Chapter 1062: Arrival at Shouwang Dao

Shouwang Dao is, in essence, a section of the Strait Mountains that emerges from the sea in this region.

If it were not situated exactly at this largest gap connecting the eastern and western Narrow Sea, it would have no unique features at all compared to the other peaks of the Strait Mountains.

The island's terrain is high in the south and low in the north, and high in the west and low in the east; as the Yuanfang sailed in from the east, Xia Duo saw the island's nearly barren surface from afar.

The island is not small; Xia Duo roughly estimated that the relatively flat northeastern region alone covers several square kilometers.

But apart from the Mage Tower on the southwestern cliff and a few fishing grounds in the north, the entire island has almost no traces of human activity.

As Shouwang Dao grew closer in his field of vision, Captain Bill of the Yuanfang handed the steering duties to the first mate, and he himself came before Xia Duo to make his final report:

"My Lord, the Yuanfang will dock at the Naise Yuchang northeast of Shouwang Dao later; you and your lady may disembark there."

"Then will you continue on to Harbor Port afterwards?"

"Yes, the Naise Yuchang does not provide supply services to the public; in fact, if it were not for the fact that your destination for this trip is Shouwang Dao, ordinary ships would also be prohibited from going there."

Hearing this, Xia Duo immediately frowned. He told Captain Bill to wait, then privately sent a Sending to Niya: "Your teacher said she was giving you Shouwang Dao—did she say what to do about the fishing grounds?"

"Teacher only said to let me take over the Watchtower as soon as possible, then go to the Seven Cities Council to update the island's ownership information; she didn't mention anything else. Are you worried there's a problem with the fishing grounds?"

Xia Duo did not answer. He knew that the Princess giving Shouwang Dao to Niya was not just giving her an island, but also giving Niya the Watchtower on the island.

If she could even give away a Mage Tower, how could she be plotting anything at the fishing grounds!

But just because the Princess wouldn't, doesn't mean others won't. Now that the Princess has achieved Ascension to Godhood and even entrusted her family Territory to the Seven Towers, it shows she is destined not to stay in the Mortal Plane for long.

This can also be seen from her urging Niya to come and receive the island; once the Princess's avatar disappears, people in the Seven Towers might well harbor small intentions of using the fishing grounds as an entry point to move against this island.

Although the possibility of such a situation occurring is extremely small, one still has to be on guard.

"Regardless, let's go to the island and see first!"

Following this, Xia Duo ordered Captain Bill: "Tell the Yuanfang not to slow down; just skim past the edge of the island. Don't forget, we are Spellcasters."

"Yes, My Lord!"

Captain Bill acknowledged the order and quickly left the bow.

Soon, Xia Duo felt the Yuanfang stop decelerating and begin to accelerate continuously. A few minutes passed, and Shouwang Dao was already close at hand.

"Niya, let's go to the island!"

"Mm."

Niya activated the levitation Spell on her Mage Robe, while Xia Duo wrapped his arm around her waist and leaped from the deck, riding the clouds and mist; leaving the ship behind, they flew rapidly toward the island at an altitude close to the sea surface.

The two's first stop was the fishing grounds by the sea. However, upon arriving here, Xia Duo self-deprecatingly remarked with some embarrassment: "It looks like my previous worries were completely unnecessary; your teacher considered everything very thoroughly!"

There were clear traces of long-term neglect at the fishing grounds; no fishing boats were docked at the pier. Instead, one boat was overturned on the shore with a large hole in its bottom, and the edges of the break already showed signs of rot.

The warehouse door on the shore was wide open. A few sea fish scattered at the entrance had long since rotted and decomposed, revealing white bones. Inside the warehouse, apart from a few tools left in a mess on the floor, there was nothing else.

As for the temporary living quarters for the fishing ground workers on the island, there was no sign of life at all; even the wooden barrels used to store fresh water had begun to grow mold on the surface.

The first impression everything here left on Xia Duo was that of a scene left behind after the relevant personnel and supplies had been hurriedly evacuated.

Perhaps when the Princess made the decision to gift the island, she had already begun to withdraw the relevant personnel.

"Let's go to the Mage Tower!"

Watchtower.

In the Xiu Xi Shi, High Mage Steven was listlessly flipping through the Arcane Federation Monthly in his hand. In the days at the Watchtower, he felt his entire life had become gloomy.

Especially after Her Highness the Princess withdrew all other personnel from the Watchtower and left him alone to guard it, such days became even more boring.

Apart from this latest issue of the Arcane Federation Monthly in his hand, he could find no other form of entertainment. If it weren't for the fact that he could still chat with friends in Seventon via Spells from time to time, he really worried he wouldn't be able to endure the loneliness and would sneak off to Harbor Port to squeeze into the same dirty, broken tavern as that group of mud-legged commoners, to have a few cups of cheap bulk ale where the sour taste clearly overpowered the taste of the alcohol.

At the mere thought of such a scene, Steven couldn't help but shiver.

Just then, the Control Scepter for the Watchtower, which he had casually placed on the edge of the table, suddenly "flashed." At the same time, a harsh alarm sounded within this Xiu Xi Shi.

If it were in the past, Steven would definitely have jumped up to curse a few times, then turned off the alarm, deliberately delayed for a while, and then gone to open the door. But now—

Steven also jumped up from his chair with a 'pop,' but this time, instead of cursing, he shouted excitedly, "It's finally here!"

Afterwards, he seemed to notice his current lazy image; appearing before the visitors in such a state was not a good choice.

Steven fiercely rubbed his cheeks, combed his slightly messy hair until it was neat, then straightened his Mage Robe, squeezed out a kind yet not sycophantic smile, and only then left the Xiu Xi Shi.

Meanwhile, outside the Watchtower.

After triggering the visitor alarm of the Watchtower, Niya stepped back a few paces with Xia Duo and waited quietly. "Xia Duo, do you think this handover will go smoothly?"

When things came to a head, Xia Duo was no longer worried, but Niya herself began to worry instead.

However, with Niya saying this, a trace of vigilance also rose in Xia Duo's heart. Sometimes, no matter how well things are arranged at the top, when it comes to the actual execution at the bottom, there will always be more or less distortion.

He carefully examined this Mage Tower, which was even taller than the Tower of Time, calculating in his heart whether he could safely take Niya away from here if an accident occurred.

If they were outside the Mage Tower, it shouldn't be difficult. Judging solely from the results he observed, this Mage Tower was not as powerful as the Tower of Time; around it, there wasn't even a spontaneous equilibrium field formed to stabilize the Magic Net.

This Mage Tower was more like a large Magic Item and could not serve as a true strategic fortress.

Xia Duo had already thought of many ways to dismantle this Mage Tower from the outside, but that was on the condition of being outside; if they entered the interior, it would be hard to say.

Thinking this, he pulled Niya and stepped back a few more paces.