And beyond this single incident, though Ye Jingyu had accomplished some sensational feats a year and a half ago, those events were known only to the citizens of the Shu Yun Kingdom; many people and military officers in the Dongyi and even the Tianyuan Empire remained entirely unaware of this man. Consequently, Sato had no clue that such a person, one who cultivated both Soul and Martial arts simultaneously, existed in this world...

Though utterly bewildered by the existence of such an individual, Sato understood instantly that facing such a figure meant he stood no chance whatsoever...

As for his subordinates, observing the expressions of utter despair and terror on their faces, he knew they feared this man even more than he did. He was certain that if the stranger merely offered a word—a promise of their lives in exchange for killing him—these men would unhesitatingly turn their blades upon him...

The Dongyi people, as a race, were the epitome of selfishness; being one himself, Sato was acutely aware of this truth...

“Senior, I beg your pardon for my earlier offense. I implore you to show mercy and spare me... If you agree to forgive me, everything on this ship is yours...” Sato, quickly grasping the gravity of the situation as Ye Jingyu advanced toward him, immediately dropped to his knees, his face contorted in desperate supplication...

“Rise...” Ye Jingyu arrived directly in front of Sato, looking down at the man kneeling so abruptly with undisguised contempt. This fellow was truly a coward obsessed with survival, immediately submitting the moment resistance proved futile—truly someone adaptable to any circumstance...

“Oh... Th-then...” Sato, hearing Ye Jingyu bid him rise, momentarily believed he had been spared. He was about to blurt out that the ship held an unparalleled beauty intended as a tribute for the Dongyi Emperor, when Ye Jingyu’s palm shot out like lightning and struck him across the face...

The speed was so blindingly fast that Sato had no time to react. Only instinctively did the True Essence in his body surge toward his face for defense, yet even so, Ye Jingyu’s blow sent him flying. Two rows of teeth scattered, and even before he hit the deck, his face ballooned like an inflated balloon, half of it swelling grotesquely...

He crashed heavily onto the planks, skidding over ten meters before finally coming to a stop. This result, moreover, was achieved with Ye Jingyu deliberately suppressing his strength...

“You mtherfcker called me a savage! A savage likes violence, right? I’ll let you taste some violence right now!” Ye Jingyu roared after sending Sato flying, then, before the stunned gazes of everyone present, his figure flashed forward, scooping Sato up from the deck. With his other hand, he began unleashing a rapid-fire torrent of hundreds of slaps, crack-crack-crack...

Despite having practiced relentlessly for over a year, Ye Jingyu’s overall power level remained at the sixth tier. However, his control over that strength had reached an almost unimaginable degree. Every single slap inflicted the maximum possible pain upon Sato, yet simultaneously managed to stop just short of inflicting a fatal injury...

After delivering precisely three hundred and sixty-five slaps, Ye Jingyu ceased. At that moment, Sato’s face had transformed into the visage of a pig, so unrecognizable that even his own mother, were she present, could not have identified him...

Three hundred and sixty-five blows, delivered in mere breaths of time—such staggering speed once again shocked the surrounding soldiers into silence...

“Hm? What did you say just now?” Ye Jingyu asked, adopting an expression of sudden bewilderment as he looked at the now pig-faced Sato...

“Uuunh... Wuuuh... Sen... ior, I... I... I said that if you spare me, everything on this ship is yours...” Sato’s words were muffled by his missing teeth, but facing the prospect of death, he struggled mightily to articulate the message clearly...

“Damn it, why didn’t you say that sooner? If you’d said it earlier, why would I have hit you? Look at you now, why didn’t you beg for mercy earlier? Now look, I accidentally beat you into a pig’s head. Does it hurt?” Ye Jingyu spoke while gently patting Sato’s swollen face with his hand, feigning sincere regret...

Hearing this, the soldiers still standing on the deck, and the officers who had been silently enjoying Sato’s predicament, all experienced involuntary muscle twitches across their faces. He had clearly begged before the beating even started, and now he claimed not to have heard—how utterly shameless...

