Douro Continent

Chapter 568 The Demon Whale Sea

Tang San didn't violate Xiao Wu again. He simply held her, letting her fall into a deep sleep in his arms. Although her soul had returned to his body when she truly fell asleep, Tang San still felt as if he were holding Xiao Wu as he slept that night. He slept soundly. The chill outside couldn't dampen the fire in his heart, nor could it ignite his intense desire for power. Only by reaching level ninety as soon as possible could he resurrect his beloved.

At dawn, a thin layer of morning mist hung over the sea as the crew brought out the prepared breakfast. The three seasick men looked much better. As their physical condition improved, their appetites naturally returned.

Breakfast consisted of dark bread, fish soup, and a touch of smoked salmon and caviar—a standard sea breakfast. It's worth mentioning that, because Tang San and his companions paid a hefty price, the caviar was black caviar, making it exceptionally delicious. Each plump roe, when bitten into, released a burst of irresistible freshness. Paired with the dark bread, it was an absolute delicacy.

A considerable amount of breakfast was prepared, but it was devoured by everyone in no time.

Ma Hongjun jumped up and said, "Come on, let's go up to the deck for some fresh air. It's getting colder and colder. Do you want me to help you warm up?"

Oscar stood up, ate breakfast, and felt much more energetic. He exchanged a glance with Tang San. "Thanks, Fatty. But we're not that weak yet. Let's go. Let's all go up to the deck for some fresh air."

I left the cabin and went up to the deck. As the sun rose in the east, the morning mist over the sea was gradually dissipating.

Captain Haider, accompanied by several crew members, approached, chuckling, and asked, "Distinguished guests, how was the breakfast?"

Ma Hongjun gave a thumbs up and said, "Quite good. Especially the black caviar, it was absolutely delicious!"

Haider said proudly, "Of course. This black caviar is worth more than gold if it's sold inland. But the most wonderful sensations are yet to come. It's about time."

Just as he was speaking, Ma Hongjun suddenly staggered, shook his head, and muttered, "Why do I feel a little dizzy?"

Haider smiled slightly and said, "That's right, you're dizzy. Who told you to eat the most just now? Oh well, oh well."

Except for Xiao Wu, the Shrek Seven Devils all changed color at the same time. Starting with Ma Hongjun, followed by Dai Mubai, Tang San, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and Bai Chenxiang, they all collapsed to the ground one after another. Only Xiao Wu remained standing there, stunned.

Haider laughed triumphantly, "So what if you're all Soul Masters? Once we're at sea, that's our domain. This time was great. I wonder which noble family these young men belong to. We emptied their Soul Tools, and we've struck it rich. The captain will definitely reward us handsomely. Move it! Tie them all up and dislocate their joints."

The first mate nudged Haider and pointed at Xiaowu, saying, "How come there's still one who hasn't collapsed? I remember she ate some too!"

Haider also felt a chill. Looking at Xiao Wu, who stood there with a blank stare and a somewhat bewildered expression, he couldn't help but frown.

Just then, a soft voice rang out, "She didn't collapse because she doesn't pretend like us. Isn't the process of going from extreme joy to extreme sorrow even more exciting?"

As the sound rang out, the Shrek Seven Devils, who had been lying on the ground, stood up one by one, dusted off the dust on their bodies, and stood back in front of Haider and the sailors in stunned silence.

"This, this is impossible..." Haider shouted in exasperation, "My 'Rooster Crows at Dawn's Dawn's Drowsy Powder is enough to make someone sleep for three days and three nights. You, you..."

Tang San looked at him with pity, too lazy to even explain. Using poison on him, the leader of the Tang Clan, was like showing off one's axe in front of Lu Ban or wielding a broadsword in front of Guan Yu. Even without Tang San, Xiao Ao's antidote sausages could easily neutralize the drug.

"Actually, I noticed you on the first day we set sail. You're just a ship, but as the captain, you seem to know a lot about Soul Masters. Although I don't know what methods you used to conceal your Soul Power, Soul Masters are still different from ordinary people. Your crew members are all agile and their strength clearly surpasses that of ordinary people. We are quite honored to have a crew composed entirely of Soul Masters."

