Daily Life in the Vast Sea

Vast Sea City's mornings were always shrouded in a faint sea mist, the damp wind sweeping through the small courtyard with a salty, fishy smell.

Yet the patch of Blue Silver Grass in the courtyard seemed particularly fond of the moisture. Dewdrops clinging to its leaves reflected the morning light, glimmering with fine golden radiance—the mark of Ah Yin nourishing it with her Soul Power.

Jiang Zhen sat cultivating beside the spring pool in the courtyard. His water-blue Long Hair hung loosely behind his shoulders, while two sky-blue strands swept back from his temples. Whenever the wind blew, they swayed gently, resembling the horns of a young dragon from legend.

His bangs fell naturally, and the darker blue Highlights along their inner ends flickered in and out of sight beneath the morning light.

His eyes were half closed, their narrow corners slightly raised. Even with his eyes shut, he exuded a certain cool aloofness.

Whenever he opened them, a ripple-like gleam flashed through his sky-blue irises. It was the trace of Water Element gathering in his eyes as the Profound Water Clear Mind Art circulated.

At nine years old, the boy was already nearly 1.7 meters tall. His shoulders and back were straight, and his figure was much more slender than that of children his age.

That was due to the Body Tempering Pills, the nourishment of the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Jelly, and his absorption of three high-age Spirit Rings.

The smooth contours of muscle could faintly be seen beneath his skin, yet they did not make him seem burly. Instead, they gave him the clean, crisp air unique to a young boy.

"Brother A Zhen, it's time to go duel!"

A clear voice came from the courtyard gate. Ah Yin ran in carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked vegetables.

Ah Yin had cleared several plots in the open ground of the front courtyard and planted plenty of vegetables.

Moreover, under the influence of Ah Yin's powerful life force, those vegetables grew very quickly.

She was eight years old now, and her figure had filled out a little. The childishness between her brows had faded, replaced by greater liveliness.

The instant she saw Jiang Zhen open his eyes, she immediately activated her Soul Power. A dark-yellow First Spirit Ring tinged with pale purple and a purple Second Spirit Ring lit up beneath her feet at the same time.

That purple Spirit Ring was particularly eye-catching—it had condensed only a few days ago!

"First Spirit Skill, Blue Silver Symbiosis!"

"Second Spirit Skill, Endless Life!"

Following Ah Yin's voice, several Blue Silver Emperor grass blades marked with pale golden patterns shot up from the ground. Half gently wrapped around Jiang Zhen's wrist, while the other half spread through the courtyard, forming a half-human-height domain of Blue Silver Grass.

Pale green life energy diffused from between the grass blades. Jiang Zhen felt a gentle power flow into his body through the grass around his wrist, filling all four limbs and every bone with comfortable warmth.

The already luxuriant Blue Silver Grass in the courtyard grew even more lush beneath the shroud of life energy.

"Control the range. Concentrate the energy at the center of the domain."

Jiang Zhen did not rise, allowing the Blue Silver Grass to remain wrapped around him.

"Your 'Endless Life' is an area healing skill. In actual combat, there's no need to cover the entire courtyard. Keeping it within three chi around your teammates is enough, and it'll save Soul Power."

Ah Yin obediently narrowed the domain. The pale green glow shrank to within three chi around Jiang Zhen. The grass blades grew more slowly, but the concentration of life energy increased considerably.

She crouched beside Jiang Zhen and gently brushed the Blue Silver Grass around his wrist with her fingers. "Brother A Zhen, I can maintain 'Endless Life' for half a shichen now. That's a quarter hour longer than last month!"

"You've improved quickly."

Jiang Zhen raised a hand and rubbed her hair.

When he stood, the Blue Silver Grass around his wrist automatically receded, turning into motes of light that merged into the ground.

The two walked side by side toward the Vast Sea Grand Spirit Duel Arena, with Ah Yin skipping along in front.

Jiang Zhen followed behind, his gaze resting on her as he occasionally swept his eyes over their surroundings—most people in Vast Sea City knew this unusual pair.

After all, it was rare enough for a Soul Elder to bring along an eight-year-old Support System Spirit Master, not to mention that they won every Spirit Duel cleanly and decisively.

Over time, the Seaweed Combination had gained some fame in the low- and mid-tier Spirit Duel Arenas.

"Focalors! Daughter of Blue Silver! You're here!"

The staff member in charge of registration greeted them with a smile the moment they reached the arena entrance.

He still remembered when the two children had come to register a year and a half ago. Back then, he had looked down on the little girl with the Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul. But after watching several of their Spirit Duels, his earlier contempt had long vanished, leaving only admiration.

