Yue Nan Islands, April Island.
After leaving the academy, Zhu Ziyang and the other three traveled at top speed, reaching April Island in the shortest possible time. Just as they arrived, Xu Jianwei also returned from January Island. Seeing the smile on her face, Zhu Ziyang realized that the Sun Moon Empire's South Sea Fleet on January Island had probably been recovered by them.
This was good news.
Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan went directly to Xu Jianwei and explained their purpose.
"You want to go to sea? And search for the East Continent? Is this part of the Silver Moon Trial?" Xu Jianwei was very surprised to hear their words and asked for confirmation.
"Yes, Great-grand-aunt!" Zhang Lexuan nodded and said, "We wanted to ask if the Moon Lineage or the Yin Clan have any knowledge or items related to navigation?"
"..." Xu Jianwei remained silent for a moment before uttering a single word, "Yes!"
"Really?" Zhang Lexuan and Zhu Ziyang both showed surprised but delighted expressions, quickly asking, "Then please tell us quickly, it might be very helpful to us!"
"Wait here for a moment; I'll go retrieve that item," Xu Jianwei said, then rose and left.
After Xu Jianwei left, Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan both speculated about what Xu Jianwei would bring out. Ideally, it would be a nautical chart that clearly indicated the location of the East Continent. If it were other knowledge or items related to the ocean, that would also be acceptable. They were currently lacking everything: a ship capable of long-distance voyages, a nautical chart to guide their direction, and even experienced sailors.
They didn't wait long. Xu Jianwei returned very quickly, but her hands were empty, which puzzled Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan. However, before they could ask, Xu Jianwei conjured a palm-sized model of a shuttle boat out of thin air.
This shuttle boat looked very ordinary, with a smooth exterior but a vague interior, like a discarded half-finished product. The tip of the shuttle boat was engraved with peculiar, illegible patterns, resembling a formation, but Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan couldn't recognize it.
"This is the Moon God Shuttle!" Xu Jianwei said, her aged face filled with deep pride and reverence.
"Moon God Shuttle?" Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan had never heard this name before, so they naturally showed curiosity and confusion.
"Yes, the Moon God Shuttle, a Level 10 Soul Guidance Device passed down through generations of the Silver Moon Priestess lineage!" Xu Jianwei's voice grew more reverent and proud. Holding the Moon God Shuttle in her hand, she introduced it to the two, "It is the last masterpiece of our Moon Lineage's ancestor, the Yin Clan's greatest patriarch, Silver Moon Empress Yin Lihua. It was also the first Level 10 Soul Guidance Device she ever created in her life, and it's a permanent, functional spirit tool!"
"Level 10 Soul Guidance Device!" Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan were truly shocked this time. Even though they didn't know much about spirit tools, they understood what a Level 10 Soul Guidance Device meant. What surprised them even more was that the Sun Moon Empire had people capable of creating Level 10 Soul Guidance Devices as early as ten thousand years ago. The gap was simply too vast!
"I believe you can also see that the Moon God Shuttle is a shuttle boat," Xu Jianwei continued her introduction, disregarding their surprise, "It was meticulously carved by the Silver Moon Empress from a complete piece of Moon God Jade over nearly fifty years to create this soul guidance shuttle boat. Her Majesty the Empress added a nautical chart to it—a chart that is now lost but is said to depict the locations of all continents surrounding the Sun Moon Continent. For those of you about to set sail, it is absolutely the most useful item."
"A nautical chart depicting the locations of all continents surrounding the Sun Moon Continent!" Zhu Ziyang's eyes gleamed with excitement and surprise. He said, "Although it's uncertain whether there are seas further east of the Douluo Continent, having it is better than not having it!"
"Besides the nautical chart, the Moon God Shuttle has space to accommodate ten people, defensive capabilities that can withstand a full-power strike from a Super Douluo, and a speed of ten thousand li in one hour!" Xu Jianwei continued to explain, "Of course, these functions are closely related to the user's spirit power. Only Spirit Masters with cultivation above Spirit Douluo can activate it. Lexuan, you have now reached Titled Douluo, so from now on, this Moon God Shuttle will be entrusted to your care!"
