Chu Feng and Little Fishy chatted away as they traveled, their conversation flowing so naturally that there seemed to be an endless stream of topics to discuss.
In this mode of companionship, even time seemed to pass much faster.
As for Her Majesty, she appeared to deliberately avoid interrupting Chu Feng and Little Fishy's time together, and had uncommonly gone off to cultivate instead.
Following the map, Chu Feng and Little Fishy eventually arrived at a superior realm called Immortal River, located within the Starfight Starfield of the Firmament Galaxy.
The map left in Chu Feng's mind by the Troubled-Era Scholar was quite detailed in every regard — the only thing it lacked were specific names.
However, upon reaching the location marked on the map, not only Little Fishy, but even Chu Feng himself began to doubt the map's accuracy.
This was a prosperous ancient city, vast enough to rival an entire lower realm.
And the map's final destination was an estate belonging to a family called the Wang Clan.
The estate was enormous — comparable to a royal city in a lower realm — making it clear that the Wang Clan had once been a major household.
But this particular Wang Clan had long since vacated the premises. The place had been abandoned for several hundred years.
Aside from the Wang Clan's estate, however, the surrounding families were all still present.
Chu Feng and Little Fishy did not reveal themselves. They hovered high in the void, observing what lay below.
Even after deploying her own methods of perception, Little Fishy could not detect anything unusual.
"Big Brother, is this really the place?" Little Fishy looked at Chu Feng, beginning to harbor some doubts.
She naturally wouldn't suspect Chu Feng — she just couldn't help wondering whether the Troubled-Era Scholar had been deceiving them.
"The map indicates this is the location, but I can't see anything special about it," Chu Feng said, observing as well. But even his Heavenly Eyes could discern nothing.
"Try using this." As he spoke, Chu Feng produced the Celestial Master's Dust Whisk.
"Big Brother, that whisk of yours." Upon seeing the Celestial Master's Dust Whisk in Chu Feng's hand, Little Fishy's eyes lit up immediately.
"You recognize it?" Chu Feng asked.
"It looks very much like the treasure of the Celestial Master Divine Sect — the Celestial Master's Dust Whisk," Little Fishy said.
"So you actually know of this artifact." Chu Feng sighed.
He felt this wasn't necessarily a good thing. If even Little Fishy recognized it, that meant many prominent figures throughout the vast Martial Cultivation World would know of it as well.
"Then it really is a secret treasure of the Celestial Master Divine Sect?"
"I only ever saw a replica kept in my father's collection — it was stored away as a display piece." Little Fishy's eyes were filled with wonder.
"This one of mine should be the genuine article," Chu Feng confirmed.
"Big Brother, you truly have extraordinary fortune, to have obtained such a treasure."
"However, you must be very careful when using it. Not many people recognize it these days, but quite a few elders from the older generation still do. If they discover you possess this artifact, it could bring you trouble," Little Fishy warned.
"I'll be careful," Chu Feng replied, and as he spoke, he activated the Celestial Master's Dust Whisk. Yet the whisk offered no guidance whatsoever.
"This secret treasure is useless too?" Little Fishy was surprised.
As far as she knew, the Celestial Master's Dust Whisk was a treasure specifically designed for exploring ancient ruins. Even in places where a Spirit World Master could detect no clues, this artifact often displayed miraculous effectiveness.
"When it wants to help me, it really is quite miraculous."
"But it has a mind of its own, and most of the time it's unwilling to assist me," Chu Feng explained.
"It has that much personality?"
Hearing Chu Feng say this, Little Fishy actually grew intrigued. She reached out with her small, snow-white hand and gently stroked the Celestial Master's Dust Whisk.
"Good whisk, won't you help Big Brother out?"
Seeing this, Chu Feng laughed — amused by Little Fishy's playful whimsy.
Even if the whisk did possess its own consciousness, it was something akin to an ancient being. You couldn't just coax it like a child.
Hum—