In the cargo hold, there were large quantities of supplies.
Aside from resources prepared for the crew, there was also a significant amount of food.
According to Tang San's estimation, the food here was enough to feed a group of five hundred people for an entire month.
"What a pity—no treasures," Dai Mubai lamented regretfully.
Yu Tianxin laughed heartily. "This food is enough to sustain us all the way to Sea God Island."
Tang San called out to everyone, "Let's eat something first to replenish our strength, and then load up the supplies before we leave."
Most of the items in the cargo hold were preserved dried meat, cooking oil, and a variety of seasonings.
After Tang San and the others had eaten their fill, they began packing the supplies.
The storage space in their soul-guiding tools was limited, and they already carried large quantities of fresh water, so it was clear they couldn't take everything from the cargo hold.
Ultimately, under Tang San's arrangement, they took a large amount of cooking oil and seasonings.
With these, they could catch fish on their own while at sea, saving a considerable amount of space.
The remaining space in their soul-guiding tools was filled with dried meat, and each person even carried an extra large sack of dried meat.
The lifeboat from the Sea Devil* was small, and five people sitting in it felt cramped. However, the lifeboats on this ship could accommodate up to twenty people.
Thus, they decisively chose to switch boats. As for the original lifeboat, Tang San smashed it to pieces and sank it into the sea.
Of course, they had considered taking the larger ship.
But operating such a vessel required far more manpower than just the five of them. Moreover, the ship was slow-moving, and traveling leisurely to Sea God Island would take an unknown amount of time.
Furthermore, the ship was massive and belonged to the Purple Pearl Pirate Group, making it an obvious target on the open sea. If discovered, it would inevitably lead to a fierce battle.
Considering all this, Tang San decided to slightly modify the lifeboat to remove its original characteristics.
"What should we do with the remaining supplies in the cargo hold?" Tai Long asked.
Yu Tianxin said gravely, "If the people from the Purple Pearl Pirate Group don't see this ship at the port, they'll definitely send someone to look for it. Leaving the supplies on board is like handing them over to them."
Yu Tianheng added, "In my opinion, it's better to sink the ship. Even if they manage to salvage it, the supplies inside will have long been eaten by the fish in the sea."
Tang San shook his head. "Our battle on the Sea Devil attracted the attention of sea soul beasts. This ship has thick hull walls and multiple watertight compartments. Sinking it would create a significant commotion."
Having been attacked by sea soul beasts, they were well aware of how terrifying they could be.
If they were surrounded by sea soul beasts while trying to destroy the ship, they wouldn't be able to escape this area of the sea.
After a pause, Tang San chuckled. "It's not a bad idea to leave the ship behind. When the people from the Purple Pearl Pirate Group arrive and see their comrades killed, they'll surely be upset. They might even suspect that another nearby pirate group did it."
"Let them fight amongst themselves and deplete their forces. For a long time, the seas might become much more peaceful."
"As for the cargo, just dump it all into the sea—it can feed the fish."
---
A day later, Tang San and the others finished everything and set off in the lifeboat toward the distant seas.
Before leaving, they took the ship's nautical charts.
The captain of this ship had marked the location of this area on the chart.
Combined with the charts they had seized from Haider, they quickly determined the direction of Sea God Island.
However, due to their lack of sailing experience, they didn't know the speed of the lifeboat or the size of the sea area.
There were few reference points at sea, and after sailing for several days, they couldn't determine their current position.
Fortunately, they had plenty of food, so they weren't worried about not reaching Sea God Island.
Time flew by, and a month passed.
On the Manta Ray, Chen Haobai stood at the bow, glanced at the nautical chart in his hand, confirmed their current sea area, and then tucked the chart away.
The sea area they were currently in was the farthest point recorded on his chart. Beyond this, everything was unknown—he didn't even know if there were islands ahead where they could replenish fresh water.
However, the Manta Ray was originally a fishing vessel. Without carrying any catches, the food in the ship's hold was enough to sustain everyone for a year.
Ning Tianchen approached him. "The color of the seawater ahead is getting darker—the number of large fish in the sea won't be small, Captain Chen. You'll need to stay vigilant."
Chen Haobai nodded and reminded them, "The most dangerous areas in the sea aren't places like the Demon Whale Region, which harbors powerful soul beasts, nor are they groups of shark-type soul beasts."
The Demon Whale Region housed the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, a powerful soul beast, but most of the time, it wouldn't attack ships.
