The Rich Cultivator-Chapter 414. Shadow Pearl

Transparent Corals from Tiger Reef — [Image: Crystal-clear coral]

These things are tasty! — [Image: Vibrant orange seaweeds swaying beneath the surface]

Comments:

Oh what is that orange piece in the middle of the seaweeds?

Wait... Is that? OMG... @SilVixenBabe what the heck is your cup size?!

We came for seaweeds but found Dao Gold.

Step on me. Please.

"The post really went viral," Su Fei muttered under her breath, cheeks slightly flushed as she scrolled through the comments.

"Told ya," Mathilda said smugly, stretching lazily on the couch with a sly grin. "Hiding your orange bikini in orange seaweeds was a brilliant idea."

"Only you would come up with something so... perverted," Mana scoffed from her seat, arms crossed as her spectral form flickered faintly in the ambient light.

"Heh. Who cares if it’s crazy or perverted?" Mathilda shrugged. "As long as it works, baby."

The girls were lounging in the lounge room of the ship, while Su Fei basking in the glow of viral fame. Su Fei’s NN post was currently trending across several regions, especially after viewers zoomed in and discovered more than just coral.

"Next time," Mathilda continued like a veteran strategist, "try showing just the tip of your toe reflected in the shell of some sea creature. Or in the water’s reflection. Always leave ’em guessing. Mystery builds obsession. You want future value, not a quick hit."

"Are you giving influencer lectures now?" Mana asked dryly.

"She’s not wrong," Lily chimed in, striding in and tossing a towel over her shoulder. "But enough playing around. Girls’ playtime is over. We’ll reach Veins Peak by tomorrow morning. So prep for transformation."

Just then, Serena’s voice echoed through the entire ship like a command from a deity.

> "Non-combatants, please remain in designated safety zones. Initiating Mode: Shadow. Full lockdown sequence engaged. All hands—prepare for Phantom Protocol. Countdown begins: 30... 29... 28..."

"What the—That’s too soon!" Mathilda gasped, sitting up.

"I haven’t even uploaded the rest of the pics yet!" Su Fei panicked, trying to connect her communicator again—but the screen flickered and disconnected from NN. Total blackout.

"Too late. You can thank Lily for the early trigger," Mana said, already floating toward her locker. "Now mask up."

One by one, the girls pulled out phantom masks from their storage device and slid them on. As they did, their shadows rippled unnaturally beneath them and merged upward—coating them like second skins. The once-cheerful girls transformed into their eerie pirate personas.

Darkness filled the corridor as Serena’s countdown neared zero.

> "...5... 4... 3... 2... 1... 0... -1... -2—Just kidding."

The entire ship shook—not violently, but with a sensation like falling into a deep slumber.

Outside, the White Pearl, once gleaming and elegant, began to sink—not into the ocean, but into its own shadow.

It vanished into the dark surface of its silhouette—and then slowly rose again.

But what emerged was no longer the pristine White Pearl.

A ship cloaked in midnight black and lined with glowing crimson runes surfaced from the depths of the void. Its hull shimmered with eerie energy. A new flag billowed in an unnatural breeze—a skull-shaped mask with hollow eyes.

The White Pearl was gone.

This was now the Shadow Pearl.

---

On the deck, Lily walked forward with her hips swaying, her form now wrapped in tight black leather sexy outfit. Her eyes gleamed behind a half-lidded mask shaped like a seductive smile.

"The Phantom Pirates are back, baby~" she purred, while taking her whip.

"Nope, nope, nope. Your outfit is still way too lewd," Mathilda, now fully dressed in a gothic military coat and thigh-high boots, said with a facepalm. "Seriously, you’re going to give every merchant in the Northern Sea a nosebleed."

"Says the girl wearing fishnet under her corset," Lily shot back.

Mana floated beside them, now in her adult ghost form—long hair like silk, wearing a white yukata that glowed faintly under the moonlight. Her lower half trailed off into spectral mist. A cracked porcelain skull mask rested on her head like a crown.

"What kind of name is Malefic Catalyst anyway?" Mana grumbled. "Sounds like a discount villain from a teenage drama."

"Says the girl named Ghost Princess," Mathilda—now referred to only as MC—replied without mercy. "That’s peak twelve-year-old syndrome."

As the girls bickered, another figure emerged from below deck.

A tall man in a black coat with silver runes, wide-brimmed hat casting a shadow over his mask. The edges of the coat fluttered in the phantom wind. His mask was expressionless—white with no eyes, just a thin crack running diagonally across it.

"Finally..." he said, his voice low and smooth. "I can show my face again."

"Technically, you’re still wearing a mask," Lily—now The Temptress—quipped.

Tyler smirked beneath it. "Details."

