Chapter 488 - 219: All Our Own People, Arriving at Darkness Island
Chapter 488: Chapter 219: All Our Own People, Arriving at Darkness Island
"I... well..."
Qiu Fanghui stammered, "The sea blockade is a rule. We shouldn’t disturb your sect’s activities."
He was worried that if they entered the blockaded area and encountered another patrol, they might not be able to bluff their way through.
"It’s no problem. I’ll personally escort you..."
The Right Protector had been about to say ’I’ll personally escort you there,’ but on second thought, that would mean lingering near Xiao Chen for several days.
So, he changed his tune. "I’ll give you a Fu Bing Flag. As long as you fly this flag from the top of your mast, I guarantee you will have unrestricted passage."
With that said, Qiu Fanghui had no reason to refuse any longer.
So the Spirit Ship turned around and resumed its original course.
"Mr. Qiu, I really must get back to my patrol duties and can’t leave. Take care!"
Before they departed, the Right Protector even waved goodbye, looking quite familiar with them.
He didn’t let out a breath in lingering fear until the ship had vanished and the shell on his chest returned to a normal temperature.
Thankfully, his reaction today had been fast enough. He had snatched his life back from the brink of disaster.
"Thank goodness Mr. Qiu was here today. He’s the reason we got through that unscathed."
Aboard the Spirit Ship, Yu Zhenyang and the others started enthusiastically flattering him. "Mr. Qiu, not only are your skills exquisite, but your network is also vast and well-connected. You truly are a model for us all."
Qiu Fanghui was feeling rather pleased with himself. "Heh, it’s just my friends showing me some respect."
...
While they chatted animatedly, Xiao Chen stood off to the side, lost in thought. He found it strange; the Right Protector’s change in attitude seemed a bit too sudden.
However, he didn’t waste too much effort dwelling on it. There was no need.
Rather than getting caught up in schemes and speculation, it was better to use the time to relax in the sea breeze, then return to his cabin and continue cultivating to increase his strength.
Cultivation was the foundation of everything.
As long as he was strong enough, no matter what he encountered, it would just be a matter of adapting and overcoming.
Perhaps thanks to the Fu Bing Flag, the Spirit Ship did indeed pass through the so-called blockaded area smoothly, encountering no further trouble.
On June 30th, they successfully arrived at the northern edge of the Sea of Darkness.
And there, they found the legendary Darkness Island.
Although Darkness Island didn’t look particularly large on the Nautical Chart.
But in reality, the island stretched for more than nine hundred li from east to west and over three hundred li from north to south, making it the largest island within a fifty-thousand-li radius.
"Golden Light Taoist, we’ve arrived."
After docking the Spirit Ship in the harbor, Yu Zhenyang came to inform Xiao Chen, "It’s still early. We can rest here for a couple of days."
"We can also take the chance to restock our supplies and gather some information to prepare for exploring the Relic."
"The few of us discussed it and plan to head to the Darkness Tavern first to try some of the Outer Sea’s specialty dishes. Golden Light Taoist, would you like to join us?"
In reality, it was a banquet for Qiu Fanghui.
Xiao Chen usually kept to himself and didn’t seem very sociable.
However, he wasn’t actually opposed to interacting with others, so he nodded. "Sure. I’d also like to experience the local specialties."
Due to its long and narrow terrain, the Marketplace on Darkness Island was divided into an east and west side.
The east side was established by the Yin Corpse Sect. The large taverns and the Marketplace’s Grand Array were all located there.
The west side was a gathering place purely for Loose Cultivators. To put it bluntly, it was just a relatively flat, barren piece of land where a large group of people had set up stalls.
But because Darkness Island was quite famous, a considerable number of Cultivators came here.
As a result, some vendors set up stalls on the west side year-round, even building simple houses for themselves, which gradually formed a settlement.
The Darkness Tavern was naturally in the East Market.
The group flew on their swords to a spot ten li outside the Marketplace, then landed and proceeded on foot.
This was a common rule in many Marketplaces. Some places even used Arrays to restrict outsiders from using Sword Control within the city.
However, not long after they landed, they saw a passing Sword Light that shot straight to the Marketplace entrance before stopping.
In the Outer Sea, some rules weren’t so strictly enforced.
Of course, the main reason was that the Yin Corpse Sect wanted to conserve the Array’s energy consumption, so the Anti-air Array was usually only active within the Marketplace proper and didn’t control the outer areas at all.
"Everyone says the Outer Sea is different from the Inner Sea, but the style seems pretty much the same."
This was Cao Mingjie’s first time out here, and he had been looking around curiously the whole way. But upon entering the Marketplace, he was disappointed to find that the Outer Sea didn’t seem to have any unique architecture.
"This place was built by our Human Race, after all, so of course it’s all in the same style."
Qiu Fanghui pointed out smugly, "If you want to see something different, you’ll have to go to one of the Alien Race’s Secret Realms, or to the region east of the Compassion Sea."
"Back in my day, I made a trip to a Merfolk Secret Realm and saw the Sea Palace left behind by the Merfolk Race."
There had always been rumors about Alien Races in the Eastern Domain.
But just as Qiu Fanghui said, the Alien Races lived in very remote places and were not normally seen.
"Of course, if Cao really wants to see an Alien Race, I know just the place."
Qiu Fanghui gave him a particular smile. "There’s a place in the East Market called Cangchun Pavilion. Inside, you can find members of the Sea Race who have taken a Transformation Pill."
Most Demon Beasts needed to reach the Nascent Soul realm to take human form. Some with special bloodlines even required the Divinity Transformation realm or higher Cultivation.
But there were also some Demon Races, like the Fox Race, that could gain a human form at the Golden Core Stage.
Alternatively, if necessary, they could also take a Transformation Pill to gain this ability.
"Er... I think I’ll pass."
Cao Mingjie shook his head with a wry smile. "A high-class brothel like that is a money pit. It’s hardly a place I can afford."
After all, the beings there were Tier Three Demon Beasts at the very least, so the prices were naturally sky-high.