Golden Eye, the Second Martial Soul

Unlike the crude stone houses from before, the castle's interior was far more exquisitely decorated.

The fluffy crimson carpet covering the floor seemed to radiate a faint warmth, dispelling the chill of a late-autumn morning at sea. Rows of Soul Guiding Lamps hung along both walls, their soft, warm light bathing the central hall of the castle in splendid golden brilliance.

Within the vast castle, there was only Xu Zihuang. And the echo of his footsteps reverberating through the hall.

Expressionless, he walked to the seat of honor at the crystal dining table in the center of the hall and sat down. Before long, several soldiers brought in breakfast on trays from outside the castle.

Though the exiled Xu Zihuang was not allowed to bring servants to attend him, he did not need to worry about the necessities of daily life.

The steaming meat porridge before him gave off a rich aroma. There were also stews, vegetables, and fruit. Most of the island was saline-alkali land unsuitable for growing crops, so all of these had been shipped over from the Sun Moon Empire proper.

Supplies arrived at regular intervals.

And then there were the sea's most abundant resource: Sea Soul Beasts. Today's meal was the belly meat of a Thousand Year Deep Sea Bluefin Tuna, evenly sliced and arranged on a tray. Its tender flesh looked exceptionally appetizing.

Over the past three years, Xu Zihuang had eaten countless dishes made from the precious parts of various Sea Soul Beasts. Coupled with the nourishment of the Soul Power within his body, even though he had yet to obtain a single Soul Ring, his physical condition was already comparable to that of an ordinary Soul Grandmaster with a Beast Martial Soul.

This was also thanks to the solid foundation he had built in childhood. His father was the full younger brother of the previous Sun Moon Empire Emperor, as well as the full younger brother of the current Sun Moon Empire Emperor. Not only was he exceptionally gifted and had cultivated to the level of a Title Douluo, but he had also been deeply valued by Xu Zihuang's imperial grandfather and granted the four wealthiest provinces in the south of the Sun Moon Empire.

Calling his power overwhelming would not have been an exaggeration.

Before he had even awakened his Martial Soul, his father had often used all kinds of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, things rarely found in the world, to cleanse impurities from his meridians and strengthen his foundation. Some particularly special Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures were worth no less than a high-quality Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone. His attainment of Innate Full Soul Power upon awakening his Martial Soul was closely related to this.

Cool sunlight spilled through the window onto the smooth marble floor. Xu Zihuang held an ornate silver knife and fork as he cut into the belly meat of the Thousand-Year Blue-flag Tuna on his plate. His nerves, taut for so long, finally relaxed, and even his appetite improved considerably.

Of course, his situation had not fundamentally changed.

After breakfast, Xu Zihuang returned to his room as usual and read books on Soul Tool crafting.

Haixiao would not help him obtain Soul Rings, nor would he provide materials for making Soul Tools, but he would not stop him from cultivating or studying the knowledge of Soul Tool crafting.

Yet his mind was clearly not on the books. His thoughts had long since drifted away.

During the two years since awakening his Martial Soul, he had initially continued to cultivate diligently. But as time passed, he grew increasingly despairing.

No matter how hard he cultivated, as long as he could not obtain a Soul Ring, his strength could not improve at all. His Soul Power would forever remain at level ten.

And even if Haixiao helped him obtain a Soul Ring, what then? Haixiao was the Regiment Commander of the West Sea Soul Engineer Corps. Though the West Sea Soul Engineer Corps could not compare with the five Soul Engineer Corps directly under the Sun Moon Empire, it was still one of the few Elite Soul Engineer Corps. Haixiao himself was a Rank 8 Soul Engineer, and under his command were two hundred Soul Engineers, all at least Rank 3. Trying to escape this place was nothing but a fantasy.

Had he not inadvertently awakened the memories of his previous life when he awakened his Martial Soul, allowing the two souls within his body to merge perfectly and giving him a maturity far beyond ordinary people, these three years of imprisonment would have been enough to utterly crush his will and leave him numb.

