Chapter 45: I, Xiang Gaowen, a Master of Acting!

In the distance.

Amidst the ruins.

Xiang Keluo pushed aside a wooden plank pressing down on him with one hand and stood up in a daze.

Who am I? Where am I? What happened?

After subconsciously posing these three philosophical questions, Xiang Keluo looked up at Xiang Gaowen, only to see Xiang Gaowen wearing an equally bewildered expression; Xiang Keluo's mouth immediately twitched:

"So this monstrous strength is the trump card you've been hiding all along, is it?"

Xiang Keluo suppressed the churning qi and blood in his chest, putting on an expression as if he saw through everything:

"Pity that before my speed, strength means nothing!"

"..."

Xiang Gaowen was momentarily speechless.

He had been worrying about how to explain things without letting Xiang Keluo lose all hope, but now it seemed he had truly underestimated the situation.

For a suitable leek, self-conquest is a required course!

Moreover, this strike finally made Xiang Gaowen understand just how absurd an amplification the nearly doubled comprehensive attributes on his system panel could bring him when perfectly harmonized.

The growth in pure strength was absolutely not as simple as the literal doubling; the power of his instantaneous explosion had even increased by three or four times.

Only this could allow him to send Xiang Keluo flying with such casual ease!

One must remember that just now, he had used only fifty percent of his strength!

If it had been full power, after this strike, Xiang Keluo would most likely be unable to stand up again.

This also made Xiang Gaowen subconsciously begin to control his strength.

In the distance.

Xiang Keluo rubbed his sore shoulder and flexed his fingers; after confirming that the injuries from just now would not affect his movement, he tapped his feet on the spot, and in the next instant, he vanished into thin air.

For a moment.

All around, there was only Xiang Keluo's constantly flickering figure; even the flames on the bonfire were blown askew by the wind generated by Xiang Keluo's movements.

Whoosh!

The firelight crackled fiercely.

This familiar scene made the surrounding crowd recall companions who had once been severely injured or even killed by Xiang Keluo using this move, and they all subconsciously dodged backward.

Yet halfway through, they were surprised to discover not a single extra scratch mark anywhere around them.

"Something's wrong!"

"Xiang Keluo has truly, truly mastered Spoon Death perfectly!"

"We no longer need to worry about being accidentally injured!"

Sam turned his head, looking at the scene before him with astonished eyes.

The stone slabs on the ground were continuously crushed under Xiang Keluo's steps, yet his figure had completely vanished into the air.

"Xiang Keluo's speed is even faster than it was in the past!"

Zangao let out a startled exclamation.

Previously, when Xiang Keluo used Spoon Death, he could still see a blurred shadow, but now he could see nothing at all.

This could only mean that Xiang Keluo's speed had been pushed to another limit!

Faster!

Stronger!

For a moment.

A trace of worry inevitably appeared in the eyes of the crowd as they looked toward Xiang Gaowen.

With such speed, could Captain Xiang Gaowen really still cope?

Although that sword strike just now was powerful and heavy, if his speed couldn't keep up, it would be useless!

"It should be fine, right? After all, even at Xiang Keluo's speed, wasn't the Captain able to react?"

Just as the Cat-Man Buchi's words brought a sliver of security to the crowd, a sound of tearing air appeared in the distance...

Hiss!

Everyone followed the sound and looked over.

They saw that a tear had suddenly appeared on Xiang Gaowen's leather armor; perhaps due to good luck, there were no obvious bloodstains.

The hearts of the crowd instantly tightened.

"Even the Captain can't keep up?"

"What do we do?"

"Are we really going to follow Xiang Keluo?"

Sam drove his five fingers into his hair.

If he hadn't experienced everything at Crow Port, he might still have been able to accept his former life, but now everything was irreversible.

Buchi and Zangao clenched their fists, quietly sweating for Xiang Gaowen.

Only A-Jin looked at Xiang Gaowen suspiciously and asked in puzzlement:

"This shouldn't be right."

"Last time the Captain hammered me, he wasn't at this level?! Is it because of his bond with Xiang Keluo that he can't bring himself to strike hard?"

"Damn it!"

