The auctioneer's words caught Tang San's attention. At that moment, a ceremonial hostess from the auction house stepped onto the stage carrying a brocade tray draped in red cloth, upon which sat an object of remarkably peculiar appearance.
The item was shaped like a spindle—a dragon's head at the front, a fish-like tail standing upright at the rear, and four fin-like wings on each side. Its entire body was milky white, as though carved from jade, measuring roughly one foot from head to tail. Even though the Shrek Seven Devils were seated in the very last row, they could still feel the energy fluctuations radiating from the object.
The auctioneer announced in a booming voice: "This Soul Guide is the Dragon Abyss Boat. It is the only one of its kind—a relic passed down from ancient times. Its function is exceedingly strange: a Soul Master must channel Soul Power into it to reveal its true form. In its true form, it measures approximately twelve meters in length with a maximum diameter of two meters, capable of carrying twelve to fifteen passengers simultaneously. In the ocean, it can ascend and descend freely—it can sail across the surface of the sea, or dive beneath the waves. It is said to be capable of reaching depths of up to three hundred meters. With it, there is no need to fear any storm while sailing the seas. The moment winds and waves grow violent, it can immediately plunge into the depths. It is nothing short of a heaven-sent life-saving vessel. This item is equally suitable for observing the scenery beneath the waves or serving as an emergency escape craft. When it transforms into its true form, its entire body becomes transparent, allowing one to view the ocean from any angle. Truly miraculous. At the same time, it can withstand attacks from Soul Beasts at the hundred-year level. Since most deep-sea regions harbor terrifying sea Soul Beasts, we advise the buyer not to take it into the deep ocean, so as to avoid danger."
Hearing the auctioneer's introduction, Tang San felt a surge of goodwill toward this auction house. Generally speaking, auction houses would do their utmost to praise an item's virtues and gloss over its flaws in order to fetch a higher price. Yet this auctioneer had laid out the Dragon Abyss Boat's pros and cons with remarkable clarity. That alone was proof that this auction house could be trusted.
"The starting bid is ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. Esteemed guests, you may begin bidding," the auctioneer announced.
Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins was no small sum, but compared to the true value of the Dragon Abyss Boat, it was far short. The fact that this vessel could dive three hundred meters deep spoke to the quality of its materials—it was truly a rare and exceptional Soul Guide.
However, after the auctioneer announced the starting price, not a single person in the auction house placed a bid. The atmosphere turned immediately cold and quiet.
The lack of bids was not because the Dragon Abyss Boat was a poor item—it was because its function was somewhat impractical. In shallow coastal waters, ordinary ships could navigate just fine, and even a decent pleasure boat cost only a hundred Gold Soul Coins. For this Dragon Abyss Boat, the only added benefit was the ability to dive, yet it cost a hundred times more. Even nobles would not be extravagant enough to purchase it. The fundamental reason was that the ocean was simply too dangerous. Even in shallow waters, thousand-year Soul Beasts could appear. The Dragon Abyss Boat's defensive capabilities were far from reassuring.
A flicker of disappointment crossed the auctioneer's eyes. In truth, this Dragon Abyss Boat was not being auctioned for the first time—it had already failed to sell multiple times. Each time it came up, this same cold reception followed. But for the sake of the auction house's reputation, they dared not exaggerate its defensive capabilities. After all, this was a device that only Soul Masters could use. In the current world, who would dare offend a Soul Master?
Actually, another reason the Dragon Abyss Boat failed to sell was its location in Hanhai City. The vast majority of Soul Masters living here were sea Soul Masters. They already possessed the ability to command the waves and navigate the ocean with ease. If that was the case, why would they need the Dragon Abyss Boat?
"Are there any bids?" the auctioneer asked out of habit, silently sighing. It seemed today would end in another failed sale.
"Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins." A clear voice rang out from the back rows. Every head in the auction house turned at once, though the dark interior meant all they could see was a luminous auction paddle raised high.
The auctioneer's eyes lit up. "Very well! Paddle three-six-six bids ten thousand Gold Soul Coins. Any higher bids? Ten thousand Gold Soul Coins—going once, going twice, going thrice—sold!" His voice carried an unmistakable excitement and urgency, as if he feared the bidder might change his mind, and he completed the transaction with lightning speed.
The auction continued, item after item presented in orderly succession. The one who had won the Dragon Abyss Boat was, of course, Tang San.
