In the cabin of the tower ship, the keel waterwheel on the blueprint unexpectedly emitted a mournful long chant.

It is known that artifacts possess spirit, and if anomalies arise, there must be something unusual occurring.

Chen Xu raised his hand and gently pressed the blueprint that emitted the long chant, his thoughts racing.

Microscopic, Tide Watching Technique, Spirit Manipulation Technique—various sensing techniques swiftly dispersed, and within Chen Xu's Sea of Literature, his Divine Thought traversed instantly, capturing all the surrounding energies within his Heart Soul.

The people on the tower ship were far from calm; amidst the moonlight and water waves, there were both excited discussions and low whispering voices.

Even upon returning to the cabins, it was rare for anyone to fall asleep at this time.

The only tranquil sight was the moonlight above, not the people on the tower ship.

The most intriguing part was that Chen Xu even discovered several groups of people pacing in the corridor of the second-floor cabins.

The attire of these people varied greatly, yet their purpose for pacing seemed almost unanimously directed towards Chen Xu.

After all, Chen Xu had a distant meeting with the Shimmering Star Water Monarch on the tower ship and sent up a plume of cyan smoke—how could the people on board be unresponsive to that?

Among them were quite a few clever individuals who were already contemplating whether they could establish a connection with Chen Xu.

In the corridor of the second floor, whispers ran back and forth.

"Incense Master, we're here to pay a visit, to express our gratitude. We will be respectful, presumably Mr. Chen wouldn't drive us away?"

"What do you know? Even if Mr. Chen doesn't drive people away, our unannounced disturbance disrupting his peace isn't also distasteful? Do you want to be a distasteful person?"

"Then, if we don't go, are we just going to wait here the whole night?"

"Even spending a night waiting, what's wrong with that? Little Zheng, you should think this way. He didn't show up even when the Water Monarch came; it's clear he truly doesn't want to deal with these trivial matters.

If we rush to disturb him, are we just going to express thanks? That's stirring trouble, adding burden to him.

How can one be so reckless and impudent?"

"Ah, but Incense Master... you say we can't disturb, why are we on this corridor then? Wouldn't it be better to wait in the cabins overnight?"

The Incense Master's tone contained a slight smile: "Though we shouldn't disturb, we can't do nothing at all either.

Young ones, so naïve!"

He reached out and lightly tapped the young man's head beside him, and continued to bend slightly, looking askew while waiting by the corridor.

A little further down the corridor, several people dressed as wealthy merchants similarly cast glances, wandered uncertainly, without detailed mention.

Chen Xu dispersed his Divine Thought, carefully sensing the surroundings, feeling that despite the disordered human voices on the ship, attributing the anomaly of the keel waterwheel blueprint to the ship was unfounded.

Chen Xu immersed his Heart and Spirit, his brain working rapidly.

After ruling out the issues on the ship and excluding possible obstacles along the vast waterways around,

recalling past experiences, Chen Xu soon locked his target on the Shimmering Star Water Monarch!

The Nine Hundred Miles of Shimmering Star Lake, despite its expansive waves and countless mysteries, the waterways around here had long been explored by the powerhouses of Pingyang and Cyan Forest.

Could there be a major crisis on Shimmering Star Lake?

If so, it would most likely relate to the Shimmering Star Water Monarch.

Could it be that the Shimmering Star Water Monarch is still persistent, wanting to cause trouble for Chen Xu again?

Chen Xu slightly frowned, instinctively thinking it wasn't the case.

He calculated from when the Shimmering Star Water Monarch suddenly appeared, pondering, an unfamiliar individual—

Though the Shimmering Star Water Monarch was a demon, he had cultivated into human form, perhaps gaining a certain human nature.

He was unacquainted with Chen Xu yet intercepted to meet him, which from a human logic standpoint lacks reason.

Unless he came with a purpose or was driven by someone behind.

But who could drive the likes of the Shimmering Star Water Monarch, this Great Demon?

Behind it, is it Chen Xu's enemy, or... a rival in this scholarly examination?

Chen Xu has few enemies, disregarding the past slain Lin Qi and Lin Yuan brothers, as they are basically dead clean.

As for rivals in the scholarly examination, it's possible, yet Chen Xu also considered another possibility.

The Spiritual Cicada Jade Robe had once prophesied, Chen Xu would encounter a major crisis on his way to the exam.

The source of this crisis was hard to discern, Chen Xu couldn't even identify a specific target to guard against, all he could do was change his intended route, heading north early, staying away from crowds.

Theoretically, having traveled here, he should have avoided the initial crisis prophesized.

Or perhaps due to his own cultivation progress, the once potentially fatal crisis might have lost its threatening nature with his growing strength.

But concerning life and death, could he risk letting go carelessly, or ignore the wisdom of always guarding against thieves?

If this matter couldn't be clearly resolved, it remains like a sharp sword hanging by the neck, unsettling the mind.

Chen Xu made a decisive move, summoning the little mouse back to his side, instructing it to return to the Spirit Garden Pouch to rest.

Ah Shi had been active outside all day today, and indeed felt weak and tired, thus consumed two Red Vermilion Robes and obediently returned to the Spirit Garden Pouch.

Chen Xu further advised Wei Yuan, "Ah Yuan, wait for me on the ship, if a crisis arises, summon me back immediately.

Or silently call me, summon you over."

It had been a month since Chen Xu first acquired the Jade Leaf Knot.

He and Wei Yuan held the Jade Leaf Knot, nurturing it mature early on.

Since then, Chen Xu wasted no time cooking the Jade Leaf Knot into Spiritual Food, after both he and Wei Yuan ate it, they now possessed the ability to summon each other within a range of three hundred miles.

Due to Wei Yuan's relatively weak cultivation, this summoning between them was still time restricted.

Once every three days, either Chen Xu summons Wei Yuan or Wei Yuan summons Chen Xu.

Three hundred miles can be traversed in an instant, proving to be an extremely practical ability.

Wei Yuan promptly agreed; in critical moments, it was always knowledgeable, fearing it might hold Chen Xu back, firmly repeating:

"Brother Chen, rest assured, I will stay well on the ship.

If danger approaches, I will hide; if I can't hide, I'll summon you immediately."

Chen Xu smiled in response, gently stroked the soft fur of the small hedgehog sprouting backwards, then stepped into the Netherworld, appearing over the waters thirty miles away.

Though he instantly appeared thirty miles away, Chen Xu called Wei Yuan in his mind.

Not to immediately summon Wei Yuan to his side, but to try through the Jade Leaf Knot summoning technique, to sense and communicate with Wei Yuan over a distance.

This was another marvelous aspect of the Jade Leaf Knot summoning technique.

For instance, while actual summoning had a time limit, usable only once within three days, the sensing communication between Chen Xu and Wei Yuan was unrestricted by this time.

Within thirty miles, Chen Xu called Wei Yuan in his mind, receiving its response in an instant:

"Brother Chen."

Wei Yuan's voice carried cautious probing and delight.

Chen Xu stood on the water, the moonlight above, body swaying with the breeze, while the distant call of the hedgehog Little Demon echoed in his ear.

For a moment, he truly felt the moonlight as a dream, the breeze like a song.

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