Departure

As soon as Zhou Qing walked out of the Immortal Gathering Pavilion, guards from the City Lord's Mansion immediately escorted him away.

As he walked, he reflected on his performance just now and felt immensely satisfied. Especially that final, carefree silhouette as he departed—it should have left the Immortal Master with quite a good impression.

When it came to maintaining his persona, he had to keep a firm grip on it.

It was like a layer of protective coloration upon him, one that could spare him much trouble and perhaps even save his life at a critical moment.

He was not naive enough to believe that everyone in the Cultivation World was some serene, detached immortal free of worldly desires.

Cultivation required resources, and wherever resources were needed, contention was unavoidable. The Cultivation World was likely far crueler than the mortal world.

He had no choice but to consider his own safety in advance.

Old Man Zhou had already been sent to the residence gifted by the City Lord, along with the girl called Xiao Tao.

When Zhou Qing returned home, chaos naturally broke out.

Every servant in the household understood that this young master was the true pillar of the Zhou Family. Naturally, they pulled out all the stops to curry favor with him.

Zhou Qing spent three days training the servants on his father's behalf. He employed both kindness and severity, gave Xiao Tao a slight warning, and finally instructed her to take good care of his father.

Only after seeing that the household had settled into proper order did Zhou Qing finally feel at ease. He said, "There may not be another chance for us to meet after I leave. Father, take good care of yourself. If you encounter any difficult matter, seek help from the City Lord's Mansion. The City Lord will surely not refuse."

Ever since his son had passed the test, Old Man Zhou had known this moment would come. Yet when it truly arrived, tears still streamed down his aged face. "I'll see you off."

Zhou Qing smiled. "Where would the seeing-off ever end? Father, just stay home. From now on, live your own life well—that will be enough."

With that, he bade farewell and left the Zhou Residence, heading toward Linxian Platform.

As Zhou Qing's figure gradually vanished into the morning light, everyone in the Zhou Residence felt bereft.

Supporting Old Man Zhou, Xiao Tao said, "Master, let us go back. Young Master Qing was born for cultivation. He cannot be bound by mortal ties. Now that he has broken free of his shackles and soared into the heavens, we should be happy for him."

Below Linxian Platform, the air was thick with parting sorrow.

The Immortal Seedlings were bidding farewell to their families. Their eyes were brimming with tears, and the mournful atmosphere made even the onlookers beside them sigh.

At that moment, Zhou Qing strolled over from afar. His lofty, unrestrained bearing instantly drew everyone's attention.

Carpenter Wang was reminding his son that, after arriving in the Cultivation World, he should seek Zhou Qing's advice whenever anything came up. Seeing him approach, he asked, "Zhou Qing, why didn't Brother Zhou come?"

Zhou Qing smiled. "In three days, everything that needed saying has already been said. What would he come for?"

He had meant nothing else by those words, but the Immortal Seedlings could not help flushing with embarrassment.

For the past three days, each of them had been lost in drunken revelry, while spending very little time with their families.

Wei Xu could not help sighing inwardly. Brother Zhou truly is different from the rest.

Around noon, Immortal Master Chen Qingxuan descended upon Linxian Platform.

The Immortal Seedlings had no choice but to bid farewell to their families and follow the Immortal Master onto the platform.

Looking at their families below, their eyes full of reluctance, and at the Immortal Gathering Pavilion in the distance, the Immortal Seedlings recalled the three days of drunken revelry and suddenly felt as though it had all been unreal.

It was as though everything in the past had been a dream, while the place they were about to go and the life they were about to begin were what was truly real.

Chen Qingxuan was very satisfied with the Immortal Seedlings' state. This feeling of awakening from a dream was precisely the best state for entering the Dao and cultivating immortality.

If one could not regard mortal life as a dream, how could one give rise to a truly steadfast heart for seeking the Dao?

Chen Qingxuan drew a paper boat from his sleeve and tossed it into the air. The paper boat rapidly grew in midair, transforming into an enormous painted pleasure boat.

