Word Count: 3,204 Words
******
A seagull skimmed across the sky, dove into the sea, and deftly snatched up a fish before beating its wings and soaring back into the air.
The Black Pearl docked at Silver Whale Island. Qin Hai and Qin Yu led Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi to the small fishing village where they lived.
The village was modest in size, home to just over three hundred people. As a five-ringed Spirit King, Qin Hai held considerable status here. He recounted their recent fishing voyage to the gathered villagers and directed them to restock the Black Pearl with all the necessities for a long-distance journey.
Qin Yu tugged Ling Qiuxi off to see the statue of the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale in the village center, while Qin Hai invited Ling Bai into his home to plot out the route back to the Douluo Continent.
A massive nautical chart hung in the main hall, clearly bearing the marks of age. With Silver Whale Island at its center, all the surrounding sea regions, islands, and continents were meticulously labeled.
"Little Brother Ling, this route was taken by my ancestors. It passes through six sea regions and finally makes landfall at Spirit Ocean City," Qin Hai said, tracing a line across the map.
"Of those six sea regions, five are safe zones like the Green Fish Sea Region. Only the Overlord Sea Region has a 100,000-year Overlord Squid.
The Overlord Squid is lazy by nature, and its strength is far inferior to the Demon Soul Great White Shark King. I don't think it will cause you any trouble."
"Spirit Ocean City... a coastal city of the Dou Spirit Empire."
Ling Bai studied the chart, then gently traced out a new route with his fingertip. "Grandpa Qin, what are the sea conditions like along this path?"
"Let me see..."
Qin Hai took one look and couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
"This crosses two more sea regions than the route to Spirit Ocean City. Of the eight sea regions, only one is a safe zone. The other seven each have at least one 100,000-year sea spirit beast sitting in power!
Whirlpool Seahorse, Deep Sea Viper, Blue-Ringed Octopus King... Heavens, there's even the Evil Spirit Sea Region. That ocean is ruled by the Evil Spirit Orca King. It's a forbidden zone for humans!"
His heart pounded wildly. He could not imagine how Ling Bai had chosen such a path. Every step landed squarely on one of the ocean's landmines!
A moment later, he suddenly realized something else. "Wait, Little Brother Ling, your destination doesn't seem to be a city at all, but the Extreme North of the Douluo Continent!"
"We're people of the Heavenly Soul Empire. The Extreme North is closer to home," Ling Bai replied casually.
In the Spiritual Sea, the Snow Empress' heart warmed at once. Ling Bai knew she missed the Ice Empress and the Ice Bear King, so he was bringing her home to visit old friends along the way.
Being a sea Spirit Master didn't mean one knew nothing about the mainland. Qin Hai had heard of the terrifying Three Arctic Kings. Judging from Ling Bai's demeanor, he seemed intent on crossing straight through the Extreme North. The old fisherman wiped the sweat beading on his forehead and spoke haltingly:
"The prerequisite for entering the Extreme North is crossing the Ice Sea. The Ice Sea is ruled by the Mermaid clan. Their queen is called the Sea Princess, and her cultivation exceeds 600,000 years. She's one of the foremost Great Beasts of the ocean.
The Mermaid clan has always been friendly, but they are devout believers of the Sea God. Forgive this old man for speaking out of turn, but this route doesn't seem very safe. It would be better to... change to another one."
The Demon Soul Great White Shark King had repeatedly called Ling Bai the 'Demon of the Sea.' His journey back to the Douluo Continent was destined to be anything but ordinary. Silver Whale Island worshipped the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale. They respected the Sea God but did not place their faith in him. That was why Qin Hai dared voice this warning.
"You're thinking about it too simply, Grandpa Qin. If the Sea Princess follows the Sea God's orders, then no matter which sea region I cross, she'll lead the Mermaid clan in pursuit." Ling Bai's voice remained even. "I've already decided on this route. Any sea spirit beast that wants to die is welcome to come."
Ning Tian, Wu Feng, Ling Qiuxi... there were many people at home who would need 100,000-year spirit rings in the future.
He felt a bit embarrassed about constantly shearing the Star Dou Forest's wool, but as for sea spirit beasts? Ling Bai felt no psychological burden at all. The more, the better.
