236: Chapter 234 The Next Stage of Cultivation: A Guest is Coming to the Mountain Gate

When Ye Ming learned that items could be exchanged with the Mountain Gate for "Stone," he immediately returned to the small courtyard with Lin Miao in excitement, waiting for the Director and the others to complete their task and return from the mountain.

He had originally planned to go straight up the mountain to report the good news to the Director, but in the end, he gave up on the idea.

If he were to disturb their "cultivation" and displease Immortal Xu, Ye Ming worried he might also be hauled off to chop iron trees.

Therefore, he and Lin Miao simply spent every day in the courtyard studying the list Senior Brother Zhou had given them, analyzing the uses of the items on it and whether they could be combined with modern technology.

Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was another early morning.

The two of them got out of bed and, as was their custom, respectfully saw Kunpeng off. Then they went to the eatery to fill their stomachs. Upon returning to the courtyard, they sat at the stone table by the wall and fiddled with the list.

“Hey, Brother Ye, look at this.” Lin Miao, resting her chin on her hand, pushed the spreadsheet laid out on the table toward Ye Ming. “Floating Crystal—a byproduct of high-quality 'Stone.' It can levitate on its own without external force; infusing it with 'Fa' can enhance its buoyancy.”

“There's even a crystal like this? What's the principle? Anti-gravity?”

“We don't have a physical specimen, so I'm not sure.”

Ye Ming closed the booklet and gently rubbed the bridge of his nose to relieve the soreness from overusing his eyes. “Kunpeng feathers can keep one's energy in an active state for a long time, but since the two of us aren't chopping trees, Immortal Xu hasn't given us any.”

“They're probably quite precious.”

“Next time we see Immortal Xu, let's ask him for some.”

“In the past, I might have dared to try, but now... forget it. Immortal Xu might not have let go of his anger yet.”

“Besides, he knows what he's doing. If he could really give them to us, he wouldn't hide them.”

“Hehe,” Lin Miao said cheerfully, “I don't think Immortal Xu being angry is a bad thing.”

“How so?”

“It's just... it makes him more like a human.”

After gazing at the sky in thought for a moment, she explained, “His lifespan is dozens of times that of a human, or even infinite. He can fly into the sky out of thin air and sever a tsunami with a single sword strike.”

“Aside from having a similar appearance to humans, from any other perspective, such a lifeform can no longer be called human, right?”

Turning his head to look at her, Ye Ming asked thoughtfully, “Are you afraid?”

“Yes.”

“It’s written in all those fantasy novels, isn't it? Ability users whose physical power far exceeds that of humans, who can flip tanks with their bare hands, all think of themselves as gods and believe ordinary humans should be ruled as slaves.”

“Immortal Xu, who could crush an ability user with a single finger—I was truly apprehensive about what his actual state of mind is and what his attitude toward humanity would be.”

“And now you're fine?”

“More or less.” Lin Miao poked a dimple into her cheek with her finger. “Getting into a sulk... is just like a person.”

“Don't let Immortal Xu hear that.”

“What secrets are you two whispering that Immortal Xu shouldn't know?”

The Director's voice came from outside the courtyard, and as the gate was pushed open, a long line of people filed in.

“Immortal Xu let you come back?”

“Could it not be that we finished chopping the trees?”

“Is that even possible?”

“Heh, I won't argue with you.” Zhao Qi quickly slipped into his own room.

“What's up with him?” Lin Miao asked.

“We spent five days chopping trees without rest. Although Immortal Xu's immortal medicine was very effective—we weren't tired or thirsty, and our spirits were exceptionally high—”

“But going without sleep for so long just doesn't feel right.”

Not just Zhao Qi, but the rest of the group also had ruddy complexions and steady breathing, walking with a spring in their step. However, they all remained silent in unison, heading straight for their rooms as soon as they entered the courtyard.

Only the Director was held back by Ye Ming.

“If there's something, wait until I wake up to talk about it.” The Director was anxious, desperately trying to pull his arm away.

“Let me finish, then you can sleep.”

Seeing that he couldn't break free, he stopped helplessly. “Fine, speak.”

Ye Ming spoke rapidly, recounting the matter of the trade with the Mountain Gate in less than a minute.

After finishing, he returned to the stone table and sat down leisurely. “Director, go ahead and sleep now.”

“Sleep my foot!”

The Director trotted over. Lin Miao, who was beside Ye Ming, very sensibly stood up and sat opposite them, yielding her stone stool.

“So you're saying all the resources stored by the Mountain Gate can be exchanged?” As soon as he sat down, he asked impatiently.

“When did I say all the resources could be exchanged?” Ye Ming opened the booklet on the table and pointed. “Everything on this list is fine.”

“Anything else... I'm afraid we'd have to discuss it with Immortal Xu, and I'm not sure if it would work.”

“That's enough!” The Director scanned it quickly. “Just these alone are of immense value.”

“Then we...”

“I'll ask Immortal Xu to send me out for a trip.”

When Xu had let them return, he had specifically told them that if they needed anything, they just had to shout his name loudly.

