After escaping the Demon Empress's gaze, Xia Ming returned to the Black Pearl at top speed.
The sea was calm, but the distant pressure still left every crew member pale.
When Xia Ming reappeared on the deck, the temporary captain nearly stumbled as he rushed forward:
"My lord! That whale..."
"Dead."
Xia Ming was succinct, his tone as calm as if he had merely swatted a fly to death.
He did not explain the process, nor did he reveal his Soul Rings.
But everyone had seen it.
The terrifying Soul Power fluctuations that had churned the sea where he departed, and the unhurried composure with which he returned unscathed.
After a brief deathly silence, nearly frenzied cheers erupted across the deck.
The sailors fell to their knees, thanking the mysterious powerhouse with utmost reverence.
"As agreed, take me to that place."
Xia Ming's gaze turned toward the distant sea. The origin of his Golden-Haired Lion Mastiff Martial Soul was sending increasingly clear resonances from deep within his soul.
It was as though an invisible thread stretched across countless miles of sea, drawing his bloodline onward.
The captain did not dare say more and immediately ordered the ship to proceed at full speed.
Over the next half month, the Black Pearl seemed to be driven by some invisible force, sailing at an astonishing speed.
Xia Ming spent most of his time standing at the bow with his eyes closed, sensing the way ahead.
The Soul Power around him shifted faintly with every adjustment of their course, as though he himself were a living compass.
Whenever they passed by, the crew detoured around him reverently. No one dared disturb him.
They gradually discovered something.
The closer they came to the direction indicated by this lord, the stranger the waters became.
The currents