If the Sea Princess dared show her face, he wouldn't mind turning her from a "Sea Princess" into a "Sea Bull."
With Ling Bai's mind made up, what more could Qin Hai say? He painstakingly sketched the detailed map of the eight sea regions that lay between Silver Whale Island and the Extreme North.
"We won't impose on you any further, in case we bring calamity down on Silver Whale Island. We'll set out tomorrow morning," Ling Bai said, taking the chart.
Qin Hai smiled. "Today is Silver Whale Island's annual Silver Whale Festival. Little Brother Ling and Miss Ling must attend tonight. We'll pray for blessings on your voyage!"
"Alright."
Ling Bai left the Qin household to look for Ling Qiuxi. Along the way, he drew many curious stares from the villagers. Sea Spirit Masters, especially those in remote regions, rarely encountered land Spirit Masters. In their eyes, Ling Bai was as rare as a giant panda, and an impossibly handsome giant panda at that.
After wandering around for a bit, he finally spotted Ling Qiuxi and Qin Yu beneath the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale statue in the village center. The two girls sat opposite an old woman.
The woman was extremely advanced in years. Her frame had shrunk with age, and the deep hollows of her eyes were filled with the wisdom of a long life. Her hands, dry and knotted like kindling, held Ling Qiuxi's pale, tender hand as if examining something.
A shadow fell over them. Ling Qiuxi looked up, and the sight of a familiar face made her too lazy to bother standing.
"All done?"
"Mm. What are you doing?"
"Divination."
Ling Qiuxi spoke as though it were the most natural thing in the world. "Xiao Yu says the High Priestess' divinations are very accurate. I came to have my marriage prospects read."
"Superstition."
Ling Bai sent the words straight into her mind with a look of deep disdain. The Emperor Destiny Beast getting her fortune told? You're really something!
After a long while, the Silver Whale Island High Priestess finally spoke. "Young lady, all will go as you wish. Your heart's desire can be fulfilled."
Ling Qiuxi nodded in satisfaction and shot Ling Bai a look. See? I told you she was accurate!
"This is an ancient divination art of Silver Whale Island. Big Brother Ling, you should try it too," Qin Yu urged enthusiastically.
"...Then I'll ask about my future."
Ling Bai spread open his right hand. The High Priestess studied his palm for a moment. Her expression shifted from initial calm until her wrinkles squeezed together and a thick shock flashed through her eyes.
"Young man, this is the physiognomy of one blessed by Heaven. You have the potential to become a God."
Divine calculation!
He scoffed at a little marriage fortune but believed without question in the potential to become a God!
The High Priestess' lips curved in a smile. As a mere Spirit Emperor nearing a hundred years of age, she did indeed possess some divination ability, but there was absolutely no way she could peer into the future of the Son of Destiny and the Destiny Beast.
All she had really seen was that Ling Qiuxi already had someone in her heart and that Ling Bai's talent was extraordinary, so she simply chose the most pleasant things to say.
This way they were happy, and she was happy too.
…
The fishermen of Silver Whale Island took the Silver Whale Festival very seriously. The Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale was their faith, after all, and preparations for the night's ritual proceeded in a blaze of enthusiasm.
Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi took in local customs they had never encountered before. Qin Yu warmly presented them with clothing rich in regional flavor.
Ling Bai changed into a plaid short-sleeved shirt. Ling Qiuxi wore a gray skirt patterned with white flowers that left her navel bare, full of exotic charm and youthful vitality. Her long, brilliant gold hair streamed in the sea breeze like lengths of smooth silk.
They held chilled coconut juice as they walked slowly along the coastline. Their steps left a trail of footprints in the soft sand, some deep, some shallow.
The azure ocean embraced the beach. From far to near, the water shifted from deep blue to pale white in distinct layers. Anyone who had never seen the sea with their own eyes would never imagine that seawater could hold so many different colors. The foam, the sand, and the distant sea surface formed a beautiful oil painting like terraced fields.
The sea breeze carried a faint saltiness and a cool caress. Ling Bai gently took Ling Qiuxi's hand. His fingertips brushed her palm, lazily drawing circles. A subtle itch, like a weak electric current, shot through her entire body.
