The blue glow of the Death Whisperer completely vanished into the depths of the thick fog, as if it were a bizarre and fantastical dream. The Wood Water Flow Ship, carrying its harvest and contemplations, continued to cleave through the waves, steadfastly advancing toward the northeast of Lyris Great Island. The sea breeze, laced with saltiness and freedom, dispersed the lingering chill from the ghost ship and stirred the surging thoughts in everyone's hearts on board.
The next five days of the voyage were no longer just a simple journey but transformed into a bustling mobile workshop and a dojo for serene cultivation.
Molten Core and the Fantasia of Craftsmanship (Tisk)
One corner of the deck became Tisk's exclusive domain. As soon as he got his hands on that ancient "Molten Core Forging Hammer," the dwarf's crafting soul ignited completely. He immediately cleared an area on the ship and used a few reinforced planks to makeshift a workbench.
"Haha! Treasure! A real treasure!" Tisk fondly stroked the hammer's handle, with its textures like the veins of the earth, feeling the constant molten warmth inside the hammerhead. "Watch closely, lads! Let me show you what a true dwarf's 'Forging Dance' looks like!"
He first upgraded Arya's "Storm Bow." When he had repaired the bow body before, he always felt the energy conduction of the elemental crystals was not perfect enough. Now, with his left hand virtually pressing on the bow, and his right hand gripping the molten hammer, the hammerhead didn't directly touch the bow but performed rapid virtual strikes at a distance of a few centimeters, in a rhythm full of cadence. Each virtual strike emitted visible scorching waves with a dark red halo from the hammerhead. These waves precisely permeated the bow's wooden and metallic structure, like invisible forging.
"Hum—"
Accompanied by a strange buzzing, the five elemental crystals embedded in the Storm Bow shone brightly, and the energy flow between them became unprecedentedly smooth and condensed. Some subtle, hard-to-discern energy loss points on the bow were completely "ironed out" or even "fused" by the power of the molten core. Arya could clearly feel that the bow seemed to become an extension of her body, with her elemental affinity elevated by more than one level, allowing faster arrow condensation and less consumption.
Next was Yuyuer's "Deep Blue Vision Orb." Tisk didn't directly touch the crystal ball but took out a small pinch of mithril powder, using the heat induced by the molten hammer to melt it into liquid mithril threads. He carefully manipulated the heat field emitted by the hammer, letting the mithril threads trace extremely tiny and intricate amplification runes on the crystal ball's surface as if they had life. The moment the runes were completed, the ocean scenery inside the crystal ball suddenly became several times clearer and larger! Some originally blurry edge seas and deep-sea trenches became vividly detailed. Yuyuer was surprised to find that he could even more clearly "sense" the emotional fluctuations and rough intentions of large sea beasts within the crystal ball's detection range.
Finally, Zhamisi's "Abyss Lord Poison Gland Crystal." This thing itself contained terrifying toxicity, and Tisk treated it with utmost caution. He put on special insulating gloves and embedded the crystal into a base he forged on-site from corrosion-resistant alloy, complete with flow channels and amplification spikes. The constant heat from the molten hammer carefully permeated inside, not to change the crystal, but to activate some dormant "activity" within it and guide its toxic energy to resonate more smoothly with Zhamisi's curved blade and her own poison mist. When the upgrade was complete, as Zhamisi gripped the blade, the poison glow on it was no longer dissipating green mist but condensed into a nearly liquid, flowing dark purple halo of deadly poison blade. Merely approaching it caused the air to emit a faint "sizzle" of corrosion. Her poison mist barrier also carried a hint of deep-sea darkness and lord-level pressure.
Watching his companions fondly handling their renewed, power-multiplied equipment, Tisk wiped his sweat, his dark face flushed with pride: "This hammer is divine! Constant temperature, amplification, energy guidance... it's like it was tailor-made for me! If I had another one like this, I could turn the whole ship into the strongest magic warship!" He wanted to forge a magic fleet!
Void Singularity and the Dream of Starships (Rex)
The relatively quiet area at the stern became Rex's temporary lab. That "Void Singularity Core" floated in front of him, its twelve smooth facets slowly rotating, with the internal shifting light points like a miniature universe reflecting in his cold electronic eyes. Data streams cascaded like waterfalls on his visual projection.
"Detected stable curvature bubble generation model... calibrating spatial compression coefficient... energy conversion efficiency exceeds theoretical limit by 6.7 times..." Rex's mechanical voice carried an unprecedented high-frequency vibration. His mechanical arms constantly morphed, extending various precise interfaces and energy probes, attempting to establish deeper connections with the core.
