The ship swayed on the sea, causing the crystal soul-tool chandelier in the spacious cabin to rock gently with its movement.
Xu Zihuang, Yao Yang, and Uncle Wang, all seated cross-legged on the wooden floor, opened their eyes simultaneously as the soul power surging around their bodies gradually subsided.
The intricate silver marking glowing faintly on Xu Zihuang's forehead slowly faded. Noticing the odd expressions on Uncle Wang and Yao Yang's faces, he asked with some confusion:
"What's wrong, Uncle Wang, Brother Yang? Didn't your cultivation speed increase?"
Several days had passed since the last encounter, and Xu Zihuang had been immersing himself in cultivation daily. He had now gained a preliminary understanding of the special ability granted by the Silver Scaled White Whale.
Unlike the Eye of Destiny bestowed upon Huo Yuhao by the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in the original story, this ability not only gave Xu Zihuang a significant boost in spiritual power but also accelerated his cultivation speed.
After careful experimentation, he determined that activating the silver marking on his forehead increased his cultivation speed by roughly one-third.
Moreover, using this ability didn't require soul power; it only consumed an extremely negligible amount of spiritual power.
"It's not that, Zihuang," Yao Yang said with a strange expression on his face, almost at a loss for words. "Do you realize my cultivation speed just now increased by at least twenty-five percent?"
For someone like him, whose soul power had already surpassed rank 70, any further increase required a tremendous amount of time and effort. With the boost from Xu Zihuang's ability, he might now reach the bottleneck of rank 80 in less than six years.
This kind of capability was simply too absurd.
"Young Lord, this ability of yours must be kept secret," Uncle Wang said gravely, his tone full of warning.
Xu Zihuang now possessed an ability akin to that of a soul beast's auspicious beast. If word of this got out, it would undoubtedly send shockwaves through the soul master world. Uncle Wang's and Yao Yang's strength would be far from enough to protect him.
"Uncle Wang is absolutely right," Yao Yang agreed, nodding with utmost seriousness. "It seems that the Silver Scaled White Whale really is the legendary auspicious beast. Only such a creature could attract the favor of the world's elemental energy."
As he spoke, Yao Yang extended his hand, sensing the dense concentration of elemental energy around Xu Zihuang.
"As I once read in some ancient texts passed down in my family, auspicious beasts are the darlings of fate itself and rarely face threats. When they do encounter danger, it's either from a natural nemesis whose luck clashes with theirs or from predestined tribulations. Auspicious beasts have some measure of control over fate, but even they have bottlenecks, much like soul masters do. You, Zihuang, might have been its destined tribulation."
"Fate, huh?" Xu Zihuang murmured, furrowing his brows.
He couldn't quite explain it, but every time he recalled the moment he touched the silver-scaled marking on the whale's forehead, an inexplicable feeling would creep into his mind. It was as if he had glimpsed fragments of images—but for some reason, he couldn't recall a single clear detail.
As he raised his head, preparing to discuss this further with Yao Yang and Uncle Wang, his gaze caught a mirror placed in the corner of the room.
The reflection in the mirror displayed his face: jade-like skin, sharp yet delicate features, and deep purple eyes that exuded a cold yet noble aura.
His eyes?!
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Xu Zihuang. One of the fragmented images he had seen might have included a pair of eyes exactly like his. But no matter how hard he tried to recall, the rest of the scene eluded him.
"What's wrong, Zihuang?" Yao Yang asked, his voice laced with concern.
"It's nothing, Brother Yang," Xu Zihuang replied, shaking his head.
He didn't know how to explain these fragmented images, nor did he see the point in discussing them.
"Young Lord, we'll soon be entering the southern waters of the Sun Moon Empire. We'll head out and make preparations," Uncle Wang interjected, sensing Xu Zihuang's reluctance to elaborate. Rising from his seat, he bowed slightly before leaving the room.
Yao Yang gave Xu Zihuang a meaningful glance and silently followed Uncle Wang out.
...
Walking over to the mirror, Xu Zihuang took another long look at his reflection. After a while, he sighed, deciding not to dwell further on the matter.
After a month at sea, his jet-black shoulder-length hair now reached nearly to his chest. Strands of purple interwoven at his temples softened his appearance, adding a subtle charm that offset his otherwise cold demeanor.
As sunlight streamed in from the nearby window, Xu Zihuang tied his hair back with a ribbon and left the cabin, wearing only a fitted undershirt.
The southern waters of the Sun Moon Empire were a world apart from the frigid island where he had been imprisoned.
Waves rolled in the distance, merging seamlessly with the azure sky. The clear boundary where ocean and heaven met gave him a sense of peace, perhaps amplified by the freedom he now enjoyed.
