Chapter 32: The Sky Boat Departs

The Sky Boat departs from the shore.

Wang Panpan was right; since the Ruan girl had already appeared in public, all the great sects of the Central Continent knew that the Shangqing Sect had made a blunder this time, bringing back a fake. For the next year or so, regardless of how the various sects fought tooth and nail in the countries of the Southern Zhuzhou, life in Junping Prefecture and the Altar City remained relatively peaceful. Even the many merchants who had previously relocated to the Flowing Dream Marsh, seeing that the most dangerous moment had passed and unwilling to miss the peak season, began to pack their goods as soon as the Sky Boat returned from the void. They returned to the Altar City from the Flowing Dream Marsh, racing against time to sell the specialties of the Southern Zhuzhou to firms like the Baozhixing, while also acquiring a large amount of precious materials and elixirs from the Central Continent from the major firms, preparing to sell them later.

As for the group from the Taibai Sword Sect, their movements were not as they wished. Liu and Lu had originally wanted to take Huan Changyuan and Dong Shuangcheng back to the Sword Sect, but the Taibai Sword Sect was located in the remote southwest of the Southern Zhuzhou, and the journey was extremely long. The Sword Venerable also sent a flying sword message, stating that several powerful sects in the Central Continent were fighting near the Sword Sect, and the spiritual energy on the return journey was very unstable, with the space shaking quite a bit. He told the group to delay their return to the sect and simply wait in the Flowing Dream Marsh, deciding what to do only after the Sky Boat departed from the shore.

Since this was the case, Liu and Lu split into two groups. Elder Lu and Shopkeeper Wen traveled together, taking the Sword Sect’s merchant fleet and the staff of the Zhengqi Firm back to the Altar City, borrowing the Zhengqi Firm’s storefront for trade. The relationship between the two sides had moved beyond the past, taking a step further, so they did not feel they were being intrusive. True Person Liu stayed in the Flowing Dream Marsh to teach the two juniors. However, with the spiritual energy in the Southern Zhuzhou currently in turmoil, it was not a good time to cultivate, so they only sparred with sword moves. True Person Liu’s own cultivation progress was also delayed significantly. One day, he couldn't help but sigh, "After all, the Southern Zhuzhou is tucked away in a corner, and it really cannot compare to the cultivators of the Central Continent. Just a slight instability, and they act as if they are facing a great enemy, not daring to cultivate without hiding inside their sect gates. It is no wonder that the young boys and girls of the Song, Chu, and Wu countries are so sought after here in our Southern Zhuzhou, while the Central Continent cultivators don't even give them a second glance."

Although the Flowing Dream Marsh was stable, because of the protection of the natural grand array, the space within the marsh was limited, and they could not practice sword techniques to their heart's content. Dong Shuangcheng had long been bored. This day, she finally managed to pester True Person Liu into taking them out of the array. She transformed into a streak of sword light, weaving and dancing up and down, barely managing to vent the frustration of being confined in one place all these days. She landed beside True Person Liu and asked, "Uncle-Master, is the spiritual energy of the Central Continent really not as good as that of our Southern Zhuzhou?"

True Person Liu said, "The Central Continent is rich in resources and treasures, which our Southern Zhuzhou cannot compare to. But precisely because of this, the turmoil is even greater. It is not easy to gain a foothold in the Central Continent. The Northern Ming Continent and the Southern Chong Continent, which are closest to the Central Continent, both have many sects eyeing it, wanting to carve out a place for themselves in the Central Continent. There is no day without large or small conflicts. Although disasters on the level of spatial storms are rare, unstable spiritual energy is common. The cultivators of the Central Continent naturally possess a skill: the ability to smooth out spiritual energy. As long as it is not the most extreme situation, they can cultivate their techniques and polish their cultivation. As for the Southern Zhuzhou, it is just the people of those three countries who have been locked up for seven hundred years, which created a batch of cultivation seeds naturally capable of regulating spiritual energy."

Dong Shuangcheng smiled and said, "If that's the case, why doesn't our Sword Sect also set up a Spirit-Severing Array and send those mortals with aptitude inside to reproduce for a few generations? Wouldn't we also have many cultivation seeds?"

"You are talking nonsense," True Person Liu snorted. "The Spirit-Severing Array consumes a huge amount of energy and cannot be set up by anyone other than a Cave Heaven ancestor. Cultivation seeds are just a bonus. At the time, the array was naturally set up for something more important—alright, don't talk about these things. The Sky Boat brought two major demonic sects. You have also heard me talk about the power of the demonic sect cultivators."

Both Dong and Huan also knew about the matter of the Flowing Dream Marsh Dao Palace's precious mirror being seen through at a glance by the Dharma Treasury Order Master. The Flowing Dream Marsh lacked the precious mirror, which was very inconvenient for a while. They understood even more that the matter of the Donghua Sword Seed involved too much and was really not suitable to be discussed openly in the wilderness, so they covered it up and didn't mention it. Dong Shuangcheng, however, was very yearning for the Central Continent and sighed, "I don't know when I will be able to go to the Central Continent to meet the sword cultivators of the world."

True Person Liu said with a chuckle, "If it were ordinary disciples, I would advise them to extinguish this thought, so as not to harbor yearning and give birth to inner demons, which would instead delay their own cultivation. But you two are different from them. In the future, you might really be able to go to the Central Continent to broaden your horizons. However, that will at least be a matter for the Jin Dan stage."

Traveling from the Southern Zhuzhou to the Central Continent, if one cannot take the Sky Boat, and the sect does not have a magic treasure capable of crossing continents, it would take over a hundred years. One cannot cultivate while riding a boat, and Foundation Establishment cultivators truly cannot afford this time. Even for Jin Dan cultivators, a hundred-year journey is considered long. Therefore, while the cultivators of the Southern Zhuzhou naturally yearn for the Central Continent, it has never been heard that any cultivator wants to take the Sky Boat to broaden their horizons—it is easy to go, but how to return after going is the difficulty. Dong Shuangcheng was just talking. Hearing that True Person Liu did not refute her wild thoughts, she couldn't help but be very puzzled. She looked at Huan Changyuan with her eyes, wanting him to ask, but Huan Changyuan usually didn't speak much and seemed indifferent to the Central Continent. Seeing that he didn't pick up the hint, Dong Shuangcheng gave him a roll of her eyes, thinking, "He usually has nothing to say, but he was quick when he was fighting with me for a sword servant."

