Xu Zihuang's voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard it clearly.
Over the past ten or so days they had spent together, the attitudes of the Royal Dragon Soul Engineer Regiment soldiers had undergone a subtle transformation. Their respect for Xu Zihuang was no longer solely because he was the only son of Prince Zhengxuan.
"Proceed as previously discussed. Don't waste any time."
It wasn't until Wang Xiao spoke that the group came to their senses and began moving in an orderly fashion.
First, several ice-element soul masters worked together to freeze an area of nearly a thousand meters around the ship, preventing the scent of blood from spreading through the seawater.
Although the Devilkiller Whale was one of the three overlords of the ocean, it was not invincible. Most sea soul beasts would retreat in fear upon sensing the aura of a Devilkiller Whale, but there was still an extremely slim chance that it could attract its natural enemy—Magicsoul Great White Sharks, a top-tier soul beast.
Magicsoul Great White Sharks typically moved in groups, often in the hundreds, and posed an even greater threat than the five Devilkiller Whales they had just fought.
Even if the odds were low, caution was necessary.
The thick ice was anchored to the hull of the warship on one side and secured the whale corpses on the other. This stabilized the ice and made it easier for Lin Long to absorb his soul ring.
Half the group took up guard positions, while the other half began harvesting materials from the two ten-thousand-year Devilkiller Whale corpses.
Every part of a Devilkiller Whale was valuable.
Its tough skin and sharp teeth could be used to craft high-grade soul tools. Its flesh was incredibly nourishing for soul masters. Its fat and organs could be rendered into whale oil. But the most precious resource was undoubtedly the whale oil found within its skull—specifically, the whale fat, which, when dried, became whale glue.
Whale glue was a rare delicacy with powerful effects: it could enhance a soul master's physical constitution. For example, if a soul master could normally absorb a soul ring from a thousand-year beast, consuming a piece of thousand-year whale glue could increase their limit by at least five hundred years.
The glue harvested from ten-thousand-year Devilkiller Whales was far more precious and extremely rare. Even in high-end auctions across the continent, demand far exceeded supply.
Whale-type soul beasts were undisputed rulers of the sea—and Devilkiller Whales stood at the top of the whale hierarchy. Only with their formidable strength and advanced soul tools did Wang Xiao and the others dare to provoke such beasts.
From these two Devilkiller Whales alone, it was estimated that the group could obtain materials worth over a million gold soul coins.
Back on the deck, Yao Yang looked at the other three weakened and subdued thousand-year Devilkiller Whales. A thought crossed his mind, and he turned to Xu Zihuang.
"Zihuang, it looks like you won't need to go searching for your second soul ring after all."
"You mean the Devilkiller Whale?" Xu Zihuang retracted his martial soul and frowned instinctively. "But I thought Devilkiller Whales weren't spirit-type soul beasts?"
He had studied Devilkiller Whales as a child—they were simply too famous not to.
"True, Devilkiller Whales aren't primarily spiritual-type," Yao Yang said with a smile, "but their spiritual power is by no means weaker than that of dedicated spiritual-type soul beasts. That's part of what makes them so powerful—they have almost no weaknesses."
"Actually, those powerful soul skills you saw earlier—Devilkiller Mirror Destruction and Devilkiller Soul Bind—are both powered by a combination of soul power and spiritual energy. If you successfully absorb one of their soul rings, you're likely to gain one of those two skills. Once Wang Shu refines a portion of ten-thousand-year whale fat for you, your physique should be able to handle a thousand-year Devilkiller Whale soul ring with ease."
Back when he was at the twentieth rank, Yao Yang had absorbed a thousand-year soul ring. While the Devilkiller Whale's soul rings were more domineering, Xu Zihuang's physical strength far exceeded his own back then. Combined with his twin martial souls, the risk was minimal.
Xu Zihuang looked intrigued—but then shook his head firmly.
"Brother Yang, I don't intend to absorb the thousand-year Devilkiller Whale soul ring."
"What?" Yao Yang was caught off guard. He immediately tried to persuade him: "Zihuang, this is a rare opportunity. Even if you find a more compatible spiritual-type soul beast later, the soul skill you obtain might not—"
Mid-sentence, he paused, his eyes narrowing as he studied Xu Zihuang's clear, violet gaze.
"I want to absorb the soul ring from the three-thousand-year Devilkiller Whale," Xu Zihuang said, meeting his gaze with unwavering resolve.
"You can probably tell, too, Brother Yang—a thousand-year soul ring is far from my limit. Any spiritual-type soul master can tell my body's capabilities with a simple scan. You know my condition better than anyone."
As he finished speaking, Xu Zihuang even playfully winked.
"Zihuang, you really…" Yao Yang chuckled helplessly but didn't ease his tone.
"No. That's too risky. You're a twin martial soul holder—there's no need to push the soul ring's age limit. Stability is the priority. Besides, Wang Shu won't agree either."
"I do agree," came a calm voice.
Before the words had fully landed, Wang Xiao had already arrived at Xu Zihuang and Yao Yang's side.
"Wang Shu…"
"The royal martial soul—the Zihuang Heaven-Extinguishing Dragon—has a special trait: its destructive attribute can purge the soul remnants embedded in a soul ring. As long as the young master's body can handle the energy, he doesn't need to worry about soul ring backlash," Wang Xiao said firmly. Though his words were addressed to both of them, they were clearly meant to reassure Xu Zihuang.
He had served Xu Zihuang's father for decades and knew many royal secrets about their martial souls.
But what truly convinced him to agree was Xu Zihuang's earlier success in fusing with the spirit bone.
"I've examined Zihuang's body carefully—it can absolutely withstand a three-thousand-year soul ring. His Golden-Eyed Martial Soul is already spiritual-type, and his willpower is remarkably strong."
Yao Yang was silent for a moment, then gave a small nod. He trusted Wang Xiao unconditionally. His only concern had been the remnant soul within the ring—now that this was resolved, he had no reason to object.
Wang Xiao swiftly took out a number of jade containers from his soul tool. Inside was a thick, pure golden paste that resembled molten gold and gave off a rich, fragrant aroma.
Each ten-thousand-year Devilkiller Whale's head was massive, and the whale fat inside its brain could reach nearly a cubic meter. What they had here was only a fraction, but it was already more than enough for Xu Zihuang. Even with Wang Xiao's soul power assisting him, Xu Zihuang's current cultivation and physique couldn't fully absorb all of it in one sitting.
"Young master, ingest it directly, then enter a cultivation state."
Xu Zihuang obeyed without hesitation. He had eaten whale glue as a child, and whale fat was essentially the same—just in a more potent, unrefined form. Without requiring special fire refinement, its aroma was even more intense when consumed.
Before he could savor the flavor, a pair of warm hands pressed against his back, channeling the medicinal effects of the ten-thousand-year whale fat into his limbs and meridians.
(End of Chapter)
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