The return journey went far more smoothly than the outward trip.
Perhaps luck was on their side, or perhaps having traveled the route once already had given them confidence. Whatever the reason, the three encountered no obstacles along the way; even the giant squid in Black Water Bay failed to appear again. The Spirit Boat raced across the sea, riding the wind and cleaving the waves. In less than two days, the outline of Divine Wind Island appeared on the horizon.
From afar, Divine Wind Island looked much as it always had. Ships came and went in the harbor, the spirit fields flourished, and everything was orderly. At the sight, the stone hanging over Chen Ming's heart finally settled. His greatest concern had been that Tianxing City or another faction might exploit his absence to strike. Now it seemed the Star Palace's deterrent remained strong enough.
The Spirit Boat slowly entered the harbor. When the disciples on duty saw that the Island Master had returned, they hurried to send a signal. Before long, Liu Qingqing and Feng Wuying rushed to the docks.
"Island Master, you're finally back!" Liu Qingqing hurried forward, her gaze sweeping over the three of them. Only after confirming that no one was injured did she breathe a sigh of relief. "Did you run into any danger?"
"A little trouble, but we dealt with it." Chen Ming smiled. "How are things on the island? Did anything happen while we were away?"
"Everything is normal," Liu Qingqing reported. "Tianxing City has been behaving itself and hasn't come looking for trouble again. Work on mining the spirit vein is progressing smoothly. The first batch of spiritual ore has already been refined, and its purity is very high. Jade Wave Island sent someone to inquire after us once, and Black