Chapter 9: Sword Hero - One Year Later

"Slash the Sea!"

At the peak of his power, Li Yuan struck out with his sword, delivering a blow that sliced through the lowest point of the ocean's rhythm.

The immense force generated a ten-meter-wide cut in the water, breaking free from the sea's constraints and shooting forward.

The attack continued until its power was entirely spent, finally stopping fifty meters away.

"This is the slash of a Sword Hero? It's dozens of times stronger than the sword light of a swordsman!"

Now a Sword Hero, Li Yuan relished the power of this slash. The bottlenecks that had once hindered him were now easily surpassed.

"Slash the Sea!"

"Slash the Sea!"

"Slash the Sea!"

"…"

Thrilled, Li Yuan wielded his long sword, unleashing his strength against the ocean.

The once calm sea was instantly stirred into a frenzy by Li Yuan, with waves crashing violently against the shore.

"Is this the power of Lord Li Yuan? So strong, I want it!"

Lazi Li, who came to bring Li Yuan his meal, was mesmerized by the surging waves and the figure darting through them.

**One Year Later**

Now standing at two meters and five centimeters tall, with blood-red long hair and wearing a weight of five thousand jin, Li Yuan swam freely in the sea. Each time, he used Soru to burst forward with incredible speed.

If someone had seen him at that moment, they would have been astonished to find that Li Yuan's pores were slightly bubbling, much like a fish breathing underwater.

Suddenly, from below the ocean, a massive black crocodile, nearly eighty meters long, opened its gaping maw, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth that were chilling to behold.

"Crack!!!"

This sea king-class crocodile had accurately locked onto Li Yuan, surging up to bite him, intending to snap him in half and swallow him whole.

"I've been looking for you."

Seeing the crocodile, Li Yuan showed no surprise; his Observation Haki had long since detected the ambush lurking below.

"Surfing the Sea!"

With a sudden burst, Li Yuan stepped on the water twenty times in quick succession, propelling himself out of the crocodile's open jaws in the blink of an eye.

"Roar!!!"

The crocodile reacted quickly; upon seeing Li Yuan escape, its ten-meter-wide claws came crashing down.

"Surfing the Sea!"

Once again, Li Yuan accelerated, dodging the crocodile's attack. His speed was far greater than that of the sea king-class creature.

If the crocodile could speak, it would undoubtedly curse, asking, "Who's the sea king here, you or me?"

"Surfing the Sea!"

In the moment he evaded the crocodile's attack, Li Yuan turned and charged at it, gripping his long sword tightly, pulling it out in an instant.

"Slash the Sea!"

At the moment of the sword's swing, a fifty-meter-wide azure slash erupted, infused with the rhythm of the ocean. With countless waves supporting it, the slash became even more powerful.

"Swish!!"

The crocodile's tough skin was instantly sliced open, its robust flesh unable to withstand the onslaught.

Even the crocodile's bones were nearly split in two by that single strike, saturating the ocean with the blood of the eighty-meter-long creature.

"Roar!!!"

Feeling the pain from its injuries, the crocodile roared in terror. The threat of death surged its strength and speed, and it bolted toward the depths of the sea in a desperate attempt to escape.

It never expected that while hunting normally in its territory, it would provoke such a formidable human, nearly leading to its demise. How terrifying!

"I finally found you; there's no way I'm letting you escape."

Li Yuan, dissatisfied with his earlier strike, accelerated after the fleeing crocodile.

The crocodile was fast, but after a year of extensive training in the ocean, Li Yuan had honed his skills to perfection.

This technique of Surfing the Sea allowed him to move at speeds comparable to those on land, unaffected by the ocean's constraints.

"Splash!!!"

As Li Yuan closed in, the crocodile whipped its tail at him.

"Ocean Abyss - Slash the Sea!"

Li Yuan deftly evaded the crocodile's tail and delivered another strike. A fifty-meter azure slash shot forth, denser and more powerful than the last.

The enormous slash, infused with the ocean's energy, sped toward the crocodile, which had no time to dodge, leaving it vulnerable.

"Swish, swish!!"

The slash accurately struck the already damaged area, severing the crocodile's bones. The immense creature was bisected in an instant.

"Roar!!!"

The crocodile cried out in agony. Even with its powerful life force, being cut in half meant its end was imminent.

"Whew!!!"

"The power of the slash is still somewhat lacking—the sharpness of the cut wasn't enough; otherwise, the first strike would have finished it."

Li Yuan dragged the two halves of the crocodile's body and swam swiftly toward the shore.

"In this past year, my strength has increased significantly. I've mastered Life Return quite skillfully, and I've also reached proficiency in the Marine Six Styles."

"My Sword God Body Refinement Technique has reached the third level of perfection, and my swordsmanship has attained the Sword Hero stage. The speed that was once a weakness has been compensated for by learning the Marine Six Styles."

Li Yuan was satisfied with his current strength. Although he lacked combat experience, he felt content with how far he had come.

Once he learned Busoshoku Haki, coupled with his growth period, his strength would soar to new heights in no time.

"Big Brother! Big Brother! Not good, not good! A very powerful Marine is coming to trouble our master!"

Just as Li Yuan reached the shore, Karu rushed over, shouting in a panic.

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