Literary Enthusiast

Senior Brother Song Yu piloted a single Flying Boat, carrying Li Xiuchang and the other seven people, soaring through the clouds towards the Immortal Dust Sect.

Perhaps Senior Brother Song Yu hadn't expected White Cloud City to produce eight individuals with Spiritual Apertures, so he hadn't prepared a larger Flying Boat. With nine people crammed onto this small Flying Boat, it was indeed a bit tight.

Especially with Pang Yuanfu, who was broad-shouldered and stout, taking up the space of two and a half people by himself.

Senior Brother Song Yu stood alone at the very front of the Flying Boat, with Li Xiuchang and the other seven packed tightly behind him, shoulder to shoulder, chest to back.

They were pressed so close not just because of the crowding, but also out of fear of falling off.

Senior Brother Song Yu flew fast and high. Just glancing down made Li Xiuchang's legs feel weak, not to mention the howling wind that blasted directly into his face.

The wind even forced Li Xiuchang's closed eyelids open a crack.

Even if this Flying Boat doesn't have guardrails, it should at least have a windshield... If I weren't still unfamiliar with Senior Brother Song Yu, I'd definitely offer him some suggestions.

Glass did exist in this world. It was said that cultivators accidentally stumbled upon it during Artifact Refining and then passed the firing method down to the common people.

Just as Li Xiuchang was praying for this heart-pounding journey to end soon, he heard a scream from beside him:

"Ah! Where did that water come from! I'm all wet!"

The scream came from Chi Hui, a girl with a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture standing next to Li Xiuchang.

Although most of her voice was swallowed by the wind, her high-pitched tone made it incredibly piercing, and everyone on the Flying Boat heard her clearly.

Li Xiuchang turned his head and saw large, splotchy wet patches on her clothes.

It wasn't even raining. Could someone have wet themselves out of fear?

It wasn't just Li Xiuchang who thought this; the others were thinking the same thing, as they were all holding it in.

But in front of Li Xiuchang and Chi Hui, there were only Senior Brother Song Yu and Pang Yuanfu. Senior Brother Song Yu wouldn't possibly do such a thing, so it could only be Pang Yuanfu.

Pang Yuanfu seemed to realize this too and quickly turned around to prove his innocence. He couldn't afford to have his reputation ruined before even reaching the Immortal Dust Sect.

"Tears, they're tears! I'm sorry, I can't control it. I'll compensate you for your clothes once we reach the sect."

Pang Yuanfu's eyes were brimming with tears, his face streaked with them, his chest stained with them. He had become a veritable weeping mess.

"Brother Pang, did you remember something sad?" Li Xiuchang asked with concern, tilting his head slightly to subtly dodge the falling teardrops.

"It's nothing, just an old problem. My eyes water uncontrollably whenever the wind blows."

So it's crying from the wind. No, the amount of water coming out should be called a flood from the wind... Li Xiuchang muttered inwardly.

He discovered another flaw of this Flying Boat: it wasn't waterproof!

Even if Pang Yuanfu didn't have this problem, if it started raining, wouldn't they all be soaked like drowned rats?

In the future, once I learn Artifact Refining, I must design a small Flying Boat that can shelter from wind and rain, and is safe and comfortable, Li Xiuchang thought to himself.

Senior Brother Song Yu turned his head and saw everyone crammed together, either with tear-streaked faces or pale expressions. He couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle, "We'll arrive in another half an hour. Please bear with it."

Half an hour later.

The Flying Boat stopped in mid-air. Senior Brother Song Yu pointed downwards and said:

"Ahead is my Immortal Dust Sect. I will take you to the reception point shortly; the rest of the way you will have to walk yourselves."

He paused, then added, "After all, I brought you into the sect, so we have a connection. If you encounter any difficult matters in the future, you can come find me in the Inner Sect."

"Thank you, Senior Brother," Li Xiuchang and the others quickly expressed their gratitude.

Li Xiuchang leaned forward slightly to look down. The sight shocked him. The Immortal Dust Sect was far larger than he had imagined, capable of encompassing several White Cloud Cities!

The Immortal Dust Sect wasn't built within famous mountains and rivers like his stereotypical image of a cultivation sect. There were a few mountains faintly visible within the sect, but most of the area was flat terrain.

At first glance, the entire sect looked similar to a mortal city, just larger and more orderly and clean.

The central area of the Immortal Dust Sect seemed to be shrouded by a formation, making it blurry and indistinct. What surprised Li Xiuchang the most was how lively the outermost perimeter of the Immortal Dust Sect was.

There were many mortal villages surrounding the Immortal Dust Sect. It was early morning, the sky just beginning to brighten. Merchants and peddlers, those selling drinks and transporting goods, each went about their business, bustling and lively, adding a touch of worldly charm to this immortal sect.

