vast and deep sea Xu Yan enters. 2. **Sea Tracing Boat (遁海舟)** - A vessel capable of floating above or on water, used by Xu Yan. 3. **Blood Blade Bandits (血刀匪)** - A group of pirates encountered on the Azure Sea. **Explanation:** The translation retains the essence of the martial arts narrative, maintaining terms like "Azure Sea" for continuity and "Sea Tracing Boat" to capture the uniqueness of the vehicle. "Blood Blade Bandits" emphasizes the martial and piratical nature of the group. The elder's principles mimic real-world pirate stereotypes—honor among thieves, a contrast to traditional martial valor. No modifications needed for existing character-gender associations. Xu Yan's humor and wit in turning robbery back on the brigands are preserved, highlighting his confidence. "Well, well, well. In my lifetime with the Blood Blade Bandits, I've never encountered someone as audacious as you. Alone, and yet you dare rob us, a whole group? "Brave and brazen. Though I admire such young folks, but..." Snap! Before he finished, he suddenly felt a slap across his face, sending him flying backward. Dizzy, with stars twinkling in his vision. "Enough talk. A robbery it is. Hand over your Storage Pouches!" Xu Yan said with a cold sneer. Gulp! The Blood Blade Bandits’ faces turned ashen. "Did you see him move?" "No, I only saw the boss fly back." "I didn't see anything either!" The bandits whispered among themselves, feeling a growing sense of dread. "You brat, I'll have your head!" the bandit leader roared, shaking his head clear before unleashing a murderous aura, with blood-colored blade light burgeoning. "Attack together, kill him!" Despite his shock, he didn’t panic; they had the advantage of numbers, and even if their opponent was strong, could he really defeat them all together? Swoosh! However, before he could finish speaking, a blade of light descended, eradicating him in an instant. The rest of the bandits froze, feeling chills run through them—the leader had just been cut down with one strike? Even if they attacked together, the casualties could be devastating. They might be pirates, but they weren't suicidal. Even if they won in the end, who could guarantee they wouldn’t be the one to die? Moreover, with the leader dead, they were leaderless. "Hold on, Young Hero, hold on. We’ll hand over the Storage Pouches!" the bandits pleaded, sweating profusely. "That’s more like it. I’m not a bloodthirsty person. Just hand over your ransom money," Xu Yan said smiling. "Sure, sure!" The bandits begrudgingly handed over their Storage Pouches, clearly pained. As pirates, their entire fortune was carried with them in their Storage Pouches. Handing it over meant losing everything in one fell swoop! Xu Yan waved his hand, collecting all the pouches and pointing to a few bandits, "Hand over the hidden Storage Pouches, or face death!" The selected bandits, faces ugly with defeat, could only obediently surrender their spare pouches. "Alright, off you go!" Xu Yan waved dismissively. "Yes, yes!" The bandits nodded furiously, turning to leave. As Xu Yan waved his hand, the sea beast he controlled fell back into the sea, ready to continue pulling the Sea Tracing Boat, conserving Spirit Crystals. "Watch out for the Blood Blade Bandits!" came a woman’s voice from the large ship. "Die!" Seeing an opportunity, the retreating bandits launched a surprise attack, lifting their blades in unison as they struck. They had secretly agreed to attack together, their blood-red blade light illuminating the sky, poised to engulf Xu Yan. The bandit faces twisted with malice—how dare anyone rob them when they were usually the robbers? As for that woman on the ship who dared warn him, after killing this boy, they’d ensure she knew of the Blood Blade Bandits' brutality. "You’re seeking your own doom, is it necessary?" Xu Yan sighed, raising two fingers to strike back. A sword light suddenly emerged, slashing through all the attacks. The blade light crumbled under the sword light's assault, which then transformed into over twenty separate beams, each targeting a bandit. Swoosh! Under the stunned gaze of each bandit, the sword light fell, reducing them to ashes in an instant. On the large ship, the martial artists stood in shock. Especially the woman who had warned him—she regretted speaking up, fearing a fate worse than death at the hands of the Blood Blade Bandits. She had even prepared to self-destruct. Instead, this man single-handedly robbed the group and vanquished the Blood Blade Bandits with a single stroke! These bandits were of the Refining Divine Peak level. With just a gesture, he wiped out the bandits—what monstrous power! In the vast Azure Sea, few could possess such might, surely? The woman suddenly thought of someone—an individual whose Sword Dao was legendary, hailed as the best in this era. Xu Yan, having dealt with the bandits, prepared to let the sea beast continue its journey, pulling the Sea Tracing Boat towards the Yun Tian Sea Domain. Although the bandits weren't weak, to Xu Yan, who could vanquish them with a wave of his hand, they were insignificant. Even martial artists who had condensed Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy were nothing in his eyes; only someone like the Blade Elder of the Thousand Martial Hall could be a worthy opponent. Only someone with the prowess of a Xin Mengrou could truly give him a satisfying battle. He was nearing perfection in the Divine Essence Realm, his strength far beyond his early days in that realm. As he prepared to direct the sea beast onward, a woman's voice stopped him. "Savior, wait!" Xu Yan turned to look; it was the woman who had warned him. "Need anything?" The woman was extraordinarily beautiful, her form was enchanting with an air of elegance. She held the strength of a basic Refining Divine Heavenly Being. The woman's excitement was apparent—she hadn’t expected the legendary Sword Dao figure to be so young and handsome. Her heart fluttered with admiration. "Savior, are you the Sword King?" she asked, trembling with excitement. --- **New Terms and Translations:** 1. **Sword King (剑王):** A highly revered title in the martial world, suggesting Xu Yan's legendary status in Sword Dao. 2. **Blood Blade Bandits Leader (血刀匪首領):** The leader of the Blood Blade Bandits, indicative of his authority over the group. **Explanation:** The term "Sword King" reflects Xu Yan's esteemed position in the realm of swordsmanship, aligning with the reverent tone of this title. His prowess and confidence are captured through swift actions and decisive dialogue.