Li Qiye’s comment was quite mystifying to the listeners. They couldn’t understand many things he spoke of. Fairy kept on thinking with her eyes flas.h.i.+ng brightly. Ultimately, she became confused again since these short bursts of elucidation weren’t enough.
Li Qiye smiled and returned to the rudder. His hands lit up with narrow runes that formed a stream of light. They slowly flowed like time itself and seemingly had their own life. These runes wrapped around the shudder and drilled inside.
The s.h.i.+p’s speed increased while giving off a difficult-to-describe sensation. It looked like a stream of water was wis.h.i.+ng to fill the entire bones.h.i.+p.
Ruyan immediately asked: “What are you doing, Young n.o.ble?”
He smiled and continued to control the flowing runes: “Taking control of the bones.h.i.+p in order to lead it to wherever I want.”
“They can be controlled?” Jians.h.i.+ was surprised to hear this. The common belief was that these s.h.i.+ps couldn’t be controlled. Those who board could only let the s.h.i.+ps drift wherever they wanted; of course, they also had the option to switch s.h.i.+ps during the journey.
Li Qiye smiled in response: “That depends on the person. If you understand the mysteries and fundamental essences of the Bonesea, then you can remove its restrictions and control the s.h.i.+p regardless of one’s strength. Of course, the stronger you are, the stronger the s.h.i.+p will be after the takeover. It is quite a big mystery within the grand scheme of things.”
Having said that, the entire s.h.i.+p lit up. It was made out of some strange bones and after waking up, it radiated a warm feeling like jade.
One could see the long flowing runes spread across the s.h.i.+p. They were quite delicate and exquisite, making the entire s.h.i.+p look like a carved masterpiece. Upon closer inspection, one would find that these runes were quite complex. There was vegetation as well as rare beasts. They carried a natural and vast aura of antiquity. It seemed that something was recorded in these patterns.
The group carefully looked at them but couldn’t read any of it. Even though they could feel a sentimental sadness, its mysteries still eluded them. Only Fairy was relis.h.i.+ng their presence in full immersion.
She eventually murmured: “Everything grows until the world restarts.”
The group was a bit shaken after hearing this. It seemed that this sentence encompa.s.sed an eternal secret.
“Among the long eras, there has not been one that was considered the end of time just yet.” Li Qiye shook his head: “It could only be considered a collapse. A real destruction is where all things cease to be and time itself becomes ashes.”
“When will that day come?” She looked at him with limpid eyes.
Li Qiye pondered for a moment before answering: “It will certainly come since the great era is not far off.”
The startled group seemed to realize that they had just overheard an unbelievable secret.
The daoist couldn’t help but ask Li Qiye: “Will the world truly be destroyed?”
He didn’t answer the daoist. Fairy continued to stare at Li Qiye as if she wanted to find out the answer from him.
He made a statement instead: “As long as I am still in this world, that day won’t come. Everything will continue as is before I receive a convincing answer from the villainous heavens! If what lies above the nine firmaments does not give me an answer, then I shall take it down and make my own!”
It was a very solemn statement. He aimed it at Fairy, not the rest of the group.
The girls glanced at each other. They didn’t know what this answer Li Qiye was seeking or why he desired it. They were quite curious, but they didn’t dare to ask because judging from his expression, it was a very important matter.
Fairy’s eyes kept switching from brightness to confusion as her memories were still a blur.
She sincerely replied: “Even though I don’t remember much and my past is a blank, you are definitely greater than me and worthy of admiration.”
Li Qiye laughed in response: “It would sound quite sarcastic from anyone else, but I feel quite happy when you say it.”
Of course, his expression betrayed his words. Shortly after, he gently shook his head: “Our lives are different, and the same goes for our worth. With regards to greatness and unfathomability, the truth is that I’m no match for you.”
She carefully pondered before rejecting the notion: “No, I have never thought about such a distant question since I have yet to reach that level. Outside of surviving and looking at other sentient beings, I have never explored other matters as I have missed the best era. In such an era, I failed to pursue the true meaning at the end of the world.”
Li Qiye responded: “No, this is why you are incredible and worthy of admiration. In your heart are other living beings, compa.s.sion, and mercy — all of this changed the era itself. I am different from you. You have too many worries and things you care about in your heart while I only think of myself and the answer, nothing else. Thus, on this path, other existences are only fleeting pa.s.sersby. I show no mercy to anyone or anything that tries to block my path, and I will never stop for any reason. If I am ruthless incarnate, then you are the embodiment of compa.s.sion.”
He ended this with a self-deprecating smile. Fairy looked at him with eyes that seemed to stare straight at his soul. A while later, she solemnly asked: “Are you truly willing to give up everything? Is there nothing in this world that you care about?”
Li Qiye chose to stay quiet, so he didn’t answer her question.
“Buzz!” At this time, the runes finally lit up the entire s.h.i.+p. This vessel now looked like a piece of carved white jade.
A pleasant and crisp noise resounded. Runes in the shape of gears of different colors emerged near the rudder. It looked like each gear was made out of bronze. Their appearance issued a cranking mechanical sound. Li Qiye was glad to see these runes and immediately moved the rudder. Under his influence, the gears s.h.i.+fted and the s.h.i.+p began to move towards his desired destination.
“Success!” The group rejoiced after seeing Li Qiye effortlessly controlling the s.h.i.+p.
Li Qiye smiled and told the group: “Good. Sit tight, it’s time to accelerate.”
The whole s.h.i.+p turned bright. The runic gears by the rudder rapidly spun.
“Swoos.h.!.+” The group all shook a little. The bones.h.i.+p was now traveling at an unbelievable velocity through the winds and waves. It was actually jumping in the air above the water due to Li Qiye’s control. Their s.h.i.+p quickly pa.s.sed by many other bones.h.i.+ps, leaving them in the dust.
A lot of people had boarded before Li Qiye, so they had a head start. However, they could only sit still and let the other s.h.i.+ps slowly drift away while Li Qiye’s s.h.i.+p sped towards the Bonesea. Many were stunned and thought that they were just seeing things.
A person commented in disbelief: “How outrageous, is there actually a bones.h.i.+p that fast in this world?”
“At such speeds, it won’t take more than an hour to get to the Bonesea while it would take us more than ten days drifting like this.” Someone who had been there before calculated the time.
Of course, not all the s.h.i.+ps were drifting towards the Bonesea, some were drifting away. Some had skeletons while others were completely empty.
Qianbei noticed the empty s.h.i.+ps and asked: “Why are some of the s.h.i.+ps empty?”
“It shows that some people have boarded them in the past and killed off the skeletons before abandoning them, so these s.h.i.+ps continue to float.” Even though Puresun hadn’t been to the Bonesea before, he still knew quite a bit.