The port was built along the eastern wall of the island, the flattest area of the entire terrain. Which is the most stable across the entire island.
A massive ship, over 200 meters in length, was docked steadily at the port.
The night was deep, and the autumn air over the sea was bitterly cold. The fifty to sixty soldiers of the Blue Ocean Soul Engineer Legion stationed on the deck curled their bodies for warmth, occasionally moving their limbs to stave off the chill.
Not all soul masters were impervious to extreme temperatures. Achieving such a feat required either a special martial soul, such as one with ice or fire attributes, or immense soul power cultivation.
In the Blue Ocean Soul Engineer Legion, a ragtag unit with no standing within the Sun Moon Empire, soldiers meeting those criteria were exceedingly rare.
The soldiers' cultivation levels varied greatly, with most only around rank 30. Moreover, their training leaned heavily toward enhancing soul power, leaving their physical conditioning inferior to that of traditional soul masters from the Douluo Continent empires. At best, they were only slightly stronger than ordinary people.
"Damn it, are we just here to suffer? Not like those noblewomen," a tall, thin youth in black attire muttered bitterly, exhaling warm breath as he complained to his comrade beside him.
Unlike the cold, dark deck, the five-tiered cabins above the deck were brightly lit. The noblewomen's rooms were even equipped with soul-powered heaters.
The short, chubby soldier beside him, who appeared to be about the same age, leaned against the deck railing. A sly smile crossed his face as he shifted his weight slightly, clasped his hands together, and spoke mockingly. "We're just not working hard enough. You've got to be grateful, you know. Gratitude is everything."
"Working hard? What the hell does that get you? Will it give you a powerful martial soul like those nobles are born with?"
The thin soldier snorted in frustration and slumped down beside his companion. They were both from the same coastal fishing village in the Sun Moon Empire, and their close relationship allowed for such casual grumbling.
The chubby youth nudged his friend with his foot, a lecherous grin on his face.
"What do you say? Why don't you go knock on one of those noblewomen's doors? Maybe one of them will take a liking to you, and you'll be set for life."
"If you want to try, be my guest. I don't feel like getting myself into trouble; at least I have the self-awareness not to try," the thin soldier retorted irritably, glancing around warily.
No matter how lax the discipline in the Blue Ocean Soul Engineer Legion, they wouldn't dare slack off under the watchful eyes of their Legion Commander.
Unfortunately for him, Yu Yun happened to be walking up the gangplank to the deck with a few soldiers in tow.
"Stop slacking off! The Legion Commander is here!" the thin soldier hissed to his companion, quickly springing to his feet and standing at attention.
The sound of soldiers scrambling to their feet echoed across the deck. Yu Yun, short and gaunt, swept a cold gaze over the assembled troops.
"We set sail at dawn. Stay sharp."
"Yes, Legion Commander!"
The soldiers responded in unison, but strangely, each heard only their own voice, despite their comrades standing right beside them.
Suddenly, the deck, which had been dimly lit, plunged into complete darkness without warning.
Yu Yun clutched his throbbing head, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as his face turned pale. Even his consciousness began to blur.
But as a Soul Sage, he quickly regained his composure. Activating his martial soul, he shouted:
"Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!"
One white, two yellow, three purple, and one black soul ring emerged around him in rhythmic motion. His shriveled muscles swelled, and a black turtle shell with peculiar yellow patterns appeared on his chest, abdomen, and back.
However, his warning cry was futile. If someone as strong as him was struggling to stay conscious, what chance did the rest of the poorly trained Blue Ocean Soul Engineer Legion soldiers with lower cultivation have?
"Tortoise-type... martial soul?"
A raspy voice echoed in the darkness, at first seeming distant but then exploding in Yu Yun's ear the next moment.
Yu Yun's hairs stood on end as four of his soul rings—the first, third, fourth, and sixth—lit up simultaneously.
"Who's there?!"
His voice now carried far less confidence.
The eerie situation unfolding before him reminded Yu Yun of the rare and powerful domains that only a select few soul masters possessed. If this truly was a domain, his earlier cry for help might not have reached anyone.
His only hope was that the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion at the port would notice the disturbance on the deck. If Hai Xiao arrived, his class 8 soul engineer capabilities and Soul Douluo cultivation would stabilize the situation.
Yu Yun's strategy was calm and calculated.
With the amplification of four defensive soul skills, his black turtle shell expanded several times over, enveloping his small frame entirely. The dark soul power emanating from him condensed around the shell, shimmering like solid material. His stance exuded an immovable, mountain-like aura.
His martial soul, Sea Tortoise, known for its remarkable defense, gave Yu Yun plenty of confidence. With four defensive soul skills active, his defensive strength now approached that of his Martial Soul True Body.
However, activating his Martial Soul True Body required time to gather soul power, unlike the instantaneous activation of other soul skills. For now, this was his limit.
But in the face of overwhelming strength, all his efforts were futile.
A muffled grunt escaped Yu Yun as the sound of shattering glass echoed. Countless cracks appeared on his massive black turtle shell before it disintegrated into fragments of light.
"Bang—"
A hand, its fingers clenched into a phantom-like grip, pierced through Yu Yun's left chest.
The darkness began to dissipate. By the dim light of the cabin's soul-powered lamps, the figure of a rugged old man clad in deep purple dragon-patterned armor became visible. Three claw scars on his right eye were stained with blood, adding to his intimidating presence.
"Cough… cough…" Yu Yun struggled to turn his head, his gaze falling on the old man's chest, where a fierce purple dragon head was engraved. His pupils shrank in terror.
"Im...—Impe—rial Dr—on—Le..."
Fresh blood overflowed from Yu Yun's mouth and nose. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could finish his words, his body went limp.
The old man was none other than Wang Xiao, leading the group that had come to rescue Xu Zihuang.
Beside Wang Xiao, Yao Yang's figure materialized out of the shadows, along with over forty elite former members of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion.
Meanwhile, the other soldiers of the Blue Ocean Soul Engineer Legion lay on the deck, blood streaming from their orifices. The noblewomen's cabins were eerily silent as well.