As for what kind of sword servant she was fighting for, she couldn't remember. Just as she was pondering, she heard a long cry coming from the distant horizon. She couldn't help but fly up to look, putting the matter aside, "What is this? It seems to be a cry from the direction of the Altar City. Are they fighting again?"

"It is the long cry of the Sky Boat." True Person Liu also stood in the air. He was a Jin Dan cultivator, and what he saw was more far-reaching than Shuangcheng. Just by looking at it for a few times, he knew the truth, "Three years are coming to an end, the Sky Boat is opening the Cave Heaven, and these fellow Daoists from the Central Continent are finally going back."

Behind him, cultivators also kept walking out of the array, all sighing, "Are they finally leaving?"

Over the past three years, the Central Continent cultivators had stirred up disputes everywhere, and it was unknown how many people had suffered because of them. But their cultivation was profound, and they were generous in their actions. Whether it was buying and selling or discussing the Dao, they made people benefit a lot. They even took back a large batch of beautiful jade and good materials from the Southern Zhuzhou. If these young people achieved something in their cultivation in the future, it would also be a fortunate thing for the Southern Zhuzhou. Therefore, the cultivators' perception of the Central Continent was truly complicated. Also, because of the demonic sect, it was inconvenient to discuss it in front of others. They could only sigh to themselves, their feet not stopping, each turning their bodies into light and heading towards the Altar City. True Person Liu was no exception. He put his two junior nephews on the magic boat and said, "When they came, we stayed far away. Now that they are leaving, we cannot miss this excitement. Let you two see the cultivators of the world."

Huan Changyuan and the other did not catch up with the Sky Boat docking. Hearing this, Shuangcheng was very curious, while Changyuan remained as if nothing had happened. Seeing this, Shuangcheng was indignant, teasing Changyuan all the way, wanting him to admit that he had never seen such a big scene. Talking and talking, they soon arrived at the Altar City. They saw that there were no idlers at the entrance of the Altar City, only a giant turtle crouching. The turtle's back lit up, and a long scroll fluttered on its back. It looked light and weightless, but the turtle's feet had bulging veins, and the bluestone ground at the entrance of the Altar City collapsed and cracked piece by piece, not knowing how much heavy weight it was bearing.

"This is the Cave Heaven inside the boat." True Person Liu looked intently at the flowers, plants, spiritual trees, floating peaks, and flying pavilions that appeared and disappeared in the fluttering long scroll, saying, "You two, watch carefully. The release and retraction of such Cave Heaven magic treasures naturally stimulate the mysteries of space. The charm of this flows in four directions, and the observers will have their own insights, all depending on opportunity. This is also why when Nascent Soul cultivators fight, there are clouds of observers. It's just that when fighting, one has to worry about being affected by the aftermath. Opportunities like this, where one can admire Cave Heaven magic treasures at will, are rare."

The two disciples looked as instructed. Sure enough, they saw faint halos around the giant turtle, and the Dao rhyme flowed, which seemed profound and difficult to understand. But after watching for a long time, each had their own understanding in their hearts, but the insights were hard to describe. They were fascinated and looked at the entrance of the Altar City from the magic boat, unwilling to leave for a long time.

There were many cultivators with insight like True Person Liu. The floating pavilions around the Altar City had not been released since the Battle of the Lu State. Only Ningshantang, having avoided the spatial storm, was placed by the Dao Palace to the north of the Altar City. To the south, there had always been only the floating island of Junping Prefecture. At this time, Ningshantang was already crowded with cultivators, and there were many floating magic boats parked up and down on the east and west sides of the Altar City. They were all cultivators from various places coming to see the Sky Boat. There were even more escape lights falling into the city. On the ground and in the rivers, merchant fleets were moving in and out of the Altar City like ants. True Person Liu looked at everything and couldn't help but sigh, "This is truly a grand event that our Southern Zhuzhou has not seen in a thousand years. Being able to participate in it is also fate."

As he was speaking, he heard shouts rising from within the Altar City. The shopkeepers of the Baozhixing, leading two stewards, flew up from the city. He sacrificed a gold coin, and the gold coin shone brightly in the air. After a tremor, it suddenly cast a thousand rays of light, like silk ribbons, floating in all directions, hanging from the thousand-foot-high sky where the Altar City was located to the ground. The shopkeepers smiled and said, "Lads of the Baozhixing, we are selling goods and returning to the mountain!"

Only hearing sounds of response rising from all directions, near in the Altar City and far away at the majestic pass and mountain pass a thousand miles away, the peddlers of the Baozhixing threw themselves into the golden ribbons one after another, being pulled by the light ribbons and flying towards the shopkeepers. Some people, while in the jade ribbons, even turned back to bid farewell to their companions below, saying, "See you in the Central Continent!"

"This journey is ten thousand miles across the ocean, hoping to meet again!"

"If the goods are good, I will bring a letter myself!"

The shopkeepers pinched the formula in their hands, and the gold coin spun around. The light ribbons danced like water sleeves. The thickest golden ribbon revealed the entrance to the Cave Heaven inside the boat. Those peddlers were thrown into the air, falling into this thoroughfare, and falling straight into the Cave Heaven. Hundreds of peddlers, connected and thrown by the light ribbons, were continuous, orderly, and methodical. Everyone was dumbfounded. True Person Liu said, "This gold coin is a magic treasure commonly used by the shopkeepers of the Baozhixing. The mother coin is the Baozhi Jade Coin brought by the shopkeepers. However, Cave Heaven magic treasures are not easily moved. The head shopkeeper of the Baozhixing carries such a child coin with him. The Baozhi coin is best at moving and turning. This magic treasure has infinite wonderful uses, far more than just for conquest. This is the foundation of a great sect."

