If the disdain from cultivators merely bruised Tong Nuonuo's self-esteem, then the deception from ordinary people left an indelible psychological scar. Perhaps due to lingering trauma from his time trapped in that dark and suffocating mine, his sense of direction worsened significantly after he got out.
It was no wonder that Tong Nuonuo was so wary of unfamiliar commoners. Before boarding the ship, he had tensed up both times he encountered Chen Xiao, fearing that he might once again fall into a trap and be sold off if he wasn't careful. But now that they were all on the same ship, surrounded by the vast, endless sea, he felt reassured, after all, there was nowhere for Chen Xiao to take him. Only then did he finally lower his guard.
After learning about Tong Nuonuo's past experiences, how could Chen Xiao possibly blame such an unfortunate youth? For someone as pure-hearted and directionally challenged as him, having a bit more caution and vigilance was certainly not a bad thing.
Their cabin was a four-person room. Aside from the three of them, a burly, high-ranking cultivator moved in just before the ship set sail. He was much younger than Du Rong but had a rather unpleasant temperament. When he first arrived, he barged in with an arrogant attitude, forcefully pushing the door open in an attempt to assert dominance. However, upon discovering that Tong Nuonuo was actually in the Foundation Establishment stage, far stronger than himself, his demeanor shifted immediately, shrinking back like a frightened quail.
For someone who flaunted arrogance in front of the weak but cowered before the strong, none of the three had any interest in befriending him. Their attitude was clear, and the burly cultivator took the hint, keeping his distance. He left early in the morning and returned late at night, spending most of his time either in the training hall or idling away in the ship's tavern and teahouse.
Du Rong and Tong Nuonuo were both from humble backgrounds, and while Chen Xiao enjoyed comfort, he wasn't about to squander money recklessly when their future remained uncertain. Thus, aside from taking occasional strolls on the deck for fresh air, the three of them spent most of their time in the cabin. From the start, Chen Xiao had thought that the folding-leg table in the room would be perfect for playing cards, and now, it was finally put to good use.
Unexpectedly, Tong Nuonuo had brought a board game with him. It was a game somewhat similar to the "Monopoly" of Chen Xiao's past life, consisting of several different colored pieces, a dice, and a gridded game board.
Each of them chose a piece to represent themselves, rolling the dice in turns to move across the board. Some grid spaces contained instructions that simulated different environments and locations, if a player landed on an inn, they had to skip a turn to "rest"; encountering a vicious beast meant returning to the starting point; stepping into an immortal sect allowed extra movement; and triggering a fortuitous encounter granted an additional dice roll. The game had plenty of variety and was surprisingly engaging.
Given Tong Nuonuo's age, Chen Xiao wasn't particularly surprised that he owned such a game. What did intrigue him, however, was the rectangular box strapped to the boy's back. While rummaging for the game pieces, Tong Nuonuo pulled out an assortment of items, clothing, personal belongings, game materials, and even mechanical components, along with materials he had collected during their journey. At first, Chen Xiao hadn't paid much attention, but as he watched, he found himself increasingly dumbfounded.
Judging by its capacity, the box had to be some kind of spatial storage device similar to a Sumeru pouch; otherwise, there was no way it could hold so much. Since Du Rong showed no surprise, Chen Xiao deduced that such items were likely commonplace in the cultivation world. Once again, he reminded himself to stay composed and not overreact.
Their life at sea followed a predictable routine. Each morning, Chen Xiao would get up early, stretch his limbs on the deck, take in the boundless view of the sky and ocean, and breathe in the fresh, salty air. Afterward, he would head to the dining hall for breakfast, then return to the cabin to play board games, passing the morning in leisure. After lunch, he would find a well-lit spot to read for the afternoon. By nightfall, after dinner, he would retire to bed early.
Du Rong and Tong Nuonuo, on the other hand, were far more diligent. Du Rong often visited the training hall to spar with other cultivators or spent time in the secluded meditation chamber. Tong Nuonuo would follow him to the chamber for meditation but stayed in the cabin to tinker with his mechanical components whenever Du Rong went off to spar.
Neither of them had any complaints about Chen Xiao's relaxed lifestyle. After all, he lacked spiritual roots and couldn't cultivate, forcing him to adopt their rigorous schedule would be pointless. What they didn't realize, however, was that Chen Xiao was far from idle. Each day, he devoted significant time to studying the compass in his consciousness.
Given that the compass's fortune energy was barely enough to manifest, he summoned it as infrequently as possible. The palm-sized device had a central area called the "Heavenly Pool," where a magnetic needle was embedded. One end of the needle was sharply pointed, while the other featured a tiny ridge. The base of the Heavenly Pool bore a red line running through its central axis, with two dots positioned at one end of the line.