With a final step, he stood at the helm. The crew gathered behind him one by one—each dressed in shadow-woven cloaks and ghostly armor. White and black masks, all unique, concealed their faces. The transformation was complete.

"From this moment on," Tyler said with a dramatic sweep of his coat, "we are no longer merchants."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a black trident with glowing red veins running across its body.

"We are pirates. Act like it."

The crew cheered—softly, eerily. It wasn’t loud or brash. It was a ghostly agreement, a chorus of the damned.

The Shadow Pearl, reborn in darkness, glided across the waters like a phantom. Silent. Swift. Terrifying.

"Are you really going to use that as your main weapon?" Temptress asked, tilting her head, arms crossed under her chest as she stared at the black and crimson trident resting on Phantom’s shoulder.

"Come on... You’ve been using the same whip with the same thunder attribute since forever," Phantom replied with a smirk. "At least this Abyss Trident matches my outfit. Style matters, you know."

Temptress raised an eyebrow. "There are tons of whip users. So no one would Find out. Besides, the only people who could even suspect the White Merchant Group is secretly the Phantom Pirates would be those who know us very well in our both Identity. And the chances of that happening? Close to zero."

She flicked her whip lightly, sparks dancing in the air.

"And if someone does find out... we’ll just kidnap them." She said it so casually, it could’ve been about offering tea.

"Wait, wait—hold up," MC muttered, rubbing her chin with a finger. "So if I accidentally spill our secret to some random hot babes, I get permission to kidnap them?"

"Hey—keep your inner thoughts inside, MC," Phantom sighed, though a smile tugged at the corner of his lips behind the mask.

"What?" MC blinked innocently.

Darla, who had been quietly listening this whole time, finally spoke up. "Boss... What’s my name again?" she asked, her voice gentle but almost trembling.

"Huh?" Phantom turned to her. "Underground... Cooker?"

"Absolutely not, Boss!" Darla wailed dramatically as she threw herself into his side, clinging to him like a child denied candy. She wore a gothic wine-red dress with black lace lining and small ribbons tied around her wrists, her eyes shimmering with betrayal.

"Fine, fine," Phantom said, patting her head. "You’d look cool with an umbrella."

"...Umbrella?" Darla looked up, puzzled.

"Oh! You’ve got an eye for rare loot, Boss," Su Fei chimed. "I saw a listing on NN—there’s going to be an auction at Veins Peak. One of the items is called Shi no Kasa. It’s a cursed umbrella with dark attributes—absorbs light, repels energy, and looks wickedly elegant."

Everyone paused and turned to Su Fei, staring in silence.

"...What?" Su Fei blinked.

"Why... why are you dressed like a bunny?" Phantom finally asked.

Sure enough, Su Fei was standing there in a sleek, black bunny girl costume. Her usual fox ears and tails had been replaced—thanks to her shapeshifting abilities — by long bunny ears and a tiny puffball tail on her backside.

"Oh, this?" Su Fei shrugged. "I just wanted to match with the rest of you. Let’s be honest, you all look like you’re heading to some bizarre, adult-themed cosplay party."

The girls blushed, eyes darting away.

"It’s... It’s a persona, okay?" Phantom coughed into his glove, turning around to hide his own amusement. "It’s to project a sexy and mysterious attitude. It’s all about psychological warfare."

"Right... totally mysterious," Su Fei replied, not buying it.

MC leaned forward, curious. "So what’s your pirate name, Su Fei? Everyone’s got one now."

Su Fei twirled a strand of her black hair thoughtfully. "Hmm... I’m thinking something cool. Like Reaper... maybe Lady Reaper. Has a nice ring to it."

As she spoke, she pulled out a sleek scythe with a silver-black blade etched with glowing runes.

"Now that’s sexy and mysterious," Phantom Blackwood praised.

"Boss, stop hesitating and let’s just eat this bunny before we reach Veins Peak," MC muttered, wiping the drool from the corner of her mouth.

Su Fei suddenly felt like a helpless rabbit caught between two hungry wolves. Her eyes widened as she took a cautious step back, clutching her scythe tightly.

As their laughter slowly faded into the cool, salty breeze of the sea, the shadow-cloaked ship continued its silent journey beneath the shimmering moonlight.

Far ahead, one of the adventurer ships drifting in the vast waters suddenly stirred. A gust of wind blew across the deck, and a drunken girl lounging near the mast rubbed her eyes groggily.

In the distance, a dark silhouette glided across the waves—silent, smooth, almost too unreal.

"Am I... too drunk?" the girl mumbled, blinking rapidly. "Is that a ship... or some kind of Dark Attribute Titan?"

She squinted again, but the phantom vessel had already vanished into the dark night —leaving only ripples behind.