The Taibai Sword Sect also had a sword of conquest, which was quite famous in the Southern Zhuzhou. Otherwise, the sect would not dare to dream of being promoted from a powerful sect to a great sect. Dong Shuangcheng thought that although the Sword Sect was temporarily under others, it was actually not much different from a great sect, and it was even harder to imagine how the Central Continent could be so glorious. Now that she saw the posture of the shopkeepers, she realized that the many magic treasures of the Central Continent had infinite wonderful uses, which was really not something that ordinary people could easily imagine. She said, "Why are the people of the Baozhixing going back first?"

"The peddlers of the Baozhixing were also the first to come out. They carry a large amount of goods, so first in, first out, which is convenient for arrangement."

Elder Lu and Shopkeeper Wen received the news from True Person Liu and also came out of the Altar City to welcome them. At this time, they boarded the magic boat, and several people exchanged greetings. Shopkeeper Wen stroked his beard and said, "The more honorable the sect's status, the later they set off. Only the Baozhixing is an exception, only focusing on business, which can be called an anomaly. After they have finished entering, it should be the cultivators of the powerful sects."

With the help of the gold coin, in less than half a day, the cultivators of the Baozhixing had all entered. Next, the various merchant firms and foot merchants also lined up and entered in an orderly manner. Always one team finished, then another team opened, never crossing or merging. Some cultivators were well-informed and pointed out, "This is all particular. The Cave Heaven inside the boat has many restrictions, and they cannot communicate with each other. After all, these many sects often fight in the Central Continent. If there is a conflict in the Cave Heaven inside the boat, it will be difficult to end. Therefore, each cultivator has a time. When they come, they are in what boat room, and when they leave, it is the same. If they miss the time, they will never wait—there are many small traditions in the Southern Zhuzhou, which were left behind by Central Continent disciples who failed to catch the return trip when the Sky Boat visited last time, thousands of years ago."

Everyone suddenly realized and said one after another, "It seems that crossing the ocean also requires caution everywhere. If you are trapped somewhere and miss the boat period, it will be difficult to go back."

"Isn't that just the case? Those merchant fleets that cross the ocean take more than a hundred years to go back and forth. Qi Refining cultivators cannot finish such a long journey in their lifetime. I heard that the boat has already formed a mortal kingdom, otherwise even the servants would not be enough to use."

Amidst the discussion, the merchant fleet had already finished entering. In Ningshantang, a team of people flew up, laughing and heading towards the Altar entrance. A group of more than ten people rode in a fragrant carriage, with starlight faintly appearing at the front of the carriage, which was very eye-catching in the sunlight.

No one knew when these cultivators came out. Now that they had stayed in the Southern Zhuzhou for three years, the curious had long found out, so someone said, "This is a cultivator from Chuixue Mountain. They have recruited many disciples in the Song State. It is rumored that this sect has a water spirit technique that suppresses the sect, which is a separate transmission of the Dao Ancestor. I don't know if it is true or false."

Everyone couldn't help but sigh in admiration. Dong Shuangcheng thought silently in her heart, "This is nothing strange. The separate transmission of the Dao Ancestor, our Sword Sect also counts as having one."

Although the Taibai Sword Sect was not yet a great sect, it was considered the first-class sect under the great sect. From Shuangcheng's perspective, the powerful sects of the Central Continent were not always something to look up to. However, it was good to know more sects and know some anecdotes. So she listened silently. These powerful sects had already gathered their people and waited for a long time, throwing themselves into the boat continuously. True Person Liu said, "I see that some sects before and after seem to be going to the same boat room. They probably worship the same Cave Heaven True Person."

It is common for several powerful sects to be sheltered under a Cave Heaven True Person. Many powerful sects will also worship the Nascent Soul True Person of a great sect as an aid. Hundreds of sects came from the Central Continent. Everyone was talking, guessing which great sect these powerful sects respected, and analyzing the gains and losses behind the conflicts of the great sects in the Central Continent. A few days passed unconsciously. Shuangcheng had already rested several times. When she got up this day, she saw that there was no one at the Altar entrance, so she asked curiously, "What, could it be that everyone has already gone up while I was asleep?"

"The powerful sect cultivators have all left. Now it's the great sect's turn to leave." Shopkeeper Wen stroked his beard and said slowly. "They walked all night last night and only finished this morning. Only now is there no one."

Shuangcheng smiled and said, "The great sect has such a big air, and they are not afraid of missing the time—ah, I know, it must be because the later they leave, the higher their status appears. They are stubborn with each other, so they don't go over."

Shopkeeper Wen shook his head and said, "How could the disciples of the great sect engage in such a battle of spirit? The reason no one is moving now is because of the difference in magic power. Even if they are all Nascent Soul, the magic power of the great sect disciples is more pure and profound. I am afraid they are waiting for the Cave Heaven to be arranged properly, the restrictions to be redrawn, and space to be left for these great sect disciples before they can enter. Otherwise, the uneven distribution of magic power will easily damage the Cave Heaven, and it will be very troublesome to repair."

Although Shopkeeper Wen's cultivation was average, he was knowledgeable and had many stories that Shuangcheng and others did not know. Even Elder Lu listened and sighed, "Although they are all cultivators, the distance between them cannot be measured. If it weren't for the birth of the Divine Sword, these great sects would not have come to the Southern Zhuzhou to recruit disciples."

As he was speaking, Dong Shuangcheng said, "Ah, a group of bald heads, it must be Wangyou Temple! Didn't they just recruit a Divine Sword seed?"

Sure enough, amidst the commotion of the crowd, a group of monks flew out from the floating pavilion. The abbot at the head stepped on golden light, connecting the group into one piece. Apart from that, there was nothing unusual, and the movement was not even as good as the powerful sect cultivators who showed their magical powers before. But Shopkeeper Wen took a deep breath and whispered, "The Palm Leaf Zen Scripture, I didn't expect Wangyou Temple to actually bring it."

