490: Chapter 490 I'll give you a number, one thousand.

The Cliff Kingdom, an 8th-grade immortal nation.

Looking from afar, Qingmu Cliff came into view.

Surrounded by mountains, a giant peak rose from the ground, entirely emerald green, as if the whole cliff had been carved from a massive piece of jade.

Surrounding peaks stood like stars around the moon, arching over the main peak in layers, stretching endlessly.

The summit was shrouded in clouds and mist, with ancient trees reaching for the sky.

Branches twisted like coiled dragons, and the canopy was layered, dyeing the mountain in varying shades of green.

Vines draped from the cliff walls like green waterfalls, swaying in the breeze.

Sunlight pierced the clouds, scattering onto the cliff, causing the leaves to shimmer with fine golden light.

The entire Qingmu Cliff looked like a massive jade sword pointing straight at the firmament, majestic yet elegant.

An Ruosu and her group flew back.

Seeing the mountain gate from afar, they were all taken aback.

"The Sect… why does it feel different?"

Senior Sister Bai Zijin let out a light exclamation, her gaze sweeping over both sides of the mountain gate.

The originally simple stone pillars were hung with brand-new brocades.

Spiritual light flowed over them; they were clearly woven from high-grade spirit silkworm silk.

Along the winding mountain path, a spirit lamp hung every hundred paces, burning with faint, soothing spirit incense that was refreshing and pleasant.

Qingmu Cliff seemed to be grandly welcoming someone.

"I will go tell Mother about what happened outside first," An Ruosu said to Senior Sister Bai Zijin and Fang Qianyi.

After entering the mountain gate, they parted ways.

Senior Sister Bai Zijin glanced at An Ruosu, seemingly wanting to say something but stopping, eventually nodding and taking Fang Qianyi down another path.

An Ruosu watched them leave but did not immediately go to find her mother.

She turned and left the Sect, flying along a secluded path, and landed in an uninhabited mountain hollow.

Three figures were already waiting there: Ling Hao in his neat green shirt, Yu Lingshuang in a moon-white dress, and Yue Xinlan in a deep brown dress adorned with silver ornaments.

"Is everything arranged?" Ling Hao asked with a smile.

Sigh, he had no choice but to come on this trip.

Not to mention the matter of the cauldron, just the fact that the "Sect Master of Qingmu Cliff has a portrait of him" was reason enough for him to make the trip.

Knowing that his appearance was known wasn't strange, that could be set aside.

The problem was that an 8th-grade Sect Master having a portrait of him was clearly suspicious.

It couldn't be that his charm was so great that a female Sect Master of an 8th-grade Sect was actively collecting his "merch," right?

Was it a budding romance? Or was there another motive?

"Senior, please follow me."

An Ruosu nodded and led the three out of the territory of Qingmu Cliff, flying east for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, before landing on a quiet mountain peak.

The summit was small, only a few dozen feet across, but it was kept extremely elegant.

A small bamboo-fenced courtyard was built against the mountain.

In front of the courtyard, a shallow stream seeped from between the rocks, gathering into a clear, narrow brook.

A palm-sized stone arch bridge spanned the stream; the bridge body was only three feet long, yet it was delicately carved with jade railings.

The stream wound around the courtyard and flowed toward the cliff edge, turning into a thin waterfall that plummeted into the clouds below.

The sound of the water was babbling, like pearls falling on a jade plate.

A few green bamboos were planted in the yard, with a stone table and a few stone stools placed beneath them.

An ancient zither, left out, rested on the table, with a few bamboo leaves fallen on the strings.

The entire small courtyard was quiet and elegant, unstained by dust, like a paradise on earth.

"Sucxin Peak, this is where my mother and I usually spend our leisure time," An Ruosu introduced softly, "Very few people know about it."

She paused and looked at Ling Hao: "Senior's identity is sensitive, so I will have my mother come here to meet you later."

Ling Hao looked around, quite satisfied with this arrangement.

Yue Xinlan and Yu Lingshuang also nodded, clearly finding this place secret and appropriate.

An Ruosu pointed to a much taller mountain in the distance.

That peak was even more majestic than the current main peak, its summit hidden in the clouds, with spiritual light faintly visible.

"That is 'Yingxian Peak'," An Ruosu said, "It is a place the Sect uses to entertain distinguished guests."

"If a guest does not wish to stay within Qingmu Cliff, they are arranged on that peak."

"If it weren't for Senior's sensitive identity, you would also be staying on that Yingxian Peak when visiting Qingmu Cliff."

Ling Hao nodded, his gaze sweeping over the vast wilderness around them, and suddenly asked: "What do you think of Fusang Province now?"

The relaxed look on An Ruosu's face gradually faded.

After a moment of silence, she spat out one word: "Rotten."

Ling Hao raised an eyebrow.

Yue Xinlan and Yu Lingshuang also showed some surprise, not expecting such a straightforward evaluation.

An Ruosu lowered her eyes, "In Fusang Province, most Sects turn a blind eye to the Erosion Beast Tide."

"They only care about the Erosion Source Blood Tree—because that can be exchanged for resources."

