Beneath the Cloud Sea

Huang Gong tugged at his hand and pointed to the house behind him. "My house happens to need some materials for repairs too. I'm not taking you along for nothing. The more of this stuff, the better. Even if I don't need it now, I can store it for later, right?"

Lu Ren smiled. "Then many thanks, Fellow Daoist Huang Gong."

After resting briefly, Huang Gong's expression shifted slightly. He glanced at the sky, then said to Lu Ren, "You're lucky. You caught a good time. Let's go—we need to make the most of this window."

Lu Ren also knew that the Cloud Sea beneath Hanging Mountain had a quiet period each day. During that time, the ferocious beasts beneath the clouds rarely appeared, with most of them lying dormant. It was relatively safe then; otherwise, beasts roamed everywhere, and even Celestial Immortal-level beasts could appear.

Seeing the wary expression on Huang Gong's face when he mentioned Celestial Immortal-level beasts, Lu Ren could not help asking, "Are Celestial Immortal-level beasts that dangerous?"

Huang Gong nodded slightly. "Of course they are. Though these beasts have no intelligence and act purely on instinct, their bodies are extraordinarily tough. Some even possess all sorts of innate gifts. A moment of carelessness, and even a Celestial Immortal-level beast can make you suffer badly."

Lu Ren was somewhat puzzled. In his view, Celestial Immortal-level beasts were nothing much. They might spit out strange things from their mouths or bodies, but as long as one avoided them carefully, they could be handled however one pleased once they got close. How could they be as troublesome as Huang Gong made them sound?

They made their way down to the base of Hanging Mountain, where they saw a saucer-shaped floating platform. Small groups of people stood atop it,