"I will definitely surpass you, Xiang Keluo!"

"I will become Captain Xiang Gaowen's most capable subordinate!"

While A-Jin was engaging in self-conquest over here, several more cuts appeared on Xiang Gaowen's clothes, and an expression resembling constipation appeared on his face.

Not only must I control my urge to strike, but also keep Guanshi Zhengzong from cleaving straight through...

I'm having such a hard time!

Xiang Keluo, charging forward like a boar, had already gone mad with laughter.

"As expected!"

"After I raised my speed to another dimension, even your neural reaction speed, Gao Wen, can't keep up with me!"

"Hahahaha!"

Xiang Keluo's triumphant laughter echoed around, and everyone felt an inexplicable pressure in their hearts.

Ah Jin clenched his fists even tighter, shouting in his heart:

"Mr. Gao Wen!"

"There must be a limit to how lenient you are with your subordinates!"

"If you keep going like this, you really will get hurt!"

On the battlefield.

A strange state prevailed for a moment: Xiang Keluo constantly used his speed to launch attacks, leaving countless wounds on Gao Wen, yet not a single one broke the skin.

Ten-odd minutes later.

Gao Wen felt it was about enough; a look of "I see through you" appeared on his face:

"I've found your flaw, Xiang Keluo!"

In the next instant.

A silver blade's light appeared on Xiang Keluo's path, but the moment it collided, it flipped; the blade edge originally aimed at Xiang Keluo instantly switched to the blade's spine, then slammed hard against Xiang Keluo's chest...

Boom!

At the same spot, Xiang Keluo crashed into that ruin for the second time. He struggled to stand, but his hands had already lost all strength.

Feeling the pain radiating from every part of his body, Xiang Keluo knew his body had reached its limit.

Yet there was not a shred of discouragement in his heart, for this time he felt the gap between himself and Gao Wen had narrowed greatly.

No longer like before, when not a single hope was visible!

"Next time I will definitely defeat you!"

"Gao Wen!"

"I'll wait for you at the captain's position!"

Gao Wen responded, then immediately feigned a panting appearance, walked up to Xiang Keluo, pulled the latter up by the arm, and wore a triumphant smile on his face:

"Looks like I had the upper hand!"

"Hmph."

Xiang Keluo snorted coldly, yet a faint smile involuntarily appeared on his face:

"Arrogant fellow."

The battle ended here.

Cheers instantly erupted from the surroundings.

The banquet, which had paused due to Xiang Keluo's sudden challenge, resumed once more.

The cat-man brothers and Zango, even more excited, danced a strange dance around the bonfire, drawing bursts of laughter from the crowd.

The musicians of the pirate crew also began playing a familiar tune at this moment.

Relieved, the members of Gao Wen's pirate crew, their spirits high, sang along to the musicians' accompaniment—completely off-key, unable to remember the lyrics, but pouring out immense emotion:

"Yo ho ho ho~ Yo ho ho ho~"

"Yo ho ho ho~ Yo ho ho ho~"

"Bring the wine of Binks~ to your side~ Like the sea wind, doing as it pleases~ Riding the waves~"

Amid the crowd's singing, even Xiang Keluo was infected; cup after cup of ale went down his throat as he raised his glass with Gao Wen to drink together.

Seeing the smile on Gao Wen's face, Xiang Keluo paused slightly in surprise:

"How is it that this fellow hasn't even broken a sweat?"

"Impossible!"

Xiang Keluo shook his head:

"I must have seen wrong; I still have hope!"

"Just a bit more effort, and I can defeat Gao Wen and reclaim the captain's throne!"

Ah Jin sat quietly nearby, his gaze occasionally drifting toward Xiang Keluo, a cold sneer in his heart:

"Just watch; I will defeat you and become the captain's most capable subordinate!"

Gao Wen looked at Xiang Keluo, whose fighting spirit burned more fiercely than ever, then glanced at the system panel; the smile on his face became impossible to suppress.

Yes.

The more you strive, the closer I get to the peak of life, punching the Four Emperors and the Seven Warlords, and kicking the Marines and the Celestial Dragons!

(End of this chapter)