Elder Lu blamed softly, "What bald heads? Shuangcheng, you have to be careful about trouble coming from your mouth—Old Wen, what is this Palm Leaf Zen Scripture—"

Shopkeeper Wen sighed in admiration before saying, "The Palm Leaf Zen Scripture is the Cave Heaven spiritual treasure of Wangyou Temple. I think if it weren't for protecting the destined disciples and preventing bad things, it wouldn't be exposed to the public. Look at the novice monk holding the scripture beside the Arhat, I'm afraid it is the Ruan family's flesh and blood."

Everyone looked closely and sure enough saw a young novice monk who had not been ordained beside the abbot. His figure was thin, wearing a linen monk robe, holding a withered yellow banana leaf in his hand. When they wanted to look at his appearance carefully, they only remembered that he was handsome and seemed to be ill, but they couldn't remember any details.

Amidst the whispers, the monks chanted a Sanskrit chant and disappeared into the Cave Heaven. True Person Liu said, "Although this Wangyou Temple is famous, it is hidden. In the Battle of the Lu State, it seems that only Wangyou Temple and the Xuanpo Sect did not participate, and the other great sects all took action."

Shopkeeper Wen just said, "This sect is a separate transmission of the Buddha, naturally different from others," when he heard a great uproar up and down the Altar City, all pointing at the direction of the magic boat. Everyone hurriedly looked back, only to see a sky full of insect shadows flying from afar, dyeing half the sky red. Under the insect cloud, a white jade carriage floated in the void, and many beautiful clothes and shirts were fluttering empty in the front and back. When they arrived in front of the Altar City, these small insects suddenly gathered into a ball, drilled into the clothes, piled up, squeezed together, and turned into beautiful men and women with joyful faces, holding the carriage and flying towards the Altar entrance. Although they looked like humans, if you looked closely, you could still see the small insects wriggling under the skin.

"This is Young Master Yue, the young sect master of the Xuanpo Sect..." Shopkeeper Wen muttered, "These blood-line gold insects... were they all bred in the Southern Zhuzhou in these three years?"

The door of the carriage was tightly closed, and Young Master Yue did not show his face, but it made everyone's legs tremble. Someone on the adjacent magic treasure asked with a trembling voice, "With so many gold insects, if they were released, could they eat a whole country?"

He was afraid of the power in front of him, but what Shuangcheng thought of was the future, saying, "Young Master Yue... did Young Master Yue take all the insects away? If one or two leaked out, what should we do?"

Even Huan Changyuan, who had been staring silently, couldn't help but jump his eyebrows. True Person Liu said, "Don't think too much about these things. The Southern Zhuzhou also has insect cultivators and Cave Heaven ancestors. Can't they deal with a few insects?"

Everyone was relieved and just watched the carriage fly into the Cave Heaven. Unexpectedly, when the carriage reached the light gate at the entrance, it couldn't fly in. The giant turtle turned its head and hissed, looking very dissatisfied. Shuangcheng said, "Strange, does the Sky Boat not like insects?"

There were many knowledgeable people among the sky full of floating boats and pavilions. I don't know who was used to raising spiritual beasts, but said, "The Sky Boat is saying, 'You brought more things than when you came'."

Bringing more things than when they came, naturally they ate the precious materials of the Southern Zhuzhou or even mortals to breed. Everyone knew it clearly in their hearts and responded silently. They lost their mood for joking and instead had an indescribable sense of humiliation.

A chuckle came from the carriage, and a hand like white jade stretched out from the window, scattering a handful of jade sand. There were dots of starlight in the sand. The giant turtle opened its big mouth and sucked all the jade sand in. After chewing for a while, it turned its head back and opened the cover. The followers laughed and said, "This big turtle, one day, I will also taste your taste."

While speaking, the carriage had disappeared into the cave. Shopkeeper Wen whispered, "When the Sky Boat docked three years ago, the Dharma Treasury Order Master beat all the gold insects to death. I don't know how long it took for these insects to breed. In three years, can they grow so many, so that the Sky Boat has to collect more ferry fees and refuses to be fooled by Young Master Yue?"

Elder Lu asked in surprise, "Old Wen means that Young Master Yue had already arrived in the Southern Zhuzhou before the Sky Boat docked?"

Shopkeeper Wen shook his head and said nothing. Elder Lu did not dare to say anything more. Shuangcheng disagreed, thinking, "If that Young Master Yue could arrive in the Southern Zhuzhou before the Sky Boat docked, then he would also have a way to return quietly from the Southern Zhuzhou. Why make such a big fanfare, as if he was doing it for others to see?"

The demonic sect was famous, and even in every move, there was a sense of ominousness. But the cultivators did not dare to discuss it, only watching the carriage disappear into the long scroll, and another pavilion on the long scroll lit up. On the long scroll, more than half of the paintings were already flashing with faint light. Shuangcheng counted with her fingers, and those many powerful sects only occupied half of the space. The remaining buildings were all prepared for the great sects.

Seeing that the time was almost up, the remaining great sects did not hesitate. The people of the Guiyi Sect also entered the Cave Heaven on magic treasures. Most of these great sects did not disdain to show off their strength. If it weren't for the reasons like Wangyou Temple and Xuanpo Sect, most of them would be much simpler than the powerful sect cultivators.

After the Guiyi Sect entered, a black light flashed at the Altar entrance. Taishi Yi did not know where he came from, raised his head and entered proudly. The giant turtle's two feet sank slightly. He was only one person, but he occupied two pavilions, and the area occupied was almost equivalent to the Guiyi Sect.

"It seems that the rumor that this person is infinitely close to the Cave Heaven is indeed true." True Person Liu thought to himself, "Now there are only the Luming Hall and the Shangqing Sect left. The Luming Hall seems to have recruited the Crown Prince of the Song State. I don't know if the Donghua Sword is on this Crown Prince."