So the Director carefully tucked the booklet into his pocket and stood where he was, shouting, “Immortal Xu!”

The white-robed figure materialized instantly.

He hurriedly explained his wish to return to China.

After listening, Xu nodded in agreement, but he didn't set off immediately. Instead, he said, “Everyone, I have something to inform you.”

Though his voice was soft, everyone who was already snoring inside their rooms woke up and ran out to line up in the center of the courtyard.

“Rest for today. Tomorrow, the official entrance examination will begin.”

“Mr. Zhao and the others, if you wish, you may resume woodcutting. If you do not wish to, you may stay as guests or return home.”

After speaking, he looked up and called out, “I must trouble Senior Brother to make a trip.”

*Woo—*

The giant fish leapt out of the sea of clouds, transforming into a giant bird amidst a dazzling light.

*Howl—*

“Go.”

Xu waved his hand, and the Director rose into the air, landing on the bird's back.

With another high-pitched cry, Peng spread its wings and charged into the light gate that had opened ahead.

Having sent him off, Xu instructed the others, “You may give me your answer tomorrow.”

As his voice fell, his form faded and vanished.

...

Kunpeng's body was equipped with a Core that output Mental Energy. Thanks to this, the Director wasn't blinded by the gales of high-speed flight.

Crossing through the light gate, the Director, crouching where the bird's back met its neck, said, “Immortal, you know the way back to China, right?”

*Howl—*

The cry was light and cheerful; he felt it probably meant "I know."

His mind at ease, the Director considered trying to get on Kunpeng's good side; after all, another friend meant another path.

If they became well-acquainted, maybe the Immortal would be happy enough to reward him with a bottle of longevity-enhancing immortal medicine?

But before he could open his mouth, the roar of engines suddenly sounded overhead.

Looking up, he saw a formation of fighter jets. The bomb bay doors on their bellies were already opening to both sides.

“I forgot they haven't seen Peng before!” The Director turned pale with fright and hurriedly pulled out his phone to contact the person in charge here.

He pressed the screen for a long time, but it wouldn't light up. Only then did he realize that after several days without charging, the phone had automatically shut down.

More than ten fighter jets rapidly approached. He jumped and waved anxiously, trying to catch the pilots' attention.

He wasn't worried about Peng getting hurt.

If it could trade blows with the Mountain Rock Giant, it would certainly be fine against a few missiles, but he himself couldn't take it!

Never mind a direct hit; even a graze would be fatal.

Driven by a life-or-death crisis, the Director erupted with terrifying strength, jumping straight up a meter high.

With such a massive bird, a person jumping on its back was naturally extremely conspicuous. The pilot successfully spotted him and, upon entering attack range, did not fire any missiles, instead maintaining a certain distance while trailing Kunpeng.

About a minute passed.

Perhaps having received orders from above, the fighter jets' bomb bays closed, their noses pulled up, and they soon vanished into the cloud layer.

He had almost had an accident right after coming out. How would he make it all the way back to Su City?

The Director was filled with worry; he had to get in touch with the military first.

“Immortal Peng.” Fearing Kunpeng wouldn't hear him, he stepped forward a few paces. “Can you find a place nearby to stop for a bit?”

*Howl—*

The great bird flapped its wings and lowered its altitude, landing shortly after in the mountains where the great battle with the Fallen Spirit had taken place.

It shifted slightly toward the mountain range on the right, its side close against the mountainside, then lowered its body slightly so its back was level with the mountain peak shrouded in hazy mist.

The Director understood and immediately trotted to a clearing on the peak, finding a piece of reasonably flat rock to sit on.

There was no need to think of a way to notify the person in charge; he believed that with Kunpeng stopping here, people would definitely come to investigate.

“It really is huge.” While waiting, the Director looked up and marveled.

The mountains were comparable to skyscrapers, and a human standing at their foot would feel tiny. But with the great bird standing among them, the majestic mountain range that only reached its back seemed like a toy model.

The man and the bird remained silent.

Half an hour later, the roar of propellers rushed in from the distance.

The Director looked back to see a helicopter rapidly approaching. It hovered overhead, and then a Middle-aged Man descended from a rope ladder thrown from the cabin.

“Old Xu, long time no see!” The helicopter hadn't flown far, so the Middle-aged Man had to shout.

“Indeed, it must have been over twenty years!” The Director also tried his best to raise his voice.

“Whoa, twenty years and you're not dead yet?”

“Heh, if I died, who would collect your corpse?”

As the tone of the conversation suddenly shifted, the helicopter ascended and flew off, and the two men's voices returned to a normal volume.

The two stared at each other for a long time until the Middle-aged Man waved his hand. “Alright, let's talk business.”

Hearing this, the Director, whose aura had been like a mother hen facing an enemy, also relaxed his tense expression. “Why did you come running here personally?”

“You're never going to stop, are you?”

“Cough...” The Director cleared his throat with his hand to his mouth, finally speaking in a normal tone. “No jokes, what are you here for? You could have just sent someone to bring me a phone.”

He turned his head to the left, and all he could see were feathers. Only when he looked further up did he see clearly.

