Ch 116: The World’s Number One Resort

Two rhododendron trees, as large as houses, twining vines resembling a young maiden’s purple wisteria, and the flamboyant fiery red of the flame trees… Tang Huai stayed on Sky Island until seven in the morning. As he ventured deeper, the scenery around him began to change. Besides the lush green vegetation, various vibrant trees and flowers also came into view.

The main attractions of Blue Sea Lake were the angel oak trees and dark hedges. However, whether it was the oak trees or the hedges, the overall color was a vibrant green—pure yet monotonous. Sky Forest’s structure was also primarily green, but it featured more diverse colors, such as wisteria and red maple.

If Blue Sea Lake was like a naive child, Sky Forest was more like an elegant youth.

“Ancient Wisteria Tree…”

Tang Huai stood in front of a tree with an ancient aura, muttering to himself. The tree before him had a trunk two meters thick, its winding branches reaching a height of seven meters. Purple vines draped from the branches, each about five meters long, resembling dyed willow branches. When the breeze blew, the vines swayed like wind chimes. Standing beneath the wisteria tree, Tang Huai felt as though he was inside a purple forest.

Wisteria, also known as Chinese wisteria or climbing vine, is a hardy temperate plant. The most famous wisteria tree in the world is Japan’s ancient wisteria tree. Tang Huai had seen pictures of it online; its purple vines were breathtaking. The one before him was also an ancient wisteria tree, but it was more vibrant and grand than the Japanese one.

Tang Huai looked around, noticing many ancient wisteria trees in the vicinity. These wisteria trees were interspersed with other famous trees like flame trees and rhododendron trees, yet they didn’t seem disorderly. Instead, they emanated a serene and harmonious aura.

Tang Huai walked forward a few steps. Sky Island covered an area of twenty square kilometers, roughly half the size of a small county.

He opened the map; at this point, he had moved from the southwest to a point slightly south of the center, only about two kilometers from the heart of the island. Along the way, apart from the white deer and squirrels, and various exotic trees, he hadn’t encountered much else.

So far, he had only met one NPC, Sug.

“Sob, sob…” Tang Huai walked past the ancient wisteria trees, proceeding for another thirty meters when he suddenly came across a crossroads. A child of about ten years old was crying at the intersection.

“What’s wrong?” Tang Huai approached. The child had blond hair and appeared to be of British descent.

“I’m lost. Could you take me home?” The boy looked up.

Tang Huai checked the character details.

[Lost Boy]: The youngest son of the seamstress in Kab Village.

Tang Huai: …

He could refuse the request to pick morning glories earlier, but leaving a lost boy seemed a bit heartless.

“Alright, let’s get you up,” Tang Huai said helplessly.

Following the boy’s hazy recollections, Tang Huai began his quest to find his home. From their conversation, he learned that the boy had wandered off while playing. Despite his mischief, the boy hadn’t strayed too far.

Ten minutes later, Tang Huai found Kab Village.

Kab Village was a peaceful, pastoral settlement. Most of the buildings were made of blue triangular stone structures, with cobblestone paths laid unevenly on the ground. The village’s main road was wide, with many villagers tending flowers and chatting. The entire village exuded tranquility, with a fairy-tale-like charm.

Tang Huai looked up to see a forest of fiery red maple trees surrounding the village. The forest enveloped Kab Village, and behind it were continuous green mountains. High above, a majestic castle could be seen in the distance. Due to the distance, only the castle’s spires were visible, but even from the limited view, it was clear that this was an extensive castle complex.

“Tar—!” A voice of surprise interrupted Tang Huai’s thoughts. A burly middle-aged woman came running over.

“Mother.”

“I’ll never do it again—”

The boy shed tears of joy upon seeing the woman. Then, the woman grabbed a small broom, and chaos ensued.

Tang Huai: … These NPCs are really down-to-earth.

After the commotion, it was already eight in the morning.

Through conversation, Tang Huai learned that Sky Island was under the jurisdiction of the Sky Kingdom. Within the kingdom’s domain, there were thirty-five villages. Kab Village was the closest to the Sky Kingdom. The villagers lived peacefully, though a few villages wished to secede from the kingdom’s rule due to the high taxes…

This led to the storyline quests. The villagers of Kab Village didn’t have the authority to issue quests, so Tang Huai didn’t pursue the matter further.

As a token of gratitude for bringing the boy back to the village, Tang Huai had breakfast in Kab Village before heading to the nearest elevator.

Sky Forest had too many potential tasks. Now that he had a rough understanding of Sky Island’s layout, Tang Huai decided not to explore further.

“Swish, swish—”

The closest to Kab Village was the No. 32 elevator point. As Tang Huai approached, he saw a blonde girl nearby, setting up an easel to paint.

