Just as Yun Ming and Oscar were conversing, they suddenly felt the ship jolt, as if it had collided with something. Shortly after, they heard people on the deck shouting loudly for reinforcements.
Yun Ming and the others, hearing this, ran to the edge of the deck to assess the situation, and that was when they saw the culprit behind the attack.
It was a strange whale with an incredibly thick body that looked brimming with power, its entire body a grayish-black. Its head was exceptionally large, and when it occasionally opened its mouth, it revealed terrifying, blade-like teeth, while its blood-red eyes were filled with a fierce aura.
Then, they heard a cry of alarm from Hai Lan beside them.
"An Evil Spirit Orca?!!"
As one of the top predators in the ocean's food chain, alongside the Demon Soul Great White Shark and the Deep Sea Demon Whale, an Evil Spirit Orca of the same age and cultivation is stronger than a Demon Soul Great White Shark, though weaker than a Deep Sea Demon Whale.
However, that was not the reason for Hai Lan's shock. What he feared was that Evil Spirit Orcas are pack animals; if one appeared, it was highly likely that an entire pod existed nearby.
Furthermore, the Evil Spirit Orca is an extremely bloodthirsty Sea Soul Beast that runs rampant in the ocean. Even when they don't need food, they kill incessantly, tearing apart any creature they encounter without hesitation. If this pod were even slightly large, it would be very dangerous for them.
Yun Ming realized this as well and immediately released his Spiritual Power to scout the movements of the surrounding soul beasts. Fortunately, he sensed only this juvenile Evil Spirit Orca and found no other similar auras.
Yun Ming said to the solemn-faced Hai Lan, "Sea Hall Master, there is no need to worry. There is only this one Evil Spirit Orca here; it must have become separated from its pod!"
The reality was indeed as Yun Ming had judged. Because the battle between Ao Tian and the Demon Emperor had caused turmoil among the soul beasts in the surrounding waters, the pod to which this Evil Spirit Orca belonged had been scattered. It was precisely for this reason that it had become isolated and encountered Yun Ming's group.
Upon hearing Yun Ming's words and seeing that the surroundings were indeed quiet, with no signs of a second Evil Spirit Orca, Hai Lan calmed down. He then summoned his Martial Soul, preparing to take action himself to repel it. But at this moment, Yun Ming stopped him and turned to speak to Oscar.
"Oscar, what do you think of this soul beast as your Fourth Soul Ring?"
Demon Whale-type soul beasts are treasures from head to tail, and whale meat is a renowned, highly nutritious ingredient. As a species second only to the Deep Sea Demon Whale among its kind, the Evil Spirit Orca is a standout in this regard.
Now that an accident had occurred and Oscar had failed to obtain the intended Golden Scale Dragon Fish soul ring, the Evil Spirit Orca served as a perfect substitute! Moreover, Yun Ming had other matters he wanted to resolve using this soul beast.
Oscar, who was still shocked by the encounter with a top-tier sea soul beast, was stunned when Yun Ming suddenly shifted the conversation to his soul ring. He glanced at the Evil Spirit Orca, which was locked in a fierce struggle with the Sea Soul Masters on the ship.
Recalling the information he had seen about Evil Spirit Orcas within Martial Soul Hall, he hesitated and said, "If I could obtain its soul ring, that would naturally be excellent. But isn't the age of this Evil Spirit Orca a bit too high? If I'm not mistaken, this Evil Spirit Orca must have eight thousand years of cultivation, which exceeds the limit for a Fourth Soul Ring, right?"
Ning Rongrong, standing nearby, also exclaimed upon hearing Oscar's assessment of the beast's age, "Eight thousand years?! Captain, that exceeds the standard limit by too much. How could Little Oscar possibly absorb that!"
Yun Ming understood the doubts of Oscar and Ning Rongrong. Absorbing a soul ring beyond one's limit—even in the era before Soul Spirits appeared, ten thousand years later—was a matter that required extreme caution. However, he had his reasons for giving Oscar this choice.
Yun Ming gazed at Oscar and said in a deep voice, "I am naturally aware that its age is very high."
"An eight-thousand-year Evil Spirit Orca soul ring is extremely difficult to absorb. Even for you, having undergone the Ice and Fire Alchemy Body, there is still a certain level of risk."
"But if a Battle Soul Master wants to reach the pinnacle, they are destined to bear these risks."
"After all, following the standard guidelines means giving up the possibility of reaching the summit."
"Oscar, I think you need to think carefully about your path as a Battle Soul Master. Is it just to become a Battle Soul Master, or to reach the very top?"
Throughout history, which of the most peak-level soul masters did not absorb soul rings beyond their limits? It is hard to say for the three Limit Douluo of this era or those after the Soul Spirit era, as they all had experiences of compensating for their foundations and increasing their soul ring ages later in life.
But look at the three Limit Douluo from ten thousand years later—Mu En, Long Xiaoyao, and Ye Xishui. Every one of them possessed two or three Hundred Thousand Year Soul Rings; who among them didn't absorb them beyond their limits? Aside from the well-known Sea God Pavilion Master Xuan Zi, who reached the limit by relying on medicine, Yun Ming had truly never heard of a second Limit Douluo with only one hundred thousand year soul ring.
Furthermore, to Yun Ming's knowledge, before the Soul Spirit era, those who possessed the standard configuration of two yellow, two purple, and five black soul rings only reached a maximum cultivation of level ninety-seven.
Is this a coincidence? Certainly not! The reason the limits were achieved, aside from their innate talent, was that each of them pushed every soul ring to their personal limit, accumulating more potential for the future.
It was precisely because they exceeded the standards and laid a foundation far more solid than the average person that they were able to soar upward later and reach the pinnacle of the Soul Master World.
Therefore, with the risks under control, Yun Ming still hoped that Oscar could break away from the conventional mindset regarding soul rings.
As Yun Ming's voice faded, the atmosphere on the deck became a bit more serious. After hearing Yun Ming's words, Oscar fell into deep thought. The choice Yun Ming presented touched upon the cultivation principles he had adhered to for years—that is, to cultivate as fate allowed.
Before meeting Yun Ming and Ning Rongrong, Oscar was relatively lazy, enjoyed sleeping in, was not very attentive to cultivation, and yearned for a plain life, caring about very little. With such a mindset, could you say he had any thoughts of climbing to the peak of the soul master world? Not at all.
Now, in order to protect Ning Rongrong, he had begun to change his cultivation direction and embark on the path of a Battle Soul Master, but this did not mean he was particularly firm in his resolve. Thus, for a moment, Oscar truly did not know what choice he should make.
Yun Ming had seen through his mindset during this period of special training—he wanted to become a Battle Soul Master, yet he still left himself an escape route. Therefore, seeing that the situation was appropriate, he had orchestrated this.
Seeing Oscar lost in thought, Yun Ming finally said, "Think it through carefully before you make your decision!"
He had provided the choice and the reminder; that was enough. If Oscar still chose to play it safe, that would be his own decision.
Afterward, Yun Ming took Ya Li and Hai Lan away, preparing to take down the Evil Spirit Orca, leaving Oscar and Ning Rongrong to think for themselves.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: DaoistReader