Just as he was thinking, a bright light shone on the north side of the Altar City. The cultivators of the Luming Hall crossed the Altar City in a colorful light and floated down. The female cultivator at the head had mountains and rivers painted on her skirt, sleeves waving the sun and moon, and a hundred-foot-long scarf fluttering behind her, held by a maid. The style was extraordinary, truly having the momentum of ruling the world. She held a young man in purple clothes with her plain hands, but she did not cover her face. Everyone saw the Crown Prince of the Song State clearly. Elder Lu said softly, "The Song Emperor uses the country as his surname. I don't know what the name of this Song Crown Prince is."

True Person Liu smiled and said, "A person's name, a tree's shadow. Without the Nascent Soul realm, who would spread their name everywhere? Besides, he is going to the Central Continent. The cultivators of the Central Continent usually hold the Pure Mouth Mantra and are very taboo about names. At this time, I am afraid they have hidden all their real names."

Someone next to them discussed again, "The Song Crown Prince is indeed elegant, but he doesn't look like the Donghua Sword Envoy. We have all seen the Ruan girl from the Shangqing Sect. Among these many disciples, it seems that none of them look like they are wearing the Donghua Sword. Could it be that the Donghua Sword Envoy was not recruited by the Central Continent?"

"Whether it is or not, just wait for the Sky Boat to depart from the shore and look at the Heavenly Star Treasure Map. I am thinking, these many great sects all came with four or five Nascent Soul True Persons. The Shangqing Sect seems to have only True Person Chen. Why is the Shangqing Sect the last one to board the boat?"

Speaking of the Donghua Sword, Huan Changyuan's expression moved, showing a listening look. But hearing everyone talk about trivial matters like the order of boarding the boat, he lowered his head and closed his eyes to rest. Only Dong Shuangcheng listened with great interest and followed up to ask Shopkeeper Wen, "Yes, Old Wen, why?"

Shopkeeper Wen smiled and said, "What's there to ask? Truly a farmer. Not to mention that the Shangqing Sect brought two Cave Heaven spiritual treasures, even if they didn't bring one, and not a single Nascent Soul True Person arrived, they would still have to be the last. Among the great sects of the Central Continent, the Three Pillars of the Sky are the most prominent: the Taiwei Sect, the Shangqing Sect, and the Qingling Sect. The other two sects did not come this time. The Shangqing Sect naturally deserves to be the first, firmly occupying the first place."

He was knowledgeable and learned, and everyone was convinced. The adjacent boat also stopped talking and listened carefully, and asked for advice, "Then please tell me, is this Donghua Sword a divine object that hides itself, staying in the Southern Zhuzhou to wait for the destined person, or has it been obtained and refined by the Sword Envoy, and is it going to be brought back to the Central Continent?"

Shopkeeper Wen waved his hands repeatedly, "Old man, I dare not talk about the whereabouts of this green sword. If I say something wrong, I will bring trouble to myself. Why bother?"

When he showed his cowardice, some curious people couldn't help but ridicule him. Someone else showed off their knowledge and said loudly, "You don't know, this Donghua Sword has only changed hands for six years. Even the most elegant Sword Envoy cannot refine it in six years—"

Before he finished speaking, only hearing a chime, the middle gate of Junping Prefecture opened wide. True Person Chen, in a green shirt, walked in front. Behind him, Xu Shaowei and Zhou Yanqing were on the left and right, each holding a chime and a boat. The remaining disciples lined up and walked forward. Beautiful women and strong men followed Junping Prefecture. Auspicious clouds circled, fragrant mist was green, and it was a scene of righteousness and prosperity. The cultivators couldn't help but straighten up and sighed one after another, "This is the style of the great sect of the world."

"Ah, that leading girl is the Ruan girl who was recruited into the sect, right?"

Everyone hurriedly looked closely and sure enough saw two rows of new disciples lined up behind the Jin Dan cultivator. They were all in the Opening Pulse and Qi Refining cultivation. One person led the team in the middle, with a slender figure and a white veil covering her face. Looking at her extraordinary bearing, it was indeed the Ruan girl who was fought over by many great sects and almost shattered the Lu State that day.

"These many great sects all carefully covered their disciples, only the Shangqing Sect is arrogant, letting her walk alone at the back."

"Isn't it because the other sects have all left? Besides, didn't all the sects see it that day? The Ruan girl was a mistake, there is no Donghua Sword on her..."

Shuangcheng was also very curious about this Ruan girl and used her eyes to look over. Although the magic boat was far away, the cultivators opened their eyes, and such a distance was nothing. However, she couldn't see through the Ruan girl's veil, so she paid attention to the followers—she was so active, and she also had a thought in her heart, which was to find Xiao Ci among the Sky Boat passengers, know which sect she went to, and visit her if there was a chance in the future.

It was just that the great sect cultivators were fine, but the powerful sect cultivators were numerous and walked densely, so she couldn't see them all. Shuangcheng still hadn't found Xiao Ci at this moment and was a little discouraged. Her eyes swept over the Shangqing Sect disciples. Just as she was about to sit back on the deck, she jumped up again and shouted, "Xiao Ci! Isn't that Xiao Ci!"

When she looked closely, sure enough, among the two rows of young disciples, there was a young girl wearing a Daoist robe, with her hands in her sleeves, walking slowly with her fellow disciples. Her side face was like jade, and it was indeed Ruan Ci. Dong Shuangcheng was pleasantly surprised, but then realized something was wrong, thinking, "Wait, Xiao Ci joined the Shangqing Sect as a disciple, not a steward?"

Why hide such a good thing from everyone? Shuangcheng was also puzzled in her heart. But seeing Ruan Ci's traces getting further and further away, and about to board the Altar entrance, she couldn't help but jump up and shout, "Xiao Ci! Xiao Ci! Did you hear me, Xiao Ci—"

Elder Lu couldn't stop her. Seeing Ruan Ci, he was also very surprised. Huan Changyuan suddenly raised his head, his eyes like electricity, piercing into the distance. True Person Liu also used his eyes to look at Ruan Ci.

