Ma Sanbao was the last to enter.
Xiao Yun took a palm-sized compass from a drawer in his desk and handed it to him. "When you encounter danger, it will point out a path to survival."
He then took out a smooth, lustrous Voice Transmission Jade. "Crush this if you find yourself in a desperate situation. I'll sense it and come over as quickly as possible."
Ma Sanbao accepted them with both hands without asking any questions. He studied the irregular lines engraved on the compass intently for a while, then solemnly tucked both the compass and the Voice Transmission Jade into his robe and left the Study Room.
After lunch, Xiao Yun stood in the courtyard for a while, watching the wind shift from northwest to southeast. Only after confirming that conditions were suitable for the Spirit Boat to take off did he head toward the Front Courtyard.
The six women were already waiting in the courtyard. Shui Ruoyan, Yao Yuerou, Shui Bing'er, Shui Yue'er, Yao Zi, and Sheng Minglan each carried a small bag of belongings. They boarded the Spirit Boat in turn and took their places at the stern.
As Xiao Yun stepped over the gunwale, he channeled spiritual power into the Artifact Runes at the bow. The hull shuddered slightly, then rose smoothly into the air. Beneath the gazes of everyone in the Front Courtyard, it slowly cleared the rooftops and climbed into the afternoon wind, passing through the clouds and flying toward Heaven Dou City. The trail behind its stern gradually dispersed in the air currents, smoothed away by the wind as though it had never existed.
The figures on the ground grew smaller and smaller, until they finally merged with the shadows of the courtyard walls.
The wind soon carried away the last recognizable