Han Li glanced at the giant fish stretching several zhang long from afar, then flew to a position above the sea vessel. After circling twice, he looked down toward the ship.
Clearly, the people aboard had also noticed Han Li's arrival. After several loud shouts, a large crowd surged out from the cabin—two to three hundred people in all—instantly filling the bow of the ship.
The moment this crowd caught sight of Han Li hovering in midair, expressions of awe appeared on their faces, and they bowed to him one after another.
While Han Li was still somewhat startled, a middle-aged man dressed in the most lavish attire stepped forward from the crowd, spoke a few words with a tense expression, then stood with his hands clasped, seemingly awaiting Han Li's instructions.
Han Li rubbed his nose and let out a bitter laugh. He couldn't understand a single word of what the other party was saying. With no common language, how could they communicate? This gave him quite a headache.
At this point, seeing that Han Li hadn't spoken immediately, the middle-aged man grew visibly flustered and spoke a couple more hurried sentences. Though Han Li couldn't understand the meaning, he could tell the man seemed to be explaining or defending himself about something.
Han Li furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then suddenly spoke in ordinary Tiannan language: "Is there anyone here who can understand what I'm saying? If so, step forward and explain things to me!"
The moment these words left his mouth, Han Li swept his gaze across the crowd below.
The middle-aged man wore a blank expression, clearly having no idea what Han Li had said. The rest of the crowd looked just as confused—no better off than him at all.
With a helpless sigh, Han Li switched through several ancient languages he knew, repeating the same message in each one.
These ancient tongues were languages he had been forced to learn long ago in order to study those tongue-twisting incantations.
When he spoke one particular language, an expression finally shifted on the face of a gray-haired elder in the crowd.
Seeing this, Han Li was overjoyed in his heart and immediately pointed at the old man. "Elder, can you understand what I'm saying?" Han Li said slowly in that ancient tongue. After all, he didn't use this language often and was quite rusty with it.
The old man hesitated for a moment upon hearing Han Li's words, then stepped to the middle-aged man's side and replied respectfully in the ancient tongue: "This old man is Wang Changqing. I did indeed learn this Immortal speech in my youth! I wonder what Immortal Master's orders might be?"
Seeing that the old man truly could understand the ancient language, a trace of a smile appeared on Han Li's face. He suddenly flickered forward, appearing before the old man in an instant, startling both the elder and the middle-aged man.
"You must have already noticed that I don't understand the local language. Tell them for me—I'm merely passing through and inquiring about a few things. There's no need to be so alarmed!" Han Li said gently.
Just now, he had already swept the entire vessel with his spiritual sense. The ship was entirely filled with mortals—no cultivators were present. Only then had he felt at ease enough to land.
After saying this, Han Li paid no attention to the old man mumbling his explanation to the middle-aged man. Instead, he waved toward the Divine Wind in the sky, and the pristine white magical tool carrying Qu Hun descended slowly to the bow.
Qu Hun then walked out at Han Li's command, while the small vessel swiftly shrank, transforming into a streak of white light that flew into Han Li's hand and was stored away in his storage pouch.
Having finished all this, Han Li glanced sideways.
He noticed that although the mortals on the ship still maintained respectful expressions, not a single one showed any sign of shock. This meant they must have frequently witnessed the methods of cultivators—otherwise, they wouldn't be so accustomed to it.
If that was the case, then either the people aboard this ship were not ordinary folk, or there were numerous cultivators in this area who made no effort to hide their presence from mortals.
Han Li pondered this thoughtfully.
At this point, the old man had relayed Han Li's words to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man was stunned for a moment, but his face immediately lit up with delight. He chattered away at Han Li, his entire demeanor brimming with excitement.
Han Li was taken aback by the man's expression and couldn't help but turn his gaze to the old man.
The old man naturally understood what Han Li was asking. He quickly stepped forward and explained: "Immortal Master, this Master Gu is the owner of this ship. He wishes to invite the Immortal Master to reside on Kuixing Island, where he lives. He is willing to cover all expenses and costs for the Immortal Master's cultivation."
"Kuixing Island?" Han Li stroked his chin, his expression noncommittal.
Seeing Han Li's indifferent look, the middle-aged man's eyes grew even more eager, and another stream of words tumbled from his mouth. From the ingratiating smile on his face, Han Li didn't even need the old man to translate—he could tell this fellow was most likely inviting him once again to go to Kuixing Island.
