Chapter 974: First Power

Little did he know, by comparison, the Azure Dragon was even more dumbfounded. He had never imagined that the young man before him possessed such immense power.

His own physical strength was nearly on par with the most formidable human experts at the ultimate level of spiritual cultivation. Yet, against Xu Yang, he couldn't even withstand a single blow before being disemboweled.

"You scoundrel! It seems you truly disrespect me unless I show you the domain power of an ocean overlord like myself!" The Azure Dragon roared, spewing endless waves from its mouth that crashed down towards Xu Yang.

However, seeing this, Xu Yang merely shook his head. "Perhaps you haven't heard of the Sea God. Allow me to demonstrate the true Sea God's Domain."

The next moment, incredibly powerful cerulean waves erupted around Xu Yang's body. Wherever the light from these waves spread, all the water energy instantly lost its spiritual connection with the Azure Dragon and instead transformed into water forms that obeyed Xu Yang.

"No! How is this possible?" The Azure Dragon was utterly petrified. He watched as all the surrounding water energy, which he had previously commanded, became subservient to Xu Yang. Under Xu Yang's manipulation, endless, overwhelming sword glints of water erupted in the void, surging downwards. The Azure Dragon was horrified and couldn't evade in time, instinctively diving downwards to hide.

"Heh, trying to escape won't be that easy!" Xu Yang's fingertip moved, and the Jade Bone Divine Sword materialized. He then struck out with a single sword towards the Azure Dragon's diving path.

Everyone watched as, the moment the sword flew out, perfectly fusing with the two powers of the Sea God's Domain, it literally cleaved the water below in half, creating a deep oceanic chasm. All the water surrounding the Azure Dragon's body automatically parted to both sides under the sword's immense pressure. This left the Azure Dragon, despite having submerged below the surface, completely unprotected by the endless ocean waves and starkly exposed within Xu Yang's attack range.

"You have nowhere to hide from me, whether you ascend to the heavens or descend into the depths. Prepare to die, Azure Dragon! The moment you allowed the Marauder Corps to provoke me, your fate was sealed. From today forward, this island will become a stronghold under Glory One. Every being associated with the name 'Marauder' shall be annihilated!"

Xu Yang's voice resonated like a divine decree. At least on this island, no one could resist the Jade Bone Divine Sword. The divine sword plunged from the sky, piercing the Azure Dragon's massive head in front of everyone.

A dense aura of spiritual energy rapidly dissipated. Xu Yang immediately glanced at Clown beside him, giving him a knowing look. Clown instantly understood, soaring into the air without hesitation. Before everyone's eyes, he forcibly absorbed the spiritual energy aura across realms.

"Oh my god! This was an ocean overlord at the peak of its power! Its spiritual energy aura can provide an immense power boost to any cultivator of the spiritual energy system! It seems Clown will be the first among us to break through to the Blue Tier."

The rest of the Glory Squad watched Clown with envious eyes, unaware that Xu Yang merely gave them a calm look. That look seemed to say, "No need to rush; everyone will get their turn. This is merely an appetizer for our journey."

Soon, Clown completed the absorption of the colossal blue spiritual energy aura. His entire being radiated an endless cerulean light, vigorously cleansing his meridians and every part of his body. Simultaneously, Xu Yang personally acted as his guardian, preventing anyone from coveting Clown during the absorption process. Little did they know, with Boss Xu Yang personally protecting him, no one, no matter how audacious, would dare to plot against Clown in Xu Yang's presence. Soon, the entire absorption process concluded flawlessly. Clown successfully broke through to the ultimate peak of the Blue Tier, and his powerful spiritual energy fluctuations sent tremors across the entire Marauder Island.

"It's over, it's truly over. This squad is terrifying. This individual, who seems to be only a mid-ranking member, possesses such fearsome power. Glory Squad – why have I never heard of that name? To think they possess such formidable power! This time, we've truly picked a fight with the wrong people." Many cultivators across Marauder Island fell into despair. Everyone knew clearly that, having provoked Xu Yang's team, they likely had no path to survival.

"Listen up, everyone on Marauder Island! I am giving you a chance to reform. You can either choose to kneel and surrender, joining Glory One and continuing to live on this island under my command, provided you serve us. From this moment forward, the name 'Marauder' will be permanently erased from this continent."

Xu Yang's voice intimidated the entire island; no one could withstand such overwhelming power. Of the original thousands-strong Marauder force, sixty percent had been eliminated. After Xu Yang's forces had slain them, the remaining forty percent, nearly two thousand strong, all chose to kneel and surrender, shouting the name of the Glory Squad. Of course, the remaining four leaders had already been silently eliminated by Guglass and Lister.

As these four Marauder leaders fell one after another, Xu Yang destroyed the Marauders' banner with a single beam of ethereal light from his finger. Thus, Xu Yang's team concluded their first stop on this sea voyage to Demon Dragon Island with a complete victory. They finally possessed their first overseas island, also named Glory One.

After a brief three-day rest, Xu Yang decided to continue their journey with his core team. However, at his strict instruction, Old Jack and the others did not continue with the Black Pearl. Instead, they dutifully remained on Glory One Island to manage everything there. This island would serve as a transit point for Xu Yang's Glory Squad. If the situation ahead proved unclear, they could temporarily retreat to Glory One Island to regroup and recuperate. Furthermore, should they encounter encirclement by other pirate forces later, Glory One could dispatch support at any time. After all, having such a stronghold in the vast and endless ocean was an undeniable advantage for Xu Yang's team.

After everything on the island was settled, Xu Yang and his core team re-embarked on the Black Pearl, continuing their journey deeper into the sea.