The Spirit Hall in Hanhai City was neither valued by the Pope's Hall nor accepted by the locals.
Hall Master Helsing had become a laughingstock both inside and outside, so he decided to completely slack off.
After all, for him, whether or not he worked wouldn't lead to promotion—his salary was paid every month regardless. If that was the case, why not live a more relaxed life?
Saying that he went to inspect work at the docks wasn't entirely baseless.
Helsing was indeed at the docks, but he wasn't inspecting anything—he wasn't working at all. Instead, he was fishing with a rod.
For convenience, he even built a small wooden house near the dock and bought a small boat.
When he got tired of fishing onshore, he would take the boat out to sea to fish.
As for the fish he caught, he neither ate them nor sold them. After recording his "catch," he would release all the fish back into the water.
When the staff found him, he didn't pay much attention.
"There are countless people who come to the hall to cause trouble, each one shouting they'll tear down the main hall. But after all this time, no one has actually done anything."
The staff hurriedly explained, "Master Helsing, the leader of those causing trouble showed us a token we didn't recognize. He said you'd understand once you returned."
Helsing still didn't care. "If none of you recognized the token, what kind of token could it be? Go away, don't disturb my fishing."
The staff, however, saw that Ning Tianchen didn't look like he was joking.
Though the Spirit Hall in Hanhai City wasn't valued, if it were destroyed, higher-ups likely wouldn't investigate too deeply.
But without the Spirit Hall, where would they go to collect their salaries?
They truly didn't recognize the token Ning Tianchen held, but to get the hall master to act, they described its appearance.
"Master Helsing, the token has two crossed swords—one silver, the other silver with dragon engravings. On top is a palace, in the middle is a blue ice phoenix, and on the sides are a chrysanthemum and an incomplete human silhouette."
After the new Upper Three Sects were selected, the design of the Pope Token was updated.
As the hall master, Helsing naturally received the news about the updated Pope Token immediately.
His expression changed, and he set down his fishing rod, asking urgently, "How many patterns on the token have color?"
The tokens of the Spirit Hall weren't limited to the Pope Token—there were also other levels of ordinary tokens.
The staff quickly replied, "Six."
Helsing was shocked and abruptly stood up. "Damn, why didn't you say so earlier? That's the Elder Token!"
"Gather my things—I'm heading back to the hall. If the Elder asks, tell him I was investigating public welfare issues at the docks. Got it?"
When an elder of the Spirit Hall came to Hanhai City, regardless of the reason, he had to receive them properly.
Whether or not he could be promoted, he didn't know, but offending an elder could cost him his position in an instant.
As for the lazy state within the hall, he already had a plan.
As long as his subordinates didn't mention that he was slacking off, at worst, he'd only face a minor punishment for poor management—nothing serious.
---
In the office of the Spirit Hall, Hall Master Helsing's seat.
Ning Tianchen sat in Helsing's chair, casually flipping through the documents on the desk.
The files were covered in dust, but the office itself was clean and tidy.
"How long has this guy gone without handling official business?" Ning Rongrong complained.
If all the hall masters of the Spirit Hall across the continent followed his example, the Spirit Hall would cease to be a threat.
Not long after, a middle-aged man with dark skin, dressed in hall master attire, rushed over.
Upon seeing the Pope Token on the desk, he was shocked and hastily apologized: "Great Elder, your esteemed presence—we failed to greet you properly. Please forgive us."
Ning Tianchen responded indifferently, "Hall Master Helsing is truly diligent. Your skin has tanned from all your hard work. Unlike your subordinates, whose skin is smoother than a baby's."
Helsing breathed a sigh of relief.
His tan was entirely due to years of fishing by the sea, exposed to the ocean winds. Unexpectedly, this accidental detail "saved" him from accountability.
Helsing was an old hand at deflecting blame. Without shifting responsibility, he attributed his subordinates' negligence to his own mismanagement and even made a self-criticism on the spot.
Ning Tianchen wasn't an elder of the Spirit Hall, and he couldn't care less about these trivial matters.
He placed the list of captains collected by Feng Xiaotian on the desk and said, "I need to sail deep into the ocean. Look through this list and tell me which captains have experience sailing far offshore and whose ships can withstand the storms of the deep sea."
Seeing that Ning Tianchen wasn't pursuing accountability, Helsing sighed in relief and quickly took the list.
Instead of rushing to give an opinion, he asked, "Is the Elder going to the Sea God Island?"
