268: Chapter 266 Floating Mountain Immortal Boat

Yun Ming reached out and took the spiritual flower. The moment the petals touched his fingertips, they weren't warm, nor were they cold; they were like a snowflake landing in his palm, trembling slightly before vanishing silently. It didn't shatter or melt, it simply vanished into thin air, leaving not even a trace of fragrance behind. In its place, a voice rang out. The voice transmitted directly into his ears, not from the outside, but from the depths of his Divine Soul. It was the voice of the Princess Royal, neither high nor low, neither hurried nor slow, carrying an undeniable composure.

"Follow her. She will lead you to me."

Yun Ming raised his hand; his palm was empty. He withdrew his hand and looked at the woman in the light pink dress standing before him. The woman looked back at him, a smile on her lips, her gaze circling his face.

"Fellow Daoist, do you not like this flower?" the woman asked, tilting her head.

Yun Ming shook his head. "The flower is fine. It is just that I am not fortunate enough to enjoy it." He paused. "Since you are so familiar with Paradise, why not show me around? I have just arrived and am completely in the dark; I happen to be in need of a guide."

The woman's eyes lit up, and her smile deepened. "Of course. What would you like to see? Bustling, quiet, elegant, or uninhibited—as long as it exists in Paradise, I can take you there." Yun Ming said, "Let's see it all. Since I'm already here, I might as well see what there is to see."

The woman turned and walked ahead. "Then follow me, Fellow Daoist."

The two walked along the bluestone path, flanked by continuous pavilions and floating gardens. The woman walked at a moderate pace, occasionally glancing back at Yun Ming to ensure he was still there. She began her introduction.

"Paradise is divided into three layers: inner, middle, and outer. You've already passed through the outer layer—the gambling dens, wine shops, and spiritual food halls. They're lively, but not very interesting. Those coming and going are all Loose Cultivators and Disciples from small Sects; it's a real mixed bag of people." She paused. "The middle layer is much better. The establishments here all have backing; not just anyone can enter. The consumption is also high; a single High-Grade Spirit Stone doesn't go far here. But in the middle layer, you can enjoy things you won't find outside."

Yun Ming asked, "What kind of things?"

The corners of the woman's mouth curled slightly, carrying a hint of ambiguity. "For example, the 'Spiritual Bath.' It's not a regular bath; the spiritual spring pools are mixed with various Heaven And Earth Treasures. One soak is worth a month of bitter Cultivation. The pools are divided by gender, and also... not divided." She glanced at Yun Ming, her smile deepening. "If you wish to experience it, I can recommend a few places. In some establishments' Spiritual Baths, the maids are water-attribute Spiritual Root Cultivators at the Golden Core Stage. They can use water Spiritual Qi to help clear your meridians. That feeling is even more comfortable than Dual Cultivation."

Yun Ming did not respond. The woman didn't mind and continued. "Then there is 'Dream Induction.' The Dream Induction Masters of Paradise are all experts in illusion techniques. They can pull you into a completely realistic dreamscape. In the dream, you can be anyone you want to be and do anything you want to do. Some dream of their Immortal Ascension, some dream of ruling ten thousand worlds, and some dream of..." She paused, her voice dropping lower, "...sharing a night of passion with their heart's desire. One dream costs several hundred High-Grade Spirit Stones. Upon waking, you remember nothing, yet your body still remembers the sensation."

Yun Ming nodded without offering a comment.

The woman pointed to a floating pavilion in the distance. The pavilion was entirely emerald green, draped in vines and blooming with spiritual flowers. "That over there is the 'Elegant Gathering.' It's a place for scholars and refined individuals; they don't do all that messy stuff. They compose poetry, sample tea, discuss the Dao, play the zither, and play chess. However—" She smiled. "The Elegant Gathering has its own ways to play. For instance, the 'Flying Flower Game' where the loser must drink a penalty. The wine isn't ordinary wine; it's infused with Drunken Immortal Plant. Drink too much, and you talk too much. Talk too much, and secrets can no longer be hidden. Thus, three types of people go to the Elegant Gathering: those who are truly refined, those who pretend to be, and those who go to listen to others' secrets."

Yun Ming glanced at her. "Which type are you?"

The woman did not answer, only smiled and continued forward.

"The innermost part is the inner layer. It is not open to the public; only those with an invitation may enter. Every owner of an establishment in the inner layer is a person of status in Sky Element City. Some are imperial relatives, some are Elders of Soul Transformation Sects, and some are leaders of underground forces. The games played there can no longer be measured by Spirit Stones." She looked back at Yun Ming. "The place you are looking for is in the inner layer."

The two passed through the middle layer and arrived at the edge of the inner layer. There was an invisible barrier at the entrance. The woman took a jade pendant from her waist and pressed it against the barrier. The barrier rippled, and a door opened. She stepped aside. "After you, Fellow Daoist."

Yun Ming walked inside. The barrier closed behind him, and the outside clamor was instantly cut off. The inner layer was eerily quiet, the air was fresh, the spiritual mist was thin, and even the lighting was much softer. The ground was no longer bluestone but a type of semi-transparent jade. Beneath the jade flowed a spiritual spring, with occasional koi swimming under his feet. The flowering trees by the roadside were taller, with gnarled branches and massive blossoms, their petals beaded with tiny spiritual dew. The spiritual fragrance in the air had changed; it was no longer a heavy sweetness, but a refined, ethereal scent, like the pollen of some high-tier spiritual flower.

