The golden sun rose from the eastern horizon, dispersing the last traces of darkness over the sea.
The azure waters were dyed a golden-red, reflecting dazzling light upon a vast sheet of ice.
After an entire night, as the sun fully emerged, Xu Zihuang—his body shrouded in a purple halo—finally completed the absorption of his second spirit ring.
With a crisp sound like shattering glass, a purple ring suddenly expanded, then contracted, pulsing in rhythm with his first spirit ring at his side.
Two noble purple spirit rings lent Xu Zihuang an air of extraordinary majesty.
"Young Master." As Xu Zihuang opened his eyes and rose to his feet, everyone's gaze turned toward him.
Xu Zihuang looked around, noting the concerned faces of Wang Xiao and Yao Yang not far away, and gave a slight nod.
Just as Yao Yang had said, his second spirit skill did indeed originate from one of the two powerful control-type skills of the Demonic Killer Whale. With this second skill, he now began to take on the shape of a Control System Soul Master.
His soul power had also risen directly to level twenty-two, close to level twenty-three. At his current cultivation speed, he was almost certain to break through to level thirty before the age of eleven.
However, since both his first and second spirit rings were purple thousand-year rings, it would be difficult for him to remain inconspicuous whenever he used his martial soul in the future.
The previous night, by the time he fused with the ring, it had already been past midnight. In fact, it had taken him less than an hour and a half to absorb the three-thousand-year Demonic Killer Whale's spirit ring.
On the other hand, Lin Long and Meng Lang had yet to succeed. Their process was far from as smooth as Xu Zihuang's, though their soul power fluctuations and aura remained stable, showing no danger.
Wang Xiao and Yao Yang held their positions in the center, while the Imperial Dragon Regiment soldiers kept their vigilance sharp.
The dissection of the two ten-thousand-year Demonic Killer Whales continued. By contrast, the two three-thousand-year whales whose rings had gone to Xu Zihuang and Meng Lang had been smaller and were already fully processed, leaving only bloodstains and broken bones on the ice. Large cuts of whale meat, with distinct textures, were frozen by ice-type Soul Masters and stored in the warship's cargo hold.
A rich aroma drifted into Xu Zihuang's nose as a rotund Imperial Dragon soldier carried over a tray with a large piece of butter-fried whale tail meat, grinning as he offered it.
"Young Master, this is Demonic Killer Whale tail meat fried in butter. Please try it."
As he spoke, he pulled a table and chairs out of his storage soul tool, placed the tray on the table, and considerately pulled out a seat for Xu Zihuang.
"You've gone to the trouble." Xu Zihuang smiled, nodded, and sat down without ceremony. Picking up the silver knife and fork at the tray's edge, he began to savor the meal.
Dining on the ice, watching the rolling waves of the sea and the sunrise—there was only one word to describe it: elegant.
"This is my duty." The man, skilled in flattery, then drew a crystal glass from his soul tool, pouring in fragrant green fruit juice.
His name was Rong Jin. Strictly speaking, he wasn't originally part of the Imperial Dragon Regiment.
He had served in Xu Zihuang's household since his birth, loyally attending the family for decades. Though his cultivation was not high—only above rank forty—and he had been left behind earlier to guard the ship, his culinary skills were excellent.
During the ten-plus days at sea, all of Xu Zihuang's meals—morning, noon, and night—had been prepared by him.
Xu Zihuang felt no distaste for Rong Jin's attentiveness; some people were simply born this way. At the very least, Rong Jin had followed Wang Xiao without hesitation to take part in the rescue mission, which spoke volumes of his loyalty.
The golden-brown whale tail meat carried the rich, buttery fragrance along with the meat's natural freshness. It was tender and smooth, perfectly to Xu Zihuang's taste. Paired with the refreshing fruit juice, his breakfast was thoroughly satisfying.
But then, a startled cry came from the direction of the two ten-thousand-year Demonic Killer Whale corpses.
Though they were now outside the deep-sea region, danger could still arise at any moment. The five Demonic Killer Whales they had encountered earlier were proof enough.
One moment Xu Zihuang was sipping his fruit juice from the crystal cup, the next his body was taut with vigilance. His purple eyes turned to dazzling gold, and two purple rings rose beneath his feet, surging with dense soul power. The Imperial Dragon soldiers also prepared for battle at once.
"It's fine—I just found a soul bone inside this whale's corpse!"
A young man standing by the enormous tail of a ten-thousand-year Demonic Killer Whale looked embarrassed at his outburst, realizing his loss of composure as he smiled sheepishly.
As he spoke, he lifted a pitch-black leg bone in his hands. Its deep black glow seemed to devour all surrounding light, and the violent, powerful energy waves it released sent a chill down everyone's spines.
Though called a leg bone, it did not resemble a human leg but instead the fluke of a whale's tail.
Everyone instinctively held their breath. Even Xu Zihuang felt his heart stir with heat at the sight of it.
Soul bones were unimaginably rare treasures—far more precious than spirit rings. The stronger the beast, the greater the soul bone it produced.
And from a ten-thousand-year Demonic Killer Whale, the quality was undeniable. Among ten-thousand-year soul bones, it was of the highest tier. Known for their immense strength, Demonic Killer Whales granted the fuser of such a bone not only a powerful skill but also a qualitative leap in leg strength.
It was a perfect match for Strength- or Defense-type Soul Masters.
But who wouldn't desire such a treasure? Though this right leg bone of the Demonic Killer Whale was more suitable for Strength or Defense types, in truth, any Soul Master who fused with it would gain a tremendous increase in power.
The young man gazed at the bone with reverence, but after only a brief hesitation, he walked over and presented it to Wang Xiao.
He had not let greed cloud his judgment. By appearing to leave the choice in Wang Xiao's hands, he showed restraint, though everyone knew this soul bone was destined for Xu Zihuang.
All eyes shifted knowingly toward Xu Zihuang and Wang Xiao.
"Elder Wang, please keep this soul bone for now. Later, when someone renders great merit, it can be awarded to them. Obtaining this bone is the result of everyone's efforts—it belongs to all of us." Xu Zihuang spoke first, meeting Wang Xiao's gaze.
He knew that even if he fused with the bone on the spot, none of them would object.
But his vision was not so narrow.
With his talent, what kind of soul bone could he not obtain in the future? Just the ten-thousand-year immortal herbs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could produce multiple complete sets of ten-thousand-year soul bones. He had no intention of following Tang Sect's so-called rules. Once he was strong enough, he would take the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for himself.
There was no need to waste a soul bone slot now.
What mattered most at present was to rekindle the spirit of the Imperial Dragon Regiment's remnants, turning them into one of his great strengths.
"As expected…"
Wang Xiao nodded with a complicated expression, torn between joy and worry.
This path would not be an easy one.
Yao Yang studied Xu Zihuang and Wang Xiao thoughtfully. Then, as if realizing something, a faint smile curved his lips.
As for the rest of the Imperial Dragon soldiers, the fervor in their eyes was impossible to hide.