Three days later, in an undulating and uncharted sea region.
Tonight, the sky was scattered with stars like a chessboard. A majestic warship over a hundred meters long sailed slowly through the waves. At sea, navigation typically relied on the sun by day and stars by night. However, due to low visibility at night, the ship had clearly reduced its speed in this area.
Moonlight and starlight intertwined, spilling through the glass windows into a spacious room at the top level of the warship.
Lying on a large, comfortable bed, Xu Zihuang's long eyelashes fluttered slightly before he slowly opened his eyes—eyes as clear as amethyst.
Although he was born into the royal family of the Sun and Moon Empire, his appearance resembled his mother's more. He didn't have the typical dark skin of the imperial lineage. Instead, he looked like a refined and elegant youth, one who would be widely regarded as handsome.
Sitting up and pulling off the fluffy soul beast fur blanket, Xu Zihuang rubbed the center of his forehead with a wry smile.
> "I was a bit reckless back then."
A stabbing pain still throbbed in his mind from time to time.
Though he had a clear elemental advantage over Hai Xiao, the power of the Extreme Lightning element wasn't so easily tamed. Among all elemental types, lightning was known to be the most violent and uncontrollable. If not for his innate Spirit attribute and his precise control over his soul power and martial soul—the Golden Eyes—he wouldn't have been able to barely condense even that small net of lightning.
Thinking of this, Xu Zihuang's expression grew complicated. He could still clearly recall how the oppressive force of Hai Xiao's eighth soul skill had suddenly diminished in its final moments.
How could he not realize? Hai Xiao had ultimately chosen to help him.
Xu Zihuang didn't bear any hatred for someone like Hai Xiao. In his eyes, the man was simply too loyal—perhaps blindly so—but it was a matter of differing allegiances. As a ruler, who wouldn't want such a devoted subordinate?
> "I wonder how long I've been unconscious."
Feeling the faint swaying from the ship beneath his feet, Xu Zihuang pushed open the heavy door and stepped outside with steady steps. His body, forged from a young age with rare herbs and treasures, now displayed its resilience. His stamina and soul power had already recovered; he was only slightly drained mentally.
A biting wind, tinged with the salty tang of the sea, made him instinctively wrap his luxurious purple robe tighter around himself. Standing atop the highest level of the deck, he could overlook the entire warship and the endless black sea surrounding it.
With his survival assured, a surge of passion welled up in his chest.
> "From this day forth, the sky is the limit, and the sea, my domain!"
Not long after, a series of hurried footsteps approached from behind.
It was Elder Yu, clad in a tight-fitting black outfit, followed by several soldiers from the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment, all having removed their armor in favor of light travel wear.
> "Young Master, you're awake?!"
Elder Yu looked at him in delight, then, noticing Xu Zihuang's thin clothing, quickly pulled out a black fur cloak from his storage soul tool and draped it over his shoulders.
The cloak appeared thin and lightweight, but it was remarkably warm. Its collar was adorned with dense black feathers that shimmered faintly under the moonlight—clearly no ordinary item.
> "Enough, Elder Yu. I'm not that fragile,"
Xu Zihuang said helplessly, waving off Elder Yu, who was still rummaging through his soul tool for more items.
> "How long was I out?"
> "Three days, Young Master," Elder Yu replied with an embarrassed smile. "You should get some rest. I can go inform the regiment commander to come see you."
> "No need. I'll go find Elder Wang myself."
A flash of golden light passed through Xu Zihuang's eyes as he walked toward the deck. He had just used his Golden Eye martial soul to observe the surrounding sea color and currents.
He realized they had likely entered deep-sea territory, where powerful sea soul beasts could appear at any moment. It was best for Commander Wang Xiao to stay stationed at the center of the ship. Xu Zihuang didn't want to endanger everyone due to carelessness.
> "Young Master..." Elder Yu quickly followed behind while instructing the other soldiers to stay on alert.
Xu Zihuang's judgment was spot on. Over the past three days, they had encountered several sea soul beasts—some with over ten thousand years of cultivation. Fortunately, the team was strong, and the warship was equipped with powerful offensive soul tools, so they had suffered no casualties.
On the expansive deck, all the soldiers had changed into casual clothes. If not for the ever-present aura of disciplined lethality they radiated, it would have been hard to believe they were an elite regiment of soul engineers.
When they saw Xu Zihuang approaching, they all saluted respectfully but remained at their posts.
Commander Wang Xiao, who was sitting on a wooden storage crate in the center of the deck, stood up. Beside him was Yao Yang, a soul master dressed in a regal silver robe. The two moved to greet Xu Zihuang.
> "Young Master."
> "Zihuang."
Xu Zihuang nodded warmly to both.
He had many questions in his heart, but right now, he needed to ask them one by one. The biggest mystery was about his second martial soul: the Purple Radiance Heaven-Destroying Dragon. He indeed inherited the bloodline of that dragon, but he couldn't explain why it possessed the Extreme Lightning attribute.
From his brief interactions with Yao Yang, he could feel the man's genuine concern. Judging from Yao Yang's close relationship with Wang Xiao, Xu Zihuang suspected he had deep ties with his parents.
These were things he didn't intend to hide—from Yao Yang, Elder Yu, or the soldiers of the Royal Dragon Regiment. These people were unquestionably trustworthy. He had no interest in pretending to be weak in front of them.
> He wanted them to know: I am a genius.
> "Elder Wang, Brother Yang, I want to know—does the mutation of my martial soul have anything to do with my mother?"
Xu Zihuang raised his hands from under the black cloak. A contemplative look appeared in his eyes.
His slender, pale left palm gradually became encased in deep purple flames, glowing like jade. The flame flickered in the wind like ordinary fire, but exuded a terrifying aura of destruction—capable of annihilating all life.
In his right palm, black-violet lightning crackled ominously, emanating a chilling sense of dread.
Just as I thought.
Wang Xiao's eyes lit up, and for the first time in a long while, a smile appeared on his fierce face. He nodded.
> "Yes, Young Master. The mutation in your martial soul is indeed related to Her Highness, the Princess Consort."
Yao Yang turned sharply to look at Wang Xiao.
> Could it be…?
He knew little about Xu Zihuang's mother, but lightning-type martial souls were rare across the continent. And a soul like the Purple Radiance Heaven-Destroying Dragon—only one ancient family from the original Douluo Continent had a martial soul that could compare.
Wang Xiao's face took on a nostalgic look, a hint of sorrow in his eyes as he looked at Xu Zihuang.
> "The Princess Consort came from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan—the one that was once hailed a millennium ago as the strongest beast-type martial soul sect on the continent."
> "What?!"
Xu Zihuang stared at Wang Xiao in shock. It made sense—but was still beyond his expectations.
Now he finally understood why his mother had never spoken of her past. The union of his parents likely faced opposition from both sides.
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(End of chapter)
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