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After entering Hanhai City, the members of Shrek Academy naturally decided to explore the area first.
They went shopping in pairs, though Li Luochen took three beauties along with him.
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Hanhai City Auction House
Li Luochen planned to check out the auction house to see if there were any worthwhile treasures to be found. However, his luck was particularly bad this time—there wasn't a single item of interest at the auction. Disappointed, he decided to return to the hotel to rest.
Li Luochen booked a large ship that would set sail seven days later. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he sent Ma Hongjun and Oscar to handle the arrangements. They also released their soul rings as a show of force, ensuring the crew wouldn't dare entertain any ill intentions.
In the world of soul masters, strength was everything. Pretending to be weak while being strong? That era had long passed. Only overwhelming power could deter all manner of sinister forces!
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Seven days later, the Shrek team almost crossed the entire city, exiting through the western gate of Hanhai City. Following a specially constructed wide road carved into the rocky cliffs outside the city, they made their way down to the docks.
Anyone wishing to depart from Hanhai City's port had to use this route. Despite the difficulty of building roads on such rugged terrain, the city officials had spared no effort in maintaining this path.
The port itself was massive, with at least twenty piers extending hundreds of meters into the sea, accommodating hundreds of ships. This was both the starting point and endpoint of maritime trade and a significant source of income for Hanhai City.
Though the ocean was home to powerful spirit beasts, it also held boundless wealth. Relying on the sea for sustenance had long been an unchanging truth for Hanhai City. Even though people lost their lives to sea spirit beasts every year, this reality remained unchanged.
Close to the ocean, the land was mostly saline-alkali soil, unsuitable for growing crops. The bounty of the sea was the only source of profit for Hanhai City. It was through the ocean that the locals could exchange resources.
Soon, Li Luochen located the ship Ma Hongjun and Oscar had rented—a brand-new vessel that looked quite impressive. Its hull was painted iron-gray, with red, blue, and white accents on the deck. It was said that painting the hull gray helped minimize attacks from spirit beasts.
The ship measured seventy meters in length and over thirty meters in width, making it a medium-sized but still substantial vessel. Upon closer inspection, one could see that beneath the iron-gray paint lay a thick layer of iron armor protecting the hull.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar had chosen this ship specifically because of its excellent defensive capabilities. Although renting it cost a fair amount of money, ensuring a safe journey to Sea God Island was worth it. As for the return trip, they'd have to rely on their own abilities.
"Welcome aboard the Conch!" As the group stepped onto the deck, a middle-aged man in his forties approached them with a hearty laugh and a welcoming gesture.
Ma Hongjun introduced him: "This is Captain Haiden of the Conch." (T/N: Phonetic Chinese for Hayden).
Haiden laughed warmly: "Welcome, beautiful ladies and handsome gentlemen, to my Conch. I'm delighted to serve you.
Please follow me, and I'll give you a tour of my Conch!"
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the group, filled with apprehension and fear.
A few days ago, two young men had come aboard—Soul Sages! Their soul ring configurations nearly made him wet himself.
People like him, who lived on the sea, often dabbled in piracy alongside their legitimate roles as captains.
Haiden himself was a pirate—one of the leading captains under the Purple Pearl Pirate Guild, known as the "Sea Lion King."
He was quite strong, with fifty-five levels of spirit power and optimal soul ring configurations. His martial soul? The Sea Lion!
But fighting against Soul Sages? Impossible. Moreover, one of the young men had mentioned that a certain "His Eminence" would be part of this voyage. Serving a Title Douluo was considered an honor.
What was a "His Eminence"? Haiden knew well—he was a Soul King after all and had some perspective. This time, he was serving a Title Douluo!
Would he dare entertain any malicious thoughts? To ensure safety, he had left his family in Hanhai City. He owned property there, and his wealth was securely stored with his wife. If anything happened to him, his family would still live comfortably.
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Back to reality, under Haiden's introduction, the group learned that the Conch had a total of eight crew members, including Haiden as captain, one first mate, and six sailors.
The Conch had three levels: two above the deck and one below. Naturally, as the paying customers, the Shrek team would occupy the upper two levels, while the crew stayed below.
The top level offered a panoramic view, providing a unique experience. The lower deck housed ten rooms, more than enough for the entire Shrek team.
From the moment they boarded, the strong scent of the ocean assaulted their senses. The howling sea breeze brought a chill in the late autumn air, but given that none of them were ordinary people, their physical resilience rendered the cold insignificant.
"Weigh anchor, set sail!" With everyone aboard, Captain Haiden gave the order, and the Conch officially departed. Their destination was Sea God Island, and as a child of the sea, Haiden naturally knew the way.
The weather was perfect, and the sea was calm. The Conch, being a sizable vessel, easily sailed out of the harbor under the efforts of the sailors, heading straight into the open waters.
Once the Conch was fully out of the harbor, Captain Haiden gave another command. The main sail rose, and the ship adjusted its course, accelerating toward their destination.
The scenery of the ocean was unparalleled—nothing else in the world could compare. Without truly experiencing the vastness of the sea, one could never understand its grandeur.
The horizon stretched endlessly, where the water met the sky. By now, the sun had risen in the east, casting shimmering reflections on the waves.
Li Luochen suddenly stood at the bow of the ship, feeling the sea breeze against his face. Though he had been to the ocean many times, this was his first time sailing. At that moment, he felt an urge to shout, "I'm destined to be the Pirate King!"
However, "the dignity of the strong"—or rather, as Li Luochen's strength grew, he needed to maintain his prestige. He couldn't shout something so undignified.
The sea breeze, though chilly, seemed to refresh everyone's spirits, filling them with an indescribable sense of exhilaration.
This excitement lasted until noon. Lunch was naturally centered around seafood—simple boiled fish paired with some vegetables purchased from Hanhai City. Though nothing special, everyone enjoyed the meal with great enthusiasm.
Captain Haiden even treated them to several large crabs, a delicacy rarely found inland. The Shrek team couldn't help but exclaim in delight.
However, by the time lunch ended, only Dugu Yan, Yang Wu, Niu Dun, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Bai Chenxiang, and Jiang Zhu remained unaffected.
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In the afternoon, the winds and waves began to pick up, causing the Conch to rock with the motion of the sea. At first, it wasn't too bad, but as time went on, Li Luochen, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Ye Lengleng, Oscar, Yu Tianxin, Huang Yuan, and Jing Ling all began to suffer from seasickness.
Li Luochen vomited profusely—he had eaten a lot, after all.
"I'm already a Title Douluo! Why the hell am I getting seasick? Blegh—this is… blegh—so… blegh—unfair, blegh—!"
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