"How is this possible?"
The young captain exclaimed in disbelief, "The soldiers here are all elites, and I am one of the best! We've surrounded him..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the old Daoist interrupted, "This man, like me, is no ordinary mortal!"
"What?!"
Everyone was shocked, "He isn't a mortal?!"
"And not only is he not just a mortal," the Daoist said with a solemn expression, "His cultivation level is far beyond mine!"
"In comparison, if my cultivation is a small stream, his is like a vast river."
"Hiss!"
Everyone present, including the sailors on deck, the soldiers surrounding Lin Li, and even the beautiful princess dressed in a sky-blue exotic gown, gasped in shock, "His cultivation is even higher than the Protector's!"
"Senior!"
The Daoist quickly stepped forward, pushing aside the soldiers who had surrounded Lin Li, and bowed respectfully, "Please forgive our earlier offense."
"May I ask where Senior hails from, and how you came to be on our ship?"
The princess, meanwhile, looked intently at Lin Li, whose appearance resembled that of a wild man. Her beautiful eyes were filled with curiosity: How could someone who looked so rugged have a cultivation level higher than the Protector's? It seemed unbelievable.
"It's nothing," Lin Li waved his hand dismissively and asked, "I am Lin Li. I've been in seclusion on a nearby deserted island for many years. Recently, I encountered a bottleneck and saw your ship passing by, so I wanted to ask for passage to the nearest inhabited island or continent. If I've caused any offense, I apologize."
"Continent?"
The Daoist looked puzzled, "What is a continent?"
"Hmm???"
Lin Li was even more surprised, "You don't know what a continent is?"
Could it be that there were no continents here, only islands?
"I experienced a fierce battle recently and went into seclusion to recover. My memory is a bit fuzzy," Lin Li made an excuse, "May I ask who you all are, and where this place is? Do you really not know what a continent is? A continent is a vast expanse of land, like an ocean, but without end."
"An endless landmass like the ocean?"
The Daoist shook his head, "I have never heard of such a place."
"This is the private ship of Her Highness, the Ninth Princess of Lan Hai Kingdom. Lan Hai Kingdom is about a hundred miles from here. Surrounding Lan Hai are seven other nations, each located on its own island."
"Each island is its own kingdom. As for the kind of endless landmass you speak of, I've never heard of such a thing. Perhaps when we reach the Hundred Stars Kingdom, the suzerain state of Lan Hai, you might find some information there."
"Hundred Stars Kingdom?" Lin Li asked curiously.
"Yes!"
The Daoist nodded, "The Hundred Stars Kingdom is one of the three great empires of this ocean. Its territory is vast, about the combined size of Lan Hai and the seven neighboring kingdoms. Moreover, it rules over more than a hundred vassal states, making it one of the most powerful empires in these seas!"
"I see."
Lin Li nodded, feeling a sense of nostalgia and melancholy. It seemed he had truly arrived in a completely unfamiliar world. Fortunately, at least the language was the same.
"The Ninth Princess is traveling to the Hundred Stars Kingdom to study under a great lord and learn the arts of cultivation. If Senior doesn't mind, you are welcome to accompany us on our journey."
"That would be ideal, thank you for your trouble."
Lin Li was then taken to a luxurious cabin on the ship, where he could finally clean himself up and regain some semblance of normalcy.
An hour later.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Immortal! The Protector invites you to dine with us."
...
In the ship's dining hall.
When everyone saw Lin Li again, they were astonished!
"We didn't expect Senior to look so young!"
The white-haired Daoist, seeing Lin Li's refined appearance, praised him, "Senior, your cultivation is unfathomable, yet you look as young as a youth. You must have mastered some incredible technique for eternal youth!"
Little did he know that Lin Li...
Was actually just a youth!
The beautiful Ninth Princess, upon seeing Lin Li, blushed slightly, her breathing quickened. She had been startled by his wild appearance earlier, but now, seeing him transformed into a refined young man, she was both surprised and shy. "Senior... you look so young, as if you're about the same age as me. How is it possible that your cultivation surpasses even our kingdom's Protector?"
Lin Li had already noticed that the Protector's cultivation level was only at the eighth level of Qi Refining. For mortals, that was already the level of an immortal, but for Lin Li, who had reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, the Protector was no more than an ant.
"It seems the cultivation level in Lan Hai Kingdom is far below that of Zhao Kingdom. I wonder how the standard is in the Hundred Stars Kingdom?"
As Lin Li pondered this, the Daoist scolded the princess, "Your Highness! That's impolite!"
"Senior's cultivation is profound. He is surely not a mere youth like you! He must have mastered an incredible cultivation technique to maintain his youthful appearance!"
"Wow!"
The Ninth Princess exclaimed, with a playful glint in her eyes, "An eternal youth technique! Senior! Can you teach me?"
She stepped closer, her delicate fragrance filling the air.
"Hehe, you're overpraising me," Lin Li said with a smile, "I haven't cultivated any such technique. In fact, I really am about the same age as Your Highness."
"What?!"
This time, it was the Daoist's turn to be shocked!
"Impossible!"
The Daoist exclaimed, "Your cultivation surpasses mine by more than tenfold, and yet, you're not even half my age? This is unbelievable! Surely you jest!"
"Wow!"
The Ninth Princess's large eyes sparkled with admiration, "How did you become so strong at such a young age?"
"Hehe."
Lin Li chuckled and shook his head.
"Princess! Enough!"
The Daoist scolded, "In the world of cultivation, teachings are passed down with great care. Unless one becomes a disciple, such techniques are never casually shared. You must show respect!"
"Ooh~"
The Ninth Princess stuck out her pink tongue playfully and returned to her seat, but her eyes remained fixed on Lin Li, clearly intrigued by him.
Afterward, Lin Li joined them for the meal.
The food consisted mostly of seafood dishes.
Though simple, the chefs aboard the princess's ship were quite skilled, and after three years of rough living on a deserted island, Lin Li thoroughly enjoyed the meal.
After dinner, suddenly!
Boom!
The ship began to shake violently!
"Ah!"
The Ninth Princess screamed in fright!
A soldier rushed in and shouted, "Protector! Trouble!"
"What's going on?!"
The Daoist demanded.
"We're under attack by a sea beast!"