The original nano-drone swarm was released, dancing around the core. Rex used the faint spatial fluctuations emitted by the core to rewrite the drones' navigation and clustering algorithms. The swarm's flight paths became more bizarre and unpredictable, sometimes instantly converging, sometimes vanishing as if merging into space, only to reappear at another tricky angle the next second. The energy beams transmitting information between them also gained a subtle spatial folding property, making them harder to interfere with or intercept.
The "Leaper" armor on his back was partially disassembled. Rex carefully guided the pure spatial energy emitted by the core into the armor's energy core and thruster modules. The energy patterns on the armor's surface became deeper and more complex, and the thruster nozzles' glow shifted from blue-white to a ghostly purple with spatial distortion. Though true spatial leaping was still far off, Rex could feel that the armor's burst speed, mobility, and energy shield strength had all undergone a qualitative leap.
"Initial fusion complete. Core potential unlock estimate: 1.3%." Rex shut down the projection, his electronic eyes gazing long at the core. "Objective: Construct a starship capable of intergalactic travel. This core is the key." He seemed to already envision the steel behemoth tearing through the starry sky.
Star Resonance and the Whisper of Souls (Arya)
Arya liked staying at the bow, facing the sea breeze. She strung that warm "Star Resonance Stone" with tough elven silk thread and wore it close to her neck. The stone pressed against her skin, emitting warm and serene waves.
Her cultivation was an extension of meditation and perception.
She closed her eyes, her fingers lightly resting on the Storm Bow. The resonance stone's glow faintly lit up, helping her infinitely expand and calm her mind. She no longer just guided the elements but attempted to "listen" to their voices—the agile trajectories in the wind's howl, the hidden life rhythms in the surging waves, the warm hymns of sunlight piercing through clouds, even the faint groans of the ship's wooden planks under pressure... All became songs of elements in her perception.
She tried to combine different elements more subtly. An arrow no longer held a single element but wind's swiftness wrapping fire's explosion, or light's purification fusing with wood's binding. The elements were no longer distinctly separate but harmoniously resonated under the resonance stone's coordination, like an elven chorus. She could even guide a faint, strange wave from the star resonance stone into the arrow, giving it a subtle "locking" sense of fate, as if it could slightly predict movement trajectories.
Even more wondrously, when she focused her mind, through the resonance stone on her chest, she could vaguely sense Fa's mood—a connection transcending vision and words. When Fa pondered Lacas's warning deep in the cabin, Arya could feel her inner gravity and a subtle anxiety, prompting her to silently approach Fa after meditation, offering wordless companionship and support. This subtle soul-level link deepened their bond even further.
Breath of Silence and the Ascension of Shadows (Salsa)
Salsa's cultivation was the quietest and most eerie. During the day, her soul body shrank inside the mechanical cat shell, with cat eyes closed and a profound ghostly light flowing on the shell's surface, as if digesting something. At night, when moonlight spilled onto the deck, her soul body would quietly drift out.
She was no longer satisfied with summoning skeleton soldiers and shadow demon wolves. The "Breath of Annihilation" bestowed by Lacas was like a seed of darkness, taking root and sprouting in the depths of her soul. She sat cross-legged, floating under the moonlight, her hands forming ancient and complex seals, silently chanting obscure incantations.
The shadows around her became unusually active, rolling and condensing like viscous ink. At first, there were failures, with shadows collapsing midway. But Salsa's patience and determination were beyond imagination. She tried repeatedly, her mental focus highly concentrated, making her soul body's glow more solid from the effort.
On the third night's midnight, a short, sharp eagle cry pierced the silence! A hunting falcon with a wingspan nearly two meters, entirely composed of condensed shadows, burst out from the rolling shadows and circled above Salsa's head! Its eyes were two leaping points of ghostly green soul fire, its talons gleaming with metallic chill, incredibly fast and utterly silent. Salsa's face showed a tired yet joyful smile. She could clearly command this shadow hunting falcon, sharing its vision, like having an extra ghostly scout.
Over the next two days, she successfully summoned two more shadow hunting falcons. The three shadow hunting falcons patrolled the night sky silently like loyal guards, taking in the situation within several nautical miles around the ship into Salsa's view.
However, when she attempted to summon the more powerful "Shadow Demon Dragon," the shadow energy churned violently, forming a massive vortex, vaguely revealing a ferocious dragon head and massive wing outlines, emanating a heart-palpitating pressure. But at the moment of formation, the energy suddenly went out of control and exploded! The strong backlash caused Salsa's soul body to fluctuate violently, its glow dimming significantly, and the mechanical cat shell emitting piercing alarm sounds.
