During the month-long voyage, two more large ships gradually joined the fleet. However, these vessels carried no experts of the Innate Realm like Zhang He and Tai.

One day, He Yiming was meditating quietly in his cabin. He had successfully refined the essence blood imbued with the energy of the Five Elements Ring within his dantian.

He had a vague feeling that this strange power could indeed mend the damage if the Five Elements Ring were to be harmed. But regrettably, just as Jin Zhanyi had mentioned, he was still unable to separate it from the ring itself.

While this refinement process did offer some benefit to the Five Elements Ring, it paled in comparison to the advantage of being able to fully repair the ring at any time.

He had spent the last few days pondering this issue, attempting to see if his own strength, or perhaps his unique physique, could achieve that effect, but unfortunately, he had yet to find a better method.

Suddenly, He Yiming’s ears twitched subtly, and he clearly heard the boisterous cheers erupting from the entire fleet.

This fleet, led by Huo Hongsheng, was undoubtedly one known for its near-severe discipline. Generally, aside from a very select few, the rest of the crew were forbidden from shouting wildly on board. Violating this order resulted in harsh punishment.

Of course, individuals like Zhang He and Tai naturally paid no mind to such rules. Still, they wouldn't resort to such behavior unless they were completely losing their minds.

But now, the sounds of sailors’ jubilation could be heard from nearly every ship, which greatly surprised He Yiming.

He listened closely, and understanding dawned in his mind: after the long voyage, they had finally reached Penglai Immortal Island.

Hearing the incessant cries of “Home,” a warmth spread through He Yiming’s heart.

Not long after, a gentle knock sounded at the outer cabin door. He Yiming smiled faintly, rose, and opened it.

Standing outside were Zhang He and Huo Hongsheng. For men of their stature to personally come here at this moment showed He Yiming the greatest respect.

However, in He Yiming’s heart, this was all to be expected, so his expression remained unchanged.

“Brother He, we are finally back at Penglai Immortal Island,” Zhang He laughed heartily. “Please honor my humble home with your presence for a day, Brother He. Then, allow me to show you around the entire island?”

He Yiming paused briefly in thought. His original plan was to depart immediately upon disembarking. But with such an excellent guide presented to him now, he immediately felt hesitant.

He knew that although he wasn't directionally challenged, trying to locate his objective purely from memory would certainly not be a simple task.

After all, the expanse of Penglai Immortal Island was considerable, far exceeding his initial estimations.

Equivalent to an entire inland province, He Yiming wasn't confident he could navigate it successfully on his own.

As for entrusting this task to Bai Lingba…

Since the incident with the “sea vessel,” He Yiming’s trust in Bai Lingba’s abilities in certain aspects was no longer as absolute as it had been initially.

Smiling slightly, He Yiming replied, “Since Brother Zhang shows such great kindness, this humble one accepts your generous offer.”

Zhang He was overjoyed. On the ship, no matter how courteously he behaved, He Yiming remained amiable but always maintained a sense of keeping others at arm’s length. Zhang He certainly did not wish to miss this opportunity to forge a connection with such a young master. Thus, even before disembarking, he had positioned himself outside the cabin door. Now, it seemed his sincerity had indeed moved the other party.

The group reached the ship’s bow and looked ahead. Indeed, a continuous black line had appeared in the distance.

Every person on board seemed to possess inexhaustible energy, their eyes filled with profound smiles.

Sailing the seas was difficult enough, especially enduring a massive storm this time which resulted in the loss of one ship and some comrades. Therefore, the moment of their safe return was filled with boundless joy and deep emotion.

As they drew nearer, Huo Hongsheng noticed the look of curiosity in He Yiming’s eyes and quickly stepped forward to explain.

This was one of the many piers on Penglai Immortal Island, large and small. However, piers of this scale were limited to only ten across the entire island.

There was a hint of pride in Huo Hongsheng's tone, as their sect claimed two of these ten major docking areas.

He Yiming nodded slightly, offering no further comment.

The ship moved closer still, and He Yiming could now see the numerous vessels docked at the pier, most of which were large seagoing ships.

He Yiming mused to himself: if all ten major piers maintained this scale and were constantly host to so many ships, the activity level on this island likely rivaled that of the great continents inland.

Huo Hongsheng directed the fleet straight toward a large, clear space. He Yiming noticed that this conspicuously empty area had few ships moored there, and even those present shared similar designs and colors to their own fleet. This suggested that this space was likely reserved specifically for them.

“Lay the ropes…”

At a sharp command, the four large ships finally entered the harbor. He Yiming watched the surroundings with keen interest; it was his first time witnessing such a scene, and it would be self-deception to say he wasn't curious.

After a while, the ships settled completely. Accompanied by Zhang He and Huo Hongsheng, He Yiming stepped onto the pier.

