On the path to immortality, I can see destiny.

Chapter 120 Mountain Gate

The next morning, as dawn broke, Zhao Fan woke up.

The rooms in the Zhou family's villa were simply furnished, but kept clean and tidy.

He meditated all night, but his mind was not at peace. His mind was filled with too many things, and he kept thinking about them over and over again: Su San's injury, Su Ziqiu's death, the masked woman, and his own pitifully weak consciousness.

As I was thinking, dawn broke without me even realizing it.

He got up and put everything into his storage bag.

He didn't have much stuff: a few changes of clothes, a few bottles of pills, a few spirit stones, and the broken spear that the big man had broken and then he had put away.

He touched the broken end on the gun barrel, thought for a moment, and then put it into the deepest part of his storage bag.

Xiao Er was lying on the edge of the bed, still asleep, his four legs curled up, his belly rising and falling, and a little drool hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Zhao Fan squatted down and gently patted its head. The little guy opened its eyes groggily, saw that it was Zhao Fan, closed them again, and let out a muffled whimper.

"I'm gone."

Zhao Fan said.

Xiao Er then got up, shook his fur, and followed him out the door.

Su San was already standing in the courtyard. His face was still very pale, and his lips were not very bloody, but he was much better than yesterday. At least he didn't need anyone to help him anymore.

He changed into a clean gray Taoist robe, tied his hair up with a wooden hairpin, and stood up straight. Apart from his pale complexion, it was impossible to tell how badly he was injured.

Su Zixin stood behind him, the Frost Sword hanging at her waist, still with that cold and aloof demeanor.

Su Ziyan squatted at the gate of the courtyard, looking at something. Hearing the noise, he turned around, glanced at Zhao Fan, and grinned.

Su San looked at him, nodded, and said nothing.

The four of them left the Zhou family's villa and walked along the street toward the square.

The county town was not fully awake in the early morning. There were few pedestrians on the streets, with only a few early-rising vendors setting up stalls to sell spiritual food and fruits.

The air was crisp and cool. Zhao Fan took a deep breath and felt much more refreshed.

A large number of people had already gathered in the square. The cultivators who had passed the test stood together in twos and threes, some talking in hushed tones, and some resting with their eyes closed.

Wu Yuan was standing next to the stone platform, talking to several disciples of the Suyang Sect. When he saw Zhao Fan and his group coming over, he waved to Zhao Fan and quickly went to greet them.

"Junior Brother Zhao, you've come at the perfect time."

He glanced at Su San, then at Zhao Fan.

"The airship is already waiting; please follow me."

Zhao Fan turned to look at Su San, who stopped and stood at the edge of the square, not moving any further.

He looked at Zhao Fan, remained silent for a moment, then reached out and patted Zhao Fan on the shoulder.

"Go."

Su San's voice was very soft, so soft that it was almost blown away by the wind.

"Cultivate yourself diligently, and don't let yourself down."

Zhao Fan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

He nodded, a deep nod, then turned and followed Wu Yuan toward the flying boat.

Su Zixin followed behind him, while Su Ziyan walked at the very back.

After walking a few steps, Su Ziyan suddenly stopped, turned around, bowed to Su San, and then quickly followed.

Su San stood there, watching their backs as they walked away, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The smile was faint, almost imperceptible, but his eyes were bright.

The flying boat stopped on the open ground on the north side of the square. Zhao Fan looked up and saw a huge spirit boat floating in mid-air. It was pitch black, with a smooth hull and a row of spirit patterns on each side, faintly glowing with golden light.

A lifelike blue dragon is carved on the bow of the boat, its head held high and its eyes bright and piercing, as if it might take off at any moment.

The entire flying boat was about twenty zhang long and five or six zhang wide, many times larger and more imposing than the Zhou family's flying boat.

Zhao Fan had never seen such a large flying boat before.

"This is our Suyang Sect's Azure Scale Boat, a low-grade spiritual artifact."

Wu Yuan's tone carried a hint of pride.

"In the entire Nanping Continent, only our Suyang Sect can build such a flying boat."

Upon hearing the words "spiritual artifact," Zhao Fan's heart skipped a beat.

Above magic artifacts are spiritual artifacts, which are things that only Foundation Establishment stage cultivators can fully unleash their power on.

The flying boats used by the Suyang Sect to pick up new disciples are all spiritual artifacts, indicating that the sect's foundation is even deeper than he had imagined.

The three followed Wu Yuan onto the flying boat and were led into a cabin.

The cabin was small but clean and tidy, with four beds on either side and a small table in the middle, on which sat a pot of tea and several cups.

The windows are transparent, allowing you to see the view outside.

Zhao Fan released Xiao Er from the spirit beast pouch. The little guy circled around the cabin, then jumped onto the bed by the window, lay down, rested his chin on his paws, and looked at the sky outside the window.

Su Zixin chose a spot near the door, sat down cross-legged, and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

Su Ziyan couldn't sit still. He circled the cabin twice, then leaned out the window to look outside, and then ran to the door to peek out, like a monkey locked in a cage.

"Brother Zhao, shall we go for a walk?"

He turned to look at Zhao Fan, his eyes filled with expectation.

Zhao Fan didn't want to go, but he couldn't resist Su Ziyan's repeated urging, and in the end, he was dragged out of the cabin by him.

There were already quite a few people on the deck, gathered in twos and threes, some chatting by leaning against the ship's railing, some sitting cross-legged, and some gazing at the distant scenery.

These people are all new disciples who passed the test at this apprenticeship ceremony. Some come from second-level families, some from first-level families, and a few are independent cultivators.

Their clothing and demeanor were all different, but they all had anticipation on their faces.

Su Ziyan quickly struck up a conversation with several cultivators. He was naturally outgoing and could chat with anyone, whether he knew them or not.

Zhao Fan was happy to have some free time, so he walked to the side of the boat, leaned against the railing, and looked at the scenery below.

The airship had already taken off, and the city below was getting smaller and smaller. The city walls became a thin line, the houses became tiny dots, and the streets became crisscrossing patterns.

Further on, mountains and rivers come into view, and the land unfolds like a giant scroll before your eyes.

As Zhao Fan watched all this, the anxiety in his heart gradually subsided.

The airship headed north.

After an unknown amount of time, a continuous mountain range suddenly appeared in front of them.

Thousands of mountains and valleys, layer upon layer of peaks, towering into the clouds, with clouds and mist swirling around the mountainside, where pavilions and towers can be vaguely seen.

Some mountains have waterfalls cascading down like white ribbons hanging in the sky; some mountains have lakes on their peaks with azure waters that reflect the blue sky and white clouds; and some mountains have stone bridges spanning between them, where people walk, appearing as tiny as ants.

The air was filled with spiritual energy; taking a deep breath made me feel refreshed.

"We're almost there."

Someone nearby whispered.

Looking at the mountain range, Zhao Fan felt a surge of anticipation.