"Young Lord." The soldiers on the deck all bowed respectfully as Xu Zihuang passed by.
Among them, Meng Lang—who had successfully absorbed the Evil Spirit Orca soul ring—hurriedly trailed behind him.
Nodding slightly in acknowledgment, Xu Zihuang retrieved a finely crafted fishing rod from his storage soul tool.
The rod's body was made of ten-thousand-year Sword Bamboo, known for its exceptional flexibility and durability, capable of withstanding immense force. Its line was woven from the silk of a ten-thousand-year Pit Demon Spider, glimmering faintly under the sunlight.
The materials used were nothing short of extravagant, befitting the resources of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion.
At the edge of the deck, bait had already been prepared: translucent violet lobsters encased in an iron cage. These Amethyst Crystal Lobsters, which Xu Zihuang had frequently dined on during the voyage, were now reduced to fishing bait.
However, the Amethyst Crystal Lobsters used as bait were only at the ten-year-old level. After all, if the cultivation level was too high, few fish species would dare prey on them.
The fishing line made from the silk of a ten-thousand-year-old Pit Demon Spider also ensured that these ten-year-old Amethyst Crystal Lobsters couldn't escape.
After Meng Lang tied the bait securely, Xu Zihuang cast the line effortlessly, sending it dozens of meters out into the sea. He leaned against the deck's railing, letting the salty wind blow against his face.
Though fishing had become a way to pass the time over the last few days, Xu Zihuang had yet to catch anything. Whether it was his luck or lack of skill, he wasn't sure.
While chatting with Meng Lang about some details of the Southern Moon Islands, his mind gradually relaxed, pondering his next steps.
"Look, Young Lord, I think you've got a bite!" Meng Lang suddenly shouted.
Startled, Xu Zihuang opened his eyes just in time to see the reel spinning furiously. Gripping the rod tightly, he began reeling in the line.
The sheer force pulling against him nearly caused him to stumble.
"This thing must weigh at least several thousand pounds," Xu Zihuang muttered, his eyebrows raising in intrigue. Planting his feet firmly, he relied on his extraordinary strength to wrestle against the line's tension.
Squeaking and creaking sounds continuously emanated from the fishing rod and pulley rig, but Xu Zihuang, kneeling down and lowering his center of gravity, confronted the force head-on. Both the rod and fishing line were tough enough that even thousand-year-old level fish-type soul beasts would have a hard time breaking free.
Meng Lang felt helpless and wanted to help, but Xu Zihuang didn't say anything, so he stood awkwardly to the side.
The turbulent waves in the nearby sea attracted everyone's attention on the deck. This area of the sea rarely saw thousand-year-old level soul beasts, so the crew was curious. These days, Xu Zihuang has been spending a lot of time with them, and their interactions have become less formal.
"The Young Lord has been fishing for so many days, and it seems like he's finally caught one," someone teased.
Others joined in.
"In terms of innate talent for cultivation, I dare say I can't compare to the Young Lord. But when it comes to fishing..."
Someone offered fishing tips. Teaching Xu Zihuang some techniques.
"What tips? It's nothing when you have absolute strength suppression." Xu Zihuang chuckled lightly amidst the crowd's discussion and decided not to continue the struggle. He used his soul power to suppress it with force.
The fishing rod bent almost 90 degrees.
The rod creaked under the immense strain, but its superior craftsmanship held firm.
Moments later, the water erupted in a splash of frothy waves, and a massive green fish, over three meters in length, emerged. Its sleek, streamlined body glistened under the sunlight, and its sharp upper jaw resembled a finely honed sword.
"A thousand-year Swordfish!" someone exclaimed.
Just as the swordfish lunged forward, its blade-like snout aiming directly at Xu Zihuang, his calm voice cut through the chaos:
"Second Soul Skill: Mirror of Destruction."
A wave of dark red ripples spread out. The swordfish's movement froze midair as if time itself had stopped. Its body and the surrounding air crystallized into a translucent, dark-red crystal.
"Boom!" The crystallized swordfish dropped heavily onto the deck, its hardened form unscathed.
This was Xu Zihuang's second soul skill, derived from the 3,000-year Evil Spirit Orca. A skill combining control and destruction, Mirror of Destruction was executed in two stages. The first enveloped targets in nearly unbreakable crimson crystal, immobilizing them.
The second part, the focus of this skill, was "destruction." Anything wrapped in the dark red crystal could be shattered into pieces at his will. There was no chance of escape for soul masters of the same level.
And this soul skill was locked on with spiritual power, allowing it to simultaneously lock onto multiple targets and activate instantaneously.