Several luxurious carriages were already prepared there. He Yiming glanced at them and felt a secret sense of wonder. These carriages seemed extraordinarily opulent; not only were they beyond comparison to those in the Northwest, but even the carriages in Great Shen likely couldn't measure up.

He pondered quietly: perhaps Penglai Immortal Island was truly a step ahead of Great Shen in terms of technology in this regard.

“Hahaha, Brother Zhang, you’ve finally returned.”

A middle-aged man, his face glowing with vitality, strode purposefully from the carriages.

Just by observing the powerful, commanding way he walked, one could tell this was a man of significant status, and only another expert of the same level would greet a warrior of the Innate Realm in such a manner.

A slight smile graced Zhang He’s face. “Brother Huo, why have you come to meet the ships personally? This junior feels unworthy of such an honor.”

Although the two men appeared to have decades between them in age based on their looks, He Yiming knew that the middle-aged man was likely slightly older. This was due to his exceptional talent, having successfully advanced to the Innate Realm by the age of forty or fifty, resulting in a much younger outward appearance.

Huo Hongsheng’s expression showed a flicker of joy. He bowed respectfully, “Father, why have you come here, Elder?”

The man sized up Huo Hongsheng from head to toe. “I heard news about you and became a bit worried, so I came to take a look.”

Huo Hongsheng paused briefly, lowering his head. “Father, it was my poor command that caused the ship to be caught in the storm.”

The man shook his head. “One ship lost is a small matter. As long as you survived, everything else is worthwhile.”

Huo Hongsheng nodded heavily, then his eyes brightened. “Father, allow me to introduce you—this is Mr. He, who saved my life.”

He turned toward He Yiming. “Mr. He, this is my father, Huo Leqing.”

Huo Leqing’s eyes met He Yiming’s, and he immediately stepped forward, bowing deeply. “Mr. He, my foolish son met with disaster at sea, and we owe him a debt of gratitude for your timely aid. Our Huo family will never forget such great kindness.”

He Yiming smiled faintly and returned the bow. “Brother Huo is too kind; it was merely lifting a finger.”

Huo Leqing stated earnestly, “To Brother He, it might be the effort of lifting a finger, but to our Huo family, it is a kindness we shall never forget.”

Suddenly, a burst of loud wailing erupted from not far away. He Yiming looked over in surprise and saw a group of people crying without restraint, their faces clearly etched with profound sorrow.

Huo Leqing sighed deeply. “Brother He, these are the relatives of those lost in the disaster.”

He Yiming instantly understood. Although he had unintentionally saved Huo Hongsheng, an entire ship’s worth of other crew members had perished in that storm, with no chance of survival.

Watching the grief-stricken figures, a look of discomfort crossed He Yiming’s eyes.

Huo Leqing and Zhang He exchanged a glance and nodded to each other. Seeing the involuntary expression He Yiming displayed, they became even more certain. This man was an expert of the Innate Realm who had recently ascended, and he certainly couldn't be very old. Those Innate masters over eighty would have long grown accustomed to witnessing life and death separations and would not display such a reaction.

“Brother He, these people were all employed by our Huo family. Though the dead cannot be revived, we in the Huo family can still manage to do something for their surviving kin,” Huo Leqing said with a soft sigh.

He Yiming nodded slightly. Given Huo Leqing’s status, once he made such a promise, he would certainly honor it. Furthermore, because of this statement, He Yiming felt a strange sense of goodwill toward him. If Huo Leqing knew that this single sentence had left an impression on a Venerable being, he would be overjoyed beyond measure.

“Brother He, Brother Zhang, I have prepared a sumptuous banquet at my humble residence. I sincerely ask both of you to honor me with your presence,” Huo Leqing said, smiling broadly.

Zhang He echoed the invitation cheerily. He Yiming put on a show of thoughtful consideration, though at that moment, his own stomach betrayed him with a rumble.

Though no sound was emitted, He Yiming knew clearly that since setting out to sea, he had subsisted only on grilled fish and Bigu Pills; the reserves of sustenance in his belly were long gone. Hearing of a magnificent feast, he genuinely felt tempted.

While skipping a single meal wouldn't starve him, he was still too young, and the desires of the palate had not been entirely suppressed.

He glanced toward the distance and immediately found an excuse for his compliance. If he left immediately upon setting foot on shore, these people might grow suspicious. Since he had nothing pressing to do anyway, he might as well accompany them for a while...

Ps: Good heavens, I haven’t been online these past two days because I’ve been taking care of my child. I just checked and I’m only one hundred votes away from being overtaken... Bai He begs for votes. I’m heading off to write now; I won't be on Q today, please forgive me. I have to accompany my child out tomorrow, so I definitely won't have time to write. I must complete three chapters tonight and tomorrow morning—this is tough! The day after tomorrow, I guarantee five chapters. Please support Bai He with monthly votes. Thank you!