Looking into Tang San's calm yet seemingly deeper than the sea, Haider was furious. "So what if you saw through us? This is the ocean. You landlubbers, even if you're Soul Masters, you'll still die. Attack! Kill them! Let them know how powerful we are!"

As they spoke, they no longer needed to hide anything. In an instant, led by Haider, the eight of them simultaneously released their martial spirits.

A series of bright spirit rings lit up. Captain Haider had five spirit rings, and his first mate had four. The other six spirit masters included two with three rings and four with two rings. Just as Tang San had said, all eight of them were spirit masters. Haider had a clear understanding: so what if these young people were spirit masters? If the drug didn't work, he could definitely take them down in person. This was the ocean, and they were all sea spirit masters, giving them a natural advantage. These people were only around twenty years old; what could they possibly achieve? At most, a three-ring spirit master. With his own spirit king level, he could easily deal with these young people.

Watching their arrogant display of spirit rings, Tang San thoughtfully remarked, "I've observed this carefully these past few days. If they are spirit masters, three people are sufficient to control this ship. Any more than that are useless."

While he was speaking, all eight of them had already pounced on him. They were on the open sea, with abundant water-based energy to draw upon; if all else failed, they could venture deeper into the ocean. Of course, that was a last resort. This ship was extremely valuable, and these people were reluctant to destroy it unless absolutely necessary.

Ning Rongrong and Oscar stood there smiling, and when they saw the soul power levels of these crew members, they had no intention of making a move.

Only two people took action: Tang San and Ma Hongjun.

A shimmering blue-gold light spilled across the deck, and those resilient Blue Silver Emperors, stronger than steel, quietly emerged, their first soul skill binding them.

Apart from Captain Haider, the other seven had all stopped what they were doing in the blue-gold light, and hadn't even released their soul skills.

Haider remained motionless, still waving, and looked at Tang San as if he were looking at a monster.

Yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, red. Six spirit rings silently circled Tang San's body. Each spirit ring seemed to be mocking Haider.

Even the Soul Master-level first mate was completely helpless against Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor Entanglement. Tang San certainly wouldn't give them a chance to drown and destroy the ship. As a control-type Soul Master with Soul Power far surpassing those before him, if he couldn't even manage this, he wouldn't deserve to be a Soul Master.

Ma Hongjun walked forward with a sinister grin, his own spirit rings radiating dazzling light, along with blazing phoenix flames. Haider tried to attack, but found himself completely paralyzed. He only saw a flash of black light from Tang San's fourth spirit ring, and an incredibly hard blue-gold cage appeared around him. A ten-thousand-year spirit skill! That was a ten-thousand-year spirit skill!

Haider, who possessed five spirit rings (three yellow and two purple), had completely lost any will to fight. He knew he had failed today, and failed miserably. No wonder these people dared to go to that place; they were so young, yet how did they possess such formidable strength?

With two soft thuds, Ma Hongjun slapped the first mate and another crew member on the head. There was no bloodshed, only wisps of smoke rising from their seven orifices as their bodies slumped to the ground. He repeated the process, and despite the crew's hysterical pleas for mercy, the fat man remained unmoved. Since Tang San had said only three people needed to remain, then only three would do.

Go easy on them? Faced with a group of pirates who want to rob and kill, do you need to go easy on them? Any one of these pirates would be guilty even if they died ten times over.

The Blue Silver Emperor soared up, flinging five corpses into the sea, where they would meet their final resting place.

This battle, which was never going to be a contest, was resolved in a very short time.

The other two crew members had already lost control of their bladder and bowels; if they hadn't been entangled by the Blue Silver Emperor, they probably would have collapsed to the ground in terror. Of course, they had killed people before, but the fear of killing and the fear of being killed were completely different.

Tang San used his Blue Silver Emperor to throw the two crew members into the sea again. As sea spirit masters, they wouldn't die from being soaked in seawater; they just needed to be cleansed of their filth.

