Flying Fish School and Evil Spirit Orcas

Fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye as the sun and moon alternated. As they gradually sailed south, the temperature steadily rose.

The sea breeze at night was no longer bitingly cold, carrying instead a strange, refreshing coolness.

Having finished cultivating, Xu Zihuang stepped out of his room and leaned against the railing along the corridor, looking down at the rolling waves below. The sea breeze lifted several loose strands of purple hair from his forehead. His refined features carried a hint of authority, making him every bit the graceful young nobleman. After fusing with the Brilliant Dragon Claw, his physique had been improved by the Soul Bone, and even his skin had become much fairer.

Stretching lazily, he happened to catch sight of an honest-looking youth of about eighteen from the corner of his eye. Among the Imperial Dragon Soul Mentor Corps soldiers, he was the youngest.

"Meng Lang, you don't need to keep standing guard over me. I'm just getting some air." Xu Zihuang rubbed his forehead, regretting the words the moment they left his mouth.

Sure enough, the youth answered mechanically, just as he had before.

"Young Master, Father instructed me to remain by your side at all times and ensure your safety."

When Xu Zihuang had been imprisoned, someone had always followed him around like this, so it was not as though he was unused to it. But after finally regaining his freedom, having another person follow him everywhere gave him the illusion that he was still imprisoned.

Still, he did not force Meng Lang to leave. On these perilous seas, there was nothing wrong with being cautious.

Imperial Dragon Soul Mentor Corps soldiers constantly moved across the spacious deck. Upon noticing Xu Zihuang leaning against the railing, they respectfully saluted him before continuing their watch over the surroundings.

Bang, bang, bang— The sea wind battered the sails, producing a string of sounds as the tough fabric billowed. It seemed to be growing increasingly intense.

His black fur cloak fluttered in the wind as Xu Zihuang looked up at the enormous sail.

"The wind direction changed suddenly?"

At sea, a sudden shift in the wind was extremely dangerous. Not only could it create currents, but it could also signal the appearance of a powerful Sea Soul Beast. These were basic facts he had learned from chatting with the others.

Two yellow phantoms flashed through the night sky before landing steadily on the deck amid crackling lightning, revealing their forms. Their martial souls were known as Lightning Falcons, granting them incredible speed and astonishing eyesight. They had been scouting the surrounding waters from the air to prevent any unexpected incidents.

"Regiment Commander, the fish seem to have been frightened away from this area. There may be Sea Soul Beasts nearby," one of them respectfully reported to Wang Xiao, who stood in the center of the deck.

Wang Xiao's expression turned thoughtful as he looked toward Yaoyang beside him.

"Uncle Wang, I also feel that something is off." Yaoyang spoke in a low voice. "Unfortunately, I don't have a detection-type Soul Skill. With my Spiritual Power, I can only sense the area within five kilometers of the warship. For now, I haven't found anything unusual."

Five kilometers sounded like a great distance, but on this boundless sea, it was merely a tiny corner of the ocean.

"Elder Wang, Brother Yang, look at the waters ahead." Relying on the powerful vision granted by his Golden Eye, Xu Zihuang spotted countless pale-blue points of light emerging one after another beneath the sea ahead of the warship.

At Xu Zihuang's reminder, everyone turned to look.

The pale-blue lights ahead drew closer and closer. Many even burst from the surface, tracing brilliant arcs through the air.

A Flying Fish School?

Although flying fish were also Sea Soul Beasts, they were among the rare few with Flight Ability. Each fish was covered in dark-blue scales, its slender body possessing a certain graceful beauty. Its long pectoral fins extended all the way to its tail, resembling the wings of Flying Soul Beasts.

Faint Soul Power radiance emanated from around the translucent pectoral fins. Once they leaped from the water, they could glide through the air at astonishing speeds.

This enormous Flying Fish School numbered at least five hundred, and quite a few possessed over a thousand years of Cultivation.

