157: Chapter 157 Arrival in Zhongzhou!

This was the "Void-Crossing Treasure Ship," a strategic-grade Magic Treasure unique to the Tongtian Pavilion, capable of crossing the void and traversing between major regions!

Its value was enough to buy out the entire Liuyun Holy Dynasty!

Mo Ya respectfully made a "please" gesture, and a staircase condensed from spiritual light slowly extended from the treasure ship to Chu Xiao's feet.

However, just when everyone thought Chu Xiao would board the ship and leave the Eastern Desolation...

He suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He turned his head, his gaze directed toward an inconspicuous corner in the distance.

He gave a soft smile!

In the next moment, his voice slowly rang out.

It spread across the entire world.

"You've been watching for so long."

"Aren't you coming out... to see me off?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire field was shocked!

Whether it was the newly crowned Holy Emperor Ji Rulong, who held prestige over the world, or the esteemed Inspector Mo Ya from the Central Continent, their expressions shifted slightly.

There was someone else?

Who was it?

Who could hide under the noses of so many powerful experts until now without being discovered?

Was it a friend or a foe?

In an instant, everyone's hearts leaped into their throats, their eyes scanning the surroundings warily as the atmosphere immediately grew tense.

However, Chu Xiao's gaze merely fell calmly upon an inconspicuous corner outside the Imperial City.

In the shadows of the countless crowds seeing him off.

Being watched by that gaze,

a figure's body suddenly stiffened.

The expression on his face flickered between struggle and hesitation.

But ultimately, it all turned into a look of determination.

He knew he had been discovered.

He also knew that this might be the only chance of his life.

Amidst countless suspicious and uncertain gazes,

that person took a deep breath and slowly stepped out from the shadows.

It was a young man dressed in green robes with a long sword on his back; his eyes were as bright as the stars, revealing a sharpness and tenacity that ordinary Cultivators lacked.

"Is it... Li Mu of the Taiyi Sword Sect?"

Someone recognized him and let out a startled cry.

Many Sect Heads present showed looks of confusion.

Li Mu?

The number one person of the Taiyi Sword Sect's younger generation, that sword dao Prodigy.

But so what?

On an occasion like today, before a Divine Being like Holy Master Chu, what did a mere Prodigy count for?

What did he want to do, hiding in the dark?

While everyone was filled with suspicion, Li Mu had already slowly approached.

He paid no mind to the bewildered and uncomprehending gazes around him.

In his eyes...

There was only that white-robed figure standing with hands behind his back atop the high platform.

He walked forward step by step, each one incredibly firm.

Finally, he stopped a hundred feet away from the Void-Crossing Treasure Ship.

Thump!

Under the jaw-dropping gazes of everyone present,

this sword dao Prodigy, the future successor to the Taiyi Sword Sect's Sect Master, actually knelt on both knees without hesitation!

He did not bow to the newly ascended Holy Emperor Ji Rulong.

Instead, he respectfully performed a formal salute in Chu Xiao's direction!

"Disciple Li Mu!"

His voice trembled slightly, yet it carried an air of determination.

"Earnestly requests to follow the Holy Master to the Central Continent!"

"Disciple is willing to serve the Holy Master faithfully, performing any task, and would not hesitate even in the face of death!!"

Boom!!!

These words and this action caused everyone to be stunned!

Wait, what?

Is this Li Mu crazy?!

He actually wants to follow Holy Master Chu?

Atop the high platform, Ji Rulong's pupils constricted slightly, a flash of complexity appearing in his eyes.

As for the leaders of the various major forces below the platform, after their brief shock,

their faces were entirely covered in jealousy and envy.

And deep regret!

Why didn't they think of that!

Why didn't they have the guts!

This was following a living legend of the current age!

For such a heaven-sent Opportunity, let alone serving tea, even if it meant being a beast of burden for the Holy Master, washing his feet and making his bed,

they would be willing!

In an instant, countless envious and jealous gazes landed squarely on Li Mu.

However, facing this earth-shattering kneel, Chu Xiao's reaction was mediocre!

He looked at the young man kneeling on the ground with interest.

"Follow me?"

The corner of Chu Xiao's mouth curled up slightly.

"Do you know what that means?"

"The Central Continent is not a backwater place like this."

"With your meager cultivation, once you get there, perhaps... you won't even be able to beat a stray dog by the roadside."

