The Abyss Submersal Vessel traveled over the open sea like a vivid giant whale, parting the waves—sometimes sinking, sometimes rising—playing within this world of water and sky.
"Tsk tsk tsk. As expected of Mingde Hall craftsmanship. To reach such terrifying speed—this is all thanks to that level of bionic tech. It fully simulates the shallow-swim mode of whale-type giant sea-monster spirit beasts." Xuan Ziwen clicked his tongue in amazement. Ever since entering the cockpit, he'd completely let loose and started "drag racing" the ship…
"Ugh…"
"Teacher, can you slow down…" Ke Ke opened the cockpit door, bracing the frame as she retched.
"Ahem. I got too excited. Forgot that at full speed you little rookies can't handle it physically." Xuan Ziwen rubbed his forehead. "Look at Su Wen—steady as a rock."
Su Wen looked left and right.
"And he still finds time to mock us," Ke Ke muttered as she left the cockpit.
The interior of the submersal vessel was lavishly decorated—worthy of its price. Clearly, from the start, it was never intended to be military hardware.
"Western Sea Harbor is more than two hundred kilometers from our destination. Still far. Why don't you go rest with Ke Ke and the others?" Xuan Ziwen glanced at Su Wen and smiled.
"Alright. I'll leave the helm to you," Su Wen said after thinking a moment, then nodded.
"Heh heh, leave it to me…" Xuan Ziwen's grin was uncontrollable.
After leaving the cockpit, no one knew where Ke Ke and Zi Mu had gone.
Only Ju Zi remained in the main lounge. The two met eyes, then quickly looked away, yet sat down on the soft sofa at the same time, both looking slightly awkward.
"Something's off."
The atmosphere was tense, and Ju Zi broke the silence first. Her dark eyes fixed directly on Su Wen as she lowered her voice: "Su Wen, this operation—something isn't right."
"You mean…" Su Wen lightly tapped his leg, thinking.
"...Actually, actually…" Ju Zi looked at Su Wen's face. Before this, she'd only been mildly moved by him—after all, a talented, strong, safe, and handsome youth would naturally attract girls.
But ever since that casual remark of his, her resolve had been completely thrown into chaos.
Could His Highness the Crown Prince really help her get revenge?
Maybe.
But no one wanted to spend every day beside a crown prince whose temperament was unpredictable—seemingly gentle and warm, yet actually like a venomous snake lurking in a dark corner, ready to poison you the moment you displeased him.
Especially after seeing so many people close to him executed—or punished—because they said the wrong thing or did the wrong thing.
That life was exhausting. Suffocating.
Even with her willpower, she'd begun to hate it. Yet for the sake of avenging her parents, she had no choice but to stay.
To be honest, earlier when she sent that warning, she knew it was dangerously risky—but somehow, as if possessed, she still…
"Actually, I'm His Highness the Crown Prince's person!" Ju Zi bit her lip and decided to be honest.
"Mm." Su Wen nodded slightly.
He took a small sip of Dragon Silver tea. For some reason, he'd suddenly grown to like drinking tea—maybe it was… age.
"You're not surprised?" Ju Zi looked shocked.
"I already knew," Su Wen said with a smile.
"You…" Ju Zi's pupils shrank.
Wasn't Shrek Academy's intelligence network a rusted machine? How was it moving now? Or were the rumors about Shrek's information blockade just camouflage—and in reality they'd already infiltrated the entire Sun Moon Empire?
Seeing her thoughts spiral, Su Wen sighed.
"Don't overthink it. Shrek's intelligence network really is trash. Before I came, I asked the dean—our covert agents in the Sun Moon Empire were wiped out clean seventy years ago."
"Seventy years?!" Ju Zi's mouth fell open.
Because she was trusted by the Crown Prince, she knew certain secrets. The last time the Sun Moon Empire discovered Shrek spies was clearly twelve years ago! So whose intelligence station was that?