“Sug?” Tang Huai was surprised. The girl appeared to be around seventeen, with a few freckles on her nose—none other than the princess’s maid, Sug. However, she was no longer wearing the maid’s outfit; instead, she was dressed in modern pants and a short-sleeved shirt.

She was painting the morning scenery of Sky Island. Though her technique seemed a bit unrefined, the overall outline of the scene was recognizable.

“It’s non-working hours now,” Sug replied coolly, glancing up at Tang Huai. Without waiting for a response, she returned to her painting.

Tang Huai: … This was a completely different persona from the flower-picking maid from earlier.

“What’s the storyline of Sky Island?” Tang Huai scratched his nose, about to leave but then decided to ask. As the island’s owner, it was really frustrating not to know the story!

“Sorry, I’ve signed a confidentiality agreement with Sora Island, so I can’t reveal spoilers,” Sug replied, not lifting her head.

“Who’s the lead actor in ‘Flares’?” he asked.

“Red John,” she answered.

“And the current U.S. President?” Tang Huai continued.

“Tonder Arke.”

Tang Huai cleared his throat and proceeded to ask questions about celebrities and international news. Although Sug was somewhat impatient, she answered each one.

“Is there an employee discount?” he asked cheekily.

“Sir, you’re the owner of Sora Island. You should know better than me whether there’s an internal discount,” Sug retorted, finally setting down her work to respond.

Tang Huai: … Awkward.

Though Sug had a bit of a temper, these diverse facets made her seem more like a real person.

Sug’s programming was thorough, and the possible bugs and scenarios of Sky Island had already been accounted for during its creation.

With a better understanding of the system, Tang Huai took a deep breath and then opened the elevator.

There were ten seconds of darkness, then Tang Huai found himself standing on the almost transparent elevator floor, now at the bottom of Sky Island. Thin clouds surrounded him, giving the sensation of falling steadily when viewed from a distance.

Tang Huai: … Descending the island is even more nerve-wracking than ascending.

Now that Sky Island was officially complete, the Phoenix tour group was set to arrive at Sora Island the following afternoon, and there were already over a thousand tourists on the island. After some planning, Tang Huai decided to open Sky Island to the public the morning after the tour group’s arrival.

As for the opening theme… it would be a “Cosplay Kingdom.”

Returning to the island owner’s courtyard, Tang Huai quickly washed up and took a short nap.

Waking up in the afternoon, he discussed the opening plans for Sky Island with Xie Yunshu.

…

While Tang Huai was considering the Sky Island opening, a black and silver cruise ship slowly sailed into Honolulu Harbor in Hawaii. As a vibrant trade and tourist destination, Hawaii had its busiest civilian port at Honolulu Harbor. At the moment, the port was bustling, with nearly a hundred boats of varying sizes anchored, and high-rise buildings lining the island.

Honolulu Harbor was lively and prosperous, as usual.

“Is that the Great Tang No. 2… Is that a cruise ship? Its displacement must be at least 200,000 tons!”

“It’s quite impressive. Is this a dedicated cruise ship from Hawaii to Sora Island? Running just one route seems like a bit of a waste.”

“Jack, should we cut our Hawaii trip short and take a detour to Sora Island?”

…

While the fishermen focused on their work, tourists were busy planning their Hawaiian adventures. At that moment, the Great Tang No. 2 appeared like an unexpected guest, making a grand entrance.

Upon spotting the Great Tang No. 2, people first paused in surprise before launching into excited discussions.

Honolulu is one of Hawaii’s major ports, thriving with trade. Massive ships like the Black Pearl and Java, each with a displacement of over 100,000 tons, are a common sight. These ships are certainly large, but none matched the striking presence of the one before them. It was like comparing a racehorse to a luxury car—the size might be similar, but the overall impression was on an entirely different level.

Amid everyone’s curiosity, the gangway of the Great Tang No. 2 was lowered. Half an hour later, more than twenty airport buses arrived, and the tour guides organized the passengers. After verifying tickets, the travelers began to board the ship in an orderly fashion.

The Great Tang No. 2 is a first-class cruise ship, capable of accommodating up to 10,000 passengers. For this voyage, there were 5,000 people on board, including both tour group members and independent travelers. With the airport buses shuttling back and forth several times, the entire boarding process took half a day.

Among the passengers were not just participants of the Phoenix Photography Exhibition but also a number of curious tourists from Hawaii. After confirming the ship’s nature, many of them purchased tickets at the last minute to experience the cruise. By 6 p.m. that day, all passengers were on board, the Great Tang No. 2 was fully prepared, and the anchor was lifted for departure.

The Great Tang No. 2 resembled a cruise ship straight out of a sci-fi movie—majestic and steadfast.