His voice was light, yet it was like a hammer striking hard against Li Mu's heart.

Humiliation!

This was blatant humiliation!

But on Li Mu's face, there was no trace of anger; instead, he lifted his head.

In his eyes, a raging fire burned.

That was the resolve of a Sword Cultivator betting everything!

"Disciple knows!"

He straightened his back, his voice resonant and powerful, like a sword humming as it left its scabbard!

"It is precisely because of this that Disciple must follow the Holy Master!"

"Staying here might be comfortable, and I might become a powerhouse of a region, revered by ten thousand people."

"But Disciple's sword does not want to fall silent here!"

"Even if I am smashed to pieces and turned to dust in the Central Continent, it is better than sitting at the bottom of a well in this tiny pond, wasting my entire life!"

His words were powerful and resonant!

That sword dao will of 'rather being a broken jade than an intact tile'

moved everyone present.

Hearing this, Chu Xiao fixed his gaze upon him.

He naturally knew that Li Mu was a person of high pride, but also possessed a firm Dao Heart!

He just hadn't expected... that the other party would make such a request?!

Chu Xiao smiled and waved his hand noncommittally.

"Then follow along."

This half-joking sentence, when it reached Li Mu's ears, was no different from a divine sound from the Nine Heavens!

His entire body froze, and a look of wild joy and excitement flooded his face!

It worked!

He had gambled correctly!

He had grasped the greatest Opportunity of this life... no, of ten thousand lifetimes!

"Disciple Li Mu thanks the Holy Master for his grace!!"

Coming to his senses, Li Mu did not hesitate for a moment and heavily kowtowed three times in Chu Xiao's direction!

After all this was done, Chu Xiao and his group, under the shocked and envious gazes of Ji Rulong and the others,

slowly boarded the Void-Crossing Treasure Ship heading for the Central Continent.

Besides Chu Xiao, Yuan Muyu, Princess Ji Ziyue, the three women, and one pet,

at the end of the group, there was now a Li Mu, his face full of wild joy, following closely.

He was like a little follower.

Rumble~

The massive gates of the treasure ship slowly closed, and atop the hull, countless profound runes suddenly lit up.

The entire treasure ship emitted a slight hum.

Like an ancient giant beast awakening.

The space around the hull began to twist violently, turning into a brilliant void passage.

"Respectfully seeing off the Holy Master!"

"Respectfully seeing off the eternal Holy Master!!"

On the ground, Ji Rulong led the masses, all kneeling in unison to see him off.

That mountain-shaking, tsunami-like sound seemed as if it would overturn the vault of heaven.

And the treasure ship, amidst this worship of the masses, turned into a streak of light, instantly plunging into the void passage and vanishing.

...

Inside the treasure ship was another world entirely.

Just as they stepped into the cabin, Princess Ji Ziyue, Yuan Muyu, and Li Mu were completely shocked by the sight before them.

They had imagined that the Central Continent forces would have a grand style.

But they hadn't expected it to be grand to such an inconceivable degree!

What kind of treasure ship was this?

This was clearly a luxurious divine palace floating in the void!

Beneath their feet was a floor paved entirely with Ten-Thousand-Year Soul-Nourishing Wood, feeling warm and comfortable to step on.

Streams of pure Soul Power nourished their Divine Souls.

Embedded in the walls were Top-Grade Spirit Stones the size of fists, emitting a soft light.

They illuminated the entire cabin like broad daylight.

The air was filled with Spiritual Qi so dense it had almost materialized; just taking a light breath,

one felt their cultivation Bottleneck slightly loosen.

The distant tables, chairs, and side tables were all carved from the legendary Dao-Enlightenment Divine Wood.

The naturally occurring dao rhyme upon them

made one's mind feel clear and bright with just a glance.

"This... this is just too extravagant..."

As a princess of the Holy Dynasty, Princess Ji Ziyue was used to seeing all kinds of rare treasures, but seeing the scene before her, she still couldn't help but open her small mouth wide, her beautiful eyes full of shock.

Compared to this place, her father's imperial palace was simply a thatched hut in the countryside.

Li Mu was even more dazzled, not knowing where to put his hands and feet.

He was terrified that if he wasn't careful, he might break some priceless treasure.

While the three were lost in shock,

Mo Ya, acting as the guide, finally regained the pride belonging to an envoy of the Tongtian Pavilion.

