Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 261 Riding the Clouds

Author Wangchuanjia's Dried Rice King is waiting for you with "Senior Sister, Stop Working and Come Home for Dinner".

After exchanging pleasantries, the atmosphere became harmonious. The group then walked together up the stone steps towards the mountain. Zhao Qiming followed behind them, observing them secretly as they went. He noticed that these cultivators moved with light and unhurried steps, walking on the steep mountain path as if it were flat ground, their breathing was steady, and there was not a trace of sweat on their foreheads. He couldn't help but admire their extraordinary abilities.

Upon arriving at the gate of the Cloud Hidden Sect, Su Wan and Chen Anran were already waiting at the entrance.

Huiming had just rushed over from the side hall halfway up the mountain. He was dressed in gray, holding prayer beads, and had a peaceful smile on his face.

Lin Xiaoman had originally wanted to come, but the two acres of evening primroses she was responsible for tending were at a critical flowering stage. This morning, she discovered that one patch had developed rare "night dew spots," requiring immediate intervention to prevent affecting the entire season's harvest. Therefore, she had asked Su Wan for leave early in the morning and was currently busy in the medicinal herb field on the back mountain. Meanwhile, Xiao Ling'er had begun her third closed-door cultivation attempt to break through her cultivation realm half a month ago.

"Mr. Zhao," Chen Anran greeted him warmly.

"Master Chen!" Zhao Qiming quickly took two steps forward, his attitude respectful. "I heard from Mengmeng that you have created a new magical artifact. I am truly honored to be invited to experience it."

"Mr. Zhao, please don't stand on ceremony." Chen Anran smiled and stepped aside. "Please come in. Fellow Daoists, please come in as well."

The group entered the front yard. The open space in the center of the yard had been swept clean, and the bluestone slabs gleamed warmly in the afternoon sun.

Hearing the commotion, Feng Xiaolu ran out of her room. Seeing so many people, her eyes lit up: "Oh, everyone's here! Junior Brother, where's your 'big toy'? Take it out and let me see!"

She seemed to have regained her usual carefree attitude today, moving closer to Chen Anran, her eyes darting around, but when her gaze swept over Chen Anran, it would still unconsciously quicken for a moment.

Wei Qingyi also walked slowly out of the side hall. Her cool gaze swept over everyone in the courtyard before finally settling on Chen Anran's face. She didn't say anything, but quietly stood beside Su Wan.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Chen Anran didn't linger any longer. He walked to the center of the courtyard, and with a slight thought, a flash of light appeared on his spatial ring, and an object appeared in his palm.

It was a mechanical bird, about the size of a palm, intricately crafted from dark brown wood and metal parts. Its feathers were finely textured, and its eyes were inlaid with red crystals that reflected a faint, luminous light in the sunlight. Everyone's attention was immediately drawn to it.

"This is the flying artifact Master made?" Zhao Mengmeng's eyes widened as she leaned closer. "It's so exquisite... but it's so small?"

Feng Lie scratched his head as well: "Fellow Daoist Chen, this bird is indeed exquisite, but... how can a person sit on it?"

Jiang Yun exclaimed "Eh!" and reached out to sense it, his eyes showing surprise: "This spiritual energy circulation... is truly exquisite! Fellow Daoist Chen, did you really create this yourself?"

Huiming took a few steps closer, his gaze softening as he looked at the mechanical bird, and softly praised, "Ingenious design, imbued with spiritual charm, Master Chen is indeed extraordinary."

Chen Anran smiled slightly, offering no explanation, but instead slowly channeled a wisp of pure spiritual energy into the mechanical bird in his hand.

hum-

A soft, low hum sounded.

Then, to everyone's astonishment, a soft, pale golden halo suddenly shone around the palm-sized mechanical bird. The halo rapidly expanded, and the mechanical bird's size increased dramatically!

The wood grain extends and combines, and the metal parts are cleverly fitted and rotated, emitting a subtle and pleasant "click" sound. In just a few breaths, a huge wooden bird with a wingspan of more than three zhang and extraordinary appearance landed steadily on the open ground in the front yard.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment.

