Xu Zihuang's voice was not loud, but everyone heard it clearly.
In just over ten days of being together, the mindset of the Imperial Dragon Soul Master Regiment soldiers had unknowingly shifted. Their respect for Xu Zihuang was no longer merely because he was the son of Prince Zhengxuan.
"Proceed as planned. Don't waste time."
It wasn't until Wang Xiao's voice rang out that everyone came back to their senses and began acting in an orderly manner.
First, several ice-attribute soul masters worked together to freeze the sea for nearly a thousand meters around, preventing the blood from spreading.
Although Evil Demon Killer Whales were one of the three overlords of the ocean, they were not invincible. Most sea soul beasts would flee from their aura, but on rare occasions, it could attract their natural enemies—the Demon Soul Great White Sharks, top-tier soul beasts that usually hunted in groups of at least a hundred. Such a swarm would be an even greater threat than the five whales just defeated.
Even if the chance was minuscule.
The thick ice was anchored to the hull on one side and fixed the whale corpses on the other, keeping the surface stable and making it easier for Lin Long to absorb the soul ring.
Half of the men kept watch, while the other half harvested materials from the two ten-thousand-year Evil Demon Killer Whales.
Every part of an Evil Demon Killer Whale was treasure.
Their tough skin and sharp teeth could be used to forge advanced soul tools. Their flesh was highly nourishing for soul masters. Their fat and organs could be rendered into whale oil. Most precious of all was the whale fat within their skulls. Once dried, it became whale glue—a rare delicacy that improved a soul master's constitution. For example, if a soul master could normally withstand a thousand-year soul ring, eating a piece of thousand-year whale glue could increase that tolerance by at least five hundred years.
Ten-thousand-year whale glue was even rarer, worth far more than the thousand-year variety, and virtually unheard of in history. At auction houses across the continent, it was a top-tier commodity in constant short supply.
Whale-type soul beasts were undisputed ocean overlords, and the Evil Demon Killer Whale stood at the very peak. Only experts like Wang Xiao and his men, equipped with powerful soul tools, dared provoke them.
From these two carcasses alone, they could expect materials worth at least a million gold soul coins.
On deck, Yaoyang glanced at the three remaining, weakened thousand-year whales and suddenly said to Xu Zihuang thoughtfully: "Zihuang, you won't need to go searching for your second soul ring anymore."
"Brother Yang, you mean the Evil Demon Killer Whale?" Xu Zihuang withdrew his martial soul, frowning slightly. "But I thought they weren't a spiritual-attribute soul beast."
He had known of them since childhood; they were too famous not to.
"True, they aren't primarily spiritual-attribute," Yaoyang replied with a smile, "but their spiritual power is no weaker than that of spiritual-attribute beasts of the same cultivation. It's precisely because they have almost no weaknesses that they're so strong. In fact, the leading whale used two great skills earlier—the Whale Mirror Destruction and Whale Demon's Enchantment. Both were driven by spiritual power and soul power together. If you successfully absorb its soul ring, you may very well gain one of those. Later, let Uncle Wang refine a portion of the ten-thousand-year whale fat for you. With your body, absorbing the ring of a thousand-year whale as your second won't be a problem."
He himself had taken in a thousand-year ring at rank twenty. Though the whale's power was more tyrannical, Xu Zihuang's body was far stronger than his had been, and with the boost of twin martial souls, the risk was minimal.
Xu Zihuang looked tempted, but then shook his head firmly.
"Brother Yang, I don't plan to absorb that whale's ring."
"What?" Yaoyang was surprised, quickly urging, "Zihuang, this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Even if you later hunt a more suitable spiritual-type beast, the skill you get might not be as good—"
Then he suddenly realized something, his gaze locking on Xu Zihuang's clear violet eyes.
"Brother Yang, I want to take the ring of that three-thousand-year whale." Xu Zihuang met his gaze and nodded with determination.
"You must have noticed too—my limit is far beyond a thousand years. Any spiritual-attribute soul master could tell from probing my spiritual power and physique. You know me better than anyone."
He even winked playfully after saying it.
"Zihuang, you—" Yaoyang was caught between laughter and exasperation, but his tone did not soften.
"No, it's too risky. You have twin martial souls, you don't need to chase age limits. Safety comes first. Besides, Uncle Wang won't agree either."
"No. I agree."
Before he finished, Wang Xiao descended beside them.
"Uncle Wang…"
"The imperial Zihuang Mie Tianlong martial soul has a special trait: it can erase the spiritual resentment within soul rings with its destructive nature. As long as the young master's body can withstand the energy, there's no need to fear backlash." Wang Xiao spoke gravely, addressing both men, but mainly Xu Zihuang.
Having served Xu Zihuang's father for decades, he knew many secrets of the imperial martial soul.
But what truly convinced him was Xu Zihuang's earlier flawless fusion with a soul bone.
"I've checked carefully—Zihuang's body can indeed handle a three-thousand-year ring. If that's the case, then there's no issue. His Golden Pupils are spiritual-attribute, and his willpower is strong enough." Yaoyang thought for a moment, then stopped arguing. He trusted Wang Xiao absolutely. His only concern had been the spiritual resentment within the ring, and with that solved, there was nothing left to oppose.
At that, Wang Xiao efficiently produced jade containers from his soul tool. Each brimmed with golden paste, like molten gold, releasing a thick, enticing aroma.
The heads of ten-thousand-year whales were huge, and each brain held nearly a cubic meter of fat. This was only a fraction, but more than enough for Xu Zihuang now. With his current level, even with Wang Xiao's assistance, he could not absorb it all at once.
"Young master, take it directly and then enter cultivation."
Xu Zihuang obeyed at once. He had eaten whale glue as a child, and whale fat was essentially the same—only without needing fire to refine, its fragrance was richer when swallowed.
Before he could savor it, a pair of warm hands pressed against his back, guiding the medicinal power of the whale fat into his limbs and bones.