Chapter 353 - 191: Han Fashou
Beyond these, he had few other possessions of such immense value.
One shouldn’t think Xuzhuang had an abundance of such valuable items. In truth, he had to rely on the Du Xu Palace to painstakingly gather and condense them from the void. The few exceptions were all thanks to fateful encounters with Primordial Spirit True Men.
In particular, the Five Elements Essence and Yin Yang Essence he had obtained from Master Yu Bo during his trip to Lai Xian Hall were likely worth more than the entire fortune of an ordinary Nascent Soul Cultivator.
Beyond that, while the other matter he had attended to at the Upper Scenic Golden Pavilion seemed minor, it was in fact the most critical part of his trip.
That was to "borrow a path."
After leaving the Upper Scenic Golden Pavilion, Xuzhuang did not linger in Weiyun Immortal City. For the first time, he passed through the Celestial River alone, leaving the Guangyuan Realm for the void beyond.
This Celestial River, which encircled the Boundary Heaven of the Guangyuan Realm, had been personally forged by True Monarch Guangcheng using his great Magical Power. It had since become an integral part of the realm’s natural cosmic cycle.
Just as it was when entering the Guangyuan Realm, there was no need for Spirit Stones or Array activation. Once he passed through the Celestial River Gate, the immense power of the river naturally swept him away. This was far faster than his previous journey piloting the Du Xu Palace, when he used a Flying Escape from the Divine Continent to the void beyond Profound Yellow.
After just a moment, Xuzhuang felt as if he had left the world behind. Though still within the Celestial River, it was his first time personally entering the void. It felt as if a shackle had been cast off, and a sense of absolute freedom washed over him. But this was accompanied by the unique desolation of facing the deep, dark expanse, and the terrifying feeling that danger lurked at every turn.
’Only by achieving the Primordial Spirit realm can one be truly free and roam the Star River at will.’
No matter how skilled a swimmer a mortal was, he could not repeatedly challenge the vast ocean. A Nascent Soul Cultivator traveling through the void was no different.
However, this sight of countless Nascent Soul Cultivators traveling through the void, all fighting for a slim chance to advance, was unique to the Guangyuan Realm. Naturally, there were reasons for this.
Xuzhuang retracted his gaze and did not summon the Du Xu Palace. Instead, a talisman appeared at his fingertip. With a gentle activation, an invisible message shot out, vanishing into the distant void in an instant.
Within a breath or two, a response seemed to arrive as a guiding force settled upon Xuzhuang.
’What is this?’ The thought flickered in Xuzhuang’s mind as he felt himself caught in a force field remarkably similar to the gravitational pull generated by the Celestial Permanence Sect’s techniques. He relaxed his resistance slightly and was instantly sent flying away from Guangyuan at an incredible speed, straight toward his destination.
’So this is their guidance method.’ Xuzhuang let the force field pull him along, hurtling through the void. After a little over a day, he finally began to slow down and saw a great ship suspended in the emptiness.
The ship was five stories tall and over a thousand zhang wide even at its narrowest point. With the head of a dragon and a scaled tail, it hung in the void like a long, narrow island. As if sensing Xuzhuang’s approach, the eyes on the ship’s dragon head snapped open and stared directly at him. Xuzhuang felt the talisman on him tremble slightly, and the dragon head withdrew its gaze, its eyes slowly closing once more.
These Dragon-Headed Ships were established by the Upper Scenic Golden Pavilion specifically for cultivators from Weiyun Immortal City. There were 188 of them in total, scattered in every direction around the Guangyuan Realm. As long as one possessed a talisman from the Upper Scenic Golden Pavilion, one could rest aboard. Moreover, a great Array was in place to transport cultivators to and from them.
This arrangement wasn’t just to benefit the cultivators traveling the void; it was also meant to enhance the prosperity of Weiyun Immortal City.
Otherwise, given the flight speed of a Nascent Soul Cultivator, even if they risked their lives, they wouldn’t be able to travel far from the Guangyuan Realm, let alone expect any significant gains.
Therefore, this sort of arrangement was maintained not only by the Upper Scenic Golden Pavilion but by all eleven Heaven-Reaching Treasure Pavilions. After all, apart from the Guangcheng Dojo, the eleven Heaven-Reaching Treasure Pavilions were the ones who stood to profit most from a more prosperous Weiyun Immortal City.
Xuzhuang’s trip to the Upper Scenic Golden Pavilion, aside from dealing with cultivation expenses, was to use the great Array’s transport to save a significant amount of travel time. From there, he would venture out on his own to find the Fixed Star Sun.
The Dragon-Headed Ship was protected by its own restrictive Arrays, which repelled the corrosion of violent energies, attacks from Celestial Demons, meteorite impacts, and other hazards of the void. Since Xuzhuang possessed the talisman, he could enter freely. The guiding force finally dissipated, and he descended smoothly onto the deck.
Logically, although this was a resting place, it was still located in the void. Travelers who came and went were always in a hurry, so it shouldn’t have been very bustling.
But at this moment, several cultivators were standing on deck, deep in conversation. When one of them saw Xuzhuang land, his eyes lit up. He approached, offered a casual salute, and asked, "Greetings, fellow Daoist. May I ask for your name?"
The man’s complexion was somewhat ashen, but his eyes were sharp and full of spirit. His hair and beard were styled into a dozen or so small braids, giving him a peculiar look.
Xuzhuang recognized him at a glance. This was the man who had been haggling with Pang Ban in the Bianlan Pavilion that day. He was, indeed, a Demon Cultivator who risked his life in the void.
The man clearly had no memory of Xuzhuang. For his part, Xuzhuang felt no particular connection to him either and frowned at his forwardness. "Greetings, fellow Daoist," he replied. "Is there something I can help you with?"
The man was taken aback for a moment when Xuzhuang didn’t offer his name. Then, as if realizing something, he said, "My apologies for being forward. It seems you aren’t the person we’re waiting for."
Xuzhuang merely offered a faint smile at his words and walked away without another reply.
His purpose on this journey was clear, and he had no intention of lingering. He was merely a little curious about the ship’s layout and had planned to take a quick tour.
Watching Xuzhuang leave, the ashen-skinned cultivator’s eyes flickered. He returned to his group and said suddenly, "Brother Wang, that Daoist seems to be a greenhorn."
The group seemed to be split into two factions. Among them were two young men with coronets in their bound hair, their bearing stately and elegant.