A Special Area?

Xie Yue managed to maintain a semblance of composure through sheer willpower and exquisite control over his body, but his tightly pursed lips and slightly bluish complexion betrayed his underlying distress.

He tried to lower his center of gravity, his feet rooted to the deck, resisting the violent shaking.

Only Lin Xia remained firmly standing at the bow of the ship.

His body swayed naturally with the rise and fall of the ship, as if he had become one with the ship and the sea.

The mark of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud felt slightly warm between his brows, and a cool yet vast power flowed through his body, not only offsetting the dizziness brought on by the wind and waves, but also allowing him to clearly perceive the pulse of the surrounding water and every subtle change in the hull.

His gaze was calm, as if the violent jolts were nothing more than insignificant ripples.

This day was long and agonizing for the Golden Generation, except for Lin Xia.

Most of the time, they could only lie helplessly in their cramped cabins, listening to the dull thuds of the ship battling the wind and waves, enduring wave after wave of dizziness and nausea.

Vomiting sounds rose and fell, and the cabin was filled with a faint sour smell and the scent of the sea.

Every violent jolt felt like it was shaking my internal organs out of my body.

The clean water brought by the sailors was often returned to the sea shortly after being drunk.

Their physical weakness and mental despondency made them deeply aware of the other side of the sea beneath its gentle mask—its awe-inspiring, violent power.

Haider's words of comfort became their only guidance.

"Just bear with it, you'll feel better once you've thrown up completely!"

"You'll get used to it; everyone goes through this!"

When the sunlight of the second day once again Infiltrator the portholes into the slightly messy cabin, the Sea Demon finally sailed away from that troublesome area of wind and waves.

The sea seemed to have exhausted yesterday's frenzy, becoming gentle and languid once more.

The sea surface was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the golden sunlight, which warmed the entire cabin and filled it with coziness.

Yesterday's intense ordeal seemed to have exhausted everyone. Hu Liena, Dugu Yan, Yan, and Ye Lingling all looked unusually haggard, with faint bluish shadows under their eyes and pale faces.

They struggled to their feet and sipped the milky-white fish soup, made from fresh sea fish, that the sailors had brought them.

The soup was very light, with only a little salt added for seasoning, but it was a rare comfort for my stomach, which was feeling extremely sensitive at that moment.

The delicious fish soup slid down my throat, bringing a touch of warmth and strength, but that was all.

I have no appetite at all; if I eat even a little bit more, my stomach starts churning again.

The four of them managed to drink half a bowl of soup before they could no longer hold on. They dragged their heavy steps back to their respective cabins, wanting only to continue sleeping in the warmth and quiet, allowing their bodies to recover as much as possible.

Xie Yue's condition was slightly better; although his face was still somewhat pale, his eyes had regained their usual sharpness.

He sat on a wooden crate on the deck, closed his eyes, and tried to recover the energy depleted by seasickness.

As the leader of the Golden Generation, he needs to adjust his mindset as soon as possible.

Lin Xia remained on the bow deck.

He faced the rising sun and took a deep breath of the warm sea breeze, which had become noticeably less salty and fishy.

After yesterday's storm, he had a more intuitive understanding of the ship and how to control Haider.

He opened his palm, and a faint halo of Soul Power condensed in his palm. At the center of the halo, there seemed to be a tiny compass phantom gently rotating—this was a method he used to deduce his course by combining the perception of the ocean through the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud with the sun's position.

He gazed at the distant horizon, which offered no reference points, and silently calculated in his mind.

The position of the sun, the speed of the voyage, the passage of time... these pieces of information were rapidly combined and deduced in his mind.

"The direction is roughly correct."

Lin Xia was resolute.

"Judging from the speed of the Sea Demon and its current course, it is indeed approaching Sea God Island."

The vague intuition about ocean orientation that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud granted him also confirmed this point.

This put his mind at ease; at least he hadn't made a mistake in the first step.

Just then, Captain Haider's familiar figure appeared on the deck.

He changed into a neater dark blue uniform, and with his usual, seemingly perpetually warm smile on his face, he walked steadily to Lin Xia's side.

"Respected Soul Master."

Haider bowed slightly, his tone respectful, but in Lin Xia's eyes, this respect always seemed to carry a hint of deliberate and superficiality.

"The storm last night caused great suffering for the ladies and gentlemen. Fortunately, the seas are calm now, which is a good omen."

Lin Xia nodded slightly, her gaze not turning away from the distance, but responding calmly.

"It's alright, it's a process we all have to go through. Captain Haider, how's our journey going?"

Haider's smile widened, as if he had been waiting for this question.

"Thanks to you, the voyage is going very smoothly. At our current speed and direction, I estimate we'll reach the vicinity of the sea area you specified in about eight days."

He paused, his tone becoming slightly more serious, carrying a hint of deliberate reminder and... a Frisk probing.

"However, esteemed Soul Master."

Haider lowered his voice, his gaze sweeping across the calm sea as if he were on guard against something.

"There's something I must inform you and your companions in advance. Based on our voyage calculations, after another half-day's journey, which means this evening or nightfall, we will enter a... well, rather special area."

"Special area?"

Lin Xia finally turned her head, her deep blue eyes staring directly at Haider.

He keenly caught the fleeting glint in Haider's eyes.

"Yes."

Haider nodded vigorously, his smile fading and replaced by a solemn expression tinged with worry.

"That sea area is one of the known coastal shipping routes where Sea Soul Beast are relatively active. Although it's not as terrifying as the open sea or the deep sea, the chances of encountering Sea Soul Beast that are a hundred or even a thousand years old are greatly increased."

"Although the Sea Demon has been reinforced with iron armor, if it encounters a powerful Sea Soul Beast, especially those large creatures that are adept at attacking from underwater, it might..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but rubbed his hands together, giving a knowing look, and then looked at Lin Xia with eager eyes, his tone filled with obvious dependence and flattery.

"Therefore, at that time... I'm afraid we'll have to rely on the assistance of all of you powerful Lord Soul Master! With you all here, we can safely navigate that dangerous waterway. Rest assured, our crew will cooperate fully and maneuver the ship well!"

Lin Xia listened quietly, her face expressionless, but her mind was racing.

"Knew."