Tang San walked slowly to Haider, who was trapped inside the Blue Silver Cage and showed no sign of resistance. He smiled calmly, his eyes fixed intently on Haider. Under the divine light in Tang San's eyes, Haider felt a momentary daze. His mental strength was far inferior to Tang San's. Moreover, there was the presence of the Purple Demon Eye.

"I think we can talk now." As he spoke, two Blue Silver Emperor swords entered the Blue Silver Cage and tapped Haider's chest five times. Haider felt a numbness all over his body, and the next moment, his soul power seemed to be imprisoned by something, and all five of his soul rings disappeared at the same time.

Using acupressure to seal the opponent's soul power is like sealing their internal energy in the previous life. In this state, Haider can't even cause trouble, let alone jump into the sea.

Removing the Blue Silver Cage, Tang San's handsome face revealed an elegant smile. "Captain Haider. I presume you are pirates. What about this captain you mentioned earlier? If you don't want to end up like those five men..."

Haider was deathly pale, his legs went weak, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud. "Spare me! Spare me! I'll tell you everything. Just don't kill me."

Tang San looked down at him and said, "Fine. I have no other demands. Tell us where you come from, and then safely deliver us to our destination. I can spare your life."

Haider breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "I'll tell you. Lord Soul Emperor, our ship belongs to the Purple Pearl Pirate Gang. Every one of us is a member of the Purple Pearl Pirate Gang. Our job is to find easy prey in the port, hunt them down at sea, and then hand over the loot to the gang."

Tang San nodded and said, "Tell me about the Purple Pearl pirate ship. Where is your hideout? How many people are there? Who is your leader?"

Haider, now seemingly open and forthcoming, answered with great cooperation: "Our Purple Pearl Pirate Crew is located on Purple Pearl Island, two days' voyage from here. For the past ten years, under the leadership of our captain, Lady Purple Pearl, we have either absorbed or destroyed all the smaller pirate crews in this area, forming a large organization with over three thousand members. Among them, more than two hundred are Soul Masters. My ship, the Sea Demon, is among the top in the crew. The crew members who follow me are all my people. I was originally the captain of a pirate crew myself, but I was later recruited. Our Purple Pearl Pirate Crew's captain is a level seventy-three Soul Saint. She is extremely powerful. She is probably around thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old, but she is very well-preserved and looks only in her twenties. She is very beautiful."

Tang San frowned slightly. "It's a woman?"

Haider nodded. "We make our living by plundering and collecting sea taxes."

Tang San asked, "Isn't the government of Hanhai City doing anything about this?"

Haider curled his lip and said, "Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. Not to mention that we have more than two hundred sea spirit masters. The Spirit Hall's previous rule that land spirit masters are not allowed to enter the sea is enough to deter them from acting rashly. Moreover, we are very measured and won't push people too far. We usually just rob people, not kill them. And our targets are all nobles. How many good people can nobles be?"

Dai Mubai sneered and said, "So, you're saying you see us as easy prey for nobles? Are all nobles bad people? Do they all deserve to die?"

"This..." Haider realized he had said the wrong thing, and his face contorted in pain.

Tang San said, "Get up. I won't kill you. Send us to Seagod Island. I have no interest in pirates like you. Don't try anything funny. You should be able to feel that your soul power has been completely sealed by me. I've also left a restriction on you. If you make any rash moves, there will only be one outcome: a fate worse than death." His voice turned noticeably colder as he spoke the last four words. As he spoke, he swung the Blue Silver Emperor, and the two crew members who had been bathing in the sea were pulled back onto the deck.

"Let's continue our voyage. Although I don't know much about seafaring, I still know our bearings. You're not completely stupid. If you want to live, do as I say."

"Yes, yes." Haider felt like he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly ran away with his two crew members.

Dai Mubai's eyes flashed with cold light. "These pirate groups that wreak havoc in the area are no good. It's a pity we are too few in number and don't want to cause any unnecessary trouble, otherwise we should have destroyed them completely."

Oscar laughed, "They actually poisoned us? How ridiculous! They just threw their lives away for nothing."

Tang San said, "These pirates are cowards, so as long as we're careful, we shouldn't have any problems. However, starting today, we should take turns keeping watch during our rest periods, just in case they try anything funny. Although we're not afraid of encountering large pirate groups, we should still avoid trouble as much as possible before we reach Haishen Island."

The Sea Demon continued its voyage, but the previously harmonious atmosphere on board had completely vanished. Standing in the control room at the helm, Haider's earlier humble demeanor had gradually disappeared. He was indeed afraid of death, terribly afraid of death. Everything he had done just now was driven by instinct and subconsciousness. However, as he gradually calmed down, his face was horribly pale. The contorted muscles on his face throbbed like earthworms. His hands gripping the helm trembled incessantly. His heart felt as if it were being gnawed by a thousand snakes and worms. Intense pain relentlessly assailed his soul.

Tang San's judgments were all correct. Under normal circumstances, to save his own life, Haider would definitely cooperate with them and send them to Seagod Island. However, human judgment can never predict everything. Tang San also did not have the ability to foresee the future. What he did not know was that among the five crew members that Ma Hongjun killed, the crew member who was killed in the first round along with the first mate was Haider's biological son, and his only son.

Haider's eyes narrowed slightly. His son was practically his only hope, and at his age, having children was almost impossible. Everything he had done over the years was mostly to save money for his son. He had already planned it out: once he had accumulated enough money, he would sail the Sea Demon to the other side of the ocean and find a wife for his son to live out his old age in peace. But what happened today had completely ruined his plans. He no longer had a son, and he had no future.

You killed my son, and I will make you pay for it. At this moment, Haider's eyes were filled with hysterical madness.

His gaze swept across the boundless sea, and Haider's pupils contracted. He hadn't lied to Tang San about one thing: the sea map depicting the distribution of the sea spirit beasts truly existed in his mind. And within that map lay an absolute forbidden zone, right ahead.

Another day's voyage has passed, and the Shrek Seven Devils have adapted to the rough seas. With fewer crew members, they have to prepare their own food. However, with Oscar, a food-type Soul Master, present, they don't need to worry about food shortages. Haider and the remaining two crew members behaved very well.

Tang San had been carefully monitoring the journey, and his bearings were generally correct; he was proceeding according to the map drawn by the master. Therefore, as night fell, he gradually felt at ease.

Seven more days until we reach our destination. What kind of place is Poseidon Island? Until we actually get there, no one can truly know.

As night deepened, Tang San, on night watch, leaned against the ship's railing. The stars and moon were dim tonight, and even his Purple Demon Eye could barely see far across the vast ocean. But Tang San loved the feeling of the sea breeze. The slightly salty, cool sea breeze was indescribably comfortable.

An oil lamp was lit in the control room. Usually, the first mate would be in charge at this time, but now that the first mate was gone, Haider wasn't resting. Tang San stood at the ship's railing, able to see him directly in the control room. Haider was steering the ship, staring blankly into the darkness outside, lost in thought.

Turning around and looking again into the darkness, Tang San suddenly felt a chill. For some reason, this was the first time he had ever felt this way, even with his current strength. The coldness didn't seem to emanate from his body, but rather from within.

Tang San's mental strength was immense; he quickly located the source of the chill. A flash of light appeared in his left hand, and the Clear Sky Hammer materialized in his grasp. Tang San was astonished to see the Killing God Domain engraved on the Clear Sky Hammer radiating a dazzling white light. In the silent night, every line was crystal clear. The chilling aura sent a shiver down Tang San's spine.

He clearly sensed that the feeling emanating from the God of Slaughter's domain was very unpleasant; it was a warning full of danger.

Could danger be approaching? This was the first time Tang San had felt this way since acquiring the Killing God Domain. He abruptly turned around and strode towards the control room.

"Captain Hyder." Tang San knocked on the door of the control room.

Haider opened the door and respectfully said, "Lord Soul Emperor, what are your orders?"

Tang San asked, "Are we on the right course?"

Haider nodded and said, "Of course not. I navigated exactly according to the map you gave me. This sea area is called the Demon Whale Sea. It's the deepest place in the vicinity. It's said that there's a trench a thousand meters deep beneath the surface. So, if a flying Soul Master were to look at it from the sky, this sea would appear to be the darkest in color."

