Han Li gazed at the massive fish stretching for several zhangs, then soared to the upper air of the sea vessel, circling it twice before. Clearly, the people on board had noticed his arrival; soon after a few loud calls, a large crowd emerged from the ship's cabins—over two hundred people in number—filling the ship's bow. Upon seeing Han Li hovering in midair, they all displayed a sense of reverence, bowing respectfully to him. Han Li was slightly taken aback. As he stood there, a middle-aged man dressed in the most elegant attire stepped forward, spoke several words with a tense expression, then stood still, waiting for Han Li's instructions. Han Li rubbed his nose and chuckled faintly. He couldn't understand a single word spoken by the man. With no common language, how could they communicate? This was beginning to trouble him. Then, seeing that Han Li had not yet spoken, the man grew increasingly anxious and hurried to add a few more words. Though he didn't quite grasp the meaning, Han Li sensed that the other person seemed to be trying to clarify something. Frowning slightly, Han Li paused and then suddenly spoke in ordinary Tiannan dialect: "Does anyone here understand what I'm saying? If so, come forward and explain it to me!" As soon as he finished speaking, he scanned the crowd below. The middle-aged man looked utterly puzzled, clearly not understanding what Han Li had just said. The others, equally confused, were no better off. With a sigh of resignation, Han Li switched to several of the ancient dialects he had learned previously—languages he had acquired mainly to master the cumbersome incantations. When he uttered one of these ancient forms, a gray-haired elder in the crowd finally showed a reaction. Seeing this, Han Li was greatly relieved and immediately pointed at the elder. "Sir, do you understand what I'm saying?" Han Li spoke slowly in that ancient dialect, for he did not use it often and thus felt somewhat awkward. Upon hearing Han Li's words, the elder hesitated but eventually stepped beside the middle-aged man and replied respectfully in the ancient dialect: "My name is Wang Changqing. I did indeed study this kind of celestial language when I was young. What instruction may the immortal master have?" After saying this, Han Li paid no attention to the elder's murmuring explanations to the middle-aged man, but instead waved his hand toward the divine wind above, and the pure artifact gently carried Qu Hun down to the ship's bow. Following Han Li's instructions, Qu Hun stepped out onto the deck, while the small boat swiftly shrunk into a beam of white light and flew into Han Li's hands, where it was stored in his storage bag. After completing these tasks, Han Li glanced sideways and noticed that although the ordinary people on board still maintained a respectful demeanor, none of them had shown any signs of astonishment. This indicated that they must have frequently witnessed such feats of the immortal realm, otherwise they would not find them so commonplace. Thus, Han Li mused that either the passengers on this ship were not ordinary families, or there were many immortals in this region who were not hesitant about allowing ordinary people to see them. At that moment, the elder had already conveyed Han Li's words to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man first stared in surprise, then his face brightened with excitement, speaking a stream of words to Han Li, full of enthusiasm. Han Li, seeing the man's expression, was momentarily taken aback and turned his gaze toward the elder. The elder immediately understood Han Li's intent and hurried forward to explain: "Master, this Mr. Gu is the owner of this ship. He would like to invite Master to reside at his home island, the Qi-Xing Island, and he will cover all expenses and costs for Master's cultivation and living needs." "Qi-Xing Island?" Han Li stroked his chin, appearing unconcerned. Seeing Han Li's indifferent demeanor, the middle-aged man's eyes grew even more eager, and he poured out another series of words. From the way he smiled while speaking, Han Li, even without the elder's translation, clearly sensed that the man was once again emphasizing his desire for Han Li to go to Qi-Xing Island. Thus, without waiting for the elder to translate further. Han Li waved his hand with no hesitation and said, "First, please let this master know that I have just arrived in this region and am not very familiar with the local conditions. I won't commit to anything hastily. I'll decide whether to go to his Qi-Xing Island only after I've learned more about the situation here. For now, since I don't understand your language, I would like to stay on this ship for several days, so that the elder gentleman can teach