A Sight Too Glorious to Imagine

The Stone County Branch Family had yet to recover from its shock when Li Xingdong hid the surprise in his eyes and regained his composure.

He said no more. Instead, he glanced back at the ten Qi-Blood Realm cultivators from the Ancestral Land who had accompanied him.

A burly cultivator from the Ancestral Land immediately stepped forward and called out, "Whoever is leading the Branch Family, along with the young participants, board the Cloud Boat at once! Everyone else, stand back!"

His voice boomed, bolstered by Qi and Blood power, and made their eardrums ache.

At his command, the young participants of the Stone County Branch Family drew deep breaths. Led by the Branch Family head, Li Nanfeng, they suppressed their excitement and unease and hurried toward the enormous Cloud Boat hovering above them in an orderly line.

Little Stone walked last. His steps were steady, but as his gaze swept over the ten cultivators from the Ancestral Land, shock surged through him.

He could not see through the cultivation of a single one of them.

Once aboard, he saw intricate, mysterious runes carved all across the Cloud Boat, spiritual light flowing through them.

Along both sides of the vessel stood broad-shouldered cultivators in blue robes, one every few paces.

They held their hands behind their backs and stared straight ahead, their eyes cold.

Li Xingdong boarded last. He walked to a raised jade platform at the bow and pressed his hand against it.

The platform flashed. The Cloud Boat shuddered gently and gave a low hum, then rose, turned, and sped toward the eastern sky.

Below, Stone County's County Town, mountains, and rivers rapidly dwindled and fell away. A fierce wind rushed toward them, only to be held outside the boat by an invisible, pale-blue barrier.

"Keep your footing,