"The Elders and Disciples in the Sects are also more inclined to take on missions related to the Blood Tree."

"As for the pleas for help from subordinate Sects and affiliated nations, they occasionally manage them, but more often than not, they turn a deaf ear."

"Also," An Ruosu glanced at Ling Hao, "Golden Crow Holy Land has issued an order to target Cultivators coming from Cangwu Province."

Ling Hao's gaze narrowed.

"Interesting."

"Moon Shadow Holy Land has some rumors circulating in Fusang Province… they are all bad."

When An Ruosu said this, she glanced at Ling Hao quickly, then lowered her head again.

"They say Moon Shadow Holy Land is a devil's den for women, and that once you go in, life is worse than death every day because you signed a contract and cannot resist."

"They also say that Moon Shadow Holy Land will eventually fall."

"And that Moon Shadow Sect Master is even more—"

She paused, not daring to continue.

Ling Hao raised the corners of his mouth, his tone gentle: "It's fine, go ahead. It's not like you're the one saying these bad things."

An Ruosu bit her lip, her voice as thin as a mosquito's: "…They say Moon Shadow Sect Master is a licentious Devil Head who takes pleasure in plucking and nourishing from women, is short and fat, has a hideous face, and spends his nights with a hundred women…"

"Alright, that's enough."

Ling Hao's face turned black.

He was being portrayed like this in Fusang Province?!

Hideous face? Nights with a hundred women?

He didn't acknowledge the hideous face, and the nights with a hundred women… he didn't acknowledge that either!

Who are they looking down on?

A hundred isn't enough, I'll name a number: one thousand.

As for this Golden Crow Holy Son…

Ling Hao took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and silently noted it down for him.

You are dead.

"They also say things like 'Golden Crow Holy Land will save those women'," An Ruosu added, "In short, they just want to completely demonize Moonshadow Sect."

Ling Hao asked with a dark face: "And you? What do you think? Aren't you afraid I might really be that kind of person?"

An Ruosu raised her head, her beautiful eyes bright.

"I have heard the accounts of Cultivators who came from Cangwu Province."

"They say Cangwu Province and Fusang Province are completely different."

"Under the rule of the Tianyuan Immortal Dynasty, there is the 'Demon Army' to suppress the Demon Race cracks, and the 'Erosion Suppression Army' to wipe out the Erosion Beast Tide."

"Mortals live and work in peace, and Cultivators can also Cultivate with peace of mind without having to be on edge all the time."

"There is also that 'world-suppressing monument' and 'resonance dao tower'—where the world-suppressing monument stands, erosion qi is suppressed, and the rules are stabilized."

"The Elders and Disciples of Moonshadow Sect transmit through the resonance dao tower to suppress places where rules are chaotic, guarding the peace of one side."

An Ruosu's eyes held a hint of longing, "Those areas in Fusang Province near Cangwu Province are already circulating these rumors."

"Many Cultivators dare not speak of it, but in their hearts, they are actually… very hopeful."

Ling Hao listened and nodded slightly.

"But the high-level officials of the Sect," An Ruosu smiled bitterly, "They are only willing to believe what they firmly believe and will never go to see for themselves."

"Aren't these things you said just hearsay? They might not be true, right?" Yu Lingshuang spoke up from the side, her expression meaningful.

An Ruosu looked at Ling Hao, lowered her head, and her earlobes flushed red.

"Because… I have met Senior, and I believe Senior is not that kind of person."

Yu Lingshuang and Yue Xinlan: "…"

I think you just think he's handsome, right?

An Ruosu added: "And Senior is gentle."

"Even when those people confronted Senior so rudely, Senior did not resort to killing them."

"As a Mahayana, you can still care about a small Nascent Soul Cultivator like me—I feel that Senior is not a person of great evil."

After speaking, she smiled softly.

On that delicate, plain face, two shallow dimples rippled out, like ripples on spring water or peach blossoms blooming, bright and gentle.

She rarely smiled, and she didn't know how moving she looked when she did.

Her eyebrows were curved, her lips slightly pouted, and those two dimples seemed to be filled with honey, sweet but not cloying, making people want to take another look.

Ling Hao watched, feeling inexplicably moved.

Yu Lingshuang and Yue Xinlan looked at each other and sighed in their hearts at the same time.

Forget it.

This little girl has been fed a love potion.

"Welcome, Golden Crow Saintess, to Qingmu Cliff—"

In the distance, a magnificent voice like a bell spread throughout the world.

Everyone in the courtyard looked up at the same time.

On the horizon, a huge spirit boat broke through the clouds.

The boat body was entirely crimson gold, carved with the pattern of a three-legged Golden Crow.

A row of Cultivators in crimson armor stood at the bow of the boat, their Aura imposing.

Wherever the spirit boat passed, the clouds were dyed gold, like a scorching sun sailing from the horizon.

In the direction of Qingmu Cliff, spiritual light soared into the sky, and the bell rang nine times, clearly the specification for welcoming the whole Sect.

An Ruosu looked at the spirit boat and murmured: "So… the Sect was redecorated to welcome the Golden Crow Saintess?"