"Moved to a different location?" This explanation was very similar to what they had heard before—the Yuan Prefecture Sea and the Guixu Sea had overlapped. Naturally, Yuan Prefecture, which was originally located east of Yunzhong, had also changed its position.
"That's right." Yan Feng let out a long sigh. "During those days and nights of storms, the islands of the Yuan Prefecture Sea suffered heavy losses. Many small islands vanished forever, and countless mortals and cultivators perished in the tempest."
They had already learned of this during their journey and now fell silent. Although these lives had nothing to do with them, they had personally witnessed the tragic sight of small islands with weak defenses where all life had been extinguished. Whether mortal or cultivator, all were equally insignificant before the might of heaven and earth.
Turning to them, Yan Feng smiled again. "Let's set that aside for now. Are the three of you planning to return to Yunzhong?"
"That was our intention," Jing Xingzhi said without changing expression, speaking immediately. "However, we ventured deep into the Guixu Sea originally to hunt some high-level sea beasts, relying on our cultivation. Since we've encountered this coincidence and arrived in Yuan Prefecture, we might as well take this opportunity to seek some opportunities here before returning to Yunzhong."
Hearing this, Yan Feng's smile grew a few degrees warmer. "That's an excellent way of thinking. Although the resources of our Yuan Prefecture are not as abundant as Yunzhong's, thanks to years of trade, cultivation materials are much more concentrated here than in Yunzhong. Especially for us Nascent Soul cultivators—ordinary treasures are beneath our notice, while precious ones are hard to find. Even if others have them, they rarely bring them out. I imagine this is also the reason you risked venturing deep into the Guixu Sea. In a few days, it will be time for Changling City's Nascent Soul trading fair. You are welcome to stay and take a look."
"Really?" Jing Xingzhi's face showed delight. "That's perfect. Thank you for informing us, Elder Yan."
Yan Feng waved his hand, smiling. "You're too polite, Fellow Daoist. We cultivators of Yuan Prefecture can all be considered merchants. We make many friends, and harmony generates wealth."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange exchanged a glance with Qin Xi. Both their expressions held a hint of mystery. Whether in the Tianji Region or Yunzhong, they had encountered countless Nascent Soul cultivators, but none who conducted themselves like Yan Feng. Out of ten thousand cultivators, perhaps not one could reach the Nascent Soul stage, so Nascent Soul cultivators were typically proud and arrogant. Yet this Yan Feng showed not a trace of arrogance. However, they wondered if all Yuan Prefecture cultivators were like this.
"As for the next piece of news," Yan Feng paused, "the three of you should prepare yourselves."
Seeing his expression suddenly turn so serious, Mo Tiange and the other two also grew tense. Jing Xingzhi said, "Please speak, Elder Yan."
Yan Feng said, "Actually, even if you wanted to return to Yunzhong, it would be somewhat difficult at present."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"The entire continent suddenly moving to a different location is truly unbelievable. If not for the facts before our eyes, even we Nascent Soul cultivators, with our broad experience, would find it hard to believe." Yan Feng paused, then continued, "But there is something even more unbelievable..."
Looking at the three of them, Yan Feng slowly said, "Even Yunzhong is no longer in its original location."
"What?!" The three of them exclaimed in unison!
Jing Xingzhi, greatly shocked, asked, "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Yan, where is Yunzhong now? Has it also suddenly moved like Yuan Prefecture?"
"That's right." Yan Feng sighed. "Months ago, after the storms, we Nascent Soul cultivators gathered to investigate what had happened. First, we discovered that Yuan Prefecture had suddenly appeared in the Guixu Sea. Then, we found that even following the new route, we could not reach Yunzhong."
Looking at them, Yan Feng said, "The Guixu Sea is located north of Yunzhong. We spent some time confirming Yuan Prefecture's new position. But after charting a new course, all we saw was the vast ocean—no Yunzhong continent."
"..." Jing Xingzhi frowned and said, "Elder Yan, aren't there teleportation arrays between Yuan Prefecture and Yunzhong? Don't they work either?"
Yan Feng shook his head gently. "I don't know how much Fellow Daoist Jing understands about formations, but teleportation arrays are among the most complex. Random teleportation arrays are one thing, but for point-to-point teleportation arrays, there are too many factors between the two arrays that must be calculated precisely. If anything is off, normal teleportation becomes impossible. Among these, distance is a fundamental factor—it determines how much spiritual energy the array requires, the complexity of the formation, and so on. All the point-to-point teleportation arrays in Yunzhong, Yuan Prefecture, and Xiaoyang were arranged according to the distance between the two locations. Long-distance teleportation arrays require immense spiritual energy and are especially complex. After discovering the anomaly, we tried using the teleportation arrays to contact the merchant guilds in Yunzhong, but we failed."
Jing Xingzhi's expression changed slightly. He glanced at Mo Tiange and, seeing her nod, knew Yan Feng's words were true.
But Mo Tiange's face was even more grim. Teleportation arrays weren't very useful for individuals. Of all formations, she was least familiar with teleportation arrays, so she had overlooked this possibility until now.
If the teleportation arrays from Yuan Prefecture to Yunzhong were useless, what about the one from Yuan Prefecture to the Tianji Region that Jing Xingzhi had discovered earlier? Could it still be used?
Thinking further: if Yuan Prefecture had suddenly appeared in the Guixu Sea, and Yunzhong had vanished from its original location, was the Tianji Region still in its original position?