And for twelve years, the empire had been on guard day and night—were they playing mind games with air?!
Ju Zi was speechless.
Shrek really was… unbelievably negligent…
"After an elder responsible for that field died, the Sea God Pavilion gradually abandoned covert operations. Many elders thought it wasn't the righteous path—that it would damage Shrek's reputation if word got out," Su Wen said softly.
"But that's too—" Ju Zi's mouth twitched, still not recovered from her shock.
"Too completely 'laid-back,' right?" Su Wen smiled. "That's why Shrek's glorious name hides rot and pus. Without agents, we're almost blind to the Sun Moon Empire. No ability to resist the soul-tool tide, and no countermeasures either—just a bunch of fools."
Ju Zi: "…"
Watching Su Wen's calm face, she couldn't help swallowing.
Brother, are you really from Shrek Academy?!
"Just frustration that they won't do better," Su Wen said with a faint smile. "Shrek is the continent's number one holy land of cultivation. In most people's hearts, it's sacred. But that honor also became a shackle around its neck. No breaking without rebuilding."
Ju Zi shrank her neck.
This was bad.
She'd always thought Su Wen was gentle and upright—probably a conservative within Shrek.
But this…
He was a hardliner through and through.
If he ever rose to power, it wouldn't just be Shrek—the whole continent would be unsettled.
No breaking without rebuilding?
How exactly would he "break," and how would he "rebuild"?!
Still… for her, this might be an opportunity.
"What are you trying to say?" Su Wen looked slightly wistful, then turned to her gently.
"Um… I mean, I might be suspected by Xu Tiannan!" Ju Zi had endless complaints inside, but she spoke seriously.
"Normal. He has the makings of a tyrant-hero. But tyrant-heroes are like that—paranoid every day, like a lunatic," Su Wen waved it off. "What you really mean is: this trip has problems, right?"
"Yes!" Ju Zi let out a long breath.
So he'd already noticed. She'd worried too much.
"In the deep sea, it's hard for them to tamper. I checked the dive craft Teacher Xuan brought—no issues…" Su Wen murmured. "If they really want to set something up…"
"Hailuo Bay!"
They spoke in unison.
With that old, beat-up model's energy consumption, after heading west for a while it would definitely need to turn north to find land to replenish—exactly why Ke Ke reacted so strongly earlier.
Like a landlord leaving you a so-called "energy-saving" air conditioner that actually guzzles power.
This thing's energy-liquid consumption was worlds behind modern soul-tool standards.
Even if you brought dozens of storage soul-tool diamond rings full of energy liquid, it might only cover one mission round trip. So if they used that old craft, they'd have to "refuel" midway.
Based on the mission route, the place was obvious.
Hailuo Bay was the natural choice.
"They'll arrange an ambush near Hailuo Bay?" Su Wen pondered.
"If I remember right, there's a numbered legion stationed there," Ju Zi frowned deeply.
"A numbered legion?" Su Wen shook his head. "They know that a single numbered soul-tool legion isn't enough to kill me…"
"Huh?!" Ju Zi gaped.
She desperately wanted to force-feed Su Wen some Sun Moon Empire military common sense.
"Any legion with a formal number is elite. There are only eight numbered legions right now! Each has at least four hundred people. Ordinary soldiers start at Level 3 soul engineer. The commander is at least peak Level 8—maybe even Level 9! Their firepower is enough to kill a Titled Douluo!"
"Oh." Su Wen nodded.
And said nothing else.
Ju Zi: "…"
"Relax." Su Wen waved. "If they only send a numbered legion, that's the easiest to deal with. But obviously they won't…"
"Since it's a trap targeting me, I don't believe the Holy Spirit Cult won't be interested."
Ju Zi: "!!!"
She'd thought deploying a numbered legion against Su Wen was already outrageous. But there were… even stronger players?
The Holy Spirit Cult—those vicious evil soul masters—would make a move too?
Then wasn't this mission ten deaths and no life?
