As they spoke, the Immortal Ship had already left Jiuzhou Continent.
Li Changâan glanced outside and noticed the Immortal Ship seemed to be flying out through a channel, one that looked like it had been carved out by a World-Devouring Whale.
The surface of the Immortal Ship shimmered with a distorted shield.
Impacts from time and space, invisible to the naked eye, continuously rippled across the shield.
After staring for a moment, Li Changâan collected himself and focused on the key point of what the other man had said. He asked, "Isnât the Third Fleet always patrolling the nearby Star Realm? Or are you all pulling out?"
Xia Zizhan shook his head. "Thatâs not it. Because this Star Realm has suffered multiple dark incursions, the Immortal Palace has designated it a battlefield. From now on, the number of patrolling battleships will only increase..."
"The reason no one else will be brought out is because the Immortal Palace is going to seal off the battlefield. All life forms within the cordoned-off zone are considered likely to carry Dark Energy, so they canât be allowed to leave!"
"Picking you up was already a breach of protocol. When we enter the Immortal Realm, youâll have to undergo a thorough inspection!"
Hearing this, Li Changâan was not pleased.
So, Jiuzhou Continent had been designated a battlefield, and all life from that region was forbidden to leave.
In other words, it would be impossible for Li Yuanqing and Li Shiran to come to the Immortal Palace anytime soon. Not only that, but they might even get caught in the crossfire.
But at this point, Li Changâan could do nothing more for Jiuzhou Continentâs development for the time being. They were on their own now.
As Li Changâan was lost in thought, the Immortal Ship began to tremble.
Feeling the tremor, Li Changâan instinctively glanced outside. He saw that the Immortal Ship had exited the long tunnel and emerged into a vast, boundless Star Sea.
Gazing out at the boundless Star Sea, Xia Zizhanâs mood seemed to lift a little. He murmured, "What do you think? Now that youâve seen this Star Sea, you realize just how isolated and backward your home is, donât you? This is the true stage for geniuses like us!"
Li Changâanâs expression remained unchanged.
It wasnât as if heâd never seen a Star Sea before.
Back in Night City, Li Changâan had spent a long time traveling through the Star Sea in search of the Genetic Warriorâs remains.
It was just that he had been on a spaceship back then. In terms of comfort, speed, or range, that vessel couldnât possibly compare to the Immortal Ship he was currently aboard.
But that didnât mean Li Changâan was going to gawk and shout like some country bumpkin whoâd never seen the world.
Xia Zizhan was clearly surprised to see Li Changâanâs lack of reaction. After all, most natives from the Lower Realm couldnât help but get emotional the first time they saw the true expanse of space.
But this native before him was completely different from the others.
The Immortal Ship continued its journey at an incredible speed.
Xia Zizhan lost interest in talking to Li Changâan.
He glanced down at the time before speaking. "It is now August 7th, year 3772 of the Immortal Palace Universe calendar. We need to continue our patrol and voyage for another year before returning to the Immortal Palace Emperor Star. I have a lot to take care of, so you can manage your own time from here on out..."
With that, he turned to leave.
He tossed a final sentence over his shoulder, "Other than the rest area on the deck and the quarters Iâve arranged for you, all other zones are under strict military control. Unauthorized personnel are forbidden entry. I trust you know your boundaries!"
Li Changâan nodded.
Once Xia Zizhan had left, he soon began wandering the deck again. Although he was forbidden from approaching the militarily controlled areas, that hardly posed a problem for Li Changâan.
He planned to start with the Array Patterns etched onto the outer deck, using his Heaven-defying Comprehension to forcibly absorb the advanced knowledge they contained.
Even if he could only scratch the surface in a yearâs time, it would still be a considerable gain for Li Changâan.
[With Heaven-defying Comprehension, you have gained insight by observing the Array Patterns etched on the deck of "Immortal Ship Battleship 7001." Your mastery of Arrays has deepened!]
[With Heaven-defying Comprehension, you have gained insight by observing the Array Patterns etched on the deck of "Immortal Ship Battleship 7001." Your understanding of Arrays has deepened!]
[With Heaven-defying Comprehension, you have gained insight by observing the Array Patterns etched on the deck of "Immortal Ship Battleship 7001." Your mastery of Arrays has deepened!]
[With Heaven-defying Comprehension, you have gained insight by observing the Array Patterns etched on the deck of "Immortal Ship Battleship 7001." You have learned a part of the method for inscribing the Space-Time Protective Shield Array Pattern!]
...
The days passed, one by one.
Whenever Li Changâan had free time, he would study the Array Patterns etched onto the deck, often spending the entire day at it.
This peculiar behavior caught the attention of many Cultivators aboard the Immortal Ship.
Li Changâan made no effort to hide his intentions. After all, it was impossible to be discreet while doing something so obvious right under everyoneâs noses.
When they heard he was trying to decipher the Array by just staring blankly at the Array Patterns on the deck,
all the Cultivators on the Immortal Ship burst out laughing. "Those Array Patterns are the most advanced ones developed by the Liyang Empireâs Martial Arts Technology Research Institute. They involve time and space! Our own Immortal Palace research institutes have tried to decipher them for years without fully understanding them. It would be hilarious if you could figure them out so easily! Come on, youâd be better off spending your time meditating and cultivating!"
Clearly, none of the Cultivators took him seriously. They never imagined Li Changâan could possibly make any discoveries or comprehend anything at all.
For Li Changâan, this couldnât have been more perfect.
The Array was indeed complex. Even with his comprehension fully unleashed, Li Changâan felt his brain ache as if it were burning, his mental CPU practically smoking from the strain.
...