me some local expressions and also allow me to get a better understanding of the local customs." Upon hearing this, the elder hurried to explain the matter truthfully to the middle-aged man. After listening, the middle-aged man clearly showed a touch of disappointment, yet still bowed respectfully to Han Li. Then he shouted a few words to the people behind him, and immediately everyone rushed back into the cabin. After saying a few words to the elder, he himself retreated down the steps. As a result, only the elder and Han Li remained on the deck. The elder smiled and said to Han Li, "Master, Gu Dongzhong has agreed to your request and has even reserved a superior room for you. Master, shall we go together?" Han Li nodded slightly, indicating his agreement. Thus, the elder Wang Changqing went ahead, while Han Li and Qu Hun followed behind and entered the ship cabin. "Indeed quite spacious!" This was Han Li's first impression upon entering the cabin. The cabin was well-connected with numerous corridors and passageways, and it was hard to tell exactly how many rooms there were. Several ordinary people Han Li encountered along the way respectfully stepped aside to make room for him. After turning several corners with the elder, Han Li and Qu Hun arrived at a large wooden door. Wang Changqing pushed it open without hesitation and then inclined his body slightly, inviting Han Li to enter first. Han Li did not hesitate, and with Qu Hun in front and behind, they stepped inside and took in the surroundings. Indeed, the room was quite impressive! Not only was the space ample, but there was no sense of stuffiness. What was most puzzling to Han Li, however, was a peculiar small tree growing in a pot in the corner of the room. This tree had a single, straight trunk with no branches at all, covered in large triangular leaves. The entire tree shone with a silvery luster, as if entirely crafted from pure silver. Observing it, Han Li expressed genuine curiosity. "It seems Master has never seen this silver-angled tree before! Indeed, it is no common sight. Not only does it possess a striking appearance, but when placed in a stuffy environment, it purifies and refreshes the air—making it a rare treasure for seafarers. Even our host, though wealthy and robust, has only managed to acquire a few such trees," the elder said respectfully, noticing the astonishment in Han Li's eyes. Han Li smiled slightly, saying nothing. He could clearly see the elder's intent to please his host. Han Li asked Qu Hun to stand guard at the door and then sat down on a chair inside the room. Wang Changqing stood a little awkwardly in front of Han Li, unwilling to sit down at first. Seeing his reserved demeanor, Han Li smiled warmly and said, "Mr. Wang, there's no need to be so formal. Please sit down and let's talk. I actually have several matters I'd like to learn from you." Upon hearing this, Wang Changqing repeatedly replied, "I'm not worthy at all," appearing deeply respectful and humble. Seeing this, Han Li slightly furrowed his brows but decided not to press further. Then, after a brief thought, he directly asked, "I'm a cultivator who has just arrived here. Could you kindly introduce me to the local geography and customs? Of course, if you could also share some details about the lives and practices of cultivators, that would be even better. I will certainly deeply appreciate your time and wisdom." As he spoke, Han Li's expression remained calm and composed. Wang Changqing thought for a moment, then spoke slowly: "Since the Immortal Master has come from outside, I assume you are already aware that this is the sea region of Luanxing Sea, specifically its southwest corner. In the vicinity, there are three major islands—Weixing Island, Kuixing Island, and Sangxing Island—along with dozens of other smaller and medium-sized islands, all of which are inhabited by both Immortals and ordinary people. Our customs here are similar to those in other sea regions: each island has an Immortal with the highest magical power serving as the island's master, responsible for protecting it. If other Immortals choose to settle on the island and take on certain official duties, the island master will provide them with a certain amount of spiritual stones annually to support their cultivation. However, they must then follow the island master's instructions. Of course, if someone wishes to reside on the island but is unwilling to take on any official role, they will not only receive no spiritual stones but will instead have to pay a certain amount each year to the island master—thus remaining on the island." "Having said that, Wang Changqing paused, his face revealing a touch of admiration, as if deeply yearning for the life of a cultivator."