The Uncrowned King of the Near Seas

When Lin Xia suggested going to Sea God Island, Zi Zhenzhu practically patted her chest and volunteered to personally take them there.

Her enthusiasm made Hu Liena take a second look at her.

But Lin Xia clearly caught the fleeting glint of schadenfreude in the female pirate captain's eyes.

Clearly, from Jixiang or from her own experience, she was well aware of the ominous reputation of Sea God Island as a place of "no return."

She reveled in sending these arrogant Land Soul Master to their doom, watching them suffer setbacks and enjoying the spectacle.

"But."

Zi Zhenzhu changed the subject, her tone becoming serious and wary.

"Let me make this clear from the start: I can't actually take you all to the island. We can only stop the ship in the waters near Sea God Island. You'll have to wade through the rest of the way yourselves!"

"The waters near that godforsaken place are incredibly eerie! Countless powerful Sea Soul Beast roam there, especially that damned group of Demon Soul Great White Shark!"

"Any ship that dares to get close will be torn to shreds! This Zi Zhenzhu is my precious treasure; I don't want it to become a pile of rotten wood for the fish to eat!"

She paused, lowered her voice, and spoke with a hint of awe for the mysterious power.

"Besides, who would dare to offend the Lord Sea God? Sending you to a place where you can see the island is already showing how bold I am!"

Lin Xia's gaze calmly fell on Zi Zhenzhu's face. His deep purple eyes seemed to Detect her little schemes, but he did not expose them. He simply nodded slightly, his voice steady and powerful.

"Deliver it to the vicinity. As long as the outline of Sea God Island is clearly visible, your mission is complete. You'll receive your full reward."

Lin Xia's calmness and composure made Zi Zhenzhu feel inexplicably stifled and annoyed.

Her Defiant spirit always made her want to Taunt this unfathomable man.

She had considered using her home-field advantage on the vast ocean to find an opportunity to challenge Lin Xia and regain some ground.

But whenever this thought pops into my head, the terrifying feeling of being instantly imprisoned by that blue-gold light in the wooden house that day, unable to move like a fish on a chopping board, will uncontrollably reappear in my mind.

It was a kind of suppression that came from the depths of the soul, a sense of powerlessness under absolute power.

The chill instantly extinguished all her impulse to take on the challenge.

This man... is indeed beyond her ability to contend with.

She could only purse her lips and swallow her dissatisfaction.

Throughout the voyage, Jixiang stood quietly to the side.

When Zi Zhenzhu began to describe in detail the dangers of the waters surrounding the route, his calm eyes immediately became focused.

Although he was unable to cultivate, as a former resident of Sea God Island and the divine healer of Purple Pearl Island, his understanding of the ocean far surpassed that of ordinary people.

He possesses an astonishing memory and comprehension. Although the information about the Sea Soul Beast' habits, territorial distribution, and attack methods described by Zi Zhenzhu is like a foreign language to Land Soul Master, he absorbs it all like a dry sponge.

He couldn't immediately fully grasp the Soul Power combat and survival skills involved, but Sheer Force imprinted every key point, every detour route, and the characteristics of every dangerous Sea Soul Beast firmly into his mind, without the slightest error.

He knew that this information was crucial to Lin Xia and the others' safe arrival at the outskirts of Sea God Island.

The next two days of sailing went surprisingly smoothly under the command of the incredibly experienced captain, Zi Zhenzhu.

The massive Zi Zhenzhu glided nimbly through the seemingly endless blue waves. Zi Zhenzhu herself steered the ship, her mind highly focused, issuing short, forceful commands from time to time to adjust the course.

She explained the perilous voyage to Sea God Island to Lin Xia and the others in detail, especially the areas they needed to avoid.

"See that particularly dark-colored sea area ahead, with swirling currents? Go around it! There's a Netherworld Ghost Octopus hidden beneath it, with at least 50,000 years of cultivation! That beast's tentacles can easily drag a ship into the deep sea; even Soul Power shield can't withstand its Suction Cups' Corrosion!"

"Hard to port! Avoid that area of dense coral reefs! It's not the reefs that are dangerous, it's a nest of Scarlet Flame Poison Jellyfish! A single one might be thousands of years old, but when thousands of them emerge, the venom they spray can boil the entire sea. Even Soul Douluo would be in serious trouble if they got a little spit on it!"

"Watch out for the flanks! The edge of that area teeming with Illuminate plankton is the hunting grounds of the Thunder Electric Eel! They love to Discharge en masse, enough to turn you to charcoal Alto Mare! The metal objects on the ship are easy targets!"

Her voice remained clear despite the howling sea wind, carrying a rough and direct quality unique to pirates.

She knew every Sea Soul Beast territory that she had to traverse for over ten thousand years like the back of her hand, pointing out not only its location but also its dangerous Ability.

She emphasized that it was not her personal strength that made her afraid of these Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts. With her level 73 Spirit Saint strength, plus the cooperation of the Soul Master on the ship, it was not impossible for her to deal with a lone ten-thousand-year-old Sea Soul Beast.

The key lies with the Zi Zhenzhu itself!

Even the sturdiest ironwood warship is as fragile as a toy in the face of terrifying Sea Soul Beast that can easily reach tens or even hundreds of meters in length.

If the ship is damaged, the consequences in the deep sea, far from land and fraught with danger, would be unimaginable.

"This ocean is a bottomless den of Soul Beast!"

Zi Zhenzhu took a swig of strong liquor, wiped her mouth, and looked serious.

"I've spent half my life at sea, and I know at least three deep-sea overlords that are hundreds of thousands of years old!"

Everyone's hearts tightened instantly.

"You've already experienced the first one."

Zi Zhenzhu's gaze swept over Lin Xia and the others, carrying a hint of lingering fear and admiration.

"That's the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King that almost wiped you all out! That thing is a true ruler of the deep sea, a million-year-old creature, the undisputed strongest monster in this ocean! Your survival is nothing short of Sea God!"

Mentioning this name, a pallor of lingering fear crossed the faces of Hu Liena, Xie Yue, and the others, as if the world-destroying scene had just happened yesterday.

"The second one is in the far sea, deeper and more mysterious."

Zi Zhenzhu lowered her voice, as if afraid of disturbing something.

"Legend has it that it is a relative of a 'Deep Sea Demonic Whale King' that has lived for countless millions of years, or something even more ancient. No one knows its exact name, and those who have seen it have all become fish food. All we know is that that area is an absolute forbidden zone, and even our pirate routes avoid it far away."

"And this third one."

Zi Zhenzhu's eyes became filled with apprehension, even a hint of devout reverence. She raised her hand and pointed ahead, toward the direction of Sea God Island.

"They're lurking near our destination— Sea God Island!"

"That's a Demon Soul Great White Shark King!"

Her tone was resolute.

"A top-tier Sea Soul Beast of the 100,000-year level! It is the leader of the entire Demon Soul Great White Shark clan! Its strength is said to be second only to the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, making it the undisputed uncrowned king of the near seas!"