Upon hearing this, Xia Xing scratched his head and, without any pretense, laughed heartily. "If you put it that way, it’d be rude to refuse, Brother Chu!"
"I had heard that Xia Daoist was from Sea Light Prefecture, but I never imagined we’d run into each other just as I entered Sea Light City. Fate is a wondrous thing indeed," Chu Bai remarked with a sigh.
"It wasn’t a coincidence."
Xia Xing waved his hand and explained, "My family may not be a top-tier Noble Race in Sea Light Prefecture, but we still have a bit of pull.
I was just taking care of some business at the City Gate Department and heard the Gate Guard General on duty mention that a young lord with an extraordinary bearing, carrying a Cyan Talisman, had entered the city from the direction of Dayuan Prefecture."
"I thought it over, and who else could fit that description and have such a bearing but you, Brother Chu? So, I came looking for you right away."
The two exchanged a smile. Meeting an old friend on the streets of a strange city was truly a stroke of luck.
Soon after, they found a teahouse on the street and settled into a quiet booth.
A few cups of hot tea later, the conversation began to flow freely.
When Xia Xing learned that Chu Bai, despite keeping his Official Status, had been branded with the crime of "damaging a Spirit Realm," exiled thirty thousand li to the Extreme North Land, and forced to perform hard labor for the Celestial Observatory to pay off his debt, his expression turned incredibly grim.
"How outrageous!"
Xia Xing slammed his teacup down, his eyes filled with indignation. "If you hadn’t turned the tide, Brother Chu, the Cyan Nether Realm would have long since become a Death Land! What Spirit Realm would there even be to speak of?
A verdict like this..."
"Instead of a reward, they give you exile? A thirty-thousand-li journey to the Extreme North—is that even a path for a human to walk?!"
Seeing Xia Xing filled with righteous indignation, Chu Bai remained calm and simply shook his head.
"Don’t worry about it."
Chu Bai took a sip of his tea, his tone serene. "This was the best possible outcome, considering the political maneuvering of all the parties involved.
Exile with my Official Status intact preserves the dignity of the law while also granting me a measure of freedom.
Besides... while the Extreme North Land is dangerous, it also holds countless opportunities. For a Cultivator such as myself, tempering my Dao Foundation in a new environment might not be a bad thing at all."
Seeing how philosophical Chu Bai was, the injustice Xia Xing felt didn’t disappear, but he could only let out a long sigh.
"Brother Chu, I admire your magnanimity."
Xia Xing took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn. "However, since you’ve arrived in my territory while suffering the hardship of exile, Brother Chu, I absolutely cannot stand by and do nothing."
"Back in the Cyan Netherworld, if it weren’t for your protection, Brother Chu, I would have long been food for that Evil Flood Dragon. I have no way to repay such a life-saving debt."
At this, Xia Xing took a token engraved with a wave pattern from his robes, placed it on the table, and lowered his voice.
"I won’t hide it from you, Brother Chu. I’ve been reinstated and transferred to a new department specially established in Sea Light Prefecture—the Maritime Supervision Department. I’m serving as the Junior Seventh Grade Sea Patrol Vice Envoy."
"I haven’t officially reached Foundation Establishment yet, but the Maritime Supervision Department holds immense authority in Sea Light Prefecture. It’s in charge of monitoring the Frozen Sea, managing the shipping lanes, and... Guiding the appearance of the ’Sea Light.’"
’The Maritime Supervision Department?’
Chu Bai’s gaze flickered as he glanced at the token.
Having studied the Jade Scrolls on his journey here, he naturally understood the significance of this department.
Sea Light Prefecture’s standing in the Northern Territory was entirely dependent on the resources harvested from the Frozen Sea. The Maritime Supervision Department, therefore, controlled the choke point to this Treasure Basin, making it an incredibly lucrative and powerful post.
This was especially true whenever the Frozen Sea thawed and the Sea Light erupted; countless Celestial and Earthly Treasures would emerge, and the Maritime Supervision Department had first-dibs on their distribution and regulation.
"Brother Chu, on your journey to the Extreme North, you’ll inevitably have to deal with the Frozen Sea, and may even have to venture deep into the ice fields."
Xia Xing said sincerely, "Though I’m only a vice envoy in the department, I have some say in this corner of the world.
Whether it’s special vessels for sea travel, water-repelling Dharma Artifacts, or the latest Sea Charts and Demon Beast distribution intelligence for the depths of the Extreme North—as long as it’s within my authority..."
"...just say the word, Brother Chu. I will not let you down and will do everything in my power to help!"
As for what was needed to travel to the Extreme North Land, Chu Bai was indeed in need of help.
"Since you intend to venture deep into the Extreme North, Brother Chu, there are some things you absolutely must prepare."
Xia Xing set down his teacup, his expression turning very serious.
Although he had yet to achieve Foundation Establishment, as a native of Sea Light Prefecture and a new official in the Maritime Supervision Department, he knew the rules of survival in the Extreme North like the back of his hand.
He dipped a finger in his tea and began to sketch quickly on the tabletop.
"The Extreme North Land is called the Frozen Sea, but in reality, it’s an intertwined expanse of ice and land.
The outermost layer is ten-thousand-year-old ice, hundreds of zhang thick and as hard as steel. But the deeper you go, the more unstable the ice becomes due to the influence of subterranean Evil Qi and the Sea Light tides. Often, what appears to be a flat sheet of ice conceals a bottomless, frigid sea with treacherous undercurrents and whirlpools."
"Therefore, any ordinary Cultivator traveling there must ride a special Ice-Breaking Spirit Boat. These boats are inscribed with a Fire Element Formation. They melt through ice and sail on water, making them the top choice for survival."
Xia Xing paused, about to mention that the Maritime Supervision Department could provide such a boat, but then he saw Chu Bai gently shake his head.
"I can’t take a boat."
Chu Bai pointed to his chest. Though the golden shackles were hidden within his body, he gave a wry smile. "The Decree of exile states that I must measure the land with my own two feet. If I travel by boat, it won’t count toward my sentence. I have to walk every step of these thirty thousand li."
"But..."
Hearing this, Xia Xing drew in a sharp breath.
’Walking on foot across that terrifying ice, which cracks and refreezes at will, with treacherous currents surging below?’
It was no different from dancing on the edge of a blade.
If he were to misstep and fall into the glacial sea, the extreme cold would undoubtedly damage his meridians.
"If I can’t take a boat, then we’ll just have to find another way."
Chu Bai pondered for a moment before speaking. "Brother Xia, does the Maritime Supervision Department have any advanced water-repelling Magic Techniques? Or a Secret Technique that would allow me to treat water as solid ground? If I could repel water as I walk, then even if the ice shatters, I could walk upon the waves as if on a level plain."

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