The white whale spirit beast was covered in shocking wounds, its jade-like skin stained crimson with blood.
Only now did Xu Zihuang fully see its appearance. Compared to the ferocious Demonic Killer Whales, this spirit beast looked far more adorable. Its body was sturdy, its head bulging with a rounded forehead full of elasticity, giving it a silly and clumsy charm. Most unusual was the hexagonal silver scale on its forehead, which refracted dazzling light.
Its small black eyes were full of liveliness. After glancing around at everyone, it somehow recognized Xu Zihuang's highest status among them. Dragging its slightly bulky body with its fins, it moved toward him while letting out sharp, sorrowful cries.
"Wuu—, wuu—"
Though Xu Zihuang could not understand its words, he clearly sensed its plea.
"The spirit of the sea—the Silver-Scaled White Whale, it actually exists?" Yao Yang, who had been on guard, suddenly relaxed. Seeing Xu Zihuang's puzzled look, he explained: "Children born in our coastal regions grow up hearing tales of the Silver-Scaled White Whale. This spirit beast is naturally close to humans. Records say that many lost sailors were guided by them, and humans in shipwrecks were saved by them. It's said that humans blessed by a Silver-Scaled White Whale are born with great fortune. They are called auspicious beasts of the sea, possessing the pure bloodline of the Silver Dragon."
"Boom—" While they spoke, a stationary soul cannon fired toward the approaching five Demonic Killer Whales. Taking advantage of this, Wang Xiao personally led more than ten Soul Emperors and above from the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion to block the furious pod.
"An auspicious beast of the sea? A Silver Dragon bloodline?"
Though the waves tossed the warship violently, Xu Zihuang stood steady. He remembered that the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, possessed the Golden Dragon bloodline.
After meeting the Silver-Scaled White Whale's gaze for a moment, he gestured to the Legion's only healing-type soul master.
"Elder Cheng, heal it."
"Yes, young master!" Elder Cheng had been one of those left behind by Wang Xiao to guard the warship. To be chosen by the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion, his martial spirit naturally had its merits.
Taking a step forward, faint golden light dots floated up around his body. Two yellow, two purple, one black—five spirit rings shone at once. In an instant, the golden lights grew and expanded into dandelions with rainbow halos.
Each dandelion carried strong vitality. Upon touching the whale's smooth skin, they turned back into golden light and melted into its body.
The ghastly wounds on its skin began healing at a speed visible to the eye. The Silver-Scaled White Whale's condition clearly improved, its dark eyes regaining spirit.
But Elder Cheng's heavy face did not brighten. Waves splashed his neat white hair wet as he healed. When his soul power was nearly exhausted, he withdrew his martial spirit and lowered his head in shame.
"Young master, with my meager skills, I fear it's hopeless. Its very origin is damaged, its life force draining too quickly."
"Is that so?" Xu Zihuang's expression remained calm. He crouched and gently touched the whale's soft forehead, studying the silver scale embedded there.
He was no saint. If he could, he would gladly save this spirit beast that was close to humans and pleasing to his eyes, but he also had his own motives. Hearing Yao Yang call it an auspicious beast, he immediately thought of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's third eye.
The royal archives of the Sun Moon Empire also recorded ancient auspicious beasts.
Where an auspicious beast dwells, all beasts are blessed, and the future limitless. Such beasts could shelter spirit beasts, greatly increasing their cultivation speed. At the same time, devouring them brought even greater benefits. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion of Star Dou Forest was fortunate only because it carried the pure Golden Dragon bloodline, earning the favor of the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian, who restrained the other ferocious beasts.
The Silver-Scaled White Whale before him clearly had no such luck, hunted by Demonic Killer Whales.
Human soul masters, too, could draw auspicious energy from such beasts through attribute resonance.
Did it require touching foreheads to complete this resonance? Xu Zihuang hesitated. Not all auspicious beasts were unique, but it was uncertain if this whale truly was one.
Yao Yang raised a brow at Xu Zihuang's overly intimate gesture, but said nothing. The whale showed no sign of harming him, and its cultivation was just past a thousand years. Even if special, Yao Yang could easily respond if needed. Meanwhile, he stayed alert for other sea beasts while ready to support Wang Xiao's battle.
The Silver-Scaled White Whale nuzzled Xu Zihuang's hand affectionately. From his and Yao Yang's words, it seemed to understand, its small black eyes dim with sorrow.
But when Xu Zihuang's palm touched its silver scale, the world around them seemed to freeze—time and space alike. A series of broken images surged in the whale's mind. Its dark eyes grew blank, then focused on Xu Zihuang with confusion, closeness, and complexity.
As if deciding something, dazzling rainbow light spread from its forehead. A clear whale song echoed across the sea. Its body turned translucent, floating beside Xu Zihuang, pressing its silver scale to his brow.
Its song now carried joy.
Xu Zihuang was immersed in a wondrous feeling. Looking at the whale touching his brow, he too saw fragmented visions. Strangely, none left any impression in his mind.
Everyone else felt their spirits tremble, their martial souls seemingly elevated. Especially Wang Xiao and the others locked in combat—their soul skills suddenly grew stronger.
But the leading Demonic Killer Whale let out a deep roar, its huge tail slamming the sea. Several dark-red water blades shot toward the warship.
Wang Xiao looked toward Xu Zihuang with concern. Though unsure of the situation, he would not let the attack land. His fourth spirit ring lit, and his tiger claws slashed, unleashing dark cyan wind blades that precisely intercepted every water blade.
Closest to Xu Zihuang, Yao Yang stared in disbelief at the purple halo circling him.
"Could this be the legendary sacrifice?"
Silver flames ignited on the whale's body, its form fading into transparency. At last, only the silver hexagonal scale remained, merging into Xu Zihuang's brow as a complex silver mark.
The purple halos spread outward into a giant ring, then slowly contracted. A noble purple spirit ring rose beneath Xu Zihuang's feet.
At the same time, a flash of silver light passed, and Xu Zihuang opened his eyes, brilliance flickering within.
The entire process took less than fifteen minutes.
Dazed, he looked at himself. He seemed taller, shoulders broader, his skin glowing with a lustrous sheen. Every movement carried effortless power.
And his soul power had instantly reached the bottleneck of level twenty.
Touching the vanished silver mark on his brow, then looking at Yao Yang's stiff expression, Xu Zihuang's mouth twitched.
"Brother Yang, could it be I'm really the one born with heaven's great fortune you mentioned?"
He hardly believed himself to possess any so-called kingly aura that compelled submission.
Truthfully, even he had not expected the Silver-Scaled White Whale to sacrifice for him. Perhaps it wasn't a true sacrifice, but a special way of becoming his spirit ring, like the Iceworm Tianmeng in the original tale. He could feel something added to his spiritual sea, though his current strength was too weak to enter and see.
"No matter what, the Silver-Scaled White Whale is famed for its powerful spiritual force. It suits your Golden Eyes martial spirit as a first ring," Yao Yang said with a deep breath. He had never felt so speechless in his life—not at Xu Zihuang's words, but at his luck.
His gaze toward Xu Zihuang now carried a subtle, indescribable meaning.
As a spiritual-type soul master, he believed more than most in the reality of destiny's fortune.
Behind Xu Zihuang, Elder Cheng, Meng Lang, and all the soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion were even more stunned.
To block a Contra's eighth soul skill, and then receive the voluntary sacrifice of such an extraordinary beast—could anyone believe this happened to a soul master with only rank ten soul power?