"The Demon Whale Sea? Why is it called that?" Tang San asked, puzzled.

Haider said, "Because a demon whale lives in the trench beneath this sea area. That's why it has this name."

"A demonic whale? It's a sea spirit beast?" Tang San's heart stirred slightly, and his gaze toward Haider gradually sharpened.

Haider nodded and said, "Yes, the demonic whale here is a sea spirit beast. And an extremely powerful one at that. It's known as the overlord of the sea. It should be a hundred-thousand-year-old being. However, it's lazy by nature. Generally speaking, it only lies dormant on the seabed, and it's enough to survive by simply opening its big mouth and devouring sea creatures."

A 100,000-year-old soul beast? Tang San's heart suddenly trembled. He could clearly feel the chill emanating from the Clear Sky Hammer growing stronger and stronger.

"Since you know there are powerful sea spirit beasts here that are hundreds of thousands of years old, why don't you go around them?" Tang San said coldly. The Clear Sky Hammer in his hand began to gleam.

Haider feigned surprise and said, "Didn't you say we should get to Seagod Island as soon as possible? I didn't take a detour. Oh, right, there's one more thing I must tell you. This demon whale is blind in its left eye. And throughout the year, in spring and autumn, it faces east, while in summer and winter, it faces west. This way, even ships passing through the Demon Whale's waters can avoid easily offending it by simply sailing in the direction of its blind eye. And what I just said about it being lazy and not often taking the initiative doesn't include enemies that invade its territory. It's autumn now, and there's still some time before winter, so its head is facing east. Its blind left eye is on the north side of its body. And our Sea Demon is right on the south side of its body."

Seeing the increasingly ferocious smile on Haider's face, Tang San knew things were going badly. He quickly went to the helm and started turning the steering wheel rapidly.

Haider's eyes were filled with a sarcastic smile. "Too late. We've already ventured deep into the Demon Whale's territory. And I just released the explosive shells from under the ship, the kind used for blasting fish. Can you hear the sound? Even the most good-tempered demon whale will probably be enraged now. Oh, I forgot to tell you. A hundred-thousand-year-old soul beast in the sea is several times more terrifying than one on land. It's said that it was because this demon whale was so powerful that the Sea God blinded its left eye."

Sure enough, just as Haider had said, several muffled sounds came from beneath the sea, and the once calm sea began to ripple with waves.

Tang San stopped what he was doing, lightly swung his Clear Sky Hammer, and pressed it against Haider's chest, pinning his body firmly against the control room wall. "Why did you do this? Aren't you afraid of dying? Tell me, is there any way to fix this?"

Haider laughed, a hysterical laugh. "Make amends? Make amends means you all die. You killed my son, so go and die with him. What's the point of me living if my son is dead? This Sea Demon is all my possessions. Come on, kill me! Then I can go see my son. Ha ha, ha ha ha ha."

Looking at Haider, Tang San was stunned for a moment. His originally sharp gaze calmed down. He finally realized where he had gone wrong, but it was too late to make amends. He retrieved the Clear Sky Hammer and patted Haider's chest several times, releasing the restrictions on him.

"I understand your feelings as a father. But have you considered how many fathers' children you've killed during your pirate career? The Whale you mentioned is probably coming soon. I won't kill you. If you're capable, then escape." He thought of his own father through Haider. Even with Haider's cowardly nature, he was willing to die alongside the enemy for his son. Parental love is indeed the most selfless thing in the world.

Tang San would show no mercy to a pirate, but he couldn't bring himself to harm a father seeking revenge for his son. He left Haider to fend for himself.

Haider stared blankly as Tang San left, momentarily stunned. He never expected this outcome; Tang San would actually let him go.

"Everyone wake up, get out of here quickly!" Tang San shouted as he rushed back to the deck, simultaneously releasing his martial soul. He also released the Eight Spider Lances at the same time; eight blood-red spider spears were deeply embedded in the deck, securing his body. This ensured he could react in time to any situation.

