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"A Spirit Douluo!"
"And with two hundred-thousand-year spirit rings at that!"
Upon witnessing Davis's talent and true strength, Sha Hengtian was instantly dumbstruck. He stood frozen for a long while before finally recovering from his shock. He took a deep breath and asked, "Your Highness, may I ask what your current cultivation level is?"
"Of course. I am currently a Peak Rank 89 Spirit Douluo!" Davis laughed heartily, stating his rank without hesitation.
However, rank did not fully represent combat power. Although he was technically only at Rank 89, if a fight were to break out, even a Super Douluo might not necessarily be able to take him down.
"Rank... Rank 89 Peak! You are only one step away from becoming a Titled Douluo..."
Sha Hengtian was flabbergasted once again. Although he had long known that Davis possessed extraordinary talent, this went far beyond "extraordinary." This was simply heaven-defying!
He dared to say that on this trip to Sea God Island, it might actually end up being Davis who protected him, rather than the other way around.
Having confirmed Davis's strength, Sha Hengtian no longer had any worries. He immediately thumped his chest and declared, "Your Highness, please rest here for the day. We can set sail first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Then I thank you, General Sha."
"There is no need for thanks, Your Highness. This is my duty." With that, Sha Hengtian took his leave to prepare the vessels, load the cannons, and finalize the fleet's readiness.
At the same time, he ordered a lavish dinner to welcome Davis and wash away the dust of the journey. The main course of the banquet was, naturally, spirit beast meat. This was nothing new to Davis; in the Crown Prince's residence, he ate spirit beast meat prepared in various styles every day.
However, the roast meat before them now was the flesh of a sea spirit beast—a large shark that had been charcoal-grilled. It exuded a savory aroma that made one's mouth water and appetite surge.
To be honest, Davis hadn't eaten sea spirit beast meat many times. Consequently, it wasn't long before he had consumed half of the grilled shark.
"Mmm! This charcoal-grilled shark is too delicious! I feel like my spirit power increases a bit with every bite!" Anna couldn't help but exclaim as she wolfed down the food, unable to stop herself.
Hearing this, Davis grew thoughtful. Water nourishes Wood. After absorbing the origin of the Blue Silver Emperor, Anna's Ink Jade Divine Grass possessed a near-ultimate wood attribute.
The flesh of sea spirit beasts contained abundant water-attribute spirit power. Therefore, after consuming it, Anna's spirit power rose very quickly. It was similar to how Tang Yuehua's spirit power had surged after consuming the flesh of the Titan Giant Ape.
"Haha, Miss Anna is quite right! These sea spirit beasts live in the deep ocean, and their flesh contains massive amounts of spirit energy. For Spirit Masters, it is greatly beneficial!"
Before the person appeared, his voice arrived first. Sha Hengtian walked into the tent with a smile and continued, "And this is merely a thousand-year Cold Water Shark. If you were to encounter a ten-thousand-year sea spirit beast, the taste would be truly extraordinary!"
After speaking, Sha Hengtian looked toward Davis, bowed slightly, and said respectfully, "Reporting to Your Highness: the Wild Shark Fleet is fully assembled and ready. We can set sail for Sea God Island tomorrow morning."
"Good! Thank you for your hard work, General Sha!"
The group rested in the camp for the night. Early the next morning, they arrived at the coast to inspect the massive scale of the Wild Shark Fleet.
After years of development, the Wild Shark Fleet boasted one thousand warships, each capable of carrying a thousand people.
Unfortunately, four-fifths of the fleet consisted of ordinary warships without cannons. For combat, these ships had to rely on heavy ballistae, crossbows, and boarding tactics.
Furthermore, these ordinary ships were constructed of wood. Once they caught fire, if the flames weren't extinguished in time, the ship would be destroyed and lives lost.
However, these vessels were essentially "porters." Their primary role was to transport supplies, ammunition, and tools; under normal circumstances, they were not required to engage in combat.
The remaining two hundred warships were the true main force of the Wild Shark Fleet. Each of these vessels was equipped with over twenty advanced cannons, capable of suppressing the enemy with dense, covering fire.
Among these two hundred warships were ten Ironclads, painstakingly crafted by the Blacksmith's Association. Their hulls and keels were forged from alloys.
Not only were they impregnable, but they were also impervious to water and fire. Constructed with corrosion-resistant alloys, they wouldn't rot even if left in seawater for a decade.
Moreover, each Ironclad could withstand the full-force attack of a ten-thousand-year sea spirit beast. They were known as "Indestructible Sea Fortresses."
The only regret was that the propulsion problem remained unsolved. These Ironclads currently had to rely on ocean currents and wind to move. Because they were much heavier than other ships, their speed was significantly slower.
When moving, they often needed to be connected to other ships by chains just to barely keep up with the fleet's pace. They were vessels with distinct advantages and undeniable disadvantages.
However, Davis had already shared some knowledge of steam technology from his past life with Master Lou Gao. He just didn't know when Master Lou Gao would succeed in developing a steam engine.
After all, while Davis understood the principles of the steam engine, he only knew the theory. He honestly had no idea how to actually manufacture one.
"My heavens! Is this the Ironclad of the Wild Shark Fleet? It's spectacular!"
Looking at the Ironclads, which stood as tall as a six or seven-story building, Anna and the other girls' eyes lit up. Even the well-traveled Tang Yuehua was shocked into silence.
She had never seen such warships in the Heaven Dou Empire. She wished she could board one immediately to experience it.
"Your Highness, Crown Princess, please board the ship!" Sha Hengtian made a welcoming gesture. Accompanied by the general, the group boarded the Ironclad. Gazing out at the magnificent, boundless ocean, everyone felt their spirits lift and their fighting will soar.
Davis declared silently in his heart: Sea God Island, I am coming!
With a wave of Sha Hengtian's large hand, the Wild Shark Fleet set sail!
Although the fleet possessed a thousand ships in total, only thirty warships were deployed for this voyage. This included twenty-five ordinary warships and five Ironclads, all advancing mightily toward the direction of Sea God Island.
Ten warships led the way, fifteen brought up the rear, and four Ironclads flanked the left and right sides to protect the "Wild Shark"—the flagship where Davis and the others resided.
Every ordinary warship was presided over by a Sea Spirit Master with the cultivation of a Spirit Sage, while the four escort Ironclads were guarded by Sea Spirit Masters at the Spirit Douluo level.
As for the Wild Shark flagship, it was personally commanded by Sha Hengtian and Davis.
A month passed in a flash. The Wild Shark Fleet moved across the ocean like a giant crab, traversing the waters without hindrance.
Faced with such a terrifying torrent of warships, the pirates in the area retreated far away, not daring to appear within five nautical miles of the fleet.
Of course, there were always a few fearless idiots who dared to charge at the Wild Shark Fleet, hoping to hijack a ship for their own use. The result was that they were utterly crushed.
In the end, those pirates were thrown into the sea by Sha Hengtian to feed the sharks.
(End of Chapter)