Zhao Qiming was utterly shocked. He'd been in the business world for decades, seen all sorts of high-tech and extravagant projects. But this wooden bird, which defied all logic and grew out of thin air, still left him completely stunned. This wasn't magic; this was real…divine intervention!

Feng Lie gasped, circled the wooden bird twice, and couldn't help but reach out and touch its cold, hard wooden wings: "My goodness... Junior Brother Chen, your phone-shutting technique is amazing!"

Jiang Yun's eyes gleamed with wonder. As someone skilled in mechanical contraptions and artifact crafting, he could clearly see the profound mystery of the wooden bird's structure and the seamless flow of spiritual energy. He murmured, "Exquisite craftsmanship... truly exquisite craftsmanship! Driven by spiritual energy, it can change size at will. This is no ordinary mechanism; it's almost the 'Tao' itself."

Asheng also showed a rare expression of amazement.

Qi Lan looked up at the giant mechanical bird, a flicker of shock passing through her eyes beneath her hat brim.

Feng Changyuan was completely dumbfounded, muttering to himself, "What flying magical artifacts are there in the cultivation world these days? Fellow Daoist Chen's move can be described as a revival of the ancient cultivation style, which is truly amazing."

Huiming clasped his hands together and softly chanted the Buddha's name, his eyes filled with praise: "Excellent! Although this bird is a mechanical creation, it possesses the charm of a living being. Master Chen's skill is almost divine."

Su Wan's eyes were filled with satisfaction and pride. Her junior brother always managed to surprise her.

Feng Xiaolu exclaimed "Wow!" and rushed to the wooden bird, curiously touching and examining it. "Junior Brother! This is so cool! How high can it fly? How fast? How many people can it carry?"

Chen Anran then smiled and explained, "This thing is called a 'Mechanical Flying Bird.' It can freely change size by injecting spiritual energy. In its current form, it's more than enough to carry all of us. As for speed..." He paused, "Traveling ten thousand miles a day shouldn't be difficult."

"Travel ten thousand miles a day?!" Feng Xiaolu's eyes widened in surprise.

Zhao Qiming finally found his voice, which was still trembling slightly: "Master Chen...this is truly...divine skill! I have truly broadened my horizons today!"

"Mr. Zhao, you flatter me." Chen Anran cupped his hands in greeting, then turned to the crowd. "Gentlemen, would you be interested in joining me on a ride on this bird to tour the scenic beauty of Yunyin?"

"Of course!" Feng Xiaolu was the first to respond, so excited she almost jumped up.

"That is my wish, but I dare not ask." Jiang Yun clapped his hands and smiled.

Feng Lie, Feng Changyuan, and Huiming naturally had no objections, and Qi Lan also nodded slightly.

Su Wan looked at Chen Anran and said softly, "Anran, your health..."

"Don't worry, Senior Sister, your injuries are long gone, and controlling this bird doesn't take much effort," Chen Anran reassured her gently.

Seeing that Su Wan still had reservations, Wei Qingyi said softly, "I will accompany her to take care of her."

Chen Anran felt a warmth in her heart and nodded to Wei Qingyi.

Zhao Qiming was overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly. Zhao Mengmeng was even more excited, and, supporting her father, took the lead towards the wooden bird.

Chen Anran led the way to the side of the wooden bird. He lightly touched a spot on the bird's body, and a door silently slid open, revealing a spacious interior. The interior was not the simple wooden structure he had imagined; on the contrary, it was quite comfortable, with fixed wooden benches on both sides and even window-like openings covered by some kind of transparent membrane, allowing a clear view of the outside world.

The group entered one by one. The interior space was even more spacious than it appeared from the outside, and there was no feeling of crowding at all.

After everyone was seated, Chen Anran entered last and sat in a slightly elevated position at the very front. He formed a hand seal and channeled spiritual energy into a crystal embedded in the bird's head.

The buzzing started again.

The mechanical bird shone brightly, its wings slowly unfurling. A slight vortex appeared in the courtyard, and fallen leaves fluttered down.

"rise."

With a soft shout from Chen Anran, the giant wooden bird slightly bent its four legs, then gracefully lifted off the ground and rose steadily. It flew through the sky above the courtyard, over the ancient eaves and verdant canopies of the Cloud Hidden Sect, and soared into the even higher sky.