That day.
Ian Song was dining on the ship, with Rosie Ning, Wes Wei, and Holly Hong at the same table.
Holly Hong was the female crew member—ordinary looking, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight, cultivation at early Origin Core stage. Back when Rose-Sea Crew was still independent, she'd already had feelings for Wes Wei. A few days ago, when the ship was attacked by a pack of vicious sea beasts, Wes got lightly injured saving her.
Since then, Holly Hong stopped hiding her feelings.
There's a saying: when a man chases a woman, it's like climbing a mountain; when a woman chases a man, it's like lifting a veil. While Wes was recovering, Holly personally took care of him every day. One thing led to another, and these two lovebirds openly hooked up.
They often flaunted their affection in front of Ian and the others, constantly showing off their lovey-dovey antics.
"Young Master, where are we headed next?" Wes Wei asked Ian seriously. After more than ten days together, they'd realized Ian wasn't the arrogant, aloof super-expert they'd imagined, but was actually very easygoing.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be dining with his followers like this.
Of course, Wes was mainly asking because the deeper they went, the fiercer the sea beasts became. Especially in the last two days, without Ian stepping in, they'd already started struggling.
"Skysea Sword Sect," Ian replied.
Hearing the words "Skysea Sword Sect," Rosie Ning, who'd been quietly eating, suddenly went pale. Wes Wei and Holly Hong's expressions also changed slightly.
A moment later, Rosie Ning gritted her teeth and asked, "May I ask, Young Master, what is your relationship with Skysea Sword Sect?"
Noticing their reactions, Ian asked, "What is it? Do you have some kind of grudge against Skysea Sword Sect?"
"It's more than a grudge! Our old captain Aaron Long died at the hands of Skysea Sword Sect disciples!" Wes Wei said through clenched teeth, his face full of anger and hatred, but also a touch of helplessness.
To them, Skysea Sword Sect was simply too powerful—so strong that all they could do was look up to it.
Ian remembered Wes mentioning in casual conversation that their former captain was named Aaron Long, who was also Rosie Ning's husband, and had apparently died in an accident during a mission.
Ian thought for a moment and said, "If you don't mind, why don't you tell me what really happened?"
"Let me tell it," Rosie Ning said, casting Ian a complicated look before describing the whole incident from start to finish.
The story wasn't complicated. Months ago, Aaron Long led the Rose-Sea Crew to an island deep in the ocean to gather a special spirit herb. Unexpectedly, they ran into several disciples from Skysea Sword Sect on that island.
One of the disciples developed lustful intentions and used filthy words to harass Rosie Ning, which enraged Aaron Long.
Aaron Long stepped in and taught them a lesson.
Although Aaron Long had never joined a sect, his strength was impressive—he'd reached the peak of early Sigilforge Realm.
Still, out of concern for their sect status, he only gave them a beating and didn't go overboard.
But who would've thought those disciples would hold a grudge.
On the return trip, they were intercepted by reinforcements Skysea Sword Sect had called in.
The enemy had numbers and power on their side. Helpless, Aaron Long proposed a one-on-one duel with their Sigilforge Realm cultivator.
If he won, they had to let the crew go without further trouble.
If he lost, they'd be free to deal with him as they wished, but couldn't harm anyone else from Rose-Sea Crew.
The other side agreed.
It took only three moves—the enemy pierced Aaron Long's dantian with a longsword and destroyed his cultivation. He didn't die, but it was a fate worse than death.
On the way back, Aaron Long died—not from his injuries, but because he'd lost the will to live.
After Aaron's death, the Rose-Sea Crew quickly went downhill, with only Rosie Ning barely keeping it afloat.
After finishing her story, Rosie Ning looked at Ian with grief and anger. "Young Master Chu, you saved our lives, but I can't let my husband's killer go unpunished. If you're with Skysea Sword Sect or close to them, just kill me now. I only ask that you spare Wes Wei and Holly Hong."
Hearing this, Wes Wei and Holly Hong's hearts leapt into their throats, and they stared at Ian, tense and anxious.
Ian smiled. "You're overthinking it. I have absolutely nothing to do with Skysea Sword Sect. I'm only heading there to get something from them."
Hearing Ian say this, Wes Wei and Holly Hong both breathed a sigh of relief.
Rosie Ning, on the other hand, flushed with embarrassment and quickly stood up. "I'm sorry, Young Master. It was my fault..."
Ian waved her off, interrupting. "Don't worry about it. I don't take little things like this to heart. Let's just keep eating."
With that, the small misunderstanding was cleared up, and their relationship seemed to grow a bit closer.
After the meal.
Ian called the three of them to his room and said thoughtfully, "You've all been pretty diligent lately, but your strength is still a bit lacking."
The three of them hung their heads in embarrassment.
After a moment, Wes Wei patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, Young Master! I'll work hard to get stronger as soon as possible!"
"How do you plan to improve?" Ian asked, looking at him.
"Uh..." Wes was stumped, but then blurted out, "I used to train two hours a day. From now on, I'll train four hours a day!"
Ian shook his head and said calmly, "You can't just get stronger by training longer. If that were true, every old martial artist would be invincible."
If more training time meant more power, Ian might as well hide in his temple, crank up time a thousandfold, and come out decades later as the world's number one.
So, time alone doesn't mean everything. Strength mostly depends on techniques, talent, opportunities, and resources.
Take Ian, for example—if he hadn't gotten the System, no matter how talented he was, he'd just be a regular guy. Sometimes, luck trumps everything.
Of course, having luck doesn't mean you can slack off.
Take those people in the future world who lost their Systems to Ian. They had their own lucky encounters and fused with Systems, but without drive, they ended up as ordinary folks again.
Hearing this, Wes Wei's face fell. "So what are we supposed to do?"
"Young Master, please guide us," he pleaded.
Rosie Ning suddenly spoke up from the side.
Hearing Rosie, Wes Wei's eyes lit up and he bowed to Ian. "Young Master, please give us some pointers."
"You're my followers—of course I won't treat you poorly. Here, take these!"
As he spoke, Ian tossed three pills to them and explained, "These are Marrow-Cleansing Pills. They'll cleanse your bodies and refine your marrow."
The three were overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. Wes Wei couldn't wait—he swallowed his pill on the spot.
Ian frowned slightly and quickly cast a shield around Wes to keep the room from reeking.
He then said, "The cleansing process will expel a lot of impurities. You should all take your pills in your own rooms."
Rosie Ning and Holly Hong immediately understood.
The next day, Ian gave each of them a Frost-Soul Pill. Stimulated by the pill, Rosie was about to break through, but Ian forcibly suppressed it.
He then personally helped her refine the medicinal power, gave her two more Frost-Soul Pills, and taught her the Myriad-Flame Divine Art from Starfield Martial Sect.
PS: Thanks to a reader's reminder, the Imperial-Grade Technique from Starfield Martial Sect should be Myriad-Flame Divine Art, not Myriad-Star Divine Art.