Ning Yu led the other disciples back to the bow to stand guard once again.
One disciple whispered, “Senior Sister, that little wolf cub is a first-stage Qi Refining beast. It should belong to Shou Peak. If you just give it away like that, what will you do if Shou Peak comes looking for it?”
Ning Yu’s gaze didn’t waver, her voice cold: “The Sect has rules. Demonic beasts are, after all, difficult to tame. Unclaimed beasts must not leave Shou Peak, and those with owners must wear a collar to walk freely in the Sect.”
“That little wolf cub has no sign of an owner at all. If it really does belong to Shou Peak, it’s probably just one of the ordinary young beasts collectively raised by the Beast Nurturing Hall, not yet bonded to anyone.”
“So I’ll just say I bought it as a gift for that little girl. I’ll make up the required Contribution Points afterward.
“But after this… heh, the disciples who took on the Beast Nurturing Hall’s feeding tasks and Shou Peak’s patrol duties this month had better give me a good explanation as to why such a massive Shou Peak couldn’t even keep track of a just-weaned wolf cub, and let it run onto the Xianzhou!”
“If those coming to join the Sect on this ship find out about this and the story spreads, wouldn’t it disgrace our Xuantian Sect and make us a laughingstock for nothing?”
Several disciples shrank their necks at her words. If you had to say what Xuantian Sect disciples feared most, it would be the Disciplinary Hall.
Senior Sister Ning’s master, Shui Yaoguang, was an Elder of the Disciplinary Hall. This master and disciple pair were famous in Xuantian Sect for their skill with the whip.
Cold and strict, spotless in conduct—disciples who made serious mistakes really would end up strung up and lashed!
Shoveling dung.
Luckily, letting a wolf cub slip away wasn’t that serious a mistake. At worst, they’d just be sent to clean up in the Beast Garden or Aviary.
Because the wind on the deck was too strong, Yun Miao and the others only enjoyed the scenery for a while before returning to the cabin.
As they walked down the corridor, Yun Miao saw a human “sea urchin” emerge from the room they’d stayed in before.
Everyone was startled at first, but then realized that the “sea urchin” was actually Tan Xiaobai.
The Amber Gold Fillet Crown that had been tying up his hair was gone, and his black hair was now puffed up like the fur of the Little Black Wolf in Yun Miao’s arms.
As he moved, arcs of electricity still crackled and flashed over his clothes.
“Boss!”
Tan Xiaobai rushed over to Yun Miao in excitement, his little tiger teeth flashing with sparks.
As soon as he got close, everyone felt their hair floating toward him as if it were alive, and they quickly stepped back in alarm.
Yun Miao: “Stop, stop, stop—don’t come any closer! What’s with all these sparks and lightning?”
Tan Xiaobai had to stop in his tracks, looking at Yun Miao with admiration and excitement.
“It’s all thanks to you, Boss! What you said earlier was so sharp and insightful, it was like a heavenly thunderbolt that split open my confusion and let me see the world anew!”
Yun Miao: “…So you got struck by lightning and turned into a sea urchin?”
Tan Xiaobai grinned brightly: “I got struck and had an epiphany, and before I knew it… heh, I broke through to the fifth stage of Qi Refining!”
“Since I have a Lei Linggen, the breakthrough happened so fast I couldn’t control it, and ended up like this. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine in a bit.”
“I never thought that just by becoming your little brother, I’d get such a huge benefit. Boss, you really are my lucky star!”
He pulled out a plain Storage Pouch from the embroidered pouch at his waist and presented it with both hands.
“This contains all my Ling Shi. I tend to be a bit extravagant, so I haven’t saved much, but I came all the way from Pandaren State to Yunzhou to join the Sect.”
“My uncle and aunt were worried about me and gave me a good sum before I left.”
“I racked my brains trying to think of a proper gift, but in the end, I decided to just give all my Ling Shi to you, Boss. Please accept it and don’t look down on me.”
Tan Xiaobai’s gift was given with true sincerity. If it were anyone else, they might hesitate, thinking the Storage Pouch was too hot to handle. But Yun Miao didn’t see it that way.
To her, helping Tan Xiaobai = the player triggering and completing a side quest = the Storage Pouch was the quest reward.
So she took the Storage Pouch without a hint of politeness, imitating Huaxin’s manner as she hung it at her waist.
Then, straightening her back, she stroked the fur of the Little Black Wolf in her arms, looking every bit the boss of the underworld.
“Very good. Since you’re so sensible, I hereby declare you my number one little brother. Do your best—I have high hopes for you.”
“But don’t get arrogant just because you’re favored, understand? If you slack off, someone else could take your spot as number one.”
Tan Xiaobai immediately cupped his hands solemnly:
“Thank you, Boss, for your favor! I’ll follow you loyally, braving fire and blades without hesitation, and I’ll never let anyone else take my place as your number one!”
After saying this, he cast a wary glance at Guan Dahai and Gao Zhu behind Yun Miao.
Guan Dahai: …Why’s he looking at me? I have no interest in fighting for the number one little brother spot. Besides, isn’t he the only little brother Yun Miao has? What’s he so nervous about?
