Chapter 39

After going out, Luo Li made some inquiries and immediately learned about the origins of the Chenlian Sect.

The Chenlian Sect was also a major sect, one of the eight hundred minor sects, on par with the Heavenly Spider Sect. This sect was skilled in refining artifacts and repairing, with their Daoist principles derived from the truth that all things will eventually return to dust. They believed that by transforming themselves into dust first, they could blend with the light and dust, thus avoiding the cycle of reincarnation and transcending the mundane to achieve self-perfection and ascend to the immortal realm.

However, only eight patriarchs of this sect had truly ascended to the immortal realm. The other disciples, due to the sect's great law of all things returning to dust, viewed all things in the world as dust, manipulating them as they pleased to master the art of refining and repairing. The sect claimed that all things in the mortal world were under their control, and their disciples operated shops in various large marketplaces.

Luo Li had already bought what he needed: a small supreme quality inkstone that could increase the success rate of talisman creation by ten percent, and a large supreme quality talisman brush that could increase the success rate by thirty percent. Together, this was a forty percent increase. Ordinary talisman brushes and inkstones only increased the success rate by twenty to thirty percent. Luo Li was very pleased with his forty percent success rate.

This time, he only had one last thing to do. He went to the flying boat docking point in the marketplace, waiting for the inter-realm flying boat to arrive, eager to see what it looked like.

The flying boat docking point was located at the southernmost part of the marketplace, a huge platform covered with golden talismans. Many people were waiting there.

Some were there to greet others, some to see them off, some to wait for goods, and some to prepare to sell goods. There were also many people who had come just to watch the spectacle, including Luo Li.

Luo Li waited, not knowing what the inter-realm flying boat looked like. After a short while, someone shouted:

"It's here, it's here!"

"Really, that's great!"

Luo Li followed their pointing and saw the distant clouds moving. Suddenly, a huge figure appeared in the distance!

From afar, it looked like a giant turtle, a hundred zhang in size, emerging from the clouds. It moved slowly, but the giant turtle was extremely fast, reaching them in the blink of an eye.

As it flew closer, it became clear that this was not a real giant turtle but a towered boat. The boat was round, shaped like a turtle, about a hundred zhang in size. Twelve cloud paddles were located under the boat, gently moving like the turtle's limbs, propelling it forward. The seven-story tower on its back looked like a turtle shell. In no time, the towered boat was above the marketplace.

The giant turtle, which had been moving at lightning speed, suddenly stopped in the air above the marketplace, transitioning from rapid movement to complete stillness without any sense of abnormality. It was eerily quiet.

This was the inter-realm flying boat. Luo Li noticed a row of spear-like magical artifacts, emitting fierce white light, embedded in the outer hull of the boat. Upon closer inspection, there were also traces of fire, lightning, and ice on the outer hull, as if it had broken through a siege.

Not only did Luo Li see these marks, but others around him did too. Someone asked:

"What is that? Is someone daring enough to attack this inter-realm flying boat?"

"You're right. Those spears were likely from a Void Bird Demon attack."

"What's a Void Bird Demon?"

"A group of demon bandits located at the intersection of Guanxi and Chunan, specializing in attacking passing cultivators."

"Really? Such audacious demons. This flying boat seems to belong to the Tianxingjian Sect. Why doesn't this prestigious sect eliminate them?"

"Hmph, you don't understand. If the demons were eliminated, everyone could pass freely. Who would still ride the inter-realm flying boat? It's said that these demons became powerful because the Tianxingjian Sect started the flying boat business."

"Ah, I see. They're homegrown, truly despicable!"

"Right, look at those spears. They were clearly placed there on purpose. This is a warning to small cultivators like us, below the Golden Core stage, not to wander around. Inter-realm travel is very dangerous!"

Amidst the chatter, the flying boat hovered above the platform, and a cloud ladder descended. People began to walk down the ladder.

The first person to descend had twelve golden crows flying around him, a sign of a Golden Core phenomenon. The person who had been chattering immediately changed the topic:

"Damn, look, it's the Fire Crow True Man from the Heavenly Sun Palace. Why is he here on our Heavenly Spider Island?"

The second person to descend was a middle-aged man with no Golden Core phenomenon, but he had an indescribable aura of evil. From a distance, Luo Li felt uneasy, as if the man's eyes could ensnare one's soul.

The chattering person whispered, "Don't look at him. He's the Scattered Cultivator True Man Xihua, who practices yin-yang cultivation, harming countless people. It's strange that he would dare to come to Heavenly Spider Island."

The third person to descend was a woman, extremely delicate, but her appearance was obscured by a layer of mist, another sign of a Golden Core phenomenon.

