A faint morning mist blanketed the surroundings, marking the coldest hour of the day, where night met day.
On the deck, the members of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion visibly relaxed. Sailing during the daytime was relatively safer, as visibility improved.
Xu Zihuang, Yao Yang, and Wang Xiao sat cross-legged on the deck, surrounding a makeshift table crafted from a wooden crate used for storing supplies. On top of it, a steaming pot of rich, aromatic fish soup bubbled away, accompanied by a tray holding several cooked purple lobsters. Each lobster, measuring nearly half a meter in length, glistened with translucent, tender meat.
These were Amethyst Crystal Lobsters, hundred-year soul beasts that lived in the deep sea. For a group of their caliber, catching such creatures posed no difficulty.
Additionally, the table was adorned with black bread and a large jar of black caviar, all staple foods suited for long voyages due to their durability.
After a night of heartfelt discussion and revelations, Xu Zihuang felt much closer to Yao Yang.
Taking a bite of black bread slathered with black caviar, Xu Zihuang smiled and said, "I didn't expect you, Brother Yang, to be a hereditary viscount of the Southern Moon Islands."
"Are you mocking me, Zihuang?" Yao Yang responded with a warm smile. His kind demeanor was worlds apart from the cold aura he exuded when wielding his martial soul.
"The Southern Moon Islands consist of seven islands: Moon Hub, Moon Halo, Moon Dominion, Moon Balance, Moon Sun, Moon Shell, and Moon Wharf. I only control the northernmost island, Moon Huh."
Xu Zihuang paused, a trace of curiosity flashing in his expression. "What about the other six islands?"
Strictly speaking, the Southern Moon Islands were part of Xu Zihuang's father's fiefdom. However, being too young at the time, he had no involvement in its affairs, only a general understanding of the region.
"Zihuang, do you remember what I said before? The Southern Moon Islands are far removed from the Sun Moon Empire's mainland, and the surrounding seas are home to particularly powerful sea soul beasts. The empire's control over the area is minimal, leading to chaos and rampant piracy. While the other six islands are nominally under my jurisdiction, they are actually controlled by the largest pirate crews in the region."
Wang Xiao, seated nearby, chimed in, "That's precisely why we chose the Southern Moon Islands as our destination. Once we arrive, it will be much harder for the Sun Moon Empire to extend its influence over us there."
As he finished speaking, Wang Xiao suddenly paled and clutched his chest, his breathing uneven.
"Uncle Wang!" Yao Yang's expression changed, and he quickly pressed his hands against Wang Xiao's back, using his soul power to examine the condition of his body.
Wang Xiao steadied his breathing and waved dismissively. "It's nothing—just an old problem."
However, Xu Zihuang's sharp eyes caught a faint green tinge on Wang Xiao's chest. His expression darkened as he hesitated before asking, "Uncle Wang, are you poisoned?"
"Uncle Wang, it's time for Zihuang to know," Yao Yang said, meeting Wang Xiao's eyes.
Despite Wang Xiao's silent plea to let the matter rest, Yao Yang ignored him and pressed on.
"Uncle Wang was poisoned ten years ago during the battle against those two evil spirit masters I mentioned. One of them used their life essence poison. If not for this, Uncle Wang would have already broken through to Titled Douluo. Zihuang, once you've grown stronger, the destructive attribute of your Purple Brilliant Lightning Destroying Dragon martial soul could help delay the poison's spread. I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but in Uncle Wang's current state, he likely only has about fifteen years left before the poison consumes him entirely."
"If you want to save Uncle Wang, you'll need to reach at least the Soul Sage rank within these fifteen years and find a cure for the poison as soon as possible."
Yao Yang's voice carried a heavy note of resignation. Fifteen years meant Xu Zihuang had until he was twenty-three to reach rank 70.
Even though Yao Yang himself had innate full soul power, he hadn't reached Soul Sage until he was twenty-eight. And while Xu Zihuang possessed twin martial souls, the Purple Brilliant Lightning Destroying Dragon martial soul's combination of Ultimate Lightning and Destruction attributes, coupled with the inherent difficulty of cultivating twin martial souls, would make progress exceedingly slow after rank 30.
Wang Xiao sighed and shot Yao Yang an annoyed glance, but Yao Yang ignored it completely.
"Uncle Wang, Brother Yang," Xu Zihuang said firmly, his tone resolute.
"Hmm?"
"Before I turn twenty-three, I will definitely reach the Soul Sage level and find a way to cure Uncle Wang's poison," he declared, turning to gaze at the endless ocean in the east—the direction of the Douluo Continent. With his awakened memories of his past life, Xu Zihuang was filled with confidence.
The Skydream Iceworm, Electrolux, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the legendary Immortal Herbs, and the Ten Thousand Year Manifold Mysterious Ice from the Earthdragon Sect in the Dragon City where his mother was born were his potential opportunities. He wasn't certain if he could obtain all of them, but he would do everything in his power to get them.
Watching Xu Zihuang's unwavering determination, Yao Yang couldn't help but smile in gratification.
Wang Xiao's expression softened as well. Meeting this father and son was undoubtedly the greatest blessing of his life.
