The sun rose in the east and set in the west, casting vast shadows across the western wall of the island. Xu Zihuang had witnessed this scene countless times over the past three years.
He was like livestock raised in captivity, imprisoned on this island.
The sea breeze had already cooled the fragrant tea in his porcelain cup.
A soldier stationed at the door quickly stepped forward, lowered his head, and took the teapot from the table, preparing to brew a fresh one.
Xu Zihuang waved his hand listlessly.
"No need. You may leave."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The soldier bowed respectfully, exchanged a glance with his companion at the door, and then resumed his post at the entrance.
Haixiao did not restrict Xu Zihuang's movements, but he always had his men watching him.
Xu Zihuang knew this was surely at the order of his cousin, Xu Tianran, so he never attempted anything meaningless.
Setting the cup back on the table, he looked thoughtfully toward the eastern port.
With the power of his spiritual martial soul, Golden Eyes, his mental strength was extraordinary, and his five senses were exceptionally sharp.
Judging from the sounds from the port, the ship carrying one hundred noble maidens, as Haixiao had mentioned, must have arrived.
Not long after, a steady knock came at the door. Xu Zihuang glanced over knowingly—it was Haixiao, the regiment commander of the Western Sea Soul Engineer Corps.
"Your Highness, the imperial ship has arrived at port. Do you wish to proceed now, or…"
"Let's go now. Prepare first, Regiment Commander Haixiao," Xu Zihuang interrupted before he could finish.
In his situation, what difference did it make whether he chose now or later? Was it for the sake of some pitiful shred of dignity?
Even his life was in another's hands.
The rose-gold sun sank into the horizon, and the endless sea was gradually swallowed by night.
Inside his room, soul lamps had already been lit by the soldiers outside, yet Xu Zihuang still sat by the glass window, resting his head against one hand. His dazzling violet eyes shimmered, mesmerizing to behold.
The soldier who had just lit the lamps suddenly felt his heart tremble. For a moment, he sensed a dangerous aura radiating from the exiled prince.
But he quickly dismissed the thought, cursing himself for imagining things, and quietly left the room.
A bright silver moon hung in the night sky, its hazy reflection rippling across the sea.
This was an uncharted region of the western seas of the Sun Moon Empire.
Suddenly, a black shadow burst from the water, sending waves surging and shattering the moon's reflection.
Its form was bizarre: the upper body remained human, but the lower half was a broad tail fin. Its entire body was covered in black, metallic-like skin, and on its forehead protruded a spiraled horn over three meters long.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Raging Waves!"
A low shout rang out as the figure's fourth soul ring shone brightly. Dense azure soul power overflowed from his body, and a long, ethereal whale's cry split the night.
A translucent phantom of a narwhal formed behind him, becoming nearly solid as it charged forward.
But from the sea ahead, a flash of black and violet flickered—followed by the sudden appearance of a monstrous beast.
Its body was covered in black-violet scales, and even the portion above the waves stretched more than ten meters. Its cold purple vertical pupils glowed like lanterns, and its jagged fangs were stained with fresh blood.
"Hisssss!" The monster let out a piercing cry, and the once-calm waters churned violently. Its massive tail, also scaled in black and violet, rose from the sea and struck head-on against the narwhal phantom.
Though the narwhal's size exceeded twenty meters, it was shattered instantly by the strike.
Spray rained down, pattering crisply across the waves.
By moonlight, the man's face was clearly visible—grim and weathered, around forty years old. His grotesque form was the result of his martial spirit: a beast spirit in possession form.
He was drenched in blood, wounds covering his body.
"Damn it, why is there a twenty-thousand-year Sea Viper here?" he cursed, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes.
"But since I'm already here, I needn't fear alerting those two imperial soul engineer legions."
He prepared himself for a desperate battle.
He was a Soul Emperor of rank sixty-four, his martial spirit the Black-Patterned Narwhal, a powerful beast spirit. In his prime, he would not have feared a twenty-thousand-year sea beast. But now, gravely injured and with less than half his soul power remaining, his chances were slim.
Yet he had no choice. He could not continue fleeing.
To rescue the young master, he had to survive and deliver this critical information.
Metallic sounds clanged as thick black cannons appeared over his shoulders, with smaller ones mounted along his arms.
He was not only a Soul Emperor, but also a powerful sixth-rank Soul Engineer. Earlier, he had refrained from using these soul tools to conserve energy during his escape.
Blazing white light gathered in the barrels, ready to unleash a barrage of soul rays upon the Sea Viper.
But before he could fire, a thunderous tiger's roar shook the skies. A colossal black-winged tiger, larger even than the Sea Viper, circled before the silver moon.
Two yellow, two purple, and four black rings shone brilliantly—the aura of a Soul Douluo using Martial Spirit Avatar.
The Black-Winged Tiger's fur was dark violet-red striped with black, patterns of black, gray, and white stretching down its body. Its frame was long and muscular, its face marked with faint speckles.
Its vast wings beat the air, and in a breath it closed in on the Sea Viper. Its pitch-black claws tore through the air, space itself seeming to split as the middle-aged man's skin prickled with pain.
Thuds resounded as massive chunks of the serpent's body fell into the sea, blood spreading crimson across the waves.
The beast's corpse dissolved into light—it was the death of a powerful ten-thousand-year sea spirit beast.
The battered man finally breathed a sigh of relief, addressing the tiger respectfully.
"Regiment Commander, I have confirmed the location where the young master is being held."
The Black-Winged Tiger's glow receded, revealing an old man in his fifties. He was not tall, but exuded ferocity. His body was clad in deep-violet dragon-patterned armor, three deep claw scars marking his right eye. His tiger-like gaze was filled with oppressive might.
At the report, a flicker of surprise crossed his brow, but he quickly composed himself and fixed the man with a cold stare.
"This is the first time you have acted without orders. It will also be the last."
The middle-aged man retracted his martial spirit, his pale face tightening.
"Yes, Regiment Commander."
The old man raised his hand coldly, and soul power dragged the subordinate back through the air.
Then, the sea rippled strangely. A warship over a hundred meters long emerged from nothingness. Its hull gleamed with unknown metal, soul cannons lined along its sides, gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
On the deck, forty to fifty soldiers stood proud, clad in the same deep-violet dragon-patterned armor. A heavy killing intent radiated from them.
The wounded man crashed heavily onto the deck, his injuries flaring.
The old man landed beside him. The soldiers, having overheard their exchange, gazed at him intently.
As expected, the old man swept his eyes over them, then spoke in a cold, commanding voice:
"Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion—rest for two hours, then follow me to rescue the young master!"
The soldiers' pent-up emotions ignited. They dropped to one knee, fists pressed firmly to their chests.
"Yes, Regiment Commander!"
The Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion was one of the five direct legions of the Sun Moon Empire, known as the nation's shield—second only to the Royal Soul Engineer Legion itself.
Every commander of this legion was a member of the imperial family. The previous commander had been Xu Zihuang's father.
The old man's name was Wang Xiao, once the deputy commander of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion.