Chapter 107: Setting Off for the Aolai Archipelago!

Kuang Zhen finished introducing the details of the Aolai Archipelago.

Soon, the ten newly appointed City Lords of the Qingyun Immortal Academy received their jade slip maps and hurriedly departed from the Bluestone Great Hall. Having no inclination to converse, they merely nodded slightly to one another before parting ways. Little time remained for them to reach the Aolai Archipelago, and they had to hasten to gather the various resources needed to establish their new Immortal Villages.

Upon returning to his quarters at the academy, Ye Mo immediately took out the jade slip map. He gathered Lin Zhi, Chang Fei, Mo Ling, and the others to discuss how they could reach the Aolai Archipelago as quickly as possible to seize the initiative. This was of paramount importance. These waters were truly uncharted territory. Currently, the Aolai Archipelago was a collection of uninhabited, wild islands. They could choose any one of the thousands of islands to serve as their main island and establish their Immortal Village. Naturally, the first City Lords to arrive would have the advantage, allowing them to select the most desirable Spiritual Islands to serve as their strongholds.

"The Immortal Alliance requires all newly appointed City Lords to reach the Aolai Archipelago within five months," Chang Fei said rapidly. "I've carefully calculated the distance. If we set sail from Qingyun Immortal City, it will take about three months to reach the archipelago. However, departing from Donglai Spiritual Island will only take two months—that is the shortest route. Furthermore, I sold our old pirate ship to an old acquaintance in Donglai Immortal Village. We can buy it back; it will be perfect for our journey. Once we arrive at the Aolai Archipelago, that ship will still be very useful!"

"Indeed. It is best that we bring our own ship rather than renting one. Otherwise, it will be highly inconvenient once we establish the village on the Spiritual Island," Lin Zhi agreed after studying the sea chart for a moment.

"Moreover, founding an Immortal Village requires a massive amount of manpower. Back then, our pirate ship carried hundreds of martial artists who have since scattered across Donglai Immortal Village. Perhaps we should consider gathering some of them back," Chang Fei suggested.

"Yes, Gao Jian, Huang Yi, and their group should still be in Donglai Immortal Village, and they are already cultivators now. Very well, we will head to Donglai Spiritual Island immediately and set sail for the Aolai Archipelago from there," Ye Mo decided after a moment's thought.

***

In Donglai Immortal Village, the small teleportation array inside the City Lord's Mansion could only transport one person at a time. Ye Mo, Chang Fei, and the rest, along with Lin Zhi and his dozen or so former followers, spent dozens of spirit stones before they were all teleported back to Donglai Spiritual Island.

"Lord Ye, please wait! The City Lord of Donglai Immortal Village, Zou Ruhai, wishes to see you!"

Just as Ye Mo and his group stepped out of the teleportation array and before they could leave the mansion, they were stopped by an Immortal Guard. Whenever an important cultivator arrived via the teleportation array, the guards would immediately report it to City Lord Zou Ruhai. With the City Lord token hanging from his waist, Ye Mo was easily recognized.

"Fellow Daoist Ye is indeed no ordinary man, to have actually ranked in the top ten of the Qingyun Immortal Academy's assessment! It is truly unexpected! I, Zou, am filled with admiration!" Inside the mansion, Zou Ruhai approached with several attendants, laughing heartily with an air of warmth.

Although Zou Ruhai was also an official City Lord of the Immortal Alliance, he had actually inherited this Immortal Village from his father; he had not established it himself. Those who built their own domains from scratch like Ye Mo were rare.

"It was merely luck," Ye Mo replied, somewhat puzzled. "May I ask what guidance City Lord Zou has for me?" He felt no goodwill toward Zou Ruhai.

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Ye can be considered a cultivator who emerged from my Donglai Immortal Village. Now that we are both City Lords of the Immortal Alliance, we should grow closer! I have already arranged a banquet tonight to host you. Surely you won't deny me this honor?" Zou Ruhai said enthusiastically.

Ye Mo did not refuse. He was not afraid of Zou Ruhai plotting against him; things were different now.

At the banquet, cups clinked, and the performances of singers and dancers filled the hall.

"City Lord Ye, I wonder how much support your clan plans to provide for you to build this Immortal Village? Ah... heavens, forgive me! I forgot that City Lord Ye is an independent cultivator and does not have the backing of a great clan. A slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue! I shall penalize myself by drinking three cups as an apology!" A cultivator dressed as a white-robed scholar—Cen Yang, Zou Ruhai's chief strategist—who was seated next to Ye Mo, asked after offering a toast. Suddenly, he slapped his forehead, his face full of regret and apology, and drained his cup.

"What is it you wish to say, Brother Cen? Speak plainly," Ye Mo asked indifferently.

"City Lord Ye, establishing a new village surely leaves you sorely lacking in spirit stones, manpower, and resources! My City Lord's intention is to ask if you require some financial assistance from him?" Cen Yang said quickly, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face.

"I am indeed short on spirit stones. Pray, continue," Ye Mo said calmly, taking a sip of the spiritual wine. City Lord Zou hosting this banquet was certainly not without purpose.

"My City Lord has several thousand spare spirit stones and is troubled by having no way to spend them. When City Lord Ye goes to the Aolai Archipelago to establish the new village, you will surely discover spiritual mines and the like. If you find suitable deposits, my City Lord is willing to purchase the mining rights for one or two of them! Since City Lord Ye is short on spirit stones, this would be mutually beneficial. I wonder if you are interested in such a partnership?" Cen Yang negotiated with a beaming smile.

Ye Mo could not help but frown.

So this was Zou Ruhai's true intention. A mere few thousand spirit stones to obtain the mining rights of a spirit mine? He was treating him like a beggar! Filled with disdain, Ye Mo gave Cen Yang a few perfunctory replies.

After the banquet concluded and the guests dispersed, Ye Mo left the City Lord's Mansion.

"Cen Yang, what did that fellow surnamed Ye say?" In his study, Zou Ruhai summoned Cen Yang. The warmth he had shown Ye Mo earlier was completely gone from his tone.

"City Lord Ye only said that since the Spiritual Island for the village has not been chosen yet, he cannot make a decision. He will consider it after the selection is made... From what I can see, he does not seem interested in cooperating with us," Cen Yang replied, shaking his head.

"Then we must think of another way! Ten City Lords from the Qingyun Immortal Academy received City Lord tokens. We can forget about those from the great, influential clans, but there are also a few from ordinary families. Inquire with them and see if they are willing to accept our backing!" Annoyed, Zou Ruhai's expression darkened. He pondered for a moment before giving his orders.

"Yes, I will make contact immediately!"

As for the academy disciples from other main cities, Zou Ruhai had no intention of contacting them. They were too far away, and those people had their own circles; it was highly unlikely they would cooperate with him. Donglai Spiritual Island had been established for a long time, and its resources were already depleted.

***

While Ye Mo was attending the banquet at the City Lord's Mansion, Chang Fei, Lin Zhi, Mo Ling, and the others were not idle.

Chang Fei went to buy back the old pirate ship, while Lin Zhi, Mo Ling, and the rest went to find Gao Jian, Huang Yi, and the other martial artists who had been on the pirate ship. Gao Jian and Huang Yi had previously agreed with Ye Mo that if he ever established an Immortal Village, they would come to assist him.

Founding an Immortal Village required a large amount of manpower. Recruiting unfamiliar martial artists on short notice was far riskier than seeking out their old acquaintances who had come with them from the Jiuzhou Continent. These people had no foundation in the Eastern Sea, so there was no need to worry about rivals planting spies among them to infiltrate the new Immortal Village. Counter-espionage was a subject every City Lord had studied.

Soon, within just half a day, over a hundred people had gathered on the pirate ship, all of them martial artists who had originally come to Donglai Spiritual Island on it. Among them were Zhao Dafu, the sisters You Mingyan and You Mingqiao, the hunter Wu Shan, Scholar Zhang, Qian Ying, who had worked in an armor shop, Jin Hao, and others.

It was by no means easy for martial artists to make a living on Donglai Spiritual Island. Zhao Dafu had been struggling to survive in Donglai Immortal Village, living hand-to-mouth. When he suddenly saw Mo Ling and the others recruiting him back, he wept tears of gratitude, scrambling to get back onto the pirate ship.

