"Oh, where?"
Yu Ci looked up to see the deafening sound still resonating. Yet, in the azure sky, aside from a few white clouds, there was nothing else disturbing the eye.
"It's still early to see. The Sea Moving Cloud Boat is currently docking with the Docking Array at the pier. It will take at least a quarter of an hour to get everything in order. During this time, we mustn't get too close. Let's slowly move back."
Yu Ci nodded, watching the middle-aged man skillfully sprinkle medicinal powder on and around the Hawk Monkey's body to mask the scent of blood. This was done to prevent nearby predatory birds or even demons from tracking the scent, posing a threat to the Sea Moving Cloud Boat dock tens of miles away.
Once everything was done, Yu Ci took the initiative to pick up the corpse of the Hawk Monkey, returning with the middle-aged man.
Halfway through, he looked up again to see the white clouds in the sky dispersing amidst the thunderous rumbling, leaving behind a clear, flawless azure sky. However, he knew that in the heights beyond his vision, a colossal entity was stationed, emitting powerful vibrations, communicating with the Rune Array preset on the ground.
It was already his second month at the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock, and Yu Ci was beginning to familiarize himself with the dock's operations.
The Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock, though called a dock, was surrounded by mountains instead of rivers or seas. It seemed like a misnomer, but it was indeed the place where the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat transported passengers and goods. When Yu Ci first arrived, he was also confused. It was only under the guidance of Zhao Xi Qiao, the middle-aged man beside him, that he understood.
The type of dock depended on the type of ship.
The Mountain Moving Cloud Boat was undoubtedly the largest transportation tool in the Cultivation World, constructed by the top-tier Great Merchant's Grand Passage. It was larger than mountains, floating in the sky at a height of ten thousand feet, capable of carrying tens of thousands of people, traveling to all regions of this world.
Due to its size and design constraints, the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat was more like a never-sinking Floating Sky City, only able to float and fly at a certain altitude, difficult to ascend or descend freely. Thus, the task of transporting personnel and goods was accomplished by the "Guiding Cloud Shuttle" attached to the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat.
The dock where Yu Ci was located was actually a place to guide and accommodate the Guiding Cloud Shuttle.
The two of them, carrying the corpse of the Hawk Monkey, made their way through the forest. The dock was just over the mountain, but they were descending to the mountainside, where they found a nearly ten-foot-high rock. Yu Ci activated a mechanism, and the rock slid sideways, revealing a tunnel wide enough for two people to pass. After they entered, it closed automatically. The light dimmed, but the luminescent pearls on both sides still provided necessary illumination.
The thunderous noise outside was largely blocked, with only faint vibrations seeping in. Yu Ci and Zhao Xi Qiao moved forward along the pre-constructed tunnel. Zhao Xi Qiao shook his head, saying, "I wonder when the turmoil in Sky Rift Valley will finally subside. Living in a place without daylight all day, if we don't end up as food for the demons, we'll suffocate to death from boredom!"
The echo of their voices reverberated within the tunnel, Yu Ci merely grunted in response, not uttering a word.
The space they found themselves in was a vast cavity within a mountain, reasonably spacious, yet inconvenient. The people who used to work at the docks did not live here. Instead, they built a residential complex on the other side of the mountain, leading a leisurely life. However, after the turmoil in the Sky Rift Valley, ferocious beasts, demons, roamed freely, forcing them to relocate here. Complaints were inevitable and justified.
They hadn't walked far in the tunnel when the space ahead opened up slightly, revealing a flickering pale-blue light, different from the light of their lamps. From afar, Zhao Xi Qiao called out, "Brother Zhou..."
Their voices echoed within the mountain, and the pale-blue light ahead flickered once more before disappearing completely.
Crossing this layer of the seal, ascending a few more steps, and passing through a door, they entered a vast stone chamber. The chamber was furnished like a hall, with tables and chairs arranged in an exquisite manner. The lighting inside was much brighter than in the tunnel. At that moment, a man was sitting at the head of the room, sipping tea. His bald head, reflecting the light from the illuminating pearls, was particularly eye-catching.
Both Yu Ci and Zhao Xi Qiao paused briefly before simultaneously greeting, "Elder Chu."
The man continued to sip his tea, ignoring them completely, leaving them standing awkwardly to the side.
Zhao Xi Qiao winked at Yu Ci and, bending over slightly, said with a smile, "Elder Chu, I'm going to handle the hunt... uh, to receive the flying shuttle!"
He corrected himself at the last moment, but it was too late. With a loud bang, the bald Elder Chu threw his still-steaming teacup at his feet, the shards scattering everywhere. "Zhao's brat, if I ever catch you coaxing Yu to go hunting again, I'll break your legs!"
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Zhao Xi Qiao jumped in fright, but being the slick one he was, he took a step back and said, "Yes, yes, if you catch me and Yu going hunting again, you can break one of my legs. I'll handle the other one myself, no need to trouble yourself."
Bending over with laughter, he quickly retreated. As he was leaving, he gave Yu Ci a meaningful glance, presumably meaning "I can't help you". Yu Ci chuckled and tossed him the carcass of the Hawk Monkey.
After dismissing Zhao Xi Qiao, Bald Elder Chu turned his attention back to Yu Ci. Apart from his bald head, his face was also devoid of any facial hair, and his face was crisscrossed with scars, giving him an extremely fierce appearance. He rolled his eyes and sneered coldly, "Are all you youngsters from the Lichen Sect so reckless?"