So, without waiting for the old man to translate, Han Li waved his hand and said bluntly: "Tell your master first that I've just arrived in this region and am unfamiliar with the situation here. I won't rashly agree to anything. Let me learn more about things first before deciding whether or not to visit his Kuixing Island. For now, I don't understand your language. I hope he will allow me to stay on this ship for a few days, so that the old gentleman can teach me some of the local tongue and help me learn about the local customs."
The old man didn't dare delay upon hearing this and hurriedly relayed the message faithfully to the middle-aged man.
After hearing it, the middle-aged man's face clearly showed a hint of disappointment. Nevertheless, he bowed respectfully to Han Li. He then shouted a few commands to the others behind him, and immediately the entire crowd scrambled back into the cabin. After saying a word to the old man, he too retreated with bowed steps.
Thus, only the old man and Han Li remained on the bow.
Seeing this, the old man smiled and said to Han Li: "Immortal Master, Master Gu has agreed to your request and has also prepared a superior cabin for you. The Immortal Master may come with me."
Han Li heard this and gave a faint nod of agreement.
So, the elderly man called Wang Changqing led the way, with Han Li and Qu Hun following behind as they entered the cabin.
"It's truly enormous!" This was Han Li's first impression upon entering the cabin.
The interior of the cabin was a labyrinth of corridors and passageways, with rooms everywhere—impossible to count how many.
Along the way, the few mortals Han Li encountered all made way for him with looks of reverence on their faces.
After following the old man through several turns, Han Li and Qu Hun arrived before a rather large wooden door.
Wang Changqing pushed it open without hesitation, then stepped aside and gestured for Han Li to enter first.
Han Li didn't stand on ceremony either. He and Qu Hun walked into the room one after the other and looked around.
Say what you will—this room was actually quite nice!
Not only was it spacious, but it also lacked any stuffiness. What surprised Han Li most, however, was a peculiar small tree planted in a flowerpot in the corner of the room.
The tree had a single straight trunk with no branches whatsoever, covered in palm-sized triangular leaves. The entire tree shimmered with a silver glow, as though it were crafted from pure silver.
Staring at the tree, Han Li's face showed a hint of curiosity.
"It seems the Immortal Master has never seen a Silver Horn Tree before! This tree is indeed quite rare. Not only is it magnificent in appearance, but when placed in a stuffy environment, it can purify the air and keep it fresh—truly a precious treasure for those who travel the seas. Even our Master Gu, with all his wealth and resources, has only managed to obtain three or four of them." The old man noticed the surprise in Han Li's eyes and respectfully explained.
Han Li heard this and gave a faint smile, saying nothing. The meaning behind Wang Changqing's words—flattering him on behalf of his master—how could he not see through it?
Han Li had Qu Hun stand guard at the doorway and sat down on a chair in the room.
Wang Changqing stood before Han Li with a somewhat stiff bearing, not daring to sit down freely.
Seeing the old man so restrained, Han Li smiled and said kindly: "Mr. Wang, there's no need to be so formal. Please, sit down and speak. I still have quite a few matters I need to consult you about."
Upon hearing this, Wang Changqing repeatedly muttered "I wouldn't dare," his expression one of trepidation.
Seeing the old man in this state, Han Li slightly furrowed his brow and stopped pressing him.
After thinking for a moment, he asked directly: "I am a cultivator who has just arrived here. I wonder if Mr. Wang could first introduce me to the surrounding terrain and the local customs. Of course, it would be even better if you could tell me more about us cultivators. I will certainly reward the old gentleman handsomely!"
As Han Li spoke these words, his expression was perfectly calm.
After considering for a moment, Wang Changqing began to speak slowly: "Since the Immortal Master has come from outside to this place, you should know that this area is part of the Chaotic Star Sea, and specifically, this is the southwestern corner of the Chaotic Star Sea. Nearby, there are three major islands—Weixing Island, Kuixing Island, and Sangxing Island—along with several dozen other smaller and medium-sized islands, all inhabited by cultivators and mortals alike."
"The customs here are actually the same as in other sea regions. Each island has a cultivator with the highest magical power serving as the island lord, responsible for protecting the island. Other cultivators who are willing to settle on the island and take up positions will receive a certain amount of spirit stones each year from the island lord for their cultivation. However, from then on, they must obey the island lord's commands. Of course, those who wish to live on the island but refuse to take up positions will not only receive no spirit stones, but must also pay a certain amount of spirit stones to the island lord each year. They may still remain on the island under these terms."
At this point, Wang Changqing paused, a look of envy crossing his face, as though he yearned for the life of a cultivator with all his heart.