131: Chapter 131 Cloud Chariot

Every large flying boat that comes into existence requires the concerted efforts of several top-tier Third-Stage Artifact Refiners and Third-Stage Formation Masters, consuming vast amounts of Heaven And Earth Treasure, and requiring years of polishing, deduction, and refining to complete.

Most ordinary Golden Core Stage powers do not have the capability to refine large flying boats. Even the only large flying boat belonging to the Spirit Beast Sect was purchased from the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce at a huge cost, and it is still the smallest model among large flying boats.

Only a top-tier four-star power like the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce, which traverses the continent and possesses immense foundation, can afford such extravagance. They establish permanent routes across major territories, station large flying boats year-round, and connect the cultivation lifelines of various prefectures.

Three days later, in the early morning, Li Changqing, dressed in a green robe, stood in a queue on a vast square outside the city of Huangfeng Prefecture. He gazed at the giant boat quietly hovering in the center of the square, covering a hundred zhang of the Void Realm and blocking half the sky's light, fully displaying the majestic aura of a significant immortal artifact.

This boat was named the cloud ferry. Its hull was over five hundred zhang long and nearly a hundred zhang wide. The main material was taken from thousand-year-old Spirit-sinking Ancient Wood, and the entire body was a warm, deep cyan wood color. The surface was plated with a layer of thousand-year-refined Glazed Spirit Gold, refracting layers of lustrous sheen under the morning light.

The bow of the boat was carved with a coiled Dragon pattern, head raised and swallowing clouds. The Dragon's eyes were embedded with two High Grade Third-Stage Night-Shining Spirit Jades, clear and radiant, with a faint Dragon might lingering around them.

On both sides of the hull were neatly arranged spiritual energy portholes. Layers of pavilions and halls were built upon it like they were built against a mountain, staggered and arranged with flying eaves, carved beams, and painted pillars. Vermilion corridors were paired with white jade railings, and it was divided into ordinary cabins, quiet cultivation chambers, and VIP rooms, with a grand and orderly layout.

The bottom of the boat was densely packed with Layered Wind Formations and Floating Formations. Wisps of cyan-white Spiritual Qi flowed and slowly steamed, supporting the giant boat so it stood steadily in the Void Realm without any swaying. Only the extremely subtle vibration of spiritual resonance indicated the massive spiritual power of this significant artifact.

Starting from the entrance of the boarding platform, the line of Cultivators wound neatly like a coiled Dragon, orderly and disciplined, with no one daring to make a scene or act presumptuously.

At the very front of the line were mostly Sect Disciples and aristocratic Cultivators, mostly dressed in proper Daoist robes, their auras steady.

Some Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivators had standard jade plaques hanging at their waists, their spiritual resonance restrained, their expressions indifferent. Some lowered their eyes to meditate, wisps of Spiritual Qi lingering at their fingertips, quietly waiting to board; others whispered softly, discussing the Secret Realms and markets along the route, their voices kept extremely low, strictly adhering to the boarding rules.

Among them were many master-Disciple pairs traveling together. The old man's hair and beard were half-white, his cultivation unfathomable, and his Spiritual Qi was condensed without leaking. Beside him, the young Disciple had green, youthful features, carrying an ancient sword box on his back, eyes full of curiosity yet strictly keeping to his place, standing quietly and not daring to act rashly.

The middle section of the line was a mix of various people. The Loose Cultivators were dressed casually, with everything from cloth clothes and tight-fitting outfits to rain capes. In their eyes, there was the fatigue of travel, but also the hidden expectation of heading to distant places.

Many spirit material merchants traveling between various prefectures and districts were dressed luxuriously, in brocade robes and jade belts. Their bodies were surrounded by a faint scent of medicine and Wood Spiritual Qi, and they whispered while calculating the spirit material trade of this trip, their expressions cautious and shrewd.

Li Changqing stood at the end of the long line, his posture upright, his aura restrained within his body, showing no sign of ostentation.

His Late Stage Foundation Establishment cultivation was firmly suppressed by his Spirit-Concealing Technique, and his spiritual resonance displayed the cultivation of a Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.

Although the entire long line consisted of over a thousand people, it was quiet and orderly. There was only the sound of flowing wind and the faint rustle of Spiritual Qi, with occasionally a few extremely soft whispers that vanished into the wind in an instant.

