114: Chapter 113 Arrival at Qingxuan Sect

As was his custom, Yun Ming arrived at the grand hall situated above the clouds.

The hall remained as majestic as ever, with floors paved in white jade and stone pillars carved with coiled dragons reaching into the sky. However, there were many more people inside this time than last, gathered in small groups and conversing in low voices.

Yun Ming scanned the crowd and quickly spotted a familiar figure.

“Brother Sikong.”

He walked over and stood beside Sikong Gu. The two of them chose an inconspicuous corner that allowed them to avoid drawing attention while keeping the entire hall in view.

Sikong Gu nodded to him and lowered his voice, “You’ve arrived?”

Yun Ming hummed in affirmation, also whispering, “Do you know who’s coming?”

Sikong Gu shook his head. “I’m not sure. I don’t know much about the Sects in the East Xuan Region; even for the Soul Transformation great Sects, I’ve only heard of their prestige. The Shenduan Sect is famous for Artifact Refining, and the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion is renowned for Alchemy, but as for who specifically is coming, I truly don’t know.”

Yun Ming nodded, looking thoughtful.

In his heart, however, he was calculating something else.

Five years have passed since that incident; why are they only coming for revenge now?

Cang Xuanzi had killed Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Shenduan Sect and the Xuanhuang Pill Mansion. It was understandable that the two Sects would be enraged and send Battleships to hunt him down. But why wait five years? With the resources of a Soul Transformation great Sect, five years is enough time to accomplish many things.

Unless... there was some inside information he didn't know about.

Yun Ming suppressed the doubts in his heart, keeping his expression calm.

The two of them began chatting about Alchemy again.

“How did your last batch of jinyuan pills turn out?” Sikong Gu asked.

“I succeeded with two batches,” Yun Ming said. “Although the success rate still isn't high, it's much better than before.”

Sikong Gu stroked his beard and smiled. “Not bad, not bad. At this rate, in a few more years, you’ll be able to touch the threshold of the third rank.”

Yun Ming said modestly, “I still have to thank you for your guidance, brother.”

“Spare me,” Sikong Gu waved his hand. “Even I was envious of the things in your Secret Volume of Qingwei Alchemy. You just lack experience and finesse; you’ll be fine with more practice.”

As they were speaking, the hall suddenly fell silent.

The Old Ancestor had arrived.

The Ancestor of Qingxuan Sect, dressed in black Daoist robes, walked slowly out from the back hall, ascended the high platform, and sat down on the jade couch. His aura was restrained, but that invisible pressure still caused everyone in the hall to involuntarily lower their heads.

“They have arrived,” the Old Ancestor spoke. His voice wasn't loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly. “Follow me out to receive them.”

The crowd obeyed and filed out.

On the square outside the hall, everyone stood in order of their status. Yun Ming and Sikong Gu remained in an inconspicuous spot, looking up at the sky.

The clouds began to churn.

At first, it was just a faint ripple, but it soon grew more intense, layering like ocean waves and parting to both sides. From deep within the clouds, the silhouette of a massive object gradually emerged.

It was a ship.

An incredibly massive ship.

Made entirely of dark gold, it shimmered with a cold luster under the sunlight. The hull was hundreds of zhang long and dozens of zhang wide, resembling a moving mountain as it slowly sailed out from the depths of the clouds. Carved on the prow was a Qilin howling towards the heavens, so lifelike it seemed it might come alive at any moment.

A fourth-rank Battleship.

Yun Ming heard successive gasps from those around him.

“Good heavens... how many Spirit Stones must this ship be worth?”

“Look at the formation patterns on it; there are at least three layers stacked! No, there are five!”

“What is that? A cannon muzzle?”

Yun Ming’s gaze fell upon that massive Spiritual Energy Cannon.

The cannon body was ten zhang long, and the pitch-black muzzle was as thick as two men's embrace; just looking at it sent a chill down one's spine. He could feel the terrifying power contained within that cannon—if he were hit by an attack of that level, he feared not even ashes would remain.

“The power must be immense,” Yun Ming murmured.

The Battleship slowly came to a halt, hovering in mid-air.

The deck was already crowded with people.

