"Egg Egg, that was a creature of heaven and earth condensed over five hundred years, yet it only allowed me to break through a single level of cultivation. If I were using Heavenly Pearls instead, I really can't imagine how many I'd need just to go from the Fifth Stage of Heaven Martial to the Sixth."
Chu Feng was thoroughly exasperated. Though he had long known that the further his cultivation progressed, the more terrifying the resources required, actually facing that reality still felt agonizing.
"You dummy. That Ice Crystal Egg was indeed a creature of heaven and earth, but it was only condensed over a measly five hundred years. Truly powerful creatures of heaven and earth require at least ten thousand years of condensation."
"Besides, think about it this way — you've barely arrived in the Eastern Ocean Region, and you've already found a creature of heaven and earth. That should tell you this region really is a land rich with extraordinary treasures. There are far more natural treasures here than on your Nine Provinces Continent."
"As long as you master the Vein-Finding Technique, why would you ever worry about cultivation resources? For you, this place is like a fish in water — you have an inexhaustible supply of cultivation resources to draw upon." Egg Egg's sweet laughter chimed in his mind.
"Mm, you really do know how to make a person feel better. But you're right — fine, let's set off." These were truths Chu Feng already understood in his own heart, but hearing them spoken aloud by Egg Egg made him feel considerably more at ease.
"Set off where?" Egg Egg asked, puzzled.
"To the Mandarin Duck Platform, of course. To find Autumn Water Veil Smoke." Chu Feng smiled faintly, then launched himself into the sky and embarked on his journey to the Mandarin Duck Platform.
The Eastern Ocean Region was vast, and the distance to the Mandarin Duck Platform was considerable. Ordinarily, the trip would have consumed a great deal of time. However, after traveling for a stretch, Chu Feng discovered a massive teleportation formation enclosed within a magnificent city.
These teleportation formations were ancient, yet far more sophisticated than those of the Four Seas Academy. It was said they had been left behind by powerful Spirit World Masters of a bygone era, and so whether in terms of teleportation speed or the number of people they could transport at once, they were truly exceptional.
The catch was that all of these ancient teleportation formations were under the control of the Immortal Execution Archipelago. To use them, one had to pay an exorbitant fee — the farther the distance, the higher the price. Ordinary people couldn't afford it, and even typical martial cultivators couldn't come up with that kind of money.
Even those who could afford it were often unwilling to spend that much just to travel. Only the truly wealthy and powerful could make use of them.
Chu Feng was no aristocrat, but the Heavenly Pearls he currently carried in his possession were quite numerous. These pearls no longer offered much benefit to his cultivation, but they were more than sufficient for travel expenses.
And so, with the help of the ancient teleportation formation, Chu Feng drastically cut down his travel time. In just a few short days, he arrived at the Mandarin Duck Platform — dozens of times faster than if he had traveled on his own.
"This ancient teleportation formation is truly extraordinary — several times faster than the ones at the Four Seas Academy. Egg Egg, in your estimation, what level of Spirit World Master would have set up something like this?"
After stepping out of the formation, Chu Feng was genuinely awestruck by its terrifying speed. He had only experienced a few days of transit, yet he had crossed countless stretches of land and sea.
Such a wondrous and powerful feat was enough to stagger anyone, but especially a fellow Spirit World Master like Chu Feng. As a Purple-robed Spirit World Master, he already understood the principles of teleportation — and that was precisely why he knew just how extraordinary the mastery of boundaries and the specialized techniques required to construct a teleportation formation of such immense distance truly were.
"Based on what I know, it was likely set up by a Royal-robed Spirit World Master. But given how long ago it was built, the formation has deteriorated significantly. It would require at least a Gold-robed Spirit World Master performing ongoing maintenance for it to remain functional."
"So you really can't blame the Immortal Execution Archipelago for charging such steep fees. Employing a Gold-robed Spirit World Master to regularly repair these formations is no small cost," Egg Egg explained.
"So it was a Royal-robed Spirit World Master?"
"If a Royal-robed Spirit World Master is already this powerful, then just how powerful could an Immortal-robed Spirit World Master possibly be?"
Chu Feng had originally assumed that such a remarkable teleportation formation must have been created by an Immortal-robed Spirit World Master. Now that he knew it was a Royal-robed one, he gained yet another appreciation for how unfathomable Immortal-robed Spirit World Masters truly were. No wonder the realm was said to be accessible only to Martial Emperor-level powerhouses at minimum.
The Mandarin Duck Platform was, in fact, a massive island in the sea — an enormous landmass with breathtaking scenery. It was practically a terrestrial paradise, adorned with all manner of rare flowers and exotic grasses, and even featured waterfalls suspended in midair. It was beautiful beyond words.
Yet despite all this splendor, not a single sect had established a presence on the island. It wasn't that the sects didn't want to — it was that too many extraordinary figures resided here. These hidden masters valued their solitude and despised disturbance, and they naturally refused to permit any faction from setting up camp on their territory.
In truth, the recluses living on the island had long ago collaboratively constructed an invisible sealing formation that blanketed the sky and earth, locking down the entire Mandarin Duck Platform. Only a handful of designated entry points allowed access.
"Halt!" The moment Chu Feng arrived at one of the entrances, a young man barked at him to stop.
The youth appeared to be only in his early twenties, yet he possessed a cultivation at the Third Stage of Heaven Martial. At his age, such a level was considered quite impressive by normal standards. But compared to Chu Feng, he was utterly insignificant.
"Good sir, I've come to pay respects to Daoist Autumn Water," Chu Feng said politely.
As for Daoist Autumn Water — that was, in fact, Autumn Water Veil Smoke. But she had long since adopted an alias, so even the people of the Mandarin Duck Platform might not know that Daoist Autumn Water was actually the former Holy Maiden of the Burning Heaven Sacred Religion, Autumn Water Veil Smoke. This was something Qiu Canfeng had told Chu Feng.
"Pay respects to Senior Autumn Water? I'd wager you're hoping to become her disciple, aren't you?"
"Setting aside the fact that Senior Autumn Water hasn't taken disciples in a long time — even if she were accepting, someone like you would never be considered."
"Forget about being Senior Autumn Water's disciple. You couldn't become any senior's disciple on this entire Mandarin Duck Platform. Not for any other reason than that you simply don't qualify. Now get lost, and stop sullying this sacred ground with your presence."
The young man's attitude was thoroughly arrogant. Though Chu Feng's cultivation far surpassed his own, the youth still looked at him with undisputed contempt and disdain. As he spoke, he even pointed a finger toward a stone stele standing not far away.
Only then did Chu Feng notice the stele, upon which several lines of large text were carved: "Those who have reached the age of twenty shall not ascend the island to seek apprenticeship. Those who have not yet reached the age of twenty but have not broken through to the Heaven Martial realm shall not ascend the island to seek apprenticeship!"
Upon seeing the stele, understanding dawned on Chu Feng immediately. Now he knew the method to enter the island. Without another word, he simply offered a faint smile, turned, and walked away.