The great bird had folded its wings and occasionally turned its head back to preen its feathers with its beak.

Even its slight movements kicked up a strong wind, causing the Middle-aged Man to squint involuntarily.

“Although the satellite images were clear... it's Kunpeng. If I didn't see it with my own eyes, I wouldn't be able to rest in peace even after death.”

The Director suddenly became proud, puffing out his chest. “I'm riding Immortal Kunpeng home.”

“Look at you, getting all high and mighty.”

“No more nonsense.” With the matter being urgent, he straightened his expression. “I need to return to Su City now. You're responsible for making the arrangements along the way. Don't let any misunderstandings arise with the Immortal, and avoid accidents caused by panic.”

“I'll handle it.”

“By the way, why are you the only one coming back?”

“I originally planned to stay for a few more days, but I made an unexpected discovery.”

After recounting what had happened, the Director said, “You understand the significance of the Mountain Gate to China now, don't you?”

“I understand.” He responded in a low voice, then asked, “Where will the trade take place? And what about transportation?”

“No need to worry about those; Immortal Xu can solve them.”

“Contact the higher-ups immediately. Be quick!”

“I know.”

Taking a phone from his pocket and handing it over, the Middle-aged Man cupped his hands toward Kunpeng. “To witness your immortal grace is a great fortune; I have no regrets in this life.”

Soon the helicopter returned to pick him up. The Director ran back onto the bird's back, and with a cry, the great bird soared into the sky toward Su City.

...

Zhang Mu, having left the small courtyard, did not stay in the void of the "World" but followed Kunpeng back to Earth.

He wasn't keeping tabs on the Director; he wanted to take advantage of the time while Luo Xiling and her group didn't need looking after to build momentum for the upcoming "calamity attack."

As soon as he came out, he spent some time scrolling through videos to understand the internet's reaction to Kunpeng.

Nearly a week had passed since he had gone to Su City to pick people up, yet the trending searches and homepages of major platforms were still dominated by videos of Kunpeng swimming through the sky.

The public's enthusiasm remained high, with people gathering in comment sections to frantically discuss what the creature in the videos actually was.

Most were convinced it was Kunpeng, but a few netizens who fancied themselves the only ones awake while everyone else was dreaming sang a different tune.

“There are many mythological protagonists in fish form; it's not necessarily Kunpeng,” was their argument.

“Then what do you say it is?”

“Anyway, it might not be Kunpeng.”

“That's all nonsense. Can you not survive without being contrarian?”

The two sides held their ground, and the theoretical debate turned into a heated online battle.

After a few glances, Zhang Mu felt there was nothing to worry about. He tucked his phone away and set a flight path for Kunpeng, who had taken off again. Then he himself rose into the high altitude, taking three hours to reach the depths of the ocean.

His figure stood upright in mid-air, the deep blue ocean beneath him appearing boundless.

As far as his eyes could see, there were only heavy waves surging, as if no land remained in the world and everything had been submerged by the vast ocean.

He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. “This is the place.”

When he had ordered the Fallen Spirit to flee, Zhang Mu had specifically instructed it to leave a spiritual imprint before it went into hibernation, lest he be unable to find it and have to summon it all over again.

If it were on the Saul Continent, it wouldn't matter; if a body exploded due to magic going out of control, he would just need to resurrect it.

But Earth was too much trouble. Taking potions required calculating the dosage to prevent an overdose from blowing oneself to pieces.

This time, he didn't need to release the Strance Fallen Spirit, only wake it up, which was much more convenient.

Although he still had to take a potion, after all, the Fallen Spirit was a Magister-level magical creature, and a Magister's total mana wouldn't be quite enough even just to wake it.

But it didn't need much; just a little was enough, far from exceeding the limit.

He took a crystal bottle from his inventory, flicked off the stopper with his thumb, and tilted his head back to drain it.

As the potion took effect, Zhang Mu sensed his mana slowly rising. He immediately mobilized his Mental Energy to establish a connection with the Fallen Spirit sleeping on the seabed.

Mana surged into the Fallen Spirit's body through his Mental Energy, like adding oil to a long-unused machine whose gears were covered in rust.

The process lasted half an hour, until Zhang Mu's mana was exhausted and the Fallen Spirit's consciousness finally responded.

“Go west. You are not allowed to step onto land. You may come into contact with ships, but try not to capsize them.”

“Of course, if they attack first, you are permitted to fight back and hunt them down.”

Fluctuations of thought reached his mind through the Mental Energy. Zhang Mu broke the connection and drank another mana-replenishing potion to relieve the weakness brought on by his mana bottoming out.

At the same time, an anomaly occurred on the sea surface.

The seawater in a certain area surged as if boiling. Something seemed to be rushing rapidly across the seabed, carving a wave on the surface that rolled out to both sides.

“Let the Fallen Spirit stir things up in the waters around Ying Country for a few days. By then, the fleets of various nations should all be on the scene.”

Watching the leading edge of the water wave extend rapidly toward the west, Zhang Mu nodded in satisfaction. He turned and made his way back to NH, opening a light gate in the sky over the ocean and stepping through.