CHAPTER 761: CHAPTER 761: CURSE OF THE SEA

The black ship sailed across the endless ocean, cutting through the waves like a silent arrow. The sea stretched out in every direction, with nothing but water and sky in sight.

On deck, the seven guards moved with trained focus and engraved precision.

Each one had a job. One adjusted the sails to catch the wind just right. Another checked the glowing symbols carved into the ship’s surface, making sure the spiritual energy was flowing properly. Others watched the sea or studied the ship’s compass, always alert.

Wuhan stood near the helm, his golden cloak fluttering in the breeze. He looked at Noah, who stood with one hand resting on the railing, eyes half-closed, sensing the world around him.

"How far is the Elven Continent?" Wuhan asked.

"We’re going the right way for now," Noah replied calmly. "Keep this course for another day or two. After that, the sea currents will change."

Wuhan nodded in understanding before turning his attention to the front.

Noah glanced at the quiet captain, who was sleeping on the wooden bench attached to the floor, lazying around, or trying to, as he was being pestered by the green-haired menace who would not stop asking him questions.

Captain Black Sword had volunteered to come along with them; he thought that coming here would allow him to rest during the voyage.

In the empire, he had to patrol the streets and manage his subordinates and train them.

But all of his thoughts and imagination did not calculate a single variable.

Sylvheriel.

The woman never shuts up.

And the captain was slowly realizing that.

Watching their interaction, Noah thought of something and asked, "What if something happens back home while we’re gone? Did you make any backup plans?"

Wuhan gave him a small smile. "That’s why I didn’t bring a big army. Less attention, fewer risks."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "That’s not much of a plan."

Wuhan chuckled. "This ship has a teleportation array inside. It’s connected to me. If something serious happens, I can return to the empire instantly."

Noah blinked in surprise. "You thought of everything, didn’t you?"

"I am the Emperor for a reason." The Emperor replied with a grin. "Let’s just hope we don’t need it."

Time passed quietly...

Two days later.

As the sun dipped closer to the horizon, the sky began to change.

The moon was not the only thing that appeared in the vision.

A pale gray fog crept across the sea, rolling in without warning. It wasn’t natural—not like the usual mists that came with cooler evenings.

This one was heavy and cold.

By the time the stars appeared, the fog had thickened, swallowing the horizon. The air felt damp and still. Even the waves had gone quiet, as if the ocean itself was holding its breath.

Wuhan frowned. "Where did this come from?"

"A natural sea fog," Noah replied. "It forms around this region. We’re still near Feng Empire Bay. The Elven Continent is weeks away—even at our current speed."

Behind them, the seven guards became more alert, spreading out to their assigned stations. One channeled spiritual energy into a small orb to illuminate the mist ahead. Another strengthened the barrier array covering the ship’s hull.

Captain Black Sword finally stood up from his favorite bench and yawned, brushing his long hair back with one hand. "Ah, the Curse of the Sea," he muttered. "Didn’t think we’d hit it this soon."

Sylvheriel appeared beside them, her green hair flowing gently despite the still air. Her red eyes scanned the thickening fog. "You know this place?" she asked the captain.

"Not personally," Black Sword replied lazily. "But sailors have talked about it. It’s an old fog bank that stretches over a wide part of the sea. Some say ships vanish here. Others say it’s where sea beasts nest. All I know is—it’s annoying."

As the mist thickened, visibility dropped sharply. Soon, they couldn’t even see the tips of the sails.

Noah narrowed his eyes. "Everyone, activate the silent sail mode. Reduce our spiritual presence. We don’t know what’s lurking in this fog."

The guards obeyed immediately, their hands flashing through seals. The runes on the ship dimmed, and the humming of the arrays dulled until the vessel seemed to drift like a ghost.

They were ordered to follow Noah’s commands from the start; Wuhan had told them that he was the expert he had hired to deal with the dangers of the sea.

And no one looked down on Noah for his youthful appearance, as they knew better than anyone that the most powerful cultivators tend to stay youthful.

The silence didn’t last long.

As the ship drifted deeper into the fog, strange sounds began to echo through the mist. Faint at first—like whispers carried on the wind. Then they grew louder, clearer... and more haunting.

A woman’s soft singing drifted from somewhere far off, the melody slow and sorrowful. A few moments later, the sound shifted. Wails followed. High-pitched sobs, then low moans. Then came a deep growl, the unmistakable cry of a sea beast—one that sounded far too close.

The seven guards tensed. Their hands hovered near their weapons, spiritual energy gathering subtly in their palms.

Sylvheriel narrowed her eyes. "Illusions?" she asked cautiously.

Noah’s eyes stayed closed. "No."

He reached out with his soul sense—his spiritual awareness pushing through the fog like an invisible wave. What he saw made his face darken.

"They’re real," he said. "All of them."

Wuhan’s brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"There are dozens of beasts trapped here," Noah replied. "Some are wounded. Some are simply... lost. They’ve been drifting in circles for weeks, maybe even months."

He went quiet for a moment, focusing further, pushing deeper into the fog.

"There are ships too," he added quietly. "Old ones. Forgotten. Their wood is rotting. Their sails are torn. Everyone aboard... dead. Some ran out of supplies. Others lost hope and jumped into the sea."

Wuhan tried to stretch his soul sense, but even after he extended it to the limit, he could only see bits and portions of the sea with not full clarity and not as much as Noah could see.

This once again made him realize how powerful Noah’s soul really was, that even someone like him who was in the Embryonic Soul Realm could not compare.