"Arrange a two-person Spirit Duel for me first today." Jiang Zhen handed over his Purple Gold Spirit Duel Badge, his voice calm.

The staff member swiftly completed the registration and pointed toward the Second Branch Spirit Duel Arena. "You've just been matched against a level-thirty-five pair. Their Martial Souls are Stone Armor Bear and Gale Bird—one assault type and one agility assault type. Be careful."

He looked at Jiang Zhen with envy. To earn a Purple Gold Spirit Duel Badge at such a young age—what a freak.

Before long, he might not even be able to find opponents to match against...

In truth, he envied Ah Yin even more for having such an expert to carry her.

He wanted an expert to carry him too...

"Thank you." Jiang Zhen took back the badge and led Ah Yin toward the Contestant Passage.

Ah Yin gripped his hand, with not the slightest hint of nervousness on her little face. Instead, she looked eager. "Brother A Zhen, today I'm going to use 'Endless Life' sooner. Last time, when you blocked an attack for me, your arm got scraped a little, and I didn't even have time to heal you."

He had not told Ah Yin that he possessed powerful healing abilities.

"Alright." Jiang Zhen answered. The warmth of her palm reached his fingertips, soft yet firm.

After a year and a half of Spirit Duel experience, Ah Yin was no longer the confused little girl she had once been.

By the time they stepped onto the arena platform, cheers had already erupted from the stands. Many people who spotted them excitedly waved their hands.

The Stone Armor Bear Soul Elder and Gale Bird Soul Elder on the opposite side were already in position as well.

Jiang Zhen said nothing. He merely raised a hand and made a gesture of invitation.

Ah Yin quietly retreated behind him. The Spirit Ring beneath her feet began to glow as blue Blue Silver Grass rapidly spread around the two of them, and the halo of "Endless Life" silently enveloped them.

The instant the referee blew the whistle, the Gale Bird Soul Elder was the first to activate his Spirit Skill. His wings whipped up razor-sharp wind blades that shot straight at Ah Yin.

In the eyes of most opponents, Support System Spirit Masters were always the first targets to eliminate.

But before the wind blades could even reach halfway, a Water Wall rose out of thin air and blocked them. With a splash, they shattered into mist.

"Again with this move!" someone in the stands shouted. They had long grown used to Jiang Zhen's methods of controlling Water Element.

Seeing this, the Stone Armor Bear Soul Elder lit up his two yellow Spirit Rings. His body instantly swelled, his skin hardening like rock as he charged fiercely at Jiang Zhen. "Second Spirit Skill, Stone Armor Charge!"

Jiang Zhen remained where he was. Only when the Stone Armor Bear reached him did he slowly raise a hand, his five fingers curling into a claw.

Countless Water Droplets gathered before him, instantly transforming into more than a dozen Water Tentacles as thick as barrels. They precisely wrapped around the Stone Armor Bear's limbs.

The Stone Armor Bear's charging force was immense, but the Water Tentacles were like elastic steel cables. No matter how he struggled, they did not budge; instead, they only tightened further.

"Gale Bird, help me!" the Stone Armor Bear roared.

The Gale Bird Soul Elder immediately dove down, gathering larger wind blades on his wings and slashing at the Water Tentacles. But just as the wind blades were about to strike them, Ah Yin's voice suddenly rang out. "Brother A Zhen, left side!"

Following her warning, Jiang Zhen sidestepped while controlling a Water Tentacle to sweep outward, striking the Gale Bird squarely on the wing.

The Gale Bird let out a miserable cry. The blow knocked him off balance, and he plummeted toward the edge of the arena.

Ah Yin immediately activated "Endless Life," and a pale green halo spread toward Jiang Zhen's arm—the Gale Bird's wind blade had grazed it earlier.

Though it had not broken the skin, it had left a red mark. Nourished by life energy, the mark vanished instantly.

"We surrender! We surrender!"

Watching his teammate get sent flying and feeling the Water Tentacles tightening around him, the Stone Armor Bear Soul Elder shouted helplessly.

Jiang Zhen immediately withdrew the Water Element, and the Water Tentacles dissolved into mist in the air.

When the referee announced, "Seaweed Combination wins," cheers erupted from the stands once more.

Ah Yin ran to Jiang Zhen's side and grabbed his arm to inspect it. "Brother A Zhen, are you okay? That was so dangerous!"

"I'm fine." Jiang Zhen looked down at her with a smile in his eyes. "Your warning was timely, and you used 'Endless Life' very well too."

"Alright, let's take a stroll around the market, then head home."