The speaker was none other than Yin Jiaxiong.
With a leap, he soared into the air and then swung his sword.
Boom!
A balloon that had just turned its cannon exploded.
However, Yin Jiaxiong didn’t have the powerful Body Technique of Zhao Ya, so after delivering the sword strike, he inevitably fell.
Just then, a balloon in the distance sneakily aimed at him and suddenly fired a cannonball.
As Yin Jiaxiong was falling, he caught a flash of light from the corner of his eye in the distance and his heart sank—it’s over, he thought.
He intended to assist Zhao Ya, but unexpectedly ended up in trouble after just one sword strike.
As he plunged into despair, he suddenly felt something beneath his feet that carried him away.
Yin Jiaxiong glanced down and found himself standing on the back of a giant bird. He felt alarmed.
What’s going on? Where did this giant bird come from?
At this moment, Zhao Ya also landed on the bird’s back and said in a low voice, "Do not be alarmed, it is a giant bird I have tamed."
Earlier, Zhao Ya had discreetly signaled the Free-Loading Bird leader to stand by in the distance.
After all, although his Lightweight Body Technique was advanced, it couldn’t keep him airborne for extended periods.
But unexpectedly, Yin Jiaxiong was the first to use it.
Hearing Zhao Ya’s words, Yin Jiaxiong felt relieved and curiously observed his surroundings.
Even though his mastery of the Martial Dao was unparalleled, he had never flown in the sky, making everything seem novel to him.
However, this feeling lasted only a brief moment before Zhao Ya said, "Brother Yin, would you like to compete with me?"
Yin Jiaxiong was taken aback, "Compete in what?"
"Let’s see who can eliminate more balloons!" Zhao Ya smiled.
Yin Jiaxiong’s spirits lifted, and he nodded immediately, "Alright!"
Although he had been defeated by Zhao Ya in front of so many people before, Yin Jiaxiong was not ready to admit defeat entirely.
He knew that if it came to Martial Dao skills, his chances might be slim.
But taking out these balloons mid-air required not just skill but also finesse.
And that was exactly his specialty.
With some effort, he might just surpass Zhao Ya.
The giant bird then circled in the air and soared toward the densest cluster of balloons.
Yin Jiaxiong gripped his sword tightly, ready to strike like a taut bowstring.
In contrast to his alertness, Zhao Ya appeared much calmer.
Finally.
The giant bird approached the balloons high in the sky.
The balloons sensed the danger and immediately turned their guns, aiming at Zhao Ya and Yin Jiaxiong.
Yet the giant bird was incredibly fast and constantly shifting its position, making it difficult for the balloons to target accurately.
Suddenly.
Zhao Ya drew his blade.
In the high sky, a flash of the blade was seen, and two balloons not far ahead exploded simultaneously.
Standing behind Zhao Ya, Yin Jiaxiong was shocked.
When he had fought against Zhao Ya before, the overwhelming pressure left him no time to appreciate Zhao Ya’s sword techniques.
Now, up close, Yin Jiaxiong finally realized the terrifying prowess of Zhao Ya’s blade.
That seemingly simple strike was in fact incredibly complex. Should he face it, Yin Jiaxiong could think of no defense other than retreating.
But this only kindled his competitive spirit. After silently applauding, he too unleashed his sword, slicing through the air toward the balloons.
Boom!
A balloon was cleanly cut in half and then exploded.
Yin Jiaxiong proudly glanced at Zhao Ya, only to find Zhao Ya was no longer on the bird’s back but had leaped into the cluster of balloons, swinging his blade effortlessly.
Each flash of his blade caused multiple balloons to burst.
Yin Jiaxiong was dumbfounded, then called foul.
He never imagined one could fight like this!
However, his Lightweight Body Technique couldn’t support such a bold move, leaving him watching helplessly.
Luckily, the giant bird was very agile, rapidly weaving in and out of the balloon cluster, giving Yin Jiaxiong opportunities to strike.
In just over half an hour, Zhao Ya and Yin Jiaxiong had cleared all the balloons from the sky.
Once they landed, the survivors breathed a sigh of relief and gathered around.
"How was it?" asked Huang Liang in a low voice.
"No problem," Zhao Ya replied.
Though disheveled and dirty from explosions, Jing Rou gave Zhao Ya a thumbs-up enthusiastically.
"Only you could manage this, or we would’ve been in real danger."
Zhao Ya, however, showed little delight. He turned to look at the distant Black Ship, a cold glimmer in his eyes.
He knew very well that solving the balloon problem was merely the first step. If the Black Ship wasn’t dealt with, no one knew what challenges awaited.
However, he kept these thoughts to himself.
After the intense battles and heavy losses, the survivors were utterly exhausted both physically and mentally. Bringing this up now would only add to their worries.
So Zhao Ya quickly masked his concern and led the group to salvage usable supplies from the debris, moving them to the other side of a small hill.
This hill, though not particularly high, was sufficient to shield them from most cannon attacks.