Chapter 13: Whaling Festival

Time passed swiftly, another two years gone in the blink of an eye, like a fleeting moment.

Cheng Xiao broke through to level seventeen. Due to absorbing a higher-level soul ring, his soul power directly reached level twelve. In these two years of cultivation, he had increased by a total of five levels.

At the same time, Tang San and Xiao Wu were already level twenty-seven, also having increased by five levels.

Although it seemed like the gap hadn't widened, Cheng Xiao was well aware that the difficulty of cultivating as a Soul Grandmaster was much higher than that of a Soul Master. Tang San and Xiao Wu had increased by nearly seven levels in the two years at the Soul Master stage.

This was an advantage in being the first mover. Uniform acceleration would inevitably fall behind constant high-speed motion. It was impossible for a latecomer to surpass the top student who consistently maintained the lead for two years.

Conventional methods couldn't eliminate the advantage of being the first mover; some clever tricks were needed.

"It seems I must pay a visit to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes. I can't let Tang San have all the opportunities there." Cheng Xiao planned to prioritize the Heavenly Grass, as this was his best chance to overtake.

However, currently, the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eyes were occupied by the Poison Douluo. Given his weak strength, Cheng Xiao had no qualifications to negotiate.

After contemplating for half a month, Cheng Xiao still had no clear ideas, and the summer vacation of his fifth year had already arrived.

"Xiao Cheng, you've become familiar with the business in the store over the years. This summer, accompany me to source goods for the business." Cheng Xiao's uncle, Cheng Yu, said.

The Cheng family supplied whale oil to the nobility. Whale oil, smokeless and fragrant, had always been a sought-after commodity among nobles, even designated as a necessity by the royal family.

With a stable market, the Cheng family had no trouble selling their products. Although the Cheng family couldn't be considered nobility, in the city of Norton, they were considered well-off.

Previously, Cheng Xiao's father used to take Cheng Xiao with him, but his father passed away a few years ago. His uncle took over the family business and also took Cheng Xiao along.

"Sure, Uncle."

Cheng Xiao nodded. His innate soul power was evident, and although he was already a Soul Master, his family did not expect much success on this path. They planned for Cheng Xiao to take over the family business after he came of age.

After his father's passing, his mother had been expecting much from him. To live up to his mother's expectations, Cheng Xiao chose to spend his summer vacation helping with the family business. The path to becoming a Title Douluo and a god was a matter for the future. One should focus on the present; no one could rely on daydreams to reverse their fate.

"The routes you learn now will be crucial for you in the future. Also, you need to pay attention to..." Throughout the journey, Cheng Yu imparted almost all of his knowledge to Cheng Xiao.

After ten days of travel, the procurement team finally arrived at a seaside town—Whale Hunting City.

Upon entering the small town, a lively scene greeted them. The bustling sounds of trade and auctions filled the air, indicating the prosperity of the city.

Whale Hunting City was renowned for its whale oil, and almost half of all the whale oil on the continent came from here. Whale oil was produced between June and August each year. During this time, whale oil merchants from all over the continent would come here to purchase. It was undoubtedly a lively season.

"Let's go, we won't buy in the city. We have a designated cooperation partner who's a hunter. No need to purchase second-hand goods here." After arranging accommodations for the convoy, Cheng Yu led Cheng Xiao away from the team. "The route isn't the most important thing; this cooperative hunter is the foundation of our family's survival. We must not let others follow us."

After traveling for more than twenty miles and crossing a mountain, it was almost dark when the two arrived at a village.

"Bang, bang!" Cheng Yu familiarly arrived at a house, knocking on the door.

"Who is it?"

"Old Lü, it's me, Cheng Yu."

"Haha, I knew it was you. I calculated it; it should be these days. If you didn't come, you might miss the prime pickings."

Creak, the door opened. A dark-skinned man greeted Cheng Yu with a big hug, and then they exchanged pleasantries.

"Who's this?" After the greetings, Old Lü looked at the young man behind Cheng Yu, his face showing confusion.