He cleared his throat and introduced with a hint of pride: "The three of you need not be surprised. This is the Star Shuttle specially made by our Tongtian Pavilion, also known as the Void-Crossing Treasure Ship by others; it is a Saint-rank Low Grade Magic Treasure!"

"When fully activated, it can travel three million miles in a single day, crossing the void as if walking on level ground."

Three million miles in one day!

This number caused Princess Ji Ziyue and the other two to gasp once again.

This speed was simply unheard of!

Seeing their 'never-seen-the-world' appearance, Mo Ya's sense of superiority grew even stronger.

He felt it was time for them to properly realize

just how magnificent and vast the true world of cultivation was.

"Senior, everyone, our first stop in the Central Continent is Tianfeng City. It is estimated to take ten days."

"It just so happens that I can take this Opportunity to introduce the power structure of the Central Continent to you all."

Mo Ya's voice carried a hint of arrogance that was hard to detect.

"The Central Continent is vast and boundless. Its territory is a hundred times larger than the southern part of the Eastern Desolation. It is filled with experts and Holy Lands. Its power structure is intricate, but generally speaking, it can be summarized in one sentence."

"That is—One Hall, Two Pavilions, Three Holy Dynasties; Four Sects, Five Families, Six Holy Lands!"

"The One Hall refers to the God of War Hall!"

"It is publicly recognized as the number one combat power Sect in the Central Continent. It is rumored that its Hall Master personally slew a True Demon that descended from beyond the realms ten thousand years ago!"

"The Two Pavilions are my Tongtian Pavilion and the mysterious Zhaxing Pavilion."

"My Tongtian Pavilion knows all matters under heaven and monitors Luck, while the Zhaxing Pavilion excels at deducing heavenly secrets and peering into the future."

"The Three Holy Dynasties refer to the Dagan Holy Dynasty, the Immortal Holy Dynasty, and the Wan Yao Holy Dynasty. The national strength of each of these three Holy Dynasties is more than a hundred times that of the Liuyun Holy Dynasty. Their Holy Emperors are all peerless experts above the Body Integration Realm! Of course, besides these three, there are some slightly lesser Holy Dynasties, such as the Dayan Holy Dynasty, the Da Yuan Holy Dynasty, and so on..."

"As for the Four Sects, Five Families, and Six Holy Lands, they are all immortal legacies that have been passed down for hundreds of thousands of years, with unfathomable foundations..."

Mo Ya spoke eloquently, detailing the famous giants of the Central Continent one by one.

Every word he spoke felt like a massive mountain pressing down on the hearts of Princess Ji Ziyue, Yuan Muyu, and Li Mu.

As Mo Ya continued his narration, their expressions grew increasingly solemn.

It was clear that whether it was their cultivation or their former status, in the face of these true behemoths...

...they were simply too insignificant!

An unprecedented pressure enveloped them.

However, amidst this oppressive atmosphere...

...Chu Xiao, the focus of everyone's attention, seemed completely detached.

From beginning to end, he leaned lazily against the soft couch.

With one hand propping up his chin and the other holding a Spiritual Plant he had scavenged from who-knows-where, he absentmindedly teased Little Black, who was perched on his shoulder.

"Chirp~"

Comforted by the teasing, Little Black let out a satisfied soft cry.

Mo Ya finally finished his introduction; his throat was parched.

Yet, he looked at Chu Xiao with great anticipation.

He wanted to see shock, gravity, or even the slightest hint of emotion on Chu Xiao's face.

However, he was disappointed.

Chu Xiao merely let out a lazy yawn as if he had just woken up, lifting his eyelids to glance at him.

Then, while Mo Ya's expression was practically frozen in place...

...he calmly asked, "You've been talking for ages—is the food at Central Continent's largest restaurant any good?"

Boom!!!

That single sentence caused Mo Ya's brain to instantly crash.

All his preparations, all his rhetoric, and all the awe and reverence he had intended to build...

...at this moment, they all made him look like a clown.

He opened his mouth, but not a single word came out; his entire body was frozen on the spot.

An unprecedented sense of frustration surged into his heart.

He looked at this man who had zero interest in the power structure of Central Continent...

...and only cared about whether the food was delicious.

A thought that made his very Soul tremble surfaced.

The Pavilion Master sent me to 'guide' him...

