65: Chapter 65 Bartering with Blood to Solidify the Foundation

The cabin was filled with a nauseating, burnt stench.

The bronze cauldron, snatched from the deck, was now glowing crimson red, bubbling and gurgling inside.

Ye Feng sat cross-legged on the floor, gripping a gem-encrusted steel longsword. As if snapping a dry twig, he broke it in two with a "crack" and tossed it into the furnace.

These Low Grade spirit weapons, looted from Battle Heaven Dragon's storage ring, might have caused Qi Refinement Stage or even Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators to fight to the death in the outside world, but to Ye Feng, they were merely raw Materials containing trace amounts of spiritual metal.

Too slow.

Using ordinary fire to smelt spiritual Materials was abysmally inefficient.

Ye Feng frowned, flicking a wisp of extremely faint, dark golden Golden Core fire from his fingertip.

This was the Origin fire of a Golden Core Cultivator. Although it was currently as weak as a candle in the wind, it was more than enough to deal with this scrap metal.

Sizzle!

As the Golden Core fire entered the furnace, the molten iron inside instantly boiled. The Impurities turned into blue smoke and dissipated, leaving behind only a pool of metal liquid shimmering with a cold luster.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Feng reached directly into the thousands-of-degrees furnace and scooped out a handful of the scalding metal liquid.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.

The sound of roasting flesh echoed through the cramped cabin.

Yet he didn't even furrow his brow. He smeared the scalding liquid directly onto the deep, bone-exposed wound on his chest, then grabbed another handful and plastered it onto the unconscious Iron Tower beside him.

This was the most primitive and barbaric "casting method."

Since his Meridians were shattered, he would train his Physical Body into an iron plate.

The Chaos Devouring Sword Body operated frantically. The moment the metal liquid, which could have scorched through a Mortal's bones, touched his skin, it was forcefully decomposed by a domineering suction force, turning into wisps of coolness that seeped into his bone marrow, repairing the tiny, fragmented cracks.

Comfortable.

Ye Feng let out a long breath. Just as he was about to toss the remaining Xuanhua axe in, the ship suddenly lurched violently.

This was followed by a piercing screeching sound, like countless fingernails scratching against glass.

"Enemy attack! It's the flag of the One-Eyed Snake!"

"Quick, activate the protective array... Ah!"

The screams from the deck filtered down through the wooden planks, ringing out clearly.

Ye Feng did not stop his actions, continuing to smear the metal liquid onto Iron Tower.

As long as the ship didn't sink, it had nothing to do with him, even if everyone outside died.

But in this world, things often do not go as one wishes; the tree desires stillness, but the wind does not cease.

With another loud boom, the ship's speed plummeted, clearly dragged down by something.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The cabin door was pounded with a thunderous sound.

"Senior! Senior, help!"

Ship Captain's voice was laced with tears. He didn't dare to barge in, only pounding desperately on the door. "It's those mad dogs from the 'One-Eyed Snake'! They've used the 'Bone-Corroding Hooks'; the ship can't move. If this continues, we're all going to die!"

Ye Feng wiped the last drop of molten iron from his hands and unhurriedly put on his clothes.

Bone-Corroding Hooks?

This thing was highly toxic and specialized in piercing ship armor. Once hooked, unless the connecting chains were severed, the ship's hull would be corroded through within a quarter of an hour.

He walked to the door and pulled it open.

Ship Captain was kneeling on the ground, his head covered in blood, clutching that Mid-Grade Spirit Stone tightly, evidently wanting to use it to ask Ye Feng to intervene again.

"This stone was already paid by Mo Qianxue earlier."

Ye Feng leaned against the doorframe, his gaze cold. "That was the price for the boat ticket; it doesn't include security."

Ship Captain froze, his face instantly turning pale.

But having reached the position of captain, he wasn't slow-witted.

He suddenly recalled the greedy look in Ye Feng's eyes on the deck earlier. Like someone grabbing at a final straw, he frantically pulled a heavy animal-skin bag from his robe.

"Spirit Pearls! Deep Sea Spirit Pearls! This is all the stock I have from this voyage, three hundred in total!"

Ship Captain held the bag out with both hands, trembling as he presented it to Ye Feng. "As long as Senior is willing to intervene, there are another two thousand in the hold; they all belong to you!"

Ye Feng raised an eyebrow.

Deep Sea Spirit Pearls were a specialty of the Chaotic Star Sea, containing extremely pure Water-attribute Spiritual Qi.

Having just used the Golden Core fire to perform Body Tempering, the fire energy within him was currently raging. He lacked exactly this to neutralize it and achieve a balance of water and fire.

"Deal."

Ye Feng snatched the bag, weighed it, and hung it casually at his waist.

He stepped out of the cabin in one stride.

The deck was already in absolute chaos.

Dozens of black chains, as thick as wrists, were locked tightly onto the gunwale of the "Sea Wolf." The other ends of the chains were connected to a dozen lightning-fast black speedboats.

On the main ship directly ahead, a bald, burly man with one blind eye was standing on the bow, brandishing a ghost-head saber and laughing wildly.

"Ship Captain! I told you, leave your cargo and send those two women over, and I'll leave your corpse intact!"

Foundation Establishment Stage Peak.

