Thousand-Year Swordfish and the Second Soul Skill, Mirror Shatter

The warship drifted unsteadily across the sea, making even the crystal Soul Guiding Lamp hanging from the ceiling of the spacious upper-deck room sway gently.

Xu Zihuang, Yaoyang, and Wang Xiao, who were sitting cross-legged on the wooden floor, opened their eyes at the same time. The Soul Power fluctuations surrounding them simultaneously receded.

The strange silver patterns radiating a dense glow gradually faded from Xu Zihuang's brow. Seeing the odd looks in Wang Xiao and Yaoyang's eyes, he could not help asking in confusion, "What is it? Elder Wang, Brother Yang, didn't your cultivation speed improve?"

After several more days at sea, Xu Zihuang remained immersed in cultivation every day. He had also gained a preliminary grasp of the other special ability bestowed upon him by the Silver Scale White Whale.

Unlike the Eye of Destiny that the Emperor Auspicious Beast Three-Eyed Golden Lion had bestowed upon Huo Yuhao in the original story, this ability not only greatly enhanced his Spiritual Power but also accelerated his cultivation speed.

He had carefully tested it. When he activated the silver patterns on his brow, his cultivation speed was roughly one-third faster than normal.

Moreover, using this ability did not consume Soul Power. It only needed to be activated with Spiritual Power, and the expenditure was negligible.

"No, Zihuang." Yaoyang's expression was extremely complicated, and he looked utterly speechless.

"Do you know that my cultivation speed just now was at least a quarter faster than before?"

His Soul Power cultivation had long since surpassed Rank 70. At this level, raising one's Soul Power by even a single rank often required an enormous amount of time. Yet with Xu Zihuang's boost, he might be able to touch the Rank 80 bottleneck in no more than six years.

Such an ability was simply absurd.

"Young Master, try not to reveal this ability in the future." Wang Xiao, however, spoke with a grave expression.

Xu Zihuang was now the equivalent of an auspicious beast among Soul Beasts. If this ability of his were exposed, it would definitely set off Raging Waves throughout the Soul Master World. With the strength of the two of them, they simply could not protect Xu Zihuang.

"Uncle Wang is right." Yaoyang nodded in deep agreement and said with certainty, "It seems that Silver Scale White Whale truly was the legendary auspicious beast. Only an auspicious beast could receive the favor of Heaven and Earth Elemental Power."

As he spoke, he stretched out his right hand and lightly touched the space around him, which was filled with dense Heaven and Earth Elemental Power.

As a Spirit Attribute Soul Master, he was exceptionally sensitive to changes in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Elemental Power. The closer he got to Xu Zihuang, the denser it became.

"Zihuang, I once read some information about auspicious beasts in ancient books passed down through my family. As favored children of fate, auspicious beasts rarely encounter threats. There are only two reasons for such threats. One is that they encounter an opponent whose fortune directly clashes with theirs. The other is that it is destined. Auspicious beasts possess a certain degree of control over fate, but there will inevitably be bottlenecks in their destinies, just as Soul Masters encounter bottlenecks in cultivation. And you may be its bottleneck—its destined fate."

"Fate?" Xu Zihuang frowned tightly.

He did not know why, but every time he recalled touching the silver scale on the Silver Scale White Whale's brow, he felt something strange.

It was as though he had seen fragments of certain scenes, yet he had no memory of them at all.

Just as he raised his head to say something more to the two of them, the corner of his eye caught sight of a mirror in the corner of the room.

The mirror reflected his face: fair, jade-like skin, delicate features, and clear, deep violet eyes that seemed slightly detached yet carried an imposing nobility.

Eyes?!

A spark of realization suddenly flashed through Xu Zihuang's mind. One of the scenes he had glimpsed seemed to contain just such a pair of eyes. But no matter how hard he tried to remember, he could not recall the complete image.

"What is it, Zihuang?" Noticing something unusual about Xu Zihuang, Yaoyang hurriedly asked with concern.

Xu Zihuang shook his head. "It's nothing, Brother Yang."

He did not know how to explain these matters to them. Besides, there was no point even if he did.

"Young Master, we will enter the southern waters of the Sun Moon Empire within the next few days. Let us go out and make preparations first." Wang Xiao could tell that Xu Zihuang did not wish to say more, so he rose and took his leave.

Understanding his meaning, Yaoyang followed close behind and left the room side by side with Wang Xiao.

Xu Zihuang slowly walked over to the mirror and carefully examined his reflection again. After pondering for a long time and still finding no answer, he could only stop dwelling on it.

After more than a month at sea, his shoulder-length black hair had grown to nearly reach his chest. Several strands of violet hair mingled among his fringe and sideburns. From the side, he looked noticeably gentler and less cold.

This was because he had inherited most of his appearance from his mother.

Morning light streamed in through the nearby window. Standing before the mirror, Xu Zihuang tied back his medium-length hair with a hair ribbon, then left the room wearing only a fitted inner garment.

They were already nearing the southern waters of the Sun Moon Empire. The temperature was worlds apart from the island where Xu Zihuang had previously been imprisoned.

Waves churned in the distance, where sea and sky met, emerald clouds blending into the blue heavens.

Perhaps because his circumstances had changed, he found the scenery before him indescribably pleasant.