What could have frightened such a large school of flying fish into such panic?

Without waiting for Wang Xiao's orders, the Imperial Dragon Soul Mentor Corps soldiers swiftly moved to the edges of the ship. Before every soldier stood a raised metal block, where Soul Power was injected. Once they injected their Soul Power simultaneously, the Soul Guiding Shield that enveloped the entire warship would take shape.

Although the Soul Guiding Shield could hardly withstand the attacks of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, this Flying Fish School, whose strongest members had no more than around five thousand years of Cultivation, certainly could not break through it.

Yet Wang Xiao and Yaoyang seemed to have keenly sensed something. They stared fixedly at the waters behind the Flying Fish School.

Buzz, buzz, buzz— The seawater seemed to suddenly boil. Dark-red ripples stretched from behind the Flying Fish School toward the warship, freezing both the surrounding air and seawater in place. Everything appeared to have been covered in a faint red glow. The surroundings seemed to turn crystalline, transforming into a dazzling pale-red crystal.

Five enormous columns of water shot into the sky from the distant sea, and cracks appeared across that massive pale-red crystal at the same time.

A crisp shattering sound, as melodious as music, rang out. The frozen pale-red crystal disintegrated into dust under the effect of a strange force, scattering through the air. The Flying Fish School frozen within it in all manner of bizarre poses did not even leave behind corpses. Only circles of white, yellow, and purple Soul Rings slowly condensed into being.

Five dark dorsal fins of varying sizes skimmed rapidly across the sea. Wang Xiao and Yaoyang's expressions became exceptionally grave.

"The Evil Spirit Orca's Innate Soul Skill, Evil Orca Mirror of Annihilation. It's an Evil Spirit Orca pod?!"

As one of the ocean's three great overlords, the power of Evil Spirit Orcas was beyond question. Fortunately, the Evil Spirit Orcas before them were only a small pod. Generally, such a pod would be led by two adult Evil Spirit Orcas. In other words, among these five Evil Spirit Orcas, at least two had over ten thousand years of Cultivation.

Without hesitation, Yaoyang released his martial soul. His blood-red eyes closed as he sensed the five Evil Spirit Orcas that had drawn very close to the warship.

"Uncle Wang, among the five Evil Spirit Orcas, one has twenty thousand years of Cultivation, one has just passed ten thousand years, and the remaining three have no more than five thousand years."

"Everyone, prepare for battle. Do not hold back on the Fixed Soul Cannons. End this quickly." Having grasped the general situation, Wang Xiao swiftly issued his combat orders. With the advancement of Soul Tool Technology, humanity had long gained the means to confront Sea Soul Beasts head-on.

No matter how powerful the Evil Spirit Orca pod was, it could not possibly withstand round after round of bombardment from Fixed Soul Cannons. If they were Evil Spirit Orcas with over fifty thousand years of Cultivation, he might have been wary. But with only two at around ten or twenty thousand years of Cultivation, he did not consider them a threat.

"Yes, Regiment Commander!"

Evil Spirit Orcas?

Xu Zihuang's expression changed slightly, but he did not want everyone to divert manpower to protect him at a time like this. He vaulted over the railing and jumped down onto the deck. With everyone guarding the deck so closely, this was the safest place.

Meng Lang hurriedly followed after him.

Yaoyang, who had released his martial soul, shot Xu Zihuang a sidelong glance. Just as he was about to say something, his expression abruptly changed. He shielded Xu Zihuang behind him and shouted a warning, "There's another Soul Beast! This Soul Beast has actually blocked my Spiritual Power. Everyone, be careful!"

Before his words had even faded, a white whale-type Soul Beast over three meters long had already leaped from the sea, stretching out its body.

The instant it came into contact with the Soul Guiding Shield surrounding the warship, layer upon layer of golden ripples spread across it. Yet it passed through without any obstruction and crashed heavily onto the deck.