"Yes, the Yaoguang Sect is a major sect here. They select disciples with potential from our island every ten years. It's a blessing for our island."
Shen Guang spoke of the Yaoguang Sect with immense admiration. "Many cultivators have already emerged from our small island."
Chu Lingwei observed Shen Guang's humble abode. As the island master, he should have been the wealthiest in the village, yet his home was simple, suggesting that those who had left had never returned.
"Have any of the children who went to cultivate spiritual energy ever returned?"
"One has returned," Shen Guang said, a flicker of helplessness in his eyes. "I heard Yaoguang has a rule: only disciples who reach the Spiritual Movement stage can leave the sect."
Not all disciples who entered the sect were free.
The sect recruited disciples continuously to strengthen itself, not to nurture talent.
Only by reaching the Spiritual Movement stage did disciples gain the qualification to cultivate, to venture out to gather spirit herbs, to train themselves, and to have the chance to return home.
"The path of spiritual cultivation is indeed difficult," Chu Lingwei said softly.
"Island Master Shen, do you know where the Yaoguang Sect is located?" Ling Lingwei did not wish to drift at sea indefinitely; she needed to find a way back quickly.
"I don't know. I've never left this island," Shen Guang replied with a troubled expression. As a mere island master, he knew nothing of the outside world. "However, a disciple who returned once mentioned that if you keep going east, you will reach their sect."
Shen Guang pointed to the east, his eyes filled with longing. That place represented the hope of everyone on their island.
"Towards the east."
Chu Lingwei stood up and presented one hundred low-grade spirit stones as thanks. "Thank you. I need to be on my way and cannot stay longer."
Before Shen Guang could even bid her farewell, Chu Lingwei, accompanied by Shui Yi, boarded her flying artifact and disappeared from his sight.
Staring at the spirit stones on the table, he was so astonished he almost cried out. So many spirit stones.
"Why is it so far?"
They had been sailing for half a month since leaving that small island, yet they had not encountered a single soul. It was truly strange.
"It is indeed somewhat peculiar."
Chu Lingwei couldn't help but frown. Logically, a disciple in the Spiritual Movement stage should not have taken months to travel from the sect to their island.
Something had gone wrong along the way.
"Then what should we do?"
The phantom cat, with its small body, became instantly alert, its eyes fixed on the sky. Damnation, what was so wrong about this place?
"There are cultivators ahead."
Shui Yi sensed a powerful aura approaching them. She stood up, gazing into the distance.
"Who are you, and why do you trespass into the territory of my Yaoguang Sect?" An old Daoist with a white beard stood before Chu Lingwei, his artifact radiating a powerful spiritual light, ready for combat.
"Senior, this disciple unintentionally trespassed into your esteemed sect. I implore you not to hold it against me."
The old Daoist before her was in the Heaven Transformation realm. For Chu Lingwei, who was in the Spiritual Wheel stage, addressing him as 'senior' was entirely appropriate.
"You don't know this is our Yaoguang Sect's domain?" The white-bearded old Daoist scrutinized Chu Lingwei from head to toe. Her attire and demeanor were different from those in their area. "How did you get here?"
"This disciple drifted at sea for several months, losing all sense of direction. Not long ago, I passed by an island where I was told the Yaoguang Sect was located. I came to ask for directions."
Chu Lingwei spoke truthfully.
"Where are you going?" The white-bearded old Daoist remained vigilant, as he could not discern the cultivation level of the female cultivator beside Chu Lingwei, which made him wary.
"I wish to go to the Coral Reef of the South Sea."
The Coral Reef of the South Sea was the closest place to the coast. They might not know of the sects on the Xuanyuan Continent, but this place should be aware.
"The Coral Reef of the South Sea is tens of thousands of miles from here." The white-bearded old Daoist did not believe Chu Lingwei's words. He had heard of that place; anyone who traveled there had never returned.
Seeing that the white-bearded old Daoist genuinely knew of the place, Chu Lingwei's face lit up with joy. "Please, senior, tell me how to get there. This disciple will be eternally grateful."
The white-bearded old Daoist studied Chu Lingwei for a long time. Seeing that she seemed to have no ill intentions, he turned and said, "Follow me."
"Thank you."
Chu Lingwei followed the white-bearded old Daoist. They flew for three days before arriving at an immortal island.
As they approached the immortal island, Chu Lingwei, Shui Yi, and the phantom cat did not perceive its existence until the white-bearded old Daoist chanted an incantation, and the immortal mountain appeared before them.
Perhaps this was why they hadn't seen any islands on their journey.
The white-bearded old Daoist had led Chu Lingwei for three days without speaking a single word to her. No matter how Chu Lingwei inquired, he remained silent.
Upon entering the immortal island, the white-bearded old Daoist did not give Chu Lingwei time to admire the scenery. Instead, he led her directly to a teleportation array.
"This teleportation array can send you to Immortal Desert City, tens of thousands of miles away. There are cultivators from the Coral Reef of the South Sea there. If you truly wish to return, you will find a way there."
After speaking, the white-bearded old Daoist looked directly at Chu Lingwei, seemingly leaving her no choice.
"Thank you, senior."
Chu Lingwei could tell that he had no intention of letting her understand anything about this place. She walked up to the elder managing the teleportation array and informed him that she wished to travel to Immortal Desert City.
"Currently, no one is traveling to Immortal Desert City. If you wish to go alone, you must pay ten thousand low-grade spirit stones."
Teleportation arrays consumed a large amount of spirit stones, and they could not afford to operate at a loss. If one person wished to use the array, they had to pay enough.
Alternatively, they could wait until a group of people heading to Immortal Desert City gathered.
Most people would choose to wait, but the white-bearded old Daoist outside had not left. He seemed to be waiting specifically for Chu Lingwei to depart.
Chu Lingwei couldn't help but find it amusing. Did she really look like such a bad person?
Without a word, she took out ten thousand low-grade spirit stones from her storage bag.
The elder accepted the spirit stones and instructed someone to activate the teleportation array.
As the incantation beneath their feet emitted a dazzling light, the old white-bearded Daoist quietly breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she didn't intend to cause trouble for their Yaoguang Sect, it was fine.
"Hmph, that old Daoist is so annoying," Feng Ming said, sitting in the ring space, complaining to the phantom cat.
"He just doesn't want us to harm their sect." The phantom cat could sense the white-bearded old Daoist's thoughts. He meant them no harm; he was merely thinking of his sect's well-being, and there was nothing wrong with that.
"But we haven't done anything."
Feng Ming glared at the phantom cat, wondering why he always spoke up for others.
A quarter of an hour later.
Chu Lingwei arrived at Immortal Desert City.
As soon as she stepped out of the teleportation array, she was astonished by the bustling scene before her.
She had been in a state of quietude for a long time. The sudden emergence of life and activity before her gave Chu Lingwei a sense of having lived through different eras.
"Wow, this place looks so fun!" Feng Ming, held in Chu Lingwei's arms, had eyes filled with excitement.