Is he fucking sure... this isn't 'inviting a wolf into the house'?

The first stop in Central Continent, Tianfeng City...

Can it truly withstand the arrival of this 'crossing dragon'?

...

The Void-Crossing Treasure Ship traveled through the chaotic spatial turbulence; outside the hull, the scenery consisted of bizarre, distorted bands of light that could make one's Divine Soul feel dizzy if stared at for too long.

Inside the cabin, however, it was as steady as level ground.

After their initial shock and novelty, Princess Ji Ziyue, Yuan Muyu, and Li Mu all sat cross-legged, seizing this rare Opportunity to breathe and Cultivate.

The Spiritual Qi here was more than ten times denser than in their barren lands!

Just sitting here, they could feel their cultivation slowly increasing.

Only Chu Xiao remained in that same lazy posture.

Beside him, Little Black held that once-infamous Myriad Soul Banner, gnawing on it with a crunching sound.

It was as if he were eating some peerless, delicious spicy snack.

Happiness was written all over his tiny Dragon face.

"Senior."

Beside him, Mo Ya kept his posture extremely low and spoke respectfully, "Ahead, we are about to arrive at the first great city of Central Continent's southwest region—Tianfeng City."

In truth, his heart was full of trepidation.

Over the past ten days, he had racked his brains to describe the prestige and terror of the various major powers in Central Continent.

He had painted the picture for Chu Xiao over and over again.

From the One Palace, Two Pavilions, and Three Holy Dynasties, to the Four Sects, Five Families, and Six Holy Lands.

Every name was enough to scare a Cultivator from the Desolate Lands out of their wits.

But this master, after listening, did nothing but yawn.

He showed no other reaction whatsoever.

This caused the bit of pride Mo Ya held as an Inspector of the Tongtian Pavilion to be crushed to dust.

He now only hoped that once this lord reached Central Continent, he could be... a little more restrained.

Just as he was lost in thought...

Buzz~!

The entire Void-Crossing Treasure Ship jolted violently, and the distorted bands of light outside the hull instantly vanished.

In their place was a vast, azure sky as clear as if it had been washed.

A pure Spiritual Qi, a hundred times denser than that inside the cabin, seeped through the ship's Formations!

"We've arrived!"

Mo Ya's spirits lifted.

Princess Ji Ziyue, Yuan Muyu, and the others also opened their eyes, which were filled with excitement and curiosity.

They looked out at the scenery beyond the cabin.

With just one look, they were completely stunned.

Beneath the treasure ship was a magnificent, gargantuan city whose borders could not be seen!

The city walls were a thousand zhang high, inscribed with dense runes.

They shimmered with a heart-palpitating light under the sun.

Inside the city, jade pavilions and emerald buildings stood in rows like the teeth of a comb.

Floating immortal mountains, ten thousand zhang high, hung in the sky above the city; waterfalls cascaded from the Peaks, turning into a misty spiritual fog that enveloped the entire city like a paradise on earth.

Countless powerful auras, like fireflies in the night, sparkled throughout the city.

This scene was more than a hundred times more magnificent than the imperial city of the Liuyun Holy Dynasty!

“Hiss~!”

Princess Ji Ziyue couldn't help but gasp, her beautiful eyes filled with shock.

She felt that she had previously been like a frog at the bottom of a well.

Only today did she finally know...

...just how high the heavens were!

...just how vast the earth was!

The treasure ship slowly landed in a dedicated docking area on the outskirts of the city.

The moment the hatch opened and the group stepped off the ship...

"Wow!"

Princess Ji Ziyue let out another cute cry of surprise.

She had only taken a light breath.

A pure, almost inconceivable amount of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi flooded into her limbs and bones like a sweet spring.

That Spiritual Qi even carried a hint of sweet fragrance.

Crack~!

She felt the cultivation Bottleneck that had troubled her for so long suddenly...

...shatter at that very instant!

"I... I think I'm about to have a Breakthrough!"

Princess Ji Ziyue covered her mouth, her face full of disbelief.

Heavens!

Just breathing once could loosen a Bottleneck?

The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi of Central Continent was simply too terrifying!

Beside her, although Yuan Muyu wasn't as exaggerated, her eyes were also shining with brilliance.

And Li Mu was so excited his body was trembling slightly.

The long sword on his back let out bursts of faint sword cries.

It was as if it were cheering for arriving in this wider world.

