Upon reaching the deck, Chu Tian found quite a few people already there.
The protective formations that had enveloped the large ship upon boarding were now surprisingly shut down.
The brisk sea breeze whipped across the deck, rustling Chu Tian's clothes.
The ferry, a behemoth like a towering building, sped across the sea. Waves crashed against its sides, yet it remained unshaken.
Chu Tian walked to the ship's edge. Land was no longer visible. Although he could feel the ferry's rapid speed, his eyes perceived no movement; it was as if the ship was stationary on the sea.
"The Nether Mist is coming! Everyone prepare!" Chu Tian suddenly heard many people exclaiming around him.
"Prepare? Prepare for what?" He grabbed the person next to him.
Chu Tian was confused because he saw the group shouting "prepare" with excited expressions on their faces.
Ahead, in the direction the ship was heading, a dense purple fog loomed in the distance, like dust covering the sky. It felt as if they were about to enter another world.
The ferry's course was set for this very destination, and they would enter it before long.
"Nether Mist! That's good stuff! Say, little brother, you don't think all these people are really here just to enjoy the scenery with a mid-grade soul crystal, do you?"
The person Chu Tian had grabbed was momentarily stunned, then quickly broke free. He scurried towards the front of the ship, securing what he deemed a vantage point. He then produced a gourd-like spiritual treasure and held it ready, looking eager to face the outside.
Almost everyone on the deck was doing the same thing: holding storage-type magical treasures, ready to act.
Chu Tian was speechless. It made sense why he had seen many people from the lower decks come up earlier. Those individuals, who clearly weren't wealthy, had still rushed out to join the spectacle.
He had initially thought these people, having finally reached the Sea of Nether Prison and perhaps only getting this one chance in their lives, had grudgingly come to take a look.
He hadn't realized that these people were all carrying storage spiritual treasures and were preparing to make a fortune.
He was unaware of the Nether Mist's effects. While curious, he wasn't overly concerned; he was here for the scenery.
He gazed into the distance at the sky-obscuring purple mist, which seemed to breathe in and out.
The sensation made Chu Tian feel incredibly small.
This wasn't a physical diminishment but a spiritual pressure.
It was a profound feeling.
The people on the ship, looking ahead, displayed a mixture of excitement and fear – a truly peculiar expression.
It stirred a sense of anticipation in Chu Tian, making him eager to discover what lay within that purple mist.
"Little brother!"
Just as Chu Tian was slowly regaining his composure, a gruff voice called out from behind him.
Chu Tian turned and glanced back. Standing behind him was a burly man.
He was taken aback. This man… was the same one who had gestured for him to sit with him earlier, when he had first entered the ship's cabin.
Chu Tian had even nodded his thanks at the time.
Seeing Chu Tian turn, the man stepped forward and cupped his fists in greeting.
"Little brother, you must find it strange that I've come over so boldly!"
Chu Tian smiled faintly, though he was indeed curious.
"Heh heh, I know, but… I saw earlier that you possess great strength, and I was hoping you might lend me some assistance!"
Hearing this, Chu Tian looked at him with even more curiosity.
"It's like this…"
The big man likely felt he was being intrusive but pushed on nonetheless.
Mainly because Chu Tian hadn't exhibited any haughty demeanor of a powerful expert. Had it been someone else, they might have impatiently chased him away long ago.
As it turned out, this fellow was a general from a small kingdom.
However, their kingdom had been utterly annihilated, used as cannon fodder during a conflict between two noble families.
The annihilation here wasn't merely a change of rulers, but complete destruction.
Their nation had approximately three hundred million people, from royalty to commoners, all wiped out.
Only he and a princess had likely managed to escape.
As for the princess he mentioned, Chu Tian hadn't seen her. It wasn't until the general spoke that Chu Tian recalled a rather disheveled young person accompanying the man in the ship's cabin.
Recalling the person's build and demeanor, it was indeed her!
"Since you've escaped, wouldn't it be better to live a quiet life as ordinary people?"
"Alas! As a subject, I have no choice! The princess insists on seeking revenge. She was once betrothed to an inner disciple of a sect in Zhongzhou. The princess had initially opposed this marriage. Now that we have come to Zhongzhou, the princess intends to leverage that young man's status…"
The man spoke at length to Chu Tian. Chu Tian couldn't be bothered to discern how much of it was true and how much was false.
While he felt sympathy for them, upon hearing that the princess planned to use this relationship with someone she didn't like, Chu Tian felt a sense of distaste.
The reason this man sought Chu Tian was that, after they had boarded, a few individuals had been persistently watching them.
They hadn't brought any treasures with them when they escaped; they had sold all their possessions to afford their two tickets.
Now, they were left with only a few mid-grade soul crystals.
Given their attire, they shouldn't have attracted any attention unless their pursuers were utter novices. But those who navigated the martial world were hardly beginners.
Seasoned veterans would carefully assess their targets before setting their sights on a "fat sheep."
Therefore, the former great general believed that these people must have a specific objective. The primary reason was likely that these individuals were from the rival noble family.
Their princess's engagement to that disciple from the Zhongzhou sect wasn't a closely guarded secret. His adversaries were undoubtedly aware of it.
That was why they were being watched, ready to strike at any moment.
The reason they hadn't acted directly was that before their departure, they had already dispatched a letter to Zhongzhou.
And they had received a reply, inviting them to come.
If they were to eliminate them outright, and the young man from Zhongzhou were to investigate, it would undoubtedly lead back to the perpetrator.
Even if they left no direct evidence, the mere fact of being from a rival noble family would be enough to arouse suspicion. If he were to wield his influence to crush them, that rival noble family, while not annihilated, would face considerable trouble.
This was the stark difference between Zhongzhou and the Western Wasteland.
The disparity was akin to the difference between a thigh and a finger.
"You believe they will make a move on the ship?" Chu Tian frowned, looking up. He saw several people on the deck glancing their way intentionally or unintentionally.
As they were about to approach the purple mist, everyone was preparing themselves. Few, like himself, were truly there for the scenery.
Those few individuals, though positioned at the ship's bow, weren't holding any objects like the others, nor were their gazes focused ahead. Instead, they were taking the opportunity to look back at them, specifically at the general, which struck Chu Tian as peculiar.
When Chu Tian looked at those two individuals, they quickly pretended to glance past him and the general.
They turned their heads away, pointing and chattering at something nearby as if nothing had happened.