Chapter 22: Same as Stowaways

Unlike the continuous mountain ranges he had seen in his previous life, Li Fan found himself standing on a vast, open ocean.

It was boundless, stretching as far as the eye could see.

“What’s going on? Why is the destination different this time?” Li Fan was momentarily bewildered.

Li Fan took out the map he had drawn from memory and tried to locate the ocean on it.

However, no matter how many times he compared it, he found no such place.

“Never mind,” he sighed, putting away the map. “I’ll just have to take things one step at a time. I’m not sure what went wrong, but at least I have the Taiyan Boat to travel; otherwise, I’d be trapped here for good. I just hope I can find an inhabited place before the spiritual stones in the Taiyan Boat run out.”

Li Fan was not one to wallow in self-pity, so he quickly sprang into action.

He chose a direction and piloted the Taiyan Boat, flying while searching for any signs of civilization.

The ocean was truly vast; Li Fan flew for seven days and seven nights without seeing any sign of human activity.

Fortunately, the Taiyan Boat was well-stocked with provisions, so he didn't have to worry about immediate survival.

After another ten-odd days, the Taiyan Boat’s speed began to decrease, indicating it was nearly out of power.

Just as he was reaching his wit’s end, Li Fan finally spotted the faint outline of a ship on the horizon.

Overjoyed, Li Fan immediately lowered the Taiyan Boat’s altitude and slowly approached.

As he drew nearer, however, he was left speechless.

It was indeed a ship, but one on the verge of sinking.

It appeared to have been attacked; its hull had a large hole, and two-thirds of the ship was already submerged.

Dozens of people, evidently the ship’s crew and passengers, were struggling in the water surrounding it.

Most of them couldn't swim well and were barely clinging to pieces of debris, struggling to stay afloat.

Li Fan was debating whether to abandon the Taiyan Boat and help them when he heard a man among the survivors shout with great effort, “Don’t be afraid, everyone! I’ve sent a signal to the Immortal Master! He’ll be here to rescue us soon! Just hold on a little longer!”

Upon hearing this, Li Fan’s heart stirred.

He put away the Taiyan Boat, jumped into the sea, and quietly swam towards the struggling group.

He silently mingled with the crowd, feigning exhaustion and barely struggling to survive.

A moment later, a streak of light soared from the distance and halted above them.

“Immortal Master, save me!”

“Immortal Master, save us!”

Seeing a glimmer of hope, the people cried out for help.

“Silence!”

The voice was male, but his clothing and face were obscured, as if veiled.

The man snorted coldly. He cast some unknown spell, and Li Fan immediately found himself unable to speak.

The entire crowd fell silent at once.

The Immortal Master then flew to the sunken ship, gently lifting it with one hand, pulling the largely submerged vessel out of the water.

Another beam of light shot forth, and the large hole in the ship's hull was instantly repaired.

Then, he looked at the people floating in the sea, gave a cold snort, and made a gentle grasping motion forward, then pulled.

Li Fan and the others felt an invisible hand lift them, carrying them towards the newly repaired ship.

“Thump! Thump! Thump!”

In an instant, the rescued individuals were roughly tossed onto the ship by the Immortal Master, like dumplings dropping into a pot.

Unable to speak, the people could only emit muffled groans.

Despite the rough handling, their faces showed only awe and the relief of being saved, not daring to utter a single complaint.

Once everyone was safely aboard, the Immortal Master flew above them and asked in an unpleasant tone, “Who sent me the signal?”

The man who had earlier comforted the others immediately knelt.

The Immortal Master waved his hand, lifting the spell from him.

The man prostrated himself, saying, “Your humble servant, Su Changyu…”

The Immortal Master cut him off directly: “You understand the rules, don’t you? Once we reach our destination, I’ll have no connection to any of you. I’ve never seen you before, and I don’t know who you are. Understood?”

Su Changyu prostrated himself again. “Your humble servant understands. My family elders already instructed me when I left…”

He was silenced again mid-sentence.

It turned out the Immortal Master had nodded with satisfaction, then casually silenced Su Changyu once more.

Ignoring the mortals, the Immortal Master moved to the bow. He cast some unknown spell, and the ship quickly set off in a specific direction.

Witnessing this, most of the mortals looked on with shock.

Others seemed not to have recovered from the disaster; they merely slumped on the deck, trembling and curled up, seemingly weeping silently.

An eerie silence fell over the ship.

More than half a day passed in this manner. After nightfall, a faint flickering light finally appeared in the distance.

It was a seemingly prosperous island. Even from a considerable distance, they could faintly hear human voices.

Hundreds of large ships were moored at the island’s docks, presenting a spectacular sight.

However, the ship Li Fan was on did not head for the docks. Instead, it circled halfway around the island to a less populated area on its reverse side.

The ship quietly entered a natural cavern, following a narrow waterway.

It navigated through the narrow cavern for some time before finally stopping.

Once the ship came to a stop, several burly men in black came to greet them.

The black-clad men seemed to ignore the Immortal Master entirely, merely brandishing weapons and herding the people off the ship.

They remained silent throughout.

After leading everyone into a spacious hall, one of the black-clad men finally spoke.

“You will rest here tonight,” he announced. “There’s plenty of food in the hall; help yourselves. Tomorrow, a designated person will take you to re-register your identities. Furthermore, no unnecessary noise.” After sweeping a threatening gaze across the group, the black-clad men turned and departed.

The hall fell into an immediate silence.

It was a long while before the Immortal Master’s silencing spell wore off. Afterward, people in the hall began to converse in small groups.

“This truly was bad luck, encountering a sea monster attack. There were nearly a hundred of us when we set out, but now less than half have survived.”

“What’s the point of seeking the Dao or cultivating immortality? Sigh, I don’t know what my father was thinking, insisting on sending me to this vast world to cultivate. If you ask me, cultivating immortality isn’t nearly as enjoyable as listening to music.”

“Exactly! Back home, I’m the son of the Prince of Zhennan; there’s no luxury or wealth I can’t enjoy. What’s so good about this cursed place? That…” He trailed off into muffled sounds as a quick-thinking companion next to him clamped a hand over his mouth.

At this point, the man named Su Changyu spoke up. “What’s the use of saying such things now? Every family here paid an immense price to send you all. Instead of complaining, it’s better to cultivate patiently from now on. If you truly become an Immortal Master, you’ll not only gain the hope of eternal life but also the chance to return home and bring your family out.”

Hiding in the shadows, Li Fan listened to their conversation and gradually understood their identities.

These individuals, like Li Fan, were likely mortals exiled from the Immortal-Forbidden Land.

However, it seemed that in their Immortal-Forbidden Land, the existence of the immortal cultivation world was no secret.

And, apparently, a well-established “smuggling” route had been developed?

Li Fan stroked his chin, deep in thought.