Two yellow and two purple—four soul rings of the optimal configuration hovered around Meng Lang, pulsing rhythmically. The second yellow soul ring glowed brightly, and under the fusion of his Black-Striped Narwhal martial soul, Meng Lang's naturally dark skin exuded a metallic sheen.
Looking down at the thousand-year Swordfish encased in dark red crystal at his feet, Meng Lang couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
With his rank-40 Soul Ancestor cultivation and his powerful Black-Striped Narwhal martial soul, a mere thousand-year Swordfish wasn't enough to pose a serious threat to him. However, if he had taken the fish's sharp, sword-like snout head-on, it would have been a painful experience.
Turning to glance at Xu Zihuang's calm and golden eyes, Meng Lang couldn't help but feel even more awe.
His cultivation was nearly 20 levels higher than Xu Zihuang's, but he couldn't imagine subduing the Swordfish as effortlessly as the young lord had just done.
At the same time, a pang of guilt and unease rose in his heart. He was supposed to be protecting the young lord, yet it was Xu Zihuang who had intervened to save him.
"Young Lord," Meng Lang called softly.
Xu Zihuang lightly patted Meng Lang on the shoulder, signaling that there was no need to take it to heart. The eight-year-old Xu Zihuang, standing at just under 1.5 meters tall, looked somewhat odd as he patted the shoulder of the 1.8-meter-tall Meng Lang. Yet to everyone watching, the gesture seemed completely natural.
"The flesh of a thousand-year Swordfish rivals that of the thousand-year Bluefin Tuna. Let's have Rong Jin process it for everyone as a meal," Xu Zihuang said with a faint smile as he flexed his fingers, noting that his strength seemed to exceed his expectations.
"Yes, Young Lord," the soldiers replied in unison, their tone increasingly warm and respectful.
In their hearts, they couldn't help but marvel at the sense of nostalgia.
Back in the day, when they served under Xu Zihuang's father, the influential Prince Xu Zhengxuan, he would often mingle with them as equals. Now, it seemed, the young lord had inherited his father's ways.
Shortly after, Rong Jin arrived, visibly excited as he set to work on the deck, skillfully cutting into the Swordfish. It had been nearly a month since he last worked with such high-quality ingredients, and for Rong Jin—who valued culinary mastery above riches or cultivation—this was a rare delight.
The Swordfish's tender belly and loin were turned into sashimi, carefully laid out on a massive platter of crushed ice. The head was used to make soup, while the remaining cuts were grilled or pan-fried with butter. In no time, Rong Jin had processed the thousands of pounds of Swordfish into a feast fit for royalty.
The soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion relished the meal with a sense of happiness. After nearly a month of monotonous sea travel, this rare treat allowed everyone to relax and enjoy a moment of camaraderie.
From their vantage point on the ship's central mast, Uncle Wang and Yao Yang observed the cheerful scene below, choosing not to interrupt.
After all, everyone's spirits were truly tired after this long journey. Taking a brief break was not inappropriate.
"Uncle Wang, have you noticed? Zihuang has the natural bearing of a leader," Yao Yang said with a faint smile.
Wang Xiao shot him a sharp look, his tone tinged with annoyance as if his thoughts had been laid bare.
"Yao Yao, (T/N: beautiful, precious), I'm starting to think Prince Xu Zhengxuan chose your name all too well back then," Uncle Wang retorted.
Yao Yang's smile froze, and a faint blush spread across his pale, refined face. Even when facing the Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion, he had never looked this flustered.
"Uncle Wang, didn't we agree never to bring that up again…"
The name "Yao Yao" was a private joke between the three. When Xu Zihuang's father had rescued a young Yao Yang from the hands of an evil soul master, his delicate, refined appearance had led Prince Xu Zhengxuan to mistake him for a girl, thus the nickname.
Wang Xiao's comment was a veiled jab at Yao Yang's thinking; it was almost as delicate and sharp as a girl's.
Wang Xiao chose not to continue to tease Yao Yang further, and Yao Yang wisely fell silent.
Yao Yao… a name from a nostalgic long past.
...
As night fell, the deck was illuminated by several Soul Tool lamps, casting a warm glow over the gathering.
Xu Zihuang sat cross-legged at the center, listening as the soldiers shared stories of their youthful exploits. Rotating guards patrolled the perimeter, maintaining vigilance while others relaxed.
Though there was no wine, the lively atmosphere was infectious, and morale soared.
By dawn the next day, the mood on the ship had shifted back to its usual seriousness. Today marked their entry into the southern waters of the Sun Moon Empire—a critical juncture.
These waters were the safest route to the Southern Moon Islands, having been extensively charted by humans. Compared to uncharted territories, the risk of encountering powerful sea soul beasts or other dangers was significantly lower.
Xu Zihuang sat at a desk near his cabin's bed, surrounded by fragments of rare metals in various colors. Among them, the most striking piece was the sharp upper jaw of the thousand-year Swordfish from the previous day.
