Sea Regions
The crew stowed the heavy anchor, and the mooring lines were thrown back onto the ship.
The mainsail slowly rose, the canvas billowing in the sea breeze, and then the large ship slowly sailed away from the dock.
The captain was a burly man in his early sixties. His surname was Ma, and the locals in Vast Sea City called him Old Ma. He had been sailing this route for nearly forty years and knew every reef in the Nine Star Sea by heart.
He walked respectfully ahead, leading the way, and as he went, he explained the layout of the ship to the family of three behind him.
This ship has three decks.
The lower deck contains cargo hold and crew quarters, the middle deck is the living area, and the upper deck contains the command deck and VIP cabins.
Old Ma pushed open the VIP cabin door, stepped aside, and invited Qian Xunji and his family to enter first.
The room was clean and tidy, with a double bed against the wall and a single bed in the inner room.
A small square table and two wooden chairs fixed to the floor were placed by the window. On the table were a windproof oil lamp and a plate of washed fruit.
The room wasn't luxurious, but it was comparable to a typical hotel room in Vast Sea City. For a ship at sea, it was the best room available.
"Your Majesty, the cafeteria offers unlimited seafood, all caught fresh daily. Eat as much as you like."
"We've also prepared vegetables and fruits, especially Ju Zi, which are a must-eat for those who go out to sea... Bleeding gums are no joke."
"We understand."
Qian Xunji nodded and continued, "I want to know, how far is it from here to the Demonic Whale Sea Area?"
Old Ma's expression changed visibly.
He had spent thirty years at sea and heard countless legends about the Demonic Whale Sea Area.
As a child, he went to sea with his father. When the fleet veered off course in the fog, he saw a massive, mountain-like black shadow swim across the sea beside the ship through the thick sea fog. The width of the shadow's back alone exceeded the length of their entire ship.
His father covered his mouth to stop him from making a sound, and the entire boat drifted in deathly silence for nearly half an hour until the dark figure completely disappeared into the deep sea.
The fear of that moment was branded into his bones. Decades later, his hands still tremble uncontrollably whenever he hears the words "Demon Whale".
"Where are Your Majesties going?"
"That's a forbidden place for all of us sea people."
"Yes, but you don't have to go."
Upon hearing this, Old Ma finally felt relieved.
He had been sailing the seas for forty years, seen storms, pirates, and even Sea Soul Beast of ten thousand years, but the Demonic Whale Sea Area was different.
That's a place even the Grand Pontiff of Sea God Island has to think twice about.
He would rather brave the typhoon and rush into the eye of the storm than point the bow of his ship toward the Demonic Whale Sea Area.
If the Pope insisted that he go, he certainly wouldn't dare disobey the order, but that would be tantamount to suicide.
"Your Majesty, I'll go get a nautical chart," Old Ma said, turning to leave.
Bibi Dong raised her hand to stop him. "No need, we'll go to the captain's cabin with you."
"Okay, okay." Old Ma paused for a moment, then bowed and led the way.
The family of three followed Old Ma through the corridor, up the gangway to the command deck, and pushed open the wooden door to the captain's cabin.
The captain's cabin faces the bow and features a row of arched portholes, offering an excellent view of the entire sea ahead.
In front of it was a large wooden control panel, densely packed with compasses, steering wheel linkages, and several basic-model Soul-Guided Communicator.
Two young crew members and the first mate were sitting at the control panel, checking the course. They all turned around when they heard the door open.
The first mate stood up first and bowed.
"I'll bring Your Majesty to see the nautical chart." Old Ma nodded to the first mate, then stepped aside and led Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong to the rest area to the right of the control panel.
There was a low table and a row of cushioned sofas fixed to the floor.
Qian Xunji and Bibi Dong sat down on the sofa, while Qian Renxue sat between them, curiously examining the large fish skeleton on the wall.
Old Ma took out a roll of nautical chart wrapped in oilcloth from a hidden compartment under the control panel, spread it out on the low table, and weighed down the four corners with a compass, an ashtray, and an enamel teacup.
Above the nautical chart, in black ink, were written several neat characters, "Douluo Continent Sea Area Overview".
The entire nautical chart starts from Vast Sea City and radiates outwards in a southeast direction with several waterways of varying thicknesses, with different sea areas separated by ink lines of different colors.
Old Ma pointed to the mark of Vast Sea City with his finger, and then slowly moved southeast along a red dotted line.
"We are currently in the nearshore area, which is also the place with the most fishermen, the most stable ocean currents, and the fewest Sea Soul Beast."
"This leg of the voyage is very safe, and if the weather is good, you can even see pods of dolphins following the ship."
His finger continued moving forward, stopping just outside the nearshore area, drawing a small circle. "Beyond this area lies the White Shark Sea Area."
"The dominant species in this sea area is the Demon Soul Great White Shark, and there are probably tens of thousands of them."
"They don't usually attack merchant ships unprovoked, but if a fleet trespasses into the Core Area, it's no joke."
"Our route will bypass the edge of the White Shark Sea Area."
He then pointed with his finger to the eastern side of the White Shark Sea Area, where another darker blue area was marked.
"Adjacent to the White Shark Sea Area is the Evil Orca Sea Area."
The overlord is the Evil Orca King, whose cultivation is also over 100,000 years.
"The orca pod and the Demon Soul Great White Shark pod are sworn enemies. Their conflict dates back to ancient times, and no one knows exactly what their feud is about."
"In short, it's more dangerous here—at least the Demon Soul Great White Shark has basic group rules, but the Evil Spirit Orca doesn't follow any of those rules. It will attack and bite anything. Here, it's a no-go zone for ships."
Bibi Dong's gaze swept across the nautical chart, landing on a location marked with an island.
"Is this Sea God Island?"
"Yes, this is Sea God Island." Old Ma nodded. "The island is inhabited by millions of islanders who are not under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire, but only obey the will of the Sea God."
"The Soul Master of Sea God Island are called Sea Soul Master, and their strength is unfathomable, especially the Grand Pontiff Bo Saixi, whom even we sea people call the 'Goddess of the Sea'."
"The reason why our fishermen in Vast Sea City can still fish safely in the outer White Shark Sea Area is entirely due to the protection of Sea God Island."
"Pass through Sea God Island, then head southeast..."
Old Ma's finger moved past the marker for Sea God Island to the very edge of the nautical chart, to a section of sea almost entirely painted black.
This area has no island markers, no dotted shipping lanes, only a whale tail-shaped symbol drawn in red ink in the very center.
"This is the Forbidden Sea, the Demonic Whale Sea Area."
The first mate turned around from the control panel and took over the conversation.
"Because of the protection of Sea God Island, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King dares not cause trouble in the near sea, and even dares not cross the warning line of Sea God Island."
"Therefore, before setting sail, the fishermen of Vast Sea City would burn three sticks of incense at the Sea God Temple and pray for the Sea God's protection. This is not superstition, but a real way to save their lives."