The burly leader shouted upon seeing the turn of events, "We've been tricked! Run..."

If a powerhouse capable of taking on a dozen Dou Zun single-handedly claimed to only be a Second-Tier Dou Zun, no one would believe it; it had to be a High-Tier Dou Zun concealing their aura! With a High-Tier Dou Zun rampaging and killing, running away was the only sensible option. After his shout, the leader kicked off the deck and shot into the sky with a whoosh.

However, the instant he ascended, a faint shadow ahead surged past him, reaching the space above his head with even greater speed.

"Boom..."

Under a single punch from Ling, the burly man plummeted back toward the deck. Despite being a Seventh-Tier Dou Zun, his will to fight had already withered before the battle even began; how could he possibly stand against Ling Feng?

With a sharp "crack", the man smashed through dozens of deck layers like a projectile, crashing deep into the hold below.

The hold was stuffed wall-to-wall with magic crystals. He landed spread-eagled across them, forming a stark 'T' shape. The crystals he had come to plunder now seemed to hurt his eyes with their harsh glare.

"Ah..." he roared, then burst out of the hold with a "thud", his Domain fully expanded, charging straight at Ling Feng.

"Sky Skill!" he bellowed, unleashing his greatest reliance against Ling Feng—the High-Tier Human Grade Dou Skill, Soaring Flight!

Ling Feng knitted her delicate brows and brought a palm down in a chopping motion. A swirling vortex of flame shot toward his Soaring Flight!

Low-Tier Earth Grade Skill: Whirlwind Slash!

"Boom..." A muffled thud echoed as the Wave Slash and Soaring Flight collided. Because both were executed within a Domain, the stray energy was perfectly contained. The crew members on deck were spared any collateral damage.

"Waaah..." The burly man cried out, his face turning ashen, spitting a mouthful of blood. Ling Feng’s Whirlwind Slash had already inflicted grave injuries with a single move. If she hadn't held back, this strike would have killed him.

The man landed hard on the deck, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. He twisted his body and darted toward where the crew was huddled. Like an eagle snatching chicks, he grabbed two crewmen and hurled them toward Ling Feng floating in the air!

Ling Feng caught the crewmen, pulling them safely into her Domain, only to see the leader had already used his own Domain to subdue all the sailors.

"Stop right there, or I'll kill every last one of them!" he screamed hysterically.

In his desperation, he had devised this tactic, momentarily turning the tide. Chen Feng, seeing that he had captured all the crew, also halted his advance and slowly floated down to stand beside Ling Feng.

Only seven Dou Zuns remained alive on the ground; Chen Feng had nearly slain all those he had initially engaged.

"It was... my soft heart!" Ling Feng offered an apology as Chen Feng approached.

Had she killed the leader instantly, they wouldn't be in this passive situation now.

Chen Feng’s lips curved into a faint, unconcerned smile. It made no difference how many people the leader controlled; these crewmen were just strangers he had met. What did a few deaths matter? If he and Ling Feng hadn't intervened, likely far more would have perished.

"It's fine," he said calmly, restraining his Domain three meters away from his body as he slowly descended from the air.

Seeing Chen Feng land, the leader’s expression shifted slightly. His chest still ached faintly from Ling Feng’s earlier palm strike. He spat out the blood in his mouth, grabbed a nearby crewman, gripped his neck, and roared, "Dare to come closer, and I'll kill him!"

"Sir, pay me no mind... Kill this demon and avenge the Captain and our brothers..." the man whose neck was being crushed shouted defiantly.

Hearing the crewman’s cry, the leader grew even more frantic. He tightened his grip, staring at Chen Feng, who was walking step by step toward him, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Take one more step, and I'll slaughter them all! I don't think you'll be able to report back to Duke Kayness if you fail!"

He assumed Chen Feng was a Dou Zun from Duke Kayness's manor, tasked with escorting this mineral shipment.

Chen Feng looked at the leader, his eyes devoid of emotion, not slowing his pace in the slightest.

Seeing that Chen Feng completely disregarded the hostages in his hand, the leader suddenly shouted in panic, "My brother is Lai Anli, a Fifth-Grade Ling Shi, Lai Anli... I have a Soul Mark on me. If you dare kill me, my brother will definitely find out, and he will kill you!"

The mention of a Fifth-Grade Ling Shi caused the remaining Dou Zuns to look astonished, and even the crew members wore expressions of utter disbelief.

"This is the end..." All the crewmen felt as if darkness had descended upon them.

Ling Shi ranks were achieved by accumulating merit; every Ling Shi had blood on their hands—outright murderers. To advance to Fifth-Grade Ling Shi required not only supreme strength but also considerable luck, lest they perish during a mission.

Although the Three Great Factions were immensely powerful, there were still many formidable experts within their jurisdiction who refused to join any faction. To better control these outliers, the Ling Shi ranking system was established.

Ling Shi enjoyed vast privileges: they were exempt from inspections throughout the territories governed by the Three Great Factions, enjoying preferential treatment in all matters, including entering cities.

