Word Count: 3,153 Words
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"You actually have the presence of mind to wonder where you are."
A cool, clear female voice cut through the air. Goose-feather snow drifted down from an empty sky as the temperature plummeted, and a sheet of ice spread outward from beneath Ling Bai's feet, racing across the distant waves.
The Snow Empress stood with her arms folded across her chest, sky-blue eyes fixed on Ling Bai. Her tone was flat:
"If not for This Empress, you'd be fish food by now."
"Yes, yes, many thanks to Lady Snow Empress for saving my life."
Ling Bai chuckled as he offered his thanks.
No one could have imagined that Starsky Douluo Ye Yulin would be carrying a Class 9 Stationary Spirit Cannon Shell on his person. The Space Destroyer's true threat lay not in its explosion, but in the spatial storm generated at its core.
The Angel of Finality had been dragged into that storm and torn apart within the resulting rift. By the time Ling Bai stirred awake, he had already been deposited into this vast, boundless ocean.
"Destiny overrides every Ultimate Attribute. That Spirit Fusion Skill which controls destiny is extraordinarily powerful, powerful enough to give the two of you the means to slay a Limit Douluo.
But the prerequisite for such power is sacrifice. Do you feel anything wrong with your body?"
The Snow Empress gazed toward the edge of the ice sheet, where towering waves rolled and crashed. A trace of concern lay hidden beneath her detached tone.
"In the Angel of Finality form, I truly touched the latent destiny within me. My body feels normal now. It's just that the power of destiny seems to have gone dormant."
Ling Bai's tone was light, almost joking. "Human destiny probably wanted nothing more than to quietly guard the Son of Destiny's growth, only to be yanked out and shoved onto a battlefield. Now that the fight's over, it's curled up deep inside, hiding from the world."
"Destiny is truly a troublesome thing." The Snow Empress's elegant brows knit together. "Why not let me come out and help you instead? The spirit power I absorbed from the Extreme Chill Icespring is enough to sustain a battle at my peak."
"You're my ultimate trump card. So long as a problem can be solved by my own hand, I'd rather not call on you."
The Snow Empress found that answer very much to her liking. She nodded, the corners of her lips hooking up in a faint smile. Compared to playing the wise old spirit-in-a-ring, she far preferred this feeling of being relied upon as the last line of defense.
His companion soothed, Ling Bai surveyed the ocean stretching identical in every direction and could only sigh:
"Which sea did that spatial rift dump me into? Hopefully I'm still on Planet Douluo…"
"Definitely your original planet," Electrolux interjected. "The Space Destroyer isn't strong enough to tear open a rift that crosses to another world."
"Good to hear, then."
Electrolux's reassurance settled Ling Bai's heart somewhat. That made matters far simpler. First, he needed to locate Ling Qiuxi, who knew which forsaken corner of the ocean she had been hurled into, then find a fisherman and ask for a nautical chart. After that, the two of them could head back to the Douluo Continent together.
Six angelic wings spread wide, and Ling Bai shot into the sky like a streak of gold. Because they shared a destiny-type Spirit Fusion Skill, he could faintly sense Ling Qiuxi's location through the invisible bond between them, and he flew along that distant pull.
Ling Qiuxi wore the Black Dragon's Reverse Scale, so he had no fear for her safety. At worst, she'd suffer the misery of being lost for a while. As he flew at full speed, his mind tallied the gains from the Continental Spirit Master Academy Tournament.
First was the treasure hoarded by four major powers: the Sun Moon Treasury, the Holy Spirit Cult, the Duskwater Alliance, and the Alto Chamber of Commerce. The spirit gold coins recorded on Ling Bai's and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's ledgers had become a string of digits so long the count lost meaning. Warehouses were crammed with Sun Moon-made Spirit Guidance Devices and Spirit Cannon Shells, enough to arm several Spirit Guidance Legions to the teeth.
Second was the annihilation of the Holy Spirit Cult, the Evil Spirit Master organization that had poisoned the continent. From top to bottom, the cult was reduced to two pitiful commanders without troops; the rest of the Evil Spirit Masters had either fallen beneath the Angel Sword or gone to keep company with the brothers in the Spectral Demiplane. After ten thousand years, the Seraphim had once again become the butcher's blade hanging over the heads of Evil Spirit Masters.
