Tang San didn't take any further liberties with Xiao Wu. He simply held her in his arms and let her drift into a deep sleep. Although her soul had already returned to her body once she truly fell asleep, that night Tang San still felt as though he were falling asleep with Xiao Wu by his side. He slept soundly. The chill outside had no effect whatsoever on the warmth blazing in his heart. It also ignited a fierce longing for greater strength. Only by reaching level ninety as soon as possible could he revive his beloved.
At dawn, a thin morning mist hung over the sea. The crew served the breakfast they had prepared. The three who had been seasick looked much better. With their bodies recovering, their appetites naturally returned as well.
Breakfast consisted of black bread, fish soup, and a bit of smoked salmon and caviar — a standard sea fare. It was worth noting that, because Tang San and his group had paid a handsome price, the caviar served was black caviar, and its flavor was absolutely exquisite. Each plump fish egg burst in the mouth with a wave of delightful umami. Paired with the black bread, it was a true delicacy.
There had been no shortage of food prepared, but in short order the group devoured everything like a whirlwind sweeping across the land.
Ma Hongjun leaped to his feet. "Come on, let's get up to the deck and get some fresh air. It's getting colder by the day. Want me to warm you all up?"
Oscar stood as well. After eating, his energy had returned considerably. He exchanged a glance with Tang San. "Thanks, Fatty, but we're not that weak. Let's go. Everyone, let's get some fresh air on deck."
They left the cabin and stepped out onto the deck. As sunlight rose from the east, the morning mist over the sea was gradually dissipating.
Captain Heidel approached with a few crew members in tow, laughing heartily. "Honored guests, was breakfast to your liking?"
Ma Hongjun gave a thumbs up. "Excellent. Especially that black caviar — absolutely delicious!"
Heidel said proudly, "Of course. That black caviar would sell for the price of gold on the mainland. But the best is yet to come. The timing should be just about right now."
Even as he spoke, Ma Hongjun suddenly stumbled, swaying on his feet. He muttered groggily, "Why do I feel a little dizzy?"
Heidel smiled faintly. "Dizzy is exactly what you should feel. Who told you to eat the most? Down you go, down you go."
Every member of the Shrek Seven Devils — with the exception of Xiao Wu — changed color at the same time. Starting with Ma Hongjun, then Dai Mubai, Tang San, Oscar, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, and finally Bai Chenxiang, they collapsed one after another. Only Xiao Wu remained standing there in a daze.
Heidel threw his head back and laughed triumphantly. "So what if you're all Soul Masters? Once you're at sea, this is our turf. Not bad at all — these young ones must be heirs to some noble house. We strip their Soul Guides clean, and we're set for life. The commander will reward us handsomely for this. Get to work — tie them all up first, then dislocate their limb joints."
The first mate nudged Heidel and pointed at Xiao Wu. "How come there's still one standing? I'm pretty sure she ate too."
Heidel faltered for a moment. He looked at Xiao Wu, who stood with a blank, somewhat bewildered expression, and couldn't help frowning.
Just then, a soft voice spoke up. "She didn't collapse because she can't fake it like we can. Going from ecstasy to utter despair — wouldn't that be even more thrilling?"
As the voice rang out, the Shrek Seven Devils, who had been lying on the ground, rose to their feet one by one. They dusted the slight grime from their clothes and, under the dumbfounded gazes of Heidel and his crew, stood before them once more.
"This… this is impossible!" Heidel screamed in a rage. "My Rooster-Crow-Five-Drums Soul-Confusing Powder is enough to put anyone to sleep for three days and nights! You, you…"
Tang San looked at him with something almost like pity. He couldn't even be bothered to explain. Using poison against the master of the Tang Sect was like showing off an axe in front of Lu Ban, or brandishing a blade before Guan Yu. Even without Tang San, Xiao Ao's Detoxification Sausage could have easily neutralized that paltry sedative.
"Actually, from the very first day we set sail, I had my eye on you. You're just a single sea vessel, but as a captain, you knew far too much about Soul Masters. I don't know what method you used to conceal your Soul Power, but Soul Masters are still different from ordinary people in the end. Every one of your crew moves with unusual agility and possesses strength far beyond that of normal people. A crew composed entirely of Soul Masters — we should feel quite honored by such an arrangement."
