The Golden Princess

Horus is the fortunate one among us, able to escape the curse and leave Skull Island—how I envy him. 

The man before me, seemingly devoid of any undead traits, moved with remarkable grace. He dusted off his suit and smiled, saying, "I would like to ask for your assistance in seeking a legendary treasure on the *** continent to help me break this curse."

"Very well, I am willing to assist you; helping others is the essence of joy. Assisting a ghost, however, begs the question: what pleasure lies therein? As long as I can flee Skull Island, I vow never to return. A verbal promise given freely, even if made a thousand times, is of little consequence."

"Thank you immensely. I will not ask for your help without recompense. You will likely find transportation to the *** continent scarce, especially with the outbreak of war; otherwise, I would not know where to procure a vessel for you."

In an instant, Mostima leaped and vanished into thin air, only to reappear before me moments later, holding an exquisitely crafted small cruise ship. 

I recognized this vessel well; turning to gaze at the sea, I found the pristine luxury cruise ship had indeed vanished. This ghost ship was the Golden Princess, boasting exceptional power with a capacity of 110,000 tons, able to accommodate 3,000 passengers and 860 crew members, featuring over a thousand rooms, each equipped with large plasma televisions. Remarkably, since becoming a ghost ship, its hull remained undamaged; as long as the spirits aboard were contained, it could easily function as an ordinary cruise ship traversing the ocean.

Such lavishness is astonishing! The only question remains: will the spirits aboard heed my commands?

Mostima smiled faintly and replied, "Ghost ships differ significantly from ordinary undead; they are regarded as individuals. The spirits aboard cannot refuse commands from the ghost ship. In comparison, I find it rather intriguing. The ghost ship itself has come to life, with the passengers transformed into components of its soul flame."

Whether the ship is alive or dead is of little consequence; what matters is that I do not desire such a vessel!

"Oh, you need only use your heart of the undead warrior to infiltrate the ghost ship; I will teach you how…"

"Hey! Mostima, are you even listening to me?"

Mostima is undeniably untrustworthy, yet the disparity in our powers is immense; his words possess an indescribable allure. Despite my awareness that accepting his gift is utterly unacceptable, I find myself tempted, allowing the ghostly blue flame within me to spread to my hand, transforming into a brilliant azure flame that engulfed the Golden Princess.

The treasure I seek is known as the Pentagram Bracelet. Once you acquire it and deliver it to Skull Island, I shall be freed from this curse. I will reward you generously—be it power or anything else, I will ensure you obtain whatever you desire.

Once the azure flames enveloped the Golden Princess, the luxurious ghost cruise ship vanished within the heart of the undead warrior. In an instant, my consciousness expanded exponentially, encompassing every corner of the ghost ship. It felt as if the ship were an inexhaustible reservoir of energy, enabling me to extract death energy almost without limit.

What began as a mere flicker of azure flame grew tenfold after consuming the Golden Princess. However, this surge in power did not bring joy, but rather a profound chill. Two small flames of azure ignited in my eyes, revealing the strength of each undead soul before me.

As Mostima had stated, the ghost ship is an amalgamation of countless spirits; their strength is not determined by size, but rather by their ancient nature and the ship's lingering resentment. Though the Golden Princess is vast, it has only recently transformed into a ghost ship, its soul flames scattered throughout and not yet coalesced into a singular entity. It pales in comparison to those seemingly decrepit vessels, whose soul flames are cohesive and exude an aura of danger to the living.

Controlling the Golden Princess is no more challenging than defeating a single skeletal lord, yet its deathly aura is a thousand times more potent. When I turned around, Mostima, the impeccably dressed man who bore no resemblance to the undead, had vanished. His previous words had been hasty; I could hardly believe he would offer me such benefits based solely on a verbal promise, and his vague references to the Pentagram Bracelet suggested he was equally reluctant to fulfill his end of the bargain.

The battle between King Xu, riding the storm clouds, and the Abyssal Ice Sea Dragon raged on, and I could not discern when their conflict would cease. Time stretched unbearably, revealing just how little I truly understood of this world.

Lost in endless contemplation, the titanic clash above me and beneath the waves ceased to affect me. The cultivation of my nameless martial arts gradually restored my true energy; the skeletal disguise had lost all significance. I stood upon a towering rock on the island, embodying a living soul amidst the undead's warfare.

"Master Horus, is that you?"

I know not how long had passed, but the cataclysmic battle continued unabated until a familiar presence roused me from my reverie. Horus, the diminutive yet upright figure wielding an axe, a former stalwart of the underworld, materialized within the teleportation magic circle.

He surveyed the battlefield and whispered urgently, "Come with me; this place is unsuitable for practice."

I readily agreed. Upon reappearing on Bafin Island, I noticed a complex expression on Horus's face; he seemed deeply concerned, as if troubled by some matter.

I had not anticipated such a significant upheaval upon bringing him back to bestow the title of Demon Island Warrior. I am astonished you survived such a fierce battle.

The title of Demon Island Warrior? Has Axeman truly grasped the heart of a warrior?

Upon hearing my inquiry, Axeman beamed with pride, declaring, "Master Horus believes I possess great potential as a warrior. Not only have I comprehended the heart of a warrior, but I have also advanced the Primordial True Canon to the second level. Even if the curse master were to resurrect, I would not fear him."

My eyes flared with azure flames as I perceived a vibrant red flame surging within Axeman's chest, seemingly more vigorous than my own heart of the undead warrior. This revelation elicited a soft exclamation from Horus.