As for Sato, a sudden urge to weep welled up, yet he managed to force a faint smile onto his misshapen visage: “Senior showed mercy; it doesn’t hurt, not at all, not even a little bit...”

“Good that it doesn’t hurt. But what you said earlier—is it true? If I spare your life, everything on this ship belongs to me? Including these women and these soldiers?” Ye Jingyu’s face had now softened into a gentle smile, resembling that of a kindly elder...

“Of course, of course, everything is yours, including the beauty inside, prepared for the Emperor, Senior—she is truly a peerless beauty under heaven!” Seeing the smile on Ye Jingyu’s face, Sato truly believed the man intended to spare him. His speech immediately became articulate and fluent once more, without any hesitation...

“Heh heh, did you all hear that clearly? From this moment forward, everything on this vessel belongs to me, including all of you...” Ye Jingyu’s smile grew brighter and more dazzling...

“We heard clearly...” The commotion had drawn almost all the crew members to the deck, save for those steering the ship. Even those who hadn't witnessed Ye Jingyu’s display firsthand had heard the accounts of his terror from the others. Never mind Sato speaking—even if Sato had said nothing, they would have willingly pledged service to Ye Jingyu if he promised to spare them. This was the true nature of the Dongyi: selfish, lacking any shred of loyalty, and utterly subservient to superior strength...

“Very good. Then throw these several dozen corpses into the sea, and while you’re at it, throw this fellow in too,” Ye Jingyu said with a smile, gesturing toward the assembled soldiers...

“Ah! Senior, didn’t you say you would spare me? Why are you...” Sato’s face changed instantly upon hearing he was to be tossed overboard. He cried out in alarm, but before he could finish, Ye Jingyu cut him off...

“Yes, I spared you. However, this ship is now mine. Since it is mine, I naturally have the right to prohibit you from sailing on it,” Ye Jingyu’s smile at this moment was even more dazzling, yet in Sato’s eyes, it appeared utterly wicked and cruel...

This was the open sea, specifically known as Shark Bay, teeming with great white sharks. Even as a Grandmaster, how could he possibly fight swarms of Great Whites in the water? Once off this ship, was there any outcome other than death?

“I’ll fight you to the death!” Realizing death was certain either way, Sato’s resolve hardened, and his body lunged toward Ye Jingyu...

(Brothers and sisters, the comment section has been blazing recently, with certain individuals coming to cause trouble. I am deeply moved by everyone standing up for Xingchen, but please, do not attack other authors. They, like me, rely on writing to make a living. Only a fellow writer can truly understand the hardships involved. Therefore, I ask for your understanding toward other authors, just as you understand Xingchen. Furthermore, when you promote my work elsewhere, please be mindful of your language. Every book has its own unique qualities and merits. You cannot claim Xingchen’s work is definitively better than others. In fact, beyond the web, there are many excellent books on 3G that surpass mine; it simply comes down to readership numbers. This relates to success metrics, not necessarily the inherent quality of the writing. Dream of the Red Chamber is a masterpiece, but I doubt many of you read it often? So, please avoid these verbal spats. Try to understand our fellow writers more. As for our book’s rankings, should we worry? Xingchen works very hard, and with so many brothers and sisters supporting me, War Soul Ascendant will inevitably claim the top spot. As I said before, the reigning Evil God will be replaced by War Soul. Brothers, let us guard our own corner, read happily, chat happily, and support Xingchen happily. Stop being provoked into arguments in other authors’ comment sections. That only leads to mutual injury for both myself and my writing friends... Thank you for your support. I spent a full hour drafting, deleting, and rewriting this short passage, fearing any misunderstanding. I truly hope you understand my efforts! Finally, once more, thank you to all the Stars. You are the most wonderful Stars. With thousands upon thousands of you shining in the sky, providing warmth, support, and energy, even this fallen star will continue to emit a dazzling light... Thank you~)