I'm tired of seeing this sea.

Over the past few days, Liu Dong has thoroughly investigated the background of Huang Rujiao's team.

The fact that they dared to take on this job and send them all the way to the east of the East China Sea wasn't just because of the few spirit stones on the ship.

Spirit stones can at most make a ship run faster, but the sea is not a racetrack. No matter how fast a ship is, if it gets lost, hits an undercurrent, or encounters bad weather, it will still break down.

How do you determine direction? How do you read the wind direction? How do you calculate the tides? How do you interpret celestial phenomena?

Where seabirds fly, where algae drift, whether the water color changes... there are many intricacies involved.

Huang Rujiao and his team's real secret weapon was that they had a well-established method: starting from the nearshore area, bypassing dangerous shoals, taking advantage of monsoons, and riding ocean currents—a clear path to survival.

With this road, the fleet won't just wander around in circles at sea, drifting aimlessly like headless flies.

All that's left to do is keep a close eye on the sky and the water ripples, and then run forward with all your might.

It was because of this that Huang Rujiao dared to accept the order.

Although Liu Dong and his group had been to the seaside before, they had never ventured out to sea. At most, they would soak their feet in the shallows, and they had hardly ever even taken a fishing boat ride.

This time, after only a few hours of setting off, the land behind them shrank into a faint shadow and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

When the boat sets sail at noon, you can still see a few scattered fishing boats and small islands, like crumbs of biscuits scattered on the water.

But before the sun had even begun to set, all around was a vast expanse of blue, without a single stone or blade of grass in sight.

Not to mention Ding Lai and Wei Duo, even Liu Dong himself was a bit dazed. He wasn't vomiting so badly that he felt dizzy, but rather his mind went completely blank: East, West, South, North? Everything was a mess!

The only thing we can rely on is that fireball in the sky, which can barely give us a sense of front, back, left, and right.

Everyone couldn't help but ask Huang Rujiao, "Captain Huang, how did you identify the direction so quickly?"

Huang Rujiao laughed: "What's there to hide? We grew up by the sea, making a living on the water since we were little. This skill is as natural as eating and drinking."

"Which way the wind blows, which way the waves surge, which way the flocks of birds fly, which way the clouds are thick... these are all road signs. If you memorize them, you can walk the right way even with your eyes closed."

After hearing this, everyone slapped their thighs and exclaimed, "So that's how it is!"

Actually, it's not some kind of secret skill. It's the same principle as fishermen knowing the tides or hunters looking at the mountains. Anyone in this line of work knows how to do it.

Although it had only been half a day, Liu Dong was quite satisfied. At this rate, they should be able to reach the shore in just over a month.

It saved us two or three months compared to our original estimate!

Should we switch to a regular wooden boat?

It would take at least three or four months, and the journey would have to be smooth, without any damage or leaks, storms, or encounters with sea monsters... only then would I dare to use the word "smooth".

Huang Rujiao and his group's ship, powered solely by spirit stones, was four or five body lengths faster than theirs.

The reason why the time wasn't cut even more drastically is mainly due to the "people" involved. A ship can keep running, but people can't keep up.

Huang Rujiao's words are true:

"If you travel for too long, you're more likely to get bored and develop health problems. You might feel uneasy, have droopy eyelids, become irritable, and even dream about waves hitting your face."

So every now and then, he would lead everyone to turn a corner and go around to several deserted islands to rest.

It's called a rest, but it's really just to let everyone catch their breath, look at the soil, step on the ground, touch the trees, or even just squat on the beach to pick up a couple of seashells. It makes you feel at ease.

Liu Dong understood this and didn't ask any unnecessary questions.

He simply took the initiative to greet him: "Captain Huang, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Especially when you encounter sea monsters or get into trouble, don't try to tough it out; just call out to them."

Huang Rujiao smiled and nodded: "Don't worry, Immortal Liu, I know everything about this!"

He knew perfectly well: if they really encountered a tough opponent who required a fight, would they, as ordinary boatmen, be more than stepping stones for them?

Liu Shangxian, Ding Lai, Wei Duo... aren't they all masters who can stir up waves with a wave of their hand and split the sea with a stomp of their foot? When the time comes, just show your weapons and unleash your supernatural powers!

For the first few days, Ding Lai and the others were incredibly excited. Whenever they had a spare moment, they would crowd onto the deck, pointing and laughing. Their hair would fly wildly in the sea breeze, and their eyes would sparkle.

But the novelty wore off quickly; after seeing the blue sky and hearing the waves every day, even the seagulls that flew by looked exactly the same.

In less than five days, Ding Lai was paralyzed in the cabin, not even wanting to look up.

"I'm tired of seeing this sea."

What about Liu Dong? He spent some time sunbathing with them on the first day, and then went back to his and Ding Lai's small cabin, either meditating or catching up on sleep.

After the initial excitement subsided, Vido and the others calmed down, sat cross-legged, and entered a meditative state together.

Lei Yuan lay sprawled on the couch, groaning:

"There are still more than twenty days left... Oh my god, I feel like salt is growing on my bones."

Qiao Yuanmu was quite relaxed:

"Be content! If we had been on another boat, we'd still be drinking saltwater halfway through the journey."

Wang Zhonggui rubbed his hands together and muttered, "If you ask me, it would be much better to have some live animals!"

"Moving your hands and working up a sweat is better than just sitting around."

Ting'er immediately glared at him: "Watch your mouth! Haven't you heard the saying 'trouble comes from the mouth'?"

Vido quickly chimed in, "Exactly! We're right here, floating in the middle of the sea."

"It's pitch black down there. Who knows how many veterans are hiding there? If we manage to bring any of them up, they probably won't even have a chance to beg for mercy."

As the days went by, everyone relied on their spiritual practice to keep going.

The only thing that could truly lift everyone's spirits was the seafood hot pot that Huang Rujiao and Jin Yao brought out.

These rough-looking men, who usually roll up their sleeves to repair boats and carry ropes to pull nets, are actually quite skilled at cooking fish.

Steamed to perfection, stewed to perfection, and fried to perfection, the taste of seafood hits you right in the head.

Of course, it's still a step behind Liu Dong's barbecue.

Unfortunately, there's no way to set up a charcoal stove on the ship.

It wasn't that there were no fish or no fire, but that there was no firewood. The few spare planks on the boat were all for survival; when the planks cracked or the keel was bent, they were used to temporarily repair the damage.

The fleet sailed steadily eastward, eastward, and further eastward...

The "excitement" that Wang Zhonggui had been hoping for never came.

Eight or nine days passed, and the sea was as calm as a piece of blue glass, barely giving a ripple.

That morning, just as dawn was breaking, Liu Dong and Ding Lai were still adjusting their breathing in the cabin.

As dawn approached, Huang Rujiao quietly knocked on their cabin door. "Immortal Liu, Miss Ding, we're almost at our first resting place!"

As soon as Huang Rujiao finished speaking, Liu Dong and Ding Lai's eyes lit up immediately, as if they had been electrified.

Ding Lai grabbed his sleeve:

"Really here? You're not kidding, are you?"

Huang Rujiao pointed ahead: "Look for yourself, you can see it from the deck!"

"That island isn't big, but it's the first piece of land we've seen along the way."

"Let's rest here for a day, and set off again tomorrow morning to keep going."

Upon hearing this, Ding Lai was so happy that she spun around on the spot, and Liu Dong also grinned. Neither of them cared about wasting time.

The news spread like wildfire, and in the blink of an eye, everyone rushed onto the deck, all looking ahead.

Sure enough, a small gray-green dot was floating at the horizon.