Xu Qingtong made up his mind and looked outside. It was already broad daylight, though the sun had yet to appear. He left the cave abode, rose into the air, and surveyed the little island sheltering him once more. Then he took out the jade slip Old Dong had given him and carefully compared it against his surroundings.
After a long while, he summoned the Ink Cloud Shuttle, leaped aboard, chose a direction, and sped away.
An hour later, Xu Qingtong returned. He chose another direction and departed again on his flying boat.
After repeating this several times, he finally determined his location. Xu Qingtong took out a jade slip and imprinted the little island he was on into it. He also copied the Sea Voyage Map Old Dong had given him into the same jade slip. Finally, he put it away, chose a direction, and flew off without looking back.
As he controlled the Ink Cloud Shuttle, he kept watch over his surroundings. Whenever he spotted something worth recording, he picked up the jade slip and imprinted it inside.
Along the way, he encountered several more Yan Yao, but simply left them behind, continuing along his chosen route.
After flying for more than two hours without stopping, Xu Qingtong finally saw the nearest island marked on the sea chart. Called Linyuan Island, it was more than three times the size of the little island from before, and its spiritual qi was somewhat denser. Yet this island, too, was uninhabited.
After resting briefly on the island, examining its terrain, and recording it in the jade slip, Xu Qingtong boarded his flying boat and continued onward.
He traveled in fits and starts, encountering several more small islands along the way, each of which he recorded in the jade slip. However, none