"Sister Ling, I owe you an apology." Yang Kai scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed as he produced a set of advanced Spirit Purification Formation flags and base. "I… broke this thing."
Ling Yinqin glanced at it and saw that the formation was damaged far beyond repair — there was no chance of ever using it again. A trace of sorrow flickered through her beautiful eyes, mingled with nostalgia and regret.
"Well, broken is broken." Ling Yinqin forced a smile and said gently, "It's just an advanced Spirit Purification Formation. Don't worry about it."
Yang Kai said, "How many Source Crystals is this worth? I'll compensate you."
Ling Yinqin waved her hand. "No need. It's just a shame it couldn't help you much." As she spoke, she produced two wooden tokens and handed them over to Yang Kai.
"What are these?" Yang Kai asked, puzzled.
"They're identity tokens for Tongtian Island. You'll need them to enter Tongtian City."
Yang Kai took them and suddenly realized what they were. He raised an eyebrows and said, "These came from the people at Mysterious Cloud Hall? Will there be any trouble using these to enter the city?"
"No trouble at all. These are just low-grade identity tokens with no recorded information. High-grade tokens are different — no one can forge those." Ling Yinqin explained.
"Then thank you very much." Yang Kai was overjoyed. He had been worrying about how he and Liu Xianyun would safely sneak into Tongtian City, but now the people from Mysterious Cloud Hall had practically delivered identity tokens right to their doorstep. It was a godsend.
"I'm rather tired. I'll go rest first. Brother Yang, please make yourselves at home." With that, Ling Yinqin turned and headed back into the ship's cabin.
Liu Xianyun sidled up and whispered to Yang Kai, "Senior Brother, that advanced Spirit Purification Formation was a keepsake left to Sister Ling by her partner. It holds great sentimental value for her."
She had heard this from Jiao Yi as well, but having witnessed Ling Yinqin's reaction just now, she knew Jiao Yi hadn't been lying. The formation truly meant the world to Ling Yinqin — it carried her memories of someone she held dear.
Only then did Yang Kai realize just how precious the thing he had damaged truly was. He quickly called out, "Miss Ling, I will absolutely find someone to restore your Spirit Purification Formation!"
The formation was damaged, not destroyed. Yang Kai had originally planned to compensate Ling Yinqin with some Source Crystals, or perhaps buy an identical set once they reached Tongtian Island. But now that he understood what the formation meant to her, neither compensation nor a replacement felt appropriate. The best course of action would be to find someone to repair the flags and base.
Ling Yinqin paused slightly at his words. However, she did not turn around. She merely gave a faint wave of her hand, her retreating figure impossibly lonely as she walked further and further away.
"Brother Yang, perhaps the two of you should also get some rest?" Jiao Yi approached with an obsequious grin, his attitude nothing like the casual ease he'd shown before — replaced now by a careful deference. "We'll be setting sail soon. Less than a month and we'll be back at Tongtian Island. Old Jiao will call you when we arrive."
"All right. Much appreciated, Brother Jiao." Yang Kai nodded and headed toward the cabins with Liu Xianyun.
Before long, the great ship was underway once more.
Inside the cabin, Liu Xianyun wanted several times to ask Yang Kai about his current condition, but each time the words reached her lips she swallowed them back down. Yang Kai had failed his breakthrough to the Emperor Realm just recently — that must have dealt him a tremendous blow. If she brought it up again, it would only deepen his pain.
She didn't know how to comfort him either, and she sighed inwardly, feeling that the heavens were deeply unfair — to let Yang Kai catch a glimpse of the opportunity to break through in a wretched place like this.
The ship sailed at no leisurely pace. Occasionally they encountered sea beasts along the way, but the martial artists aboard dealt with each threat capably. It was clear that regardless of cultivation level, Ling Yinqin's crew were all seasoned veterans with extensive experience in fending off ocean predators.
The journey passed without serious incident.
After roughly twenty days, Yang Kai suddenly heard a commotion erupt on the deck. He listened carefully and, through the crew's excited chatter, learned that they were approaching Tongtian Island.
The martial artists of Tongtian Island ventured out onto the open sea to seek Cultivation resources, and every expedition carried tremendous risk. Time and again, twenty would set out and fewer than half would return.
But this voyage on Ling Yinqin's ship was entirely different — every person who had left came back, not a single one lost. Moreover, their haul had been enormous. The crew was naturally elated.
Sure enough, not long after, the ship began to slow. Before long, it came to a complete stop.
A cacophony of sounds reached his ears. Yang Kai extended his spiritual sense and discovered that the ship had arrived at the edge of an enormous island, moored at what appeared to be a docking area.
Before Ling Yinqin's group had arrived, several other great ships were already waiting to dock. Martial artists intermittently flew from those vessels and landed on the ground.