"Huff... huff..." Salsa's soul body panted, looking at the dissipating shadow vortex, her eyes showing no discouragement but burning with even stronger desire. "Not enough... My understanding of the 'Breath of Annihilation,' my control over negative energy and soul essence... still far off! Shadow Demon Dragon... I will master you!" She closed her eyes again, beginning to repair the soul damage from the backlash, preparing for the next attempt.
Interweaving of Ice and Thunder and the Roar of Bloodline (Kayla)
Kayla's cultivation ground was the largest and most lively—the most spacious area at the stern. She was bare-chested, her bronze skin covered in fine sweat beads, muscles knotted and bulging. The ice and thunder runes on her Thunder Claws alternated in glowing, emitting crackling bursts.
Lacas's words echoed like thunder in her mind: "The fourth stage transformation... ancestral power... Listen to the thunder in your blood, feel the earth's pulse in your bones..."
She abandoned her previous three-stage transformations that relied on beastly instincts. Each time she entered giant leopard form, she forced herself to maintain high clarity of consciousness, to "feel" the deeper source of that wild power within. She no longer just vented strength but attempted to "communicate" and "guide."
She stood with eyes closed, Thunder Claws deeply embedded in the deck (the hull specially reinforced by Tisk). She adjusted her breathing, trying to sink her consciousness into the depths of her bloodline. At first, it was chaotic thunder and icy cold. She focused her mind, imagining that flowing in her veins was not blood but raging thunder lava and eternally frozen ice essence.
"Roar—!" A suppressed growl rolled from deep in her throat. She snapped her eyes open, pupils vertical, body beginning to expand, fur piercing out. But this time, the transformation pain seemed even worse! Under her skin, it felt like countless ice spikes and thunder snakes were swimming and clashing! The energies of ice and thunder collided fiercely within her, trying to tear her apart!
Kayla gritted her teeth, gums bleeding. She forcibly controlled the two clashing forces, not letting them explode out of control, but attempting to let them... coexist under her will? Even... fuse?
"Stay... put!" She roared, veins bulging on her forehead.
Sizzle! Boom!
On her left arm's Thunder Claw, piercing cold ice instantly spread, freezing the leaping thunder into ice-blue lightning tree patterns! On her right arm's Thunder Claw, the raging thunder instantly evaporated the attempting ice cover, emitting scorching white steam! Ice and thunder formed distinctly separate yet fiercely opposing domains on either side of her body!
The intense pain nearly made her faint, but an unprecedented ancient will from the depths of her bloodline seemed to respond to her call! A vast, heavy sense of power like the earth itself surged faintly from her pounding heart's depths, attempting to mediate the conflict between ice and thunder!
Though it was only a fleeting instant, the ice-thunder domains collapsed and dissipated due to Kayla's exhaustion, and she awkwardly reverted to human form, collapsing to her knees in total fatigue, panting heavily, her body covered in fine ice cracks and electric burn marks.
But her face showed ecstatic joy, her eyes shining with unprecedented light: "I felt it! Though just a little... but that was... earth? Something deeper than thunder and ice! The fourth stage... it's not a dream! Again!" She struggled to stand, ignoring her injuries, and assumed her stance once more. Each attempt seemed to bring a bit more of that mediating power.
Wisdom of Water and the Extension of Deep Blue (Yuyuer & Zhamisi)
Yuyuer's cultivation was inseparable from water. He often sat on the ship's side, legs immersed in the sea, one hand holding the "Deep Blue Vision Orb," the other the Dragon Bone Gem Staff. The crystal ball floated in front of him, its internal sea map slowly rotating.
His cultivation was "communication" and "rehearsal." His mental power extended like tentacles through the crystal ball, merging into the surrounding seawater. He no longer passively received information but actively "asked" the ocean: Is the current ahead stable? Are there underwater reefs? What does the abnormal gathering of fish schools mean? He even tried, through the crystal ball, to convey gentle water elemental intentions to some small, low-intelligence sea beasts, guiding them to avoid the ship's path or sense disturbances farther away.
Zhamisi guarded beside him while also cultivating. She wielded her Poison Fang Curved Blade fused with the Abyss Poison Gland Crystal, blade lights flashing, the ink-green poison mist no longer a simple barrier but controlled like a living thing—sometimes condensing into venomous snake biting illusions, sometimes turning into corrosive poison rain sprays, other times like viscous swamps slowing enemies' movements. She was also trying to combine her own water-based magic with the deadly poison more deeply, imitating the Abyss Lord's "poison water" traits, making her attacks not only highly toxic but also carrying powerful water pressure impacts and erosive properties.
