On the Floating Meteorite Island in the Outer Void, the only sound in the silent cluster of buildings was the gossiping old Daoist chattering away without pause.
Perhaps unwilling to meddle in others' affairs, the old Daoist did not introduce himself. The three with Bai Moulong did not make things difficult for the little old man either. For one devoted to the Dao to speak this much was already no easy feat. They were simply here to watch the excitement and eat melon seeds; afterward, they would go their separate ways.
"Though our Zhanglin Great World may be considered a Sacred Land of Cultivation among the surrounding starfields, and nearby Small Worlds can ascend here, the more one knows, the more one realizes we are merely ignorant rustics from the countryside. The void is boundless, the Myriad Worlds innumerable, and there is even the legendary Primordial Main World. Hah, what Sacred Land of Cultivation are we supposed to be?"
"Ah, right. I forgot the important matter."
"Fellow Daoists, you came to the right person. If you had gone to a Floating Stone guarded by Western Teachings, you would not have gotten a single answer."
"A great many came. This old Daoist cannot say exactly how many, because they passed through from different places in several groups. They did not hide their tracks at all—rather arrogant, in fact. Only after I spoke with my friends afterward did I learn more. Heh, those small and mid-sized sects were scared out of their wits. Living in the cracks, one might be sold off with a single misstep. Sigh, it is hard."
He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, then continued with vivid gestures and expressions.
"Quite a few came from the west. There is no mistaking that smell. Their eyes