The chattering person said again:

"This must be the Xuan Ji True Man from the Tranquil Fish Palace. I see, the Fire Crow True Man and Xihua are both invited by her?"

These three True Men slowly descended the cloud ladder. Someone came to greet them, a short and plump figure with a kind face. Seeing this person, the chattering person said:

"Ah, it's the Wisdom Spider Elder from the Heavenly Spider Sect. It seems the Heavenly Spider Sect is planning something big!"

More people began to descend the cloud ladder, including disciples of the Fire Crow True Man and other ordinary cultivators, none of whom were particularly notable.

Luo Li turned to the chattering person and said with a bow:

"Brother, I am Luo Li from the Spirit Butterfly Sect. May I ask your name?"

This person was well-informed, seemingly knowing everything, so Luo Li wanted to befriend him.

The person smiled and said, "I am Zhu Minghua, known as the Overlooker, renting a small stall at Maoyuan斋. Nice to meet you!"

Indeed, the Overlooker made a living by appraising, which explained his extensive knowledge.

Luo Li said, "Brother Zhu, you are truly remarkable, knowing almost everything."

Zhu Minghua laughed and said, "Brother Luo, you don't know. I make a living by selling information and earning spirit stones. If you need any information, whether to inquire or to sell, feel free to come to me."

He handed Luo Li a name card with his contact information, which Luo Li accepted.

Luo Li suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, Brother Zhu, I want to inquire about someone, Long Wending, a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator from the Black Dragon Sect. Do you have any information on him?"

Zhu Minghua was taken aback and said, "This person had a short life. A few months ago, he destroyed a branch of the Seven Kill Sect, offending them. He was killed by a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator from the Seven Kill Sect, Ice Point, and was completely annihilated. The Black Dragon Sect didn't dare to make a sound!"

Luo Li was stunned. Long Wending was dead! He felt both joy and disappointment. He was glad that his father's great enemy was dead, but disappointed that he hadn't avenged him personally.

After a long while, Luo Li regained his composure. By then, about seven or eight people had descended the cloud ladder, and no one else was coming down. Luo Li, trying to hide his emotions, asked curiously:

"Only seven or eight people on one flying boat?"

Zhu Minghua said, "Brother, you don't understand. These are all first-class passengers. The ones coming down next are the economy-class passengers, the real travelers."

At this moment, more people began to descend the cloud ladder. These people were different from the previous ones, carrying large and small bags, descending in groups. Below, people began to call out:

"Second Brother, Second Brother, I'm here!"

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother, this way, this way!"

"Uncle, Uncle, I'm here!"

These were the normal travelers.

Luo Li couldn't help but ask, "First-class and economy-class?"

Zhu Minghua said, "Yes, economy-class is cheaper, and you have to bring your own food. The cabin is narrow, and you're not allowed to leave the cabin once on board. First-class provides food and allows you to move around freely on the flying boat, but it costs three to four times as much as economy-class..."

As he spoke, a woman descended from the economy-class passengers. This woman was very strange. She looked ordinary, but everyone instinctively made way for her, as if she were a queen and they were her subjects, as if it were natural.

She walked down step by step. Although she was alone, it felt as if countless invisible servants were clearing a path for her through the crowd.

She walked straight ahead, and directly in front of her were the Wisdom Spider Elder and the four Golden Core True Men. They were gathered together, seemingly in conversation. Due to their Golden Core phenomena, no cultivators were within ten zhang of them, and they were surrounded by a clear space of over ten zhang. Yet, they stood in front of this woman.

This woman walked straight up to them and said, "Excuse me, excuse me..."

The four men naturally made way for her, and she walked through them, continuing forward. The four men seemed completely unaffected, continuing their conversation as if nothing had happened.

Luo Li was dumbfounded. How could it be? Golden Core True Men naturally making way for her and not even noticing? How could this be!

He turned to Zhu Minghua, hoping he could see through the mystery, but Zhu Minghua was also staring blankly, seemingly oblivious to the woman's abnormality. It was then that Luo Li realized he was the only one who had noticed her strangeness. Among the thousands of cultivators present, no one else had noticed anything different!

Luo Li couldn't help but shudder, his whole body trembling. What was going on? Upon closer inspection, the woman had vanished without a trace. Luo Li looked around but couldn't find her anywhere! Was this just an illusion? Was he seeing ghosts?

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Thank you to: Qingyi Boshan, Xihuan Kaixin, Nanfang Yiyu, Daxue Cang Gongdao, Mashang Hengxing, Wang Wandong, Zushu Lazhong, Qingfeng Ye Jinren for your support! Thank you all!

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