Song Zifan gave the four of them six hours to pack their belongings and say their farewells.
Shi Yu returned to the Yunlai Inn with Chen Er. Chen Er hurriedly left to pack and say his goodbyes, while Shi Yu had very little to pack. Anything she needed for daily life could simply be bought once she reached the Origin Realm.
Returning to her room, Shi Yu stood by the window and looked out toward the capital's royal palace.
The two realms were separated. What she had suffered in the Origin Realm likely hadn't reached the Mortal Realm yet. Her royal father and mother surely still believed she was happily cultivating under the protection of Xuanqing Immortal Venerable.
A sharp pain wracked her chest once more, accompanied by an itch in her throat. A light cough sent a surge of blood welling up.
Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth with her thumb, Shi Yu let out a soft sigh and closed the window.
If not for the vitality nourished by the Life Spring water within the Yin-Yang Fate-Tapping Bell, her broken, withered body would have collapsed long ago, to say nothing of regenerating a spiritual meridian.
...
A boundary array separated the Origin Realm from the Mortal Realm, drawing a stark line between the two.
It was no easy task for cultivators from the Origin Realm to travel to the Mortal Realm; crossing the boundary array always required special means.
Furthermore, spiritual energy in the Mortal Realm was thin and resources scarce. Unless necessary, cultivators wouldn't bother expending the effort to cross the boundary into the mortal world for such a thankless task.
The Yuxu Sect was an exception.
Located in a very remote area of the Origin Realm, it was a small, obscure sect. However, its territory happened to sit at a weak point in the boundary array, and the sect possessed special techniques passed down through generations, making travel to the Mortal Realm much easier. This was how its connection with Guangle Village came to be, sending disciples every fifty years to recruit a few new members.
Now, the bright moon hung high in the heavy night dew. Those who had left to bid farewell had all rushed back, reuniting at the stone platform.
Shi Yu glanced over and saw the three of them carrying bags of various sizes, their eyes red-rimmed—clearly having gone through an emotional parting.
Traveling light among them, her expression calm and unchanged, she naturally drew a few extra looks.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, Song Zifan pulled a cloud boat from his sleeve and tossed it into the air. Expanding with the wind, it rapidly grew to about thirty feet long.
“Everyone, board the cloud boat with me.”
Once on board, the others set down their bags and gradually let go of their sorrowful goodbyes, looking around with restrained excitement.
Terrified of damaging an immortal item, they merely stared, not daring to reach out and touch a thing.
Standing at the prow, Song Zifan waited until everyone was steady before regretfully pulling out a small pouch of sparkling spirit stones to embed into the bow. He then channeled several streams of spiritual energy into the runes carved onto the cloud boat.
In an instant, the runes flared to life, standing out brilliantly against the dark night.
The cloud boat rose into the sky, gliding smoothly toward the distant horizon.
The excitement quickly turned back to trembling fear. They huddled together, terrified that the flying vessel might tilt and throw them off to shatter their bones on the ground below.
Huang Xiu chuckled softly at the sight. “Don't worry. This cloud boat was meticulously crafted by both our Third Elder and Sixth Elder with great effort. It is perfectly steady.”
Everyone let out an “Ah!” of awe. Though they understood none of the mechanics, it didn't stop their eyes from filling with wonder.
Shi Yu: “...”
Her lips twitched slightly. Did a cloud boat that barely qualified as Grade 2 really require two elders joining forces to refine?
Shi Yu couldn't tell for a moment whether the Yuxu Sect's foundation was simply too weak or if artifact refining in this world was exceptionally difficult. No matter how she looked at it, this cloud boat merely used basic refining methods and bore a couple of simple spell seals.
While cloud boats were more difficult to refine than ordinary artifacts, a Tier 3 artifact refiner should be more than enough to create a Grade 2 cloud boat, shouldn't they? Why would it take two people?
In the game Xian Yuan, players who learned secondary professions rarely specialized in just one, and Shi Yu had maxed out every single skill tree, reaching the pinnacle in every field.
What she didn't realize was that in this world, artifact refining, alchemy, formations, and talismans were heavily reliant on innate talent. Master one, and a person was considered a rare genius; they would never have to worry about wealth, earning spirit stones far easier than other cultivators. Who would have the energy to master multiple arts?
A “Tier 3 artifact refiner,” which was hardly worth mentioning in the game, was a figure of real stature in this world.
Though this cloud boat was only Grade 2, its construction was costly and material-heavy. Just refining the iron-essence beast scales alone took over a month, making it necessary for two people to collaborate.
“This boat is truly magical, actually flying in the sky.”
“It's an immortal treasure. Who knows how many wonders we'll see in the future? This life is truly complete.”
Besides Shi Yu and Chen Er, the other two candidates were Jiang Hong and Li Xu. They were young masters from prominent families in nearby prefectures who had specifically traveled to Guangle Village.