The rank of Ling Shi, from First to Ninth Grade, was not strictly tied to strength. Some only a Seventh-Tier Dou Zun might already be an Eighth-Grade Ling Shi, while others remained mere First-Grade Ling Shi.

Advancement depended on completing missions issued by the Three Great Factions, which awarded corresponding currency, merit, and even Dou Skills or Cultivation Methods needed to qualify for promotion.

The Fifth-Grade Ling Shi the leader spoke of was undoubtedly an overwhelmingly powerful existence, possibly even a Saint Domain expert.

In the minds of these crewmen, no matter how righteous the young man before them appeared, he would absolutely not risk offending a Fifth-Grade Ling Shi—an existence potentially at the Saint Domain—for the sake of a few defenseless men.

"Fifth-Grade Ling Shi?" Chen Feng glanced at Ling Feng with a flicker of doubt, but realizing his look was futile, he knew she wouldn't know anything about it either.

"My brother reached the Saint Domain last year... If you dare touch me, await the relentless pursuit of a Saint Domain expert!"

"Saint Domain expert?" Chen Feng’s steps paused slightly, gaining a faint understanding of what a Fifth-Grade Ling Shi signified.

Seeing him hesitate, the leader assumed Chen Feng was intimidated and bellowed triumphantly, "What? Scared now! If you're scared, get lost quickly! Otherwise, when my brother finds out, you'll have nowhere to run but death!"

He felt a surge of pride. He hadn't intended to pull out this trump card, but circumstances forced his hand. In his view, which self-respecting Dou Zun wouldn't fear a Saint Domain master? Who wouldn't dread pursuit by a Saint Domain expert? The fact that he hadn't immediately fled upon hearing his brother was a Fifth-Grade Ling Shi was already extraordinary; how dare he still act aggressively toward him!

"What? Still not leaving? Go, or you can wait for my brother's pursuit..." The leader shouted arrogantly, seeing Chen Feng remain rooted to the spot, but his voice abruptly cut off as he stared in disbelief at his own chest, which had been pierced in an instant.

"What does a Saint Domain expert matter?" Chen Feng's voice rang out, cold and indifferent. "You are not worthy of threatening me!" He retracted the finger that had released the dark particle and coldly surveyed the remaining six Dou Zun experts.

"Run..." The remaining six Dou Zuns finally felt true terror. With a whoosh, they scattered in all directions.

"Trying to leave? Hmph, not so easily!" Chen Feng let out a cold snort, unleashing his Domain completely, his speed akin to a flash of lightning.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" These typically rare Dou Zun experts were blown into pieces of shredded meat one after another in mid-air.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Feng had killed all six escapees, cutting the weeds and digging out the roots. Compassion, he recognized, only invited future trouble.

Ling Feng watched Chen Feng's actions thoughtfully, floating quietly in the air as the sea breeze billowed her robes, lending her the aura of a celestial being descending to the mortal realm.

"Thank you, Lord, for saving our lives!" All the crewmen knelt before Chen Feng, speaking with intense emotion.

If Chen Feng hadn't acted, this entire group would likely be dead. The gratitude they felt was beyond description.

"My Lord, you risked offending a Fifth-Grade Ling Shi for our sake. Our lives are yours; if you ever require anything, command us!" an elderly crewman stated, stepping forward.

As his words ended, all the others voiced the same sentiment in unison.

The Magus from the Duchy had fled too swiftly, utterly disregarding their impending doom. Yet, Chen Feng, a chance encounter, risked offending a Fifth-Grade Ling Shi to save them—a level of gratitude that was truly profound.

Chen Feng hadn't anticipated this outcome. After some thought, he finally spoke, "There is no need for this!"

"It is what we owe you. Please accept our three bows," all the crewmen insisted, their gazes resolute as they bowed to the ground.

Seeing their deep conviction, Chen Feng ceased his pretense. He accepted their three bows with grace, helped them rise, and once things settled back into order, he asked directly, "Might I purchase a certain type of ore from you...?"

"Purchase? My Lord mocks us! If they hadn't already looted everything on this fleet, you could take whatever you wanted!" the crewmen exclaimed in unison.

Though the property belonged to the Duchy, the Magus from the Duke's manor had abandoned them. To remain blindly loyal now would make them utter fools. Having survived a brush with death, their priorities had changed.

"Very well!" Chen Feng beckoned Ling Feng, and they entered the hold to retrieve the Purple Fire Crystals.

The fleet carried nearly ten thousand Purple Fire Crystals. Chen Feng divided them equally with Ling Feng, storing his half in a waterskin.

After taking the Purple Fire Crystals, the fleet elected a new captain. The new captain, conveying the group's sentiment, then gifted Chen Feng one hundred thousand magic crystals—this was their entire escort fee. Being alive was a blessing; they had all let go of their attachment to wealth and willingly offered all their earnings to him.

Chen Feng accepted only half of those as well, returning