After boarding the soul tool-powered bus, Gu Yue Na and Yun Ze sat together, while Di Tian sat with the academy's supervising director.
The bus sped smoothly toward the docks without a hitch.
Once they stepped off, they immediately saw two colossal ships anchored at the shore. Each vessel had at least five decks above the waterline, massive in scale.
Their surfaces gleamed with metallic luster, thick and solid, fitted with formidable soul tool weaponry—like sea beasts looming proudly at the pier.
One ship bore four large characters along its side: Star Luo Empire.
Clearly, this one hailed from the Star Luo Continent, with its markings declaring it under the dominion of the Star Luo Empire.
The other was the vessel meant to carry the envoy delegation to the Star Luo Continent. In comparison, the Federation's ship was noticeably superior.
Each party boarded their respective ships. The Shrek Academy delegation embarked on the Star Luo Empire vessel. This arrangement partly stemmed from requests by the Star Luo envoys and partly from deliberate planning by the Federation's mission leader.
The hostility between Shrek Academy and Sun Moon Royal Academy had only worsened since their last match. Housing them on the same vessel risked needless conflict.
To avoid trouble and ensure the ships' safety, separating the two groups was the wiser choice.
Yun Ze, Gu Yue Na, and Di Tian boarded their ship and, under the guidance of their supervising teacher, found their assigned cabins.
Their accommodations differed: Yun Ze and Gu Yue Na received identical rooms of about forty square meters each, with private baths.
Di Tian, however, was allotted a lavish suite of over two hundred square meters, filled with every luxury.
It was a reflection of his status as an ultimate powerhouse—no one dared relegate him to a small, ordinary cabin.
Though Di Tian had offered to switch rooms so Yun Ze or Gu Yue Na could take his suite, they refused.
Yun Ze only cared that his room was clean and tidy—luxury mattered little. He had long since grown indifferent to palatial comfort.
Gu Yue Na too showed no interest, preferring to remain next door to Yun Ze rather than move into the grand suite.
That suite embodied extravagance to the extreme: over two hundred square meters with just one bedroom, one bed, and the rest dedicated solely to leisure facilities.
Had there been multiple rooms, they could have stayed together—but with only one, it was unnecessary.
Knock knock.
The door shook with a rap. Yun Ze set his cup down, turned from the window, and rose to open it.
"My room's all sorted, and I had nothing to do, so I came to visit." Gu Yue Na leaned her head against the doorframe, smiling brilliantly.
"Come in, have a seat," Yun Ze said, stepping back.
"Okay!" Gu Yue Na replied cheerfully. She slipped in, shut the door, and joined him by the window.
The room had two chairs—perfect for the two of them to sit facing each other.
On the table were a kettle, cups, and a basket of assorted fruit.
Gu Yue Na casually picked up an apple and bit into it. "We'll be stuck at sea for more than two months. Feels like it'll be boring."
"Then cultivate. Time passes quicker that way," Yun Ze said with a smile. That was his plan—research mecha and soul tool arrays, train, take fresh air on deck, and let the days slip by.
"That's true." Gu Yue Na nodded, then her eyes lit with expectation. "You should have some free time during this period, right?"
"Nothing pressing," Yun Ze answered.
"Then research artificial spirit souls with me! I've hit a bottleneck—tried everything, but I just can't break through."
"If you help, maybe we can solve it and take my research further," she said eagerly.
"I'll take a look," Yun Ze agreed.
"Really? You're the best!" Gu Yue Na exclaimed, springing to her feet in excitement, nearly throwing her arms around him.
Yun Ze only smiled and shook his head, sipping from his cup as his gaze wandered out the window.
Once everyone had boarded, the ships' horns bellowed. Slowly, the two giant vessels pulled away from the docks, then accelerated into the open sea.
They cut through wind and waves with steady swiftness, leaving rippling wakes behind.
Life aboard was monotonous—confined space meant limited activities.
Many first-time voyagers were excited for days, finding novelty in everything, too enthralled to feel bored.
But as the novelty faded, the routine soon grew stifling.
To lift spirits, a banquet was held every few days, injecting some cheer into the otherwise dull voyage.
Yun Ze only attended the first such event; afterward, he ignored them altogether—they didn't suit him.
Gu Yue Na enjoyed them more, often inviting Yun Ze to dance, though he always refused with a simple, honest reason: he just didn't want to. And when Yun Ze didn't want to do something, Gu Yue Na knew she couldn't force him.
Still, their days weren't boring. Gu Yue Na often came to Yun Ze's room to discuss artificial spirit souls.
Though Yun Ze had never studied them before, her explanations gave him a deep grasp of the principles.
Understanding the foundation was one thing; extending and evolving upon it was the real challenge.
It was like building towers: the foundation was laid, and ten-story buildings had already been made—but now they were aiming for a hundred floors.
Artificial spirit souls were riddled with difficulties, half of which Gu Yue Na had already overcome.
But she wasn't pleased—those had been the easy parts. The true obstacles lay ahead, and if she couldn't surpass them, success would remain out of reach.
As it turned out, asking Yun Ze had been the right call. Within just a few days of discussion, he helped her solve her current bottleneck.
Even after the hurdle was cleared, Gu Yue Na didn't resume working alone. She insisted on spending two hours each day studying with Yun Ze.
With him, her progress was far swifter than if she struggled by herself.
Research, cultivation, meals, fresh air, and scenery became Yun Ze's daily rhythm.
Apart from steady progress in cultivation and breakthroughs in their research, little else changed.
The ships sailed ever onward, drawing nearer to the Star Luo Continent. Yet the endless ocean always looked the same, making it easy to imagine they hadn't moved at all.
(End of Chapter)