Moreover, if a ship sailed in its blind spot, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King wouldn't even notice it.
The Demon Whale Region was the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's territory, and other soul beasts didn't dare approach that area.
Relatively speaking, as long as ships didn't disturb the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, they would be absolutely safe.
As for shark-type soul beasts, humans weren't on their menu. Additionally, schools of fish often followed behind human ships, providing the sharks with a feast. Why would they bother attacking the ships?
Chen Haobai said solemnly, "The most dangerous threat is jellyfish swarms—the more colorful the jellyfish, the greater the danger."
"If the Manta Ray enters a jellyfish swarm, there's almost no chance of escape."
"The sailors on board have low strength and can't see far into the sea. So I hope that if you're interested, you can keep an eye on the sea conditions around the Manta Ray to avoid being surrounded by jellyfish."
Of course, there were countless jellyfish in the sea, and one net could catch many.
What Chen Haobai was concerned about were clearly not these ordinary jellyfish.
Ning Tianchen noted his words and relayed them to the others.
While fishing, they could also keep an eye on the sea surface for any unusual activity.
---
There were seven cities on Sea God Island, each guarded by a Title Douluo.
Recently, the Sea Horse Douluo had been stationed at the port of Sea Horse City, seemingly waiting for something.
Most of the cities on Sea God Island were rich in resources, and life there was generally worry-free when it came to food and drink.
However, this didn't mean they didn't need supplies from the mainland.
Humans were land-dwelling creatures, and prolonged consumption of seafood could easily lead to malnutrition.
"Ouya, there were a total of twenty-two ships delivering supplies to us. Twenty-one have arrived—why is the last one delayed?"
Among the Seven Holy Pillar Douluos, the strongest, the Sea Dragon Douluo, arrived at the port of Sea Horse City.
Sea Horse City was the gateway to Sea God Island, and all entry and exit required passing through it. Thus, the procurement of supplies was handled by the Sea Horse Douluo.
Every time Sea God Island made a bulk purchase of supplies, the quantities were pre-calculated.
The delay of one cargo ship meant that a group of people wouldn't receive their allocated food supplies.
The Sea Horse Douluo sighed bitterly. "Xiao Bai has already led the strong members of her clan to search for it. I'm not sure of the specifics yet—should we wait a little longer?"
The Demon Spirit Great White Shark Clan was the guardian soul beast of Sea God Island, and the strong members of its clan naturally followed the orders of the island's powerful individuals.
The Sea Dragon Douluo furrowed his brows. "So this ship likely met with misfortune at sea."
To enter Sea God Island from the mainland, it was almost impossible to avoid the Demon Whale Region.
In his view, the ship's disappearance was likely related to the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, given their hostile relationship.
The Sea Horse Douluo turned and looked toward the direction of the Sea God Shrine, shaking his head. "If the Deep Sea Demon Whale King made a move, the Grand Elder wouldn't stand idly by. Let's wait a little longer and see the results of Xiao Bai's investigation."
As they spoke, ripples appeared on the sea surface in front of the port, and a massive Demon Spirit Great White Shark surfaced.
It leaped onto the shore and transformed into human form.
"Xiao Bai, what's the situation?" the Sea Horse Douluo asked anxiously.
Xiao Bai's expression darkened. "We found the ship fifty nautical miles away from the Demon Whale Region. All the crew members on board had perished, and the cargo hold was empty."
"Based on my investigation, the ship likely met with disaster over a month ago and drifted for a long time. I can confirm that the location where the ship was found is definitely not where the incident occurred."
The Sea Horse Douluo and the Sea Dragon Douluo exchanged glances.
From Xiao Bai's report, they knew the ship hadn't been damaged, completely ruling out the possibility of an attack by sea soul beasts.
At this moment, the only possibility was that pirates near the area where the incident occurred were responsible.
"But there's something that doesn't add up—if it was pirates, why didn't they sink the ship?" The Sea Dragon Douluo noticed the inconsistency.
If the ship had been sunk, even if they wanted to investigate, it would have taken a long time to get any results.
Pirates were notorious for their dominance at sea—how could they leave such obvious traces behind?
The Sea Horse Douluo thought for a moment and analyzed, "It's possible that the pirates who attacked our ship were in the process of moving the supplies when they were targeted by other rival pirates. In their haste to retreat, they didn't have time to sink the ship."
