Xuan Li's appearance, coupled with the fact that no one had provided the information she wanted, instantly chilled the atmosphere. Everyone fell silent, forming a stark contrast with the lively, laughing groups elsewhere on the deck.
The others handled the situation well enough, sitting quietly with their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts.
Only Mao Cang appeared restless and ill at ease.
He seemed afraid of neglecting Xuan Li. After glancing around and seeing that no one intended to speak, he could only take the initiative to break the oppressive silence.
"May I ask, Dao Monarch, have you recently discovered any stable spatial fissures?" Mao Cang spoke softly, with a cautious, ingratiating tone.
"No." Xuan Li's answer was brief and cold.
The expectation on Mao Cang's face instantly froze. He opened his mouth as though he wished to ask more, but upon meeting Xuan Li's utterly placid gaze, he swallowed every word.
The scene immediately sank back into silence.
At that moment, Song Wen suddenly spoke.
"Everyone, I only recently heard the rumors concerning spatial rifts, and I have quite a few doubts. I hope you will not begrudge me your guidance."
At these words, everyone's attention turned toward him.
"Jian Xiao, if you have any questions, just ask. With the Dao Monarch and the rest of us here, we will surely resolve your doubts." Finally finding a topic to ease the awkward atmosphere, Mao Cang hurriedly said.
"Earlier, I heard everyone say that only after advancing to Spirit Transformation, when spiritual sense becomes divine sense, can one perceive spatial rifts. Yet I have already been a Spirit Transformation cultivator for many years. Why have I never sensed the existence of any spatial fissures?" Song Wen asked.
Mao Cang smiled faintly, as though amused by how