Last was the removal of the greatest obstacle on his path to Godhood: Tang San.
A God's Divine Soul was the equivalent of a human soul, and damage to the soul was an exceedingly troublesome injury; needing several decades to recover wouldn't be unusual at all. With Tang San unable to personally interfere in his path to becoming a God, Ling Bai had bought himself precious time.
On top of that, destroying the Holy Spirit Cult had fed back an enormous amount of spirit power. Combined with the 'rations' stored in the Spectral Demiplane, Ling Bai estimated that once he returned to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, he could begin condensing Yin-Yang Complement Twin Spirit Cores and break through to Titled Douluo.
For now, he might as well treat this as an ocean voyage to celebrate the success of his plan.
One thing still warranted caution: the ocean was the Sea God's home ground. Sea spirit beasts were, on the whole, a tier stronger than their land counterparts, and many of them worshipped the Sea God. A single offhand word from Tang San and they would charge howling into battle on his behalf.
Care was necessary, but that didn't mean he was in mortal peril. The deep-sea overlord, the Deep Sea Demonic Whale King, was the Sea God's mortal enemy, and the Demon Empress would surely ignore any command from Tang San. The strength of other sea spirit beasts remained unknown, but the odds were slim that any of them possessed cultivation deeper than the Snow Empress's.
"Roar—"
Golden light flared in the distance. A familiar, resonant dragon cry split the sky. Ling Bai's six wings beat hard, and he accelerated sharply, locking onto the source of the roar.
Ling Qiuxi appeared to have run into trouble. She stood at the bow of a fishing boat, Golden Dragon Spear in hand, her expression sharp as a blade. Beside her stood an old man and a young girl. The old man was a five-ringed Spirit King, lean and wiry; his Martial Spirit was a harpoon, and his spirit ring configuration was a touch lacking: one white, two yellow, two purple.
The girl looked seventeen or eighteen. She had a high nose bridge and large eyes, her features faintly resembling the old man's on closer inspection. Her exposed skin glowed a healthy wheat color, and her short brown hair was clean and neat. Her Martial Spirit was likewise a harpoon, though she boasted a top-tier Spirit Elder configuration of two yellow and one purple.
Opposite the fishing boat loomed a large sea vessel. A massive sail flew from its mast, emblazoned with a leering black skull. A hundred-odd men packed its deck, twisted grins on their faces as they bore down on the fishing boat.
"Damn it, of all the rotten luck, the Black Pearl Pirates!"
The girl gritted her teeth, fingers clenched white around her harpoon. The Black Pearl Pirates were infamous along these waters; fishermen regarded them as vipers and scorpions.
"I'll handle it. The two of you protect yourselves."
Ling Qiuxi gave a cold snort. Her knees bent and she launched into the air, meeting the onrushing pirates head-on without the slightest fear.
The Black Pearl Pirates' Martial Spirits ran the gamut of sea spirit beasts: fish, shrimp, crabs, shellfish, every kind imaginable, and their strengths ranged from Spirit Elder to Spirit Emperor. One look at Ling Qiuxi's six brilliantly shining spirit rings drew only cruel grins from them. They manifested their Martial Spirits and dove into the sea as one.
The ocean was the home ground of sea Spirit Masters. The vast water served as innate cover. Ling Qiuxi smashed her spear down into the waves, sending the sea churning and flinging a curtain of spray skyward.
That feeling of having strength with nowhere to direct it made her frown. A Spirit Emperor pirate suddenly surfaced from the opposite side, sneering at her:
"I could tell with one look; you're a land Spirit Master, completely useless in a sea fight!
Come on then, big brother here will teach you what real combat at sea looks like!"
Beneath the surface, the pirates unleashed their spirit skills one after another. Layer upon layer of waves surged upward, climbing to ten meters in the blink of an eye before crashing down toward Ling Qiuxi. At the same instant, countless water arrows shot out in a dense volley, their shrill whistles enough to set the scalp prickling. Every arrow had been condensed from a pirate's spirit power, and the ocean itself served as a domain amplifier for water-attribute Spirit Masters.
