It was early morning three days later when Chen Ming returned to Divine Wind Island.
He set Sun Li's token and nautical chart on the table and gave a concise account of his journey. When he mentioned that Sun Li was dead and the remaining Corpse Refining Sect disciples had all been eliminated, Wan Yao'er raised her eyebrows, a flicker of approval crossing her eyes.
"So you've already found out where the Star Abyss Key is?" Wan Yao'er asked.
"Almost certainly." Chen Ming spread out the nautical chart and pointed to the Seventeenth Reef Cluster in the Southwestern Sea. "Sun Li said that Grand Elder was hiding in an Undersea Cave Abode here. With this token, we should be able to open its wards. The problem is that the Southwestern Sea is now under close surveillance by the Star Palace. If we head over there rashly, their people will easily spot us."
Wan Yao'er considered this for a moment, then said, "Then we shouldn't sneak in. We should go openly."
Chen Ming paused in surprise. "Openly?"
"Yes." A crafty gleam flashed in Wan Yao'er's eyes. "We'll organize an Exploration Team in the name of Divine Wind Island and publicly announce that we're heading to the Southwestern Sea to seek new resources and trading opportunities. The Star Palace controls its main shipping routes, but surely they can't forbid every ship from passing through? As long as our explanation holds water and we keep our numbers reasonable, they won't interfere too much."
Chen Ming thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "That makes sense. But the two of us alone won't be enough. Since the Star Abyss Secret Realm is a cave abode left behind by an ancient Loose Immortal, it must be fraught with danger. We should bring more people so