Early the next morning, Discipline Peak.
When Yun Heng entered the hall, her complexion was much better than yesterday's. The bloodstains at the corner of her lips were gone, though her aura remained slightly weaker than usual.
He Lansong cast a glance at her.
“How are your injuries?”
“They are no longer a major issue.”
He Lansong nodded.
“Are you here today because of yesterday's incident?”
“No.”
Yun Heng said, “I am here to bid farewell.”
He Lansong's hand holding the teacup paused slightly.
“To bid farewell?”
“I have stayed at the Xuanxiao Sect for quite some time. My seniors instructed me to travel the world and gain experience; I shouldn't remain trapped in one place forever.”
Yun Heng was leaving.
As this thought settled, an indescribable sense of relief washed over He Lansong.
Yun Heng remaining at the Xuanxiao Sect was indeed a troublesome matter.
Her origins were unclear. The Xuanxiao Sect could neither drive her away nor dare to slight her. Now that she chose to leave of her own accord, it saved them a great deal of embarrassment.
“Your injuries are not fully healed. Leaving the sect now might not be wise.”
“I will stay in the city at the foot of the mountain for a few days first.”
He Lansong looked at her, speaking after a moment's silence. “Since it is your seniors' command, the Xuanxiao Sect will not force you to stay.”
He took out a jade token from his sleeve.
“This is a Xuanxiao Sect Guest Command. Though you never officially joined the sect, your year of residence here means you share a bond with us. If you encounter trouble while traveling the Eastern Region in the future, you may present this token to seek help from any disciple stationed outside.”
Yun Heng glanced at the jade token and reached out to accept it.
“Thank you, Elder.”
At the foot of the mountain below the Xuanxiao Sect lay a city named Linxiao City.
Built in reliance on the Xuanxiao Sect, most cultivators passing through had ties to the sect. Outside the city gates stood a green stone stele engraved with the Xuanxiao Sect emblem. Ordinary rogue cultivators arriving here would not dare cause trouble easily.
When Yun Heng entered the city, she had already changed her clothes.
She had put away the plain dress from the Ever-Changing Wardrobe Box, replacing it with light cyan casual robes. The broken jade at her waist remained, though partially obscured by her sash.
Linxiao City was by no means small.
Shops lined both sides of the street, selling pills, talismans, and low-tier artifacts. As Yun Heng walked past, the topic she heard most was yesterday's events at the Xuanxiao Sect's Martial Arena.
“Did you hear? He Zhou was defeated.”
“Defeated by whom?”
“Who else could it be but that Yun Heng?”
“A Golden Core beating a Nascent Soul? You actually believe that?”
“So many people saw it with their own eyes at the Xuanxiao Sect's Martial Arena. How could it be fake?”
Yun Heng brushed past them without breaking her stride.
She found an inn in the city and booked a premium room.
Seeing her young age and solitary travel, the innkeeper had initially given her an extra glance. Only when Yun Heng produced spiritual stones did he instantly rein in his inquisitive look.
“Right this way upstairs, Miss.”
Once the door was shut, Yun Heng first set up her Breath-Concealing Array Plate. Ash-white spiritual light spread out from the array center, quickly cloaking the entire room. While noise from the street outside continued as before, the interior quieted down considerably.
Only then did Yun Heng pull out the map.
As the scroll unrolled, faint golden line patterns emerged on the thin parchment. Mountains, rivers, cities, sects, and trade routes manifested one by one. The Xuanxiao Sect was located in the southern part of the Eastern Region, with Linxiao City lying right outside its mountain gates.
At the absolute center of the Eastern Region, a city was circled in gold.
Tianque City.
Small characters floated beside the map.
The foremost of all cities in the Eastern Region, a hub where trade routes converge, where sects and prominent clans maintain outposts, and where information flows with utmost speed.
In the original book, several of Su Mingyuan's major future opportunities were tied to Tianque City. That was where true cultivators gathered.
Yun Heng stowed away the map and summoned an inn attendant.
The attendant was young but sharp. Hearing that she was bound for Tianque City, he immediately asked, “Are you planning to take the Sky-Traveling Array, Miss?”
“Sky-Traveling Array?”