Just as Yu Ci was about to respond, Elder Chu cut him off, "I agreed to treat you at the request of your Temple Master, not to enable your death wish! Your Divine Soul has just recovered from a serious injury, making you vulnerable to all sorts of evils. Instead of resting, you spend your days practicing swordsmanship and killing, accumulating Sha energy... Heh, if you were a heretic, that'd be fine, but you practice Orthodox Taoism. Are you trying to cultivate more Heart Demons, huh?"
With his grimacing face and his tone rising, Bald Elder Chu embodied the very definition of "fierce". Yet, Yu Ci remained calm, not saying much, only acknowledging with a slight smile.
Elder Chu eyed him, itching to unleash his temper once more, yet considering the outcome of his recent rebukes, he deflated, managing only to muster a semblance of spirit. He spat out a contemptuous "hmph", waved a dismissive hand, and bid Yu Ci to leave.
Unflappable and respectful, Yu Ci bowed ceremoniously, uttering a simple "Thank you for your hard work, Elder Chu," before turning towards the back of the hall.
Watching Yu Ci's retreating figure, Elder Chu's face, previously animated with emotion, gradually calmed. He stroked his smooth chin, scratching it absentmindedly. His inner confusion spread like a thickening fog.
"How on earth did the lad manage it?"
Having dealt with Elder Chu, Yu Ci moved adeptly through the various corridors within the belly of the mountain. The Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock, the nerve center, was divided into five areas, spanning two floors.
The upper level was the core of the dock, split into two parts. The first was the Docking Array core, where the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat connected. This area was filled with intricate Talismans and Array Formations, the vital heart of the entire dock. Cultivators from the Great Passage were stationed there year-round, handling common issues with the Docking Array. The second part was the living quarters for dock personnel. As most of the personnel lived in houses around the mountain waist most of the time, this area seemed somewhat cramped.
At this moment, Yu Ci passed through the residential area and entered the Central Docking Array region.
Zhao Xi Qiao had been waiting for him there. Given the number of similar reprimands received over the past two months, he didn't bother bringing up the recent incident, instead he chuckled, "Young Brother Yu, come, let me show you the marvel of the guiding shuttle. It's your first encounter in two months here. The next sight of it won't be until three months from now!"
As he spoke, he pushed open the stone chamber door next to him, and the two men walked in, immediately running into another person. Upon seeing him, Zhao Xi Qiao called out:
"Brother Zhou, you've really put me in a tough spot. You were supposed to be on duty in the hall today, how come Elder Chu showed up instead?"
"Don't blame me for this. When Elder Chu finished his meditation and found Brother Yu missing, he could guess with his knees what you guys were up to. How could I stop him?"
The man speaking with Zhao Xi Qiao was named Zhou Hu, a burly man with a bushy beard, a rugged face, but a decent temperament. He was one of the Cultivators stationed here by the Great Passage, serving not as the Docking Array operator, but as Elder Chu's bodyguard.
Including Yu Ci, there were only five permanent residents at the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock. Elder Chu, Zhou Hu, and Yan Hao, who was currently operating the Docking Array inside, were all Cultivators from the Great Passage, the masters of this place. Zhao Xi Qiao, not a member of the Great Passage, was from one of the major merchant houses in this realm, the Self-Improvement Hall. He was a regular here, running a shop that traded in rare items, taking advantage of the traffic from the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat.
Zhao Xi Qiao didn't truly mind. His ability to hang his name in the Self-Improvement Hall and run an independent business here made it clear he was an astute and smooth operator. His earlier grumble was merely a joke, made in light of Zhou Hu's temperament. He shifted the topic, asking about the arrival of the Guiding Shuttle:
"How many have landed here?"
"The number given was thirty-four. Ah, the more chaotic the Sky Rift Valley becomes, the busier it gets here. Congratulations on your prosperity, Shopkeeper Zhao!"
Yet, Zhao Xi Qiao shook his head, "Lately, there are too many coming to hunt the Demons' ferocious beasts. The prices of such materials have fallen, while the value of previously worthless medicinal herbs keeps rising... I fear it may not return to its original price for the next thirty or fifty years."
What he meant was, due to the sudden surge of cold wave in the valley, the ecosystem of a large area in the Sky Rift Valley was disrupted. The Birds of Prey could migrate to escape, but the once abundant medicinal herbs suffered a catastrophe, becoming rare commodities.
In business terms, Yu Ci showed no interest in this, only observing the room's layout. He had been here before, but many things had changed since the arrival of the Guiding Shuttle. At Zhao Xi Qiao's gesture, Zhou Hu pulled back the curtain covering one side of the wall, revealing a large round mirror.
The mirror was about four feet in diameter, larger than any Yu Ci had ever seen. At that moment, the mirror's surface was filled with moving light and shadow, showing a secluded valley surrounded by mountains.
At first, Yu Ci was amazed at the mirror's function, similar to his Divine Bronze Mirror. He later understood that this was a famous spell in this realm, the "Round Light Spell", which could project distant scenes through prior arrangements. It was generally used for mechanical messages, but here it was used to display the Docking Array and the Guiding Cloud Shuttle's situation in the valley.
The valley, constantly receiving and emitting shockwaves in response to the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat, was barren. At that moment, it seemed like a whirlwind was blowing in the valley, with the sand at the bottom swirling and being blown away.
"It's coming!" Zhao Xi Qiao laughed.
Yu Ci widened his eyes as the scene displayed by the Round Light Spell in the mirror, under Zhou Hu's control, moved to the sky. There, a red cloud was slowly descending.
...