When Shen Xian arrived at the Deacon Hall with the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise, the hall was exceptionally busy.

Several deacon disciples were buried in handling piles of jade slips, not even having time to look up.

“Junior Brother Shen?” Qian An, who was busy at the moment, happened to bump into him and immediately stepped forward to greet him. “What brings you here, Junior Brother?”

His round face was full of ingratiating smiles.

“Applying to go out for training,” Shen Xian said, handing over his inner sect disciple identity token.

Qian An’s smile froze for a moment.

According to sect rules, disciples needed to reach the Foundation Establishment cultivation stage before they could leave.

But…

“Understood, I’ll take care of it for you right away, Junior Brother,” he said with a smile as he took the identity token, not mentioning the sect rules at all.

Qian An had long heard about the recent events in the Spirit Plant Hall. Since the sect had tacitly allowed this direct descendant of the Shen Family to “cheat” there, they probably wouldn’t mind him going out either.

“Junior Brother Shen, according to the rules, you need to state your purpose for leaving and give an approximate time for your return,” Qian An asked, holding a jade slip used for recording.

“Going home. One year,” Shen Xian said casually.

“Alright,” Qian An quickly completed the registration and handed over a communication talisman. “If you encounter any trouble, Junior Brother Shen, you can contact nearby fellow disciples through this talisman.”

Disciples of the Divine Wood Sect emphasized mutual assistance when going out. Once this communication talisman was activated, any disciple within a thousand miles would sense it and come to assist.

“Thank you,” Shen Xian took it and left the Deacon Hall.

Next, after leaving a message about his departure on Wei Zhaoli’s talisman token, he took out his family’s spirit boat and flew out of the sect with the Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise.

As for that little fellow Xiao Bai, he had already communicated with her before coming. The cat wasn’t interested in going out.

The spirit boat cut through the air, flying into the clouds, and instantly touched a water-like rippling light barrier.

Buzz—

The identity token in Shen Xian’s hand trembled slightly. The light barrier tore open a gap, and the spirit boat shot out.

The scenery on both sides rapidly receded. Shen Xian stood at the bow of the boat, his robes fluttering loudly in the fierce wind.

Below was an endless sea of clouds, spreading like cotton wool to the horizon, dyed golden-red by the morning sun.

In the distance, several solitary peaks pierced through the cloud layer like ink-brush strokes in a freehand landscape painting.

“Hah!”

He took a deep breath. The clear spiritual energy seeped into his lungs.

Since transmigrating, this was strictly his first time going out. Though his family and the sect were good places, they were ultimately exquisite cages, after all.

The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise poked its head out of the pet bag. Its beady eyes darted around, clearly also very interested in this scenery.

“How is it?” Shen Xian chuckled lightly. “More interesting than soaking in spiritual springs all day?”

He simply let this fellow out completely.

Its millstone-sized body landed on the deck with a heavy thud. The Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise nodded vigorously. It definitely didn’t want to go back to its previous hard days of pumping spiritual energy.

“Use your ability. Don’t slack off,” Shen Xian transmitted mentally.

This trip wasn’t for fun; it was for treasure hunting.

However, this big fellow’s detection range was only three hundred miles. Its detection range for water and earth attribute treasures was five hundred miles. So, he needed to go to places where treasures were commonly found.

Looking across the entire Southern Region, aside from that sealed-off chaotic area in the north, the most prosperous place was at the southernmost edge, near the Endless Sea.

He definitely wouldn’t go north.

That place was the only route to the Northern Region. Fierce winds raged there, and heavenly thunder was dense. Even if there were treasures there, obtaining them would be extremely difficult.

Most importantly, all cultivators there wanted to enter the Northern Region. Each one was extremely powerful; there were even Nascent Soul Venerables present.

Since he already had a treasure-seeking spirit beast himself, there was no need to take risks in such a place.

The south was just fine.

Ancient texts mentioned that there was an archipelago in the south located within the Endless Sea. It contained many treasures and was extremely suitable for ordinary cultivators to explore.

