Chapter 5

With two low-grade spirit stones providing a constant source of power, this paper crane can fly at least three to four hundred miles.

As long as he leaves the border between the two states and delves deep into Qingzhou by three to four hundred miles, the pursuit by the Hundred Toxins Sect will definitely lessen, and he will be much safer.

Actually, he was overthinking it. The experts from the Hundred Toxins Sect responsible for the pursuit, after killing all the fleeing members of the Chu family, believed the matter was complete and had long returned to report and claim their rewards.

The fat and thin cultivators had secretly left the main group and ran away. Their deaths at Chu He's hands were unknown to the Hundred Toxins Sect for the time being, and no one would chase after him as a result.

The paper crane was flying about forty to fifty zhang above the ground, and its speed was not slow, much faster than Chu He walking on foot. Since it was powered by spirit stones, Chu He only needed to focus a small part of his mind to control it.

Although the bones in his right arm were shattered in multiple places, it was not a big deal in this magical world. Even the most severe injuries could be healed with elixirs or powerful spirit energy, as long as they were not as serious as limb amputations.

Pain still occasionally came from his right arm, but Chu He's mind was focused on other things, so he did not feel it much.

He was thinking about the similarities between this world and the "Cultivation" game. At least the composition of talismans in both worlds was almost identical. He did not know about elixirs and magical treasures, as his previous incarnation had a low cultivation level and never had the chance to come into contact with higher-level items.

If elixirs and magical treasures were also the same, with his experience from the beta test, he could increase the success rate of entering the Innate Realm.

While lost in thought, the paper crane had already flown out of the continuous small mountains. The terrain below gradually became flat, and a wide road capable of accommodating eight horses appeared not far away.

There were a few passersby walking on the road, and although they were walking, their speed was not inferior to a motorcycle on Earth traveling at forty to fifty kilometers per hour. This was the wonder of the Light Body Technique.

Occasionally, magnificent horses pulling carriages would gallop past, leaving a trail of dust behind in no time, truly fast. Some even rode on tamed giant beasts, creating a lot of noise as they rushed along.

Higher up in the sky, there were often whistling sounds, and looking in that direction, one could see the dazzling light of various magical artifacts of different colors.

Lower down, there were all kinds of flying creatures, colorful and some as large as houses, flapping their wings and creating strong winds, making a terrifying sound.

A few paper cranes could also be seen, but they seemed to be of better quality than Chu He's, flying faster and overtaking him.

Suddenly, a "rumbling" sound came from the south, like rolling thunder.

In such a clear sky, where did the thunder come from? Curiosity piqued, Chu He looked and was stunned.

He saw a huge ship flying rapidly to the south, about a hundred miles away in the southwest. It was surrounded by clouds, with occasional flashes of lightning, and the light from the talismans through the clouds was very bright.

Even from a hundred miles away, the ship still appeared enormous, at least a thousand zhang long and a hundred zhang wide and high.

A Thousand Clouds Mountain Boat!

This was the largest means of transportation in this world, similar to an oil tanker on Earth, but one in the sky and the other in the sea.

What an interesting world! Chu He's eyes were wide open, and his chest filled with excitement. He had been immersed in the cultivation online game, and suddenly finding himself in a similar world naturally suited him. The gloom from the recent misfortunes dissipated, replaced by a surge of heroism.

Unfortunately, heroism cannot be eaten. After flying for more than three hundred miles, Chu He's stomach began to growl. Food was still a necessity for cultivators at the Qi Condensation stage, and with Chu He's recent exertions, his energy was quickly depleted.

Fortunately, from his vantage point, it was easy to find an inn by the road, and he slowly descended on the paper crane.

The inn had no name, covering more than one mu of land, with a three-story building. The front area was dozens of zhang wide, giving it a grand appearance.

Inns of this caliber usually did not have high-quality spirit food, as most of their guests were low-level cultivators, and high-level cultivators would not even glance at them.

The inn was doing good business, with the front area almost filled with various carriages, leaving only a few spaces wide for a passage.

There were no attendants to greet guests, only a stable boy who greeted him, indicating how busy it was inside.

Sure enough, even before he approached the door, the noise of people drinking and toasting hit him like waves.

Looking inside, it was a scene often seen in martial arts films: a large hall with at least twenty round tables, almost all of them occupied.

At this moment, a waiter appeared, and after a few words, led Chu He to a small table near the south window.

The upper floors of the inn were quieter and more elegant, unlike the noisy hall below, but Chu He did not want to waste time, so he settled for the hall.

The hall was almost full, and the business was unusually good! What surprised Chu He even more was that most of the people were young, and among them were a few cultivators at the fourth and fifth layers of the Qi Condensation stage.

Generally, such young talents were considered unpolished gems by various sects, and they would all vie to recruit them. Even in his previous family of thousands, such talents were few and far between. From the clothing of these few young people, there were no obvious sect marks, indicating they had not yet joined any sect.

When Chu He asked the waiter about this, the waiter dodged the question. However, after Chu He slipped him twenty iron coins, the waiter began to speak freely.

Iron coins, commonly used in the market, were made of black iron and contained some iron essence, making them much less valuable than low-grade spirit stones. The exchange rate was generally one hundred to one. Iron coins were usually used to make up for shortages, and their issuance was supported by several major forces, making them very stable and not subject to depreciation. Twenty iron coins were not a small amount, which is why the waiter was so enthusiastic, almost forgetting his duties.

After learning the reason, Chu He's spirits lifted. This was good news: in two days, the Qingling Mountain would hold its once-every-five-years gate-opening ceremony.

Qingling Mountain opened its gates every five years to absorb new blood, a well-known fact throughout Qingzhou, which explained the presence of so many young cultivators.

Qingling Mountain was one of the major sects in Qingzhou, on par with the Hundred Toxins Sect. Naturally, many cultivators wanted to join.

However, not everyone could enter Qingling Mountain. Besides the age limit, one's spirit body must be at least of medium quality, and there was also a minimum cultivation requirement: participants must reach the fourth layer of the Qi Condensation stage.

This was not good news for him. He did not meet the requirements to enter the sect. This news only brought him a moment of joy.

"Never mind, since I'm here, I might as well take a look," he said, his excitement turning to disappointment as he ordered some dishes.

Hearing Chu He order, the waiter's expression mirrored Chu He's for a moment. However, since this was a guest in the first-floor hall, being a bit frugal was not unexpected, especially since he had already earned a tip. The disappointment quickly passed.

Chu He ordered ordinary chicken, duck, and beef, which contained very little spirit energy. While they could replenish physical strength, they were not sufficient to restore the consumed spirit energy.

His spirit energy had already recovered during the flight, so he did not need the spirit food. Moreover, saving was an old habit, and it was hard to break.

After eating, he paid and left. He had asked the waiter earlier, and it was still over two hundred miles to Qingling Mountain. He needed to arrive early to find a town to stay in, to avoid encountering fierce creatures like demon beasts.

Page break for ads

Page break for ads