Day turned to night and back again. In the blink of an eye, fifteen days had passed. As the ship gradually sailed southward, the temperature steadily rose.
The sea breeze at night was no longer icy and biting. Instead, it carried a strange but pleasant coolness.
Having finished his cultivation, Xu Zihuang stepped out of his cabin and leaned against the railing along the corridor, gazing down at the rolling waves. The sea wind ruffled a few strands of purple hair on his forehead, and his refined features now bore a trace of dignified authority—truly the image of a noble gentleman. Since fusing with the Radiant Dragon Claw, his body had been enhanced by the soul bone, making his skin noticeably fairer.
He stretched lazily, and just as he did, a glimpse from the corner of his eye caught sight of a sturdy-looking youth around eighteen years old. Among the soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment, he was clearly the youngest.
"Meng Lang, you don't need to follow me around all the time. I'm just getting some air," Xu Zihuang said, brushing back his hair. But as soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them.
Sure enough, the youth responded with the same mechanical tone as always.
"Young master, my father ordered me to stay by your side at all times and ensure your safety."
Xu Zihuang had been shadowed like this even during his captivity. It wasn't that he wasn't used to it, but having just regained his freedom, being followed by someone new gave him the uncanny feeling that he was still imprisoned.
Still, he didn't force Meng Lang to leave. In a sea teeming with danger, a little caution didn't hurt.
Across the wide deck, soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment were constantly patrolling. Each one who noticed Xu Zihuang leaning by the railing respectfully saluted before continuing their watch of the surroundings.
Bang, bang, bang—
The wind beat against the sails, making a series of deep, rhythmic sounds as the tough canvas flapped, growing louder and more intense.
Xu Zihuang's black leather cloak was lifted by the breeze as he looked up at the towering sails.
"The wind direction suddenly changed?"
On the ocean, a sudden shift in the wind could be dangerous. It could alter the currents—and more critically, it might signal the presence of powerful oceanic soul beasts. These were basic facts he had picked up during idle conversations with the others.
In the night sky, two flickering yellow shadows flashed past, landing steadily on the deck, crackling with electric light. The pair, whose martial souls were Lightning Falcons, possessed astonishing speed and sharp vision. They had been scouting the surrounding waters from the air to avoid any surprises.
"Regimental Commander, the fish shoal seems to have been startled and has fled the area. There may be sea soul beasts nearby," one of them reported respectfully to Wang Xiao, who stood in the center of the deck.
Wang Xiao frowned in thought and turned to the man beside him—Yao Yang.
"Uncle Wang, I feel something's wrong too," Yao Yang said gravely. "Unfortunately, I don't have any detection-type soul skills. At most, my spiritual power can only sense within five kilometers of the ship. So far, I've noticed nothing unusual."
Five kilometers might sound far, but on the vast ocean, it was nothing more than a drop in the sea.
"Uncle Wang, Brother Yang, look at the waters ahead."
Thanks to his Golden Eyes, Xu Zihuang's keen vision allowed him to spot countless pale blue glimmers surfacing just ahead beneath the waves.
Alerted by Xu Zihuang, everyone looked forward.
The pale blue lights ahead were rapidly approaching. Some even leaped out of the water, tracing graceful arcs through the air.
Flying fish?
Though considered sea soul beasts, flying fish were among the rare few that possessed flight capabilities. Each one was covered in deep blue scales, their long bodies exuding natural elegance. Their elongated pectoral fins stretched all the way to their tails, resembling the wings of aerial soul beasts.
A faint soul power glow emanated from the translucent fins, and as they glided through the air, they did so with remarkable speed.
There were easily over five hundred flying fish in this enormous shoal—many with cultivation levels exceeding a thousand years.
What could possibly drive such a large group of flying fish into such a panic?
Even without Wang Xiao's orders, the soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment rushed to the ship's edges. In front of each one was a raised metallic node—points for injecting soul power. When charged in unison, they activated the soul barrier that protected the entire warship.
Though the soul barrier wasn't strong enough to withstand a ten-thousand-year soul beast, it was more than sufficient to hold off flying fish with no more than five thousand years of cultivation.
But both Wang Xiao and Yao Yang were staring intently at the waters behind the shoal, having sensed something far more dangerous.
Buzz—buzz—buzz—
The sea behind the flying fish suddenly churned as if boiling. Dark red ripples spread toward the warship, turning the air and water around them thick and sluggish. Everything seemed to take on a faint crimson glow, as though the world itself were being transformed into a brilliant red crystal.
Five enormous jets of seawater erupted into the air from the distant ocean. At the same time, cracks began to spread across that dazzling crimson crystal.
A clear, musical shattering sound rang out. The solidified red light dissolved into fine dust, dispersing into the air. The flying fish, frozen in bizarre positions within the crystal, left not even their bodies behind—only slowly forming soul rings in white, yellow, and purple hues.
Five jagged black dorsal fins sliced across the ocean's surface. Wang Xiao and Yao Yang's expressions grew grim.
"The Demonic Devilwhales' innate soul skill—Demonic Mirror Annihilation… A pod of Demonic Devilwhales?!"
As one of the three great overlords of the ocean, the power of the Demonic Devilwhale was unquestionable. Fortunately, this seemed to be only a small pod. Usually, such small groups were led by two adult whales. That meant that among these five, at least two had over ten thousand years of cultivation.
Yao Yang immediately released his martial soul. His blood-red eyes shut as he focused his senses on the five whales swiftly approaching the ship.
"Uncle Wang, among the five Demonic Devilwhales, one has twenty thousand years of cultivation, another just over ten thousand, and the remaining three are below five thousand."
"Everyone, prepare for battle. Don't hold back on the fixed-mounted soul cannons. End this quickly," Wang Xiao commanded without hesitation. With the advancement of soul tool technology, humans now had the means to stand toe-to-toe with oceanic soul beasts.
No matter how powerful the Demonic Devilwhale species might be, they couldn't withstand multiple volleys of fixed-mounted soul cannon fire. If they had been over fifty thousand years old, perhaps Wang Xiao would have hesitated. But two whales with only around ten to twenty thousand years? He didn't consider them a real threat.
"Yes, Regimental Commander!"
Demonic Devilwhales?!
Xu Zihuang's face shifted slightly. But now wasn't the time to draw manpower away for his protection. Without hesitation, he leapt over the railing and landed on the deck. At the moment, with the soldiers encircling it, the deck was the safest place.
Meng Lang quickly followed behind him.
Yao Yang, who had already released his martial soul, glanced sideways at Xu Zihuang and was about to say something when his expression suddenly changed. He immediately pulled Xu Zihuang behind him and shouted:
"There's another soul beast! It's blocking my spiritual detection—everyone, be careful!"
Before his words even finished, a white whale-like soul beast over three meters long burst from the sea, arching its body midair.
As it touched the ship's protective soul barrier, golden ripples appeared—but the creature passed through effortlessly and crashed heavily onto the deck.
(End of Chapter)
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