Devil Island, a mysterious islet located in the North Sea waters of the Douluo Continent.
The North Sea itself is the most enigmatic among the four major seas of the Douluo Continent. Connected to the extreme northern regions of the continent, prior to the establishment of the Douluo Federation, humans were entirely incapable of entering the North Sea on a large scale, let alone developing these waters.
It wasn't until the rapid advancement of Soul Guidance Technology that humanity gained a preliminary understanding and awareness of the North Sea and its adjoining polar regions. However, deeper exploration has yet to be undertaken, as this area is not only perilous but also too barren for the Federation to justify the investment.
The potential returns from developing the polar regions might not even cover the costs required for such endeavors. Hence, the Federation currently only enforces military control here, with no economic development activities whatsoever.
At this moment, in North Sea City.
As the northernmost city of the Douluo Federation and the largest human outpost in the polar regions, North Sea City is more accurately described as a fortress than a city. Built along the coast, beyond its towering, thick walls lies the deep, frigid sea. Standing atop the battlements and gazing into the distance, one sees only a vast expanse of dark, shadowy waters—the sky seemingly vanished.
Due to its geographical location, the waters of the North Sea are extremely cold. The churning waves frequently carry chunks of broken ice, which may appear small but can rival the size of a small hill. These ice fragments drift in from the polar regions.
The North Sea Garrison, one of the eight major corps of the Douluo Federation, is stationed in North Sea City. To be precise, the corps headquarters, command center, and the North Sea Fleet are based here, while the ground forces of the North Sea Garrison are deployed along the fringes of the polar regions. The North Sea Garrison boasts a total strength of 200,000 troops, and when accounting for logistics and other support units, the number exceeds 500,000, making it the second-largest corps in the Federation after the Central Corps.
Deploying such a sizable and formidable force along the polar borders underscores the Federation's deep wariness of the extreme north. Though the Soul Beasts of the polar regions no longer pose any significant threat, the deepest reaches of these lands remain shrouded in mystery for the Federation.
The unknown is the most terrifying.
However, these matters are of little concern to Jing Shaoyu at the moment. He is currently leading Xu Xiaoyan, Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, Mo Hentian, and Lan Fozi through North Sea City, searching for a suitable place to set sail.
Yun Ming escorted them to North Sea City before promptly returning to Shrek Academy. From here, they must find their own way to Devil Island.
Had Devil Island been located in the East Sea, South Sea, or West Sea, their journey would have been straightforward—a simple speedboat ride would suffice. But the North Sea is different. Due to military restrictions, no private vessels are permitted to enter these waters except for the warships of the North Sea Fleet. Any unauthorized boats discovered would be met with immediate missile strikes from the fleet.
Any vessel here, including warships from other fleets—the Northern Army Corps is extremely domineering. In their view, the North Sea belongs solely to their North Sea Fleet. Anyone from another fleet who enters without permission is considered an enemy, and they won't hesitate to open fire.
This has actually happened before. Once, a warship from the Eastern Sea Corps trespassed into North Sea waters. Upon discovery by the North Sea Fleet, three ultra-long-range soul guidance cannon shells were immediately fired, sinking the Eastern Sea warship on the spot. Everyone aboard perished instantly, including a major general from the Eastern Sea Corps and over a dozen field-grade officers. Because of this incident, the Eastern Sea Corps and the Northern Army Corps nearly went to war, bringing the Federation to the brink of civil war.
In the end, under the forceful intervention of Mingdu and the War God Hall, the Northern Army Corps apologized, and the Eastern Sea Corps was forced to accept it. The conflict fizzled out, but the grudge between the two corps was firmly set.
To put it bluntly, the Federation's control over its eight major corps is incredibly weak. Aside from the Western Sea Corps, Central Corps, and Poseidon Corps, which are directly under Mingdu's command, the other five—the Eastern Sea Corps, Northern Army Corps, Southern Corps, Northwestern Corps, and Blood God Corps—operate largely independently, with Mingdu having little direct influence over them.
The Blood God Corps is a special case and can be set aside for now. The other four corps are all formidable in strength. If not for their internal conflicts, Mingdu probably wouldn't dare to sleep with both eyes closed.
But enough digression—back to the present. Jing Shaoyu and his five companions had only two options to reach Devil Island by sea: either by air or by water. Ultimately, it boiled down to one question: where would they set sail from?
The walls of North Sea City were tall and long, encompassing nearly all of the North Sea's pitifully short coastline. Thus, if they wanted to sail out, they had to depart from North Sea City—the closest and most convenient route. Normally, as disciples of Shrek Academy's Inner Court and members of this generation's Shrek Seven Monsters, they could simply notify the Northern Army Corps and set sail without issue.
Unfortunately, over 90% of the Northern Army Corps' officers were graduates of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy. It would already be a blessing if they didn't deliberately obstruct them. Expecting the Northern Army Corps to grant them passage? They might as well try hijacking a plane—it'd be faster.
