The Moon God Shuttle halted on the surface of the sea. Its crystal canopy slid open, and three figures burst forth—Zhu Ziyang, Zhang Lexuan, and Second Frost—rising into the air.
Zhu Ziyang's wings unfurled, a long white spear in his hand as his sharp gaze fixed upon the colossal beasts encircling them. Now their forms came clearly into view.
They were whales—but no ordinary whales. Each exceeded a hundred meters in length, their bodies sheathed in enormous dragon scales, each scale half as tall as Ziyang himself. Golden dragon horns crowned their heads, long whiskers framed their mouths, and their eyes were unmistakable dragon pupils. Their tails were no flat whale flukes but long, furred dragon tails.
Their bodies gleamed blue-violet against the dark sea, blending almost seamlessly with the water. Yet their golden horns blazed like beacons in the gloom.
"What kind of soul beasts are those?" Zhang Lexuan asked in bewilderment, pressing close to Ziyang.
"I'm not sure," Ziyang admitted. "But what's certain is that they carry dragon bloodlines."
His soul power shifted, transforming into the Ultimate Ice. Another pair of dragon wings spread from his back, and with them came the oppressive might unique to a Dragon King.
The effect was immediate. The herd of dragon whales stirred uneasily, their cries rippling with panic. Ziyang's heart leapt—he had not expected even the residual Dragon King's aura clinging to his wings to make so many ten-thousand-year soul beasts restless. If he unleashed his full Dragon Might, would they scatter entirely?
Yet he had no chance to test it. From the abyssal depths came a roar, a dragon's cry far mightier and clearer than the whales' calls. The sound pierced sea and sky alike, striking Ziyang and Lexuan's ears like thunder. Both froze, exchanging wry smiles.
The true ruler had arrived.
Sure enough, a moment later, an immense form erupted from the waves. The beast dwarfed the encircling whales; its thousand-meter body hurled up waves hundreds of meters high, yet as it twisted gracefully midair and settled back upon the surface, the sea lay calm, not a ripple out of place. Such terrifying mastery over water made both Ziyang and Lexuan's hearts sink.
This was without doubt the Dragon King the Heavenly Thunder Roar Tiger had spoken of. Its appearance was awe-inspiring—dragon's head, fish's body, long and slender form armored in violet-gold scales, a dorsal fin rising high along its back. Compared to the lesser dragon whales, its bloodline was clearly purer, its aura vastly stronger.
"You carry the blood of a Dragon King. Who are you?" the leviathan demanded. Its voice was unmistakably female, carrying solemn majesty.
"I am the current Ice Dragon King. And who are you?" Ziyang replied boldly. At once he released his martial soul true body, transforming into a mighty dragon wreathed in the aura of kingship, golden eyes radiating lofty dominance as he spoke.
"Ice Dragon King!" The creature was visibly shaken. The Dragon King's aura Ziyang bore was undeniable. Instinctively, it lowered its head in acknowledgment before replying, "I am the Skyblue Dragon Whale King, the Violet-Gold Chiwen—Ninth Ling!"
Chiwen. Ninth son of the Dragon God. According to legend, it was born of the Dragon God and a primordial blue whale, ancestor of the entire dragon whale race.
Ziyang's heart jolted. He had not expected to encounter a living Chiwen here in the seas near Four Elephants Island. Judging from her aura, this Violet-Gold Chiwen had evolved from an ordinary Skyblue Dragon Whale—but her power was extraordinary nonetheless.
"Chiwen? Ninth Ling?" Second Frost's voice trembled with excitement. At once, she too revealed her true form—a colossal dragon nearly identical to Ziyang's manifestation. The same Dragon King's aura, the same Ultimate Ice, the same sovereign bearing.
The Violet-Gold Chiwen's eyes widened in disbelief. At first, Ziyang's aura alone had been enough to make her bow, dismissing his strength as secondary to the overwhelming Dragon King's presence. But now, faced with a second Dragon King inheritor—one whose power rivaled her own—her composure crumbled.
Fear gnawed at her heart. Even as a Chiwen, she could resist some portion of a Dragon King's suppression—but two at once, and one equal to her strength? This was no longer intimidation—it was oppression.
"You and your kind… why have you stopped us?" Ziyang demanded, cloaking himself in the majesty of the Dragon King, his voice sharp with authority.
"I meant no offense, nor did my kin," Ninth Ling answered at once. "We mistook you for denizens of Four Elephants Island. Now that the misunderstanding is cleared, we shall leave at once and not hinder your journey."
She struck the sea with her tail, and immediately the surrounding dragon whales dove beneath the waves. Ninth Ling herself also turned to depart, wisely unwilling to clash with them further. In truth, she had gathered her kin here merely to demonstrate strength to the Four Beast Emperors of the island. Once she realized Ziyang's group were outsiders, there was no reason to block them.
Yielding when necessary—this was one of Ninth Ling's virtues.
But Ziyang had no intention of letting her slip away so easily.
"Wait." His voice rang out, halting her retreat. "There's something I wish to ask you."
"Hah?" Ninth Ling felt a flare of irritation. She had already chosen to back down—yet this weak-seeming Ice Dragon King dared press her further? Still, she held her temper. "Very well. Ask, then."
"Have you ever heard of the Eastern Continent? Or do you know where the nearest landmass lies beyond these seas?" Ziyang asked.
Zhang Lexuan instantly understood his intent. Relief washed through her—so that was why he stopped her.
Ninth Ling too relaxed. So it was only a question. "I do know of a continent," she said after pondering a long while. "But whether it is this 'Eastern Continent' you seek, I cannot say."
"Tell me," Ziyang urged, his eyes lighting with hope.
"Over a thousand years ago, I encountered a Black Armored Swordfish King of thirty-thousand years' cultivation. It claimed to have come from near the shores of a continent, far to the northeast of Four Elephants Island. Perhaps that is the land you seek," Ninth Ling explained.
"The northeast?" Ziyang pressed. "And the distance?"
"That, I cannot say. I only heard it in passing. That swordfish sought to seize my territory, so I slew it. I never learned how far it had traveled to reach me." Ninth Ling's tone carried helplessness.
"I see… what a pity." Ziyang sighed, though excitement still stirred in his chest.
"Do you have any other clues?" he asked again.
"None," she replied firmly.
"Very well. Thank you." Ziyang inclined his head. "You may go."
Without hesitation, Ninth Ling dove beneath the waves and vanished.
Ziyang dismissed his martial soul true body and returned with Lexuan to the Moon God Shuttle, where Nannan and Lingyi were waiting anxiously.
"Brother, you were amazing! You scared that Violet-Gold Chiwen into submission!" Jiang Nannan's eyes shone with admiration. They had heard everything from within the shuttle, and her voice brimmed with awe.
"Brother Ziyang, that Chiwen called you and Shuang'er the Ice Dragon King. Why?" Qian Lingyi asked curiously.
"Hehe, that's a story for later." Ziyang smiled. "For now, let's decide—do we sail toward the continent the Chiwen mentioned?"
"I think we should," Zhang Lexuan said firmly. "We have no other leads, and our supplies are still plentiful. It's worth the risk."
"I agree!" Nannan and Lingyi echoed together.
And so, with hope guiding them, the Moon God Shuttle turned its bow northeastward, surging forward once more into the boundless, unknown sea.
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