Perhaps he could now understand Dai Mubai's state of mind Ten Thousand Years Ago. But compared to Dai Mubai, his own situation was even more despairing.

He was not even given a chance to resist.

His violet eyes gradually focused, a soft purple glow flickering within them. Xu Zihuang closed the book in his hand and opened the glazed window on the south side of his room. The frigid sea wind lashed his cheeks painfully, but he seemed wholly unaware as he lifted his head to gaze at the thick castle walls surrounding him like a cage.

As he watched seabirds occasionally sweep across the azure sky, Xu Zihuang unconsciously clenched his fists. In an instant, his pupils turned brilliant gold, while complex, obscure patterns swirled around them. His entire bearing underwent a heaven-shaking transformation.

Yet no one noticed that fleeting change.

That was right. The Martial Soul he possessed was not limited to the Purple Sun Annihilating Heaven Dragon inherited by the Sun Moon Empire royalty. He also possessed another powerful Body Martial Soul: the Golden Eye.

When he awakened his Martial Soul, the two souls within him had happened to complete their fusion. He understood perfectly the power of such a top-tier Spirit System Body Martial Soul. Therefore, he had hidden this Second Martial Soul.

Twin Martial Souls, and Innate Full Soul Power at that. Such talent might have earned him the regard of Xu Tianran and his father. Perhaps he might even have regained his freedom, but the greater possibility was that it would bring about his death.

A prince's son without any threat was what Xu Tianran and his father wanted to see.

"What use is talent, no matter how great?" A trace of bitterness flashed through Xu Zihuang's eyes. If he had awakened the memories of his previous life even just a year earlier, he could have done his utmost to change his family's fate by relying on his knowledge of how events would unfold.

All he could say was that fate truly toyed with people.

A seabird circled above the island and flew into the wisps of cloud. After gliding with the wind for several hours, it landed on the wooden railing of the lookout platform atop a massive ship. The vessel had six levels in total, five above deck and one below. Its hull stretched over two hundred meters, and the broad deck at its bow alone was larger than even the finest Soul Fighting Arena on the continent.

Several dozen soldiers stood on either side of the deck, vigilantly watching the surrounding waters. Even though this route had rarely encountered powerful Sea Soul Beasts, no one could guarantee that they would not encounter one.

An elderly man who looked like a captain stood anxiously at the bow, his skinny hands resting on the metal railing as he stared into the distance.

Behind the hundred young noblewomen aboard this ship stood a hundred noble families of the Sun Moon Empire. If anything went wrong, he, the commander of a ragtag Soul Engineer Corps from a coastal border city, could not bear that responsibility.

The bow deck was solemn and silent, but within the halls of the five levels of cabins above deck, cups clinked amid a scene of cheerful harmony.

At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.

In both the Sun Moon Empire and the original Three Great Empires of Douluo, rank and status did not merely distinguish nobles from commoners. Even among nobles, they formed an unspoken rule.

The five levels of cabins above deck were likewise divided into five classes, naturally based on the backgrounds of their occupants.

Within the hall of the top-level cabins, elegantly dressed young noblewomen held Glazed Cups in one hand and conversed with poise, occasionally raising their slender hands to cover their mouths as they laughed softly.

"Do you think that exiled Prince might choose one of us?"

"If we were chosen, wouldn't we have to stay on that isolated island for several years? I really wonder what the First Prince was thinking." The moment those words were spoken, the smiles on the faces of several nearby young noblewomen instantly vanished. They looked at the indiscreet speaker with wary expressions.

In the end, it was the cold and glamorous blonde girl seated in the place of honor who spoke, allowing the matter to pass.

"Watch your tongue. Is the First Prince someone we can discuss?"

"Coo, coo, coo..." But what these young noblewomen did not know was that, five hundred meters beneath the massive ship, a string of bubbles suddenly emerged from nowhere. A black shadow darted swiftly through the water.

Two yellow, two purple, and two black—six Soul Rings shone brilliantly beneath the dim underwater light.