“Indeed,” the attendant replied with a smile. “Under the protection of the Xuanxiao Sect, a Sky-Traveling Array was established right in Linxiao City. Traveling to any city in the Eastern Region is convenient, though the price is far from cheap.”
Yun Heng asked, “How long will it take to reach Tianque City?”
“The earliest trip departs tomorrow morning. You will need to transfer at three array platforms along the way, taking fifteen days in total.”
Fifteen days—much faster than traveling on her own.
“The price?”
The attendant paused briefly, as though afraid of startling her.
“A standard spot costs thirty mid-grade spiritual stones. If you want a private chamber, it is five hundred mid-grade spiritual stones. Above that, there is a premium chamber equipped with a stealth array to block external detection and guarded by dedicated personnel so you remain undisturbed throughout.”
Yun Heng looked up.
“How much is that?”
“One hundred high-grade spiritual stones.”
An ordinary rogue cultivator might save up for years and still hesitate to spend one hundred high-grade spiritual stones on a single journey.
“Alright, I understand. Thank you.”
Yun Heng casually handed the attendant a high-grade spiritual stone before closing the door.
Ever since that spiritual stone landed in his palm, the attendant seemed frozen on the spot. He stared at the stone, then at the shut door, only recovering his wits after a long moment.
Someone who could hand out a high-grade spiritual stone as a tip on a whim—how could she possibly not afford a premium chamber?
Pocketing the spiritual stone, the attendant hummed a little tune and walked away.
Early the next morning, Yun Heng left the inn and headed to the eastern array platform of the city.
The Sky-Traveling Array was situated on a high platform, its light soaring into the sky, visible from far away. People bustled back and forth, from merchant cultivators to solitary rogue cultivators. Long queues snaked outside the platform, many holding array tokens in hand.
The area for standard spots was the most crowded, while fewer stood near the private chambers. As for the premium chambers, there was virtually no queue at all.
The cultivator responsible for registration looked up, seeing Yun Heng, and asked routinely, “Where to?”
“Tianque City.”
She added:
“A premium chamber.”
The cultivator's brush paused, and he raised his head to look at her.
Yun Heng took out the spiritual stones. One hundred high-grade spiritual stones settled onto the desk, glowing with clear spiritual light.
The registration cultivator's expression immediately turned solemn.
“Please wait a moment, Miss.”
Before long, a golden array token was delivered into Yun Heng's hands.
“Tianque City, premium chamber. The array will activate at the Hour of the Dragon. There will be three transfers along the way, all guided by staff, so you won't need to step off the array platform.”
Yun Heng put away the array token.
As the Hour of the Dragon drew near, the area around the array platform gradually quieted down. She was guided into an isolated premium chamber.
The chamber was not large, but it was clean and secure. Array runes were carved into the four walls, with a prayer mat placed in the center. Once the door closed, outside sounds faded away instantly, leaving only the low hum of the array operating.
Yun Heng sat down and reached out to touch the wall; it indeed possessed a stealth effect. Though not as flexible as her own Breath-Concealing Array Plate, it was more than enough to block prying eyes.
When the Sky-Traveling Array activated, the entire chamber vibrated slightly.
The scenery outside transformed into streaks of light, stretching out in an instant before vanishing just as fast. Yun Heng felt the array runes beneath her feet illuminate, as an exceptionally steady force held up the entire chamber, carrying it into the distance.
She closed her eyes.
Fifteen days—just enough time to cultivate.
Along the way, no one came to disturb her in the quiet chamber. Every day, the array platform staff merely placed spiritual water and inedia pills into a hidden compartment. Yun Heng did not touch those items, taking only her own Clear Essence Inedia Pills, spending the rest of her time circulating the Tianheng Guiyuan Art.
Late-stage Golden Core.
Peak Golden Core.
Great Perfection of Golden Core.
On the fifteenth day...
Yun Heng opened her eyes.
The Golden Core inside her dantian had reached flawless completion, its circulating spiritual breath faintly pulsing with the intent to break through its shell. She suppressed the restlessness, refraining from breaking through immediately.
A voice came from outside the chamber.
“Miss, we have arrived at Tianque City.”
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