As the night descended and as the city lights began to glow, Moon Hub City stood as the largest and most prosperous city in the entire Southern Moon Islands, rivaling the main cities of the Sun Moon Empire and the three nations of the Douluo Continent in splendor.
Pedestrians on the broad streets wore expressions brimming with happiness.
Having never been ravaged by the flames of war from the continent, Moon Hub City exuded a tranquil harmony, a silent bustling metropolis filled with vivid tales of life.
Xu Zihuang stood atop the spire of a towering structure, slowly retracting his gaze. Although this location was at least fifty kilometers away from Moon Hub City, he could still faintly make out the flickering lights from within the city.
Beneath him was an ancient castle built on the mountainous western coast of Moon Hub Island. The area spanning twenty kilometers around the castle belonged entirely to Yao Yang's private estate.
For the residents of Moon Hub Island, this place was strictly forbidden territory.
The remnants of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion were recuperating here, and Xu Zihuang was also destined to spend the coming years in this place.
The salty sea breeze swept against his face, ruffling Xu Zihuang's robes. Before the castle lay an inland bay, deeply indented into Moon Hub Island, its shape resembling a crescent moon. At either end of the crescent stood a lighthouse.
The silver moon reflected clearly on the surface of the inland bay, its image fragmented by the waves yet continuously reassembled.
"Zihuang," Yao Yang's warm voice drifted from the flower garden in front of the castle. Xu Zihuang turned his gaze toward the sound, and with a leap, gracefully extended his body.
His deep purple eyes instantly turned to a radiant golden hue, and two resplendent purple soul rings shone brightly in the night sky.
The second purple soul ring shimmered as thin, mirror-like crimson crystals formed mid-air beneath his feet. His figure flickered, and he landed steadily on the ground.
The same soul skill, when used in different ways, could yield entirely different results. In this instance, Xu Zihuang locked his spiritual power onto a small space beneath his feet and used the second soul skill, Mirror of Destruction, to condense the area, creating a temporary foothold.
Because the condensed space was relatively small, the soul power consumed was negligible. However, the effect was comparable to a flight-type soul skill. This allowed him to propel himself in mid-air, achieving results akin to those with flight-type martial souls, except for prolonged aerial hovering.
Xu Zihuang increasingly felt fortunate for acquiring Mirror of Destruction from the Evil Spirit Orca.
This soul skill combined control, offense, defense, and support into one, making it absurdly powerful.
In contrast, Meng Lang, who also absorbed the Evil Spirit Orca's soul ring, wasn't as fortunate. Of course, that was only in comparison to Xu Zihuang. Any soul skill derived from the Evil Spirit Orca was undeniably powerful.
"Not bad. While the years of a soul ring matter, the true potential of a soul skill lies in the mastery of the soul master," Yao Yang said with a smile as he walked toward Xu Zihuang. To the ordinary observer, Xu Zihuang's earlier action resembled the void-stepping technique used by Title Douluo-level powerhouses. However, Yao Yang immediately discerned its underlying mechanics.
Having become numb to Xu Zihuang's astonishing talents over time, Yao Yang now viewed the boy's development of such methods as entirely natural.
As he spoke, he handed a silver storage bracelet to Xu Zihuang.
"Zihuang, here's the rare metal you asked Yao'er to prepare. There are 200 kilograms of each type, which should last you for several years. If it's not enough, you can directly approach Yao'er in the future. She will handle it for you."
"This is more than sufficient," Xu Zihuang replied with a smile, taking the bracelet without hesitation and slipping it onto his wrist.
Yao Yang led Xu Zihuang toward the brightly lit main hall on the first floor of the castle and offered a suggestion as they walked. "Zihuang, you don't need to push yourself so hard. Between cultivation, studying soul tool crafting, and tidal body refinement, you're placing too much pressure on yourself."
"Only by putting pressure on myself can I fully unlock my potential," Xu Zihuang replied with a wry smile, shaking his head.
The past month's experiences had profoundly impacted him. If not for Wang Xiao, Yao Yang, and the others risking their lives to rescue him, he would likely still be stranded on that island, waiting to die. Today's events at the Moon Hub Auction House had further solidified a simple truth for him:
Ultimately, it was one's own personal strength that mattered.
Yao Yang had reclaimed control of Moon Hub Island solely due to his Soul Sage-level cultivation. Similarly, the five pirate crews occupied the remaining six islands of the Southern Moon Islands for the same reason.
Learning how to craft soul tools had always been part of Xu Zihuang's plans.
As a member of the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family, he had never shared the rejection of soul tools common among the soul masters of the original Douluo Continent's three major empires.
Currently, his first martial soul, the Golden Eyes, lacked offensive capabilities, and soul tools could perfectly compensate for this deficiency. During his childhood and the three years of imprisonment, he had already built a solid foundation in soul tool crafting. Now, all he needed was consistent practice to become a Class 3 soul engineer.
As for tidal body refinement, it was a spontaneous decision he made after arriving at Moon Hub Island.
Unlike ordinary soul masters, his first two soul rings were thousand-year-old rings. By the time his soul power reached Rank 30, the age of the soul ring he could absorb would exceed 5,000 years.
But his ambitions extended far beyond that. Tidal body refinement was the simplest method to enhance his physical strength, preparing him for the potential second awakening of his body martial soul.
Seeing the determination in Xu Zihuang's eyes, Yao Yang couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. The figure deeply etched in his memory overlapped with the Xu Zihuang before him. The words he had planned to say turned into a sigh.
"Father and son, after all, they are father and son."
...
Xu Zihuang and Yao Yang entered the grand hall of the castle's first floor together. The lavishly decorated room was filled with tables laden with exquisite dishes. Thousand-year Amethyst Crystal Lobsters, thousand-year Deep Sea Bluefin Tuna, brilliant red thousand-year Peony Squid—rare delicacies were everywhere.
As Xu Zihuang entered, the soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion all rose and saluted respectfully.
"Young Lord."
"No need for formalities. Tonight, let's all enjoy ourselves to the fullest," Xu Zihuang said, striding to the central table's main seat. He took the crystal glass handed to him by Uncle Wang and downed the brewed barley wine in one gulp.
"Thank you all for risking your lives to save me."
He refrained from saying anything overly sentimental, for sometimes, fewer words have more meaning.
Everything was conveyed in that drink.
Perhaps it was the relief of their long journey finally coming to an end or the perfectly orchestrated atmosphere, but the banquet turned out to be exceptionally lively.
Laughter and chatter echoed as everyone toasted and exchanged stories.
For the first time, Xu Zihuang allowed himself to relax, drinking without restraint. After three years of imprisonment on that island, the pent-up tension in his heart was finally released.
He didn't use soul power to dispel the effects of alcohol, and by the time he was utterly unconscious, a few soldiers of the Imperial Dragon Soul Engineer Legion carried him back to his room to rest.