Two yellow and two purple—the optimal four-ring configuration—floated around Meng Lang, pulsing slowly. The second yellow ring glowed brightly, and his skin, already dark under his martial soul possession, now shone with a metallic luster.
Glancing down at the Millennium Swordfish encased in dark-red crystal at his feet, Meng Lang let out a quiet sigh of relief.
With his Soul Ancestor-level cultivation, combined with his powerful Black-Patterned Narwhal martial soul, a mere millennium swordfish could not seriously injure him. But if he had taken the strike of that sharp snout head-on, he would not have escaped unscathed.
Turning his gaze to Xu Zihuang's calm golden eyes, his respect deepened even further.
His cultivation was nearly twenty levels higher than Xu Zihuang's, yet he knew he could never have subdued the swordfish with such ease.
At the same time, guilt and unease welled up inside him. He was supposed to protect the Young Master, yet it was Xu Zihuang who had saved him.
"Young Master."
Xu Zihuang patted Meng Lang lightly on the shoulder, signaling him not to worry. The contrast was striking: Meng Lang stood over 1.8 meters tall, while the eight-year-old Xu Zihuang barely reached 1.5 meters. Yet the gesture seemed perfectly natural to everyone watching.
"The meat of a Millennium Swordfish is no worse than that of a Millennium Blue-Flag Tuna. Have Rong Jin handle it and prepare a feast for everyone." Xu Zihuang smiled at the group, flexing his fingers slightly. He realized his strength was even greater than he had expected.
"Yes, Young Master." The men replied in unison, their tone toward him becoming even warmer and more natural.
They felt a tinge of emotion.
Back when they had followed Xu Zihuang's father, the mighty Prince Zihuang of the Sun Moon Empire, he too had mingled with them without pretense. Now, it seemed the same was true for his son.
Summoned, Rong Jin came beaming and eagerly set to work on the deck, cutting up the tender meat of the Millennium Swordfish. For nearly a month, he had not had the chance to prepare such fine ingredients. To him, wealth and cultivation mattered less—his true passion was transforming top-tier ingredients into exquisite dishes.
The belly and tenderloin became sashimi, neatly arranged on a huge tray covered in crushed ice. The head went into soup. Other cuts were fried in butter or roasted over charcoal. In no time, thousands of kilograms of fish were fully processed.
The Imperial Dragon Regiment soldiers savored it proudly, finally relaxing after nearly a month of dreary sailing.
On the lookout tower atop the main mast, Wang Xiao and Yao Yang stood side by side, watching the joyous scene. They made no move to spoil the mood.
Everyone's spirits had indeed grown weary during the journey. A little rest was no harm.
Smiling faintly, Yao Yang suddenly remarked:
"Uncle Wang, haven't you noticed? Zihuang seems like a natural-born ruler."
Wang Xiao shot him a hard glance, a hint of irritation at being seen through.
"Yaoyao, I realize now that His Highness chose your name well."
Yao Yang's smile stiffened, his pale face flushing faintly. Even when facing the entire Western Sea Regiment earlier, he had not looked so awkward.
"Uncle Wang, didn't we agree never to mention that name again…"
It was a private matter between them.
Back when Yao Yang had been rescued from the Evil Soul Masters by Xu Zihuang's father, his delicate features had led the prince to mistake him for a girl. "Yaoyao" had been the nickname that followed.
Wang Xiao's remark was a jab, suggesting his thoughts were as delicate as a girl's.
He did not press further, and Yao Yang fell silent in tacit understanding.
Yaoyao… truly a name full of memories.
Night fell, and the deck shone bright under several soul lamps.
Xu Zihuang sat cross-legged at the center, listening as the men recounted tales of their youth. Patrols continued on rotation, but the atmosphere gradually grew lively, even without wine.
By the next morning, solemnity had returned. Today, they would enter the southern seas of the Sun Moon Empire. Only by passing through this area could they safely reach the Moon South Archipelago.
This was the only part of the southern seas explored by humans. Compared to the unknown waters beyond, the chance of encountering powerful sea soul beasts or sudden dangers was far lower.
Xu Zihuang sat at a desk by the bed in his cabin. Spread before him were fragments of rare metals, most prominently the upper jaw of the Millennium Swordfish.
