The warship drifted restlessly across the ocean's surface, causing even the crystal soul-powered chandelier hanging from the ceiling of the spacious room atop the deck to sway gently.
Seated cross-legged on the wooden floor, Xu Zihuang, Yao Yang, and Wang Xiao simultaneously opened their eyes, withdrawing the soul power that had been swirling around them at the exact same moment.
At the center of Xu Zihuang's forehead, mysterious silver patterns radiating with a soft glow slowly faded. Noticing the strange looks in Wang Xiao and Yao Yang's eyes, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "What's wrong? Uncle Wang, Brother Yang… did your cultivation speed not improve?"
Several more days had passed aboard the ship, and Xu Zihuang had immersed himself in cultivation daily. He had also gained preliminary control over another unique ability granted to him by the Silver-Scaled White Whale.
Unlike the "Eye of Destiny" that the original protagonist Huo Yuhao had received from the Three-Eyed Golden Lion — the emperor-class auspicious beast — this ability not only significantly enhanced Xu Zihuang's spiritual power but also accelerated his cultivation speed.
He had tested it carefully: when activating the silver mark at his forehead, his cultivation speed increased by about one-third compared to normal.
What's more, this ability didn't consume soul power — only a negligible amount of spiritual energy was needed to trigger it.
"It's not that, Zihuang," Yao Yang replied with a complicated expression and a helpless look. "Did you know? My cultivation just now improved by at least twenty-five percent."
Considering he had already passed level 70 in soul power — a stage where each level-up demands immense time and effort — with Xu Zihuang's enhancement, reaching the bottleneck of level 80 within six years was no longer impossible.
Such an ability was nothing short of monstrous.
"Young master, you should avoid revealing this ability in the future," Wang Xiao warned with a serious expression.
Xu Zihuang was now practically equivalent to an auspicious beast among soul beasts. If word of this ability spread, it would send shockwaves through the soul master world. With their current strength, neither he nor Yao Yang could protect Xu Zihuang from the consequences.
"Uncle Wang is right," Yao Yang agreed with a nod, then added, "That Silver-Scaled White Whale must truly be one of the legendary auspicious beasts. Only auspicious beasts are beloved by the power of heaven and earth."
As he spoke, he reached out and gently touched the air around him, rich with natural energy.
As a spirit-type soul master, he was particularly sensitive to fluctuations in natural energy. The closer one was to Xu Zihuang, the denser the surrounding energy became.
"Zihuang, I once read ancient texts passed down in the family that mentioned auspicious beasts. As favored children of destiny, they rarely face danger. If they do, it's either because they encounter a natural counter to their fate, or it's simply predestined. While auspicious beasts may partially command their fate, they too face bottlenecks — just like soul masters during cultivation. And you… you may be that bottleneck. You may be its fate."
"Fate…" Xu Zihuang furrowed his brow.
He couldn't explain it, but whenever he recalled the moment he touched the silver scale on the whale's forehead, a strange feeling lingered.
It was as if he had seen something, but no clear memory remained.
As he looked up to continue the conversation, the corner of his eye caught sight of a mirror in the room's corner.
In it, his reflection appeared: smooth, jade-like skin, refined features, and a pair of deep amethyst eyes that were at once aloof and regal.
His eyes?!
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him. One of the images he vaguely remembered included eyes exactly like these. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall the full vision.
"What's wrong, Zihuang?" Yao Yang asked with concern, noticing the change in his demeanor.
Xu Zihuang shook his head. "Nothing, Brother Yang."
He didn't know how to explain it to them, and even if he could, it didn't seem to serve any purpose.
"Young master, we'll be entering the southern waters of the Sun Moon Empire in the next few days. We'll step out to prepare," Wang Xiao said, clearly sensing that Xu Zihuang didn't want to talk further.
Yao Yang took the hint and followed Wang Xiao out of the room.
...
Xu Zihuang slowly walked over to the mirror and studied his reflection in detail. After pondering for a long while without finding any clues, he gave up thinking about it.
After more than a month at sea, his shoulder-length black hair had grown nearly to his chest. A few strands of purple hair mingled near his forehead and temples, softening his appearance and giving him a gentler, less cold look — likely due to inheriting his mother's features.
Morning light streamed through a nearby window. Xu Zihuang tied up his hair with a ribbon and, wearing only a simple inner garment, stepped out of the room.
They were now nearing the southern sea territory of the Sun Moon Empire. The temperature here was vastly different from the island where he had once been imprisoned.
In the distance, waves churned beneath a seamless sky. The turquoise clouds met the deep blue of the heavens.
