Chapter 55 Floating Island in the Sky

The floating airship port of Fufeng Town had been abandoned for years. If Chi Sui wanted to take a boat to Green Island, the nearest operational port was in Warmwind Town.

Heading to a brand-new map filled Chi Sui with excitement, and she packed her luggage well in advance.

Warmwind Town was quite different from Windchime Town; its roads were much wider, and all along the way, Chi Sui spotted numerous groups of herders.

There were hardly any trees here, only endless stretches of grassland that seemed to merge seamlessly with the horizon.

However, her stay in Warmwind Town was brief, as the boat ticket Kiriya had booked for her was almost due.

Before she could fully absorb the scenery and culture of Warmwind Town, Chi Sui stepped into the cabin of the airship with her bags.

The airship looked completely different from what Chi Sui had imagined.

The hull was crafted from an unidentifiable white material, its upper section gently bulging into a streamlined, curving arch. From a distance, it resembled a massive white cloud drifting quietly among the clouds of the airship port, nearly blending into its surroundings unless inspected closely.

Stepping inside, the interior was bright and spacious. The cabin was divided into two levels; the first level was filled with rows of neat seats, typically purchased by standard passengers.

However, since Chi Sui was traveling with Mr. Stone and Momo, and the first-class seats did not permit magical creatures, her ticket was for the much more luxurious second level.

Naturally, the price was considerably higher.

Lolo had originally wanted to tag along, but tickets were charged per individual, and even if only a fraction of her subjects boarded, it would have entirely emptied Chi Sui's wallet.

The luxurious second-level seats were actually a series of separated private cabins. Considering Mr. Stone's massive stature, Chi Sui had booked the largest compartment available for him.

Yet the doorway was still somewhat narrow, requiring Mr. Stone to turn sideways every time he squeezed inside.

Green Island was the closest island to Purple Island, featuring the shortest aerial route. According to the ticket, the airship would reach Green Island in less than half a day.

The route would pass through a moderately turbulent zone, but outside of that period, passengers were free to visit the deck to enjoy the scenery.

With her VIP ticket, Chi Sui had received an illustrated route map detailing all the landmarks along the way.

For instance, the ship would pass through Sunset Cloud Lake, where passengers could admire the sunset over the clouds. Anglers frequently fished in the lake, and the flying cloudfish found within its waters were considered a top-tier delicacy.

Beyond Sunset Cloud Lake lay a floating island forest. The route map marked this area in red, accompanied by an explicit warning: undeveloped territory, approach with caution.

Aside from this floating island, another one would appear not far from Green Island. This island was marked in green with a tiny, carefully drawn human figure next to it, indicating that it was inhabited and fell within the territorial boundaries of Green Island.

Studying the route map, Chi Sui had initially looked forward to making a detour through the cloud lake. Her fishing skills were quite decent, and such air-island-exclusive fishing spots made her palms itch with eagerness.

However, Mr. Stone reminded her to take a closer look at the ticket in her hand.

Sure enough, a line of fine print in the bottom right corner stated: *This vessel is a direct service to Green Island; all other stations will be bypassed.*

The excitement that had just flared up in Chi Sui instantly deflated.

"That cloud lake isn't far from Fufeng Town. If you want to go, I can fly you there next time," Mr. Stone said, smiling as he looked at Chi Sui's drooping shoulders and dejected expression to comfort her.

"Really? Can I bring my fishing rod and bait?"

"As long as I can carry them."

***

Encouraged by Mr. Stone's affirmative reply, Chi Sui perked up again, her anticipation for the aerial scenery soaring.

She gathered Momo and prepared to head up to the deck to enjoy the view.

Unfortunately, Momo curled itself into a tight ball and refused to step out of the cabin no matter what.

"Don't move me, I'm so dizzy, I'm going to throw up," Momo groaned weakly from its seat.

"Is this... motion sickness?"

"It would appear so," Mr. Stone nodded from the side.

Given Momo's condition, it was clearly unfit to go out and had to remain in the cabin.

Fearing that it might actually vomit and soil the seats, which would incur a penalty fee, Chi Sui thoughtfully provided it with a basin.

*If you're going to throw up, do it in the basin.*

In the end, only she and Mr. Stone walked out onto the deck.

The airship had already passed through the turbulent zone, and passengers were gradually emerging onto the deck in small groups, chatting, laughing, and conversing.

Chi Sui even spotted a passenger holding a drawing board and a brush, beginning to sketch.

From the rough draft on the paper, it looked like a forest enveloped in mist and clouds.

Chi Sui turned her head to look, and sure enough, right ahead of the airship was a floating island shrouded in a thick fog.

Having come out a bit late, they had already missed the cloud lake.

Viewed from a distance, only a faint green outline of the floating island was visible, with the majority of it concealed within the mist—both beautiful and mysterious.

Aside from that floating island, the surroundings were a vast expanse of pure white, making that patch of green exceptionally captivating.

It seemed to lure people inward.

The green grew increasingly dazzling, drawing Chi Sui closer, and closer...

"Don't look."

A furry foreleg blocked Chi Sui's vision.

"There is something strange about that place."

Mr. Stone's action finally snapped Chi Sui out of her trance.

She patted her face with lingering fear; had Mr. Stone not intervened, she might have continued walking right toward the floating island.

This was high in the air, and stepping outside the ship meant certain death at any moment.

"What just happened to me? Clearly, other people were looking at that island and drawing it."

***

Mr. Stone stepped forward, completely blocking Chi Sui's line of sight.

"The owner of that island seems to be rather fond of you. Stop looking over there; you aren't ready to go there yet."

Chi Sui shivered, feeling somewhat speechless.

"Is this a matter of whether I'm ready or not? It's a matter of life and death, you know."

Mr. Stone smiled and explained, "I've been to that island before. There's a very interesting fellow inside. If it wanted you dead, you wouldn't have survived just now."

Chi Sui: "..."

"Should I thank it then?"

"No need. Go back to your room first; I'm going to go catch up with an old acquaintance."

With those words, Mr. Stone unfolded his wings and flew toward the floating island amidst the startled cries of the surrounding passengers.

Moments later, a crew member rushed over to Chi Sui.

"Madam, what you're doing is very dangerous. Call it back immediately."

Chi Sui: "..."

Everything had happened too fast, and from her perspective, Mr. Stone had already dwindled to a tiny black speck.

If she possessed the ability to haul Mr. Stone back, she wouldn't have bothered boarding this ship in the first place. With that kind of power, wouldn't it be easier to just fly directly to Green Island?

Faced with the crew member's accusatory glare, Chi Sui offered a dry, awkward laugh.

"Um... this is a bit difficult. How about... I go back inside first?"

Going back inside was, of course, out of the question.

Mr. Stone's stunt promptly earned Chi Sui a VIP seat.

Seated in a special compartment on the deck, Chi Sui pressed her hands together, keeping her gaze lowered and her demeanor utterly submissive and harmless.

Directly across from her sat a middle-aged man with a stern expression, his sharp eagle eyes fixed unwaveringly on the top of Chi Sui's head.

Feeling the intensity of that burning gaze, Chi Sui lowered her head even further.

"Madam Chi Sui, was that magical creature of yours attempting to desert?"

*Desert? Who was deserting?*

This bizarre choice of words successfully forced Chi Sui to lift her head.