"Perhaps the later group of pirates realized the ship belonged to Sea God Island and, to spite their competitors, left the ship behind?"
The Sea Dragon Douluo shook his head. "Unlikely. Most pirates are scattered rogues—they wouldn't think so meticulously. Even if they did, it would likely be a large pirate group."
There was a certain tacit understanding between Sea God Island and the pirate groups.
Pirate groups didn't attack ships or personnel belonging to Sea God Island, and in return, Sea God Island turned a blind eye to their activities.
After all, the strength of the Sea God came from faith. The sailors victimized by pirates were potential believers of the Sea God.
The Sea God, as the direct leader of Sea God Island, wouldn't be foolish enough to cut off his own roots.
As for the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, after the Sea God ascended to godhood, he had the power to kill him. So why did the Sea God leave such a ticking time bomb on Sea God Island?
The fundamental reason was worth pondering.
The Sea Horse Douluo said, "This matter is significant—I'll go consult the Grand Elder."
---
Bo Saixi was the representative of the Sea God left on the Douluo Continent, and everything she did was for the benefit of the Sea God.
Although Sea God Island had the power to wipe out all pirates at sea, this wasn't what the Sea God needed.
"The most important thing in the sea is balance. Find out who dared to lay a hand on us. Whoever it is, eliminate them without hesitation. The dignity of Sea God Island cannot be challenged, but we must not harm the innocent or provoke unnecessary trouble."
Her stance was clear: revenge, not eradication.
Since the responsibility of transporting supplies fell to the Sea Horse Douluo, the task of vengeance naturally rested on his shoulders as well.
Having received his orders, the Sea Horse Douluo immediately dispatched personnel, accompanied by a team of Great White Sharks of the Magic Soul, to search the area where the incident occurred.
---
"Xiao San, where are we now?"
After sailing for so long without seeing Sea God Island, Dai Mubai couldn't help but feel anxious.
After all, Ning Tianchen's group had set off a few steps behind them, and based on the timeline, they had likely already reached Sea God Island.
If their opponents seized the opportunity first, how could they possibly take revenge?
Tang San couldn't read nautical charts—he only knew that they had recently passed an island. However, the charts were marked with countless islands and tens of thousands of hidden reefs, making it impossible to determine their current position.
Tang San said gravely, "I only know that Sea God Island lies to the west of us."
The sea was influenced not only by wind but also by ocean currents.
Without a compass, they could only determine the westward direction when the sun set.
At this rate, it might take months of drifting before they reached the vicinity of Sea God Island.
But if they drifted for that long, it would be too late to do anything.
"If only we had sought temporary training before setting sail," Yu Tianheng said regretfully.
Back in Hanhai City, if they hadn't rushed to depart or been greedy for small advantages, they wouldn't be facing so many headaches!
Amidst his sighs, he suddenly noticed a series of dorsal fins emerging on the nearby sea surface.
Aside from sharks, few other fish in the sea exposed their dorsal fins above the water.
Shrek's Five Monsters immediately became alert, preparing to abandon the boat and flee for their lives.
In the water, even a fish weighing thirty or forty jin had more strength than an adult, let alone a school of sharks.
If it came to a fight, they stood no chance.
"Hold on tight to my Blue Silver Grass. I'll use my flight soul bone skill to carry you away."
"Wait." The sharp-eyed Yu Tianxin noticed something unusual. "It looks like there are people riding on some of the sharks."
Tang San looked in the direction Yu Tianxin pointed and indeed spotted human figures.
He had never heard of pirates training sharks.
After some thought, he decided to negotiate with them—it might even lead them to the location of Sea God Island.
About five minutes later, several people riding sharks approached their boat.
"Soul Masters! These people are no ordinary fighters—be careful," Tang San warned gravely.
The leader of the group rode his shark up to the small boat and asked, "Who are you?"
Tang San smiled politely and replied, "Brother, we've come to the sea in search of Sea God Island."
"Unfortunately, we were attacked by the Purple Pearl Pirate Group mid-journey and ended up stranded here on this lifeboat."
He didn't mention the Sea Devil, to avoid being mistaken for pirates themselves.
"You're land-based soul masters—how do you know about Sea God Island? What is your relationship with the Spirit Hall?" the leader asked cautiously.
From the man's words, Tang San could roughly deduce that even if he wasn't a soul master of Sea God Island, he was undoubtedly connected to it in some way.
If they could get directions from him, wouldn't reaching Sea God Island be within their grasp?
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