Since the corridor wasn’t a place to linger, everyone soon returned to the room to rest. The Elder who had been guarding Tan Xiaobai during his breakthrough was gone, so they drank tea and chatted merrily.
No one knew how much time passed before Ning Yu’s voice echoed in everyone’s ears again.
“Everyone, we’ll be arriving at Xuantian Sect in just a quarter of an hour. Please prepare yourselves.”
Everyone gradually left the cabin. Yun Miao, holding Little Black, walked out onto the deck just as a Crane carrying a White Deer brushed past the Xianzhou.
When she looked over, she locked eyes with the White Deer.
“Yoo—yoo—yoo~”
The White Deer called out, then dove into a thick cloud bank with the Crane, disappearing from view.
Yun Miao’s eyes widened: A deer… why is there a deer flying in the sky? No, wait, why is a deer riding a Crane in the sky?!
***
The next moment, a group of young men and women in wide-sleeved robes burst out of the clouds, riding long swords beneath their feet.
The wind on the clouds whipped their robes and hair into a scene of immortal elegance.
They noticed the Xianzhou, lowered their altitude until their Sword Flight was level with the ship’s rail, chatted briefly with the Xuantian Sect disciples at the bow, then streaked ahead in a flash of light, vanishing into the clouds up ahead.
At that moment, the Xianzhou also began to descend. As they lost altitude, a sea of emerald green filled everyone’s eyes.
Yun Miao looked down and saw the endless Xuantian Mountain Range, layer upon layer of peaks and ridges, countless sheer cliffs and strange spires stabbing up into the clouds like swords—an awe-inspiring sight.
Knowing in advance that Xuantian Sect’s main area was made up of nine peaks, her gaze was naturally drawn to the eight largest, tallest mountains below.
And just at that glance, she suddenly realized that if you took those eight peaks as a dragon’s spine and connected the undulating ridges below into a line, the whole mountain range formed the shape of a coiled dragon clutching a Pearl!
The “Pearl” wrapped by the Dragon Vein was a jade-green lake, and above the lake stood the ninth and final peak—the main peak of Xuantian Sect—a Floating Mountain suspended high in the sky!
The other eight peaks encircled the main peak, forming a protective ring. All nine peaks were covered in vast ancient forests, strange rocks, and towering trees.
Clouds swirled around the summits, sunlight breaking through in a sea of rainbow light.
Countless pavilions, towers, covered bridges, and waterside gazebos were scattered artfully among the peaks, and several Iron Chain Suspension Bridges crisscrossed, linking these dangerous heights.
Yun Miao stood there, completely dazed.
It wasn’t just her; everyone stared blankly at the scene below, a surge of emotions rising in their hearts—only to be blown away by the wind above the clouds, leaving nothing but the sight of this immortal wonderland.
Ning Yu stood in the wind, her gaze toward Xuantian Sect below full of gentleness.
“Everyone, we’ve arrived at Xuantian Sect. Below is the Dengtianti. As long as you can climb the Dengtianti and pass the Wenxin Formation, you’ll reach the main peak’s Cloudview Platform.”
“Anyone who enters the Cloudview Platform within three days may join our Xuantian Sect!”
She slapped the Storage Pouch at her waist, and countless round, brown Pills shot out, floating before the crowd.
“These are Low-Grade Fasting Pills. Take one and you won’t feel hungry for half a month…”
Before she finished, Yun Miao had already grabbed one of the Pills from the air and stuffed it into her mouth. The Fasting Pill had no taste at all, but the texture was terrible, like chewing on wood shavings.
The others, with a mix of excitement and anxiety, also took the Pills.
Ge Yan, standing on the lookout platform, waved her sleeve. The Xianzhou suddenly vanished, and everyone felt the ground disappear beneath their feet as they plummeted from the clouds!
“Ahhh!”
Amid the screams, Ge Yan’s aged voice rang out.
“Go on, the rest of the journey is up to you. The Sect Master, the Peak Masters, and the Elders are waiting at the Cloudview Platform.”
“Leave your little wolf with me for now. I’ll return it to you after the trial is over.”
Little Black disappeared from Yun Miao’s arms, and she, along with everyone else, landed on a cloud layer as solid as earth.
All around was a sea of mist, white as far as the eye could see, with only a staircase of green jade faintly visible, winding upward into the clouds.
The tiers of jade steps sloped upward, vanishing into the mist, with no end in sight. Some even wondered if it had an end at all.
Huaxin turned to Yun Miao and the others, her tone firm: “See you at the Cloudview Platform.”
As soon as she finished, she strode forward, passing those hesitating at the front, and headed straight for the Dengtianti.
Everyone turned to watch, wanting to see what would happen. They saw the black-clad girl set foot on the first step of the Dengtianti, and her figure immediately vanished into the mist—gone without a trace!
“Wow.”
Yun Miao exclaimed in wonder, then eagerly stepped onto the Dengtianti herself, her figure vanishing into the clouds as well.
Tan Xiaobai hurried after her: “Boss, wait for me!”
Guan Dahai and Gao Zhuben, still a bit scared, gritted their teeth and stomped after them.