Both men silently vowed that they would protect Xu Zihuang at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing everything.
To lighten the mood, the group tactfully avoided discussing the heavy topic further. Instead, they turned their attention to the food on the table. Despite the ship's limited resources, the fresh ingredients made the meal satisfying. The warm fish soup coursed through Xu Zihuang's body, dispelling the morning chill.
"Uncle Wang, Brother Yang, I'll head back to my room to cultivate," Xu Zihuang said after finishing his meal.
Having regained his freedom, he was eager to resume training. Based on his estimation, his cultivation had reached at least rank 20 over the past two years, even without acquiring a soul ring. After all, he was born with innate full soul power, and Ultimate Martial Souls didn't experience slowed cultivation until after rank 30.
He had also begun forming plans for the first two soul rings of his Golden Eyes martial soul.
His primary focus was to develop as a control-system soul master, giving him a solid foundation to expand his skillset.
...
Xu Zihuang spent the entire day immersed in cultivation. When he finally concluded his training, a knock came at the door.
He assumed it was a soldier delivering dinner but was surprised to find Wang Xiao himself entering the room. As soon as Wang Xiao stepped inside, the sounds of the crashing waves, howling wind, and bustling activity on the deck outside abruptly vanished.
"Uncle Wang?"
"Young Lord, I was planning to wait until we reached the Southern Moon Islands to give this to you," Wang Xiao said solemnly, retrieving a silver metal box from his robes.
Inside the box lay a deep purple ring engraved with intricate dragon patterns. Its crystalline material resembled amethyst, and it was set with a flawless star-blue sapphire.
The Starlight Sapphire was an essential component for crafting top-tier storage soul tools. Despite this one being the size of a thumbnail, this gemstone alone was worth at least 500,000 gold soul coins.
"This contains a soul bone left behind by the Prince. You should try to absorb it. If you can't, then pass it down to your descendants—it's an heirloom of your lineage."
Xu Zihuang took the storage ring with a dazed expression.
"Is this all according to my father's instructions?"
"Yes," Wang Xiao replied, nodding. "Young Lord, you can attempt absorption without worry. I'll ensure no outside interference."
With that, Wang Xiao left the room, standing guard at the door with a contemplative gaze.
When the Prince entrusted me with this ring, he must have foreseen his own fate…
Inside the room, Xu Zihuang slipped the ring onto the index finger of his left hand. He was eager to learn more about this soul bone, especially given the cryptic instructions from his father.
Soul bones that couldn't be absorbed by soul masters were extremely rare, typically because their quality was so high that they required specific martial soul attributes or physical traits to fuse successfully.
As soon as the ring touched his finger, it tightened slightly to fit perfectly. Sun Moon Empire's craftsmanship in soul tool creation was undeniably superior—said to be a thousand years ahead of the Douluo Continent's three empires.
He channeled his spiritual energy into the ring, discovering that its storage space was as large as a small room. Inside, just as Wang Xiao had said, there was only one item: the soul bone.
With a flash of blue light, a peculiar bone radiating an overwhelming aura appeared, floating above Xu Zihuang's left hand. The oppressive atmosphere made the surrounding air feel frozen.
The soul bone, deep purple with a crystalline sheen, was engulfed in flames of destruction. However, it wasn't one of the six conventional soul bones but an external left palm bone.
The five finger bones, connected to the palm, emitted a sharp brilliance that seemed capable of piercing anything.
"An external soul bone?" Xu Zihuang muttered, frowning. "But I thought external soul bones couldn't be taken from their hosts…"
This meant the soul bone had never been fused with anyone before.
Yet, its connection to the Sun Moon Empire's royal family and the Purple Brilliant Lightning Destroying Dragon martial soul was unmistakable.
"Clearly, there are many secrets within the royal family that I wasn't aware of," he thought.
Gathering his thoughts, Xu Zihuang extended his left hand, using his soul power to guide the bone toward fusion.
As the deep purple flames merged with his hand, Xu Zihuang found himself enveloped by an entirely different world.
An oppressive voice thundered from the void.
"I was born alongside you and brought glory to the dragon clan. Yet what wrong have I committed to deserve being killed by your own hands?! ...You simply feared my potential! How dare you call yourself Dragon God?!"
"Hahaha! Under your rule, our dragon clan is doomed to eternal damnation!"
Rage and hatred surged into Xu Zihuang's heart, nearly overwhelming him.
Then, the scene shifted.
A massive dragon corpse, over three hundred meters long, fell from the sky, its purple scales glinting faintly as it crashed onto a vast continent.
"Hu… hu…" Xu Zihuang gasped as his consciousness returned to his cabin. He stared at his left hand, now brimming with newfound power.
"That purple dragon… was it the ancestor of the Sun Moon Empire's Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon martial soul? The Ancestor of Sub-Dragons... and this, the Brilliant Dragon Claw…"
He glanced out the window at the darkened sea. What felt like moments in that vision had taken an entire day in the real world.
.....
(T/N:
True Dragons = Dragon God creation/descendants
Earth Dragons = Dragons without wings
Sub Dragons = Dragons born naturally after the Dragon God (Purple Brilliant Heaven Destroying Dragon and Break Evil Dragon)