Chapter 240

Chapter 240: Paifeng Island

Designing various talisman formations took a month. Considering the previous twenty days of leisure, the Wave Breaking Cone had been sailing at full speed for nearly two months.

Li Hui indulged in food and drink, asking Chef Zhao to carefully replenish everyone’s strength. They had eaten poorly before, and Ao Chongguang had procured various sea cucumbers and sea urchins from beneath the ocean, which were highly nutritious. He also passed on some basic techniques for cultivating, ensuring the crew worked hard on their physical fitness. Otherwise, they would be staring at Huo Qiniang with envy, ready to pounce.

“Ship!”

“It’s a fleet, over thirty vessels!”

A crew member hanging from the mast waved and shouted. Upon hearing the news, Li Hui suddenly thumped his fist: “I was careless; I should have designed a detecting talisman formation.”

“Boss, good news! We spotted a fleet! We’re about to break free from the current, and we can go even faster,” Chef Zhao rushed over to report. “Also, those two blacksmiths have been hammering away for a month, and they finally armed the mast, the ship sides, and the bow!”

“Great! Full speed ahead to Paifeng Island!” Li Hui turned back to design more talisman formations. He had a habit—it was hard to stop once he got absorbed into it.

With the speed of the Wave Breaking Cone, they quickly overtook the fleet. Although navigating against the current was difficult, it was safer. They didn’t encounter any pirates or fierce sea beasts. As they got closer to Paifeng Island, they spotted countless sails turning sideways, the wind howling through the masts creating a whistling sound. About ten zhang above, a layer of steady clouds and mist floated.

“Ah! Ah! Ah! Paifeng Island! We’ve finally reached Paifeng Island!” The crew members waved their straw hats and shouted. None of them had been this far before; even sailing with the current would take over half a year, but under their new master’s zealous consumption of spiritual energy, they arrived at the dreamlike, most prosperous giant island in less than two months.

“Hey, country bumpkins!” Chef Zhao looked down on the crew while also enjoying their excitement.

After sailing for about two hours, with the sun hanging low in the west, they finally saw the lush island. To their amazement, two long rows of towering trees stood in the sea, like sentinels welcoming guests, neatly extending toward the inner harbor.

Various ships sailed between the two rows of trees, proceeding along the waterway, as dark reefs surrounded the outer sides of the trees, preventing them from getting too close to the island.

Suddenly, a voice echoed from above, “Arriving cultivators must register and follow the rules—no fighting, no flying, and no use of magical tools. Behave according to the island owner’s rules, or you will oppose my family’s island master. For minor offenses, you will be expelled; for serious offenses, you will be killed…”

Many cultivators sighed in relief, as the outside world was a scene of blood and chaos. Only at Paifeng Island could they enjoy a brief peace. Rumor had it that the island master had reached the Bosa stage and was a renowned cultivator in the area. Even when visiting friends, he would leave strong cultivators to maintain order, ensuring no one dared to cause trouble would be executed.

A registration book flew over as Huo Qiniang wrote down three names, receiving three simple waist tokens, officially registering their arrival with ease.

As the ship docked, the crew members eagerly gazed at the bustling scene, taking in the enchanting lights and vibrant atmosphere. The giant island was indeed immense; from the dock, they could see buildings everywhere, with lanterns illuminating the forest, creating a warm ambiance.

“I heard there are hot springs on Paifeng Island.” Someone mentioned, sparking excitement among the crowd.

Chef Zhao casually tossed out several bags of treasures, and the bags fell to the deck, intentionally left untied. Many black shells and purple shells rolled out.

“What are you waiting for? Our master doesn’t care for these shells, and since they are money, take them and spend them! Hehe, if someone doesn’t find a few ladies to spend the night with tonight, the whole ship will look down on him.”

“Hahaha, thanks to our master’s generosity.” The crew members were overwhelmed with gratitude as they recited the phrase smoothly. Chef Zhao then pushed them all off the ship, turning to Huo Qiniang with delight, “Well, the boss is already on the island; it’s a bit chilly tonight, so why don’t we…”

“Get lost! Don’t even think about it!” Huo Qiniang replied proudly, “Once you formally acknowledge me, I’ll happily dive into your blankets.”

“Acknowledge? What am I acknowledging?” Chef Zhao stood alone on the deck, suddenly hearing a voice nearby: “Fool, it means you need to hand over your possessions to her to acknowledge her as your primary wife. Be careful while handling things; don’t let anyone sneak onto the ship. You need to take care of the cargo tomorrow, and while taking Qiniang out, remember to buy plenty of gifts; don’t hold back from spending.”

As the voice faded, Chef Zhao stomped his foot and hurried after the other crew members…

Li Hui wandered around, his form appearing and disappearing as he slipped into a narrow alley.

Ordinary people had their places, while cultivators had theirs. Without knowing how to enter, even if they were on the same island, it was impossible to cross boundaries in this life.

Just as he crossed the boundary, someone approached him.

“Ah, the young master has good taste, coming to Windbell Street. Are you alone or with family?” A waiter greeted him. “Please, step into Lingyan Pavilion, where you can find food, goods, and entertainment—all you desire.”

“Dear young master, at our Fulin Tavern, we have beautiful female cultivators playing the zither to entertain." Another waiter rushed over to lure customers. Li Hui looked up at the streets on both sides and found them eerily quiet, with hardly any figures in sight.

“What’s going on? I see many ships arriving at Paifeng Island, so there can’t be just this few cultivators.”

“Hey! It seems you don’t know that many cultivators have mysteriously disappeared over the years, and entire islands have turned deserted. Even our island master rarely shows his face these days. To reach Windbell Street, you need at least a Concentrating Spirit stage cultivator; those Spirit Motion stage cultivators outside can’t come inside, which is why you see so few guests.”

The waiters were surprisingly honest; anyone with discerning eyes could recognize the truth and found no need to hide it.

Li Hui suddenly understood. The Hongmo Sect had been capturing cultivators everywhere, creating a hugely negative impact on the seas, causing cultivators to be afraid to walk outside. Those with a bit of status had been hiding, fearing being sent to Corpse Island. In fact, the issue with Wan Nest Island was resolved, but the response outside was too slow, and confidence hadn’t been restored yet.

Li Hui felt helpless regarding the situation on Paifeng Island, so he decided to be straightforward: “You five, help me run errands tonight. First, gather sea charts; the wider the range, the better. Here are some spirit talismans as capital, and I’ll be purchasing more items later. Whoever can catch my eye will receive more benefits.”

With a “pop,” he scattered hundreds of spirit talismans to the waiters, making their eyes go wide with surprise.

Chef Zhao and Huo Qiniang had kept some lower-tier spirit talismans, selecting useful ones and discarding the rest as currency.

“Okay, young master, don’t worry! We’ll do our best to collect the sea charts.” The waiters left excitedly, but Li Hui shook his head. The real sea charts should be recorded on jade tablets and wouldn’t be easy to acquire. Being new to the area, he could only take a trial and see what worked.

Just as expected, when the waiters returned and reviewed all the sea charts, he quickly pieced them together in his mind. They collectively covered an area three times larger than the Paifeng Island, Nanhuan Island, and Dogtooth Island introduced by Pan Siyuan, encompassing six giant islands in total. But what was the use of this? They still didn’t know which direction to go and where the land was.