The vessel stretched twenty or thirty zhang from bow to stern and stood even taller than the Immortal Gathering Pavilion.

Light gauze curtains hung all around it, drifting in the wind and stirring the heart with longing. Colored silk ribbons dangled from the railings, and beside every ribbon stood a massive immortal crane, leisurely preening its feathers with its long beak.

All the Immortal Seedlings gazed at the painted pleasure boat with envy, thinking, I wonder when I too will possess the ability to casually throw out a giant ship like this.

Chen Qingxuan ordered all the Immortal Seedlings aboard. Then he formed several hand seals, and the immortal cranes along the railings seized the ribbons beside them in their beaks, beat their wings, and flew into the sky.

The huge vessel slowly rose from the ground, then accelerated faster and faster. Before long, it had plunged deep into the clouds.

All the Immortal Seedlings leaned over the railings and looked down, only to discover that the earth was no longer visible. All they could see was an endless sea of clouds rolling and churning wildly.

Wei Xu stood at the bow, watching layers upon layers of cloud-waves split apart before the vessel. His heroic spirit surged, and he shouted, "From this day forth, we are no longer mortals!"

The others were likewise stirred to lofty passions. They began speaking one after another, voicing their soaring ambitions.

Cradling his wine gourd, Chen Qingxuan squinted at these young Immortal Seedlings and shook his head with a sigh. This may be the most triumphant time of your entire lives.

Suddenly, his gaze flickered. He noticed that Zhou Qing was not, like the other Immortal Seedlings, admiring the magnificent sight of the giant vessel cleaving through cloud-waves. Instead, like Chen Qingxuan himself, he sat quietly inside the cabin. Curious, Chen Qingxuan asked, "Do you not find the sight outside intriguing?"

"Of course I do."

Zhou Qing smiled. "But I think I should save my first flight above the clouds for when I have learned to soar through the void on my own. That feeling should be countless times more exhilarating."

Chen Qingxuan said, "You have the most steadfast heart for the Dao of anyone I have ever seen. What a pity..."

He shook his head, somewhat sorrowful. "In the Cultivation World, circumstances often change beyond all expectation. No one can say whether they will even live to see tomorrow. Sometimes, while one still has the chance, enjoying oneself in time is also a choice."

Zhou Qing asked in surprise, "That does not sound like something an Immortal Master who has been tempering us and hoping we will sever our attachment to worldly pleasures would say."

Chen Qingxuan mocked himself. "When one grows old, one's ambitions inevitably wane. Count what I said just now as a mistake."

In truth, he had thought of the fact that Zhou Qing possessed only a single spiritual root. In this life, it would be almost impossible for him to cultivate to the Qi Refining Ninth Level and fly through the air by his own ability.

He did not want this young man, whom he thought highly of, to torment himself too greatly over a goal that was nearly impossible to achieve. It would be better for him to enjoy some pleasures while he was young, so that this life would not have been lived in vain.

If Zhou Qing had possessed even a few more spiritual roots, then with the talent he had displayed and his exceptionally resolute temperament, Chen Qingxuan would have wanted nothing more than to supervise his cultivation every day, leaving him not the slightest chance to slack off.

"Uncle Chen, how long will it take us to reach the Cultivation World?"

Wei Xu asked.

The Immortal Seedlings had originally been outside admiring the magnificent sea of clouds. But once they noticed Zhou Qing chatting with Chen Qingxuan, they all entered the cabin as well, hoping to learn some news about the Cultivation World in advance.

Chen Qingxuan smiled. "About half a month will be enough."

Wei Xu said in surprise, "It will actually take half a month of flying?"

Chen Qingxuan said, "That is only because our Azure Cloud Sect's flying vessel is swift, capable of traveling ten thousand li each day, allowing us to arrive within half a month."

"Other Golden Core Sects, and even Nascent Soul Domains, might not possess a flying vessel this swift."