Ling Qiuxi's fifth spirit ring blazed to life. Accompanied by a furious dragon roar, the Golden Dragon's Roar tore through the incoming arrows. The Golden Dragon Spear punched into the wave, and then the full weight of the sea slammed her down beneath the surface. Even her normally unstoppable Ultimate Strength could not stand against the raw might of nature!
"This land girl is too damn fine! I'm getting first dibs!"
Lust kindled in the pirates' eyes, and they hurled themselves at the submerged Ling Qiuxi like wolves and tigers. To their minds, every land Spirit Master was a dry duck. The moment one fell into the water, they might as well have laid their neck across the chopping block!
Hummm—
A sudden chill knifed through the Black Pearl pirates from chest to spine. An incomparable icy aura pierced them like blades. The icy aura was formless, immaterial, yet bone-deep cold, and fear rose unbidden in every heart.
A sinister gray seeped into Ling Qiuxi's golden dragon eyes. With her at the center, a terrifying pressure erupted outward, and her long golden hair streamed behind her like a banner of flame.
100,000-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Torso Spirit Bone Skill, Evil God Transformation!
Under the Evil God Transformation, her spirit power surged to its absolute peak, allowing her to unleash the Golden Dragon's power and every one of her spirit skills with perfect mastery. Ling Qiuxi had always been stunningly beautiful; now, veiled in the radiance of the Evil God Transformation, she carried an additional edge of cold, awe-inspiring menace.
Her sixth spirit ring blazed to life.
Golden Dragon's Skybreaker!
A massive whirlpool tore open in the depths of the sea. The pirates nearly lost their wits and scrambled frantically to flee into the distance, only to be sucked back in an instant by the vortex's pull. A spear tip of interwoven gold and gray filled their pupils.
Dark Demon Evil God Tiger Torso Spirit Bone Second Skill, Evil God Thorn!
The Evil God Thorn punched through the Black Pearl pirates' skulls. Bone shattered with a soft crack, and then there was only silence.
Eyes bulged like copper bells. Seconds ago, their minds had been filled with lurid fantasies of tasting Ling Qiuxi. In the blink of an eye, the situation had turned completely on its head. The Golden Dragon Spear devoured their life force whole, and not a single drop of blood escaped.
Ling Qiuxi burst up through the surface and landed lightly back on the fishing boat. The young girl took one look at her, unscathed, then at the pirates' corpses floating haphazardly on the waves. Her small mouth rounded into a perfect 'O', and when her gaze returned to Ling Qiuxi, it was as though she beheld a goddess descended from the heavens.
"Sister Ling, the Black Pearl is the most terrifying pirate crew in all the nearby sea regions!
You… you're incredible!"
The old man's eyes brimmed with grateful tears. "Miss Ling, truly, thank you."
"It was nothing." Ling Qiuxi waved a hand. "You saved me when I was unconscious. Lending a hand in return is hardly worth mention—"
Her words cut off abruptly. Her gaze sharpened, fixing on a single point in the sky where a golden figure hung suspended.
Ling Bai dropped from the air with a wide grin and landed in front of her. Beside his ear came the girl's sharp little intakes of breath, along with several barely contained whispers of, 'So handsome…!'
In an instant, Ling Qiuxi locked onto the infuriating smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Her delicate face frosted over.
"Funny?"
"Very good-looking."
High offense, low defense. Color flooded Ling Qiuxi's cheeks and raced all the way to the tips of her ears. She shot him a vicious sideways glare.
Laughter shimmered in Ling Bai's slightly lowered eyes. He rested his hand on her shoulder, and Ultimate Fire rippled outward, drying her soaked clothes and long hair in mere moments.
The four exchanged introductions. The old man was named Qin Hai, the girl Qin Yu. Their family had lived on Silver Whale Island for generations. They had gone out fishing and happened to pick up Ling Qiuxi as she drifted on the sea. Because Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi shared such uncannily similar features, they passed themselves off as siblings while traveling abroad, claiming to hail from the Douluo Continent and that their ship had been attacked by a swarm of sea spirit beasts, separating the two of them.
"You two come from the Douluo Continent?" Qin Hai exclaimed in surprise. "A thousand years ago, one of my ancestors was fortunate enough to visit the Douluo Continent. The shortest route from Silver Whale Island crosses a full six sea regions!"