"Just how many people did you offend…" Ju Zi looked like she was about to cry. If she'd known, there was no way she'd have boarded this ship of death.
"Not many. But aside from Shrek, I've basically offended every major faction," Su Wen raised an eyebrow.
Body Sect, Holy Spirit Cult, Sun Moon Empire.
As for the original three nations, he didn't even count them—anyone who could get beaten one-versus-three by the Sun Moon Empire belonged at the kids' table.
Ju Zi looked dead inside.
She leaned back on the sofa, letting it swallow her whole.
Only now did she realize she understood almost nothing about Su Wen.
"But you must have a way to deal with it, right? Shrek experts already set up an ambush on our route?" Ju Zi clung to hope, her big eyes fixed on him.
"No." Su Wen shook his head.
"It's over…" Ju Zi curled into the sofa and let out a mournful cry. "I haven't taken revenge yet…"
She knew the iron-blood methods of those big figures too well. Even if she wasn't suspected by the Crown Prince, she'd still be "cleaned up" together—whether she was a Mingde Hall student or even a citizen of the empire.
Su Wen's death would implicate too much. Destroying evidence, killing witnesses—those would just be extra steps along the way.
"What's wrong, what's wrong!" Ke Ke rushed in wearing cool summer clothes, showing off her abundant "assets" like she was brandishing weapons.
"Why rush revenge? We haven't even enjoyed this trip yet!"
"Come on, Ju Zi, go change too. Sisters together—we'll charm these men until they're out of their minds."
But Ju Zi lay there like a puddle. No matter how hard Ke Ke tugged, she couldn't pull her up.
…
Sunset. Evening glow.
As the last trace of light faded from the sea, Ju Zi stood calmly outside the submersal vessel, unwilling to go back for a long time.
Su Wen stood behind her, puzzled.
But when he heard the girl's quiet sobbing, he realized his "joke" might have gone too far.
"Dad… Mom… your daughter is unfilial. I can't avenge you…" The submersal vessel showed only a tiny portion above the water, and Ju Zi sat there hugging her pale knees, wiping her eyes.
"I met a bad man. But there's nothing I can do—my heart seems to have been tricked away by him. Sometimes I think… dying together isn't so bad. After all, martyrdom for love is something only you did back then, Mother, for Father."
"He has a lot of women, but the only one who can die with him should be me. Ke Ke doesn't count…"
Su Wen was about to step forward to comfort her, but hearing that, the corner of his mouth twitched.
Way too emotional.
"Ahem."
He coughed lightly to interrupt her muttering.
She turned her head.
"You're not asleep either?" Ju Zi's cheeks reddened slightly.
Those silly, lovesick words had been overheard. Awkward.
But thinking that perhaps tomorrow—or soon—they'd die a violent death, in the face of that terror, everything suddenly felt… oddly liberated.
"I really do like you," Ju Zi said softly, smoothing her hair.
The sea breeze brushed past. Pale moonlight fell, outlining her silhouette more and more gracefully. Only then did Su Wen realize she'd changed clothes at some point…
There was only a thin piece of fabric across her chest. Great swathes of snowy skin were exposed to the air. Only on her did Su Wen truly understand what "skin like snow" meant—not pallor, but pure, clean, jade-like whiteness.
Her feet tilted playfully; her toes looked like shining grapes, each one crystal-clear.
"Mm…" Su Wen fell silent.
He hadn't figured out how to respond.
"It's not that we have to die," Su Wen said after a moment.
"Hm?" Ju Zi looked up in surprise.
His expression didn't look like he was joking.
"My strength is enough to break through their encirclement with us."
"I'm confident."
Ju Zi: "…"
"Also, what I said earlier—that Shrek experts wouldn't come to help—was just to scare you. I already notified Shrek," Su Wen added after hesitating.
"Why didn't you say that earlier!!!" Ju Zi looked like an angry cat, ready to jump up and scratch him.