That was right—the Dragon Abyss Boat was impractical for most, but for their purposes, it was extremely useful. First, it was easy to carry. Second, no matter how fragile its defenses might be, they would be inside it. With the group's combined Soul Power, they could enhance the boat's capabilities while underway. Combined with some additional ideas Tang San had in mind, he decided to purchase it. Tang San trusted his own judgment—the Dragon Abyss Boat would prove well worth the price.
When the auction concluded, Ning Rongrong went to settle the payment and collected their prize. Due to Ma Hongjun's condition, there was no time to enjoy Hanhai City's night scenery, and the group quickly returned to the hotel.
"Big Fatty, tell us—what was it like facing those two sea Soul Masters?" Dai Mubai asked curiously. Before retiring for the night, they all wanted to hear Ma Hongjun's account of his experience.
Ma Hongjun said, "They were extremely tough to deal with! If I hadn't still been able to fly, and if fire didn't naturally counter water, I probably would have lost today. Without those two advantages, even facing just one of them, I wouldn't have stood a chance. Those two sea Soul Masters were exceptionally skilled at exploiting their advantages in the water. They could effortlessly use their Soul Skills to manipulate the water and launch attacks against me. On the surface, it didn't look any different from ordinary Soul Skills. But in reality, with water as a medium, they were able to conserve a great deal of Soul Power. Of course, conversely, without water, their strength would be drastically reduced. On the whole, if we encounter sea Soul Masters on the ocean, we'd better avoid them as much as possible. We absolutely must not engage them in underwater combat—we'd be at an enormous disadvantage. None of us understand the properties of water."
Tang San nodded. "Fatty is absolutely right. Sea Soul Masters may be even harder to deal with than we imagined. Let me give a simple example. Fighting a sea Soul Master with a water-attribute Martial Soul while in the ocean is like fighting Fatty at the mouth of a volcano. Water's power can amplify their strength geometrically. Take today's battle—if the battlefield had been in the open ocean, Fatty would have lost without question. I'm certain that these sea Soul Masters' true combat power is most terrifying when they're in the sea. If Fatty had fought them the same way in the ocean, trying to change the ocean's temperature would have been nothing more than a joke. That is why we must exercise extreme caution when we set sail."
Everyone's expressions turned grave, and they nodded in agreement.
Tang San turned to Bai Chenxiang. "Xiangxiang, we'll be setting out at first light tomorrow, and that means you'll need to put in the work. For the ten-day voyage, I need you to maintain aerial reconnaissance for at least six hours every single day. This is to ensure our safety."
"Understood." Bai Chenxiang agreed without hesitation. Being able to demonstrate her value only made her excited.
Tang San turned to Ning Rongrong. "Rongrong, on the open sea, our primary combat force will be Fatty. His Phoenix Flame can effectively counter the ocean water. Therefore, if we encounter trouble, your priority is to enhance Fatty—ensure his offensive output."
Ning Rongrong replied, "No problem."
Tang San then looked at Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai. "Boss, Zhuqing. When combat breaks out on the ocean, the three of us will form a unit. I'll use the Blue Silver Emperor to keep the three of us clustered together. I'll explain our combat coordination in detail shortly."
His gaze finally settled on Oscar and Ma Hongjun. Tang San said, "On this sea voyage, on the open ocean, the two of you will be our greatest reliance. Fatty, you'll be our main source of damage output. In battle, you must conserve your Soul Power as much as possible and only strike at the optimal opportunity."
"Xiao Ao. I need you to have at least eight Flight Mushroom Sausages prepared at all times. None of us can swim. With Flight Mushroom Sausages, we can at least guarantee temporary flight."
"That's all I can think of for now. Does anyone have anything to add?" With the actual sea journey about to begin, Tang San had visibly grown more cautious. As the soul of the team, he had to think of everything.
Oscar said, "I'm all set. I've already prepared a good number of Copy Mirror Sausages along the way. Combined with the Flight Mushroom Sausages, I can at least ensure we have a period of sustained aerial capability. Moreover, with the flight abilities of Xiao San, Xiangxiang, and Fatty, our total continuous flight time can be extended even further. However, there's one thing I think needs to be said—in the ocean, our overall strength simply cannot be fully utilized. If we encounter sea Soul Beasts at the ten-thousand-year level or above, what do we do? Over a ten-day sea voyage, I think that's a very real possibility."