***

After leaving the City Lord's Mansion, Ye Mo strolled through the market in the Immortal Village. He sold most of the spiritual grain he had harvested and stockpiled from the single mu of spiritual field inside the ancient scroll, exchanging it for spirit stones. He intended to purchase some supplies to bring to the new village. Currently, the spiritual field within the ancient scroll could generate a profit of one hundred and eighty spirit stones per month.

The remaining spirit stones in Ye Mo's possession were not many, totaling only about two to three hundred. It must be noted that not only did he need to cultivate to raise his own cultivation level, but the ten subordinate cultivators assisting him also needed resources to cultivate. Along with various other expenses, even with strict budgeting, they would spend at least a hundred spirit stones a month.

Subordinate cultivators followed and pledged loyalty to a City Lord, and in return, the City Lord had a duty to help them grow. The relationship was mutually beneficial. It was by no means a one-sided affair where the subordinates sacrificed themselves while the City Lord ignored their survival and growth.

Ye Mo browsed through various shops of all sizes in Donglai Immortal Village, pondering what would be most beneficial to buy. With so few spirit stones, he had to spend them where they mattered most. After visiting over a dozen shops, he finally entered a Beast Taming Pavilion, which sold various low-grade beast cubs, spiritual beast eggs, and beast taming techniques.

Ye Mo casually browsed through the beast taming jade slips and their descriptions.

"*Eye of Telepathy*, priced at two hundred spirit stones. A low-grade beast taming technique. By casting this spell, a cultivator can link minds with their spiritual beast and share its vision. The spiritual beast must share an extremely close bond with its owner, and both master and beast must open their minds simultaneously for the spell to succeed. If the spiritual beast refuses, the *Eye of Telepathy* cannot be cast."

Feeling it was too expensive, he put it down. But then, a thought struck him, and he picked it up again.

Sharing a spiritual beast's vision? That was actually a great ability; the Little Fire Crow could use it. Startled by the realization, Ye Mo pondered it for a long while. Gritting his teeth, he spent two hundred spirit stones to purchase the *Eye of Telepathy*. The remaining spirit stones were all exchanged for Qi Vitality Pills.

***

By the time Ye Mo arrived at the ship, the sky had already darkened. Stepping onto the pirate ship and seeing that Gao Jian, Huang Yi, and the others had all returned, he was overjoyed and celebrated with them through the night.

Chang Fei had already completed the preparations for departure, purchasing a large amount of dry rations and fresh water in Donglai Immortal Village. All the food and supplies for the long voyage had been readied in just half a day. Some of the smaller merchant guilds in Donglai Immortal Village naturally did not want to miss the opportunity to curry favor with a newly appointed City Lord, offering them considerable convenience.

Early the next morning, Ye Mo and the others set sail directly from the pier on the pirate ship, leaving Donglai Spiritual Island behind.

Navigating the vast, boundless sea once again, the crowd stood on the wide deck, their feelings entirely different from before. They were incredibly excited and filled with anticipation. In the past, they had drifted aimlessly across the ocean, utterly destitute. This time, they were going to build an Immortal Village that belonged entirely to them.

Now, there were over twenty cultivators aboard the ship. The one with the highest cultivation was Ye Mo, who was at the peak of the second level of Qi Condensation, while the others were all at the first level. Without sufficient spirit stones and Qi Vitality Pills, their progress in cultivation was painfully slow.

This voyage lasted for a full two months. Guided by the detailed sea chart, they did not lose their way, though they encountered several newly forming storms along the way. Each time, they immediately sought shelter on nearby uninhabited, barren islands, replenishing their fresh water and food while waiting out the storms.

Two months later, after a long and grueling voyage, Ye Mo's ship finally arrived in the vicinity of the Aolai waters. If all went as expected, the other three hundred and fifty-nine newly appointed City Lords from the thirty-six main Immortal Cities, along with the Foundation Establishment cultivators sent by the Qingyun Immortal Academy to construct the teleportation arrays, would also arrive here soon.