Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment! Spirit Terrace County

The Spirit Terrace River stretched vast and misty beneath the clouds, its surface boundless and immense, countless ships sailing across it.

One of them was a massive vessel with banners fluttering from its nine-story structure. Every floor held countless rooms, filled with abundant spiritual energy—the Spirit-Gathering Formation was at work.

Clearly, this was a ship specially meant for cultivators. Only cultivators had any need for such concentrated spiritual energy.

"Young Master Lu, Spirit Terrace County is almost here."

A steward dressed in fine robes smiled at a young man.

If outsiders saw this steward, who was normally known as Zhou Skin-Peeler among those who traveled by ship, acting so obsequiously—

And toward such a young youth at that—they would surely be stunned out of their wits.

The youth in Green Robe nodded faintly, yet his bearing was far from ordinary.

Steward Zhou acted this way for two reasons. One was to repay a favor, while the other was that he had recognized Lu Qing's identity.

That was right. Lu Qing had originally been traveling when he happened to encounter a demonic beast as ferocious as a fiend. The beast was at the Sixth Layer of Foundation Establishment, and its cultivation was formidable.

Yet Lu Qing had still killed it with an arrow, beheading it in a single shot.

Steward Zhou had happened to be among that group. He had sincerely invited Lu Qing aboard for a gathering, and after learning that Lu Qing was headed for Spirit Terrace County, Steward Zhou—who traveled the waterways year-round and possessed well-connected information networks—had more or less figured out Lu Qing's identity.

After Steward Zhou left, Lu Qing looked out over the water, a trace of wonder rising in his eyes.

The water stretched endlessly, its billions upon billions of measures impossible to gauge.

As Lu Qing watched it, he felt his state of mind broaden considerably.

The spiritual power around him began circulating unconsciously.

With ample time and this river vessel carrying him onward, Lu Qing traveled without haste. His cultivation, which had already broken through to the Eighth Layer of Foundation Establishment, gradually became more solid through all he saw and contemplated.

Each floor of the nine-story ship held pavilions and rooms, serving both as places of rest and places of cultivation.

Lu Qing did not waste his time cultivating within.

Thanks to the life-saving favor he had bestowed, Lu Qing's expenses were waived.

Lu Qing had already been away for over ten days. He could now set up a Spirit-Gathering Formation, and he had also learned news of Spirit Terrace County.

Spirit Prefecture bore the word "Spirit" in its name, yet it could hardly be called a land blessed with outstanding people and rich spiritual essence.

This region was vast.

The east faced the sea, while the south bordered the mountains. With mountains at its back and the sea at its side, it should never have fallen to such a state.

That was what Lu Qing had thought when he first saw the map. But after learning Spirit Prefecture's history, he no longer found it strange.

Tens of thousands of years ago, an earthshaking battle between peerless experts had erupted here.

Few details of that battle had survived. The only thing remembered was that it had directly destroyed Spirit Prefecture's earth veins. Countless Spirit Veins had vanished or been ruined, while endless Tribulation Qi and Sha Qi had shrouded Spirit Prefecture.

Only after tens of thousands of years had it gradually become what it was today.

There was nothing special about the name Spirit Terrace County. Still, upon hearing it, Lu Qing's thoughts could not help wandering. Even without having read the original work in full, he knew a thing or two about Spirit Platform Square-Inch Mountain and Slanted Moon Three Stars Cave.

This place had not appeared in the divination, so his choice of it naturally came from his own considerations.

And the only thing that could support him was cultivation.

Lu Qing sat cross-legged and began cultivating.

As Steward Zhou left, several people gathered around him the moment he appeared on deck.

"Steward Zhou, who was that? How did he make you so cautious?"

These people were all merchants who traveled far and wide, closely connected to the merchant ships of Spirit Prefecture. Steward Zhou was also an old acquaintance of theirs.

Steward Zhou chuckled. He was a slightly plump middle-aged man, and when he smiled, his eyes narrowed into slits. "A distinguished person."

He was being deliberately vague.

Someone beside him laughed upon hearing that. "Is there anyone on these waters more distinguished than Steward Zhou?"

