Jared signaled Carlo to step forward and ask his question. Feigning ignorance of Ventus and his companions’ identities, Carlo loudly questioned them, “Who are you people? Why are you blocking our way?”
There was not a trace of fear on Carlo’s face. Instead, he appeared somewhat displeased.
Ventus glanced at Carlo, his brow slightly furrowed. However, he still courteously inquired, “My friend, who are you people? And why have you come here? This place is a few thousand kilometers away from the mainland!”
“Why are you guys here, then? This place doesn’t belong to you, so I can go wherever I please!” Carlo snapped at Ventus, giving the latter a piece of his mind.
Ventus was taken aback, but he didn’t lose his temper. He was certain that the person before him was not from the group of alchemists. If those alchemists had seen him, they would have probably been scared out of their wits.
“You’ve misunderstood, my friend. That’s not what I meant. I just noticed that your spirit ship is severely damaged. I’m afraid it might not hold up if you continue your journey. I assume you’re also an array master, aren’t you? Although your spirit ship is in a sorry state, it’s still protected by several arcane arrays,” Ventus inquired.
“Indeed. We are from Duad Formation Sect of the central region. I am Carlo Graham, the leader of the sect. We were originally sailing on our spirit ship to capture some demon beasts in the sea. Unexpectedly, a storm arose and blew us off course to this place. Had our arcane arrays not been so robust, I fear this spirit ship, along with all of us, would have perished in the storm long ago. What a place this is, huh? I’ve seen my fair share of storms, but never one as terrifying as this. I’d advise you not to go. The storm hasn’t ceased yet. Be careful, or you might get caught up in it too!” Carlo grumbled.
“So, you’re the head of Duad Formation Sect, Mr. Graham. I’ve heard about you. I’ve heard that your sect’s elder was knowledgeable in divine markings. That’s truly impressive.”
Upon hearing about Duad Formation Sect, Ventus immediately became polite.
Duad Formation Sect was quite renowned among the array craft sects.
“What a surprise! You’re aware of our esteemed bearer of divine markings? Who exactly are you?” Carlo asked, feigning ignorance.
Ventus respectfully gestured with his hand and said, “Oh, we hail from Sky Slasher Sect. I am Ventus Mulligan, the sect leader of Sky Slasher Sect.”
“Sky Slasher Sect?” Carlo pretended to ponder for a moment, then said, “I heard that Sky Slasher Sect was wiped out a long time ago! It’s been years since I’ve heard any news about Sky Slasher Sect!”
Ventus wore an expression of embarrassment as he explained, “We weren’t wiped out. It’s just that the mainland had no place for us. Hence, we traveled a great distance to live in this vast ocean. Speaking of which, we’ve been living here for what feels like a thousand years. I’ve long since forgotten what the mainland looked like.”
Carlo nodded in sudden realization, then asked, “I see. Since you’ve been living here for such a long time, you must know where nearby I can find a place to stay, right? We really need to find a place to dock and repair our spirit ship…”
“Of course! There’s a small island ahead where we’ve always lived. You can settle there. However, I’m tied up with some matters and won’t be able to guide you there,” said Ventus.
“That’s great! We can just head over ourselves. What are you busy with, Mr. Mulligan?” Carlo asked casually.
However, after asking, Carlo immediately regretted it. Was there even a need to ask? Of course, these people were heading to reinforce Aaron.
“One of our spirit ships ran into some difficulties, so we’re going to check on it. Did you happen to come across our spirit ship on your way here?” Ventus said.
