"Hahaha, so that was it. Those two were your companions on the Dao. No wonder they came with you. But they're not human, so the moment they entered the formation, it cast them out. My Junior Brother caught them and said they'd go nicely with a drink..."
Above the clouds, Daoyinzi laughed. With a flick of his Fly-Whisk, he said calmly, "Don't worry. Great Hua Mountain has no shortage of rare treasures. How could we actually cook your companions on the Dao?" A flicker of regret crossed his eyes.
Chen Cuo nodded. He took the remark as an attempt to lighten the mood, and the distance between them eased a little. Then he turned his attention to their surroundings—
They rode a cloud between heaven and earth.
Below lay rolling Azure mountains and a patchwork of fields and paths. Streams and villages appeared here and there among the neat rows of farmland. Men plowed, women wove, elders rested, and children ran about. It was truly a scene of peaceful days.
Above them, peaks floated in the air, some high among the clouds, others low over the green hills. What a sight fit for the Immortal School.
Only...
"Senior, is this really Great Hua Mountain? You'd never see a sight like this in Great Chen." He looked up at the two bright suns in the sky and finally voiced his doubt.
"You wouldn't see it in the Zhou Kingdom either," Daoyinzi said with a smile, stroking his beard. "As I said, this is the Great Hua Secret Realm. It's connected to Great Hua Mountain, but this Great Hua is not that Great Hua."
Something stirred in Chen Cuo's mind. "Peach Paradise?"
"Hahaha, not Peach Paradise. You'll know when the time comes. If I tell you now, one thought will lead to