"Junior sister, why are you still looking at him? Are you really considering taking him alone because he's handsome?" asked the other woman beside Jiang Qi.

Jiang Qi shook her head and said, "He feels quite strong, so I thought that he was a disciple of some other academy. I must have guessed wrongly."

"He feels quite strong? In my opinion, he is probably some Skysoar Realm cultivator. For us, he's merely an ant," said the man in gold with contempt. "Alright. Let's pick up the pace. We are still quite far away from Lonesoul Island. We need at least seven days to arrive, and we might even encounter aquatic beasts on our way. We can't afford to wait any longer."

"We have only decided to travel this way so we can temper ourselves in the sea. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to get a decent result in the competition," said a different person.

"Um. Let's go," said Jiang Qi. Surprisingly, she was the group's leader. After voicing her agreement, she led them as they flew toward Lonesoul Island.

Not far away, Xiang Shaoyun watched the group depart. He wanted to follow them, but he was afraid that they would misunderstand his intentions, so he decided to ask some other people for directions instead.

At this time, he saw an old man working on a fishing boat. The fishing boat was old and shabby, but the old man still repaired it relentlessly. Beside him was a little girl helping him with the boat. The pair was evidently dependent on each other, and it seemed like they lived a hard life.

Xiang Shaoyun walked over and said, "Sir, this boat is already very old. No matter how you repair it, it is unlikely that it can still sail. I have some money here. Take it and buy yourself a new boat."

A smile bloomed on the old man's face, making the creases on his face seem even deeper. He said gratefully, "Thank you, young man. But we never accept undeserved rewards."

The rejection surprised Xiang Shaoyun. He did not give up and said, "This little fellow is still growing. You should take the money and buy some good food for her. Don't let the child starve."

The little girl looked at Xiang Shaoyun with a pair of bright eyes and said, "Thank you, big brother. But grandpa once said that we shouldn't accept things from strangers."

Her words placed Xiang Shaoyun in an awkward position. He wanted to perform some good deeds but was rejected so thoroughly. He even started feeling gloomy.

"Young man, are you looking for something?" asked the old man. He seemed like someone who had experienced many things in life, and he behaved as though he could see that something was troubling Xiang Shaoyun.

Xiang Shaoyun nodded and said, "Sir, do you know where Lonesoul Island is?"

"You're trying to go to Lonesoul Island, young man? I advise you not to go. That place is haunted," said the old man, a trace of fear surfacing on his face.

"Have you been there before, sir? Which direction is the island?" asked Xiang Shaoyun, automatically ignoring the latter part of what the old man said.

"I went there once when I was young. At that time, I was traveling with dozens of people. We encountered a storm and were sent to that island, so we decided to rest there. Since I was in charge of watching over the ship, I did not step onto the island. Almost all who left the ship died, with only a single survivor. But the survivor had turned mad. Even then, he died not long after he returned to the ship. Before his death, he had claimed that the island was haunted. It frightened me greatly, so I escaped alone. Even now, when I think back to that incident, I can still feel a chill creep up my back," the old man recollected with a fearful look.

"Don't be afraid, sir. Perhaps some wild ghosts are creating trouble there. As a cultivator, I am naturally obliged to take care of such wild ghosts. Please tell me the direction of the island, sir. That is all I need," said Xiang Shaoyun, who was brimming with a heroic aura.

"Fine, fine. The young are always reckless. Lonesoul Island is northeast of here. It's very far. If I have to row my boat over, it will take me two or three months," said the old man as he pointed in a certain direction and sighed.

"Thank you, sir," said Xiang Shaoyun. He then tossed the money over to the old man before vanishing into thin air.

Playing with the money in his hand, the old man smiled before saying with a sigh, "Young man, you are in too much of a hurry. I don't know where Lonesoul Island is either. I only said that much so you would retreat out of fear. But you actually rewarded me so generously for my lie. I am ashamed."

"Grandpa, you're lying again!" complained the little girl with a pout.

"Ahh, Little Sprout, your grandpa wasn't lying. I was merely trying to talk him out of losing his life. Anyway, he was the one who had voluntarily given us the money. Someone so kind is rare nowadays," praised the old man earnestly.

"That big brother is a good guy. We shouldn't lie to someone like him!" said the little girl with her innocent voice.

"You're right. That's why your grandpa is ashamed. But Lonesoul Island is definitely a land of danger. By sending him in the wrong direction, I am saving his life. As the saying goes, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-floor pagoda. I do not feel any guilt at all," retorted the old man.

"Oh, I understand. That was a lie of kindness," said the little girl.

"Exactly, a lie of kindness," the old man hurriedly agreed.

"If that's the case, I played a role in that lie of kindness as well. Grandpa, shouldn't you share half the money with me?"

"Little Sprout, are you trying to rob me? This is your grandpa's retirement fund!"

"Don't worry. Little Sprout will save the money for your retirement, grandpa. I will only use a little bit of it."

"Eh..."

...

If Xiang Shaoyun had heard their conversation, he would probably spit blood in anger. He sympathized with the pair after seeing that they probably lived a hard life and that they weren't cultivators. But they had actually pointed him in the wrong direction, completely misleading him.

He was currently seated atop Money as they flew above the sea. Following behind him was Aikai. Together, the group flew at top speed. After flying continuously for three days, they reached the center of a boundless sea.

No signs of human activity could be seen around them, and no land was visible either. The only thing they saw was a boundless blue connecting the sky and the sea. The view was great, yet it also gave rise to a lonesome feeling.

"Something isn't right. We have been traveling at full speed for three days. If we were traveling in the right direction, we would have encountered the Sacred Deer Academy disciples by now. However, we haven't seen anyone. Is this direction...damn that old swindler!" With his intelligence, Xiang Shaoyun immediately realized that he had been cheated.

He stopped, anxiousness welling in his heart. If he couldn't reach Lonesoul Island in time, he would not be able to participate in the competition. At that time, his master might even sever their relationship.

"No, I need to think of something," muttered Xiang Shaoyun. His brain spun rapidly, and he soon thought of an idea. "Money, go capture some aquatic demons to ask for directions."

The sea had no lack of aquatic demons. He believed the aquatic demons would definitely know the island's location.

"Sure, boss. This happens to be something I'm good at," said Money as he roared.

"Roar!"