While experimenting with the controls of the Cloudpiercer Shuttle, Zhao Ling unexpectedly discovered that the shuttle actually had an autopilot function.
His eyes lit up instantly—this shuttle could fly autonomously? That was incredible! It had to be something from a cultivation-based world. How else could something this outrageous exist?
Curious, Zhao Ling activated the autopilot feature. The moment he did, two devices rose up from the deck near the helm.
One resembled a compass to indicate direction, while the other looked like a map of the current Douluo Continent.
Zhao Ling adjusted the compass needle to point toward Heaven Dou City, then lightly tapped the city's location on the map with his finger.
Immediately, the Cloudpiercer Shuttle adjusted its course slightly and continued flying toward the designated destination. Zhao Ling finally let go of the helm—his hands now free.
"Not bad at all… I really didn't expect this thing to have autopilot. As expected of something provided by the system—top-notch quality."
Feeling quite pleased, Zhao Ling gave a mental thumbs-up to the system and turned to Ah Yin. "Yin'er, come on, let me take you inside for a tour of the cabin. Let's see what it's like inside."
"Mm!" Ah Yin's eyes also lit up with excitement upon hearing this.
She was just as curious as Zhao Ling—what would the interior of a self-flying ship look like? She eagerly linked her arm through his and followed him toward the cabin.
Bo Saixi, however, did not follow. She furrowed her brows, troubled by the growing number of secrets Zhao Ling seemed to be hiding—how could he possibly possess such a fantastical flying vessel?
Bo Saixi was sure that not only did Seagod Island lack anything like this, but the entire Douluo Continent didn't either.
And Zhao Ling's claim that the ship came from some ancient ruin? She didn't believe it for a second. She had never heard of any such ruins, let alone ones containing flying ships like this.
Besides, how did Zhao Ling even know about Tang Chen being ambushed by the Rakshasa God and parasitized by the Blood-Red Nine-Headed Bat King?
Even if Zhao Ling were a prodigy, he was still just a Titled Douluo. How could he possibly know about divine matters? That in itself was highly unusual.
And yet, Zhao Ling somehow knew the Rakshasa God had betrayed Tang Chen. He even knew the details of Tang Chen's fall.
Even the all-knowing, all-powerful Seagod had chosen to reveal these facts to her by showing her "Zhao Ling's Diary," rather than delivering a direct oracle.
Bo Saixi mentally reviewed everything that had happened. Something didn't add up.
No—something was definitely off.
If the Seagod truly wanted to issue a divine decree, he would either appear directly or send a voice transmission into her mind.
But delivering a diary replica to her and letting her experience everything herself… that didn't align with the Seagod's usual demeanor.
Could she have misunderstood the whole situation?
Was it possible that "Zhao Ling's Diary" wasn't sent by the Seagod at all? That there had never been a divine order for her to leave Seagod Island and come to the mainland to save Tang Chen?
Perhaps everything had been a misunderstanding.
Perhaps her emotions had gotten the better of her, and upon learning that Tang Chen was in danger, she had abandoned her usual calm and rational self.
The realization sent a chill down Bo Saixi's spine. If it really had all been a misunderstanding…
Then maybe the Seagod had never intended for her to come to the mainland in the first place. And yet she had left Seagod Island of her own accord. If the Seagod ever found out, she'd be in serious trouble.
Now she was torn—should she return to Seagod Island immediately to resume protecting her people, or should she stay and continue searching for Tang Chen?
From a duty standpoint, returning home was clearly the right choice.
But from a personal standpoint… she didn't want to go.
She wanted to find out where Tang Chen was—from Zhao Ling, if necessary—and save him from his descent into darkness.
Even if Tang Chen, after regaining his mind, ended up dying early due to his weakened body, she couldn't bear to see him reduced to a parasitized puppet.
Biting her lip, Bo Saixi made up her mind to stay. She clung to a bit of wishful thinking, knowing that one day in the divine realm equaled one year in the mortal realm.
As the High Priestess of Seagod Island for so many years, she knew that the Seagod rarely descended. Sometimes a whole decade would pass without a single divine appearance.
Maybe, just maybe, by the time she learned of Tang Chen's whereabouts, saved him, and returned to Seagod Island, the Seagod still wouldn't have appeared—and wouldn't even know she had ever left.
With that hopeful thought in mind, Bo Saixi stopped worrying. She refused to believe her luck was that bad—that the Seagod would descend at precisely the moment she had gone missing.
While Bo Saixi was lost in anxious thought, Zhao Ling and Ah Yin had already started exploring the interior of the ship. They discovered that the cabin had two floors, each with two rooms.
Inside the rooms were clean beds, fresh bedding, tables, chairs, and bookshelves.
Zhao Ling casually grabbed a book from a shelf and glanced at it—it was a romance novel titled The Tyrannical Prince Fell in Love with Me.
Wait… no, in a fantasy world like this, it should be called a "script" or "talk book," not a novel.
Quickly putting the book back, he pulled out another one titled The Empress Ran Off with the Baby.
He immediately smacked the book against his own forehead in frustration. "Ugh, seriously? What kind of garbage is this?" He felt like he needed to wash his eyes.
Why were books like this even on the Cloudpiercer Shuttle? Wasn't this ship supposed to be from a cultivation world? Why did it contain such cheesy, lowbrow literature?
If the shelves had included titles like Comprehensive Guide to Formations, Forbidden Arts Encyclopedia, or Starry Heavens Sutra, Zhao Ling would've understood.
But these corny romance stories? What was the point?
Ah Yin, intrigued by Zhao Ling's extreme reaction, took the book from his hands and started reading with great interest.
"Uh…" Zhao Ling tried to stop her. "Yin'er, those books really aren't worth reading."
"Hmph! The more you say no, the more I want to read." Ah Yin ignored him and quickly became absorbed in the story. Zhao Ling had no choice but to let her be.
After a full day of flight, by late night the Cloudpiercer Shuttle had reached the skies above Heaven Dou City.
Zhao Ling had to admit—the shuttle wasn't particularly fast, but it flew in a perfectly straight line.
Unlike winding ground roads, which often turned a 10-kilometer trip into a 100-kilometer one due to terrain, the shuttle's straight path saved him a ton of time.
The only downside? It was too late now—Heaven Dou's city gates were already closed.
Looks like they'd have to camp outside the city for the night and enter in the morning.