Lin Mu too wondered what method Qiao De and Ziran had used to get to the rendezvous point. Since they had not used the Teleportation arrays in the Dao Wind Empire, the common assumption would be that they had used an Immortal vehicle to get here. But when one considered the fact that coming here on an Immortal vehicle here would be incredibly hard, it didn't make sense.
Especially with the dangers of the great ocean and the terrifying storms that filled it.
A small Immortal Vehicle would not be able to traverse the ocean. Or even if it could, there was no way they would be able to reach here in time. Only a large immortal ship like the one Crown Prince Feng Shun had brought would be able to traverse the harsh ocean.
But it was not something anyone could obtain or buy. Plus, it was doubtful whether Qiao De would want to use such a large ship for just two people. As such, it was a bit confusing as to how the two of them had arrived here.
"They did use a Teleportation array though." Lin Mu suddenly spoke up, much to the surprise of others.
"Teleportation array?" Crown Prince Feng Shun raised his brows. "That's not possible. I know of every teleportation array in the Dao Wind Empire." He stated.
"Yes, but this one is not in the empire." Lin Mu replied. "It's here… Right on the island." He added.
Hearing that, the Crown Prince looked at Qiao De.
"An unofficial array?" It didn't take much for Feng Shun to realize what was going on.
"We did use one." Qiao De replied. "Though I'm surprised Daoist Mu Lin can even tell it's there… it's not exactly a stable one." He added, feeling a bit surprised too.
"What do you mean?" Feng Shun questioned with concern.
An unofficial array located this close to the Dao Wind Empire was a matter of security for them. After all, it could be utilized in a nefarious manner and pose a great problem to the entire empire.
There was a reason why each and every array in the entire empire was registered and a record was kept of every person that used it.
As such, it was almost impossible to sneak into the Dao Wind Empire.
This was the reason why they were so sure that Yao Changying had not escaped and was still hiding somewhere within the empire. It was also why the army of the Dao Wind Empire was on high alert, and so were the members of the Temple of the Four Guardians. Belongs to (N)ôvel/Drama.Org.
Of course, they knew that there could be some unofficial Teleportation arrays hidden outside the empire, but those did not concern them as much as long as they weren't too close. But this island was different, it was only five hundred kilometers from the coast of the Dao Wind Empire. It was a short enough distance that even a First Tribulation Stage Immortal would have no issues simply flying over. And once they entered the empire, things would become a lot more complex.
If there was really an array on this island, Feng Shun needed to know more.
"The Teleportation array wasn't a permanent one." Lin Mu spoke up instead. "I can sense its traces… it could only be used once." He added.
The Crown Prince paid attention to Lin Mu's words and was a bit relieved.
'If it's Daoist Mu Lin saying this, then it should be true.' The Crown Prince had more trust in him than he did on Qiao De.
Besides, Lin Mu had already proven his skills and sensitivity to formation arrays earlier. "Like Daoist Mu Lin said, it was indeed a single use Teleportation Array." Qiao De replied. "You can consider it a… Life saving option. A trump card of sorts." He added.
"Who built it?" Feng Shun questioned in a straight tone. "And if it was a life saving option, why would you use it right now?" "Well, I didn't say it was my trump card." Qiao De replied. "I bought it from someone else. A person desperate enough to sell his life saving talismans." He added. Hearing that Feng Shun didn't lessen his concern. Qiao De sensed the tenseness and knew it was better to come clean.
"If it's any saving grace, this array was actually made by someone from the Dao Wind Empire too." Qiao De answered. "An itinerant cultivator by the name of Daoist Laotian." "Daoist Laotian? The same Daoist Laotian who betrayed the Porcelain Tiger Pavilion and stole their treasures?" Crown Prince Feng Shun seemed to recognize the name.
"The Crown Prince is well informed." Qiao De confirmed the identity. "The man ran away from the Dao Wind Empire using the official arrays and came to the Holy Topaz Empire. But he knew that he would never be able to return to the Dao Wind Empire, and as such, decided to sell this off." He explained.
"Hmm… And it only had a single use?" Crown Prince Feng Shun questioned next.
"Indeed. There was just a single talisman and I used it to get here. If you wish to confirm it, I believe Daoist Mu Lin's testimony should suffice." Qiao De replied, diverting the attention to Lin Mu instead.
"He's right." Lin Mu nodded his head. "The Teleportation array was intentionally made to be for a single use only. Probably to prevent anyone else from chasing the owner through it or tracking them down. The array was built to self destruct after it was activated." He explained.
Crown Prince Feng Shun felt a lot better after hearing that. "Thank you, Daoist Mu Lin." The man spoke. "Though… I would prefer if you would have just come through the official route." He said, looking at the auction manager.
"I just thought it was best to maintain some 'privacy'." Qiao De responded without feeling any pressure. "Besides, I'm sure my arrival in the Dao Wind Empire would probably raise some eyes. Especially if I come with Ziran, who's a half elf." He added.
"Hmm… very well. Though I would have liked it if you informed me beforehand." Feng Shun said, letting out a sigh.