At the very front stood a woman with a cold and elegant aura, wearing green Daoist robes. Her face was exceedingly beautiful, and her aura was unfathomable. Standing there, she was like a mountain that one dared not look at directly.

This person was True Lord Qingyue, who was overseeing the Battleship for the Shenduan Sect this time.

Behind True Lord Qingyue followed a young female Cultivator. She was also extremely beautiful, wearing a light purple dress, but there was a hint of arrogance in her eyes.

Further back were nine Late Golden Core Stage Cultivators.

The nine of them stood side-by-side, their auras thick and their Foundations solid; one could tell at a glance they were battle-hardened veterans. Behind them stood nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivators and thousands of Disciples at the late stage of Qi Refinement.

The grand procession occupied nearly half the Battleship.

Yun Ming pulled out a handful of melon seeds from somewhere and started cracking them.

“The Foundation of these great Sects is truly extraordinary,” he said while eating. “Just the team sent for revenge is equivalent to the size of an entire Sect.”

Sikong Gu glanced at him, his gaze falling on the seeds in his hand, and his eyes lit up slightly.

“Of course,” he said. “The East Xuan Region is rich in Spiritual Qi and full of talented people; its Foundation is naturally deep. Our Ximing Continent truly falls short in comparison.”

Yun Ming asked, “Then why doesn't our Qingxuan Sect move to the East Xuan Region?”

Sikong Gu lowered his voice. “Easier said than done. Although the East Xuan Region is large, the good places were carved up long ago. Going there means fighting for territory, and our Old Ancestor...” He looked left and right, his voice dropping even lower, “...has the ambition but lacks the guts.”

Yun Ming almost laughed out loud.

He glanced at the seeds in his hand and offered them. “Want a taste?”

Sikong Gu took one, cracked it open, and his eyes instantly brightened.

“Eh?” He looked down at the seed in his hand, then at Yun Ming. “These seeds... are a bit different, aren't they?”

Yun Ming smiled and didn't explain.

Of course they were different.

This was the only colored item he had drawn during those five years—a sixth-rank Low Grade spirit plant called the 'mystic pattern jade seed sunflower'. This spirit plant was different from ordinary Spirit Medicines; it could continuously produce fruit. And his particular plant was even more special, producing seeds every day, each containing the spiritual energy of a High-Grade Spirit Stone.

He had planted these seeds in the map of mountains and rivers and harvested a large field. Although the seeds grown there only had the spiritual energy level of a Low-Grade Spirit Stone, they were numerous, making them perfect for snacks.

Sikong Gu cracked a few more, feeling more and more that something was off. “These seeds... contain spiritual energy? And it's very pure! Brother Yun Ming, you have quite a few good things!”

Yun Ming said modestly, “Just a little toy.”

“A little toy?” Sikong Gu glared. “You call this kind of good stuff a little toy? Give me a few hundred pounds!”

Yun Ming almost choked on a seed. “A few hundred pounds? You think these are cabbages?”

Sikong Gu gave a mischievous laugh. “Then how much can you give?”

Yun Ming thought for a moment. “A few pounds is possible.”

“Deal!” Sikong Gu reached out. “Give them to me now!”

Speechless, Yun Ming took out a small bag of seeds from the map of mountains and rivers and handed it to him. Sikong Gu took it, happily stowed it away, and continued cracking seeds.

The two of them sat in the corner cracking seeds and chatting in low voices, completely unlike the surrounding Elders who sat upright with serious expressions.

On the high platform, the Old Ancestor’s gaze inadvertently swept over the corner and landed on Sikong Gu.

He had clearly heard the phrase “has the ambition but lacks the guts.”

The Old Ancestor’s lip twitched slightly, but he maintained a warm smile as he led the crowd forward to greet them.

“True Lord Qingyue has traveled from afar; it has been hard on you.” The Old Ancestor cupped his hands, his tone polite and thorough. “I am the Sect Master of Qingxuan Sect. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner; I hope the True Lord will forgive me.”

True Lord Qingyue nodded slightly as a return of the gesture. “The Sect Master is too kind.”

The Old Ancestor smiled. “I have prepared a modest banquet to welcome the True Lord and Fellow Daoists. If the True Lord does not mind, please step inside for a chat.”