The relationship between the Spirit Hall and the Sea God Island was hostile—it wasn't something to joke about.
Ning Tianchen didn't explicitly confirm: "Somewhere farther than the Sea God Island, but not the Sea God Island."
Helsing sighed in relief and quickly scanned the list. "Captain Haider and his ship, the Sea Devil, can enter the deep sea."
"The others might not be suitable."
After a pause, he remembered a friend: "There's another captain named Chen Haobai. His ship, the Manta Ray, is even larger than the Sea Devil. His ship often ventures into the deep sea for fishing. If you're heading into the deep sea, it's best to find him."
If Ning Tianchen recalled correctly, Haider was part of the Purple Pearl Pirate Group—a pirate by origin.
Boarding such a pirate ship, there was little chance of reaching the Sun and Moon Continent.
After some thought, Ning Tianchen asked, "Where is this Captain Chen Haobai?"
Helsing, who spent years fishing by the sea, was very familiar with the ships at the docks.
"I've been investigating public welfare at the docks frequently. Captain Chen Haobai went out to sea to fish about half a year ago. He should return in the next day or two. Great Elder, perhaps you could wait a bit longer?"
Ning Tianchen nodded. "We're staying at the Hanhai Grand Hotel. Notify me immediately when the Manta Ray docks."
With that, they left the Spirit Hall.
Helsing breathed a sigh of relief.
The Elder didn't inquire further about the affairs of the Hanhai Spirit Hall—this was the best possible outcome.
However, for the next few days, he wouldn't be able to slack off. At the very least, he needed to maintain appearances.
---
Crossing the ocean would take an unknown amount of time, so Ning Tianchen instructed everyone to purchase the necessary supplies.
Oscar suggested, "We'll fill our soul tools with water—that's enough for several years of drinking."
Seawater couldn't be consumed directly, so preparing a large amount of fresh water was essential.
Chen Huayu couldn't help but ask, "What about food?"
Oscar smiled. "The sea is full of fish. We can catch fish to eat."
Ning Tianchen glanced at him and said sarcastically, "You're oversimplifying things. Fish meat doesn't satisfy hunger well, and without oil, most fish smell and taste terrible—they're hard to swallow."
"If you don't believe me, go buy a few fish from the market and try roasting them plain, without any seasoning."
In his previous life, Ning Tianchen had seen this on the internet.
During great famines, people preferred eating tree bark over fish.
Was it because they didn't want to eat meat? Of course not—it was because fish, without oil, was inedible.
Moreover, fish lacked fat and didn't provide lasting energy.
Ning Tianchen arranged, "Water is indeed necessary, but seawater can be converted into freshwater. So we don't need to prepare large amounts of water. Instead, stock up on vegetables and dried meat—they'll be useful on the journey."
The simplest method to convert seawater into freshwater was distillation. Thus, they didn't need to worry about water resources.
Meanwhile, Tang San's group wasn't idle either.
They also purchased supplies, though their thinking aligned with Oscar's. Their soul tools were filled with large reserves of water.
They prepared very little emergency food. In times of trouble, they planned to rely on fish for sustenance.
"Xiao San, Captain Haider of the Sea Devil is willing to take us on board, and his price is relatively low," Dai Mubai reported upon returning.
They thought Haider was being generous, unaware that he cared little about the trifling fee and instead coveted all their possessions.
However, Tang San's group didn't know he was a pirate.
Tang Xiao said, "Ning Tianchen's group hasn't set off yet, probably because they haven't found a suitable ship. Even if they're heading to Sea God Island, if we depart first, we can arrive earlier."
Arriving earlier meant they could make better preparations and seize the initiative.
Tang San nodded. "Since that's the case, everyone hurry and pack—we'll set off immediately."
Tang Xiao said, "Everyone should still conceal their identities. I'm worried they might have informants at the coast."
After some preparation, Tang Xiao escorted the group to the shore to board the ship.
---
That night, when Chen Huayu and Oscar returned after purchasing supplies, they shared what they had seen.
"We think we spotted those guys from Shrek Academy by the sea."
"Aren't they wanted by the empire? Why would they show up here?"
Ning Tianchen smiled. "You didn't see wrong—Tang San and his group really came to Hanhai City."
Feng Xiaotian asked in confusion, "Could it be that since the empire issued a bounty on them, they've been hiding here all along?"
Ning Tianchen shook his head. "Unlikely. They probably went somewhere else. Now that they're here in Hanhai City, they're likely preparing to go out to sea for training—but most likely not heading in the same direction as us."