"Sea regions?"
Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi wore matching looks of confusion.
Qin Hai caught himself and hurried to explain. "My apologies. 'Sea region' is the term sea Spirit Masters use for an area of ocean, named after its dominant shoals of fish or its overlord spirit beast.
For instance, the sea region we're in now is the Green Fish Sea Region, home to vast schools of green fish with delicious meat. Silver Whale Island lies within the Silver Whale Sea Region, whose overlord is the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale.
If the two of you wish to return to the Douluo Continent, you'll have to cross at least six sea regions."
The two exchanged a look. Not so bad. At least now they knew the way home.
"Then we'll trouble Elder Qin to draw us a nautical chart," Ling Bai said. "The Black Pearl Pirates' ship isn't bad. It'll do nicely for the voyage back."
The Black Pearl stretched over fifty meters in length and more than twenty meters across. Beneath the black paint of its hull lay a thick layer of iron plating shielding the ship's body. The Black Pearl Pirates plundered the seas for a living, and their gear was unquestionably top-tier.
"Of course, of course!"
Qin Hai laughed. "I see the Black Pearl's supplies are running low. How about this? Please come stay on Silver Whale Island for a few nights. I'll replenish your provisions, and let us properly express our gratitude."
The two agreed without hesitation, stowing the small fishing boat inside the Black Pearl.
Qin Hai took the helm and steered the Black Pearl toward Silver Whale Island.
Ling Bai, Ling Qiuxi, and Qin Yu stood together on the deck. The briny tang of the sea filled their nostrils, and the whistling ocean wind carried gust after gust of cold. Fortunately, none of them were ordinary people; their bodies were extraordinarily resilient, and a little chill like this hardly registered.
The beauty of the sea was beyond compare. The boundless surface stretched in every direction, water and sky meeting in a seamless line on the distant horizon, and the sun scattered across the waves to turn them into a field of shimmering silver light.
Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi tried their hand at sea fishing for the first time, reeling in several fine ocean fish. Still unsatisfied after eating her share, Ling Qiuxi commanded Ling Bai to catch four 10,000-year crabs.
The Qin grandfather and granddaughter were utterly dumbstruck, old Qin Hai most of all. He had fished these waters for decades and had never once tasted a 10,000-year crab. Only by riding the coattails of these land Spirit Masters did he finally get to dine on a 10,000-year spirit beast.
Bellies full and thirst quenched, the three of them returned to the deck to enjoy the sea breeze. With the long voyage ahead in mind, Ling Bai and Ling Qiuxi asked Qin Yu about basic ocean lore and the more formidable sea spirit beasts. The Death Abyss Spider Emperor Martial Spirit was still missing its eighth spirit ring.
Qin Yu's admiration for Ling Qiuxi had reached the point of outright worship, so she shared everything she knew:
"Sea spirit beasts are much like land spirit beasts. They have their own territories too, and they're even more territorial than the spirit beasts on land.
The Green Fish Sea Region has no overlord. Green fish are simply so abundant here that it's become one of the rare safe sea regions.
The overlord of our Silver Whale Sea Region, the Azure Sea Silver Dragon Whale, is an auspicious beast that watches over this stretch of ocean. Legend says its cultivation has already surpassed a hundred thousand years…"
An auspicious beast?
Both of them seized on the term at once.
Qin Yu continued, "But some of the more powerful sea spirit beasts prefer to roam and hunt far and wide. The Evil Spirit Orca, for example, or the Demon Soul Great White Shark… Oh, that's right, the sea region right next to ours is a common haunt of Demon Soul Great White Sharks."
"Demon Soul Great White Shark…"
Ling Bai narrowed his eyes and rattled off the information as if reading from a manual. "Pack hunters. Adults grow beyond twenty meters in length. White skin with a faint trace of blue-gray. Astonishing speed in the water. Mm… and the Demon Soul Great White Shark King's cultivation appears to exceed a hundred thousand years."
"You're so well-informed!
Brother Ling, aren't you a land Spirit Master? How do you know so much about Demon Soul Great White Sharks?" Qin Yu's expression all but cried out, 'You're amazing.'
"No, you've misunderstood. The main reason is…
They're already here."
"What?!"