Selena's sudden reappearance didn't surprise Luna Chu or Skylar Yule; the five of them left the inn and headed out of town together.
A few hundred li was nothing to Goldwing; last night he had searched a five-hundred-li radius but hadn't found the old token-seller Chu Linfeng had mentioned—instead, he discovered a vast ocean. Flying to the sea now was no trouble at all.
Riding on Goldwing's back, Evan noticed plenty of people heading toward the Sea Regions, which struck him as odd. Normally, humans aren't welcome in the Sea Regions—so what was going on?
Soon Goldwing landed in a deserted place, and the five of them followed the crowd on foot toward the sea.
Evan walked up to a youth who looked a little older than himself and asked, "Hey bro, are you heading to the Sea Regions too? What's going on—why is everyone headed there?"
The young man glanced at Evan and said, "You're going to the Sea Regions too? Haven't you heard? The Mermaid Kingdom's princess is holding an Embroidered Ball Match this month to choose a husband—everyone's going to try their luck!"
The four of them were all stunned—this was the first they'd heard of such a thing. Evan couldn't help but ask, "But the Mermaids can't leave the Sea Regions, so how did this news get out?"
"Sure, Mermaids can't leave the Sea Regions, but humans can. Lots of humans do business with the Mermaid Kingdom, so of course the news gets around. What's the big deal?"
After saying this, the youth ignored Evan and hurried off. With the news confirmed, Evan grinned at Skylar Yule and said, "Bro, your chance has arrived—you'd better seize it!"
Skylar Yule gave a wry smile. "I'm not interested, but you could give it a shot. If you became the Mermaid Kingdom's prince-consort, our trip to the Sea Regions would be way easier."
"Heh, I'm not interested either, but I wouldn't mind watching—this kind of excitement is pretty rare."
Soon, an endless emerald ocean appeared before the group. On the green waves, several boats were rowing quickly—each boat carried a few people, and before long, the boats would vanish from sight.
After a while, the boats would reappear, row back to shore to pick up passengers, then head out to sea and vanish again.
"Selena, is the Sea Regions entrance really out on the water? Is this some kind of illusion that keeps outsiders from seeing inside?" Evan asked.
"That's right. The Sea Regions entrance is actually on the sea—on a huge island. There's a mysterious elder there named Old Owen, whose strength is unfathomable and whose true identity is unknown. He handles teleportation and sells special Teleportation Tokens to anyone wanting to enter the Sea Regions.
Only those holding a Teleportation Token can enter the Sea Regions. The token carries a mysterious power that protects the user from being torn apart by spatial turbulence during transmission.
The strangest part is Old Owen's prices—they're all over the place. Sometimes he'll sell a token for just one low-grade Starstone, other times he demands a hundred high-grade Starstones and still might refuse. Without a Teleportation Token, there's only one outcome for anyone who tries to step into the Sea Regions teleportation gate—death. So be mentally prepared." Selena shared everything she knew.
Skylar Yule and Luna Chu both felt a chill after hearing this—the Sea Regions really were mysterious. There might even be a matching teleportation gate on the other side, possibly monopolized by another gatekeeper.
Goldwing, hearing this, simply retreated into Evan's body as a totem mark; as long as Evan could pass through safely, Goldwing could travel with him.
The four humans waited on the shore for a boat to arrive. Some boats were also returning, carrying passengers who'd failed to buy tokens—faces full of disappointment after finding Old Owen's prices too high.
There were plenty of people in line, most likely locals from nearby—after all, nobody at the inn yesterday had mentioned anything about the Mermaid Princess choosing a husband.
After nearly an hour, it was finally Evan's group's turn to board. The helmsman was a white-haired old man, who smiled at them and said, "You folks trying your luck too? The Mermaid Princess is the number-one beauty of the Mermaid Kingdom—whoever marries her will be truly blessed.
The Mermaid Kingdom's wealth is far beyond that of any country here—countless high-grade Starstones and advanced martial arts can quickly turn anyone into a top expert. But looking at you all, it seems you're already attached, so your chances aren't great."
Selena quietly sized up the old helmsman, then whispered to Evan, "This elder's strength is anything but simple—at least not below my own Divine Martial Realm. Be polite; if you cause trouble, the consequences could be serious."
Evan was shocked—a mere boatman at Divine Martial Realm? That was terrifying. There had to be some hidden reason, so he'd have to be careful.
The boat wasn't fast; a sea breeze whipped up waves, making the ocean look beautiful. Evan asked, "Senior, why do you row boats out here? Is it hardship, or do you just enjoy a free and unfettered life?"
The old man glanced at Evan, secretly shocked—Evan's appearance resembled a certain ancient figure whose portrait hung in his master's home, which made him suspicious.
"Young man, you have an extraordinary bearing—must be from a noble family. I've been rowing here for over fifty years; it's just routine for me, nothing like the hardship you mentioned," the old man replied with a smile.
Of course, Evan and the others didn't buy it, but they didn't press further. Soon the boat drifted into a foggy area; Evan looked back and saw no shore, just endless water all around.
"Don't be surprised—the Sea Regions entrance is meant to be mysterious, to keep too many people from coming in. If not for the Mermaid Princess's marriage event, my boat would only come here once a month. You got lucky—today is the last day for entrants," the old man explained.
Soon the boat reached shore—actually a small island shrouded in mist. Many people were gathered there, looking anxious and talking loudly.
The four of them disembarked and saw those who'd queued earlier now standing in line at a wooden hut, clearly buying something. Laughter and disappointed sighs drifted from the front.
Evan realized they were buying Teleportation Tokens, but had no idea what price they'd be asked to pay. He just hoped it would be affordable so they could all pass smoothly.
They waited patiently in line, and Evan overheard that some people paid a single Starstone for a token, some paid ten, and some had to cough up hundreds. The prices were utterly inconsistent.
About half the buyers got the tokens they wanted; the rest left disappointed. At last, it was Evan's group's turn—but this time, Skylar Yule stood at the front of the line, ready to face Old Owen's mysterious judgment...