The Flying Boat slowly descended. Li Xiuchang and the others eagerly disembarked, the feeling of solid ground beneath their feet being unprecedentedly good.

However, they looked around but couldn't find the main gate of the Immortal Dust Sect.

Senior Brother Song Yu smiled and explained, "This is the outer area of the Immortal Dust Sect. Strictly speaking, you haven't truly entered the sect's interior yet. The outer area is mainly for Registered Disciples to reside in, and it doesn't restrict outside visitors. Although there is a grand formation, it is usually not activated on normal days."

"Furthermore, the marketplace of the Immortal Dust Sect is also located in the outer area. This is the largest marketplace north of Immortal Shade. You can visit it if you have the chance."

So that's how it is... The group suddenly understood. However, the few Registered Disciples couldn't help but feel a bit dejected.

Registered Disciples weren't formal disciples yet, so naturally, they couldn't live within the Immortal Dust Sect and had to reside and cultivate in the outer area.

"Don't be discouraged. Every year, Registered Disciples are promoted to Inner Sect disciples. The path is under your feet; how far you go depends on yourselves."

Senior Brother Song Yu offered some comfort, then handed the five Registered Disciples over to the reception disciples in the outer area. He then took Li Xiuchang and the other two back onto the Flying Boat and continued flying forward.

Not long after, Li Xiuchang and the others saw the grand mountain gate of the Immortal Dust Sect. They saw the powerful and timeless calligraphy on the plaque, which looked as if the ink had not yet dried, and they could faintly smell the ink fragrance of the three characters "Immortal Dust Sect."

"Uncle-Martial Brother Zhao, your calligraphy has improved again. Congratulations, congratulations!" Senior Brother Song Yu greeted a middle-aged man with a long beard with a smile.

Only then did Li Xiuchang notice that next to the mountain gate stood a long-bearded man holding a brush, floating in mid-air.

Ink was still dripping from the tip of the brush.

It seemed the words "Immortal Dust Sect" had only just been written...

The long-bearded man, Uncle-Master Zhao, was in good spirits and nodded with a smile, saying, "I've been studying the authentic writings of the Confucian Sages recently and have gained some insights."

Song Yu introduced Li Xiuchang and the other two: "This is Elder Zhao Yuansi of the Outer Sect."

"Elder Zhao." Li Xiuchang and the other two quickly bowed.

The Outer Sect has elders too?

Li Xiuchang had originally thought the Outer Sect was simply beneath the Inner Sect, but now it seemed that wasn't the case. The Outer Sect appeared to have its own channels for advancement.

Elder Zhao obviously had no intention of chatting with the three new disciples. He waved his hand, signaling Song Yu to take them away.

Passing through the mountain gate meant officially entering the Immortal Dust Sect. The area was protected by a grand formation, and disciples guarded every entrance and exit, enforcing strict entry and exit controls.

As Li Xiuchang followed Senior Brother Song Yu into the formation, he saw figures occasionally streaking across the sky. The Immortal Dust Sect was vast, and walking would be too slow, so many people used Flying Boats or Flying Swords for transportation within the sect.

Once inside the formation, Pang Yuanfu quietly asked, "Senior Brother Song, isn't our Immortal Dust Sect the orthodox Daoist sect? Why is Elder Zhao studying Confucian classics?"

Song Yu curled his lips. "Elder Zhao merely appreciates Confucian culture and enjoys studying poetry and calligraphy. He isn't comprehending Confucian cultivation methods. Confucian cultivation has long since declined, and the orthodox Confucian cultivation legacies are all broken."

Li Xiuchang had also learned about these things. The three orthodox paths were Daoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Nowadays, Confucian cultivators were extinct, Buddhist cultivators were in decline, and only the immortal path endured.

The world he had transmigrated to was called the "Immortal Shade Realm."

The origin of this name was a vast shadowy area in the central region of the world, known as the "Immortal Shade."

Despite having no obstructions above, no sunlight penetrated the Immortal Shade, nor did moonlight cover it.

There was a folk legend about the origin of the Immortal Shade, which claimed that where the Immortal Shade now lay, a colossal Sky-Reaching Immortal Tree once grew.

Until one day, that immortal tree suddenly collapsed and vanished, but the shade it cast remained forever, becoming the present-day "Immortal Shade."

And the Immortal Dust Sect was said to be the most prosperous immortal cultivation sect north of the Immortal Shade.

This was why Li Xiuchang had given up on the small sect near his hometown, traveled thousands of miles to White Cloud City, waited for half a year, and still sought to join the Immortal Dust Sect.

Looking at the Sky-Reaching Immortal Tree, even though the tree was gone, it could still leave behind a patch of shade. This illustrated a principle: it's cooler under a big tree!