Heidel's gaze met Tang San's calm eyes, which seemed deeper than the ocean itself, and fury surged within him. "So what if you saw through us? This is the open sea! You land-dwelling ducks — even as Soul Masters, you'll die just the same! Attack! Kill them and show them what we're made of!"
As he spoke, they dropped all pretense. In an instant, led by Heidel, all eight of them unleashed their Martial Souls simultaneously.
Ring after ring of brilliant light blazed to life. Captain Heidel's body bore a full five Soul Rings, and his first mate had four. Of the remaining six Soul Masters, two had three rings and four had two. Just as Tang San had said, all eight were Soul Masters. Heidel had thought it through clearly — so what if these youngsters were all Soul Masters? The sedative had failed, but in a direct fight, they could still be subdued. This was the open sea, and they were Sea Soul Masters, giving them an inherent advantage. These people before him looked no older than twenty — how accomplished could they possibly be? At best, they might be three-ring Soul Venerables. With his own level as a Soul King, he could handle these young people with ease.
Watching them flaunt their Soul Rings one by one, Tang San remarked thoughtfully, "I've been observing carefully these past few days. If you're Soul Masters, then three would be more than enough to operate this ship normally. The rest are redundant."
While he was speaking, the eight had already charged forward. This was the open sea, with an abundance of water-attribute energy for them to draw upon. If things went truly wrong, they could always dive into the ocean — though that was the last resort. This ship was worth a considerable sum, and short of absolute desperation, they were loath to destroy it.
Ning Rongrong and Oscar stood watching with amused smiles. Once they had seen the Soul Power levels of these crew members, they had absolutely no intention of lifting a finger.
Only two people made their move: Tang San and Ma Hongjun.
Crystalline blue-gold light flooded the deck as strand after strand of Blue Silver Emperor — tougher than steel — silently emerged. Just the first Soul Skill, Binding.
Every one of the seven crew members besides Captain Heidel had already been frozen mid-action by that blue-gold radiance, unable to release even a single Soul Skill of their own.
As for Heidel, he remained frozen in the posture of his wave, completely immobile. The way he stared at Tang San was as though he were looking at a monster.
Yellow, yellow, purple, black, black, red. Six Soul Rings orbited quietly around Tang San's body. Each one seemed to mock Heidel utterly.
Before Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor Binding, even the first mate, a Soul Ancestor, was wrapped up tight with no power to resist. Tang San would naturally give them no chance to enter the water and scuttle the ship. As a Control Type Soul Master whose Soul Power completely overshadowed theirs, if he couldn't manage something like this, he might as well give up.
Ma Hongjun strode forward with a fierce grin. Brilliant Soul Ring light shone from his body as well, accompanied by the scorching flames of the Phoenix. Heidel tried to attack, only to find his body utterly immobilized. He had merely seen the black light of Tang San's fourth Soul Ring flash once, and around his own body had already appeared an impossibly tough cage of blue-gold light. A ten-thousand-year Soul Skill — that was a ten-thousand-year Soul Skill!
Heidel, who possessed five Soul Rings — three yellow and two purple — no longer had even a shred of will to fight. He knew he had fallen today, and fallen hard. No wonder these people had dared to go to that place. They were so young, yet why did they possess such terrifying power?
Two muffled sounds rang out as Ma Hongjun's palms struck the heads of the first mate and another crewman. There was no gory spectacle — only thin wisps of green smoke curling from their seven orifices before their bodies crumpled to the ground, limp and lifeless. He repeated the process, and despite the crewmen's hysterical pleas for mercy, the fatty's heart was as hard as iron. Tang San had said to leave only three alive, so only three it would be.
Show mercy? Against a band of pirates intent on robbery and murder, was mercy called for? Every last one of these pirates deserved to die ten times over and still not atone for their sins.
The Blue Silver Emperor swept upward, and five corpses were flung into the sea, plunging straight down into the deep. That would be their final resting place.
This battle, which had never held any suspense to begin with, was resolved in mere moments.
The two remaining crewmen had already lost control of their bladders and bowels. Had they not been bound by the Blue Silver Emperor, they would likely have collapsed to the deck in terror. They had killed before, of course, but there was a vast difference between having killed and facing the prospect of being killed themselves.
Tang San's Blue Silver Emperor swept once more, hurling these two crewmen into the sea as well. As Sea Soul Masters, a soak in the ocean wouldn't kill them — they needed to be washed clean of their filth.
