Chapter Fifty-Four: The Preliminary Round on the Cruise Ship

Time flew by, and two months passed in the blink of an eye. A cruise ship bound for Death Fairy Island, where the Dark Martial Arts Tournament would be held, had docked at a port in Bohai Bay. Not far from the port, bonfires burned brightly, surrounded by a motley crew of grotesque, menacing figures—these were the monsters who had come to participate in the tournament. They could hardly wait to reveal their true forms, as if they could already foresee the imminent brutal slaughter and smell the blood that would soon permeate the air. The area around the port had been sealed off by the Dark Organization, so the monsters had no need to hide their identities.

“Hehehe, it’s been so long since I’ve felt this exhilarated…”

“Indeed, I’ve been impatiently waiting for this day, hehehe…”

“Not only can we show our true forms freely, but if we win, we get any wish we desire. What could be better, hehehe.”

“If I win, I’ll devour a thousand humans first…”

“Hearing you say that makes my mouth water, hehehe.”

“What are you looking at? If you’re not convinced, let’s settle it…”

“What did you say? Are you looking for death…”

“Wait, hiss… I smell the scent of a living human… hiss…”

“A monster and a human walking together—now that’s strange…”

“Indeed, hehehe, are you here just to be my supper?”

At this moment, Zhang Yang, Bai Ying, and Fei Yan arrived near the port. Seeing the looks in the monsters’ eyes around the bonfires, Zhang Yang folded his arms indifferently. “Qin Xiaochuan is taking his sweet time. We still haven’t settled on the last team member. Honestly…”

“Instead of worrying about Qin Xiaochuan, how much have you improved? Don’t cause me trouble!” Fei Yan said.

Zhang Yang flexed his muscled arms with pride. “You wouldn’t have expected this, hehe. This is the result of my special training with Bai Ying, right, Bai Ying?”

Bai Ying sighed, watching Zhang Yang’s smug expression. “I suppose so.”

Just then, a captain-like figure stepped off the cruise ship. “Time’s up. Please get ready to board. We’re about to depart.”

Hearing the captain announce departure, Zhang Yang hurried forward. “Wait a moment, Captain Beard. One contestant hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Is that so? In such cases, it will be considered as fleeing. The organization will send assassins after any contestant who runs away!”

“Oh, is that so? But he…”

“Sorry to keep you waiting!” Just as Zhang Yang was frantically explaining, Qin Xiaochuan appeared, digging in his ear, dirty and exhausted. He looked as if Master Jinghai’s training had been brutal—perhaps he hadn’t even slept. Behind him stood a small, thin figure, wrapped from head to toe in white cloth, leaving only a pair of sharp, gleaming eyes exposed. It seemed this was the expert Qin Xiaochuan had brought.

“Qin Xiaochuan, you finally made it. You scared the hell out of me.” Zhang Yang’s heart eased at his arrival. The prospect of assassins sent after escapees had truly frightened him. Though their own skills were formidable, unseen threats were always dangerous.

“Heh, I can barely walk. Haven’t slept in days.”

“Really? Did Master Jinghai not even let you sleep?”

“No worries, it was my own request. Hey, Bai Ying, Fei—”

As Qin Xiaochuan greeted Fei Yan, Fei Yan struck without warning, his sword slashing upward. Sensing the demonic energy, Qin Xiaochuan sidestepped the attack. Fei Yan, undeterred, thrust his sword again, his movements nearly invisible. Yet Qin Xiaochuan dodged every slash with ease. The monsters nearby were stunned—what were these two doing? They couldn’t follow their movements at all.

Slipping to Fei Yan’s side, Qin Xiaochuan pinched the blade between his thumb and forefinger. “Phew… You startled me, Fei Yan. Maybe try a different way to say hello.”

“Hmph! I don’t know where you’ve been training, but you’re definitely a bit stronger than before,” Fei Yan said, sheathing his sword, apparently satisfied with Qin Xiaochuan’s abilities.

“No way it’s just ‘a bit’ stronger,” Zhang Yang grinned, having barely caught Qin Xiaochuan’s speed. He knew he couldn’t match it himself—Qin Xiaochuan was much improved from before. “That movement is astounding.”

“If you can recognize someone’s strength, that means you’ve grown stronger too, Zhang Yang.” Bai Ying stepped forward to encourage him. After spending time training together, Bai Ying realized Zhang Yang pushed himself harder than anyone, even harder than Bai Ying himself. For that, Bai Ying respected him.

“By the way, who’s that little guy? Don’t tell me he’s our fifth contestant?”

“Huh? Yeah.” Zhang Yang turned to see the small figure standing before them. If Fei Yan hadn’t mentioned it, he wouldn’t have noticed. “This guy? He’s so small. I could sneeze him all the way to France.”

“Relax, Zhang Yang,” Qin Xiaochuan said confidently, hands in his pockets. “He’s our strongest ally.”

“I’m still not convinced…”

Seeing Zhang Yang’s doubts, Fei Yan said confidently, “No worries, with me and Qin Xiaochuan, we’ll be fine.” He was clearly pleased with Qin Xiaochuan’s performance.

And so, urged by the captain, the group boarded the cruise ship to Fairy Island. The sea was calm, moonlight poured down, illuminating the deck. The journey would take about two hours. As everyone gathered on the bow, a round arena rose from the ship’s midsection. Captain Beard took the microphone and addressed the noisy monsters below.

“Thank you all for your patience. I know you’re all complaining—about the lack of food and drink, right?”

“Yes! Hurry up with the food, or I’ll eat everyone on this ship…”

“Damn, starving me…”

“Get on with it, I’m dying of hunger…”

“Please, settle down, settle down. I know you’re hungry. After the tournament, you’ll feast as much as you like. Now, I announce that we’ll be holding a preliminary match on this ship…”

“What?”

“A preliminary match?”

“Are you insane…”

“In fact, the fifteen teams for the knockout round are already waiting on Fairy Island. Only one team from this ship will advance to the tournament,” Captain Beard coughed and continued, “Now, send your strongest fighter to the arena. Whichever team’s representative is the last one standing, their team will be the sole qualifier for the knockout round. If we don’t have a winner in two hours, all contestants on this ship will lose their chance to advance. Understood? Fighters, please come forward!”

As Captain Beard called for representatives, teams began to send their chosen fighters onto the arena. Zhang Yang broke into a cold sweat watching the monsters ascend. “This is bad—a free-for-all? If they gang up on us, we’re doomed. Xiaochuan, it’s time to show what you’ve learned…”

He turned to pull Qin Xiaochuan onto the stage, convinced that Qin Xiaochuan’s Spirit Wave Fist was best for fighting multiple opponents. He wanted to see if Qin Xiaochuan’s two months of training could wipe out these cruel monsters in one move. But when he turned, he found Qin Xiaochuan already sitting on the floor, leaning against the rail, fast asleep—he was clearly exhausted.

“Hey… Wake up, Xiaochuan! Everyone’s counting on you.” Zhang Yang grabbed Qin Xiaochuan by the collar and shook him vigorously, hoping he’d unleash his Spirit Wave Fist and knock out the monsters. But Qin Xiaochuan was too tired, unmoved even as Zhang Yang shook him, sleeping soundly with bubbles coming from his nose.

“It seems he’s undergone some grueling training, Zhang Yang,” Bai Ying remarked, approaching. “He’s in a deep sleep now, probably to restore his energy and spirit. Let him rest.”

“So what do we do? Should you go, or should I? I don’t want to reveal our secret techniques too soon. What do you say?”