Chapter 29

In the days following the typhoon, all the residents of Liuli Island received instructions to check if the protective array around the island was damaged.

The method of checking was simple: the Liuli Administration would distribute a spirit talisman to each household. By hanging the talisman at home for a few days and nights, one could observe if any red light would appear.

As for the various remote corners of the island, there were dedicated people responsible for each area.

"Three hundred and sixty-seven thousand eight hundred nodes of the protective array must be ensured to have no abnormalities." Under the will of the Immortal Master and for the safety of the residents, all activities on Liuli Island were temporarily suspended to prioritize the maintenance of the protective array.

In the past, the Immortal Master would oversee the inspection of the array, but this time, it was said that the spirit stones maintaining the array's operation were almost depleted, so the Immortal Master returned to Wanshen Island to retrieve more spirit stones.

Li Fan also received a spirit talisman.

He hung the talisman at home and carefully sensed it, faintly perceiving an invisible wave emanating from it.

After expanding outward for a distance, it seemed to encounter some obstacle and returned.

As the wave returned, the talisman emitted a blue light.

After a few breaths, the blue light faded.

The wave continued to generate.

This cycle repeated.

"The self-inspection of the array consists of 360 small cycles, each with 360 flashes of the talisman. If no red light appears in a large cycle, it means the array is intact." Li Fan recalled the instructions given when he received the talisman.

"The protective array is so vast and intricate, it's hard to imagine how it was built."

"Wanshen Island is said to be the gathering place of the majority of cultivators in the Congyun Sea. It is extremely mysterious, and even Manager Zhao knows little about it."

"Only if the islanders can cleanse their bodies of miasma and guide qi into their bodies will an Immortal Master descend to take them to Wanshen Island."

"It seems my goal in this world is there."

However, things had to be done step by step. First, he needed to secure a spot on the fleet to have a chance to enter the purification spirit pool.

Li Fan had waited for centuries, so he was not in a hurry.

Time passed quietly as the islanders prayed anxiously.

Five days later, the result that put everyone at ease came out.

The protective array was undamaged.

With the Immortal Master returning with sufficient spirit stones, the residents of the island finally felt at ease.

Life on Liuli Island gradually returned to normal.

In the following months, refugees from other islands occasionally came to Liuli Island for shelter.

These survivors were few; most of the people on their islands had died in the recent typhoon.

Upon learning that Liuli Island had an Immortal Master, the refugees' faces were filled with envy.

The Congyun Sea was vast, with countless islands of various sizes.

Only those islands with special resources would have an Immortal Master.

Li Fan did not idle during these months.

He persisted in practicing the "Xuanhuang Qingxin Spell" every day and finally saw results.

Name: Li Fan

Realm: Mortal

Physical Age: 41/88↑

Mental Age: 504/1119↑

Both his physical and mental age limits had increased, though not by much, which still excited Li Fan.

From then on, Li Fan practiced even more diligently, spending all his time except for meals on the Qingxin Spell.

Another month passed, and Li Fan finally received a message from Manager Zhao.

The typhoon in the Congyun Sea had completely disappeared, and the fleet was about to set sail!

Three days later, at the Liuli Island dock.

The sea vessels of Liuli Island were slightly larger than the second form of the Taiyan Boat, measuring about two to three hundred meters in length.

A dozen large ships were lined up, moored on the sea, looking quite impressive.

Due to the typhoon, the fleet had been delayed for a long time, and the island owed a significant amount of supplies.

Thus, the island chief ordered the entire fleet to set sail this time.

This was a rare grand scene, as in the past, for safety reasons, only one or two fleets would sail simultaneously.

The dock was filled with residents who had come to watch the spectacle.

Occasionally, they would wave enthusiastically to people they recognized on the ships.

Li Fan followed Manager Zhao's people onto a ship named "Cangyuan."

Many of the crew members, like Li Fan, were first-time sailors. Their faces were filled with excitement, and their eyes were full of hope for sudden wealth.

In contrast, the veteran crew members were the opposite.

They showed no excitement, only worry and endless complaints: "I don't know what the island chief is thinking, setting up some kind of evaluation. The fleet with the least harvest this time will be deemed不合格 and lose the right to sail in the future! What are we supposed to do?"

"Hey, don't mention it. It's all because of the typhoon. I heard privately that the Coral Island to the south was flattened because their protective array was broken. Now, the supplies they were supposed to provide have fallen on us."

"What a mess! How are we supposed to live from now on!"

"Apparently, it's just temporary. We just need to make up for the shortfall."

The crew members sighed in unison.

"Look at your pitiful faces! Why not think positively? The first place will also receive a reward, with the share of the harvest increasing from 30% to 50%!"

"50%! Can you imagine! If we get a good haul, we won't have to sail again for the rest of our lives!"

At this moment, a man with a bronze complexion walked over and scolded the crew members.

"Boss, don't dream. First place? You know our fishing skills. We barely complete the quota each time."

"Right, I think this is our last sail!"

"Why don't we just not return and become free-spirited pirates? How exciting!"

Clearly, the crew members had a good relationship with the man. They were not afraid of his scolding and instead started to joke around.

Hearing their nonsense, the man was not upset.

Instead, he crossed his arms, looking confident.

"What, Boss, do you have a plan?" The crew members, who knew the man well, asked curiously.

The man said proudly, "Don't worry, we have a capable person on this ship. I guarantee we'll return with a full load."

He then pointed to Li Fan standing behind him.

"Really, him?"

"Looks so delicate, has he ever sailed before?"

The crew members looked closely and were immediately disappointed, shaking their heads in disbelief.

"You blind fools, you don't recognize a noble when you see one! This is a great talent specially invited by Manager Zhao, who will soon take over our ship! Be more respectful!" The man scolded, seemingly very angry.

Upon hearing the man's words, the Cangyuan ship erupted in a commotion.

The bronze-skinned man turned to look at Li Fan and quietly smiled, his plan having succeeded.