Dong Shuangcheng was still jumping, but the two sides were far apart, separated by the clouds, and her voice could not reach Ruan Ci's ears. Instead, it attracted everyone's side glances. Someone couldn't help but laugh, "Hey, you farmers, do you know the people of the Shangqing Sect?"

More than just knowing? That Shangqing Sect disciple had once worked as a handyman under the old shopkeeper, and even almost was recruited as a sword servant by Huan Changyuan! Who would have thought that three years later, she would be walking on auspicious clouds, having joined the great sect of the world, and the strangeness of the world's encounters was nothing more than this. Now that Xiao Ci had such an identity, how could the two small disciples of the Taibai Sword Sect compare to her?

With their status, even if they didn't know which one Xiao Ci was in the Shangqing Sect, everyone couldn't help but ridicule, saying one after another, "Even if it's a steward of the Shangqing Sect, it's not something you and I can get to know at will. You should have some sense!"

In Shuangcheng's heart, she didn't know whether to be happy for Xiao Ci or have some unspeakable loss. Just as she was stunned, she saw the young girl in the clouds looking back, her eyes cast, and the two people's eyes met in mid-air. Xiao Ci frowned slightly, shook her head, pressed her slender fingers to her lips, told her to be quiet, then smiled, waved at Shuangcheng, and then turned to walk solemnly.

Among the sky full of floating boats, the ridicule gradually quieted down. Shopkeeper Wen pulled Shuangcheng's sleeve and smiled, "Xiao Ci is making an appointment to see you again, no need to shout, she heard it."

Dong Shuangcheng looked at Shopkeeper Wen, her jumping and waving stopped, and she stood blankly on the bow of the boat, watching the group of the Shangqing Sect drifting and boarding the Altar entrance, disappearing into the Cave Heaven. The light of the long scroll shone brightly, and the unfilled pavilions lit up at the same time. The Shangqing Sect's cultivators had only one Nascent Soul, but occupied one-third of the long scroll. The momentum of supporting the sky was actually to this extent!

"But... but how did she..."

Once the pavilions on the long scroll were full, spiritual light flickered in the fluttering, only hearing the sound of 'buzzing', which was endless. The space above the Altar City seemed to be distorted and shaken. The Sky Boat hissed to the sky, the long scroll rolled and retracted, falling onto the giant turtle's back. The cultivators hurriedly focused on realizing the various wonderful changes. Only Shuangcheng was out of her mind, the more she thought about it, the more wrong it felt, "How could she join the Shangqing Sect, and say she was a steward... wait, what is her surname?"

The various wrong things before gradually flowed through her heart, "Sword servant? Why did I just think she was originally going to be recruited as a sword servant by Senior Brother Changyuan? Xiao Ci's aptitude is so good, naturally she should be recruited as my junior brother and sister. Ah, no, when we first met, she, wasn't she a mortal—"

She was already smart and flexible. At this time, the more she thought, the more panicked she became. An incredible idea slowly floated into her heart, "Why did I feel close to Xiao Ci as soon as I saw her, and didn't care about the difference between immortals and mortals, just wanted to make friends with her... I heard that our sword cultivators have a special convenience in finding sword seeds, could it be, could it be..."

When she turned back to look at her elders, she saw that Uncle-Master Liu and Uncle-Master Lu were both nodding at her without speaking. Even Huan Changyuan had a look of surprise on his face, gradually revealing understanding. Obviously, although her senior brother was taciturn and only had the Dao of the sword in his heart, he was therefore more intelligent and transparent, and more introverted than her.

Shuangcheng was lost in thought and stood for a long time. Thinking of Ruan Ci's status as the Donghua Sword Envoy, she humbled herself in the shop, and now she was very low-key when joining the Shangqing Sect. She couldn't help but feel unfair for her, but she also saw the truth and understood the situation of the Donghua Sword Envoy, which was afraid that it was not as glorious as everyone advertised.

In the past, when she thought of the Donghua Sword Envoy, she always envied that person for being able to control the Divine Sword at a young age. Now that she knew it was Xiao Ci she knew, it was as if the Sword Envoy had a human touch, but she no longer envied her, but couldn't help but worry, thinking, "She is a little girl, only ten years old, and she has to leave her hometown and go to that Central Continent land. Maybe she will never come back in her life. When she gets there, who else can help her?"

There were still a thousand questions in her heart that were not solved. Shuangcheng stood blankly for a long time, and finally sighed softly, "She made an appointment to see me again, can we really see each other again?"

Elder Lu patted her on the shoulder and said meaningfully, "Since she made an appointment to see you again, you will definitely be able to see each other again."

Exchanging a look with Elder Liu, the two knew each other: originally the sect was cultivating Huan Changyuan with all its heart, but since the Sword Envoy looked at Dong Shuangcheng differently, then in the future, many things would be different.

Dong Shuangcheng looked at the two Uncle-Masters, and realized something. She couldn't help but look at her Senior Brother. Huan Changyuan's eyes were like a mirror, reflecting everyone's expressions, but he was unmoved, only looking up at the Altar entrance. The Cave Heaven long scroll had merged into the ancient patterns on the back of the Sky Boat. The giant turtle hissed to the sky and slowly stood up. Someone shouted, "The Sky Boat has set off—"

#

"It's setting off!"

Inside the Cave Heaven long scroll, it was a world of its own, with ten thousand feet of cliffs, deep springs and ice, as well as rolling earth fire and surging waves. The Shangqing Sect lived on a high cliff in the sea of clouds, and the disciples each lived on a peak. Lin Ji personally tidied up the house for Chen Jun and brought spiritual tea, smiling, "Husband has worked hard this time, let's drink a cup of tea."

As she spoke, she knelt and sat on the footstool, took a jade hammer to beat Chen Jun's legs. Chen Jun took a sip of tea, half-squinting his eyes as if wandering outside the world. After a while, he let out a long breath before asking, "Are they all settled?"

