Chapter 55 - Attack at Sea

Three weeks had passed since Lance's two halves fused together. The lava chains could now appear at will. Lance would use them atop the deck like whips. Furthermore, it was as if the lava chains had a mind of their own. They constantly burned or dimmed, grew or shrank, and could also spray molten lava if Lance desired.

Lingqi learned the truth and was horrified and shocked when she first discovered Mei and Lance's past. She learned that Mei and Lance, formerly Guo Yang, were the cause of the Day of the Eye and Snake. The panther, still unnamed, had already seen glimpses of its master's past and was not shocked at all. It took Lingqi three days to adjust to seeing Mei and Lance as human and not monsters.

Of course, Mei had to take precautions. Unbeknownst to Lingqi, Mei's dark spirit energy invaded and hid inside her Soul Realm. If Lingqi had traitorous desires, Mei's spirit energy would react and self-destruct. Lingqi's cultivation would be damaged, and she would be easily killed by Mei or Lance without much resistance.

Mei did not know it, but her constant observations of Guo Yang and Lance had changed her slightly. Her experience with the Eye of Darkness had also altered her. However, these changes only made her more cautious and not devious or evil. The Eye of Darkness was nothing but evil, while Guo Yang was merely devious.

"Still at your usual spot, I see," Mei said as she found Lance sitting on a bone throne at the bow of the ship. At his side was the panther, and he had a skeleton snake on his lap.

"Do you know what's great about the undead?" Lance asked as Mei appeared beside him. "They don't need to breathe. They don't need to be bathed or fed. They don't even sleep. The only problem is that undead minions consume quite a lot of mana to create. In terms of mage cultivation, I am at the mage equivalent of the Spirit Forming Stage. It must be because my practitioner cultivation is tied to my magic that my mage cultivation is accelerated. Still, the best part is that I don't need to spend mana to sustain bone minion summons."

"How many did you make?" Mei asked, looking around and seeing none but the animate skeleton snake.

"It's been three weeks. Naturally, the number of minions would be low. That is, if I summoned bone humanoids. Smaller creatures consume barely any mana at all. Also, my red neidan has its own ability. While the jade neidan absorbs spirit energy without me needing to meditate, the red neidan can convert my spirit energy into mana if needed, or with a single thought," Lance said. "Let's just say that fishing won't yield you anything during this voyage. There might be treasures in the sea, and nothing will be tolerated in finding them."

"You made a bone shark?" Mei asked.

"No. No," Lance said, sighing as he shook his head. "My mastery over magic is not that profound. I merely made a few dozen bone fish to create a school of them. Even a creature at the Element Adept Stage would be eaten alive. More than one, and I'll lose a few fish," Lance shrugged and turned to his panther, an orb of fire appearing in his hands. "Eat this. As my magical beast, we are bound by our souls. Just having the elements of darkness and wind is not enough. Fire will suit you well. Become a variant."

"Yes, master," the panther purred and ate the ball of fire. Immediately, scorching heat spread over its body, and its fur displayed cracks, flames appearing from within. Lance flicked his wrist, and a bone cage appeared below the panther, catapulting it into the sea.

"Such a thing! Why did you do it?" Mei asked, stunned.

"To survive in the world, strength is necessary. Look at all that I have done. Is it not vastly different from the world you knew? We are entering a land, a continent, where such magic is common. Their powers are not bound by the elements. There are similarities, but it is also vastly different. Even the warriors of that land will have a different path to power than us cultivators. They use mana; you use spirit energy; and I use both. I am being prepared," Lance said. "Are we not on an adventure to explore the world? To do so, you must learn about it. Adapt to it. The world you knew is gone. We are the foreigners now. Our power is the one that is alien and dangerous. Necromancy is uncommon but practiced in that land. Tell me, are you prepared?"

"What about Lingqi?" she asked.

"Think about it. The auction house said they had the potential to reach the level of Earth Mortal, not to be one. It is my belief that the Eastern Continent, from whence they came, also has its own path to power. Magical beasts are the same regardless, but humans are not. Have you ever seen Lingqi cultivate spirit energy or fight while she has been with us?" Lance asked.

"No, I haven't, but she claimed her father was from the Pangu Continent. She must have cultivation similar to ours," Mei answered.

"However, she was born and raised there," Lance smiled as he stood up, his bone throne disappearing as he turned to face her. "My dear sister, I encountered three people after I slayed the crown prince. All of them were women, and one was especially...hospitable. She was their mistress, and her two bodyguards appeared from the shadows. I detected no spirit energy from them at all. Otherwise, I would not have had my back to them. So tell me, is my assumption wrong?"

"Then what am I to do? Become a mage?" Mei asked.

"Oh no. According to some books I liberated from the passengers of this commercial ship, being a warrior is akin to being a practitioner. A party should really only need one mage unless the party numbers more than ten or you lack a healer. Clerics, they call them. Unlike us, only a cleric can heal other people besides themselves," Lance grinned as he handed her two books. "This will help you blend in well."

"It seems you know much about the world," Lingqi noted as she walked up to them. "It's true. The methods of each continent are usually different. It is because the source of energy is different for each part of the planet. Of all the continents, the seventh continent is the most strange and dangerous. That is your Pangu Continent. It is because the amount of spirit energy is incredibly denser and purer there than in the rest of the world."

"You heard us talking?" Mei asked.

"Yes. I didn't mean to pry. However, I did not know how to approach you all on the subject," Lingqi answered. "He is right about the warriors of the southern continent. Only two continents are known by the names of a compass: south and east. It is because they are the two largest continents of nine. Your Pangu Continent is but the smallest continent wedged in between the two. Warriors of the southern continent also have mana but cannot use it to cast spells. They use mana in a different manner, using it to augment their physical prowess or magical items."

"In other words, you will be an unstoppable warrior princess," Lance laughed. "Crushing skulls here, decapitating there—pretty much all the stuff you did before but without the practitioner arts."

"That's it?" she asked.

"Mana is also strange in that it makes your body stronger, faster, and more beautiful as you become stronger. Even a woman with embarrassing body lines would become a top beauty as the mana would dissolve the excess fat and leave the curves as they should be—well, to men's eyes," Lingqi said. "My continent has a similar method. It explains why my body is so...lustful."

"That's for damn sure," Lance nodded, thinking of his first time back at the capital. "They're alright. Anyway, the panther should finish having its fun soon. Then it's on to round two. I sense many life forms up ahead. They seem clustered, according to my spiritual sense. I reckon they're pirates. We're going to have so much fun killing them all. I wonder what treasures I'll find this time."

"Pirates! Pirates! Man your stations! Arm the mana cannons! Get your asses moving!" a sailor cried from above the sail as he spotted a pirate ship with his magical telescope.

"How many clicks?" one of the sailors asked.

"About eleven on our starboard. They'll be here soon!" the sailor answered.

"Everybody on starboard. I want all windows on the starboard side boarded and secured. All civilians are to hide below deck. Those who can fight are asked to stay topside. We'll focus on long-range assaults and try to damage their sails," the captain roared as he appeared on the deck.

"Welcome back. I imagine it was successful?" Lance asked as the panther leaped aboard.