Anyone from Chen Xiao's past life would instantly recognize it as a compass. As the core mechanism of the entire device, it was no surprise that it was referred to as the "Central Pivot of the Heavenly Pool." By standing with feet apart and holding the compass level in both hands, aligning the ridge-end of the needle with the two dots on the red line would reveal true north. The other end of the needle then pointed toward the south.
The compass had a wide range of uses, not just for feng shui masters, but also for travelers, geological surveys, expeditions, maritime voyages, and military campaigns.
That morning, when no one was paying attention, Chen Xiao summoned the compass in his consciousness. He aligned the Celestial Pool Needle with the red line, but the direction it pointed was not north. Although he had expected this result, it still left him with complicated feelings.
A compass functions because the planet's core beneath the mantle contains vast amounts of ferromagnetic elements. The entire planet acts as a giant magnet, naturally forming north and south magnetic poles.
However, after observing the ocean over the past few days, Chen Xiao realized he might not actually be on a planet. Instead, this world could very well be a flat plane. That raised an important question—if there was no magnetic field, then where exactly was the "true north" that the compass pointed to? And what force was causing the needle to align in that direction?
He had wrestled with this mystery for days, nearly pulling his hair out in frustration, yet he still couldn't figure it out. Since he couldn't find an answer, he temporarily set the matter aside. Instead, he turned to a more practical issue, direction was the most crucial reference for geomantic site selection. Should he rely on the compass's orientation or follow the natural landmarks of this world? That was something he would only be able to determine after reaching land and conducting field tests.
Despite his seemingly idle days aboard the ship, no one knew the depth of his thoughts.
Each morning, he used the brief period when the sun rose at its most precise angle to compare it with the compass in his consciousness. He carefully calculated the discrepancy between the two and committed it to memory, again and again. He wasn't content with just remembering it mentally—his body had to instinctively recall it as well. Only then could he instantly convert real-world directions into compass coordinates whenever necessary.
He didn't know if this effort would prove useful or if it was all a waste of time. But he was accustomed to studying feng shui diligently, always preparing for a future where his knowledge might come in handy.
Only when he had trained himself to instinctively distinguish both sets of directions the moment he stepped out of the cabin and saw the rising sun did he finally conclude his silent, unseen training.
By then, the voyage was nearly over.
This maritime journey had been smooth, though they encountered storms, none were severe enough to force them to turn back. There had also been encounters with sea creatures, but they were nothing more than massive beasts, swiftly driven away by the escorting immortal masters aboard the Ascendant. The ship followed its predetermined route without getting lost or running aground. Clearly, the Chongxuan Sect's three failed return trips had been far from ordinary occurrences.
A normal sea voyage would have taken three to four months, depending on favorable winds. But the Ascendant, powered by spirit stones, far outpaced wind-driven vessels. In just one month, it had already crossed the coastlines of seven or eight different countries. Every few days, the ship docked to replenish fresh water and provisions, giving restless passengers a brief chance to disembark. However, with only one or two hours per stop, no one dared to wander too far, most simply stretched their legs near the port.
Chen Xiao had gone ashore with Du Rong once, though Tong Nuonuo refused to join them. He was too afraid of accidentally losing sight of the two of them, if he got left behind, it wouldn't be a laughing matter. The Ascendant certainly wouldn't delay its journey for just one person.
At the harbor's small marketplace, Chen Xiao and Du Rong browsed the stalls. Though they were in different nations, the people's appearances and languages were quite similar. Even the currency was standardized—gold, silver, and copper coins circulated freely. The only noticeable difference lay in the designs minted on them, but their weight and specifications were identical.
This realization led Chen Xiao to suspect that a single power must have unified the minting process in these countries. Either that, or the casting techniques and equipment had been provided by a central authority. After all, such precise and advanced coinage far exceeded the capabilities of these nations. His first thought was Zhishi Hall, only an alliance of multiple cultivation forces like them could achieve such widespread economic standardization.
That morning, as usual, Chen Xiao stood on the deck, soaking up the sun for some much-needed calcium. Suddenly, the ship's bronze bell rang three times, its crisp chimes echoing across the deck.
Almost immediately, someone among the passengers cheered excitedly. Like a pebble dropped into water, their enthusiasm spread, rippling through the ship. Soon, even those inside the cabins were stirred into a frenzy. Some people couldn't contain themselves and rushed to the deck's edge, shouting toward the horizon.
It took Chen Xiao a moment to react, but he soon understood, Hanshan City was near.