This is that so-called "One-Eyed Snake"?

Ye Feng stood at the edge of the deck, the sea breeze whipping his robes.

His Meridians were still aching faintly; that was the aftermath of the forced Body Refining earlier.

But this did not affect his ability to kill.

"This is your trouble?"

Ye Feng tilted his head to look at Ship Captain, who had followed him out.

Ship Captain nodded like a pecking chicken.

"Fine."

Ye Feng grasped the air with his right hand.

The broken spear, now only half its length, appeared in his hand.

No wasted words, no charging up.

He simply raised his hand, swung the spear, and chopped down.

The Golden Core within his body, which had just caught a moment's breath, trembled violently, and a burst of dark golden light surged along his Meridians into the spear shaft.

Hum—!

The air seemed to be forcibly crushed by this strike.

A ten-zhang-long, dark golden spear glow, like a vicious Dragon charging out of the abyss, carried a suffocatingly sharp aura and instantly crossed the hundred-meter expanse of the sea.

The wild laughter on One-Eyed Snake's face hadn't even faded before it turned into a look of dull shock.

He instinctively raised his ghost-head saber to block.

Crack.

The Profound Rank Low Grade ghost-head saber snapped in two as if it were made of paper.

Following that was One-Eyed Snake's body, and then the sturdy steel speedboat beneath his feet.

Neatly split in two.

Boom!

It wasn't until the speedboat exploded that the massive waves surged up, as if in delayed reaction.

One strike, the ship was destroyed and the man perished.

The surrounding pirates, who had still been clamoring, instantly fell silent, like ducks whose necks had been strangled.

Ship Captain's mouth hung wide open, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.

Is this the strength of a Golden Core Cultivator?

And this is while in a severely injured state?

However, an even more horrifying scene occurred.

Ye Feng did not stop.

He leaped, jumping directly into the seawater filled with body parts and blood.

"What is he doing?"

This question popped into everyone's mind.

The next second, they witnessed a scene they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

Ye Feng stood on a floating piece of wreckage, pressing one hand toward the sea surface.

"Devour."

A low syllable rolled out from his throat.

With him at the center, the seawater suddenly rotated eerily, forming a small, blood-colored vortex.

The essence blood and remnant souls of the pirates who had just died and hadn't yet dissipated, seemed to be subject to some irresistible pull, crazily converging toward Ye Feng's palm.

Karma stripping, vitality plundering.

This was an evil technique he had comprehended upon the Awakening of his Primordial Forbidden Physique. He didn't dare use it in the Sect, but in this chaotic, lawless zone, who cared if you were a god or a devil?

In the blink of an eye.

A dozen bright red, dripping beads exuding a rich, bloody scent condensed and formed in his palm.

Ye Feng grabbed a handful and stuffed them into his mouth like candy, chewing them with a crunching sound.

A spicy, violent heat surged down his throat, instantly rushing into his limbs and bones, forcefully suppressing the stinging pain in his Meridians caused by using Spiritual Qi.

It tasted a bit fishy, but this vital essence was highly nourishing.

He licked the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked up at the pirate speedboats that hadn't yet recovered from their shock.

In his eyes, a faint You You green light flickered, like a hungry wolf eyeing a flock of fat sheep.

"Run! Run! This is a Devil Head! A great Devil Head!"

Someone shouted, and the remaining dozen speedboats turned around like madmen. They didn't even want their expensive Bone-Corroding Hooks, simply cutting the chains and fleeing in a panic.

Ye Feng didn't pursue them.

"Do not pursue a desperate foe" was just an excuse; the main thing was that after this strike, the cracks on his Golden Core showed signs of instability again.

He tapped the surface of the sea with his toes and leaped back onto the deck.

"Deliver the remaining two thousand Spirit Pearls to my room."

Ye Feng didn't even glance at Ship Captain, walking straight toward the luxury suite on the top floor of the ship tower. "I am going into seclusion. Before we reach our destination, if anyone dares to knock on my door, I will refine them into beads."

Ship Captain felt his crotch go warm, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the ground.

"Yes... yes! This little one understands!"

Half an hour later.

Inside the top-floor suite.

Ye Feng sat cross-legged on a soft couch covered in top-grade white fox fur.

Around him, piled densely, were pale blue Deep Sea Spirit Pearls. The entire room was illuminated like an underwater Dragon palace, and the rich Water-attribute Spiritual Qi had almost turned into tangible mist.

He hadn't fought such a wealthy battle since leaving the Sect.

Ye Feng grabbed two Spirit Pearls, exerted a little force, and they shattered. Pure Spiritual Qi surged in through the Laogong acupoints in his palms.

With these things, plus the blood pills he had consumed earlier, it would be enough to solidify his Middle Stage Golden Core cultivation before reaching the next stop, and perhaps even push his Physical Body strength up by another small level.

He closed his eyes, and his breathing gradually became long and steady.

According to the sea chart, in three more days of sailing, he would reach the largest trade distribution center on the edge of the Chaotic Star Sea—Black Reef Port.

There, the good and the bad were mixed, and black markets were everywhere.

Whether it was the arrest warrant from the Zhan family or his Devouring Sword Body that was in urgent need of resources, such a chaotic place was a true paradise.

Once he reached there, this game of chess would finally be truly alive.