Below the clouds, a boundless range of mountains stretched to the horizon. Solitary peaks thrust upward from the valleys like inverted blades, their slopes sheer and unforgiving. Hidden amidst the mist, they resembled a realm of immortals untouched by mortal dust.

Swoosh!

A medium-sized Spirit Boat tore through the sky, trailing a thin white wake. It sliced cleanly through a drifting cloud, bisecting it before speeding onward into the distance.

Qin Lu stood on the deck, gazing down at the retreating landscape with a complex expression.

“Finally… I have the chance to see the world outside.”

He recalled the dusty tomes he had read about the Li Province years ago. Back then, the descriptions of the vast continent beneath his feet had ignited a burning curiosity within him. He had yearned to travel, to witness the strange and magnificent sights beyond his small corner of the world.

But in those days, his strength was meager. Reality had pressed down on him like a mountain, suffocating those dreams until they faded into the background of his struggle for survival.

Now, having finally left the confines of the Wuji Market, that suppressed ambition roared back to life. He felt a surge of heroic liberation, a sense that the ocean was wide enough for the fish to leap, and the sky high enough for the birds to soar.

The Grandmaster vistas described in the texts surfaced in his mind, vibrant and alluring.

” The Sky-Piercing Pillar, the Fire Dragon Waterfall, the Heavenly River Cut-off… The Thread-Line Divine Mountain, the Eye of Heaven, the Water Mirror Lake… The Sword Moon, the Celestial Curtain Aurora, the Seven-Colored Sea.”

Just the names alone evoked a sense of profound magic.

Qin Lu could still recite the descriptions of these wonders. The Thread-Line Divine Mountain, for instance, was said to be the result of a dying Nascent Soul cultivator’s final strike. A single sword slash had cleaved a mountain thousands of meters high right down the middle.

Legend claimed that the remnant sword Qi still lingered in the fissure today, drawing countless swordsmen who sought to comprehend its intent.

“I have to see them,” Qin Lu resolved silently, clenching his hand on the railing. “I cannot waste this second life.”

“What are you dazing out about?”

Gu Yue’s voice drifted from behind him. Qin Lu turned to see her walking slowly to his side, her face still slightly pale. They stood shoulder to shoulder, looking out at the endless horizon.

Qin Lu glanced at her bloodless lips. “Is your injury troubling you?”

Gu Yue offered a gentle, wan smile. “It is fine. Just a minor wound. A night of rest has helped considerably.”

“That is good.” Qin Lu relaxed.

Her injury was fresh, sustained only yesterday. A Second-Tier avian demon beast had ambushed their Spirit Boat. If Gu Yue hadn’t intervened with the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, their group might have faced disaster.

The beast had been ferocious, however, and she had paid a small price in blood to repel it.

“If not for you yesterday, we might have lost the boat,” Qin Lu sighed. “It really proves that traveling the wilderness requires a Foundation Establishment expert to ensure safety.”

Gu Yue’s expression remained calm as she shot him a knowing look. “That is hard to say. I feel that with your strength, you could have driven that beast off just as easily.”

“How could that be? I am only at the eighth layer of Qi Refining. I am no match for a Second-Tier demon beast.”

“Hmph, still trying to fool me?” Gu Yue teased. “I was the one who sold you that [Hidden Spirit Bracelet]. Given your cultivation speed and combat prowess, I would not be surprised if you were already at Qi Refining Perfection.”

“Hehe…” Qin Lu laughed awkwardly, offering no confirmation.

Gu Yue did not press the issue. She looked back at the clouds, her voice turning soft. “You do not need to be so overly cautious. Your speed implies you found a precious opportunity, but in the grand scheme of things, it is not excessively exaggerated.”

Qin Lu blinked, surprised. “That isn’t considered exaggerated?”

“Hehe, compared to the true anomalies? Have you ever heard of the ‘Golden Core in One Night’?”