Lin Ji said, "The maid settled Miss Ci and Panpan on the peak far away. Except for Husband and the maid, everyone thinks that no one lives there. Miss Shaowei lost face before, and after the Dharma Treasury Order Master punished her, the injury was hard to heal. Recently, she has been closing her doors and not going out, and has already slept. Young Master Qing has always been sensible. As for the young disciples, they cannot fly, and naturally they cannot run around."

Chen Jun nodded slightly and said, "You have always been proper in your work."

He asked again, "How have you looked at her coldly these past few years?"

This question was without beginning or end, but Lin Ji understood, whispering, "I see Miss Ci is smart and gentle, very considerate of servants, and is a good girl."

"You are just perfunctory with me." Chen Jun said unhappily, "A good girl? Humph, why don't you say that she killed that incarnation of Yun Zihua as soon as they met?"

Lin Ji said softly, "Miss Ci didn't know the truth, so it's not her fault."

Chen Jun shook his head and said, "The Heavenly Fate Chessboard only sees the truth. What is seen must be the true nature of the chess player. That Ruan Ci has had a rough life since she was a child and always has to look at people's faces. What she is like, I am afraid she herself is not sure, but the Heavenly Fate Chessboard will never lie again. Over the years, she is the only chess player who destroyed the chessboard. Even Xie Yanhuan only defeated the white pieces miserably back then. The weight of the killing robbery of this woman in the future is afraid to be even better than Senior Sister Xie."

Lin Ji pondered Chen Jun's complexion and said slowly, "True Person Xie waited for her in the Southern Zhuzhou for seven hundred years, and must have her own arrangements. Husband has met by chance, since you have come, you should be at peace. Miss Ci is indeed low in talent—"

"Low talent?" Chen Jun interrupted Lin Ji and sneered, "Do you know how long it took her to refine the Donghua Sword?"

Lin Ji shook her head, "I only know that True Person Xie closed for five years after getting the sword... ah!"

"Have you figured it out?"

Chen Jun stood up, walked to the window, stared at the boundless sea of clouds, and said coldly, "Even Xie Yanhuan was already a Jin Dan when she got the sword, and it took five years to refine it. But she, a mortal body, worked as a servant in the Altar City for two years without revealing any trace of the green sword—it only took a few months to refine the Donghua Sword to be as big or small as she wanted. This woman is favored by the Green Lord. Even counting from the ancient sword fragments to the thousands of sword envoys today, I am afraid there are few. Her nature is so fierce and stubborn, I really don't know how much turmoil she will cause in the future. You let me be at peace since I have come? Humph, if I get involved in it, I am afraid there will be no bones left, let alone refining the Dao for longevity?"

Lin Ji had never thought of this point before, and now she couldn't help but be speechless. She held the spiritual tea and stood for a long time before walking to Chen Jun's side, handing over the tea cup, and whispering, "The maid is ignorant, please forgive me, Husband. The maid only knows that the road to cultivation is like sailing against the current. The more profound the cultivation, the more difficult it is to take another step forward. How many Nascent Soul high cultivators, when breaking through the realm, just because of a thought, a thousand years of cultivation will vanish into smoke, and will not exist overnight. But even so, which high cultivator is not going against the difficulties? Husband has experienced thousands of dangers from Qi Refining to now, and has never been timid. Now you are making such words, nothing more than that your mind is not decided, so you are alarmist and knocking the maid."

Chen Jun glanced at her, a smile appeared on his lips, took the tea cup, and gently stirred the tea surface. Lin Ji said again, "Husband, icing on the cake is not as good as sending charcoal in the snow. Now the Sword Envoy has a low status and shallow knowledge, only protected by a spiritual cat, and there are undercurrents in the sect. A bit of kindness at this time is better than ten times in the future. You don't believe Miss Ci, but you should believe True Person Xie's vision."

When she mentioned Xie Yanhuan, Chen Jun's eyes became deep for a moment. The sea of clouds outside the window seemed to sense his thoughts. Between rolling, there was faintly a figure holding a sword and drinking, sleeves hanging down to teach the Dao. Chen Jun watched for a long time, waved his sleeves, smoothed the sea of clouds, looked at the peak in the distance, and whispered, "This matter involves too much, and it is too early now. After returning to the sect, see who the Sect Master sends her to, and then talk."

Lin Ji wanted to persuade again, her expression moved, looked outside the sky, and whispered, "The Sky Boat has moved, it's about to set off—leaving the Southern Zhuzhou this time, Miss Ci must have a lot of reluctance."

#

"The Sky Boat has moved!"

Chen Jun looked at the peak from afar, but Ruan Ci sat in the room, looking at a crystal round mirror given to her by Lin Ji. This round mirror was like a window, reflecting the scene at the entrance of the Altar City, just like they were looking out from the belly of the giant turtle. She saw the floating boats in the mirror scattering one after another, as if to avoid something, and the Altar City was slowly becoming smaller. She couldn't help but say to Wang Panpan, "Is it about to tear the space?"

Wang Panpan was curled up on an embroidered stool. At this time, she stood up, arched her back and stretched, looking like she had seen the world, and said lazily, "Almost, look a few more times, I don't know when I will see it next time."

Ruan Ci responded, used her eyes to find the one with Dong Shuangcheng and Shopkeeper Wen among the many floating boats, saw them gradually calm down and drive the boat away. Dong Shuangcheng even turned back and waved at the giant turtle. She couldn't help but smile slightly at the mirror. Wang Panpan opened one eye and glanced at her, saying, "You are in a good mood."

Ruan Ci touched her face and said, "Then I can't always have a crying face, right?"

Wang Panpan snorted and said, "Why are you hiding it from me, I won't laugh at you—you were still a little reluctant to leave the Southern Zhuzhou, but you were happy when you saw Young Master Yue. Your official is very obedient. He listened to your words, took back all the blood-line gold insects, and even paid a lot of travel expenses because of this. You found such an official, what is wrong with being happier?"

Ruan Ci smiled and said, "I'm not ungrateful, why are you in a hurry to speak well for him?"