He could feel that the Law of heaven and earth here was much more complete and clearer than in their homeland!

Practicing the sword here for one day would be worth a month back at the Sect!

"Saint Teacher, I..."

Li Mu looked at Chu Xiao excitedly, wanting to say something.

However, he saw that Chu Xiao just stretched and yawned.

Boredom was written all over his face.

It was as if this cultivation Holy Land, which would drive any Eastern Wasteland Cultivator mad with desire...

...was nothing more than a common countryside in his eyes.

"Let's go, into the city."

Chu Xiao spoke indifferently and took the lead toward the magnificent city gate.

"Yes, Senior!"

Mo Ya quickly followed, leading the way while dutifully introducing, "Tianfeng City is the largest commercial hub in the southwest region of Central Continent, with a permanent population of over one hundred million. Among them, Cultivators account for over seventy percent. The forces within the city are complex and interconnected, with the City Lord's Mansion, the Ziyang Zhao Family, and the Heavenly Treasure Chamber of Commerce being the most prominent..."

The group soon arrived beneath the thousand-zhang-high city gate.

Looking at the gate as towering as a mountain, Princess Ji Ziyue and Li Mu were once again deeply shocked.

What shook their hearts even more was the squad of guards stationed at the city gate.

Every guard was clad in black profound armor, their auras heavy and steady, their gazes like lightning.

Their cultivation... was uniformly at the Soul Transformation realm!

They were actually just... gatekeepers?!

"Gulp."

Li Mu swallowed hard, feeling his scalp go numb.

After entering the city, the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds on the streets further broadened the horizons of Princess Ji Ziyue and the others.

The streets were bustling with heavy traffic and the clamor of voices.

An old farmer with dark skin, carrying a hoe and looking like he had just returned from the fields, walked past them.

The aura he emitted was actually at the Early Stage of the Soul Transformation realm!

A young girl sitting by the roadside, manning a stall and selling unknown Medicinal Pills...

...had a cultivation at the Middle Stage of the Soul Transformation realm!

In the distance, a Young Master in fine clothing threw out a bag of Spirit Stones because his mount had knocked over a pedestrian.

The aura he inadvertently leaked had even reached the Peak of the Soul Transformation realm!

Soul Transformation realm... here, they really were as common as dogs!

Occasionally, a streak of light would flash across the sky; that fleeting, terrifying pressure made Li Mu's Divine Soul tremble.

That was... an Old Ancestor of the Returning Void Realm!

In this Tianfeng City, they seemed to be just ordinary passersby.

The intense environmental shock caused Yuan Muyu and Princess Ji Ziyue to feel an unprecedented, massive pressure.

Their meager cultivation seemed to become worthless here.

This inevitably caused a hint of inferiority to grow in their hearts.

Li Mu gripped his sword hilt even tighter.

His palms were soaked with sweat.

For the first time, he realized how laughable his title of sword Dao Prodigy was.

He felt like a little grasshopper that had just crawled out of a rural mud pit...

...only to stumble into a forest where Dragons dwelled.

The slightest carelessness would result in being crushed to pieces!

However, just as the three were reeling from the blow to their spirits...

...Chu Xiao, walking at the very front...

...seemed completely oblivious to this oppressive atmosphere.

His expression was indifferent as he looked here and there, as if he were merely strolling through an ordinary village market.

He even stopped in front of a roadside stall.

The stall owner was a white-haired old woman, smiling as she sold skewers of crystal-clear candied haws.

Her cultivation was actually at the Great Perfection of the Soul Transformation realm.

"Old lady, I'll take a skewer."

Chu Xiao casually tossed out a Top-Grade Spirit Stone.

When the old woman saw the Top-Grade Spirit Stone, her eyes lit up, and her wrinkles bloomed into a smile.

She hurriedly handed over the largest and reddest skewer.

Chu Xiao took the candied haws and turned to hand them to Princess Ji Ziyue, who was currently in a daze.

"Try it."

"See if it tastes any different from the ones in the Eastern Wasteland."

Princess Ji Ziyue subconsciously took the candied haws; looking at the calm face before her, the pressure and inferiority in her heart mysteriously dissipated quite a bit.

That's right... who cares if Soul Transformation experts are everywhere and Returning Void experts are as common as dogs.

As long as she stayed by this man's side...

...what was there to be afraid of?