Chapter 896 - 687: Journey to the Qin Country
The nobleman in brocade noticed Shen Xuan looking over, and his smile grew even more sincere, radiating evident goodwill.
Shen Xuan thought briefly and transmitted back, "Your great kindness, Fellow Daoist, is hard to decline."
His Silver-Horned Celestial Horse understood his intent and let out a clear, resonant neigh. Its vibrant wings abruptly unfolded, carrying Shen Xuan in a graceful leap, landing steadily on the spacious deck of the spaceship.
This majestic display caught the attention of several cultivators on the ship.
The nobleman in brocade had a fleeting look of surprise in his eyes and couldn’t help but praise, "Fellow Daoist, your celestial horse is truly magnificent!"
His gaze shifted to Shen Xuan, noticing his restrained aura with True Flame hidden within, and he greeted with cupped hands, "I am Yang Yunzhao of the Yang Family from Siming Mountain. May I know your name, Fellow Daoist? Are you heading to Qin Country?"
Shen Xuan smiled slightly and replied, "I am Shen Yan from the Golden Sun Sect in Song Country, traveling around, intending to visit Qin Country to broaden my horizons."
"Marvelous!"
Yang Yunzhao’s smile deepened upon hearing this.
"My Yang Family hails from Qin Country and resides at Siming Mountain. Since Fellow Daoist Shen is visiting Qin Country, you are welcome to be a guest at my family, allowing me to fulfill my duty as a host."
During the conversation, Shen Xuan gained a general understanding of the Yang Family and the situation in Qin Country.
The Yang Family’s territory is located at Siming Mountain in Qin Country.
Eight hundred miles south of this mountain lies the vast Southern Wilderness.
There, the Furious Wave Mountains surge, dangerously endless, a paradise for demon beasts, where fiercesome creatures emerge endlessly.
Unlike the delicate balance maintained between Song Country and the Wilderness.
There is no documented agreement between the human race of Qin Country and the demon race of the Southern Wilderness.
Conflicts are frequent at their borders.
Slaughter is a regular occurrence.
The Yang Family, affiliated with the Bright Flame Palace, annually organizes cultivators to explore the Southern Wilderness, advancing step by step.
Meanwhile, the Southern Wilderness demon race often incites beast tides to retaliate against human immortal cities and strongholds, resulting in fierce battles.
"Bright Flame Palace."
Shen Xuan’s heart moved.
During his time in Wei Country, he did his homework and knew this was a middle-ranking sect in Qin Country, with three Nascent Soul True Monarchs presiding.
The key is that both Bright Flame Palace and its affiliated Yang Family are known for their Fire Techniques.
This was a significant reason for Shen Xuan to readily accept Yang Yunzhao’s invitation.
Sharing the same Fire Technique fosters a natural sense of closeness and trust.
The Yang Family, as a subordinate power under the Bright Flame Palace, besides nurturing their own youths, must continuously absorb external talents to enhance their familial strength.
Initially, Yang Yunzhao believed Shen Xuan to be a powerful loose cultivator, but after learning he hailed from Song Country’s "Golden Sun Sect."
Although not a sect from Qin Country, it is still a reputable orthodox sect, engendering a sense of familiarity and closeness.
Yang Yunzhao is the current Young Master of the Yang Family.
He also has a younger sister and a younger brother.
While speaking, a boy about fourteen or fifteen approached; it was his brother Yang Yunsu.
With curiosity and excitement, he fixed his gaze on the majestic Silver-Horned Celestial Horse without blinking.
After quite a while, he finally couldn’t help but speak, his voice carrying the straightforwardness peculiar to boys.
"Brother Shen, may I sit on your celestial horse?"
Shen Xuan shook his head slightly, "No."
Yang Yunsu’s bright eyes immediately dimmed a bit, unable to conceal his disappointment.
Seeing this, Shen Xuan added, "It’s not that I don’t allow it, but it is unwilling."
The Silver-Horned Celestial Horse snorted, turned its head away proudly, as if confirming his words.
"Oh, I understand."
Though feeling slightly awkward, Yang Yunsu still respectfully cupped his hands and did not pester further.
Shen Xuan noted this, his heart stirred slightly.
The Yang family’s offspring in Qin Country, born amidst the chaos of war, are nonetheless well-mannered and educated.
The sky gradually darkened, the twilight like ink.
Yang Yunzhao specifically arranged for Shen Xuan a superior cabin, elegantly furnished with denser Spiritual Qi compared to other places.
Shen Xuan waved off the two lovely maids who came to serve him on orders and lay alone on the soft bed.
The cabin was well soundproofed, with only a faint hum of the spaceship slicing through the gray mist and the silent fall of black snow outside the window.
This canyon is deep and long, approximately a thousand miles.
The Yang family’s spaceship travelled steadily, without full speed.
Clearly, maintaining a vigilant posture, guarding against unknown risks in the darkness.
Even so, reaching the Qin Country border only took two or three hours.
Shen Xuan closed his eyes to rest, pondering.
Yang Yunzhao’s intention to form connections was quite evident.
He, newly arrived in Qin Country, indeed needed a stable Tier Two Upper Grade fire spirit vein for his cultivation.
The Yang Family at Siming Mountain might be a suitable choice.
That Young Master of the Yang Family handles matters well, speaks sincerely, and seems quite in tune during conversations with him.
"If the Yang Family shows genuine intent, it wouldn’t hurt to consider."
He formulated a plan in his mind.
The ultimate goal of his journey to Qin Country is to condense a Nascent Soul.
But this matter cannot be rushed, like a slow cooking over low heat, avoiding impatience.
The priority now is to advance in Fire Technique, using the Water and Fire Dual Cultivation path, first to form a Fire Technique Golden Core.
He needs a reliable force as support, a place to bide his time and focus on cultivation for a while.
Moreover, the Southern Wilderness Territory is vast, and intelligence is scarce.
If he could utilize the Yang Family’s channels to understand the realities, the distribution of demon beasts, and even the clues of Heavenly and Earthly Treasures, it would benefit his future actions greatly.
Thinking of this, Shen Xuan’s mind gradually settled.
The night outside the window was as deep as an abyss.
...
Three hours later.
As dawn broke, the morning light pierced the heavy gray mist above the canyon.
The Yang family’s spaceship slowly descended, stopping before a towering fortress.
This is the Dragon Capture Pass, commanding the strategic point between Qin and Wei countries, resembling a small immortal city.
The pass walls soared high, inscribed with intricate array patterns, gleaming with a cold metallic sheen in the rising sunlight.
Inside and outside the pass, carriages and horses flowed like dragons, with cultivators and merchants bustling continuously, the noise uproarious.
This place is under the jurisdiction of the Bright Flame Palace.