This jaw, harder than refined steel, was an excellent material for crafting soul tools.
With his golden pupils glowing faintly, Xu Zihuang meticulously carved arrays into a piece of deep blue metal using a thin, dark purple knife.
His movements were swift yet precise, each stroke deliberate and seamless, like flowing water.
When the final bit of metal was shaved away, an intricate array appeared on the surface, gleaming with faint blue-gold light.
Xu Zihuang channeled his soul power into the metal, and it erupted into a brilliant, stable beam of blue-gold light two feet tall.
"The Class 3 Soul Power Amplification Core Array… success."
Relieved, Xu Zihuang allowed himself a small smile.
Being a spiritual-type soul master gave him a natural edge in crafting soul tools. His heightened perception allowed him to avoid errors during the delicate engraving process, and his exceptional memory enabled him to recall even the most complex arrays with ease.
While he wasn't yet officially a Class 3 Soul Engineer, completing a core array of this level meant it was only a matter of time.
This was also thanks to the solid foundation he had laid during his time on the isolated island when he was young.
Satisfied, Xu Zihuang stored the materials in his storage soul tool ring and stretched his limbs.
He believed in the importance of balance—pushing too hard could be counterproductive. Whether it was cultivation or crafting, he always adhered to the principle of combining work and rest.
Stepping onto the deck to enjoy the sea breeze, Xu Zihuang immediately noticed something unusual: the ship's sails had been retracted, and the anchor dropped.
Several soaked soldiers, including Meng Lang's father, Meng Cang, and the newly advanced Soul Sage Lin Long, were reporting something to Wang Xiao with grave expressions.
Meng Cang and Meng Lang both had Black-Striped Narwhal martial souls, while Lin Long had a Black Scaled Dragon Shark, a powerful mutated martial soul that was made ideal for scouting the sea.
Because they had officially entered the southern seas of the Sun Moon Empire, out of caution, Wang Xiao sent the two of them to investigate the surrounding situation.
Noticing Xu Zihuang's approach, Wang Xiao's expression grew even more solemn.
"Young Lord, this area has been blockaded by the Evileye Tyrant Soul Engineer Legion," Wang Xiao reported.
"The Evileye Tyrant Soul Engineer Legion?" Xu Zihuang's eyebrows furrowed as a heavy feeling settled over him.
The Evil Tyrant Soul Engineer Legion, also known as one of the Hand that Protects the Nation along with the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, is a different league compared to the previously encountered Western Sea Soul Engineer Legion and the Blue Ocean Soul Engineer Legion.
The Evileye Tyrant Soul Engineer Legion consisted of 300 members, all of whom were at least rank-40 Soul Ancestors.
The five major soul legions known as the Hand that Protects the Nation each had their own specialties. For example, the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion had the strongest overall combat capability, the Fire Phoenix Soul Engineer Legion was composed entirely of female soul masters, and the Evileye Tyrant Soul Engineer Legion excelled in speed. Confronting the Evileye Tyrant Soul Engineer Legion head-on meant almost no chance of escape. Not to mention that the legion's commander was a genuine class 9 soul engineer.
"Xu Tianran, you truly have your ways," Xu Zihuang muttered coldly.
There was no doubt in his mind that these pursuers were sent by the Sun Moon Empire's Crown Prince.
"What's the plan, Uncle Wang?" Xu Zihuang asked, his voice steady.
Based on his understanding of Wang Xiao, he should have already devised a countermeasure.
Wang Xiao exchanged a glance with Yao Yang before the latter spoke up.
"Zihuang, after some discussion, we've decided to split into two groups…"
Yao Yang continued, his tone serious:
"I will take a portion of our people and cross this area openly. Back then, your father, Prince Xu Zhengxuan, never revealed our connection to avoid drawing attention to me and prevent the evil soul masters from targeting me again. Most of those traveling with me, including Meng Lang, only joined the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion recently. There's no risk of anyone recognizing them. We'll disguise them as my subordinates, claiming we're out hunting sea soul beasts. The frozen evil spirit orca meat in our cold storage will help support that cover story."
He paused, then added, "Meanwhile, Uncle Wang will lead you and the remaining group to land directly on the coastline southwest of the Sun Moon Empire. The terrain there is rugged and densely forested, making it impossible for them to seal off every route. They won't expect you to head into Sun Moon territory willingly.
"Once you've landed, you can use the chaos of the ongoing war between the Sun Moon Empire and the Star Luo Empire to slip into Star Luo territory. From there, you can circle back toward Moon Hub Island."
Xu Zihuang's golden eyes gleamed as he absorbed the plan. He nodded firmly.
"There was no time to delay, so let's proceed with this plan."
He had no hesitation. The plan offered the best odds of success.
Rather than gambling on whether the Evileye Tyrant Soul Engineer Legion would notice them, he preferred taking control of his own destiny.