The spirit boat continued southward. The sea of clouds gradually dispersed, revealing verdant mountain ranges below.

A great river like a jade belt meandered through them, shimmering with silvery light in the morning sun. Occasionally, birds flew past, startling streaks of rosy light into flight.

Shen Xian narrowed his eyes; an indescribable sense of freedom filled his heart.

This is more like it!

Cultivating immortality—if one never even witnessed how vast heaven and earth were, what kind of immortality cultivation was that?

The sky was high and clouds deep. Shen Xian didn’t know how long he had traveled for.

The spirit boat bearing the Shen Family insignia ensured he encountered no crises along the way until a magnificent seaside city appeared before his eyes.

Hundred-zhang-tall bluish-grey city walls were covered with dark red seaweed marks—traces left by millennia of tides and waves.

On top of the city walls stood giant bronze crossbows every hundred paces. Dark golden talisman patterns coiled around their bodies, gleaming with a cold luster under sunlight.

Shen Xian put away his spirit boat and landed with his Black Mystic Spirit-Seeking Tortoise on a bluestone plaza before the city gates.

Since this was a treasure hunt, keeping a low profile was necessary. His previous high profile was merely to avoid trouble from petty thieves on the road.

Whoosh—

A salty, briny sea wind blew toward him, mixed with the unique fishy smell of the docks and the fragrance of spiritual materials.

At the city gates, cultivators wearing various colored robes came and went. Some carried sword cases, others rode spirit beasts, and many were overseas rogue cultivators carrying the exotic scent of the sea.

This world not only had the Abyssal Continent but other continents too.

However, these overseas rogue cultivators were not from other continents; crossing between two continents required either high-level teleportation arrays or becoming a Great Ascension Divine Venerable.

“Interesting.” Shen Xian narrowed his eyes. The spiritual energy concentration in this city was several times higher than the outside world.

He looked up toward the towering white jade pavilion in the city center. Faintly visible spiritual light swirled atop the pavilion—it must be the core of the city’s protective formation.

Before heading to the overseas archipelago, he needed to gather information first.

Knowledge from books was shallow; true understanding required personal experience!

Shen Xian arrived at the city gates alone. After a simple registration, he easily entered the city.

Stepping through the gates, a wave of noise hit him.

Shops lined both sides of the streets, with various shop signs fluttering in the wind.

He headed directly toward the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce establishment.

During his previous trip to the Ye Family, he had won a Wanxiang Token from the young master of the chamber. Now, it would come in handy.

Arriving at the restaurant, Shen Xian took out the gilded jade token and placed it on the front counter.

The shopkeeper’s pupils contracted. He immediately switched to a respectful attitude. “Esteemed guest, welcome. What may I assist you with?”

The surrounding cultivators’ gazes were immediately drawn over.

These days, people who could make the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce show such a respectful attitude were a rare sight.

Who was this handsome man?

“Prepare a room for me,” Shen Xian said lightly.

“Please follow me. The Heaven-grade private room is always reserved for esteemed guests like you,” the shopkeeper said kindly and politely.

Passing through the exquisitely carved and painted front hall, the shopkeeper personally led the way, bringing Shen Xian to a standalone small building facing a lake.

The interior furnishings were extremely luxurious. A purple sandalwood table was set with spiritual fruits and fragrant tea, and outside the window, one faced the rippling blue lake scenery.

“Do you have information on the overseas archipelago?” Shen Xian asked as an opening question.

If he could directly buy it from the Wanxiang Chamber of Commerce, it would save trouble indeed.

“Yes, esteemed guest, yes.” The shopkeeper immediately took out a jade slip. “This is the latest drawn archipelago map. It marks the specialties and danger zones of thirty-three spiritual islands.”

He paused and added, “Esteemed guests holding a Wanxiang Token can freely obtain all publicly available intelligence of the chamber of commerce.”

Shen Xian raised an eyebrow slightly.

The benefits of the Wanxiang Token were better than expected—somewhat better indeed!

He took the jade slip and told the other man to leave first. Then, he focused his divine sense onto it.