Perhaps because his situation had changed, Xu Zihuang found the scenery before him extraordinarily pleasant.
"Young master."
Everyone on the deck respectfully greeted him as he passed.
Meng Lang, who had successfully fused with the Evil Demon Orca soul ring, quickly fell in behind him.
Xu Zihuang nodded slightly and, as usual, retrieved a finely crafted fishing rod from his soul tool.
The rod was made from ten-thousand-year sword bamboo — highly flexible and strong enough to handle thousands of pounds of force. The fishing line was spun from the silk of a ten-thousand-year Abyss Demon Spider, appearing crystal-yellow under sunlight.
All the crew were soul engineers, so crafting such a rod was simple for them — though the materials were undeniably extravagant.
At the edge of the deck, someone had already prepared bait — deep purple, crystal-clear lobsters locked in iron cages. These were Purple Crystal Shrimp, a delicacy Xu Zihuang had grown fond of during the journey.
The bait shrimp, however, were only at the ten-year soul beast level. Any stronger, and most fish wouldn't dare bite.
The line, made from Abyss Demon Spider silk, was more than enough to hold against their thrashing.
After Meng Lang finished attaching the bait, Xu Zihuang held the rod in his left hand and cast it expertly, letting the shrimp struggle in the sea dozens of meters out. Leaning on the deck railing, he allowed the sea breeze to wash over him.
It had been several days since they left the deep-sea zone. Xu Zihuang used fishing to pass the monotonous hours of sailing.
Whether due to bad luck or poor skill, he hadn't caught a single fish.
Not that he minded. He wasn't fishing for the catch.
While chatting with Meng Lang about the Yue'nan Archipelago, his thoughts drifted, quietly planning for what lay ahead.
"Young master? I think something's biting!"
Meng Lang suddenly shouted. Xu Zihuang's eyes shot open, and seeing the reel spinning wildly, he immediately began to pull it in.
But the immense force nearly dragged him off balance.
"This thing must weigh several thousand pounds," he muttered, bracing himself with both arms. Years of consuming rare treasures and modifications from two millennium soul rings and the external soul bone — the Radiant Dragon Claw — had given him terrifying physical strength.
Creaking and groaning noises came from the rod and reel as he squatted to lower his center of gravity and faced the resistance head-on.
The rod and line were tough enough to withstand even millennium-level aquatic soul beasts.
Meng Lang stood nearby, uncertain whether to help. But since Xu Zihuang hadn't asked, he could only wait helplessly.
A great splash churned the waves, drawing the attention of others on deck.
Millennium soul beasts were rare in this area, so the crew eagerly gathered to watch. Xu Zihuang had gradually grown closer to everyone over the voyage, and things no longer felt so formal.
"Young master finally caught something!" someone joked.
"I might not match him in cultivation talent," another chimed in, "but when it comes to fishing…"
Others started offering advice on fishing techniques.
"What techniques?" someone laughed. "In the face of absolute strength, they mean nothing!"
With the crowd watching, Xu Zihuang chuckled. Not planning to waste more time, he fully activated his soul power and exerted raw force.
The rod bent nearly to a right angle.
At last, a massive green fish over three meters long broke through the surface. It had a streamlined shape, smooth scales, and an upper jaw that extended into a sharp, sword-like point.
The moment it surfaced, it lunged at Xu Zihuang with its blade-like snout.
"A Millennium Swordfish?!"
Everyone realized what it was and moved to intercept, with Meng Lang even rushing to shield Xu Zihuang.
But before the swordfish could pierce Meng Lang's chest, Xu Zihuang's calm voice rang out:
"Second Soul Skill — Shattering Mirror."
A dark red ripple spread out, and the swordfish's body suddenly froze, the surrounding air turning crystalline and transforming into a translucent, dark red crystal that completely encased it.
Boom!
The crystal-encased swordfish crashed onto the deck, leaving not even a single crack — a testament to the crystal's hardness.
This was Xu Zihuang's second soul skill, acquired from the 3,000-year-old Evil Demon Orca. It was both a control and finishing move. What he used now was merely the first stage — imprisoning the enemy in an unbreakable crimson crystal.
The second stage focused on the "shattering" part: anything trapped within could be crushed into dust at his will. Soul masters at his level had no hope of breaking free.
The skill used spiritual power to lock on, allowing for instant activation and the targeting of multiple enemies simultaneously.
Honestly, I've always thought this Evil Demon Orca skill is insanely cool.
(End of Chapter)
If you'd like, I can help with further chapters or support me at https://www.patreon.com/YugiroTL