"Young Master." Seeing Xu Zihuang approach, everyone on the deck respectfully saluted him.

Meng Lang, who had successfully fused with the Evil Spirit Orca Soul Ring, quickly stepped up to follow behind Xu Zihuang.

Xu Zihuang gave a slight nod and, as usual, took a finely crafted fishing rod from his Soul Tool.

The rod was polished from Ten-Thousand-Year Sword Bamboo, giving it exceptional resilience and allowing it to withstand several thousand pounds of force. The fishing line was made from the silk of a Ten-Thousand-Year Burrowing Demon Spider and gleamed crystal yellow beneath the scattered sunlight.

They were all Soul Engineers, so making such a fishing rod was effortless. The materials, however, were truly extravagant.

Bait had already been prepared at the edge of the deck: deep-violet lobsters with translucent, crystalline bodies, imprisoned in iron cages. Xu Zihuang had eaten quite a few of these Purple Crystal Shrimp throughout the voyage.

However, the Purple Crystal Shrimp used as bait had only around ten-year cultivation. After all, if their cultivation were too high, few fish would dare prey on them.

The fishing line made from Ten-Thousand-Year Burrowing Demon Spider silk also ensured that these ten-year Purple Crystal Shrimp could not break free.

Once Meng Lang had secured the bait, Xu Zihuang held the rod in his left hand and expertly cast it dozens of meters away, leaving the Purple Crystal Shrimp to struggle in the seawater. He rested both arms on the deck railing and enjoyed the sea breeze.

They had left the Deep Sea region several days ago. During this time, Xu Zihuang had been using fishing to pass the dull hours of the voyage.

Whether his luck was poor or his technique lacking, he had not caught a single fish in several days.

Still, he did not particularly care. He was not fishing merely for the sake of fishing.

As he listened to Meng Lang explain matters concerning the Yuenan Islands, his mind gradually relaxed, and he began considering his plans for the future.

"Young Master? I think something took the bait?!"

Meng Lang suddenly cried out. Xu Zihuang's eyes snapped open as well. Seeing the reel spinning rapidly, he quickly began reeling it in.

Yet the immense force coming through the rod nearly dragged him off balance.

"That has to be several thousand pounds of force." Xu Zihuang raised an eyebrow and exerted strength with both hands. Having consumed Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for a long time, and with his body further tempered by two Thousand-Year Soul Rings and the External Soul Bone Brilliant Dragon Claw, the strength in his arms had reached a shocking level.

Creaking sounds constantly came from the fishing rod and reel. Xu Zihuang bent his knees to lower his center of gravity and did not indulge it, directly meeting force with force.

The rod and line were both tough enough. Even a Thousand-Year Fish Soul Beast would struggle to break them.

Meng Lang stood helplessly at the side. He wanted to help, but since Xu Zihuang had not spoken, he could only remain there awkwardly.

Waves churned violently across the sea, drawing the attention of everyone on deck.

Even Thousand-Year Soul Beasts rarely appeared in these waters. With nothing else to do, everyone came over to watch the excitement. Over the past few days, Xu Zihuang had often mingled with them, and their interactions had become far less restrained.

"Young Master has been fishing for so many days. He finally caught one," someone teased.

Others chimed in.

"When it comes to cultivation talent, I admit I can't compare to Young Master. But when it comes to fishing..."

Some even began gesturing grandly as they tried to teach Xu Zihuang a few techniques.

"What techniques? Before absolute strength, they are not worth mentioning."

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Xu Zihuang laughed lightly. He did not intend to drag this out any longer, circulating his Soul Power and relying entirely on brute force to suppress it.

The rod bent almost to a ninety-degree angle.

A Blue Giant Fish over three meters long was finally dragged from the sea by Xu Zihuang. It had a typical streamlined body and smooth scales. Its upper jaw was long and sharp, resembling a keen sword.

The moment it broke the surface, the strange fish violently thrust its pointed upper jaw toward Xu Zihuang.

"A Thousand-Year Swordfish?!" Everyone reacted at once and prepared to intercept it. Meng Lang, in particular, stepped before Xu Zihuang without hesitation.

But just as the Swordfish's blade-like upper jaw was about to pierce Meng Lang's chest, Xu Zihuang's calm voice sounded.

"Second Soul Skill, Mirror Shatter."

Dark red ripples swept past. The Thousand-Year Swordfish's extended body suddenly seemed to freeze, while the surrounding air turned crystalline and formed a translucent Dark Red Crystal that completely encased the Thousand-Year Swordfish with perfect precision.

Bang— The Thousand-Year Swordfish, encased in Dark Red Crystal, crashed heavily onto the deck. Yet not a single crack appeared on its surface, making its hardness self-evident.

This was the second Soul Skill Xu Zihuang had obtained from the three-thousand-year Evil Spirit Orca, a skill combining control and destruction. What Xu Zihuang had used just now was only the first stage of Mirror Shatter, which used incomparably hard dark red crystals to restrict an opponent's movements.

The second stage emphasized the word shatter. Any object encased in these dark red crystals could be shattered into powder at his will. Soul Masters of the same rank as him had no possibility of breaking free.

Furthermore, this Soul Skill locked onto targets with Spiritual Power. Not only could it lock onto multiple targets at once, but it was also instantaneous.

I had always thought the Evil Spirit Orca's skill was insanely cool.