The southern coastal regions of Grand Qi have always been uninhabited; although they are marked as part of Grand Qi Kingdom's territory, that's only because other dynasties couldn't claim them. So, the founding emperor of Grand Qi simply included them into the national map.
Years ago, Qi Gaozu had dispatched an army to head south, and they eventually saw the ocean. However, on their round trip, nearly half of the soldiers were lost because they encountered too many spirit demons and evil spirits along the way. This incident has always been treated as a taboo, not to be discussed openly at court.
The royal family did not want the people below to know that cultivating to immortality was a real possibility, as that could undermine the Heavenly Might of the royal authority. Myths were permitted, but they had to remain illusory and never taken as reality.
When Fang Wang heard Zhao Zhen mention these incidents, he couldn't help but reflect on the importance of one's understanding.