When Song Wen had spoken with Wang Yi, Wang Yi had revealed that this Cangyu flying vessel they were about to board had begun recruiting passengers forty years ago.
Over those forty years, it had recruited only six passengers. Yet in a single day today, it had recruited two passengers, including Song Wen. It was truly rather unexpected.
But this also caught Song Wen off guard. If Number Eight was a Spirit Transformation cultivator, then the Cangyu flying vessel could set off at any time, and Song Wen would not have enough time to refine a substitute-death puppet.
[This one is Shui Bing. Greetings to all fellow Daoists.] This was Number Eight's message.
[Fellow Daoist, what is your cultivation level?]
Just as when Song Wen had encountered this before, the first to respond to Shui Bing was Zhong Ren of Number One.
[Spirit Transformation Realm.] Shui Bing replied.
[That is truly wonderful. We now have eight people in total: three Spirit Transformation cultivators and five Nascent Soul cultivators, exactly meeting the minimum number recommended by the Dual Extremes Sect. In that case, we can depart within the next few days.] Zhong Ren's tone brimmed with delight.
[Depart within the next few days?] Shui Bing's tone carried a trace of hesitation.
[Now that we have gathered enough people, naturally we should depart as soon as possible.] Zhong Ren said as though it were only right.
Shui Bing said, [My apologies, Fellow Daoist. I still have some matters to settle and cannot leave the Ganchang Wasteland for the time being.]
[How long will Fellow Daoist need to settle these matters?] Zhong Ren asked.
Shui Bing said, [Twenty years.]
[What? Twenty years! Fellow Daoist, surely you are joking! You want the seven of us to wait for you alone—and for a full twenty