The white whale-like soul beast was riddled with horrific wounds, its once pure white skin now mostly stained crimson by fresh blood.
Xu Zihuang finally got a clear view of the soul beast. Compared to the ferocious Evil Spirit Orca, this creature appeared far more adorable. Its body was stout, and its head featured a prominent bulge that gave it an elastic, rounded appearance—almost comically endearing. Most striking of all was the hexagonal silver scale on its forehead, radiating a brilliant, iridescent light. (TN: Beluga Whale)
Its small black eyes gleamed with intelligence. After observing the group for a moment, the soul beast somehow discerned that Xu Zihuang held the highest status among them. Dragging its somewhat bloated body with its fins, it slowly moved toward him, letting out sharp, mournful cries.
"Eeeeng—Eeeeng—"
Though Xu Zihuang couldn't understand its language, he could clearly sense the pleading tone in its cries.
"The Spirit of the Sea—Silver Scaled White Whale—does it really exist?" Yao Yang, who had been maintaining a vigilant stance, suddenly relaxed. Catching Xu Zihuang's puzzled expression, he explained further:
"In coastal regions like ours, we grow up hearing legends about the Silver Scaled White Whale. These soul beasts are naturally friendly toward humans. Historical records mention sailors lost at sea being guided back by these creatures and shipwreck survivors being rescued by them. It's said that anyone blessed by a Silver Scaled White Whale is naturally gifted with great fortune. They're considered an auspicious beast of the ocean, possessing the pure bloodline of the Silver Dragon."
"Boom!"
As the two conversed, a stationary soul cannon fired toward the encroaching group of five Evil Spirit Orcas. Using this opportunity, Wang Xiao led over a dozen Soul Emperor-ranked Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion soldiers to intercept the enraged beasts.
"An Auspicious Beast of the Ocean? Silver Dragon bloodline?"
The churning waves caused the warship to sway violently, yet Xu Zihuang remained steady. He recalled that the Three Eyed Golden Lion, an Auspicious Emperor of the Star Dou Forest, was said to carry the bloodline of the Golden Dragon.
Meeting the gaze of the Silver Scaled White Whale for a moment, Xu Zihuang gestured to the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion's sole healing-type soul master.
"Elder Cheng, treat it."
"Yes, Young Lord!"
Elder Cheng stepped forward, and faint golden specks of light began to manifest around him. Two yellow, two purple, and one black soul ring radiated brightly as he activated his martial soul. The golden specks expanded into radiant dandelion-like blossoms, each one shimmering with a rainbow-like halo and exuding a rich aura of life.
When the blossoms came into contact with the Silver-Scaled White Whale's smooth skin, they dissolved into golden specks, merging into its body. The beast's wounds began to heal at a visible pace, and its previously dull black eyes regained some vitality.
However, Elder Cheng's expression remained grim. His white hair, which had been meticulously combed, was now dampened by the seawater splashing onto the deck. By the time his soul power was nearly exhausted, he withdrew his martial soul and lowered his head in shame.
"Young Lord, my skills are inadequate. Its very essence has been damaged, and its life force is fading too quickly. I'm afraid there's nothing more I can do."
"Is that so?" Xu Zihuang replied calmly, crouching down to gently stroke the soft bulge on the whale's head, his gaze lingering on the hexagonal silver scale.
He wasn't a saint. If he could save this friendly and aesthetically pleasing Silver Scaled White Whale, he wouldn't mind doing so—but he certainly had ulterior motives. Hearing Yao Yang call it an auspicious beast immediately brought to mind the Star Dou Forest's Auspicious Emperor, the Three Eyed Golden Lion, with its famed third eye.
The royal archives of the Sun Moon Empire also contained records of ancient auspicious beasts:
Where there is an auspicious beast, all soul beasts find sanctuary, and boundless potential unfolds.
An auspicious beast could protect soul beasts, greatly accelerating their cultivation speed. Conversely, devouring an auspicious beast granted even greater benefits to other soul beasts. The Three Eyed Golden Lion of the Star Dou Forest had been fortunate enough to carry the pure Golden Dragon bloodline, earning the protection of the Golden Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, which deterred other powerful beasts from acting against it.
Clearly, this Silver Scaled White Whale wasn't so fortunate, having been relentlessly hunted by the Evil Spirit Orcas.
Humans could also benefit by drawing auspicious energy from such creatures through Elemental Transfusion.
Do I need to touch its forehead with mine to achieve this?
