When Zhu Ziyang and his companions once again set foot upon the outer seas of the Douluo Continent, exactly one year had passed since their departure.
Of that year, nearly ten months had been spent adrift upon the oceans—one month lingering on the Martial Soul Continent, and another spent upon scattered islands along the way. All added together, their journey had consumed a full year.
During that time, Zhu Ziyang, Qian Lingyi, and Jiang Nannan had each celebrated their nineteenth birthdays at sea, while Zhang Lexuan had marked her twenty-ninth—entering what many would call the prime of her womanhood.
The Moon God Shuttle glided back into the waters of the Moon South Archipelago. Yet instead of heading directly to the isles, it paused upon the waves.
"Lexuan-jie, Nannan, let's complete your Seventh Trials first," Zhu Ziyang suggested. "Once we finish, we can return to the archipelago without the need for another trip."
"Great idea!" Jiang Nannan laughed, clearly delighted.
"Then allow me to lead the way," Zhang Lexuan said with a smile. She stepped into the cockpit and guided the shuttle toward the waters where the Moon South Archipelago met the western outer seas of the Douluo Continent.
The Silver Moon Spirit Fish Clan lived in this very stretch of sea, where the inner and outer waters converged. Following the guidance they had received through their divine tests, the Moon God Shuttle soon drifted into the clan's domain—only to be swiftly surrounded by a school of gleaming silver fish.
Jiang Nannan and Zhang Lexuan immediately leapt from the shuttle, releasing the Light of the Silver Moon Goddess's Trials.
At the sight of that divine glow, the spirit fish abandoned their encirclement and scattered. Only one remained—a single Silver Moon Spirit Fish whose cultivation surpassed ninety thousand years.
The fish leapt from the sea, flipping gracefully through the air before plunging back into the depths. The strange motion puzzled Ziyang and Lingyi, but Nannan and Lexuan understood at once. Returning to the shuttle, they explained:
"Brother, that spirit fish is asking us to follow. It wants to take us to its king."
"I see!" Zhu Ziyang said with sudden clarity. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
The four followed the ninety-thousand-year fish deeper into the clan's waters. Before long, they beheld the mightiest of its kind—a fish larger and more resplendent than any other, its scales curved like silver crescent moons that shimmered with radiant light. Its cultivation neared one hundred fifty thousand years.
There was no doubt. This was the Silver Moon Spirit Fish King.
"You are envoys of the Silver Moon?" the Fish King spoke, its voice heavy with both weariness and hope. "Have you come to aid us against the Devil Whales?"
"Yes," Jiang Nannan replied, stepping forward. "She and I are the Silver Moon's envoys. These two are our companions. I believe you already know the contents of my trial."
"Ah! So you are the Silver Moon's successor!" The King's eyes shone with astonishment and excitement. "I am Shuiyue of the Silver Moon Spirit Fish. I pay my respects to the Goddess! I know the contents of your trial. But at present, I cannot cooperate with it. My people are being ravaged by the Devil Whale Clan. If you help us survive this calamity, I will submit to you without the need for any further test!"
"Very well. That is precisely why we came," Jiang Nannan answered firmly.
"Excellent!" Shuiyue's voice quivered with emotion. To her, the presence of divine envoys meant certain salvation. The hated Devil Whales, who had devoured countless of her kin, would surely be destroyed.
And so the Fish King revealed the plight of her people.
Hundreds of years ago, a horde of Devil Whales had descended upon them—fewer than twenty in number, yet each of terrifying strength. Though the Silver Moon Spirit Fish were far more numerous, their combat power was feeble. Even the mightiest of them, with tens of thousands of years of cultivation, could only match a thousand-year Devil Whale.
They had been forced to abandon their territories bit by bit, retreating again and again until only the inner seas remained. Yet even these waters were no longer safe.
"Those loathsome Devil Whales treat my people as food," Shuiyue said bitterly, her voice trembling with fury. "Time and again, they invade our waters, swallowing my kin whole. Countless younglings, scarcely born, have perished in their bellies before they could even glimpse the beauty of life!"
"With such numbers, can your people not overcome a mere handful of Devil Whales?" Zhu Ziyang asked, frowning.
"Our kind are too weak in battle," Shuiyue admitted with deep sorrow. "We cannot compare with the bloodline of the Devil Whales…"
Ziyang and his companions understood. To pit a gentle-blooded fish against the savage might of a whale was nothing short of cruel.
"What species of Devil Whales are they?" Zhang Lexuan inquired. "Are they Demonic Orca Whales?"
Among the seas of Douluo, only two Devil Whales were well-known—the Deep Sea Devil Whale, solitary and few in number, and the Demonic Orca Whale, a species notorious for traveling in packs. Lexuan naturally suspected the latter.
"There are some Demonic Orca Whales… a few Demonfang Whales… some Deep Blue Gray Devil Whales… and—" Shuiyue began listing them.
"Stop!" Ziyang cut her off sharply, his expression grave. "You mean the horde harassing you is a mixed group of Devil Whales? And you're certain they act as one?"
"I am certain," Shuiyue replied firmly. "I, too, was shocked. Different Devil Whale species working together is unheard of—but they are indeed united."
"Then there must be a leader," Ziyang muttered, his brows furrowing. "Some great beast powerful enough to command so many different kinds."
"Ziyang is right," Zhang Lexuan agreed at once.
"Shuiyue, give us a little time," Jiang Nannan said kindly. "We'll discuss a plan, then return with our answer."
"As you wish," Shuiyue replied respectfully.
Back aboard the Moon God Shuttle, the four began to plan.
"Any thoughts?" Ziyang asked.
"I only want to know…" Nannan said hesitantly, raising her hand. "Can we really handle such a horde? They sound terrifying."
"Heh. Unless they have a Deep Sea Devil Whale King—a million-year beast—there's nothing to fear. Your brother can handle them all," Ziyang said confidently, pinching her cheek in playful reproach for doubting him.
"I wonder," Zhang Lexuan mused aloud. "If we eliminate this Devil Whale Horde, will my trial be considered complete as well?"
"That's a fair question," Ziyang admitted. "When the time comes, we'll see. If slaying or driving them off isn't enough, we may have to linger longer at sea."
"So then," Qian Lingyi asked, "do we wait for them to attack us, or do we take the initiative?"
"Of course we strike first," Ziyang said with a calm, confident smile. "I've never liked being passive."
Thus their plan was set. They would hunt down the Devil Whale Horde and teach them the price of feeding for free.
When Shuiyue heard their decision, she was overjoyed and led them without hesitation toward the seas where the Devil Whales had last been sighted. From there, they would trace the trail back to the horde's very lair.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 early chapters available on Patreon: [email protected]/facficmax10