The two stuck together, enthusiastically discussing immortal matters and brimming with anticipation for what encounters awaited them after entering the sect.
Chen Er tried to chime in, but Jiang Hong and Li Xu largely ignored him, not even bothering to give him a second glance.
In their eyes, they were pampered young masters from noble houses, while Chen Er was merely an inn waiter from a tiny village. How could he possibly compare to them?
Shi Yu listened quietly and naturally saw Chen Er's awkward predicament, shaking her head secretly.
With her original host's memories, she knew full well that class hierarchy within a sect was far stricter than in the mortal realm.
Chen Er possessed a Low-grade 7-point Spiritual Meridian, meaning he would enter as an outer disciple. Jiang Hong and Li Xu were merely handyman disciples. If they entered the sect with such high-and-mighty attitudes and failed to adapt, they would surely suffer for it.
Thinking back, even she, the most favored and noble Ninth Princess of the Zhao Kingdom, became... nothing at all once she arrived in the Origin Realm and entered a sect.
She gave a self-deprecating laugh.
As night deepened and the excitement wore off, exhaustion set in. They sat or lay down, drifting off into sleep.
Early the next morning, as dim morning light broke and the air turned chilly, those who hadn't slept soundly woke up early. The landscape below, obscured by night before, now came fully into view, giving them a much deeper appreciation of flying high in the air.
By noon, the cloud boat had been flying for half a day and arrived over the ocean.
Sunlight glinted off the sparkling sea, a sheet of shimmering gold.
Huang Xiu called out crisply, “Everyone, we're almost there.”
Feeling somewhat weary, everyone perked up at her words, knowing they were about to reach the legendary immortal sanctuary.
As Huang Xiu finished speaking, Song Zifan produced a formation disk. Several Yuxu Sect disciples joined forces to inject spiritual energy into it, forming hand seals to cast the spell.
A moment later, a distinct sensation of passing through a thin membrane washed over them. The scenery before them abruptly transformed—the ocean beneath the cloud boat was gone, replaced by lush, green mountain ranges.
In an instant, Shi Yu felt the spiritual energy in the air become vastly richer and more active.
A single boundary array separated two entirely different worlds.
The other three didn't possess Shi Yu's sharp perception, but taking a breath filled them with a refreshing sense of clarity, offering them a taste of the benefits of being in the Origin Realm.
“Is this... the immortal sanctuary?”
“Truly extraordinary.”
The cloud boat came to a stop before a magnificent, rugged peak. The newcomers stared wide-eyed as they saw people soaring on flying swords, and others lightly touching their toes to bamboo branches, floating several yards in a single bound.
Shi Yu glanced over the scene and immediately spotted a simple, ancient archway standing halfway up the peak, inscribed with three large characters: “Yuxu Sect.”
Mist swirled among the mountains, revealing faint glimpses of pavilions and towers that naturally inspired awe.
And a short distance down the mountain lay a bustling, sizable market town.
With only a Low-grade 1-point Spiritual Meridian, Shi Yu could only stop here; she could not follow them into the Yuxu Sect.
Song Zifan and Huang Xiu looked at Shi Yu, pointing toward the market town. “You may head to the market on your own and find a place to stay. Mortal silver is still accepted there.”
While the market looked close, walking there would likely take a full day.
Chen Er opened his mouth to speak, but knowing his words held no weight, he refrained from saying anything.
Shi Yu didn't mind in the slightest. She had never expected Song Zifan to steer the cloud boat to drop her off directly at the market town anyway; this was already enough.
Cupping her hands in gratitude to the Yuxu Sect disciples, she bade them farewell and stepped off the cloud boat.
Chen Er looked on with worry and hurried to the edge of the boat. “Young Master...”
In Chen Er's eyes, Shi Yu's delicate face still bore the youthfulness of a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old. She was frail, frequently coughed up blood, and was completely alone without companions. What would she do in this unfamiliar place?
Shi Yu smiled at him. “Focus on your cultivation.”
“Once I settle down and find an opportunity, I'll come look for you, Young Master.” Seeing her pale, bloodless face, Chen Er made up his mind to gain a firm foothold in the sect as soon as possible so he could visit the market and check on her.
Shi Yu was somewhat surprised. They had known each other for less than a month, a mere chance encounter, yet Chen Er still cared for her like this. He was truly a loyal and dutiful person.
She didn't think she needed Chen Er's care, but since he had spoken so earnestly, she took note of it. If an opportunity arose to help him in the future, she wouldn't mind lending a hand.
Nodding to Chen Er, Shi Yu turned and walked toward the market town.
She carried very little luggage—just a bag containing the gold, silver, and valuables left by her Second Senior Brother, a few Rejuvenation Pills, and a scimitar tucked into her boot.
Rate on N.U.