Xu Zihuang hesitated. There wasn't always only one of a particular type of auspicious beast among the soul beasts, but whether this Silver Scaled White Whale was indeed one was still uncertain.
As Xu Zihuang grew more intimate with the creature, Yao Yang's brows twitched slightly. However, seeing that the whale seemed harmless and noting its relatively low cultivation—barely over a thousand years—he refrained from intervening. He focused instead on monitoring the surroundings for other sea soul beasts and stood ready to assist Wang Xiao and the others in combat.
The Silver Scaled White Whale rubbed affectionately against Xu Zihuang's palm. It seemed to understand something from the conversation between the two humans, and its small black eyes grew even dimmer with sorrow.
But when Xu Zihuang's hand happened to touch the radiant silver scale on its forehead, the world around him seemed to freeze. Time and space ground to a halt, and fragmented images began to flash in the whale's mind.
The blackness of its eyes reflected a dazed confusion as it carefully examined Xu Zihuang. Beneath its gaze, however, was a mix of hesitation, affection, and complex emotions.
As if coming to a decision, a dazzling rainbow light began to emanate from the silver scale. A melodious whale melody resonated across the sea as its body gradually turned ethereal. Suspended beside Xu Zihuang, it gently touched the silver scale on its forehead to his brow.
The whale's melody grew more jubilant.
Xu Zihuang was immersed in a profound sensation. As he looked at the Silver Scaled White Whale, now touching his brow, fragmented images appeared before him—yet none left a lasting impression on his mind.
Those on the deck felt a spiritual tremor, as though their martial souls had undergone an inexplicable refinement. For those battling the Evil Spirit Orcas, such as Wang Xiao, the power of their soul skills was noticeably amplified.
In contrast, the lead Evil Spirit Orca roared angrily, its massive tailfin slamming the water. Several dark-red water blades shot toward the warship.
Wang Xiao glanced toward Xu Zihuang with concern. Although he didn't fully understand what was happening, he had no intention of letting the Evil Spirit Orca's attack strike the ship. Activating his fourth soul ring, he unleashed a flurry of green-black wind blades with his tiger claws, intercepting the enemy's attack with precision.
Closer to the scene, Yao Yang stared in disbelief at the purple halo forming around Xu Zihuang.
"Could this be… the legendary sacrificial offering of the soul beasts?"
Silver flames began to burn from the Silver-Scaled White Whale's body, its form gradually fading into translucence. Eventually, only the hexagonal silver scale remained, which merged into Xu Zihuang's brow, leaving behind a complex silver mark.
The purple halo expanded into a massive ring before contracting once more. A magnificent purple soul ring emerged beneath Xu Zihuang, ascending slowly.
At the same time, a flash of silvery light swept past, and Xu Zihuang opened his now-brilliant eyes.
The entire process had taken less than a quarter of an hour.
Feeling the changes in himself, he noticed he had grown taller, his shoulders broader, and his skin now carried a radiant sheen. Every movement brimmed with a sense of powerful lightness that was deeply satisfying.
His soul power, too, had surged, reaching the bottleneck at rank 20 immediately upon fusing with the soul ring.
Touching the now-absent silver mark on his forehead, Xu Zihuang glanced at the stunned Yao Yang and quipped with a wry smile:
"Brother Yang, could I be the naturally blessed person you spoke of, born with extraordinary fortune?"
He hardly considered himself someone with the so-called aura of a king who could command all beings.
Truthfully, even Xu Zihuang hadn't expected the Silver Scaled White Whale to offer itself to him. Perhaps it wasn't a traditional sacrifice, but rather a unique process akin to how the Skydream Ice Worm had bonded with Huo Yuhao in the original story. He could faintly sense that his spiritual sea now contained something new, though his current spiritual power wasn't strong enough to explore it.
"No matter the case, the Silver Scaled White Whale's strong spiritual nature makes it a perfect first soul ring for your Golden Eyes," Yao Yang said, taking a deep breath. feeling speechless about the turn of events, not because of Xu Zihuang's words but due to his incredible luck.
As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Zihuang with a hint of inexplicable meaning in his eyes.
As a spiritual-attribute soul master, he believed that the concepts of fate and luck were real.
Behind Xu Zihuang, Elder Cheng, Meng Lang, and the other Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion soldiers displayed even more exaggerated reactions.
To have blocked a Soul Douluo's eighth soul skill and now to receive a soul ring from such a unique soul beast willingly? For this to happen to a soul master who had only had rank 10 soul power—could anyone even believe it?