Because she mentioned Qu Tan Yue, she couldn't help but be thoughtful, lying on the table with her hands on her chin, looking at the round mirror while asking Wang Panpan, "Panpan, you said that these Nascent Soul cultivators fight, which one is not earth-shattering, as if they are going to fight for a year or a half, and what spiritual energy storm, what spatial instability... but in the end, no one died. Why is this?"

Wang Panpan laughed and said, "Otherwise, what do you think the Nascent Soul cultivator's fight should look like?"

"I saw Sister Xie at that time, didn't she just use one palm to kill that Liu Yin, clean and neat, where is there any spiritual energy leakage?"

"There was one at that time, you just couldn't feel it. Besides, how can you compare Xie Yanhuan with those people? She killed Liu Yin, just like slaughtering a chicken and killing a dog, of course there is no such big movement." Wang Panpan said, "Otherwise, why do you think everyone is so afraid of her? You don't know at all where the Nascent Soul cultivator is powerful now. Nascent Soul fighting, it is good to have results in a year or a half. Nascent Soul cultivators have countless incarnations, and some are like Xie Yanhuan, who can be reborn from a drop of water. Where is it so easy to kill? You have to be like Xie Yanhuan, who can bind cause and effect, to be able to kill with one palm. Humph, although you were following Xie Yanhuan at that time, you didn't know how powerful she was at all. Even now, you can only vaguely realize some, and you have to wait until you reach the Nascent Soul realm in the future to know how great her magical powers are."

Ruan Ci said, "You are right... at that time I saw Sister Xie kill people so easily, and I thought in my heart, cultivators are just able to fly, and fighting seems to be about the same as martial arts masters. It is because I have seen more these days that I know I have no vision and can't see Sister Xie's power."

"I hated the three sects very much, but these years have slowly gotten better. Sometimes I think, it is also thanks to that grand array that separated the Song State from the other sects. Otherwise, the Song State might be the end of the Lu State today."

She propped up her chin, looked at the Altar City that was gradually becoming smaller in the round mirror, and whispered, "There are many things, when I knew nothing, it looked like one thing, and when I knew more, looking back, it was another thing."

"I have many doubts in my heart, and many people have told me many things. I know that not everything they say is true..."

Wang Panpan suddenly raised her head and looked at Ruan Ci through the crystal round mirror. Ruan Ci's eyes were bright, looking at Wang Panpan's orange cat eyes, and also looking at the hometown mountains and rivers that were getting smaller and further away in the mirror, and said calmly, "In the future, I will return here and use my own eyes to find my own answers."

Wang Panpan's cat eyes narrowed into a line. She looked at Ruan Ci for a while, licked the tip of her nose, stood up and changed her posture, and went to sleep again. Ruan Ci smiled slightly, no longer forcing Wang Panpan, turned to look at the sea of clouds. In the sea of clouds, many figures were born and destroyed, a middle-aged man holding a child, a cold-faced noble lady taking a purse from her arms and handing it to a young girl, a little maid urging talisman power to boil spiritual jade, children running and walking in the corridor—

In the room, the scene in the round mirror changed to pure black. The Sky Boat hissed loudly, paddled its limbs, leaving frames of afterimages in the air, tearing a big mouth from the blue sky. The Altar City entrance suddenly had strong winds, and many star dust blew in from the hole, dots of stars, attracting many cultivators to play with the tide in the wind, chasing and catching. The giant turtle ignored the excitement behind it, its giant tail swung hard, almost smashing the Altar entrance, and finally drilled into the dark spatial crack.

In the Altar City Dao Palace, a treasure map lit up. The guarding cultivator ran out of the hall and shouted, "Report to the Palace Master, the Sky Boat has departed from the shore—"

Only seeing in the treasure map, the spiritual light of the continents was full, and many rare treasures appeared in the continents. Above the Southern Zhuzhou, there were originally spiritual swords lying across, spiritual toads stationed, and spiritual turtles crouching. At this time, the spiritual turtle turned to the north, the light of that spiritual sword also slowly dissipated. The cultivator shouted loudly, "The Sky Boat has departed from the shore—the green sword is following—"

"The Southern Zhuzhou finally enjoys peace—"

"Yes..." Deep in the Altar City, Shopkeeper Wen stopped his work and sighed softly, "Seven hundred and six years, the Southern Zhuzhou finally has peace..."

He sighed and continued to pack his bags, preparing for a long journey.

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

The word count of this chapter is really quite a lot~ It's not too much to ask for a comment, right QAQ

It is also a confession and conclusion for the many characters in the first volume. When arriving at the Central Continent land, everything will be a new beginning, and Ruan Ci's understanding of the world will become more and more rich~

I still call for takeout at noon, eating river shrimp and big chop noodles. I am also very strange whether such a combination can be delicious, but this noodle restaurant is a reputable noodle restaurant nearby, and I have never been there to eat, so I am quite curious.

Ah, I can't read "Kingdom Bloodline" at all. For me, this book has a point, that is, he writes very real and full human nature, but it is mixed with many Japanese light novel styles. I am very uncomfortable with this. I think this book should be considered Japanese Western fantasy. Regretfully gave up, I feel that the addiction to reading has begun to decline recently, and it is estimated that I will start to write updates fiercely again.

. Thanks to the little angels who voted for me or irrigated nutrient solution during the period 2020-07-21 12:00:03~2020-07-22 12:00:37~

Thanks to the little angels who voted for the rocket launcher: Guoguozhi, Wantang 1 each;

Thanks to the little angel who voted for the grenade: Yu Wanyao 1;

Thanks to the little angels who voted for the landmine: Xianxian, Litchi whose account was stolen, Time's Delusion, truedfy, 38145469, Yunshui 1 each;

Thanks to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Huo Qixiaoran, Fan Jian, Zhuozhuo Yaohua, Tingting Ruyi 10 bottles; Changxi, Mingji 5 bottles; Lufei, xiaoxiao 3 bottles; Daochunhan, Wawangwang, Kuangxiao Erwang, Youwu 1 bottle;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!