Chapter 565: Documents Required for Maritime Navigation

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With the opening of maritime trade routes, some soul masters from the territories of Heaven Dou, Star Luo, and the Spirit Hall have begun contemplating overseas adventures. This is largely due to the development of soul tool technology and the continued exploration of various regions across the continent over the past eight years.

Moreover, as the Douluo Continent enters a "honeymoon phase" with the Sun-Moon Continent, many emerging families are planning to visit the latter, hoping to leverage its resources for their own development.

Although the resources of the Douluo Continent have not been completely exhausted, they have already been largely divided among the three major powers: Heaven Dou, Star Luo, and the Spirit Hall.

With fierce competition internally, many have turned their eyes outward.

Thus, this era has also been dubbed the "Age of Navigation." In fact, the soul tool film The King of the Sea is a story adapted from real events by a director. Its protagonist, Luffy, is a man who vows to become the King of the Sea. He sets sail on a small boat, gathers companions along the way, journeys to unknown lands, and helps people there resolve various conflicts.

Interestingly, the film also features an "antagonist" known as the Heavenly Soul Navy!

This ties directly to the current reality of the continent—

For Douluo residents to set sail, they must obtain a navigation permit jointly issued by the Heaven Dou (or Star Luo) Empire and the Spirit Hall. Without it, they would be considered sailing without authorization and would face arrest and detention.

The protagonist of The King of the Sea, Luffy, sails without a permit, resulting in him being pursued by the Heavenly Soul Navy.

Heavenly Soul...

It's clear that the film's director is subtly criticizing the Heaven Dou Empire and the Spirit Hall!

However, neither the Spirit Hall nor the Heaven Dou Empire has banned the film from being shown across the continent. Instead, they've even promoted it to a certain extent.

After all, the vast and majestic sea does indeed require more ambitious soul masters to explore it.

Of course, permits must still be obtained. Otherwise, anyone without them would face a joint manhunt by the three major powers on the continent.

Why is a navigation permit necessary?

The most basic reason is to verify identity. After all, the relationship between the Douluo and Sun-Moon Continents is far from a true "honeymoon."

"The sea is truly vast and magnificent," Xiao Bai marveled, feeling a tinge of inadequacy. In neither her past nor current life had she ever truly seen the sea.

"Too bad our Holy Son wouldn't take us even if he does set sail," Xiao Qing complained. "He may seem like a lecher, but he's completely immune to our charms."

Xuhuang pursed her lips slightly.

A lecher?

That's just being affectionate, isn't it?

As a princess of the Sun-Moon Empire, Xuhuang found it perfectly normal for outstanding men to have multiple wives. After all, her own brother, Xu Huang, was the same way.

However, unlike Tang San, Xu Huang would never let his wives engage in any work. Aside from cultivating, they mostly spent their time traveling and enjoying life. Tang San, on the other hand, even had his women work and conduct research—a concept entirely unheard of.

Xuhuang simply couldn't understand it.

As for why Xiao Qing and Xiao Bai's attempts at seduction had failed, Xuhuang could only say that Tang San wasn't as much of a lecher as he appeared. Otherwise, in the past eight years, she would've already been utterly devoured by him. There would've been no need for him to hang around with two ordinary women like them.

After finishing the soul tool movie, the three women left the Soul Tool Film City. Just as they stepped outside, they encountered an acquaintance.

"Who are you?" Xiao Qing asked, frowning as she failed to recognize the person before her. "No disturbances are allowed inside or outside Spirit City, so please move aside."

"We've met before. My name is Hawk."

The man was none other than the Sea God's successor and leader of the Traveler's Alliance, Hawk, who had recently returned from Sea God Island.

"Hawk?" Xiao Qing feigned understanding, though confusion was evident in her eyes.

"I knew it; you don't remember..."

"No idea who you are."

Hawk was momentarily stunned before shaking his head with a wry smile. "Figures. We only met once all those years ago. Back then, I wasn't alone—I had a companion named Tang Luo Ya, who was taken to Soul Martial Manor for work."

"Oh!" Xiao Qing finally remembered but grew cautious. "Even if we're from the same homeland, I've heard from others that you're not exactly good people."

"Don't say that! I'm a good guy. Didn't your master personally host me and Tang Luo Ya back then?" Hawk said, half-laughing, half-crying, as he earnestly tried to explain. He hoped the two would take him back to the Soul Martial Manor to meet Tang San again.

At this point, Hawk had completed the seventh Sea God Trial and drawn the Sea God's Trident. His strength had reached the Soul Douluo level. The eighth trial given to him by the Sea God included four objectives: first, to complete his soul rings and soul bones, with the soul bones needing to be at least 50,000 years old; second, to recover or repair the Sea God's Heart; third, to elevate his cultivation to Rank 99; and fourth, to slay the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

Among these, the second condition was particularly intriguing.

The Sea God's Heart, which was also the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, required him to either retrieve it or repair it. Did this mean that the Sea God's Heart had fallen into someone else's hands—or worse, that it had been damaged?

Thinking it over, Hawk felt that if anyone had acquired the Sea God's Heart, it would most likely be Tang San. However, this was Spirit City, and he couldn't act recklessly. The guards at the Soul Martial Manor wouldn't let him in, either—after all, even though he and Tang San had cooperated before, others weren't aware of that.

Thus, Hawk turned to Xiao Qing and Xiao Bai, hoping they could help him gain entry to the Soul Martial Manor so he could confirm with Tang San whether there was a way to obtain the Sea God's Heart.

Even if Tang San had already damaged it, fragments would suffice. With them, reconstruction should be easier—otherwise, Hawk had no way to challenge the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.

To be honest, Hawk had absolutely no confidence in defeating the Deep Sea Demon Whale King. In the original story, Tang San relied on the power of the Killing God Domain, which evolved into the Slaughter Domain, to defeat the beast. It was also likely at that moment that the God of Asura officially chose Tang San.

But Hawk had no such Killing God Domain. Defeating the Deep Sea Demon Whale King seemed as impossible as scaling the heavens!

After all, even though the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had been blinded in one eye by the Sea God's attack, that was likely the work of the Sea God after he had ascended to godhood. Before becoming a god, could the Sea God truly deal with the Deep Sea Demon Whale King? Hawk didn't believe so.

If he was required to kill the Deep Sea Demon Whale King before starting the final ninth trial, and furthermore turn it into his ninth soul ring, it would be an almost insurmountable challenge.

Of course, the trial's requirements only demanded that he slay the Deep Sea Demon Whale King—it didn't specify that he must use it as his ninth soul ring. Hawk could wait until he reached Rank 99 before taking on the challenge.

However, as a transmigrator who had been given the Sea God's Nine Trials, he couldn't help but aim for a million-year soul ring. Settling for anything less would feel like a waste, so he was determined to obtain the Sea God's Heart.

"Fine, come with us. Even if we don't take you, you'd probably sneak in anyway," Xiao Bai said, agreeing to Hawk's request. "But whether the Holy Son sees you or not is a different matter."

"Don't worry. As long as I can enter the Soul Martial Manor, Tang San will definitely meet with me," Hawk declared confidently.

"Let's hope so."

(End of Chapter)