The night was pitch black, but the quieter the sea, the more he could sense the impending danger. Even now, Tang San remained calm. With Oscar's mushroom sausage and his own, Ma Hongjun's, and Bai Chenxiang's flying abilities, they could quickly escape by air, abandoning the Sea Demon. This would minimize the danger. As for re-entering the sea, they could always use the Dragon Abyss Boat to paddle across. This was the best course of action at present.

Tang San's shout was infused with his mental energy. Although everyone was either asleep or cultivating, they were all awakened by his voice and came out of their cabins.

Tang San was on night watch, and reluctant to let Xiao Wu sleep in the lonely world of the Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch, he let her sleep with Ning Rongrong. Xiao Wu was also awakened, but when she came out with Ning Rongrong, she was still sleepy-eyed and leaned on Ning Rongrong's shoulder.

"Xiao Ao, Flying Mushroom Sausages, give them to everyone. Let's go." As he spoke, Tang San went to take Xiao Wu. Everyone knew something serious had happened the moment they saw Tang San unleash his Martial Soul and Eight Spider Lances. They were instantly jolted awake from their daze.

Just as Tang San finished speaking and Oscar began making flying mushroom sausages, the air around the Sea Demon strangely distorted.

A violent tremor suddenly came from beneath their feet, accompanied by a deafening roar that temporarily deafened the eight men, hurling them and the Sea Demon ship into the air.

The enormous Sea Demon, with its iron-clad hull, was shattered into pieces by the violent impact. Even with Tang San's Eight Spider Lances embedded in the deck, he was completely thrown back by the force of the impact.

Most terrifyingly, the intense shock caused everyone to become dizzy and be thrown hundreds of meters into the air.

The once calm seawater began to churn violently, creating towering waves. A thick column of water, fifteen meters in diameter, shot into the sky, distorting the air and becoming the culprit that destroyed the Sea Demon.

As the Sea Demon shattered, a colossal body, resembling a small island, slowly rose from the water. A thick blue light enveloped the surrounding seawater; at that moment, it seemed as if the sky was the earth, and the sea had become the azure sky.

A deep, muffled roar resounded, and a massive sound wave surged forth. The Shrek Seven Devils, still reeling from the dizziness of the previous violent shock, were plunged into an even deeper daze by the enormous sound wave.

The enormous body that rose from the sea was over two hundred meters long, its entire body a sapphire blue. Its head had two enormous eyes; just as Haider had said, the left one was merely a black hole, blind. Each eye was over three meters in diameter. The remaining right eye pierced the air with a cold gaze.

With a slight movement of its body, a massive tail rose from behind, shimmering with a distorted blue light, and slammed heavily onto the sea. Billions of water droplets shot skyward, each one like a sharp, swift arrow.

In mid-air, a strange water curtain with a blue glow illuminated the sky, and that enormous water curtain enveloped the shattered Sea Demon and all the people who had taken to the air.

Compared to this spray of water, the demonic arrow rain that Ma Hongjun encountered back then could only be described as trash. The first things he encountered were the scattered fragments of the Sea Demon. If they were fragments a moment ago, they had already turned into dust the next.

This is the true power of a 100,000-year-old soul beast, a power even more terrifying than that of a Title Douluo. Enraging a 100,000-year-old soul beast will only result in destruction.

Among the Shrek Seven Devils, Tang San was the first to regain consciousness. This was not only because he possessed the strongest physical strength, but more importantly because his mental power was stronger than the others. The moment he regained consciousness was precisely the instant the tail of the 100,000-year-old demonic whale slapped against the sea surface, splashing water droplets.

"Wake up—!" Tang San roared, his voice like a thunderclap in the sky. He had clearly seen Haider and the other two crew members being torn to shreds in the water curtain. He also saw the horrific scene of the Sea Demon. He knew all too well that the water curtain before them was something they couldn't withstand with their current strength.

With Tang San's powerful roar, everyone except Xiao Wu and Bai Chenxiang regained consciousness.

"Seven in one." Tang San shouted these four words almost at the top of his lungs.

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(End of this chapter)