On both sides of the high platform, several boat guards dressed in standard gray-silver Daoist robes stood sternly on guard, all of them at least Middle Stage Foundation Establishment.

Their postures were as upright as pines, their expressions cold and solemn. When their eyes opened and closed, spiritual light shone clearly, and their auras were majestic. Their gazes swept across the entire line, deterring any with ill intentions.

No one dared to act presumptuously at the departure point of the flying boat; theft, fighting, and loud noises were all non-existent. This was the rule established by the Tianyuan Chamber of Commerce for its routes—strict and inviolable.

Every dozen zhang or so, there was a spiritual verification station. A boat guard held a spiritual light jade register, checking the boarding jade talismans and identity tokens of the Cultivators one by one.

After the spiritual light from their fingertips swept over the jade talisman and confirmed that the itinerary, cabin, and Aptitude were correct, they would raise their hands to signal passage.

After each Cultivator was verified, they would slowly step onto the red-carpeted boarding spiritual bridge.

That spiritual bridge was condensed from pure Spiritual Qi, crystal clear like a long rainbow lying over waves, connecting the stone platform and the flying boat. Walking on it felt soft and steady, with Spiritual Qi steaming underfoot, creating a glow with every step.

The Cultivators boarded the boat slowly in turn, stepping onto the warm ancient wooden deck. After entering the cabin, each went to their place, either standing by the window to gaze at the sea of clouds or sitting quietly to meditate and stabilize their cultivation; no one wandered around or made noise.

Before long, the sun rose higher, and the daylight completely dispersed the morning mist. The sea of clouds surged like a sea paved with broken gold.

The moment the last Cultivator was verified and boarded, and the spiritual bridge slowly dissipated, the hull of the cloud ferry trembled slightly. A low, deep roar of Spiritual Essence emanated from the depths of the ship's body. The entire hundred-zhang giant boat instantly lit up with brilliant Formation patterns, cyan wood streamers wrapped around the entire flying boat, and massive Spiritual Qi swept in all directions.

The coiled Dragon pattern on the bow flared with spiritual light, and a faint, distant Dragon cry echoed, shaking a thousand zhang of the Void Realm.

The next moment, the colossal flying boat slowly lifted into the air. It first climbed steadily, then broke through layers of cloud seas, dragging a sky full of flowing rosy light as it sailed steadily toward the distant, vast horizon, carrying the Opportunity and future paths of thousands of Cultivators, heading towards Tianxuan Prefecture.

The boat ticket Li Changqing purchased was a second-class seat, costing five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

The moment Li Changqing stepped inside the cloud ferry, all the noise and clamor from the outside were completely cut off. Inside the cabin was a completely different, peaceful world.

A spacious and straight passageway stretched into the distance. The floor was covered with a thick, soft, cloud-like spirit-patterned carpet, making walking on it silent and extremely comfortable.

The stone walls on both sides of the passageway were embedded with round, lustrous night-luminescent pearls, emitting a soft, clear, silvery-white halo, illuminating the entire path brightly and translucently, without a trace of darkness.

A faint, lingering scent of sandalwood permeated the air, drifting into the nostrils in wisps, capable of smoothing out the restlessness in a Cultivator's heart and steadily calming their mind, making it most suitable for meditating and resting during the journey.

This cloud ferry was massive in size, and its internal construction and layout were far more exquisite and complex than what met the eye. Layers of concealment Formations and boat-protecting Restrictions covered every corner of the ship, containing Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence. The level of mystery was by no means something an ordinary low-level Cultivator could fathom or discern.

Li Changqing sighed inwardly, thinking that if a large flying boat had such grandeur and exquisite construction, one could only imagine how magnificent and vast a starry sky spirit warship must be.

Walking along the way, he occasionally encountered various Cultivators moving back and forth, most of whom were heading to higher-level cabin floors.

On the way, he bumped into a Foundation Establishment Cultivator dressed in luxurious, embroidered clothes with a noble bearing. Closely following him were two female Cultivators with beautiful, outstanding appearances. The three were laughing and chatting, walking leisurely, heading straight toward the first-class seat area with the best treatment, their bodies exuding an extraordinary background and status.

A moment later, Li Changqing arrived at the second-class seat area. Following the number plate, he found his corresponding seat, took out his exclusive jade talisman, gently activated it, and triggered the cabin Restriction.