At this thought, she inwardly smiled bitterly. She had thought leaving Yunzhong would be a journey lasting a few years to a dozen years at most, never imagining the passage back to the Tianji Region would suddenly collapse. To return to the Tianji Region, she had spent many years preparing, successfully reunited with Qin Xi, then encountered Jing Xingzhi and learned from him the safest path back to the Tianji Region—only for this unbelievable event to occur. Why was her journey home so difficult? If this dragged on any longer, she would have been away from the Tianji Region for nearly a century.
Moreover, the biggest problem was that her time was running out. During her Foundation Establishment, she had been tricked by Perfected One Ziwei in the Ziwei Cave Abode. That eccentric senior had given her two hundred years. Originally, she thought two hundred years wasn't short—enough time to prepare—so she hadn't paid it much mind. But she never imagined she would encounter so many events, to the point where she couldn't even return to the Tianji Region, let alone fulfill Perfected One Ziwei's request.
She had just over fifty years left, but now she didn't even know where the Tianji Region was... "But we used a teleportation array to travel from the Yuan Prefecture Sea to the continent..."
"If the distance remains unchanged, or changes only slightly, the teleportation array can still be used," Yan Feng said. "So the short-distance teleportation arrays within Yuan Prefecture and the Yuan Prefecture Sea are all functioning normally."
Jing Xingzhi was silent for a long moment, then finally let out a long sigh. "So, we won't be able to return to Yunzhong in the short term?"
"Indeed..." Yan Feng also wore a troubled expression. "Our Yuan Prefecture is a trading continent, not rich in resources. We rely on trade to achieve today's prosperity. But now we don't even know where Yunzhong is. If this continues, Yuan Prefecture will surely decline... Our Merchant Alliance doesn't dare reveal this news. If it gets out, I fear it will cause turmoil in Yuan Prefecture!"
Yuan Prefecture's situation was unique. Without abundant resources, relying on trade to prosper meant it was destined to depend on the vast, resource-rich Yunzhong to maintain its prosperity.
Now, Yuan Prefecture was isolated, not even knowing where Yunzhong was. How could trade continue? Yuan Prefecture had just suffered a great disaster, and the Merchant Alliance was powerful, so they could still conceal this news. But how long could they keep it hidden? Besides the immortal cities, Yuan Prefecture's small merchants also regularly traveled between continents—this was fundamentally impossible to stop. If the Merchant Alliance resorted to forceful measures, it would violate Yuan Prefecture's trading rules. These rules had lasted tens of thousands of years and were the foundation of Yuan Prefecture's existence. Once broken, the consequences would be endless.
Should they conceal the news to maintain temporary stability, or uphold the rules and adhere to Yuan Prefecture's traditions of tens of thousands of years? Even these high-level cultivators couldn't decide.
"At present, aside from finding Yunzhong as soon as possible and re-establishing connections with it, there's no better method," Yan Feng said with a bitter smile. "In this regard, our goals align with yours. That's also why I've been so frank in telling you this news."
Jing Xingzhi glanced at him. "Elder Yan, are you hoping we'll help search for Yunzhong's new location?"
Yan Feng shook his head. "After discovering Yunzhong was gone, our Merchant Alliance began working on this matter long ago. However, you are all fellow Nascent Soul cultivators and natives of Yunzhong. Perhaps there will be areas where our Merchant Alliance needs to borrow your strength." At this point, Elder Yan showed that warm smile again. "Besides, making many friends is how harmony generates wealth!"
"..." Looking at this Elder Yan, the same thought occurred to all three of them: truly a native of Yuan Prefecture, a merchant at heart!
"...Elder Yan," Qin Xi, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "I have a question. May I ask Elder Yan to answer it?"
"This... Fellow Daoist Qin, please speak."
Qin Xi paused, then slowly said, "The Guixu Sea has always been known for its danger, while the Yuan Prefecture Sea has always been peaceful. Now that the two seas have overlapped, does this new sea area inherit the danger of the Guixu Sea, or the peace of the Yuan Prefecture Sea?"
Hearing this question, Yan Feng's expression immediately turned solemn. "I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Qin to notice this issue. This matter is equally important for our Yuan Prefecture, but at present, I cannot give an accurate answer."
He paused, then asked, "You traveled here from the Yuan Prefecture Sea. Did you encounter any sea beast attacks along the way?"
Jing Xingzhi shook his head. "We didn't stop along the way and didn't pay attention to this matter." Even in the Guixu Sea, one couldn't casually encounter high-level sea beasts. The higher the level of the sea beast, the stronger its territorial sense. Often, a single sea area would have only one or a few high-level sea beasts.
Yan Feng said, "Our Merchant Alliance hasn't received any reports of large numbers of high-level sea beasts appearing yet. However, there are indeed more high-level sea beasts than before. It's only been a few months since the event occurred, so we can't make a definitive judgment. We'll have to wait longer to determine if the high-level sea beasts from the Guixu Sea have also all moved to the new sea area. If that's the case..."
The Yuan Prefecture Sea was vast, with many islands inhabited by cultivators and mortals. If this speculation proved true, then Yuan Prefecture would face an even more dire crisis—not only unable to continue trading, but even basic security could not be guaranteed. By then, forget maintaining today's prosperity; even the cultivation system would completely collapse. Having lost its most distinctive characteristic and with its poor resources, how could Yuan Prefecture stand on its own?