A few days later, on the northwest coast of the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom, Storm City. Inside an inn room—
After settling Zhu Zhuqing and Dugu Yan, Dugu Bo took Yang Yunhai and headed for the harbor.
Once there, they found a dock and directly paid a heavy sum to purchase a small sailing ship. It was mid-afternoon, the sea calm, and the two set out at once.
Eighty kilometers was neither far nor near for soul masters. Factoring in wind and waves against the current, it was a decent distance.
Three hours later—
With Dugu Bo pouring out soul power to push the ship forward, the sea ahead grew dark under heavy clouds.
"Xiao Hai, we've reached the outer zone," Dugu Bo said. "If we go deeper, the waves won't just grow larger. We may also encounter thunderstorms, hail, even waterspouts. Not to mention sea soul beasts that may attack from below. In the core area, some are said to be over 50,000 years in age. That's why hardly any soul masters dare come here."
"For the sea soul beasts though, this is their natural habitat," Yang Yunhai nodded.
"Exactly. The surface is rough, but deep beneath it's calm." Dugu Bo inclined his head.
"Grandpa Dugu, Spirit Hall or the Empire never explored here?" Yang Yunhai asked.
Dugu Bo shook his head. "There's no way to live here. Even if they claimed it, what's the point?"
"The Empire once sent people to survey the nearby waters. Local fishermen said compasses spin uncontrollably here, direction impossible to tell. They guessed that an underwater metal vein was interfering with magnetism and attracting storms."
"Later, that was confirmed. In the shallows, they found the vein extending. Excavation showed magnets would stick to it, and lightning often struck the exposed area during storms."
"The Empire even sent fleets further in, but the waters were too deep. Not even a Titled Douluo could dive far enough. Excavating or developing the three islands inside was hopeless. So they gave up."
"I see," Yang Yunhai thought aloud. With no profit and constant danger, abandoning it was natural.
"Enough, let's drop anchor here. From now I'll carry you in flight," Dugu Bo said. "If we go further by ship, a sea soul beast might erupt from below. Even I couldn't guarantee protecting you. But with my cultivation, as long as we watch the lightning overhead, flying should be safe."
"Alright." Yang Yunhai nodded and climbed onto his back.
They lifted into the air.
Not too high—about fifteen meters above the surface. At this height, they could still react to sea beasts below and lightning above.
After a few kilometers—
"Damn, a thunderstorm!" Dugu Bo cursed, watching the surging black clouds ahead filled with rolling lightning.
"Go around it." Yang Yunhai glanced at the darker clouds further back, and they veered to the side.
Once within the inner zone, finding the so-called Devil's Triangle wasn't hard—as long as you could fly. Even from the surface, you could spot the darkest skies where lightning fell most frequently. Even if you got it wrong a few times, trying again would eventually lead you right.
Dugu Bo sped on. Within fifteen minutes they had cleared the storm. Ahead, a vast region of heavy cloud stretched for miles, streaked with white bolts, and below it heaving black waves.
Yang Yunhai's scalp tingled. Just looking filled him with dread, an instinctive respect for nature's power.
"Ahh—"
A sudden beautiful singing voice drifted out of nowhere, piercing his mind. His spirit wavered.
"Not good, a Sea Demon Serpent!" Dugu Bo's face changed. He shot upward, calling out, "Xiao Hai, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Yang Yunhai shook his head quickly. Looking down, he saw the water rolling as a slender blue serpent body surged through. The full form wasn't visible, but its size was obvious.
A Sea Demon Serpent of nearly 20,000 years.
Said to be the offspring of a sea siren, a spiritual-type soul beast, and a venomous sea serpent, its voice was as enchanting as a young woman's song. But it carried spiritual vibrations that unsettled minds. The closer you were, the worse it became. And when it sang, its mouth emitted a colorless, tasteless toxin. Too much, and one's spirit would collapse into hallucinations.
'No wonder no one dares near this abyss. If one of these ever reached 50,000 years, even a Titled Douluo would fall prey…' Yang Yunhai thought grimly.
"Xiao Hai, your spiritual strength is impressive," Dugu Bo praised.
He too had judged the serpent's cultivation, and for Yang Yunhai to resist a near 20,000-year Sea Demon Serpent proved his mental strength.
"Mostly because we're still far," Yang Yunhai replied. "And you dodged the toxin immediately."
Dugu Bo nodded. "Thinking back, I was lucky to get this far back then. Even with the Medusa Skull Bone, if I had run into one above 50,000 years…"
"I might not have returned alive."
Without his eighth soul skill and the skull bone, he never would have dared.
But Yang Yunhai's mind was elsewhere. He muttered, "Grandpa Dugu, I think the Sea Demon Serpent's ring would suit Sister Yan well. Its innate skill, Bewitching Song, disrupts the spirit. Plus its toxin is colorless and tasteless, an excellent trait. If her Martial Soul inherited that, her poison would be far harder to detect."
Dugu Bo's eyes lit up. "You're right. When Yan breaks through rank 50, I'll bring her here again. These serpents like attacking ships. I'll bait one with a big vessel. To be safe, I'll need allies—if it's a 50,000-year one, even I'd struggle."
'Our Elder Chrysanthemum will be ready,' Yang Yunhai thought, nodding. "No rush, there's time."
"Indeed." Dugu Bo said no more, focusing on flight.
The dark clouds loomed closer, thunder rumbling across heaven and sea.
"Hold tight, Xiao Hai." Dugu Bo warned, diving low.
Charging straight through would risk a fatal strike. Skimming just above the waves was safer.
Patter patter patter—hail and freezing rain stung Yang Yunhai's face.
Boom!
Bolts as thick as thighs crashed into nearby jagged reefs. Dugu Bo flew fast, threading through gaps to avoid exposed rocks, until at last they burst through and landed hard on the dark shore.
(End of Chapter)
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