Tang San walked at a leisurely pace to stand before Heidel, who was trapped within the Blue Silver Cage and had lost all will to resist. Tang San offered a mild smile, his gaze burning intently into the other man. Under the piercing light in Tang San's eyes, Heidel felt his mind grow hazy. His mental strength was simply too far removed from Tang San's. And that was before accounting for the Purple Extreme Demon Eye.
"I believe now would be a good time for us to talk." As he spoke, two strands of Blue Silver Emperor slipped into the cage and tapped five points on Heidel's chest in rapid succession. Heidel felt his entire body go numb. In the next instant, the Soul Power within him seemed to be locked away by some invisible force, and all five of his Soul Rings vanished simultaneously.
Using pressure-point techniques to seal an opponent's Soul Power was much the same as sealing their internal energy in his previous life. In this state, Heidel could hardly stir up trouble — he couldn't even jump overboard.
Tang San withdrew the Blue Silver Cage. An elegant smile graced his handsome features. "Captain Heidel. I take it you're pirates. And this commander you mentioned — what about him? I trust you'd prefer not to share the fate of your five subordinates."
Heidel was white as a sheet, his legs buckling. He dropped to his knees with a thud. "Spare me! Please, spare my life! I'll talk — I'll tell you everything! Just don't kill me!"
Tang San looked down at him from above. "That can be arranged. I have only one demand. Tell me your origins, then deliver us safely to our destination. I'll spare your life."
Heidel let out a small breath of relief. "I'll tell you. Lord Soul Emperor, this ship belongs to the Purple Pearl Pirates. Every one of us is a member of the Purple Pearl Pirates. Our job is to find fat sheep at the port, hunt them down at sea, then hand over all the plundered goods to the organization."
Tang San nodded. "Tell me about the Purple Pearl Pirates. Where is your lair? How many people do you have? And who is this commander?"
Heidel was now in the mood to hold nothing back, answering with complete cooperation. "Our Purple Pearl Pirates are based on Purple Pearl Island, two days' sail from here. Over the past decade, under the leadership of our commander, Lady Purple Pearl, we've absorbed or destroyed every small pirate gang in these waters. We've become a massive organization with over three thousand members. Among them, more than two hundred are Sea Soul Masters. My ship, the Sea Demon, is well-ranked within the fleet. The crew with me are all my people. I used to be a pirate captain myself before being absorbed. Our commander is a level seventy-three Soul Saint — extraordinarily powerful. She's around thirty-seven or thirty-eight, but she's taken excellent care of herself and looks no older than twenty-something. Very beautiful."
Tang San's brow furrowed slightly. "A woman?"
Heidel nodded. "We make our living through plunder — collecting a maritime tax, as it were."
Tang San said, "Doesn't the official authority of Seawind City do anything about it?"
Heidel curled his lip. "Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. Setting aside the fact that we have over two hundred Sea Soul Masters, Spirit Hall once issued a decree forbidding land-based Soul Masters from entering sea territory lightly — that alone keeps them from making any move. Besides, we exercise restraint. We don't push people to the brink. Generally we just rob them, and we don't kill much. And our targets are always nobles. How many nobles are any good?"
Dai Mubai let out a cold laugh. "So in other words, you took us for rich noble prey? Are all nobles bad? Do they all deserve to die?"
"That…" Heidel realized he had misspoken, and his face twisted in discomfort.
Tang San said, "Get up. I won't kill you. Take us to Sea God Island. I have no interest in you pirates. Don't try anything clever. You should be able to feel that your Soul Power has been completely sealed. I've also placed a restriction on your body. If you act rashly, there will be only one outcome — a fate worse than death." His voice grew noticeably cold on those last four words. As he spoke, the Blue Silver Emperor lashed out, and the two crewmen who had been getting cleansed in the sea were hauled back onto the deck.
"Resume our course. I don't know much about sailing, but I can tell direction. You don't seem entirely stupid. If you want to live, do as I say."
"Y-yes!" Heidel, as if granted a great reprieve, scrambled to his feet and hurried off with the two crewmen.
Dai Mubai's sinister eyes flashed with cold light. "A pirate gang like this preying on the region — none of them are any good. Too bad we're too few and don't want to invite unnecessary trouble. Otherwise, we should wipe them out entirely."