: The Sea of ​​Monsters

I didn't expect this answer.

Shi Songpo stared at the other person's face, but couldn't discern anything.

Ultimately, they are cultivators of the same realm, making it difficult for them to fathom the true nature of others or perceive the fish in the abyss.

Otherwise, if I really wanted to use "mind control" to investigate whether the other person's inner and outer behavior was consistent.

If a Qi Refining cultivator had said this, he would have simply given a disdainful smile.

The same applies to Foundation Establishment and Core Formation.

However, when it comes from the mouth of a Nascent Soul cultivator, its weight is completely different.

Shi Songpo had previously considered all possible answers from the other party, but he never expected that it would be...direct and unpretentious, pointing directly to the greater good of humanity.

That's interesting, really interesting.

When this man surnamed Lu speaks, he's more righteous than the righteous path itself.

Whether they truly cherish humanity and wish to use their Nascent Soul cultivation to cleanse the outer seas.

Or is this just a cover-up, with ulterior motives?

He doesn't care.

Even if one is a Nascent Soul cultivator, what can one do once they arrive in Tianxing City?

The Star Palace is presided over by two Holy Lords, six Nascent Soul stage cultivators, and twenty to thirty law enforcement elders.

This is precisely why Shi Songpo never truly cared whether the other party belonged to the righteous path or the demonic path.

Regardless of one's stance, in this core area under the absolute control of the Star Palace, every individual seems insignificant.

However, since the other party responded with such righteous indignation, Xinggong, as the leader and overlord of the Chaotic Star Sea, naturally could not lose its composure while expanding into the outer seas and fighting against the demon race.

Shi Songpo put down his teacup, his eyes gleaming with a hidden light, and spoke sincerely, "Fellow Daoist Lu is truly righteous. The Star Palace has always supported fellow Daoists in their efforts to eliminate demonic beasts, but the outer seas are extremely dangerous. If you have any needs, whether it be nautical charts or intelligence, I will do my best to provide assistance."

The implied meaning.

Firstly, it represents the star sign's expression of approval and support.

Secondly, it makes no attempt to conceal that this convenience stems from his powerful position as the Star Palace Law Enforcement Elder, a declaration of his status and ability.

What you ask for, I can give you, but only if you come to me.

Their eyes met, like a game of chess, their words merely echoing the moves of a game.

This is already a test and a showdown.

It all depends on what we each want, and whether we can each get what we need in a suitable way.

Lu Jianghe's smile deepened, as if he had been waiting for these words for a long time.

"There is indeed something I need to do; I need to borrow your palace's teleportation array to go to the outer sea."

Upon hearing this, Shi Songpo raised his hand and pointed it towards his waist in the air.

A token moved in response, transforming into a gentle stream of light that slowly and steadily landed in front of Lu Jianghe.

The entire piece is made of dark gold, with faint starlight flowing around the edges. The front is engraved with the character "史" (Shi), while the back features a star palace pattern, which is a symbol of the identity and authority of the law enforcement elder.

"Fellow Daoist Lu, please accept this item."

Shi Songpo's voice was steady.

"This is one of my tokens. With this token, you may freely use any teleportation array under the jurisdiction of the Star Palace without paying a single spirit stone fee."

He paused slightly, then added, "As for the limit on the number of people, it depends on the rules of the formation itself and the judgment made by the officers on duty at the time."

Lu Jianghe, without any hesitation, waved his hand and put the token into his storage bag, then raised his glass in a gesture of respect.

"Words cannot express my gratitude, so I offer tea instead of wine. Thank you for your kind consideration, Elder Shi."

According to the pricing of the Star Palace Teleportation Array, a one-way trip to the outer sea costs 700 spirit stones, and a round trip costs 1,400 spirit stones.

If he travels back and forth frequently in the future, he can save several thousand spirit stones just on this teleportation fee.

Seeing Lu Jianghe decisively accept the token, a hint of surprise still flashed in Shi Songpo's eyes.

However, during this brief encounter, he roughly figured out that the other party was straightforward and disliked formalities.

For Shi Songpo, it was nothing more than a simple favor, a favor done in a convenient way.

Using the advantages of the stars and palaces, one can achieve one's own goals.

Anyway, the Hoshimiya family is very large and powerful, so this is nothing.

Lu Jianghe wanted to say that during his absence from Tianxing City, he would like to ask the other party to take care of Xin Ruyin and Yan Ruyan.

After a moment's thought, he gave up.

Since the other party is an elder of the Star Palace Law Enforcement, he has his own rules and stance in his actions.

By settling the two women in Tianxing City, he had already made his stance clear.

The person surnamed Shi would naturally pay more attention to a close relative of a Nascent Soul cultivator, so there was no need for him to say anything more; doing so would only make him seem deliberate and petty.

However, Lu Jianghe has his own principles in doing things.

Knowing full well that on the path of cultivation, one is bound by cause and effect, and that the debts of gratitude owed must eventually be repaid.

Since we have accepted the other party's favor at this moment, we are indebted to Shi Songpo.

"I will be heading to the outer sea in a few days. I wonder if Elder Shi has any favors he may do for me? If it's on the way, such as searching for certain materials or any other things within my power, I would be happy to do them."

Shi Songpo stroked his beard. The other party was indeed extremely skilled and experienced, returning the favor as soon as he received the token.

It's clear that this person dislikes owing favors.

There's no rush.

He smiled and replied, "You're too kind. I truly have no other requests. It's just that the islands in the outer sea of ​​the Star Palace are intricate and varied, with each island having a different situation. Some are even inhabited by demons. Coupled with natural disasters and man-made calamities, the information is all over the place. I wonder what specific plans Fellow Daoist Lu has for choosing?"

After listening to him finish speaking, Lu Jianghe looked thoughtful.

Seeing that he remained silent, Shi Songpo assumed that the other party was wary of others inquiring about his whereabouts and plans.

He quickly and subtly changed the subject, then took out a more detailed jade slip map from his sleeve.

"This is a sea chart used within the Star Palace. It marks the islands where the outer sea demons frequently appear and important transit islands, such as Thunder Sky Island, Dragon Island, Emerald Green Island, and Silver Shark Island. Fellow Daoist Lu may find it useful as a reference."

Shi Songpo misunderstood.

Lu Jianghe had been silent, secretly trying to recall which island had the most high-level monsters inhabiting its surrounding waters, but he hadn't expected the other party to provide such a detailed sea map so quickly.

His gaze fell on the jade slip handed to him by Shi Songpo, and with a slight thought, he took in all its contents.

The sea chart inside this star palace is indeed far superior to the versions circulating in the market. It not only marks the location and name of numerous islands of various sizes and the distribution of star palace strongholds, but also highlights several vast sea areas in different shades of dark blue, with brief annotations in tiny print next to them.

"Frequently appears at the seventh rank and above", "Suspected territory of a transformed great demon", "Dangerous deep-sea vortex", "Extremely dangerous demon abyss"...

One area, located in the deepest part of the open sea and marked most densely, caught his attention.

Now is not the time for exploration.

Lu Jianghe took the jade slip from Shi Songpo's hand. "This map is excellent. It has solved my urgent problem. I will accept it without hesitation."

Shi Songpo stroked his beard and smiled, his words smooth and agreeable. "No problem, no problem. Although this map belongs to the palace, what it contains is not a secret. As long as one is willing, one can find out about it in a few days. If it can be of any help to Fellow Daoist Lu's journey overseas, I will be gratified, after all..."

He paused slightly, his smile becoming more meaningful. "It's all for the sake of humanity."