Harder than refined iron, it was excellent material for soul tools.
Golden light flared in his pupils as he held a slender deep-violet carving knife, etching patterns into a piece of dark-blue metal.
His movements were swift but steady, every stroke sure and precise, the lines flowing like calligraphy.
When the final fleck of metal fell, intricate patterns surfaced across its surface.
Frowning slightly, Xu Zihuang slowly infused soul power into it. At once, the dark-blue metal radiated dazzling blue-golden light, forming a column of energy nearly two feet tall. The blue glow shone straight and unwavering, while the metal itself gleamed translucent azure.
"A third-grade soul power amplification core array—success."
Relief softened Xu Zihuang's face into a faint smile.
Indeed, spiritual-type Soul Masters held innate advantages in crafting and wielding soul tools.
With the Golden Pupils martial soul, his vision was several times sharper than normal. This allowed him to avoid mistakes when inscribing arrays. His strong spiritual power also made it easier to memorize complex diagrams.
This didn't mean he could yet be called a third-rank Soul Engineer, but having successfully inscribed a third-grade array, the path forward was clear.
It was thanks to the solid foundation he had laid during his youth and exile on the island.
Gathering all the materials into his soul ring, Xu Zihuang stood and stretched.
He knew the value of balance. Whether in cultivation or soul tool crafting, he practiced moderation.
Stepping onto the deck to feel the gentle sea breeze, Xu Zihuang noticed with surprise that the sails had been lowered and the anchor cast.
Several Imperial Dragon Regiment soldiers, soaked to the skin, were reporting to Wang Xiao. Among them were Meng Lang's father, Meng Cang, and Lin Long, who had just advanced to Soul Sage.
Like Meng Lang, Meng Cang's martial soul was the Black-Patterned Narwhal. Lin Long's was the Black-Scaled Demon Shark, a powerful variant.
Since they had entered the southern seas of the Sun Moon Empire, Wang Xiao had sent them out to scout in caution.
Seeing Xu Zihuang approach, Wang Xiao's face grew grim.
"Young Master, this sea area has been blockaded by the Evil Lord Spirit Master Regiment."
"The Evil Lord Spirit Master Regiment?" Xu Zihuang's brow furrowed, his heart sinking.
They were not like the Western Sea or Lan Hai Regiments they had faced before. Ranked alongside the Imperial Dragon Regiment as one of the Hands of the Empire, the Evil Lord Regiment was far more terrifying.
A full unit of three hundred men, every one of them at least rank forty.
Among the five Hands of the Empire, each regiment had its specialty: the Imperial Dragon Regiment excelled in overall combat strength, the Fire Phoenix Regiment was composed entirely of female Soul Masters, while the Evil Lord Regiment specialized in speed. To face them head-on meant almost no chance of escape. Their commander was even a genuine ninth-rank Soul Engineer.
"Xu Tianran… so these are your tricks."
There was no need to guess—these were certainly pursuers sent by him.
"Elder Wang, what do you intend?" Xu Zihuang raised his head to ask Wang Xiao.
From what he knew of him, a plan must already have been formed.
Wang Xiao exchanged a glance with Yao Yang, who then spoke softly:
"Zihuang, your uncle and I have discussed this. We'll split our forces. I'll take a group to openly cross these waters. Back then, Uncle Zhengxuan kept my identity hidden to protect me, lest the Evil Soul Masters notice me again. This warship is mine, and those with me are new recruits to the Imperial Dragon Regiment, like Meng Lang. No familiar faces. We'll disguise ourselves as my subordinates, using the excuse of hunting rogue sea soul beasts. The frozen Demonic Killer Whale meat in the storage room will help cover our tracks."
"The other group will be led by your uncle, with you among them. You'll land directly at Seaside City on the empire's southwest coast. The terrain there is rugged, full of forests—it's impossible for them to blockade every path. They will not expect you to boldly set foot on Sun Moon territory itself. And since the southern front of the Sun Moon Empire is at war with Star Luo, you can slip through the chaos into Star Luo territory, then circle around to Moon Pivot Island."
"No time to waste. Let's do it this way." Xu Zihuang made his decision without hesitation. It was indeed the safest course.
Rather than gamble on evading the Evil Lord Regiment, he preferred the feeling of seizing control of his own fate.