Of course, Jing Shaoyu wouldn't actually hijack a plane. Though he was the dean of Shrek Academy, he was a law-abiding citizen who would never engage in illegal activities.
"Brother Shaoyu, let's just cross the sea directly," Xu Xiaoyan suggested. "Devil Island is only thirty kilometers from North Sea City, after all."
"I agree," Wu Siduo nodded, supporting Xu Xiaoyan's idea. "All six of us are at least Soul Kings or Soul Emperors. Flying low over the sea for thirty kilometers shouldn't be a problem at all."
"The question is, will the North Sea Fleet try to stop us?" Ye Xinglan voiced her concern. "And if they do, should we resist?"
"Yeah, I've heard the North Sea Fleet is notoriously overbearing," Mo Hentian added. "And they're fiercely protective of their own."
"These are indeed all issues," Jing Shaoyu nodded and said, "If we disregard the influence of the North Sea Fleet, we could simply fly over. But the presence of the North Sea Fleet is indeed a major problem. It's not advisable to conflict with them at the moment, so I think we can go through the seabed."
"The seabed?" Xu Xiaoyan, Wu Siduo, Ye Xinglan, and Mo Hentian all exclaimed in surprise, while Lan Fozi's eyes sparkled as she looked at Jing Shaoyu.
A delighted expression appeared on Lan Fozi's pretty face as she said, "Shaoyu-gege, I can do it!"
"Huh?" Jing Shaoyu froze for a moment, looking at Lan Fozi in confusion. "What?"
"Didn't you say we should go through the seabed?" Lan Fozi said excitedly. "Isn't that asking if I can do it? I can! Although thirty kilometers is a bit far, as long as I have enough Soul Power, distance isn't a problem for me. And in the sea, my Soul Power recovery speed is twice as fast as on land."
This time, it was Xu Xiaoyan and the other three girls who looked surprised. They all turned to Jing Shaoyu with meaningful expressions, and Wu Siduo even said teasingly, "As expected of Shaoyu. We've spent a year longer with Fozi than you, yet we had no idea she could walk underwater."
"That's not what I meant!" Jing Shaoyu shook his head helplessly, rubbing his temples. "I also have the ability to walk underwater, and I can even breathe in water."
Hearing this, the girls realized they had misunderstood Jing Shaoyu's words. Lan Fozi's face flushed bright red in an instant—she seemed to have overinterpreted his words, and a hint of disappointment welled up in her heart.
"Originally, I was still hesitating, but Fozi has strengthened my resolve," Jing Shaoyu smiled at Lan Fozi and said. "Since both of us can walk underwater, things become much simpler. We'll just go straight through the sea. Fozi, can you do it?"
"Of course I can!" Lan Fozi immediately beamed, answering excitedly.
"What about you?" Jing Shaoyu then turned to Xu Xiaoyan and the other three, asking.
"No problem," the four answered in unison.
With the plan decided, the six immediately took action.
Under the cover of night, they arrived at a blind spot in the city wall's sentry posts, then leaped over the wall and plunged straight into the sea.
The moment the icy seawater touched Jing Shaoyu's body, a faint blue ripple spread out. He then unfurled his Natural God Wings, flying to catch Xu Xiaoyan and Mo Hentian, submerging them completely in the water before disappearing from the surface.
Lan Fozi, holding Wu Siduo and Ye Xinglan's hands, followed closely behind, also sinking into the depths.
Just one second after the six disappeared beneath the waves, a bright beam of light shone on the spot where they had vanished. Soon after, a squad of soldiers flew over following the light, staring at the churning sea in confusion.
"Strange, I feel like something fell from the sky just now."
"Probably just rocks. With waves this big, isn't it normal for a few rocks to get washed down?"
"True. All clear, let's head back."
The squad of soldiers left the sea surface, and the beam of light soon shifted to another area.
At this moment, about a kilometer away from the sea area, Jing Shaoyu and his five companions were walking calmly along the seabed. They split into two groups—Jing Shaoyu, Xu Xiaoyan, and Mo Hentian led the way, with the two girls holding Shaoyu's hands. A faint blue glow emanated from their bodies, causing the seawater to automatically part around them. With every breath they took, a string of bubbles formed.
Lan Fozi, Wu Siduo, and Ye Xinglan followed behind them. Lan Fozi's eyes shimmered with a deep blue light as she projected a dark blue protective barrier around Wu Siduo and Ye Xinglan, allowing the two to walk and breathe freely underwater.
The pale blue glow radiating from Jing Shaoyu and his two companions was the power of the Monarch of the Sea—an ability granted by his Ocean Authority. Not only did it allow him to move freely in the ocean, but it could also temporarily bestow other beings with the ability to survive underwater.
The barrier Lan Fozi projected was her Martial Soul talent, capable of isolating seawater and enabling people to walk and breathe on the seabed without being affected by water pressure. While it might have been a rather useless ability for her personally, it was extremely convenient for Soul Masters lacking underwater capabilities.
