Arrival

Having made progress on clues for both treasures, Qin Sang was in excellent spirits. He bought quite a few supplies and browsed the shops until dusk before heading toward the city gates to rendezvous. Ning Kun and the others were already there, beaming with cheerful smiles that suggested a bountiful harvest. Aside from them, the guild members who had lagged behind had also regrouped. It appeared they had procured a sizable haul of goods on Tianwu Island as well and were ready to depart at any moment. "Elder Zou just sent word," Ran Luo said, looking at Qin Sang with anticipation. "A major power happens to be sending a vessel out to sea, and we have decided to set off immediately. Have you made up your mind, Daoist? Will you be coming with us?" Qin Sang nodded. "This poor Daoist came here originally to hunt demons anyway, so one island is the same as any other. I shall accompany you to Duyan Island. If my artifact crafting skills fail to catch your guild's eye, I hope Fellow Daoist Ran will look after me a little." Ran Luo pursed her lips in a smile. "You are too modest, Daoist. Elder Zou holds you in very high esteem. If you are willing to join our guild, it is more than we could ever hope for." With their itinerary settled in just a few words, he was now practically one of their own, and the demeanor of Ran Luo and the others grew noticeably warmer. While they spoke, more carriages from the Qiongyu Guild arrived. With a wave of her hand, Ran Luo led the convoy with their cargo directly toward the harbor. Along the way, Qin Sang learned that the vessel they were boarding belonged to the Nine Stars Guild, one of the premier merchant guilds in the Eastern Pole Alliance. The ship's escorts were formidable, and many fellow cultivators would be traveling aboard alongside them. "Did your guild not send a ship of its own?" Qin Sang asked, standing beside Ran Luo while they waited at the harbor for the ship to dock. Ran Luo shook her head. "Our guild's focus lies in the Inner Sea and Dahuang Island, so we lack sufficient escort strength on Tianwu Island. The probability of shipwreck in the Demon Sea is exceedingly high, and sea routes are never completely safe. Not only are there frequent beast attacks along the way, but the storms that often arise in the Demon Sea possess power far beyond anything in the Inner Sea. Every one of these natural and man-made disasters can prove fatal." Qin Sang came to an understanding. It was no wonder the Qiongyu Guild valued him so highly. Compared to bulky demon beast corpses, refined magic tools were naturally far easier to transport. Given the immense danger of conducting commerce across the Demon Sea, reducing the number of voyages while carrying larger volumes of finished goods per trip was the best way to circumvent risk. Over the past few days, Qin Sang had heard more than once that the storms in the Demon Sea were terrifying—natural calamities on par with beast tides. Whenever cultivators out hunting demon beasts noticed signs of an approaching storm, they had to seek immediate shelter; anyone swallowed by such a tempest stood virtually no chance of survival. Yet a lingering question remained in Qin Sang's mind. "Fellow Daoist Ran, are the storms in the Demon Sea the same as those in the Inner Sea—natural disasters triggered by leaking power from the peripheral storm belts? Could it be that the Demon Sea and our Inner Sea are separated by a storm belt?" Ran Luo mused, "The storms of the Inner Sea and the Demon Sea do share similarities, but whether the two realms are separated by a storm sea is beyond my knowledge. Rumors abound and opinions diverge; even today, no definitive consensus exists as to which direction the Demon Sea lies relative to our Inner Sea." As they spoke, Qin Sang felt a colossal shadow drift overhead. Looking up, he saw an imposing, multidecked treasure vessel slowly gliding into port. Though unadorned with lavish decorations, it appeared exceptionally sturdy. Once the vessel drew near, Ran Luo saw to the cargo, guided Qin Sang and the others aboard to their guest cabins within the ship's superstructure, and then left to pay her respects to Elder Zou and the master of the ship. Not yet formally inducted into the Qiongyu Guild, Qin Sang simply remained in his room and went nowhere else. The vessel moored at the harbor for the night and weighed anchor before dawn the following day. Occupying a cabin to himself, Qin Sang laid down a restrictive spirit array and a Spirit Gathering