Naruto started slightly. The voice sounded familiar, and he hurriedly looked back.
Not far behind him, the frail-looking Wen Qiang was smiling at him.
Beneath his feet was a wheel-shaped flying Magical Artifact.
"Fellow Cultivator Wen! What a coincidence!"
Naruto paused, then gave an awkward laugh.
"Heh, it is! I never expected to run into you here. I truly admire how you defeated one of the guards!"
"The guards?" Naruto was taken aback.
"The ten Cultivators you challenged were all members of the guard squad. Their cultivation may not be high, but they often go out to sea to fight Demonic Beasts, and they've also sparred and fought with Cultivators from other islands. Their experience and methods in combat far surpass those of ordinary Cultivators."
"Even ordinary Cultivators two or three levels above them can lose to them. There's nothing strange about it!"
Wen Qiang clicked his tongue in amazement.
"It was nothing. I just got lucky," Naruto said with a polite smile.
"By the way, did you come here to take care of some business at the Immortal Ascension Pavilion?"
The young man glanced toward Green Cloud Mountain, then turned back with a smile.
"You guessed right. I'd like to complete the procedures for settling on the island and find a place to cultivate."
There was no reason to hide it, so Naruto spoke frankly.
"Heh! I've been to the Immortal Ascension Pavilion several times. Why don't I show you the way? I'm headed in that direction anyway. Green Cloud Mountain is so large that it can be hard to find."
Wen Qiang made the offer without hesitation.
A little surprised by his eagerness, Naruto thanked him repeatedly.
The two flew toward the mountain side by side.
"Besides its three great peaks—Heavenly Pillar Peak, Heavenly Firmament Peak, and Heavenly