Under the hazy moonlight, what appeared before them was a towering cliff as imposing as a mountain. But on closer inspection, it was no cliff at all-it was an enormous oyster shell, floating on the sea like an island.
In the darkness of night, the light was dim and everything around them lay in shadow. Yet flickers of light like fireflies appeared now and then in the sky and on the water, illuminating rippling waves that resembled a river of stars.
Those were ghostfires drifting through the sky, along with their reflections on the calm sea.
Judging by appearances alone, the scene seemed rather sinister. But as the treasure ship approached, the members of the Incense Accumulation Sect soon caught a familiar scent. It was actually Incense-Rhyme Flowing Wind, composed primarily of evil-repelling incense.
The island built upon this oyster shell clearly possessed an enormous Incense Path array. Incense offerings burned constantly, keeping demons and evil spirits at bay.
Soon afterward, the island's many other features came into view.
Tall buildings crowded its surface, with houses standing in orderly rows. It looked every bit as lively and prosperous as a market ward in the world of the living. From time to time, they could also see fully armored Heavenly Soldiers and Generals on patrol, riding Cloud Escape clouds created with Cloud-Producing Incense through the surrounding sea and sky.
"This is Sea Market Ward, one of our major bases for attacking and defending against the Underworld.
"Twelve hundred years ago, the Old Ancestor traveled here and helped the Heavenly Court conquer it. He later took over its management and developed it into a forward base for penetrating the Underworld's Pure Land.
"The Heavenly Court actually has quite a few bases like this, but most were surrounded and destroyed by the enemy