…

The ship features a range of facilities, including a restaurant, an entertainment hall, a lounge, and a golf hall. The decor is luxurious and grand. Although the prices are not cheap, they are in line with international cruise standards. After a brief rest, the passengers happily began exploring the amenities.

“Dad, are we heading to Sora Island now? Do you think Tang Huai still remembers us?” At 10 p.m., as the Great Tang No. 2 sailed calmly across the sea, a seven-year-old boy glanced out the window and then turned to ask.

The boy was inside a rather upscale two-person cabin, equipped with a refrigerator, a computer desk, and other essentials. A man in his forties sat at the computer, working.

Dressed in a blue shirt, the man exuded a calm demeanor.

“Yes, we’ll be on the island by tomorrow night. And of course, Tang will remember you—you’re too adorable for him to forget,” Jon replied, putting aside his work.

The man and the boy were Jon and Jimmy. They had visited Sora Island once in July of the previous year. As Jon spoke, a wave of nostalgia washed over him. Although they had only stayed for five days, the memories of Sora Island, especially the Blue Sea Forest and Blue Sea Fish, were unforgettable. At that time, Sora Island had only the Blue Sea Forest as a scenic spot, and the island’s facilities were still basic. However, it had been the happiest trip Jon had ever taken.

He had planned to return with Jimmy after Christmas, but work commitments had caused a delay, and it wasn’t until now that they could make the trip…

“Is there a fairytale castle on Sora Island?” As Jon got lost in his thoughts, Jimmy slid off the bed and leaned on Jon’s leg. Before they left last year, Tang had promised to build a castle for him.

“There is one now.” Jon smiled and tousled Jimmy’s golden hair before opening his phone’s photo album. Inside, there was a nearly transparent castle standing atop a snow-capped mountain.

Set against the snowy backdrop, the castle looked mysterious and serene, embodying the beauty of the Snow Village. It was now a must-visit attraction for tourists.

“Do you think Tang Huai will like my gift?” Jimmy grinned, carefully pulling out a box from his backpack. He opened it to reveal a vivid watercolor painting.

It depicted a small island, a lake, and houses growing on trees.

This is Jimmy’s depiction of Sora Island from his memory, a cherished treasure for him.

“He definitely will,” Jon replied with a smile.

Jimmy, satisfied, put away the watercolor painting. He could hardly wait for their visit.

…

As Jimmy eagerly anticipated his trip, on the reef of Sora Island, a man in a black wetsuit stood poised. After a few warm-up stretches, he jumped in without hesitation.

A splash disrupted the water’s surface, which soon returned to calm.

“Venomous fish? Hmm, too tough; not interested for now.”

“The coral reefs are growing well. Maybe I’ll bring an underwater camera next time to take some pictures…”

“It’s getting easier.”

In the deep sea, Tang Huai swam southwest. In no time, he swam past the visible boundaries of Sora Island. He reached a point thirty nautical miles away from the island and began a vertical descent.

One hundred meters, two hundred meters, five hundred meters… Ten minutes later, Tang Huai arrived in the deep-sea region. The sea creatures around him became increasingly diverse. Two deep-sea dragonfish swam towards him. Without batting an eye, Tang Huai plucked a few scales from them.

The two dragonfish were startled and quickly swam away.

Tang Huai found it amusing. Compared to his first dive, he was now navigating the depths effortlessly.

He continued swimming forward. Suddenly, the sea floor trembled. Tang Huai instinctively hid behind a rock. Half a minute later, a twenty-meter-long whale shark, with a large head and small eyes, swam past.

The whale shark opened its mouth, swallowing countless small fish.

It glanced briefly in Tang Huai’s direction and then swam onward. Tang Huai watched the whale shark’s tail as it disappeared into the depths. This was their third encounter in a month. He guessed that this was the only whale shark in the area around Sora Island.

After the whale shark left, Tang Huai remained still, sitting by the reef.

He checked his waterproof watch. It was 1:00 a.m.

Patiently, he began plucking some seaweed—

Three seconds after the whale shark left, there was a ripple on the water’s surface. A man with the tail of a fish swam towards him.

“Over here!” Tang Huai waved. With the transparent shark’s help, underwater communication was not an issue.

Yu You swam over, flicking his tail. He had now mastered the ability to seamlessly switch between his fishtail and tentacle forms. Though he found both forms strange, he preferred the fishtail—it at least looked better.

“Up there.” Tang Huai pointed above. He pushed upwards, and Yu You followed. Ten minutes later, they emerged on the surface. Above the coral reef was a floating island, roughly a square kilometer in size. Strictly speaking, it wasn’t an island but a large floating rock.