The two cooperated seamlessly. When Yuyuer sensed an abnormally turbulent undercurrent far ahead through the crystal ball, he immediately informed Zhamisi. Zhamisi then walked to the ship's side, swinging her blade toward the undercurrent, shooting a highly compressed deep green poison water arrow infused with corrosion and slowing effects into the sea. The poison water arrow diffused in the undercurrent, not fully calming it but effectively weakening its impact, allowing the ship to pass smoothly.
"Great job, Yuyuer!" Zhamisi retracted her blade, laughing heartily.
"It's your poison water arrow's perfect timing, Zhamisi." Yuyuer smiled back, the crystal ball's glow flowing.
Warning of the Star Eye and Ripples of Time-Space (Fa)
Fa stayed alone in the cabin, her back to the sunlight filtering through the porthole. Her fingers unconsciously stroked the short blade fused with water and earth powers, but her mind was entirely elsewhere.
Lacas's words wrapped around her heart like cold chains, especially the warning about her right eye's star pupil.
"Every time you forcibly stagnate time, every time you tear space for teleportation, it etches an indelible mark on your soul's essence..."
"...Lightly, soul exhaustion, eternal fall into void; severely... triggering chain collapse of space-time structure..."
She closed her left eye, "looking" into the void with only her right. In her vision, the world was no longer mere matter but filled with countless fine energy flows and... faint "cracks." Those cracks were extremely subtle, like the tiniest scratches on glass, seemingly connecting to unknown abysses. She could feel that every time she used the star eye's power—whether piercing illusions, briefly pausing time, or that immature instant movement—it was like a heavy hammer smashing those fragile "glasses." Subtle tremors accompanied an indescribable fatigue and a sense of... emptiness from her soul's depths.
She tried, extremely lightly, to mobilize a trace of the star eye's power, merely condensing a tiny space bubble distorting light at her fingertip. It succeeded, but what followed was a sharp sting in her right eye and fragmented noises flashing in her mind, as if from distant voids. She immediately dispersed the power, cold sweat soaking her back.
"Use it wisely, or... seal it forever..." Lacas's advice echoed again.
Fa clenched her fist. Seal it? In the pursuit of star fragments, facing unknown strong enemies, that was nearly self-amputation. But abuse it? The cost was unbearable for her, her companions, and even the whole world.
Her cultivation shifted from increasing power intensity to the hardest "control" and "understanding." She needed to precisely measure the "cost" of each use of the star eye's power, finding that dangerous balance between "necessity" and "cost." She began trying to achieve the most precise effects with the minimal power—like merely making a falling feather stagnate for a fraction of a second; or instantly moving her position by just a few centimeters to avoid splashing water. Each successful, "harmless" attempt built a bit more confidence in controlling this forbidden power, but also deepened her understanding of its razor-thin essence.
"Not unless absolutely necessary... life-or-death moments..." Fa silently recited in her heart, this was the iron rule she set for herself. She looked out at the deck where her companions cultivated diligently, her eyes becoming incredibly resolute. She had to live, to live consciously, for them, and for that unfinished mission.
Calm Before the Storm
The five days flew by in cultivation, forging, honing, and contemplation. The Wood Water Flow Ship was like a high-speed moving bizarre fortress, carrying the transformed crew.
Tisk's forging hammer struck peaks of craftsmanship echoes;
Rex's void core flickered with future's cold light;
Arya's bowstring hummed harmonious elemental resonance melodies;
Salsa's shadow hunting falcons patrolled silently under the night curtain;
Kayla's body interwove ice and thunder, the bloodline's roar faintly audible;
Yuyuer and Zhamisi's water-poison coordination was seamless;
And in Fa's right eye, stars flowed, reflecting awe and caution toward the authority of time-space.
Their equipment was more refined, abilities more bizarre and powerful, and bonds between them deepened further through shared cultivation and exchanges. Ahead, the outline of Lyris Great Island finally faintly emerged on the horizon. On that mysterious land, the Wing Clan's "Light Feather Dome" and star fragments awaited them.
However, everyone knew deep down that the Death Whisperer's encounter was just a process. Under the shadow of Lyris Great Island lurked greater storms. Their newly elevated powers were about to face the true test. The Wood Water Flow Ship cleaved through the final waves, steadfastly sailing toward that new island heralding unknown challenges and fateful convergences.