Though he said so, a thoughtful gleam flickered in his eyes.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

Steward Zhou hurriedly demurred. "We're all merely earning a living, relying on you gentlemen to look after our business."

With that, he smiled faintly. "I'm simply offering a bit of goodwill. Aren't you planning to do business in Spirit Terrace County afterward?"

His tone abruptly shifted.

In an instant, the others seemed to seize upon something, enlightenment flashing through their minds.

"Someone sent down from above?"

Steward Zhou nodded.

"Hiss, Steward Zhou... tsk, tsk, your luck is quite good."

"What luck is there? Word of Spirit Terrace County changing hands has long spread everywhere around here. I just happened to run into him."

"As expected of someone dispatched from Central Province. That bearing, that realm—I couldn't see through him at all."

Their faces were filled with envy.

The Profound Heaven Dao Academy was an existence as lofty as heaven within the Profound Heaven Domain.

It was the same in this remote corner of Spirit Prefecture.

For every stationed cultivator, setting aside everything else, their cultivation at such a young age was already a full level beyond theirs. It made many Rogue Cultivators burn with envy.

Not until the afternoon.

The ship docked.

Lu Qing slowly opened his eyes, his aura rising another level.

Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment—achieved.

Spirit Terrace County.

The excitement began spreading.

Chen Sheng: "My junior brother has arrived."

Paper birds flew out, landing within the four great Lineages.

Zhao, Li, Chen, and Bai—the four cultivation Lineages all had their patriarchs present, and the county gates had already been thrown wide open.

"What's going on?"

"I heard the new stationed Immortal Master has arrived."

"Wow, what grand pomp! I want to cultivate immortality too."

"A Dao Academy stationing assignment... how impressive."

In the shadows, countless pairs of eyes were fixed upon the city gates.

Some were cold, some indifferent, some confident, some jealous...

But no matter what, they definitely did not dare stir up trouble at this welcoming ceremony.

Even they themselves understood.

Killing someone in secret still left room to maneuver. But if they openly jumped out during an occasion like this, wouldn't that mean directly opposing the Profound Heaven Dao Academy?

A colossal power would not make a huge fuss over one disciple. Yet so long as even the slightest possibility existed, there would be no need for a huge fuss—one finger would be enough to crush certain hidden gazes to dust.

Even Chen Sheng had always been thinking of returning to the Dao Academy.

This place was comfortable, but it was ultimately not somewhere to stay for long.

This time, he had come out to welcome not merely an individual from the Profound Heaven Dao Academy, but his own sect.

And the same was true for the four great Lineages.

"I heard this Immortal Master Lu only entered the sect this year, yet he's already established his foundation so quickly."

"Is this what a heavenly prodigy is?"

"Are disciples of great Immortal Sect powers all this talented?"

Long before Lu Qing arrived, the originally secret rumors here had already become increasingly active.

Now, countless Rogue Cultivators heard these discussions as well.

"Azure Heaven, why can't I join the Profound Heaven Dao Academy?!"

"I'm unwilling to accept this! Foundation Establishment in his teens—he truly makes others green with envy."

He was here.

The tower ship docked.

The nine-story vessel was incomparably eye-catching.

A streak of azure light appeared before everyone.

They saw a handsome youth in azure robes riding the wind toward them, his looks otherworldly and his aura extraordinary.

Countless gazes turned toward him, and everyone felt as though they were staring into an abyss—unfathomable and immeasurably deep.

Chen Sheng's expression was even more shocked.

Because he could not see through this junior brother's strength.

Could it be that this junior brother's cultivation had already surpassed his own?

Or had he used some spell to conceal it?

But when the other party arrived before them and released the aura of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage—

He abandoned that thought.

The other's cultivation had definitely surpassed his.

"Junior Brother Lu, now that you've arrived, the stationing mission in Spirit Terrace County will be handed over to you."

He came back to his senses and smiled.

Lu Qing nodded faintly as well, his expression gentle. "I understand, Senior Brother. Are you leaving today?"

Chen Sheng sighed inwardly. He had not originally thought that this newly arrived junior brother could be all that formidable.

But that imposing aura truly made one's heart tremble.