Before undergoing divine trials, they wouldn't even have thought about what lay beyond the ocean.
With Tang San's group's limited perspective, naturally, they wouldn't consider this either.
After a pause, Ning Tianchen chuckled. "Why bother worrying about them? Let's just focus on our own tasks."
Two days passed quietly.
As Helsing had anticipated, the Manta Ray returned to the dock.
Upon receiving the news, Ning Tianchen's group was the first to arrive at the dock where the Manta Ray was moored.
At this time, workers on the dock and crew members on the ship were busy unloading cargo.
The cargo hold of the Manta Ray was filled with a large number of deep-sea catches.
Several merchants were negotiating prices with Chen Haobai.
"Master, please follow me."
Helsing had a good relationship with Chen Haobai. As he led Ning Tianchen's group over, Chen Haobai stopped his conversation with the merchants.
"Hall Master, what brings you here today?"
Chen Haobai was a burly man with dark skin.
"Don't reveal our identities," Ning Tianchen reminded him in a low voice using sound transmission.
Helsing laughed. "I'm here to introduce you to some business, haha. Allow me to introduce these friends who've come from inland."
Chen Haobai looked puzzled.
Fishmongers usually carried at least a hint of fishy smell, but Ning Tianchen's group was impeccably clean—they looked more like nobles than merchants.
"Gentlemen, what kind of fish are you looking to buy? But I must warn you, if you plan to transport the catch inland for sale, you'd better prepare plenty of storage-type soul tools. If transported directly, the fish will rot within a few days."
Ning Tianchen gave a slight bow. "Captain, you misunderstand. We wish to board your Manta Ray for our next voyage into the deep sea. Payment is not an issue. What do you say?"
Chen Haobai glanced at Helsing in surprise.
This was a fishing vessel, and no matter how thoroughly cleaned, the deck still reeked of fish.
Among Ning Tianchen's group, several women were covering their noses with handkerchiefs, clearly unable to tolerate the smell.
Helsing quickly interjected, "These friends want to take a tour of the deep sea. Old Chen, you're the most experienced captain for long voyages—what do you think?"
Chen Haobai let out a bitter laugh. "It's not that I don't want to set sail, but during this last trip, we were attacked by soul beasts, and my crew is completely exhausted. They need time to rest. If these esteemed guests don't mind the condition of my ship and are willing to wait a few more days, I have no objections."
The divine trial had a time limit, and Ning Tianchen also wanted to complete the trial quickly—it wasn't feasible to wait too long.
After some thought, he didn't reveal the urgency of their journey but replied, "Captain, please tend to your affairs first. Later tonight, I'll host a banquet in town—I hope you'll honor us with your presence."
Having returned to port, Chen Haobai had nothing to do except sell his catch.
Out of respect for Helsing, he didn't refuse.
---
After leaving the dock, Feng Xiaotian said gravely, "Our journey will be long, and there's a high chance we won't return. I believe we need to tell them the truth."
Ning Tianchen nodded.
Arranging this banquet was precisely to inform Chen Haobai of their situation.
A long sea voyage was fraught with danger, and concealing their true destination from the captain wasn't a wise choice.
Ning Rongrong said gravely, "But if he refuses to take us, it won't be easy to find another ship in such a short time."
Ning Tianchen also felt uncertain.
He could indeed offer a huge sum of money, but not everyone was motivated by wealth—money might not sway the captain.
After much deliberation, Ning Tianchen said, "If there's truly no other way, we'll have to buy a ship and hire an experienced captain."
In the evening, under Helsing's guidance, Chen Haobai arrived as promised.
At the start of the banquet, Ning Tianchen didn't discuss the long voyage but instead asked Chen Haobai about strange tales and wonders of the sea.
Chen Haobai had been sailing with his father since childhood and now had nearly thirty years of seafaring experience.
He had witnessed many strange occurrences at sea and, under Ning Tianchen's curious gaze, recounted numerous stories.
After three rounds of drinks and five courses of food, Helsing knew it was time to get down to business.
Previously, Ning Tianchen hadn't mentioned specifics because he didn't want Helsing to know.
Being perceptive, Helsing excused himself to use the restroom and left the banquet hall.
Ning Tianchen then asked Chen Haobai, "Captain Chen, have you ever heard of another continent beyond the sea, similar to the Douluo Continent?"
Chen Haobai had drunk quite a bit of strong liquor but wasn't drunk. Upon hearing this question, he immediately became alert. "Are you guests planning to go there?"
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