Chapter 741 - 224: Night Talk in the City of No Return
Chapter 224 [Night Talk in the City of No Return] (6000)
In the evening, according to his agreement with the ship’s steward, Chen Yan stepped out of the cargo hold of the flying ship to get some fresh air on the deck.
It was his first time traveling on this Domain Realm transportation. Upon reaching the deck, although two or three crew members clearly saw Chen Yan, they completely ignored him.
The steward he had met once before stood on the dual-layered deck at the end of the flying ship, gave Chen Yan a cold glance, and without saying anything, turned and entered the cabin.
No one came to question him, and Chen Yan was content with the peace. He walked to the side of the ship on his own, first stretching his body, and then gazing outward for a while.
The flying ship was protected by an array. Although it soared through the sky at high speed, there was no wind barrier. Standing on the deck, there was no feeling of strong winds hitting the face as would normally occur at such speed.
The entire flying ship traveled forward within a haze of precious light!
Looking up, the starry sky of the Domain Realm seemed almost within reach, as if he could pluck the stars with his hand.
Around the flying ship, clouds scattered in all directions—only then did Chen Yan carefully observe the array on the ship, reflecting on his array knowledge, comparing it line by line.
This array wasn’t simply creating a wind barrier around the flying ship. Its principle wasn’t that crude; rather, it seemed to borrow the power of spells to break through the surrounding wind, like a sharp blade slicing through wind resistance, dispersing the wind’s force and redirecting it elsewhere.
Using wind to counteract wind made Chen Yan marvel after sensing it thoroughly.
Although he had studied some array knowledge, it was obvious that the booklet left by the old woman covered some of these aspects, the Ghost Race Venerable’s heritage wasn’t specialized in arrays, only recording basic principles and simple arrays, lacking in detailed talisman-like arrays.
The more Chen Yan comprehended, the more he sighed inwardly.
If he hadn’t personally visited the Domain Realm to witness such mature cultivation civilization array applications, relying solely on the simple principles in books, he would have never reached this level of understanding by building carriages behind closed doors in his lifetime.
The principles recorded in the secret manual now seemed like basic mathematical formulas—learning the basic formulas didn’t guarantee solving complex problems.
For three consecutive days, Chen Yan hid in the cargo hold during the day, not stepping out to cause any trouble for the crew. Only in the dead of night did he quietly step out to comprehend the array principles on the deck for one or two hours.
After three days, the crew got used to Chen Yan’s presence, finding this passenger quite unbothersome—unlike other lower-level loose cultivators who would frequently inquire about the Gu Family upon knowing this was their ship, with some even looking for opportunities to try and associate with them.
But Chen Yan understood himself well; his background was ambiguous, so naturally, he didn’t dare to speak much to the Gu Family.
Every evening on the deck, studying the array principles, he occasionally reflected on his own matters.
This journey to the Southern Border was the Ghost Race’s territory. He had to conceal his identity, and he wasn’t sure how to meet the old woman—a Saint Venerable wasn’t someone he could see at will.
Moreover, regardless of whether he met her or not, he had to return to Snow Cliff Pass.
Not to mention, upon entering the Domain Realm, he temporarily left Big White outside Snow Cliff Pass, planning to return and retrieve him once his matters were settled.
That evening, Chen Yan sat on the deck, gazing at the stars. From his storage jade pendant, he fetched a bottle of wine, opened it, and took a sip—in truth, if he could have a few side dishes, it would be perfect for the mood.
But not wanting to draw attention, Chen Yan refrained.
After sipping a few mouthfuls from the bottle, he heard the sound of clothes flapping behind him. He turned his head to see a crew member in gray clothing behind him, staring at the bottle in Chen Yan’s hand.
Chen Yan thought for a moment and then smiled as he spoke: "Fellow Daoist, would you care for a drink?"
This wine wasn’t ordinary alcohol, nor was it from the real world; it was purchased by Steward Zhang the Third in West Platform City and stored in his cave abode—it wasn’t luxury wine but only cultivators could enjoy it.
When Chen Yan left, he brought all three bottles of wine with him. Seeing the crew member behind him, clearly yearning for the drink, he generously offered some.
The crew member glanced at Chen Yan’s face, and before he spoke, Chen Yan had already tossed him a bottle of wine. The crew member caught it, looked it over, and nodded, saying, "It’s indeed a specialty of West Platform City."
Without hesitation, he opened the bottle, took a shallow sip, and when he looked at Chen Yan again, his gaze had softened. He smiled, saying, "You’re not a bad person."
Pausing, he looked at Chen Yan again, "I heard you got on the ship through Manager Niu?"
Chen Yan’s expression remained unchanged. He feigned a simple smile and didn’t say much.