“One night… to the Golden Core realm?!” Qin Lu’s eyes widened in genuine shock.

“Indeed. In our Li Province, there was once a cultivator who achieved the Golden Core in a single night.”

Gu Yue spoke slowly, a trace of reverence in her eyes. “He was originally a disciple of Confucianism, a scholar who did nothing but read behind closed doors. But one night, for reasons unknown, fierce winds raged and golden light illuminated the heavens. By the next dawn, he had ascended from the early Qi Refining stage straight to the Golden Core.”

“Tsk, tsk. To think such terrifying things happen…” Qin Lu marveled. Then, a thought struck him. “Wait, we have Confucianism here? What is that?”

“The Nine Provinces Continent is vast,” Gu Yue explained. “A hundred flowers bloom, and a hundred schools of thought contend. The immense geography creates different cultures, birthing not just different cultivation methods, but different philosophies.”

“These people are called Sectarian Cultivators,” she continued.

“What sects are there?”

“They are roughly divided into ten schools,” she listed, counting on her fingers. “Confucianism, Daoism, Mohism, Eclecticism, Agriculturalism, the Yin-Yang School, Legalism, the School of Names, the School of Minor Talks, and the School of Diplomacy.”

“And how do they cultivate?”

“I only know a little about that…”

Qin Lu and Gu Yue stood at the bow, the wind tugging at their robes as the scenery rushed to meet them. They chatted freely, discussing heaven and earth, their voices carrying over the wind.

As the conversation flowed, the distance between them seemed to shrink. Laughter and exclamations of wonder punctuated the journey, creating a rare moment of peace.

Time drifted by until the sun began to dip toward the western mountains.

Seeing the sunset, Qin Lu ended the conversation. He returned to the cabin and instructed Cao Yunxi, who was piloting the boat, to lower their altitude and find a place to rest.

The medium-sized Spirit Boat was a Second-Tier Low-Grade magical artifact. It was significantly larger than the common [Flying Cloud Paper] and fifty percent faster, but it had its drawbacks.

Unlike the paper, which ran on raw spiritual energy, the boat required Spirit Stones to function. It was a fuel-guzzling beast. Qin Lu calculated that fifteen Spirit Stones were burned every half-day of flight.

Furthermore, the mechanism required a cooling period after the stones were depleted to prevent malfunctions.

Night travel was also ill-advised. Visibility was poor, making it hard to spot ambushers or aerial beasts. Additionally, the mortal needs of the crew—eating, sleeping, and sanitation—had to be addressed.

Thus, their routine was simple: fly at sunrise, rest at sunset.

They scanned the ground below. Villages and small hamlets appeared sporadically, but none were suitable for a group of their size. They flew on, searching.

Soon, a sprawling, scenic mountain villa came into view.

“Let’s go there,” Qin Lu said, pointing downward.

“Understood!” Cao Yunxi responded.

Under Cao Yunxi’s control, the Spirit Boat decelerated and began a smooth descent toward a large clearing outside the villa.

“Ah! Look! Look up there!”

“What is that thing?!”

“Quick! Report to the Master!”

The arrival of the massive vessel descending from the clouds sent the mortals into a panic. A dozen people in the clearing screamed and scattered like frightened ants.

Qin Lu and his group paid them no mind, disembarking with the calm grace of cultivators.

Once everyone was off, Qin Lu channeled his spiritual energy. The ten-meter-long vessel shimmered and shrank, collapsing into a small paper slip that he tucked into his [Storage Bag].

Just as he finished, the ground began to tremble.

Heavy, rhythmic footsteps approached, accompanied by the clatter of metal armor. From the villa’s gates, over a hundred heavily armored soldiers marched out, encircling Qin Lu’s group with spears leveled.

A middle-aged general stepped out from the formation. He drew a broadsword, the steel ringing in the quiet evening air, and shouted with self-righteous fury.

“Where did you charlatans come from?! How dare you disturb His Majesty, the Emperor!”