A massive ship, over a hundred meters long, sailed against the wind over the surging sea.
Inside a cabin on the deck, Xu Zihuang, dressed in fitted black clothes, silently examined his reflection in the mirror.
Compared to three months ago, the lines between his brows had softened, and his face carried a faint smile.
At this moment, he looked more like a well-mannered noble youth.
In just a few months, it was difficult for a person to wash away all traces of the past, but it was more than enough to slightly alter one's temperament.
With Xu Zihuang's talent, it was impossible for him to be like Huo Yuhao from the original story—self-abased and paranoid when he first entered Shrek Academy.
"Knock, knock, knock—" A gentle knocking came from outside the door. Xu Zihuang turned and looked toward it.
"Come in."
The wooden door opened, and a lightly dressed girl entered, carrying a tray with several fragrant dishes.
She looked about sixteen or seventeen years old. Though not an absolute beauty, her features were pleasant. Her wheat-colored healthy skin and well-proportioned figure were very attractive.
Meeting Xu Zihuang's gentle gaze, her cheeks flushed, but she boldly held his eyes, her own filled with charm.
"Put it there." Xu Zihuang withdrew his gaze coldly.
Since boarding this ship a few days ago, this girl had been very attentive toward him, occasionally even flirtatious.
The customs of the Yuenan Archipelago were far more open than those of the continent.
Xu Zihuang was certain that if he only nodded, she would immediately provide full service.
But after seeing much, his standards had naturally risen.
Ignoring her coquettish movements as she set down the tray, Xu Zihuang directly issued his dismissal.
"If there's nothing else, you can leave."
"Yes." The girl lowered her head quickly, realizing even in her foolishness that Xu Zihuang had no interest in her. She dared not provoke his displeasure.
She sighed inwardly in sorrow as she left, bitterness filling her eyes.
The gap between ordinary people and soul masters was like a heavenly chasm, not easily crossed.
How could a soul master, with their pride, look twice at someone like her?
Just as the girl left, Linlong, who had boarded the ship with Xu Zihuang, stepped inside. After closing the door, he smiled at Xu Zihuang.
"Young Master, I'm afraid you'll encounter such things often in the future."
"Elder Lin…" Faced with Linlong's teasing, Xu Zihuang could only shake his head helplessly.
This was one of the downsides of his current disguise—he appeared too approachable. If it had been the Xu Zihuang of three months ago, his oppressive aura alone would have kept people at a distance.
Back in Moon Pivot City, hardly anyone had dared to approach him.
Xu Zihuang composed himself and said seriously to Linlong, "Elder Lin, I will be cultivating for a period of time. If it's not something urgent, don't let anyone disturb me."
"Yes, Young Master." Linlong immediately put away his smile.
As a subordinate, he could joke to build rapport with his master, but time, place, and occasion mattered.
After finishing his meal, Xu Zihuang took a cold-iron metal box from his soul tool and set it on the bedside table.
Opening the lid, an aura of chilling cold that seemed to pierce directly into the soul seeped out. Resting quietly inside was a blade exuding a faint, sinister chill. It was none other than the Soul-Devouring Engraving Knife, ranked ninety-ninth among the Ranked Engraving Knives.
For the past three years, he had continuously used his second martial soul—the Purple Sovereign Thunder Prison Dragon—with its Ultimate Lightning and Destruction attributes, to erase the malice and curse within it.
But since his second martial soul had not yet obtained a soul ring, he could not bring out the true power of Ultimate Lightning and Destruction. This made the purification progress extremely slow.
Recently, however, he had felt the malice and curse weakening more and more.
With so many powerful experts in Shrek Academy, and this Soul-Devouring Knife being so sensitive, he had to purify it completely before entering Shrek. If successful, his body would also be nourished by the Gold of Life within the blade, enabling him to obtain a higher-year third soul ring.
It would form a positive cycle.
With that thought, Xu Zihuang slowly raised his hands. His left hand flared with deep-violet flames radiating destruction, while his right hand surged with oppressive black-violet lightning. Together, they grasped the knife's hilt.
The moment they touched the blade, it trembled violently. Eerie wailing sounds echoed from it, chilling enough to shake the emotions of anyone with a weak will.
At the same time, Xu Zihuang's body burst with pale golden light, forming a golden spherical barrier that enveloped him completely.
The room fell silent once more.
This was a soul tool he had personally crafted. Though only rank three and lacking offensive or defensive capabilities, it could block sound within a set range.
In the following days, Xu Zihuang hardly cultivated soul power, focusing entirely on purifying the knife.
By the tenth morning, his efforts were finally rewarded.
The soul crystal chandelier above swayed, its light flickering.
The Soul-Devouring Knife in his hands shuddered violently, as if in its death throes. Intense azure light burst from its body, coalescing midair into a ferocious face, howling madly.
But when touched by the violet flames in his left hand and the black-violet lightning in his right, the savage face blurred, dissolving as though it were an illusion.
Streams of black energy dissipated, vanishing, while the azure glow of the knife grew ever purer and softer.
The process was brief. Soon, the last wisp of black energy faded, and the azure light of the Soul-Devouring Knife became clear and flawless, like still water. Its formerly dark body now gleamed like blue crystal.
Withdrawing the flames and lightning from his hands, Xu Zihuang first felt a gentle warmth spread from the knife into his skin. Then, a vigorous vitality surged into his body.
A blissful comfort spread through him, as though every fiber of his being was joyously singing, greedily absorbing the knife's boundless life force.
His meridians became more elastic, his internal organs tougher, his bones sturdier. His entire body seemed to be undergoing a qualitative transformation.
The most obvious change was in his meridians. Though not widened, their resilience increased greatly, making him certain they could now withstand far greater impacts of soul power.
The azure light washed through him, cleansing every corner of his body from within.
His physique had already surpassed that of ordinary soul masters. Now, with this baptism of vitality, his endurance would grow even further. At the very least, he would be able to withstand soul rings a thousand years older.