The six of them moved forward in two groups, heading toward Devil Island.
"Is this what the seabed looks like?" Xu Xiaoyan muttered in disappointment as she glanced at the pitch-black surroundings, her voice low. "It's not pretty at all—just dark and eerie. I can't see anything."
"That's just how the North Sea is—desolate and cold," Mo Hentian remarked. "Among the Federation's four great seas, the North Sea is the least suitable for human habitation."
"Shaoyu-ge, when we have time, let's go diving back in East Sea City, okay?" Xu Xiaoyan clung to Jing Shaoyu's arm, her voice sweet and pleading.
"If you want to go diving, the South Sea is a much better choice," Lan Fozi chimed in from behind. "The East Sea has been overdeveloped—most marine life has retreated to the deep sea. There's nothing there but industrial waste. It's not scenic at all."
"Uh—!" Xu Xiaoyan immediately wanted to retort upon hearing Lan Fozi disparage her hometown, but realizing that everything she said was true, she could only fall silent.
"Heh," Wu Siduo couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. "Then what about the South Sea?"
"Because of its rugged terrain, the South Sea has been difficult to develop, so its environment remains well-preserved," Lan Fozi explained knowledgeably. "It's also the warmest of the four seas, with the most diverse marine life and the lushest underwater vegetation. I remember there's a particularly vast and beautiful coral reef in the South Sea—it's absolutely stunning!"
"It's true that the South Sea coast doesn't have any major cities or large ports," Ye Xinglan mused.
"Fozi, how do you know so much about this?" Jing Shaoyu asked with a meaningful smile, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Lan Fozi's expression stiffened for a moment before she broke into a silly grin. "Because I've been there once and saw that coral reef with my own eyes. It was so beautiful that I still remember it clearly."
"Great! Then once our special training is over, let's go to the South Sea!" Xu Xiaoyan immediately cheered.
"We can consider it," Jing Shaoyu replied with a smile.
As the six of them chatted while walking, they moved swiftly. In no time, they had already covered over ten kilometers. Just a little more, and they would reach Devil Island. Unfortunately, things were not going to be so smooth.
In the darkness, a sea Soul Beast suddenly lunged at them. Jing Shaoyu reacted swiftly, raising his hand to freeze the seawater into ice. The ambushing Soul Beast was instantly encased in a block of ice and sank to the ocean floor.
Though it was merely a century-old sea fish, it put everyone on high alert.
"There are still sea Soul Beasts in these waters!" Ye Xinglan exclaimed in surprise. "Did the North Sea Fleet leave them here on purpose?"
"Not sure," Jing Shaoyu shook his head. "Regardless, everyone stay vigilant. Visibility is poor underwater—if a big one suddenly charges at us, it won't be good."
No sooner had he spoken than white waves churned in the distance. A sharp, piercing cry echoed through the water, its pitch so high that everyone instinctively frowned, covered their ears, and warily turned toward the source.
A dolphin over twenty meters long emerged from the turbulent waters. Its white body stood out starkly in the dark sea, with patches of crimson flesh exposed on its dorsal fin and parts of its body. A faint black mist seeped from its wounds, and its eyes glowed with a bloody red hue. Its long snout slightly parted as its life force continuously drained away.
This was no ordinary white dolphin—it had ten thousand years of cultivation.
"Get lost, or I'll kill you!" Lan Fozi growled at the ten-thousand-year white dolphin, unleashing the unique pressure of an oceanic emperor that permeated the water.
Yet the white dolphin remained indifferent, charging straight toward the six of them.
The seawater abruptly parted, creating a dry zone. The white dolphin crashed onto the seabed, where frenzied seaweed erupted from the ground, binding it tightly and rendering it immobile—even its mouth was sealed shut.
Lan Fozi turned to Jing Shaoyu, her eyes pleading. "Brother Shaoyu, can you spare its life?"
"Ah!" Jing Shaoyu sighed. "Even if I don't kill it, it won't last more than a few days. Didn't you notice? Its vitality is almost completely drained."
Lan Fozi stared at the white dolphin. Its wounds were horrifying, and the black mist dispersing from them appeared even more vivid without the seawater to obscure it. The others could see destruction, madness, and bloodlust.
"This is..." Lan Fozi murmured in shock.
"The Power of Destruction," Jing Shaoyu said. "It's been tainted by the Power of Destruction but lacks the ability to absorb or neutralize it. All that's left is to wait for death."
"How could this be?!" Lan Fozi was heartbroken.
The others, however, were less concerned about the dolphin's fate and more focused on another matter. "The Power of Destruction! How could it be in the ocean?"
"Because of Devil Island," Jing Shaoyu replied calmly. The girls didn't know the origins or nature of Devil Island, but he did—after all, that was precisely why he had come here!
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