Array, then stood beside the window, gazing out across the vast ocean. This was his first time voyaging by ship across the sea in this world. As the treasure vessel surged forward, his field of view grew ever more expansive. Before long, Tianwu Island was left far behind, swallowed by the gloom. The stars had not yet faded. Above and below, the sea of stars converged at the horizon's edge. As far as the eye could see, there was only the boundless swell of waters and countless twinkling stars. Beholding such a vista, one's heart could not help but broaden. Qin Sang lingered before the window, his gaze touched with a faint reverie as memories of his past flickered through his mind. When he snapped back to reality and took in the scene before him, a line of poetry drifted unbidden into his thoughts: *Drunk, I knew not the sky lay in the water;* *A boat of pure dreams weighed upon the river of stars.* *** Once the initial novelty wore off, the voyage settled into a long, quiet rhythm. It was hardly boring, however, as demon beasts frequently attacked the treasure vessel, providing entertainment for everyone aboard. At first, Qin Sang enthusiastically watched the skirmishes from the railings, learning the habits of demon beasts while gauging the combat prowess of Demon Sea cultivators. Later, he simply shut himself inside his cabin, devoting his time to studying the various artifact crafting manuals he had purchased at great expense on Tianwu Island. Conventionally, crafting a magic tool required not only demon beast carcasses, but also complementary precious spiritual materials. Yet demon beast materials in the Demon Sea were so abundant they were virtually free for the taking. Crafting masters in the Demon Sea had forged an unconventional path, combining different demon beast remains with only minor quantities of spiritual materials, yet managing to achieve remarkable results. This was a completely different approach from that of the Xuling Sect and an area Qin Sang had never explored, well worthy of rigorous study. Fortunately, mastery of one principle illuminates ten thousand. With his foundational attainment in the Dao of artifact crafting, Qin Sang rapidly grasped the new concepts through analogy, easily reaching the level required to craft top-grade magic tools. Qin Sang became so immersed in his studies that days blurred into nights, and he lost all track of time. The treasure vessel sailed steadily across the ocean, stopping and starting as it passed island after island, with passengers embarking and disembarking along the way. Fortunately, the voyage went smoothly, encountering neither vast hordes of formidable beasts nor tempestuous storms. One day, after reviewing the manuals several times over, Qin Sang was experimenting with his core fire inside the room, seeking to fully integrate the techniques as quickly as possible. Suddenly, a knock sounded at his door. Sweeping his spiritual sense outward, he saw Ran Luo standing outside. "Daoist Qingfeng, we will arrive at Duyan Island shortly. It is time to disembark," Ran Luo said softly. Startled as if waking from a dream, Qin Sang shook his head to banish the deluge of crafting knowledge from his mind. Looking at the cluttered room, he chuckled, cleared it with a sweep of his sleeve, and pushed open the door. Walking to the ship's railing, he spotted a black speck in the distance gradually enlarging in his field of vision. Ran Luo handed him a token and said in an undertone, "Elder Zou has already purchased several immortal's caves on the island, all situated in favorable spots along the spirit veins. Choose one to rest in for a few days, Daoist, before we turn to formal business." "Very well." Qin Sang nodded and took the token. Having been utterly absorbed in the craft of refining lately, he truly needed a few days of quiet cultivation to organize his insights. He was certain his artifact crafting skills would see a substantial breakthrough. Drawing comparisons between the techniques of both realms had yielded astonishing benefits. He now possessed the confidence to forge a top-grade magic tool even without relying on the Nine Nether Demonic Fire. Duyan Island turned out to be an island of sheer stone. Its peaks bristled with jagged crags, the exposed rock sharp as blades, with hardly any greenery in sight. Upon this seemingly desolate island stood rows of neatly arranged stone houses, enclosed by a low, crude perimeter wall. Yet the spiritual energy permeating the island was remarkably dense.