"Mm! Thank you, Great-grand-aunt!" Zhang Lexuan did not decline, because from both a practical and future perspective, the Moon God Shuttle was ultimately destined to fall into her hands.
"Alright, this is all I can help you with. The rest is up to you!" Xu Jianwei said, "May the Silver Moon protect you!"
Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan bid farewell to Xu Jianwei and found Jiang Nannan and Qian Lingyi, who were preparing supplies in the city.
It was only then that Qian Lingyi clearly understood that they needed to go to sea, leave the Douluo Continent, and search for the unknown East Continent. How to put it, the girl's heart was actually a little anxious and angry. Her anxiety was easy to understand; after all, anyone facing an unknown future would feel a bit lost. As for her anger, it was directed at Zhu Ziyang, because she felt that Zhu Ziyang didn't trust her at all. She had always been by his side, yet she was the last to know this news.
The girl was very sad and decided not to speak to him for three days.
However, Qian Lingyi didn't even last an hour, because after Zhu Ziyang and Zhang Lexuan found them, she was immediately pulled aside by Zhu Zi.
Qian Lingyi looked at Zhu Ziyang with a pout, feeling a slight mix of curiosity and anticipation. Zhu Ziyang had pulled her into this deserted corner; surely he wasn't planning to do anything to her, was he?
"Yi Yi, are you angry?" Zhu Ziyang looked at the girl's puffed-up jade-like face and pouting red lips, immediately realizing she was sulking. He then smiled and said, "Alright, it was my fault before. I shouldn't have kept it from you. I admit my mistake, don't be angry anymore!"
"Hmph! I'm not angry at all!" Qian Lingyi turned her head away haughtily and said, "I don't need to get angry over someone who doesn't care about me. In the future, whatever you need to say, go tell your Nannan!"
"See? You say you're not angry! Your jealousy is almost making me dizzy!" Zhu Ziyang heard this and immediately chuckled. He reached out and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, forcibly turning her gaze towards him, and said, "Stop being jealous, I have something to tell you."
"What?" The girl subconsciously replied, but then immediately forced herself to maintain her haughty demeanor. "I won't be the last to know again, will I?"
"Uh!" Zhu Ziyang paused, then said with a wry smile, "I don't want to lie to you, but this time you are indeed the last among the four of us to know."
"Huh?" Qian Lingyi's eyes immediately reddened, and her voice became tearful. She said, "Then why are you still telling me? You don't need to go to such trouble for an outsider like me!"
"Don't cry!" Zhu Ziyang raised his hand and gently wiped away the tears that had welled up in the girl's eyes several times but ultimately flowed down her cheeks. He said, "Listen to me finish telling you this, and you'll know that I didn't intentionally hide it from you!"
"...Then speak!" The girl remained silent for a long time, and only after suppressing her sad emotions did she speak.
"Actually, our purpose for going to sea to find the East Continent is not just for training; the more important goal is to complete my God Position assessment!" Zhu Ziyang said with a serious tone.
"God, God's Trial?" Qian Lingyi was stunned, staring blankly at Zhu Ziyang. All her sadness and worries were instantly scattered by this news.
"It seems you've heard about the God's Trial, so I don't need to explain much." Zhu Ziyang wasn't surprised by Qian Lingyi's reaction; it was normal for her, as a descendant of the Supreme Pontiff, to know about the God's Trial. So he continued, "I received the inheritance of a deity named God of Death. This journey to the East Continent is to complete my God of Death's Seventh Trial.
Originally, my plan was only to bring you, but I didn't expect that plans change. Nannan and Sister Lexuan actually became connected to my God's Trial, so I need to bring them along as well."
"Ah? What do they have to do with your God's Trial?" Qian Lingyi heard Zhu Ziyang's initial words and felt a sweet anticipation and joy in her heart, but upon hearing the latter part, she immediately became anxious. Seeing her World with just the two of them vanish, how could the girl not be anxious?
"Their God's Trial and trial is to assist me in completing the God of Death's Seventh Trial!" Zhu Ziyang dropped this bombshell that instantly broke Qian Lingyi's defenses, leaving the girl completely stunned.
Her big eyes blinked innocently as she looked at Zhu Ziyang, as if she had just heard something utterly devastating.