Ling Qiuxi let out a soft hum and tightened her grip on his hand. She had lived for fifteen thousand years, yet she was only now seeing beaches, oceans, and islands for the first time.
She liked the romantic feeling of walking along the shore, but she liked the person walking beside her even more.
The massive sun slowly sank. A warm red glow bled across the blue sea, and the two of them stood on the shore, the sunset's afterglow flushing their faces.
After the sun dipped below the horizon and the tide receded, many hermit crabs carrying heavy shells clambered onto the beach to forage. Ling Qiuxi crouched down and picked one up, turning it over in her palm. The tiny legs waved frantically in the air. She gave the shell a light shake, and the hermit crab tumbled out of its borrowed home, scuttling away in a panic across the wet sand.
She watched it flee, then lifted the empty shell to catch the dying light.
"Life is just like a hermit crab. When you expose your soft parts, there will always be someone waiting to deal you a fatal blow."
A smile touched her lips. With a flick of her wrist, the shell arced through the air like a falling star and landed precisely beside the fleeing crab. Her eyes, catching the last rays of sunset, shone brighter than the sea itself.
"If it were you, I think I'd be willing to show that softness."
"Such a strong literary air. That doesn't sound like you," Ling Bai said, mildly surprised.
Ling Qiuxi glared at him in annoyance. The little princess of Star Dou Culture Co., Ltd. felt deeply insulted!
She took a big gulp of coconut juice, then shouted toward the sea and the setting sun, "Humans are so troublesome! There are so many rules!"
"You don't like the human world anymore?" Ling Bai asked with a smile.
"No. The human world is very good." Ling Qiuxi shook her head, sat down on the sand, and hugged her knees. "It's just too complicated. In the spirit beast world, if you like someone, you just snatch them and mate.
I used to think that as long as I defeated every woman around you, I could monopolize you forever.
Later I understood that humans aren't like spirit beasts. Strength alone is far from enough. You also need heart. The Golden Dragon's Ultimate Strength is useless when it comes to feelings.
Actually, I've always missed the days in the Star Dou Forest. Back then, you only had me by your side..."
"I only have you by my side right now, too."
Ling Bai turned her small head so that her eyes met his directly. The sea breeze brushed their faces, gently lifting the ends of their hair. In Ling Bai's pupils, Ling Qiuxi saw an entire, undivided image of herself.
"There's an old saying in the human world. Chase what sets your soul on fire, and leave the rest to karma."
He spoke softly, tucking a wind-blown strand of her hair behind her ear. "Too many people drift through life like fallen leaves. Qiuxi, you shouldn't drift. You should rise, like golden rain against a darkening sky."
At the edge of the boundless blue, moonlight spread like thin gauze, weaving a scene of utmost tenderness. Bright light flared in Ling Qiuxi's eyes. She seized Ling Bai's chin, tilted his face toward hers, and kissed him fiercely.
"I want it to be exactly like this!"
Just as the Golden Dragon was asserting her dominance over the Angel, a figure came skipping toward them.
"Brother Ling, Sister Ling, the ritual is starti—Whoa!"
The scene slammed into Qin Yu's pure, innocent heart like a tidal wave. It was like discovering a new continent.
Ling Qiuxi and Qin Yu's gazes met. Qiuxi's cheeks instantly burned scarlet. She seized Ling Bai by the collar and shook him back and forth furiously.
"Bastard, why didn't you warn me!"
"Be reasonable here. You were blocking my mouth. How was I supposed to warn you..."
"It's all your fault! Eat my Golden Dragon's Fist!"
…
On the way back to the village, Qin Yu kept sneaking glances at the two of them, her head poking forward as she giggled under her breath. True to form, her thoughts ran completely off track, her mind automatically spinning an elaborate drama.
A great love the world could not tolerate!
The Silver Whale Festival ritual was, of course, held beneath the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale statue. The fishermen offered their sacrifices and prayed devoutly. The High Priestess lit a bonfire and danced with wild abandon, waving the cane in her hand. It was hard to imagine that an old woman who could barely walk steadily possessed such agile, powerful dance moves.
Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi watched the ceremony in silence. Auspicious Beasts were beasts of fortune and omens, but they were not unique.
The Golden Tortoise was also an Auspicious Beast. Its auspicious power protected the Star Dou Turtle clan, but once it left the Star Dou Forest, it served as little more than a living mascot. Only by dwelling in one place for many years could it gather destiny.
The Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale was stronger than the Golden Tortoise, but it still ranked among ordinary Auspicious Beasts and could not compare to the Emperor Destiny Beast.
In this world, there was only, and could only ever be, a single Emperor Destiny Beast. No matter how high the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale's cultivation climbed, its destiny would forever lie beneath that of the Emperor Destiny Beast. At most, it could shelter the Silver Whale Sea Region alone.
Singing drifted through the air without warning. Melodious and ethereal, it sounded as if it had traveled from ten thousand years in the past, carrying a loneliness beyond the dust of the mortal world.
"This… this is the Whale Song of the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale!"
The High Priestess fell to her knees, trembling, tears streaming down her weathered face. "Three hundred years! The Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale has not abandoned its believers! Quick, kowtow to the statue!"
The fishermen of Silver Whale Island kowtowed fervently toward the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale statue, overcome with emotion. The statue answered their call.
The sound of waves crashing against the shore echoed in everyone's ears. Silver light descended from the sky, and all the world's light gathered in one place. The people saw a towering wave rising from the sea directly behind the statue!
A giant silver whale over three hundred feet long surged upward. The Demon Soul Great White Shark King would have looked like an underdeveloped child beside it. The ocean current split in two before that massive body.
'A sea spirit beast with cultivation approaching 500,000 years…' Ling Bai's eyes darkened slightly.
The Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale turned, its body gliding through the water with elegant grace. Light flickered. The white spray froze mid-splash, and reflected skylight illuminated the pure, flawless beauty of a silver-haired woman.
The silver-haired woman used spirit power to help the fishermen to their feet. A pair of silver eyes gazed warmly at Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi, lingering a few seconds longer on the latter before she spoke:
"Welcome to Silver Whale Island, honored guests."
The fishermen of Silver Whale Island wept tears of joy, while Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi exchanged a glance laden with unspoken meaning.
"Angel, Emperor, I apologize for disturbing you. The Silver Whale Sea Region has encountered some trouble. May I ask you to lend your aid?" The silver-haired woman's voice was soft and gentle.
"What trouble?"
"Three hundred years ago, an evil spirit beast invaded the Silver Whale Sea Region and slaughtered without restraint. I exhausted all my strength to barely seal it beneath the sea floor. Now the seal is about to shatter. If it emerges again, I fear every living thing in the Silver Whale Sea Region will be annihilated."
"Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale, the sea's Auspicious Beast, protector of the region…" Ling Bai stared at her coldly.
"I am an Auspicious Beast. It is my responsibility to guard the Silver Whale Sea Region."
"Then can you explain to me why you reek of evil blood aura that you can barely suppress?"
"Blood aura?" The silver-haired woman froze.
The next instant, Ling Bai vanished from where he stood. A thunderous crash split the air and the silver-haired woman was sent flying backward, plunging into the sea and reverting to her true form!
The Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale no longer concealed the evil aura radiating from her body. Her black-red eyes emitted piercing light like searchlights cutting through the dark, rivaling even the bright moon hanging high in the sky!
Her maw gaped wide, revealing the scarlet cavern within and rows upon rows of razor teeth.
"ROAR—"
The ocean currents reversed beneath the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale's roar, whipping up a terrifying tsunami!
"I had a grand gift prepared for you in the deep sea. Today I accidentally overate, and you found me out.
Auspicious Beast? Auspicious Beast?! I stopped wanting to be that worthless Auspicious Beast long ago! I protect the ocean's peace, but who protected me through my 500,000-year tribulation?!
Only by devouring! The more I devour, the stronger I become! The Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale is a thing of the past!
I am… the Sea-Swallowing Evil Dragon Whale!"
An Auspicious Beast fallen to evil!
The Sea-Swallowing Evil Dragon Whale!