Tang San nodded. "I've already considered that. If it's only an ordinary ten-thousand-year Soul Beast, it shouldn't pose too great a threat to us. We also have another means of staying alive. After we set out tomorrow, I'll first test how the Sea God's Shield performs on the ocean. If it can still maintain our concealed state, then the Dragon Abyss Boat's effectiveness will be maximized."
Hearing this, everyone's eyes brightened. If the Sea God's Shield could conceal the Dragon Abyss Boat as it moved forward, then forget ten-thousand-year Soul Beasts—even encountering a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast would not be a concern. Over these past days, they had deeply experienced the benefits of the Sea God's Shield. As long as they were within the shield's protection, they had absolutely no need to worry about safety. Even someone walking right past them would be unable to detect their presence.
Once activated, the Sea God's Shield created a warped pocket of space around the concealed area—the objects or people within it appeared to vanish into thin air. At least so far, despite numerous experiments, the Seven Devils had not been able to find any method to detect the shield's position. Whether a stronger Soul Master could do so remained uncertain.
Dai Mubai praised him. "Xiao San, you really are clever. I was wondering why you wanted to buy this thing. If it were merely for escape, ten thousand Gold Soul Coins would be a bit extravagant. But as you said, if the Dragon Abyss Boat can work in conjunction with the Sea God's Shield, then we could reach Sea God Island without even needing to charter a boat."
Tang San said, "For now, this is still just an idea of mine—we'll see whether it works after testing it on the ocean tomorrow. We still need to charter a ship. None of us are experienced sailors, and having a larger vessel will help us adapt more quickly. If there's nothing else, everyone should get some rest. Fatty, especially you—make sure you fully recover your Soul Power tonight."
Ma Hongjun chuckled. "No problem."
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, the Shrek Seven Devils and Bai Chenxiang crossed nearly the entire city, exiting through Hanhai City's west gate. They followed the wide road carved into the reef formations outside the city walls and headed straight for the docks.
To set sail from Hanhai City's harbor, everyone had to take this route. Though building a road atop the reef was immensely difficult, the Hanhai City authorities had spared no effort in maintaining it well.
The harbor was enormous—at least twenty piers stretching hundreds of meters out into the sea, with hundreds of ships moored alongside them. This was the starting point and terminus of maritime trade, and a massive source of revenue for all of Hanhai City.
Though the ocean harbored powerful Soul Beasts, it also contained boundless wealth. Living off the sea had long been an unchanging truth of Hanhai City. Even though people died every year at the jaws of sea Soul Beasts, nothing could change this reality.
The land near the sea was mostly saline and alkaline, entirely unsuitable for growing crops. Only the myriad creatures of the ocean could bring profit to Hanhai City. It was through the sea that the people here could obtain the resources they needed.
Before long, Tang San found the ship he and Xiao Ao had chartered that day. It was a brand-new vessel, quite impressive in appearance. The hull was painted entirely in iron-grey, with only the deck decorated in red and white paint. It was said that painting the hull iron-grey could help deter Soul Beast attacks.
The ship measured fifty meters in length and over twenty meters in beam—not the largest of sea vessels, but certainly not small either. A closer look revealed that beneath the iron-grey paint on the hull lay a thick layer of iron armor protecting the ship.
The reason Tang San and Oscar had chosen this vessel was precisely because of its solid defensive capability. Chartering it had cost a considerable sum, but as long as it could safely carry them to Sea God Island, it would be worth it. As for the return trip, they would have to rely on their own abilities.
"Welcome aboard the Sea Demon!" As the group stepped onto the deck from the gangway, a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his fifties greeted them with a hearty laugh and a welcoming gesture.
Tang San introduced everyone. "This is Captain Heide, master of the Sea Demon."
Heide smiled with considerable charm. "Welcome aboard, beautiful ladies—and handsome gentlemen as well. It seems this voyage will be a delightful one. I'm very pleased to be of service." As he spoke, his gaze swept over the group, and when it passed over the four stunning women, he did not linger too long.
Upon seeing this, Tang San's pupils contracted ever so slightly, though he said nothing.
Through Heide's introduction, they learned that the Sea Demon had a crew of eight. Besides himself as captain, there was a first mate and six crew members.
The Sea Demon had three decks—two above the main deck and one below. As the paying passengers, Tang San and his group naturally occupied the two upper decks, while the crew lived below.
The topmost deck offered an elevated vantage point with a uniquely refreshing view. The main deck had a total of six cabins—more than enough room for eight people.