The next morning, Jian Dan checked out of the inn and headed toward the harbor with Brother Parrot perched on her shoulder, ready to set sail.
According to Brother Parrot, the secret realm this time would appear on an island far out at sea. The precise location, however, could only be determined once they were already out on the water. It was something tied to his innate bloodline ability.
Truth be told, Jian Dan had wanted to press further—how exactly did he know where the entrance to the secret realm would appear? But Brother Parrot had clammed up, refusing to say more, and she hadn't forced the matter.
She had already sensed there was something unusual about him back when he transmitted his voice directly into her mind. Without any contract or spiritual link between them, he could still communicate with her through her sea of consciousness. That alone spoke volumes about the depth of his bloodline.
Her questions yesterday had clearly struck a nerve. The little parrot had sulked in silence for quite some time—until she finally opened the storage pouch they'd received from pawning off their miscellaneous wares.
Inside was a pouch packed to the brim with spirit stones: one thousand lower-grade stones, a hundred middle-grade, and ten top-grade. Alongside them was a protective magic artifact shaped like a golden bell, and a single tail feather from a White Rainbow Crane—pure white, sharp with spiritual pressure, and radiating a powerful aura.
The instant she touched the feather, Jian Dan felt the crushing weight of a Nascent Soul-level presence, enough to make her chest tighten. For a second, she genuinely thought she was going to die—until Brother Parrot, squealing with joy, scooped the feather up and hugged it to his chest.
As soon as the tail feather settled in his embrace, all its oppressive pressure vanished without a trace.
Brother Parrot was overjoyed, carefully stroking the feather with his wings before lovingly tucking it under one of them like a treasured heirloom.
Jian Dan, for once, gave in to her curiosity. "Brother Parrot, what kind of treasure is this? You look very pleased with yourself."
The little parrot puffed out his chest proudly. "My elder brother gave this to me for protection! Of course it's a treasure! It carries his aura."
"Ah. Feeling better now?"
"I was never upset!"
"Right, right. Our mighty parrot scored us funds and insurance for the secret realm. Truly impressive."
This time, Brother Parrot bobbed his head in full agreement, then flapped into the pile of spirit stones and rolled around with abandon before chirping for Jian Dan to pack them up.
She was tactful, putting away only the Golden Bell Shield for herself—she'd find time to refine it later. Honestly, for the pile of scrap they'd exchanged, getting a genuine magic treasure was more than enough of a windfall. She wasn't greedy. Cultivators cultivated not just their power but also their hearts—knowing when to stop was part of the path.
As for the rest of the spirit stones, she packed them neatly into the storage pouch and looped it around Brother Parrot's neck. He strutted around proudly with it for a while but eventually insisted she hold onto it before they set out, saying it would serve as their "travel fund" for the boat fare.
When Jian Dan finally arrived at the docks at a leisurely pace, the place was already buzzing with activity. On either side of the harbor's main avenue were shops buying up sea beasts and exotic items from the ocean. Equipment for sea expeditions lined the storefronts—nets, harpoons, defensive talismans—you name it.
At the center of the avenue stood a lone two-story pavilion with a straightforward nameplate: Mission Hall. As the name suggested, it was where cultivators picked up missions. Inside were rows of counters, each with a line of cultivators waiting their turn.
Outside the hall, groups of people milled about—some waiting to turn in completed missions, others trying to recruit additional teammates. There were groups of human cultivators, demon cultivators, and even some mixed squads.
"Fellow daoist, are you looking to take a mission? Our team has already accepted one, but we're still short a member. Would you be willing to join us?"
The voice came from a friendly-looking man in a plain gray robe, a storage pouch at his waist. He had a calm face and gentle demeanor, clearly a Dao cultivator, and based on his spiritual aura, he was in the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment. That made him fairly strong by local standards, given how far Tianyue City was from the cultivation world's core regions.
Just as Jian Dan was about to ask more details, a loud, brash voice boomed from the side:
"Chen Shan! Are you luring new cultivators into your death squad again?"
The voice belonged to a muscular man dressed in simple clothes, bare-chested with hair tied back and no crown. His scruffy beard obscured most of his face, and he had two storage pouches swinging at his hips.
"Fellow cultivator!" he continued, turning to Jian Dan. "If you care about your life, come join our Bàtiān Squad! We guarantee spirit stones and cultivation progress!"
Jian Dan had already swept her divine sense over this loud cultivator. He had the look of someone who fought more with fists than spells. She could already tell—this man was going to be a handful.
"Chu Meng, don't slander us. You should take a good look at the kind of people you have in your team before criticizing ours," Chen Shan retorted coolly.
Jian Dan raised an eyebrow at the two men arguing over her like she was some kind of juicy prize. "Why do they see me as easy prey?" She was certain she hadn't revealed her strength.
She wisely stepped three paces back from their squabbling and gave a polite bow.
"Many thanks to both fellow daoist for your generosity. This is my first time venturing out to sea, and since this fellow cultivator extended his invitation first, I'll gladly join Daoist Chen's squad."
She then turned to Chu Meng with a nod. "I appreciate the offer, and perhaps we'll have the chance to work together in the future."
Chen Shan beamed, clearly pleased. Chu Meng, on the other hand, looked disgruntled.
"Ungrateful!" he huffed, spitting on the ground. He shot Chen Shan a dark look. "We'll see about this," he growled, before stomping off with exaggerated bravado.
Chen Shan just smiled and gestured for her to follow him toward his team. "How should I address you, fellow Daoist?"
"My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Shan Yunzhu. I'm just a rogue cultivator. This voyage is my attempt to seek a Foundation Establishment opportunity."
"Oh? Then you've come at just the right time." Chen Shan's eyes lit up. "We're heading out to hunt the Redleaf Fish schools. Their eyes are a vital secondary ingredient in Foundation Establishment pills."