bookbashuk Chapter 55 Arriving at Floating Scale Cave Heaven, to See the World? The world will come to see me!
Chapter 55 Arriving at Floating Scale Cave Heaven, to See the World? The world will come to see me!
The Yunhai has been navigating through the vast clouds for months.
That morning, the wind on the deck suddenly became gentle.
Zhao Cheng'an pushed open the cabin door and walked to the railing. The sight before him made him stop in his tracks.
At the edge of the sky, the monotonous white was replaced by a rich, ochre-red sea of clouds, churning and surging like molten iron.
"Look at the sky!"
Sun Fuli ran out of the cabin, pointing one finger at the sky, her expression excited.
Zhao Cheng'an looked up.
The sun and moon are no longer visible in the sky; instead, there is a vast and boundless void sea.
Countless transparent, shimmering scales darted and weaved through the void sea. Looking up from the ship, the entire sky resembled the belly of a gigantic fish turned upside down. The flowing, intertwining scales naturally divided the day and night into light and shadow.
This is one of the wonders of Floating Scale Cave Heaven: the Void Sea Sky Curtain.
Beneath this shimmering, crystalline sea of light lie many majestic mountain peaks suspended upside down in mid-air.
These mountains are massive and majestic, with flat and broad bases covered with countless magnificent buildings, pavilions, and waterside terraces. Waterfalls cascade down the edges of the overhanging peaks, falling into the sea of clouds below and creating rainbows across the sky.
Hundreds of orifices hang over the mountain.
The airship descended slowly, passed through a transparent array barrier, and finally came to a steady stop on a huge plaza on one of the suspended mountains.
Zhao Cheng'an followed Shen Yanshan off the flying boat, his feet stepping onto the solid bluestone ground.
The square was bustling with people, so lively it was dazzling.
The shops on both sides are lined up one after another, and their signs shimmer with various lights.
The cultivators walking on the street were dressed in various ways. There were sword cultivators carrying giant swords, beast tamers riding strange beasts, and even some demon cultivators with horns on their foreheads or scales on their skin, who were bargaining with human merchants.
"Hey, isn't this Senior Brother Shen?"
A slightly teasing voice came from the side.
Shen Yanshan stopped and turned his head, his facial muscles twitching slightly.
The newcomer was dressed in an exquisite blue brocade robe, with a fine jade pendant hanging at his waist. He was none other than Lu Huaishuang, the chief priest of the Qingling region.
"Lu Huaishuang, is your nose like a dog's? I just got off the boat and you smelled me coming over." Shen Yanshan replied irritably.
Lu Huaishuang wasn't angry. She waved the folding fan in her hand, her gaze sweeping over Zhao Chengan and Chen Heng, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.
"Senior brother, you've managed to find two decent talents in those remote and impoverished places like the Seven Kingdoms these past few years. It's truly remarkable that an iron tree can bloom again."
He closed his folding fan and pointed to a young man in white beside him.
"This is the disciple I told you about before, Gu Qingfan. He has a mutated wind spirit root and is of superior quality."
Gu Qingfan was tall and handsome, but his expression carried an aloofness that kept people at a distance. He nodded slightly, his gaze briefly touching Zhao Chengan and the others before quickly looking away, which was considered a greeting.
In the past, Shen Yanshan would have been extremely envious.
But now he merely smiled slightly and said meaningfully, "Your aptitude is indeed excellent, and you are quite handsome. However, the cultivation world is different now than before. Cultivation values not only aptitude but also comprehension and Dao heart, which are also very important."
Lu Huaishuang felt that Shen Yanshan's attitude seemed a bit strange at the moment, but she didn't think much of it.
He laughed and said, "What my senior brother said makes sense."
"But let's settle down at our lodgings first. Tonight, I'll treat you all to a good drink."
The group followed Lu Huaishuang to the accommodations arranged by the Imperial Academy.
The environment here is extremely tranquil, with pavilions and towers built along the water, and winding waterside corridors. There are even aquatic maids who serve you, with translucent fish scales on their foreheads, their skirts swaying like water as they walk, carrying exquisite tea and snacks as they move through the corridors.
After settling their luggage, Zhao Chengan and the others went to the canteen for a meal.
The food served in the cafeteria is exquisite, and each dish is imbued with a gentle spiritual energy.
As we were eating, the entrance to the cafeteria suddenly fell silent for a moment.
A girl dressed in white walked in.
Her black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, and a faint crescent moon mark etched between her brows. Her aura was so serene and aloof that she seemed untouched by worldly concerns. Moreover, wherever she walked, the moisture in the air would naturally condense, transforming into tiny specks of moonlight that would flutter and fall.
"That's Luo Qingyi from the Haiyue Palace's affiliated family."
Immediately, whispers arose from the surrounding crowd: "She has a water-based celestial spiritual root and cultivates the 'Sea Moon Illuminating Scripture.' I've heard that no one has been able to even begin to understand this scripture for hundreds of years, yet she has actually mastered it."
"A Heavenly Spiritual Root! Legend has it that as long as you cultivate step by step, there's a 60-70% chance you'll reach the Foundation Establishment stage. You could say that with such talent, your future cultivation path will be smooth sailing." A young cultivator's face was full of envy.
No sooner had he finished speaking than another young man carrying a black heavy sword strode in.
This person had sharp, piercing eyes and exuded a strong aura of bloodlust.
"Xuanjiao Sword Master, Ning Zixu."
Another cultivator with a mature appearance put down his chopsticks and said with a solemn expression, "The demonic cultivator from Hunyuan Cave once attacked Xuanjiao City. He killed many demonic cultivators in the mid-stage of Qi Refining by himself. His combat ability is extremely terrifying."
Zhao Cheng'an ate his meal quietly, his gaze sweeping calmly over the people present.
At this moment, a young man dressed in a blue robe with a gentle appearance sat down not far away, carrying a tray of food. His eyes were bright, and a row of bamboo slips engraved with runes hung from his waist.
"That man is Qilian Shan, and his father is a Foundation Establishment Elder of Yujing Academy."
"I heard that he published many articles in the Taoist journal of the academy, one of which was even included in the Taoist Canon!"
A hushed discussion broke out nearby, the tone filled with awe.
Upon hearing the words "Daozang" (Taoist Canon), Chen Heng abruptly stopped picking up food.
She turned her head and her gaze fell directly on Zhao Cheng'an.
During the Seven Kingdoms period, she only knew that Zhao Cheng'an's article had been included in the Daoist Canon, but because of the remote location, she did not have a clear understanding of the significance of this honor.
Even now, with the meticulous guidance of his Foundation Establishment stage elder father and the vast resources of the Jade Capital Academy, Qilian Mountain can cause such a huge sensation by publishing an article.
And what about Zhao Cheng'an?
In the Seven Kingdoms, where spiritual energy was depleted and even basic spiritual materials were scarce, he managed to publish an article in the Daoist Canon by relying entirely on his own exploration. And this was not even the limit for Zhao Cheng'an.
The rune modules that Zhao Cheng'an developed later were significantly more terrifying, to the point that even the demonic cultivator in Hunyuan Cave felt a sense of despair.
The events that occurred in Black Wind Valley that day resurfaced in Chen Heng's mind.
Looking at Zhao Cheng'an's calm profile, her breath hitched slightly.
Arriving in a big city like Fulin Cave.
Chen Heng didn't feel much of a sense of "broadening her horizons" or "expanding her horizons." Instead, she felt that Zhao Cheng'an's talent was exaggerated to a terrifying degree.