The woman walked beside him, no longer speaking. After walking along a winding path for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the view suddenly opened up. A massive body of water appeared ahead. It wasn't a lake but a river, wide and slow-moving. It wasn't an ordinary river; the water was milky white, shimmering with a faint spiritual light, like milk soaked in moonlight. Several painted pleasure boats floated on the river. They weren't large, but they were ornately carved and draped with pink silk curtains, with figures faintly visible inside. But the woman's goal was not these boats. She led Yun Ming further along the riverbank.

They reached a pier where something was moored. Yun Ming stopped and looked up.

That was no boat. It was a mountain.

A towering mountain whose peak could not be seen stood upon the river. The mountain was entirely blue-black with jagged rocks, its upper half hidden in spiritual mist. Massive stone steps at the base of the mountain extended down to the water. A stone tablet stood on the pier, carved with four characters—'Floating Mountain Immortal Barge.' This was not a boat; this was a mountain carried upon a ship.

The woman stepped onto the stone stairs, and Yun Ming followed. The stairs were wide, each step several yards across, making it feel like walking on a mountain path. On either side were steep rock walls covered in spiritual vines and flowers. Occasionally, spiritual springs seeped from cracks in the rocks, flowing down the walls to join the river below. The higher they went, the thicker the mist became and the colder the temperature dropped. Halfway up the mountain was a platform with a pavilion. Inside the pavilion were a stone table and stools; a pot of tea sat on the table, still warm, but no one was there.

The woman did not stop and continued upward. After another tea's time, the spiritual mist gradually thinned, and light appeared. They had reached the summit.

The summit was a wide, open flatland. A palace stood there, not tall but sprawling. The roof was made of glazed tiles of a pale cyan color, shimmering warmly under the moonlight. The square in front of the palace was paved with white jade, and twelve stone pillars carved with dragons stood around its perimeter. Atop each pillar sat a Spirit Beast—cranes, deer, Qilins, and Phoenixes—all of them alive. They crouched atop the pillars with their eyes closed, as if dozing. One crane had a cultivation at the Golden Core Middle Stage, a deer was at Golden Core Perfection, and the Phoenix's cultivation was even more unfathomable—at least at the Early Nascent Soul Stage.

A spiritual spring flowed across the square, its water clear and its bed lined with multicolored Spirit Stones. Several spiritual flowers bloomed by the spring, their petals beaded with spiritual dew. A white spiritual rabbit sat among the flowers; it glanced at Yun Ming before lowering its head to continue nibbling on spiritual grass. That rabbit's cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.

Yun Ming followed the woman across the square and up the palace steps. The palace doors were made of red sandalwood, carved with intricate cloud patterns and inlaid with gems that sparkled in the moonlight. The doors were not closed, but merely ajar. The woman pushed them open and stepped aside.

"After you, Fellow Daoist."

Yun Ming walked inside. The interior of the palace was even more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The domed ceiling was incredibly high, painted with a star map that was alive; stars slowly drifted within it, and occasionally a meteor would streak across, trailing a long tail of flame. The floor was paved with warm-colored spiritual jade, embedded with glowing spiritual runes. With every step he took, a spiritual flower bloomed beneath his feet before dissipating.

The space within the palace was divided into different regions. Some areas were in eternal spring with peach blossoms in full bloom and gurgling brooks; some were covered in white snow with plum blossoms braving the cold and evergreen pines; some were filled with the richness of autumn with maple leaves like fire and the fragrance of golden osmanthus; and some were in the heat of summer with lotus ponds and the chirping of cicadas. The four seasons alternated within the same palace without interfering with one another. Spirit Beasts moved through them—cranes strolled through the peach groves, deer leaped across the snow, and koi swam in the lotus ponds. They were neither afraid of nor interested in people.

The woman led Yun Ming through the seasons, past the herds of Spirit Beasts, and through one corridor after another. Calligraphy and paintings hung on the corridor walls—the writing by famous masters and the paintings by renowned artists, each piece worth a fortune. At the end of the corridor was a door. Two maids stood before it, dressed in pale cyan palace attire, their fabrics exquisite and their bearing dignified. Upon seeing Yun Ming, they bowed slightly to the woman, then stepped to the sides and pushed open the door.

The woman stopped, turned around, and looked at Yun Ming. That faint smile still lingered on her lips, but there was something indefinable in the depths of her eyes.

"Fellow Daoist, we have arrived. Her Highness the Princess Royal is waiting for you inside." She paused. "I will not be going in. Until we meet again."

She gave Yun Ming a slight nod, turned, and left. Her footsteps gradually faded, disappearing into the depths of the corridor.

Yun Ming stood at the door, took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

Inside the hall, the Princess Royal sat on a soft couch, cradling that crimson Treasure-Spitting Mouse in her arms. The mouse's eyes were narrowed as it dozed in her lap. The Princess Royal wore a light purple palace dress, her hair piled high and held by a golden hair ornament. She looked up at Yun Ming as he walked in, her lips twitching slightly. Yun Ming looked back at her. The two faced each other, neither speaking. The hall was very quiet, save for the sound of the flowing spiritual spring and the occasional distant cry of a Spirit Beast.