There was a fear of being trapped and dying here if he took a wrong turn.
"Right... Chu Qiankun!"
Chu Tian's eyes lit up. He closed his eyes and tried to sense.
"Over there!" Chu Tian felt lucky he hadn't gone looking for them before getting on the boat, nor had he recalled Chu Qiankun.
Otherwise, this time would have been a huge disaster.
His connection with Chu Qiankun could be sensed even if they weren't in the same space, as long as no one deliberately hid it.
This distance alone would certainly not lead to an error.
With the direction confirmed, Chu Tian's body glided.
Combined with continuous blinking, the chase began.
Three days later, Chu Tian's expression was grim. He felt that Chu Qiankun and the others had been continuously moving.
Yet, he was always trailing behind them. This meant that his current location was on a safe shipping route.
Furthermore, the distance between them was at least seven or eight days' journey for the ferry.
His speed was slightly faster than the ferry, but not overwhelmingly so. This tedious flying, coupled with constant blinking, had driven him nearly mad after three days.
Chu Tian suspected that if he continued chasing like this, he might not catch up until the Cloud Water Chamber of Commerce's ferry docked at the Central Continent port.
Speaking of which, what were Ye Limiao and Zhu Jiuyin doing?
Why hadn't they controlled the ferry?
Was the scenery seen on the troop transport ship merely an illusion, not a real mirage?
"Right!"
Chu Tian slapped his forehead. How could he have forgotten to simply communicate with Chu Qiankun?
With that thought, he quickly circulated the technique of "Yi Qi Hua San Qing."
"What's the situation on your ship?" Chu Tian asked Chu Qiankun in his consciousness.
"Eh, you're still alive..." a lazy voice came from the other end. The kid sounded as if he had just been woken up from sleep.
"Damn it!" Chu Tian cursed.
"On the ship, everything is normal. Three days ago, after you were thrown out, a little狸猫 came and fought with the people on the ship. But as they were fighting, something suddenly happened, and it left.
Oh... right, and the one-eyed man who was chasing them also left, along with some of the people he brought. They all turned and went in another direction."
Chu Qiankun felt groggy and spoke somewhat incoherently.
However, Chu Tian understood. It seemed that the events seen on the troop transport ship were not an illusion.
It was just that he had seen the beginning, but not the end.
He just didn't know what had happened that caused Ye Limiao and Zhu Jiuyin to leave directly.
"How are you?" Chu Qiankun, being somewhat conscientious, asked Chu Tian.
"I... never mind, you wouldn't be able to help even if I told you."
Chu Qiankun's abilities were limited. His cultivation was likely only at the early to mid-stage of Saint realm, no match for that old scoundrel Gu Feng.
Moreover, the opponent had superior numbers. There was nothing he could do.
He could only continue chasing like this. Since he was on a safe route, nothing should happen.
Based on his senses, the rate at which the distance to Chu Qiankun was shortening, Chu Tian estimated that if the Cloud Water 号 didn't pick up speed, he could catch up in about ten more days.
However, judging by the time, even if he caught up, there would still be a few more days of travel before reaching the Central Continent to dock.
With no other recourse, Chu Tian gave Chu Qiankun some instructions, telling them to keep a low profile on the ship.
After receiving the other party's reply, Chu Tian cut off contact.
He maintained a steady pursuit, recalling the events of that day.
When he thought he was doomed, he heard that voice. It was the same voice that had continuously come during the sea monster tide, though Chu Tian had never found its source back then.
Until that moment, he finally knew that the voice belonged to the giant abyss-like North Sea Giant Beast below the sea eye, the colossal octopus monster!
When his blood fell into its mouth, it actually became afraid.
It even said he had the bloodline of the Underworld Lord. Thinking back now, wasn't that true?
His mother was the ruler of the Underworld.
However, that guy had always said it was impossible, absolutely impossible...
But the impossible had happened.
This so-called Nether Purgatory Sea was definitely related to the Underworld.
It was even possible that the creatures within it originated from the Underworld, showing immense reverence and fear towards the ruler of the Underworld.
It was precisely because of this that Chu Tian had escaped the calamity.
He really didn't know what realm of monster that sea demon was.
It had restrained him, leaving him with no chance to resist.
Those restraints and the suction force prevented him from even condensing his skill power.
He also didn't know when Yueyue would wake up. If she woke up, Moon God's Wrath could only be used as an ordinary weapon.
The forbidden spells it carried would be completely ineffective.
Otherwise, Chu Tian wouldn't believe that summoning an ancient divine spirit to possess him wouldn't be enough to deal with that guy.
...
One month later!
The Cloud Water Chamber of Commerce's ferry docked at the Binhai City pier in the Central Continent.
This pier was the first stop for ships arriving from the Western Desolation.
The pier was bustling with activity and extremely lively.
The entire Binhai City was a massive port. Even all the buildings within the city floated on the sea.
The colossal Tianshui City, spanning hundreds of kilometers, was considered a famous port city even in the Central Continent.
The sky here seemed as if it had been washed clean, its blue color bringing a sense of comfort.
The spiritual energy was abundant, and the water attribute aura made one feel refreshed.
As the Cloud Water 号 docked, many people disembarked, cheering.
On this trip, all of them felt like they had narrowly escaped death.
"Steersman Li... Huh? Is that... Chief Manager Zhang Cheng, why are you..."
At the port, a welcoming party from the Cloud Water Chamber of Commerce was waiting to greet Chief Manager Zhang Cheng.
However, when the helmsman of the Cloud Water 号 disembarked, he was carrying someone.
It was the person they were supposed to pick up. At this moment, Chief Manager Zhang Cheng was severely injured, his arm missing.
The man seemed to be barely hanging on to life.
"Hmph, Chief Manager? Not anymore. Quickly escort me back to the Central Continent headquarters to report. Zhang Cheng tampered with the shipping route, nearly causing everyone on the ship to be buried in the sea eye. Elder Gu Feng has already crippled his cultivation.
We're keeping him alive just to let him confess his crimes at headquarters!" Steersman Li waved his hand and tossed the person he was holding to the welcoming party.
"What? The sea eye? You actually saw the sea eye? And you returned alive?" The person on the other side received Zhang Cheng.
Their face showed disbelief.
"What? Do we have to die there?"
Steersman Li had been in a bad mood all along.
Naturally, he didn't show a good face to this person.
People from the land and water systems had always been at odds with each other since ancient times.
This person was not from their water transport division but a member of the Chamber of Commerce headquarters, naturally belonging to the land system.
"No, no!" Seeing Steersman Li, that person knew they had run into trouble.