The floating island was covered in grayish-brown rocks, barren of vegetation, but it was spacious enough for the two to move around. Tang Huai sat down and opened his waterproof backpack, taking out a lunchbox.

“Special salad from Aunt Miley.” Tang Huai opened the meal.

A tail peeked out from behind the reef. Shortly after, it disappeared as Yu You approached. He had changed into a T-shirt and shorts, looking much fresher.

“Thanks.” Yu You sat down and eagerly opened the lunchbox.

Since their encounter near the Tequila, Yu You had followed Tang Huai to the vicinity of Sora Island. Tang Huai had discovered this floating island, and they agreed to meet here every fortnight. Tang Huai would bring Yu You some food.

The lunchbox contained dried cranberries, okra, and other foods typical of a vegetable salad.

“It’s delicious,” Yu You said with a smile after taking a small bite. Although he could survive on the sea’s fish and shrimp, after living in the lakeside villa for more than a year, he didn’t want his habits to become as peculiar as his appearance. He wanted to avoid drifting further away from Tang Huai.

“A new project just opened on the island, the Sky Forest. It officially opened today.” As the stars twinkled above, Tang Huai sat on the brown stone, casually chatting with Yu You. Just like before, Tang Huai spoke, and Yu You listened.

While listening, Yu You glanced in the direction of Sora Island. He was now only 100 nautical miles away, so close yet…

Yu You recalled the scene on the Tequila.

He remembered the whips and knife wounds from his past.

He must never appear in front of outsiders.

“Are you getting used to life underwater?” Tang Huai asked uncertainly, noticing Yu You’s distraction. Tang Huai had dived into the deep sea a few times and knew how many dangerous creatures lurked there. Though he had the transparent shark’s protection, he wasn’t sure about Yu You’s situation…

“Nothing can harm me underwater. And Datun is quite friendly,” Yu You replied with a smile, understanding Tang Huai’s concern.

Tang Huai: Datun???

Five minutes later, Tang Huai understood that Datun referred to the whale shark they had seen earlier, the only one in the vicinity of Sora Island. As the ocean’s king around the island, the whale shark had somehow formed a bond with Yu You since his arrival, making them ocean friends.

“Datun is ten years old, considered young for a whale shark,” Yu You explained, sharing more about the underwater world.

Tang Huai recalled the whale shark’s massive twenty-meter body. A ten-year-old juvenile… Datun was certainly impressively developed. Perhaps it had something to do with the terrain around Sora Island.

The two chatted for a while, and soon, the time slipped to 3 a.m.

With business to handle the next day, Tang Huai needed to head back early.

“Do you… want to come back with me?” Tang Huai stood up and, after some thought, extended another invitation to Yu You. From their conversations, he had learned that Yu You could take on three forms. He could maintain his human form for up to twelve hours.

Twelve hours… enough to live on Sora Island comfortably.

“I’m quite comfortable with my current life,” Yu You replied after a brief pause, smiling as he declined.

In the moonlight, Tang Huai looked at Yu You’s smile, sensing there were many secrets behind it. Yu You was gentle in nature but firm in his decisions. If he didn’t want to answer something, no amount of pressing would make him speak.

“If anything comes up, make sure to contact me,” Tang Huai said after a moment.

Yu You nodded.

After giving a few more instructions, Tang Huai leaped back into the sea. On the floating island, Yu You silently watched Tang Huai’s departing figure, deep in thought.

He was considering the possibility of turning himself into a normal person.

…

Thump thump thump, thump—

Thump—

The next morning, the tourists were woken up by a series of “thump thump” sounds. When they stepped outside, they saw numerous staff members performing a lion dance in colorful costumes. Their movements were precise, even more fluid than those seen on the Chinese New Year Gala. Following the dance team, other staff members were handing out flyers.

The tourists took the flyers and saw a bold headline: “Great Tang Sky Island – Fairytale COS Now Open!”

The flyer had images of the Sky Island printed on it.

Everyone who saw it was a bit taken aback.

“Great Tang Sky Island – Fairytale COS?” A sky island and fairytale cosplay? They had never heard of this before.

And how could an island in the sky even be possible?

“Manager Tang, the flyers have been distributed. Additionally, self-service flyer stations have been set up on the main roads in each area. The Great Tang No. 2 will arrive at 7 p.m.,” reported Xie Yunshu from the Sora office building, observing the lively lion dance troupe.

The lion dance costumes were purchased through the system, and the flyers were printed overnight. As the basic infrastructure of the Great Tang Resort improved, promotional efforts like these had become increasingly efficient.

“Make sure the accommodations are arranged properly,” Tang Huai nodded.

The Great Tang Resort was about to welcome a large wave of tourists, and ensuring lodging arrangements was the top priority.

☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️