"This is my big brother's son. He will take over the family business when he comes of age. Today, I brought him along to get a feel for the road." Cheng Yu introduced the two to each other. "Lü Han, the hunter we cooperate with. All the whale oil we have is purchased from him. Call him Uncle Lü."

"Uncle Lü!"

"Hey, good, this kid is not bad! Look at this physique; he's destined to be a tough guy when he grows up. Hahaha!" Lü Han welcomed them into the house. "Wife, prepare some dishes for the wine. Brother Cheng are here, and we're going to have a good drink."

At the dining table, Cheng Xiao gradually understood the village's significance.

The village was called Moonlight Village, named after the nearby Moonlight Bay. Since a long time ago, this village had mastered the technique of luring and hunting magical whales. It operated as a loose sect, more than just a village.

Every year, from June to August, the village held the Whaling Festival. In the evening, a grand bonfire banquet took place, during which the hunted magical whales were processed into whale oil. According to the village's internal ranking and contribution system, the oil was distributed to the villagers and hunters. They, in turn, sold it at a high price.

Reputable hunters had long-term partnerships with buyers, with a sense of exclusivity. Those with a poor reputation would initially find people willing to cooperate, but over time, they would be abandoned by buyers. They could only sell their goods in Whaling City, deceiving those who were unaware.

"No wonder Uncle said we can't bring others. It turns out they're afraid of others snatching the cooperation." Watching the two exchange toasts, Cheng Xiao murmured.

It wasn't until late at night that the two of them got drunk, concluding the feast.

Three days later, the Whaling Festival began.

It was Cheng Xiao's first time witnessing such a spectacular scene. Dozens of large ships set sail together, sailors shouting as they unfurled their sails and sailed into the sea.

Cheng Xiao and Cheng Yu followed Lü Han onto a ship, personally experiencing the intensity and passion of the festival.

"Old Lü, can we achieve the same amount as last year this time?"

"How can that be certain? Our technique is only about luring and killing, and we can't predict it. It depends on how many magical whales this sea area can attract this year."

After ten days of sailing, the fleet finally arrived in a vast sea area. Early in the morning that day, Cheng Xiao was awakened by a horn. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and came to the deck, where a scene directly shocked him.

All the Soul Masters on the fleet were standing on the deck, releasing their martial souls together. They were all Sea Soul Beast martial souls, at least Soul Douluos, with the strongest reaching the level of Soul Emperors.

Cheng Xiao saw Old Lü and was surprised that this seemingly honest and dark-skinned man was also a Soul Douluo!

"Looks can indeed be deceiving." Cheng Xiao clicked his tongue.

They chanted incantations, seemingly producing some kind of melody. The melody resonated, and soon, it attracted a group of magical whales. These magical whales swam around the fleet, occasionally spraying towering water columns. Under the sunlight, they reflected colorful rainbow lights.

The fleet began to return, enticing the magical whale group to follow. They returned to Moonlight Bay, where the Sea Soul Masters then revealed their fangs, driving the whale group into the bay before starting a ruthless massacre.

The villagers utilized their secret techniques for the slaughter. These gray-eyed magical whales were completely defenseless, and it was a one-sided massacre.

Countless soul rings rose, mostly purple, with occasional black ones.

The seawater in Moonlight Bay turned red, resembling the bridal veil of a bride, extremely enchanting.

The scent of blood rose into the sky, even with the constant wash of seawater, the bloody smell on the rocky shores of Moonlight Bay could not be washed away.

Seeing this scene, even Cheng Xiao, with his tough heart, couldn't help but be moved.

"Don't think too much. These gray-eyed magical whales are the most prolific. They can give birth to a large group every year." Cheng Yu patted his nephew's shoulder, comforting him.

Cheng Xiao shook his head and smiled, "Uncle, you underestimate me. Although it's a bit hard to bear, if they didn't possess the secret technique, they would be the prey of the gray-eyed magical whales. Survival of the fittest, just the iron law of the Soul Master world. I'm not that fragile."

"Hahaha, that's good."

Yes, survival of the fittest. Cheng Xiao once again had a new understanding of this world, thinking of Xiao Wu. She... was also a soul beast. In just a moment, his heart once again became as hard as iron.

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